thinking out loud

Perhaps I merely need space to do some thinking out loud.

Maybe this blog feels like it's where I've best figured this out before.

Here's what I know and wonder about, either way:

• Knowing how to do something doesn't mean you're the person to do it: I see this all the time in my parenting as I watch my kids take ownership of something in an hour that I could do in five minutes. Maturity doesn't always equal doing things in a mature way, but investing into immature or underdeveloped people so they can step up. The future depends on me doing this in the present.
• What you do doesn't define who you are: In some ways, our actions do validate who we really are on the inside - but we need to pay more attention to the inner workings of our life than our actions. When you are fatigued or can't seem to make your life produce what you want, that's when what's going on in your soul can kick in to guide and sustain you. It will also be where God speaks so that you know if you are hanging on for the right reasons or merely clinging to what you know out of insecurity.  
• God's Story plays out in chapters: Sometimes we are in multiple chapters of one tale, and other times we merely make a cameo appearance. You can give a quarter (or more) of your life to something and it still only be a part of the Story God has for you. Don't get hung up on how much or how little your name appears on certain pages - let the Author writer what He wants, for He knows the best way to avoid watering down the Plot.

I can think of no more appropriate analogy than what this means today than watching my 5-year old daughter go down a sledding hill for the first time yesterday. She first went down with my wife and I a turn, and then asked, "Can I do it myself?"

Isn't that the most appropriate question of a 5-year old?

We reasoned that it was worth a gamble, but only if we went half-way up. The plan was for my wife and I to be at opposite ends - one to launch her, and the other to catch her.

Here's what happened... pay attention to my daughter's expression.

Maybe we're ready for the hill ahead... or maybe we're ready for half of it.

Perhaps we're to launch others. Perhaps we're to catch them.

Either way, something tells me we're meant to be out on that hill.

At least, that's what I'm just thinking out loud.

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord directs their steps." (Proverbs 16:9)

guest blogger: rick lawrence - on being shrewd and learning from serpents

I'm deeply thankful for a friendship with Rick Lawrence, a humble Yoda/Miyagi to many in the world of youth ministry. His new book "Shrewd" unearths more of what many of us miss in Christianity, so make sure you snag it. I'm thankful to share his thoughts below - enjoy!

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Five-or-so years ago I was locked in what felt like an all-out war over a dream that was in danger of dying, because a man who was much shrewder than me was bent on stopping it.

One day, in my grief and fear and anger over what was about to happen, I felt God sort of “sit me down” and challenge me—it was clear that my “frontal” way of dealing with this situation was not going to work, and He was asking me if I was going to have the courage to move more shrewdly. In the nicey-nice Christian culture that is promoted and perpetuated in most churches, shrewdness is anathema—worse, it’s entirely off the radar as a spiritual practice.

So, in an uncharacteristic spirit of desperation, I asked God to teach me what I needed to know about shrewdness—and He (of course) brought me to Jesus, the source of all good things. The point of Jesus’ “Parable of the Shrewd Manager” (Luke 16:1-8) is specifically to highlight the behavior of a lazy, lying, good-for-nothing servant who has no qualities we’d want to emulate except for one: his shrewd way of saving himself from the consequences of his terrible behavior. Jesus highlights this anti-role-model for one purpose: “The people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.”

Later, in preparation for sending out His disciples on their first ministry journey without Him, He tells them to take nothing with them (no clothing, money, or “insurance” of any kind)—instead, He tells them they need just two things:

1. Be as shrewd as a serpent, and


2. Be as innocent as a dove.

The word He uses here for “serpent” is the same one He uses for Satan. And the word He uses here for “dove” is the same the Bible uses to describe the Holy Spirit. Jesus is telling His disciples to be as shrewd as Satan is, but as innocent as the Holy Spirit is. Shrewdness, then, is a way of living and relating that Jesus first modeled for us, then commanded us to do likewise.

In Shrewd: Daring to Obey the Startling Command of Jesus, I describe “shrewd” as a way of thinking and acting that Jesus long ago urged His followers to use in their uprising against the powers and ‘spiritual forces of wickedness’ of this world. Shrewd people—and Jesus is the Exemplar—first study how things work, and then leverage that knowledge to tip the balance in a favored direction. Shrewdness is the expert application of leverage—“the right force at the right time in the right place”—as The Way Things Work author David Macaulay observes. Jesus is perpetually taking what His enemies intend for evil and morphing it into good—He uses their destructive momentum against them, like a martial artist. Most Christians have a negative reaction to the word “shrewd,” but Jesus not only exemplified this way of relating to others in His redemptive mission on earth, He gave us a mandate to grow much, much more adept in our practice of it.

Because I’ve had scores of conversations with people, both young and old, about the mechanics of “innocent shrewdness,” I know people of all ages have experienced repeated failure in their frontal, conventional approaches to problems and challenges in their life. They’re frustrated and lost. And when I simply walk them through a Jesus-centered process of thinking and acting more shrewdly, it’s like Dorothy in The Wizard of

Oz moving from her flat, black-and-white world into the 3-D colors of Oz. The process, simply, looks like this:

• Answer the question: “What do I really want?” Jesus habitually asked an irritating question of people with obvious needs who approached Him for help: “What do you want?” (e.g., Matt. 20:32; Mark 6:22; Mark 10:36; Mark 10:51; Luke 18:41). We must know what we really want before we can truly ask in faith.
  
  
• Answer the question: “Is my ‘want’ born out of innocence? Would I feel just fine asking Jesus for this ‘want’ if I was face-to-face with Him?”
  
  
• Answer the question: “How does this (person, organization, or process) work?” Shrewd living always starts with understanding how things work—so spend five minutes brainstorming (either alone or with someone you trust) an answer to this question.
  
  
  
• Based on your understanding of how things work, spend five minutes brainstorming a point of leverage to go after with a “sideways” approach. Sideways means the leverage comes from an unexpected direction—you find “sideways” by experimenting with approaches that carry the force to move the situation.
  
  
• Now, try one of your options and debrief the results with someone you trust. Decide whether to continue with that option or whether to try a new approach.
  
  
  
• Repeat steps #3, #4, and #5 in a continuous loop—until you’ve landed on “the right force at the right time in the right place.”

Rick Lawrence is the author of dozens of books, including Shrewd: Daring to Obey the Startling Command of Jesus and Sifted: God’s Scandalous Response to Satan’s Outrageous Demand (shrewdbook.com and siftedbook.com). He’s has been editor of Group Magazine for 25 years and is the co-leader of the Simply Youth Ministry Conference. Rick is a church leader, consultant to national research organizations and a frequent conference and workshop speaker. He and his family live in Colorado.

a word to my friends

If we're friends, there's a chance you might hear this as it applies to your life. It's not something I copied and pasted - it's written from my heart to yours.

Simply put, be careful. When your life feels like darkness, you may mistake a grey-option for a colorful one. Keep in mind, that option is still very much grey - and while on some level you know this, your eyes have stared into what feels like a black hole long enough that even what is dull seems like Light... especially if you keep telling yourself it is.

You'll tell yourself that grey mush is a yellow smiley face.

So again, be careful. The knight in shining armor may actually be a court jester who will use you for a laugh. The woman who makes you feel good by agreeing with your perspective on life may keep you from hearing what you need to hear most. Your new BFF may set off some TNT when your IQ doesn't sense it coming.

Sure... maybe none of that will happen.

But then again, there's a reason I'm writing this. I know too many people who thought that counsel wasn't for them, yet ended up in a backward situation they never saw coming. So again, if we're friends... I'm not writing this to tell you I told you so. Instead, I'd like to catch you on the front end and help you see from the outside looking in what it may be hard to see with your nose that close to what you think you want. Write me a note if you're interested. I'm obviously not perfect, but I am your friend.

"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14)

a few questions I'm asking

I wrote a heavy and honest letter about two weeks ago that I shared with my church family on Sunday. It's been sitting on my blog in "draft" form since then, and there have been several days when my mouse cursor has hovered over the "publish" button.

I've been praying about whether or not that letter belongs online, and have discerned that for the time being it does not. There are some whom I need to send it to, and I will... but in the meantime I'm going to share only a slice of it below.

What you'll see are some questions I'm asking of myself, as I intended myself to be a recipient of the letter as well as all my friends all around the world who proclaim a "changed life" due to a relationship with Jesus Christ.

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Perhaps I should start by admitting that I'm feeling a bit worn down. I've been plugging away at some pretty important things lately while trying to keep my main priorities my main priorities: God, Katie, kids, and everyone/everything else. There’s also a new baby in our house... and where there have been extra pockets of time beyond the extra hours I already put into work, I'm also writing two books I've been contracted for as well as many freelance projects that I'm hoping will help pay some medical bills we don't want to overwhelm us.

Again, I share all of that for context. I’m a hard-working person, just like I assume you are.

In the midst of all of that, I keep stepping up to bat as best as I know how in the attempt to make a real difference in life with and for Jesus Christ.

• As an individual, I am asking, "God, what are my blind spots?  What is my next step with you?  Do you want me to stretch in a new way or simply enjoy You today?  Do I really need to do what you've asked... because it's tough - not that I don't want to, but it's tough."
  
  
• As a husband, I am pondering, "What am I to do with the last significant conversations I've had with Katie?  How do I serve her more when some days I'd rather be selfish?  Am I treasuring the gift she is or taking advantage of the idea that she'll 'always be around'?"
  
  
• As a dad, I am wondering, "Do each of my kids have an individual relationship with me that that we both feel good about?  How can I say 'YES!' more often when they want to do something with me (without neglecting my other responsibilities)?  Am I aware of what they're going through positively and negatively... and am I a part of guiding them or am I neglecting them in some way?"
  
  
• As a pastor, I am saying, "Tony, pretend this is the last sermon you will ever preach this week... how are you going to be responsible with that opportunity?  And are you living in the big picture and the details of your church community with a healthy balance?  You can't do it all and solve everyone's problem - you're not God.  Are you, though, attempting to advance down the field with the ball God has handed you or letting it fumble on purpose?  And have you started relying on your abilities instead of the Lord?"
  
  
• As a friend/neighbor/relative, I am considering, "When I say I am someone's friend, do they know it in how I live?  What are my neighbors going through that I can be a support to?  How is my extended family these days and is there any role I play in their lives?  Who will I share Jesus with next?"

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All of this is simply being asked to put Christ-first in my life and help others to do the same.

being comfortable in your own skin

I saw this ad that premiered during the Super Bowl this year... maybe you did, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Lc9Mhi9l0



The premise is rather interesting... especially in that it's marketed to men. And it raises the question - "At what point in life are you comfortable in your own skin?"

I once heard a pastor share how his wife defined "being sexy" that way - that is, that "sexy" is when one is comfortable in his/her own skin and the world can sense it. That's an interesting comparison, for while many people would equate sexiness to good looks it is often surprising how it's more of a contagious confidence than it is striking features.

Which might sort of explain why odd looking rock stars date supermodels.

In any event, I found the phrase compelling because so much of life seems like a treadmill of having to prove oneself to others. Somewhere along the way we say we don't care, but really... we do. We're just afraid of showing it. 

But there can come a point when we really don't care. When we truly aren't shaken or stirred by the words of others, but have a sense of a stronger compass in our life.

Several months ago I was hanging out with some teenagers who "dared me" to do a crazy dance and sing in a Walgreens in order to get the woman behind the counter to laugh. I succeeded... and didn't mind at all. We later talked about why it wasn't a big deal to me, and the simple truth was that at the end of the day the loudest whisper into my life is God... not what the people around me do or don't think of me.  Since I know Jesus is crazy about me to die and live for me (and He is crazy about you in the same way, by the way), I'm more interested in letting my life sync with Him than with millions and billions of people who would love to tell me that I need to buy a product or have their approval to be "okay."

Which sort of makes the commercial ironic, don't you think?

Or as a comedian once put it, "Just when I get comfortable with my own skin, it starts sagging."

What would it take for you to get comfortable with your own skin?  Or your own life?

Of course, "you already are." 

But really... are you really?  Or are you just being a Captain Sassy Pants about it and deep down you yearn for the approval of others?

If you're not sure, think about it... and I dare you to let the still small voice of your Creator become the most important voice in your life.  And I don't mean that as a Sunday religion thing (or the occasional holiday) - I mean that in a daily, growing way... something very fully-alive.

Something powerfully real.

some ancient wisdom on current finances

This summer I've decided to engage in four goals that I hope will enlarge how I see life, enlarge my connections, enlarge the souls around me, and enlarge resources others need. Part of that includes a daily reading in a pretty amazing text called Proverbs, and today's comes from Proverbs 17.

I couldn't get past the implications of the first verse:

"Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife."

It's ironic, since many people feel that in times of trouble and challenge we start to get petty with each other over small stuff. I think this is generally true, and have experienced its temptation as Katie and I have been through trials.

But I've also seen the beauty when the distractions of life reveal the true priorities and you have to ask yourself what matters most. It seems like the times that we've had it the toughest, we have had a great level of intimacy in our communication and connection as a family.

Maybe this is why verse 3 says:

"The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart."

And verse 16:

"Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?"

Given the challenges many of us are going through to honor God in the finances He's given us to manage, it only seems right and fitting to take to heart these words.

The alternative attitudes and behavior is what we're used to, and something one student at London‘s M&C Saatchi uncovered regarding how many people cope financially in times of struggle:

• Crash Dieters (26%) identify and cut out all non-essential spending until things improve. They live from week to week, and when the money runs out, they’re forced to take drastic action.


• Scrimpers (13%) down-trade rather than cut out. They are more likely to substitute brands with generic/private labels rather than dropping them altogether.


• Abstainers (15%) want to maintain their lifestyle and postpone big purchases until the situation improves.


• Balancers (9%) rob Peter to pay Paul. They prefer sacrifice to compromise.


• Treaters (12%) don’t find it easy to cut back, but know they have to. So they reward their frugalness with regular small treats.


• Justifiers (12%) are happy to give, but in the current climate they want to be sure their money is well-used. They’re looking for value deals and sound investments.


• Ostriches (9%) feel unaffected or in denial and are spending normally.


• Vultures (4%) are looking to profit from others’ misfortune. (Let’s hope you or I are not doing this!)

There is at least one other sound bit of wisdom in Proverbs that echoes this data - "He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished." (Proverbs 17:5)

These are great days for the Church to speak with clarity and conviction about the hope and certainty of God’s Story. Whatever we can do to enlarge the perspective of others beyond what they feel caught up in will only further their ability to see His fingerprints in their lives. Our faith is not in the stock market or in retirement accounts, but in the Almighty God who sustains His children in all situations.

This past Sunday our church community went around town and planted "free food" at the bottom of vending machines. Attached was a card that expressed how it really was free and was intended to remind whomever found it that God loves them, right there... right then. Maybe it's something as simple as that... a spark that creates a fire.

Or maybe it's more. Maybe it's you and I leading a life that is full of creative generousity, wise discipline, prayerful priorities, and courageous simplicity. These priorities are God-honoring regardless of the size or regularity of a paycheck... this is about extending (which implies discomfort) the hope of Jesus into the life of everyone else.

“Remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today” (Deuteronomy 8:18).

28 things about Tony Myles

Why is this list 28 things instead of 25? Because I'm a counter-intuitive guy and that's how I roll. (Sometimes it's a weakness that drives people who aren't that way crazy, but it's also a strength I bring to the table)

1. Some time ago I started doing celebrity and character voices. I've lost count of how many that's created, but every once I overload and start doing them in the car. And I start laughing at myself. And then I figure, "I need to share this with someone," so occasionally I'll call up a video store and ask if they have a certain actor's movies in stock while I use that actor's voice to do it. I often hear a pause on the other end that's often quite entertaining, at least for me.
   
   
2. Cooking gourmet food is something I enjoy and do fairly well... I wish I had more time to do it. It not only tastes great, but it helps me do something "instantly" (whereas working with people takes a whole lot of time).
   
   
3. I wait to say "bless you" until I'm sure you're done with your sneezing. And I'm not always sure why I'm saying "bless you" since that whole thing started out of a superstition that I don't subscribe to... and yet I bless people nonetheless. Maybe I need a Popemobile.
   
   
4. I used to be a picky eater, but now I will eat most anything... not because I like it, but because I went on a mission trip where I had to eat food I normally wouldn't. It made me expand my range, and so I try to eat more thankfully.
   
   But I will send back anything that has mayonnaise on it... that stuff is gross.
   
   
5. It's almost impossible for me to see a TV preview or a movie trailer and not figure out the whole plot. And not just because they give so much away, but because my mind figures stuff out even when I don't want it to. Like that movie The sixth Sense - I knew Bruce Willis was dead when I saw the preview trailer in the theater. Seriously, you didn't see that coming?
   
   
6. For about 99% of our marriage, my bride and I have prayed together at night before we go to bed. Only a few times that I've been away on trips have we missed that, and even then we pray for each other. Having said that, though...
   
   
7. Spending time with God in any conventional way is difficult for me. I have never had a consistent "quiet time" every day in as much as I have a flirtatious relationship with the Bible... the passion is very much alive and I am all over it, but it's hard for me to be mechanical about it. And the same is true of my prayer life, too... I have more regularity with that (like with praying my wife or be thankful before meals), but I find keeping an open conversation with God all day long works best for me versus locking myself into certain times. However...
   
   
8. I grow best spiritually when I bust out of my unconventional routine with someone conventional. Go figure.
   
   
9. I laugh out loud when I watch Seinfeld, although there are a few episodes I don't prefer because of content. My favorites are the one with Bookman, the one with Elaine's father, and the one with Keith Hernandez.
   
   
10. My favorite candy is the "bullseye" (soft caramel that surrounds milky white sugar in the center), followed by "Nibs" (bites of Twizzlers) and Sour Patch Kids.
    
    
11. TV was my teacher growing up, whether it was parenting skills from Cosby or the dad on Family Ties to how to take a really good jump on my bike off a hill (thanks, Dukes of Hazzard)!
    
    
12. My feet are almost flat... which means I have a hard time running and almost every pair of my shoes eventually end up with a funky slant in them.
    
    
13. I was calling her "The Oprah" long before Rush Limbaugh ever heard of her (back when she had a no-name local show in Chicago). Why have I called her "The Oprah?" Because her influence over America's female population is scary. I think if she said that she was getting spiritual truths out of the DMV driver's guide, they'd start flying off the shelves.
    
    
14. For many years, I've ended almost every email I send out with the tag "Together," because I really believe that we lost something as a culture when we started thinking we can do life on our own. (And to fess up, I first became intrigued by the tag from Tony Schwartz, but the motive is mine and that's why I do it)
    
    
15. On my 16th birthday, my dad handed me the phone and Pat Moritia (aka "Mr Miyagi" from the Karate Kid) wished me a happy birthday and told me some jokes.
    
    
16. There are many curse words I don't use anymore because they are sort of unproductive and unnecessary when many other words can be used instead. Sometimes I want to curse, though, and will often think of a clever way to work it into a TXT message or email, but then I go back and delete it. You may not agree with that approach - you may tell me I shouldn't care what people think, but it matters to me because what I'm doing with my life is more important than "not caring what people think." On some level I guess I don't care what people think - I'm putting real stuff and challenges out there everyday regardless of the response; but on the other side of the fence there is no need to be reckless with my language just to sound like "one of the guys." And yet, I have to confess there are two slang/curse words I miss using out loud - "bastard" and "boner." (Yeah, I wrote it. I didn't delete it. See how saving those words until the end of this paragraph showed my point?)
    
    
17. I'm an introvert who learned how to be an extrovert. Most of the things other people think are easy for me are things I do by choice.
    
    
18. God used the movie "The Matrix" to speak into my life. I know how that sounds, because everybody who saw that movie had all sorts of spiritual analogies. That's not what I mean... I mean if I hadn't watched that movie again a few years ago (this being about 5 years after I originally saw it), I wouldn't be a senior pastor today. There's quite a story about that I'll tell you over a smoothie someday.
    
    
19. Oh yeah, why Smoothies? Because they rock, and I would drink one everyday if I could.
    
    
20. I've never had a cup of coffee. Never. Not ever. A swig or two have been in my mouth over the years, and I spit it out. But my main beef with coffee is the caffeine - so many people laugh off how addicted they are to caffeine instead of ever thinking to correct it. Trust me - you can do it. You really can live life without caffeine.
    
    
21. My favorite places to eat are BD's Mongolian Grill, Outback Steakhouse, and Pietro's Italian Grill... and I can't afford any of them.
    
    
22. 90-95% of the messages I preach come from forcing myself each time to see something I haven't seen before in God, life, and people so I can share that with others. That's not easy, and it bothers me when I see other pastors not doing that or stealing their messages from other places and people. Sure, there's 5%-10% that I've repeated, whether it's a message I've preached before (which is rare - even when I use a title from a series I've done before I feel like I'm cheating if I teach the same message), or something I really was inspired by from a favorite teacher of mine and want to share.
    
    But 100% of the messages I share are rooted in the Bible, whether they are fresh out of my life or something I've re-wrestled with for the people I hope to present it to.
    
    I'm sharing that not to brag or sound like I'm "all that and a bag of chips," but because this is why I take it hard when someone tells me a message didn't do it for them... or that it's not "deep" enough... or that I need to be more like _______. Seriously? Good grief. If it comes from the Bible and the Bible is presented, then maybe the "miss" isn't always in the offering... maybe it's in the receiving.
    
    Yeah, I could be a better teacher. I work on that all the time. But it's not about being a teacher who gets applause... it's about being an invisible waiter so that at the end of a message I haven't charmed someone with a clever sales pitch but have forced them to wrestle with God - so that all week long they aren't thinking about me but talking with Him. That's why every message I share is a challenge for me to step it up from the last time... because lives are on the line and I can't get in the way of it.
    
    
23. Spending time with my family fills me up. Even when I'm in the middle of a chaotic moment with the kids or a hard conversation with my wife, I wouldn't want to be any other place in the whole world.
    
    
24. Spending time on Facebook is a way that I blow off some mental steam while connecting with my church, friends, and family. I also enjoy an occasional game of Spider Solitaire, though, when I need to just process a thought and need to relax the deep part of my brain for a moment.
    
    
25. I'm a sci-fi and heroes fan. But not the weird stuff that's filmed in New Zealand... the stuff that makes you see the world you live in with better eyes. From the Twilight Zone and Lost to Smallville and Heroes - shows and movies that give you permission to suspend how you normally understand life so that you can better understand it when you return to it.
    
    
26. The most important voices in my life are in this order - God, my wife, my boys, and close-close-close-close-friends. I will listen to other voices, always considering their potential thought, but I've learned through hard experience that most of the time you need to be like Teflon and not let anything stick that God wants you to let slide off.
    
    Some days it's hard to do that. Today is one of those days.
    
    
    
27. I wish I had the chance to "speak" more than I do. Granted, I've had some great opportunities on a national and local level that have been simply amazing. And I write professionally, which gives me that voice as well. But I always feel like I'm prostituting myself when I ask for the chance to speak somewhere... so often I don't. And I feel like a lot of life lessons and ministry principles I can offer get bottled up and put on the shelf.
    
    That's one reason I'm launching a new blog (in addition to this one) in about a week. It will let me dump out "those thoughts" in a productive way.
    
    But hey - if you want me to come speak sometime, I'm game.
    
    
28. Jesus Christ changed my life... not because "that worked for me" but because Jesus Christ changed my life. Seriously, that is something so powerful that I can't even begin to find words for it.
    
    And He can change your life, too, if you stop playing games.
    
    So stop playing games.

a thanksgiving thought for my church family

If you have a moment, there are three pictures I'd like you to look at.

You may not understand what it is right away, but don't worry... I'll tell you.

And more importantly, I'll tell you what it means.

We've been in our new building for about nine weeks now, which means that it is fresh and beautiful and ready for guests. One of the places we spent some time getting pretty was the Tween/Conference room... it's one of the first rooms people see when they walk in and so it only makes sense that we'd want to have that looking nice.

Here are a few pictures I took on Monday of the walls in that room.

This is a picture of an area close to one of our couches. Just enough for a chair to have sat in, like if a kid wanted to sit by their friend who was on the couch, only there wasn't any more room on the couch. So that kid put a chair next to it that rubbed against the wall.

This is a close up of that picture - you can see how it's not only a mark, but a dent in the wall, too.

Then there is this one - it looks like Dracula bit the wall... but it isn't. It's where a tween would have rocked back into the wall and made dents into it with his/her chair. Real good ones, too.

Now... let me tell you what this means.

It means we're doing something right.

How awesome is it that in a new building we have dents in the wall, marks on the paint, and paint on the floor (I didn't show you a picture of that, but trust me - we do)! It took us only two months to create some new work projects, even though some of our original projects aren't even done yet. That is so awesome!

You see, God has provided us with adults and tweens and teens and kids to take care of, invest into, and let them grow up in the faith. And being in the God business means we value people more than things... this building isn't the Church... people and God are.

Sure, we want to take care of this building and make sure that we're not sloppy on purpose. But will smears happen on accident? Absolutely - and if it doesn't, something is absolutely wrong.

Can you picture a Christianity in your life and mine that is just like that? Can you imagine what it would look like to not worry if you made a smear on the wall of your life because in the process of letting God give your life color you accidentally messed it up?

Sure, you want to take care of your faith and make sure that you're not sloppy on purpose. But will smears happen on accident? Absolutely - and if it doesn't, something is absolutely wrong.

It's easy to mistake such grace as license to not care, but obviously our choices do affect other people. But to realize that faith is spelled R-I-S-K and T-R-U-S-T and F-O-R-E-S-I-G-H-T takes risk, trust, and foresight,

So this Thanksgiving I am thankful for smears, dents, and spilled paint... both in the place the Church meets in weekly as well as in my own walk with God.

May this building and our Christianity never become a clean museum where masks are worn but always remain a well-used color palate that God keeps dabbing into to paint the world the colors it's really supposed to be. Because there are people who will walk through the doors of both, hoping that the dents and spills they've experienced can be remade and filled in by the Carpenter Savior we call Jesus Christ.

because everyone knows

I can't believe how late it is and I can't sleep. I keep having these dreams... I've been having them all week, and they seem to be the product of some of my worst fears. Last night it was losing my youngest son in a large city and not being able to find him. Tonight it was something that seems incomparable to that, and yet is very important.

Remembering the whole dream is hard, but (tonight/this morning/what time is it?) I remember the last part. For some reason our church was meeting in our old movie theater, even though it was today's era (we now meet in a new building). As best as I can piece together, I'd given the order of service to a couple of our staff guys and left the room to collect my thoughts once service began. That's when things got chaotic... for even in my dreams (apparently) I care about what happens in our services because everyone knows they affect people who are thee to connect with God.

The band was supposed to play a song, and then play some instrumental music while the bandleader prayed. Instead, I heard (from outside the theater) that this wasn't happening - instead, people were spontaneously praying about different things - no microphone, but rather random praying around a room (which included the power talkers who could project and the quiet talkers who said important things, but no one could hear them). As I made my way in, someone was praying that the Republican Party would eventually come back into Presidential power. Even though it was a dream, I was about to lose it... fearing that we'd crossed some line of political ethics that the IRS would feed on and shut us down... because everyone knows you're not supposed to do that.

So I made a hand gesture to one of our staff guys that looked like a keyboard. This was my baseball-esque signal to go back on stage and play some music so I could grab a microphone and steer us back into a God-focused direction vs a GOP one... because everyone knows that a service isn't supposed to be patriotic or in favor of a political party... right?

The only problem was as I was about to do this another person behind the computer started rolling a video on the main screen. There were two... no, three problems with this.

One - it was an unrelated video to anything we were doing. Apparently, it was one of those videos people send in an email and want you to watch, only you're not sure it's a virus so you don't watch them and it sits in your email forever - like that bottle of mystery condiments most refrigerators have in them (you're afraid to use it, but don't want to throw it away because one day you might need it). The video was some odd, YouTube-esque cartoon that mused about nothing in particular, then it ended with some random credits, followed by pure silence while personal pictures of the person who sent the video began being displayed in an automatic slide show of some sort. I kept fearing that a pornographic picture would cap it all off, but thankfully/sadly it was just camera phone style pics of them doing daily life.

The second problem was that the video intended for that moment got washed away in the process of it all. That one brought us deeper into the Scripture we'd be studying that day... somehow I know it did, even though (because it was a dream) I can't tell you what it was. But whenever we use a video in our services it's with intentionality - to either provoke a thought, raise a question, help someone identify with the topic at hand (or vice-versa, help build a bridge into their lives), or make us laugh about something we need to laugh about (laughter is way overrated). We stay away from all the cutesy Christian videos that preach tradition and fear with cheesy solutions that don't practically play out in real life, because everyone knows they have no value... right?

Oh, and the third thing wrong with this moment? Well, I sort of misspoke - the video wasn't being projected onto the movie screen. Rather, it was being projected where the screen should have been. For some reason a large movie screen curtain was sort of covering the whole screen area, and so this lame video was being projected right onto textured, fluffy, foo-foo fabric.

I remember needing to sit down in the dream... to find an aisle somewhere... so I could scream. We were doing an awful thing (I thought and felt and feared), for someone who had come to service that day had to be thinking, "These people are so messed up that they can't even operate A/V equipment properly. Now I have my reason to give up on church and God and heaven and all of that." I'd broken an overly spoken, unspoken rule that my type-AAA church background had tried to drill into my type-B personality - you don't create a bad first impression, because everyone knows people won't come back if you do... right?

Keep in mind, I don't really believe that is always true but I do know that it is important to give your best swing at everything when lives and souls are on the line.

Here's where it gets real interesting, though.

Just at the point in my dream when I'm about to explode in exasperation, I start laughing. Hard... out loud... deliriously. Not because I've lost my mind, but rather the opposite. As I look down at the screen (stadium seating, and all) I see one of our staff guys - our worship leader - jumping up with all of his might to grab high for the string that pulls the curtain open. For some reason, though, the curtain doesn't open to the side or have an automatic mechanism to make it move - instead, it opens up like a window blind might. And so as he jumps up and down trying to pull the cord, this large movie screen curtain keeps going up and down with him... up and down... up and down... while the slide show cavalcade continues, again, in pure silence.

Except for the sound of the curtain going up and down. It even sounds like a cheap window blind, in fact.

The best part was the look on his face. He was actually smiling while he did it, as if somehow in the midst of all of this chaos he realized, "Yeah, we messed this up. But so what? Let's fix it and not worry about what we can't worry about." He got that from me, I think... because I often say that when things go wrong.

Because everyone knows things go wrong a lot when it comes to church life. Whether it's the things that do or don't happen in service that become mental splinters to anyone who cares the phone calls that don't get made when someone is in crisis (leaving them feeling alone), a human community handling Divine things will always fall short of perfection. Watching our worship leader enjoy swinging around one the curtain ropes to try to get them to cooperate was such an amazing symbol of that truth.

As I sank into my stadium seating, fluffy high back theater chair in my dream and watched it all, I felt as if I'd woken up.

And that's when I actually did.

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This is simply me dumping out my dream over the course of 40 minutes, because I knew there was something in here I needed to pay attention to.

On one hand this can be a parable about what matters and doesn't matter in church world. As I hinted at earlier, I came to Jesus in an environment that valued goals, trackable data, above-the-waterline leadership, and excellence in effort. After all, we're talking about people's eternal destinies and that certainly demands our absolute best. Keep in mind my natural DNA that valued relationships, process, below-the-waterline integrity, and faithfulness in ministry... so I feel I walk around with a decent toolbox that is at God's disposal.

But really, it isn't about church world.

It's about that thought - "because everyone knows." If you've ever thought or said that, you've expected that the people in your life see, understand, and value the things you see, understand, and value just as you do.

Maybe it's how a house is supposed to be cleaned, "because everyone knows" you do a certain way. Or how a meal is to be prepared, "because everyone knows" you cook it at this temperature with these ingredients... and not at that temperature with those ingredients. It might even be how a husband and wife relate to one another intimately, "because everyone knows" what is considered acceptable versus profane in the bedroom.

What is ironic is that when we occasionally do recognize "because everyone knows" that no one knows the same thing, we use it as an excuse to not do the things that we really are supposed to know.

Think about that a moment.

In my dream and in my life, I hope that others see, understand, and value the things I do. I believe that "lost" and "found" people matter to God and that they are finicky people... so if by chance they are willing to let someone into their lives to share insights and challenges from the Lord that those opportunities shouldn't be treated lightly. Such "challengers" or "teachers" or "leaders" or "fellow believers" need to call them when they will receive phone calls from us, study together when they will study with us, empower them when they will be empowered by us, and rebuke them when they will receive rebuking from us (you know, we all need a little rebuking from time to time - even though we hate it when it happens - as long as it's done in pure love).

So when I feel like those things that seem so "obvious" to me aren't as valued in the people around me, I start to pace around in my head and feel my heart develop a chaotic rhythm. "Don't they get it?" I want to scream? Only I don't scream, because everyone knows that if you scream you run the risk of making people angry, and you don't want to get people angry because everyone knows angry people shut down lines of communication and you won't be able to talk with them about the stuff that matters most.

Hopefully by now the application and analogy is clear to you. And if for some reason it isn't, just pay attention to those moments when you also want to scream "Grow up!" and "Don't you people get it!" and "Come on already, stop living so selfishly and see the BIG PICTURE here!" Is it possible that you are holding people to your standards instead of their own?

And if it is a standard they should hold to (or say that they do, but they don't seem to live it out) is it possible for you to be the smiling fool on the curtain strings, helping them glimpse at how there is a better way than just sitting in front of the closed curtain that they've chosen to be silent spectators of?

"With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." (Matthew 15:37-38)

"...whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." (2 Corinthians 3:16)

Because everyone knows what that means, it's time for me to try to go back to bed.

your questions about the Question

Often I find myself in conversation with folks who have questions about God like I have over the years. They're good questions - and many times it has to do with a single issue... finding God and authentically connecting with Him.

Yet while these questions are often similar, they are especially unique on at least one level. Every one of us has a specific matter we'd like to take up with our Creator, and on any given day it may seem to change. Beneath it all, though, is a unique Question among the questions - a driving force that is more powerful than the thing we seem to come to the Lord with.

And that is where the real connection with God can happen.

In Mark 10, Jesus encounters a variety of people with a variety of "questions" - but see if you can tell what their main Question is.

Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"

"What did Moses command you?" he replied.

They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away."

"It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. (Mark 10:1-5)

Here is a group of Pharisees - a dominant group of religious thinkers among the the First Century Jews. These guys were believed to be religious experts (in a nutshell) and they came to Jesus with a question that seemed to be about divorce. But was it really?

Again, this was a group of rule makers/enforcers who enjoyed feeling like they had God's company credit card. If they said something and agreed upon it, then it was "so" among the people. One historian named Josephus cited how the common Jewish people allowed this group authority over them, and the Pharisees seemed to enjoy that.

One issue that many men in this era dealt with - including the Pharisees - was the quick dismissal of their wives into a divorce. It's a long issue in itself, but the bottom line is that if they handed their wife a certificate of divorce then "that was that" - and many abused that option.

Along comes Jesus, telling them that marriage is a bigger deal than when you get tired of someone and to treat it as such is to instigate the potential for adultery.

Again, though - was this matter simply questions about divorce? Or was there a deeper Question?

Just the other day I was trying to get one of my sons to obey something I'd asked of him. He asked back, "What happens if I don't?" I had to hold back the laughter - I mean, how many times have you and I done this as adults with God?

If we truly want to "find Jesus," perhaps we need to first let go of our desire to keep living life on our terms.

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16)

Amazing, isn't it? In such pure form a group of parents burst forward trying to have Jesus touch their kids. In some small way they're hoping that such a simple action will make a difference in their children forever. Only this time it's Jesus' disciples who get in the way - and Christ gives them a wake-up call about it.

A few days ago the question came up in our van (again from one of my boys) how we know if the Bible is true. Later on that evening, another question was raised about why there are so many different types of people in the world. These are questions that have answers, but because many people feel unequipped to answer them we usually tell kids, "Because the Bible says so."

That's a fair shot at faith, but does that at times... I wonder... get in the way of kids coming to Jesus?

Sometimes other people's "questions" raise a "Question" in us that we aren't comfortable with, and rather than pursue it into the deep end we cast it aside and settle back into the wading pool.

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"

"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. (Mark 10:17-22)

Yet again, someone comes to Jesus wanting to get an answer to a question... but the real Question is if all the good things he's done are what count. When he finds out that good deeds don't save you, the young man walks away sad. I've always wondered what became of him.

Because He doesn't set his agenda down to follow Jesus. He simply walks away.

So apparently he wasn't interested in finding eternal life... he just wanted to know if the way he'd been living his life on his own terms made the cut.

For God to be "God," He must be God.

That means that at the end of the day it is up to God to define who He is and how we have a relationship with Him. To insist upon your own way and hope it allows you to limbo under some bar of good deeds is to miss out on what it means to live a powerful life of trust.

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is[e] to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"

"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first." (Mark 10:24-31)

The disciples are starting to get worried after the rich man leaves - they want to know if their sacrifices to follow Jesus matter. So they ask, "Who then can be saved?"

Have you ever wondered that? Maybe you're someone who puts a lot of time into helping others find God and you want to know if what you're doing matters.

It does. It so significantly does. And the reward from God will one day blow us away.

Someone today reminded me of how tempting it is to do nothing because we're afraid of our weaknesses and imperfections spoiling something of God. And yet He invites us anyway to pitch in, for if we don't the Church (and ultimately the world in need) will never know our strengths.

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.

They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."

"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" (Mark 10:32-38)

Two brothers... gotta love this sibling dynamic. they're planning out the scope of their life and eternity here because they believe that one day Jesus will have everything set up and He'll need some muscle to run His kingdom. (Unfortunately for them, Jesus has a much different idea of being a King that involves serving like a peasant)

Their question seems to be about who gets to sit where, but it would seem as though their deeper Question is all about security and identity. I wonder how many of our questions track back to that...

for only the artist gets to give an identity to his painting, and only the chef gets to give a lasting name to his created meal, and only a Creator gets to tell all of creation who and what it really is... even if that very creation insists differently.

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he
heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." 50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. (Mark 10:46-52)

Finally, something clear. Jesus asks, "What do you want?" The blind man says, "I want to see."

And Jesus gives the man sight.

Hmm.

Perhaps today it can be that clear for you and I.

Perhaps today you and I will avoid all of the little questions and ask the big Question.

For if you do, perhaps you and I will find ourselves surprised with an Answer from Jesus.

Just don't confuse your questions with the Question.

Because what you think you want to know may actually be a distraction to what you really want to know.

So... Jesus stands before you and asks...

"What do you want?"

deconstructing christian cliches - pt 4

There are some things that sound like they're "Christian" to say, and in some ways they make sense to the mind of the average churchgoer. It may not be a bad thing to begin with, because our finite brains are trying hard to process an infinite God. Nonetheless, these clichés remain and often develop under the radar.

So this is my last in this series of posts, which means I'm going to rapid fire a last bunch of them.

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"Love the sinner, hate their sin."

A nice swing... but ultimately a foul ball. Jesus said love our neighbor and hate our own sin - or to be specific, deal the plank that is in our eye before we pick out their speck of sawdust. That doesn't mean we don't help people deal with the inner rebellion that separates them from God... it means that we don't use a cliché as a way to become hypocritical in how we treat them.

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. (Matthew 7:3-5)

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"God can't steer a parked car."

Why not? (Think about it for a moment)

This is a statement that is often made to get people busy for Jesus. I'm all for responding out of genuine gratefulness to God and finding the unique mission He has for me on earth... but to be busy for the sake of being busy doesn't make sense at all.

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10)

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"When God closes a door, He opens a window."

Sometimes...

and sometimes He just closes a door.

On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus. (Matthew 14:6-12)

And other times He opens a tomb.

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said.

"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." (John 11:38-43)

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"The gun was fired, and we were dead in our sins... until Jesus stepped in front of the bullet."

This is true in one sense - Jesus did bear the punishment for our sins. What's odd about this one, though, is that as a just God He also was the one firing the gun. Think about it.

A better metaphor I've heard is the one of the judge and the defendant. A girl appears before a judge and is found guilty for speeding. She pleads her case, but he's a just judge and holds her accountable for her choices. Slamming the gavel down, he pronounces, "Guilty as charged. $100 fine"

And then this judge stands up, takes off his robe, and walks around to pay for the girl's fine himself. Yes, this man was a righteous judge. However, he was also the girl's father and out of love for her he paid her penalty, even though he did nothing wrong himself.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

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I'm sure there are more, but you get the idea.

According to the dictionary, a cliché is "a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse." It may have some grains of truth, but when it replaces truth in the form of clever sayings we really miss out on so much.

So may we become people who take part in the Story of God... and not settle for bumper sticker theology. They are nice and sticky and can help us feel good about what we believe... but may such concepts lead us to deeper places of productivity and never become an end to themselves.

deconstructing christian cliches - pt 3

This isn't a political post, but I am going to use political language to critique a Christian cliche that I saw in this week's Presidential debate. It involves a "NO" moment - a personal practice of mine where I deliberately say the word "NO" out loud when I hear something that is promoted as truth but actually isn't.

(Try it sometime.)

Toward the end of the debate, both candidates made affirming statements that declared their belief that America is a supreme force of good for the world, potentially in all of history.

Ah... "no."

It's Jesus Christ and His Church.

(I wonder if they would have said the same thing in front of Rick Warren's audience.)

I don't know if you've ever considered this, but what we call "patriotism" the early church called "idolatry." I know in saying that I run the risk of an ultra-patriotic Christian reading this and getting upset at me. That's fine... because I understand your passion and have heard it before in appropriate and inappropriate ways. For the record, I do enjoy the country I live in and I humbly appreciate the "rights" America has afforded me that I don't see in any other country to the same level.

But America isn't the ultimate hope of the world, and it's not where my ultimate allegiance lies. If you cut me, I don't bleed "USA!" - I bleed for Jesus. Ultimately, I am a Christ-follower and would be no matter what country I lived in... even the ones where it's illegal to do so. (It would just be trickier, of course... and at times downright fearful - especially if it involved violence to my household.)

Our sense of identity as people (or as a country) must not be found in an imperfect President-to-be, nor in his policies on the economy, nor in whether or not he has "great experience" or "fresh perspective."

Power that fixes the world can only be found in Jesus Christ... and yet so many in this country cry out for a President to fix things. In fact, I've read that the rest of the world watches our debates and political updates with as watchful an eye as we do. So many expect one "superpower" to actually have "Super-Powers."

Hmm... sounds familiar.

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."

But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."

Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." (1 Samuel 8:4-20)

Israel wanted a king, but they wanted wrong kind of king — a good looking guy who they thought would bring about the change they wanted. God rejected him.

Then one day God installed His own king in his place... Himself as Jesus Christ. Only Israel rejected Him.

Similarly, somewhere along the way we created in the church an ironic cliche of our own - American Christianity. Here's how it often shows up during election time for many Christians:

• We say, "Jesus is Lord," and yet believe a human candidate will provide all the change the world is looking for.
  


• Folks pick fights with each other about two candidates who both claim to be Christians, citing to each other that only their party's canididate "really is."
  


• Christians don't think twice about listening to and laughing alone with radio/TV personalities who slander, spread gossip, and belittle the "other" side.
  


• Many would say they believe that God wants to redeem the world, but are most concerned about their own country's interests.
  
  
• Rather than recognizing how the American Dream is self-centered, we buy into the inward pursuit of happiness over the eternal pursuit of goodness.

Granted, an election is a time to cast a vote about your country's leadership. The problem is that somewhere in the process the concept of "God and Country" becomes "Country and God." The sequence matters, for the first word far outranks the second word.

And when that happens, we start looking for security in all the wrong places.

How are you doing on this?

• Have you been taking your cues from CNN and Fox News more than God Himself?
  


• Are you fixated on reading the stock market, or are you fixated on reading the Bible?
  
  
• Is the roundtable discussion on who won the debate most important at the end of the day, or is the conviction of the Holy Spirit your guiding factor?

Don't worry... I'm not going to tell you who to vote for. Honestly, I'm not telling you whom I'm voting for. (We all know that whomever wins the vote is going to stand at the plate and give his best swing at the job... and he'll fall short, give late night TV shows material for monologues and skits, and let the country down on more than one occasion. The good news is that God can use even that to further things forward..)

Instead, I'd rather inspire you to arrive at a place of peace and security that comes from prayer. Consider your life in light of the Truth of God.... and then respond. If you want to look at how each of the candidates takes part in or rejects God's story of redemption, the best way to start is by taking part in it yourself.

Because you don't discover security by looking for security (or manufacturing it through patriotic words). You find it by a U-turn back toward your Creator - He'll help you become the someone who is freshly overcome by the awe and desperation for Him.

In the first century, Julius Caesar believed that his country was the greatest force for good in the history of the world. He used this belief to justify whatever was in his country's best interests, even if it flew in the face of what true goodness is.

Then along came some Christians who spoke of their hope in Someone greater.

• The said it was the peace of Christ - not the peace of Rome - that surpassed all understanding.
  
  
• They decided that the way of peace was better than the way of the sword.
  
  
• They fought against patriotic language that declared "Caesar as Lord" by saying "Jesus is Lord."
  
  
• They died alnong with all those whom Rome sought to conquer when all it would have taken was a simple retraction of one's faith.

Maybe the best summary of all of this lies in a praise someone shared during a gathering last Sunday.

"Thank you Jesus for ruining my life and giving me Yours."

deconstructing christian cliches - pt 2

Just like the last post, I'm also guilty of having said this one.

"I read the last book in the Bible (Revelation) and we win!"

First off, this is not solely a cliche' - it is true that at the end of the Bible we find that those who have chosen to stand with Jesus Christ get to remain in that relationship forever. We also find that the devil is outmatched and is sent to a hellish realm of eternal punishment. Then a new heaven and a new earth are connected together where we take part in an amazing spiritual journey with God - face to face with Him, and face to face with each other.

By all accounts, we do "win." Read all about it HERE.

But here's where this becomes a cliche' - you can read the ending and see that we "win" and start gloating about it as if you've discovered some "a ha" to slap on your friends like some 1980's professional wrestler rant before "Wrestlemania Smackdown 55."

If you read the Beginning (Genesis 1:1), you will find that we've already "won."

Actually, it's God who "wins" - for not only is God there when the first moment of creation happens, but He goes before us in all things... even history itself.

Then there's the cross of Christ and His resurrection. Again - another stake in the ground that proclaims the winner.

Which again - by the way - is God.

God wins.

He's the Hero of the Game - God the Father as owner of the team, God the Son as the MVP, and God the Holy Spirit as the Coach.

Those of us in Christ just happen to be wearing the same jersey and find ourselves getting passed the ball from Christ more than our skill level deserves. Somehow, though, because He's involved... we get to score, too.

But the autographs belong to Him, and why even making "the number one" with your finger somehow always points toward the heavens.

deconstructing Christian cliches - pt 1

I was reminded today of a phrase that Christians often say that is contrary to our belief system. We don't realize it as we do, though, because we're actually trying to share something positive.

The phrase?

"And then God showed up."

You may hear this when someone is sharing about a challenging situation, only to have the situation turn around because "God showed up."

• "I was having a hard time figuring out what to do, and then God showed up."
• "The worship music felt like normal music, but then God showed up."
• "We tried doing some outreach this week, and prayed for something amazing to happen. Guess what? God showed up!"
• "I couldn't find a parking spot, so I prayed... and then God showed up."

And so on.

Actually, God didn’t show up. He was there the entire time... God is everywhere, all the time. That’s a part of His infinite nature.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. (Psalm 139:7-10)

"Am I only a God nearby," declares the LORD, "and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:23-24)

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:17)

Sure... I know what people mean when they say “God showed up.”

• God surprised them.
• A prayer got answered.
• They've finally gotten past a barrier of some sort - intellectual, emotional, relational, etc.
• A conviction hit their heart from the Lord regarding some hurdle they've created.
• A spiritual dry spell became refreshed by Jesus.

Unfortunately, this language of "God showing up" makes it seem as though God is playing hide and seek with us. To the contrary, check this out:

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" (Genesis 3:6-9)

So it's not God who wanders away from us, but it's us who wander away from God. We struggle with all sorts of distractions and inner rebellion that keeps us barely tuned in to the true reality that the Lord is everywhere. So He doesn't have to be "invited" into a situation, but He does need to be invited into our lives - that's place versus relationship.

Here's the rub - while God is everywhere, we can still be distant from Him. Most commonly, it's because we're looking for Him in the wrong ways. Romans 1 tells us He's constantly revealing Himself, and yet we're often focused on the wrong clues.

It's like when you meet someone at a cafe for lunch for the first time and don't know who to look for. You're piecing what you do know of them with your best guess on what they may look like. Sometimes you're looking for someone you've concluded isn't there... only He's in the booth to your right.

That's just what everyone about 2000 years ago failed to realize when the Creator entered His creation in a way that staggers the imagination! The King took on flesh, lived with us, and died for us... but He didn't stop there. Jesus gave the gift of His Holy Spirit to His disciples, establishing a permanent residence within anyone who would receive Him.

Right now, He is wanting to make a real connection with you. Any longing for God to "show up" today reveals the inner distance we often feel between His world and our own. But, it is not He who has distanced Himself. It is you and me.

The great need of our spiritual lives is not one of presence. Rather, the great need is for reception.

So instead of expecting God to “show up,” how about we start entering into His presence preparing and expecting to meet with Him?

God is much, much closer than we think.