Five things friday

1. I wasn't sure if I was going to get to the FTF today or not. It's been one of those weeks. My butt has been d.r.a.g.g.i.n.g. I don't know if this means the ablation didn't work, if it's just one last hurrah of the heart flutter trying to kick in, or what. I haven't had any issues with rapid heart rate, but I started regularly skipping heart beats again. My sleep hasn't been great, and even last night - when I got over 9 hours - I woke up completely exhausted. Not much I can do about it, I guess.
2. I have managed to continue running. I ran 3 or 4 days last week, and again this week. I've started doing M,W,F, and Saturday. Even today, though I could barely wake up, once I got out on a run I felt okay. I did a slow and easy 9 miles (10 min/mi pace) with no problems.
3. Earlier this week I was reading Scot McKnight's substack regarding Karl Vaters' book 'De-sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next.' It looks like a good book (and Scot's take is worth the read too). What I really liked was what Vaters said about Integrity: "We need to: 1. Do the right thing, 2. Every time, 3. For a long time, 4. With no agenda." I wish I had, and hope I can.
4. From Mike Woodruff's TFU (words of the week): "Tumblebreed (a dog whose shed hair morphs into tumbleweeds that collect in the corner of the room), photosapiens (which seems an appropriate designation to those who regularly take selfies), and Slacktivists (those who show their support for a cause via social media but do little else)."
5. "God's power is miraculous because it always works beyond the expectations of human imagination (Eph. 1:19; 3:20-21)... It is when Christians use the coercive power of the world to do the unlimited work of God in the name of God that they are unequivocally on the wrong side of power. All hell breaks loose, abuse and trauma follow, and we have a dumpster fire on our hands. This book attempts to dissuade all Christians from being on that wrong side of power." - David Fitch 'Reckoning With Power: Why the Church Fails When It's on the Wrong Side of Power'

 My sermon is done and ready for Sunday. It's not perfect, but I broke our printer and I've decided I'm just going to go with what I've got (I couldn't fashion a perfect sermon if I tried). Assuming I can drag my ass out of bed in time. Church doesn't start until 11am, but I have to bartend for a concert and clean up afterward on Saturday night. Should be fun. Have a happy weekend, you bunch o' mothers! (meaning, don't forget it's Mother's Day, and enjoy it if you are one)