practicing love in the bitter cold

Yesterday, the whole family (me, my wife Janice, and sons Richard and Philip) spent the evening as volunteers at His Glory Belvidere Outreach Mission, helping with their annual Joy of Christ toy giveaway.

There were hundreds of people who waited in a long line to get Christmas gifts for their children. There were dozens of volunteers there also. Everyone braved temperatures in the teens and brisk winds to be there.

I know that I got cold...in my expensive double-insulated winter coat, gloves and hat. But I saw many people standing in line wearing fall jackets with no hat or gloves. Some of the volunteers were handing out blankets for people to use while the waited in line. Others were handing out coats, gloves, and hats for people to keep. Among the volunteers were some ambulance workers from OSF Saint Francis hospital in Rockford.

This was the first year that I participated in the event, and the scale was larger than I had imagined. Police closed off an entire block of Belvidere's State Street, the major road through downtown Belvidere. There were several police cars and ambulances there. Outdoor volunteers included those handing out blankets, coats, hats and gloves; others handing out cookies and hot chocolate; singing carols; reenacting the nativity scene (no animals were involved); and helping people carry bags full of gifts back to their cars or homes (I spent most of my time doing this). I never made it inside the mission building, but I know there were many more volunteers working there.

This was a great way to spend Christmas Eve eve.

The local paper, the Rockford Register Star, has a news article and a small photo gallery on the event. Enjoy!

a new blog, from adam hamilton

Adam Hamilton, senior pastor at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection has started a blog called Seeing Gray. Hamilton is the author of several books, and Church of the Resurrection hosts the annual Leadership Institute.

The blog's title is related to an upcoming sermon series and a new book due to be released in April 2008. I don't know if Adam is planning to continue the blog beyond the sermon series--but I hope he does. I've attended the past two Leader Institutes, and have always come back inspired and better equipped for ministry. Adam is frequently insightful and does not hesitate to address controversial issues.

I predict that he will be a great asset to the Christian blogosphere.

[Update] I forgot in my original post...thanks to Jeff of E-merging in Indiana for the lead.

dr. cheese video explains the gospel

With wisdom and good ...cheer, Dr. Cheese and the Spoonsonvill Eggbeaters Cheerleaders teach us about the Good News of Jesus Christ.



How can you miss with catchy lines like these?

God made us so he could love us like our daddy.
His love is worth more than a gold-plated caddy.

how to be a good samaritan

What does it take to become a good Samaritan? Perhaps simply noticing:

remembering, participating, anticipating

This year, I’m going to keep three words in mind during Advent and Christmas: remembering, participating, and anticipating. Here’s why:

Remembering
I’m going to set aside some time to remember Christmas seasons from my own past, and also set aside time to share those memories with my family. Even if my sons consider it cruel and unusual punishment. It’s important to remind each generation about the history that they are a part of. And I’ll encourage Janice, Richard, and Philip to share some of their memories of Christmas. Sharing memories is a good way to make them lasting memories.

Participating
I’m going to try to make sure that everyone in the family is able to truly participate in the Christmas season. Participating is more than just doing things. In fact, it will probably mean doing fewer things. If you try to do too many things, they all become a blur and you end up participating in very little. Participating means being here and now, without worrying about what’s next—without going on to the next thing before you’re able to appreciate what you’ve just done.

Anticipating
I’m going to try to structure the family schedule so that anticipation becomes possible. I remember when the kids where young, they would almost drive Janice and I crazy with their agony of waiting. But learning how to wait is an important part of growing up, and being able to wait is an important part of being a healthy adult. And we live in a society where waiting is almost considered evil. So I’m going to try to get those presents under the tree early (this will mean I’ll have to do some shopping before Christmas Eve this year). And I’m going to let a little bit of my inner child escape as I scrutinize any presents addressed to me under the tree. After all, that’s one of my best childhood memories of Christmas—spending time trying to figure out what was in those brightly wrapped presents, and anticipating the moment when I could rip the paper to shreds to reveal the contents.

Putting Christ back into Christmas
These ideas of remembering, participating, and anticipating are also important to a Christian understanding of the Christmas season. At Christmas we remember that there was a time in history when God had never walked and lived on this earth, that there was an actual point in history when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We remember that we are all a part of that history.

At Christmas we participate in the Kingdom of God that was made possible by the birth of a tiny baby 2000 years ago. The One who was born then remains with us here and now. What we celebrate is the birthday of the One. If we cannot participate in that celebration, all the other celebrations become less than meaningless.

And at Christmas we anticipate the promised time when Jesus will return and bring about God’s Kingdom in its fullness. We anticipate that day when Christ comes and “rips to shreds” all our pain and suffering, all the world’s misery and discord, and we get to live in a reality that far surpasses our imaginings.

Remembering. Participating. Anticipating. Make them a part of our Christmas season this year. And may your Christmas be blessed and joyful.

what not to do

Combine unrestrained and untempered enthusiasm for the Lord with web-building skills, and you might just get an unbearably bad website, like this one. Warning: viewing the linked page for extended periods may cause eye damage, constipation, or burnt toast!

You can see other eye-bendingly bad websites at this BlogStorm article. Thanks to DailyBlogTips for the link.

new lightbulbs explained

Last week, as part of the ongoing Butterfly Effect worship series, Pastor Lisa and I talked about CFL's, or Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs. In conversations after worship and in the days that followed, I've found that many people are already using CFL's around their home. For some others, there are questions remaining.

I found a great video that explains CFL's in plain English. Enjoy!



By the way, I still have a bunch of VHS tapes that I watch from time to time!