I stumbled across this gem while converting videos from VHS to DVD for a friend. This the last part of a 1994 church mission trip to Russia. Seems those returning from Russia to the USA stopped off in Paris. They made it a point to make a pilgrimage to a salute to excess. This is apparently what was stylish at the times. Now it looks incredibly dated and as tired and worn out as the older lady narrator. You can feel bad nostalgia creep up in this tape when the narrator says “So you think we should buy a blue jean shirt?” Or when the visitors gleefully hold up their menu in a salute to commercialism.
Here are a group of Christians who just returned from a mission trip to Russia ministering to people who have nothing. Then just a few days later they’re contemplating which Hard Rock Cafe jacket or polo shirt they should buy. So ironic.
Those who owned the Hard Rock Cafe had us all fooled. We were fooled into thinking that we must have a Hard Rock shirt to be cool. All the while these shirts ended up at garage sales or Goodwill’s during the 2000’s. I was fooled. I remember paying money to a older church friend who was going to NYC to purchase a Hard Rock Cafe shirt. I ate at a Hard Rock in Shanghai. By all accounts was the best and most expensive burger in China. I last ate at a Hard Rock Cafe in Washington, D.C., not because it was a destination stop, but because it was convenient to where we were at the time (Ford’s Theater). Video below.
Please don’t let the kid with the Mohawk serve on the Lord’s Table.
In 2007, while on a mission trip to Pearlington, Mississippi, we met up with another church youth group. It was somewhat dueling church groups, each not wanting to step on other’s boundaries. We had come specifically to conduct the worship services that Sunday morning. They had come to help fix up the church and houses around it (the area had been hit by a hurricane a few years before).
I noticed one kid had an unusual haircut, a Mohawk. I realize that his youth minister and peers were well accustomed to it. I’m sure the kid had a servant attitude in mind, after all he had given up his fall break to volunteer to help fix up the church building in a city several hours drive away.
Still a fear inside of me made me want to say “Please don’t let this kid serve on the Lord’s Table.” After all we need a sense of dignity, in lieu of a punk style haircut. My fears became reality when during that worship service, sure enough he was on the Lord’s table passing the bread and grape juice. And everything seemed to turn out fine
I think we all have a fear and prejudiced against people who were not brought up in the church. I know I have a prejudice against these type people. You want them to quickly assimilate, gain unwavering faith, and have the same core belief values as you do. There is a certain degree of uneasiness when they start wearing shorts to church, admit they have beer in their fridge, and occasionally hang out at bars.
Certainly one has got to realize that of the 3000 souls saved in Acts 2, not all of them were just like the other. Many came from vastly different backgrounds. And certainly that is how the church should be today. After all we are told to preach the Gospel to every creature, even the ones with Mohawks.
Our stateside mission trip was this past week. I was told that all of those baptized didn’t have a ride to church and therefore could be classified as lower class, assuming they didn’t own cars. I wanted to see these new Christians assimilate quickly. But I must remain patient. No doubt some will fall away because they have no root. Some which gain Christian friendships through the church and therefore are likely to continue going. But these new Christians might be different than your typical white middle class Christians. They come from different backgrounds and we need to keep reminding ourselves that they did not have the same upbringing and instilled values as the rest of us.
The kid with the Mohawk? I have no idea where he is at. I would think that he’s ditched the Mohawk by now, after all it would be incredibly difficult to get a white collar job with that.
Preacher Out West
Maybe just maybe in another life, I could become a preacher to a struggling church of Christ in the western part of the U.S. I could be the go-to guy for spiritual leadership and counseling. It would be an honor and privilege to do so. I however have never felt like I was good enough to be a preacher. I leave preaching to those who have their lives and struggles together. I leave it up to people who do not have emotional baggage…someone who can write a sermon in a few minutes and not stress about it before actually preaching it.
Not knowing the Bible
Here’s a new twist for using scripture. North Carolina is one of 24 states that has a GOP controlled legislature (House and Senate) and governorship. Consequentially it has passed many conservative laws. This has made the GOP opponents very upset. Protesters are calling the rallies “Moral Mondays.” During one of the latest Moral Mondays, especially geared toward a strict abortion law, the above photo was taken. I am certain the lady who is holding up the sign probably cherry picked that verse, while completely ignoring the overwhelming number of verses in the bible which support life in the womb.
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you…”
Jeremiah 1:5
Having No Filter
A friend and I like to trade stories about what Christian teens put on social media. It would appear that many young people do not have any type of concept of who might read their postings. Or maybe they’re aware, but don’t care.
Many of our recent converts weren’t raised in Christian homes and therefore have no filter in what they post. Smoke a joint on Saturday, then appear at church on Sundays? Yep, I’ve seen it posted on Tumblr. Cursing on their Twitter feed, and then show up on Wednesday night as if everything is find. Someone, somehow has to remind young Christians that this is not normal behavior.
I have to constantly remind myself that those most in need of a lecture are least likely to hear it. We walk a fine line.
On Mortality
Today I watched via live stream, the funeral of a member at the church I attend. She was a mother and died suddenly in a car crash. Understandably the family is devastated. I hope and pray that they can grow closer to Christ.
During all of this I began to think about my own family’s mortality. How I will face what might be the most difficult days of my life.
A friend said during the death of a loved one, everything is a shock and a blur during the visitation and funeral. Then days or weeks after the funeral is when those survivors face reality: being very much alone after their loved one has past. I wish there was something I could do in all of this. I wish I could say something to make it all better. I wish I could say more than “I’m sorry for your loss,” or “Let’s do lunch sometime.” The problem is that we truly don’t know what to say. And sometimes we say things that truly are thoughtless – “I know exactly how you feel,” comes to mind. Let’s not pour salt in someone’s wound by being thoughtless. Only say neutral things like “I’m here for you.” To say anything more could be misconstrued.
Another truth is that there will forever a gap in that person’s life and this family member’s death is a landmark in their own timeline. “That was before my spouse died,” or “That was after my mother died.”
This will be something I think about for a few weeks after this. When I see a family who has had a devastating loss I am curious about how they are doing and if there is something I could do to help the situation. Most of the time I don’t know the family that well and would feel intrusive if I were to offer to help.
Camp Season Again
It’s camp season again. I am humbled to be asked to teach the 5th and 6th grade boys at camp. The photo above is me teaching 4th graders last year. Keep in mind that it was before class to begin, hence my relaxed state. I get more active as class starts, so cut me some slack.
I always have a tendency to have high hopes when I prepare for Bible class…that I’m going to have my students’ undivided attention. That they will hang on every word I say; ask deep thought provoking questions; and that they will take something home with them that they can use for the rest of their lives.
What usually happens is that they’re tired. Bible study is not a priority for them. One usually asks “Is Bible class over yet?” This of course leaves me with the feeling that I haven’t accomplished anything. Sometimes I feel like my hopes are too idealistic.
Still I grow excited about church camp. One of the few times in life where it seems that I am closest to God. Where the love is shown through campers and counselors. When the singing is as sincere and prayers are earnestly prayed. Where old friends get together and share old stories. When everything seems to be right in the world. When Facebook friend requests are made and 6 months later one forgets the name of those on your friend list.
Still, in spite of that last comment, camp is very much a good thing. I’ve seen young people grow in spiritual maturity and make commitments to Jesus Christ which last them the rest of their lives. I myself come back feeling spiritually recharged and commit to going back year after year.
Seth MacFarlane is a hypocrite
During the week of the Boston Marathon Bombing someone spliced together some Family Guy scenes with Peter Griffin running over marathon runners and blowing up a bridge via cell phone. To which Seth MacFarlane, the show’s creator tweeted:
The edited Family Guy clip currently circulating is abhorrent. The event was a crime and a tragedy, and my thoughts are with the victims.
— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) April 16, 2013
I was watching Family Guy the other day and lo and behold there was a joke about 9/11. Seth, you’re a hypocrite.
On Profanity
It happened while I was eating supper with my mom at Bellacino’s on Hwy 109. A tatted up guy came with a profane shirt. (I found a version of the shirt online here). My mom didn’t notice, but I was very much distracted by it. I was distracted that someone would think it was appropriate to buy and wear in public. This was what I thought was a family restaurant. But somehow I get the feeling that Bellacino’s Hwy 109 location is simply in a shady part of town, being connected to a liquor store. I’m pretty sure the liquor store and the restaurant are owned by the same person.
Also I was somewhat surprised that the Bellacino’s employee took great amusement in the shirt asking the guy to turn around so he could admire it. Had I been the manager I would have asked him to leave.
I’m fairly certain the wearer of the said shirt will do nothing with his life in his current state. He’s somewhat like the Stiles character in Teen Wolf who’s profane t-shirt has caused problems with television censors ever since.
This is nothing new. When I was in junior high and with my sister’s Sunday School class monthly outing to the mall, I can remember being told not to go the back part of Spencer’s Gifts because there were things that I shouldn’t see.
However somehow I’ve outgrown the juvenileness of profanity. Why was that guy wearing the Mickey Mouse gasmask shirt? He wanted to get a reaction out of people. He is juvenile. He wants attention. Don’t show him any attention. Don’t even hire him. Let him learn on his own to grow up.
Disconnecting from the Internet
On May 1, 2012, Paul Miller disconnected from the internet for one year. It was a social experiment. For me it wasn’t necessarily extraordinary. I know plenty of people who are not on the internet.
What was interesting to me was finding out ever so subtly that Paul is a Christian. My first hint to it was no curse words in the video. This in itself is extraordinary. Everyone these days seem to find it important to drop a few curse words within the latest meme video, making it to where it cannot be shared to my friends and family. It didn’t happen.
In the above video Paul mentioned Grace Chapel in Springfield, Missouri. I halfway expected him to make mention how he changed his views on God, but that didn’t happen either. Instead we see subtle reminders of Paul’s faith such as an ESV Bible on his bookshelf.
Within Paul’s twitter account Paul is pretty explicit about his faith stating “I love my savior Jesus Christ.”
I found the idea that a tech writer could also love Jesus to be more interesting that disconnecting from the internet for a year.