Le Quotidien

It's Official (10 days)

2007-05-29T22:13:00.000-07:00

I have a job, and a place to live after graduation. Both are in Indiana! I've accepted a call to become the next pastor of the First Baptist Church of Monticello. I will start in July. Please pray for me and my new church as this adventure begins!

Coming into Focus (37 Days)

2007-05-02T12:37:00.000-07:00

Well, only 37 days left until I attain the status of divine master or whatever getting a Master of Divinity degree makes you. The future looms near, and my picture of it is beginning to come into focus. I can't say much, but count on me being east of the Mississippi River and somewhere below the great lakes. I have been and will be traveling. I anticipate sharing some very exciting news with you all soon.

School becomes substantially less interesting with each passing day it seems. I've got a lot to do, but I'm not so worried about it. Last night, instead of working on papers or projects, I went to a Dodger game, because, who knows if I'll ever go to one again? I have purchased my graduation announcements, but I only have a limited number, so I apologize in advance if you don't get one. If you really want one, start pleading your case now.

Now I'm off to a Ministry Enrichment Seminar on weddings (pre-marital counseling, performing the ceremony, etc.). Now this should be useful! Keep in mind, any of my amorous friends, that I'll soon be authorized to guide you into wedded bliss. :)

Two Months! (60 Days)

2007-04-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

You may or may not have noticed that I missed my 70 days post. Alas, we are now down to just two months left until graduation! Every time I become discouraged about my workload this quarter I remind myself that this is the last time I have to do it - just one final push! It's a good think I have that source of encouragement, because I missed the deadline to change courses to pass/fail, so I'll be taking all four of my classes for a grade. I should know a lot more about what the future holds soon. When that info comes, I'll pass it along.

Potential Good News for Indiana

2007-04-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about living in California is the ban on smoking in all public places. You're never asked for a smoking preference at any restaurant here, and you can bowl without coming back smelling like an ashtray. It's something I've come to take for granted and now folks all across Indiana may be able to breathe healthier at Stake 'n Shake. Bloomington has had a city-wide smoking ban for a while now, and Lafayette and West Lafayette passed similar measures in the last couple years.

Check out the story at http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070409/LOCAL1901/70409028.

Christ is risen!

2007-04-08T00:20:00.000-07:00

Alleluia!

2007-04-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

80 Days

2007-03-20T23:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it's just after 11:00 pm here, so I can still technically get in my somehow now customary every 10 days post. Like that sentence? If you were planning to take a trip around the world before my graduation, perhaps you should have left today. The days are zipping by now, I guess. We're on Spring Break here in Fullerland, and not much exciting is happening. I'm trying to get to the gym every day, and I want to cook and clean - you know, the things that normal people do. I've cooked a little so far, but nothing good. Tonight my roommates and I whipped up some Papa John's - one of our favorite recipes. I want to relish the week off, but I'm not dreading the end of it, because I'm kind of anxious to get this last quarter started.

Speaking of my last quarter, I will be taking Systematic Theology 1, Christian Ethics, Hebrew Prophets, and Baptist Polity. Excepting the Baptist class, I'm finishing up with a bunch of surveys I probably should've taken a long time ago. It reminds me a little bit of when I took Sociology 120 my senior year at Purdue. It was in the Class of 1950 Lecture Hall, so it was me and about 470 freshmen plus Kelli Sanders, who was a sophomore I think and sat next to me. Kelli and I played tic-tac-toe in that class. It's a pointless game of course, but we played on. That was a great class. We sat near the very back on the right side, played tic-tac-toe, and made fun of the professor who was prone to tantrums. One time he wanted the whole class to bring a certain thing to class (a workbook or the syllabus or something) and almost no one did, so he got really upset and said "Class dismissed!" in a very exasperated voice like 5 minutes into the class. Did we care? Were we supposed to? Come on. We laughed and went home glad. Kelli and I didn't really think sociology was a science - more like some kind of stepchild of psychology and anthropology. I don't think that will happen in any of the survey classes I am taking at Fuller this coming quarter. Too bad.

90 Days

2007-03-10T16:26:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe it's already been 10 days since we hit the 100 mark. The days are flying now. I got that sermon written - and preached it. It was on baptism, and it went well. Now we're getting ready to head into finals week. I have one exam, one major paper, two shorter papers, and one very minor paper to write. That should be enough for a week's work. The major paper is for the class I took on the Word in Worship. I'm going to argue for Baptists to use the term sacrament instead of ordinance in reference to baptism and the Lord's supper.

The job search continues, and here I'll just say that it seems to be going well. The rubber hits the road in less than three months now.

100 Days

2007-02-28T11:23:00.000-08:00

As of today, graduation is now only 100 days away. What an occasion! As the end of my seminary days rapidly approach, many questions surface. What on earth am I going to do with all this stuff that's sitting around me? So very many books. If you know anyone (in southern California) who wants some free furniture, let me know, because I've got some to give away. And where will I go next? I had some job interviews over the weekend that were very interesting. If you want to know more about that, you'll have to ask me.

Here's what life looks like 100 days out from graduation. This quarter is ending soon. We're currently in week 9 of 10. I have one sermon, a book review, a 12-page paper, a 5-page theological statement, and a final exam in Psalms coming at me. The first item on the agenda is the sermon. I'm thinking it will be on baptism, though I'm not sure. I must decide today or tomorrow, because it's due a week from today.

I just spent a great but exhausting weekend in Indiana interviewing for jobs, as I mentioned, and visiting Purdue and Lafayette. I preached at the Found and spent some time with very good friends, but of course it wasn't nearly enough. Now I'm back in the saddle here at Fuller trying not to fall off as this horse speeds around the last few barrels at a break-neck pace on its way to the finish line. I think I'm going to make it.

For those of you who may have forgotten, graduation is on June 9, 2007 at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary of Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena. If you need an address for sending good wishes or monetary contributions (haha...no seriously) just let me know. Unless something unforeseen changes things, I plan to depart southern California in the very early a.m. hours of Sunday June 10.

I heard it's cold in Indiana...

2007-02-05T12:58:00.000-08:00

...so I thought I'd post this picture of me outside my apartment in sunny Pasadena, CA where today's forecasted high is 82 degrees. I must say, January, February, and March are my favorite months to be living in southern California. Don't worry though, I'll be back with you all in cooler climates soon enough. After all, there are only 123 days left until graduation!

And way to go Colts!! Like my jersey?

GO COLTS!!!

2007-01-21T22:30:00.000-08:00

BEAT THE BEARS IN SUPER BOWL XLI!!!

Why is the 3rd Advent candle pink? Rejoice!

2006-12-23T21:17:00.000-08:00

I know many of you wonder why the third candle in the Advent wreath is a different color. Usually you see three purple ones and one pink (or rose) one. Though many traditions, including Lutherans and Methodists, have switched to blue for Advent (so it doesn't get confused with Lent) and so use simply four blue candles, many wreaths still have the 3 and 1 combo. Anyway, I recently learned that the third candle is pink/rose because the third Sunday of Advent has special significance.

You see, Advent is a season of preparation for both comings of Christ - first and second. The scripure readings assigned for the the first two Sundays focus on the second coming of Christ and are known to feature a fair amount of doom and gloom. The third Sunday, is when the tide of Advent changes. Beginning with the third Sunday, the focus turns to the first coming of Christ, and that Sunday is also known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is a Latin word that means rejoice. On that Sunday we are called to rejoice because Christ has already come to the world, we are called to rejoice, not because, as the Notre Dame priest put it in his homily last week, the circumstances of our lives prompt rejoicing (they may vary greatly), but simply because God loves us. With this in mind, I am definitely in favor of the purple/pink candles instead of all blue and keeping the third Sunday distinct.

You're not interested in this part, but I'll tell you anyway. Just as the candle for that day is different, so the vestments (special garments worn by the clergy) for that day may be rose-colored instead of purple. The third Sunday of Advent is the only day of the entire Christian year where that color may be used! Therefore, a lot of priests have very expensive vestments that are only worn once each year at the most.

Highlight of a Southern California Christmas

2006-12-18T00:47:00.000-08:00

Sunday, December 17 was the 64th annual Candlelight Carol Service at First Baptist Church of Pasadena. It is always one of the highlights of the year at FBCP, and though this is the third Christmas season since I came to Pasadena, this was the first year I had the privilege of attending the carol service. In the past, I've been back in Indiana by now, but I'm glad I wasn't this year, because the carol service really did live up to the hype. The church was gorgeous (see above), and the entire service went very well. What more can you ask for than a pipe organ, harp, piano, handbells, and choral music? It was a wonderful holiday occasion, and afterwards I went to the Olive Garden for dinner with friends. One pleasant thing was followed by another and another as I realized after dinner that I'm on Christmas break and I don't have to do anything on Monday! As for my part in the service, I sang in the choir and played handbells for the first time (which is great fun).

San Francisco

2006-12-18T00:41:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I made my first trip to "The City by the Bay." I went with a few folks from Fuller, most of whom I did not know before, but now consider friends. I like San Francisco very much. It just figures that it costs even more to live there than L.A., which I don't like so much.

Two to go!!

2006-12-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

I am done with the Fall 2006 Quarter! I have more than survived 16 units and now I only have two quarters of work left before graduation, which is only 183 days away.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

2006-11-23T00:20:00.000-08:00

Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

From the Book of Common Prayer, p. 246.

A Thanksgiving Hymn

2006-11-21T16:57:00.000-08:00

For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies;

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light;

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind's delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight;

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild;

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For thy church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love;

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For thyself, best Gift Divine,
To the world so freely given,
For that great, great love of thine,
Peace on earth, and joy in heaven:

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

These beautiful, prayerful words were penned by Folliot S. Pierpoint in 1864, and the tune we know was written by Conrad Kocher in 1838.

I'm thankful for...

2006-11-18T01:05:00.000-08:00

• The sound of an Oldsmobile Cutless Supreme going down a gravel road
• Indiana Route 46 between Spencer and Nashville
• Tick Ridge
• Raccoon Lake
• Trail 3 at Turkey Run
• The Purdue Pete grain bin on Indiana 55
• The T where the Fountain County road that extends off IN 55 meets IN 341
• The view of Purdue from McCormick Road
• The pipe organ at First Baptist Church Pasadena
• Mom’s apple pie
• The Notre Dame Victory March, On Wisconsin, and most of all, Hail Purdue!
• The Engineering Fountain at Purdue (especially on a hot summer night)
• The Loeb Fountain at Purdue
• Nana’s French Toast
• Rosedale
• The Firemen’s Breakfast
• Green Lake, Wisconsin
• Hymnals
• Learning foreign languages
• Runs at the Rose Bowl
• North 7th street in Terre Haute
• The Harry Evans Bridge
• Living nativities
• Freshly stoked wood-burning stoves on a frigid winter morning
• Gas fireplaces that don’t have to be stoked
• Moonlit snow crunching beneath my feet
• Trips to In-n-Out with my roommates
• Talks with Dad after everyone else has gone to bed
• Drinking instant iced tea (sweetened with Equal) on the porch with Mama Wylma
• Direct flights on Northwest Airlines from LAX to IND
• The Fuller Faculty
• American Baptists
• Purdue Bones
• The West Road
• Unexpected calls from Robin
• Betsy’s “quirkiness”
• Farm Bureau milk shakes
• Whole-hog sausage sandwiches
• Cruellers
• Midnight Mass
• Easter Sunrise services
• Parliamentary Procedure
• Putting up Christmas lights with Birch
• Betsy’s willingness to get stuck behind the Christmas tree when we put lights on
• Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians (and all those other Christmas records)
• Dailey Chapel VBS
• The flagpole Pa Wayne made for me
• All my teachers
• The ISU homecoming parade
• Southmont Junior High School
• Window air conditioners
• Robin and Betsy calling me George
• Endless talking with Ellen at the Red Fence
• Humanities with Mr. Lunsford
• Gilly’s Ice Cream
• Deep theological discussions
• Hearing Mom play “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” on the piano
• The Middle Room
• College football Saturdays
• March Madness
• Sweet Tea
• Grammar
• The Today Show
• Early morning prayer with a friend
• Surprise snowfalls
• So very much more…

Four Things

2006-11-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

Taking a page from Hanna's book...

Four jobs I have had in my life:
Wal-Mart cashier (!), Peer Counselor at Purdue Financial Aid, Quest staff (x3), Office assistant

Four Movies I could watch over and over:
Hoosiers, A Christmas Story, Rudy, Aladdin

Four places I have lived:
Rosedale, IN; West Lafayette, IN; Green Lake, WI; Pasadena, CA

Four TV Shows I love (or like) to watch:
Today, Studio 60, American Idol, Jeopardy

Four [random] places I have been on holiday and visited:
China; Washington, D.C.; Faribault, MN; Boston, MA

Four of my favorite foods:
Pizza, In 'n Out burger, lasagna, homemade applesauce

Four places I would rather be right now:
Rosedale, Green Lake, Purdue, most anywhere east of the Mississippi

Four favorite songs:
Hail Purdue, Abide with Me, Back Home Again in Indiana, That's Amore

BOO!

2006-10-31T09:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween. It truly is a scary one for me. I have two midterms back to back today - first Pentateuch, then Hebrew. Plus, I have a paper due tomorrow that I haven't started yet. I'll be glad at 11:00 tomorrow!

WORLD CHAMPIONS!

2006-10-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Let's hear it for the St. Louis Cardinals - 2006 World Series Champions!

I think this is the first time any team I've backed has won a championship (as I've watched). Correct me if I'm wrong. Way to go Cards!

I'm sick of Hebrew

2006-10-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Just puttin' that out there.

Two Months!

2006-10-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to remind everyone that two months from today is Christmas day!

Also of note: only 226 days remain until commencement.

We Are American Baptists

2006-10-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was once again in scenic Green Lake Wisconsin for the Orientation to ABC Life conference. This conference is held every two years for American Baptist seminarians in their 2nd or 3rd year as well as pastors who are new to the denomination. We attended several sessions that acquainted us with the various aspects of denominational life in the ABC/USA, worshipped together every morning, and best of all, met a lot of new people and spent time hanging out getting to know one another. There is a picture here of some of the American Baptist seminarians I met.

The weather at Green Lake was great! It was in the 40s most of the weekend, and I even got to see some snow flurries just before we left Monday morning. Speaking of leaving - of course, I didn't want to. My senioritis has taken a turn for the worse, I'm afraid. I'm really ready to get out of school, and I'm really looking forward to serving with the colleagues I met this weekend. The conference was intense, some of the sessions were too long and boring, and I'm really tired now, but it was a great weekend, and I'm excited about being an American Baptist.

More than a symbol?

2006-10-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I discovered this interesting paragraph from the Second London Confession, a Baptist confession of faith approved in 1689. Check out what these Baptists had to say about the Lord's Supper.

"Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this ordinance, do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually receive, and feed upon Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death; the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally, but spiritually present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses."

According to this confession, Christ is spiritually present in the elements of communion. The bread and wine, while still bread and wine and not magically transformed into anything else, are more than mere symbols.

Theologian Quiz

2006-10-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the URL for the theologian quiz I took the other day.

http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=44116

Luther Wins!

2006-10-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

I scored as Martin Luther, the daddy of the Reformation. I am opposed to any Catholic ideas of works-salvation and see the Scriptures as being primarily authoritative.

So says an internet quiz anyway.

I actually had to answer an additional question to break a tie between Luther, Karl Barth, and Anselm. I showed up as Anselm when I took this once before, but I've loosened up on the infant baptism question since then, so that may have allowed Luther to come through. I didn't know those three were tied before I answered the final question, but, needless to say, I'm thrilled that I came out as Luther. He's one of my heroes after all.

I should mention that the last Sunday of this month, October 29, is Reformation Sunday. Wear red to church that day, and if someone asks you why you're wearing red, tell them it's Reformation Sunday. More people need to know.

You can find the quiz I did at the link below.
created with QuizFarm.com

The Lloyd John Ogilvie Institute of Preaching

2006-10-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

...in the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts at Fuller Theological Seminary was dedicated last night at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, and I was present. The service began at 7:30, and it ended at 10:10. It was very long. Everything in it was very good, there was just too much of it. The music was phenomenal - pipe organ and choir - and everything that was said was very well put. The cake was good, too. All the talk about the need for strong biblical preaching that is bold and passionate in our congregations got me to thinking. Specifically, it got me thinking about the possibility of Ph.D. work again - this time in homiletics (big academic word for preaching). I think preaching in a church for some years and then going for a Ph.D. (or Th.D.) so I can teach future preachers sounds like a pretty good idea, so I'll keep thinking about that.

How do you like this: according to Ogilvie (a very well-known preacher and former chaplain of the U.S. Senate), a preacher should spend one hour in the study for every minute spent in the pulpit. For me, that would usually be 20 hours, and I think it's reasonable, because I agree with Ogilvie that preaching is the central task of parish ministry.

I tell people that preaching is pretty much my favorite thing to do, and I really think it is. When I hear good preaching, I get a strong itch to do it myself. As I help plan worship services and look at various themes we're dealing with, etc. I begin to wish that I were the one writing the sermon for that day, because I see so many connections between different things and have so many thoughts about what the text is saying to God's people. I look forward to preaching after I graduate.

I think the words of 2 Timothy 4:1-3 provide a charge that our preachers need to hear today:

1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Life on 16 Units

2006-10-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

Remember those commercials that used to say "This is your brain," and then show you an egg, then show you an egg frying and say "This is your brain on drugs."? That might work for my life these next 10 weeks. Normally, my life might be like the egg - pretty cool, everything's holding together alright, but life on 16 units, which is 4 units (one class) more than normal for me may be more like the frying egg. Everything gets busted open and thrown on a hot pan. But perhaps I'm being too dramatic.

It is busy though. I have three classes: Hebrew, Family Therapy, and Pentateuch. Hebrew is a language, so it shouldn't be too hard, just time consuming. Pentateuch is the first 5 books of the Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy - so that's a lot of material in not a lot of time. Looks like it will be manageable though. Family Therapy is great! I love that class. We all have families so it's pretty hard not to find something of interest there. The first thing to learn is that families are systems, so if there's a problem with someone in the family, it's not just their problem, it's the family's problem. We all affect one another tremendously, and get this - every major decision you make is influenced by 3-4 generations of your family! Incredible. I can't wait to learn more.

By the way, in spite of the first loss of the season at Notre Dame, I'm pretty pleased with the Purdue football team right now. I was very worried after ISU scored 35 against them, but they are improving steadily, and the game at ND showed a lot of promise. We have at least one very promising player on both offense and defense and our quarterback is shaping up very well. Barring any major disasters Purdue will return to a bowl game this year, and may well be in the top 25 by season's end, in fact, I expect them to be.

Ah, what's for dinner tonight? Tuna helper, I think. Wait, no, I just got a call. Lasagna with Chris and Lindsay - excellent!

First Day of School

2006-09-25T09:23:00.001-07:00

Today is my 21st first day of school. This might be the last one ever. It will certainly be the last one for a long time, at least. I've had a lot of good first days, and I've always looked forward to them. I remember the first day of kindergarten. We have that picture of all of us standing at the end of the sidewalk waiting for the bus. I remember the first day of 3rd grade. I was really nervous about meeting my teacher, Mrs. Vukusich. I'd heard lots of rumors about how mean she was. I didn't need to worry though - she turned out to be one of my favorite teachers, in spite of having to deal with long division that year. The first day of 7th grade was memorable too - the day I started at Riverton Parke. Every class was divided in half that day - half Rosedale and half Montezuma. Actually, it was probably more like 2/3 Rosedale, 1/3 Montezuma. The two elementaries that fed into my jr.-sr. high segregated themselves for awhile. Then, of course, there was my first day at Purdue, August 23, 1999. My first class was HIST 104 Modern World History in EE 172. My professor was Gordon R. Mork, the chair of the department. He did his undergrad at Yale and his grad work at Minnesota, I believe. He was a Minnesota native, and was on the crew team at Yale. I also had POL 101, FR 201, MATH 152, and BAND 110 (Marching Band!) that day. M,W,F were very busy days. I had 17 hrs. that semester. That day I almost dropped my French class and my French minor. My instructor was a native Frenchman, and he came in spewing everything out in French from the start. I thought I would be lucky to get a C, but I got an A. :) I was a little apprehensive about some things by the time I got to band at the end of the day, but it turned out to be a great semester. September 27, 2004 was my first day at Fuller, and I was still trying to figure out what I was doing here. Intensive Greek was my only class that quarter, and I nailed it.

Betsy and I used to rehearse for the first day of school. We'd practice getting up, getting dressed, eating breakfast, and waiting for the bus. I didn't do anything like that leading up to today, but I did mark the occasion by making breakfast for my roommates and me this morning. I got up at 6 a.m. and made French toast, eggs, and bacon. It was great. My roommate made coffee, too, so the apartment was full of great morning smells. We enjoyed our breakfast, and I think everything was clean by 9:00, most of it by 8:30.

This morning I'm off to a class called Family Therapy and Pastoral Counseling. Tomorrow I have Pentateuch and Hebrew.

This is it folks. The beginning of the end.

(Oh, and by the way, three months from today is Christmas.)

It's a New Day

2006-09-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

My favorite show on television is as good as ever. I knew Today's new co-anchor Meredith Vieira would be starting on Wednesday, so I've been watching faithfully ever since. Some nights I haven't gone to bed 'til one, but I still set my alarm for 6:30 so I can be up, dressed, and sitting down with my Berry Burst Cheerios by the time I hear the NBC chimes at 7:00. The rookie is doing a great job, and they got a new set, too. If you haven't tuned in lately, you should. It's a great way to start the day. I don't have class before 11:00, so I plan on watching as much as possible this fall.

Back in the USA, etc.

2006-09-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

PASADENA, Calif. - As most know, I made it back safely from China. The picture of me is on Nanjing Road in Shanghai. Since our return, I've been spending most of my time simply relaxing and enjoying the first significant break I've had since last Christmas. It's good that I had nothing to do when I got back, because getting over the jet lag was more than a little tricky. For quite a while, it was pretty much impossible for me to fall asleep before 2 or 3 a.m., and then I wouldn't get up until 10 or 11. Thankfully, I seem to be past that stage.

Besides getting over jet lag, I've also begun to count down to some important things. I'm not really paying attention to this, but school starts 2 weeks from yesterday. More importantly, there are only 36 days left until I return to Wisconsin, only 103 days until Christmas, and only 269 days until graduation. Those are some good numbers to know. I don't want to wish this year away - there is an awful lot to look forward to and enjoy within it - but I really can't help the enthusiasm I am experiencing regarding the nearing of the end of my seminary journey. I have a lot of class to get through this year, but man it seems close.

I've also recently started my internship at FBC Pasadena. This past weekend I went on a retreat with the church choir to Big Bear - a very nice place in the Sierra Nevada mountains where the air is fresh (and cool this past weekend). I had the privilege of sitting outside wearing a sweatshirt and drinking hot chocolate (and being chilly enough to really enjoy holding a hot cup!). We stayed in a beautiful big house, which is pictured above.

I do have some work to do as my vacation winds down over the next two weeks. I have a reflection paper to write about the trip, which I am procrastinating on right now. Well, really, that's about the only work I have to do besides finishing up my profile questionnaire for the American Baptist Personnel Service so I can start the job hunt. Friday night I am dining with the trustees of the Seminary. Next week should be the calm before the storm of the Fall Quarter.

Off to China

2006-08-15T22:46:00.001-07:00

Well everyone, I'm off to see the world! I'm finally all packed and ready to go (I think and hope). All that's left to do is get a good night's rest, and then I'll be on my way. I appreciate your prayers and look forward to telling you about it when I get back. Peace.

Senioritis

2006-08-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

I've definitely got it. After a whole summer in the Midwest, I can't wait to move out of southern California. I went to sign up for my Fall classes today, and when my advisor pulled out my degree sheet she looked at it and said, "It looks like you're in your final year." "Yes, I am!" I proudly replied. To make the whole realization even more complete, before I left her office she said, "Next time I see you I'll have a grad application for you." Now that just pretty much made my day. I know this year is going to fly by. I will soon be done!

In other news, I'm leaving for China the day after tomorrow. I'm almost set. I've got my visa, some Chinese cash, and a list of little things to get done tomorrow. If you want to know more about the trip, go to www.fuller.edu where you will find a story about it. Dr. Mouw, the president of Fuller, has informed us that we are the first delegation of theological students from North America to visit China. Pretty cool, eh?

Oh, and by the way, only 65 days until I go back to Green Lake.

Life at 25

2006-07-11T13:26:00.000-07:00

If anyone is still reading this, I am still around. Life is very good in Green Lake, Wisconsin this summer. I'm having a great time, learning a lot, and there is no other place I would rather be right now. Sorry if that offends any of you, but it is true. After spending 3 out of the last 4 summers here, this feels as much like home as anywhere. The staff here is completely amazing. I love each one of them, and I feel truly privileged to be working with them this summer. The picture above is of all of them at the Olive Garden in Appleton, Wisconsin on my birthday. On the left side are Sarah Lacy (Normal, IL), Stephen Cady (Indianapolis), Megan Percy (Ripon, WI), and John Campbell (Terre Haute). On the right are Anna Perkins (Ripon, WI/India), Aaron Trent (Lawrence, KS), Aaron Stred (Augusta, ME), Sarah Caldwell (Columbus, IN), and Daniel Bailey (Lexington, KY). Daniel is Sarah's boyfriend and isn't on staff this year, but was on staff with me here in 2003. I could write a lot more about what's been going on here I guess, but I think I'd rather go watch some kids play dodgeball.

Cingular Palm Trees

2006-05-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

So I thought this picture was cool, too. I also took it at the retreat center this morning. These trees look like they could be in a Cingular commercial; you know "more bars in more places." Look at that beautiful blue sky.

On retreat

2006-05-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

Last night I took an overnight retreat. It was an assignment for class. Here are my options for the final project for this spiritual formation class of mine: 1) Write a 15-17 page paper 2) Do an overnight retreat and write a 10 page paper. The choice is clear! I took the retreat from early yesterday afternoon 'til 11:00 this morning at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, which is about 10 minutes from where I live. It is a Catholic retreat center, run by the Passionists, who devote themselves to remembering the suffering of Jesus, and it's nestled up against the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. It's a very nice place, except maybe for all the pictures of Jesus bleeding everywhere. My time there was very relaxing. I highly recommend solo retreats. How many of you have ever spent serious time in solitude? It is a good thing. Anyway, here are some views from the last two days. One is of the retreat house just after 7:00 a.m. and the other is the view from the retreat center grounds looking out over the San Gabriel valley near sunset. That clump of skyscrapers off in the distance is downtown Los Angeles, and the clump of sort of tall buildings toward the right is pretty much where I live in Pasadena.

Those crazy Lutherans...

2006-05-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

So, the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) has decided to encourage exercise this summer with a program called "Summer Steppin'." Just look at this great little exercise version of Martin Luther. The Reformer meets Richard Simmons.

Long time, no blog

2006-05-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

Hey well, at least I managed to avoid a one month absence this time around. I'm trying to think of what you might want to know that's been going on with me since April 21. I've been to another baseball game since then. I think I'm good luck for the Dodgers. They don't win a lot, but they won both games that I attended. The last one I went to was sort of thrilling even. They beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 with a game winning RBI in the bottom of the 9th. There were fireworks after the game, too, for it was Cinqo de Mayo (is that spelled right?).

Any of you into American Idol? I have to say that I've followed it pretty closely the last two seasons. So many unexpected twists this year. Paris getting voted off was, I think, a sign of just how fallen we are as humans. As one of my instructors said, "She had more talent in one vocal chord than the rest of those schlubs put together!" True that. And then Chris. That was quite a shock. Totally depraved for sure. Now that only Taylor and Katherine are left, I'm pulling for Katherine. She had a couple of fairly poor weeks, but did rather well on the most recent episode I thought. Besides, as I told my roommate, talent is secondary in these issues. At any rate, I can't wait for the eschatalogical episode coming up this week. It may be an occasion for Papa John's. Enough on the theology of American Idol, though.

I've gotten into the Harry Potter books. It all started because I wanted something fantasy-like to read on the plane when I went home for Spring Break. I got book one for that trip, and now I'm on book four. It's been great so far. I can't wait 'til I catch up to the movies so there will actually be an element of suspense.

The main reason I haven't blogged in a long time is that I'm psycho-busy. Two weeks from tomorrow I fly to Wisconsin, where I will be until August 12 (at which point I will return to LA for departure on transoceanic voyage - more on that later). I'm headed to Green Lake this summer to be the assistant director for Quest. But before I can leave I have a large chunk of coursework to finish. And that's where I am now. Tonight I'm going to see the DaVinci Code.

Take me out to the ball game...

2006-04-21T23:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to my second Los Angeles Dodgers game ever and the first since I've been living in Pasadena. The first Dodger game I ever attended was in June 2001 when I was in Southern California to visit Fuller and attend Shawn Zambrows' Fuller commencement where she received her D.Min. The Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight 6-3. I got a pair of free tickets from the chapel director, who was out of town this weekend. Travis Hardy, a friend and fellow chapel team member went with me. It's a good thing the tickets were free, because we probably spent at least $40 combined on food plus $10 for parking. It was a nice evening at the ballpark though.

I've been everywhere man...

2006-03-28T09:54:00.000-08:00

Here's what I did over my spring break.

I flew from L.A. to Detroit on Monday night, flew from Detroit to Indy on Tuesday morning and spent the afternoon and evening there surprising people with my unannounced presence. On Wednesday morning my sister and I left at 6:00 a.m. for Green Lake, WI. We arrived there by noon, had lunch at the Goose Blind in Green Lake, then I spent the afternoon meeting with Lance (the director of Quest) about the summer. That evening we enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Percy's in Ripon, WI. After breakfast at The Little Corporal in Green Lake, I met with Lance some more, then Betsy and I departed Green Lake almost exactly 24 hours after we had arrived. On the way home, we stopped in Beloit, WI (right by the IL border) where we got gas at BP, lunch at Culver's, and a few CD's at Wal-Mart. Then we hit the road again and didn't stop until we reached 8953 S. Coxville Rd. Rosedale, IN about 5 hours later. Friday, I worked on my sermon outline for Sunday all day and that night we had pizza at my sister's house in Sullivan, IN celebrating her birthday (#36). Saturday morning, I went to breakfast with my mom at BK in North Terre Haute, where we discovered a flat tire on the van. Our next stop was the Goodyear store, where the van got 4 badly needed new tires. After around an hour there, we visited my grandfather and then finally made it to my sister's house where I would type my sermon. I spent the next few hours there typing that up, and as soon as I was finished Mom and I headed home, where I packed an overnight bag. As soon as I was packed, I got back in the car and headed north for Purdue. Once there, I got to spend some quality time with Andrew, my last remaining friend at Purdue (who will be done in May). We had dinner at Fazoli's (I had to go there while I was in Indiana; the nearest one here is at least 30 min. away), stopped at Capp and Gino's, a coffee shop where I burned my tongue on some chai, and then hit a concert at University Church where Andrew's roommate's brother was playing with this band from Granger, IN. Turns out my roommate, who is from Niles, MI, knows the band and Andrew's roommate's brother. Crazy. The next morning, I preached at the Found and bunch of us went to Steak 'n Shake for lunch (the other place I had to eat while I was in IN). After that, I said goodbye to Kyle and Andrew at Purdue and headed back to Rosedale. Once there, I started doing laundry so I could pack for the return trip to Southern California. While my clothes were washing and drying, I enjoyed watching George Mason beat UConn. We had dinner, then went to church in Rosedale, where I learned about the 3 heavens (really!). After that, I packed and went to bed at 10:00. I got up at 4:25 and left for the Indy airport at 5:00, where I found out my bag was 53 lbs. (which is 3 lbs. over the limit), but I didn't get charged $25 because they were so busy. :) The Northwest check-in line was really long because most of the state was headed to Florida for Spring Break that morning. At 8:00, my flight left for LAX. I arrived on time and my neighbor picked me up and brought me safely to my door in Pasadena.

Now that I'm back, maybe I can get some rest.

Me, a Ph.D.?

2006-03-08T17:47:00.000-08:00

A few people that I definitely respect have lately suggested that I may want to consider doing further graduate work at some point. This is not the first time this has come up. It's an idea I've toyed with for several years myself. One person commented that though she believes I have many gifts, which would be great for the pastorate, she just can't imagine me sitting in meetings trying to decide about how best to repave the church parking lot. I also mentioned to a faculty member today that I could spend all day reading about the sacraments. He told me that while he liked that, I should admit that that was "pretty weird." He further added that often the best place for someone who gets as excited as I do about the subjects and ideas (preaching, worship, sacraments, etc.) I get excited about to turn is graduate work. And then, a third one, who holds a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology and works in the same office I do said she had thought the same thing about me. Notably, she remains hesitant to "push every great student into the academy," because we desperately need thoughtful pastors.

Well, I have a few ideas about what I might get a Ph.D. in. This afternoon, I was checking out Notre Dame's (I may be way out of my league here) program in Liturgical Studies. Here is the first paragraph of their website's description of the program:

"The graduate program in liturgical studies exists to advance the study and understanding of the worship life of the Christian Church in its various traditions. The program is inspired by the conviction that liturgy is the key to the church's identity, ethos, and orientation toward God and world. The program integrates three subdisciplines: liturgical history, liturgical theology, and ritual studies."

There is not one aspect of that that I do not find totally stimulating. So, me, a Ph.D.? What do you think?

Procrastinator in Pasadena

2006-03-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

The famed Procrastinator herself was spotted in Southern California last week. Here I present undeniable proof that she made an appearance in my own fair city.

I had a nice visit with Amy on Sunday evening. I gave her a tour of Fuller, which took about five minutes and nineteen seconds, we stopped by the Rose Bowl, as you can see, and ended up in Old Pasadena for dinner at Malagueta's, a Brazilian restaurant on Colorado Blvd. that is a favorite of mine. Good to have a friend from home in town. The rest of you should reserve your flight soon!

Ash Wednesday

2006-03-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, a season of repentance leading up to the celebration of Easter. It is a time to focus more intently on following the way of Jesus. Many people fast or give up certain things like chocolate during Lent. By doing this one can become aware of how much one depends on stuff or substances instead of God. The imposition of ashes at an Ash Wednesday service (such as we had in chapel at Fuller today) also reminds one of one's mortality and utter dependence on God for salvation. When the ashes are imposed, a pastor dips his or her fingers in a small amount of ashes and then smeres them across one's forehead in the sign of the cross while saying "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." I really appreciate this act, because it reminds me that it's not all about me. I came from dust and to dust I will return. In light of that truth, my petty problems and insecurities seem much less significant. In the grand scheme of things, I don't amount to much. But doesn't that make God's grace all that much more amazing?

In addition to fasting or "giving things up" during Lent, others choose to engage in certain "disciplines of engagement" during Lent. That is, one may decide to do something during Lent one doesn't normally do instead of ceasing to do something one normally does (fasting). Some spend more time in prayer, get involved in some kind of service activity, devote themselves more to the study of Scripture, etc. Whatever one does - fasting, study, or whatever - all this extra contemplation of our "smallness" as humans during Lent helps to make Easter a lot more meaningful. It makes the miracle of God's condescension in Christ to be part of humanity and all he did to redeem us from our lowly state that much more amazing.

Sometimes I like a rainy day...

2006-02-27T17:13:00.000-08:00

And it's easier to like those days when you live in Southern California, where the average annual rainfall amount is only 12 inches. I like it when it rains, because it provides a change of pace. The world is different for a day. It can also make it easier for me to get things done. I don't seem to mind staying inside and reading when it's rainy and chilly outside. Perhaps I would have been a better seminary student if I'd gone to Gordon-Conwell up in New England where I'd be snowed-in for months. I doubt it though. As you've probably guessed, it's raining here today.

The family that eats together stays together.

2006-02-18T20:54:00.000-08:00

More from the retreat...One of the cool things about our retreat is that we cooked all the meals we ate together, AND we ate them all around the table. After too many meals eaten alone on the couch in front of the TV, this was a very welcome change. My roommates know I'm a big fan of eating at the table. As we sat down for one of these meals this weekend I said we could do a lot to change the world if people would just eat at the table together more often. So here we are, having breakfast on Friday morning. Mmmm...bacon and eggs. Thanks to Kyle for doing most of the cooking that morning. And now you can see the whole group; they are (clockwise from left) Ryan (Jones), Ephany, Chris, Kyle, Tim, and Keith. By the way, a little more info about the group - we're all Fuller students who hail from such diverse locales as Kenya, Delaware, Oregon, Arizona, Georgia, Washington (state), and of course...Indiana! We meet once a week to study the Bible and share life together. It's awesome.

Mountain retreat

2006-02-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a mountain retreat. I went with a small group of guys of which I am a part. There are seven of us. We spent two nights in a cabin at Big Bear - a place up in the moutains a couple hours east of Pasadena. It was a great weekend. The low was around 20 at night, and it didn't get warmer than about 40 during the day, and last night we got a couple inches of snow! The three of us pictured - (L to R) Keith, Me, Kyle - went sledding down the road our cabin was on between 12:30 and 1:00 a.m. What a nice break from the real world. And what great guys!

My church

2006-01-27T18:31:00.000-08:00

I guess I'm a little bored - and definitely not motivated to do anything academic. So I thought you might like to see a picture of the church I attend. Well, here it is, First Baptist Church, Pasadena, California. Come to think of it, I don't just attend there I'm a member. Honestly, I've been quite frustrated with this church at times, but as I've gotten more involved I've begun to enjoy it. I'm glad I'm there. It's a really cool building too. There's a whole lot of church that you can't see in this picture. It was modeled after a church in Arles, France. Oh la la!

Debris! Debris! We have debris!

2006-01-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

Some of you may recognize those lines from the movie Twister. Well, we haven't had any tornadoes here, but last Sunday night (Jan. 22) we had some pretty nasty winds. I thought I'd show you the aftermath of a southern California windstorm.

The iMac

2006-01-26T17:12:00.000-08:00

Here's proof - a desktop on my desktop. Trust me, it's really cool.

A Very Long Absence

2006-01-25T11:31:00.000-08:00

Sorry to be gone for so long. I went to Indiana for 18 days at Christmas. While I was there, I only checked my email twice and certainly never got around to this. I returned to Pasadena just before New Year's but a malfunctioning computer further delayed blogging activities. Fortunately, that situation has now been remedied. I am pleased to report that I have purchased a new computer and...uh oh, it's an Apple. I never thought I would swith to a Mac, but I really like it. I got a desktop because I never took my laptop anywhere anyway. So now I have an iMac G5. It's super cool and has lots of bells and whistles. Come out for a visit sometime, and I'll be glad to give a demonstration of its capabilities. So anyway...sorry for the absence (I also must admit that I've had the computer for about 2 weeks now and still didn't blog), but I'm back now, at least for today. Let me know if anyone is out there.

Long Night

2005-12-05T10:26:00.000-08:00

I was up until roughly 5:15 a.m. this morning. Here's a recap. I was working on a paper for my Exegesis of Mark class that was due today. It's not actually due until 5:00, but I wanted to get it done last night so I could attend to other things today. I finished that paper around 4:00 or so and got in the shower. While there, I was reviewing in my mind all the things coming up today - one of them being that I have to go listen to a couple more sermons in my small group for my preaching class. As I thought about that, I realized that I would need to turn in a self-evaluation of my last sermon today. As you might guess, I had completely forgotten about that and not done it. So, at around 4:30, I realize that I still have another assignment to do. I got out of the shower and wrote the two-page evaluation in 20 min. Not bad.

After that, I went to sleep for about four hours and got up an hour before I really needed to because I could hear my roommates talking in the living room and couldn't go back to sleep. In 20 min. I will go to class to listen to a couple more sermons. Let's hope they don't do me in!

Happy ADVENT

2005-12-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

Maybe I'm just too much of a stickler, but I was a little annoyed today at church when we were instructed to greet one another with the words "Merry Christmas." Does that seem a little silly to anyone else? It's December 4th! The only people I'm wishing a Merry Christmas now are those I'm not planning to see until after Christmas. I guess that means I don't need to go back to church there next week. Having already wished them a merry Christmas, perhaps I should be on my way. Alas, I was stubborn enough not to do it actually. I defiantly wished those seated around me a happy advent instead. I still may cut out next week though. We'll see...

Christmastime is Here

2005-11-28T22:25:00.000-08:00

It cannot be disputed. Thanksgiving is in the past; the 2005 Christmas season has arrived. This is the official 2005 Ryan Bailey Christmas tree in my living room in Pasadena. This picture was taken with the night flash on, so it's kind of blurry but I think the lights look cool. And yeah, that's spray snow on the window.

Back from the Valley of the Sun

2005-11-28T22:07:00.000-08:00

The Thanksgiving weekend I spent in Goodyear, AZ (Phoenix metro area) courtesy of one of my good friends here at Fuller was a great one. My friend Tim's family extended incredible hospitality to me, and I had a wonderful refreshing weekend before coming back to Fuller yesterday to finish the fall quarter. Traffic going and coming wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, but it was still pretty heavy. While in Arizona, I enjoyed a lot of good home-cooked food, hiking, watching football, putting up Christmas lights, and relaxing in the hot tub. I was also treated to my first taste of Chick-fil-a (not that I've never seen one before, we have them in IN) and Maggie Moo's ice cream (similar to Coldstone for those of you who know what that is). I've posted a picture above from our hike in/around the White Tank Mountains right outside Goodyear. Pictured left to right are me, my friend Tim, and his brother Phil. It was a great trip, and I've added Arizona to the list of places I'd rather live than southern California.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2005-11-23T14:53:00.000-08:00

It's definitely been awhile since I've posted, but regarding my previous post, I haven't had pop for almost two weeks now, and I'm doing fine. Not even craving it really.

In a couple of hours I'm heading out for Arizona for Thanksgiving. One of my friends lives there, and he has invited me to come spend Thanksgiving with his family. I'm definitely grateful for the opportunity to get out of Pasadena for a while. However, that getting out may take a while itself. We'll be leaving in the height of rush hour, and what is supposed to be a five hour drive (to the west side of Phoenix) could take much much longer. It's not inconceivable that it could take twice that long. I'm trying to prepare myself for this. I can't read in a car when it's moving, but when it's parked on the freeway I should have no problem. Therefore, I'll be packing some things that might help me get a jump on my next paper.

Since I'll be gone until Sunday, I put my Christmas tree up last night so it wouldn't miss a moment of the season. It looks pretty good. Perhaps I'll post a picture of it sometime. I'm still getting used to having a Christmas tree up with the windows open and 85 degree temps outside. Strange... I like cloudy days, because then I can close the window and pretend it's cold outside. Soon enough though, I will be where it's cold. I'll be exchanging palm trees and blue skies for leafless trees and gray skies in just 2.5 weeks. I make it sound bad, but I prefer the latter this time of year. Time to get my laundry so I can pack...

No More Pop!

2005-11-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

I just came from the dentist - pretty much the worst place you could take me. I went because one tooth was hurting a little last week. It stopped after I made the appointment, but I decided to keep the appointment since I hadn't been to the dentist for so long. It's a good thing I did! Turns out the tooth in question was perfectly fine - not a thing wrong. However, cavities were found all over the rest of my mouth. I seem to be cursed with poor dental health. I won't say how many there are because it embarrasses me, but there are far too many. Some of them are in my wisdom teeth. The dentist said she would like to remove at least two, but preferably three wisdom teeth. I start my string of appointments next Friday at 7:30 a.m. with two fillings. Please pray for me. I hate going to the dentist; it is always very stressful for me. On the bright side she said everything is totally fixable. Once I get all this taken care of I plan to go regularly for cleanings so this doesn't happen anymore.

In addition, I've already decided to address what I believe is the main cause of my dental woes: pop. I've decided I'm not drinking it anymore. It will be hard, but I'd rather keep my teeth and preferably without cavities. Now I have a paper to write.

Top Ten Reasons Why Men Should Not Be Ordained

2005-11-05T16:44:00.000-08:00

10. A man's place is in the army.

9. For men who have children, their duties might distract them from the responsibilities of being a parent.

8. Their physical build indicates that men are more suited to tasks such as chopping down trees and wrestling mountain lions. It would be "unnatural" for them to do other forms of work.

7. Man was created before woman. It is therefore obvious that man was a prototype. Thus, they represent an experiment, rather than the crowning achievment of creation.

6. Men are too emotional to be priests or pastors. This is easily demonstrated by their conduct at football games and watching basketball tournaments.

5. Some men are handsome; they will distract women worshipers.

4. To be ordained pastor is to nurture the congregation. But this is not a traditional male role. Rather, throughout history, women have been considered to be not only more skilled than men at nurturing, but also more frequently attracted to it. This makes them the obvious choice for ordination.

3. Men are overly prone to violence. No really manly man wants to settle disputes by any means other than by fighting about it. Thus, they would be poor role models, as well as being dangerously unstable in positions of leadership.

2. Men can still be involved in church activities, even without being ordained. They can sweep paths, repair the church roof, and maybe even lead the singing on Father's Day. By confining themselves to such traditional male roles, they can still be vitally important in the life of the Church.

1. In the New Testament account, the person who betrayed Jesus was a man. Thus, his lack of faith and ensuing punishment stands as a symbol of the subordinated position that all men should take.

This list was compiled by Dr. David M. Scholer, a member of the New Testament facutly at Fuller. Dr. Scholer is a well-known supporter of women (and men) in ministry. His list reveals how ridiculous the argument against women in ministry can be. I hope you enjoyed it!

Random update

2005-11-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

I don't have much to say, but I feel like I need to post something. This has been a good week. I've stayed on top of all my work, and things are going well. I got my first paper back in my Exegesis of Mark class and I got an A. That definitely made my day yesterday. It's not an easy class really, and it's hard to discern what the prof's expectations are sometimes. Therefore, I didn't know what the outcome would be and was incredibly relieved, even surprised, to find the A on my paper. By the way, I cannot remember the last time I wrote more than one draft for a paper. I guarantee you the last time I did it I was required to do so. Other than that, we had another great chapel service this week, and we've got two really good ones in the works, one of which is a Thanksgiving service.

On a side note, my roommate is watching Hoosiers in the living room. Now that I live so far from Indiana, that movie can move me to tears. I think it's really awesome that someone thought enough of what we do in small town Indiana to make a movie and tell the world about it. Yay for November and the start of basketball season! Let's hope Boiler basketball is better than Boiler football this year. I'd love to see Purdue basketball get back to its Big Ten championship-winning ways.

C'est tout pour maintenant!

Reformation Sunday, Halloween, All Saint's Day, & Daylight Savings Time

2005-10-30T18:47:00.000-08:00

Today is Reformation Sunday, and so in observance of the occasion, I worshipped at a Lutheran church this morning. It was Lutheran Church in the Foothills in La Canada, California - just seven miles away. We got to sing some great songs: A Mighty Fortress, The Church's One Foundation, and Lift High the Cross. There was a nice sermon preached on justification by faith, and the place was decked out in red (the liturgical color for Reformation Sunday). I should mention that I started the day with breakfast at Starbuck's where I enjoyed some coffee cake, chai, and a biography of Martin Luther. All in all, the day was a well-rounded observance of an often overlooked occasion.

Tomorrow, as you know, is Halloween, and I think I've done more Halloween stuff this year than the last three years combined. Last weekend a bunch of friends came over and we all carved pumpkins. Two were left here and joined mine on our balcony. Those three have since been deposited in the dumpster, and not a moment too soon. They were pretty gross. Last night I carved a new one and it is now glowing in the Pasadena night. Friday night was the annual Harvest Fest here at Fuller, where I unveiled one of the best costumes I've had in years. I purchased it at a party supply store. This year I am a Roman god. Hopefully, I'll get a picture up of it. Everyone assumes I'm Caesar, and when you taken into account Roman emperor-worship it kinda works. I wore it again this evening at the Fall Family Festival at FBC Pasadena, where I staffed the ring toss booth. I know that's been a lot, but the Halloween fun isn't over yet. Tomorrow I plan to trick or treat with the youth group from FBCP. After that, it will finally be over. I will put the costume in my Halloween box and take it to the basement, and the pumpkins will get tossed. Not a speck of Halloween paraphernalia will see more than one day of November!

Which brings me to the third significant day in a row - All Saint's Day. Normally it would pass without notice, but I preached an All Saint's Day sermon in my preaching class on Friday. I was up 'til 3:00 that morning working on it, and I got a lot of positive feedback from my classmates. Instead of commenting more, maybe I'll just let you read it. Before I post that though, let me mention that daylight savings time has kicked in and it was dark here around 5:30. It will only get worse before it gets better. It's just about 7:00 now, but it feels like 9:00. Anyway...here is my sermon. Enjoy and let me know what you think. (Ignore the stuff in parentheses, that was part of the assignment.)

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Text: Ephesians 1:15-23 (It will make more sense if you read it!)

(All Saints’ Day?) This coming Tuesday, November 1st, is All-Saints’ Day, or, as it may be better known in evangelical circles – the day after Halloween. I could be wrong, but I suspect for many of us here at Fuller Seminary, for many of us in this room today, All-Saints’ Day has not been a familiar day on our calendar. Those among us who come from more liturgical traditions may be able to offer some instruction, but the rest of us probably don’t have a clue about why we should celebrate All Saints’ Day. How many saints could one of us even name? Probably not very many. Sure we know a few – St. Patrick, St. Valentine, St. Nicholas – but outside of those associated with popular holidays it would be hard to come up with a very good list. And even if I could name a long list of saints, I certainly wouldn’t be able to tell you much, if anything, about any of them.
(What’s a saint?) But maybe we’re thinking the wrong way about saints here. What is it that makes a saint? There is a complicated process for becoming an “official” saint, in say, the Roman Catholic Church. But none of that was in place when Ephesians was written. (Answer) The passage read today uses the word saints twice, and the Greek word that has been translated into English as saints actually means holy ones or ones set apart to or by God. It may even be translated simply as “God’s people.” Perhaps looking at it this way can put All Saints Day into a better perspective for us.

(Forward Illustration) The epistle to the Ephesians is widely believed to have been a circular letter, which means it wasn’t sent only to the church in Ephesus but was passed around as a piece of general advice to several churches. You might say then, that Ephesians is an example of a “forward” from the first century. Thankfully, the author did not end the letter saying something like “If you really love Jesus you will send this to at least five other churches in the next three days.” We have all received many of those and I usually delete them without reading.

(Connection of Illustration) The other day though, I received a forward that I decided to read. This one asks you to name people in all kinds of important categories. Nobel Prize winners, sports MVPs, past Miss Americas, and members of the president’s cabinet. Unless you are a trivia genius, you’ll have a hard time naming most of these people. Then it asks you to name other kinds of people. Teachers who had an impact on you. People you enjoy spending time with. Friends who have helped you through a difficult time. Those people are much easier to name. In the same way, it may be hard to think of a lot of the official saints and why they have earned that title, but it is much easier to think of many others who are what you might call “everyday saints” or simply God’s people. A Sunday School teacher from your childhood, a friend who led you to faith, church members who cooked dinners for your family when someone close to you passed away, those who encouraged you to follow God’s call and go to seminary, and the countless others who have encouraged, comforted, or challenged you in some way on your journey of faith. All these are saints too and we celebrate them along with those portrayed in stained glass windows, frescoes, and icons.

(Context of the Text) Now when the writer of Ephesians sent his forward out, he was writing to Christians who found themselves in some tough circumstances. Greco-Roman society in the first century was incredibly pluralistic and syncretistic. The church was small and the challenges facing it were great. The church of Jesus Christ was merely one option, and perhaps not a particularly delectable one, on a veritable smorgasbord of religious options. Evidence shows that no fewer than 23 deities were worshipped in the city of Ephesus during this time, and certainly not least among them was Artemis Ephesia, in whose honor was built a temple that was named one of the Seven Wonders of the World! One Greek historian declared that the size of this temple surpassed all known buildings! Christians in Ephesus did not get so much respect. They were living in a cardboard box in the shadow of the Sears Tower!

(Context of the Listeners) Well, by the time this letter makes it into our inbox, things are a little bit different. The church in 21st century North America is by no means small among religious groups, and we certainly have our own fancy temples. The Crystal Cathedral may not surpass all known buildings, but it’s not too shabby. On the other hand though, some things aren’t so different. The church may still be big, but it is shrinking. The people of the 21st century, just like those in the first, have plenty of options to choose from in religion and spirituality. In both instances, the church may seem irrelevant to many.

(The Power of God) These first century Christians have something going for them, however. The author says “I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.” He tells them that he prays that God will give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation so they may know that they have hope, so they may know the glorious inheritance of the saints, so they may know the immeasurable greatness of the power of God! This power of God is the power that raised Christ from the dead. It is the power that seated him at God’s right hand. It is the power that put Christ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion. It is the power that put him far above every name that is named in this age and the one to come. It is the power that put all things under the feet of Christ. It is the power that made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body and his fullness!

(Connection to Theme) The church is the fullness of Christ. The church - the people of God, the saints - the church is the fullness of Christ. Therefore, may others hear, just as they did of these Christians in the first century, not only of our faith in the Lord Jesus, but also of our love for all the saints. Let us stay connected indeed to all saints, to the church, for the church is the fullness of Christ and with that fullness comes great power, a power that will prevent Christ’s church from ever being irrelevant.

(The Message) So brothers and sisters in Christ, here’s a message for All Saints’ Day: we need each other. Those of us who may have never heard of All Saints’ Day before need those who have grown up with it and other traditions like it all their lives. We need all the saints. We need the ones who are honored with statues and paintings and we need the ones who stay up all night at youth group lock-ins, the ones who have become national heroes and the ones who supply all the best casseroles for church potlucks. We need missionaries in the far-off reaches of the earth, and we need volunteers for vacation Bible school. We need churches that reconcile instead of churches that split – because we need each other.

(Concluding Words) Now, this may sound a little cheesy, but I think we’re fortunate to be at this seminary where such a broad cross-section of the worldwide church is present. Since the church is the fullness of Christ, and we have so much of the church here, this may truly be a “fuller” seminary. You may not forward that one on to your friends, but remember that this All Saints’ Day we all have something to celebrate, no matter what our tradition may be, for all of us are part of one church, which is the fullness of Christ, who fills all in all. Thanks be to God!

A sermon in the making

2005-10-26T23:20:00.000-07:00

I'm a little excited tonight. You see, I'm preaching on Friday for my homiletics class, and my sermon is really beginning to take shape. When that happens, I always get wound up. I think that's because preaching is what I am most convinced God has called me to do, and I love doing it! The text was assigned to me. It is Ephesians 1:15-23, which is the appointed text for All Saints' Day. I had been looking over the text for awhile and wasn't getting any ideas at all. Tonight, however, the juices started to flow, the wheels began to turn, the Holy Spirit began to move. It's so great when that happens. I can't go into it all now, because it's getting late, but the main idea is this: to be separated from the Church (the saints) is to be separated from the fullness of Christ (see Eph. 1:23). Sure, maybe you can be "saved" and not be a part of a church proper, but you are definitely missing out on something. And let's face it, no one really comes to salvation without the Church, for without it nothing that we know about God (including the Bible) would have been passed on to us. Anyway, that won't all be in my sermon, but it's all good stuff. Peace for now.

Early Christmas present

2005-10-25T22:32:00.000-07:00

Today I finally received in the mail two recordings of the St. Olaf choir. I ordered them almost three weeks ago! If you are not familiar with the St. Olaf choir, you really ought to acquaint yourself with them. If you like choral music even a little bit, or even if you think you might, do yourself a favor and find a way to hear them. St. Olaf College is a Lutheran college in Northfield, Minnesota. Their choir beats the Mormons, and their theology is way better! Anyway...it was definitely worth the wait.

Sunny Southern California?

2005-10-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

Maybe not. This is what it has looked like around here for the past several days. The San Gabriel mountains should be very prominent in the background of this picture. I don't really mind though. It's only been getting up into the 60s and the cool temps combined with the cloudiness make it seem like there might actually be seasons here. Alas, it could be 80 in December.

Only two months now...

2005-10-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

That's right. You knew I would inform you. Two months from today is Christmas Eve. Maybe I should've saved that for tomorrow, but once I realize it, it's hard to hold it in. Along those lines, I booked my flight home for Christmas today. December 12th will be the day I head back to that place that is like no other for the holidays.

Alas, for now I am sentenced to academic drudgery. I have to write a review of a book tonight for my Johannine Theology class. Get this title - Jesus the Word according to John the Sectarian: A Paleofundamentalist Manifesto for Contemporary Evangelicalism, Especially Its Elites, in North America. Sounds like a real page-turner, eh? Try finding paleofundamentalism in your dictionary. Time to get back to it. At least I can listen to Christmas music as I go. Hehe... (Keep your eyes on the prize!)

First Picture!

2005-10-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

Let's try posting a picture. This one was taken on at an Amish farm in scenic Parke County, Indiana (my homeland).

Let's try again

2005-10-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

As you know, the livejournal thing didn't work out so well. I quit doing it. So now I'm making another attempt to keep everyone who's interetested up to date on what's going on in my life. Oh yeah, by the way, for those of you who don't know, T.I. stands for The Informer, which is a nickname I got from my family when I was a kid. I always made sure everyone was well-informed of events, especially the activities of my twin sister. Hehe... Many who know me well would probably agree that the moniker is still apt. Also, the strange address "teeaigh" is a phonetic spelling of T.I. Everything else I could think of was taken, of course. Be sure to check here often. Leave me comments. Bug me when I don't post for days at a time. I want to do better this time.