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Sustained by Celebration

We had a good meeting after church this morning. I'm glad we could enjoy lunch together. If you were not able to attend the meeting let me encourage you to read our 2004 Annual Report. I'm pleased with the progress we've made together over the past year and I'm even more excited about what we will accomplish together in the year ahead. But right now I'm ready for a nap because there more ahead of us today. Andy turns 9 tomorrow and this afternoon our whole family is gathering to celebrate with us. I love to celebrate birthdays. I'm very proud of my son Andrew. I've got a great story about him from this past week that I would love to write about. I'll ask him if it's okay so stay tuned.

Nap time! ZZZzzzz.

Several Sensational Surf Films

Last night we watched an incredible film called "Riding Giants" (2004). If you like the surf film genre then you will love this one. It gets a well-deserved PG-13 rating because of strong language, primarily from surf legend Greg Noll. I think it would have been a better film without the foul language but even so, there is a segment with Laird Hamilton and his father Billy that tugs hard on the heart strings. I was also impressed by the friendship between Laird and Dave Kalama. They were the pioneers of tow-in surfing and it's easy to see that their friendship is the best part of their success. Let me recommend three other films that you should not miss even if you're afraid of the water. Start with the ultimate classic "The Endless Summer" (1966). It tells the story of two surfers, Robert August and Mike Hynson, who travel around the world in search of the perfect wave. Bruce Brown is the film maker as well as the narrator and his many side comments add to the flavor of the film. I love it when he complains about having to pay one dollar for a cup of coffee in West Senegal, Africa. An update of the film came in 1994 with the release of "The Endless Summer 2." Not as good as the first but it's a continuation of the journey with a new generation of surfers. And finally, don't miss "Step into Liquid" (2003) by Dana Brown. Dana is Bruce Brown's son and he displays the same wonderful talent of his father. It would be hard not to enjoy this one, especially the great soundtrack.

Sneak Peek

Here's a sneak peek at the report we'll present at tomorrow's information meeting.

The Family of Jesus

On Sundays we've been focusing on the Gospel of Mark under the banner, "Jesus the Revolutionary." As I've said before, we have a tendency to domesticate Jesus by fashioning his image to fit our own expectations. The picture we create often has little to do with authentic discipleship. The way to move in the direction of a biblically informed faith is to read the text and let the text read us. The Jesus we encounter in the pages of scripture heralds the coming of the kingdom of God, often in surprising ways. The in-breaking of the God's reign can even stand in opposition to human institutions. For example, it's clear in the third chapter of Mark that the mother and brothers of Jesus are concerned for his welfare. They were worried that he had "gone out of his mind" (3:21). When they come to take him home, some in the crowd inform Jesus, "Your mother and brothers are outside, asking for you." Can you imagine the situation? They've come to take him home quietly because they are worried about him. They think he's crazy and so they look for a way to restrain him. From their perspective things are getting out of hand. Now we might think that Jesus would offer a word of comfort to his family, after all, they need some reassurance. But the words of Jesus serve only to intensify the situation. We might hear it like this: "My mother and brothers and family are outside? What are they doing outside? If they were eager to serve God they would be inside listening to me because my true family is comprised of whoever does the will of God! If you want belong to my family you better learn to pay attention" (3:34-35). I wonder how his words were received by his family that day. I also wonder how we might hear them today in relation to our own family. I think it's clear, Jesus the Revolutionary continues to shake our world!

Missing Sleep

Last night our Leadership Team met to discuss the elements for Sunday's information meeting. Our time together generated lots of good ideas and energy. The meeting was so good that I had a hard time getting to sleep afterwards. I must admit sleep sometimes eludes me because of worry but last night I didn't mind missing out on it because I'm excited about what we have planned.

On Sunday in worship we're going to look at Mark 3:7-19a. It tells of Jesus choosing the twelve. The parallel passage in Luke says that Jesus "spent the night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12). I've never spent the whole of a night in prayer but I have tossed and turned through a good number of nights. And I often wonder how my restlessness might open the way to prayer. Perhaps hardship and trouble is God's way of getting our attention. The end of a long night of prayer for Jesus resulted in a list of twelve who became his partners in ministry. I would like my long nights to do more than make me tired the next day. I guess I'm still learning how to pray.

"Lord, help me to see the things you're doing in this community and help me to partner with those who are eager to serve you in this world and, please, grant us both restful sleep and sleepless nights so that we will learn to trust in YOU. Amen."

Good Rain

It's raining today and it feels good. I only hope it won't rain on Sunday because we've planned our "Information Meeting" (something that might be traditionally called an annual congregational meeting) in an outdoor location. I'm learning to go with the flow but I'm also going to be sure we have a back-up plan. Anyway it's been fun taking a look back at God's faithfulness to us in 2004. Hope to see you all on Sunday! I'll post the report after the meeting on Sunday in case you're interested.

Four Foreign Films

It’s Friday and so it’s time for another installment of my “Four Films” recommendation. I’ll be brief today because it’s been a while since I’ve watched three of these films and so I can only give you an impression of what I remember. As you may have noticed from my earlier recommendations, I really enjoy foreign films. It might be because they usually offer a different perspective on things. First on my foreign film list is “Life is Beautiful” (1998). I watched this one with Matthew recently and we had a good conversation afterward about parental love and the many ways of overcoming evil. My second recommendation is from Australia, “The Castle” (1997). It’s about a guy who won’t give up his home just because the local airport wants to expand. His house is a dump yet “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I wouldn’t put it in the “great film” category but it’s worth watching. On the other hand, I would put “Billy Elliott” (2000) in that category. It’s about a boy who dares to be different because he loves to dance. His father insists, “Bally’s not fur lads” (my phonetic interpretation). It’s a story of conversion and the power of love. I absolutely loved it. My final choice is “Bend It Like Beckham” (2002). Lots of things bend in this film. They even surprised me a time or two. Take a look and let me know what you think.

A Catholic Parish In Ladera Ranch

An article in the Los Angeles Times this morning noted, "Bishop of Orange Tod D. Brown officially announced this week the formation of two Roman Catholic parishes, Holy Trinity Parish in Ladera Ranch and Christ Our Savior Cathedral Parish in Santa Ana." (B-3) Father Reynold Furrell will take charge of the parish in Ladera Ranch beginning July 1st.

Holy Trinity will be the only church to own property here in Ladera Ranch. They have a generous plot on Corporate Drive. And yet they are not the only ones seeking to do the Lord's work here. There are several other good works I know about and I'm sure there are others I don't yet know of. Pathway Church has been active since September 2001. Faith Bible Church traces its roots to June 2002. And, of course, Village Presbyterian Church began in July 2003. And now in 2005, we will see the beginning of another new work. I'm hopeful that we will continue to work together for the common good.

Reading Through Mark

On Sunday we began a series through the Gospel of Mark that will continue through Easter. In the past I've provided different reading guides to direct our daily reading of Scripture. For the Gospel of Mark, let me suggest something else, a bookmark. Read through Mark and then mark your stopping point. Let me encourage you to develop the practice of making daily Bible reading a habit. And when you get to the end of Mark...read it again! Constant interaction with the text will help you discover how the smaller segments fit into the larger picture. You also might want to print a copy of this outline to give you a clear overview. Hope this helps you as together we learn to listen to Jesus.

August 28, 1963

Today we celebrate a national holiday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. A few years ago it was a privilege for me to tour the King Memorial in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a life-changing experience. King was a courageous preacher who offered a prophetic voice to a nation in need.

I was surfing the internet this evening and I was glad to find this link on the 24-7 prayer site. Click here and you can listen to King's most famous speech. On August 28, 1963, King proudly announced, "I Have a Dream." And so his words continue to invite us to dream with him.