Life gets hard, and when it does, people tell you to just keep going. Don't look back.
But you're overwhelmed. You've bitten off more than anyone thought you could chew. Your enemies laugh at you. Your friends stopped encouraging you. And where's God? Shouldn't God have done something about this by now? Shouldn't God have figured this and everything else out already?
That's how this guy felt:
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God? (Psalm 77)
This guy did something we're told not to do. He looked back. Not with a desire to quit. Not in doubt or fear. But in remembrance. Almost immediately, God transformed his perspective on his situation.
If you have time, grab your Bible and check the rest of this Psalm out, it really is amazing. God has shown up before. God will show up again.
If it feels like you're failing, if it feels like no one is with you, if it feels like God is letting you drown, just look back.
Think about the passion you had when you decided to follow Christ.
Think about how good the freedom felt when God freed you from that addiction.
Think about that miraculous event that you couldn't explain.
God has shown up before. God will show up again. You may not be able to see it right now, but that is often when God is closest to us.
God has shown up before, God will show up again. Just look back.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Prophets of a Future Not Our Own
As you stop and reflect, may God give you the wisdom and discernment to discover your "something." Check this prayer out and that'll make more sense:
Prayer by Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador
Martyred on March 24, 1980
It helps, now and then, to step back
and take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen
Prayer by Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador
Martyred on March 24, 1980
It helps, now and then, to step back
and take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen
Monday, September 13, 2010
"While We Wait"
So Lauren and I are in "Baby Land" now, but I still wanted to take time to put some stuff up here. The following is the manuscript/outline to a sermon I recently preached called "While We Wait." It's not perfect, but in the words of Steven Furtick, "God has never depended on your perfect preaching to save lives anymore than He has your perfect obedience to save yourself."
I hope this finds it's way to you, and may the God of compassion, mercy, patience and grace speak to you in this moment!
WHILE WE WAIT
Intro:
Give if it up if you’re loving Vespers tonight! -Professors, friends, ginger jokes- One of ten- makes me antagonistic- Never took humanities- Wife Lauren and baby Alex- Played a little Frisbee, played a little Gotcha.
Overall a joy-filled kind of person.
Talkin about fruit tonight- You guys have these down, right? If you broke out your score card, how would you rate yourself? Joy & Peace for me- 9 or 10, self-control, at least in social situations, 2.5. Generosity, depends on what we’re talkin about- Time- 7 or 8, Money- 4 or 5 Chewing gum- (-3) Patience- well we’re gonna get into that in a second.
We’re about to get preachin here, right? I say we on purpose b/c if God ain’t talkin through me or isn’t listenin through you, we aren’t preachin’. Let’s pray and ask him to do just that!
(I’m not a patient person):
Irony- I’m not a patient person!
The driver that rides your bumper- just lucky no one’s brake checked me yet
Lauren’s nephew Jacob- Scholar Demetri Martin thinks people with stutters just add to the excitement and suspense of life… me I get irritated…. Jacob walks in…. spit it out!- at least I cured his stutter
Family of 4 @ Red Box- ended up not getting any movies
You’ve all got patience worked out though, right? Man, you’ve never lost it with your roommate, have you? I’m sure for all those classes you have you always have the patience to read everything you’re supposed to read, right? You’ve always had patience with your parents, right? What about that friend of your who’s far from God? You’ve never given up on her, right?
Patience so much of a bigger deal than it ever was when I was a Sunday school kid. I think every time I heard someone talking about the Fruit of the Spirit they made it seem so sissified, like it was just about waiting your turn! I wanna tell you something though, truthfully I think if you dug down deep enough within yourself you already know this, and that’s that bearing God’s fruit is more than that, isn’t it?
To be pretty blunt, our culture is terrible at patience. I mean, think about this:
$2.5 trillion dollars- That’s the amount of consumer debt held by all people in the United States alone. In case you’re wondering, that means every one of us is spending about $8,100 that we don’t have!
Then there’s another number: 40%- The number of college girls in America today who have reported “hooking up,” which for them meant everything from making out to going all the way and usually meant more than once. That means in this room, almost half of us aren’t patient enough for marriage to experience this amazing gift that God has given us.
I’m tellin ya man, patience has way more going for it then just waiting in line in the café or dealing with your roommate’s hygiene. For our sake, for our world’s sake, for God’s sake, we’ve gotta get this figured out. Here’s the problem though. I’m confident we could come up with about 1,000 examples of someone having patience and someone not, but if we can’t name patience or define patience we’re never going to know how to get better at patience. If we are going to practice patience then by the love of God we better figure out what it is.
And what better place to figure out what God meant by having patience than Scripture. If you have your Bibles, you can open with me to James 5. If not, no worries it’ll be on the screen. I figured we’re talking about bearing fruit so I wanted to run with this agricultural thread for a bit.
In James 5 starting in verse 7 we read this: Before we even get to the definition, I want to point something out that James is saying here that I just read yesterday. The Greek word here for patience isn’t a noun. It’s a verb. That means that the first thing we have to realize about patience is that it’s not just something we have to have, it’s something we have to do!
James continues- I think God, through James, is giving us the perfect definition of patience here that I wanna give to you and I hope you’ll write it down. Then we’ll unpack it a bit: Patience is waiting in anticipation and preparation.
James uses the example of being patient like a farmer. I’ll be honest, I don’t know jack about farming, I never grew up on a farm, no one in my family had a farm. What do you think though, does a farmer have a boring time waiting for crops to grow? I guarantee it’s way more engaging than watching paint dry. Anyone know anything about farming? What’s something farmers have to do while their crops are growing?
Friends, there’s a lot more that goes into patience for a farmer. Patience isn’t just waiting for the sake of waiting. It’s waiting with the sense of expectancy that God is going to do something incredible! Patience is waiting in anticipation and preparation. Anticipation because he isn’t thinking about the situation as it seems now, he’s got this vision of what it’s going to be if he lets God work in it. Then there’s the preparation, all that stuff a farmer has to do in the meantime. That’s what patience looks like.
These past few months I’ve had to do a lot of waiting in anticipation and preparation, and I know there’s more to come.
I have to tell you about this little guy: Alexander Michael Fultz- Alex’s story- I can see his hair, and it’s not red, diaper bombs to the nurses, having to put him back after we fed him, not really being able to hold him… only way we were able to put him back each time was because we knew we had to wait in anticipation and preparation. We were doing the anticipating, the lights were doing the preparing. It was such a struggle to wait like that, and I know when it comes to something we really want we all struggle with that kind of waiting, but that’s what patience is all about.
Then there’s my dad. – Taught me a lot about life, best friend, asked him to be my best man, worked out together like 5 nights a week in high school, house every Friday night after work- didn’t know Christ, grew up Jehovah’s Witness, didn’t want much to do with church or God, not hostile just not interested. Kind of a pervert, always had to remind him I was married, Talked all the time about God like I was steppin into the Octagon, always had to stop. Found him last November, doing terrible, 2 cancers, month later, that was it. I don’t think I have the words to describe how hard that was. Only hope came from one night, went in – grace & I want some of that!
Eight years I had been sharing Christ with my dad and in that moment, I knew it was all worth it! How often though when we’re trying to reach people far from God do we just throw up our hands and quit? We simply need to learn the art of patience, not waiting in passivity, but waiting in anticipation and in preparation. Patience isn’t passive, it’s highly active, and there’s plenty to do while we’re anticipating the results of what God can do in us and through us.
Which brings me to right now- My call to plant churches story- I’ve lived and breathed it for years now! If God called me tonight and gave me the opportunity to plant a church, I’d be on it in a heartbeat. A few months back I was in NY visiting some church planters and this church planter, Chris Travis, gave me the best advice I’d ever heard: “Imagine the kind of church God’s calling you to plant and spend from now until when that day comes becoming the kind of pastor you need to be to plant that church.”
I think that’s the heart of what I’m saying tonight friends. In life, we want stuff, we long for stuff. James talks about longing for Christ’s return, and won’t that be a good day when it comes!? I wanted to hold my son, I wanted my dad to know Jesus, I so badly want to answer God’s call on my life, but in all of those things, patience isn’t just about waiting, it’s about waiting in anticipation and preparation!
So where in your life do you need patience, true patience? Is there something you want but aren’t willing to wait for? Are you spending money you don’t have? Do people constantly irritate you? Is there something you’ve been trying to accomplish but just haven’t had the chance? Are you here at Milligan working on a degree so that you can do something great for God? What if I told you that preparing for whatever that is needs to start right now? Don’t wait for the real world, this is the real world. If I were going to apply the words of that guy to your life: think about what God’s calling you to do and spend the rest of your time here at Milligan becoming the kind of person you need to be to do that thing!
And why should that even be a big deal? Why even be patient? Is it too cliché to say that God was patient with you first? For while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus tells this story (Matthew 18:21-35) It’d be so easy for God to stop waiting on us to get our act together, but God continues to wait for us in anticipation, and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was all the preparation needed to prepare the way for us. That’s patience. James goes on in that same passage to say this: (5:11)
Yes, you might have to be patient and wait. God waited for you. But don’t just wait, wait like a farmer- prepare and anticipate! Let’s pray!
I hope this finds it's way to you, and may the God of compassion, mercy, patience and grace speak to you in this moment!
WHILE WE WAIT
Intro:
Give if it up if you’re loving Vespers tonight! -Professors, friends, ginger jokes- One of ten- makes me antagonistic- Never took humanities- Wife Lauren and baby Alex- Played a little Frisbee, played a little Gotcha.
Overall a joy-filled kind of person.
Talkin about fruit tonight- You guys have these down, right? If you broke out your score card, how would you rate yourself? Joy & Peace for me- 9 or 10, self-control, at least in social situations, 2.5. Generosity, depends on what we’re talkin about- Time- 7 or 8, Money- 4 or 5 Chewing gum- (-3) Patience- well we’re gonna get into that in a second.
We’re about to get preachin here, right? I say we on purpose b/c if God ain’t talkin through me or isn’t listenin through you, we aren’t preachin’. Let’s pray and ask him to do just that!
(I’m not a patient person):
Irony- I’m not a patient person!
The driver that rides your bumper- just lucky no one’s brake checked me yet
Lauren’s nephew Jacob- Scholar Demetri Martin thinks people with stutters just add to the excitement and suspense of life… me I get irritated…. Jacob walks in…. spit it out!- at least I cured his stutter
Family of 4 @ Red Box- ended up not getting any movies
You’ve all got patience worked out though, right? Man, you’ve never lost it with your roommate, have you? I’m sure for all those classes you have you always have the patience to read everything you’re supposed to read, right? You’ve always had patience with your parents, right? What about that friend of your who’s far from God? You’ve never given up on her, right?
Patience so much of a bigger deal than it ever was when I was a Sunday school kid. I think every time I heard someone talking about the Fruit of the Spirit they made it seem so sissified, like it was just about waiting your turn! I wanna tell you something though, truthfully I think if you dug down deep enough within yourself you already know this, and that’s that bearing God’s fruit is more than that, isn’t it?
To be pretty blunt, our culture is terrible at patience. I mean, think about this:
$2.5 trillion dollars- That’s the amount of consumer debt held by all people in the United States alone. In case you’re wondering, that means every one of us is spending about $8,100 that we don’t have!
Then there’s another number: 40%- The number of college girls in America today who have reported “hooking up,” which for them meant everything from making out to going all the way and usually meant more than once. That means in this room, almost half of us aren’t patient enough for marriage to experience this amazing gift that God has given us.
I’m tellin ya man, patience has way more going for it then just waiting in line in the café or dealing with your roommate’s hygiene. For our sake, for our world’s sake, for God’s sake, we’ve gotta get this figured out. Here’s the problem though. I’m confident we could come up with about 1,000 examples of someone having patience and someone not, but if we can’t name patience or define patience we’re never going to know how to get better at patience. If we are going to practice patience then by the love of God we better figure out what it is.
And what better place to figure out what God meant by having patience than Scripture. If you have your Bibles, you can open with me to James 5. If not, no worries it’ll be on the screen. I figured we’re talking about bearing fruit so I wanted to run with this agricultural thread for a bit.
In James 5 starting in verse 7 we read this: Before we even get to the definition, I want to point something out that James is saying here that I just read yesterday. The Greek word here for patience isn’t a noun. It’s a verb. That means that the first thing we have to realize about patience is that it’s not just something we have to have, it’s something we have to do!
James continues- I think God, through James, is giving us the perfect definition of patience here that I wanna give to you and I hope you’ll write it down. Then we’ll unpack it a bit: Patience is waiting in anticipation and preparation.
James uses the example of being patient like a farmer. I’ll be honest, I don’t know jack about farming, I never grew up on a farm, no one in my family had a farm. What do you think though, does a farmer have a boring time waiting for crops to grow? I guarantee it’s way more engaging than watching paint dry. Anyone know anything about farming? What’s something farmers have to do while their crops are growing?
Friends, there’s a lot more that goes into patience for a farmer. Patience isn’t just waiting for the sake of waiting. It’s waiting with the sense of expectancy that God is going to do something incredible! Patience is waiting in anticipation and preparation. Anticipation because he isn’t thinking about the situation as it seems now, he’s got this vision of what it’s going to be if he lets God work in it. Then there’s the preparation, all that stuff a farmer has to do in the meantime. That’s what patience looks like.
These past few months I’ve had to do a lot of waiting in anticipation and preparation, and I know there’s more to come.
I have to tell you about this little guy: Alexander Michael Fultz- Alex’s story- I can see his hair, and it’s not red, diaper bombs to the nurses, having to put him back after we fed him, not really being able to hold him… only way we were able to put him back each time was because we knew we had to wait in anticipation and preparation. We were doing the anticipating, the lights were doing the preparing. It was such a struggle to wait like that, and I know when it comes to something we really want we all struggle with that kind of waiting, but that’s what patience is all about.
Then there’s my dad. – Taught me a lot about life, best friend, asked him to be my best man, worked out together like 5 nights a week in high school, house every Friday night after work- didn’t know Christ, grew up Jehovah’s Witness, didn’t want much to do with church or God, not hostile just not interested. Kind of a pervert, always had to remind him I was married, Talked all the time about God like I was steppin into the Octagon, always had to stop. Found him last November, doing terrible, 2 cancers, month later, that was it. I don’t think I have the words to describe how hard that was. Only hope came from one night, went in – grace & I want some of that!
Eight years I had been sharing Christ with my dad and in that moment, I knew it was all worth it! How often though when we’re trying to reach people far from God do we just throw up our hands and quit? We simply need to learn the art of patience, not waiting in passivity, but waiting in anticipation and in preparation. Patience isn’t passive, it’s highly active, and there’s plenty to do while we’re anticipating the results of what God can do in us and through us.
Which brings me to right now- My call to plant churches story- I’ve lived and breathed it for years now! If God called me tonight and gave me the opportunity to plant a church, I’d be on it in a heartbeat. A few months back I was in NY visiting some church planters and this church planter, Chris Travis, gave me the best advice I’d ever heard: “Imagine the kind of church God’s calling you to plant and spend from now until when that day comes becoming the kind of pastor you need to be to plant that church.”
I think that’s the heart of what I’m saying tonight friends. In life, we want stuff, we long for stuff. James talks about longing for Christ’s return, and won’t that be a good day when it comes!? I wanted to hold my son, I wanted my dad to know Jesus, I so badly want to answer God’s call on my life, but in all of those things, patience isn’t just about waiting, it’s about waiting in anticipation and preparation!
So where in your life do you need patience, true patience? Is there something you want but aren’t willing to wait for? Are you spending money you don’t have? Do people constantly irritate you? Is there something you’ve been trying to accomplish but just haven’t had the chance? Are you here at Milligan working on a degree so that you can do something great for God? What if I told you that preparing for whatever that is needs to start right now? Don’t wait for the real world, this is the real world. If I were going to apply the words of that guy to your life: think about what God’s calling you to do and spend the rest of your time here at Milligan becoming the kind of person you need to be to do that thing!
And why should that even be a big deal? Why even be patient? Is it too cliché to say that God was patient with you first? For while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus tells this story (Matthew 18:21-35) It’d be so easy for God to stop waiting on us to get our act together, but God continues to wait for us in anticipation, and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was all the preparation needed to prepare the way for us. That’s patience. James goes on in that same passage to say this: (5:11)
Yes, you might have to be patient and wait. God waited for you. But don’t just wait, wait like a farmer- prepare and anticipate! Let’s pray!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Change 2- Baby!
Wow what a night! At the end of the day, Alex is here, Lauren's doing much better, and now there's 3 to our family. But the journey wasn't easy.
We had a really boring start. From 1-5cm, there was minimal pain and minimal action. By 5cm though, Lauren and I both felt it was time to start the pain meds. It was about 5pm. The doc told us we'd be about 1cm an hour and we'd have him by the end of the day. He failed to realize that Lauren is a champ and that things would progress much more rapidly.
So at 7:30, Lauren and I decide to take a quick nap before we rounded the final stretch. At 8:00, we were both awakened to a panicked technician checking our baby's heartbeat that had dropped below 90bpm. Doc follows him in, infuriated that the check didn't come sooner. "We have to get this baby outta there," barked the doc.
The whirlwind of blue cloth tore through the room as urgency overtook serenity. More commands. More action. The sounds of equipment rolling across the floor, the bang of the bed's edge collapsing, and the snapping of latex gloves consumed us.
For both of us, reality blurred and focus waned. Long story short, Lauren had 2 hours of pushing to do in a few short minutes. My heart swelled as I saw the dark hair of our baby's head, yet the joy wouldn't last. Alex's heart monitor echoed fewer and fewer beeps. Our spirits hit rock bottom as we heard it from the doc, "C Section."
They raced us from delivery room to operating room. I gowned up only to be denied access to the room. Lauren had full access and then full anesthesia. Our family waited to hear good news but only heard the clock ticking.
I sat like a refugee alone in the warzone that was our delivery room. At last, the nurse broke the silence, "Your baby is healthy, and they're slowly waking her up."
Collecting myself, I dropped the good news off with our families and longed for the moment when we could hold our boy. It hasn't come yet. He's recovering well from his pneumothorax, but the professionals are keeping him in the "special" nursery room.
At the end of the day, we're extremely hopeful. By early this afternoon, he should be able to feed, and by the end of the night, he should be in the room with us! Lauren's slowly bouncing back from her surgery, both physically and emotionally. I'm not sure how long we're going to be here, but I am sure we won't be travelling on Monday. :)
We'll let you know more as the saga unfolds, but that's been our life for the past 24 hours. At times last night I truly felt like we were walking through the valley of the shadow of death, but in that, God has certainly been with us. Our souls are restored, and we are finding rest as God continues to lead us through this. Thanks so much from both of us, and we'd love to have you call to come see us! :)
We had a really boring start. From 1-5cm, there was minimal pain and minimal action. By 5cm though, Lauren and I both felt it was time to start the pain meds. It was about 5pm. The doc told us we'd be about 1cm an hour and we'd have him by the end of the day. He failed to realize that Lauren is a champ and that things would progress much more rapidly.
So at 7:30, Lauren and I decide to take a quick nap before we rounded the final stretch. At 8:00, we were both awakened to a panicked technician checking our baby's heartbeat that had dropped below 90bpm. Doc follows him in, infuriated that the check didn't come sooner. "We have to get this baby outta there," barked the doc.
The whirlwind of blue cloth tore through the room as urgency overtook serenity. More commands. More action. The sounds of equipment rolling across the floor, the bang of the bed's edge collapsing, and the snapping of latex gloves consumed us.
For both of us, reality blurred and focus waned. Long story short, Lauren had 2 hours of pushing to do in a few short minutes. My heart swelled as I saw the dark hair of our baby's head, yet the joy wouldn't last. Alex's heart monitor echoed fewer and fewer beeps. Our spirits hit rock bottom as we heard it from the doc, "C Section."
They raced us from delivery room to operating room. I gowned up only to be denied access to the room. Lauren had full access and then full anesthesia. Our family waited to hear good news but only heard the clock ticking.
I sat like a refugee alone in the warzone that was our delivery room. At last, the nurse broke the silence, "Your baby is healthy, and they're slowly waking her up."
Collecting myself, I dropped the good news off with our families and longed for the moment when we could hold our boy. It hasn't come yet. He's recovering well from his pneumothorax, but the professionals are keeping him in the "special" nursery room.
At the end of the day, we're extremely hopeful. By early this afternoon, he should be able to feed, and by the end of the night, he should be in the room with us! Lauren's slowly bouncing back from her surgery, both physically and emotionally. I'm not sure how long we're going to be here, but I am sure we won't be travelling on Monday. :)
We'll let you know more as the saga unfolds, but that's been our life for the past 24 hours. At times last night I truly felt like we were walking through the valley of the shadow of death, but in that, God has certainly been with us. Our souls are restored, and we are finding rest as God continues to lead us through this. Thanks so much from both of us, and we'd love to have you call to come see us! :)
Monday, August 9, 2010
Change- 1
I'd love to change the world, wouldn't you? I'd love to know that at the end of my life, something I did made a difference. I'm sure you've had that thought. Truth is, I think we can! Over the next few days, I want to offer a few thoughts on how you can make change happen right where you are.
I had the chance to watch a live interview with Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS shoes. There principle is simple: for every pair of TOMS shoes that someone buys, they give one pair of shoes to a child in a third world country who needs shoes and who otherwise wouldn't be able to get them. 1 for 1. Check them out at TOMS.com.
Blake captivated the audience with one insight after another. He admitted that his company only focused on giving and let his customers take care of the rest. He explained that every employee at TOMS shoes had regular opportunities to GIVE and to SERVE above and beyond their employee obligations.
Near the end of the interview, Blake offered these words on change, "To create change, you must ask people to join you." It sounds so simple really, but the way his company played it out is genius. You might have heard of the all day barefoot day last April where TOMS shoes challenged the world to spend one day without shoes to raise awareness for the millions of people in the world without shoes. Blake was able to get AT&T to sponsor their company with a simple phone call and meeting. TOMS needed advertisement, AT&T needed an authentic story to promote their products. Blake wanted to create change, and he simply asked people to join him.
Jesus knew this well. He didn't simply try to change the world himself, he asked twelve guys and a whole bunch of other people to follow him. He demonstrated what he was willing to give up by offering his life on the cross. Inspired by his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus' followers went out empowered by the Holy Spirit to change the world in a way that has impacted billions of people to this day.
So what in your world are you trying to change? Are you living for a cause that matters? Stop doing it alone! Find people who share your dreams and your passions, and get connected. If you want to create change, ask people to join you!
I had the chance to watch a live interview with Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS shoes. There principle is simple: for every pair of TOMS shoes that someone buys, they give one pair of shoes to a child in a third world country who needs shoes and who otherwise wouldn't be able to get them. 1 for 1. Check them out at TOMS.com.
Blake captivated the audience with one insight after another. He admitted that his company only focused on giving and let his customers take care of the rest. He explained that every employee at TOMS shoes had regular opportunities to GIVE and to SERVE above and beyond their employee obligations.
Near the end of the interview, Blake offered these words on change, "To create change, you must ask people to join you." It sounds so simple really, but the way his company played it out is genius. You might have heard of the all day barefoot day last April where TOMS shoes challenged the world to spend one day without shoes to raise awareness for the millions of people in the world without shoes. Blake was able to get AT&T to sponsor their company with a simple phone call and meeting. TOMS needed advertisement, AT&T needed an authentic story to promote their products. Blake wanted to create change, and he simply asked people to join him.
Jesus knew this well. He didn't simply try to change the world himself, he asked twelve guys and a whole bunch of other people to follow him. He demonstrated what he was willing to give up by offering his life on the cross. Inspired by his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus' followers went out empowered by the Holy Spirit to change the world in a way that has impacted billions of people to this day.
So what in your world are you trying to change? Are you living for a cause that matters? Stop doing it alone! Find people who share your dreams and your passions, and get connected. If you want to create change, ask people to join you!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
The Land Between
Friday we attended the Global Leadership Summit hosted by the Willow Creek Association. There were a number of passion-provoking ideas thrown around, but one of the most timely sermons I heard was "The Land Between" by Jeff Manion.
He's actually written a whole book by that same title, but the life stage he described fits so many of us so well. In summary, you find yourself in the land between when you've left where you've been, you're on your way to where you're going, but you aren't there yet.
For Lauren and I, that's exactly where we are. We're leaving the identity we found at Mountain and we are on our way someday to planting a church, but there's this 4 years in between that have to stand for something. We're not who we've been anymore, and we're not yet who we are becoming.
You'll find yourself here if you've had kids and in one of those particularly rebellious days, you wonder who this person is that you've created and why they aren't yet who you've been praying they will be. You are in the land between if you've just made big headway in your workplace, you know another promotion is right around the corner, but for now, you're stuck.
What I, and all of us, in the land between need to understand is that the land between is fertile ground for growing into the people we need to be or losing everything entirely. Just as a good communicator needs to learn to transition well between each point, so we have to learn to work hard in life's transitions to stay the course. While the temptation is for us to become discouraged and emotionally burnt out and even quit when we are in the land between, it's in these times that God can bring about the greatest spiritual transformation in us. These transitional slumps can be the pinnacle of our opportunity to let God develop further into the masterpieces he designed us to be.
So are you in the land between? If you aren't sure, definitely check out the book. I know Lauren and I will. If you aren't there, trust me that your time will come again and your best bet to surviving the land between is to prepare yourself now. For those of you like us who are in the land between, I pray that God will reveal himself to you in a powerful and loud way. Just as Jesus entered the wilderness for 40 days and faced every temptation and trial common to humanity, I pray that you will emerge from the land between victorious, ready to live the abundant life that God offers to each of us!
He's actually written a whole book by that same title, but the life stage he described fits so many of us so well. In summary, you find yourself in the land between when you've left where you've been, you're on your way to where you're going, but you aren't there yet.
For Lauren and I, that's exactly where we are. We're leaving the identity we found at Mountain and we are on our way someday to planting a church, but there's this 4 years in between that have to stand for something. We're not who we've been anymore, and we're not yet who we are becoming.
You'll find yourself here if you've had kids and in one of those particularly rebellious days, you wonder who this person is that you've created and why they aren't yet who you've been praying they will be. You are in the land between if you've just made big headway in your workplace, you know another promotion is right around the corner, but for now, you're stuck.
What I, and all of us, in the land between need to understand is that the land between is fertile ground for growing into the people we need to be or losing everything entirely. Just as a good communicator needs to learn to transition well between each point, so we have to learn to work hard in life's transitions to stay the course. While the temptation is for us to become discouraged and emotionally burnt out and even quit when we are in the land between, it's in these times that God can bring about the greatest spiritual transformation in us. These transitional slumps can be the pinnacle of our opportunity to let God develop further into the masterpieces he designed us to be.
So are you in the land between? If you aren't sure, definitely check out the book. I know Lauren and I will. If you aren't there, trust me that your time will come again and your best bet to surviving the land between is to prepare yourself now. For those of you like us who are in the land between, I pray that God will reveal himself to you in a powerful and loud way. Just as Jesus entered the wilderness for 40 days and faced every temptation and trial common to humanity, I pray that you will emerge from the land between victorious, ready to live the abundant life that God offers to each of us!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Summer Recap
The marathon of summer is over! It certainly was better than anything I could have expected. I spent lots of time with great leaders and students, lives were changed, and God showed up in so many awesome ways!
I don't think I could pick one best memory from the whole thing. The Dominican, our anniversary, CiY, Terp trip, Fallston Baccalaureate, summer FUELs, New York, great conversations with lots of great people... it'll be tough to top this one for sure.
To go further, I could probably recap this entire year. This has been one of the toughest, but definitely one of the most exciting! Death, birth, new friends, lost friends, conflicts, scholarships, questions, CPAC, soul-searching, growing, reaching out, NYWC, doing terribly, doing greatly, watching people succeed, seeing people fail; this has truly been the best of times and the worst of times.
With all that said, God calls each of us to go beyond, to do more in life than we ever thought we could. While I've definitely done that this year, I also know there's still more to come. God has more work to do in & through my life, and so I say with Paul:
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14)
I've got a long way to go to be who God made me to be, but I'm definitely becoming that person. So far, it's been an incredible journey, an amazing ride, and an abundant life. My hope is that as we press on toward what comes next, that God will continue to blaze a trail for us as we begin the next chapter of our story. May God do the same for you!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Oneliners- 3 & 4
Tomorrow's going to crazy so here's 2 for 1:
The combined hours of all human thought spent to create and input all the information for Wikipedia is about 98,000,000 which sounds staggering until you put it up against another number, 200 billion, which is the amount of hours spent watching TV in America alone each year (that's like 2,000 Wikipedia projects)!
I think we need to stop telling people we don't have the time and instead decide that we're going to start using the time we DO have for the amazing things that God has prepared in this world for us to get done (Ephesians 2:10).
The combined hours of all human thought spent to create and input all the information for Wikipedia is about 98,000,000 which sounds staggering until you put it up against another number, 200 billion, which is the amount of hours spent watching TV in America alone each year (that's like 2,000 Wikipedia projects)!
I think we need to stop telling people we don't have the time and instead decide that we're going to start using the time we DO have for the amazing things that God has prepared in this world for us to get done (Ephesians 2:10).
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Oneliners- 2
"Everyone ends up somewhere in life; some people will get there on purpose." - Andy Stanley
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Oneliners- 1
If God can transform and use Paul's life, he can certainly transform me and you! -1 Tim 1:12-17
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Emo Slump
Situations change, our faith remains the same. At least, that's the note I'm ending on for today.
Today was an odd day. There would be a lot of people who would say that I shouldn't be so openly vulnerable, that I shouldn't tell you what I'm about to tell you, but I think I'm going to fly in the face of that right now.
I was told that grief was one of those ugly beasts that would continue to reveal itself at the strangest times. The past few weeks I've on an emotional and spiritual high. I was my old self again, leading, joking, and being cynical about everything. Today wasn't like that at all. Today was an "Emo Slump" day.
It's hard to say really what all started it. It was just strange. You see, I didn't wake up today at any decent time. I found myself feeling down and depressed, and I waking up this morning just wasn't high on my to-do list. Then again, neither was anything else. Everything I thought about was depressing. Nothing seemed like it would make me feel any better.
The worst thing about being depressed, and maybe you've experienced this before, is that you don't feel like doing anything and the things you do feel like doing often leave you more depressed. It's another one of those vicious cycles.
So I wish I could tell you I had a profound spiritual and Jesus-y moment that helped me bounce back. That would be lying. The truth is, I finally forced myself to the gym, puked twice, texted some great people, and came back home feeling worse about life. I was resigning myself to a wasted day when a good friend texted me to hang out. After that, I went on my Monday half-day retreat & hike, and I guess you could say God gave me a friendly reminder. I read this in James:
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (1:12)
So I organized my thoughts, took some time to remember my dad, thought about how high of a calling I had to live for, and realized it just wasn't worth staying down. I had to persevere. I had to press on. That life thing just sounded too good to pass up.
I realize that's not how it works for everyone, but that's how I got out of the Emo Slump. I'm sure you've had a day like that (maybe it was even a week, a month or a year). I'd love to read your posts and comments about what you did and how you got through it.
Thanks again for taking the time to read, I hope you'll also take some time to write!
Today was an odd day. There would be a lot of people who would say that I shouldn't be so openly vulnerable, that I shouldn't tell you what I'm about to tell you, but I think I'm going to fly in the face of that right now.
I was told that grief was one of those ugly beasts that would continue to reveal itself at the strangest times. The past few weeks I've on an emotional and spiritual high. I was my old self again, leading, joking, and being cynical about everything. Today wasn't like that at all. Today was an "Emo Slump" day.
It's hard to say really what all started it. It was just strange. You see, I didn't wake up today at any decent time. I found myself feeling down and depressed, and I waking up this morning just wasn't high on my to-do list. Then again, neither was anything else. Everything I thought about was depressing. Nothing seemed like it would make me feel any better.
The worst thing about being depressed, and maybe you've experienced this before, is that you don't feel like doing anything and the things you do feel like doing often leave you more depressed. It's another one of those vicious cycles.
So I wish I could tell you I had a profound spiritual and Jesus-y moment that helped me bounce back. That would be lying. The truth is, I finally forced myself to the gym, puked twice, texted some great people, and came back home feeling worse about life. I was resigning myself to a wasted day when a good friend texted me to hang out. After that, I went on my Monday half-day retreat & hike, and I guess you could say God gave me a friendly reminder. I read this in James:
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (1:12)
So I organized my thoughts, took some time to remember my dad, thought about how high of a calling I had to live for, and realized it just wasn't worth staying down. I had to persevere. I had to press on. That life thing just sounded too good to pass up.
I realize that's not how it works for everyone, but that's how I got out of the Emo Slump. I'm sure you've had a day like that (maybe it was even a week, a month or a year). I'd love to read your posts and comments about what you did and how you got through it.
Thanks again for taking the time to read, I hope you'll also take some time to write!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Unfinished Business
My senior year of college at Milligan, I had this ridiculously boring history class that I had to take to graduate. It was so boring that there were only 3 other students there, and 2 of them rarely showed up.
Everyday was a discussion about the same topics, and we barely covered any ground. That didn't stop the well-meaning professor from giving us a final, however. I really didn't care to prepare, it was my last final, and I just wanted to graduate to move on with my life. Because of that, I rushed through the test, barely responded to the essay questions, and in fact, I think I finished the last essay by saying, "I really do know more than this, you're just going to have to take my word for it."
Lame, right? I was on track to getting a great grade in the class, but the professor rewarded my "hard work" by dropping me a whole letter grade. Just 20 more minutes of effort and I could have finished well. Looking back, I probably would have done it right if I could do it over again because it wasn't worth the consequences.
My wife and I are reading a similar story of unfinished business. In Joshua, we're reading what many consider to be the brutal, ungodly conquest of Joshua to take over the Promised Land of Canaan. Question what you will about the grace and mercy of God in this story, God makes it pretty clear that the whole land is there and everyone else needs removed. Sounds harsh, right?
I don't know why God told them to do this, but I do know that God says that when they get to the land, they should not worship the foreigner's gods. This would only lead to more heartache and pain later.
So let's fast forward. Joshua and company don't finish their mission, they celebrate their work prematurely, the Canaanites remain a thorn in their side for the next few hundred years, and in the end, the Israelites worship other gods and eventually end up in exile because of their sinfulness. That's a long stretch from being the light of the world.
It makes me so sad because I know how their story ends. They only needed to push a little harder and obey God until the work was done. As a result,Their fate was far worse than a lower GPA.
We could fast forward again and realize that none of that mattered because Jesus came and set it all straight. While it is true that we now live under grace, I think there's still something to be learned from Joshua's story.
Too often God calls us to do something and we don't see it through til the end. We give up too soon. Maybe we have something to do at work and we don't finish it with excellence because it's "good enough." If you're a student maybe you just turn a project in early or because you want to be done with it. If you're a parent, you give up trying to teach your kids something because it just isn't worth the effort. If you are a follower of Jesus seeking spiritual maturity, maybe you've given up a spiritual discipline because it was too hard.
The bottom line is this: FINISH WELL! I'm not saying you become a workaholic or a perfectionist, but our God deserves our best. It's not enough to quit early or to be satisfied with mediocrity. Save yourself some pain, enhance your witness, and whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as for the Lord and not for men (Col 3:23).
Just like the work of Joshua, the work that God has for us is more important than a grade. I say enough with the unfinished business. Don't give God your leftovers.
Everyday was a discussion about the same topics, and we barely covered any ground. That didn't stop the well-meaning professor from giving us a final, however. I really didn't care to prepare, it was my last final, and I just wanted to graduate to move on with my life. Because of that, I rushed through the test, barely responded to the essay questions, and in fact, I think I finished the last essay by saying, "I really do know more than this, you're just going to have to take my word for it."
Lame, right? I was on track to getting a great grade in the class, but the professor rewarded my "hard work" by dropping me a whole letter grade. Just 20 more minutes of effort and I could have finished well. Looking back, I probably would have done it right if I could do it over again because it wasn't worth the consequences.
My wife and I are reading a similar story of unfinished business. In Joshua, we're reading what many consider to be the brutal, ungodly conquest of Joshua to take over the Promised Land of Canaan. Question what you will about the grace and mercy of God in this story, God makes it pretty clear that the whole land is there and everyone else needs removed. Sounds harsh, right?
I don't know why God told them to do this, but I do know that God says that when they get to the land, they should not worship the foreigner's gods. This would only lead to more heartache and pain later.
So let's fast forward. Joshua and company don't finish their mission, they celebrate their work prematurely, the Canaanites remain a thorn in their side for the next few hundred years, and in the end, the Israelites worship other gods and eventually end up in exile because of their sinfulness. That's a long stretch from being the light of the world.
It makes me so sad because I know how their story ends. They only needed to push a little harder and obey God until the work was done. As a result,Their fate was far worse than a lower GPA.
We could fast forward again and realize that none of that mattered because Jesus came and set it all straight. While it is true that we now live under grace, I think there's still something to be learned from Joshua's story.
Too often God calls us to do something and we don't see it through til the end. We give up too soon. Maybe we have something to do at work and we don't finish it with excellence because it's "good enough." If you're a student maybe you just turn a project in early or because you want to be done with it. If you're a parent, you give up trying to teach your kids something because it just isn't worth the effort. If you are a follower of Jesus seeking spiritual maturity, maybe you've given up a spiritual discipline because it was too hard.
The bottom line is this: FINISH WELL! I'm not saying you become a workaholic or a perfectionist, but our God deserves our best. It's not enough to quit early or to be satisfied with mediocrity. Save yourself some pain, enhance your witness, and whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as for the Lord and not for men (Col 3:23).
Just like the work of Joshua, the work that God has for us is more important than a grade. I say enough with the unfinished business. Don't give God your leftovers.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Forgotten God Part 4 (Final)
As I finished up the final chapter of Forgotten God, I felt a double dose of conviction:
1) With the Spirit of God living inside of us who call ourselves Christians, why is it that the rest of the world still displays the Fruit of the Spirit far better than we ever could? Why are we not the most joyful, kind, self-controlled, loving, peaceful, patient, gentle and generous people on the planet?
Chan tells the story of a gang leader who began attending his church. After just a few months of regular attendance, the gang leader stopped attending. Curious, Francis tracked him down and asked him what happened, to which the gang leader responded, "When I joined your church, I thought it would be a lot like a gang. I thought people would care for each other more than just one day a week."
So let's stop faking like we're the Church. Let's step up. Invite someone new to your home this week. Talk to a stranger. Work on that community and love and compassion that we're called to have. Let's live like God lives in us.
2) So I've learned a bunch of stuff about the Holy Spirit, what God could do in and through me. I hope you've gotten something out of all this too. But here's the deal. James 4:17 says that, "Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin." It's not enough just to learn a bunch of stuff if we aren't following through. So again I'll say it, go live like God lives in you. Get rid of the noise and comfort that keeps us from noticing God. Go overcome that sin that's been defeating you. Stop living life on your own power.
So Jesus died for you and me, and before he did that he said this, "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."
God lives in you- live like it!
1) With the Spirit of God living inside of us who call ourselves Christians, why is it that the rest of the world still displays the Fruit of the Spirit far better than we ever could? Why are we not the most joyful, kind, self-controlled, loving, peaceful, patient, gentle and generous people on the planet?
Chan tells the story of a gang leader who began attending his church. After just a few months of regular attendance, the gang leader stopped attending. Curious, Francis tracked him down and asked him what happened, to which the gang leader responded, "When I joined your church, I thought it would be a lot like a gang. I thought people would care for each other more than just one day a week."
So let's stop faking like we're the Church. Let's step up. Invite someone new to your home this week. Talk to a stranger. Work on that community and love and compassion that we're called to have. Let's live like God lives in us.
2) So I've learned a bunch of stuff about the Holy Spirit, what God could do in and through me. I hope you've gotten something out of all this too. But here's the deal. James 4:17 says that, "Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin." It's not enough just to learn a bunch of stuff if we aren't following through. So again I'll say it, go live like God lives in you. Get rid of the noise and comfort that keeps us from noticing God. Go overcome that sin that's been defeating you. Stop living life on your own power.
So Jesus died for you and me, and before he did that he said this, "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."
God lives in you- live like it!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Forgotten God Part 3
Only one more chapter to go through this thought-provoking journey. Tomorrow should be the finale.
Before that though, I have to work through the fact that Chan just told me to forget about God's will for my life. Yeah, I was as initially shocked as you are right now.
As it turns out, I, and I'm sure many others, use the future as an avoidance mechanism. After all, if I'm concerned with what God has for me down the road, I don't really have to think too much about who I am or what I'm called to do right now. Looking ahead feels spiritual, it feels like we're just envisioning the truth as God has laid it out for us. But this thinking can keep us from living the full life that God has for us right now.
I certainly feel called to church planting. I sense that God is going to open doors for me to lead a brand new congregation of people toward a life with Jesus. While that's exciting and while it sounds pretty Jesus-y, preoccupation in that direction tends to lead me away from caring about the ministry I have now.
So what does that look like for you? What distracts you from living God's call right now? As Paul says, "we must continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling just as God continues to work in us to will and act toward his good purpose." Sounds kind of churchy, but the bottom line is this:
God's Spirit is in us right now to work God's power through us right now, so that means we need to step up right now!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Forgotten God Part 2
So let's say you want to live like the Holy Spirit lives within you. Let's say you recognize the power that God offers willingly if we get our motives straight and get out of the way. Why don't you feel any different?
Francis Chan says maybe it's one of two things: maybe you're so comfortable with life right now that you really don't need a Comforter. God is close to you but maybe you aren't experiencing that because your life is too cushion-y and you aren't taking enough risks for your faith.
Maybe it's that your life is too loud. You never let yourself slow down enough to notice God's presence inside of you. Right now I have a cell phone flipped open, a Bible, two computers, a flashing phone, and a meeting on the horizon that I can't get off my mind. A lot of us hold our busyness up as almost a Christian virtue, but is it really any shock that we can't hear God's voice with all this?
So I'm not sure what it is for you. Maybe you're hoping God will still live within you when you're living a life of mistakes. Maybe there's someone you still need to forgive. Maybe you just need to slow down, or maybe you need to step out of your comfort zone.
Whatever it is, open your eyes to the power that God can work through you. There is too much at stake in this world for you to sulk around washed up and defeated. I pray in the same words as Paul for you that "you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe in him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms."
You have access to the same power that raised Christ from the dead, and it comes from seeing God living within you. So live fully, and let God live out of you!
Francis Chan says maybe it's one of two things: maybe you're so comfortable with life right now that you really don't need a Comforter. God is close to you but maybe you aren't experiencing that because your life is too cushion-y and you aren't taking enough risks for your faith.
Maybe it's that your life is too loud. You never let yourself slow down enough to notice God's presence inside of you. Right now I have a cell phone flipped open, a Bible, two computers, a flashing phone, and a meeting on the horizon that I can't get off my mind. A lot of us hold our busyness up as almost a Christian virtue, but is it really any shock that we can't hear God's voice with all this?
So I'm not sure what it is for you. Maybe you're hoping God will still live within you when you're living a life of mistakes. Maybe there's someone you still need to forgive. Maybe you just need to slow down, or maybe you need to step out of your comfort zone.
Whatever it is, open your eyes to the power that God can work through you. There is too much at stake in this world for you to sulk around washed up and defeated. I pray in the same words as Paul for you that "you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe in him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms."
You have access to the same power that raised Christ from the dead, and it comes from seeing God living within you. So live fully, and let God live out of you!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Forgotten God Part One
So this is a later post, but I don't think for a second I've missed my commitment. Today, I woke up and biked 21 miles with a fantastic volunteer and friend, and so this blog post is falling a little later in the day than I'd care to. I'm not worried though, God revealed himself this morning too!
Yesterday I started Francis Chan's "Forgotten God." It's certainly an easy ready but a challenging concept. What do we really believe about the Holy Spirit?
Scripture makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is a person, is God, has thoughts, emotions, a will, and he/she lives inside of us. Do I actually believe this? Do I believe that GOD dwells within me? Does my life reflect that? Do I live and lead like that? Does this scare me? Do I actually want God living in me? What would it mean if I relinquished all control to this forgotten God?
In 1 Corinthians 12:7, Paul says "the Holy Spirit is given to each of us for the common good." As I continue through this book the challenge for me, and all of us for that matter, is to truly embrace the Holy Spirit living within us so that we might grow in service and excellence for the common good of those in our lives. We have God's unlimited and abundant power at our disposal to benefit our loved ones, our friends, our enemies, and our world. May we each welcome it with willingness and humility to be the conquerors in Christ that we are called to be. Dare I say our lives, our TRUE and FULL lives, depend on it?
Monday, July 19, 2010
Be Ready- All the Time
Well, the pressure is on. Last week, I felt God calling me to improve my devotional life in a big way. Specifically, waking up @ 6AM every day to read, blog, and PT. Seems intense I know, but how does one argue with God's prompting?
This morning I read a few verses in 2 Timothy 4. "Preach the Word, be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage- with great patience and careful instruction." Last week was definitely a week where I lived that daily. Late night conversations, group prayers, leading 50 other people, certainly could not have done that on my own. God spoke and led through me, and somehow I always had the right words to say. As a result of God's Spirit, over 30 students made deeper commitments to Christ. Praise God!
So train yourself for God's service, be ready all the time, in every situation. Then just stand back and watch the power and Word of God come flowing out of you through what you say and what you do. Have patience, instruct carefully, and prepare to be amazed!
This morning I read a few verses in 2 Timothy 4. "Preach the Word, be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage- with great patience and careful instruction." Last week was definitely a week where I lived that daily. Late night conversations, group prayers, leading 50 other people, certainly could not have done that on my own. God spoke and led through me, and somehow I always had the right words to say. As a result of God's Spirit, over 30 students made deeper commitments to Christ. Praise God!
So train yourself for God's service, be ready all the time, in every situation. Then just stand back and watch the power and Word of God come flowing out of you through what you say and what you do. Have patience, instruct carefully, and prepare to be amazed!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Move On
Move On
Move on and not change a thing?
You stare at yourself,
unsatisfied but unwilling.
You know the best life is one more choice away,
But you say that today is not the day.
Move on, that's your choice to make.
Amidst the heart break
And Tears no one's gonna stop ya.
For us He hung though it was our price to pay,
But you say that today is not the day.
Don't move on, sit in your guilt.
Your shame consumes you,
The soul looking back is horrid.
His Spirit professes grace given freely,
But you say that today is not the day.
Don't move on, ignore the truth.
This is who you are,
Couldn't be saved even if you wanted.
It's all this deceit from the Father of lies.
But you say that today is not the day.
Move on, see who you could be!
You aren't perfect,
But you know that you wanna be.
God's Word is a mirror, let it change your life.
So move on! Today's the day!
You stare at yourself,
unsatisfied but unwilling.
You know the best life is one more choice away,
But you say that today is not the day.
Move on, that's your choice to make.
Amidst the heart break
And Tears no one's gonna stop ya.
For us He hung though it was our price to pay,
But you say that today is not the day.
Don't move on, sit in your guilt.
Your shame consumes you,
The soul looking back is horrid.
His Spirit professes grace given freely,
But you say that today is not the day.
Don't move on, ignore the truth.
This is who you are,
Couldn't be saved even if you wanted.
It's all this deceit from the Father of lies.
But you say that today is not the day.
Move on, see who you could be!
You aren't perfect,
But you know that you wanna be.
God's Word is a mirror, let it change your life.
So move on! Today's the day!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Dangerous Prayers
We say:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil
For yours is the kingdom, power, and the glory forever.
Amen!
But what we really mean is:
Oh Distant being far off and indifferent
Here's a nice line about you so that you'll grant my wishes.
I kind of want to do things my way
And really don't want to think much about what you want
Please, because my mama taught me that was a polite word to say, give me way more than I actually need
And let me live however I want
While I get my revenge on everyone that ticks me off
And let me pretend to be a faithful follower
While I secretly dive into everything that's wrong behind closed doors
Now I'm going to end with some nice things about your way or the highway, when it's really all about me & my life
And God, you better get it right this time. So be it.
Read carefully. These are both dangerous prayers. Which one are you praying?
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil
For yours is the kingdom, power, and the glory forever.
Amen!
But what we really mean is:
Oh Distant being far off and indifferent
Here's a nice line about you so that you'll grant my wishes.
I kind of want to do things my way
And really don't want to think much about what you want
Please, because my mama taught me that was a polite word to say, give me way more than I actually need
And let me live however I want
While I get my revenge on everyone that ticks me off
And let me pretend to be a faithful follower
While I secretly dive into everything that's wrong behind closed doors
Now I'm going to end with some nice things about your way or the highway, when it's really all about me & my life
And God, you better get it right this time. So be it.
Read carefully. These are both dangerous prayers. Which one are you praying?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
A Note from Our Pastor about this Past Sunday
Hey Friends,
Wanted to pass along this note from our senior pastor Ben Cachiaras. If you absolutely hate the church for its supposed hypocrisy or maybe you're burnt out from being a part of a church that makes you feel like it's going nowhere, this note is for you! Enjoy, maybe even get involved:
Hi Mountain friends,
Sunday was one of those days we'll all remember for a long, long time. I believe we all heard from God and were given a simple, practical way to put feet to the story Jesus told about being a neighbor who serves like Jesus. I think the Lord helped us see a need, feel something, and then do something we could do to be a doulos - one who serves God by serving others. Sunday at all three venues was God's Frat Party at its best.
It's not every Sunday you're invited to leave your shoes for people who need them. But that's what we did. What a powerful scene. I sat stunned and happy, proud, outclassed and overwhelmed all at the same time, watching people pour down the aisles to leave their shoes. They left their cowboy boots, their brand new Nikes, their pumps, boat shoes, heels, and wing tips. There were big flip flops next to baby shoes, along with Chuck Taylors, surf shoes, sneakers and fuzzy fashion boots. As the worship continued and shoes piled up in all our venues, I think we all felt the freedom and lightness that comes from giving. With 40% of the world going shoeless, it's a small act of kindness to make a practical difference.
One woman was angry. She was not the only one. She left church with shoes in hand. "These are my new shoes." She got out to her car and couldn't leave. She stormed back in and with a melted heart left her shoes in the pile. Her anger was at herself for feeling so attached to her new shoes, when there are 300 million children with none.
My wife Karla attended a baby shower Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Richardson was there, one of our eighty year old members, as classy and dignified as any one you will ever meet. There she sat in her beautiful dress, pantyhose, and bare feet. She'd left her shoes at church.
Many others carried their shoes to their car, eager to come back this week with pairs of new shoes for kids in Romania.
One friend said he went without shoes all day and his feet were so sore! Mine too. A poignant reminder of the discomfort we are spared, and what much of the world lives with daily. Facebook is jammed with pictures and powerful stories from the day.
Let me try to clarify what the plan is moving forward and explain things for those of you who weren't present (you can always go online and LISTEN to the Sundays you miss.)
- Haiti: The gently worn shoes are for HAITI and are being distributed through Soles4Souls. Yes, you can still donate used shoes for Haiti - but this Sunday, May 23, will be the last day we will collect them. You can do so at all three venues.
- Romania: We are now collecting new shoes for Romania which will be distributed by Remember the Children (CLICK HERE for the brochure that explains how it all works and our partnership with them.). You can also visit their website at www.Remember-the-children.org where there is more information about what is being done nationwide to gather shoes for Romania. Mountain is concentrating our collection of shoes for Romania from now through Sunday, June 27. So you may bring new shoes of any size - kids or adults - and place them in the collection containers in the Commons area of the New Life Center & Cook Auditorium any day of the week and at the Bel Air location on Sundays only from now through June 27. You may also make a monetary donation to help with shipping or purchasing shoes by going to the collection locations on Sunday and giving cash or check, which will be used by Remember the Children this Fall. If you have interest in going to Romania to help distribute, check out the brochure I mentioned a moment ago.
- Go viral. "What about sharing this idea with my 10 friends?" Go for it. Have a shoeless day at work. Why not get your friends involved in gathering shoes for Romania? Use the online brochure if you want to. People who aren't Christians often want to help others, too. One group of ladies is having a shoe drive in their neighborhood, and already have word out and are arranging a pick up on Friday. Others are posting information about it all on Facebook or using email chains. Great. Shoe drives from this point forward should be focused on new shoes for Romania, and can be brought to the church anytime until June 27, our last collection day.
- Help: We need some help binding donated shoes in rubber bands, counting, and packing them into crates. If you, your friends, your small group, or family want to help with this important part of making this happen, please drop us a note at shoes@mountainchristian.org (or if you don't do email, call the church office) to say you can help and which session you plan to help with. Happy hands are needed to help at the following times in the NLC:
- Wednesday, May 19, noon - 2 PM
- Wednesday, May 19, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
- Thursday, May 20, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Be sure to contact us so we can contact you if the work is already done and we cancel work sessions.
Also - we are looking for a way to get several pallets of shoes down to Nashville sometime during the week of May 24. Anyone got access to a truck who is game for a road trip? Write us at shoes@mountainchristian.org to let us know.
- Share. I'd love to hear your shoe story. What happened on Sunday, and what is God saying to and doing in you since? If you want to tell what it was like from your perspective, or talk about some other aspect of Shoe Sunday, write us at shoes@mountainchristian.org.
That's all for now. Spread the word. "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news."
See you Sunday, shoes or no shoes. Either way it's holy ground.
Ben
Monday, May 17, 2010
I think I can, I think I can... and then I crashed.
I can't believe it's been over 6 weeks since I wrote last. Truth be told, it's exciting to see life change happen, but for a lot of us, pursuing a life that matters can quickly and unknowingly become a pursuit of burn out.
Many of us grew up hearing the story of The Little Engine that Could. Thanks to the wonder that is wikipedia, I've provided the short version:
Of course, life is all about tension. Some people find themselves so complacent and lazy that they haven't yet begun to reach their full potential. If you're like me though, you've made the opposite error. You're pushing too hard in your work. You sense that you're called to do something great, but you're striving for it on your own power, not God's.
As much as Jesus says we're to do great things, his calling is covered with a plea to rhythm, relationship, and rest:
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him produces much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." Abiding comes first, then we produce. We can do nothing that matters without the power of God within us.
Let's also not forget Jesus asking, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest."
Friends, sometimes in life, we find ourselves in unhealthy rhythms where we constantly think we can. My prayer for you is that you would open your eyes to the crash that may be just around the corner. May you seek comfort, rest, and healing in the only person that can refuel and restore your strength!
Many of us grew up hearing the story of The Little Engine that Could. Thanks to the wonder that is wikipedia, I've provided the short version:
A little railroad engine was employed about a station yard for such work as it was built for, pulling a few cards on and off the switches. One morning it was waiting for the next call when a long train of freight-cars asked a large engine in the roundhouse to take it over the hill "I can't; that is too much a pull for me," said the great engine built for hard work. Then the train asked another engine, and another, only to hear excuses and be refused. In desperation, the train asked the little switch engine to draw it up the grade and down on the other side. "I think I can," puffed the little locomotive, and put itself in front of the great heavy train. As it went on the little engine kept bravely puffing faster and faster, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."A great story, with an obvious moral: Work hard, never give up, always persevere, and you will always come out on top. Inspired by this classic tale, I felt obligated to write the sequel:
As it neared the top of the grade, which had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly. However, it still kept saying, "I--think--I--can, I--think--I--can." It reached the top by drawing on bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying, "I thought I could, I thought I could."
News of the little engine who could spread far and wide. Here was a train who really could do anything! He always thought he could do it, and he never said "no" to anyone.In case you missed the moral, let me say it like this. My dad spent most of his life telling me to grow up fast because he wouldn't be around forever. Toward the last few years of his life, he started telling me to slow down, that I was going to burn out. I've still got a long way to go before I can hear this advice, but I thank God that in the midst of all that God has been doing in my life and in the church community where I serve, enough people have gotten in my face to challenge me to put first things first. In the words of Andy Stanley, "No one retires to their office."
Before long, the little engine forgot all about his family of trains from which he came. Those who were once close to his heart quickly slipped to the caboose of his mind. Local engineers said if he didn't slow down, the steam from his stack and the heat from his furnace would soon burn out.
Always persevering, the little engine pressed on. "I know I can, I know I can," proclaimed the little engine.
And forgetting to balance his work with his family, never taking time to really plug into his source of energy, the little engine accomplished many wonderful deeds that people still speak about to this day!
And the little engine? One day he woke up and realized all that he had lost but before he could correct his course, he crashed. He died: young, rusted, and alone.
The End
Of course, life is all about tension. Some people find themselves so complacent and lazy that they haven't yet begun to reach their full potential. If you're like me though, you've made the opposite error. You're pushing too hard in your work. You sense that you're called to do something great, but you're striving for it on your own power, not God's.
As much as Jesus says we're to do great things, his calling is covered with a plea to rhythm, relationship, and rest:
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him produces much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." Abiding comes first, then we produce. We can do nothing that matters without the power of God within us.
Let's also not forget Jesus asking, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest."
Friends, sometimes in life, we find ourselves in unhealthy rhythms where we constantly think we can. My prayer for you is that you would open your eyes to the crash that may be just around the corner. May you seek comfort, rest, and healing in the only person that can refuel and restore your strength!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Take Off Your Pants, Please
I wore blue jeans to Ultimate last Saturday. Terrible idea, but really, it wasn't supposed to be that way. It was a late night followed by an early morning, we had to shoot a video of us chucking stuff off the roof, and Frisbee was immediately after that. Leaving the house, I had three wardrobe changes, two bags of breakable objects, and my Frisbee attire all ready to go, yet somehow, I arrived late to destination one and angrily threw up my hands when I realized my memory lapse.
At this point it's too far to turn back, and I would never dream of missing Frisbee. Ignoring the banter of everyone on the field, I played anyway. The jeans slowed me down, I tore them up, and no, we didn't win. Epic fail.
When I got home, I shared my frustration with Lauren as I tossed the now grass-stained and shredded denim into the washer. "Figures," I thought to myself, "Now I can have shorts on." At that moment it might have been because I'm a pastor with Bible on the brain, or maybe Jesus beamed down some divine insight, but I found myself flipping open to this verse:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us strip off every weight that hinders and the sin that easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race marked out for us." - Hebrews 12:1
I was an idiot to play Ultimate wearing pants, but it wasn't the first time I came overdressed to a competitive event.
Life is a race, my friends. We're all running it. If you don't buy into all this "Jesus died and rose again" stuff, I'm pretty sure you're headed for the wrong finish line. But hey, I'm biased. If that's the case for you, God isn't worried about what you have on, just get in the right race.
If you do say you're running the race of life for Jesus, then maybe you find yourself tripping over your pant legs just like me. My faith journey was always "Jesus AND..."
Jesus AND following the rules. Jesus AND my success. Jesus AND my video games. Jesus AND my workout routine. Jesus AND Saturday night parties. I even chose to get baptized partially because I wanted it to be Jesus AND the hot Christian girls that I thought would give me hugs. I was 10 at the time. Don't judge me.
You've got some "AND's" in your life, don't you? The Scripture writer above breaks these into two categories: weight and sin.
The sin part is obvious. You're doing the double life thing. You're going to church on Sunday but you've got that habit you can't kick. That rumor you know you shouldn't spread but you text it forward anyway. The grudge you still hold. Misguided rebellion. The hatred you bury inside yourself. The longing to be better than the guy down the street. The apathy that keeps you from doing the good thing you know you should do. Whatever it is, it slowly but steadily entangles you. You'd say you still follow Jesus, but truth be told, it's exhausting. Wearing pants and running will always wear you out.
The weight thing might be a little trickier. By itself, it's not a bad thing. Ancient runners would wear heavy weights around their ankles as they traveled on foot to the race. Moments before launch, these athletes would remove the weights, thus taking their first steps as light as a feather and as strong as a stallion. But no fool would ever consider wearing the weights for the race.
Putting a few extra hours into your job isn't a bad thing. Spending some time on video games, board games, and card games aren't either. Going to a party doesn't make you a sinner. Eating at fancy restaurants or driving nice cars are okay hobbies to have. These things are okay by themselves, but I'm pretty sure there comes a point when we're no longer just enjoying them. They become weights. Those are our "AND's." It's a lot like wearing pants to a race.
A lot of people look at Christianity as a burden. You have to do this list of rules and not do all these no no's. This verse tells a different story. Faith in Jesus is about freedom. It's about letting go of things that make our lives heavy. We're running the race of life anyway, so why not run it the best way possible?
Jesus never had to take sin off of himself, but he did take off his divinity. He did run a race that led him to death, and he ran it so freely that not even death could stop him. This Easter we celebrate Jesus' victory across the finish line into eternity.
With that, he invites us to strip off whatever hinders us from running the race he has for us. He invites us to run with him. It's time to drop whatever "pants" we're still wearing and run with endurance the race marked out for us. I don't know what the "pants" in your life are, but please take them off!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Hopeless
Exhausted, I finally plopped down in my favorite corner of the couch to write a bit and jam to some I-Tunes stuff. It's been a long week of meetings, a month of mail, and moving Mountain to John Carroll. On top of that, this week has been rough as I experience my first birthday without my dad. If you've ever lost someone close, you may know this pain.
So I'm escaping with some music in my ears, and my shuffle lands on Breaking Benjamin's "Hopeless." Nope sorry, not a Christian band. I love the lyrics though. Here's a band wrestling with real life:
In a song so hopeless, there is hope. In spite of all the pain, guilt, and filth, these guys aren't letting go. In my moment, I am going to hold on, I'm not letting go! May God give each of us the courage to do the same!
So I'm escaping with some music in my ears, and my shuffle lands on Breaking Benjamin's "Hopeless." Nope sorry, not a Christian band. I love the lyrics though. Here's a band wrestling with real life:
"Silent I go under, I am not afraid
I can see the daylight shine and slowly drift away
Safe to say it's over, sink into the grave
There is nothing left inside but I am wide awake
I can hear the devil call my name
Hopeless, I'm falling down
Filthy, I can't wake up
I cannot hold on. I will not let go
Worthless, it's over now
Guilty there's no way out
I cannot hold on, I will not let go"
Ever felt that hopeless? Ever been that down, like you're falling and you can't hold on? "It's over now." Stats show that about 71% of pastors wrestle with depression. If these people claim a connection with God and they feel like losers, I wonder what that means for everyone else?
Most of us have moments when we are down. These can last days, maybe weeks, months, or even years. You know those moments. Maybe you're there now. Maybe it was the failure where you really blew it with your kids, your friends, your parents, your spouse. Was it the divorce, the death, the disappointment? The insult, the ignorance? Your own inadequacy? Fear? You don't have to work hard to relive that moment. You remember how you felt. If you honestly can't think of any of those moments, you'll probably wasting the rest of your time here.
Now the churchy thing for me to say would be, "You'll be okay, just give it to God." If that works for you, great. For most of us, it isn't that easy.
We're in good company though. We're a week away from Holy Week, a time when many who follow Jesus remember his excruciating journey to the cross. The nails. The beatings. The pain.
One writer's account of Jesus' last words have him saying this: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
This was the first line of a song. Not Breaking Benjamin's "Hopeless," but Psalm 22, a song his hearers would have known well. At first, it sounds pretty hopeless. A lot like:
"Safe to say it's over, sink into the grave
There is nothing left inside"
But, and you know this, looks can be deceiving. If you have a Bible, read Psalm 22 now. If not, check it out here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2022&version=NIV
What begins as despair ends in triumph. Jesus was battered, but he was not beaten!
In coping with the loss of my father, there have been times when I've felt pretty hopeless. This week has been one of them. This has been a long "moment" for me. I don't know what your "moment" was, but let me say this. It is a moment, it is not eternity. The answer is not avoiding it or giving up. Whatever you are going through, we have got to face it head on.
If that moment happened in the past and you never resolved it, go dig it up now. If it's happening now, face it head on. Call her. Take him to lunch and tell him. Swallow your pride and apologize. Confront whoever brought you down. Breathe deeply and tackle that workload one little chunk at a time. Realize that you are good enough! Don't give up on that person. Work it out.
Jesus' song ends with victory, but what about Breaking Benjamin's? Check out that last line one more time:
"Guilty there's no way out
I cannot hold on, I will not let go"
In a song so hopeless, there is hope. In spite of all the pain, guilt, and filth, these guys aren't letting go. In my moment, I am going to hold on, I'm not letting go! May God give each of us the courage to do the same!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Sex God
Just finished reading Sex God by Rob Bell. Rob kindly reminds us in these 174 pages that yeah, God made sex too. Not too many authors can tick off church people with only their book title, but here's a guy that does it well.
I recommend the book, but if you're looking to round some of life's corners, let me show you a clip off the highlight reel.
We all desire to be in relationships, and not just of the romantic kind. I mean, you've got friends, family, coworkers. There are days you'd want to get rid of them, but most of the time you wouldn't want to do life without them. There's a whole list of stupid things we do with this desire to be in relationships, but we aren't talking about that now. So if you aren't a creative person, you'll have to check out the book.
We desire to be in relationships. You. Me. All of us. We were made to connect with other people. We know the risks. We've been burned 1,000 times by another person. For some, you still cling to a hemorrhaging wound from your parents. For others, it might have been a cut as recent as a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Maybe you've been so sheltered that no one has ever hurt you, but I doubt it.
We hesitate to enter into new relationships. We meet someone new at work, the gym, at school, some other social setting. They're kind of intriguing, and you'd like to get to know them. On the other hand, this person might reject you, lead you on, manipulate you. Who knows? The pain of the past leaves you paralyzed,
Or...
You pursue a relationship anyway. It's terrifying. The first few moments are agonizing, but you make it through. Time will tell where this relationship ends up, but for now, it feels good. Because you were made to connect with other people.
We aren't whole on our own, friends. You know that. We want something more than hermitage. So we pursue a relationship, for now, let's assume it's romantic. If we aren't careful, that serial killer I talked about in my last post rapes our relationship until it's all about our own needs with no regard to what is good for your special someone. We expect her to boost our ego, we expect him to be affectionate. If we aren't careful, we soon bury this other person with our physical, emotional, and spiritual expectations that they have no chance of fulfilling. We can get along for awhile, but in the end, we are dissatisfied and it's time to move on to greener grass. Or so we think.
What if we stopped and realized that the reason we want to connect with others isn't about us at all? You'll have to get over my bias, but no relationship here on earth will ever complete you. Don't worry. Lauren usually rages when I tell her that too. We have to accept that if there's a relational need which no one on this earth can meet, we must need someone beyond this earth. We will only ever experience wholeness when we let God fully be a part of our lives. You don't have to wait until your deathbed like my dad did, you can have that now.
I pray someday you'll get that wholeness you are looking for. I know you crave connection with other people. I hope you realize that that is an okay thing, but this week I want you to do two things:
1) Let's realize that if you're in a relationship for your own satisfaction, you're screwing it royally. Try transforming that relationship into something that's about them, not you.
2) Plug into a church, even if it's just one Sunday. Worst case scenario, you would have wasted that hour anyway. Ask someone about this relationship that you can have with the God who literally came to earth to bleed, die, and raise again all for you.
That's it for now, friends. Check out Sex God, at the very least you'll enjoy the strange looks you get as you carry it proudly!
I recommend the book, but if you're looking to round some of life's corners, let me show you a clip off the highlight reel.
We all desire to be in relationships, and not just of the romantic kind. I mean, you've got friends, family, coworkers. There are days you'd want to get rid of them, but most of the time you wouldn't want to do life without them. There's a whole list of stupid things we do with this desire to be in relationships, but we aren't talking about that now. So if you aren't a creative person, you'll have to check out the book.
We desire to be in relationships. You. Me. All of us. We were made to connect with other people. We know the risks. We've been burned 1,000 times by another person. For some, you still cling to a hemorrhaging wound from your parents. For others, it might have been a cut as recent as a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Maybe you've been so sheltered that no one has ever hurt you, but I doubt it.
We hesitate to enter into new relationships. We meet someone new at work, the gym, at school, some other social setting. They're kind of intriguing, and you'd like to get to know them. On the other hand, this person might reject you, lead you on, manipulate you. Who knows? The pain of the past leaves you paralyzed,
Or...
You pursue a relationship anyway. It's terrifying. The first few moments are agonizing, but you make it through. Time will tell where this relationship ends up, but for now, it feels good. Because you were made to connect with other people.
We aren't whole on our own, friends. You know that. We want something more than hermitage. So we pursue a relationship, for now, let's assume it's romantic. If we aren't careful, that serial killer I talked about in my last post rapes our relationship until it's all about our own needs with no regard to what is good for your special someone. We expect her to boost our ego, we expect him to be affectionate. If we aren't careful, we soon bury this other person with our physical, emotional, and spiritual expectations that they have no chance of fulfilling. We can get along for awhile, but in the end, we are dissatisfied and it's time to move on to greener grass. Or so we think.
What if we stopped and realized that the reason we want to connect with others isn't about us at all? You'll have to get over my bias, but no relationship here on earth will ever complete you. Don't worry. Lauren usually rages when I tell her that too. We have to accept that if there's a relational need which no one on this earth can meet, we must need someone beyond this earth. We will only ever experience wholeness when we let God fully be a part of our lives. You don't have to wait until your deathbed like my dad did, you can have that now.
I pray someday you'll get that wholeness you are looking for. I know you crave connection with other people. I hope you realize that that is an okay thing, but this week I want you to do two things:
1) Let's realize that if you're in a relationship for your own satisfaction, you're screwing it royally. Try transforming that relationship into something that's about them, not you.
2) Plug into a church, even if it's just one Sunday. Worst case scenario, you would have wasted that hour anyway. Ask someone about this relationship that you can have with the God who literally came to earth to bleed, die, and raise again all for you.
That's it for now, friends. Check out Sex God, at the very least you'll enjoy the strange looks you get as you carry it proudly!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Why the Title?
A Little about Me
"Today, I want my life to suck!"
Yeah, right. Like you've ever started a day like that. Can we cut the crap here? No one starts a day like that.
Look, I probably don't know you. Are you a career junkie trying to climb your company's ladder? Single mom? Family guy? College kid? A nobody? A somebody? Teenager? Athlete? Genius? Party animal? Lost? Retired? Religious? Atheist? Careless? I don't know who you are, but I do know this: you've never wished for a day that sucked. Please call me out if I'm wrong, but here's the deal. Regardless of who you are, where you are, or how you are feeling, I think we all wake up wanting today to be a little better than yesterday. We're all pursuing a life with a little more going for us.
I was always one of those highly energetic, overly optimistic, increasingly enthusiastic individuals that loved life and always found an opportunity in every problem. Recently, I was handed an amazing residency at an amazing church, and we had more going for us than I had ever dreamed of. I was on a high, and I had this faith in God that was uncrushable.
Then cancer kicked my dad's tail. At Thanksgiving, sudden severe illness. By Christmas, dead. Top that with several shifts in housing, more death, an unseen future, and my wife Lauren getting pregnant, and you have all the ingredients for a dark night of the soul.
And a dark night it was. It's tough watching someone you love die before your eyes. Day 1, Dad gives his life to Jesus. Praise God. Then we watch him fade for the next month. His temperament goes from joy to agitated. His confidence goes from prepared to panicked. Hope? Not anymore. Pain and fear? Definitely. The smell goes from bad to worse to intolerable. 140lbs-110lbs-90lbs. His skin goes from feverish to cold to ice. His heart goes from racing to slowed to stopped.
The best of times, the worst of times. In the midst of confusion, I can tell you with certainty that there was never a day where I woke up saying, "Man, I wish my life could get worse!" I know I'm not the only one seeing the raw side of life. I don't care what faith you have or what god you worship, you can't watch the news for any length of time and think that this is how things were meant to be. In that whole experience, I found myself face to face with the fact that there is something messed up with this world.
So why the title?
If we can see that something is wrong, than my only conclusion is that there's something inside each of us that recalls a time when things were right. Take a moment and process that. You can sense that there is a "right," can't you?
As a Christian, I'd call this an echo of Eden, a memory of life before sin spun the cosmos out of control. If you believe that, that there is a "right," then the question is how do we get back there?
We try to answer that question in a lot of different ways. Some of us are selfish enough to think if we just ignore it, if we just look out for ourselves, the rest of the world will take care of itself. So we drown ourselves in games, books, television, a career. We sell ourselves to sex, parties, drugs, anything that feels like an escape. It's all the same. The world is still wrong when we live for ourselves.
Some think it's bigger than that. If we just vote for the right politician or we just wipe those "terrorists" off the map or if we just recycle or just listen to U2 and Bob Dylan, then all the world's problems will be solved. We've been trying things like that for ages. They don't work either.
The Bible says a few things about rightness. It says God sent this Jesus dude to be murdered on a torture device and that he then resurrected him, all for sacrificial love and a fix to the mess we made. I know it sounds crazy, but yeah, I believe a dead guy rose from the dead. The Bible says God's in the process of fixing it the world. That because of Jesus, things will get back to normal and that someday, we'll see a new heaven and a new earth.
In the mean time, Jesus tells me there's a thief that wants to mug me, slit my throat, and watch my body burn. Sounds hopeful right? The good news comes in the very next sentence. Jesus says, "I've come to bring you the best life you could possibly imagine! An abundant life!"
That's what I want. That's the pursuit I'm on, a pursuit of abundant life. Whether you know it or not, that's the pursuit that you are on too, because you don't wake up everyday wishing your life would suck. We're looking for something better. That's why this blog exists.
I'm not going to beat you up on here every time I write. At times, this will be deeply personal, other times I might post a question, a book you need to check out, or a movie you need to watch. I hope you'll track with me. We've only got one life and I hope you'll share some of yours with me on here. Even if you don't buy into this Jesus guy just yet, I think you and I both agree that we want the best life we can possibly have.
Let's pursue it together.
"Today, I want my life to suck!"
Yeah, right. Like you've ever started a day like that. Can we cut the crap here? No one starts a day like that.
Look, I probably don't know you. Are you a career junkie trying to climb your company's ladder? Single mom? Family guy? College kid? A nobody? A somebody? Teenager? Athlete? Genius? Party animal? Lost? Retired? Religious? Atheist? Careless? I don't know who you are, but I do know this: you've never wished for a day that sucked. Please call me out if I'm wrong, but here's the deal. Regardless of who you are, where you are, or how you are feeling, I think we all wake up wanting today to be a little better than yesterday. We're all pursuing a life with a little more going for us.
I was always one of those highly energetic, overly optimistic, increasingly enthusiastic individuals that loved life and always found an opportunity in every problem. Recently, I was handed an amazing residency at an amazing church, and we had more going for us than I had ever dreamed of. I was on a high, and I had this faith in God that was uncrushable.
Then cancer kicked my dad's tail. At Thanksgiving, sudden severe illness. By Christmas, dead. Top that with several shifts in housing, more death, an unseen future, and my wife Lauren getting pregnant, and you have all the ingredients for a dark night of the soul.
And a dark night it was. It's tough watching someone you love die before your eyes. Day 1, Dad gives his life to Jesus. Praise God. Then we watch him fade for the next month. His temperament goes from joy to agitated. His confidence goes from prepared to panicked. Hope? Not anymore. Pain and fear? Definitely. The smell goes from bad to worse to intolerable. 140lbs-110lbs-90lbs. His skin goes from feverish to cold to ice. His heart goes from racing to slowed to stopped.
The best of times, the worst of times. In the midst of confusion, I can tell you with certainty that there was never a day where I woke up saying, "Man, I wish my life could get worse!" I know I'm not the only one seeing the raw side of life. I don't care what faith you have or what god you worship, you can't watch the news for any length of time and think that this is how things were meant to be. In that whole experience, I found myself face to face with the fact that there is something messed up with this world.
So why the title?
If we can see that something is wrong, than my only conclusion is that there's something inside each of us that recalls a time when things were right. Take a moment and process that. You can sense that there is a "right," can't you?
As a Christian, I'd call this an echo of Eden, a memory of life before sin spun the cosmos out of control. If you believe that, that there is a "right," then the question is how do we get back there?
We try to answer that question in a lot of different ways. Some of us are selfish enough to think if we just ignore it, if we just look out for ourselves, the rest of the world will take care of itself. So we drown ourselves in games, books, television, a career. We sell ourselves to sex, parties, drugs, anything that feels like an escape. It's all the same. The world is still wrong when we live for ourselves.
Some think it's bigger than that. If we just vote for the right politician or we just wipe those "terrorists" off the map or if we just recycle or just listen to U2 and Bob Dylan, then all the world's problems will be solved. We've been trying things like that for ages. They don't work either.
The Bible says a few things about rightness. It says God sent this Jesus dude to be murdered on a torture device and that he then resurrected him, all for sacrificial love and a fix to the mess we made. I know it sounds crazy, but yeah, I believe a dead guy rose from the dead. The Bible says God's in the process of fixing it the world. That because of Jesus, things will get back to normal and that someday, we'll see a new heaven and a new earth.
In the mean time, Jesus tells me there's a thief that wants to mug me, slit my throat, and watch my body burn. Sounds hopeful right? The good news comes in the very next sentence. Jesus says, "I've come to bring you the best life you could possibly imagine! An abundant life!"
That's what I want. That's the pursuit I'm on, a pursuit of abundant life. Whether you know it or not, that's the pursuit that you are on too, because you don't wake up everyday wishing your life would suck. We're looking for something better. That's why this blog exists.
I'm not going to beat you up on here every time I write. At times, this will be deeply personal, other times I might post a question, a book you need to check out, or a movie you need to watch. I hope you'll track with me. We've only got one life and I hope you'll share some of yours with me on here. Even if you don't buy into this Jesus guy just yet, I think you and I both agree that we want the best life we can possibly have.
Let's pursue it together.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
