As I watched Grey parachute jump into the recliner, I am minded of something and I will turn it into a contest. Here is the question: Someone who is a regular contributor to the Gaines-Lampi blog will be parachuting this Tuesday from 10,000 feet. Who is it?
Contest rules: 1) If this person has told you, you cannot play. 2) You have to answer right now, no calling people to see who it is.
3) Once this secret person is identified, then we will all pray for him or her that day.
4) Joel E. if you are out there, let us know by voting.
Contest ends this Monday evening.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Grey's moving on up!
Some recent footage of my boy. He's getting so big and so much more time consuming to keep an eye on. I wouldn't trade him for the world. Hope yours are well.
Steve
Jesus and Politics: Is He Right or Left?
Alas, I've stayed out of the political banter for the mainstay of this political season. Mostly disillusioned with the whole system and suspect of any so-called political "savior" or "maverick". Intrigued but admittedly jaded and yet committed to the ideals and beauties of American freedom, including our privilege to vote. Conflicted when I read about what a partial birth abortion entails while holding Grace. Wondering if I could vote for a candidate who opposed a ban on this disgusting practice, yet also wondering if I could vote for a candidate whose party some would argue has traditionally ignored the fundamental reasons and systematic injustices that drive some women to abortion in desperation. Wondering if there are bigger issues or a bigger picture I should be seeing and if so, where should I look? Wondering what a disciple of Christ should do? Having dedicated my life to serving an entirely different kingdom. Alas, I like many others am conflicted.
So, in response to Jeff's last post I ran across the following chapter in a book by Peter Kreeft, a Catholic theologian and apologist from Boston College in his book The Philosophy of Jesus. I couldn't find a link so I just pasted in the whole chapter below. Sorry for the length. Give it a read and see if it makes any sense. I don't know if I'm board with all he says, but perhaps it's worth some extended thought and will at least stir the pot a bit...
"All political issues today are seen through the prism of Right vs. Left, the
political 'us vs. them.' The categories are all-encompassing thought-savers,
knee-jerks that allow us to avoid thinking about each issue on its own
merits. But the categories, and the polarization they create, is even more
indefensible when applied to Christ because it means judging Christ by the
fallen world rather than vice versa.
The polarization is also harmful to morality because it lets us be
selectively moral, selectively idealistic-which means selectively immoral
and pragmatic. If we take the high road on abortion, euthanasia, and
sexuality, we can take the low road on war, poverty, and pollution; or vice
versa. Even when we focus on a specific question like whether all human
lives are intrinsically valuable, these categories allow us the moral
schizophrenia to say yes when we address abortion and no to that same
question when we address war and capital punishment-or vice versa. It's not
just that we give wrong answers (I'm not sure what the right answers are in
particular about a particular war or capital punishment in a particular
case), it's that we have self-contradictory principles.
Only from the viewpoint of the straight can we judge the skewered. Christ is
the straight, the plumb line-both when He is explicitly known, by divine
revelation, and when He is implicitly known, by conscience and the natural
law. He brings to all issues God's natural order to judge man's unnatural
disorders. Therefore, He does that to politics too.
He also unites the proper concerns of Right and Left, for He is the straight
path ('I am the Way') from which both Right and Left turns depart. He gives
a stronger reason for the rightful concerns of both Right and Left than
either Right or Left can do.
For instance, why feed the poor? Because the poor are Christ in disguise.
Not just because of political correctness or individual sentiment.
Why love sinners, as the Left does, and why ate sins, as the Right does? Why
love addicts to drugs, violence, money, or sex? And why hate their
addictions? For the same reason. Because Christ does. That's why we should
be more compassionate to sinners than liberals are and more uncompassionate
to sins than conservatives are. For the same reason: Christ.
Why preach and practice the 'social gospel'? Not to be politically correct,
or to refute the Fundamentalists, but because Christ did.
Why be universalistic and inclusive and ecumenical? Not to sneer at
xenophobia, isolationism, and provincialism, but because Christ was and is
universalistic. Christ is not a local tribal deity.
Why insist on 'the scandal of particularity,' and on the concrete, visible,
particular, and exclusive claims of Christ to be the one and only Savior?
Not to stick it to the liberals, but because Christ is particular and
concrete and visible and exclusive and literal.
Why be progressive and radical and creative and in love with the new? Why be
open to the winds like a sail? Because Christ is. Why be faithful and
stick-in-the-mud traditionalist, like an anchor? Because Christ is 'the same
yesterday, today, and forever.'
Why be a 'bleeding heart liberal'? Because Christ is. Why be a 'hard-headed
conservative'? Because Christ is.
Many have substituted Liberalism or Conservatism or some other ism for
Christ, and co-opted Christ for their cause. Christ cannot be co-opted for
any cause; all causes must be co-opted for Him. All isms are abstractions.
Even the perfect ism, if there is one, cannot save us and cannot love us.
The special danger of the religious Right is to worship Christ's doctrines
instead of Christ, confusing the sign with the thing signified. The Right is
absolutely right to insist on being right and to insist on absolutes. But a
finger is for pointing at the moon; woe to the fool who mistakes the finger
for the moon.
The special danger of the religious Left is to worship Christ's values
instead of Christ. That is just as abstract as the Right's substituting
Christ's doctrines for Christ. They are also only pointing fingers.
The Right argues that the Left is vague, but even the true and precise
doctrines of the Right are vague compared with Christ. Everything is. The
Left argues that the Right is hard, but even the soft, compassionate heart
of a liberal is hard compared with Christ. Everything is.
Right and Left cannot convince and convert each other for the same reason
that the Pharisees and the Sadducees could not convince and convert each
other. For what a Pharisee needs is not a little softening of the head, a
little dose of worldliness, pop psychology, relativism, and subjectivism.
What he needs is Christ. And what a Sadducee needs is not a little hardening
of the heart, a little arrogance, a little bit of Scrooge or Machiavelli
or Darwinian 'survival of the fittest' What he needs is Christ.
And our society needs nothing less, split as it is between Left and Right
today just as Jesus' society was split between Sadducees and Pharisees in
His time.
Earthly societies are not eternal, as souls are. Yet Christ is the Savior of
societies as well as souls. Our society is dying because it has turned the
holy name of its Savior into a curse word. Christophobia is the poison that
is killing our society. Our secularists are making us forget Christ faster
than we are making them remember Him: that is why our society is dying. Its
blood supply is drying up. The Precious Blood is evaporating. We are losing
more blood each day.
The answer is scandalously simple, unless Christ and Christianity and the
Bible and the Church and Christ's apostles and all the saints are liars. The
answer is that there is only one hope, for societies as well as souls: 'What
must I do to be saved?' 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be
saved.' (Acts 11:14)
Is that too simple and childish for you? Are you too 'advanced' and 'adult'
for that? Remember what 'advanced' tooth decay looks like. Remember what our
society means by 'adult.' Remember what 'adult' movies mean. And then put
that against The Passion of the Christ And then 'choose ye this day whom ye
will serve.' (Joshua 24:15)"
—Peter Kreeft, The Philosophy of Jesus (St. Augustine Press, South Bend Indiana, 2007)
So, in response to Jeff's last post I ran across the following chapter in a book by Peter Kreeft, a Catholic theologian and apologist from Boston College in his book The Philosophy of Jesus. I couldn't find a link so I just pasted in the whole chapter below. Sorry for the length. Give it a read and see if it makes any sense. I don't know if I'm board with all he says, but perhaps it's worth some extended thought and will at least stir the pot a bit...
"All political issues today are seen through the prism of Right vs. Left, the
political 'us vs. them.' The categories are all-encompassing thought-savers,
knee-jerks that allow us to avoid thinking about each issue on its own
merits. But the categories, and the polarization they create, is even more
indefensible when applied to Christ because it means judging Christ by the
fallen world rather than vice versa.
The polarization is also harmful to morality because it lets us be
selectively moral, selectively idealistic-which means selectively immoral
and pragmatic. If we take the high road on abortion, euthanasia, and
sexuality, we can take the low road on war, poverty, and pollution; or vice
versa. Even when we focus on a specific question like whether all human
lives are intrinsically valuable, these categories allow us the moral
schizophrenia to say yes when we address abortion and no to that same
question when we address war and capital punishment-or vice versa. It's not
just that we give wrong answers (I'm not sure what the right answers are in
particular about a particular war or capital punishment in a particular
case), it's that we have self-contradictory principles.
Only from the viewpoint of the straight can we judge the skewered. Christ is
the straight, the plumb line-both when He is explicitly known, by divine
revelation, and when He is implicitly known, by conscience and the natural
law. He brings to all issues God's natural order to judge man's unnatural
disorders. Therefore, He does that to politics too.
He also unites the proper concerns of Right and Left, for He is the straight
path ('I am the Way') from which both Right and Left turns depart. He gives
a stronger reason for the rightful concerns of both Right and Left than
either Right or Left can do.
For instance, why feed the poor? Because the poor are Christ in disguise.
Not just because of political correctness or individual sentiment.
Why love sinners, as the Left does, and why ate sins, as the Right does? Why
love addicts to drugs, violence, money, or sex? And why hate their
addictions? For the same reason. Because Christ does. That's why we should
be more compassionate to sinners than liberals are and more uncompassionate
to sins than conservatives are. For the same reason: Christ.
Why preach and practice the 'social gospel'? Not to be politically correct,
or to refute the Fundamentalists, but because Christ did.
Why be universalistic and inclusive and ecumenical? Not to sneer at
xenophobia, isolationism, and provincialism, but because Christ was and is
universalistic. Christ is not a local tribal deity.
Why insist on 'the scandal of particularity,' and on the concrete, visible,
particular, and exclusive claims of Christ to be the one and only Savior?
Not to stick it to the liberals, but because Christ is particular and
concrete and visible and exclusive and literal.
Why be progressive and radical and creative and in love with the new? Why be
open to the winds like a sail? Because Christ is. Why be faithful and
stick-in-the-mud traditionalist, like an anchor? Because Christ is 'the same
yesterday, today, and forever.'
Why be a 'bleeding heart liberal'? Because Christ is. Why be a 'hard-headed
conservative'? Because Christ is.
Many have substituted Liberalism or Conservatism or some other ism for
Christ, and co-opted Christ for their cause. Christ cannot be co-opted for
any cause; all causes must be co-opted for Him. All isms are abstractions.
Even the perfect ism, if there is one, cannot save us and cannot love us.
The special danger of the religious Right is to worship Christ's doctrines
instead of Christ, confusing the sign with the thing signified. The Right is
absolutely right to insist on being right and to insist on absolutes. But a
finger is for pointing at the moon; woe to the fool who mistakes the finger
for the moon.
The special danger of the religious Left is to worship Christ's values
instead of Christ. That is just as abstract as the Right's substituting
Christ's doctrines for Christ. They are also only pointing fingers.
The Right argues that the Left is vague, but even the true and precise
doctrines of the Right are vague compared with Christ. Everything is. The
Left argues that the Right is hard, but even the soft, compassionate heart
of a liberal is hard compared with Christ. Everything is.
Right and Left cannot convince and convert each other for the same reason
that the Pharisees and the Sadducees could not convince and convert each
other. For what a Pharisee needs is not a little softening of the head, a
little dose of worldliness, pop psychology, relativism, and subjectivism.
What he needs is Christ. And what a Sadducee needs is not a little hardening
of the heart, a little arrogance, a little bit of Scrooge or Machiavelli
or Darwinian 'survival of the fittest' What he needs is Christ.
And our society needs nothing less, split as it is between Left and Right
today just as Jesus' society was split between Sadducees and Pharisees in
His time.
Earthly societies are not eternal, as souls are. Yet Christ is the Savior of
societies as well as souls. Our society is dying because it has turned the
holy name of its Savior into a curse word. Christophobia is the poison that
is killing our society. Our secularists are making us forget Christ faster
than we are making them remember Him: that is why our society is dying. Its
blood supply is drying up. The Precious Blood is evaporating. We are losing
more blood each day.
The answer is scandalously simple, unless Christ and Christianity and the
Bible and the Church and Christ's apostles and all the saints are liars. The
answer is that there is only one hope, for societies as well as souls: 'What
must I do to be saved?' 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be
saved.' (Acts 11:14)
Is that too simple and childish for you? Are you too 'advanced' and 'adult'
for that? Remember what 'advanced' tooth decay looks like. Remember what our
society means by 'adult.' Remember what 'adult' movies mean. And then put
that against The Passion of the Christ And then 'choose ye this day whom ye
will serve.' (Joshua 24:15)"
—Peter Kreeft, The Philosophy of Jesus (St. Augustine Press, South Bend Indiana, 2007)
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
WOOOOOAAAHHHHHH! PASTOR GONE WILD!
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/09/29/pulpit/?refid=0
jefe
jefe
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Crowder Covers Sonseed
Last week I posted the now infamous Sonseed performance of "Jesus is My Friend." It seems the influence of Sonseed has even found it's way to the likes of DC*B. Check out this video from last Sunday's service at University Baptist Church where Crowder serves as worship pastor. Next stop...our chapel band is going to attempt it in a few weeks!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
What Cash got up to this Summer.
Now that summer is officially over, we thought you might like to see a few of Cash's summer highlights. (I apologize in advance for the sketchy craftmanship. I'm not so great at the videos).
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
$G$R$E$E$D$
Greed seems to be the subject on the nation’s mind the past few weeks. Just today I was putting gas in one of our work trucks and the car next to me had a bumper sticker that said “Gas – Absolute Greed”. The message was a little confusing but it seemed ironic as the guy was putting gas in his car. Anyways, we’ve seen our economy come to the brink of collapse and people on both sides of the political spectrum rightly place the blame on unsupervised corporate greed. This past Sunday I got to preach at our service, and the passage for the week was Matthew 20, the parable of the landowner and workers. The point of the story in short is that the first will be last and the last will be first (when have we heard that before Gaines boys!) and that God lavishes grace upon all who come to him regardless of what they’ve done or deserve. While preparing I also started studying the surrounding passages where Jesus addresses wealth and greed; telling the rich man to sell all he has and give it to the poor; and that enigmatic statement that its harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than a camel to go through the eye of a needle. I think its amazing how many times the Bible addresses the issues of wealth, greed, and how we should treat the poor (over 2000 verses!). I thought about this as I read my Wall Street Journal throughout the week (Yeah I’m a nerd!!); but all over the news you see these executives in despair over what is going on and it seemed all too timely that this was happening while the churches all over the world read this parable declaring the first shall be last! Some fast facts: 30 years ago the average CEO of a major corporation made approximately 30 times more than the average worker; today the average CEO makes over 300 times more than the average worker. The CEO for Lehman Brothers (which went bankrupt last week) made $17,000 dollars an hour last year! All this to say its become clearer now more than ever that as Christians we cannot serve both God and money and we cannot support economic systems that reward the rich at the expense of the poor. I heard Jim Wallis interviewed on a radio program today and I thought he had a brilliant idea, he said he wrote a letter to Henry Paulsen asking that if the proposed $700 billion bailout of financial institutions gets passed this week that the government tithes 10% of that ($70 billion) to help poor families stay in their homes. Incredible. Wallis also has a couple great articles on his blog concerning the moral issues at stake in the coming economic overhaul. Enjoy, and remember that God is generous; we have nothing to be worried about!! Article 1 Article 2
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
M go Blues
If you are feeling the Michigan Blues, take a look at this clip from 1991. It still gives me chills!!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Sonseed
Okay, as promised in my response to "The Renewed Mind" here is a gem of a performance from Sonseed. If you've not seen it, it's an instant classic and a rising YouTube sensation. WARNING: Watching the following video will cause your brain to become locked into an endless cycle of repeated bass lines and a graphic image or a lead singer with awkwardly pursed lips. Also incredibly addicting!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The Renewed Mind
In case you forgot..."the renewed mind is the key to the Christ in me!!!" This is a gem, have a good monday (when he breaks it down @ 1:50 is the best part)
Friday, September 12, 2008
A picture worth a thousand words (and more)
I'm not sure where to begin, but I will be brief. To the average shopper, this is a can of seasoning. To me, it is so much more. As I walk down the isle of many supermarkets and open the cupboards in my own house, I see it quite often. Every time I see this can of Cavendar's Greek Seasoning, I smile. For some reason it makes me feel good, like I've experienced something not a lot of people get to experience and I have. I know what it is too. Dr. G, I miss you and love you so much.
(I was blessed to have known you.)
Monday, September 01, 2008
Before Facebook
Before Facebook, ibook, textbooks and yearbooks, there was SUPERBOOK! Where we got our foundation. Take a walk down memory lane...
Monday, August 25, 2008
Restore the Roar
Did anybody else share this dream? If it's not too late, I would like to jump on the bandwagon. And could the Lions also please sign Dave Pearson, Anthony Quinn, Jake Falls, Jason Jakabowki, James Oaks, Steve "Special Operations Unit" Lampi and Ben Gaines for the "Unfinished Business" tour.
Mckenna and Crowder share a moment.
As some of you know, my 4 year old niece McKenna has been a huge Crowder fan for, well, about 3 years now, That is all she wanted to listen to from about the age of one. a few weeks ago, she decided to write him a letter to thank him for the music he makes and that she really likes it. Not really expecting any reply, she received a note from Waco, Texas this past week. As you can guess, it was a hand written note to Mckenna with his patented drawing of himself. Kind of a cool deal that he'd take time to write her back. She now refers to him as "Dave".
Steve
Saturday, August 23, 2008
ARE U READY?
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I'M PRETTY STOKED FOR A WEEK FROM NOW AND THE BEGINNING COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Yesterday, on ESPN, an NCAA analyst picked MSU 3rd in the Big Ten and much improved, and heralded Javon Ringer as the fastest running back in the nation ! I hate hearing that, because it just makes it that much harder if he's wrong... stay tuned
WE ARE SPARTANS!
Yesterday, on ESPN, an NCAA analyst picked MSU 3rd in the Big Ten and much improved, and heralded Javon Ringer as the fastest running back in the nation ! I hate hearing that, because it just makes it that much harder if he's wrong... stay tuned
WE ARE SPARTANS!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Jackson Goes to Costco
This past weekend Jackson made his cart debut at Costco. He is such a big boy, as he is now riding in the cart without a carseat!
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Directions to Reunion
Hi "covenant family"
Here are the directions to the lake (from Brighton). If you are coming from another place (Steve and Shea - already taken care of), let me know. Call Steph's cell 517 214-6998.
So here they are:
Take US 23 NORTH towards FLINT
Take I-69 EAST exit towards PORT HURON
about 60 miles later...
get off at exit 196 WADHAMS Rd.
Turn LEFT off exit and about go about a mile...(through light, down a big hill)
Turn right at bottom of hill on NORTH RIVER
go about 8.5 miles or so...look for NORMAN rd (ha!)...that's the last road you'll go past until you...
see a white church in front of you to the left---abandoned...home? I'm not sure (you'll also see a white church to your right on this road, but earlier on..)
Turn RIGHT there! on BURTCH Rd and drive about 1 1/2 miles until...
you run into a red light...turn left on M-25 NORTH...you're almost here...
drive about 10 miles on M-25 until you see a putt-putt golf course and driving range, and right there on your RIGHT in front of it is the SANDPIPER! Turn right.
Drive slowly (10 miles/hr.) through park, pass baseball field on left, around the turn, you'll see the lake below, turn right and go down the hill,
take a left and look for the 2 trailers with the Jewish stars on the front..they are the 3rd and 4th trailers down on.. park in front and...
GET READY FOR SOME FUN!
Love,
Jeff
Call if lost
Here are the directions to the lake (from Brighton). If you are coming from another place (Steve and Shea - already taken care of), let me know. Call Steph's cell 517 214-6998.
So here they are:
Take US 23 NORTH towards FLINT
Take I-69 EAST exit towards PORT HURON
about 60 miles later...
get off at exit 196 WADHAMS Rd.
Turn LEFT off exit and about go about a mile...(through light, down a big hill)
Turn right at bottom of hill on NORTH RIVER
go about 8.5 miles or so...look for NORMAN rd (ha!)...that's the last road you'll go past until you...
see a white church in front of you to the left---abandoned...home? I'm not sure (you'll also see a white church to your right on this road, but earlier on..)
Turn RIGHT there! on BURTCH Rd and drive about 1 1/2 miles until...
you run into a red light...turn left on M-25 NORTH...you're almost here...
drive about 10 miles on M-25 until you see a putt-putt golf course and driving range, and right there on your RIGHT in front of it is the SANDPIPER! Turn right.
Drive slowly (10 miles/hr.) through park, pass baseball field on left, around the turn, you'll see the lake below, turn right and go down the hill,
take a left and look for the 2 trailers with the Jewish stars on the front..they are the 3rd and 4th trailers down on.. park in front and...
GET READY FOR SOME FUN!
Love,
Jeff
Call if lost
Monday, August 04, 2008
Last Minute Instructions
Hello... I thought it was about time that I post some last minute reminders about the gaines-lampi retreat. Review: Thank you for the $20 from each couple I have bought snacks, and will be buying breakfast and lunch food for everyone so that when you get there you can get settled and enjoy. I am asking if each couple will bring the following to split up the fruit: Bill/Lena-Watermelon, Norm/Debbie-Watermelon, Jake/Ab-Bananas, Wes/Sarah-Grapes, Steve/Shea-Strawberries, Jeff/Steph-Apples. This will be a huge help to me, thanks!! Also, I want to remind you that Jake/Ab and Wes/Sarah you do NOT need to bring a pack-n-play we have two up there for you ready to go. I have kids shampoo and toothpaste well stocked for the kiddos. We have blankets and pillows for everyone! Shea and I will have 2 monitors one for each place.
Oh yeah, Jeff and I thought that it would be a great idea if we read a book and have a bible study each day. We really wanted to be intentional about setting-up time with the Lord as a group. We picked the book Your Home a Place of Grace, by Susan Hunt. This book is great and pertains to all of us and the stages of life we are in so I am really excited about sharpening each other and digging into the word as a group. Wes and Steve- guitars for worship, Please if possible. Books will be arriving on Wed. to Norm and Debs so they said we can make arrangements to deliver them to the Gaines family. Sorry this is so late. This is intended to grow us as friends, families, parents, grandparents, husbands, and wives. So read it together if you can as couples. If possible could you read Part One: Ch 1-6 by Monday. Then we will split up part two and discuss that part during the week together.
Here is a quick overview I will have breakfast and lunch food for everyone. Bagels, PB/Jelly (organic), Milk for cash (Organic whole), Pancakes, Cream Cheese, Egg Casseroles, Muffins, Granola/Yogurt. Lunch- Sub sandwiches, Veggie Burgers, Wraps, pasta salads, Chips/Guac/Salsa and more. Dinner- I will have dinner for everyone on Sunday and Monday and then we can decide if we want to go out, or get pizza a day whatever the group decides. If you can let us know when you plan on arriving. Jeff and I will be there on Sat morning so whenever you come we will be ready. This is so exciting and awesome to be apart of such a close knit family. I can remember when I first was introduced to the Gaines family (ferret in pocket-crazy). I can't help but see God's divine hand in all of our lives, amazing parents, marriage, children and wise God fearing/loving grandparents. I feel extremely blessed to be part of this extended family. I cannot wait to see everybody! Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
Love, Stephanie
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