Me, Myself, and the Cable Guy

Part of my recovery has been to treat myself to the occasional movie. As a recovering codependent I previously would never go alone. I would have wanted to "enjoy it more" with someone else, or taken a non-believer as outreach. Truth was I had lost my sense of self, and what was real deep, was not good.
Another part of my recovery is to "do life differently". Low brow humor is not normally my forte. Movies like Dumb and Dumber just don't do much for me. I decided I could use a laugh. Remember what those were like? Well I I did get some good laughs. While there was plenty slapstick humor, campyness and lowbrow objectification of women and alcoholism, the premise was truly novel; 3 weekend warriors get activated and shipped off to Iraq, amongst protests of "We only do this on weekends" they are accidentally dropped in Mexico but think they are in Iraq. While the movie could have been much better and seemed to drag in a few spots one line stood out; one of the soldiers went awol to call his wife as "she liked him to check in regularly" and the local drug lord "Carlos Santanta" (no not "The") exclaims much to the agreement of his mob "Man, you need some boundaries."
It did have one of my favorite actors Keith David whom is memorable to me for his role in "Men At Work". Delta Farce also reminded me of our friends, family and fellow citizens known as our troops and their quest for freedom.

While the movie might be rated a C, I had a great time with me.

Happy Father's Day

My Father is genuine and pragmatic. He is also inventive, creative and an entrepreneur. 50% of his blood runs through my body.

Song Quote:

"Take my love, take my land,Take me where I cannot stand... I don't care, I'm still free, You can't take the sky from me... Take me out to the black, Tell them I ain't comin' back... Burn the land and boil the sea, You can't take the sky from me... There's no place I can be
Since I found serenity, But you can't take the sky from me..."

Support

I was talking to a friend earlier about loss, and someone yesterday about reaching out, and it occurred to me that often I think of helping others in terms of direct actions, or words. Yet so much of what the Lord Jesus gives me is simply His presence. Rescuing people doesn't often work; they either resent it or we resent them for not appreciating it enough. Since my experience tells me isolation is part of the despair that the wounded endure; I would posit this: to merely be present with someone in need can do a great good and cost so little. Cost? Why do I assume that the labors of love that are valuable must cost me great sacrifice? When Christ did a physics cut and paste on fishes and loaves, what did it cost him personally?

Sometimes we don't know how to reach out to a wounded soul. I propose the gift of time. Letting another know you are with them cannot remove the pain. But it means they are not alone in it. Time cost you nothing, but is of the most value.

Guided Prayer

ExploreFaith has a nice little devotion area that has a daily MP3 audio clip to accompany a group of ideas and scriptures. (Too bad there isn't an RSS feed.)

You know in today's devotion it has a 'chant'. I don't really chant in my devotions. It associates me with my childhood in a Hindu ashram. I tend to think of it as mindless repetition. However, my wife has seen studies that show certain chants and groups of repeated sounds are healing for people with 'dain bramage and neurosis. I don't like the tendency in myself to be quick to judge another's expression of worship.

At what point did my faith lead me to judge another's?

via Dan Piraro bizarro.com

Quote:

"The people must believe they are not manipulated in order for them to be manipulated effectively."

Winston Smith

The Church Has Left the Broken Behind?

I hear a lot of talk now days from people going 'hey how did we get here?' A sense that the church has left the broken behind.

How did we do it?

• Fear: When ever we let fear pollute our thinking. I am sorry but cultbusting and doctrine debunking is not really the activity of proclaiming the truth. I do not see Christ or his apostles spending much time on apologetics.
• Manipulation: Often times leadership uses the tools of manipulation, fear, obligation, and guilt. (FOG) Persons, healthy enough to recognize, confront, act (sometimes by moving on), or choose to ignore and continue to submit to the head of the Church which is Christ.
• External Values: A focus on appearance. (1stJohn 2:15)
  
• Ignorance: Rigorous opposition to behavioral sciences.
  

What now?
1) Admit, accept, and talk about our fears. Embrace love as our bedrock for the unknown.
I dare any of you who are pastors, study leaders, or teachers to openly talk about what you are really afraid of.

2) If we recognize we have used FOG to manipulate in the church; promptly admit it. Embrace controlling only what we can; ourselves. If we have been under leadership who regularly uses these aggressive methods confront in love, move along, or act. Tolerating abuse is participating in it.

3) Resurrect a passion for brokenness and spirit of openness. When we the church confess our adulteries, sexual immoralities, acts of greed, addictions, and failures, we do not taint the blood of Christ, we define it's power.

4) Anyone in a church who wants to be involved with counseling should take a few behavioral sciences courses and do some reasonable case study and get familiar with terms and facts. The church needs to stop running in fear from phsycology and lead the way with illuminated sciences. Regardless of those who fear the church that is emerging a lesson should be taken by Rick Warren and John Baker who developed Celebrate Recovery and boiled the 12 step into 8 principles. People have hurts habits and hang-ups- and Jesus cares for those people. Come up with 5 reasons. Or the 4 paths, or web 2.0 to help them, just get 'er done. Stop with the pettiness.

The age of compassion is on us.

A vision...

My beloved friend Randy Davis and his friends and family have a vision to start a college. They are needing some angel investors and other people with skills and resources to become involved. If this might be you check out their website for contact info. AlbionChristian.com