What's wrong with me?

My beautiful bride is addicted to these weird medical shows where the person has some super obscure disease that no one can diagnose. The show follows the clues until a brilliant doctor finally stops ignoring the patient and makes the medical discovery of the century. Obviously from my sarcastic tone I don't share her love for these shows. Lately I have been wondering though what do my symptoms add up too. I am the classic patient in denial. I ignore symptoms and warning signs until I can't hold out any longer.

A couple of weeks ago we had a guest speaker come to our monthly staff meeting and spoke to us about a new book she has authored. Ann Jackson (www.flowerdust.net) was in town for a unique student service we were doing and honestly what her book was about had not even crossed my mind. As it turns out she may be my brilliant doctor. The title of her book is Mad Church Disease - think Mad Cows but with pastor types. I am only a little ways into the book but so far I think I may be infected. It is with great hope and anxiousness that I read on hoping it is not fatal. Recently I have found myself wondering a lot of the things that she herself wondered during her experience and so I am identifying with it a lot. Hopefully from this will come great revelation that I can share with you all (both of you!).

As a side note I traveled to Tulsa,Ok and visited a church there - The Kirk of the Hills (www.thekirk.com). I got to be apart of a presentation on some leadership stuff. It was tons of fun and great to meet other church leaders who are following God's lead into strange and wonderful new things. I suffered from facility envy when I saw their awesome student ministry space! On the plane journey home (6 hour plane delay!) I picked up a fun book to read - Angels & Demons which turns out is the prequel to the Da Vinci Code. Great book - can't wait to see the movie now. Figured since I was doing book reviews I would include that.

Perspective

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approach'd the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, -"Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he,
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Then, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!