according to jeff

In a recent review of 3 Nights in August, I innocently wrote, “While La Russa’s concern for animals is a smidgen extreme, he has a great baseball mind.” Animal lovers reacted, concerned that I viewed animals as disposable creatures without feelings or souls.

Well.

It certainly wasn’t my intent to stir the passions of animal lovers. So, let me clarify.

Let’s start by looking at what I wrote: “…La Russa’s concern for animals is a smidgen extreme…” Smidgen is defined as “a small portion; a bit or mite.” Thus, a smidgen extreme does not mean “totally wrong”. Rather, it means “a bit extreme.”

In fact, I’d support several of the Animal Rescue Foundation’s position statements. For instance, people should understand that getting a pet is a serious and life-style changing decision. Pets should be treated with kindness throughout their life. Spaying and neutering pets is a good idea.

However, some of these position statements are a “smidgen extreme.” You agree, if you:

• Hunt
• Fish
• Let your dog ride in the car with his nose out the window
• Have an aquarium
• Have a working dog
• Describe yourself as a “dog owner” rather than a “dog guardian”
• Think that dissecting a frog in biology class is OK
• Have your cat declawed

Read the position statements for yourself, then decide if it is possible to have compassion for animals but still think that some of these statements are a smidgen extreme.

Now to some of the details.

Do animals have feelings? It’s clear to most dog owners that dogs are thinking and feeling animals. Our dog, Shep, can be devious, waiting to snatch a tissue from the trash until he has a good opportunity to get away with it. He can sulk, when he figures out that it’s Sunday and he’s going to be left at home. He can give the silent treatment on those rare instances when he’s not invited on a walk. Hearing the word “walk” will bring a sparkle to his eyes. While some individual dogs might be, um, dumb, dogs in general are not dumb animals.

Do animals have souls? In the sense of having a unique personality, then yes. In the sense of living after death, then no, I don’t think so. I don’t expect to see Fluffy or Rover in heaven. (But if I do, it won’t bother me.)

Do I “love” my dog? No. Not really. I love my wife. I love my children. I love my family. I try to love my neighbor. But I don’t love my dog. I wouldn’t jump in front of a bus to save him. I wouldn’t go to any length to get him the best medical care. But while I don’t love my dog, I do like my dog. (Usually.)

The Bible teaches that God gives mankind dominion (stewardship and caretaking) over God’s creation. In fact, the Bible teaches that a person’s treatment of animals reflects on his relationship with God.

A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
(Proverbs 12:10 NIV)

Tomorrow is the start of what we hope will become a new Bible-teaching church in Waterloo.

Our church in Cedar Rapids is partnering with our local association of churches for the church start. Several families from our church have been commissioned as short-term missionaries to help with the new start, called Friends Baptist Church. Each missionary has committed to serving at Friends on Sunday mornings for the next six months.

All four of the Wheelers will be participating. Matt is leading the music program, Jeff and Lu are on the praise team and will be helping with discipleship, and Bethany is helping to provide care for the children. Others have volunteered to be greeters, ushers, and children Sunday School teachers.

For the past several weeks, we’ve been working hard to reburbish the church facility. Friends will be meeting in a church building that has been empty for several months. The church was built and decorated in the 1970′s, and very much needed some renovation. While we’ve been working on the building, others phoned 10,000 households in the area surrounding the church. From these contacts, 225 people not currently attending a local church have said that they’ll attend the first service tomorrow. Wouldn’t that be great?!

The Saturday, September 17 edition of the Waterloo Courier included a brief article about the new church. Read it here.

In 1925 in a small town in Tennessee, the Scopes Monkey Trial, the trial of the century, began. The General Assembly of Tennessee had passed a statute requiring that only the biblical account of creation be taught in schools funded by the state. The question of whether only one view of origins should be taught in school, or whether multiple views should be taught, was to be decided. Would science be limited to one perspective, or allowed to pursue scientific investigation in opposing theories? The decision? Science teachers would not be restricted to teaching biblical creationism, but instead be allowed to teach the scientific merit of different theories of origins, including evolution.

It’s 2005, but the educational situation today isn’t that much different than in 1925. Only the roles have changed. Once again, the classroom is only big enough for one theory, but instead of biblical creation, it is evolution. Evolutionists have assumed the role of fundamentalists, attempting to keep the classroom closed to scientific investigation and debate. Despite the famous Monkey Trial, teachers are not generally allowed to teach the scientific merit of different theories of origin, including intelligent design [1].

President Bush has recently suggested that a public school science classroom is big enough to consider competing ideas.

“Part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought. You’re asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas. The answer is yes. . . . Both sides ought to be properly taught . . . so people can understand what the debate is about.” [2]

There, that doesn’t sound too unreasonable, does it? Yet, according to an article in World Magazine, Mad Scientists, it is thought entirely unreasonable by today’s evolution fundamentalists.

In 1925, the fundamentalists were concerned about the effect that teaching evolution would have on society. In 2005, the fundamentalists must be concerned about the effect that teaching intelligent design would have on society. One wonders, what are they so afraid of?

[1] See the Wiki Encyclopedia for an antagonistic definition of intelligent design.
[2] Unhappy Warriors, World Magazine, August 20, 2005

3 Nights in August, by Buzz Bissinger, chronicles three games between the St. Louis Cardinals and their rivals, the Chicago Cubs, during the 2003 season. The games are examined and experienced through the eyes of the Cardinals manager, Tony La Russa. While La Russa’s concern for animals is a smidgen extreme, he has a great baseball mind. Watching the game through his eyes and knowing some of what he is thinking is exceptionally interesting to a baseball fan like me. Since I’m a life-long Cardinal fan, there’s an added bonus that the book is about the Cardinals. I may not have enjoyed the book as much had it been about the Yankees and Red Sox, or the Dodgers and Giants.

Bissinger helps us understand what the manager is thinking about and considering before, during and after the game. He also takes detours to explore some of the personalities of the game. For instance, native Iowan Cal Eldred, a relief pitcher for the Cardinals, is briefly profiled. La Russa has a high opinion of him, for his work-ethic and respect for the game. Though Cal is a native Iowan and attends a church here in Cedar Rapids, we’ve never met. My son, Matt, however, has played catch with two of Cal’s sons.

Bissinger’s writing style is breezy and engaging.

He comes with a curve low and away on the first pitch. Edmonds swings through it, and Guthrie has the coveted first-pitch strike. He throws a forkball high. Edmonds holds off, and the count evens to 1 and 1. He follows with a sweet curve on the outside black, and Edmonds is now 1 and 2 and not looking very good in the process, Guthrie tying him into knots with effective junk. He comes with a forkball, and this pitch is even better than the curve he just threw; sweeter, nastier. Edmonds holds up, but this is strike 3. In the foxhole, even La Russa concedes that it’s strike 3. In fact, the only person who doesn’t think that it’s strike 3 is the home plate umpire. He calls it a ball…” [1]

Bissinger also pampers the Cardinal fan’s ego.

“Martinez immediately became a fall guy for St. Louis fans who, by this season, had begun doing something they almost never did: booing a Cardinal when he came to the plate. Because Cards’ fans are the most knowledgeable and loyal in all of baseball, they booed almost reluctantly, polite as booing goes, what would have passed for a standing ovation in Philly.” [2]

It’s true, Cardinal fans like to think that we’re the most knowledgeable and loyal fans. So loyal, in fact, that if I’d been there, I wouldn’t have booed Martinez, even politely. For some inexplicable reason, the poor fellow just didn’t have it in St. Louis.

Unlike Moneyball, which is nearly unreadable due to the obscene language, 3 Nights in August has very little crude language.

Cardinal baseball fans, as well as the serious baseball fan, will enjoy 3 Nights in August.

[1] pg. 182 [*]
[2] pg. 185
[*] by quoting pages 182 and 185, I assure you that I’ve read at least that far

I hate haircuts. Or, to be more exact, I hate going somewhere for a haircut. If there’s anything worse than a trip to the dentist or to get an oil change, it’s gotta be going out for a haircut. Waiting with the other poor souls for the next “stylist” (because the only thing worse than waiting is calling ahead for an appointment), the black cape, the mirror, the young thing trying to make small talk… it’s just too much for a dignified fellow like me.

Some of my friends have opted for different solutions.

One goes to a barber. A real barber with a barber pole and electric trimmers and comic books. OK, that’s a little better, I guess. (I wonder if he gets Bazooka gum when he’s done if he was a good boy and sat still?)

Another friend just stopped going. Now his hair is longer than his wife’s. I guess that’s OK, but a pony tail just isn’t my style.

Another goes to a salon and gets a “style” instead of a haircut. Sometimes he gets “highlights”. Ugh. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a step in the wrong direction.

So, what’s a dignified fellow like me to do? Here’s how I solved this dilemma. I cut it myself. A trimmer, a mirror, five minutes, and I’m done. And I’m guessing that you don’t pay enough attention to my hair to tell the difference!

Sometimes, when I receive catalogs or solicitations from various Christian ministries, I’m confused about the difference between a “ministry” and a “business”.

I’m sure you’ve seen them — catalogs of resources from Christian ministries offering essential items for our homeschool and Christian growth: the Native American Teepee ($145) so that your child can really experience that unit study on the American West; the complete, 12-book hardback edition set of Elsie Dinsmore ($180) to mold your daughter’s character; etc.

One ministry organization has recently been soliciting donations for a current project, which when completed, will be offered for sale in its catalogs. I hear them saying, “Please give me money so that I can finish this project and then sell it and make more money.” It just rubs me the wrong way.

So, how refreshing it was to find Christian Leaders, a Home Discipleship Ministry. Christian Leaders “seeks to encourage simple Christian practices in the home — Bible reading, prayer, scripture memorization, and daily family worship” [1]. That sounds great!

And here is the even greater part… the resources that this ministry sells are priced in a way that makes me really believe that Christian Leaders is a ministry, not a business.

• Christian Leaders Family Journal – FREE
• 21 Day Connection Planner (Adult) – $1
• 21 Day Connection Planner (Student) – $1
• Undated Compact Connection Planner – $5

Yes, you can order the Christian Leaders Family Journal for free. Even the shipping is free. Of course, after both of my regular readers take advantage of this offer, Christian Leaders may need to change their policies!

That tells me that these folks want to minister to me by giving me materials that they really think will be helpful to me and my family. Their organization, which is backed by local churches, is more interested in a stranger’s Christian walk than they are interested in their money. Now, obviously, money is a factor. The other materials aren’t free, after all. Yet they are made available at a very accessible price. It’s clear that their resources won’t be a huge money making venture! This is an organization that isn’t confused about whether it is a ministry or a business. It is a ministry.

Please don’t misunderstand. I am pro-business. I am even pro-Christian business. In fact, I work for a business that sells Christian materials. However, it is still a business, not a ministry. Yes, it is a blessing to work in the Bible software publishing field. Yes, I can minister through my job (just as you can through yours). Yes, God provides for my personal ministry through my salary. And yes, many customers report that our products are beneficial to them and their Christian faith. However, Laridian is a business, and we have to make money to stay in business.

But I digress…

Visit Christian Leaders, read their Web site, get to know them. Then decide for yourself: ministry or business? I think you’ll like what you see and agree with me: ministry.

[1] Christian Leaders Family Journal, About the Author

The Word

• New Living Translation of the Bible [more...]

Sacred Music

• The Great Hymns of Fanny Crosby
• The Great Hymns of Francis Havergal
• The Great Hymns of Isaac Watts
• The Great Hymns of John and Charles Wesley
• The World’s Greatest Hymns

Classical or Intrumental

• Andre Rieu – La Vie Est Belle
• Bobby McFerron – Paper Music
• Bobby McFerron – The Mozart Sessions
• Ferando Ortega – Meditations of the Heart
• Ferando Ortega – Meditations of the Heart, Encore
• George Winston – Linus and Lucy
• Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue
• Holst – The Planets
• Karl Jenkins – Diamond Music
• Mannheim Steamroller – Celebrating 25 Years
• Mannheim Steamroller – Fresh Aire
• Mannheim Steamroller – Fresh Aire III
• Vivaldi – The Four Season
• Matt Wheeler – Questors Bold IV [more...]
• Matt Wheeler – Three Romances [more...]

Vocal

• The Carpenters – Love Songs
• Charlotte Church – Enchantment

Just for Fun

• Classic Cartoon Themes
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• The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd, Season 2 [more...]