Half-Finished Thoughts

Yes, I know I'm rather inconsistent on this blog (my very first response told me so!). Today I was pondering why this is.

The problem for me in writing down these thoughts (other than my ADHD, which you can see from the numerous parenthetical comment; like this one, for instance) is that I'll have an experience or an idea and think, "this would make a good blog post." But, in the course of thinking about how I'll frame it, it'll die right there. The reason it dies is because I have this tendency to want to wrap everything in a pretty little bow -- take a thought/experience, derive some sort of life-affirming or life-challenging lesson from it, and end with a cute last line.

I blame my training as a preacher for this.

But, I guess, the thing about life is that your experiences don't always lead to life-affirming or life-challenging conclusions. And they certainly don't end with a cutesy last lines. No, they just are.

So, from time-to-time, I may present some half-finished thoughts -- some ideas that could have been whole posts on their own, if I could have figured out how to present them as such. And maybe you, dear reader, could find the life-affirming or challenging lesson in them and comment below. Cute last lines are not required, though appreciated.

• We had Convocation last Monday, with the inauguration of Matt Proctor as president of OCC. Fantastic move on the school's part, fantastic message from Matt, fantastic image as he chose to wash the feet of a freshman student at the close of the message. As Matt began talking about John 13 and "taking up the basin," I started wondering, "will he do it here tonight." And he did. And it was incredibly moving.
• The only thing that slightly bothered me ("bothered" is even probably too strong a word) was how, while the worship was led from the piano only and not our usual full band with guitars and drums, it was the same songs we always sing. Is it a bad thing to have a hint of formality at such a historic occasion, and maybe sing a historical hymn of the faith? Do we always have to sing the "now" songs? For some reason, we here at OCC bristle at any hint of "formality," as though formal is the opposite of genuine. Is casual always better?
• We held the Community Volunteer Expo last night, and it was good as always -- maybe not great, but okay (in my view, the CVE is like pizza. . . even if it's just okay, it's still pizza). Again was amazed at the diversity of the ministries that happen in such a place as Joplin (I don't care what Mark Driscoll thinks of the place. . . but, then again, I like gravy).

Well, that's it for now -- I'll be back as often as the spirit inspires (though maybe the HS doesn't want the blame for this).

[Cute last line still intact]