The passing of Tim Russert on the Friday before Father’s Day has been a sobering reminder of just how short live really is and how one never knows what a day will bring. From all accounts of his life being remembered by his colleges, I can only think that when Tim rolled out of bed Friday morning that he was most likely focused on what he was doing on his Father’s Day presentation of “Meet the Press.” Instead, his friends and colleges gathered around the “Meet the Press” set and remembered a kid from Buffalo and his impact.

The art of morning was a fixture in the Southern community that I sprang from. Death was a time of celebrating a person’s life. When my father died, I remember setting in the front room along with his body, a part of the tradition of bring the deal relative home for the last time, and listening and telling stories about his life. Even then, I remember hearing stuff that I had long forgotten and have forgotten again about my dad along with somethings that I had never heard while he was alive.

My dad was a strong but quiet Southern gentleman. He was soft spoken and loved what he did in life because he sponsored what he really loved which was travel. He worked hard as a barber in the little community that I grew up in. He knew everyone and everyone knew him. If you were going to get you hair cut, he was, for a long period of time, the only game in town. I would set and watch him cut hair and have a conversation with the person who was captive in his chair. He listened, provided stories from his own life, cried and laughed with his customers, many of who were his friends. While we attended church on Sunday, my dad, long before it was fashionable to do so, was missional to his community, functioning as barber-pastor to the community. He cut hair for the down and outer and the mayor calling each in turn without show partiality.

He would speak his piece with firmness and compassion in public or private. On one occasion, in a hot newly integrated South, he was asked by a black customer to cut his hair. His response, “I’ve never cut a black man’s hair before, but if you will guide me along, I would be happy to do so.” Another customer walking in and seeing my dad cutting this man’s hair retorted, “I’ll never do business with you again.” About an hour later, my dad was standing in a grocery line with the man and the white man who had walked out of his barbershop was standing between two blacks waiting to be checked out. My dad piped up and said, “Are you going to stop buying your food here also?” He grinned knowing that he had sent a message to a white bigot in a public place about how stupid his point of view really was.

One of the things that amazes me and I still think about it often. I just a little kid from a small town in the South with a Dad whose parents took him out of school when he was in the third grade because he was almost killed in a hail storm walking home on the railroad tracks from school. Here I am in just one generation allowed to participate in and receive two Doctor of Ministry degrees. It’s still mind boggling to me. Schooling for me was not optional for him. I remember on one occasion that I planned this great day of skipping school and going to the beach which was just a mere sixty miles from where I lived. On that day, Dad took me to school and left me off. I met with two other friends, one which had a car, and we slipped out of the parking lot and was off for a free day of sun and surf. When we returned back to the school, I went to my locker and got some books, tucked them under my arm, and my friend took me home. When I walked in the front door, my Dad was there waiting. I made some comment about having so much homework that I had to get to. Without hesitation he asked, “where were you today, son.” I replied, “in school of course, can’t you see all this work I brought home to work on.” Then he told me the short story of how he thought I was up to something sinckey so he had returned to the school and requested to see me. He was told that I was absence that day. He reported how strange that was because he had delivered me to the school that morning. The next day I was expelled from school for three days. I left and went to my Dad’s barbershop where he told me that I should go across the street to the drug store where I worked because the owner wanted to see me. I asked what did he want. He told me that he knew that I was not going to be in school the next three days and he wanted me to work. To myself I thought, that’s great, no school and three extra days of income. I went across the street and the owner put me to work immediately. He also informed me that he needed me the whole day for the next three days. All I could see was dollar signs in my eyes. At supper (what we called the evening meal) that evening, my dad asked about my work schedule. I told him how much I was going to work. He said” Good, you do know the you are not going to get paid for working these three days, don’t you.” I thought my ears was playing tricks on me. Dad went on to tell me that he had “cut a deal” with my boss to provide me with work but that he didn’t have to pay me. I wanted to know why. In his typical soft spoken voice he said, “There are consequences for actions. You missed a whole day of learning that you can’t regain. I thought a different set of lessons would be helpful for you. This was typical teaching from my dad. Learn one way or learn another way, but learn. I’m sure that my son and daughter can understand this because this form of finding consequences has been applied to certain situations during their life. I didn’t even know where I learned that from until I reflected later. That came from Dad.

The last time I saw my dad alive was as we embraced on the front steps of his home as Donna and I were leaving on a speaking tour in the mid-west. He held me tightly and said, “Good by.” It sounded so final. I looked at him and said, “We’re going to be back.” He said, “I know,” but I won’t be here. In less than a month from that exchange he catapulted into the next phase of life. His physical life was no long available to be seen or touched, but his presence lives with me to this day. He was a great dad and I was honored to be his son. I have hopped over the years that I have been able to be as great of a dad to my two children as he was to me. I miss him today, maybe more than before because I am where he was so many years ago, entering into the winter of my life and realizing how life is so precious but so short. Thanks Dad!

Yep, The cool Dr. Todd Hunter is back online and from the looks of him he has taken the pill. From the bowls of Boise, he has created a new ministry called Three Is Enough (TiE). He envisions TiE groups to take shape form Boise to the ends of the earth. He has entered the TiEtrix.

He states in his welcome post:

In one way TiE (Three is Enough) is the culmination of a lifetime of thinking about the intersection of The Gospel, culture, church, kingdom, spiritual formation and evangelism. In another, more humble way, it comes from the closing chapter of my upcoming book from IVP—Christianity Beyond Belief: Following Jesus for the Sake of Others. In CBB, I try to lay out some of the practical outcomes which surround one’s understanding—or misunderstanding—of the Gospel. Much of the conceptual work for the first section of the book comes from my D.Min. dissertation which was titled: Re-hearing the Gospel: Toward Improved Practices for Evangelism and Spiritual Formation.

So go ahead at take a look. Click here and you will be on your way. Don’t forget to take your pill before you make the leap.

One of the goals of worship is intimacy, which means: belong to or revealing one’s deepest nature to another. Below are some thoughts about a possible Sunday Worship Journey using the Old Testament Tabernacle as a visual.

The Tabernacle
The Tabernacle was a picture for Old Testament Israel of the centrality of God. God was their God, not one who was “out there” somewhere. He was centrally located. Each Jewish person having access to him. The church has often allegorized this picture giving each part, each color, even each thread some meaning which departed from the text. Understanding that Israel thought in pictures, we are left to interpret what these pictures meant to the worship of Israel.

Outside: The Call to Worship
People tend to come to a corporate worship service with lots on their minds. As an example, if they are new parents, they have had to hassle with getting the kid or kids ready to come to church. If they are older, they may have a marriage relationship problem, or a kid problem, or a health problem, or a financial problem. You name it they may have it. They are effectively “not there.” They are “outside.” As a worship team it is important to recognize this and call them to worship. This is an invitation given directed toward the people of God as they have gathered. Acknowledging that we have all come from different places physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, and socially may alert the church that we are all here in the “same boat” as it were. Songs like “Come, let us worship and bow down…” or “Don’t you know it’s time to praise the Lord…,” or many others, are calls made to the people of God to begin the process of corporate worship. Scripture readings and the selection of songs for this part of the service is extremely important. This “call” sets the tone for the whole corporate gathering.

Outer Court: Engagement (drawing near)
The worship leader (team) now begins the process of connecting the people who have been called to worship with God. Songs which express love, adoration, praise, jubilation, intercession, or prayer are often conducive for this part of the musical worship. It is important for us to journey toward God in worship. It is not useful to parachute directly into his presence. We need the process so we are prepared to have an audience with the creator of all the universe. It was in the outer court that folks gathered and celebrated the forgiveness of sins.

Holy Place. Expression (physical and emotional)
Here we praise God for who he is. We begin to use more intimate language. We may even become animated or quiet and still. Inside the Holy Place there were three items:

The Showbread. Among the Jews was generally made of wheat (Ex. 29.2). The showbread consisted of twelve loaves of unleavened bread prepared and presented hot on the golden table every Sabbath. They were square or oblong, and represented the twelve tribes of Israel. The old loaves were removed every Sabbath, and were to be eaten only by the priests in the court of the sanctuary (Ex. 25:30; Lev. 24:8; 1 Sam. 21:1-6; Matt. 12:4).

The Lampstand. The tabernacle was a tent without windows, and thus artificial light was needed. This was supplied by the candlestick.

The Incense. Incense is seen by other authors of Scripture as prayer as in the beginning of Psalm 141.1-2, Revealtion 5.8; 8.3-4.

O LORD, I call to you;
     come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you.
May my prayer be set before you like incense;
     may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice
(Psalm 141.1-2).

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints (Rev. 5.8).

Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand (Rev. 8.3-4).

It seems to me that these items may had suggested for Israel the part playing that is involved between God and his worshipers. Showbread and light demonstrate what God is for his people. Incense may have been understood, because of the simple act of breath, as the breathing in of God’s presence.

Holy of Holies: Visitation (Giving time for God to visit)
The Holy of Holies (only entered once a year by the High Priest) was the arena which housed the Ark of the Covenant. It was a perfect cube. It was the place of God’s residence on earth as Israel understood it. There was a veil which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. In the New Testament this was torn from top to bottom as referenced in Mark 15.38. This implies that all (because we are all priest) have the right to access the presence of God. It is the part of worship that brings us into the very presence of God. When we arrive, we need go no further. The worship (leader) team should be especially sensitive of when this point has been arrived at and stop (even though there may be other songs in the music set). To finish a set may be a high priority for the worship leader or team but the music is only a vehicle to bring us to the presence of God, when we arrive, it may not be needed any longer. We may wait while God communicates to us. We are not waiting for God to make us his mind to visit us. This is often implied by the suggestion that “…now we should wait on the Lord.” I believe that we should train the worshipers that this is a time when God will move in their lives. He may want to speak to us corporately. He may want to speak to us individually. He may want to bring salvation. He may want to heal. He may want to deliver. He may want to…

Response
There is a phase of worship which is produced by being in the presence of God. It is response. We have received, we respond by giving (money, love, hospitality, information, etc.). It may be very appropriate to continue the worship by “receiving” the offering. It occurs to me that it may not be appropriate to bring people to a place of intimacy with God in which he is visiting and then immediately take a break. This would be like making love with a spouse and building to a chanchedo of intimacy and one says to the other, “let’s stop and get a cup of coffee.”

We must create a way for the people of God to come to intimacy, receive, and then give before we break the moment with fellowship, announcements, etc. A finishing song of celebration often allows the worshipper to explode with expression and produces a more productive time to break, if breaks are necessary at all.

Heightened Reception
The journey can continue with the teaching of the word. The spirit of the worshipper is now refreshed by the presence of God. Now we can listen, learn, and interact with his life changing word.

All Is Well That Ends Well
The end of the corporate service is as important as the beginning. Ministry time may be appropriate. Whatever the case, we must summarize and send the people of God on their way with some exhortation. In a traditional church one might sing “Onward Christian Soldiers” rather than “Holy, Holy, Holy” at this point. If we just close with no instruction about what has occurred or what may be expected, with no exhortation for life situations, it leaves a somewhat tainted taste in the mouths of the worshipper who may not be so anxious to return at the next appointed corporate worship time.

On February 25, 2008, my differently-abled daughter, or as she like to think, differently-capable, Jearmie Joy went to the University of Washington Medical Center for open heart surgery. When she was eleven-years-old she was diagnosed with Aortic Stenosis and Insufficiency, which means that when her aortic valve opened for blood to move through it didn’t close completely and let blood slip back out. She had a homographic valve. Little did they know that over the years the homographic valve would cause a build up of calcium in the heart. She was told when she had this operation at eleven that it would last about fifteen to twenty years. Her doctor was right in the ballpark. When it had narrowed sufficiently, it was time for another replacement. She chose a mechanical artificial heart valve because of the possibility that it would last for the rest of her life (no guarantee, however) rather than a tissue valve is commonly a “porcine” (pig) or “bovine” (cow) valve, which would have to be replaced in about fifteen to twenty years. This decision by her means that she will require lifelong treatment with a blood thinner, e.g. warfarin, which requires monthly blood tests to monitor.

When the doctor got inside to make the switch, he found that her heart was really calcified and it took him a long time to remove all the calcium so he could replace the homographic valve. Her overall time in the operating room was officially 10:59. She was about to come home the next weekend when she suffered Heart Block, which means that the top part of her heart stopped talking to the bottom of her heart. After watching to see if the communication would come back, she was faced with having a pace maker put in to regulate the beat of the heart. This procedure was done and she stayed in the hospital for a few more days before coming home. When she returned home, the first thing that occurred was that she wept as she said, “It’s so good to be home.”

Two small reflections on this thirteen day event. First, heart in the Bible is a metaphor for the whole of a human. We are not parts contrary to our propensity to be swayed by Plato even thought we don’t know that we are. It occurred to me that there are many folks whose lives are calcified, hardened by the hand they have been dealt in life. But hardened lives can be rebuilt. The hardness can be chipped away by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit and for all purposes a “new heart” or new creation can occur. We are nothing more than mid-wives / caretakers in the process. Second, home, a place where one can feel secure and safe. In the Christian faith, home is usually thought of as heaven, a place where we go when we die, but that really isn’t the case. The final place for life after life after death is a new heaven and new earth which will replace the present one. At death, we go and rest in the presence of Jesus. He referred to it as Paradise. During this 13 day period of time, there were times when I pondered “resting” with Jesus if my daughter didn’t make it through this whole event. It was and is a comfort to believe that “resting” with Jesus is just a breath away. But, it’s not home. But, alas, she is still here with her mission to be partner with the creator of the Universe in his great “renewal project.” Life is worth every breath!

Here are three worship songs. The first one is by John Wimber. I worked with John for several years at the beginning of the Vineyard Movement in the mid ’80s of last century. The second is by Eddie Espinosa. I remember when Eddid brought this song to the Vineyard. I don’t personally know Lenny LeBlanc but I really love this song.

There is something warming about this music. Enjoy!

Isn’t He by John Wimber

Change My Heart Oh God by Eddie Espinosa

There is None Like You by Lenny LeBlanc

Well, it’s only a couple of days to Christmas 2007. Hope you are enjoying this time of the year.

Here’s a link to our annual Griffin Family Christmas Card 2007.

And just for fun!
The Dancing Griffin Elves