Do You Believe?

This is an amazing convocation address for the opening of the Dallas ISD school year. Just takes about 5 minutes. If you're a teacher or have a kid you should watch this.

Do you believe in the next generation?

In The Beginning: Creation Appreciation #11

This is part 5 of our class discussion on how Christians can engage the green movement in ways that bless the Creator. Ephesians 1.22-23 and 1 Corinthians 12.27 remind us that we are the incarnate body of Christ on earth. Because we know and accept this truth, the church adopts practices that are Christ-like practices. For instance:
We think it is important to feed the poor so we feed poor.
We think justice is important so we live justly.
We think God deserves worship so we worship.
We think Jesus provides a better way of living so we disciple Him.

Then it follows that:
We think we should steward God’s creation so the Body of Christ should be stewarding.

My point is so simple that it could be missed here. It is illogical and unfaithful for us to believe that scripture teaches that God loves and values His creation and then live lives that are unaffected. In other words, to be faithful to God's call for stewardship of creation's resources, we must take action. We need to put theory into practice.

Since the church is the body of Christ on earth, certainly some of the action we take in favor of stewarding would show up in our local congregations.

Here is how one church practices stewardship:


Beyond being faithful and responsible to God, church practices are also ways of teaching and subversively transforming our culture. The light with which we live our lives (Matthew 5.14-16) and our unity in action (John 17.20,21) are witnesses to those around us.

So, in essence, we get a double return on our "investment" in our environment. We can reduce harm to our environment and teach others about God's love for His creation, including them.

In his book, "How to Save the Earth Without Worshiping Nature", Tony Campolo lists some practical things that churches ought to do.
1. Plant Trees / Become involved in an urban tree growth effort
2. Use recycled paper
3. Recycle waste
4. Use reusable cups, plates, cutlery
5. Use environmentally safe cleaning products
6. Use buildings efficiently – use facilities during the week
7. Recycle sales (benevolence stores)
8. Use the church grounds as a community recycle center w/ signs that read:
a. God wants to turn our trash into something good!
b. The God of creation is also the God of recreation – Recycle
c. Our God makes everything new again
9. Ongoing Effort – Creation Committee? (this one is the key in my mind)
a. Seek ways to involve the congregation in creation care
b. Remind/Teach the congregation how to steward
c. Create Worship Banners like:
i. Live Simply that others might simply live
ii. Be Good Stewards of God’s Creation
iii. Enjoy But Don’t Destroy what God Has Created

How will you invite your local congregation to participate in stewarding God's creation?

First Day for Ethan!

Today is Ethan's first day of preschool! He'll be in school three days a week (3 hours a day). We're not really looking for any academic help, but it will be good for him to better learn how to share and exist socially with his little peers, and to be able to take instructions from the teacher.

He was excited! I was in the shower this morning and I saw a pair of Spiderman undies sprint into the bathroom and ask me if it was time to go yet.
Me: "You can't go in your undies!"
Ethan: ***smile***

He ran out and got dressed. During breakfast it was more of the same.
Ethan: "Can we go yet?"
Me: "In a few minutes."
Ethan: ***smile***

Finally it was time to go so Dixie snapped a couple of pictures to document our big boy on his first day of preschool. I'm sure Dixie will get those pictures posted on her blog today.

We got in the car (preschool is at the church building where I work) and it was about 90 seconds before I heard:
Ethan: "Are we almost there?"
Me: "Not yet."
Ethan: ***smile***
We had that same conversation about 3 more times during that long 8 minute ride to the church building.

We pulled into the parking lot at the same time as our friend, Bella Rose.
Ethan: "Hurry Dad, get out. I want to see Bella."
Me: "Ok, Ethan."
Ethan: "Hurry!"
Bella and Ethan walked hand in hand to their classrooms. Bella went to her class next door, but Ethan and I were the only ones in his room.

Me: "Let's wait a minute for your teacher, Ethan."
Ethan: (already in the classroom) "C'mon Dad, you can play with me." ***smile***

Then we had a near disaster.
Ethan: "Achooooo!" ***snotcicles***
I grabbed a paper towel and triaged the situation, but then we headed to the bathroom to get completely cleaned up.

We headed back to class where, by this time, Ms. Sara was waiting for us.
Me: "Ok Ethan, be good for Ms. Sara and be sure to share with all of your friends."
Ethan: "Ok" ***smile***

And then as he headed into class,
Me: "Ok Ethan I'll see you after while."
Ethan: ...
Me: "Ethan?"
Ethan: ... (already playing with kids)

It's amazing how kids can be so different. Isaac was so nervous and apprehensive about the first day of school. Ethan was totally excited and ready to go. Except for the snotcicles, the first day of school was a totally different experience for these two boys. Kids are funny.

Usain "Lightning" Bolt

As always, the olympics produced many amazing stories. One impressive performance was Usain Bolt's speed in the 100M and 200M races. In case you missed it, he took gold in both races, setting world records in both events. In fact, in the 100M race he didn't even run his hardest and still managed to break the record. Here's a recap of his 100M performance:

Faithfulness

From a church sign in Wisconsin:

Sammie E. Swim (1925 - 2008)

A great man of faith, Sammie Swim, passed away last month. I didn't hear of this loss until I recently came across his eulogy in the Christian News of South Texas.

As his eulogy states, Sammie was a loving family man and one who was known as a talented preacher of the gospel. His love for the Lord was evident in every facet of his life. I knew Sammie, not only because of his influence in churches of Christ in South Texas and the San Antonio area, but also because he was the grandfather of my childhood best friend, Randall (Randy) Paradowski.

In elementary school, Randy and I were best friends. We spent many nights playing video games at each other's houses and we spent many hot Texas days riding our bikes or playing football outside. My family and the Paradowskis shared holiday meals together and made many memories together.

Sadly, I've lost touch with Randy. I'm sure I'll find him eventually, but I still have fond memories of those childhood years and I remember how much Randy loved his grandfather. Sammie would sometimes come to Northside Church of Christ and greet Randy and me with what he considered a tickle. I vividly remember Sammie jabbing us in the ribs with a finger, halfway making us laugh and halfway making us squirm with rib pain. It was a unique and special greeting.

Sammie's heart was full of love for God and God's people. So many people will miss him. Surely he was (and still is) a good and faithful servant.

The 4 Eric(k)s

In high school, I was in several different combinations of singing groups. One of those groups was known as "The 4 Erics". It happened that we had 4 Erics (one of us spells his name with a CK) who each sang different vocal parts. We sang a bit of barbershop that, of course, was nothing short of stunning. Many, many fun memories from those days. Most of those memories involve laughing. Hard. Some of those memories still crack me up.

Thanks to Esparza, here's a pic from facebook. From left to right, Eric Contreras, Erick Romero, Me, Eric Esparza.

In The Beginning: Creation Appreciation #10

Remembering our previous discussion about the world's scarcity of resources, we began this class session with the parable of the rich fool from Luke 12.13-21. From that story I tried to reframe how we might usually think of the terms greed and frugality. We sometimes think of frugality as a selfish, penny-pinching type of lifestyle but actually, being frugal with the earth's resources is exactly what we need to do.

Suddenly, the efficient life of my grandparents doesn't seem so strange. The generation that lived through the Depression came to know how to squeeze every last bit of utility out of every resource because they had to. The challenge for 21st century Americans is to learn how to use resources efficiently even though we don't have to. It's a matter of loving our neighbors, both global and temporal.

So this class provides some hands-on ways to use resources more efficiently:


Speaking of my grandparents, it's amazing to me that they produce about 1 bag of trash per month. Table scraps go to the compost pile in the garden. Most things are reused. Some trash is burned. Only plastic and a few other items make it to their garbage cans. My family produces about 5 bags of trash per week.


National Geographic has a site set up that gives some great tips as well. Here is important information about water conservation in the bathroom:


Great ideas for home cleaning without the use of harmful chemicals:


Cut your utility bills and save energy:


Many more tips are available at National Geographic's The Green Guide.

I'm encouraging the class to be thinking about some lifestyle changes they would be willing to share with the class in a couple of weeks. Leave a comment to share what you are doing to be frugal with the resources God has given us.

Scootin

Scooter is here! Took a short ride last night... Pics to soon follow!

The Sun Was In My Eye

I never thought I would post anything about the pseudosport that is gymnastics, but the latest "controversy" is so annoying that I couldn't resist.

The U.S. Women's Olympic Gymnastics coach is blaming the sport's officials for the girls' failure to capture gold. My response: "buck up".

Her claim is that Sacramone was called to the "don't fall off this skinny rail" (DFOTSR) event and then made to wait so long that she lost her concentration causing her to fall. Her fall subsequently caused her to land on her butt during the next event, "bouncy floor", as well. Oh, by the way, her fall on the DFOTSR also caused all 3 American competitors on bouncy floor to step out of bounds.

Really? Is that really the best reason Karolyi can come up with?

To add more fuel to this not-so-hot bed of controversy, iconic Mr. Karolyi claims that the Chinese girls are under age which gives them an advantage. Now, I'm no gymnastics expert but it seems like 20 yr old gymnasts wouldn't mind competing against 12 year olds. In fact, I can't think of any sport in the world where a 12 year old would have an advantage over a 20 year old. Did we have great 12 year olds waiting in the wings that could have brought home the gold, but because we follow rules so closely we sent our mediocre 20 year olds instead?

The commentators don't do this pseudosport any favors either. They constantly question the scoring of the judges. The judges of course have the opportunity to watch the performance in slow motion before awarding a random number to the performance. For instance, if someone does really fast arm swings while on the DFOTSR they might get some penalty points, but someone who arches their backs during a handstand while on the uneven monkey bars gets bonus points.

Look, I appreciate that what they do is difficult, but let's not call it a sport. It's totally subjective. It's great and beautiful, but it's more of an art form. We don't have speed painting at the Olympics where someone's use of color gets them a gold. I don't understand why we all have to get our panties in a wad and come up with ridiculously lame excuses as to why we didn't get the gold. Let's just acknowledge that the Chinese girls, no matter their age, were better. They didn't fall down as much. Hooray they win the gold for not falling down!

Let me know when they put two girls on the DFOTSR at the same time, give them giant q-tips and tell them to knock each other off, a la American Gladiator. That's a sport with a clear winner, and one I'd be more interested to watch.

In The Beginning: Creation Appreciation #9

This post will catch you up to where we are in class. Along the lines of the previous lesson, this lesson deals with consumption of the earth's resources. This kind of conversation seems like it could be a secular issue. Some might say this dialogue should be reserved for civic centers, universities and legislatures. Part of the point of this class is to bring Christians into these conversations so that people with the interests of God at heart will be able to help shape the future of the earth as we steward creation.

As you think about the below ideas, remember that the earth belongs to God (Ps 24.1) and as followers of Jesus, we are called to live humbly, putting the interests of others ahead of our own. See Philippians 2:4-8.

First consider how we use arable land in the world. Land capable of producing crops is a precious commodity. Here's a quick demonstration of how rare the world's arable land is.

This (and the following issues) is a global issue. China has over 20% of the world's population, but only 7% of the world's arable land. Do you see the imbalance? If we are going to love our neighbors and look to the interests of others, we can not turn our backs on the rest of the world and count our lucky stars that we happened to be born into a country that has enough farmland to feed its people. The only word I can think of to describe that way of thinking is "selfish".

Water shortages are quickly becoming a problem as well. Nations all over the world are facing water shortages as water quickly becomes a high priced commodity. This isn't only a problem in the remote parts of Africa. Remember the water crisis in Atlanta last summer? We're only going to see more of this issue.

The term, "water shortage" is somewhat misleading. Others will argue that there is no such thing as a water shortage. Their reasoning is that the world always has the same amount of water. Remember this picture from 7th grade science class?

The earth's water cycle system is a closed system, so in theory, the world does in fact have a constant amount of water. However, due to pollution we are slowly reducing the amount of usable water we have. More than that, with the earth's population rate growing exponentially, we may indeed have a constant amount of water, but the amount of water per person is declining sharply. Water scarcity is already affecting international relations and agendas between countries. But again, this must be seen as a global issue.

*Nearly 450 million people in 29 countries currently face severe water shortages.

*20 percent more water than is now available will be needed to feed the additional three billion people who will be alive by 2025.

*As much as two-thirds of the world population could be water-stressed by 2025.

*Aquifers, which supply one-third of the world's population, are being pumped out faster than nature can replenish them.

*Half the world's rivers and lakes are seriously polluted.

*Major rivers, such as the Yangtze, Ganges, and Colorado, do not flow to the sea for much of the year because of upstream withdrawals.

Our resource of air is important as well. Ever flown into a major city like L.A. and noticed the brown filth that hovers over the city? It makes an impression on you. We've seen and heard this week all the press about the smog in Beijing. Not only does polluted air cause damage to the environment, it also contributes to all kinds of other problems like healthcare. We clearly need to take better care of our air.

Finally, the issue of energy sources is a huge deal. Obviously this issue is very politically charged due to the recent spike in oil prices. As we look to the future, we can not solely rely on nonrenewable energy sources like oil, coal and gas (the "nonrenewable" label is slightly misleading because the earth does continue to produce these resources - it is just a very slow process). Our energy demands continue to increase and at some point (maybe already?) will exceed what the earth can sustain through these resources. Though politics may be deeply tied to this issue, Christians must look for just and responsible solutions to fill the world's energy needs.

Next week, we'll start looking at some practical solutions and lifestyle changes.

In The Beginning: Creation Appreciation #8

Given Christians' enormous sphere of influence in the world, we need to offer some input into several ongoing conversations in the world. One large social justice issue that is starting to receive attention is that of our diets. Yes, our food choices.

Primarily the information from this class session comes from Mark Bittman. Before that video, let me say that I'm not trying to make a case for being a vegetarian. If you want to be a vegetarian or vegan, I think that's admirable, but I don't think you can make a theological case that we need to do that. Since Noah, God has allowed us to eat animals. Consider Acts 11.4-7.

Also, as you watch this video, remember the words of Paul in Philippians 3.17-20a, as he exhorts followers of Jesus to be a peculiar people. He urges us to be a people that look to Godly things rather than our fleshly desires. He challenges us to look beyond the cravings of our stomachs.

This idea of overcoming our consumption inclinations runs throughout scripture, starting with the first sin in the garden. A sin of consumption, Adam and Eve give in to the desires of their stomachs and consume things that upset God's intent for the world. And so it goes...

In The Beginning: Creation Appreciation #7

So, if we believe that we, as Christians, ought to be stewards of God's creation, how are we doing? Do Christians have a voice in the environmental conversation or green movement? Are we speaking for God's interests on behalf of His creation? Do we even have enough influence in the world to have a voice?

The next three sessions of this class will be a discussion entitled, "How do Christians engage the green movement?" We'll break this discussion into three parts:
1. Our Sphere of Influence
2. The Disease of Consumption
3. Energy and Resources

In order to evaluate Our Sphere of Influence, let's look at the historical growth of Christianity:



According to Mission Frontiers, of the world's population:


There is much data to show that the world is seeing a shift in the geographical center of Christianity (that is, England is already "postChristian" and the U.S. is quickly following, while Africa and Asia are seeing exponential growth in Jesus followers). Already, African nations are preparing to send Christian missionaries to Western countries. There are more Presbyterians in South Korea than in the U.S. Even this month, many underground churches in China are becoming legally sanctioned and moving into the mainstream, thanks in large part to the Olympics pushing China into the world's focus. Still, even with this large shift, Christianity is growing globally. Our influence mirrors that growth.

In 1967, Lynn White published an article that has served well to bring Christians into the conversation of stewarding creation. The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis suggests that the fault of our current ecological situation lies on the shoulders of hundreds of years of Christians promoting a theology that we have dominion over the earth and can consume its resources according to our wants and desires. Moreover, being made in the image of God, we are superior to the remainder of creation and therefore creation exists to serve us.

If you are at all serious about this subject, you need to read his article. It provides great insight into the history of this issue.

I agree with White on a couple of points. First, he is right that Christians have such an influence over the world that our ideals, good or misguided, can have global effects. This, of course, is all the more reason that we need to have strong theology on creation and make sure we are taking care of it. Second, he is right to some degree that Christians can find some level of arrogance in being made in God's image. Sometimes we can forget that we do not own the land. Rather we are a part of God's creation.

In his conclusion, White states,

No new set of basic values has been accepted in our society to displace those of Christianity. Hence we shall continue to have a worsening ecologic crisis until we reject the Christian axiom that nature has no reason for existence save to serve man.

His statement is true, though it has a false premise. More than anything else, Christianity does influence the world, however, not all Christians believe the false axiom that nature serves man. Some of us realize that nature, in fact, serves to glorify its supernatural Creator.

If you find yourself feeling above the rest of creation, or arrogant in any way regarding your place in creation, read God's response to Job in Job 38-41. Not only does God humble Job, but His words can serve to remind us of our place in creation as well.

I'll share one comment from the class that I thought was interesting. Jeff, received the text from Job differently. Since today's man has achieved most of the things the Creator lists to humble Job, Jeff sees this text as an even bigger responsibility we have to steward the earth. That is, since we can feed the lions and catch the whales of the deep, we have all the more reason to be sure we are being responsible guarders of God's creation. I thought that was a pretty fresh hearing of this text as well.

...if you didn't already, scroll back up and read White's article...

Remember When?

On the heels of our 13th anniversary, here's a picture of us going to Dixie's senior prom in the spring of 1994. Thanks, Brian, for the picture!

13 Years

Today Dixie and I celebrate 13 years of being married! Dixie already knows this, but I have a horrible long term memory. I definitely remember some of the highlights from Aug 5th, 1995, but I don't remember that day as vividly as Dixie does.

I remember my cue to walk out with my best man and Sam's dad (who married us) was Robert Shaw's choral performance of "What Wondrous Love is This?". I remember when those back doors to the auditorium at Northside opened and I saw my bride in her dress for the first time. I literally, had my breath taken away. Literally. It was like I my lungs tried to breathe air two or three times but I got none. I remember how Dixie's beautiful dress shone like like light in contrast to the bright orange carpet.

I remember at the end of the wedding, after PawPaw offered a prayer of blessing and ended it with a "So be it." that Dixie and I turned to face our family and friends and I was giddy.

The reception is even more of a blur in my mind. Cake, punch, visiting. I didn't much care for the reception. I was ready to go. We only stayed a couple of hours (good church of Christ wedding receptions are pretty short with no dancing or bar), and then we set out on our own. We hit the Sonic on the south side of town and headed for a few days at South Padre Island.

We had a blast! Even though we were only kids, it felt like we had longed to be our own entity for a long time. Finally we were.

We still have fun together. We still treasure times together. We still love being married to one another.

Love you sweetie. Looking forward to the next 13!

In The Beginning: Creation Appreciation #6

Due to a week at camp and a week at the beach, I've fallen behind on my posts about our Sunday morning class on creation care theology. Let me return to our discussion from a couple of weeks ago.

In this lesson we examined some data to consider the state of God's creation. These slides are pretty self-explanatory.






Granted, this data is only recent data when considering the history of the earth. Some of this data shows only minimal, almost expected fluctuations in our environment (although the amount of deforestation is shocking to me).

Still, when we know that 9,000 square miles of the Amazon rain forest disappears each year, and when we have data that suggests that humans are having a radical affect on their world, as Christians, we ought to take notice and speak out on behalf of God's creation.

Consider these short videos:
This is a brief overview of global warming from National Geographic.


Here is the perspective of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which provides climate data to the UN.


Finally, here is an ad for what looks like an interesting series on ABC that imagines what the world might be like in the future.

Just gloom and doom politics? Maybe. Scientists definitely differ on their estimates about the future of our world. As this topic is debated and discussed throughout the world, it's important for Christians to have a voice. It's an issue of justice, of loving one's neighbors and future generations, and of honoring God's creation.

We sometimes limit the parable of the steward to discussions of money, talents, or spiritual gifts. Doesn't stewardship apply to all the blessings with which the Master entrusts us?

How are we doing as stewards?