Several have asked about the funeral arrangements for Cheryl's Aunt Dot. They are as follows:
Tusday
3:00 P.M.
Pelzer Church of God
203 Highway 20 N, Pelzer, SC 29669
(864) 947-6411
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Prayer Request
Please be in prayer for Cheryl and her family. Cheryl's aunt Dot, Dorothy Turner, died early this morning in Greenville, S.C.. Cheryl was able to see her in intensive care last evening. She was a loving, gentle, and kind follower of Christ, a comforting presence for all who knew her.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
New Student Retreat
Yesterday Cheryl and I returned from the COGTS new student retreat in north Georgia (Wednesday through Friday). It is always great to meet the students many of whom come from great distances. They have powerful stories of God's grace.
On Thursday we went for a ride up to Fort Mountain.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Faculty Retreat
We returned last evening from our annual fall faculty retreat (Wednesday through Friday). This year we went to Fall Creek Falls. I took both cameras, unfortunately I had failed to reinsert the memory card on my Canon Rebel and didn't realize this untill I got home and tried to upload the great photos I thought I had taken.
By the way, I have no idea why we call these "retreats." They're not "advances" either. I would not exactly say "gulag" (at least not in public). How about "work-camp?"
Drs. Ayo Adewua, Terry Johns, Cheryl, and Kim Alexander
By the way, I have no idea why we call these "retreats." They're not "advances" either. I would not exactly say "gulag" (at least not in public). How about "work-camp?"
Drs. Ayo Adewua, Terry Johns, Cheryl, and Kim Alexander
Monday, August 11, 2008
Alethea & Family visit
When I returned on Saturday evening Alethea, Justin, Camdyn, and Charlie were here for a visit. They came on Friday. Alethea and Justin went rafting with Mike, Ryan, Andrea, and her brother on Saturday. Shirley helped watch the kids.
Here are a few pictures.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Obama & McCain
This summer I posted a couple of book reviews on Face Book, one by Obama and the other by McCain. Here they are.
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (Paperback) by Barack Obama
I confess I read this book because I wanted to prepare myself for a possible (probable?) Obama presidency. I had (have) no intentions of voting for him. That is a matter of political/social philosophy. [I am a compassionate conservative.]
I found the book a compelling but laborious read. It is the autobiography of a biracial child seeking to find and claim his identity. I found myself deeply touched by his struggles and impressed with his method of social engagement as well as his philosophical/theological understanding of self-identification (our identities flow from the stories of our families).
In terms of style, the author often gets lost in the details. Writing shortly after graduating from law school, the book often reads as if he is trying to prove his case by drowning the reader in minutia of various scenes from his life. It stretches his credibility to expect the reader believe he has an accurate memory of the details of relatively minor events that happened years in the past.
The general tone of the book is that of an amateur social psychologist attempting to interpret the world in which he has grown up. While I found his accounts of how he experienced life engaging and believable and I found his attempts to describe and interpret the motives of those close to him insightful, his broader social analysis lacked the credibility of a trained social psychologist.
In the end, I like the Barack Obama I found in these pages. He appears open, honest, highly intelligent, and seasoned in the quest for meaning. Yet, I kept hoping he would arrive at a place of solid self-identity. Instead, I came to the end of the book appreciating the journey he has taken while hoping he continues. As a pastor, I want to walk with him on that journey. Unfortunately, my impression is that he (at the time of this writing – and I assume at the present since the edition I read was recently revised) still does not have a solid grasp of who he is and where he belongs in our modern world. I wish him well; I am not comfortable with the idea of someone serving in the office of President of the United States because it is the next stop on a journey of self-discovery.
Worth the Fighting For: The Education of an American Maverick, and the Heroes Who Inspired Him (Paperback) by John McCain
I read this book out of a sense of responsibility; this fall I plan to vote for John McCain for the highest political office in the world. I should have a good idea of who he is or at least who he wants us to think he is. This volume (400 plus pages) was completed shortly after he lost the Republican nomination for President in 2000 and was first published in 2002. It was co-authored by Mark Salter.
Like most political tomes it is long and laborious, full of excruciating details of political triumphs and failures. The full title partially reflects the author’s intent of chronicling his political career, “Worth Fighting For: The Education of an American Maverick, and the Heroes Who Inspired Him.” The premise is to weave together the major events of McCain’s political career with brief character driven narratives of key figures (all are men, representing differing political views, with some fictional literary characters included) who have directly or indirectly influenced him. The portrait that unfolds is that of a man committed to the ideals of courage, honor, truthfulness, and loyalty. Above all McCain wants to be known as a patriot for the greatest nation to ever exist, a nation worth fighting for.
The sermon woven throughout the text culminates in chapter 10-B “A Happier Life in Every Way” where the life of his favored hero, Teddy Roosevelt, is reviewed. Roosevelt exemplifies McCain’s view of the great man, someone who, although flawed, overcomes weaknesses, aggressively confronts injustice, and steadfastly promotes a noble cause for humanity. Above all Roosevelt believes in the manifest moral destiny of the USA to lead the world into true democracy. Thus, McCain’s ideal man is someone who fights for what he believes in, and McCain, like Teddy, believes in the United States of America and the ideals upon which the nation was formed. Unfortunately, he does not explicate those ideals from the vantage point of the founders of the nation; instead he only looks through the lens of his twentieth century heroes.
One of the interesting traits of the book is McCain’s incessant portrayal of his own character flaws and mistakes in judgment. He draws upon his heroes to identify his own personal and political failings and to the find the best route out of them. Thus the “hidden agenda” of the book appears to be that of a man who wants others to know him for who he truly is and who he wants to be. It is as if you can hear his subconscious pleading, “I am who I am, I am not yet a great man, but no one has ever tried harder than me to become one.” In the words of the noted developmental psychologist Erik Erickson, McCain appears to be a man striving to enter the final phase of his life with a strong sense of integrity rather than despair.
My greatest concern about this person who would be president is that he fails to recognize the need to integrate his fractured self into his vision of greatness. For instance, when chronicling his visit to the cell where he had been kept prisoner in the Hanoi Hilton he notes that he felt no emotion, “the past is past.” He obviously sees this stoicism as an honorable character trait. After all, one of his heroes is a (North) Vietnamese diplomat. As a pastor and spiritual counselor I would encourage the Senator to let go of the faulty goal of conquering and forgetting past suffering and rather to more fully integrate his past suffering into his personal identity. (How did years of torture form him rather than just inform him?) Perhaps, the greatest lessons we can learn from pain are not how to avoid it or use it, but rather what it says about who we are and how it has shaped us. This might prove beneficial in helping him conquer his flaws rather than merely temper and utilize them. But this process would require a greater dependence on God than McCain’s writings indicate he is willing; references to God or even religious faith are virtually absent from this book.
As the book closes McCain muses about the twilight of his political career, proposing he probably has had his last romp in the limelight of national politics. This makes the text, which I suspect began as an apology for the philosophical roadmap for the McCain presidency planned to begin in 2001 (e.g., campaign finance reform), read more like a never ending eulogy. Perhaps a revised edition of the book will include a new hero, a prototype of political resurrections.
And, Yes I still plan to vote for him!
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (Paperback) by Barack Obama
I confess I read this book because I wanted to prepare myself for a possible (probable?) Obama presidency. I had (have) no intentions of voting for him. That is a matter of political/social philosophy. [I am a compassionate conservative.]
I found the book a compelling but laborious read. It is the autobiography of a biracial child seeking to find and claim his identity. I found myself deeply touched by his struggles and impressed with his method of social engagement as well as his philosophical/theological understanding of self-identification (our identities flow from the stories of our families).
In terms of style, the author often gets lost in the details. Writing shortly after graduating from law school, the book often reads as if he is trying to prove his case by drowning the reader in minutia of various scenes from his life. It stretches his credibility to expect the reader believe he has an accurate memory of the details of relatively minor events that happened years in the past.
The general tone of the book is that of an amateur social psychologist attempting to interpret the world in which he has grown up. While I found his accounts of how he experienced life engaging and believable and I found his attempts to describe and interpret the motives of those close to him insightful, his broader social analysis lacked the credibility of a trained social psychologist.
In the end, I like the Barack Obama I found in these pages. He appears open, honest, highly intelligent, and seasoned in the quest for meaning. Yet, I kept hoping he would arrive at a place of solid self-identity. Instead, I came to the end of the book appreciating the journey he has taken while hoping he continues. As a pastor, I want to walk with him on that journey. Unfortunately, my impression is that he (at the time of this writing – and I assume at the present since the edition I read was recently revised) still does not have a solid grasp of who he is and where he belongs in our modern world. I wish him well; I am not comfortable with the idea of someone serving in the office of President of the United States because it is the next stop on a journey of self-discovery.
Worth the Fighting For: The Education of an American Maverick, and the Heroes Who Inspired Him (Paperback) by John McCain
I read this book out of a sense of responsibility; this fall I plan to vote for John McCain for the highest political office in the world. I should have a good idea of who he is or at least who he wants us to think he is. This volume (400 plus pages) was completed shortly after he lost the Republican nomination for President in 2000 and was first published in 2002. It was co-authored by Mark Salter.
Like most political tomes it is long and laborious, full of excruciating details of political triumphs and failures. The full title partially reflects the author’s intent of chronicling his political career, “Worth Fighting For: The Education of an American Maverick, and the Heroes Who Inspired Him.” The premise is to weave together the major events of McCain’s political career with brief character driven narratives of key figures (all are men, representing differing political views, with some fictional literary characters included) who have directly or indirectly influenced him. The portrait that unfolds is that of a man committed to the ideals of courage, honor, truthfulness, and loyalty. Above all McCain wants to be known as a patriot for the greatest nation to ever exist, a nation worth fighting for.
The sermon woven throughout the text culminates in chapter 10-B “A Happier Life in Every Way” where the life of his favored hero, Teddy Roosevelt, is reviewed. Roosevelt exemplifies McCain’s view of the great man, someone who, although flawed, overcomes weaknesses, aggressively confronts injustice, and steadfastly promotes a noble cause for humanity. Above all Roosevelt believes in the manifest moral destiny of the USA to lead the world into true democracy. Thus, McCain’s ideal man is someone who fights for what he believes in, and McCain, like Teddy, believes in the United States of America and the ideals upon which the nation was formed. Unfortunately, he does not explicate those ideals from the vantage point of the founders of the nation; instead he only looks through the lens of his twentieth century heroes.
One of the interesting traits of the book is McCain’s incessant portrayal of his own character flaws and mistakes in judgment. He draws upon his heroes to identify his own personal and political failings and to the find the best route out of them. Thus the “hidden agenda” of the book appears to be that of a man who wants others to know him for who he truly is and who he wants to be. It is as if you can hear his subconscious pleading, “I am who I am, I am not yet a great man, but no one has ever tried harder than me to become one.” In the words of the noted developmental psychologist Erik Erickson, McCain appears to be a man striving to enter the final phase of his life with a strong sense of integrity rather than despair.
My greatest concern about this person who would be president is that he fails to recognize the need to integrate his fractured self into his vision of greatness. For instance, when chronicling his visit to the cell where he had been kept prisoner in the Hanoi Hilton he notes that he felt no emotion, “the past is past.” He obviously sees this stoicism as an honorable character trait. After all, one of his heroes is a (North) Vietnamese diplomat. As a pastor and spiritual counselor I would encourage the Senator to let go of the faulty goal of conquering and forgetting past suffering and rather to more fully integrate his past suffering into his personal identity. (How did years of torture form him rather than just inform him?) Perhaps, the greatest lessons we can learn from pain are not how to avoid it or use it, but rather what it says about who we are and how it has shaped us. This might prove beneficial in helping him conquer his flaws rather than merely temper and utilize them. But this process would require a greater dependence on God than McCain’s writings indicate he is willing; references to God or even religious faith are virtually absent from this book.
As the book closes McCain muses about the twilight of his political career, proposing he probably has had his last romp in the limelight of national politics. This makes the text, which I suspect began as an apology for the philosophical roadmap for the McCain presidency planned to begin in 2001 (e.g., campaign finance reform), read more like a never ending eulogy. Perhaps a revised edition of the book will include a new hero, a prototype of political resurrections.
And, Yes I still plan to vote for him!
Gloom at the Assembly
Well, I have gone from elation over the elections to despair over the deliberations. We ended the General Council session today considering an item to allow women to serve on the Church and Pastor's Council of the local church. In spite of some clear and some passionate speaches in favor of the move (with equally passionate, if ill-informed, speaches against it), the motion failed by 9 votes out of about a thousand cast.
I was depressed by the speaches against the motion, one by a long time friend. Several represented careful reasoning but misguided exegesis -- my friend's and others. The truth is you can find a "scholar" to defend almost any position. It is especially grievious when the argument has the air of academic appeal, i.e., "the Greek word means" and the scholars quoted are fron traditions that are openly anti-Pentecostal.
I was further depressed by the process. The vote was taken but before the tellers report was given a member rose to complain his electronic key pad did not work. The moderator called for another vote with each member having access to a working key pad. The problem is that many members had already left the floor; we were past the scheduled time for adjournment.
I was depressed by the speaches against the motion, one by a long time friend. Several represented careful reasoning but misguided exegesis -- my friend's and others. The truth is you can find a "scholar" to defend almost any position. It is especially grievious when the argument has the air of academic appeal, i.e., "the Greek word means" and the scholars quoted are fron traditions that are openly anti-Pentecostal.
I was further depressed by the process. The vote was taken but before the tellers report was given a member rose to complain his electronic key pad did not work. The moderator called for another vote with each member having access to a working key pad. The problem is that many members had already left the floor; we were past the scheduled time for adjournment.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Assembly News
I am seldom thrilled at the General Assembly. I have been this year. The General Council of Ordained Bishops has acted historically. For the first time ever the Council has nominated an African American (Wallace Sibley) to serve on the Executive Committee of the denomination. Also, for the first time the Council has nominated an Hispanic (Victor Pegan) to serve in a top position (Assistant Director of World Missions).
What few people know is that since I became member of the General Council in 1984 I have practiced a personal policy of voting almost exclusively for minorities and internationals on every ballot where I could. Typically, this meant I would vote for them on the first two ballots after which the body would vote to limit the list to the top names.
What few people know is that since I became member of the General Council in 1984 I have practiced a personal policy of voting almost exclusively for minorities and internationals on every ballot where I could. Typically, this meant I would vote for them on the first two ballots after which the body would vote to limit the list to the top names.
Monday, August 04, 2008
San Antonio
Quick update: I got home from Orlando Wednesday evening. On Thurday we had a faculty meeting in the morning and Cheryl went to South Carolina in the afternoon. On Saturday I mowed the yard, Cheryl's nephew Josh and his girlfriend arrived for a visit, Cheryl came home, and I cooked a great meal. Sunday was church (morning and evening with some pastoral counseling in between. We got up at 3 this morning, got dressed, rushed to Knoxville, and flew here to San Antonio. Cheryl responded to a paper at the educator's conference while I waited in line (over two hours)to register for the General Assembly.
It is hot in San Antonio!
It is hot in San Antonio!
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