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Personal but Never Private

Just received a new book from Amazon The Call to Conversion by author Jim Wallis. Jim is well known for his book God's Politics which has been a best-seller. Call to Conversion was originally written in 1981 and was dealing with a world very different than the one we live in today. For example the Cold War was in full-swing and people were afraid of nuclear war, now the biggest fear is terrorism. So the book has been updated and a whole new introduction was written. Jim wrote the introduction after he completed the book tour for God's Politics and he shares about the type of people that were coming to these book signings and what the issues on their mind were. Here are some of them:

One of the major groups coming to the book signing were...

"Evangelical Christians who don't feel represented by the ideological, shrill and divisive rhetoric and behavior of the Religious Right. Many progressive, moderate and even conservative evangelicals are looking for an alternative to the Religious Right and do not believe that "moral values" can be reduced to one or two contentious social issues and are hungry for a wider and deeper vision of Christian ethics" To that I give a hearty amen!

The issues that permeated the signings by all groups were...

1. Global and Domestic Poverty- Seen as the test of faith of our time. I would bet this is even more so since Katrina

2. War and Peace- Having a "moral response" to terrorism

3. Protecting the Environment- In other words taking care of God's Creation

4. The manipulation by both parties of the Sanctity of Life Issues- Not just Abortion but all life, example AIDS pandemic, elderly, etc.

5. The breakdown of family and community relationships

The question I raise is are we addressing these issues in our evangelical churches or are we just screaming about gay marriage and the evils of hollywood. Wake-up! The world is not listening and when they are we come of as idiots (See Pat Robertson Post) or check out this from Mike DeVries blog about Jerry Falwell HERE!  We need as a church and as individual Christians be able to speak intelligently on these issues and we better have constructive and creative ideas to deal with them instead of condemning everybody!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Peace out!

mark

P.s. I updated the recommended books, check them out

Rockin' In Nashville

I am @ the National Youth Workers Convention in Nashville for the weekend to do some speaking. I am rooming with my good buddy Brock and we are having a blast. Couple highlights so far.

Worship with David Crowder Band, have you heard his new song "You are My Joy", it is so awesome and watching 7,500 youth workers sing it together in a huge arena is just a little piece of heaven.

The band 4th Avenue Jones. I know you haven't heard of them, but you should! Pick it up! They can bring the Funk!

Seeing 15 Minutes of pre-release footage for Narnia. It was amazing. The witch in the middle of the ending battle hears Aslan roar, turns and sees him in the distance and says "Impossible!" Here comes the King! Long Live Aslan!

Doug Pagitt's teaching from Acts. Not what I expected from Doug but it was just good solid teaching. Not that I thought Doug wouldn't be solid! Trust me, it was good! Read Doug's blog HERE.

Finally the Exhibit Hall. Yes I said the exhibit hall! I got about 3 free shirts and picked up another three for $5 dollars each. I also got alot of cool Narnia stuff and plenty of other stuff that will be useful. Oh yeah, I got to talk to Saleem who runs the Pittsburgh Project one of the best youth mission opportunites and ministries in the country. You should go to it! He also gave me a free hoodie!

peace out,

Mark

A Night That You Can't Leave Behind

It really doesn't get any better than Wednesday Night @ the U2 Show. I went with my friends Gene and Jen and Gene's dad all huge U2 fans, I guess for $112 dollars a seat you have to be fans or you wouldn't be there! So here is the set list for the night:

City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Elevation
Mysterious Ways
Until the End of the World
Still Haven’t Found
Beautiful Day
Original of the Species
Sometimes you Can’t Make it On Your Own
Love and Peace or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet The Blue Sky
Miss Sarajevo
Pride in the Name of Love
Where the Streets Have no Name
One

First Time
Stuck in a Moment
With or Without You

All Because of You
Yahweh
40

Yet anyone who has been to a U2 show knows it is so much more than a set list. So here are my top ten moments from the show (In no particular order)

1. The light show-incredible lighting, video curtains, and the "heart" stage ruled!

2.  Bono slow dancing with a girl from the audience for the entire performance of "With or Without You"

3. Bono changing the meaning for "Sunday Bloody Sunday" to make it about the conflict between Christians, Jews and Muslims. Bono kept saying "This is your song now America" and "We are all sons of Abraham"

4. Bono playing drums on "Love and Peace or Else"

5. Bono talking about his father and taking off his sun glasses before singing "Sometimes you can't make it on your own" becuase his dad always said to him "Take of those F'n sunglasses!"

6. God's spirit showing up many times, especially for me during "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" which was preceeded by "Until the End of the World" which is Judas talking to Jesus.

7. The little kid from the audience holding a spotlight on stage during "40". So cool. A little child will lead us!

8. Where the Streets Have No Names- Nuff' Said!

9. Bono's focus on Africa and how rich nations can help eradicate world debt and fight AIDS

10. The lyric during "The First Time" where Bono sings:

My father is a rich man
He wears a rich man's cloak
Gave me the keys to his kingdom coming
Gave me a cup of gold

He said I have many mansions
And there are many rooms to see
But I left by the back door
And I threw away the key
And I threw away the key
Yeah, I threw away the key
Yeah, I threw away the key

Only grace can give them back to me!

Isn't that true of us all!

Long Live U2!

Still Haven't Found What I'm looking for...

Mark

U2 TONIGHT!

Tonight I am seeing U2 live at the St. Pete Times Forum with a group of people from church. I am really stoked. I saw U2 live one other time and that was in 1993 in Cleveland on the Zoo Tour. I might post some pics and I will post a set list from the show and some thoughts! You can read parts of the recent Bono interview in Rolling Stone by scrolling down to the link on this page! It is going to be one cool night.

I still haven't found what I'm looking for...

Mark

Good Ol' Pat

If there was an award for Idiot Christian of the Week Pat Robertson would have his fair share. How many stupid things has he said over the last few years and weeks? Let's see according to Pat 9/11 was the gays fault, so was Katrina, we should assasinate forgein leaders and his latest today that a small Pennsylvania town better watch out because disaster is coming over their recent decision to not teach intelligent design in their classrooms. The story can be found HERE. Can someone please shut Pat up! Can someone take him out for a drink and talk some sense into him? Can he please stop speaking for the rest of us Christians. Pat I think it is time you take a long vacation, one which has you never coming back to the airwaves. Go fishing or something, just go! It is beyond sad when we live in a world where people are in desperate need for help and people like Pat spend their time heaping more burdens on their lives. This is some of what he said:

"I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God. You just rejected him from your city," Robertson said on the Christian Broadcasting Network's "700 Club."

I am thinking about starting a blog called IDIOTIC CHRISTIAN OF THE WEEK. What do you think? Maybe it would be eye opening.

frustrated with the faithful,

mark

Here's Looking at You kid!

The Parker is doing great and is as cute as ever, I mean how couldn't he be just look @ his parents! So life as a parent has been pretty easy so far, I know that will change but who says I can't enjoy it while it lasts.

A special shout out to our good friends Matt & Seyward Elliot on the birth of their daughter Margaret Spencer Elliot. You can read about their baby and see pics at her blog. Check for more pics of the Parker in the Photo Album section on the left side of this page, scroll down for all of the cuteness!

Who's your daddy!

mark

Parker Update!

New pics of the Parker are in the photo album. Just scroll down and find the album along the  left side of the blog. Parker is doing well, he was a little Jaundice but the doctor decided today that he doesn't need to be kept at the hospital. He just needs alot of sun! That is good news and we are so grateful for the gift that God has placed in our hands. It is amazing to think that this time last week he was still in the womb, too freaky!

Who's your daddy!

mark

Mourning a Stranger

Maybe you have heard about the pastor that was electrocuted and died in Waco, Texas while performing a baptism service. That pastor was 33 year old Kyle Lake (in the brown shirt) along with David Crowder and one of their friends. Kyle was the pastor at University Baptist Church. Kyle's Church is where David Crowder is the worship leader. You can read more about Kyle from David on his blog or on the band's website. I didn't know Kyle but many people that I know, knew him and were very impressed with his leadership, personality and passion for God. Kyle leaves behind a wife and three children. It is a sad, sad story which leaves you with alot of whys and disappointed with God. Life is so fragile, so fleeting, maybe I am more aware of that since Parker's birth and reading about Kyle's death.

How can you help? You can send a donation that will help his family, that link can be found on the church's website (Listed above). You can purchase one of Kyle's two books that he wrote for Relevant Books. They are Understanding God's Will  and re-Understanding Prayer, the latter one was just released two weeks ago.

You will help his legacy go on and provide financial support for his family and plus they are great books.

Below is an excerpt from the last sermon that Kyle ever preached, may we all strive to live like this!

"Live. And Live Well. BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply. Be PRESENT. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now. On a crystal clear, breezy 70 degree day, roll down the windows and FEEL the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun.
If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to FREEZE your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE. Get knee-deep in a novel and LOSE track of time.
If you bike, pedal HARD… and if you crash then crash well.
Feel the SATISFACTION of a job well done—a paper well-written, a project thoroughly completed, a play well-performed. If you must wipe the snot from your 3-year old’s nose, don’t be disgusted if the Kleenex didn’t catch it all… because soon he’ll be wiping his own.
If you’ve recently experienced loss, then GRIEVE. And Grieve well. At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you’re eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke. And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven. And TASTE. Taste every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of Life. Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift."

Rest with your savior Kyle, shalom!

mark

Bono is the Man

If you spend anytime with me you will probably hear a U2 song coming out of my mouth or my ipod at some point. In fact I am going to see U2 in Tampa on November 16th, how cool is that! I saw a U2 show on the Zoo Tour back in 1993 in Cleveland with a bunch of high schoolers. Great youth ministry night. Not only am I impressed with their music but I am motivated and challenged in my walk with Christ by Bono. The Rolling  Stone interview is amazaing and you need to pick it up, if you want some highlights from the interview click HERE. It is amazing to see this man "work out his salvation" in front of millions of people. I truly respect him and his honesty, candor,  his challenge to the church,passion for the poor  and the willingness to admit that he STILL HASN'T FOUND WHAT HE IS LOOKING FOR! How refreshing!

P.S. Props to Mike Devries for the idea for this post, he writes a great blog that you should be reading on a daily basis it is called Awakening. Give it a look!

***Parker Update-He is getting checked @ the doctors today, and he may have to stay for a short while, nothing serious don't worry! Have you checked out the photo album yet. Scroll down it is on the left side!

shalom,

mark

The Parker comes Home!

Today the Parker came home! Things have been going well, Parker has settled down and is actually a really good baby! The first night was hell but every night since then has been cool! So many people have been so good to us by providing meals, encouragement, gifts, etc. to you all we say a huge thanks! We are doing good and we will continue to post pics of the Parker on this blog but now in the photo album section, just scroll down and you will find it on one of the sides very soon. His full name is Parker Adler Helsel. Parker means "Keeper of the Fields" which for me brings to mind Jesus looking out at the "fields" of people and saying the harvest is ripe but the workers are few. Parker, you will be the Keeper of God's Harvest, that is my prayer for you! I will get back to posting ministry stuff this coming week but for now the Parker rules!

Who's your daddy,

mark