The Melheimian Sabbatiblog

80/20 (Making time count)

I remember a study of twins separated at birth that the University of Minnesota did many years ago. They wanted to find out how much of who you are is nature, and how much of it is nurture. The results were astounding. If I recall this right, one pair of men in their 50s was reunited and tested. Both had married twice to women with the same first names. Both had cats that they named the same name. There were dozens of life choices and mannerisms that were nearly identical between these two men. Other twins had similar experiences. Again, if my memory serves correct, they concluded most of who you are -  between 70 and 80% - is determined by the genes.

Makes you almost wonder if the predestination folks got something right.

Anyway, I've used that little bit of info when talking to parents with troubled kids. (Is that an oxymoron?) If they are blaming themselves and feeling a lot of guilt, I tell them "Hey, you only had 20% to work with!"

I also use it with parents of little ones and preteens. "Hey, you only have 20% to work with! Better make the most of it!"

We have a guest tech intern living with us this summer, the son of my best friend Arlen. Leif is doing music and logging video interviews on the FAITH 5 topics for my new book and October conference. He's sitting in on our Highs and Lows and prayers every night. It's rather wonderful to see his reaction, hear his thoughts, and model together what family might be if we are intentional about keeping the lines of communication open and BEING the church every night.

Hey parents, you've only got 20% to work with. Make it count tonight. Every night!

Weddings, Tornados and Family Time

Back at the cabin after a quick weekend wedding in Colorado. Outdoors under a thundering and threatening sky (omens) my best friend's only daughter married a wonderful young man. The blessing Arlen gave was really touching and beautiful. He choked up and almost didn't make it through. I'm so glad my kids got to hear it.

Back at the cabin now to finish the cartoons for my "Songs of Israel" book. 15 Psalms and parables intersecting. Just had a cup of coffee with the Rev. Patrick Patterson and heard something rather profound. He and his kids had to hightail it to the dark, dingey, cob-webbed basement in their 1880's house for the second tornado warning in two nights on Friday. They sat playing cribbage while the sirens wailed and the wind blew. When the all-clear sounded and Patrick said, "Okay, it's over. Let's go upstairs", his 9-year-old Aaron said, "Couldn't we just stay down here? We never get to be together like this."

Makes you think, don't it? In our over-scheduled, over-stressed, over-programmed world, our children still crave our time.

Does it take a tornado warning to get you together as a family?

Bodies, Cells and Dis-Ease

If the family is the fabric of society, some say our fabric is wearing thin. If families are the cells in the body of a culture, some say that our body is under attack; or at least, in a state of social and ethical dis-ease.

It doesn’t take an expert to see why. Parents are over-stressed, over-committed and under-communicating when it comes to transmitting faith and values. They have little or no regularly scheduled time set aside to talk about things that really matter with their children. An entire generation is being raised by electronic baby-sitters. Children are bombarded by a myriad of messages, many of them violent and negative. They know millions of stories, but they do not know their own parents’ stories. 

At this same moment when our children need the gifts of time, attention, and wisdom the most, the elders of our society are increasingly segregated from them. The Builders who weathered the Great Depression and WWII are soon gone. Mainline churches are withering. Social programs are constantly being down-sized even as our cultural problems are being super-sized. The vehicles that have provided the foundation of faith and values in America since the Pilgrims landed are losing their social significance, membership and cultural clout.

If the body (society) can be no healthier than its cells, we must find new and effective ways to bring health directly to the cells.

avalanches

How do you cause an avalanche? You don’t. You can’t.

You can only set the conditions in place under which an avalanche might occur. You must put the right levers in the right places in the right order with the right pressure at the right time. After that, an avalanche will either happen or it won’t. You can’t force it, but you can work to improve the odds.

How do you cause an avalanche of positive social change? You don’t. You can’t. You can only set the conditions in place that better your odds. The right levers, the right places, the right order, the right pressure, the right time – these create the right conditions.

A Little Child's Insights

We had a beautiful night at the yurt. Campfire and hot dogs, rain pattering on the roof, and a dozen adults giggling like junior high kids after highs and lows in the dark, followed by complete silence. (And a little snoring 10 minutes later).

The Blogable Story of the day.....

We spent a couple hours tonight talking about the power of sharing the FAITH 5 and Rev. Scott Ness from Grove City, OH told us this one:

He was using Ruth 1:16 with little 4 year old Ethan one night during FAITH 5 time. He just finished reading "your people shall be my people and your God my God..." He told Scott, "Daddy, I don't want your God to be my God. I want your God to be everybody's God."

Aside from that:

My High of the Day

This morning I woke just before sunrise and walked out alone to see the sunrise through Grandma's Eye (the hole in the mountain). 

My Low of the Day

I video taped the whole thing with my little Sony Webcam... and lost the camera on the way back to Aspen during one of the stops along the way.

Here's a shot of one of the last "FAITH 5" murals I did this fall and a note from the owner, Scot Ness in Grove City, OH:

Rich: The vision is spreading.  But I'm also coming to the realization that it is tough to be a Fink Thinker in a Funk World.  We've got families excited--doing the faith five every night and real communication and faith incubation happening.  And we've got people who don't get, don't understand it, and don't see that the current reality is bad.  (I know this isn't new--we've been fighting it for years/decades)  The good news is that the fire has started and it is going to turn into a blaze!

As for the beautiful mural: I've got our resident wood worker making a frame!  

As for the wonderful picture of a dad holding his 2 month old: There wasn't a dry eye in the room as Rich interviewed him asking of his hopes and dreams for his little girl--He and his wife have been doing the faith five for a couple of weeks now and they play the game of sharing what Brooklyn's highs and lows are (the two month old).  It helps them to stay a daily part of her life as one or the other is at work each day.

As for the picture of a family signing Joshua 1:9.  Is there anything cooler than seeing Mom and Dad as well as grandma living the Bible for their kids!

And I had to throw in a picture of my dad holding my youngest--he's the guy in red--she is the most beautiful girl you've ever seen! :)


anyway, I pray for you all often and hope your ministry is blessed!  I'm looking forward to our continued conversation as we share what is working and what isn't.  (I'm thinking I'm going to challenge our traditional service into sharing and praying for highs and lows this Sunday--Let's hope I don't get fired!

Blessings and Peace,
Scott

Skyping FAITH 5 from Hospital

This just in from Scott Ness in Grove City, OH. He's spreading the FAITH 5 beyond his walls in a high tech/high touch kind of way:

Hey Pastor Scott!

I just wanted to let you know that I have had the great opportunity and privilege to share Faith Five w/ some Christian families I work with at Children's Hospital.

Too many details, but in a nutshell. it is very common for mom to stay @ hosp. w/ sick kid while dad is home w/ rest of kids. Creates really fragmented dynamic for these families.

Shared Faith Five idea w/ a couple moms who were talking to me about how it is hard to have any quality family time while living like this. They both loved it.

I was even able to obtain a laptop for one mom and help them set up Skype, so they are Skyping Faith Five with the rest of the family who are home during this hospital visit!! Cool, right?!?

Anyway, just wanted to share how this is totally doable and helpful to families no matter WHAT their situation!!

Thanks!
Jennifer

FAITH 5 with Homeless?

• Ms. Chris Mathey from Toledo just had a new idea for the use of FAITH 5.  She writes: How would it be to share this process with homeless people and people in shelters? These people have no family and need each other for support .  They are often fighting among themselves and have a hard time sharing.  I know they have many lo’s, and to draw the word of God into their lives woutld be strengthening and comforting. A lot of them have great faith backgrounds and have Bibles. Wha do you think?

Sleeping On It

For you folks who want to connect church to home in the "every night in every home" method and change IHS (one hour service) to a 57 hour a week Christian education system, here's a good article on what sleep does.

SLEEPING ON IT

I'm off to South Haven, MI, for city 73 on the FAITH 5 Tour today. St. Paul on Sunday, then off to:

Hellertown, PA

Grove City, OH

Omaha, NE

Carmichael, CA

Fircrest, WA

Then one big break. Send some folks over if your care/dare.

Congregational Faith 5 Story Blog

They're sharing Faith 5 stories at St. Matthew's in Appleton:

http://underground-stmatt.blogspot.com

Go see how Jon Ruddat is getting the word out.