They Go to Seminars

A not so new but aggressive defense mechanism has been unleashed in the Blogosphere. Say something bad about Islam, Scientology, Al Goreble Warming, and other things and you will get comments like this. A boilerplate Scientology response came in here a couple days ago.

And some pro Al Gore global warming proponent posted here.

Both of these are long, well written and comprehensive. HOWCOME? These are people who attended a seminar on how to do this. Seminar blog commenters have these things in a file. They troll the blogosphere using Googles Blogsearch and post these comments in an attempt to deal with whatever the issue was.

That is their right. But, they are long winded and not on topic many times. And, it’s not really debate.

I am going to find a half dozen things I give a darn about. I’m going to prepare a general comment defending whatever that is. Then I am going to troll the Blogsearch and find people who are critical of or incorrect (according to me) in their opinion.

So should you. Come to think of it, there are a few who seem to do this.

Turnabout is fair play.

4851 Days of Dad

I was given a gift.  4851 days of my father's life on earth for me as his son.  Before 5000 he was gone.  I was 13.  It was the end of this month in 1959.  47 years ago.  Seems longer and like yesterday.

 

Fortunately a great man Fathered me and my siblings. Earl Redlin.

 

But my DAD, the man who was my genetic and biological parent only had 4851 days to give. 

Had he known he would have acted differently towards me.  We didn't always get along.  I was 13.  That should explain a lot.  Had I know he only had 4851 days I would have acted differently toward him.

 

And our last words were words of a parent toward a 13 year old kid.  Not really great.  Both ways.

 

Has that affected me?  I guess it has but I don't know if I know.

 

So, this fathers day, To Ralph J Redlin.

 

I honor you.  Too late, but on time for this year.

 

 

Pirates in the Pews (reprised)

Men don'’t like church according to an author who wrote the book "“Why Men Hate Going to Church"”.
This article reviews the book.

Church today is designed for 50-60 year old women according to the author. Look in your bulletin next Sunday. It'’s all about women. What is there for men? Nothing! Come be part of _____________. Fill in blank here. It's empty. How did this happen? How did being a passionate lover of God become feminized? I'm quite secure in my masculinity and I'm as radically sold out as any woman could be. But for me it's different. This isn't about having nice meetings with one another, this is about facing Nebacanezzer and maybe ending up in firey furnace. This is courage that might mean facing hungry lions in the lions den. This is trusting God for his own sake to conquer the enemies my family, my business, my church and my country have to face. This is war. Instead much of Church is support group Christianity. Not that we don't need that, but we face an enemy who wants to kill us and we are too passive as men to run to the battle. We are like David's brothers cowering in the shadows while the giants in our lives utter threats against us. David ran to the battle. So should we.

We need to have manly men on fire for God. Except most churches don'’t know how. They continue to appeal to their core group, older women because it's easy. They amplify the problem by increasing the effeminzationation of the church. So men hate church. They stay home and watch football. Nothing is happening there for them. And Churches die with a few old ladies locking the door.

What we need are pirates in the pews. A swashbuckling spirit. Jesus arhrrhg. I'm serious. Pirates take over. Time to put that parrot on your shoulder and strap on your rapier. Time for Christian men to take over.

We must start now or lose our men. How? By dealing with the things that only men can relate to. The battle: the passion, the evil one, the dominions that Godly men must begin to occupy in Business, Media, Government, Education and yes, in the Church. Men need to take charge. They need to start in their homes and then tackle the dominions of the world.

We must overtake and board the dominions satan has long occupied. What we need are pirates in the pews looking for satan'’s fat cargo ships to conquer. Remember, it's a promise, "The wealth of the wicked is laid up for the Righteous". Sounds like pirate work to me.

Hoist the Jolly Roger, let'’s take over. Run to the battle -

Jesus, ARHRRHG!

Mark of the Beast (or not)

My old, or erstwhile college friend A J (Arlie) Skurdal from Fargo days sent me this. He lives in the rainy Northwest now. I was amused. (By the way, AJ was at my wedding 40 years ago). That's a long time. Friends.

So, here are important iterations of the mark of the beast.

666 is the Number of the BEAST

670 - Approximate number of the Beast

DCLXVI - Roman numeral of the Beast

666.0000000 - Number of the High Precision Beast

665.9999954 - Number of the Pentium Beast

0.666 - Number of the Millibeast

/666 - Beast Common Denominator

666 x sq. rt (-1) - Imaginary number of the Beast

1010011010 - Binary of the Beast 6

1-666 - Area code of the Beast

00666 - Zip code of the Beast

1-900-666-0666 - Live Beasts! One-on-one pacts! Call Now! Only $6.66/minute.

$665.95 - Retail price of the Beast

$699.25 - Price of the Beast plus 5% state sales tax

$769.95 - Price of the Beast with all accessories and replacement soul

$606.66 - Wal-Mart price of the Beast

$566.66 - Costco/Price Club price of the Beast

Phillips 666 - Gasoline of the Beast

Route 666 - Way of the Beast

666 F - Oven temperature for roast Beast

666k - Retirement plan of the Beast

666 mg - Recommended Minimum Daily Requirement of Beast

6.66 % - 5 year CD interest rate at First Beast of Hell National Bank,
$666 -minimum deposit.

Lotus 6-6-6 - Spreadsheet of the Beast

Word 6.66 - Word Processor of the Beast

i66686 - CPU of the Beast

666i - BMW of the Beast

DSM-666 (revised) - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the Beast

668 - Next-door neighbor of the Beast

- Number of the Blonde Beast
uh... what was that number again?

The Solution

I have blogged on this before. But I think it is worth revisiting:

Most problems people have result from a lack of Core Values. I learned that a long time ago and have developed some that I believe are worth considering. They are part of the solution to everything.

If you remember the Tylenol thing that happened in the early 80s when someone put poison in some tablets and people died. Tylenol company pulled them at once. They lost millions of dollars. When quizzed about it the President of the Company said, "There was no discussion. We had already decided in advance what we would do in this situation. It was a core value to us".

That's the way I try to live my life. Sometimes with greater or lesser capacity. I try hard to take certain things off the table so I don't have to think about it when the time to make a hard decision comes along. I revert to my core values. They help me make right decisions.

Here are a few of them.

1. I strive (not always successfully) for 100% integrity in all things. No lying. No Stealing. No Cheating. If I pick it up, I put it back. I want to always be above reproach (to me) in areas of integrity. The book of Proverbs talks a great deal about this. If you are interested: Proverbs 10:9, 11:3, 20:7 and 19:1

This first issues saves me a great deal of pain. Once I filled gasoline in Tennessee. I had someone else's car. I drove away inadvertently without paying. I know I would have easily gotten away with this. But, I drove a half hour back to the station to pay. They didn't even know it had happened. They would have at the end of the day. Who did that matter to. ME. Make the decision to live a life of integrity and you don't have to think about what to do.

2. The success of my ministry, my work, my happiness in life is directly proportional to the depth of my relationship with Jesus and with my wife. I learned this best from a CBMC leader, Carl Boendner. He has illustrated again and again that without those relationships intact and healthy our ministry and business will stumble. I spend a lot of time nurturing and developing those two relationships. Thanks Carl.

3. I try extra hard to love people in the process. I am not by nature a patient person. I can be pretty hard on people. But people who are growing and working at it get a lot of slack from me. I used to be pretty legalistic about Christians who did things many would consider ungodly. But, I have come to the conclusion that ungodly is in the eye of the beholder. Some people can be pretty hard on someone who smokes. If you had to carry your bondage about in a labeled little box in your pocket it would be pretty sad now wouldn't it. So, I love people in the process. If you're not in the process I'm a little meaner.

4. I strive to keep my priorities in divine order. The reason is, whatever is on top of my pile (order) has sometimes undue influence in my life. I have to consciously try to keep my life in order. That order is:

A. Jesus. This includes everything about Jesus. This includes Church. This includes the gathering of believers together. This includes encouraging each other in fellowship. I have always had a hard time with people who give lip service to loving Jesus but don't have anything to do with things of God, Church, Fellowship, Bible Study, etc. I may be old fashioned but I believe in the Church. I believe it is ordained of God and must be nurtured by Godly Men and Women who are sold out for him. That's how I hold Jesus Number One. He is my all in all. That for me is not just a phrase. I really live that way. I stumble, I do dumb things. But my core value is Jesus is number one. Way above everything else.

B. My Marriage to Peggy. I have a wonderful wife. I tell her so every day. I am so fortunate. To this she would agree. But I know for certain that next to Jesus my relationship to her is most important. More important she knows that too. Nothing comes before her except him. She isn't jealous. She feels the same way. So it all works rather good. She doesn't have to wonder where she fits in. She knows, and she likes it that way.

C. My Children. I try to talk to my boys every week. I want to keep the relationship alive. I am not offended that they don't call me. I'm quite happy to be Dad. But, they know that they come really way down the list of my priorities. That was the case growing up too. When I came to realize that Peggy was more important, then I began treating them as they deserve. Respectful encouraging but they are the Kids. Marriages fail when the children carry too much weight. We ran away from our kids when they turned 18. 18 they were gone. That's God's order. Up and out. Then they are just good friends.

D. Friends and Hobbies. I like to Garden. So many of my friends are Hort types. I like things of God so many of my friends are people who are like minded. I have worked in the past with some wonderful people with creative minds. Ken Lea is one of those. I have many stimulating friends. And when it comes to hobbies, mostly we do hobbies with friends. So that's why I include Friends and Hobbies together. My best friend is my Brother Steven with whom I share lots of these interests. But, now he knows where he stands in the Hierarchy.

E. My Business. I work to pay the bills and buy groceries and pay the mortgage. I love to work. I'm good at what I do. But, in the end everything above is more important to me than my career, my business. I am fortunate enough that my hobby and my business overlap. Life is good.

So, in the end, I am a blessed person. And perhaps if you wondered how I stay so blessed, I took a lot of things off the table. Think about what having these core values really means when I make a decision about what I am or am not going to do.

It's very easy. What is my core value?

Why God Sometimes Doesn't Answer Prayer

I believe in prayer.  Because prayer works.  Simple right.

 

But sometimes I have prayed fervently and well, Nothing!

 

Howcum?

 

I heard an awfully good teaching the other day.  I want to share it.  I think it says better than I could why Prayer sometime isn't answered.  And, if we Trust God, it's good that it's not.

 

1.  Sometimes the answer to your prayer would be the wrong time.  Seems like God is always working in the fullness of time.  He doesn't do things when we want him to.  He does things when he wants to according to his purpose.  So, if we pray for snow in July, it could happen but it's probably the wrong time.  Before Jesus was born, people prayed for the Messiah to come.  But only when the time was right did he come.  Now people are praying for him to come back.  He will, but only when the time is right.  Sometimes a person is praying for a mate, time, time and time.

 

2.  You are not ready to receive the answer to the prayer you pray.  Consider a 20 year old young man praying fervently to win the lottery.  If he did it could ruin him.  Or perhaps it's to get a better Job, that's good, but if he did maybe he wouldn't be ready to execute the work and would fail.  Pray and prepare.  When you are ready he will answer.  Particularly as it comes to money, he is looking for people thru which he can channel great wealth into the kingdom, people who have wisdom and discernment and aren't suckered in by every sob story.  God wants to bless such a person who is generous and Kingdom minded.

 

3.  The answer will hurt you (or others).  If you are in the habit of throwing rocks thru the windows of cars and you develop bursitis, praying for God to heal your bursitis so you can throw rocks again isn't gonna happen.  There are consequences for the answers to prayers.  They are known by God.  Some prayers if they were answered as you asked could do damage to others. 

 

4.  Sometimes God says NO because he has something better for you.  A house doesn't sell, he has a better buyer, a job interview falls thru, he has a better Job, A business fails, he has a new and better opportunity.  His plans are perfect and you can trust him even when he says no.  The better is coming.  I have experienced this one lots of times.

 

5.  Heaven is better.  Sometimes we pray fervently for a loved one not to die, and then they die.  Did God fail?  Nope.  We need to understand, heaven is better.  Better for them, better for you.  Sometime God makes things come to pass that seem painful for the time, loss, hurt, pain.  God isn't making a mistake.  He is doing his perfect will.  If a person is healed, all praise belongs to Jesus.  If he dies all Glory goes to him.

 

So, trust God.  The bad news is he's all you really have in the end.  The good news is, he's all you really need.

 

 

6 Hours, Seemed like 5

I don’t tell too many people this, I’ll just tell you. I love the works of Wm Shakespeare. Have since Minne Onsrud made us read Julius Cesar in High School back in Ellendale ND.

Since that time I have seen most of his plays, and read a fair number of his sonnets. I have read all the plays. Hard to do.

Friday Peggy and I went downtown. I make her come with me and she is beginning to like the Bard too.

We saw Henry the IV. Running Time 6 hours. Actually it’s more like 4 Hrs 30 minutes. There is a one hour dinner break and two 15 minute intermissions.

But, long enough.

What I appreciate about Shakespeare is his consistency. I saw Richard the Second, Henry the 4th and of course Henry the 5th. Add to that Merry Wives of Windsor. The characters are the same. It’s like watching Star Trek Next Gen. It’s kind of a serial. I have come to know and love these people.

It was moving, beautiful and expensive and it beats watching the World Cup.

If I were a critic and advisor to ol Bill I would have dumped one of the bar scenes with John Falstaff. Too much.

But the drama of the reluctant Prince Harry in the death scene of Henry the 4th helped me understand better Henry the 5th.

I hope and imagine they will be doing Henry the 5th soon. I’m looking forward to it.

We few, we band of Brothers at Agincourt.

Culture War Report

I saw this in a scroll line on headline news.

Passion of the Christ ignited the Culture Wars.

Right. So this article which is the basis of that comment says that Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ is the most controversial movie ever made.

More Controversial than:
Clockwork Orange (Rape and Murder by the minute while singing in the rain)
Deep Throat (Linda Lovelace swallows)
Basic Instinct etc etc etc.

The magazine says Mel Gibson's film about Jesus sparked what it calls "a culture-war firestorm," the likes of which Hollywood had never seen.

Well as the old song goes, we didn’t start the fire. The culture wars ignited when they (the pagan left) decided to take on the Son of God. Always a bad match. I’ll put my money on S-O-G any day.

In any case I loved the Passion Movie. I know it’s not for everyone. My two sons have not seen it. I haven’t harassed them. I thought it was well done. They will see it if and when they choose to.

Making some equivalency with Deep Throat is lost on me anyhow.

The CD Playing in my Head

I have lots of CDs like you do. 95% get very little play. Fully 10% are still wrapped for all eternity in plastic. This is mostly due to the fact that no one can get them out of the plastic. HA!

I won't give you a rundown of all the CDs I enjoy. The list includes Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Brudder IZ, Some Opera excerpts, Tom Waits, Hillsong, and a recent hauntingly wonderful CD that I may have now played a hundred times. It's haunting because it plays in my head all day long. Over and Over. You've had that happen. You hear a song and it sticks and you can't get it out of your head.

Now, I know I have a few people who read this who are not radically Christian. This CD probably would puzzle you. It's prophetic pronouncements set to music with interspersed convictions, confessions and affirmations from both sides (you and God). Radical stuff. Wonderful and haunting. Strengthening and reinforcing. Passionate and intimate. Scary.

But, if you are a seeking to go deeper, if you are interested in enriching your relationship with Jesus this might be for you. Only a few will take me up on this. But, that might be enough.

The name is Misty Edwards. She is part of the team at the House of Prayer in Kansas City MO. Mike Bickle and all. I was there the night they opened the House of Prayer. I have been involved with the House of Prayer in Chicagoland since. I don't know Misty. I may have met her. She's no relative. She's just Misty. It's not about her.

This is good stuff. If you remain the same after listening to this 5 times I would be shocked. You would be stuck in your religion and in your relationship with Jesus. Sorry for being blunt, but this is a relationship building thing and not a religion reinforcement.

Here's a place selling the CD and apparently you can get excerpts.

Here is Misty Edwards' website.

Try listening a bit online. Better yet, shell out the ten bucks. If you really are serious I'll send you one free. I care about your growth in God. This is breakthrough.

I Should Care - or not

Mean Gene is not a big sports fan. I like to watch poker on TV. I will watch the world series every year. And I have actually sat thru a whole superbowl. I never watch basketball except final 4 stuff. So when it comes to guy talk re sports I'm a lost cause. I haven't had anyone doubt my gender however. It seems to survive all questionings despite my total apathy for all things sports spectatorshipwise. Sitting on my butt end for several hours watching others engaged in self actualizing activity is far less satisfying than actually being engaged in self actualizing activity myself. I'm out of the mainstream on this but I shouldn't be.

So, I understand there is some big soccer match this next few weeks. They call it football. I have watched up to 8 minutes of this banality and fell asleep. I would name it running around ball. That's all I see.

I'm not being very international I know. I should be more willing to learn. Bulloney. Come learn poker boys, then well talk.

I do enjoy watching some of the Tennis on TV. Peggy loves it so I go along. Sort of role reversal there. We went to some famous championship something when we were living in Europe. Saw Bjorn Borg. Clapped in unison with the other Germans (they love to do this). And all in all had a decent time. The spectacle of the crowd was the payoff.

I admire people who are avid sports fans. My friend Ken has everything about he KC Royals memorized. Says he learned advanced math by doing some kind of sports statistic calculations in his head. And he proved it. I admire it but couldn't care enough to actually watch most games on TV or even in the park except for the fine food and drink offered there.

So if I Tune in to Soccer (Football) at all it will only be to hear that announcer hold his breath and for a solid minute yell............

GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLL!

Cutting a Head off the Beast

There is a mythological story that if you cut the head off a monster 7 more emerges. With Abu Musab al-Zarqawi dead this image is being referenced. I spotted the monsters rising up this morning.

I was listening to Washington Journal early. The liberal moonbats were in full force. I think the 7 more rising up from the cutting of this head are all in the USA. I have never heard such fierce angry babbling. It’s like this was their brother or something.

So get ready. This was the worst news Bush haters could ever have heard.

As for me, the murderer of Americans by beheading (Nick Berg) is dead. So are a bunch of his pals. I listened to the Prime Minister of Iraq announce it. His people were elated. The cheering was intense and heartfelt.

I know CNN is running Nick Berg’s dad who is critical of the administration. What’s new. He lost a son. It’s all emotional.

This is good news pure and simple. I can’t wait to see how Turncoat Murtha spins this one.

This is a good day. Sure, it’s not over but symbolism means something in Iraq, this is that.

The Dixie WHO??

So, it turns out the turncoat Dixie Chicks concerts aren't selling. Big Shock.

I'm not a big fan of C/W music. Probably wouldn't go to a concert for free. But, if you spit in the face of My President, My Country and My Jesus you shouldn't really expect me to fork out $40 to come see you. I'm probably more like the typical C/W fan than most. They are staying away in droves too.

So, Dixie Chicks, maybe they'll come to your concerts in France. They hate everything about the good old USA like you do. But then they're French so maybe they wouldn't show up at your concerts either.

BuBye. See ya.

And that's not whistlin Dixie.

Harbinger?

666 was a good omen for conservatives (Mostly). The contested race in California for Duke Cunningham’s seat was won by the Republican after the Democrats pulled out all the stops to win this race.

Still, the biggest race was the one to replace Cunningham, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for taking bribes on a scale unparalleled in the history of Congress.

National Democrats spent nearly $2 million on the race; the GOP spent $4.5 million. President Bush and first lady Laura Bush recorded telephone messages for Bilbray, while the Democrats' last two presidential candidates -- John Kerry and Al Gore -- urged supporters to back Busby.

Bilbray, made immigration the centerpiece of his campaign, proposing a fence ''from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico'' and restrictions to keep illegal immigrants from collecting Social Security and other benefits.

Busby focused her campaign on public dissatisfaction with the Bush administration and the GOP-led Congress, and assailed Bilbray for working as a lobbyist in Washington. She consistently referred to him as ''the lobbyist Bilbray.''

Now, in fairness the makeup of this district is substantially republican (56%) and the Democrat only lost by a percentile or so. This should have been a lay-up with a corrupt congressman and how horrid Bush is and all.

Conrad Burns from Montana who was painted with the Abrahamoff Brush of corruption won handily against 3 opponents.

So, Let’s see, corruption will change the house, nope, Bush Evil will change the house, Guess not. Gore and Kerry endorsements will change the house, Don’t look like it. All around a good omen.

We must not let the liberals take control of the house again. That’s where money is spent. It’s bad enough now.

Besides the Congressman for my congressional district in Illinois, Denny Hastert needs the job.

The Minnesota Report

Spent the last weekend with my brother and his graduating family and his wife and a hundred of his closest friends.

 

They live in Buffalo MN.  NW of MPLS.  It was nice to meet so many.  But I'm just a tad agoraphobic.  Too many is too many.

 

So, I hid out.  And I felt el crapola.  So I spent a fair amount of time in the hammock. 

 

The family of Redlins etc came from Dakota.  They communed with each other.  Except Earl.  Ever the politician and people person at nearly 90 years old he shook and got shook with lots of people.  Great man he.

 

Heard more than I wanted to know about all the catastrophes going on in the family. 

 

Son and Daughter in law came down.  Nice to see them.  I did my best to irritate them to no end.  I succeeded I'm sure.  I'm such a bore.

 

I wish I were less passionate and more passive.  But, alas, nope.  I have opinions on all things.  And, given just a quarter of a chance will share them. 

 

End of June we are off to the north country of Dakota.  Same relatives different day.  (Drawn from a saying with different words same meaning).

 

I hope to see many good people.  I only know this, I'm glad we are where we are doing what we are doing.  It's a payoff in life I didn't expect.

 

We are working in areas of excitement I didn't think possible.

 

I don't know what is up the road round the bend but I can't wait to get there.

 

Life is good in Illinois and Dakota is a great place to visit but.............

 

Well, I don't live there anymore.

6-6-6

I plan to have a wonderful day today. I will be blessed beyond all I can ask or think.

I always look forward to omen-ness days. Every Friday the 13th I find black cats to make friends with and set up ladders to walk under. I step on cracks and refuse to throw any salt over my back.

So, when the sillyness on TV news last night about today's date came up I decided to just enjoy the day.

It irritates the Devil so much and that makes me very happy. Fear's all he has.

Out and About

I'm off to Minnesota to visit my brother and his family.  Graduation et al.

 

Looking forward to it.  I'll have "tales to tell" on Monday.

 

I'm tangled up right now in a project for tomorrow morning.  Ministry would be so much easier without having to consider others.

 

But He does, so I do, so we will.

 

Till Monday then.

 

TV Tip:

Watch Dr. Who on Sci Fi Friday or Sun nite.

Staying off the Bandwagon

The media's gaudy bandwagon over Al Gore's movie of doom and gloom is not one I'm hopping on any time soon.

 

I have not ever believed in Anthropogenic Global Warming and I still don't.  Gore is wrong.  Oh, the earth is warming.  If it was only populated by turtles it would still warm.  The idea that we have any influence beyond fractional makes Gore's Gory Horror Film bogus.

 

You want to know what this really is all about?  Money and Control.

 

This is pure and simply repackaged communism.  Doubt me?  Read quotes from leading environmentalists.  It's all about controlling you.

 

Don't let them.  They are full of bull puckey in spades.

 

I'm gonna start the Redlin Hearings --

Are you now or have you ever been an environmentalist?

 

Lenin would be so proud of his new disciples.

 

 

Traffic, Testosterone and a Green Thumb

I was as far north and east in Illinois as you can go.  Russell IL.  I was picking up some trees for the Church Project.  New building, landscaping etc.

 

I have never been to Russell.  I have never been to the absolute NE corner of IL.  It is very beautiful and still largely unspoiled.  For my friend Karma there are some prairies there.  I was dazzled.  The other thing is the makeup of the flora since this area bumping up against Lake Michigan is actually a zone 6 climate.  Oh, it gets cold but it stays temperate.  Kind of like Grand Haven Michigan across the lake. 

 

You see the difference in the flora if you know what to look for.  The weather is never too hot, never too cold and lots of lake effect snow cover and showers. 

 

To get there was a 2 hour drive pulling a trailer.  Nearly 3 coming back in rush hour traffic.  There was a time when in fits of road rage, impatience, anger, and fierceness of desire to drive over the top of every other car I would have been exhausted from the rush of testosterone thru my veins.  When I worked in "Town" and drove I experienced this a great deal.  I could leave the office in pretty good spirits and 40 minutes in stop and go traffic and I was angry and exhausted.  I made this trip without killing anyone.  And, I was happy when I got home.

 

I don't tend to be a terribly patient person except horticulturually.  I am quite content to plant a whip tree and know that long after I have stepped from time into eternity someone will enjoy the shade of it.  I like seeing the progress of trees I planted 8 years ago.  I note the growth.  So, my need to see change for the better is satisfied. 

 

Peggy does not share horticultural patience.  She is famous for planting seeds and then digging them up in 3 weeks to see if they sprouted or not.  Not a patient act.

 

I have determined that a green thumb can best be described as understanding a plant's needs better than our desire to have the plant do what we want it to do.

Light, not too much water (most people kill plants by too much water) only occasional light fertilization, keep from freezing in winter, keep from frying in summer.  And patience.  Lots of patience.

 

Most of what we do to plants isn't what they need.  The plant know what it wants to do.  When we force it to be something else it's abuse.  I'm not a big topiary fan.  Some plants are better behaved than others.  Some need a hard haircut from time to time.  Some need judicious pruning.  Some need to be rouged out all together. 

 

I ramble because the patience I lack or lacked in the past on the freeway is not the patience I need or use in horticulture.  As I get older and my testosterone drops the anger drops with it.  Oh, I'm still capable of fits of rage but less intense.  On the other hand, I can walk by a plant and hear it talking to me.  ""I'm thirsty.  I have a broken branch.  Look at the caterpillars or aphids attacking me.  I need more light.  I hate so much light.  Let me rest a while.  I'm happy.  I'm under stress."" 

 

They just speak silently and I don't know how I know.  It's a look, its a gloss, it's a curl of a leaf, and I don't spend much time analyzing.  I just know.

 

If you have a green thumb, and lots who read this do, you know exactly what I mean.  If you don't and thumbwise it's brown you think this is all gobbledygook, sorry to bore you.

 

I loved NE IL and will go back. 

 

I could live there.

This Explains more than I thought it would

I always thought I had a tender feelings side.

I guess not.

Oh Well. I'yam who I'yam and I'm not gonna takes it no more.

Take this quiz at the bottom and figure out if you are who you thought you might be.

Your Brain is 13% Female, 87% Male

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My Backyard Spring 2006

Spring at Casa del Redlin is always beautiful. This spring it's particularly so. So for those of you who don't live in temperate zones, take a peek at what displayed itself this spring. I am commenting on each picture as they occur below the picture. Spring. I love it.


This white flower is from a beautiful Midwest Crab. M. Bacatta in my front yard. It never flowered like this before. No disease either. And it is well behaved.
I planted this yew several years ago from a small plant. It's nearly 3' now. Only one. Violates all rules of design. But I like it. Taxus hicksii
This Hansen's Hedge Rose is a naturally occuring cross discovered in Brookings South Dakota by Dr Hansen. Gets these sliver dollar sized pink fragrant blooms. Disease free and beautiful fall floilage. 6' tall.

This is Clove Currant. Little yellow flowers that are very fragrant. Wonderful plant first thing in spring. Alternate host to a white pine gall. But I like it anyhow. I have two in my yard. Native to Western US.

Golden Barberry in my front garden. Can get ragged in summer, but first thing in spring, puts on quite a show.
This one is about 8 years old. Not very big is is.

This is a rock garden by the front of the drive where a huge mugo pine used to be. I have been putting various perennials in it. It get's really sunbeat and dry so my pallet is small.
Our front garden. You see Redbud (the reason I stayed in Illinois when I was tempted to move), Pink Flowering Dogwood C. Florida, and two types of Japanese Maple. I love lots of color.
More closeups of flowers of Midwest Crab. There is a bee in one, lower right. But it didn't show up well. I need to take some plant photography tips from my friend Ken.
I know for purists, this is horrid. But I planted climbing Euonymus fortuneani around my locust tree. I think it's really pretty. But a bit invasive. Makes the trunk dissappear.

Closeup of Dappled Willow
Set back view of same plant, This is all the rage and it's easy to grow. The downside is, what do you do with it after you grow it. I'm still trying to figure this plant out.
Dakota Sunrise Oak. I named this 10 years ago and it is now in the literature. Fast growing bur oak from seed collected in the turtle mountains of ND. Isolated stands of semi dwarfed formal shaped oak trees. Pure genetically. Not even considered to be true Bur oak by George Ware of the Morton Arboretum.

This is how my chokecherry TREE bloomed this year. I grow this as a tree. The trunk is 4" in diameter. The first branch is 6' high. Makes for a nice tree if you keep the suckers out. And look at those blooms.
Carolina Rose. R. carolinus. Stays small. Mor redish than pink flower. Very native. I like it. Can sucker like mad. So, keep it under control and you'll do fine.
This is my sweetshrub. Calycanthus floridus. Note the walnut sized purple flowers to the right. That and smell good are all it does. Just barely hardy here. Arguable as to if it's native or not.
Maybe one of my favorite trees. Blackhaw Viburnum. V. prunifolium. Glossy leaves, gets big, can be tree or shrub, is beautiful in fall. Decent flower display. Little disease problem. I have 300 growing in pots for sale. That's how much I like this plant.
My backyard. When we moved in here 10 years ago very few of what you see was here. 3 large silver maples and one magnolia. Since then I planted 40 various evergreens to serperate me from the road behind. I wanted to create a living space. I did. One note, there are 11 types of evergreens seen in my back yard. No two alike (same genus) are touching. I did that for disease problems. It worked.
I liked this American Plum P. americana bloom set. A week after this pic was taken it broke off in a large wind.
Oh well, it suckers back. Theory is it needs a pollenator. Maybe that's why it never set fruit.
One of my two Jap maples. Acer palmatum atropurpurea. I like this, it fruited (set seed) this year. Of course I will collect and germinate it. I don't know how much will come true. I'll let you know.

And this last pix is Acer palmatum dicentra. Cut leaf Weeping Jap Maple. This is over 9 years old and is still just 3' tall. But pretty and always gets a comment.

I will have additional notes as time goes on. I have other pictures.

So happy spring and happy Memorial day.

Reasons for war

On this Memorial Day Weekend this seems appropriate. I'm so proud of our young men and women fighting this historic, nobel and prophetic fight. This was written by a patriot in Wisconsin. I can only say Amen and Amen.


By Mervin Farmer
Appleton, Wis.

I should have written this letter two years ago, but I didn’t. I’m doing it now.

It seems that Cindy Sheehan, whose son died in Iraq, and others opposed to the war are unable to decide for themselves why we have invaded Iraq.

Here are some reasons for them to consider:

1. Sept. 11, 2001. After Pearl Harbor, we attacked Japan. So whom do we go after this time-no one?
2. Worldwide terrorism. The 2004 National Geographic has documented 28 terrorist groups, with Al Qaeda, the deadliest, operating in 68 countries worldwide.
3. Prevention of future terrorist bases in Afghanistan and Iraq.
4. *A way to demonstrate to the rest of the world that we mean business and need its help.
5. A way to point out to countries that harbor and abet terrorists that they are no friends of ours and will be treated accordingly.
6. The removal of a power-hungry, madman dictator who could, and would, be a potential danger to world peace.
7. The setting-up, it is hoped, of a democracy in Iraq, to demonstrate to the people of the Middle East that freedom is possible for everyone.
8. The prevention of Iraq from invading Saudi Arabia and controlling the Saudi oil fields.
9. A way to enable the Iraqi oil money to go to the people of Iraq, instead of to Saddam Hussein and his nefarious projects.
10. Israel. Need I say why?
11. The removal of military bases from Saudi Arabia to Iraq. These bases in Saudi Arabia were a major sore spot to the Muslim terrorists.
12. Any other reasons are secret and classified. The American people cannot be privy to confidential information that would compromise our ability to protect our country and our lives. Telling our enemy everything we know could very well tell them how we came to know it.

Twelve reasons why we went to war and nothing about weapons of mass destruction. Really!

A Really Funny Read

My Friend Jack Sunday posted this. It's hillarious.

His son sent it to him.

If you are a Republican or a Democrat there's something here for everyone.

Solar Indigestion

30 years ago I was stricken with serious sunstroke. Up till then I was Mr. Mo Sun. I spent the day on a Brazilian beach without protection of any kind.

By the end of the day I was one sick puppy.

Ever since then when it gets really hot and I'm in the sun all day I get queasy. Today was such a day. No hat. Dumb.

I'll pay tomorrow.

Some people don't know when to come in out of the rain, I don't know when to come in out of the sun.

How Much is that Doggie in the Window - If you have to ask you can't afford it

We dropped into the pet shop tonite. Waiting for our take out Barbecue to be done.

Looked at the dogs. The sign said the cute puppy was called a Pappion. The sign said, $600 OFF. That means this is a marked down dog. FROM WHAT??

So I asked. Regular Price is $1399. For a dog.

The world has gone nuts.

I guess when I got Skipper for nothing I got the bargain of the century.

Laws of Large Numbers and Frog Kissing

Last Saturday night a fellow minister with the IPHC had his first meeting of his new Church Plant.  E-4 International Church.  It was a classic case of an implementation of the Law of Large Numbers according to a Pastor Dr. Barry Kolb.  I had heard about this but never quite as succinctly as this.

 

What the Church Plant had done is electronically contacted 40,000

people and asked them to respond to a short questionnaire. 

 

According to Barry, that 40,000 should have yielded 400 yes responses and 40 actual attendees. 

 

Turns out, that was pretty darn close. We had 300 who said yes.  120 who said they would come and about 30 who showed.

 

Then last night in a conversation with a friend about how hard it is for young people to meet someone (we're both not real young anymore, both married which means we did meet someone and that therefore makes us experts) the discussion actually came down to the same thing.  If you are going to find enough frogs to kiss, (you gotta kiss a lot of frogs if you want to find a prince) you have (watch me mix this metaphor here) to fish in a bigger pond.

 

To put it another way, if frogs are your objective in prince seeking you should avoid spending much time in the desert even if you dearly love the desert.  This is doubly important if you are looking for a particular type of prince which must meet a list of non negotiables.  Can't be this, must be that.

 

When we had the Church in Geneva honestly we had great worship, good preaching (even when I preached), good fellowship and lots of couples.  Singles who showed up enjoyed what was going on but didn't last long.  They were hunting for frogs.  We didn't have frogs.  They ended up the road at the big seeker church in town or way up the road at the mother seeker church.  Mass quantities of frogs. 

 

Theology be danged, where do you keep the frogs?

Non-Negotiables = Values

I recieved an email from a friend who was talking about a George Will collumn and was chiming in that people who are "Values Voters" are narrow and don't get it. This was part of her comment to me. That I had a

.....responsibility to understand others' ideas or reach common ground or compromise.

Really??

It's this part of your comment that demonstrates the lack of values. I have values. I won't outline them here. I don't think there is a question of for the most part what they are. You can probably tell me. That means I represent a clear set of beliefs and principles which you understand immediately. You may not agree, but you know where I stand. Values.

I have flown enough to know you have to have a good compass to get where I want to go. And good maps. And a clear idea of what the weather will be along the way so adjustments can be made enroute to get where I want to go.

Trying to compromise or reach common ground without a compass or a map or ignoring the weather means I will miss the mark or crash.

People who value peace more than justice (As in the word to justify, make straight, correct to a predetermined course, like adjust) are always conflicted, easily led, confused and in the end unsure of themselves. Oh and I think George Will is full of horsepucky.

Values Voters is obvious shorthand for people who see things as less gray and more black and white than do you. It's the whole idea where I am more OK if I am open-minded. There are lots of things I am NOT open-minded on. I have no intention of being open-minded on: Life (as oppoosed to killing children by abortion), Marriage and Family (as opposed to blatant homosexuality/gay marriage) and The Kingdom of God (as opposed to secular humanism and anti religious fervor). I have a aversion to open-mindedness when it comes to trying to decrease the capacity to reason. You see, when you have no position from which to reason other than open-mindedness you drift into mindlessness. That's why so much of the left's vacuous arguments about so many things are so astoundingly stupid sounding to those of us who are part of Will's shorthand.

If I am a Values Voter (I guess it fits so you have to convict not acquit) I will vote what I believe as opposed to the popular mainstream media pap bought without thinking by so much of the left and open-minded people.

My advice is: develop a strong compass of beliefs whatever you conceive them to be. Defend them. Live in them. Focus on them. Make them Non-Negotiable.

Most of what I hear from the left is Bush is an idiot, and other such. We're against everything. That's not values. That is just being contrary. If the left ever became refocused on what they believe as opposed to what they are against they might have a chance. They have no values (other than being against everything) ergo they can't be values voters.

So, ask yourself, what are the uncompromising values from which I will give no ground (common or otherwise). Live in those non-negotiable and you might become a values voter. Till then you are off course, no map, compass is broken, and there's a thunderstorm in your way.

That's a recipe for disaster.

Read this for a person with sound values regarding the War. She represents what a real values voter is. When discourse reaches this level I have hope. If you read the comments (and there are many) you will quickly see which side is reasoned and which side is just against everything.

Tell me what you are FOR, then stick to it. Don't just tell me what you are against.

In the end, you do have values. If I wanted to plant, buckthorn at Garfield would you be willing to compromise and reach common ground about it? See, you do have values. Just not in all areas.

Our values are different. We don't have to agree to be friends. We certainly won't agree on some. I have no interest in areas I hold dear to compromise at all. Nor do you.

If someone comes to you with an agenda that includes values you "Value" you will vote for them. In that you are a values voter. Values you Truly Value aren't open to compromise and common ground.

Get it?

Praise the Lord and Pass the Karaoke

Karaoke music in the church has been a topic of recent discussion. Turns out, this is a larger phenomena than I had realized.

How it works. A guy stands up in front of the congregation, guitar in hand, starts singing and suddenly a 40 piece orchestra and choir chimes in. It sounds great, but the visuals are missing. Technology will change that too. Holographics. You’ve seen Star Trek Next Gen right. It’s only a matter of time.

Do you really even need the guy standing up in front of the congregation? Nope. There is a karaoke hymn-leading machine that is being used in England. Oh, It’ll be here soon if it’s not already. I have been in some church services where the pianist, organ or whatever was so awful that “Fly Me to the Moon” on Karaoke would have been more spiritual. Bet you have too.

Now for you really traditionalist thinkers to whom this all seems so “out there”; Remember synthesizers, electronic pianos? I remember when in the late 70's First Lutheran in Fargo got one. There were people who were pretty sure that the wire from the back of that “machine” was plugged directly into the pits of Hades.

When I got saved and moved into charismatic worship the guitars were all acoustic. Fewer devils in that I guess. Then someone brought a Fender Telecaster. Yikes. Satan showed up for sure. Those were in the days when we were burning our rock records because they had satanic messages on them when you played them backwards. (Insert joke about what happens when you play a country western record backwards here). Then drums, then well, you know. It’s gone “Downhill” since. I love it.

So, get used to it. It will be better than Martha on the pump organ. I had a great time with a young man who is a worship leader in a church in Missouri last Friday night. He talked at length about the “Band in a Box”. How James Taylor uses this technology interspersed with the real people. They walk on and off but are still there. How that technology will change worship leading for years to come. He’s right you know.

Technology. It’s all the rage. Of course for those of you in ministry who read this, don’t get too comfortable. Why not Karaoke prayer or Karaoke sermons. I mean think of the money we could save.

From the article:

Even so, clergy might want to be forewarned: Among the Hymnal Plus' many talents is the ability to lead a congregation in prayer and in recorded sermons via an electronic voice box.

Ah yes, I can see it all now, it’s 2010. Sunday Morning. Mom, Dad and the kids all put on their IPOD’s and get down together in virtual worship. No getting dressed up for church, no $5 per gallon gas wasted. It’ll be so efficient. Or maybe Holodeck Worship. How long before you can find yourself at Crystal Cathedral in the front row holographically, or Lakewood, or Bishop Jakes Potters House.

Boogie down and never leave your couch.

I’ve always said that ministry would be much easier if we didn’t have to deal with people. (for those of you who are humorless, that’s a joke man).

Maybe we don’t if it all becomes virtual and electronic.

Is that better?

HMMM.

The Joy of ...... WORK

Bet you thought I was going to say SEX. 

 

No, there's also the Joy of WORK.

 

I took several personality tests back in my Dale Carnegie days.  There was this need or desire to know who I was or am.  One of the things that came from the test was I have a need, maybe need isn't enough, a motivation to see concrete results in whatever I do.  I cannot long be happy doing unproductive (in my eyes) things.

 

The way it was described, I am happiest when I'm digging a hole because I can see the hole AND I can also see the dirt piled next to the hole.  Before and after.  Action and result.  I don't do well where there are no results.  This is probably why as a corporate executive I didn't get on as well as some.  Turn me loose, give me a desired end to get to, I'm unstoppable and passionate.  Create inert-dom (meetings to have meetings and conference calls and memos, and reviews and and and) I am like a caged tiger.  Stop already.  Let's do something.  I am results oriented to a fault.  I don't play well with others.

 

Yesterday I worked outside for much of the day.  It was wonderful.  I'm so sore.  I got so much done.  I put a new chain on my 25 year old Sears chainsaw and cut everything I could find.  There's more to come.  A standing dead tree is an abomination unto the Lord.  I will bring justice and the strong arm of God.

 

I always go thru a metamorphosis every spring.  I'm a lardo all winter long.  Then spring.  Lift tug push pull tear dig rip haul.  I'm so sore at the end of the day I virtually can't walk.  It feels wonderful.  Every muscle pains me.  I lose huge amounts of weight and get in shape again.  It feels so good.  I have a friend who has is a hiker and as a result she has lost a great deal of weight.  She would understand this pain and pleasure.

 

I have tried working out in a gym in winter.  There's no pile of dirt.  I don't make the connection with that machine or treadmill and work.  I know technically it's "work" but I don't know emotionally.  When I work I must have purpose. I wish I could stay in shape in a gym.  I wish I could but unless they have a hole needing digging or filling I'm not going to sign up.  Tried it, didn't like it.

 

I could blame this on my Germanic heritage "Arbeit macht frei".  Or as when I worked for the Fischer's in Germany "Arbeit Arbeit Arbeit".  That was the mission statement for the corporation.  Or as a nurseryman in Tennessee puts it, It's on the letterhead of his nursery, Workie Workie Workie.

 

Two things from all this.  I feel bad for a younger generation some of whom do not know the joy of pure work.  Pleasure of accomplishment.  Joy of the pain that goes with it.  Wonder of the response of the human body to effort.  We have robbed them of the dopamine rush that comes from really hard work.  That is a pity.

 

The second.  I know the day will come (and this is scriptural) when no man can work.  I am 61.  I want to work till I'm 75 if I can.  If my body allowed, to 85.  Retirement is a 4 letter word.  Actually 10 but you know what I mean.  I remember my brother John who loved to garden.  When he could no longer go out and work because of disease it ripped his soul.  I Know relatives of mine who at a cellular level need to be physically busy to have any fullness of life.  There is a supernatural effect from work that causes us to keep our perspective clear.

 

I could go on, there would be no result in that.  Gotta go.  I have work to do.

 

 

 

 

 

Abortion Casualties in the US

Abortion proponents deny they actually kill children.   That everything is for the good of all.  That abortion drugs are safe.  That legal abortions are better because they are done in clinics. They talk in terms of rights.  Well, last rites are all that is left for a 6 pound 4 ounce baby killed last week.

 

Another botched abortion.  At least before Roe V Wade you had to seek out the hit man on your baby.  They lived in back alleys and were hard to find.  Fewer babies were killed then.  They didn't have websites and were advertised in magazines.

 

Abortions providers are, write this down now, in it for the money. Period.  Nothing they do is caring or altruistic.  Think about what happens in an abortion.  If you are a provider and you kill 50 or 60 babies do you become 1. More Caring or 2. Hardened and Cynical.  The same people who rail against the killing in Iraq by both sides quietly accept this without a peep.  Hypocrisy??

 

If this mother had just brought this baby into the world (I didn't say to term, it was already to term) there would have been hundreds, maybe thousand of parents ready and willing to adopt that child instead of going to Asia or Romania to find one.

 

Summit Healthcare Abortion Sevices shiny corporate persona lives under the 73 legalized murder ruling allowances.  It buys nice cars and homes for legalized terminators.  The website shows caring doctors, concerned pregnant women and happy post abortion testimonials.  This is the abomination of calling good evil and evil good.

 

A few exerpts from the story:

 

That happened when a member of the staff gave a woman in her third trimester of pregnancy the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug.

 

It resulted in a botched abortion and the woman later delivered a 6-pound, 4-ounce stillborn child at a hospital.

 

According to the suspension order LifeNews.com obtained, the woman had a "critical and dangerously high" blood pressure reading of 182/129.

"That in and of itself would have demanded immediate medical attention," Williamson said. Instead, the staff went ahead with the abortion.

Summit is the abortion business that employed Malachy Dehenre, who lost his medical license in both Alabama and Mississippi because of botched abortions.

 

This is all thanks to a supreme court supremely out of touch and a gutless congress that won't tackle this issue out of fear.  I only can hope and pray that abortion is outlawed nationwide again in my lifetime.  This travesty has to stop.

 

 

 

 

Marcia Mason in Euripides

Last night Peggy and I went downtown to the upper level of the Shakespeare Theater in Chicago. Very intimate. Probably 75 people in the whole thing. We saw Hecuba.

I’m not going to bore you with the plot. That’s what Wikepeida is for. Sufficient to say this is a story about the end of the Trojan wars, slavery, sacrifice, death. Helen of Troy, Brad Pitt’s butt.

Not really anything related to the dumb movie TROY. Actually Hecuba is pretty gory and depressing stuff. Oh, and, Mr. Euripides, I got the not so hidden meanings. Thank you.

So I’m waxing all eloquent about reading Euripides other great work to my wife, Oedipus Rex. Impressing my gir you know. Except, Euripides didn’t write Oedipus Rex. He wrote an Oedipus play. But not the Rex. That was Sophocles; Which I did read in High School I think.

But, apparently Euripides is pretty rich source material for plagiarists. I guess that was OK in Greekdom. Electra was a Euripides story. An opera came from that. I’ve seen it. Don’t remember it. Must have been boring or I was tired.

All in all Hecuba was wrenching. Marsha Mason was OK. But we have tremendously talented classical actors and actresses in Chicagoland. She had a hard time standing above the others. Nothing taken away from her, but her lead in this play had more to do with star value and less with her ability.

I guess Ms Mason is married to Neil Simon. She was in Goodbye Girl. She has a book. She’s from New York City. I guess we second citiers (actually we are third after LA) are supposed to be impressed. I wasn’t.

There probably won’t be a movie made from this play. Unlike in Shakespeare stuff, there was 0 comic relief. We like to chuckle a little once in a while. At least I like to.

Syttende Mai

I almost missed it.  Syttende Mai.  I am part Norwegian.  Growing up the Scandahoovian part of my family celebrated Norwegian Independence day.  17th of May.  Today.  So we just got home from the theater and I ate some Lefse.

 

I don't have to turn in my heritage just yet.

 

Almost blew it.

 

Our Very Popular President

I confess. I am an unrepentant social conservative. I like George Bush. For lots of reasons but mostly that I trust him to do the right thing. Turns out I am not in the minority. Among social conservatives (Anti-Abortion, Anti Gay Marriage Etc) my beloved President has a 95% approval rating.

Since I mostly only hang out with other Social Conservatives I am always amazed that the polls of Bush’s popularity are so low. Turns out his popularity is huge (among people I hang out with).

This is not a Christian thing. Several people I know are very socially conservative and not believers in Jesus. Big Deal? I don’t know. But I do know, social conservatives are very committed and they vote. That gives me hope for fall 2006. I think no matter what they say about the war and spying and all, when the crunch comes Americans are basically socially conservative. So, don’t lose hope.

This all comes from an Economist Article (Not Complementary to Bush at all) it concedes the support he does have:

Besides, most social conservatives still like Mr Bush. He enjoys approval ratings of more than 95% among Republicans; he also enjoys something that his father never had: trust. Mr Weyrich, the man who invented the “moral majority”, thinks that Mr Bush's record on social issues is even better than the sainted Ronald Reagan's. This trust is there largely because Mr Bush has fought harder on the other big social issue, abortion.

Mr Bush has done other righteous things. His judicial nominations have included several evangelical Christians, such as Charles Pickering and Claude Allen, a leading advocate of abstinence-education.

Mr Bush is better placed than anybody else in his party to manage the religious right. But some spouses are not amenable to even the most enlightened management. The Republican Party currently looks like an extraordinary electoral machine. But it would be foolish to forget that the party is an amalgam of lots of different groups—and that one of the most important of these groups, the social conservatives, has a mind and a will of its own.

On the other hand, we have shot ourselves in the foot before. I will not allow by my anger or threat to not vote to potentially elect any pro gay pro-abortion liberals. I’ll hold my nose and vote for the right.

My guess is so will others when the time comes.

Music in the Church

Peggy and I spent much of the weekend with a man and his wife who were here as candidates for the position of Music Worship Arts director at our Church.

I have no purpose in spending any time on him since there are people who read this who attend and that wouldn’t be fair. I was exhausted spiritually Monday from the experience. For lots of reasons. My antenna was up all the time. No downtime. That’s hard work. But I got what I needed.

It did give me a chance to reflect on the place music has in the prophetic environment of a Church. I will admit, to me worship is best exemplified in a strong back beat, good lead guitar and a Hammond B-3 Organ. A little wild dance is good too. I’m not a traditionalist in this area.

But this article really said what I have felt in my heart. I found it because of a conversation I was having about changes in Churches with a nice man by the name of Justin. He was/is struggling with modern inroads to the modern Church. My thought was, you must speak the language of the culture. Paul said that, “In order to reach them I must be all things to all people”. (Gene’s Living Translation)

If that includes a Starbucks in the Lobby, Downloads to people’s IPODS, wearing Hawaiian Shirts, and nice buildings, let’s do it. What we were doing wasn’t working very well. This might. If not, it’ won’t work long.

From the article mentioned above:

In 2 Kings 3:13-15, the kings of Israel, Judah and Edom were preparing to go to war against Moab. They heard that Elisha was closely connected with God, and sent for him.

The prophet first addressed the king of Israel:
“What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”

And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you. But now bring me a musician.”

Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.

Elisha calls for a musician. The text doesn’t say why, but it does say that, “When the musician played the hand of the Lord came upon him.” Was it just a mood setting moment? I think there is something more to it.

In 1 Samuel 10:5-6, Saul was given instructions from Samuel:
“After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying. Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.”

Notice it says that the prophets are carrying musical instruments. It doesn’t say whether they are prophesying with their voices or with their instruments, but they were obviously musicians.

After David became king, there is an account in 1 Chronicles 25: 1, 2 where musicians are separated for the service of prophecy:

“Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals. And the number of the skilled men performing their service was:

Take note of the reference to, “who should prophecy,” and, “skilled men” (men is generic and does not eliminate women) in verse 1 and “who prophesied according to the order of the king,” in verse 2. Harps, stringed instruments and cymbals used in David’s time could just as well in our day be guitar, bass and drums.

From these accounts, I believe that God uses music as prophecy. The definition of the Hebrew word used for prophecy in the Strong’s Concordance is: to speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse). God is pleased when we play music, even if we don’t acknowledge it as a gift from Him.

God’s pleasure returns to me in the form of divine inspiration that can be used to speak hidden words to the soul of anyone who has ears to hear. If you have a personal relationship with God through Jesus, His Son and Messiah, ask Him to speak through your music every time you play. When people talk to you afterwards about how your music moved them, it is a perfect time to introduce them to the Creator of all music and show them how their future can be changed by God’s love. This is prophecy.

I think of times in a worship service where there have been 5 or 10 minute drum solos. Not exactly “A mighty Fortress”. But God used some of those times to reveal something about him and his nature to help me get over my bad self and more hidden in him.

Not all music in the church is prophecy, some is performance. It depends on who’s bringing it. Skill isn’t everything either. The anointing of God can be on a person who brings a song and it can bring you to your knees.

I loved the movie The Apostle. In one scene an old black gentleman plays a trumpet solo. It’s not very good. But God is in it. I would rather hear that then some slick rehearsed “Presentation” without the power of God behind it.

Evenso, Come Lord Jesus.

Why I have decided not to see Da Movie Vinci

Talk about a full-blown hype machine. There’s going to be Da Vinci Code Toothbrushes soon, DaVinci Code Vitamins, DaVinci Code Underwear for kids. This is not star wars people.

I have decided to forgo attending this movie, paying my 8 bucks and being irritated. I can do that at home.

WHY?

1. I don’t want to support the people who made this movie or wrote this book. They’ll get along fine without my encouragement to make more
2. I don’t attend showings of most horror movies and I spend little time in XXX rated emporiums. DaVinci code to me is no better than this.
3. My brain is full of things I wish it weren’t. Killings, murders, wars, anger, fear, images that I want to push the delete button on. I don’t need to add to the list of images I am dealing with.
4. I know it’s only a movie, but so were movies during the 3rd Reich accusing Jews of destroying the world and propagating the belief that the white Aryan race was superior to all. Only a movie but filled with lies, half-truths and outright accusations. DaVinci code is that. Lies, half-truths and fiction passed as reality. Junk food (maybe poison) for the gullible soul.
5. I know that in many ways I am a sum total as a human being of every thought I think, every book I read, every movie I see, every experience I have, and every person I know. When I ask myself if this adds or subtracts to the person I wish to become, this subtracts.

I have friends who have suggested that to be able to defend or debate the truth and fiction of the DaVinci code I need to see the movie and read the book. Really? I didn’t see people who have no belief in God running to see the Passion (Mel Gibson’s movie) because they wanted to be able to defend and debate. I’ll make a deal with all the open-minded people out there. We’ll go together. I’ll go see the DaVinci Code with you right after you go see the Passion of the Christ with me. I made that offer with Moore’s Fahrenheit 9-11. No takers. So much for open-mindedness.

This is not a fair argument. So, if you don’t mind, I’ll have my opinions based on impressions I have about the heresy and evil intents resident in the DaVinci Code and you go right ahead and have your erroneous opinions about the Evil and banality of an unconditional belief in a Living God. I mean you’ve never read the book either and you have opinions based on what others say about the Bible. I am allowed to have opinions based on what I have heard and read that others say about the Code.

If you will read the Bible, I’ll read the DaVinci Code. Tit for tat.

Any takers? I didn’t think so.

Open-minded? HA!