New Year Predictions 2009

Happy New Year to all.  I pray that you will find 2009 fulfilling.

I thought I'd make my predictions for the coming year.  Some are more obvious than others.  I don't think I get too ostentatious. 

• The economy will go up and it will go down, especially as we measure it according to the sock market.  In the end there will be a push to find another economic barometer because the stock market will be seen as too artificial.  
• We'll have a new president; he'll be a minority, the first ever in the White House; Conservative Christian leaders will not be happy with him, but many other Christian leaders will consider his first months in a positive light.
  
• The Obamas will get a dog as they move into the White House.  It will be a mutt (sort of). 
• The Eagles will not win the Super Bowl.  Some fans will continue to call for Reid's head.  Others will call for a change of quarterback.  Neither will happen before the 2009 season.
• Phillies fans will boo at least one of the World Series heroes before the end of the first home game.  The Phillies will not repeat as World Series champs.
  
• There will not be a civil war that fragments the US, but some tensions will rise.
• Microsoft will not have a Y2K10 issue, but they will make news sometime in the year for a major attack on their operating system.
• Gas prices will go back up this summer but not to the $4 mark of last summer.
• In Iraq, the US withdraw will be behind schedule at the end of 2009.  The Military will point to an escalation of insurgents uprisings as the reason.
• It will be cold in the winter and hot in the summer and everyone will claim climate is the cause for it seeming hotter than it used to be or colder than it used to be.  At least one hurricane will strike the US and people will again focus on how much climate change has increased the chance of the event happening.
• Captain Phil will return the the Cornela Marie.  His sons will rip him off, he'll get angry and say bleeeeep a lot, then in the end he'll tell them he's so proud of their progress on the boat.
• Jack will get the gang back together to search for the Island, but they won't find it this season.  Or they will find it, but they won't find their friends on the Island.
• I'll continue to love my wife and she'll continue to be a better writer than me.  My girls will continue to amaze me.  We'll continue to wish we had more money, but, in reality, will be happy we don't have everything we want.
  

Why do Americans need smaller homes?

Maybe the environment would benefit.  Maybe it would help the country to develop a better economic stability if we built more smaller homes.  But those aren't the reasons I'd suggest the country needs to downsize.

I've found that the more time my family spends in the same room, the better balance we have. If I have a big home, my kids are in their space, I'm in the yard working and my wife is doing her stuff to up-keep the home in her space.  The little amount of time that we all actually spend at home is not spent together.  

In a smaller home, my family spends a lot of time together.  That time is time that we are building our relationships.  That's time that we are learning to love each other.

I'm hopeful that the economic downturn will have some benefits for the family.  Smaller homes can lead to better family relationships.

How does your family use the space in your home?

Blood-Water Music on NoiseTrade Widget

Worship Styles

The issue of worship styles is like the issue of abortion.  Everyone has an opinion; everyone hope that their side will win; but no hit of an end is coming soon.

This issue was raised once again this weekend.  Some people don't want to attend a certain service because the worship leader that is not of their style will be leading.  Hmmm.

"Why don't you like his style?" I asked.

Their response, "We just don't.  We know that some people do, but we just can't worship to that style of music."

I return, "Then is it worship that you are doing when the music is of your choosing, or are you just feeling good?"

They didn't understand me. But that's OK.

Worship to me is about service not about feelings.  It is hard to think about the word in a modern Western mindset because we are not encouraged to worship anyone.

So, think back to a time when there were kings and queens ruling the world.  Worship is a monarchical term--It's from the world of all powerful rulers.

A subject was to worship a king.  He would do this in several ways.  First, he would serve the king to provide him with a great bounty or victory.  Second, in the king's presence, the subject would lower himself so the kings greatness was demonstrated.

Interesting, when you look that way, I don't see any reason that worship was about making the subject feel good.  Sure, feeling good may be a side benefit if the kingdom prospers, but the king was still the one who decided if the subject was to receive any benefit at all.  The subject just served.

Music may be part of the worship of a king.  For those who are gifted, the king may offer a ministry of music.  Songs being powerful motivators may be part of the gathering of the subjects but the song would certainly be chosen by the king, not those gathering.

I can't find a single verse in the scripture that connect worship with music.  You know, something like, "David worshiped God by playing his favorite songs."  There are examples of wonderful music in both Testaments, but I wonder if it is more notable that the words used for worship mean "to pay homage" which means to pay respect.  The word for worshiper (λατρεύω) comes from a word that mean "to serve."

It doesn't sound like these terms are about me feeling good when I do it.  It sounds like the focus is always on the king.  If the focus is on God when we worship, why do we need to enjoy the music at all? If we serve a King who desires our obedience as our sacrifice isn't our obedience to His commandments the greatest worship.  And if the greatest commandment is to love God and love others isn't worship then the way we demonstrate great love to God and others?

And if someone else is hurting or lost and needs what the church has to offer, is the most loving thing to break down walls that would make them feel uncomfortable?  Perhaps our music is that thing.

So I ask one last question about worship...
Is is possible that the greatest form of worship might be when I put myself into a place where I'm completely uncomfortable, with music I can't understand and that hurts my ears, in order that I might help save a new generation of hurting people for the love of God?


I'm not sure we can call feeling good worship at all.

Safely Watched

Once when my daughter was younger
I allowed her to stray

the crowded room and shiny things
and she was caught up in her world

She strayed a couple isles
Picking up shiny things

She walk away with out knowing
her distance from her safe place

I didn't want to walk away
but when I called her she didn't come

I didn't let her leave my sight
I followed her close behind

But she wasn't looking for me
She was caught up in her own desires

Freedom was fun for a moment
No one told her do not touch

But freedom can be scary
when you discover your aloneness

Her safe place had left
her freedom now confusion

I didn't go to her right away
I allowed her to know her emptiness

That fear I'm sure will reminder
that her place is with her father

I'm not sure her exact emotions
they flooded her face so quickly

At first it seem confusion
then more a bit like pain

The glitter than had drawn her attention
was now meaningless and a barrier

She began to search for me in the vastness
she looked in the faces of others passing by

But strangers were not safe
It was her father she desired

She her confusion turn to pain
she called out to her father

With out delay my heart broke
and my desire was for her

So I stepped out from behind the shiny things
Swooped her into my arms

"I was her sweetheart
I'll never leave you"

"I was afraid daddy, I need you
Don't leave me again"

Our love is now focus
her desires more pure

But what I'm learning
what I'm wondering

Was that my child there
that day?

What I'm thinking, what I'm learning is
that that wasn't my daughter that day

The child lost whose was drawn by glitter
wasn't a daughter at all

It was me and I was my Father
and I was always safely watched

Why I blog

Recently, I read that a blog can be about one of two people: yourself or the reader.  I read a bunch of blogs and have found that generally true.  My blog--this one--is about me and for me.  I started it to communicate my otherwise unspoken thoughts.  It's sort of a journal.

So A World that I'm Partly Made of  is at its core a journal of thoughts intended for me as I think them through.  It is a reflection on the world from my point of view.

On the other hand, I could have written these thoughts down in a journal book stored in my desk.  But I haven't. My blog is public because maybe there is someone out there that will benefit from knowing how I think, understanding my values, and reading links to others who help me to form my thoughts.

So, if you're reading this, you're welcome to poke around, comment or leave as you like.  Since it is about me and for me, it will be raw, rough and maybe a little one sided.  I don't have it proof read which is dangerous for a dyslexic writer.  I do hope it will also be honest and insightful, and I hope that seeing things through my point of view helps you to understand your world better.

Does God like Christmas?

This time of year I get what we call the I-wanters.  That is, I see all the good sales, and I want things.

Last weekend, I stopped in the ATT store to see how much the iPhone was going for these days.  It was nice, and slightly more than I had budgeted for my birthday gift.  Since I have a December birthday, maybe I could talk Stef into bundling it with my Christmas gift.  Yeah! That's a good idea.

So....I talked to the man about the iPhone, only to find out it was the only phone in the store that required a $30-per-month data plan.  Now the $200 phone would cost me... oh... around $560 for the year over what I'm currently paying for mobile service.

So, being a smart guy, I asked the guy, "Are there any phones that you'd recommend over the iPhone.

His eye's light up as he guided me across the room to show me the new Blackberry Bold. At only $400 this phone has high rating in just about everything over the iPhone. 

Oh, it looked so nice, and there was an option of a $100 rebate.  I'll I'd have to do is order the dataplan for 3 months.  Let's see, $30 data plan times 3 equals $90.  That's $10 saving and i get to use the super fast G3 network for 3 months.  Certainly, if Stef could see the 3G's blazing speed, she'd want me to have it.  "Oh," and he added, "This phone has one of the best turn-by-turn GPS system in the world.  It even beats those that they put into Lexus and BMW cars. That's only a $10-per-month service charge."

"WOW!  I love GPS! That could only be so cooooooool!"  And it could be my birthday present/Christmas present.  Now I want it, and I want it BAD!  Let's ignor that fact that this phone would only cost me $400-$100 rebate+$90 for the first 3 monts of data service + in reality $30 times 9 because I really want the phone for the cool data feature + $120 for the monthly GPS service.  I could have this baby for only $780. Only $650 dollars more than I had budgeted for birthday and Christmas gifts.

You see, we are trying to downplay gifts this year.  We don't need stuff, but as Seth Godin points out in his bog Hungry, its the marketer's job to make me want stuff.  It's my job to realize I don't need it.

The video at the top of this unusually long post is Jon Foreman performing his song Instead.  It is a lovely reworking of the sentiments in Is. 1:11-17 or maybe Amos 5:21-24.  When it comes to Christmas, I'm never really happy.

I wonder if it is because this season has become on of those festivals that Isaiah and Amos write about.  Could God really be pleased with me when I celebrate the coming of his Son with buying myself a cell phone or buying my child a new 50-inch flatscreen TV?  Maybe I'm not that far out--maybe it is just the Wii @ $400 that I'm getting my kid to set along side the PS3 and X-box?  Or whatever else it might be that is cause me to have the I-wanters?  Can those I-wanter be what God hates when they overcome my attention on justice and righteous living?

Lost is coming and this the Fray video is cool

I'm a Lost fan. Have been since I was hooked in Season 2. Now, I'm impatiently waiting for the penultimate season.  Enjoy this video.

Lost Friday nights start at my house in January. (I know Lost is on Wednesday, but with all I have to do on Wednesday it's easier to wait until Friday.) Beside, that's when we can get people together.

These are my values--What are yours?

Our staff talked about values today. You know, the attitudes deep inside you that guide your actions--the reasons your do what you do. I've thought a lot about strengths and personalities lately, but have forgotten values. I want to thank Jay Williams for taking us through this interesting workshop.

Here are my core values. I hope to follow up with the why behind each.

Family: Family are the people that are closest to you. In a family, you can be who God designed you to be without fear, scorn or judgment. Family loves you for who you are, unconditionally, but always challenges each member to grow and respect norms and authority so the the whole family benefits.

This usually includes those related to you, it doesn't have to be limited to those people and sometimes those people don't act too much like family.

I'm fortunate, I find this value in Stef, Moriah and Elie. I have found it in my family of my childhood, but we aren't together too often any more. I'm beginning to find aspects of it with some of the people of our church. That's what I love most about Friday nights in my house.

Creativity: Creativity is the ability to think bigger and dream beyond current reality. To be fully creative, those big dreams must be communicated to others, and challenge them to also think bigger and dream beyond reality.

I value creativity. I am not by nature creative in the sense that I can't sing, play an instrument, paint, build, draw, or write particularly well. Those are all tools for expressing creativity. To be a good drawer, doesn't make you creative. It is just medium for those who are creative to express their thoughts.

I'm still searching for my best medium of creativity.

Freedom: Freedom is the ability to choose--according to your free will--that which God designed you to do, say or write.

Freedom is for anarchy. Anarchy is freedom only for the strongest as the weak are push to oblivion. Freedom is I can choose according to my will and design in such a way that you can better choose according to your will and design.

We exercise freedom in our home. I think it is leading my daughters to be more creative people.


These are my core values as I discovered this week. I have other values too--teaching and peace are certainly secondary--but the first three values stand out.

Living with dyslexia follow up

Quickly, no one seemed to be able to figure the sign out. 

Before I say what the sign really said, I want to be clear, that I have only ever thought that the Screwy Curve was because we were driving up a mountain road.  No other conotation have come to my mind.

Screwy Curve, when scrambled and on 'e' removed makes the phrase....

living with dyslexia (1)

I have the curse(1) or joy of living(3) with(4) dyslexia. Dyslexia is a reading disorder in which the brain mixes stuff up. At least(5,6) that's what some experts(7-9) say. Others say everyone(10) mixes stuff up; those who claim(11) the disorder just(12-14) aren't trying(15) hard enough.

Obviously, it is a curse, because it can be really frustrating(16) mixing things up. For example(17-20), I've counted 20 times already that I've used the back space to correct mistyped word. I also struggle with(21) vowels(22-25) sounds. I really can't tell the difference(26) between a short "i" and a short "a".

As for not trying hard enough(26-30), I've reread short papers 6 or more times and still have people point out errors(31) pointed out on first reading by others (usually my wife(32)).

Ok, that sounds frustrating(33), so how can dyslexia(34) be a joy? Well, I can read some really funny things at times. Of course, no one else gets the joke, but I'm OK with laughing alone(35).

One memorable dyslexic(36,37) moment came on a road trip with(38) a college friend. Driving down a country road, I clearly saw(38) this sign.

Can you guess what my college buddy(39,40) read on the sign?

Note: Numbers(41) in ( ) indicate times I actually(42) backspaced because(43) I mistyped a word.

Start making a new culture

Andy Crouch asks there questions in his book Culture Making .  There is a great video from Q where he reveals those questions.

The Questions:

• What are you cultivating?
• What are you creating?
• Who are you co-creators?

Cultivating is taking something in culture and making it better, more productive, or valuable for today.

Creating is making something new out of nothing?

Co-creators are those who help you to make culture anew.  They start as a small group (3), move to a larger group (12), and then to a community (120).  (Sounds similar to Seth Godin's Tribes, doesn't it.)

Answering these question:

• I'm cultivating a new way to do family ministry at Grace Point.
• I'm not sure what I'm creating just yet, but it will be something to help connect families. 
  
• I have a few circles of 3, sometimes they connect, but not always.  I think the most important two people pertaining to what I'm cultivating are Nate and Cassandra - my youth and children's directors.
  

Advent Conspiracy

Advent Conspiracy

Two Christmases ago, we started giving our children a gift every year that they could make a donation to a charity of their choice. I love the idea of the Advent Conspiracy and have been encourage to give more this year than before. Sure the economy is down and you are already thinking of cutting back.

Here's the deal. If you cut back 75% of what your child would receive in a normal year, are you really cutting on their needs or is it still want items. If you give to something like Blood:Water Mission, you're giving a child fresh water, a much needed need.

Watch the video and join me.

The joy of being part skunk

Johnson is a boring name. I asked my dad where it came from. He said once asked his grandmother was his grandfather was.

Her response, "He was a skunk."

I don't mind being part skunk. It reminds me that I'm not perfect, but my Father is.

Who are the greatest heretics of the church?

Who are the greatest heretics of the Christian faith?  My first three choices are Jesus, Martin Luther and John Amos Comenius.  These people all were considered heretics by the religious institution of their day, but did huge things to form the Christian faith.

Any others?

My favorites

Here's a quick list of my favorite blogs (as of today 'cause it changes).

Stef is getting to be a great blogger... 
                               http://becauseipause.blogspot.com/

Shaun Groves writes some thought provoking things and is connect with one of my favorite ministries, Compassion International...
                          http://www.shaungroves.com/shlog/

 Seth Godin challenges me to think big and to create...
                              http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/

Out of Ur looks at church leadership issues in a new light...
                           http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/

Is Effort lost in Christian busyness?

Seth Godin is an incredibly brilliant marketer.  Being on who doesn't like the materialistic world we find ourselves in, it may seem odd that I would read a blog by someone who made it big helping people sell things.  The truth is, recently, I've learned that we are all selling something and marketing is more about selling ideas than products.  Being a pastor is about selling ideas in many ways.

I really liked Seth's entry on Is effort a myth.  Take a moment to read the blog. There are two thoughts that I'd like to add.

My first thought is that Christians often down play effort giving preference to Grace or the Will of God.  It becomes a Christian version of luck.  Certainly, God's will cannot be undone.  Still, we are admonished in Scripture to put effort toward our work in Christ.  (1 Corinthians 9:24, Hebrews 12:1)

My second thought is that I love the exercises Seth gives.  How about adding a Bible reading plan and prayer to the 120 minutes each day.  Notice also that a day of doing nothing is a part of greater effort.  Counter intuitive, but also part of God's plan.

What is our most important task at hand?

My new Children's director asked me a question that brought this question to my mind.  How much of our time should be used making healthy the people inside the church and how much should we use reaching out to the community. 

I'm pretty sure that a paradigm of sitting around reading the Bible to one another until the world realizes they need Jesus won't ever work.

But I'm also questioning the paradigm that we should have most of our energy outward bringing new people into the church.  Can we actually make disciples when the house that we bring people into is out of order?

So, what is the City on the Hill's most important task and how do we ballance the tasks at hand?

Dad's braggin's

Once I told Elie that I'd give her a quart of Rita's Water Ice (if you don't know what that is come visit PA and I'll treat) if she made a goal with her head.  Anticipating a strong redirection to the upper 90, I was not sure what to do last weekend when Elie came to claim her quart.  You see, she and the keeper both went down in front of the goal.  Rather than running the risk of being too slow by getting up to kick the ball in, Elie, on all four, used her head to push it over the line.  It looked like the old party game when the person would roll a peanut with their nose. Not a great athletic feat, but creative.  Go Elie!

Today, the second surprise.  Looking back 12 years ago, Moriah was in a church Christmas program that took some Nutcracker songs and set Jesus lyrics to them.  The performance was an embarrasment.  She stood in the very front row and didn't sing a note.  I promised her I wouldn't tell what she did instead, but it had something to do with a finger and a feature in the center of her face.

Today, however, she learned that she as made the chorus at her school that will be singing in the Pennsylvania Ballet's preformance of the Nutcracker.  What an honor. She promises she'll sing this time.  Go Moriah!

Does choice equal relevance?

Does more choice bring more relevance?  It might seem so since what is relevant to me might not be so to you.  Still Tim Manners, the author of Relevance: Making Stuff That Matters doesn't seem to think that's always the case.  He points out that Stew Leonard’s, a grocer in Connecticut and New York, has found a niche by eleminating choice.  

One of the many things that makes Stew Leonard’s so innovative is that it only carries something like 800 items, compared to tens of thousands at the typical supermarket. They took the time to figure out which products were most relevant to their shoppers and got rid of everything else. As a result, their profits per square foot completely eclipse those of traditional supermarkets.  "Elements of Relevance" in the Sept/Oct edition of the online magizine The Hub

I can understand that. Last week I was in the local Acme and found myself stairing at walls and walls of product.  So many choices that, even though I could have used a few items, I was so overwhelmed that I shot in, grabbed the two things I needed and left.  Even picking out the two items was difficult because of the choices.  Good thing the tag "sale items" because I bought those.

It seems to me that church try to be relevant to more and more people by offering more and more choices?  So here's my question, is that making us more relevant or just busier? Does it improve community or just flood us with community choices?  If it is making things too busy, how do we go about limitting or cutting the overstock?