Hannity vs. Voinovich

Yesterday I'm in my car when I tune into a discussion between Ohio Sen. George Voinovich & talkshow host Sean Hannity. I tire of Hannity rapidly these days and I think he's too much of an apologist for President Bush, but I have to give him credit this time. He was like a dog on a bone with Voinovich. I thought to myself: "I thought Voinovich was a republican." Well he is and Hannity cut him no slack. The sad part was that the Ohio senator came across as arrogant and ignorant. Sad. Read the details if you wish.

My Guy

I've found my favorite of the potential presidential candidates out there: Ron Paul. I like this guy. He actually seems to have unwavering convictions and he sticks to them. He's proabaly too libertarian for my friends but I'd love to see him have a shot at the Whitehouse. Yeah, I know it's unrealistic. Can you say "Fred Thompson?" He's knwon as "Dr. No." I love it!

Bruce

It's been a few weeks since I've posted here. Frankly, I lost momentum. We had a big loss here at Olivet. One of our members, Bruce Horner, was killed in Iraq. Bruce was serving in the Army and was shot by a sniper. Bruce was such a good guy... He kept it simple: He loved God & loved people. He shared his face frquently and effectively. He was the guy who really cared about others. I was blessed to have known him. His loss really hit us hard. I saw Bruce frequently at the gym where he regularly introduced me to people he was trying to reach for Christ. He seemingly always had a song on his lips and a smile on his face. We'd sit around laughing and talking about music and the gym and the Lord. And Bruce could eat too. I used to tell him that he could find any desitnation in town if you told him what buffet was nearby. It was amazing how many people he touched in his 43 years. His memorial was a major event: TV crews, the newspaper, the Army, hundred of friends. Bruce was presented the Purple Heart & Bronze Star posthumously. It was simultaneously one of the most stressful and rewarding times in my ministry. It's odd I know but it still doesn't seem like he's really gone. I miss Bruce, but I look forward to seing him on the other side.

Young Men

This Sunday I'll be preaching about the future of the church specifically with regard to young men. I came across this quote for Mark Driscoll:

In Seattle, the young men are, generally, pathetic. They are unlikely to go to church, get married, have children, or do much of anything else that smacks of being responsible. But they are known to be highly skilled at smoking pot, masturbating, playing video games, playing air guitar, free-loading, and having sex with their significant others. However, the emerging-church massage-parlor antics of labyrinth-walking by candlelight will do little more than increase the pool of extras for television’s Will and Grace. If there is any hope for a kingdom culture to be built in Seattle, getting the young men to undergo a complete cranial-rectal extraction is priority number one.
Mark Driscoll, Radical Reformission, p. 184

So, think I can use it?

Bluefish TV Pastor

I did it again. I normally skillfully avoid the telemarketers (with the help of my secretary), but this time I failed. It was the Bluefish TV guy that got me. He used the old "Pastor Willis this is Pastor ______________ hook. Nice strategy. So, I listened and I agreed to let him send me a package of videos to "review." (I could've kicked myself after I hung up!) After all it was such a "great value!" So I opened the box and checked out the videos. I knew I'd made a mistake. I don't use videos regularly anyway and I won't be anytime soon so why do I need a few hundred of them? Now I have a bunch videos I'll never use (nobody else did either) - and that's why there in this huge package at such a low price. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure some of these vids are quite good, but I prefer to buy the ones I want. Who has the time to "review" all of these? Maybe Pastor _____________ watched too many videos at his church and that's why he's selling them over the phone instead of pastoring! Now I have the lovely responsibility of shipping these vids back to them! Oh boy!

Jakes...

I always get myself into stuff. I say to myself: "Dave, just smile and keep your mouth shut." Then I quickly ignore myself and speak up anyway. We had our small group at my house and one lady menitons how much she likes T.D. Jakes. She is also quite stunned that one of the guys there doesn't even know who Jakes is. Well one things leads to another and I mention that Jakes doesn't affirm an orthodox belief in the Trinity. I didn't even get into some of the other junk he preaches, but i could tell this lady was troubled (as she should be). I really like her too. She's got spunk and fire and I like that. I hope I don't end up alienating here. I get a little tired of these celebrity preachers: Jakes, Olsteen & ALL OF THE TBN preachers and preacherettes. Far too many people watch them and swallow what they say. Whatever happened to discerment? Norman Geisler said, “I know T.D. Jakes is very popular, and I know people don't like his ministry being called a cult, but it is. It would have been condemned by any orthodox church down through the centuries… Jakes promotes modalism, which denies the doctrine of the Trinity.” More from Jonathan Moorhead.

Levi

Levi, our Teen Minister, has departed to take a new position at a church in Washington, NC. His last day was yesterday and we had a "going away" cookout for him and his family. Levi is a good dude and I appreciated his time here. I'll also miss our occasional lunch excursions. Levi was here about 6 monthes before my arrival. Ironically he became a Christian at the church I served previously. I knew him there but not very well as he circulated mainly in the youth area as a sponsor and I was primarily with the "old folks. " I appreciated Levi's convictions and his character. He was especially helpful to me as we weathered some severe storms together. May God bless him for his faithfulness and in his new work.

Good Wedding

If you read WTBW? you know one of my least favorite ministerial duties is officiating weddings and everything that goes with it. So, thought I'd share positive wedding experience. This past Saturday I officiated (I like that word) a wedding for a young couple and I actually enjoyed myself. I really like both families and the bride & groom as well. They had dated for several years and the really do seem right for each other. I can't say that in every case! The ceremony went well in spite of a few bumps in the rehearsal road. They had a guy sing who really could sing. That was refreshing. Everyone was happy and I was too. This doesn't mean I'm going to be a wedding chaplain in my retirement years, but I did have fun this time around.

I don't know who thought of this...

But cheese filled dogs were a great idea. Amen? I just had 4 for lunch. You take the glorious old hotdog and you think "it don't get no better than this" and then surprisingly it's been taken to a whole new level. I know these babies aren't new but I haven't had one in a while. But, who would've thought just a little cheese in the middle of this thing and we'll have a winner weiner. Some guys sitting around downing and dogs and somebody says "Hey, what if we put the cheese inside the dog?" Amazing! What's next? Chilli? Mashed potatoes? Peanut Butter? Maybe jelly? Hamburger? Or how about onions? Kethcup or Ketchup/Mustard has definite potential. I figure I'll be rich if I can just figure this out. Suggestions?

Idol Surprise

Melinda is gone. I was on the phone with a friend last night and walked by the TV and noticed Melinda Doolittle singing her farewell song. She appeared to be the lock of the century but she was sent packing. I've been a Blake guy from the beginning but I think he's destined for second. This year I've really lost interest in the Idol hype machine. I read on Drudge yesterday that ratings have also been declining. I think last yer was the beginning of the continued slide. I can hardly remember the name of last year's winner.

Dirk the MVP

Dirk Nowitzki finally got an MVP. He's been tremedous this year but his former teammate Steve Nash is still the man. Don't get me wrong, Dirk is phenomenal but Steve Nash is the real MVP. He's the total package and the Suns are highly ineffective without him. Mark Cuban really looks dumb in retrospect for letting Nash get away. By the way...who's the current point guard in Dallas??? Yeah, my point exactly. Kudos to Dirk, but here's hoping Steve gets the MVP in the NBA Finals!

Farewell Falwell

Readers of WTBW might be surprised that I was an admirer of the late Jerry Falwell. Sure I couldn't accept his positions on baptism or the end times, but I still liked him. He was a conservative rock and was particularly prominent in my early days when I was forming my religious and political worldviews....back in the days of Reagan. He stood firmly againt the immoral tide rushing over the land then and now. He was probaly the most abused religious leader in modern history. He was made fun of and worse by many. I went with my parents to hear him preach when I was very young. My dad always liked him. I liked him too and I really appreciated his strong and unwavering stance on social and moral issues. He was a champion of the conservative religious right and he wasn't some whacko either. It's sad that a lot of godless nut cases will revel in his passing.

A little rant...

Things irritate me these days that probably shouldn't so I figure it's simply evidence that I'm getting old. For instance, what's up with all these preacher/youth minister guys triyng to look "relevant" and/or "manly?" Is there a youth minister somewhere out there without a goatee? Google "youth minister" or "youth pastor" and see for yourself. I predict that soon dreadlocks will replace the now omnipresent goatee among those trying to be "relevant" in order to reach "this generation." (Remember you read it here first at WTBW!) Of course clothes from the local thrift store will still be in vogue for years to come. But, it's not just the young guys either. How about theses mid-life crisis preacher dudes trying to look manly on their Harleys? You might as well paint Richard Simmons green and try to pass him off as the Incredible Hulk! It's false bravado and I don't get it. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't see tough guys pouring into church buildings manned with such "leaders." "Hey, I hear the preacher plays poker so I'm taking my entire family to that church this Sunday." And don't even get me started on earrings and those disc things stuck in their earlobes! Oh the irony of copying the masses while claiming eccentricity! I feel better now. Thanks.

Mark Driscoll

I've heard people refer to Mark Driscoll as the "cussing preacher." I've read his blog occasionally but I don't know a lot about him or his theology. I do know he's a Calvinist and in error when it comes to the New Testament terms of pardon. I listened to one of his sermons today. It was on 1 Timothy 2:11-15. I thought it should be interesting and it was. He was more solid than I anticipated but he's still a little too much to the left for me. The stunning part was when he described the liberal/egalitarian postion. He said something like they think this passage says "I want women to teach and have authority over men." (congregation laughs). Then he says something like I'd like to hear how they handle those passages in the Old Testament that say people aren't allowed to have sex with animals! Woe! I wish I could get away with that. It was great and actually made the point very well. For the record: I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 1 Timothy 2:12 (ESV)

The Queen

Well the "Queen " has passed through these parts recently creating quite a stir. Queen Elizabeth II has made a big splash locally & nationally but somebody help me here... Didn't we we fight a war to get rid of rule by kings and queens? Didn't we pretty much kick out her royal predecessors? I noticed she visited Jamestown but she didn't find time to visit Yorktown just a few miles away! I thinks it's kind of funny. I guess I just don't get the hype. Now I get the Jamestown celebration (But not the reinterpretation of events). For the record: If the "Queen" was coming down my street I wouldn't open the blinds in my front window to watch! For a rather thoughtful article about all of this, check out Pat Buchanan's latest.