Bullet Points for a Monday Morning

  • Had a productive weekend; got the lawn mowed, some concrete patching done, led music at church.
  • Miserable weekend as a sports fan: Cubs played terrible and got swept; Huskers got mauled by Mizzou; Hawkeyes ran into a freight train called Penn State. At least the NHL season is new, so Dallas can’t be too far out of it yet.
  • I’m headed to Oklahoma City for training tomorrow. Can’t imagine it’ll be too exciting. Let’s just see if I can get somewhere on time this time. My recent luck with flights hasn’t been good. Flying United this time.
  • Listening to the new album from Iron and Wine. It’s good.
  • I am officially now a Company Designated Engineering Representative (DER) for the FAA. I have only partial approval authority at the moment; it’ll take time and experience to get full approval authority.
  • It’s been a week now of just bringing a bottle of pop to work in the morning rather than filling my mug at the convenience store. It’s going OK. I have decided, though, that Coke Zero is too sweet for me - I like Diet Pepsi better.

The Doctor says: Don't Blink

I haven’t enjoyed a single episode of TV quite so much in a while. I’m a couple weeks behind on Dr. Who, but finally watched the episode called “Blink” tonight. A very, very good episode. [Spoilers ahead, so if you’re going to watch it and want to be surprised, don’t read on.]

First of all, the idea of weeping stone angels as quantum-locked beings who are only alive when no one is looking at them? Awesome. Now, the whole time-travel plot device of having someone send messages to themself in the past is far from new - Phillip K. Dick wrote a short story with that premise, which got adapted into a so-so movie called Paycheck a few years back. But it was really well done here. And the whole final scene where the human has one-up on the Doctor, because she knows what’s gonna happen, and he doesn’t yet? Brilliant. And so well done.

Dr. Who can be really cheesy at times, but this season has done well. And Blink is definitely the best episode to date.

Should this really be our fight?

“Clergy fight same sex marriage”. This headline stared out at me from this morning’s copy of the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The sub-heading (which was used as the title of the online version of the story) gives more detail: “Iowa church leaders planning rally ‘defending marriage’”.

A coalition of church leaders today announced plans for an Oct. 28 prayer rally and other actions to defend traditional marriage in the face of a district judge’s ruling striking down a same-sex marriage ban – a development they warned could convert Iowa into the nation’s “Rainbow Vegas.”

“This is a call to arms,” said Dan Berry of Cornerstone Family Church. “The sleeping giant is being awakened.”

Later in the story, the Rev. Keith Ratliff of Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church in Des Moines said the “…campaign is not geared toward hate or fear of homosexuals, but rather seeks to preserve the longstanding, family-based and Bible-backed tradition of marriage as being a union between a man and a woman.”

The final, colorful quote in the story comes from Chuck Hurley of the Iowa Family Policy Center, who warns that if the same-sex marriage ban is permanently reversed, Iowa will be come “the Rainbow Vegas”.

We have gotten all too familiar with hearing pastors and Christian leaders like these over the past two decades. On a national level, radio hosts like Dr. Dobson, televangelists/presidential candidates such as Pat Robertson, and leaders of movements like the Moral Majority (the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, an OK guy in my book), and later on the Christian Coalition (Ralph Reed, who turned out to be a bit more crooked), urged their listeners or viewers to call their congressman, write their legislator, to stop this piece of legislation, encourage that one, or to decry a recent judicial ruling.

There is a place in the life of a Christian for speaking the truth to our community. In many cases that should and will include involvement in the political arena. At our church this past week we had a petition on the table in the foyer urging Iowa lawmakers to pass a state constitutional amendment in “defense of marriage”, and to urge them to support an amendment to the federal constitution as well. One of our elders, during announcement time in the service, asked folks to consider signing it. Many did. (I didn’t. I’m not so sure that we should change the constitution for something like this.) But I fear for the sake of the Gospel and our churches when what our pastors are known for are leading the “sleeping giant” into the political arena when those rascally judges finally go too far. (Why is the church “sleeping”, anyway? Maybe that’s problem numero uno.)

Particularly disgusting to me was the quote from Mr. Hurley of the Iowa Family Policy Center, pulling out the scare tactics to warn good little church people that their beloved, safe hometowns will become a “Rainbow Vegas”. “Ooh! Run away!!! Gay people!!! Be afraid!” I don’t know whether Hurley is a pastor or not, but the IFPC website is pretty plainly espousing Christianity, including on their site a Prayer Request page with a quote from John Bunyan. Mr. Hurley, I see plenty of prayer requests on that page for new donors, success in the courts and the legislature, and politically active people. But where’s the prayer request that these people who you fear so strongly would hear the good news of Jesus Christ and be freed from their bondage to sin? If we’re going to rouse the “sleeping giant” of the church, why are you only rousing them to join the political fight against your adversaries rather than rousing them to minister to and serve those same people?

Our primary command as believers in Jesus Christ is the Great Commission: to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel. We are not to huddle in a spirit of fear, desperately attempting to protect our little enclave against the evil world around us. Christ has already won the victory. It’s over. Instead, we need to go to “those people”, and love them. Serve them. Find out who they are. What makes them tick. Show them the love of Christ in action, so that when we find avenues to share it verbally, they will already understand. We are not to fear “them”, but rather to fear for them, knowing that we, too, were once hopelessly ensnared in sin. Our new righteousness is not our own; we dare not boast in it. Only in Christ.

Change comes from the inside. Pass all the laws you want, legislate your own specific understanding of perfect morality, but if you don’t change the hearts, laws aren’t gonna do any good. (See: The Prohibition.) However, if lives are changed by the power of God, pass or repeal all the laws you want; people living for Christ will make whatever country they live in the kind of country that you probably want it to be. I fear that the siren song of political power has been too attractive to the Church. Let’s stop being distracted by it, and focus instead on loving our neighbor.

$1.05

I have a usual stop on my way to work in the mornings: the Road Ranger convenience store at the corner of Blair’s Ferry and I-380. I have an old 52oz insulated mug that I have a habit of filling up with Diet Pepsi. Yeah, I guess I’m a little bit addicted. Ever since they became Road Ranger, the refills of that mug have been pleasantly inexpensive - I’ve been paying a whole $0.62 for a refill.

This morning, though, there was a change - they’ve upped the price on me to $1.05. I guess that’s $0.99 + sales tax. And suddenly I’m not so excited about it. Something about paying with a dollar and still getting change back was cool with me; something about paying a dollar plus another coin makes it seem much less appealing. Still, I’m not quite sure that just going cold turkey is such a good idea, either. And then there’s the all-too-tempting vending machine at work where a 20 oz bottle of pop costs $1.25. Heck, if I’m gonna do that, I may as well just stop for my $1.05 mug in the morning.

Maybe a better alternative would be to buy a pack of bottled pop from the store, throw it in the fridge, and bring along a bottle in the morning. That’d cut the price down, and hopefully start weaning my caffeine addiction… well, a guy can hope.

Odds and Ends Sep 2007

First off, sorry to any of you who tried to leave comments yesterday. Something with the way the upgraded theme interacts with the spam catcher is leaving something to be desired. I’m working on it, but in the mean time if it disallows a comment of yours, send me an email to let me know, would you? Thanks.

Otherwise, it’s Wednesday. I am looking forward to a couple packages coming later in the week, though. Tomorrow, DHL should be bringing the new shoes I ordered last night. I’ve had my old Converse Chuck Taylor lo-tops for a year now, and have worn them out pretty good. It was time for a new pair. This time I’m living on the wild side - instead of replacing my black ones with another black pair, I’m getting green. That should be fun. :-) I don’t think I’ve ever had a package delivered via DHL before, and I will say now that I’m very impressed with their package tracking on their website - it seems to be more granular and updated more frequently than UPS’s tracking info ever is.

Earlier in the week I got a gift card from work as an “alternative reward”. Cool. Even better is that with that gift card I’m getting a set of Shure E2c headphones. I know several folks that swear by them, and I’ve been thinking about the purchase for a while now. They were on “clearance” at Target last week for $89, but I got ’em off Amazon for $60.

This weekend on Saturday we’re headed to Des Moines overnight - we just needed to get out of town for a day or two. All my business travel has finally added up to enough Hilton rewards points to get us a free hotel room on Saturday night, and I don’t have to lead music on Sunday, so we’re off to visit the zoo, an orchard, and whatever else we find interesting in the big city. Can’t wait.

Changes in the works

I presented this letter to the elder board at Noelridge last Thursday:

To the Elders at Noelridge:

It has been my privilege to serve the body at Noelridge with you for the past eight years, first as a deacon apprentice, then for a time as a deacon, then for a few years as an elder apprentice, and now for the past 18 months as an elder. You are dear brothers and friends to me, and I have learned much from each of you. However, the Lord has burdened my heart to serve fully in the upcoming church plant in downtown Cedar Rapids. As the day of the first service draws near, I find myself needing to devote more time to planning and preparation for that mission, and straining to try to remain consistent in my duties at Noelridge. I therefore request to be released from my responsibilities as an elder at Noelridge Park Church, effective immediately.

After much discussion with my wife, it is our plan that our family will attend the new church regularly and not Noelridge; our desire is for effective ministry balanced with church stability for ourselves and our daughters. I will work to make arrangements to transfer my various responsibilities to other church members over the coming weeks. I anticipate that I will continue to assist in leading music for the time being; Dave Tessier and I will work out plans to ensure that both Noelridge and the new congregation are well-led musically. We all covet your prayers as we embark on this great mission in the service of our Savior.

In Christ’s love,

Chris Hubbs

This is a big change for us. But we’re excited about this church plant, and ready to see it happen. To my brothers and sisters at Noelridge who will undoubtedly read this and may have it be the first you’ve heard of it: yes, it means changes. We do have plans in the works that will mean I’ll still be leading music at Noelridge once a month or so. And we’ll still be around on Wednesday nights, so you haven’t seen the last of Becky and the girls, either. :-) Pray for us and this church plant. We want to see great things for God’s kingdom.

Happiness is... a new pen.

Back in February I bought my first-ever fountain pen. I knew nothing about them, but had always thought they would be cool, so when I encountered a pen shop in a mall in Washington, DC, I was a goner. I ended up with a cheap Retro 51 pen with a nib that was really too wide and that didn’t lay down ink very well at all. But I was hooked.

In May, back in DC, I had done my research, and bought another pen, similar in price to the Retro 51, but far superior in function: a Lamy Safari Al Star. The lightweight aluminum body was stylish and the Fine nib ended up being just to my liking. Along with the pen I purchased an ink adapter and a bottle of blue ink. I really enjoyed that pen.

I use the past tense in the previous sentence because on my trip to Orlando in June I lost it somewhere on an airplane. I was bummed. Not having a lot of disposable income this summer, I knew it would be a good lesson to me to just deal with ballpoint pens again for a while… maybe I’d hold onto the next pen more carefully. (Am I sounding like a parent here? I think I am. Scary.)

A couple weeks ago I was given a very nice gift for playing the organ for a wedding. So as a little gift to myself I went online and ordered a replacement Safari Al Star. It arrived in the mail late last week and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Writing is so much more fun with a pen like this.

Last time I was in that pen shop in DC they were trying hard to sell me a pen that ran about $150. I don’t know that I could ever really understand why I should spend that much for a pen… but I’m sure happy with my $30 cheap-o.

An update of sorts

It’s been slow around these parts lately, which likely just means that life has been pretty busy. Even online there have been a bunch of other projects that have been taking my time. I guess I could discuss a few of them and you might not get too bored. :-)

One of the web projects I’ve been working on is a new site for Coldwater Programs. Kevin Sutton is raising support for this outdoor exploration and leadership training ministry. I’ve done some design and layout work on the site, now it’s just waiting for him to add content.

Another site that kicked off last week is the AndrewOsenga.net forum, which is an online home for the fan community of Andy O, as he is affectionately known. I’ve been happy to see folks registering and discussing thus far, I hope it will continue. I enjoy the interacting and discussing.

The other big thing coming up is the church plant. No, not the philodendron on the piano. We here at Noelridge along with a coalition of other churches in the area are planning to start a new church in downtown Cedar Rapids. We have a facility we can meet at, and we’re planning on starting services on Saturday night, October 27th. The Saturday night service will be an adjustment for me, but I’m really looking forward to see what the Lord has for us down there. I’ll be the music guy; I’m also doing some website design. The name isn’t finalized yet, but one potential domain name has already been reserved and I’ve been doing some basic web design.

So at the moment it’s Sunday morning and why am I blogging on Sunday morning? I’m on the laptop at church, ripping this morning’s sermon audio to mp3 so it can be posted on the church website. Laura is downstairs in Sunday School, and Becky is off running errands. This laptop is pretty old and slow, so I have a bit of time to write before it’s done ripping the audio. Then it’ll be homeward bound for a bit of rest before work starts up again tomorrow. Life is busy, but life is good.

It's not Monday, it just feels like it.

The joys of having a Monday holiday: a 4-day work week, and a Tuesday that feels like Monday. Oh, and a Tuesday jammed full of meetings since they couldn’t schedule ’em on Monday. (And Geof, don’t give me grief about “jammed full” - 4 meetings today is waaay more than my average has been for the past several months. :-) )

Overall had a nice weekend; a busy Saturday included playing a pipe organ for a wedding, which was kinda cool. Any real organist present would’ve recognized me for the hack organist that I am, though. My pedal skills are in the poor-to-non-existent spectrum. Also finished catching up on Harry Potter movies this weekend, and read a book called Making Room For Life, which was decent, but I guess I didn’t find it as revolutionary and impacting as my friend (who bought it for me) did.

Now it’s on to a fairly busy week; looking forward to next weekend when the cooler temps arrive (highs around 70F! Woohoo!) and my folks and brother come to visit.

Well, I asked.

Becky and the girls stopped by my workplace for a few minutes this morning to drop off some lunch for me. As I sat in the van with them chatting for a few minutes, this conversation with Laura (3 years old) ensued:

Me: Yeah, Laura, I’ve got to go back to work for a few hours…. but then I’ll come home.

Laura: And you’ll go wee, wee, wee…. all the way back to my house?

[Becky chokes strangling laughter at this point.]

Me: Yep, then I’ll come back to your house. Wee, wee, wee, like the little piggies? Are you saying that Daddy is a little piggie?

Laura, with comic scorn: No.  [Pause for perfect comedic timing.] You’re a BIG piggie!

Well, I asked.