Author: Wick

Husband, Father, Pastor, Missionary, Writer, Poet, Friend, reader, coffee enthusiast, hockey Wing-Nut, musical participator, etc...
Posted in Uncategorized

foncusion

Posted on by Wick

“You need to look out for you.  You are your number one concern.  Look out for yourself, and what you need, and you will succeed.  If you find anyone in your crew who is looking out for themselves, kick ’em out, because they’re not going to help you.” – paraphrased quote from today’s rally

Whoa.  I was confused.  Seriously.  Here are gathered a couple hundred people under the theme of “Pump up the Pride – Uniform Rally”.  It’s true, they talked about uniforms, and how it’s a positive change.  People clapped.  They gave away some free pop.  It was delicious.  But honestly, many were there simply to pick up their school schedules.  The main speaker was a judge from the County Courthouse, who spoke largely in quotes and idioms.

But I understand the heart and desire.  There are large numbers of our high schoolers who serve social/worldly pressures.  We say “give into peer pressure”, but the pressure doesn’t usually come from a peer anymore, it’s bigger than that.  As evidenced by today’s rally:

Beneath the uniforms, call to responsible living, and promise that you can end up being an author, professional dancer, or professional musician if you simply work hard enough…there was a quiet undertone.  The undertone that says, “We’re not sure if you’ll like us if we ask you to grow up, so we’ll try to make it sound/look attractive.”

There were words against drugs.  Against having sex.  Against drinking, and committing crimes.  All sponsored by our local radio “rap” station that plays songs depicting drugs, sex, drinking, and criminal mindsets.  There was a short “catwalk” of high school models wearing acceptable uniforms for the year ahead, and after their walk they were asked to do dances (“Dougie“, and “Cat Daddy” to be specific…warning: those links contain offensive language) to compete for a free backpack.  I felt awkward for them, and sad for our community that this is our display of how we take pride in young men and women growing up.

All that to say, how do we expect the next generation to grow into becoming men and women who respect themselves and know how to make wise decisions/difficult choices even if they’re not accepted well by others…if we don’t know how to model that?

May we begin with prayer…from repentance, to restoration, to renewal…

Posted in Different Scriptures

one of another

Posted on by Wick

Romans 12:5 “so we, who are many, are one body in Christ,

and individually we are members one of another.”

Our girls go through phases like a roller coaster over hills.  They can go from sharing ridiculously well with little to no supervision, to yelling at the top of their lungs and demanding some alone time.  Sometimes the hills of the roller coaster last for a day, sometimes for a minute or two.  But that’s simply the life of figuring out just “how” we relate and belong to each other as family.  It’s a different relationship than those who live outside our home.

In Romans chapter 12, Paul is talking to the early church, and reminding them they must be “transformed”.  That Christ has begun a new age, where we can live as citizens of the Kingdom, but that requires not conforming to the patterns  of the world.  One of the foundations for becoming such a group of people is to recognize we’re more than just a group of people. We’re family.  In a family, I’m not simply surrounded by friends and acquaintances.  Ideally, in a family, I’m rubbing shoulders with those I love beyond anything they could do or say.  Ideally, our life as the local church body would be similar.  Unfortunately, in a world impacted by sin, “ideally” is not a guarantee.  But that is why we read these words…Christ enables us to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds”.

It’s not simply about getting my daughters to let go of their individuality and be absorbed into “Andersons”, anymore than we in the body of Christ want to be absorbed completely into being called “another member”.  Each of my children carries a unique presence and contribution to who our family is becoming. Similarly, the scripture acknowledges that “we are many”, and “individually”; yet still “one body”, and “members one of another”.

To the early church in Rome, they were tempted to think that their family membership or civic status meant some sort of “higher level” in the Christian family.  In our churches, this same mindset may come in the form of generational: traditional (Hymn-huggers) or hipster (iPod-huggers) divides.  Paul’s words come just as strongly to our churches today – we belong to each other as important/valued members, living as the complete body of Christ today.  Not simply “valuing the church of tomorrow”, or “gleaning wisdom from the church of yesterday”…but actually living together in today, made complete by Christ as our head.

May parenting our children to love each other, and helping them discover their roles in the family – cause us to pray for the family of God.  May we all discover how we are members one of another…

Posted in Different Moments, Different Thoughts

splashes and saviors

Posted on by Wick

It happened so fast, it was slow motion. Every split second of it still pounds fresh in my mind…

Grandpa and Grandma were visiting for the weekend, as we were celebrating our oldest daughters’ birthday. She turned five this past week (whoa.), and so we found ourselves swimming at the hotel pool where my parents were staying. Usually that means our oldest (Addie) has swimming wings, our 3 year old (Sophie) has a ring with leg-holes, and our 2 year old (Ruby) is being carried around the pool. But this time, the ring with leg-holes recently sprung a leak, and so we were using a cheap drugstore supplement. Sophie used a regular ring (no leg-holes) on Thursday and Friday without issue. Gradually as she gained confidence at staying in the ring, we gained confidence in her as well.

Then it happened. I had wandered to the other side of the pool with Ruby, Addie was doing fine with her water wings, and Sophie was on the steps with her ring around her. But Sophie has developed a dare-devil side. She wanted to “make a wave” like she’d seen daddy do earlier. Thankfully, my wife (Sarah) was heading toward the entrance to the pool at that moment, and my dad was walking near the edge by the entrance. Compiling sources, here is a brief recount of what followed..

Sophie crouched down like a frog about to leap from one of the steps, and jumped forward into the water. Her ring did not go as fast as her body, and she flipped forward in the water. I heard Sarah scream and everyone was moving quickly toward these two legs sticking out of a ring in the water. Holding Ruby close, I jumped into action, but running through 4 feet of water isn’t very quick. I yelled out to my dad, who happened to be right next to the pool where Sophie was, and he looked down, quickly knowing what to do. He grabbed her by the ankle, and hoisted our crying baby girl out of the water. She cried a minute, and was fine (more than we were) after that.

So as I offer Him this moment, how can God use this to help me grow as a parent? I realize the truth that I may not always be the “savior” for my children. I depend on other loving relationships that are close to her, to watch for when she begins to sink. I trust that others are capable of loving/caring for her in difficult moments. It won’t always be easy, but it is necessary. If I’d yelled to my dad, “Back off! I’m her father, and I will get her out of the water!!”, it may have taken too long. I pray that when the moment comes, I will be as thankful as I am from yesterday’s event…