Church at a Crossroads

This year will be one of the most tumultuous at our home church (Woodmen Valley Chapel) since the days of Pierced Chapel, the defunct young adult group that was summarily ended 6 years ago. It feels like the church is once again at a crossroads, flipping the page to a new chapter. The staff resignations, worship leader departures, perceived internal strife, a stagnant membership, and the  announcement last weekend by the senior pastor that he is resigning his post all amount to some uncertainty. You start hearing grumbling from ex-members about how much the church hurt them, and antagonists about everything that is wrong with the church or its doctrine. It begins to feel funky somehow.

Regardless of the politics boiling behind the scenes, the church itself is still great. They teach the Word faithfully, support missions and small groups (necessary for a church this size), have the usual ministries (youth, singles, women, men, community outreaches), and have great worship. We have had the benefit of many a renowned speaker, and seen fruit from partnerships with other local ministries. Most of all, we have grown spiritually here and taken opportunities to get involved in community and others' lives. Being involved on the worship band has definitely helped me grow as a musician, at the very least. By any generous account, there is a lot of good at the church. Or maybe I am too naive.

So how should we interpret the latest goings-on at the church? We ought to understand that Satan is always at work to dismantle the work of the church everywhere. Introducing descent and causing conflict is one of his most effective ways, taking advantage of human frailty of the leadership and members. It is perhaps time for the church to re-evaluate while they figure out a (better) way forward in light of what is happening. It ought to be transparent, disclosing the whole truth to the congregation regarding the questions that will arise. It is not time to flee the church (as many will feel like doing), or even shifting blame (as some are already doing), but to weather this thicket together. We might not know the magnitude of what is going on, but we ought to be confident that where the Spirit is, the Church will stand. For the time being, we will stay at our church and wait to see how things turn out (and especially learn the truth behind this turmoil). This is either a simple transition (people come and go in any church situation), or there is something deeper we will soon learn about.

Haiti trip

The kids were a joy. They liked touching my hair since it was different from theirs. (Below) Jeannot was my translator and guide. Pray for him as he works two jobs once as a pastor and preparing to get married this Dec. It was an honor to spend time in Haiti. It's sad to see the poverty but to realize that God is still powerfully moving in the people.

Books On Abortion and Faith In Political Culture

I read all sorts of things (mostly technical materials), but this summer I commited to reading a new book every 2-3 weeks. So far so good, having completed the above titles recently. I highly recommend them!

In "Abortion", you find a plausible rational Christian argument for a pro-life position. It starts with the recognition of the sanctity of life, and addresses the various positions on the often divisive issue. A look at the legal and moral implications of abortion are considered. The take-away: if you value human life, you have a moral duty to protect and nurture it even in the absence of legal obligation.

"A Faith Of Our Own" takes you on a journey about how our culture has made the choice between partisan politics and Christianity (faith), and how Christianity can transcend the toxic culture wars and be a hopeful solution to the divisiveness. To be engaged in politics and science, and claim to be Christian is always a perplexing position to maintain, but I can attest to its possibility and benefit.

Pantry Filled On Coupons?

For August and September (and possibly October), the experiment is whether we can fill our pantry with items obtained for free (using coupons). We have watched "Extreme Couponing" and similar TV shows, and find it incredible that couponers can walk out of grocery stores and supermarkets with $500+ worth of stuff, for next to nothing. Is couponing practical for people like us, and what is the payoff in real terms (off television)? What does it really take to pull such feats off?

The plan is to get coupons for the main supermarkets in our area, namely King Soopers, Albertsons, Safeway, Target, and COSTCO. They send some in the mail, and we are told there are plenty offered online and in mobile apps. But we think the majority of coupons will arrive via the Sunday local newspapers (The Gazette or the Denver Post). The goal is to obtain as many non-perishable items as we can for less than $0.20 on the dollar each (80% discount or more). We also know we need to stay tuned to when the big sales are happening, which is when we should get items for free (with coupons).

We are not limiting ourselves to stuff we think we'll use ourselves. If we can get it completely for free, we'll take it anyway and give it to someone that may need it. We are giving ourselves 8 weeks because it will likely take us up to a week/supermarket to figure out how their couponing system works. We will optionally extend it another month depending on their sales cycles (when we can actually use the coupons).

This exercise does not affect our budget; for now it's about how much stuff we can get for free on coupons. Though if it works, we'll consider incorporating it as a money-saving strategy. The maximum we expect to spend on everything (including buying the newspapers and the items) is $50. No clear estimate on how much time will be invested in this exercise. Here's to some fun experimenting ...

Mt. Sherman Climb

This summer one of my goals was to climb a 14er (which is a mountain that is at 14,000 feet above sea level) for my very first time. My good friend is a wonderful climber and a joy to climb with because she is so patient and encouraging to me. The hard part while climbing is trying to breath since the air is so thin the higher up you go. The other difficult part was near the top when I remember my fear of heights once we were able to see straight down both sides of the mountain my heart was beating nonstop.  It was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment at the end to say that I climbed Mt. Sherman at 14,035.