Tuesday, July 13, 2010
World Cup Blues
I have to admit....with the beautiful game no longer being broadcast daily......it feels a little lonely. Good thing Jude knows how to keep the party going :)
Rogue River
it was so nice yesterday that we assumed it was a MUST that we do something in the green OR outdoors! So the entire family, including uncle and cousin headed out! We went to a GREAT park in Rogue River where Evans Creek hits the Rogue and swam a while. We even picniced......it was delightful. Living in OR just simply and truly is the best!
Monday, July 12, 2010
The Flag & The Cross
When you went to church last Sunday what did your stage look like? Was it like it looked every other Sunday worship service? Maybe there were some flowers to lighten things up? Maybe you have one of those cool old school boards that give the numbers of congregants from the last week and the amount tithed. Maybe yours even goes so far as to have the order of service listed out, complete with hymnal numbers (does ANYONE but the Catholics do that anymore?) Or as your preacher delivered the message did you get the strange feeling that he was either running for public office, or riding a 4th of July float? Regardless of how your church auditorium or sanctuary looks, the question is this: What did it look like LAST Sunday, July 4th?
Many churches across the country decorated with American flags for the 4th of July. Most of you are probably saying, “Yeah, so?”. But maybe there is a bigger question than you think involved here. For many folks, having the flag in a worship service to God is a MAJOR conflict. It can be downright offensive to lots of people. If you want to know the truth…it makes me a little uncomfortable. But to others…it is genuinely a major conflict of conscience.
I tried to have a civil conversation about this on Facebook. I asked all my friends what they thought, in the innocent but hopelessly naïve and ignorant thought we each could discuss our personal viewpoints without getting upset or angry. Of course…this could not happen. I was greatly bothered by the fact that most folks who had differing opinions were completely, utterly, and totally opposed to even listening to anything new. Objectivity was completely gone.
My point in its MOST SIMPLE form was this: once you or I give our lives to Christ, we are NO LONGER citizens of this great nation. Our loyalty MUST lie first and foremost to the Kingdom of God! And anytime our patriotism comes before this (which can be often, without us even knowing it), we walk a dangerous line…one that I consider idolatry. As soon as most of my friends heard that I was not completely comfortable with the flag in the church…no one would listen. So…I am asking you what you think. Can the flag be an idol? I think it absolutely can.
Let me clear this up…….I am VERY am thankful to live in a country that grants us the freedoms we have, so no I decline your offer to move south of the border. I am aware of the great cost of sacrifice my personal freedoms I take for granted cost. I know how blessed I am. So yes…..that makes me patriotic! But when folks are wearing THIS shirt to church: JesUSAves. It bugs me. It’s as if we are the ONLY people that Christ cares for and ultimately died for.
All I want to point out is that the Kingdom Jesus came to establish is “not of this world”. And it is this kingdom’s passport that we should be getting stamped! I have always struggled with this idea I was spoon fed more regularly than biscuits n gravy in the bible thumpin’ South, that we are "God’s nation". From what my feeble mind can recall, the only nation that God ever called out was Israel and the last I knew…and based on the fact that I just passed 2 eateries advertising delectable pork treats, we are NOT in Israel. I am convinced this idea came from the facts we were give often as kids that the USA was founded by a bible-totin’ group of fervent, God fearing men. Most of my research shows this is not quite as true as we were always led to believe…but that’s another blog all together. As author Greg Boyd says it: “Believing that lie, patriotic Christians have tragically followed the orders of earthly rulers and marched into battle “for God and country,” rather than following the example of Jesus—who gave His life for the people who persecuted Him. Ironically, in some cases the “enemies” Christians have slaughtered have been other patriotic Christians who happened to be born in other countries, or other parts of the same country. Few things have done more to discredit Christianity than the patriotic zeal with which Christians have participated in violence.”
That should AT LEAST cause you to pause and to think a little bit. There just may be some truth there. Anything in our lives that comes before God is idolatry. If real citizenship is in heaven then our job is to live as ambassadors of Christ!
I love my country, but my sole allegiance is to the heavenly Kingdom that calls me to surrender all my rights as an American! God’s kingdom is a mighty vast one! It includes folks from every nation, race and political persuasion. There all earthly distinctions carry no meaning.
I pray that I am ALWAYS appreciative of our country. I am grateful to live here and for what it took to make this place what it is. I am not telling anyone not to be patriotic. But I am urging all of us make sure our pride in those unbleeding colors never takes precedence over our allegiance to the Kingdom of God.
Many churches across the country decorated with American flags for the 4th of July. Most of you are probably saying, “Yeah, so?”. But maybe there is a bigger question than you think involved here. For many folks, having the flag in a worship service to God is a MAJOR conflict. It can be downright offensive to lots of people. If you want to know the truth…it makes me a little uncomfortable. But to others…it is genuinely a major conflict of conscience.
I tried to have a civil conversation about this on Facebook. I asked all my friends what they thought, in the innocent but hopelessly naïve and ignorant thought we each could discuss our personal viewpoints without getting upset or angry. Of course…this could not happen. I was greatly bothered by the fact that most folks who had differing opinions were completely, utterly, and totally opposed to even listening to anything new. Objectivity was completely gone.
My point in its MOST SIMPLE form was this: once you or I give our lives to Christ, we are NO LONGER citizens of this great nation. Our loyalty MUST lie first and foremost to the Kingdom of God! And anytime our patriotism comes before this (which can be often, without us even knowing it), we walk a dangerous line…one that I consider idolatry. As soon as most of my friends heard that I was not completely comfortable with the flag in the church…no one would listen. So…I am asking you what you think. Can the flag be an idol? I think it absolutely can.
Let me clear this up…….I am VERY am thankful to live in a country that grants us the freedoms we have, so no I decline your offer to move south of the border. I am aware of the great cost of sacrifice my personal freedoms I take for granted cost. I know how blessed I am. So yes…..that makes me patriotic! But when folks are wearing THIS shirt to church: JesUSAves. It bugs me. It’s as if we are the ONLY people that Christ cares for and ultimately died for.
All I want to point out is that the Kingdom Jesus came to establish is “not of this world”. And it is this kingdom’s passport that we should be getting stamped! I have always struggled with this idea I was spoon fed more regularly than biscuits n gravy in the bible thumpin’ South, that we are "God’s nation". From what my feeble mind can recall, the only nation that God ever called out was Israel and the last I knew…and based on the fact that I just passed 2 eateries advertising delectable pork treats, we are NOT in Israel. I am convinced this idea came from the facts we were give often as kids that the USA was founded by a bible-totin’ group of fervent, God fearing men. Most of my research shows this is not quite as true as we were always led to believe…but that’s another blog all together. As author Greg Boyd says it: “Believing that lie, patriotic Christians have tragically followed the orders of earthly rulers and marched into battle “for God and country,” rather than following the example of Jesus—who gave His life for the people who persecuted Him. Ironically, in some cases the “enemies” Christians have slaughtered have been other patriotic Christians who happened to be born in other countries, or other parts of the same country. Few things have done more to discredit Christianity than the patriotic zeal with which Christians have participated in violence.”
That should AT LEAST cause you to pause and to think a little bit. There just may be some truth there. Anything in our lives that comes before God is idolatry. If real citizenship is in heaven then our job is to live as ambassadors of Christ!
I love my country, but my sole allegiance is to the heavenly Kingdom that calls me to surrender all my rights as an American! God’s kingdom is a mighty vast one! It includes folks from every nation, race and political persuasion. There all earthly distinctions carry no meaning.
I pray that I am ALWAYS appreciative of our country. I am grateful to live here and for what it took to make this place what it is. I am not telling anyone not to be patriotic. But I am urging all of us make sure our pride in those unbleeding colors never takes precedence over our allegiance to the Kingdom of God.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
White Trash Water Park
Q: What do you do when it is 103 degrees outside, and you have no swimming pool?
A: Get creative!
Move over MacGruber.....here comes MacPannizle. Check out this formula:
2 nails
1 hammer
1 garden hose
2 swim noodles
1 roll of fishing line
1 roll Gorilla Tape
1 kitchen knife
Throw that together and you have a rocking good time! You get what we have now dubbed in the Pannell household "Noodle Falls". It works like a charm and is quite fun! Here is the evidence:
You are all invited......anytime!
A: Get creative!
Move over MacGruber.....here comes MacPannizle. Check out this formula:
2 nails
1 hammer
1 garden hose
2 swim noodles
1 roll of fishing line
1 roll Gorilla Tape
1 kitchen knife
Throw that together and you have a rocking good time! You get what we have now dubbed in the Pannell household "Noodle Falls". It works like a charm and is quite fun! Here is the evidence:
You are all invited......anytime!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Family Updates
It has been QUITE busy here lately........but it is all good. Can I share some things with you? How about some videos?
Merrick graduated from preschool (stop growing precious!!!). She had a blast and was gorgeous of course. The school has grown and it was crowded..so I was far back. I apologize for poor focus. but, here she is:
Jude's class perfomed the "boogie walk" for his school's COmmunity Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. he also had a friend over and they performed some original songs, and he had his 1st piano recital. enjoy:
Soon we are heading to Flagler, CO where we will see some family and work a VBS! We hope to see ya soon. much love-
pannell
Merrick graduated from preschool (stop growing precious!!!). She had a blast and was gorgeous of course. The school has grown and it was crowded..so I was far back. I apologize for poor focus. but, here she is:
Jude's class perfomed the "boogie walk" for his school's COmmunity Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. he also had a friend over and they performed some original songs, and he had his 1st piano recital. enjoy:
Soon we are heading to Flagler, CO where we will see some family and work a VBS! We hope to see ya soon. much love-
pannell
Monday, May 17, 2010
Impulse Living
The other night I came home from work and decided that the family needed to do something fun and impulsive. Times when my parents did that as a kid are still some of my favorite memories!
So we jumped into the car and all headed North 30 miles to Grants Pass. It was a wonderful night. On the way there, we discovered that the world's greatest strawberry pacth was open, so we stopped and bought a flat!
Continuing north we reached our destination! We went to the historic downtown and found our way to the SODA SHOP. It is the coolest place in the world. They maintained their original soda fountain from the 50's and it is like stepping back in time! (including the prices: Amazing phosphate sodas for $.25, or a cup of coffee for $.10!) It is awesome. The kiddos all got to make whatever combination of soda they wanted and loved it. Jessie and I shared the best malt I have ever put in my mouth! It was a big hit.
We then topped the evening off at Wild River Brew Pub and Pizzeria.....home of some of the finest ales and pizza in SO OR! (not to mention INCREDIBLE onion rings!) It was great fun. We sang and played games on the ride home and finished off the evening with a family movie night and laughed our way through The Tooth Fairy with the kids.
Life is good. I am a blessed man
So we jumped into the car and all headed North 30 miles to Grants Pass. It was a wonderful night. On the way there, we discovered that the world's greatest strawberry pacth was open, so we stopped and bought a flat!
Continuing north we reached our destination! We went to the historic downtown and found our way to the SODA SHOP. It is the coolest place in the world. They maintained their original soda fountain from the 50's and it is like stepping back in time! (including the prices: Amazing phosphate sodas for $.25, or a cup of coffee for $.10!) It is awesome. The kiddos all got to make whatever combination of soda they wanted and loved it. Jessie and I shared the best malt I have ever put in my mouth! It was a big hit.
We then topped the evening off at Wild River Brew Pub and Pizzeria.....home of some of the finest ales and pizza in SO OR! (not to mention INCREDIBLE onion rings!) It was great fun. We sang and played games on the ride home and finished off the evening with a family movie night and laughed our way through The Tooth Fairy with the kids.
Life is good. I am a blessed man
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Earth Day Birthday
Every year my birthday has fallen on Earth Day. I keep thinking maybe one year, it will not, but it never fails ! I think that is pretty cool personally! I try to celebrate a little “earthiness” every year as I wolf down the cake and ice cream. And, it never fails that each year either friends, family, or a delightful mix of both razz me for this…generating the expected cat calls of “treehugger”, “hippy” and “liberal”. I have gotten used to it. I even like it a little.
But you know what……I am CONVINCED that Earth Day is a Godly thing. I am convinced that part of my “duty” (for lack of better term) as a follower of Jesus is to care for the creation of God with every means I can.
1970 was the first time we celebrated the holiday as a nation. Up until then, gas stations were selling leaded gas, air purity was almost totally unregulated and agricultural pesticides were sprayed without a thought about it. At the time, a factory could dump toxic ninja turtle ooze into a river and there was almost nothing anyone could do to stop them…..so hey, you at least gotta be thankful for that .
Earth Day changed everything. The next decades saw sweeping change in public policies to help care for the environment such as the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. We also saw the creation of the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act.
At the time, it hadn’t yet become as politicized as it is today. Environmentalism was not always the divisive issue it is today, so these laws gained bipartisan support. Liberals and conservatives alike were on board. It made since…who wouldn’t want to save the earth? But, bipartisanship would not last. It was bound to change, when business and ultimately greed took over.
As soon as corporations got involved, so did political extremists, and environmentalism seemed to lose its stylishness in the public consciousness. Popular support waned, and political parties began using the environment as a weapon to beat each other up. All the while, clean air and water became greater global problems, and land was clear-cut to make way to make more money.
Still, Earth Day never went away! Its’ popularity grew despite the challenges. In 1990, Earth Day hit the world stage as 141 countries joined in and promoted recycling. In 2000, 1.8 million gathered in Central Park’s Great Lawn to commemorate and 184 countries took part.
Forty years later, April 22 continues to unite those who believe in caring for our world and the people who depend on it. Approximately 200 countries and around 1 billion students, activists, soccer moms and working folks will celebrate this year. But here is the saddest part to me:
With some exceptions, the American Christian community will be mostly absent from celebrations. Can someone PLEASE explain this to me?
“Environmentalist” is still a dirty word among some Christians. I have a bunch of friends who would agree. That makes me sad. Maybe some find the label synonymous with secularism, Goddess worship, New Ageism and politically liberal special interest groups? And yes…there are extremists that help perpetuate this feeling. But they are not the minority! Yet still others are uncomfortable with “environmentalists” and even less comfortable with their “agenda.”
But, the problem is that Christians can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines. Millions die annually from preventable, water-related diseases. Most are children. Extinction rates continue to exceed natural rates by more than 100 times. Our energy consumption funds mountaintop removal coal mining while our oil addiction fouls the air and laces the pockets of oppressive dictatorships.
And here is the great irony: we serve the One who created everything, called it “good” and asked humans to care for and protect it!!! So why are we not listening?
What’s the solution?
We have GOT to “depoliticize” environmentalism! Caring for creation should not be framed in a liberal vs. conservative narrative! Stewardship of creation is a moral issue the people of God have been called to address. If we desire to remain true to God’s Word, Christians must redeem the cause and make it our own! We need to rediscover the scriptural basis for taking care of this world, engage the glaring problems around us and propose solutions! It IS THE CHURCH’S JOB TO DO THIS! To abandon these issues to secular environmentalists shirks our God-given responsibility to care for His planet. It makes us lazy and apathetic. And it makes me sad.
Let’s do our duty here guys! Take care of the earth! It is not hard. It is worth it. And God made it. I hope you will look inward and examine your own reasons if you find yourself objecting to anything considered, “green” or “environmental”. I hope that like me, you will find it impossible to continue to ignore the environmental impact of our lifestyles and are beginning to feel some force moving within you.
(much of this blog's language and facts were taken from the recent article by Jonathan Merrit in RELAVANT magazine)
But you know what……I am CONVINCED that Earth Day is a Godly thing. I am convinced that part of my “duty” (for lack of better term) as a follower of Jesus is to care for the creation of God with every means I can.
1970 was the first time we celebrated the holiday as a nation. Up until then, gas stations were selling leaded gas, air purity was almost totally unregulated and agricultural pesticides were sprayed without a thought about it. At the time, a factory could dump toxic ninja turtle ooze into a river and there was almost nothing anyone could do to stop them…..so hey, you at least gotta be thankful for that .
Earth Day changed everything. The next decades saw sweeping change in public policies to help care for the environment such as the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. We also saw the creation of the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act.
At the time, it hadn’t yet become as politicized as it is today. Environmentalism was not always the divisive issue it is today, so these laws gained bipartisan support. Liberals and conservatives alike were on board. It made since…who wouldn’t want to save the earth? But, bipartisanship would not last. It was bound to change, when business and ultimately greed took over.
As soon as corporations got involved, so did political extremists, and environmentalism seemed to lose its stylishness in the public consciousness. Popular support waned, and political parties began using the environment as a weapon to beat each other up. All the while, clean air and water became greater global problems, and land was clear-cut to make way to make more money.
Still, Earth Day never went away! Its’ popularity grew despite the challenges. In 1990, Earth Day hit the world stage as 141 countries joined in and promoted recycling. In 2000, 1.8 million gathered in Central Park’s Great Lawn to commemorate and 184 countries took part.
Forty years later, April 22 continues to unite those who believe in caring for our world and the people who depend on it. Approximately 200 countries and around 1 billion students, activists, soccer moms and working folks will celebrate this year. But here is the saddest part to me:
With some exceptions, the American Christian community will be mostly absent from celebrations. Can someone PLEASE explain this to me?
“Environmentalist” is still a dirty word among some Christians. I have a bunch of friends who would agree. That makes me sad. Maybe some find the label synonymous with secularism, Goddess worship, New Ageism and politically liberal special interest groups? And yes…there are extremists that help perpetuate this feeling. But they are not the minority! Yet still others are uncomfortable with “environmentalists” and even less comfortable with their “agenda.”
But, the problem is that Christians can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines. Millions die annually from preventable, water-related diseases. Most are children. Extinction rates continue to exceed natural rates by more than 100 times. Our energy consumption funds mountaintop removal coal mining while our oil addiction fouls the air and laces the pockets of oppressive dictatorships.
And here is the great irony: we serve the One who created everything, called it “good” and asked humans to care for and protect it!!! So why are we not listening?
What’s the solution?
We have GOT to “depoliticize” environmentalism! Caring for creation should not be framed in a liberal vs. conservative narrative! Stewardship of creation is a moral issue the people of God have been called to address. If we desire to remain true to God’s Word, Christians must redeem the cause and make it our own! We need to rediscover the scriptural basis for taking care of this world, engage the glaring problems around us and propose solutions! It IS THE CHURCH’S JOB TO DO THIS! To abandon these issues to secular environmentalists shirks our God-given responsibility to care for His planet. It makes us lazy and apathetic. And it makes me sad.
Let’s do our duty here guys! Take care of the earth! It is not hard. It is worth it. And God made it. I hope you will look inward and examine your own reasons if you find yourself objecting to anything considered, “green” or “environmental”. I hope that like me, you will find it impossible to continue to ignore the environmental impact of our lifestyles and are beginning to feel some force moving within you.
(much of this blog's language and facts were taken from the recent article by Jonathan Merrit in RELAVANT magazine)
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