Two of the better publicity stunts I have seen

Most of you know I am in the public relations industry and have a somewhat critical eye toward these things. But these two clips are masterpieces of resurrecting somewhat flagging reputations.

Enjoy



This is one is older but worth a watch



U2 and Johnny Cash. It doesn't get much better than that.

A call for the redemptive power of Christ

The video link will take you to a thought-provoking song. I love the line "Love will come set me free" which speaks directly to Christus Victor, the image of Christ that resonates most strongly with me. As we enter Holy Week, I'm reminded of the power of what Jesus did, not just his suffering. He broke the power of sin, death and Hades and set the captives free.

As you watch the video, think about the sweatshops where clothes are made. Think about children hiding under their beds from fear of armed conflict and falling bombs. And pray that the Risen Christ can set these people free. And ask him how you can help. We are the incarnation of Christ in this world. I'd like to start living like He did.

This is pointless but cool

Just click on the link and turn your volume up.

Who are the bigots?

I always thought the Republicans were cast as the racists in general elections. But thanks to Geraldine Ferraro, that may not be true. It seems that Ms. Ferraro, a member of the Clinton campaign, said that if Barack Obama were not black, he wouldn't even be in this position. Hmmm.

Is she saying that her party is potentially nominating an unqualified candidate because he is black? I shudder to think of the furor if a Republican said that. But they seem to have more sense than that this year. I wonder how she would have reacted if they had said her gender is what put her on the ill-fated 1984 Democratic Party ticket.

Thanks Geraldine for showing your true colors.

Write your member of Congress

You can go here to email your member of Congress if you want. I sent a note to member-for-life John Dingell, who chairs the Energy and Commerce committee in the House. I don't expect much, but it is about all I can do at the moment.

$4 gasoline?

Read this article and scratch your head. I've touched on this before, but we have oil reserves we are not allowed to tap because of Congressional mandates. If that oil were brought online, we would not be funding dictators of regimes that support terrorism. Nor would we be converting our food to fuel. But this is what the Congress wants.

Now we learn that our leading source of oil, Canada, may not be able to ship the oil from its tar sands to the U.S. because they do not meet the criteria of "renewable energy." It seems as if we are rushing pell-mell to cripple our own economy.

Something weird is afoot here. In the words of Deep Throat, I think we need to "follow the money." In the meantime, the price of gas continues to climb as demand drops. That is not how free markets work.

The underside of power

My small group just finished a study of Revelation, and there is one thought that keeps recurring to me. The author of the book we were using as a guide said that Americans have a hard time understanding Revelation because we are no on the underside of power. Revelation is a letter written to an oppressed people who were on the underside of Roman power. They were being squeezed economically, politically and judicially. We as Americans are the top dog, and they were not. The message of hope that John is sending to the people in the seven churches in Chapters 2-3 may not resonate like it would with illegal aliens, slaves, homeless, or addicted people.

The next time you read Revelation, try to read it from a Native American point of view. It will be different. It might get you to stop looking for the Anti-Christ behind every bush.

Praise the Lord for Global Warming

I don't know where we would be without it. Just read this and then call Al Gore and tell him to back off.

Human Trafficking

Lest you think it doesn't happen here, read this. I've excerpted the first two paragraphs of the report below:

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency estimates that 50,000 people are trafficked into or transited through the U.S.A. annually as sex slaves, domestics, garment, and agricultural slaves. [map]

The United States is a source and destination country for thousands of men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. Women and girls, largely from East Asia, Eastern Europe, Mexico and Central America are trafficked to the United States into prostitution. Some men and women, responding to fraudulent offers of employment in the United States, migrate willingly-legally and illegally-but are subsequently subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude at work sites or in the commercial sex trade. An unknown number of American citizens and legal residents are trafficked within the country primarily for sexual servitude and, to a lesser extent, forced labor.

This is an issue that we as the church need to urgently pray about and take action when we suspect it is happening. Raising our awareness and praying for ways to intervene are good starts. You can also go to:

Stop the Traffic

International Justice Mission

For more information

Lent

I subscribe to Soul Care, a daily email from the Church of the Nazarene Office of Clergy Development. Today's email just struck me with its description of the season of Lent:

Wisdom from Fellow Pilgrims

In the daily round of life, dust and cobwebs accumulate in our souls. The hidden corners of our hearts become encrusted with grime or filled with forgotten debris. During the weeks of Lent, God's Spirit is given opportunity to clear away the clutter, sweep away the dust and wash us clean. We are invited to prepare ourselves heart, soul, mind and body for the new life of Easter.

— Marlene Kropf

Take some time to use contemplative prayer, to earnestly seek the Lord during this season of preparation as we wait to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Come and listen

The video clip below is of the David Crowder Band song "Come and Listen." I invite you to let it play and think about the implied message of the song. "Come and listen to what He has done" is an provocative statement for me. It implies that 1) someone is telling what God has done for him/her, for you, and for us; and 2) the "us" is a welcome trip into the world of corporate worship that veers away from the "Jesus and Me" individuality that has so infiltrated American Christianity.

"Come and listen. Come to the waters edge all you who know and fear the Lord." That is worship my friends. Listening to what God has done for us, sharing what God has done for us, and celebrating what God has done for us. In all of this the focus is on what God has done for us, not what we have done for God.

Dwell on this song a little during Lent. Let that thought process of "what God has done for us" take root in your mind. Meditate on what God has done for:

• you
• your family
• your church
• your neighborhood
• your job
• your town
• your state
• your nation
• and your world

Make that a focus of your prayers and it will help balance some of the fear, doubt, resentment, bitterness and other negative emotions that take root from time to time. It's not that they are not real, but perspective on what God has done for us will shine a light of peace and truth into the dark recesses of your soul and your mind.

Here are some links to meditative/contemplative prayer sites if you would like some assistance on how to do this. It is well worth your time.

Centering Prayer

Listening Prayer

A Prayer Labyrinth

Lectio Divina or Divine Reading

This is but a sampling of the types of contemplative prayer. There are many good books in your local library and church that can help you with this.

Take the season of Lent to reflect on what God has done for you. And celebrate it at Easter.

Greetings from Michissippi

If you haven't followed the latest from our great state, here it is. The mayor of Detroit evidently had an affair with his chief of staff. During an investigation, the police uncovered this and two officers were demoted/fired because of their uncovering this. They sue the city, which is BROKE, and win nearly $9 million. As part of the settlement, all sides agree to keep the affair quiet, since the Mayor and his mistress said under oath that there was no affair. The Detroit Free Press sues under the Freedom of Information Act to get the transcripts of text messages between the mayor and his mistress, which confirm the affair. Hence, what is being called the Text Message Scandal. Personally, I think it should be called the Perjury Scandal, which is the charge both of them will be facing shortly.

Forget the sex if you can. This man spent $9 million of a nearly bankrupt city's money to cover up his peccadillo and the firing of those who uncovered it. $9 million will buy a couple fire trucks and crews, put cops on the street, or just fix some of the broken infrastructure. This region is struggling economically as it is. It does not need the mayor of the biggest city distracted by his inability to control his hormones, when there are pressing issues to be dealt with.

The city council seems to finally be developing a spine and is willing to call Hizzoner out on this. This is all about abuse of power, perjury and wasting of taxpayer funds. It's not about sex, which is how he is portraying it. The mayor is using the Lewinsky playbook. First he trots his wife out, apologizes, questions the legality of the investigation, wants to "keep working for the people" and defiantly refuses to step down. The trial must be next.



It's a sad, corrupt mess we have here.

Come Lord Jesus, Come.

Chutzpah

The Detroit Lions, 31-81 under their current management, have decided to raise ticket prices 18% in order to "stay competitive." No kidding, that is what Tom Lewand said. They haven't been competitive in more than 10 years. They have only won 1 playoff game in my lifetime. But they want to stay competitive?

Sadly, people will pay it and keep watching the slop they put on the field.

They grow 'em big in Allen Park. I'll say that much for them.

The Sky is Falling! We are all going to die!

Maybe not. Read this and breathe deeply. It seems that climate trends are longer than cable news and presidential election cycles.

Fasting

I am in an extended season of fasting right now. I say that not to brag, but to make the following point more clear. I never realized how socially conditioned we are to eat. After the second day of fasting, the hunger issue settles down for me. I'm living on V8 juice, coffee and water with my multi-vitamin and supplements, and have been fine with the hunger aspect. But man, am I used to munching on snacks and eating meals at prescribed times. I find myself thinking about eating, not because I am hungry, but because it is a habit at a particular time of day. That is a bit of a surprise to me. This is the longest fast I have undertaken, and I still have some time to go. I am just really surprised at how much of a habit eating is. It is beyond a biological imperative, it is also a socially conditioned exercise. That is my fasting revelation.

Pray that God would grant the spiritual breakthrough that I am fasting about. And pray that He would use this time to open my eyes to other things he wants me to learn. It's a different thing, but I do feel the Lord's presence in my absence of eating. Maybe it just takes getting some clutter out of the way to be able to hear his voice.

Remembering what Lent is about

Take a look at this video clip if you would like a reminder of why we observe a season of Lent.

Let's move to Florida!!!!

This story just made my skin crawl. Literally. I still don't understand the fascination with Florida. Yes it is sunny, and ghastly hot in the summer. Throw in hurricanes, cockroaches (er, Palmetto bugs) the size of small birds, gators and snakes and it sounds like just a lovely place. Now they have added flea swarms to their collection of biblical plagues.

It's a nice place to visit....

More Letters from a friend

John continues in Revelation 2:

8"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

This is not a message that one could easily sell as a televangelist. 'Come to Jesus and suffer. Come to Jesus and you will be jailed, persecuted and possible killed." It's a much easier sell to say "come to Jesus and be wealthy and healthy." But that isn't the message.

It gives me hope to hear "He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death." We aren't promised an easy life. Actually, quite the opposite. Look at the disciples. Only John died of natural causes. But there is a promise that if we persist in our faith, there is an eternal reward that far surpasses anything we can imagine. That is something to hang our hope on.

Another Letter from a Friend

In the Spirit of Valentine's Day, today's letter is about love that has been lost. In Revelation 2, John writes to the church in Ephesus a letter that strikes me as tough news to hear.

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

It appears to me that the church in Ephesus had done fairly well. They had sniffed out and removed the false prophets from among them. They had suffered for Jesus with joy. But they had lost their love. They had right doctrine and right action, but they had no love. They had lost the love of God, and seemingly, their love toward others.

I've been there before as well. I can be so sure of what I am teaching that I lose compassion toward those that I am teaching. I can be consumed with the desire to be "right" and convinced that someone is either misinformed or bordering on heresy that I lose that which distinguishes Christians: love.

I've done it. Churches have done it, and even denominations have done it. Jesus calls us to love in all that we do. Let's heed that call

Happy Valentine's Day

In our annual Hallmark-driven paen to Eros love, I bring greetings. I thought this little video clip was worth a repost. Have a great day with the ones you love, but never forget about the One who loves you.