Pursuing Passion

marcpitman.com REMINDER

2007-04-09T11:10:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder, my blogs are now at:

http://marcpitman.com/

and

Extreme Fundraising Blog
http://fundraisingcoach.com/blog

Ryan Ferguson recites Hebrews chapters 9 and 10

2006-12-12T12:12:00.000-05:00


What a video!!

marcpitman.com

2006-09-07T09:36:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder, this blog has moved to marcpitman.com

Getting free of Blogger

2006-08-27T23:38:00.000-04:00

I'm transitioning Pursuing Passion off of Blogger.

The new link is: marcpitman.com

Methuselah

2006-08-21T10:44:00.000-04:00

Conversation with my almost 7 year old during today's history lesson. We were talking about Benedict and abbeys and making connections with Redwall.

Caleb: I bet Methusaleh was really an abbot a long time before Father Abbot.
Me: I don't think so. I think he was the oldest at Redwall but I don't think he was ever Abbot.
Caleb: Why not?
Me: Well, not everyone wants to be in control. Some people are fine with that.
Caleb (with an incredulous look): Why?
Me: I have no idea.

Can you tell we're both first borns? *Grin*

Nice article

2006-08-21T10:43:00.000-04:00

My ego is still being pumped by a great article and a great photo in the local paper!

Check it out: Part-time pastors balance day jobs, flocks

A "real" birthday

2006-08-13T18:23:00.000-04:00

It's odd to think that 20 years ago this coming Thursday (August 17) I became a Christian.

Yeah, I know there are all sorts of philosophical questions like "how do you know that's when it happened?" etc.

But August 17, 1986 at Camp Fairhaven in Maine, I committed my life to Jesus in a way that took (unlike the other four times I'd prayed "the prayer." *grin*) I can see God's hand moving in my life from way before 1986, but August 17 is very special to me.

And that was two decades ago.

I feel like that should make me feel old. But I just feel privileged. What an honor to be on this journey so long!

[Update: I just preach about some of this today. I took the time to list times that I can say the Kingdom broke through in my life. You can hear the MP3 of the sermon here. Or get it at the VCW Sermons page.]

Photo Fraud in Lebanon

2006-08-10T21:06:00.000-04:00

Can anyone help me out with this? I saw this on Bill Cripe's blog. (Bill's a pastor here in Waterville.)

How did I miss the tires burning on the US News and World Report? I actually believed I was seeing a fire of a downed jet.

Check it out for yourself: Photo Fraud in Lebanon

It's chilling to think that these images are doctored. Reminds me of Wag the Dog!

Here's my question: does anyone know anything about aish.com? Is this expose legit?

Fundraising in the Bible

2006-08-10T00:31:00.000-04:00

For the first time ever, my ongoing article on Fundraising in the Bible is available in web format.

Web pages: http://fundraisingcoach.com/bible.htm

PDF version http://fundraisingcoach.com/fundraisinginbible.pdf

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The craziness comes to Portland

2006-08-01T20:07:00.000-04:00

Random violence and assualts are common in many parts of the world. But today I read about an attack of Silly String that chills me. Right here in Maine.

It also cracks me up. Why didn't I think of that?!

Check it out at MaineToday.com From Away: I just don't feel safe anymore

(You may need to register to read it. Sorry if you do. But Colleen's blog is definitely worth it!)

Cure for insomnia?

2006-08-01T09:10:00.000-04:00

The other day, my 6-year old son asked my wife if he could listen to music as he went to sleep.

She said he couldn't.

So he asked, "Can I listen to one of dad's sermons? They put me to sleep even faster than one of Phil's."

I think he meant that to be a compliment...sort of a "Dad's works even better than Phil's" but I think something got lost in the translation...

You be the judge:

My sermons: http://vcwaterville.org/sermons.htm

Phil Strout's sermons: http://www.vcflewiston.org/messages/index.php

Use the comments to let me know if Cale's right. *grin*

Why am I doing this?

2006-08-01T09:09:00.000-04:00

I just had to link to this great post from my wife's conversation with our 4-year old. Check it out at: Journey Notes.

Effective Advertising

2006-07-29T21:31:00.000-04:00

An old post from Chris Busch but you gotta love the honesty.

Sort of...

True success

2006-07-28T09:52:00.000-04:00

Just heard this in listening to Jim Collin's audio version of Good to Great in a section thanking his wife:

"The ultimate definition of success in life is that your spouse likes and respects you ever more as the years go by. By that measure, more than any other, I hope to be as successful as she is."

And I hope to be as successful as Emily is.

Curry oatmeal anyone?

2006-07-27T09:26:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Caleb was so good at doctoring his oatmeal all by himself. He found the ground cinammon and the sugar in separate cupboards and stirred them into his bowl.

As he ate, he said, "Wow, this is 'spicey'."

So, as a good father, I went into an explanation of how valuable spices were, the spice trade, Christopher Columbus and discovering the Americas, etc. I used the world map in our kitchen and everything.

This morning, Caleb pulled out the spices to have the same breakfast. He'd used "Ground Cummin"! No wonder it tasted "spicey"! I pulled out the ground cinammon and showed him the difference and used that instead.

He just couldn't get over how much better his oatmeal tasted this morning. *grin*

Four Stages of Development

2006-07-18T08:30:00.000-04:00

David Schmelzer, of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Cambridge gave an terrific session last week at the Vineyard Eastern Regional Conference. One of the things that struck me, and continues to resonate, was about M. Scott Peck's 4 stages of development.

Here is the description found on Wikipedia.

The four stages Scott Peck postulates that there are four stages of human spiritual development:

Stage I is chaotic, disordered, and reckless. Very young children are in Stage I. They tend to defy and disobey, and are unwilling to accept a will greater than their own. Many criminals are people who have never grown out of Stage I.

Stage II is the stage at which a person has blind faith. Once children learn to obey their parents, they reach Stage II. Many so called religious people are essentially Stage II people, in the sense that they have blind faith in God, and do not question His existence. With blind faith comes humility and a willingness to obey and serve. The majority of good law abiding citizens never move out of Stage II.

Stage III is the stage of scientific skepticism and inquisitivity. A Stage III person does not accept things on faith but only accepts them if convinced logically. Many people working in scientific and technological research are in Stage III.

Stage IV is the stage where an individual starts enjoying the mystery and beauty of nature. While retaining skepticism, he starts perceiving grand patterns in nature. His religiousness and spirituality differ significantly from that of a Stage II person, in the sense that he does not accept things through blind faith but does so because of genuine belief. Stage IV people are labelled as mystics.

Scott Peck argues that while transitions from Stage I to Stage II are sharp, transitions from Stage III to Stage IV are gradual. Nonetheless, these changes are very noticeable and mark a significant difference in the personality of the individual.

Are you living an adventure?

2006-07-05T10:18:00.000-04:00

This was yesterday's quote of the day on my Google Home page:

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered."
G. K. Chesterton, English author & mystery novelist (1874 - 1936)

Cool perspective shift, isn't it?

Even the shoes

2006-06-30T14:45:00.000-04:00

It seems like we've had lots of things break over the last few months. Fridge, range, oven, ceiling fan. (Ok, the fan was me but I was pulling out a cabinet for our new oven...)

Yesterday I found I needed a new tie-rod in order for my car to pass inspection. Emily's computer is blinking--literally. And today I found a rip in another pair of pants and my best dress shoes were scraped on concrete step as I was going to lift up one of my kids.

Blah.

I guess I'm done this digital dump. If you're of the type that prays, please pray for us. None of this stuff is cheap. I know people are going through stuff like this all the time. But I also know we're soldiers in a war.

Ok, because I'm an inveterate optimist, great things are happening too.

We've had almost 100 first-time visitors come to VCW. VERY COOL!
The Inland Foundation has just completed a $1 million campaign.
My book on fundraising is much closer to being ready to send to reviewers.
My kids are beautiful and stinking smart. I'm loving their growing.
And Emily and I celebrated 11 years of marital bliss last month.

There. See? The glass is full. *grin*

But please feel free to pray!

The new Seattle?

2006-06-30T08:56:00.000-04:00

It's threatening to rain again. I wonder if we should start marketing Maine as the new Seattle.

Maybe that would help improve the quality of coffee here too.

I'm not sure how you "sell" thunderstorms though. I've never heard so many public service announcements breaking all the radio broadcasts. Yesterday it was about a severe thunderstorm with "nickel size" hail. Yikes.

Happy New Year!

2006-06-29T15:44:00.000-04:00

June 30 is the end of the fiscal year for many of you.

How are you going to set goals for next year?

If you haven't already tried the MagnetGoals Goal Setting program, why not do it now? It's free and powerful.

You can subscribe to the e-course by going to the bottom of the page at fundraisingcoach.com.

Or you can download a PDF of the workbook here.

Church Growth: God Makes it Grow

2006-06-26T05:48:00.000-04:00

Just read this great post on ChurchMarketingSucks.com, Church Growth: God Makes it Grow.

Here's a quote:

And I agree. Synthetic church growth sucks.

However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't optimize every possible angle to make sure your church does grow. God ultimately makes a plant grow, but a gardener would be foolish to deprive his plant of water, sun and soil for fear that he's manufacturing growth. The growth will happen if the conditions are right, so why not make what conditions we can right?

[For those of you uncomfortable with the word "sucks," check out: www.churchmarketingstinks.com *grin*]

Siamese Twins?

2006-06-20T11:05:00.000-04:00

In response to an anonymous comment to a post below, were Rob and I siamese twins? You be the judge!

English test: Yankee or Southerner?

2006-06-20T09:09:00.000-04:00

Listening to NPR this morning, I heard about this fun, 20-question quiz Are You a Yankee or a Rebel?.

You've gotta love a test that includes a question like this:

What's that long sandwich with lots of cold cuts and toppings?

A. Sub
B. Hoagie
C. Grinder
D. Italian
E. Po Boy

If you like me choose the correct answer, answer "D", the test says that's only used in Maine!

I tested as being a definite Yankee Doodle Dandy!

Ben Franklin on enemies

2006-06-20T08:43:00.000-04:00

From today's Early To Rise email:

"Enemies do man more good than harm. They point out to us our faults; they put us upon our guard; and help us to live more correctly. The best men have always had their share of envy and malice of the foolish and wicked, and a man has therefore some reason to be ashamed of himself when he meets with none of it. My good friend Rev. Whitefield once said, When I am on the road and see boys in a field pelting a tree, though I am too far off to know what tree it is, I conclude it has fruit on it."

(Source: The Compleated Autobiography, by Benjamin Franklin, compiled and edited by Mark Skousen)

Where's your focus?

2006-06-13T15:13:00.000-04:00

Don't tell God how strong your storm is; tell the storm how strong your God is.

As a rule, I don't "do" email forwards. They annoy me. I'm actually dreaming of creating an application that will automatically delete all forwards AND send a reply email saying to not do that again.

But I'm not a software developer. *sigh*

But one I got today had this line at the end. And it made me wonder where my focus was. With appliances dying on us and the new ones causing a remodeling of our kitchen, it's easy to fixate on a storm.

But my God's stronger. Even than my room temperature refridgerator or my arching electric range!

Pura Vida's on Amazon.com!

2006-06-05T20:38:00.000-04:00

I just love company's that think out-of-the-box(store). Especially when those companies are advancing the Kingdom!

Pura Vida is now available on Amazon.com. Check it out: Amazon.com Grocery: Pura Vida

Interesting thoughts from David Di Sabatino

2006-06-02T20:49:00.000-04:00

Below is the complete text from an email update from the guy that made the movie on Lonnie Frisbee.

I always find David's thoughts challenging (even if I generally agree!). Enjoy!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: David Di Sabatino [mailto:sabbi@socal.rr.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2006 1:25 PM
To: marc@vcwaterville.org
Subject: PBS date for Frisbee

Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher will be broadcast on October 29th on PBS-affiliate KQED in San Francisco. This will be the first showing of a three-year run on that channel, so if you are in that broadcast area please tune in. Finally, at that time we will also be selling the DVD.

This summer the documentary will be making some pit stops in Europe, having been invited to play at the Freakstock festival (www.freakstock.de), the Greenbelt festival (www.greenbelt.org.uk) and the zero28 Project in Ireland (www.zero28.org). So, if you are in that neck of the woods, please stop by. I will be at all three of those events with my brother.

Frisbee is playing at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Festival (www.phillyfests.com). I will not be attending this date.

We're still tooling with the "Making of Frisbee" DVD, so, my apologies for being a little naive on the release date. It shouldn't be much longer. And we so appreciate your patience with us. We are most often a one-man team, for now, (he said hoping one day to be a two or three person brigade).

Thought I'd throw something out there for those listening to think about. I was recently at a documentary group where the speaker was a cinematographer who had been in Hollywood for 25 years. The question that was posed to him was "Will Hollywood Steal Your Soul?" or something to that affect. I think it was an ad hoc question since he was a last minute replacement, but I did so appreciate his answer that I thought I would pass it along.

He started off by suggesting that Hollywood was no different than any collection of people, be it Microsoft employees, the church or a gathering of one-eyed midgets (sorry... came to mind). He said that in his 25 years therein he met a whole range of people; some of good and excellent character and others whom when you shake their hands you have to count your fingers, just in case. His point being was that Hollywood was no different than any other place, except that it allowed you certain opportunities to monkey with stuff that you might not get to anyplace else. He suggested that this culture war nonsense was just that, nonsense, and that like any other business these people were there to make money, to find creative outlet for their ideas and to find some purpose to their lives.

I appreciated his comments, especially in light of the DaVinci Code onslaught of drivel that emanated from the larger Christian culture who seemed to be saying that Opie and Forrest Gump were in league with the antichrist.

I am no expert on the film industry. In the last year and a bit I have gained a little understanding of the film festival circuit and the realities of finding a home for a project that has a spiritual story at its base. I feel like I have just scratched the surface, too, and that there are 1001 learning curves ahead as I continue. But I can agree with that speaker that night. I met some strange and wonderful people along the way, not all of whom agreed with my take on things, and the majority who would never dare step foot in a Christian church. And they were good and decent people. They didn't have a satanic agenda or look for outlets to mock the Christian faith or any of the various things that I have heard ill-informed preachers tell their parishioners in an effort to whip up a frenzy. They were interested in good storytelling and moviemaking.

I have no doubt that the spirit of antichrist does exist in Hollywood. I too get saddened by the themes of hedonism that reverberate from movie screens and televisions. But make no mistake, I have met the antichrist in church and s/he is often dressed up like an angel. How sad that people with supposed spiritual discernment spent so much time and effort shouting down a hoax (isn't that what the DaVinci Code really was?). Are we certain there is an "us" that has anything to say to "them"?

On another note. A theme that is most interesting to me is how Christians infuse their work into mainstream culture. Here is an interview with a fellow named Doug Pinnick who fronts an interesting rock band called King's X. For years, King's X struggled to get their work outside of the world of contemporary Christian music (CCM) and has really struggled doing so.

www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=52609

Another interesting article in this vein is a recent interview with Phil Keaggy who is lamenting his being known as a "Christian guitarist" instead of just a guitarist.

www.christianitytoday.com/music/interviews/2006/philkeaggy-0506.html

I found his comments a little problematic on one count. It wasn't the industry that saddled Phil with being a "Christian guitarist" but moreso his own actions. In 1971 he was involved in an amazing guitar trio called Glass Harp (a midwest version of Eric Clapton's Cream). As his faith started to deepen, Keaggy made the decision to leave his perch "in the world" and to concentrate on making music for Christian people. Which he did. Which he has. I can't help thinking that he is kicking himself when he comments on Bono's music as "dangerous," wondering what might have been had he stayed in Glass Harp and continued the trajectory they were on at the time. They would have been huge. (I think the subtext of this interview is a message to aspiring artists; Do NOT sign with a Christian company).

One last note, we are presently shooting a couple of other documentaries that will wrap up in time for September dates for Sundance and other major festivals. More news to follow.

Sincerely,

David Di Sabatino
www.lonniefrisbee.com

Sermon structure

2006-05-31T21:47:00.000-04:00

The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, then having the two as close together as possible. - George Burns

This was my wife's quote-of-the-day today.

I didn't know George preached...but than again, he was God in a few movies...

Anyway, maybe I'll try to remember this recommendation on Sunday.

24/7 Church

2006-05-26T10:50:00.000-04:00

This is the kind of church I'd love to have. Church Marketing Sucks: 24/7 Church

So...what are we waiting for?

Flood update

2006-05-26T07:25:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting development: since my previous post about the flood dream, three other people have told me about flood dreams too.

One of the people in our church had a very similar dream to mine. He was at the other end of the parking lot from where I was but same amount of water.

And a friend from the Auburn area I haven't spoken to in months read my post and told me about a flood dream involving our families.

I'm slow to catch on to things but I think God may be on the move...Or as my friend Rich likes to say, God may be a foot!

Come Lord!

Even if this is a promise for years from now, this convergence sure is encouraging!

Discussing Da Vinci update

2006-05-24T09:44:00.000-04:00

The first discussion at the Forum in downtown Waterville on "What can history really tell us?" is...history. *grin*

We had three people, one that said 'hi.' (He's one of my biggest cheerleaders. A real blessing.) And two others that came a bit later. Great discussion. They enjoyed it so much they're inviting their friends.

I'm glad this is a four week series!

I mentioned this series to some intercessors and got this response back from my friend Wendy Dow:

Three people may seem like a small #...but you don't know who those people are going to impact...so it could be a HUGE #. ;)

She's so right!

I'd like to see this type of thing take off. I feel there's something fundamentally "right" about holding these types of discussions in non-church buildings. I could see doing things like Dwight Pryor's "Behold The Man!" series on Jesus. (But 12 weeks may be too long...)

Interestingly, Wendy's comments reminded me of a dream that woke me up yesterday. I was dreaming that the parking lot area near the Forum was totally flooded. (Locals call this area "the Concorse.") Water was almost up to people's hips. It was something to do with a water main breaking. (It was still sunny out, unlike the numerous overcast days we've been having.)

I remember people scurrying and emergency personnel doing their thing. And I remember being totally at peace.

When I woke, I wondered if the dream and the Discussing The Da Vinci Code were related.

I'd like to think they are.

Come Lord. Please flood this area with Your Presence.

[Note: the few dreams I have are largely symbolic. While floods can wreak tremendous devestation, in my dreams, they often speak of an overwhelming presence of God's Spirit. They bring life and freedom, not the destruction we've seen in "real life."]

'Da Vinci': Love it, or leave unimpressed

2006-05-22T08:46:00.000-04:00

I went to see the Da Vinci Code on Friday, but the movie sold out while the local paper was interviewing me.

Does this count toward my 15 minutes of fame?

The entire article is at: 'Da Vinci': Love it, or leave unimpressed. In case they pull the article from the site, here's the part that quoted me:

Marc Pitman, pastor of Vineyard Church of Waterville, located in the former Harris Baking Co. thrift store, was looking forward to seeing the movie, after having read the book. He acknowledged that historically, the facts are far off, but it is a work of fiction.

"It is a good read as a novel," said Pitman, the chief fundraiser at Inland Hospital. "I was forewarned. It is a page-turner. One of my questions is, how can we present truth in such a compelling way?"

Pitman is leading discussions about "The Da Vinci Code" from noon to 1 p.m. on four Tuesdays at The Forum in The Center downtown, he said.

He said he did not know what to expect from the movie.

"I've actually heard it's not good," he said. "I want to see it because I'm going to be doing the discussions and I want to see the differences between the book and the movie."

Pitman contends there are three ways to deal with cultural happenings: boycott them, ignore them or get involved and discuss them.

"I think questioning is healthy," he said.

Wasn't it nice of them to plug the discussions that start tomorrow?

The more things change...

2006-05-19T09:47:00.000-04:00

..the more they stay the same.

I'm pretty unconvinced that our time in history is any worse than any other time in history. People are people and there is nothing new under the sun.

And quotes like today's "Quote of the Day" help reinforce my belief:

We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. - Aesop

Tradition says Aesop lived 2500 years ago.

I find that incredibly refreshing.

And I wore a vest today...

2006-05-18T16:31:00.001-04:00

Bird Flu Hits Florida?

2006-05-18T14:20:00.000-04:00

I have an incredibly cool sister-in-law who sent this.

Ok, so this may not be really funny.

But it did crack me up!

(Click on the picture to enlarge it. It's particularly funny to see the obligatory pink flamingo leg sticks.)

Ushpizin

2006-05-12T23:07:00.000-04:00

What an incredible story.

Moshe and Mali are a couple trying to live out their faith in the best way they know how. They've repented of their past and they're trying to move on.

But life throws it's curves. And they still slug it out. Always trusting God. Yelling and questioning but God is always the center.

I think all of us can relate to this story of raw faith.

Check out this movie. I got a copy through interlibrary loan.

Beer meets Ben & Jerry's?!

2006-05-12T20:57:00.000-04:00

Em found this but said I could have blogging rights.

After all these years, one of my favorite ice cream makers meets up with one of my favorite beer drinks.

Isn't that a beautiful pint?

Even the cow is into it!

"Cream Stout Ice Cream Swirled with Chocolate Ice Cream"

I'll let you know how it is once I've tried it. I'm about to put in a new Isreali movie called Ushpizin. Hebrew with English subtitles. Nothing like a laid back evening in Waterville with a black and tan and a movie starring Orthodox Jews celebrating Succot.

Hhmm...maybe I oughta lighten up...

Ice cream update: It's good. A bit scary when I realized I'd almost polished off the pint. That's like 1000 calories!! I left a couple spoonfuls in there for tomorrow.

Who's the big girl now?

2006-05-12T20:55:00.000-04:00

Sof got to come with Mommy and Daddy to dinner and to kinship. Just her. No big brother or big sister.

And boy did she think she was hot stuff!

She even got to ride in the built in kid seat in my car for the first time.

I think her grin is going to bust her face!

How'd she get into Nitro?

2006-05-12T20:52:00.000-04:00

Check out those biceps!!

I go to Nitro religiously. But it's supposed to be for men only...

How'd Anna get in?!

Baby Got Bible

2006-05-10T08:16:00.000-04:00

Charles just sent me this hilarious "Baby Got Bible" rap video from a site called FunnyJunk.com.

Where else would you see a white guy rapping with a huge, gold KJV hanging around his neck?

Check it out here.

Digging Elisha

2006-05-09T16:46:00.000-04:00

I've been thoroughly enjoying reading about Elisha. God's power in action can be so cool!

Check out the story of a Gentile women in 2 Kings 8:1-6. Elisha had raised her son from the dead and then told her to get out of Dodge (aka Israel) because God was bringing a seven-year famine.

She gets back after the famine, has a divinely orchestrated appointment with the king, and tells him she wants her home and land back. Here's the kings response:

"...he assigned an official to her case and said to him, "Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now."

Phenomenal! I love it!

Not only does she get it back, she gets all the income she would've had for the seven years she was away in...catch this...PHILISTIA.

Talk about grace. Sure, the Philistines were her people. But still!

I love God's embarassing abundance!

The Goose Report » coolest doode of the month

2006-05-08T16:29:00.000-04:00

I blush. I've never been called a "doode" before!

The Goose Report » coolest doode of the month

Who are you going to vote for?

2006-04-20T08:38:00.000-04:00

Starbucks is at it again. And I love it!

On May 6, people throughout New England will be able to vote for a blend that will be renamed for our region of the country.

The candidates are a light roast, a dark-smoky blend, and. the obvious front-runner (for my taste buds!), "citrus undertones."

I'm really worried that some mamsy-pamsy light roast may be named for our region. So I'm lobbying for my candidate with this pin.

I figure the light roasts can stay at Dunkin Donuts.

Google continues to amaze me

2006-04-19T11:06:00.000-04:00

Google continues to amaze me.

In the midst of unrolling new things like the fun Google Calender, they continue to improve their already exceptional services like Google Maps.

When checking to see if I knew where Caribou, Maine really was, I noticed a cool feature at the bottom righthand corner of the page. Now you can move around within the map OR move around more with that little window. And that window helps you keep perspective on the region as you get closer on the big map.

Check it out.
VCW 34 Sanger Ave, Waterville, ME 04901

Caribou, ME (but you probably already knew how far north this was, right?)

God's Political Party?

2006-04-18T08:07:00.000-04:00

Whether you agree with their conclusions or not, Sojourners is definitely a thought provoking group!

I have this sticker on my bumper. It often elicits interesting comments.

This morning, around 4:45 a.m., a guy coming in the gym to workout told me he loved my bumper sticker. We discussed it a bit. Then he said, "Isn't God's opinion on political parties delineated in the book of Hezekiah?"

Gotta love people that can be that witty that early in the morning! *grin*

You can get your very own sticker at: Sojourners : Resources : Catalog.

Survey Update

2006-04-17T16:20:00.000-04:00

Here are the latest updates for the book naming contest:

Which is your favorite title? (You may vote for more than one.)

44.40% The R.E.A.L. Simple Guide to Asking for Money

22.20% The R.E.A.L. Simple Guide to Raising Money for Your Nonprofit: Why Individual Donors Are the Future of Fundraising

22.20% How To Ask for Money

22.20% Raising Money for what Matters Plugging into the Electricity: Connecting Donors with What Matters Most to Them

22.20% Other (please specify)
The R.E.A.L. Simple Guide to Raising Money or The R.E.A.L. Simple Guide to Raising Money: Why Individual Donors Are the Future of Fundraising

The R.E.A.L. Simple Guide to Asking for Money: Connecting Donors with What Matters Most to Them

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Wine & Redemption

2006-04-14T08:22:00.000-04:00

Holy Week is always a time of discovery for me.

This year, our church went to the local synagogue to celebrate a Passover Seder. I love learning more about that meal because we celebrate it in shorthand every time we have communion.

While talking with the Rabbi, I learned that the four cups of wine had during the meal are to commemorate the various aspects of redemption and liberation found in Exodus 6:6-7.

'Therefore, say to the Israelites: “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians..."' [Exodus 6:6-7 TNIV, emphasis added]

Wow.

That's how I want to celebrate communion. Deliverance. Freedom. Redemption. Taking out. Yes!

I'm almost shocked by the "I"'s in this passage. It's all God. He initiates the action. He does the action. It's His outstretched arm doing mighty works on our behalf.

The disciples were looking for freedom and deliverance from the Romans. God was more interested in the ultimate freedom and deliverance--freedom from satan's rule.

Woohoo! This just makes me want to shout: Hallelujah!

Even if it is Good Friday and not yet Easter.

May this weekend be one of incredible identification with the glorious fullness of God's freedom.

A semi-definative list of church Web 2.0 projects @ e-Church

2006-04-04T09:31:00.000-04:00

Tim Bednar's blog has a list of interesting projects. I think I'm most intrigued by bibleserver.com. It's like BibleGateway only lots better.

See the whole list here.

Living Catholic - Observations of a Lay Catholic: Transfiguration - Imagine What is Possible.

2006-03-28T22:44:00.000-05:00

I've just checked out Rob Hatch's Lenten Blog, Living Catholic - Observations of a Lay Catholic.

Check out this quote:

During Lent, it is common to be asked the question "what are you giving up?" What would happen if we asked "what are you letting go of"? What if we focus on what is possible?

What a cool concept! It reminds me of the gist of my Breaking or Being Bound post.

So, how about it? What are you letting go of during this Lenten season?

Shameless plug

2006-03-28T08:56:00.000-05:00

I've really enjoyed Audible.com.

I've listened to books on everything from Roman history to Seth Godin's thoughts on business to John Eldridges wonderful "Waking the Dead." It's a great way to occupy my mind while I'm doing deskwork.

Well between now and March 31, they're running a "tell a friend" contest. If you sign up and mention my name, I may win a 60gig video-capable iPod and fixins. (Check out the link at Audible.com - audio that speaks to you wherever you are.)

Yeah, this is a shameless plug. But a 60 gig iPod would be sweet! *grin*

PS If you don't like the monthly rate, you can sign up for a much reduced, no frills-or-perks annual rate. They don't seem to advertise that option. I think you need to contact them directly to do it.

Breaking or being bound?

2006-03-23T15:22:00.000-05:00

The difference here is that we think of sin as the breaking of laws, whereas
Jesus thinks of sin as being bound. Why would anyone with goodwill condemn a
poor man bound with chains or tied with a heavy rope? Would he not rather want
to free him?

Emily just introduced me to this quote from Catherine Marshall's book The Helper.

That's how I want to live my life.

Are you sinking?

2006-03-21T21:00:00.000-05:00

An Austrian friend just sent me the link to the German Coast Guard - Google Video.

What a riot!

Somewhere between Egypt and the Kingdom

2006-03-16T15:46:00.000-05:00

My wife is so cool.

In describing how we were doing today, she wrote

Whining like an Israelite on a steady diet of manna.

Isn't that an awesome?!

Fact or Urban Legend

2006-03-14T09:36:00.000-05:00

I rarely read any forwarded emails. So many are old myths, aka "urbanlegends," and not worth the time it takes to read. (Like the awful, "Magalyn Murry O'Hair is going to take 'Touched by an Angel' off the air." As far as I know, it is off the air already.)

If I do read them, I check Snopes.com or About.com's Urban Legends & Folklore page to verify the truth. Then I reply letting the sender know this is an old myth. (See why I don't read many forwards?!)

Today a co-worker sent a forward about a prayer a pastor prayed in Kansas that caused quite a stir. It had many of the earmarks of an urbanlegend, so I checked it out. Happily, this one was true.

For the entire story, go to: Urban Legends Reference Pages: Inboxer Rebellion (The Wright Stuff)

Heavenly Father, we come before you to ask your forgiveness. We seek your direction and your guidance. We know your word says, "Woe to those who call evil good." But that's what we've done.
We've lost our spiritual equilibrium. We have inverted our values. We have ridiculed the absolute truth of your word in the name of moral pluralism. We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We've exploited the poor and called it a lottery. We've neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. In the name of choice, we have killed our unborn. In the name of right to life, we have killed abortionists.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it taxes. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, oh, God, and know our hearts today. Try us. Show us any wickedness within us. Cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of the State of Kansas, and that they have been ordained by you to govern this great state.
Grant them your wisdom to rule. May their decisions direct us to the center of your will. And, as we continue our prayer and as we come in out of the fog, give us clear minds to accomplish our goals as we begin this Legislature. For we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Snopes.com's article goes on:

What to make of all the fuss? Syndicated religion columnist Terry Mattingly probably explained it best when he wrote: "The easy answer is that he read a prayer about sin. The complicated answer is that Wright jumped into America's tense debate about whether some things are always right and some things are always wrong."

I'm sure we each may take issue with an item listed. And it'll be different for each of us. But I'm sure we can each identify with many of the others.

I want to be around people willing to call our sin "sin," not just their sin. (However we define "their.") Then we can confess it, asking God to forgive us. And then we can receive His forgiveness and the subsequent freedom.

Lonnie Frisbee

2006-03-10T15:58:00.000-05:00

I just heard about this documentary on one of Mars Hill (Seattle) Church's podcasts. The Weird Story About Three Dudes.

I hope I get to see this documentary. Lonnie seems to be one of those "grid-busters" God loves using. Just when we think we have it all figured out, God goes in and busts our grid. Sort of His way of showing us that He's God and His mercy is way bigger than we can imagine (and His power!).

Film maker David Di Sabitino wrote an appendix on Lonnie in Bill Jackson's terrific history of the Vineyard, Quest of the Raddicle Middle.

Amazing customer service

2006-03-10T15:38:00.000-05:00

This week I bought some perforated paper at Quill.com. It was my first Quill purchase.

When it came the next day (very fast), I saw that it was perforated in the wrong place. So I decided to return it.

The return process was incredibly simple. But what blew me away was the wonderful response I received. I've posted it below. How cool would it be if all companies were this remarkable?

--------------- Original Message ---------------
Subject: Re: Return Order
From: "info@quill.com"
Date: Thu, March 9, 2006 9:39 am
To: marc@vcwaterville.org
-------------------------------------------------
Dear Marc,
Thank you for writing Quill.com.
I apologize that your item does not meet your needs.
It is not necessary for you to return this to us.
Please donate this to the school, church or charitable organization of your choice.
I have processed a credit to your account that can be applied to any open invoice. You should receive a copy of this by mail in 5-7 business days.
If you would like a replacement, please order at your convenience. If we can be of assistance in finding an alternate item, please reply to this email.
We value your business. Thank you for choosing Quill.
Sincerely,
Jan S.
Electronic Correspondence
Representative
Quill Corporation
http://www.quill.com/
"So Fast. So Simple."

Honest, she really did

2006-03-08T21:22:00.000-05:00

Here's a picture of our one-year-old (as of yesterday) Sofia giving the baby sign for "more please."

Tonight something incredible happened. She did the American Sign Language sign for "book." (2 hands together, palms up, thumbs out.)

We've been getting to know a deaf woman and learning some signs. My other two kids love asking me to read history or Narnia books in sign language.

So we were floored when she did the sign for book. And she clearly wanted Mommy to read.

The funny thing is that Mommy had just said she was done reading out loud for the day! So Sofie was making a joke. (She's actually quite funny. Really.)

So then she indicates with her hands that she wants me to read. When I asked if that's what she meant, her face burst into an incredible smile. So I pulled down the Ancient History book I'm reading to the kids for homeschool. And Sofie immediately started crying. No joke.

She clearly wasn't interested in hearing any more about ancient Greece tonight. I asked, "No history?" and she said, "Nahrn!"

She wanted me to read Narnia!

I know. This sounds like an overly proud parent playing games with his imagination. But four of us saw and heard this exchange. It really happened. Honest.

So I pulled down Voyage of the Dawn Treader and showed it to her. She burst into an even bigger smile than before and started giggling and laughing. She was so pleased she'd been able to communicate!

Honestly. This really happened. I'm still in shock.

There is no reason not to follow your heart

2006-03-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

I just ran across this quote in a document on my desktop. It reminds me of why I'm planting a church instead of living a "normal" life or instead of waiting until my kids are out of college.

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart...Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."

--Steve Jobs, June 2005 @ Stanford

Enough Sleep?

2006-03-06T15:05:00.000-05:00

For a couple years, I read Early To Rise's emails everyday. Something happened and I stopped receiving them. But, on a whim, I just checked out the site and saw this message on getting enough sleep. (It starts about halfway down the page.)

One quote from the article is:
Most people need seven to eight hours of sleep to perform optimally. If you sleep less than that, scientists tell us, you are more likely to succumb to illness and die young.

There's also a helpful list of tips from the National Sleep Foundation.

One of my major goals this year is to get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. I've gone from getting 4-5 to usually getting 6 hours.

It's been interesting to decide to have to give up things to get that sleep. A good prioritization exercise (and reminder that I'm still not that important--things will go on without me).

Feel free to use the comments to answer this question: how many hours of sleep do you typically get each night?

Lady Bug Army

2006-03-04T22:55:00.000-05:00

Emily is so cool. Check out the way we're going to celebrate Sofie's first birthday!

Who's the dip?

2006-03-04T22:19:00.000-05:00

I have NO idea what I was thinking.

Back in January, Ken Walsh, CEO of the Alfond Youth Center, called me up and asked if I wanted to join an exclusive club of Polar Bear Dippers. I really enjoy Ken so I said I'd love to. I did ask for details but he didn't give many promising I'd get them later.

I missed the first meeting and the phone calls with two other AYC staff didn't give me much more information. Somehow I missed that this was a fund raiser and I was supposed to collect money.

So this morning, I get out there and it's freezing. Literally. To add to the fun, it's snowing!

The AYC folks had made a pool outside with mounds of snow and filled it from a local fire hydrant. Bbbbrrrrr.

Right now, Ken is really at the top of my list because he let me go right after the National Guard did. (Here's a picture of them.) Unfortunately, they did nothing to warm the water up.

So then it was my turn. Flattered, Ken interviews me for the cable channel. I'm shivering by this point.

I'm wearing a night shirt because I'd been told there was a costume contest. I'd looked for my graduation robe so I could go in as a clergyman but it must not have made the move. So the night shirt was next on the list.

I tried going in as though I were sleep walking. Here's the splash.

It's gratifying that people are laughing. I certainly wasn't.

I have never been so cold.

I remember reading in The Perfect Storm about being "oriented times zero." I wasn't at zero but I was stinkin' close.

Those who know me, know I'm rarely at a loss for words. I was speechless from the point of that splash. I really wanted to be funny but I couldn't think.

I wanted to say something but I couldn't even scream "It's COLD!" Nothing came out of my mouth.

Not even a croak or a whimper.

My entire body mutinied, rebelling against anything that kept me outside.

I did try to hug Cale but even that was done in a state of incredible numbness.

Thank God the warm pool was open. It was 90 degrees in the room and probably close to that in the pool. It felt incredibly good even though it hurt.

The funny thing is that despite the fog and faux hug for Caleb, I beat the National Guard unit to the pool!

Emily and the kids were great. They thought I did such a great job, they treated me to a Leprechaun Latte at Starbucks.

It's now 10 hours since the dip. My body is beginning to forgive me. But it still relapses each time I turn on the cold water to wash my hands.

When I told them about wanting to wear a black robe, they joked about putting a plank in the water so I could walk out on it. That would be a riot!

jason clark: I saw Jesus last night

2006-03-03T13:36:00.000-05:00

It's hard to read Jason Clark's blog without getting inspired or challenged. Or both.

His I saw Jesus last night post totally inspired me. Especially this quote about the 10 people they baptized:

In our context, none of these people talked about praying a prayer to
accept christ (if they had that wouldn't have been a bad thing), but of how they
oriented their lives over time, and through interaction with Jesus and our
church. Baptism was for many of them the beginning of a declaration that they
were christians, and followers with us all of Jesus into his mission.

This is something we're seeing more and more. And it's something Jesus seemed really comfortable with. He didn't call Zaccheus to repentance, He instead extended grace. Z's response to that over-the-top grace was repentance and restoration. Same with the woman caught in adultery. No call to repentance.

I was telling our Alpha group last night that His grace makes me uncomfortable. But it's a discomfort I want to keep pressing in to.

To read more about recapturing a pre-20th century model of evangelism, be sure to check out George Hunter's The Celtic Way of Evangelism.

Renovare for Lent

2006-03-03T13:14:00.000-05:00

At VCW, our corporate Lenten discipline is going to be creating a couple spritual formation groups by walking through the Renovare Spiritual Formation Group Workbook

Emily and I have done these groups multiple times over the years. I love the grace, growth, and simplicity of this format. And I'm thrilled that folks in VCW will be getting "infected" with this too!

The groups explore six streams of Christianity that the authors have identified. If VCW grows to have all six streams evidenced in our corporate life, I'll be a happy camper. *grin*

Jason Clark has good things to say about Renovare too. (I'm actually cathching up on Jason's blog...23 postings since I last checked. Oy!)

Here are the Six Streams. (Thanks for the image Jason.)

How to become a customer evangelism evangelist

2006-02-15T15:09:00.000-05:00

For all of you committed to Creating Donor Evangelists but are having a tough time convincing your nonprofit, check out McConnell & Huba's post on How to become a customer evangelism evangelist!

Marc! What happened?!

2006-02-13T14:14:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all who've shown concern about my bandaged hand.

I'm now saying I went hunting with Dick Cheney. And he thought I was Dan Quayle. *grin*

[At least that sounds somewhat better than explaining that I burned myself pretty badly at Pizza Hut with marinara sauce on Friday!]

Sofie's Contraband?

2006-02-12T21:44:00.000-05:00

Em and I were doing work at our desks and Sofie was crawling around.

Then it got quiet.

Emily heard a "munch, munch" sound.

Sofie had found her sister's leftover chocolate donut. And her sister's pretzels!

Chocolate donuts. She's definitely our kid! *grin*

Liberation Day?

2006-01-10T08:24:00.000-05:00

From something I read last week, today's the last day most Americans stick to their New Year's Resolutions.

Rather than write a tirade on our lack of will or self discipline, I'm just amused. And glad I'm not alone. I wonder how many times I've decided to "really do it right this time." It's some how comforting to know that other's do it too. *grin*

If you'd like to beat the odds--who really wants to be "average"?--you could also check out my MagnetGoals program. You can sign up for the free e-course at the bottom of http://fundraisingcoach.com/. Or you could download the MagnetGoals workbook by clicking here.

We've still got 50 weeks to make 2006 our best year yet!

Aging is inevitable

2006-01-07T20:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my 34th birthday. It's odd to think I'm now in my mid-30's.

Some of my best friends, Stephen and Elisa Pulliam, sent me a birthday e-card from Dayspring.

The first image was the one above. The second was:

I LOVE it!

[PS I don't feel "old," no matter how my 20-something friends look at me when I tell them my age. *grin*]

Hot Chocolate & Black Friday

2005-12-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

File this in the "better late than never" category!

I'm so proud of the VCW folks that turned out at 3:30 a.m. to be a blessing to the folks waiting in line at the local Walmart on Black Friday. We gave out 350 cups of hot chocolate. 350!

I didn't realize there were that many crazy people up at that time of the day!

We did it simply to show God's love in a practical way. When people rushed our table with money in hand, asking, "Are you selling something hot?", it was a blast saying, "No...we're giving it away free." That was the last thing they expected!

Why Walmart? In my almost one year of being in Waterville, Walmart is the only common gathering place I've been able to identify. All classes. All races. All ages. All come to Walmart at some point.

So that's exactly where I want our church to be.

The best part? They want us back. Often.

Dear God-Thank You.org

2005-11-29T15:06:00.000-05:00

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

2005-11-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

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?

2005-11-22T10:06:00.000-05:00

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

2005-11-19T14:07:00.000-05:00

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

2005-11-16T15:06:00.000-05:00

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

2005-11-11T15:07:00.000-05:00

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

2005-11-09T21:03:00.000-05:00

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?

2005-11-09T15:58:00.000-05:00

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

Roughing it in Charleston, SC

2005-10-24T09:39:00.000-04:00

I'm in Charleston for Blackbaud's Conference on Philanthropy. Already I've had an incredible time!

Saturday, the US Airways folks in Portland, ME kindly put me on a United flight to make sure I got to Charleston in time. The airlines worked together! That seems like a miracle.

Then I met a brand new believer in O'Hare that was coming to this conference! We had a great talk about things ranging from Jesus and Judaism to Christians and the arts.

Then I found out I had been put in First Class by the Portland folks! So cool.

In first class, I got into a wonderful conversation with the passenger across the aisle. Turns out he was a senior official in South Carolina government and a creator of businesses I've heard about. He invited me to his church, St. Andrews.

I didn't see him at St. Andrew's but that didn't surprise my, he'd just flown in from Beijing! But I did have a wonderful time worshipping with the folks at St. Andrew's. I was even taken in by a family. Paul and Ellen have kids similar to our kids age and had familiarity with Augusta, Maine! They ended up taking me out to lunch and showing me around Mt. Pleasant.

In the afternoon, I attended a terrific pre-conference seminar about marketing planned giving. It's so nice to hear someone else stress the things I stress in my teaching: relationships, asking people when they want to be asked and what they're interested in, and using research to be a more relational fundraiser. (I actually thought he might have heard my CDE program!)

Then last night, after a lavish reception hosted by Blackbaud, I went to a Sara Groves, Chris Rice, and Jars of Clay! What an incredible concert. I've used Sara Groves in a sermon a few months ago. Chris Rice's "I'm Smelling Coffee" inspired the URL of this blog. And I'm inspired by Jars of Clay's focusing on being great artists for the King.

So, here I am, roughing it in Charleston, SC. *grin*

Who knew 80's music could become a plug for VCW?

2005-10-10T09:18:00.000-04:00

Yep, that was me on Mix 107.9 today around 8:15 a.m. (You would have known from the corny "cram spelled backwards" comment I made on the air!)

I heard a quiz on my way to get my van oil checked. The question was: what was the name of the 2 old guys in the balcony in the Muppet Show? Statler and Waldorf. (I didn't know this. They gave three options and this was the most natural to me.)

I called on a whim, figuring someone else probably had won, but I got through. The DJ took my name and phone number and asked me to stay on the line while he "checked something out."

The next thing I knew, I was on the radio. They must have had a lot of dead air to fill because they kept me on for a while. I was able to plug Central Motors Group (they heard the auto work in the background.) They asked me if I knew the names of Columbus' three ships. (I got 2 out of 3. Evidently the "Pinto" wasn't invented until the 20th century. *grin*)

Then they asked me if I had an 80's song to request. Naturally, I chose "Eye of the Tiger." On the spur of the moment, I decided to dedicate it to the folks at the Vineyard Church of Waterville. I was sure to tell them about the time the worship team started strumming "Eye of the Tiger" as I came up to preach. When I heard the song, I dropped to the floor and started doing military push-ups, trying to be as Rocky-like as possible.

My wife made them promise to not do that again. Our worship leader, Mike Allen, told her not to worry, he never would do that again.

Who would've guessed I'd get to tell that story on Mix 107.9 during one of the highest listening times of the day? And that I'd win a free car wash and 80's CD in the deal.

Looks like this will be an interesting week!

Katrina and Conviction

2005-09-05T20:43:00.000-04:00

I've been wanting to post about my thoughts on Hurricane Katrina. But David Bivin did it much more eloquently than I would have. Read his post here and hear me say "ditto."

It's all about the language

2005-08-18T15:34:00.000-04:00

Have I mentioned how much I love Starbucks?

One of the coolest things is the "coffee language" they've almost single-handedly created. Frappucino; Venti; Doppio; etc.

If you control the language, you control how the story is told.

Wouldn't it be great if your organization or church were able to create language that described life so well it caught on nationally?

Why don't you?

Feel free to post your ideas as comments!

Personality Traits

2005-08-12T15:47:00.000-04:00

ENFJ - "Persuader." Outstanding leader of groups. Can be aggressive at helping others to be the best that they can be. 2.5% of total population.

Personality tests by similarminds.com

A client is having her group take one of the personality tests found on similarminds.com. I came out a "9" on the enneagram and an "ENFJ" on the Myers-Briggs-but-not-officially-Myers-Briggs test.

I love being reminded that not everyone sees the world as I do. Not only does it help me deal with peopl not like me. It also helps me realize that I need people that see things differently.

If you haven't checked out a site like similarminds.com, why not give it a whirl. It's all free (and no pop-ups). Or else stop by Personality-Insights.com and pick up a copy of their self-scoring adult profile.

Personality information should never be used as an excuse for not behaving appropriately. But they can be helpful in helping you live to your strengths.

Fortymile Blend really exists...

2005-07-29T15:40:00.000-04:00

...honestly! See, I've taken a picture of it.

I can't find it on the Starbucks website but I'm definitely finding it in the store.

You may think my earlier post about the delights of Fortymile Blend passing over your tastebuds was a bit over-the-top. It's not.

If you see it offered at a store, do yourself a favor and give it a try.

Your tastebuds will sing your praises!

1,000 Days

2005-07-18T09:54:00.000-04:00

I've just been working on dreaming about life in April 2008--about 1,000 days from now.

I've posted a blog with links to the tools at my Extreme Fundraising Blog. The blog post is here.

I'm Galadriel too

2005-07-14T21:36:00.000-04:00

Jason Clark pointed to this test on his blog post I'm Galadriel.

Like him, I never do these things either. *grin* But when I did it tonight, I too was Galadriel. I was hoping for Gandalf but being elvish has its benefits.

New take on the term "pagan"

2005-07-13T12:31:00.000-04:00

I'm doing some reading up on baptism in preparation for VCW's first baptism 10 days from now.

Today I read an interesting factoid about the term "pagan" in Henry Chadwick's wonderful volume The Early Church. The term "paganus" had two meanings: (1) rustic and (2) non-military as in "civilian."

According to Chadwick, Christians would refer to non-baptized believers as "pagans" because they had not yet joined the Lord's Army!

I just love learning stuff like this.

Church Marketing Sucks: The Golden Rule

2005-07-11T22:06:00.000-04:00

Wow. I just read this post on Church Marketing Sucks: The Golden Rule. It's pretty convicting.

I'm more concerned with not getting taken advantage of than I like to admit. I rationalize it with wanting to be a wise steward of God's money. But it's really just not wanting to admit I'm totally ignorant about LP gas and leaky roofs.

*sigh* My pride must stink as bad as the odorant they put in the LP to let us know the tank is empty.

May God grant me the increasing ability to admit my ignorance.

It's all about the Story

2005-07-05T11:35:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday, I started preaching on Luke 7:18-35 asking the question, "How did John the Baptist miss Jesus?"

I have no desire slam John. He was an amazing man of God. But what caused him to ask Jesus if He was the One.

Especially after Jesus raised the dead son in Nain (Luke 7:11-17). The crowd's response to the raising was virtually quoting Deuteronomy 18:15 where Moses is talking about "the one" to come. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12 makes it clear that Joshua didn't fit the role of "the one" God would raise up. So this became a Messianic text to the Jewish people in the Second Temple period.)

The people "got it;" why not John?

I think it had to do with his story. Read a description of his preaching in Luke 3. Verses 15-18 sound like quotes of Malachi's description of the last day, the day of judgement (Mal 3 & 4), especially Malachi 4:1-3.

I think John the Baptist's exclusive focus on the final day probably caused him to miss the end times aspect of Jesus' ministry.

Jesus' end times outlook might be related to the passage in Ezekiel 11:19-20 and 36:25-27. There was a time of freedom, healing, and release from bondage that was involved before the cataclysmic "Day of the Lord."

Look back at the image in my earlier blog post about A The Story I Tell Every Week. I wonder if John got so focused on the vertical purple cataclysmic end of all things, that he missed the even more radical red line of "living between the times." To his credit, no one fully foresaw God doing what he did in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

I wonder if we 21st century followers of Jesus fall into the same situation as John. Whether it's the 1970's A Thief in the Night, Hal Lindsey's Late Great Planet Earth or the recent Left Behind series, I wonder if we focuse so intensely on the "radical end" that we miss the "radical present" of the Kingdom of God busting out all around us.

I'd rather spend my days being used by God to set the captives free than trying to figure out who the antichrist might be! May God continue to help us live firmly "between the times" even as we boldly seek the end of days.

[In the interest of full disclosure, I have only seen the first Left Behind movie and have not read any of the Left Behind books.]

Something like this

2005-06-30T20:20:00.000-04:00

Sometime after our initial conversation, my wife showed my this eGreeting.

This is sorta what we were talking about. =)

For the entire flash animation, click here.

Wouldn't it be nice to know?

2005-06-30T20:02:00.000-04:00

My wife and I were talking about the Homeland Security Advisory System with some friends.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a version for you home so you knew what you were about to walk into after work? If you saw orange, you knew you'd need to be a stronger support for your spouse. Red would mean drive around the block one more time to mentally prepare for coming in.

This in no way is meant to mock the real threats that this system is designed to alert us to.

But it would be nice, wouldn't it?

The Story I Tell Every Week

2005-06-01T23:51:00.000-04:00

Kingdom of God Napkin Sketch

As promised this is the story I tell in some form every week.

God created everything and it was very good.

Humans chose to disobey God. They sinned. In so doing, satan got the deed to creation. Sickness, disease, etc. came.

Everyone was expecting the cataclysmic end of it all. Judgement day. Armeggedon. A day when this present age radically ends and the Kingdom of God starts. The K of G is so radical, it's shown on a totally different plane.

But God pulled an incredible coup. In Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, the Kingdom of God broke through into this present evil age! No one saw this coming!

Now we're living "between the times." The Kingdom of God is continuing to break through; this present evil age is continuing to exist too.

That's the story of the Gospel. Heaven has broken through to our daily lives. We still experience the pain and isolation of the Fall but we also experience the joy and liberation of the Kingdom of God!

Isn't this a great story?!

Storytelling and the Kingdom

2005-06-01T23:43:00.000-04:00

Check out this excellent synopsis of Seth Godin's new book: Brand Autopsy: LIES and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them.

Click through and read it. Isn't this what we do in the church? We tell a story, God's story. Hopefully we're telling it in a way that changes what the congregants experience about Him.

I love the quote "Stories are shortcuts because we're too overwhelmed by data to discover all the details."

In another post, I'll share with you the story I tell my congregation, in some form, every week.

It's My Party Too

2005-05-26T13:39:00.000-04:00

I was just listening to Christine Todd Whitman, former governor of NJ and former head of the EPA, talking about her book It's My Party, Too. To this conservative Republican, she makes alot of sense.

I liked her distinctions between conservatives and social fundamentalists. Social fundamentalists are what are controlling the Republican party now. (She repeatedly says they worked hard and earned it.) Here are some of their distinctions:

Conservatives believe less government is better. Social fundamentalists (SF) seem bent on increasing government intrusion. (I missed her examples but I think of legislating marriage, privacy intrusions, etc.)
Conservatives believe in lower taxes and controlled spending. SF's seem to think lower taxes alone will do the trick.
Conservatives have never been afraid to work together for consensus. As crazy as this is, SF's seem to prefer a Democrat that will vote against them 100% of the time to a Republican that will vote with them 95% of the time.

An example she kept citing was the federal government's intrusion in the Terry Schiavo case. SF's are great at getting people to call their elected officials. Most politicians felt this was an issue all of America wanted them weighing in on. In truth, about 70% of Americans thought the federal government was way out of line.

What does all of this mean? I guess it means that those of us that think things like changing the filibuster rules are wrong, need to speak up. Especially if we're Republicans. According to Whitman, "You don't get to be the majority party without working with people on all sides of the issue."

And you certainly don't stay the majority party if you aren't willing to work things out. I think President Bush deserves leaders in Congress that will help pass legislation, not grandstand.

Phew. That'll fill my political pontificating quota for a few months!

[After thought: I must admit, I was troubled as I watched Revenge of the Sith. The portrayal of a democracy wildly approving facism was frightening. Especially when it's happened in the not so distant past...]

Starbuck's "Forty Mile Blend"

2005-05-25T15:16:00.000-04:00

I've just had another amazing cup of coffee from Starbucks: Forty Mile Blend.

This blend is made exclusively of peaberrys--the name given to the coffee cherries that only develop one bean. Instead of the normal flat sided beans, peaberrys are rounded on both sides. Some say this adds a different taste profile.

The story behind the blend's name is that finding these peaberries is as difficult as panning for gold. So they named it after a famous gold panning river.

The taste was bright and palate cleansing. But the most enjoyable, and surprising, elemenet was the way the taste slowly expanded to fill your mouth. The closest I can come to describing it is thinking of listening to a beautiful concerto on a low volume and then slowly increasing the volume. It never got overbearing. But all the complex sensations were never threatened. They just got "bigger" as you savored each swallow.

I know, this sounds corny. But try a cup before you mock me. You'll have to buy your own; I've finished my supply!

[I have utterly failed to find this coffee listed on any websites, Starbucks-owned or not! I really did buy a pound at the Starbucks store in Bangor!]

Celebrating Pentecost

2005-05-19T15:58:00.000-04:00

Check out this link to Jason Clark's blog.

Part of the way his church celebrated Pentecost last Sunday was with a team of people painting during worship. An exploration of "the Holy Spirit as the sprit of creation and the engeriser of creativity."

This is so cool! This is what I'd love to see more of.

One of the biggest messages of God becoming incarnate was that "stuff" is good. According to the One that made material stuff, it is "very good."

Why wouldn't we celebrate with paint and canvas and pen and paper and everything at our disposal?

(Be sure to click on the smaller images in the blog posting. They're amazing.)

Two incredible coffees and a great conference

2005-05-11T14:52:00.000-04:00

Last week at the Vineyard USA National Leaders' Conference in Columbus, I happily stumbled across two incredible blends of Starbucks coffee: Komodo Dragon and Arabian Mocha Timor.

The Komodo Dragon has all the wonderfully spicy tastes of a great Indonesian. It practically reverberates across your taste buds like the clapper in a bell keeps making noise even after the bell stops moving.

The Arabian Mocha Timor has an incredible lively wine-like taste profile. It justs dances over your tongue!

Ah. I really, really like good coffee. *grin*

The conference was awesome. To hear free audio from the conference, go to this page on the Vineyard USA. Be sure to listen to the two sessions by Bert Waggoner. You'll want to listen to them a few times.

Not as Strong as I Think I Am

2005-04-29T11:11:00.000-04:00

Once again, I'm reminded of the words of Rich Mullins' song "We're Not As Strong As We Think We Are."

I let a two minute conversation yesterday between two other people send me into an incredible tailspin. I instantly believed the worst and jumped to conclusions. What an incredibly negative emotional rollercoaster.

And all it took to clear most of it up was a ten minute conversation with one of the two this morning. All three of us misunderstood what the others of us were talking about. Hopefully this will help us to follow Covey's 5th habit of highly successful people Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood.

Isn't it amazing that the Almighty Creator of the Universe would choose to use frail, petty people to advance His Kingdom? That's one of the mysteries that confused people in Jesus' day. Rather than living an abundant and "victorious" life, Jesus' followers more often seem to lurch and stagger forward. And the Kingdom of God advances. Wow.

In the meantime, I'll be singing the chorus to Rich's song and revelling in my smallness.

CHORUS We are frail We are fearfully and wonderfully made
Forged in the fires of human passion
Choking on the fumes of selfish rage
And with these our hells and our heavens
So few inches apart
We must be awfully small
And not as strong as we think we are

The Stories We Tell

2005-04-16T14:10:00.000-04:00

I believe we serve the Supreme story teller.

In that context, check out this blog by Seth Godin, The doily lie.

What little touches can we add in our services (and lives?) to enhance the telling of the story?

Perhaps putting doilies on every seat? *grin*

Tax Day

2005-04-15T16:17:00.000-04:00

Nationally recognized, man-made events like "tax day" can be great times to review your goals.

I'm sure you're reviewing your MagnetGoals but have you reviewed list of 100? I just did and was shocked by how many I'd made progress on.

If you don't know what in the world I'm talking about, sign up for my free MagnetGoals goal setting e-course at by going to FundraisingCoach.com.

Happy Tax Day!

Whole Wheat

2005-04-14T13:09:00.000-04:00

I just came out of a class on fiber here at Inland Hospital.

Part of the class focused on the benefit of eating whole grain foods, foods that include the entire bran, germ, and endosperm in the flour. (There's a cool picture at the Whole Grains Council's site.) Evidently back in the '40s, Americans found more status in eating white bread than whole wheat. So we got used to wheat that is only the endosperm--basically nutritionless. That's why so much of our processed food gets "fortified." It's an attempt to add nutrients back in.

The bummer is we never see the whole picture. Not only are our vitamins not quite as good as those found in nature, but we didn't add things like phytonutrients.

Isn't this amazing? It seems every time we try to recreate God's creation, we diminish it. Just look at baby formula vs. breast milk.

I'm so glad God created the world and invited us to co-create with Him! I wouldn't want to try to recreate it for him!!

I'm not entirely sure if this fits the subject of the blog but I thought I'd share it!