Important News Concerning My Birthday Wish

The advent of Facebook has made my birthday public knowledge. OK, I can live with that. But I get bored watching the same "Happy Birthday" greeting time after time on Facebook walls. What I need is for you to exhibit some creativity. Last year, I asked well-wishers to contribute a birthday haiku and they responded in force. This year, I'd like for you to get creative once again, but this year I'll make it a little easier.

This year, I only want ONE WORD— your favorite word. Either in the comments on this post or on my Facebook wall, leave your favorite word for my birthday.

Now let's keep this civil. Perhaps your favorite word is a profanity. Congratulations. Feel free to keep it to yourself and use an alternate. Otherwise, just think about the word and let me know.

Maybe it's a long word. Maybe it's a short word. Maybe it's a word from your childhood. Maybe it's a word from another language. I don't care. I just want to know it.

This way, my birthday gives us the chance to learn a little bit about each other. And that would make me happy.

Blue Christmas

What follows is mini-rant. If you want your warm, fuzzy Christmas feeling pulverized, enjoy the read. I woke up this morning and headed into work, something I haven't done in years on a Christmas Eve. And it really didn't bother me at all.

My commute in seemed pretty normal, except that there were very few people out and about. It's interesting that Christmas Eve has morphed into almost full holiday status. I guess that speaks to the power of Christmas: even the day before it yields to its glory.

And, in relation to all this, I'm just . . . meh.

I don't need a spotlit Linus to quote Luke 2 for me. Nor do I require a triad of paranormal visitors to show me my past, present, an future. It's just that, after more than a decade of ministry, I tire of what we've done to this day. From Black Friday madness to billboards putting words into the mouth of Jesus, the extremes of both the pagan and the holy factions have left me exhausted.

Don't get me wrong: there's still beauty in this season. On Monday I was able to deliver an Explorer-filled load of gift that the folk at Echo collected for needy families. The generosity of this time of year is something I wish I could bottle up and keep throughout the year.

All the other stuff . . . I can tolerate it, I guess. I just lament the overdose.

I'm not saying Christmas is of the devil, but we need to dial it down a bit. The importance that Christians thrust upon this holiday is, most often, displaced.

Jesus is still Jesus when he's outgrown the manger.

We embrace the silent imagery of the newborn baby without a thought to his savage death thirty-three years later. If you're irate about the un-P.C.ness of "Merry Christmas," try channeling your anger towards the person whose sin killed the kid. Yep, that's you.

He was born to die, folks; born to die for you. Perhaps that's why one of my favorite Christmas songs is What Child Is This?. Yes, the lyrics are powerful, but it's the minor key that draws me in. It reminds me that all is not happy and joyous. An ominous cloud hangs over this scene, like the gift of myrrh to a young child.

And this is why I'm a tad blue this Christmas. And that's OK.

Happy holidays.

I Declare [Email] Bankruptcy

Finally getting finished with all our web changes. My friend Brian has been a huge help to us (and our church), giving us constant attention throughout the changeover to new servers. He is my go-to guy on all tech needs. The final key was switching over email. The new server was spammed constantly, so much so that I was dreaming of Viagra ads. We finally changed over to a Gmail set-up, so I've spent the evening getting organized. I imported all my previous emails into my new account on Mac Mail and deleted my old accounts. I should have thought this out better. Dragging the emails into the new account merely copied them. When I finally deleted the accounts, the emails were gone as well. Fortunately, I've been backing up my hard drive, but I haven't done so since December 1st.

In short, if I haven't responded to you, I might not be ignoring you. Email me again and, if I don't respond, then I probably was.

Questions of Faith [The Canon]

QUESTION: "Could you explain the canonization process? I understand why the Gnostic gospels weren't included, that one is easy. But what about the extra books that the Catholic Church includes. And in the book of Jude, the writer quotes from an apocryphal text, as does Paul in a few places; does this mean those books should be trusted as inspired?" This seems to be a good place to start. Basically, how did the Bible become the Bible? By the way, the term "canonization" (use only one "n" in the word or your talking about the instrument of destruction) is derived from a word that 4th century church leader Athanasius used in reference to the completed books of the New Testament.

We don't have any original manuscripts from the Bible. Yes, we have numerous copies that date over thousands of years, but we don't have anything written by Paul or the apostles. The earliest scrap from the New Testament is a tiny piece of scroll from the gospel of John 18 which dates to 125 A.D. Still, we have multiple manuscript copies with unparalleled consistency that shows that scribes faithfully copied the texts as accurately as possible.

Conservative Christians hold that the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) were written from the time of Moses (approximately 1400B.C.) until after the exiles were allowed to return to Palestine from Babylon (about 400 B.C.) Soon thereafter, Alexander the Great conquered much of the known world, uniting many people groups under the cultural banner of Hellenism. After his death, his generals split up the territory, and a family known as the Ptolemies ruled over Egypt. The key city there was Alexandria, a place where a large contingency of Jews lived. Depending on your take on history (here mythology seems to intermingle with reality) the Old Testament was translated into Greek for inclusion in the great library of the city.

This translation was known as the "Septuagint," derived from the word "seventy" (seen in your Bible notes as the "LXX"). In determining the contents, the traditional books we now consider as the Old Testament were included, in addition to several books known as the Apocrypha (meaning "hidden"). Primarily wisdom literature, these books differ from the others because they were penned in the Greek language; the established O.T. was written in Hebrew and some limited Aramaic.

After the fall of Jerusalem in 70A.D., the Jewish communal center transitioned from Jerusalem to Jamnia. A nineteenth century scholar suggested there must have been a rabbinical council here to cement the Jewish canon. Whether or not this occurred is debatable. Still, by this time the Jews are using those traditional 39 books of the Old Testament. While there are references to the Apocrypha, they are not held in the same esteem as the other books.

When it comes to the New Testament, the contents of these books were written in the first century A.D. While we'll touch on these "Gnostic" books later, understand that there was widespread agreement of the authenticity of these books with decades of their writing. Although there were many different gospels written in those first two centuries (perhaps you've heard of the Gnostic Gospels of Thomas, Mary, and Judas) the four that we currently have were asserted to be true by early church father Irenaeus by 160 A.D. By the early 200's, the church leader Origen was using the 27 books we use today. When Jerome was translating his Latin version of the Bible, he did not believe the Apocrypha was be inspired, but was later directed by the bishop of Rome to include those books in his translation. Over 1,000 years later, when Luther translated the Bible, he placed these Apocrypha books between the Old and New Testaments, explaining why they're sometimes called "Intertestamental Books."*

In the fourth and fifth centuries, the Christian Church held various councils that finally affirmed these books. Since then (especially in the last 150 years) there have been debates about the validity of these books, but I would offer that the collective weight of history speaks to their truth. The church (and the Jews before them) has maintained them as holy for thousands of years. This is not a definitive argument, but cannot be ignored.

As far as the Apocrypha being inspired, it's a continual source of argument. These books must be held up to the others in the Hebrew Scriptures, and their historicity and presence are not as cemented as well as the other 39. As our questioner notes, there are instances where it seems the Apocrypha is quoted in the New Testament. There is much argument over whether or not these are actual quotes from the Apocrypha or just similarities. Yet even if there are Apocrypha quotes in the N.T., we know that the apostle Paul repeatedly quoted popular culture/pagan literature to make a point. So just because it's in there doesn't validate it as inspired.

In the end I'd offer that even if the Apocrypha was inspired, there is no instruction written within them that we can't find in the traditional 66 books. These books that we hang on to have been meticulously maintained over centuries. I'll gladly hitch my wagon to them.

*Another Luther/Bible tidbit: it was he who ordered the New Testament as we view them today. He believed the stories of Jesus to be most important and had doubts about books from Hebrews through Revelation and put them at the end of the New Testament. Even though Luther had doubts, he knew he couldn't remove them entirely; the weight of history was against him.

Questions of Faith [An Introduction]

I have this good friend who has supported my ministry for years. He's a great Christian man and makes full effort to live a faithful Christian life. He called me up on the phone a couple of weeks ago and said he was struggling with his faith. He wasn't really wrestling with HOW HE SHOULD LIVE (morality), rather, he was concerned with WHAT TO BELIEVE. When you decide to follow Jesus and connect with a Christian community, you're usually surrounded by people who have figured out how to deal with these troubling aspects of faith. There are a few ways people deal with these questions of faith: Some people brush questions aside and don't deal with them at all; these people choose to accept ignorance, going with the flow and reasoning that millions of believers can't possibly be wrong. Other people immerse themselves in a quest for truth and are indiscriminate of the data they're examining. This group can be easily swayed to dismiss Christianity all-together; in fact, many a liberal biblical scholar were reared in simplistic, ultra-conservative faith communities and finally rejected faith as a result of deeper studies. Then there are those people struggling with skepticism who honestly and humbly seek to discover answers to their questions. These people tend to consult clergy for help with these questions and, unfortunately, this can actually prove to be detrimental. You see, many ministers adhere to the earlier described "go-with-the-flow" philosophy and haven't really felt the need to explore the deeper issues themselves. These ministers usually suggest that you just read your Bible more, pray more, go to church more, and God will strengthen your faith.

But there are answers out there, and clergy ought to be able to help reveal these answers. I am by no means an expert in the field of apologetics (the defense of the Christian faith), but I know that some of you share the same questions that my friend has. And while you might not read an entire book on these subjects, you might be able to digest what I write here on my website. So over the next few weeks, I'm going to answer my friend's questions here on the blog. The majority of them concern the biblical text, but if others emerge, I'll go ahead and take a stab at them. The point of the exercise is that we believers to continue to ask difficult questions and diligently seek those answers.

And all of this is not to say that Christianity is fully dependent on empirical evidence (proven facts). In the end, what we have is faith. I believe God gives us enough to keep us going, but there are still holes that must be filled by the individual.

Still, we have questions . . .

Bye-Bye BK

One second. That was the difference between Brian Kelly staying at UC or going.

I told Kelly as I enthusiastically pulled for Nebraska Saturday night that this was more than just a football game: it was the future of Cincinnati football. If the Big 12 officials don't abuse their authority by putting that one second back on the play clock, the Bearcats are playing Alabama in the National Championship and there is no possible way that BK can go to South Bend.

Why do you think he didn't seem too torn up about the situation in interviews the next day?

Anyway, the coach leaves, the players and the fanbase feel betrayed, but I can't be too disappointed. UC football is light years ahead of where it was just a couple of years ago. If you had told me then that BK would've only been here three seasons but they will have played in the Orange and Sugar Bowls, I would've taken it in a heartbeat. The facilities are improving (with a new practice bubble that the Bengals will have to rent), they are part of the national conversation, and a symbol of the changing college football landscape, where smaller schools can compete.

"He lied!" people will cry, but [newsflash]: that's what college coaches do. Sure, I'm disappointed that BK didn't have the class to tell his players first, or to at least address the local media before he bolted Dodge, but place the blame on college football. Notre Dame had to hire him now because of the February National Signing Day. This season (between now and February) is actually as important as the bowl season itself; if you can't get the players, you can't win the games. There's no reason the NCAA can't move that date back and protect the student-athletes from coaches bolting before the end of the season. This is why BK left early- it's what the system demands. So like I said, it sucks, but it's the system.

Furthermore, understand that in less than a week, UC will do the exact same thing to some other college program; they'll swoop in, steal a coach, and another group of kids will pay the price. It is a game where the egos of college coaches and the immense amount of money at stake rule the day.

I loved having BK here, but his ego was too large for the UC program. Best wishes to him at Notre Dame. I doubt they'll be sitting at #3 in the country anytime soon. And if he doesn't put the Irish in back-to-back BCS games soon, he'll experience a backlash that he's never felt before. You wanted big-time, BK? You got it.

And now, we look to Mike Thomas, UC's AD and see what's next. My pick is Kevin Sumlin at University of Houston. Whomever they select, they'll inherit an energized fanbase, a town that loves its football, and proof that they could one day be considered among the elite ranks.

Cheer Cincinnati.

The Givers In My Life

In the midst of this season of giving, I offer you three stories of those who share. 1. We had a good Thanksgiving Day with my parents and family. The night before Thanksgiving, my dad always asks if I'll help organize the neighborhood church Thanksgiving service. My friend Aaron was kind enough to preach, and Kelly and I led the music. A guy from the neighborhood showed up early for the service and hung out. Apparently he's new to the neighborhood, just experienced his second divorce, and is struggling to find employment. My dad struck up a conversation with him and, upon hearing that he had no Thanksgiving plans, invited him to spend the holiday with our family.

Side Note: this is just like my parents. I never realized how frequently they did this when we were growing up. Whenever someone didn't have anyplace to go to get a meal, my parents swooped in and had them over. It didn't matter whether or not they even knew the person, they were welcomed at our house.

So when the guy (his name is Ray) got to the house, he admitted that he was a former alcoholic who had made some poor life decisions. He had very little to his name, so my parents started emptying the house of things to give him. He didn't have any pots or pans to cook with, so they even gave him theirs. I ended up taking him home that evening and had the chance to see his little apartment. It was a rather crappy place that was completely bare. I naively asked Ray, "there's no bed here. Where do you sleep?" He answered that he was afraid of keeping many possessions in case he was evicted, so he chose to sleep on the floor. We had an unused mattress over at the church, so we arranged a time to get it to him, so he can now at least be elevated and not so cold when he sleeps.

At the end of the day, I was truly thankful for how God has provided for my family. And I felt blessed to have grown up in a house where the teachings of Jesus were lived out before my very eyes.

2. In the same vein, I think about my friends Scott and Robin. They live in Price Hill with their kids and remind me a lot of my parents. When you live in the midst of people who have constant needs, it's very easy to ignore them all together. The Duebbers refuse to do this. They have a third floor that they've used at multiple times to house people in need. My times we talk about giving, but we do so as long as it doesn't interfere with our personal space. When you open up your home to others, you sacrifice the sacred realm but receive blessings that few ever get to experience. I'm excited that little Toby and Aimee will have a similar experience that I did in my youth: witnessing their parents display unparalleled generosity.

3. This past Sunday I had the opportunity to preach at my friend Everett's church. I call Everett my friend, but he's actually my parents' age. I've known him since I was an obnoxious preteen and have been blessed to have maintained a relationship with him throughout the years.

Everett has become a hero of mine, because over the past thirty years he has ministered in one of Cincinnati's most difficult neighborhoods. Sure, Walnut Hills can be rough, but it's nothing compared to the Fay Apartments area. Ministering in the city can be exhausting but Everett (and his faithful wife, Bonnie) refuse to give up. Their church was one of the few inter-racial churches among the independent Christian Churches. Now, the population of the congregation is almost entirely African American.

Side Note: Preaching in a black church is like Red Bull for a white preacher; you get giddy from the excitement because of the vibe. People are fully engaged, they give you verbal responses, and a good joke will make you feel like a world champion. My time at the President Drive Church of Christ did not disappoint. Even though I barely had any voice because of a cold, it worked out great. I'm not sure I'm hard-wired, however, for worship services that last well over two hours.

Even as Everett and Bonnie inspire me, their church did as well. At the conclusion of the service they had a "sharing time" where people offer up prayer requests and what they're thankful for. An eighty-year old woman offered that she was thankful that God had taken care of her through all of her life's struggles. She then turned around and looked at me and said, "and I want to encourage our young preacher today. You did a good job today, and I really believe that God is going to continue to use your gifts to change our city." It was some of the best encouragement I've received all year.

Surrounded by such a great cloud of givers, I can't help but be in the mood. Who's giving around you? Where's the generosity in your life and how are you using it to impact others?

Our Finest Hour

At noon tomorrow the Cincinnati Bearcats will take the gridiron with a chance to claim their second consecutive Big East final and the possibility of playing in the National Championship. If Steve circa 2005 had the chance to see that previous sentence, he would have assumed that future Steve had become a drug addict prone to hallucinations.

It's amazing that the local college football program has come so far in such a short amount of time. Of course, much of the credit must go to head football coach Brian Kelly. Since he's arrived, the program has gone on a tear that has attracted national (also Notre Dame-onal) attention. But, honestly, some credit must be given to Bob Huggins as well, as his successful basketball program was the prime reason that the University of Cincinnati was invited into the Big East, setting the stage for tomorrow's opportunity.

I say opportunity while others claim catastrophe. As I've surveyed the media landscape, there is much skepticism surrounding the Bearcats; for some reason, people think they're 11-0 pretenders. The majority of football pundits I've seen are predicting a Pittsburgh victory which, if happens, could land the top-10 Bearcats in an obscure bowl game. Throw in the possibility that Brian Kelly could conceivably be on a plane to South Bend on Sunday, and it throws UC backers' stomachs into knots.

More than that, there's seems to be a Cincinnati inevitably, a black cloud that hovers over our city's sports teams. Since the Reds won the World Series in 1990, there have been some good sports teams here in town. Yet there's always been something happen to derail them from glory: UC basketball plays horrible against the Fab Five in 1992, the baseball strike when the Reds where good in 1994, Kenyon Martin breaks his leg killing UC basketball title hopes in 1998, a Reds dream season in 1999 is thwarted when the commissioner makes them play a late night game in Milwaukee only to come home and lose the play-in game to the Mets, Bob Huggins fired in the summer of 2005 when he had an amazing cast of recruits ready to come to Clifton, Carson Palmer's ACL demolished in the playoff game verses the Steelers in 2006.

Whew. Just typing that paragraph was depressing.

It would seem that tomorrow will be yet another addition to the list. I know a lot of people here in town are already buying into the storm cloud.

I, however, will not be discouraged.

WHEN the Bearcats win tomorrow, and we establish supreme dominance over the city of Pittsburgh this year by sweeping all their football teams, it will be our finest hour. And it will permeate the entire sports culture here in town. We will no longer expect the worst to happen. We will be able to speak confidently of our teams, trusting them to come through. We can speak of NCAA Championships, Super Bowls, and . . . yes, World Series and not be laughed at.

Look, I understand there's much to lose, but I am ready to move past the last two decades of darkness and enter into the era of unlimited possibilities.

It can happen . . . nay . . . it WILL happen.

Sleep well, Cincinnati. Tomorrow is day one of our sports dreams coming true.

Me VS Tiger [Rivalry Renewed]

As I have frequently admitted in the past couple of weeks, I have missed regular blogging. Transferring all of my old posts to the new blog reminded me of things I have overlooked during my writing famine. One of those was the gauntlet I threw down last year to one Eldrick Woods, known better to the general public as Tiger; as we were born on the exact same date, it's only logical that we compare our lives to see who's doing better. With the last scoreboard, it was a dead heat, but we now have to go back and tally things up to get the newest standings. Since last we checked in, Tiger had his second child. While I'm going to talk smack and say that my one child is better than his two combined, he still owns scoreboard. Congratulations, sir, you have procreated more.

This one point lead will be stretched because last week Tiger had a traffic accident. No biggie, as I had an accident in 1992 when my Ford Escort got in the way of a Camaro, and I was t-boned on Tylersville Road in 2004, but I did not hit both a tree and a fire hydrant. Nor did I have to go to the hospital. Again, El Tigre pads his lead, now up by two. So the current scoreboard:

ME = 1

TIGER = 3

But now we have to take account of the events that have transpired since this accident. The facts surrounding the issue are hazy at best, because none of it seems to make sense. Why are you leaving your house at 2:30am the night after thanksgiving (I'm suspecting the Woods don't need to shop Black Friday)? If you're not drunk, how do you hit both a tree and a fire hydrant? And, seeing the pictures of the accident, why does the wife have to bust out the windows of your vehicle with a nine-iron? Apparently, it's all due to the fact that our opponent has a girl at every port; as Glen Frey lyrically shared, "you can't hide those lyin' eyes."

I'm not taking pot shots here, because I know there's now pain surrounding this family, and the innocent (his wife and children) will have to bear the burden. But it's yet another reminder why we need to keep things in perspective. Sure, celebrity life has it's perks, but I wouldn't trade it for the beautiful simplicity of the life I own. When things are so bad that you have to cheat on your supermodel spouse, something is jacked up. Now for the rest of his professional career, this episode will always be remembered. It's truly sad.

I'm hoping this whole situation will be a warning to spouses everywhere: no matter how crafty you are, you're going to get caught. If you don't think you have it in you to be faithful, then why get married in the first place?

Look, it can be done. For eleven plus years I've found full contentment in my spouse. She's been there through thick and thin, and has constantly supported all of my endeavors. She's absolutely amazing. Why would I ever think of screwing it up with a fling? Believe it or not, there's more to satisfaction than sex. What we have is worth far more than anything I could ever imagine. So my free advice, specifically to the gents, is to love your wife. Respect her. Make her feel beautiful. If you do that, you'll never have the need to search for anything else.

But we must revisit the game. In the category of fidelity, I'm going to claim victory. And since I will neither have to buy jewelry to compensate for my cheating ways, nor will voicemails to my mistresses make national websites, the point totals should skyrocket. It might sound arbitrary, but I'm going to say that this is a five-point category, and I'm taking them all to the bank. The current scoreboard now reads:

ME = 6

TIGER = 3

Tiger has a lot of making up to do.

Now I'm Ready

A week after promising a return to regular posting, I'm finally going to jump back in. It wasn't really sloth. I'm teaching a class right now, tried to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, and have been struggled with a cold. Plus, I was still in the midst of some web design work, formatting not only the blog, but our church website too. After three plus years of the same design, the Echo Church website has a new look that will be much easier to edit. Big thanks to Brian Coates for helping me take care of everything. Take a look at it and let me know what you think.

If you're an RSS'er, you can find my feed at http://houseofcarr.com/?feed=rss2

So I'm back. Seriously. Get used to it.

Five Years Down

Today is the fifth anniversary of my blog. Huzzah for our team. Of course, with the lack of my blogging this year, you could begin to question whether or not this blog is still functional. By far, this past year has been my most anemic when it comes to posting frequency. In determining why this happened, I have recognized that the problem isn't with blogging itself.

I've thoroughly enjoyed this blog. I believe blogging has made me a better writer. Sure anyone can leave a quick Facebook status update, but it takes a little more discipline to work out thoughts in multiple paragraphs. Plus, I appreciate that I can interact with the people throughout my life, a blessing I experience as the result of having this website.

So what has led to my blogging slow-down (other than the fact that we've had a rather hectic 2009)? Honestly, it was the blog itself.

Switching over to Wordpress to manage the House of Carr has been a great move. But what this change-over did was open up numerous design possibilities— and there ain't nothing I enjoy more than dabbling into good design. I find my current blog layout aesthetically pleasing; it's unique and eye-opening. But the look comes with a price: for every post I write, I have to find a corresponding image (preferably a free rights image, so I can sleep at night), and then I have to edit that image to fit within the layout of this blog. This task takes anywhere between ten and fifteen minutes. Add that time to the time that it takes to write a post, and it just wasn't worth it.

Since I started using this layout for my blog I've left many-a-blogable idea along the wayside because it would take too much time. And this has finally become unacceptable; I know I can commit endless time to design, but that's not the point of this blog. So I've decided to make yet another change and scrub this layout for a more streamlined look. I'm ignoring style for substance. So starting with my next post, you'll see a new look and a new functionality. And, hopefully, you'll also witness a resurgence in my posting.

That said, you're going to have to make some changes if you're a regular reader via RSS feed. I'm using this as an opportunity to switch the blog onto it's own server, so you'll have to add a feed specifically to www.houseofcarr.com. You'll still be able to reach my site by that url (as well as the time tested www.beitcarr.com) but you'll lose the feed if you don't update it.

So here's to five years and that sacrificing design will enable me to keep on blogging for another five years. Thanks for reading my stuff.

The Beauty of Children

I've always been fascinated at the things I remember. I have an incredible short term memory [this has been a great benefit in my preaching, as I can retain a large number of facts for about 24 hours]. After a day or so, however, I don't remember as well. For something to stick longer, I have to be really focused on it— practically forcing myself to assimilate it into my cranium. So the fascination I have with my own memory is mostly centered on those arbitrary observations that tend to stick around in my skull. Even more peculiar, though, are such items I remember that have absolutely nothing to do with me.

For example, I can remember distinctly a comment someone made about nine years ago about some friends of mine. That comment:

"You two are going to have some beautiful children."

Those two people being referenced here were my friends Charlie and Kelly Butler; I went to college with them. Charlie and I played soccer together [he was a terrific player] and Kelly and I were coworkers for a time. They are definitely my kind of people: simple folk who love God and love each other. Since they relocated from Cincinnati to Northern Indiana, I haven't seen them as much, but through the power of the interwebs, we've manage to stay in touch.

Over four years ago, Kelly and Charlie had their first child— a precious little girl named Brooklyn. When Brooklyn was around two years old, she was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, a form of autism which affects the nervous system and reverses development. As heartbreaking as this was, the Butlers immersed themselves in this cause, doing everything they could to not only care for their daughter but to educate people about her plight. To learn more, check out Brooklyn's blog.

A couple of months ago, Kelly gave birth to their second child. Boston [they love those East Coast cities] was born premature and has spent his entire life thus far in the NICU. Last week, the Butlers received yet another diagnosis: their son has Down Syndrome. It's almost unthinkable. You can keep up to date with Boston on his own blog.

Observing the numerous comments of well wishers on Facebook and their children's blogs, I've been at a loss for words of what to say to Kelly and Charlie. Honestly, what else can be said? All the plans they've had for life have been hijacked. The proper words just do not exist.

But then I realized that I do have the words. They aren't mine, but they've hung around in memory long enough for just this situation:

"Charlie and Kelly DID end up having some beautiful children."

Brooklyn makes a difference in people's lives. She sparks emotions in many people— from children to adults— in her simple smile. And tiny, frail Boston has already brought joy to family and friends. In a world that can be rather loathsome, beauty reigns in these little ones.

And I've seen the way that the Butlers adore their daughter. Their hearts are plenty big enough for the new difficulties surrounding their precious son. In the midst of an imperfect world, God has given Charlie and Kelly a high calling, one which they will continue to excel at

So for children named after cities, a word from the Scriptures about our world's greatest city, which could also describe these treasured children.

"From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth." Psalm 50:2.

Wager on Work

"It's about jobs."

This phrase will be the "Remember the Alamo" of the 2009 campaign season.

Backers of Ohio's Issue 3, a statewide referendum to construct four casinos across the state, have contextualized their issue in light of our county's economic downturn. This is calculated position because Ohioians have repeatedly defeated legalized gambling over the years and supporters needed a new angle. If voters could be convinced that Issue 3 could pull us out of the recession, the could finally be victorious.

It's the old bait and switch, and it seems like this bet is paying off.

Supporters for casinos tout an economic study which claimed that 34,000 new jobs would be created if the issue is passed. This statistic, created by the University of Cincinnati's Economics Center for Education and Research, ought to be rather persuasive. But when you realize that this study was commissioned by The Ohio Jobs & Growth Committee, a PAC in favor of Issue 3, you should resist trusting this figure. As the Cincinnati Enquirer reported in September, the study did not account for the potential job losses that could accompany casino gambling throughout the state; for example, casinos would likely mean the end of the horse industry in this state, which employs over 12,000 people.

There's another aspect that the study didn't take into account. You see, the creation of casinos in Ohio will mean an increase in gambling by our state's residents; this would likely mean them gambling away their discretionary income. While we'd like to believe that this money was formerly being directed towards savings, it was probably being spent in stores throughout the state. These stores employ people, but if funds are diverted from these establishments to blackjack tables and slot machines, people will lose their jobs.

In short, jobs are not being created, but merely being transitioned. Voting for Issue 3 and job creation have nothing in common. In actuality, Issue 3 is a battle over monopolies. The opposing parties both want control over gambling in the state— a position that would yield billions of dollars. Why do you think they're spending so much money campaigning?

Issue 3 is about creating one very lucrative job.

Gambling and Jesus

In examining the virtues surrounding Ohio’s Issue 3, we first have to examine the subject of gambling from a spiritual perspective.

There are those denominations, the Methodist Church being the most passionate, who decry gambling as sin. I would suggest that this view is most influenced by that movement’s founder, John Wesley, who held gambling as a vice akin to alcohol; Wesley viewed gambling as a corruptive practice that preyed on the poor. There are others today who claim that the Bible declares gambling to be a sin. This view is problematic as there is no specific verse that condemns the action; true, there are verses that decry the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10) but there are those who never gamble who have violated this provision. There are also verses that speak against attempting to “get rich quick” (Proverbs 10:4) but this could also be applied to playing the stock market. Using these kinds of verses to construct a biblical command like, "gambling is sin," is poor hermeneutic (biblical application). These biblical texts, and others like them, ultimately instruct the believer to avoid the idolatry of money worship— again, something that people who have never gambled can be guilty of.

In short, there is no biblical provision prohibiting government-instituted gambling. There is also no biblical provision that prevents a Christian from gambling. And while it should be acknowledged that Christians should practice moderation in all things (addiction to anything is sinful) this is not a sufficient reason by which to oppose gambling on biblical grounds. Our country’s history has taught us that simply enacting prohibition does not eliminate the problem*

And while I’m on this point, we Christians must be careful of criticizing those who gamble because there are people who can both enjoy it and refrain from becoming addicted to it; it can be a perfectly fine hobby.

I’ll admit, as an ordained minister, that I have gambled before. I don’t do it often or in large amounts because I do not find it enjoyable to flush my money down the toilet. On the other hand, there was a time in my life where I passionate about golfing. I bought golf clubs, magazines, lessons, and played frequently, all of which were not inexpensive. No one would criticize devotion to golf, or boating, or traveling or animal ownership as sinful. Yet all of these activities, like gambling, could be considered to be a waste of money.

So gambling is not necessarily anti-Christian.

I believe it important to distinguish this idea because too often opponents of gambling are dismissed for being prudish or attempting to impose their personal morality on others. As a result, their objections are ignored and the true issues behind them are never explored. I can be a Christian and be opposed to Issue 3 without having to state that, “God says it’s bad.” And you, as a Christian, have every right to disagree with me.

But what I hope to do as I continue this thread is to convince you that Issue 3 is not the best thing for our community— and to do so without having to pull spiritual rank.

_____________

*There are Christians who will counter this objection to prohibition by taking it to the extreme, suggesting then that we shouldn’t prohibit anything at all. That position is ridiculous, and I’m not going to go into that in this post.

You Should Be There

Four years ago this month we started Echo Church. I never imagined it would be like this, but I'm eternally grateful that God has allowed us to venture on this journey.

One of the unexpected blessings was to rent out the same building for the past four years. The Walnut Hills Christian Church is a beautiful building, the kind of structure you just don't see anymore. Echo has invested significant funds into this building over our history and this has helped to strengthen our bond with the church from which we rent.

That's why I want you to join us this Sunday for a special event. This Sunday morning, October 4th at 11:00a.m., Echo will meet together with the Walnut Hills Christian Church in a combined worship service. In addition to our four-year anniversary, this date also serves as the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Christian Churches in the United States. Since our two churches share a common heritage, it's the perfect opportunity for the two of us to worship together (these kinds of joint gatherings will be happening all over the country this Sunday). I'll be preaching and, after the service, we're serving a meal while we'll view the Bengals-Browns game on large projection screen. We're even canceling our Sunday night service this day for this celebration.

As Echo explores the possibility of starting a Sunday morning worship service, we'd love a strong showing of people this week. I've asked and I've asked and I'll do so again: if you don't have any other commitments, we'd love to have you join us this Sunday. It would mean a lot to me.

If you have any questions about the service or how to get to 1438 East McMillan, shoot me an email.

Again, thanks for supporting us and our ministry here in urban Cincinnati.

Women at Work

Last week was a full week for me. I had multiple collaborative projects at both the university and at church which left me exhausted. But in surveying the scene of accomplished tasks, I was served a valuable reminder— one which I don't often express publicly:

I know some hard working women.

I grew up the child of work-o-holics, having parents whose idea of fun was to do chores around the house. My father worked a full-time job while starting a business on the side, and still found time to do continual maintenance on our house and our church building.

All the while, my mother made sure her house was in order and her kids were cared for.* But while it might not sound as impressive, Mom was always moving. Ask anyone who's ever been over to dinner at their house and they'll vouch to this. It follows her upbringing as a farmer's daughter. She worked the tobacco fields, worked her way through college, and hasn't stopped working since.

I guess I just expect all women to be like that. As a result, I probably am not as observant as I should be of those ladies who are constantly giving their all to their jobs, families, and churches. And as we're in the midst of a mancession it seems like these ladies will be working even harder. I don't intend this to sound emasculating, but perhaps I shouldn't be surprised about this.

Living in a low-income neighborhood, I've been the object of virtually every panhandling scheme. But of those who have asked for money, I'd say well over 95% have been men; true, some have done so on behalf of their families, but this is definitely the minority. In our neighborhood, the women who are impoverished (many times single mothers to boot) are out there working. I'm not sure if I care to attribute the root issues of this situation, rather, just focus on the fact that these women are scratching out an existence for the betterment of their family.

It's sad, but it's downright admirable.

Anyway, this past week, I witnessed numerous examples of women going the distance to get the job done. In my department at work, there are three ladies who tirelessly do the work of dozens of people. When we were doing a late night orientation last week, they were constantly pushing to get the job done. Additionally, I've notice how many other women around campus work long hours for not enough pay, something I overlooked in my youth.

And as we remodeled a room in our church building this past week, there were many ladies (as well as men) that came out to get the job done. Even doing volunteer work, this women were going all out, nose-to-the-grindstone, removing carpet (Melissa, you're a beast) and painting without complaining. I was loving it.

And as always there's my wife who, even in her new-found state of unemployment, works harder that I could ever imagine. Yep, I married a girl just like my mother.

I'm blessed to witness Proverbs 31 lived out everywhere I go. I'm thrilled that my daughter is surrounded by these incredible examples of ladies who work like there's no tomorrow.

So dudes, no disrespect, but give it up to those working ladies.

_______

*Later on, my mother returned to the classroom and is still teaching now. Even when she went back to work, she made sure the house was always well-kept. As a result, my brothers and I had a demented view of homemaking, thinking it normal that the wife naturally keeps a house spotless, and thus making it difficult for our wives to keep up with that status. And yet the remain married to us . . .

Show Me The Money

I caught a glimpse of the movie Jerry Maguire this weekend. I must publicly admit that I bought a reduced price copy of that flick [the VHS version] a few years back. Not sure why I did that; I think it cost the same amount to rent it as it did to buy it, so I just went for it. Beyond Cuba Gooding Junior's catch phrase, the rest of the movie was mediocre, bordering on unbearable.

In our current economic downturn, it seems that many people have assimilated the Rod Tidwell's philosophy: right now, it's all about gettin' paid. It's the motivation behind the economic stimuli. It's driving marketing campaigns. And it's re-enabling a vice that needs no help in dominating our society: greed.

You see, now that people are unemployed, racked with debts, and uncertain how future financial foundations will sit, we're allowing fear to drive us towards greed. This is why politicians and the business community have adopted a similar apologetic: "Because of the present economy, we need to [insert applicable scheme here]." This teleological ethical approach [a.k.a. "the ends justifies the means"] empowers us to do whatever is necessary to ensure that we end up on the right side of this recession.

An example of this [and, quite honestly, the motivation for this post], examine my home state of Ohio. This fall, voters will be asked to, yet again, vote for legalized gambling; more specifically, Issue 3 would permit casinos to be established in four of our state's urban centers, including Cincinnati. Four times in the past twenty years, voters have rejected similar initiatives. "But this time it's different," the masses are informed, "because we'll create over 30,000 jobs in our state." This is the primary rallying cries for the Issue. So if we were to break it down into an equation:

Economic downturn + Need for new jobs = We need casinos in Ohio.

Additionally, the argument is presented that since Ohioans are already gambling out of state, we might as well keep those funds here in state. So again:

Economic downturn + Ohioans already gambling = We need casinos in Ohio.

Or, in layman's terms, "show me the money." It's that easy, right?

But lost in the simplicity of the math are some of the overlooked variables— the actual cost of permitting gambling in our state.

I go on very few crusades, but this is one of them. As a minister, and as a resident of the state of Ohio, I object to Issue 3. And since I know that readers of my blog have varying views on the issue, I'm going to devote a series of posts outlining my position. You might not like me getting political, but I fear for my city and for my neighborhood.

Just because the money is out there for the taking doesn't mean it comes without a price.

Walking Away

Never fear— I still walk in the land of the living.

I really think this is the longest that the blog has gone silent since our trip to Israel in 2005. I'm still adjusting to my new schedule and, when choosing between time with the family or time pontificating, I choose not to write. I'm also teaching a new class [new to me] which means there's much more preparation work required. Combined with everything else on my plate, it makes for a "no Steve on the web" cocktail that accompanies the meal perfectly— tastes somewhat bitter going down but it has just the right amount of calories.

Understand that I am not abandoning the blog. I'm just trying to get through the next few weeks. Unfortunately, I have a ton of interesting things I want to write about and not the time to get them out.

I thought I would use this occasion as an opportunity to unleash a major announcement on y'all. It's yet another transition in my life, but one I think we'll embrace.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

I hereby announce my retirement from fantasy sports.

When I started my fantasy career in 2000, I played fantasy baseball and actually won that first league. My team name was Manchester United, an ode to my love of the Red Devils, and an intention insult towards those who bash soccer [I've used that name throughout various seasons]. That fall, I played my first season of fantasy football. Sometime between then and now, I actually participated in a fantasy basketball league, but I never understood the point. I always preferred fantasy baseball, because there was a little more skill attached to it [a point I have made over and over again]. I consistently made the play-offs in most leagues I participated. My worst season was the year we planted Echo. Overall, I won about four baseball titles and one football title. Once the baseball season ends, I'm hanging up my . . . mouse . . . keyboard . . . whatever you hang up.

I can't express just what brought me to this position. Perhaps it's the constant Facebook posts by people talking about their drafts. Maybe it's the scene I witnessed at BW's a couple of weeks ago of people gathered around tables with laptops and video projectors to make their selections. Even worse was a table full of twenty-something women doing their draft. I'm really not a misogynist, but there was something wrong with it. It felt like the ladies were doing the fantasy football thing so they could brag to guys that they're in a fantasy football league.

Ultimately, I've just reached the point where it's no longer fun; I still love the sports, but I'm tired of the fantasy aspect to it. I've engaged in some ridiculous arguments with grown men in the past few years about the ethics of imaginary teams. I enjoyed it for a long time, but it's time to move on.

Don't worry about me going Brett Favre on all you, entering back into the fray next year. I'm going to appreciate keeping up with sports without having to worry about certain stats. I'll no longer face the dilemma of watching my home team while secretly hoping their opponent thrives to help me win that week's game. Plus, Kelly won't have to listen to me complain/boast on Sunday night anymore about how my team performed.

It's been real. It's been fun. I'm done.

END OF RELEASE.

Saving My Teeth

At the beginning of the year we picked up the dental plan for Kelly's job and figured we better get it used up before we lose it at the end of the month. Kaelyn had her first check-up, and Kelly got a visit in as well. Today was the day that I made my pentannual trip to the dentist.

I'm not one of those people that fear the dentist, I'm just utilitarian when it comes to my teeth: when all is well don't complain. I brush twice a day, floss occasionally, so I've avoided major problems. Even my wisdom teeth came in OK, so I haven't needed a dentist. Still, if insurance is paying, then we're paying, so off I went.

When I arrived at the office, I had to fill out the extended questionnaire, laced with a few interesting questions [a couple of them made it in this pic I took with my phone]. My favorite question:

"Do you want to save your teeth?"

Still trying to figure out the context of this question. Is this a long-term goal I should be looking towards? Will they put them in a baggie so I can take them home with me? Should I be concerned about the salvation of my bicuspids? I checked "Yes," but no one asked me about it.

When I was called back to get my teeth cleaned, the hygienist decided to look for gold in my teeth. She was incredibly thorough, and my teeth have probably never been so clean. But hours later, they still hurt— probably more than they've ever hurt— the kind of pain that would cause me to go to the dentist. She kept insisting that I return in six months for another cleaning, but I'm not a masochist, nor will I have that kind of dental plan, so I doubt I will.

The dentist came in, looked me over and said cavity. I made an appointment for an hour later and they drilled me out and filled it in. It was on a wisdom tooth and I told the dentist, "I guess I'll have to try a little more to reach those with my brush." Her response, "Eh, you probably couldn't do anything to prevent it anyway."

Not quite the response I imagined.

As I spent the rest of my afternoon with a numb cheek, slurring some of my words as my inner cheek wall [if that's what it's called] would slide between my teeth, I looked over the receipt. Without insurance, the cost for all the work would've equalled a minor car repair. I'm sure that the older I get, the more money I'll be sinking into these things.

Maybe it'd be cheaper if I didn't save my teeth.