Moonie Update

Brothers! I have one month left here at Cumberland Law School in Birmingham, AL. I would call the experience slightly more successful than college (at least romantically and academically). For those who don't know I got married in July to Rachel Wood (now Mooney) and she was due to have our first baby yesterday the 28th of March. He has decided to wait for a while, but otherwise is a big fat boy named William Bradley.

Rachel graduated from nursing school at Union and now works at a pediatric clinic here in Birmingham, AL. I am ready to graduate. Right now I'm tenth in my class, an associate editor for the law review and a Fellow for the Center of Biotechnology, Law and Ethics. Currently Rach and I do not have much time for any sort of hobbies, but when we do we attend the Birmingham Astronomical Society meetings or events at a place called Chandler Mountain, or we both get ready for baby by building ridiculous amounts of heavy plastic furniture. And yes for those who don't know much about babies, this new furniture is the type that will play baby short bars of atonal classical music while flashing colored lights in his face. This is supposed to be good for him and for some reason many babies seem to enjoy this.

But anyway we are huge nerds and Baby Willy will probably also be one as well. We hope everyone is doing well and posts info on this blog. Good idea Josh.

Baptist Babble or Pepperdine Ponderings?
I am speaking April 21st to the Baptist Communicators Association who will be in Richmond, VA and Washington, DC for a conference and some meetings. (Yep, surprised me too.) What do you think it is important for Baptist communications professionals to know about from our generation's perspective? What do you wish you could tell communications leaders at LifeWay, Baptist colleges, First Baptists, etc? Would be interested to get your input.

I am also speaking this week to a group of Pepperdine college students who in town studying public policy. Anything from a public policy or government-involvement-in-your-life perspective you have learned since graduation that you wished you knew while still in college? Share your thoughts here.

Coming to a City Near You...
Calling some Jackson and Nashville fellas -- you know who you are -- I will be in the Nashville area April 28-30 to run the Country Music 1/2 Marathon. Lindsey will be with me and I'd like to introduce her to you and let her meet you. Schedule--at this point--includes the race Saturday morning, dinner and hanging out Saturday night downtown. Would love to meet up with you for some time if you are in the area. If your schedule might allow, give me a call or shoot me an email. To Infinity and Beyond.... Josh

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Write Stuff?
Do YOU read this blog?
There are two options for its future.

(1) No one responds, posts their comments, offers feedback, or sends me materials to post and our clever blog idea dies a slow death as it fades into oblivion. That would be incredibly sad.

Or....

(2) YOU offer comments, feedback, and send me thoughts/pictures/personal news updates/stories/etc. to post so our brotherhood and connectivity increases.

I am happy to help facilitate our postings to increase communication and connectivity, but I cannot just post updates alone. I need your input. VIR QUISQUE VIR brothers.

What Is The Emerging Church?

The best summary from Dr. Don Carson here: http://www.modernreformation.org/dac05emerging.htm

Also, a helpful 2 article summary from Dr. Al Mohler at Southern: http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2005-06-29.

And another take by Doug Baker, president of The Veritas Group: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=21152.

Perhaps one of the most basic critiques of the EC movement is that while it presents some helpful critiques of the church's dependence on Modernism, instead of insisting that the church return to biblical moorings, many EC leaders overreact and suggest the church build on a PostModern premise.

What do you think? Share your thoughts here.

GO Trips - From Jackson to Juniper to Japan
Just a reminder that this week is Spring Break for the Union community. Will and Valerie Trautman are leading a trip to Boston, MA. Chad Cossiboom is leading a trip (not GO Trip) to Matamoros, Mexico as part of his work with college students. Would be good to remember the many students and staff who are on GO Trips in our thoughts and prayers.

Former LZZ President Chad Hodges recently moved to the Washington, DC area with his new wife, Andrea. Chad is now serving as an assistant at the SBC's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (http://www.faithandfamily.com) at 505 Second St., N.E.Washington, DC 20002, (202) 547-8105. His work email is chodges@erlc.com. He and Andrea live just across the Potomac in George Washington's old neighborhood, Alexandria, VA. Andrea has also found a job in the area and the couple is getting settled in.

Invisible Children, Visible Challenge


When Brody was in Uganda (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ug.html) for several months this past summer, he met 3 Christian guys --Jason, Bobby and Laren-- who have done something pretty bold, clever, and daring worth knowing about.....and participating in.

The story begins in the 1980s with a man named Joseph Kony, who used the influence of a former anti-government resistance leader to begin his own movement with the Acholi people. The movement became the "Lord’s Resistance Army," and initially, a lot of people joined. But when he failed to keep them in the army, he started abducting children to train as soldiers. For the past 20 years, children ranging in age from 8 to 14 have been kidnapped, brainwashed and taught how to kill. Many are brutally beaten, raped and forced to kill others, often their own families. Those who survive are severely psychologically damaged. Since the war in Uganda began, an estimate of children who have been abducted is more than 30,000. Every night, upwards of 25,000 children, fearful of being abducted from their rural homes while they sleep, walk into the cities to find refuge for the night. Many of these children have lost their parents to war or AIDS. These are the children that Jason Russell, 27, Bobby Bailey, 24, and Laren Poole, 22, are asking the world to see.

The three friends from California traveled to Africa in 2003 and captured their story on film. Their documentary Invisible Children (http://www.invisiblechildren.com) will be shown all across the U.S. in the coming months.

Upon returning from their visit to Africa, Jason, Bobby and Laren started an organization called Invisible Children, hitting the road on Feb. 1 to bring the film to the U.S.The filmmaker’s young perspective (there’s a fire, a snake and puke in the first 10 minutes) has inspired a movement led primarily by youth and spread primarily by word of mouth. Now, the group has seven RVs rolling into 150 cities over the next three months.

Brody and I had dinner with the guys when they were in town last week to lobby folks in Congress about sending an envoy (similar to Sen. Danforth who went to Sudan) to try and negotiate peace. Funny, interesting, genuine, beach guys from southern California lobbying Congress about Uganda. Ironic. Neat. Brody can tell you more, but I encourage you to check out their website.

Who Runnin'?
All right all you triathlon or half-marathon trainers. It's time to put your money where your mouth is - time for a progress report. Post how you're doing here.

STEVE "PHIL-A" PHIPPS UPDATE...
I’m currently living in Memphis (have been here for almost 8 years). I have been married for almost 3 years to Elizabeth (a beautiful Mississippi woman) [Trent: are there any other kind?] and we have a little boy, Joshua, [Trent: must be a smart, good-looking, well-rounded little guy]who turned 1 in January. I’m the owner/operator of the Chick-fil-A at Oak Court Mall & we attend 1st Evangelical Church. Elizabeth & I are both training for the full marathon in Nashville (we’re training w/ Team in Training – www.teamintraining.org). That’s life here in a nutshell. My email is runningstp@bellsouth.net & cell is 901.219.0188.
In ZAX,
Phipps
LZ 417

Masters and Maytag and More
God has blessed us here in a special way recently. I began working at the Maytag plant here in Jackson as an engineering intern in the research and development department (this Maytag plant is the only Maytag dishwasher plant in the world). I'm working between 20 and 30 hours a week and learning a lot. School is a lighter load this semester due to a cancelled course and a dropped course (only 12 hours now). The Maytag position will last through the summer, and if I feel comfortable, through the fall semester and January of 2007 (the fall will be a heavier semester). Valerie is still plugging away at her master's degree and working at Union. (She's our straight A student!) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and his kingdom is our life. - Will

Just remembering some of the good times....
(Rob, what are you doing?)

Who Runnin'?
Several brothers are running the 1/2 marathon in Nashville at the end of April. Paul Whitt is. Josh Trent is. Chad Wilson should. Brad Horner should. Others are, but have not yet publicized their participation. C'mon brothers, do this for your health and well-being. Then we should all meet up. Who's in?

A House Divided....Or Underfunded....Cannot Stand
Consider supporting LZZ's house with your monthly pledge or one time gift. Send checks and a voided check to: Lambda Zeta House Fund, C/o Michael Johnston, 25 Amanda Cove, Jackson, TN, 38305. Write the amount of your monthly pledge and when you want your withdrawal, the 4th or 15th of the month.

CALLING OUT ALL CARD SHARKS
The 1st annual LXA Alumni Poker Tournament is now in the works for Friday night April 21st at the chapter house. There will be a grill-out before the tournament at 7:00 so show up hungry. Putting your pride on the line will be your "buy in" but there will be prizes for the winners. Prizes will most likely consist of various knickknacks and expired products from City Drug/Huntingdon, free legal services from Rainey-Kiser, and free E+ Broadband for life. The event will be televised by the Travel Channel for World Poker Tour so please dress accordingly. The current seniors from the chapter will be invited to join us for the tournament and several actives will be the dealers. We scheduled it far out so that you can put it on your calendar and make it a priority.

*Please pass this along to any other alums that you think might interested. It would be great to get a headcount so if you plan on coming email/call the Rho, Jon Abernathy, at S270140@uu.edu or 615.400.9655.*

Faith@Work.com
Ministering in the Marketplace

"We do a great disservice to the Christian cause whenever we refer to the pastorate as the 'ministry'. For by our use of the definite article we give the impression that the pastorate is the only ministry there is, much as medieval churchmen regarded the priesthood as the only (or at least the most 'spiritual') vocation there is…..Nowadays, whenever somebody says in my presence that 'So and so is going into the ministry', I always ask innocently, 'Oh, really? Which ministry do you mean?' And when my [friend] probably replies, 'The pastoral ministry', I come back with the gentle complaint, 'Then why didn't you say so?!' The fact is that the word 'ministry' is a generic term; it lacks specificity until we add an adjective." -- John Stott

Chad Wilson is addressing Union's chapel (end of April) on the topic of intergrating Christian faith with one's vocational work - specifically from his vantage point as a Chrisitian businessman. He has a general framework using several Proverbs, but he might benefit from you sharing anecdotes about challenges you have faced in thinking Christianly about your work. Josh spoke last Saturday to a group of InterVarsity seniors from three DC-area colleges about the same topic of following and obeying Christ at our work (outline below).

Too often Christians, even good Union grads who should know otherwise, dichotimize the 'sacred' and the 'secular,' splitting their understanding of ministry. You've probably heard folks say:

“God does not really care about what you do. Just make good money, provide for your family, serve in your church, give money, support missionaries, and be a nice guy. C’mon, the only work that really matters eternally is church work. It doesn’t matter what work you do. I mean, seriously, it’ll all burn in the end anyway, right?”

Working as a missionary, teacher, or pastor is essential and honorable. But it is not the only kind of work that matters to God. People who say otherwise have a split in their thinking and support a two-tier mentality by dividing jobs into sacred and secular, high and low, holy and average. This is a proposal that is not Biblical. This is a truncated, abbreviated Gospel. People who purport this view operate out of a faith that is overly- privatized, personalized, and devotional - it has little to say about how they work, what they do, why they do it. But since ministry just means "service" and Jesus is Lord of all, we can serve God by ministering to others through our work.

Interact:
What challenges to you face in thinking Christianly about your work at the office? How do you intergrate your Christian faith and vocation? What models or examples biblically have been instructive and helpful to you? What do you think Chad could say that would help students think about this? Post your comments, counter these points, or start a discussion here.

Outline
1. Problems with Work (2) Ditches - Errors Into Which Christians Fall
a. Work Matters Too little
b. Work Matters Too much
2. Purpose of Work Path - A Biblical Theology of Work
a. God is a Worker
b. Has Given Man Work Before the Fall
c. Man Works Unto God
d. All Work Can Be Ministry
3. Practice of Work Progress - Practical Ways to Follow and Obey
a. We must care for others who are made in God’s image
b. We must be truth-tellers, no matter the cost
c. We must be good servants, at all times
d. We must be faithful stewards, in all things
e. We must be excellent, unto him