Why do people act differently…

Recently my associate pastor Mike and I went to play golf. We were playing by ourselves so the Marshall added a single to our party. I always welcome people to play along because it usually gives me an opportunity to share my faith some time during the round. The guy who was playing with us was from New York and we struck up a conversation immediately. I found out that he used to work in the high tech industry, his wife died a few months ago, and he is semi-retired. We also heard every profanity known to man and in some unique combinations. If you have gotten to know me for any time you know that I never have or will act holier than thou when people who aren’t believers act like it.

About the 16th hole he realized that we were pastors and all of a sudden his language changed. He started saying “darn” and “dang” instead of the choice words he was using earlier. Then he told us that playing with him helped his game.

Not too long ago I walked out to take the garbage to our trash can in back yard. I noticed that half our neighborhood was a one our neighbors having a cookout. One of the guys said “hey Kev” and I said hello back and went back into our house. Within five minutes the person who was having the party knocked on our door to invite us to the party. Now this was a birthday party. We had no gifts, we were eating dinner and we weren’t dressed to go to a party. Had we been invited at the same time everyone else was we would have gone. In all honesty I don’t believe they wanted to invite us because I’m a pastor. Every party we go to in our neighborhood we are ignored by many but not all. We don’t drink but we never make a big deal about it. I’ve never said “NO! THAT IS A SIN!” I usually just say no thank you. I think it is easier to “party” when we aren’t around.

Why is it like this? We aren’t judgmental. We don’t make comments about people’s language or the beverages they are drinking? Why is it people think they have to act differently around ministers? Why would someone feel guilty around me? What makes this happen? Is it a Holy Spirit conviction and having me around reminds them of that? Just wondering?

What do you think?

Only in my home state…

[From ABC7]

Orange Beach, AL Police chased a car for miles along a highway at speeds up to 100 mph said the driver was drunk, hardly a rarity in this resort town. But there was more: When they looked inside the flipped vehicle with guns drawn, they found an 11-year-old girl at the wheel. The girl, who was slightly injured in the crash, is now charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding, reckless endangerment and leaving the scene of an accident. Duck said she sideswiped another vehicle during the roughly 8-mile chase.

Read about it here.

[From me]

Only in Alabama…

Will they ever grow up?

[From Yahoo sports]

Former NFL rushing champion Ricky Williams tested positive again for marijuana last month, which will delay his return to the league until at least September, a person familiar with the case said Friday. Williams sought to end a one-year drug suspension last month when he asked to rejoin the Miami Dolphins.

Read about it here.

[From WSLS]

Michael Vick has distanced himself from an alleged dog fighting operations.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback refused today to discuss the case, and he has reportedly sold the house in Virginia that was the center of the dog fighting controversy.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell already met with Vick and could impose a suspension if it’s shown that he knew about dozens of mistreated dogs that allegedly were used for fighting.

The animals were found at a home owned by Vick in Smithfield, though he said previously that he rarely went to the house. He has had drug issues too.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I dreamed of playing in the NFL but there wasn’t much need for a slow white cornerback. The pro athletes are given so much money it is amazing. They don’t know what to do with their fame and money. Josh Hancock of the St. Louis Cardinals was killed 2 weeks ago in a car accident. Turns out he was drunk and had marijuana in the SUV he was driving. Sad.

Will these athletes grow up and realize the privilege they have in playing pro sports? What a waste of talent.

What do you think?

The Hypothetical Party Report

Our hypothetical pastor and his family went to the hypothetical party yesterday.  There was even a hypothetical member of their church there too.  The hypothetical party had a man with snakes and other animals.  Hypothetically he was a believer and the hypothetical pastor talked with him for a while.  What was cool is the hypothetical animal man talked about God to all of the children.

The hypothetical pastor and his wife drank Aquafina while some of the others were drinking adult beverages.  The hypothetical pastor talked with his hypothetical friend for sometime.  The hypothetical pastor got to meet many hypothetical neighbors that he never had a chance to talk to before.  The hypothetical pastor talked with a hypothetical NFL football player for a long time who is going through a nasty hypothetical divorce and was recently hypothetically cut by a local NFL team.   The hypothetical NFL player has never opened up much to the hypothetical pastor but they talked for a long time yesterday.

The hypothetical pastor saw lots of adult beverages being drunk but no one got out of hand.  He heard lots of colorful language but didn’t act holier than thou.  He had a chance to talk with his hypothetical children about why they go to parties like that.

Hypothetically the pastor didn’t get to share the gospel but he built some hypothetical relationships with neighbors that usually shun him.  The hypothetical pastor will continue to pray for more opportunities to build relationships with his hypothetical neighbors and be able to invest in their lives and invite them to church.

Hypothetical Question?

I have a hypothetical question? Hypothetically a hypothetical pastor and his family have been reaching out to a neighbor and his family. This hypothetical family is very outgoing and friendly. This hypothetical family are not believers. The hypothetical family are very moral and hardworking people. The hypothetical wife works as an executive for a large bank and the hypothetical husband is a master carpenter/cabinet maker. Hypothetically he has worked for Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

The hypothetical pastor was out washing his wife’s van yesterday before they went out for her hypothetical birthday. Then the hypothetical neighbor asks the hypothetical pastor for some hypothetical help. The pastor gladly goes over to hypothetically help. The hypothetical neighbor says I know you don’t drink, but do you mind helping me move this hypothetical “KEG COOLER” to the back yard. What does the hypothetical pastor do?

The hypothetical pastor hates alcohol because of what it did to his grandfather and his hypothetical wife’s family. But he and his family have been reaching out to this family. In fact their hypothetical daughter is loved by the hypothetical family and asked over to eat regularly (hypothetically of course). The hypothetical pastor’s family is invited to a hypothetical birthday party for the hypothetical neighbors 2 year old daughter.

After the hypothetical pastor moved the cooler the hypothetical neighbor asked the hypothetical pastor to carry a “KEG” to the backyard. What does the hypothetical pastor do? Lets say the hypothetically the pastor carries the keg to the backyard. What if hypothetically the neighbor thanks the pastor over and over and asks at least 6 times if the hypothetical pastor and his family are coming to the party? What should the hypothetical pastor do?

Will you pray for the hypothetical pastor and his hypothetical family as they reach out to their hypothetical neighbors and attend the hypothetical party today at 1:00 PM? Hypothetically of course!

Gasoline at $4 Coming to a Pump Near You

[From Bloomberg]

Fuel prices are rising at a pace not seen since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita knocked out a third of the U.S. oil refining industry in 2005. Gasoline consumption is climbing twice as fast as last year and will accelerate when summer travel begins late next month.

Pump prices in the U.S. may increase to $4 a gallon from a nationwide average of $2.87 today, especially if hurricanes threaten Gulf of Mexico refineries, says Peter Beutel, an analyst at Cameron Hanover Inc. in Stamford, Connecticut, who helps industrial consumers manage energy costs.

Read about it here.

[From me]

Why aren’t we using alternative fuels? I know the answer but there needs to be more pressure put upon our government to use Ethanol or e85 fuel to run our cars.  It is much cleaner and we could use our farms to create fuel.  When the first gas church occured in the 1970′s my father thought about building as still after reading about it in Mother Earth News.

Indy race cars have been running off of alcohol for years.  Why can’t we use it in our cars today?   I was talking to a man about this 2 weeks ago and he said we would be paying under a $1 a gallon if we used alcohol in cars.  Why don’t we say by the year 2020 that all cars must be run on alcohol?  This would give the oil companies ample time to diversify and start buying up farms.   With Ethanol we would never run out of fuel.

If something doesn’t change soon, I’m riding a bike to church.

What do you think?

Man was arrested after sword fight over a beer

A Columbia man was arrested after he allegedly struck an acquaintance in the ear with a sword Tuesday during a fight over a beer at a Forest Drive gas station, a Columbia police incident report said. Read about it here.

The injured man was taken to Palmetto Health Baptist for treatment, the report said. Police said Tuesday that his injuries were not life-threatening.

I wonder if the new SBC policies will allow Baptist Medical Centers to treat people who partake in alcohol?