irony...

I'll was doing a little pre-season warm-up this afternoon -- tuning into C-Span before the Republical Convention. Just like I was during the Democratic Convention, I'll be hanging out on C-Span whenever I can.

But today was much different thatn the typical convention/infomercial. It was covering the protests on the streets of New York City. I was struck by how intense the people felt and expressed hatred for the man, George Bush. They weren't very creative in using the Republican candidates' names for sexual innuendo. The banners flowed freely with phrases like "f* Bush" or "Bush liar" and others.

Here's the irony. The rally was sponsored by Americans United for Peace. How can the message of peace be spread by people who are so venomous about a man? It's as if they got their peace training in the Middle East...we'll get peace by hating you more...

Jesus brought a pretty good message of peace. And his demeanor and message supported a message of peace and love.

Sometimes, Christians are just as bone-headed as the protesters in NYC. They shout about God's love to passers-by. They put bumperstickers on their car declaring that they're going to heaven and that certain people will be going to hell. They declare that "God hates fags." What?!?!?

If Jesus is about bringing peace between God and humanity. And Christ's followers are the ones charged with continuing that message through word and action, then shouldn't we be the most loving, gentle, kind, peaceful people on earth?

Should be.

Stepping down now...

M@

Daddy day

Today is daddy day...which means that mom is working and daddy gets both kids!! The both began to sound off about 6am, which made me groan...but then they settled in until 8..SCORE!

It's raining, so no playing outside. On days like this, our house becomes very, very small.

Tonight, we're supposed to have a bunch of people over for a bonfire. Accuweather says rain might hold off this evening...it's a crap shoot. Tomorrow doesn't look any better, so I think we're going to go for it.

Heidi's been playing around with a family web site. She's pretty good at it. You can link there at the right or go to www.furrhouse.com. We'll keep changing pictures and updating stories.

Peace,

M@

walk through the fire...

"When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

Isaiah, the prophet of Israel who lives thousands of years ago wrote this on behalf of God.

God doesn't say that we won't pass through rivers or fire...but that as we do, he will be with us and will not let us be consumed. That is the promise revealed through the prophets and through Immanual, God with us -- one of the names given to Jesus. Jesus even made a promise on his own behalf before he assended into heaven -- "I will be with you, even to the end of the age."

There is nothing that can take this promise away from someone who desires God to be near...not cancer, alcoholism, divorce, broken friendships, broken families, lost jobs, miscarrieage...not even death itself.

To trust in God is to trust this reality. That no matter what I am experiencing, I trust His presence. If I can't trust that reality in the darkest of times, then I don't trust Him at all. If my trust is based on my circumstances, then...

Learning to trust,

Matt

Christian Hedonism

I've always been a pretty serious guy...mostly. I actually think that I've lightened up as I've grown older. But as a kid, my mom would always challenge me as I was heading to some camp or retreat or special event, saying, "Hang loose and have fun." It fell into the same catagory as "Don't talk to strangers." or "Look both ways before crossing the road." or "Wash your hands before eating." It's just one of those things that moms say.

I don't know why I needed reminding to have fun and not take life so seriously, but I did. Even as adults, we sometimes take life a bit too seriously.

In our faith, we focus on the duty of following Jesus. The Big Ten keep us in check. Then there's the whole beattitudes and Sermon On the Mount and the whole "love your enemies" thing. There's a lot that we're supposed to do and not do in order to do the faith thing correctly.

But there's one thing that is often left off the list...have fun, find pleasure.

John Piper, in several of his writing, espouses a philosophy known as Christian Hedonism. In other words, one of our disciplines as a Christ-follower is to delight and find pleasure in God.

C.S. Lewis said something like this: We are like kids who spend their time making mud pies in the slums because we can't even imagine a holiday at the sea. He concludes that "we are too easily pleased."

It's true. We look for pleasure in things like sex, food, alcohol, competition, recreation. Those things can bring pleasure, in a sense -- they can at least help us escape the pain of life. But true pleasure, the kind that feeds the soul, is found in walking with Jesus and pleasing Him. The affirmation of His Spirit in my spirit brings joy beyond words.

I'm finding this to be true in my life. The more I walk with Jesus and submit myself to him, the more I laugh and enjoy life. I laugh alot. I love to laugh. I love to find pleasure.

This Christian Hedonism thing just might work...

Peace on the journey,

M@

great weekend

We had a great weekend.

Friday night, after my wedding rehearsal, Heidi and I went out for a date...with just the two of us! We sat at a local diner and shared a sundea...mmmmm. Thanks, Rache, for hanging with the kids while we went out! Rache is our A#1 sitter. There are many who have afforded us the opportunity to go out (Christine and Laura, yeah!), but Izak and Rache are more like sibblings than sitter and kid. It's fun to watch them...he loves her so much.

Saturday, Heidi worked, I hung out with the kids, and then performed a wedding. It was a good time.

Then once we all got home, we went out for dinner and then up to the city. A new church, Bethlehem (linked through Eric Amundson to the right) began public worship services Saturday evening. We got to be there for the kick-off. There were probably about a hudred people there and a bunch of kids. It was a little crazy since there was no program for kids...but fun.

Sunday was normal worship gathering in the morning. Then, after naps, we went to an outdoor batism service. It was great. A family in the church let us use their small lake, which was just perfect. 16 people were baptized! Then food, hanging out, and fun. Izak was dying to get into the water, but we didn't pack for swimming.

Today is family day. Started the morning out by taking Izak for haircut. He tried to be brave, but the clippers are just way too scary!!

Now home for naptime. We laid Libby down in Izak's crib to see how she'd do. She's doing great! Only problem is that the regular occupant is getting ready to lay down...

Oh, by the way...Libby's been sleeping great at night. She's been going 10-12 hours with only one waking halfway through for a little "hair of the dog" and then going right back to sleep. I'm so excited about this...I feel like I might get my brain back someday!! Go Libby!!!

Peace,

M@

until we are parted by death...

On the big day when the bride wears white and the groom shaves and puts on the tux, you don't think much about the reality of the words, "Until we are parted by death." Most of who are married have said them. And we all acknowledge that someday our death will be a reality.

Today, I performed a small wedding ceremony for a couple who will, unless God intervenes in a big way, experience the reality of those words sooner rather than later.

B was diagnosed with cancer late last week. She was in remission, but it has come back. She begins chemo therapy tomorrow. The doctors say that if the chemo works, she'll live another year, maybe two.

I stood in front of them and offered the words for them to repeat. "In sickness and in health" and "Until we are parted by death." Everyone in the room knew the reality, but none moreso than the couple who looked into each other's eyes and made a commitment to be there...no matter what.

The thought of loosing Heidi to death breaks my heart. I watched my mother live in that reality when my dad died unexpectedly at 41. My heart has been bound to this woman forever. To lose her would be to lose part of me.

Marriage is supposed to be that way. It's God's purpose.

But the pain of loss isn't the end. My perspective on life doesn't end with the funeral. There is pain. But I won't grieve as one without hope. The hope I have is that Heidi and I will be united for ever in eternity as we are in God's presence.

In light of the reality of "until we are parted by death" some of the little things don't seem quite so important. Do I really need to prove that I'm right (which I am so very painfully few times)? Are my wants really all that big a deal? I have but a short time in this life to serve her and express my deepest love to her...why get sidetracked by things that don't matter.

It's good to be reminded of these things. Today was no typical wedding. B's mortality is no more real than mine or Heidi's. May our commitment also be no less real or poignant.

Heidi, I love you.

Peace,
M@

ouch!

The Red Cross was at the office today collecting blood. It was a good showing, which is cool. I gave...it's the second time this year. I know, it's not much of a radical thing, but it's something that can be done to help someone else.

It's been a very busy week. Today, especially, was one of those days which is filled with back-to-back meetings and appointments. They were all productive, which makes me feel pretty good about the day.

Heidi went out with a few friends that we made when we took a natural child-birth class in preparation for Izak's birth. It's pretty cool that we have stayed friends with these couples.

I got to be daddy tonight...and watch some of the Games on tv.

That's the scoop for now.

Peace,

Matt

FORE!!!

What an incredible day of golf! I was given a foursome at a local country club. The tournament was to raise funds for Buffalo City Mission and Cornerstone Manor (which is the women's shelter in the city). The weather was perfect. The course was in top condition. And the other three guys combined for 4 under and huge laughs! It was a great time.

All the while, Heidi was holding down the homestead with a girl who's still loving the shots she got last week and a toddler with the trots...imagine the fun!

This past weekend was Heidi's first back on the worship team. She rocked! And I got to care for Libby...with the help of about half the women at church, who saw this as their opportunity to hold the treasure.

Busy week ahead.

Peace,

M@

voting...

I had a great conversation with a friend today which touched on the subject of voting. Here's my question that springs from the conversation...As a Christ-follower, what's my responsibility as I cast my vote?

If my highest loyalty is to Jesus and the kingdom that he is establishing, then my voting should reflect that, right? There are two directions to go here...

1) I vote in such a way that biblical principles become law. Many people talk about America as a Christian nation (I'm not sure I buy that, even though it is a nation founded with biblical principles). My voting can help bring about that reality...sort of. But this falls short in that America does not have as its highest goal the glory of Christ. Even if laws are biblical, they do not point people to Jesus.

2) I vote in such a way as to promote the "darkening" of culture, if you will. A light shines brighter in the dark, right? Therefore, there is more opportunity for the Church to be the Church in a culture that is clearly antagonistic towards Jesus and his principles.

An example of this can be found in laws that prevented businesses from being open on Sunday. This was an attempt to legislate observance of the Sabbath. Did those laws point people toward Jesus? Not really. Instead, that created an antagonism between the established church, with its church culture, and the rest of the culture. Eventually, those laws were taken off the books. Now, any business is allowed to be open on Sunday.

I have friends who own a restaurant in town. In order to honor Christ, they have chosen to close Sundays. When customers push them to be open, they have an opportunity to express their love for Jesus as the reason that they close on Sundays. Their light shines pretty brightly. However, if the law stated that they couldn't be open, the light shines a bit more dimly.

I don't think I'm prepared to back the most repulsive candidate (and some people think that I already do!) for the sake of this idea. But it does give me reason to stop and think a bit.

What governs the way I vote or the way I think about important civic issues?

hmmm,

M@

ho hum...

Life's been pressing on this week. Things around the office are a little slower as most of my teammates are on vacation...I'm the kind of person who needs some interaction, so I get a little stir-crazy when too many people are gone.

The quiet time has been good, though. I'm working on a series of messages for Catalyst worship gatherings beginning in September. It's starting to come together.

Here's a joke for your amusement...maybe...

Three new husbands were standing around comparing notes about their new brides. The first one says, "I laid down the law at home. I told me wife that she has to do all the dinner cooking. I'm not going to do it any more. I expect food on the table when I get home from work. The first day, I didn't see any changes. The second, nothing. Then on the third day and ever since, she's made great dinners and they've been ready when I get home from work."

The second husband said, "Yeah, I laid down the law, too. I told her that she had to do all the shopping -- groceries, clothing, everything. I wasn't going to go into any more stores. The first day after our talk, I didn't see any changes. The second day, nothing. Then the third day, I noticed new clothes in the closet and the pantry was full."

The third new husband shared his story. "I laid down the law. I told her I wasn't going to do any of the cooking or the shopping. And on top of that, I expect her to do all the cleaning. The first day, I didn't see anything. The second day, nothing. Then the third day I could begin to see a little out of my left eye..."

If you're a husband, tell your wife you love her and find some way to serve her. If you're a pig like these guys, get a grip!

M@

The peace returns...

Well, it was a great weekend with family in town. It was expected that it was just going to be my family since Heidi's has already met Libby and her mom was just out here a couple months ago. But Saturday around lunch, a strange puppy came meandering into my living room, followed by the familiar "Hello..." of Heidi's sister, Stephanie. What a surprise!

Lou, Heidi's dad, had decided to pack up the gang and drive over on Saturday morning! It was great having them all here...crazy, but great!

After speaking in 4 services during the weekend, doing a special short service to give God thanks for Libby, celebrating with family over lunch, and then hosting another party to honor the little girl in my life...I'm pretty hammered this morning.

What a weekend! Heidi and I have pretty cool families. I'm so thankful that they love us enough to travel from Michigan to be a part of our special Liberty celebration. I guess they got stuck at the bridge back into Michigan and didn't get home until after midnight...ugh...

We also have a great church family. So many people who have loved us and walked with us for the past 6 years. I'm pretty grateful to have friends like the ones we have here.

That's the news on a Monday morning. I'm off to watch Dragon Tales with my son...who woke up at 540 this morning....

M@

fam's in town...

Well, they've decended upon Hamburg, NY...the Cary/Hilson clan (we're short the Clark/Fisher end of the clan). The Carys arrived last night in time to play Izak into the ground and meet Libby. Then today, we played outside in the morning, had lunch, then headed off to the Buffalo Zoo.

I have to admit...the Buffalo Zoo is better than I thought it would be. Not too exotic...unless various Australian ducks or South American lizard is your idea of exotic. For the most part, the attractions includes some deer, ducks, zebra, elephants, tigers, polar bears, and a gorilla that enjoyed a game of hide and seek with my brother-in-law, Britt -- who always seems to bring out the best in zoo animals.

This evening, we did the big bonfire at the Furr house. The Cary boys always talk about the fires...so it was Uncle Matt's job to build the biggest and best one out there. Today, I outdid myself. No, the fire department wasn't necessary...but I was glad that I had the hose handy. I've seen bigger...on certain birthday cakes...That story can be summed up this way: sheet cake, 2000 skinny candles, melting wax, 4 foot flame, fire extiguisher, Chrsitmas party remembered by all...priceless.

My parents also arrived tonight. It's nice to have the family in town. They'll be here through Sunday afternoon.

That's the news from here. Final thoughts: Bush, end the crazy anti-Kerry war hero ads that some dorks are putting out there -- no one is going to vote for Kerry just because he was in Vietnam anyway. Kerry, come out with it...repeat after me..."I'm a liberal senator from Mass. and I will be a liberal president." Alan Keyes, don't believe your own press, Obama will be the next Senator from Illinois and then on to run for President as long as he keeps it together. Democrats, Bush didn't cause terrorism or steal the presidency. Republicans, remember that we'd be cry babies, too, if Gore had actually won the electoral college.

Peace,

M@

progressive politics

I've been getting Sojourners for a little while now. It's a maganize and e-zine that is designed to give a Christian perspective on progressive politics. I had hoped that it would be a thoughtful discussion of the issues from a biblical perspective. But I'm a little frustrated...instead of thoughtful discussions, I seem to be getting only shrill attacks on conservatives and President Bush.

I agree that the Republicans aren't the only party for Christians. As a matter of fact, many Christ-followers are being duped into believing that Jesus would vote Republican. And Republican leaders are continuing to feed that message to anyone who'll listen because it's worth a whole heck of a lot of votes every election cycle. But the reaily is...the Republical party couldn't care less about honoring Jesus and espousing his values. At least the Democrats acknowledge that they don't care about that stuff...until this year, when they're trying to dip into the pockets of their own brand of Christian. Jim Wallis is just as shrill on the left as Pat Robertson is on the right. They deserve each other!

So what are the values that Jesus talked about? Things like: respect for everyone, life, justice, care for the poor, the difficulty of being rich, generosity, forgiveness, responsibility for one's decisions, freedom to make those decisions.

Where is the thoughtful discussion about these things? It should be in the church community. How do we get the discussion going? I'm still trying to figure that out.

If you're a part of the Hamburg Wesleyan community, let me know if you think you'd be interested in participating in a casual but organized discussion of these issues during the election season. Let's see what happens.

Peace,

Matt

mulch and more...

Well, Monday was another family day for the Furrs. We had a nice morning -- everyone played nice. Then in the afternoon, I spread mulch around the yard. The town where we live has free mulch for anyone to haul away. If you dig in the right part of the pile, you can get some good stuff! I dug. Then filled a pick-up bed. Then spread it around the yard. Then did it again. That's a lot of work for a fat kid! But it was good to get it done.

I stayed up late last Thursday to hear John Kerry's speech at the convention. I was very tired on Friday and pretty uninspired on Thursday. He's trying very hard to project a specific image -- an image that seems different than the reality. So I'll keep watching and processing. Only 90 more days to go!

Tomorrow is a big day. I head into the office with a new assistant waiting for me. Laura, who worked with me for the past two years, is not giving leadership to the young adult ministry (still working with me). Now Stacia is the one charged with making sure I don't miss appointments and that my spelling and grammer are write. Hats off to Laura who put up with me for two years and then signed on for the next leg of the journey. Hats off to Stacia who doesn't know better!

My family will be coming to town this week. It's a special weekend for us. Because of our faith in Jesus and our passionate desire to honor Him with every aspect of our lives, we will be participating in a special service to dedicate our daughter, Liberty Kathryn, to God. It's a recognition that she is a gift from Him and an exceptance on our part to partner with God in shaping her.

Parenting a girl is different than a boy. Both have their challenges, no doubt. Because I have some experience knowing what a boy needs to become a man, I entered parenthood with Izak with a measure of confidence. But with a girl...it seems different. I know that God will guide our steps, just like with my son. But it's different.

Heidi and I are enjoying a quiet house by sitting by each other (which doesn't happen very often with two kids) and watching the Battle at the Bridges (golf rocks!).

Peace,

Matt