If you were to destroy in mankind the belief in immortality, not only love but every living force maintaining the life of the world would at once be dried up. Moreover, nothing then would be immoral, everything would be permissible, even cannibalism.
–Dostoyevsky, Brothers Karamazov, Pt 1, Bk i, Ch 6
I joined my graduating class from Righetti High School for our ten-year reunion this weekend. We had a dinner on Saturday night at the Radison, and then had a picnic on Sunday afternoon with all of the kids of the kids we graduated with.
Kristen and I were high school sweethearts, so it was nice for us to both know a lot of people at the two gatherings. I can only imagine how the spouses of other classmates felt - not knowing anyone, and being stuck with playing wingman for the evening.
It is amazing to me the pressure that is unspoken to arrive at a reunion with an incredible success story to tell. I noticed in the weeks leading up to this weekend I would think through the highlights of the past ten years and consciously evaluated which to share and which to leave out. I battled with building myself up too much, yet being fair to all that God has brought me through.
I know I am not alone in sensing this pressure - three guys who were good friends in high school arrived with fictitious stories of their pasts. One claimed to be a corn farmer in Illinois, each time he told the story his “past” got more and more outrageous. We had a good laugh over it, but I think the real tragedy is that so many are truly stuck in their past. It was amazing to see how many people had not changed in the ten years that have gone by. So many seemed stuck in the track they had chosen (or maybe drifted into) while in high school.
The true highlight for me was re-connecting with two guys who had been acquaintances, and always were nice to hang around with. One is recently married, but more remarkable, is now involved in a local church and obviously changing as he grows more in his relationship with God. The other has had some ups and downs with church - which while unfortunate is inevitable as long as people are in the building - but really seems to have a heart for God and to serve him as best he can. I would not have said either of these guys were Christians when we were in high school. Perhaps they were as I was in junior high, they believed but their lives didn’t show it.
All in all I’m glad we went to the reunion. I wished I could have seen more of my friends and that there had been a bit better turnout. Hopefully at the twenty year reunion there will be even more highlights!
Have you ever met someone who couldn’t stop talking about themselves? And they had nothing interesting to say?
Yeah. Those are fun people.
Today marks the beginning of my younger brother’s 26th year of existence. It’s really weird realizing that my younger brother is getting old. What does that mean for me??? Oh yes, now I remember… I decided to pick an age (24), and stick with it. So he’s actually passed me up by two years now, which is fitting since he passed me up in height long ago.
Happy Birthday Brian!
I had an awesome dish of BBQ Shrimp at Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant in San Francisco, and I’ve been scouring the net looking for a good recipe.
Also, any idea what Creole Seafood Seasoning is? Can I buy that at Albertson’s?
The one that sounds the best so far is this one (If you know the actual recipe for the dish they serve at Bubba Gump’s, please let me know!):
New Orleans Style Barbecue Shrimp
24 each 36-42 count Gulf shrimp
2 tablespoons Creole Seafood Seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil
15 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (1 1/2 teaspoons dried)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons hot sauce
3 lemons, juiced
½ cup beer (an amber like Abita preferred) (I use dry white wine)
Kosher Salt to taste (watch the salt, it can become very salty!!)
1 stick butter, room temperature (NO MARGARINE!!!)
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Season shrimp with 1/2 of Creole seafood seasoning and lightly toss. Place garlic and rosemary in pan and stir to brown the garlic. Be careful not to burn. Add shrimp and carefully stir. Add Worcestershire, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Deglaze with beer and reduce, while shaking the pan. Allow the shrimp to cook (timing will depend on size) and add remaining seafood seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. When shrimp are finished cooking, the liquid will have a sauce consistency. Reduce heat to low and add butter. Sauté until butter is emulsified and sauce is thick. Adjust seasoning.
I just completed reading Bruce L. Bugbee’s book What You Do Best in the Body of Christ : Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, Personal Style, and God-Given Passion, and hope to teach some of the material from it in our next adult class starting in July. The book talks about how we’ve each been uniquely created to function in a way that completes the larger picture of what the church is supposed to look like.
The author encourages readers to imagine what a church would look like if it was taught be people God supernaturally gifted to teach, lead by people God gifted to be leaders, comforted by people God gifted with mercy, and reaching out to the world through people God gifted to share His message authentically and effectively. In other words, if the church actually lived up to its hype, who could resist that kind of love, that kind of mercy, that kind of larger purpose?
I want to be a part of a church that lives up to its hype; a church that actually models the love, compassion, mercy, and grace it so often preaches; a church that accepts people like Jesus accepts them. I think I’ve found a church that is on that track, but I think we can still do better… Hopefully this new series will spur us further toward living out the model Jesus gave us.
Kristen felt the baby move last night. I said he was probably cheering the Spurs (we were watching the NBA Finals at the time), but she seemed to think it happens consistently after dinner and was unrelated. I’m pretty sure he was doing his best Robert Horry imitation and dropping 3-pointers in the womb!
It gets more and more real with each passing day. It is still pretty amazing to think there’s another little human in my wife’s belly. Yesterday was Father’s Day, and people told me “Happy Father’s Day,” for the first time. Crazy!
Every man should periodically be compelled to listen to opinions which are infuriating to him. To hear nothing but what is pleasing to one is to make a pillow of the mind.
- St. John Ervine
Hurry means that we gather impressions but have no experiences, that we collect acquaintances but make no friends, that we attend meetings but experience no encounter. We must recover eternity if we are to find time, and eternity is what Jesus came to restore. For without it, there can be no charity.
— D.T. Niles, Warrack Lectures, 1958
Kristen and I had an amazing meal at Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant in San Francisco. I had the Shrimp New Orleans, which was the best shrimp I’ve had since eating at Brennan’s in New Orleans. Kristen had a great shrimp dish as well. It came in a bucket of a tasty broth to dip french bread in. Mmmm…. I’m getting hungry just remembering!
Jeff and Kristen at Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant