Lent - The Journey Continues

"What are you going to give up for Lent?"

That was always the Big Question as I was growing up.  Usually is was soft drinks.  Or candy. Whoopdie Do, huh?  For some, sure.  But the real question is, "Does giving something up bring us closer to Jesus during this time?"  I can attest that the soda and candy thing didn't do it for me when I was younger.

Last year, I gave up sweets again.  I have developed quite a sweet tooth over the years, so this became a bigger deal for me.  But the real difference was that every time I saw a cookie or piece of candy (and believe me... I saw a lot) it reminded me of Christ, and the sacrifices he underwent for our redemption and salvation.

What a small price to pay for my soul... to give up Snickers bars or brownies to bring me closer to the heart of my God.

Additionally, I have taken on fasting.  True fasting.  Water only from sunrise to sunset.  Each pang of hunger again reminds me of Christ's suffering.  I pray more.  I reflect more.  I don't pass the time by planning my next meal.  I embrace each moment when I can think about God and His son.

I heartily urge fasting for all men.  At least once a month.  E5 Men (www.E5men.org) shows how fasting - especially for one's spouse - can bring amazing, and life-altering, changes to your spiritual life and your family.

Sacrifice.  It's an easy word to talk about.  We use it to refer to many things.  Athletes sacrifice to be the best.  Parents sacrifice for their children.  The military sacrifice for our freedom.

But we all know that Christ's was the ultimate sacrifice.  So let's embrace ours a little more gladly, and turn the focus from ourselves to the one whose sacrifice made ours even possible.

A blessed Lenten season to you all.

No Such Thing as a Coincidence

Last month I wrote a little article about about a local radio station here in Portland.  You can read it below.  

The response to this article, and the e-mail campaign that followed was very supportive.  Sure, there are those few who are afraid of the truth.  This is no surprise.

Today as I was re-reading the article I decided to click on the link to the advertisers' page.  To my surprise, the link was broken.  Hmmm.  I then went to the station's website.  It had been re-vamped and the advertisers' page updated.  The advertiser in question had been removed.

For those who differ with my take on things, I want to make two points perfectly clear:

1) I did indeed hear Pete and Brenda's comments firsthand.  Both days.  It is not a coincidence that they had these two actors' voices on the day before, and the day of, the release of the film.  An accident?  Hardly.  This is promoting the film.  I heard them.  

2) The Programming Director did invite me to come and speak with him, but only after I had threatened the boycott, and after NOT admitting to any wrongdoing.  I think the removal of the advertiser shows that indeed he saw the error.  However, I know that the station will not institute a policy which states that advertisers must meet strict ethical and moral guidelines.  

This would be too difficult.

It's not easy being a Christian.  Never has been.  Never will be.

Which Team Do You Want To Play For?

This past weekend, my beloved San Diego Chargers lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.  I've been a fan since I was a kid.

These days I root for a new team.  It's call Team Eternal Life.  Our arch-rival is Team Eternal Damnation.  We play on the Field of Society for the "Souls Cup" on a daily basis.

I remember a number of years ago there was a Pittsburgh Steelers fan who proudly wore his black and gold to an L.A. Raiders game in Los Angeles.  For his enthusiasm and team spirit he was nearly stabbed to death.  That's dedication, right?

We will literally lay down our lives for our favorite sports teams, but not for our Faith.  Why is this?  Could there be a more twisted and misdirected sense of loyalty?

One of my favorite verses in Scripture comes from Acts 5:40-41. 

"... and when they (the Sanhedrin) had called the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them.  So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for the sake of the Name."

Praise God!  Why don't we feel this way about our Faith and our Lord?  Why don't we put on the jersey of Team Eternal Life as we go out into the world?  After all, the world we live in is a hostile environment to our team.  We should show our colors proudly.  Unapologetic about where we stand.

Where are your loyalties?  What team do you want to play for?  I know which one has the better locker rooms.  It's the one where our Lord, Jesus Christ, gives us pep talks every day.  His sweet voice calling to us.

The game is on.  You'd better be in shape.

An Inconvenient Truth: The Christian Edition

The Guts to Be a Christian

 

It's not easy being a Christian. 

 

Did anyone ever say it was?  Some of us today think that being a Christian is as simple as reciting a "Sinner's Prayer" and accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.  I don't recall that formula in the Bible.  As a matter of fact, I seem to recall a lot more.  Denying yourself. Carrying your cross.  Leaving family behind.  Dropping all your possessions.  Becoming the "last", so that we may become "first".

 

It's not easy being a Christian.

 

To call yourself a Christian means that you don't check your faith at the door.  This is called being a "Convenient Christian".  There are politicians who espouse this as a virtue.  There are even those among us - in our own community - who preach Christianity (for their monetary benefit) when it suits their business plan.  Today I am calling for a boycott.

 

It's not easy being a Christian.

 

KFIS, FM 104.1 (The Fish), call themselves a Christian music station.  Recently, on their popular morning show, Pete and Brenda, the couple had a segment called "The Mystery Morning Voice", where a very short clip of a celebrity's voice is played, and the listener attempts to identify who it is for a prize.  On one morning, the voice was that of Daniel Craig - currently appearing in the anti-Christian film, "The Golden Compass".  Pete and Brenda made an off-the-cuff comment about the movie and that it looked fun.  The very next day, "The Mystery Morning Voice" was Nicole Kidman - also appearing in the same film.  And again they made a comment about the film.

 

It's not easy being a Christian.

 

On a recent Sunday morning, The Oregonian asked locals what they were going to do with their state kicker check.  Sho Dozono, owner of Azumano Travel, stated that he was going to distribute his among various charities.  One of these charities was Planned Parenthood.  Azumano Travel has been a big advertiser on The Fish for quite some time.  Sho Dozono's wife, Loen Dozono, is even a member of the Planned Parenthood Board of Directors.

 

When I confronted the staff of KFIS (specifically Dave Arthur) they denied the on-air comments, stating that I should listen to the program and not to what others say.  I again told him that not only did I hear both comments, but that I have been a listener since the station went on the air over five years ago.  He also denied that Azumano Travel is still an advertiser.  I ask you to go the following web page and tell me what you see.  http://www.1041thefish.com/fishadvertisers.aspx

 

It's not easy being a Christian.

KFIS, and their parent company Salem Communications, have chosen to be Christians when it is convenient to them.  So far as their advertising dollars do not suffer, they are willing to mention Christ.  We cannot allow this sort of pick-and-choose Christianity to prevail.

 

I am asking you, on the day of the birth of our Lord and Savior, to boycott any and all services of Salem Communications, including the following Portland area radio stations: KTRO-AM 910, KPDQ-FM 93.9, KFIS-FM 104.1, KPDQ-AM 800, and KRYP-FM 93.1.  I also ask that you go to the above referenced advertisers' page and cease doing business with all those companies listed.  If you have a FISH bumper sticker on your car - take it off.  Take the station pre-set off your stereo.

 

Lastly, please contact Salem Communications' Denise Davis (Director of Communications at: DeniseD@salem.cc, or KFIS' Music Director, Dave Arthur, at: dave@1041thefish.com.

 

It is not easy, convenient, or comfortable to be a Christian. but it is what God calls us to be.  Will you please join me in making a stand for our faith? 

 

Thank you.

2008-The Year of Real Catholic Men?

A blessed Advent to you all! As 2007 draws to a close, I am looking forward to a new year and new challenges.

2008 is going to start off with a BANG for Real Catholic Men. On the weekend of January 18-20, I will be in Gold Hill, Oregon, hosting their 26th Annual Men's Retreat. This is my first foray into this arena, and I'll be giving 3-4 talks over the three days. I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into, but I know the Holy Spirit will be with me every step of the way.

On January 22nd, I will be joined by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers and Jesse Romero on local Catholic radio, KBVM (www.KBVM.fm), to discuss the RCM ministry, the June conference and men's spirituality in general. The interview with KBVM's Dina Marie Hale will air at 8:10 a.m. that morning. If you are not in the Portland area, you can listen in on the Internet.

Then, On January 26th, I will be attending the Life Is Sacred conference at the Portland Expo Center. This will be RCM's first big "public appearance." I will have a table set up with literature, conference registration forms, t-shirts, bumper stickers and a great big "Real Catholic Men" banner! It is going to be a great event. Please make your plans to attend.

See, this is just the first month of the year. Who knows what God's has in store for the other eleven months? I don't, but I'm sure excited to find out!

May God bless you all, and may you have a Christ-filled 2008.

Reality and Real Catholic Men

God loves to make sure that we are relying on Him.

For two-and-a-half years, my wife and I each worked part-time in order to raise our two girls ourselves. While it allowed us to forge a great bond with them as parents, it caused other stresses in our lives. When we decided that it was time for me to go back to work full-time, it was easier said than done. During that time, I began Real Catholic Ministries and all the work that we intend to do for God.

This week I started a new job. I think it's going to be great, but I'm afraid. I'm afraid that RCM will suffer. As you can imagine, I don't have as much free-time as I used to have. We now have to put the kids in childcare - another financial obligation that we have to account for. Will they adjust to the new people and place?

How will I have time for work, family, the ministry, my own spiritual formation, etc.? I suppose that's the reality of being a real Catholic man. We must all rely on God - not ourselves - to meet all of the rigors of life.

Jesus says it very clearly in Matthew 11:28-30 . "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Amen to that. Amen.

Whoda Thunk It

Does anybody out there think that God isn't amazing?

As you may or may not be aware, this blog is connected to the Real Catholic Men ministry and the conference that we are putting on in June of 2008.

Any organization worth its weight - or with a few bucks - knows that it has to have a website "presence" in this day and age. Some use it as a major marketing tool, while others use it simply as a place of information for people to go to on their own, and still others have one so they can appear "legitimate" or professional to those who come across their business.

My reason? I suppose it's a little bit of all of these things, but not one more that the other. But the fact is, where else can people from all over the country and the world find out about who you are and what you do without putting out a boat-load of money to advertise?

I have been amazed at the correspondence I have received over the past 2-3 months. At this point I am doing no major ad campaign (can't afford it, for one thing) and am not even actively promoting the event or the site outside of a close circle of friends. Still, people from Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, etc. have contacted me about the RCM ministry. There is a movement out there which is soft-spoken, but powerful. Waiting to leap out of the darkness and attack the devil anywhere he lurks. The network is forming, strengthening, collaborating.

Al Gore may say that he invented the Internet, but we all know that it was God. Romans 8:28 says, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose."

Who knew? He did.