Becoming

Prayer for transformation

2011-09-23T00:14:00.000-05:00

Father, we are in desperate need of transformation, as people, as churches, as communities, and as nations. Our sins are becoming too heavy to carry. Our divisions are too numerous to count. Our arrogance continues to blind us from seeing and hearing you. By the power of your Spirit, free us from the sins, temptations, fears, and systems that distract us from the life you created us to live. We humbly surrender ourselves to you today, and profess with our hearts, minds, and lungs that we are unable to change on our own. Guide us toward a posture of repentance so that we may once again turn to face you and gratefully receive your gift of life.

Missional Prayer: Loose Grip

2011-04-04T10:13:00.000-05:00

God, we confess that at times we have held on too tightly to our traditions and have missed out on the fuller life you invite us into. Gently pry our fingers back so that we hold onto our programs, our structures, and our strategies with a loose grip and instill in us a desire to grab hold of your dreams for our neighborhoods, cities, nations, and world. As we seek your will, inspire us with your creative spirit to develop fresh and meaningful habits and practices for our shared journey with you.

Missional Giving

2011-04-01T11:35:00.000-05:00

With so many churches and leaders attempting to be "missional" by way of stepping outside their buildings and serving the "least of these" (a very good thing indeed) I want us to be mindful of Jesus' warning found in the beginning of Matthew 6:

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' in front of others, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let you your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be done in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

May you, as you grow in generosity, give in secret and keep the stories of your good deeds offline and out of the media. There's a greater reward awaiting you.

Prayer for all Believers - adapted from John 17:20-21

2011-03-28T14:56:00.000-05:00

Father, we pray that those who profess to believe in your Son Jesus will demonstrate our oneness by finding ourselves in you and by actively living out your purposes together. We ask that you illuminate what we have in common and dissolve our destructive and useless differences. May our capacity for forgiveness increase! Capture our hearts and minds with your dreams for your creation. Turn our desires into your desires. Change our thinking about what is important to reflect what is important to you and equip us with whatever you deem necessary for us to courageously join you in your mission.

Prayer for Desire

2011-03-23T10:19:00.000-05:00

God, we confess that our desires have not always been in line with what you desire. Search our hearts and reveal any desires in us that, if satisfied, will not lead us to a deeper love for you or a greater surrender to your mission in the world. Reveal to us a deeper knowledge of who you are and what your heart desires. Fill us with desires for things that are good, pure, beautiful, truthful, lovely, and just. Lead us by your Spirit into activities that demonstrate your heart for the world, and in doing so, may our hearts become like yours.

Praying for Civility

2011-03-18T08:47:00.000-05:00

In a recent interview on the controversy kicked up by Rob Bell's new book, Love Wins, Eugene Peterson offers a challenge to all who feel the need to inject their two cents:

"There’s so much polarization in the evangelical church that it’s a true scandal. We’ve got to learn how to talk to each other and listen to each other in a civil way."

Father, search our hearts and reveal any pride or overly-judgmental attitudes in us. Shine your light on the deeper relational issues we have as a Church and heal us by your gentle and merciful Spirit. Remind us again that we are called to be like you and that our interactions with one another are putting you on display to the world around us. Forgive us, God, for our immature actions, attitudes, and words. Continue to work in us and among us, and give us eyes and ears to know how you are inviting us to grow next. Thank you for your faithfulness to us in the midst of our distractions and disagreements.

Prayer for Urgency

2011-03-14T22:49:00.000-05:00

Father, we surrender our desires and agendas and seek to take on your desires and your agenda, what some call your mission in, to, and for the world. For those of us who have lost our sense of urgency to join you in your mission, we pray for a desire to desire once again the journey you have called us to.

Prayer for better leadership

2011-03-11T09:48:00.000-06:00

In one of my first leadership development classes in college we were asked to memorize the following Chinese proverb:

Go to the people,
Live among them,
Learn from them,
Love them.
Start with what they know,
Build on what they have.
But of the best leaders,
When their work is done,
The people will proclaim,
"We have done it ourselves!"

Over the years this proverb has served as a good reminder for how effective leaders generate change through humble, sometimes unnoticed efforts. It also serves as a critique for why many people strive for positions of leadership (power?). If your goal of being a leader is fueled by a desire for fame you run the risk of ceasing to lead when the crowd's attention is turned elsewhere, which may be precisely the moment in time when good leadership is most necessary.

May you go and be the Light of Christ in the darkest corners of the world, even if no one else is watching.

Father, embolden your people, particularly those in leadership positions, to serve those around them with humility and to empower others out of a deeper trust in you and your Spirit's activity in and through them.

Prayer for New Life

2011-03-09T07:01:00.000-06:00

Father, as we enter into this season of Lent we pray for a loosening of our grip on our old life - the one we control - and a tighter embrace of the satisfying life you offer us in your son Jesus Christ. Stir our hearts to more fully desire you and your life. Prompt our minds to recognize the thoughts, attitudes and behaviors of our old life and lead us into a time of repentance, of turning around, of putting to death the ways and things of our former life. While it is still weeks away, we are desperate for a wider embrace of the new life that can only be found in the resurrected Christ.

Prayer for One-ness

2011-03-06T09:01:00.000-06:00

Father, we pray for all those who believe in, love, and follow Jesus, and ask for a stronger, deeper spirit of one-ness to reside among us. As we find our one-ness in your one-ness may those around us come to see, believe in, love, and follow Jesus as well. Turn our hearts and attention to the world you love including those who have yet to hear and see Jesus' message of repentance and redemption.

Prayer for Churches and Leaders

2011-03-04T10:52:00.002-06:00

Click HERE for a good word from our brother John along with a prayer for our churches and leaders.

Grace and peace to you as you prepare yourself for the upcoming Lenten season.

Prayer of Openness

2011-03-03T11:01:00.000-06:00

Father, we open our entire selves to you and surrender all that we are and have and do to you. Whatever you return to us by way of sustenance, skills, dreams and relationships, we receive them as gracious gifts from you. We open ourselves to your presence, nourishment, and guidance today. Thank you God!

Prayer of Thanksgiving

2011-03-02T09:02:00.000-06:00

Father, we thank you for the work you began in us and are carrying on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Come Lord Jesus.

Prayer of Repentance

2011-03-01T06:20:00.000-06:00

Father, we confess we have not lived as we were created to live. Forgive us. We repent of our actions, attitudes, and words that have been motivated by fear, anxiety, and pride. By the power of your Spirit at work in us, we ask that you renew our minds, restore our souls, and reactivate our hands and feet to live as the agents of reconciliation and redemption that you have called us to be. Grant us wisdom in the midst of uncertainty and patience in the midst of chaos. Shape us to become more like your Son, Jesus, for the sake of the world.

Prayer for Awareness

2011-02-28T13:52:00.000-06:00

Father, open our eyes to your Kingdom reality that is all around us. Give us new eyes to see what you see. When we look at our neighbors, may we see human beings created in your image who are filled with tremendous potential for good. When we engage with the Church, may we see fellow travelers called to partner with you in your work of redeeming and restoring the world. When we see creation, prompt us to acknowledge and appreciate its inherent beauty. And when we encounter despair, give us eyes to see hope. Awaken us to your presence in every moment of the day.

Prayer for churches Part 4

2011-02-26T19:32:00.000-06:00

Father, we pray for a spirit of repentance to well up in your church and in our nations. We confess we have taken shortcuts, made wrong turns, and even dragged our feet in our journey of following and obeying Jesus. We turn our eyes, our hearts, and our feet to face you just as we are, with all our baggage and shortcomings, and we ask for your forgiveness. Forgive us, we pray.

Prayer for churches Part 3

2011-02-25T10:45:00.000-06:00

Father, we pray for the truth and hope of Jesus to be proclaimed clearly and boldly in churches around the world. We trust that as the good news of Jesus is proclaimed the people who hear it and see it will experience freedom, healing, repentance, and an overwhelming encounter of love. May those who find the good news complicated embrace the easiness and simplicity of the yoke of Jesus.

Prayer for churches Part 2

2011-02-24T08:52:00.000-06:00

Father, we pray for our brothers and sisters who are impoverished and afflicted. Clothe them with patience and endurance for the difficult journey ahead, and in the midst of their suffering may they experience the deepest of all joys, of knowing you are present. Encourage them through the stirring of your Spirit within them.

Prayer for churches Part 1

2011-02-23T09:59:00.000-06:00

Father, we confess that our hearts have been captivated by the temporary trappings of your church rather than the sustaining presence of Christ, the head of your church. Forgive us for forsaking our first love. We ask that you redirect the desires of our hearts toward your Son, Jesus, by the power of your Spirit at work in us.

Pray

2011-02-22T23:12:00.002-06:00

If you do just one thing today, just one, make it an act of prayer.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

2011-02-21T06:56:00.000-06:00

From Paul's letter roughly 1950 years ago to the community of believers in Thessalonica:

"We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

Who are you thankful for today? Let them know.

Prayer of Anticipation

2011-02-20T14:34:00.000-06:00

Father, as the northern hemisphere warms the southern hemisphere cools, we anticipate a new season of the year. Teach us to hold on to the successes and failures of last season very loosely so as to grab hold of the future you are drawing us into. May we create space in our lives and schedules to stop and listen to you. May our eyes stay focused on you and your activity in this world. Awaken us to your presence within and around us, and inspire us with your loving Spirit to tangibly share the good news of salvation that resides in your Son, the Christ. With whom are you inviting us to love and bless and share this news with?

A modern day proverb

2011-02-19T09:04:00.000-06:00

This from Fr. Richard Rohr:

“Those who really know don’t talk too easily. Those who talk too easily don’t really know.”

Choose your words - and their timing - carefully today.

Peace!

Prayer for the Middle East

2011-02-18T13:05:00.000-06:00

Father, as protests erupt throughout the Middle East, we pray for peaceful demonstrations and interactions. We ask that those involved (protesters and governments) will be protected from destructive actions and attitudes, and we pray for the emergence of political systems that put Kingdom values on display - those focused on compassion, generosity, and justice. May those involved in present and future conversations be overcome with humility. Turn their attention away from their own preservation and shift their hearts toward plans that will be for the betterment of their nation as a whole as well as surrounding world.

What's our problem?

2011-02-17T12:48:00.000-06:00

Here's a great line from Mike Breen in an interview he did with Mark Howell, which you can find here:

"I firmly believe that we don’t have a missional problem in the United States. We have a discipleship problem. If you make disciples, you’ll always get the church. But if you make the church, you rarely get disciples."

How accurate is this analysis in your context? If it's accurate, what will you do to change it?

Who do you trust?

2011-02-16T14:17:00.000-06:00

Faith, at its core, is a matter of trust at the heart level rather than understanding at the head level, which makes the question "Are you a person of faith?" quite ridiculous for an evangelist to ask someone since all people everywhere are people who trust someone or something. Have you ever encountered someone who has no trust in anything or anyone, even in themselves? I haven't. Everyone has faith in something or someone.

Perhaps its time for Christian evangelists to stop selling people on a particular set of beliefs or doctrine and instead start living a life that demonstrates what a life of trusting the Christ looks like. Take a moment to reflect on this: who or what do you trust with your life, and how is your trust evident to others?

How should we pray?

2011-02-15T12:46:00.000-06:00

Here is Eugene Peterson's interpretation of the prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray:

Our Father in heaven
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best -
as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

Prayer of Confession

2011-02-14T05:55:00.001-06:00

Father, awaken us to systems and trends of our culture that work against your purposes in the world and to which we contribute unknowingly. Challenge our hearts and minds by the work of your Spirit to identify those things and to do whatever is necessary to step out of them. We confess that our actions, attitudes, and words have not always demonstrated your beauty, goodness, justice, truth and love in the world and we are desperate to uncover a better way of living. Teach us by your Spirit how we should live this week and in the weeks after.

Prayer for Children

2011-02-13T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, we pray for the youngest members of our world and ask that the hungry be fed, the illiterate be taught to read, the naked be clothed, the enslaved and exploited be liberated, the broken be healed, the orphaned be adopted, the over-resourced be generous, the housed be hospitable, the prideful be humbled, and the uncared for be actively loved. Guide our hearts and minds to identify the most vulnerable in our communities and world and to obediently respond to what we hear you wanting us to do for them.

Prayer for Local Churches

2011-02-12T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, as local churches prepare to gather this weekend we ask that you encounter them in the midst of their gathering through the sending of your Spirit. You know what their deepest needs are and I pray that you break them free from whatever it is that entangles them or enslaves them - anything that is preventing them from loving and following Jesus more fully. We ask too that their gatherings be so loving and inclusive that outsiders experience the presence of the risen Christ in those times.

Prayer for Church Staff

2011-02-11T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, we pray for those who serve on the staffs of local churches. Remind them of the gifts you have given them and equip them with whatever they need to create spaces of transformation for those they serve. Align their desires with your desires for their congregations.

Prayer for Preachers

2011-02-10T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, in a time when our words have lost much of their weight, I pray that the words coming from our preachers will be words of truth, mercy, love, and peace, setting free those who hear them and transforming their hearts and lives. Embolden those who are preparing to preach with a spirit of humility and courage to proclaim your good news for the world.

Prayer for Freedom

2011-02-09T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, we hold ourselves back from joining you in your activity in this world for many reasons, none of which are healthy. Free us from our fears and apprehensions and self-doubt by proclaiming to us again who you have made us to be. May we live as your liberated agents of reconciliation and redemption today.

Prayer for the Weary

2011-02-08T11:25:00.000-06:00

Father, I pray for those serving you and your world who are worn out and weary. For those who need rest, I ask that you create time and space in their lives for rest. For those who need help, I pray that you will inspire more workers who will surround them and support them. For those who are ready to give up, I pray for renewed vision and energy for the work you have invited them into. Breathe your breath of life into them.

The Value of Experiences

2011-02-07T15:21:00.000-06:00

In reflecting on recent conversations and experiences I've been a part of, it seems to me that the good life - the life Jesus offers humanity - is found not in the mere accumulation of experiences (i.e. busyness) but in the depths of our experiences (i.e. the levels to which joy, compassion, generosity, friendship, and forgiveness are experienced), which, if we pay attention, hold even greater power to transform us more fully into the likeness of Christ.

So perhaps the question we must wrestle with today is not "How much can I get done?" but "How deeply does God want to transform me through what I get done?"

Questions for God - Listening

2011-02-07T05:55:00.001-06:00

Father, what do you want to say to us today? We pause now and listen for your voice.

Questions for God - Healing

2011-02-06T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, what parts of our beings are still in need of healing? Awaken us to our own brokenness and restore us to the people you created us to be.

Questions for God - Good Questions

2011-02-05T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, what questions should we be asking you? Grant us wisdom to know the important questions to ask and the courage to ask them of the appropriate people.

Questions for God - Going

2011-02-04T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, where are you at work and where are you inviting us to join you in your work? Prompt our hearts to trust your invitation and quicken our feet so as to catch up with you and your work in the world. May we be unafraid to go where you invite us to go.

Question for God - Feeling

2011-02-03T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, what deeply affects you? Open our hearts to feel what you feel. Help us to become people who can identify with the deepest of suffering, trusting that you are already present.

Questions for God - Hearing

2011-02-02T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, what do you hear that we are not yet hearing? Open our ears to the cries of others and equip us with whatever you deem necessary to ease their suffering.

Questions for God - Vision

2011-02-01T05:55:00.001-06:00

Father, what do you see that we do not yet see? Open our eyes to see our neighborhoods, our co-workers, our families, and our own brokenness just as you see them. Help us to see what you see.

Prayer for Courageous Action

2011-01-31T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, as we step outside our doors today we trust in your promise to be with us. Embolden us to take great steps of faith as we seek to discern where you are guiding us. When we are invited to speak, may our words be your words - words of good news, compassion, and healing. And when we serve, may our hands be filled with your gifts - gifts that demonstrate your immense love for the world.

Prayer for Rest

2011-01-30T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, as many practice Sabbath today, I pray against any distractions that may lead us away from the wholeness we can only find in you. Teach us to trust you more deeply with our time and our resources. May we learn to rest in you and your sovereignty more frequently.

Prayer for the Confused

2011-01-29T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, we are often confused as we stand between the new life in Christ that pulls us into the future and the old religious structures that have nurtured us to this point. As we seek to articulate this sense that we are on the cusp of a fresh movement of your Spirit we ask that you grant us wisdom, humility, and grace. Teach us to more fully put our trust in you, our present help and hope, and guide us toward an abandonment of having to know what's ahead in order to take our next step.

Prayer for wayward churches

2011-01-28T05:55:00.001-06:00

Father, we confess the ways we have not worshiped you and you alone. Forgive us for thinking too highly of the programs policies, and preaching that make up our churches. Purify our hearts and renew our vision for being the people you intend us to be and guide us by your Spirit to more fully live out the new creation identity you offer to all through your Son Jesus.

Prayer for Hope

2011-01-27T05:55:00.001-06:00

Father, we pray for those who are at the end of their ropes. May your Son, the Light, reveal himself to them and may they be rescued from any hold the evil one has on them. In doing so, we pray that they will grab hold of the hope - hope that you are still at work in our world, actively pursuing the redemption of all things.

Prayer for Perseverance

2011-01-26T05:55:00.001-06:00

Father, many of your people live with constant suffering and we ask that you make yourself known to those in the worst of conditions. In doing so, may your presence strengthen them and inspire them to endure their suffering with patience and even joy.

Prayer for the Suffering

2011-01-25T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, in light of all the suffering in the world we plead for your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Demonstrate your goodness and mercy by relieving the suffering of those who are in desperate need of freedom from whatever enslaves them. Awaken us, Father, to our own suffering so as to more closely identify with our suffering brothers and sisters around the world.

Prayer for Greater Listening

2011-01-24T05:53:00.001-06:00

Father, as we step into a new week guide us into spaces and times of greater listening. We pause now to hear from you. What do you want to say to us?

Prayer for self-control

2011-01-23T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, we acknowledge that evil is lurking in the world and we ask for the very thing Jesus taught us to ask for, that you would guide our steps away from temptation and deliver us from evil. When we're faced with temptation today help us to see your path out of and away from that place of testing and remind us by your Spirit that there is freedom in Christ.

Prayer for Humility

2011-01-22T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, all we have is a gift from you, so as we interact with others today, may we approach that gift of relationship with gentleness and humility. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear the needs and concerns of others and to place them above our own needs and concerns. Equip us to serve those we encounter today in the way Jesus would.

Prayer for Faith

2011-01-21T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, you are trustworthy and we profess our trust in you as the Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth. We confess the times we have placed our trust in other gods and acknowledge that you alone are worthy of our faith and devotion. Thank you for the gift of faith.

Prayer for Kindness

2011-01-20T05:53:00.000-06:00

Father, we are grateful for the kindness and generosity you show us every day and we ask that you help us to see those around us in the same way you do - as loved and treasured people. Conform our hearts to be like yours and activate our hands by your Spirit at work within us so as to participate with you in showing kindness and generosity to others today.

Prayer for Patience

2011-01-19T05:55:00.001-06:00

Father, we surrender ourselves to you and your providential timing today. Inspire your Church to more fully portray a non-anxious, Christ-like presence in the world, even in the midst of tremendous suffering. Grant us patience and endurance for our journey today.

Prayer for Love

2011-01-18T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, we acknowledge that you are love, and we confess that we have gotten your love wrong in more ways than we know. Forgive us for not living out our loving identity more fully. As we step into your world today - the world you love - prompt us by your Spirit to love those we encounter with the same sacrificial, unmotivated, and unconditional love you have demonstrated for us in your son Jesus.

Prayer for Unity

2011-01-17T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, I pray for unity among the many followers of Jesus, particularly for those in places where diversity is not valued and celebrated. Unite us by the power of your Spirit at work in us. Direct our vision toward the common bond we share as human beings created in your image.

Prayer for More Workers

2011-01-16T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, as many sit in worship services today, I pray that the words of our songs and sermons will inspire many more to respond more intentionally to your invitation to join you in your work of redeeming and restoring the world. I pray for more workers for the harvest that is ripe. Guide us into the darkest corners of the world to proclaim in word and deed the good news of Jesus Christ.

Prayer for the Repairing of the World

2011-01-15T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, the world is in desperate need of repair. Help us to see what you see and to do what we can to help put the world back together in the way you intend. I pray for healing for the broken - grant our doctors wisdom in their decision-making; I pray for satisfaction for the hungry - fill the pantries of our kitchens with food; I pray for the reconciliation of the divided - give us eyes to see one another as beautiful and valuable human beings made in your image.

Prayer for Joy

2011-01-14T05:55:00.001-06:00

Father, remind us once again that our greatest joy can only be found in you. Through whatever means necessary, direct our hearts and minds towards you as the only God we were created to worship.

Prayer for Courage

2011-01-13T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, as you have called and sent many into the world to display your way of life and the life of the new creation, I ask for courage as they encounter resistance. Grant them boldness in the face of danger. Encourage them by your Spirit to press on in their journey of surrender to you and your mission in the world.

Prayer for Holiness

2011-01-12T05:55:00.001-06:00

Father, we confess that we have not lived in the way you created us to live and have not done so in more ways than we know. Open our eyes to the ways we are not taking steps toward becoming the people you have made us to be. Purify our hearts. Draw us toward holiness by the work of your Spirit within us.

Prayer for Peace

2011-01-11T05:55:00.001-06:00

Father, with the world, including many churches, being overly anxious about so many things, I pray for your peace to reside more deeply in those you have called and sent into your world. May we as your Church become a consistent, non-anxious presence in our homes, work places, schools, places of recreation, and everywhere else we find ourselves. Teach us to be more like Jesus in our approach to life and all that life throws at us.

Prayer for Open Ears

2011-01-10T08:34:00.001-06:00

Father, I pray for open ears for your Church. In our times of silence and solitude, I ask that you tune our ears to understand what you are whispering to us, and embolden us by your Spirit to then actively obey what we hear you say.

Prayer for our True Identity

2011-01-09T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, we celebrate your goodness and faithfulness. As we worship you, remind us of your continued activity in the world. Fill our minds with images of the new creation that was inaugurated by the resurrection of Jesus and that continues to manifest itself in many hidden ways all around us. Inspire us to live out our new creation identity.

Prayer for the Church

2011-01-08T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, I pray for your church. We recognize that we have strayed from the full life you have called us to and we repent of our destructive habits and attitudes. We confess our pride and arrogance as well as our apathy. Transform us by the work of your Spirit so that we may become agents of redemption, reconciliation, and transformation in the world.

Prayer for our deepest needs

2011-01-07T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, as we head into the weekend I pray that we remember to whom we belong, and that in doing so the weary will find rest, the weak will gain strength, the hungry and thirsty will find food and water, the homeless will experience a sense of "home", and the isolated and estranged will find friendship. Meet us at the point of our deepest need.

Prayer for Deeper Trust

2011-01-06T05:55:00.001-06:00

Father, in this time of uncertainty and instability, we acknowledge our fears and proclaim our trust in you. You are faithful. Teach us to live and lead out of our trust in you and not out of our fears and insecurities, including our fear of ridicule and embarrassment, our fear of disrupting the status quo, and our fear of being alone. We trust that you are with us and that you will guide us by your Spirit at work within us.

Prayer for the Stuck

2011-01-05T05:55:00.000-06:00

Father, for those within your church who feel stuck in their faith or even stuck because of their faith, I pray for you to free them from the beliefs, attitudes, expectations and practices that are holding them back from more fully aligning their hearts, heads, and hands with those of Jesus. Set your leaders and churches free to become the people and communities they were made to be.

Prayer for our Neighborhoods

2011-01-04T13:53:00.003-06:00

Father, I pray for our neighborhoods. Prompt us by your Spirit to step outside our doors and make ourselves available in whatever way you desire to those living within walking distance of our homes. Put us in touch with those who are suffering and prepare our hearts to join them in their suffering. We confess our fears in doing this and ask that you grant us your peace and confidence as we go.

Missional Prayer

2011-01-04T13:52:00.002-06:00

One of the great privileges of serving as a coach is that I get to pray with and for various ministry leaders (i.e. servants of the King). Oftentimes, they tell me how deeply appreciative they are for our times of prayer, which makes doing it even more enjoyable! But after years of praying for leaders, I've come to the conclusion that many of them are rarely if ever prayed for.

THIS SHOULD NOT BE!

So it is with renewed fervor that I am committing a portion of each daily post to pray for the Church, her leaders, and the world being served by her.

If you're looking for some daily encouragement for your journey with Jesus, I invite you to subscribe to this blog and receive daily email updates that will include prayer for you. And if you appreciate the prayers, please pass them along to others who you sense might also be in need of encouragement.

But perhaps you may have a specific issue or situation you would like prayer for. Please feel free to email me to share your request and I will commit to intercede on your behalf.

So Father, I pray for your Church and her leaders. Grant us healthy bodies, sharp minds, discerning spirits, and willing hands and feet as we submit our agendas to you and serve those around us. Thank you for the invitation to join you in your work of redeeming and restoring your creation. Forgive us for the many distractions that we allow in our lives that prevent us from hearing you clearly and obeying you faithfully. Purify our motives by the work of your Spirit within us. This I pray in the name of the risen Jesus.

Kingdom Campaigning

2010-10-26T11:22:00.000-05:00

Ok, I lied. I said I wasn't going to blog here again until 2011, but being a week away from mid-term elections I just had to spell out some questions I've been pondering. With the airwaves, ad space, and cable news shows filled to the brim with political ads desperately seeking our attention, I am amazed at how many candidates are dragging out their opponent's dirty laundry in an attempt to make themselves look better - falling into a mode of running againstanother person - as opposed to spelling out a plan to tackle the complex and difficult situations many of our communities and states are facing in the weeks and months ahead. In the current game of campaigning, what it boils down to for us as voters is to determine which of the candidates is least troublesome to our conscience and then submit our vote as an act of support for them - albeit a hesitant, halfhearted support. Is this really all we should expect from candidates? A change in how we campaign is desperately needed.

So I've been wondering...

1. What if candidates, particularly those professing to be Christians (a large percentage?), remembered that because of what took place on and after the cross Jesus endured they were set free from sin and there is no longer any condemnation? How would their message change and how would their attitude to other candidates change? How would campaigns (and their ads) be different if candidates did not bring up the pasts of other candidates?

2. What if, during debates, moderators had the guts to cut off any remarks made by a candidate that in any way attempted to judge the other candidate(s)? What if instead of finger-pointing the candidates took the idea of leadership to heart and pointed out all the positive things the other candidates had to bring to the table and offered ways to help them improve even more? Sounds backwards, doesn't it? But wouldn't you vote for a leader that made the people around them better?

What questions does all this political banter raise for you?

Update and new blog

2010-10-05T20:00:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, it's been a while since I've posted here and for that I apologize. It's not that I've stopped writing, it's just that I've stopped writing here. I hope to return to this blog again in 2011 but for now you can catch me over at a new blog I started a few weeks ago titled "The Gospel According to Dave Matthews Band" http://ga2dmb.blogspot.com.

So until I post here again, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I'll see you in 2011.

Peace!
Jon

The Myth of Full-Time Ministry

2010-07-07T19:34:00.000-05:00

Otto Scharmer, a consultant to some of the world's largest and most influential organizations, typically begins his consulting conversations by asking the same thought-provoking question: What question is your work an answer to?

Sit on that for a moment or two. It's deep, isn't it?

A friend of mine, whom I'll call Tim, told me that when he started working in the insurance industry he would often get up and go to work repeatedly forgetting, even ignoring, the purpose behind his work, which was to provide financial protection for others in the case of an accident or catastrophe. He said that not long after starting his job, he fell into the trap of thinking that he was just there to push some paper around and collect a paycheck. In fact, he described his typical day like "wading into the water alone without catching a wave and then swimming back to the shore at 5:00."

Years later, Tim woke up to the reality that he was not in his position to ultimately serve his company or earn a paycheck. Rather, he was in his position to more intentionally serve the people who trusted his company. What he learned about these people was that while they appeared to be financially well-off or at least secure, many were not. So from that day forward, Tim committed to personally connecting with as many of his company's trusting clients as possible to learn more about their financial situation and express his care and concern for them. What happened over time was that Tim and many of these trusting clients developed friendships beyond their contractual connections, and soon work became an outlet for Tim's ministry of providing free financial counseling to help people and families climb out of debt.

Tim's story is just one of thousands who have discovered a larger, more meaningful purpose to their work. Instead of quitting their 9-5 job and entering "full-time ministry" in a church or religious organization, many people are discovering that they're already in positions of "full-time ministry", serving as store clerks, accountants, stay-at-home moms, etc. just without the robes and collars (or flip-flops and t-shirts, if that's your tradition). The idea that "full-time ministry" is a calling for only a few select super-holy people is bogus. Anyone who professes to be a follower of Jesus is already in full-time ministry, whether they know it or not. It may just not take place in a church building.

Tim's response to Otto's question evolved over time from "How can I financially support my family?" to "How can I offer financial liberation to those who are desperate for it?"

How would you respond to Otto's question?

Perhaps it's too complicated to articulate your question right now, so a better question to consider might be "What question would you like your work to be an answer to?"

May the hours you spend at work each day be filled with opportunities to serve others and may you be a force for good right where you are.

We need new soil!

2010-04-26T15:47:00.000-05:00

It's planting season here in the Midwest. Warm temperatures and dry spells lasting several days have propelled farmers into their fields where they're spending numerous hours behind the steering wheels of their large and sophisticated pieces of equipment planting seeds in the ground.

Unlike its counterparts in the more mild regions of the world, where farming happens all year round, planting season in the Midwest seems to carry with it a strong sense of revitalization and renewal as the once frozen soil comes to life to serve as the container for growth and potential fruitfulness of the crop. And every farmer knows that the condition of the soil is what determines the quality of the crop.

For the soil to generate healthy growth and do its best work (i.e. produce a high yield) it must be healthy itself. Conditions such as too little top soil or too much water will limit the fruitfulness of the crops. At the front end of planting season, much work goes into preparing the soil to be as healthy a host as possible for the crops. Year after year, farmers begin their planting season by first tending to the condition of the soil so that it's prepared to be a healthy host come time to plant seeds.

Imagine for a moment what the crops would look like in a field that did not have its soil tilled and nourished before accepting seeds? Words like "stunted" and "unfruitful" come to my mind, don't they?

In many ways, churches in North America are a lot like unprepared soil. Sure, they started out with the right purpose - wanting to serve as a container for the growth, and fruitfulness of the seeds planted in it - but over time (sometimes just a couple years), and for whatever reason, these same churches have lost sight of that purpose and are now trying to raise crops without tending to the source of their crop's growth. Churches have fallen in love with the crop and have forgotten about the soil!

Research shows that in North America, in general, there is an inverse correlation between the number of years a church has been in existence and the number of disciple-making disciples it produces. In other words, the longer a church survives, the fewer disciple-making disciples it produces.

To combat this trend, some have argued that we simply need more new churches in the world (those with a great chance of having the right purpose in mind), and so for the last forty years, church planting programs, conferences, and resources have been developed by church planting experts to fuel a movement of church planting across North America and the world. This, I believe, is not the best approach to take as it may only perpetuate the trend of spending hundreds of millions of dollars and decades of time building long-lasting but ultimately unfruitful organizations. The policies, procedures, and strategies that have been developed over the last half a century are no longer effective today. So what should we do?

What we need, I would argue, is to create spaces within our faith communities to dream about a new kind of soil. We need to return to the questions of the soil, so to speak, and ask ourselves, "what are the essential elements we must embody as followers of Jesus to be obedient and fruitful ourselves and then help others be the same?" I have some thoughts on this but I'd like to hear yours first. What do you think? What would a healthy container for the growth and fruitfulness of Jesus-followers look like?

A Missional Easter

2010-04-03T12:47:00.000-05:00

In the weeks leading up to Easter I've been asking myself, "What does a missional Easter look like?" And for weeks, I've struggled to find a helpful image...until this past Thursday. I was reading Luke's version of Jesus' death and resurrection and was struck by the stories that immediately follow his resurrection.

As Luke shares with his readers, the disciples of Jesus were quite amped up after discovering that Jesus' tomb was empty - that he was no longer in there - and yet they didn't have any physical evidence that he had truly been resurrected. In fact they were not fully convinced themselves that he was alive again. Perhaps they were just cautiously optimistic.

One post-resurrection story on which Luke spends a significant of time is one of Jesus appearing to two of his disciples on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, which happened to occur on the same day of his resurrection, post-Passover (Luke 24:13). While walking along the road, Jesus shows up and walks alongside Cleopas and his mate who do not recognize him. They have no clue who he is. In fact, Cleopas treats Jesus like a newcomer to the area, wondering why Jesus had not heard about all that had happened in Jerusalem in the last few days. I picture Jesus trying not to laugh in response to Cleopas' questioning. Imagine that scene for a minute: here's Jesus, who three days earlier had been arrested, beaten, ridiculed, stripped naked, and hammered to a Roman execution stake left to suffocate to death. Jesus finally surrenders his spirit (breathes his last breath) and dies. Three days later, Jesus is resurrected by the power of God and now stands in front of two of his disciples who wonder if he is aware of what just happened to Jesus in Jerusalem. If I were Jesus, my response would be something like, "Yeah, I'm fully aware of what happened." Seriously Cleopas! It's all quite humorous really. Anyway, back to the story.

As the story goes, these two disciples don't recognize Jesus until much later in the day - not until after sunset when they share a meal together - and only then are their eyes opened to who he really is. Now in the Jewish culture, the next day began when the sun went down. For example, the time after sunset that we would call Sunday night the Jewish culture would consider the start of Monday. (Read and reflect on the creation poem of Genesis 1 for more insight on this). But that is not the point I want to make here.

What I find really interesting here is that Jesus chooses to have people recognize his true resurrected self for the very first time in the midst of a post-resurrection (post-Easter) meal. The two disciples with whom Jesus shares the meal later point to the way he broke bread during the meal as the key moment for their recognition of him. One could say that it is in the post-resurrection breaking of bread, or the post-Easter sharing of a meal, that Jesus reveals himself to others.

We could dig much deeper into the post-Easter activities of Jesus, but my original question remains unanswered: what does a missional Easter look like? If living a missional life includes practicing hospitality (sharing meals), and if Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, perhaps hosting a meal on Easter (be it breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner) is the closest encounter the people you know might ever have with the resurrected Jesus.

Perhaps in the sharing of a meal - whether it be friends, neighbors, co-workers, other followers of Jesus, family, strangers or even enemies - Jesus might choose to reveal his fully alive and resurrected self to those present, some of whom might even encounter him for the very first time? If Jesus did it once, he just might do it again.

The heart of missional living

2010-03-23T13:36:00.000-05:00

In my attempt to keep up with all this talk about being "missional" I can't help but wonder how future generations will interpret this movement of sorts. In 50 years, will the missional movement be viewed more as one of radical service, generosity, and devotion to Jesus, or as an impotent, top-heavy, cognitive exercise that produced little more than some occasional service projects and new terminology for our lackluster ministries? I pray that it's the former, yet with all the conferences and books being produced with "missional" in their titles, I do have reservations.

Just as we teach our kids that what's popular is not always right, so too must we as missional leaders regularly ask (and be asked) if what we're doing is in alignment with the historical ministry and present guidance of Jesus. I've read and heard stories of churches simply tacking on more service opportunities to their ministries in which their already overly busy members can participate and then proclaiming themselves to be missional. Now I'm all for service, but if the pursuit of more service is an attempt to jump into the popular missional movement so as to somehow satisfy our deep desire for significance, then we need to stop and question our motivations. The missional movement at its core is not about more service. If it was, we wouldn't need God. We could simply set up shop as a charity and call ourselves missional. That's not what the missional movement is primarily about. Rather, it's about something much less noticeable at the outset.

At the core of a missional lifestyle is the difficult and deeply necessary practice of listening - listening to God, listening to others, listening to ourselves. Where some people and churches want to immediately jump into action as a demonstration of their being missional, living an intentionally missional life actually requires us as individuals and communities of faith to create space for listening to occur. Jesus demonstrates this when he is led into the wilderness for forty days at the beginning of his public ministry (Matthew 4). So too do his first followers as they wait in Jerusalem for the promised Spirit to arrive (Acts 1-2). As much as we want to go out and prove ourselves to be followers of Jesus, we must resist the urge to step out ahead of the Spirit.

There will come a time when we need to act, and act with a servant's heart. But first we must listen, not just to one another, not just to those who have gone before us, but, most importantly, to the Originator of the missional movement.

This leads us to three critical questions for missional living:
1. How are you intentionally creating space to listen?
2. How do you know if what you're hearing from God is truly God?
3. What would an obedient response to God's missional invitation look like in your context?

Following Jesus today is just as difficult as it was 2000 years ago. Doing so will require everything of you, but once you step into that journey you realize there is no one else you'd rather live your life for.

If you have a story to share about your own following of Jesus, I'd love to hear it. Please feel free to email me about it.

As you step into the world, may you go in the name of the risen Christ who will always be with you. And may you develop the habit of listening and responding to God. Perhaps you'll be surprised by what you hear.

Peace

The Issues Behind the Issues

2010-03-19T13:30:00.000-05:00

Upon moving to a new city last summer, I sought to answer this question: what are the needs - both obvious and hidden - that God wants to meet in this community and how can I join him in doing that? To answer that question, I decided to take a tour of the city, and guess who I invited to be my tour guide? None other than one of the sergeants of our fine police department (I'll call him Sgt. Tom).

So on a recent Saturday night, Sgt. Tom and I patrolled the city. For four hours I rode in his patrol car, asking numerous questions about the city, its people, and their issues in hopes of gaining a fresh perspective on the city, my city, our city, God's city. And while I didn't participate in a high speed chase or provide back up for a drug bust, I did experience moments of great surprise.

One of those moments occurred when Sgt. Tom drove us through the parking lot of a shady motel and pointed out the issues of each person who called that motel home. One by one, he rattled off the issues as if he was reading through a class roster. "This person struggles with ____ and this one is in therapy for ______" and so on and so forth. What blew me away was not the depth or intensity of the issues he shared but that he was fully aware of the issues behind the issues! One person's drug addiction was actually a symptom of a much deeper issue in his life: his inability to find a steady job. Another person's petty theft was a direct result of her unhealthy relationships at home. What struck me about Sgt. Tom was that while he knew he had a job to protect and serve the community, he took that responsibility a step further.

Sgt. Tom's desire was to change the status quo for the community he lived in and loved. He sought to lower the level of domestic violence and see that each person who desired to work could find gainful employment. He sought to truly understand each person he encountered so as to get at the root of the destructive behaviors they were demonstrating and then provide them with an opportunity to change. It wasn't enough for him just to lock people up for the crimes they committed; he wanted to see them become changed people who changed their city, his city, our city, God's city. This is redemption.

The tour of the city opened my eyes to the issues behind the issues and I'm grateful for the opportunity Sgt. Tom provided me to learn about them. I'm now dreaming about the next steps to take so as to stop the vicious cycles of destructive behaviors that get passed down from generation to generation.

Here are two questions for you to consider:
1. Who can you connect with to learn more about your city so as to discover the issues behind the issues?
2. After learning what those issues are, what steps will you take to see change come about for the good of your city and its people?

Fear and Love

2010-03-12T08:46:00.000-06:00

In the spring of 2007 I was wrapping up my master's degree and contemplating where to go and apply everything I had learned in my studies. In my head, there was only one option for us: Michigan. My wife and I had moved from Michigan to California two years earlier so that I could go to grad school, and being familiar with the cultural landscape of the region it made a lot of sense for us to move back. We scheduled a trip to visit the community from which we came fully expecting to experience a strong tug back toward that place. As the trip neared, our excitement grew about the opportunities we would encounter and the re-connections we would make. It would be as if we went on a long vacation and now we were coming back! Everything would be the same!

As you can guess, things weren't the same. While we thoroughly enjoyed connecting with friends and visiting our favorite places, we never sensed that God was inviting us to go back there. Needless to say, this threw us for a loop as we had not considered another option. What do we do now?

Over the next several months were spent time in prayer and discussion seeking to understand two things. First, why had God not called us back to Michigan? And second, where was he inviting us to go? As the weeks turned into months we began to feel what everyone seems to feel in times of uncertainty: fear. For me, fear is like walking through a maze while blindfolded. The longer an uncomfortable situation persists the more I feel like I'll never get out of it and there's nothing I can do to get out. It's exasperating! I can't see! If only I could see then I could find my way out and put this feeling of uncertainty to rest!

One morning, after several months of what felt like wandering around aimlessly, I was sitting alone with God and asking him what he had in store for me. The response I "heard" caught me a bit off guard, but it was as clear as the ocean by the beaches of St. Petersburg (I've never been to St. Pete by the way, but I've seen the "untouched" photos). God said, "You are right where I want you to be." What? Here? In Pasadena? What could you have for us here?

My wife and I never considered living in Southern California for longer than we needed to, but now God was asking us to essentially open our eyes to all the opportunities around us to demonstrate his way of life with and among others. Why had we not considered this option before? I'll tell you why: fear! Our fear of the unknown had blinded us to what God was doing in our midst. We kept looking elsewhere, especially back to the familiar land we had come from, and realized we were not being led to those other places. God has us right where he wanted us.

Many who sincerely seek God's will in times of transition find themselves dealing with this beast called fear. And if I've learned anything from my own times of transition, it's that fear quickly fills the void when I am blind to love. I'm not talking about the romantic kind of love here, I'm talking about the love God has for me and for others which propels me to serve. Perhaps this is why we never read of Jesus being fearful. He was so confident in God's love for him and others that he could peacefully and gracefully enter any situation or setting and serve people with complete joy, openness, and freedom.

Perhaps you're in a time of transition or are wondering what purpose God might have for you and your life. If I can only say one thing to you, it would be this: God deeply loves you and thoroughly enjoys being your Father. Let that sink in for a while. After it does, I encourage you to take some time to reflect on the situations and settings you regularly find yourself in and ask, "Who can I serve in these places?" You may find that God has you right where he wants you.

The beginning of change

2010-03-03T13:38:00.000-06:00

Change is not a foreign term for anyone who's been alive the past 2 years. President Obama's election campaign was driven by it. The air waves and cable programs have overflowed with deafening voices shouting about it. Change seems to be a constant topic of conversation, if not a constant yearning within every one of us.

If change is what we want most, then we have to ask some very difficult questions. Oftentimes, the underlying question during discussions about change is "How can we bring about change?" This is not a bad question as it points toward a desire to provide a better way of life for others. Below the surface, this question demonstrates a realization on the part of those engaged in the discussions that individuals, sub-cultures, and even whole nations are not as independent as they once thought they were. We're not alone on this planet!

With the help of those studying chaos theory, we're discovering that the actions of an individual in Wichita can have a profound effect (positive or negative) on a group of people halfway around the world. In fact I just saw a news report today about an 8 year old who is raising money to purchase much-needed school supplies for Afghan children. Think about that: an 8 year old in America improving the literacy rate for a whole region of students in Afghanistan! Amazing!

Individuals who engage in the process of serving others often share in one way or another how doing so makes them feel more alive, more human. Imagine that! Acting generously toward others actually makes us more alive! And yet these initiatives are seldom sustained and the people helped often revert to their previous lifestyle.

Change experts like Peter Senge (author of The Fifth Discipline)have proclaimed for years that true, authentic, lasting change begins with our own personal transformation. In other words, if we want to change others, we must first change ourselves. While the idea of personal transformation being the beginning of larger, societal change may be revolutionary to some, Jesus followers for centuries have pursued this journey of personal transformation. As a result, we've taken on disciplines like fasting, listening prayer, and giving to others which have developed into larger annual traditions like the season of Lent that we are in right now. These practices have brought about the transformation of many individuals over the course of a few thousand years (including myself) and they are perhaps more necessary now in our current time in human history than at any other time given the historical levels of chaos and brokenness evident around us.

Most people want to see change come about but are usually less than willing to do what is necessary to begin the change process. Tough questions stare us in the face when we talk about change, namely, "What are we willing to change about ourselves?"

As someone who has spoken with many about the process of change, there's one thing that usually prevents people from beginning their own process of personal transformation: fear. Fear is a real obstacle for most people and yet it's the one thing that Jesus reminds us not to embrace. I need to double-check this, but it's been said that the most numerous commandment from God in the Scriptures is a variation of "do not fear." If we can live without fear, what kind of change could we see come about in our lives? Beyond that, what kind of change could we see come about in our neighborhoods and in our cities, even our nations and world? Living a life without fear is possible and you can start right now.

As you consider your own process of personal change, take some time to think about who you would like to come alongside you in your journey. You can't change all by yourself. You'll need someone's encouragement and support as well as their tough (but necessary) questions to help you move forward. If you've never had a coach, I encourage you to consider getting one. I have one and it's changed my life. If you'd like to give coaching a try, feel free to contact me. I'll be glad to walk by your side during your process of change.

Ministry and planning

2010-03-01T11:41:00.001-06:00

Ministry is not the same as strategic planning.

Having connected with hundreds of ministry leaders and served in various communities of faith for the past dozen years, it's interesting how ministry has turned into a practice of strategic planning. Attend any number of church conferences this year and you'll find that a significant percentage of the sessions are devoted to helping attendees become better strategic planners. One person's success becomes a strategic plan for hundreds or even thousands of others to seek to emulate. I call it the "Willow Creek Effect." Is that what today's ministry leaders really need? More advice from people on becoming successful? Really?

Now before your mind goes any further, let me say that there's nothing wrong with planning or from learning from others. In fact, the Proverbs of Solomon are full of insight on how to seek advice from others when making plans (Proverbs 16 is good place to start). Yet even the best of plans can be thwarted when the Spirit of God blows through town and through our churches.

With increasing frequency I'm hearing stories from ministry leaders (primarily in North America) who are putting down their conference manuals and strategic planning guides in order pursue a more simple and faithful (faith-filled?) practice of planning. Instead of immediately calling a meeting to discuss the problems staring them in the face, ministry leaders and teams are turning to God to seek his guidance. Instead of talking to one another, people are listening to God. Instead of trusting the latest book on ministry success, leaders and teams are learning to trust God by believing that his creative Spirit is actually living inside of them and is begging to reveal His unique and amazingly creative plans to them and their communities.

Out of these listening sessions are coming some powerful ministries, like the group in Wyoming who is now providing haircuts and shaves for oil field workers who otherwise wouldn't receive such care. God's not asking you to be great, just obedient. And by being obedient, you find yourself participating in ministry.

Perhaps you're in a similar situation as some of the leaders I've spoken with were - overwhelmed with meetings, bogged down by petty arguments, feeling dry and impotent in their leadership for a community of faith which was created to participate in the abundant life of our Creator God. Who can you talk to about these thoughts and feelings? How can you carve out an hour a week to listen to what God might be saying to you? What plans might God have for you and your ministry?

If you'd like for someone to come alongside you in this stage of your journey, someone who has been there himself and can understand what you're experiencing, feel free to contact me. I'd love to hear what God is saying to you.

Peace

The practice of straddling

2010-02-24T20:40:00.001-06:00

In our attempt to answer the question, where does God find us? it’s probably good to start with God himself, namely Jesus. In the Gospels, we find Jesus preparing for the movement of God by spending the majority of his ministry life with one of two seemingly opposed audiences: his community of faith and those who were not yet living the Kingdom way of life. Perhaps those were the only two audiences available to him, but the thing that amazes me about this is that Jesus was comfortable around both audiences. He had the uncanny ability to do what I like call “straddling”, that is, to position oneself with one foot in the world and one foot in a community of faith without favoring one over the other. This posture of straddling is more difficult than we think, but it can be done!

Perhaps the most important step in developing your ability to straddle is to discover the audience you primarily find yourself in, and then take intentional - and sometimes bold - steps to engage more frequently with the other audience. My friend Tom Clegg wrote a book a few years ago titled Missing in America in which he encourages readers to identify something they love to do (e.g. a hobby) and then go and do that "something", whatever it is, with the audience they spend the least amount of time with.

For example, while living in southern California within a community of faith I found that I spent the majority of my time with brothers and sisters who were committed to following Jesus. Now as someone who loves to play basketball, I (along with some of my friends) determined not to join a church basketball league where we would be surrounded by even more Christians. Rather, we joined the city league where we could more deeply learn about and invest in the lives of those who did not participate in a community of faith.

By playing basketball in the city league, my friends and I were able to develop relationships of trust with a few young men, which created opportunities for us to respond to the promptings of the Spirit to share the love and grace of God with others. Had we not practiced the posture of straddling, we would have missed opportunities to grow in obedience to God’s leading.

Having spent a significant amount of time with others who do not yet know or follow Jesus, I'm now much more comfortable investing my time, resources, and energy in their lives. In fact, it may even be time to re-assess my practice of straddling and determine if I need to invest more time and energy in the lives of fellow followers of Jesus. We're never equally balanced as straddlers; rather our weight/momentum will constantly shift from one foot to the other. The important thing is to know when it's time to shift our weight so as not to get stagnant and neglect the other audience.

The practice of straddling raises two practical questions. First, what audience do you most often interact with? And second, what intentional steps can you take today to more deeply invest in the other audience? If you'd like some help as you develop this practice of straddling, let me know. I'd love to come alongside you and encourage you in your journey.

May you learn to see and respond to God as you participate more engage more regularly with the other audience.

Where do we find God? part 2

2010-02-13T10:41:00.000-06:00

If you read my previous post, you'll remember that a more accurate question to ask is "Where does God find us?" From my previous post we can see that there are no limits on when, where, or even how God will seek us out. He’ll even use donkeys if he wants to for goodness sake (Numbers 22)!

When we look at the life of Jesus, many say that his 30+ years of life were all part of God’s plan of salvation, and I believe that to be true on a large, cosmic scale. Yet when we pause to reflect on the regular rhythms of Jesus’ life, we find him more often in a mode of preparation than in a mode of planning. Jesus’ posture of preparation is perhaps what some today might refer to as the “missional life.” Whatever we want to call it, followers of Jesus are invited to take on his posture of preparation so as to live as Jesus would live in the 21^st century world in which we find ourselves in. Within this posture of preparation I find at least 3 practices around which we can orient our lives around starting today, the first of which I’ll discuss in this post.

First, there’s the practice of solitude, or what some call the practice of disconnecting from the world and its demands. In times of solitude, we discover (or rediscover) that our true identity – that person who God sees – does not depend on what we do as much as we think it does. In times of solitude, we encounter very few if any external distractions which positions us to listen for the whispering voice of God. And if we hear clearly, you and I will hear God reminding us of the people you and I are created to be: a beloved child of God who is blessed to be a blessing. This is an identity we cannot escape no matter how hard we try because it’s an identity given to us by our Creator and not one we conjured up or worked for on our own.

The practice of solitude is ultimately not about doing all the talking by bringing our requests before God. Rather, solitude is about being shaped by the voice and presence of God; it’s about being reminded of who we are in the eyes of our Creator. Turning off our smart phones, sitting still, and emptying our heads and hearts of the roller coaster of distracting thoughts and emotions so as to position ourselves in a listening mode is difficult to do today, but it can be done! Jesus often disconnected from the demands being placed on him by those wanting to hear another teaching or see another miracle, and at times he left people hanging. He even disconnected from his own community of disciples at times to sit and be still before his Father. Jesus simply made the choice to regularly return time and time again to a posture of listening to and receiving from God.

I recently started to use the following exercise in my practice of solitude. When I enter a quiet place, I’ll take a pen and paper with me and once I settle into a comfortable position I’ll extend my arms in front of me with my the palms of my hands facing down. It’s in this position that I’ll slow my breathing and I’ll speak before God all the thoughts, emotions, and things to do that are filling my head and heart. If there’s something critically important that comes to mind I will write it down and forget about it. This exercise can take anywhere between 5 and 45 minutes for me, depending on the day and the situations I’m involved in. But once I clear my head and heart of all that’s going on, I turn by palms upward and ask God to speak. It’s in this time that I simply listen with my entire being for the whispers of God. I won’t share any specifics about the things God has spoken to me during those times of solitude, but I will say that my times of solitude have profoundly shaped my self-perception as well as my perception of others and of God. There have even been times when God hasn’t said anything and I’ve simply enjoyed being in his presence. Whatever the outcome, the practice of solitude is always worth my time.

By practicing solitude over a period of weeks, months, and even years I’m certain that you will be a different person as a result. I know that the more frequently I practice solitude the more I am attuned to the activity of God all around me, whether it is in the heart of my neighbor or in the changing of my own thoughts and attitudes. I sense that I see life more clearly and hear people’s words on a different level than when I live at a hurried and distracted pace.

Preparing for the movement of God by practicing solitude will not guarantee that you will be the first to notice where God is at work when he begins to move, but it certainly will prepare you to join in when you do notice.

So what would it take for you to take on the practice of solitude in your life? What might God want to whisper to you during those times of solitude? I pray that in your times of solitude God will remind you of who you were created to be and that you will live differently as a result.

Practices 2 and 3 are forthcoming.

Where do we find God?

2010-02-10T11:53:00.000-06:00

The question of where we find God is one that’s been asked (and answered) by cultures since the beginning of time. The Incas looked to creation, namely the sun, to find God. The Greeks sought God in their minds, which resulted in the separation of physical space into sacred and secular. Therefore the need for temples (sacred spaces) arose and these temples were viewed as a place to find God. Similarly, American culture looks to a modern day temple (i.e. a synagogue, mosque, cathedral, or church building) as a place to find God. We even have street signs and GPS systems that tell us when we’re approaching a religious center, perhaps as a means to put our road rage on hold for just a moment as we drive by. It’s an interesting posture that we take toward our modern day temples and one that I would argue is not what God intends for us today.

The Scriptures demonstrate that for first century Jews, going to a synagogue was a deeply ingrained practice of their society. And yet throughout the Scriptures we find a strong challenge to the very notion that we need to go somewhere to find God. For those who seek God today, our draw to a church building or cathedral is similar to going to a zoo to see wild animals confined to cages. We know that when we go to the monkey cage, we’ll find monkeys. So too, we think that when we step into a church building it is there that we’ll find God. The problem is that sometimes we'll do that and God doesn't show up. This is an interesting approach to finding God, but the Scriptures demonstrate over and over again that our question of “where do we find God?” is not the question we need to be asking. The better question that the Bible asks of its readers is “where does God find us?

Numerous examples demonstrate where God finds people. With Paul, God found him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9); with Peter, James, and John, they were found on a fishing boat (Luke 5); and with Samuel, God found him in a temple (1 Samuel 3). Even in the story of creation, it’s God who walks through Eden seeking out Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:9). In fact, it can be said that many in the Gospels were found by God on the street as Jesus taught them and touched them. The obvious lesson that these stories teach us is that God is not limited to one place of residence or another. With that, it's apparently not up to us to tell God when to show up and how to meet us, rather it’s God who determines when, where, and how he will encounter us.

Beyond that, there is a deeper challenge in this question of “where does God find us?”

In many of our pursuits to find God we end up making plans and then asking God to “show up.” Having participated in that approach to ministry for several years, I have to say that I felt a lot like the wizard in the Wizard of Oz as I attempted to orchestrate the movement of God in the lives of others so as to bring about transformation. While such an approach was exciting at times and I did see God move in the hearts and lives of others, it also was overly dependent on my ability to plan and even my ability to manipulate others, so much so that it produced much doubt and frustration in my life. And sometimes God didn’t show up in the way or at the time I expected him to, which only added to my doubt and frustration.

In recent months, I’ve come to the conclusion in my faith journey that it’s not my job to tell God when to show up and in what way to show up. Rather, my job as an obedient follower of Jesus is to be as alert as possible throughout my day so that when God calls and invites me to join him in his work in the world I am prepared to go. The simple way I communicate this to others is with this saying: we cannot PLAN for the movement of God, we can only PREPARE for it. Preparation, I have found, is actually much harder than planning, and yet it’s exactly what God asks us to do. So what does preparation look like on a regular basis?

Check out the next post for my response to that question.

Second behind...?

2010-01-16T12:36:00.000-06:00

Last night I was flying home from Springfield, Illinois and because it's a small airport our flight was the only one scheduled to take off for the rest of the night ...or so I thought. After boarding the plane and leaving the gate, we rolled to the end of the tarmac at which point I assumed the pilot would simply turn the corner onto the runway and begin his acceleration. Not so. Instead, we slowed to a halt, paused for about 10 seconds and then the pilot's announcement came, "Folks, this is the pilot. We are currently second in line for takeoff so it should only be another 2-3 minutes." What?! Second in line? Behind who? Was there a father and son duo on the runway flying their remote-controlled plane? Was there a flock of geese lining up for takeoff? Was Balloon Boy II preparing to lift off? Who in the world was ahead of us in line? Since I was seated in the aisle I couldn't get a good look at who (or what) was ahead of us and honestly I can't say I heard another plane's jet engines roar or any geese honk during those two minutes we sat on the runway. But sit there we did. And after waiting for 2 minutes it was our turn takeoff.

Thinking about all the possibilities about who or what was ahead of us made me laugh, and it still does. I wonder how I can get my hands on the airport's activity report.

Allergies

2009-12-10T14:09:00.000-06:00

I have allergies, and with allergies comes congestion, sneezing, itchy eyes and a number of other symptoms. What I find curious is that the medicine I take for my allergies only treats the symptoms, not the actual cause of the symptoms - the allergies themselves.

The reality is that we all have "allergies" that affect our lives. Call it sin, call it brokenness, call it whatever you want. The fact is you and I are not fully the people we were created to be.

For many of us, the depth of our sin/brokenness/whatever is layers deep and yet we're often only able to see the "symptoms" that express themselves everyday. [Sidenote: I wonder how many of our conflicts with others are the result of us not knowing what allergies we have. Fifty, seventy, ninety percent?]

I'm beginning to think that we spend too much of our time and resources trying to cure the symptoms of our allergies when in reality what we need is a cure for our allergies themselves.

In Luke's rendition of the story of Jesus, we read about an encounter Jesus has with a crippled woman (Luke 13:10). Jesus, completely unprovoked, speaks to the woman and tells her that she is set free from her infirmity. He then places his hands on her and what happens? The crippled woman straightens her back and praises God. From the woman's perspective, her symptom is cured - she's no longer crippled!

Jesus' perspective is a bit different, however. There is a much deeper work going on. Jesus wants to cure her allergy. In fact, when approached about his healing of the woman (vs 14-16), Jesus doesn't even mention her symptom (her crippled condition). Rather, he describes his healing of the woman as one that released her from her captivity to Satan. Whoa! Now that's a serious cure!

Was the woman aware of her captivity? Who knows? What we do know is that Jesus is interested in healing allergies, not just the symptoms of allergies. And beyond that, Jesus' words and touch are able to heal.

What would it look like for you and I to expose ourselves to the healing words and touch of Jesus? What would it look like for the church, the body of Jesus here and now, to embrace people using words and physical touch for the sake of healing their allergies?

My prayer is that you will become increasingly aware of your allergies and that Jesus will heal them. I also pray that you will go and join Jesus in healing the allergies of others, whatever they might be.

Peace

Second Story

2009-11-24T16:53:00.001-06:00

This is the intro to my upcoming podcast titled "Second Story." Listen now!

I love not knowing!

2009-11-16T10:37:00.000-06:00

I like to study the Bible. I admit it, I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to theology and biblical studies. So last week a good friend of mine asked what part of the Scriptures I was reading and what I was learning (Thanks Tom!). I responded "Joshua and Judges because those stories challenge my understanding of God more than any other stories." When I read about how God directs Israel's leaders to annihilate whole communities of people it's hard to look at God and see him as merciful, loving, and welcoming of all. I must confess I feel a bit awkward telling my friends and neighbors that this God, the one in whose name Israel wiped whole cities from the face of the earth, is the God I serve. I just wish God's love and grace were more evident to me in these passages, but they're not. As you can imagine, this creates quite a bit of tension for me. But perhaps that's a good thing.

Consider the alternative: I, in my finiteness, know and understand the whole nature of God and am able to objectify God by pointing to a golden-framed portrait of Him and declaring to all that "this is who God is and this is what he's like." Period, done, case closed! Knowing things about God is certainly beneficial, but if I knew EVERYTHING there was to know about God, well, that would put me in a position reserved for only 1 person, God himself. That's definitely not where I want to be.

Reading Joshua and Judges provides a good check for my head and my heart. They remind me that the journey of faith is more about trust than it is about truth.

I'm grateful that these difficult-to-understand passages are included in the Scriptures and that I don't completely understand what God is doing in these stories. I actually find comfort in not knowing what God is up to in these stories, because if I did, it would not be good.

Keeping First Things First

2009-09-09T14:33:00.001-05:00

What follows is not to be read as a statement as much as a question. So here it is. What if our focus as a Church in the Western context is off just slightly? And with that, what damage might we be causing?

It’s interesting that in the Gospels Jesus never commands his disciples to go and plant churches, but if we didn’t know the Scriptures and all we had to go on were the activities of the Church for the past 40 years, we would think that Jesus commanded us to plant churches.

But what did he command us to do? Make disciples. Now I realize that some churches are started with the purpose of making disciples, and I’ll address that in a moment. But I think some churches are started just so the people can say they started a church. Have we forgotten that one of our primary functions as people living in the Kingdom realm is to make disciples of the King, wherever we go and in whatever we do?

Starting a church before we make disciples has an effect on how we function as a church as well as our motivations behind our functions. With a building to finance and salaries to support, it becomes quite necessary to fill seats during the weekly offering. Money, or having enough of it, quickly becomes our primary focus and we end up spending (or overspending) our time and energy on that focus.

But we are followers of the King, and the King has commanded his followers to make more followers. Making followers is what we are to be about, and as we do that with Jesus the Church emerges in our wake. After all, Jesus told his original followers that the church was his to build.

So what’s the issue? For whatever reason, be it the inherited spirit of the Industrial Revolution in our culture or, in relation to it, our uncontrollable desire for efficiency, we have taken short cuts in the biblical process for church planting. Church planting begins with making disciples, not starting an organization. If the New Testament shows us anything, it is that the church is to be a by-product of disciple-making. It appears that in many ways we have fallen in love with the by-product and forgotten about the critically important process that comes before it.

Owning our Space

2009-08-29T11:55:00.000-05:00

My wife and I recently moved from Los Angeles to our home state of Iowa where we purchased a home for the first time in our lives. What’s nice about it is that we have the same access to various things – like art, ethnic food, and entertainment – as we did in LA, but we also have more space than we’ve ever had in our lives. The question we’ve been asking ourselves lately is “what is this space going to be used for?”

I find it interesting that Americans in general have a certain propensity to not leave open spaces open. Why is it that we always feel the need to put one more piece of décor in the room or to add another set of tools to the garage? What is it about owning a certain amount of stuff that makes us feel more “settled?”

In Matthew’s story of Jesus, he shares about an encounter Jesus has with a rich young man. The man has obviously heard Jesus speak before, and he asks him, in essence, what he must do to have the best life possible. Jesus’ response is quite brilliant: “Obey the commandments”, referring to the ten commandments given to Moses, to which the young replies, “Which ones?” as if there were some commandments that didn’t apply to him. I find the young man’s response quite peculiar, yet it’s an all too tempting of a response two thousand years later for people, including me, who consider themselves followers of Jesus.

If we understand the Ten Commandments within the context of wedding language, then God’s giving of the commandments to Moses (and the Israelites) was a way of saying, “I want to forever be joined to you. You be mine and I’ll be yours. Together, we’ll offer ourselves to the world as a demonstration of how to truly live the best kind of life.” The commandments as a whole then become an invitation into this “eternal” life, as the young man in Matthew’s story refers to it.

So if the commandments in their fullness are God’s invitation to live the best kind of life, why does this young man think only some apply to him?

In his brilliance, Jesus picks up on this faulty assumption, and replies to the young man’s question of “which ones?” by listing only some of the commandments: “do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’” Now notice which commandments Jesus leaves out from the list in Exodus 20: “have no other gods before the One true God; don’t worship any idols; don’t misuse God’s name; remember the Sabbath; do not covet your neighbor’s stuff” (my paraphrase). What’s different about these commands? Whose relationship do they address, our relationship with others or our relationship with God?

After hearing the partial list of commandments, the young man confidently replies, “All these I have kept. What am I missing?” And the door finally opens for Jesus to show this young man the larger picture, saying “go, sell your possessions and give to the poor…” And after hearing these words, the young man went away sad.

What was Jesus going after in his response of “go, sell…?” Apparently, Jesus has no issue with the way this man is treating those around him. His issue is with the man’s heart, his affection, his first love, whom this young man has seemingly forgotten. Jesus’ command of “go,sell…” is first and foremost NOT a condemnation about owning a lot of stuff. It’s about a lot of stuff owning us!

Therein lies the challenge in following Jesus. How can we continue to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength when we’re so busy cluttering our lives with our stuff and its maintenance? How can we change our relationship with our possessions so that it doesn’t take precedence over our relationship with our Creator?

I’d love to hear your stories about the ways you keep ownership over your stuff. And for now, I’m thinking I’ll leave the spare bedroom empty.

Hope at the post office

2009-04-11T21:08:00.000-05:00

7 years. For 7 years she lived in a concentration camp during World War II...and she survived. Father: dead. Uncles: dead. Neighbors: dead. Mother: alive. Her mother, having escaped twice - the second time for good - was a fighter. She had to be in order to survive, and survive she did. When she escaped the second time, she took with her her son and daughter and started a new life.

Her daughter, Vide (vee-day), now lives in southern California and as I listened to her I could tell that she was a fighter just like her mom. Vide has had many things to grieve in her life, yet through the death, the destruction, the persecution, through all of it, she's held on to one thing: hope. She was never willing to give up hope. Hope that the way things are now aren't the way things will be forever. Hope that healing can come to those who are sick and that reconciliation can occur between two enemies. Hope that goodness and love prevail over evil and hatred. Hope that there's life on the other side of death. Hope.

At the end of our conversation, Vide leaned in close and whispered, "If it wasn't for God, I would not be standing here talking with you." That was her final statement about hope. Her hope was in the goodness of God, having experienced grace, rescue, and redemption in deeply profound ways. It was a fitting ending given that it was Maundy Thursday and that we both were looking forward to the hope of Resurrection Sunday. Who says waiting in line at the post office isn't exciting?

From and For

2009-04-05T10:52:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday morning. You're attending a worship service at a local church and toward the end of the preacher's sermon the preacher stands front and center and extends an invitation to anyone who feels that special nudge to come forward and kneel down in front of the cross as an act of surrender, essentially "giving one's life to Jesus." For many, this experience is understood as the moment they were saved: saved from their sins; saved from their addictions; saved from their past life; saved from whatever they want to give up. Having grown up in the Reformed tradition, I was routinely reminded of what I needed to be saved from, yet when I read the Scriptures, I find that salvation is so much more than me being saved from something.

Being saved "from" something appears to be only one aspect of the gospel. Another aspect is discovering what we're saved "for."

- In Exodus 3, we discover Moses as a murderer turned shepherd, whom, through burning bush, God calls to return to Egypt "for" the salvation of the Israelites.

- In Luke 8:26-39, we encounter a demoniac who is healed by Jesus "from" demon-possession "for" the salvation of his city (verse 39).

- In Acts 8, we read about Saul's conversion, and how he was saved "from" persecuting Jesus "for" the salvation of the Gentiles.

It appears that our salvation is every bit as much about participating in God's redemptive activity in the world as it is about believing the gospel for our individual selves. We are saved both "from" something and "for" something. In my interactions with followers of Jesus all over the world, I have observed that many know what they are saved "from" but much fewer know what they are saved "for."

Ephesians 2:10 gives us a bit of insight into the "for", which I won't go into here. Rather, I simply want to ask, "What good works are you created in Christ Jesus for?"

Leave me a comment. I'd love to read about your callings.

The Sacrament of Service

2009-01-25T21:10:00.000-06:00

Discpipleship (i.e. following Jesus) in America is changing. Growing up in my hometown, to follow Jesus meant in part going to church twice on Sunday, memorizing and reciting passages of Scripture, and not cursing (which are not inherently bad things). Most Christian traditions still lean on two sacraments essential to being a follower of Jesus: baptism and communion/Lord's Supper/Eucharist. But in an era where 1/3 of the world lives on $2 or less a day and where in America the unnerving waves of the economic downturn get closer to our own two feet everyday, followers of Jesus are being forced to answer the question "Does your faith in Jesus translate into hope for the world?"

In ReJesus, Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch posit that what we need today perhaps more than anything else is a recovery of a living obedience to the Jesus of the Gospels. One important aspect of this obedience is practicing the sacrament of service. By doing the very things Jesus did for the same kind of people he encountered (the poor, the sick, the disenfranchised, those on the margins of society) we partner with God in the redemption of the world. And in partnering with God in the transformation of the world, we find ourselves in his presence and are thus transformed ourselves.

James challenges us directly in his letter to the Jewish Christian, saying "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." (James 1:22). So when you read the Gospel accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus, what do you sense God inviting you to do for "the least of these?" Go do it! And in doing it, may you enjoy being in the presence of the active, living God.

A Reversal of the 3 B's

2008-12-13T13:03:00.000-06:00

Over the last 2-3 decades a reversal of sorts has taken place in the way many people join the Church. For years (centuries even) the Church's approach took the form of 3 B's. First, a person wanting to join the Church had to Believe. This generally took the form of either a private or public response to an altar call of one kind or another. After one Believed, she had to Behave. That is, she had to adjust her lifestyle to the culture of the church she wanted to join. Only then - after one's behavior aligned with her belief - could she Belong to the church.

As I've already mentioned, this process of Believe, Behave, and Belong has reversed itself in recent years and I think it's a good and necessary reversal for churches seeking to be obedient to the way of Jesus.

Perhaps the most obvious example of this is found in Jesus' interaction with his first disciples. Notice that Jesus did not expect his disciples to believe who he was before he invited them into his circle. He simply invited them to journey with him and to start living his way of life. So the disciples hung around with Jesus for 3 years or so, and even at the end of that time one disciple in particular still did not believe until he could put his hand on the wounds of the resurrected Jesus. Sure, this disciple belonged. He may have even behaved like a disciple of Jesus. But the process was not complete until he Believed. Interesting isn't it? Jesus actually reverses the process we have become so accustomed to in Western Christianity... or maybe we have reversed HIS process.

So what adjustments do we need to make in our evangelistic efforts to help people follow Jesus more closely in their lives? How could the Belong, Behave, Believe approach be lived out in and through our churches?

A new economy

2008-09-23T09:58:00.000-05:00

Came across this insightful message from theologian Walter Brueggemann that sweeps through the book of Isaiah and is particularly pertinent to the economic situation we find ourselves in. Give it a listen. I hope you find it as inspiring as I do.

What would it look like for followers of Jesus to take up the huge task of developing a new economy using the principles found in Isaiah? What changes need to take place for Kingdom-economy to emerge in our neighborhoods and cities?

Download the July 13 message from http://www.marshill.org/teaching/index.php.

Embracing Weakness

2008-09-04T23:23:00.000-05:00

If you're like me, you've done plenty of things in your life that you're ashamed of. Some of these things are humorous to us now because we were so ignorant back then. But what about the things we struggle with now, today? What about those habits we haven't been able to kick after all these years? If we're so wise, why aren't we able to stop doing the very things we don't want to do?

This was Paul's struggle, which he describes in a very confusing way in Romans 7:14f. Here in the middle of his letter to the church in Rome Paul enters into what I would call a time of confession. After writing about Jesus and the freedom found in him, it seems as if Paul comes to the realization that he's not experiencing the very freedom about which he is writing. And what's keeping Paul from experiencing the fullness of this freedom? Himself. He admits that he wills to do one thing but he ends up doing the very opposite. When it comes to living a holy, pure and righteous life, Paul keeps blocking himself, getting in his own way.

We don't know what Paul's struggle was...but that's not important. What's important is that he finds the courage to tell the people he's writing to that he doesn't have life figured out, that he still messes up, that he's not yet fully the person God created him to be. Paul admits to all who have read his letter (including us) that he's weak. This is the Apostle Paul for goodness sake. Aren't our leaders supposed to be strong and righteous and have it all together? Apparently not in God's kingdom. Rather than hiding his struggles and appearing to be someone he's not, Paul shines a spotlight on his struggles. He does not do this to boast about himself but to point to the hope he has in Jesus...which takes us to the cross.

What took place on that Roman execution stake nearly 200o years ago has many layers of meaning, one of which I'd like to explore for just a moment. Jesus, the Son of God, who has the power to raise people from the dead (Lazarus), is stripped down, beaten, and nailed to pieces of wood to be put on display for all to see. If anyone understood the power he had at his disposal, it was Jesus, yet he appears extremely weak on the cross. After hanging for a while, Jesus breathes his last breath and dies. It appears that weakness has won.

Friday...Jesus dies. Saturday...still dead. Sunday...what? You mean he's not in there? Have you talked to the gardener? Where did he go? Even the closest of Jesus' disciples are surprised by this demonstration of power. The resurrection, among many other things, reveals to us that on the other side of our weakness is the power of God to do the miraculous. Our weakness and God's strength are two sides of the same coin. I might even go so far as to say that in order to experience the power of God working in and through us, we must first experience weakness.

So in what ways are you experiencing weakness?

If you're in the midst of weakness, my simple word of encouragement is "DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE." If the Gospels are right that on the other side of death - the ultimate weakness - is resurrection, then your situation is not too big for God's involvement. Embrace your weakness. Talk to God about it: get mad, cry, shout at him - whatever you want. He can handle it. You may even want to name your weakness. But no matter what your weakness is, hang on! God's strength is not far away.

Popularity

2008-08-26T10:17:00.000-05:00

As the Democratic National Convention gets underway I'm reminded of how the presidential race is really a popularity contest. If a candidate can say enough of the right things to sway enough of the voters to his side, he wins! (whether or not he really means what he says is another matter). So over the span of a few months, two candidates bicker back and forth about petty issues and highlight slip ups in one another's speeches in attempts to make a headline or be the top story on the news--essentially to be noticed more than the other guy. As in the game of presidential campaigning, the popularity game can have only one winner.

As a public figure, being in front of people - having them hang on every word that comes out of your mouth - is a drug. For many, being on stage is an adrenaline rush. It feels good to have people follow you, look up to you, and actually DO the very things you suggest they do. Yet, that's not our calling as followers of Jesus.

In John 1:35-37 we find an outspoken prophet named John the Baptist who has a few followers of his own. His message is powerful and he looks a bit weird (camel hair?), so he's certain to attract a few people. Yet, when Jesus shows up on the scene, John has no problem surrendering his popularity. At the moment he sees Jesus John points him out to his followers and what do they do? They turn away from John and begin to follow Jesus!

To have someone stop following you and start following someone else is a blow to a politician's career. Yet John willingly gives up his popularity in order to make Jesus popular.

The Scriptures reiterate over and over how much Jesus is the only person we can truly trust with our devotion and our lives. And yet our experience is that many, even those who consider themselves Christians, call people to follow them instead of Jesus. Some pastors ask their congregations to follow them (almost blindly at times). Some sermons have very little to do with Jesus and much more to do with the pastor's agenda. It's as if people are engaged in a popularity contest with Jesus, yet as history demonstrates, it's always Jesus who comes out on top.

It's been said if there is one person who does not have a Messiah-complex it is the Messiah, Jesus. And yet it's Jesus who calls people from every corner of the world, from every stage of life, from every economic class to follow him. I would argue that Jesus does this because he knows that his life - the very life of God - is the best thing for us to enter into. It's the most real and authentic adventure anyone has ever gone on, and everyone's invited to go on it.

So as we seek to enter this life, we have to give up our desire for popularity. If we don't, we're only competing with the most popular person in the history of the world, and we all know how that will turn out.

Links

2008-05-08T18:33:00.000-05:00

Here are some links I have come across the past two weeks and thought I'd share them with y'all.

http://www.seedsofcompassion.org - check out the webcasts of what was an amazing conference including influential leaders like The Dalai Lama and Rob Bell.

http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk - stories from the Church of England and their desire to see new ways of being church brought about.

Peace

Pause Buttons

2008-04-30T16:06:00.000-05:00

In the movie Click Adam Sandler's character possesses a remote with which he is able to pause time. Interestingly, whenever he hits the pause button time stops for everyone but himself, so he is able to maneuver around, changing his position (and the position of objects) while other people stand still.

Do you ever wish you could get your hands on such a remote? I know I do.

Thanks to Galileo and his then controversial heliocentric theory, we now know that the world never stands still; we as a planet are in constant motion around the sun. And yet there are times in my life when I wish the world would just stop orbiting, that the people around me would stop moving, that everything and everyone would just stop and take a collective break.

But life isn't like that, is it? There always seems to be people to talk to, projects to finish, shows to watch, emails to respond to, kids to take care of, theories to articulate, books to read, and goals to accomplish. As people in a capitalist society, we are constantly being pulled toward increased productivity and accomplishment--what some call the "rat race"--and so it comes as no surprise that so many people find their value in what they do.

I've wondered for a while how Jesus would function in our society. Would he too feel the constant pressure to perform more, to relate more, to know more? Would he ever give in to that pressure? How would he balance all of his responsibilities? We could speculate all day long and never come to a definite conclusion. Yet I think it's important for us to ask ourselves the following questions: If Jesus were in my shoes, how would my life change? Where would I want to invest my time and energy? What or who would be a priority in my life?

Despite of the endless movement of our world, we as human beings have the ability to pause and reflect on these kinds of questions. We have the ability to make changes, rearrange priorities, and say no to things we once said yes to. It's as if we all hold a remote, but instead of pausing those around us, we can only pause ourselves.

If life seems to be going in directions you would rather not go, then I invite you to pull out your remote, push pause in any way you find helpful (take a vacation, visit a retreat center, start a journal), and take some time reflecting on who God made you to be. What are your passions? What brings you joy? How has God gifted you to be his agent of love in the world?

So go on and push that pause button. It'll change your life.

A Dream of the church

2008-04-08T17:43:00.000-05:00

I've just begun reading a book by Wolfgang Simson titled "Houses That Change the World" which focuses on who the church is called to be. He begins by spelling out a vision of the church that is both challenging yet inspiring. He dreams of a church that is...

"as simple as One-Two-Three, yet is dynamic; an explosive thing, able to turn the world and a neighborhood upside-down. The church as a supernatural invention, endowed with God's gift of immortality; a means to disciple one another, and to make the life of Jesus rub off on each other. An experience of grace and grapes, love and laughter, joy and jellybeans, forgiveness and fun, power and -yes, why not?- paper.

A church, which does not need huge amounts of money, or rhetoric, control and manipulation, which can do without powerful and charismatic heroes, which is non-religious at heart, which can thrill people to the core, make them lose their tongues out of sheer joy and astonishment, and simply teach us The Way to live. A church which not only has a message, but is the message."

I hope Wolfgang's dream stirs something in you as it did in me.

Peace