U2 - One

Do you take this credit card?

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Guests at an Israeli wedding hall can now insert a credit card into a machine at its entrance, tap in a sum and leave a gift for the bride and groom.

“It’s new in Israel and the world,” Aya Alon Kaufman of the Gan Oranim hall in Tel Aviv said on Israel’s Channel 10 television. “It’s very convenient … guests can give a gift even if they forget their chequebooks.”

She said couples pay 500 shekels ($155) to rent the device, which resembles an automated teller machine, and the recorded funds are transferred into their bank account the next day.

The machine, shown being used in the television report, prints out a “deposit” slip with the guest’s name, which can be put into an envelope along with a congratulatory note and inserted into a slot in the device for the couple to retrieve.

Rather than bring boxed gifts, guests at Israeli weddings usually leave cash or cheques in envelopes they slip into a safe placed at the reception hall’s door.

(Writing by Jeffrey Heller)

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1033522120080710?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&rpc=69

I was browsing around cnn.com and ran across this article.  It got me thinking, what is patriotism and how can we show it?  Is it a good thing?  Is it outdated?  I don’t think so, but perhaps we should really consider what it is on this 4th of July.  Check out the article below.  What do you all think?

(CNN) — What is patriotism? Is it serving your country during wartime, or making war on injustice in your hometown? Is it gathering with friends and setting off fireworks, or is patriotism a feeling that transcends words?

Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Kyle Fackler hugs daughter Jordyn in a photo from wife Jennifer, who calls patriotism “sacrifice.”

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On the heels of Sen. Barack Obama’s speech last week explaining his take on patriotism, and in honor of the Fourth of July, CNN asked iReport contributors to share their personal definitions of patriotism.

Jennifer Fackler, whose husband soon will be deployed to Iraq for the fifth time, says, “Patriotism means sacrifice; it means I put our child to bed at night alone; it means I spend sleepless nights by the phone.”

An iReporter who goes by Wlutterman calls patriotism “those goose bumps that you get on your arms during a flag ceremony.” Another iReporter, Kcikeizer, says patriotism is honoring “the brave men and women who represent our country in the military while expressing our right to object to this war.”

Below is a selection of iReport and Sound Off responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity:

MrPenguin: What is patriotism exactly?

Patriotism is loving your country. Patriotism is standing when the national anthem plays. Patriotism is putting your hand on your heart to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Some say it is unpatriotic to oppose the war, but hear me out: Say if your kid brings home a bad report card. Are you proud of him? Probably not. But do you still love him? Yes.

Loving your family is wanting what’s best for them. Loving your country is not just saluting the flag; loving your country is trying to make your country better. If you don’t want a better future for America, how can you say you love it?

Andwyg: Patriotism means, to me, celebrating the freedoms we have. Shedding a tear when I hear the national anthem is sung or when I sing it myself. I supported my husband as he served in the U.S. Air Force for eight of his 11 years. Patriotism then was hanging yellow ribbons on my trees while I waited for him to come home.

Now it means telling our son as he grows up about the time his daddy served, his great-grandfathers [who] served along with his second cousins, uncles and great-uncles, and what that means to us as a family. It means making sure that he knows that we are one nation under God and everything that means. It means a respect for our nation’s leaders, our flag, and those who serve and have served. It means fireworks, hot dogs, and red, white, and blue T-shirts from Old Navy on the Fourth of July. It means being thankful for the blessings that come with being a citizen of the U.S.A.

hellcat: These fights over patriotism are silly and meaningless. Since when did expressing oneself, as the Bill of Rights guarantees all Americans, become an act of treason or make the speaker less patriotic? Why is it so hard to accept that there are true faults with this country, and that some people have the chutzpah to point them out?

As it seems to me, most of these people who criticize Michelle Obama for her comments are generally white men who’ve never truly been denied anything due to skin color or gender in their lives. Maybe if they were to spend their time as a person of color and experience the racism that still exists in this nation, they would understand why Mrs. Obama was not truly proud of her country until recently, when the Democratic voters looked beyond color for a candidate.

I don’t especially like Obama or McCain for the presidency, but this needling on patriotism is absurd. As some of the Bible thumpers would love to quote, “Do not point out the splinter in your brother’s eye and ignore the plank in your own.” Knocking down another’s individual rights seems more unpatriotic to me than speaking a truth no one wants to hear.

Wlutterman: It’s those moments when you see the American flag raised high in the sunlight. It’s those moments when the national anthem is sung. It’s those goose bumps that you get on your arms during a flag ceremony. It’s those moments that you cannot describe.

Patriotism is not something that can be described in one word, one sentence or one paragraph. It can be described in that one moment. You know what that one moment is.

RocketScience: I think the flag pin issue is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Don’t we have more important problems to deal with? And if we’re really going to jump on Mr. Obama for not wearing one, chew on this: I went to several other news websites, and I also googled images of John McCain. Nowhere did I find one single picture of him wearing a flag pin. Why aren’t people squawking about him not wearing one? Or does being a veteran give him a free pass?

Blueken: To me, true patriotism is staying faithful to our Founding Fathers’ dream: that all men are created equal. That governments should have checks and balances provided by the three branches of government — legislative, judicial and the president. That there should be no taxation without representation. That there should be a separation of church and state. Free speech and the pursuit of happiness.

Our Founding Fathers thought carefully about the forms of government they saw all over the world. They took the best of what they saw and protected us from the worst. We should think long and hard before we tamper with their well-thought out form of government.

Always: Patriotism is action — that is, service.

And service is more than wearing any uniform. Service lasts a lifetime. It is, each day, being the kind of citizens our grandparents would want us to be and that we would be proud to tell our grandchildren we were. Sappy, yes. Patriotism can be sappy, when one tries to define it. But, simply put, being a patriot means being the best citizen you can be — contributing in the best manner you can.

caligrl: What is patriotism? For me and my family patriotism mean sacrifice; it means I put our child to bed at night alone; it means I spend sleepless nights by the phone and I wait for letters or e-mails to tell me he is OK. Our story is not unique. We are an Air Force family, and we understand the importance of the work our military does for the world. The legacy we are leaving behind for our children is that “freedom isn’t free”; it has been paid for with blood, sweat and many, many tears. As my husband prepares to deploy again next month (for the fifth time), my daughter and I will be here at home serving right along side other brave spouses and their children, because a family that waits also serves.

Kcikeizer: Our family tries to exhibit our patriotism daily by honoring the diversity of belief and culture that this country was founded on. We also honor the brave men and women who represent our country in the military while expressing our right to object to this war and those leaders responsible for leading our country to war.

Greenpaths: How do I express my patriotism? By becoming a part of the solution. By being involved in the community. By becoming an example to others through the way I live. Because I have the freedoms and rights that I can make the choices to help others to help the planet.

It is so important that we start to look deeply within ourselves and make simple changes in our lives so that we can share this great nation with more generations. To teach our children about our land and the beauty of it. Not teach them how to shop in a mall or a box store, but to support our good farmers and shop at local businesses.

Llambo: I was born here; my father fought in two wars, died in one. I’ve paid taxes and obeyed the law all my life, only to be lied to and ripped off by my own government. Patriotism? It’s a buzzword to encourage people to send their young off to war to enable evil people to get rich.

Patriotism is a lie. The Fourth of July no longer has meaning and is simply another excuse for a bunch of people to make noise and get drunk.

MartinT: As the Fourth of July approaches, I reflect on a couple of things. One: I am grateful that my oldest son, the Army kid, is home safe from his second tour in Iraq. My oldest who carries part of my name and half of my soul, and all of my love.

To me patriotism is hating a war that now has sucked both my sons into it, but loving the service and being proud of the young men who serve.

Second: my youngest, the Firedog in the U.S. Air Force, leaves in three weeks to go to Japan, then perhaps to Iraq himself. Patriotism is knowing that I have not seen him in 11 months, and probably won’t have the chance to hug him again for 24 more months. This, my son, the little guy who told me when he was only 4 that he wanted to grow up and be just like me. Thankfully, he grew up to be just like himself, better than me, fully the man I could have hoped for, and always the little blue-eyed, blond-haired kid I love so much.

To me, patriotism is being the bigger man, letting them make their own decisions, watching them grow and being proud. I cannot see an American flag without tearing up. I cannot see the picture of a soldier without feeling both pride and fear. I am a better man because of my sons, because they cared enough to serve. This Fourth of July I will be a patriot because to be anything else is unthinkable.

SGTCHAPSWIFE: Patriotism is a word that can take on many different definitions. For my family, patriotism is proudly supporting my husband as he heads off for another deployment, standing by his side faithfully, sending packages and letters daily, waiting for the phone to ring, dreading the door bell, checking my e-mail a million times a day hoping he had five minutes to log on and write me back, putting our kids to sleep giving them kisses from daddy, and explaining to them that daddy will be home soon and he is safe. Support our troops and those who are serving in the silent ranks of military wives.

It’s been a while since I have written here.  Part of the reason for that is that the timing for writing was never right for a variety of reasons.  I could have written about other things, but the thing that was consuming most of my thoughts was moving.  From here on out, expect regular posts.

Now, for the post….

Moving, in a word, stinks. I have yet to meet anyone who enjoys the process of packing up boxes or cleaning out closets. When I have been cleaning out my closets or taking stuff down from the attic in the preparation for our move to Hutto, more than once I have asked myself “why in the world did I keep this?” I would find that long-lost matching sock and be so excited that I had found it, only to remember that I had thrown the other matching pair away only days before. I have found stuff that I didn’t even know that I had.

Discovery UMC is a place that knows about moving – the stresses, strains, and struggles that go along with that. It’s not a fun thing to do to pick up where you have been for so many good and faithful years and move into a temporary place only to wait to finally move into the restored building.

So why do people move? If it’s such a stressful experience, why put yourself through the suffering? The answer is simple: we believe that where we are going is better than where we have been, or to put it in a word, we hope. Like the Israelites who wandered in the desert, we believe that there really is greener grass on the other side. Sure, there might be some grumbling, but ultimately, the Spirit of God prevails as we move into the proverbial promised land.

Stephanie and I are extremely excited about what lies ahead of us here in Hutto and the partnership we will share with the church. We believe that the stresses of moving will be well worth it because God is doing something big here, and we want nothing more than to be a part of that. Thank you so much for all your dedication to the Gospel. Stephanie and I are honored to call Discovery United Methodist Church of Hutto home.

I am struggling with the situation that is occurring in Myanamar. (google map of Myanamar, also known as Burma).  In case you haven’t heard, a cyclone hit the coast of Myanamar, kiling tens of thousands.  It also destroyed food supplies and clean drinking water is scarce.  One expert predicts that without aid quickly, the cyclone will take more than 100,000 lives.  (Just FYI: hurricanes and typhoons are subset classifications of a cyclone.  A typhoon occurs in the Pacific.  A Hurricane occurs in the Atlantic.  Since this cyclone was in the Indian ocean, there is no other designation other than cyclone given to it.)

The cyclone was so powerful, that satellite images show distinct differences in the coastline.  You can see those pictures here.

I want to help, but I don’t know how to help.  It appears that if I donate to an aid agency, that aid can’t get there.  Even when the United Nations is trying to deliver food and supplies, this CNN article says that the government has confiscated the supplies.  It’s frustrating because as someone who believes that the call of a follower of Jesus is to offer aid, if I offer the aid and I know that it’s not going to where it is supposed to be going, what do I do in that situation?  Is praying for them enough?  Should I fly over there and try to offer aid myself?  One option feels like it’s not enough.  The other feels futile.

It’s this paradox that I struggle with between good stewardship and lavish giving.  How much and to what causes should giving be offered?

I’m not sure I have the answer now, but I’m going to keep searching.  In the meantime, I’ll give what I have to offer that I know will have some effect: prayers and trust in the grace of God.

I am sitting in the higher education and ministry legislative committee at General Conference. It’s fascinating to watch the church at work. They are dealing with issues such as clergy voting rights, which don’t have much appeal beyonf those who it directly affects, but it is important to model christian actions. What we do in-house, so to say, reflects on what we do on the outside.

The United Methodist Church, for the first time ever at General Conference, had an address specifically from those under 35.  It was a montage of speakers, ranging in ages from what appeared to be an young teenager, to an early 30-something young professional.  All the speakers added important messages.  Annie Arnoldy is a young pastor in the Rocky Mountain Conference.  Her part of the address was particularly moving to me.  You can watch it here.

The issues discussed by the speakers were close to my heart partly because I was asked to start, from scratch, a young adult ministry at a church whose building, resources, and parishioners were not oriented toward young adults.  With God’s help and direction, the young adult ministry at Arborlawn has seen tremendous growth, and perhaps more importantly, has made lasting impacts on the lives of those who come.   The church too has grown to accommodate, love, nurture, and support them.  Even though I am leaving to take another appointment, If you’re a young adult in the Fort Worth area, I cannot recommend Arborlawn highly enough.  The Crossing Point young adult blog can be found here.

The other reason this issues is close to my heart is because the age group that they were talking about is my age group.  As a late 20-something, I have watched friends and collegus leave the church, leave the ordination process, and more ore less leave God because they have become disenchanted with the church.  There are a number of different reasons that this has happened, but if I were to attribute one common denominator, it would be simply that they didn’t believe that there was a place for them.  Even the clean-cut, just out of college, married type, who had been in church all their lives suddenly felt that there was no place in the church for them, no community to be a part of, nor were there any leadership opportunities.

I have some ideas on what we can do to attract young adults back to the church, or even attract them for the first time.  But, for this post, I believe that sacred space and community are extremely important, and given that the root word for church in Greek (ecclesia or εκκλησία) literally means “a gathering” or “an assembly” then we would hope that church models community - and not just any community, but a community that means something and does something.  Young adults long for something to be a part of that is doing something significant.

We’ll see how this impacts general conference.  I hope that I am not hoping for too much hope.

The United Methodist Church meets every 4 years with delegates from all over the world that were elected from their particular (mostly geographic) region.   There are 1000 delegates, and they each have a vote.  They will vote on any number of things, from social justice issues to denominational structure.  Intertwoven in all of the votes are worship services, reminding delegates and observers that this really is about God.  Opening worship was last night; the real “work” of the delegations begin today.

The worship experience was incredible last night for a number of reasons.  The first was the quality of the service.  Everything was top-notch.  The music was fantastic, the use of technology was well done, but most importantly there was a definite flow to the service.  There were no awkward downtimes when people got up to speak or weird musical transitions. The dancers were perfectly placed throughout the arena.  Secondly, the preaching was dynamic.  Bishop Huie from the Texas conference was dynamic, yet thoughtful.  She reminded the delegates and observers that hope is not a word to be taken lightly - it should be viewed as a reality, an expectation.  Third, the creative use of multiple symbolic elements, such as the pulpit and the altar being built out of wood from Mississippi after hurrican Katrina, or multiple languages used to read scripture and pray, were reminders that methodists are a global connection and called to serve.

I will write more about GC08 in the next few weeks, but my initial impression is a positive one.

May we follow God’s blessing.

Today at Arborlawn, Stephanie and I announced that we would be leaving the Fort Worth area. The Bishop has appointed me the pastor of Discovery United Methodist Church of Hutto. Hutto is a community north east of Austin and about 5 miles east of Round Rock. Population estimates place it as the fastest growing city in the state. Here’s a google map link to it.

Now the work of getting a house ready, moving, and all the infinite details that will need to be worked out begins. We appreciate your prayers.

Stephanie and I are excited about the future as we believe that God is certainly leading us to Hutto. We will miss Arborlawn tremendously. The following is what I said in worship after the announcement was made: