So, for those of you who have been reading Scott’s blogs, I feel the need to warn you that this will be considerably less deep but perhaps will help paint a better picture of where the teen ministry is moving and shaking in the Metro (do we still use this term?) region.

Yesterday, the teens of the westside and the eastside gathered in the band room at the international school to have their inaugural ALL teen service. It was so inspiring to see teens really serving one another (special props to Jake Tacher who can lead an incredible song!) and helping each other to worship God and think about our relationship with God in new ways. From our very own westside Bible Talk Elody Adjibly shared (alongside Stephen Hertogs) for communion. She talked about the blessings that God has really given her by taking her out of the Ivory Coast before a war broke out to live in America with a completely new family. She talked of the temptation for all of us to really forget about the things we’ve been rescued from. I think that is a touching lesson for all of us, as Peter speaks of in 2 Peter 1:9 “But if anyone does not have them [being Godly qualities in increasing measure], he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” I have really appreciated Elody’s leadership in the teens this past year, her openness and ability to express her needs has helped me learn to be a better teen worker. Seeing her do communion was one of those moments where as a teen worker you just beam with pride. (I meant to post a picture of her while she had her moment on the stage, but my camera batteries died right before that. Hopefully you enjoy pictures of other teens serving instead).

Mack Strong preached for the teens about the healing at the pool in John 5. Mack’s preaching is always impacting and sparked many great conversations with the teen girls from the westside. Hopefully, we can have more opportunities to gather together and really help each other worship God, there’s something about learning from your peers that sticks with you a while.

One thing you can be comforted in is that I believe the teen ministry is truly moving and shaking.

Most of you are aware that my son Stephen is a senior at (the academically brutal) Lakeside School and is getting ready to fly the coop for college. I think he has been ready for this for awhile and that’s normal. He’s at the 11th hour of needing to decide which college. As much as his thoughts have been consumed with this decision, mine have been consumed with comprehending the meaning of the last 18 years: certainly a sea change is happening. Maybe I can write more on that later this summer as the fall of 2007 and the spring of his college life simultaneously come nigh.

For now I will say simply that his mother, his sister, and I will miss him. What a difference he has made to our lives. Life has been harder, funnier, more blessed, more challenging, more interesting, more refining, and plain better because of him.

With these and other such things on my mind, I found myself yesterday afternoon up in Factoria to meet with the men who help me make decisions for the Eastside ministry: Greg Tacher, Greg Brumly, and Bruce Pflaumer. After the meeting, I had a chance to drive up to the two Somerset houses we used to live in. The first is directly across from Somerset Elementary and we followed the Eleazers (who led the Seattle church in the mid-90′s) in renting it. That house had no view, but you could go out your front door and stand in the street and see all of downtown Seattle and sometimes the Olympic Mountains. It was quite a sight but you had to be aware of cars that might run over you. I remember we would sometimes wake up at night because people were marauding around the elementary school grounds–it’s hard to imagine that Somerset could have delinquets, right? I also remember buying my little kids bicycles at Christmas and riding around with them at Somerset grounds, which have now changed completely–what a school renovation! We played catch and shot baskets on those grounds.

That’s what I was remembering yesterday as I sat parked by the school and looking over the amazing growth of the japanese maple (James I know that’s acer!) that graced our front yard.

Then I drove down to the house we owned and lived in for four years on SE 46th Street. There are too many amazing memories to list here, but we had good fires, good holidays, good barbecues, and good 3-point contests there. My kids could walk to school and they did, but to less delight than their parents. I read to 9 year old Stephen and 7 year old Ariel every night and assured them whenever necessary that if any monsters or bad people ever tried to hurt them I would terrorize such foes, beat them senseless, and tear them limb from limb. They believed me because I meant it.

I meant it yesterday in my car driving slowly around Somerset, which felt like holy ground.

I was reading an analysis of Federalist 67-77, ascribed to Alexander Hamilton, in which he asserts and defends the need for a national executive (the President), as opposed to simply relying on a legislature for national leadership. I did not know that under the Articles of Confederation that preceded the Constitution there apparently was no executive.

Hamilton highlighted an interesting fundamental difference between the two in function: a legislature is given to deliberation which is appropriate and an executive is given to action which is also appropriate.

Any group or organization needs both. Leaders who charge forth without any sense of discussion, consensus-building, or deliberation eventually wear out the mature. Group members who only deliberate and never make a decision to act wear themselves out as well.

I have found a third trait at work: when a group gets too large, opinions actually stop rather than proliferate. Bible talks I have led (or staff groups, etc.) with 4-6 people produce remarkable innovative thinking; but when the room is full of people–10-15–it’s difficult to speak up more than once in an hour or so!

Do you watch too much TV? My kids and I were talking about this last night. We tend to watch a lot of sports, some news, in the evenings between some working projects and phone calls. As we discussed it, it became clear to me that their only experience of Mom and Dad is that we are generally “at home,” dinner-izing, cleaning up, helping with any school needs they might have (less and less, since they now do work we have forgotten how to do), making calls, perhaps a study or counseling appointment on a Thur eve here and there, plus midweek. They do see us “going out” with disciples and with outreach on Fri/Sat/Sun, but weeknights we tend to look like homebodies.

But when you are raising a family, you have to be “at home.” So the question is, what do you do at home? Some of us are game-players. Some love to read. Others like TV/movies.

I think it’s easy to “pick on ” television. It’s an easy target. But if you watch good programming–good drama (good v. evil), news, yes some PBS, etc.–it’s just as educational and inspiring as people spending hours listening to the radio in my parents’ generation. What you watch matters. Otherwise, we might as well say, “you read too much at home,” or “you cook too much,” or “you listen to the radio too much,” or “you sew too much.”

Perhaps I blog too much.

What I wrote the Seattle Times today regarding their unfortunate editorial view:

“Editor, the Times:

Your April 25th opinion perpetuates two common fallacies regarding the abortion debate. First, your third paragraph (“this 5-4 decision…push legislatures to tighten…”) seems to be warning us that legislatures, rather than courts, might well shape abortion policy down the road. Golly, we can’t have that! Of course, that is exactly what citizens should want. We want the voice of the people, not the voice of an oligarchy, making our laws. The only exception to this occurs when legislation takes away the rights of the people–(slaves were deprived of life in order to extend the liberties of slave-owners); ironically, our current abortion laws take away the life of the defenseless so that we might extend the liberty of the mother. Seems like a weird trade to me.

Second, your next-to-last paragraph sets up a straw man to win nods from the cheap seats: that “doctors know better than courts”. Just like courts know better than the electorate–which, uh, includes doctors?? So which is it today? In fact, law and court have made doctor moral-know-how on the issue irrelevant. It is silly and elitist to think that doctors (or courts) “know better” than the rest of us on the strictly moral (not medical) question that always undergirds this conflict.”

I was reading again. This time, an article by a University of Chicago law professor about the challenges faced by “human rights advocates” on today’s global stage. The prof noted that during the cold war, we in the West tended to assume that global citizens all longed for “human rights” but were simply suppressed by authoritarian regimes. Since that time, however, many of these regimes have embraced some form of liberal democracy, but this has not been followed by an attendant change in human rights values. It turns out that countries have other views about such rights that don’t necessarily conform to Western Enlightenment ideals. China, for example, while striving slowly for greater freedom, doesn’t seem to trust the level of “freedom” we enjoy here–they have different values about authority, family, and the like.

The point: it’s hard to control it. Probably impossible. Even high-volume cries about human rights can’t make populations embrace it. They have to figure it out the “hard way.” In the meantime, western progressive democracies can, as Churchill said, “light a candle” rather than “curse the darkness.” In other words, go set an example.

In the churches this is and will continue to be true. We can’t guarantee outcomes in other congregations–souls saved, high levels of maturity, etc. We can talk about it, spur each other on–all to some effect. But the most important thing we can do in Seattle is simply set an example. That’s true congregationally, and even in each Bible Talk.

Who’s willing to step up?

I was reading a Peggy Noonan column on the online Wall Street Journal this morning about Virginia Tech and responsibility. I usually start the post-devotional morning (not at 4:30am, I’m afraid, like Darin Ford!!) by reading newspapers for 30 minutes—I recommend the headlines from both the WSJ and the New York Times; they make a good comparison.

Anyway, Noonan was commenting on the Va Tech counseling services—how the director seemed committed to making America’s worst mass murderer a victim instead of a perpetrator (perhaps I am over-interpreting both the director and Ms. Noonan): we, the government, the school, the community didn’t “reach out” enough to a “troubled” person. We didn’t have a good enough “safety net.”

Of course there is some truth to this—we can always do “more.” Who couldn’t admit the need to “serve more,” “do better,” or “work harder at parenting”? There’s always room for improvement.
But there’s an even heavier truth to admit: unless we’re literally an irrational, incoherent, confused lunatic (think schizophrenics and psychotics), we—not the government, not even our parents—are ultimately and mostly responsible for becoming, being, and indulging the heart of a “hater.” Every human being, in the end, is responsible for the maintenance of his or her heart: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). A darkened heart can become the wellspring of death, as it did on Monday.

Sympathy is a good thing but responsibility is a more empowering thing. When Dorothy found out how to get back to Kansas, the Scarecrow said, “I should have thought of it for you!” To which the good witch responded, “No, she had to figure it out for herself.”

Make sure you guard your heart.

Carol and I and the girls are on the plane home from a Spring break visit to my parents’ house in Florida. It was mostly a time of relaxation and refreshment. One highlight of our trip was yesterday’s worship service with the Orlando Church of Christ. We walked in looking for old friends and found Kristin and Cyndy Hessell right away. They were members of the City Sector of the Seattle Church for years and years before making the Orlando Church their spiritual home. Kristin and Cyndy send their love to all of you , especially the singles. Eddie Francis, an Orlando Church elder, preached a great lesson on proper respect for authority. Lunch after church was a blast with Dennis and Lorna Heide, old ministry friends from Denver and LA days.

Boarding this flight I asked the stewardess what kind of plane it was (my dad, a retired airline pilot, always asks me and I never know, because I never care). She said, “OLD, I wish we were on one that wasn’t THIS old.” I’m thinking maybe that wasn’t a wise response, but she looked like she’s been doing this job 15 years too long so I acted like it was normal for her to share her concern with a paying passenger. Just before we take off there is an abrupt stop and the pilot announces that some of the flaps aren’t working correctly and we have to spend 10 minutes with maintenance. Three hours later he says, “well, folks, they’re just spoiler flaps and we’d only need those to stop when landing in snow and ice, so we’re going to go ahead without them. It’s nothing to concern yourselves with.” Then he says, “we also noticed that we were 2,000 pounds short on fuel for this trip, so after they finish filling us up we’ll be on our way. During the 3 hr tarmac stop I see two men walk to the bathroom with guns visible on their belts. I’m thinking that air marshals should hide their guns so that the evil terrorists don’t know who to kill first with their nail files and shampoo bombs. Later I see the criminal in cuffs, leather straps and chains sitting in the back seat between them and feel much better about the gunmen doing their jobs. You can’t make this stuff up. We felt like we were on the set of a sitcom. We prayed, we flew, we landed and we’re thanking God for our return to Seattle, a city with no snow or ice on its runways.

I found out two weeks ago that I’ve been accepted to the Masters program in Marriage and Family Therapy at Seattle Pacific University. Classes start on a part-time basis this September and continue for almost three years.
Why go back to school? I have three reasons. First, I do believe the church needs a licensed therapist. We have so many marriages and families in the church that it makes sense for at least one staff person to make this academic investment. Second, I’d like to be in a position to augment the Family Dynamics Training courses with progressive knowledge of my own—can we tailor the program or broaden it in a way that increases the marriage tools we have and better reaches out to the world? Third, building my own counseling practice over time gives the church options—what if disciples feel I’m brain-dead for the ministry at 60? (Well, I hope not!) Or what if there’s a need in China or Hong Kong someday that doesn’t exactly translate into a full-time ministry position? Being a competent therapist gives us all some flexibility in the long run.

Don’t worry. I still love being an Evangelist. It’s a calling and a passion. I just want to hopefully add a whole wing of good teaching to the church in this vital area.

When I was in my 20’s, I just wanted to get through the college courses and materials. Now, I really want to know it. Pray for me (and Stephen!) going off to college this fall.

Like everyone, I heard today with a heavy heart about the murders in Blacksburg Virginia. The last I heard there were 31 victims, most of them students. I’m from Virginia and have been to the campus of Virginia Tech. Two of my best H.S. friends went to college there.

Two things are on my mind right now about this hellish reality. First, where was the killer the day I visited campus? My 1979 visit was fine, but I’m sure today, someone died on that campus that shouldn’t have even been there. I need to count my blessings for the life I have and how long I’ve lived. Our lives are but a mist, a vapor, and every day is precious and full of grace. We are mortal, short-lived, fragile, and closer to death than we usually comprehend.

Second, I noted that the news media, as usual, lacked the vocabulary to comprehend what had happened. They call these murders “a tragedy.” On this terrible day, I’d like to say that “Romeo and Juliet” is a tragedy. Or Hurricane Katrina. Or the flooding, this past winter, of some of our members’ homes. But the intentional, ruthless murder of 31 innocent young people at Virginia Tech is much more than just “tragic.” It’s sinful. It’s an outrage. I marvel that we spend so much time in this country being “outraged” about all kinds of questionable political matters, but when it comes to sin, the cat’s got our tongue.

These poor kids were murdered. Sin, as Romans 1 predicts, gave birth to death. And as the news media speculates now, ad nauseam, about what excuses “drove” the murderer, may we be a people of greater conviction that Jesus had it right: “don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him unclean…for from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts…” (Mark 7:18-21)