I'm reading this book, see...

Every now and then I go out on a limb and read something from an author I've never heard of. This particular book caught my attention one day but I passed over it until about three months later. I finally decided to read it when I couldn't find anything else that appealed to me.

Really, really glad I did.

I'm sure you can deduce the idea of the book from the cover. Yes, in some cases you can judge a book. This being one of those cases.

The key word in the subtitle is "following." If you ever have a chance to read this, you'll understand.

First of all, this is one of the most serious and most hilarious books I've ever read. The content is naturally nothing to laugh at because it pretty much slaps modern Christianity, modern Christians I should say, right across the lips. And that includes you and me. We are all reminded frequently to check ourselves and our motives behind what we do, but even still, we usually find a way to make everything we think and do sound holy and anointed. We never really get right down to the heart of the matter.

Read it for yourselves. But occasionally, you run across something that says in black and white exactly what that little nagging vibe you've been having could never voice. And you find yourself screaming out in agreement with what you've felt for a very long time. That's kinda how this book has hit me. You know that feeling -- you sense it deep down but you can't say anything because you keeping hearing that other voice that tells you you're just being silly and over-reacting. Well, it's a good feeling when you realize you're not the only crazy person.

Having said that, I am the world's biggest critic of revolutionizing one's thinking based on the opinions of an author. It's really easy in our Christian culture today to find a book that supports our latest whim. People do it all the time. Following the trends, we are all made to think we have to be purpose-driven, crazy lovin', God experiencing, (insert any Lucado title here) Christians or we're not really followers of Jesus. So I in no way plan on making this my new Bible. I just think the author has really nailed the very center of the church's problems today. Self, with a heavy dose of denial and self-deception.

Anyway, good book. Here's a teaser:

Some of the most significant damage done to the credibility of Jesus' message has been the slipshod approach of conveying it by many of His followers. Though there are a significant amount of Christ-followers who have shown excellence in their art and business, the percentages of crappy art and bad business justified with the name of Jesus are staggeringly high. We have made cheeseball films and abhorrent television, believing that an altar call at the end means it won't return void. We have produced derivative music for a dime, putting a capital "Y" on the "you" in a love song and calling it worship. We have made questionable (and oft illegal) financial decisions at the helm of ministries, defending the action by the evangelistic ends justifying the means. We have mistreated people standing in the way of our goal, berated people who disagreed with our goal, and stepped on good people to climb to our goal -- all in the name of Christ. Why? All because people keep trying to fit where God did not create them to fit. And Jesus is the one getting the black eye over it.

Oh, where to begin...

Well, the long, dark night is over. I'm speaking of the work project I was on. We had a four week deadline and finished up around 8 pm tonight in just under two and a half weeks, so everyone's happy for the moment. As of tonight, I have worked 175 hours in April. I feel every single minute of it.

But I learned some valuable things while on that crazy schedule. Our work location was the intersection of Broadway and Depot, just a block or so from KARM. My workmates and I were approached all day and night by the people, some homeless, some druggies, some who just had hard luck, who frequent the area. You wouldn't believe the things you can learn from them. And the things they will offer you for a single beer.

For instance, if you're in the market for a nice, hardly used lock-blade knife, I can introduce you to a guy. If you need a brand spanking new wrist watch, I have several contacts (after declining one offer, he asked me if I knew what time it was. Not even kidding). If it's sex you're after, well let's just say there are options, and I mean any variation you can think of and some you've probably never even heard of. If I were a smoker, I would be the most popular person in the neighborhood, based on the number of people who asked for a cigarette. I now know the complete daily schedule for the KAT buses, and I know Darryl, the guy who drives the city street sweeper truck, well enough to high-five him each night at 11:07 when he rolls by.

Life is truly like a box of chocolates.

Now, on to something more important and much more painful (for me). It's confession time again. I say again because it seems I do it a lot.

Some of you have had to listen to "someone" over the past couple of months rant and rave and rail about a certain new pastor who was hired at a certain church that a certain, as well as dashingly handsome, blogger attends. I, I mean "he", fussed and griped, complained and whined about everything from his salary to his haircut, or lack thereof.

What I'm getting at is that I've been a very poor example, unless the example you're looking for is that of "most divisive and strife-causing church member," in which case I'm awesome! I really have ran my mouth a lot about someone that I'd never even met, and all because of, well, I really don't know why. Maybe I'm just good at being a jerk.

But on Sunday morning, about five minutes into Rev. Johnson's sermon, I started feeling something. Not sure what it was, but it was something. So I began to pay close attention to the something as I listened to what the pastor had to say. It wasn't long before I found myself agreeing with his points. Then the something got really loud. And my face got really hot. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. My next thought was...

"Oh, great. Now I'm starting to like the guy."

No joking. Right there in my choir seat, I felt my heart and attitude flip-flop instantly toward our new pastor. So I hung on every word for the rest of the sermon and realized how much I liked his vision for our church and how much I agree with what he believes God wants to do here.

God. God is big. Huge. Powerful. And...gentle enough to turn a small, cold heart around without so much as breeze blowing. God is really something.

So I apologize to those of you who may have had to listen to my bad attitude. I have no excuse other than just naturally being a _______. You can choose your own word.

And I'm really, really glad that God doesn't let me make His decisions for Him.

Some things just make me smile.

On my way to work today, I saw my very, very, mostest favorite indicator of spring. I've been so busy lately that I almost forgot to notice them. I would love to have the opportunity to go out and photograph some of them but, alas, time will not allow. I am talking about the redbud tree.

I'm not sure when or where I developed my fascination with redbuds but I think it probably comes from my childhood. In the front yard of the house where I grew up, there was this big, full redbud that bloomed each year. I swear it looked electric to me. So now, every spring, I drive around and look at them. You can have your dogwoods and Bradford pears, just give me my vibrant, vivid, electric redbuds.

Truck-blogging

Yes, that's right. I'm posting from the cab of my truck. It's lunch time and I was taking the opportunity to prepare my lesson for Sunday morning. Time is limited so, as I once heard my granddad say, "Make hay while the sun shines."

As I was studying in 1 Corinthians, I read a verse that is one of those that you know you've read a million times but this is the one time it just blows you away. I won't belabor the Easter point so as to not take away from your celebration, but I will leave you with this one, short verse that screams "Hallelujah!" to me.

If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. --1 Corinthians 15:19

Happy Easter, everyone.

Here's a glimpse into my one-dimensional life.

I realize that it is probably of little or no importance to you, but here are some pics from my little chunk of paradise. Above is my only view of the outside world. Lovely skylight, don't you think?

And here is my "office", so to speak. By the way, two of us use this space at the same time. We sit on those walk boards that you see. Not much leg room, hence the sore knees and hips.

And finally, this is a close-up of the world of a color-blind phone man. Don't ask me to explain it, but even with severe "ocular deficiencies", this makes perfect sense to me. Those of you who are astute will see a repeating sequence of 50 different colors. And, in case you want to count them, there are 4200 individual wires staring back at you.

Such is the isolated existence of yours truly; twelve hours a day of what you see above. Since Monday afternoon, I've actually spoken to only 5 different people, which puts my social interaction on roughly the same level as a home-schooled kid. Don't be too surprised if I run up and throw my arms around you the next time we meet. I mean, seriously, all I need is a volleyball with a hand-print for a face and a name.

However, I did get to see something very cool today. Under the bridge where all this work is taking place, several local ministries set up today to feed the homeless people in the area. I'm not sure how many volunteers they had but they had a huge number of folks taking part and I got to hear part of the sermon that some guy preached. Of course, it was difficult to make out from 15 feet underground.

Nonetheless, it was a pretty neat thing.

But praise God for the beautiful spring weather! I have the worst case of spring fever in history. It's gonna be a great summer.