Family Sabbatical

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Dsc_000920070326I've finished my work sabbatical and am working hard on a "family sabbatical."  So far we have taken a day-trip to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, bought the kids new bikes and watched them crash, fired up the grill with some rockin' angus burgers, played baseball in the backyard, swatted mosquitos (ugh, already), gone bowling (yes I won, and yes winning is all that matters), stayed up late and slept in.  Been a good week so far.

This past Sunday we visited with Community Christian Church in Naperville.  I emailed Dave Ferguson last week to see where he was preaching live and he was kind enough to respond and let me know it would be the Naperville - Yellow Box location.  You may have heard Dave on various ministry/pastoring podcasts (Catalyst, Exponential Conference) as the multi-site guru.  Or maybe you have read his book, The Big Idea.  I have been very encouraged by his vision for his church and have learned from him from afar.

Dsc_000320070325 After some Cracker Barrel for breakfast we easily found Yellow Box and found parking to be a snap.  We try to avoid "visitor parking" at churches because we are more like friendly spies than visitors.  On entering found a number of people partaking in Baptist breakfast (cookies and coffee).  Nice, small cafe area.  A nice lady took us downstairs so our kids could go to "Kids' City."  We normally have all of them in the services with us, but Dave said that he was preaching on sex.  Ok.  Kids' City it is.

Upstairs to the service.  It started with a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls "Slide," then a couple of newer worship songs.  Very talented musicians and well done.  "The Coach" came out to tell us a few words (The Coach is a skit of a high school coach/sex ed teacher).  Dave Ferguson then got up to preach, maybe 25-30 minutes.  Wasn't really paying attention to time.  Then a song with communion, the offering and a country song (from the radio, I think), and a closing song.  I think I have all that right.  It was good to experience another church that is experiencing rapid growth and try to get a feel for how they do things.  Then we found a Fuddruckers, a family favorite, for lunch.  Good burgers. 

In a few minutes we are leaving to spend time with my Mom and Dad. Many of you know my Mom has cancer and hasn't been given much time from the doctors.  She was doing extremely well through the holidays, but is having some major issues at the moment.  It's pretty scary and difficult right now, so we are very glad to have time to go spend time with her.  We are also glad to spend time with Dad who is enduring much in this season.  Hoping to bring him some encouragement as well.

Music Monday 3.26.07

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What's the "Hot Snot" on my iPod this week?

Still loving Arcade Fire's Neon Bible.  My youngest, Daniel and Elijah, are continually asking me to play the "My Body is a Cage" song.  Love it. 

I've been playing a lot of Peter Bjorn and John.  Lot's of energy.

Midlake is really good so far, but still pretty new to me.

Vietnam's debut album really has me intrigued.  An "ok" audio quality live cut.  Listen to "Priest Poet..." and then "Mr. Goldfinger" on Vietnam's MySpace.

I'm reading a new blog that has a lot of new music stuff, but I can't remember what it is at the moment.  They pointed me to this live video of Ray LaMontagne and Damien Rice singing "To Love Somebody."  Really nice.

Phriday is for Photos 3.23.07

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Symmetry Sunset

Sepia Three

Two photos I really love this week.  The first is a rural Woodstock, IL photo I took a few evenings ago.  I drove feverishly looking for a good view of the sunset and found this spot.  With Spring here (and Spring weather, finally) it just was a delight to see God show something really beautiful. 

The second photo is something beautiful God shows me everyday, my kids.  These are my three boys, Elijah, Jack and Daniel (left to right; ages 6, 8, 4).  They are dressed up for their sister's school concert, and looking feisty as ever.  That hairdo is called "The Shark" and started by Elijah.  It's actually their everyday hair. 

My Photography ||  Flickr Friday Photo

Sabbatical Food

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Here are a few resources I've enjoyed so far on my week-long planning/strategy sabbatical.  Some are new to me.  Some are for review or rereading or re-listening.  Some books I'm reading in full, some in part. 

Tim Keller: Should I Not Love That Great City?
Tim Keller: The Meaning of the City
Tim Keller: Love for the City
Tim Keller: Why to Plant Churches
Mark Driscoll: Leadership Lessons from Nehemiah Part 1, Part 2 (notes Part 1, Part 2)
Philip Yancey: Prayer
Bill Sullivan: Ten Steps to Breaking the 200 Barrier
Bil Cornelius: Go Big
Bill Hybels: Just Walk Across the Room
Church Leader Insights (Nelson Searcy): Momentum and Church Growth (post/article by Scott Whitaker)

I'm also doing some of my planning/strategy work at Bubbl.us, which is a simple way to do mind-mapping.

Some resources I hope to get to...
Henry Cloud: 9 Things a Leader Must Do
Jonathan Edwards: Personal Narrative
Don Whitney: Family Worship

Reasons Why I Hate Us 3

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Sorry to "hate us" so often (c'mon, that's a funny post title), but sometimes we demand it.

I received an email from my local association today saying that there are some scholarships available from the North American Mission Board (NAMB) for the Origins Conference in Pasadena, CA. Sounds like a lovely opportunity so I inquire, not knowing whether or not I could go in May. Hopeful.

Well now I know I CAN'T go. My schedule is wide open, partial scholarships are still available, but the Donger is disqualified. Wanna know why? Huh? KPOW! Here's part of the scholarship form...

Origins_conf_appl_cap2

This is almost laughable. Asking about private prayer languages and alcohol on scholarship forms for conferences? SBC'rs you better wake up. If we don't start putting the Bible before our rules we are in deep weeds.

By the way, Joe Thorn will be posting in the next day or two on the NAMB policy for church planters. This will be important to discuss.

Reasons Why I Hate Us 2

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PubBaptist "Press" has two articles of note today (that's two more than normal). 

First is the "No Beer at NCAA 'Kind of Fun'" article.  This has to do with SBC life in what way?  I agree that basketball games without drunk frat guys are better, but this is clearly on BP as anti-alcohol prop-A-ganda.  Probably meant to bolster the second article, "Alcohol, Acts 29 and the SBC." 

My favorite quote...

The emerging church movement is diverse and difficult to generalize. However, the mix of influences includes: postmodernism (a focus on sense-making through the various mediums of culture); Calvinism ala John Piper; and for some, Christian liberty, as granted by their scriptural interpretation, to drink alcohol and engage in other cultural activities that many Southern Baptists eschew based on opposing scriptural interpretation.

Which passages would THAT interpretation come from?  Anyone?

Sabbaticals for Pastors

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I'm on a short planning/strategizing sabbatical this week.  I just so happened to run across Matt Schmucker's helpful 9 Marks article, Caring for the Pastor: The Sabbatical.  "The church that cares for its pastor cares for itself.!"

Brief 10 point advice from Schmucker for the church and pastor...

1. Start out small: If your church has never considered giving a pastor a sabbatical and seems resistant, start out small and let the idea grow...

2. Start out small (again!): This time I’m not addressing length of time away, but the kind of sabbatical the pastor might take....

3. Care for the flock: ...Assign the preaching, counseling, funerals, and all the other regular duties.

4. Plan the sabbatical: The pastor needs to plan well in advance what he will be doing on the sabbatical, otherwise the precious time away can be wasted.

5. Involve the congregation: The pastor needs to share with the congregation his plans...

6. Consider the season: ...The pastor should take leave at a good time in the church’s life.

7. Communicate: While on sabbatical, the pastor should consider regular communication with his congregation through open letters or articles in the church’s newsletter.

8. Set parameters: ...both pastor and church should have some understandings about "drop bys" and "pop ins" where the pastor is interrupted...

9. Be accountable: Consider setting up a system of accountability between the pastor on sabbatical and a fellow pastor/elder or board – leader to leader.

10. Plan for the return: ...remember that the congregation was not on sabbatical; it may need to be eased into his new ideas and renewed energy.

Read the whole article.

Rapping and Responding to Criticism

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I'm copying Mark Moore's post rather than rewriting it...

Justin Taylor has posted a link to an article about a Christian rapper who performed at John Piper's church.  Taylor's post simply read:

Curtis ("Voice") Allen writes in Boundless about the fallout of his rapping at Bethlehem Baptist church. I pray that God would give me a similar sort of humility and graciousness.

Allow me to be honest. I thought to myself, "Oh great! A bunch of Baptists upset over something else." With that thought in mind, I clicked the link to read the article and find out what the griping was all about--assuming that it had to do with thumping beats and dancing. The first part of the article confirmed my suspicion. The second part of the article humbled me and moved me almost to tears. I have never seen such cross-centered humility.

If you want to know how to deal with criticism in a way that is gospel-centered and boasts in the cross, then I highly recommend you read this article called An Emcee's Gentle Word.

I read it and agree in full.  Great article and response to criticism.

Music Monday 3.19.07

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Peter Bjorn and John (or PB&J) are three Swedish guys who are making some of the coolest music around.  Writer's Block is my introduction to their music.  My copy came with a bonus CD, but I'm not sure if they all come that way. 

Pbj WB is hip music with lots of opportunity to tap your feet or whistle along.  I'm not a huge fan of the singing style, but the great music kept me engaged.  I've listened to this album a lot this week and I really like it.  It's also very well received.  It's in Under the Radar's top 10 of 2006.  When UtR likes it, it's often something I enjoy too.  Metacritic shows it at an 82 right now, "universal acclaim."

MP3's: "Young Folks," "Amsterdam," "Objects of My Affection"

Pitchfork: "Writer's Block's sonic textures demand attention first: odd synths, overdriven bass, dreamy harmonies, rolling drums, pink streaks of guitar noise, or a foot tapping in soft focus."

Coke Machine Glow: " Despite its more fractured stylistic elements -- shoegaze smashing headlong into folk pop -- Writer’s Block emerges as one of the most complete and satisfying records of this year."

MySpace has a few of their best tracks.  It's not the best quality, but this video of a stripped down version of "Amsterdam" is worth watching.  The album version of "Amsterdam" is so much cooler, though.  Here's the official "Young Folks" video and official "Objects of My Affection" video.  Catchy man, catchy.

Pbj_cd Lyrics...

And the question is, was I more alive
then, than I am now?
I happily have to disagree;
I laugh more often now, I cry more often now,
I am more me.
("Objects of My Affection")

And we don't care about the young folks
Talkin' 'bout the young style
And we don't care about the old folks
Talkin' 'bout the old style too
And we don't care about their own faults
Talkin' 'bout our own style
All we care 'bout is talking
Talking only me and you
("Young Folks")

Go Salukis!

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SiuMy wife and I both have degrees from Southern Illinois University (1993, 1994), so we are excited to see that the Salukis have made it to the Sweet 16 thanks to a "suffocating defense."  They decisively beat Virginia Tech yesterday 63-48.  I missed the end of the game because they were looking so unbeatable that they switched to another game on TV.  Now they move on to play Kansas, the #1 ranked team in the West. 

It's especially cool for us because the coach of SIU is Chris Lowery, the point guard of the Salukis when we were dating in college and attending every home game.  One season we had like 4th row mid-court tickets. 

Go Salukis!

A New Van

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We finally have something to show you, purchased last night.  (For background, go here and here.)  We used all donations and about half of our tax refund.  We owe nothing!  The McCoy family thanks all of you who prayed for a new van for us and who sent us some help in getting one.  We are now driving a testimony of God's goodness everywhere we go.

John 13:35, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Music Monday 3.12.07

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Arcade_1The new Arcade Fire album, Neon Bible, has exceeded my high expectations.  Metracritic has it at an 86, very high marks indeed.  I knew it would be tough to compare with their excellent debut, Funeral.  And it has a significantly different sound, but oh what a sound it is.  Wonderful.  Packed with religious imagery and pipe organs. 

It's probably the front-runner for 2007 album of the year for me, and I've had it for less than a week! 

Pitchfork:

On Neon Bible, the band looks outward instead of inward, their concerns more worldly than familial, and their sound more malevolent than cathartic. Angry, embittered, and paranoid, but often generously empathetic in their points of view, they target the government, the church, the military, the entertainment industry, and even the basest instincts of the common man.

NYT:

"Set my spirit free," Mr. Butler moans....He wonders: How do you fill a spiritual void when you distrust organized religion? How do you escape fearsome times without wallowing in vacant escapism? He doesn’t have any answers and wastes energy on easy targets like MTV. But the shimmering music transforms bleakness into a "vial of hope," and for now that’s enough.

Neon_2 Please take the time to listen to the best track: "My Body is a Cage."  Haunting.  "Windowsill" is available on their MySpace; another great track.  I can't find a good recording of "Intervention" online, but it's a favorite.

Some lyrics...

Working for the church while your life falls apart.
Singing hallelujah with the fear in your heart.
Every spark of friendship and love will die without a home.
Hear the soldier groan, "We'll go at it alone."
Hear the soldier groan, "We'll go at it alone."
(Intervention)

I'm living in an age
that calls darkness light.
Though my language is dead
still the shapes fill my head.

I'm living in an age
whose name I don't know
Though the fear keeps me moving,
still my heard beats so slow.

By body is a cage
that keeps me from dancing with the one I love
but my mind holds the key.
(My Body is a Cage)

Lots-O-Links

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Wild Web Rumors

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There have been rumors flying tonight around the web and I feel I have to say something.  This is really big news and you need to do as I say even if you don't know why.  Before you go to bed please move your clocks, watches, egg timers, and sundials forward one hour.  Seriously, I don't have time to explain.  And you don't have time to listen.  I really don't want to create a panic, but time is short. 

(via)