Are you in the race?

I love author Brian McLaren. His books are quite inspirational and the titles are awesome. I especially love his book titled “Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel”, co-authored by Tony Campolo.

I have often spoken of how in order to run the race of faith we have to actually be engaged in the process of running, of being on a faith journey. As we look at this issue, I wonder how we can use our four point discipleship model, G-od, P-eople, C-alling and J-OY in creating an environment they write about for our church and community.

Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo tell a parable of a boring, little town that decided to hold a footrace. On the appointed day, the runners showed up in all their athletic finery. The crowds gathered. But then, something very strange happened:

“The runners took a step or two or three across the starting line, and then abruptly stopped. One man fell to his knees, crying, ‘I have crossed the starting line! This is the happiest day of my life!’ He repeated this again and again, and even began singing a song about how happy this day was for him.

“Another woman started jumping for joy. ‘Yes!’ she shouted, raising her fist in the air. ‘I am a race-runner! I am finally a race-runner!’ She ran around jumping and dancing, getting and giving high-fives to others who shared her joy at being in the race."

“Several people formed a circle and prayed, quietly thanking God for the privilege of crossing the starting line, and thanking God that they were not like the skeptics who didn’t come dressed for the race.”

The spectators, the authors say, were baffled by this strange behavior, but finally one observer turned to a neighbor and suggested that maybe they ought to get into the race. And so they did. Many others joined them:

“Soon many were kicking off their dress shoes, slipping out of their jackets, throwing all this unneeded clothing on the grass. And they ran — past the praying huddles and past the crying individuals and past the jumping high-fivers. And they found hope and joy in every step, and they grew stronger with every mile and hill. To their surprise, the path never ended — because in this race, there was no finish line. So they were never bored again.”
— Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo, Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel (Zondervan/Youth Specialties, 2006).

Green Tip of the week: Do you have a violent reaction to peanuts - the polystyrene kind?

The Bite: No kidding. For such a small piece of foam, packing peanuts are huge source of annoyance and waste. Keep your nutty reaction under control by reusing them (and bubble wrap too).
The Benefits:
Saving cash. Saving them for future mailings costs less than paying for new packaging and you can use the money to pay your allergist.

Easy recycling. More than 1,500 places nationwide (such as most UPS Stores) will take 'nuts and bubble wrap off your hands.

Fewer new peanuts. Places that collect used peanuts meet 50% of their packing-fill needs thanks to peanut donations.

Bio and recycled options. If you must buy new box-fillers, go with eco-friendlier versions.

Wanna Try?
· Plastic Loose Fill Council - visit this site or call 800-828-2214 for the nearest packing-peanut drop spot.
· Custom Wrap Cellulose Wadding - recycled paper that works as a filler or wrap ($45/two 24-in-by-200-ft rolls).
· Sealed Air Bubble Wrap - bubble wrap made using partially recycled plastic ($5/12-in-by-10-ft roll).
· U-Haul Biodegradable Packing Peanuts - made from cornstarch, they're durable but will decompose in H2O ($5/1.5 cu ft).
· Virtual Bubblewrap - once you pop, you can't stop.