Scabs and Scars

Scabs and scars.  Two different things.

Scabs are fresh and reveal that an injury has just taken place and the body is in process of healing.  The area is still sore, tender, and easily irritated.  The clot of the scab is raised from the rest of your skin and in the process of healing can be itchy.  If you pick at it, scratch it, or rub too hard, it is possible to reopen the wound again…and again…and again.

Scars are the evidence of a wounding that has occurred, but has since fully healed.  The nature of the wound has left an impression.  It has left…a scar.  But the scar is the evidence of a fully healed wound.  You cannot reopen it.  It isn’t irritated, it doesn’t itch, and you can’t pick at it.  It becomes a story in the landscape of your life that allows you to answer in response to the inquisition, “How did you get that scar?”

All of us get wounded in life.  Comes with the terrain of love, humanity,  and the Fall of Creation.  What is troublesome is when a wound remains scabbed and because one irritates it, picks at it, or continually opens it up – it never moves to being a scar. The scar allows us to remember.  The scar proves that what happened was in fact injurious (as opposed to flippantly saying, “oh…that’s OK“.  No…it wasn’t OK.).  Sometimes in redemptive ways.  This scar proves that it is never a good idea to dive through a back porch window!  But it is just a scar.  It is what happened.  And while it has left a mark…it is healed.

Scabs should only be for a season.  Scars are for a life-time.

What in your life continues to be a scab that should have long ago moved on to being a scar?  May the One who bears scars on his hands, feet, and side – help you to bear your as well.

2008 Baptismal Celebration

In preparation for this year’s baptismal celebration, Doug Harsch put together a video from footage of last year’s celebration.  I’m getting excited about this year’s baptism.  Great interest so far!!  Don’t forget…one combined service at the YMCA at 10:00 a.m. on June 7th, 2009.

Stolen Office

This is Jennae Gee.

As you can see, she is sitting on the front porch of the church working…you know…the front porch…MY make-shift office that clearly has my name on it!!!  Jennae has stolen it for herself!!!

That’s OK.  I don’t get mad.  I just get even (in small passive aggressive ways).

Right now, I’m going to Jennae’s real office and finding something that she would use on a daily basis and dipping it in the men’s bathroom toilet!!  Yea…take that…

P.S.  working in a church is cut-throat!

That Kid Has Skillz

I would adopt this kid just so I could show him off at parties!

In Case You Were Thinking About Burgers on Memorial Day

Star Wars Retold

You’re welcome!

Awesome Employer

I have a job that allows me to work on the front porch if I want to.  The past three days this front porch here at the church has become my office.

God is an awesome employer! The benefits are pretty decent as well.

Word of warning…don’t try unionizing…He’s a little touchy about that…collective bargaining sessions would probably have a lot of words like “smite” and “eternal damnation” in it.

American Idol Winner – Kris Allen but Really Adam Lambert

Kris Allen won the American Idol season finale.  I was a little surprised.  I thought Adam was going to take the victory lap at the end of the show.  I have to confess, I kind of enjoyed the season finale. This year’s season finale was the best one I’ve seen and I even liked watching Adam play with Queen and KISS.  I thought…Adam Lambert is Freddy Mercury!!   He started to grow on me a little.

Even though Kris won (yea), Adam might be in the better position.  The winner of American Idol is contractually obligated to Studio 19 (I think) and American Idol in regards to album production.  Adam…is a free agent who I bet will have major record companies throwing big time cash at him to sign.  We’ll see.

I still think Norman Gentle should have been this year’s American Idol winner!  That is a concert and album I would definitely buy.

American Idol Finale

Final Two: Adam Lambert & Kris Allen

Who will win?

I’m guessing the Danny Gokey voters will be the deciding factor.  Who will they most likely vote for – Adam or Kris?

Both were brilliant (don’t tell my wife I said that about Adam…we’re fighting about it right now).  In regards to Adam, the dude can clearly sing.  By way of preference when he screams…I really do find it obnoxious (I know others like it…blah, blah, blah).  If he were to sing a ballad…I might consider downloading a song from itunes…if it were free…and just one…maybe. 

I hope next year they only go with two judges – Randy & Simon. If I hear Kara say “artist” one more time or Paula use words like “iconic” I’m going to punch my TV!

Atheist Bus Ads on Transpo Buses

Burkhart Advertising has approved the display of a billboard on South Bend Transpo buses of a message from an atheist group that states “You can be good without God.”

Should they have done this?

OF COURSE!!!! Why?  BECAUSE WE LIVE IN AMERICA!! And in this country we have a thing called a constitution that has attached to it little amendments that give us certain rights and liberties.  And this is supposed to apply to ALL Americans…not just Christians.

When Christians go berserk over this stuff it betrays the “alien & stranger” status our biblical story mandates for us.  Our indignation, boycotts, and protests are grabs for power and control over a society that God has never intended for us (and as history has taught us…never is to the church’s advantage).  We come across as hypocritical at best.  We want to have the right to display our faith assumptions, but if someone else wants to display theirs (which atheism is…a faith assumption) – we cry foul!!!?  Come on.  The only recourse will be for Burkhart to make a policy that NO faith-based signage can be displayed and now I’m stuck with just Fun Tan advertisements.

And how weak is our faith that it is threatened by a billboard on a Transpo Bus!?  I would much rather see this billboard than one of an aborted fetus.  I have no fear that my child will see a city bus and renounce Christ.  I can see it now…years from now as Isaac is talking about his life journey… “I was driving in my mom’s mini-van down Miami Street and that’s when I saw it.  A sign on a bus that said you can be good without God.  My heart strangely-warmed and I determined everything I knew before was wrong.“  Come on.

If non-Christians see us act for power and control in a hypocritical way…WE WILL lose this battle.

Do I agree with the message this sign intends?  No.  But I don’t agree with Burger King’s either.  That King’s head is huge…and it scares me.