Facing the Giants

This Friday, 9/29, a little known film "Facing the Giants" will be released in selected theatres around the country. It is a story about the football coach of a small private school who is known for losing and who finds out his wife is infertile and that some parents want him fired. He finds some way to inspire his team to turn around their ways and they find something within themselves to band together and make a run at the state playoffs. The twist is that the coach is a Christian. So despite the PG rating the film is explicitly Christian in content.

Here are some comments by Jason McLeod, who plays the role of Brock Kelley, the Eagles' defensive leader:

"When I look back on all the things that have come with the movie, whether it be pre-shooting, being on the set while filming, or the process that has taken place after shooting leading up to the premiere, it has just been an incredible journey. I have grown so much spiritually over the past two years and God has used FACING THE GIANTS in a major way."

"From connecting with Brock's character to watching God on and off set do things in His timing and make ends meet when there was no possible way. Going through some tough times and learning to 'Let Go and Let God' have His way in my life and knowing through my experience that He truly IS able to do exceedingly abundantly more that we could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)! When this is all said and done, I don't want my face or name remembered, but what God did!"

The film appears to be quite family friendly, so it has that going for it. But how will it be received by film-goers. Will it's explicit Christian characters turn-them away before they hit the doors? Would you want to see this film? Would you take a friend who is not a Christian? Will this present the real struggles of life which give credibility to the struggle to follow Christ or will it be another candy-coated us-versus-them Christian product which becomes another reason people avoid church? I guess we'll find out this weekend. If you see it, I'd love your thoughts and those of your unchurched friends.

Prayer & Desire

"True prayer is only another name for the love of God. Its excellence does not consist in the multitude of our words: for our Father knoweth what things we have need of before we ask Him. The true prayer is that of the heart, and the heart prays only for what it desires. To pray, then, is to desire - but to desire what God would have us desire. He who asks what he does not from the bottom of his heart desire is mistaken in thinking that he prays. Let him spend days in reciting prayers, in mediation or in inciting himself to pious exercises: he prays not once truly if he really desires not the things he pretends to ask. O! How few there are who pray! For how few are they who desire what is truly good!"
Francois Fenelon, (1651-1715)

Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

You do not have, because you do not ask.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly,
James 4:2-3

Confessions

What do you do when you've got 22 hours to waste on a plane flying around the world? I read...so here's a sample from one of my vacation reads. "Confessions" is Driscoll's second book (following up Radical Reformission). Driscoll is the lead pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA. Mark's books are full of brutal honesty, biting sarcasm, biblical commitment and missional focus, and Confessions is no exception.

This book recounts the story of how Mars Hill Church grew from a rag tag group of 12 to its current 3,000 members over the past 10 years. He's a young guy in his early 30s who is beyond his years in pastoral experience and biblical literacy. I enjoyed the honesty with which he shared the difficulties, temptations and mistakes. I was also challenged by his commitment to prayer, the Bible and the mission of his church. He is an emerging leader worth reading.

Dan Kimball, author of The Emerging Church said...
"After reading a book like this, you can never go back to being an inwardly focused church without a mission. Even if you disagree with Mark about some of the things he says, you cannot help but be convicted to the inner core about what it means to have a heart for those who donÂ’t know Jesus."

Here's an excerpt from the last pages of the book entitled More Pruning
"It is my deepest desire to be fruitful for Jesus. And according to his frequent kingdom parables, fruit comes not simply by growing but by his strategic pruning. Jesus prunes us through hardships, suffering, failure, loss, discipline, and pain. I have found Jesus' pruning of my life, marriage, family, and church to be incredibly painful, but it always results in bigger, sweeter, and greater fruit. Some pruning has been so overwhelming that I did not know if I could endure it and even questioned the goodnessess of God despite my knowledge of Scripture, which led to bouts of despair and anger."

We're Back

Bonjour and Buonjourno. If you couldn't tell from my previous post about our vacation, my wife and I went to the Mediteranean coastline of France and Italy. It was beautiful and sunny and quite tiring, but well worth it. We had time to read, play, reflect on our life and talk about what God is teaching us. And here are a few of my reflections:

People are different: The first thing we noticed was our differences from the French & Italians. They dressed nice, but different. They talk different, almost like another language. They work different hours (only 35 hours a week I hear). They have different priorities (like Italian shops would close down from 11-4 for a siesta). They travel differently. You just realize that life is different and you don't quite fit in.

People are the same: But in spite of our difference, people are the same. They love their families. They like to play. They laugh and joke and have misperceptions in about people in other countries. They hate and love and are friendly. People are people.

People matter: We noticed that after 24 hours in Italy, a time when we really struggled with the language difference we began to feel isolated and alone. Here we were walking around this beautiful beach town and we felt alone. We were longing for someone to talk to, or to hear a conversation that we understood. So Christine's reaction was to listen for English then run up to the people and ask them where they were from. One of my strongest memories from the trip were the people that we met and "befriended" on trains or in restaurants. There was Tom & Hannah the Australian university students. There was Simon & Judy the New Zealanders living in Scotland. There was the 52 year old Seattle doctor traveling Europe for 3 months with is 19 year old son Max. There was Darin and Krysa from Santa Monica celebrating the pregnancy of their first child. These becameour European friends...because people matter.

Some people matter more: But our hearts ached a bit because we left our two young boys behind. Caden, 3 1/2, and Griffin, just 2, were a regular topic of our conversation. We realized how much our lives had changed since they came along and we often wondered how they would react to certain situations in which we found ourselves. It was great to get away, but there is nothing like coming home, especially when you are showered with hugs and kisses from your boys.

How's your Vision

Last night at 727 we did eye exams at our vision night. Some of us will be wearing coke bottle glasses for a while due to excessive TV watching, especially those who TiVo Desperate Housewives and Greys Anatomy. Well not exactly, but we did talk about vision. So how's yours?

You know in the church we often become near-sighted, losing focus from our mission, and become concerned only in US and WE. So last night we stepped back and asked ourselves 3 questions.

Who are we? That is who is 727? What we are clarifying is our IDENTITY. And here is what I suggested. 727 is a place for 20somethings to experience the TRUTH of Christ the MEANING of life and the BEAUTY of community. We are targeting a specific group of people, yet we are open, always welcoming more into our midst.

Why do we exist? That is what are we about? Here we are clarifying our MISSION. This isn't rocket science, it is quite simple. Our mission is to be Christ’s witnesses to young adults in word & deed. This really is the misson of the church (Acts 1:8), yet we focus on doing this among young adults in west Columbus. It is important that 727 is not just a break from the real world or a youth group for 20-somethings. We does exist for us, we actually exist for those not yet in our group. 727 is not about who we need to keep it is about who we need to reach.

How do we do that? We are really trying to figure out what we should do and what should we not do? This helps to clarify our STRATEGY. And here is where I have pointed us to be about creating irresistible environments and strategic steps. We will create two environments: a gathered worship event and home-based small groups. We will utilize two steps to get people into these steps: the Taste of 727 (sunday lunch) and Area Fellowships (social events). Our strategy will always be in flux depending on the degree of success in relation to our mission.

It all looks great on paper but really it boils down to people investing in people. It is about people investing in others and inviting them to receive good news. It is about people getting on board leading worship, leading small groups, running outward friendly social events and then getting their friends involved. It is about missional living...being on mission. Don't sit by and watch, let's get started.

Our Amazing Race

Today I will kiss my two beautiful boys goodbye and place them into their Grandma's arms, then I will wrap my arms around my tearful wife and we will board a plane together to go away. "They'll be ok" I'll say and I'll wipe her crocodile tears away with my sleeve. That's one of the reasons I married her, because of her tender heart... and I think she's beautiful when she cries.

We will board a plane and go far away, just the two of us for about nine days. Where are we going...to that place. A place where they speak a different language, eat different food and cheer about different sports. We've scraped our pennies together over the years and the stars have lined up so that we can go and adventure together.

We've often watched the Amazing Race and wondered how well we would do...actually we wondered how poorly we would do. We love each other, but we both find different ways to drive to the bank...so traveling around the world is a whole other story. But we will go and adventure. We will reconnect, relax and rekindle the joy of just being together.

I might share a picture while we are away, but if things are really going well...you may not hear from me for 10 days. Ciao!

Akeelah's BEE is too much

Christine and I watched the Starbucks Entertainment film “Akeelah and the Bee” over the weekend. And I must say that it is the feel good, family flick of the year. We both held back tears at numerous times. The inspiring story of a young black girl from the rough part of South Central LA who lost her dad to an early death and struggles to spell her way (literally) out of a negative neighborhood and struggling school by entering a world controlled by rich white suburban kids and international homeschoolers… really struck a chord.

I would highly commend the film to all.

But I was left wrestling with a few questions. Are people good or bad? And what must happen to bring out the goodness in people?

My own contention is that people are largely selfish and generally are prone to tear others down. And in general when others are prospering or excelling the natural tendency is to work against them or lash out at them in order to overcome feelings of inferiority. While there is a spark of goodness in people it is not awakened until there is some terrible tragedy like 9/11 for instance. In the wake of this close-to-home but other-focused terror, people are more willing to stoop to help those in need.

But the storyline, of Akeelah swims against this stream. Akeelah is surrounded by negative, destructive, angry people. And as she seeks to rise above her situation and achieve something, these selfish people lose themselves in the task of helping her achieve. Her angry mom, turns into her number one fan. Her depreciating brother helps her do something he can’t. Even the local gangster turns into a nice guy confessing he once wrote a poem and the helps her train for the competition.

But where do these people find the resources to give selflessly with no personal gain to be seen? My question is an anthropological one. Is it possible that people like Akeelah, who simply set out to do something as simple as win a spelling bee, can change a community? I wish I could say yes, but I think a transformed community is a collection of transformed hearts. And I don’t think the story honestly deals with the type of heart transformation necessary for those around her not only to cheer her on but to willingly participate in her success. I think people are generally too selfish, because I know myself and I’m too selfish.

Don’t get me wrong. I was inspired. I even want to pick up a dictionary and learn a new word. I can’t wait for the next spelling bee to be on ESPN. But changed communities require heart transplants. We must die to our selfishness before we can live selflessly.

Birthdays, Chuck E. Cheese & Mentors

Griffin turned 2 this past weekend and we partied it up. As the second boy in our family he tends to play second fiddle to his big brother and as much as we tried to push him to the front, he comfortable slid in behind his brother. So Caden led the way in unwrapping the gifts…and Griffey was fine with it. Caden would pick the toy he wanted to play with…and Griffey was fine with it.

It’s not that Caden doesn’t love Griffey, he’s just used to leading the way. In fact the night before the party we heard Caden singing himself to sleep, and do you know what he was singing? ....“Happy Birthday to Griffey…” Yep he sang it through twice before he faded off to dreamland.

But when we took the boys to Chuck E. Cheese a new Griffin emerged…a riskier…more confident…more daring Griffin. It all happened when the guy in the Chuck E. costume comes out to visit the Birthday kids. Caden at 3 ½ is weirded out by the 6 foot rat and runs the other way…he will not go within 10 feet of the towering rodent.

But Griffin can’t get enough of Chuck E. He stood in front of a crowded room dancing with him… he gave him countless hugs… he high-fived him until his hands were red… and climbed up in his lap like he was Santa Claus. I’m not sure what was running through his 2 year old mind, but his admiration for this larger than life mouse moves my son to action.

I go in to check on my sons every night after they are asleep and I often whisper a prayer or speak a blessing over them. I regularly pray that they will choose good friends and wise counselors. I want to be my boys’ hero, but at some point I know that other men will wear that label for them too. So I pray they choose good heroes.

Some guys are fakes dressed up in costumes and I want them run for the hills…like Caden treats Chuck E. But others wear wisdom like a comfortable bathrobe. Their words are sound and their actions are full of integrity. So I hope my boys will climb up into the lap of those types of heroes like Griffin responds to Chuck E.

When heaven comes down

What’s the deal with heaven? We rarely think of it. We want to go there, or at least not to hell. But we have our whole life ahead of us. We have dreams we want to fulfill. We want a spouse, a house, and some kids. Guys have adventures to tackle, mountains to climb or promotions to earn. Chicklets want spa days to enjoy, romantic dinners to share or to start their own business. With all of these dreams yet unfulfilled, where is the room to long for the after-life? Of course we want heaven, but at a much more convenient time…translation – after I’ve lived a full life.

The Bible speaks of the eternal state as New Heavens and New Earth populated by New People (Rev. 21 & Rom 8). Along with these things which God reforms or restores to perfection there will be the absence of some old and familiar things.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:4

No tears, no death, no suffering, no pain.

Maybe that is the key. The reason we don’t long for the next life is because this life has not yet come in contact with pain and loss. Maybe that is why the apostles spoke longingly of heaven, they suffered….alot. Maybe that is why old people long for heaven…they’ve lost all their friends and many family members and their bodies are decaying. Maybe that is why the parents who have lost an infant long for heaven, because death and mourning is a reality to them.

If you have suffered, wept, lost or tasted the bitterness of death your longing for rest will be realized. Charlie Hall captures this longing beautifully in a recent song.

Come For Me
Jesus come take me away,
I long to see your face
This world is broken yet beautifully made,
Jesus come take me away,

Jesus today I am tired,
I need your music to come and inspire
I give myself to be refined in this fire,
But Jesus today I’m so tired,

You’ll come again with a shout,
Like a thief in the night you’ll come riding on clouds
Finally the voice I have followed for life
Has a glorious face that is lit up with light
And you’ll come for me,
no more pain, peace,
no more fear, release,
just lost and consumed with my glorious King,

Remember the Hills

This past weekend 12 of us from 727 left town and ventured down to Hocking Hills. We got far enough away that we could see the stars. It was a time to laugh and play and discuss our faith. We stayed at this quirkily designed but sweet little lodge that really fostered a family-style experience. We stayed up late, we ate a bit fat breakfast and we burned some serious carbs on Saturday with both a 2 1/2 mile hike and a 5 mile canoe trip. See more photo's. In addition to fun we challenged each other in 2 areas of faith:



What should I do? We all agreed that we want to please God, but we often wonder exactly what God wants us to do. And sometimes we end up doing nothing and letting moments of opportunity pass us by. The "more spiritual" of us cunningly suggest we are praying about it, but really we are just afraid to act. So we challenged each other to repent from our sin of inactivity with the words JUST DO SOMETHING.

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. James 4:17

What difference can I make? We want our lives to count and as we watch opportunities pass us by we see our moment slipping away. So talked about the needs we each see and the gifts we each have and the passions that are on our hearts. Then we discussed that fact that when you make an impact often times it impacts you. When we mark others we can get marked or scarred or wounded. It is just part of the game.

What would happen if every place we went, every environment we stepped into, we would look around and ask ourselves, 'Is there a way that I can make an impact? Is there a way that I can leave a mark and through my life leave the fingerprints of God all over someone else's life? Erwin McManus

The choice is up to you...

I came across a statement by Erwin McManus, in his recent work "Chasing Daylight" that highlights the importance of choice.

"The most spiritual activity you will engage in today is making choices. All the other activities that we describe as spiritual - worship, prayer, meditation - are there to connect us to God and prepare us to live."

Make a choice.

Do you feel connected?

Do you have relationships with a few other people? Real relationships…more than acquaintances. People who you can turn to in tough times and they’ll care for you. People who know you well enough to see you veering off track and step in to draw you back. People that you can call your people. If not you feel lonely and disconnected.

I ask this because I’m thinking about you, knowing that you need a few real friends. And I also ask because I care about the church, which I believe should be a place where you find a few real friends. If that doesn’t happen, either there is a problem with you or with the church.

I recently read Andy Stanley’s book “Creating Community.” I read it in a day. It tells the story and strategy of North Point Community Church, which states as their goal “to encourage all people to move into a small group.” And they are doing it. They observe that today’s church are filled with "crowded loneliness” and that “isolation breeds selfishness.” Their small group purpose is “To provided a predictable small-group environment where participants experience authentic community and spiritual growth.”

Most people won’t argue against wisdom like “Christian community is the final apologetic” (Francis Shaeffer) or “God creates in us a “human-shaped-void” that God himself will not fill” (John Ortberg). Most completely agree and honestly say, where can I find such a place. I suggest the church.

I agree with Larry Crabb who says, “the center of Christian Community is connecting with a few” (Connecting, xiii). So do you feel connected? Do you have a few people that will be there with you or for you or a few people that you will be there for? Are you connected to people that are journeying through life with you to laugh & celebrate and if necessary cry with you?

Kyle's Film

Kyle Lake, 33, the pastor of University Baptist Church (David Crowder's church) on the campus of Baylor University in Waco, TX died an untimely in 2005 during a baptismal service. He left behind a wife and 3 young kids. This film will memorialize his legacy and has grown into a nationwide phenomenon.

John Maxwell rethinks ministry

I was reading the Sept/Oct 2006 Rev. Magazine today and came across an interview with John Maxwell. He was a pastor for 25 years, then made the jump to corporate leadership training, by spearheading Injoy. His answer to one question in particular sparked my interest...

Q: What would you do differently if you were starting (pastoring) over today?

A: I'd have a lot less church; I'd have less programs; I'd have less services. I'd have a lot less of everything....one of my major mistakes was thinking that life revolved around the local church and what we were doing... If I had it to do over again, I'd have people doing a lot more ministry outside the church, in their workplace or in their community or in their volunteer organizations. I'd find out where they had the greatest influence and make their ministry where their greatest influence was, not confine it to a church.

What if we did that?
What if everyone invested time ("had a ministry") outside their church?
How would ministry outside the church affect the life of the church?

To read the rest of John Maxwell's comments....

What’s on your iPod?

What if God saw your playlist? Some churches are taking this “God on the Pod” business pretty seriously. Read more...

Suffering for Cheeses

Creative highschool kids who are suffering for promoting their love for Jesus are outsmarting their persecutors by wearing “I love Cheeses” shirts which “when spoken, is almost undistinguishable from ‘I love Jesus’. Read more...

When I think of Suffering for being a Christian I have one of two responses. I can laugh or cry. The joke above is my typical response, a nervous attempt at laughter motivated by personal conviction at my extremely comfortable life. The other option is sadness that some suffer and that my life as a Christ-follower does not warrant such suffering. Am I doing something wrong, I often wonder?

If you want to read some Scripture about how to suffer as a Christian, you want to spend some time in 1 Peter. Peter wrote to Christians who are spread abroad in hostile foreign lands and as a result faced some agonizingly tough times. And what I read, shocks and floors me.

It reads in 4:12 “do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you.” Do not be surprised….are you serious! That’s not me. I am completely surprised… stumped… shocked when an ounce of difficulty comes to me. ‘But what about my rights’, I protest. ‘I don’t deserve this’, I retort. I know I shouldn’t be, but I am.

In the next verse he says, “rejoice” when we suffer. Again I my hand goes up…you can’t be talking about me. I don’t take joy when my rights are constrained, when my freedom is curtailed or when my happiness is impinged upon by others. Can you see that not only do I not suffer, but I struggle even with the idea. I should rejoice, but I can’t.

My only hope is for God to help me “not be surprised” and “rejoice” in suffering for His name. I can’t, but he can. So if I press into him and identify with him, “working out my salvation” through faith in him. Then he, through me, can accept and rejoice in suffering for Him. God help me.

Big Hairy Monsters

What will happen when Jesus Returns? That was the question we were tackling on Tuesday night. I was personally excited to walk through the biblical-timeline of glorious appearing of our blessed hope. I was sure that a greater understanding of Pre-Tribulation Rapture and Pre-Millenial Return of Christ would be an exciting topic and would foster greater evangelistic zeal within our group.

Then yesterday I spotted it. Someone had left their notes behind from the lecture. I glided over and proudly picked it up to see how well received the topic was. I secretly hoped that they had written their name on the top, so that I could return these valuable notes to them.

And this is what I picked up. I guess I held the attention of this guy (or gal) for the first 10 minutes, then they proceeded to draw big hairy monsters as I waxed eloquent on the finer details of the rapture and millenium. It does look like someone has some artistic promise. I feel it only right to return such fine drawings to their rightful owner and I hope to recruit this individual to our new cartoon drawing ministry. Please come forward to receive your prize and our admiration.

All You Need Is Love?

"….knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." 1 Cor 8:1

Doctrine divides, just love others like Jesus. Theology is cold and impersonal, but my faith is simple. I’ve often heard this verse used to support less focus on teaching and more focus on loving others. Would such an idea really be passed on by a guy who challenged his understudy to “preach the word” (2 Tim 4:2) or who encouraged a fellow church leader with “teach sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1)? I’m not trying to grind the axe that everyone needs a seminary degree, what I’m asking is what is Paul really driving at here?

What is puffed up? The picture is a balloon getting inflated or puffed up by air. Some people because of a certain degree of spiritual insight think themselves bigger or better than they are. They are prideful or arrogant. Is this talking about just any knowledge? NO…it is the realization that meat sacrificed to idols is fair game for eating because idols are nothing but man-made toys (1 Cor 8:4), even if some take them seriously.

The rub in Corinth was not that this knowledge was bad, but that not all possessed this knowledge (8:7). So you are dealing with the haves and the have-nots. The have-nots would see a fellow Christian eating meat to idols and would get wigged out because they used to do the same thing as part of their former idol worshipping days. As a result they would become conflicted about their new life in Christ and might stumble back into idolatry or at least would lose some serious sleep over it. And to cause such a stumble is a sin against that brother and against Christ (8:12).

The knowledgeable Christians had a right to eat meat (8:9). But if they did so in the wrong setting it becomes arrogant and prideful not loving. It then doesn’t build up the church, it tears it down. Paul could have discounted knowledge, but instead he affirmed it (8:4-6). His point is not less knowledge, but knowledge without love is sin.

The point can’t be love without knowledge… that is irresponsible.
It is certainly not knowledge without love… that is arrogance.
It must be knowledge with love… that is enriching.

War, Swords & Spirits

I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
(Rom 7:22-23)

The life of a follower of Jesus is joy… it is peace… it is life… and it is war. War?! We have received a gift of new life, real life you might say. Salvation is the restoration of our total being towards shalom or wholeness of mind, body and spirit. Yet our new life, the Christian life, is the process of feeding the new nature which loves God and simultaneously killing our old nature which loves sin. There is within us all a part which loves sin…so what is your poison? Anger, jealousy, pride, sex, back-stabbing, gossip, lust, gluttony, laziness, self-indulgence, caffeine, alcohol.

We are at war, in ourselves to kill these old desires and awaken new desires. Not to repress or cover over or avoid these desires but to kill, strangle, suffocate, lynch, mortify them. How? By the spirit. So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh… but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live (Rom 8:12-13).

How do we engage the Spirit of God to kill the sin our lives? By feasting on the Word of God which is the Sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17). Apart from faith in the Word of God we will disconnect the very power that is able to kill sin our lives. We must fight fleshly desires with all our might, but that alone will not kill sin. The dynamic power of the Word of God cuts to the heart and is the instrument the Spirit uses to root out the cancer of our sin. Don’t make peace with sin and cover it up, call a war. Don’t try to tame it, kill it by the Spirit. Embrace the war. Expose the war. Engage the war.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires (Heb 4:12).

Run the Race

I lay in bed at 7am on Saturday morning and I didn't feel like running. For a bit of context, I've been training to run the Columbus marathon for about 6 weeks now. Saturday morning is the long run day and I was schedule for 13 miles this past Saturday. But as I lay in bed half awake knowing what was before me, I simply had no desire to run. I thought out all of the reasons why I should sleep in and why running that day was not the wisest use of my time. I felt flat, windless, like my batteries needed to be re-charged. I didn't think I had 13 miles in me.

Have you ever laid in bed on Monday morning and said, "I don't feel like being a Christian today"? I sure have. It sometimes happens after I have been doing a lot of church stuff and I'm just tired. Or sometimes when I feel stressed about a situation or people that I've had to deal with. Or other times when I'm starting to lose the passion or the dreams that God has placed in me. I'll wake up and hit the snooze button and say, Not Today, I just don't want to do it. I don't think I have 24 hours of being a Christian in me.

I've heard that in marathoning the most difficult part is the training. It is stretched out over months and covers a few hundred miles. It takes discipline, it takes perseverance and even support from others. It's the same way with being a follower of Christ.

Life is a marathon and the biblical writers pick up this running/athletic theme to teach us how to run the race of life. First, we have a crowd cheering us on so we should "run with endurance the race that is set before us..."(Hebrews 12:1). Second, successful running requires self-discipline which prepares us to "run to win" (1 Corinthians 9:24-25, 1 Tim 4:7).

Probably the most encouraging idea to me, when I don't feel like being a Christian is the fact that "God has given us everything we need for living a godly life" (2 Peter 1:3). Nothing is hidden from me. Nothing has been held back. I don't need more I just need to tune in with what has already been given. The power is there. The resources are there. So let's run to win.

John Owen on Sin

Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work;
be always at it while you live; cease ot a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you."

John Owen
17th Puritan

The Face of Success

How do you define success? Success is a haunting word for some and a fleeting idea for others. And in the world of ministry, where heart transformation is the goal, it can often be difficult to measure. In this picture are the faces of nearly 40 campers and 1 dozen volunteers who made up the Northwest Soccer Camp.

By many standards of measurement this years camp was not a success, but a failure. First, this years attendance was less that 50% of last years attendance (40 down from 90). Second, we lost money running the camp this year. Third, we had no kids respond to the gospel invitation (compared with 7 last year). What I'm saying is that numbers were down. And I honestly struggled with that. I lost sleep over that...because I don't want to be a failure.

And interestingly enough my antidote was draped across my back. That was where this year's camp slogan was placed on our t-shirts, which read: "SUCCESS = ATTITUDE + ABILITY". We used that slogan to challenge the campers with the 3 keys to a successful attitude. Maybe my focus on the camp numbers was the source of my dour attitude. So lets look at the situation from a different angle.

We did have 40 kids who not only learned soccer but were challenged with biblical truths about successful attitudes. I wonder what seeds were planted in their hearts that might have an exponential return in the future. We did have 16 kids who had never been to our church before. I wonder how the hearing of the gospel now will affect them down the road. And don't let me forget the 2 dozen volunteers who spent their free time and vacation time to pull this off. What impact will their selfless investment have on them and the kids into whom they poured themselves.

When I look into the faces of this picture that I see people, not numbers. And it is hard to see failure when you invest in people. Because God cares about people, we must focus on the people whom he allows us to serve, not focusing on those whom we don't.

Goonies Coming to Northwest

The story of a pack of kids who catches wind of some criminals up to mischief in their hometown then bands together to nab the bad-guys and save their neighborhood from impending danger never gets old does it? Maybe it is because we long for the innocence of childhood while at the same time wanting our lives to count for something.

This Saturday, 727 will dance with our childhood fantasies as we view the 80's cult-classic "The Goonies." For info on this event, click here. And if you have 12 minutes to waste, check out The Goonies Vacation. A couple of 20-something fans traveled up to the shoot location to relive their favorite childhod movie and in the process they added fuel to the Goonies fire. The "National Lampoons Vacation" clips are a riot.

Cinderella Man

A few weeks ago my wife and I spent a Sunday Night watching the critically acclaimed Ron Howard film, Cinderella Man. We had heard good reviews from our friends about this story of an against-all-odds boxer trying to survive during the depression. But we weren’t quite prepared for how the story would resonate with us. We quickly became enamored with the hero, James J. Braddock who quickly fell from being a touted prize-fighter to a husband and father of three just struggling to pay the heating bill.

The story of James J. Braddock’s struggle to keep his family together during the toughest of times and his mythic rise as a figure of hope for the average man of the depression impacted me. I saw what appear to be biblical themes being lived out, incarnated before my eyes and in my heart I longed to measure up. And as the movie wound down I found myself on my feet cheering on this Rocky-like underdog as he represented me, the average man fighting the good fight. Here is what I remember of the hero:

He had Integrity: At one point in the story, Braddock’s oldest son stole a salami. The boy confessed that he was afraid that if his parents couldn’t feed him that the kids might be sent away. Braddock marched his son back to the grocer to return the stolen goods. He knew that ones desperate need did not justify taking advantage of others. His own character and reputation was more valuable than a full stomach.

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. Proverbs 10:9

He was a Good Father: In the same seen above we find out that the son stole the salami out of fear that the family would be broken up. Braddock sensing the fear in his son looked him in the eye and promised to keep the family together. As he struggled to follow through on his promise he humbled himself to accept support from the government. He even swallowed his pride enough to go to the boxing promoters whom he had made rich and to beg for some handouts from them. He took his responsibility as a provider and protector of his family as seriously as a prize-fight.

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. Psalm 103:13

He gave Hope to the Hopeless: Braddock’s rise from the streets to world champion status made him a mythic hero for every struggling, working man. Men struggling to find work identified with Braddock as one who walked in their shoes and faced their pressures. So with every blow that Braddock landed it was as if America’s depressed were being lifted from their devastation and freed, if but for a moment, from their own chains of poverty. It is here that Braddock becomes almost Christ-like, as a man who saves men from their hopelessness.

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:17

Jesus, the incarnation of God, has walked in my shoes. He walked with integrity, caring for his people like a father, giving hope to the hopeless. His life was whole and unified in its loyalty to the will of the Father. The story of James J. Braddock as “The Cinderella Man” has re-connected my heart with the one who has fully identified with me and offers not just a mythic hero to follow but propitiation for my sin.

Part 6, Talking Directly

Sorry for the delay in this final post. Here's are my other thoughts on Christian Conflict:
Part 1, How should Christians Fight?
Part 2, The two R's of Christian Conflict
Part 3, Seeing Clearly
Part 4, Approaching Humbly
Part 5, Speaking Cautiously

One of the simplest guidelines in this matter of resolving our disagreements often becomes the most difficult and therefore the most neglected. Sitting down and talking directly face-to-face with the person involved. For some reason this is a fearful thing for us to consider. It takes real courage to look someone in the face and say “you hurt me” or “you offended me” or “I think what you did or said was wrong.”

It is much easier for us type out an e-mail, hit the send button and then hide behind our computers. I have received e-mails from people that should have never been sent. Sometimes the e-mails don’t even go to me, but to others about me. What’s up with that?

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. (Matthew 18:15)

If you truly want to gain your brother do him the honor of approaching him face-to-face. When you do this you have the chance to dialogue with him, to discuss the situation. To hear him out and be heard. Truth resides in dialogue. If you fire off an e-mail or leave a voicemail there is no opportunity for brother-gaining discussion.

Paul even did this when he had an issue with Peter’s apparent hypocrisy in Antioch. Paul did fire off another letter to Peter, he opposed him to his face (Gal 2:9). At issue was the affect that Peter’s choices might be having on the Gentile believers. Paul was afraid that some believers might be led astray, so he told him to his face, and it appears that he gained his brother. So if you are tempted to fire off that nasty-gram, like I am every so often. Hit the delete button and take them out for a cup of coffee. You might pick up the tab, but you also might gain your brother.

The goal of our conflict should be restoration and reconciliation. And this is only possible to restore broken relationships through face to face interaction. Then you can see the body language, the facial expression, hear the tone in the voice and ask questions. Understanding one another requires lots of questioning and probing all of which is impossible through letters or e-mails. Often times that type of communication only inserts other hurts and misunderstanding into the situation. Direct communication while sometimes difficult is the sole path by which restoration is possible. No other road leads to a restored relationship other than direct conversation.

Kickin' It for Jesus

Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus

This time of the year soccer is on my mind. One big reason is that I am extremely involved in the Northwest Soccer Camp, a camp that we run for our community. In one week we will have dozens of 8-13 boys and girls stomping around on the grass working on headers, square passes and penalty kicks. But we hope that this is not just another soccer camp. So we add a twist.

We emphasize character training. Why? Good soccer players don't necessarily make good citizens or good employees or good husbands & wives. But if we can use soccer as a vehicle to challenge kids to be good people, then we are on to something.

So this year we are appealing to the innate desire within kids to be a success, at least at something, even if it is not soccer. So we will be challenging them with "The 3 Keys to a Successful Attitude." Each day we will drive home one key idea. And then we will reinforce it at the end of the day by have a professional player from the Columbus Crew share how they have learned that lesson as well.

Kids certainly have much to learn, and their path from naivete to wisdom requires much direction. We hope that this camp will be one of those experiences which helps shape them for their future. But according to Jesus, we adults have something to learn from these children. Maybe its their simplicity, or their trust, or honest questioning. So during this camp an interesting event will take place. We will be mentoring, coaching and directing the kids... and simultaneously we will be learning a lesson from them on "how to enter the kingdom of heaven."

Costly Mistakes

Have you ever made a costly mistake? I just made one yesterday and I'm still trying to figure out how to get over it. I lost my iPOD Video....that is the short of it. You see I went on a long run and my lovely wife was going to pick me up at my final destination...quite nice of her. And when she picked me up I made a fatal mistake, I took off the iPOD and put it on the roof of the car. A simple act, but that was the mistake. After I did that I got a drink of water, cooled down a bit and then loaded into the cars (sans iPOD). It wasn't until last night that I realized my blunder. I had never retrieved my traveling jutebox from the rooftop. So last night at 10:30 pm I grabbed a flashlight and headed out to the scene of the crime. I found nothing...and now someone is probably joyfully loading their favorite videos onto my iPOD.

How we respond in these situations is quite revealing. I'm a blamer. I figured out some way to blame my wife for not reminding me to grab the gadget. I even wondered, God why have you allowed this injustice to happen to me. But as passing time cools my thoughts I realize that no one is to blame but me. I make decisions, I make choices and I make mistakes...and I have to live with the results. It's quite simple. I'd love to get my video iPOD back, but if I not...it's void will be a silent reminder of my costly mistake.

What's Your Style???

I'm not talking hair or clothes or even music... I'm talking church. I spent some time today researchng a Pastor's Conference that I am interested in and they posted some interviews of the speakers. One that really caught my eye was Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA. He talked about style in ministry. The Bible is pretty clear that Christ has "sent" the church to its local geography as "missionaries" through whom he wants to announce the good news of his kingdom. But how we do it, or in what style is an issue that often trips us up. What things MUST NOT change in translating the gospel to our neighbors and what things do we have the freedom to change. I like Mark's answer. See it for yourself.

http://desiringgod.org/media/video/2006_National/national2006_driscoll_interview4.mov

Some people have way too much free time...

Part 5, Speaking Cautiously

Sticks and stones may break my bones
But words will never hurt me.


Lies, lies, lies. Words don’t hurt our bodies, but they penetrate deep into our souls and they either give life or suck the life out of us. Words can be like a refreshing summer rain quenching the thirst of a dry flower bed. Or they can be like a swarm of small termites which slowly eat away at a giant oak tree until it is so hollow inside that it comes crashing to the ground.

When you are offended by something someone does or says, watch your tongue. Your natural tendency will be to say something to someone. The tongue is small, but it is powerful. Remember James caution?

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! (James 3:5)

Word once spoken can be like hand-grenades tossed into a battle zone. The can cause destruction that is irrevocable. You can’t take them back. You can try, you might even be forgiven, but the damage has been done. James compares the tongue to untamable wild beast, and says it is full of deadly poison (James 3:1-13).

In your offended state you are liable to think some nasty things about the person… they may even be true and the person may even deserve it. But don’t pollute your mouth (or your e-mail) by hitting the send button. Whenever I am tempted to spout out some poison I sit down and write out a nasty e-mail or letter…I let it all out. Then I sit back, take a deep breath and hit delete button. Then I physically get up, walk away from the situation (if I can) and prayerfully consider a wiser approach.

The bottom line is watch your words. Too many, too quick, too close to the situation will often get you in trouble. The Proverbs offer some great nuggets about speaking cautiously, check out these nuggets of truth (NLT):

Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. (10:19)

The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives. (12:6)

Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed. (12:18-19)

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness. (15:1-2)

Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time! (15:23)

Kind words are like honey-- sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. (16:24)

A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. (17:27-28)

Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook. (18:4)

Just a suggestion....

If you've ever received a "helpful" suggestion from a well-meaning do-gooder then you'll get a chuckle out of this voicemail that one pastor received.
http://ship-of-fools.com/Signs/blunders/hello_pastor.html

Part 4, Approaching Humbly

If you are considering approaching someone because you disagree with something they have done or said, approach humbly. What I mean is check your motive. Check your heart. For the motives that reside deep in your heart must first be addressed by you before you are ready to approach them. In James 3 (13-17) we see a negative to avoid and a positive to strive for.

If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. (James 3:14)

Are you struggling with bitterness toward this person? That might mean you have let past small issues well up inside you and you have walled them off in your heart. Are you feeling jealousy towards that person? If you can’t go up and sincerely praise them or encourage them, then you might have a jealousy problem. Is there something you are trying to personally gain from by confronting this person? If you hope to win something while they lose something in this process, you might have a selfish ambition. Confess these feelings and repent of them before proceeding.

Wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. (James 3:17)

Here is the litmus test for a humble approach. Such an approach is wise and pleasing in God’s eyes. It is open to reason which is seeking first to understand the person before bashing them over the head with your correction. It is possible that you misunderstand them and by engaging in a conversation you are open to be persuaded by the facts and better understand their position. A humble approach is full of mercy, holding back what you think they deserve, it seeks peace which heals the relationship and is gentle not abusive.

If you must approach someone, thinking that you see the situation clearly, do it with wisdom from above. Pray for a right heart and confess any bitterness, jealousy or selfish ambition. Ask God to fill you with mercy and gentleness and first seek to understand by asking questions and listening then engaging them in discussion.

Here are a few questions to consider starting such a conversation:
Why did you do/say xxxxxx ?
What did you intend when you did/said xxxxxx ?
Were you aware that your action/words could have xxxxxx effect?

Part 3, Seeing Clearly

Now let’s walk down the path of how to resolve our conflicts.
Appropriately.
Biblically.
Wisely.
Maturely.
Effectively.








It is easy to make judgments of others, because we are naturally caught up in the lives of others. Jack Johnson captured the idea in his song "Wasting Time" with these words...

“everybody thinks that
everybody knows about
everybody else,
nobody knows anything
about themselves
cause their all worried
about everybody else.”

It is easy to make judgments of others. It is even necessary. I would say that life is largely about making judgments. My job as a dad is to teach that to my kids. I want them to judge the advice they receive and who gives it. I want them to make right judgments about choosing friends and jobs and hobbies. Life is about decision making based on our judgment of people and situations. Life even calls for us to share our judgments with others and even with the people about whom we are making the judgments. But the Bible warns us that would should tread lightly when we walk down this path.

The reason is that while we think we might see others clearly, we are often far-sighted. We seem to think we see things in others lives (speech, actions, decisions) very clearly while we are blind to our own issues. For this reason we should first look in the mirror, judge ourselves first, then and only then will we see with the clarity necessary to speak clearly with wise judgment about others. Jesus taught this very lesson in Matthew 7:3-5….

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

We must first be willing to submit ourselves to the standard which we are going to hold someone else up to. Remember we are far-sighted and often blind to our own shortcomings, so we need others in our lives that will honestly bring clarity to our issues.


Here are some suggestions for seeing clearly:
-Make friends who will honestly & lovingly point out your weaknesses and listen to them.
-Before speaking judgment about someone else’s issue, have your friend judge you in that area.
-Consider that the speck you see in someone else might be a log in your own life.

Part 2, The 2 R's of Christiann Conflict

When we must deal with those who have offended us there is a both a practical and theological goal for our confrontation. We must seek Restoration and Reconciliation.

Restoration
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)

The first five verses of Galatians six discuss the responsibility that we have to one another as followers of Christ. The key responsibility we have is to work to restore the person. We should help to pick them up, dust them off and put them back on their spiritual feet.

When the sin is a personal offence against us in word or deed this can become personal struggle with our own tendency to sin. If we have been hurt, we might want to hurt them. If we feel estranged, we might want to let them feel the ostracism that we have. But that is not restoration. We have an opportunity to offer forgiveness and do so in such a way that they are welcomed back into the community of faith.

Reconciliation
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:18)

Reconciliation is the commitment to restore a relationship to harmony. God has done this for us, something that we could not do for ourselves. We offended him, but he came to us in reconciliation. We betrayed him and walked out on him, but he humbled himself to restore our relationship to harmony. We have been forgiven a great offense, and therefore should be quite thankful. Then he released us to do the same with others.

As those who have been forgiven we have the motivation and power to live out lives of reconciliation. We share how people can be reconciled to God, but we also seek to restore broken relationships in our own lives. It is part of our being, to be reconcilers. When we are offended or hurt, we remember how we have been forgiven our own offences by God and we seek to repair and heal the relationship.

It’s not that we are so shined up and clean that we never offend or disagree or hurt one another. But when that happens we struggle through our own insecurities to restore relationships and reconcile with our offender.

Part 1, How should Christians Fight?

When was the last time you offended someone or disagreed with them or were hurt by something they did? It happens all the time. And often times it can lead to a deeply damaged or broken relationship. But it doesn’t have to end that way. The good news is that God is forming a new community of people who don’t settle for disunity. It doesn’t mean we will always agree or never offend…it does mean that we must have the courage to handle or disagreements wisely.

So the Big Question I want to answer is, How do we handle our disagreements Christianly?…meaning, in a manner that confesses we are a gospel-centered community and reflects that we have been supernaturally transformed by the Spirit of God.

I do not suggest that these posts will be exhaustive, rather they will reflect some of my recent thoughts on the subject. You in fact my have some reflections or questions that might add the discussion, if so I invite your engagement.

But in my mind the first question that must be answered is Why even Bother?

In the house I grew up in there was little conflict or open disagreement and so my own natural tendency is to avoid conflict and suppress disagreement. But shortly after my wedding (a happy 6 years ago) I learned that such an attitude is not an environment for healthy relationships. Similarly in the organism of the local church, our very health as a body demands that we deal with our differences and disagreements. I don’t want to jump into the how just yet, but here are some reasons why.

We are members of one another. The NT explains that the church is like a body (Rom 9; 1 Cor 12; Eph 4). That shows that we are all different and distinct in our role or function, yet we are unified in our purpose and place. God has designed us to be connected to one another, like it or not. Consider Romans 12:5

”so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”

We have been joined in Christ to one another. That means that we have responsibility to one another. We are accountable to one another. We are responsible to one another. Our actions and our words affect one another. We must not think that our actions do not affect others, they in fact affect the whole body. Disagreement breaks up the harmony of the body and must be addressed.

Dissension affects our Worship. In other words God cares about our reconciliation. Our relationships with one another can affect our relationship with God. If we have disharmony with one another then God wants us to deal with that before we go about our public worship. Jesus even encourages us to go get right with or brother, if we have offended them before we bring our gifts to God (Matt 5:23). That means go apologize or ask forgiveness or acknowledge your part in the offense and seek reconciliation.

Dissension affects our Witness. The church as the “body of Christ” is the place where the gospel is incarnated or “lived out” for the world to see. Part of our witness to the fact that we have switched our allegiance to Jesus as Lord is how we as a new community exist in a way that is according to the Spirit and not the flesh. For example, that means when “outsiders” see how we handle our disagreements, they will see such a difference that they are drawn to the Lord to whom we witness (Matt 5:16). When our body breaks down… when the community is in controversy…our witness is a community is cloudy.

I remember one experience while being involved in a Christian leadership team on my college campus. I had the horrible habit of being late to every meeting (a habit that my wife has nearly reformed me). At one particular meeting I strolled in late and was rebuked by one of the members at how my behavior was negatively affecting the attitude of the group. It communicated a selfishness and laziness on my part and showed disrespect for the other members of the team. I was initially embarrassed and hurt, but soon realized that they were right and worked to improve in that area of my life.

Do you have some good or bad stories about dealing with disagreements or personal offenses?

Passing by a Neighbor

It happened again on the way to work today. There I was minding my own business and it just happened. It had been a regular morning. I woke up when my son started yelling out my name. I showered…I ate my breakfast…I helped get my kids up and I was off to work so I would not be late. Then it happened, a simple thing, really. As I was preparing to turn left I saw a guy with his hazard lights on pushing his car out of the stream of traffic to the side of the road.

And I had the chance to put “me” on hold for a few minutes. Although cars were streaming down the road, there were no cars behind me in the turn lane, so as time slowed to a crawl I sat and pondered the choice as I watched this poor fellow push his car to the side of the road.

“Should I help him?”
“I really should!”
“But I might be late to the office…and I’ve got some important stuff to get to.”
“And what could I do to help anyhow?”
“Plus he probably has a cell and just needs to make a call to AAA.”
“So what…why not at least try?”
“But how am I going to cross all that traffic…and my day is busy.”

You’ve had that same conversation with yourself. They are simple little decisions…but in the end they make all the difference, because they reveal our heart. Jesus had a way a boiling the big stuff down to simple decisions.

What did Jesus say was the greatest commandment? To love God with all you’ve got AND to love your neighbor like they are you (Mt 22:37; Mk 12:30; Lk 10:27). You can’t get any simpler than that.

One observant listener quipped to Jesus, “well then who is my neighbor?” And Jesus told a heart-pricking story which gave the answer, anyone whose path you cross who is in need. The question is “am I willing to be neighborly?” Do I have the heart to live out what I say I believe…namely, that I do love Jesus with all of me. Such a heart turns the same energy which is applied to selfish interests towards others in selfless acts. When the opportunity arises, be selfish on behalf of the one in need, for their benefit. But that requires putting “me” on hold for a bit. A simple thing, but it makes all the difference.

So just when I am about to flick on my turn signal I notice another car has beat me to the punch. The driver almost instinctively pulled out of the whizzing traffic, like their kid dropped their favorite pair of sunglasses out the window. They are just as quickly out of the car and walking toward their neighbor in need. Whew…I’m off the hook

I flick on my turn signal and turn away from the car and towards work. And for the rest of the ride I consider how much more I am like the religious leaders in Jesus story who passed by the man in need.

Being neighborly requires interruptibility. How uninterruptible I am.

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:3-8

Is Environmental Concern UnChristian?

In a recent discussion about the effects of man's rebellion against God we agreed that things are not the way they were designed to be. Everything has been affected...by sin. As Wayne Grudem says, "We don't live the lives we were originally designed to live, and we don't live in the world we were originally designed to live it." Everything is different know. But the story of the Bible is the good news of God working to redeem and restore broken people in a broken world.

So I posed the question, "What role should Christians play in caring for Creation?" The response varied but drew mostly blank stares. Why? I think largely because we view God's work of redemption as a spiritual work in the spiritual world, which has little to do with our physical world. The result is that Christians focus their concern on the spiritual aspect of people. This is not bad, don't get me wrong, but is this two-fold focus, spiritual or invisible and people, a bit of a reduction of what God is doing in his kingdom through the gospel?

I notice that when Paul is talking about the future glory of those who have been made alive by the Spirit (Romans 11:19-21) he mentions more than people:

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

It appears more than just mankind are under the bondage of sin, everything has been affected. It also appears that the things and stuff of creation, which God said were good (Gen 1) and sing out his praises (Psalm 148), long for their redemption, restoration & future glory.

It also seems that Jesus message about initiating the reign of God (or kingdom of God) involves a universal supremacy over things seen & unseen. Consider Colossians 1:15-20):

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

It thus seems logical that his plan of redemption involves the reordering of things seen & unseen, spiritual and physical into their created harmony. If this is the case, then Christians who have begun this new life (2 Cor 5:17) and who order their thinking around the message of the kingdom (Matt 5-7) should be involved in redemptively caring for Creation. Not because we care about plants more than people, but because we have been redeemed (in part yet awaiting our full redemption) and we are ordering our lives under God's work to redeem all of creation.

There are groups of Christians who are trying to work out the implications for everyday life of these grand ideas.

One is an upcoming Conference called Christianity & the Environment in September 2006. Here is the goal of the conference:

This conference on Christianity and the environment is being held to understand better what it means for us to demonstrate a Christian perspective as we live our lives at the interfaces of the three “worlds” (natural, engineered and human). The challenge for this conference is to articulate how we can consistently demonstrate Christian virtues (such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) at the interfaces of these three “worlds” in our public and private policies.

Another is a group called Care of Creation, which is trying to mobilize the church to its wholistic gospel ministry for all of creation. Here are CoC's 3 loves:
1. Loving God by worshiping him in all we do;
2. Loving God's People by sharing the good news we have in Jesus Christ, and by strengthening and empowering local Congregations to join in...
3. Loving God's World by working with and through his people to care for and heal God's hurting creation.

How now shall we live in this broken world of broken people?

6 tips for a picture-perfect vacation

I'm back after a bit of hiatus and still have my family vacation on my mind. Our family of 4 packed up our mini-van and recently drove down to Sarasota, FL for some rest and relaxation. Since summer is the time for vacations I thought I'd add a list of 6 things that you should do on vacation.

1. See an old friend: When you get away from the office, invest some time in catching up with an old friend. Since we drove to Florida from Ohio we used this excuse to break up our trip by "inviting" ourselves to a couple of friends houses. We stopped in Knoxville, TN for 1 night on the way to FL and visited with some friends we hadn't seen in 11 months and stopped in Atlanta, GA on the way back to see some friends we hadn't seen in 9 months.

We felt like we had 2 extra mini-vacations be breaking up our trip this way. And we realized how refreshing it was to spend time with people. Our time away from home was great, but it is better when you can spend at least part of it with friends.

2. Try a new style: Don't be afraid to experiment with a new style. It keeps you playful, experimental and from getting dull. In our house that meant that all the boys got haircuts, including dad. And we had fun breaking out our beach clothes and cool new sunglasses. For us vacation is a chance to break out of the ruts of life, with a hope to bring some of that freshness back home.

3. Do a new activity: Whenever I try something new I experience a bunch of things that are healthy. I first have to admit that I am a novice and I might fail a bit. The humility is good for me. I then have to face a bit of fear and nervousness about trying something I have never done before. My stomach gets butterflies and my heart starts pumping...all those things associated with jitters. Then I end up using new muscles or new parts of my brain that haven't been active in a long time. At the end of the day I feel like I have really lived. On this vacation, Caden was probably the most daring when it came to trying new things. He had never been in the ocean and during our first time on the beach he was out "riding waves". Mind you, he was only 3 feet out in the water...but for a 3 year old those can be the trickiest waves to ride.

4. Sleep in Late: The longer the better. Have nothing on the schedule...just sleep. It is refreshing to wake up just because you are done sleeping, instead of to the annoying beep of an alarm. It just feels good. We didn't do too much of this because of number 5.

5. Wake up Early: I know this contradicts number 4, but plan enough days so that you can do both during the same trip. There is something nice about waking up and having the feeling that there is no need to rush out to some meeting or off to school. There is a lightness and an enjoyment about the cool of the morning when there is no rush. It is great to eat on the porch as the sun peeks over the horizon. To go for an early bicke red or walk before the day heats up. To feel like you have warmed up to the day and done something, then to look at the clock and see it reads 9:00am. We were up before 7:00am nearly every day in Florida, not by our choice, but by the choice of our boys who felt that number 5 is how we should spend our week together:)

6. Eat something new: If you are in a new place then you have to try a new restaurant or a new dish. Find out what the locals eat and where they eat it and then jump right in. We ate lots of fish in Florida, but our boys favorite was trying as many flavors of Italian Gellato as possible, always in a chocolate chip cookie cone. They even were able to share one cone between the two of them...hopefully a sign of future sharing.

I know you don't need any tips on how to spend your time off work. Just being away from our regular routine of work and office and deadlines is refreshing enough. I hope you have a trip planned and you enjoy it as much as we did.

Da Vinci gets "Canned"

The Ron Howard film "the Da Vinci Code" based on the Dan Brown book open up the 2006 Cannes Film Festival in France and did not impress the critics. Here are some of the first words on the film.

"Cannes critics left cold at Da Vinci Code screening."

"Secret is out: Critics hate it."

"Critics crucify 'Da Vinci Code' in Cannes."

"I didn't like it very much. I thought it was almost as bad as the book. Tom Hanks was a zombie, thank goodness for Ian McKellen. It was overplayed, there was too much music and it was much too grandiose," said Peter Brunette, critic for the US daily The Boston Globe.

"At the high point, there was laughter among the journalists. Not loud laughs, but a snicker and I think that says it all," said Gerson Da Cunha from The Times of India.

"It was really disappointing. The dialogue was cheesy. The acting wasn't too bad, but the film is not as good as the book," added Lina Hamchaoui, from British radio IRN.

On Friday, with the worldwide release, you will have the chance to "Seek the Truth" or at least see what is causing all this stir for yourself. Remember it is fiction.

Empty Shoes

This past Saturday we did one of those Progressive Dinner's. We emptied our shoes at three different houses and shared some food and some laughs with three different "IT" couples. It was interesting to see our shoes and coats clog the doorway at each house as if to say, we are are slowing down enough to spend some quality time together...we aren't going anywhere...we are here to stay for a while. And when you do that, you never know what you are going to get. We ate, but it wasn't really about the Dinner part. And we progressed but it wasn't really about the Progressive part either. It was about spending time laughing with and listening to one another.
Hors' D'oeuvres at the Hlads. Pastor Tom and Chris Hlad got us started with some munchies. They shared with us about their days in the ministry, Chris's brussel sprout SNAFU and their love for hosting lots of people. I think that was invite to come back for seconds.
Stroganoff at the George's. Pastor Denny and Carol George kept the tummies happy with Beef Stroganoff and mixed veggies. We gathered around as they shared their funny stories about Denny walking "her" dog and how he inadvertently made fun of a gift that she had intended to get for him. They talked about how laughter and just being normal have allowed them to handle the pressures of ministry while raising 4 boys.
Dessert with the Lanes. Bruce and Karen Lane opened up the party room for us to come and enjoy some make-your-own-sundaes. They kept the room very light with their fun stories of how they met, what attracted them to each other and how Bruce proposed. Their three kids were present to make sure that their answers were extra honest.

We all need some places where we can empty our shoes for a rest. Places where we can share warm food and a good laugh. Places where it is safe to be yourself and not fear judgment. We got a taste of such places last Saturday night.

Farrel-ly Good Relationship Advise

We recently enjoyed lunch with Bill & Pam Farrel who are authors and speakers on family life issues, especially relationships. They shared some insights with us from their book "Single Men are Like Waffles, Single Women are Like Spaghetti." We laughed a lot and learned a lot from their stories, their suggestions and our own discussions together.

They suggested some real down to earth things that help us to understand ourselves better as well as the opposite sex. Here are a few of their thoughts that struck me:
*Guys and Gals relate differently (seems like a no-brainer, but misunderstanding one another is the biggest problem with relationships).
*Guys often feel inadequate at communication (I often feel like I'm talking my way out of a corner with my own wife, this is an area in which I have some work to do).
*Meet lots of people (great advice for singles, that attitude can overcome loneliness and depression)
*Here's a quote from Bill, "Emotions follow decisions, make good decisions and emotions will follow.

*Be a good listener... (I didn't exactly hear the rest of the comment because I wasn't listening). Actually they gave us 3 R's for active listening and good communication (try it):
1. REPEAT...key phrases
2. REGROUP...hand back the conversation
3. RECONNECT...to something you've gone through.


They talked about the 4 levels of communication:
1. Small Talk
2. Thoughts & Ideas
3. Convictions and Opinions
4. Emotional Intimacy
What level are you able to go to with the different relationships in your life?

And they shared some good verses for relationship wisdom:
Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Hebrews 3:13; James 1:19; Romans 15:17; Eph 5:22-33; Phil 2:3-4; 1 Thess 5:13ff; 2 Peter 1:3-7)

It was encouraging to see a group of 25 people who were interested in growing in their ability to communicate with others. They came to figure out how to have relationships that would be personally satisfying and at the same time glorify God. The Farrel's encouraged the group to plow ahead faithfully with eyes wide open to how God was going to use them for his purpose.

Pray & Eat

Thursday May 4
Pray: 6am-7am @ the Church
Eat: @ 7am at the Burkles
3411 Patcon Way, 43026

To my 727 faithful,
This Thursday our church will take part in the National Day of Prayer. It is a bit sad that it takes an edict from our President before we will set aside a serious amount of time for intercession and thanksgiving, but nevertheless lets do it. Since early morning prayer time can often turn into dream-like prayer sleep, lets get together for just 1 hour to pray together. Then you are invited to mi casa for a scrumptious breakfast (a little enticement for those not to excited about an hour on their knees).

Let love be genuine.
Abhor what is evil;
hold fast to what is good.
Love one another with brotherly affection.
Outdo one another in showing honor.
Do not be slothful in zeal
be fervent in spirit
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
be patient in tribulation,
be constant in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the saints
and seek to show hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you;
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be haughty,
but associate with the lowly.
Never be conceited.
Repay no one evil for evil,
but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
If possible,
so far as it depends on you,
live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:9-18