One Particular Harbor

Jimmy Buffett has captured me multiple times in his lyrics, including those in the song "One Particular Habor." I heard this one today on one of my web radio stations created with Pandora. And was transported once again, as I was the first time I heard the song. Then, I was a clueless college student battling with the latter courses in my major, and stressing about grad school applications. But 2 things kept me sane: (1) my girlfriend, who is now my wife of nearly 24 years, and (2) the occasional trips down to Mom's to enjoy the beach & the water and just generally unplug from stress. So "One Particular Harbor" means much to me as a song, as it reminds me of my safe people & places. Good songs are able to transport one that way...

Here's what J.B. himself said about the song: "I had my sights set on Tahiti a long time ago and connived my way there through my good friend Tom Moffatt in Hawaii. We went there to play a show to an unknown audience, but that didn't matter. I had still made it to Tahiti. At the airport we were met by an old expatriated American named Hugh Kelly who had run away from home a long time ago. We became instant friends, and he took me to his home on Moorea in the mountains above Cook's Bay. When I looked down at the vista, the song came out as if it had been sitting inside me waiting for the moment."

(The Lyrics in part)

I know I don't get there often enough, but God knows I surely try
It's a magic kind of medicine that no doctor could prescribe

But now times are rough and I got too much stuff
I can't explain the likes of me

But there's this one particular harbour; so far but yet so near
Where I see the days as they fade away; and finally disappear

But now I think about the good times, down in the Caribbean sunshine
In my younger days I was so bad, laughin' about all the fun we had

I've seen enough to feel the world spin, mixin' different oceans meetin' cousins
Listen to the drummers and the night sounds, listen to the singers make the world go 'round

Lakes below the mountains, Flow into the sea
Like oils applied to canvas, They permeate through me

And there's that one particular harbour, sheltered from the wind
Where the children play on the shore each day, and all are safe within

Most mysterious calling harbour, so far but yet so near
I can see the day when my hair's full gray, and I finally disappear
(lyrics end)

This past weekend was gloriously spent with my brother at our cousin's most excellent getaway crib in south Alabama. (The cuz was able to join us for Friday night, before having to do his Dr. call thing Saturday & Sunday). And thus, I now have yet another "Particular Harbor" that came to mind earlier today when the song popped up on my Pandora station. My guess is that my blood pressure was rather elevated when I got there, and was much lower by Sunday morning. Those particular harbors...and people...help chill one out that way.

My upcoming journey to M.D. Anderson's melanoma unit looms...and it did, in fact, come up in discussion there on the back porch of Drew's place. But even that discussion did not raise the fears and concerns the same way it would have here. And I assure you, difficult medical situations were a very small fraction of our chats this weekend. We talked of life, love, and other mysteries...music...travel...our shared faith...politics...investments...golf...fishing...our kids...our pasts... It was wonderful!

It truly is a "magic kind of medicine that no doctor could prescribe..." I seem to need that these days. Thanks, Jim & Drew, for administering a very pleasant dose last weekend! Thanks Lisa, for offering me daily views of that One Particular Harbor with your very presence in my life!

Looking forward to my next landing at one of my particular harbors,
Mike

Overfilled with little things

More than a century ago Phillips Brooks observed, “The more we watch the lives of men, the more we see that one of the reasons why men are not occupied with great thoughts and interests is the way in which their lives are overfilled with little things ”
(quoted by Phil Ryken on the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals page)

What's on your mind?

Great question, that. Usually, though, that question is asked to basically hurry along a conversation or an appointment. As in, "let's get to the point here, so we can move on."

But the larger question of "what's on your mind" is one that all of us should ponder. Especially if one claims to be a follower of Him Who commanded us to love God with our minds, imo, but certainly a question all of us should ponder.

So, here's my list of things that frequently overfill my mind:

--sports - Super Bowl (can the G-men beat the Pats? hope so; don't think so), Bama football, Bama recruiting (especially this week, as national signing day looms), college basketball,...

--music - as the proud, new owner of an ipod (finally!), I'm already discovering that it's feeding a malady I call "musical attention deficit disorder" or (madd). Goes like this: I have a 20-25 minute commute depending on lights & traffic. So, do I go with Miles Davis (always a good thing), or Nightwish (prolly my fave metal band), or Aaron Neville, or Astral Project (my fave jazz combo), or Dr. John ("All by Hisself" - incredible live NOLA R&B solo piano set), or Beethoven, or Kansas, or....wait, it's a red light, which means I can change grooves. Meanwhile, of course, there's the way-cool ability to get podcasts: pastors like my own interim pastor, Tony Merida; John Piper, David Platt, & John MacArthur; U. of Chicago's Graduate School of Business series, which allows me to hear from guys I've read and read about for decades (Nobel laureate Gary Becker, for example); and others...

--the upcoming presidential election - for the record, I'm not real big on any of the candidates thus far. Certainly the election is important, as they all are, but is it really worth obsessing over 10 months ahead of time?

--the ever-growing pile of stuff on my office at work...and on the office at home

--the home repair things that need to happen even though I have basically no game in that area of life

Nothing wrong with any of those things in & of themselves, of course. (especially Bama sports! ) But the problem is exactly what Brooks stated: when my mind becomes "overfilled" with them.

Meanwhile, some great thoughts & interests that methinks should occupy more of my mental bandwidth:
--theology
--missions
--christian worldview type issues
--the seemingly ever-more-rapid acceleration of the world into spiritual oblivion
--wars and rumors of wars
--the utter brevity and frailty of life (my own & those around me)
--loving the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and equally, loving my neighbor as myself

(that's a good start...)

To offload some of the "little things" requires creating time to ponder the great thoughts & interests. Easy to say about 6:20 a.m., but I already sense this day racing toward me with a thousand things to do and/or ponder, many of which are not "great thoughts & interests." Nonetheless, I'm outta here to go ponder the bigger things, if only for a few minutes.

So, what's on your mind?

Something new to ponder...

I have about 45 minutes a day in the car, plus 3 hours or so every Monday for my commute to/from the coast to teach a class. This great aspect of my gig allows me some contemplative quiet alone time. (Unless, of course, I'm listening to C-Note, J-Dub and da crew hold forth on foxsports radio in the morning...) What a privilege to have that built-in commute time!

As an egghead wannabe, I spend a large part of that time pondering and a part praying. I should, of course, spend the majority praying, but that total depravity thing I wrote about recently rears its ugly head... (I'm reminded of G.K. Chesterton's excellent letter to a British newspaper that had asked people to explain what's wrong with the world. G.K.'s response: "Dear Sirs: What's wrong with the world? I am. Sincerely, G.K. Chesterton")

Recently, however, I have spend a fair amount of that time both pondering and praying. As a Christian who is a university professor and a financial economist, and who used to teach a class called "Christian Worldview," I've long been interested in the intersection of my faith and my academic disciplines of economics & finance. (And there are many such intersections if you're wondering).

As I pondered, I had a Homer Simpson "d'oh!" moment. Why not just check it out for myself! (everybody now: "D'oh!")

Thus, I am launching a long-overdue quest that will take a while--a long while--to complete. I want to find everything the Bible has to say about economics and finance. (hint: Jesus said more about money than He did about heaven & hell combined, according to numerous experts. So much for Jesus' teaching being all about "irrelevant spiritual things"...) The specific approach of finding everything the Bible says about _____ (fill in blank) is called systematic theology. Basically, rather than deciding what I want the Bible to say, I'll just let it explain itself. (novel concept, huh?)

So I'll need your help and your prayers (if you're a pray-er) as I launch. Wayne Grudem and others have done this sort of thing, but one of the great beauties of the Bible is its utter accessibility to an ordinary hammerhead like myself. So I'm off into Christian financial economics professor goober land.

Should be fun! I'm excited!

bb (the goober armchair theologian)

total depravity of man

Should anyone doubt this particular doctrine of the reformers, then s/he should hang around pretty much any kids sports situation for, oh, 20 minutes or so. Doubt should be removed. Decisively.

(did I mention that I reffed kids hoops this morning? *sighs*)

Note: or, you could hang around with me for that same 20 minutes. Or find a way to capture my thoughts, Spock-like, for,...2 minutes. Again, doubt would be removed, at least about the total depravity of Mike anyway.

Total depravity underscores our need for grace. Our "total need" if you will.

Grace is good. I need it. I crave it. I can't survive in this life without it, and certainly not in the next!! I rest in it, and revel in it.

I'm just glad it's offered, and available in unlimited supply.

Selah.

OK, prayer warriors. Your prayers are needed...

...for a very good friend of mine.

Jason Weathers is a 30-year-old friend of mine who is a very sick young man. He is a great guy; one of those rare ones with no enemies. Loved & respected by all.

Jason is a Hattiesburg High and USM grad whom I've known since shortly after we moved to H'burg 17 years ago. I was his Sunday School teacher when he met this young lady who joined our 11th grade SS class when her Dad joined the staff of our church. They began going out, despite her attending Oak Grove HS while he played football at HHS. Then they both went to USM. I still remember the Christmas Eve service at church when he told me he was about to propose to her. They've been married for some years now, and have 2 young kids with #3 on the way. They were living down in Naples, FL where Jason was completing a nurse anesthetist program.

Jason was diagnosed with leukemia last weekend. He was flown back here and is in Forrest General Hospital taking chemotherapy. For more on him--including pictures of Jason & his family, go here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jasonweathers

If you are any sort of praying person, please pray for Jason. This is one of the good guys, amigos. There are few guarantees around, but here's one: you'd really like this guy. Very laid-back and easy to get along with by people across the social & age spectrum. He & I are always swapping hard rock music suggestions, most recently at church when he was visiting at Christmas time.

Also, watch this space for more details. I may be asking for volunteers to donate platelets to my buddy Jason in the future.

In the mean time, your prayers are invited, needed, welcomed, and appreciated.

With a heavy heart,
Mike

Let's take a journey together...

First, Happy New Year!! I'd like you to join me on a journey this year.

This journey will take us from the beginning of time through some of the monumental events that define who we are as people and why the world is as it is. We'll be challenged and encouraged.

I'm speaking, of course, of a journey through the Bible.

I was rooting around on the web last week, pondering approaches to reading through the Bible this year. (A regular goal of mine...) Anyway, I landed on this approach, which is the plan for this year.

Basically, it takes one through the Bible in chronological order--though there are both OT & NT passages each day. So, maybe it's more correct to say that this plan takes one through each of the 2 testaments in chronological order. Anyway, check it out. The link below takes you to a 2-page pdf file with daily readings listed there.

http://www.gpts.edu/resources/pdf/oneyrbible.pdf

(from the guy's own description of the plan)
This reading schedule is designed to take the reader through
the Bible in chronological order. Hence, the poetic and prophetic
books of the Old Testament are inserted at approximately their
place of occurrence in the historical books. For example, the
reading of the Psalms is placed after their historical treatment of
David's reign, because of David's connection with the Psalms. In
the New Testament, Paul's letters have been placed amid the
readings in Acts which approximate their time of writing. The
date of many of the New Testament letters is uncertain, so the
order presented is, to a certain extent, conjectural. The schedule
deviates from chronological organization only in that there is a
reading from both the Old and New Testaments for each day and
gospel narratives are inserted according to the probable date of
composition.
Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
www.gpts.edu
P.O. Box 690 Taylors, SC 29687
864 322-2717

If you want to view this as merely reading some of the great literature in existence, that's fine. (Obviously, I view the Bible as much more than great lit, but reading it as merely a collection of lit will challenge your thinking & encourage you & bless you too.)

Join me, won't you?
bb

It's basketball season

This one will be...challenging.

My good friend Mark Bryan is no longer with us.

I'm already not looking forward to my thoughts the first time I step into Rees Gym for a PCS game. Oh, don't get me wrong; I love the game and the guys still there. But there will be a gigantic, gaping void for me. Plus, it was in that gym that Mark drew his last breath. But I won't go there again. I've written about that elsewhere.

My prediction is that the wound will never fully heal for me. But like many wounds, it will become increasingly more manageable. And I join my buddy Norman Rowe in believing that seeing the gym packed for a game will be most helpful in the healing journey.

Of course, the other change--much less significant than Mark's passing--about hoops season this year is that I'm no longer on the faculty of PCS. So, I'll be going as a sort of outsider, for the first time. Which will be tough for me.

As Mark's successor, my buddy Matthew Lofton, says, "Let's do this!"

I can't wait.

The Class of 77. (30 years later…)
Mike Madaris

We graduated during a time of some national confusion. Watergate was still working itself out. The Viet Nam war had ended, but the scars were only beginning to heal. The presidency was in a state of disgrace; President Ford’s presidency in escrow had just ended, and Jimmy Carter’s optimistic-but-deeply-flawed presidency was beginning.

Musically, we were torn between the radical protest music of the 60s, the softer music of the 70s, the continuation of the hard rock movement, and the arrival of disco. Those of us into jazz were confused by what Miles Davis had become and were electrified by Al DiMeola and Chick Corea.

Socially, drinking and other things happened, but they were still ever-so-somewhat taboo. We had graduated from fairly strict dress code enforcement during junior high to fairly loose standards in high school. Our yearbook photos provide evidence of this…

During our school days, we had witnessed a man landing safely on the moon and returning; an early 60s president’s challenge fulfilled. We saw the escalation…the massive escalation…of the Viet Nam war. Dads and brothers shipped out and fought. Some didn’t come back. We also saw the end of the war and the suspension of the draft. We saw integration, though it was not much of an issue in NW Florida. We saw political murder multiple times. We saw the launch of the political careers of a lawyer named Hillary Rodham and a Viet Nam veteran named John Kerry, though none of us knew then the roles they would play years later. We saw Viet Nam fall, and helped in various ways with the massive influx of refugees. Some of us played patriotic tunes out at the relocation camp at Eglin AFB.

Ours was a huge class. There were well over 600 of us. We were musicians, artists, athletes, surfers, scholars, and regular folks. We were hippies, preppies, burnouts, and fishheads. We loved Mrs. “Mama Jo” Yeager and Mrs. Almond, we respected Mr. Jones, we laughed with (or was it “at”?) Mr. Kelleher, and we disliked a few too. We guys grew our hair long, thinking that made us cool. The girls wore dresses short & tight, thinking the same thing.

We went to football games, basketball games, baseball games, and the occasional track meet. We hated Vikings—the cross-town rival, not the ancient warriors. We went skiing, we went to the beach, we went to Victor’s and the Hog’s Breath, though we lied to our parents about those last two. Of course, we went to prom and to post-game dances. We fell into love and back out of love. Largely, we had no clue what love was. But we sure thought we did.

And then we graduated. Some went to college at Florida, some at Florida State. Some went out of state to various places. Some of us got scholarships; others of us didn’t.

Some took jobs and began their work life earlier. Some went into the military. We got married, we had children, we gained weight, we lost hair. Some moved away after college or due to work. Others stayed. Many of us who moved away wish we had stayed put. Or could come back.

Regardless of the bends in these past 30 years’ roads, we remain somehow connected by time spent at a place called Choctawhatchee High School. For good or bad—mostly good in my case—we remain influenced and impacted by teachers, administrators, friends, and others we encountered there.

When I left high school, I arrogantly said I’d never come back. That lasted until the following Fall, when I ventured home & went to the stadium for a football game. The oh-so-familiar drum cadence began, and the buzz of anticipation raced through the crowd. I still love that anticipation and excitement, even after my own son’s playing days on another football field have come to an end. Just a few years ago, I once again marched with my brother and his son in an alumni Style Marchers band. And loved it. I still love to watch live jazz; partly just for the music, and partly because it reminds me of my days of trying—unsuccessfully—to master to art while in the Modern Jazz Ensemble at CHS.

We remember those who are now absent, teachers, parents, and classmates. They are missed, and their value and impact is somehow magnified as life progresses. At least part of who we are is traceable to them.

So, now we gather again. 30 years. 30 years ago, we thought that people our age were desperately old and hopelessly out of touch. (Indeed, I am now older than my Dad ever became, which is a mind-boggling reality to grasp.) Now, we realize that having been out of HS for 30 years does not equal “old.” At least, not real old.

Oh, sure, the waistline has expanded, and the hairline is now receding in multiple directions, and “40 time” is now related to how many traffic lights my car must stop for rather than how fast we run. And, yeah, there are pills to take that help with “old people” things like cholesterol and blood pressure. And the days of baking in the sun on purpose throughout the day are a distant memory, buried somewhere on the other side of sun-related cancer surgeries in my case. And our music is now played on “classic” stations, or, worse, in elevators and dentist offices. Wierdly, though, it also shows up on our children’s IPODs too. Which is at once comforting and unsettling.

But somewhere around here, there is a smallish, uncertain guy with horrible-looking long hair who never imagined being this, um, “vintage.” Who still remembers the difference between 8-to-5 and 6-to-5 marching…and who still remembers the formula for “Cosine of a Sum” thanks to Mrs. Almond’s “songs” in class…and who still remembers some of the words to the CHS alma mater…who still remembers giving speeches in Mrs. Yeager’s class…and who still lets his freak flag fly in between mortgage payments, college tuition, Dr. visits, career moves, and that sort of thing.

Emerson, Lake, & Palmer said it best all those years ago: “Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends!”

It’s class reunion time! I can’t wait. See you there!

Homecoming at the Capstone

So, tomorrow is homecoming at the University of Alabama. And I will be there, um, coming home.

We Bama alums take such things seriously. Too seriously in many cases. It is estimated that there will be some 120,000 people on campus tomorrow. 92,000 & change will be among the lucky ones who will have a ticket to the game. (yeah...I'll be part of the 92,000...). The others will chill out on the quad, eat, drink, listen to Kenny & Snake call the game on the radio, and watch whatever other games are on TV.

We'll walk around campus reminiscing. (Well, I will...) About football to be sure. But much more in my case. In many cases.

It was as an undergrad student there that I found academic redemption. My first attempt at college was...not successful. But at Bama, I hit my stride (as our fight song says) and came to love and to succeed in the classroom. It was as an undergrad there that this great econ professor and this great management science professor independently encouraged me to consider grad school. (Thanks, Dr. Bird & Dr. Charnetski, wherever you both are now...) It was as an undergrad at Bama that I caught up with some reality. To wit, as was stated in Animal House, "fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son." The lasting irony is that once I put away the party life, I began have faaaaaaar more fun. Still am, as a matter of fact!

It was an undergrad there that I watched the last 3 years of the reign of a childhood hero of mine in person. I even attended his funeral. Later, I taught his grandson. Thanks for the memories, Coach Bryant. I still get chill bumps reflecting back on those days and those teams and the way you conducted yourself there at the end of your career.

It was as an undergrad there that I met this young lady from the country of south Alabama. Her discernment meter was malfunctioning, & thus she began to spend time with me. (I was not much of a catch back then...perhaps not much of one now, but surely not then...) Went on some actual dates with me. Listened to my stories. And to my heart. Years ago, Felix Pappalardi penned these words: "and my Lady hears every note I play..." That's one of my favorite song lines of all time. I proposed near the end of my undergrad days after a couple of years of dating. Again, her meter malfunctioned, and she said yes. We married after my first year of grad school there, which was right after she graduated. This past June was 23 years, grad school, 6 jobs, 3 cities, a trailer, two apartments, two houses, and two kids later. She's still my best friend and she still hears every note my heart plays. Thanks, Lis. I love you!

It was as an undergrad there that I rediscovered long lost/abandoned faith from years before. I began attending church with my aunt, basically because I love my aunt. Then, I went with that same young lady. I met a bunch of folks who had a blast, and yet took their faith seriously. Prior to meeting them, I had decided that faith/fun were opposite ends of the spectrum. They demonstrated otherwise. Thanks, Aunt Daisy, for not giving up on me! And thanks, Gary, Jimmy, Cindy, Tom, David, Karen, Keith, and the rest for living your life and your faith before me, while still loving my un-love-ly self just like I was. I wanted what you had. Your lives and stories made a difference to me. Still do.

So, when I say I'm "coming home" tomorrow, yeah, sure, I plan to enjoy the living heck out of a football game. But homecoming to me is much, much more than merely an opportunity to eat unhealthy food & yell at the refs. Homecoming re-connects me with some of the deepest places in the very bedrock of my soul. Life-defining places, thoughts, emotions, & events. Sure...they could have happened elsewhere. But they didn't. For me, in God's providence, they happened on/near campus at the University of Alabama.

It's homecoming time. I'll be there. I can't wait! Roll Tide!
the beach bum

Worship this morning...

So, yesterday, I got to spend time with my buddy Eddie Baker, who is awaiting lab results from a biopsy done last week on a tumor in his brain. It was an incredible blessing to hear Eddie's heart as he shared what he's been learning during his journey through the fire. (aside: for more on Eddie's situation go to this blog)

Then, this morning in church, we sang a couple of my all-time favorite songs. Both were written during challenging times in the lives of the writers. The first is "Heaven" performed by Bob Carlisle. To get the proper groove, this is a slow song best sung by an incredible tenor with great range, like, well, Bob Carlisle...or Dr. Brett Valentine who sang it at Temple. The second is "Days of Elijah" which is much more upbeat & grooving, as performed by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir...or the Temple Baptist choir with a very soulful female singer like our Jennie Bounds.
If I check out before you and you come to my funeral, plan on hearing "Heaven"...(but let's hope that's not any time right away...)

Enjoy!
beachbum

Heaven

There are moments in this life
When it's hard to carry on
When I think about my father
And all the loved ones that are gone
Friends and close relations
Somewhere on the other side
They've passed into forever
But the love has never died

Sometimes this tired old world
Starts bringing my heart down
But you've got to bear the cross
If you want to wear the crown
I often get impatient
As the time keeps dragging on
I've waited through the darkness
Now I'm ready for the dawn
I'm ready for the dawn

(Chorus)
I want to see Heaven
Where the faithful carry on
I want to see Heaven, Oh Lord
I want to see Heaven
Where the pain of sin is gone
In Heaven, Oh Lord
I want to see Heaven

So if I'm living every moment
As if this day was my last
I'll put my treasure where my heart is
And forget about the past
And if Jesus comes tomorrow
I'll be ready to depart
As He leads me to my mansion
I'll be following my heart
Following my heart

(Repeat Chorus)

Well, I try to go the distance
But it's more than I can bear
They say there's no more crying
And no more dying there
I've held on to the promise
Whosoever will believe
Would have life that's never ending
I believe...I believe

(Repeat Chorus)

(Wipe tears from eyes & swallow deeply to remove lump from throat...)

Days Of Elijah

These are the days of Elijah,
Declaring the word of the Lord:
And these are the days of Your servant Moses,
Righteousness being restored.
And though these are days of great trial,
Of famine and darkness and sword,
Still, we are the voice in the desert crying
'Prepare ye the way of the Lord!'

Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee,
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.

These are the days of Ezekiel,
The dry bones becoming as flesh;
And these are the days of Your servant David,
Rebuilding a temple of praise.
These are the days of the harvest,
The fields are as white in Your world,
And we are the laborers in Your vineyard,
Declaring the word of the Lord!

Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee,
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.

There's no God like Jehovah.
There's no God like Jehovah!

Any Given Saturday...

...as they say.

#1 USC - up by only 3 over Washington at the half.
#2 LSU - struggled early with Tulane. But then reality kicked in & they won handily.
#3 Oklahoma - lost to Colorado on a last-second field goal
#4 Florida - losing to Auburn at FL 17-3 in the 3rd quarter
#5 West VA - lost to #18 South FL last night 21-13
#6 Cal - beat #11 Oregon 31-24
#7 Texas - crushed 41-21 by Kansas State
#8 Ohio State - beating Minnesota 23-7
#9 Wisconsin - barely beat Michigan State
#10 Rutgers - lost to Maryland 34-24
#11 Oregon - lost to #6 Cal
#12 Boston College - beat U. Mass 24-14
#13 Clemson - thumped by Ga Tech 13-3
#14 - U of Ky - thrashes Fl Atlantic 45-17
#15 - U. of GA - thumps Ole Miss 45-17 (close for 3 quarters, but alas...)
#16 - South Carolina beats MSU 38-21
#17 - Va Tech beat U of North Carolina, but only 17-10
#18 South FL beat #5 West VA
#19 Hawaii - pounded Idaho 48-20
(ahem) #22 Alabama lost to FSU 21-14

Man, I love watching some college football!! One never knows...

Are you an evangelical Christian? Do you want a challenge?

Then read Professor Wayne Grudem's Presidential Address to the Evangelical Theological Society in 2000. The article is found in pdf form here.

I've long been a fan of Grudem's; had the incredible pleasure of taking a class on "The Doctrine of God" from him some years ago out in CO. Harvard undergrad, Westminster Theological Seminary M.Div., Cambridge Ph.D. Author of books and over 100 journal articles. Very thoughtful. Brilliant scholar. Great teacher. My copy of his Systematic Theology is well-read and marked up. (aside: systematic theology is basically the approach of saying "Let's look at everything the Bible says about ________," which is, of course, the preferred way of addressing the problems facing the church & society.

In this article, he's addressing the premier academic society in evangelical Christianity. (Note to some: there are, in fact, very good academic scholars who would be very comfortable sitting next to me in church this weekend in terms of beliefs) Basically what he does in the address is challenge these scholars to take the Bible seriously and treat it like they say they believe. The article is not short, and it takes one through some deep waters. Again, it's addressed to Bible scholars. But the challenge Grudem presents is very direct. And at some level, it applies to all of us who claim to take the Bible seriously.

Take some time to read it. You'll be challenged. And, I hope, changed.

That's it for tonight.

Selah,
the beach bum

Tom Petty said it a long time ago...

...the waiting is the hardest part.

Jehovah Shammah

In Hebrew, it means approximately "God Who Is Present." One of my favorite biblical names of God. Why a blog post about it, you ask? I'm glad you asked.

2 friends of mine are utterly relying on His very presence today. I would ask you to pray for both situations.

My friend Eddie Baker is awaiting lab results from a biopsy last Thursday on a tumor recently found in his brain. He is very upbeat and positive, and he would say that his attitude is not his, but granted by the Lord. For more on Eddie's situation, go to prayforeddiebaker.blogspot.com.

Another friend, Carl Fortenberry, has a young son Max who is about to undergo heart surgery. When I say "young," I mean 2 1/2 years old. So, they're out in Houston in a hotel awaiting a bunch of medical tests followed by serious surgery for Max. Meanwhile, their other 3 older kids are back home with an aunt. Again, Carl & Courtney--and Max--have great attitudes about the situation, though Max is caught up in the thrill of it all...which thrill will likely end decisively today as the tests start. For more on their situation, go to prayformax.blogspot.com.

Jehovah Shammah. He is present. Which is pretty incredible to ponder.

Selah.

And, once again, I'm back...

Long time, no post. I know you're disappointed. (or not...)

Go here http://prayforeddiebaker.blogspot.com. Eddie is one of my dear friends, who is facing a rather serious medical situation. Go, and pray as you will.

That's it. (more later...)

mm

I"m baaaack...

So, been a while here. (for my more active blog, see )

Where to begin...Hurricane Katrina? Sure, why not.

An unasked series of questions:
--Did anyone run across the ACLU disaster relief team? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
--How 'bout the American Atheists disaster relief team...surely we benefitted from their fine work. What? No?

Hmmmm....this must mean something. Well, dangit, who were the first & foremost disaster relief teams in S. MS after Katrina? That's not a rhetorical question. Please answer. Churches & other Christian groups? Correct!

Hmmmm...this, too, must mean something. I think it does. And I think it speaks loudly & clearly for itself. One one side of the anti-Christian/Christian debate is a group that is genuinely interested in helping, serving, and doing good deeds for others, even in the total absence of any recognition or press coverage. On the other side is the ACLU.

That is all I have for you. Talk's cheap, boys & girls!

the beach bum

on hurricane thinking...

the beach bum

Background: I grew up in Ft. Walton Beach, FL, & Ma beach bum still lives there. Bro beach bum is in the process of trying to find employment such that he moves back there.

With that said, I have heard some strange things in the past few days related to hurricanes:

--"I'd give anything to fly in a hurricane hunter through a storm" (I agree...well, maybe not anything...but it would be very cool!)

--"What's the big deal about a hurricane, anyway?"

--(relatedly) "Why so much obsessive new coverage during Dennis?"

--"It was only a minor storm"

and then this from several folks here in S. MS, about 70 miles inland & 90 miles northwest of Mobile, AL (drum roll):

"Dang...I'm sooo disappointed that Dennis missed us" or "I'd love to be on the coast during a hurricane"

Basically, the previous thought is only uttered by those who have never lived on the coast when a hurricane struck. FYI, the beach bum has ridden out 2 storms on the coast, one in Ft. Walton Beach, FL, & one in Miami. I won't ride out another if I can help it! I'm struck by the randomness of it all. One house has virtually no damage; next door is a total disaster. One area of town has very little storm surge, another area of the same town is buried under water. One tree falls harmlessly in the back yard; another cuts a house in half. You get the idea.

I'm glad I've ridden out a hurricane, but I do not recommend it. One time was sheer stupidity & belligerence on my part (Miami). The other was bad luck. Ma beach bum & I got caught when one turned about 90 degrees & raced ashore. The turn caught a bunch of folks by surprise.

So I've been lucky twice.

As to "minor storm", here's an analogy for you. There's a humorous saying that goes like this: "Minor surgery is defined as surgery performed on someone else." I apply that same reasoning to hurricanes. A minor hurricane is one that strikes somewhere neither you nor any of your loved ones live. Ask residents of Navarre if they thought it was "minor". Ask residents of St. Marks--about 100 miles away from landfall--if they thought it was minor. You get the idea.

Now that ride on the hurricane hunter, on the other hand,...I'd love to make that one happen...

OK, I'm out.
the beach bum

Live 8

the beach bum
A brief note on the Live 8 concert...

First, the Pink Floyd set was absolutely awesome! (That's the only set I saw...and one of the few I cared to see) Those boys still have it, after all the years & miles & age & arguments. Hard to believe they haven't played together in 24 years...

Now the idea behind it all...
Noble-minded. Compassionate. But fixing a shark bite with a band aid. Much is said in this country about "root cause." Until the root cause of famine in Africa is addressed, all the Live 8s & debt forgivenesses in the world won't solve the problem. The issue is corruption at the highest levels of government in the famine-torn regions of Africa. I read that one of the former dictatorial leaders of a small-ish country in Western Africa looted the oil fields of an amount approximately equal to their entire output over a several-year period. Which, of course, renders oil money useless to solve problems.

Also, I disagree with the anti-corporation, anti-money sentiment prevalent @ Live 8 & @ the G8 protests. Um, hello? With no money, how exactly are we in the affluent parts of the world going to help those in the less affluent regions? That darn logic rears its ugly head.

Finally, the self-importance of some of the artists involved. Cold Play's singer gushing that "this is the greatest event in the history of the world." Hmmm...the Revolutionary War, the French Revolution, the Rise & Fall of communism in Russia, the discovery of penicillen, the defeat of Hitler, the publication of the works of Shakespear, the work of Beethoven, Bach & Mozart,...not to mention the invention of written language,...and, of course, the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ...

Surely those are contenders...*sighs a heavy sigh*

I appreciate Bob Geldoff's heart and passion. I enjoyed the clips I did see, of U2, Sir Paul McCartney, and of course, Pink Floyd.

But let us not raise our hopes too high. And I say this with a heavy heart that is burdened for the peoples of Africa. A concert will not solve the problem. Neither will debt forgiveness.

Two words: root cause...

property rights

the beach bum
Property rights? We (apparently) don't need no stinkin' property rights. Thus saith the U.S. Supreme Court.

I disagree. That is all.

underreported news from Iraq

the beach bum

Go here and read this collection of underreported news from Iraq. Not much of this will be found in your local papers.

That's it.