I think I’m getting to old for lock-ins. I’m still not fully recovered from this past weekend’s youth lock-in or the shock that I’ll be dyeing my hair. Despite the bruises, sore muscles, lack of sleep, and crazy new hair color. I would do it again in a heartbeat. It really was a great lock-in full of fun and a few surprises.  Click here if you want to see some pictures from the lock-in.

Two of my children came home from school this week and asked me if I was “for or against" the healthcare legislation. This interest in “whose side are you on?” came not through healthy classroom debate, but from the mouths of their friends. Through the eyes and ears of their children, parents often teach their kids to “size people up” and make them “one of us” or the “enemy.” This is a troubling pattern of discourse that is taking place throughout our society and it often proceeds from mouths of Christ-followers...

The image of the body of Christ has always fascinated me. What does it really mean to be part of the body of Christ? We say that when you become a Christian you become part of the bigger body of Christ. We also link the local church to the image of the body of Christ. I hate to admit that often when I think back on personal experiences in local churches I don’t see the body of Christ. I usually see a group of people who like to fight and focus on petty things with little to no regard given to looking like or even at Christ first. So, how do I reconcile the image of Church I have in my head to the image of Church as the true body of Christ?

 There are moments that are just too cute not to share in life. Last night, I witnessed a few of those moments. The first came during our Wednesday supper here at church. The children have been learning about issues of hunger this month in missions. For their mission project they helped serve the food at our supper and the money they raised went to the food pantry here at church. They did a great job. They were able to raise $160.

First Baptist Church is in the process of having a study/conversation on the issue of receiving as new members those who have been previously baptized by a mode other than immersion when the prospective member considers his or her baptism to be a valid expression of Christian baptism. That’s a mouthful, but it’s a very relevant and important issue for us to address. It's also very important that we are able to be courageous, respectful, and honest as we approach the topic.

I had an amazing weekend. It was one of those weekends that I know I will be talking about for the rest of my life. It changed me. That’s why I’m sharing this blog with you today instead of the usual Wednesday or Thursday blog.

I spent this weekend in Atlanta delivering the hygiene kits our children made for Haitian refugees to my friend, Amanda. I arrived and quickly learned that she had planned for me to go with her the next morning to meet some of the refugees. It had never crossed my mind that I would be able to meet some of the refuges. The next morning Amanda and I headed out.
 

 From time to time, I hear the occasional comment about the good ole days when the church used to have old fashioned revivals. I remember them well from my youth. Revival services used to last for two weeks. Then they evolved to one week, to Sunday-Wednesday, to Sunday a.m. and p.m., and eventually vanished altogether...

Monday night over 16 million people watched Jake propose to Vienna. Regardless of which camp you were in, Vienna’s or Tenley’s, you have to admit it made good television. I think I may have been one of the only people in America who did not watch The Bachelor this season. Monday night I was in my room watching the Big Bang Theory. My mother was in the living room watching The Bachelor. I did happen to walk by her TV as Jake popped the question. I stuck around long enough to see Vienna say yes, and then I retreated back to my nerds on the Big Bang Theory.