City of Covington purchases Bottoms Up
On June 23, 2010, WCPO’s Shannon Kettler reported, “The City of Covington has purchased a bar that police and neighbors say had been a problem area for years.”
Bottoms Up, a drinks-only bar on East Fifth Street, was often the scene of fights that spilled into the street. But it is likely the police were called just as often about a man or woman passed out on the sidewalk after drinking all day at Bottoms Up. The bar opened early every day, some days as early as 6:00 AM, catering to those with unhealthy approaches to the consumption of alcohol.
Businesses, like individuals, in a neighborhood have a responsibility to contribute to the welfare of the neighborhood, not solely consume its resources. Resources are consumed when the people living in the neighborhood are taken advantage of by the businesses around them. Pay day lenders that charge exceptionally high interest rates consume individuals by creating a cycle of debt that is nearly impossible to break. Bars, like Bottoms Up, that cater to the addictions, loneliness and fears of individuals, providing only a temporary, drug-induced escape for their own gain are killing their own neighbors.
Galatians 5 says, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. “
Businesses are created to make money and support those who work for the business. But being part of a community also brings responsibility to that community. A business that operates in isolation from a community won’t survive, it must have customers. But business, like individuals, must be contribute back to the neighborhood and the future generations that will live there.
Related articles:
CFPC at Reading-Lockland Presbyterian
Covenant-First Presbyterian members volunteer at Reading-Lockland Presbyterian to paint, clean and prepare for summer program, May 29, 2010
Covington’s Landscape is Changing
As a follow up to my March 2009 post “Club conduct in Covington impacts city’s children,” I wanted to share some recent developments in the Covington landscape. The school located near Club Venus was closed at the end of the 2009 school year. Students from Two Rivers Middle School now attend Holmes High School.
This week more changes have been noticed. According to WCPO, “In the dimly lit lounge of Club Venus in Covington, the dancers are wearing a lot more than they used to.”
You can read the full story at WCPO.com
Also, it appears Bottoms Up, the bar on 5th St that opened every morning at 6:00 has closed permanently.
CFPC at City Gospel Mission
During the past few weeks, the Covenant-First Presbyterian Church (CFPC) team members serving at City Gospel Mission have had some dynamic conversations as doors have opened for ministry. Through these conversations we’ve heard about hardships but we’ve also heard about how God is transforming men and women through a relationship with Jesus Christ. We’ve been able to share the Gospel with men and women who are trapped in addictions and looking for help.
Personal, one-on-one ministry can be challenging especially when it crosses cultural barriers. Edward T. Welch, in his book Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave, points out for many of us the culture of addiction is foreign. Perhaps you’ve had an opportunity to have a conversation with someone facing the slavery of sin in a way that is different from your experience. Maybe you’ve searched your mind for the right words to say, realizing that this type of conversation has many challenges.
In Addictions, Welch helps navigate these challenges by shedding the light of scripture on addictions, relating them to the way the Bible describes idols. He points out that common language has shifted from referring to addictions being like a disease to being a disease. Welch asserts that addictions have some things in common with diseases but that we need more lenses with which to view addictions so we can see all of the issues that come with them.
In one illustration, Welch shows idols in the Bible are more than carved statues, they are also possessions, habits, desires that replace the worship of God in our lives. In 1 John, the letter closes with a warning to “guard yourselves from idols,” but the in this letter John never mentions observable, physical idols. “Instead, in keeping with the theme of idols of the heart, it speaks of ‘the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does’(2:16). John is concerned about the pernicious, unseen Baals that are constructed more by the heart than the hands” (p. 48-49).
As we develop a clearer picture of addiction we can better speak the gospel into the lives of those we meet.
If you are looking for reading material about addiction recovery and how to serve those who may be in the various stages of addiction, I highly recommend the book Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave by Edward Welch. The book is available through the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation. I also recommend the Help and Hope podcast available on iTunes.
Please pray for the CFPC team that serves monthly and the guests at City Gospel Mission. The following guide may help you as you pray:
Prayer concerns for City Gospel Mission
Every day City Gospel Mission serves over 200 meals, that’s over 200 opportunities every day to engage someone who needs comfort, healing, faith, transformation and sanctification.
For the guests of City Gospel Mission, pray that God will:
- Heal the pain, grief, sickness and sin
- Give grace, faith, peace and mercy
- Sanctify them to himself
- Transform where there are addictions, suffering, and poverty
Pray that through the suffering and needs that these guests may be facing, they will discover the call of God to come to him, that they would have ears to hear and eyes to see the truth of the Gospel and the Salvation that comes only through Jesus Christ.
Pray that they would come to know themselves as God sees them.
Pray that those who are suffering would come to know God and all of the things he wants them to learn through their suffering, including dependence on God and endurance in faith. That they would develop proven character that produces hope from God.
Pray for the all the volunteers that they would have the courage to speak the truth in love.
Finally, pray for our team that serves at the mission the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Pray that God will prepare us for those we will talk with. That we will not be distracted by the work of food preparation and serving, so that we see people’s real needs and that we can incarnate Christ through the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our conversations.
During the past few weeks, the Covenant-First team members serving at City Gospel Mission have had some dynamic conversations as doors have opened for ministry. Through these conversations we’ve heard about hardships but we’ve also heard about how God is transforming men and women through a relationship with Jesus Christ. We’ve been able to share the Gospel with men and women who are trapped in addictions and looking for help.
Personal, one-on-one ministry can be challenging especially when it crosses cultural barriers. Edward T. Welch, in his book Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave, points out for many of us the culture of addiction is foreign. Perhaps you’ve had an opportunity to have a conversation with someone facing the slavery of sin in a way that is different from your experience. Maybe you’ve searched your mind for the right words to say, realizing that this type of conversation has many challenges.
In Addictions, Welch helps navigate these challenges by shedding the light of scripture on addictions, relating them to the way the Bible describes idols. He points out that common language has shifted from referring to addictions being like a disease to being a disease. Welch asserts that addictions have some things in common with diseases but that we need more lenses with which to view addictions so we can see all of the issues that come with them.
In one illustration, Welch shows idols in the Bible are more than carved statues, they are also possessions, habits, desires that replace the worship of God in our lives. In 1 John, the letter closes with a warning to “guard yourselves from idols,” but the in this letter John never mentions observable, physical idols. “Instead, in keeping with the theme of idols of the heart, it speaks of ‘the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does’(2:16). John is concerned about the pernicious, unseen Baals that are constructed more by the heart than the hands.”
As we develop a clearer picture of addiction we can better speak the gospel into the lives of those we meet.
If you are looking for reading material about addiction recovery and how to serve those who may be in the various stages of addiction, I highly recommend the book Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave by Edward Welch. The book is available through the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation at http://www.ccef.org.
Please pray for the team that serves monthly and the guests at City Gospel Mission. The following guide may help you as you pray:
Prayer concerns for City Gospel Mission
Every day City Gospel Mission serves over 200 meals, that’s over 200 opportunities every day to engage someone who needs comfort, healing, faith, transformation and sanctification.
For the guests of City Gospel Mission, pray that God will:
· Heal the pain, grief, sickness and sin
· Give grace, faith, peace and mercy
· Sanctify them to himself
· Transform where there are addictions, suffering, and poverty
Pray that through the suffering and needs that these guests may be facing, they will discover the call of God to come to him, that they would have ears to hear and eyes to see the truth of the Gospel and the Salvation that comes only through Jesus Christ.
Pray that they would come to know themselves as God sees them.
Pray that those who are suffering would come to know God and all of the things he wants them to learn through their suffering, including dependence on God and endurance in faith. That they would develop proven character that produces hope from God.
Pray for the all the volunteers that they would have the courage to speak the truth in love.
Finally, pray for our team that serves at the mission the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Pray that God will prepare us for those we will talk with. That we will not be distracted by the work of food preparation and serving, so that we see people’s real needs and that we can incarnate Christ through the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our conversations.
Series on Philippians has begun at Covenant-First Presbyterian
Pastor Russell Smith of Covenant-First Presbyterian in Cincinnati started a new series on the study of the Epistle to the Philippians. The first sermon is posted on the church’s Web site.
The series will continue each Sunday morning at 717 Elm Street, Cincinnati. Subsequent sermons will also be posted on the Web site.
Preparing for Significant Challenges While Traveling
There are many possible challenges any traveler can face on a business trip or personal excursion. Delays, accidents, mechanical failure and weather represent just a few of the possible challenges to travel. When weather conditions are at the heart of your travel challenge it is important to know some key things that can help you through the challenge more successfully.
I recently learned a few lessons and discovered some valuable resources while impacted by the weather during a recent business trip.
1 – Prepare for possible power outages. If the power goes out in a hotel, there will be no heat (or a/c), hot water, lights, phone, etc. If power lines are brought down by ice it could be days before power is restored. If power outages are possible, call the hotels in the area to locate those with back up generators. The best scenario is a back up generator that is gas powered rather than battery powered. When the ice storm impacted Oklahoma City last week after trying to reschedule a flight home earlier, the next move I made was to move to a hotel with a back-up generator.
2 – Locate ready to eat food. Once again if power goes out for a long period of time, restaurants will be impacted too. You will need to be able to provide your own food and water. When you are in your own neighborhood with friends and family close by, the impact of a power outage can be minimal but when you are out of town you may be on your own. Nutrition is the key here, junk food won’t sustain you or give you the energy you will need to think clearly and work hard if needed. Many of the lessons taught by Les Stroud, “the Survivor Man,” apply to this situation as well.
3 – Good resources of information are important. Quickly evaluate information outlets to discover if they are timely and accurate. Local news and weather will likely be more accurate and specific about your location than national news or weather. When searching for information about flights however, local resources may not be the best. Local airports may not be staffed to provide the information you need. FlightStats.com proved to be very helpful during my recent travel challenges. This site offered information about all airports and their delays as well as all flights in and out of them and the number of seats available on the flights.
4 – Twitter. Another good information resource is Twitter. Follow the local news outlets on Twitter while you are away. Also discover the hashtags being used for the challenge you face. During my stay in Oklahoma last week the hashtag was #okice. Following this on Twitter helped me to know where the biggest problems were, how others were dealing with the problems and ideas for my own challenges.
5 – Departments of Transportation (DOT) Web sites provide information about road conditions. If your plans or strategies to navigate the challenge you face involves driving, look at the DOT sites for surrounding states too.
6 – Connect with others who are facing the same challenges. If you are traveling by air, a good relationship with a premier elite traveler will be helpful. Those with VIP travel status on airlines may have access to phone numbers that can be more accessible than those provided to the general travel public.
7 – Make sure your rental car is properly equipped. Before leaving the rental car lot get an ice scraper and/or snow brush. Also check the windshield wipers to be sure they are working properly. During a stay in Texas, a rental car I was given had windshield wipers that didn’t work. The car company refused to bring me a car so I had to drive back to their lot to exchange the car. I’ve not rented from that company again.
8 – Proper clothing. When facing a storm at home you have access to all of your hats, gloves, shoes and boots. But when you are out of town you may not have everything you need. Proper clothing can be essential to successfully navigating a weather related travel challenge. Cheap substitutes for the stuff you have at home is better than nothing. You can always donate the items to someone else if you don’t need them later.
9 – Cell phone. Of course a cell phone is vital in an emergency but don’t forget to get all of your important phone numbers stored before your trip. And if you can, also store your loyalty program numbers. If you forget your charger, ask the hotel if they have any chargers that were left behind by other travelers. In Oklahoma City, the hotel had two boxes full of these chargers. But if there are power outages you will also need to have old fashioned paper copies of the numbers you need. Or at least a way to get them from someone when you call home.
10 – Apps. The new cell phones have many apps available that may be helpful during travel. I know many are available for iPhone and Blackberry, I’m sure Palm has apps available too. Search the app store before you travel to find out what may be most helpful. For example, Viigo not only gives you access to Twitter but also news feeds and flight status updates.
Travel safe.
To Make or Redeem Culutre?
Jonathan Dodson at the Creation Project blog wrote an excellent article called “To Make or Redeem Culture?” Jonathan does a great job of synthesizing Crouch’s Culture Making with Edgar’s article about Paul’s teaching at Mars Hill and other works on the topic.
Dodson writes,
Instead of choosing between the two, what would it look like for you to bring a redemptive worldview into your workplace, where you bring a gospel perspective upon a problem or person, while also working well to generate new solutions and answers. When you gain success, redemptive engagment calls you to make much of God not of yourself. Instead or bemoaning the failing copier, you take the time to fix it and then use it to make copies of your new ideas to better your company! Instead of bragging that you fixed the seemingly unfixable copier, you remain humble and rejoice in the fact that it is working! Instead of just making new innovative music, make music that gives proceeds to relieve poverty and rest in Christ for your significance, not in your notoriety. Be credemptive!
LEGO Advent Calendar
LEGO has an Advent calendar.
Celebrate 24 days of festive building with the LEGO City Advent Calendar! This holiday set includes lots of minifigures and accessories, all leading up to the biggest model of all on the last day. A wonderful gift for any LEGO builder or the whole family to enjoy!
- Each day open a new window in the specially designed Advent Calendar box!
- Includes 24 city-themed surprises for the season, including LEGO minifigures, accessories and more!
- Includes 10 minifigures!
Smoke on the Mountain Review
Russell Smith over at The Eagle and The Child blog, wrote an interesting review of the Playhouse in the Park production of Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming.
My wife and I saw this play in 2007 and recently saw the latest production in the series Sanders Family Christmas. Comparatively, the Homecoming version had better musicians overall but the story of the current production is also a tribute to America’s veterans. Any plays in this series is worth seeing, especially if Tess Hartman is on stage as June. She is very funny in the role and is once again back at Playhouse in the Park.
Be Still, My Soul
My friend John sang this song in chapel yesterday. I don’t know if his was recorded but I’m hoping to track it down. The video below is not his rendition but this one is also very good.
What a great hymn.
Club conduct in Covington impacts city’s children
The political, business, and community leaders of Covington are working very hard to make the city a great place to live and work. The Center for Great Neighborhoods and the Covington Business Council along with those in City Hall and many others have encouraged the growth of small businesses including many in the areas of technology, arts and wedding planning.
The growth of these businesses is great for the city not only in tax revenue (one of the highest local tax rates in the area) but also in the support these organizations provide for the other sectors of the city. The restaurants, schools and non-profits all benefit from the small businesses in the city. Many of the local technology-focused businesses work with the local schools, hosting students in their office to learn about careers and business in the city.
However, Covington also has several clubs in the city that are having a different impact on the other businesses in the area. It is unfortunate that the city planners have not seen fit to keep these gentleman’s clubs away from schools. But that’s not going to change. What does need to change however, is the way these businesses conduct themselves. The windows on these businesses are blacked out for obvious reasons. But Club Venus on 5th Street, frequently has many of its dancers on the sidewalk or standing just inside the clear glass door, in full view for all passersby. These dancers are not completely clothed and often call out for people passing by, with inappropriate, unwelcome solicitations. Some of the dancers have also been seen conducting illegal transactions in cars and vans in the parking lot across the street.
Not only does this negatively impact businesses nearby but it also negatively impacts the children in the middle school less than one block away. Club Venus and Two Rivers Middle School are separated by a street and a parking garage. Often students walking home after school pass by the club and are exposed to the inappropriate conduct of the Club Venus employees.
I would encourage those in City Hall to consider how they can help these children more effectively. It is important that the boys and girls in Two Rivers Middle School learn without the distractions of illegal conduct and under-dressed parades on the sidewalk. It is important that the boys and girls of Two Rivers Middle School learn that the city cares about their complete well-being and the examples that are available for them. It is important tha the parents of those children know what their children are exposed to. It is important that the churches in the community take a stand against illegal conduct that impacts the emotional and spiritual health of our community’s children.
Club Venus can be a better neighbor by effecting its own change for the protection of the children.
I would like to challenge:
- political leaders to investigate the conduct of Club Venus employees
- parents to speak out against the conduct and its impact on their children
- churches to pray for the spiritual health in our community
- business leaders to work together to document the issues they have witnessed
- neighborhood leaders to strive for a community improvement that go beyond flower boxes to also include protection of the children from exposure to illicit activities like those described here
- Club Venus to be a better neighbor
We know that when we work together, city’s can be improved. Covington needs to continue its improvement not only in the support of small business growth but also in changes that will protect the children of the city.
Prayer for families affected by suicide
In the article Refocusing the Lens, I wrote about how I have been impacted by a man I didn’t know who jumped from the Roebling Suspension Bridge a few years ago. Unfortunately, I have also known some other men who chose to take their own life.
On Saturday January 31, 2009 at 10:00 AM I’m going to be on the West sidewalk of the Roebling Suspension Bridge (in the middle of the bridge) to pray for families who have been impacted by suicide and to pray for those who are fighting every day with the temptation of suicide. It’s not a formal event and won’t be a long event but if you are interested in joining me feel free to come to the Covington Riverfront or drop me a note.
Update: Due to ice and snow, I’m going to change the location. Instead of being on the bridge I will be on Riverside Drive near the Mike Fink Restaurant.
Dr. Walter Brueggemann to speak in Cincinnati
Dr. Walter Brueggemann, author many books including The Creative Word: Canon as Model for Biblical Education, is scheduled to speak at Christ Church Cathedral in Cincinnati March 4, 11 & 27, April 1, 7:00 p.m as part of the church’s Lenten program.
According to the church’s Web site:
Dr. Brueggemann looks at lessons from Hebrew Scripture on community, social ethic and economic justice and finds parallels with society today.
March 4: The System of Pharaoh and the System of Sinai
Pharaohs Egypt was founded on the assumption of scarcity. In a society based on scarcity, its inhabitants live in fear and anxiety about needs that cannot be met, and its leaders conduct public policy based on manipulation, power and domination in an effort to maintain the state. The result is a society of anxiety. An alternative is found in the society of the God of liberation, as Moses found on Mt. Sinai. What lessons can we in contemporary society draw from these images?March 11: Unpacking Sinai
The Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai laid down a different principle from that which governed Pharaoh, a principle based on Gods abundant provision. Deuteronomy then broadened their focus on the common good into a social ethic. From Old Testament times to contemporary times, how do Gods acts of generosity break the anxiety of scarcity? How can we affirm a life of Gods generosity rather than nightmare of Pharaohs scarcity?March 25: Jeremiahs Truth
As history unfolds in the Old Testament, the prophets of Israel come to advocate for a return to the integrity and truth embodied in the law of Sinai and Deuteronomy. Jeremiah in particular summons the people of God to renewed faithfulness. He calls them to challenge the states claims of domination and power. How is the justice of Sinai and Deuteronomy relevant to our own day?April 1: Finding Jeremiah Today
How can we expand the prophetic voice to answer the needs of the world today? What would be the implications for truth and faithful living? What would be the implications for a culture of domination and power when faced with a hope for life beyond the demands of empire?
Chistmas Time’s a Comin’
Tim O’Brien and Bryan Sutton with Danny Barnes performing Christmas Time’s a Comin’ at Cumberland Caverns.
Learning to be content, choosing not to complain
While reading Exodus and Numbers earlier this year, I was stopped in my tracks as I read about God’s reaction when people complained. Exodus 16:2-3 says, “The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!’” While the community aimed their complaints at Moses and Aaron, throughout the OT God repeatedly says that it was him who brought Israel out of Egypt. In v. 8, part of Moses response is “Who are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD.”
In chapter 16, God hears their complaints and provides for their needs with quail and manna. Verse 11 says, “The LORD spoke to Moses, ‘I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them: At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat bread until you are full. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’” God chose to hear this complaint as a prayer and meet their need.
But in Numbers 21:4-9, the complaint is against the very sustenance God provided in Exodus 16 and God’s reaction is different. Verses 5-6, “The people spoke against God and Moses: ‘Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!’ Then the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died.”
While in Exodus, the complaints to God were sin, God had mercy on the complainers and provided them the sustennace they needed for the next 40 years. Here, the people complain again (and it’s not the first time since the Exodus complaint) and God does not have mercy this time. Now he sends poisonous snakes.
I am struck deeply by the Word of God here when I see that complaining about the blessings God has given is sin against him. Rather than complain about what God has given us, we are called to give thanks. 1 Chronicles 16:8 says, “Give thanks to the LORD; call on His name; proclaim His deeds among the peoples.”
Looking back at Exodus 16 (manna) and Numbers 21 (snakes), I’m also reminded of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:9-12 where he says, “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
As I think about these passages and others like Galatians 5:22-23 and Isaiah 9:6 (in Isaiah, Jesus is called the “Prince of Peace” and in Galatians one of the items listed as the “fruit of the Spirit” is peace), I am stopped in my tracks and deeply convicted about my own complaints. I find myself in the habit of complaining about problems at work, problems with my house, problems in friendships and business relationships. And now that I read this I am bowed before God to get out of this habitual complaining … to find peace with God and peace with myself.
As those who are obiedent to Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, it is important for us to have peace in our lives. Peace with God is discovering that the road we are on is the exact road that he has put us on. Ps 139:16 says, “Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all [my] days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.”
Paul says in Phillippians 4:11 that he has learned to be content in whatever circumstances he’s in. I think it is interesting and important he doesn’t say that God has made him to be content but that he has learned to be content. I believe the Holy Spirit is his teacher, but while Peace is part of the fruit of the Spirit, we have to learn to seek God first and to trust him completely (cf. Joshua 1:9).
