clay's world

MIA

2008-03-06T01:21:00.003-05:00

I've been out of the blogosphere for the past few weeks, on the heels of having a blast posting the "3 Questions" Series. But for many good reasons. So here's the scoop:

WORK has owned me for the past few weeks. Although after 5 months I have still not made a commission check... and am actually making less than I was this time last year... my activity has picked up dramatically. Lots of work = tired Clay.

FAMILY is my life. When I hit the home... I get the hand-off and am with all my kids from play to dinner to clean-up to baths to bed-time at 8-9ish. It is a blast. I love my kids. Lots of family = extra tired Clay.

SERMONIZING is on tap. Yep I'm preaching this Sunday at Journey. I've been prepping for the past few weeks while awake... and while asleep. It's amazing when your spirit is set on listening to God how your night-time thoughts and dreams are tuned in too. Working title is "How Deep is Your Love" from Luke 7:36-50... but there are still 3 days... so it might change.

American Idol is in full swing. C'mon you didn't think I'd lost my priorities did you. Gotta say it's the guys year and I'm a band-wagon David Archuletta fan.... DAWG.

Friends. For some reason I've had the chance to connect a couple of good college and prior-life buddies. It's been a blast to pull out the pictures and get nostalgic... and pick up where we left off.

These have been good days. And if you ask my wife and kids... they would say I haven't been MIA after all... and I'm happy about that.

3 questions with Phil

2008-02-14T22:30:00.005-05:00

Back up to New York State (Troy, NY to be exact) for a visit with Phil Taylor, Executive Pastor of Terra Nova Church. Phil is a family man... husband of straight-shooter (her best trait) Aimee... and loving father of Lily, Eve and baby #3 (who's on the way). Phil is a conservative, normal, Canadian-born (yes there are normal Canadians), pastor's kid ... who is following in his dad's footsteps and finds himself called to this artsy, eclectic, missional church.

Phil candidly describes his role at Terra as organizer/ manager/ preacher/ teacher/ counselor/ shepherd/ systems analyst/ vision implementer. His pet project is Theology at the Taproom, where members meet monthy to discuss Theology at a local bar. In his bio Phil confesses to having 2 life principals which drive him:

(1) Life is about the journey—not the destination. Stagnation is nothing more than the beginning of death.

(2) Life and faith must be lived in the context of community. This is where we learn and love and know and discover and fail and hurt and ultimately, it’s where we will spend eternity.

I've never seen a place like Terra Nova up close, so I'm excited to get onto the questions:

Q: Phil how would you describe Terra Nova?
A: Terra Nova Church is a growing community of historically informed Christ followers intent on discovering fresh ground together. Our goal is to share the ancient truths of Christ in a culturally relevant way through teaching, music, art and media.

Q: In general how do you like to describe the church?
A: As a self replicating network of incarnational access points. Say what? Okay let me explain. Self replicating means that things should grow virally in the church, rather than building a system that constantly requires one-figurehead lead or start every new thing. For example, we tell our New Tribes (small groups) that it is their job to find someone in their group to train up and send out. Every group identifies 1 new leader to develop and send out in 10 months. We as pastors can’t go out and train everyone up… the network needs to be growing it self from the inside.

Incarnational access points means that I incarnate Christ in the place I live Christ. I become an access point to Christ where I do life. The incarnation is Christ being lived out through you. Just like when Jesus took human form.. He incarnated God to humanity in the form of a man so that we could look at Him and touch Him. We are called to live our lives as a sacrifice just as Christ lived as a sacrifice. We are doing what Christ did as he lived on the earth.

We see ourselves as monastics and missionaries. Sunday morning is monastic time. Sunday morning is a time for Christians. It is time for the monastery to come together to be fed, trained and to worship. Sometimes non-Christians are there witnessing out worship. We welcome them as guests and acknowledge them... but we don’t design Sunday with the non-Christian in mind. Then we go out as missionaries. We are the church... we are Christ at the at the local art conference, at the soccer game, etc. We take the church out into our community.

Q: What is the biggest challenge your church leadership is facing in LEADING that type of church?
A: Balancing the wonderfully organic free-for-all with some guidelines for the direction and nature of replication. The great thing about a self-replicating network is that people really latch onto the idea that fulfilling the mission is in their hands. But it is dangerous too because people come up with some really crazy ideas on their own… and they want the Terra Nova stamp of approval on every idea they come up with.

Some things are just too weird and others are not strategically aligned how we feel called to extend our missional footprint. So here are some guidelines we've adopted. We try to affirm individual missional expressions, mobilize corporate mission, and resource strategic mission. By affirming individual mission we are supporting the work of God in the individuals life without dilluting our local impact. By mobilizing and resourcing strategic missions we focus our resources and can really make an impact in a few areas.

Q: What is the biggest challenge your church is facing in BEING that type of church?
A: Raising up network administrators (small group leaders etc.). Training leaders is a challenge. But we don't just want to traing leaders... we want to train leaders who train leaders. One of the big mistakes we made early on was that we didn’t train leaders to train leaders. So we went back and had to re-train. The self-replicating part has been the challenge.

Q: What is this I hear about you having an art gallery.
A: That's right... Terra Nova Gallery is probably our biggest incarnational access point. Our office space is in a pretty hip part of town, so it doubles doubles as an art gallery. We let all sorts of artists put their stuff in there. We have new art ever 30 days. It is also where we have our kids classes and stuff... since we rent a space 100 feet away at Revolution Hall for our Sunday worship.

Here's the cool thing. On the last Friday of every month is Troy Night Out. It is a gallery hop event where hundreds of people who don’t come to our church come in to our gallery. We have wine & cheese and music playing. This gallery is part of who we are... it's part of our DNA. We knew that no in the area was reaching the art crowd and we are the art crowd. So the gallery is just a natural thing for us.

Phil good luck with baby #3 on the way.... eh. And thanks for sharing from some of the lessons you've learned.

3 questions with Kurt

2008-02-13T21:39:00.005-05:00

Let's head down the Atlantic into the dirty south to Asheville, NC... where Kurt Hannah is the Lead Pastor of the 2 year old community called Missio Dei Church.

I first met Kurt nearly 10 years ago when he was still wet behind his spiritual ears. Since then he's married a beautiful women... got a bible college degree... finished seminary... had 3 kids... and started a church. Not a bad decade if you ask me. His passion for the gospel and heart for his city are unmistakable... so take it away Kurt.

Q: Kurt what would you say the church is like?
A: A community. I take this from the idea that God is developing a people called from and into their culture to live in such a way that they celebrate God's kingdom values already present, but challenge the values that are opposed to God's loving rule. Augustine spoke in terms of the City of God, which I like, but (and I hope this isn't a false humility) I realize that we're not the only church trying to live out the good news of God's kingdom in our town. Our city is made up of several communities which express the beauty and diversity of God's kingdom in various ways. As various Christian communities work together toward the building up of the Kingdom of God, we get a better picture of the City of God.

Q: What is the biggest challenge your church leadership is facing in LEADING that type of church?
A: The biggest challenge is getting everyone on the same page in terms of expectations. Ministries fail more often over conflicting values rather than conflicting visions. We can passionately agree that our people must live in the tension of embracing the culture while at the same time challenging sinful aspects of the culture. Sometimes the reality of the tension proves to be too much. Expectations for intimacy among people in the community are challenged and stretched when folks that don't believe the gospel are brought in and things can sour quickly.

Q: What is the biggest challenge your church is facing in BEING that type of church?
A: The biggest challenge the church is facing is definitely in the realm of balancing maintenance (the taking care of us) and mission (the taking care of those around us). Most congregations at some point have so succumb to caring for their own that they cannot relate to those around them, or they become so consumed with taking care of those around them that they neglect their own. Sunday morning worship expression often becomes the battleground for this tight rope walk. People want to feel comfortable to bring their unbelieving friends and relatives, while at the same time, having their own faith nourished.

Kurt I've got a BONUS QUESTION for you. I recently noticed your church's Lent Blog. Many Evangelical traditions have largely dismissed or avoided celebrating the Lent season. Why have you chosen to (re) introduce this season to your church?
A: As one of our core values states, "we value a connection to the community of faith around the world and throughout history because this is and has been God's primary way of revealing himself." This was a new thought to me several years back. I was listening to a sermon by Tim Keller that made me whince. He said, "God gave us a community before He gave us a book." That seemed strange coming out of the mouth of a guy as theologically conservative as Tim Keller, but the more I reflected on it, the more convinced I was of its truth. Our faith is not our own, we didn't come up with it and we certainly are not the sum total of the Christian faith. We share in a rich tradition of liturgies that point to Jesus. Lent is a season that allows us to remember and celebrate the suffering of Jesus as a community in ways that we don't always notice. So as a community, we fast together, we pray together, we "suffer" together and together we reflect the need for, desire for, satisfaction in, and glory of King Jesus.

Thanks Kurt... we'll pray for Missio Dei and Asheville.

3 questions with Leon

2008-02-12T21:02:00.003-05:00

Next let's give the mic to Leon Hayduchok. One key decision in Leon's life was to attend Bucknell Universty... where his strongest accomplishment was meeting his lovely wife Anne-Marie. He is now the proud father of 3 lovely daughters.

He is the Teaching Pastor at Cornerstone Community Church in Utica, NY (which history affectionately remembers as part of the burned-over district)... where he has served for 7 years. His control of the English language is formed by the schyzophrenic culmination of his Ukranian roots and his childhood Trenton up-bringing... and includes such winsome phrases as "go pound sand" and "that's bush league". But on to the questons:

Q: Leon what would you say the church is like?
A: A halfway house between the trees of Genesis 3 and Revelation 21-22. Life between the trees is full of broken relationships, false hopes, and feeble gods. The church is a place to honestly grapple with the trials of life so that we can faithfully continue the journey towards Revelation 22.

Life between the trees is full of conflict. We constantly fight for control or attempt to align align ourselves with those in control. The role of the church is NOT to be a place where we create or exert control. It should be a place where we are honest and come clean…. and rather than pretending to be better than we are… it should be a place to come out of hiding and taking off the mask… relinquishing our obsession with control.

I believe that the essence of sin is my declaring independence from God and a desire to be in control of my life. And we even present the gospel in a way which plays to people's desire for control. If you respond to the gospel out of a desire to take control of your future instead of relinquishing control of it then you’re placing your faith in a false gospel.

(At this point Leon is really jacked up... I've definitely hit a nerve here... so I give him a minute to breathe before moving on to the next question. To hear more on these thoughts listen to Leon's series "Between the Trees" from July-August 2007)

Q: What is the biggest challenge your church leadership is facing in LEADING that type of church?
A: Exhaustion. It's painful and tiring leading people towards greater understanding that our hope is not in the things of this world. It is tiring because,we are in a culture where we’ve done a pretty good job of mitigating the curse (of Genesis 3). Life is pretty comfortable. It is hard to lead people to believe that this world & it's patterns will pass way. Our churches have assumed the systems of the world and it is hard to lead people to something better... when people are just looking for relief from pain & comfort in this world.

Q: What is the biggest challenge your church is facing in BEING that type of church?
A: Not getting sucked into the ways of the world... running from place to place with no extra time and resources. Our time is in demand these days… Just making it through the normal grind of life can consume us. Distracting us from a maintaining a proper perspective… that our worth & our value is not in any of this stuff we are spending most of our time doing… our worth needs to be in experiencing our trust relationship with God.

Something big recently happened to our church. We moved into the city. Why... because we were too comfortable in the suburbs and felt a calling to the city. It maximized discontinuity. Making a significant shift drew a line in the sand… saying are you in or are you out. The city is eclectic…. artsy… it's the hub of society. People who have needs have no cars. People who have needs live in the city. The widowed & the orpaned are largely in the city.

Once we moved, the challenge has become understanding how different the worldview is here in the city. We want to learn this so that we can know how to love & serve this city.

Leon thanks for thoughts and your passion. We will certainly pray for Cornerstone as you move into the city and serve it and love it.

3 Questions with Josh

2008-02-11T21:01:00.000-05:00

Well I'm putting Josh Perry in the Budweiser Hot Seat first... to set the bar real high. I know Josh first of all as a dedicated family man. He puts his wife Sarah and 3 kids (Daniel, Jack & Alli Kate) at the top of his priority list. He is also winsome, funny, edgy, biblical and a darn good leader.

He is the lead pastor of Crew Community Church which is all of 2-3 years old. Crew is in the shadows of Marshall University in Huntington, WV and was started in Josh's living room from nothing more than a dream. Crew's Mission... Pursuing Christ with Passion... Presenting Christ with Purpose. Now on to the questions:

Q: Josh what would you say the church is like?
A: A city. Thank you Augustine (City of God). Thank you Erwin McManus and Mark Driscoll most recently. We are a community of people, a city, that sit under a king who has jurisdiction over every aspect of our life. Sex, marriage, money, career, diet, health, moral choices, environmental concerns. Everything.

We are also citizens of another city Huntington. Who we are also loyal to and has some jurisdiction in our life. We fully engage both cities. In Huntington we promote its welfare while remaining loyal to the King and promoting his agenda. It's both/and. And while living this kingdom life we demonstrate to Huntington that our city is good for Huntington by demonstrating that our city is different and better.

We don't do some things in our city that other city, Huntington, does. We don't have sex with our girlfriends. We don't divorce our husbands. Our wives choose motherhood over career. Our husbands take jobs that give them time with their family rather than the highest paying jobs. We study and work hard with integrity and take the grade that brings rather than cheat. We don't kill babies; we take in pregnant women who are in crisis to live with us. We vacation in 3rd world countries to serve them. Just a few examples of how our city is different than the big city.

Q: What is the biggest challenge your church leadership is facing in LEADING that type of church?
A: Teaching this to our church. This is a foreign concept to many of us. Including mature believers. We're innovative in our methods and so this will attract believers to our church who are from more performance based churches that see the church as a business. That's not us. We attract dechurched folks back to church that grew up in a church around here where church is family. That doesn't define us either. There is a business and family aspect to our community. But that would not be our defining trait. So it's constant vision casting, instructing, keeping on message.

Q: What is the biggest challenge your church is facing in BEING that type of church?
A: Walking the line of being a part of both cities without syncretizing or being separatistic. We don't want to overstep the line and become too much like Huntington so that we lose our message because we're not distinctive. At other times in trying to hold our distinction we could become unnecessarily separated from our city and therefore lose our impact.

Thanks for your keen answers Josh and we'll be praying for the Crew. Hey... now that Rich Rodriguez has gone to the team up North... does Marshall have a chance in this years "Friends of Coal Bowl"?

3 questions... Kick-off

2008-02-10T21:52:00.000-05:00

I'm kicking off a week long series called "3 Questions" where I will pose three questions about the church to a different pastor each day, then share their answers with you.

Each guy is different. They are in a different part of the country. They are in a different cultural context. They have different roles in their church. They have different likes and different opinions... but each has a strong opinion about the church.

Each guy is similar. Every one is seminary trained and is quite comfortable reflecting on and critiquing their own tradition. Every one is a local church practioner... meaning they are hands on in the ministry of the local church. Every one is in there 30's... and in my opinion represent the next generation of church leaders.

Every day you'll be introduced to a new young church leader and some of their ideas. So I'm excited to hear what they have to say and possibly to introduce you to the future of the church. Oh and to give you a head start... here are the 3 questions:

1. The church is like a _____. Explain.
2. What is the biggest challenge your church leadership is facing in leading that type of church?
3. What is the biggest challenge your church is facing in being that type of church?

Storytime

2008-02-10T20:53:00.000-05:00

Tim Keller once said something like, "What makes the Bible different that other religious scriptures is that it is story sprinkled with instruction, not instruction sprinkled with story."

So I think my biggest challenge as a Christian father is tell my kids God's story sprinkled with istruction. And I think I've found some awesome tools that help me do just that. We use these tools as part of our nightly bed-time ritual. It is story and instruction... every night.

I use the Jesus Storybook Bible to tell my kids the story of the Bible. I first heard of it from my reformed brother, Kurt, who once bragged that he'd found the Best Kids Bible Ever. And you know what... I think he's right. Here's a snippet:

No, the Bible isn't a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It's an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It's a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne - everyting - to rescue the one he loves. It's like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!... There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stoires are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.... It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name.

I use the Foundation Verse Pack from Desiring God Ministries... in the English Standard Version (of course) for biblical instruction. We call them our fighter verses... because we fight sin and fear and the devil with our verses. Each card has a picture on the front and a verse on the back. Sometimes we turn the verse into a song or I come up motions to go along with the verse. Those verses tend to sink in the deepest.

So that is how we are trying to tell the Story sprinkled with instruction in our house. Happy storytelling!

Pushback

2008-02-10T20:20:00.000-05:00

I received a bit of pushback on my suggestion for a good church slogan the other day. He's a friend and e-mailed me off-line. But his thoughts were valid and I think quite common, so I'd like to share them with you. He basicly said... I don't trust church people enough to share personal things with them. I've been hurt in the past and I'm tired of feeling judged. So how do you actually find people... in the church... that you can trust.

Can anyone identify? I didn't think so. Well his experience is I think more common than he may actually feel. But I don't want to allow church to throw in the towel and only be the LND floor of the hospitol for sinners. That's the floor where everyone is happy because new babies are born every day. No the church should also be an ER where people might die quick, or the terminal diseases floor where people are slow to die, or the psych floor where people don't play with full decks.

So how would you council my friend to find people he can trust... because he seriously wants to find them. Well here are 4 ideas from me:

(1) Don't make it all about you: If the church is just a place where you vomit all your needs, wants, wins and losses you will drive people away. If you want to find true friends... then first be a true friend. Go out of your way to show your concern for others and in the process you might find someone willing to return the favor.

(2) Look to and point others to Jesus: The good news of the church is that we've have been, are being and will be rescued through Jesus. If we spend all our time focusing on our problems without moving on to the resolution, we are just a support group. We should balance the lamentations of our circumstance with hope infused trust on the one who will dry our tears... Jesus.

(3) Remember we are all broken: Period. Those who are most broken are the ones who don't realize how bad off they are. Look for people who do the first two well... because they will make good friends. And remember, those you look up to are broken too.

(4) Proceed with caution: We've all been burned... so don't be naiive. Allow time for relationships to deepen. Take small steps with self-disclosure and before sharing BIG things... share your fears.

The morning after prayer

2008-02-07T23:25:00.000-05:00

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;
when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
the LORD will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the LORD
because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause
and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
I shall look upon his vindication.
Micah 7:8-9

Church Slogan

2008-02-07T22:39:00.000-05:00

If you've been around a church long enough, to get past the smiles and the casual conversations about the weather... you've seen how broken people really are. Everybody has issues... the problem is that we tend to be great actors. So I've landed on a new church slogan...

Real People
Real Problems
Real Messy

Isn't that a great? In the church... when we encounter Jesus... we are exposed for the hypocrites and fakes and posers that we naturally tend to be. We can't get away from Jesus... without our inner thoughts and feelings being challenged. And that can be real messy. That is why we need others. Others who can see us for who we are... others we can be honest with... and others willing to help us work through the messiness of following Christ wholly and authentically. But watch out when you step into it... because its messy... the church that is.

My favorite post of 2007

2008-02-04T22:16:00.000-05:00

We watched our family video collection this past weekend... which reminded me of my all time favorite Clay's World post of 2007. When I put this video together, I had no idea how much I would need her support, love & encouragement in the coming months. And in the end, I was reminded that I had picked the right girl. I can't imagine life without her. So here's a replay.... for her...

Do you Dream of Changing the World?

2008-01-27T21:27:00.000-05:00

Our church gathered tonight for some teaching. The theme... our version of the Davos Question... being a church that Dreams of Changing the World. So how would you answer? What one thing do you think that countries, companies, churches or individuals must do to make the world a better place in 2008?

Here is Bono's answer:

Your Calling is Calling

2008-01-27T20:50:00.000-05:00

This is by far my favorite commercial right now. The idea of breaking the mold... and going against the flow... and even considering a higher calling... just resonates. Kudos Monster!

DETERMINATION

2008-01-27T14:24:00.000-05:00

We are cracking the whip about our picky son not eating the food we put in front of him. Notice those 3 tiny pieces of chicken drowned in ketchup... that is the source of today's stand-off. It is 2:25pm and he is still finishing off last night's dinner. No we haven't made him sit in the chair all night... but he will be eating those juicy little morsels before this battle is over.

Burrito-ville Blessings

2008-01-24T00:42:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been at the wrong place... at the right time? I have... yesterday... and oh it was such a buh-lessing. I had conversations with 3 different pastors from 3 different churches in a span of less than one hour... is God trying to tell me something?

I planned on a meeting Steve, a local youth pastor, at the local Chipotle. Now I rarely go out to lunch in the first place, so this is a special occasion. So I'm meeting Steve out at Chipotle...but I completely go to the wrong one... and he has to double back to meet me there. I am always encouraged by his perspective on things and his example. This lunch proves to be no different.

During our lunch... I spot, Jonathon, a guy I met in Cincinnati but hadn't seen in 8 years. At the end of my lunch with Steve I go up to say hi. I find out that he went off to seminary in Philadelphia and is now pastoring a church up in Mount Vernon. He just happens to be in Columbus today. We now have coffee scheduled to catch up more on each others story.

As I'm getting ready to leave... I spot Brad, another local pastor, sitting off in the corner. We'd only met once, but I sit down and we pick up the conversation that we'd started a few months back. In just a few minutes he encourages me more than I could imagine.

What are the chances of that? And when it comes to that... What some call chance, I call the providence of God. I'm a pretty relational guy. There are not many things that can fill my tank like a few positive interactions with people. I could not have orchestrated a better lunch... but with chance... I guess I didn't have to.

Consumed to Death

2008-01-21T23:35:00.000-05:00

I am fascinated by the show The Biggest Loser. The show where some of the heaviest people you’ve ever seen work off the weight in weeks that they’ve taken years to put on. They step on the scale for the first time… almost dying… barely able to walk up stairs without being winded. And they got this way for two reasons… they are great consumers… and they are very lazy. They are professional consumers… meaning they like to eat. At the same time they lead extremely passive lives… their simply isn’t enough activity in their day to burn up the energy they’ve consumed. And because of that… they’ve nearly consumed themselves to death.

I sometimes wonder if our churches have fallen into similar patterns. By creating systems that allow people to consume an excessive amount of our spiritual goods and services… but which do not allow them to actively exercise their gifts by tapping into the spiritual energy available to them.

I mean think about it… when people think of going to church they think of sitting quietly and taking in what others are serving up. And for far too many this is the extent of their church experience. The same few voices teach, lead, and share… while the masses feast at the table of religious goods. But there is no exercise… no action… and the result I fear… is no discipleship… because discipleship is an active process.

I’m challenged by a comment from pastor & author Alan Hirsch about the effects of consumerism upon the church… “we simply cannot consumer our ways into discipleship.” Where is the space for disciples-on-the-way (that is all disciples) to be active in exercising their spiritual gifts for the benefit of the body of Christ?

If the only people active in our churches are a few seminary trained men… then I think we’re missing the key to discipleship… and we’re starving our churches of some of the gifts that have been given to it.

What if the couple on the second row has an apostolic bent and is most aware of their “sent-ness”... but never gets to challenge the body to go out? What if the guy sitting on the back right has a prophetic gifting to challenge people to return to truth… but he’s stuck in the nursery every week? What if that lady in the 10th row and those few guys two rows back are gifted shepherds? Or that older lady who sits in the back and those college students are gifted teachers?

If only trained clergy is doing church…we’re in trouble. And discipleship will be choked out by gout… through excessive consumption and extreme inactivity. Literally, consumed to death. And in the end… the cause of Christ becomes the biggest loser.

What is this love?

2008-01-21T21:41:00.000-05:00

I've been reading a children's Story Bible to my boys lately. And the way it describes God's feeling for his children is almost too good to be true. At the end of the juicy Garden scene or the "Snake Story" as my boys call it... we read of the reason for hope.

You see, no matter what, in spite of everything, God would love his children - with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.

If you've ever been dumped,
If you've ever been cut off,
If you've ever been given up on,
If you've ever been written off,
If you've ever been forgotten,
If you've ever been ignored,
If you've ever been shunned....

... just know that if you are a child of God... there is one whose love is pursuing you.

Looks can be deceiving...

2008-01-15T23:33:00.000-05:00

John Calipari... the coach of the #2 ranked Memphis Tigers reminded me... that looks can be deceiving. It all happened when I was down in Huntington, WV this past weekend visiting some good friends... Josh & Sarah Perry. Josh landed us some tickets to Saturday's Marshall - Memphis basketball game. How often can you see a #2 ranked team play in person. Going into the game... Marshall had no chance... but that just makes the game that much more exciting.

And we have a blast... because this is how college basketball should be watched. We stuff into the 8,000 capacity gym to see if David can knock off Goliath. Not wanting to sit in our nose-bleed seats we stand in the "unofficial standing" section. But on this night Mr. Security Guard is taking his job very seriously... and chases us off to find seats 2 or 3 times. Not wanting to be on the run all night... we look for options.

It is at this time that we notice that there is a block of open seats... right in the middle of the Memphis section. It looks like none of the parents have traveled with the team to the game. So we decide to sit in among the Memphis fans until the rightful owners of the seats come and kick us out. But they never come.

So we enjoy the entire game... from the sixth row... as Memphis fights off a couple of runs and eventually blows out Marshall by 23 points. We have been cheering our lungs out for Marshall the entire time. I'm even starting to lose my voice a bit.

So after the game... I put on my sea-blue parka and we head down to the court to cut across to our exit. I notice that they are blocking off the passage and the Memphis team is getting ready to pass right in front of us... so I stick out my hand. That is when John Calipari... seeing my Memphis blue jacket, in the midst of the small crowd of Memphis fans... grabs my hand, puts his other hand on my shoulder and then says to me and the crowd behind.... "Thanks for traveling down to the game to support our boys!" How hilarious is that.

But it proves a point doesn't it. Looks can be deceiving can't they? You can't tell the character of a man by the color of his skin. You can't tell the status of a persons heart by their external appearance. You can't really know a person... if you base your knowledge by what you see on the outside... because there may be an entirely different person inside.

Coach Calipari... saw my blue-jacket... the Memphis crowd... my outstretched hand... and thought I was part of his team. But under that coat... was a full-blown Marshall fan... who had rooted on the thundering herd to a dismal defeat.

Congrats Coach on a superb win... and a timely reminder.

Here's your sign

2008-01-14T20:57:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wanted... or even needed... a sign from God? I have. But I'm pretty skeptical about signs... and the people that are always waiting on them. There are so many ways that we try to get direction for life's decisions: we ask friends, interpret dreams, pray, listen to pastors, seek out counselors... and then there are those crazy, church signs.

Don't tell me you haven't been driving down the road... and then you come across that church sign... and suddenly your path in life becomes crystal clear. Hey... God works in mysterious ways.

So Christine and I were traveling down 23 this past weekend to visit friends in Huntington, WV... home to the thundering herd of Marshall University. And we were talking about life... where we find ourselves... where we've been.... and where we think we may be heading. For us this has been a regular conversation for awhile.

So at one point in our conversation I say to Christine... "I can't believe that God has taken us all this way, for me to be doing what I am doing right now." And then we fade into silence for the next few minutes... until I see this church sign. It reads... actually God has bigger plans for you. I'm not kidding. It was really weird... because I think that is what we'd been silently wondering ever since I'd asked the question.

So now I'm off... to bigger plans and better things... because I've got my sign.

God & Seaweed

2008-01-10T21:41:00.000-05:00

Christine recently got Caden on film explaining one of his water-coloring projects. When he puts God in the middle of some sea-weed... the explanation turns into pre-school theology.

You will be enlightened on topics such as:
... how Jesus saves our lives...
... what God hates... and...
... how to defeat Satan

If faith is like a seed that is primarily planted and watered by Mom & Dad in the rhythm of home-life... then we've got some work to do.

Good News for T's and ND's

2008-01-09T22:23:00.000-05:00

I had the chance to enjoy the OSU Mens hoopsters crush the Iowa Hawkeyes tonight... and I'm a bit tired... but I've want to add some thoughts to my post from the other day.

I had some fun posting on Toppers & Name-Droppers last Friday. But sometimes there is a serious issue at hand... and it comes down to your heart. If words and actions flow from the heart... then topping and name-dropping tendencies might reflect deeper heart issues. To get to the "heart" of the matter... some reflective questions can be of help, such as:

*Why do I feel the need to always share my story over-top of someone elses?
*Why can't I just enjoy someones story and affirm them?
*What motivates me to tell others that I know a famous person?
*Why do I tend to drop a well-known name into a story, when it is not necessary?
*What do I seek out of my interactions with others?
*How much affirmation do I need from others?
*What will I do to earn such a response?

This might seem a bit excessive... but let me assure that regularly checking your motives (and inviting others to help you do the same)... will uncover blind spots of self-idolatry in your life. Our hearts are prone to elevate the self and justify our value in the presence of peers. You might say to self-justify our social value... and it all boils down to the motives of the heart in the simplest things like topping or name-dropping. Maybe for you it is being fun, looking good, sounding smart, always winning, "being" spiritual... but the root is the same. Idolatry.

So on to the good news. You can stop trying. The paradox is... you win when you quit. Your value is not left up to the degree that you can improve your relative social worth. God sees behind your act... right to your imperfection and he says... I'll accept that. Jesus gave up his high position and stooped so low... that he identifies with the most broken... and his life-death-resurrection was to redeem your broken-ness so that you don't have to... if you'll quit trying and let that be your story.

So you can stop the effort... and allow your imperfection to be made perfect through the perfect one. You might not always have the best story. You might just enjoy and affirm the other. You might not be the coolest or most connected in the group. But you can rest, knowing that your redemption is secured by means of another savior... not through your own self-saving acts.

Superheroes

2008-01-06T10:12:00.000-05:00

I think the neighborhood is going to be a bit safer in 2008... now that a couple of Superboys are on the job.

Now let's see your superhero pose.

I'm All In

2008-01-05T23:07:00.000-05:00

Today I had a great excuse to get dressed, extra early and hop in the cars with my boys.... All Pro Dads. Aaron Conrad did a great job of gathering a crowd and calling all dads to a higher level of fatherhood.

Aaron... I'm all in. Great work. Good challenge. My kids are the largest part of my legacy and I want to give them my all. They are worth it. Some of the highlights of my days are my conversations with them and Candyland games and building lego's and working on Fighter verses.

But sometimes you need to get together with some other dads and hear the message that... even when all else seems to be going wrong (1) loving your wife and (2) loving your kids are two of the most important ways to invest your life.

Toppers & Name-Droppers

2008-01-04T17:27:00.000-05:00

2008 Resolution #1: I resolve not to be a topper or a name-dropper.
*excuse me while I humor myself*

I've spent my fair share of time around toppers & name-droppers... and at times I've even tried to beat them at their own game. But I've finally decided that these types are quite annoying and so I will resolve to abstain from such behavior for the next 365 days.

I'm sure you've seen them. Toppers are the type of people who always have to "top" your story by their own... which of course is always superior and leaves you basking in their glory. They would say something like... "Oh... nice job on finishing your first marathon... I finished my first in 2002, my second in 2003 and my third in 2004."

Name-droppers are pretty self explanatory. They love to build their reputation by claiming to be close personal friends with a very well-known celebrity... and reminding you of that regularly at the weirdest times. They might respond to the comment "Dude gas prices are up to $3.03"... with a response like this... "yah the last time gas prices were this high, was the summer when I was up in Long Island spending time with Calvin Klein at his summer house."

Not that these people are evil or dangerous to society... but I do find such behavior unbecoming. My take is that toppers... like themselves too much and name-droppers... don't like themselves enough.

Toppers can't just enjoy your story because they believe that theirs is better and thus they are in some way better. Name-droppers feel so insignificant that they have to prop up their self-worth within someone else's reputation. Like I said... they aren't evil... just a bit needy.

To my topping and name-dropping friends... I STILL LOVE YOU... and wish you a happy 2008. This post is targeted at no one in particular... just the generically nasty habits mentioned here. PS - Do not lump my good friend Ted into the name-dropping category... It has been confirmed that he IS a personal friend of Randy Alcorn.

Heartbreakers...

2008-01-02T23:14:00.000-05:00

December 23, 2007 was a special day for our family. On the near Eve of Christmas... our beautiful daughter, Arley Christine, was dedicated along with her new friend Eliana Homoelle. I would say that we've got a few heart-breakers on our hands. Both dads have guns loaded and chastity belts ready.

We were surrounded by members of our house church for the special night. These were the people that prayed with us while I looked for a job. These were the people that fed us when we returned from the hospital. And now they are committed to walking through life with us as we "romance Arley to the gospel" (nice phrase Chris H.). They have loved us like Christ loves the church... it is beautiful and quite humbling.

Talk about a Merry Christmas! Thanks for the special night Denny!

A thought for 2008

2007-12-31T10:52:00.001-05:00

My wife's sister and her husband gave this gift to my father-in-law... for being such a good dad.

What a reminder about the power of your influence. Your legacy will be the lives and the stories of those whose lives you have influenced.

May you plant great trees in 2008. Pay it forward. Inspire greatness. Give sacrificially. Fan passion into flames... release... then watch it grow.

PROUD

2007-12-07T23:23:00.001-05:00

I am so proud of my little sister, Stephanie. At 32 years old, she had never lived outside of Columbus, Ohio and now she is living on the other side of the world for a year.

She is teaching English in Seoul, S. Korea to university students. She says Seoul is the LA of S. Korea (but it is twice as big as NYC).

The stories she tells of her adventures are other-worldly. Here she is visiting a local church during a weekend trip out of the city.

Only in Ohio...

2007-12-07T22:55:00.000-05:00

... could such sacrilege be considered in good taste. I mean where else in the world would a 50 foot statue of Jesus be considered a good use of Church funds.

Now THAT'S a good question

2007-11-18T21:16:00.000-05:00

I've been carrying a scrap of paper around with me for about 6 weeks now. It is a simple list of questions. But there is something about these questions that cuts right to the core of my being. They are good questions... and they cause me to pause and reflect.

I picked them up one Sunday morning when I was visiting my church away from home, Apex. Pastor Rob lifted them from the pages of [Nehemiah], as he led his church through the book earlier this summer. I think a good question is dangerous... it can expose you. This set has proven dangerous for me... I hope you benefit as well.

1. What is it right now that requires courage from you to act on? [1]
2. Do you feel like you are meeting with the people of God or building with the people of God? [2]
3. How do you deal with conflict and do you realize how important your response is? [4]
4. Are you pursuing self advancement so much that you are desensitized to hurting people around you? [5]
5. Is prayer a regular part of your fight of faith or is it a last resort? [6]
6. Is having to be known by others more important to you than being known by God? [7]
7. Is your pursuit of joy in God the primary pursuit of your life? [8]
8. Is it hard for you to admit your wrong or take responsibility for sinful actuions? [9]

May you be so fortunate as to hold company with people who ask good questions.

Who checks your calendar?

2007-11-16T22:36:00.000-05:00

I learned a lesson from the world's richest man today. You see... I recently took an IT sales job to support my family. So at the job I'm perusing CIO Magazine and stumble upon this article... Why CEOs Don't Get More Value from Their "Human Capital" (a.k.a. People). Here are the first two paragraphs.

"At Microsoft's CEO Summit this May, Bill Gates took a few moments to talk about time management. He noted that, somehow, his calendar seemed to be filled with commitments that—upon reflection—only seemed like a good idea at the time. In retrospect, he had been foolish to make them.

Things changed for the better, he said, when he began sharing his calendar with his colleague—and now Microsoft Chief Executive Officer—Steve Ballmer. "Steve would ask me why I would want to schedule that and I would look at his calendar to review what he was spending time on," Gates recalled. This peer review, he observed, made both of them more efficient, more effective and more collaborative time managers."

How amazing is that? Bill Gates, the richest man in the world, has realized that he might not even be the best at managing his own time. So he invites a trusted friend to challenge his calendar. How much better might we manage our time and resources if a trusted friend, a mentor, our wives or even a mentoree had the freedom to review our calendars?

The Meaning behind EVERYTHING

2007-11-16T21:32:00.000-05:00

God in my laughing...
There in my weeping...
God in my hurting...
God in my healing...
...Be my everything.

Just a few lines from the worship song "Everything" by Tim Hughes. I've been honestly living with this song for past few months. I absolutely love it. It is quite simple yet has moved me with its profound message. I've really come to respect Tim Hughes for his heart, his musicianship and his gift for writing and leading good worship. I've even had the pleasure of sitting under his worship leading at Passion'06.

Here's a bit of the song... with some explanation behind it... from some random English worship TV show... I think.

Maybe life is up... your job is good, your family is healthy, your ministry is growing, your team is winning, your account is growing, your flowers are blooming, your kids are obeying, your shots are falling, your relationships are growing... but who is your everything?

Maybe life is down... your health is failing, your clients are leaving, your basement is flooding, your car is leaking, your collectors are calling, your kids are leaving, your ministry is fleeting, your friends are ignoring, your life seems boring... but who is your everything?

More Arley

2007-11-13T21:10:00.000-05:00

(Sorry for the previously random slideshow... not sure what happened)

Here's my flickr slideshow of Arley

Oh Happy Day!!!

2007-11-13T12:31:00.000-05:00

On Monday, November 5 at 6:30 PM... Arley Christine burst into our world. She came in at 6 lbs 15 oz and 19 1/2 inches.

I don't know how to say it... other than our entire family is head-over-heels in love with her. She has brought an entirely new level of joy and love to our family.

I have noticed that, having babies makes your babies grow up. Our boys have in one sense matured over night. They love to hold her... and help mommy with her diapers... and are fascinated with her feeding.

Christine is recovering amazingly well. She had a great delivery and is ready to hit the gym when Dr. Greco gives her the OK. She is filled with joy and happiness. This might be the happiest I have ever seen her. What a gift from God... this joy we have.

And me... well I'm sitting back and enjoying the ride. This little girl has definitely awoken the tender warrior within me. I have a renewed desire to intimately connect with and be present and accessible to my kids. I'm wrestling with Griffey one minute... building Lego's with Caden the next... and quietly holding Arley after that.

At the same time I am on my toes ready to fight for my girl, my wife and my boys. I am ready to defend them and fight for them... because my joy is wrapped up in their joy and health and well-being. Thanks for sharing in our joy.

Meet Tim Keller

2007-09-24T22:19:00.000-05:00

Here is a Christian voice that you need to be listening to. Tim Keller is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. Redeemer is 4,400 strong and had helped to plant nearly 100 churches... that is right... they have sent out leaders around the city and the world to start 100 new churches.

I used to think the gospel was just about getting people to heaven... then I heard Keller. I used to think social justice was for liberal churches and had nothing to do with the gospel... then I heard Keller. I used to think church planting was not necessary... then I heard Keller. I used to think Presbyterians were... well... Presbyterians... then I heard Keller.

You can enjoy a bunch of FREE teaching and articles here... from a voice you can trust. And if you want your world turned upside down by the simple story of the good samaritan... then read his book Ministries of Mercy.

"If you listen to one voice, you become a clone. If you listen to two voices, you become confused. If you listen to 10 voices, you get your own voice." -Tim Keller

A weekend in my web

2007-09-24T21:33:00.000-05:00

Life is a web of relationships. That is why when considering who you will marry... you should consider the relationships that come with your spouse... because they will become part of your web. That is why when you lose a relationship or many... there is pain and loss... because part of your web is torn away.

So I'm continually weaving and re-weaving my web... and that was the theme of this past weekend.

On Friday Night I played poker with a bunch of my neighbors. I don't really know my neighbors all that well and it was only a $10 buy-in... so I jumped at the chance. I recently realized that most of my friends are Christians... what a shame. So I'm in the process of repenting of my sin, I am on the lookout for new friends. Will you pray for me.

On Saturday morning... I skyped my sister, Stephanie, who is spending the next year teaching English in Seoul, South Korea. I happened to be up at 6:15A, which is 7:15P, and randomly caught her for 45 minutes before she went out with friends. I have not had the chance to talk to her since she arrived about 3 weeks ago. It was great to catch up.

On Sunday morning... I enjoyed the preaching of my good friend Steve. They will post his message from Sunday here, soon. Steve is a gifted preacher and as funny as they come. He has also been a great friend and source of encouragement to me during my time of transition.

On Sunday night... I church hopped with some close couple friends. The place we visited blew my socks off. On your next free Sunday Night, you've gotta visit LifePoint Columbus up in Polaris. The vibe is young... the worship will blow you away... the preaching is solid... and the kids facilities rival COSI. Afterwards we went out for pizza and closed the joint down.

Just another weekend in my web.

Just Wonderin'

2007-09-20T09:13:00.001-05:00

If you win and others lose, have you really won?

If you give a complement, do you have less of something?

... just wonderin'

Favorite Movie Clip(s)

2007-09-13T16:35:00.000-05:00

I was tagged by Aaron for this one. I was happy to find some clips for Good Will Hunting... what, for me, has become one of the modern classic films. I think it is brilliantly written and ask some of the basic meaning of life questions while probing the issues of love... loss... purpose... and trust. Plus it throws in some good shots at spoiled rich kids. I could not choose just one clip and could not put the whole film here... so I whittled it down to 3 classic scenes. (Warning: Clips contain strong language)

Your Just a Kid

It's not your fault (sorry for the Chinese subtitles)

Bar Scene

Who is your church?

2007-09-11T22:59:00.000-05:00

That's right... who not where? I read in a book once that "it is a theologically incorrect statement to say 'let's go to church'". As if the church is the building. The church is the people. It's a who question not a where question. It seems like a small step... but it seems to have huge implications.

I read somewhere else that some time around the Reformation the protestant church became defined as this... "the place where the the gospel is preached, the sacraments are distributed and discipline is enforced." I am for all those things, because they are biblical. But notice the phrase the place where. The shift was to "the place where" and away from "the people who"... and I think the results are devastating.

I think that we have a tendency to minimize our Christian life to faithfully "going to Church" on the weekends, trying to live a good life in between Sundays, and for the zealous inviting others to "go to Church" with us. But what if church is not a where question but a who question.

Even the Greek word translated church (ekklesia) literally means "the called out ones." The emphasis is on the people.

So...who is it that when you gather with them you are the church? Now that is a good question. Do you agree? How can you answer such a question? Well I think the bible helps us.

The church is the people who:
(1) study the bible together (Acts 2:42)
(2) spend time together (Acts 2:42)
(3) eat together (Acts 2:42)
(4) pray together (Acts 2:42)
(5) love one another (Rom 12:10)
(6) support each other financially and physically (Rom 12:13)
(7) restore each other (Gal 6:1)
(8) support each other in tough times (Gal 6:2)
(9) bless their city (Prov 11:10,11)
(10) care for the poor and oppressed (Matt 25:31-40)
(11) tell the world about Jesus (Acts 1:8)

I'm sure you can add to my list... so, who is your church?

A moment of silence...

2007-09-11T22:28:00.000-05:00

Rumors

2007-09-11T22:11:00.000-05:00

I heard a rumor about me on Sunday night. I was talking with a local friend who checks up on me once in a while. It was clear to me that this rumor grew from a lack of information about why I made some decisions. And in that vacuum of information, some had tried to fill in the blanks... thus birthing the rumor. I could tell that he was troubled... by what he had heard... and didn't even want to share it with me. I gave him the freedom to share what was troubling him and he did. It really was a harmless thing... and did not bother me... but it was not true. So I was able put him at ease about the situation and we both ended the conversation better.

Rumors... can be damaging can't they. Before I try to get all philosophical on rumors... let me interject a favorite '80's tune called "Rumors" by the Timex Social Club. Enjoy...

OK, back to the serious....

The power of rumors is tied to the power of words. Words can give life... or take life. Words can be used as agents for the gospel or against the gospel. In the gospel, King Jesus defeats the power of Satan through his substitutionary death and victorious resurrection. In doing so he inaugurates his reign over all things and begins... in part... a process of restoring all of creation to its pre-Eden wholeness and perfection (biblically shalom). At the appointed time... His reign will fully come.

As his ambassadors and agents of this good news, the church (those who gain citizenship into this kingdom through faith) is to live redemptively in these last days... in all that we do. The churches existence as a community of the redeemed is a foretaste of the future shalom that will wash over all things. When shalom exists... things are knit together as they should fit... as they were designed to fit... not frail and frayed... not disordered and dissected.

Our words, too, can express shalom or disturb it. Our words when truthful and righteous and godly can affirm and do the work of bringing shalom in communities and individuals and families. When our words are truthless and rumorful... we can tear apart individuals and families and communities.

The Church is the place where the wholeness of life (shalom) should be most fully evident. Our speech... our disagreeing... our demeanor... our attitudes... our community life... is to be a foretaste to the world of what life is like when Jesus reigns in our hearts... in our homes... and in our communities.

So practically how should we deal with rumors? Reject them... they are probably not true. Instead personally seek out the individuals involved... because truth is most often discovered in healthy, face-to-face dialogue. With truth in hand you will actually escape the trouble that comes from the destructive power of rumors. Reject + Dialogue = Truth.

The righteous man is rescued from trouble,
and it comes on the wicked instead.
With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor,
but through knowledge the righteous escape.
Proverbs 11:8-9

Missional Hip-Hop

2007-09-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

I was over at the Resurgence at bumped into a great 15 minute interview on being missional. The specific topic is how to redeem the hip-hop culture. And while you might not give a rip about that specifically... we can all learn missional principles that will apply to our own local, sub-cultures.

The interview is with the Ambassador... who was a classmate of mine at Dallas Theological Seminary. I think we took some Greek and Bible Study Methods together. My man Duce is a crazy-smart, theologically astute brother, who can flat out rhyme. It was hilarious being in class with Duce wearing baggy pants, construction boots and walking with a swagger.

Duce is both an ambassador of Christ to the hip-hop culture... and an ambassador of hip-hop to the church culture. Both are important roles... I think... in the kingdom ministry of the church... being God's agents of reconciliation as he redeems all things (Col 1:20).

17 years to GRACE

2007-09-05T13:01:00.000-05:00

Grace is experienced in relationships. It is not something coldly received off a shelf or in a letter. It is personal. It is intimate. It is most alive when face-to-face. Here is a true story of grace....

In the summer of 1990 something happened in my church that became quite a traumatic experience in my life. It didn't exactly happen to me... just around me... but it had a huge impact upon my life. At the end of that summer I went off to college and slowly stuffed the experience further in the back of my mind. It was not resolved... the situation had not improved... damage was done... but life went on.

Then a few years ago I quite randomly bumped into one of the individuals who was at the epicenter of that situation. Immediately my life's story turned back to that unfinished chapter... and with it all the hurt and confusion and misunderstanding came to the surface. I was quite ignorant as to many of the facts about the original situation... but was quite in touch with how they had affected me. I did not know what to do... so I avoided this individual... and tried to avoid dealing with the situation... content to leave that chapter of my life in the suspense of an unresolved conflict...

But God had another plan. Earlier this summer I once again bumped into that same individual... but something in me was different. My life experience encouraged me to pursue closure to this situation. So I didn't not avoid the individual... in fact I did just the opposite... I initiated conversation. Nothing was solved... but the ice was broken.

Then a few months later when I again bumped into this individual (are you seeing a pattern) I asked for a breakfast meeting. We met and I... for the first time opened the pages of my life back to the summer of 1990 and invited the individual to walk through the situation with me.

I needed to understand the situation more fully... and he needed to walk me through it. I needed to ask some questions... and he needed to delicately answer. I need to hear an apology... and he needed to receive my forgiveness. But most of all... we both needed to experience grace. We needed to understand one another to lovingly help each other move on with life... a progress that could only happen in the midst of grace. So after 17 years we did... we experienced grace.

That day our relationship was reconciled (2 Cor 5:18) and as two men who have been forgiven much by our heavenly father ... we were able to grant one another a much smaller degree of forgiveness(Matt 18:21-35).

I've come to believe that my life is a story... about redemption. The characters and the tragedies and the conflicts allow for the master storyteller to work out his redemption in my story... and to ultimately redeem my story. And redemption involves the often painful, face-to-face discussions in which grace is worked out.

Labor Day Weekend retreat

2007-09-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

My short blog hiatus... coincided with my family's weekend hiatus. We joined 9 other couples for a long weekend of camping.

It was great to unplug from TV and air conditioning and many of the distractions of busy suburban life and just spend time together... living.

We played alot... and ate some... and talked alot... and slept some... and refereed (our kids) alot... and refereed (the adults) some. In addition to unstructured camping life we all joined together for a communal meal one night... a kids church service on Sunday... a "traditional German" birthday party... and a trip to the beach.

These getaways really are great for relationships... they allow you to reconnect with some that have become distant... and they allow others the quality time to begin and grow. Quality time is quantity time... and shared experiences - like camping - are the fertile soil for such quality time.

We found that the secret of camping... was sharing an RV with our friends (the Garwicks - just to our left in the pic)!!! Much thanks to Matt & Jamele (2nd family from the left) who organized this getaway.

The Elephant in the Church

2007-09-05T12:39:00.000-05:00

It's been quite enlightening following the blog brainstorm over at Mark Batterson's blog about his upcoming series... The Elephant in the Church. The comments are pouring in with things that people always think but never say about the church. Check it out!

Stories & Memory

2007-08-29T14:04:00.000-05:00

My oldest Caden, (who survived the first and second day of pre-school just fine)... is really interested in family stories. Before I kiss him goodnight he often wants me to tell or re-tell a family story. He'll say... "Daddy... tell me a story about you and Uncle Matt" or "tell me the story of when I ate peanut butter and you had to call the Rescue Heroes". They are typically short 3 minute vignettes about growing up or a particularly memorable experience.

I've built up a repertoire of about 12 true, family stories that we regularly tell. Sometimes a new memory pops in my mind and I introduce a new story. Each story tells a unique tale... or has its own moral... or shows how a different part of life can be explored. I like the ritual, because there is power in these stories. They are historical and at the same time Caden and I are connected to them. They bond us together not only in the moment of re-telling... but in re-experiencing... together, the memory of the past.

And it gets me thinking about the Power of Memory. Isn't it amazing how much we remember... and to think that God made us that way. God gave us memory. We remember people and places and songs and smells and experiences... some conjure up good emotions and others bad. Some memories we would like to forget... but... they are an integral part of our story.

God explains at least a couple of reasons why he embedded us with memory... the ability to remember our story. And he often encourages the people of God to remember certain things... because forgetfulness can be sinfully foolish. So here are a couple of things that God tells his people to remember...

(1) Remember how you screwed up: The people of God are prone to wander away from God and from obedience to Him. So we are commanded to remember how we and those before us did such wandering... and faced the consequences. (Deut 9:7-12)

(2) Remember how God showed up: God is constantly redeeming... and rescuing his people when they least expect it. He is constantly saving people from themselves and the consequences of their rebellious, hard-hearted stupidity. (Deut 8:17-20)

(3) Remember who you were: We are naturally natural. Not interested in God. Faithless. Following our own way. Cut off from God. Strangers and aliens to the promises of God. (Eph 2:11-12)

(4) Remember who you are: When we cast off our self-reliance and receive the obedience of Christ we become new people. We become truly... spiritually alive. We have life... new life. (Eph 2:13-16; 2 Cor 5:17)

Some might argue that this is living in the past. That would be paralysis. But our lives are a story... and memory of our mistakes and others can have a profoundly positive impact upon our future. Remembering God's grace and goodness and activity on our behalf... can empower us to press on in truth and love.... so did I tell about the time that we fed Caden peanut butter?

The distracted church...

2007-08-27T21:37:00.000-05:00

When in Huntington, I preached at the Crew and I had a blast. My message was titled "When the church becomes a distraction to Jesus." My burden is that churches often focus excessively on quality or size of their weekend service... to the detriment of creating a space where Jesus is on display. The issue is all about your heart and your motivation. But the result of giving in to these distractions can be spiritually disastrous.

I stumbled across a section of scripture where God warns his people against such distracting idolatry... Exodus 20:24-26. And I think it is a word from God that applies to the church today. Exodus 20:24b should be what the church is all about... In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. Here are my notes.

By the way... check out the write-up about my family that showed up in the Sunday morning bulletin. Only Josh could get away with this in church. I love this guy!

The Crew in Review

2007-08-27T20:18:00.000-05:00

Well I just landed back in Columbus after a great weekend in Huntington, WV. You might be saying... what... how is that possible? Well let me explain. The reason is... I had great company. I spent my time with the people of Crew Community Church.

Marshall University currently keeps Huntington on the map. It has its own story of redemption that is currently being told on the silver screen. If you haven't seen We are Marshall yet. Buy the DVD when it comes out. I took a few pics... so let me break down for you, why I enjoyed my time with the Crew.

The leadership: Crew publicly launched in September 2006. At the epicenter is Josh Perry (lead pastor), his lovely wife Sarah and three kiddoes (Daniel, Jack and Allie). Josh and Sarah are an infectiously joyful and loving couple. They are the type of people that you like being with... that you want to join up with... and that you trust. They love one another. They love their kids. They love the people at Crew. And they love the city of Huntington. They were great hosts and really made us feel like part of the family.

The people: The church is really the people. They own no building. They have no offices. They are a gathering of people who are following Christ, or considering Christ and are connected to one another.

The people are friendly and welcoming. They love to eat and laugh and live the good life that God offers through Christ. Some are new believers. Some come because their old church sent them out to serve. Others are coming back to church after being burned by church.

We had the chance to attend their BBQ and Baptism on Sunday night. Three people were baptized. One of the elders even baptized his own brother and his sister-in-law. It was a celebration... Crew style.

The space: The Crew does not have a building. They out grew the living room that they started in and the classroom at Marshall that they moved to... and now meet for Sunday worship at the Renaissance Theater. It is right off the edge of the Marshall campus and is just blocks from the heart of Huntington.

The Renaissance is the old Huntington High School and has the nostalgic feel of the classic high school auditorium.... complete with balcony. There is plenty of room for growth in this space... with the freedom to pick up and move the gathering somewhere else as the Lord leads.

The vision: The first word that I think of when I think of Crew is... grace. It is truly a place where a wide variety of people can feel at home and accepted. The typical rules and external expectations of church just don't hold water at the crew. The focus is on the heart... and that is grace.

The church has embraced a God-sized vision... to make the name of Jesus famous in Huntington by helping to rebuild the city. They want to rebuild individuals by introducing them to Christ... but they also want to literally lift the hope of the city. Huntington needs hope... and the Crew has hope in Jesus. They have a Nehemiah-type of vision to restore and redeem their city... to bless their city... and to give the credit to Jesus.

Thank you Perry's and people of the Crew... I'm following your story and praying for your progress.

Caden Hits a Milestone

2007-08-27T19:49:00.000-05:00

My oldest, Caden, is headed to his first day of pre-school tomorrow. It's the next milestone in his 4 year old life.

He doesn't want to mess this up... because he knows any miscues at pre-school will go on his permanent record and might jeopardize his chance to become an astronaut or a Rescue Hero.

In celebration of this next big step we shipped Griffey off to Grandma's... took him swimming... took him out for ice cream... and we'll take him out to breakfast in the morning. You don't think we are spoiling him do you? Hey... I'm all about celebrating life.

In related news... we recently bought him some tinker toys. He opens up the box... pulls out the directions... and 20 minutes later he pops the above robot up on the table. That's my boy!

I'm off to Huntington...

2007-08-25T06:41:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to be heading down to Huntington, WV today. I will be preaching at Crew Community Church right near the campus of Marshall University. My good friends from seminary Josh and Sarah Perry launched this church just over three years ago. They meet on Sundays at the Renaissance Theater. I've never been to a church that meets in a theater... now I'm speaking at one. I'm excited to see what Crew looks like up close and to have the opportunity to encourage them from the Word.

They put this little film together as an introduction to the Church. Please pray for the Crew as I try to encourage them in their efforts to transform their city.

My kinda church

2007-08-24T06:55:00.001-05:00

Denny over at Joy in the Journey recently asked what kind of church are you looking for? It elicited some good feeback... I even popped off on a few desires. Then another friend Aaron pointed me to the below Mark Driscoll video.

And now I've settled in on my new answer... a two-fisted church. I have in the past few years begun to describe myself as theologically conservative and culturally liberal. Theologically conservative in view of the Bible and God and Christ and sin and salvation and ecclesiology (church structure). Culturally liberal in that you don't have rules (above the clear principles in Scripture) for every part of life that you lay on people like what to (or not to) wear, watch, listen to, eat, drink, etc. You allow people to utilize discernment to engage the culture for the purpose of displaying the beauty and transforming power of Christ.

Does the end justify the means?

2007-08-23T14:23:00.000-05:00

I need some input here. I want your feedback.

I've always heard it said that... the ends do not justify the means. Similarly my coaches would say... it doesn't matter if you win or lose it is how you play the game. I've always taken this to mean that there are some rules of engagement to [whatever] and living by them is more important than do otherwise just to get a desired result. Is that true or am I whack?

In life... in business... in relationships... in marriage... in church... in school. Does it really matter how you play the game... how you conduct yourself... how you carry out your business?

Is this just an old-wives tale... is it common sense... or is it wise biblical advice that you pass down your sons and daughters.

Please share your stories (success and failure)... your metaphors... and your sage advice.

Expectations...

2007-08-22T11:30:00.000-05:00

So I'm checking out companies like crazy in my job search. I appreciate it when a company is really upfront on who they are... who they are not... and what they are looking for. People who tell you honestly what you can expect from the organization. Unfortunately not all organizations have this process nailed down.

So I was quite impressed today when I saw a job posting that included the companies hiring strategy... called the 4C recruiting process: (here it is)

Competence: Does the candidate have the credentials, skills and experience needed?

Character: Does the candidate have the highest level of integrity to represent you and your organization?

Chemistry: Is there a true interpersonal connection between the candidate and team members?

Culture: Is there a true match between the candidate's professional/personal style that will enable him/her to be successful in the specific work environment?

Getting people who fit in these four categories is how you build a solid team!

Cleaning out my closet

2007-08-21T23:15:00.001-05:00

In life you collect stuff... and some of it is stuffed in the back of the closet.

You grow up... you go to school... you date... you get a job... you move... you leave jobs... you get new jobs... you get married... you make friends... you lose friends.

All the experiences and relationships that are part of your story form you spiritually... both positive and negative. Some of the toughest... or most shameful... or most painful experiences often get stuffed in the back of the closet. And even though no one sees it... it can affect everything. And as "Em" says... I think we ALL have skeletons in our closet.

I've found that my personal and spiritual growth depends on my willingness to clean out the closet of my life from time to time. It is scary... It is painful... but the pain is the way to growth.

There is a healthy and an unhealthy way to react or respond to these personal demons. And while I don't have it all figured out... what I tend to need is some close and trusted friends who will help me shine the light of Christ into the dark recesses of closets of my life. To not just shine the light... but to help me clean it out and tidy up.

Em.... sing. (FYI: Eminem uses some colorful language to express his emotions. If you can't handle that... then don't watch it)

[NOTE: I do not condone the excessive use of filthy language and have a low tolerance for such language myself. I do not regularly expose myself to such potty-mouthed entertainment as simply a consumer... but try to engage it from a Christian worldview. Engagement is not always retreat. The theme of this song has captivated me from my first exposure to it... and I share it here with the greatest of caution and this extra note... thanks to my friend Sean]

God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:5b-7

An old dog learns new tricks

2007-08-21T11:03:00.000-05:00

My friend... mentor... infamous punster... and general journeying partner has entered the blogosphere to wax eloquent on the highways and byways of life. I'm excited that he has finally crawled out from under his rock and is going public with his thoughts. He speaks from a lifetime of following Jesus and from 31 years of formal ministry in a variety of contexts. Yet he continues to grow... develop... and change.

He has recently left a secure ministry position as he takes "getting out of the boat and following Jesus" to its radical extremes. BEWARE: If you read his stuff... he might challenge you to do the same. Check out Denny's work over at Joy in the Journey.

Ode to Ted

2007-08-20T13:07:00.000-05:00

My friend Ted was released from his worship duties at Northwest yesterday so that he could fully pursue where God wants him next. Ted has become a close friend in our less than a year together so I thought I would sound off on some of the things that I love about my friend.

I actually didn't like Ted the first time I met him. I don't think I have told him that... but something about him rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was his sharp sense of humor... or his California "dude" slang... or his dashing good looks (snicker)... or his speak-his-mind way. Despite all that... I pressed on and spent time with him and Jen and his kids. And as we shared time together we came to understand each other and formed a deep bond. So here is what I love about Ted...

His creativity: He is a truly out of the box thinker when it comes to worship and doing church. From the first time he joined a staff meeting, I knew we were in for a wild ride. He loved experimenting and trying and creating and changing and pursuing. His creativity was on display at the Christmas Eve Service and during the Games People Play series.

His support: He supported my ministry. In fact for our two biggest events ever (the Got Milk and Roadtrip groupLinks) Ted put together a worship band and did a great job leading us in worship. He also supported my personally. He and his wife are involved with our family. We've talked about everything and have encouraged and challenged one another. We know that they want the best for us... they are on our side... in our corner... they are our fans. We would be lost without the Williams'. And we have tried to reciprocate the same for them.

His love for Jesus: Ted loves Jesus and wants that for everyone whom he serves. We have regularly stopped all talking and have prayed together for chunks of time... just seeking the hand of the Lord or peace for a difficult decision. He humbly seeks God and His truth in a way that invites others to join him.

His authenticity: Ted is not good at putting on a show or keeping a secret. What you see is what you get. He is a truth-teller and tells it like he sees it. That scares many people and make others uncomfortable, but I think it is how God has wired him. During our recent transition, a number of times Ted has give me honest assessment of what he thinks should or should not happen. I have come to not only accept that but to cherish that about Ted.

Ted is currently in Virginia with his family awaiting another medical procedure for his six year old, Noah. Unfortunately, he was not given the opportunity to say good-bye to his ministry or the church. I wish he was given that chance... It is hard to bring closure without saying good-bye. But if you feel led, I would encourage you to shoot him and his family some encouragement [ted.williams4@gmail.com] for the next leg of his journey.

Don't change my friend!

Words of Life

2007-08-20T12:48:00.000-05:00

These have been difficult days for my family. The emotions that we have faced in the leaving of Northwest and trying to piece together a future have been all over the board. There has been a lot of spiritual warfare. But feelings of loss... loneliness... depression... joy... hope... confusion... betrayal... fear... are regular visitors to our home. Hey I'm just keeping it real. You know how the Adversary fills our minds with lies.

Many friends are tracking our journey and sometimes shoot some encouragement our way. Late last week I received such e-mail from a friend. He identifies exactly with where I am and has walked many of the trails which I have. He has experienced the redemptive power of grace in a way that I have not and may never. So when he speaks I listen. Here is the last paragraph of his e-mail to me.

I pray, my friend, for you and your family every day. I believe that
God is doing something huge through you and preparing you for
incredible things. I'm just looking forward to seeing what they are.
The beauty of God is that, one way or another, the dragon always gets
slain. Sometimes it's just not in the timing or the manner that we
think best.

Thank you my friend for speaking words of life to my family.

Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
Psalm 37:37

Raleigh in Review

2007-08-20T11:47:00.000-05:00

I did fly to Raleigh on Thursday night for a one day trip and half a day of interviews. Thank you to all my friends who are praying for God to reveal his direction in my life through experiences like this.

The uncertainty and lack of control that I really have at this stage in my life is humbling. Then imagine me leading my wife and kids with calmness and confidence when I really can't promise them anything other than God will lead us and I will follow.

I had 3 long sessions of interviews on Friday with 5 different people involved. One of the neatest thing that stuck out to me was the hands-on involvement of HR in the process.

My first session was with the hiring manager and HR. At one point the hiring manager was following a line of questioning and stopped short and asked the HR guy "Can I ask this question?" The HR guy smiled and said "Nope." I quickly realized HR was there to keep the hiring manager in check. The question wasn't crazy and I went ahead and answered the question he "could not ask"... but it put me at ease to see the checks & balances that HR brought to the situation.

I put my best foot forward... but didn't have the best vibe at the end of the day. I should find out in about 2 weeks. I have to keep reminding myself... this is a journey!

I must say that the Psalms have become my friend these days... so I'll leave you with something God shared with me.

But for you, O Lord, do I wait;
it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer."
Psalm 38:15

Sunday Bloody Sunday

2007-08-19T06:41:00.000-05:00

A song of longing for the end of pain... war... battle... unrest... and the restoration of shalom (the peace & wholeness of God).

I can't believe the news today
I can't close my eyes and make it go away.
How long, how long must we sing this song?
How long, how long?

-selah

I'm off to Raleigh

2007-08-16T11:54:00.001-05:00

I'm off to Raleigh, NC for a set of morning interviews on Friday from 8-noon.

I sure would love to land a job and get out of this unemployment thing. The idea of supporting my family financially seems so manly.

Prayer warriors... unite!

I'm pissed...

2007-08-16T08:42:00.000-05:00

That's right. I'm angry. My blood is boiling. I've had it up to here. My heart is racing and pounding out of my chest. I talked with a friend last night... and I think he is being treated... (deep breath, deep breath)... "crummy". And it makes me MAD.

So what makes you mad?
What makes your blood boil?
When do you see red?

In my sleepless night... I reflected a bit on what turns on this switch in me. And at least one of the things is when someone close to me... someone that I care about... is mistreated, taken advantage of, or bullied.

I'm going to go outside and scream!

Behind the Music of Keith Green

2007-08-14T18:58:00.000-05:00

I was reminded of my fond affection for the music of Keith Green this past Sunday. Dennis Jernigan shared of the influence that Keith has had on his own music. Then I found The Keith Green Story on youtube.... and I ate it up today (all 7 parts and 60 minutes of it). This is the best thing I've watched on youtube...ever.

His story of acid-dropping, star-seeking, spiritually-minded, hippie... to life-turned upside down, born again, follower of Jesus... to ministry-minded, hard-core evangelist... to top-of-the-charts Christian musician... to tragic death... is gripping (quite an understatement).

This piece of Christian Music History should be required reading. Keith Green's authenticity and passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ is a swift kick in the pants.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Dennis Jernigan & Healing

2007-08-13T14:23:00.000-05:00

That is why we turn to Jesus right? Healing?! Spiritual. Relational. Emotional. Physical. Personal.

So last night I had the privilege to sit under the ministry of Dennis Jernigan (Mr. You Are My All in All). He was at Northwest to share his music and his powerful testimony. I went to hear from the Lord and to support my good friend Ted.

On hearing from the Lord... Dennis did not perform. It was not a concert. It was a night of music and scripture and story around the theme of healing. A number of times we were invited to stand up (silently declaring a specific need for healing) while those around us laid hands on us and Dennis sang over us. I stood twice, in need of God's touch in my life, and was encouraged by the ministry of those around me.

On supporting Ted... (the worship leader at Northwest). I have no doubt that God planned to bring Dennis here on this specific night to minister to Ted. Ted has become a fast friend. His humility, authenticity and love for the Lord has taught me much. It was clear that he connected with Dennis on a soul level. And although Ted was never publicly visible last night. The entire event was a tribute to his servant leadership. Ted brought Dennis here and then let Dennis shine. Dennis in turn let Christ shine.

There are no great D.J. clips on youtube, but a couple of unique ones include playing paintball, singing in Jerusalem and on the sea of Galilee. Here is the best one.

Thanks Jen!!!!

2007-08-13T11:03:00.000-05:00

I just had to give a shout out to Jennifer Burkitt. She used to be the preschool director at the church on which I was formerly a staff member. I say "used to" for two reasons... because I am no longer on staff and she is no longer on staff.

She told me that my last day was her last day as well. I want to honor her for investing her life in caring for our two boys and hundreds of others over the past 2 1/2 years. I know how much of her heart and her time that she poured into and prayed into each and every volunteer and kid that was involved in her ministry. She has a unique servants heart.

What she didn't know is that she was getting into what I think is the #1 burnout position in any church... preschool ministry. In my 5 years of ministry experience I have seen 3 out of 4 preschool ministry people burnout. Most often they don't burnout on Jesus... just on ministry.

Each story is similar. They start the ministry with great energy and passion and the dream of impacting kids and parents for Christ. But they often give too much... too often... and slowly get worn down. They are easy to take for granted and rarely get the recognition they deserve. They give until they are empty... yet don't have opportunities to step back and be filled.

They regularly don't have enough... not enough volunteers... not enough classrooms... and not enough resources to solve their own problems. After awhile they lose their joy and don't enjoy church. So they have to step away to reconnect with God and reconnect with church.

I mean seriously... when was the last time you wrote a thank you note to your preschool director or gave them a gift certificate for dinner-and-a-movie with their spouse. It doesn't happen. Out-of-sight = out-of-mind

So what can churches do to reverse the trend in preschool ministry director burnout:
1. Thank your preschool leaders profusely (publicly, privately, personally).
2. Listen to their needs, concerns, desires & dreams... and do something to improve their situation.
3. Give them breaks. If that means saying no to a childcare need to let them enjoy an adult activity, it is a small price to pay for increasing ministry longevity.

And I must end where I began. Thank you Jen Burkitt for caring and praying for our two boys over the last 2 1/2 years. Your heart for the Lord and love for ministry is genuine. God is not done with you yet. You have not quit. You have made a difference.

Full Disclosure

2007-08-13T10:55:00.001-05:00

Not too many people or businesses are into full disclosure these days. It seems that everyone and every organization holds at least a few cards close to the vest. There are just some things that you aren't meant to find out.

So as I was looking for a job today... I chuckled as I came across a company that is bending over backwards to set clear expectations up front. This is legitimately fresh off monsterjobs.com

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to walk, sit, and use hands to operate computer keyboard, and telephone. The employee is occasionally required to stand; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

I laughed out loud. I'm not sure I can live up to expectations (I'm only good up to 20 lbs)... but at least I know what to expect.

How to drive a roundabout

2007-08-10T12:15:00.000-05:00

Our city recently installed our first two roundabouts. Exciting... I know. And we in Hilliard, OH are the sharpest tools in the shed... so the leaders of our community thought it wise to post some helpful hints on How to drive a roundabout on the city's home page.

There are multiple links to video's and helpful downloadable pages about the rules of the road when maneuvering these tricky little things... whether your are walking or driving an 18-wheeler. These guys have thought of everything!

I've learned that it is important to slow down, pick your lane and yield to vehicles already in the circle. But hey... everything I know about roundabouts I learned from Chevy Chase.

The pressure is off...

2007-08-09T14:38:00.000-05:00

Great news from Christine's OB visit yesterday.

Two weeks ago we had a bit of a scare... when Christine was feeling lots of pressure on her cervix. The doc put her on bed rest. Concerned family and friends have helped with the kids and been praying for us.

Yesterday... the pressure was gone... the cervix was normal and Arley's head was visibly off of Christine's cervix. Thank God. She is still laying low and limiting outside time to about 90 minutes a day. But things have definitely turned in a good direction.

Add years to your life

2007-08-09T12:41:00.000-05:00

The Dutch might be on to something here. (Proverbs 3:9-10)

spoonful of truth...

2007-08-09T11:35:00.000-05:00

You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.
~ Rosa Parks

Leadership & Trust...

2007-08-08T11:21:00.000-05:00

Leadership comes from trust,
trust comes from character.

-Mark Driscoll
Mars Hill Church, Seattle

So leaders... it seems that trust is crucial element of leadership...

Are you trustworthy?
Do people really trust you?
What do your people trust you with?
What do people never trust you with?
How do you build trust?
How do you destroy trust?

I've heard it said that most people quit their leader before they quit their job. Maybe it is because they don't trust their leader... or don't feel trusted by their leader? Thoughts...

iChurch Inspiration

2007-08-07T14:20:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend I did some iChurch... that is... I was fed from my iPod while I drove my boys home from the lake. Here's a snippet:

(loose Burkle translation)... If you don't have a sense of calling to love your city and see your city transformed... you should move. Each city needs to have a people who are the proof of God in that city (Acts 1:8).
-Erwin McManus
Mosaic, Los Angeles

What would happen if instead of caring about getting more people into our church, we cared about getting more of our church into our city.
-Craig Groeschel
Lifechurch.tv, Edmond, OK

Other thought provoking questions by Craig Groeschel:
1. Who is God calling you to reach, that no one else is reaching?
2. What is God calling you to do that has not been tried before?
3. What new thing is God calling you to create that will be hated today and embraced tomorrow?

Here I am Lord... send me.

Keep moving forward

2007-08-07T12:46:00.000-05:00

We took the kids out to see the Disney Film Meet the Robinson's last night and were pleasantly surprised at the content, themes... and the ability to keep our 2 1/2 year old engaged for the entire film. No small feat... mind you.

Our first surprise was to find out that if you take a group of 3 or more to Carriage Place on Mondays... each movie is $.50 a person. So...

BURKLES + $2 = family fun at Carriage Place

In addition I thought there were some very redemptive themes in the movie that make for good healthy discussion with the kiddo's on they way home... in particular were the views on failure and family.

(1) Failure... is celebrated in the movie. The main character, Lewis, is a budding inventor... who has a museum of failed inventions. His trial-and-error approach to life is not so attractive to would-be parents of this lonely orphan... but it is theme of his life... that everything is an experiment. His life motto is keep moving forward and so he views his own failure as positive learning experiences that helps him to grow and improve.

I really like this theme. I think failure is an event and not a person. Good people fail... great people learn from their failures. I'm not really suggesting that life should be all trial-and-error. For we should avoid some failure by consulting wise counselors and even the failure of others. Moral failure should not be celebrated. Character failure should not be celebrated. But in attempting anything, especially new things, we must be open to failure. Then, having a keep-moving-forward attitude, frees you from the paralyzing fear of failure.

(2) Family... is valued in this movie. Lewis is an orphan. He longs for a family. A place to be accepted and loved and to find identity. He thinks that if he goes back in time and meets his mother his longing for belonging will be sated. But what he finds is the surprising power of moving forward. He gets a peek into the future where a bunch of quirky, eccentric individuals come together to form quite a functional family based on love and acceptance. It appears that nearly each member is added by adoption... the choosing to allow someone to become your family. It is really a form of grace in action... freely giving to someone a status they could not earn.

The value of family in this movie is very positive and the power of adoption cannot be overstated. Adoption is not choosing someone based upon what they can give you... rather on what you can give them. Identity. Love. Acceptance.

The gospel: Despite our own failures God's love has chosen to make amends for our offense. He initiates repairing our relationship by paying for our offense then adopts us as his dearly beloved children. We do not get to him by learning from our failures... but we find new identity in him when he declares us his children if we will only accept his offer.

In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:5-6

Don't look back...

2007-08-06T13:12:00.000-05:00

... or you'll turn to salt.

I've always been abit mesmerized by the biblical story of the destruction Sodom of Gomorrah. In Genesis 19... two angels grab Lot and his family and in order to save them from God's wrath they take them by the hand and drag them out of the city and then exclaim...

"Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" (Gen. 19:17). But it is verse 26 that always gets me...

" But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."

Somehow she became a pillar of salt... because she looked back. And I often wonder why she looked back. Did she forget to pack something valuable? Did she wonder if God was seriously going to destroy the city? Did she long for the good old days? Did she miss her friends? Was it regret... sadness... a sense of loss?

And then I wonder what is in this lesson for me? Is there something about looking back that can make us salty. And I think so. Sometimes through the circumstances of life... God sends us out to a new future... and we should not look back. We should not live in the past... or hope in the past... or regret the past... but should look forward.

This is a very real thing for me now. Just 2 weeks ago I concluded a pastoral position at a local church without any clarity on what I will be doing in the future. So the past is very real and my future is very uncertain.

And it has been very tempting for me to look back. To wonder why things ended as they did. To wonder if I could have or should have done things differently. Or even better I am tempted to visit the web-site to see what they are up to... what new thing is going on... or what new faces show up.

And you know what... I can get a bit salty. I can become sad... or remorseful... or deflated... or depressed... because I am no longer in the mix... that has past. Someone else has taken over and replaced me.

I have found that it is very important for me to remember that God has clearly sent me out and has a new future for me. It is important for me to take hold of the future and let go of the past. It is necessary for me to embrace new dreams and release old ones. It is more healthy for me to look forward with hope than to look back with regret.... because....

I don't want to turn to salt.

Great Weekend

2007-08-06T12:53:00.000-05:00

I had a great weekend with my boys (we are pictured here with my dad). We left mom home to rest... and we headed out into the wild. Well... as wild as a cabin by a lake in Michigan can allow you to be.

We had an absolute blast. We swam in the lake... went paddle-boating... speedboating... tubing... sking... jet-skiing... fishing... and sat out by the fire telling stories.

Both boys caught their own fish. Griffin tried tubing with me... and after riding up front for 2 whole days in the ski-boat, Caden concluded that he wanted to buy a boat.

It was great to have some serious guy time... even without the mom's around. My brother brought his son also. In addition to all the fun... I found plenty of things for the boys to work on. Basic growing up stuff like listening... sharing... and obedience. I have found that these times of quantity time provide me with valuable quality time.

For example... on Sunday morning Caden had a difficult time obeying some simple requests that I had made of him. Shortly there-after I had the chance to paddle-boat out to the middle of the lake one-on-one with him... and we had a chance to talk about the value of obedience and why God wanted him to obey me.

I would rather have been no where else in the world than spending quality time investing in my sons this weekend.

So(u)l music for kids

2007-08-02T22:39:00.000-05:00

Allow me to introduce you to the music of Jamie Soles... this is no joke...

I know they look like a home-schooled version of the partridge family... but don't let that scare you... just yet.

I first heard of Jamie from my friends at St. Anne's Public House. I love the pub... they make me think... and do it for free.

Jamie is a reformed brother from North of the border and father if 8. He writes and performs Christian children's music that is in a category all it's own... it is stuffed with Scripture and is thoroughly theological.

In addition he is keeping a blog... and here are a few of my favorite posts:

How do you DO that? : On the virtues of elders and alcohol and how they are best enjoyed together.

Harry Potter: On the delightfulness of the writings of J.K. Rowlings and how they are possibly the best Christian literature written in the past 60 years.

Rock On!

Come what may... the VIDEO

2007-08-02T14:06:00.000-05:00

...the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return...

Come what may...

2007-08-02T12:02:00.000-05:00

Calling all lovers... I watched one of my favorite love stories... again... over the weekend. Moulin Rouge. It is love story that speaks to me of the hope and redemptive power of love. Many people are tripped up by the setting "a French burlesque" or the music "redone 80's pop music"... and sadly they miss the story.

They miss the beautifully redemptive and powerful hopefulness of love. I think it should required pre-marital viewing. Within the story 3 characters represent the 3 arc of love.

(1) Love as Control as seen in Harold Zidler: Zidler runs the Moulin Rouge and his star Satine is truly his sparkling diamond. She has hopes of escaping the Moulin Rouge under-world and becoming a "real" actress. But Harold... greedy for a dollar... realizing that Satine brings in the money, manipulates and controls her to keep her right where she is. He lies and deceives her for his own end. His love for Satine is only for what she can give to him... and control is his mode of operation. Satine is his slave.

(2) Love as Lust as seen in The Duke: The Duke is the financial investor in the upcoming play "Spectacular, Spectacular". He can give Satine the life she always wanted...but for a price... her very life. If she accepts his offer of salvation from the underworld... she will be his love slave for life. His love for her is a lust for her beauty and her affection... which he buys. He will make her a star in return for her slavery to his lusts. He wants to buy Satine's freedom but only to function as a new slave owner.

(3) Love as Hope as seen in Christian: The bohemian, penniless writer Christian... falls in love with Satine. He sees within her a beauty that transcends the underworld and the Duke. He believes she should be owned by no man and stuck in no place and that she does not belong at the of ZidlerMoulin Rouge. He wants to set her free from her chains so that she can live a life of freedom. His love for her... is set in a hope that she can rise up and live the life that she is capable of. He is willing to risk his own life for the possibility of setting her free. His desire is to redeem her from slavery... and this hope is rooted in his love for her. His love is not perfect... yet it is not rooted in control or lust... but I suggest in hope.

This movie fails at many levels as a picture of truly redemptive love... for each character is largely self-motivated and flawed... and no character ever expresses any repentance. But it is a story about love and does illustrate the common flaws that motivate love.

Now consider... some more thoughts on love.

(a) We must first be loved in order to truly love others.
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

(b) True love is self-giving and full of hope for the other.
Love is patient, love is kind...
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13:4, 7

No... and ...Yes

2007-08-01T13:12:00.000-05:00

Today is a typical day in my unemployment journey... it was first a NO... then a YES.

The NO: I had a great interview yesterday. The kind that got me thinking through what it would look like for me to have the job. I pictured myself with business card in hand walking in on sales calls. Then I got the call... It always goes the same. "You have a lot of energy, passion and potential" (the butter-up)... "BUT" (I hate the but)... (now the real truth comes out) "this other candidate has more blah-blah-blah that would be a better fit for our organization. One door shut.

...then... the YES: I'm walking in from lunch and the phone rings from a number I do not recognize. It is a manager who received my resume from a colleague and wants to set up a face-to-face interview. I ask some probing questions to clarify the opportunity then hang up. I do a dance and say "Thank you God." Another door opens.

Life is a roller-coaster (see a related post of mine). God will shut some doors... and open others. And whether he is shutting or opening... he has his best interest (which involves my best interest) in mind. Just another day in my unemployment journey.

Is your God GREEN?

2007-08-01T09:07:00.000-05:00

There is a new issue on the agenda for some churches these days... being eco-friendly. That is right... some who call themselves Christians have heard Al Gore's call for repentance and are preaching and practicing a lifestyle which is friendlier to the earth. Some even suggesting that our ever-increasing consumption of natural resources is sinful at worst and devastatingly ignorant at best.

I just listened to a 5 week series from Mars Hill Bible Church entitled God is Green. The content ranged from a theology of creation care to practical ways to live a simpler, less consumptive lifestyle. One Sunday they invited Dr. Matt Sleeth author of Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action. Rob Bell even suggested that this issue of green-ness is the new seatbelt.

Then yesterday I saw that Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas was written up in the Dallas Morning News as going green. The article did not so much focus on caring for the environment as saving money wasted on energy consumption to free it up for "real ministry." Christine and I visited Preston-"world" for a few months when we lived in Dallas. If Southern Baptists are going green... does that mean it is becoming a mainstream evangelical issue?

So what do you think.
Is God Green?
Does Jesus care how we consume or care-for the environment?
Should the church lead this charge or leave it liberal, tree-huggers?

Who Leads the Leaders????

2007-07-31T15:57:00.000-05:00

So I'm listening to the recent edition of the Catalyst podcast... in which Mr. Leadership Guru... John Maxwell is being interviewed. And it comes up that he has been strongly influenced to write his most recent book.... Talent Is Never Enough by a certain local football coach.

...how firm thy friendship O-hi-o!

Keep Rowing....

2007-07-30T15:33:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday... we went to our church away from home.. APEX. When we are in Dayton visiting Christine folks (on the left)... we love going to Apex. As you can see by my shorts, flip-flops and coffee-in-hand... I feel right at home.

But look who we ran into... the George's. One month ago Denny (on the far right) and I were both on staff at the same church in Columbus. And now... exactly one month later... we are both no longer on staff and both are looking for new employment. The crazy thing is... we did not plan to meet up at Apex yesterday... we just both independently ended up there. It was great to see familiar faces in a strange land! We are not meant to journey alone.

The message was from Nehemiah 5 and was on the heart of a leader. The pastor challenged us all to have a leaders heart. And there are two things that will challenge your heart.

You find out how good a leader you are by how you handle failure... but you find out how great a leader you are by how you handle success.

Nehemiah... had great success... but he did not let it get in the way of a sacrificial... merciful... worshipful... determined... heart.

At the end of the service I wept. I sensed the reality of the presence of God that challenged me to keep going... and encouraged me to not give up.

Keep Rowing!!

Have voice... will speak

2007-07-30T15:14:00.000-05:00

I got a cool phone call last week... but let me set it up.

There is one thing that every seminary students dreams of... their first Sunday morning sermon (at least let me speak for this seminary student). After putting in 4 years of blood, sweat and tears struggling with Greek & Hebrew and things that you can't even spell like Eschatology and Supra-Lapsarianism... you dream of the day when you can stand before the congregation and communicate God's Word to the flock.

I just got that call... last week. You see 10 days ago... I walked away from my first full-time ministry position at a church. And while I taught within my ministry a number of times... I never had the honor of speaking to the wider body. So when I left my ministry... I gave that dream back to God and thought... "I guess it wasn't meant to be."

Then just days later... a friend mine... who is a pastor... a leader... a church planter... and a dear brother... called me and invited me to come preach at his church. It was the breath of fresh air that I needed... which let me know that God is not done with me yet. And really... it is not about me... but it encourages me to know that God has not put me on the shelf.

So pray with me... and for me.. as I will have the humbling privilege of speaking forth God's Word on Sunday, August 26 at Crew Community Church in Huntington, WV.

I KNOW THAT GOD IS NOT DONE WITH ME YET!

How has God shown you that he is not done with you yet?

Sunday's Goodbye Speech

2007-07-27T10:56:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday I took the pulpit and said goodbye to my first full-time pastoral role. I put the video here (I hope not for self-promotion) but for my friends who were out of town and missed the announcement.

Watching this again... is a bit of an out of body experience for me. I came across a lot more serious than I really intended. I wanted it to be light... but it seemed a bit heavy. I wanted it to by joyful... but it seemed a bit tense.

But it was a real joy and even fun to look the church in the eyes and share this news with them. It is really an entirely different view from the stage. And for many close friends... although we won't be worshipping together... this is not good-bye... just until next time.

I believe I can fly...

2007-07-26T14:55:00.001-05:00

...well not really... but when I was a kid I used to daydream about it. I wondered what it felt like to soar above the trees and houses and cars. How I would take off... how I would land... It really fascinated me... but alas it was just a dream.

You know the older I've become the more I've lost the art of dreaming. I'm too caught up in the practical... in the real... in the must be's. And I've lost track of the what if's... what might's... and what could be's...

That is why I enjoyed the breakfast I shared with a good friend this morning. It was more of a dream session. Just being with this friend sparks my imagination to wonder and question and to... well... dream.

I've found that dreaming about... my marriage... my kids... my career... my church... in some way invigorates me to approach each area of life on a higher plane. It feeds my ideals and frees me to see obstacles as opportunities to grow and improve.

So today I was encouraged to DREAM... and I want to invite you to do the same. You are free to dream about your family... your faith... your church... your job... your next job... your community. What if you could not only dream... but could make those dreams a reality.

You may not fly... but you will attack life with a hope and excitement that is reserved for dreamers.

Prayer Request

2007-07-26T14:23:00.001-05:00

Calling all saints... A close friend and neighbor of mine (Stef) has just been shockingly diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. He is 36 (that is my age) with 3 kids. He just shared the news on his blog today... here's a taste:

... Sandi and I are not running. We are facing this head on. We are usually people that do things ourselves and handle things on our own. Not this time. We will need to reach out and ask for help. Here is what you can do for us, PRAY!! Pray for patience, strength (mental and physical), wisdom of physicians, and COMPLETE HEALING!!!

He is a leader at church, in the community, at work and at home. But he has been stripped of self-reliance and is reaching out to the body for support. Would you please visit his blog and leave an encouraging comment and then keep him and his family in your prayers!!

(In a related matter I posted Don't Waste Your Cancer from John Piper over at AC180).

The Grace Effect

2007-07-25T14:07:00.000-05:00

An uber creative guy in my former ministry put this video discussion starter together. Check it out. Oh and if you know someone who needs a creative guy... have them hire Brendan. He just graduated from school and is wicked talented.

What is a Catholic?

2007-07-24T22:29:00.000-05:00

This question has been recently defined... thanks to some work by Pope Benedict XVI. So what is a catholic, you might ask? Why don't we ask a Jew... or should I say a completed Jew. A seminary pal of mine... Hirsh Chizever... (whom I studied Hebrew with... go figure) and strong Christian brother... recently blogged on the base-line difference between Evangelicals and Catholics. Enjoy!

Wow!!!

2007-07-24T22:12:00.000-05:00

I was nearly moved to tears by the recent Baptism by the Bay 07 at NCC in DC. You've got to peep this video. Now that is what baptism should be!!! I want to be part of that!!

The video captures the emotion and story of life-changing transformation that is only possible from the inside out... through the new birth of Jesus Christ.

And the track by Jeremy Hopkins... "Time Never Let's Go"... is over the top.

The first turn...bedrest

2007-07-24T13:57:00.000-05:00

I am quite unexpectedly sitting in a local Panera... after having dropped Caden off at zoo preschool, with a grocery list in my hands. It started this morning with a regular OB visit to check on the pregnancy. Our doctor triple confirmed we are having a girl (yay)... then noticed that Christine's cervix is on the thin-side (huh).

She nearly sent us to the hospital for more monitoring.... at 24 weeks... and definitely put Christine on strict bed rest.... indefinitely for the next 3 months. So what is up with that? Sunday was my last day at Northwest. I cleaned out my office yesterday (it was supposed to be today... but got moved to yesterday). And now I am indefinitely "not busy" for the next couple of months (besides the finding a job thing).

My only response is to thank God for coming behind us! You know I've been praying that God would go before us... but I've never asked him to come behind us.

I came across the idea when reading in Exodus 13 & 14 this morning. The Israelites are promised that God will lead them with a cloud by day & fire by night. A visible sign that the Lord was going before them. But in these two chapters... where the Egyptians are hot on their tails... the cloud of God moves behind them to protect them by confusing the Egyptians.

For the past few weeks all I have thought about is saying good-bye to the people that I have served with for the past 3 years. I knew it would be a challenge. I could see it coming. But I could only see as far as Sunday... my BIG GOOD-BYE. And all the time I was asking God to go before me and make the path straight.

So this morning I awoke thinking that a big part of this transition was behind me. And we go to the doctor... and get this unexpected news... that will change the way we live for the next 3 months. And I can look back and see that God had provided for us to take on this new challenge with a fresh focus. He knew that something (Christine's pregnancy) was sneaking up on us from behind and he freed me up to more a more hands on... more supportive... more stay-at-homeish... more focused Dad... for our upcoming hi-risk pregnancy.

God went behind us. Thank you God.

Good-bye Letter

2007-07-23T21:39:00.000-05:00

I spent all day cleaning out my office, clearing up some last minute expenses and turning in my laptop. In the process the reality of the end of my ministry here has slowly begun to sunk in.

I've also heard from a number of people who were not at church on Sunday and have heard "through the grape-vine" about our leaving Northwest. I must say that I have been overwhelmed by the love and support that we have received.

So for those who missed my memorable good-bye speech at church (sshhhh.... aawwwww... grrrrr...), here is a copy of the letter that I sent out last week to the young adults in my ministry.

**********************

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Dear Seven27 Family,

This summer is a season of new beginnings for the Burkle family. As you may have heard, we are expecting our first girl (to say Christine is excited is the understatement of the year). So around November 12, 2007 we are expecting and praying for the healthy birth of Arley Christine Burkle. Yay!

New beginnings are often both exciting and scary… that is where faith comes in. There is lyric in the song “Closing Time” by the band Semisonic which says… “every new beginning comes with some other beginning’s end.” And in line with that, I am writing to share with you that our time on staff with Northwest Bible Church is coming to a close, and God is slowly revealing where he wants us to be.

In fact, our last Sunday on staff at Northwest is this Sunday, July 22. It might seem quick or sudden to you, but let me assure you that this is a journey that God has been guiding both us and the leaders of Northwest through for a while.

I want you to know that it is not just one thing that has sprung up… but that God has worked in a multitude of ways to make it clear to us and to the leadership of Northwest that now is the best time for this decision. In this process we have seen how God has been faithful to us and to Northwest and that in this decision we expect him to do great things in each of our lives.

We do not yet know what we will be doing or where we will be heading, but we are comforted by God’s presence and the graciousness of the leadership at Northwest to help us during this time of transition. We feel an amazing sense of peace that this is exactly what God wants for us and that this is best for Northwest and our family.

Finally, I want to thank you…. our extended family here at Northwest… for making our lives richer and fuller during these past three years. The memories we have with you and the ways in which you have loved and supported us will impact us forever.

I would have rather shared this with you in person, but this was just not possible. We will share this news with the rest of the church this Sunday… but wanted you to be the first to hear what God is doing in our lives.

Please feel free to call us or stop by anytime. We do have a Seven27 Open House scheduled at Bob Hart’s place on Tuesday, July 24 at 6:30pm so that we can share one last time together.

We have found that the Lord has quieted our fears and rested our troubled hearts during this time of God ordained transition. May this same God give you comfort as you face the transitions of your life.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him
and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

We will miss you dearly,

Clay, Christine, Caden, Griffin and Arley Burkle

Happy Anniversary

2007-07-22T22:46:00.001-05:00

Today is our seventh wedding anniversary. In light of the big transition in our lives (leaving my job... our church... our life), we haven't had much time this week to really celebrate. There will be time for celebration. But right now we are settling for a hug & a kiss.

A New Chapter...

2007-07-22T22:36:00.000-05:00

Today was my last day as a pastor on staff at Northwest Bible Church. It has been a move that Christine and I have been feeling for a while and the decision really sped up in last few weeks.

And now after 3 1/2 years on staff... we are done. I've got nothing lined up... other than a bunch of dreams and lot of energy. The timing is crazy. No sooner had I seen my friend & mentor Denny leave with nothing lined up... then it was my turn.

I had the chance to share the news with the church this morning... and some were hearing it for the first time. It was hard to say "Hey, by the way, this is our last day here." But the people were gracious and made the day a very positive experience.

Tomorrow I will wake up... attack the day... and see what God has waiting for me.

Perspective

2007-07-19T13:43:00.000-05:00

I got a dose of perspective today. I had the chance to spend time with a friend of mine, Bill. He is actually old enough to be my grandfather... but we still call each other friends. And since I never really knew my own grandfathers... he sort of fills a bit of that role in my life.

Bill lost his wife, Faye, to alzheimers after a long battle. And strangely enough he likes to talk to me and lean on me for some sort of support. I honestly do not know what to say to make him feel better... so I normally just listen and tell him that I can see how much he loved her.

Today he shared that he often struggles with doubt... doubt about whether he did everything within his power to care for her. Tears welled in his eyes as he recounted some of the medical decisions that he made and he wondered if he had done the right thing.

Like I said... I normally listen... but today I shared some words of encouragement that God has been speaking to me lately. I said... Bill, God knows how much you love your wife and he doesn't want you to live with doubt about whether you did enough. He wants you take your pain to him... to trust him with your pain... and he will take that burden from you and will replace it with his peace.

He thanked me for encouraging him... and for my friendship... then apologized for taking too much of my time (which he didn't).

Bill shows me old hearts still break... that love goes beyond the grave... and that we are never too old to need friends we can talk to.

I'm not satisfied...

2007-07-18T11:59:00.000-05:00

...living in yesterday's hour.

Sorry, it is a song by HillSong that I've been singing ever since I saw the video over on Aaron's blog. For an inspirational break take 5 minutes to check out Believe.

Life is a Roller Coaster

2007-07-16T21:34:00.000-05:00

There is no two ways around it... life is full of ups and downs. That is just the way our 70 years in the world are designed. From dates... to jobs... to deaths... to births... to accidents... to illness... to rejections... to mistakes...

One moment you are on the top of the hill and the next you are at the bottom of the valley. And from my experience... those extremes often follow closely after one another.

When it comes to the roller coaster of life... I think there are two kinds of people in the world... the hands-on-the-bar type and the hands-in-the-air-type.

The hands-on-the-bar type hate the ride because they aren't in control. So they white-knuckle it and grit their teeth through every hill and valley. They don't trust the track or the car because they don't feel in control. And when the ride is over and they step off the car they sigh in relief as they regain a sense of control.

A good bible example is Jacob (Gen. 25-35). He was a crooked guy. He was constantly trying to take advantage of someone else and control the situation for his benefit. He tricked his brother twice (Gen 25,27)... he deceives his dying father (27)... he deceives his father-in-law (30)... he lies again to his brother (33). His life is a Big Brother episode... where he is scheming and scamming others for his own benefit. He experienced the ups and downs... but was always struggling to gain control.

The hands-in-the-air type enjoy the ride because they aren't in control. They lift their hands boldly to the sky and let the car and track do its work. They trust the structure realizing that no amount of bar holding will change the ups and downs of life. And when the ride is over and they step off the car they breathe a sigh of excitement and get back in line.

A good bible example is Joseph (Gen. 37-50), Jacob's son. Joseph is the only really good guy in Genesis. He is the only guy who never stumbles and who always does what is right in the eyes of the Lord. From running from sexual immorality (39)... to being bushwhacked by his brothers (37)... rising to power (39)... to falling from power (39)... and to once again facing his traitor brothers (43-46). In each situation he obeys God and leaves the results to God.

I want to enjoy the ride and let God control the ups and downs.

According to Caden: how to enjoy baseball

2007-07-16T21:10:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of taking my oldest, Caden, to his first baseball game along with my dad. We went to see our local AAA ballclub, the Columbus Clippers. We actually made it through the 7th inning stretch... when my Dad and I had reached our limit.

I actually thought that we were there to watch the game. And I was even hoping to teach him some of the finer points of "enjoying" baseball. But once again I became the learner. How much I have forgotten in my old age?!

So here are the 5 coolest things about a night at the Clippers according to a 4 year old.

5. A $5 mini-bat is a much better souvenir than a $20 replica hat.
4. The best view of the field is from the jump house and the bouncy slide near the parking lot (did you see that air!).
3. Two words.... cotton candy.
2. Second best view of the field is running around at the top of the stairs behind the top row.
1. Keeping track of Krash and Louseal (the mascots)

A silly song about creativity

2007-07-12T11:46:00.000-05:00

Have I said in a while how much I have thoroughly enjoyed the silly little book by Gordon MacKenzie, Orbiting the Giant Hairball? Now along with reading it you can sing it...

Now I love the Church more than Creativity. But...
Can a church be creative?
Can a church orbit the giant hairball?

Are you willing to take chances?
Are you letting yourself fail?

This post was inspired by my own creative-mentor (although we've never met), Kevin Carroll.

peaceful

2007-07-11T15:09:00.001-05:00

Life is like an Unfinished Bus

2007-07-11T14:39:00.000-05:00

Right after my post on the "f" word... FEAR... I went over to my friend Derek's blog and read on how life is like an Unfinished Bus. It said in a fresh way... what I am experiencing in my own life in the area of dealing with fear. Here's a good taste:

"Often times I want my life to be whole, fully restored and complete now. Not tomorrow. Not next week, but today. I don't want to have to go through the hard restorative process of the soul work, often needing to take place for wholeness and full restoration to be completed. I want my own interior world to healed and at peace. Yet, I know it is a process and it takes time. I'm just thankful God himself is the restorer of my soul as I plod ahead, following after Jesus."

So whether you like buses... or restoring things... or realize you're not fully restored... I think you'll relate to my monk in a bus friend.

What do you fear?

2007-07-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

From time to time I face fear… which in my life often stems uncertainty or doubt about the outcome of a certain situation. Fear keeps me from sleeping at night and from focusing during the day. It can be a horrible cloud that engulfs my entire world. Can anyone identify?

So how can we get out this fear funk… and where does this ugly beast come from. Well here are 3 things to consider.

A quote from David Powlison: (in Reinterpreting Life) “Sinful fears are inverted cravings. If I want to avoid something at all costs - loss of reputation, loss of control, poverty, ill health, rejection, etc. – I am ruled by lustful fear.”

This tells me that often fear that leads to worry or anxiety is at its heart sinful and therefore not necessary for a Christian. Which leads me to 2 thoughts on how I’m trying to kill fear in my life:

Trust in God’s Presence: I need to realize that God is right here with me in this situation, and therefore why should I fear a person or situation which is smaller than Him. I’ve been encouraged by the story of Joseph (Gen 37-50) where we constantly reminded that whether David was in the pit or in the palace that “the Lord was with him”.

“When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust.
I shall not be afraid,
what can flesh do to me.”
Psalm 56:34

When I realize that God is with me in the situation… it turns my focus ON Him and OFF the scariness of the uncertainty and doubt.

Trust in God’s Provision: I also need to realize that God will provide all of my needs… maybe not my wants, but my needs. As a good Father, he wants the best for me and when I put my trust in his provision he reduces my fear.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD,
and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
Proverbs 3:5-8

I can get almost physically sick with fear… uncertainty… doubt… anxiety… worry. But if I can truly trust in God’s provision… with all my heart… even when I don’t understand. He can deliver me from fear and fearful feelings. He can. I’m just taking him at his word. Peace in fearful situations is a battle for me… I’ll be honest. But I’m fighting it with trusting more in God’s presence and God’s provision.

My Girl

2007-07-10T19:41:00.000-05:00

Forgive me while I dote on my wife. She turned 30 this year... and the rash of surprise 30th parties that I've been to lately reminds me of the Surprise Bash I threw for her on Jan 11. It was great to surprise her and was a truly memorable night. Somehow I pulled together this 5:35 video highlighting our lives together over the past 7 years.... and even showed it to her at the party. But now I'd like to share it with you... This one is for her.

I believe it is important to have some big celebrations in life.

It is important to stop long enough to surround yourself with friends and family and say I love you and why.

It is important to remember where you've been and how far you've come. Then realize that each day you are making memories.