In the latest issue of Christianity Today, there’s an article about a church that meets below I-35 in Waco, Texas. They minister to the kind of people who would be more at home under an overpass than at a church building. The article tells some great stories, but my favorite is how the church has taken Toby Keith’s song, “I Love This Bar” and modified it as follows:

We got winners, we got losers, chain smokers and boozers,
And we got yuppies, we got bikers, we got thirsty hitchhikers,
And the girls next door dress up like movie stars.
Hmmm, I love this church.

And we like to worship where the pigeons perch,
Hmmm, I love this church.

We capped a great workshop this morning with two worship assemblies at Garnett. In each assembly, I sent the people away with a telling of one of my favorite stories, “The Unbreakable Teapot.” Right now I’m too tired to take a nap. When I finally do go to sleep later tonight I don’t plan on waking up until Tuesday.

At the workshop, I met lots of new people, saw plenty of old friends, heard some great presentations, and participated in some moving worship experiences. All in all, it was a great weekend.

I typed up what I thought was an eloquent post. But when I reread it all it said was, “Workshop, workshop, workshop, workshop, workshop, workshop, workshop.” That’s about all I have on my mind right now. The festivities start tonight at Garnett with a pizza feed and worship. From there it will be non-stop until Sunday afternoon.

My NCAA bracket is already toast. A monkey throwing darts could have picked more winners than I have. I could have used the “who has the prettiest uniforms” criteria and done better.

An American Muslim Responds to the Passion

One can be a passive bystander at the Sermon of the Mount. One can listen only half-attentively to Jesus parables, react with quiet cynicism to the miracles. But his suffering and death stir emotions that cannot fail to move us.

As difficult and troubling as the movie is to watch, the message of mercy, compassion, and hope is perhaps there after all.