28 Candles

Altho I will probably not have a cake this year I continually ponder the significance of the sheer volume of candles that would be on said cake. It's hard for me to think of myself as almost 30, but the reality is just that.

As I stop to look around and see what my 28 years here on earth have accomplished, I can see many good things...

a beautiful wife of five plus years
a wonderful daughter of eight plus months
commissioned on the elder track in the North Texas Conference
a master's degree from Perkins
a bachelor's degree from A&M
part of the staff of a vibrant, growing church
pastoral experience in two other great churches

I am excited about year 29 here on planet Earth...if nothing else, it should at least be fun!

Grace&Peace

Here's what I'm wondering...

Why does a United Methodist church allow it's single-most influential children's event to be driven by Baptist theology?

It seems to me that if the UMC wants to be true to it's Wesleyan roots, we would need to teach Wesleyan theology to our children during Vacation Bible School. It just blows my mind that 800 kids here at Trietsch are learning about salvation using an un-Methodist paradigm. Now, I know that denominational loyalty in the 21st century is nothing like it used to be, but come on - shouldn't we be PROUD of our Methodist roots and want to embrace them?!?!

I guess I am sensitive to this issue, but I wouldn't want Caitlyn to come home from my church's VBS wondering why she was a sinner and needed to repent. I am all for explaining her baptism to her and helping her to understand what Jesus did on the cross, but does singing songs about being a sinner and needing to ask for forgiveness really edify children under the age of 8?

Anyone care to rebut?

Grace&Peace

Hank's Trek

I found this clip from King of the Hill and thought I would share it with you. Anybody want to go to this church?

Grace&Peace

Caitlyn Events

The past few weeks have been highly eventful for Caitlyn, so I thought I would take a moment and let you know about her newest milestones.

1 - Last Wednesday she just opened her mouth and started babbling - it was very cute, but very incoherent, but what 8 month old isn't incoherent? Then on Thursday, she was babbling along and out popped "mama"! Caitlyn's first word was "mama"! Debbie was (and still is) beaming about this...and dad's pretty happy too.

2 - On Saturday as she was getting ready for bed, she was babbling again and out popped "dada"! And guess who was sitting right there when it happened...ME, her "dada"! It was a moment I will never forget.

3 - Yesterday the three of us were sitting on the couch in the living room relaxing and Caitlyn seemed a little tired, so we gave her a drink of water from my glass (she really likes this) and we heard this "clinking" sound as she was drinking. It turns out that the "clinking" sound was her new bottom teeth hitting the glass as she drank! Caitlyn is cutting teeth! So then Debbie and I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to see them, but Caitlyn kept putting her tongue in the way, so we were not able to see them, only feel them. They are surprisingly sharp for baby teeth.

OK, thanks for the indulgence.

Grace&Peace

Don't I have enough on my plate already?

I really should be doing other work right now, but I feel compelled to post. I am not exactly sure what I am going to post about, but I got very little sleep last night, so I am not sure if I am in the right state of mind just yet.

Anyway, Caitlyn has double ear infections again and is only comfortable when in an upright position (relieving pressure in her ears) - so laying down in her crib is almost useless. Deb and I were awake about half the night last night consoling her as she cried and sobbed her way thru the evening, late night, and early morning hours. It just breaks my heart to see tears roll down her beautiful face. I want so much to take away her pain so that she can rest comfortably. I want so much to ease her discomfort so that she can smile again, laugh again, and be herself again. It just breaks my heart.

I imagine that's the same way God feels when we are in pain - especially when that pain is avoidable. I'm sure that just as I sat in Caitlyn's room crying with her as she communicated the only way she knows how, God sits with us as we struggle to make sense of the mess we have made of our lives thru sin. Wanting to take away our pain. Wanting to ease our burden by taking it upon Himself. Knowing that the only way to freedom is thru the right medicine.

In the case of ear infections, that's an antibiotic. In the case of sin, that's Jesus' death on the cross. He is the only medicine that can take the screw-ups, failures, and messes of our lives and turn them into hope, joy, and peace. In the "detours" and "wrong turns" in our lives, our ultimate directions must come from Christ because he is the one who can lead us home.

Jesus, those who love you still feel the pain and discomfort of a life lived without you as it's center. Guide us to make you the driving force behind all that we do, so that we can leave behind the sin that so easily entangles us. Thank you for drawing near to us in our pain. Thank you for making a way thru the pain. Thank you for being our strength when we feel like we have given our all. Amen.

Grace&Peace

For Sherry...

I just wanted to say that the way the elimination on American Idol was handled last night was borderline cruel. Chris is a good singer and did not deserve that abrupt dismissal from Ryan.

OK - I promise never to post about American Idol again.

Grace&Peace

A Completely Different Feeling

For the first time in 20 years, the month of May does not bring me to the point of ending a school year. Since graduating from seminary last year my life no longer revolves around the school calendar and I am still not sure how I feel about that. It seems that the routine of ending a chapter of my life each May brought a sense of closure each spring, but now I am entering a new phase of life that does not necessarily involve watching the school calendar flip to the last page.

Many of you reading this are going thru final exams right now and are still tied to the school calendar. Please know that I am praying for you and wish you the best as you study for and take your exams in the next few weeks. Please take care of yourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually thru these trying times.

Grace&Peace

PS - Let me know when you are coming home so that we can celebrate in style!

Prophetic Voices

I want to generate a little discussion with this post, so here goes...

In the last 100 years, who do you think has spoken with the loudest prophetic voice? What issue(s) did/does this person speak to? Why do you mention this particular individual?

I really want your honest feedback on this question, so think about it and post your comment.

Grace&Peace

Time for a new post!

This weekend was one of those life-changing times that only happens once during the course of a life. Well, I say that the weekend was life-changing, but really the good stuff happened on Sunday morning during worship. But first, the background...

On Friday, Deb, Caitlyn, and I went out to eat with my parents, grandparents, sister, and brother-in-law. They were all in town to celebrate Caitlyn's baptism on Sunday morning.

On Saturday, Deb, Caitlyn, and I hosted Deb's parents and Caitlyn's godparents, Morgan & Rachel Schilhab at our house for dinner. Again, they were in town for Caitlyn's baptism on Sunday morning.

On Sunday, I had the privilege to baptize my daughter. And not only did all of our immediate family get to witness the event, but our Trietsch family joined us in celebrating Caitlyn's welcoming into the body of Christ.

I must confess that I was rather nervous all morning long - mostly because I didn't want to forget anything (like my new stole or my "lines" in the liturgy) or drop my little girl (not that I would in a million years!) or cry too much. I was successful on all fronts, but the crying thing did take some effort to avoid! What a great joy to be able to baptize my own daughter and to share that with so many people that we love and respect. It was truly a magical weekend!

Grace&Peace

PS - Elevation is off to a great start!

FutureGen 06 - Day 3

Phoenix is a great city and I will miss it when I am back in Dallas. I hope to bring Debbie and Caitlyn out here sometime in the future - maybe when it's warmer...maybe not. I need to send out a few thank you's before I jump into today's update: to Jon, for being a great traveling companion and an even more awesome conversation partner; to Dave R. (Jon's dad) for hooking us up with a sweet place to stay and a free ride on Southwest; to Molly (Jon's girlfriend) for living in Phoenix before she moved to Dallas so that we could meet her friends and know the local hangouts for evening activities; to Kerry, for letting us borrow her car for the time we were in town - most excellent ride; and to Debbie for allowing me to shower her with gifts while I was several hundred miles away.

On to the day's festivities...

Workshop Five began promptly at 9am this morning (no rest for the weary). The session was entitled, "Preaching, Teaching, or Talking for Life Change in Young Adults" and was presented by the very funny Randy Jumper. He talked about "the 7-11 rule" for transformation in young adults: 7 ways to lead young adults thru transition and 11 needs of young adult communicators. Very helpful stuff! Kudos to you, Mr. Jumper!

Next we went to worship - led again by Nobility Obliged - and featuring Mike Kelsey (from D.C.). Mike talked about vision and the essentials of leading young adults in any part of the country and in any size ministry. Good stuff!

Jon and I then headed to Fajita's to partake of their namesake for lunch. The conversation was better than the meal, but the atmosphere was great. Thanks again Jon for good convo and insights.

Workshop Six awaited us when we returned from lunch and this time Jon and I actually attended the same session, "Dating with Pure Passion" by Rob Eagar. I picked this session because I know that I will need to lead a series of talks on dating/relationships in the future and I wanted to get some groundwork laid for those talks...especially since I am no longer in the dating scene (thank you Jesus!). Rob had plenty of good insights - all of which led to his book (titled the same as the seminar and available for purchase outside at one of the tables...coincidence, I think not).

Our last workshop, Workshop Seven, called, "Maximum Impact: Making Your Gathering Significant" was led by the Two Chads of CCV. The Chads gave us many good tips and suggestions on making your gatherings a time that people remember: closing with a question, giving them a "takeaway", involving movement/visuals/atmosphere, etc. We ended the session with a brainstorming time where we made up an event that our church was going to have. We ended up with a battle-of-the-bands block party, hoping to attract 150 people with food, games, giveaways, music and fun. I don't know if it would work, but it was fun visioning the event.

Closing worship featured Todd Phillips and he talked about social justice issues that the evangelical branch of the Church has long ignored in favor of orthodoxy and biblical knowledge. I almost got up and walked out about 10 minutes into Todd's talk because he was close to saying some fairly inflammatory statement about mainline Christianity and the churches that existed within that realm. However, he brought it back around and made good on his point. I absolutely agree with the need for the Church to be more involved in the lives of people who are hurting, oppressed, downtrodden, or outcast in favor of having tons of people in Bible study each week. I believe this mostly because those who are not Christian generally do not see us when we are locked away in ivory towers of knowledge. They see us when we cut them off in traffic, when we ignore people begging for food, when we verbally assault them for having different beliefs than we do, etc. I want those who are outside the Church to see Christians who care about other people, who lift up those who are down, and reach out to those who need a helping hand.

And so endeth the conference...but not out time in Phoenix!

Tonight we headed for Oregano's for some famous pizza with another couple of Molly's friends: Meg and Michelle. The food was amazing (go ahead and splurge for the cookie dessert - it's worth it!)! We had good conversation with two relatively unchurched people and I think that Jon and I did a good job of representing the Christians who live out their faith in tangible ways, not just say things and then never act on them.

Earlier in the week I told you that we might have a chance to play some Texas Hold'em and tonight was the night. But, when we got to the bar, the games had started an hour earlier and they were only playing one round. So Jon and I headed back to the hotel and here we are now preparing to leave Phoenix tomorrow morning.

Another long one...sorry...lots of stuff happening...see you back in Big-D (if that's where I see you)!

Grace&Peace

FutureGen 06 - Day 2

Hello again from Phoenix! My first thought of this post is to inquire as to why it is not warmer in the desert? I mean, come on...there's sand, cacti, and lots of adobe around here...why isn't it warm outside. If I wanted mid-50s and gusty winds I could have stayed in Dallas. Oh well que sera sera.

On to the day's activities...

We started with our first workshop at 9am. I went to "Reaching the Unchurched Male: Programming and Planning with Guys in Mind" led by the Two Chads (as only I refer to them...and then only in my head and here on this blog). I was interested in this workshop because for some reason I personally have a harder time connecting with guys that with girls on a relational/pastoral level. Maybe its just my personality. Maybe its that I feel threatened. Maybe I'm just a moron at talking about "guy things." This session helped me to learn that I need to be intentional about offering programming opportunities that appeal and attract men - tailgate parties, meetings at Buffalo Wild Wings/Fox & Hound, and hunting trips. The only problem with that is that I do not currently do any of those things. I don't hunt, fish, go to many football games, or hang out at sports bars. Should I? Not sure about this one, but I am willing to do what it takes to make guys feel welcome and comfortable.

The next scheduled activity was worship...which Jon and I proceeded to blow off in favor of Starbucks and conversation (very emerging if I do say so myself). We talked about our churches and our visions/dreams for their future and what we would do differently if we could start over with our current ministry situations. It was time well spent. Thanks Jon!

We then went to lunch outside on the patio of the resort where the conference is being held (did I mention that it was cold and windy?). We sat at "regional tables" which for us meant that we sat with a bunch of other people from Texas....it is a big state after all. Enjoyed the conversation, but the food was just OK, nothing spectacular. We soon retreated to the inside in order to prepare for our next workshop, but also to defrost (did I mention that it's a little chilly here?).

Workshop two was by far the best one of the day. The session, entitled "The Attraction Factor: How Leadership Really Happens" by Aaron Stern, gave me hope that I can manage the growth of my ministry and be prepared to lead people in new directions. Aaron gave us five "ideas" which he used to mold and shape his leadership team into the mighty force that it is today. Each of the "ideas" is not really anything new to me, but in combination and if used strategically, the possibilities are almost limitless. I look forward to visioning the future of the young adult ministry at Trietsch with those ideas and that leadership structure in mind.

Workshop three took me on a quick trip thru the world of the Alpha course. I chose this session because Trietsch already offers an Alpha course and I was thinking about encouraging a core group of my "constituents" to attend this fall and then look for people outside our church to invite to the next session (in the spring of 07). I still think that idea can work, but it needs some tweaking and refining. Please pray for me to continue to seek God's direction with that particular piece of my ministry.

My fourth workshop of the day was "Spiritual Formation thru Community" with Doug Pagitt of Solomon's Porch in Minneapolis, MN. His approach to spiritual formation (holistic) and his understanding of what the body of Christ should be about were not technically new to me, but they were just enough foreign from what I know and understand for the session not to resonate as fully with me as it could have. I truly enjoy what Doug has to say about preaching, but I guess I need some more time to process his ecclesiology.

Our evening culminated in a trip to Christ's Church of the Valley and dinner and worship. This church hosts over 12k people each weekend and they have gone to great lengths to intentionally program for 25-45 year old males (the Two Chads work there) and it shows in their worship space, their Cafe, and their campus in general. (Check out their website too!) Dinner was excellent. Worship was powerful and authentic. The speaker, Ken Baugh challenged us to be leaders and to overcome the doubt that so easily plagues our ministries/lives/relationships. He used the example of Gideon from Judges 6-7 to illustrate the doubt we have and the way God can use us inspite of what we think we can or cannot do.

Ok, if you have read this far, I applaud you. Thanks for your time. More tomorrow!

Grace&Peace

FutureGen 06 - Day 1

Well, Jon and I arrived in Phoenix without too much delay (altho there was that unexpected hour delay in Houston due to a mechanical problem with the airplane). Both flights were bumpy, but bearable. The peanuts and Coke were refreshing and hunger-satisfying.

Opening worship was great! The band played loud and with passion. They played the way I would want the band that will lead worship at Trietsch's new worship service. Any musicians out there interested? They sang from their hearts and they poured out an offering of music to our Creator - fantastic! EDIT: the band's name is Nobility Obliged - very cool!

The first speaker was Trevor Bron - who has an amazing testimony to God's faithfulness and grace in the face of major human SCREW UPS. He lost his pastorate (he never directly told us why) five years ago and told us stories of how God has used his time on the bottom for self-revelation and self-realization. He challenged us to strive to be REAL in every part of our lives so that our efforts to be RELEVANT will come as a natural outflow of our lives.

God, I pray that my ministry and my calling are always avenues to be real with people who are living real lives with real pain and real needs. May I never lose sight of that because of my office or work schedule. Amen.

Tomorrow will include four sessions (no, I have not yet chosen my workshops!) and more opportunities for worship and prayer. Also, it looks like Jon and I will have a chance to try our luck in a Texas Hold'em tournament on Wednesday evening after we are finished with the conference.

More tomorrow - and I'll see if I can take some pictures with my phone and get them uploaded here. In the meantime, if you have never been to Phoenix before, be prepared for the many shades of tan...trust me!

Grace&Peace

Gone All Week

I will be out of town for a conference this week, so I am not sure if I will have a chance to check email or update my blog. However, if the hotel has a business center that I can use, I will update from Phoenix to let you all know how things are going. I may even snap some pictures and upload those (we'll see).

Leave me some love. See you next Monday for sure!

Countdown to April 6 - 18 days!

Grace&Peace

Leading Change

Have you ever wondered what it takes to lead change within an organization? It seems that no matter what size organization or change, there will be opposition, agreement, and indifference/ambivalence.

I have two major change efforts that I would like to lead my sphere of influence thru over the next year:

1) restructuring/reorganizing the hospitality ministries
2) revamping the Thursday night young adult gathering

I am in the beginning stages of these efforts, but I have already felt pressure to "leave things alone" from within and without. Please pray for me as I follow God's lead on these action items. Pray that God will clear out the internal distractions by giving me the confidence to know when to move forward and when to hold back. Pray that those who will be affected by these changes will catch the vision God has given me and will be willing to forge ahead in new directions.

Grace&Peace

What a weekend!

This weekend started with a bang and ended with a fizzle...

On Friday, Debbie, Caitlyn, and I went to Landon and Erin's wedding rehearsal, but because Caitlyn wasn't feeling well, we did not get a chance to go to the rehearsal dinner. It's OK, because now she is feeling much better and I knew what I needed to do for Saturday.

On Saturday, Landon and Erin's wedding took place without a hitch (both showed up and both said "yes"). The reception afterwards out at Circle R Ranch was very cool - excellent food choice! I want to echo Nat's sentiments of congratulations.

On Sunday, I was liturgist at all 3 morning services so I arrived early and did not have a chance to eat before leaving the house. Mistakenly, I ate something that was on the workroom table (probably from Friday) without even thinking about it. As my morning wound down and I drove home to prepare for dinner with some friends, my stomach started churning. I'll spare you the details, but needless to say, I did not make it to dinner (that had been planned for 6 weeks) and had to stay home with my good friends Tylenol and Pepto.

Still a little woosy this morning, but getting better with each passing hour. Hope my readers out there had a good weekend. Looking forward to seeing those of you who will be home for Spring Break this week. Stop by the office anytime - I'd love to catch up and hear how your semester is going.

Grace&Peace

The Gift of Newness*

*This devotional comes from The Upper Room Disciplines 2006 for Sunday, March 5, 2006 by Dr. Wendy M. Wright, Professor of Theology and holder of the John C. Kenefick Chair in the Humanities, Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

Read:
Mark 1:9-15 (NIV, Msg, NLT)

From childhood, the desert has held a lure for me. To the superficial gaze, the desert landscape is barren; but when you spend time there, its rich variety becomes evident. As the sun goes down, it comes alive with many kinds of creatures. The desert is a wonderful, complex ecosystem that yields its mysteries slowly over time.

Since the fourth century the church has observed forty days of preparation before the great feast of Easter. And on the first Sunday of those forty days, the church proclaims the story of Jesus' temptation in the desert. Set in high relief, with its spare, stark language, Mark's temptation scene strikes us with its austerity. Washed in the waters, Jesus hears himself addressed as beloved son; then, he is immediately driven out into the wilderness.

So it is with us. To be a Christian is to be incorporated into the body of Christ. We enter that mystery through baptism. As in the Gospel narrative, we are called to the fullness of our baptismal promise through a kenotic process: temptations, struggles, reevaluations, new and often painful learning and unlearning. To be a Christian is to be driven out into the desert. Yet the desert is not barren but full of life, a rich and complex environment that reveals itself as beautiful, healing, life-giving, and restorative. So too our Lent. We are called to sacrifice, to self-denial, to radical reorientation. But we are called thus because we are beloved sons and daughters, because we are infinitely loved and called to more than we can presently imagine.

Suggestion for Meditation:
Consider the struggles or temptations you bring into this Lenten season. Know that you are not only present to these struggles with the beasts but with the angels as well, as was Jesus. Into the barren loneliness of your desert, bring the knowledge that you are deeply loved because you are a child of God. Allow yourself to explore this desert place in its unexpected richness, its potential to bring you to insight, healing, and new life.

Grace&Peace

This is what I have been called by God to do on a daily basis. I pray that our journey together brings about changes that impact creation, humanity, and the future of God's kingdom.

Has the "religious right" really come this far??

Initial Emmaus Reflections

I thought I understood what God's love and grace was all about, but this weekend I experience anew the unrelenting and undeniable love and grace of my Creator. The outpouring of agape and the constant prayer that I experience this weekend will go with me throughout the rest of my ministry.

I want to thank those of you who wrote letters....Debbie, Caitlyn, Melissa, Alexis, David, Pam, Landon, Mom, Dad, and many, many more. They spoke to my heart and they touched my soul. Your words of encouragement and inspiration will sustain me on days when life gets me down and I don't feel like living for Jesus.

During one of the Communion services (those of you who have been on Emmaus know what it's called) I laid down my self-reliance for my work, my family, and my walk. I left it there at the foot of the cross and I would like to enlist your help in keeping me accountable to my commitment. If you see, hear, or identify a point in my ministry, my family time, or my personal walk with Christ where I am relying on my own power, rather than the strength of the Holy Spirit, please get my attention and correct me.

De Colores!
Dean Libby
Denton Area Emmaus Walk #21
Table of Matthew

Grace&Peace

Weekend Plans

This weekend I will be out at Lake Sharon for the Walk to Emmaus. Please be in prayer for me as I leave behind the worries of work and the loves of my life (Debbie & Caitlyn) to be on their own for 72 hours. Please also be in prayer for the other men on the walk as they too leave behind their lives for a brief time and seek to reconnect and refresh their relationship with God.

See you Monday!

Grace&Peace

Emerging Preaching

As I continue to read from the authors/thinkers in the emerging church movement, I am challenged to rethink, reexamine, and re-learn what it means to be in ministry to a culture that is content with being at odds with (or at least unconcerned with) what God has to say about their lives.

One of the areas I am doing some research in is preaching. I have mentioned Doug Pagitt's work in Preaching Re-Imagined before but I offer up another quote for discussion. In his chapter on "centralized control" he makes the argument that preachers need to be willing to acknowledge that crafting sermons by themselves in their studies without influence from the church at large (the audience for said sermon) leads to one-way dialogue and rather generic, catch-all sermons that have little chance of impacting the members of the community in a personal way. He says this:

"Why would we call people to a personal connection with God and yet be content to give them generic, universal experiences with the message of faith?" (p 124)

His question, for me, strikes at the heart of the goal of preaching. If we are content to preach messages that touch on "issues" that "people" may be facing in their lives, are we really doing all we can to reach the "people" in our congregations? Or are we just doing what we need to to get by?

I ask this question because I have preached a generic sermon with a "universal...message of faith" in my church without blinking an eye. I did it because I was asked to preach and I did it because that was the model of preaching I was taught. However, there seems to be a great amount of credence to the practice of involving the members of the congregation in the creation of sermons. I mean, how better to speak directly into the lives, hearts, and minds of our people than to know what is going on in their life and giving them a chance to bounce ideas off of you?

I guess I am of the opinion that if my sermons are not deeply rooted in the character of the congregation they are presented to, then I am only a passing wind or a brief noise in a hearer's ear.

What do you think? Am I crazy? off-kilter? what?

Grace&Peace

I PASSED!!

Just wanted everyone who reads my blog to know that my interview with the Board of Ordained Ministry went very well and I will be recommended to the Clergy Session of the North Texas Annual Conference for Commissioning on the Elder Track. This means that I am eligible for ordination in 2009. Passing this Board was a major hurdle in my journey towards ordained ministry and I am glad to be passed it.

The BOM changed the format of the P&Q interview process for 2006, so I have no experience with the previous set-up, but from my experience, the new format was smooth, well-organized, and helpful at every step of the way. I appreciate all the elders, deacons, and lay persons who were part of the interview process on Monday.

I want to thank all of you who were praying for me on Monday afternoon - I definitely felt the prayers and the presence of the Holy Spirit during my time at the Prothro Center. If any of you are interested, the Commissioning Service will be at 9:00am on June 5, 2006 at the Plano Centre in Plano. It will only take about 30 minutes, but it would mean a lot to me if you could be there.

Grace&Peace

Getting Ready for P&Q

In one week I will go before the Board of Ordained Ministry for the North Texas Conference and by the end of the day, it will be determined whether I will be going on to commissioning or whether I will have to wait for another year before proceeding in the process of ordination.

I can't really express how nervous I am at the thought of being grilled for 2 1/2 to 3 hours about all matters theological, doctrinal, worship, and more. I am hopeful that the newly instated "retreat" format will make the process a little smoother/less nerve-racking. I've never gone through the previous format, so I really have nothing to compare it to, but I have heard horror stories about the pressure cooker that forms when its just you staring at 15-18 people who are trained to pepper you with questions about your written work/sermons/Bible study plan/Discipline.

Unfortunately, Debbie won't be able to come with me (its at Lake Texoma) because month-end is her busy time and she can't get away. My candidacy mentor will be there for support, but she will only be able to pray for me during my interviews, not sit in on them. I would ask all of you who read this to do the same - pray for me between 1:00 and 5:00pm on Monday, January 30. I would covet your prayers in this matter because as much as I know God has called me to the ordained ministry, it is up to me to spend 3 hours convincing a panel of my ministry colleagues.

Ok, that's enough of that. Have a blessed day!

Grace&Peace

Post-Christmas "Blahs"

Have you ever noticed how deeply people's spirits dip after the holidays? It's like they were elated to celebrate Christmas and New Year's, but now that we are a full three weeks into 2006, the thrill is gone. I wonder why that is. Is it because we build up the holidays as a magical, enchanting time of year - full of wonder and possibility, but then January 2 rolls around and the festive twinkle in the air goes AWOL. No one walks with a spring in their step. We just simply try to make it to the next holiday.

What a defeated way to live - from holiday to holiday. Living like that just seems depressing and worthless - I mean, Christ calls us to live lives of empowerment, not entertainment. It seems that living for the "high" of the holiday (and I use that term loosely around Valentine's, St. Patrick's, and other greeting-card-fueled days) would lead to bottoming out during the off-peak times, with the possibility of listlessness and feelings of impotence during the stretch from MLK to VD (almost a whole month!!).

This phenomenon was demonstrated clearly to me last year when Debbie and I went to Fredricksburg for our anniversary in early January. I want to preface this story with the fact that Fredricksburg is a very popular tourist destination in Texas, lots of local color, lots of history, and many, many, many great B&Bs. We only stayed for a short while, but we wanted to soak up as much of the local culture as we could before heading to San Antonio for a few days, but half (if not more) of the places we had picked out to visit during our stay were CLOSED for at least the next 10-14 days! We called a nice restaurant in town to have dinner - closed for another week. We stopped by a chocolate factory for a sample - closed for another 10 days. We walked up and down the main drag in town - at least one out of every 3 doors had a "closed until..." sign on it. We ended up having dinner at a local Italian restaurant and there were only two other tables occupied by patrons during our 90 minute stay. On a brighter note, the B&B we stayed at was WONDERFUL - the owner served a delicious breakfast in the morning and was a great conversationalist. I would recommend her establishment to anyone who needs a place to stay in Fredricksburg. One caveat remains - go during the summertime, much more to do/see/visit and the peaches are in season too!

Ok, all that to say that I hope you are not suffering from the "blahs" this January while you wait for the next holiday "high". May you realize that we were meant to live for more than just what this life offers - we are meant to go beyond and to live in eternal relationship with Christ.

Grace&Peace

New year brings new opportunities

Greetings!!

Sorry I have not updated in a few weeks - the holidays and visiting families can do that to a person, but I have tried numerous times to get an update on here, but only managed to update the devotional site.

Caitlyn's first Christmas was filled with love, presents, and grandparents. She made it through about 20-25 minutes of opening presents before losing interest and needing a nap, so we didn't make her "unwrap" any more presents, but let her sit in Debbie's lap and watch us have fun for her. What a trip! She doesn't have a clue about what was going on, but we treated her like she was totally into it.

New Year's was good - I actually made it all the way to midnight before passing out from exhaustion (first time in four years!). I woke up Debbie, kissed her and Caitlyn, then fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Another year began and I can only hope that 2006 brings as much joy into our lives as 2005 did.

Debbie and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on the 6th with presents, flowers (for Deb), and dinner - without Caitlyn. We also spent some time with friends of ours who live in Frisco and have a 2 year old son. It was nice to talk to each other without having to worry about whether Caitlyn was awake, sleeping, fussy, or content - we could just have a conversation and focus on each other. Although we were very excited to get back to see Caitlyn once our outing was complete.

The next day we went a looked at houses in several different parts of the metroplex - without too much luck, but it is early in our search, so we have some time to look and find the right place to live. I think we ruled out building a house at this point, merely for the fact that we have to make about 1,000 decisions about flooring, carpet, tile, windows, paint, fixtures, and on and on. It was exhausting just looking through the showroom of possible choices!

I guess that brings you up to speed with what is happening is my world. Best of luck for the Spring semester to all those who are studying to better themselves! Let me know how I can help you.

Grace&Peace

Two things today

First, I had to cancel the New Year's retreat due to lack of interest. I am sad, but will get over it. Perhaps we can reschedule for a date next year. We shall see.

Second, my post for today is to direct you here.

Grace & Peace

Found this, thought it was interesting

As I was perusing the internet, I came across the site for all the "The Way I See It" quotes from the side of Starbucks cups. The first one on the page caught my attention and I thought I would share it with all of you.

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Imagine we are all the same. Imagine we agree about politics, religion and morality. Imagine we like the same types of music, art, food and coffee. Imagine we all look alike. Sound boring? Differences need not divide us. Embrace diversity. Dignity is everyone's human right.

-- BillBrummel, Documentary filmmaker. His programs focus on human rights issues.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grace & Peace

iPod anyone?

Question:
Do any of you own an MP3 player? How often do you download new songs/videos/podcasts to it?

Follow-up Question:
If I podcasted a weekly devotional, would you download it to your MP3 player and listen to it?

Grace & Peace

I'd like to add an amen to this

I received this article from a weekly email subscription I have and I wanted to link to it or post it here so that you could get to the site and check that out too, but it only comes in email form, so I copy, paste, and give proper credit so that you can be blessed by reading it too. It is a little long, but worth the read.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christian Love: Giving Up the Fantasy
by Peter J. Walker

My sister just caught her boyfriend soliciting a local prostitute online.

Now she gave me permission to write this, but this situation does raise the question: How far has common morality slipped? Is the Internet Age to blame? Has easy access to e-smut pushed us further and further toward the brink of depravity? Was the world always this bad, or is Original Sin merely as American as hot apple pie?

Do common ethics appear to be on the decline just as personal spirituality is exploding into everyday life? The 21st century looks to offer more potential for Christian evangelism than, perhaps, any period in the last 200 years. Today, even vocal anti-Christians acknowledge belief in God and respect Jesus, but such spiritual openness hasn’t translated to the kind of kingdom Jesus came to establish.

This is the central challenge posed to postmodern Christianity: How does one introduce a higher ethic, an absolute Truth, in the midst of exalted relativism?

We approach this question when we talk about “relevance” or “emergent Christianity,” but too often the relevant issues at hand are lost in theological rhetoric and pop-philosophy that has little to do with practical living. My views of hell and creation may be changing (and they certainly are thanks to postmodern literature), but if my love doesn’t grow, then my Christianity is just as stale and marginalized as it’s always been.

Conclusion: theology, per se, isn’t the whole solution.

So if intellectuals can’t save “selfish me” or my spurned sister or her philandering ex, where do we go from here? How does Christianity redeem a world where Christian virtues are trivial to the point of social incompatibility?

The Apostle Paul boiled it down to this: “And whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Romans 13:9, TNIV). Jesus lived and breathed this kind of self- negating, rights-surrendering, community-altering agape. It got Him killed.

If we are to embrace a brand of Christianity that truly alters our lives and the world in which we inhabit, it will require more from us than throwing out our secular music and wearing kitschy T-shirts bearing memorable Jesus-ized slogans.

First, it’s important to rediscover the unsexy unselfishness inherent in biblical ideas of love. We have to remind the world (and ourselves) that love involves sacrifice. Somewhere along the way, the “otherness” that love demands gets lost. In a generation where self-gratification reaches new levels through erotic mass media and a dangerously casual dating culture, the idea of abstaining from indulgence sounds almost puritanical. Yet such an attitude is completely contrary to a 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love that is defined, not by feelings or emotions or sensuality, but by matters of will, of choice and of sacrifice.

It doesn’t sound very erotic, but it may be the only prescription for healthy, transcendent relationships.

Next, the believer must expose and defy the all-too-American attitude that blindly tells us, “More is better—even relationally.” This lie convinced my frat brothers back in college that quantity is better than quality—that sleeping with four women in a week is perfectly acceptable, that there is plenty of time to settle down and be domestic later on. Years later, this lie convinced a man that his wife may have been adequate when his salary was $40K a year, but now that he’s reached junior vice president, it’s time to think about image.

“More” has been defined as a certain shape of body and a certain social inclination, a plastic replica of happy living. After all, how could something so pedestrian as love survive the rigors of corporate appearance?

Finally, love must be removed—with a scalpel, if necessary—from the romantic entanglements lauded by pop culture’s generic TV-archetypes. Ironically, this aspect of false love may be the most difficult to rid ourselves of. Because it is seemingly benign (almost adorably innocent), it escapes the critical lens of truth. Who could deny the life-changing love that grew and blossomed between Justin and Britney? Brad and Angelina? Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper? Who would want to?

The truth nobody likes to admit (but everyone knows deep down) is that love can be quite unimpressive, even boring; my parents have watched British comedies every Saturday night for 15 years! Before that, they square-danced. God save us from such fates …

Or perhaps: God redeem us through such simplicity.

I live next door to a woman with schizophrenia. Her husband left her last month, tired of dealing with the illness. For the last four nights, she has danced to blaring country music in her driveway, silhouetted by the empty glow of her parked pickup’s headlights. She’s out there as I write this paragraph, lost in some blurred reality that few will take the time to care about. I wonder what facets of love are lacking in her life. I wonder which parts of “ever after” fell by the wayside as her husband walked away for the last time.

Love is a lot of work—gut-wrenching at times—which means that Christianity is inevitably hard, no matter what the televangelists say.

In cautious reflection, I guess there must be a rush in making email contact with a real-life prostitute—the adrenaline of “what if” must excite the baser instincts in a man. Perhaps my sister’s ex isn’t so vile. I suppose I can almost see how something so empty and meaningless could provide a tempting escape from the responsibilities of a real, deep, give-and-take relationship …

But prostituted love isn’t real. Neither is empty, self-help Christianity, which promises far more than any religion could deliver: the simple life, the good life, the American pie. Maybe real love—real religion—is the one that Jesus was talking about before He gave His life for people, some of whom will never even realize why.

Peter Walker is a Spiritual Formation student at George Fox Seminary, and works with youth and drama ministries at his local church. He is desperate for change.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out Relevant Magazine for more article like this and for your connection to making Christ real for people who are not interested in Christianity.

Grace & Peace

Does anyone else hear the Hallelujah Chorus playing in my head?

Today was a milestone day across the board...

1) I turned in all my paperwork for commissioning this afternoon
2) Debbie went back to work this morning at 7:30am
and
3) Caitlyn went to her first day at TLC Daycare this morning

So in addition to not getting any sleep last night finishing up paperwork, I have been wondering how our little girl has been doing at daycare all day, and worried about Debbie being at work and not with Caitlyn...so tonight will be a celebration that we are all back together again and can sleep at the same time - whoop! Who knows, I may even finish Two Towers before too long!

Don't forget to sign up for the New Year's Retreat!

Grace & Peace

Sanctuary Retreat

I have mentioned this retreat before, but it is approaching quickly and I wanted to get more publicity about it out for your consideration.

On Friday, December 30, we will leave TMUMC for a contemplative retreat in which we will focus on Jesus' journey to Golgotha. The Via Crucis will give you an opportunity to reflect, in a very personal way, on how much Christ gave for us in an effort to redeem humanity. This visceral experience will challenge you, compel you, and bring you to a point of transformation by Sunday morning, January 1.

If you are interested in this retreat, please send me an email or post a comment here with your contact info so that I can get a list going. If you would like to see more people go on the retreat, please link this post to your blog and start spreading the word about it. I am hoping that it will cost you guys no more than $40 to attend. If cost is an issue, please contact me and we can work something out.

Check out Sanctuary at WonderVoyage.com for more info about the Via Crucis and the retreat itself.

Grace & Peace

Decision 1032

I don't have much time to blog about this now, but check out this decision by the Judicial Council and think about these questions:

1) What are the issues you see in this situation?
2) Where does ultimate authority lie?
3) Where do you see God at work?
4) Are some of the issues present here ones you deal with in your faith community? If so, what are its key expressions?
5) How will this judicial decision affect the future of Christian faith traditions and community?

I borrowed these questions from the MethodX site, so visit there to see what others are saying. I will try to find some other blogs about Decision 1032 and link to them later this week.

Grace & Peace

Mourning

Yesterday I received this email from the Dallas-Denton District office:

Dr. Virgil Howard, Associate Professor, Perkins School of Theology, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, November 18th, while attending the annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature in Pennsylvania.

His wife Barbara is currently in Germany, visiting family. She will return to Dallas on Tuesday. We will share the information about the service when it becomes available.

Dean William B. Lawrence said, "I invite all of us to offer prayers of thanksgiving for his life, his service, his ministry and his noble spirit."

I never took a class with Dr. Howard, but I knew his reputation as a caring, insightful, and thoughtful professor. He helped me find my internship at Holy Covenant last year when the plans I tried to make fell through late in the year. If he hadn't been able to step in and recommend HC - I may have missed out on one of the greatest learning experiences in my ministerial career.

Dr. Howard was a great person to work with and I know that he will truly be missed throughout the entire Perkins community.

God, sometimes the events of life escape our grasp. Sometimes we can't make sense of what happens to those we love. I pray, dear Lord, that you hold us in your loving arms and keep us close to you, until our time is done and our journey through.

Grace & Peace

Psalm of the Day

I found this during my reading for The Grand Sweep. Enjoy!

Psalm 16:1-5, 9-11 (The Message)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keep me safe, O God,
I've run for dear life to you.
I say to God, "Be my Lord!"
Without you, nothing makes sense.

And these God-chosen lives all around-
what spendid friends they make!

Don't just go shopping for a god.
Gods are not for sale.
I swear I'll never treat god-names
like brand-names.
...

I'm happy from the inside out,
and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed.
You cancelled my ticket to hell-
that's not my destination!

Now you've got my feet on the life path,
all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
I'm on the right way.

Grace & Peace

Life...or something like it

My how time gets away from me when I spend my days caring for my duties at Trietsch and my nights caring for our bundle of joy! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but as I am sure most of you know, life gets crazy sometimes (and if you don't, just wait). Things around the Libby household have been going well. It is hard to believe that Caitlyn celebrated her 1 month birthday yesterday. She is literally changing daily and her father is growing more and more in love with her by the moment.

Parenthood rocks!

In other news, my paperwork for P&Q is due December 1 and I am trying to make sense of all this theological mumbo-jumbo floating around in my head so that I can put it on paper and speak clearly about it to the members of the Board of Ordained Ministry. Please pray for me as I spend many hours in the next 16 days putting my thoughts on paper. Please also pray for those who will proofread my work - that they will have constructive comments and helpful suggestions for making it better.

Grace & Peace

Fusion Reflections, part 2

3) I am called to help the laity find their passions
Part of what my calling entails making "a commitment to lead the whole Church in loving service to humankind" (Book of Discipline, para. 304.1e). That "loving service" includes making sure that the people I minister directly to are able to minister to others in ways that they are passionate about. If I don't make the effort to align people's passions with their ministry opportunities, I am doing a disservice to my congregation. This area of my calling is one I always need to cover in prayer, because I am not always aware of where my people's passions lie.

4) Prayer stations are easier and more impacting than I had originally thought
experiential prayer is possible and needed in my life. After going through the Dokime at Fusion+Dallas, I see how simple acts of reflection can make for great prayer time. Also, spending an hour in a room with pillows on the floor, candles around the room, and prayer requests written in Sharpie on the walls is an hour well-spent. I hope to incorporate some of the tools I used at Fusion to make a difference in the ministry I do at Trietsch.

and finally...
5) Dan Kimball is a down-to-earth, funny, and challenging preacher/speaker. I appreciated his thoughts on emerging culture and the emerging church. I pray that when our emerging worship gathering launches, we can be faithful to the task of engaging the emerging generations in our gatherings, not just offering another place for Christians to hang out.

Grace & Peace

Fusion Reflections, part 1

After attending Fusion+Dallas this weekend I learned a few things:

1) All conferences are not created equal
Fusion+Dallas was a chance for 20 and 30-somethings to find out about mission opportunities that are available to them around the world. This is not the usual theme for conferences geared toward young adults. I am glad that the RightNow organization is passionate about igniting a fire in the hearts of this generation, but...

2) Not all mission work is overseas
I was highly unimpressed with the lack of opportunities within the US to evangelize, reach the unchurched, or share the gospel. Most of the mission opportunities were in "Christian-hostile" environments outside of the US. Now, don't get me wrong, I am all for Christians sharing their faith with those who's aim it is to kill them, but there are plenty of people in America who are hostile, indifferent, or confused about Christianity. Why do some sectors in Christianity continue to ignore the fact that the US is no longer a "Christian nation" - if it ever was? Why do the youth of American Christian churchs have to go to Mexico or Africa or China in order to spread the gospel? Why can't they see that there is a large population of people who need the love of Christ right in their neighborhood?

More tomorrow...

Grace & Peace

Meeting with the guys

This morning was the first time that "the guys" have had a chance to get together to share our lives with each other - however, Landon was not able to come because of work commitments. So next week will be the first time all "the guys" will be together.

Despite Mr. Taylor's absence, we pushed ahead and began to share our lives. I am extremely thankful to God for this opportunity to be held accountable for my actions, to inspire deeper commitment to Christ in others, and to learn from other young men in the ministry.

Thursday mornings will be a time of joy and expectation each week for me from now on!

Grace & Peace

Power FM Share-a-thon

Today is the first day of Power FM's Fall Share-a-thon and I wanted to send out a request to all those who listen to the station to go ahead and make a pledge to keep the station rockin' for Christ! You can pledge online or call 1.866.787.1897 to phone in your pledge.

Please know that this station has blessed me and all those who listen on a regular basis. They are doing amazing things for God here in the Metroplex (and around the country) through offering Christian Rock Music to a world that needs to hear the gospel.

Please pray about what you can give. If you don't listen to the station on a regular basis, please consider giving a one-time gift knowing that it helps further the ministry that I do on a daily basis. Share-a-thon ends on Friday, so please pray and let God inspire you to give generously!

Grace & Peace

All Saints Day

In honor of today being All Saints Day, I wanted to share with you an article written about my great-grandfather just a few days after his passing last month.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Longtime gravedigger goes to his final rest
By Mark LaFlamme, Staff Writer
Saturday, October 15,2005

GREENE - For years, the running joke around town was whether or not Clyde Libby would dig his own grave. In three decades of service to the town, he had dug them for strangers and for some of his most beloved family members.

Libby died Tuesday night after a long career that involved work with a racehorse, the Fire Department and his legendary role as sexton for Valley Cemetery. He was 94."There weren't much that man didn't do," said Bert Ferland, a longtime friend and fellow firefighter. "He did a little of everything."

Libby took over as Greene's gravedigger in 1972 when the man who held that job suffered a heart attack. By then, Libby had already been the town road commissioner, a farmer and caretaker for a racehorse, among other things.

During his decades as sexton, he dug graves for many deceased friends and family members. When his newborn daughter died before ever leaving the hospital, he went to the cemetery at dusk to dig the small hole for her. When his wife of 53 years passed on in 1989, he asked his grandsons to help him dig the grave.

In an interview in 2001, Libby said he took pride in keeping the town cemeteries beautiful and neat, as much for the families of the dead as for the people who are buried there."I never heard one person squawk about my graves," he said in 2001. "And I tell you, it makes me feel pretty good."

Libby coached a Little League baseball team. He was a volunteer firefighter and a long-suffering Red Sox fan, who saw the team win championships in both 1918 and 2004. He worked in the woods and put up 10 cords of wood each year until last winter.

Friends said he was as good to his neighbors as he was to his family."He was a very, very nice man," Ferland said. "If you needed a helping hand, he was there for you."

In 1936, Libby married Laura Foster in Greene. The couple remained married until Laura died in 1989. Libby is survived by two sons and six daughters. A son and daughter died before him.

When Libby started working as sexton, graves were dug with a shovel. He had no backhoe or hired help. There was one period in springtime years ago when Libby had 36 bodies waiting to be buried.

Things improved in latter years, but it was still mostly Clyde Libby keeping the graveyards trimmed and digging holes for the recent dead."He loved it, he really did," Ferland said. "He didn't like to be cooped up. He liked to be out in the fresh air."

The work was seasonal. Libby opened the gates to Greene's seven cemeteries on May 10 and closed them Dec. 1. The digging, mowing, raking and weeding was done during those seven months, and long hours were required of him."My entire body hurts these days," Libby said during the 2001 interview. He was 90 at the time.

Libby held his job for so long, a funeral director once asked him if he planned to dig his own grave. Libby responded that he would if he was given enough notice.

Instead, he will be memorialized with a fireman's funeral in Monmouth. He will then be laid to rest at Valley Cemetery, where someone else will tend to the grave and make sure the grounds are neat and serene.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prayer for All Saints Day:
We bless your holy name, O God, for all your servants who, having finished their course, now rest from their labors. Give us the grace to follow the example of their steadfastness and faithfulness, to your honor and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Grace & Peace

Am I emerging? - revisited

Amidst changing diapers, making bottles, and losing sleep, I have been wondering about just how I fit in with the whole emerging church movement/philosophy/worldview. I wonder if I am too much of a modern to interact successfully with postmoderns. I wonder if I could handle leading a worship gathering for people who have little or no church background. I wonder if I know enough about the emerging church to do it justice.

My prayer is for an understanding that moving my focus in this direction is correct and for a rising within my current sphere of influence to help me lead in this direction.

Grace & Peace

REVISION - After posting this I visited a new site I follow and someone who attended a discussion session with Brian McLaren posted on this very subject. Check it out!

Grace & Peace - again!

New Year's Retreat

I am very excited about this coming New Year's weekend (12/30-1/1) because the YAs of TMUMC will have the chance to spend 2 1/2 days connecting with God in ways never before possible. I don't want to give away too much info, but the weekend will be filled with lectio divina, times of silence, and creative projects. I am grateful to Wonder Voyage for inspiring me to take on this adventure. Please be praying about your participation (if you are a YA between 18 and 29) in the weekend retreat, as well as for those who will be leading the retreat.

More information will be available soon.

Grace & Peace

back to the grind

well, today is my first day back at work following caitlyn's arrival and i must say that i sure do miss my girls at home. there is lots to do here, but my heart is back at the house with debbie and caitlyn.

in other news, the house that tmumc built during our 40 days campaign was moved this morning. it was quite a sight to see - lumbering over the curb, blocking traffic in both directions, and wondering how the house was going to stay on that trailer! i know stephanie santa maria and her family will enjoy their new home in denton.

ok, i promise i won't post pictures of caitlyn all the time, but here is one i really love - hope you do to!















grace&peace

welcome to the internet caitlyn!

the stats
name: caitlyn anne libby
born: 10/13/2005
time: 1:58pm
weight: 7 lbs. 15 1/2 oz.
length: 19 3/4 in.

thanks for being patient with me as debbie and i get adjusted to having a newborn in the house. i hope to upload more pictures as time allows, but here are some from caitlyn's first few days on planet earth. she is truly one of God's most precious creations!

grace&peace (from caitlyn's daddy)

the wait is over!

tomorrow morning at 8am, debbie and i will be venturing into uncharted waters (at least for us) as we prepare to welcome caitlyn anne libby into the world sometime later that day. we are scheduled for an induction and we couldn't be more jazzed! i will be out of pocket for the next couple of days, so leave a message if you need to and I will get back to you when i have a free moment or two.

thank you for all your prayers and well wishes - without them we would not have arrived at this day in such fine fashion. i will post pictures as soon as possible!

grace&peace

anticipation

have you ever wondered what it would feel like to wait for both christmas and your birthday to come at the same time? i think that is what i am feeling right now as deb and i wait for caitlyn to be born. underlying all the responsibility and nurturing that is ultimately necessary for her survival, we are giddy with anticipation at being able to hold her and see her face.

her room is ready, the bags are packed, the short-term disability claim has been filed, the car seat is installed, and the grandparents are chomping at the bit, but as of right now - no caitlyn!

people say that sleeping after the baby gets here is a luxury, well after last night, sleeping while awaiting your baby's arrival is a luxury in and of itself. after tossing and turning for about 30 minutes last night, i decided that i better not disturb my sleeping bride with my incessant movement, so i went to the living room to read a book and quiet my mind before returning to bed. i read about 10 pages in lotr:2towers (the rest of the chapter i didn't finish before trying to sleep) and was thoroughly exhausted - or at least enough to return to bed and sleep for the rest of the night. (no one writes like tolkien any more - what mastery of the english language!).

waiting expectantly (with a little bit of nervousness and "hurry up" thrown in for good measure)!

grace&peace

scratching God's back?

i had a conversation with one of my fellow staff members over lunch the other day and he said something that stuck me as out of sorts. i initiated to conversation by asking about a friend of his who has recently moved into our community. during his explanation of his friend's new situation, he mentioned that the favor that he did for his friend (letting him stay with he and his wife) did not go un-reciprocated. i was intrigued by his comment so i pressed him a little further. i asked if he always asked for reciprocation when doing a favor. he said "yes, that's what i do." intrigued again i probed a little deeper...."has anyone ever said 'no' to your request for reciprocity?" he said that no one has ever told him that they were unwilling to return the favor to him, altho some has asked for suggestions as to how. he further stated that this form of tit-for-tat was the way he always approached doing favors or granting requests. he gave a couple of recent examples to explain himself further. the conversation ended there, but i was not done thinking about his comments.

now my friend is a fully committed christian, loves jesus and loves worship, but i have a hard time reconciling his stance with that of what God has done for me....what if God required reciprocity when dispensing grace? what if He demanded that we fulfill certain obligations before He covered us with the blood of the lamb? what would our God look like if we needed to scratch his back in order for him to scratch ours? i don't care for a God that requires appeasement prior to blessing, that just reeks of conditionalism (not sure if that is a real word or "-ism"). i believe that God covers us with grace long before we even realize that we need to be covered by grace. God doesn't bless us only when we agree to bless God in return. God doesn't withhold answers to prayers b/c we did not adequately return the favor! that's crazy, that's definitely not the God who calls me his child.

ok, i've got that off my chest.

grace&peace

some thoughts from don miller

i was reading through painted deserts this morning and this paragraph just spoke to me. i offer it to you for your consideration and comments.

"and maybe when a person doesn't buy the lies anymore, when a human stops long enough to realize the stuff people say to get us to part with our money often isn't true, we can finally see the sunrise, smell the wetness in a gulf breeze, stand in awe at a downpour no less magnificent than a twenty-thousand-foot waterfall, ten square miles wide, wonder at the physics of a duck paddling itself across the surface of a pond, enjoy the reflection of the sun on the face of the moon, and know, this is what i was made to do. this is who i was made to be, that life is being given to me as a gift, that light is a metaphor, and God is doing these things to dazzle us." (77)

grace&peace

the recovery begins

well, i talked to my mom earlier this evening and she said that dad was on his way back to the plant to begin clean-up efforts. he was spared much of the storm by being in brenham, but the plant took lots of rain and high winds - however it was much less than what it looked like it could have been a few days ago.

please continue to pray for those who were caught off-guard by the movement of the hurricane toward the tx-la border. they need our prayers now, as the real chore of cleaning up in the wake of a hurricane begins...again!

thank you for your prayers for my parents - they are a blessing that i am sure that only a few could understand.

grace&peace

evacuation update

well my mom successfully made it to terrell to stay with my jessica and michael (and the dogs), but dad only left for brenham this morning, so he may still be on the road with all the traffic. phone connections have not been great today, but there are many ppl who are trying to contact loved ones, so i will keep trying.

please continue to pray for those who are evacuating b/c i have heard reports of cars running out of gas on 45 and ppl being stranded b/c there is nowhere to fill up. i will update more as i know more...for now i continue to pray.

lake jackson's website has a "worst-case-scenario" presentation that shows that if the storm surges reach a height of 18 feet (very possible with a strong cat4 or any cat5 hurricane) then the entire town will be under water! that, my friends, is scary...very scary.

until i know more.

grace&peace

hurricane relief efforts

as i write this, my parents are evacuating from the texas coast - leaving their home and seeking higher ground farther inland. i talked with my mom and she said that she had to pack up the corvette and the grand am with as much as would fit (not much in two small trunks) and head out of lake jackson. my dad is required to stay nearby since he is on the hurricane response team for the dow chemicals plant in lj. my mom sounded upset that they could not leave for safety together, but she realizes that his duty as a "higher-up" at dow call him to be there in emergency situations.

please pray for the families affected by all of the 2005 hurricanes. i was slow to respond when katrina hit b/c it did not affect many of my immediate friends and family. now that rita is headed toward my parents' house i am worried that they too will have nothing to go back to when all is said and done.

jesus,
my heart is heavy with thoughts of families being torn apart by natural disasters. how can something so life-giving and life-sustaining as water, be also so destructive and deadly? i know that you work for the good of all those who love you and i know that my parents will be out of harm's way when the storm hits, but please be with those who choose to stay. be with those who try to "ride it out." be with the rescue workers, the emergency personnel, and those charged with maintaining order in the storm ravaged areas. god of grace, spread your love and make yourself known in new ways and in new areas because of these displays of the power of nature. make us ever-aware of the finality of our lives on earth and help us to long for being united with you forever.
amen

grace&peace

how much furniture can one baby use?

in the past few weeks i have put together two cribs, a 5-drawer dresser, a computer armoire, and many other baby items - swings, strollers, car seats, etc. i have also taken apart a computer desk and one crib. and i happily do all of this for someone i've never even met. and what's even better is that all this furniture is for a little girl who will be less that two feet long when i first meet her!

caitlyn anne libby will be my first daughter and she will be our oldest child. she will be the one that all our other children look up to for guidance, direction, and leadership. and yet i wonder, do i have the leadership skills to pass on to her? can i inspire her to be the role model that she will need to be for her younger siblings? i don't know why i am so insecure about being a good father and parent. maybe it's b/c i have never done this before...maybe it's b/c that little girl is going to depend on me and her mother for everything for the first years of her life...maybe it's b/c i know how messed up i can be at times and how much i don't want her to be messed up. hopefully she'll take after deb and be a self-sufficient, independent, go-getter. (i can only hope that she is like her mother and her grandfather in those respects.)

on other topics, i have had a great couple of days on the emerging worship front. i met cammy gaston, director of the wesley foundation at unt, twu, and nctc, and brought up the ideas that i have about offering an emerging worship gathering for college students and young adults. she was open to the idea and even offered us the chance to use her chapel (which doesn't get much use) for a gathering space. later that day, i pitched the idea to my young adults and they jumped at the opportunity! i was floored by the response and i was overjoyed at the fact that they really want to take ownership of the gathering. they, just as much as i, want to see lost people given the opportunity to find a relationship with jesus the christ thru messages that relate, experiences that touch the soul, and relationships that change lives. God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good! i have also discerned a possible name for the emerging worship gathering, but i don't want to share that name just yet.

fdc got underway this week and i do believe that our first meeting was a big success - eventho it lasted an hour longer than usual! i am really looking forward to what God is going to do thru our small group. i have no doubt that he will use few of us to make a huge impact in the world for christ! thanks for being willing to love on each other and spread that love to the larger community! praise be to God!

grace&peace

thoughts on fasting

yesterday the staff at tmumc took part in a one-day fast for the upcoming 40 days campaign. we even had a prayer service during the lunch hour to help us remember to pray for the campaign and for the ppl who will be touched by God thru our church.

during the prayer service, i sat next to darian and his stomach was empty b/c it was going nuts! i was hoping it wasn't mine b/c w/o the water that i was drinking by the gallon, my stomach would have been louder than his! anyway, we had a good laugh about it later.

i must say that everytime i fast, i have a different experience. one time i fasted during the time i was studying for finals b/c i wanted to do really well on all my tests - but i was so hungry at the end of finals that i think i undid any of the benefits my brain received through the extra study time. when i fasted yesterday, i tried to think about all the different places in the world where ppl go w/o food on a daily basis and how i was fine w/ my water bottle by my side. each drink took me to thoughts of those who cannot squelch their hunger with water, b/c there is no fresh drinking water around them.

my heart continues to go out to the victims of hurricane katrina. i am not sure what the proper response is for me personally, but i hope that you are praying about what you can do to reach out and help our neighbors during their time of need. remember, throwing $$ at the problem rarely ever makes the problem go away - it generally makes it worse. so be prepared to get out and do something about the devastation.

God
convict us when we are proud
of the things we have
and when we look
down on others for what
they don't

selfishness runs rampant
in america
convict us for using so
much and returning
so
little

help us to be more
like your son
like his example
like what you intended
like what you know we are capable of

amen

grace&peace

preparing for fdc, babies, and more

as our 40 days campaign approaches, i am feeling more and more overwhelmed by the fact that in the midst of this major undertaking, deb and i will be bringing a new life into the world! i don't think i will ever forget fdc!

caitlyn's furniture should arrive sometime this weekend (hopefully friday) and i can't wait to put it together. i have been told that this is one of the most satisfying things an expectant father can do when he is preparing to enter fatherhood. i hope that it is not one of the most frustrating things b/c me and construction don't always play well together. i was able to put together deb's glider, but that was only a few screws and some velcro...this is a crib and a 5-drawer dresser. hopefully the instructions come in english as well as chinese, french, spanish, and unintelligible.

among other things on my plate there is this emerging worship gathering that jim wants me to research. i think this would be a great place to start such a multi-sensory experience, but now is unfortunately not the time i would choose to do research on a new worship opportunity - mostly b/c it is very labor intensive. i am excited about the possibility of leading an emerging worship gathering here at trietsch, but the legwork required to do it well, might just kill me!

i am also looking to put together a retreat next summer that will be an opportunity for incoming college freshmen to have a chance to hear some words of wisdom from those who have recently "been there, done that." i would like it to take place at bridgeport (that's their cross in the pic) and i would like to see who would be interested in an experience of this sort. i have a basic format that i would like to use, but i will need some help "fleshing it out" - as they say. any takers?

grace&peace

interesting conversation

yesterday at lunch we talked about tattoos, body piercings, and other random stuff, but the conversation on tattoos got me thinking and that led me to ask deb about her thoughts on the subject. well, after a fairly intense discussion about the "pros" and cons of getting one, having one, and what-we-would-do-if-our-child-came-home-with-one, we were exhausted and tired.

so i thought i would open the floor to discuss this highly-charged issue...what do you think about tattoos? should christians have tattoos? if you were a parent, what would you do if you child came home with one? is there such a thing as an "appropriate tattoo"?

i have an opinion on the matter, but i want to hear what the rest of you think before i expound on the issue (you might be surprised at my opinion). i will join the convo in the comment section when asked.

grace&peace

eventful weekend(?)

thursday...
as part of my journey towards ordination i met with the dallas-denton district committee on ordained ministry to be recommended to preparations & qualifications (fancy methodist-speak for taking the next step). i was recommended unanimously! so that means i get to write more papers, have another interview (this time with the conference board of ordained minstry), and sweat out another vote on my ministerial worthiness.

friday...
completed some chores around the house, made some calls that i needed to make, and took out my wife for an evening of shopping and dinner at steak & shake!

saturday...
woke up at 7:30, found out that deb had been up since 2am and was full of energy to clean the house and get ready for caitlyn's arrival. we spent the day moving furniture from one room of the apartment to another, cleaning out the kitchen so that caitlyn will have a dedicated area just for her stuff, and hanging pictures/rearranging knick-knacks/light cleaning. i can't believe that deb made it all the way till 6:30pm before she crashed, but she did! now i believe we are ready (at least space-wise) for caitlyn to come, but we are still working on the emotional level of being parents.

sunday...
this morning was "back in the saddle" day at trietsch (aka dean wears uncomfortable tight-fitting jeans, boots, and a cowboy hat because jim says to). by the end of the morning i was ready to get out of the jeans because they were just too uncomfortable, but i must say that i could get used to wearing the hat...it made me want to be friendlier to the people i met this morning.

i also finished reading donald miller's searching for god know's what this afternoon. i enjoyed this book more so than any other "theology" book that i have read in recent years. miller did a great job of presenting the gospel of jesus christ in a narrative format that makes it accessible for all readers - plus he tells funny stories that keep you laughing throughout the entire book. i wanted to share just a couple of quotes from the book that i thought were especially meaningful/thought-provoking.

"the gospel of jesus, i mean the essence of god's message to mankind, wasn't a bunch of hoops we needed to jump through to get saved, and it wasn't a series of ideas we had to agree with either; rather, it was an invitation, an invitation to know god." (14)

"i want to tell you without reservation that is there is any hope for you and me, for this planet set kilter in the fifteen-billion light-year expanse of endless mystery, the hope would have to be in this man who contends he is not of us, but with us, and simply is." (149)

"the greater trouble with [gospel tracts] is that modern evangelical culture is so accustomed to this summation that it is difficult for us to see the gospel as anything other than a list of true statements with which a person must agree...perhaps our reduction of these ideas [i.e. the gospel] has caused us to miss something." (153)

grace&peace

wednesday devos

as requested i have begun posting devotionals. the first one is available now. i will post a new one each wednesday morning.

words from the word

also, i changed the settings on this blog and wftw so that you can post comments anonymously (thanks again ian!)

grace&peace

leadership summit reflections

this past thursday thru saturday i participated in a simulcast conference known as the leadership summit. over 110 locations in the us brought together over 54k leaders from all kinds of churches in order to hear God's challenge to us.

i went into it wondering what it would be like to watch a big screen for 2 1/2 days, pretending i was a part of the action at the main location. i soon discovered that i was fully engaged in the conference and quickly forgot about the fact that i was watching a giant projection screen. the summit was great! i am truly energized for carrying out the leadership which i have been called to do - and i believe that God is receiving glory for my success and confronts me in my failures as a leader.

i look forward to next year's summit, but i have to make the necessary changes in my life now, so that at next year's summit i will be able to leap to even higher ground and meet greater challenges.

bill hybels asked us to find our "holy discontent," the thing that wrecks us about the church/christian life. he told us that the things that wreck us, wreck God and that we should go out and make a difference in the things that wreck us. i discovered that the thing that wrecks me is the missing 20 to 30-somethings in the modern american church. i discovered that i want more than anything to see my generation find its place in the church body and find a way to worship the living God with meaning and purpose. i am even more committed to seeing that an emerging worship service begins at trietsch during my tenure here. without offering a worship experience that resonates with the generation that is missing from our churches, i will not be able to stand before my creator and say that i did all that i could.

thanks to ken ulmer i was reminded that my passion will remain only pipe dream if i do not turn it over to God, so that he can begin to work on it and make it come alive in the hearts of those who need to hear his message. he said that it all depends on who's hand it was in - if it's in my hand, it can only do so much; but if it's in jesus' hand, it can work miracles and change lives and impact the kingdom of God forever.

one of the rituals i plan to initiate is the weekly devotionals for those of you who want them. they will be available on my new blog page each wednesday morning. i hope that your journey with christ is blessed because of them and i hope that you will make comments on them each week.

grace&peace

this post is "tax free"

yesterday debbie and i ventured out to stonebriar mall in frisco for an afternoon of shopping - debbie had b-day $$ burning a hole in her pocket! i knew that the main road to the mall would be clogged with traffic b/c not only was this saturday of "tax-free weekend," but a new ikea store had just opened at a major intersection near the mall.

when we got to the mall i was indeed thankful that most of our shopping was done in the maternity sections of the department stores or at specialty maternity stores (translation - less kids running around suffering from adhd-induced spats). as i took a rest from the shopping extravaganza, i sat in one of the "penalty boxes" watching the foot traffic pass by hurriedly. i thought to myself, i wonder why all these people come out to the mall when the stores are having an 8 1/4% sale, but every store in the nation could hang out a 10% sale sign, and no one would bat an eye? this puzzled me as i sat in the comfy leather chair drinking a very berry smoothie from thirsty's. i think i figured out what the attraction was...not paying tax on things you would purchase anyway, is kinda like stickin' it to uncle sam (aka - the man)! it's kinda like giving a big middle finger to those bureaucrats in austin, without actually having to raise your longest phalange into the air.

it also occurs to me that the state of texas is missing out on a deep well of dollars that could go to support children's health insurance or fund medicare for seniors or even settle the debate over school financing. so i wonder if tax-free weekend is such a good idea afterall...i mean it's not like we don't expect to chew up our savings by buying more things anyway!

ok, on to other matters. this morning i had the opportunity to lead the entire communion liturgy on my own during worship! it was an exciting time and i continue to feel humbled at the way God can use a broken vessel like me to spread his message and show his love. the words of the liturgy are so precious to me and i know that i am unworthy to be used by God, but i know that God has chosen me to carry out a purpose. thank you God, for choosing and using me!

in other news, i finished a 420-pg novel this afternoon. monster by frank peretti (author of this present darkness) was a terrific story about what can happen when humans try to take God's role as creator. highly recommended for those who like a good suspense/(mild) horror novel.

i hope reading this was not too "taxing"!

grace&peace

new things

today, as i prepared the lesson for yabs, i decided to try a new approach to doing a small group bible study - reverse paraphrasing. as i looked over the text i wanted to reverse, i had to first think about what the text was saying to me, then negate everything. this was much harder than i thought it would be because i don't like to think about God not caring about me or not sheltering me from the storms of life. it made me think about all the things i tend to take for granted in my life and i wondered what kind of hell i would live in without God's protection and provision.

my thoughts then turned to caitlyn and her impending arrival on planet earth. will i be ready for her when she gets here? will she love me because i help feed her and clean her or will she love me because i first loved her? what will she look like or act like or be like? how am i going to pay for her wedding?! maybe i am getting ahead of myself, but she will be here before too long and she will require constant attention...dear God, help me to be the father to caitlyn that you have been to me. amen.

what prepares you for new things in life? are you looking forward at what is coming ahead of you or are you looking behind you at what you have accomplished in the past? if you are doing the latter, watch out - cuz you might run smack into a tree! God does new things in our lives all the time we just have to be on the lookout for them.

"see, i am doing a new thing! now it springs up; do you not perceive it? i am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland" (isa 43:19).

grace&peace

ps - found this today, thought it was kinda funny!

happy birthday sweetie!

today is the 26th anniversary of the birth of my wife debbie. although i have only been a part of the last 7 celebrations, i feel that i have loved her enough for a lifetime (and then some!).

happy b-day deb!

grace&peace

classics

have you ever noticed how much better things are a second (or even third) time around? i just finished re-reading a tale of two cities by charles dickens. i initially read it in the 10th grade for english class and i must say that it was even better the second time through! since sophomore year was over 10 years ago, it is no wonder i didn't remember much about what happened, but i must admit that dickens had me on the edge of my seat for the last 50-60 pages. pick it up if you are in the mood for a great narrative about love, friendship, sacrifice, and redemption - with a little turmoil of the french revolution thrown in!

you know what else is still good after multiple readings? scripture! at the request of a college student who will remain nameless (ahem...ian!), i will be starting a weekly devotional blog for your reading enjoyment. they will be posted on wednesday afternoons, beginning august 17th. if you can think of a clever alliterative title, please post it here - i will consider all entries and choose one (or maybe just make up my own).

just so you know, kelley is still in the hospital and the drs still do not have a definitive answer about what is causing her illness. i will keep you updated as i get word.

grace&peace