Transient Musing

Dangers of D.I.Y. spirituality

2010-09-13T08:38:00.001-07:00

Every fall school reconvenes, and sports teams reassemble. Why? Because most of us do not excel studying and/or training independently. Classes and sports remind us that life is done best when it's done together with others. Do-It-Yourself can be an unproductive -even dangerous- way to do life, and faith as well. Case-in-point: Aron Ralston. He gets pinned down by a loose boulder while canyoneering solo and is trapped for 127 hours and finally frees himself by breaking his arm and then cutting his forearm off with a dull knife. Or Abby Sunderland: the 16 y/o who had to be rescued from the Indian Ocean when her boat was de-masted in a storm. A D.I.Y. lifestyle can become a danger zone. At least Abby had notified people where she'd be -and was rescued as a result. Aron hadn't told a soul, and had resigned himself to inevitable death. The bible (Ecclesiastes 4:10) notes in that "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble." Aron will always bear the scars of his solo strategy, and live with the diminished potential a missing limb can create. Why is it that American Christians are so prone to D.I.Y. spirituality? We've drank our culture's cool-aide -- bought the lie that life is best lived independently, rather than interdependently. Evidence: 1 out of 6 of us professed Christ-followers do not belong to a church. 1 out of every 3 of us who belong to a church are not gathering as church on any given Sunday, and 4 out of every 5 of us Christ-followers does not gather in any sort of Small Group. Classes, Sport's Teams, even the Geese who all regroup every fall remind us that you'll grow faster, develop further, and execute better when you learn, train, and go together with others. Equally as important: you're safer together, than you are alone. Solomon states: Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer." (Eccl. 4:11-12a) How often do we get pinned down, or paralyzed by big problems we've tried to tackle by ourselves, or struggled through life's storms we've tried to navigate on our own. Does anyone else fully know where "you're at" spiritually, emotionally, morally.. in life right now? Are you trying to navigate through some tough decision, dilemma, or challenge on your own? Are you "at-risk" as a result? Does anyone have your back... gotcha covered? Who's following Jesus right alongside of you? Do you have a spiritual training team? If not, it's time to regroup, and stop trying to do-it-yourself. Listen to the rest of my message "The Danger Zone" @ www.discoverchurch.net, under Media, Sept. 12, 2010.

The kind of faith that really matters.

2010-05-03T06:01:00.000-07:00

Only faith that acts is faith that matters. That's what the Christian Scriptures assert, and -more importantly- what Jesus claimed. Jesus said “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. (Matthew 7:21, New Living Translation). King Herod is a poster child for those of us who give mere lip service to serving God. When Jesus was born and the three wise men showed up looking for him, Herod publicly told them: Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”(Matthew 2:8) But submitting himself to this promised King of the Jews was the last thing on the mind of this self-professed Jewish King. Jesus said that putting his teachings into practice was God's litmus test of wisely accepting them. Dr. Neil Anderson notes that no one can consistently behave in a manner inconsistent with how they actually believe. The question that these truths should provoke each of us to reflect upon is this: What beliefs about Jesus does my lifestyle reveal? Since we're all prone to the "halo effect" (inflating the good that we do, and minimizing our conflicting conduct) this is a question that is best answered with the input of others who know us well and see us often. For example, the Apostle James writes: "If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless." (James 1:26, NLT). Think about this: What's my talk like, and am I walking it out? I'll share more on faith that really matters tomorrow.

Time

2010-03-24T04:41:00.000-07:00

I received my Alumni Update form to fill out yesterday. I attended Wheaton College in Illinois, and was in the class of 1980. Big bummer is that our 30th class reunion was bumped off of Homecoming weekend and to "Alumni Weekend" -on Mother's Day weekend this year. How many of us are going to leave our kids, or drag our spouses to our Alma Maters on Mother's Day w/e??? Ticks me off. I'm protesting! Won't attend. Had a conversation about aging with my classmate and close friend Dave Iglesias a month ago; he commented on the fact that we're a lot closer to our 70s than our 20s. That was a painful reminder that provoked some thought, and prayer. I've been praying the prayer of Moses, found in Psalm 90, where he speaks of the brevity, and difficulty, of life: "Teach us to number our days" Moses prays. "Another translation reads: "teach us to realize the brevity of life, so we will gain wisdom." Reminded how precious God's gift of time is, and considering how to best leverage my remaining years on planet earth for maximum benefit. I've concluded that -for me- it involves investing in the generations below me: my children, their peers, the kids I coach, and investing in what's most important: faith and character. Faith is the only thing that'll get you to heaven, and character is the only thing you'll personally take with you to heaven. I want to take with me as many family and friends as I can, and am looking to leverage what's left of my life to inspire them to place their lives in Christ, and allow Him to shape their character and conduct to become more like him. Teach me to number my remaining days, God (and help me to stay healthy so I can continue running until I step into eternity --please)!

Resolution to Blog more

2010-02-25T06:17:00.000-08:00

I suck at blogging! There, I admit it. So many thoughts running through my head each day that I could openly share, and yet I don't make sufficient time to jot them down in a format you can follow. Last night I was reflecting on Living For Bigger Things in preparation for Sunday's message. Reading the book of Haggai and God's complaints about His people during that period. It was a heady time for Israel: they had been granted access to their homeland once again -after 70 years in a foreign country (Babylon) and had this wonderful opportunity to return and rebuild. They launched into an ambitious plan to restore their temple and rebuild their culture, but they soon lost the big picture, gradually narrowed their focus to just their selves, and homes, and left the temple in disrepair. They lost sight of the forest by focusing on the trees. God inspired Haggai to chastise and challenge them: don't just focus on yourself and your house; get going again on my house. That's not because God is into buildings; but the temple would enable them to perpetuate their faith -including their hope in His promised Messiah, who the whole world would benefit from. It's easy to let the blinders grow; to narrow your focus; just worry about your household, and care less about God's agenda, and others' welfare, than your own. God challenged them to look beyond themselves and live for bigger things --for His purposes, and His plans for them, and -in turn- for us! We face the same temptations: to neglect God's bigger agenda in favor of our own agendas. Woe to us if we do. There are some bigger things that God wants us living for than even our own families' welfare and prosperity. That's what I'll be focusing on this Sunday. I face the same challenge: to focus God's bigger vision for my life: to share His truth in relevant, appealing, and understandable ways. I pledge to do a better job -in part- by blogging regularly about what He's revealing to me, and provoking me to reflect on. We'll see if I can stick to it! Read Haggai chapter 1 today.

Getting a Grip on Reality

2010-01-07T06:49:00.000-08:00

Want to make a clean slate of things? You've got to first get a grip on reality. Jesus said that knowing the truth is what sets us free; the problem is that we have an almost unlimited capacity for self-deception and rationalization. In order to get a grip on reality you first must identify and admit your part in your problems. Our biggest problem is that we want to call our own shots, direct our own lives, be in charge --that's the "original sin." It's been said: 'The very heart and root of sin is an independent spirit" (Richard Cecil). It manifests in each of us shortly after we begin to walk and talk... we get defiant, and dishonest -even as toddlers. We need to recognize where we desire to "be God" and also play God: to try to control our lives, our problems, our image, our pain, and others. God is about cooperation, and collaboration --with His will and wise agenda for your life-- rather than control. Step one in getting a grip on reality is to look where and how you're trying to be God and play God in your life, to admit it, and ask forgiveness for it, and release control to God. That's what it means to "let go, and let God." May you have the courage and conviction to do so.

Scrap that New Year's Resolution!

2009-12-29T09:45:00.000-08:00

Here we are again, that time of year so many of us make the obligatory resolution to change something, only to revert to old patterns and broken promises to ourselves within a short time. Why is that? It's because Resolutions are really symptoms of deeper issues that need to be resolved between ourselves and God. The first is that each of us want to be God: we want to decide for ourselves what's right & wrong for us, and the best course of action. The second is our desire to play God: to control our image, problems, pain, and others; the third is our tendency to do wrong --our inability to execute our decisions for good. These three inconvenient truths must be realized in order for us to take the first step toward personal transformation: Realize that I'm not God, and admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do wrong, and that my life is unmanageable. That's Recovery Step #1. It's the truth behind Jesus first beatitude: "God blesses those who are poor and realize their need of Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs" (Matthew 5:3). I'll be unpacking this principle at Discover Church on January 3rd, but will lay out some pertinent points the rest of this week.

Sorry, too busy to blog!

2009-12-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in nearly a week. Christmas is a brutally busy season, and -this year- has sent me it's share of needs and crises. Pastoral care is something that often is not scheduled in advance, or planned for. I think that we best approximate the spirit of the season in giving, and in serving others. It's always nice to treat yourself, but -if that's the only giving that's going on in your life- you're truly impoverished. Christmas is about God showing His love for us in a tangible way: by giving the most expensive gift possible: His one and only son; and Jesus giving up his spot in heaven so that we could gain access to heaven. Christmas is a season of sacrifice, of selflessness. May I encourage you to lift your sights up off of yourself, look around, and see who you can serve, enrich, comfort, provide for, or encourage. Jesus said that if we give, He'll return serve abundantly. Generosity begets God's generosity, so why not take Him up on His promise this Christmas. Give! "God so loved the world that he gave... his one and only Son." --Thanks for the wonderful present: your presence, "Emmanuel" -God with us. May God be with you, and show His love through you, this Christmas.

Revolutionary

2009-12-16T05:50:00.000-08:00

Was Jesus just a religious reformer, or someone more dangerous?.. more threatening? Read the story of his birth in Matthew and you'll find that the prospect of a new "King of the Jews" threatened Herod the Great... so much so that he had his henchmen try to exterminate Jesus, and forced his family to live as refugees in Egypt for a few years. Read Luke's account of Jesus' baptism in chapter 4, and you'll see that Satan personally showed up to check out this guy God labeled "my son, who I love, and am pleased with." Read on in chapter four and you'll see the demonic forces are rocked by this one man wrecking crew who's busy freeing people from their influence; kickin' 'em to the curb. Read Jesus' sermon on the mount and you'll discover a revolutionary ethic and lifestyle. Read about the response of "religion-as-usual" to Jesus' activity and you'll see that Jesus threatened their rules-based religion to the core with his mission, and strategies. How is it, then, that Jesus has -in many ways- become the poster child for the status quo? Have we tamed this revolutionary to suit ourselves? Is following Jesus challenging you to change in some revolutionary way? The first Christmas was a revolutionary event, that launched a revolutionary movement. May Christ challenge our comfort-oriented Christianity this Christmas season, and inspire us to rejoin the revolution.

How are your "Christmas lights?"

2009-12-15T05:37:00.000-08:00

Observed the Christmas lights last night. Amazed at how much time and effort people put into their seasonal displays. Inspiring! Got me thinking about the original "Christmas light" that John writes about: Jesus Christ: "The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone." (John 1:4) Thinking about the challenge Jesus gives us: "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heave." (Matthew 5:13-16, The Message) How are your "Christmas lights"? Has Jesus illuminated your heart with His Truth? In what ways do you radiate Jesus to others? In your speech? Your actions? Your attitude? Is "Christ in you" visible? How visible? Often Jesus takes a back seat to our busy seasonal activities, obscured by our preoccupations and busy-ness. May I suggest a "light check" this week. Take some time to reflect on the ways in which Jesus is made visible through you, and what you can do to radiate his love, truth, and ethics more clearly to others.

Ultimate Fighting Part 2

2009-12-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

Jesus is a great example of an Ultimate Fighter. He told his followers: ">I’ve come to change everything, turn everything rightside up—how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I’ve come to disrupt and confront! Luke 12:49-53, The Message. In his example, Jesus challenges us to be willing to pick a fight for what is right.

Jesus picked a fight with the religious elites & insiders when he included religious & social outsiders in his movement: recruiting the poor, the outcasts, the rejects, the failures

Jesus picked a fight with religion-gone-wrong by confronting the hypocrisy, dishonesty, pride, selfishness, and unconcern for others in their leaders. He called them hypocrites, white-washed tombs, murderers, blind guides.
Jesus disrupted their lame religious services by healing people, and confronting those who were demonized right in church; he confronted the religious traditions and rules that had no basis in the bible, and that were hurting, not helping people.
Jesus picked a fight with the greedy businessmen who were ripping off religious pilgrims right inside of the Jewish national temple
Jesus stuck up for a woman when a mob of these religious hypocrites dragged her to him, locked and loaded to throw stones at her until she died –is that brutal or what? Religious people! Jesus steps up, stands them down, and sends her on her way: safe, forgiven
He picked a fight with an army of demons who had reduced a guy to a violent, naked, maniac, and restores his sanity… gives him back his life.

What's right all the time is God's rule in our lives, and God's Truth. Where God is not in charge, and where deception operates, we must be willing to pick a fight. Have you called any truces where you should be picking a fight?

Ultimate Fighting, Part 1

2009-12-04T07:20:00.001-08:00

I interviewed Terry, a Mixed Martial Arts pro, in preparation for Sunday's message: Ultimate Fighter. Impressed by his respect for Jesus --even though Terry's been unchurched all his life. What impresses Terry most is Jesus' commitment to his cause, and the courage and discipline he displayed in completing his mission. Watched Terry spar afterwards --brutal! Recall how much training preceded competing in wrestling 30 years ago. Even though I'm a relatively fit guy, I'm in no shape to compete, absent a LOT more training. The bible puts conditioning into perspective: "train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come." (1 Timothy 4:7-8,) Another translation puts it this way: Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever." (The Message) Both history and the bible are littered with tragic tales of guys who got defeated morally, and who wrecked their lives and families as a result --most while on the back-end of life, when they were just past their zenith. There's a lesson for each of us, and that is to maintain those spiritual habits ("disciplines") that keep us on track with God and with His purposes for our lives. How's your training regimen? Do you have a training team? Are you fit enough to win any moral contests, or are you headed for defeat?

Christmas Opportunity

2009-12-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

Been thinking about how to keep from being distracted by the immediate, the irrelevant cultural tasks & things that we Americans have piled onto the materialistic indulgence we call "Christmas." Been trying to keep my schedule simple, so I can stay focused the the true spiritual significance of Christmas. Read about that first Christmas in John 1 this AM: "He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn't even notice." Been praying that I would be more conscious of God, of Jesus, in everyday life; he showed up today! Ed called me up, missed his bus connection and was stranded about 12 miles from my home; his car is broke, and he's broke, and has no other resources to call on. Ed attends my church. I recalled what Jesus said: I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (Matthew 25:40) I thought: I have an opportunity to give Jesus a present today, through helping one of his followers. In driving Ed home, I discovered that he runs a plastic injection machine in front of an open door all night; and he's in need of set of warmer work clothes. Looks like I can buy Jesus a pair of Carharts for Christmas. In the meantime, I've loaned him my car. Got me to thinking: we can transform our holiday by being alert and willing to helping out someone less fortunate; someone in genuine need. Instead of ourselves, we could give "Jesus" birthday presents for a change. Jesus, help me to notice, and respond to you when you show up this Christmas season. Amen.

Radical Part 3

2009-12-02T03:14:00.000-08:00

Here’s a second radical challenge Jesus gives: "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.' But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. If you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong..(Matthew 5:43-47, New Century Version) Jesus ethic was radically opposed to the power-religion of the Jews or the power politics of the Romans. Jesus says: to follow me means to Love my enemies. Mother Theresa was right: Following Jesus is simple, but not easy. Our divorce rates show how hard it is to live out Jesus ethic even in our own homes, with those we claim to love the most. It’s hard to live this out with our competitors on the job, with our bosses & our teachers, let alone with strangers –with those cut in front of us in traffic. This is radical and it’s powerful when it’s applied in everyday life. Here’s how it looks like in practice, as seen in Paul’s directives to the Christians in Rome: "Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good. Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself. Never give up… Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them… Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, and do your best to live at peace with everyone. Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says, "I am the one to take revenge and pay them back." The Scriptures also say, "If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink. This will be the same as piling burning coals on their heads." Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good." (Romans 12:9-17, NLT) Jesus and Paul show us Christians lived out this love your enemy ethic for 3 centuries & conquered the Roman empire, With it, Ghandi liberated India, and Martin Luther King defeated institutional racism. What would we, the church in America, look like if we look beyond ourselves, live generously, sacrificially, love even our enemies, and do good to those who don’t deserve it. What would it look like for you and your family to live this out this Christmas season? What one radical way could you love like Jesus?

Radical 2

2009-12-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

I want to zero in on of the most radical challenges Jesus makes: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." Do you find that statement disturbing? His first followers did! Jesus had just acknowledged that he was God’s promised “Messiah” or Savior, but that rather than be promoted to National Leader, he forewarned them that he was going to be rejected and executed. His radical challenge is that, if I’m going to be a Christ follower, then I must Live for God first, not me first. Jesus says that God’s reputation, God’s agenda, and God’s will take priority over mine; it's what he was driving at in his directions on prayer (Matthew 6:9-13); in effect: if you’re gonna follow me you must give God the final say-so in your life, and give His agenda center-stage in your priorities and pursuits. It’s shown most fully when Jesus prays just prior to his arrest when he says “Father, I don’t want to endure execution, if at all possible, yet not my will, but yours be done. And Jesus challenges each of us to live with radical abandon of ourselves to God’s care, no matter what the outcome. He says: "I tell you not to worry about your life… Don’t worry and ask yourselves, "Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?" Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. (excerpts: Matthew 6:23-33, Contemporary Eng. Version)" He warns you not to be preoccupied with your wants and needs –in your prayers, your priorities, in the practical ways you live life; to move off of self-center: look beyond yourself, live beyond yourself. Case in point: Jesus told a young, wealthy, conservative Jew who asked him what must I do to get to heaven? Jesus says: "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." How would you respond if someone told you, or your successful, young adult child to do that? “ We’d say: don’t listen to that guy, he’s crazy! Don’t hang around with him!
Here's a couple of diagnostic questions: Are my needs, my agendas the primary things I pray about? I think & worry about? I’m consumed with? If so, then Jesus challenges me to radically change my orientation in life: from me first, to God first. For you & I, that certainly translates to living a whole lot more generously, and sacrificially than we do. It begins with simple trust that God can and will meet your needs IF you'll look beyond them to focus on His agenda, and others' needs... if you can muster the courage to trust God to meet them as you put them on the back-burner in life. "Radicalize my trust in you, Jesus!"

Radical

2009-11-30T10:34:00.000-08:00

Conservative, or Radical, which best describes Jesus Christ?

Websters defines “Conservative" as a) tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions; b) marked by moderation or caution; c) marked by or relating to traditional norms of taste, elegance, style, or manners d) of, relating to, or practicing Conservative Judaism. How well did Jesus fit this definition?

“Radical” means arising from or going to a root or source; basic; one who advocates or produces extreme, or fundamental changes. Clearly Jesus was a radical. >Jesus launched a religious movement by reaching out to social & religious outcasts, and he routinely went against social and religious norms –sometimes it seems, just to tick-off the religious right –conservative Jews. They vilified him as poser, a drunk, a glutton, and a friend of thieves and prostitutes.

Jesus made radical claims like “tear down this temple and I’ll rebuild it in 3 days." Imagine how some religious renegade from the Middle East would be viewed and treated if he stood outside of the Sears Tower right now and said the same thing.. That’d be good way to land yourself in jail, or get Homeland Security to put you in custody and investigate everything about you. Right?

Jesus got to the root about what had gone wrong with religion-as-usual. How their pride and greed, and preoccupation with rules, and posturing for others --looking good on the outside while being rotten inside was dead wrong. How many of you know that Jesus wasn’t being a “nice guy” for pointing out these things out?

He was a gutsy renegade, and he made lots of enemies as a result. and it’s illustrated so well by John who notes: Now the (religious) leaders wanted to kill Jesus for two reasons. First, he had broken the law of the Sabbath. But even worse, he had said that God was his Father, which made him equal with God." (John 5:18) Jesus was a radical. Nice guys don’t get called crazy, demonized, or get hits taken out on them, or get nailed naked to a cross. Scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find that Jesus was more of a radical than a “nice guy” and following His lead should lead to some radical changes in your life. The diagnostic question is: in what radical ways is Jesus impacting you? Perhaps you'll conclude -like I have- that our tendency is to domesticate and sanitize our faith of its more radical dimensions, like: loving your enemies, giving away all your money to the needy (he actually recommended that to a rich religious guy), etc... Perhaps our prayers should include this request: "radicalize me, Jesus!"

Thanksgiving?

2009-11-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for our Thanksgiving celebration. Expecting 30 in total over at our home tomorrow. Gets me to thinking: how is it that being thankful is becoming so scarce? Hard to reconcile our thanklessness, chronic complaining and discontent, with the super-abundance that makes us the envy of the world. 50 years of advertizement culture which is hell-bent on inspiring us to want more, more, more has created a culture of greed, envy, and gluttony. St. Paul wrote a stern warning about this in his letter to his apprentice, Tim. We'd be wise to take to heart his admonition: You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. (2 Timthy 3:1-2, New Living Translation)

Only the spiritual discipline of gratitude, counting our blessings and naming them one-by-one on a regular basis can innoculate us against this disease of ingratitude. Tomorrow we have a chance to rehearse our incredible blessings, and help cultivate an attitude of contentment. May we look at how the glass is near completely full, and look around to see who nearby needs a drink of the prosperity we enjoy. God gives us abundance in order to increase our standard of giving, not primarily our standard of giving. Hope you have success in becoming ThankFULL.

2009-11-24T04:59:00.000-08:00

I grew up in a Christian denomination where I got the impression that I never could tell, for certain, where I stood with God at any given time. True or not, what I heard, was that –if I died with unconfessed serious sin on my conscience, I wouldn’t be heading for heaven. It was kind of like Monopoly: My last step could land me on the “Go to Jail,” square: "do not pass Go, Do not collect $200." In my mind, religion was spelled “D-O,” but I was never completely confident that I was doing enough. In contrast: I grew up in a big family, a loving home where I never questioned my parents’ love or was unsure of where I stood with them. My mom and dad always clearly conveyed their unwavering love for us kids. I knew that I could count on my parents’ love just as much as I could count on the sun coming up tomorrow. The bible uses a number of analogies to describe God’s love for us, including describing His love as being like a parent’s love, but that analogy breaks down in our culture where a father executes his 15 year-old son, or a mother prostitutes her 5 year-old. The only accurate model of God’s love that has stood the test of time is the example of Jesus who the scriptures say is “the exact representation of God’s being.” The best example of that is Jesus on the cross: Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. When they came to a place called The Skull,they nailed him to the cross… Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing… One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:32-43, NLT) On the cross, Jesus shows us that true love is provision. God’s power is shown in His care for us, not his control over us. Jesus said that God shows his love for us in that He provides for us physically through His creation, “sends He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. It’s been nicknamed “common grace” everyone gets good they don’t deserve. But God’s care is never shown more clearly than in Jesus’ voluntary death on our behalf, as Paul so eloquently puts it: "God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn't deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all." (Romans 8:3-4a, The Message). At 16, in reading the bible I discovered for myself that true Christianity is spelled "D-O-N-E." That God had done for me, for everyone of us, what I, we, you could not do for ourselves: make things right between us and God. Problem is: I personally prefer to have some sort of tangible benchmarks to judge how I'm doing with God... like my performance. However, I'm consistently disappointed by it. My flaws, faults, and failures are a daily reminder that -no matter how much effort I put into it- I'm missing the mark. I'm not perfect, and God is. As disconcerting as it often is, I am left no choice but to humbly acknowledge my faults, and abandon myself to God's promise to forgive me. I must trust that God's mercies are new every morning. That's true Christianity

Revenge 2

2009-11-23T09:15:00.000-08:00

Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him (Jesus) to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed…. The soldiers mocked him, too… Now If anyone ever had a legit reason to appeal to God for Justice, or demand revenge, it’d be Jesus right here. Jesus was completely undeserving -a “victim” in the truest sense. Think about all of the undeserved evil that others did to Jesus: A close friend who sold him out; a band of brothers who all deserted him; paid perjurers testified against him; religious leaders conspired to kill him. A Governor who stated: I find no basis for a charge against him, John 19:4, yet caved to the crowds who demanded his execution. Soldiers beat him bloody –just for fun-- and took his clothing, and enemies who made fun of him as he was dying. Jesus also possessed the power to avenge himself. As he was being arrested, he said: Don't you know that I could ask my Father, and right away he would send me more than twelve armies of angels? Matthew 26:53-54, NLT Why didn’t he just take ‘em all out? Give them all their just dessert? How did Jesus resist the temptation to get revenge? Three keys: 1) Jesus had a bigger perspective; 2) He had a bigger love; 3) He was living for a larger purpose. These three qualities can keep you off the revenge and retribution unmerry-go-round. Listen to my message from November 8, 2009 at discoverchurch.net (click under Media, Audio) for the specifics on how to develop a bigger perspective, love, and purpose.

Revenge, Part 1

2009-11-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

My younger brother, was put into a coma by two underage drivers out joy-riding. It was a hit and run, and my brother did not recover. Twenty years later, a woman showed up at my parents’ front door...she was one of the two girls who hit my brother... and was wracked with guilt over her act, and had suffered a lot of emotional pain as a result. She asked my parents if they could ever forgive her. My mom and dad not only assured her they had forgiven her, but prayed with her at some length, and shared with her about their faith in Jesus Christ which had enabled them to cope with her thoughtless act, and with my brother’s death which it caused. Honestly, I’m not completely certain that I could do that. The irony in this tragedy is that these two girls attended our High School. My parents thoughtfully shielded their identities from us, their sons. Had we known, I suspect that my younger brothers and I may have sought to get revenge; pay back these girls, or the guy who loaned them his car. for what they did to our brother and family. Revenge would have made a bad thing worse. My brother’s evil is a reality in this world; we all live under it’s influence, and with it’s effects: suffering. Most every one of us have been victims -as well as perpetrators- of evil, which leaves us with a couple of very important questions? How do I deal with others’ evil towards me? If we'll be honest about it, we want justice; we want the wrongs against us avenged, like Moses’ “eye for eye” ethic. We don’t like injustice or undeserved evil.. especially when we’re the victims. That’s what makes movies like V for Vendetta, or Batman, or Boondock Saints, or other vigilante films so successful. History is littered with tragic tales of what can develop when we succumb to unforgiveness, or respond with revenge… most famously, the Hatfield and McCoy feud that lasted 13 years, stretched over 2 states, and claimed over a dozen lives, including 2 murdered children. It illustrates something that Pastor Martin Luther King said: "That old law about "an eye for an eye" leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." The question is: what’s the right thing to do when you’ve suffered a wrong, an injustice? Revenge often “feels” right, and seeing someone get their “just dessert” can be satisfying. But, as John Milton said: What goes down sweet often comes back up bitter. That’s why God says: revenge is mine, leave it to me." Trusting that "God will judge" helps me refrain from taking matters into my own hands.

Tribes and Clans

2009-11-09T16:13:00.000-08:00

I met up with three of my closest friends last weekend for the Notre Dame-Navy game. Reconnecting with these guys is always a highlight of my year. A son who attends there provided the impetus to rendezvous and reconnect. We lamented how family & community are disintegrating, and discussed how to lead & connect our respective family clans, and develop a sense of community and family beyond ourselves and spouses... tough thing to do in such a geographically & developmentally diverse collection of families. We'd like our children to experience the unique depth, longevity, and richness of friendship that we've enjoyed with each other. I'm doubly fortunate to have incredibly close and deep friendships with most of my siblings. Jesus valued such unity, and worked and prayed for it amongst his inner circle of followers, saying: "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me." (John 17:20-21, NLT) Jesus was expressing a desire that we would enjoy the same sense of comradry, shared mission, vision, & passion that he did with His Heavenly Father. Rare are such missional friendships. If you have them, enjoy them fully!

The problem of evil

2009-11-06T06:09:00.000-08:00

We are the problem! Two current events are tragic illustrations of the the reality that we all are -to varying degrees- evil: Nidal Malik Hasan's massacre of his fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, and the grisly discoveries at Anthony Sowell's home in Cleveland. Between the two of them, they've murdered almost two dozen people. Their reasons differ: one --sexual gratification, the other --apparently religious convictions. But, their effects are the same: innocent people suffered and died. Why does God permit evil and suffering to continue? That's the question I'll be dealing with this coming Sunday. Why doesn't God just erase all the Nidal Malik Hasans and Anthony Sowells? Why? There is no simple answer; no completely satisfactory answer --if you ask me. There's a book of the bible, perhaps the oldest book in the bible, "Job" that addresses this question of "why." It's easy to externalize evil... pin it on others, point to the worst cases, and wink at our own demons inside. You, I, we each must remember that "everyone has sinned, we have all fallen short of God's glorious standard" (Romans 3:23, New Living Translation). There's a mercinary in every one of us. That's the evil that God challenges you and I to confront and defeat --the evil within our own hearts. It starts with Recovery Step 1: conducting a fearless moral inventory, and inviting God to be the lead Investigator, as Psalm 139 suggests: Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong, then guide me on the road to eternal life. (Psalm 139:23-24, The Message). May each of us have the conviction and courage to confront our own evil FIRST!

First Impressions

2009-10-23T05:44:00.001-07:00

Getting ready for Discover Church's public relaunch in nine days, @ the Eisenhower Performing Arts Center Nov 1st. I'm well aware of the maxim: "You never get a second chance to make a first impression," so I have legit concerns, cause I can't control how my members will behave. Sadly, 20+ years of ministry have proven that most of us are real stinkers once in a while, and we can even be "mean as hell" from time to time The bible has lots to say about how to treat people like Jesus would... and all of 'em are great tips for making a good first impression. Here's my top ten list:

"Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve and give away my life... -Jesus in Matthew 20:28, The Living Bible
"Don't be selfish... Don't look out only for your own interests but take an interest in others too." --Paul, Philippians 2:3-5, New Living Translation
"Don't always head for the best seat... -Jesus; Luke 14:8, TLB
"Be sure to give each other a warm greeting." --Paul, Romans 16:16a, Contemp. Engl. Versn.
"Let your conversation be gracious and attractive..." -Paul, Colossians 4:5, New Living Transltn.
"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you." -Paul, Romans 15:7, New Int'l Versn.
"Practice hospitality." -Paul, Romans 12:12b, NIV
"Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone." -Paul, Galatians 6:9, NLT
"Do everything without grumbling or arguing." -Paul, Philippians 2:14, NIV
"Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything." -Peter, 1 Peter 4:8, The Message.
Here's a freebie: "Always be joyful. Never stop praying," -Paul, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17, NLT.

Wouldn't "church" be a radically different community if we all put into practice God's great advice? Those tips are a great strategy to win friends and influence people! How about taking a personal inventory and consider how you can add the missing ones to your social skillset? How about asking God to help you plant these into your life?

Healthy Immune System?

2009-10-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

That's sick! I ended up flat on my back with a bad cold since Monday night. Symptoms showed up on Sunday AM --the result of cutting corners with my health maintenance, and burning the candle at both ends, I'm sure. Fact is, my immune system had been compromised, and the infection progressing, long before any warning signs showed up. Life's like that: things can infect us, for good or bad, long before they're evidenced in our speech, attitude, conduct, or character. Solomon said: "guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." In an arid climate such as the Middle East; wells are incredibly valuable; and scripture says that we ought to guard our interior life --that hidden dimension-- carefully. I've let things into my thought life that have wrecked havoc once they took root, how about you? I see the value of Jesus' prayer: "forgive us our debts (Matthew 6) and Paul's directive to "judge ourselves" (1 Corinthians 11). Lying on my back with this cold has reminded me of the value of conducting a "fearless moral evaluation" of myself, and how important it is to my spiritual health. I've found that having a couple of friends who I commit to being completely honest with is essential: it keeps me from BS-ing myself about how severe the problem is, or how well I'm tackling it. How's your moral & spiritual immune system?

Training to finish strong

2009-09-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

Been running with the Eisenhower Cross Country Team since late June, and it's worked wonders for my fitness! Ran a 3.1 mile trail run today, the Old Skool Classic. Turned my best time in 10 years: a 22:37; a 7:17 minute/mile pace is pretty good for a 51 year-old like me. Especially considering the course required us to cross a creek twice --slowed me down a bit! The key: I've been tailing a bunch of High School guys all summer. No way I'd have ran as far, fast, and consistent if my pride hadn't been mobilized to help me push through the pain, and try to hang with those greyhounds. It goes to show you that, in life, as in faith, you'll go farther and faster when you go together with others who'll spur you on. It's what I call the ACES principle: doing things on a team with others gives you: Accountability, Competition, Encouragement, and Support. The Ike CC team, and their coach Rick, have provided me with all of the above, and hopefully I've been able to reciprocate. When you spur each other on to pursue your best performance, everyone's a winner. Do you have a training team you're doing life in faith with? I do; they're my college buddies. I'm teleconferencing with them tomorrow afternoon. We'll apply the ACES principle, which has served us pretty well for 3 decades now. Hope you have a faith-oriented training team! It's the key to finishing life strong.

How to get the job done

2009-09-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

My washer broke recently. Got it fixed... thanks to the web. Third time I've been able to fix it with the assistance of on-line how-to videos, and downloadable directions. There's a lesson here: if you want to succeed in anything, you need the right directions and a good coach. I've long since lost the "I'll look at a map when I'm good and lost" attitude and seek out counsel in advance of tackling tasks. Wise Solomon said that you're a fool if you ignore good counsel. The trick is to seek it out in advance. Jesus said, "These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock."But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards." (Matthew 7:24-27, The Message). Following God's directions in managing life's problems is simply essential, so is seeking God's coaching. The lesson: to get the job done, do life "by the book" and with a good coach. What better advice can you get than your designer, God? What better coaching than Jesus? Hope this blog finds you doing life "by the book."

Sittin', fishin', thinkin'.

2009-09-08T18:47:00.000-07:00

Went fishin' about a month ago with my brother and boys in Canada. Hadn't written a blog in just about 2 months. Sittin' out on the boat by myself around 6am, watching the mist rise off the water and listening to the bass top-feed just out of reach of my cast, I heard God speak in that "still small voice" inside my head. It was God, I know it well enough, though I hadn't heard it so clearly in a couple of months. I realized that I had squeezed out the margins in my life and allowed things, good things, enjoyable things, but distracting things nonetheless, to swallow up my down time --my reflecting time. I had made a promise to sneak out to the Capucian Retreat Center once a week, and --darn it!- I had completely broken it by the time that my 4 kids' spring sports seasonhad ended. It seems like I repeat the pattern of the "seed sown among thorns" in the parable of the Sower found in Mark 4 or Matthew 13. Stuff invades and, like weeds in my garden, they choke out the time neccessary for me to get quiet and centered enough to "hear" God. I'm doing my best to resist the tractor beam eminating from our living room, and the pull of the radio on my hand, to keep it quiet and recapture some of that silence. Good news: I'm hearing from God more clearly. Perhaps that's why Jesus tapped out fisherman to comprise from 1/3 to 1/2 of his inner circle of followers. What are you doing when you hear from God best? What environs help you center in and listen up? Let's hear what's working for you.

How Lying Hurts?

2009-06-09T06:09:00.000-07:00

We all do cost-benefit analyses of the things we're planning on doing, little computations in our heads comparing the potential upside and downside before executing. We lie because we believe it's in our best interest. Not so, according to Ralph Keys, author of "The Post Truth Era: Dishonesty and Deception in Contemporary Life." In his work, the author identifies four ways in which dishonesty destroys:
1. Lying erodes my respect (for others, as well as myself). Those I dupe, I lose respect for.. "sucker."
2. Lying injures my trust. "The more we lie and feel we're being lied to, the more wary we become," Mr. Keys notes. It's hard to trust when you've been untrustworthy. Trust is the cement of society and the currency of faith, so damaged trust injures me much.
3. Lying hurts my character. Truthfulness and lying are habits and, like any other habit, can become resistant to change. The longer I engage in a habit, the greater habit strength it acquires in my life. Lying is like smoking, it's been said. Most of us become addicted to it, while only a few can periodically engage in it. "Lying is like alchoholism, we're always recovering," notes Keys.
4. Lying hurts my health. "Prolonged lies cause debilitating stress," asserts Dr. Aldert Vrij, an expert on deception. Think about it: when you lie, you always have to stay one step ahead in order to cover your steps. On average, it takes a minimum of 5 lies to cover each lie you tell; compound that and you can see the long-term impact of telling a fib. MRIs show increased neurological activity when lying; no wonder maintaining a front is so exhausting!
The bible corroborates each of Ralph Keys assertions about how lying hurts. Go to www.discoverchurch.net and click on "podcasts" to find my message: "Honesty With Others" from June 7th to hear how. Most significantly, lying hurts my spirituality. It puts me at-odds with God, who is perfect Truth. I side with God's enemy, who Jesus nicknamed "the father of lies," and increases my vulnerability to his chief weapon: deception.
Lying is harmful... mostly to self, and it's in your enlightened self-interest to prune it from your life. Seems as if honesty IS the best policy.

Honest? Or Dishonest?

2009-06-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

We're in the middle of a series: "Honest To God," at Discover Church, and it's hitting home. Facts are in (I won't cite all of them): we lie more, we tolerate and expect more lies in 3rd millenium America. That God says "Don't Lie" doesn't carry much weight even in Christian circles. We tell the truth when it's expedient, I've concluded, and are pragmatic rather than principled about avoiding lies. When it comes to our lying, we're self-conscious, but not always self-aware. Here's some helpful homework: Find out why you lie: to avoid conflict, to look good, to protect yourself or someone else, or just because (to get your way). Those are the four categories that Dr. Willard Harley, author of "Love Busters" lumps lies into. Find out what you lie about: your past, your flaws, your failures, your feelings, your present, your future plans? To whom do you lie the most? Your spouse? Your family (Kids/parents)? Your boss and co-workers? What sphere of life are you most vulnerable to use deception in? In what ways has lying hurt you? Has it hurt: your respect for yourself or others? Your trust in others? Your character (has lying become a habit)?
Your health? Your spirituality? Take the time to consider the ways in which lying has or is hurting you. Such an awareness can help you cultivate firm conviction that honesty is the best policy. Do you agree or disagree? If no, in what situations? I'll come clean if you'll come clean!

Recount

2009-06-04T03:21:00.000-07:00

I participated in a historic occasion yesterday. I served as a Poll Challenger for a millage vote recount. My school District won a millage proposal vote by a margin of 21, out of 18,000 votes cast, and the election result was challenged by an anti-tax group. On behalf of the school, I and other concerned parents monitored the recount. Man, it was tedious! We watched the Canvassing Board members for hours, standing over their shoulders to verify that ballots were separated into proper piles and counted accurately. While there I was musing about what the Scripture says about our lives: how each of us will be examined "before the judgement seat" of God. Whew! It gave me a whole new --and sobering-- perspective. The words of Jesus that were rattling around in my head were these: A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you (Matthew 12:35-37, NLT)." What a sobering thought: that God is going to examine my life, your life, at the end of our days on this earth. Even my every words, your words, is going to be recounted and examined. I've said a lot of careless, hurtful, vulgar things in my lifetime. How about you? My associate, Jeff, had spoken the Sunday before and reminded us that life's a "one and done" thing; no do-overs, no mulligans. I was reminded of Paul's directions about how to celebrate communion: "you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world (1 Corinthians 11:28-32, NLT)." Our God has told us that there's an eternal recount, and has given us an opportunity to recount our words and deeds in His presence while we're walking this planet, and has provided us with a way to "reconcile" them: self-examination, confession, and repentance. Here's what Jesus' follower John has to say: "God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness (1 John 1:6-9, NLT)." I've been musing: do I deceive myself about the "secret stuff" I do and say, in light of what Jesus said about this heavenly recount you and I will face? Do I take advantage of God's promise to forgive me, and His provision for my forgiveness through Jesus' sacrificial death on my behalf? Do I value this discipline of self-examination as I should? Or employ it as consistently as I should? We can recount our flaws, faults, and failures in real-time, and get reconciled with my God now, or postpone that recount until the end of time. My conviction is to redouble my efforts at exercising this spiritual privelege today, tomorrow, and each day after. I challenge you to do the same. By the way, the millage proposal margin narrowed to 15, but the election result stood ---we won!

Convictions & Change

2009-05-29T05:22:00.000-07:00

I conducted the funeral of Lyle on Wednesday. Lyle, Pat, and their son Dave have been coming to Discover Church (www.discoverchurch.net) for about 2-3 years. Lyle was an exceptionally gracious, peaceful, and pleasant person. His demeanor -I discovered- was the result of a resolution he had made after serving in World War II. Lyle, I discovered, had participated in D-Day, and fought in Europe until just 3 months prior to the end of that war, when he was wounded by a German sniper. Lyle carried a metal plate in his head as a permanent reminder, and a life-long resolution: to be a peace-maker. Lyle avoided personal conflict and confrontations, and consistently responded with grace, and self-control --occasionally to the dismay of his stepsons. When asked why he refused to to respond in anger to others, Lyle gave this rationale: he had seen the horror of what violence accomplished, and had resolved never to resort to violence or aggression to resolve disputes. Lyle lived out Jesus' ethic: You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family (Matthew 5:9, The Message version). Lyle's conviction led to his life-long change, and made him a much-admired gentleman. I was reflecting on my brief experience with Lyle when at his gravesite yesterday, and the impression he made on me in our short and shallow acquaintance. I think that we underestimate the power of personal conviction to create and sustain significant change. As the old adage goes: "If you don't stand for anything, you'll fall for everything." What role do convictions play in your personal ethics? Are your convictions deep enough to withstand your whims or the pressures of others? Lyle's were. I'm inspired to try to become more like Lyle, a hero in more than one way.

Busy-ness-as-usual

2009-05-26T12:24:00.001-07:00

One reason I don't look forward to change is that change requires additional time, attention, and energy to execute, and it eats into my existing schedule, which is consistently packed. I live with few margins. It's my own doing: I chose to marry and have four children, serve as a Pastor, and also maintain civic involvement. I have very few margins in my life --little or no latitude for inserting new agenda items. I seem to be my own worst enemy in this area. Whenever my planer frees up, it fills up --incredibly quickly. I'm reminded of Jesus' parable of the Sower, where Jesus said that: "The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. (Mark 4:18-19, NLT)" For fruiftful change to occur, new patterns have to gain sufficient "habit strength" to become self-sustaining. Leaving enough room in my mind & planner to tend to the new habits, and nurture them along is my biggest challenge at this point in life. Unfortunately, with 6 family events this post-holiday week (5 sporting, one Musical) it's busy-ness-as-usual. Unfortunately, that's a recipe for business-as-usual, rather than the new-and-improved. It's been said that Americans are afflicted with the disease of "activism." Guilty-as-charged here. What's particularly disconcerting is when God is the initiator of the change. How about you? What's the #1 challenge to change in your life?

Change... the constant

2009-05-19T04:45:00.000-07:00

Change... the one costant in life. Reminded of that last week at "Change Without Compromise." CWC articulates the need to value, embrace, and plan for change as a non-negotiable part of "church." Yet "church" is the one social institution which is inherently resistant to change. If you take an honest look at the bible, however, you'll see that true Christianity is all about change. "Change" was Jesus' basic challenge to people: "From that time Jesus began to preach, saying 'Change your hearts and lives, because the kingdom of God is near." (Matthew 4:17, New Cent. Vers'n). "Repent" --that's the word translated "change your hearts and lives" in this version. Following Jesus requires change. More sobering: following Jesus requires me to become a change-agent, as Matthew's account notes immediately afterwards: "As Jesus was walking by Lake Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the lake because they were fishermen. Jesus said, 'Come follow me and I will make you fish for people.'" Not only does Jesus challenge you and I to change our hearts and lives, but to become instrumental in others' personal transformation. That's what Paul is driving at when he writes: "anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him" (2 Corinthians 5:17-18, New Living Transltn). Reconciling with God requires sincere change; more than a simple... "I'm sorry." To repent implies changing those patterns which prevent my partnership with God and Jesus' leadership of my life. Do you view change as a "gift from God" -as Paul calls it? Honestly, not always. Perhaps for you, rarely. Fact: four out of five of us are inherently resistant to change; change doesn't come naturally. Yet we have a God who closes out the final scene of the bible with this description of heaven: the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!" (Revelation 21:5). Here's the bad news for you who like things to stay the same: "change" is a constant in heaven, as well as here on earth. Common sense indicates that -if this is the case- we ought to learn to embrace change as a core value. We can't live without change, as this sobering warning of Jesus illustrates: "unless you all change your hearts and lives you will all die" (Luke 13:5). Let me ask you: "What's killing you? What's killing your health and/or emotional well-being? What's killing your marriage, or your family relationships? What's killing your faith? You potential? Your character?" Why aren't you changing these things that are killing you? I'll share with you a couple of reasons why I resist change in my next blog. For now, ask God to show you what's killing you; what He says needs to change. There's life on the other side of change.

Heros & Mentors

2009-05-18T18:59:00.001-07:00

Hero: a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for brave deeds and noble qualities. I have a few, do you? Brad Powell, pastor of Northridge in Plymouth MI is one of mine. I spent last Thursday and Friday at the "Change Without Compromise" conference which his church hosts. He's the keynote speaker; this is the 4th time I've attended. Here's why: Brad has succeeded where I'm struggling, so I've sought his coaching at every possible opportunity. I most certainly would have crashed-and-burned Discover Church without his coaching. My only regret is not having located him prior to initiating our transition. I waited until I was lost-in-transition and faring poorly to seek out help --a stupid, yet typical guy thing! Why do we wait until we're "lost" to ask for directions? Consult a map? Seek out a mentor? Discipling IS mentoring... that's what it means! We're to be disciples; we're to make disciples. I love the image that Paul, the consumate mentor, uses with his apprentices at Corinth, the church he founded: "For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. So I urge you to imitate me" (1 Corinthians 4:15-16, CEV). Here's Paul, telling Christ-followers to imitate him. Why not just tell 'em to "imitate Jesus?" That's the typical transformational paradigm of modern Christendom: just me and my bible in my solitary endeavor to grow in life and faith. Learn the lesson of Michelle Kwan on this issue of life-coaching: she reached elite status as a figure skater, but entered the 2002 Olympics coachless. Though Michelle was the best skater in the competition- she only took home a bronze medal. The lesson: you'll rarely reach your best without a coach. You're never too good to benefit from good coaching. Here's some tips for trackin' down a good coach. Identify your weaknesses and/or struggles; those areas you need coaching in. Ask God to guide you to someone who can coach you in one or more of these areas. Look around for someone already in your circle of acquaintances; someone who's the same gender, and a rung or two up on the ladder of life and faith. Make an appointment and make your pitch. You may get a "no" --I've been turned down once; but, most likely you'll hear a "yes." Get honest and get on with it, then! It's great to have a guide who's travelled ahead of you on life's trail.

Blindsided

2009-05-13T06:21:00.000-07:00

Heading into Stoney Creek Metro Park on a cloudy, drizzling evening to conduct TJ & Laurel's wedding I got blindsided... by a deer! Camouflaged by the tall winter grass, I did not see it until it launched from a shallow ditch at full tilt. The cost: a totalled car --can you believe it! The lessons: 1) be alert, especially when conditions are ripe for a wreck. 2) don't travel alone --it always pays to have another set of eyes on the path (usually my wife's, much to my chagrin at times). My wife is a confident, directive person, who's saved my butt more than once while serving as Navigation Officer while I'm driving. I often find her unsolicited directions irritating, but I see the value of allowing my wife to speak into my life, and warn me of the unseen obstacles that could wreck me... wreck us! I've ignored her cautions about parishoners several times, with painful repercussions. I think that, as a general rule, gals are much more perceptive and intuitive than guys; women have emotional "dish antennas" while guys are stuck wtih coat hangers with a little tin foil on 'em. I'm reminded of Proverbs 12:15, "Fools are headstrong and do what they like; wise people take advice (The Message). "Admitting that my wife's discernment is generally better than mine is hard for me; it's humbling. But I'm learning (after 20+ years) to accept, value, and even appreciate her advice. After all, she is on the look-out for our well-being, and wants to keep our marriage and family from getting blindsided and totalled out.

My Training Team

2009-05-12T19:02:00.001-07:00

Got together with my college buddies a couple of weekends ago --combination reunion and retreat. They're my best friends on this planet. We've been reconnecting almost annually for the past 30 years. Most of us are long-distance enthusiasts: runners, cyclists, & triathaletes. Got out and ran together twice that weekend. I've been running with Seth since the fall of freshman year while training for the wrestling team; and Dave, since the year we graduated... just because we both liked to run. Been training together in a different, yet much more significant, way since Junior year when we decided to run after God together in a small group bible study. I remember the room: S. E. corner of Traber 3. I remember the night: Sunday... the experience was that profound.. life-altering. Our group study enabled us to get below the pretense and protective personas that college guys project, in order to encourage, support, confront, and challenge each other to follow Christ sincerely. 31 years later, permission has not been retracted, and we still care enough about each other to make the time, and take the risk to be radically honest with each other. Life's a marathon, a long haul in the same direction, according to the bible: "Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete." (Hebrews 12:1-2a, Contemporary English Version). Anybody who does distance sports will tell you that it's a lot more beneficial to train in a team, or with someone else, rather than by yourself. You'll go farther, and faster if you go together. This marathon of faith is the same way, and I'm grateful for my training team, the Wrong House guys. I feel safer knowing that these guys know me, and love me enough to call me on the carpet when they sense or see something in my life that "just ain't right." I see too many guys goin' solo in life and faith and blowin' themselves up by the stupid, sinful crap that they pull. In any race, it's not how you start that matters, it's how you finish. I want to finish strong, which is why I know I need my Training Team, and they need me. Do you have one? Why not? Are you really that good? I'm not, I need a band of brothers. Thank God I have one... Thanks guys!