Exiled Community

The Week That Was: This past week was full of reading. 600 pages worth. As I think back, I don’t really remember doing much else. It’s not like reading a Harry Potter or a Ted Dekker book where you get caught up in the story and before you know it you’ve read for 2 straight hours. Some of the reading is pretty dense. We had a family Valentine’s Day. I got Andrea a pedicure for V-Day (which she loved), while Abbie and I walked the mall. We went out for lunch at a new pizza place we found. It was very good!

Church Review: We brought back the round tables for worship at 11:07 this week. It was pretty cool. I had the congregation share their joys and concerns around the table before sharing them to the entire group. Down the road, we’ll have each table pray for one another, but we’ll work them up to that.

Where I Am At the Moment: I am in my office trying to get some work done before leaving for school.

On My To-Do List This Week: Pick out music for Sunday, post some sermons on iTunes, try to get our check-in system up and running, and write a sermon…all on top of more seminary work!

What Abbie is Up To This Week: Abbie spent President’s Day with Grandma Logan. She was not to thrilled to see her leave. But boy did Abbie talk up a storm to her!

Books I am in the Midst Of: It’s seminary time again, so I am only doing required reading. I finished Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. While I have read it before, it was great re-reading it to reorient some things in my life and leadership style. I would highly recommend this book! Otherwise, I am reading a lot of the same stuff I was last week.

Music That Caught My Attention This Week: Nothing really caught my attention…but the JabbawockeeZ were pretty awesome at the NBA All-Star Game with Shaq.

How I Feel About this week: Good

I have seen a disturbing trend on TV lately. Yes, you could say that most of what is on TV is disturbing (i.e. SpongeBob, Katie Couric, ShamWow), but this is more serious. Specifically, there are two related items that I was really upset by. Let me share them with you.

1. Adopt a Dog: The ASPCA has been running ads where you can sponsor a dog in need of rescue. For just $18 a month, you can provide a dog with the things a dog needs to be healthy and successful. The commercial features sad looking dogs and singer Sarah McLachlen (which is equally sad). With your $18, you get a picture of a dog to hang on your refridgerator.

2. Adopt a Polar Bear: The same day I saw the add for the adopt-a-dog I saw an ad where you can adopt a polar bear to help save them from extinction and global warming. I believe the campaign is done by the Sierra Club. Noah Wylie (from ER fame) is the spokesperson of this ad campaign. You can support a polar bear for just $16 a month. Also included was a photo (and a T-Shirt, I believe) to hang on your fridge. (I wonder if you can sponsor the polar bear from Lost??)

Maybe we should do an adopt-a-pastor? Just a thought!

I was dumbfounded about these ads. There are countless millions of people without food or safe drinking water around the world, and there are more than enough resources to help these people. What concerns me is that there will be people who will sponsor a dog or a polar bear but will not sponsor a child through Compassion International or World Vision. It may not be wide spread, but are we not called to love and care for our neighbors?

Some might think that I am against dogs and polar bears. I don’t think that I am, but I am concerned about what we are doing to address the root of these problems rather than treating the symptoms. The problem with the polar bears is related to global warming and our attitude (as a nation) that we can consume without regard for the world around us. We need to address these environmental problems because what happens to the polar bears (or any other species) will ultimately happen to us. We breathe the same air, drink the same water, and eat the same food.

Rather than adopting a dog or a bear, we might be better served at addressing the underlying issues that fuels these tragic situations. We can look at the systems in our society and ask questions. We need to demand more of our politicians and policy-makers. We need to engage and address not just the symptoms, but the root.

The Week That Was: This past week was a mixed bag. A week ago, the entire LaMotte family had some form of a virus. Fever, ear aches, etc. Thankfully, that has past. Last Tuesday, I Started up another round of classes. I am signed up for four classes (making me full-time), but I think I am dropping my one class because I want to be home more. Andrea had a baby shower in New Jersey on Saturday, so Abbie and I had a Daddy-Daughter day together. We had a blast. Now I am ready for another week!

Church Review: I am actually not going to review this week, but the previous week. I began a series called “Love is the Movement” where were looking at the call to Love God/Love Neighbor. At 11:07, we tried something different and sat at round tables, and rather than me speaking at the congregation, I asked a series of questions and allowed the tables to explore the scriptures. It worked pretty well for the first time. It was exciting to hear the tables talk about the topic of the day and work through some of the practical stuff. We’ll definately be doing this again.

Where I Am At the Moment: I am currently in the office. I would like to get some music picked out for this weekend. I’ll be heading to the gym soon as well.

On My To-Do List This Week: Pick out music, work on seminary homework. I also neeed to contact some people regarding our Guatemala trip.

What Abbie is Up To This Week: Abbie is a trip. She is fully healthy after being sick and very expressive. We went outside to play yesterday while large flocks of geese were flying over head (I think geese fly in gaggles). Abbie was telling the geese to go away. It was so funny!

Books I am in the Midst Of: It’s seminary time again, so I am only doing required reading. I am working on Miracles by C.S. Lewis, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, New Testament Theology by I. Howard Marshall, and a book called Called and Committed (can’t remember the author).

Music That Caught My Attention This Week: I’ve heard a lot of old-school Weezer this week. I think I will be downloading some this week.

How I Feel About this week: Upbeat.

Andrea and I went out together on Friday evening, thanks to babysitting extraordinaire Carey Phalen. We had dinner at home with the little munchkin and then headed down to the beach. Our plan was to catch a movie and then go to TGIFridays for dessert. We ended up seeing Bride Wars since we missed the beginning of Defiance. Here are a few things learned from the evening.

• For you soon to be brides, don’t let your wedding get scheduled on the same day and place as your best friend. Evidently bad things happen. Bad things, man.
• Kate Hudson evidently just agrees to act in one kind of movie. Granted, she nails the part every time, but I can’t think of a Kate Hudson movie other than one from the romantic comedy genre. Can you? I know I could look it up on IMDB, but it must not have been memorable if I can’t remember it.
• Movies filled with middle school and high school students really aren’t that enjoyable. Yes, I have been youth pastor and really love these students, but last nights movie must have had 40 students sitting in a group. As the movie went on they just got louder. I wanted to throw my tub of popcorn at them because the tallest guy in the group was still pre-puberty and a foot and a half shorter than me.
• The students noise wouldn’t have been so bad if it was because of the movie. When I saw Dark Night and Indiana Jones, there was cheering and emotion because of the movie. This noise was more along the lines of answeing cell phones and asking for lip gloss.
• As Andrea and I got out at Friday’s, a mob of people where working their way to the door. At first it looked like a drunken conga line, but then I realized it was a brawl. A real brawl at TGIFriday’s! We quickly turned around to leave, but before we did we heard it was a server who got fired and her boyfriend being forcefully escorted out of the restaraunt. We went to Applebees.

That was our date night. After a month away (but home on weekends) it was nice to spend a night together!

It’s been awhile since I posted anything. I have some good excuses.

1. I’m in a month long Greek class. Sure, I could suck it up, but then I wouldn’t be able to pass my class.
2. I broke my hand. Really, I did. It was playing football. I have the cast to prove it. Yes, I could suck it up and type one handed (as I am now doing), but I type one handed slower than a church trying to change worship styles.

I will post as I am able, but that could be awhile.

The month of December is over and 2009 is upon us. Somehow, I haven’t posted in several weeks. Here’s the latest.

It’s All Greek To Me
I started a month long Greek class on December 29th. That means I’m staying at the Logans for a week at a time and coming home on the weekends. Class hasn’t been too bad so far. I just take a class at a time. I must admit, it’s going way better than Spanish ever did!

Tolling The Bell
I got to read Rob Bell’s new book, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, during the week of Christmas. I really enjoyed it, and was challenged by it (in a good way). While I have written this before, I will try to post more on it later.

Lend Me Your Ear
Well, that’s what Abbie was saying anyway. She had a double ear infection over Christmas, which equals fun! (note the sarcasm dripping from that last phrase) I was spared as I was in class during the day. She seems to be on the mend as she hammed it up for the college students last night.

Re:Think
Among our staff at church, we’re beginning to dialogue about what it might look like to rethink church. It’s something I’ve been reading about. Bell’s book (mentioned aboved), N.T. Wright’s book “Surprised By Hope,” and so many others that are out right now talk about rethinking how we approach church, faith, christianity, etc. I have to admit that the more that I read and think, the more I believe that Jesus might not recognize Christianity in America. He might say, “What is this? This is not what I asked you to do!”

Certainly there are people and churches who are the hands and feet of Christ, but most of the time I feel that churches “do” ministry to satisfy themselves, rather than to reach out to those who have never heard, those who are poor/naked/hungry/etc. The problem is that Western American Christianity is so engrained into us, that it would take a monumental effort to break free from cultural Christianity and truly to pursue Christ…to love God and love our neighbor.

My prayer for myself, and for you, in 2009 is that you might ask God to help you Rethink your faith. What does it mean to be a Christian? To be a part of a worshipping community? What does it mean to love God and our neighbor. Maybe we can enter in a dialogue about what this might look like.

Many blessings to you in 2009!

The Week That Was: This was my first full week with out school/work in a while. I spent a whole week getting things done in the office and at home. It felt really good to be able to do that. Friday night, I had a wedding rehersal and the Fusion Christmas Party. On Saturday, except for 2 hours where I was gone for the wedding, it was a great family day. Part of that was spent with Erin and Becky, home from college. It was great to visit with them.

Church Review: I preached at the 9:30 and 11:07 service. I think that overall that it went well. I had to change a few things on the fly because one of our teenagers was killed in a car accident the night before. It was a sad morning to say the least.

Where I Am At the Moment: I am waiting for staff meeting to start. I have a busy next two days leading up to Christmas.

On My To-Do List This Week: Let’s see, put 8 services on the computer for projection (4 Christmas Eve services, 4 Sunday Services). Write a Christmas Eve sermon. Go to the Golf Course and use a Gift Certificate. Study the Greek Alphabet for a test on Monday. Oh yeah, Christmas is in there too!

What Abbie is Up To This Week: Abbie has begun to call me “mommy”. I’ve heard that this is a stage that many babies go through. It’s pretty cute overall. She does call my daddy some still. She has also been asking “Where did it go?” with here hands up. It’s so cute. She will be so much fun Christmas morning.

Book I am in the Midst Of: Last week, I finished “The Great Emergence,” while this week, I am hoping to finish N.T. Wright’s “Surprised by Hope.” I have two chapters to go.

Music That Caught My Attention This Week: Christmas Music.

How I Feel About this week: Merry.