The July edition of Under the Oak is now available.  We have a professional editor working with us!  Enjoy.

Invisible Rope Prank II - Watch more Funny Videos

• "Things wouldn't be so much fun if" comics
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• Here are 40 Seriously Funny Print Ads you might like.
• Get your kitchens ready with these 12 cool products.
• Are you in need of clear answers to common questions?  Visit the wisegeek.
• I check this website out every once in a while.  It's called Christian Nightmares.  Let me know what you think.
  

A Plan for the Improvement of English Spelling
   by Mark Twain
For example, in Year 1 that useless letter "c" would be dropped to be replased either by "k" or "s", and likewise "x" would no longer be part of the alphabet. The only kase in which "c" would be retained would be the "ch" formation, which will be dealt with later. Year 2 might reform "w" spelling, so that "which" and "one" would take the same konsonant, wile Year 3 might well abolish "y" replasing it with "i" and Iear 4 might fiks the "g/j" anomali wonse and for all. Jenerally, then, the improvement would kontinue iear bai iear with Iear 5 doing awai with useless double konsonants, and Iears 6-12 or so modifaiing vowlz and the rimeining voist and unvoist konsonants. Bai Iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi ridandant letez "c", "y" and "x" -- bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez -- tu riplais "ch", "sh", and "th" rispektivli. Fainali, xen, aafte sam 20 iers ov orxogrefkl riform, wi wud hev a lojikl, kohirnt speling in ius xrewawt xe Ingliy-spiking werld.

• how about a nice way to show someone you love them?
• Speaking of love, this dancing typography is the best way to share it.
• Who's right?  Is it soda, pop or coke?
• How "urban" is your city?  Take a look here and see.
• How good would life be if women controlled the world?
• I'm halfway through the summer semester.  Any attempt like this to make class that much less enduring is appreciated.

Stay blessed...john

For the most part, every other week I take time to unashamedly listen to my most recent sermons. Actually, I do this to evaluate the sermon and to share in the burdens of my congregation. That I can usually handle.

But the first time I watched myself preach is something else! I had the opportunity to do just that—three times!—last semester for a preaching class. My initial thought was to bring out the ab-roller. Right after that I wondered when my dad’s head got so big. It made me think of all the family and friends who have always told me I looked “just like” my dad.

When was the first time you realized you looked like, acted like or spoke like your parent(s), or others who were involved in your upbringing?

That’s my way of saying Happy Father’s Day.

Stay blessed…john

Growing up, I never played basketball. It wasn’t because I didn’t like the game. In fact, I loved playing. In my mind, however, I was never good at it. Later I realized I might have been better than I thought. You want to know what my problem was? Surprisingly, at hard as I tried, I never made every shot. Ridiculous? Maybe, but my young eyes saw every professional shot go straight through the hoop. How could I ever play a game like that? Just the same, we often set ourselves up the when it comes to a life of faith.

Trust me, none of us get it right all the time—no matter what you think. There are times of failure, missed opportunities and just being wrong. That doesn’t mean, though, that we’re not good enough. The great thing about faith is it isn’t a game. There are no winners or losers; no one is keeping score, trying to defeat you. We have been shown the great power of God’s love. There is no earning it or being good enough to attain it. You accept it and learn to live in the fullness of it. So, get out and play!

I don't know how we compiled this list, but here is our family's Netflix queue.  Any additions?

• I Hate Valentine's Day
• The Boys Are Back
• Facing Ali
• Carriers
• Lost City Raiders
• Good Hair
• More Than a Game
• Aliens in the Attic
• CJ7
• Where the Wild Things Are
• Extraordinary Measures
• Invictus

• Girl Power!

• There are many good things to appreciate about the Internet.  Just the same, there are annoying aspects, at least 50. 

• I know they mean well, but Christian Chirp?  Really?  When I saw the site the top group was "Making Money Online as a Christian".  Yep, apparently there were more Christians interested in money than "Prayer Requests."

• This is the coolest clock I have.  What does that say about my clock collection?

• Don't be one of the only people in the world who hasn't seen this video.   And if they jump off a cliff, that's your call.  Speaking of worlds, check out these out-of-this world pictures.  
• Watch this ONLY if you have ever had a case of the giggles.

Now, get back to work.  Stay blessed...john

A few projects I'm working on.

• Would like to finish pressure washing the sidewalk at the church
• Scholarship Apps
• Constructing an email newsletter template to use at Oak Haven.
• Putting together a Pastor's Wish List for an upcoming edition of Under the Oak.
• A special UMW project
• how to get Oak Haven involved in Imagine No Malaria
• VBS preparation

What am I missing?

Which topic is most likely to make you lose your religion first? Pick a controversy, any controversy. Immigration? Health Care? Abortion? Homosexuality? Textbooks? Global Warming? World Hunger? You name it; it’s your religion. Okay, not all of us are willing to go Yosemite Sam on someone who disagrees with us over any of these topics, or any others I have left off. Heck, I can’t even grow a normal mustache, much less one like his. Passion is one thing, but overwhelming obnoxiousity…well, unfortunately it’s not just confined to the cartoon world. As unhelpful as losing your cool (not your coolness) can be, there is another adverse Christian practice that relates to how we use Scripture to base our ideas, opinions and, dare I say, our judgments.

As a pastor it is not uncommon for people to approach you with a topic. Many times I’ve heard of people wanting to know what the Bible says about . So, the obvious thing to do is to start looking through one. Our mistake, though, is in the simplicity of how we go about finding our information. Some people faithfully declare they have “studied Scripture” and come to a certain conclusion about their underlined, blank topic. We could write another post to talk about why they visit with the minister afterwards.

However, in my experience, and this may just be a harsh judgment call, most people’s “study” amounts to employing the use of a concordance (maybe) and finding verses that have a word or phrase they are looking for. That’s a wonderful start I’ll commend anyone on, but it’s only a start. Specific to those issues that make us Looney, when searching for biblical answers I think many people do less studying and more hunting.

Admittedly, I have never gone hunting—I mean of the camo-toting, deer dressing variety; I cannot claim any expertise in the matter. I don’t hunt for bargains or the low down on people. In fact, I married my high school sweetheart; so, I didn’t even hunt for love! That said, it seems to me that when someone goes hunting they know what they are looking for. They hunt during a particular season for a particular kill. Hunters have their places, equipment and an eager readiness to find what they are looking for. That works well when you’re hunting wabbit, but it falls short in completely understanding the Bible. The Church needs less Bible hunters and more studiers—explorers, questioners and people willing to take time to study the words of life we have been given.

Again, I’ve never hunted, but I have stayed in comfortable, semi-luxurious hotels before. And I have seen the many pictures that come back from others’ hunting expeditions. “Look at what I caught” and “Isn’t she a beauty” might be translated into biblical hunt talk as “See, I told you you were going to H-E Double-L!” or “Heathen scum.” Friends, remember that our goal is not to be right or to win an argument, but to be faithful.

Here are some easy ways to be less of a hunter:

1. Pray. Pray that God would remove your obstacles that keep you from deepening your biblical understanding. These might include your Yosemite ‘stache, crunch for time or other good reasons you haven’t studied yet.
2. Read commentaries. Ask your pastor what s/he has read that can help bring light to some of the issues surrounding a certain text or biblical narrative.
3. Read like you have a totally different opinion. Try to see how another one of God’s people came up with a totally different opinion than yours.
4. Read different translations.
5. Read entire passages, not just verses. Also, take time to read the introductions many Bibles have for each book.

None of this is to say that if you go from hunting to studying you will automatically change your position on certain topics. At the very least, however, you might find a better appreciation of what others are thinking. You might also realize how much more there is to learn about Scripture. Hunting through the Bible can keep us from seeing more of what God has in mind for us. Being open to the Holy Spirit just might keep us from being Looney.

Stay blessed…john

Tomorrow (June 8, 2010) Gloria and I are celebrating 14 years of marriage.  Happy Anniversary!
What I am not, she is.  She doesn't compliment me.  She completes and teaches me to be what I am not.
So, with love and kisses in the air, the Music Monday selection is a song my dad wrote for our wedding.  It is entitled "Following the Ways of the Lord."

Do you care? It’s been scheduled for quite a while. We didn’t know everyone who would be there or what they outcome would be. We did know, though, it would happen and it’s happening right now.

No, I’m not talking about the Stanley Cup playoffs. Who watches that (/grin)?

United Methodists in many places are meeting for their Annual Conferences. Have you prayed for them? Have you prayed for their decisions?

Stay blessed…john