Structure? Who, Me?

Tim Riter January 13, 2014

I’m embarrassed. Deeply. Soon, you’ll see why. A few months ago I posted how I got stuck spiritually, couldn’t figure out the cause, then God intervened in a very good Good Friday service. In the last week or so, I have some glimmers of the source.

But know that I tend to hang loose. Too much regimentation and structure bring tension. Working hard is good, IF it varies. Now, here comes the embarrassment.

For about 30 years, I was a “professional” Christian—a pastor, author of Christian books, a teacher...

My Non Resolution

Tim Riter January 6, 2014

I gave up on New Year’s Resolutions some time ago—their certain failure brought frustration, and I need neither. But God may be getting my attention, courtesy of Home Depot.

Although tending to be a bit mellow and easy going, I’ve noticed my impatience level getting worse lately, and New Year’s Day brought it to a peak.

The same pic as a few months ago, but a VERY different story.

Do the Right Thing

Tim Riter December 30, 2013

I hopped on the bike and rolled out of West Lafayette, IN, about six in the morning, heading back to my beloved log cabin in Taos. I helped John get married, and yes, we pranked him. I convinced a bridesmaid who had a key to their apartment that I could be trusted, so we removed all the labels from the cans, put Kool Aid in the shower heads, Saran Wrap under the toilet seats—all the typical stuff. But that’s not the key part of the story.

The wide Kansas plains seemed flat and featureless and boring. I confess I broke the law. My Honda 750 cruised easy at 90-100, and out of the 100’s of cars I flew by, I remember two.

Duck Dynasty-Absolutes and Grace in Tension

Tim Riter December 23, 2013

For so long, I resisted the temptation to weigh in on all the discussion (an intriguing blend of vitriol and support) about Phil Robertson and the A & E dust up over Duck Dynasty. However, resisting temptation isn’t always one of my strong suits. So, here goes.

I’m troubled.

Worship Band by Roots Worship Arts Academy

Blessed by Quality

Tim Riter December 16, 2013

If Emerson revealed truth, my mind might be gargantuan: “Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.” Apart from hat size, paradox prevails in my life. Just last week we explored how we can be “Cursed by Quality,” that a certain level of quality in worship may build expectations of regularity, and if the leaders don’t continue on that level, we experience frustration instead of ecstacy. But let’s flip the coin, because we can also be paradoxically “Blessed by Quality.”

The worship team at our church is good. Very good...

Cursed by Quality

Tim Riter December 9, 2013

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, and our pastor made it a long week off. Most of the praise team grabbed the same opportunity. Totally deserved, by all of them. After decades as a pastor (not once leading music, praise God!), I know that spiritual leaders need recharging. Jesus patterned that for us, by the way. I think he knew some pastors would slide into workaholism!

But their absence impacted the overall worship service.

Thankful?

Tim Riter December 2, 2013

Wednesday. The day before Thanksgiving. Off from school because of jury duty, but they rescheduled, so I'm grading essays. Some random sound outside my study window made me raise the blind (closed due to earlier morning glare), and revealed a gorgeous fall day, a few wispy clouds to accent the blue sky, colorful liquid amber leaves. Life is good. God is good. I'm...thankful.

I put that paragraph on Facebook this past week, and it generated a surprising response. So, after some pondering, I thought I’d explore the concept.

Pushing the Envelope

Tim Riter November 25, 2013

A hot August night outside Beaumont TX may qualify as one of the worst of my life. I’d cruised out of New Orleans earlier that day, on a chopped ’73 Honda 750. For old riders who remember “Easy Rider,” yeah, it had a metal flake flag painted on the tank and covers. The fuzzy pic above is from earlier on the same trip, and that’s me in the red tank and bushy red beard. I took off on the trip with no notice and fewer plans. Just a backpack with a few clothes, a sleeping bag, a poncho for a ground cloth, and no tent. That last omission proved problematic. The heat and humidity kept me from getting in the bag, but the mosquitoes and unknown biting Southern bugs put me back in. So I gave up about 3 am, and headed west to El Paso.

Unconventional

Old Faith, New Following