Work Day with Mission Possible

A few of us got together for a work day at Mission Possible, an East Austin community development ministry. Some photos:

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Links to Your World--Tuesday July 31

Since our series on the Sermon on the Mount is over, I thought you might want to see it in comic book format.

Watch out Canada: Big Brother is watching your blog posts, so toe the politically-correct line or face the consequences.

Students can argue football, politics, and whether global warming is a problem. But Georgetown University has issued a hazy policy setting limits on what students can say about their faith.

Jesus of the Deep Forest: our next praise song?

"Dying on a cross for the sins of the world—that is so sick!"

“A middle-income family with a child born in 2006 will spend, on average, $197,700 to raise him or her from birth through age 17, according to government data. That figure doesn't even include the soaring cost of college.” (The story in USA Today).

Get up close and personal with bugs.

Now that's what I call a Cat Scan: A cat that can sense when a patient’s death is imminent. Yes, yes, by now you've seen a link to this story on every blog, but I bet you haven't seen this website with "lolcat photos" tied to the story.

Six Cool Exercise Options. Ways to exercise when its hot.

Use your cellphone to TalkToJesus: "Advanced speech and AI technology [will] enable millions to develop a personal, lasting relationship with the Lord--in a whole new way.” Yeesh. (HT: MMI)

A 1300-mile trek to repay an online insult results in a fire-bombed trailer and a ruined military career (The Statesman article is here). No word on whether space diapers were used for his long trip.

"When Whippersnappers and Geezers Collide." A New York Times article on workplace courses to help coworkers appreciate generational differences. My own article about generational identity is here.

So a G, a Bb and a D walk into a bar. Suddenly the bartender yells out, "Hey! I can't serve minors here!" (HT: Susan)

I liked Christianity Today's "Blessed Ned of Springfield," about The Simpson's Ned Flanders.

Tattoos present him with witnessing opportunities: What do you use to start spiritual conversations?

Learn your United States geography with this Tetris game (HT: Evangelical Outpost).

Have you bought your $81,700 swimsuit woven from gold yet?

101 Amazing Earth Facts (HT: Morning News).

These people wear masks and capes in order to fight real crime on the streets. (HT: Presurfer)

Austin likes to mix-and-match music styles, but are we ready to line dance to Innagadadavida?





Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("With or Without You" by Scala and Kolacny), Ned Flanders and his THEMs, generational identity for those who are neither Boomers nor Xers, a little rant about the Statesman's "This is Austin," and part four of "Four Secrets to Success." To keep up with the journal, sign up for e-mail updates or assign the feed to your news reader or Google Personalized Home Page.

Song of the Week: Scala's "With or Without You" (U2 Cover)

My. Oh. My.

Have you heard of Scala? It's a youth choir from Aarschot, Belgium, roughly sixty teenage girls, directed by two talented brothers--Steven and Stijned Kolacny.

They have some newer stuff--you should hear their rendition of Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" from their most recent project, One-Winged Angel (Amazon; Walmart). But here's their cover of the U2 song, "With or Without You," from their 2004 import project, Dream On (Amazon).

(Watch a video of the girls singing this song here.)

See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side
I wait for you

Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait without you

With or without you
With or without you

Through the storm we reach the shore
You give it all but I want more
And Im waiting for you

With or without you
With or without you
I cant live
With or without you

And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away

My hands are tied
My body bruised, shes got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose

And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away

With or without you
With or without you
I cant live
With or without you

With or without you
With or without you
I cant live
With or without you
With or without you

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The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

Ned Flanders and His THEMs

On the opening weekend of The Simpsons Movie, Christianity Today has re-issued their February 2001 article, "Blessed Ned of Springfield." It's an adaptation from Mark Pinsky's book, The Gospel According to the Simpsons: The Spiritual Life of America's Most Animated Family.

The article will introduce you to Ned Flanders, television's most well-rounded evangelical character. But it was Pinsky's closing comments that really caught my attention. I hope we're all like the neighbors he has. Ned Flanders can teach us a few things about relating to our THEMs:

Stripped of their comedic excess and hyperbole, how fairly do Ned and his family represent evangelical Christianity to the world? As an observant Jew raised in a Northeastern suburb, I may not be the best judge. Or maybe I am. For the past five years, I have reported on the evangelical movement—locally and nationally—for The Orlando Sentinel newspaper. More to the point, fate and my central Florida suburb have put me into close contact with a family I see as the Flanders family in real life. Until I raised the issue with them, they had no basis for comparison; they didn't watch the show or allow their children to watch it.

Dan and Lorraine Hardaway are an attractive, college-educated couple in their late 30s. Each experienced some degree of dysfunction in their early lives before turning to Jesus. Dan, who has reddish blond hair and blue eyes, works full time for a Christian outreach organization based in Orlando. Lorraine, whose auburn hair frames a face brightened by a toothy grin, is a stay-at-home mom. Their four children, who range in age from 6 to 14, are as good-natured as Rod and Todd Flanders but considerably more worldly. The Hardaways belong to a nondenominational, evangelical megachurch and a small Bible-study group. They sing in the choir and listen to a contemporary Christian radio station in their cars and at home, and hold conservative beliefs on social issues, although they disagree with some aspects of the Christian Right. For the most part, they grapple with the same things our family does: balancing their stretched budget and busy schedules, deciding what television show or computer game is appropriate for the kids. Like their neighbors, they made an accommodation with Beanie Babies, PokÉmon, and, after much soul-searching and consultation with Christian friends, the Harry Potter books. With their agreement, I use the family as a source, a sounding board, and a pipeline to ground-level believers for my newspaper reporting.

Are the Hardaways typical of evangelical Christians, as typical as the Flanders family? It's hard to say. We have come to know them pretty well in recent years. Our children attend the same public elementary school and the same scout troops at the school, and often attend the same birthday parties, which means we are often in and out of each other's houses. They are sophisticated and generally open-minded, and never press their religious or political views on us or on our children. It is apparent, though, that they draw strength from their Christian faith, which they try to apply to every aspect of their lives. I met them before I started watching The Simpsons, but I cannot watch the Flanders family without thinking of the Hardaways.

I showed them an early draft of this essay, loaned them some tapes from the series and asked them what they thought. "All in all, it would be flattering to be associated with Ned Flanders, based on what I know about the person and how he lives out his faith," Dan says. "There's an element of unconditional love in his life that accurately portrays Christianity." Some Christians might be put off by some of the idiosyncrasies associated with the character, like "nerdy behavior," he added.

Lorraine agreed . . . . "How else are people going to see Jesus' teachings lived out unless they see them in our lives?" she says. "It's very important that we're part of the world, that others can see the difference he's made and the truth we believe he taught and shared."

Jonesin’ for Recognition

Ever heard of the hit song, “Summer of ‘75?”

No?

In his chart-topping "Summer of '69," Bryan Adams sang about "the best days of my life": getting his first real six-string, playing in a band, working at the drive-in, and the first blush of love.

You know, all the things that 8-year-olds do.

Adams' co-writer, Jim Vallance was 19 in the summer of 69. But the man who made the song famous was 8 in that pivotal year for the Baby Boomer generation. So was I.

I'm not sure why Bryan Adams decided to sing about the definitive high school years of his collaborator instead of his own, but I'm thinking it was because the record company decision-makers didn’t think anyone would find a song about the "Summer of 75" relevant to the listening audience.

And that's the problem.

Adams and I and a whole bunch of people who have always been told that we're Boomers simply don't identify with Boomer "defining moments"--

Leave it to Beaver? Um, I remember the reruns.

The Kennedy and King assassinations? I was 2 and 7, respectively.

The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show? I was 3.

Woodstock? I was 8.

The Nixon resignation? I was 13, but I sorta remember my parents watching the news the day it happened.

Clearly the traditional definition of a Boomer as anyone born between 1946 and 1964 just isn't a workable definition.

Enter Jonathan Pontell and his book, "Generation Jones." Pontell identifies another cohort that's part of neither the Baby Boomers or Generation X. He calls those born between 1954 and 1965 the "Generation Jones" cohort. We constitute 26 percent of all U.S. adults today.

He must have hit a nerve, because the year after Pontell came out with his book in 2000, the concept of a "Generation Jones" was discussed on over 500 television, radio and print media outlets. Since then, the generational identity has been discussed on CNN, MSNBC, and covered heavily during the 2006 elections. Universities even teach courses on Jonesers.

Are you a Joneser? Take this pop quiz and find out. It'll be a walk down memory lane for some of you. (I got 9 out of 10, by the way.) Pontell's Generation Jones website will get the nostalgic juices flowing, too.

Why the name “Generation Jones”? For one, Pontell says, because “Jones” connotes anonymity, like a “Generation Smith” or “Generation Doe,” and until recently, this cohort in the shadow of the Boomers was practically unknown. But the label also connects with the slang term “jones”: a craving for someone or something. Generation Jones came of age in the late 1970s and early 1980s with a certain unrequited, “jonesin” quality. Consider their songs: Gary Wright's Dream Weaver, Bruce Springsteen's Hungry Heart, or U2's I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. The generation's movies also share that restlessness, such as Fame, St. Elmo's Fire and Sleepless in Seattle.

We came of age in what many consider “a slum of a decade,” according to David Frum, and most of us who were in high school in the 70s would agree. Frum says that people “like to glorify the 60s as the time when all cool things happened [and so] this generation just got swept under the carpet.”

Suzanne Fields in the Washington Times says, “If they’re not ‘the lost generation’ they’re invisible to most of our cultural commentators.”

“Growing up I always felt I was the only person my age. They spoke in the media as if everyone was 15 years older than me,” said Tamara Ruiz, whose 1964 birthday makes her one of the last Boomers according to the definition given by most demographers.

“Coming of age politically in the late 1970s and early 1980s,” Pontell says, “Joneses were the much discussed ‘Reagan Youth,’ and is the most conservative U.S. generation by a considerable margin.”

Still, most of us Jonesers would agree with Malcolm White of the Know media agency in the U.K., who said that Jonesers “have that ‘now or never quality of early middle-age that if they don’t pursue their dreams of self-realization soon, they probably never will.”

These reflections of mine aren't meant to divide, and I don't share Pontell's harsh way of distinguishing Jonesers from Boomers. I'd have no trouble being called a Boomer if the label ever stretched wide enough to include my defining high school experiences. Since no one ever stretches the label that wide, though, I'm attracted to Pontell's attempts to give my age range a little sharper definition.

To me, then, it's about defining, not dividing. I gladly serve a church made up adults in their 20s to adults in their 90s. I'm glad to be an "honorary member" of each age group's social circles. In the end, as the song goes, "I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God." But we can better understand each other in the Family only when we understand the cultural factors that were in play when each generation came "of age."

This is Austin?

So, in this weekend's paper, I got my copy of the Statesman's 2007 edition of "This is Austin," billed as the guide to "everything worth knowing about our area" from "hot spots to highways and swimming pools to private schools." The online version has links to Ats and Entertainment, Transportation, Recreation and Community, Business, and Education.

Notice anything missing from a guide designed to tell you everything you need to know about Austin? Here's a hint: it starts with "ch" and ends in "urches."

This is a guide to introduce Austin to prospective residents, and if the stats are reliable, at least half of incoming residents to Austin will want to know about the role that faith plays in our town, not just where they can throw a frisbee or put away some nachos. At least it would have been good to see a hat-tip to Austin's Grammy-nominated Chris Tomlin or our nationally-recognized church leader and author, John Burke. Maybe a mention that Clear Channel chose the Austin market to try their hand at operating their first CCM (contemporary Christian music) radio station (The River, 102.3). Hey, I woulda settled for just a photo of the Dell Jewish Community center or the iconic Riverbend Center.

My little rant isn't meant to accuse the Statesman of deliberately denying coverage to faith communities. My hat's off to the Statesman for their expanded coverage of faith issues in their Saturday edition and through Eileen Flynn's stories. But while I doubt anyone at the paper deliberately decided to ignore coverage to faith communities in the 2007 annual guide to everything Austin, it appears that it just didn't cross the radar screen of those planning the guide. Maybe the planners for the 2008 guide could enlist Eileen Flynn to write a little about Austin's faith communities. Then the guide would come a lot closer to everything you need to know about Austin.

Four Secrets of Success: Thievery

In Psalm 35:27 (NCV) the poet said, “Praise the greatness of the Lord, who loves to see his servants do well.” God wants to see you do well, and I believe there are four secrets to success:

Laziness
Ignorance
Failure
Thievery

I’ve already covered the first three secrets in the last three editions of LeaderLines. We began this series with the need for laziness--not just any laziness, but sacred laziness. The Bible has a lot to say about diligence and hard work, but the Bible also has a lot to say about rest and trust.

Then we looked at another secret of success: Ignorance. If you believe you are so intelligent that you can already decide something won’t work before you try it, then you’ll never take the risks necessary for success.

Last week we looked at the third secret: Failure. Nothing succeeds like failure. We looked at Simon Peter to discover that failure doesn’t have to be a roadblock to success; it can be a pavestone on the road to success.

Now we come to the fourth secret of success: thievery. If others are already succeeding in the areas where you want success, do it their way. Be humble enough to copy what is working for someone else. Vance Havner said that he heard about a guy who swore he was going to be original or nothing--and he ended up being both!

God’s Word says that originality is over-rated. The preacher of Ecclessisastes said, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, ‘Look! This is something new’? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time” (1:9-10).

No one is truly original. Someone once said that true creativity is the art of concealing your source!

Let me suggest five things you need to do in relation to stealing what’s making someone else successful:

First, seek out ideas worth robbing. In other words, find models of the success you want. Proverbs 18:15 (LB) says, “The intelligent man is always open to new ideas. In fact, he looks for them.” Are you always on the lookout for new ideas? I’m asking this not only in regards to business success, but success in this church. Those of us who lead the church need to quit praying, “Lord, bless what I’m doing.” Instead we need to pray, “Lord, help me to do what you are blessing.” We need to look at the methods and the ministries that God is blessing and say, “Lord, help me to do that in my own ministry.”

Here’s a news flash: “If the horse you’ve been riding has died, dismount!” You don’t keep beating a dead horse, and you don’t keep trying to work a method that doesn’t work. Seek out new ideas; look for things that are working for others.

Second, steal to fulfill your purposes. Your aim is to learn from others, not become a clone of others. You will never succeed by simply trying to be someone else.

Third, steal to fit your context. Sometimes people will come back from a church conference or a business seminar and they immediately start trying to do the things that made that church leader or that businessman at the seminar so successful. But you have to consider that you are in a different context than that conference speaker, and you’re relating to different business customers or church prospects. We ought to steal ideas from these conferences and seminars, but that doesn’t free us from the hard work of adapting those ideas to our own situation.

Beware of what one minister called the “Saul’s armor” syndrome. You remember when David first committed to go out and fight Goliath, Saul said, “Well, okay, but at least wear my armor since you’re just a shepherd boy and you don’t have any of your own.” But when little David put on the big man’s armor, it didn’t fit. And so David took it off and picked up the things he was used to using in defending his sheep: his staff and his slingshot.

We need to steal ideas from others, but we don’t need to adopt things that don’t fit us and don’t fit our situation.

Fourth, steal it, but improve it. When you take a method or a program that someone else is doing, don’t just adopt it uncritically. Look at it carefully and ask, “How can I take what’s made him successful and do it even better?”

You should steal ideas like you eat fish: Eat the meat and pick out the bones. No idea is perfect; everything you steal from another has room for improvement.

Finally, be willing to let others steal from you. Especially when it comes to church work, we’re all on the same team. We need to make it easy for others to steal ideas from us. In that way, the kingdom is advanced and the king is glorified. I’m not saying we should never copyright and sell our material, but I’m saying that we need to be as “open source” as possible when it comes to tools that advance the glory of God and establish his purposes around the world.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this four-part series. Some of you with keen memories will remember that this was the subject of a four-part seminar I was asked to teach on the weekend I came in view of a call as your pastor four years ago. God “loves to see his servants do well” (Psalm 35:27, NCV), and so may God bless your pursuit of success his way!

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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Winning Ways: Make the Right Choice

“There are three kinds of people in the world,” a friend likes to say. “There are those who can count and those who can’t.”

And he’s an accountant.

Jesus said there are just two kinds of people in the world: those who follow him and those who don’t. Your choice between those two groups has serious consequences here and hereafter.

We’re reluctant to reduce our entire world down to just two groups. After all, we do our shopping in a marketplace that someone once called a “Baskin-Robbins society” where everything comes in at least 31 flavors. George Will pointed that out in a 2005 column for Newsweek:

If you are 62 or even if you are a spring chicken of 50, try to remember the way it was when you were, say, 15 and you wanted to listen to the popular music of the day. You would fidget around the radio dial, flitting from one to another of the--if you were fortunate--three or four stations that played the kind of music you fancied. And you could just hope that the disc jockeys would choose to play a few of the songs you especially wanted to hear.

Now, try to explain that bit of ancient history to your children. Before you can bend their ears, you will have to remove the earphones that connect them to their iPods, in which they can store as many as 10,000 songs of their choosing, which they can hear whenever they choose.

You’ll get no complaint from me about wider choices in the marketplace. I like my iPod, three kinds of sugar substitutes, varieties of mustard, and more choices for coffee than simply Folger’s or Maxwell House.

But when it comes to the most important choice of life, Jesus said there were only two options: you are among those who follow him, or you’re among those who don’t. At the end of his Sermon on the Mount, he said we must walk on one of two roads, decide on one of two trees, and build like one of two builders (Matthew 7:13-27). And he said the choice leads either to life or destruction.

This Sunday, we’ll wrap up our study of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount by looking at this simple life-changing choice. Bring a friend and join us at the “Bold Blend” service or the 10:45am “Smooth Blend” service, or listen online Monday (iTunes; website).

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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 830 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World--Tuesday July 24

In “Sentenced to Life,” learn how Shawn Hagwood ended up in prison, and how a stranger's kindness showed him that he didn't need to stay there.

Housing: should you rent or buy?

See the Highlights Videos from this year's Uncivil War!

Read the fascinating account from our newest member, Art Starratt, about life as a WW2 POW.

I've been Simpsonized.

A fire crew tests their skills--on the wrong house.

What Austin’s skyline will look like in the future. (HT: Simply Missional)

So it’s true: There really is no time like the present. (HT: The Morning News)

Untamed nature: A fascinating photographic project by Steve Bloom. (HT: Presurfer)

“He sees colors in the eye that most of us never notice. For one recent patient, an 84-year-old woman from Montana, he painted an iris with a dark gray-green base color and a dark reddish-brown central area. He highlighted the work with a rusty-gold colored border and dotted it with brownish freckles.” The work of a prosthetic eye builder.

In, “A Royal Ruin,” Douglas Groothuis explains Pascal’s argument for the truth of Christianity from the combination of both greatness and wretchedness in humanity.

Find out the basics of what you need to know about the night sky here.

How to spend five minutes a day in the Bible with your child.

Julie "Bible Girl" Lyons asks some probing questions about your comfort level with people of different races and cultures.

I missed the print edition of Eileen Flynn's coverage of Hope Chapel's arts festival in the Statesman. Here it is online.

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("Almost Fed Up with the Blues" by John Hiatt), highlights from the Uncivil War, part three of "Four Secrets to Success," the power of prayer, and getting Simpsonized. To keep up with the journal, sign up for e-mail updates or assign the feed to your news reader or Google Personalized Home Page.

The Uncivil War: Highlights Videos

This year's Uncivil War combined youth groups from Hillcrest (Red Team), Milwood (Green Team), and First Pflugerville (Blue Team). This year's winners: Milwood for the second year! A big "shout out" to Jim Siegel for all his planning!

Monday:



Tuesday:


Wednesday:


Thursday:



Friday:

Song of the Week: John Hiatt's "Almost Fed Up with the Blues"

I was in a funk a few years ago--a months-long scary funk. This song smacked me awake, and I flat wore out the track on my iPod. Here's John Hiatt's "Almost Fed Up with the Blues" from the album Beneath this Gruff Exterior (Amazon; iTunes):

I wake up with my head in hand
and wish I was another man
'Cause I'm almost fed up with the blues

I think about the kitchen sink
Then I just shudder to think
'Cause I'm almost fed up with the blues

If it don't let up, gonna get up
and get my life set up
'Cause I'm almost fed up with the blues
Have some coffee, 'fore I call it quits
might even put jam on my biscuit
'Cause I'm almost fed up with the blues

There's a woman, a car, and a bank note due
but I'm gonna leave that up to you*
'Cause I'm almost fed up with the blues

If I get up they knock me down again
but what are you gonna do, my friend
When I'm almost fed up with the Blues

If it don't kill me, it thrills me
but somebody always bills me
and I'm almost fed up with the blues
It's a gut check, a train wreck
with all of the usual suspects
and I'm almost fed up with the blues

If these blues don't stop hurtin' me
Its curtains for my misery
'Cause I'm almost fed up with the blues
Might get a job, or join a club
'Cause buddy I've whittled it down to the nub
and I'm almost fed up with the blues

If it don't kill me, it thrills me
but somebody always bills me
and I'm almost fed up with the blues
Gonna get up, won't let up, and get my life set up
'Cause I'm almost fed up with the blues

*"I'm gonna leave that up to you." Who's he talking to? Is this song a kind of prayer?

The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

If I Were in Springfield--

I have been Simpsonized. At this website, they took this photo . . .

And turned it into this Simpsons character:

Four Secrets to Success: Failure

Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

When she was with the pop band, the 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant recorded a song called "Few and Far Between," from the album Our Time in Eden (Amazon; iTunes). She sang:

“Until you make your peace with yesterday,
You’ll never build a future--I swear by what I say.”
Our failures don’t have to be roadblocks on the road to success. In God’s hands, failures can be pavestones on the road to success. That’s the third of four secrets to success that I’ve been covering in LeaderLines:

Laziness
Ignorance
Failure
Thievery

We began this LeaderLines series with the need for laziness. Not just any laziness, but sacred laziness. The Bible has a lot to say about diligence and hard work, but the Bible also has a lot to say about rest and trust. Last week we also looked at another secret of success: Ignorance. If you believe you are so intelligent that you can already decide something won’t work before you try it, then you’ll never take the risks necessary for success.

This week, let’s look at our failures. Nothing succeeds like failure.

In Proverbs 24:16, the wise man said, “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he gets back up.“ It's not a question of whether we will fail--it's a question of how we respond to failure. Those who fail and give up are a dime a dozen. Those who fail and get up are one in a million.

It’s a shame that most of our favorite stories of comebacks come from the world of business and sports, but not from the world of faith. More than anyone else, those who are in Christ ought to know that failure doesn’t have to be final.

In Luke 22, before he went to the cross, Jesus told Simon Peter that he would fail. Simon would betray his Lord. He said: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

In other words, “Simon, you are going to fail, but because I have prayed for you, you will have the strength to get back up again. And you won’t be the only one to fail at life’s tests. So take what you have learned and strengthen your brothers.” And Simon Peter did just that: the first half of the book of Acts describes the way Peter competently led the early church. And remember: two of the 27 books of the New Testament are letters from Peter, the apostle who failed and who got back up again.

We have got to get to the point where we accept failure as only a verb, never a noun. In other words, failure is something you do and not something you are.

I love what Maria Snell Nicholson said in her book Heart Held High:

“We are now God’s broken things. But remember how he used broken things. The broken pitcher of Gideon’s army, the broken roof through which the paralyzed man was lowered to be healed, the broken alabaster box which shed its fragrance over the broken body of our Savior.”

Are you one of God’s broken things? Have you failed? In God’s hands, broken things can be useful again.

Nothing succeeds like failure. A young man learned this one day. He had just been hired by a very successful company, and on the very first week, one day he found himself alone in the elevator with the company’s founder and president. Eager to learn, the young man began to talk with the president and presently asked him, “Sir, could you tell me: how did you become so successful?”

And the seasoned businessman replied, “By making right decisions, son.”

The young man continued to press, “But I guess what I’m really asking is, how did you learn to make the right decisions.”

The older man looked at the younger man, smiled knowingly, and said, “By making wrong decisions, son.”

Of course, the only reason this man was able to succeed from his failures was because he was willing to see them as pavestones on the road to success and not roadblocks. What can you learn from your mistakes to make you more successful in life, work, and ministry?

God's Power for Your Life

“Is God there?” a child’s voice asked. “I want to talk to God.”

People began leaving requests to talk to God on the answering machine at Radio Colorado Network after the release of the 2003 film “Bruce Almighty.” In the film, God repeatedly leaves his phone number on the lead character’s pager. It turns out that the Network shared the same number.

Some messages were funny, like the caller who recorded, “I know this isn't the number for God. But I'm calling to see if you have the other number.”

Some messages were touching, like the woman who left the message: “I’m in jail right now. Like I said to you last night, ‘I love you,’” she confided to God, after promising to go straight and praying to return to her husband and children.

The Radio Colorado Network wasn’t the only recipient of requests to talk to God. The phone number is assigned to phone customers in more than 30 area codes, many of whom received calls to God in the weeks after the film’s release. One was a church in Sanford, North Carolina. Callers to that number got to talk to a pastor. Named Bruce.

Thankfully, it doesn’t take a phone number to talk to God. In the Sermon on the Mount, after Jesus taught us the way we ought to live, he promised us power for the task.

This is good news. If you’ve been part of our study of the Sermon on the Mount the last few months, you’ve been challenged by the righteousness, sincerity, humility, purity, and love expected of Christ-followers. How can we live up to such a high standard? Jesus promised: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

Jesus himself often prayed to his Father. “It was Jesus' habit of prayer which gave him the spiritual power to gain the victory over evil,” Mark Buchanan noted in his book, Your God is Too Safe. “When we find ourselves impotent in the face of life's challenges, it may be because we're out of practice.”

This Sunday morning we’ll discover divine power for the kind of life Jesus expects us to live! Join us at the “Bold Blend” service or the 10:45am “Smooth Blend” service, or listen online Monday (iTunes; website).

Links to Your World--Tuesday July 17

Get your Control-a-Kid Remote today! It has all the functions you will need to help keep your tykes under control. Point and click to stop sulking or tantrums, get them to eat greens or do homework, and more. If only parenting was this easy . . .

“The Roman Catholic Church is willing to go so far as to assert that any church that denies the papacy is no true church. Evangelicals should be equally candid in asserting that any church defined by the claims of the papacy is no true church. This is not a theological game for children, it is the honest recognition of the importance of the question.” (Albert Mohler on the Pope’s assertion that nothing but the Catholic Church can be considered a proper church)

Related: see the Christianity Today editorial about the pope's declaration. In "Virtue That Counts," learn why justification by faith alone is still our defining doctrine as non-Catholic Christians.

Here's a leather hymn book cover for your iPod.

Adults still need the practice of memorizing scripture. Learn five ways to do it in “Hide It in Your Heart.”

It’s not scientific studies or institutional pressure that make a scientist an unbeliever: It’s upbringing (article).

"When it comes to change, there are three seasons of timing: People change when they hurt enough that they have to, when they learn enough that they want to, and when they receive enough that they are able to." —John Maxwell

Here are Latin phrases you should know, and 100 words any high school grad needs to know, and a crash course on the U.S. Constitution. (HT: Evangelical Outpost)

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("Why" by Nicole Nordeman), what Jesus said about judgmentalism, part two of "Four Secrets to Success," and one church's way to thank their volunteers in the style of a rock anthem from a cheesy 80s "hair band". To keep up with the journal, sign up for e-mail updates or assign the feed to your news reader or Google Personalized Home Page.

Because of You

Now, here's a church staff that knows how to thank its volunteers. Those of you familiar with the "anthem rock" ballads of the 80s will especially appreciate this send-up. If you use Explorer, click once to activate and again to play:




It's from River Valley Church in Minnesota. Ya, really.

Song of the Week: Nichole Nordeman's "Why"

The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

I was thinking about the cross. The symbol for Islam is the crescent moon, the symbol for Judaism is the Star of David, Hindus have the wheel, while Buddhists have the yin-yang circle. Why is the cross the universally-recognized symbol of the Christian faith? Why is Christ's sacrifice the centerpiece of the biblical story? Nicole Nordeman shares her perspective in "Why?" from the 2000 album, This Mystery (iTunes; Amazon).

We rode into town the other day
Just me and my daddy
He said I’d finally reached that age
And I could ride next to him on a horse
That of course was not quite as wide

We heard a crowd of people shouting
And so we stopped to find out why
There was that Man who my dad said he loved
But today there was fear in his eyes

So I said “Daddy, why are they screaming?
Why are the faces of some of them beaming?
Why is He dressed in that bright purple robe
I bet that crown hurts Him more than He shows
Daddy please, can’t you do something?
He looks as though He’s going to cry
You said He was stronger than all of those guys
Daddy, please tell me why
Why does everyone want Him to die?”

Later that day, the sky grew cloudy
And daddy said I should go inside
Somehow he knew things would get stormy
Boy was he right, but I could not keep from wondering
If there was something he had to hide

So after he left, I had to find out
I was not afraid of getting lost
So I followed the crowds to a hill
Where I knew men had been killed
And I heard a voice come from the cross

And it said, “Father, why are they screaming?
Why are the faces of some of them beaming?
Why are they casting their lots for my robe?
This crown of thorns hurts me more than it shows
Father please, can’t you do something?
I know that You must hear my cry
I thought I could handle a cross of this size
Father, remind me why
Why does everyone want me to die?
Oh, when will I understand why?”

My precious son, I hear them screaming
I’m watching the face of the enemy beaming
But soon I will clothe you in robes of my own
Jesus, this hurts me much more than you know

But this dark hour, I must do nothing
Though I’ve heard your unbearable cry
The power in your blood destroys all of the lies
Soon you’ll see past their unmerciful eyes
Look there below, see the child
trembling by her father’s side
Now I can tell you why
She is why you must die

Four Secrets of Success: Ignorance

Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

I’m taking four weeks of LeaderLines to introduce four secrets of success in God-glorifying projects:

Laziness
Ignorance
Failure
Thievery

Last week we looked at the need for laziness; this week, let’s look at ignorance. And just as there is a difference between laziness and sacred laziness as I said last week, there is a difference between ignorance and sacred ignorance.

The kind of ignorance that leads to success is not the kind that glories in ignorance or has no motivation to overcome ignorance. What I’m speaking about is a sacred ignorance, the kind that acknowledges that we still have a lot to learn.

Why does that lead to success? Well, ignorance drives you to seminars and to books and to wise people in hopes of discovering how to improve. Those who think themselves smart enough and experienced enough don’t bother to continue learning, but success comes with continued improvement, continued re-evaluation, continued eagerness for refining the processes.

There’s another reason ignorance leads to success: ignorant people are willing to try new ideas and experiment with new ways. Success comes from risk, experiment, and trying new methods, but only the ignorant are willing to do these things. The ignorant will try just about anything. They don’t know any better. They just try it. Who cares if it’s never been done that way before? It might work--who knows? Not the ignorant.

You see, I believe that one of the reasons that a church or a business fails is because it has too many smart people. You can tell a smart person by the fact that when you propose something, he gives you several reasons why it won’t work. Ignorant people, on the other hand, don’t know whether the idea will work or not. That’s why they try it. Will the idea always work? Not always: sometimes what we try leads to failure. But that’s another key to success, and we’ll look at the importance of failure next week. On the other hand, sometimes an idea works beautifully, no matter what the smart people said. That’s why one key to success is ignorance. Only the ignorant are willing to try, to risk, to experiment, and to venture.

There are four ways to cultivate the sacred ignorance that leads to wisdom. The book of Proverbs exposes these four things:

Make it a Priority to be a Life-long Learner
Proverbs 18:15 says (TEV): “Intelligent people are always eager and ready to learn.” There should never be a point at which you think you’ve arrived. You should always be challenging yourself to grow.

Contrary to popular belief, neither age nor experience automatically brings wisdom. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase before: “Experience is the best teacher.” That only depends on what kind of learner experience has to teach. Experience alone does not make you wiser.

And neither does age. Tom Wilson said: “Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself.” We have to commit to a lifelong learning process. When it comes to wisdom, we never fully arrive.

The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom
That’s probably the way some of you learned how to quote Proverbs 1:7. Here’s how the Living Bible puts it: “How does a man become wise? The first step is to trust and reverence the Lord!” We have to humble ourselves under his mighty hand, we have to speak and breathe and act and think with the keen awareness that it all passes under his watchful gaze.

Ask God for Wisdom
Proverbs 2:6 says, “It is the Lord who gives wisdom; from him come knowledge and understanding.” I imagine most of us are wrestling with some decision or trying to come to terms with some circumstance we’re facing in life. God says we should ask him and he’ll give us wisdom.

Walk with the Wise
That phrase comes right out of Proverbs 13:20, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” In other words, “It’s hard to soar with eagles when you walk with turkeys.”

So, cultivate a little sacred ignorance. Become well acquainted with the three little words, “I don’t know.” It will drive you improve and make you willing to try new things, and success lies down that road.

Solving A “Critical” Problem

Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 750 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

We need to be more discerning and less judgmental. It’s a tough balancing act.

On the one hand, we need more discernment. The legendary baseball player, Ted Williams, had such an intuition for the way a bat was supposed to feel that he once returned to the maker a batch of his Louisville Sluggers because he sensed that the handles were not quite right. It was discovered that the handles were off by five-thousandths of an inch. And when once challenged to find from among six bats the one that was half an ounce heavier than the others, he quickly did. Jesus wants us to develop that kind of intuition when it comes to moral evaluations.

But he doesn’t want to see any scowling faces of condemnation among his followers. In one episode of The Simpsons, Homer sees his born-again neighbor, Maude Flanders. "Hey, I haven't seen you in a couple of weeks. Where have you been?" Maude replies, "Oh, I've been away at a Bible camp, learning to be more judgmental."

Ouch.

So, can we improve our ability to discern what is morally “off” without falling into sour judgmentalism? And, on the other hand, can we quit being judgmental without also weakening our moral insight?

As I said, it’s a tough balancing act. In Matthew 7:1-6, Jesus called on us to have moral insight as well as compassion. This Sunday, July 15, we’ll see how to practice his words in a world where, strangely, people judge you for how nonjudgmental you are. Join us at the “Bold Blend” service or the 10:45am “Smooth Blend” service, or listen online Monday (iTunes; website).

By the way, many thanks for your comments about last week’s message, “You Can Win Over Worry.” This week may be a good time to tell your friends about our online sermon archive, where they can listen to the “Win Over Worry” message for free. There they can also download the sermon outline and the Common Ground discussion guide. And don’t forget the “Daily Cup”--each weekday get a brief e-mailed devotional based on the previous Sunday’s sermon. Ask Herb to sign you up (herb@hbcaustin.org)!

Links to Your World--Tuesday July 10

It's Never 'Just a Movie': Chris Leland explains why Christians must live not as passive sponges but as mindful agents of the media.

In “The gospel according to church 'hoppers',” Betsy Hart says flitting from church to church is the ultimate "all about me" experience.

Scientists find drug to banish bad memories. What would you like to forget?

Are Mormons Christians? The Beliefnet debate between Dr. Albert Mohler and Orson Scott Card.

Study Finds 5 Types Of Alcoholics. More than half are young adults.

The psalmist said, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." But if you’re wondering how precious your body is to science, check out the Cadaver Calculator. I'm worth $4575.

Woman Finds $20K in Bank Deposit Tube.

A summer camp where you get to blow stuff up? My sons would sign up in a heartbeat.

When your god melts into a puddle, it’s time for a new god.

Go ahead and yawn during my sermons; it cools the brain and sharpens your thinking.

Adds a new meaning to “rocker”--Lullabies of Pink Floyd songs to put your baby to sleep.

Sign me up for the air car!

True or False: All religions are essentially alike.

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin), part one of "Four Secrets to Success," the perils of worry, and reflections on the new "Transformers" flick. To keep up with the journal, sign up for e-mail updates or assign the feed to your news reader or Google Personalized Home Page.

Song of the Week: Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy"

The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

This morning I'm speaking on what Jesus said about worry in Matthew 6:25-34. He explained five ways we can win over worry:

“Don’t worry, be logical.” If God takes care of birds and flowers, he’ll take care of you (verses 25-26; 28-30).

“Don’t worry, be practical.” Worry doesn’t work (verse 27).

“Don’t worry, be realistic.” Stick to one day at a time (verse 34).

“Don’t worry, be trustful.” Your Father knows what you need (verses 31-32).

“Don’t worry, be focused.” Get your mind on completing your life’s mission (verse 33).

The message is posted online Monday (iTunes; website). With an outline like that, what else could I have chosen for this week's "Song of the Week"? Here's Bobby McFerrin's 1988 Grammy-winning one-hit wonder, "Don't Worry, Be Happy"--

Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy

In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy.

Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy

The landlord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy
(Lood at me I am happy)
Don't worry, be happy
(Here I give you my phone number
When you worry call me
I make you happy)
Don't worry, be happy

Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got not girl to make you smile
But don't worry be happy

Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy (now).

There is this little song I wrote
I hope you learn it note for note
(Like good little children)
Don't worry, be happy

Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy.

Don't worry (don't do it), be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don't bring everybody down like this
Don't worry, it will soon past
Whatever it is
Don't worry, be happy.

Four Secrets to Success: Laziness

Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

God is interested in your success at work, school, parenting, sports, and your church projects. If you don’t believe me, you haven’t read Psalm 20:4 recently. The entire Psalm is a prayer for earthly success, but verse 4 states it bluntly: “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”

Across the next four weeks of LeaderLines, I want to introduce four secrets of success:

Laziness
Ignorance
Failure
Thievery

Let’s look at the first secret: laziness. Now, I haven’t forgotten verses like Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NIV), “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” But I’ve met hard-working people, diligent people, who nevertheless are worn-thin, burned out, bitter, and irritable because they haven’t leavened their diligence with a little sacred laziness.

What is sacred laziness? Time alone with God for rest and meditation. Time with family and friends. Time enjoying your favorite activities.

Some people consider these things as idleness not suited for those who are really commited to a cause. But I say if some people consider these things as laziness, then let’s cultivate a little more laziness into our lives.

How can you do this? Let me suggest three ways:

First, decide to make the Sabbath day holy. This is the fourth, and the longest, of the Ten Commandments. Most of us think the Fourth Commandment has something to do with worship, but if you read it carefully, you’ll find that it has to do with rest first, and with worship second. Sunday is not a day your boss has given you to catch up on your work; it’s a day God has given you for some sacred laziness.

Second, decide to be an accomplishmentist. The famous management consultant, Peter Drucker said that the Western world has the word “activist” but not the word “accomplishmentist” because there are so many busy people but few who are actually accomplishing things! In the end, it’s not how hard you work that counts, it’s what you get done. Now, in order to get things done, you often have to work hard. But sometimes we forget that hard work and sacrifice are not ends in themselves. Define what needs to be accomplished, find the quickest way to get there, then stop.

Third, delegate. Of course, recruiting people, communicating with them, getting them to buy into your vision, making sure they have the training and resources they need, keeping up their morale--it’s work! But in the end, you find you’ve accomplished far more than just doing the job yourself.

Henri Nouwen said: “I feel a tension within me. I have only a limited number of years left for active ministry. Why not use them well? Yet one word spoken with a pure heart is worth thousands spoken in a state of spiritual turmoil. Time given to inner renewal is never wasted. God is not in a hurry.”

Selah.

When Flies Kill Lions

Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 750 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Did you know that tiny flies can bring down the king of beasts?

The flies, known as stomoxys, will bite a lion and then keep biting its wounds, inflicting nagging, relentless pain. Over time, the lion dies of trauma. A few years ago, at least six lions in Tanzania’s world famous wildlife park were killed by swarms of these flies.

Our worries can do the same to us. Left unchecked, our anxieties will buzz around us like a swarm of blood-sucking flies, pestering us and distressing us until we collapse. Maybe we’re revealing more than we intend when we sigh and say, “I’m worried sick!”

As the late Corrie Ten Boom once noted, “Worry doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” That’s why Jesus said, “Don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:34, Msg).

Billy Graham wrote:

What is the opposite of fear? For the Christian there can be only one answer: The opposite of fear is trust--trust in God and His unchanging love. Once we realize God is in control and he holds us in his loving hands, we can meet life’s dangers and uncertainties with confidence. After all, if we can trust God for our eternal salvation, can’t we also trust him for our lives right now? The psalmist declared, “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid” (Psalm 118:6).

This Sunday, July 8, come learn how to win over worry! Come to our 9:30am “Bold Blend” service or the 10:45am “Smooth Blend” service, or listen online Monday (iTunes; website).

Don’t Miss the Deadlines for “Adventures with Tom”! You’ve been reading about our four summertime adventures, and now is the time to sign up! To go to the Rockbox Theater in Fredericksburg, the Enchanted Springs Ranch in Boerne, or Pioneer Town in Wimberly, go ahead and turn in your registration fee in while you’re at church this Sunday, July 8! For more information, go online at www.HillcrestAustin.org or call the church office at 345-3771.

Meet Courtney at the Sunshine Lunch. Courtney Carlson joins our staff next week to develop our College-and-Career ministry. All senior adults are invited to come meet Courtney at the monthly “Sunshine Lunch,” a pot luck lunch held next Tuesday, July 10, 11:15am.

Interested in Membership? Spread the word about our next Discover Hillcrest class. It will be held next Wednesday, July 11, 6:00-7:30pm. SUPPER IS PROVIDED! The class is for those who want to become members, and for those who just want to learn more about Hillcrest. While I teach the class for adults and teens, there’s a "Discover Hillcrest Kids" for children ages 8-12. Childcare is provided for children under the age of 8. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. You can register by contacting our Ministry Assistant, Jami, at jami@hbcaustin.org.

Is "The Transformers" More Than Just a Popcorn Flick?

So, who's seeing the new Transformers movie that comes out tomorrow? Looks like a fun popcorn flick for the summer season, but some see more in the whole Transformers backstory, and especially in Optimus Prime. James Harleman at The ReSurgence, a website for young Reformed church leaders wrote: "So many people I know are polarized: excited or exacerbated, feverish or furious, titillated or ticked off, by the Michael Bay directed / Steven Spielberg produced return of Optimus and the bots."

Why the anxiety? Harleman explains:

Intentional or not, there is something godlike built into the stoic Autobot Commander, a titanium trinity imaging a loving Father, a sacrificial Son, and even an indwelling Spirit represented by the "Matrix of Leadership" he carries in his heart (or cab). To a lesser degree, he also represents a rugged, brass-knuckle, rubber-meets-the-road manliness that contemporary culture has slowly leeched from its men. Optimus Prime is a desperate grab for God, daddy, and lost masculinity.

And Scott Brown at Wired says that American culture – American males – are looking forward to the Transformers movie for "more than galvanic summer thrills or simple nostalgia. They're looking for redemption, as men"--

With bated breath and shaken faith we await the return of our Almighty Rig. Because without Prime, we're stuck with whiney Spider-boys, metrosexual pirates, and koan-spouting kung-fu Christs in designer sunglasses and unisex clubwear. . . . Because these days, the only real men left are giant robots.

Harleman asks, "Just a toy? Purely nostalgia? Wired certainly doesn't think so, and neither do I. Truly, there is something going on here that is more than meets the eye."

Maybe so. You know I'm not one to miss cultural signals, whether an artist consciously intends to send them or not. Then again, I wonder if we aren't all like Jeff Albertson, the "Comic Book Guy" on The Simpsons (and anyone who knows the Comic Book Guy's name has a little Jeff Albertson in 'em--or at least a link to Wikipedia). In Internet Explorer, click twice to play:

Links to Your World--Tuesday July 3

Alan Brock is running 900 miles from RunTex in Austin to to the top of Pike's Peak in Colorado. He operates the ministry, Fit2Endure, that promotes the connection between faith and fitness.

An Ivy League professor and expert on forecasting is challenging Al Gore to a $20,000 bet that he is wrong on global warming (here).

Bob Buford writes "Finishing Well," explaining how to transform Success to Significance. His writings have inspired the start of our Second Half Ministry at Hillcrest.

In the UK, a teenager has been banned from school for wearing a chastity ring. British papers are downright nasty on the issue: Martin Samuel at the Times snidely referred to the girl as “Little Miss Pure” and Michele Hanson at the Guardian called her “poor little Lydia.” Sigh.

For anyone with sons or grandsons, especially young ones, you will identify with Mona Charen’s National Review article, “Wild Boys.” (Earlier: Newsweek’s, “The Trouble with Boys.”)

How to Fight Fear with . . . Fear. An article targeted to college students but applicable to anyone facing down fears.

"Our vision is to reach every golfer in every nation,” says Scott Lehman of In His Grip Ministries. Maybe we need to join his vision at Hillcrest.

Anger has a way of coming back to bite you. Just ask the guy went after an enemy with a cottonmouth water moccasin. The snake bit him instead of the intended victim.

In “The Good, The Bad, The Muggly,” Jim Watkins has exactly the same internal debate about Harry Potter that I’ve had over the years.

Using “Allah” as “God” in Conversation.

10 Useless or Even Dangerous First Aid Myths (HT: Presurfer).

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("Girl America" by Mat Kearney), response to an anti-creationism blogger, my thoughts on the new Texas grant for filmmakers, an introduction to Courtney Carlson as our new College-and-Career minister, and an invitation to four "Adventures with Tom." To keep up with the journal, sign up for e-mail updates or assign the feed to your news reader or Google Personalized Home Page.

If Science Were a Crossword Puzzle

A blogger called "Saint Gasoline" has an anti-creationism post called "If Science Were a Crossword Puzzle." The cartoon depicts a crossword puzzle "accurately" completed by a scientist committed to naturalism, and "inaccurately" completed by a creationist:

The blogger portrayed what he considered "obvious" (and everything within one's worldview is self-evident, obvious, and needs no defense). He writes, "The questions and the size of the boxes, of course, represent the evidence."

Of course.

But the cartoon really illustrates what happens when a proponent of naturalism sets the rules.

Note, for example, the “proper" answer to # 3 down: "Is the flagellum irreducibly complex?" The "proper" answer according to the naturalist is supposed to be "no." But (brhahaha!) look what the idiot advocate of intelligent design put down: What's a two-letter word for "yes." Uh, "si"?

And then there's #7 across. The statement: "____ mutation causes genetic change." The "proper" answer is supposed to be “random.” Only a proponent of the theory that life resulted from blind chance would say that, but of course, that is how the crossword puzzle is set up.

This is actually a perfect illustration, but not of how "creationists" can't operate within the scientific method. Instead, it illustrates the way that proponents of a naturalistic worldview have set the rules and require everyone to conform to their worldview.

Texas Censorship?

The Texas legislature has authorized $22 million in funding to boost the state's film and computer-game industry. Time magazine recently did a story on the fund because monies won't be released to any project that "portrays Texas or Texans in a negative fashion."

According to correspondent Hilary Hylton in Austin, "the broad language of the Texas law has raised First Amendment concerns for the Motion Picture Association of America":

Before the Texas bill was signed earlier this month on an Austin sound stage, the MPAA urged Gov. Rick Perry in a letter to veto the legislation. "Motion pictures made in the United States are the most popular form of entertainment worldwide because filmmakers are free to tell stories on film without fear of government censorship."

Now, see if you can follow their logic here. Filmmakers can produce whatever they want in Texas, but the MPAA says that if Texas residents don't pay for it, we're censoring the artists. This logic fails to grasp the protections of the First Amendment found in any Civics 101 class.

Buried deep in the story (seventh paragraph in ten), Dallas producer and filmmaker Todd Sims said, "No one is saying you can't shoot a movie in Texas that makes Texas look bad. All we are saying is you are not going to get a grant." And all filmmakers enjoy what the story calls a "generous sales tax exemption" on production costs regardless of content.

Oh. Never mind then.

Song of the Week: Mat Kearney's "Girl America"

The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

For your Independence Day, all this week here's Mat Kearney singing "Girl America" from the album Nothing Left to Lose (iTunes; Amazon)--

My girl America is just a youth in this world
Her smile is more precious than the sparkle of pearls
And though her age reads she's just a young girl
The age behind her eyes show the pain that she's swirled
Through the hand that's been dealt though it's quiet as kept
The weight that she felt last night when she slept
And as she crept into the dreams of the things of her past
Seems to have grown so fast, way beyond her own class
Though they're right there with her, her brothers and her sisters
A natural born leader even when her peers dis her
My girl, she's at a crossroads, people praying for her
Some are preying on her magazine ads, sex, drama
Smoking marijuana, longing for a father to call her, 'daughter'
She's part of a generation longing for reconciliation
And this future that they're facing and this poison that they're tasting
My girl, I know this love you're chasing

My girl America's crying when she's lying on her bed at night
I can see that she's screaming when she's dreaming for her freedom
My girl America's dying while she's trying just to stop this fight
Don't stop believing, my girl America

Boys with hungry eyes have been beating her door
Telling her that's what she's for, trying to rob at her core
Then leave calling her a whore, but still she knows there's more
I know she knows there's more because there is a voice she can't ignore
'Cause it was founded in the foundations, from the day of her creation
“In God We Trust” engraved on the treasures of her nation
And the void that the boys can't fill
With the tipping of the bottle or the popping of the pill
But still most of her friends don't care as they glare
Ready to drown down the funnel as they frown down the tunnel
They stumble and they tumble breaking down into rubble
My girl America, stop can't you see
It's not the circumstances that determine who you're gonna be
But how you deal with these problems and pains that come your way
It's for you that I pray with hope for a brighter day
And so I say, your deliverance is coming

My girl America's crying when she's lying on her bed at night
I can see that she's screaming when she's dreaming for her freedom
My girl America's dying while she's trying just to stop this fight
Don't stop believing, my girl America

Faith like a child from your first birth
You left it in the dirt on your worst hurt
And I see each tear and every scar
The hands that have held you where you are
And I can see we've strayed so far
A king born under that morning star
As a crown of thorns was placed to erase
Each tear that's touched your face
And his palms and sides were pierced with spears
He hung in love just to draw you near
My girl, out of this whole world
Can't you see this is where we started?

My girl America's crying when she's lying on her bed at night
I can see that she's screaming when she's dreaming for her freedom
My girl America's dying while she's trying just to stop this fight
Don't stop believing, my girl America