There is no time like now for a smoke.

I’m a nit picky perfectionist when it comes to design and blog stuff.  Redemptive Tobacco is no different.  I’ve been putting off writing the first post…well…because it is the first post.  It is the first impression of what this blog is going to be about.  People will make snap decisions and either come to the site or erase it from their mental desktop forever.  I know how that goes, I’ve got limited RAM and just don’t have space for everyone’s “link”.  However, I’ve decided procrastination no more!

For those who only read two paragraphs, this blog will contain posts on theology, church planting, emerging trends in culture and my learning as I walk with Jesus.  Comments will be welcome.

First, for those that are wondering, I don’t smoke.  I “occasionally” have smoked a cigar or pipe, but don’t touch cigarettes.  I’m an ordained minister for goodness sake!  By the way, the cigar made me sick (too strong), but I enjoyed the pipe.  It made me feel smarter than I really am…which is an oxymoron if you think about it.  I’m an idiot for smoking a pipe, but somehow a pipe makes you “look” intellectual.  Huh?

Oh, and I did try snuff ONCE.  I cheered at UNC-Chapel Hill and in New Orleans at the 1993 championship some of the squad dared me and a friend namedLymarie Portela to try snuff.  If I remember, a friend from the squad, Scott Williams , was one of the main culprets.  Interestingly enough, when my family moved to the suburban hades that is Atlanta’s outer limit, we moved around the corner from Scott.  Small world!  I cheered at Kentucky    as well, but that is story for another day!  You can watch the nifty stunt though!

I’m off topic, but the main reason for the name of the blog is… (pay attention to number two)

1. It’s cool. 
2. It is a great descriptor of God being able to redeem something He created that has become corrupted and used for purposes that are mostly destructive.  That is what God offers us in Christ and right now God is about the business of making all things new in Christ.  I want this blog to help others walk after Christ in that reality.

I’m going to keep the posts relatively short and I’d like them to be somewhat provocative. I think healthy discussion is a good thing.  Healthy is the operative word here.  If you have disagreements, great…just be humble and civil in your discourse.

I’ll also be posting about my faith journey, my addiction to smoking (just kidding), and my families call to be a catalyst for sharing that redemptive love in the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina.  RTP is Raleigh, Durham and (saving the best for last) Chapel Hill.  There are so many people moving in the area and most only have a caricature of what they “think” God and His church is about.  Most of this has come from observations of Christianities portrayal by the church, media and even those who claim to be Christ Followers.  I think God is about redeeming that as well.

So, in conclusion, please pray for us.  We know we we will be planting or being a catalyst for a new church/ministry called Brightleaf in the downtown Durham area over the next 1-3 years.  The timing is in God’s hands.  Angie, my love and my wife, will be working at Duke Hospital and getting her advanced degree through this whole process.

My big dream is to see a network of existing churches come together and strategically plant churches all around the area.  Churches that will represent what it means to know and follow Christ into our culture and join Him in seeing all things made new.

Oh, and BTW… a smoke is my little word for post.