THE WEEKLY INAPPROPRIATE CHURCH SIGN
Ah, a church fundraiser! Always in need of a good one of those. This little light of mine...I'm gonna use it to set off a massive display of fireworks...
Let it shine!
Mar 23, 2006
Boom! Here comes the boom! How you like me now?
Here is my first and probably last quoting of P. O. D. (payable on death) a Christian hard rock group. This is a lyric from their song Boom! Check them out by clicking the title.
THE WEEKLY INAPPROPRIATE CHURCH SIGN
Ah, a church fundraiser! Always in need of a good one of those.
This little light of mine...I'm gonna use it to set off a massive display of fireworks...
Let it shine!
THE WEEKLY INAPPROPRIATE CHURCH SIGN
Ah, a church fundraiser! Always in need of a good one of those. This little light of mine...I'm gonna use it to set off a massive display of fireworks...
Let it shine!
Mar 21, 2006
Half time goes by, suddenly you're wise, another blink of an eye 67 is gone. The sun is getting high. We're moving on...
This is a poem I wrote in the last few months. Check it out. The title/lyric comes from Five For Fighting's song 100 years. Click the title and visit their website.
Ptolemy
By J.D. Rose
In the warm winter of his life I found a friend;
alive and dying, balding and youthful, glowing
in awe of what the world could still teach him.
I would sit and ask him where I was going
and he would say it was for me to decide.
There were moments when I thought I could
overcome the world in a fair fight.
He would smile, wrinkled and wide, and say I should.
His lessons were always that love always wins.
His stories were always recollections of grace.
though a violent act never flowed through his hands
one glimpsed a warrior's spirit on his face.
But as long as we have journeyed I have been the stronger,
and though a wise mentor he remains, he'll be my conscience no longer.
Ptolemy
By J.D. Rose
In the warm winter of his life I found a friend;
alive and dying, balding and youthful, glowing
in awe of what the world could still teach him.
I would sit and ask him where I was going
and he would say it was for me to decide.
There were moments when I thought I could
overcome the world in a fair fight.
He would smile, wrinkled and wide, and say I should.
His lessons were always that love always wins.
His stories were always recollections of grace.
though a violent act never flowed through his hands
one glimpsed a warrior's spirit on his face.
But as long as we have journeyed I have been the stronger,
and though a wise mentor he remains, he'll be my conscience no longer.
Mar 20, 2006
We'll put a boot in their ass, it's the American way!
The title today is a deeply profound lyric from sawed off idiot Toby Keith from his overly cliche ridden Angry American song that he rode to number one after 9/11. I mean really, that song sucks! I'm proud I live in a country where I can dislike poorly written stupid songs that oversimplify life and insult the intelligence of the entire country. If you like Toby-fine. If you like putting your boot in people's asses-fine. If you think 'the statue of liberty started shakin' her fist' is a meaningful contribution to American songwriting-fine. If you think that ridiculous song represents our country-fine. That's the kind of freedom you enjoy and you've clearly spoken your mind in the last two elections. But I think the American way should be about accepting and understanding things as much as manning up when the time comes. Click the title to visit another artist's page that I'll probably never quote here, but Toby certainly has earned the right to inspire me to link.
I've been thinking about it all day. Today marks the anniversary of our Invasion of Iraq. Today begins our fourth year of war there. We can debate this issue and I suspect some of us will. But one man has emerged today and earned this distinction.
Today I want to talk about President George W. Bush.
Today a normal looking sane sounding logical and articulate man asked the President the following question, and I'm paraphrasing: "Mr. President, you led us into Iraq on the following three premises. That Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, that they had aided the terrorist attacks on September 11, and purchased nuclear weapon making capability from Niger. All three of these turned out to be false. How is America ever going to be able to trust our leaders again?" W. said, and I'm paraphrasing: "Uh...ah, well...mmm...Saddam didn't order the attacks on 9/11. Uh...(grunt)...hee, hee...mmm...everybody thought there were weapons of mass destrcution...he was a bad bad man...uh...mmm...(grunt) killed his own people...the Iraqi people are better off today....hee, hee...democracy good...terrorists bad...God bless America!"
See the truth is I don't think W. is a bad guy, just an idoit. And if he's not an idiot, he is a very bad guy. We spent millions of dollars, huge amounts of time and energy, and five years determining if Clinton lied about his liason with Monica Lewinsky. And the moment he lied about it he proved he wasn't a great leader, only one with lots of potential and obvious flaws. And many of the same people who tout how great a leader Bush is hung him for it. Yet, here is a man who has yet to sell us straight on the reasons we went to war and need to still be there and he's a moral leader? Leadership can't be out and out contempt for people's ability to see the genuine article. Integrity has to still count for something. And I don't even think he was the main reason we went to war, trust me I could wind up giving the whole administration individual awards for idiocy and misleading, but he is responsible. He asked for and won the job.
2,307 soldiers have died since March 20, 2003.
There are offically 17,004 wounded soldiers, and that number could be as high as 48,000.
Estimates of civillian deaths in Iraq range from 33,700 to 37,800.
There may be a good reason to be in Iraq. Perhaps we have freed them and given them the best shot for democracy and prosperity. But we were misled. This is the main reason i voted for Frankenstein for President. As Jon Stewart put it, and I've heard Barack Obama say it as well.
"If we were all riding in a bus together and the driver put the bus into a ditch for no good reason, when it came time to pick a new driver, why would we pick that same guy? He's the one that put us in the ditch!"
Are there evil people in the world that need dealt with? Absolutely. Is President Bush evil. No, I think he's just shortsighted and simple minded. There is a cost to war. And there is a cost to leadership. You have to be accountable. So today, knowing full well the problems with the theory, but being convinced he has earned the distinction, I present W. with
THE DICK CHENEY HUNTING BUDDY AWARD
in recognition of lacking leadership and character in the face of real decisions with real consequences. Maybe the shot won't kill him (cause the VP is even scarier, which I think will be proved in a few scrolls) but will instead knock some sense into him.
Dick Cheney-making the world a safer place-one asshole at a time.
Some final thoughts I found useful...
"A single lie destroys a whole reputation for integrity." - Baltasar Gracian
"Leadership is a combination of strategy and character. If you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf
"Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing." - Albert Schweitzer
May we find leaders worthy of our country's highest ideals, not its lowest.
I've been thinking about it all day. Today marks the anniversary of our Invasion of Iraq. Today begins our fourth year of war there. We can debate this issue and I suspect some of us will. But one man has emerged today and earned this distinction.
Today I want to talk about President George W. Bush.
Today a normal looking sane sounding logical and articulate man asked the President the following question, and I'm paraphrasing: "Mr. President, you led us into Iraq on the following three premises. That Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, that they had aided the terrorist attacks on September 11, and purchased nuclear weapon making capability from Niger. All three of these turned out to be false. How is America ever going to be able to trust our leaders again?" W. said, and I'm paraphrasing: "Uh...ah, well...mmm...Saddam didn't order the attacks on 9/11. Uh...(grunt)...hee, hee...mmm...everybody thought there were weapons of mass destrcution...he was a bad bad man...uh...mmm...(grunt) killed his own people...the Iraqi people are better off today....hee, hee...democracy good...terrorists bad...God bless America!" 
See the truth is I don't think W. is a bad guy, just an idoit. And if he's not an idiot, he is a very bad guy. We spent millions of dollars, huge amounts of time and energy, and five years determining if Clinton lied about his liason with Monica Lewinsky. And the moment he lied about it he proved he wasn't a great leader, only one with lots of potential and obvious flaws. And many of the same people who tout how great a leader Bush is hung him for it. Yet, here is a man who has yet to sell us straight on the reasons we went to war and need to still be there and he's a moral leader? Leadership can't be out and out contempt for people's ability to see the genuine article. Integrity has to still count for something. And I don't even think he was the main reason we went to war, trust me I could wind up giving the whole administration individual awards for idiocy and misleading, but he is responsible. He asked for and won the job.
2,307 soldiers have died since March 20, 2003. There are offically 17,004 wounded soldiers, and that number could be as high as 48,000.
Estimates of civillian deaths in Iraq range from 33,700 to 37,800.
There may be a good reason to be in Iraq. Perhaps we have freed them and given them the best shot for democracy and prosperity. But we were misled. This is the main reason i voted for Frankenstein for President. As Jon Stewart put it, and I've heard Barack Obama say it as well.
"If we were all riding in a bus together and the driver put the bus into a ditch for no good reason, when it came time to pick a new driver, why would we pick that same guy? He's the one that put us in the ditch!"
Are there evil people in the world that need dealt with? Absolutely. Is President Bush evil. No, I think he's just shortsighted and simple minded. There is a cost to war. And there is a cost to leadership. You have to be accountable. So today, knowing full well the problems with the theory, but being convinced he has earned the distinction, I present W. with
THE DICK CHENEY HUNTING BUDDY AWARD
in recognition of lacking leadership and character in the face of real decisions with real consequences. Maybe the shot won't kill him (cause the VP is even scarier, which I think will be proved in a few scrolls) but will instead knock some sense into him.
Dick Cheney-making the world a safer place-one asshole at a time.Some final thoughts I found useful...
"A single lie destroys a whole reputation for integrity." - Baltasar Gracian
"Leadership is a combination of strategy and character. If you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf
"Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing." - Albert Schweitzer
May we find leaders worthy of our country's highest ideals, not its lowest.
Mar 19, 2006
All my life I’ve been searching for something. Something never comes, never leads to nothing.
This lyric/title is from a Foo Fighters song. I absolutely love this band and can't belive I've never quoted them before. This song is All My Life, but they have whole albums (and most recently a double album) full of great stuff. Check them out on their website by clicking the title.
I was in a meditative mood and so I was trying to get kids to open up about what they were really feeling. I would read a bit of Scripture and then ask what the kids were thinking after each passage. This one kid kept talking about this mouse he had been trying to catch. At first I thought he was being a smart alec, but then I realized he was 'getting it'. The evening went something like this:
----------
Seven confirmands sit in a semi-circle around candles and before their youth leader, J.D.. He reads Scripture and then prompts them to share what they are feeling, what they are thinking, hoping, wishing. One kid steers the conversation away it appears, but he is perhaps the one this moment was born for...
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills--
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip--
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you--
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm--
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Silence
J.D.: What did that passage cause you to think about? (Immediately, an often quiet and less participatory kid begins to speak)
Kid: I kept thinking about this mouse I've been trying to trap in my garage.
(The group begins to laugh)
J.D.: OK...(thinking this kid is making fun)
Kid: No, I'll see him sometimes and I'll stand over him and try to figure out the best way to catch him, but by the time I have a plan he scurries away.
(All the kids laugh at this, a couple try to answer more appropriately)
John 14:1-4
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."
Silence
J.D.: Okay, this is Jesus talking, his first words are 'do not let your hearts be troubled'. What's on your mind.
Kid: I keep thinking about that dang mouse.
(Many loud laughs)
I've left out cheese for it. I've even found the entrance to where his nest is and waited on him...
J.D.: Does this have anything to do with what Jesus says?
Kid: I don't know. It's a mouse I'm trying to catch him, but he keeps running away from me.
J.D.: Try to focus...anyone else?
(None)
MT 18:12-14
"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
Silence
J.D.: Alright, here Jesus is talking about how God pursues his lost sheep--
Kid: That's it!
(He is excited)
I am the mouse.
Another Kid: What?
Kid: God's always calling me, looking for me, waiting for me...and he keeps putting things out there for me, but everytime he comes close I run away. I'm like that mouse when it comes to God. I spend most of my time hiding from him.
Silence
Kid: I just kept seeing this mouse and remembering how hard it was to catch it.
J.D.: What do you want the mouse for?
Kid: I think he's cool. I was gonna feed him and stuff, see if I could take care of him.
-----------
May we know today that regardless of how many times we've hidden, run away, stolen bricks of cheese without asking, God is still pursuing us; hoping to lift us up and feed us, yearning to take care of us.
And there are no wasted thoughts. Only wasteful ones.
I was in a meditative mood and so I was trying to get kids to open up about what they were really feeling. I would read a bit of Scripture and then ask what the kids were thinking after each passage. This one kid kept talking about this mouse he had been trying to catch. At first I thought he was being a smart alec, but then I realized he was 'getting it'. The evening went something like this:
----------
Seven confirmands sit in a semi-circle around candles and before their youth leader, J.D.. He reads Scripture and then prompts them to share what they are feeling, what they are thinking, hoping, wishing. One kid steers the conversation away it appears, but he is perhaps the one this moment was born for...
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills--
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip--
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you--
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm--
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Silence
J.D.: What did that passage cause you to think about? (Immediately, an often quiet and less participatory kid begins to speak)
Kid: I kept thinking about this mouse I've been trying to trap in my garage.
(The group begins to laugh)
J.D.: OK...(thinking this kid is making fun)
Kid: No, I'll see him sometimes and I'll stand over him and try to figure out the best way to catch him, but by the time I have a plan he scurries away.
(All the kids laugh at this, a couple try to answer more appropriately)
John 14:1-4
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."
Silence
J.D.: Okay, this is Jesus talking, his first words are 'do not let your hearts be troubled'. What's on your mind.
Kid: I keep thinking about that dang mouse.
(Many loud laughs)
I've left out cheese for it. I've even found the entrance to where his nest is and waited on him...
J.D.: Does this have anything to do with what Jesus says?
Kid: I don't know. It's a mouse I'm trying to catch him, but he keeps running away from me.
J.D.: Try to focus...anyone else?
(None)
MT 18:12-14
"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
Silence
J.D.: Alright, here Jesus is talking about how God pursues his lost sheep--
Kid: That's it!
(He is excited)
I am the mouse.
Another Kid: What?
Kid: God's always calling me, looking for me, waiting for me...and he keeps putting things out there for me, but everytime he comes close I run away. I'm like that mouse when it comes to God. I spend most of my time hiding from him.
Silence
Kid: I just kept seeing this mouse and remembering how hard it was to catch it.
J.D.: What do you want the mouse for?
Kid: I think he's cool. I was gonna feed him and stuff, see if I could take care of him.
-----------
May we know today that regardless of how many times we've hidden, run away, stolen bricks of cheese without asking, God is still pursuing us; hoping to lift us up and feed us, yearning to take care of us.
And there are no wasted thoughts. Only wasteful ones.
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