Does God Really Make a Difference?

A friend of mine asked me to read Who Needs God. I started it a few months ago, but failed to make it past the first few chapters. I decided that I am going to try to read it this week. Since I started so long ago, I decided to start over from the beginning.

Chapter one is titled "Does God Really Make a Difference?". In the last few paragraphs, Kushner, a Rabbi, writes about a conversation he had with a young congregate, Paul. Paul tells Kushner that while he does not believe in religion, he does believe in God. Here Kushner recounts his response:

I asked him what he meant by that, and he told me that when he contemplates the beauty and intricacy of the world, he has to believe that God exists. That's very nice I told him, and I'm sure God appreciates your vote of confidence. But for the religious mind and soul, the issue has never been the existence of God but the importance of God, the difference that God makes in the way we live. ... A God who exists but does not matter, who does not make a difference in the way you live, might as well not exist.

I guess this is profound to me because it's something I had never thought of. What's the point of believing in God if God is just a "benevolent figurehead trotted out for ceremonial occasions and beloved by everyone because he never does anything"?

Have you ever had a conversation like this?

Listen and Act

Do you have a blog? Do you want two free books? Well, Tom Davis and Seth Barnes are giving away copies of their books for free. All you have to do is read them and blog about them.

Find out more about it here.

They're out there and they're watching you.

This morning I started reading Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping by Paco Underhill. Underhill and his research company have spent two decades compiling and analyzing data, trying to determine if there is "a method to our madness when it comes to shopping".

They have been gathering data around the globe in malls, grocery stores, banks, fast-food peddlers, and anywhere else you make purchases. The data is collected methodically via cameras, interviewers, and "trackers". Trackers are the people that follow you around the store marking your every move without you even knowing it.

Here's an example...

[A] tracker can record... that a bald man, in a red sweater and blue jeans entered a department store on a Saturday at 11:07 a.m., walked directly to a first floor display of wallets, picked up or otherwise touched a total of twelve of them, checked the price tag on four, then chose one, moved at 11:16 to a nearby tie rack, stroked seven ties, read the contents tags on all seven, read the price on two, then bought none and went directly to the cashier to pay. He paused for a moment at a mannequin and examined the price tag on the jacket it wore. He entered the cashier line at 11:23 as the third person in line, waited two minutes and fifty-one seconds to get to the register, paid with a credit card and exited the store at 11:30.

It's kind of weird to think that someone could follow you and keep that sort of detail without you even knowing it. It might make you think more about how you act in a store.

I'm reading the book because it relates to a project that I have been assigned to at work, but beyond that, I am a dork and this sort of stuff interests me.

Yet another book: Change the World

I'm reading a new book.1

A few months ago someone left four books in the breakroom on my hall. By the end of the day, no one had picked them up. So, I decided to take them home with me. It wasn't until a few days ago that I even looked at the books. I knew there were a couple about technology, but other than that, I didn't know much about them.

Well, the book that caught my attention out of the four was one titled Change the World: How Ordinary People Can Accomplish Extraordinary Results. I've only read the preface, chapter one, and half of chapter two, but thus far it is an excellent book.

Chapter two is titled Envision the Productive Community. There is a section named The Nature of Hierarchy. In this section the author, Robert E. Quinn, discusses the difference in hierarchy and what he labels, adhocracy. Adhocracy is an "alternative in which there [is] equality, openness, and cooperation. He makes it clear that a hierarchy is not necessarily the "frozen bureaucracy" that we often think of it as.

He defines hierarchy as a form of organization that emerges over time that can provide stability, control, and predictability. These are good things, but they are based on the past. They are based on solutions to problems that we have already faced. The problem with relying on a system based on previous results is that the world is forever changing.

I'd like to share a passage from the subsection The Emergence of Adhocracy. It reminded me of Visio Dei.

[Adhocracies] emerge when there is a need to understand new trends and identify appropriate responses so that the organization can come in alignment with the emerging realities. ... Rather than maintaining the status quo, adhocracies arise when there is a need to discover new paths.

Driven by the challenge of discovering and meeting new needs, we group together in flexible networks and search for information. We try action experiments, compare observations, and attempt to make sense of things. In this search mode, we care little about the status that people might carry from past hierarchies. We are only concerned with the competencies they can bring to solving present problems, along with their ability to effectively relate to others in the problem solving process. That dynamic is the essence of adhocracy, which is characterized by four key features: flexibility, learning, adaptation, and change.

It's probably worth noting that this is not a religious book. So, any use of words used in religion discussions, e.g. emerging, is merely coincidental. Also, it's worth noting that I am not making any kind of comment on the theological stance of Visio Dei. I am referencing the organizational makeup. Most of my precieved likeness comes in the form of our home groups. maybe that makes sense. Maybe it doesn't.

If you are still reading at this point, do you have any thoughts? Has anyone ever read this book?

1. backI realize at this point some of you are questioning why I would start yet another book when I have so many that I left unfinished.

Father's Day Gift Six Months in the Making

Our son Palmer was born a month early, he due date was July 2, 2007, but he decided to make his appearance a little early. Honestly, it was a lot early; a whole month early. He was born on June 2, 2007. I'm not sure where he got the idea to be early from something. His parents are rarely early for anything, and we're usually not even on time, but late.

Palmer's early arrival meant that I got to celebrate Father's day in 2007. However, anyone that has ever had a child could tell you that mother's of two week olds are not really in the mood to celebrate father's of two week olds. Kim got me a card and a framed picture from Hallmark, but the gift she really wanted to give me would have to wait.

Over the past several months, my wife has worked diligently to make sure that all of Palmer's needs are met. His nutritional, developmental, and emotional needs. She is a trooper. I try to do my part, but she is there all day everyday. She's on the front lines of battling poopy diapers, incessant crying, and an ever hungry baby.

I don't want to paint an inaccurate picture because it is not all bad, or even mostly bad. She'd tell you that the good far out weighs the bad. There are days when you just can't get enough of him, but there are other days when you can't stand anymore of him. I guess that's called being a parent?!?

So, back on topic. So, Kim has been working really hard since Palmer was born, but when she has found time, she has been working on my Father's Day gift. She has always been creative, but for the most part, outside of coloring in coloring books with our nephew, she hasn't had a way to put that creativity to use. However, for Father's Day she wanted to create a scrapbook for me, documenting mine and Palmer's relationship.

It was her first attempt at scrap booking and she did awesome. The pages look really cool. The pictures look great with the text, and she added all these stickers on there that say things like "Top Pop". I wish there were a way to show it off on here. If you come by the house, I'll probably show it to you.

My wife is super. She is an amazing woman. Thanks for the scrapbook, dear.

The Measure of a Man -MLK, Jr.

I went to the library today in search of Stride Toward Freedom by Martin Luther King, Jr., but unfortunately they didn't have it at the Cary library. However, I did find The Measure of a Man by King.

I sat down to read a little of it this evening, and I ended up reading the entire thing. It's a small book with only about fifty pages, not counting the photographs, but it is brilliant. It is without a doubt one of the best things I've ever read. Everyone should find this book and take the fifteen minutes to read through it.

It's amazing how the words from a man written over forty years ago can be so timeless and so relevant today.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On the drive from Raleigh to Kissimmee, I listened to the majority of The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.. He was a remarkable man. The book is made up of various writings of his from throughout the fifties and sixties with several of his speeches mixed in.

Going in, I knew very little of this man's life. I am still processing a lot of what he said. The main thing that I taken away from what I've listened to thus far is a deep appreciation for his philosophy of bringing social change through direct, non-violent action. Most of the images I have in my head of the Civil Rights Movement are scenes of violence. I guess I never thought that the violence might not have been was two sided.

I'll try to write more after I finish. I should have some time after Christmas.

I have a problem...

I have a problem. I'm not sure that there is a clinical name for my problem, but I'm certain that someone could determine its root cause in one session on a couch. So, what's my problem?

I start books and don't finish them.

Here's a list of the books that I have started, but have not completed, and it's worth noting that there are probably more that I just can't remember.

• Everything Must Change - Brian McClaren


• Babyproofing Your Marriage - Cockrell, O'Neil, and Stone


• The Organic God - Margaret Feinberg


• Banker to the Poor - Muhammad Yunus


• Myth of a Christian Nation - Greg Boyd


• On Becoming Babywise - Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam


• Just Walk Across the Room - Bill Hybels


• Sex God - Rob Bell


• Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis


• Good to Great - Jim Collins


• Desiring God - John Piper


• The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell


• Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller

Honestly, the list wasn't that long when I sat down to type it up, but by the time I got through typing the five or so that I had thought of that prompted this post, the flood gates had opened. All of those came within the last two years, or so. The majority I know I started this year.

Sad, huh?!?

Going All the Way

Craig Groeschel is a teaching pastor at LifeChurch.tv. He has written a new book on having a marriage that lasts called Going All the Way.

Though I have been married for almost three years now, I am not immune from divorce. In case you didnt know it, marriage take work. Especially now that we have a little one, I feel that we need to make sure we our focused on our marriage.

I look forward to hearing what Craig has to say.

The Organic God

I started a new book the other day. Someone referenced it on their blog, so I picked it up. The Organic God is by Margaret Fienberg, who I don't think is much older than me. She mixes personal stories with her insights on God. I wouldn't say I was captivated in the beginning, but the more I read, the more I like what she has to say.

Why call it The Organic God? She says:

While [organic] is a word usually associated with food grown without chemical based fertilizers or pesticides, organic is also used to describe a lifestyle: simple, healthful, and close to nature. Those are all things I desire in my relationship with God.

Finished

Starting on Thursday night, when I stayed up until 4am, and ending on Saturday night, it was like I was on a mission. I read the second half of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It took me a few weeks, but I finally got wrapped up in it. When I got going, I couldn't stop.

However, during this sprint to the finish, I had mixed emotions. I was excited, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Then, I was also sad, knowing that when I finished the book, that the story would be over. I've invested many hours of my life into the lives of Harry Potter and his friends, any now I would no longer get to know what they were up to. It is sort of like having a friend move away after middle school, and being left to wonder what ever happen to Bryant Howren.

Unfortunately, as they say, you can't have your cake and eat it too. I finished the book and the story ended. I am pleased with the way the author chose to close out the series. I look forward to re-reading the books later in life, maybe with Palmer. I also look forward to discussing the final book with some of you, but for the sake of those that have not read the novel, please do not discuss the story here on my blog.

The Wal-Mart Effect

I started reading1 The Wal-Mart Effect by Charles Fishman on the ride home from our trip to Florida. It is full of interesting information about how Wal-Mart effects the world we live in. Thus far, it has been relatively unbiased, as it details all of the positive and negative ways our world is impacted by the force that is Wal-Mart.

More than half of all Americans live within five miles of a Wal-Mart store; less than a ten minute drive away. Ninety percent of Americans live within fifteen minutes of Wal-Mart. [As of the writing of the book] Wal-Mart has 3,811 stores in the United States, including 10 in Alaska and 9 in Hawaii. That equates to more than one Wal-Mart for every county in the U.S..

Everyone has their opinions about Wal-Mart, both good and bad, but most are based on personal experiences, hearsay, and the stigma attached Wal-Mart. This book gives you a lot of facts to base your opinions on: facts about how the company was started, facts about how it grew to where it is now, and facts about how they do business with their suppliers.

Has anyone read this book? I would love to discuss it with others.

1. back I actually have been listening to it. I got it from Audible.com.

The Deathly Hallows

When the fifth book in the Harry Potter series was released in the summer of 2003, I hadn't read any of the subsequent books. I'm not even sure how I got started reading the books1.

However I started reading them, I got hooked real quick. I read the first one after another, and then when the fifth book came out, which was about the same time that I finished the I fourth, I read that one. Then, I was left like millions of other people, wondering what was going to happen to Harry and his friends.

When the sixth book came out, it had been a couple of years, so I re-read the first five before diving into the sixth. Again, after finishing the sixth book, I was left wondering.

This past weekend, the final installment in the series was released. I didn't go out at mid-night and pick it up, though I know some people that did. I happened to be at Target the next day, and picked my copy. I'm looking forward to finding out how the series will end. I haven't decided if I will re-read the other books first. I have read two chapters and I feel like there are a lot of references being made, and I can't recall them all.

Is anyone else reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

1. back I think I may have borrowed the first few from someone. Did I borrow them from you?

Banker to the Poor

I'm reading Banker to the Poor. If you have never heard of it, it is the story of Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank. Yunus and Grameen won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below." The Grameen Bank is founded on the belief that credit is a fundamental human right. The bank provides minuscule loans to the poorest of the poor in order to help the loan holders break out of the cycle of poverty for good. The concept is simple: loan poor people money on terms suitable to them1, teach them a few sound financial principles, and they will help themselves.

Thus far, it has been a great read. I came across this paragraph the other day that I really liked. He noticed the land around the university where he taught was vastly under used, and the people living in the nearby village suffered because of this. Here's what he said...

I thought we should do something about the unused fields. It was a shame to let the land around the university campus remain barren. If a university is a repository for knowledge, then some of this knowledge should spill over to the neighboring community. A university must not be an island where academics reach out to higher and higher levels of knowledge without sharing any of their findings.
Muhammad Yunus, Banker to the Poor, page 34

This is how I think about the Church. Here's my version...

I [think] we should do something about the [world]. It [is] a shame to let the [world] around the [Church] remain barren. If [the Church] is a repository for [God's blessing], then some of this [blessing] should spill over to the neighboring community. [The Church] must not be an island where [we] reach out to higher and higher levels of [blessing] without sharing any of [our blessings].

Thanks Dr. Yunus for showing that one bank, one person, or one idea can change the world.

Shalom.

1. back The loans are made for small amounts, i.e. less then 100 USD. Loans are made for one year. Payments are made weekly.

Animals and Angels

So, I am reading Rob Bell's latest book, Sex God. This morning I read chapter three, Animals and Angels. This chapter discusses how there is an animal impulse in us that wants us to to give in to all our cravings, and there is an angel impulse in us that wants us to deny ourselves of physical pleasure. Bell suggests that going to either extreme is equally destructive, and that we were made to live in the tension between the two extremes. It was an interesting chapter, and thus far, an interesting book.

I wanted to mention this chapter of the book because of something that came near the end. There are two paragraphs on page sixty-two that really stuck out to me.

You are not alone. What ever you struggle with, whatever you have questions about, you are not alone. It doesn't matter how dark it is or how much shame or weakness or regret it involves, you are not alone.
...
Some of the most comforting words in the universe are "me too." That moment when you find out that your struggle is also someone else's struggle, that you're not alone, and that others have been down that same road.

When I read that, I was like, "Wait a minute. I just said something about that yesterday."

I guess rabbi Rob and I are in same boat.

Shalom.

Randomosity

You may ask yourself from time-to-time, "Why would anyone be awake at 4am?". I find myself asking myself that very question this morning. I have actually been awake for about half an hour, but I have already taken the ime to clean out and organize my inbox. What else do people do at this time of the day (err... night?). Oh yeah, sleep. Well, I tried that one, but it didn't work out so well for me.

Since I am awake, I thought I would catch you up on what I have been up to.

I started reading a new book, The Irresistible Revolution, and I can't stop reading it. Well, that's not completely true. Of course, I can stop reading it. I just find myself not wanting to. It is by Shane Claiborne1, and is autobiographical in nature. It is hard to explain why I find it so great, but it rocks my soul. Sometimes I read it and think, "That's what I think." Then, I read something he did, and I think, "That's what I think." See the difference? If you have ever found yourself tired of hearing about church or annoyed by Christians, you may want to check out this book. It is not about some religiosity, but it's about being what he calls an ordinary radical.

Remind me to tell you the story of the Prodigal Cat.

Recently, I've been spending time with my... err... brother? Brian. The hesitation is due mostly to the difference in the definition of the word brother and the connotation that it carries. Brian and I have the same father, but different mothers. By definition that makes us half-brothers. However, we are a little over six years apart in age, didn't grow up to togeteher, and barely know one another. I grew up with my older (whole?) sister Constance and my younger half-sister Leslie, but though Leslie and I share a mother and a dad, but not a father2, she has never been my "half" sister. You say half-sister and people immediately think, "Oh, I get it. She's not your real sister." Which couldn't be farther from the truth. So, by definition Brian and I are half-brothers, but it's easier when introducing him to say, "This is my brother, Brian." But, then you get blank stares from people that sort of know you, but don't know the whole story because they are thinking, "I never knew you had a brother?!?"3 But, then, the people that don't know you that well hear you call him your brother, and that carries the certain assumptions with it 4. You see, it's complicated. Maybe this is one of the reasons why God isn't a big fan of divorce?!? The point is that Brian and I have been hanging out lately, and though it may occasionally be awkward, all-in-all it's not a bad thing.

Most of you know that I'm also preparing to become a father, and hopefully a dad (see note 2). Every day I get more excited about the baby. Kim's belly keeps growing, which she sometimes gets concerned about, but I think it's amazing. But, I'm not the one that has to carry around an extra 25% of my body weight, and deal with my back hurting. I've seen this baby on the ultrasound, and I've felt it move, and I want to say that I am ready for it to emerge into this world, but I am not sure I will ever truly be ready for it. I'm not sure how this works, but I find myself already feeling like I love our baby. That seems weird to me for some reason. Can I love someone I have never met? Can I love someone knowing that when we do meet, they are going to scream at me and make demands that take away from what I want to do? Logically, it doesn't make sense.

Well, it is late/early so I am going back to bed. I hope you all have a great day.

Side Notes: (Which are in fact different than footnotes.)
Chris Sexton bought a bus. Incredible!
Today is my birthday.

1. ↩You may have just thought, "Oh, no, he di-int put a foot note in his blog." Oh, yes, I did. Shane Claiborne has some of the funniest footnotes in his book, but I didn't add footnotes in an attempt to copy him.


2. ↩That's another story, but if you know me, you probably get it. You might get it even if you don't know me. FYI... I wanted to put this aside in the my blog without bogging down the post. This is where the idea of footnotes in my blog was born.


3. ↩Some of them actually say it, and that is always a bit awkward.


4. ↩Like maybe you know when each others birthdays are.
   Okay, maybe I am taking the footnote thing to far. I think I am going to make this the last one for this post.

I can't believe this coincidence...

So, I finally did it. I bought an iPod. I have been wanting one for a long time but could never seem to bring myself to spend the money on one. So, with another ten-hour commute to and from Central Florida quickly approaching, I could wait no longer.

See, the main purpose for my purchase was listening to audiobooks while in transit. I find that on long drives, the time and miles seem to pass a bit faster when I am listening to a book and, given that my wife does not prefer to read aloud for hours on end, I have found that audiobooks prove to be an adequate substitute. However, the different voices Kim uses for each character make the experience quite enjoyable. She does a mean muggle. Ask her to do it sometime.

Needless to say, I am excited about the opportunity I have to read more books. I already have a few audiobooks that I haven't listened to, yet. A good site that a co-worker introduced me to is Audible. Currently, they give you one free book just for signing up for an account. However, they used to give you three free books for signing up, kind of like how Wendy's used to give you the Biggie fry for 99¢. Well, consider this an early Christmas present. You can go here and get the three free books deal.

So, about the title. I can't believe that on the day that I get my iPod, specifically for listening to audiobooks, Apple puts an entire book up in the iTunes Store for free. The best part is that we are not talking about some crappy book. They put up an awesome book by one of the funniest people out there.

They put up an abridged version of The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman. If you do not know who John Hodgman is, he is a PC. He has also been on the daily show. He is hilarious. So, go get his book, now!