Grieving the dashing of the American Dream

This has been a shocking two weeks. At first I denied what was happening, then I got angry at what was happening, and now I am dealing with the reality of what happened.
We consistently placed what meager extra money we had in mutual funds invested in many companies in the American Stock Market, believing as we had been told that this was the best way to get money from the present to the future to prepare for retirement. Now we find the sad truth that hedge fund managers have crept into the American Dream and and turned it into a very high stakes gambling operation. Laura and I are grieving, and it has been painful.

Because we are Christians we have of course been asking ourselves what God is up too in allowing this to happen at this time. Many resort to the time honored prophetic hope....Come Lord Jesus....and echo His soon coming rescue. My problem with that is that I have studied the scriptures and feel with all gentle sincerity, that this is not a rescue rapture scenario. This is a deal with it, scenario.

My job causes me to descend into the valley of the shadow of death with families. This week I sat near the casket of a man who had a full rich loving life, and for the final two years was dibilitated with a stroke which brought a dependence that I know he hated. It was a long and difficult two years for him and his family.

Are we in America and the rest of the world faced with a long and debilitating struggle? The valley of the shadow of death is real, and it is scary and dark and sometimes very hopeless and painful. Will the death of the American dream be that way?

I have worked, studied and and believed and taught that Jesus Christ and the Gospel take away the fear of death, and know I must work, study and believe that the presence of God in Christ can really transform my moment to moment response to the grief of the loss of security, the loss of trust in government and financial institutions. Which is it? Maranatha? or Deal with it?

Not a normal Fall

In Arizona, as seasonal folks are watching leaves turn, we are watching winter grass grow, in preparation of the busiest active time of the year, when everyone comes for a break from the cold. Most of our golf courses close to reseed. Ocotillo Resort has 27 holes and so keeps 18 in play during this transition. The beauty of the fragile winter rye, the slighty cooler weather, (it was 95 degrees)and the beautiful homes in the area are all very enjoyable to photograph. I remarked to my partner though that most of us are so used to staying indoors that when the weather changes still very few are enjoying those beautiful back yards that face the golf course. It was a beautiful day. Heres a personal confession, when I see beautiful luxury homes, I sense and believe they are peaceful and impervious to troubles. I am pretty sure I am believing a lie. I love luxury homes.

Not my Mega Church

It's hard not to appreciate success. There are three mega churches within five square miles of my home. Each reached this stage of church growth through different methods. This church targeted this growing area and had a large advertising campaign. On opening day they gave every family a ballon and they inserted the church address and their name. The farthest helium flight that called back won a trip for the finder and the ballon owner. They had a thousand at that service. Now they have built this new sanctuary with a coffee bar and all the bells and whistles.
I think one of those ballons made in to south carolina!

I am really impressed by the late afternoon and evening worship that attracts so many who enjoy relaxing on Sunday Mornings. When they desire to grow they have a day with a sports or movie star. When Jesus visited it was standing room only all day. Jim Caveziel is the real thing, well...not really Jesus, but as close as you get.

There has been a lot of ink generated on the long term impact of this model of church growth. When I came here to plant churches we thought about faithfulness and discipleship. So much has changed in the attractional model. Its not for me, and meanwhile, I feel a tiny twinge of envy when I pass, and I probably shouln't, I just don't have the energy to keep something that huge running smoothly, even with a mega staff and mega voluteers and mega music and mega programs and mega coffee......an so on.....You have any thoughts or experience in Mega Church?

Jack's To Do List Just Got Longer

Our friend and handyman/painter Jack has finished three rooms of five of the 1100 sq ft of popcorn removal project. While he is attending other business we demolished the decorative mirror, which Laura thought made our living room look like a house of prostitution. Line up babes, take your pick mister?????? So after hours of picking up broken glass we are hoping Jack will reclaim this wall, its out of our league.

Bye, Bye Mirror on the Wall

As much as we watch home improvement TV you would think someone would show an easy way to remove decorative mirrors. Laura has never been fond of the mirror you see reflected in this picture and it is stuck on the wall with massive globs of stickum and weighs several hundred pounds.......so we covered it with a tarp and banged away until it was reduced to huge piles of shards, which we are still picking up. Inch by Inch home improvment is a cinch.

Moving to a position of trust

Have you read Greg Boyd's The Myth of a Christian Nation? I remember being surprised when I heard about a huge part of a megachurch pastors congregation leaving after a series of sermons. He is a brilliant thinker whose views represent a far deeper tradition that that which currently holds conservative Christians together. Check out his website. I am challenged by his blog insights and share his passion for getting to the core of theodicy and the problem of God's character in the old and new covenant. www.gregboyd.com

With this void of wisdom and the slip sliding away of our economy I found myself moving more closely to his vision of the Christian standing between party passions and sharing a kingdom trust no matter the outcome of elections.

If our retirement planning has become a replacement for our trust in God as provider, and admittedly I am not sure how you discern such a thing, but if we have relied more on the analysis of returns than constantly believing God will sustain us no matter what happens......then in my heart and mind that means I quit grousing and obsessing and cursing Barney Frank and company and go on about my daily life.

The Joy????? of Home Improvement

Our 1989 Sun Lakes Ranch has been owned by us for five years. We have painted every interior room, the exterior, taken down a large mirror over the fireplace, and this week we are having the popcorn ceiling removed. It always starts interesting conversations....what's wrong with it?....whose idea was it to make this stuff popular anyway.

It is a huge job for a two man crew. Tape, drape, water, scrape. Allow it to dry overnight, clean up, finish up, mud the cracks and dips.....Drape again and spray the new texture, a more acceptable orange peel, then clean up the over spray, and then two coats of ceiling flat.

In the near future.....we are removing the wet bar, which I guess was considered an essential feature of an active retirement community, but for us it holds an old stereo. So we will recapture 12 square ft of living space for our great room.

Then, the biggy, new tile or wood floors and a new kitchen...not this year.