Right now it seems as if we (the Church) focus on a 2-chapter view of the gospel – Fall and Redemption – a life insurance, “get-my-butt-to-heaven” policy. I feel we need to implement a 4-chapter view to understand why living on earth matters and so we can make a greater impact and heed our calling to redeem the Earth. The 4-chapter gospel: Creation (ought), Fall (is), Redemption (can), Restoration (will).

Tim Keller’s views on The Missional Church: (http://www.redeemer2.com/resources/papers/missional.pdf)

THE MISSIONAL CHURCH

The Need for a ‘Missional’ Church

June 2001

TIM KELLER

http://www.redeemer2.com/resources/papers/missional.pdf

In the West for nearly 1,000 years, the relationship of (Anglo-European) Christian churches to the broader culture was a relationship known as “Christendom.” The institutions of society “Christianized” people, and stigmatized non-Christian belief and behavior. Though people were “Christianized” by the culture, they were not regenerated or converted with the Gospel. The church’s job was then to challenge persons into a vital, living relation with Christ.

There were great advantages and yet great disadvantages to ‘Christendom.’ The advantage was that there was a common language for public moral discourse with which society could discuss what was ‘the good.’ The disadvantage was that Christian morality without gospel-changed hearts often led to cruelty and hypocrisy. Think of how the small town in “Christendom” treated the unwed mother or the gay person. Also, under “Christendom” the church often was silent against abuses of power of the ruling classes over the weak. For these reasons and others, the church in Europe and North America has been losing its privileged place as the arbiter of public morality since at least the mid 19th century. The decline of Christendom has accelerated greatly since the end of WWII.

The British missionary Lesslie Newbigin went to India around 1950. There he was involved with a church living ‘in mission’ in a very non-Christian culture. When he returned to England some 30 years later, he discovered that now the Western church too existed in a non-Christian society, but it had not adapted to its new situation. Though public institutions and popular culture of Europe and North America no longer ‘Christianized’ people, the church still ran its ministries assuming that a stream of ‘Christianized’, traditional/moral people would simply show up in services. Some churches certainly did ‘evangelism’ as one ministry among many. But the church in the West had not become completely ‘missional’–adapting and reformulating absolutely everything it did in worship, discipleship, community, and service–so as to be engaged with the non-Christian society around it. It had not developed a ‘missiology of western culture’ the way it had done so for other non-believing cultures.

One of the reasons much of the American evangelical church has not experienced the same precipitous decline as the Protestant churches of Europe and Canada is because in the U.S. there is still a ‘heartland’ with the remnants of the old ‘Christendom’ society. There the informal public culture (though not the formal public institutions) still stigmatizes non-Christian beliefs and behavior. “There is a fundamental schism in American cultural, political, and economic life. There’s the quicker-growing, economically vibrant…morally relativist, urban-oriented, culturally adventuresome, sexually polymorphous, and ethnically diverse nation…and there’s the small town, nuclear-family, religiously-oriented, white-centric other America, [with]…its diminishing cultural and economic force….[T]wo nations…” Michael Wolff, New York, Feb 26 2001, p. 19. In conservative regions, it is still possible to see people profess faith and the church grow without becoming ‘missional.’ Most traditional evangelical churches still can only win people to Christ who are temperamentally traditional and conservative. But, as Wolff notes, this is a ‘shrinking market.’ And eventually evangelical churches ensconced in the declining, remaining enclaves of “Christendom” will have to learn how to become ‘missional’. If it does not do that it will decline or die.

We don’t simply need evangelistic churches, but rather ‘missional’ churches.

The Elements of a Missional Church

1. Discourse in the vernacular.

• In ‘Christendom’ there is little difference between the language inside and outside of the church. Documents of the early U.S. Congress, for example, are riddled with allusions to and references from the Bible. Biblical technical terms are well-known inside and outside. In a missional church, however, terms must be explained.
• The missional church avoids ‘tribal’ language, stylized prayer language, unnecessary evangelical pious ‘jargon’, and archaic language that seeks to set a ‘spritual tone.’
• The missional church avoids ‘we-them’ language, disdainful jokes that mock people of different politics and beliefs, and dismissive, disrespectful comments about those who differ with us.
• The missional church avoids sentimental, pompous, ‘inspirational’ talk . Instead we engage the culture with gentle, self-deprecating but joyful irony the gospel creates. Humility + joy = gospel irony and realism.
• The missional church avoids ever talking as if non-believing people are not present. If you speak and discourse as if your whole neighborhood is present (not just scattered Christians), eventually more and more of your neighborhood will find their way in or be invited.
• Unless all of the above is the outflow of a truly humble-bold gospel-changed heart, it is all just ‘marketing’ and ‘spin.’

2. Enter and re-tell the culture’s stories with the gospel 

• In “Christendom” it is possible to simply exhort Christianized people to “do what they know they should.” There is little or no real engagement, listening, or persuasion. It is more a matter of exhortation (and often, heavy reliance on guilt.) In a missional church preaching and communication should always assume the presence of skeptical people, and should engage their stories, not simply talk about “old times.”
• To “enter” means to show sympathy toward and deep acquaintance with the literature, music, theater, etc. of the existing culture’s hopes, dreams, ‘heroic’ narratives, fears.

• The older culture’s story was–to be a good person, a good father/mother, son/daughter, to live a decent, merciful, good life.
• Now the culture’s story is– a) to be free and self-created and authentic (theme of freedom from oppression), and b) to make the world safe for everyone else to be the same (theme of inclusion of the ‘other’; justice).

• To “re-tell” means to show how only in Christ can we have freedom without slavery and
  embracing of the ‘other’ without injustice.

3. Theologically train lay people for public life and vocation 

• In ‘Christendom’ you can afford to train people just in prayer, Bible study, evangelism–
  private world skills–because they are not facing radically non-Christian values in their public life–where they work, in their neighborhood, etc.
• In a ‘missional’ church, the laity needs theological education to ‘think Christianly’ about
  everything and work with Christian distinctiveness. They need to know: a) what cultural practices are common grace and to be embraced, b) what practices are antithetical to the gospel and must be rejected, c) what practices can be adapted/revised.
• In a ‘missional’ situation, lay people renewing and transforming the culture through distinctively Christian vocations must be lifted up as real ‘kingdom work’ and ministry along with the traditional ministry of the Word.
• Finally, Christians will have to use the gospel to demonstrate true, Biblical love and ‘tolerance’ in “the public square” toward those with whom we deeply differ. This tolerance should equal or exceed that which opposing views show toward Christians. The charge of intolerance is perhaps the main ‘defeater’ of the gospel in the non-Christian west.

4. Create Christian community which is counter-cultural and counter-intuitive.

• In Christendom, ‘fellowship’ is basically just a set of nurturing relationships, support and accountability. That is necessary, of course.
• In a missional church, however, Christian community must go beyond that to embody a ‘counter-culture,’ showing the world how radically different a Christian society is with regard to sex, money, and power.

• In sex. We avoid both the secular society’s idolization of sex and traditional society’s fear of sex. We also exhibit love rather than hostility or fear toward those whose sexual life-patterns are different.
• In money. We promote a radically generous commitment of time, money, relationships, and living space to social justice and the needs of the poor, the immigrant, the economically and physically weak.
• In power. We are committed to power-sharing and relationship-building between races and classes that are alienated outside of the Body of Christ.

• In general, a church must be more deeply and practically committed to deeds of compassion and social justice than traditional liberal churches and more deeply and practically committed to evangelism and conversion than traditional fundamentalist churches. This kind of church is profoundly ‘counter-intuitive’ to American observers. It breaks their ability to categorize (and dismiss) it as liberal or conservative. Only this kind of church has any chance in the non- Christian west.

5. Practice Christian unity as much as possible on the local level. 

• In Christendom, when ‘everyone was a Christian’ it was necessary (perhaps) for a church to define itself over against other churches. That is, to get an identity you had to say, “we are not like that church over there, or those Christians over here.”
• Today, however, it is much more illuminating and helpful for a church to define itself over against ‘the world’–the values of the non-Christian culture. It is very important that we not spend our time bashing and criticizing other kinds of churches. That simply plays in to the common ‘defeater’ that Christians are all intolerant.
• While we have to align ourselves in denominations that share many of our distinctives, at the local level we should cooperate and reach out to and support the other congregations and churches in our local area. This will raise many thorny issues, of course, but our bias should be in the direction of cooperation.

Case Study
Let me show you how this goes beyond any ‘program.’ These are elements that have to be present in every area of the church. So, for example, what makes a small group ‘missional’? A ‘missional’ small group is not necessarily one which is doing some kind of specific ‘evangelism’ program (though that is to be recommended) Rather, 1) if its members love and talk positively about the city/neighborhood, 2) if they speak in language that is not filled with pious tribal or technical terms and phrases, nor disdainful and embattled language, 3) if in their Bible study they apply the gospel to the core concerns and stories of the people of the culture, 4) if they are obviously interested in and engaged with the literature and art and thought of the surrounding culture and can discuss it both appreciatively and yet critically, 5) if they exhibit deep concern for the poor and generosity with their money and purity and respect with regard to opposite sex, and show humility toward people of other races and cultures, 6) they do not bash other Christians and churches–then seekers and non-believing people from the city A) will be invited and B) will come and will stay as they explore spiritual issues. If these marks are not there it will only be able to include believers or traditional, “Christianized” people.

Here’s a link to Mike Metzger’s most recent post which also speaks to this: Leading the League in Assists

Here is a poem which also speaks to the idea I was mentioning above. I heard from listening to a podcast  of Jon Bowles at Beggars Table Church.  It’s the church I attended when I lived in Kansas City.

“Looking For Mt. Monadnock” by Robert Siegel

We see the sign, “Monadnock State Park”
as it flashes by, after a mile or two
decide to go back, “We can’t pass by Mondnock
without seeing it,” I say, turning around.
We head down the side road – “Monadnock Realty,”
“Monadnock Pottery,” “Monadnock Designs,”
but no Mt. Monadnock. Then the signs fall away –
nothing but trees and the darkening afternoon.
We don’t speak, pass a clearing, and you say,

“I think I saw it, or part of it – a bald rock?”
Miles and miles more. Finally, I pull over
and we consult a map. “Monadnock’s right there.”
“Or just back a bit there.” “But we should see it –
we’re practically on top of it.” And driving back
we look – trees, a flash of clearing, purple rock -
but we are, it seems, too close to see it:

It is here. We are on it. It is under us.

Hey Rob,

I just had some quick thoughts from last night’s discussion. I thought it was great to talk about how we can share our stories with others and how Allender shared how important story-telling is and how it needs to be compelling. Below I unpack some of my thoughts and share a link from a friend and mentor of mine.

Being in sales I have to read who I am selling to – some doctors want the quick and dirty numbers for the clinical efficacy of my product, but most of the time the doctors and nurses’ eyes would glaze over if all I did was spit out numbers so I rely on stories and analogies to convey how my products and service are superior to any of my competitors. My time with the doctors and nurses is short enough as it is, most of the time I only have 15 seconds with the doctors, so I have to make the most of my time so I put things in (short) story form and make it compelling to them.  I could straight up only tell them that the lung deposition with my product is 82% respirable fraction, and that the particle size is 2.5 microns, but they hear those and other numbers from the 30 other pharmaceutical reps that come in to bug them. So I include those numbers when I share the analogy of comparing pushing a golf ball through a garden hose (my competitor) versus letting a BB roll through the garden hose (my product). I can tell you that when I use that analogy I get a much greater reaction and understanding versus just spitting out numbers. Again, I mention that because our stories are important – it’s the manner in how we tell it to make it compelling. So why does our story need to be compelling?  Because it conveys the work that God’s influence can have in our lives.

To me as I began to re-discover and unpack the theology that makes sense to me is that if we’re going to share the “good news of the gospel” (I am really not a fan of christianese) that it needs to be compelling – otherwise people won’t care about what we’re sharing.  I think that Christianity continues to lose traction in our culture because it is not relevant (compelling).  So many times we as Christians try to share the “good news” and it falls on deaf ears because we haven’t related to our “audience” and what it means to “them” (another post for later is the discouraging “us vs them” mentality christians have).  And I’m not taking for granted how God says, “those who have ears to hear” and also “pearls before swine” but that doesn’t give us an excuse for telling our story in a way that sucks and know God will take care of it if they’re “chosen” by God. (boy that last sentence has so many theological implications  ;)  The church used to be a huge player in culture by being a great producer of the arts – paintings, sculptures, theater, poetry, literature etc (all of those are compelling b/c they tell stories in different ways and people LOVE stories) but then the church and Christians withdrew from culture (that’s a long separate discussion for why) and christians created little christian ghettos and said “We’ll be in here away from the big bad culture”; this caused a divide between the sacred and the secular (again, an “us versus them” mentality) and because of this attitude we (christians) lost touch with what it means to be compelling to the wider world (I don’t like the terms “sacred & secular” and instead use “wider world”) and we were ok with that; I don’t think God smiles on that attitude.  Why is that not ok? Because God calls us to redeem the earth – “…thy will be done ON EARTH, as it is in heaven”.  Just look at Paul and his visit to Mars Hill and how we related to those who were worshipping an unknown God, spoke to them by the poets they were reading.

Everything can be compelling it just depends on how we share it. In good story-telling there needs to be something that people can relate to.  In every story that we hear in our daily lives we try to link it up to an experience we have encountered – it helps us make sense of what somebody is telling us.  If we can not relate it to an experience we have had, or something that makes sense, then it will likely not be compelling to us, or maybe at least as compelling as it could be.  Most of us have experienced “a tragedy” or a crisis in one way or another – people can relate to tragedies  and crises – at that point the story becomes compelling. It is also one of the points Allender points out as a key component to story telling.

I know I’ve rambled on a bit, but all of this to me is so very important.

One final thing: below is a link to a post written by a mentor of mine when I lived in KC – he lives in Maryland but would fly in once a month and just blow our minds with his intelligence. He is seriously once of the most intelligent men I’ve ever met.  The post is about what I spoke about last night and how he (and I) try to look to find God in everything in our culture – everything is sacred.  He taught us about the “four course gospel” [Creation (ought) Fall (is) Redemption (can) Restoration (will)].  And how most recently the church (at large) has been preaching from a 2 chapter point of view – the middle 2 chapters (fall and redemption) which has put a lot of people, churches, and denominations in a state of confusion in why we should care about the earth and the people around us (even going as far to omit the great commission!) and it created evacuation theology meaning that they don’t care about what happens on earth, they want what Dallas Willard in the “Divine Conspiracy terms a “gospel of sin management” which is a “get my butt in heaven and that’s all that matters”.  The problem with that is that it leaves out redeeming our culture and if you look around at your work, in your leisure, in your own home, you can probably see some things that can be redeemed (made as God intended).  It’s just like what we heard last night from Mark when he said that at his work (building houses) he says to his employees, “That needs to be re-done”, I know I was thinking I wish my builder would’ve cared that much, but that’s exactly of how we redeem (or reclaim) our work. We should do it the way God originally intended when he created us. Mark’s example  and his great leadership shows us three chapters – Creation (ought – how god originally intended for things to be), Fall (is – how things are (broken)), Redemption (can – how things can be by us redeeming our culture) and then the last chapter is only something God can do when he restores all things fully.

If we are able to make it compelling then we will not have to endure christian stories being stuck in the old, tired way of saying, “Screw you earth and I’m just waiting for the rapture”. (that will be yet another bog-post  later)

The Four-Course Gospel 

Philosophy, to those who understand

It well, explains not solely in one place,

That Nature takes its course from God’s own mind

And from His art. And if you will peruse

The Physics of the master, you will see,

Not many pages into it, that art

Is nature’s faithful follower, just like

A pupil to his master. Art, therefore,

Is but the grandchild of Divinity.

If you remember Genesis, it is

From nature and from art that men must seek

To earn their bread and to advance themselves.

But usurers, proceeding otherwise,

Despising nature and her followers,

Rely on gullibility for gain.

- Dante Alighieri from “Inferno”

Jeff and I at the KU game watching KU get blown out

…were traveling back from our awesome #RB11 (Reliving Bachelorhood 2011) weekend in Kansas…

Jeff and I with our favorite cigar guy at Diebel's on the Plaza

our sustenance for the weekend

...more sustenance

...yes, more sustenance. Ya know, the necessities.

…which included amazing “guy-time” in leading off with ribs at Gates BBQ (pictured above) in playing NCAA 2011 on the PS3, enjoying good cigars (pictured above), seeing our buddy at our favorite cigar store at Diebel’s on the Plaza (pictured above), and then the debacle known as the Sunflower Showdown – KU being demolished by K-State, but we rebounded with more PS3, more cigars, more B&B, and more beer; and then on the drive home singing along to old country classics (neither of us like country music) that we could find on youtube on my phone and pipe into my car – things took a turn for the worse when Jeff selected some Abba, but we recovered by talking about football, power tools, and man caves for the remainder of the trip so as not to question our manliness.

Well, on the drive home I felt the familiar sputtering of the engine on my 2008 Honda Accord and knew I would be visiting Bale on Monday, which is where I sit right now. Fun times. 

I digress.  The other thing I wanted to include in this blog-post was a poignant quote that stood out to me in “The Color Orange”. “The Color Orange” is an ESPN film narrated by Kenny Chesney and is great story about crossing race boundaries in the South when the University of Tennessee had their first black quarterback – Condredge Holloway. I honestly can not stand racism and since I moved to Arkansas it’s even more prevalent and it’s disgusting to me. To judge somebody on the color of their skin just doesn’t make sense to me. If there needs to be judgment I prefer to judge people on the actions they knowingly choose to make rather than almost anything else.

The quote is from Lester McClain who was the first black player at the University of Tennessee.

“50 years is not a long time. Condredge helped this happen less than 50 yrs ago. An example how short 50 yrs can really be; my father was 50 years old when I was born. My father’s father was 50 yrs old when my father was born. My grandfather was born a slave. That’s how short it is. 50 yrs is not very long.”

Dan (a life-long friend) and I are both originally from NE Kansas and we were driving on our way for a weekend of primitive backpacking back in 2003.

The “no beer here” declaration were un-welcomed words we heard from a toothless, female gas station attendant after driving quite some time through the ever-winding hills of the Buffalo National River Park in North Central Arkansas. We were driving in an area, unbeknownst to us, which was a “dry county”. I had heard of “dry-counties” before but I didn’t think they actually still existed. I knew that Jack Daniels which is distilled (or whatever they do to whiskey) in Lynchburg, TN, was located in a dry-county, but I thought that was more of, “Yeah, yeah, we sure are a dry county.” (wink wink nudge nudge).  We had stopped at this gas station in hopes of buying some beer to enjoy around our campfire but we were quickly informed by the not-so-eloquently spoken and unkempt service station caretaker that if we really wanted some beer our shortest drive was an hour and half back up through the hills of north Arkansas.  My buddy’s response, “So, that sign 100 miles ago that said, “Last chance to get the beer!”, really wasn’t kidding.” We got back into our car and headed to our trail inlet.

That was my first experience with the south’s “disdain” for alcohol. But I also quickly learned while some people truly are tea-totallers I also learned these jokes hold true.

Jews don’t recognize Jesus as the son of God.

Protestants don’t recognize the pope as the leader of the Church.

Baptists don’t recognize each other in a liquor store.

Why do you take two Baptists with you when you go fishing?

Because if you take just one he’ll drink all your beer.

Another recent experience happened this past Sunday at church.  Before the sermon, the campus pastor opened the floor for “sharing”. One gentleman started sharing about his daughter’s troubles with drugs and alcohol. He made the statement that he now abstains from alcohol for his daughter’s sake but that he believes there is no problem whatsoever enjoying beer or wine as long as it’s done in moderation. After he made that proclamation I wanted to fist-pump and let out a hardy “Amen!” but since I was upfront banging on my congas during the music I chose not to. Needless to say my reaction differed greatly from the congregation’s corporate thought. While nothing was outright said from the congregation in disagreement from I could see all the brows furrow and the faces change shape to that of scorn. I’m sure the campus pastor’s phone was quite busy the next day.

So is this post all about booze? Well, kindof, but when you read this quote from CS Lewis (who might surprise you with what you think you know about his actual theology) I think you’ll be able to apply this quote and thought to more than just alcohol.  I originally saw the quote from Jonathan McIntosh, a friend of mine and a church planter in Midtown Memphis, who tweeted it today (Wednesday, 8/10/11) and I thought it was quite descriptive in what we, as Christians, sometimes do to things, in our attitude and actions, that we might think are taboo.  Since I’ve been living in Arkansas I’ve never seen such religious fueled opposition to alcohol, but it is not solely limited to Arkansas. Remember Prohibition?

So as not to be-labor the point, here’ the quote from CS Lewis.

CS Lewis view on alcohol

All that to say, the next couple blog-posts of mine are, well…random, but they are also well intentioned to hopefully increase respectful conversations on difficult topics. I would hope they might be able to help us move beyond the stalemate of “we must agree to disagree” and move to “good men can disagree”. In the first instance there’s no room for considering another view, where in the second instance it allows for discussion. When conversations spill over into beliefs (be it political or religious) they are messy and yet also fun as long as they are combined with a heaping serving of respect.

I’ve been developing some blog posts to get back in the swing of things and hopefully post more often. Over the past couple days I’ve been re-reading some of my favorite books, some of my own writing, and also reading other people’s blogs to help spur me on. But the interesting things is that the recent stream of thought has circled around an idea of how we tend to be an “all or nothing” society. I’ll explain more fully what I mean by that when I hit the ol’ “Publish” button in wordpress of my next blog-post, but suffice it to say, for now, that what I mean is we tend to throw the baby out with the bathwater when we hear beliefs that differ from our own beliefs and not see what good can come in the grey areas of life. I love exploring the grey areas of life and I would hope we could all move to dance in the grey area a little more.

I recently came across a quote in a book I read a couple years ago that I think can help us be more respectful in our conversations – I also think that it segues nicely into my next blog-post about our “all or nothing” society.

(this quote is from a “christian” perspective in regards to living life with “non-christians” but it’s applicable to living life with people of no particular “classification”)

“A Christian’s dialogue with another implies neither a denial in the uniqueness of Christ, nor any loss of his own commitment to Christ, but rather that a genuinely Christian approach to others must be human, personal, relevant and humble. In dialogue we share our common humanity, its dignity and fallenness, and express our common concern for that humanity’ (Report II, para. 6). If we do nothing but proclaim the gospel to people from a distance, our personal authenticity is bound to be suspect. Who are we? …But when we sit down alongside them like Philip in the Ethiopian’s chariot, or encounter them face to face, a personal relationship is established. Our defences come down. We begin to be seen and known for what we are. It is recognized that we too are human beings, equally sinful, equally needy, equally dependent on the grace of which we speak. …We still want to share the good news with him, for we care about it deeply, but we also care now about him with whom we want to share it. As the Mexico report put it, ‘true dialogue with a man of another faith, requires a concern both for the Gospel and for the other man. Without the first, dialogue becomes a pleasant conversation. Without the second, it becomes irrelevant, unconvincing and arrogant” (Witness in Six Continents, 1964, p. 146)

(please note there are several different talking points in this quote that could be unpacked, which I will leave for another post; instead focus on the central idea of the quote)

So before we jump into my next post I think it’d do us all some good to enjoy a song from a band who also enjoyed dabbling in the grey areas of life. Let’s relax and enjoy life together.

I now realize it might launch me into this…

…contemplative bliss.

For those who have ever said, “I’m bored”, you’re actually doing yourself a favor, but it might not be how, or why, you might think it to be true. Here’s another great post by Mike Metzger, The Benefits of Boredom. Mike shows us how boredom in its original meaning (and action) can allow us to embrace the paradoxes of our faith. (And yes, there are paradoxes within our faith – we can’t just dismiss things that seem to be counterintuitive to what other parts of the Bible says – but that’s for another post at another time.)

This post also tags along with my desire for us as a culture to be more intentional (specific) with the words we use everyday – example: You’re not eating a pickle, what we lazily call a pickle in actuality is a pickled cucumber. Another example: while what you’re wearing around your nether regions is called “underwear” in actuality so is the t-shirt you’re wearing under your dress-shirt and also your sweater that you’re wearing under your coat – considering today is supposed to be mid-70s in Arkansas if you’re wearing a sweater you probably have bigger concerns than what to call what you’re wearing.  I digress…enjoy the post.

I personally hope I can begin to practice Lent in many more tangible ways in my life, and more often than just one time per year. But babysteps right?  By the way…how are those New Year’s resolutions coming?  ;-)

I’m an outcast, a heretic, a traitor, a back-stabber and all because I’m a Jayhawk, born and bred…living in Arkansas.

I’m from the North. I have a funny accent. I love cold weather, I love ice, I love snow, I love the wind tearing at your face when you step outside and it’s below 0. I’m used to seeing snowfalls in March and sometimes April. “Oil” and “tire” to me are one syllable. Kansas City Barbecue is king.

I truly enjoy living in the south. I love the fried food. I love the accents. I married a beautiful southern belle.

I love being able to play golf nearly year-round. I love being able to go to my deck and enjoy a cigar in March and not have to clear snow. “Oil” and “tire” to southerners are two, sometimes three syllables.

I love the differences between Kansas and Arkansas.

But this post is about perspective.

I moved to Little Rock in March of 2008. In April 2008 KU won the National Championship. To me that was pure ecstasy – it was my university that I have grown up watching and attending reach the pinnacle of college basketball, again, in 2008 with the championship. And then I get here and people in Arkansas ask me, “if I’ve become a Razorback yet?” What?! I politely respond, “no”.

I love college sports. And I love living in a state where college sports reigns supreme. But be sure of this, I’m a Jayhawk.

It’s March Madness and NCAA tournament time and for the past week I’ve been flying my KU flag on my car and I can’t tell you how many “you’re a traitor” looks I’ve been getting from people with Razorback license plates. There are more Jayhawks, and KSU Wildcats, and Longhorns, Sooners, LSU tigers in your midst than you may realize…or care to admit.

I am not a Razorback, I married into a family of Razorbacks and I love the energy of the home-team doing well. When Arkansas went to the NCAA tournament in 2009 it was fun. I have seen a couple great Razorback football and basketball games because my wife’s family has football and basketball season tickets. I enjoy watching the Razorbacks and will cheer for them. But do know this, if my job had originally taken me to Baton Rouge, Louisiana I’d probably be saying “Geaux Tigers, beat the pigs”. It’s perspective.

As a kid one of my fondest memories is playing on the hill near beautiful Memorial Stadium

and going to revered Allen Fieldhouse when it was a young and spry 30 year old building.

As Kansans we love football (my Dad and I have season tickets)…

…and football game day is loads of fun but we are definitely a basketball school. In my personal opinion you have never fully experienced college basketball and felt like you’re hanging out with James Naismith (the inventor of basketball and KU’s first head coach) until you’re sitting in Allen Fieldhouse and the bleachers are shaking from people stomping their feet and the roof feels like it could be blown off at any second. Allen Fieldhouse wreaks of popcorn, peanuts, and BBQ and is steeped in what some consider the deepest tradition, one of the winningest programs (5 national championships, 54 conference championships, second in all-time wins)…

…and farthest reaching branches of college basketball.

James Naismith the inventor of basketball was KU’s first coach in 1898. Phog Allen played for James Naismith and most consider the grandfather of coaching was KU’s coach for 50 years. Adolph Rupp, University of Kentucky’s famed coach, grew up in Kansas and played at KU under Phog Allen. Dean Smith famed coach at the University of North Carolina grew up in Kansas and played under Phog Allen. Wilt Chamerlain, JoJo White, Paul Endacott, Clyde Lovellette, etc. I grew up watching KU basketball games with the likes of Larry Brown, Danny Manning, Mark Turgeon, Archie Marshall, Kevin Pritchard Scooter Barry, Chris Piper, Downtown Terry Brown, Greg Ostertaag. And then during my college years watching Jacque Vaughn, Jerrod Haas, Scott Pollard, Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz, Billy Thomas and many more. I’ve seen so many great teams and great players growing up as a Kansas fan. It starts with the first basketball practice of the year witting with 16,299 of my closest friends at Late Night in the Phog and ends hopefully in April with a trip to the Final Four. We love our basketball.

With the whole Mike Anderson being hired as Arkansas basketball head coach, I personally think it was a bad hire especially considering the amount of money Arkansas paid for him, but I don’t have a dog in the race other than my wife was born and bred a Razorback. I enjoy seeing her be happy when her team does well and I think it’s unfortunate that with all the other – better – candidates out there that Arkansas was blinded by their love affair with the Nolan Richardson era. Arkansas did well during that time…but Mike Anderson was not the best candidate – he is definitely not worth $2.2 million!

But remember this post is all about perspective.

When my wife and I travel to Kansas she is the one who has the funny accent (and completely beautiful to me), it’s too cold for southerners, we’re all rude and we don’t eat as much food boiled in oil (fried).

Now for the perspective…

The next time you ask me, “if I’m a Razorback yet”, imagine if I picked you up and placed you in Kansas City to live…

…would you give up your Razorback heritage?

Are you a Jayhawk yet?

I am a Kansan by birth, and Jayhawk by the grace of God. Rock Chalk Jayhawk, go KU!!