The Bad Bunny Show

On February 9, 2026, the day after the Super Bowl, I posted the following:

I look forward to the day when the halftime show will not feature butts and I will understand the words.

Obviously, I am not the target audience.

But I do remember the day when I was the radical listening to Billy Joel.

What is interesting is that I wrote this comment with a smile on my face. It was an intended poke at the Super Bowl halftime show (which I did not watch) in correlation to the general lament that I make every year about what it has become.

A few years ago, I did come to the realization that I was not the target audience for the halftime show. And, I never was going to be. That is fine. Like Gloria Gaynor, I will survive.

My apprehension about the halftime show began in 2004 when Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake showed a brief, but certain "wardrobe malfunction." Through the years, the NFL has demonstrated less and less concern for the halftime show to be "family-friendly" as if they have no responsibility in that regard.

In 2020, as Jennifer Lopez and Shakira were shaking all about, it came across to me as an objectification of women. Especially when the cameras were focusing and zooming in on the butt, crotch, and chest. So, “no, thank you,” is my answer. I don’t want to watch that and I choose not to. 

Previous halftime shows of Kendrick, Usher, The Weeknd, and others are rather meaningless to me, because I don’t understand the words that are being said. Perhaps I could if they included closed captioning. In general, it is why I don’t enjoy rap or opera for that matter (but at least with opera I am able to know the story ahead of time). 

This brings us to Bad Bunny. We were told that he is immensely popular nowadays. That is probably why I never heard of him, even though I work with university students. I obviously hang around the wrong ones.

I did research and I was directed to two of his songs. I read the translations of "Titi Me Pregunto" and "Safaera." They are astonishingly crude and vulgar. To trust a man like this with the halftime show, one should question the sanity of it all. The NFL is consistent though. They don't care about these things. I may be in the minority, but I still think that character counts.

Now let's add the issue of communication. Bad Bunny did the presentation in Spanish. If it is your desire to be clear in your communication in the United States, your best bet is to use English. We call that common sense. If you want the majority of your listeners to understand what you are saying, you use the language that they use. If your desire is not to be clear to your typical listener, then use Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Tagalog, or whatever.

I do not apologize whatsoever for desiring communication to be clear. I communicate for a living. I have no desire to leave anyone guessing what I mean in any given situation. I take responsibility for my communication even when someone receives it differently than what I had intended. Clarity is my goal.

Even more, I do not apologize whatsoever in believing in the sacredness of sexuality and marriage. I believe that when they are given the respect and honor that they deserve, families will be stronger and society will be healthier.

Contrary to some criticisms (some dressed up as concerns), I have nothing bad to say about the Spanish language or Puerto Rico. I do not have any qualms about the genre of Latino music (what's not to like - the beat is crazy cool). I have a lot of Latino friends that are important to me. I have a grandson who is half Puerto Rican. His other grandparents are wonderful people and I am glad that they are in my life.

This all being said, I will continue to stand on the important principles of character and clarity. And I will continue to desire halftime shows to be "family-friendly" because 100 million people watch them, a great majority as families. As far as I am concerned, like so many halftime shows before him, Bad Bunny failed.

Perhaps next year, we can get Bugs Bunny instead.

That would be fun.

I Corinthians 13 - Christmas Style

If I speak in the tongues of Christmas materialism and greed but have not love, I am only a tinny Christmas song or an out of tune choir.

If I have the gift of knowing what Aunt Agatha will give me this year and can even understand last year's present, and if I have the faith that I won't get yet more socks and ties this year but have not love, I am nothing.

If I clear out the house and give everything to charity and my credit cards are snapped in half but have not love, what can I possibly gain?

Love is patient when the fourth store you've tried doesn't have a bottle garden.

Love is kind and lets the couple with only a few items go in front of you and your bulging shopping cart.

Love does not envy your friend who gets mega-presents from everybody.

Love does not boast about the $1200 bike, the iPad, the TV, cell phone, and computer your dad gave you.

Love does not attempt to out-buy, out-wrap, and out-give the rest of the family just to impress.

Love doesn't cut Aunt Flo off your Christmas card list because she forgot you last year.

Love is not self-seeking and leaves a copy of your Christmas list in every room of the house.

Love is not easily angered when the young girl at the checkout takes forever because she is just temporary staff.

Love doesn't keep remembering how many times your mum forgets you don't like brussel sprouts.

Love does not delight in the commercial bandwagon but rejoices with the truth of a baby born in the stable.

Love always protects the family from Christmas hype.

Love always trusts that the hiding places for presents will remain secret for another year.

Love always hopes that this year more neighbors will drop in to your open house coffee morning.

Love always perseveres until the cards are written, the presents all bought, the shopping done, and the Christmas cake iced.

Toys may break, socks wear thin but love never fails.

Where there is the feeling of the presents to guess their contents, and mum going on about being good so Father Christmas will come, and searching through the cupboards to find your hidden presents, they will all stop.

For we think we know what we are getting, and we hope we know what we are getting but when Christmas Day arrives all will be revealed.

When I was a child I talked with big wide-open eyes about Christmas, thought that Christmas was all about me; I reasoned that Jesus should have been born more often. When I became an adult, I forgot the joy, wonder, and excitement of this special time.

Now we just hear about the angels, shepherds, and wise men, then we shall see them all the time. Now I know as much as the Bible says about the first Christmas, then I shall know just how many wise men there were and where they came from.

Now three things remain to be done:

To have faith that the baby born in a stable is the Son of God.

To hope that the true message of Christmas will not get discarded with the wrapping paper and unwanted gifts.

And the most important: to have a love for others like the one that God has for us.

Copyright 2001 Claire Jordan (caleb@eurobell.co.uk). 

Permission is granted to send this to others, but not for commercial purposes.

Today Is Election Day

These are my observations about this year's presidential election. I was going to say "humble observations," but I will leave that for you to decide.

1. I make no recommendations regarding who to vote for. I believe both major candidates are deeply flawed. And since I can only vote "for" someone and not "against," I don't have anyone I can confidently vote for.

2. I have good friends that have directly or indirectly told me who to vote for. Not one person has persuaded me to vote for their choice. No one. I hope we can still be friends.

3. I believe abortion continues to be the nation's greatest tragedy. Please do not ask me to vote for anyone that supports it. Don't ask me to support someone who asks me to contribute to the abortion industry with my tax dollars. I can't. I won't.

4. I believe the trans issue adds to the moral confusion that our culture is suffering. Please don't ask me to support it. To support gender transitions for children and adolescents is permanently harmful. Please don't ask me to support gender transitions for prisoners with my tax dollars.

5. I am tired of both Republicans and Democrats talking down to people who have ideas and principles that are different from them. Generally speaking, people don't change their minds when they are being insulted. Discussion anyone? Respect anyone?

6. Yes, my mind is made up about the issues above, but I won't call you an "idiot" for taking a position different than mine. I am willing to discuss them anytime.

7. It is my opinion that we have had 8 years of inadequate polarizing leadership on too many levels. I don't expect anything to change. I hope I am wrong. 

I miss Ronald Reagan.

My Takes on the Super Bowl 2024

 My takes on the Super Bowl:

1. I would have had a better time if Dondra and I could have been around people, but after both of us having the flu all week, we decided not to risk hosting our annual CA party. Even our kids had a party without us.

2. The game was not rigged for KC. Otherwise the illegal man down field against SF would have been called on their first touchdown. There will always be calls that are missed. I know this for a fact. I'm a Bills fan.

3. Some have claimed that karma didn't work because Kelce got away with pushing Reid. I say karma did work because Reid still won and Kelce got the girl who writes songs about past boyfriends (inevitably, he will be one of them - and that song will surely be a doozy).

4. Some of my friends referred to Kelce as an ape and a scumbag. I don't like the name calling and for those of us who have played sports passionately, we know that sometimes the worst part of us pops out when the contest is hot. I prefer to be gracious and I am willing to bet Reid will be too. Kelce will have to live with the ramifications.

5. Brock Purdy is a great story. I love his testimony. I love his calm demeanor. I hope he is around for a long time.

6. I appreciate the sentiment of the "He gets us" campaign. However, it misses the essential aspect of the grace and mercy that Jesus showed the woman caught in adultery when He said, Go and sin no more! There were some lines that were blurry in the pictures that were shown and easily could be interpreted incorrectly. The gospel is easy to understand, not so easy to accept. We don't need to mess with it. It doesn't need help. It is the power of God...period.

7. I did look at the "He gets us" website and totally agree with their concern that certain movements - political and otherwise - use Christianity to shame and harm others (pay attention Christian nationalists). I agree.

8. But again - I looked at the entirety "about us" section and no mention of our need of Jesus. Good grief! What are they afraid of!? Or are they universalists in disguise?

9. I saw on the news that the owner of 26 Shirts was given tickets to the Super Bowl by the Bills. They are a class act and the Decker men own lots of their shirts. Check them out if you don't know what we are talking about.

10. I like a lot of Taylor Swift's songs. Especially her early stuff and some of her most recent. I will not confess to how many albums I have of hers.

11. Taylor Swift is a marvelous capitalist. She may not realize it though.

12. Another friend found offense in Kelce pushing his elderly coach. Reid is 65. I am 65. I am offended at being called elderly.

13. The usher I prefer is the one that carries offering plates. I have a good friend whose last name is Usher. He's better than that guy at halftime and he can't sing (but his wife has a marvelous voice).

14. I wonder if there will ever be a halftime show where I will understand the words as they come out of the mouths of the musicians.

15. Reba hit out of the park with her rendition of the national anthem. I loved the simplicity and the sincerity. It appeared that she meant what she was singing.

16. No one, in my opinion, will ever surpass Whitney Houston's iconic performance.

17. Post Malone's rendition of America was moving, but I find his tattoos distracting. I had to close my eyes. Just sayin'.

18. Go Bills!

I Am Tired of Leadership

It began when I was a youth pastor. I wanted to do it well and since I was young, I sought out experts. I went to every Youth Specialties Conference that came to the area. Then it was the Sonlife Ministries. They inspired me to be more effective in reaching youth.

Then I became the Lead/Senior Pastor and now I needed to really up my game. Years before, mentors and elders had prayed over me. They blessed me. They said I was going to do great things for God. I believed the discernment and the prophetic tone of these prayers.

I sought to be better. I studied church growth strategies. I took staff to leadership seminars. I went to leadership conferences with Christianity Today (I loved going to San Diego in the winter!). I wanted to be a great leader for Christ's sake.

While some changes happened and churches grew, the greatness that I believed was to be my experience never seemed to occur. Perhaps I did something wrong to frustrate what God had in mind for me.

The truth is I more often felt like a CEO that was directing a business than a shepherd. I seemed to have a lot of bosses. So many people in the church seemed to know how I should be doing my job. Nevermind that they contradicted each other. I never sought their "wisdom." I still don't want it.

I never prayed to any of them.

Fourteen years ago, I left pastoral leadership in the church. God called me to campus ministry. I was apprehensive and delighted all at the same time. My time on campus has reminded me of the reason I went into ministry in the first place. People need Jesus.

Some things, however, never change. Now, I am encouraged to study the Millennials and Generation Z so that I can adequately minister to them. I'm in my sixties now. I sometimes feel the pressure that I am not adequate.

Frankly, I seem to be doing fine without the experts telling me what I need to know. Students need people to love them and speak into their lives. They respond to that. I don't think I need to know a whole lot more than that. Actually, I have found that to be true across generations.

But if you can come up with a conference of "How to Listen to the Holy Spirit When Everyone Else Thinks They Know How to Do Your Job Better Than the Way You Are Doing It Now," I will be there.

I Am Thankful - Campus Ambassador Version 2020

I am thankful.

2020 has been a year of irony – it certainly has not brought us clarity of vision – for anything.  We talk about 20/20 hindsight where many things become clearer as we look back at them. This year, though is unprecedented. There hasn’t been anything like it. 

But, I am thankful.

I didn’t take this whole covid 19 virus thing too seriously at the beginning of this year. I thought it would be like so many viruses and flus from before. It would just come and go.  But this one did not.

And, as far as our Campus Ambassadors ministry, this outbreak messed up our plans for Spring Break, Infusion, Fall Retreat, and made UB a very quiet place.

Yet, I am thankful.

I am thankful for each person in our ministry. I am thankful for my co-workers – Sally Henien and Tim Stewart – they are passionate for students and generous with time and resources. I am thankful for Megan Fulmer – who has volunteered to help this last year and a half – she has filled in so many gaps for us – she’s a star. I am thankful for each student that has allowed us into your lives – we count it a privilege. It humbles us.

I’ve got a lot to be thankful for this year.

How about you?

My Father's Prayer at James & Natalie's Wedding

I was fortunate that my dad saved his copy of the words he said at JJ & Natalie's wedding. I think they reflect well the kind of man he was and what I still strive to be.

This is a time of blessing.

Natalie and JJ – be assured that you have the total blessing of your parents,

That you have the blessing of your grandparents,

And the blessing of your siblings,

That you have the blessing of your relatives and your many friends,

And that you have the blessing of two great congregations

That of the Grace Community Church of Chelmsford and Randall Memorial Baptist here.

But what we want most of all is the blessing of God – so let us pray.

We beseech you our Lord God Almighty…

• Infinite in Sovereignty
• Infinite in Wisdom
• Infinite in Mercy
• Infinite in Grace
• Infinite in Love
• And infinite in Holiness…

For your complete blessing upon Natalie and JJ as they become One and trod the path of service in good works that you in your ever present now have already ordained for them.

As we prepare to worship, anoint all with your glorious presence and may this service remind us once again of our Lord Jesus Christ as the bridegroom to gather His bride the church.

God bless us in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.