porchpondering.com

Smile

Matthew got his braces off this morning and he hasn't stopped smiling all day! Dr. Barkate did an outstanding job in this first round of work. It looks like Matthew will have to have more work done later when his mouth matures a bit but much of the important work is now complete. No more head gear! Maybe that's why Matthew was smiling so much today.

They have a very cool closing ritual at Dr. B's office. After getting his braces off, they gave him a balloon tied to a "Cookies and Creme" Candy apple and they asked him to ring the bell in the office and yell, "I got my braces off." Everyone cheered. It was fun for all.

A Bible Question

Yesterday I sent an email to a trusted colleague who shall remain nameless for the moment. I wanted his input on an important question and I knew he’d be able to provide a thoughtful and educated response. Here’s a quick glimpse my email:

[Name],
There’s a struggle I have that I would like to get your input on. It has to do with my frustration in relation to Bible translations. Unfortunately, I've been through many seasons of translations and sometimes the change as been for good reasons but these days I'm facing more of a practical frustration. Here's a quick glimpse at my history:

• Early 80s: I read from the Revised Standard Version…
• Mid 80s: switched to the NIV…
• Early 90s: during my seminary days, I switched to the New Revised Standard Version (partly because I appreciate inclusive language in relation to people and partly because I appreciate the consistency of this translation and also because it’s the PCUSA standard).

I'm still with the NRSV and I still like it but my frustration has to do with its lack of availability. If you cruise the shelves at the local Christian bookstore (personally, I'd rather have a tooth extracted), there are several miles of NIV Bibles in every color, shape and size. Try to find a nice NRSV and, if you're lucky, you'll have your choice of three. A search online proves no more successful. And most of the NRSV Bibles produced by Oxford Press are of the "Anglicized Edition" variety where the Sea of Galilee becomes a lake and judgement replaces judgment. Frustrating, unless you happen to live in the UK.

So when someone experiences new found faith in Christ and she wants to know what Bible she should buy, what should I tell her? I'm totally frustrated by the lack of availability of the NRSV text, even though I read from it every Sunday! Lately, I've told people to get a copy of the New Living Translation (NLT) because it's readable and you can even get it in cool colors (I don't want to sound superficial here but I'd like to be able to offer something more than a black leather Bible with Apocrypha). And I recently heard about the TNIV. What do you think about it? Does it offer a new and improved NIV text?

So enough of my venting...here's my question: if you were the Organizing Pastor of a New Church Development what decision would you make in relation to the various translations? Can you help me make a good choice here, Dr. Roberts? Thanks!
-Steve

Mark Roberts not only provided a gracious reply but he also pointed out that he’s been blogging on that same issue for a few weeks now (click here to see it all...clearly, I should check his blog more often). Mark has produced an incredible resource that I strongly recommend to you if you're wondering what Bible translation is best for you to use. I think it's a very important question. Hopefully, as a New Church Development we are helping people to engage with the Bible for the first time. That means we must be ready to place an accurate, useful and readable copy in their hands. Because of Mark's recommendation, I'm going to seriously examine the TNIV for myself. I'll let you know what I think in the future. And maybe someday I'll explain my comment about my preference for dental work. That's a topic for another day.

PS: the TNIV site also allows you to download a searchable pdf of the entire Bible...click here. Is that cool or what?

Music Appreciation

This morning I finished reading Blue Like Jazz. I enjoyed the way Donald Miller described his journey of faith. Faith in Jesus is something that is caught as much as it is taught. In relation to the title of his book, Miller explains, "I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. But I was outside the Bagdad Theater in Portland one night when I saw a man playing the saxophone. I stood there for fifteen minutes, and he never opened his eyes. After that I liked jazz music. Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way. I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened." (ix)

The book is a collection of good stories and insightful glances into the struggle of our human existence. The metaphor of music, particularly jazz, is touched on several times and I think it is helpful image in relation to faith. Miller writes,

"I was watching BET one night, and they were interviewing a man about jazz music. He said jazz music was invented by the first generation out of slavery. I thought that was beautiful because, while it is music, it is very hard to put on paper; it is so much more a language of the soul. It is as if the soul is saying something, something like freedom. I think Christian spirituality is like jazz music. I think loving Jesus is something you feel. I think it is something very difficult to get on paper. But it is not less real, no less meaningful, no less beautiful.

"The first generation out of slavery invented jazz music. It is a music birthed out of freedom. And that is the closest thing I know to Christian spirituality. A music birthed out of freedom. Everybody sings their song the way they feel it, everybody closes their eyes and lifts up their hands." (239)

Music isn't something that happens naturally but as we learn to express ourselves it becomes a beautiful thing. I really like the metaphor of music in relation to faith. A few years ago I came across this statement by John Coltrane, "My goal is to live the truly religious life, and express it through my music. If you live it, when you play there's no problem because the music is part of the whole thing. To be a musician is really something. It goes very, very deep. My music is the spiritual expression of what I am, my faith, my knowledge, my being." (as quoted in The Word Before the Powers by Charles Campbell). I often think of these words in relation God's call on my life. In relation to faith, when we live it, the whole of our life becomes a song of praise offered to God (see Psalm 40:1-3).

Should Church Be Cool?

Yesterday the constant rain kept the troops around here inside for most of the day. Late in the afternoon the sun broke through and so the boys ran around outside for a while. Mackenzie had a play-date with her cousin and Joy had to study for a few hours. I cleaned out my sock drawer...really! I'm not sure how it happens but somehow that drawer always becomes a combination "junk drawer" and "sock drawer" rolled into one. I got rid of the junk and kept most of the socks. It always feels good to eliminate clutter in my life. I even managed to squeeze in a swim about five o'clock. Big accomplishments for the Presidents' Day holiday.

Right now I'm about half-way through the book Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. It's a good book. His words grabbed my attention this morning when he wrote about New Church Development. In contrast to those who place a premium on "cool," Miller speaks of the need to act upon the things we believe, which is not always easy nor is it always "cool." My deepest hope for Village Presbyterian Church is that we would aspire to something more than "cool." Listen to Miller's words and see if you agree:

"A friend of mine, a young pastor who recently started a church, talks to me from time to time about the new face of church in America--about the postmodern church. He says the new church will be different from the old one, that we will be relevant to culture and the human struggle. I don't think any church has ever been relevant to culture, to the human struggle, unless it believed in Jesus and the power of His gospel. If the supposed new church believes in trendy music and cool Web pages, then it is not relevant to culture either. It is just another tool of Satan to get people to be passionate about nothing." (Blue Like Jazz, 111)

And so, in the grand scheme of things, I hope we get passionate about something more than external appearances. I hope we will seriously consider what the gospel has to say about the human struggle even if it means we have to do some rearranging in relation to the way we live. It sounds like work we need to do together and I'm cool with that. Are there any "cluttered drawers" in your life that need to be cleaned?

A Faithful Servant

Sister Dorothy Strang
June 7, 1931 – February 12, 2005

“...afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying in [her] body the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in [her] body…” 2 Cor. 4:8-10

Click here for more of the story.

Something for the Community

There's talk among us about doing a Vacation Bible School this summer. I'm all for it! I think it would be a great way for us to connect with other families in Ladera Ranch. The true test won't be in our ability to produce a flawless program but rather I hope we can create opportunities to be in community together around the words of Jesus. Due to the limitations of location we're going to have to be creative but that's been true for us from the start. Pray for our team and let us know if you'd like to get involved.

I've recently been reading The Word on the Street by Rob Lacey. It offers vivid takes on some of the most familiar sections of Scripture. It's been good reading.

Fullerton is Cool

In 2002, we moved from Fullerton to Ladera Ranch. In the early days, there was a lot of boasting about this being the first fully "wired" community. This morning I had to laugh at that designation because of a news story I heard on NPR about the city of Fullerton. It seems they're wiring the whole downtown for free wireless internet service. Now that's way cool! I'm writing these words from Diedrich's in Mission Viejo, the closest place I know where you can get free wireless (it's not available for free in Ladera Ranch). Fullerton is also making sure they include the Metrolink station in their coverage so that commuters can check email as they pass through the city. It makes me smile. Now, I love Ladera Ranch and we are not even close to being considered the "8-track tape" of the wired world, but even so, widespread wireless would be cool. Way to go Fullerton!

A Compassionate Perspective

This morning I read an article on Sojo mail that I only wish I had written. Brian McLaren is a real writer whereas I am more of a typist. I highly recommend you take time to consider Brian's perspective. I'd love to know how you respond to his ideas. You can get to the article by clicking here.

Ash Wednesday

With "Fat Tuesday" behind us, the journey to Easter has begun. If you want to learn more about the disciplines of Lent check out this post (thanks to Tod Bolsinger for the good link). The author is even so bold as to suggest that we actually fast during the season of Lent. What do you think? Are you up for it? It make me wonder about the words of Jesus, "Is not life more than food?" (Matthew 6:25) Well, is it?

Unfinished Sermon

Yesterday I had the sense that the sermon I preached on Sunday wasn't finished with me yet. It's amazing to me how the sermon is often just as much a word to the preacher as it is to the people. I had hoped to highlight the refrain: everything depends on where we put our hope in life and then I ended up having to wrestle with where I've been placing my hope recently. In the parable of the mustard seed (Mark 4:30-32), hope is placed in the smallest of seed. Moreover, soon after the seed is sown there is little evidence that anything is happening! The whole of our task is to trust and watch for the evidence of the kingdom of God.

I guess it's hard for me to stare at dirt. I'm a pretty impatient person. I want to see the plentiful results of the kingdom and I want to see those results right now. It's hard for me to wait on the Lord. According to Isaiah 40:31, "those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength...." These words of Isaiah informed our call to worship on Sunday. You would have thought that I would have heard them since I was the one who spoke them but I found myself wrestling with my own agenda for the church. Unfortunately, my agenda is not always the agenda of Jesus. On Monday a friend of mine helped me to see that some of what happens at Village is because of what I do but even more can happen because of what I don't do. It sounds funny but I think he's right. It's an odd paradox I hope to learn more about in the years ahead. How can I do the things I'm called to do and, even more so, how can I make room for others to invest their gifts and talents in the life of the church?

It's almost like I've got to learn the lesson of "Finding Nemo." Marlin wants to control every aspect of his son's life but he learns to live only after he let's go of his tendency to control everything. Can it be that I need to learn the lesson of "Finding Nemo" in relation to the church? Who's gonna grow this thing if I'm not responsible? Well, since I have some severe limitations perhaps it would be best for me to put my hope in the Lord. Just this afternoon someone sent me these verses from Lamentations 3:22-26, 31-32, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. For the Lord will not reject forever. Although he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone."

Words of hope for this impatient preacher who seeks both to speak and to listen.