Go Tigers!!!!!

JUST ONE MORE WIN!!!!!

Tigers — What a Game — What a Half

In what was the most impressive half of basketball that I have seen in a while —– like EVER, the Tigers took it to Michigan State to earn a spot in the Elite Eight. 

                  

“That first half of basketball was one of the best I’ve been involved in as a coach.  I loved our discipline, I loved our execution of the offense, loved how unselfish they were and more importantly, I loved how they guarded. We really, really guarded. We played (nine) guys and all (nine) players in that half really helped their team. I was proud to be a part of it.”  — John Calipari 

My prediction of a win came true.  My prediction of a Michigan State score of 74 was correct.  But I missed the Tiger total by 11 on the positive side.  And how ’bout those free throws?  74%!!! May that number continue. 

GO TIGERS!!!

Name That Band

I love checking out the names of bands. The more unique and unusual the better. Think of the great names like —- The Smashing Pumpkins, They Might Be Giants, Rage Against the Machine, Six Pence None the Richer, Led Zeppelin…. Ever tried to come up with a great name? Well, here is your chance. Tony Morgan blogged about a fun way to not only pick a unique name for your band but to also name your first album and pick your album cover photo. Here’s how it works:

1. Band Name - The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. Album Title - The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. Album Cover Art - The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

I think my album is going platinum!

                            

Christmas Eve at Hope Revisited

It was a magical night at Hope. Jack, who did an awesome job with all the creative printed materials during Christmas, took some pictures during some of the services. I had to share them!

The lighting in the new space is awesome. Jay set this system up over many a sleepless night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Becky Russell has blessed us with her presence many times over the years. She is a legend in Memphis for her powerful voice and her band Reba Russell and the Portables and her present group - Reba Russell Band. She has U2’s “Rattle and Hum” as one of her album credits and has opened for the likes of B. B. King, The Four Tops, Tracy Nelson and Leon Russell. One reviewer said a few years ago, “Though she can belt it out down and dirty, she also can sand off the rough edges and purr.” She certainly brought her “A-Game” to Hope, and her smokey voice was just starting to warm up when we reached the 9th service!

 

 

Yes, we had dancers!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craig did a great job preaching with the same passion and power for all of the 9 services.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pat Register, the essence of cool! He can play and he can really sing. Pat sang and played at our wedding in 2004 —- Our first dance, he sang for us “The Way You Look Tonight”. Ahh, wonderful memories!!!!

 

 

The candlelighting in the new space was breathtaking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few words from some of the over 2000 comment cards we received:

It’s a family tradition to come for Hope’s Christmas eve service. Always a highlight of our year. Thanks.Great singing, great, friendly people, great sanctuary, a very awesome place!God is an awesome God! What a wonderful sanctuary. The hospitality is always outstanding. Thank you for your outreach to us at Mississippi Blvd. Christian Church.Thank you for the warm welcome. Your program sounded inviting and I am happy I attended. I have never experienced a worship service of this magnitude.Didn’t think I’d like it—-boy, was I wrong! Good mix of music.It’s only by God’s grace that I am here today! Two years ago I was a drug dealer and addicted to meth. This church saved my life!

Yes, there were a few negative comments thrown in, but it was an overwhelmingly positive response.Next weekend —- THE GRAND OPENING!

Demotivation - "Possibilities"

This is the latest of the many hilarious “demotivaitonal” posters found on despair.com.  Check them out and kudos to Jason Powell for pointing me to this on his blog. 

A Tough Serve

Sometimes we are put in places to serve when it is essential to serve but difficult.  I put a couple of my friends in that position last night.

I received a call a couple of days ago from an old friend Joe (not his name) who was on the edge with multiple addictions and painful life issues that were beating him down.  I met him for dinner and pointed him toward Pat our Recovery Pastor here at Hope.  Pat pulled in one of our key recovery leaders, Skip, to meet with Joe yesterday.  When Joe arrived it was obvious that he was in trouble.  Since we had met, he had stopped all drug and alcohol use and was try to detox himself.  They called me and got me on speaker phone so that we could convince him that he needed to go to the hospital NOW!!! 

Joe agreed and Pat and Skip spent the evening with him last night in the hospital as they pumped him with meds to get his blood pressure under control.  Joe is at home now and the three of us have been taking shifts in going and hanging out with him.  This is day 3 of his detox, and they say that is the toughest day.  He is feeling it.  Aches and pains, tremors, nightmares, physical and psychological cravings, confusion, crazy talk …..  the whole gambit.  

Joe is hopefully back on the road to recovery and I am so proud to call Pat and Skip my friends.  I have learned so much from just observing their calm, assertive strength in this tough situation.

One funny story —  As I was sitting with Joe, he would move in and out of reality as he talked.  He would say something totally logically but then the next sentence would be way off the wall.  He would say something about his family and then make an obscure and nonsensical reference to the movie “Apocalypse Now”. 

Well, we were talking and I asked him about his favorite baseball team the Texas Rangers.  He said that they were awful this year (which is very true) but they had won a game yesterday by the score of 30 to 3.  I thought, “Okay, the detox has just spoken!”  I clarified that we were talking about baseball and not football.  He adamantly insisted that he knew what he was talking about — (Yeah Right!)  He kept insisting and looking for a newspaper for proof.  I thought that I would look it up on my phone to settle him down to the realization that he was just not thinking clearly — professional baseball scores do not run into the 20s much less the 30s. 

Here is what I found online:

Sorry Joe!  Sounds like you might be coming out of it.  Maybe I can drive you to your first meeting.  May your victory over your addictions be as overwhelming as the Rangers’ victory over Baltimore. 

Oppressive Heat

We have record heat down here in Memphis. Last night I went to the store. When I parked I noticed that it was 9:05 PM and 95º!!!!

Just looked at the forecast for Quito, Ecuador for tonight at 9:00 PM —- 55º!!! I miss Quito.

In the Zone

I drove past this sign today and immediately had to stop and take a picture. Doesn’t that communicate?

Negatively — Churches can be slow to change. Slow to serve. Slow to reach out. Slow to accept visitors. Slow to be relevant.

Positively — Churches should be slow to judge. Slow to become angry. Slow to tarnish the reputation of Christ.

Anything else?

The Service of Small Things

Matthew 10:42 (The Message)

“This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”

We have all been touched by small acts of service — the lady who lets us go ahead of her at the checkout line — the person who pulls over to help you change your tire — the neighbor who brings over cookies for no particular reason at all — the person who gives you a simple smile and a nod as you pass one another on the street. The list can go on and on and it should go on and on in our lives. We should be people know for our small kindnesses.

Foster quotes the great German theologian Bonhoffer as saying, “The second service that one should perform for one another in a Christian community is that of active helpfulness. This means, initially, simple assistance in trifling, external matters. There is a multitude of these things wherever people live together. Nobody is too good for the meanest service. One who worries about the loss of time that such petty, outward acts of helpfulness entail is usually taking the importance of his own career too solemnly.”

Ouch, Dietrich!!! What small service have we not done because we felt it was beneath us?

Westminster Abbey - 20th Century Martyrs

Know any of these folks? Left to Right — Mother Elizabeth of Russia, Martin Luther King, Jr., Archbishop Oscar Romero, Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

The Service of Hiddeness

Matthew 6:2-4 (The Message)
“When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—’playactors’ I call them— treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.”

I lived in California for a few years back in the 80’s and loved the L.A. Lakers back then. And every time I read this passage from Matthew I think of Chuck Swindoll and the Showtime Lakers. Chuck was preaching a sermon on this passage, and he talked about how exciting it was when Magic, Kareem, Worthy, etc. got things going with some incredible defense and fast breaks and the Laker’s announcer, Chick Hearn, would proclaim, “IT’S SHOWTIME!!!!” Swindoll then masterfully took us into the world of the Pharisees and their “Showtime Religion”. All they were concerned about was being seen as religious. They wanted everyone to see their acts of service.

We need to practice this service of hiddenness.

Remember being in a youth group and doing “Secret Servants”? It is a great illustration of this passage. Here’s how it goes. You draw a name out of a hat and you do something to serve that person during the week. You do not tell them or anyone else who it is. It was really fun to decide to do something and then plan your strategy in how to keep your act of service a secret.

Look for the praise of God and not people. Hiddenness helps keep your motives in check. We need to check our pride at the door.

Here is a quick look into the “Showtime Lakers” Enjoy!