Random

• Cheryl slipped last night while working in the kitchen and broke two bones in her wrist. She wanted to know if I had my camera to take a picture before they reset it. I didn't -- and so you've all been spared the sight. We got home from the hospital at 2-something this morning. She is resting well and does not seem to be in excessive pain.

• I cancelled my trip to Detroit, where I was going to attend a Covenant church planters training class.

• I ran into a man wearing a Chamorro t-shirt at the QuickStuff market down the street and found out that he is from Yigo. He says that there are quite a few Chamorros living in this area. Even if I might want to (I don't) I can't get away from Guam!

• Guam is under a tropical storm watch -- again -- second storm this week. ~ link

• The homes of several people from Jesus Covenant Church in Pasig City (suburb of Manila) are under water. ~ link

• Lot's more crises tugging at our hearts right now ~ church collapse in Nepal kills at least 23 -- earthquakes in Indonesia and unrelated tsunami, killing perhaps hundreds (I suspect the count will be a lot more once the dust settles). Lord have mercy.

• It's only about 95° at noon. Fall has arrived in the desert! However, the dry winds seem to be sucking the remaining moisture out of the plants.

• I didn't even know that there was a "Christian Hall of Fame"! I guess you have to be a preacher to get in (they're the highest level Christians -- and thus famous). There is so much warped theology behind this that I'm not sure where to begin picking at it. Suggestions? ~ link

• There are still 380 million people in the world who do not have the Bible in their own language. Today is World Bible Translation Day. ~ link

Random

• Steve Wilkens and Mark Sanford's new IVP book Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives looks interesting. I've added it to my shopping cart.

• The storm isn't supposed to hit Guam until early Thursday morning but a FEMA advance team has apparently already arrived on island. You've got to give them credit. The current weather service projection has the center of the relatively minor storm hitting the south end of the island. ~ link

• BTW, has anyone noticed that there is another even larger storm cell forming north of Pohnpei?

• Our friend Dave Husby has a blog post from Sudan. The situation there is not stable enough for Covenant World Relief to begin any development work -- still doing emergency relief. ~ link

• Marking the sidewalk with chalk is apparently a criminal offense at the University of Arizona. Seems like an extreme interpretation of the law. It's chalk. ~ link

• Newly released US Census figures report that 938,924 Arizonans live in households below the poverty level -- 14.7% of the state. ~ link

• I'm going to Detroit tomorrow. I know that I put my jacket somewhere in a box about 3 1/2 years ago. Sweatshirt probably won't do, will it?

• It's supposed to start cooling down in Phoenix by the end of this week -- Wednesday's high should be 94° and Thursday's should be 85° (today was 106°). I love this time of the year (September - May) in the desert.

• Driver's ed training making a high school comeback? I thought that the public schools were so strapped for money that they were cutting everything except the very basics. I'm sure that driver's ed has some very limited value -- about as much as pre-marital counseling -- hormones and romance can be a hindrance. At least it points you in the right direction. ~ link

Random

• The planners are trying to figure out what the Phoenix area will look like in 2050 -- possible scenario: 8 million people with 400 miles of new highways and 320 miles of new railed transit. There is a lot to noodle on in this AZ Republic story.

• Global food production will need increase 70% by 2050 to meet the needs of the world at that time. ~ link

• Guam is now under a Tropical Storm Watch -- and condition 3 readiness -- i.e. 48 hour warning for big storm. IOW, take down the canopy, lubricate the storm shutters, fill the water bottles, and pick up a few more cans of Spam. I do miss that place -- never a dull moment in the middle of nowhere. ~ link

• Quotable:

"The mythology we have is that people used to spend whole days hanging around community -- like the bar at Cheers," (Dr Barry) Wellman says. "They didn't. They stayed home. If we switch from television to social networking sites, it's a switch toward sociability -- not away from it." ~ link

• Quotable: "I'd rather coach 1000 radical pastors with churches of 100 each, than pastor a church of 100,000 any day!.." ~ Rick Warren

Random

• Chick-Fil-A has got groupies -- lots and lots of groupies. ~ Link to the fun Nightline story

• This coming Wednesday, September 30th, is "International Blasphemy Day." They've got some valid points to make but their in-your-face approach isn't all that helpful -- and no one will take them seriously. ~ link

• Southwest Airlines sent me email offering to sell me a cut-in-line pass for my flight to Detroit later this week. Is there no end to the gimmicks that the airlines dream up to annoy customers?

• The death of William Safire was reported on Twitter and Wikipedia before it showed up through the conventional news channels. Scoped! ~ link

• We showed up at the last minute for worship at New Hope Covenant Church in Peoria this morning and the parking lot was full. It's easy to understand why -- once you've made it through the front door the first time.

• We're having our first MasterPiece Church VP (vision & prayer) gathering this evening -- while the Cardinals are playing the Colts (can't win them all!). I'm planning to lead some singing with my tenor uke if I can get my stiff fingers moving.

• I see that MasterPiece is now listed in the church directory on the Pacific Southwest Conference website. The more links to the site, the better the Google placement.

• There is a tropical depression off Pohnpei, which appears to be picking up steam and aiming at Guam. ~ link

• I've got to run down to Fry's to pick up another one of those $1 Costa Rican pineapples -- so sweeeeeet!

Random

• The US is getting closer to releasing the six Uighur separatists from Gitmo for resettlement in the Western Pacific island state of Palau. Palau is probably the nicest and most progressive of the Micronesian islands states -- not at all a bad place to end up -- beautiful -- hospitable, too. But they aren't going to have a lot of patience with Muslim activity. Their proximity to Indonesia makes that a very sensitive issue.

• I met Mike Riendeau when I was hanging out at the library a couple of months ago -- super nice down-to-earth guy -- who recently moved here from Massachusetts as he was exiting the tech industry. He's just launched a new career in real estate. I'm guessing that as the market is recovering he'll do well.

• An ASU economic report compares Arizona, with a population of about 6.5 million, "to the 11 nations with the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita that have a population of between four million and 10 million: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates." Fascinating. ~ link (.pdf)

• The Phoenix Greyhound Park, which opened in 1954, is closing. I'm sensing a pattern. The same thing happened on Guam while we were there -- not that there is a causal relationship between our presence and the demise of the races. ~ link

Bat houses in Phoenix?

There are 28 species of bats living in Arizona. I was hoping to put up a bat house (a little extra bug control in the garden can't hurt!) but I understand that the bats in the Phoenix area don't want to have much to do with bat houses.

Anyone local have experiences otherwise? Advice?

It's time to embace immigration

Immigrants, legal and illegal, spent $37 billion in Arizona last year. "If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Arizona, the state would lose $26.4 billion in expenditures, $11.7 billion in economic output, and approximately 140,324 jobs..." according to a Perryman Group study. KFYI story | Immigration Policy Center report

I know that this is a complex and emotionally charged topic, but if we're looking at this issue from a strictly economic perspective (not even looking at the issues of compassion and justice and global fairness) we have to get creative and figure out ways to make this place more immigrant friendly.

The fact is that we're soon in the same boat as Europe. The shrinking workforce of native-born Americans is not going to be able to maintain the economic engine. If we do not embrace immigration and make it easier for people to come here legally we're going to be totally uncompetitive with India and China in 10 years.

We still have options:
a. we can pretend that the parade doesn't exist.
b. we can complain about the disruptive nature of the parade going down OUR streets.
c. we can run out in front of the parade, stretch out our arms and try to stop it -- and get trampled in the process.
d. or we can grab a baton, run out in front of the band and start leading it -- and enjoy the fun of being in a parade.

Random

• The marshmallow test. All the kids held out longer than I could have done. Impulse control was not (is not?) one of my strengths.

• Tim Stafford writes in appreciation of NT Wright ~ link (via)

• I did a double-take to see if the article on Honda's Segway-challenger was in the Onion. But the newspaper pictures had just made it look more uncomfortable than I'm sure it is. People mover technology continues to get closer to functional. ~ link

• Rick Mansfield reviews Mosaic ~ link

• "Stephen Harper has received some flack for his decision to skip Barack Obama's address to the UN on climate change, in favour of a photo op at the Tim Hortons Innovation Centre." ~ link

I want you to know that most Americans are deeply offended by Stephen Harper's presidential shun.  We're also wondering who he is. Did anyone other than Canadians notice he was AWOL? Did someone say something about donuts? ...Well, whoever he is, he can't be all bad -- even if he disses the big O.

• You're never more than 145 miles away from a McDonald's in the US. (link) Hmmmm? I know some stretches of road in Utah and Nevada that seem like they're more than 145 miles from anything.

• We lived with Dave & Joyce Owen a few times during our Guam transitions -- and so we know the frustration of the mud road to their house. But there are signs that things may be changing.

• Kara Powell's Leadership Journal article on age segmentation in the church (and why it is a dysfunctional and outdated concept) is now online.

• Happiness Lodge, PIBC grad currently at seminary in California, has posted some homegrown Chuukese music. This is the sound of the Western Pacific -- in 2009. Are we feeling a little homesick?

• If you're trying to help someone understand the basics of how the internet works this new, free, and online Alison course might be good.

• 700 people living in flood tunnels under Las Vegas? Sounds risky. ~ link

Random

• Another thing I've noticed since we returned to the States in June -- credit card receipts no longer fit into my wallet. With every transaction they raze an entire forest to print out information about surveys (either online or on the phone), warranty limitations, the number of bonus points I've accumulated, coupons... -- TMI -- unmanageable.

• Was Paul really an apostle? ~ NTPod

• People are so used to giving out their login info to related apps that they're easily duped by an annoying phishing scam that has been spreading on both Twitter and Facebook. Just don't log into any third party applications and you'll be fine. If you've done so, change your passwords now. ~ link

• Habitat for Humanity's new approach -- rehabbing foreclosed homes. I have some experience in that -- although ours was in good shape relative to everything else on the market. There are plenty more available on our street. ~ link

• Squidoo is going to start funneling social content for those who want to pay $400/month. If your company is trying to manage its online image this may be a worthwhile investment -- assuming consumers will drop in, too. Otherwise it sounds like it's just another aggregater. ~ link

"She's got chicken pox!"

A van load of young children and three adult women were getting out of their vehicle in the Walmart parking lot this afternoon. Suddenly one of the women, looking at a little four-year-old standing next to the van, exclaims in a voice loud enough that everyone in the whole parking lot can hear, "She's got chicken pox! Mirar!"

The woman was pointing at the bewildered girl's bare legs.

"[lots and lots of Spanish that I didn't catch] chicken pox!!!! [lots more Spanish] chicken pox!!!"

They all piled back into their four-wheeled incubator and I assume headed home -- although someone probably doubled back for a gross of calamine lotion.

Perhaps you thought the big threat this fall was going to be swine flu.

Random

• One in every hundred adults living in England has autism -- no vaccine connection ~ link

• The economy in China is expected to grow by 8.2% in 2009. India's projected growth is 6%. Both of these figures are significantly higher than originally thought -- although the economies remain fragile. Those of us in the US are really quite oblivious to and insular toward what is happening in Asia. ~ link

• How the Covenant in the US, originally Swedish immigrants, is looking more and more Asian -- that is, Asian-American. ~ link

• Delightful story of Jim Ressegieu who retired, went to seminary, and is now pastoring a rural Iowa church. Might his tribe multiply. ~ link

• The Tyndale people are really doing a full court press on the Holy Bible: Mosaic launch -- contests, blog tours, give aways... so many give aways that they may not have anyone left to sell to. I'm looking forward to the arrival of my review copy -- and the certificate for a free copy that I'll give away (we'll have to come up with a contest or something). Michael Spencer, who has obviously already received his review copy, has a good word about Mosaic on his iMonk blog.

Random

• Has the "spirit of insurrection," so active in American culture at this point, drifted into your congregation? Keith Drury suggests two strategies for dealing with it.

• I was watching the YouTube video of a guy breaking into a house in Mangilao, Guam (the village where we used to live). The problem with these things is that the definition isn't really high enough to identify the perp. What's the point in having video recording if it's not clear enough to do any good? ~ link

• Tyndale Seminary (Toronto) has a major bibliography on all things missional. ~ link (via)

• "Bans on smoking in public places have had a bigger impact on preventing heart attacks than ever expected, data shows." ~ link

Mosaic Bible calendar

I added the calendar from new the "Holy Bible: Mosaic" (NLT) to my Google calendar. To do so I visited the Mosaic Calendar page and clicked on "add Mosaic Calendar" link. That downloaded a file called "basic.ics" to my download folder.

I went into the Google calendar settings and created a new calendar which I called Mosaic. I then imported the basic.ics file into my Mosaic calendar. The process is a little convoluted but it adds the basic themes and gives the appropriate page numbers in the Mosaic Bible.

What might work better is if Tyndale (publishers of the Bible) created the calendar on their Google calendar, made it public, and then gave everyone the URL that would allow us to see and subscribe to their Mosaic calendar in our own Google calendars.

Until then the download is a taste of more to come.

Random

• The longer we live the more likely it is that we'll end up suffering from some form of dementia . Up to this point we've underestimated the impact of this trend, according to a new study.

• My goal is to be like Vi Martinson in our Turlock congregation. She was in her 90's when she came along to help launch the Cornerstone church. She maintained her wit, grace, flair, and mind right until she died at 102 years.

• Our first MasterPiece Church VP gathering will be next Sunday evening ~ link

• I thought that we'd stopped doing cursive writing years ago. I guess not. "Cursive writing may be fading skill, but so what?" ~ link

Healthcare debate

Never give an ear to anyone who benefits (status, financially, audience ratings...) from keeping people in a state of agitation.

Amen! to people like Efrem Smith.

Random

• All of our new electronic gadgets are stressing the grid. ~ link

• Frank Schaeffer in reference to the large number of conservative voters who think that it's possible that President Obama is the anti-Christ:

You don‘t work to move them off this position. You move past them. Look, a village cannot reorganize village life to suit the village idiot. It‘s as simple as that. And we have to understand, we have a village idiot in this country, it‘s called "Fundamentalist Christianity."

While I wouldn't put it quite that way, he is correct. We can't design a political agenda around a group with a misinterpretation of a biblical concept. But what do we do when there so many "village idiots"?

• I posted on Twitter about the cricket that has been serenading us in our bedroom and suddenly I get Aussies following me. I'm certain they're thinking of that OTHER cricket. I suppose that if we hadn't sent the king packing in the 18th century I might actually understand the game now. I'm a victim of history. Reparations are in order.

Random

• The Indian state of Bihar is hiring millions of people to plant and protect trees. ~ link

• As of this afternoon we have three unnamed gold fish in our family.

• Eugene Cho is letting his hair go while he raises money for his end extreme poverty project. This picture is from his Twitter account. He looks a lot like what I've always imagined John the Baptist looked like. Very scary. Could be a challenge for TSA.

• We met my parents for lunch at Ikea today -- took advantage of the $1 eight 10 meatball plate (with mashed potatoes, gravy, and lingonberries) special they're running this weekend.

• What if they covered all the parking lots in Arizona -- and put solar panels on top of the awnings? The cars would be protected from the sun and every retailer and office complex would also be in the energy business. The technology can't be that far away.

• In Fountain Hills if children break the law the parents can be cited and fined. Is that constitutional? ~ link

• Ed Stetzer on Matthew's Table, the church which meets in Java Joe's in Lebanon, Tennessee -- third place engagement. Includes pictures. ~ link

• Phoenix on the rebound -- noticed more new home construction today in Laveen, as well as a new QuikTrip going up fast. In Queen Creek things are looking up, too. I've been contributing to the recovery with my personal Home Depot stimulus plan. Today I bought another pomegranate tree and a passion fruit bush.

• This has been the 3rd driest Arizona summer in recorded history. But help could be on the way. The el niño pattern is strengthening -- and that usually means above average precipitation in the Sonoran desert. ~ link

• Student loan defaults -- another area where Arizona leads the nation.

Random

• Mark Goodacre, New Testament prof at Duke University is posting some delightful short (10 minutes or so) podcasts. Today's episode, for example is about Mary Magdalene, the First Woman Apostle. He's fun to listen to and he packs a lot into the short segments. ~ link (via)

• A church just for men. Whatever. ~ link

• Sean Benesh consistently asks good questions about church planting. ~ link

Random

• Listening to reggae on Island 98.5 in Honolulu -- not quite the same as being there. But the laid back energy feels good.

• I love this story (via Kent, our son teaching in South Korea) about James Kim who loves the people of North Korea and has talked that government into allowing him to open an English speaking university which offers an MBA. His primary allegiance is to God. This guy is so out of the box that he is contagious.

• USA Today has a story on the largest churches in America -- Lakewood (43,500 avg attendance); LifeChurch.tv (26,766 avg attendance); Willow Creek (23,400 avg attendance). Is anyone else concerned that the largest church in America is characterized by a health and wealth approach to the gospel?

• Quotable:

...Having said all this, the “great halls” (stadiums) of preaching distribution will not connect to the lost souls of post-Christendom. Post-Christian people are not attracted to the sermon as the first place to go in their spiritual distress. We must help leaders understand that if you spend 35-40 hours a week in your office preparing a good sermon on Sunday, making it not only theologically competent (which is worthy) but slick, you are ministering to the dying vestiges of Christendom. ~ David Fitch

• Become one of the first "fans" of MasterPiece Church on Facebook. ~ link

• Church in Brazil where the people intentionally throw punches and inflict pain -- fight night at Reborn in Christ (not even a congregational business meeting). ~ link

• Peter, Paul, and Mary is now missing Mary. Mary Travers has died of leukaemia.

• Here is Keith Williams introducing the new Mosaic Bible -- which appears to be a cross between the NLT & the BCP. I received email from Tyndale today and they've mailed out the review copies. I'm looking forward to writing about it. This Mosaic blog tour will stop here on November 11th.

Super Typhoon Choi-wan

This is a radar picture of Super Typhoon Choi-wan, currently with 161 miles per hour winds, in the Western Pacific. The storm, now category 5, skirted both Guam and Saipan in the CNMI so no one took a direct hit. But everyone got wet.

It is beautiful in its formation with a very clearly defined eye.

The name Choi-wan was on the preassigned list for this storm season. Apparently it is a Cantonese term for a type of cloud.

It is currently predicted that the storm will miss Japan and hit the coast of China near Hong Kong.

Random

• The number of female pastors in the US has doubled in the last decade, according to Barna research. This is progress. But there is an elephant in the room. Many of the female pastors are trying to become what male pastors were 25-35 years ago -- still fighting for the respect that belonged to a prior era. This means that too many are aspiring to reputable pulpits rather than leading as entrepreneurs. If the number of female pastors is going to double in this decade we will need more female innovators.

• Our first citrus tree is now in the ground! I planted a cara cara navel (pinkish, sweet grapefruit flavored orange) this evening. I have a key lime ready to go but I need to soak the hole and dig it out more. (They really compact the earth when they grade these lots.) I'm guessing that we'll eventually have close to 30 citrus trees in the backyard -- most on dwarf or semi-dwarf stock (keeps things manageable).

• Seth Godin is asking why non-profit organizations aren't using the social networks (a free resource) and are letting the for-profit organizations dominate the medium. He suggests that they're paralyzed by fear of change -- which is a paradox because "These organizations exist solely to make change." ~ link

• Speaking of fear, is your showerhead making you sick? ~ link

• Erika Haub has a good word on how it is that the church is meant for messiness. ~ link

• Steve Bilynskyj has a good word on gentle wisdom. ~ link

• Chirp. Chirp. We need some geckos to help us with our cricket infestation. Of course, we'd then need something to help us with the gecko chirping.

• Now online -- Google for the Public Sector ~ link

• Also from Google -- Fast Flip -- a new way to read the news online. ~ link

• Review of the newly released Lutheran Study Bible. ~ link

• The monsoon season in Arizona is almost over -- and there has been less than an inch of rain! ~ link

How long shoud a sermon be?

One thing that has surprised me as we've visited so many churches after returning to the US is how long sermons (messages) have become -- none under 35 minutes -- at least one over 50. Frankly, I don't get it. With the way media has developed I thought things would be going the other direction.

At exceptional communicator might be able to hold someone's attention for 40-45 minutes utilizing a conversational oratory style. But I can only name two or three such people (and I doubt any of them read my blog). Most really good communicators can't hold people's attention longer than 20 minutes. There are too many who should stop at about 5 minutes.

I try to speak less than 20 minutes when I preach (and even that is pushing it for me and my audience). That doesn't mean I'm always successful at condensing things to that amount of time -- but that's my goal. My ideal sermon is when I can sift through the text and condense it all down to 12 or 15 minutes. But that's hard -- really hard -- and it requires more preparation time. (Longer sermons often mean that the preacher hasn't prepped enough to get focused.)

Here are some things that might help:

1. Choose a single narrative or metaphor to carry your message all the way through the message.

2. Condense your sermon down to a single point before you add stories or sub-points. When you're done developing the flow, check the sub-points and stores in relation to the main point -- and eliminate the half that don't fit.

3. If you feel that you have to go longer than 15 minutes use a more interactive style. Ask questions, catch people a little off guard, engage in actual conversation with the "audience," include an interview...

4. Use a video clip or prop -- a memorable object. But don't use the same kind of media in every sermon. Don't use a video clip each week or a song every week. If your object is too predictable it isn't as engaging.

5. Break things down into smaller bite size pieces. If your style involves textual exposition don't feel like you have to cover a whole chapter. Sometimes working with two or three verses is more effective.

6. Focus more on the public reading of scripture and have your message flow from that -- rather than using scripture to make your points. If there are biblical passages which back-up what you're saying it isn't necessary to read every one of them.

7. Bring the children's sermon back into the service. It gives you a chance to make your point in a completely different way -- often prepping the adults to later hear what you're saying on a more developed level. (And it helps the kids feel like they're a part of what's going on.)

8. Pulpit transparency is a good thing. But some preachers are spending too much time talking about themselves -- more time talking about the challenges in their lives than the gospel itself.

9. As you develop your message tie it into the big biblical picture. That will keep you from spending an inordinate amount of time developing small (fascinating to you) details in the text. It will also keep you balanced with appropriate levels of law and gospel.

10. Create a conversational style manuscript of your message. I know that some are being taught to spend less time preparing the sermon and more time preparing themselves -- and then just to let it flow more naturally as they are led on Sunday morning. That might work okay for the occasional preacher but you'll communicate more clearly if you work through what you're going to say ahead of time. The Holy Spirit is more likely to tell you what to say as you prepare than when you're standing there in front of people processing ideas on the fly. And you'll be more focused!

Traveling

I flew to the Bay Area yesterday, picked up our beater car (relieving Betsy of the responsibility for the monster), drove to Turlock, rented a U-Haul this morning, after worship @ Cornerstone the Mullers help me load it with the contents of our storage container -- and tomorrow I'm off toward Phoenix pulling the car. I'm hoping to make the trip in a single day -- but we'll see how far I can get.

Random

• South Korean linguists are trying to get other languages to adopt their Hangeul script. ~ link

• Quotable:

This is one of the most critical points in the story of the US. If we are going to transform our cities we must approach it as a missionary. Two metaphors I used in my book, Doing Ministry in Hard Times might help you explain this change to your congregation. In the book I contrast two metaphors -- The National Park World and the Jungle World. The National Park world is characterized by Ozzie and Harriet and the Jungle world is characterized by Ozzy Osbourne. Your people have to realize that they no longer live in the 1950’s. Between 1954 with the advent of Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock and September 11, 2009, the world has experienced a radical break with the past. Not much will be the same ever again, including how Christians must live out their lives in the world. ~ Bill Easum in Backyard Missionaries

• Guam is under a tropical storm watch. If a typhoon develops it will probably skirt to the north. (Yes, once a Guamanian, always a Guamanian -- love that island.)

• Mysterious lights in the sky over Phoenix. The only thing I saw up there tonight was heat lightening -- following a beautiful fire-in-the-sky sunset. ~ link

• CT has a new look. They're calling it "bold." I'm not sure I'd go that far. But it is a spiffy change. ~ link

• The Covenant offices are moving out toward O'Hare. Not only will this start to break up the 60625 Covenant ghetto a bit but it will also provide adequate working space -- at no cost. Everyone is a winner. ~ link

• How it is that the neo-reformed bloggers appear to have overtaken the emerging bloggers? I wouldn't identify with either group but I'll add my reasons, anyway --

(6.) the neo-reformed clan is growing in numbers and influence faster than the emerging clan. More people buy Mark Driscoll books than Doug Pagitt books. It's not just a blog thing.

(7.) the nature of the influence that the emerging group is trying to exert is more subtle. The emerging people would just as soon fly under the radar.

(8.) the neo-reformed movement is a lot more defined. No one is really sure as to what exactly constitutes "emerging."

• Do you know this guy? Thief caught on tape stalking UPS truck.

Random

• And you thought that YOUR family was pretty special! A Boydston from Tennessee (our branch of the clan) has claimed the Miss Klingon Empire title.

• Reality show wasn't real -- police have to rescue contestants. And the moral of the story is...

• Rich Moore is always full of fun. This time he asked his congregation to text their friends during worship and to ask the friends for prayer requests.

Sign-up for FreeRecycling

One of my great online finds has been FreeRecycling. I signed us up for this service while we were working at Pacific Islands Bible College and it became a good little fundraiser for the school.

In a nutshell the company pays you (or your organization) to mail in used ink cartridges and cell phones. (They don't pay for laser cartridges right now.) They even pay the postage. So the whole thing is a fairly simple operation: sign up for an account -- collect used cartridges and cell phones -- create a packing list using their form -- put their postage paid label on the box -- put the box in the mail. They'll send you a check.

You're probably not going to get rich using their system but you or your group can make money. They pay up to $3.60 per cartridge. The ink cartridges I use are worth $1.30 (black) and $1.90 (color) each.

To get started fill out the simple account application at the bottom of the page at this link. They don't ask for any complicated or personal information. And they will not spam you.

Random

• New form of malaria -- just when we thought we might be getting the upper hand! Why DID God make mosquitoes? ~ link

• The September issue of Serve! is online. This is Steve Sjogren's practical E-zine sharing servant evangelism ideas. Great resource. ~ link

• My brother Greg, the graphic artist, designed a logo for our new church. The idea is that we'll be able to change the background color for different seasons and contexts.

• Money Magazine and CNNMoney.com have named Surprise, Arizona, a another West Valley city, as one of the "25 Best Places to Retire." A lot of people retire to Arizona but I should mention that our very working class community, while a great place to live, isn't the kind of place that people go to retire. Laveen is an area with a lot of younger people and those here who are old can't afford to "retire" in the traditional Arizona style.

• Foreclosures in Arizona are down. ~ link

• "How bad a theology is it when a denomination declares a local church w/out a pastor 'Vacant'?" ~ Leonard Sweet

• Jay Phelan is stepping down from his role as president and dean of North Park Theological Seminary. He jumped in during a time of crisis 13 years ago and not only turned things around but did a bang-up job setting a new direction. ~ link

Compost happens!

I'm so proud of the new recycled composter which I bought from the city of Phoenix for $5. Yes, it's a garbage collection container with the the bottom cut out and air holes drilled into the side. Some of the cities around here actually give such composters to their residents for free but I don't think that $5 is out of line. The cheapest, most basic composter without a top, goes for about $30 -- if you can find one in the store. Once I get this one going I plan to go back to the landfill and buy another.

Random

• Wedding scenario I haven't seen before -- parents of 7-year-old boy killed in car crash wed at his funeral.

• McCurry beats McDonald's in court. Mmmmm... curry. ~ link

• Global migration has slowed because of the recession -- fewer people are moving abroad for work. ~ link

• First full scale floating offshore wind turbine goes into operation off Norway. ~ link

• IVP has released vol 1 of Ben Witherington's new tome on NT ethics -- The Indelible Image: The Theological and Ethical Thought World of the New Testament.

President Obama's back-to-school speech

Like most of you I'm shocked at the level of indoctrination and left-wing propaganda in the text of President Obama's back-to-school speech.

...But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.

Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide...

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America...

I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work — that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

And he even mentions God in a speech aimed at PUBLIC schools! "Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America." Outrageous!

Hopefully you won't allow your children to listen to this speech when it is presented in schools across America tomorrow. Impressionable children should not be subjected to such propaganda. It's obviously all an insincere leftist plot to make right-wingers appear paranoid.

Laundry Love Project

Creative ministry ~ link (via)

Random

• Bookmark -- recipe for perfect chocolate chip cookies ~ link

• Americans have started giving away more of their stuff. Are we becoming less materialistic? ~ link

• Traffic congestion in the UK has dropped by nearly 1/3 in two years because of the recession and rising fuel prices. ~ link

• "The US is now the ONLY 'developed nation' where young people are less likely than parents to earn a (college) degree." ~ link

• I hate to mention it but the University of Arizona has passed Arizona State University in reputation as a party school. I suppose this is one victory that we should let the Wildcats have. ~ link

• More Guamanians begging for Jack in the Box. This is a bit of a recurring theme on the island. I don't know why Jack hasn't figured out that he could become a Western Pacific phenomena -- perhaps as profitable as Kmart. How many times have you seen people on that Continental 1 flight from Honolulu totting a bag of Jack in the Box back to their friends on Guam? For some reason islanders love it. Jack in the Box could become the new Spam.

First gathering

We had our first MasterPiece Church gathering this evening -- met with some of the key players to eat ice cream, choose officers for the incorporation papers, and talk through some of the vision development and start-up process. We'll be flying under the radar for the first year -- expect to "go public" fall 2010.

Random

• Apparently it's not over yet. The US unemployment rate jumped to 9.7%. ~ link

• Sophia Dembling has a blog called "The Introvert's Corner -- how to live a quiet life in a noisy world." Most recent post is an interview with Laurie Helgoe, Author of Introvert Power ~ link

• Big Surf has been saved! ~ link

Random

• I'm a bit of a hot dog fanatic. And I looovvvve ice cream. But please don't make me eat hot dog flavored ice cream. ~ link

• My brother-in-law Charlie Bickerton has a new company to go with his office furniture rental operation -- Charlie the Chairman.

• "Hyperactive children and those with attention-deficit disorders can now queue jump at theme parks because they cannot cope with the stress of waiting." ~ link

• Are you a pioneer? ~ link

Random

• A big packet-switched shout-out to the UCLA-born Internet, which is celebrating its 40th birthday today. On September 2nd, 1969 I was starting the 7th grade. I don't think I ever used a PC until 1984 or 1985. ~ link

• Jin Kim, pastor of Church of All Nations in Minneapolis, says we achieve diversity in the local congregation by focusing on reconciliation rather than talking about diversity. ~ link

• Richard Mouw -- "For a civil parking lot" ~ link

• Good interview with Richard Nelson Bolles (author of What Color Is Your Parachute? and The Job Hunter's Survival Guide: How to Find Hope and Rewarding Work, Even When "There Are No Jobs") -- "The Purpose-Driven Job Hunter" ~ link

• "InterVarsity Press, has recently launched two new series: Ancient Christian Doctrine and Ancient Christian Texts." ~ link

• Will the NIV 2011 simply be a re-labled TNIV update? We can hope that it doesn't stray too far philisophically. ~ link

• Albert Mohler chimes in on the NIV 2011 ~ link

• The NIV 2011 website is now open for business and comments. ~ link

• While we're quibbling over translation issues in our over-saturated Bibleland there are still people quietly doing translation work for the large number who don't have a Bible in their own language (kind'a ironic). This month's issue of the Lausanne World Pulse is on the future of Bible translation. And they're not really concerned about the future of the TNIV/NIV.

• Where do white people come from? As my island friends tease -- "You're just half-baked..." (They are more on target than they realize.) ~ link

• Cut-in-line pass -- $10 bumps you ahead of the "A group" when you're flying Southwest -- which makes flying a little more complicated. ~ link

• Hong Kong is channeling $55m (including $5m from the government itself) in relief money for the Taiwanese through World Vision. ~ link

• Interesting demographic breakdown of the Presbyterian USA membership. Median age of such Presbyterians is 60 years -- most likely female. ~ link (.pdf)

• Big Surf, which was THE water attraction in Phoenix when we first moved here in the mid-70's is apparently closing. It's been 30 years since I've been there but back then it was a great place where surfers and swimmers took turns playing in the desert-front waves generated through what looked like a giant toilet tank. Time marches on. ~ link

• The demise of the ELCA can be traced back to some organizational and structural decisions. ~ link

• We tried to rent Bolt for tonight but all the Redboxes were depleted. Popular movie.

Handyman update

Actually, I didn't personally install the 130 lbs sink that came today. I only helped carry it. We hired Home Depot to do the install for us and they sent Igor from Delta Mechanics. If we hadn't done that I'd still be trying to figure out what connects to what. The short of it is that we now have a functioning kitchen. We washed all the dishes in the bathroom sink for our first two weeks here but now we've taken a major leap toward propriety.

However, I am personally responsible for planting some cilantro this afternoon. That's a major leap toward living with spice!

Pulling the plug on the TNIV

Zondervan, I suspect concerned about loss of marketshare to the ESV, is pulling the plug on the TNIV translation of the Bible. Instead they will focus on revising the older NIV.

It's a sad move because the TNIV is already the best balanced translation on the American market (balanced = faithfully navigating between the literal and dynamic aspects of scripture, in clear contemporary English).

It's also sad because I'm afraid that such a move is going to be perceived as a recognition of the primacy of the neo-reformed tribe, which is vying for dominance of the evangelical movement. In a nutshell, they oppose the TNIV because it uses gender inclusive language. Gender inclusive language tends to undermine the theological system they've established -- a system which sees gender roles as a reflection of Trinitarian complementarianism.

Some of us resist such thinking on two levels. First, the system they've constructed involves a lot of unnatural gymnasitcs -- and is internally inconsistent. Second, given the changes in American English over the past 25 years it is imperative that scripture be allowed to speak with a voice that resonates with contemporary readers. So, in areas where it is consistent with the clear intent of the biblical authors gender inclusive language is preferable.

Of course, it could end up that the new 2011 revision of the NIV, which will replace both the existing NIV and the TNIV, will be a faithful and rich translation. But given the EPC (evangelical politically correct) environemnt that is emerging I have a feeling that it will be a step back from the TNIV. That's my concern.