Here and Now

As part of my Monday morning routine, I surfed over to the Church Marketing Sucks webiste and hit on an interesting post here . To summarize: Most people don't think about church. Why market a church? Because most people don't think about church. Ah, you may be thinking, "Of course they think about church. How could they NOT think about church?" Okay, maybe you're not thinking that - but for me, and for most people I know, well, we think about church. But that's because most people I know GO to church - it's part of us, part of who we are. I don't think about hair care products. I mean, really, have you seen my hair? I got it cut over the weekend and decided to do something different. Set the clippers on 4 instead of 3. Well, it is winter and that extra 1/8th of an inch might just keep me warmer. But I don't think about conditioners and gels and...paste? Really? Volumizers, restructurizers, um...what? I Googled hair products a moment ago...and was

I started reading two leadership books this week: Bill Hybels ' Ax.i.om: Powerful Leadership Proverbs and Seth Godin's Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us Tribes has an interesting (and pretty common sensical , if you ask me) premise: we all want to belong to something bigger than ourselves - and generally when we "join" we want to be with like-minded (or like-interested) people. We form tribes. We form tribes around common interests: The Deadheads who followed the Grateful Dead, Trekkies , Star Wars fans, comic collectors, train nuts ( heh , I am one), sports teams. We form tribes around common ideologies: the emergent church, the One campaign, politcal parties, social issues... We form tribes around the things that are important to us. Tribes are different from organizations. Tribal bonds are very strong - sometimes (and wrongfully, but realisticly ) stronger than family ties. Saturday golf outings, first day of buck season hunting camp, every night at the bar a

A friend of mine brings me coffee once or twice a week. Just stops in my office and chats and has a cup of "Seattle's Finest" with him for me. It's a real blessing to start my Mondays off that way. But today he handed me the cup and insted of the familiar red wrapped with brown, it's green & snowflakey wrapped with brown... What? Christmas already? I was going to give them the benefit of the doubt (you know, maybe it's a HOLIDAY cup) since the wrapper says, "Enjoy the little celebrations." But the cup itself says, "Seeing stockings filled with treats, small but sweet surprises."**** Sigh... Well, I guess I have no real reason to complain. It just seems like we push from Halloween (which was extremely profitable, despite the economy it seems) right into the next commercially viable holiday, Christmas. Watch, the day after Christmas the Valentine's day stuff gets put out (poor January, no big-selling holidays - I guess Martin Luther K

Friday Lori asked Elie, "What do you want for Christmas?" "Gum, and um...uh...Meatballs." "Really?" "Yeah, um, gum and meatballs." Now, you have to understand a tiny bit of backstory on this. First, gum is a treat for my kids. It's not that we withhold it from them, but they really like chewing gum. Sometimes they'll ask for a snack and it'll be gum... And Elie likes to have her own - not the gum that just everybody can have a piece of, but gum that is hers (which she will give you if you ask her...but that's not the point). And meatballs. Not just any meatballs. When we moved here Lori and I were really excited that there is an Olive Garden restaurant right nearby so we have gone there a few times (okay, more than a few - I like their food :) ). Anyway, at some point Elie discovered the meatballs in the wedding soup and that is her new favorite food (which works out well, in a way for us - because Rachel and I like the soup part,

This Saturday at Independence Middle School here in Bethel Park will be a concert featuring our own 11:01 band and another local band - Psalter... Here's the link for the Nyadire Connection. And here's the skinny on the event: THE NYADIRE CONNECTION PRESENTS Contemporary Christian Music Featuring Suzie Ackerman And The11:01 Band and Psalter Saturday, November 8, 2008 7pm Independence Middle School, Bethel Church Road, Bethel Park Tickets $10 for Students $15 for Adults 100% of the proceeds from the concert will go directly to the Nyadire United Methodist Mission in Zimbabwe . Suzie Ackerman and the 11:01 Band play for the Sunday morning Contemporary Service at Christ United Methodist Church (CUMC) and Psalter is a local comtemporary Christian band involved in the worship of various churches in the south hills. Call Christ UMC (412) 835-6621 for ticket information or stop by the CUMC Office weekdays 9:00am – 4:00pm

Yesterday was All Saints' Sunday - we ran a video with the names and pictures of those who have died over the past year here at Christ Church while the band sang Chris Rice's Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus). It was beautiful and moving. Many were older, some were too young - all are loved and are missed dearly and it doesn't matter that I don't know any of them. We're in this together - when one mourns, we all mourn, at least a little. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Adding to the roll in my heart this week - a friend who lost her baby and her family who mourn with her, a grandfather (who was much like a father to this young man) who passed suddenly over the weekend. Mourning lasts the night, but joy comes in the morning. My friend Aaron (whose blog Aaron Rambles I read regularly) posted last week that his adopted baby Tobiah has some trouble with his heart here . I'll be praying for Aaron and Marjorie and Corban and Tobiah. His post rem