Basketball

Although not theologically interesting, the NCAA has had some interesting conversations with the media recently. The question of ‘pay-for-play’ has been raised and the administrators rightly pointed the conversation back to education. Yet, hesitant as I am to tout college players, I do wonder if we are capitolizing on the backs of education. The sales of college regalia and gear, and the boost of endorsements keeps college ball in the lime light.Where are the academic highlights? The All-NCAA academic honors at the Final 4? and where, oh where, are the college TV spots that we see during the BCS series? CBS has missed academia and so has the NCAA this time around. I will, however, laud the note of the athlete’s ‘major’ on the screen. good job guys.

Christian education

I am, by nature, an educator. Teaching and preaching are ingrained in my existance and are inseperable from all that I do; for richer or for poorer. Yet I am struggling with the philosophical and energy end of leading children in christian education. As many of you may know, curriculum for the church is generally poor. I have written curriculum, borrowed and merged other’s work, and have used curriculum written by others. As a whole I am missing something. All of the curriculum seems to educate, but none of them are set on intentional community building. (Okay, maybe they are, but they are a far cry from announcing it to the world). I just want a curriculum that meets kids in their world and lets them share it with each other and somehow, with the greater community as a whole. This doesn’t mean the recital of scripture or bible thumping (although if they picked up a bible, pictures or not, I’d be thrilled!), but it does imply that the community knows what the kids are experiencing. The education needs to be contagious! It needs to draw the kids in and outward at the same time. That’s what we adults do. We talk about what we heard on NPR, read in the paper, or maybe (if the homiletician was in the groove) what was spoken out of the pulpit. You see, we learn from each other and we definitely learn from children. So how do I push us over the edge? I have thoughts, hopes, plans, yet maybe I am suffering, as Kierkegaard would say, from ‘cowardice’. Maybe I’m scared. I don’t know. What I do know is that there needs to be momentum and that I’m not the classic bouncing youth and children’s leader. I suffer from a ‘that’s not me’ complex and sometimes wonder if I’m really that good at this stuff. Yet, as I already muttered, I have the hopes and dreams. I know what should be done and I just have to do it. To damn the stream of cowardice and fear that are washing away my strength and recognize what needs to be done. But now for now I’ll escape to the worlod of curriculum writing and try to put my dream where my mouth is. Moses did it. Maybe I can too…

The beginnings…

This is the second beginning; a journey forward through the land of mystery confusion and theological quandary. The adventure was attemped on blogger but google didn’t cooperate and the ‘new’ sign in procedure never worked properly. Posts will be made as time permits, with the goal of bi-weekly. As you may know, the life of the church does not allow for much latitude. This is, however, key to sanity. Please read, comment, mutter, and enjoy the self-help this site offers the author. God speed.

and here, is what was written on my first page:

“the beginning of a journey that’s already started. no names will be named, no stories will be regailed that will incriminate, no, this will be the mind dump of a man trying to balance too many things, running the race that Paul ran.

It is selfish. If there is anything of value here for others, so be it, but its purpose in life is to allow for venting and expression of the often insane world of being a new minister. The setting is this: a large, or, rather, struggling to be large, congregation of the reformed persuasion, set in the suburbs of a large east coast city. It is moderate politically and is full of mostly white upper middle class families and retired couples. It is the makings of a story of life and relationships: ones that enrich and ones that eke out and drain the energy of the good spirited and willing. As for me: I’m an urbanite with a heart for justice and the background of a small town. I’m young. Straight from college to seminay to my first ‘call’ as they call it. My stories will be disclosed as time goes on, but please remember that I’m trying to keep my job. The church is not necesarilly always the friendliest place, but it is a beautiful place and where I am supposed to be at this juncture of my life.

I will try to practice writing here with diligence. I need it. My spiritual self needs it.”