Does God like camping? He must!

Okay, this is a random family picture from our recent Spring Banquet, but it's better than no picture. Anyway, back to the point...

One of the great blessings of living in the Northwest is the quick "flight" to nature you can experience anytime and in any direction from Seattle. I was once in the habit of celebrating my spiritual birthday (baptism anniversary) by going camping with God and no one else. The problem with that is that I was baptized on December 16, 1984. It's ALWAYS snowing in the mountains and raining on the coast when I'm eager to celebrate and have some time alone with God. I did it anyway and brought good rain gear. Well, I'm a little tardy this year, but I'm going tomorrow rain or shine (it's going to shine).

I have my pack packed and I'm ready to go. Lake Ozette is one of my favorite places in the world. It's a nine mile triangular hike: three to the beach, three along the beach and three back to the car. I can camp anywhere along the ocean and not see another person for days. There are ancient Native American stone carvings I'm hoping to see. They are famous traditional Haida Indian designs. My great grandmother was full Haida. My Mom's a fourth and I'm an eighth. I never knew my mom's father, Alexander Lee, as he died of TB when my mom was little, but I've enjoyed learning about his heritage as the son a Swedish Ship Captain who married a Haida Indian woman in Alaska nearly 100 years ago.

The City Ministry of the Seattle Church has so many great camping memories. I'll try to dig a few old pics up for my next entry. Please pray that God answers my specific prayers during this one night getaway.

Love you,
Jay

Look up, look down

I was reading my brother Mark's newspaper column on his recent trip to Austria (his son and daughter-in-law were there on Emily's Fullbright Scholarship) and in it he made a great observation: that seeing people up close, face to face helps open your mind to their otherwise seemingly obtuse policy positions. The world of ideas is important & exciting but without relationship it too easily becomes a world of hardened positions.

Europeans, for example, tend to look down on Americans because we "still" have the death penalty. We tend to look down on the French for, well, there's not enough space in this post to fill in the blank.

All of this reminds me of a dangerous creeping sin of our time: condescension. The automatic supposition that someone else's view is "stupid" or "ignorant" is a symptom. Similarly, when we find ourselves easily "outraged" (re-read the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matt 18) we skate on condescension's thin ice. It's condescending for leaders to get easily frustrated with God's non-full time servants, who usually have excellent observations and ideas on how the kingdom can mature and move forward! It's equally condescending for members to micro-manage or critique full time leaders while assuming "they don't get me" or the like.

So let's look up, not down (our pants may be falling down). Let's look up to one another, to emphasize what we admire about one another, what we can learn from and imitate in one another. Make it your habit.

The French make great champagne.

Memorial Day

I rarely stop to take holidays (and Greg Tacher has aptly pointed out this is NOT a strength...) and so I tend to be unaware of the smell of roses. But I worked hard (!) ahead of time to plan to truly, really take today off. Lynne and I had breakfast in the kitchen nook this morning while our kids slumbered like seals on the beach.

I couldn't get over how quiet the city world was this Memorial Day. No cars, no trucks, no FedEx rumbling down the street twice a day. No remodeling or construction noises in the neighborhood. No one out jogging. Soothing, strengthening serenity is the effect I'm trying to describe, and I realize I want more of that. While some people need to get out more, clearly I need to get away more. I will try.

Last night was Lakeside's senior prom and the parents had their own interesting "party" up on campus while the kids were chaperoned. We had dinner together and saw a great video featuring interviews with the Lakeside seniors, who communicated poignantly and purposefully about their experiences and their dreams.

It occurred to me, listening to some of their grateful comments, just how much has gone into their education. I don't mean money and worry. I mean the generations of painstaking conflict, discovery, and building that ancestors offered to make modern, relatively war-free societies even possible. Our children live in a sin-stained world, but still one amazingly blessed relative to most of times past. If they had been born in 650 A.D. in the province of Gaul, tied as a serf to backbreaking work, it's doubtful they would enjoy the level of blessing we take for granted today and in this country. We enjoy today what many have slaved, even fought and died for.

Spiritually then, but also historically and holistically, "freely we have received." With awe and gratitude in our hearts, may we keep the memory and gifts of soldiers and statesmen, farmers and scientists, teachers and storytellers, mothers and fathers fresh on our minds as we resolve to be those who "freely give."

May Books

Books I've been reading (and some re-reading):

Blink (Malcolm Gladwell)
Natural Church Development (Christian Schwarz)
The Number (Lee Eisenberg)
Federalist Papers (long-term project)
Finding God at Harvard (a gift from dear friends James and Molly)
The Complete Age Makeover (Michael Roizen)

Deep Bible Study

For all you members out there who (deeply) believe that what we really need in the church is "deep Bible study," let me recount an interesting DBS anecdote. Yesterday, after several weeks advertising and email reminders to all the Bible Talk Leaders of the Eastside, I convened a TNT class before church services entitled, "Background and history of the book of Mark." I put somewhere between 6-8 hours of research and study into this and I learned a great deal about both Mark and about our need for Deep Bible Study.

The class was attended by two people. Both are new to the Eastside.

Don't worry. I'm not mad or frustrated. Actually, it was a liberating epiphany. See, this has happened before, when we were at the Naval Reserve Building; we had TNT before church then too and it was also sparsely attended.

Here's what it means: those who really, really want so-called "Deep Bible Study" are either getting it already via the internet and through books they've purchased OR they do not want to sacrifice their Sunday morning time to learn (of course, some may have circumstances that prevent their attending, I understand).

Here's what I suspect: generally, we don't really need depth of Bible study as much as we need breadth. A minority of us are interested keenly in the history, the archaeology, the background. But probably all of us crave applied sermons that broadly cover our very real daily needs: our marriages, our children, our friendships, our mission, our heart, our fellowship, our sin and growth, our hopes and dreams.

I'm thinking that's deep enough.

A Miracle

Today I drove Seattle to see little Nick in the hospital at Harbourview. Nick is the 7 year old son of Mike and Kelly Lea (North disciples). He had a bicycle accident on Sunday - he fell down 7 feet onto a concrete surface in a construction site and broke several bones in his face. God was definitely watching over him. The doctors said it was amazing he lived. When I saw him, he showed me his arm and said that was the only area that hurt. It is amazing that with a broken nose and broken bones in parts of his face like his cheeks and face, the only part that hurts is his arm. He has a very important surgery tomorrow so please keep him in your prayers.

Prayer is incredible. It always amazes me that God is able to hear billions of people talk and He still makes each of us feel loved. He is perfect.

Tonight at our North Women's midweek, we started by getting on our knees and praying to God - we had a long prayer list. I know that made a big difference for all of us. Our midweek was exciting. We have been studying the Key's Class. (I shared this in a blog a few weeks ago) Tonight we did the study on sin. Studying the Bible with someone is not just for them but for me as well. It helps strengthen my convictions, it reveals areas where I may have weakend my basic convictions and it increases my faith to see another life changed.

This is a picture of Alison Hernandez at her baptism.

3 M's - Mother's Day, Monday and Marriage

Mother's Day was wonderful. Lots of cards and flowers from Darin AND lots of hugs and kisses from Nicholas and Hazel - they weren't hugging and kissing me just because it was Mother's Day. After a great church service, my parents and sister came over and we all enjoyed a delicious dinner. Darin did a great job grilling. I was sad the day of pampering had to come to an end.

Mondays are usually a day of rest - also my time to catch up on some laundry, house cleaning and grocery shopping. I know! It doesn't sound like rest. Physical rest takes on a whole new meaning when you have a 22 month old and a 3 month old. Nicholas and I went grocery shopping in the afternoon. When we got back home, Darin, seeing how tired I looked coupled with my grumpy attitude earlier, told me I needed some alone time. I gladly took it. I haven't been getting enough rest lately - and it is not because of the kids; they go to bed at 7:30pm. It has been a busy couple of months planning the church banquet and other things. Now that the banquet is over, we can get back on a somewhat "normal" schedule.

The Borders Bookstore in Alderwood Mall is one of my favorite places to go when I am having alone time. This is because there is a Seattle's Best Coffee Shop in the bookstore and they make my favorite hot cocoa. I don't drink coffee but I love hot cocoa especially with my added shot of coconut flavor, whipped cream and the piece of chocolate that they put on top of the whipped cream. (I should get paid for this free advertising.) I decided to go to Borders for my time alone (ofcourse) and I am enjoying a cup of hot cocoa as I write this blog. I just finished one of the chapters from a book I have been reading lately, "A Gentle and Quiet Spirit." Reading books like this one help me keep my focus of growing in my marriage. Some of the chapters in the book are entitled "Are my expectations demanding?, "Are my words gracious?" and "Are my emotions controlling me." These are always convicting. After I read books on marriage, like this one, I notice that I sin more in my relationship with Darin. I am sure some of you can relate to this. This is probably because I am more aware of what I need to change and grow in, so my weaknesses are more obvious to me. If we want to grow in our marriages, a book on marriage is not all we need - we need God's help, prayer, our spouses' help and other people in our lives who can "speak the truth in love" to us.

Pictures of Nicholas and Hazel.

Gloria and Cary Engaged! by Jay Kelly

We're all excited for Cary Gammon and Gloria Fontelera. Thursday night, May 10th Cary proposed to Gloria and she said, "yes." A group of family, friends and disciples from the East and West sides of the Seattle Church gathered at Raul and Hazel Tabile's house for a reception/celebration. After cheers and hugs Cary and Gloria sat down with everyone's attention and told us all the details of their earlier date. Of course, there are so many things to consider as these two families come together. Please continue to pray for God to make a level path for them as they plan their future together.

HOPE WW at UW

The campus disciples at the University of Washington turned into a card making factory this week. In an effort to come up with creative ways to raise money for HOPE Worldwide, Lauren Marrs and company decided to mass produce handcrafted Mother's day cards to sell on campus. All funds from these sales going to the unrestricted funds for HOPE. My apartment turned into card central, in fact there are still tiny scraps of card stock embedded in the carpet. We lost some sleep making the cards, and prayed that this was not a silly idea. We were not sure that the campus students at the University of Washington 1. cared about the poor and 2. cared about their mothers enough to send cards.

God heard our cries. It was a beautiful week on campus which brought people out of library dungeons to enjoy the sun. It also was the ASUW elections and there was so much activity going on around our table that it attracted many people to look at our cards and hear about what HOPE is doing around the world. And to top off all of this, students really do care about the poor and about great cards for their moms.

Over the course of the week, having disciples making cards at night and manning the table during the day, we made $519 in the name of HOPE. It was certainly not possible without God and without great faith that he could bless us. I hope and pray that your efforts for HOPE this season are even more fruitful! To God be the Glory!

The Game's Worth It

If you don't like basketball, read this anyway...

Derek Fisher almost singlehandidly took over yesterday evening's overtime Utah Jazz-Golden State Warriors basketball game, scoring 5 backbreaking points in the OT. The real Fisher story though, was that he had arrived near half-time, having flown from home where his 10-month old daughter was undergoing surgery for a cancer behind the eye called retinoblastoma.

Fisher's amazing response to the cancer tragedy raises this question: how do WE respond to adversity? Besides, "is your name in the book of life?" this is probably the most important question you can ever ask yourself. Our whole life on this earth is related to the question. Actually, it's more of a promise than a question: "In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart..." (John 16:33).

Life will be hard. "Life" and "difficult" go together. What really matters, what really defines us, is not who we are and how we react in times of blessing and ease, but rather who we are in times of pain, challenge, suffering, and bad news.

How's this for a response: Fisher didn't just endure with his daughter's cancer; he was inspired by it last night.

It reminds me of the late Christopher Reed's Superman response to his paralysis: "you play the cards you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile."

A Poem about Fathers and Sons

Hold onto him in his eager eyes,
With more than hands, hold his high-stretched little hand
And hug the twilight fears, the midnight cries.
Embrace with all your tears his heart of cheer,
His laughing voice that gently gathers
The broken-hearted back home and back to what they were,
To what was good and giving and naive.
Wrap remembering around reading
All of his books, all of his make-believing looks,
Every game upon the bed, every episode of captain hook.

Hold onto him in his sighing songs,
Never let go of his too many questions,
His too many quests, his good requests.
Never let go of his silhouette, his soft voice,
When the day was done and sleep came softly to him
In your arms.

Hold onto him before you can remember,
Before the seeing's done darkly in glass,
And the sound of sacred small steps fades away.

Holding his hand, tying his shoes,

Keep his asking and his answers,
Keep his light heart close, and hold his daily news,
Before he runs from room to room into tomorrow,
Before the day for holding hands has run
All farther than we ever hope to borrow,
All faster than we ever choose.

Clear Moral Thinking

Make sure you scoll down and read about the Teen Service if you haven't already!

Read in the WSJ this morning an analysis of the LA Times inability to make important moral distinctions. I list this here because (as an aging 47 year old Dad) I worry about Americans seemingly growing inability to think clearly about moral distinctions. We're becoming not only lost spiritually, but lost in space:

The LA Times had published a piece by an author who said 9-11 wasn't a big deal really because it "only" involved 3000+ deaths whereas over 43,000 die annually from car crashes. The WSJ correctly pointed out the moral absurdity of comparing deliberate mass murder with accidental deaths. If a minority were lynched tomorrow, would we shrug it off as "well, that's just one death compared to auto accidents." Of course not.

Similarly, the LA Times published another piece from an author comparing Jews and Christians praying for God to bring punishment upon infidels with Muslims actually killing others in the name of God. The WSJ correctly pointed out the difference between praying for God's hand of justice (even if misguided or poorly motivated?) versus taking justice into your own hands.

We need the wisdom of God in our lives, but we will have to find this not only from reading and memorizing Scripture, but by painstakingly learning how to think clearly and carefully.