Dear God-Thank You.org

My colleague Rob Hatch just referred me to this site: Dear God-Thank You.org.

What a cool way to use the web!

Has anyone else seen any innovative church sites?

Kyoto and Perception

I just read an interesting editorial in the Morning Sentinel by James K. Glassman about Kyoto and the US. (Sorry, try as I might, I was unable to find a link to this editorial.)

With the big shindig in Montreal, we're sure to hear lots about Kyoto. And lots about how the Bush administration did the unthinkable in not joining the Kyoto treaty. (Interestingly, Clinton didn't join in when it was created 11 years ago.)

Glassman points out that even the most ardent Kyoto proponents--including Canda and the European Community--aren't able to live up to the gas reductions called for in the treaty. During the Bush administration, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions have slightly gone down (a little more than half a percent). But Canada's greenhouse gas emissions have actually increased!

Over the last decade, Canada's emmissions have far out paced the US--Canada's increased 24%; the US's 14%.

What blows my mind is how important perception is. Even more important than reality.

The global perception of the US seems to be that we're not at all concerned with the environment. (And our government, both under Republicans and Democrats, have done lots of goofy things that reinforce our brash stereotype.)

But the reality is that the US appears to be doing a better job at curbing emissions than it's other Western counterparts.

At some level, perception becomes reality. Or a form of reality. And that can make dialogue very difficult.

As a pastor, I try to tell people that the desires of their heart may indeed be God's leading them in a particular direction. But somehow their perception doesn't let them see that as a possibility.

It reminds me of Extreme's 1992 album "Three Sides to Every Story": yours, mine, and the truth.

Even in my own perception of reality, I'm seeing it as I see it. (You might have to read that a couple times.) I'm just as guilty of coloring the water as the next guy.

A couple weeks ago, we looked at the Transfiguration at church. In Luke 9:32, it says:

Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw [Jesus'] glory and the two men standing with him.

I have a feeling that becoming "fully awake" is the key to discarding our perceptions in favor of the Truth. What I love about this story is that Peter, James, and John weren't seeking to dispel their perceptions. They weren't trying to will them away. They were just hanging out with Jesus. Apparently they were even a bit drowsy.

It was Jesus who tore the veil.

Come Lord. Please keep tearing the veil until we see You as You really are. (And thanks for loving us even before we "get it"!)

[3/3/2006 I've since read reports that the US Govt's figures were wrong and we aren't any better than other countries. I'm so tired of political games by both parties and each administration that's been in power. I'm sure glad political agendas aren't at the top of God's Kingdom priorities. Ha, can you see Jesus running for office?!]

The Perfect Church?

I just was referred to this blog posting from Stanley Road Baptist Church while listening to a podcast from The Blogging Church.

This quote stuck out:

I wonder if the topic of the sermon would mean more to us personally if we sat round small tables with a cup of coffee and then discussed it afterwards.

I know Todd Hunter was experiencing with this in Southern California a few years ago.

Wow...imagine a church moving out of it's building and into a cafe? Hhmm...

(If any of you reading this go to VCW, fear not. We're blessed with the building we have! *grin*)

The Story we tell

It's been a while since I've put this diagram on the blog. Last June I put it up as a diagram on a napkin (view that one here).

Now it's on PowerPoint but the story is still the same. It explains good and evil, God's sovreignty and our suffering, and Jesus' mission and radical message. Most of my sermons build on this image. You can hear those at http://vcwaterville.org in the "sermons" section.

Give us today TOMORROW'S bread

In a the his most recent sermon (available here), Phil Strout mentioned something about "give us our daily bread" meaning "give us tomorrow's bread." I'd heard that so I decided to Google it. And the BBC's site was the first to come up!

You can see the full article here.

Here's the part that excited me:

"It probably means daily, it probably means the stuff we need to survive, but at least some people in the early church understood it to mean the bread we want for tomorrow or even the bread of tomorrow; 'give us today tomorrow's bread'.

And they've thought that might mean give us now a taste of the bread we shall eat in the Kingdom of God. Give us a foretaste of that great banquet and celebration where the universe is drawn together by Christ in the presence of God the Father."

Isn't that exciting! For millenia, many who've prayed the Lord's prayer have done so understanding they were asking to have tomorrow's bread today! That's so cool!

So we say, "Yes Lord, give us today a taste of the Kingdom!"

point C

Just catching up on my Bloglines subscriptions when I came across this post from Seth Godin. Seth's Blog: Understanding Local Max

I could riff but I'm still processing. And wondering how many times I stopped at point C.

Don't stop. But do read his post.

Podcasting 101 on the news

People all over the state, from Portland, Lewiston, and Waterville, have been telling me I've been on their TV screens.

Here's why:
http://www.wlbz2.com/series/default2.asp

Journeying with Jesus certainly isn't boring!!!

Mi crisis, su crisis?

Or better, su crisis mi crisis?

I'm having a sort of "bubble day." Things are relatively peaceful. They weren't like this yesterday and won't be tomorrow. But they are today. My projects are in other people's hands, I'm getting to work on Q2 projects, and I'm getting caught up on the paper. Very nice.

During this day, I've noticed that some people thrive on crisis. Some of the calls I've gotten today have sent my adrenal glands fits.

For no apparent reason. At least to me.

So here's my lesson for the day: People can only steal my peace if I let them.

These people were nice, well meaning individuals. Some were even working on my projects. But I don't have to panic.

It takes discipline to stay in the gift of a bubble day. I hope I make these muscles stronger!

Marc