The Melheimian Sabbatiblog

Invitation

If you're anywhere near the Twin Cities on the evengings of December 6, 8, 13 or 15, I'd like to invite you to meet Dr. He Qi and see his 15 newest works in the show "Look Toward the Heavens" that will debut at Yale in Lent. Here's the promo piece going out today (yeah, late as usual):

China’s most prolific Christian artist and Rich Melheim invite you to take an Advent Pause of a different kind. Just back from his artist-in-residency at Yale, Dr. He Qi’s 15 newest works will be on display at the office of Faith Inkubators, 423 South Main Street, Stillwater, in a show titled “Look Toward the Heavens.” Stop by and meet this amazing interpreter of the faith and his family. Limited edition prints, signed by the artist, will be available for those looking for a  prints, signed by the artist, will be available for those looking for a unique and meaningful gift this Christmas.

If you can’t make it to the reception, visit www.heqiarts.com.

In other news, today I'm in Texas at a meeting with Sweet and Easum and about 40 of the brightest thinkers in the future church. I don't know how I got invited. Must be a mix up. Or maybe I'm the token dead Lutheran.  

Lisa the Theologian

I’m no theologian. I don’t know who God is. All I know is he’s a force more powerful than mom and dad put together and you owe him big. – Lisa Simpson

Time to Talk Turkey

I'm heading out tomorrow to Padre Island to spend a couple days with Easum, Sweet, and 40 of the most interesting Christian thinkers in the country. We're wondering together about the future of the church. In the meantime, here's a piece called "Time to Talk Turkey" by Bill Easum.

We have a problem in our church. Some of your present leaders are acting much like those in

Jerusalem

. They don’t really want the church to grow, at least not by conversion growth. They want it to remain a close-knit social club of do-gooders. I want everyone to hear this –That kind of attitude stops today. It simply isn’t welcome here anymore. The church exists not for us but for those who aren’t yet part of our church.

So listen carefully, everyone is welcome here who welcomes everyone else. If you don’t welcome everyone else you aren’t welcome here anymore from this day forward (this phrase stuck with the good people and became the seed bed for our value of inclusion). You will have to take your bigotry somewhere else. Needless to say, some were not happy at this point in the message. (keep in mind that at this point in the turn around we still didn’t have many visitors in worship. I would not preach this way if the church had lots of visitors. I would do it in board meetings).

You may not have such a problem in your church, but I bet many of you have church leaders who don’t go out of their way to reach out to the unchurched around them. If so, this is where you can use the story of the Jerusalem Conference to speak to them.

Rather Large Christmas Card

Here's the deal on the rather large Christmas card hanging outside my window on the Commander Grain Elevator in Stillwater.

A Poem

If my eyes are dry and I never weep,

How do I know when the hurt is deep?

If my heart is cold and it never bleeds,

How can I tell what my brother needs?

For when ears are deaf to the beggar's plea

And we close our eyes and refuse to see,

And we steel our hearts and harden our minds,

And we count it a weakness whenever we're kind,

We are no longer following the Father's way

Or seeking His guidance from day to day.

For without crosses to carry and burdens to bear,

We dance through a life that is frothy and fair,

And chasing the rainbow we have no desire

For roads that are rough and realms that are higher.

So spare me no heartache or sorrow, dear Lord,

For the heart that is hurt reaps the richest reward,

And God enters the heart that is broken with sorrow

As He opens the door to a brighter tomorrow.

~ Helen Steiner Rice

JPII Arts Center

I somehow managed to get myself appointed to the board of the JPII Sacred Arts School over the river and through the woods. Their first fund-raiser is a He Qi art show.

I Didn't Write This Gag... but...

A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York the day before Thanksgiving and says, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and  I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough.

"Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams. We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the father says. "We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her." Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "Like heck they're getting divorced," she shouts, "I'll take care of this." She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at her father, "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother  back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" and hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. "Okay" he says, "they're coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way."

Dick Hardel & Friends

You make more friends by becoming interested in other people than by trying to interest other people in yourself. - Dale  Carnegie

It is the friends that you can call at 4 a.m. that matter. - Marlene  Dietrich

Perhaps the most delightful friendships are those in which there is much agreement, much disputation, and yet more personal liking. - George  Eliot

 

 

 

Speaking of friends, our good friend Dick Hardel from the Youth and Family Institute is heading into surgery again.

Please visit his site at CaringBridge site and drop him a note if you have a few minutes.

Rich

A Little Christmas Card

Question: Why are a bunch of Japanese pastors in a Swedish town hanging a Chinese Christmas card on a grain elevator?
Answer: I'll tell you next week. But do drive into downtown Stillwater on 36 sometime if you get the chance.

Hypocrisy

Josh from down under just sent me a good definition of

hypocrisy: "That it is to excuse the inexcusable rather than forgiving the

unforgivable."

He's also looking for a few good stories about what christians expect from each other.

Visit him at

www.joshuazugai.blogspot.com.