In the previous posts, we’ve been laying a foundation. Now, we are coming close to the point where we can truly put up the building. It is time for our part.
In review,…
God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us. However, we have all sinned. Because of His very nature, God cannot coexist with sin, and as a result we have separated ourselves from Him. Despite the sin on our part, God still desires that relationship, and He has devised a way for us. That way is collectively called Grace and is realized and provided in the person of Jesus Christ. The Grace of Jesus Christ is a gift, but we still have to respond to that gift. We have to take hold of it. In the last post, we read how Peter instructed those folks who were “cut to the heart” and ready to respond to the way that God had devised to REPENT and Be BAPTIZED.
(The Apostle Peter speaking…)
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Acts 2:36-39
Today’s topic is REPENTANCE.
What is it? Is it being sorry? Or, is it something more than that? Is there a difference between being sorry and really repenting? Since Peter said it should be done, I think it is critical that we each know and understand what it means to really repent. It isn’t a difficult concept, just one that has been watered down.
The word ‘repent’ is one of those religified words. What I mean by that is that it is a word that is a perfectly good English word, but its true meaning is lost because it has been relegated almost entirely to the realm of religion. These days, we are almost left to create our own definition.
The root of the word translated in the Bible as ‘repent’ means to turn or to return; to literally change directions. If I am walking east and I repent, then I am now walking west. I don’t just suddenly feel ‘sorry’ that I’m walking east. No, I have to go through a transition.
I realize that I am not going in the direction that I want to go.
I figure out what direction I should be going.
I decide to change directions.
And, I take action. I actually turn around and go the other way.
Repentance is an action word; not a feeling word.
So, what does this look like in action on a spiritual level?
The Apostle Paul gives us a very good description in 2 Corinthians:
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. II Corinthians 7:8-11
In this particular case, Paul had taken the Corinthian church to task because they were allowing a terribly blatant sin to continue in their midst without dealing with it. (You can read I Corinthians for the details.) Their response wasn’t to just feel sorry. They didn’t sit around and mope and think about how much Paul was mad at them. No, they took action. They made changes. The status quo was no longer tolerated.
They started out with sorrow, but they took it further. It drove them to repentance. See the difference?
Today, people feel sorry, but that’s all that happens. “I’m sorry,” they say, but there’s no apparent change of personal direction.
In thinking through this post, I began to consider just how much repentance I do in my own life. I have my own set of problems and things that I struggle with as any normal human man does. I fight and I win, I fight and I fail. But, the other day, I realized that I’ve been spending too much time being ‘sorry’ and not enough time actually repenting. In my case, I knew what I needed. I needed a friend to talk to, someone I could share my struggles with that I could trust and who would help me.
Suddenly, I had a choice. I could continue to be sorry and just fight these things all by my lonesome. Or, I could change course and do the things that I knew I needed to do to truly repent. I could take the path of least resistance and continue the viscous cycle I was on, or I could do the harder thing and be open and honest, taking the needed actions to create change in my life.
Which would it be?
I headed up the more difficult road of repentance. Last weekend, I spent some time with one of my best friends in all the world. I asked him if we could be what used to be called “prayer partners.” I let him know that I needed someone in my life that I could talk to, and someone who would understand and help me to be who I needed to be. It was such a very encouraging and refreshing time.
What about you? What is your course of action?
See, here’s the thing. If you are going to repent, you can’t do it under the cover of darkness. You can’t repent in secret. If you are going to do it, it needs to be apparent, out in the open, obvious.
John (the Baptist) said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”
Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “What should we do?”
“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
Luke 3:7-14
Trees do not bear fruit in secret. Real change can be seen.
Repentance is a simple concept.
For those just responding to the Grace of God found in Jesus Christ...
A. Realize you are on the wrong track
B. Decide to change tracks
C. Change
That is repentance.
The question is, are YOU ready to change?
Next topic: Baptism
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
A Muncie Boyhood: The Plight of the Enumerator
My youngest daughter is headed to college in just a few weeks. This summer, she has been trying without success to find a job to supplement her spending money while she is away at school. (If you are in the Indy area and you have a babysitting need or an odd job she could do for you, let me know.) Her plight has brought back some memories.
Thirty-one years ago, in the summer of 1980, I was doing the same thing in Muncie, Indiana.
Jimmy Carter was still President, and the economy was in awful shape. Iran was holding our people hostage, and we were learning the meaning of the word “malaise.” I was headed to college in West Virginia in August, and I desperately needed to find a short-term job so that I could get some money ahead.
That’s where the R.L. Polk Company entered my life, and I became an “Enumerator.”
The R.L. Polk Company was in town to gather detailed data from every single address in the entire city so that they could publish a new Muncie City Directory. They needed guys like me to go door to door to collect the necessary information. I found the ad in the Muncie Star and jumped on the job.
Now, on the face of it, it doesn’t seem like too difficult of a job. The way it worked is that the enumerators would show up at the Polk office out on Wheeling Avenue first thing each morning to get the sheets that listed the addresses that were to be covered that day. Then, he or she would head immediately to the appropriate area to begin the canvas. At the end of the day, we were supposed to just bring the papers back and turn them in.
Simple, right?
In concept, it was. In reality, they always gave you considerably more addresses to cover than any reasonable person could actually hit in a given day, and when you returned without completing your area….well, you’d have thought that you’d stolen the manager’s underwear or something. Or maybe I'd started the Enumerating Apocalypse!
“You need to get this covered! If you don’t do better than that, we’ll have to fire you! Pick it up!”
The next day, you got your unfinished area, and then the next area too. Within a couple of days, I realized that I didn’t have time to walk from door to door. No. Rather, I was basically jogging or running pretty much the entire day, every day! By the end of the summer, I was in the best physical shape of my life!
Still, it was never enough. They constantly hounded me to get more done accompanied by more threats about my job. The whole month of July in 1980 I thought I was about to be fired.
When I started this job, I was one of maybe twenty or thirty enumerators and they had a constant flow of new people, but despite the constant threats, I was one of the last three that they held onto until the project was completed. I made it all the way to the end, and despite the threats, the company was a life-saver with regard to my money for school.
Along the way, I had a few interesting interactions in my door to door enumerating.
In a neighborhood near the Ball State University campus at a nicely kept older bungalow, I stood on a large porch and attempted to gain the personal information I needed from a guy who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. Today, it would be even more difficult to do this job because people are more careful about giving out personal information, but back then, I was expected to find out the names of all occupants. Their ages/dates of birth. Occupations. Did they own or rent. Phone numbers. Marital status. Etc.
So, I’m running down this list with this professional looking young fellow, and we get to the question about occupation.
“What is your occupation?” I asked.
“Jeweler,” he replied.
Time for a brain fart. I could not for the life of me remember how to spell the word jeweler. On top of that, being from the south side of Muncie, chances are that I was pronouncing it with one less syllable than the word actually contains… “Jewler.” So, I’m standing there a bit frozen in the process, trying to figure out how to spell the man’s occupation. He’s standing there watching me. I’ve got the paper on my clipboard held so that he could see what I’m doing.
I had a moment of brilliant stupidity. I thoughtlessly wrote the following:
OCCUPATION: Jew.
Without thinking, I had abbreviated the man’s occupational status as a jeweler with a simple “Jew.” To make matters worse, what I had done sort of occurred to me as I finished so I gave a short little chuckle at what seemed to me to be a simple mistake. However, before I could acknowledge the error in judgment, the man said: “We’re done talking!” Then abruptly, he angrily stepped back inside and slammed the door.
I was left standing there, unsure of what to do next. Should I knock and try to apologize, or just leave? I can’t remember if I tried to knock or not, but I know I never spoke to him again. I felt really bad that I had so offended him.
I promise, I’m not anti-Semitic. I was just a goofy teenage boy from the south side of Muncie who forgot how to spell jeweler.
In another occurrence, I found myself canvassing a little neighborhood of tiny two-room rentals on the east side of town, just off of 18th Street between Macedonia Avenue and Mock Street. In retrospect, it was probably ridiculous to even canvas these because I’m sure the turn-over there was fast and furious and the occupants would be completely different by the time the book was published, but there was no skipping it if I wanted to keep my job. After all, I was always on the edge of being fired.
As just a bit of background, I lived at 21st and Hackley Streets, which was just under a mile from this spot. For some reason, I decided it would be a good idea to park at home and walk over to this one, which was a mistake because it was further than I had really thought, and that turned out to be a major time-waster for me for that day.
The decision to park at home that day also gave me what I believe was a real brush with death. I had knocked my way into a few other uncomfortable situations, but this was the one as I look back that was the most serious.
I entered the little community of tiny rentals and began my job. I worked my way around to the back, stopping at each little house and gleaning what useful (or useless) information I could along the way. About two-thirds of the way around, I stepped up to a tiny porch on which a rough-looking guy was standing, smoking a cigarette, and watching me approach.
“Good morning,” I said. “I’m with the R.L. Polk Company, and I’m going around getting information for a new city directory. Could I ask you a few questions?”
“No.”
“Are you sure, sir?” I replied. “This is an important project because it helps the police and fire departments in the case of an emergency.”
“No! I don’t want to be in your directory! Don’t put anything about me in that book!”
“Um, okay.” As I handed him a piece of paper, I added, “Here’s an information sheet. If you change your mind, just call the number.”
“I’m not going to change my mind. You’re not going to put me in there, right?”
“No sir, participation is completely voluntary.”
“Okay, then.”
I couldn't put anything in there about him if I wanted to because other than the obvious fact that he was paranoid, I didn't know anything about him.
I went on to the next door and put the man out of my mind. After all, I’d been doing this for a few weeks and he wasn’t the first one to refuse to participate. You just learned to move on. There was no time to dwell on the rejections. In the next fifteen minutes or so, I finished up enumerating the tiny collection of what looked like Monopoly houses and headed back to my house where my car was waiting to take me to the next neighborhood on my list.
I was walking briskly west on 18th Street and mumbling to myself about being so stupid as to park at home, when a car rolled up next to me. I looked over at the older, plain-looking sedan as it slowly paced me. It was the man from the little rental house who had adamantly rejected participating.
“Hey! You’re not going to put me in that book are you?” he asked with a serious and somewhat scary look on his face.
“No sir.”
“Are you sure? Because I really don’t want to be in that book!”
“No problem, sir,” I replied. “We won’t put you in there unless you want to be in it.”
“You’re sure now?” he pressed me a bit more.
“I’m sure.”
Frankly, I was significantly uncomfortable by this point. I had never had anyone act like this before, and the company had not prepped me on what to do with a reaction like the one I was facing. It was the middle of the day, but I was on foot with my car almost a mile away.
“Well, okay,” he said. And then, he seemed to think about it for a moment, and he asked, “Do you need a ride?”
“Um, no sir. No thanks.”
He looked at me a moment longer, and then drove off.
In the years since then, I have often wondered who that guy was. Was he a serial killer? Based on his reaction, he was obviously hiding. Hiding from whom? Hiding why? What would have happened if I’d been naïve enough to jump into that car with him expecting a quick ride over to my house?
Somehow, I just don’t get the feeling that he would have taken me home.
In August, my job with the R.L. Polk Company came to an end. I never got fired even though I was threatened with it right up to the last. In fact, about a week before I was to move to Williamstown, West Virginia for my first semester of college, I got a phone call from someone at the R.L. Polk Company.
“We were wondering if you’d be interested in considering a career with the R.L. Polk Company?”
My response? “Um, no thanks.”
Thirty-one years ago, in the summer of 1980, I was doing the same thing in Muncie, Indiana.
Jimmy Carter was still President, and the economy was in awful shape. Iran was holding our people hostage, and we were learning the meaning of the word “malaise.” I was headed to college in West Virginia in August, and I desperately needed to find a short-term job so that I could get some money ahead.
That’s where the R.L. Polk Company entered my life, and I became an “Enumerator.”
The R.L. Polk Company was in town to gather detailed data from every single address in the entire city so that they could publish a new Muncie City Directory. They needed guys like me to go door to door to collect the necessary information. I found the ad in the Muncie Star and jumped on the job.
Now, on the face of it, it doesn’t seem like too difficult of a job. The way it worked is that the enumerators would show up at the Polk office out on Wheeling Avenue first thing each morning to get the sheets that listed the addresses that were to be covered that day. Then, he or she would head immediately to the appropriate area to begin the canvas. At the end of the day, we were supposed to just bring the papers back and turn them in.
Simple, right?
In concept, it was. In reality, they always gave you considerably more addresses to cover than any reasonable person could actually hit in a given day, and when you returned without completing your area….well, you’d have thought that you’d stolen the manager’s underwear or something. Or maybe I'd started the Enumerating Apocalypse!
“You need to get this covered! If you don’t do better than that, we’ll have to fire you! Pick it up!”
The next day, you got your unfinished area, and then the next area too. Within a couple of days, I realized that I didn’t have time to walk from door to door. No. Rather, I was basically jogging or running pretty much the entire day, every day! By the end of the summer, I was in the best physical shape of my life!
Still, it was never enough. They constantly hounded me to get more done accompanied by more threats about my job. The whole month of July in 1980 I thought I was about to be fired.
When I started this job, I was one of maybe twenty or thirty enumerators and they had a constant flow of new people, but despite the constant threats, I was one of the last three that they held onto until the project was completed. I made it all the way to the end, and despite the threats, the company was a life-saver with regard to my money for school.
Along the way, I had a few interesting interactions in my door to door enumerating.
In a neighborhood near the Ball State University campus at a nicely kept older bungalow, I stood on a large porch and attempted to gain the personal information I needed from a guy who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. Today, it would be even more difficult to do this job because people are more careful about giving out personal information, but back then, I was expected to find out the names of all occupants. Their ages/dates of birth. Occupations. Did they own or rent. Phone numbers. Marital status. Etc.
So, I’m running down this list with this professional looking young fellow, and we get to the question about occupation.
“What is your occupation?” I asked.
“Jeweler,” he replied.
Time for a brain fart. I could not for the life of me remember how to spell the word jeweler. On top of that, being from the south side of Muncie, chances are that I was pronouncing it with one less syllable than the word actually contains… “Jewler.” So, I’m standing there a bit frozen in the process, trying to figure out how to spell the man’s occupation. He’s standing there watching me. I’ve got the paper on my clipboard held so that he could see what I’m doing.
I had a moment of brilliant stupidity. I thoughtlessly wrote the following:
OCCUPATION: Jew.
Without thinking, I had abbreviated the man’s occupational status as a jeweler with a simple “Jew.” To make matters worse, what I had done sort of occurred to me as I finished so I gave a short little chuckle at what seemed to me to be a simple mistake. However, before I could acknowledge the error in judgment, the man said: “We’re done talking!” Then abruptly, he angrily stepped back inside and slammed the door.
I was left standing there, unsure of what to do next. Should I knock and try to apologize, or just leave? I can’t remember if I tried to knock or not, but I know I never spoke to him again. I felt really bad that I had so offended him.
I promise, I’m not anti-Semitic. I was just a goofy teenage boy from the south side of Muncie who forgot how to spell jeweler.
In another occurrence, I found myself canvassing a little neighborhood of tiny two-room rentals on the east side of town, just off of 18th Street between Macedonia Avenue and Mock Street. In retrospect, it was probably ridiculous to even canvas these because I’m sure the turn-over there was fast and furious and the occupants would be completely different by the time the book was published, but there was no skipping it if I wanted to keep my job. After all, I was always on the edge of being fired.
As just a bit of background, I lived at 21st and Hackley Streets, which was just under a mile from this spot. For some reason, I decided it would be a good idea to park at home and walk over to this one, which was a mistake because it was further than I had really thought, and that turned out to be a major time-waster for me for that day.
The decision to park at home that day also gave me what I believe was a real brush with death. I had knocked my way into a few other uncomfortable situations, but this was the one as I look back that was the most serious.
 |
| 2011 E. 18th Street in Muncie. Sight of my dangerous encounter! |
I entered the little community of tiny rentals and began my job. I worked my way around to the back, stopping at each little house and gleaning what useful (or useless) information I could along the way. About two-thirds of the way around, I stepped up to a tiny porch on which a rough-looking guy was standing, smoking a cigarette, and watching me approach.
“Good morning,” I said. “I’m with the R.L. Polk Company, and I’m going around getting information for a new city directory. Could I ask you a few questions?”
“No.”
“Are you sure, sir?” I replied. “This is an important project because it helps the police and fire departments in the case of an emergency.”
“No! I don’t want to be in your directory! Don’t put anything about me in that book!”
“Um, okay.” As I handed him a piece of paper, I added, “Here’s an information sheet. If you change your mind, just call the number.”
“I’m not going to change my mind. You’re not going to put me in there, right?”
“No sir, participation is completely voluntary.”
“Okay, then.”
I couldn't put anything in there about him if I wanted to because other than the obvious fact that he was paranoid, I didn't know anything about him.
I went on to the next door and put the man out of my mind. After all, I’d been doing this for a few weeks and he wasn’t the first one to refuse to participate. You just learned to move on. There was no time to dwell on the rejections. In the next fifteen minutes or so, I finished up enumerating the tiny collection of what looked like Monopoly houses and headed back to my house where my car was waiting to take me to the next neighborhood on my list.
I was walking briskly west on 18th Street and mumbling to myself about being so stupid as to park at home, when a car rolled up next to me. I looked over at the older, plain-looking sedan as it slowly paced me. It was the man from the little rental house who had adamantly rejected participating.
“Hey! You’re not going to put me in that book are you?” he asked with a serious and somewhat scary look on his face.
“No sir.”
“Are you sure? Because I really don’t want to be in that book!”
“No problem, sir,” I replied. “We won’t put you in there unless you want to be in it.”
“You’re sure now?” he pressed me a bit more.
“I’m sure.”
Frankly, I was significantly uncomfortable by this point. I had never had anyone act like this before, and the company had not prepped me on what to do with a reaction like the one I was facing. It was the middle of the day, but I was on foot with my car almost a mile away.
“Well, okay,” he said. And then, he seemed to think about it for a moment, and he asked, “Do you need a ride?”
“Um, no sir. No thanks.”
He looked at me a moment longer, and then drove off.
In the years since then, I have often wondered who that guy was. Was he a serial killer? Based on his reaction, he was obviously hiding. Hiding from whom? Hiding why? What would have happened if I’d been naïve enough to jump into that car with him expecting a quick ride over to my house?
Somehow, I just don’t get the feeling that he would have taken me home.
In August, my job with the R.L. Polk Company came to an end. I never got fired even though I was threatened with it right up to the last. In fact, about a week before I was to move to Williamstown, West Virginia for my first semester of college, I got a phone call from someone at the R.L. Polk Company.
“We were wondering if you’d be interested in considering a career with the R.L. Polk Company?”
My response? “Um, no thanks.”
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Christianity 101-Responding to the Gift of Grace
For new readers of this series, if you are just finding this particular series, please don't start here. Go and find the other posts that pre-date this one, and start from the beginning. The basis for what I am sharing here is built there. Thanks!
Folks, it’s been a while, so let’s have a quick review.
A. God is all about the relationship. He loves us and He wants us to love Him back.
B. Sin separates us from God, not because He gets angry so much as because by His very nature, He cannot coexist with sin.
C. We have all sinned, resulting in a split with God. Our sin causes a separation with God.
D. We cannot fix this in and of ourselves.
E. God wants the relationship back so He has devised a way. That way is collectively called GRACE.
Grace is a gift, the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. In short, Jesus IS that gift of grace.
It is important that we understand the foundational concept of grace because a misunderstanding can send us spiraling off in a couple of different directions. One way leads you to the perception that it doesn’t really matter what we do or how we live; a concept that some have called “cheap grace.” The other direction discounts the importance of grace, focuses on legalistic performance, and murders spiritual motivation.
I’ve witnessed one and lived through the other.
We have to understand that we cannot earn this grace. We do not deserve it. We cannot be good enough to gain it for ourselves. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren't some expectations from our Lord as it pertains to our response to the gift. We do have to respond to the offer. We do need to act in such a way that shows our appreciation. Grace should act as a primary motivator in our lives, if not THE motivator.
A proper understanding of grace humbles the heart and motivates the life. Any other response is fed by a misunderstanding.
So, the questions arise: How does one receive this gift? What is our proper response to this offer from God?
God did not leave us hanging. Nope. He gave us some examples. There is one place in the Bible where there are specific instances of people actually starting from a point of separation, responding to the gift, and moving back into a relationship with the Father of Creation. That place is the Book of Acts. Examples galore!
Before we go there, I want to build in one more piece of foundation. Let’s look at Matthew 16:13-19.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
This is a famous verse; a famous interaction between Jesus and his friend Peter. There is a lot buried in that verse, and it could warrant its own post. In fact, that verse has inspired countless other writings over the centuries.
For now though, I only want to focus on two things: 1. Peter was given a set of keys, keys to the kingdom of heaven. 2. He was given the authority to BIND things on earth and LOOSE things in heaven.
Amazing. Keys are used to lock and unlock. Peter was told that he would have the authority to bind on earth and loose in heaven. Incredible responsibility. I wonder how he used that? Maybe we’ll see….take a look.
Now, to Acts, specifically Acts 2. For some background, as we enter the story, Jesus has been crucified, risen from the dead, and after spending some time with his followers, has ascended back into heaven. His followers now only number 120, and on this day, the Day of Pentecost, which is 50 days after the Passover (and roughly 50 days since Jesus’ crucifixion.), they are all gathered together. The church has not yet been established. It is still a loose fellowship of those left after the emotional events of the previous weeks.
There is a strange, rushing wind. There are tongues of fire. The Apostles begin to speak in various languages. And, then Peter stands to speak.
Acts 2:14-41
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him:
‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
Therefore let all of Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
This is known as the beginning of the church as a body of believers. All Christians trace their heritage back to this point. What are the key points of Peter’s sermon?
1. Jesus was accredited by God—Verse 22
2. God gave Jesus into their hands—Verse 23 (They had to make a decision about Jesus…just as we do. We each need to decide what WE are going to do with him.)
3. They put Jesus to death—Verse 23 & Verse 36 (Why did Jesus need to go to the cross? Because of our sin, right? This makes us culpable for his death also. We made him the only answer to the problem of sin, which brought about his death.)
4. God raised him from the dead—Verse 24 & Verse 32 (Do you and I really believe this? Stop. Think about it.)
5. Jesus has been exalted to the right hand of God—Verse 33
6. Jesus is BOTH Lord and Christ—Verse 36
Let’s take a side trip for a moment. Jesus is both Lord and Christ. Our western sensibilities like the concept of Jesus being the Christ or Messiah or Savior. We like the idea of someone saving us. It’s the ‘Lord’ part that we struggle with. Lord = Master = King = authority over our lives. That part we don’t like so much. We don’t want anyone…even Jesus…telling us what to do.
Tell me I’m wrong.
Even if we don’t like it…He’s still the Lord. He still has the authority. Self-denial won’t change that fact.
Back to the point. What did these people know at the end of this sermon?
A. God sent Jesus
B. They rejected him
C. God raised him
D. He is now their Lord and Christ
Think about that. How would you feel if you found out that the person you thought you had killed was in fact alive, and not only that, he was now your Lord/Master/King?
Ooops. Time to hide. There’s a problem, though. You can’t hide from God.
How did the people respond to the knowledge that they had sinned against their God and His son, their Lord and Savior?
"When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart…"
Cut to the heart.
Broken. Hurt deeply. In emotional pain because of their sin.
Have you been there? Ever? When was the last time? Now? What would it take to get you there?
“Brothers, what shall we do?” —What does this question tell us about these folks? I think the following:
1. They recognize their error (sin).
2. They are ready to change
3. They are open to whatever they are told…they aren’t going to fuss about the details.
Peter told them two things:
A. Repent
B. Be baptized
Would you fuss about those two things? The first one is hard to do, the second one is really easy. Typically, we ignor the first and argue about the second. Does God scratch His head and wonder why we are such goofballs?
He (Peter…the guy with the keys…the guy who can bind and loosen) said that giving those two responses would provide them with two things:
1. Forgiveness of sins (That thing that has caused the separation from God)
2. The Gift of the Holy Spirit
Those that did it were “added to their number.” At the end of that single day, the church went from 120 believers to 3120 believers.
What a day!
In our next installment, we’ll explore the word “Repentance.” We’ll follow that up with another post on “Baptism.” Look for those two posts in coming weeks.
Adios...or Go with God!
Folks, it’s been a while, so let’s have a quick review.
A. God is all about the relationship. He loves us and He wants us to love Him back.
B. Sin separates us from God, not because He gets angry so much as because by His very nature, He cannot coexist with sin.
C. We have all sinned, resulting in a split with God. Our sin causes a separation with God.
D. We cannot fix this in and of ourselves.
E. God wants the relationship back so He has devised a way. That way is collectively called GRACE.
Grace is a gift, the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. In short, Jesus IS that gift of grace.
It is important that we understand the foundational concept of grace because a misunderstanding can send us spiraling off in a couple of different directions. One way leads you to the perception that it doesn’t really matter what we do or how we live; a concept that some have called “cheap grace.” The other direction discounts the importance of grace, focuses on legalistic performance, and murders spiritual motivation.
I’ve witnessed one and lived through the other.
We have to understand that we cannot earn this grace. We do not deserve it. We cannot be good enough to gain it for ourselves. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren't some expectations from our Lord as it pertains to our response to the gift. We do have to respond to the offer. We do need to act in such a way that shows our appreciation. Grace should act as a primary motivator in our lives, if not THE motivator.
A proper understanding of grace humbles the heart and motivates the life. Any other response is fed by a misunderstanding.
So, the questions arise: How does one receive this gift? What is our proper response to this offer from God?
God did not leave us hanging. Nope. He gave us some examples. There is one place in the Bible where there are specific instances of people actually starting from a point of separation, responding to the gift, and moving back into a relationship with the Father of Creation. That place is the Book of Acts. Examples galore!
Before we go there, I want to build in one more piece of foundation. Let’s look at Matthew 16:13-19.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
This is a famous verse; a famous interaction between Jesus and his friend Peter. There is a lot buried in that verse, and it could warrant its own post. In fact, that verse has inspired countless other writings over the centuries.
For now though, I only want to focus on two things: 1. Peter was given a set of keys, keys to the kingdom of heaven. 2. He was given the authority to BIND things on earth and LOOSE things in heaven.
Amazing. Keys are used to lock and unlock. Peter was told that he would have the authority to bind on earth and loose in heaven. Incredible responsibility. I wonder how he used that? Maybe we’ll see….take a look.
Now, to Acts, specifically Acts 2. For some background, as we enter the story, Jesus has been crucified, risen from the dead, and after spending some time with his followers, has ascended back into heaven. His followers now only number 120, and on this day, the Day of Pentecost, which is 50 days after the Passover (and roughly 50 days since Jesus’ crucifixion.), they are all gathered together. The church has not yet been established. It is still a loose fellowship of those left after the emotional events of the previous weeks.
There is a strange, rushing wind. There are tongues of fire. The Apostles begin to speak in various languages. And, then Peter stands to speak.
Acts 2:14-41
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him:
‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
Therefore let all of Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
This is known as the beginning of the church as a body of believers. All Christians trace their heritage back to this point. What are the key points of Peter’s sermon?
1. Jesus was accredited by God—Verse 22
2. God gave Jesus into their hands—Verse 23 (They had to make a decision about Jesus…just as we do. We each need to decide what WE are going to do with him.)
3. They put Jesus to death—Verse 23 & Verse 36 (Why did Jesus need to go to the cross? Because of our sin, right? This makes us culpable for his death also. We made him the only answer to the problem of sin, which brought about his death.)
4. God raised him from the dead—Verse 24 & Verse 32 (Do you and I really believe this? Stop. Think about it.)
5. Jesus has been exalted to the right hand of God—Verse 33
6. Jesus is BOTH Lord and Christ—Verse 36
Let’s take a side trip for a moment. Jesus is both Lord and Christ. Our western sensibilities like the concept of Jesus being the Christ or Messiah or Savior. We like the idea of someone saving us. It’s the ‘Lord’ part that we struggle with. Lord = Master = King = authority over our lives. That part we don’t like so much. We don’t want anyone…even Jesus…telling us what to do.
Tell me I’m wrong.
Even if we don’t like it…He’s still the Lord. He still has the authority. Self-denial won’t change that fact.
Back to the point. What did these people know at the end of this sermon?
A. God sent Jesus
B. They rejected him
C. God raised him
D. He is now their Lord and Christ
Think about that. How would you feel if you found out that the person you thought you had killed was in fact alive, and not only that, he was now your Lord/Master/King?
Ooops. Time to hide. There’s a problem, though. You can’t hide from God.
How did the people respond to the knowledge that they had sinned against their God and His son, their Lord and Savior?
"When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart…"
Cut to the heart.
Broken. Hurt deeply. In emotional pain because of their sin.
Have you been there? Ever? When was the last time? Now? What would it take to get you there?
“Brothers, what shall we do?” —What does this question tell us about these folks? I think the following:
1. They recognize their error (sin).
2. They are ready to change
3. They are open to whatever they are told…they aren’t going to fuss about the details.
Peter told them two things:
A. Repent
B. Be baptized
Would you fuss about those two things? The first one is hard to do, the second one is really easy. Typically, we ignor the first and argue about the second. Does God scratch His head and wonder why we are such goofballs?
He (Peter…the guy with the keys…the guy who can bind and loosen) said that giving those two responses would provide them with two things:
1. Forgiveness of sins (That thing that has caused the separation from God)
2. The Gift of the Holy Spirit
Those that did it were “added to their number.” At the end of that single day, the church went from 120 believers to 3120 believers.
What a day!
In our next installment, we’ll explore the word “Repentance.” We’ll follow that up with another post on “Baptism.” Look for those two posts in coming weeks.
Adios...or Go with God!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Changes in the Air
Folks...
I haven't posted in several days. Have you noticed? If you haven't, I have. It's been weighing on me.
That's the thing...
I do this for fun. It shouldn't be something that weighs on me. However, since I've started several "series" on here, I feel OBLIGATED to post regularly. That fact is making this blog a burden. I have enough burdens in my life. (Do any of you feel that way sometimes?)
Soooooo....
I'm going to make some changes around here.
1. I'm dropping the WMBO-Fitness Update series. It's making my exercise a burden too. I need to enjoy it, so no more obligations in that regards. Otherwise, I might get totally discouraged and just quit. I'll still post what I'm doing from time to time, and add some pictures from the road, but no more weekly posts.
2. I'm going to wrap up the Christianity 101 series. I will finish it. I have three more posts in the series. Then, no more of that one. I'll still post my thoughts on faith from time to time, but I'll be done with the obligation of the series....and, it will be back to the fun of posting my thoughts as they happen.
3. I'm going to keep the Muncie Boyhood series. I'm actually enjoying that little project still....so it stays....for now. This project seems to be my most popular feature on here anyway...by a large margin. It's a good thing I'm likin' it.
I had promised some "Henry the Preacher" cartoons, but they have been slow to materialize. I still plan on posting them once in a while, but I need to find some time to create them. The good news is that my daughter got me some good cartooning pens for Father's Day, so when they do come along, they should have the added flair of some color.
One side effect of the "obligation" that I've felt toward this blog is that it has taken almost all of my creative energy for writing just to keep up. That being the case, I've not found time to finish my book I've been working on. The story should be done by now, but instead it's still stuck in my head. I really want to get this adventure out and on paper for some folks to read.
I'll be back soon.
Mike
I haven't posted in several days. Have you noticed? If you haven't, I have. It's been weighing on me.
That's the thing...
I do this for fun. It shouldn't be something that weighs on me. However, since I've started several "series" on here, I feel OBLIGATED to post regularly. That fact is making this blog a burden. I have enough burdens in my life. (Do any of you feel that way sometimes?)
Soooooo....
I'm going to make some changes around here.
1. I'm dropping the WMBO-Fitness Update series. It's making my exercise a burden too. I need to enjoy it, so no more obligations in that regards. Otherwise, I might get totally discouraged and just quit. I'll still post what I'm doing from time to time, and add some pictures from the road, but no more weekly posts.
2. I'm going to wrap up the Christianity 101 series. I will finish it. I have three more posts in the series. Then, no more of that one. I'll still post my thoughts on faith from time to time, but I'll be done with the obligation of the series....and, it will be back to the fun of posting my thoughts as they happen.
3. I'm going to keep the Muncie Boyhood series. I'm actually enjoying that little project still....so it stays....for now. This project seems to be my most popular feature on here anyway...by a large margin. It's a good thing I'm likin' it.
I had promised some "Henry the Preacher" cartoons, but they have been slow to materialize. I still plan on posting them once in a while, but I need to find some time to create them. The good news is that my daughter got me some good cartooning pens for Father's Day, so when they do come along, they should have the added flair of some color.
One side effect of the "obligation" that I've felt toward this blog is that it has taken almost all of my creative energy for writing just to keep up. That being the case, I've not found time to finish my book I've been working on. The story should be done by now, but instead it's still stuck in my head. I really want to get this adventure out and on paper for some folks to read.
I'll be back soon.
Mike
Sunday, June 19, 2011
A Muncie Boyhood: Space 1999 and a Rumble in the Hood
 |
| Ernie's house is gone now, but this yard was the site of my rumble. |
We were into three things: Superheros, Star Trek syndicated reruns, and playing war with a bunch of little plastic army guys. I might share more about the army battles and superheros in another post, but for now I’m going to focus on the Sci-Fi fascination.
Star Trek started it. I remember the show being on as a regular series in the late sixties, but I never watched it. It wasn’t until it was in syndication in the mid-seventies that with Jerry’s help I discovered it. What a great show! I still love it today.
We fashioned our own phasers and tricorders out of wood. We ran around battling Klingons and Romulans; wishing that we could kiss Yeoman Rand, the pretty blonde assistant to Captain Kirk.
It was only natural that when I learned of the existence of Space 1999, a sci-fi series starring Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, I was all over it! In the summer of 1976, I was eagerly awaiting its season premiere. “Eagerly awaiting” might be an understatement. The fact is that the only consoling factor to me concerning the coming of fall and the start of school was the first episode of that season’s Space 1999. If a preview was aired, I was bug-eyed watching it. I read up on it in TV Guide and checked all the listings to make sure I knew exactly what day and time it would be on.
I was a bit obsessed, but finally, the time arrived.
I had a TV in my bedroom and it wasn’t unusual at all for me to take my dinner in there to watch a show while I ate. To the detriment of my grades, I would often do my homework on my bed while simultaneously following the antics of Happy Days or Mork & Mindy. (Maybe that’s why I struggled to pass Mrs. Denton’s Geometry class.) This particular night, however, was devoted to Space 1999; the premiere episode that I had waited ALL STINKING SUMMER TO SEE!
I positioned myself on the end of my bed right in front of the screen. The time rolled around. Eight-o-clock, oh yeah! The intro music and initial scenes began to flash across the screen…
In walk Ernie and David, two younger boys from the neighborhood. I was a freshman in high school and they were still sixth graders. “Blah, blah, blah. Yak, yak, yak.”
“Shhhhhh! I’m trying to watch this!”
More “blah, blah, blah” and “yak, yak, yak.”
“Come on guys, please. I’m trying to watch this show! I’ve been waiting all summer for it!”
“Blah, blah, blah! Yak, yak, yak!”
“If you won’t shut up, then just get outta here!”
“Meet us out in the street at nine-o-clock, then!” dared David.
“Fine. I’ll be there. Just shut up and get out of here!”
I figured that they’d get distracted by something else and would probably forget all about it by then, but I also decided that I would keep my word and show up at 9 pm in the street in front of Ernie’s house. It seemed fair enough to me. I was older, but there were two of them. Besides, I doubted much more than a few more stupid words would be exchanged.
I was quite wrong.
I watched my show, but I don’t remember anything at all about it. In fact, unless I look up some details on-line, I really don’t remember anything about the storyline or the plot. What I do remember is all that happened AFTER the show.
It was my “rumble in the hood.”
At 9 pm, I walked out my back door, out my back gate, past my dad’s garage, and out into the street between my house and Ernie’s home. There they were…waiting.
It was David who stepped up. Ernie pretty much stayed a few steps behind him. In retrospect, that isn’t all that surprising because David was more of the aggressor. He’d started some trouble the previous summer that led to brief scuffle between me and his brother, Tony.
Tony had befriended me just before my sixth grade year. Quickly, he had become the third leg in our friendship stool along with me and Tim. We played baseball, football, and army together in the neighborhood. He was even in on the notorious Poop Monster games. He was a year younger than me, but we were roughly the same size.
Anyway, David stepped up in front of me. He came right up and with his foot drew an invisible line in the street and dared me to step over it. Freshly pumped full of adrenaline from an exciting hour of space adventures, I promptly stepped over his line, and it all broke loose.
He started at me and I shoved him hard, so hard that he tumbled across to the edge of the street and fell down. That done, I turned toward Ernie and started in his direction. Ernie quickly back-pedaled into his own yard. When I reached the edge of the street, I sensed that David was back on his feet. I saw him coming out of the corner of my eye and turned, and as I did I swung my fist around. I didn’t swing hard. After all, I had no experience with fighting. I just swung it around about waist level. I wasn’t expecting the boy to jump into the air.
I connected. He fell on the ground doubled up.
Apparently, when I swung and he jumped, I accidentally hit him in the groin. I certainly didn’t intend to, but it seems that is what happened.
That was the end of it…or at least I thought so at the time…and I went back home.
About fifteen minutes later, David’s entire family with the possible exception of his dad, were across the street at Ernie’s house, and they were screaming obscenities at our house; daring me to come back out in the street. Tony was there. His older sister was there. David and Tony’s mom was there. It was nuts! They were determined to get me and make me pay for what I had done. The yelling, taunting, and cursing went on for what seemed like hours.
We didn’t call the police, and I didn’t go back outside. Eventually, they grew tired and went home. The only obvious evidence of their presence the next day was a piece of wood sticking out of one of my dad’s garage door windows.
 |
| My dad's old garage at 21st & Hackley Streets. There used to be two heavy wooden doors that hung on a rail. The rail is still there. There were a few windows in each, but most of them had been replaced with pieces of tin. There was one less glass pane after this event. |
It was over, but I knew that it wasn’t really over. I knew Tony would feel obligated to defend his family’s honor against the perceived offense. What I couldn’t be sure of was whether or not Tim would help him. Tony was still at Wilson Middle School , but Tim was at Southside High School
Over the next couple of weeks, or maybe it was a full month, I began to vary my routes to school along with changing my start times every day. When I was home in the neighborhood, I stayed close to the house and constantly watched for any potential trap. Sometimes, Tony would ride by, and he was obviously looking for an opportunity. If I was out in the street, he would veer toward my direction, but if I headed toward a house, he would veer away. He was stalking me; waiting for an opportunity to pounce. I had witnessed him do this with other guys in the past, so I knew how he worked.
Time went by, and I learned that Tim would not be part of it. I felt a little better, but I knew Tony was still looking for an opening. Finally, one day I was outside and Tony rode by. He stopped and called over to me.
“Mike, let’s be friends again,” he said. “I’m tired of this.”
“Are you serious?” I asked. The truth is that I missed our friendship, and I did want it to be over and back to the way it had been. I wanted to believe him.
“Yeah, I’m serious. This is dumb.”
I was hesitant, but I really wanted to be friends again. Slowly, he convinced me, and although I continued to be wary, I eventually let my guard down. He came over to my yard and we hung out. After a while, we decided we were thirsty, so we walked down the alley to Cantrell’s Barber Shop to get a pop. I had some change, so I bought both of us a bottle and we walked back laughing and guzzling our drinks.
 |
| Carson Cantrell's Barbershop at 22nd & Hackley Streets is the building on the right. He kept several pop machines along the front of the house on the left. They were the coldest sodas in town. |
“Let’s play some basketball,” he said.
There was a hoop hung on a makeshift backboard that was in turn hung on a tree in the alley beside Ernie’s house, so we went over and started shooting around. Ernie came out and joined us. We were having fun and I forgot completely about the problems that we had just recently been having.
It was when I bent down to pick up the ball that I felt his arm wrap around my head.
He pulled the glasses off of my face and handed them to someone…might have been Ernie. I also realized that his brother, David, had arrived.
I was bent over and he had me in a headlock. He punched me in the side of the face. I forced my way up and then threw him down. David lunged at me, and I tossed him aside. Tony was back at me and we struggled across the yard until we were leaning across the back of Ernie’s mom’s car.
“Mom! They’re fighting out here!” I heard Ernie yell.
I grabbed Tony’s hair and pulled his head down toward the trunk of the car, and gave him a little punch in the side of the head. David came onto and over my back. Somehow, I managed to through him off again and not lose my grip on Tony. I think he must have gotten in a couple of more punches and I might have thrown one or two, and suddenly we were separated and I was standing there with my fists in the air. Again, it was two on one, but this time one of them was my same size and much more experienced at fighting than I happened to be.
I was standing there, waiting for more, unsure of which one would be on me first (but not running), when my dad came out of the back gate and yelled at us to stop. I don’t know how he knew we were fighting. He was usually inside and at the other end of the house watching TV. Maybe Ernie’s mom called my mom. However he happened to find out, I was glad to see him.
The fight ended there. I went inside and Tony went home.
A few minutes later, our phone rang. My mom answered. After a second or two, she handed the phone in my direction and said: “It’s Tony for you.”
I was still hyped up from the fight and my face was flushed, but I took the phone.
“Hello,” I said.
“Mike, It’s over now.”
“Okay.”
“You know I had to do that, right?” he explained.
“Sure.”
It really was over this time. We never had another tussle. Slowly, our friendship resumed, but I never felt completely comfortable with him again. The trust was gone. My friendship with Tony felt like playing with fireworks; they’re a lot of fun, but if you weren't careful, they might blow up in your face.
Thus ends the story of my rumble in the hood. I guess the moral of this story is: Bad things happen when you come between a nerd and his science fiction.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Christianity 101-Magic Words, Secret Formula, or Grace?
There were two things that I really liked when I was a child: magic and cakes.
Big Wacky Cakes. German Chocolate Cakes. Cheese Cakes. My mom had the recipes down. She didn’t need to check the cookbook. She just knew the formulas for making great cakes.
With those two metaphors in mind, there is at least a reasonable chance that I’m going to step on someone’s toes with this article. I guess we’ll see.
First, a review of the stuff we’ve come through already…
• With God, it’s all about the relationship!
• The most important commandment is to love God!
• We have sinned…all of us!
• Sin causes separation from God! (We caused the separation.)
• God doesn’t want us to be separated.
• That separation is a predicament for both God and us.
Remember the example of the folks who tried to swim from New York to London? Some went much further than the others, but in the end they all died. It really didn’t matter who went further, they were all equally dead. It is the same with our sin. Some might be more righteous in and of themselves than other people, but when it is all said and done, in and of themselves they are separated from God due to whatever sin they actually have committed.
So, what is the answer? What do we do about it?
The answer is NOTHING. We, you and me, can do nothing to change our situation out of our own ability. The answer rests with God.
But, let’s examine a couple of “answers” that some folks cling to.
First, there are the “Magic Words.”
What are magic words? Well, they are words that when spoken at the right time and in the right order and in the right way will bring out a magical reaction. Here are the magic words that I’m referring to:
“Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I am truly sorry for my sins and I want to change. Please forgive me. I believe in you; that you died for my sins and that you rose from the dead. I invite you to come into my heart, and I will follow you from this day forward. In Jesus name I pray, amen.”
This, or something very similar to it, is commonly used in church circles today and it is called “The Sinner’s Prayer.” It sounds very good. And, I think it contains a great deal of truth. It holds all of the attitudes that an individual should possess who is coming before the throne of God. It even sounds scriptural.
I have two problems with it, however.
1. It is not found ANYWHERE in the Bible. This is a nice compilation of someone’s concept of how a person would or should respond to God, but there is no scriptural precedent or example from which you can directly pull it. There is no example of anyone in the scriptures ever responding to the message of Christ in this manner.
2. I have often heard this presented like it is the magic words of salvation. It’s almost like the words themselves held some sort of power over God. “Say this prayer with me, and you’ll be saved.”
Abra Cadabra! The magic words! Wam, bam! I’m saved! No purchase required!
Second, there is the “Secret Formula.”
Kind of like baking a cake, this approach makes it a scientific effort. As long as you put all the ingredients together in the right order, then you’re saved; simple as pie.
2. Where is the love? Where is the desire of the heart for the relationship with the Father? Maybe a person has that, but the formula doesn’t address it.
The “magic words” without GRACE are nothing but empty syllables. The “secret formula” without God’s GIFT is a worthless act of a helpless soul.
“Abra Cadabra!” and the guy pulled a rabbit or a card or a colorful hanky out of someplace that it should not have been. The magician would put a girl in a box and with a few waves of the arms he’d open it up again, and she’d be gone. Amazing!
Big Wacky Cakes. German Chocolate Cakes. Cheese Cakes. My mom had the recipes down. She didn’t need to check the cookbook. She just knew the formulas for making great cakes.
With those two metaphors in mind, there is at least a reasonable chance that I’m going to step on someone’s toes with this article. I guess we’ll see.
First, a review of the stuff we’ve come through already…
• With God, it’s all about the relationship!
• The most important commandment is to love God!
• We have sinned…all of us!
• Sin causes separation from God! (We caused the separation.)
• God doesn’t want us to be separated.
• That separation is a predicament for both God and us.
Remember the example of the folks who tried to swim from New York to London? Some went much further than the others, but in the end they all died. It really didn’t matter who went further, they were all equally dead. It is the same with our sin. Some might be more righteous in and of themselves than other people, but when it is all said and done, in and of themselves they are separated from God due to whatever sin they actually have committed.
So, what is the answer? What do we do about it?
The answer is NOTHING. We, you and me, can do nothing to change our situation out of our own ability. The answer rests with God.
But, let’s examine a couple of “answers” that some folks cling to.
First, there are the “Magic Words.”
What are magic words? Well, they are words that when spoken at the right time and in the right order and in the right way will bring out a magical reaction. Here are the magic words that I’m referring to:
“Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I am truly sorry for my sins and I want to change. Please forgive me. I believe in you; that you died for my sins and that you rose from the dead. I invite you to come into my heart, and I will follow you from this day forward. In Jesus name I pray, amen.”
This, or something very similar to it, is commonly used in church circles today and it is called “The Sinner’s Prayer.” It sounds very good. And, I think it contains a great deal of truth. It holds all of the attitudes that an individual should possess who is coming before the throne of God. It even sounds scriptural.
I have two problems with it, however.
1. It is not found ANYWHERE in the Bible. This is a nice compilation of someone’s concept of how a person would or should respond to God, but there is no scriptural precedent or example from which you can directly pull it. There is no example of anyone in the scriptures ever responding to the message of Christ in this manner.
2. I have often heard this presented like it is the magic words of salvation. It’s almost like the words themselves held some sort of power over God. “Say this prayer with me, and you’ll be saved.”
Abra Cadabra! The magic words! Wam, bam! I’m saved! No purchase required!
Second, there is the “Secret Formula.”
Kind of like baking a cake, this approach makes it a scientific effort. As long as you put all the ingredients together in the right order, then you’re saved; simple as pie.
- Hear
- Believe
- Confess
- Repent
- Be baptized
And, we all know that the most important one is baptism. Right?
Really? What ever happened to what Jesus said was the most important thing? (For those who may have missed it, He said it was to love God with all that you are.) And, is repentance really less important than being dunked in water?
Again, it’s like the formula holds some power over God.
Now, like the earlier example, I do believe that there is truth in this. All of these steps are found in scripture. In this case, there are actual hard examples that point toward these very things, and I believe they are important.
However, there are some basic things missing.
1. There is no “heart” in the process. It is very clinical. Where is the heartfelt remorse over your sin and your separation from God?
2. Where is the love? Where is the desire of the heart for the relationship with the Father? Maybe a person has that, but the formula doesn’t address it.
Either way, as I noted above, there is nothing WE can do to bring about our own salvation on our own. It is not within our power. But, God has the power. Let’s take a few minutes to explore the answer HE has provided.
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:1-10
Grace.
We are saved by GRACE.
Grace makes the difference.
We didn’t do it. We couldn’t do it. It is beyond us.
We can’t earn it. We can’t be good enough. It is a GIFT!
The “magic words” without GRACE are nothing but empty syllables. The “secret formula” without God’s GIFT is a worthless act of a helpless soul.
We all fall short, but it is the grace of God that makes up the difference. Consider the following scale.
Whether we fall short by a little or by a lot, we are all lost…except that THROUGH the GRACE of God we aren’t. It is GRACE that allows us to stand before God when we deserve to remain spiritually dead.
Consider this…
I think that we, the religious ones, often expect that everyone needs to be at least as righteous as we are BEFORE God’s grace can help them. They aren’t good enough to be saved unless they’ve at least met our own standard. WE ARE JUDGING BY THE WRONG STANDARD! After all, and again, we have ALL fallen short. We are all dead in our transgressions.
On a side note, consider this chart…
Think about this. If God’s grace is big enough and strong enough to bring salvation to the thief, the murderer, and the rapist, then can it not be enough to handle the person who otherwise follows God with all his heart but misunderstands a point of doctrine that we consider critical? Surely grace can fill the gap in doctrine as well as in life.
I don’t know where God draws the distinctions and the lines with regards to who is too far gone. I just know that the Judgment Seat doesn’t have my name on it, and I’m pretty doggone reluctant to sit down in it these days.
I love the next verse because I think it really gives us insight into how God feels about each one of us. For a little background, the situation is that King David’s son Absalom has murdered his brother Amnon and has fled to escape the consequences. David is heartsick both because of the acts that his son has committed, but also, and perhaps mostly because of the loss of his relationship with his son. He wants Absalom to be with him. As a result, he is completely downtrodden to the point that his right hand man, Joab concocts a plan to spur David to bring Absalom home. He sends a woman to David to pretend to have a distressing situation that is specifically designed to get David to soften his heart and to arrange the reunion. Ultimately, David figures out that Joab is behind the scheme, but it still has the desired effect, and soon Absalom is home.
However, there is one line that the woman speaks that I think gives real insight into God’s feeling toward us:
Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.
2 Samuel 14:14
As I’ve been saying…GOD IS ALL ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP! We separated ourselves through our sin just like Absalom separated himself from his father. And just like David, God wants us back
So, he devised a way. (Jesus. A cross. A rolled stone. An empty tomb!)
We don’t deserve it anymore than Absalom did, but God (our Father) is heartsick enough to manipulate all of history to bring about the salvation that is our gift in Christ.
Grace is defined as an unmerited gift, one freely given. It is the love of God given to us.
One last thing…
If I asked you to mow my yard, and in return I’d give you $50, then you would have an opportunity to earn the reward. When you did the work, I would owe you the promised amount. However, if I said I had a gift for you, it was $50, and all you had to do was come over to my house and get it, then you are not earning it by showing up and sticking out your hand as I extended the money to you with mine.
Any gift given must be received and taken, or else it remains in limbo. God has given a gift. That gift is collectively called “grace,” or “the grace of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Even though God has prepared the gift, each individual must receive it.
A few weeks ago, I decided to give a little money toward my nephew’s mission trip to Cambodia. It wasn’t much, but it was a gift. I sent a message that he needed to come see me. My intention was that when he came, I’d write the check and hand it to him. It wasn’t long, and he was at my door. I told him to follow me up to my office. He followed me up. We talked for a while, and then I handed him the check.
Hmmm. Would he have gotten the money from me if he had ignored my message? What if he messaged me back and told me to come bring it to him instead of him coming to get it? Hmmm.
Often times, we know that God has given us the gift of Grace, and all He wants is for us to come get it. But, we don’t show up. We don’t respond. Or, worse yet, we want it on OUR TERMS. “Bring it to me, God!”
In the next several posts, we will explore our response to the gift.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
WMBO-Fitness Update-Week 23
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| Here is my monthly update of the view of the creek on McGregor Road. I'll have to put all these together in December to get the progressive view. |
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| Red's Corner, located at the corner of Acton Road and Rocklane Road. |
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| A stream on Maze Road. I believe it is located on the Aikman Farm. |
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| The Brookfield Baptist Church in Brookfield, Indiana |
This was a good week for me. I had the most consistent week for exercise activity since January, and I think I've finally kicked the sickness that has been dogging me since mid-May. I rode my bike several times, and I walked in between rides a few times. One walk I'm particularly proud of was in Owensboro, Kentucky. It was a scorching hot day in the mid to upper 90s, and I'd been traveling all day, but I got out and walked over two miles!
I like to exercise, but sometimes I'm just tired. This week, I pretty well pushed through that and got my miles in anyway. Often it is hard to do that, and I do give in to the weariness at times, but trying to hit a particularly lofty goal like 2011 miles in one year helps to motivate me out of my chair or off my hotel room bed.
I've been thinking a lot about that goal...complete 2011 miles in the year 2011 by walking, running, or cycling...and I'm starting to doubt that I'll be able to get there. I made some rules for myself to make it a tougher goal to hit...only miles completed outside will count...no treadmills or exercise bikes. With that in mind, I've seen that with my work and travel schedule that limitation is a real hinderance. That said, I'm not going to change the rules in mid-stream. I'm going to hang with this program and do the best I can to get there, but I'm thinking I'll repeat the program next year and allow the indoor miles. In the second year, the primary focus will be fitness, and utilizing the tools of the treadmills and indoor bikes will play right into that.
Shifting gears...
Yesterday, I went out for a 17.4 mile ride and two things of note happened:
1. I rode south on Acton Road to start off. My plan was to ride to Red's Corner, then turn around and head back to Acton where I'd veer off for a side loop. Well, as I rode into the light southerly wind, it just seemed like it was taking way too much energy to pump the pedals. A few things went through my mind as I was grinding out the ride. One was that maybe the wind was hampering more that usual because of my weakened legs due to the inactivity last year after my Achilles surgery. Another was that maybe I'd really lost more steam than I'd thought by being sick in May. Hmmm. I kept shifting to lighter gears and pumping along...sweating profusely. I just couldn't wait to get to the turn around point.
So, I reached Red's Corner and stopped for a breather and a good drink of water. I unclipped from the pedals and stood straddling the bike for a couple of minutes, enjoying the break. When I finally decided to get going again, I went to scoot the bike toward the road and realized that my rear tire didn't want to move. I scooted it again, I guess just to confirm that I wasn't imagining it. Upon futher inspection, I discovered that my rear brake was stuck in a position where it was dragging heavily on the wheel.
No wonder I was having trouble peddling. I adjusted the brake and the rest of the ride went much better, but when I was done, my 17 mile ride felt a lot like a 37 mile ride.
2. Toward the end of the ride, I turned north on Acton Road from one of the side roads in the town. I hadn't gone far before a minivan passed me and some dufus stuck his head out of the window and made an incomprehensible comment. I say "incomprehensible" truly because I could not understand what he said. No matter what he said however, I could tell by the tone that it was supposed to be funny at my expense.
Ha ha ha.
Why do people have to compensate for their own idiocy by trying to belittle someone else? Maybe I'll send a recommendation to the mayor to put up a sign on Acton Road: "Caution. Rednecks Crossing!" or "Caution. Dufus at Play!"
Okay, here are the numbers...
Miles Completed: 317.5
Percentage Completed: 15.79%
Current Weight: 257.2 lbs (Down just a bit. Right direction anyway!)
Time to go.
See you on the road.
Mike
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Liberty, Indiana Courthouse
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| I saw this courthouse today, and I think the old architecture is cool. So, I thought I'd share. It's too bad that they don't make 'em like this anymore. |
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| It's located in Liberty, Indiana. |
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| Interesting history. I enjoy Civil War history, so this caught my eye. |
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
A Muncie Boyhood: Football and Cowardice
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| That's me...middle row...all the way on the left. |
I was a baseball nut. I loved it. I ate it. I drank it. I dreamed about it. It all started in 1972 when I discovered the Cincinnati Reds and the Big Red Machine. By the summer of 1973, I could practically name the entire roster, give you their batting averages or ERAs, and tell you how the leaders stacked up against the other leaders in the league. I bet I can almost name all the starters still: Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Dave Concepcion, Denis Menke, Bobby Tolan, and Cesar Geronimo. The best pitchers were Jack Billingham and Don Gullett, and the best reliever was Pedro Bourbon.
(Okay, I cheated a little bit and looked some names up, but I remembered most of them.)
Basketball was definitely not my game. I had the leap of a concrete block, and the speed of a sloth. Dribble and run at the same time? Are you serious? It was way down the list of my favorite sports. I think I preferred playing Poop Monster to playing basketball.
Football was not my favorite either, but I could at least keep up. We used to have neighborhood games in the Cecil and Irene’s back field. When I got to Wilson Middle School, it was time to play for real on the school team. I suppose I was spelling fun: m-i-s-e-r-y
Keep in mind that I didn’t like to get hit hard. I hated to be hurt. I didn’t like the stretches, the running, and the warm ups. Pain and I were not on speaking terms, but I went out for football anyway. My friends were all doing it. It seemed like the thing to do. I had no idea what I was doing.
It didn't help that I was practically blind without my glasses, and you can't wear glasses in tackle football.
The problems started when we picked out our gear. Most of the boys somehow knew all about how to pick out a football uniform. I had no clue. We went past the helmets. The rest of the boys got the nice modern-looking ones, and I ended up with an ancient helmet that was shaped differently from everyone else’s. I did okay on the shoulder pads and the jersey, but I really messed up royally on the pants and the leg pads. No one told me that football pants don’t come all the way down to the ankles…my thigh pads hung over my knees and my knee pads fit nicely over my shins. I looked like a real dork. Sometimes, looks really aren’t all that deceiving.
The worst thing that happened to me during football was Denny. It began at a practice. I don’t even remember what started it, but somehow we ended up being sent to the locker room for the balance of the practice. I guess I did something he didn’t like, and we kind of had a few words too close to the coach, and off we went to sit in the school, just the two of us. In retrospect, that really seems like a stupid thing for a teacher/coach to do. Why would you send two boys that you think are about to fight off by themselves into a locker room where no one can supervise them?
There was no fight. Denny wanted to. He dared me to. He taunted me. I refused. Remember, I was not fond of pain. I didn’t like to get hit. Frankly, I was a bit of a coward.
As you can guess, that wasn’t the end of it. He knew he had the upper hand on me. He knew I wouldn’t stand my own ground. This was probably September or October, and Seventh Grade lasted until the end of May. It was a long year of taunts and insults.
I am ashamed of myself for being such a coward. Eventually, I grew out of it, but not without suffering wounds to my self-esteem that took years to heal. I know we’re not supposed to encourage kids to fight, but if I’d just punched him once, the rest of that year would have been so much smoother…at least I think so.
By Eighth Grade, Denny seemed to have moved on from his abuse of me, and my football career had ended. When high school came, we went to different schools, so I didn’t see him again until we were in our twenties. I was organizing a recreational church softball team, and Denny was playing on another church team. We ended up on the same practice field at Heekin Park one day and our teams scrimmaged against one another. He seemed like a regular guy. It’s odd how differently a boy acts when he’s not in seventh grade anymore.
Age changes things. I got cut from my favorite sport four years in a row and subsequently gave up baseball. I never played football again. In my late twenties, I started playing basketball, and just to show how bad I was as a kid, I was still getting better when I hit forty years old. On top of that, my favorite part of the game became playing defense under the basket in the paint where I would often nail someone hard if they drove the ball inside. I decided I liked dishing out the hits. After all…
A little pain never hurt anyone.
Monday, June 6, 2011
WMBO-Fitness Update-Weeks 21 & 22
You may have noticed. I skipped a week. I didn't post on Memorial Day Weekend. Frankly, I just really didn't have time. Since my last post, I've been to the Indy 500, held a graduation party for my youngest daughter, helped prepare for the party (at least a little), worked on muddy landscaping projects, consoled a young girl who was in an auto accident, attended ump-teen graduation parties, and participated in a leadership retreat....and that's just the highlights.
I went to the Indianapolis 500 with my buddy Brian, who lives in Parker, Colorado. He called me a few months ago to tell me that he was coming back to Indiana to go the race, and would I like to go. I said: "ummm, let me think--YES!" Now, in doing so, I put myself in a bit of a spot. You see, my wife LOVES the race. I simply enjoy it. She does things like downloading the sounds of the racecars as her cellphone ring tone. I.....well...I just enjoy it. She was a good sport with me though, and didn't give me too hard of a time.
If you've never been to the race, it is an experience. You and hundreds of thousands of other people all sitting in a giant oval watching cars going REALLY fast! In some ways, the other thousands of people are almost more interesting than the race itself. I didn't see too much craziness this year, but it was still interesting. I will comment on a couple of observations...
1. As part of the pre-race ceremonies, the race organizers always ask a minister to offer a prayer. I don't recall the wording so much as the tone. I remember thinking it was a good prayer. The thing was, I might have been one of only a handful of people who actually listened to it. The guy in front of me couldn't stop sipping his beer long enough for the prayer to end, and the group to my right chattered on as loud as ever as if there was nothing going on. In fact, the whole crowd only quieted slightly during his benediction. However, a few minutes later they played TAPS, and immediately the entire crowd became solemn and quiet.
I'm proud that they had enough respect for our fallen soldiers to give them the silent respect that they deserve, but it really saddens me that so many people cannot give enough respect to the One who gave it all for everyone to at least set the beer down for minute.
2. Brian and I had parked downtown and rode a bus to the track. It is a great way to get there, but a bit tougher way to get home. You see, the bus riders file in a few at a time for several hours before the race, but everyone wants to leave and go home at the same time. Anyway, the bus dropped us on the 16th Street end of the track, and our seats were almost at the other end of the 2 1/2 mile oval. It was a long walk to and from on a pretty doggone hot day, but I didn't mind it too much. On the way out though, I saw an image that reminded me that some people just shouldn't go out into public when they drink. Walking down the middle of Georgetown Road was a young woman. She was with a group and I'm guessing that she was probably in her middle twenties. I'm sure she is normally quite attractive as well. However, on this day, she gave off an image that pretty much killed any sense of attractiveness...at least it did with me. You can start with dark hair and tanned skin. Typically, that's attractive. Then add the skimpy bikini top. That would catch the eye of most guys. Then, add a bit of a pouch or slight overhang to the stomach, a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other, and her short shorts unfastened. Ummmm. Not my idea of a beauty queen. Sorry.
Time for the fitness update.
Things are still a bit tough for me. I think I have a touch of some bug that is hanging on to me and sapping my strength. I'm getting tired really easily. This last Sunday, I had gotten good sleep the night before, but still I came home from church and slept for about four hours. Besides that weird weariness, the weather, my schedule, and all the graduation festivities have made getting my miles in a bit problematic.
All that said, I have added a few to the tally, including 11.3 miles just today. Here are the totals:
Goal: 2011 miles by walking, running, or cycling in the year 2011
Miles completed: 288.8
Percentage of Goal Completed: 14.36%
Current Weight: 257.8 lbs
The weight was an issue last week. I actually jumped up over 259 on the scales on my unreported last week. However, I dropped back down this week. I still need to get the trend line moving downward though. I'll feel much better when I get below 240.
Enough for now. I hope you enjoyed the pictures.
See you on the road.
Mike
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| The Hot Wheels Ramp. Later, they ran a truck down the ramp and it did a jump. I tried to get a shot of the jump, but without a good telephoto lens, I was too far away. |
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| They had some vintage winning cars do a few laps with former winners as drivers. It was cool to watch them go around. |
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| As always, there was a large, and often interesting crowd. |
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| The Stealth Bomber did a fly-over. Awe-inspiring. You really can't hear it until it has already passed over you. It's good to not be the bad guy. |
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| Current cars on the track in turn four. |
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| The aftermath. |
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| I had a good time. |
I went to the Indianapolis 500 with my buddy Brian, who lives in Parker, Colorado. He called me a few months ago to tell me that he was coming back to Indiana to go the race, and would I like to go. I said: "ummm, let me think--YES!" Now, in doing so, I put myself in a bit of a spot. You see, my wife LOVES the race. I simply enjoy it. She does things like downloading the sounds of the racecars as her cellphone ring tone. I.....well...I just enjoy it. She was a good sport with me though, and didn't give me too hard of a time.
If you've never been to the race, it is an experience. You and hundreds of thousands of other people all sitting in a giant oval watching cars going REALLY fast! In some ways, the other thousands of people are almost more interesting than the race itself. I didn't see too much craziness this year, but it was still interesting. I will comment on a couple of observations...
1. As part of the pre-race ceremonies, the race organizers always ask a minister to offer a prayer. I don't recall the wording so much as the tone. I remember thinking it was a good prayer. The thing was, I might have been one of only a handful of people who actually listened to it. The guy in front of me couldn't stop sipping his beer long enough for the prayer to end, and the group to my right chattered on as loud as ever as if there was nothing going on. In fact, the whole crowd only quieted slightly during his benediction. However, a few minutes later they played TAPS, and immediately the entire crowd became solemn and quiet.
I'm proud that they had enough respect for our fallen soldiers to give them the silent respect that they deserve, but it really saddens me that so many people cannot give enough respect to the One who gave it all for everyone to at least set the beer down for minute.
2. Brian and I had parked downtown and rode a bus to the track. It is a great way to get there, but a bit tougher way to get home. You see, the bus riders file in a few at a time for several hours before the race, but everyone wants to leave and go home at the same time. Anyway, the bus dropped us on the 16th Street end of the track, and our seats were almost at the other end of the 2 1/2 mile oval. It was a long walk to and from on a pretty doggone hot day, but I didn't mind it too much. On the way out though, I saw an image that reminded me that some people just shouldn't go out into public when they drink. Walking down the middle of Georgetown Road was a young woman. She was with a group and I'm guessing that she was probably in her middle twenties. I'm sure she is normally quite attractive as well. However, on this day, she gave off an image that pretty much killed any sense of attractiveness...at least it did with me. You can start with dark hair and tanned skin. Typically, that's attractive. Then add the skimpy bikini top. That would catch the eye of most guys. Then, add a bit of a pouch or slight overhang to the stomach, a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other, and her short shorts unfastened. Ummmm. Not my idea of a beauty queen. Sorry.
Time for the fitness update.
Things are still a bit tough for me. I think I have a touch of some bug that is hanging on to me and sapping my strength. I'm getting tired really easily. This last Sunday, I had gotten good sleep the night before, but still I came home from church and slept for about four hours. Besides that weird weariness, the weather, my schedule, and all the graduation festivities have made getting my miles in a bit problematic.
All that said, I have added a few to the tally, including 11.3 miles just today. Here are the totals:
Goal: 2011 miles by walking, running, or cycling in the year 2011
Miles completed: 288.8
Percentage of Goal Completed: 14.36%
Current Weight: 257.8 lbs
The weight was an issue last week. I actually jumped up over 259 on the scales on my unreported last week. However, I dropped back down this week. I still need to get the trend line moving downward though. I'll feel much better when I get below 240.
Enough for now. I hope you enjoyed the pictures.
See you on the road.
Mike
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