Mile High Rev

REVerie - Colorado School Bans Tag on Its Playground

Colo. School Bans Tag on Its Playground.

To all survivors of “Post-Traumatic Tag-Playing Deficit-Disorder”  (PTTPDD), there’s cause for celebration in Colorado.  Yes, you read it right – there is an “enlightened” school in Colorado Springs that has banned tag-playing on their playground.  You can run…you just can’t chase anybody.  There’s a tear in my eye as I ponder those childhood days of hearing, “Tag, you’re IT!”  Imagine all the years of therapy, recovery, and medication I could have avoided had I not been tagged on the playground and in the neighborhood.  Alas, a new generation has been set free!

(While I obviously do not advocate violence, harassing, or bullying on the playground, does it seem to anyone else that this could be a case of over-reacting?)

REVolting - A Senator's Wide Stance

A Senator's Wide Stance: 'I Am Not Gay' - washingtonpost.com.

A U.S. Senator married for over 30 years is arrested in a public restroom for lewd acts of a homosexual nature, has a mug shot taken, pleads guilty to disorderly conduct, pays a fine, flashes his U.S. Senator business card, and doesn’t tell his lawyer or his wife?  He thought it would “go away?”  I read the actual police report on another website – implausible explanation after implausible explanation from the Senator.  The Senator’s protest – “I am not gay” – reminds me of a famous line from Shakespeare – “Methinks thou protesteth too loudly.” 

REVrant 28.15 - Haggard donors sent to nonprofit led by offender

The Denver Post - Haggard donors sent to nonprofit led by offender.

Just when you think you’ve heard everything, something like this link pops up and you shake your head in amazement.  It appears that Ted Haggard – disgraced New Life Church pastor from Colorado Springs – now living and going to the U. of Phoenix in Arizona is asking for people to “support” both him and his wife’s educational pursuit financially for two years.  The irony is that the financial support is being channeled through a non-profit (without their knowledge) at this point that is headed by a man from Hawaii who was convicted of attempted sexual assault and is listed as a sex offender.

Haggard also said that he and his family would be moving into the “Dream Center” in Phoenix, yet church officials say that Haggard is NOT moving in.

Put these two facts together, and it make you wonder whether Haggard has learned anything about integrity and honesty through this ordeal.  Like I said at the outset of this tragic story – Haggard need to lie low, live humbly, and back out of public roles…with a goal that he will eventually become as notorious for his repentance as he was for his sin.  He’s not off to a very good start in my view.

REVved - Survived the Audit

Some of you know (since I mentioned it in a sermon recently ) that my charitable giving for 2005 was audited by the IRS through an audit letter earlier this year.  In addition to our regular giving to the church and to several missionaries we support, we gave substantial donations to Goodwill that year – it’s the year we moved.  Got rid of lots of stuff, clothes in particular.  As many of you know, the Goodwill drop-off centers simply provide a signed and dated, though unspecified, receipt.  During 2005, I felt an unusual sense of responsibility for claiming these donations, so I decided to be very meticulous about the donations, in addition, taking digital photos of everything we were giving prior to dropping it off.  So when the audit letter arrived requesting my documentation for all of our charitable giving for 2005, I was able to provide elaborate detail – including digital photos!

Yesterday, I received a “no action” letter from the IRS…meaning, they aren’t going to take any action on my claims and I’m free from any further liability.  Praise the Lord!  In other words, they took my documentation and verified it as accurate.  What a huge relief!  I had very good receipt evidence for all of the checks we had written, and had done my due diligence on the charitable Goodwill donations.

The point?  Keep good records, and if you’re going to give anything to Goodwill, make sure it’s documented through photos, items lists, and comparable value charts (available online at Goodwill web sites).  It felt good to pass the audit and I needed to tell someone!  So celebrate the good news with me!

REVrant 28.14 - The Episcopal Church Continues to Self-Destruct

Lesbian priest among nominees for Episcopal bishop - CNN.com.

As you’ll read in this link, the Episcopal church continues to implode as the Chicago Diocese includes an openly lesbian priest among five nominees for bishop.  If this nominee wins, she will be the second bishop living with a same-sex partner in the Episcopal Church.  It appears that there will be more movement in this direction as the Episcopal Church veers off course from the more conservative Anglican fellowship.  Clearly, there is growing acceptance among American Episcopalians for homosexual clergy. 

Regular blog visitors will not be surprised to read that I see this move as further evidence of the impending doom of the Episcopal Church in America.  Sad to watch. 

REVrant 28.13 - 2nd High Profile "Televangelist" Scandal

In REVrant 28.12 – I referenced the tragic story of marital conflict for a noted “televangelist,” Juanita Bynum, and her husband, Bishop Thomas Weeks III.  The link below tells the story of a 2nd “televangelist” couple, Paula and Randy White, who recently announced their divorce (2nd each) and what they call an “amicable” parting.  It is beyond my wildest ability to comprehend that both of them – Randy and Paula – plan to continue in each of their ministries (separately) – he, as Sr. Pastor, and she, as “televangelist”  (and so much more) – as though nothing has changed.  Apparently, Paula is planning to be a guest speaker at her ex-husband’s church from time to time.  I take no joy or delight in the fact that their marriage has failed.  I’m an advocate FOR marriage, though I’m realistic enough to know that many marriages don’t make it.  However, after reading this article, it’s difficult not to become cynical about the motivations of this couple who leveraged their ministry proceeds into ownership of multiple homes in Tampa, New York (Trump Towers Condo), San Antonio, a beach-front property in Malibu, and a personal jet.  I am curious – was there anyone in their life watching this shaky ascent to fame and fortune who could see this coming and warned them?  And more importantly, would they have listened?  This story is troubling on so many levels, I don’t even know where to start.

Without Walls Founders Divorcing - News - MSNBC.com.

REVved - FBC MEN'S RETREAT - "Pursuing Biblical Masculinity"

I’m home after our 3–day Men’s Retreat at Snow Mountain Ranch outside of Winter Park, Colorado.  Physically exhausted, emotionally drained, and spiritually revitalized!  175 guys in the mountains “pursuing Biblical masculinity!”  The weather was sunny and warm.  The worship was refreshingly unencumbered.  The work – “pursuit of biblical masculinity” – was embraced with passion by the fathers and sons who made the trek into the stunning Colorado high country.

As I planned the four talks I gave, I relied heavily on John Eldredge’s book The Way of the Wild Heart (this is the sequel to Wild at Heart, and in my view, a more profound book…). 

I also selected the Biblical character, David, as our case study in masculinity.  The two fit together exceptionally well.  One of the things I wanted to do was to challenge the men to make something (using tools!) that would be a physical symbol of their masculine pursuit.  When our retreat “point man” (thanks again, Todd) and I met to do our preliminary planning for the retreat, we agreed that we would try to come up with something that would correlate with our theme and link up with David as our male role model.  He went home to share our thoughts with his wife (thanks, Michelle!).  After listening, she said, “I thought you were going to say that you’re asking all the guys to make a slingshot, right?”  Bingo!

So, we contacted all the guys by email prior to the retreat asking them to bring “a knife and a saw” with them.  (We had more blades at this retreat than you can imagine.  One guy even brought a chain-saw!)  We didn’t tell them about the specific project until Friday night.  At the end of my talk, I told them to go out into the woods, find a branch, and craft it into a slingshot.  We provided rubber tubing and duct tape.  I told them that they needed to have their project done by Sunday morning.  They DID!  You should have seen them!  All sizes, shapes, and variations on the slingshot theme.  They all showed up this morning and it took my breath away when I said, “Hold up those slingshots, guys!”

(My project…1 of 180.)

What does a slingshot symbolize?  Men are designed to MOVE!  Ever since Adam blew it in the Garden by doing NOTHING while his wife was being seduced by the serpent, men have been tempted to do NOTHING.  “Passivity and masculinity are mutually exclusive!”  The whole slingshot project from start to finish was about MOVEMENT!  You can’t use the slingshot if you don’t MOVE…it will just sit there unless you pick it up and use it – like David did to kill Goliath. (I KNOW he most likely used a leather “sling” type mechanism.)  MEN MOVE.  MEN MOVE BIBLICALLY.  MEN MOVE IN COMMUNITY.

My heart is full tonight.  God met His men on the mountain.  Here’s my Top Ten Reasons (in no particular order) Why I’m Glad I Was At The Retreat:  10. Watching our Men’s Ministry Leadership Team plan, oversee, and execute the whole thing!  9. Knives, swords, saws, and slingshots.  8. Watching several Dads “father” their sons during the weekend.  7. The Saturday night humor of Brad Stine. 6. Virile worship led by an amazing team of musicians.  5. Hearing guys laugh.  6. Seeing guys cry.  5. Male bonding in small groups.  4. Golf.  3. A room full of guys ready to embrace God’s call to “MOVE!”  2. Learning that some guys cut extra branches in case men with disabilities were unable to get a branch on their own.  1. My privilege – to teach God’s plan for masculinity!

If you know a guy who went on the retreat, ask if you can see his slingshot.  And then ask him, “Are you MOVING?”          

REVrant 28.12 - Pastor Gone Wild

Weeks Expected to Surrender Friday.

If you’ve been in a Christian bookstore or surfed religious TV recently, surely you know of Juanita Bynum, the wildly popular preacher, prophetess, singer, actress, doctor (honorary), and TV personality.  Just Google her name to learn more about her broad and popular “ministry.”  Her 2002 wedding (her second) to Thomas Weeks III (also a minister/”bishop”) was aired on TV and rumored to cost over $1 million dollars.  Juanita has clearly been living in the fast lane.  She not only preaches “prosperity,” she lives it.

Sadly, at an early Wednesday morning meeting near the Atlanta airport with her estranged husband, The Bishop Weeks, something went wrong.  It is alleged that the Bishop assaulted his wife physically, leaving visible wounds on her neck.  The attack is alleged to have been so vicious that hotel staff stopped the altercation, and after Bynum was hospitalized, hospital staff called police.  Friday morning, as you will read in this link, The Bishop will turn himself in to Atlanta Police.  The link also shows graphic photos of the bruises on Bynum’s neck.

As some of you know, I’ve been preparing for our FBC Men’s Retreat this week.  I read this story about a male pastor assaulting his wife with horror.  Men, this is not the way to act.  This is not manly or masculine.  There is NO excuse, rationalization, justification, or spin that can be put on this story to make The Bishop Weeks look good.  His attorneys are saying it’s “not as cut and dried” as it looks.  How can it look any other way?  MEN don’t hit women, assault women, strangle women, or bruise women’s necks with any justification.  Even if she was escalating the situation (which we don’t know), all it would have taken is for him to walk away.  Apparently, Bishop Weeks blew up and blew it.  If he’s a man of character, he will ADMIT it and take his punishment like a man. 

This is a sad chapter in Bynum’s twice-failed marital history.  It fuels the fires of cynics who mock and suggest that Christian leaders are cons and frauds.  The Bishop should be defrocked, punished, and held accountable for this severe lapse in self-control and civility.  He clearly needs anger-management counseling.   

As for the victim – Juanita Bynum – she wrote the following on her MYSpace site after the episode – “There are so many great things happening for me in my future, and so much to look forward to concerning my destiny, this too shall pass."  She is clearly still in shock.

REVved - FBC Men's Retreat 2007

From Friday to Sunday of this week, I’ll be speaking at our church Men’s Retreat.  My topic is “Pursuing Biblical Masculinity.”  I’ll be speaking four times during the weekend.  My topics are: 1) God’s Plan: “I’ll Make a Man,” 2) God’s Path for Every Man: 6 Stages, 3) God’s Process of “Fathering” Men, 4) God’s Power for “Unfinished Men.”  Much of my thinking has been shaped by John Eldredge’s, The Way of the Wild Heart.  I’m using the Biblical character, David, as my case study for masculinity. 

I believe there is a “manhood crisis” in the US, and church guys aren’t exempt by any means.  It’s important to address this subject head on!  We’ll also be having a guest appearance by Christian comedian, Brad Stine, on Saturday night.  And, we have a special project for all the guys that will require the use of a saw and knife, which we’re asking them to bring to the retreat along with their Bibles.  The project will be linked with what I believe is the core identity and divine design of all men – men are supposed to “move!”  It’s going to be fun!

Please pray for me and the men of FBC as we head up to Snow Mountain Ranch outside of Winter Park.  This could be a life-changing weekend for many guys.

PS – Blogging could be light over the weekend depending on wireless access in the mountains!

REVrant 28.11 - Speaking of Books

FOXNews.com - O.J. Simpson Book Won't Be Stocked by Barnes & Noble.

OJ is getting his book published after all - If I Did It. (Every time I see that title I get a sick feeling in my stomach.)  According to the linked article, Barnes & Noble will not be stocking it.  Borders will.  I think I’m going to let Borders know that is going to impact my shopping with them.  This is one book I will NOT read or purchase - guaranteed.