dodging, laughing

Last Night a strange event occurred at pleasant valley. Eighty teenagers collected in the FLC to hurl balls at each other in an attempt to make each other "out" in the classic competition "dodgeball". This provided the opportunity for many heroic events and daring plays by these atheletes. In the end, nobody won, and everyone had laughed hard.

One of the great ironies found in a game like dodgeball is that, if you want too, you can hang in the back, safe from danger from most of the game. But, if you do, two things will happen. First, you will not help your team very much. A little bit, feftching ammunition, etc, but not very much. Secondly, when the game nears completion, you may find that you have survived...only to become the last remaining target for the other team. Now, they are all trying to hit you in the head, and have little chance of winning the round. So your tactic which was to your safety, ends up creating a very hazardous situation for you.

I'm not sure if there is a life lesson there, but there may be. If nothing else, it should enhance your dodgeball strategy.

Meaning and Usage of "Props"

"Props" is a slang word that roughly translates into "proper respect", and is common parlance in popular culture. Everyday, in a wide variety of forums, people earn, and are then given their "props". When you say to someone, "I gotta give you props for (whatever they've done well)" You are saying that because of their fine performance or attributes, you are obligated to give them due respect. Or, more efficiently, you could pack all of that meaning into the words itself, and simply say to a person who is performing particularly well, "props." Slang can be so beautiful.

To make it clear, allow me to use the word in a sentence.

In my interaction with different churches, it has become more and more clear how critical the leadership of shepherds is to the vitality of a congregation. Shepherds don't make the church, they don't own the church, but they do lead the church, and like any other job among us it can be done well or poorly. Our elders do it particularly well, and somehow pull off an amazing balancing act in their lives between their own families, jobs, and the affairs of the church. I think they do a great job of building relationships and helping people through all kinds of things. Of course simple math tells us that its a big job, and it can be tough to keep everybody on the radar. Please be aware of that and help them out, by being intentional on your side of the relationship as well. Make it a mission to get to know them! I really have a lot of confidence in them, and know that the relationships they have with the church have been critical to the way God has been able to use PV to glorify himself in our city and in the world. So, ready for that sentence?

"I give our shepherds props."

Teenagers, Camped in the Valley

I am so very proud of our kids. As they've grieved the loss of their friend Tiffany Brown this week, they've shown amazing resilience.

Its so hard, you know, to confront death those first few times in adolescence. Along with the grief comes the stark realization that we aren't invincible, after all. The whole in our lives where our friend should be reminds us of the temporary nature of our own lives...one of the shocking truths that we live with everyday, and become accustomed to.

The stroll through the valley of death, whether a friend's death or that confrontation with our own, is a tough walk in any case, but made so much better with the companionship and support of our community. And that's what I'm so proud of in our kids, that as they've walked, they've helped and supported each other, and walked together through the valley.

Didn't want to hear it

This week I'm preaching on Mark 10:17-31, the story of a rich young man who comes to ask Jesus about how to inherit eternal life, and walks away disappointed. It's a classic story of not hearing what you want. there are some really interesting things in this short assage that wont be able to make it into the sermon, that I'd thought I'd note here, and then leave you with a question or two. First (and these might not make sense unless you've got the Bible close, or open this link for the text) notice that Jesus seems to have a little bit of a change in his attitude about the young man. At first, it seems like Jesus is suspicious of the fellow, but after his response about the law it says "Jesus looked at him, and loved him." Interesting, eh? Also, I think the response of the disciples is another key element. This dude had it made, or so it seems. He's been following the law, God has obviously blessed him with wealth...and then Jesus rips him? Notice that at the end of the story they are just as confused as the young man was. In their view, this guy was the real deal, the ideal religious man. When Jesus corrects him, he also corrects them. I wonder if he would do the same with our notions of righteousness...it seems that part of being a disciple is learning to see things and people the way Jesus does. How far along that project are we?

Finally, here's the question for you. The rich man comes to Jesus and walk away sad because he just hears something he had no interest in hearing...thought he would hear one thing and it turned out to be completely another. I can identify with that, and I wonder if you can, too. What about those times in your life that you thought you were going to hear one thing, but it turned out to be something totally different? Better or worse, if you've got a story, go ahead and share it. When have the tables been unsuspectingly turned on you?