The source of this week's teasing from my wife

Unclutterer: The end of the chip-clip



I first saw this on Lifehacker a while ago, and even recently implemented it. I thought it was handy, but Laura saw it as a testament to my geekiness. It's a close call, I guess.

It's not news, it's...

Enough.

Enough already. Enough with the celebrity "news." It's becoming more "pornographic" than what I get bombarded with in my email. There's no reason that the local news should be reporting on Paris Hilton and whether or not she's in jail. Yes, it is news on a fundamental level, but only so much that it's entertainment news and a possibly a further illustration of how the legal system needs reform on many levels. It doesn't deserve the attention it is getting right now though from mainstream media - I think Access Hollywood and the like can cover it well enough where it belongs.

Maybe I just don't get it, but I've never been into the celebrity obsession. Magazines like the Sun, Enquirer, etc. and shows like AH and Entertainment tonight don't appeal to me whatsoever. But yet, apparently they are widely popular.

"Reality TV" doesn't do it for me anyway. About the only "reality TV" I can stomach is what you find on Discovery or TLC, mainly in the form of Deadliest Catch and Mythbusters (yes, I'm a geek). TV in general has lost its luster. As part of the TV generation, I can remember growing up thinking as I was getting ready to spend a week at camp, "How will I be able to make it all week without TV." Granted, I did make it, and even at home, I played outside and did other non-TV activities, but TV was a major part of my regular activity.

Now, not so much. With our free time decreasing, news being dumbed down and increasingly anemic, programming based on cheap production and maximum outrage, and being able to be more selective through our DVR, we've gotten to where we'll watch maybe an hour of primetime programming a night - if we're lucky.

I guess I'm just looking for more substance in my entertainment and wish that more people felt the same. I don't want to necessarily be challenged and disturbed every night, but I'd like for my news to at least be something more than the equivalent of jingling your keys in front of an infant. Thankfully, there is at least the web in which I can get apprised of what's going on in the world, but even that is being challenged with the threat to net neutrality.

Bottom line, I want more. Not so much in quantity, but in quality, and I wish you do to.

GTD (Getting Things Done)

(Image credit from The New Shelton.)

I'm trying to be more productive with my time throughout the day. I've become a big fan of a couple of sites, Lifehacker and Unclutterer, that really appeal to my OCD side. Of some of the many things that have been suggested to GTD (Get Things Done), email has been tapped as being the source of the least AND most productivity. It's all a matter in how it's used. I don't remember the link, but the study was done with people completing tasks under different conditions and it turns out, in terms of accuracy and adjusted IQ, someone who is stoned is more productive and intelligent than someone who is "plugged in" all the time.

Since being "plugged in" doesn't have all the other benefits of the other option, I'm turning of my automatic email notification and only checking email once an hour. It will be a while before I can move to the suggested practice of doing email only twice a day at 11:00 and 4:00, but I've already noticed a huge difference in productivity by feeling that the most effective use of my time is not immediately responding to every email as they come in. I wonder, what are some practices that others use to GTD and get the clutter out of their lives?

If a Conference happens and no one is there...?

This year's Annual conference is over and done. It didn't really seem like it was time for it to happen - this year has flown by.

At least for my responsibilities (being in charge of voting and the tellers), things went much better than I imagined they would. As Sherill came to find out, I don't have much patience for stupidity, rather, stupid decisions and results that can easily be avoided by listening. Fortunately, we only had a few episodes of group stupidity. However, where I had anticipated the laity would need more hand holding and scolding, it was the clergy that apparently left their village an idiot short that weekend. The things were nothing major, but it's mind-boggling how difficult filling in a bubble on a Scantron card is for some people. But I digress...

I will say that a member here at Trinity did almost send me into a panic attack when I mistook the sheets of stickers he was giving out to children for more ballots that needed to be counted.

I was able to reconnect with a few people from college, high school, and camp that I had not seen in a while, which evokes the original purpose of Conference. But many conversations were cut short due to other responsibilities. I need to do better in maintaining those relationships.

Overall, I think I had a good time at Conference. I worked with a great group of people, and despite running around constantly, I wasn't as drained as last year. This doesn't mean though, that I am volunteering to be an assistant to the Conference Secretary again... :-)

Out of order

For some reason, after changing some settings, old posts have now been appearing as new ones. I think it was due to an attempt to "tag" some of my old posts. I guess constantly changing your page layout and design doesn't matter as much.

Sorry to all those reading with a newsreader. Speaking of which, I've been playing around with Google's Reader. I think I like it better than Live Bookmarks through Firefox, and, since it's not tied to a specific computer, I can access my feeds from anywhere. Check it out if you find yourself checking many feeds per day. Tips on using it here at Lifehacker.

Email Post Test

Trying a new feature that allows me to post via email.

 

May come in handy later.

 

I finally did it!

www.shibumi.org/EotI

The End of the Internet

Congratulations! This is the last page.

Thank you for visiting the End of the Internet. There are no more links.

You must now turn off your computer and go do something productive.

Go read a book, for pete's sake.

Not too surprised

I'm not really surprised at my results, maybe that the top four initially seem almost incompatible. However, as with all of these "quizzes" there is a huge element of the creator's own bias, as well as huge assumptions. But, the variety of categories is not that uncommon I think for many of my generation - whatever that is, since apparently we're pretty hard to classify and label. Maybe that's the problem/challenge with ministry. It can be so scattershot it's hard to feel like you're getting any traction, and, by the time something does sink in, a new need/interest has already passed by. Finding more ways to be supple and malleable will be key in the future life of the church.

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan, You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavily by John Wesley and the Methodists. Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 89% Emergent/Postmodern 86% Classical Liberal 57% Roman Catholic 50% Neo orthodox 50% Modern Liberal 46% Reformed Evangelical 32% Charismatic/Pentecostal 32% Fundamentalist 14% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

Might be time to move

As I type this, my wife and I are in our apartment under lockdown. Apparently, there is a man on the loose carrying an AK-47 after having shot someone. There are no less than 8 police cars blocking the entrance which we can see from our bedroom window. Topping it off, we're in the midst of a thunderstorm that would mask any gunfire.

This is the second time in as many months that our complex has been in the news. Previously, we made headlines after an arsonist set an apartment on fire, damaging it and the one above it. Interestingly enough, it was the apartment occupied by my former seminary roommate and his wife, who he was also the Associate pastor who preceded me.


More details later...










8:08 PM - Apparently the suspect has been apprehended. 13 cops (some SWAT, others heavily armed) just poured out of the building across from us. They gathered briefly, then went elsewhere. The party seems to be breaking up and the mood is much less tense. I'll be checking out the news tonight to see what happened. This is all we know so far.

News - Recent Headlines - UMC.org

News - Recent Headlines - UMC.org: "., Royal Oak, Mich., Huntsville, Ala., Fargo, N.D., and Geneva, Ill., support the efforts of Board of Global Ministries"

I'm excited about Wednesday night and getting to meet Remigijus, pastor of Kybartai UMC, in Lithuania. Remigijus will be giving a presentation Wednesday evening at 6:30 in Wesley Hall about the things that are going on in his church and in Lithuania.

Trinity has partnered with Kybartai UMC to help them build a new church building. Their current space is inadequate for many reasons, not the least of which being the services that are standing room only. Culturally and socially, Kybartai UMC needs a new building due to how the congregation is perceived and given status by the local government. Having a building will allow them to be in greater ministry in so many different ways.

Trinity has pledged part of its budget to Kybartai UMC, but our part only covers a portion of the total cost. They are in need of much more. You can contact Trinity directly with questions on how to give, or use the links in the linked article.

My video post

Apparently all the cool kids are doing it. But I thought rather than sharing a "scary" clip, maybe one that was a little more light-hearted.



Website: TrailerSpy (some content may not be appropriate for all ages.)

Kansas Storms

A tornado struck the city of Greensburg in southwest Kansas Friday May 4, leveling most of the community. Our hearts and prayers go out to the people impacted by this storm.

Kansas Area Bishop Scott Jones has issued a special appeal for funds for the Kansas Area Disaster Fund.

At this time, most of the damage is known, but the search still goes on for survivors. Until the assessment phase is over, Disaster Response Teams will not be let in. Once an assessment has been made and the are has been declared OK, teams will be let in. According to the Kansas-West Annual Conference website,

The Greensburg United Methodist Church and church parsonage were heavily damaged or destroyed by the storm. Dodge City District Superintendent Rev. Kendal Utt has spoken with Rev. Gene McIntosh, pastor at Greensburg. McIntosh and his family rode out the storm in the basement of the parsonage. They spent Friday night at a shelter in Haviland and are now with family in Hutchinson.

The death toll continues to climb, with more than eight deaths reported. Greensburg is being evacuated and only emergency personnel are being allowed into the community at this time. Other areas around Greensburg were also damaged in this storm angling northeast of the community through rural Macksville, Claflin and Ellinwood. More severe storms are expected in the area throughout the weekend.

Along with helping with the Disaster Fund, one can help immediately by preparing one of several kits recommended by UMCOR, and can stand ready if and when a call is made for Disaster Response Teams.

Use the following links for more information and to provide assistance:

• The Kansas-West Annual Conference
• Kansas Area Disaster Relief Fund
  
• UMCOR
• UMCOR Relief Kits
• Disaster Response links from the North Alabama Conference of the UMC

As more details unfold, I will post more ways in which to help and to give.

as time goes by

In the immortal words of Keanu Reeves, "Whoa!"

I realize I've been very lax in updating this blog in the past few months, but I didn't realize how long it had been. In the six months I've been gone Sherill, Jeff, Tony, and even Charles have gotten into blogging. I hear there's even competition for comments.

Though I could go either way about comments, I've realized I need to do better about keeping current on posting if only for information dissemination (like that? I've got a few other $5 words for you...). It's going to be a while, if ever, that blogging will be for me the spiritual discipline it is for some people, but as Trinity UMC gets ever more busy the need for more and more efficient information exchange will be necessary. Plus, this is free.

I've updated the links on the side because most of those folks have been gracious enough to link to me, and I think highly of what they have to say. I hope I haven't left anyone out.

One tip for new readers and those new to blogs, use a newsreader of some sort. Personally, I use the Live Bookmarks feature in Mozilla Firefox, but even Internet Explorer can handle RSS feeds now. In the future I'll either add links to the side bar or links to a post of other important news feeds that everyone should check out at least once.

That's all for now. I'll be back sooner than six months.

A Prayer for Geontae

According to the Huntsville Times, what started out as a tragic carjacking, has turned into an not-so-elaborate hoax that ended in the death of a 5-year-old boy.

Merciful God, our Heavenly Parent,
Welcome into your arms Geontae, who had no one to hold him here on earth.
May he find comfort and peace in you, when he had none here.
Comfort those who loved him and strengthen them in this time of pain,
so that they might live a life that Geontae never had the chance to.
We pray for justice with mercy for those involved in this awful event,
may your wisdom prevail as judgments must be made and pronounced.
Afflict us, your people, his community, with a conviction to do more.
Challenge us to speak out against violence and abuse.
Help us to be champions for the poor, the marginalized, the ones who are weak.
No one should be afraid to be a child.
Open our ears to hear the cries of those in distress,
Open our hearts to welcome in those who have been cast off,
Open our hands to do Christ's work of bringing about your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Loving God,
Fill us with an active love that accomplishes change and brings new life. Amen.

The terrorists have won

I've never been much of a "stay the course guy." I think that it's part of my generation's mentality to question what has always been done. It's been my experience too, that most things that people refer to by saying, "If it's not broke, don't fix it," 90% usually is broken.

However, if the rumors are true, then today marks a new low for the Alabama fan base.

Like everyone else, I have been very disappointed with the way the 2006 football season has turned out. Even so, maybe I have a different picture of reality, but all things considered, did anyone expect much more? Sure, the Mississippi State loss was humiliating and the Auburn loss didn't help much, but I don't recall anyone giving Alabama more than 8 wins this season anyway. Plus, that's before anyone knew that Arkansas was worth mentioning.

I realize that the virtue of patience is not one that many people have, but for football fans, it's of a negative value. That doesn't help either when folks either can't remember or don't realize the hole that the program has put itself in. As a fan and as one who has a family history with the university and the football program, it's frustrating to see and hear, not just the irrationality of those attacking the program, but the outright rage that many seem to have.

Where the program will go, I don't know. I'm kind of worn out at this point. I hope that the desperation to win doesn't overshadow good sense and result in the hire of someone like Spurrier (which is also a rumor). If that were to happen, then I think my head would explode.

FOLLOWUP...
Apparently, the rumors are true. I'm saddened as Gavin pointed out, at the "I want it now," attitude that not only marks football fans, but permeates our culture. Has consumerism reached a new low? Or is it human nature? If the stories are true of how many 'Bama fans want Spurrier, then I would say, then yes, it's pretty low. If one can rationalize that a Spurrier hire would be great for the program, then all hope is lost. Indeed, a sad day for the program and for how the Shula and his family have been treated.

RTR

"Form one thought, break it off..."

"Form one thought, break it off..."
Billy Pilgrim, 1994, "Try"

Those words keep going through my head as I make attempt after attempt to return once again to posting somewhat regularly.

In fact, I have quite a backlog of unfinished thoughts and ideas and whatnot saved as drafts that just linger and look at me like that stack of books that I'm going to one day read. There's been a few reasons for not posting, not that it matter to anyone but apparently David - for which I am very thankful though.

As far as posting regularly, time has been a big factor. I just don't have much of it, and when I do, I'm not thinking much about the blog. Tied to this, there is the fear that folks from the church would think that all I did was play on the Internet (though that's not the case). And finally, after taking some heat a while back for not clearly forming my thoughts on communion, I'm struggling with the very same demons that got me interested in starting the blog in the first place - trying to please everyone with what I do and say.

However, I don't think that it's wrong to want to be understood. I do want to be careful in what I say, and I would like to think that what I post has more substance than a few partial thoughts and no real focus. The problem is that I want to write too much and don't have the time to put everything down in one sitting.

It feels like I'll find a balance sometime soon though. After five months, I think I'm beginning to establish somewhat of a rhythm.

Until next time...

Boo!

Now, it's not Halloween, but it might as well be with all the scary stories and horror shows on the air (a.k.a. the news). I'm becoming more convinced that we've lost our collective common sense and have lost any ability to step back and see the whole of any problem.

Granted, I'll be the first to admit that there still is the issue of security and terrorism that we must face and address as a global people, but this "security theatre," as Bruce Schneier points out. Rather than confronting the real issues, the major effort (and display) is a reactionary histrionics that for some reason satisfies the masses until the next worry comes around. It's the equivalent of jingling your keys in front of a crying baby - a lot of show, but not much substance.

But matters of national security aren't the only thing at issue. Just about anything that involves large groups of people can fall victim to the theater of reaction. Life in the church is one example. From one crisis of morality to the next heretical book that must be disproven, we waste a lot of time on doing a lot of nothing.

A book that I just finished reading (recommended to me by Mike), "The Missionary Congregation, Leadership, and Liminality," describes how much of what is going on, especially in North American culture, can be attributed to a collective loss of center. Not just that the church finds itself on the outside of culture and losing relevance, but there is no longer much of any communal narrative - or group story. There is no over-arching story that unites people together. Because of this, we grab onto whatever seems like it might provide a way back to center, no matter how much like a rope of sand it really is. We fight to regain a center that was never really there in the first place.

We are in anxious times. The task is to realistically address this anxiety, not with flailing reactionism, but with a clear-minded approach to what's really going on. The opportunity for the church is that we can provide an alternative and an alternative community to what's going on in the world.

With this new outlook, we can then encounter the world around us with a sense of renewed mission and a renewal of the church, not clinging onto failed and obsolete conventions of the past, but remembering the true core of what Christ offers - that there is a better way - and placing that in context with the culture around us.

Halftime Report

I'm in Pittsburgh, PA this week for Stephen Ministry Leader's Training. So far, the conference has been pretty good. A lot of things have been really elementary, but there have been some useful tidbits, especially since I have not been involved in Stephen Ministry before. I did gain an appreciation for the volume and OCD nature of the training though after talking to a couple of women from Indiana. They were very anxious about going back to be Stephen Leaders in their own congregations because they had never had any type of leadership role before in their church, nor had done any teaching. So, for me, the teaching and leading techniques that come as common sense that we have been going over, were not so mundane for them.

Overall, it's been a prety good trip so far. I've been able to walk several miles around the downtown and see a lot is neat things. The food hasn't been all that great, but hopefully that will change with going to PNC Park tonight and watching the Braves play the Pirates.

Only a few more days to go and I'll be back on Saturday!

Catching my breath

Ok, so it's been a while since I posted. I keep thinking about the fact that I needed to put at least a little something up, but time for doing this has just slipped by. With thanks to Gavin for the push, I shall do my best to resume.

I've been here for just short of a month and so much has already gone on. From still settling in to my office, to finding the good places to eat, Laura and I are getting used to life here.

It's been a busy few weeks. We moved in (officially) on the 14th of June, were here for about 9 days and then went to Camp Sumatanga to direct a Jr. High Camp. Laura and I both came back from camp sick, me with a bad case of conjunctivitis in both eyes and a sinus infection. That Sunday I preached all three services and was welcomed with a very nice reception. Then, the next week was the 4th of July, which really breaks up the week, and that gets us to today.

Huntsville and Trinity are definitely different than life in Florence and Weeden Heights. I've gone from a congregation of 35-40 to a church staff that is about that large. I'll be teaching a Sunday School class in a couple of Sundays that is larger than most UMC congregations in North Alabama. It's definitely different here.

I'm loving it though. It's amazing how a change of environment can have such a profound effect. One of the big things that Laura and I have both noticed is that we feel lighter here. A simple fact of life about being a rural church pastor and living across the street from the church that you serve is that you are constantly under observation. I'll never forget the woman who lived two houses down from us in Florence telling me how she enjoyed watching us come and go from our house through her kitchen window.

Here, we're a little bit more anonymous. Don't get me wrong, it's not like Laura and I are trying to sneak around and engage in illicit activities, it's just nice to be able to go somewhere and not feel the heaviness of pastoral voyeurism.

The larger city isn't the only thing that has helped our health. Our apartment is situated next to a lake with a 5k walking path around it. We've made the walk a regular part of our activities. Food is better here too. We can actually find produce that is fresh and doesn't rot after 12 hours. I didn't realize how bright bell peppers could be.

As far as the rest of the things at the church go, it's a mix of getting used to the pace of how much more quickly things go and having more than just myself to rely on when it comes to getting things done. Before leaving for camp I mentioned in the worship meeting about having my scripture text displayed on the screens during the contemporary service. They told me who to contact and we could work it out. However, in my haste to get things ready for camp I didn't get a chance to get anything done about it. I was greatly surprised when I came in on that Sunday morning and was told, "OK, this is when your scripture will pop up."

There are many more things that I could cite as examples of "Wow" here, but that's it for now. I certainly feel at home here. The people are so kind and gracious and the mix of talents, gifts, and personalities make for an amazing worship and work experience. But, I would be remiss if I didn't stress that I'm not trying to say that Trinity is better than Weeden Heights. Weeden is a wonderful church with some very great people, who do some amazing things themselves. I just feel that at this time in my life, and mine and Laura's life, that this is where we need to be.

That's all for now. I hope to give and update on camp next post.

Welcome!

Over the past few weeks I have been getting an increasing number of cards, emails, and phone calls from people at Trinity UMC. Just last week, I attended a cookout at the Senior Pastor's home, welcoming Laura and me to the congregation. Laura and I both have commented on how it was one of the best "church functions" we've ever been to. The conversation and the food was wonderful and there was just a feeling of ease and comfort that made us feel very welcome.

Now, after all the welcoming that the people of Trinity have done, I feel that I should so some welcoming of my own.

It came to my attention during the cookout that many people from Trinity have been coming to this blog and reading some of my posts. In addition, apparently the address to the blog has been published in the Trinity News as well. This somewhat took me aback, especially considering I had recently (with tongue firmly planted in cheek) made a comparison between the devil and district superintendents. Of course, this was only in jest, and was to make a Lent-related joke. Church humor is fun.

Anyway, I do welcome any and all new readers to this blog. I am currently in a process of deciding what to do with this space now, knowing that many people from the congregation I will now be serving are reading what I write.

From my first post, I wanted to use this space as a place to reflect on things and process things that many times there is no space for. I imagined family, friends, and anonymous people browsing the Methodist Blog Roll to view my occasional postings, but it was not intended to be a "Sunday morning sermon supplement."

Until now, I have enjoyed a semblance of anonymity. Though I have made it public on this blog who I am and where I pastor, to my knowledge, my current congregation does not know that I have a blog. For that matter, not many of them would probably know what a blog is anyway. I have not kept this information secret from them so that I could gossip or even talk about issues going on in the church, but has simply been a place where I could look at a few things from a different perspective.

I am glad to know that I am not the only one who is examining this time of transition. A colleague and peer of mine is also going through the same process of moving to not only a new church, but also into a new realm of "observation." (I hope Dave doesn't mind that I just increased his readership that much more.) This certainly is a new time for me and I am curious to see how things may change or stay the same.

It is my hope that whatever comes of this, that my original goal of personal and spiritual development continues. As the name of this blog suggests, my goal is to strive to put in conversation who I am in relationship with Christ and the world and resisting the temptation to be "everything to everyone."

Again, thank you for your welcome, and a very warm welcome to you, reader. Please feel free to comment and comment often.

Peace,
-M