Hey peoples,
I have made a blogging commitment and have therefore moved this blog to a more robust location. (that sounded rude somehow).
Anywhooooo,
Go here and join the fun!!!!!:
Yay. Woot.
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Tim Bailey
Gearing up
Ok people.
It's time to rev this blog up again. I am planning on revamping and reinventing "And Another Thing".
Remember when I used to post everyday? (some of you wish you didn't....)
Look forward to the "new start" next week.
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Tim Bailey
Ramblings on pendulums...
Seldom is the answer to a problem found in its opposite. Too often we operate on this assumption, and because of our "convictions" regarding the situation, we find ourselves in fruitless arguments, unwinnable debates, eternal stalemates and war.
I have spent my life watching the conservative protestant church. I have never really felt "part" of it, having been viewed as the "rebel" from almost every conceivable perspective. I have watched its response to the youth culture in two generations, its reaction to societal changes, and have seen how it has desperately tried to name certain things evil in order to call itself good.
The only time the opposite is the solution is in the presence of pure evil. It's easy then, right? Name something evil and swing the pendulum. (Think "axis of evil"). Hold to your convictions to prove your thesis. Use a verse or two from scripture and claim pure goodness.
But the "issues" the church has decided to call evil are the easy ones. It hasn't clearly named selfishness "evil", because its opposite would be too difficult. It hasn't called living in wealth while half the world starves "evil", because it would have to act. It amended the "love your enemies" rule with a "just war" theory, I can only assume because it is just too difficult to die instead of fight.
Instead, it seems it has decided only to call evil those things it can oppose without too much effort, or at least can oppose publicly and appear to not be involved in. Along with a few of the obvious ten commandment sins, it has added homosexuality, any kind of nudity, sex outside of a socially constructed ceremony, etc etc. You know the "list".
I think Jesus' point in the sermon on the mount was along these lines. Stop naming things evil so you can call yourselves good. Name your selfish heart evil and swing the pendulum to love.
As I think on the pendulum swings that I think the church needs to initiate, I want to be aware that the opposite isn't necessarily where I'll find the solutions...
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Tim Bailey
Pendulums
Life seems like an exercise in swinging pendulums sometimes. Especially in the church. From embracing the left to rallying the right, from worshipping with art to reasoning faith, from "social" gospel to "personal" gospel....
The pendulum swings.
And of course, any leader who decides to help the pendulum swing towards centre again usually gets crushed in the process.
Over the next few blog entries, (infrequent though they may be) I will be exploring some of these swings and sharing my opinions on which way/how far we need to swing...
Should make my brain come out of hibernation. I hope.
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Tim Bailey
Wrong
As I get somewhat older, significantly less smart, and considerably more wise, I am seeing criticism much differently.
When someone comes at me with their anger about my incompetence, heresy or foolishness, I have begun to see fear instead of rage. It's not so much anger that I am wrong- but fear that they are.
This creates a nicer scenario for debate and meaningful interaction. My goal becomes relieving their fears, instead of fighting their anger - replacing their nagging feeling that they might be wrong with the discontentment that everyone probably is.
Especially me.
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Tim Bailey
Mercy and Chaos
Ok, so my thoughts about chaos in the world range from anger to confusion to total helplessness.
The ridiculous pain that is experienced by humanity is often more than I can take, and a good dose of non-real western passivity is all I can do to keep sane.
But the question still haunts me. Why does God allow it?
It occurs to me that there might be a different answer than "it's the result of sin in the world"....
What if God's mercy is the reason? What if it could all be over if God would just put his foot down? Would we still want the chaos to end if it meant that God forced us to worship him- if we were forced to "bow the knee"? What if he is waiting? What if he is patient? What if true worship must be a choice?
God's mercy and patience has created a world where we are free to worship ourselves and our own creations.
Sometimes I wish he would put an end to it, but I think I'd be part of the "end".... His dominion will only be forced when he chooses- and love will rule. If we'd get it through our heads that his rule exists where love reigns, we'd be making it happen instead of whining about the chaos....
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Tim Bailey
Aaaaaargh.
Hey people. Too busy. Too many meetings. Too much.
I have a post about God's mercy and world chaos coming soon....
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Tim Bailey
Madness
On Thursday my friend Dan, who had ridden his bike to work to train for a bike race scheduled for today, called his children from work to ask them to meet him half way home. He wanted to ride with them. He wanted to help them be healthy. He loved being with them.
There is a bridge between his place of work and his home, about 5 miles from each. As he rode across the "bottoms", a flat and extremely windy plain by the ocean almost halfway home, his heart gave up. The doctors say he was dead before he hit the ground.
A friend happened to be going for a walk minutes later and tried to revive him. To no avail.
Meanwhile his kids are riding over the bridge. Stunned to find their father lying on the ground with emergency workers desperately administering CPR, they are whisked away.
All four children decided to ride in the race today. His oldest came fourth. The other two daughters rode well. His 12 year-old son got lost, then found his way, then got a flat tire and was found weeping on the side of the road, totally deflated that he hadn't made his dad proud and won the 20 mile race...
His mom - a widow of 2 days - has to go pick him up.
The thought of this sorrow is driving me mad today.
Suits
Sitting here waiting patiently in the Buffalo Airport, I am amazed at how many people still insist on wearing the "power suit".
Every second person walking by me seems to be dressed for a serious meeting with serious people about serious stuff. I saw one smile a while back, but most of them seem to be on a collision course with destiny.
I have always said you can tell a lot about someone by their shoes. I can tell if you have been forced to wear a suit for your job by what your shoes look like.
Most of the people walking by me today have chosen to wear a suit. Their shoes give it away.
Interesting. I have not worn a suit for approximately 13 years. That record comes to an end this summer- I have weddings to officiate.
I better buy some shoes too.
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Tim Bailey
Temporary
My oldest daughter turns 14 today. Seems like yesterday she was just 13.
I remember the fears of having a baby for the first time. I remember how good that sandwich tasted after not eating all day, waiting on a nervous stomach. I love that we have had 13 years together. I love that we love to hang out. I love that we still have life to live. I hate that one day we won't.
I have been reminded this week of how everyone reacts to the fact that life is temporary and death is forever. We can't deal with it. The very fact that we work against it all our "lives" is evidence that it was never supposed to be this way.
Life was supposed to be forever. But the only way for that to happen now is to make death temporary somehow...
Hmmm. I guess that's what the whole Jesus event accomplished.
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Tim Bailey
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