Living Memory: Why Remembrance Matters
Sermon: Living Memory: Why Remembrance Matters
5.27.07
Listen (stream) MP3 (right-click)
Finally something useful from my blog
Every day I find something I wish I could share with my dad. Here’s one on the lighter side. His car remote always suffered from poor range. The crazy little trick in the short video below might have been a big help to him. I actually tried it out today (non-scientifically) and it worked!
Boost Car Remote With Skull - video powered by Metacafe
From Lifehacker and Hackzine.
Short-term missions trips: Do they help?
What good are short-term missions trips? I found a fascinating article on that topic this week in Leadership Journal, an interview with church planter Oscar Muriu, a Kenyan pastor.
The summary of his missions trip wisdom is that we must go in as guests and learners rather than saviors and teachers. But you’ll get a lot more than that if you skim down the article to about the midpoint, where it says:
Your church has a huge vision. How can churches in the West help? We’re used to sending short-term mission teams over to paint walls …
Yes, and after you leave, we repaint many of the walls that you painted! (Laughter.)Okay, seriously, do short-term mission trips help?
Sunday Seven
- Virginia Tech Lesson: Rare Risks Breed Irrational Responses. An interesting Wired article about how we over-react to sensational risks and under-react to mundane ones.
- Gene Research Gives Hope of Reversing Baldness. ‘Bout time. A BBC article via Slashdot.
- Why Google is Making Us Dumber. I disagree with this insightful article that Google makes us dumber - it just makes us memorize less. From Mashable.
- Famine Again? Why some places suffer food shortages decade after decade. From Christianity Today.
- Four could reach 500-HR mark this season. Only 14 major leaguers hit 500 homers in the first 120 years of the game. Six have joined that club in the last 11 years, with Frank Thomas, ARod, Thome and Manny knocking on the door. From ESPN.
- 9 Attitudes of Highly Creative People. Good stuff from ProBlogger.com.
- $30 Homemade Air-Conditioner. You have to replenish it with ice, but it’s a cheap temporary solution. There are two plans in this Lifehacker post - “Jeff’s” original and “Pete’s” new-and-improved.
Sermon: Faith is…
Sermon: Faith is… Hebrews 11
5.20.07
Listen (stream) MP3 (right-click)
Silly stuff
My brother Matt called my Dad’s life insurance company the other day and had this conversation:
Matt: “My father passed away recently and he was insured by your company.”
Agent: “I’m sorry to hear that.”
That’s keeping it real. 
My Google mail account lists context-sensitive ads next to my messages, just like you see next to Google search results. For example, a friend recently wrote to me about a writing project, and the ads mentioned a writers’ workshop, fiction publishers, etc. So the following list (edited for decency) which appeared next to last week’s church prayer list, may reveal something about our priorities:
Sponsored Links
Jimmy’s MIS Hip Surgery…
Tummy Tuck Surgery…
Fracture Care…
Dupuytren’s Contracture? First Needle Aponeurotomy in USA Still the Most Experienced.
Facing Down After Surgery. Equipment for vitrectomy patients to maintain facedown positioning.
Infant Orthopedic Sling. Little Sling tm, Arm Sling, Mesh, Patented velcro straps, FDA cleared.
Lasik Surgery…
Designer arm sling…hand made and custom design sling comfy whimsical elegant fashion
Hip Resurfacing Surgery…
More about…
Mis Hip Replacement Surgery »
Cataract Surgery »
Bypass Surgery »
Surgery Pain »
Nothing about salvation, growth, endurance, unity, virtue, or faith. Hmmm.
Dying well
Dad’s funeral is over and the reality is beginning to set in. Of course it’s a rough time, but it would have been worse except for Dad’s faith-in-practice, which he demonstrated more during his last weeks than ever. For one example, he sent this email to his minister Dean Hammond on April 23, one day before his 66th birthday:
Hi Dean,
As you well know, I don’t know the outcome of this disease. In the event, however, that you officiate a memorial service for me, I would like the following to be read:
Mourn for me for a season for that is only natural. But, please, make it a short season. For I immensely enjoyed my life, I loved my family, friends, acquaintances and experiences. Also I’m now experiencing wonders you can’t even imagine. I’d like to leave you with something I read somewhere; seek to love God with all that you are. Having done that, learn to love yourself. After that, love others as you love yourself.
That’s it Dean. Because of the sensitive nature of this, I would prefer you treat this with all possible confidence…
Love,
Fred
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
Sunday Seven
- My dad’s obituary. It only begins to tell the story.
- Dad’s business web site. Not very interesting in itself, but as we’ve sorted through financial records today, my brothers and I have been somewhat surprised at its financial success.
- Dad’s blog. He began it last Fall as a daily log of a trip he and Mom took out west, then added some personal views, opinions, and one last post about his illness.
- In this huge aircraft hanger (at Goodyear Aerospace in Akron, Ohio) Dad began his career as an engineer.
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. After taking early retirement, Dad did some of his most enjoyable work in several trips to this school in Hong Kong, often accompanied by Mom.
- Glenmont, Ohio. Dad and Mom moved us to a farm near this tiny and rather homogeneous town in 1971 to begin some of the best years of our lives.
- Luke 22:42 - This was my Dad’s prayer during the few weeks of his illness, and provides a fitting summary of his attitude toward life.
Nothing left unsaid
In an hour or so, Cindy and I will leave for Ohio to (in the best case) walk with my Dad through his final hours here on earth. We found out six weeks ago that he has an aggressive and advanced form of cancer, and it appears that this cancer will win a (temporary) victory in the next few hours or days.
There are days and days of conversations that I still want to have with Dad. And yet there is nothing important left unsaid. Dad’s faith is strong and his mind is sharp. I have no doubt of his love for me, and I’m sure he has no doubt of mine.
I can’t tell you how important this man has been in my life. If MY life, ministry or friendship has had any kind of positive impact on you, my Dad deserves much of the credit.
Dennis
Todd Wagner on homosexuality and same-sex marriage
One of my favorite preachers is Todd Wagner of Watermark Community Church near Dallas. We listened to one of his audio sermons (on pornography) here at MHCC a couple of years ago, and I have made a regular habit of feeding on his preaching ever since.
He recently preached a message on homosexuality and same-sex marriage that I find to be compassionate and truthful. I recommend it highly to you. Wagner’s 34-minute sermon is followed by a ten-minute testimony by a Watermark member who is in the process of finding freedom from homosexual behavior.
