August 29, 2012

1. I plan on writing more about my feelings on the death of Neil Armstrong in my weekly Monday blog–MARK’S REMARKS. For now I will simply say that I am pleased so many people in our nation, and in the world, have taken time to write marvelous things about a remarkable, yet modest, man. I think I feel sad that Neil Armstrong will not live to see the 50th anniversary celebration of Man walking on the moon.

2. I read Peter King’s blog every week. This is his account of how his latest conversation ended with one of the men I have admired from childhood—the great Green Bay Packer quarterback of the 1960s—Bart Starr. After a long phone interview, Starr told King, "Thanks for listening to me. You and your family have a very nice day."

            King went on to reflect, “I wonder now, and I've wondered after my six or eight encounters with Starr over the years: Has a classier man played in the NFL?”

3. Whatever happened to political conventions? From my childhood to recent memory, watching the Democratic and Republican National Conventions was essential television…every four years. Last week, I was caught by surprise to discover that the Republican Convention would begin on Sunday. It was off my radar. I think that with the vice presidential candidates being named before the conventions begin (not to mention the identity of the presidential candidates being a foregone conclusion), the conventions have turned in long infomercials.

4. RIP Phyllis Diller. She was one of the funniest comedians ever, and she did a great job of making fun of her own looks. She also offered great comedy when it came to the family. She had a lot of great lines; one of my favorites: “I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them.”

5. Recently, a friend of mine named John Carpenter loaned me his copy of the book UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand. I had heard quite a bit about it, considering the fact that the book has been on the nonfiction bestseller lists for 90 weeks now. I'm sure they’re many reasons for this, one of them being that—as the title implies–Louie Zamperini was a man whose spirit could not be broken.

            Zamperini was one of America’s greatest runner in the 1930s. He had run in the Berlin Olympics in 1936.

            World War II erupted and Louie volunteered. He was assigned to a U.S. bomber squadron. His plane was shot down and crashed into the Pacific Ocean, and Louie spent weeks with two of his crewmates floating on two rafts. Fighting off starvation, dehydration, and sharks, one of the crewmates ultimately died. But Louie his other companion survived and landed on a Japanese occupied Island.

            They were transported to a prisoner-of-war camp. Believe it or not, floating on a raft in the Pacific was preferable to the brutality of the prison camps. Indescribable acts were committed against the prisoners. I personally cannot comprehend how Louie was able to survive his ordeal. However, he somehow did.

            Returning from the war with the Allied army victorious, Louie struggled as he tried to reconnect with society. Although he married a wonderful woman, he could not overcome his feelings of guilt for having survived and shame for having endured (the acts of degradation against him.)

            His life changed forever when his wife visited Billy Graham Crusade. Convicted by Christ, she irritated him by constantly asking Louie to come to the Crusade with her. Ultimately he attended, albeit with great hostility.

            During the invitation, Louie was ready to depart the meeting in a rage, when he remembered a promise he made to the Lord years before: he would serve God forever if He would rescue him from that raft floating so helplessly on the Pacific Ocean. Title notwithstanding, I suppose you might say this was one event where Louie was broken–by God.

            Because of Louie’s pain and suffering, this book is not an easy read, but it is a gripping one. If you are one of the few in America who has not read this book, I would encourage you to do so.

  

*Thanks to Peter King for the inspiration for this blog's title.

August 21, 2012

1. I think the Shiloh Road elders are remarkable. They have committed our congregation to engage in an elder selection process every four years. My stepping down from the pulpit would have given them an excuse to prolong that process, since we're now in the third year of our current elders’ service. However, they believed that to properly prepare the way for the preacher selection, it would be necessary to decide who the next set of elders will be. Consequently, it was announced Sunday at Shiloh that we are beginning a new elder selection process one year early. I commend our elders.

2. I like the song “Some Nights” by the group FUN; I like the video better.

3. We sure come up with some weird nicknames in our nation’s high schools. This from SI’s Peter King: “Yuma (Ariz.) Criminals. Love Yuma High's website: ‘Proud Home of the Criminals.’”

            That ranks right up there with the Celeste Blue Devils in beautiful Celeste, TX. Why in the world would a God-fearing town call their sweet boys and girls “devils”?            

            My favorite mascot is actually a college one. Wake Forest is a private university affiliated with the Baptist church. So whose idea was it to make their nickname the Demon Deacons? My guess is it was an angry pastor.

4. I think there is no better group to preach to than a congregation that is predominately African-American. Last Sunday night, I was privileged to be invited to preach at the North Tennaha congregation here in Tyler. The singing was amazing (I still hear some of their hymns in my head), and I love how they verbally encourage you as you speak. Thanks to all of those who participated Sunday evening.

5. A recently released book called THE PRESIDENTS CLUB is one that I think would be entertaining to a wide audience. Written by TIME reporters Nancy Gibbs, and Michael Duffy, this book is a rich history of the relationships ex-presidents have had with each other, beginning with Herbert Hoover all the way through George W. Bush. Well researched, the book is also replete with many anecdotes that demonstrate the humanity of all of the men who have so far served in that austere office.

            One of the more interesting areas of research pertained to the subject of-drum roll please-treason. The authors contend that both Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter were guilty of committing treason.

            Before he was elected to office in 1968, Richard Nixon used information concerning the Vietnam War, which President Johnson had presented to him in private briefings, and used it to his advantage. Through back channel negotiations with South Vietnamese leaders, Nixon promised to cut a better deal with them after the election.

            That knowledge probably motivated the South Vietnamese leadership from joining representatives from the United States and North Vietnam at the peace table, which may well have decided an extremely close election. More importantly, Nixon had no right as a private citizen to interfere with U. S. foreign policy, which is exactly what he did.

            Carter’s interference concerned going rogue on a diplomatic mission to North Korean president Kim Il-sung in 1994.

            In a very tense situation involving atomic energy and North Korea's potential to create nuclear weapons, Carter violated then President Clinton's instructions and cut a deal based upon his own opinions. Clinton and his national security team were incensed; yet, placed in a difficult position, they had to refrain from letting the world know what had truly occurred. Carter was not executing presidential foreign policy; he was formulating U. S. foreign policy.

            Probably the most heartwarming chapter in this 527-page book was on the relationship between George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, after both completed their presidencies. Overcoming the baggage of serving in different parties, not to mention the fact that Clinton had defeated Bush in 1992, the two men have grown quite close during the last decade. (Part of the credit goes to George W. Bush, who brought the two together to fund for disaster relief.)

            This is not a “public relations” relationship. Not only has Clinton grown close to the elder Bush, he has also grown close to the Bush family. Together they have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for victims of natural disasters.

            The book is available online, in your local bookstores, and also in your public library, which is where I found my copy.

*Thanks to Peter King for the inspiration for this blog's title.

August 14, 2012

1. November will get here soon enough, but I am eagerly anticipating the November 16^th release of the movie LINCOLN. Stephen Spielberg is directing this motion picture, and he is focusing strictly on the last four months of the 16^th president’s life. Word is LINCOLN is based upon Doris Kearns Goodwin’s award-winning-book TEAM OF RIVALS.

2. This may be a good sign for the future of the space program–more than 23 million people watched NASA’s live streaming of the landing of the “Curiosity” on Mars. I would love to see humans land on Mars in my lifetime.

3. Judy and I got a chance to take three of our four kids to NASA the week before last. Let me tell you, if you have kids, it is a great place to go.

            Don’t miss the tour that takes you to the old Mission Control.             

            Timothy and I obsessed over trying to a land space shuttle simulator, which is a lot harder than you would think.

            Of course, I’m an old-school junkie, so I loved looking at the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space capsules.

            Meanwhile, my kids were mega-impressed by the 363-foot-long Saturn Five rocket. Inside the building where they housed the rocket, NASA has posted nice summaries of each Apollo mission. This allowed me to sow the seeds to show Timothy and Annie the Tom Hanks’ miniseries FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON, which I hope to do soon.

            Last night, our family watched APOLLO 13 together. (If you have younger kids, be aware of the language… and a couple of scenes you’ll want to fast forward. The scenes are no worse than commercials you see today, but who says the commercials today are good for television?)

            I loved the movie and the book it is based upon. Here’s a little behind-the-scenes nugget–Ron Howard created much of the crew’s conflict in the movie for the purpose of dramatic tension. The real-life crew was much more calm than the portrayal. As for Hanks’ miniseries, based upon the Apollo space program, it is much more kid friendly, much cleaner, and much more spiritual.

4. If you ever get the chance, tour the BATTLESHIP TEXAS located near Houston. On the NASA trip, Judy and I took the kids to see the old vessel commissioned in 1912. I am amazed at how far below deck the ship extends. You can tour the depths of the ship, and the heights—all the way up into some of the crows’ nests. It staggers me to think about sailors traveling on that ship 100 years ago.

5. In addition to what I wrote two weeks ago, here are some of the things I liked about the 2012 Olympics:

A. Michael Phelps. I feel like he is the greatest Olympian of all time. He’s won more medals than anyone else and more gold medals than anyone else. Moreover, for someone who is so obviously competitive, he seems to have a balanced view toward life.

            In 2009 and 2010, Phelps barely trained. After his first loss in this year’s games, Phelps did not pull his hair out and lament his misfortune. He took responsibility and announced that, considering the work he put in, he got what he deserved.

            For example, Phelps through the years has also demonstrated more of the Olympic Spirit than I have given him credit for. I had not remembered that in the 2004 Olympic Games, Phelps gave up his spot on a relay team (sure to win a gold medal) to allow an older swimmer the chance to win his first gold medal. Gold medals are hard to come by. (I know; I still have not won my first.) Yet Phelps was willing to sacrifice for a teammate.

B. Oscar Pistorius. How did he do it? How did he run on those prosthetic legs? And the speed with which he ran… amazing!

C. Kirani James. Yes, he won the gold medal in the 400 meters. However, he also reminded us of the original dream of the Olympic Games: athletes competing at their highest level in the spirit of sportsmanship. It was moving to see James, after his semi-final win, ask Oscar Pistorius to exchange identification tags. Furthermore, he then symbolically removed himself from the Olympic Stadium spotlight and placed Pistorius in it. Truly touching. 

*Thanks to Peter King for the inspiration for this blog's title.

July 31, 2012

1. Four years ago, I was preaching in Mexico for one week of the Summer Olympics. Although I saw a few events there on Mexican television—including some of the races of Michael Phelps—I missed a lot of the competitions... and I was fine with that. My wife on the other hand is a huge fan. Consequently, it seems like whenever I am home she’s got the Olympics on. Now my son and younger daughter have bought into the Olympics as well, so I’ve seen quite a bit.

            Here’s what I like about the Olympics so far:

A. The Opening Ceremonies

B. The men’s and women’s gymnastic teams

C. The class of world champion gymnast Jordyn Wieber, who did not qualify to compete in the all-around finals because of a silly rule

D. Missy Franklin

             Here is what I have not liked:

A. The whining of Hope Solo

B. The attitude of some of the men on the US swimming team.

2. I was sorry to see Tom Davis and Sherman Hensley passed away last week. I grew up watching both of them on TV, Tom Davis on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, and Sherman Hensley on THE JEFFERSONS. I smile when I think about both of them. That’s a pretty good legacy.

3. My daughter Abby and I saw THE DARK KNIGHT RISES last Saturday. For my thoughts on theological reflection and this movie, see my blog for Monday: http://markedgeremarks.blogspot.com/2012/07/spiritual-reflection-on-dark-knight.html

            A local newspaper critic blasted this movie. I personally found it very satisfying. It was exciting, and I like the way the Christopher Nolan tied everything together. As I tweeted on Saturday, I could easily go back in line and watch the movie again.

4. Over ten years ago, I was assigned to a serious exegetical study on the subject of homosexuality and scripture in graduate school. That was when I encountered for the first time the move many scholars were attempting to make to justify same-sex marriage.

            Addressing the issue of same-sex marriage to a larger audience, in this case—a newspaper article for the West Texas town I lived in, I questioned why proponents of polygamy did not lobby for their rights. If anything (I wrote), they had an even stronger argument than the same-sex proponents did. Now I see in TIME magazine that some families who have been secretly practicing polygamy are now seeking to legitimize their marriages. If I believed like them (I don’t), I would do the same.

            For anyone who desires a stable society in the future—good luck.

5. Great quote from the therapist Edwin Friedman, "As long as one's orientation toward society is technological it follows that changing society will be thought of in terms of technique. In this case, leaders do not have to focus on their own being."

            What he meant by that is that great leaders regulate their anxiety. A non-anxious person is the most impactful person on a family or a society. This is not natural and requires hard work, discipline, and focus. Technology can never replace this reality, and one should not lean too heavily upon it.

*Thanks to Peter King for the inspiration for this blog's title.

July 24, 2012

1. I think the $60 million penalty imposed by the NCAA on Penn State was an emotional and angry decision, rather than a well thought out one. The children hurt by Jerry Sandusky will not be impacted by this decision. Jerry Sandusky will be in prison for the rest of his life, so the NCAA’s decision will not impact him. The innocent athletes at Penn State will be hurt by this decision. Finally, I do not believe it is the NCAA’s place to take money from a public university and redistribute it to charity. There are other groups that can do a more effective job of that.

2. It’s that time again. The Summer Olympics begin Friday night. When I was a child, I loved watching the Olympics. Now I don’t have nearly as much time to watch events, but my kids enjoy them and will have time to watch a lot more. I saw a good article in TIME magazine on Lolo Jones hitting a hurdle four years ago and losing her chance to win a gold medal. I’m pulling for her to win this year.

3. Lately I’ve been reading a lot about Yahoo’s new chairman, Marissa Mayer. She is young–37–and beautiful and brilliant and… pregnant. She says that even though she’s up for a maternity leave, she plans on working anyway. I’ve got to hand it to her–she’s a lot better woman than I am.

4. I was shocked and saddened to read yesterday of Sally Ride’s passing due to pancreatic cancer. I remember well when she became America’s first woman in space; yet, reading her obituary, I had forgotten what an accomplished scholar, scientist, and athlete she was.

5. I read in TIME magazine last week that if you spend more than three hours a day sitting, chances are you have cut your life expectancy by two years. I never knew that when I made the decision to become a preacher, I sacrificed two years of my life! Maybe I've been cutting my sermons too short all of these years!

            

*Thanks to Peter King for the inspiration for this blog's title.

July 17, 2012

1. I saw an excellent cartoon the other day where a boy and girl were talking to each other. The boy asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

            The girl said, “Fired by NBC…”

            In the frame was the headline of a newspaper that proclaimed, “Ann Curry to receive $10 million to leave ‘Today.’”

            I think the girl had a point. If Ann Curry can eliminate her pride, she is set for life.

2. I saw this month the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) approved a resolution calling for the end of spanking in the home, while also promoting legalized abortion. Something tells me they got it backwards.

3. Did you see that many scientists are making a big deal of the evidence for the Higgs boson recently? I am not sure what the Higgs boson is, other than something about giving atoms their mass. What interests me though is that some scientists are referring to it as the “God particle”.

4. I was fascinated to see some of the discussion at the convention of the Southern Baptists a couple weeks ago in New Orleans. First off: because they elected as their new president an African-American pastor. Secondly, because they’re now giving their churches their blessing to call themselves the “Great Commission Baptists.” Third, because they voted on a proposal by David Platt, a Calvinist Southern Baptist pastor from Alabama, to eliminate the Sinners Prayer because it was “unbiblical,” “superstitious,” and “gave many a false assurance of salvation.” Instead, the SBC voted to affirm the legitimacy of the prayer.

5. I disagree with the homosexual agenda, but I tip my hat to their lobbyists for their impact on our culture. The latest example of that is the decision by Marvel Comics to publish a comic book last month featuring the X-Men superhero, Northstar, marrying his boyfriend, Kyle. This motivated the rival DC Comics to bring the Green Lantern character out of his closet. Disagree with the lobbyists if you wish, but I have never seen such a small portion of the population (those who are practicing homosexuals) make such a disproportionate impact on society. Maybe we in Christian churches could learn a lesson from them on that.

*Thanks to Peter King for the inspiration for this blog's title.

July 10, 2012

 1. If the American League is as dominant as everyone says it is, I think it will win the All-Star game tonight. I always think the first half of baseball season takes longer to complete than the second half. Soon, pro football teams will be gathering for training camp. Then high school fall sports will begin their two a day practices shortly thereafter. Not long after that, school will be starting. My how summer flies by.

2. I cannot believe the fall of BLACKBERRY. iPhone’s have killed the stock–down 90% since June of 2008. In 2007, BLACKBERRY had 50% of the market share. Now it is 11%. I can remember when the BLACKBERRY device was all the rage. It just goes to show that nothing is permanent. (Stat Source: TIME.)

3. I wrote this yesterday in my weekly blog (http://markedgeremarks.blogspot.com/2012/07/climb-every-mountain-my-week-on.html), but I think everyone should go on Wilderness Expedition at least once in life to climb a mountain. There are too many valuable spiritual lessons that can be experienced to pass up the opportunity.

4. I think the new speed limit on the Austin and San Antonio toll road of 85 mph is too much. That means you can automatically raise the limit that most people set on themselves to 90 mph. Some people are going to lose control and get badly hurt-even killed-because of this.

5. I am praying for you and your family, Charles Siburt. Peace to you my friend and mentor, and I know the Lord is going to grant it to you.

*Thanks to Peter King for the inspiration for this blog's title.