i had a great time on friday night with everyone going to see Derek and Sandra play. It was a nice laid back evening of music on awfully uncomfortable pews, with taco bell sitting in my stomach, and familiar music in my ears. everyone who came with us said they enjoyed it, so i was happy for that, even if they were lying to make me feel better.

i had to snap a picture with derek before we left for visual documentation. the funny thing is though, derek totally looks photoshopped into the picture, doesnt he? like he’s a cardboard cutout or something. kinda funny.

word to your moms. bry

1. Because tonight is my first softball game. Can’t wait to put the uniform on again and throw my body around on the grass with reckless abandon. I love everything about playing; the game itself, the competition, the good sportsmanship with the other team, the camaraderie with your own team, etc. goood fun.

2. Because i can stay up late tonight. Not that i will, just that i can. Because i dont have to get up at 6am tomorrow, i can sleep until 8am if i want to. So maybe i’ll stay up late reading or something.

3. I dont have to wake up early tomorrow because i am taking the day off. friday at home with my sweetheart = priceless.

4. it’s always a treat to catch up with Derek. looking forward to hearing him play and finding out what he’s up to.

5. along with seeing derek, i’m excited to meet and hear his wife sandra play for the first time. she is incredible. get this: she toured with Hanson (ya know…MMM Bop) in the UK. How random is that. I’m also excited that some cool peeps are coming with us to the show. I like it when my friends meet my other friends. i also like it when people get to enjoy good music.

6. Saturday i get to be with my kiddos all day. They are so cool, i love being with them.

7. Yardwork. sometimes i like it. i’m excited to cut the grass, do some edging, hang some tools in the garage, fix my hose reel thingy, and water my new grass.

8. The NFL Draft. It’s on TV all day saturday. I’ll TiVo it so i only watch the parts i want. Should be interesting to see how the first 8 picks shakeout.

9. Sunday morning i am on worship team. Really excited for that. Love playing. i also enjoy the songwriters forum we do as well, its been a real challenge for me to stretch myself like that. i’d like to be able toput a few good songs together someday.

10. Sunday night. we are doing family night. I think erica and i will each take a kid and have some quailty tie, then come together before bed to do something together. should be fun.

so yeah, lots of cool stuff that could happen this weekend. i like it when my circumstances line up like that. It’s cool that God gives us passions and talent and opportunity to enjoy things like this. That’s what i love about life sometimes…bry

as a youth leader i know i need to be careful. sometimes my indifference to a subject can be mistaken as an endorsement. or my silence on a subject can be mistaken for affirmation. i want to talk about alcohol because i’ve mentioned it on my blog here before. i dont think drinking alcohol is a sin. i do think it’s wrong if not done in moderation.

i like the Q&A format, so my thoughts will be typed out in the form of this fictional interview with reporter Haywood Jashutupp. Please remember as you read this, i am not claiming to be an authority on anything, i am simply sharing my honest thoughts on this:

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Haywood Jashutupp: Do you drink alcohol? Do you think it’s wrong to drink alcohol?

Bryan: yes, on occasion i enjoy a drink. no i dont think its wrong.

HJ: Does the bible say it is wrong to drink alcohol?

B: I dont think it does.

HJ: But there are websites that say all acohol is evil, according to the bible.

B: Yup, here’s one. I just don’t think they’re right though. This whole “the wine Jesus drank was unfermented wine and not alcoholic” stuff. I’m sorry, i think it’s bunk. That’s what i call “twisting the text to make it fit your own arguments”. Doesnt it feel like that to everyone else?

Another excuse people give is that the water in that day was bad and contaminated, so people drank wine because it wouldnt make them sick. That’s how this website explains why Jesus might have had wine and why Paul told timothy to have wine. This might be true, the water might have been contaminated, but how is that relevant to whether drinking alcohol is wrong or right? acohol is either inherently evil or its not, regardless of the water purity of the times.

Another thing to think about is this. Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine. And not just any wine, but “good wine”. 6 barrels of it in fact. And the passage implies that the guests were drunk, as they had consumed all of the other wine. So i doubt it was “unfermented, non-alcoholic wine”. My point is this: If alcohol was inherently evil, and was to be avoided in EVERY circumstance, would Jesus had made wine from water with his FIRST miracle? heck, would he have done it at all? I don’t think so.

HJ: But alcohol has ripped apart so many families.

BA: not to be technical, but ABUSE of alcohol has ripped families apart, not just acohol. just like MISMANAGEMENT of money has ripped apart families, not the money itself. to be honest with you, i know about making stupid decisions under the influence of alcohol. been there, done that. dont want to go there again. it is powerful stuff.

it is very bad if not used in moderation. even advil can kill you if you abuse it, but in moderation it serves its purpose. Alcohol can be the same way i think. Theres a reason Paul told Timothy to have some for his stomach, and theres a reason that warriors returning from battle would have wine. in moderation i think it can be a good thing. (and i think its harder for youth to determine that moderation line, thus the need for an age limit)

Many people have given up on alcohol completely because of the damage they have seen in their lives and in the lives of others. That is awesome. To follow through on a conviction and make a decision like that is great. Many people have done similar things with Cable TV, the internet, Movies, and travel because of struggles in their lives with pornography and other vices. Again, this is a good thing. But i don’t think it makes it a sin for me because it is something you have cut out. Unless it is clearly stated in the bible as such, you are getting dangerously close to adding things to the gospel in my opinion.

HJ: so anyone is ok to drink as much alcohol as they want?

BA: no, no no, i didnt say that. hear me out. if you live in america and you are under 21 you shouldnt drink. its against the law. i think its a good idea to have an age limit, because alcohol can be powerful stuff. also, if you live with your parents and they do not want you to drink, then you should honor that. i am a firm believer in honoring your parents while you are under their roof and not an adult yet. Once you are an adult of legal age, you need to make your own choices with the help of God’s Spirit.

HJ: so adults of legal age can drink as much alcohol as they want?

BA: again, i didnt say that. the Bible is pretty clear that getting drunk isnt going to do you any good. Over and over in the bible you see folks who have too much to drink and make stupid decisions. In Ephesians 5 we are told not to be drunk, and in Proverbs we are warned that being drunk will lead to bad situations. In 1 Corinthians 11 some folks were eating and drinking too much and Paul warned them not to.

HJ: So, BOTTOM LINE, is it OK or not OK to be drunk?

BA: I see what you’re doing, you want ME to define what is right for YOU. I really dont want to do that. But i do appreciate that you are seeking my advice on the matter. I will say this. If I HAD to answer i would say that it is NOT OK to be drunk. The Bible is clear that it is not a good idea and it won’t do anything for you except make you act stupid and make you feel terrible later. so i would say it is NOT OK if forced to make a decision. But you should really pray about it and search the Bible for yourself, dont take my word for it.

HJ: OK, so to sum things up, you feel that drinking alcohol is not wrong or a sin, but that it is wrong to drink if you are under 21, going against your parents while under their authority, or if you are participating in drunkenness?

BA: yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Moderation is key, in all things, not just alcohol. And remember, I’m not a pastor or a monk or anything, this is just my opinion on the matter. Remember that you always need to honor the laws of the land and honor your parents. Beyond that the most important thing is that you seek God about this yourself. Read the bible, pray about it, ask other folks who you respect about it. Don’t just take someone else’s convictions and make them your own.

And on the flip side of that, convincing yourself that getting drunk is OK, doesnt make it OK. same goes for anything else. The ability we have to deceive ourselves is amazing. This is why its best to pray, read, and seek wise counsel.

HJ: wouldnt it just be easier to say “all acohol is evil. just avoid it”?

BA: ya know what, that would be easier. but i’m tired of turning my brain off and just accepting the easy answer. i want the right answer. and as long as i am given the opportunity to speak into teenagers’ lives, i want them to keep their brains turned on, keep listening to the Holy Spirit, and keep searching for the right answers. even if they are not the easiest fixes or least messy solutions.

i say this with no malice at all, but in my opinion there are christians out there who have added to the gospel by making the consumption of alcohol a sin. Then they think that by keeping this “new law” that they’ve created that they are gaining some sort of favor with God. Doesnt that seem very similar to what the Pharisees did? Now, i realize the Pharisees motives were all wrong, and that cant be said for many alcohol-abstaining christians, who are honestly trying to serve God with everything they have, but i do think its shaky ground to start creating new laws.

This all comes from my struggles in trying to serve God. I admit that I have failed miserably in so many ways. Looking forward, I want to be concerned with what God is concerned with and for too long i havent been. Have I been more worried about what label the band is on that i’m listening to than loving the unlovable? Have I been more concerned with replacing cuss words that i want to say with “freaking”, “crap”, and “Dang” , than helping the poor and oppressed? Have I been more concerned with looking cool or looking smart than doing something about social injustices of the world? And that’s not to say that God isn’t concerned with our personal behavior as we strive for holiness, because he Has called us to be holy. He wants us to be ambassadors for Christ on this earth.

And i believe wholeheartedly that there are good reasons to be careful about what you watch and listen to. There are good reasons not to swear and use cuss words. I think you all know that. But sometimes i just think that we are not emphasizing some of the major points of the gospel, and minimizing them, because they are harder to live by than “don’t swear” and “don’t drink”.

If Jesus had said “They will know you are my disciples because of your clean language” or “they will know you are my disciples because of your abstention from alcohol” then we’d be in a lot better shape probably. But he said they’d know us by our love, and for me personally, that is a smack across my face. I’m not sure if “my love for others” is the reason that ANYONE knows I’m a Christian. Shame on me, seriously.

Anyway, I’ll shut up now. if anyone wants to talk to me on any of this or has other questions, let me know. I love dialoguing about tough issues like this. And i know I have a lot to learn. Haywood, sorry to ramble at the end there.

HJ: Thats ok. Well that wraps up this interview, join us next week for a look at Settlers of Catan Addiction.

first off, if you dont subscribe to pastor sam’s xanga, check out his entry from yesterday. especially in catalyst as it was for you.

now, 10 things worth noting

1. softball should be the most fun ever this year. i hope we can win more than we lose. being the president of the league and putting the schedule together has been a nightmare, but its almost done.

2. i have known about Buddy and Chelle’s moving on for quite some time now. It sucked to think about it at first, but eventually you realize that it will probably be best for everyone, especially since they feel like God is moving them on. So i was able to deal with it, process it, and prepare for whatever’s next. I’m pretty excited to see where God puts them, and i cant wait to hear stories from them as they change another group of young people from crappy to great. yeah that’s right, you all were crappy before Buddy and Chelle got here. just kidding.

3. As for the transition, like Sam said on his xanga, i’ll play a part. as will alot of people. we hope to keep most of the same things going. you will miss Buddy’s preaching when i am speaking, because i cant preach like he can, but Sam will be speaking too, and he can hold his own. so hopefully that will be pretty seamless. If anyone is really whigged out about this whole thing, or wants to talk about stuff, or needs something at 11pm that you’d usually bother Buddy and Chelle for, you can come to erica and i once Buddy and Chelle have moved on to their new gig. But if it’s 11:30pm or later, please still go to buddy.

4. i planted grass yesterday. i will plant more tomorrow. dont step on my new grass at my house or i will send rabid wolves to eat your flesh.

5. on wednesday night i went up to Messiah College to hear Don Miller speak with my buddy Than. (short for Nathanael). It was free, but you needed tix, and i didnt have one. So i talked to Jordan Green, Don’s road manager, and he said he’d make sure we got in. Jordan was really cool, i really enjoyed talking to him before and after the gig. Don read an article he wrote, answered a few questions, then read the first chapter of To Own a Dragon. It was a really fun night, he didnt think the audience was that great, but i thought they loved him. After he spoke, he signed people’s books. Than and I waited until the line dissipated and then went over to meet Don. It was cool to finally meet him after a few months of emails and stuff. He is a very underwhelming presence, and i mean that in the best way possible. no rock star vibe at all. He asked us if we were hungry, which we were, and we headed out to Cracker Barrel with him and Jordan. It was good food and better convo. We talked about different creation theories, homosexuality and the church, the differences between Portland and Pennsylvania, and such. Don was nice enough to pick up the check too, which was cool. They dropped us off back at our car and Than and i headed home in time to catch the radio broadcast of the Red Sox winning a 2-1 game. perfect end to a cool night.

6. i purchased hillsong united’s new disc yesterday. $19.99 on Itunes for 17 tracks. but my gosh it’s worth it. Noone is doing better worship songs that sound like other stuff I’m listening to than these guys. bravo, united, bravo.

7. on thursday morning pastor Buddy and i headed up to Messiah. We enjoyed some good convo on the way there and back. Don gave a 25-minute devo at their morning chapel, which was good, but not as good as the night before. note to Messiah college: your chapel music is horrible. HORRIBLE. time to break out of 1986. i mean 1906. get in this century please. for a “progressive campus” the music was not good. the opposite of the CFNI chapel i was at years ago. After the chapel Buddy got to meet Don and then we said goodbye. Don seems serious about flying me out to Portland in September to hang out for a few days, so that should be fun. He’s a gifted writer, a good speaker, and a really nice guy. I’m so privileged to be able to work with him on his fan site and happy to call him a friend.

8. still havent watched LOST yet. i will tonight or tomorrow morning. cant wait.

9. when you come to our house next time, make sure you compliment erica on her new kitchen table. it is coming today. unless you hate it, in which case you can comment on the weather or something.

10. oh one last thing. Don’s a part of the Burnside Writer’s Collective, whose monthly online magazine is a good read. They are going to be starting a sports section, and i am going to try and submit some pieces. Being a writer has been a recent dream of mine, so it seems like a cool start. But like i told Jordan G, if my stuff sucks, please tell me. We’ll see…

have a great weekend my peeps…bry