SC Politician Christmas Gifts

The State's spreading holiday cheer today...

Gov. Mark Sanford: An updated reading of the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol.”

“You want unemployment payments? Bah, humbug!

“Money for Detroit? To the poor house with you!”

ha! Good call to stop short of calling Mark "Gov. Scrooge" outright, though.

Politico: The Obama Revolution

Politico has a fascinating article today that looks ahead to the post-election/inauguration shift in Washington.

The last of their "five big things... that will be different once Obama takes office on Jan. 20, 2009," provides an interesting comment on the continuing postmodern cultural shift in our society. More importantly it gives a comment on how that shift is reflected in the postmodern view of the world. The italicized line is my own emphasis.

The 1960s are over — finally

For two generations, American politics has been dominated by issues and personalities that were shaped by the ideological and cultural conflicts of the Vietnam era.

The rest of the population may have been bored stiff, but the baby boomers continued their remorseless argument, as evidenced by Bush and Kerry partisans quarreling over Swift Boats and National Guard service in 2004.

Obama had not yet reached adolescence in the 1960s. He seems little interested in the cultural conflicts that preoccupy baby boomers. The fact that he admitted to using cocaine was hardly a factor in this election.

And this young president-elect exerted powerful appeal over even younger voters. They favored Obama by 34 percentage points, 66 percent to 32 percent — a trend with huge potential to echo for years to come.

Guns, God and gays will not disappear from our politics. But they are diminished as electoral weapons as the country confronts a new generation of disputes: global warming, mortgage meltdowns and the detention of terrorism suspects, to name a few.

A Watershed Election

On Election Day 2008 the U.S. economy is in crisis, the Iraq war has passed the 5 1/2 year point, our international influence is on the decline, and we live in a climate of intense partisan division at home. This is a watershed moment in our country's history, and that takes a watershed candidate. That's why I voted for change this morning. That's why I voted for Barack Obama.

Regardless of who you support, go vote!

My Election Morning Predictions...

Electoral Vote
Obama - 349 (wins Fla, Ohio, Va, Mo, Co, Nv, Pa)
McCain - 189 (wins In, NC)

I think you can give or take Missouri for Indiana or NC.

Popular Vote
Obama wins by 7 million votes.

Colin Powell Endorses Obama

From Meet the Press this morning.



I thought Powell's most powerful statements addressed how we often react or respond to Muslims in America. To me it's been evident in the fear of conservatives who say Obama's a Muslim. He's not, but why should it matter?

Do Fundamentalist Christians (the people I most often hear spouting this rumor) recognize a bias within themselves and realize that Fundamentalists of other faiths have similar biases? Do you fear that which you understand the least, that which you deeply fear you most resemble? I wish someone could enlighten me.

As Powell says, "Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be President?"

The story of the fallen Muslim-American soldier, with a Purple Heart listing and an Islamic Cresent on his grave, was especially poignant.

"We have got to stop polarizing ourselves in this way."
- Colin Powell

I couldn't agree more. We all know people who carry a negative opinion against all Muslims, not just radical Fundamentalists. Those who sneer or snicker when they see a woman wearing a hijab (headscarf) in the grocery store.

None of us are perfect. I've obviously made a statement that may be seen as being negative toward far-right Christians. But, like Moderate Muslims, I see problems with the way the Fundamentalists of my faith carry the message.

As a Christian, called to respond to God and neighbor with a love that triumphs fear, it bothers me when my brothers and sisters in faith stereotype people of other regions, from Islam to Buddhism to Judiasm to Rastafarianism. It's divisve. It's unjust. It's un-Christian. It's simply not right.

State of the Race

After tonight's debate I'm tempted to say it's over, but it's not Nov. 4 so I'll restrain myself. Tonight McCain clearly failed to come up with a "game-changer" and may have lost the debate in the eyes of undecided independents (see below).

According to Five Thirty Eight, a political prediction site run by a respected statistician (who accurately predicted the NC democratic primary), Obama leads in all major swing states (Ohio +3.1, Florida +3.7, Virginia +6, Colorado +6.7, Missouri +0.9, North Carolina +1.4, Michigan +8.4), and even now leads in Indiana (+0.6)! Hook up Florida, hook up Ohio, either one... it's over.

All this came prior to the debate, which according to CNN, Obama led significantly in polling (54% Obama to 28% McCain among independents), not to mention significant leads in polls on leadership, the economy, foreign policy... it goes on and on.

It's not over until Nov. 4, but in football terms, McCain is nearing 4th and 20 at his own 10. Obama hasn't ended the game yet, but he's consistent and moving ahead. One blocked punt and it's done. Field the punt and all you need is consistency to win the game. The Gamecock in me says you never know, but for now I'm hopeful.

Home from Mississippi

I clearly failed to keep up my goal of making daily posts while on our church/Presbytery's hurricane relief trip to Gulfport/Pearlington, MS.

The good news is that the time I would've spent blogging was instead spent helping rebuild the Pearlington PDA camp, listening, making life-long friends, driving the bus, leading devotions, connecting with people around our Presbytery, cleaning the Gulfport camp, wandering New Orleans, teaching 5 churches the song "come all you people" in English and Shona, participating in communion, telling my youth group I just left a casino by speakerphone, blistering my hands and feet, and feeling called, blessed, challenged and changed in new ways that I can barely put into words.

I will post a summary of our trip in the next day or two. For now I'll say that this trip was one of the best weeks of my life.

As for football today...

GAMECOCKS WIN! Caught the game on radio while driving from Atlanta to Augusta starting with the 4th & 1 sneak conversion that led to the go-ahead TD. Jason Barnes is a beast. Our D is stacked. Chris Smelley is the man, as I've said all along!

PDA VI - Day 2

Community... Presbyterians talk about it all the time.

I love the connectivity of the PC(USA). I have friends all across the country and in other countries thanks to this amazing body of faith. Still, where we pride ourselves is often where we have the longest way left to go.

This week five churches from one Presbytery have come together, in the spirit of Christ's love, to make a difference. We're interacting in ways that make our back-home interaction look pretty lame. In other words, we're interacting.

My hope is that these five churches work to share the good news of PDA, the good news of hard work, and the good news of coming together. Through the sharing and living of that good news, good shall come.

A few things I learned or relearned today...

- I am a beast at driving a 15 passenger bus.
- There is a lot of work still to go here.
- As churches, we must step out of our comfort zones and connect in ways we're currently too stubborn, ignorant, or fearful to do.
- Chaos is undeniable. But so is the love of God cutting through that chaos like light through any shadow.
- The "smarter than a 5th grader" board game can put you in your place....

PDA VI - Day 1

A few things to look for this week... Shorter posts after today, PDA Facts that come my way and Dialogue Questions for any and everyone to answer. There aren't really right/wrong answers here, so I hope anyone reading jumps in!

Day 1...

David Lamotte often talks about how we change the world just by being here, just by our breathing in and our exhaling out. How our actions change the world is, in many ways, up to us.

39 months ago, after watching CNN and seeing people dying on rooftops in New Orleans, I stood in the office hallway at Forest Lake Presbyterian Church and told our interim head pastor, "we need to go there."

I was 23. I had less than two weeks on the job. And he said, "let's do it." I'll never forget that moment. It was God at work in a way that defeats stereotypes (of the interim pastor and newbie youth director) and changes the world by sharing God's love and grace in new ways.

Reflecting three years later, I'm overcome. Who am I to be here? So many hands have scraped, hammered, painted, and caulked over these trips. I've heard unbelievable stories and seen sights I'll never forget.... George and Barbara describing how they were climbing onto their roof just as the surge subsided, the sight of cars resting on houses and houses on cars in the 9th Ward, Dallas's tale of hanging from a tree for hours... it goes on and on.

And here I am in Gulfport, Mississippi after our first day of work of my sixth trip to the Gulf Coast, once again amazed at how God works through disaster to bring steadfastness, brokenness to bring wholeness, and chaos to bring hope.

Today we began the rebuilding of the Pearlington, MS PDA camp where several of us have spent 4 weeks of our lives. The camp was heavily damaged by hurricanes Gustav and Ike (the reason we're staying in Gulfport).

With that I have to say it's an indescribably profound experience to rebuild a place that has changed your life and that has changed the lives of countless others. To God be the glory...

PDA Fact 1: Since Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the morning of August 29, 2005, 45,000 volunteers have worked, laughed, cried, slept, communed, and grown in Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) Volunteer Villages.

PDA Fact 2: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) could have rebuilt 315 homes destroyed by Katrina/Rita from scratch had they used their funding to rebuild houses as a solo relief organization. By working with Lutheran Disaster Relief, the Red Cross, FEMA, TRAC (Houma, LA), and countless other local and national organizations PDA has contributed to the rebuilding of 3,500 homes.

Dialogue ?: Do these stats say something about how we should intend to "be the church" in the days, months, and years to come?

My Answer: I believe this is just one example that says we must be willing to join hands with the church, synagogue, mosque, and civic organization across the street and around the world to share the infinitely expansive love of God in an intentionally expansive and inclusive way. By joining hands we have more hands with which to reach out.

Buffett on Bailout

Warren Buffett is one billionaire who gets a lot of my respect since he doesn't come off as your stereotypical greedy billionaire (see Donald Trump). If you don't know much about him, at least check his wiki.

Yesterday on CNBC Buffett weighed in on the economic crisis, bailout plan, and more...

Last week we were at the brink of something that would have made anything that's happened in financial history look pale. We were very, very close to a system that was totally dysfunctional and would have not only gummed up the financial markets, but gummed up the economy in a way that would take us years and years to repair. We've got enough problems to deal with anyway. I'm not saying the Paulson plan eliminates those problems. But it was absolutely, and is absolutely necessary, in my view, to really avoid going over the precipice.

Click Here for the full interview in three parts.

It's Life in Pearlington

Christian Science Monitor recently ran a really good article on Pearlington, MS.

If you have something, you share it. If you need something, someone offers it. It’s life in Pearlington.

Check it out.

Gustav did cause damage and flooding in both Pearlington and Houma, La, but nothing as bad as the first reports I heard (which led to my last post). Prayers are now with Galveston and the surrounding area.

I have a laundry list of blog posts on the brain, just haven't had much time to put into creating them. Or, more accurately, I haven't taken the time. Hopefully more to come soon.

Hurricane Tracking

From Gustav to Hanna to Ike, 2008 has been the most interesting Atlantic Hurricane season since 2005. Growing up in Charleston, I've been fascinated with hurricanes since Hugo in 1989. Working with Katrina/Rita recovery has only intensified that fascination. The past few weeks I've been following Atlantic hurricanes closely on the web. Here are a couple sites worth checking out.

Jared W. Smith (out of Charleston)
Hurricane Track

Also, it looks like Ike may hit Louisiana as a category 4. I'll post more on this later, but if these projections are correct it could redefine the region just as much as Katrina.

Gustav Update

I'm pretty upset right now... I just heard that our friend Bessie in Houma, La may have lost her house and Pearlington, MS is/was under 5 feet of water.

Instead of rebuilding homes in October we may be rebuilding the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Volunteer Village.

We all know the levees held in New Orleans (thank God!) but as the media turns back toward the "real news" of partisan political campaigns, they'll ignore the small towns that need help the most.

Traveling to the Gulf Coast isn't realistic for everyone, but any donations can help...

Consider donating to the Red Cross to help with immediate needs or to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to help with long-term rebuilding.

"Out of Chaos, Hope"

I first visited New Orleans at the age of 13, and I was enamored. For a number of years the “Big Easy” was one of a handful of major cities that I dreamed of living in once I was older. Growing up in Charleston I saw New Orleans as our seedier, more intriguing, cousin city.

I'll never forget eating jambalaya for the first time. I'll never forget the ingenuity of New Orleans cemeteries and mausoleums. I'll never forget hearing big band jazz at each turn, left and right. I’ll never forget walking past French Quarter gift shops fronting their stashes of pornographic birthday cards and vulgar t-shirts. Thirteen years later I still love that town.

That experience was just part of my intrigue with the town. In New Orleans, humanity’s desires weren’t hidden or hidden from, but were instead woven into the city’s cultural fabric.

At the time, I never would expect to return to New Orleans 11 years later, ten months after Hurricane Katrina flooded 80% of the city. Things change.

In 1995 my dad and I never would’ve considered venturing into the 9th Ward. In June 2006 I found myself standing just north of North Claiborne Avenue at ground zero of man’s inability (in the form of levees) to overcome nature’s power (in the form of a hurricane). Things change.

At the time I witnessed destruction on a truly apocalyptic scale. The 9th Ward looked like Hollywood's most dramatic multi-million dollar portrayals of nuclear holocaust. But, it was indescribably real.




I’ve never been the same.

Pain, turmoil, death, destruction… this is what we face in life. The challenge is rooted in how we respond.

The Good News, a stark contrast in the face of nature’s unpredictability, is that compassion overcomes decimation.

Compassion is light in a chaotic world where darkness constantly falls. Compassion has paved the way to the Civil Rights Movement, to Tibetan Buddhists standing for their culture, to Iraqi school children dreaming for a bright future, to consumerist American youth longing to make a positive difference in a broken world.

Tonight, knowing destruction is impending, I pray for New Orleans… I worry for Pearlington… and I cry out for Houma, Gustav's probable ground zero.

No one knows what tomorrow brings. Gustav’s destruction is an unstoppable tragedy, but the compassion that will follow is the embodiment and example of God’s love in the world.

The slogan of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is, “Out of Chaos, Hope.” On Monday and the following days there will be chaos. The Gulf Coast will never forget that chaos, but with and through an indestructible hope, the Gulf Coast will press on.

To God be the glory.

.......

Note: Pearlington, MS is a very small town (post-Katrina pop. ~800) where my church has worked four separate weeks with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA). Pearlington was forgotten and utterly isolated by the government following Katrina. My life has been changed, my faith challenged, and my current hopes defined, by my time there. Pearlington is a special place.

Houma, LA is where our church spent a week working with PDA in October 2007. We planned to work in Pearlington again but were blessed to experience the people, culture, and incomparable cajun cuisine of Houma. Tonight Houma and it's five bayous (waterways) are directly in the path of Gustav.

Leroi Moore (1961-2008)

Last night Leroi Moore passed away. Leroi was saxophonist for the Dave Matthews Band. He was so much more as well… arranger, composer, director, cool hand on stage.

As a fan I love the calm presence he brought on stage with his laid-back demeanor and trademark sunglasses. He defined “cool”. I love the additions he brought to so many of my favorite songs. He made them. As a musician I love his complex, off-the-cuff melodic solos. They could melt your face one second and bring you to tears the next. I love the depth he brought to the band. As a lover of the sax, I love his amazing tone. Damn that tone... cool and warm at the same time. Simultaneously smooth and blistering.

They say the show must go on, and last night it did in Los Angeles, a great tribute to a great player.

Music is an indescribably important part of my life. It's a healer, a love, a friend. Some of the best moments in my life of simply experiencing music have come at Dave Matthews Band shows, and Roi provided far too many highlights to count. For the gift that Roi shared with the world, a large part of my world, I'll forever be thankful. And thankfully the music lives on.

Edit (8/21/08): Edited the picture...

"Selling Out" for Jesus

Working at a church I get a lot of Christian junk mail, and as a youth director I get a lot of junk flyers for expensive beach and ski retreats with “relevant” speakers or junk resource guides for hellfire-centered curriculum. There are quite a few companies who go straight to the recycling bin or trash (e.g. Acquire the Fire, though I will admit I once spent 20 minutes talking to an AtF rep about emerging Presbyterian theology and why I wouldn’t take a group to their events, but that’s a story for another post).

Yesterday, for no reason other than curiosity, I browsed a curriculum guide by InQuest Ministries. Funny finding: NONE of the first 12 “Discipleship” resources referenced a passage from the Gospels or mentioned the life of Jesus in their product descriptions. Jesus references were saved (no pun intended) for mentions of his death. There were, however, at least 7 references to Paul’s writings and/or books that are attributed to Paul. The few descriptions I read focused on battling Satan, “the rules” (totaling 4, which included “don’t date Non-Christians”), Paul calling Christians “super-conquerors”, and lastly a reference to youth “when they sell out for Christ.”

I could lengthily break down each of these topics, but two brief thoughts…

What’s up with a segment of Christianity elevating Paul’s teachings over Christ’s teachings? Shouldn’t Christ’s teachings, life, etc be our greater focus in matters of discipleship? Or is that the more uncomfortable way?

Why would we want young people, or anyone for that matter, to “sell out” for Christ? According to Wikipedia, “Selling out refers to the compromising of one's integrity, morality and principles in exchange for money, 'success' or other personal gain.”

My observation/opinion is that those who "sell out" for Christ adhere to a theology of personal gain. This materialistic, "me" theology seems to define a large and vocal sector of Christianity in the West, which troubles me.

Brian McLaren discusses his concerns with a self-centered theology in A Generous Orthodoxy. I leave you with this thought from the chapter, Jesus: Savior of What?, “Can’t seeking my personal salvation as the ultimate end become the ultimate consumerism or narcissism? In a self-centered and hell-centered salvation, doesn’t Jesus-like every company and political party-appeal to me on the basis of self-interest so that I can have it all eternally and can do so cheaply, conveniently, easily, and quickly? Doesn’t this sound a bit shabby?” (McLaren, 108)

South Carolina: First in Something Good!

So apparently SC was the state with the the highest percentage of Presbyterians in it's state population in 2006. Pretty cool considering we're usually first in categories such as illiteracy or percentage of state residents with a confederate flag on their cars...

Link

Workout Playlist

My last few posts have been theologically and/or politically focused, so here's a pointless one, my current rap-heavy (and alphabetical) workout playlist with All Music or (in the case of Ghostland Observatory) NPR link...

The Coup - We Are the Ones
Daft Punk - Robot Rock
Damian Marley - The Master Has Come Back
Eric B. and Rakim - I Know You Got Soul
Flobots - Same Thing
Ghostland Observatory - Rich Man @ SXSW
GZA - Shadowboxin
Jay-Z - Takeover
Jay-Z - Oh My God
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Kanye West - Stronger ... more Daft Punk props!
LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous!
Medeski, Martin, and Wood - Reflector
Outkast - B.O.B.
Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name
The Roots - Thought @ Work
Run-D.M.C. - Peter Piper

Lord I Lift Your Name on High

Won't this song disappear already?

GA Thoughts Pt. 2 (Congrats to BRC!)

I failed to mention that our new PCUSA Moderator is Bruce Reyes-Chow, a pastor of the emerging Mission Bay congregation in San Francisco. As I told friends in an email last week, "I’ve known Bruce for a few years (through Montreat Youth Conferences) and believe he has the enthusiasm, theological vision, and sense of humor (gasp!) we desperately need in a moderator today."

Bruce's candidacy was fueled by his blog and a huge Facebook group with over 700 members. Simply awesome.

The next two years will be hectic (for lack of a better word) for Bruce, his wife Robin, and their three girls. If you're a praying type of person, please keep them in your thoughts.

GA Thoughts Pt. 1

This week the General Assembly (GA) of the PCUSA, my life-long denomination, kick-started a process that may lead to the open ordination of practicing GLBT folks. For this to happen, 2/3 of Presbyteries will have to approve a new wording of the (in)famous Book of Order statement known as G-6.0106b. To avoid hearing me hash out the details you may read the “official” article, a conservative response, and a brief progressive response. Or if you're familiar with that upstart website, Google, you can find info through their internet search engine. ;)

Four or five GA’s ago (circa 2002/2003) I would’ve supported this decision, but I would've supported it with a lingering fear of ‘what may come’ for the denomination. Cue visions of a conservative church exodus dancing through my head. I would've been fearful that many churches would leave, and the PCUSA's numbers would continue to decline. I would've reluctantly met grace with mental pettiness.

Today, I face the GA’s decision with hope. Hope for the future of the PC(USA) as Presbyteries discuss the issue and vote to proclaim where God is calling us. Hope for those who oppose the decision to enter a process of discernment about the role of GLBT folks in the church. And, hope for those who agree with the decision to meet opposition with graceful dialogue and a fair-mindedness.

Some will preach and blog of the demise of "true faith" in our denomination. Some of those will leave the denomination. Others will preach and blog of justice, grace, and love triumphing.

I will preach (this Sunday) and blog of hope. Hope for 'what may come' in our denomination and hope for an expanded role for all of God's children in the church.

More to come on this issue in the future, for now I'm exhausted after a fun and long wedding weekend in Asheville.

Michelle Obama in NY Times

The NY Times has a solid article on Michelle Obama today. It's clear (as if it wasn't before) that she's incredibly passionate and has some strong principles. Two quotes I really liked...

"I looked out at my neighborhood and sort of had an epiphany that I had to bring my skills to bear in the place that made me," she says in the interview. "I wanted to have a career motivated by passion and not just money."

Like Barack she spent her time in the "trenches" in South Chicago, despite an Ivy League degree. In many ways the passion/money issue is a big part of why I'm doing what I do.

And one that requires reading the whole article for context...

"I hate diversity workshops," she says. "Real change comes from having enough comfort to be really honest and say something very uncomfortable."

I think that gives some insight into some of her quotes that have been blown up by the media. In a more direct sense, it challenges those of us who seek change to be willing to face the uncomfortable, especially when the uncomfortable is the face in the mirror.

Preaching Postmodernity (whatever that means...)

Well, I'm now slated to preach on July 6. For my general anxieties with preaching, go here. The good news is that I've been in the pulpit so much recently that I'm much more comfortable with the whole process...

Honestly, this time I'm pretty excited. I've read and re-read the passages I've selected, Matt: 16-30 (ignoring that the lectionary cuts out v.20-24) and Romans 7:15-25, and have gone through several commentaries. I've even written some thoughts out and could easily 'finish' the sermon in a couple hours. We commission our Montreat crew that morning so I have a great opportunity to talk about my theology of youth ministry, which I haven't really done since my first sermon.

My new anxiety is whether I try to spend time talking about postmodern thought and theology to an unapologetically modernist congregation. Is it worth it to even mention that you're wary of Truth claims and putting God in a box, or is it better to "play it safe" and just talk in broader terms about my youth ministry approach? What about when your theology is shaped by an emerging worldview that many could care less to hear about? What about when that worldview isn't definable, when so many want explicit definitions.... The questions go on and on.

SC: Last in Cigarette Taxes, Last in Governing Competence

In 2005 Time Magazine named South Carolina's Mark Sanford one of America's worst governors. This week's veto of the Cigarette Tax bill confirmed that assertion in my mind.

Equally pathetic was the legislature's inability to override the veto due to Republican strong-arming that led a number of lawmakers to tuck tail and change their votes.

Why hate on ("vote down" for you older types) a bill raising cigarette taxes? Sanford and Sons didn't like that the revenue was to be used to fund Medicaid and child health care. Some conservatives' primary fear is that children will then grow up with an "entitlement" mentality, all thanks to some socialist expenditures based off revenue from the cigarette tax. Thanks to our legislators' "all for the rich, none for the poor" mentality the SC cigarette tax will remain at a disgraceful dead last $0.07 for another year.

I know "progress" is a dirty word to many in this state, but apparently "common sense" and "decency" have been deemed just as vulgar by our elected officials.

It's not like SC DHEC determined that heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in all "regions" of the state. Oh whoops, looks like I misspoke... Well at least smoking isn't a leading cause of heart disease and cancer. Whoops, I misspoke again and again.

SARCASM WARNING: Some good news, though... Sanford didn't veto this week's bill making indigo blue the state color. A true victory for all indigo blue-enthusiasts like myself!

Believe It or Not: Katrina Recovery Continues...

On Sunday I'll hop on a very familiar blue-trimmed church bus (I'll probably be driving) and depart for the Gulf Coast. Sunday will mark the start of our fourth Hurricane Katrina relief trip to Pearlington, MS, a small town located on the Mississippi Bayou, and our fifth trip overall.

(Note: Last October's trip was to Houma, LA, a town devastated by 2005's other major Louisiana-bound hurricane, Rita.)

It was nearly two years ago when we first arrived in Pearlington to the sight of head-high debris piles and splintered, moldy homes. Our visit to the Ninth Ward that week was indescribable; a place where the bustling sounds of laughter mixing with Satchmo mixing with Lil Wayne had been drastically replaced with wilderness-like silence. At the time cars were piled on houses and houses, shifted from their foundations, piled on cars. GPS numbers indicated the spots where bodies had been found. Indescribable, indeed.

Today (or when I most recently visited in October) the Gulf Coast is recovering. As cynical as it may sound, the Gulf will never "recover" if "recovery" means a strict return to the way things once were. Chaos, death, destruction. These aren't things anyone "recovers" from. We learn, we grow, we move forward, we even reclaim aspects of whom and what we once were, but we remain forever changed.

Service to others has been a deep-seated passion, a foundational point of my life, for a long time. Many people wax cynical about a lacking human capacity to make positive changes in our world, but after four weeks on the Gulf Coast, and with number five looming, I can honestly say that change has been made and is being made daily in Pearlington and in Houma and in New Orleans. Things will never be as they once were, but change is happening. Thanks be to God.

Side note: As of this morning I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make this trip since I have to return two days early. The good news is that plans occasionally come together perfectly and that this was one of those occasions. To quote Hannibal from the A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together."

I'll be sure to post more reflections, they're already brewing in my head....

YouTube HD (almost)

So I'm sure you're like me; a kind soul patiently awaiting the unveiling of YouTube HD.

Yes or no, there is an intermediate fix that has been out a couple months. If you add the following text " &fmt=18 " to the end of a youtube video url you'll get a higher quality video.

In other words, open a youtube video, paste &fmt=18 onto the end of the address, and hit refresh. It's internet magic!

I tried it on several videos and it clearly works. Very cool. Here's a live version of one of my favorite songs for proof. Spread the love.

Bob Marley and the Wailers - Wake Up and Live (The Legend Live DVD, 11.25.79)

Low Quality:




High Quality:

Gas-Tax Relief No Holiday

Just finished reading a solid post at Gristmill on Obama's stance on the gas-tax holiday.

Low energy prices -- kept low with tax breaks, ruined mountaintops, scarred lungs, and now-fracturing ice shelves -- are what enabled suburbia, the "love affair" with the auto, and the hellspawn of SUVs that has begun engulfing China. Only high energy prices -- prices that internalize the grievous costs of energy extraction and combustion via gas taxes and revenue-neutral carbon taxes -- can instill the incentives and propagate the behaviors that will move us and other nations off of oil and off of carbon in the nick of time.

Simply stated, cutting costs isn't going to cut reliance on and/or overconsumption of oil. Gas has hit a point where overall US consumption is predicted to fall in '08 (Business Week). However, it hasn't hit a point where consumption is going to fall so far that our C02 emissions will follow suit.

I'm no saint on this issue as I drive a hand-me-down '95 Jeep Wrangler. Right now I can't afford to buy a new Prius, or even Civic Hybrid. Still I have been looking at the used Civic Hybrid market.

If the auto industry had a real interest in combating climate change, they would find a way to not only make more hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, but (and perhaps of equal importance) they would find ways to make them affordable for middle class and low-income consumers who are the ones that will have their budgets crippled by rising fuel costs. Tax rebates are great, but as more people buy hybrid vehicles those rebates are decreasing. Maybe there's some great "affordable-hybrid" program I don't know about for low-income folks, but it would seem to be in everyone's advantage if the technology was more affordable.

Just my $.02. As for Obama, it's just one more reason I support the man, and a great example of a tangible policy change from "politics as usual!" Only time will tell if he A) gets the opportunity to put that difference into practice and B) follows up on that opportunity...

The Unproductive Weekend Ahead

Today brings a rollercoaster of emotions for millions across this great nation. Before us is an ebb and flow tide of joy and anger, frustration and relief. A trying and triumphant unofficial national holiday. Break out the cheap beer and leave work early. The NCAA tournament begins today. Not much more can be said.

As far as my primary bracket goes (who really fills out just one?), my picks feel far “too safe” to even dream of having a bracket as successful as last year’s when I unbelievably finished #1606 of the roughly two million entries on ESPN.com. Time will tell.

For now, a question for the ages. Do I do the unthinkable and clandestinely hope that Clemson actually wins two games for the sake of bracket bragging rights, or do I hope that they lose in the first round, you know, because they’re Clemson. *Shudder*

Final 4 Picks
UNC
Kansas
Texas
UCLA (eventual champion)

Lastly, for those of you who have to work while the games are on: http://www.channelsurfing.net/

(In)experience Counts

Who understands does not preach;
Who preaches does not understand.
- Tao Teh Ching, 56 (Merel Translation)

I've been blessed, perhaps called, to preach several times at the church where I work. Truth be told, this is unusual. I don't hold a MDiv and I'm not currently in seminary. I'm "simply" a youth director who has been given a great opportunity.

I've now preached five times in the last year and a half, surely no Guinness record. The last two times have probably been the toughest. Not because I thought it had all been said before. Not because I had difficult passages (though you try preaching on the slaughter of innocents six days after Christmas). Not because I've had little to no 'proper' training in public speaking. The reason they've been tough is this: somewhere along the line I realized that I have no idea what I'm doing (in some enigmatic, humbling, "place in the world" sense).

Preparing a sermon, for me, requires asking countless questions. Here are a few in no particular order...

"What's the historical and societal context of this passage?"

"How is God speaking to me / the body of Christ / our culture in this passage?"

"What hook can I pull from the text?"

"What personal story might bring the theme home for the listener (any listener)?"

And perhaps the toughest...

"What the hell is my title going to be?!?" My last title search, ending with A Steady Guide for the ______ Journey, nearly drove our office manager to poison my coffee.

Still, bearing your soul and potentially showing your insanity before a large group of people is a challenging prospect. Maybe that's why I haven't fully embraced the concept of blogging.

Ultimately the prep questions shore themselves up through study, prayer, procrastination, preaching to an empty sanctuary (woodshedding, like in the jazz tradition), and one or two mild panic attacks.

Ultimately I stand before 300 people on any given Sunday and share what insight I've gleaned from immersing myself in passages of scripture assigned by the lectionary.

Ultimately two services pass, two nearly identical sermons are given, and many elderly ladies (whose names I still haven't learned after 31 months) tell me that I'm called to be a preacher.

It's a funny thing, but I've come to realize it's not just some great resume-enhancing experience, but a true, bring-you-to-your-knees calling.

One of the best preachers I know once said that preaching can be "humiliating." Truer words have rarely been spoken.

Saturday Night Hoops

My ‘comeback’ wasn’t a misplaced tease; it’s just taking time to get some decent posts written in the midst of work, my new fascination with sports blogs, and time spent following the primaries. For my first post back, here are some quick basketball-related ramblings…

Saturday night was a good one for basketball. While putting down some mediocre high gravity IPA (Long Hammer from Red Hook Brewery) at Village Idiot, I was treated to an exciting USC win (though I was the only person paying much attention until about 2 minutes to go) and a surprisingly entertaining NBA skills challenge.

First off, the Gamecocks improved to 12-12 (4-6) with a win over not-so-mighty Alabama. My observations …

1) Devan Downey is a BEAST. I love this kid’s style and ability. Simply off the charts. No matter what Dave Odom foolishly said after our beatdown at the hands of UGA, Downey is easily the best PG in the SEC this year.

2) Mike Holmes apparently fought his way out of Odom’s doghouse and had a very respectable 10pts, 8 rebs. I’ve been pulling hard for Holmes all year and really hope to see him succeed. I think he has the potential to be a solid C/PF for several years to come. Hopefully the internet rumors about Mike potentially transferring to Winthrop are unfounded and very, very misguided.

3) A .500 or better season would be a huge asset in our coaching search. I can’t figure this team out on the court (win @ Ole Miss, bend over @ UGA, play hard to win vs. Bama), still I’ll cheer them on while saying nightly prayers for Anthony Grant of VCU to ride into town on a Garnet and Black horse later this spring…

On to the NBA (I STILL love this game…)

I’ve always really liked Dwight Howard as a baller. I like him even more after the dunk contest. His first dunk was incredible, assuming you can get past the miss in the first 50 seconds of this clip:
My only complaint was that his second dunk scored a “perfect” 50 as well. There’s no way. Can it even be considered a dunk? He threw the ball through the hoop and was nowhere near touching the rim w/ his hands. I’ve followed basketball all my life, and I just can’t justify calling that a dunk. Entertaining? Yes. Still, I’m not sure if wearing the superman cape on a very impressive non-dunk should get you a 50. Judge for yourself…

Either way the dunk contest was much more entertaining than other recent dunk contests I recall. Still, for me none will compare to the 2000 contest where Vince Carter redefined what the contest meant. That’s not a knock on some of the great contests of the 80’s…

Too bad he couldn’t get over the “next Jordan” hype that trailed him out of UNC.

Until next time (and hopefully more thought),

Chris

I'm baaaaack....

After nearly two years of neglecting the blogger within me, I've decided to give this a go again. I'm not sure if anyone has interest at this point, but I figured if anything it will be a place to save some stories and thoughts for future sermons and songs. Enjoy THE RETURN...