I love Sundays.  This past one was particularly good.  Both of the morning services went well.  I laid out of afternoon volleyball because I was on baby-duty…but the truth is, I needed the rest.  The evening service went well, too.

All three sermons were more than an hour long.  I’m generally pretty long-winded, but this week I rattled on and on!  But I had to.  Seriously, I did.

My subject was alcohol.  It’s a complicated topic, and it’s a serious danger to cover it partially.  So I didn’t.  And I averaged about an hour and five to get it out.  It was fun, though!

In a couple of days it’ll be on our website and podcast…www.maryvillevineyard.com.

I’m particularly indebted to Kris McDaniel of the Trinity Vineyard, and to Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill Seattle.  Both brilliant guys who’s take on this topic made this message pretty easy for me to prep!

If you’re looking for medical info about croup, look here.

Bryce has ‘the Croup.’  Doesn’t that sound ominous?  Can’t you hear the raspy voice of the excessively old woman with spindly fingers and oppressive evil eyes, “he’s got the Croup!”

The reality is, Croup is nothing more than baby-Larengitis.  The problem is, when we get the swelling that accompanies Larengitis we get a scratchy throat…but when a baby gets that swelling, their airway closes.

Last night at 3:37am Bryce woke up crying, coughing, and fighting for air.  Sharon was already suspicious that he might be ‘croupy’.  We took him outside on the porch to take in some cold air (apparently that can open things up a bit).  But to no avail.  Within a few minutes we (Sharon, really) knew we had to take him to Children’s.

We were only there a couple of hours.  After two breathing treatments and some cherry-flavored steroids we got to head home.

Bryce could have a cough for a couple more weeks, and the Doc (Dr. Francis Craig, actually–she was awesome!) said he’d be contagious for 3-4 days.  So I guess Bryce will be laying out of church!

He’s a little whiny, but he’s been a trooper!

I just finished reading Chosen by God, by R.C. Sproul.  It’s a great book.  A seriously great book!  It wasn’t entirely what I expected, but it was nonetheless better than what I expected.

I have a million thoughts to share (some still unsorted), but I’ll simply share two of them:

1. As I’ve said many times before, I almost always agree with the Calvinists.  It’s a beautiful and brilliant theological construct.
2. Even after reading a brilliant presentation of it’s principles, I remain troubled that Calvinism embraces some mysteries and rejects others.  Granted, competing doctrines do the exact same thing (more so, actually)…but I’m not swearing allegiance to them either.

Forgive my lack of orthodoxy, but I suppose I’ll cling to my own tattered hybrid version that’s full of holes and shortcomings–because I refuse to plug those holes with answers I don’t yet have.

I’m writing this week’s sermon today. The topic: “What about Alcohol?”  I’m curious where my tens of readers land on this one, so don’t be shy!

Psalm 111:2
Great are the works of the Lord,

studied by all who delight in them.

This week I was particularly challenged and intrigued by this verse.  Apparently one who delights in the Lord, is one who studies the history of His great works.  What a thought.  As people who delight in the Lord, we are to be historians.  Recalling, to the praise of His name, His great deeds and works.

The Bible talks a great deal about remembering forever the works of the Lord.  It’s a challenge to me.  It means that we first must learn them, and then recall them with praise.  Another potential application here relates to our own personal history.  There really is something to be said for writing down the miracles of God in our life, and going back to that list time and again.  It creates worship in us.  And that is, after all, what we have been created to do.

Today was an odd but great day.  I love Sundays in general, but this week I was leading worship and not preaching.  Totally out of my element.  But I love leading worship!  All three services went well.  My wife, Sharon, taught about other religions and how Christianity stands alone.  She brung it!

I don’t know if I’ll be able to post for the next few days.  I’ll be in meetings for a church-planting task force I’m on with the the Vineyard.  Isn’t that an odd title, “task-force”?

A task is like random busy work, not very inspiring.  But force, that’s a powerful and moving word.  I’m new to this task force, I’m not yet sure what’s expected of me.  I can only assume that it’s my duty to carry out random busy work with great power and authority.  Task Force!

F.Y.I.-our church just launched a totally new website.  check it out.

OK, so I’m not the hater of all things halloween–I just think that Reformation Day happens to be what’s most significant about today.  Of course, I didn’t do anything to celebrate that today.  Instead we dressed up our son and met up with some friends and went ‘trick or treatin’.  A smidge hypocritical I realize–but how can I celebrate the posting of the 95 theses and still dress up Bryce like a lil’ monkey?

I’ve spent most of the morning reading Chosen By God by R.C. Sproul.  It’s pretty much required reading for anyone who wants to figure out where they stand on the calvinism vs. arminianism thing.  I’m about halfway through.  Good stuff so far.

Bryce got his little hands on it earlier.  He gave it a thoughtful and thorough going-over.  At one point he seemed to be fighting it.  And such is the plight of the P.K.: wrestling with theology early and often.  He made me proud.

Our Assoc. Pastor / my great friend (Matt) is having surgery first thing tomorrow morning.  He tore is ACL, and now they’re replacing it with a cadaver’s ACL!  Can you imagine?

The Old Testament laws dictated that one would be ceremonially unclean if they came within 6 feet of any part of any dead body.  Matt’s about to have a part of a dead body put inside of him forever!  Hebrews 10:9-10 says that old covenant has been replaced with the new: He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Good thing for Matt.  If we were still under the Old Testament Law, he would be incredibly screwed!

Guys, please be in prayer for Matt.  It can be a tough recovery process.  Ask the Lord to speed his healing and to lend special grace to his wife, Teri (’cause he can be a bit of a whiner!).  We love you, Matt!

There will likely be updates on matt’s blog.

what is S.O.A.P.?

This week several things stood out in SOAP-but none more than a single sentence from today’s reading: Romans 14:23, For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

A lot of effort has been taken to define sin.  I’ve put some thought into it myself.  Seems a bit silly now, really.  Paul gave us one. Sin is whatever does not proceed from faith.

I’m not sure how I’ve missed this my whole life.  I suppose it’s because this chapter always gets me pondering ‘disputable matters’–I’m always thinking doctrine when I read Romans 14, not theology.

So I’ll be putting some thought and some self-evaluation into this.  Sin is whatever does not proceed from faith.  Any action (or inaction) that isn’t the result of the fact that I trust Jesus, is sin.  My head’s spinning.  Good spinning. Pirouetting, I suppose.