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Introduction To The House of Carr
Introduction To The House of Carr

Gotta' Serve Somebody

I recently read about a church that canceled its regular Sunday worship gathering to go out in the community and do an Extreme Makeover Home Edition type thing throughout their community. They thoroughly marketed the event in their community and helped do repairs on 60+ homes as part of their Big Event Outreach. On the website describing this church event, I read many voices that chimed in stating that this was an excellent idea. The only criticism was that the Event took place in an affluent area of their town. That's neither here nor there as far as I'm concerned, for I'd like to go deeper to the root of the situation:

Should we cancel a regular worship service to do service projects?

I'm not wanting to dump on and question the motives of the church who tried this; I think they were totally sincere in this decision. That being said, I'm not sure this event is something that would've been imagined just five years ago.

I'm only thirty but I've been around long enough to figure out that the American church is suseptable to trends. From flannel-graph and church buses, to Purpose-Driven Lives and worship bands and, most recently, marketing and social justice. We have to be honest that service-oriented outreach is becoming trendy. Some might say that it found its resurgence here in Cincinnati. Will it end up being more than a trend? Difficult to say. Serving is great, but we have to decide what role it should take on in our churches.

Now I wouldn't argue against a church that wants to be out in the community showing God's love through service. However, I'm not sure that replacing a normal worship gathering to do sends the proper message. Why cancel "regular worship" for this? Is it because that time provides the best numbers? If that's the case, that the only way we can get a good response from our people to do good works is to do it when you usually celebrate God corporately, then maybe our church needs a reality check.

Is it to make a good impression on outsiders? Then we truly need to reevaluate our motives. Is it because we believe this is what God is calling us to do? That's a tough reason to argue against, but I would attempt to hold it up against Scripture and history to determine if we're respecting those who've gone before us.

Why do we worship every Sunday? Scripture indicates that it was to gather together to give God praise. Most notably, it's so we believers can celebrate the risen Jesus through communion [Acts 20:7]. This 1st century tradition carried on. In the Didache, written sometime in the 1st or 2nd century, we get a glimpse into how the early church worshiped:

"But on the Lord's day, after that ye have assembled together, break bread and give thanks, having in addition confessed your sins, that your sacrifice may be pure." [14:1]

Again, we see Christ and communion as center of the gathering. While specifics of worship have changed/evolved throughout the years, the focal point has stayed consistent for almost 2,000 years. So is canceling service for service project right? Not sure; it's difficult to develop an airtight case against it so it's probably a gray issue.

But I would just advise that, if we're going to cancel/transform our weekly worship time, we should make sure to do some soul-searching and see if our theology matches our ecclesiology.

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One Reason The City Is Better Than Mason

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Jennifer Miller, a Mason school board member is demanding that a couple Muslim students observing a Ramadan fast not be allowed to stay in a separate room during the lunch hour. Ironically, the two Muslim boys never used the separate room, choosing to go to the library instead. So the non-issue becomes an issue. Miller's quoted as saying, "We are a Christian nation, not a Muslim nation. Our Christian values have declined and yet we allow other faiths besides Christianity to have precedence in our schools."

Yes, friends, this is the biggest problem in Mason, Ohio. This lady is totally delusional. Just a few reasons why:

1) In my three years living there I heard of tens, if not hundreds, of incidents where Mason schools played favorites for students and particular issues. But Miller wants to single out some Muslim kids [who I'm sure aren't singled out because of their faith anyway] because that's obviously what Jesus would want. I'm sure they'll be way more open to the Christian faith now that you've warmed them up to it.

2) We aren't a Christian nation. This topic is an entire post in of itself. And even though some of you would deny this, it's the truth. Judeo-Christian values were centric to the development of our country's laws but that doesn't make us Christian. Slavery was part of our history for almost 100 years. That's the kind of thing a Christian nation would do, huh? The minute we realize this, the better we're able to live out our faith in America.

3) It isn't as if Muslims are the only faith group given preferential treatment in our schools. Living on the westside, attending a public school, I hated the cafeteria on Fridays; all they served was fish. This wasn't a coincidence, as they were helping Catholics adhere to their regulations of their faith. And what public high school that you know has classes on Good Friday or Christmas?

4) Miller may be correct when she asserts, "our Christian values have declined." 'Tis true. When believers roll around in Hummers, vacationing in tropical locations, maintaining million dollar homes, worshipping their children, all while ignoring the issues of the poor and needy- perhaps our values are in need of reevaluation. Oh yeah, I went there.

Don't get me wrong: I loved our years up in Mason; I have many wonderful friends living up there who are doing all they can to live for Christ as best as they can. But there are a lot of people like Miller in Mason who are less concerned about living a life of true Biblical discipleship than they are about dwelling in a Christian nation. Maybe that's why our values are lagging behind.

No, I'm good right here, thank you.

iPurchase Because iCare

Red is in. If you haven't noticed, there's a huge marketing campaign pushing the purchase of certain red objects in order to support the fight against AIDS in Africa. The most notable is the Apple's sale of the new Red iPod. Their website entices consumers noting, "You make choices every day, from the clothes you wear to the music you play. Now making a choice means making a difference." The purchase of one of these iPods yields $10 to the Global Aids fund. Many other "hip" companies are marketing similar "red" products in support of the cause.

You might think that this is a great idea- that these companies actually care about something other than making a profit. But, paint me red and call my cynical, it's just not true.

A recent study shows that Generation Y [or the Millennials, or whatever you want to call this emerging generation], expects these type of moves by the companies from which they purchase. The study concluded:

"An overwhelming 74% surveyed indicate they are more likely to pay attention to a company's overall messages when they see that the company has a deep commitment to a cause. Nearly nine out of ten Millennials surveyed, ages 13-25, stated that they are likely or very likely to switch from one brand to another (price and quality being equal) if the second brand is associated with a good cause."

In short, if you claim that your product donates some profit to a worthy cause, then young hipsters will run to buy it.

This brings about an interesting paradigm shift in marketing. Even though we're still in the midst of a consumer-driven society where your purchases define who you are, people are starting to realize that there's something more to life than serving self. There are people in the world who are in desperate need, which leaves us feeling guilty for buying things. Therefore, if you can tell us that our purchases make the world a better place then not only don't we feel bad, but we're actually being productive.

Hence [I should copyright this]: iPurchase Because iCare.

Do you see how demented this is? It's a "have your cake and eat it too and while you're at it, eat that starving kids piece of cake" mentality. And numerous companies are already starting to use this fact to woo shoppers.

Example 1: Last month I saw a commercial for Macy's with Susan Sarandon telling about a unique sale the story was having. On a given weekend, the store was donating a certain percentage of their profits to a cancer fund. She encouraged us to "make a purchase to save a life." Well, your husband was in Shawshank Redemption and you were in Thelma and Louise, so if you say so . . .

Example 2: Last week, on my off day with Kaelyn, I was watching TV and caught a glimpse of the Rachel Ray show [had to watch a couple of minutes because this chick is being called the Oprah of Generation Y]. She was telling the audience that they should pay $100+ dollars for a pair of jeans so they could help fight breast cancer. Selfless. You gotta believe that no more than $5 per pair would go the foundation. So if you're that passionate why not pay $30 for a cheap pair of jeans and give the rest to the charity. Or get even more pious and keep wearing your old jeans and give the whole enchilada to the cause?

I'm not overtly idealistic here; I'm not advocating that we all need to adopt a ascetic lifestyle. But let's be realistic here: we're being duped by these companies into believing that they care. The M.O. of for-profit companies is to turn a profit. And if they can do so by getting you to believe that you're making the world a better place by purchasing their product, they'll do it in a heartbeat. "I'd like to teach the world to sing . . . "

Don't get me wrong: I'm a Mac guy. I love using Apple products. But I just won't buy [pun intended] their whole "we care about the world" schtick. This trend signals that we're entering into a new stage of marketing: the "we're more pious than our competitors stage." It should be interesting to see where this takes us.

So red isn't really what's in. It's still green.

Uninspired

I really want to leave an intelligent blog post. Honestly I do. But I just can't; it's just not there right now. I'm not quite sure why. I suspect it's because my mind has been all over the place the last couple of days. I've been deep in thought. Thinking about a lot of things recently, such as . . . - Why won't people at least try raising their kids in the city? - Hospitals are boring. - I'm typing pretty well right now but it has nothing to do with the dirt on my typing hand. - Kaelyn having a cold is the saddest thing since she had IV tubes in her head. - "Doppelganger" is the new "plethora." - I might watch 24 this season. A two-year hiatus is enough. - If a politician would use a political attack ad to call their opponent a "filthy whore" I would vote for them in a heartbeat. Until then, I refuse to pay attention. - My brother's in Mexico. Will he bring back some Cubans? - Remember the Seinfeld when Kramer has Jerry bring back Cubans from Florida? - I don't need a car to parallel park for me, thank you. - How will we look at Iraqi War vets in twenty years? - Throwing the long ball on 4th and 1? Ballsy. - My wife is freaking awesome. - If Madonna wanted to adopt me I don't think my father would mind. - Why did we skip fall and go straight to winter? - If 30 Rock isn't good tomorrow, I'm writing it off. - William Tyndale doesn't get enough credit today. - I could shop at Lowe's everyday. - "Take heart, son, your sins are forgiven."

That's all I've got.

And Yet Another Thing . . .

I've not written much about the Buckeyes lately, but it must be said that things are setting up nicely. Michigan is now #2, and as both teams play out the cupcake portions of their schedules, I think we're looking at an epic rivalry game. In years past this would make me nervous, but I have no doubt in Jim Tressel's ownership of Lloyd Carr [absolutely no relation]. It's humorous that last year's team was probably much better but because of an early season loss to the eventual national champion, they never got the chance to prove it.

Perhaps karma does exist . . .

The Amazing Oaf

We're watching the DVR'd episode of this week's Amazing Race. I need a witness about the guy who's the partner with the girl with one leg [did that make sense?]. Anyway, he's gotta be the biggest A-hole on reality television since Omarosa. Anyone? Anyone?

Update: there is justice in this world- the dude was kicked off tonight. Too bad for his partner; as much as he was a turd, she was awesome.

Elbow Rubbing

Just in case you're curious, I have a new title. I am now the Chair of the Parents and Young Families Committee of the Cincinnati Mayor's Young Professional Kitchen Cabinet. I think it'll take two sides of a business card to fit all that.

I put in a resume for this new group that Mayor Mallory was gathering to act as a sounding board and made it on; he's looking for some ideas from a demographic the city has struggled to maintain. I was told that I was the only member of the faith community to apply for a position, so I think I'm the token minister. The committee's job is to explore what isn't being done and what should/could be done to make it a better place. I'm passionate about Cincinnati and think this will be a great opportunity to make some connections that should benefit our church.

We'll see how it works out. I've already had a couple meetings about it this week and will have a few more in the week to come. My first executive committee meeting with the mayor and twelve others felt like an episode of the Apprentice with me playing the role of the guy who gets voted out first. It's a relaxing feeling to be a room with a bunch of go-getters and not feel the need to be overtly impressive. While everyone else was wearing their suits and power ties, I had a blazer, untucked button shirt, and denim jeans. I'm so Gen X. They can't handle the truth.

Even made today's paper. You can check it out here.

Poet Tree

Didn't get to go to the Fountain Square reopening on Saturday, but I have been tracking the controversy concerning a poem by local poet Nikki Giovanni. Giovanni sounds Italian, but she's African-American [I usually don't bring up the race of an individual, but I think it's pertinent to this story]. Giovanni was asked to prepare a poem about the city to set the tone for the new Fountain Square. In the midst of praising the city's attributes while using "I am" statements, she said the following about our African-American Secretary of State, "I am not a son of a bitch like Kenny Blackwell." First, Giovanni's poem "I Am Cincinnati" was just dumb. I swear, it wasn't worthy of middle school English. Read the entire text here and tell me I'm wrong. Here are some other lines that Giovanni dropped in this poem:

"I am Findlay Street market." "I am the best 3-way chili in the world." "I am Montgomery ribs."

And my personal favorite,

"I am the Cincinnati Western and Southern Tennis Championships, though I am played in Mason."

If these are the best lyrics that a Cincinnatian can pen about our wonderful metropolis, then we're screwed.

I have no problem with her calling out Blackwell. Work your free speech, lady, it's America. But find another venue; using a family/community oriented even to roll out your personal politics is tacky. And, while you're at it, find another medium. You're giving poetry a bad name.

Organizers of the event said they received the inspiration for this poem from Maya Angelou's poem at Bill Clinton's inauguration. Giovanni is no Maya Angelou. No one knew who this lady was before her poem. And now, they'll only know her as the loon who called the gubernatorial candidate an SOB.

You Never Know

We were exhausted last night so I didn't bother to stay up and watch Arizona finish their drubbing of the Chicago Bears. And while watching the kiddies today, I hadn't seen that the Bears overcame a 20 point halftime deficit to win the game. Crazy. I did smirk when I saw that Neil Rackers missed a 40-yarder that could've won it for the Cards. That's the Neil we grew to love . . . er, despise, here in Cincy.

Wore'd Out

Tim and Mandi had their little boy late this morning. They called us at about 2:30am to ask if they could drop of Kasey and Tyler. So we had an early morning camp-out in the living room. It was fun having them play with Kaelyn, but incredibly hectic. Major props to y'all who have 3+ kids. They're with us again tonight and will hang with us until tomorrow afternoon. And since Tuesday is Kelly's day at work, it's me with three kids. St Anne, save me and I'll become a monk.

Jaxon [cool name] is the eighth niece and nephew, with a ninth hopefully coming next week. And with Kelly's brother getting engaged last Friday, there's no shortage of family news.

She's One!

No, not Kaelyn; she just turned eight months last week. It was a year ago Monday that Echo Church was officially started. I'm not quite sure how to describe what we've been through this past year, but it actually feels like we gave birth to two children [although Kelly swears her pregnancy was more painful]. Even though we're still scratching for every inch, I've absolutely enjoyed this past year. I wake up everyday thankful that we're here. But this experience has definitely stretched our faith. I won't lie: I was scared to death a year ago. I didn't want to fail, which was always kept me from jumping into a church plant. We left security for uncertainty. And, honestly, if you had told me that this is where we'd be after a year, I'm not sure I would've done it. And that's precisely why I'm glad I didn't know. This is a long term investment. We're not blowing out the doors today, but we're gaining momentum. Thirty years from now, no one will remember year one.

And that's why, as I have been with Kaelyn, I've been trying to enjoy every minute of Echo's infancy. I enjoy getting to build closeknit relationships with our core group. I've appreciated additional sanity since leaving Panera at the beginning of the year. Could've done without the hepatitis, but even that was a learning experience [I learned having hepatitis sucks]. It's a good journey to take.

And now, time to name drop.

So to those of you who helped us embark on this journey, thanks. Dave&Bev, Anthony, Jen, Jaime&Melinda, Mark&Heidi, Paul&Carol, Jeff&Martha, Lindsay, Bill&Betty, Brad&Tammi, John&JoLynn, Sandy, Justin, Dave&Melissa, Mike&Nikki, Jeremy&Bonnie, Sydney, Brian&Krista, Dan&Rhonda, Jeremy- you all made it possible for Echo to start.

To those local church leaders I've had the pleasure of interacting with this year [Mike, Aaron, Russell, Markus, DG, Benji, Heidi, Bill, Scott] as well as those online [Tim, Michael, Bob, Tadd, Chad, Bob, Ben, Dave] thanks for the encouragement and for keeping me sharp.

To Emily, Shawn, Jim&Cindy, thanks for being a part of our original core group. We miss you, but are excited about where God has taken you.

And to those current core Echo'ers [Aaron, Dorota, Tim, Larry, Dale, Melissa, Rachel, Nate, Tim, Jessica, Tye, Andrea, Bud, Adam, Dylan, Kelly&Kaelyn], all those who've been coming recently, and all those friends and family who have supported us throughout the year with presence, prayer, and encouragement [especially those whose names I've accidentaly omitted], my deepest thanks and respect. God is definitely good. And you are proof of that.

Let's see what He does in year two.

And to bring this full circle, here's a picture of the little girl from Echo's birthday weekend:

A Brand New House

This is where things get confusing. Beit Carr is now more than a blog; it's a full website for the Carr household. For those of you getting my posts via RSS feed, you noticed nothing new. And if you access this blog via beitcarr.blogspot.com you missed it as well. But for those who type in houseofcarr.com, you've seen the changes. At houseofcarr.com you can get some extra info and pics of me, Kelly and Kaelyn. I'm also going to try to put up some short family video clips to keep people interested. It's a work in progress, but I'm excited about what we've got so far.

Thanks to Brian Coates for helping me get this up and running. The site design was all done in iWeb for Mac and was extremely simple. Not sure how it looks in other browsers, but let me know if you notice anything.

So from now on, if you just want the blog, go to beitcarr.blogspot.com [do yourself a favor and get an RSS reader like Google's]. If you want the full enchilada, go to houseofcarr.com.

Good night, now.

Ouch

Kelly's at the dentist so it's me trying to get Kaelyn to take her mid-day nap. I have the presidential news conference on in the background and I have to admit it's painful. I honestly believe that W is an intelligent man, but he comes off like a small-church deacon running a business meeting. No wonder The Daily Show has so much material.

Just an example: he referred to his office as the "o-VAL office," stressing the second syllable instead of the first. It was extremely southern, if not hick. He also continually called it the "Korean PeninSHula." I'm all for being personable, but it's not very comforting when discussing possible nuclear war.

It just reminds me of the whole Bill Clinton fiasco. You can get away with a lot if you can speak well in public.