Cub Scout Camporee

I know, I know, I know.  It’s been a little while since I’ve posted anything here.  What can I say?

Actually, I’m sure I could share quite a bit…I was at the Phillies’ game when Jimmy Rollins hit a walk-off double to beat the Dodgers in the NLCS…my chickens finally started laying eggs…I’m heading to my first World Series game this weekend…I visited to new Wegman’s in our area.  All these things were pretty cool and were new experiences in my life.

There is one experience that really stands out for me as a highlight for this month – I went on an incredible, fun, wet camping adventure with my son last weekend.  If you live on the east coast, you might remember that the weather last weekend wasn’t the greatest.  In fact, the rain at times was downright torrential.  Despite the bad weather and the resulting muddy conditions, I had an awesome weekend with my son and his Webelos Den at the Lafayette District Extreme Challenge Boy Scout Camporee held at Pennypacker Mansion.  Besides camping and cooking in the mud, we spent all day Saturday using compasses to navigate a challenging course while we hopped from activity station to activity station.  The kids had to navigate a pitch-black hay maze on their knees.  They had to work together to drag a log up a big muddy hill and then saw off a slice of wood using a two-man saw.  They had to work together to build a catapult to shoot water balloons at a “raging” fire.  They had to tie a knot around a stake without getting closer than 20 feet from the stake.  They had to build a container to safely drop an egg.  All in all, they did nine different stations that were creatively laid out by the Boy Scouts of Troop 105.

At night, we dodged thunder and lightning to make it over to a large tented area where we enjoyed skits and a movie.  Isaac and I both had a blast!  Apparently, we weren’t the only ones.  At our pack meeting this week, several of the other dad’s were commenting about how much fun they had camping together with their sons and the Cub Scouts.

I’m looking forward to more opportunities to enjoy these kinds of adventures with my son!

Kanye West – A view from Prodigal Jon

I read a lot of blogs.  One blog is called “Stuff Christians Like” by a guy named Prodigal Jon.  I thought his commentary on the recent Kanye West episode tied in very well to the last post “Zip It!  Be Slow to Speak…”  Here’s what Prodigal Jon had to say.  I’d love to hear what you think.

Kanye West deserves less grace and forgiveness than I got.

I don’t know the exact amount, unfortunately the Bible’s not terribly clear on measurements. I mean sure, I know Goliath was six cubits and a span, everyone knows that, but when it comes to doling out grace, there’s not a clear form of measurement.

Is grace a liquid? In the songs people sing about God’s love it’s always in the form of water, “fall down like rain,” “wash over me,” etc.

So let’s say that Kanye West deserves one less gallon of grace and forgiveness than I got.

Or maybe a jug. It’s hard to say what the precise amount is but that’s what I was thinking when I heard he ruined Taylor Swift’s moment at the Video Music Awards. After he walked on stage, and interrupted the nervous teenager to tell her about another performer who deserved the award more than she did, a few thoughts popped up. I didn’t think about the whole situation a lot, on the Jon scale of thought I gave the incident more time than Salt and Vinegar Pringles but less than the new season of “So You Think You Can Dance.” But here’s what ran through my head:

“Kanye West always does that. He’s got a history of doing that kind of thing.”

“Kanye West probably did that on purpose, it was staged. He planned it.”

“Kanye West just wounded a teenager, a kid, that is horrible.”

“Anyone who supports him is dumb.”

“He’ll probably apologize but it won’t be real.”

And I felt pretty good hating on Kanye. I got a hit of that, “I’m not as bad as somebody else” drug. I felt better than him and told my wife the whole story with smugness.

But then I thought about it. That was a worst moment, staged or not, that was a mistake and I am so happy my worst mistakes were not televised.

Then I thought about Kanye the person, the son whose mom died. The broken man with a savior who is longing to see a glimpse of him on the road back to the farm. Then I thought about who I wanted to be in the prodigal son story, the older brother who condemns or the servant who helps plan the party? I know which one is easier. I know which one I usually run to. But this time I couldn’t.

Suddenly I didn’t like the first things I thought:

“Kanye West always does that. He’s got a history of doing that kind of thing.”
So do I. I’ve never committed a single sin, a single time. I am a repeat offender. I have a longer history with sin than Kanye does with running on stage at events. Have you ever repeated a sin more than once?

“Kanye West probably did that on purpose, it was staged. He planned it.”
My worst moments were planned. I didn’t fall down the stairs and suddenly find myself landing in a heap of unexpected garbage at the bottom. I made plans. I was deliberate. I set things up that at the time seemed to be what I needed. I did the things that crippled my life on purpose.

“Kanye West just wounded a teenager, a kid, that is horrible.”
He did and it’s inexcusable, but I wounded my own kids, not a 19-year old stranger. I hurt my own kids by working 70 hour work weeks and chasing money instead of them and mortgaging everything that mattered about being a dad. I did that.

“Anyone who supports him is dumb.”
Do you have to support to show love? Do you have to condone to offer grace and forgiveness? Clearly Proverbs spells out a million reasons you shouldn’t support fools and foolish behavior and what Kanye did was foolish. And it’d be equally dumb to judge people for judging Kanye. Are there only two options though? We love him which means we’re pro “running on stage and hurting people” or we hate him? Can’t we disagree with the behavior and offer love to the person? (I think I just invented the phrase, “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” I should put that on t-shirts.)

“He’ll probably apologize but it won’t be real.”
According to whose standards? Mine? Is that what Christ says is the second most important commandment in Matthew 22:39 “Love your neighbor as yourself, only if their apology is legitimate and you feel that their repentance is real?” Or is it written, “Rebuke your neighbor as yourself?” Or is love the thing we’re supposed to do? And let’s be honest, what are the chances that I get to heaven and God says, “You offered too many hurting people grace. You over graced the world Jon. That is whack.”

The more I thought about it, the harder it was to hate Kanye.

So I tweeted and wrote on facebook:

“If we all had our worst mistakes televised we’d give Kanye West grace instead of hate.”

Some people got mad and defriended me (worst verb ever) and some people were cool with that idea. I understand both reactions. I’m not justifying a dumb mistake from Kanye or desupporting Taylor Swift (second worst verb ever). I can only tell you what my experience was because it’s 100% of the experiences I had yesterday. When I heard the story about Kanye, I judged him. I hated on him. I did not correct him or try to offer wise counsel, I hated.

Maybe you didn’t.

Maybe you laughed at how silly and insignificant the whole thing was because it’s just a bunch of celebrities, who cares. Maybe you threw on Kanye’s “Jesus Walks” and got down like the awkward girl from the rich part of town that inexplicably moves to the inner city high school and has to learn how to dance to survive some sort of all girl gang but ends up falling in love with a tough on the outside by soft and tender on the inside street youth while learning the valuable lesson that if you believe in yourself, anything is possible.

Maybe that was your reaction.

Mine was hate.

And I hate that.

And I love that God loves me like He loves Kanye.

Because we are both in desperate need of it.

It’s Not Groundhog Day

Last night, I watched the early 90’s classic movie – Groundhog Day.  I haven’t seen this movie in years, and it was a great way to relax after a busy day at work.  In this movie, Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray) repeats Groundhog Day over and over again.  Initially, he tries to use the repetition for his own personal benefit.  Then he gives up and decides that he can make a mess out of his life day after day after day without consequence the next morning.  The movie gets good though when Phil decides that he is going to use this dilemma as a gift to help other people.

Naturally, the movie made me think.  The end of the movie reminded me that we should make the most of each and every opportunity that we have.  Today is the day that we can make a difference.

The other thing that really hit me this morning is that despite the times when we feel like we are running around in circles repeating things over and over again, we are guaranteed that things will be new every morning.  Lamentations 3:22-23:

²²Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
       for his compassions never fail.

    ²³ They are new every morning;
       great is your faithfulness.

I’m looking forward to new things to come every day.  A new adventure.  A new start.  And I’m thankful that I’m not stuck on the same day over and over and over again.

Kenya – Why me?

So this Sunday, I submitted my initial application to go on a two week missions trip to Nairobi, Kenya next August. Taking two weeks to fill out the application, I wrestled out loud on Facebook about why I would consider taking a trip to somewhere that is nearly half-way around the world. I thought I’d take a few minutes to document here some of my thoughts:
1. I’ve never been there before. Okay, that may sound a bit selfish, but some of my other reasons will be as well. While I’m not the adventurer that my brother (David) is, I think Kenya would… be an adventure. Kind of a bucket list type place – if you know what I mean.
2. To meet one of our sponsor children. Leanne and I have sponsored a couple of girls in Haiti over the past few years (with Compassion International). This summer we started sponsoring a young boy from the slums of Nairobi through CMF/Hope International (His name is Jonathan, and he shares my birthday). If we go to Kenya, we will probably get to meet him-amazing!
3. Going to Kenya would give me an incredible opportunity to serve with my wife. I love being with Leanne. Planning the trip, figuring out all the logistics and the finances, actually going on the trip, serving, and recounting stories TOGETHER is so much better than just doing it apart from each other.
4. I’ve been on mission trips many times before, and the bonding that happens among the group going on the trip is unbelievable. A great reason to go on a trip like this is to bond with people like never before. (Several of the people I’ve gone on mission trips with while I was in high school got together this weekend for our eighth annual family camping trip.)
5. Stretch me. For those who didn’t know Stretch was one of my nicknames growing up. I’m quite sure that a trip on this level will stretch me in many ways. Stretching is good. Stretch my understanding of God’s love. Stretch my comprehension of the planet we live on. Stretch my comfort zone. Stretch…
6. Help & serve Kenyans who are stuck in poverty. If you’re reading this, you’re likely more wealthy than 97% of the world. The people we’d be serving in Kenya live in the poorest, nastiest slums located in Mathare North, Nairobi. By helping to create educational opportunities for the children, by providing health care, & by literally bringing light into the slum homes, I can help make a difference!
7. Part of following the Great Commission – go into all nations…. I’m excited about the opportunity to live this out on a new level.
I know there are other reasons that I don’t even know yet, but this exercise gave me the opportunities to process some of the major reasons to consider such an adventure.

Tony Campolo @ Christ’s Church of the Valley – 8/30/2009

This weekend, Tony Campolo spoke at our church. I have had several previous encounters with Mr. Campolo, so I knew it was going to be good. He was the youth pastor at the church I grew up at several years before my dad took the position. He spoke there as a guest speaker. I heard him at Grove City College several times. And he was one of many speakers the last time I went to Creation back in 1997. He was inspiring every time I heard him before, and I wasn’t dissappointed this time. See below:

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Brian Jones – The Official Website Blog Tony Campolo To Speak This Sunday At CCV!

Brian Jones – The Official Website Blog Tony Campolo To Speak This Sunday At CCV!

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Who is God?

Psalm 84

What I read this morning just resonated with me…

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.

12 LORD Almighty,
blessed are those who trust in you.

Did We Forget How Good We Really Have It?

View the video at Sangent

Packing for Heaven