...Been awhile since my last post...much has transpired over the last couple of months.
My mother has been in the hospital for nearly two months, literally fighting for her life after an undetected tumor ruptured in her abdomen, perforating her lower intestine and causing sepsis to flow into the recesses of that once sterile environment. She is currently stable and taking her first steps on the long road to recovery.
trying to take all of this in and make sense of it has and still is taking some doing.
We as a family are grateful to God that mom is still with us, but wonder where this is all going to end.
Publicly we hold on to hope and trust in the sovereignty of God, knowing that He has this entire situation in His hands. Privately, however, we wonder why? We look at our mother and question what God is doing through all of this...what purpose will this serve?
Currently it is serving to strengthen our faith and teach us that there definitely are more important things in life than the "pursuit of happiness." i can't think of another time when my immediately family has been closer and our faith in God stronger.
The Holiday's typically bring people together around the themes of peace, love, joy, enabling us to set aside the smallness of our pride and petty differences that tend to divide and disrupt the unity of our homes.
Although our family spent Christmas celebrating in a hospital room, we were together and we were united in hope and love.
It seems like more than a couple weeks have past since the turning of the new year, but time has become an invisible enemy with whom we battle desperately. Time is powerful. Especially when allied with discouragement. These two foes war for our last vestiges of hope and determination, but we will not be taken down so easily.
Our hope is in our savior's love, who gave all for us. So we join in the anthem of creation to Christ our King and rejoice in Him whose love is constant and ever faithful to those who put their trust in Him...
No one is prepared when tragedy strikes. We watch other people go through difficult times and wonder silently, how would I handle that situation if it were to happen to me?
My dad and I have pondered that question in some conversations we've had over the last several weeks. As pastors, we typically have some words of encouragement and a scripture verse or two to offer people when they are going through a crisis, but when the shoe is on the other foot, those words can seem hollow and a bit trite...if we let them.
Those words, those powerful words, like hope, love, and peace, when coupled with the anointing of the Spirit of God, truly are transformational.
There is nothing more helpful, nothing more hopeful, than those simple words. When we try and conjure them up in and of ourselves they are hollow, trite and overused. But when they are breathed through the life giving spirit of God into our consciousness...there is nothing that compares, nothing that can offer what God offers through those realities. Peace, Hope, Love...
I hope those are realities in your life today and everyday.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
do-overs
I've been doing some studying/teaching through the Kings and Chronicles and have observed some pretty amazing things.
1. The arrogance and stupidity of Israel (Judah later on too) never ceases to amaze me. They repeatedly thumbed their noses at God in spite of the constant warnings they received about impending judgment and doom that would befall them if they didn't repent and change their ways.
2. We are not unlike Israel and Judah.
3. God is Just.
4. God is Merciful
5. In spite of bad decisions that have been made by you or for you,,,,
(legacy of the Kings of Israel/Judah) You can start over again.
It is in your power to change, no matter what your heritage.
Pretty cool stuff!
Now the fatalistic among us would argue that once the cards have been dealt, it's over, you have to make do with what you have in your hand. True...to a point. we are powerless to change the past, but we have to decide how we are going to respond to the cards we've been dealt and how it will affect our future...no one else can do that for us. The beauty of God is that He's always shuffling the deck and with Him, you have the ability to discard and pick up a brand new hand. We simply must open our eyes to the possibilities...because with God, anything is.
1. The arrogance and stupidity of Israel (Judah later on too) never ceases to amaze me. They repeatedly thumbed their noses at God in spite of the constant warnings they received about impending judgment and doom that would befall them if they didn't repent and change their ways.
2. We are not unlike Israel and Judah.
3. God is Just.
4. God is Merciful
5. In spite of bad decisions that have been made by you or for you,,,,
(legacy of the Kings of Israel/Judah) You can start over again.
It is in your power to change, no matter what your heritage.
Pretty cool stuff!
Now the fatalistic among us would argue that once the cards have been dealt, it's over, you have to make do with what you have in your hand. True...to a point. we are powerless to change the past, but we have to decide how we are going to respond to the cards we've been dealt and how it will affect our future...no one else can do that for us. The beauty of God is that He's always shuffling the deck and with Him, you have the ability to discard and pick up a brand new hand. We simply must open our eyes to the possibilities...because with God, anything is.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
...driving my life away...
I like to drive.
some people don't like to get behind the wheel any more than they absolutely have to, but I'm one of those crazies who enjoys the hum of the open road.
Maybe it's the competitive nature that drives most males that fuels my zest or the video game induced rally sport longing in me to drift around corners...who knows...
Anyway, i digress...on one drive recently, i happened to be alone and in those moments i really do relish the opportunity to turn the music up loud or embrace the silence of reflective prayer. The latter was the case this time and in that moment i was reminded, by the gentle prompting of the Holy Spirit, that God has wired me to hear from Him.
The way he created me, from my annoying idiosyncrasies to the depths of my psyche, was to specifically hear from Him.
So, I realized once again, that it is incumbent upon me to make sure that I create moments, daily moments, in which His is the only voice to which I tune in.
There in lies the tension... often, I tune in, way too often to too many alternate sources of meaningless drivel.
So today, in this very public of formats, I make this commitment.
I endeavor to make the time I spend listening to and communing with God, the most prevalent of time spent taking in and remove the majority of the "noise" cluttering my brain.
This may seem like a pointless exercise to some who read this, but I know that in those moments when I choose to give ear - that my ears and my spirit and my heart will indeed be filled with that which is necessary for my health and my sanity on many levels...the unmistakable, still, small voice of God.
So roll on you open road...unstop my crowded ears.
some people don't like to get behind the wheel any more than they absolutely have to, but I'm one of those crazies who enjoys the hum of the open road.
Maybe it's the competitive nature that drives most males that fuels my zest or the video game induced rally sport longing in me to drift around corners...who knows...
Anyway, i digress...on one drive recently, i happened to be alone and in those moments i really do relish the opportunity to turn the music up loud or embrace the silence of reflective prayer. The latter was the case this time and in that moment i was reminded, by the gentle prompting of the Holy Spirit, that God has wired me to hear from Him.
The way he created me, from my annoying idiosyncrasies to the depths of my psyche, was to specifically hear from Him.
So, I realized once again, that it is incumbent upon me to make sure that I create moments, daily moments, in which His is the only voice to which I tune in.
There in lies the tension... often, I tune in, way too often to too many alternate sources of meaningless drivel.
So today, in this very public of formats, I make this commitment.
I endeavor to make the time I spend listening to and communing with God, the most prevalent of time spent taking in and remove the majority of the "noise" cluttering my brain.
This may seem like a pointless exercise to some who read this, but I know that in those moments when I choose to give ear - that my ears and my spirit and my heart will indeed be filled with that which is necessary for my health and my sanity on many levels...the unmistakable, still, small voice of God.
So roll on you open road...unstop my crowded ears.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
L.O.V.E.
Weddings are one of those services that we as ministers provide to people, outside of our Sunday and Wednesday duties...
I really see it as a privilege, that two people would entrust to me the beginning of the most significant human relationship they will ever have. That's pretty heavy stuff...
Except, I guess, if you view marriage through the lens of our culture...where anyone can go online, and in about 15 minutes, be ordained to perform marriages through any number of sanctioning "churches". For some reason this doesn't seem right to me...
It doesn't bother me that you don't have to actually be a pastor to perform marriage ceremonies. I think what bothers me is that this is just another symptom of how we in America have trivialized the significance of the union between a man and woman.
Even if you don't believe in God, there is something pretty amazing about the level of faith and commitment two individuals are placing in and toward one another when they take up the responsibility of uniting in marriage.
Maybe that's the whole issue right there...commitment is so fleeting and relationships treated as utterly disposable, that we take the path of least resistance when entering in to what essentially is a covenant between the man and woman.
Here I go...it's not just the marriage ceremony that's been corrupted, the whole idea of love is completely polluted. Love has become a means to an end, we use it to satisfy our selfish desires and twisted sense of entitlement and gratification. Love is no longer love...it is a vehicle that is bound to the servitude of self.
Love without strings attached...how quaint.
When you talk about deference and sacrifice for the sake of the highest good of your partner, people almost scoff with disdain and disbelief at the "unenlightened, irrelevant and antiquated", idealism and naivete that you possess.
You know what? I'm perfectly content to stay naive, idealistic, unenlightened, antiquated and even irrelevant, if it means that the love i give and receive is unfettered by the freedom genuine love supplies.
The measure of genuine love is just that: it is both freely given and freely received...just as God intended.
Man, i could go on and on, but the bottom line is this:
Love doesn't do what we feel like doing, true love is bound to the character of its creator and in that, we find all that we're looking for and more.
I Corinthians 13) says something like this: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
Indeed, how quaint...
I really see it as a privilege, that two people would entrust to me the beginning of the most significant human relationship they will ever have. That's pretty heavy stuff...
Except, I guess, if you view marriage through the lens of our culture...where anyone can go online, and in about 15 minutes, be ordained to perform marriages through any number of sanctioning "churches". For some reason this doesn't seem right to me...
It doesn't bother me that you don't have to actually be a pastor to perform marriage ceremonies. I think what bothers me is that this is just another symptom of how we in America have trivialized the significance of the union between a man and woman.
Even if you don't believe in God, there is something pretty amazing about the level of faith and commitment two individuals are placing in and toward one another when they take up the responsibility of uniting in marriage.
Maybe that's the whole issue right there...commitment is so fleeting and relationships treated as utterly disposable, that we take the path of least resistance when entering in to what essentially is a covenant between the man and woman.
Here I go...it's not just the marriage ceremony that's been corrupted, the whole idea of love is completely polluted. Love has become a means to an end, we use it to satisfy our selfish desires and twisted sense of entitlement and gratification. Love is no longer love...it is a vehicle that is bound to the servitude of self.
Love without strings attached...how quaint.
When you talk about deference and sacrifice for the sake of the highest good of your partner, people almost scoff with disdain and disbelief at the "unenlightened, irrelevant and antiquated", idealism and naivete that you possess.
You know what? I'm perfectly content to stay naive, idealistic, unenlightened, antiquated and even irrelevant, if it means that the love i give and receive is unfettered by the freedom genuine love supplies.
The measure of genuine love is just that: it is both freely given and freely received...just as God intended.
Man, i could go on and on, but the bottom line is this:
Love doesn't do what we feel like doing, true love is bound to the character of its creator and in that, we find all that we're looking for and more.
I Corinthians 13) says something like this: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
Indeed, how quaint...
Sunday, October 25, 2009
"a walk to remember..."
yesterday, I got outside and went for a little hike in the woods with my two sons...and 20 other men and boys. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
Actually, it was really good. We got to spend some time together doing a "manly" thing, and I got to observe my boys and gain a little more insight into their development as men and potential leaders.
Aside from the initial feelings of guilt, like, "man, we really ought to do this more often", I was struck by another thought; the desire to lead is so prevalent in the psyche of young boys. We were with a large group of men and boys from our church, and it was almost laughable at how the boys jockeyed for position on this very narrow trail.
I don't know if you've ever had the opportunity to observe the machinations of the man cub first hand, but it really is comical and educational. In part, because those of us who have bigger bodies and refer to ourselves as men, really don't get much beyond those desires to run pell-mell through the woods, throwing rocks and poking things with sticks...but, that's another conversation for another time.
As I mentioned, the comedy is found in the jostling and shoving, trying to be the first one, leading the way, prancing and pawing, asserting one's dominance...running ahead, tiring out, but summoning just enough energy to stay with the guy who's trying to pass us by...(great lessons in human nature)
So for a few hours yesterday, I got to observe, first hand, this inherent desire to lead. Each boy, in his own way, trying to make his presence felt, trying to be a dominant figure on the trail, leading the charge through the wilderness.
Just trying to lead.
I think all of us, male or female, go through this developmental phase. We want to be seen as someone who is out in front, leading the charge. We want to shoulder the responsibility, to be trusted. We want to be valued enough to have followers, people who consider us worthy of following.
My own son, verbalized his desire to lead simply in asking me, "hey dad, can I be the leader?" So, he lead.
Then, after he had been leading for a while, a most extraordinary thing occurred, he turns to me and asks, "am I doing a good job leading?"
My response, was something "wise and fatherly", like, "oh yeah, buddy, you're doing a great job". I wasn't aware until later, as I thought about it, how important that small exchange was for him.
Not only to be seen as the leader, but to be affirmed in his position and performance.
I think all of us cry out for that at our core. We want so badly to be seen as a leader, we want to be affirmed in that role and we want to know we are doing a good job.
The problem is, as John Eldrege says in his book Wild at Heart, we have been wounded somewhere along the path of life.
So instead of being built up in our capacity to lead, while trying to make our way to the front of the line, our confidence was shattered, our spirit crushed, in a manner, that for some, still bears repercussions in our lives. And so we allow another to step in front and we follow in silence and brokenness.
I won't take the time in this format, to unravel the intricacies of this conversation, but instead, make an attempt to hone in on this one detail.
- Each of us is called to lead in some capacity.
Whether at home, in our workplace, in our school, we all have been given a mandate by God himself, to show others the right way to go.
We cannot wait to lead until we have acquired followers or what we feel are an adequate number of followers, we cannot wait to lead until someone asks, we must endeavor to lead, even if it seems no one is following.
Because, even if no one is following at the moment...people are watching, waiting to see if you seem to know where you are going. And if we follow Christ, there is no doubt, that the trail we're on is the right one...and every once in a while, we'll sense Him, cheering us on, giving us those "attaboys" that we need to hear.
So, as we allow Christ to set the pace and do our best to follow Him, not worrying about those who jostle and bump, trying to make their way to the front...
You just might be amazed to find, as you successfully navigate a hairpin turn in the trail, that there is a line of souls stretched out behind you as you make this journey we call life.
Lead on my friend, lead on!
Actually, it was really good. We got to spend some time together doing a "manly" thing, and I got to observe my boys and gain a little more insight into their development as men and potential leaders.
Aside from the initial feelings of guilt, like, "man, we really ought to do this more often", I was struck by another thought; the desire to lead is so prevalent in the psyche of young boys. We were with a large group of men and boys from our church, and it was almost laughable at how the boys jockeyed for position on this very narrow trail.
I don't know if you've ever had the opportunity to observe the machinations of the man cub first hand, but it really is comical and educational. In part, because those of us who have bigger bodies and refer to ourselves as men, really don't get much beyond those desires to run pell-mell through the woods, throwing rocks and poking things with sticks...but, that's another conversation for another time.
As I mentioned, the comedy is found in the jostling and shoving, trying to be the first one, leading the way, prancing and pawing, asserting one's dominance...running ahead, tiring out, but summoning just enough energy to stay with the guy who's trying to pass us by...(great lessons in human nature)
So for a few hours yesterday, I got to observe, first hand, this inherent desire to lead. Each boy, in his own way, trying to make his presence felt, trying to be a dominant figure on the trail, leading the charge through the wilderness.
Just trying to lead.
I think all of us, male or female, go through this developmental phase. We want to be seen as someone who is out in front, leading the charge. We want to shoulder the responsibility, to be trusted. We want to be valued enough to have followers, people who consider us worthy of following.
My own son, verbalized his desire to lead simply in asking me, "hey dad, can I be the leader?" So, he lead.
Then, after he had been leading for a while, a most extraordinary thing occurred, he turns to me and asks, "am I doing a good job leading?"
My response, was something "wise and fatherly", like, "oh yeah, buddy, you're doing a great job". I wasn't aware until later, as I thought about it, how important that small exchange was for him.
Not only to be seen as the leader, but to be affirmed in his position and performance.
I think all of us cry out for that at our core. We want so badly to be seen as a leader, we want to be affirmed in that role and we want to know we are doing a good job.
The problem is, as John Eldrege says in his book Wild at Heart, we have been wounded somewhere along the path of life.
So instead of being built up in our capacity to lead, while trying to make our way to the front of the line, our confidence was shattered, our spirit crushed, in a manner, that for some, still bears repercussions in our lives. And so we allow another to step in front and we follow in silence and brokenness.
I won't take the time in this format, to unravel the intricacies of this conversation, but instead, make an attempt to hone in on this one detail.
- Each of us is called to lead in some capacity.
Whether at home, in our workplace, in our school, we all have been given a mandate by God himself, to show others the right way to go.
We cannot wait to lead until we have acquired followers or what we feel are an adequate number of followers, we cannot wait to lead until someone asks, we must endeavor to lead, even if it seems no one is following.
Because, even if no one is following at the moment...people are watching, waiting to see if you seem to know where you are going. And if we follow Christ, there is no doubt, that the trail we're on is the right one...and every once in a while, we'll sense Him, cheering us on, giving us those "attaboys" that we need to hear.
So, as we allow Christ to set the pace and do our best to follow Him, not worrying about those who jostle and bump, trying to make their way to the front...
You just might be amazed to find, as you successfully navigate a hairpin turn in the trail, that there is a line of souls stretched out behind you as you make this journey we call life.
Lead on my friend, lead on!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
say what?
I was reading in Acts recently and was struck by a verse I've read a gazillion times.
In Acts chapter one, Jesus is talking with the disciples post-resurrection and telling them about the eminent arrival of the Holy Spirit.
Then out pops the question that we see asked multiple times throughout the 4 gospels:
"Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
I thought about the question and the mindset from whence it was birthed...those guys, the disciples, the people following Jesus around, were still waiting for him to don the political/military mantel of conquering hero and overthrow the Roman government. In spite of all they had witnessed Jesus do and say, they were still caught up in the circumstance surrounding their lives in first century Palestine...wishing Jesus would wave His magic wand and make it all go away.
This line of thinking provoked this thought in me:
Not much has changed in nearly 20 centuries since that conversation recorded in the first chapter of Acts occurred. We still have questions and concerns that have to do with everything that's going around us. We want to know when the change is going to come...when is God going to address our social ills, conquer injustice, end poverty, fix the economy, etc...?
And many today assert that we can "be the change"...
However, and I do not intend for this to be, in any way, a political commentary, perhaps the change that we desire to see occur externally, must initiate internally.
Maybe, the question we should be asking is;
"Lord, what do you want to change in me?"
Instead of running around pointing fingers and blaming God for the circumstance we find ourselves in and crying out to Him to change it, perhaps we ought to ask ourselves, what needs to happen in me in order for God to work in these other areas of my life?
The beauty of the Acts account is found in the verses following the question regarding the kingdom...(Acts 1:4-8) Jesus, in a sense, gently brushes the question about their political agenda away and in a sense says, in order to help the disciples get the point, don't worry about such things, cause here's what I'm going to do for you..."you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Essentially saying...Here you are worried about these little things going on around you...I want to empower you to change the world!
This, I believe is the rallying cry for us...We're so worried about the stuff going on in our lives and around our world, God wants to begin the process of fixing those things, by empowering us to change them from the inside out!
What is it, that needs to change in you in order for change to begin around you?
In Acts chapter one, Jesus is talking with the disciples post-resurrection and telling them about the eminent arrival of the Holy Spirit.
Then out pops the question that we see asked multiple times throughout the 4 gospels:
"Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
I thought about the question and the mindset from whence it was birthed...those guys, the disciples, the people following Jesus around, were still waiting for him to don the political/military mantel of conquering hero and overthrow the Roman government. In spite of all they had witnessed Jesus do and say, they were still caught up in the circumstance surrounding their lives in first century Palestine...wishing Jesus would wave His magic wand and make it all go away.
This line of thinking provoked this thought in me:
Not much has changed in nearly 20 centuries since that conversation recorded in the first chapter of Acts occurred. We still have questions and concerns that have to do with everything that's going around us. We want to know when the change is going to come...when is God going to address our social ills, conquer injustice, end poverty, fix the economy, etc...?
And many today assert that we can "be the change"...
However, and I do not intend for this to be, in any way, a political commentary, perhaps the change that we desire to see occur externally, must initiate internally.
Maybe, the question we should be asking is;
"Lord, what do you want to change in me?"
Instead of running around pointing fingers and blaming God for the circumstance we find ourselves in and crying out to Him to change it, perhaps we ought to ask ourselves, what needs to happen in me in order for God to work in these other areas of my life?
The beauty of the Acts account is found in the verses following the question regarding the kingdom...(Acts 1:4-8) Jesus, in a sense, gently brushes the question about their political agenda away and in a sense says, in order to help the disciples get the point, don't worry about such things, cause here's what I'm going to do for you..."you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Essentially saying...Here you are worried about these little things going on around you...I want to empower you to change the world!
This, I believe is the rallying cry for us...We're so worried about the stuff going on in our lives and around our world, God wants to begin the process of fixing those things, by empowering us to change them from the inside out!
What is it, that needs to change in you in order for change to begin around you?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
running man
It's so funny and infuriating, how susceptible we are to the folly our pride produces.
Even when we know what we're doing or about to do will end with disastrous results, we forge ahead like a charging rhino, lumbering in to the fray with a "devil may care", bravado.
I can't tell you how many times, I've shaken my head in attempt to rid it of the rubble of my stupidity, brought down by pride's subversive whisper...
As i look back through the annals of time i see more public figures and even nations who have been brought low by the alluring notes of pride's serenade.
Oh, that it were so easy to look forward by looking back...but then again, perhaps it is.
Our problem, is this issue of pride. Though we can learn from history, we choose to ignore it, believing that through our superior intellect, technology and ingenuity we can overcome the specter of blunders past.
So, lest I ramble further, I pose a couple of questions.
Why is it so difficult for us to lay aside our pride and admit when we are wrong or in need of wise counsel?
Why do we refuse to see that we are headed down a path that is well trodden and littered with the bones of those whose pride blinded them to the hazards that became their undoing?
Perhaps it's like the age old story of the man who refuses to stop and ask for driving directions even though he knows good and well he is hopelessly lost...
We constantly run from the appearance of need...
If I ask for help I am weak,
If I admit I'm wrong I am a fool.
I don't need anyone to help me...i am self-sufficient, i am master of my destiny.
Funny, for those who relish the perception of power and control, we frequently flounder in the shallows of insecurity, flailing away, yet never really making any headway or achieving much of value because we just can't seem to get out of our own way.
And there we stay, wallowing in the repetitious folly that is handcuffed to us by our pride.
Perhaps the race is best run while following someone who knows where they're going.
In the end, we might even discover the key that unlocks the fetters of our pride.
Even when we know what we're doing or about to do will end with disastrous results, we forge ahead like a charging rhino, lumbering in to the fray with a "devil may care", bravado.
I can't tell you how many times, I've shaken my head in attempt to rid it of the rubble of my stupidity, brought down by pride's subversive whisper...
As i look back through the annals of time i see more public figures and even nations who have been brought low by the alluring notes of pride's serenade.
Oh, that it were so easy to look forward by looking back...but then again, perhaps it is.
Our problem, is this issue of pride. Though we can learn from history, we choose to ignore it, believing that through our superior intellect, technology and ingenuity we can overcome the specter of blunders past.
So, lest I ramble further, I pose a couple of questions.
Why is it so difficult for us to lay aside our pride and admit when we are wrong or in need of wise counsel?
Why do we refuse to see that we are headed down a path that is well trodden and littered with the bones of those whose pride blinded them to the hazards that became their undoing?
Perhaps it's like the age old story of the man who refuses to stop and ask for driving directions even though he knows good and well he is hopelessly lost...
We constantly run from the appearance of need...
If I ask for help I am weak,
If I admit I'm wrong I am a fool.
I don't need anyone to help me...i am self-sufficient, i am master of my destiny.
Funny, for those who relish the perception of power and control, we frequently flounder in the shallows of insecurity, flailing away, yet never really making any headway or achieving much of value because we just can't seem to get out of our own way.
And there we stay, wallowing in the repetitious folly that is handcuffed to us by our pride.
Perhaps the race is best run while following someone who knows where they're going.
In the end, we might even discover the key that unlocks the fetters of our pride.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
feelings...
Feelings,
they are just that; feelings...not inherently good or bad, but how we choose to respond to them makes them one or the other. What we choose to do with them also reveals much about our character.
Our feelings, inextricably linked to our emotions, are the basis for some pretty bone head moves...at least in my life.
It's pretty crazy, that in one instance, we can make a decision based on a feeling that can potentially change our lives forever.
The beauty of this discussion is in that, when we look at God and his actions, it's pretty apparent that;
God does things based on who He is, not on how He feels.
It's his character that motivates his decision making not how he happens to feel at a particular moment...and since He is perfect in all His ways, what He does is perfect.
You may not agree with that statement, but here's what I want you to grab hold of as you read this post...
What if we could learn to do things based on who He is, not on how we feel?
What would our lives be like if we could measure every decision based on the person and character of God instead of knee-jerk reactions to external stimuli...?
I know, I know, imperfect people will always make imperfect decisions says the fatalistic among us, but what if...what if we could learn to live, essentially immersed in the person and character of God?
What if we actually let the power of God transform our flawed character...? Of course we will never reach perfection on this side of Heaven, but man! Can you grasp that?
His character, his essence, becoming so influential in our lives that we adopt an entirely counter intuitive approach to life. So that we, like the apostle Paul can say: "...whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ..."
Jesus...to know Him, to be like Him...to take this thing we call faith and actually live it out, purposefully, intentionally, consistently...wow!
I think I just blew my mind!
they are just that; feelings...not inherently good or bad, but how we choose to respond to them makes them one or the other. What we choose to do with them also reveals much about our character.
Our feelings, inextricably linked to our emotions, are the basis for some pretty bone head moves...at least in my life.
It's pretty crazy, that in one instance, we can make a decision based on a feeling that can potentially change our lives forever.
The beauty of this discussion is in that, when we look at God and his actions, it's pretty apparent that;
God does things based on who He is, not on how He feels.
It's his character that motivates his decision making not how he happens to feel at a particular moment...and since He is perfect in all His ways, what He does is perfect.
You may not agree with that statement, but here's what I want you to grab hold of as you read this post...
What if we could learn to do things based on who He is, not on how we feel?
What would our lives be like if we could measure every decision based on the person and character of God instead of knee-jerk reactions to external stimuli...?
I know, I know, imperfect people will always make imperfect decisions says the fatalistic among us, but what if...what if we could learn to live, essentially immersed in the person and character of God?
What if we actually let the power of God transform our flawed character...? Of course we will never reach perfection on this side of Heaven, but man! Can you grasp that?
His character, his essence, becoming so influential in our lives that we adopt an entirely counter intuitive approach to life. So that we, like the apostle Paul can say: "...whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ..."
Jesus...to know Him, to be like Him...to take this thing we call faith and actually live it out, purposefully, intentionally, consistently...wow!
I think I just blew my mind!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Sensory Recall
It has always boggled my mind at how memories are attached to smells...
our brain, that amazing lump of mush, nestled safe behind the bulk of our skull, sends out these little electronic impulses whenever a particular smell happens to waft through the air in our general vicinity, recalling joys and pains of days gone by.
Today it is the smell of plywood burning as a saw cuts through its length and breadth.
I love that smell. It reminds me of spending time with my grandfather...
If you know me, you know that my grandfather is one of the most important and influential people in my life.
That smell of burning plywood and the whine of a circular saw, reminds me of countless hours spent working on some little project in his wood shop or garage.
I love those times with him. Not only do I love them for the things we created and the time we spent, but for the knowledge and wisdom I gained from just being around him.
One such nugget of wisdom mined out of conversation with my grandfather is to always make sure that my energy and activity finds its source in my relationship with Jesus.
For instance, when fall rolls around, it brings a sense of security, with its predictable routine and schedule of activity.
Danger also lurks there in that daily routine. In our going and coming and doing, we are lured into this false sense of security, that with well scheduled and predictable routine comes order. The opposite is almost inevitably true. Because deep beneath the surface of our serene exterior lies a maelstrom of conflict and chaos.
You see, we often mistake our busyness for growth and productivity when it comes to our relationship with Christ. When in reality, we allow the activity to replace the relationship, and we find ourselves in this spiritual wasteland, starving for the very thing we think we are achieving through work or effort.
Relationship never flows out of activity that occurs purely for activities sake.
Our activity has to flow out of our relationship with Christ. It is there that we find our rhythm and rhyme. Without Him, we are like a leaf tossed on the wind of circumstance, going wherever the storms of life blow us, purposeless and angry. Because no matter how much we achieve, or think we achieve, it is empty and meaningless unless God is the originator.
So grab yourself a hand saw or some beefy cutting tool and go to work on the plywood of your life and allow Christ to burn some meaningful memories into your soul as he guides your hands through the busyness of the day.
our brain, that amazing lump of mush, nestled safe behind the bulk of our skull, sends out these little electronic impulses whenever a particular smell happens to waft through the air in our general vicinity, recalling joys and pains of days gone by.
Today it is the smell of plywood burning as a saw cuts through its length and breadth.
I love that smell. It reminds me of spending time with my grandfather...
If you know me, you know that my grandfather is one of the most important and influential people in my life.
That smell of burning plywood and the whine of a circular saw, reminds me of countless hours spent working on some little project in his wood shop or garage.
I love those times with him. Not only do I love them for the things we created and the time we spent, but for the knowledge and wisdom I gained from just being around him.
One such nugget of wisdom mined out of conversation with my grandfather is to always make sure that my energy and activity finds its source in my relationship with Jesus.
For instance, when fall rolls around, it brings a sense of security, with its predictable routine and schedule of activity.
Danger also lurks there in that daily routine. In our going and coming and doing, we are lured into this false sense of security, that with well scheduled and predictable routine comes order. The opposite is almost inevitably true. Because deep beneath the surface of our serene exterior lies a maelstrom of conflict and chaos.
You see, we often mistake our busyness for growth and productivity when it comes to our relationship with Christ. When in reality, we allow the activity to replace the relationship, and we find ourselves in this spiritual wasteland, starving for the very thing we think we are achieving through work or effort.
Relationship never flows out of activity that occurs purely for activities sake.
Our activity has to flow out of our relationship with Christ. It is there that we find our rhythm and rhyme. Without Him, we are like a leaf tossed on the wind of circumstance, going wherever the storms of life blow us, purposeless and angry. Because no matter how much we achieve, or think we achieve, it is empty and meaningless unless God is the originator.
So grab yourself a hand saw or some beefy cutting tool and go to work on the plywood of your life and allow Christ to burn some meaningful memories into your soul as he guides your hands through the busyness of the day.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Have a Coke and a smile...
One of my favorite childhood memories is of summertime and a 16oz bottle of ice cold Coca-Cola. My friends and I would be out riding our bicycles in the heat of the day and come roaring up to the house and my mom would call out..."Anyone want a Coke?" We'd very nearly tear the screen door off it's hinges just to be the first one to grab the bottle opener!
Then we'd purse our lips up to those frosty cold goblets of delicious brown elixir and instantly be transported into another world...You know, the one where those green tinted hourglass shaped bottles had the ability to transform a rag tag band of down and outters into a harmoniously unified group of happy smiling people, singing, "I'd like to teach the world to sing...in perfect harmony..." and Coke did all of that. Amazing! Well, that's not exactly what it did for us, but it sure did (does) taste good on a hot summer's day.
Recalling memories like that is fun. And I think, in some cases, provides some much needed perspective on the world in which we live. Actually, what the simplicity of childhood memories can do is give us clarity in a world full of mass confusion.
We have taken, what used to be crystal clear; things like our dreams and plans, our motives and our ideals, and allowed the world around us to convolute and confuse those things that used to be crystal clear to the point that we're not even sure if we believe what we think we believe anymore.
The answer to that conundrum is more easily deduced than we dare believe...nay, you might even call it simplistic, however, it works.
Clarity, that most desired of commodities, is found when we focus on the end instead of the unknown.
The beauty of that perspective lies in the memory of things we know, (or once knew), to be true. Like the frosty cool delight of a carbonated beverage...the reality that God is madly in love with us and wants to know us, though often drowned in the litany of details in our day, nonetheless, remains true.
We must hold on to those foundational realities that too often get swept away by things like popular opinion because we cannot or will not sift through the minutia that grinds against the truth until it becomes unrecognizable to us. We must hold on to those foundational realities, those things that God has said He is or will do, because it is in those things that we can find clarity in the midst of confusion.
One of my favorite passages of scripture,which i posted as a status update a few days ago says:
"We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be cancelled."
"We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in to a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long until the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as He knows us! But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love." (I Cor. 13:9,10, 12,13)
And that my friends is the end that gives us clarity, even when much is unknown.
I think I'll go grab myself a Coke.
Then we'd purse our lips up to those frosty cold goblets of delicious brown elixir and instantly be transported into another world...You know, the one where those green tinted hourglass shaped bottles had the ability to transform a rag tag band of down and outters into a harmoniously unified group of happy smiling people, singing, "I'd like to teach the world to sing...in perfect harmony..." and Coke did all of that. Amazing! Well, that's not exactly what it did for us, but it sure did (does) taste good on a hot summer's day.
Recalling memories like that is fun. And I think, in some cases, provides some much needed perspective on the world in which we live. Actually, what the simplicity of childhood memories can do is give us clarity in a world full of mass confusion.
We have taken, what used to be crystal clear; things like our dreams and plans, our motives and our ideals, and allowed the world around us to convolute and confuse those things that used to be crystal clear to the point that we're not even sure if we believe what we think we believe anymore.
The answer to that conundrum is more easily deduced than we dare believe...nay, you might even call it simplistic, however, it works.
Clarity, that most desired of commodities, is found when we focus on the end instead of the unknown.
The beauty of that perspective lies in the memory of things we know, (or once knew), to be true. Like the frosty cool delight of a carbonated beverage...the reality that God is madly in love with us and wants to know us, though often drowned in the litany of details in our day, nonetheless, remains true.
We must hold on to those foundational realities that too often get swept away by things like popular opinion because we cannot or will not sift through the minutia that grinds against the truth until it becomes unrecognizable to us. We must hold on to those foundational realities, those things that God has said He is or will do, because it is in those things that we can find clarity in the midst of confusion.
One of my favorite passages of scripture,which i posted as a status update a few days ago says:
"We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be cancelled."
"We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in to a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long until the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as He knows us! But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love." (I Cor. 13:9,10, 12,13)
And that my friends is the end that gives us clarity, even when much is unknown.
I think I'll go grab myself a Coke.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
"I say yes...you say no..."
Forgive me father, it has been two weeks since my last blog...
I really need to put this in my weekly plan (Ryan) so that i mark out the time to just do this. Otherwise, it goes by the wayside as the "urgency" of so many other things crowd out the blog.
So, last night at the Wednesday Night SHIFT_ I did something that is pretty uncharacteristic of me...
For you who know me, I'm pretty laid back and don't typically have a confrontational tone to my communication/teaching.
However, and maybe this is because I'm getting old and cranky, I firmly planted my foot in the sit down part of our student body last night...
I was talking about the love of God, (yes, I know, the irony is comical) and what our response to his love is to be.
For those of you who read this who were there, this will be a bit of a re-run, but none the less, for context sake, I press on.
For many of us, our problem when it comes to responding to God's love is; we put Him on this sliding scale of relationship worthiness...similar to what we'd use for any other potential suitor.
Example: when we're "falling" for someone we base much of our opinion or impression of them on what we see...are they visually appealing? etc...
With God, it's like dating in the dark..."he's a good kisser and all, but when the lights came on, it's like, on wow, um, he's not like the people I usually date..."
We can't see God and so when we are, pardon the term, groping around trying to determine what he's like and keep getting bad advice from other people who've never seen Him and base their opinions solely on hearsay instead of firsthand experience...
We don't like what we think we can "see" and typically avoid any further interaction.
Or we base our opinion on how He makes us feel or what He can do for us...
And when we use this flawed system of evaluation on God, 9 times out of 10, he's not even going to register.
You see, here's something we usually don't figure out until we've made a series of poor relationship decisions or until we're older and bear the scars of time; you fall in love with a person based on who they are, not: How they look, What they can do for you, or How they make you feel.
Because, looks don't last...I should know, I used to be smokin' hot!
Stuff (possessions) loses its luster and appeal,
Feelings are a false indicator; feelings are just feelings...
When it comes to love, it's all about choice.
We choose to love, not; "Oh today I feel like it, so I guess I'm in love...but tomorrow I might not be..."
Every single day we must choose to love, if we don't, on those days we don't feel like it, we probably will walk away, disillusioned, confused, angry and bitter.
And then turn around and jump right back into a relationship based on the same criteria...my what an intelligent bunch we are...
So, how does this all shake out with God? We have to take this infinite, all powerful being off the sliding scale of relationship worthiness and chose to love Him, in the same way that we must choose to love one another, every waking moment of every day.
And like in any other relationship, another primary factor to falling deeply in love is, TIME.
See, we can become infatuated with God, much like we do with people...We like the way He makes us feel, He does stuff for us, but when the feelings fade and the stuff He does isn't as obvious or it becomes, just not enough, we quickly fall out of "love" with Him.
...and this is where the foot gets firmly lodged...We've gotta stop farting around and commit ourselves to knowing God.
Not knowing of Him, or about Him, but in our brains, hearts and soul, spending the time, making the commitment to know Him! The Bible tells us, from cover to cover, that the only worthwhile pursuit in life is to know God.
"...but Pastor Troy, this sounds a lot harder than simply loving Him..."
Is it? When you're truly in love, you commit everything to being with the person, to knowing them...
In fact many of you know exactly what it's like to be in love...because,
you commit all your time to your: sport, music, theater, homework, vanity, so-called relationship, recreation, entertainment...
You love the world around you, but you're avoiding the one who loves you most.
God desperately loves you! And He's shown it, over and over again...all He asks in return is for your love and devotion.
The only question you have to ask yourself is, are you willing to choose invest the time, in spite of what you don't know about Him?
It's a yes or no answer.
I really need to put this in my weekly plan (Ryan) so that i mark out the time to just do this. Otherwise, it goes by the wayside as the "urgency" of so many other things crowd out the blog.
So, last night at the Wednesday Night SHIFT_ I did something that is pretty uncharacteristic of me...
For you who know me, I'm pretty laid back and don't typically have a confrontational tone to my communication/teaching.
However, and maybe this is because I'm getting old and cranky, I firmly planted my foot in the sit down part of our student body last night...
I was talking about the love of God, (yes, I know, the irony is comical) and what our response to his love is to be.
For those of you who read this who were there, this will be a bit of a re-run, but none the less, for context sake, I press on.
For many of us, our problem when it comes to responding to God's love is; we put Him on this sliding scale of relationship worthiness...similar to what we'd use for any other potential suitor.
Example: when we're "falling" for someone we base much of our opinion or impression of them on what we see...are they visually appealing? etc...
With God, it's like dating in the dark..."he's a good kisser and all, but when the lights came on, it's like, on wow, um, he's not like the people I usually date..."
We can't see God and so when we are, pardon the term, groping around trying to determine what he's like and keep getting bad advice from other people who've never seen Him and base their opinions solely on hearsay instead of firsthand experience...
We don't like what we think we can "see" and typically avoid any further interaction.
Or we base our opinion on how He makes us feel or what He can do for us...
And when we use this flawed system of evaluation on God, 9 times out of 10, he's not even going to register.
You see, here's something we usually don't figure out until we've made a series of poor relationship decisions or until we're older and bear the scars of time; you fall in love with a person based on who they are, not: How they look, What they can do for you, or How they make you feel.
Because, looks don't last...I should know, I used to be smokin' hot!
Stuff (possessions) loses its luster and appeal,
Feelings are a false indicator; feelings are just feelings...
When it comes to love, it's all about choice.
We choose to love, not; "Oh today I feel like it, so I guess I'm in love...but tomorrow I might not be..."
Every single day we must choose to love, if we don't, on those days we don't feel like it, we probably will walk away, disillusioned, confused, angry and bitter.
And then turn around and jump right back into a relationship based on the same criteria...my what an intelligent bunch we are...
So, how does this all shake out with God? We have to take this infinite, all powerful being off the sliding scale of relationship worthiness and chose to love Him, in the same way that we must choose to love one another, every waking moment of every day.
And like in any other relationship, another primary factor to falling deeply in love is, TIME.
See, we can become infatuated with God, much like we do with people...We like the way He makes us feel, He does stuff for us, but when the feelings fade and the stuff He does isn't as obvious or it becomes, just not enough, we quickly fall out of "love" with Him.
...and this is where the foot gets firmly lodged...We've gotta stop farting around and commit ourselves to knowing God.
Not knowing of Him, or about Him, but in our brains, hearts and soul, spending the time, making the commitment to know Him! The Bible tells us, from cover to cover, that the only worthwhile pursuit in life is to know God.
"...but Pastor Troy, this sounds a lot harder than simply loving Him..."
Is it? When you're truly in love, you commit everything to being with the person, to knowing them...
In fact many of you know exactly what it's like to be in love...because,
you commit all your time to your: sport, music, theater, homework, vanity, so-called relationship, recreation, entertainment...
You love the world around you, but you're avoiding the one who loves you most.
God desperately loves you! And He's shown it, over and over again...all He asks in return is for your love and devotion.
The only question you have to ask yourself is, are you willing to choose invest the time, in spite of what you don't know about Him?
It's a yes or no answer.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Kingdom Mindset part 2
This is a continuation of the thoughts from my last blog post...
I just can't get over the images conjured up by my own children.
Life really is meant to be done together.
In order for us to do this Kingdom of God stuff effectively, it must be more about others and less about us. Jesus said, "the son of man did not come in to this world to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many."
Giving sacrificially of ourselves for the sake of others ultimately benefits all. The problem is, even in church, we have become so self absorbed that others really don't even come in to focus. It's like we have blinders on and all of our actions, our conversations, eventually come back to us as the central figure.
How can life be done together if we won't let any one else come in to view?
This brings up the primary thought for this post:
We must become committed to building the success of others more than we are to building our own...
The longer I do this thing called ministry, the more I see how easy it can be to become enamored with the things one can do and be.
However, I think this is true in any vocation, not just ministry.
We can become impressed with ourselves. So much so that we will guard that image of success or our achievements with an almost paranoid intensity.
I think this occurs because our sense of worth becomes attached to those things we have accomplished or can accomplish.
We must begin to get over ourselves and look to the development (raising up) of others. Especially as adults, it is incumbent upon us to invest in the young people around us.
If you attend a church and you're just a casual observer, you love Jesus, but you don't feel "led" to get involved in a particular ministry...get off your lazy butt right now and put your comfort in the trash and begin, maybe once each month to start, volunteering in some capacity that allows you to speak into the lives of children, youth or young adults.
The longer you live, the more you have to give.
Your life experiences and wisdom have not occurred or been obtained for you to wear as some cheap badge of honor, that no one will remember when you're gone.
You've been given those experiences or had those privileges in order to allow someone to learn from your life.
"My own children are my mission field"...great, now what about those kids whose parents are not in the picture or who do not presently have the capacity to provide a positive role model for their children to follow?
What about them, huh?
Sorry, got a little fired up over that one...
We must become committed to building the success of others more than we are to building our own...
Ask yourself these questions:
Am I o.k. with some one else being better at something than I am?
Can I teach some one who will ultimately become better than I am at a particular skill or activity?
If the answer to either of those is no...reality check time.
The students who are presently in our ministry at Bethel Church, are so much smarter than I am...their brilliance astounds me.
The only things that separate us intellectually are wisdom and life experience...once they figure that out, I'm toast, but here's the point.
Some where along the line...(my mama used this one on me years ago), there will always be somebody who is better than you.
If you have the opportunity, why not be the one that shows them how?
The Kingdom of God is built by such sacrifice.
It is destroyed by insecurity, selfishness and the like...
Would you rather be known as a builder or a destroyer?
Whether you look at this through the lens of the church or through the lens of your vocational environment, see above questions...
Christ is shown through your life in many ways, one such way is your willingness to serve rather than be served.
Think about it.
I just can't get over the images conjured up by my own children.
Life really is meant to be done together.
In order for us to do this Kingdom of God stuff effectively, it must be more about others and less about us. Jesus said, "the son of man did not come in to this world to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many."
Giving sacrificially of ourselves for the sake of others ultimately benefits all. The problem is, even in church, we have become so self absorbed that others really don't even come in to focus. It's like we have blinders on and all of our actions, our conversations, eventually come back to us as the central figure.
How can life be done together if we won't let any one else come in to view?
This brings up the primary thought for this post:
We must become committed to building the success of others more than we are to building our own...
The longer I do this thing called ministry, the more I see how easy it can be to become enamored with the things one can do and be.
However, I think this is true in any vocation, not just ministry.
We can become impressed with ourselves. So much so that we will guard that image of success or our achievements with an almost paranoid intensity.
I think this occurs because our sense of worth becomes attached to those things we have accomplished or can accomplish.
We must begin to get over ourselves and look to the development (raising up) of others. Especially as adults, it is incumbent upon us to invest in the young people around us.
If you attend a church and you're just a casual observer, you love Jesus, but you don't feel "led" to get involved in a particular ministry...get off your lazy butt right now and put your comfort in the trash and begin, maybe once each month to start, volunteering in some capacity that allows you to speak into the lives of children, youth or young adults.
The longer you live, the more you have to give.
Your life experiences and wisdom have not occurred or been obtained for you to wear as some cheap badge of honor, that no one will remember when you're gone.
You've been given those experiences or had those privileges in order to allow someone to learn from your life.
"My own children are my mission field"...great, now what about those kids whose parents are not in the picture or who do not presently have the capacity to provide a positive role model for their children to follow?
What about them, huh?
Sorry, got a little fired up over that one...
We must become committed to building the success of others more than we are to building our own...
Ask yourself these questions:
Am I o.k. with some one else being better at something than I am?
Can I teach some one who will ultimately become better than I am at a particular skill or activity?
If the answer to either of those is no...reality check time.
The students who are presently in our ministry at Bethel Church, are so much smarter than I am...their brilliance astounds me.
The only things that separate us intellectually are wisdom and life experience...once they figure that out, I'm toast, but here's the point.
Some where along the line...(my mama used this one on me years ago), there will always be somebody who is better than you.
If you have the opportunity, why not be the one that shows them how?
The Kingdom of God is built by such sacrifice.
It is destroyed by insecurity, selfishness and the like...
Would you rather be known as a builder or a destroyer?
Whether you look at this through the lens of the church or through the lens of your vocational environment, see above questions...
Christ is shown through your life in many ways, one such way is your willingness to serve rather than be served.
Think about it.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Kingdom mindset
I love my children.
In fact, my family really is the joy of Jesus in my life. At times they stoke the fires of hell...but more often than not they are joy personified.
example: our youngest son Spencer has this thing that he's been doing for the last 18 months or so, where he's constructed a miniature church in our home.
He's got it set up on one of the end tables in our living room...worship team with instruments, the platform set, the whole nine yards, and he does two weekly services.
It is aptly named, Table Church.
Now when I say he does two weekly services, I mean he does two full blown services each week, with worship, teaching, announcements, the whole deal...for like, 45 minutes to an hour each time.
So, by now you've formed one of two opinions; a. the kid needs to get out more, or, b. "awww, isn't that cute, he wants to be like his dad..."
It would be cute and all, except he's deadly serious about it...which in my mind makes it pretty dang cool.
But, that's not all. The other day our oldest son Jacob says, "hey Spencer, can i start a table church of my own too?" And Spencer says, "yeah sure, I'll help you set it up." Wait, wait, it gets better. Spencer says, "I'll leave my church and come help you set it up." So, he leaves his church in the capable hands of his little sister and goes to help his older brother plant a church.
It was amazing to see this unfold...
Kathy and I were blown away, that, totally unaware of the implications of their actions, our sons had just shown a beautiful example of Kingdom mindset church planting in our own living room. There was no ego involved, no quibbling over finances or facilities, no lobbying for personnel or territory wars.
There was a desire expressed and they went and made it happen.
Humbly, sacrificially, beautifully.
I was and still am in awe of the whole scene...especially as they started to construct the thing together and then proceeded to lead the service, together, sharing every responsibility, no posturing, no power struggles, just cooperation and community. Together.
You might think I've taken this simple child's game and extrapolated the thought beyond a reasonable limit, but let me remind you of what Jesus told his disciples, "...unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 18:3)
Now, I do not even pretend to stand in judgment, I only hope to remind you and me, that we shouldn't hold to tightly to our models of success or think that we are doing ministry in a vacuum and no one cares about us or can help us...
What we really need to do is open our eyes to the beauty and simplicity of helping one another fulfill our God given dreams and visions. Together.
Kingdom of God kind of stuff...not kingdom of me.
I've learned a lot from my kids...I think we all might stand to benefit from their example, if we can get over our "big person" mindset and think about it.
...just a thought.
In fact, my family really is the joy of Jesus in my life. At times they stoke the fires of hell...but more often than not they are joy personified.
example: our youngest son Spencer has this thing that he's been doing for the last 18 months or so, where he's constructed a miniature church in our home.
He's got it set up on one of the end tables in our living room...worship team with instruments, the platform set, the whole nine yards, and he does two weekly services.
It is aptly named, Table Church.
Now when I say he does two weekly services, I mean he does two full blown services each week, with worship, teaching, announcements, the whole deal...for like, 45 minutes to an hour each time.
So, by now you've formed one of two opinions; a. the kid needs to get out more, or, b. "awww, isn't that cute, he wants to be like his dad..."
It would be cute and all, except he's deadly serious about it...which in my mind makes it pretty dang cool.
But, that's not all. The other day our oldest son Jacob says, "hey Spencer, can i start a table church of my own too?" And Spencer says, "yeah sure, I'll help you set it up." Wait, wait, it gets better. Spencer says, "I'll leave my church and come help you set it up." So, he leaves his church in the capable hands of his little sister and goes to help his older brother plant a church.
It was amazing to see this unfold...
Kathy and I were blown away, that, totally unaware of the implications of their actions, our sons had just shown a beautiful example of Kingdom mindset church planting in our own living room. There was no ego involved, no quibbling over finances or facilities, no lobbying for personnel or territory wars.
There was a desire expressed and they went and made it happen.
Humbly, sacrificially, beautifully.
I was and still am in awe of the whole scene...especially as they started to construct the thing together and then proceeded to lead the service, together, sharing every responsibility, no posturing, no power struggles, just cooperation and community. Together.
You might think I've taken this simple child's game and extrapolated the thought beyond a reasonable limit, but let me remind you of what Jesus told his disciples, "...unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 18:3)
Now, I do not even pretend to stand in judgment, I only hope to remind you and me, that we shouldn't hold to tightly to our models of success or think that we are doing ministry in a vacuum and no one cares about us or can help us...
What we really need to do is open our eyes to the beauty and simplicity of helping one another fulfill our God given dreams and visions. Together.
Kingdom of God kind of stuff...not kingdom of me.
I've learned a lot from my kids...I think we all might stand to benefit from their example, if we can get over our "big person" mindset and think about it.
...just a thought.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Life and Love and Why...
Trust is a funny word.
It has many implications.
I trust God.
I trust my Wife.
I have trust in my friends and family.
I trust that the mode of transportation I choose will get me safely to my destination...
(I also trust in the men and women who operate those various modes...)
I trust in the electric company to keep the lights on.
I trust that my body will continue to function "normally".
I trust that the food I eat will not make me sick.
I trust in strangers, on whom I rely, to do their jobs.
and so on, and so on...
By definition trust is: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. Or, the confident expectation of something; hope.
I give trust without much thought in many instances,
yet I am reticent to give trust when it comes to things that I feel the need to control.
I find it easier to trust God for help in the major, crisis-like things, yet in the day to day stuff...I give little thought to the level of trust I give Him...because much of what I achieve appears to come from my hand.
Trust is easy as a philosophical consideration, but much more difficult to make a day to day practical application.
Trust: It is something that we often take for granted, never really thinking about it. (unless it comes to money...)
If we dwell on it, I think trust frightens some of us.
But I need to ask, do you need more of it in your life?
If yes, where or in whom will you place your trust?
It has many implications.
I trust God.
I trust my Wife.
I have trust in my friends and family.
I trust that the mode of transportation I choose will get me safely to my destination...
(I also trust in the men and women who operate those various modes...)
I trust in the electric company to keep the lights on.
I trust that my body will continue to function "normally".
I trust that the food I eat will not make me sick.
I trust in strangers, on whom I rely, to do their jobs.
and so on, and so on...
By definition trust is: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. Or, the confident expectation of something; hope.
I give trust without much thought in many instances,
yet I am reticent to give trust when it comes to things that I feel the need to control.
I find it easier to trust God for help in the major, crisis-like things, yet in the day to day stuff...I give little thought to the level of trust I give Him...because much of what I achieve appears to come from my hand.
Trust is easy as a philosophical consideration, but much more difficult to make a day to day practical application.
Trust: It is something that we often take for granted, never really thinking about it. (unless it comes to money...)
If we dwell on it, I think trust frightens some of us.
But I need to ask, do you need more of it in your life?
If yes, where or in whom will you place your trust?
Monday, July 27, 2009
I LOVE MY JOB!
Over the past couple of weeks I've had the opportunity to enjoy some great times with our students at Bethel Church. And I've come to the conclusion...again...that we have some amazing teenagers who are a part of our student ministry.
For those of you who know me, I'm not an overly excitable person.
I'm pretty low-key and relaxed. However, there are a few things that bring the emotion out in me and one of those things is seeing students grow and transform as their relationship with God progresses and matures.
I've had the privilege of serving in youth ministry for the past 18 years, (and counting...), and over that period of time, Kathy and I have had the honor of serving with some incredible people.
The common thread, that weaves those of us who love youth ministry together, is that passion for students...to see them really get it! To see them grab on to God and really learn what it means to follow Him is what motivates and excites us.
I think that's why I've grabbed on to Rick Warren's words from the Catalyst conference in April...
"...we have to be about helping people move from a come and see approach to church, to a come and die devotion to Jesus Christ."
That's what our lives are to be about...transformation, and that's what has become my mission and passion, now more than ever, seeing students move from a state of ambivalence toward God to a place of complete and utter surrender to Jesus Christ.
So, through all the challenges and triumphs over the years, all of the flat tires and broken down church vans, the near death experiences in church vans, the horrible camp food, did I mention the awful camp food? teaching middle schoolers about "metric-time" in Canada, miles and miles of amusement park pavement and roller coaster track, Lost luggage on missions trips, encounters with scary street people, 7 foot tall transvestites and crazy Rastafarians, broken limbs and busted out teeth of skaters, irate parents, teaching people the wonder and elation of surfing, fainting episodes at Creation festival due to dehydration, countless relationship dramas, the histrionics of middle school girls, over-flowing toilets, puke fests and bathroom breaks along the road, doing "the Mexican two step" because we couldn't resist the road side taco stand, near drowning experiences on the Deschutes, the miraculous healings, Holy Spirit baptisms, radical transformations of drug dealing teenagers, party people learning to "party" with Jesus, athletes seeing there's more to life than what they can achieve on the field of play, bookworms coming out of their shells and discovering their gifts and purpose, kids really getting it and getting fired up enough to reach their entire campus for Christ, students grasping a mentality of service instead of consumption and discovering what it really means to love one another...man, I LOVE MY JOB!
And I'm looking forward to the start of the school year, where we can really ramp up the call, to move students from a come and see approach to church, to a come and die devotion to Jesus Christ!
For those of you who know me, I'm not an overly excitable person.
I'm pretty low-key and relaxed. However, there are a few things that bring the emotion out in me and one of those things is seeing students grow and transform as their relationship with God progresses and matures.
I've had the privilege of serving in youth ministry for the past 18 years, (and counting...), and over that period of time, Kathy and I have had the honor of serving with some incredible people.
The common thread, that weaves those of us who love youth ministry together, is that passion for students...to see them really get it! To see them grab on to God and really learn what it means to follow Him is what motivates and excites us.
I think that's why I've grabbed on to Rick Warren's words from the Catalyst conference in April...
"...we have to be about helping people move from a come and see approach to church, to a come and die devotion to Jesus Christ."
That's what our lives are to be about...transformation, and that's what has become my mission and passion, now more than ever, seeing students move from a state of ambivalence toward God to a place of complete and utter surrender to Jesus Christ.
So, through all the challenges and triumphs over the years, all of the flat tires and broken down church vans, the near death experiences in church vans, the horrible camp food, did I mention the awful camp food? teaching middle schoolers about "metric-time" in Canada, miles and miles of amusement park pavement and roller coaster track, Lost luggage on missions trips, encounters with scary street people, 7 foot tall transvestites and crazy Rastafarians, broken limbs and busted out teeth of skaters, irate parents, teaching people the wonder and elation of surfing, fainting episodes at Creation festival due to dehydration, countless relationship dramas, the histrionics of middle school girls, over-flowing toilets, puke fests and bathroom breaks along the road, doing "the Mexican two step" because we couldn't resist the road side taco stand, near drowning experiences on the Deschutes, the miraculous healings, Holy Spirit baptisms, radical transformations of drug dealing teenagers, party people learning to "party" with Jesus, athletes seeing there's more to life than what they can achieve on the field of play, bookworms coming out of their shells and discovering their gifts and purpose, kids really getting it and getting fired up enough to reach their entire campus for Christ, students grasping a mentality of service instead of consumption and discovering what it really means to love one another...man, I LOVE MY JOB!
And I'm looking forward to the start of the school year, where we can really ramp up the call, to move students from a come and see approach to church, to a come and die devotion to Jesus Christ!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Stupid Genius...
One of my favorite Saturday morning cartoons when i was a kid was the Bugs Bunny/Looney Toons Show. All those great characters, Bugs, Daffy, Elmer Fudd...classic! As i watch those Cartoons now, I realize how adult oriented they were with the political satire that was woven into the story lines and dialogue...anyway, I'm not writing to analyze the hidden political messages sent to generations through the brilliant script development of the Warner Bros. team.
However, i do want to write about one of the central characters of the later years of Looney Toondom. This is a character from whom we can learn many lessons about life, leadership and yes, even God.
This sage in a fur coat is none other than that anti-hero, Wile E. Coyote.
Wile E. was famous, or maybe infamous for chasing after the Road Runner and trying to make a meal out of that scrawny little bird. He used some far-out methods of trying to match the speed of the Road Runner in an attempt to snatch him...When that failed, Wile E. would create these intricate contraptions that were designed to capture the Road Runner, but when initiated, they always ended up catching, smashing, blowing Wile E. up, or dropping him off a cliff.
One of the things that I've learned from my observations of that self proclaimed "super-genius", Wile E., is that he was great with inspiration, but lousy with implementation.
The similarities between the coyote and me are frightening...so much so, that, in my ministry I've dreamed up these grand and glorious plans only to have them, like Wile E. Coyote, stall or even fail to launch because my inspiration never made it's way to the implementation phase.
My failure wasn't in that my ideas were necessarily bad, but in that I wasn't completely familiar with the intricacies of my personality or my gifts and consequently couldn't get the plan off the ground.
(it's actually pretty humbling to realize your personality can be summed up by a cartoon character...)
The upside is that, I now know I have to surround myself with people who are systems oriented. I need people who can take an idea and develop a strategy or a plan for executing the picture that I have in my head.
Because, I can come up with ideas and visions all day long, but if the implementation of those ideas is left solely up to me...it's going eventually blow up in my face.
The cool thing is that God has designed each of us to fill specific roles in life. When we discover how we are wired and learn how to function in our gifts and grow in our ability to mesh with others who are gifted in different ways, it is amazing to see what God does through us.
I hope you are learning some of these life lessons early on and that your journey of self-discovery begins with searching out God's design for you and not something you found in the "Acme Co." catalog.
However, i do want to write about one of the central characters of the later years of Looney Toondom. This is a character from whom we can learn many lessons about life, leadership and yes, even God.
This sage in a fur coat is none other than that anti-hero, Wile E. Coyote.
Wile E. was famous, or maybe infamous for chasing after the Road Runner and trying to make a meal out of that scrawny little bird. He used some far-out methods of trying to match the speed of the Road Runner in an attempt to snatch him...When that failed, Wile E. would create these intricate contraptions that were designed to capture the Road Runner, but when initiated, they always ended up catching, smashing, blowing Wile E. up, or dropping him off a cliff.
One of the things that I've learned from my observations of that self proclaimed "super-genius", Wile E., is that he was great with inspiration, but lousy with implementation.
The similarities between the coyote and me are frightening...so much so, that, in my ministry I've dreamed up these grand and glorious plans only to have them, like Wile E. Coyote, stall or even fail to launch because my inspiration never made it's way to the implementation phase.
My failure wasn't in that my ideas were necessarily bad, but in that I wasn't completely familiar with the intricacies of my personality or my gifts and consequently couldn't get the plan off the ground.
(it's actually pretty humbling to realize your personality can be summed up by a cartoon character...)
The upside is that, I now know I have to surround myself with people who are systems oriented. I need people who can take an idea and develop a strategy or a plan for executing the picture that I have in my head.
Because, I can come up with ideas and visions all day long, but if the implementation of those ideas is left solely up to me...it's going eventually blow up in my face.
The cool thing is that God has designed each of us to fill specific roles in life. When we discover how we are wired and learn how to function in our gifts and grow in our ability to mesh with others who are gifted in different ways, it is amazing to see what God does through us.
I hope you are learning some of these life lessons early on and that your journey of self-discovery begins with searching out God's design for you and not something you found in the "Acme Co." catalog.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
awaken the sleeper...
After a nearly 2-1/2 year hiatus from the blog roll, i re-enter with fear and trepidation...well, not really...like most people in my profession, the sound of my own voice, even typewritten is pleasing.
Actually, I've felt for awhile that blogging needed to become a component of my ministry, in hope that my ramblings would encourage, inspire, challenge or perhaps even cause a little chuckle.
Because, at this stage in life and ministry I have to become more committed to building the success of others than I am to that of my own. Even if it threatens job security, and my sense of accomplishment and worth, I must help train up the next generation. Whereby, if my only concerns are for building my little ivory tower of success, I have accomplished nothing. Besides, it would be awfully lonely up there.
So, with that in mind, I leave you to contemplate your own construction projects...
Actually, I've felt for awhile that blogging needed to become a component of my ministry, in hope that my ramblings would encourage, inspire, challenge or perhaps even cause a little chuckle.
Because, at this stage in life and ministry I have to become more committed to building the success of others than I am to that of my own. Even if it threatens job security, and my sense of accomplishment and worth, I must help train up the next generation. Whereby, if my only concerns are for building my little ivory tower of success, I have accomplished nothing. Besides, it would be awfully lonely up there.
So, with that in mind, I leave you to contemplate your own construction projects...
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