Last week I wrote a post about how it had been a year since I had left the Lutheran Student Center.
After having a conversation with a Good Friend, I realize I wasn't entirely fair in that post.
I think I surprised even myself last week with the emotions that came bubbling to the surface as I wrote, and I allowed those emotions to cloud my writing. The emotions are real--very, very real, and it would be both unfair and unwise to disregard them. But this isn't just a personal little black diary that I keep locked away in a drawer somewhere for nobody's eyes but mine. This is a public forum and I hold some responsibility...heck, a lot of responsibility for the way things are said and the way it makes people look.
An airing of grievances might be a part of Festivus (one of the best Seinfeld episodes ever, btw), but without a balance of compassion and understanding they do nobody any good.
And what I failed to do in my original post was acknowledge that through the whole thing, there was never any doubt in anyone's mind that everyone had the best interests of LSC, the students, the board, and the staff at heart. We had all been thrown into an extremely difficult situation that had gone on for a long time--we had all endured the pain of loss, the floundering of trying to keep the ship of ministry on course, the uncertainty of finances...you name the demon, chances are we all had come face-to-face with it at some point in the previous 2 years.
But through it all, the one thing that never changed was the goodwill and love of the board, staff, and students. That's one thing I never questioned at the time, and one thing I still don't question.
Yes, I wanted to stay longer. And yes I was surprised when after the subject was broached that things happened as quickly as they did. But it ended up being a combination of good intentions (after the first worship service of the year, I had no more responsibilities, yet was paid for the full month of January in an attempt to help me out while I looked for another job) and bad timing (pure coincidence that this all came to a head over semester break).
I really didn't realize this until last week, but I guess some unconscious part of me has been afraid all year that the students, staff, board, and supporters of LSC have thought that I let them down, that I left them high and dry. Reflecting on it now, I think that's where all this emotion came from. While I fully realize that I made plenty of mistakes, I've wondered if people thought I didn't try hard enough, or gave up on it all.
A lot of what you read in that other post was not so much the Festivus "airing of grievances," but LutheranHusker's "airing of insecurities." And as is the case many times when it comes to insecurity, the finger was pointing outward instead of searching for the real heart of the matter.
Here's the bottom line: God is good, even when circumstances are not. God remains faithful to us, even when we find it hard to be faithful. God grows us, stretches us, changes us, transforms us through prosperity, but mostly through adversity. We may not know what we're doing, we may be running around like little mice in a maze, we may make mistakes, but God uses those times to draw us closer to him. Through our own weaknesses, we end up being strengthened.
And when flawed but faithful people try to do good things in God's name, amazing things can happen. Miracles happen. Our Good Friday mournings lead to Easter mornings. I've seen it. I've seen it through the work of LSC. I've seen it through the faithfulness of the people who give their blood, sweat and tears so that students can catch a glimpse of God's goodness and grace. I've seen it in my own life.
Good Friend, you know who you are. Thanks for the conversation. Thanks for your faithfulness. And please accept my deepest apology.
LH
Friday, February 09, 2007
Thursday, February 08, 2007
With apologies to Charles Schulz
RevScott's response here to my unpacking of the word "eucharist" got the ol' LutheranHusker brain churning. Unlike the good Reverend, I am not a self-proclaimed "Greek dork," but I know enough to be dangerous.
So with the magic of Microsoft Paint (which unfortunately doesn't include, as far as I could tell at least, a way to insert accent marks) and the little knowledge I have (so anyone who actually knows Koine Greek will have to excuse me if this isn't in the correct voice or mood, etc.), I give you: the incomparable Charlie Brown:
So with the magic of Microsoft Paint (which unfortunately doesn't include, as far as I could tell at least, a way to insert accent marks) and the little knowledge I have (so anyone who actually knows Koine Greek will have to excuse me if this isn't in the correct voice or mood, etc.), I give you: the incomparable Charlie Brown:
Three guesses as to what he's saying! =)
P.S. I realize what's up there is most likely not a real word...but much like one of my favorite t-shirts (Carpe Fish...Seize the Fish), that's part of the fun!
Well, I guess this makes it official. While I'm not a Greek dork, I am just an all-around dork.
LH
Goooooo Biiiiiiiig Reddddddddddddd....
GO BIG RED!!!
Yes, the college football season is well over, but yesterday was a big day for Husker fans...for two reasons:
1) It was letter-of-intent signing day. The day when high school seniors and junior college transfers sign on the dotted line and say "yes, I am going to play (and hopefully attend classes occasionally) at such-and-such school." Nebraska ended up signing a class of 28 players, and despite losing 2 highly-touted recruits, it looks to be a solid group top to bottom, which ought to help fill in some big gaps. Especially on defense.
Just as importantly, 12 Nebraska high school kids agreed to come on the team as walk-ons. That means they're playing, but with no athletic scholarship. Nebraska's walk-on program has been an important part of Husker history, and it's good to see the in-state kids sticking around and wanting to contribute.
College football recruiting is an interesting art/science. It's like putting the pieces of a puzzle together, except both the pieces and the picture you're trying to create keep changing. It's almost an organic thing.
2) Yesterday was also the day tickets went on sale for April 14th's Red-White Spring game. It's basically a scrimmage between the top units, but they try to play it in as close to actual game conditions as possible. The players are split into two teams, they stand on separate sidelines, they keep score and they play 4 15-minute quarters, with referees and penalties and cheerleaders and a band and everything.
And, there's fans in the stands.
Oh boy are there fans in the stands. For many Husker fans who aren't able to see the Huskers play in person in the fall, this is their one chance to watch them up close and personal. Even for those who can, this is their first glimpse at what next year's team may look like. So you get a LOT of folks in the stands. 3 years ago, there were 61,000...2 years ago, 64,000...last year, due to construction in the North end zone there was only room for 57,000, but it was declared a sellout.
This year? Who knows? We can fit 83,000 on a gameday. Wouldn't surprise me in the least to see at least 70,000 Red Clad Loons watch a glorified practice.
They raised the price of tickets this year--it's up to $8 per person, with kids 6 and under admitted free (kids ages 7-12 can get in free if they take a "drug free pledge" on the field at halftime). But you'd better believe I'm gonna be there. And I think we'll take Kiddo along for his very first Husker football experience.
Wanna see what 64,000 people watching a practice looks like? This is an amateur panoramic picture from the Spring Game in 2005. The guy basically just took 3 pictures with his digital camera from where he was sitting and photoshopped them together when he got home. Pretty cool.
Yes, the college football season is well over, but yesterday was a big day for Husker fans...for two reasons:
1) It was letter-of-intent signing day. The day when high school seniors and junior college transfers sign on the dotted line and say "yes, I am going to play (and hopefully attend classes occasionally) at such-and-such school." Nebraska ended up signing a class of 28 players, and despite losing 2 highly-touted recruits, it looks to be a solid group top to bottom, which ought to help fill in some big gaps. Especially on defense.
Just as importantly, 12 Nebraska high school kids agreed to come on the team as walk-ons. That means they're playing, but with no athletic scholarship. Nebraska's walk-on program has been an important part of Husker history, and it's good to see the in-state kids sticking around and wanting to contribute.
College football recruiting is an interesting art/science. It's like putting the pieces of a puzzle together, except both the pieces and the picture you're trying to create keep changing. It's almost an organic thing.
2) Yesterday was also the day tickets went on sale for April 14th's Red-White Spring game. It's basically a scrimmage between the top units, but they try to play it in as close to actual game conditions as possible. The players are split into two teams, they stand on separate sidelines, they keep score and they play 4 15-minute quarters, with referees and penalties and cheerleaders and a band and everything.
And, there's fans in the stands.
Oh boy are there fans in the stands. For many Husker fans who aren't able to see the Huskers play in person in the fall, this is their one chance to watch them up close and personal. Even for those who can, this is their first glimpse at what next year's team may look like. So you get a LOT of folks in the stands. 3 years ago, there were 61,000...2 years ago, 64,000...last year, due to construction in the North end zone there was only room for 57,000, but it was declared a sellout.
This year? Who knows? We can fit 83,000 on a gameday. Wouldn't surprise me in the least to see at least 70,000 Red Clad Loons watch a glorified practice.
They raised the price of tickets this year--it's up to $8 per person, with kids 6 and under admitted free (kids ages 7-12 can get in free if they take a "drug free pledge" on the field at halftime). But you'd better believe I'm gonna be there. And I think we'll take Kiddo along for his very first Husker football experience.
Wanna see what 64,000 people watching a practice looks like? This is an amateur panoramic picture from the Spring Game in 2005. The guy basically just took 3 pictures with his digital camera from where he was sitting and photoshopped them together when he got home. Pretty cool.
I can't wait!
LH
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Christ Has Died, Christ Is Risen, Christ Will Come Again!
There's a group of pastors who meet every Tuesday morning to do a text study on the Bible readings for the upcoming Sunday. Well, mostly pastors. I'm there just about every week, as are a couple of other lay church professionals. Everyone takes turns leading the discussion from week to week. I had signed up to prepare and lead the study yesterday. Even though the Gospel reading was from Luke's version of the Beatitudes (blessed are they...), I've been thinking a lot about the epistle lesson, which was 1 Corinthians 15:12-20.
1 Corinthians 15:19 has taken on special importance to me ever since I discovered the book A Skeleton in God's Closet, by Paul Maier. This verse also serves as the epigram to the book: If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. It's the conclusion of an argument Paul (the apostle, not Paul Maier =) ) had begun earlier, aimed toward a group of folks who didn't believe in the resurrection of the dead. His basic argument is this: if you say there's no resurrection of the dead, then you're saying that Christ has not been raised--and that's the one thing that our faith hinges on. "If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" (verse 17).
So anyway, I generally try to stay away from Christian fiction...I generally find it to be badly written, cheesy, and usually with an agenda I don't agree with. A Skeleton in God's Closet is a very notable exception to this rule. In it, an archaeologist digging in Israel finds what appears to be a box containing the bones of Jesus. If this is indeed the case, it would completely undermine one of the most basic tenets of Christianity--that is, the resurrection of Christ. The book reads like a Christian version of CSI. There's a very exciting plot line, and it's really interesting to learn about the different scientific methods archaeologists use to figure stuff out. But more interesting to me is the way Paul Maier unpacks the ramifications of what this discovery would or wouldn't mean to the faith of over a billion Christians worldwide. Very good stuff.
And don't worry, there's a happy ending. =)
Oh, lest I forget, the one negative in the book is an extremely poorly written love side-plot. I have a feeling Maier's editors came back to him and said he had to put it in, because it seems contrived and sort of an afterthought. It's completely unnecessary to the story as a whole, and I wish it wasn't in there. I'm a sucker for a good love story, but this one just ain't good. If you ever read the book, please just completely disregard the love story.
For a number of years now, I've made it a practice of mine to re-read A Skeleton in God's Closet during Lent, as a way to remind me of the power and importance of the empty tomb on Easter morning. It's really helped transform the relationship I have with what happened for me that morning 2,000 years ago--it's no longer a historical event that I commemorate once a year in the spring. It's a very present event that happens to me every day as the old Adam is drowned in the waters of my baptism and raised to new life in the freedom and grace of the Christ who overcame sin and death on my behalf.
The title of this post is a very old Eucharistic acclamation , over a thousand years old in fact. (Note: "Eucharistic" is just a fancy-schmancy church term for "having to do with Communion." A little education here...the root of "Eucharist" is the greek word "charis", which means "grace." An acclamation is something you shout to show enthusiastic approval.) So what we have here is something that ought to be shouted in enthusiastic approval as we celebrate the gift of grace and new life in Holy Communion.
1 Corinthians 15:19 has taken on special importance to me ever since I discovered the book A Skeleton in God's Closet, by Paul Maier. This verse also serves as the epigram to the book: If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. It's the conclusion of an argument Paul (the apostle, not Paul Maier =) ) had begun earlier, aimed toward a group of folks who didn't believe in the resurrection of the dead. His basic argument is this: if you say there's no resurrection of the dead, then you're saying that Christ has not been raised--and that's the one thing that our faith hinges on. "If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" (verse 17).
So anyway, I generally try to stay away from Christian fiction...I generally find it to be badly written, cheesy, and usually with an agenda I don't agree with. A Skeleton in God's Closet is a very notable exception to this rule. In it, an archaeologist digging in Israel finds what appears to be a box containing the bones of Jesus. If this is indeed the case, it would completely undermine one of the most basic tenets of Christianity--that is, the resurrection of Christ. The book reads like a Christian version of CSI. There's a very exciting plot line, and it's really interesting to learn about the different scientific methods archaeologists use to figure stuff out. But more interesting to me is the way Paul Maier unpacks the ramifications of what this discovery would or wouldn't mean to the faith of over a billion Christians worldwide. Very good stuff.
And don't worry, there's a happy ending. =)
Oh, lest I forget, the one negative in the book is an extremely poorly written love side-plot. I have a feeling Maier's editors came back to him and said he had to put it in, because it seems contrived and sort of an afterthought. It's completely unnecessary to the story as a whole, and I wish it wasn't in there. I'm a sucker for a good love story, but this one just ain't good. If you ever read the book, please just completely disregard the love story.
For a number of years now, I've made it a practice of mine to re-read A Skeleton in God's Closet during Lent, as a way to remind me of the power and importance of the empty tomb on Easter morning. It's really helped transform the relationship I have with what happened for me that morning 2,000 years ago--it's no longer a historical event that I commemorate once a year in the spring. It's a very present event that happens to me every day as the old Adam is drowned in the waters of my baptism and raised to new life in the freedom and grace of the Christ who overcame sin and death on my behalf.
The title of this post is a very old Eucharistic acclamation , over a thousand years old in fact. (Note: "Eucharistic" is just a fancy-schmancy church term for "having to do with Communion." A little education here...the root of "Eucharist" is the greek word "charis", which means "grace." An acclamation is something you shout to show enthusiastic approval.) So what we have here is something that ought to be shouted in enthusiastic approval as we celebrate the gift of grace and new life in Holy Communion.
Below is a picture I took in New Mexico. I was there with a group of college students, and we were visiting a site where there were bunches of small, natural caves carved into the cliffs. When I set foot inside this one, it was for me as though I was experiencing Easter morning. This is one of my favorite pictures. Ever. I added the Bible verse at the bottom through the magic of Microsoft Paint. =)
So then, lemme hear you!
Christ has died! Christ IS risen! Christ WILL come again!
Amen!
LH
LH
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Soul Patrol! Redux
Well, a couple of days ago I posted about getting to see Taylor Hicks in concert coming up in March.
Since then, my fellow Soul Patrollers have been coming out of the woodwork...apparently, my blog's now linked on a couple of message boards. A big LutheranHusker welcome to all of you!
Steer clear of conversations concerning onions and thudding and all will be well in this little corner of the blogosphere. =)
To clear up a couple of misconceptions that I've seen pop up:
Since then, my fellow Soul Patrollers have been coming out of the woodwork...apparently, my blog's now linked on a couple of message boards. A big LutheranHusker welcome to all of you!
Steer clear of conversations concerning onions and thudding and all will be well in this little corner of the blogosphere. =)
To clear up a couple of misconceptions that I've seen pop up:
- I'm not a pastor. I do work in a church as a Director of Christian Education and Music, I do play the organ, I do lead Bible studies and Sunday School and all that kind of thing, but I've not been to seminary. I am in what the ELCA calls the candidacy process for an Associate in Ministry designation. If you think of it as sort of the church's equivilent of an associate's degree for laypeople, you're on the right track. I wrote some more about it, as well as my personal sense of call, here. In the past, I served in sort of a pastoral role for a campus ministry, but I did it as a layperson.
- I do live in Nebraska...though I'm going to the Iowa concert, I'm a Nebraskan through-and-through.
Glad to meet you all, and please feel free to keep reading. I like to write about a bunch of different subjects, just to keep myself interested more than anything else, I suppose. I've found that I tend to gravitate to the subject matters of faith, my family ("Sweetie" my wife and "Kiddo" my 3 year-old son), and great quotes from Scrubs (of which there are MANY to choose from). That being said, just about anything is fair game if it's something I'm interested in. =)
So today, knowing there's an audience out there who's interested in good music by under-appreciated artists, I'm gonna pimp two of my favorite newly discovered musical acts: Storyhill and Joshua Radin. Neither of them sound much like Taylor Hicks at all, but they each have a distinctive sound that touches me.
Joshua Radin is someone I stumbled across just last week. If you like Simon and Garfunkel at all, you've gotta check this guy out. Great lyrics, great singing, great guitar, and definitely with that Paul Simon vibe. One of his songs was on the soundtrack for The Last Kiss, and I'm pretty sure he's been featured in some Scrubs episodes as well. Here's a clip of him singing Star Mile live...if I didn't know any better, I'd assume this was some obscure Simon and Garfunkel song that I just hadn't had the privilege of hearing yet:
Now, for Storyhill. Storyhill is...in a word, awesome. Many, many thanks to my good friend RevScott for introducing them to me. They sort of have two home bases--Minnesota and Montana, and you'll find a number of references to both places in their music. They are a duo...Chris and Johnny both play guitar and sing and...very important for me...they also write all their own music. This is a clip of them playing Steady On. One note--the sound in this clip is way off from the video, so don't let that throw you off.
LH
Monday, February 05, 2007
Arise, shine, for your light has come!
My parents have a very funny cassette tape of me when I was 3 or 4. When I was little, they had one of those old fashioned movie cameras that you have to hook up to a projector to play the movie, and that don’t have any sound. So, in order to record what their kids sounded like, they had to resort to a tape recorder with microphone.
Anyway, this particular tape was recorded not long after Christmas that year, and in it my dad asks me to tell what happened on Christmas. Like most 3 or 4 year olds, I begin with Santa Claus. This is pretty much a verbatim transcript: “First Santa came to Bobby’s house, then he came to the Matthew who lives behind me’s house, then he came to my house. After that, he decided to go visit the baby Jesus, so he did. He brought Jesus presents and met Mary and Joseph, and even little Jesus, who was born. Santa made Jesus laugh, because he was silly. There were shepherds there, but not the wise men. They didn’t get there right away, because they went very very slow. And you know, they were old. So they went very very very very s-l-o-w. And everyone said, ‘Merry Christmas, and a very happy new year to everybody.’”
Ah, yes. The theology of a four year old.
We’re in the middle of the Epiphany season right now—we celebrate the light that is Christ, shining in our lives. I love the poetry of Isaiah 60—it calls to us, even today: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples, but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.” Wow. Great stuff…great news…and a great calling to each of us.
Sometimes the darkness of the world can seem overwhelming. Things go wrong. All we have to do is turn on the news or CNN to see it locally, nationally, and globally. People struggle with school. Families struggle with jobs. Friends, spouses, relationships of all kinds break down. There is so much hatred, so much fear, so much anxiety…it really does seem like we, the people, are covered in thick darkness, like the reading says.
But in the midst of the darkness, we are reminded…our light has come! What I really appreciate about this (especially as one who works in the church) is the reminder that I'm not called to be the light. It’s not on my shoulders to be the light for the world. (Thank God for that! We'd ALL be in a world of hurt if that was the case!) Rather, the light is Jesus. The light has already come. Even better, the light has already defeated the darkness! Jesus came, lived, died, and rose again to give us all the light that never grows dim. What we, you and I, are called to do is not to be the light, but to reflect the light. To carry the light into the dark places still hiding from the light. We are called to love our neighbor, to help the needy, to let our friends, neighbors, families know about the light in our own lives. We are called to pray for our friends and our enemies, to shine love and forgiveness where we go.
There's a wonderful little song I selected for last week's woship, entitled appropriately enough, We Are Called by David Haas (okay...David Haas isn't the one actually calling us...I suppose I should really say there's a song by David Haas entitled We Are Called. There. The English Major in me is now satisfied.). Anyway, here's the words:
Come! Live in the light!
Shine with the joy and the love of the Lord.
We are called to be light for the kingdom,
to live in the freedom of the city of God! (refrain)
Refrain: We are called to act with justice,
we are called to love tenderly,
we are called to serve one another
to walk humbly with God!
Come! Open your heart!
Show your mercy to all those in fear!
We are called to be hope for the hopeless
so all hatred and blindness will be no more! (refrain)
Sing! Sing a new song!
sing of that great day when all will be one!
God will reign, and we'll walk with each other
as sisters and brothers united in love! (refrain)
Anyway, this particular tape was recorded not long after Christmas that year, and in it my dad asks me to tell what happened on Christmas. Like most 3 or 4 year olds, I begin with Santa Claus. This is pretty much a verbatim transcript: “First Santa came to Bobby’s house, then he came to the Matthew who lives behind me’s house, then he came to my house. After that, he decided to go visit the baby Jesus, so he did. He brought Jesus presents and met Mary and Joseph, and even little Jesus, who was born. Santa made Jesus laugh, because he was silly. There were shepherds there, but not the wise men. They didn’t get there right away, because they went very very slow. And you know, they were old. So they went very very very very s-l-o-w. And everyone said, ‘Merry Christmas, and a very happy new year to everybody.’”
Ah, yes. The theology of a four year old.
We’re in the middle of the Epiphany season right now—we celebrate the light that is Christ, shining in our lives. I love the poetry of Isaiah 60—it calls to us, even today: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples, but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.” Wow. Great stuff…great news…and a great calling to each of us.
Sometimes the darkness of the world can seem overwhelming. Things go wrong. All we have to do is turn on the news or CNN to see it locally, nationally, and globally. People struggle with school. Families struggle with jobs. Friends, spouses, relationships of all kinds break down. There is so much hatred, so much fear, so much anxiety…it really does seem like we, the people, are covered in thick darkness, like the reading says.
But in the midst of the darkness, we are reminded…our light has come! What I really appreciate about this (especially as one who works in the church) is the reminder that I'm not called to be the light. It’s not on my shoulders to be the light for the world. (Thank God for that! We'd ALL be in a world of hurt if that was the case!) Rather, the light is Jesus. The light has already come. Even better, the light has already defeated the darkness! Jesus came, lived, died, and rose again to give us all the light that never grows dim. What we, you and I, are called to do is not to be the light, but to reflect the light. To carry the light into the dark places still hiding from the light. We are called to love our neighbor, to help the needy, to let our friends, neighbors, families know about the light in our own lives. We are called to pray for our friends and our enemies, to shine love and forgiveness where we go.
There's a wonderful little song I selected for last week's woship, entitled appropriately enough, We Are Called by David Haas (okay...David Haas isn't the one actually calling us...I suppose I should really say there's a song by David Haas entitled We Are Called. There. The English Major in me is now satisfied.). Anyway, here's the words:
Come! Live in the light!
Shine with the joy and the love of the Lord.
We are called to be light for the kingdom,
to live in the freedom of the city of God! (refrain)
Refrain: We are called to act with justice,
we are called to love tenderly,
we are called to serve one another
to walk humbly with God!
Come! Open your heart!
Show your mercy to all those in fear!
We are called to be hope for the hopeless
so all hatred and blindness will be no more! (refrain)
Sing! Sing a new song!
sing of that great day when all will be one!
God will reign, and we'll walk with each other
as sisters and brothers united in love! (refrain)
Think of your own life. Where is God calling you to arise and shine his light? Where are the dark places around you? This week, I challenge you to reflect on your calling, as I plan to reflect on my own. “Arise, shine, for your light has come!” Indeed—arise! And shine! We are called!
Amen!
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Soul Patrol!!!!
For those wondering, this is what I had been planning on writing about yesterday. It's now official. I'm gonna go see the One And Only Taylor Hicks in concert on March 24th in Sioux City, IA. Sweetie and I had been looking at possibly going to one of the Kansas City concerts, but the tickets (BEFORE taxes and Ticketmaster's portion of your arm and leg) were $55...which we just couldn't financially justify. The Sioux City tix are only $36.50, though...as it is, my parents (I love you, Mom and Dad!) sponsored the cost of one ticket as an early birthday present and Sweetie (I love you, Sweetie!) sponsored the cost of the other again as an early birthday present to me.
So look for us at the Orpheum in Sioux City, Main Floor Left Center, Row E. I'll be the one with the goofy, dopey grin on my face, and Sweetie will be the slightly embarrassed one trying to act as though she's kind of there with the idiot next to her (which would be me), but not really all that much.
I know, dear readers, that there are a number of you right now shaking your heads and thinking "Oh, poor sweet misguided LutheranHusker, why oh why did you give in to the American Idol machine?" Well, let me tell you, if you are uninitiated with the musical phenomenon that is Taylor Hicks, you're in for a surprise, because ladies and gents, this guy is the Anti-Idol. The man eats, sleeps, breathes, and probably even poops music (don't ask me how that last one would work). He grew up playing his harmonica and singing in smoky bars from age 16 on, and his influences are along the lines of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, and Joe Cocker...not your typical teeny-bopper Idol. He's said from the beginning that his dream is to basically live on a tourbus, play a bunch of shows, stopping occasionally to record more stuff, then to hop back on the bus again...he's backing it up so far on his first post-Idol solo tour, with 55 concert dates scheduled so far over the course of the next 90 days.
God created the man with a gift for live concerts.
Suffice it to say that March 24th can't come soon enough.
During the American Idol tour last summer, Taylor had a habit of playing the AI concert, then leaving the arena and heading to a local club to do a "real" concert with "real" music. His old "pre-Idol" band, Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, followed him to a few cities and he'd play with them...I can't even imagine doing the Idol concert from say 7 until 10 then heading to a club and playing from 11 until 1 or 2...then crawling on to a bus and doing it all again. But when you've got it in your blood, instead of sapping your energy, it's what gives you life.
The church has a semi-fancy word for it that we're as the church beginning to rediscover...it's called vocation. From the Latin vocatio, it means your calling. What is your calling? It's not just to describe pastor-type folks in the church, and it's also not just to describe what you do from 9 to 5. You wanna see someone who's living out their vocation, their calling, as a musician? Check out this clip of Taylor and Little Memphis Blues Orchestra covering Joe Cocker's Feelin' Alright. Great stuff...
Looking for something genius but more low-key? Try a stripped-down version of Georgia On My Mind...just Taylor, his guitar and harmonica, and Billy Earl McClelland on solo guitar:
Georgia On My Mind
Enjoy!
LH
So look for us at the Orpheum in Sioux City, Main Floor Left Center, Row E. I'll be the one with the goofy, dopey grin on my face, and Sweetie will be the slightly embarrassed one trying to act as though she's kind of there with the idiot next to her (which would be me), but not really all that much.
I know, dear readers, that there are a number of you right now shaking your heads and thinking "Oh, poor sweet misguided LutheranHusker, why oh why did you give in to the American Idol machine?" Well, let me tell you, if you are uninitiated with the musical phenomenon that is Taylor Hicks, you're in for a surprise, because ladies and gents, this guy is the Anti-Idol. The man eats, sleeps, breathes, and probably even poops music (don't ask me how that last one would work). He grew up playing his harmonica and singing in smoky bars from age 16 on, and his influences are along the lines of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, and Joe Cocker...not your typical teeny-bopper Idol. He's said from the beginning that his dream is to basically live on a tourbus, play a bunch of shows, stopping occasionally to record more stuff, then to hop back on the bus again...he's backing it up so far on his first post-Idol solo tour, with 55 concert dates scheduled so far over the course of the next 90 days.
God created the man with a gift for live concerts.
Suffice it to say that March 24th can't come soon enough.
During the American Idol tour last summer, Taylor had a habit of playing the AI concert, then leaving the arena and heading to a local club to do a "real" concert with "real" music. His old "pre-Idol" band, Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, followed him to a few cities and he'd play with them...I can't even imagine doing the Idol concert from say 7 until 10 then heading to a club and playing from 11 until 1 or 2...then crawling on to a bus and doing it all again. But when you've got it in your blood, instead of sapping your energy, it's what gives you life.
The church has a semi-fancy word for it that we're as the church beginning to rediscover...it's called vocation. From the Latin vocatio, it means your calling. What is your calling? It's not just to describe pastor-type folks in the church, and it's also not just to describe what you do from 9 to 5. You wanna see someone who's living out their vocation, their calling, as a musician? Check out this clip of Taylor and Little Memphis Blues Orchestra covering Joe Cocker's Feelin' Alright. Great stuff...
Looking for something genius but more low-key? Try a stripped-down version of Georgia On My Mind...just Taylor, his guitar and harmonica, and Billy Earl McClelland on solo guitar:
Georgia On My Mind
Enjoy!
LH
Saturday, February 03, 2007
More Kiddo Quotes
I was planning on writing about something else today, but it's going to just have to wait because I'm once again in "proud daddy showing off" mode. Both of these are from tonight at the dinner table.
1) Sweetie and I had ordered a pizza with beef, mushrooms, and jalapenos (don't ask...it was what we were both craving for whatever reason). We took all the toppings off one of the pieces for Kiddo. Well, the first bite he took must have had some residual jalapeno juice, because he suddenly started chewing faster, then looked at us with a semi-panicked smile and, reaching for his empty cup, said:
"My tongue hurts! Aaaaaaaah! More milk! More milk! More milk!"
(Sweetie pours a little milk in his cup)
(gulp)
"Ahhhhhhhhhh....now it's all better."
2) Later, after we had mostly finished eating but were still at the table, we were playing a game of I Spy. You know, "I spy, with my little eye..." Well, Kiddo has a Spongebob Squarepants placemat, and I was trying to get him to say "Spongebob." The exchange went like this:
Me: I spy with my little eye, something on your placemat that begins with the letter S.
Kiddo: Hmmmm....that's kind of a hard one. (Looking around)
Me: Do you need help? S makes a sound like this: sssssssssssssss.....and the next letter is P. Sp...Sp...Sp...
Kiddo: (still looking) Hmmmm....ssssp...ssssp...ssssp... (noticing his cup) ssssssSPILL YOUR MILK!!!!
LH
1) Sweetie and I had ordered a pizza with beef, mushrooms, and jalapenos (don't ask...it was what we were both craving for whatever reason). We took all the toppings off one of the pieces for Kiddo. Well, the first bite he took must have had some residual jalapeno juice, because he suddenly started chewing faster, then looked at us with a semi-panicked smile and, reaching for his empty cup, said:
"My tongue hurts! Aaaaaaaah! More milk! More milk! More milk!"
(Sweetie pours a little milk in his cup)
(gulp)
"Ahhhhhhhhhh....now it's all better."
2) Later, after we had mostly finished eating but were still at the table, we were playing a game of I Spy. You know, "I spy, with my little eye..." Well, Kiddo has a Spongebob Squarepants placemat, and I was trying to get him to say "Spongebob." The exchange went like this:
Me: I spy with my little eye, something on your placemat that begins with the letter S.
Kiddo: Hmmmm....that's kind of a hard one. (Looking around)
Me: Do you need help? S makes a sound like this: sssssssssssssss.....and the next letter is P. Sp...Sp...Sp...
Kiddo: (still looking) Hmmmm....ssssp...ssssp...ssssp... (noticing his cup) ssssssSPILL YOUR MILK!!!!
LH
Friday, February 02, 2007
Kiddo tidbits
1) This morning, as Sweetie and I were discussing that something was going to cost $5,000:
"That's a lot of money in my piggybank!!!!"
2) You know you're officially a parent when your 3 year-old asks to have his stuffed Elmo and lizard animals laying on the floor at night...and in the pitch black of night you're able by feel alone to pull them out of the closet on the first try.
3) About 2 minutes ago (actually, while I was typing #2 above), Kiddo called me back into his room (he's supposed to be trying to sleep). He was whining.
Kiddo: aaaaahhhhh....
Me: What's wrong? Are you mad?
Kiddo: No.
Me: Are you sad?
Kiddo: Yes.
Me: Why?
Kiddo: Because Jesus isn't here...and God.
Me: Jesus is always with you. God is always there. No matter what happens. You don't need to be sad. You need to be happy about that!
Kiddo: Jesus loves me even when I'm sad?
Me: (heart shattering into about a million pieces) Oh yes he does, Kiddo. And so do I. And so does Mommy. (And none of us will ever be able to tell you just how much we love you. But with any luck at all, someday you'll understand...)
LH
Thursday, February 01, 2007
It's been quite the year...
Last night while lying in bed, waiting to fall asleep, I had one of those nighttime revelations:
A year ago today was the first day that I was no longer officially employed by the Lutheran Student Center.
It's been a year. Man, how time both flies and stands perfectly still all at once.
I miss campus ministry...a lot. Don't get me wrong--I'm very happy where I am and with what I'm doing, but there's just something about campus ministry that can't be replicated in a "normal" congregation. Maybe it's the academic setting, maybe it's just that college students are at that time in their lives when they're struggling to define who they are and questioning what they believe, maybe it's because for the first time in many of their lives they are grasping hold of their faith and making it their own (which is what confirmation is supposed to be about, except we confirm kids when they're entirely too young...but that's a subject for a different post). It's probably a combination of a number of factors, but it doesn't get much cooler than a campus ministry setting.
So today I'm feeling a little melancholy. And a little hurt, I think. The way my leaving came about last year...it wasn't supposed to happen the way it did. My salary was draining LSC's budget, I had spent so much time and energy trying to keep LSC's ministries afloat for the University of Nebraska's students that the ministries at Wesleyan and Southeast Community College were basically starting from scratch, and I had come to the painful realization that sooner or later, something drastic was going to need to change. I had every intent of staying at least through the end of the school year, but once word got out over Christmas break that I wasn't planning on staying, it was decided that it would be best if I were to leave right away.
I hope the students didn't get the impression that I bailed on them, because I didn't. I feel really bad about the way that happened. They had left for Christmas break, I had told them I'd see them when they got back, and the Monday they returned I was gone. I was able to be a part of Sunday worship the day before classes started, but that was only because I insisted that I should at least be given the opportunity to say goodbye in person. I really would have preferred doing it the following week, because there were a lot of students still not back yet. But the decision wasn't mine to make.
Others who have left have had a reception, or a party, or some sort of acknowledgement that they made a positive impact. Looking back, I now realize I was thanked very nicely and quietly shown the door.
It's not about me, it really isn't. It's about the way everything looked. It looked as though I was sneaking out shamefully, as if I had done something wrong or underhanded. It looked as though I was waiting for the students to leave for break so I could pack up my office and get outta town. It looked, by my hasty and quiet departure, as though I had been caught doing something I shouldn't have. People leaving under good circumstances get a party. Those who have done wrong do not. I knew I was leaving with my head held high, I'm just afraid others may have seen what happened and wondered.
Bottom line is that my program hadn't yet run out of money, but the writing was on the wall, and I felt it would have been bad stewardship to go try to raise enough funds to prop things up for a couple extra months. I wanted to stay and help longer than I did, but I was unfortunately not given that option.
And I'm proud...very proud...of the work God was able to do through me during my time at LSC. I was there during one of the most difficult periods in its history, and worked my butt off, even though I didn't know what the hell I was doing half the time. I know I made plenty of mistakes, and I know there's plenty I could have done better, but I will ALWAYS look back on those 2 1/2 years with great love for the center and the students and with pride in the work I did.
I found my resignation letter...here's what I wrote:
Dear LSC Board and students,
It is with mixed emotions that I write this letter to resign my position as the Lutheran Student Center’s Director of Campus Ministry for Southeast Community College and Nebraska Wesleyan University, effective February 1, 2006.
It’s been a pretty incredible road God has led us down these past two years. Nobody, myself included, could have imagined everything that has happened. Though stretches of this road have been extremely difficult, God has done some amazing things through it all.
This is not a decision I have made lightly. I’ve loved my time at LSC, I’ve enjoyed the challenges of outreach ministry, and I’ve made some relationships that I will treasure for a long time. It has been unfortunate that the challenges LSC has faced recently have come at a time when a fledgling ministry was trying to take shape, both programmatically and financially. Recently, it’s been increasingly obvious that the SCC/NWU ministry has become a financial drain on LSC, at a time when LSC’s own budget faces uncertainty.
For the sake of LSC’s core program, the SCC/NWU ministry needs to be able to stand on its own. Due to a number of factors outside anybody’s control, we’re not at a point where that will be able to happen anytime soon. Out of fairness to everybody, a decision needed to be made relatively quickly as to what should be done—either fight on and try to raise a large amount of financial support while at the same time rebuilding two programs still in their infancy that have taken a big hit this past year, or to let it go. After examination of all the factors, some long talks with my family and much prayer, I believe the best decision for LSC and its future, as well as my and my family’s future, is to let it go.
I was at a text study the other week, and one of the texts was 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16. In it, King David decides that since he lives in a house, but the Lord (the Ark of the Covenant) only lives in a tent, that he should build the Lord a permanent temple. He asks the prophet Nathan what he thinks. Nathan at first says it’s a good idea, but after the Lord speaks to him, goes back to King David and says that God said not to do it. One of the pastors at the text study said the theme he took away from this passage is, “when I’ve made big plans and have everything in place ready to serve God, how do I react when God says ‘No, not right now’?”
For one reason or another, God seems to be saying “no, not right now” to the SCC/NWU ministry. LSC is at a delicate point in its history. We’ve recently lost a beloved long-time pastor, we’ve gone over a year now without full-time pastoral support, we’re searching for a new pastor and seem to be on the cusp of some big but exciting changes. I’m thankful to have been here through this time, and hope that I have been some help. I leave with many questions about my future, but with no ill feelings about the way things have gone. I hope the same is true for each of you in regards to me and the SCC/NWU ministry.
I wish for you all God’s blessings in your lives and in the individual ministries to which God has called you. Thank you for the dedication you have shown LSC through a difficult time, and thank you for all you have done for me personally as well.
In Christ,
LH
A year ago today was the first day that I was no longer officially employed by the Lutheran Student Center.
It's been a year. Man, how time both flies and stands perfectly still all at once.
I miss campus ministry...a lot. Don't get me wrong--I'm very happy where I am and with what I'm doing, but there's just something about campus ministry that can't be replicated in a "normal" congregation. Maybe it's the academic setting, maybe it's just that college students are at that time in their lives when they're struggling to define who they are and questioning what they believe, maybe it's because for the first time in many of their lives they are grasping hold of their faith and making it their own (which is what confirmation is supposed to be about, except we confirm kids when they're entirely too young...but that's a subject for a different post). It's probably a combination of a number of factors, but it doesn't get much cooler than a campus ministry setting.
So today I'm feeling a little melancholy. And a little hurt, I think. The way my leaving came about last year...it wasn't supposed to happen the way it did. My salary was draining LSC's budget, I had spent so much time and energy trying to keep LSC's ministries afloat for the University of Nebraska's students that the ministries at Wesleyan and Southeast Community College were basically starting from scratch, and I had come to the painful realization that sooner or later, something drastic was going to need to change. I had every intent of staying at least through the end of the school year, but once word got out over Christmas break that I wasn't planning on staying, it was decided that it would be best if I were to leave right away.
I hope the students didn't get the impression that I bailed on them, because I didn't. I feel really bad about the way that happened. They had left for Christmas break, I had told them I'd see them when they got back, and the Monday they returned I was gone. I was able to be a part of Sunday worship the day before classes started, but that was only because I insisted that I should at least be given the opportunity to say goodbye in person. I really would have preferred doing it the following week, because there were a lot of students still not back yet. But the decision wasn't mine to make.
Others who have left have had a reception, or a party, or some sort of acknowledgement that they made a positive impact. Looking back, I now realize I was thanked very nicely and quietly shown the door.
It's not about me, it really isn't. It's about the way everything looked. It looked as though I was sneaking out shamefully, as if I had done something wrong or underhanded. It looked as though I was waiting for the students to leave for break so I could pack up my office and get outta town. It looked, by my hasty and quiet departure, as though I had been caught doing something I shouldn't have. People leaving under good circumstances get a party. Those who have done wrong do not. I knew I was leaving with my head held high, I'm just afraid others may have seen what happened and wondered.
Bottom line is that my program hadn't yet run out of money, but the writing was on the wall, and I felt it would have been bad stewardship to go try to raise enough funds to prop things up for a couple extra months. I wanted to stay and help longer than I did, but I was unfortunately not given that option.
And I'm proud...very proud...of the work God was able to do through me during my time at LSC. I was there during one of the most difficult periods in its history, and worked my butt off, even though I didn't know what the hell I was doing half the time. I know I made plenty of mistakes, and I know there's plenty I could have done better, but I will ALWAYS look back on those 2 1/2 years with great love for the center and the students and with pride in the work I did.
I found my resignation letter...here's what I wrote:
Dear LSC Board and students,
It is with mixed emotions that I write this letter to resign my position as the Lutheran Student Center’s Director of Campus Ministry for Southeast Community College and Nebraska Wesleyan University, effective February 1, 2006.
It’s been a pretty incredible road God has led us down these past two years. Nobody, myself included, could have imagined everything that has happened. Though stretches of this road have been extremely difficult, God has done some amazing things through it all.
This is not a decision I have made lightly. I’ve loved my time at LSC, I’ve enjoyed the challenges of outreach ministry, and I’ve made some relationships that I will treasure for a long time. It has been unfortunate that the challenges LSC has faced recently have come at a time when a fledgling ministry was trying to take shape, both programmatically and financially. Recently, it’s been increasingly obvious that the SCC/NWU ministry has become a financial drain on LSC, at a time when LSC’s own budget faces uncertainty.
For the sake of LSC’s core program, the SCC/NWU ministry needs to be able to stand on its own. Due to a number of factors outside anybody’s control, we’re not at a point where that will be able to happen anytime soon. Out of fairness to everybody, a decision needed to be made relatively quickly as to what should be done—either fight on and try to raise a large amount of financial support while at the same time rebuilding two programs still in their infancy that have taken a big hit this past year, or to let it go. After examination of all the factors, some long talks with my family and much prayer, I believe the best decision for LSC and its future, as well as my and my family’s future, is to let it go.
I was at a text study the other week, and one of the texts was 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16. In it, King David decides that since he lives in a house, but the Lord (the Ark of the Covenant) only lives in a tent, that he should build the Lord a permanent temple. He asks the prophet Nathan what he thinks. Nathan at first says it’s a good idea, but after the Lord speaks to him, goes back to King David and says that God said not to do it. One of the pastors at the text study said the theme he took away from this passage is, “when I’ve made big plans and have everything in place ready to serve God, how do I react when God says ‘No, not right now’?”
For one reason or another, God seems to be saying “no, not right now” to the SCC/NWU ministry. LSC is at a delicate point in its history. We’ve recently lost a beloved long-time pastor, we’ve gone over a year now without full-time pastoral support, we’re searching for a new pastor and seem to be on the cusp of some big but exciting changes. I’m thankful to have been here through this time, and hope that I have been some help. I leave with many questions about my future, but with no ill feelings about the way things have gone. I hope the same is true for each of you in regards to me and the SCC/NWU ministry.
I wish for you all God’s blessings in your lives and in the individual ministries to which God has called you. Thank you for the dedication you have shown LSC through a difficult time, and thank you for all you have done for me personally as well.
In Christ,
LH
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