Random

...Forget the reindeer! Santa arrives on Guam riding a carabao. This picture was from his arrival at the Seaside Christmas Concert held at the Hilton this afternoon. I'm not sure if the kids were more excited about Santa or the carabao.

...Delegates at the convention of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin voted 176-28 yesterday to disaffiliate from the Episcopal Church USA and to hook up with another body in the global Anglican Communion. They will have to vote again at their 2007 convention in order for the actual change to take place. There is, of course, the matter of whether the denomination will mount some kind of legal challenge to the action. No diocese has ever attempted to leave the Episcopal Church.

...The death toll in the Philippines is now over 1,000. This hits close to home. Not only did the storm start 300 miles south of Guam but Filipinos are the second largest population group on our island -- slightly less than the indigenous Chamorros. They will be organizing community relief efforts.
.
...Update on our house situation.

...The women in my family are both happy today. For the fifth consecutive year Cal beat Stanford. Cheryl is a Cal grad and Betsy is a freshman there. Both are fans and especially enjoy a victory over Stanford.

Random

...Maybe the TSA has taken the x-ray thing too far. Is this the necessary price for security? What do you think?

...Apparently it wouldn't bother Britney. She's really gone off the deep end. Although, I suppose the further off you go the more you're noticed -- and when you're addicted to attention... But at some point hopefully we all realize that there is more to life than being noticed and all that goes with attention. There is God created dignity and purpose.

...Incredible! 1 in every 32 Americans is in jail/prison or is on probation/parole. There are some significant racial disparities. But that's not new news.

...Typhoon Durian tore things up in the Philippines -- winds at 139 mph. At this point at least 388 people have been killed in PI -- although there is some confusion because they got hit with a volcanic eruption during the passing of the storm!

...Google Groups has a new format. Very nice.

...There is also a major update on Google Spreadsheets. Publish to .pdf, xls, html... OR embed them in your blog. Coolness factor is on the rise with this product.

...The Pope took a bow toward Mecca. Hmm... There is such a thing as trying too hard.

...Urban Cactus building -- creative housing in Rotterdam.

Random

...That ancient second century BC computer discovered 100 years ago is a lot more sophisticated than originally thought, according to a new report. It was operating on a beta version of Windows Vista. ;)

...I've decided that I'm going to offer one of my domain names for sale -- HafaAdai.info. "Hafa adai" is the phrase for "hello" in the Chamorro language, which is spoken by the indigenous people of Guam and Saipan. It's commonly used as a business name -- restaurants, stores, dry cleaners, etc. Make me an offer. I'm not trying to get rich on this.

Random

...Les Quebecers say that they have formed "a nation within a united Canada" and the Canadian Parliament has agreed to it -- whatever it means.

...Tropical Storm Durian, which began as a depression about 300 miles south of Guam, is now full-force Typhoon Durian. The storm is currently just east of the Philippines and Filipinos in low areas are being urged to seek higher ground.

Random

...Tropical Storm Durian -- aka 24W -- is about to become Typhoon Durian. It has steered clear of Guam. And we're now having great weather. But it's been interesting to watch how a depression becomes a tropical storm -- and then picks up steam to the point where it is now almost a typhoon. (Typhoons are the same as hurricanes -- regionally specific names for tropical cyclones.) It's interesting as long as we're not in its direct path.

...Church website of the week -- Methodist International Church in Hong Kong. I've been helping Daisy Ho, the local Methodist pastor, with her ordination paper, and she was writing fondly of this congregation where she had been on staff prior to Guam. So I looked it up. Great website -- clean and informative.

Let it snow

Yes, it snows on Guam -- at 7 p.m. every evening at the GPO mall. The snow machines are attached to the roof. The best part of it all is watching the kids -- most of whom have never seen natural snow. As far as I'm concerned it is all the snow a person ever needs to see. Pictures are of the children --and Dave and Joyce Owen next to Cheryl.

Random

...American schools are scrambling to find Mandarin teachers.

...Bookmark: QuickThumbnail.com for quickly resizing and editing pictures.

...Worth a look -- Rick Mansfield is doing a series on the top-ten Bible translations. I found the information about Good News for Modern Man to be very informative.

...How one guy got a MacBook Pro for next to nothing.

Sexuality Paper

The Board of the Ordered Ministry in the Evangelical Covenant Church (of which I was a board member until last June) has produced a major paper on sexuality which will be presented to the denomination's annual meeting in June 2007.

Hopefully, people will have taken time to digest it before trying to discuss it. Now would be a good time to give it a read -- before getting swallowed by the holidays. And then perhaps again in January and March.

Howard Burgoyne was the primary writer and he packs a lot into every sentence.

For those who are coming in at the middle of the conversation (and for those from outside the Covenant who are just looking for a great resource on the topic), the paper itself is in response to a request by the annual meeting in 2004. It should be read as commentary on the 1996 resolution on sexuality (which was reaffirmed at the 2004 annual meeting).

It would be helpful to read this paper in conjunction with "True Union in the Body?" -- a clear but compassionate paper which was produced in response to the chaos in the Anglican Communion.

Random

...Cultural shift: The ads on television used to say that the soup they were selling tastes "homemade." Now they say it's "restaurant quality." Homemade has become such a foreign concept.

...Just like watching TV in Turlock -- I can watch AssyriaVision on the Internet -- not that I was going through extreme withdrawal. I wonder if there are any Assyrians living on Guam. They make great neighbors.

...I took the CIA personality test and it appears that I might have a future with the company -- although I suspect that the test is rigged and that no matter how you respond to the questions your type might be what they're looking for. Hopefully the enemies of the free world don't figure out how very desperate the CIA must be that they'd put together such a goofy online gimmick to try and attract employees. (I know that I shouldn't make fun of the CIA but I'm sure they must already have a file on me. Sometimes when I answer my cell phone I think other people are listening in but I can never get a good enough connection to say anything incriminating.)

...Washing machines on Guam tend to rust away before they breakdown. Can you imagine why? It's still raining here on the fringes of Tropical Depression 24 W -- which now has a name, Tropical Storm Durian. It shouldn't be a major problem on Guam -- other than a lot of standing water. However, on Ulithi and Yap they're probably battening down the hatches -- although they've all seen worse -- much worse. The picture was taken on our back patio during this afternoon's downpour.

Weather watching

Weather watching is a major pastime out here in the Western Pacific. I'm adapting to local custom and have taken note of the following bulletin which explains why we woke up to a windy wet morning:

BULLETIN
TROPICAL DEPRESSION 24W ADVISORY NUMBER 1
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TIYAN GU
800 AM GUAM LST SUN NOV 26 2006

...TROPICAL DEPRESSION 24W HAS FORMED SOUTH OF GUAM...

AS OF 8 AM GUAM LST...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR YAP...
NGULU...ULITHI AND FAIS IN YAP STATE. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF
39 MPH OR MORE ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED FOR ONE OR MORE OF THESE LOCATIONS
LATER TODAY.

INTERESTS IN GUAM AND THE NORTHERN MARIANAS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR
THE PROGRESS OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION 24W UNTIL IT MOVES SAFELY WEST
OF THE ISLANDS.

Random

...European universities know they have to change or die -- but they're afraid of "Americanization." Still, they're moving forward.

Random

...This is National Bible Week. My general all-around favorite English translation these days is the TNIV. But I also use the ESV for study and depend on the NLT and CEV for clarity (especially when working with youth and English as Second Language readers). One of the up and coming translations for serious students is the NET -- the first truly electronic translation of the Bible. It comes from a bunch of Dallas Theological Seminary scholars -- and their friends -- with major input from Internet readers.

...I didn't know that some of the IVP New Testament commentaries were available online for free. I always learn something new when I visit Ultra Rev's blog.

...No surprise, but still major news -- the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin (Central Valley of California) is attempting to leave the Episcopal Church. Up to this point the exit has mainly involved individuals and parishes (congregations). The diocese consists of 50 parishes.

...The number of Cowboy churches is growing. I suppose such churches are good for people who don't want to mix it up with Indians or city slickers. And perhaps that's the problem. While missionally expedient (I'm certain that a lot of outstanding things are happening in these churches), I would again suggest that the theology of doing church in a way that targets a tightly niched sub-cultural is fragile and ultimately undercuts the radical nature of the gospel.

...Bookmark: TV on the web -- links for those looking for online video content.

...Putting Christ back in the YMCA -- LA Times article.

...The Filipinos will land first. The Marines will follow. One of the few things I've figured out since moving to Guam is that if all the low-paid Filipino laborers decided to take a day off most of Asia would come to a screeching halt.

Happy Thanksgiving!

...We received an offer on our California house today. Keep praying, please.

...We found Cheryl's missing clothes. We had stashed them in our dryer when we packed the container in California. But we've had the appliance in storage at PIBC because we don't yet have a place to hook it up; so we hadn't opened it up. When I woke up this morning the ole brain had processed the mystery enough to send me looking there.

...We did Thanksgiving dinner with the students and staff at PIBC -- that was fun! Cheryl was up a little after 6 a.m. to get our 28 pound contribution to dinner into the oven. There were a few minutes of confusion before we found where we had stashed the turkey pan. (Camping -- even in a house gets old.) I think there were four turkeys as well as a ham -- along with all the trimmings.

...In the evening we were at Jeff & Mary Johnson's with a few others, sitting around and chatting after a round of cards, when the earthquake hit. It was a nice shake -- no damage -- not even one panicked look.

Random

...Terry Mattingly: On trying to market the mass to the masses. It's not really just a Roman Catholic issue.

Random

...One of our faculty members reports that a female Micronesian student interrupted class to ask a question that had just found words, "Why can't I be a pastor?" I think the lightbulb had just clicked on. She'd be a good one -- if her church and culture would let her.

...Church website of the week -- Messiah Church in Detroit -- an historic church with a lot of spunk -- not just for its age -- but for any congregation.

...Another seed has sprouted and now we have four key lime seedlings. I know that you've been wondering. :-)

..."The incoming Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means panel says he will introduce a bill to reinstitute a military draft in order to provide the US with more troops..." The Democrats, who campaigned against the Republican war-machine, now that they have power, are already at a loss and are grasping at straws.

...The reason that there aren't enough people in the labor-force to maintain Boomer Social Security benefits -- 49 million people were aborted before they could make a contribution. Keith Drury is musing on the immigration issue.

Daily Texts / WatchWords

Copies of the 2007 Daily Texts are now available. These are Bible texts selected annually by the Moravian Church and printed in book form since 1731. I use the version that is published by Mount Carmel Ministries and which contains extras such as Luther's Small Catechism, the Lectionary, and several prayer formats. There is also some room for journaling. This is a great little devotional book.

A single copy is about $9. If you order 10 or more they are $6 each, with additional breaks for quantity orders. Mount Carmel Ministries provided free copies for my spiritual formation class this semester.

Many of the German Liebenzell missionaries out here in the Pacific also use the same Daily Text -- although their version is called "Losungen" -- or "WatchWords." There are several online versions of the same thing, including a downloadable program which generates the appropriate text for each day (German or English versions). The Moravian Church in North America offers a daily email with the text. However, none of these great tools have the nice feel and appearance of the Mount Carmel edition.

Random

...I've uploaded some PIBC photos from Island Formal Day and the Spiritual Emphasis Weekend Retreat at Rios Beach.

...The French are embracing evangelical Christianity. The figure is now up to 2% of the population, which is major growth.

...Archbishop Anthony Apuron (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agana) is encouraging lawmakers to begin discussing ways to make Guam a "gambling-free island." Pretty gutsy. The church stopped using bingo and raffles in 1997 so they could maintain a credible voice against organized gambling.

...SM, a department store chain from the Philippines, has opened a store on Guam. I'm not sure how to describe it -- perhaps an Asian fusion of Wal-Mart and Mervyn's. Anyway, it was packed today when we bought some flip-flops and a candle. The competition should be good for Guam.

Random

...Religious conservatives give away a lot more money than liberals according to a new book by behavioral economist Arthur Brooks.

...An incredibly disturbing video of UCLA police officers tasering a student who refused to produce his student ID or leave the library is showing up everywhere on the Internet. The incident was captured on video by a bystander -- apparently using a cell phone. Regardless of how uncooperative and obnoxious the student was he didn't appear to threaten the officers in any way.

It looks like both the student and the officers were out of line. This is one of those situations where some wisdom coupled with professional negotiating skills could have resolved the situation without any "show of force."

I suspect that at the very least the department will lose authoritization to use tasers. Furthermore, the student has hired a lawyer and plans to file a lawsuit. There have been student demonstrations since the Tuesday night incident and the acting chancellor has brought in an independent investigator.

What a needless mess.

Random

...The first 10 of the $100 laptops designed for the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project have shipped. The "B1" has AMD's Geode processor, 128mb of RAM, 500mb of flash memory, runs Linux, and is Shrek Green -- my favorite color. The idea is that providing laptops to children in developing countries will jump start educational and social development.

...Tsunami prediction isn't yet an exact science, as they discovered in Crescent City. A 5-foot surge hit a few hours after the tsunami warning was canceled.

Random

...The weather report says that Turlock can expect fog today. There were only two things that I disliked about living in Turlock -- the lingering bone-aching ground fog during the winter months and the extra layer of dust during the fall almond harvest. All things considered, those are two small things -- but I do thoroughly enjoy the unending fog-free warmth of Guam. And there's not much dust here, either. Although it can get smoky if all of the neighbors decide to burn their garbage at once.

...Two of the historic flagships of evangelicalism within the Episcopal Church, Truro and The Falls Church, are going to vote on leaving the denomination. No real surprise.

...Additional evidence suggesting that chocolate is good for more than the soul. This kind of information should not be taken lightly.

...Handout from my spiritual formation class yesterday -- .pdf file. How to use the Lord's Prayer as a pattern or template for your own prayer activity.

Tsunami Warning!

Guam was under a tsunami warning for awhile last night after the 8.1 earthquake in Japan. I know that because I saw the headlines today. Fortunately we live on high ground in Mangilao (We may not have water pressure half the time but we don't worry about tsunamis). However, our friends Jeff and Mary Johnson live above the Lutheran Church in Hagatna -- which is right on the beach. They didn't hear about the tsunami warning until today either.

Of course, it didn't really matter because the expected tsunami was only supposed to be 1 foot -- this time. And it never materialized here. But there is something wrong when we don't hear about warnings until the next day -- in the PDN.

A couple of months ago some GovGuam official was tooting his horn because supposedly we're the most disaster-ready place in the US.

If only that were true!

At the very least, the following should have happened Wednesday night:

1) Activation of the emergency alert system to be broadcast over all radio and television stations.

2) Activation of emergency warning sirens along the shoreline.

3) An emergency text-message should have been sent to every active cell phone on the island.

4) Emergency equipment in low-lying areas should have been sent to higher ground.

Perhaps numbers #1 and #4 happened. I don't know. I suspect that there aren't many emergency warning sirens on the island (I haven't heard any tests since I've been here) -- so that rules out #2. And #3 is a service provided (required) in many places around the world but not yet on Guam.

If Wednesday night's "drill" is any indicator -- we aren't really all that ready, yet.

Key Lime!

Three of the key lime seeds that Katy Dockter sent to me, and which I planted on November 2nd, have sprouted! Small joys. I can already taste the pie.

Random

...The UC Merced fighting Fairy Shrimp? Yes, that new school is forming an identity.

...Google CEO Eric Schmidt wants to turn cell phone service into a free ad-supported service. Personally, I'd be happy with some consistent service -- free or other-wise.

...Scot McKnight on Brian McClaren -- gracious as usual.

...The Da Vinci Code DVD has been released. Yawn.

...Java has been released -- and is now open source. Cheer.

Quiz Question

Students in my spiritual formation class tomorrow morning can expect to see
the following question on the surprise quiz:

When Boa says that “Growth in prayer is similar to growth in marriage; just as romantic love alone cannot sustain a marriage for very long, so a relationship with God that is driven solely by feelings becomes shallow and unstable. The quest for fervent experiences and tangible results is the mark of a psychocentric approach to prayer. If we are to mature into theocentric prayer, we must be weaned of our dependence on feelings and press on to purity of intention and will even when positive sensations are absent. We must stop measuring the quality of our times of prayer and meditation by how well we feel during them, since difficult and apparently fruitless times of prayer may contribute more to our development than times of consolation and enthusiasm.” (p. 171, Conformed to His Image) he is suggesting that:

________ prayer is a psychological disorder

________ prayer is confusing

________ prayer that emphasizes feelings is shallow

________ feelings have no place in our prayer life

Arminian Theology

Some great stuff from Roger Olson's new book Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities (ChristianBook.com link \ Amazon.com link):

>> "The point here is that both sides (and perhaps all significant theological systems) involve mystery, and in making their theological systems perfectly intelligible, mystery is a problem. Ironically, both sides tend to point out the other's weakness in appealing to mystery without acknowledging their own..." (p. 72)

>> "Thus it appears that people are not Calvinists or Arminians because one side has proven itself right, but because these people can find one set of mysteries (or problems) easier to live with than the other." (p. 72)

>> "So what is the solution? Why be either a Calvinist or an Arminian? At rock bottom some Christians are Calvinists because when they read Scripture (or perhaps examine their own experience) they see God as almighty, supremely glorious, absolutely sovereign and the all-determining reality. This is their 'blik,' the synthetic vision that guides the hermeneutics of individual passages." (p. 72)

>> "Of course, both sides recognize some truth in the other perspective, Calvinists acknowledge God as loving and merciful (especially toward the elect), and Arminians acknowledge God as almighty and sovereign. Both believe that God is supremely great and good. But one side starts with God's goodness and conditions God's greatness in that light. Each has its 'blik' which largely determines how it interprets Scripture." (p. 73)

>> "Contrary to popular belief, then, the true divide at the heart of the Calvinist-Arminian splits is not predestination verses free will but the guiding picture of God: he is primarily viewed as either (1) majestic, powerful, and controlling or (2) loving, good, and merciful. Once the picture (blik) is established, seemingly contrary aspects fade into the background, are set aside as 'obscure' or are artificially made to fit the system. Neither side absolutely denies the truth of the other's perspective, but each one qualifies the attributes of God that are preeminent in the other's perspective. God's goodness is qualified by his greatness in Calvinism, and God's greatness is qualified by his goodness in Arminianism." (p. 73)

Random

...Church website of the week -- New Life Worship Community -- the reinvention of First Covenant Church, San Jose, California, where I grew up. This is a great little church which reached its heyday in the late 50's/early 60's -- but which has struggled ever since to keep up with the changing community -- including the growing multi-cultural mix and the emergence of the Silicon Valley phenomena. It hasn't been an easy transition -- lots of bunny trails over the years -- some misunderstanding, hurt feelings, mistakes, and controversy -- but at least they're on the move. Revitalizing an old church has got to be a thousand times more difficult than starting a new one.

...More than you think you want to know about Kumbaya.

...If the exodus continues at the current rate there are not going to be any Palestinian Christians left in the Holy Land in 60 years. "The native Palestinian Christian population has dipped below 2 percent of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Arab East Jerusalem, down from 15 percent or more a half-century ago, by some estimates. Meanwhile, the Muslim Palestinian birthrate is among the highest in the world." -- Washington Times

...Perhaps I'll paint a mural somewhere in our next house.

...Burger King -- the movie? It's all a part of an original content marketing strategy.

I suspect that perhaps some food improvement would raise their share of the market, too. Then if they actually put a little money into restaurant maintenance -- kept the restrooms clean, wiped the tables -- that kind of thing -- back to the basics -- the King might rule the fastfood world! No movie necessary.

Random

...The TNIV translation of the Bible is now available online utilizing the Real Player audio format. Numerous readers. Listen for free.

...One in six college students in the US (about 3.2 million people) took at least one online course last fall. And the numbers are rising.

...Is web 3.0 possible? NY Times article

...Email etiquette rule #242: Never send something as an attachment if the information can be embedded into the email itself. Attachments are a pain in the butt and not as easy to manage as the emails they are attached to.

...I made my first Walmart.com purchase today -- $17.34 for the Cars DVD (including shipping) -- even cheaper than Amazon.com -- at least for shipping to Guam. The cheapest I've seen it on Guam is $23+ (including tax). There is no Wal-Mart on Guam -- only the world's largest and most profitable K-Mart.

Random

...Peter Lumpkins has an interview with Roger Olson on Arminianism. Part 1 \ Part 2 \ Part 3. I understand that there might be a part 4 on the way.

I happen to be in the middle of Roger Olson's new book Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities ChristianBook.com link \ Amazon.com link. It's actually a pretty easy read but I've not had enough time to do it justice. I need to get through it, though, because I've been told that I'm probably going to teach a class in soteriology (study of salvation) next semester.

My own thinking, formed during my reading of the early church fathers and how they understood scripture, tends to be somewhat synergistic. (I'm not at all hard core on this -- just an observation of how I tend to approach scripture.) So I find the way that Olson expresses the notion of synergistic salvation to be of particular interest.

If you don't know what I just said, you can read Peter Lumpkins' interview and you'll get the Reader's Digest version of the book -- not too complicated once you learn the lingo.

...Cheryl and I have been hanging out with the good folks at the Lutheran Church of Guam. But tomorrow we won't be there because I'm preaching at Guam United Methodist Church. Cheryl works 15/hours a week in their office and their pastor Daisy Ho has become a good friend to us.

...Paradigm shift in youth ministry. Even Time magazine has noticed that the emphasis on fun and games is over.

...I'm just learning about coconuts. But from everything I know so far, the tree dropping coconuts in this commercial isn't a coconut tree. However, the commercial is mildly amusing.

Pictures!

...Kent has pictures from his Rio excursion.

...I have pictures of our current home. (We're renting -- hopefully temporarily -- still feels like we're camping, though)

...I also have pictures from the PIBC chapel yesterday -- as well as the dedication and tour of the Cannex -- the new men's dorm -- made from two cargo containers.

Random

...I've posted a bunch of PIBC pictures from today.

...Ed Bradley has died

...I suspect the reason that we still see campaign ads on television is that no one on Guam really believes that the election is actually over and will not believe it until the court rules it so. And even that ruling will probably be challenged by someone. The problem seems to be that the Election Commission doesn't follow their own procedures. Add to that a lot of irregularities that just come with being on Guam -- such as the power going out while the machines are tabulating votes. So it all goes on and on.

...My Firefox randomly stopped working last night. I tried uninstalling it but Windows doesn't recognize it as existing on the computer so it won't uninstall. But it's still there. System restore doesn't fix the problem. Suggestions?

Four years ago today

My first blog post was on November 10th, 2002.

Random

...Washington Post story: "Let's stop stero-typing Evangelicals" -- a little sanity in the midst of a lot of chaos.

Baptism Cannonball!!!

Random

...Banks are asking the Federal Reserve for more $2 bills. Last year they ordered $122 million in $2 notes -- twice as many as they usually ask for.

What exactly are the banks doing with those bills? As far as I can tell they aren't putting them into circulation. I'm not sure what we'd do with them if they did. No one has been able to persuade the designers of cash registers that there should be drawer space for the $2 note. But the demand continues to grow.

...Finland, Iceland, and New Zealand are in a three-way tie as the least corrupt countries, according to information released by Transparency International. The US and Chile are sharing the #20 spot.

...The Oakland A's are leaving Oakland -- or so it appears.

...Somebody educate me. The polls are closed. The election is over. The votes are being counted. But they're still running the political commercials on television. Interpretation please. I'm new to Guam.

Random

...Making your Christmas wishlist? How about a SnowFluke!

Actually, I'd like to buy a Fluke someday but probably not a SnowFluke. The natural/tenor would suit me better.

A Fluke is a type of ukulele with a surprisingly rich sound -- largely due to the unique shape and hardshell back.

I bet that someone on your Christmas list might actually get a kick out of the SnowFluke. Warning -- they're not cheap. But you can't go wrong with a uke -- especially if it's a Fluke. At least that's how I see it. :-)

...Bookmark: Mike's Ukulele Page -- everything you need to know for playing your new SnowFluke!

...Keith Drury is wondering -- "How come so many 'big guys' get caught in sexual indiscretion? My thinking is that they all need ukes to keep from taking themselves too seriously.

...Kent met Hans Blix.

...Church website of the week -- Church of the Exiles in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. They are a little off the wall but I appreciate their commitment to maintaining a level of connecteness beyond themselves. They are affiliated with the Free Methodist Church of Canada. Their use of a blog as the church website fits well with the dynamic nature of this new church plant.

...We get 2.5 television stations on Guam -- via broadcast (We'd be paying $51.14/month to the cable company if we got "basic" from them -- no consumer satellite coverage in this part of the world = no competition). The one that comes in best is KUAM channel 8 -- but they've almost preempted all programming so they can show the same political commercials over and over and over again.

After tomorrow things should return to their normal level of static.

Evangelical or Evangelist?

All of the news coverage about the fall of Ted Haggard is once again highlighting the fact that the media is unfamiliar with evangelical culture -- and lingo. One of the most glaring mistakes they make is confusing the words evangelical and evangelist. (UPDATE: USA Today corrected the headline which referred to Haggard as an evangelist in the linked story.)

An evangelist is someone who proclaims the "evangel" (good news) with the intention of calling people to conversion. In the broadest sense all preachers are evangelists because they proclaim good news. But in the more common sense an evangelist is someone who specializes in preaching to, or "winning", unconverted people. Billy Graham is an evangelists in that sense.

An evangelical is someone who identifies with evangelical emphases. Traditionally the emphases which define evangelicalism are: the authority of the Bible, the necessity of personal faith in Christ Jesus, and a globally focused mission-mindedness. While evangelicals are passionate about challenging people to turn to Christ, not all evangelicals are necessarily evangelists.

Evangelicalism is actually a broad set of movements. In the US you can find evangelicals in all of the mainline churches. There are, as well, some denominations which are defined by their evangelical emphases. And then within the last 30 years there has been a proliferation of independent evangelical churches, such as that which Haggard started in Colorado Springs.

Ted Haggard was also the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, a blanket organization which represents many evangelicals and evangelical churches.

As far as I know he is an evangelical but he isn't known as an evangelist.

Random

...Ted Haggard has been removed from helm of the megachurch he started. I don't want to comment on the nature of his sin but I do want to note that the church's systems had enough structural integrity and independence that they were able to remove him from office. This suggests a level of health at the church.

The leadership of New Life Church in Colorado Springs expects to find a replacement by the end of the year. However, such expectations are probably unrealistic -- and even if it were possible they are perhaps rushing things a bit. They need to let the dust settle a little and to give people a chance to heal emotionally. They should wait at least six months -- perhaps as long as a year before choosing a permanent replacement.

...I've added a few new posts to our ministry blog -- our most recent newsletter and a blurb about our on campus bloggers.

...We were supposed to go with Pastor Jeff Johnson (Lutheran Church of Guam) to the prison to help lead worship this evening. But the prison never got around to clearing our applications. So we stayed home.

...I'm opposed to capital punishment -- regardless of how heinous the crime. Hanging Saddam won't solve the problems of Iraq. Nor is there really any justice in that. There are other options. Violence begets more violence.

...Microsoft is giving away accounting software designed for small businesses.

Picture time

Dave Husby, the Asia regional coordinator for Covenant World Mission, took this picture of Cheryl and me when he was visiting with us a little over a month ago. We were touring the islands and stopped at the Mangilao Golf Course for the view. The course is less than a mile from where we now live and about a mile from PIBC. The ocean in the background is the Pacific, as we're on the east side of the island. Click on the picture to enlarge.

Random

...I've been waiting all afternoon for a phone call from Pay-Less Supermarkets. They held a drawing this afternoon for a $25,000 prize. I wonder if my phone is out of order.

...Perhaps Arizona residents will have better "lucky." Their Prop 200 on Tuesday's ballot would authorize a ballot box lottery, in which a $1 million prize would go to a randomly selected Arizona voter. Is it a bribe or incentive?

...Bookmark: SlideShares -- software that enables you to put your slide presentation online.

Evacuations

Missionary friends and colleagues Cindy Hoover, Jo Ellen Reeves, and Laura Rodriguez have all safely evacuated from Oaxaca, Mexico after the violent protests spilled over into their neighborhood. 

Random

..."Researchers at the Harvard Medical School and the National Institute on Aging report that a natural substance found in red wine, known as resveratrol, offsets the bad effects of a high-calorie diet in mice and significantly extends their lifespan."

So that's why the French eat so much fatty food and have so little heart diesease. Mystery solved. And a new industry is born. Move over Viagra -- expect to get spammed with offers for resveratrol pills.

...We're experiencing near drought conditions on Guam. I haven't seen it rain in two days.

...The price of gas on the island has dropped below $3/gallon for the first time in a million years -- $2.98.

Buying Groceries

We went to American Grocery to pick up a few things this evening. And the lines were outrageously long. All the checkers were working -- with at least 20 people in almost every line -- many with two carts overflowing with rice and canned goods.

"What's going on?" I asked Cheryl, "maybe there's a typhoon on the way."

Then we spotted one checker with only a single customer in line.

We pulled the 10 items from our cart, abandoning it in the gridlocked aisle, and excused our way through the crowd to the more desirable cash register line.

When it was our turn I asked the checker why her line was so short.

"It's broken," she said.

"Broken?"

"Yes, the machine that reads the food stamps doesn't work at this cash register."

Ah, the light-bulbs simultaneously jolted on in our aging brains -- the first of the month!

And if it weren't for a technology failure we'd still be standing in line.

Of course, the fact that tomorrow is a holiday for much of Guam -- "All Souls Day" -- probably added to the chaos. People will be off work and school. Families will go to mass to pray for their dead relatives, visit the cemeteries, and then gather in homes -- to eat -- food -- lots and lots of food.

In the future we'll probably try to avoid shopping on the 1st -- especially November 1st.

Random

...New blog worth noting -- Worship: Connection. "The Worship Connection Blog is a key place for conversations on worship -- theology, practice, trends and resources. It’s mainly a collection of posts and articles from Covenant pastors, leaders, scholars and artists who are passionate about Christian worship."

...In spite of all the Halloween candy and costumes in the stores for months, we didn't have a single trick or treater this evening. We are kind of tucked off the beaten path. I suppose this means that we'll have to eat the Snicker's bars ourselves. Hopefully Santa will be able to find our duplex at Christmas.

Random

...Occasionally, Aaron buzzes the PIBC campus. Everyone gets a kick out of it. His wife, Hollie, is one of the student ministry coordinators.

...We've moved -- again. The amazing thing is that we now have everything in only two places -- some appliances are at PIBC but all of our boxes and furniture are in the duplex. It's so disorganized at the moment that we can barely move about in the rooms. But it's all under one roof. Hopefully we'll have Internet working by this evening.

...I'm pooped. In addition to moving stuff this weekend I preached twice at the Lutheran Church of Guam.

...Scot McKnight was interviewed by Stan Friedman. Scot has a new book on Mary coming out.

...Everett Wilson has a blog. He's always thought provoking.

...Even though Guam is in the Northern Hemisphere and is a part of the US (technically) we don't do the Daylight Savings thing. We're just 13 degrees north of the equator so there isn't much variance in daylight throughout the year -- about 12 hours of light, 12 hours of dark, 12 months a year. IOW, while the rest of the country was trying to reprogram the clocks on their VCR's this weekend we didn't do anything. We are now 18 hours ahead of California time.

...Church website of the week -- The Oasis Church in England.

We're connected!

They got the cable connected to our duplex this evening. So, we're no longer living on a deserted island. What did we do before the Internet? (Watched television?)

Random

...Spotted in the frontyard yesterday morning -- a White-browed crake (Bako). This rail walks like a cat on the hunt -- very slowly and decisively. There aren't too many birds on Guam but those which have survived the Brown Tree Snake invasion are really interesting.

...College tuition and fees are up 6.3% for the 2006-07 academic year. With an adjustment for inflation, prices rose just 2.4% -- the smallest jump in six years.

...Arrived in the mail today, Roger Olson's new book Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities (ChristianBook.com Link). Those of us who are more synergistic in our understanding of how God's salvation works have been waiting for something like this for a long time. You don't even have to understand what I just said in order to understand and appreciate this book. Olson makes reading easy. Amazon.com link

...Dell is launching a sub-$500 laptop next month.

Random

...Bishop NT Wright has one of the best, short biblically-sound explanations of the second coming and so-called rapture passage in the New Testament. This isn't as complicated, nor as sensational, as certain authors and preachers want to make it.

...Another Episcopal Church walks out the door.

...Firefox 2.0 is available for download. However, I'll wait awhile until the extensions catch up with the version and some of the glitches people are reporting get worked out. Maybe Firefox 2.1.

...Google has a new customizable search engine. "Users of Google Custom Search Engine will be able to select the websites they want to be included in their searches, and add to this list in future by 'tagging' websites they visit."

..."Tech unites, not divides 'Family 2.0'" It may or may not be true. But what else would you expect from a survey conducted by Yahoo and an ad agency.

Random

...Anglican watchers might be interested in the report prepared by William Tighe in response to a Vatican request. Now that the pope has a program he should be able to tell who the players are.

...I walked out the door without a camera on Saturday. Fortunately, Melissa brought one to the beach BBQ.

...Church website of the week -- Evangelical Covenant Church, International Falls. Minnesota.

Random

...The Guam phonebook is online.

...Married couples are now a minority in the US.

Agnus Day

This is the new Agnus Day cartoon that highlights today's Gospel text -- Mark 10:35-45.

Random

...Bookmark: GMBMG -- initiates a Google search that eliminates all of the "affiliate" results. That is, you get cleaner and more to the point results. (via)

...I've put pictures of the PIBC campus construction up on our Guam ministry blog.

...The trend continues -- female domination of the colleges. So, what are the guys doing? Construction? High tech - high paying jobs which don't require college? Not everyone needs to go to college but there are problems that come when we relegate education to one gender or another.

...A billion cell phones will be sold around the world this year -- and that's with less-than-stellar service options.

...Citing the failure of the election commission to follow its own rules in properly certifying the measure, a Guam judge has removed Prop A from the November ballot. The measure, which was initiated by some high profile emergency room physicians, would have raised the drinking age on Guam from 18 to 21. There were people destined to lose a lot of money if it passed.

This fiasco highlights the systemic level of governmental incompetence, as well as the circus atmosphere which goes with politics here. Nothing can be done simply and straightforward. You just never know what's going to happen and nothing ever gets settled. I really doubt that this will be the end of this story.

This is not just a public safety issue but now that it has been established that even moderate drinking among young adults under the age of 21 impairs brain-development it seems that people would get the message. By definition it is impossible for the pre-21 set to drink responsibly. Could it be, though, that the island suffers because so many of the people in public office themselves drank before the age of 21 and are now mentally impaired? I'm just thinking aloud, looking for explanations as to why things are the way they are here. I'm refusing to chalk all of this craziness up to cultural differences.

Random

...The Wright Act has been repealed -- opening up more possibilities for North Texas fliers. It was really frustrating when we lived in the Dallas-Ft Worth Metroplex to have to change planes for no good reason after flying out of Love Field. This is a victory for consumers on many levels.

...Lettuce doesn't grow on Guam nor does it look very good once it arrives from the States. However, the cabbage in the store looks and tastes great! I think I like it on ham sandwiches even better than lettuce.

Random

...It arrived with the mail today -- the first large print Bible that I've purchased for myself. Of course, I only plan to use it when my eyes are tired. :-)

...The duplex apartment that we were going to move into today wasn't ready. So, we're back at Dave and Joyce Owen's -- which is actually where our bed has been stored for a few weeks. So we get to sleep in our own bed tonight for the first time in two months.

...Quotable: "Premoderns placed their trust in authority. Moderns lost their confidence in authority and placed it in human reason instead. Postmoderns kept the modern distrust of authority but lost their trust in reason and have found nothing to replace it. This is the crux of postmodern thought." -- Heath White, Postmodernism 101: A First Course for the Curious Christian, p. 41 (A great little easy and fun primer on postmodernism and the preceeding Western world views -- a must read for anyone who is still trying to figure out all this "postmodern stuff.")

Random

...Quotable: "...Satan can oppress us only while are are controlled by the flesh. He cannot defeat the life of Christ in us." -- Ken Boa, Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation, p. 114. (This is the text that my spiritual formation students are reading. Warning! This quote might appear on a quiz in some way shape or form!)

...Church website of the week -- Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC. See for yourself.

...The water is out in our part of Mangilao tonight. We had pressure problems this morning but now there is nothing to pressurize. The little Chuukese kids who live next door are probably lost since they play with the hose almost all day long. When they're not playing with it their mothers are using it to wash clothes outside -- the old fashioned way -- applying soapy water, then beating the clothing on the concrete, followed by a rinse from the hose -- if the children are kind enough to share. But none of that is happening right now.

...We're supposed to move tomorrow to our fourth living situation since arriving on Guam two months ago. However, we'll see if the people for whom we are currently housesitting make it back from the States tomorrow. They are scheduled to fly through Hawaii but travel through there is messed up because of the earthquake and related power outages.

...Roman Catholic "ultraconservatives" should be happy. The Pope is once again allowing the regular use of the pre-Vatican 2 Latin Mass.

..."Just one word -- plastic." At least one DC cafe no longer accepts cash.

Going Bananas on Guam

The bananas in the grocery store are labeled as "American Bananas" -- except the sticker actually says they're grown in Ecuador. (Kind of makes me wonder about the South African oranges they sell.)

American bananas ONLY cost .79 - .89 cents/pound. Bananas grown on Guam cost $2.50/pound! Of course, if I had a machete I'd walk out the back door, venture into the jungle a few feet, and harvest some of my own -- for free. Somebody please explain the economics of banana pricing.

The only green bananas are local fruit. Any American bananas purchased in the store will turn soft in a day or two after purchase. So we buy only a few at a time.

Random

...Any new, continuing, or transfer student who is a resident of Washington State and meets financial need requirements, is eligible for free tuition and fee waivers at the University of Washington in a new program which starts next year. The university expects to support about 5,000 undergraduates a year through the program.

A small investment that will pay big dividends for Washington.

...Ironically, this is from a website: "Should teenagers and others in the Church express themselves to the world through blogs? Because of the obvious dangers; the clear biblical principles that apply; the fact that it gives one a voice; that it is almost always idle words; that teens often do not think before they do; that it is acting out of boredom; and it is filled with appearances of evil -- blogging is simply not to be done in the Church. It should be clear that it is unnecessary and in fact dangerous on many levels.

"Let me emphasize that no one -- including adults -- should have a blog or personal website (unless it is for legitimate business purposes)."

-- Restored Church of God (Sounds like one of the groups which splintered off when the Worldwide Church of God veered toward orthodoxy)

...The University of Phoenix is now the largest private accredited university in North America, with 296,000 students, and 191 campuses and learning centers. Incredible numbers.

Random

...I've added new Flickr pictures: Guam.Boydston.us -> left column Flickr badge -> Guam Fall 2006 (set). Or, you can just click here.

...Garry Trudeau has a new blog called "The Sandbox." US military people are sharing their experiences and uncensored views of the situation in Iraq.

...LA Times article: "A new book by a former White House official says that President Bush's top political advisors privately ridiculed evangelical supporters as 'nuts' and 'goofy' while embracing them in public and using their votes to help win elections."

Yeah, so what. Some of us ARE nuts! And they're politicians -- two-faced almost by definition. Where's the news?

...QUALCOMM is going to cease commercial development of the Eudora email program. All future versions will be free and based on the same platform as the open source Mozilla Thunderbird email client.

I've been Eudora dependent for years and I'm wondering if this is the end of a great email program or a new and exciting development. I'm apprehensive.

...Sure to make you smile -- a carload of teens sing their order at a McDonald's drive-thru -- GoogleVideo.

...Faster than DSL -- new technology brings copper wiring up to fiber-optic speed (almost).

Agnus Day

This is next Sunday's Agnus Day, based on Mark 10:17-31.

Random

...Researchers are contending that there is no positive correlation between the amount of homework given and academic achievement. I suspect the jury is still out.

...The NY Times has a major piece on religion-based tax-breaks -- probably more info than you want to know. But it's a helpful explanation of some of the issues.

...Singapore is narrowing the digital gap with free-wireless for everyone and 10,000 subsidized computers for low-income students. At least one island understands the economic power of Internet access.

The scoop on citrus on Guam

Somehow the Guam distributor of Coca-Cola hasn't figured out that there is more than one kind of Diet Coke. For example, they don't know what Diet Coke Caffeine-Free or Diet-Coke with Lime are.

I figured out a solution to the lime problem, though -- calamansi. A few drops of calamansi juice in Diet Coke does wonders for the flavor. Now I'm wondering why the US hasn't figured out about calamansi.

The Filipinos call them limes. This citrus is a kumquat-size fruit which is common in yards on Guam. However, I doubt that the calamansi is a true lime. I would guess that it's really just a small very acidic mandarin orange.

Many people squeeze the juice to make a lemonade-like drink (requires lots of sugar).

I've been asking plant people on Guam if anyone grows Key limes. They look at me funny and then I say, "Sometimes they're called West Indies limes or Mexican limes."

Nope, they've never heard of them.

I figured out tonight that perhaps I should be asking about dayaps. Dayap is the Filipino name for Key lime. I still don't know if anyone grows them here but there are enough Filipinos around that someone should know what I'm asking for.

Just thinking about it makes my mouth water -- dayap lime pie.

Thank you for humoring me when I start to ramble about citrus. It's just one of my things.

Random

...Dan Whitmarsh is listed as a contributor in Mark Baker's forthcoming book Proclaiming the Scandal of the Cross: Contemporary Images of the Atonement. This all came about when Dan was one of Mark's students at Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Fresno.

...As best as I can remember I've not been sick on a Sunday for at least 22 years. But the flu that's been making its way through the PIBC family hit me at about 2 a.m., Sunday. I'm feeling better now -- functioning at about 85%. But it all reminded me of my friend Tom Walker who because of some medical malpractice years ago ended up with a reconstructed intestinal system. He feels like he has the flu pretty much everyday.

...70% of the French people support a new ban on smoking in public which will go into effect January 2008.

...Fuller Theological Seminary is starting a Houston, Texas operation.

...US government officials say Cuban President Fidel Castro is suffering from terminal cancer -- Cuban government officials say "not so." Some things never change.

...The banks in the rest of the US are closed today because of Columbus Day. In Guam they're closed because of Discovers' Day.

Random

...We have found a place to live -- at least temporarily.

...Kent has gone to Brazil for the week.

...Free college education online.

...Christian "Renewalists" are growing in number.

Random

...No, we do not intend to bury a statue of St Joseph in the yard to help move our Turlock property. If St Joe is on an intercessory mission for homesellers there is no reason to even suspect that he cares diddly-squat about whether people bury a statue of him in a yard. If anything I think he'd be insulted that he was being invoked in such a trite manner -- as a good luck charm -- a religious rabbit's foot.

It sounds like someone has a great fundraiser going, though.

...Worth noting -- Keith Drury on Problem Based learning (PBL) -- "There is no Syllabus for Life"

...There is a NY Times article on the loss of evangelical youth and the "panic" that it has created in the minds of some church leaders. The finger pointing is toward the secularization of society. My sense, though, is that a lot of it has to do with over-programming youth discipleship and the inconsistencies young people see between the right-wing politics of evangelicalism and the gospel -- that is, lack of integrity.

...Citing irregularities, the Attorney General of Guam, who lost big time in the primary election, is seeking to have that election thrown out by the Superior Court. Just one more way to waste money and jockey for power on this little rock in the middle of the Pacific.

...There is a move afoot in the Netherlands to create a Muslim only hospital. Over the years other faiths have created hospitals -- except they haven't done so with the intent of excluding others. People of all faith persuasions are welcomed at Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Protestant hospitals.

The Bike

I spent six hours in a meeting today -- a meeting which should have taken two. It's a long story. But at the end I just had to get my bike out and go for a short ride -- my first since arriving on Guam.

I really didn't go very far or onto any main streets. It's pretty dangerous out on the main roads. But even on the back streets you have to deal with boonie dogs and chickens -- the former of which you're trying to keep from making a meal of your ankles and the later of which you're trying to avoid grinding into the pitted pavement.

One of the more interesting things about riding the bike, though, is that it is so unusual here that everyone seems to notice it -- and comment on it. If you want to meet people on Guam ride down their street on a bike and someone will stop you to ask about it.

I wonder how many people know how to ride. I wonder how many secretly wish they could ride. Simple pleasures that Westerners take for granted.

Random

...UC Berkeley has started making class lectures available for free download through Google video. Finally, I can study structural aspects of biomaterials.

...Bookmark: resource for learning biblical languages online

...So far I haven't seen a decent tomato on Guam. We went to Wendy's for lunch today and they served a pale styrofoam-like tomato with Mary Johnson's salad. Sad.

...I received a Christianbook.com gift certificate via email today -- the commission on books you all have been buying through the "Sponsors" link to the right. I was able to order a couple of books the school needs -- Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities by Roger Olson and Choosing to Preach: A Comprehensive Introduction to Sermon Options and Structures by Kenton Anderson. Thank you.

Earthquake

Cheryl didn't feel it. But it woke me up at a bit past 1 a.m. this morning. A nice jolt -- not much roll to it. It was only 5.2 -- but significant. Located about 70 SW of Guam. This is just like being back in the San Francisco Bay Area where we grew up.

Random

...You can go pick up your license plates now. That shipment of 1,750 pairs of plates have arrived on Guam. Of course, all but 250 of them are already spoken for. But there are more on the way -- soon -- maybe. Just hurry down to the Department of Revenue and Taxation so you can stand in line to find out if you're one of the lucky ones.

...Church website of the week -- Be One! House/simple church in Japan. Website and blog are in Japanese and English -- mostly Japanese -- but even if you can't read it (I can't), it's still worth a glimpse at what God is doing there. Lots of younger people.

...California cults -- what's hot in 2006.

...Unmarried parents end up with more mental-health and behavioral problems than married parents, according to a new report.

Random

...Because of the Brown Tree snakes the other-than-chickens bird population on Guam is really small. You can go for days without seeing a bird. Since we're staying next to the University of Guam for a few weeks we've been doing our morning walks on campus. And we've noticed that they have lots of birds. I wonder if they're using the campus to test some kind of secret weapon that kills off all the snakes.

...I had the Spam, eggs, and rice breakfast at McDonald's this morning -- just for the experience. So now I can say, been there, done that.

...Dave and Joyce Owen have become grandparents.