The Road To Redemtion

This will be my last post on the Haggard thing. My concern all along was that Ted would try to spin this. When I watched his interviews you just knew something was wrong. It seemed quite obvious.

But, this afternoon I read this statement that Ted made to New Life Church. You can read a snippet below. All I can say is this: Thank God Ted came out and spoke truth with humility, grace and authenticity.

My heart is so broken for him, his family, his church and the rest of of us who are looking in from the outside with a sense of confusion and hopelessness.

This is such a great warning, or should I say a "learning" moment. We all need accountability, we all need to be able to have mask-less conversations.

We must walk humbly and within community. I for one, have such a burden to make sure that I can talk to folks; that someone knows what's up with my life, that I have mentors who I can talk to and friends who I can share my fears with. Why is it so hard to be real?

This afternoon I'm proud of Ted Haggard, and I personally think he is on the road to redemption. And that my friend is a beautiful thing.

But I alone am responsible for the confusion caused by my inconsistent statements. The fact is, I am guilty of sexual immorality, and I take responsibility for the entire problem.

I am a deceiver and a liar. There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I've been warring against it all of my adult life.

For extended periods of time, I would enjoy victory and rejoice in freedom. Then, from time to time, the dirt that I thought was gone would resurface, and I would find myself thinking thoughts and experiencing desires that were contrary to everything I believe and teach.

Through the years, I've sought assistance in a variety of ways, with none of them proving to be effective in me. Then, because of pride, I began deceiving those I love the most because I didn't want to hurt or disappoint them.

Ted Haggard Dismissed

Heartbreaking to say the least.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Life Church
Colorado Springs, Colorado
We, the Overseer Board of New Life Church, have concluded our deliberations
concerning the moral failings of Pastor Ted Haggard. Our investigation and
Pastor Haggard's public statements have proven without a doubt that he has
committed sexually immoral conduct.
The language of our church bylaws state that as Overseers we must decide in
cases where the Senior Pastor has "demonstrated immoral conduct" whether we
must "remove the pastor from his position or to discipline him in any way they
deem necessary."
In consultation with leading evangelicals and experts familiar with the type of
behavior Pastor Haggard has demonstrated, we have decided that the most
positive and productive direction for our church is his dismissal and removal.
In addition, the Overseers will continue to explore the depth of Pastor
Haggard's offense so that a plan of healing and restoration can begin.
Pastor Haggard and his wife have been informed of this decision.

Do You Like Sex

...Then you may want to check out a few posts from the greatness called the blog world. Now first let me put this in context. Up in the cold lands of Canada, Pastor's Jason & Lori do a tag team week long blog series on sex. I enjoyed the husband and wife dialog, the back and forth conversation, which is a great way to learn.

Then Makeesha jumped on the bandwagon and she had multiple post on the issue as well. Makeesha had on some rather controversial area's that you will find interesting and beneficial.

Also, remember you do not have to agree with everything in order to learn and have conversation.

All three bloggers actually talk about stuff that needs to be said, discussed and thought through. For some reason when we in the church discuss sex it comes with a bit of shame-the silence is frightening to say the least.

I wonder how man marriages would have been saved, or more fulfilling if the church would be willing to speak up and provide some guidance and leadership?

Anyhow, props to these three bloggers for starting the conversation and opening up the door for further dialog. Bold to say the least.

FYI-You will have to search their blogs to find the starting point for the discussion. But it's not to hard.

Enjoy and peace & love from Austin.

Congrats To The Hudson's

My buddy Jason Hudson and his lovely wife Katie had their little bambino last night. You can check out the pics here.

Jason is the Pastor of Church On The Hill in Seattle. Without the friendship of the Hudson's, Necole and I would have really struggled in Seattle. We appreciate them so much.

Also, I'm jealous of Jason-He has a boy, plays guitar, can design his own website, lives in a great neighborhood that includes the greatness of Espresso Vivace.

Anyhow, the Hudson's are some of the coolest folks on earth, I hope they can feel the love from Austin!

More Haggard Info

Update:

Here's an article by SFGate.com that gives a non-christian perspective on this horrific situation. Not good.
__________


Haggard is interviewed by a reporter.

Men Beware-This Is Painful

You have to check this out. Looks so painful, and how dumb can one get?

Via Perry Noble

Kenzie's Trick or Treat Video

Birthday Boy

Happy B-Day to Ashdown, who is now a cool 26. Also congrats on buying that house...Now the rest of the world is waiting for the kids :)


I hope you have a great day!

Ted Haggard

Update 2: Here's the news report.

After Pastor Ted Haggard went public Wednesday night denying allegations of a homosexual affair, senior church officials told KKTV 11News Thursday evening, Pastor Ted Haggard has admitted to some of the claims made by a former male escort. The church's Acting Senior Pastor, Ross Parsley, tells KKTV 11 News that Pastor Haggard has admitted to some of the indiscretions claimed by Mike Jones, but not all of them.

Update: According to news reports this morning-Haggard has confirmed that SOME of the allegations are true.

Now I still think we must be patient and allow time to unpack all this. But the reality is rather harsh, because the backlash will be intense. This will truly be a black eye for the church. This reminds me of the Baker/Swaggart era.

Anyhow, I think it's important for the church to react swiftly, if mistakes were made let's admit them, repent and ask for forgiveness. NO COVER UP"S PLEASE, this is not politics for God's sake!

Also, we do need to pray for Haggard and his family. And we need to find the redemptive opportunities that can and will come out of this situation.

Quick Thought: By no means did I really see Haggard as my leader because he led the evangelical association. I guess I'm one who is on the edge of those labels. But I do see the importance and implication that this will cause the church. Therefore this is important to me.

_________________________


Ted Haggard stepped down amid sexual ALLEGATIONS. Man this is not good, I hope it's not true. I'm not really into Haggard or many of his beliefs, but I hope he did not do what they say he did.

Click here to read the article.

Partnerships

I just got off the phone with Steve Saccone who is the director/leader of Mosaic Alliance. Great conversation. I've been searching for some like-minded folks that I can partner with. I personally believe that the right partnerships can catapult a church (or any organization) and the wrong partnership can slow-down or even cause death in a church. (or any organization) Partnerships helps create the ethos of the organization. Good ethos = good organization, bad ethos = bad organization. I must partner with the right people who will help me achieve my God-given dreams.

So, I'm hoping to connect with partners that will stretch me and help me grow as a leader. But the partnership must understand the mission and help me stay on track. One of my biggest frustrations in life has been my lack of focus. I'm determined to stay on mission, and stay focused on the dreams that God has birthed in my heart.

Anyhow, I say all that to say this:

I've been invited to attend ethos in New York City (At Columbia). Mosaic Alliance is going to help off-set some of the cost. But I still need to cover my plane ticket and day-to-day expenses. So, if anyone out there would be willing to help...Please let me know. Also, please pray for me, this would be a huge opportunity.

Copeland

The new Copeland CD rocks. If you don't have it get it, you'll be happy!

I'm A BAD BAD BAD LAKER FAN

So last night, after the kids & candy thing, we put the little ones to bed. Necole was blitzed also so she went to sleep early.

So that left me with a chance to catch the Laker game. But I was a bit tired and all, but there is no freaking way I'm missing opening night. Of course I found out that Kobe was not playing (BITTER) and neither was Mihm and Kwame.

Therefore the chances of the Lakers winning were not all that high. But hey, I'm a believer so I watched the first quarter. Of course we played BAD and the Suns played GOOD so we were down by 19. I thought for sure we were done. So I turned out the lights and went to bed.

Then morning arrived. I kissed my wife, hugged my kids and opened the iBook to see the score. Holy cow, what-I could not believe the score. I screamed like a little girl who just found her lost doll...So sweet.

I miss winning championship and all, but I love this team, because they are a TEAM. They like each other and they want each other to succeed. Of course Phil Jackson is a stud and for those who thought he only won 9 rings because of Scotty, MJ, Kobe and Shaq, well I think they will no longer be criticizing PJ. (after last years success)

The season has started, 81 games left-I LOVE IT!

How Sad & Frustrating

I saw this somewhere in the blog world, but lost connection, therefore I cannot give credit

From Relevant Magazine:

Nov/Dec. 2006, page 30 (Sobering Fact #23)


If Christians had given the traditional 10 percent tithe of their income to their churches in 2004, instead of the 2.56 percent that they actually gave, there would have been an additional $164 billion available, according to a report released in October called "The State of Church Giving through 2004." If the churches chose to funnel just $70-80 billion of that additional income to missions and humanitarian works, the basic needs of every person on the globe would be provided.

All I can say is WOW. Of course, I do have to ask myself some very important questions, assuming most of this money is being given to the local church:

1. Would the church "funnel" these funds to humanitarian projects, missionaries, and other various organizations to help eradicate the most basic needs of the world? Or would they build larger buildings, spend more money on various programming, pay the "staff" larger salaries, put more into retirement accounts, etc.

Also, if the above statement is true, the very fact that the world suffers is because Christian simply lack the obedience to give back to God what he requires. How tragic!

Bailey's Dance-Enjoy!

The Art Of Reading

So I'm trying to learn the art of reading. What I mean by this is simple; how can I be a more effective reader? My schizophrenic type A personality tells me I need to read more. You know, if I read 2 books a week then I 'm a better leader; I will gleam more information, etc.

But I'm beginning to think that quality is more important than quantity. Now the important factor here starts with the book: it must be good, or else it's getting shelved rather quickly.

But if the book is good, I want the book to become a part of who I am, at least for a short season. For instance, as I read "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day," I want to allow the text to infiltrate my Spirit, to challenge my thinking and I also want to find space for praxis. How can I apply this to my life now and in the future?

Of course all books are a bit different. For instance, I'm reading Systematic Theology by Grudem. Good book, but I do not agree with many parts of it. So the challenge I face is three-fold.

1. Why do I disagree? How can I challenge the text, and find my own way and understanding?
2. Maybe I have to unlearn what I thought I already knew. Life is a process of learning and unlearning right? So maybe the things I disagree with, means I'm wrong, and God is expanding my thinking, and maybe causing me to come to a new conclusion, or should I say revelation.
3. The things I agree with, how can they benefit me, my family, my life, my city, etc? How can I let the principles sink deep within my Spirit so long-term change can take place?
Sometimes I get tired of all the information that I can access. It seems crazy how many "experts" and "pundits" there are out there trying to teach us more stuff. I love information, I love to learn, but I have to use caution. Too much information is bad, it can cause a lack of action or to much change to quickly.

Change is a double-edged sword and if your not careful, it can kill you. Too much change, too quickly can cause an unstable culture. Not enough change, over a long period of time, can cause death or a create a backwards momentum.

Plus, how many times do we seek a "pundit" over the ultimate Rabbi? Sure I want to learn from leaders, peers, and the so called pundits. But at the same time, I do not want to replace my ability to learn from God with my ability to learn from another human.

So read, read well, read diverse, but read smart.

BTW-I really have no clue why I posted this. Hope is makes sense.

Peace & Love from Austin

Fantasy Football

Well, yesterday did not go well for me. I got beat by Ashdown's team, by like 20 freaking points. The bad thing is this-Ashdown's has a scrub team. His best player is injured. So that speaks volumes of my team, ya not looking good. Plus I'm on a three game loosing streak.

So I may some trades...I hope they work, if not I may have to fire the gm, which is me.

YES!

Praise Jesus!

Barack Obama

Barack Obama was in Austin tonight. I could have heard him speak for free...The only problem is I had no clue he was in town till AFTER he spoke, dang it!

I Love Austin

So, I'm sitting in Seattle's Best Coffee in our apt complex. Biker dude rolls up in a fat Harley. I used to hate Harley's, now I love them. (why do I hate Harley's you ask, because my dad was a biker, my dad was a rough dude, feared by most in our city. I never liked that very much, or his gangster friends)

OK, back to the story-So dude walks in, looking biker tough and all. He takes off his cowboy hat, unpacks his bag and orders a cup of joe.

In his bag was a fat powerbook, blue tooth mouse, iPod, and an iSight. Of course he also had a razr phone.

He them rolls up to the counter an asks for a Americano and a pastry. Who knew? Simply nuts.

Of course it gets better...Dude gets a phone call on his slick razr. Must be the wife or daughter. He looked confused, then he ask "is the cat going to be OK?" The dude was really concerned and all.

I was trying not to stare (Nobody EVER stared at my dad, if they did it was not a good thing, since he always carried his 357 with him.)

But I guess the reality is this- you can't judge a book by it's cover, man I love Austin!

Barack Obama

Time magazine has a nice article on Barack Obama, who seems to be all the rage these days in politics. I hope the pundits are right, man this country really needs a fresh voice.

I'm so sick of politics, it seems impossible to really get anything done. I just hope we can get a fresh voice, a leader who cares more about America (and the rest of the world) then themselves, their agenda or their political affiliation. I'm not a Republican or a Democrat. I do want a strong leader who desires positive change. My biggest issue right now is Foreign Policy, we have to have dialog with our so called enemies and find some sort of understanding and hope. War does not get us far, As Amos Lee says, "Freedom is rarely found, by beating someone else down."

I like Obama, and I like John McCain. They seem to real and authentic. And our country really needs that now, IMHO! But I need to study these dudes. Is it just me, or does it seem hard to really find out what these cats believe?

At this point my simple take on Obama is this: He is humble, charismatic, and he seems to be a bridge builder. I think he could bring a lot of healing to our country. But, maybe he lacks the strength to make the hard decisions and lead our country. He seems a bit unclear on many of his "stances." If he "clears" up his philosophy and shows he can lead, I'll probably be punching his name of the ballot in 2008. And if Hillary is running, I will definitely be pulling for this guy.

Also, how cool would it be for America to have a black President? To me, this would bring so much healing to our country and the rest of the world. I'm a white dude, but man I get so tired of seeing so many white folks in power. Diversity is good!

But hey, I really have not taken the time to study this dude and try to understand his policy and dreams for our country. All I know is 2008 can't come soon enough. Not because I'm a Bush hater, I just think we need a change, a fresh perspective and some creative ways to move our world forward.

Anyhow, below are some interesting quotes from the article. Enjoy, as always, peace & love from Austin

Obama is doing something pretty rare in latter-day American politics: he is respecting their intelligence.

the other side is not evil

In The Audacity of Hope, I counted 28 impolitic or self-deprecating admissions. Immediately, on page 3, he admits to political "restlessness," which is another way of saying he's ambitious. He flays himself for enjoying private jets, which eliminate the cramped frustrations of commercial flying but--on the other hand!--isolate him from the problems of average folks. He admits that his 2004 Senate opponent, Alan Keyes, got under his skin. He blames himself for "tensions" in his marriage; he doubts his "capacities" as a husband and father. He admits a nonpopulist affinity for Dijon mustard; he cops to being "grumpy" in the morning. He even offers his media consultant David Axelrod's opinions about the best negative TV ads that could have been used against him in the 2004 Senate campaign. (He once--accidentally, he says--voted against a bill to "protect our children from sex offenders."

But those were politicians who had big ideas or were willing to take big risks, and so far, Barack Obama hasn't done much of either

The audience of students and activists sensed the Senator's timidity and became palpably less enthusiastic as Obama went on

Look, it's just not my style to go out of my way to offend people or be controversial just for the sake of being controversial. That's offensive and counterproductive. It makes people feel defensive and more resistant to changes.