Trust the Taper

It's marathon week here at the House of Carr. Huzzah. The prevailing thoughts here are concerning the weather. Both of my previous treks were subject to rain. This slogs everything down and makes it difficult to get the time I'm hoping for. I'm hopeful that recent Noadic flood-like conditions will have used up our region's allotment of rain. The race will procede regardless, so I just move on.

But six days before the race, it's all about anticipation. Hitting this final week is difficult because you're fully engrossed in tapering. This is the period of time when you scale back your running considerably to give your body time to heal. Where you were once getting in 25-30 miles a week, you're now down between 10-20. Believe it or not, resting is difficult because you start to doubt your ability to do well. The natural inclination is to pick up some miles, but you have to resist. Personally, even though this is my third go-round, I'm starting to feel out of shape. Even though I knew this is how I would feel, I'm struggling.

But tapering is part of nearly every marathon training plan in existence. It's proven to work. So you gotta trust the taper.

Honestly, tapering is probably the fascinating thing about marathon training. The months leading to the race are filled with constant training and then it suddenly stops. But you gotta trust the taper.

So here's to spending a week battling my inner demons before battling the course.

Season's End

With sundown this evening, the day before Resurrection Sunday, the Lenten season concludes. It's been a fascinating few weeks.

From a "surrender" perspective, I did not consume any Diet Coke throughout the Lent. It wasn't nearly as hard as I imagined it would be, finally proving to myself that I could go on without it if I had to. Developing new patterns was the most difficult thing for me. My daily routine (a stop at the Mt Adams UDF for a 44 ounce Diet Coke) was completely altered; additionally, during this time, two of the regular employees with whom I developed relationships no longer work there. I'll have to build some new relationships there.

On an editorial note, I'm not sure I feel any healthier. I've been drinking tons of tea, both caffeinated and caffeine-free, so I'll welcome more flavor in my beverages. I should admit that I'll cautiously ease back into my Diet Coke habit since I'm one week out from the marathon and I don't want my system to go haywire.

From a spiritual perspective, I thoroughly enjoyed this season. More so than any other time I can remember, I fasted and prayed with intentionality and I desperately needed it. During the past forty plus days I have had numerous friends and family members encounter illness and tragedy. While I always pray, I felt my prayers were more focused during this time. I thought more about kingdom issues during this time. I'm in the midst of an incredibly busy and stressful time in life, but practicing Lent seems to have perfectly offset the chaos of my life.

And as for our congregation, I think Lent was a blessing. Many people at Echo took up this challenge and I believe all benefitted. I've seen some amazing growth in our church recently. Again, I'm not sure if we can attribute it all to Lent, but I truly saw the Spirit work through us during the past few weeks.

Tomorrow is a day of celebration so we fast no more. The tomb is empty. Jesus is risen.

Praise the Lord.

Thievery and Duct Tape

I learned the lesson a few years ago not to leave anything valuable in my car. At that time, they stole a bunch of crappy tech equipment we used in starting our church. Since my car is parked out on the street, a major thoroughfare for people in the neighborhood, I know seedy people walking by check to see if they can swipe something. Such is city life. Almost a year ago, the automatic door lock on my driver's side broke. So even though you could open the door, the alarm was still activated. Someone tried to break in last year, but was frightened away by the honking horn. I knew at that time I needed to fix it, even ordering the broken part but . . . well, you know how priorities can change. This past Monday morning at 2am the car alarm went off again; yet another person attempted to break into my vehicle. I walked out to survey the scene and my door was partially open. So with that as motivation, I decided to take time the next morning and stop ignoring the issue.

It's crazy that I never took the time to fix the door. The reason I let something like that fester for over a year is because I knew it would be a pain; taking the door apart is a piece of cake but putting it back together is ridiculous. When I finally got it taken apart I realized that the part I thought I needed to replace wasn't actually broken. A nut fastening the automatic door mechanism to the door itself was gone, and I wasn't going to able to replace it.

I needed a hack.

It was time for the duct tape.

I was able to secure the mechanism to the inner wall of the door with duct tape. I thought I was good to go and was putting the door back together when I realized that I inadvertently taped it to the automatic window. I had to make two different attempts but I was successful. In the ten years of owning my Explorer, it was my first duct tape repair.

Is there a lesson here? I'll try.

First, don't put off those pesky little tasks. They're never as bad as you think.

And second, there's nothing that duct tape can't fix.

Another One Bites The Dust

If you don't track Cincinnati news, you might have overlooked the story that Kroger is closing yet another store, this time in Westwood. This isn't surprising in the least, as I noted this trend in a post about a year ago. Since then, I've discussed the issue of urban health in many different venues, but allow me to add a few fresh comments in light of this development. Don't believe the data. With this closing, Kroger increased the data apologetics in order to justify the closing; they brought up not only lost revenue but also stat from customer loyalty cards. Without an objective analysis, I just can't buy it. Anytime this corporation claims to be losing "millions," it's according to its own mysterious rubric. And Kroger wouldn't tolerate any of its stores losing that money at that pace. This is merely a masking agent to deflect public criticism. As I noted last year, suburban locations is where this company wants to be. Urban Krogers will soon go the way of the albatross. Remember that this is a health care issue. I was talking to my friend Jade Kendell, who lives in lower Price Hill, about this topic at his house a few months ago. One block away from his home is a convenience store which have the only viable groceries within walking distance. Unfortunately, the store only sells junk food and cheap booze. All the kids in the neighborhood by food their because 1) it's available and 2) it's cheap. Understand that all of us eventually pay for this as the obesity and diabetes rates skyrocket in these communities and we subsidize their health care through taxes and increased medical expenses. A recent NY Times article featured this issue within the city of Philadelphia. Read it here.

It's not about race. It's about socio-economics. But read the comments about the Enquirer article and you'll soon realize that it is about race with the general public. This is yet another reason I'm obsessed with Cincinnati history; it explains how these neighborhoods became neglected. When you study the outright class segregation the our city father's created, you begin to realize that these situations were manufactured.

We'll all feel the pinch soon. Kroger's business plan is based on consumers who have access to automobile transportation, hence the added impact of this closing stores in urban, bus-going communities. As gasoline prices this summer seem destined to escalate towards $4 a gallon, those precious driving customers will likely begin to reevaluate their shopping habits.

You might not care, but you should.

Are You Missing It?

"Church is boring." You've heard it. I've heard it. Heck, we might have even uttered it ourselves.

That simple phrase has served as motivation for the 21st century American church. As a result, numerous churches have buildings with high tech sound, lighting, and video. The concept spurs people to "church shop," in hopes of finding the next best thing. And many a new, hip church has advertised their congregation as, "not your grandmother's church."

But I have news:

That ain't church.

And if this is what you think church is, then you're missing it.

You're really missing it.

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been privileged to witness the church firsthand. And it isn't boring.

It's inspiring.

I've witnessed a church pull their money together to help a parishioner with medical bills. I've observed a church spring into action when a family had multiple deaths within the course of weeks. I've watched a church gather to plead to the Lord for a woman plagued with cancer. I've seen a church's elders gather around a stroke victim and pour out prayer.

The church is a blessing from God. For 2,000 years, it's united complete strangers and forged families. In our moments of greatest grief, the church envelopes us with the love of God. From birth to death, the Lord has provided the church to sustain us. It's really an unheralded miracle.

And we complain when the keyboardist flubs a note . . . or when the preacher makes me feel guilty . . . or when the coffee is cold.

To my Christian friends, both clergy and laity: if you're enamored by the surface presentation, or the sermon bumper, or the worship band, then your understanding of church is misguided.

It's more than that.

So. Much. More.

And I don't want you to miss it.

Love Wins and Me (Part Two)

For part one of this series, click here. It's not been a month since Rob Bell's new book started a firestorm and publishing a review of it now seems almost dated. The interwebs are scattered with thoughtful reviews (I'm too lazy to hyperlink), so this one might not even merit a second glance. But having finally read Love Wins, I feel that I have a better understanding of what he is trying to accomplish with it. That said, I'm still not sure I still understand exactly what he is trying to say.

And I think that is precisely his point.

WHY DID HE WRITE? First, allow me to speculate concerning Bell's motivation.

I don't believe that Rob wrote this text in order to start a controversy. He's no dummy; he obviously knew that his thoughts would be the subject of debate. But I suggest that rather than seeking out the heretic label, Bell honestly believed he was doing something noble. He believes that Christianity has been hijacked by believers who do not practice love of Christ. These people may have beliefs, but they cling to these thoughts more religiously than they do the practices that ought to spring out as a result of it. Basically, they believe in Jesus, but they don't look any different as a result.

And he has a point, doesn't he? How many times have you read/seen a news report citing the words of some Christian leader and become irate? There are many people who cling to a Christianity that emphasizes the negative approach of salvation, a.k.a. acquiring fire insurance. "Believe in Jesus or you'll go to hell," some Christians proclaim. Even those of us who believe this to be true are squeamish of such a gospel presentation. It doesn't project the fullness of what God accomplished through the cross and we're embarrassed. We too want a more complete view of what it means to follow Jesus.

This is the world in which Bell dwells—with people from diverse, non-Christian backgrounds. Hence, we begin to understand his use of the driving anecdote behind Love Wins. In the opening chapter, Bell describes an art show at his church where one of the paintings was of Mahatma Gandhi. Someone decided to leave a note concerning the painting which alluded to the fact that Gandhi, as a Hindu, was in hell. Bell was repulsed by this commentary, asking, "Really? Gandhi's in hell? He is? We have confirmation of this? Somebody knows this? Without a doubt?" Bell's contempt is flamed by the thought that a Christian would simply dismiss a person's entire life in in the name of Jesus. If that's how we treat those who are dead, how does it speak to the living who still have a chance to embrace Christ? Bell is driven by compassion and empathy as he pens this book.

HOW DID HE WRITE? Bell uses various techniques in order to establish his position (whatever position that is). The most dominant one is the personal story. Littered throughout Love Wins are narratives that force introspection. This is a powerful approach because nearly all Christians who read this book will be able to relate to the tales Bell tells. For example, he speaks of a trip he took to Rwanda (a "hell on earth") in order to affirm his belief in a literal hell. This story empowers the readers to formulate a belief system based on how they feel. This experiential track is a popular one because this is how many people form their theology—"if it feels right, it must be true."

Bell goes to the Bible to deconstruct popular Christian theology concerning hell. He cites selected Scriptures in order to prove that the way mainstream Christianity views hell isn't biblical. Honestly, this approach bothered me the most because Bell was incredibly lax in the presentation of his systematic theology. He selects Scriptures at random, does a Greek word study of one word (and a poor word study at that), and rarely engages the many texts that present a counter position. Still, by merely dabbling in the Bible, he's able to convey a feeling that the Scriptures aren't very clear about hell.

Finally, Bell's go-to methodology in writing this book is to merely ask questions. As the father of a five-year-old, I can appreciate human inquisitiveness. I too am curious about the universe that God created, and continually ask questions of myself and others as I work out meaning. But Bell's questions are constant and are presented to create division concerning long-held Christian beliefs. While it is true that many questions have no definitive answers, the Scriptures do provide guidance for many an inquiry. For the lion's share of questions that Bell poses, he provides very few answers.

WHAT DID HE GET RIGHT? There are some powerful statements in this book, many things that, if said by another person in another context, would elicit "Amen's" from a congregation. Bell rightly observes that many Christians are so focused on our eternal destination that we're ignoring the power of the gospel to make life better in the here and now. He appeals for an attitude of graciousness from those who tell the good news. And Bell really understands people. Even in the written word, you can sense that magnetic pull of his personality.

WHAT DID HE CITE (POORLY)? Among the things that irked me about this book, Bell's lack of understanding the historical position of the church concerning hell is utterly perplexing; perhaps I judge him too harshly here, as many believers neglect to acknowledge the role of church history in our faith. Bell makes multiple citations to history, including a poor interpretation of Martin Luther. To me, the church's position on hell throughout the centuries is impossible to ignore when wrestling with this issue. In order to get a better grip on this issue, I'd invite you to read what's been written over the past 2,000 years by clicking here.

Also (and apologies if this seems minor, but I don't believe it is), Bell's selectivity is revealed even in his recommended resources. In Love Wins, he spends a good portion of the seventh chapter retelling the parable of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15; he uses it as yet another prooftext to show that God will ultimately redeem all people. In his list of resources at the conclusion of the book, he proclaims that the book The Prodigal God by Presbyterian minister Tim Keller was inspirational in his understanding of the parable. But in Keller's book, The Reason for God, he devotes an entire chapter on how to help intellectuals grasp the concept of a literal hell. By citing Keller's The Prodigal God, it seems as if Bell is trying to imply a relationship between the two men's thoughts, but they couldn't be farther apart. To read Keller's thoughts on hell, click here.

WHAT DID HE REALLY WRITE? So what IS Bell trying to say? It depends . . . on how you read it. Even in his interviews promoting the book, Bell is ambiguous concerning exactly what he believes about hell.

I don't believe that Bell is a true universalist, or one who believes that all people will go to heaven. He allows a framework for the punishment of evil that doesn't jibe with universalism. He most likely holds a position of inclusivism, that the grace of Christ saves people who have some kind of pseudo-faith.

What Bell espouses in Love Wins (and he freely admits this) is nothing new. But while he would claim that it falls within the parameters of mainstream orthodox Christianity, it is actually a mere recycling of 19th century liberal European theology. This belief system incited a war in the American church during the early 20th century (a conflict that eventually led to the establishment of my alma mater, Cincinnati Christian University). Bell attempts to sell inclusivism as orthodox Christianity, but it is not. And it never has been.

Still, I have no idea exactly what he believes. So why didn't he clearly define his position? Because there's too much a stake.

Bell's primary audience/readership is young, hip, mainstream evangelical Christians. My opinion is that, while Bell is definitely an inclusivist, he fully recognizes that staking such a position would alienate him from a more conservative Christians. So he chose to publish a book that merely alludes to his beliefs in hopes that he could have his cake and eat it too. But you can't have it both ways. I'm not sure he anticipated this kind of controversy, but he held to ambiguity in those public interviews in hopes of weathering the storm. For years, Bell was able straddle the line between orthodoxy and liberalism successfully but Love Wins, even if it is a literary success, will signal a loss to the Rob Bell brand.

With this book, and the position that Rob Bell (kinda) takes here, his influence will begin to diminish. He will never again publish with one of the big Christian publishing houses. His invitations to speak at conferences will begin to die down. People will most likely throw away their vast library of Nooma videos in protest. The rising star of Rob Bell will begin to fall. I'm not convinced that Love Wins will have any significant historical influence beyond today.

WRAPPING UP Beyond the theological implications, is there a lesson here? I think so.

This current culture is one that values pluralism. We want to be free to believe whatever we choose, and change those beliefs from day to day. So we embrace fuzziness in all it's glory, with a multiplicity of escape routes to maintain our widespread appeal. But we neglect to realize that in taking no position at all, we make a statement with our silence. No matter how you frame it, Jesus' message is divisive. We might not like it, but it is not ours to choose. The broader community of believers, especially in this age of digital connectivity, will always police those who try to induct fringe beliefs into the mainstream.

If Rob Bell can't get away with it, can anyone?

Love Wins And Me (Part One)

Regardless of how many tasks I'm juggling, I will always take time out of my schedule to address contemporary Christian issues that demand attention. In the past two weeks a firestorm has erupted concerning a popular Christian preacher and writer named Rob Bell. He has just released a new book entitled, "Love Wins," that minimizes the role of hell in Christian theology. Much has been written on the interwebs about the hubbub, so my two cents might seem irrelevant. While I don't intend to pave new ground in the conversation, I believe I have a unique perspective on Bell himself as I've been tracking his career for more than a decade now. This is a lengthy post, but I figure if you're still reading, then you're interested.

HE'S PRETTY GOOD.

One of my wife's childhood friends settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan after attending college there. In one of her visits to Cincinnati after our wedding, she told us about the church she was attending.  It was a newer congregation which, at that time, was meeting in something that resembled an airplane hanger. "Steve, you'd really like our minister. He's pretty good," her friend told me. I didn't think much of it until that winter when I heard her minister speak at a conference I attended.

Yes, Rob Bell was pretty good. He's a phenomenal orator. He has incredible command of his diction (especially when rehearsed) and usually has sufficient content to keep his teaching compelling. There are few Christian speakers like him today, who can leave the audience hanging on his every word.

Later that year, we took a trip to visit Kelly's friend in Grand Rapids and attended Mars Hill Bible Church for the first time. They had recently purchased an old mall and were converting it for their ministry purposes. Back then, they had a sermon cassette tape booth (cutting edge, eh?) and I bought the entire first year of his preaching; he taught through the Old Testament book of Leviticus. This is precisely why I appreciated Bell at the time: he was a younger evangelical minister fully embracing biblical preaching. A decade ago, this was novel.

HE'S A THINKER

In January 2003, Bell (who was growing in popularity but still wasn't mainstream) and his church hosted a preaching study conference centering around the Ten Commandments. I convinced my friend Aaron Burgess that it would be worth the drive to Grand Rapids to hear this, so we braved a Michigan winter for some knowledge. There were only about fifty people at this gathering—many Michigander clergy folk and a few people like us sprinkled in—consisting of three days of Rob Bell talking with us. He went through his thought process on preaching, developing theology, and anything else that we cared to ask him. Some reflections from this experience are worth noting to understand the current controversy:

1. It was here where I found out where Rob harvested much of his best material. Ray Vanderlaan is an author and Bible teacher who specializes in the Holy Land and Jewish rabbinic culture. Himself a compelling speaker, Vanderlaan said many things that I had heard in Rob's sermon tapes. Vanderlaan is a sharp man, but not really a biblical scholar, so some of his assertions have been refuted by those with more letters after their names.

2. Rob also revealed his library. At the time, he had many books that were Jewish in nature. One, for example, was Abraham Heschel's God in Search of Man. I made an effort to read many of these texts. The majority of them stood in opposition to orthodox Christianity. Obviously, there's nothing with that; when teaching in the Old Testament, I make sure to utilize Jewish scholarship fully understanding the different perspectives. But some of the concepts he articulated in this forum, derived from these and similar texts, were likely the path of development towards his current theological positions. I even have notes on Redemptive Theology (also known as trajectory theology), which helps solidify his position.

3. While in Grand Rapids, I believe I determined the rise of Mars Hill. Rob was an associate minister on staff of a megachurch in the city. Obviously, his oration skills were phenomenal, so when he stepped out to start a new church it was an event. I've read before in articles, where Rob decried church marketing, even having the church sign removed from the front of their building (it was true back in 2003). I always found this interesting because they were able to start their church with almost 1,000 people. I'm not discounting the Lord moving to grow that congregation, but they didn't really need a church sign because Mars Hills was the coolest church in town.

4. The concept that "Love Wins" was created in the first year of their church. In response to a powerful gospel sermon (not sure if it mentioned hell or not), he concluded by throwing open boxes of bumper stickers with the two word sentence printed on them. As we drove around town, we could see many of them affixed to car bumpers. I am uncertain as to whether or not he had fully conceptualized what he meant by that phrase when he promoted it to his church a decade ago.

5. This was soon after the Nooma series had been created. It was interesting to see it on the bottom floor in light of what it became. We met the guy who came up with the concept, who apparently knew exactly how to match Rob's talent with this medium.

6. Kind of a sidebar here, but Aaron was hilarious at this conference. In one of the early sessions, Rob said something about philosophy (Aaron's wheelhouse) and proceeded to correct him publicly on a couple of concepts. At the time it was awkward, but now it seems extremely funny to me. Later that week, Aaron asked one of the Mars Hill staff members about sheep stealing and the dude blew up at him. Besides wearing cool glasses, Aaron wasn't buying into the hype.

7. Since it was a small gathering, I did have a chance to talk with Rob for about five minutes. Although he seemed really gracious, he was somewhat socially awkward. I remember dropping a couple of jokes in front of him and he just stared at me. And since he's really tall (and I'm not), and since he had really cool glasses (and I did not) I do not have warm fuzzies about our interaction. I don't think he's rude, he's a thinker. I've met many a pastor who are outgoing and personable on stage yet more reserved during one-on-one interactions. I could be way off on this, however, but that's how I pegged him.

I must admit that it was a memorable experience. It took me a few months to digest all that I took in there. And it was, after this fact, that my intruigue with Bell began to wane. See, when he started the church, he was preaching through books of the Bible (Leviticus and Ephesians). After the Ten Commandments, he started to depart from this and engaged in more topical preaching. Honestly, I'm just not convinced that his content was as good as it once was, leaning towards opinion and conjecture. I honestly never watched a whole Nooma after the second one. And though I own three of his books, I only read one all the way through. And, since those early days, more and more of his theology has emerged, leading me to question where he really stands.

HE'S PROPHETIC.

One more anecdote: a year or so later, my wife's friend got married and we made yet another trip to Grand Rapids. Many of the attendees at the wedding attended Rob's church, so we had some good conversations with them at the reception. But I remember one conversation very clearly: it was with a twenty-something woman who was clearly excited about Mars Hill. As I asked her some questions about the church, she responded in utter admiration of Rob. I wish I could remember the exact phrase the woman uttered, but it was something to the effect that he was prophetic. Obviously, there's nothing wrong with respecting you pastor, but these opinions transcended mere appreciation. Unfortunately, some of the woman's terminology seemed borderline cult-like. She believed that Bell was one of the holiest, most profound people in the world. While this isn't an indictment on Bell (I'm certain he didn't demand this adoration), I wonder if he truly realized such a culture existed where someone could make those statements.

HE'S PROTECTED.

I always assumed the Bell would parlay his talent into a larger situation; Grand Rapids, while nice, is a small midwestern town lacking in influence. But Mars Hill provided Rob the perfect safe haven to develop his thoughts without fear of theological repercussion. While there was a leadership team over the church (at least this was the case in 2003), Bell was a part of this governing group. I am pretty sure that he won't have to fear the wrath of the church leadership in espousing these controversial thoughts in book form because the leadership team shares them. So why has he stayed in Grand Rapids? It offers him a shield of protection it would be difficult to find elsewhere. He's continuing to claim association with orthodox Christianity while moving further away. But as long as he has that church, he'll have stability.

So yeah, there's a little bit of a background for ya. I've mentioned nothing of the book here, but I think for many people it will reveal more about what's behind it.

I'm working my way through the book now.  I'll have a critique about its content out soon.

Click here for part two.

And I Just Can't Hide It

I am very excited about Sunday at Echo Church. "Very," I say.

After more than five years of Echo ministering in our community, we will be officially ordaining spiritual leaders for our church. As a congregation of the Independent Christian Church tradition, we're dedicated to autonomous church rule under the authority of elders (that's technical talk, meaning that we have no denominational structure to which we respond; our church governs our own church). Even though we started Echo without elders, we made sure to keep multiple levels of accountability in place to ensure that the church functioned well. On a personal level, I have a group of ministers with whom I meet monthly that keep me in check. And as a church, we've maintained a leadership team who oversee the important aspects of congregational life.

A couple of years ago, we restructured our leadership team to prepare to install an eldership. We looked carefully at the New Testaments texts concerning elders (specifically 1 Timothy and Titus 1) and were able to identify men who could fulfill this role at Echo. Over the past 18 months we studied theology and talked philosophy of ministry to make sure we were on the same page. And after all this time in meeting and studying, we will finally set apart these men on Sunday as our new elders.

There are numerous reasons why I'm thrilled about this. First, I'm excited that our church is continuing to grow up. Even though we're still a relatively young congregation, we've made it five years now. Even though a numerical growth hasn't been dynamic, I see how our people are growing/serving/connecting and I know we're moving forward. And with a more solid leadership structure, it'll display that we're not a fly by night operation.

Second, I'm excited for these guys. I've known Aaron and Larry for awhile, and David and Josh more recently. But during the past couple of years I've gotten to know all of them closely. We all have different personalities that all mesh together to bring a distinctive flavor. I wholeheartedly believe that the Lord brought them to Echo so that we will be a better church. It's crazy to think that over the next decade(s), we'll have the opportunity to lead this Echo for the glory of God. It's a re-beginning for our continued journey.

Third, I'm excited for the people in our church. Each of these men are amazing people with diverse giftedness. As charming as I am, I can't be all things to all people. So if someone in the church is struggling, and they don't feel like engaging me, there are other people with whom they can relate. As a church, we're spending the 24 hours before the ordination in prayer and fasting for what God is going to do through us in our city. It's the passion of the people at Echo that continues to make it a beacon in a dark world.

Finally, I'm excited for me. Yes, I'm self-centered, but this makes my life even better. As much as I love Echo, I'm always fearful that, as the main voice, people associate the church with my personality. Even though I'm always upfront, there are many valuable people that drive our church. And with the ordination of these leaders, it will become even more evident that this is a team effort. I'm so blessed to be a part of this church. And I'm even more blessed to be surrounded by people who love it as much as I do.

Hence, I am so very excited about Sunday.

If you're available, I'd love to invite you to our Ordination Service. It's this Sunday night (March 13th) at 6pm at the Walnut Hills Christian Church. There'll be a reception after the worship gathering.

Join us as we continue to grow up.

Ash Wednesday (sans ash)

Here's a note I sent out to our church about tomorrow. So tomorrow it begins. Lent is here. I hope you're excited as I am.

Tomorrow is the day known in Christian tradition as Ash Wednesday. Perhaps you're familiar with this but, if not, allow me to explain. The palm branches from the previous year's Palm Sunday were supposed to have been burned and the ashes kept. Then, on this day, the church would gather together at an early morning worship service. The minister would take his fingers, dip them in the palm ashes, and affix an ashen cross on the believer's forehead (many say the tradition is derived from the Genesis 3:19 text, "For from dust you are and to dust you will return”). Christians wear those ashes on their foreheads until they wear off.

Obviously, Echo Church isn't gathering tomorrow morning for a service; as a church that meets at night, I'm not sure what we'd do that early anyway. So while it might be disappointing that you won't get an ash cross on your forehead, I'll admit I'm a little relieved: I have a business meeting tomorrow night where it would be difficult for me to explain my markings. So if you see another Christian wearing ashes tomorrow, you might feel inferior. But perhaps there are other ways that you too can keep the cross on your mind throughout your day.

As for me, I plan on marking my palm with a miniature cross. This might sound like a weak substitution but this way, as I'm using my hands, I'll remember that this is the day we begin to look forward to the resurrection. Maybe you have a better idea or suggestion of how to replace the forehead ashes. I'd be interested in hearing it. Again, our point in this isn't to be mired in ritualism but to refocus on our faith. So do what you need to do to remember.

Regardless of how you do it, tomorrow we focus on the cross, and what Christ has done for us. Pray that God will transform you through this experience. I'll be praying for you.

Blessings, Steve

Lent: Not Just For Breakfast Anymore

Last week, Kelly and I saw the musical Fiddler on the Roof downtown at the Aronoff Center (big thanks to Julie Keyse for watching our daughter so we could attend). The story of Tevya, an impoverished Jewish family man in a small Russian town, centers on his transitioning faith. The entire show is encapsulated by the driving song of the musical: “Tradition.” Will Tevya continue to live within the framework of tradition or will he cede that some things change and that life can go on? Christians, at least those of us within the "evangelical" tribe, are the antithesis of Tevya. While we too are uncertain as how to engage both modernity and the faith of our past, we choose to eighty-six the tradition without a second thought. We are especially leery of those practices connected with Roman Catholicism, dismissing the lion's share of them as having been tainted by its hierarchy. This is precisely why many of us refer to ourselves as "New Testament Christians," claiming that this is the only tradition that has any value.

Within the spectrum of “tradition,” two extremes emerge: either we WORSHIP tradition as if it's biblical, or we WIPE IT OUT altogether like it's paganism. As with most positions, extremism is rarely healthy, but it tends to unify adherents so we acquiesce. As a result, many of us are cautious of moving away from the pole, fearful of being identified as "one of them." But at Echo Church, where we continually unite believers from various backgrounds under the banner of biblical authority, we're able to indulge in certain aspects of tradition while clarifying its place within our faith.

And that's precisely why, this year, we're observing Lent.

Lent isn't Catholic, it's Christian, dating back to the second century. The word "lent" is derived from an old English word meaning "springtime,"* and the Latin adverb "lente" means "slowly," providing us the opportunity to downshift our lives in anticipation of Resurrection Sunday. The length of Lent, approximately forty days, correlates with Jesus' desert temptation in Matthew 4. We observe the season with a renewed emphasis on prayer, giving, and (the most popular discipline) fasting. Most people use Lent as the opportunity to fast from something particular that they love.

We just need to remember why we're giving it up. We're not fasting to flex our powers of self-control; if you're trying to prove you can deprive yourself, this isn't the time. We don't fast because we're trying to merit God's approval; nothing we can "do" will get us saved—Jesus did that on the cross. We're preparing our hearts for Easter. Really, Lent is a lesson you get to re-learn. Through the experience you recognize that you love the Lord more than any one thing. Yes, you already know this, but it's a helpful reminder.

"So what are you giving up?"

Ah, the popular Lenten question. So here's my answer: Diet Coke.

In the summer of 1995, I switched over to Diet Coke from regular soda. I've always loved drinking pop, but couldn't keep the weight down will absorbing mass quantities of it into my system. So almost sixteen years ago I switched over and it's been a part of my life ever since. I’ve likely not gone two days without drinking it since then. Even when we were in Israel, I was able to locate Coke Light, the Asian/European equivalent. I've become known for my Diet Coke addiction, so it's the perfect thing to temporarily abandon.

Of course, in the scheme of things, this isn't a huge deal. All over the world people suffer and I'm going without a beverage? While it's not impressive, it will force me to alter aspects of my life. When I get a morning longing for a Diet Coke, I’ll remember why I don't drink one. And hopefully those moments of unfulfilled desire, I can focus on my faith.

So what about you? Maybe it's a food or a beverage. Maybe it's some kind of media (Facebook, the internet, Twitter, or television). Maybe it's a hobby like reading or sudoku or the crossword puzzle. Just ask yourself: what do you love? And is your dedication to it comparable to your love of the Lord.

As our church observes Lent, I'm going to write some thoughts on it to send out to people. I'll post some of them here.

The journey towards the Empty Tomb begins Wednesday. What can you give up?

__________________

*Yes, Lent is likely another pagan ritual that was Christianized and, therefore, isn't necessarily biblical. But if you've ever touched an Easter Egg or exchanged Christmas gifts, don't take the religious high ground and call this unbiblical.

Old Man River

I don't mean this to sound cruel, but I love it when the river surges towards flood stage. Our return to urbanity moved me to redevelop my love for the Ohio River. I'll sometimes drive to work "the long way" just so I can catch a glimpse of the waters. When I go running, I like to head down the Gilbert Avenue hill towards the river valley (even though I dread the return trip up the incline) so I can be near the waters.

Growing up in Cincinnati means recognizing the importance of the river to this town. It was the river that made Cincinnati one of the fastest growing cities in America in the earlier part of the 19th century (the fifth largest U.S. city by 1850). Of course, it was also the river that led to the city's stagnation; city fathers believed railroads would undermine the river's commerce and transportation and didn't build a major train hub (Union Terminal in the 1930's) until long after Chicago took the lead on it. So while the slowly flowing brown water might be the perfect metaphor of what's gone wrong in Cincinnati, I can't help but view it as a thing of beauty.

Both my parents grew up along the river (albeit in two different towns) so perhaps it's in my blood. The story my mother told me when I was a child about a high school classmate of hers who drowned while swimming across the river (it has a wicked undertow) is still lodged in my mind decades later. And I remember fondly a seventy-year old sign that my father somehow "acquired" that notes the official flood level of the catastrophic 1937 flood (cresting at 80 feet). So while the river has always been a part of me, I continue to harbor a healthy respect for its potential dangers. I was in college in 1997 when the river last teemed over the flood walls, submerging large portions of the shoreline. I've seen firsthand the results of its unleashed power.

And this is why I'm apologetic for my delight in the rising waters. I know that there are people and businesses who are negatively affected by flooding (of course, they choose to be there), but it is mesmerizing. Many locals don't recognize that the river as we view it today is not how it always was. Before the installation of dams, the river would dry up, making it impossible for boats to traverse (click here for a picture from the 1880's illustrating this). So the Ohio River is now more controlled than it ever has been, ensuring a consistent flow of water. Yet despite our technological advances, when we get too much snow or rain we can't prevent the river from flooding. It reminds us that even in our attempts to obtain control, we are still helpless to keep the waters at bay.

I was out for a long run yesterday and couldn't help but stare at the river. After meandering around the riverfront, I ended up a Sawyer Point. Park officials already had barricades up on some of the lower paths because of the rising waters. Naturally, I went around the barriers towards the water's edge. There's a concrete platform the juts out into the waters, usually hovering eight feet over the river; due to the rising waters, the platform was a mere twelve inches above the water level. I stood out on the structure and could see the river flowing rapidly around me. It was awe-inspiring. Here was this massive body of water and little old me watching it flow determinedly downstream.

Maybe that's why I love the river: it forces me to recognize my place in the world. I cannot contain it; I operate at it's mercy. I must respect it or it will be my demise.

The creative mind of the Lord continues to amaze me.

Church Struggle

Things have been going well at Echo. I feel like we're in a much better place than we've every been. This church is growing up, and it's going to last. That's about all I can ask for. Still, I'm continually anxious to see what we're becoming. But there's always a fire to put out. Currently, it's the status of our rental facility. While the relationship with our lessor hasn't necessarily deteriorated, they are becoming less logical. We're almost left to wonder if we'll suddenly be forced to find a new facility. Being the Boy Scout that I was/am, always anticipating possible scenarios, I'm pushing for preparedness in case it happens. I've kept a list of alternate meeting sites for awhile and, recently, I've been going through the list—exploring other possible meeting spaces within our neighborhood.

I visited one such space last Sunday morning. It is an aging church in midst of our inner-city community with a pretty large facility. It's indicative of many churches in today's cities: they were a good size church in the 1940's and 1950's but they were unable to adjust to the cultural changes that accompanied urban renewal. As a result, many of its congregants fled to the suburbs and the church began to decline. Left behind was a group of locals (unable to sprawl) and church devotees—themselves no longer in the community, but harboring an obligation to the urban church. These churches are struggling to stay in business. And when the fire is finally extinguished they close their doors and the building is razed or becomes an Urban Outfitters.

What's interesting as that the base experience does not necessarily differ from a thriving congregation. As I walked in the church this morning, I was greeted warmly. You could tell that the people love their church, while wanted things to go better. The worship wasn't professional quality, but it was sincere. I was pleasantly surprised when one of the ladies performed a song that she had written herself. And the message the pastor preached was as passionate as those in churches I had seen at much larger congregations.

But there were twenty people in the pews—average age 68. In a few years, they'll shut the doors. It's a very typical story in the city, highlighting the importance of churches like Echo to engage these communities. These communities will last but the churches will not. So we need to continually focus on adding new churches to the landscape.

But in my discussion with this church, I was pleasantly surprised. Even though they're struggling financially, they've recognized that their building is an incredible asset. They are currently renting it out to five different organizations throughout the week. Not only have they sought the additional revenue, but they're renting to groups that are positively impacting the community. They admitted, "we might not be here much longer, but we're trying to do what we can now to make our community a better place while we can."

I'm always thankful for people who see the big picture. Nothing's going to last forever, so you have to think beyond yourself. It's the mindset I'm trying to think of when working with our young congregation. I'm sure we can build something that will last forty years, but I'd prefer something that could last for forty generations. For this vision to become a reality, we need to make sure we're wise enough to adapt to the changing culture around us.

It's a struggle, but the stakes are too high to ignore.

Finding Your Way

Semi's aren't supposed to go that slow. Then again, semi's don't usually traverse through Eden Park either.

And rarely do semi's stop in the middle of Eden Park Drive and never does the driver hop out.

But as I continued my morning run, I saw the truck driver walking towards me and I realized he was lost.

"Where are you headed?" I huff, catching my breath.

"I was headed to Playhouse in the Park, but can't find it on Gilbert Avenue. I think these directions are wrong"

Rookie mistake. Even though Playhouse sits in Eden Park, their props garage is on Gilbert Avenue in Walnut Hills. It took me a few seconds to redirect him and he was on his way.

This has happened many times before, especially over the past couple of years since I've done marathon training. Drivers will see me jogging through Walnut Hills, Hyde Park, or Downtown, pull over, and ask me directions. I am the remedy for the locationally challenged.

I've been asked directions to the Art Museum. I've been asked directions to Krohn Conservatory. I've been asked directions to Xavier. I've been asked directions to Blue Ash (yeah, they were way off target). While in Newport, I've been asked directions to downtown (cross the river).

I must emit some sort of approachable vibe. Or it could also be that I'm a middle-class white dude running through predominantly black neighborhoods (nearly 100% of the people who stop me are white). Regardless of why they approach me, I attempt to give them thorough directions. It's the least I can do as friendly representative of our fair city.

The only issue I have is that stopping me is not entirely helpful to my cardio. I have to stop, catch my breath long enough to formulate some sentences, and then try to get back in rhythm. And it ruins my time. But I kinda like it. I love for people to get the sense that the city is a safe, friendly place. Maybe seeing that people are out on the streets, embracing urban living, will slowly change perceptions.

So next time you get lost, check out your GPS: your Global Positioning Steve.

See what I did there?

Life Interrupted

I committed to blogging more frequently in 2011. Considering that I haven't written anything since the middle of January, it would seem that I'm a failure. But we had a family issue during the past few weeks that kept me from posting regular thoughts online. Almost three weeks ago, my father had a small heart attack. Although it scared our family (causing all of my siblings to drop everything and converge on the hospital), it didn't seem too serious. But further examination of my father's heart revealed the need for open heart surgery; two weeks ago dad had quadruple-bypass surgery. My father is probably the toughest man I've ever known, but this surgery hit him hard. He was in the hospital just four days after the surgery before they sent him home. And since then he's been at home, slowly recuperating and getting stronger day-by-day. Dad will make a full recovery, but this will usher in a new period in his life. It will require significant health adjustments on his part to ensure that his heart will remain strong.

I don't want to share too much about the past few weeks because our family prefers to keep some things private. But God utilized this situation to provide me with some observations/lessons that I think are worth recording.

I'm so proud to be my father's son.

It was unbelievable to see the outpouring of concern for my father. During this time, I was able to fully realize how much he means to other people. I even got to meet (for the first time) people who credit him for being a major presence in their lives. My Dad has always been my hero but I'm beginning to recognize how much I resemble him. He's creative, pastoral, has a sense of humor, and is relentless. And I'm glad that I'm like him. No doubt: he's made me the man that I am.

I'm proud of my mother and siblings.

Obviously this entire experience was taxing on my mother, but she's been a machine during the past couple of weeks—spending marathon hours in the hospital. Both my parents have workoholic tendencies, and Mom was able to channel hers into caring for Dad. Additionally, brothers and sisters filled specific roles during this time: Becky came down from Indianapolis and took care of Mom; Chris was the resident medical expert, able to communicate exactly what was going on to the rest of the family; Tim held down all the business matters, keeping things going and hidden from Dad. And the in-laws (Josh, Mandi, Heather, and Kelly) all stepped up and pitched in to keep us sane. God has blessed us with an amazing family, which made this whole process bearable.

You have to take care of yourself.

My father has constantly lived life in the service of others. He operates at 100 miles per hour to care for family and friends. As a result, he's done a poor job of making sure he was doing well. I want to respect this, because Dad's committed to give his all for others. But there's still plenty of work left for him to accomplish and, in order to see this fruition, he's going to have to commit to look after himself better. It's a good reminder to me too because I have some of those tendencies in my own life.

The saying goes, "never waste a crisis." I know that I didn't. While the past few weeks were tiring, I'm just grateful to have my father here. I'm looking forward to seeing how he embraces this next chapter in his life.

Tick . . . tick . . . tick

I'm not entirely certain whether it was Hootie or the Blowfish who said it, but the lyric goes, "time, why you punish me?" One of the only things in this world that you cannot purchase is time. Even with all of the technological innovations of the past decades that were designed to give us more time, we continue to struggle to do everything that we want. So what you decide to do with your precious hours are critical.

Take, for example, Paul M.L. Janssen. A professor at THE Ohio State University, he spend vast commodities of his time constructing a Lego replica of "The Horseshoe" (Ohio Stadium, where the Buckeyes play). The street value of the Legos is around $75,000, although he was able to secure the majority of those at a discounted price. But I'm less amazed at the financial cost, and more at the man hours: after spending three years acquiring the necessary bricks, it took Janssen two years to construct it.

Two years. Playing with Legos.

True, Janssen also had a life outside of that, working his day job at the University. And I'm hoping he took some time off to play with his three kids (there's no way he let them anywhere near the project, right?). But still, two years devoted to anything like that is amazing. What else could he have done in those two years of free time?

Learn another language? Teach his kids some discernable skill? Exercise? Make lists of things he could do if he had two years of free time?

Far be it from me to criticize someone else for how they spend their time; I too waste too much time with trivial matters. But maybe I can let someone else criticize the lot of us.

My friend Sara has spent the better part of her twenties living in our Walnut Hills neighborhood, working as a "house mom" to some under-privilidged kids. Her sacrificial spirit is absolutely amazing; she has bent over backwards trying to give her girls a better life. Very few people would choose to adopt her lifestyle. But, sadly, she's quitting this job so she can go do something else.

Two years. Serving in the Peace Corps.

For the next two years, she'll work in an extremely impoverished nation helping the locals better their lives. She'll live in want to support those who have nothing. She'll abandon the comforts of home, leaving family and friends behind, in the name of service. I sure wish I could be like her when I grow up.

It makes me realize that I need to continually reevaluate how I'm managing my life. Am I making the most of my time, not just for me, but for the benefit of those around me?

The year is still new. What are you willing to sacrifice, freeing up your time, so that you can make this world a better place.

Type(Up)Setting

What started by a simple Facebook posting about good grammar turned into a virtual cyber-throwdown. I found an article on Slate stating that people should cease to hit the space bar twice after a period ending a sentence. The article asserts that people began to use two spaces because of old typewriters; it made it easier to distinguish between sentences when reading. Yet these typewriters were retired in the 1970's, meaning the need for two spaces evaporated with them. And yet, almost 40 years later, many people still hold to this antiquated practice. Interestingly enough, my brother informed me today that the American Psychological Association (protectors of the APA style of writing papers) still requires two spaces. A little investigation on my own revealed that this decision was a recent reversal, and was supposed to be limited to drafts.

Regardless of where you come down on the spacing issue, step back and look at this: the reason we started two spacing was a way of adapting to the current technology. But then the technology evolved, making two spaces unnecessary, and teachers everywhere still continued to enforce the statute. You have to wonder why, and the only explanation I have is the what that drives my perplexity about all of this:

BECAUSE THAT IS HOW I WAS TAUGHT.

Like most of you, I was taught many a thing throughout my youth. Even though mine was a public education, I feel that my school district did an above average job of giving me the tools with which to succeed. I had a wide range of teachers—some excellent, some pathetic—but, regardless, I was stuffed with knowledge. As a tribute, I still keep my (miniature) high school diploma on my desk at work.

But over the years, I came to discover that some of the things I was taught throughout my youth was incorrect.

I don't blame the teachers for purposely leading me astray; remember: these were the days before the worldwide web. Specific nuggets of wisdom were more difficult to verify and wives' tales and rumors were passed down through generations as if they were the law. Technology has now given all of us access to unfettered information and we can now fact check for ourselves things that sound fishy. SIDEBAR: this is why many of you still need to bookmark Snopes in your web browser. I'm tired of your emails telling me Facebook is shutting down on March 15th.

You see, as I grew older, I figured out how to distinguish between fact and fiction. I "traded in" incorrect knowledge for more accurate fare and continue to go about my life. I fully recognize that I'm not done with this process. I'm sure there are things I know to be true today that I will discard in the future when they're proved to be false. It's how life works.

Perhaps this speaks to the point of the recently released study of college grads. New York University sociologist Richard Arum spent the last half of last decade studying a group of college students. Almost half of the students made no improvement in their critical thinking, reasoning or writing skills after two years time. After four years, thirty-six percent of the students still hadn't developed. They went through higher education, but did not advance in their thinking. I hope they at least mastered Call of Duty.

We're approaching an era where merely possessing facts won't cut it; more and more people will use the interwebs as their factual cheat, similar to the way we use a calculator for mathematics. But it will be critical that people are able to discern fact from opinion and run with it. Those who cannot will be mired in the past and be viewed like someone . . . well . . . who still uses a typewriter.

You might have been taught to use two spaces but it's time to give it up. Live in the now, man. Live in the now.

Showcasing the City

If you're not watching TLC's Police Women of Cincinnati, I'd encourage you to set your DVRs accordingly. The new series (part of an older franchise which previously explored other metropolitan areas) follows the duties of four policewomen on the Cincinnati Police Department. I'm already hooked. Some of the positives I took away from episode one:

• They selected interesting ladies to follow. They seem incredibly competent and their interviews segments are compelling. I know I've met one of the officers (in front of my house) and I think I met another one around the community.
• My 1990's exposure to "COPS" wore me out on these reality cop shows. But this show has a totally different feel. It was much more human.
• Thus far, they seem balanced in their representation of urban issues. I've met a couple CPD officers who possess absolute disdain for their beat. But I've met many who truly love the people they protect. I think we'll get to see that even more in future episodes.
• HD viewers are rewarded with some absolutely stunning night images of the city. I'm not sure who did their aerial filming, but I haven't seen better . . . ever.

That said, I harbor some hesitation about this show. I don't fear how outsiders will perceive our town as a result of the show (previous installments covered Dallas, Memphis, and South Florida. Those places have survived). No, my concern is for how Greater Cincinnatians will think of our urban areas.

There is already a prevailing city verses the suburbs attitude here. Our local media does little to regulate that, quick to highlight crimes near the city center while virtually ignoring evils committed in the 'burbs (a recent armed robbery at the West Chester Kroger received minimal coverage). Unfortunately, this new TLC show will do nothing but reinforce the negative opinions harbored against the city by those from this area. Cincinnati is not overtly violent and dangerous. We have no more issues than any other city our size. But many local residents will tell you otherwise.

I'll give you an example. I was in our cafeteria earlier today talking to a CPD officer and I asked him if he watched the show. He said he did and enjoyed it. He then asked my opinion. I told him that I wasn't too excited that my street was featured about six times, but that it was interesting TV. As we wrapped up our conversation, he encouraged me to, "be safe around your neighborhood."

This CPD officer knew where I lived and thought I was crazy for living there. If this is how someone who knows my neighborhood feels, how much worse an opinion do those who have never been here have?

Friends, I live in a safe place. When things go bump in the night, I'm never more concerned than I was when the same happened at our house in the suburbs. Many of the "dangerous streets" highlighted in last night's episode are those I've traversed on foot many-a-time. I fully recognize that you might not want to live here, but don't disparage it just because you don't understand it. For every thug they on television, there are hundreds of right-living people in the community. Urban life can be messy and chaotic, but it can also be beautiful. There's diversity. There's uniqueness. There's a neighborhood that has it's own personality. These are things I've never felt in my suburban life.

So go ahead and watch this show but don't succumb to the lowest common denominator. There's no need to blow up the city and start over. There are good people here who are doing their best to eek out an existence. The city doesn't have a monopoly on lowlifes. They're all over the place.

And as for me, I'll keep watching the show too. Who knows, I just might see my house.

It's Not My Idea

Today at the office a prospective student informed my that he prayed about his college application and the Holy Spirit informed him that he shouldn't hand in his old college transcripts; he was led into making a fresh start. I love it when the Spirit meddles in academic affairs.

Tonight, we ate out with friends at El Rancho Grande (a.k.a. the best Mexican food this side of the border) and our server was a man named Jesus.

And then I thought, "what if?"

If I wrote out on a piece of paper the following message:

"Sir, you should really hand in your old college transcripts."

And if I then gave the message to our server and have him read it out loud.

And if tomorrow, when I get into the office, I call this student and say, "I talked to Jesus and he said, 'Sir, you should really hand in your old college transcripts'. And since Jesus trumps the Holy Spirit, you should call that college ASAP."

I decided, instead, to eat more salsa.

Cincy Hee Hee

Last night the Mrs. and I took in a show over at the Playhouse in the Park. We settled down in one of their smaller theaters (the venue where our friends David and Rachel were wed) and enjoyed The Second City Does Cincinnati. For those of you unfamiliar with the Second City, it's a Chicago-based comedy club which has served as the launching pad for some of the greatest comedians in the industry. They actually teach comedy, specializing in improvisation, and act as a feeder for Saturday Night Live. Back in July, this particular comedy team spent a week in Cincinnati developing material for the show. I'll admit, I was somewhat skeptical that these outsiders would be able to capture the essence of our town, but they nailed it. The bits ranged from short to long, from monologue to song, but they effectively harnessed a Cincinnati vibe and put on some good comedy— poking fun at P&G, Pete Rose, and even the controversial downtown streetcar. My favorite bit was a Westside story spoof, highlighting Cincinnati's Eastside verses Westside debate. They're running the show a few more days (until January 16th), so there's still a chance for you to catch it. While some of the humor is PG-13, there's nothing to salacious for a minister to stand.

Besides a ton of laughs, my take away from the show was one of gratitude for our city. Yes, I've lived here my entire life so I'm a little biased, but this is a fantastic town. Like any other town, we have our peculiarities, but it's a culture of our own. Ours is a great metropolis, one of which we should be proud.

But the least we can do is laugh at ourselves. I mean, we are the city that elected Jerry Springer mayor.

This Year Just Feels New

It's funny how a new calendar makes us feel different. It's like when you pull out that new pair of gym shoes an inhale the glorious newness. I haven't accomplished nearly as much as would've liked to in this first week of the year, but perhaps that's because I'm still smelling my shoes. Whatever that means.

Unlike the days of my youth, I'm not struggling to remember to write the correct year. Perhaps it's because I rarely write checks anymore, but upon the completion of this first full week, I'm well aware that it's 2011. I have yet to correct myself writing the wrong year. Huzzah.

No huge resolutions for me, just some tuning up. Among other things:

• I'm slowly trying to cut back my Diet Coke intake. Do not be alarmed: I'm not eliminating it, just moderating it. I'm kinda ashamed to admit how much I was consuming per day. I find myself drinking more iced-tea. Still not drinking a ton of water. The agua around the office should be treated as if it's from a developing country— avoided at all cost.
• Trying to get to bed earlier. Thus far, I've failed miserably. But teaching a late night class out of town on Mondays has skewed the rest of the week. We'll see how that works out.
• I'm back to training for the Flying Pig Marathon. This would mark my fourth Pig, and my third 26.2. I feel like I'm finally figuring out how to do this thing. So we'll see if I can avoid injury and achieve a personal best this spring.

One more thing: since turning thirty-five, I've been wondering about my eyes. Today I actually had to increase the font size on my internet browser. I feel like I'm starting to strain to read very small print. I'm fully aware that I'm going to need reading glasses some day. Perhaps it's time for a return trip to the optometrist. Unfortunately, I just bought a long term set of contacts. Brilliant, eh?

Maybe I'll blog a bit more too. That would be novel.