indianapolis

Last weekend Michelle and I went down to Indianapolis, Indiana for a wedding of a friend from college. Going to school at Taylor University, we went down to Indianapolis once in awhile but I didn't remember how great that city is! The church and the reception were right on Monument Circle in the heart of the city. Our hotel was right around the corner from the circle so we walked everywhere.

We got to see some other friends from college who were there for the wedding as well. I always enjoy when the guys split off and get caught up. Before the wedding the guys spent some time watching football, eating Buffalo Wild Wings, and standing in awe at Lucas Oil Stadium where the Indianapolis Colts play.

I knew the state of Indiana worshipped the Colts but it is even worse than I imagined. A building on the circle downtown flashes "Go Colts" at night. Everywhere you looked people were wearing Colts gear. Granted there was a home game when we were leaving Sunday morning so maybe there it was worse than normal but all everywhere you looked there is Colts paraphernalia.

If you are looking for a place to get away for the weekend, I recommend Indianapolis. A small city with a big city feel.

labor day

This past weekend, Michelle and I headed down to my parent's house for Labor Day. This was the 25th family reunion that my parents have hosted. Every Labor Day weekend, my Mom's extended side of the family flocks to the booming metropolis of Bridgman for the reunion. The number of people vary from year to year, but this year, we had about 35 people.

The schedule for the weekend remains relatively unchanged from year to year. It includes the beach, lots of food, my great uncles telling bad Swedish jokes, and a campfire. But the one thing that stands out year to year is Sunday morning when we hold our own church service. We sing together, share what God has been doing, and participate in Communion together. I led the time of sharing and talked about how I worship God for who He is and what He has done, not because He owes me something in return. I talked about my Mom's battle with cancer and how it has shaped this view. Our church service together ended with a spontaneous time of us gathering around my Mom and praying for her healing.

This summer began and ended with prayer for healing for my Mom. It was on Memorial Day when the family was gathered together that she told us she had cancer. We prayed together for her on that day marking the beginning of summer and the beginning of her journey with cancer. We prayed for her this past weekend, marking the end of summer as the family was together again.

How often do we pray once for something and then call it good? My Mom's battle with cancer has been and will continue to be a journey. We have prayed often for her healing. She wasn't healed the first time we prayed with her, but that doesn't mean we stop praying for her. We often pray repeatedly for God to open individuals hearts to the Gospel. When it doesn't happen right away, we keep praying. Why don't we do that with healing?

Until my Mom is healed from her cancer, my family will pray for her healing when we get together again.

a good teacher

Last week, I met with a young man who wanted to talk about Jesus. He had some barriers to following Jesus and wanted to address some questions he had. I, of course, was thrilled to meet with him, as these are some of my favorite conversations.

He kept coming back to the fact that Jesus was a good teacher. He really liked a lot of the things Jesus taught in regards to love and compassion. He shared that he has been reading a lot of spiritual teachers such as Muhammad, The Buddha, among others.

I agreed with this young man that Jesus was a fantastic teacher. The ability he had to engage a variety of audiences and speak truth in the face of opposition was incredible. I then told him that while, in fact, he was a good teacher, that is not the core of who Jesus is and why He came. He didn't come to give us a list of moral rules to follow to make us better or make us feel better. He came because it is through His death on the cross that we are able to have a reconciled relationship to God. Our reason for following His teachings flows out of that...out of an understanding of who He is and what He has done.

I don't think that seeing Jesus as a good moral teacher is a bad place to start. It is great if it gets someone reading and trying out Jesus' teachings. When we see WHAT Jesus taught and not just how He taught, it points to a deeper understanding of who He is...not just a moral teacher, but the Savior of the World. I want to help this young man make a transition from knowing the teachings of Jesus to knowing Jesus.

I was reminded that many times, we who follow Jesus live as though Jesus was simply a good teacher and nothing more. We live as though He taught morality just like every other spiritual or religious teacher.

Jesus was a different kind of teacher because He taught that morality wasn't going to earn right standing before God. With other religious teachers, you are moral so you can earn favor with God (or some higher power) and so God can owe you something - such as salvation or good things happening to you. Jesus taught that the only thing that was going to save us was not our deeds but His death on the cross in our place. He taught us to live a certain way within this understanding so that all we do would point to Him and His greatness. He is much more than another religious teacher.

week of weddings

I do quite a few weddings during the summer, but last week was a busy one for weddings. I performed a wedding on Thursday night and Saturday night. The wedding on Saturday night was for a high school friend which was a great time but the one I want to share about was the wedding I did on Thursday night.

I got an email from our wedding coordinator at church earlier in the week saying that a couple from Indiana is coming up to the area on vacation and wants to get married while they are here. She wondered if I was available to do it. We have a requirement that for a Ridge Point pastor to do a wedding, the couple must do premarital counseling. So I called and chatted with the groom, Jeff, who was a great guy. He talked to me about their premarital counseling and a little bit about them (since I'd never met them).

I had them come in the next day so I could meet them and talk through their ceremony. The first decision we had to make was where to do the ceremony. They were staying down in Saugatuck and got the marriage license for that county. Good thing Michelle and I had dinner there the other week and I remembered seeing a gazebo in a park next to the water. I recommended that place for the wedding. They thought it was a great idea. So after I directed them to a tux shop and where to eat for dinner we had to find a few witnesses. There needed to be two witnesses to sign the marriage license and bringing Michelle along wasn't going to be enough. So I walked down to Steve's office (my friend and the youth pastor) and asked what he and his wife were doing the next night. I asked if he wanted to do dinner and when he agreed I told him they first needed to be a witness in a wedding ceremony.

He laughed but they agreed. So the day of the wedding the bride and groom didn't want to see each other before the wedding so the four of us drove to the bride and groom's cottage and Steve and I rode with Jeff down to the gazebo. About 10 minutes later the bride, Darla came downstairs and met Michelle and Amy for the first time and then they drove to the gazebo.

When us guys first got to the location, there was an extended family eating pizza and drinking beer at a picnic table in the gazebo. When they saw me in my suit and the groom in his tux they asked if a wedding was happening. When I told them there was going to be a wedding there they asked when it would be taking place.

"Whenever the bride gets here," I replied.

"How many people will be here for the wedding?" they asked.

I told them two more with the bride. I then continued to answer their questions about how long I've known the bride and groom and that despite the fact I don't look old enough to do it, I would be preforming the ceremony.

They then willingly moved the picnic table just outside the gazebo so they could get a good view of the ceremony (they were just as excited as the groom). The bride showed up and with had a wonderful little ceremony. The onlookers were shooting pictures with their own cameras. I felt like I was doing a celebrity wedding. The witnesses (Steve and Amy) turned out to be a great photographer and videographer on top of their job of signing the marriage license.

When I pronounced them husband and wife the spectators at the picnic table cheered, those who stopped as they were passing by clapped, and the yacht that was right in front of us blew its horn. Needless to say it was a very unique ceremony!

After the ceremony (lasting 10 minutes and 20 seconds) Michelle and Amy took the bride and groom off for a photoshoot which included poses by the water, a park bench, and a willow tree.

Then the bride and groom wanted some pictures with the four of us with them. After our photo shoot we sent them off to a place for dinner and said goodbye. It was a great wedding! They are a fantastic couple and they really seemed to appreciate all the work we put into making it happen.

So after dinner Michelle and I took Steve and Amy out to dinner (Via Maria of course) to spend the money that I was paid for the wedding. I figured I owed them since they did just as much work as I did.

local tourists

I know it has been a very long time since I've written anything. It's not for a lack of things in my head, but the lack of discipline to sit down and write. Michelle and I recently went on vacation. Michelle's grandma took the entire extended family (30 people) on a Mediterranean cruise. As you could imagine, it was awesome.

We started in Venice, Italy and made our stops in Dubrovnik, Croatia; Ephesus, Turkey; Santorini, Greece; and Corfu, Greece. I think I missed my calling to be a Travel Channel host. Here are my three travel tips for you when you travel internationally.

Eat off the beaten path. If you eat on a very touristy street or a town square the prices will be much higher. Go a block or two away from all the action and the prices are often cheaper. We had a beer overlooking the ocean in Santorini for 5 Euro. A block away we had a beer twice the size for 3 Euro. Much cheaper!

When bartering don't act too interested. If the person trying to sell you a trinket sees that you really want an item, they know you will pay a higher price. The key is to be willing to walk away. Act like you aren't interested and they will have to lower the price to make buying it more enticing to you. Don't ever pay full price for souvenirs in countries that barter. You can usually get it for over 50% off of what they are asking. Bottom line, if you act like you aren't interested, they will usually chase you as you walk away and continue to lower the price...works like a charm.

Ask for recommendations. In some countries, they really cater to tourists. The economy in many of the countries we stopped in is supported primarily through tourism. Therefore, many of the restaurants have "Americanized" their menus to appeal to American tourists. I always want to try the authentic local cuisine so I often ask what they best and most authentic dish is. I'm not picky so that helps but it allows me to get a better taste of that country. When we were in Greece, Michelle and I went to a cafe where I tried the coffee (as I did in every country). I ordered the "Greek coffee" that was on the menu. She asked how I wanted it and I told her to serve it to me the way she would drink it. She had a surprised look on her face because she would drink it black and it is a very strong coffee. I told her if that is the way she drank it, that is the way I wanted it. It was great! A little gritty, but a great flavor.

As Michelle and I got back from the trip we wondered how many local people in those countries do the things we did when we were there. We reflected that we don't do a lot of the things that Holland has to offer because we live here. There is no urgency to do the local tourist things because they are always here. So we decided that we want to take advantage of some of the local tourist things that are around. Here we come Holland Museum, Dutch Village, and Wooden Shoe Factory!