2 Questions: Part II

Thanks to everyone that took some time to read and respond to 2 Questions: Part I. I've really enjoyed reading over and thinking about your comments. I thought there were some really great points made in response to the 1st question, I would love to hear you elaborate on a few of them. I found it interesting that no one used the word 'disciple'.

For me the purpose of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus.

Over the past couple weeks there has been some buzz surrounding 2 questions at our church and I thought it could be kind of interesting to get your thoughts on those very same questions. I'm not going to give any explanation or share any of my thoughts yet because I would hate to 'taint' your view but would invite you to comment and join in on the discussion that follows. Notice the 2nd question below. Please feel free to respond to either or both if you haven't already and you want to share your thoughts. I'll give you a few days to think and share and then I'll post some thoughts and ideas.

The 2nd of 2 questions is:

-What is the purpose of the church?
-What is a disciple?

"Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile"

I just started reading Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile written by Rob Bell & Don Golden. I'm only 2 chapters in but find it to be a pretty easy read (once you get past the odd formatting and wasted page space) and not too bad so far. I like the way the book retraces the Old Testament story and am hoping it doesn't quickly become a political commentary. I guess only time will tell. A couple things that jumped out at me so far:

"This God doesn't need images in the form of wood or stone or marble, because this God has people.

This God is looking for a body." (Pg 33-34)

"God gives power and blessing so that justice and righteousness will be upheld for those who are denied them." (Pg 44)

"Weeping leads us to reconnect with God." (Pg 53)

"Our tears are sacred. They water the ground around our feet so that new things can grow." (Pg 53 *possible quote from Anne Lamott as noted by the authors)

"The first exodus was just a hint of the redemption God has in mind for all of humanity." (Pg 56)

Midwinter Rooftops

I was awakened this morning at 4:27am by the steady, rhythmic sound of an unidentified dripping. It took me a minute to locate the drip and figure out where it was coming from. It was about this time last year when the drip was actually landing in our bedroom but fortunately this time the drip was only able to get as far as the outside windowsill. Over the past couple days we've gotten over a foot of snow and after lying there for a couple minutes I decided I had to do something about this persistent little drip. So I told my wife that I was going to go up on the roof and shovel it off and after explaining to her that: a) yes I meant right then and b) yes I was aware what time it was she told me to take my phone with me in case of an emergency.

Fortunately the only thing I used my phone for was to take some pictures after I finished clearing off the roof. Though it was a little chilly I found it to be quite peaceful as I looked out over the snow-covered rooftops in my neighborhood thinking that I was pretty thankful to have a roof to have to shovel off. I also realized that I am thankful for the people that get up that early on a regular basis to do things like clear roads, turn on lights in buildings, make coffee, warm-up school buses, make sure things are working like they should, etc. for the rest of the world that wakes-up hours later.

Reconnection

I don't know if you've ever had the chance to reconnect with a relative after a number of years or what that experience might have been like for you but I had the opportunity to do just that tonight over dinner. I came to find out that one of my cousins works for a company that has a regional office here in Indy and he decided to call me up to see if we could get together and I'm glad he did.

A little background...My dad's side of the family is from Bay City, MI (which is where I was born) and we would travel there every year to celebrate Christmas with that side of the family. Well, as I got older and eventually moved to Indiana and got married I was not always able to make it up there during Christmastime. This year was no exception but apparently as my dad was there with his side of the family he was talking to this cousin who mentioned that he traveled down to Indy quite often and so my dad gave him my cell number. I got a call this past Friday night from my cousin letting me know he would be in town for a couple days this week and so we planned to get together. Which we did tonight.

I honestly don't remember the last time he and I have had the chance to sit and talk like we did tonight but I know it was certainly before either of us had "real" jobs, wives or houses. It was great to hear that he and his wife were doing well, that work was going well for him and share some memories we had of Grandma & Grandpa's house during family gatherings. Besides getting a chance to reconnect with him it was pretty cool to be reminded that I am a part of something bigger, that goes beyond myself and my little world. Thank God for inviting us to be a part of something even bigger still.

2 Questions: Part I

Over the past couple weeks there has been some buzz surrounding 2 questions at our church and I thought it could be kind of interesting to get your thoughts on those very same questions. I'm not going to give any explanation or share any of my thoughts yet because I would hate to 'taint' your view but would invite you to comment and join in on the discussion that follows. I'm only going to ask 1 question to start as the 2nd question is dependent upon the potential responses to the 1st. I'll give you a few days to think and share and then I'll post some thoughts and ideas.

The 1st of 2 questions is:

-What is the purpose of the church?

A New Chapter to a Great Story

The significance of today can not be understated. For the first time in our nation's history we have elected someone other than an older white guy as our president. Not only is this a HUGE step for the Unite States as a country but also for the way in which we are perceived around the world. I hope and pray that other nations will begin to see that our internal race relations are moving in the right direction and though we still lag behind other countries, progress is being made.

It's important in the midst of all the hype, historical significance and celebration that we remember the role that Christ plays in this unprecedented event. Especially as people who would call ourselves Christian because if it were not for Christ, none of this would be possible. Let us be reminded of two important things as we commemorate this day:

1. Paul tells us in his letter to the Ephesians, "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility" (2:14). Jesus has always been and will always be about tearing down the things that divide us...gender, race, economics, education, politics, etc. Jesus is all about life-transforming change and it's in this type of change where we are able to truly find hope.

2. God puts leaders in their place of leadership and uses them to accomplish His purpose. God is telling a story through His Son and through His Church, the authorities have been put in place to not only be a part of that story but also to advance it. You may not agree with the party affiliation, the policies or the rhetoric but as Christians we can not argue the fact that God is in control, has a story to tell and is going to make sure it is heard. We are simply called to play our part.

Congratulations are due to everyone for whom this day holds special significance, which in reality should be every single citizen of the United States. I am excited to see the changes that God will bring about through a new administration which, whether they are aware of it or not, will be used to tell His story.

When is Enough Enough?

The war in Gaza has to stop! It is getting sickening hearing the reports of Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip over the past couple weeks and the relative silence from the international community. I know that various international organizations are calling for an immediate ceasefire but refuse to put any "teeth" behind these calls for peace and so the result of these calls has been nothing. In fact, Israel has actually "stepped up" their assault into Gaza which has caused more than 1,000 deaths, over half of which have been civilians.

I understand that we are about to witness two history making administrations enter and leave the office of president but can we continue to sit in silence as a country, blindly (in my opinion) giving our support to any action that Israel feels they need or want to take? Of course I know there are various views on this sensitive subject but at what point is enough enough? I have no doubt that there is a lot of information that I am not aware of concerning this conflict between Israel and Palestine, is there enough for me to keep from describing Israel's actions as 'excessive force', not sure. I can't help but think about the story of a young shepherd boy who faced off against a giant, armor covered warrior carrying a spear, sword and shield...which is somewhat ironic since most Israelis would know this story quite well. What's sad is that the young boy in our story today doesn't stand a chance.

Routine

I like to pretend that I am the sort of person that likes to "fly by the seat of his pants", is super laid back and not only doesn't need a routine but will actually go against any resemblance of one. I must confess that I think the routine is back and I'm looking forward to it.

The past couple weeks have contained holidays, travel, family, me turning 30, vacation, and a week down in Kentucky taking a class. I'm finally home with no major holidays in the near future or any anticipated time off and I think I'm actually excited. I think I'm looking forward to heading into the office tomorrow morning ready to find my groove and get some stuff done. It's almost like the new year has officially begun for me this week. I'm feeling weirdly motivated, disciplined and excited to get things going and the idea of a routine makes me think those things might just be possible. I guess only time will tell.

Caller ID

So often we hear people talk about their "calling" in life and typically we take that to be the thing they were meant to do. When someone who identifies himself or herself as a Christian talks about "calling" we generally assume the same thing with the added caveat that it is God who is doing the "calling".

Today was the first day of a class I'm taking this week at Asbury Theological Seminary for my Masters in Christian Leadership. The class is called Christian Leadership Development and today we spent a little time talking about people's callings. We talked about how what you do is not the calling; teaching, writing, administrating, painting, singing, etc. but rather where you do it is the calling. If you have been given the gift to teach, then you should know that and do it wherever you are regardless of where that is, God will call you when He wants you to do it some place else.

This got us thinking a little bit about where God might call you and I to go...Is there anywhere He doesn't call us to go? Is it possible that He has called some of us to go to places that we might normally be ashamed to go? Might there be some of us out there that have heard the Holy Spirit calling to us to go somewhere but we were too afraid of what people might think or say if we actually went? All the more reason to be walking closely with Him so that when He does call, we know exactly who it is.

Another Year

First let me say "Happy New Year!" I hope that your new year festivities were safe and great. I don't know if anyone made resolutions for 2009 but I'm still thinking, so if there are any suggestions let me know.

Today also happens to be my 30th birthday. Now, I don't say that to get birthday wishes but simply to say that I've been thinking about the past 30yrs of my life. It's interesting to look back and see the different ways, places and people that God uses to impact, direct and guide our lives. While the new year turns our attention to the future, I think it's important to keep in mind the things that God has brought us through to get to this point.

"Out with the Old..."

A sermon I gave this morning.
**********************************************************
I'm not sure if you've been to the new Indianapolis Airport but I’ve been there quite a bit over the past 2 weeks to drop off and pickup different family members. I have yet to actually go inside but from the outside it seems pretty nice. My sister and I were getting ready to leave my house to get her to the airport when she heads inside, grabs the bathroom scale and begins weighing her luggage in my driveway. There is a certain weight limit and if you go over it you have to pay extra and as I’m talking to her about her giant piece of luggage, which was as a matter of fact over the weight limit, she told me that most airlines are now charging for checked baggage. It’s hard to believe that you have to pay for even 1 checked bag and to check 2 cost even more. I guess the more baggage you have, the more it will cost you.

We find ourselves again at the end of another year. Christmas has passed, the visitors have all left the manger scene and we’re left cleaning up after all of the holiday parties. The beginning of a new year is such an interesting time to me because we hear so much about doing this or doing that. Maybe like me you find yourself saying things like, “This year I’m really gonna do it.” or “Things are going to be different this time around.” and yet we find ourselves lugging around baggage that we’re still paying for.

This morning I want to talk about a couple things that perhaps are weighing some of us down. Things that need to go. Baggage that you and I need to check at the feet of Jesus because it’s costing us way to much to keep carrying around. My hope is to challenge us to be thinking along the lines of “Out with the Old, In with the New”. Next week Rodney will be talking about “In with the New” and on this last Sunday of 2008 I’m going to spend some time talking about “Out with the Old”. There are a couple things that come to mind when I think about Scripture with this “Out with the Old” perspective that I hope will challenge you and I to think about the things we have been carrying around that need to go.

Names were a big deal in Bible times. They were more than just simply something to call someone, they were a person’s identity. A person’s name described their perceived purpose, calling or personality. A couple examples: (Gen. 17:4-6) Abram (exalted father) to Abraham (father of many), (Gen. 25:25-27) Jacob (he grasps the heel, figuratively he deceives) and Esau (may mean hairy but he was also called Edom which means red), (Matt.16:17-18) Peter (rock), the different names of Jesus….. Names were a means of finding identity, sometimes good and sometimes not so good. The key for us is this idea of identity. Is there baggage in your life that is keeping you from the identity that God desires for you? This baggage might be our own fault or the fault of someone else and yet everyday that goes by with us still holding onto it, we pay a price.

You might remember a story in the early Old Testament about this guy Moses who was out shepherding some sheep when he saw a burning bush. God tells him to get his brother Aaron and go tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. After a number of visits and signs Pharaoh is convinced to let them go. So over 600,000 people leave Egypt for the Promised Land but on the way some of the people start to have bad attitudes. They start to whine and grumble, cursing their leaders and doubting God. All of this even after God provides for their needs and guess what God says, “Out with the Old.” Numbers 14:26-35. Are we holding onto a resentful or bitter attitude that needs to go? Is a certain perspective costing us our ability to love and be loved? Do we need to take a second look at the perception of God we have been carrying around for some time now?

So much of what we hear about resolutions for the new year have to do with getting rid of baggage that we have been carrying around for way too long. I’m not talking so much about the baggage around our midsections, though almost half of the top resolutions deal with weight and health, but rather the baggage we carry around from past hurts, choices, attitudes, words said or not said, actions done or left undone. We have been carrying some of this old baggage around for long enough, isn't it time to let it go? That baggage might have to do with family, friends, a spouse, an ex-spouse, a co-worker, yourself or even God. What better time than now to get out with the old so that we can get in with the new?

Christmas Kaleidoscope

Welp, it's the day after Christmas, we are currently experiencing a thunderstorm(got to love midwest weather, they are saying it could be 65 tomorrow?!?) and it's been a long time since I last posted. Overall I would say I did a pretty decent job of keeping things simple throughout this holiday season and am hoping to continue this concept of simplicity right into the new year.

How did you manage? Did you find Christmas time this year to be especially meaningful or special? OR Did you find it particularly difficult to find the Christmas spirit this time around?

Tai and I had a great time visiting friends and family, volunteering with an inner city church that provided presents, clothes and food to over 100 families for Christmas, see people excited about gifts they recieved and experienced people being way too generous to us. Overall it has been a great past two weeks. Here are a couple random pics for no particular reason.

*Here's our Christmas tree. You could probably say it is "non-traditional" but that is the advantage of being married to an artist. In the picture on the right you'll also notice our new front door that was about 2yrs in the picking out/deciding/ordering/scheduling/having put in....

*Not only am I not good at picking out gifts for other people, unless of course you're my brother who likes everything I like which makes it really easy, I am also really bad at wrapping presents. I bet you can't guess which gifts Tai wrapped for me and which ones I wrapped for her. We had a hard time keeping the camera still and getting it to focus as you can see in the blurriness.

Keeping It Simple?

How have you been doing so far this holiday season? Have you been finding ways to slow down and keep it simple? I know I haven't posted in a while and I apologize for those that have been paying attention but I'm sure like me you are finding that it's not so simple to keep things simple.

I had the opportunity, as I do every year, to read the Christmas story to a group of kindergartners from one of our preschools yesterday. I always think it's going to be harder than it ever is. I worry that the little kids will think I'm boring or won't pay attention or even worse, start crying and yet, none of those ever happen.

I leave my time with these little kids always reminded of the simplicity of the season. It starts from the very beginning of my time with them when I ask them what Christmas is all about and some 5yr old shouts, "God sends us a present!" and another one follows with, "It's Jesus' birthday!!"...I'm not sure I could say it any better myself.

"Black Friday" Etiquette

No, I did not get up ridiculously early to go stand outside in the cold and wait in line only to walk away empty handed. Actually, I didn't go at all. I know my sister and her husband did, it seems as though they have made this a sort of tradition for themselves. He got up at 3:45am and headed to a popular electronics store after which he headed home to pick up my sister because she wanted to "sleep in" until 4:30am. The two of them proceeded to navigate their way through the maze of sleepy-eyed shoppers and deals galore (or so I've heard).

On our way to our relatives on Thanksgiving day we passed a popular electronics store where there was already a tent set up outside the front door and it was only 12:45pm. This got me thinking and led to some discussion later in the weekend about the proper etiquette for waiting in line during the wee hours of the morning on "Black Friday"(click to find out why it's called that if you're not sure)...

1. If you get there early and setup a tent, do you have to stay in the tent or are you free to leave it and come back when you want to?

2. Is it possible for some object or person to save your place in line?

3. Is it common for people to take shifts waiting in line? If so, are the other people in line cool with this?

4. What is the deal or what would the deal have to be in order to motivate an individual to forfeit an entire night of sleep to go wait outside in the cold only to go shopping?

5. Are there any sort of "deals" that are being made while in line? Trading/selling item coupons or tickets, place in line, coffee, etc.? Is that generally frowned upon?

6. Shouldn't the fact that a store worker in NY was trampled to death as the doors were opened early Friday morning make us question our priorities as a society?

If you know the answer to any of these questions or have experienced any of these different "Black Friday" scenarios, please tell. Or if you have a story or a great deal that you got because you decided to wake-up before the rest of the world did, let us know.

That Time of Year

I'm sitting here at my dining room table looking outside noticing that pretty much all of the leaves have fallen off the trees in my neighborhood, it's cold out, and the holiday season is upon us as Thanksgiving is now only days away. Before you know it, it will be 2009 and we'll all wonder where the last month of the year went. I don't know about you but it's at this point in the year for me when time seems to fly by. Between all of the hussle and bussle of the season, traveling to see family, Advent events at church, using vacation time before the end of the year, scrambling to figure out program budgets for 2009, end of year meetings, etc etc I start wondering if I'll be around for the holidays, let alone enjoy them.

I was driving around town the other day and saw a bumper sticker that said, "Put Christ back in Christmas." I started thinking about that and two thoughts got stuck in my head:

• Bummer for anyone that has already taken Him out of it.
• Christmas is about Christ, it's that simple.
  

Our senior pastor just finished leading a class called 'Simplifying Christmas', which talked about practical ways to keep the holiday season simple. You know, things like don't buy an excessive amount of gifts for people, don't spend all of your time running around but enjoy the friends and family you're with or don't waste a lot of money on presents. I like this time of year and am not someone that gets stressed because of everything going on but I can get too busy and then I find myself missing the main points...a) be thankful and b) the coming of Christ. I am determined to keep this time of year slow and simple.

The Humility to Change

I have to admit that I have never really thought about the relationship between change and humility until 'dk', a now frequent commenter to this blog, brought up the question. (See his comment here.) The more I think about it, the more I see humility being a necessary component for change. And when I say change, I mean life transforming change that actually moves us from one point to another in our lives, not just changing something temporarily only to go right back to the beginning.

As I mentioned before, I think there is a certain amount of surrender that must take place in order to change and to do that, humility is required. To get to the point of realizing that you can't do it on your own and to give up control (though many times we realize we don't really control as much as we think) is a humbling experience because in a sense we are saying that this situation or needed change is beyond me. I have tried on my own to make this change and have failed and now I must give the power, control or whatever you want to call it to someone else. Humility allows me to admit that I can't do it on my own which then allows the process of change to begin.

Something else that was brought up was the idea of authenticity as a prerequisite to change, is it or isn't it? I think it is. Just as humility is needed to experience change, I think authenticity is needed to have humility. I've got to be real with myself in order to realize that I need to put my pride on the shelf so that I can be humble enough to experience change. It is so easy to convince myself that I am much better off than I really am, that the change that needs to take place in my life is really not that urgent or that I can get around to changing whenever I decide to. I almost think that humility and authenticity are so closely related it's hard to tell one from the other, because I wonder if you can truly be humble without being authentic. It is in my authenticity that I come to see that I am really nothing special, can't do much on my own and fail more often than I succeed and yet somehow through the mystery of Christ, it is then that change can begin.

Pocket Change

A sermon I gave on Nov. 9th.
****************************************

We have heard a lot about change over these past few months. And when you hear this word, a couple of things might come to mind: a change of clothes, political change, the coins you find under your car seat. Something I find funny about change is how each of us reacts differently to it. Some of us thrive on change, we need that sense of newness or spice to liven up the status quo. Others of us can’t stand change. We like things the way they are and don’t see any reason to mess things up.

Tai and I were eating breakfast earlier this week and I was complaining about my cereal and her comment was, “well maybe it’s time for grown-up cereal.” And I said, “but I like my Cocoa Krispies." Some things just don't change.

Some of us are paralyzed by the fear of change because we can’t always predict what the outcome will be or look like. We see this often in abusive relationships, where someone has become more comfortable with the emotional or physical abuse then the thought of the change that might come from leaving the relationship.

I want to talk about change but not change on a global, national, or local level; not any sort of change that has to do with politics or outfits or the coins you find between the cushions of your couch. I want to talk about change that can touch your heart. I want to talk about something that can change your life. I would encourage you to, even if just for a moment, forget about all of the other things that need to be changed in this world and focus on the things that need to change in your relationship with Jesus.

James writes in 1:17 and the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. It’s you and I that need to change, not God. He has been and will continue to do His thing…being faithful, just, loving, forgiving, merciful, etc etc. All of the things that I am so often not.

Jesus says in Matthew 18:1-4 that we must change and so I’m wondering if there are any of us that have things in our lives that need to change. Things that are getting in the way of knowing Jesus better; things like pride, busyness and the excuse of “not having any time”, selfishness but not the kind of selfishness that says, “Gimme, that’s mine and I want it.” but more of a subtle selfishness that says things like, “I don’t really feel like serving, helping, fill in the blank…” or "I'm sure someone else will step up to help or volunteer." Many of us want to change and have been telling ourselves that we will change but here we sit, dealing with the very same lack of change in our relationship with Christ.

We’ve just finished a stewardship campaign that not only touched on financial stewardship but stewardship of our time and talents as well. This change that I’m talking about is not to try and get you to volunteer or give more because in my opinion, that’s not what it’s about. What I’m asking you is what is it that needs to change in order for you to be closer to Jesus. We see the change we want to make in our lives, we have every intention of making it but we just can’t seem to do it. And you know what, we can’t. It’s kind of like what Paul says in that sometimes confusing passage in Romans 7, the one with all of the “do’s” and “don’t do’s”. We can’t make life transforming change on our own…

To change is to let go. We have to hand over control, take our hands off the wheel and let someone else drive. The only way I have found to ever really change something in my life is to surrender it over to God. This was not something that happened overnight, it was a process and at times a difficult one. It involved a lot of prayer, discipline, accountability and support from others. It wasn’t until I realized that I couldn’t make the change on my own that I started to see change taking place.

2 Corinthians 5:16-18…verses 16 and 18 are good stuff and really could be separate sermons for another day but what I really want to focus on right now is verse 17. No doubt there are some of us here in this place that need to hear that, we have the power to change our lives, not because you and I are all that great but because Christ is. “If anyone is IN Christ…” To be found in Christ is what it means to be a Christian. No, it doesn’t mean you’re perfect or even close but it does mean that you trying to be like Him. If you call yourself a Christian, if you have a relationship with Jesus then this promise is yours to claim. I heard someone say, “Jesus loves you exactly where you are but He loves you way too much to leave you there.” I don’t know what change needs to take place in your life but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Holy Spirit has laid something on your heart as you’re sitting there that needs to change. Isn’t it time to make this life transforming change that comes through Christ more than just pocket change?

Day After

It is 72 degrees and sunny on November 5th in central Indiana. The day after our country has just elected the first ever African American as President of the United States. Surreal.

What lies ahead for us as a nation and especially for those of us who call ourselves Christians is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create unity. No one likes to lose but we cannot let the color of our political party divide us, whether you're RED or BLUE. We have a beautiful opportunity as the Church to "reach across the aisle" and give our support, prayers and service to our fellow man being reminded that it's not about you or me, this political party or that one but rather it's about Christ who calls us to serve Him by serving each other. The words of Paul's letter to the Philippians should not only echo in our hearts but in the things we say or don't say, do or don't do...

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

And Your Vote Goes To....??

Election day is only days away and some of you may have already voted but I thought I would take a little poll of 'A Journeyman's Catalog' readers to see who you are voting for and why or if you are undecided at this point, which way are you leaning or why still undecided.

I recognize that some of you may not want to share this information and I respect that so for those individuals might I suggest leaving an anonymous comment with your choice. It is simply the curiosity of the politics of those that read this blog that make me ask this question, not to mention I think it could be kind of fun to see what kind of response we get and the conversations that might follow. Feel free to get it started or keep it going.

Common Decency

This post is a few weeks overdue but I have finally gotten to the point where I can't take it anymore. Have we lost all decency as a consumer society that the lines have become so badly blurred that I have not only seen Christmas things in various store windows but have even seen Christmas decorations on the houses and in the yards of private citizens weeks before Halloween?!?

I feel like I'm a pretty tolerable person. It doesn't bother me in the least to have your yard telling me which political candidate or party you support; heck, go ahead and turn it into a used car lot but when I see an inflatable "snow-globe" at the beginning of October then we might have some issues. They might be my issues or theirs but clearly there are some issues.

Don't get me wrong, I really like Christmas, especially when it's Christmastime but since I've recently made a personal commitment to Fall as my favorite season, I'd like to enjoy it without being blinded by Rudolph's nose.