When I think of Epiphany, I think of amphibians. The coquis (onomatopoetically named frogs) densely cover the Puerto Rican island, and when they leave for places like Hawaii, they often do so in packs overtaking their new digs, blasting their disyllabic cry as they did back home. That is to say they are quite loud at night and considered invasive by some. The same has often been said of the Puerto Rican people.
I led the worst small group ever. I’m saying that as an indictment of my leadership and not as a criticism of the group. But they didn’t exactly do me any favors. The idea for the small group was simple: give 20 somethings a place to gather together, study scripture, worship and pray. It seems simple enough. But in reality I was totally against the idea that people in their twenties needed a unique group. Why couldn’t they just do this at church like normal adults? That’s when I had my first stroke of genius: make a church wide announcement that it was a group for 20 somethings, but invite anyone else who was interested to also show up. That way, I figured, the group might have a little perspective and diversity.
Was I Friends with Adam Lanza?
We became friends in freshman honors Geometry class when Mark stood up to answer a Trigonometry bonus question that the teacher said was well beyond our ability. Mark was a strange kid: the kind of kid who wears snow boots in October; who had a mustache as a freshman; who transferred from another school and claimed that the other school was “St Mary’s Over Looking the Thames.”
Seeking God’s Peace
Jerry Seinfeld once reported that people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of death. Then, in his classic style, he reflected: we would rather be the guy in the coffin than the one giving the eulogy. I have always related to this statement, not because I’m afraid of public speaking – I’m a sucker for the limelight – but because I would rather be dead than left alone.
Church is for Children
Our mobile church has bought a building after about two decades in a high school. To consecrate the new church, we are reading through the whole Bible and broadcasting a live feed online. I have been fascinated with the live feed image of the new sanctuary. In the first moments watching the video stream, I saw one of our senior pastor’s children walk up to the font and dip in his hands. He was mesmerized by the water overflowing. I said to my wife, “Our girls are going to be playing in that water their whole lives.”
Advent is for Seekers
The purpose of Advent is that we prepare for the coming of Jesus. As we look forward to the celebration of his birth (anachronistic as the calendar may be), we should challenge ourselves to look for him with new eyes. Advent reminds us that whether we are believers or skeptics, Jesus draws near to us this season.
A Very Guilty Advent 1.1
When I was six, I feared that I might become the antichrist.
I remember it vividly: that small house on Morgan Street; that living room where my father fell asleep to Sunday afternoon baseball games; that backyard with the swing set down from which I was too afraid to climb, when finally our mailman—a tall godsend who picked me up and slowly lifted me to the ground. I remember the laundry room vividly, and the bedroom that I shared with my sister. It is still in my mind, though we moved at six. But most of all, most often at least, I remember learning about Jesus Christ from the most influential and maybe greatest preachers that I have heard: my mother.
