Tragic News for Journey IFC and Austin

I have been a bit off the journey here lately - an unexpected divorce intervened in my otherwise easygoing life - and I felt the need to be in one place for while, so I've been attending Riverbend. Last Sunday morning, I found out that a valued member of the Austin Christian community, David Gentiles, died in a tragic accident.

You may recall my visit to Journey Imperfect Faith Community, in which David Gentiles spoke. I found David to be such a wonderful person to listen to. In fact, when I went back to Journey for Ash Wednesday, it was David who prayed over me, applied the ashes to my forehead and then gave me a big bear hug before I left the service. I'm not much of a hugger and was a little taken aback when this stocky man grabbed me, but he was so warm and loving, I couldn't help but be touched. This death touches so many people beyond the three girls he raised by himself and the group of people at Journey IFC. It's hard to know why the Lord lets things like this happen. Is there a lesson to be learned? Is death just an inevitable evil we must face and there is nothing more to say?

In pondering David's beautiful life and tragic death, I can see one thing that will be a challenge for those at Journey. Let me back up first and say that one of the distinguishing marks of Journey is that people of all backgrounds in all the various places in their lives are welcome. Questions are welcomed and sometimes the answers to those questions aren't easy. Is there really a God? Why does He allow such evil in the world? How do we know we are worshiping Him as He desires? Do you ever get mad at Him? Do you ever question His motives? These types of questions, the types we often ask deep within ourselves but fear ever expressing them outwardly, are not only welcome but encouraged at Journey. I imagine this means there are people there who are at various crossroads in their Christian lives. They may even teeter on the brink of unbelief, but something continues to draw them to the faith community.

David was a beacon among those people. He made Christianity make sense because you could see the love of Christ in his face, see the movement of God in his life. How will those people react to this tragedy? This may be one of the first big challenges for new or renewed Christians who have found Journey IFC a safe place to seek answers. I believe that, in 10 years or so, people will look back at Journey and see this moment, this period, as a turning point in the life of the people. How they respond and react, whether they grow colder or closer, may very well be a reaction to David's life and death. I believe they will come out better. I have to believe that because I've seen the love they have for one another and I'm sure David's prayers are still felt over the people as he communes with God in a very real and new way. His journey with them is over, but his journey with God has just moved to a new level. This is, indeed, a very important time for Journey and it is an opportunity for them to feel the love of God through the tears and loss.

I've been thinking about them lately. I'll have to try to get over there in the new year. I believe I will see a hurt community that is strengthened through their trial.

Lord, grant your servant, David Gentiles, peace as he now rests in your presence, with all the saints of God.

I Got My First Gig

"I got my first gig." That's what I jokingly told my wife after receiving an invitation to come talk about my blog and share my experiences with a group of men in Austin (they refer to it as First Friday Men's Group). Looking at some of their past speakers, I can't help but feel a bit out of my league. But then again, I like to talk, so if someone will listen, I guess it'll work out.

Anyway, I am excited about the opportunity. It'll be interesting to hear what others think about the blog and the journey itself. Hopefully, we'll all learn something from each other. Of course, I should probably warn them I'll be writing about them on here as well. LOL

I visited St. David's Episcopal Church this morning. I'll be writing it up later this week.

Quick Update

Just a quick update to note I didn't fall off the face of the earth or anything. Two Sundays ago, I took a break and went and saw Watchmen at the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar. I probably should have blogged the movie. I think I actually got a better appreciation of why God often does not intervene in the affairs of men when we think He should after seeing Dr. Manhattan explain it in the movie.

Last Sunday, I saw Spamalot. I guess watching a show based on the Holy Grail qualifies as some type of religious activity! Anyway, I'll be back at church this Sunday and talking about it on here, so stay tuned.

Getting Ready to Start Up Again

I think I'm about ready to start up the journey again. Stay tuned...

Jerry Falwell

Well, no doubt Jerry Falwell's death has created a bit of a stir out in internet land. I have read he's everywhere from sitting with Jesus on the throne to taking the pitchfork from Satan and assuming his rightful throne in Hell. Obviously, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I'm not referring to Purgatory. I mean his legacy, not his eternal state. The only quote I feel is worth repeating came from from Larry Flynt:

The Reverend Jerry Falwell and I were arch enemies for fifteen years. We became involved in a lawsuit concerning First Amendment rights and Hustler magazine. Without question, this was my most important battle – the 1988 Hustler Magazine, Inc., v. Jerry Falwell case, where after millions of dollars and much deliberation, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in my favor.

My mother always told me that no matter how much you dislike a person, when you meet them face to face you will find characteristics about them that you like. Jerry Falwell was a perfect example of that. I hated everything he stood for, but after meeting him in person, years after the trial, Jerry Falwell and I became good friends. He would visit me in California and we would debate together on college campuses. I always appreciated his sincerity even though I knew what he was selling and he knew what I was selling.

The most important result of our relationship was the landmark decision from the Supreme Court that made parody protected speech, and the fact that much of what we see on television and hear on the radio today is a direct result of my having won that now famous case which Falwell played such an important role in.

I just find that fascinating. I appreciated Falwell's willingness to stand up for his beliefs. When he was a mere preacher and not a politician, he was pretty darn good. He survived the televangelist scandals of Bakker and Swaggert. I questioned his mixing of church and state. I cringed at some of his goofy statements - Tinky Winky and 9/11 come to mind. However, no one can doubt that the 80s political landscape was largely influenced by Falwell. Even today, love them or hate them, the Religious Right is a force in America.

Rest in Peace, Jerry. Whether they see you as a hero or a villain, you will be missed by many.

San Jacinto Day

Today is San Jacinto Day. The phrase "Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!" was forever etched into Texas history (although "Remember the Alamo!" seems to have "stuck" more than the full phrase). I stopped in Goliad while traveling one day and read about the massacre. Of course, every good Texan has been to San Antonio and toured the Alamo. It's sobering to ponder what men were willing to go through to secure freedom from tyranny.

Of course, San Jacinto Day is a celebration of victory, not of martyrdom. There were soldiers as young as 15 and as old as 60 fighting in the battle for Texas freedom. I don't know the exact statistics, but I think I remember over 600 Mexican soldiers died and over 700 were taken prisoner. Only 9 Texians (as they were called then) died and a small number (maybe in the 30s) were wounded. This is what a panel on the side of the monument at San Jacinto says:

"Measured by its results, San Jacinto was one of the decisive battles of the world. The freedom of Texas from Mexico won here led to annexation and to the Mexican War, resulting in the acquisition by the United States of the States of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma. Almost one-third of the present area of the American nation, nearly a million square miles of territory, changed sovereignty."

Virginia Tech

I know we will read profound statements regarding the tragedy at Virginia Tech all month. I have nothing profound to say. My writing style is more conversational than poetic. Yesterday, I would try to catch the news between meetings at work, watching events unfold. It's hard to even grasp what those affected personally are feeling. As I was driving home, a car passed me on the road that had a Virginia Tech bumper sticker. I remember thinking, "I wonder what he is going through. Did he attend there? Do one of his children attend now? What is he thinking?"

I think people in Austin felt a particular empathy with those at Virginia Tech. After all, prior to yesterday the University of Texas had the dubious distinction of being the location of the deadliest student-perpetrated shooting in U.S. history. No one I encountered was relieved they are no longer on the top of that list. They just felt grief for those at VT. Today, Governor Rick Perry ordered flags at half-staff. University of Texas is going to darken the tower (the very tower Charles Whitman positioned himself with a sniper rifle) in honor of the victims at VT.

I hope the people at Virginia Tech feel the thoughts, prayers and sympathies from people all over the nation, possibly all over the world. I hope they feel the loving comfort of God in the midst of this horrible evil. I also pray the family of the killer find peace. I can only imagine how horrified and guilty they must feel, even if they did nothing to warrant that guilt.

Lord, help us to get through that which we just can't understand.

Drakula

While breaking from the spiritual journey through Austin, I thought I'd share some other things I like, such as eating. If you like Romanian food, Drakula is an enjoyable place to visit. If you aren't sure if you like Romanian food, it's a great place to try it and see what you think. I recommend the stuffed cabbage or stuffed bell pepper. The mici is good as well, although I think the stuffed bell pepper is more to my liking. Plus, where else in Austin can you order Vampire wine in an authentic Romanian restaurant with pictures of Count Vlad on the walls? The place is not dark and dreary, as one might expect, so don't be scared!

Taking A Break

It's time to take a break from the journey for a little bit. This is mainly because of a desire to dig a little deeper into a couple of the churches visited so far. I guess when one is touring a country, they sometimes want to stop and immerse themselves further into the culture of a particular region or city. That's where I find myself right now.

Reflecting on the Journey thus Far

The old adage is true. There are some things you just can't talk about without controversy. Religion is one of them. I receive some comments on here and elsewhere as well as private emails regarding my journey. The most common criticism is that I'm "playing around" and not taking church seriously. Sometimes they get a bit uglier, such as stating I'm in open rebellion to God or implying I'm not a mature Christian because otherwise I would attach myself to a church and become involved. I've also been told that this journey is the functional equivalent of being "out of church." I'm guessing that means it would be better if I stayed home and slept. Just this week, a reader posted this in the comments section: It doesn’t seem to me that you were in search of an experience or connection with God and my Lord and Savior. You were looking to critique and find something wrong and that’s just what you got. This one surprised me, but then when people are offended, they sometimes respond with anger. That's a normal human reaction.

On the other hand, I have received numerous emails and posts from people who have written very complimentary things, either expressing appreciation for what I've written or encouraging me to continue on this journey. One reader said they were starting to become interested in going to church again. That was probably the neatest thing I've been told. On a couple of other blogs, I have seen complimentary things said, one by a guy who is definitely a non-church person. Grace Covenant Church's overwhelming response to my visit, including mentioning it in their e-news letter to their membership was both surprising and exciting to me. I have had lunch with one pastor and have open invitations by two others for lunch and/or coffee. I have had another pastor ask me to add their church to the list for future visits (which you can see has grown rather large).

I want to thank all the churches who have so graciously opened their doors and experience to me. It is no small event when joining people in worship and praise of God. I find myself relating to people I don't even know because, in the end, we are people bound together in awe of Him. I also want to thank the readers who post here, write me private emails, etc. I enjoy those little connections! Maybe one day, we'll all get together and share stories of our journeys.

Until then, we can do that here.

March Madness

This is a bit off-topic, but I wouldn't want you to think the only thing I do is go to church! I got my bracket all filled out and am ready for March Madness!!

Early upsets (some mild, some not):
Old Dominion over Butler
Villanova over Kentucky
Gonzaga over Illinois
Creighton over Nevada
Arkansas over USC (you can take this one to the bank)

Elite Eight:
Wisconsin over Florida
UCLA over Kansas
North Carolina over Georgetown
Memphis over Ohio State

Final Four:
North Carolina over Memphis
UCLA over Wisconsin

Championship:
UCLA over North Carolina

The Gospel According to Austin Hits the Road!

The weather has finally turned, bluebonnets are starting to pop up and Saturday was absolutely beautiful! So, my wife and I decided to take a little trip up the road to the Messina Hof winery. On the way, we took a detour to see St. Paul Lutheran Church in Serbin. What a fantastic place! The country in that area is beautiful and the church building, very nondescript on the outside, is breathtaking on the inside. It is one of the Painted Churches of Texas. It's so amazing to find these little gems off in the country, literally in the middle of nowhere. Just walking into this place was a bit like stepping on holy ground. The story around the development of this community is like something out of a historical fairy tale. To think these German immigrants sought out coming to Texas in order to be free and start a new life is inspiring. Anyway, I pulled out the camera and took pictures. Hope you enjoy them! You'll note, by the way, the pulpit in the church is way up high. Supposedly, it is the tallest pulpit in Texas. Of course, I had to climb up there and stand in it (that picture will not be posted). Made me feel important! Well, enjoy the pics!

Twofer Sunday

This week, I actually visited two churches! Sunday morning, I visited Gateway Church. Following a wonderful late afternoon brunch at the South Congress Cafe (which deserves a blog entry of it's own), I attended the Austin City Church. These two churches stand in stark contrast to one another. I really went from one end of the spectrum to the other! So, stay tuned for two entries this week as the journey continues.

A Very Nice Lunch

I had lunch last week with Matt Cassidy, Senior Pastor at Grace Covenant Church, a church I visited recently. I wasn't sure what to expect as sometimes these things turn into a pitch for why you should join their church. True to form, however, Matt was gracious and friendly. He wanted to learn more about me and my wife and what led us on this journey through the different churches of Austin. He made no attempt to sell us on why we needed to stop traveling and go to Grace, although we all agreed that being a "permanent visitor" is not where this should lead either.

Matt is interesting. He can't help but start educating you when you ask him a question. When ask about infant baptism, for example, we got a great 3-5 minute lecture on convenant vs. dispensational theology. What's really fun about it is he obviously loves it so much. You can't help but get excited with him. He's a good guy and very "normal." The church is fortunate to have him.

I'll be writing about my experience at First Baptist Church of Austin, where I visited Sunday, in the next day or so.

Fat Tuesday

I didn't really do anything for Fat Tuesday. I just needed a title to this post. Well, actually I did have a piece of King Cake at work today. I didn't make it to church on Sunday - had to be at the airport. However, being that Lent begins this week, I'll have an opportunity to do something special for the journey. So, hang in there. I'll be posting soon, telling you about my Ash Wednesday experience before posting about next Sunday.

Some Rules I Made for Myself

I'll be posting soon about my visit this week to St. Martin's Lutheran Church. However, I wanted to share a little bit about some rules I've been trying to live by on my journey.

The first is that I don't take notes. The reason I've done this is because I'm afraid if I start taking notes, I'll take on the role of observer rather than participant in the service. I'm not there to evaluate, judge or report on the church. I'm there to experience their worship with them and see both how they view God as well as how God manifests Himself in their service. I also try to wait at least a little bit to write about the service. This gives me a chance to think about what I really took away from it. Some weeks I may talk about the sermon or homily because they had the biggest impact or most meaning to me. Some weeks I may come away talking about the people or how the worship service felt because that had the biggest impact or most meaning to me. Someone could write about the same service from their perspective and you might find yourself wondering if we were both in the same place! That's probably a good thing. It probably reflects how each of us experience God and worship differently, even when doing it collectively.

The second rule is I don't take a camera inside. In fact, I have only taken pictures during the week when the church isn't meeting. I think it would be disrespectful to walk into a church service, snapping photos, so I won't be doing that. I wanted to go get my camera out of the car after the service today and run back inside, but I decided to resist the urge. I also haven't taken pictures of the building while people are still exiting. I did post pictures of St. James Episcopal Church, but I actually did that from the middle of the street on a Saturday afternoon. I might run around Austin one day and try to get a bunch of pictures to post of churches I've visited. I just don't want people to feel like I'm standing out there, gawking at them, while taking pictures of them or their building.

I'll be writing later and sharing today's service with you.

The Weirdest Church Ever

If you don't watch the American version of The Office, you might want to stop reading this entry now. If you do, you probably want to stop reading anyway. After posting MLK Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech, I had a dream. However, my dream was that I was visiting a little country church (as part of this journey) and Michael Scott was the pastor. When I first came up, he was hiding around the corner of the church, with a fire extinguisher, telling me to watch because he was pulling a prank on the congregation. I went in and Dwight Schrute was greeting people and showing them his tattoos (I think the tattoos came from me watching One Punk Under God on Sundance - a series about Jay Bakker's ministry). Apparently, Dwight was the music minister or youth minister - I'm not quite sure which. Not much else happened in the dream, but I would have to say it was pretty funny. If I ever have a real experience like that one, you'll be the first to know!

I've added a new section to the links over on the right of the blog. It is a list of churches I plan on visiting while on this journey. Thanks for the suggestions I received from a couple of you.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have a dream. Take 17 minutes of your day today to stop and listen one more time to this amazing speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr., Baptist minister, civil rights leader, political activist, Nobel Peace Prize winner. Take 17 minutes to remind yourself that freedom hasn't come easy for everyone.

Although this speech is filled with great quotes, I think my favorite is this one: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

This is not only a call for freedom, but a call for responsibility. It is a call for all of us to possess character and for that character to be how we are judged. Take 17 minutes today to listen to the call to work together, pray together, and struggle together to see this nation become and remain a great nation.

Flooding Yesterday, Freezing Rain Today

I'll be staying in out of the weather this weekend. It's cold, wet and may get icy. I'll be watching football from my warm house.

The Pursuit of Happyness

If you are looking for inspiration in the theaters, The Pursuit of Happyness is a good movie to see. Will Smith, a great actor in any role, plays Christopher Gardner, a man who is raising a son while battling homelessness and despair, pursuing his dream of being something great (in this case, a successful stockbroker). The movie focuses on the relationship he has with his son and how important it was to take care of him. At one point in the movie, they are staying at a shelter being ran by a Methodist Church. The scene with him and his son during a worship service there is priceless. I can't really describe it in a way that does it justice, but you'll know what I mean when you see it.

So, what does this have to do with my theme, The Gospel According to Austin? Well, I did manage to make this one work! Christopher Gardner will keynote the 14th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Jan. 20 at the Riverbend Centre in Austin. Riverbend Centre is also the location of Riverbend Church, a place I had been attending for the last few months before embarking on this recent journey. I'll probably get around to attending Riverbend one Sunday for the purpose of blogging it on here, but I want to wait a bit because I want to try to have a fresh perspective on the service. Anyway, if you haven't seen the movie, I recommend it. If you live in the Austin area, you may want to try to get to it and then go see Mr. Gardner speak at Riverbend.