Being Right and Being Nice

Shane Claiborne (via Adam Macchi)

"...the fruits of the Spirit really are beautiful things like peace, patience, kindness, joy, love, goodness, and not the ugly things that have come to characterize religion, or politics, for that matter. (If there is anything I have learned from liberals and conservatives, it's that you can have great answers and still be mean... and that just as important as being right is being nice.)"

Posted via email from mdmcmullin

Trust

Been thinking about trust lately.  I find myself in a new season.  It's so new, I don't even know what to call it or how I should feel about it.

Here are some random thoughts:

Do I really trust God ?

Is the presence of worry and/or fear in my life, a sign that my trust is not genuine?

"When I know where I'm going, my eyes keep me from trusting you" (Jason Upton - Blinded)

How long will I trust before I give in to my addiction of scheming? 

Is the future my idol? (do i fear/worship it?)

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." John 3:8

Trust may be the purest form of worship.  It is the opposite of fear.

Posted via email from mdmcmullin

i love the ocean

Posted via email from mdmcmullin

how hard DO you work?

Of course the big question everyone seems to have an opinion about is the healthcare debate.

Some people love our healthcare system, wouldn't change a thing. it's just perfect. (these people more than likely work for an insurance or pharmaceutical company)

Most seem to agree that we have a high level of health care in America, it's not perfect but we have many of the best doctors and scientists in the world practice and research here.  Most would also agree the bureacracy of insurance companies is ridiculous and it's become way too expensive to afford healthcare outside of an employer-based benefit.

Where we seem to disagree is in just WHO should have healthcare.  Some think everyone should have access to it (i.e. education, electricity, etc).  Others think that only those who can pay for it, should have it. Is healthcare a product to be consumed or a service to be provided? 

Last night I was talking with my Dad about his family.  He had an older sister who passed away before he was born when she was only a year old.  This was during the depression of the 30's and they lived in eastern Kentucky where there was obviously no health care system.  She died from diarrhea.  They had no access to a doctor or hospital who could help this dehydrated little girl.  That is almost unfathomable in 2009 to think a child in America would die from that so I guess we have progressed some.

Some might say, "not my problem" or "if her parents had worked harder they could have gone to a doctor" or "why should I have to pay for this little girl?"  This is the point in the discussion where this person begins to rant about abuse of the welfare system and how "those people" (whoever "they" are) are just lazy and want to take advantage of the system.  Again, I think most would agree there is some serious abuse in our welfare system.  The rant then usually includes some form of the rhetorical question: "Do you know how HARD I work? Why does the government get to take that away and give it to someone who doesn't work?"

At this point, I usually want to ask, "how hard DO you work?" Like an old standup audience waiting to hear the punchline.  "I work SO hard ....(rim shot)"

What has really bothered me is the way Christians argue about this issue.  I think Chrisitans start with atleast 2 presuppositions in this discussion that basically revolve around possession.

1 - Some presuppose that all that they have worked for belongs to them.  They have worked hard, they have earned it, they get to decide what to do with it.  They do business the old fashioned way...they EARN it.  This is logical and makes sense.  No free lunches.  Everything has a price.  No pain no gain. (insert your own quip here).  When the Sermon on the Mount is mentioned, these folks quote Proverbs or some Levitical rule.  (They sometimes also confuse scripture with talk radio.)

2 - Others presuppose that they deserve nothing.  All that they do "have" really belongs to God.  Without him they would have absolutely nothing. They are recipients of grace and receive what they have with the realization that God gets to decide where it goes.  If you want more, give it away.  If you want to gain, you must lose.  If you want to live, you must die.  The parable of the workers fits them (Matthew 20:1-16).

I think the people in group #1 have missed it.  I am guilty as all Americans are of consumerism and selfishness, but I can still believe that part of our very existence on this earth, is to follow Christ's example to care for those that nobody else cares about.  I don't know what that means in terms of national budgets and tax cuts and employer incentives.  I don't know if that is accomplished through socialized medicine or strict reform on health insurance companies.  I just know the Church used to be the people who started hospitals and schools and orphanages and you name it.  If nobody else wants you or will help you, the Church is supposed to embrace you.  Somewhere along the way, we got out of that business.  Maybe someone realized you can't make any money taking care of "those people". 

I don't have any answers to the debate.  But I think if the Church took care of people, the government wouldn't have to.

Posted via web from mdmcmullin

Michael Jackson: This Is It

This weekend I went to Nashville to hang with my friend Jeff.  Our primary purpose was to see the Titans game (they won).  Saturday night before the game we went to see the Michael Jackson Movie This Is It. (Who better to see on Halloween than Michael Jackson?)

I'll admit that I like Michael Jackson.  Not the freaky plastic surgery victim who hangs his children over the balcony railing.  The Michael Jackson who is an artist and the King of Pop.

I really enjoyed the movie.  It showed via documentary style the 4 months of rehearsal leading up to the concerts he had planned in London.  It showed the eccentric MJ who was a perfectionist when it came to musical arrangement and choreography.  It also showed how everyone around him catered to his every whim.  Everyone treated him as a super-celebrity and I think he liked it.  He was definitely an odd sort of man.  It was amazing to see a 50 yr old man dance like him.  I suppose this contributed to the medication he was on.

It is sad that he is gone.  I had to wonder watching the movie, if this was Michael turning the page.  Attempting to re-enter pop culture, in his own weird way.

 

Posted via web from mdmcmullin

Pet Peeves: Forks/Teeth, Pantyhose/Sandals, Pastoral #FB Status

I have more than 3, but tonight I want to explore 3 pet peeves that I have.

1 - Forks on teeth - I absolutely HATE the sound of forks being scraped on teeth.  It sends chills through my entire body.  A particularly long grind on the ole metal fork can make me fall to the floor in a fetal position.  Just thinking about it gives me chills.  It's not just on MY teeth, but the teeth of anyone near me.  The last time I went to the dentist they had a new instrument which they said replaced their toothbrush.  It was basically a piece of metal that vibrated really fast.  After 10-15 minutes of the dental hygiene equivalent of waterboarding, I was prepared to tell every secret I knew or thought I knew.  I think at one point during the torture I may have shared Osama Bin Ladin's current location.

2 - Pantyhose with open toed shoes - really grosses me out.  I assume this is not part of appropriate women's fashion, but even if it is, it just looks gross to me.  I mean seriously?  If it's cold enough outside to warrant the nylons, then perhaps it also warrants shoes that cover the whole foot.  Pantyhose and sandals defy any logic in my mind.  This is from the guy who has no problem when old men where dress socks with shorts or when people where socks with sandals.  I can give a little there.  Old men are exempt from any societal fashion norms, and white socks with sandals could be explaned as "European".  Pantyhose in general are fine.  Maybe you want the "control" that panthose offer, they make things for that tht don't have to be seen.  No one (except Jessica Alba) should be wearing nude color stockings with open toed shoes.

3 - Pastors who use their FaceBook status (and/or Twitter) to talk about how "excited" they are about their next event/service - annoys me.  FB and Twitter statuses can be cheesy enough without pastors thinking it's a way to drum up excitement about church.  "I'm really jazzed about service tomorrow at ________ Community Church located at 1000 Jim Bob Hwy" or "can't wait to see what God does tomorrow at the 8am or 10:30 am service at _________ Church of My God". Some at least try to be subtle about it like it's not shameless promotion.

I don't think a lot of people who are riding the fence about coming to your church/event are going to be swayed by your FaceBook status.  I could be wrong but I think we have 1 of 2 things at play here: 1) they're trying to psych themselves up about going to church or at least trying to put on the good face; 2) they've hit desperation stage of trying to increase their numbers and they figure shameless promotion can't hurt.  Have we gotten to the place where we really think a 140 characters or less promo is going to turn things around for your church?

We just beg people to come to church.  Why?  Seriously . . . why do we BEG people to come to church on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, or Wednesday evenings?  I'll just leave that question out there for you to answer honestly amongst yourselves.

"Well maybe the FB status just reminds people so they don't forget?" you say.  Do they have to be reminded when American Idol comes on?  Do they forget when it's payday?  I don't buy it.

I will now publish this post, which will update my Twitter and Facebook status to promote how excited I am about my newest blog entry!

;)

Posted via web from mdmcmullin

Flip Burger in ATL and @RichardBlais

My flip burger w/ Nutella & Toasted Marshmallow milkshake

After the u2 concert last week we stopped by Flip Burger Boutique.  We knew about it because of Richard Blais who was a contestant on Top Chef.  We love Top chef and he is basicallly my favorite contestant from the show.  He totally should have won the season he was on.

Anyway, we stopped the by the restaurant in Atlanta.  I remembered asking myself on the way over, "I wonder if he will be there?"  I didn't figure so, it was like 11am on a Wednesday.  But guess who was sitting in a booth right behind us?  Oh yeah, Richard Blais.

So we ate our Flip Burger with Cheese (muy bien) and drank my Nutella & Toasted Marshmallow Milk Shake (que bueno).  The fried pickles were absolutely awesome.  I debated whether I should say hi to him.  I really did not want to be "that guy".  You know the one who walks up and bothers people they think they know because they saw them on TV.  But then I thought, "he's like my favorite TV chef." 

So I went up to him to say "hey".  I expected we would do nothing more than exchange greetings: I would say "Hey . . . I'm a fan", he would say ". . . awesome . . ." and we would all move on.  But he actually started asking me questions like where I was from and how often did I come to Atlanta, and did I know they were opening a Flip in Nashville.  I wasn't expecting him to be so nice and congenial.  I mean he was like that on TV but I didn't expect it.  I'm not even sure what I said to him.  I probably mumbled something awkward shook his hand and walked away.

If you're in the ATL hit up Flip (and try the Krispy Kreme milk shake - I almost did).  If you see Richard, tell him Mike sent ya.  We're basically best friends now.

Posted via email from mdmcmullin