truth wears pants.

as you may have gathered from my previous posts, I have had a little difficulty with the job lately and it is revolving around one specific person. There have been many times in the past month and a half that I have been wondering if it is just me being a jerk, but I see that other people have the same reaction as I do. I was recently had an "official" brush with the issue and needless to say I was unhappy about it. Sorry to be vague but it would inappropriate for me to elaborate. Anyway, my issue now is that I realize that the "problem" has been increasingly shrewd and sneaky about their attempts to place themselves in a good light and to set themselves up for continued power as well as continuing to have things their way. The problem that I have is that I truly believe that this person is ruining the work that has been done over the past year at our church. It is amazing how quickly a close minded person, especially on on an extreme power trip can destroy work that has taken so long to accomplish. That being said, I have a feeling that if things will get resolves the damage can be repaired. Well, the long and short was that I "officially" pushed back this week and am glad that I have. If nothing else it is because no one else has. I am kind of relishing my position right now. I feel as though I am standing between people and danger and I realize that I have been equipped to do this. It seems as though less intense periods of trial in my life have been practice and perhaps I will say the same thing about this period someday. Regardless, I am happy to push back and happy to struggle, but I am extremely frustrated because, as I mentioned before I am doing so with a close minded person. Their reaction is to either ignore me, or to agree with me to my face and then ignore me later anyway. It is frustrating, but alas it is what is happening.

What's just a kick in the face is that the stupid Celtics have just blown out the Lakers. Stupid Celtics...It should be illegal to go and buy 4 All Stars and win a championship. The problem that I have is that people talk like they have done something extraordinary, but that is crap. It would be as if I played basketball with a 12 year old and was heralded as amazing for my victory over him. Perhaps that is too extreme, but you get my jist.

Luckily, The Dark Knight will be out in theaters soon and all will be well.

P.S. Tiger Wood is awesome...I mean rediculously an amazing anomaly that can not be overstated.

First off, the Celtics and Lakers tipped off last night. It promises to be a great time. I was disappointed with the outcome because I basically hate the Celtics. I never used to, but I have to admit I do so with much passion now. Perhaps it is their close proximity to the Patriots, perhaps it is the fact that everyone has been touting the individual greatness of superstar players who just happen to have been traded to the same team. The only things that they have actually accomplished by themselves is almost making a good playoff run and then failing, and then driving each of their teams into rebuilding mode. They then found their way onto the same team and all of a sudden they are all the hardest working, most intense competitors in the world. Come on. It is basically an all star team, and as such they should be better than they are, but they are not. We'll see if they win, but I am tired of the praise heaped on this group. They are actually underachieving if you ask me.
Kobe. Now I have liked Kobe for a long time. I was reading a few excerpts from the Phil Jackson book The Last Season: A Team in Search of its Soul, and I have to say there is some information about Kobe that is quite revealing. That being said, it is great to see him acting like a mature adult and getting his team in a position to win games. I was also impressed with Phil Jackson's apparent wisdom in his treatment of Kobe. It wasn't bad, but rather a realization that Kobe needed to mature. Good times Phil, good time.

My wife bought me a stress relieving squishy golf ball that sits in a nice wooden driver stand for my office about a year ago. About a weak ago the contents of which oozed out of its rubbery shell and onto the surface of my desk. This clear and sticky substance melts when I turn the air conditioner off and hardens when it is on. We collected said material yesterday and formed a ball. In the cool of the office, when slammed against the wall the ball shatters. But when taken outside it turns into a slimy, sticky mess and sticks to stuff. It is weird and disgusting and we are currently trying to find some slightly humorous and grossly inappropriate uses for it. If anyone actually reads this, please give me your ideas, I will take them into consideration.

So I went to church last week in a pair of shorts, flip-flops and a nice button down shirt. Coincidently the sermon was on Jesus casting the money lenders out of the temple with an emphasis on His zeal for God's house. The preacher slipped in the middle of his sermon (which by my theological understanding was completely misguided and poorly conceived), that we need to dress our best on Sunday and not look like we are going to the beach. I almost didn't catch it. I have resigned myself to the fact that the recent "Biblical" teaching is substandard and frequented references from tired man made traditions and also has been at times almost incoherent. So I have been reading the news on my iphone on Sundays, listening only to catch the statements that are either not true, or are based on ultra-Biblical ideas. Regardless, following church I received one of the nicest phone calls I have ever had. A member of the church called to let me know that the statements made from the pulpit, which were obviously directed at me, were not shared by the rest of the congregation, and even if our beliefs did not align themselves, we were allowed to respectfully disagree with each other and coexist in the fellowship of believers. I fully believe that this phone call would not have happened a year ago. In our toiling over the last year in switching to a contemporary format, there was an underlying motivation. The goal was to strip away all tradition and show the congregation what church is all about, which coincidentally is fellowship. It took about six months to happen, but people whom I never thought would come around started talking differently about church. Making statements like, "I have been wearing clothes that will make people feel more comfortably when they come here." They get that church is not an hour on Sunday, but a fellowship. Church is me and a friend or friends getting together. Period. Like minded people, gathering for fellowship, renewal and sometimes teaching. Worship is a lifestyle, corporate worship is a small part of it. Sunday morning is an extra-Biblical idea that came along centuries after the first Christians had "church". My deal is that there are people who are allowed to say what was said from the pulpit, from a place of authority and claim truth out of lies. The problem is that there are some people who will take the words to heart, and "church" will become stuffy, oppressive and exclusive all over again.
I spoke with a friend not too long ago about changing the format of church...It is hard to imagine. Even "contemporary" churches use the same formula for church. Singing, scripture and preaching. I understand that all these things are good things, but what about just being together? Does church have to be a combination of the three things? Can church be simply about hanging out with like minded and like hearted people. Can the fellowship reinvigorate us on its own? Is it possible to go to a movie, for example The Incredible Hulk, and have that be church? In regards to the beach comment. 1. What are you talking about guy, Jesus wore sandals and due to his status as homeless, there is a good chance that when he worshiped in public he was a bit ripe. 2. I have often said that there are very few times that I sense the power and magnitude of God than when I see the ocean. The sheer size throws me into a sense of wonder and I have had some of my most significant spiritual experiences in sight of the ocean. 3. In terms of wearing our "Sunday Best" it is awkward when you go to The Salvation Army heavily adorned and sit in a plain room that is not heavily adorned. To me it is a contradiction. 4. Come just as you are. 5. "You won't like me when I'm angry."