Interesting Day

I know I over use the word "interesting," but, hey, the word is... well, never mind. I do have an interesting day ahead. It's start out with me finishing up a speech that I will give later today (more below).

This morning I am going to attend a hospice professional advisory board meeting. I used to direct the program a long time ago, back in the early days. It is interesting (there I go again) to go back and hear of the progress. I don't attend these meetings very often because they don't really ask for advice. They just tell us what is going on, which is fine. I know regulations make them have them. There is usually free food involved, so why not?

From that meeting I am headed to Indy. I've been asked to speak at Lilly Endowment's information meeting for those seeking Clergy Renewal grants. I am really looking forward to this. I remember attending a meeting like this 4 years ago. It's a pretty cool experience, plus Lilly is pretty generous in various ways.

I will be so glad when Saturday's marathon is over! I've never had a race/run mess with my mind like this one has. I think it is because I have put so much pressure on myself. This run is it; it's do or die (not literally, though I am going to push myself as hard as I can). I wanted cool weather, and now I am going to get cold. How to dress? At least it is going to be dry, and the wind is going to be less than 10 mph, unlike last year's sirocco. Much better!

Need to go...

Real Faith

Today I get to lecture, make that lead a discussion, about Job. I know it will be a discussion, because all my students have lots of questions about suffering. Some have suffered severely in lots of different ways. They want answers. So did Job. So do I.

Job never really got any answers. His friends gave him all kinds of explanations and advice, and Job rejected it. Job was right about that. God said so. Job finally gets to talk to God, because God shows up one day after Job has asked and asked for an explanation as to why he has had to suffer so.

Instead of giving him answers, God starts firing questions at Job. Questions that Job cannot answer. Questions that were way beyond Job's knowledge and understanding. I think God is essentially saying, "You couldn't understand it all, even if I told you, so you are just going to have to trust me." Job does.

A couple of summers ago I was reading some of Henri Nouwen's writings. He said something that really helped me. I think it was the way he said it that helped me the most. He basically said that faith is the ability to live with unanswered questions and still trust God. I'm learning over and over that that is real faith. Faith that stands in the midst of darkness and confusion.

Recent weeks have been really hard for a lot of people, including me. We had a few suicides in the area and then one of our friends from New Zealand called to say that her son had committed suicide also. This was going on while I was working on a memorial service for a man who died two days short of his 50th birthday. On top of all that there were other struggles, mine and others, that were weighing very heavy on me.

During that time a blog that I read had a post that was so timely that I felt like God was sending me personal encouragement. The blog was entitled Theodicy and No Country for Old Men. It was a wonderful reflection on the movie as a way to try come to grips with suffering that makes no sense. I've seen the movie, and now I want to watch it again.

The bottom line is that true faith can only exist in a world doesn't always make sense. I believe that's what Job discovered, and that's what I am discovering over and over again. Faith that is not tested is no faith at all.

Hard to imagine

I've mentioned several times the woman in my class at Oakland City who had a son murdered earlier this year. A new chapter in the story was revealed to me last week. She told me that her son's girlfriend was about to deliver a baby and the baby might be his.

Sure enough over the weekend the birth took place, and my student was in the delivery room helping to bring this baby into the world. She said it was a wonderful experience, but it is also very unsettling. She does not know yet if this baby boy is her grandson. She should know soon.

Can you imagine what she is going through? If her son is the father, then she has a grandchild and an ongoing connection with her deceased son. What if he is not? My heart goes out to her and many people are praying for her. On Wednesday we are discussing the book of Job. I think it will be a very interesting discussion.

I'm in the 3rd week of tapering for the Marathon, so I'm not running much. I didn't run at all yesterday. Today I will run 5 miles; two of them at marathon race pace. Tomorrow I'll run 3 easy, off Thursday, 2 easy anxiety-relieving miles on Friday, and then the big day. Yikes! The weather forecast seems to be changing. Colder. Now it looks like mid-20s for a start and around 40 for the finish. I'm still wear shorts and dressing lightly.

Monday

Here we go again!

This week is going to be really different for me, and I really welcome the change. I'm not preaching Sunday, so that changes much of what I do all week. It definately leads to more relaxation.

Last week was good. I loved not having to go out every night. It's amazing how that changes many things. I got a lot of little things done that had been piling up, and I hope to knock a bunch more out this week.

My focus this week, outside of my normal duties, is the marathon on Saturday. I will focus on careful nutrition, avoiding sick people, and getting good sleep. I've been working toward this day, in a lot of ways, for 2 years. Two years ago I was running little and overweight and pre-diabetic.

I made an attempt to qualify for the Boston Marathon at last year's Monunmental and failed miserably. Then I worked hard all winter to prepare for the Louisville marathon. Warm humid weather, coupled with more hills than I imagined, thwarted that attempt. I am hoping the 3rd attempt is the charm.

The weather for Saturday is forecast to be just what I want: start at 30 degrees and finish in the 40s. It is not the most comfortable weather, but it is optimal for my body. I will toe the start line with more than 1700 miles since last year's Monumental, plus I did some cross training on the bike this summer. I think I am ready. I had my anxiety attacks about it all a couple of weeks ago, which is good. Now I am growing in confidence. I had a really good 10 miler on Saturday; just what I needed.

I think I am going up to Indy midday on Friday to get my race packet, etc. Then Kedra and the kids will join me. We will eat and spend the night at Lester and Maddie's place. We are going to stay Saturday night also and go to church with them on Sunday.

OK, enough for now, and sorry if running does not interest you! I'll try talking about other stuff soon.

For your viewing pleasure

Twittersphere

I've mentioned before that I along time ago established a Twitter account (awb330) to "follow" a few friends. A few months ago I decided to start tweeting. It provides an outlet, along with Facebook, to say a few things on my mind or to react to certain things I that observe. It's kinda like a lite version of the blog.

My criteria for following people is fairly simple. I need to be interested in what you are thinking/saying. I follow a few "big name" people but only if they share quotes. I don't care about where they are speaking or what they had for lunch (ha ha).

Here are some good sample tweets that meet my criteria:


From RickWarren (love him or not, he knows how to craft quotes):

God wants us to build our lives on his great purposes & promises, not petty rules.

Whenever God gives you a check in your gut,stop IMMEDIATELY! Dont just slow down, STOP & LISTEN! It's saved me many times.

Ps.46:10 "Be still and know that I am God" means sit down & shut up. You cant hear God if you're never quiet.

From Greg Boyd:

"What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (Ja.4:14). Life isn't a dress rehearsal. THIS IS IT!

From CSLewisDaily:

No one can settle how much we ought to give. The only safe rule is to give more than we can spare-C.S. Lewis

From Shane Clairborne:

Most good things have been said far too many times and just need to be lived.

Go and ask my enemies, or the poor, or my neighbor and if they say I am a Christian then I suppose I’m a Christian.

The great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians do not know the poor.

And finally from me, awb330:

My 100th tweet. Wow. I want to say something so profoud and witty, but here's all I can come up with: "I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat."

I'm Back! Hopefully

Sorry about my absence. I will try to do better. Now that I have finally mastered my new cell phone (see photo), things are getting a lot better!

This fall has been the busiest one I can recall; not complaining, just observing. I came out of the summer slowdown to resume all my normal church activities, along with two classes at Oakland City University. I usually only teach one, and I don’t ever plan to do two again. It’s too much, although I feel I am doing some of my best work there. In a lot of ways I feel like I’m on a mission field, and it’s only 20 minutes away.

Football and volleyball both ended over the weekend. I loved watching my kids play, but it took up almost every night through the week. That coupled with church meant hardly any evening time at home, and I really like/need evening time at home. After just two nights at home I am starting to feel renewed. Rebecca had a great end to her season. The team had not won many regular season games but managed to win two in the sectional. They finally fell in the final game. It was a great run. Ben’s football team showed improvement through the season but, in my opinion, needs a pretty big change in the whole system. We'll see what the off-season brings.

Probably foolishly I have been training hard for the Monumental Marathon. The foolish part involves the timing of being so busy with other stuff, but I did it anyway. I cranked out a lot of 50 mile weeks and managed to hold up well. I am very nervous about the marathon. I have run several of them, so I am not nervous about the distance. I am nervous about trying to qualify for Boston. I have to run 3.35.59 or better. That’s quite fast for an average-talented guy like me. It is going to take all that I have to do it. I am trying to work through my anxiety now. I have to trust my training. I did everything I was supposed to do. I am praying for success and good weather (low 50s or lower).

That’s enough for now! Thanks for your patience.

The other morning I was running over around where Fred and Evelyn live. As I ran along I saw this nail in the road. This nail interrupted my sermon preparation, which often takes place on a run. I was running for time, so I didn’t want to slow down or stop. I ran on by the nail in the road.

The little devil on one shoulder said, “It’s no big deal. Maybe an Amish buggy with steel wheels will hit it and knock it off the road.” The angel on the other shoulder said, “You really ought to go back and get that nail. What if Fred and Evelyn or Andy and Casey or maybe even Troy and Jamie run over it and have a flat tire?”

The debate continued for about a quarter of a mile, and then I turned around and went back and got the nail, partly because on Wednesday night we talked a little about this Scripture (James 4:17): Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

We all face this battle in our hearts and minds about doing good and doing bad. The minor struggle I mentioned above is just that — relatively minor. There are more major struggles that people face all the time.

A young man told me last week that he really wants to overcome his addiction to alcohol. He goes to AA and he fights hard. He’s even gone in liquor stores when he is strong, sober, and determined and begged them, “If I come back in here, please don’t sell me anything.” But in moments of weakness that comes from the pressures of life, he finds a way to find what he wants but knows that he should not have and does not need. He falls again. And again. And yet again.

Men (and women) battle internet pornography. Even though a man’s marriage is in danger of being destroyed because he’s been caught looking at porn, in moments of weakness, when alone, maybe late at night, he makes the fateful clicks of unfaithfulness, hating it even as he does it. He knows it’s so wrong, and he really doesn’t want to do it. Yet he does; click after click.

You ever say things like this?

“I don’t understand myself at all!”
“I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong.”
“I can’t help myself.”
“No matter which way I turn – I can’t make myself do right”
“When I do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.”
“What a miserable person I am.”

These are the words of Paul as found in the New Living Translation of Romans 7.

And you have just read the introduction to Sunday's sermon! We're going to explore the problem that we all have in battling sin.

Paul ends his confession with a question and answer that goes something like this:

Who can rescue me from all this?

Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.