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?

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.

After the service, I sat for a while on the front row, before a mountain of shoes, symbols of sacrifice, worship, and love. Along came a young mother with a couple of kids in tow, about 4 and 7 years old. They stared at the pile of shoes like it was a holy monument. She whispered some explanation in their ears. Immediately her daughter reached down, yanked off her shiny white Sunday dress sandals, and her eyes asked the question for her: "Can I give them, Mommy?" The woman nodded yes, and the little girl and the little boy left their tiny shoes on the pile, sending them off with love. Soon, some mother in Haiti will be handed that white pair of sandals and told they are from Jesus.

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.)

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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:

1. Wednesday, May 19, noon - 2 PM
2. Wednesday, May 19, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
3. 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.

5. 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

P.S. We begin a really important new series about our priorities in life - and the distractions that can pull us away from a life devoted to God. It's called American Idols and would be a great series to invite friends to who do not currently have any church home. See you then.

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:

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."

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."

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:

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.

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

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."

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!

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!

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:

"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!

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!

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.