random tuesday things

not much to say today (but when has that ever kept me from saying something?). therefore, i’m posting a few random things from today.

  • great time starting the day off with coffee with perry and john from fellowship church in chippewa falls. great guys. i always learn a ton hanging with these guys. to celebrate easter this year perry and fellowship are doing what they call 40 days of easter. basically they are focusing on celebrating each day for 40 days. i think it’s a great idea. in fact, i wish i had thought of it. 40 days of purposefully living out resurrection. i told him to consider that idea stolen for next year at tapestry.
  • pam, the most wonderful wife in the world, bought me a great backpack for traveling to q 2009. this is great because i needed a backpack but felt like it was a waste when i could just use one of the boys’ old backpacks – which unfortunately look middle schoolie.
  • went fishing with andy lickel today and caught my first 2009 muskie. i’ll post a photo when andy sends me the one he took. i was pretty shocked to catch a muskie this early.
  • i started initial planning today for a touched twice united clinic in stevens point. between tapestry and woodlands church i know there will be at least two clinics in the point area.
  • i love kurt vonnegut. i can’t believe it took me this long in life to finally read any of his work. i haven’t even read his best known work yet, slaughterhouse-five, and i already think he is great.
  • yesterday a stranger heard my southern accent and asked me if i was british?!?!?! i was very surprised that someone could honestly mistake an alabama accent for an english accent. they truly odd thing is that this is the second time this has happened in my life. the other time was about 5 years ago when a couple from germnay thought i sounded british.

my run for the day

  • distance – 3.0 miles
  • time – 31:35
  • pace = 10:32/mile
  • weather – 43

pam’s statement last night

the terrell family easter finery

last night while pam and i were reading in bed (our nightly prep for sleeping) she rolled over and said “thanks for leading the most meaningful easter day i have ever been a part of.” so basically i couldn’t sleep very well after that.

as a pastor that’s the kind of thing you want to hear from someone but it is on an entirely different level when you spouse says it from out of the blue (a.k.a . not just when she can tell your down and thinks you need to hear something positive). one of the best compliments i have ever received.

especially since i didn’t really do anything. other people did all the real work. all i did was point people in a few directions. the really cool thing was that the painting at the hope center was mostly done by regular old threads (my new favorite name for thus of us involved in tapestry). the cooking and serving of the easter meal at the hope center was done by other threads. the tapestry service that night was lead but eric and brent with me coming in third for a very quick sermon which i can promise you was probably not the most amazing sermon ever- the music was much better. now yes i know that pointing people in the right direction is a part of leading but it’s really easy when you are surround with people like the people of tapestry.

the part that i was personally most proud of was getting people up to dance during tapestry while no parking on the dance floor was playing. yes there was a point to this. i talked out of the lost chapter (luke 15) in which JESUS tells three stories of things that were lost and found (a coin, a sheep, and a son). all i pointed out was that these stories are actually more about the appropriate response to resurrection than they are about anything else. JESUS tells these stories in response to some pharisees questioning him about partying with “sinners” (luke 15:2). JESUS’s answer to them is to tell three stories about people finding things and partying as a result. JESUS was teaching us that when HE defeats death with life (a.k.a. resurrection) one of the appropriate responses is to celebrate. so tapestry cut loose and the goal is to continue to do so all week.

actually all of holy week has been that way. other people have been doing all the cool stuff. i’m usually just buying brushes, paint, and candles. the painting was that way all week long and tenebrae was definitely that way. anyhow, as a proud husband i want to thank everyone at tapestry who helped to make this such a significant easter for pam and i (and hopefully for others too). i can’t wait to see how it gets better and and better over the years through believers like you guys.

SIDE NOTE – i think i just lied a little bit. the part of easter sunday that i am most proud of is that “no parking on the dance floor” is now stuck in pam and the boys’ heads. they were singing it all night long. 🙂 beep, beep … beep, beep … beep, beep!

SIDE SIDE NOTE- i am excited about the fact that tapestry is getting to the point that we can push things further and further. i learned this lesson from ferris bueller. the further you push some things the more fun and effecrtive they become (that is until someone gets hurt and then it’s no longer fun and games – or at least that is what a t-shirt told me). the dancing and music was fun last night and i think they got the message across but everyone got into it better each time i add something to the scene. i pulled out horns for everyone, then peeps, them bubbles, and finally streamers started flying. pretty much everyone was smiling and dancing by the time the streamers were flying. that stuff was easy. what i wish had been available was a disco ball, dance lights, and glow sticks! that’s the type of stuff that will come about for free as more and more people buy into what we are doing as a group. yes, money can buy that stuff but money really is only a poor substitute for time, creativity, and group involvement. as we get better as a group at connecting resources we will be able to push things further and further and thereby make them even more effective … and fun.

the week in tweets – 2009-04-11

  • just had a brief freak out moment when I looked at all the upcoming Tapestry events – thankfully they are all on mission. #
  • @johnthemember – slumdog – loved it. #
  • invited Joel to our small group saying “don’t worry it’s not just for couples.” His response, “don’t worry I can find a date.” Made me laugh #
  • @joshcausey – i’m not sure if that increases my respect for you or lowers it. could be both. in reply to joshcausey #
  • @ppolnaszek – probably not what you are looking for but i will be there in three weeks. in reply to ppolnaszek #
  • @ppolnaszek – sure. i’ll call you in a few. in reply to ppolnaszek #
  • @johnthemember – you talked to yourself? in reply to johnthemember #
  • Joy is the serious business of heaven – C.S. Lewis #
  • just signed up for the Chicago Marathon in October – a reason to train again. #
  • @johnthemember – i’ve loved that joke ever since the first time I heard it in the 3rd grade. in reply to johnthemember #
  • @ppolnaszek – i can see if my dad can get some. in reply to ppolnaszek #
  • @manheart – nope a am a slow man, a very slow man. in reply to manheart #
  • @manheart nope, I am a slow man, a very slow man. in reply to manheart #
  • Anyone know if T Alan Lusk is on twitter? I can’t find him and I wanted to get people to convince him to run the Chicago marathon with me. #
  • Anyone know of an inexpensive online donation tracking program? #
  • @allimill – perfect allison – that’s exactly what i was hoping for. in reply to allimill #
  • @joerbennett – thank you sir. in reply to joerbennett #
  • @T1545 – sign up for the Chicago marathon NOW!!!! #
  • @pauld2 – thanks paul in reply to pauld2 #
  • A little resurrection just finished happening. More is to come on Saturday and Sunday. I love Tapestry. #
  • Pretty proud of my sons. Right now it is the bass playing oldest son and earlier it was the street hockey playing youngest son. #
  • @exchangedliving – i feel sorry for you – on a personal front – walmart runs in the past 6 weeks = 0 in reply to exchangedliving #
  • Thanks to Eric & Natalie I have finally found decent donuts in Point – I do miss fresh Krispy Kremes every now and then. #
  • Real locally made smoked cheddar on a turkey sandwich … mhmmm … life is good. #
  • an Easter Lost? #
  • finishing up small Tenebrae details #
  • @KenNichols – tonite – we have a ton of college students %wise and many of them are driving home tomorrow and wouldn’t be here. in reply to KenNichols #
  • @joshcausey – does she look like someone who is desperate for attention? if so then it’s probably one of them? 🙂 in reply to joshcausey #
  • @KenNichols – sure – just sent you the program & main document. They’re in windows ’07 format. If that doesn’t work for you let me know. in reply to KenNichols #
  • @KenNichols – modified it from swbts when i was there – we go simple on tenebrae. silence and darkness will do the most preaching at ours in reply to KenNichols #
  • Real thankful for everyone who was a part of the Tenebrae tonight. #
  • Grabbing Starbucks coffee with @Joshross because I can’t explain to him how to get to Emy J’s. I really hate Starbucks coffee. #
  • Moved to Emy J’s and having a love/hate relationship with the two shouting boys next to me. The love = they’re funny. The hate = VERY LOUD! #
  • lunch = grilled cheese sandwich made from locally made provolone and smoked cheddar cheeses = mhmmmmm #
  • @dannygilliam – mhmmmm. that sounds good too in reply to dannygilliam #
  • Love the fact that @the_ring is tweeting the events of Good Friday. Great idea. #
  • looking forward to Noah’s baseball tryouts and then to painting at the Hope Center. #
  • @bradwphoto – so how do you prop hunt? in reply to bradwphoto #
  • @bradwphoto – ok – so do you just looks for interesting things or do you usually have things in mind? in reply to bradwphoto #
  • The dogs and I love the Standing Rock Dog Park!!!!!! #
  • @dannygilliam – if you give a mouse a cookie 😉 in reply to dannygilliam #
  • On a date with my wonderful wife. About to watch the musical “She Loves Me.” #

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the tenebrae program

here’s the tenebrae program from tonight. it was a cool evening. it’s a very simple service that involved a good number of people to do it. i think the most meaningful part of the gathering for me was actually the room in which we held it. as a church we continually talk about the church not having walls but it’s still real easy to associate worship with a place – even when you just rent that place for a half a day each week. i loved the fact that we were doing this incredibly somber worship gathering in the university center of uwsp while students, faculty, and others were walking around outside the door and stopping to find out what was going on. i saw a couple of people that i have talked with before concerning faith and they were intrigued with what we were doing in the university center. for me it was a great reminder of BEING the church in the community.

SIDE NOTE – every so often while speaking i reference the people who are a part of tapestry by calling us “tapestrites” or “tapestronians.”  tonight i made reference to “tapestrities” and natalie g shouted out that we should be called “threads.” THIS IS BRILLIANT. as far as i am concerned the people of tapestry will from now on be referred to as “threads.”

SIDE SIDE NOTE – the “not my job” section of this week’s episode of “wait, wait … don’t tell me” is one of the funniest things i’ve ever heard. paula poundstone explaining the ingredients of ringdings is classic.

what does resurrection look like?

it looks a little like this.

18 people showed up at the salvation army hope center to paint yesterday. not bad for a church that is averaging around 40 at the moment. we actually had more people than we had work – which means that we will have to find a lot more things to resurrect for next year’s holy week. this is a great problem.

anyhow in 3 hours we had three rooms changed from beat up to spotless. we’re painting again friday and saturday. the room in the above photo was a wonderful pepto bismol pink before we started painting before we starting painting. several of the guys couldn’t understand why it would need painting 😉