Miller Time

Chocolate, Gas Cans & Locker Rooms

2012-01-19T13:47:00.000-05:00

The other week we talked about the pressures of our modern world, and I spoke on ways to not only cope with it, but to thrive in this fast paced, pressurized world.

Today, I'll be tacking a more specific reality pertaining to pressure that has to deal with Chocolate, Gas Cans and Locker Rooms!

But. before we eat some chocolate, I’d love to have some very NICE girls introduce this topic…

Means Girls Clip - Video clip

Rememberthat song we were taught as kids “Sticks and Stones…?” "Sticks and stones willbreak my bones, but _____!" Yeah, I’m just gonna acknowledge that whoever triedto shove that down our throats wasn’t a human being because that’s a load ofcrap.

Words carry weight! Just ask the cast from Anchorman - Toilet Store - Video clip

My recent post, "Oops" awakened me to this reality a new just last week! Yes, it is most definitely a good thingwe can learn from our mistakes and receive grace from the LORD, in order to dobetter the next time around. So, I picked up my Bible and was reminded thatthis guy, James, probably would have called me out back in the day!

Let’s check out James 3 picking it up in verse 3.

Whenwe put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn thewhole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and aredriven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever thepilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but itmakes great boasts.

How often do you make LOUD noises with your mouthand those great boasts get you in trouble? Are you a "foot in mouth" guy? I confess... I am! I've done my fair share of speaking before thinking, and have been called out a few times over the years, to say the least. I'm the chief of sinners in this department. One of my greatest gifts/strengths is also one of my greatest weaknesses.

Let's keep reading...

Considerwhat a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire,a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, setsthe whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. – James 3:5b-6

Hell? = Gehenna! That's an extreme picture for the tongue! Yet, this is the picture Jamesdecided to use when speaking of the power of the tongue! Our whole life is set on fire bythe words that leak out of our mouth.

Let’skeep going…

Allkinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and havebeen tamed by human beings, but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restlessevil, full of deadly poison. – James3:7-8

So true! I don’t know ahuman being who has mastered the art of speaking perfectly in all contexts.It’s amazing that our words can be like drinking deadly poison. Did you knowthat the tongue is one of the strongest muscles in your body! And, our aim isto tame this tongue. Be a 'lil Greek Geek for a second and say, “NO GLOSSA!”

That means NO TONGUEing!

Get your mind out of the gutter, and let’slook at 3 ways our tongue gets us in trouble, and I don’t mean by french kissing.

If you are anything likeme, you absolutely LOVE chocolate! Sometimes, I crave chocolate like a pregnantlady. I give you permission to go in your cabinet and grab some chocolate. I don't care what time of day it is... just do it! Stop reading, and come back with some chocolate. Fo' realz! :)

Welcome back! Go ahead, and open it up.

Take a bite. Good, eh?

For me, a piece ofchocolate is a lot like that old Lays potato chips commercial. I bet you can’teat just one. I gotta have more! It tastes so good. When I pass a cupcake shop,I start salivating like Pavlov’s dog. The chocolate molten lava cake at Chili’sis my 2^nd best friend, a close runner up to Lauren.

Well, chocolate is a lotlike gossip! Gossip tastes so good, and like chocolate, we crave it! There’ssomething strange when you walk into the doctor’s office, and the firstmagazine you pick up is, US Weekly!

Brad & Angelina… KimKardashian & Chris Humprhies.

Who had an affair withwhom?

OMG! Who lied about_______?

It’s like a drug, and wecan’t stop! Just like eating chocolate… I bought a US magazine at the store the other day to see if this magazine could bewitch me, and I'll "man up" and say, "YES, INDEED, it did! I found myself judging these celebrities because the gossip was so delicious!

The writer of Proverbs was on to something when he wrote, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they godown to a man's inmost parts. - 18:8

Wedigest these words, secrets, confessions, “prayer requests” and LOVE talkingabout him…

Thatfight!

Theirrelationship drama!

Thecoach who was a jerk and got canned!

Thegirl who was a b______!

It’slike our lives become so bored, that we have to talk about other peoples lives,and we ALL do it!

Atthe end of the day, all the words of gossip are like deadly poison. Nobody isbetter as a result of this deadly game of drinking chocolate poison.

Thenext picture that comes mind when dealing with the tongue is the GAS CAN!

Wedon’t just fight fire with fire. NO! We fight fire with gasoline, and we uselots of it. This is verbal pong on steroids! The gas can is our ammo. It’s ourarsenal, and we know exactly when to use these statements to tear someone elsedown. You know when someone is fighting with you, and you don’t even listenbecause you are trying to figure out what to say after they say what they’vesaid, and trying to figure out what to say after that! Marital fights happenlike this sometimes! The film, “Mean Girls” is all about the gas can. We are taught how to use the gas can very early in life. And, we perfect this skill over the years.

"Shesaid what? Oh no! She didn’t…!"

Thegas can is more much powerful and intense than just being right. The gas can isabout world dominance and ownership!

Thelast picture that comes to mind is the LOCKER ROOM!

Inmy day, the locker room was where all the uplifting, gracious and beautifulwords were spoken about girls, relationships and so much more wholesome stuff!

The locker room has a reputation because we all know what goes on in thelocker rooms.

Buttoday’s locker rooms are much more toxic because Facebook, texting and various forms of social media hasopened up new ways for us to leak out pictures, thoughts, feelings, etc.Nothing is secret anymore, and everything is available at the click of abutton. It’s no longer in a closed room with just guys (Not justifying that scene at all ... just sayin'!). Now, the locker roomtalk is EVERYWHERE!

Iwent online and grabbed some stuff from anonymous teenagers who are professedChristians and this was the “tame” PG stuff I could actually post in thissetting without getting in trouble.

Thislast comment is the one that strikes the deepest cord, and reminds me of the convicting words that James uses in his letter.

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we cursehuman beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. – James 3:9

We praise the LORD (me reading my Bible andhaving a nice quiet time) and we can cut someone down with our words in thesame breath! (me running out and yelling at some lady who gave me a parking ticket.)

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this shouldnot be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? Mybrothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. - James3:10-12

Remember,we worship and sing praises to G-d not only through our songs during a worship service, butthrough our words of praise and blessing to others as well.

Bottom Line: We are madein His Image!

Thisis about community! The body! This affects our worship! This affects people whomight not ever want to become a part of the church! This is a matter of lifeand death! And, it comes down to the words we choose to use and not use on a daily basis.

Wordscreate the deepest wounds and the greatest highs.

Wecan give life or we can take it away with the words we choose to use! Our words can be like the flames of HELL= pure evil!

Many of you have personal stories ranging from your childhood to recent events where the power of someone's words took life away from you. Everyone has been hurt by the comments of others. We've all been the victim as well as the oppressor.

Remember, wordsof life give and take away. Be a life giver through your words. Inner words ofnegativity hurt deep as well. Don’t diss others. Don’t diss yourself. Sometimesit’s what we don’t say that can be just as harmful. There are people under pressure that we need to stand upfor being oppressed in our various circles of influence!

I’dlike to end by sharing these final words from the apostle Paul written to thechurch in Ephesus.

“Do not let anyunwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for buildingothers up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”- Ephesians 4:29

Wordsare precious and we need to use them to build up, not to tear down. It's really simple, but hard as hell to live out!

Lastly, the writer ofProverbs tells us, The words ofa man's mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. - 18:4

Listen up! Don’t be a “chocolate” lover of poisonous gossip. Don’t be a gas tank man!Don’t feed the fire. Don’t always have the last word. And, get out of the locker room filth. Enter into meaningful conversations with real words that give real life!

Today, I challenge you to do 2 things as a response to the Word of G-d that was spoken within your heart.

1.)Write a note to someone you love, lifting them up. Encourage them and tell them how awesome they are, and how much they are loved.

2.) Maybe you need to write a letter of apology, a letter of forgiveness to someonewho needs it! Be the bigger person, and begin that conversation that leads to healing. Don't let the Enemy win this battle.

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Oops...

2012-01-12T13:21:00.001-05:00

Confession...

We are doing a series titled, "Pressure" with our students at LQD. On Sunday, I passionately talked about the different ways we typically respond to pressure. It was pretty good! The message seemed to hit home, and everyone felt a bit convicted as we all realized we need to slow it down and let Jesus helps us with daily pressure.

This morning I woke up ready to start writing out some more detailed notes on Pressure 2: The Power of Words! Ironically, as I held my delicious cup of coffee in hand, kicked back, ready to read my Bible, I noticed a stinking 1/4 sized vehicle with a young woman who gives parking tickets in the city. She happened to stop in front of my car. She looked at my plates and began to write... I jumped out of my chair like an Olympian, ran downstairs faster than Usain Bolt and "kindly" asked, "What are you doing?"

"You can't park here!" she said.

"Yes, I can!" I said with grace, love and affection. "I've been doing it for 2 months and so has everyone else on this block."

"You can only park on this side of the street (pointing toward the other side)... See those signs." she mouthed back!

Alright, I'm sure you can feel the sarcasm in my voice.... I wasn't being "nice" at all! I continued to raise my voice and said, "There are 2 signs (pointing my finger down to the end of street and then turning to point to the other end) and it doesn't say I CAN'T park right here! TAKE THAT TICKET OFF MY CAR NOW!"

"No, you shouldn't have parked here." she barked back.

"Well, this is crap. The city needs to actually put up better signs. This is freakin' stupid!"I ranted...

She continued, "Now, move so I can see that license plate in front of you."

"No! You move." I lovingly replied. "Get out of my way so I can get in my car!"

She finally moved on, we parted ways, and I was still fuming... for about 30 minutes until I realized that I totally failed at using my words for blessing others! I couldn't get past the ticket and what I felt was an "injustice on our block."

Lauren reminded me that this woman probably hears guys like me all of the time. "You could have been different!" she said! The prophetess speaks again.

Ahhhh... !!!!!

Epic fail!

Okay, it's time to write out my "NO TONGUEing" message to our youth! :)

Shalom
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Under Pressure?

2012-01-05T22:44:00.002-05:00

Everfeel like LIFE is like a blood pressure machine squeezing you to death?

Everfee like you are a giant zit that builds up like a volcano ready to erupt?(John Belushi –Animal House image!)

Everfeel like the weight of the world is on top of you?

Everhave that fear of going to school in your undies? You know that dream... Panic, right?

Everfeel like you will never be able to keep up with all of the trends, styles, fashions,music, movies, pop this and that, or who’s hot or not and all sports news, business advice, theological conversations, etc. …?

To be quite honest, I feel that way with Facebook sometimes… Did I miss outafter a few hours? I took a week long fast from Facebook over the holidays, and was having withdrawals after a few days.

Now, imagine living in NYC, the crossroads of the modern world. Who would do that? Only crazies, I imagine. :) Personally, I thoroughly panickedthe day we moved into this fast paced culture as I drove our little Nissan Altima through the LincolnTunnell. Can you say, "overwhelmed?"

PRESSURE!!!!

Right now my wife is in the middle of her 4^thyear of medical school in the midst of a surgery rotation. It’s insane theamount of hours she has to put in at the hospital. I am not surprised shehasn’t turned into a Zombie, or tried to eat someone out of a crazed mind dueto an overworked schedule.

One of the most interesting things about the Western worldis that we LIVE to WORK! I didn’t come to a full understanding of this until Imoved to a 3^rd world country for 2 years, and then moved to the most fast paced area of our country. Other cultures don’tunderstand our crazy mentality of working like slaves. We think we arejustified when we say things like, “Well, I’m just so busy!” I hear middleschool students saying this to me, and I just don’t understand how we havebecome so enamored in busyness! I don't remember being that busy and feeling under pressure in middle school! My Grammy usually calls me apologizing beforewe start talking as she opens with the line, “I hate to bother you because I know you are busy!”

Then, there's this question that lingers in my soul... Since when was G-d proud of our busyness?

There are many ongoing pressures of the modern world that we can all agree upon, which effect our lives. And, many of them simply start with being overly BUSY with every thingunder the sun. This iswhat we hear from a young age …

“Succeed!!!” - Everyone knows that Mom & Dad are good peeps, andusually have great intentions. Yet, sometime it feels like they are always onyour back to perform well in school like Harvard grads.

“Win!” – Before Charlie Sheen there was a famousfootball coach from the Packers who once said, “Winning isn’t everything. It’s theonly thing. ” Coaches are always pushing you to the max! Most students end up feeling like they will never add up enough and be as good as the next guy!

“Fit in!” “Look likeher!” “She’s hot!” “He’s got rockin’ abs!” We will wear whatever, style ourhair in every such way just to FIT in! Being cool has always been a pressure,and I don’t see that going away any time soon!

It seems like life is a lot like a drill sergeant, and weare the ones yelling at ourselves the LOUDEST! Yes, we are known for being ourown worst critics.

Some people do GREAT under pressure. Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant,Heisman winner, Robert Griffin III. But these guys are anomalies. Most of uscan’t HANDLE the pressure!!!

Think about these 2 words and realities in our current world.

1.- depression

2. – oppression

What word do you see?

PRESS! … PRESSURE!!!

We live in a depressed world. This is Prozac nation, andpeople are being oppressed (bullied/put down) and getting depressed all of thetime!

The results of PRESSURE are toxic to our health as asociety.

Thefollowing teens answered the question about the hardest pressures facing themtoday:

“I’m 14 and my life is terrible. Girls laugh and don't like me. I don't like myself.I barely go outside anymore until I have to go to school…” – anonymousteen

“EXPECTATIONS!!!Everyone has some dream for you and when you fail it they get VERY disappointed… which stinks.” – anonymous 13 year old

“I’m17. I think the hardest thing we deal with is body image, and the stress tolook perfect.” – anonymous teenager

“I’m 17 years old and I think the hardestthing of being a teenager is staying out of all the bad things. Even though Ihave a good support system I allow myself to get sucked into the world ofdrugs, sex and violence. … The reason I think it happened was that I felt Iwould fit in, and I would be seen as a “cool kid”…” – anonymous teen

“I’m14 and it is tough. I used to be a straight A student. Now, I’m failing. I trynot to disappoint my parents. But it’s hard to struggle with problems with yoursurroundings. I have many family members who have died and it’s hard to cope.But when I fail, I feel bad and more disappointed at myself more than myparents do.” – anonymous teen

This is a small sampling of millions of teens who arestruggling in our country. When we are PRESSED,several things happen…

1. We worry…

Will I pass? Will she like me? Will my parents get mad? WillI get into a good college?

The writer in the Psalms says, “Do not fret. It only leads to evil.” - Psalm37:8 Jesus reminds us to not worry about tomorrow, for today has enough troubleof its own. He says that the pagans run after the worries of the world. Weworry like crazy, but the LORD of the Universe tells us that worrying gets usnowhere, and He’s absolutely right!

2. We rage against the machine!

Everyone has his or her tipping point. We all blow upsometimes. This is where most fights occur… feeling overworked and underappreciated.We lash out!

3. We give into the ways of theworld and suppress our feelings…

Some people just “go with the flow…” and they end up beingcompletely miserable in their silence. LIFE gets sucked right out of them.These people no longer have a will to live, and end up going through themotions like robotic zombies.

4. We gossip about those inflictingthe pains!

When we are pressed down, often, others will know about it! Themouth must speak… Gossip happens in our world due to this unhealthy way oflife.

5. We bully others!

We justgotta take it out on someone! When you are beat, you find someone else to beat. It’s thecycle of humanity, slavery to fraternities!

6. AND WE TRY HARDER AND HARDER ANDHARDER… just trying to keep up with the Kardashians!

This is why people shop, eat chocolate, drink lots ofalcohol, smoke cigarettes, have sex & OVER work! We look to the things ofthe world to FILL us up! We have to release this pressure somehow and someway!

All of this PRESSURE affects ourIDENTITY!

Anytime you feel pressure, and react to this pressure, youridentity is at stake. RE-actors are bucking against a system or a person due totheir own discomfort. When humans feel discomfort in our little worlds, webegin to question, “Who am I? Why am Ihere?” And, we can’t seem to get out of this crazy cycle of others puttingpressure on us, and vice versa. Because we will never win enough, succeed atthe perfect level, and fit in to the “right” crowd.

Feeling the pressure???

So did this lady named Martha!

Martha was a friend of Jesus who lived justoutside of Jerusalem in a town called Bethany. Martha, her sister, Mary, andbrother Lazarus were having a dinner party for Jesus and his buddies one night.Martha wanted to make it PERFECT! She is truly a southerner at heart. So, shewas getting everything ready (pre Shoprite days). She probably slaughtered thegoat, spiced up the meat, kneaded the bread, fetched the figs, ran to the wellto get water, cleaned the house and sat the table! Martha was a servant, but inher act of service, she began to get a “big head,” and probably had majoridentity issues. Think about it! Jesus, the professed Messiah and great Rabbifrom Galilee was at her house. She most likely wanted to get some affirming patson the back… “Oh, Martha! You are goingto be in Southern Living magazine. You are the best cook in Israel. It’s betterto give than to receive, AND, LOOK AT YOU GIVE!” But while Martha was busyrunning all over the place, she began to judge her sister who was sitting atJesus’ feet listening to him teach and talk about life and the kingdom ofheaven. Jesus knew exactly where Martha’s heart was at, and called her out…

Martha, Martha, the Lordanswered, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing isneeded. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. - Luke 10:41-42

Mary chose what is better!?

Even though it appeared like Martha was doing all the “realwork,” it seemed at this point that her sister chose what was better. Why?Because Martha most likely was serving out of a bad heart and judged Mary whoappeared to be doing nothing. She wanted to get the credit and felt thepressures of the world that we feel today. Yet, Mary, simply wanted to BE withJesus!

How do we choose the BETTER when we feel under pressure inall of our current circumstances Because life is a lot like running around akitchen trying to do a thousand things at one time. We feel the worldscreaming, “FASTER!!! STRONGER! BETTER!”

Life feels like a backpack…(Put one on and walk around for a bit.)… and witheach new day, we add things to our load. (Start putting bricks in your pack to feel this point!)

Basichygiene, eating and sleeping… School…Jobs... Sports… Friends… After school activities… Dinner dates... Facebook… Music… Movies… cleaning the house… doing the laundry… fighting withthe family… arguing with siblings… College applications… promotions... work… girlfriend/boyfriend… spouse issues... last minute projects… viewing YouTube videos… playing video games… going to bars... going toparties… checking Twitter… running errands… shopping… and then we realize that in thislife, we have to RUN! Then, we realize that we HAVEN’T made ANY room for G-d,and we are simply trying to be PERFECT in an imperfect world with no room tolet Jesus guide our steps… We start lacking courage, getting tired & burnedout, and resenting LIFE! Most of the time the 1^st thing to go isCHURCH! I see it all of the time… .

A friend recently told me, “Be courageous in yourimperfections.” I love that statement! This is someone who slowed down enough to realize what’s important in life.That’s someone who sat down, took a break, and found their worth in the eyes ofJesus ALONE realizing that we can’t do it all!

So many of us think we are Superman. Ultimately, we arelooking for approval from others, our peers, our parents, teachers, bosses, coaches,etc. AND WE ADD UNNEEDED WEIGHT TO OUR PACKS!

And this need for approval WEIGHS us down.

A yokewas put on a pair of oxen to share a load when working a field. A yoke also refers to a Rabbi’s teachings. A good Rabbi would help his discipleswith this “yoke.” However, some of the Rabbis in Jesus’ time were putting extraPRESSURE upon their own disciples, young men looking for approval in their owntime just like young men and women today. Some of the Rabbis in Jesus’ day putan unhealthy “yoke” on the shoulders of their disciples, adding to the LAW/Torahand making it harder to enter into G-d’s kingdom. Jesus calls out thisunhealthy way of life and tells these people who feel the stress of the world...

Takemy yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, andyou will find rest for your souls. – Matthew 11:29

What?

REST… for your soul?

NO WAY! Well, this comes straight from ourSavior’s mouth!

Don’t you want rest for your soul in 2012?

We take the yoke of Jesus because theteachings of Jesus are life giving and freeing compared to the ways of theworld. Yes, his teachings can be extremely hard to live out, but they free usfrom the trappings of the world!

When we take the yoke of Jesus, we canbreathe, quit living in slavery and know that we are accepted and learn tolive into a new identity.

When we take his yoke, he shares it with us(Take bricks out.)!

We give Christ our anxieties… (Take bricksout.)

Jesus’ disciple, Peter, tells us to cast our anxieties upon Jesus because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7) Do youknow that? Jesus carries the load with you. He desires for you to come to Himand share your hurts, anxieties and worries.

Give the LORD your worries… (Take bricksout.)

Why? Because he KNOWS what we need evenbefore we ask of it!

So do not worry, saying "What shall we eat?" or "Whatshall we drink?" or 'What shall we wear?" For the pagans run afterall these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. - Matthew 6:31-32

Most importantly, give him your TIME justlike Mary! (Take out bricks.) We have to take out unnecessary weight if we wantto spend quality time with Jesus.

Please, listen carefully... your spiritual walk, which includesprayer, Scripture, serving and coming together with your Christian communityshould be of the UTMOST importance if you are to not only survive, but toTHRIVE in this crazed world!

You have to carve out intentional time,making space for G-d before the other junk! We all need much needed time to BEwith Jesus this year. I invite you all to REST this season… literally take aday to REST! It’s one of G-d’s greatest gifts. Sabbath is not a harsh demand, but a GIFTbecause He knows we NEED it. Take time throughout the day to REST too! Leaninto the heart of Jesus. Find people who will encourage you to rest and buildyou up. It will take some sacrifice and accountability on your end.

Youwill have to turn off your music, putdown your iPhone, silence the TV, etc. and spend some time with the LORD! That’s justthe start… we have to stop looking to the world for approval. The ONE who giveunconditional love is waiting for you! The only way to find your IDENTITYin a crazed world that will have you running 100mph is to carve out time to BEwith Jesus, and look for times throughout the day to pause, smell the roses andgive Christ ROOM to work!

Release the weight in '12. Understand that some things DO NEED toGO! This will take some intentional sacrifice on your end. Let Him release the pressure… Give Christ your load, and let him IN!

Slow it down… Thismight feel a bit uncomfortable at first because we have trained ourselves tolive in a world that doesn’t stop next to the city that doesn’t sleep! Right now, I'm inviting you to turn off your lights and just sit in your room. SIT in silence.

Listen...

Be still, and know that He is G-d!

Be honest with your pressures, and give them to the LORD! Let thesilence speak to your heart.

Allow yourselves to hear from G-d. Beginbreathing again, and become aware of your breathing. Open yourself up to finding space for G-d to reign in yourlife this year.

Sit at the Rabbi's feet, and take on His yoke!

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Top 3's of 2011!

2011-12-31T16:21:00.002-05:00

Another year!
Cheers to your mates with another beer!
Nice reflections, occasional revelations and good vibrations... Thank you, Marky Mark and Funky Bunch. So, here's to 2011! Rather than doing a top 10 list, I've decided to do a random sampling (seriously, whatever comes to my mind in the next few minutes) of my "Top 3's of 2011!"
Enjoy... ;)

Top 3 Movies I Watched!
3.) 50/50
2.) The Tree of Life
1.) Super 8

Top 3 Books I Read!
3.) Where Is God When It Hurts - Philip Yancey
2.) Tangible Kingdom - Hugh Halter & Matt Smay
1.) (Tie) The Sabbath along with God in Search of Man - Abraham J. Heschel

Top 3 Amigos Who made This Year Better!
3.) Jordan & Kelsey Abel!
2.) The Youth Ministry Leaders at LQD!
1.) Aussie Dave & Meg Adamson!

Top 3 Experiences!*
3.) Living in Brooklyn AND Jersey City, crossroads of the world!
2.) Haiti Water trip!
1.) We got 2 nieces!

Top 3 Songs!
3.) Firework - Katy Perry
2.) And If Our God Is For Us - Chris Tomlin
1.) Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO

Top 3 Tastes - Meals!
3.) Lobo Tex Mex & Margaritas in Bklyn!
2.) Dinner at Balthazar in SoHo!
1.) Thanksgiving Dinner in JC!

Top 3 Religious Holiday Experiences
3.) Passover - 2 Seder Meals with 2 different discipleship groups
2.) Ash Wednesday - Dave & I crashed a Catholic service and slid under the radar during communion
1.) Rosh HaShanah Seder and Messianic Service in Jersey

Top 3 Sports Moments!
3.) Rangers winning the ALCS!
2.) RG3 winning the Heisman!
1.)UT beating the Aggies in the finale of the best college football rivalry!

Top 3 Hebrew words used on a regular basis!
3.) Chutzpah
2.) Shalom
1.) Sh'ma

* Honorable Mention - Sh'ma tattoo in Atlanta!
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The Truth About Xmas

2011-12-14T22:21:00.001-05:00

Confession...

"Christmas campaigns” drive me CRAZY!

I grew in Texas whereChristians were always fighting these crazy battles, picketing movies and mostrecently, refusing to shop at retailers who don’t have the words, "Merry Christmas!" ontheir entry.

“Keep Christ in Christmas!”Really? Why are we upset at retailers if they do or don't have nifty little buttons andappeasable, Christmas greetings?! Do we believe that by decking the malls withboughs of holly along with saluting one another with “Merry Christmas” greetings is going to changeanything? Also, what’s the deal with all of the people who make a big deal of X-mas!Just a side note… the early Christians would draw a X on the ground, because an Xis the Greek letter, Chi, which starts the name, Christ!

Needless to say, I have another big confessionto make... I have mixed feelings about Xmas! This goes beyond Santa… or shouldI say, Odin, the Scandinavian god! Several years ago I uncovered someastonishing discoveries that made me go a little loopy, and they may made mywife question my sanity at times. Thank the LORD I’ve matured over the years (abit), and have become more rational in my assessment of Christmas. There was atime when I wanted to take a shotgun to Santa’s head, throw down everyChristmas tree and put my own homemade coal in children’s stockings! But graceemerged… and I’m a bit more level headed now!

Still, I continue to find tensionduring this holiday season, and have a huge concern over what it means to be afollower of Christ within this festive season. I’m not going to go into detailof the origins and evolution of Christmas, mainly because it’s not as importantat this point as some other central core lessons and discoveries I want toaddress today (If you want to research that mess, there are plenty writers out there who have done that!).

It is true that the Roman Emperor, Constantine,made Christmas an official religion in 336 AD, marking the official date,December 25. The traditions of the holiday emerged through a variety ofdifferent cultures over centuries.

Some people want to know how we get ourversion of Xmas today in America? 150 yrs. ago Charles Dickens, wrote TheChristmas Carol (I'm related to him btw.)! This book reshaped this holiday into a more family friendly,PG movie kinda tradition! With the help of Coca Cola and the evolution of SantaClause… it all changed!

Now, I have to admit that I loveFAMILY traditions. Lauren and I have started some of our own, and we both havetraditions that we loved from our childhood. Keep making sweet traditions... :)

Yet, above and beyond our traditions, Iwant to address the ancient story that has been tainted over time.

How ‘bout these Nativity sets… ?

Cows?

Nope, Bethlehem doesn’t even havecows, and they haven’t had cows for thousands of years according toscholars. You might not think that’s a big deal. But it goes to show youthat we’ve messed with the real picture.

Old, bearded Shepherds?

No way! Shepherds who watch the sheepare children, most of which are 9-12 yr. old girls. I’ve seen them, up close!

Wise Men on the scene?

This is where we simply don’t pick upour Bibles. The wise men (or magi, ancient eastern astrologers) weren’t evenpresent at Christ's birth! They came years later. I usually keep my wise men at adistance. Lauren and I were out of town once, and I just purchased a Nativityset. When we came back, our friend set up our Nativity set, put some black hairon Jesus’ head and hid our wise men all over the house … That’s a considerate friend!

Mary, who rode in on a donkey?

Again, it might not seem like a bigdeal, but it just shows how much we actually miss! Only the wealthy rodedonkeys in the Middle East. So, Mary, most likely had to walk to Bethlehembecause we know that she was poor!

Golden Straw in a stable or barn?

Odds are … NONE of that junx here! Inthe Middle East, you take hay TO the animals. They wouldn’t have had strawinside the place where Christ was put to bed. Again, there weren’t stables like wehave stables in the 21^st century. A manger would have been locatedsomewhere else… which leads me to my last piece!

A Manger made of wood?

Wrong! Mangers were made of stone … they were watering troughs for sheep.

What about the glorious song, 1^stNoel, “On a cold winter’s night that wasso deep…” Cold? Really?

I hate to break it to ya, but Jesuswas most likely NOT born on December 25 or anymore near the winter season? I’mabout 99.9% positive!

The reasonI bring this entire hoopla up is of utmost importance. Most people have aflawed view of the most foundational story known to creation! And, when wetamper with the picture, the message gets a bit wacky, and we forget what it’sreally all about!

The Ancient Story…

Luke 2 begins with the phrase, "And it came to pass in those days..." What are THOSE DAYS?

Luke writes, "And there wereshepherds living out in the fields nearby, ... ." - Luke 2

We know that shepherds could NOT bein the fields during the rainy season in Israel according to agriculturalresearch (Nov. 1- March)! Shepherds weren’t allowed in the fields (forgleaning) until July – the 1^st of Nov.

Can we get a better date forChristmas? I think wecan…

Zechariah (John the Baptist’s dad)was serving in the Temple when the angel told him that his wife would have ababy. We know from the 2 week time slot when he was serving (according to hispriestly division of Abijah)… & that his wife, Elizabeth, conceived rightwhen he returned according to the text, which was late May/early June. Mary, themother of Jesus became pregnant by the Holy Spirit in the 6th month ofElizabeth's pregnancy! This means that Jesus was conceived around the season ofChanukah, the Festival of Dedication, also known as the Festival of Lights. TheLight of the World… hmmm! If you came to my house, you would notice a Chanukah menorahbehind my Nativity set, which reminds me of this beautiful picture!

Science tells us that it takes 40weeks for a woman to give birth… What is the date 40 weeks after Chanukah? Thefinale of the fall harvest... SUKKOT!

We studiedSukkot this semester during the Replay series with our youth at Liquid Church…all about the tents! It was theholiday where the Jews remembered about their time in the desert, where G-dprovided for their daily bread, and they lived in tents/booths/tabernacles!

I thinkone of the Gospel writers was on to something when we wrote about Jesus’ entryto earth. He’s using this picture of Sukkot! The gospel writer John writesabout Jesus telling us, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us... ."

This word, "dwelt," in Greek = "skeinao." = Hebrew,"mishkan," = "tabernacle"or “tent!”

The authoris telling us that Jesus tented among us! Maybe this is coincidence. Maybe it’snot… but it’s a cool picture for our Savior’s birth date!

In fact, the priestly chorus whichwas sung in the Temple on Sukkot was the following, "Glory to G-d on the highest and on earth, peace to people ofgood will!"

Sound familiar? That’s the song theangels sang to the shepherds on the night Jesus was born into the world!

Again, these are just some reallycool pictures that could be true based on some research. I think these picturesspeak to us in powerful ways. What does it mean that Jesus came to set up camphere… ? That’s loaded! We'll come back to that "tent" in a bit.

So, perhaps we’ll never know thedate, and perhaps it really doesn’t matter if we ever find out! I’m actuallyokay with that, but I’m still not okay with this crazy tension this time ofyear.

So, WHAT DOES MATTER in all of this Xmas confusion?

Candidly speaking… I'm not really against Christmas trees,mistletoe and lights. Lauren and I talk about this, and we think it's all aboutthe heart of the matter. If we - as Christians - choose to live in this world,but not of this world, it's important for us to ask questions and discern whatwe should be doing during the next month. I think it's an opportunity to begenerous to our loved ones, but also remember the poor while taking a good lookat the consumer driven world, seeing other opportunities to give where there isneed. It's a time to laugh with loved ones, and remember that we have beengiven friends and family. Check out the lights, but don't get sucked into thetractor beam, so to speak! (Star Trek reference FYI.)

Here’s a suggestion… perhaps we startcelebrating the birth of Jesus around Sukkot too! Evenmore… maybe we should be intentional to remember his birth all of the time, andgrasp what it really means today in everything we do… Jesus brings his tentright HERE!

During this particular season wheneveryone is doing their holly/jolly, Christmas thing, I want to challenge us to shift our priorities a bit… I love what some of my brothers/sisters havebeen conspiring: bringing peace to this season of chaos. Christmas season isone of the most stressful & depressing seasons in America for so many folks. Honestly, thisis why I love Advent Conspiracy www.adventconspiracy.org. Advent Conspiracy allows you to look at thisseason from a whole new vantage point. This is why I have been pushing iton Facebook all season. I believe in this campaign because of the message it sends to the world aboutJesus, the source of Living Water. Lauren and I have started spending less and giving more of our timewhile purchasing meaningful gifts through Heifer Int., World Vision, CompassionInt. and/or Living Water International over the last several years! It’s reallyhelped us get into the reason behind all of this madness, and we don’t feel thestress of guilt giving and paying off unneeded debt. It's been more about giving back to Jesus; giving others life and hope and bringing joy to the poorest of poor.

Lastly, during this season thePICTURE of the birth of Jesus really matters to me a great deal because of whatit specifically communicates to us on many levels.

Jesus was not born in a stable... Hewas born in a manger, which is found in a cave, called a “sukkah”, which issingular for Sukkot! This is where shepherds stored their supplies in these dingycaves. This is where the sick sheep or newborns would be placed. If you go tothe traditional site of the Nativity scene, you will see a dressed up versionof the birthplace of Jesus.

A betterpicture of Christ’s birth is something like this ...

It WASN’T pretty! We have turned Christmas into a happy, shinyholiday. Imagine walking into a dingy cave filled with utter filth: six inchesof soot on the ceiling, six feet of manure below your feet, cobwebs and pigeondroppings four inches thick upon the walls.

There is NO golden straw in thispicture, NO fleece blanket, NO quiet baby, and NO classiness in this dark cave

If we threw some manure on the floor of our Xmas eve services,and sat in it while celebrating the birth of Jesus, than we’d be getting a bitcloser to that picture! Perhaps goingdowntown, sitting next to a dumpster would do the trick…

Jesus was sent from heaven not toenter a mansion! He chose downward mobility, humility and brokennessto meet us here in our junk. We need to take the clean picture away!

These are the true pictures of ourSavior that we need to re-grasp when we engage real life in this beautifully broken season… .

The Light of the World was born in a dark cave.

Christmas is a time of the year whenthere are LIGHTS everywhere! But what does it mean to actually shine your lightin dark places? 900 volunteers from our church did that last weekend at Operation Christmas Angel!

They brought the light of Jesus … joy and hope to underprivileged families whoare going through dark times. Remember, the LIGHT always outshines thedarkness. The darkness cannot hide when you bring the light of the world. Beintentional this season… Look for people at work & school who are going throughdepression… maybe they are going through a nasty divorce, separation or financial crisis… maybesomeone has been bullied all year long! Surprise them with KINDNESS and light up their world!

Jesus calls himself the BREAD OF LIFE!

Do you know what Bethlehem, hisbirthplace, means in Hebrew? Beth = house! Lechem = Bread! Think about that…the House of Bread or Bakersville! The Bread of Life was born in the House of Bread/Bethlehem. This time of year people are starving forsubstance, but most often we fill ourselves with junk! We consume too much and run empty every year. Jesus came to enter ourjunk so that we could feast on Him! He GIVES us real life…. What might this looklike for us when people around the world are starving? This is why Christianshave always been on the front lines serving in homeless soup kitchens. There isthe connection between the natural and the spiritual.

The Passover Lamb was born next to dirty, smelly sheep.

Jesus is our Passover Lamb. And athis birth, we see His crucifixion. We are going to have to dig much deeper in our soul & remember theperfect blood that was spilled and take communion through a new lens this season. Jesus’ birth always pointstoward his crucifixion… the crib is messy! In Scripture, when we see John theBaptist & Jesus together as John shouts out, “Look! The Lamb of G-d who takes aways the sins of the world!” It’stime we receive that gift with newness through the eyes of Christ’s’birth!

Lastly, the Living Water and Rock of our Salvation was placed in a stonewater trough.

We cannot miss this powerfulconnection, especially in light of the water crisis around the globe. I justgot back from Haiti. As most ofyou already know, this is pretty fresh for me at the moment!

The bottom line: Jesus emptiedhimself and came to enter our filth… in order to love us and bring us healing!When we tamper with this picture, it gets a whole lot more difficult to liveout the life of following Jesus! During this season and ALL seasons let’s doour part and live out this central gospel message rooted in Jesus, the One whohas come to bring us heaven on earth! Now, it’s our turn to show the worldthrough this LIVING MESSAGE what it really means to celebrate Christmas!

So, can Christmas REALLY change everything?

I believe it can…

Check out these videos...

* http://vimeo.com/16669615 - Love Well - Give Wells!

* http://vimeo.com/19223065- Can Christmas Change Everything?

* http://vimeo.com/33623940 - Liquid Church Drill Rig

That's why this season we are choosing a new approach to thewhole mess of Christmas. We are moving to a posture beyond wearing buttons thatsay, “Merry Christmas” to an authentic and scandalous posture that boldly says ...

- Worship Fully!

-Spend Less!

-Give More!

-Love All!

Because THAT, my friends, is the picture of what it means toreflect upon the true birth of Christ!

Rather than being driven crazy by silly Christmas campaigns in a retail driven world, let’sdrive the world crazy by BEING Christ in a radical, new way, offering the Living Water of Jesus around the world!

This season and every season Christians are being stirred to conspire in authentic ways! We are goingto boldly worship the LORD, our humble king through a variety of ways this season, and make the world rethink what it means to say, "Merry Christmas!" ... and we might even get to the point where we can say, "Happy Chanukah" too! :)

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Drill Rig from Haiti - LQD Church

2011-12-13T23:47:00.001-05:00

Just a bit of what I've been up to lately... Haiti clip!
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I'm Sexy & I Know It

2011-12-05T22:39:00.001-05:00

Sing it with me... "I’m too Sexy …"

We just had several of our male youth mentors walk the catwalk to this song last night at our Infuse youth service. We've been doing a series called, "Flesh: Conversations btwn. the sheets & in the locker rooms." It's been pretty revealing, to say the least.

So, what would it look like to know that you are a sexy person?

I was looking through a SexTester online, and this was one of the questions on the, “R U SEXY?” Test!

Are you hot?

- Very!

- I'm, like, on fire!

- Yes

- Kinda' average

- Not really

- No way! Roadkill is more attractive

We laugh at this, but the majority of our public is wired this way… there’s a reason why every magazine has all of those sex tests/quizzes in there… if it didn’t work, they wouldn’t publish it! People want to feel sexy and go to extreme measure to appear like they GOT IT!

So, What does sexy look like?

When I say, SEXY, … WHO pops in your mind?

Victoria’s Secret models? Bradley Cooper, Team Jake & a lot of vampires?

The world would have us believe that these people are SEXY! And, we would probably all agree… but what if being sexy is something very different from having rock hard abs, long legs and chiseled features?

What if Male Model, Derek Zoolander, was on to something…?

… “What if there was more to life than being really, really, really ridiculously good looking?"

….

In 1945 British soldiers liberated a German concentration camp… This is what they saw:

“I can give no adequate description of the Horror camp of which my men were to spend the next month of our lives… Corpses lay everywhere. Some in huge piles… women drowning in their own vomit because they were too weak to turn over, men eating worms … a dysentery tank in which the remains of a child floated.” – Lieutenant Colonel Mercin Willet Gonin DSO

This account is shocking? Everyone with a fraction of a conscience would agree… but why?

It’s anti human!

Concentration camps = Anti human!

Everyone would agree with me on this truth!

Here’s another truth that most of us don’t think of…

Being SEXY in our world = Anti human!

The LMFAO song and video, “I’m sexy and I know it” is a reminder that most of our society views us as anti-human. “Girl… look at that body… I work out!”… To be sexy the way our world views being “sexy” is horribly toxic like a WW2 concentration camp.

We can’t escape it!

Who’s hot?

Who’s not?

Guys grading girls, 1-10! In reality, our society has become anti human & a bit animalistic.

Listen to the way we talk…

“She’s a DOG!”

“He’s a Party Animal”’

“Dude, she jumped my bones.”

“She’s a tiger!”

“Basic instinct.”

“We are on the prowl…”

Maybe you’ve heard of the videos, “Girls gone wild.” or MTV’s Spring Break specials. MTV loves to exploit young men and women at Cancun, Panama City Beach or South Padre island. It’s like all of these people have suppressed all of these deep-seated desires, thrown caution to the wind and let themselves go for brief stints only to take the reigns back on a Monday morning!

“Wow, I can’t believe I did that last night.”

“You were out of control.”

“We lost our minds.”

Beyonce knows this quite well. Check out the lyrics to her new song, Party!

You a bad girl and your friends bad too

I told my girls you can get it

Don't slow it down, just let it go

I'll give it all away

Just don't tell nobody tomorrow

So tonight

I'll do it every way

Speakers knockin' till the morning light

'Cause we like to party-y-y-y-y-y-y

In the ancient Greek world, people used a phrase,

“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food.”

They understood a person to be a collection of their physical needs. In essence, sex is like food. If you are hungry, just go for it! It is what it is…You might hear people say that the apostle Paul challenges this thinking in his letter to the Corinthian church, elevating their thinking beyond animalistic tendencies. The problem with this view, as Paul writes, is that it teaches people that we are just like dogs!

… When “She” becomes “That”… a piece of meat… we know we’ve drifted a LONG way off!

Being like animals and pieces of meat…

Is clearly, ANTI-human!

Just like the treatment in the WW2 concentration camps…

We sacrifice what it means to be human, when we resort to simply want to “give into our urges.”

Well, a man has needs, right?

Tell me this… if everyone gave into his or her supposed “needs” and “urges” you would have a jacked up society with much worse than a bunch of couch potatoes!

"Well, I just want to punch this officer in the face right now b/c I felt like speeding and he’s being too strict! It’s my urge… just let me give myself into it!"

… ANTI-human.

How we treat creation, other guys and girls, reflects how we feel about our Creator!

Dudes, you are MEN!

Ladies, you are WOMEN!

I want to show you that you are meant to reflect another kind of sexy image!

Some would say that we live in an oversexed world? Sex on the movies… sex on TV… Mags… XXX websites… it’s everywhere! But I think we live in an UNDER-sexed world. And, I think we don’t have a clue what being SEXY is all about.

To be a Christian in the fullest sense means that we are the SEXIEST people in the world… but we gotta teach one another what that REALLY means!

Wanna know what it means to be SEXY?

It all begins in the BEGINNING…

“So G-d created man in his own image…” - Genesis 1:27

This Hebrew word, “tselem,” means image or reflection. We radiate the glory of G-d!

v. 28 “G-d blessed them.” – To be blessed means to have the SHALOM of G-d = peace/harmony … dancing ONE with G-d, everything is connected and in its right place. Heaven on earth!

Often, we fail to see this truth that the Creator of the Universe blessed us. Paul, the apostle, goes on to say to this church in Ephesus that we have been blessed in the heavenly realms with EVERY spiritual blessing in Christ! When it comes to blessing, we lack NOTHING!

I think we see this when a baby is born into the world. We see the beauty, innocence, and for a moment we believe this truth! But the older we get, we fail to see this truth, and begin treating people with disrespect. And, when we treat G-d’s greatest creations with disgrace, we treat the LORD with disgrace because it’s all connected!

So, our 1st & greatest dimension of sexuality is with G-d, the divine, the Maker of all good things!

Next time you look in the mirror… there’s a reflection of that which is divine, glorious, resplendent! We are all made in the image of G-d, working on our new humanity! It’s time to bring back our true identity, our dignity, and our beautiful image!

However, when we hear the word, FLESH, we have a misconstrued notion and understanding. Even the Greeks and philosophers during Jesus’ and Paul’s days thought flesh was bad, yucky, nasty & sinful!

Scripture reminds us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made… .”

Remember, we were originally created as sexual beings that were in full connection with G-d, humanity and our environment!

Sadly, the problem comes early in our story… Chapter 3 of Genesis! You know what happened. The man and wife ate the bad fruit & everything began to fall apart… disconnected, divided, incomplete and aching for restoration!

Now, go back with me to the 1st Century when Jesus was around… he was crucified for our sins, and then we see him in a garden tomb raised from the dead! It all started in a garden & it ends in a garden! Jesus begins to reverse this curse and begins to put it all back together again… This has been the goal of G-d ever since man and woman ate from the bad fruit!

You might be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with sexuality and being sexy?” Well, it has everything to do with sexuality!

Remember, we are living in an undersexed world, and are confused with everything pertaining to the word, SEX.

In fact, the word – SEX – comes from a Latin word, which means, “secare” which means to cut off, sever, amputate or dissect… that which is taken from the whole… Thus, sexuality has 2 dimensions here. Our sexuality reminds us that we’ve been disconnected… man waking up, saying, “There’s something wrong with this world.” And, secondly, sex is our attempt to try and reconnect to that, which has been broken.

In a nutshell: Something is not right, and we are trying to reconnect ourselves to whatever it is that is lacking.

That’s why she wears THAT!

He struts like THIS,

Why THEY find the need to behave like…

THOSE things.

We are just trying to reconnect!

We crave feeling needed, wanted and accepted in our world, and we’ll do whatever it takes to find that place of wholeness.

Physical sex/intercourse – while vastly important, but only with a full understanding of this - is just a small part of our innate desire to be connected!

I heard someone say, “We are built to ultimately embrace the universe and everything in it.”Have you ever had strong, rich connections and you didn’t want to leave that moment?

Perhaps it was a concert, hiking out in nature… and there’s a reason why people have such a strong connection when they have sex!

You see… SEX isn’t just about 2 bodies that are fumbling around in the covers. Being SEXY doesn’t just mean 2 people who want to jump one another, going at it like animals… Being sexy isn’t just about having a good body and knowing how to use it.

A sexual being is much richer! It’s time for us to reconnect the dots in the fullest sense! Practically speaking, being sexy might not have anything to do with sex or throwing out the latest attractional vibe to the girl next door.

Some single people or virgins are the most sexual people in the world. Non-physically sexual people are still VERY sexual. Because being SEXY is about finding your true identity, connecting with G-d, and connecting with others in meaningful ways.

These people are sexy…Pictures of Mother Teresa, Tim Tebow, Martin Luther & David Crowder

A saint like Mother Theresa can be sexy! Weird but true… WATCH out Justin Timberlake. Momma T is bringing SEXY BACK!

King David was a man after G-d’s heart, but he WASN’T the best looking of his brothers. Still, the LORD picked him to be King of Israel because G-d looked in his heart. Jesus, described in Scripture, was not good looking, but incredibly attractive! Men, like NFL quarterback, Tim Tebow, who really isn’t that great of a football player btw, is SEXY because he is confident in his convictions and stands boldly for his faith... the world would say, “He’s a good man!” David Crowder looks like a goat, but has an amazing gift of creativity, leading others into worship. And MLK was sexy because he was a voice for the voiceless and a powerful activist in our country for peace and justice.

Recall: Divine energy is not just physical bodies knocking back and forth.

We have been disconnected and now we are on a journey to restore our connections in a way that makes sense.

The word’s version of being sexy is rooted in self-centeredness, insecurity and a false identity that tries so badly to “fit in” to being cool! If you are trying to look sexy, you will come up empty every time. There’s a reason why people in Hollywood go through vast amounts of plastic surgery and have major eating disorders… They are trying to connect and be sexy, but are empty at the end of the day!

So, what does it mean to say, “I’M SEXY & I KNOW IT?”

Believe it or not… PAUL, knew what it meant to be SEXY! In this letter, he writes to the church in Philippi from prison. His dignity was stripped from him. His own people threw him out of the synagogue; his own family circle. He had EVERYTHING the world could offer him, and lost it all by choice! And, that is when he truly found himself…

One group of people Paul challenged was trying to find their worth in success, power & popularity. The other guys were trying to find their worth in religious achievement, rooted in the same sickness! He calls out a group of men who were putting their confidence in the “FLESH!” In fact, he calls them, DOGS!

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him…” – Philippians 3:4-9

The main concern for Paul was being found in Christ Jesus… becoming like him! That is where he found his true worth and dignity. He later goes on to speak of the finding the “secret of being content”… as he writes, like I said, from prison!

I heard someone once say, “Being sexy is when it feels good to be in your own skin.”

You are more and more okay with who you are, and you don’t need the “things” the world tells us. As I’m more and more okay with who I am, I don’t need the approval of others. I don’t need to become an animal and feel regret in the morning. I’m less bitter toward others and more grateful and respectful toward God and his beautiful and sexual creation.

I AM RESTORED … and helping others RESTORE their identity … I’m SEXY on the inside! What the world tells you is empty. Remember, who you are, made in the image of G-d!

Ladies, no swimsuit, pair of heels or guy gives you your sexual worth.

Guys, no 6 pack, gun show or sexual conquest will give you your sexiness!

Because being SEXY is about truly knowing who you are in Christ!

Say it together, loud and proud, “I’M SEXY, AND I KNOW IT!”
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JOY!

2011-10-20T13:43:00.001-04:00

This fall has been all aboutrecapturing a new season. We worked through sin, guilt, and shame & talkedthrough what it means to truly repent, moving back to the LORD’s sweet path forour lives. We dipped apples in honey, and it was good! We are now free peoplewho don’t have to live in shame anymore. Our Father loves us with crazy, mad,relentless love. Christ intended for us to live as free, open and exposedpeople who show the world the true beauty of what it means to live. The goat isGONE, the High Priest is seated and it is our turn to be new creations… Letthis be a time of year when we can truly celebrate with purpose & passion. Thisposture moves us to a singular focus & challenge to ourselves and to oneanother: Don’t waste this year! Godhas blessed us tremendously. Live a free life maybe for the 1^st timeever! Who doesn’t want in on that sweet action?

We’ve flipped the trashcan, andgave that metal heap of junk a holy middle finger, so to speak. We lit ourguilt on fire. Burn baby burn in the name of Jesus… NO MORE!

Sound good, doesn’t it?

Here’s the bitter irony. We livein this thing called a tent. Thisguy, Paul, speaks to one of the early churches in Corinth about this particulartent. Here’s the metaphor: Ourbody = tent! This tent, while beautiful & good, groans in sick times,depressed moments & becomes jaded over time due the chaos of our world. Ourtent dreams of it’s full restoration of the heavenly body when the LORD willcome back & restore everything a new. And, even though we live in freedombecause of the cross of Christ, this earthly tent is extraordinarilytemperamental and prone to rage against the machine!

Just the other day I was reallyenjoying so many of the LORD’s blessings within this earthly tent. I was beingvery intentional on a Thursday afternoon while spending the afternoon in JerseyCity looking for apartments. I was thanking our heavenly Father for all kindsof stuff… I started the morning reading some solid scripture in Leviticus (Oneof the best books of the Bible btw!), singing praise songs, walking around withmy head in the clouds, simply soaking in the glorious day. It was overcast withsome mist, but all I could see was the LORD’s re-donkulous splendor. I praisedthe LORD for my two feet, my mind, my family, the trees, my dogs, theopportunity and privilege of doing ministry at Liquid. I was on cloud nine! Ifelt like the Katie Perry was singing, “Firework” just for me! Suddenly, I radicallymoved into this posture of confidence. I was feeling “IT” like my buddy, BrianRoller, secretly feels Ke$ha songs. I had a confident strut as I was prayingfor favor to dump down on me like rain. Then, I walked into this beautiful, renovated apartment. Theprice tag was in our range. I was thinking about how we would have finally beable to entertain our Jersey friends in our new home. I called Lauren, and sheslipped out of the hospital. We were ready to sign the papers that day!

Like I said, I was walking aroundwith my head up in the sky. Anyone who has even been to the city knows that’snot a good idea. All of a sudden, I tripped on the uneven sidewalk and stubbedmy big toe. It felt like a broken toe. I wanted to cry, but I held it in like aman because I didn’t want my friend, Rod Thomas, to make fun of me. Right at thatmoment, I got a call from our realtor agent who said we couldn’t rent the placebecause we had pets (Insert thoughts about this agent: “Genius! We told youlast week that we had 2 dogs. You idiot!”). My blood pressure began to rise,and I could feel my feelings move in a whole new direction. As if that wasn’tenough, I received an email from someone that made me want to slam my phoneagainst the sidewalk. If itweren’t a smart/expensive phone, that phone would have been in a jillion piecesright now. “Another flippin’ idiot,” I thought! I was fuming with steam comingout of my ears! And, now I confess to you all… Ryan Miller used some profanity,and for about 1 minute, I was sitting on the curb like a big baby in the middleof this neighborhood dropping words that made Enimen look a tad saintly. $#*! …$^@%!!! It was not a proud moment, needless to say. You wouldn’t have wanted tocall me Pastor or a Christian on that afternoon.

So, I sat… tried to process whatjust happened in a matter of a few minutes. Angry, sad, downtrodden, I couldn’tbelieve that the feelings of joy moved to bitterness with such rapid force insuch a short time span. Like I said, this tent is temperamental. Gotta admitit, guys… I felt guilty for a bit! I couldn’t believe my praise and joy withthe LORD was so dependent upon finite circumstances. My body felt weak.

Our weak body reminds me ofcamping, which involves a tent!

Who’s been camping? Honestly, Idon’t think I’ve been much closer to experiencing the glory & beauty of ourLORD than when I’ve been camping. I’m not talking car camping or backyardcamping. I’m talking wilderness camping with a backpack, no showers, and notoilet … just the great outdoors. There’s nothing quite like it. You are freeof the distractions of this world with no modern conveniences, and in the samesentence, you are completely miserable. You feel close to G-d, and you feelclose to death. You feel close to nature, and yet you freeze your butt off atnight with little rocks jabbing your back equating to the worst possible sleep.

I remember a few years ago, I wentto hike the John Muir trail in the Sierras with my buddy, Jeff. It was one ofthe most memorable trips I’ve ever taken on many levels. However, for the first2 nights in a row, we dealt with the luxury of bears running all around ourtent at night. The first night, we could hear a bear grunting a few feet awayfrom our tent, sniffing and moving around thrashing stuff around.

Our bad… we left food out! Note to self, bears are smart with the greatest sniffer inthe world!

There’s nothing quite asterrifying as sitting in a tent knowing that a bear is only a few feet away. Ikept thinking of a horror flick scene when your feet are dragged out of a tentinto the dark wilderness never to be seen again. I was petrified, and yet theonly thing I could be thankful for was my tent! I know that a bear could tearright through a tent, but I wasn’t about to stick my head out of the tent andsay, “Howdy!” to a hungry, startled bear that could bite my face off. Thisfragile, earthly tent was my refuge, my covering, my protection, and my senseof peace every night where I got absolutely NO sleep at all! The followingnights, Jeff & I would lean over and say, “You awake?” about every 5minutes.

And, after an event like that youare certainly glad that you brought your flashlight! There’s a reason why kidslike “Night Lights” & there’s a reason why campers must carry flashlights.Jeff & I had our flashlights on ALL night! Couldn’t turn ‘em off… We wereterrified, delirious, and yet had fun with it at the same time. Jeff & Iwill always remember our journey, the prayers that were prayed, theconversations that we had, the Scripture that we read a loud, and the utterfear at night! We experienced real joy while camping in the rugged mountains inthese tents.

Speaking of tents… we just had amajor holiday season involving tents?

We spent some time the last coupleof INFUSE youth gatherings talking about these biblical holidays in our REPLAYseries: Rosh HaShanah & Yom Kippur as they take us into the sweet, new yearalong with reminding us of our atonement! G-d covers us.

This final holiday is calledSUKKOT where we are reminded that G-d continues to cover us like a tent! Sukkotmeans tabernacles or tents! It was a reminder of the journey of G-d’s people inthe desert for 40 years when they lived in temporary tents depending on G-d toprovided for their daily needs. If you walked around Brooklyn during Sukkot,you would have seen these temporary tents on people’s balconies & on thesidewalks.

It’s a sweet reminder… Inthe desert, G-d was their true tent even when their bodily tents continued tosin against Him. His presence was seen as a cloud in the daylight & apillar of fire at night. He was their FLASHLIGHT! He was their tent! He wentbefore His people and showed them exactly where to go… giving them the sweettools along the way to become a new, holy nation.

This 7^th festival isconsidered the most JOYFUL of all of the holidays. Lauren asked me, “What’s so joyful about living in a tent fora week?” If you are like my wife and don’t like camping, it’s kind of tough toconvince someone that living in a tent is exciting! But the tent is about thegreater story, and the story speaks not only to our past but also to ourfuture. Hang tight & listen tothese words from Moses regarding this holiday which lasts one full week…

Celebrate theFestival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce ofyour threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your festival—you, yoursons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, theforeigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For sevendays celebrate the festival to the LORD your God at the place the LORD willchoose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all thework of your hands, and your joy will be complete. – Deuteronomy 16:13-15

Listen to this… “your JOY willbe complete!” Sukkot marked THE SEASON OF OUR JOY! One of the reasons thepeople were to celebrate with such great passion is because the LORD has giventhem a new season of joy that pointed to ALL of life. The Jews would sing songschanting, “HOSHANAH, HOSHANAH!” whichmeans, “LORD save us! LORD save us!”And, this salvation was rooted in their need for daily bread. They would wavethese mixed plants called lulav before the LORD as their sign of worshipbecause it would sound like rain, and they needed rain for the upcoming harvestseason in order to live. Every good and perfect gift comes from G-d. Imagine ifwe waved pizza boxes in front of the LORD… why would we do that, you might ask?To remind us that every slice of pizza comes from the fact that the LORD hasgiven us rainwater to help the wheat & tomato seeds grow in order have aslice of pie! Can I get an “AMEN?”

It’s been said by the ancient Rabbis that you’ve never experiencedTRUE JOY until you have gone to Jerusalem and seen this weeklong worshipextravaganza of Sukkot.

To give you a modern picture of this celebration, it might have lookedlike something from Napoleon Dynamite amongst some other sweet dance moves…

So maybe the Rabbis & priests didn’t get down like that, but theymost definitely knew how to cut a rug for their specific time! In fact withinthe 1^st Century, it was said that the priests were rockin’ worshipleaders who danced with all of their might! They put on this incredible lightshow. When I first heard about this, all I could picture was some old, bearded& robed dudes with flashlights, dancing to some Middle Eastern music…Strange picture, indeed! The light show actually consisted offour large menorahs symbolizing the presence of G-d who lights up the world ofdarkness. How did the LORD guide His people in the desert? By fire… LIGHT!

Enter 1^st Century Jesus… We are told that during thisspecific holiday when LARGE lights were lit to symbolize G-d’s presence atSukkot, Jesus also exclaimed this profound truth, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk indarkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

Think about this… Here’s a festival that involved tons of rejoicing& natural light to symbolize the presence of the LORD! And, Jesus says, “I AM THAT LIGHT! I will provide you with realvision for abundant, joyful LIFE!”

This same disciple, John, who wrote about this scene, also wrote thisabout Jesus, “In the beginning was theWord and the Word was with G-d, and the Word was G-d… “ He goes on to say, “The Word was made FLESH, and dwelt among us!” This word, “dwelt,” literally means, “tabernacled” or “tented!” G-d choseto bring His eternal, heavenly tent to our broken world. Through His Son, Jesus,He chose to bring heaven right HERE! Jesus sets up camp in our world!

Our heavenly Father gives us not only a new season, but He gives useternal life that begins NOW! This holiday, Sukkot = “Tabernacles/Tents,” pointus toward the future, the new heaven on earth when all nations will be gatheredtogether to celebrate under the same tent! Imagine that, guys? We are told inScripture that every knee will bow & every tongue will confess that JesusChrist is LORD! And, you and I get to show the world this truth every morningwhen we awake from our sleep! We no longer have to sleep walk through life…

Let’s be honest now! This fall season began with making newcommitments & repenting, coming back to the LORD! Our atonement was at theheart of the feast of Yom Kippur. We were reminded that we no longer have tolive in shame & guilt any more. Sure, we believe this, but it’s been weekssince we made these commitments. And, because we made these commitments, it’skind of embarrassing when we look into the life we’ve been living… Perhaps youcommitted to stop using profanity & like me, you dropped some bombs theweek after you made the commitment. Maybe you decided to stop looking atpornography, but you found yourself right back into it the next week. Selfishnesswas an issue & you chose to turn from that, but then you did the jerkiestthing last weekend.

Like I said, we have this temperamental, earthly tent thatoccasionally does stupid stuff. But this time around we take stuff out of thetrashcan & bring it in our dark tent. We don’t let anyone know what we aredoing. So, we choose to live in a dark tent hiding this junk from everyone inour circles of spiritual influence.

For many people, this is their life… sitting in a dark tent. But thevivid picture of our good Father who loves us is something quite astonishing& possibly scandalous. He says, “I choose to be with you in the midst ofyour sin. In fact, we are told , “While we were still sinners, Christ died forus.” We are full of darkness on any given day, and He says, “I give YOU thelight! I light up your darkness!” Crazy… it’s within our earthly tent, knowingfull well that it is horribly fragile and prone to be knocked down by thetroubles of the world that we find this mysterious JOY! G-d uses His gloriouslight and gives the world JOY through us in our earthly tents. It baffles me.You and I don’t deserve it one bit, but I’ll take it any ‘ole day.

So, we continually dust ourselves off, get back up & move forward…

You DON’T rely on your earthlytent or your own strengths. You rely on THE ONE who gives you His covering, Hisstrength & His eternal tent that is freely given to you when you put yourtrust in Him! He loves you that much.

The apostle Paul says that whilewe groan, complain and sin in these earthly bodies, the LORD gives us the HolySpirit (G-d in us!) which is a deposit of what it to come… He continues to useus; broken people who have meltdowns in the middle of afternoon when we want tobody slam the world. Still, He continues to believe in us, and He uses usthrough the power of the Holy Spirit, who is planted in this tent!

Therefore, when we embrace that His lightis still shining in our dark places… that changes everything! Heaven IS here!

“Let your light shine before others that they may see your gooddeeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew5)

And, as you shine brightly,thankful for all that has been given to us, DANCE IN THE JOY OF YOUR FREEDOM!It’s time to celebrate that freedom biz right now! Make time today to sing,dance & shout your praises to the ONE who lights up the world.

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Goats & Trashcans

2011-10-06T18:09:00.002-04:00

REPLAY 2

At our last INFUSE service at Liquid we talked about this REPLAY button (promo VIDEO)… we’veall got one! Everyone has one moment in time they wish they could do over. Wetalked about how the LORD is a good Father who gives us 2^nd chances& we specifically talked about a biblical holiday called Rosh HaShanah thatpoints toward this new, sweet season. Our response & challenge was to practice T’Shuvah, which means toREPENT, turning from the bitter junk and return to the LORD! Lastly, we brieflytalked about the “It” factor during small group time, which pertains to thepractical A, B, C’s of getting on the right path that leads to a sweet life! A number of students made profound commitments to the LORD! Hereare some of the commitments that several made the other week:

T’Shuvah & Turn from…

“My past, people whoare holding me back…”

“Pride and anger”

“Selfishness!”

“Bad profanity”

"Fear… I want to not beafraid to share the gospel!”

“Beating myself upabout a past mistake…”

If there’s anyone who knows how to beat himself up afterpast mistakes, it’s THIS GUY! You are reading his blog. For some reason, I’vealways carried around huge regret & sorrow over past mishaps. Blame it on religion or just good 'ole fashioned southern guilt trips! Truth betold, Sigmund Freud was right! Much of our current guilt stems back to our childhood. We learn guilt & shame from our early years on this planet. Now, I wasn’tnecessarily a “horrible” kid, so to speak, but I definitely got in my fair share oftrouble over the years. I was more like a “Dennis the Menace.” I had wonderful parents, so I don't know why I was so crazy! I’d go into myKindergarten room before class would start and throw all the chairs off thetable… just for fun! I’d step into ant beds when the teacher told me not to,& I would talk when the teacher was talking. I’d fart during science classblaming it on the subject of gases. I was the kid who couldn’t sit still. I’dtoilet paper other kids houses in the daylight & get hall passes just to checkout the girls in the other classrooms. Eventually, they had to sit me next tothe teacher’s desk. My fourth grade teacher came out to my mother’s car one dayand said, “Either you get this kid help, or you find him a new school!”

In 1986, Karate Kid 2 came out! All the cool kids wanted tobe Ralph Macchio, including me! So, my mom bought the soundtrack for me, and Iwas playing all the great Chicago songs, “Iam a man who will fight for your honor…” Oh yeah! That’s inspiration! I waskicking around the room one day with a bathrobe and a belt hoping my mom wouldnotice my sweet kicks so that she could put me in for karate lessons. The nextthing I knew, in the middle of a roundhouse, what happened in a split second seemed like eternity... N O O O O O O!!!!

You know those moments, right? Everything happened so fast, yet in slow motion at the same time. I kicked over my mother's beautiful lamp in the living room. The lamp crashed and fell to the floor. So, I ran upstairs like greased lightning, crying like a baby,sobbing uncontrollably, hearing my mother in the distance, "Ryan!!! What did you do?" The minute she walked in the room, I rattled off a million words, "Take it out of my college savings... I'll do whatever... I'm so sorry..."... And my all time "GO TO" line, “Just throw me in the trash!”

Over & Over & Over… JUST THROW ME IN THE TRASH!!!

Welaugh about it today, but in the moment. I was dead SERIOUS!

Guilt & shame will do that to ya.

When we make mistakes we get REGRETS. This rapidly equatesto guilt & shame fast like a snowball building up speed down a mountain! Guilt happens when we know we did something weshould or shouldn’t have done, and shame occurs when we start feeling bad aboutourselves due to the ongoing guilt! Someone tell me the obvious, When we areliving in guilt & shame, does that equal a WIN? Absolutely NOT! I believesome of Satan’s biggest gifts are the impressing of our thoughts of guilt and the endlesssupply of shame that is dished upon us due to our past failings! The Enemy usesthe truth of our past, and causes us to sit in it! Let’s say your past regretis “LYING.” Satan gets us to acknowledge this truth since he’s freakin’clever!

So, here we are… & if you are like me, you know exactly what I’mtalking about here! You just SIT in this depressing sense of guilt & it’sreplaying the bad junk over & over in your head. We sit in our own miserable trashcanswith our past sins consumed with it until it becomes our identity!!!!

When’s the last time you felt guilty?

When’s the last time you felt shame?

It stinks! Doesn’t it?

So, how do we overcome this destructive pattern in ourlives?

This all starts with our recent holiday, Rosh HaShanah. The main point of the holiday was to awaken oursoul. The key ingredient & discipline to this season was in the act ofrepentance/ T’Shuvah. Many times, guilt remains because we are not truly repentant. We say, "I'm sorry!" But we don't really do anyhing different with our lives. So, we really aren't sorry, are we? I know people like this in my life. They say, "I'm sorry!" all the time, but they never really change their pattern. Therefore, if we are really serious about ridding guilt, we can't pass up the first step of T'Shuvah! This yearly holiday leads us to lots of soul stirring. When the trumpets are blown, our souls are awakened. And, on this specific day the start of what is known as the 10days of awe begins!

What goes on during these days? Fasting, praying, denyingself & setting things right! You will find people wrestling with sin,guilt, shame & really doing a lot of soul searching …all of this gets themready for the holiest day of the year…

Check out this video HERE to see where this is headed...

How amazing is this truth? Jesus, is our SCAPEGOAT! Jesus takes ALLof the sin, condemnation, guilt & the shame upon himself!

Now, what about this high priest fellow? He's the most important figure on the holiest day of the year. Remember, this wasan intense job for him. He’s a busy guy. Every single year he had to go throughthese sacred acts. All day long he had to stand & do his work! That’s a lotof confessing, and that’s a lot of blood. I can't possibly imagine what that job was like! No sitting on the job... that's for sure!

Well, we are told that Jesus is not onlyour scapegoat, but he’s also our perfect High Priest! Listen to the author of Hebrews…

Hebrews 10:11-12 “Day after day every priest stands andperforms his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices,which can never take away sins. But when this priest (Jesus) had offered forall time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.”

Jesus IS our perfect, most holy High Priest. Listen up…THE High Priest has sat down for good! One goat has been slaughtered, the other one has left the building… and now … TheHigh Priest is seated at the right hand of our heavenly Father!

No more standing!!!

What does this mean for us?

FREEDOM, BABY! NO MORE GUILT & NO MORE SHAME! No longershould we sit in our guilt ridden trash cans. We now sit with our High Priest, Jesus, who has givenus clean access to the Father.

It’s time to stop sitting in our nasty trashcans!

Bottom line: There needs to be nomore goats running back and forth from our community. It's time to get the goat out of our heads. I can't emphasize this enough... NO more GUILT! The goathas left! The high priest is seated.

Jesus has completed this work once and for all!

It’s one thing to feel convicted over some wrong youcommitted. That feeling and the thoughts that are carried with it allow us torepent & seek reconciliation. But the feelings of ongoing guilt & shameare not from the LORD!

Sometimes, guilt creeps in because we don’t truly receiveChrist’s forgiveness & His acts of love on our behalf. Or, we mighttheoretically accept it in our heads, but it never computes deep within ourhearts. When we can’t forgive ourselves for the things we’ve done, what doesthis say about Christ’s sacrifice for us?

Each & every one of us are now totally free fromsin, guilt & shame. It's our choice to move into that freedom & accept that gift! We are free people who don’t have to live in shameanymore. You can raise your head up high! QUIT pressing the REPLAY button overand over and over again… beating yourself up is not Christ’s goal for yourlife. His intention for you was salvation, experiencing His renewed love! Christintended for us to live as free, open and exposed people who show the world thetrue beauty of what it means to live.

Say this out loud wherever you are, “The goat is GONE! The High Priest is seated!” Say this to your friend/neighbor who is sitting in the room with you, “Get out of the trash can, dude!”

The only thing that belongs inthat trashcan is the sin. Quit digging in the trash cans, looking through your past garbage. You will be consumedwith what you did if you continue to dumpster dive! Whatever makes you feel guilty is burned, smashed & gone! Your sin is gone as far as east is from west!

It’s our sweet new year as the Father's precious children to live into our inheritance as beloved sons & daughters who fall into the hands of a forgiving daddy. Let this be a time of year when we can celebrate as one body. So, don’t wastethis year God has blessed us with, and do not be consumed with the “goat” who sniffs in trashcans. Livea free life possibly for the 1^st time ever! Start today!

Matthew West – ONLY GRACE…

There is noguilt here

There is noshame

No pointingfingers

There is noblame

What happenedyesterday…has disappeared

The dirt has washedaway

And now it'sclear

There's onlygrace

There's onlylove

There's onlymercy and believe me it's enough

Your sins aregone

Without atrace

And there'snothing left now

There's onlygrace

Christians & Rosh HaShanah!

2011-09-29T15:27:00.003-04:00

Rosh Hashanah Seder Meal from last night!

There is a question that has been troubling me for the past 6 years, "Should Christians celebrate the festivals recorded in the Bible?"

Today is Rosh HaShanah (The New Year), otherwise known as Yom Teruah (Day of Trumpets!). The LORD gave Moses 7 holidays (4 in the Spring & 3 in the Fall) that were to be celebrated every single year along with the weekly Shabbat, the 7th Shabbat year and the Year of Jubilee (50th year). They were the LORD's appointed festivals give to His children as a gift.

I didn't even know much about these holidays until a few years AFTER seminary! We studied them, but never dug into them.

In 2005 I stumbled upon a teaching on Yom Kippur that related to Jesus. I thought it was pretty cool, & that particular teaching took me down a rabbit hole with all kinds of surprises. Needless to say, my eyes were opened a new. My eye sight continues to enhance the more I read the Bible in light of its contextual Hebraic lens.

I used to think these holidays were just for Jews. I never questioned why we - Christians - celebrated Christmas & Easter either. I never thought to consider the depth of our faith rooted in the ancient vine of Israel. I remember my first Passover Seder thinking, "Why is this the first time I've been exposed to this powerful meal even though I've been a Christian nearly my entire life?"

This isn't a news flash to people who read my blog... I'm a pretty big fan of Hebrew, 1st Century Rabbinical methods, & all things pertaining to Israel, Torah & faith. I'm sure it's not a NEWS FLASH that Jesus was also a fan of these items as well! Hint Hint! ;)

Back to my original question... "Should Christians celebrate the festivals recorded in the Bible?"

I think I've moved beyond that question to another one that answers the first one. Here goes... "Why don't people who call themselves Christians celebrate these holidays?"

And, since I answered my first question, let me continue with the one that I believe should be asked by everyone who claims Christ, "How should I celebrate these holidays with my family/community, etc.?"

Here's what I'm not saying... I'm not saying these holidays are necessary for salvation. Here's what I am saying... These holidays point us toward the ONE who saves! I think it's our privilege & some of our greatest gifts on this earth to celebrate these holy days.

This might appear as a judgmental post toward the Western Christian church. You might say, "Wait a second, Ryan. Didn't Jesus say something about taking the plank out of your own eye." Yes, but he followed it with the words, "... then you will be able to see clearly to remove the speck from the other person's eye."

Please hear this... I believe I have MANY planks in my eye! I'm a sinner who is saved by grace. I need the mercy of our heavenly Father on a daily basis. Still, those who have "PLANK EYE" can still see specks and planks in other people's eyes. I had the same speck or plank in my eye for years. Perhaps that speck was due to ignorance. It's likely that most people - like myself - have simply not been taught the Bible in a larger context. This lack of awareness can only be seen if someone comes alongside us and begins to show us what we are missing!

My deep seated feeling... many Christians are missing out!

I believe that Christians will be able to see more clearly if we get in touch with the rhythms that the LORD has given us. I think we will be more joyful, loving, obedient & gracious toward others if we move back to the rhythms of Jesus of Nazareth.

Bottom line: Christians are called "Christians" because we are imitators of Christ. Well, what would Jesus our Christ do?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one. I invite you to hand wave with me, if necessary. I'm cool with being in a place to agree to disagree as long as it's done so in a respectful manner.

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Video Message - Identify with Deliverance?

2011-09-18T15:06:00.003-04:00

Here's a recent message I gave at Liquid ... relating to my last blog post on DELIVERANCE!

http://vimeo.com/29108067

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Identification

2011-08-26T15:42:00.010-04:00

Fill in the blank... I identify with________? We all find our identity in something, and each one of us goes through various seasons in our lives when we clearly identify with special events, purposeful programs, priceless people, & all the peculiar, extreme & glorious feelings that go along with it! Some of us identify with characters in a movie because of the characters' personality quirks or situation that is similar to our own lot. When you identify with something or someone, you have a mysterious, personal connection intertwined within your soul and the event, thing or person that is being shared alongside of you.

My buddy James Hilburn and I have a shared connection with all things pertaining to the greatest team known to humankind, The Texas Longhorns! In addition, the fact that 'ole Jimmy and I are beloved friends makes the TX connection all the more enjoyable! Therefore, I can identify with James on many levels... even eating fast-food from Whataburger!

Nature is an identifier close to my soul... Spending quality time backpacking with friends in the middle of nowhere does something to one's soul that the big city will never be able to touch!

I can identify with children and easily act like a child because I have some of the coolest nephews in the world!

I can identify with others who speak of social justice and causes pertaining to poverty and orphans because I spent nearly 2 years in Dominica loving on beautiful children, face to face!

Aussie Dave and I can identify with trekking through the mud for the sake of clean water (Living Water Int.), but what makes this event and picture all the more amazing is the truth that I can call him a real brother, someone that is a trusted family member. There's a shared identity simply because we share an authentic life together!
All of these identifiers trigger an emotional response that allows me to look at the world from a unique perspective. I can speak with authority and passion on certain subjects because I have literally "been there/done that!" We can all resonate with specific people, places and events due to this reality of identification!

The great question that has been stirring in my soul lately pertains to identifying with deliverance!

Do we truly identify with the mystery of deliverance?

Deliverance is a big word that often gets thrown around a lot in churches much like "Savior," "love," "redemption," "grace" and "Jesus." These words can often lose their raw, gritty power when we lose focus of the personal connection. Followers of Christ claim an allegiance to a Father, a Sovereign LORD who rescues us from our sin, and frees us from slavery.

We worship a good Father who is known to hear the cries of His people. He sees us in our distress & acts in power for our deliverance. Yet, often the connection feels distant. We forget the depth of our story. Sure, we have reminders (symbols and sermons), but every now and then we either get bogged down in the fast paced world of sheer busyness or we go through the motions of religiosity and neglect the ONE who passionately purchased us with His blood. A husband may have a wedding ring on his finger as a reminder that he made a covenant with his beloved. A Christian might even partake in the Eucharist/Communion taking bread and drinking from a cup that identifies freedom. Yet, we've all seen both of these types of relationships become stale, stagnant & not end well...

When it comes to communion, often we get into a habit of drive by dipping or sipping! The emotions get stuck for one reason or another... just being honest... I can lose that "identification" on an occasional Sunday morning! Sometimes, we all forget that the cup is an identifier of a bloody story with real pieces of flesh... .

Recently, I took my self back to a story that is graphic, passionate and full of redemption. The story of Abraham...

"Father Abraham had many sons, and many sons had Father Abraham. And I am one of them and so are you. So, let's just praise the LORD... !" The promise given to Abraham was one of blessing. Abraham was blessed by the LORD to be a blessing to others. Through his seed, all nations would be blessed! So, Abram (before the name change to Abraham) went to a new land and began a new faith walk... As the story goes, he became disconcerted about his "situation" - childless - and expressed his feelings to this new Master who made such big promises. The LORD told him not to fear, and reiterated His promise, telling Abram that he would have a son from his own body, and that his descendants would become as numerous as the stars in the sky. Interestingly enough, after "Abram believed the LORD, and He credited to him as righteousness," the aging man, cried out, "How can I know that I will gain possession of it?"

I love the tender patience and the goodness of the LORD within the following narrative...

THE CUT!

In the Ancient Near East, covenants (literally, "cuts") were made between two parties, a greater party and a lesser party. The greater party would make a deal with the lesser, and both parties would make their specific agreements. Once the terms of agreement were completed, animals would be cut open from the top of a hill like this...
Blood poured down the valley. Then, the greater party would walk down the bloody path, essentially saying, "If I don't uphold my end of the deal, you can do this to me!"

As Abram put all of the animals together on the hill, the LORD does something extraordinarily powerful and mind blowing. We know that the LORD will keep up his end of the deal. But what about this Abram guy? (Aside note: People who talk about the major differences between the LORD of the OT and the NT might not be looking very closely when they read these ancient stories.) So, what happens when it's Abram's time to walk the blood path? Let's just all speculate that he was trippin'!!! I can't imagine the fear in his old eyes...

Abram fell into a dark sleep and a dreadful darkness came over him (dark signifying chaos) ... Imagine how frightening this would have been for this this old man. Just when the reader screams, "No! Don't do it Abe! You won't be able to pull your weight and keep your end of the deal...," a "smoking fire pot" - The Presence of the LORD - with a blazing torch passed between the pieces! The LORD sealed the deal 2X! Once for Himself, and then for Abe. The LORD always supplies the blood, because this new Master is VERY different from the other pagan deities known in the land. This LORD of Abraham is full of love, grace, patience, and He sacrifices himself for the sins of many...

The Apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans, "While we were STILL sinners, Christ DIED for us!" The promises given to Abraham are seen in the cross of Christ! We can't uphold our end of the deal as hard as we try... Our good Father always remains true to His covenant, and through the messy cross on Calvary, we are now delivered from death and sin, once and for all! He walked through that blood path again for you and for me! That's a reason to celebrate! We can identify with this story on many levels. If the bread and the cup have become religious symbols that have lost their significance, give yourself this picture ...

This is the wonderful cross with our glorious Savior ... a story that never loses its relevance! We serve the face of LOVE who never fades & always extends His hand for our deliverance! We are delivered from our old self, and through the cross of Jesus, we identify with a new kind of life! This is where we can boast!
Everyone has a picture, a vivid memory and story that puts real flesh and blood, passion, sorrow, life & death in a real scenario, giving them an identification beyond words. Memorials like 9-11 are imperative to the human race. "Never forget!" And, when we forget, we lose our identity again... .

Over a year ago, my beloved, Lauren, went through a serious, open heart surgery. When I look back on that season, I am overwhelmed with a connection that cannot be described in words. I recall walking into the ICU with my family... I was overtaken with a crazy amount of joy and love that welled up from my gut! I started sobbing like a baby; not because I was sad to see Lauren in this condition with tubes and wires all over her. The words I used were, "I'm just so proud of her!!! I'm just so proud of her!" Everyone who has experienced birth, death and has had close encounters with one's mortality, grasps the gravity and weight of these types of emotions. We can connect and identify with someone who is going through a tough situation because we've gone through something like it! I have a whole new perspective on life, marriage and being a man due to this season of healing for Lauren and her heart! When I close my eyes, look at a picture and remember, I re-find my story!

I love the story of the woman in the Gospel narrative who extravagantly pours out her undignified affection for Jesus, kissing his feet, breaking perfume over his body and wiping it with her hair! While the rest of the crowd seems offended, Jesus reminds the "pious" that this woman loves MUCH because she has forgiven MUCH! When you know the weight of your forgiveness - how much has been given and poured out on your behalf - it changes you... you find an identifier that will reshape the trajectory of your walk!

(Olive Press - crushed olives)

The next time you approach the Communion table... better yet... the next time you approach your next season, the coming day, or perhaps your next breath, re-encounter this story of deliverance. Find your identity anew within the love of Jesus, our Great Deliverer, who gave it all away so that you and I could really LIVE!

His body for you!

His blood for you!

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Zeal for the HOUSE!

2011-05-07T00:46:00.003-04:00

There are certain things that eat me up… everyone kind of has what we like to call a “Soap Box.” For instance when someone talks about the LA LAKERS & Kobe Bryant being the greatest team and player, it’s like fingers nails on a chalkboard. Going to College Station where Texas A&M plays and where Aggies live and move and have their being drives me absolutely nusto! What can I say? I’m a Longhorn! Also, I simply can’t stand the way the roads and street signs are structured – or unstructured - in Jersey. It’s like the engineers were drunk. Perhaps an Aggie was in charge of it.

On a more serious note, I get all cranked when someone says, “We are building G-d’s kingdom.” Or “G-d showed up!”(as if the LORD over all creation wasn’t already there!?) … or when people separate the spiritual from the natural. I could go on, but these things really eat me up!

We all have pet peeves… everyone goes off on something! My father doesn’t like to sit still (wonder where I got that from?). My mother doesn’t like beer. And my wife can’t stand Hootie and the Blowfish (I try not to hold that one against her!).

So, what’s eating you up these days? What’s driving you crazy? What is causing you NOT to sleep at night?

I get pretty cranked over people who disrespect women. I get all jacked up on mountain dew when people verbally abuse other people and laugh at others in public! I can’t stand racism. I can’t stand churches that make it all about power and control! You can call this zeal, righteous anger, but it’s definitely not a day chillaxin’ at the beach!

We all have this passion in us… some more than others! Everyone has something that cuts him or her to the core. Usually, when people are passionate about something, it means they have great respect, fear and honor.

I asked a colleague/pastor once, “What are your thoughts on the FEAR of the LORD?,” since the fear of the LORD is the beginning of all wisdom. This pastor said, “To better understand what it means to honor/fear the LORD means to go to the Temple in the Old Testament... or, the tabernacle in the desert!”

So, I did…. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand all the meticulous practices of the Jewish temple. There’s a lot of interior decorating skills that go into that building. Finely twisted linen, to be exact!

The whole process of putting it all together is quite extensive! It’s hard for us to grasp the importance of this today since there is no longer a Temple, and trying to put ourselves back 1,000’s of years ago seems irrelevant. But if we not only go back to those days, but truly immerse ourselves in the power of the temple ceremonies, we will see some amazing things taking place. The greatest truth in of all of the Temple preparations is the fact that the LORD desired to meet with His people. Even though they were a sinful tribe, His desire was to bring His holiness to their world and commune with them. Heaven to earth…. Bringing healing, wholeness and oneness back to His good, green earth! The temple can be compared to someone’s home address. While we don’t sit in our house all day, it’s where we get our mail, and where we sleep, eat, etc. The temple was the place where G-d chose to meet His people in an intimate setting. He couldn’t be contained to a Temple, but that was where community worship happened on many levels.

At the temple… this is where we learn holiness, cleanliness, undying love, sacrifice & fear, healthy, honoring fear for the LORD and his perfect ways. Jesus grew up in this system. He traveled to the Temple for every festival, 3 times a year. He learned how to sacrifice, pray and learned the importance of bringing His Father the best of his offerings.

It comes as no surprise to me that Jesus goes crazy at the temple! Jesus understood the power behind meeting at the Temple. He walked closely with His Father, and desired to please Him in all that he did.

In the Gospels, we see Jesus throwing tables and whipping the room like Indiana Jones on speed. He shouts, “Don’t turn my Father’s house into a market!!!”

The disciples remembered where it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” - John 2:17/ Psalm 69

Jesus was consumed with His Father’s house! The practices that happened in the temple meant the world to Jesus. Jesus saw men selling animals within the outer court, which was meant for the Gentile worshippers. Basically, this would be equivalent to people texting, tweeting, laughing, and talking in the back of a sanctuary during a sermon or in the middle of musical worship set while everyone around them is completely and utterly distracted. Or… when someone takes a 3 year old into a movie theatre! Jesus, while Jewish, was concerned for the atmosphere of worship not only for His Jewish brethren, but also for the Gentiles who were in these outer courts.

He continues, “My house will called a house of prayer, and you are making it a den of robbers.” – Matthew 21:12-13

Jesus is using a style of rabbinical teaching called, REMEZ. It’s where he hints at other passages of Scripture from the OT where everyone would have memorized. There is context implied in his harsh sentence!

What’s this “House of Prayer” business? – Isaiah 56:4-8. The prophet speaks of a time when eunuchs could be included in the worship of G-d! Jesus is making a huge statement about the season of newness within the covenant not only to Israel, but to the entire world!

And, “Den of Robbers?... ? – Jeremiah 7:9-15 – Jeremiah prophesied about a people who were idolaters and lived a life of evil to the core. He mentions the “House of Shiloh” which was destroyed due to this a pattern of evil behaviors within temple worship! Jesus is making a statement that if these guys continued to worship in vain, excluding others for their own benefit, than the wrath of G-d would be upon them just as in the days of Shiloh! No wonder why the religious leaders wanted to kill him!

The things that eat you up are the things you prioritize and can’t get out of your mind, and the things you dwell upon, typically are the things you worship! Jesus was only concerned with worshipping His Father. Therefore, the things that broke His heart were the things that broke His Father’s heart.

Often, the things that eat us up are self centered in nature. We become our own god! We build our own temples. We bow down to ourselves. But Jesus was focused on the heart of G-d. He was focused on the things that made His Father cry.

It’s interesting to me that Jesus often gets angry with the religious elite due to their exclusion of the outsider. Whenever we become prejudice against another group, we distance ourselves from the Father’s heartbeat, and our worship is done in vain. Jesus makes it clear that we shouldn’t go to the altar unless we have reconciled with our brother. And, he makes it even clearer that our brother is every human being in this world…

G-d hates injustice, but He also gets cranked over bullying, exclusion & especially hindering others from entering the worship of G-d!

When I walk into worship gatherings across America there doesn’t seem to be a lot of that zealous fire… that holy fear. In Scripture, we read time and time again that when people encounter the LORD they fall down. When Scripture is read with openness and a hunger to engage, crowds are cut to the heart and repent. Other times we read stories of Israel taking that time for granted, and the LORD saying that He might as well shut the temple doors (Malachi).

But the current situation in many Christian circles doesn’t really surprise me. We treat church gatherings, worship services and Jesus like a circus half the time… it’s almost become something for our pleasure & entertainment. We’ve become consumers who come to be filled like we are getting our vehicles serviced at a Jiffy Lube. Worship in the Temple required sacrifice! It was messy. Our worship of G-d should be raw, undignified, yet sacred and holy. We need to treat our times together as a sacred privilege. I often wonder how we downplay the importance of entering a time of community worship. We can hinder someone’s worship experience by our elitism, our mockery, our disrespect and our allegiance to self over the Father’s glory! When we fail to come into His courts with open hearts, minds and an appetite ready to devour the Scriptures, we miss out on a blessing. Our lives were meant to worship and bring blessing and honor to the Father!

I love the old Under Armor commercials where the ripped athlete screams, “We must protect this house!” It’s true. We have a responsibility to protect the house! Our house goes much further than our Sunday morning gathering spaces. Today, in the reality of the New Covenant with the Living and Risen Christ, we the body of Christ are the new temple… those who have put their faith in Jesus and have received the Holy Spirit are living stones (1 Peter2). In fact, we don’t GO to church, we ARE the church. Church is now a verb… the temple has legs! When we walk into pubs, coffee houses, schools and our workplaces, we are bringing worship to the LORD by “offering our bodies as living sacrifices.” (Romans 12)

It's the season for open house! Our Father desires for all of His children to come to the banquet table. I hope and pray that we will continually become people who live like Jesus, having a fire in our belly that says, "Zeal for your house will consume me!"

..........................................

What eats you up…?

What does it mean for the church to have righteous anger for the things that break the LORD’s heart?

In what ways do we turn the Father’s house into a market?

How can we do a better job of welcoming everyone who walks in our doors/lives?

What are you more concerned about when you gather for community worship? 1.) The songs that you sing, the fun and/or feelings you experience or 2.) Honoring the LORD with everything you’ve got to bring Him!

What are some steps we can take to ensure we don’t lose sight of what’s important when we gather for any kind of community worship?

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Does the Church in America Do its Job?

2011-05-05T13:48:00.003-04:00

Acts Who Church?

Several years ago I asked some pretty honest questions to a group of students regarding the status of church in America. First, “Does the church in America do its job? Why? Why not?”

Here are some of the responses (names are left anonymous)...

“I don’t think the church does its job. I really think instead of saving people and caring for the people they shut out homosexuals and people who dress weird and stuff like that. I feel as if for the most part the church is just like a habit and the people who are running the church are doing it out of habit and for a job not so much for each person out there.”

“We step over the homeless person, look the other way and have created a moral checklist of who needs the real help and money.”

“No! Because our church does not get out into the world! We just kind of let them come to us! What about the LOST SHEEP?”

“If I was the boss of it I'd fire it because it does a very poor job, seems to lack self-motivation, personal skills, and often ignores the boss's instructions or suggestions, and fails to be able to work with co-workers.”

HAVE YOU FALLEN OVER YET?

This is what the next generation thinks about a holy people of God called out to make a difference in the world.

Cynicism and hopelessness emerges as a result… Often, I sigh, roll my eyes and wonder if it is ever going to get any better. But I have not lost hope in the church! I only believe that a strong reformation needs to occur. I believe revival needs to break loose. I believe the church needs to reclaim its place of power, but not in the ways in which the world takes hold of authority and power. I believe the church needs to become more concerned about relationships over programs. Like many of these youth, church staff needs to see their role as a privileged calling rather than a job. I concur with the statement regarding the “Lost Sheep.” Lost sheep are everywhere, even in the midst of our own Sunday morning services. So, rather than staying pessimistic and gaining the movement toward a cynical heart, I urge you to plead with me on behalf of the holy people of God. Plead for God’s will and new transformation to take place today.

Spiritual formation writer, John Indermak, said, “The God who seeks our transformation may speak through fresh sources and unexpected places if we have become too comfortable in the routine of our spirituality.”[i]

Youth ministry might be the unexpected place for redirection and hope. Youth are smart. It would take a very wise elder of a church to actively listen to the cries from the younger generation. As I asked the tough questions about becoming a people of God, I asked these same youth two more difficult questions.

First, “What would the ideal church look like to you? This is what they said.

“Focus on the people being unified!”

“Become small so people don’t slip between the cracks. You need to know each others’ business… feeding hungry, clothing naked … if you are just too concerned with a big youth program, then your misusing your resources…Have no boundaries on blessing others, giving extravagant gifts to all who are in need… don’t just give ‘em the scraps…”

“Be out in the community … and making ourselves known to the lost!”

“The ideal church would be a bunch of peeps with all kinds of different interests hanging out together. They would accept everyone for who they are and not by what they look like, what friends they have, or what they have done wrong in the past.”

“It would care for (and actually do something about) the poor and oppressed (monetary, emotionally, mentally, spiritually), the widows and the orphans. The world would be amazed at our love for each other, and our love for God. It would step out in obedient faith where ever the Spirit leads.”

I’m simply going to let these new prophets keep speaking. My following inquiry to these gurus questioned, “What would it take for the church to get there?”

“Get over our selfish needs, wants and issues.”

“Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”

“The church would most definitely have to step out of its comfort zone.”

BUT, I LIKE COMFORT!

“This is hard to say … for everyone to have an open heart an open mind just to become openly honest with what they’re going through.”

VULNERABLE CHURCH PEOPLE…?

“An act of God! What the church needs to do is learn to love. If the church would spend even half the effort on furthering the kingdom that we do on fighting each other, amazing things would happen.”

BRILLIANT!

It sounds like these youth were more in tuned to the powerful scriptures rooted in Acts 2 than many biblical scholars and teachers who have preached from this text throughout the centuries. Many of these youth could not tell you where their felt and spoken truths came from, but God burdened their hearts to know that something wasn’t right within the local church in America. I believe God gave them a conviction prophesied to the community in an effort to get back to the basics, so to speak.

The Basics

Whenever we hear a sermon on the basics of a faithful community, many Christians do one of two things. We either anxiously jump on board with wild passion for about a week or we say, “It will never happen. Acts 5 (the human frailty of Ananias and Sapphira) is the reality of the church. This “ideal” of an Acts 2 church will never exist!” To this first anxious Christian I would shout, “Hallelujah! But, keep reading through Acts 5 so that your passion is based on a reality that is still spirit led… only different from what you expected.” To the second bitter cynic I would say, “Yes, Acts 5 is the reality of the church. But, where is your effort? Where is your Christ - centered passion? Why would I want to follow your “movement” of doubt and pessimism?”

Let’s begin with these “basics” as we move into the early church where the writer Luke earnestly declares, “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” - Acts 2:42-47

When we hear this message on a Sunday morning, we get goose bumps again. We feel the sudden urge to climb a mountain. We become inspired anew. But, as soon as the novelty of “kingdom living” turns sour due to a church conflict of some kind, we become unpleasant, bitter and more indignant and cynical once again.

Before we dive into the flipside of this text and the finite, human nature found in Acts 5 that turns many away from the church, I’d like to make some key observations and crucial comments regarding the Acts 2 scriptures. The first piece of the puzzle worth mentioning is the reality of Pentecost, which occurs in the written narrative prior to this reading. Without going into a thorough interpretative effort concerning Pentecost, we must be reminded that the Holy Spirit moved the early disciples to spread the message of Good News about the salvation offered through the person of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:1-13 describes the revolutionary movement that brought significant change to the earliest followers of the Way of Jesus). 3,000 God fearing individuals were converted to the Way of Jesus following the spiritual outpouring during Pentecost.

Following Pentecost, Luke uses the word “devotion” to describe the following endeavors of this early community. According to theologian Ajith Fernando, ““Devoting” (Greek: proskartereo) is the same word as is used in connection with the persistent devotion of the disciples to prayer in 1:14 (Acts - translated “constantly” there).”[ii] We live in a world that lacks devotion and commitment. The only endeavor we “constantly” devote ourselves to in America is success, power, relevance, Facebook and Starbucks coffee.

Devotion

“They devoted themselves to the…” Acts 2:42a

Teaching…

We need disciples who are not solely devoted to an intellectual ascent, but ones who crave to understand the deeper meanings of knowledge as an act of “being” that moves toward a “kingdom on earth” mentality. Head knowledge doesn’t necessarily equate to effective Christianity. We need more teachers who are in tuned with the entire message of the Gospel message rather than teachers who exercise their faith similar to a classroom setting. Jesus walked, talked, and lived a message of salvation. Salvation is not knowledge of an atonement theory traced through an understanding of Leviticus 16 and Hebrews 7 and 10. Salvation is seen at every turn of Jesus’ life through his tabernacle teachings, engagements with notorious sinners, Sermon on the Mount and parables which all included life lessons in the midst of miraculous healings and acts of great compassion. We need to get in touch with the entire life of Jesus, his Jewish roots, the ongoing message of the early church, and our progressive efforts in the contemporary word as we stay true to the character of God.

Doug Pagitt, founding pastor of Solomon’s Porch, speaks about a cognitive understanding of the gospel in relation to the church versus a full understanding when he writes, “The educational approach provides assurances of effectiveness through tests, catechisms, and statements of faith, which measure whether people who have been “properly” formed. When we move beyond belief-based faith to life-lived, holistic faith, the only true test is lives lived over time.”[iii] I strongly echo this comment. Let’s move beyond memorizing creeds and verses as a checklist for Christendom (They serve a purpose, so I'm not saying don't memorize!), and begin to dive into the vibrant life teachings of Christ. Pagitt continues, “Perhaps we have been propagating a limited message, reducing biblical authors to sound bytes that cut the gospel into so many pieces that we are left with little more than statements of what we believe rather than the broader story of how we are to enter into God’s story through a life lived in faith.”[iv] This is so true! Thanks to Facebook, it's ever so present! We have a lot of Sunday morning Christians who know the right doctrinal answers, but not that many day-to-day Christians who have the message pierced upon their every move.

What does it mean to be devoted to the apostles’ teachings? If we could get churches to a place of understanding the full teachings within scripture rather than “sound bytes”, God’s kingdom might begin to seep into our world. The Bible is a story book with the message of God’s love for humankind in every page. The Gospel of John and the characteristically laughed at teachings in Leviticus are both powerfully connecting pieces of the full gospel message (But, we must be careful not to become idolaters in our studious worship of the Bible.)! My wife was asked the humorous yet classic question by a coworker, “What are the important parts of the Bible?” This person wanted a “Cliff’s Notes” version of the scriptures. I understand that it takes a while to gain an appreciation for the entire letter, but we must be very careful in our replies to these types of questions. We must move beyond bumper sticker, feel good Christianity

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul instructed the believers, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word of deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (3:16-17). What stands out to me is the phrase, “dwell in you richly…” God yearns for his people to meditate on his law, decrees, and story of full redemption. The practice of Lectio Divina became a very normal practice in my spiritual devotions years ago. This is an ancient practice in which one allows the words of God to “dwell in you richly” through repetition, silence, wrestling questions, and mystery. Every time I meditate upon a passage of scripture, God grants me new insight into his direction for my life. Also, I spend a lot of time reading commentaries in order to understand the historical context of each book written in the scriptures. It seems to me that with a better cultural understanding (Thinking Eastern!) of the words written in the Bible (knowing some Greek & Hebrew is good too!), we might have a clearer grasp with applying its truth in our setting today. There are numerous theological approaches learned such as inductive, deductive, integrative, systematic and narrative theologies that are effective in our journey through the Bible. But, rather than getting caught up in a particular method, the first part of effective devotion is in one’s appreciation for a holy God who has given us a glimpse of his character through the ancient text.

The apostle Peter makes the statement, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3). I have been a part of church life long enough to see a long line of believers of Jesus the Christ who don’t want to read the Bible. Many people think it is a job for pastors and lay leaders, but I firmly believe it is a privileged necessity for all God’s children. We live in an exceptionally literate society blessed with more Christian resources than ever before. Yet, our devotion to reading God’s scriptures is neglected in many churches in America. This should sadden us. I believe this is a reflection of the things we crave. And, what we crave… we WORSHIP! Reading the Bible for a few minutes a day isn't discipleship. It's curiosity! I see a society that craves chocolate & television over finding God through scripture. This is very scary. Followers of Christ must be a people who crave God so much that we don’t ask about “Cliff’s Notes” to the Bible, but we actively pursue the whole story of salvation founded in the greatest love letter of all time.

Fellowship…

What about fellowship in the local church setting? This seems to be the easiest part of church programming at first glance. Yet, many church programming events neglect to see the full picture of fellowship. We need disciples of Jesus who are not only devoted to pizza gatherings and water parks, but ones who intensely pursue koinonia (Greek = fellowship), denoting intimacy, commonality, oneness and vulnerability. Please, hear me out. I think it is crucial that the church meets people where they are at, and I think we should have ongoing moments to kick back, so to speak. We need to play! But, koinonia is a unique sharing of life involving the whole person. We do not live in koinonia/fellowship simply through going to a movie, eating ice cream, or having a church potluck on the fourth of July. It is through these events that we connect on the surface. Youth groups have “ice breakers” for a reason. I love 'em and hate 'em. I see their place, though. However, what happens when we have “fellowship” outings yet never dig beneath the surface. The answer… a shallow social club! I might as well go to Chucky Cheese or 6 Flags over Jesus!

Many years ago when I was pastoring a youth ministry in San Antonio we held a movie night at our church to reach those “seeking” church community. A young middle school girl asked a startling question at the end of the night, “Do you guys do anything deep like study the Bible?” I jumped at the question as an opportunity to invite her to our Wednesday night program where she was given the opportunity to witness a bunch of young people singing praise songs and studying scriptures through small group fellowship. It didn’t hit me until later that we not only need effective programs for deep fellowship such as small groups, but we also need to be active in our efforts to become a community of intimate koinonia in all settings. Often I find myself committing the unfortunate crime of treating “social” events with spiritual neglect. I’m just as guilty as the next guy. What might happen if we begin to open up in vulnerable passion and love at a movie night? At a pub? What if we moved past the shallow social club into something that would bring testimony to the life teachings and saving grace of Jesus at a trip to the local zoo…?

Breaking of Bread…

What does it mean to be devoted to the breaking of bread? We need disciples who are not only devoted to monthly, quarterly or weekly sacraments of holy communion, but ones who are devoted to remembering the life, death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord every time we eat a meal together. Some scholars might argue that the “breaking of bread” portion of this Acts passage varies from verse 42 and 46. Regardless of this possible distinction, the main point redirects us to the concept of devotion. Are we devoted in our meal time and/or our times when we gather for the sacrament of Holy Communion/Eucharist? If we take communion at our local church but do not devote our lives to the people in which we dip the bread and drink of the cup, we have no business “breaking bread” in “church.” On the flip side, if we call ourselves followers of Jesus or Christians, our meal times at home and at restaurants need to reflect the same reverence and holiness as our Sunday morning liturgical services. So, whether you dunk an Oreo in a glass of milk, dip your chip in some holy, hot salsa, do it for the glory of God and the devotion you crave for the fellowship of all believers.

Communion, in my opinion, needs to be done in community! I always encourage people to never go alone to the table. Even if you come alone, we need people ready to break that bread, face to face. The next time your local church has a time of Holy Communion, spend some time praying for each person who takes of the cup and bread. Look into their eyes. See the bruised and beaten Savior in their soul. The next time you and your Christian friends go out to eat, don’t simply say a quick prayer over the meal. Take some time to remember that every time you eat with one another, Christ is present in your midst. This is a powerful message that will change every meal, breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Prayer…

We need to be disciples who are not only devoted to routinely sharing prayer requests after a Bible Study, but ones who are consistently lifting one another up through intercessory love in the course of our workday. How many times have you told someone, “I’ll be praying for you and your family.” and forgotten that particular person until a week later at Bible study/small group? I hate feeling guilty, but I honestly hate myself when this occurs. I only wish I could say, “No, I won’t be praying for you. I might think about you as I drive past your neighborhood. But, in all honestly this prayer request will slip my mind until we see one another again.”

For me, this is all about relationships. Typically, I will pray for people where a deep relationship is present. But, the majority of people … I actually forget! There's my confession for the day. Maybe we shouldn’t tell everyone and their dog we will pray for them. Most human beings don’t live in a monastery. Most Americans don’t have the privilege of having a two hour quiet time, and moments of stillness throughout the day. I once asked my beloved pastor from seminary, Dean Wertz, how I might pray for everyone in my ministry and life. He gave me some very good, practical suggestions such as writing your loved ones down along with people with intense needs. He spends time praying for different people every day because the list is so exhausting. This technique – along with other methods – has proved helpful in my years of ministry. Also, I am much more open to simply praying for people on the spot when they say they have a prayer request. But, for the most part the best way for me to pray for people in the course of the day is to abide in the spirit of God. In my devotion to God, I simply ask, “Please, place people and events in my life needing your prayer and affectionate touch.” This exercise will often lead me to call, text, email or invite that person for coffee as well. Prayer is aligned with relationships. Prayer is movement...

I have practiced many methods of prayer (Lectio Divina, Centering Prayer, Ignatius Examen, Jesus Prayer, ACTS, Lord’s Prayer, etc.). I enjoy these practices at times. Other times, I want to pull out my hair in boredom or frustration. Sometimes, I treat God like a magic eight ball. Other times, these methods are a reflection of the place of my beating heart. Not that a formula for prayer is necessarily a bad thing – or a posture to sit and reflect, which can be very productive at times – but, why do we have to reduce conversation with God to a method? Why do we think our words need to sound poetic, filled with large theological verbiage to be heard by God? Why is praying difficult? Maybe it is about us! Why do we make it difficult?

Prayer begins with our awareness and understanding of God. Much like any relationship, prayer is an attempt to connect. It is based and rooted in something real and substantial. Prayer is fulfilling yet demanding, freeing yet costly, messy yet pure, comfortable yet uncomfortable, and strange yet lovely. Essentially, prayer is about love.

Spiritual guru Richard Foster wrote, “To be an effective pray-er, you must be an effective lover.”[v]

Spend time in silent reflection; ask yourself these questions with complete honesty. “Are you passionately in love with God?” “Who is God to you?" "How does this affect your prayer life and your acts of intercession with other people in need?"

When you think of prayer, do you think about the act of praying or the One being prayed to? Praying is not the point of prayer. God is the point of prayer. The main problem occurs when we make our prayers the focus, and forget about the One who we are praying to. This happens a lot with relationships between people in general. The conversation or the “point” of the conversation becomes the major focus, and you can easily lose sight of the person you are talking to during any given conversation.

What happens when you don’t have anything to say? What happens when you don’t feel His presence and go through periods when you don’t want to pray? Does prayer work? Does God really listen? Does it really even matter if he knows what I’m going to ask anyway? Does God change his mind? If not, what about all those conversations with Moses? How come some people can pray so easily, but I have a difficult time saying one word? What can I expect from prayer? What the heck does it mean to pray without ceasing? Does this mean I’m always supposed to be praying? How is that possible?

Where do I start? How do you discern the will of God, hearing his voice and the difference between his voice, your voice, and other voices that are screaming in 1,000 other directions? These are great questions, and I’m sure there will be another 1,000 questions that follow. It’s okay to ask. Just know that God can handle it! Go to the loving Father…

We worship a God who desires to give us mercy. He desires to give us life, and this gives me hope! He desires to draw near to us as sinners, restore us, and connect with our heart again. Prayer is essentially about love. And, in this love relationship we are striving to find the heartbeat of God.

Just Devotion!

Too many churches are busy balancing a purposeful life driven by five principles that they become compartmentalized into a program mentality rather than being driven through devotion into the heart of Jesus. It’s nice to teach people about our purposes. But, we must not become so concerned about balancing these purposes that we lose focus on the main goal. DEVOTION! When we become devoted to God, these purposes happen in a more organic posture. Manufacturing greeting techniques and evangelistic strategies lose their zeal because we become a people driven by God, not programs.

A community of Awe!

“Everyone was filled with awe…” Acts 2:43a

What would it take for you to walk away from a gathering of Christians with your jaw to the ground saying, “That was AWESOME!”? When humanity senses that God is at work in a community of believers, there is nothing quite so compelling. Sally Morgenthaler’s popular book, Worship Evangelism, talks about this concept of allowing one’s heart of authentic and passionate worship act as the “tool” of evangelistic effort and revival rather than manufacturing a sleek program rooted in entertainment purposes.[vi] The Solomon’s Porch community in Minneapolis is rooted in a genuine, missionaly minded mode to worship. Pagitt, states, “Our practices are genuine expressions of our collective community, not marketing tricks.”[vii]

The early church was “filled with awe” not simply because of the miraculous happenings. The early church was in a state of awe because of the commonality of joyous celebration due to living life together. What would the world begin to say about the church if we saw our possessions as an extension of the hand of God in cooperation with loving acts of generosity with our friends and community in need? What if I bought a house not only with the interest of Lauren and myself, but with the interest of our church family? We have done this before, and it's incredibly life giving on many levels. This means I should be open to people who need a place to crash at any given time. Currently, I'm on the other end of that blessing at the Adamson's house in Madison, NJ. This gives a new meaning to the phrase, “Mi casa es tu casa!” This means I should utilize my dining room table and backyard grill for my neighbors. What if I saw the next door neighbor’s yard as an extension of my yard because ultimately it is God’s grass? Lines don’t matter anymore because the neighborhood becomes one big yard. What if I bought my next car as an extension of grace that might help with carpooling and environmental measures (because I will purchase with the next generation in mind rather than my own selfish taste…)? What if I bought groceries with farmers in Mexico on the forefront of my mind? What if I bought my own bags to the grocery store out of a concern for our planet, God’s green earth? What if I consume less so that I may give more? A church family that sees itself as the means to an end within the kingdom of God rather than another consumer in a tainted market of advertisement and corporate greed will become more compassionate toward the poor and needy. Giving to the poor is not about donating ones extra five bucks on a Sunday morning, nor is it about throwing a couple of dollars at the man on the street corner. Giving to the poor is being connected to God through a life of continual sacrifice, love and affectionate, qualitative time. If we saw ourselves as a people who were not only doing a good deed for the poor, but a people who were connected to all of humanity through the fingertips of God we could possibly begin to change the world. The heartbeat of God found in Deuteronomy 15:4 (“there should be no poor among you”) was a principle taken very seriously within the early church. This is still the hope for our creation and church family today and tomorrow.

The church described in Acts 2 is one which enjoyed one another. This kind of church creates awe. Fernando says it best, “When God’s people come together and enjoy fellowship, “praising God” is the natural result (v. 47a).”[viii]

I realize that some people are difficult to be around. I’m not naïve enough to think that we can all just get along and sing songs around a campfire. Sure, we all have our limits. But, what if we became a people who moved beyond tolerance into a posture of sacrificial love for all God’s children? The cool aspect about a church family is that it is supposed to be the one true place where different groups of people gather together to worship a holy God. Unfortunately, Sunday mornings are still the most segregated hour in America. Christianity is not a faith that can be solely practiced in one’s home on a Sunday morning. I hear many people (I have done this too!) who say, “I’ll just worship God at home because I can get more out of it there.” Maybe this is our problem. We are so focused about “getting” that we forget about those around us. Thus, we lose the ultimate picture, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. This starts in our own local community. When we bring our love to the table of fellowship on a Sunday morning (or Saturday, Wednesday, etc.) we WILL get more out of our time together. When we come to serve, we will be served. However, we can’t come with tradesman attitude which thinks, “I give and I give so I EXPECT something in return.” What we get in return is the satisfaction of obedience toward our heavenly Father because we helped the “least of these” in their distress. We enter into fellowship with all of God’s creation. Christianity must be a faith practiced in community; a community that brings its heart, soul, strength and mind to the table of fellowship every time it gathers to meet. We should embody devoted togetherness beyond a catch phrase as Paul writes in Romans, “in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5). Fernando comments, “So we get together not only because it is helpful, but also because we are a vital part of the body of Christ… The body of Christ is incomplete without us, and we are incomplete without the body of Christ.”[ix]

We must become a true family. Founding member of the Simple Way, Shane Claiborne, makes the statement, “The concept of multidimensional discipleship is essential as we consider how to retain a radical discipleship that is multiethnic, intergenerational, and includes singles and families… What an extraordinary thing it must have been to sit around a table with that eclectic mix of Zealot revolutionaries, Roman tax collectors, peasants, Samaritans, prostitutes, and fishermen, all conspiring to find a radical new way of life.” [x] This is the essential ingredient to awesome, and nobody can manufacture this type of family. Only devotion toward a living Savior can make this type of community possible.

What to do with Church Conflict and Politics?

Yes, we could bask in Acts 2 all day long. There is so much this text can teach us in our ongoing acts of discipline and devotion. But, the cynics are saying, “What about Acts 5? Isn’t this the inevitable posture and movement of the church?” Anytime we gather together with Samaritans and Jews, zealots and tax collectors punches will be thrown at some point. We could continue this rant talking about the mess within the church in Corinth and the conflict between Paul and Barnabas. We all have our stories of conflict. Our youth know a lot about their parents getting wrapped up in conflict. Often we hear, “Church politics… every church has them!” Some people love to get wrapped up in the drama. Also, sadly a lot of good people like to avoid it all together and turn a deaf ear.

Yes, church politics are inevitable. Yes, church conflict is inevitable. But, these are two very different dilemmas. Church conflict is good! Church politics can be good, but the way many of us use the phrase “politics” is engrossed in corruption and turmoil. We end up talking about greed, power, hoops and cruelty, etc. that drive an institution rather than the power of the Holy Spirit.

I love the Acts 5 narrative. I don’t completely understand it, nor do I enjoy confrontation; especially one that leads to death. But, I can respect the church in this first written, situational predicament. In this scene, Peter confronts a married couple – one at a time – about their gift offered to the church. These “church” people were confronted about the amount of their gift given to the early church. Their sin was one of lying, and not about holding back their income. Both Ananias and Sapphira dropped dead and were dragged out of the room because they lied to God and his church. Do I have issues with this scene? Yes, but I’m not going to try and make sense out of it. Also, it’s not my place to argue and complain about the sovereignty and judgment of an almighty God. I don’t really understand why this couple had to die. If this happened today we probably wouldn’t have very many mega churches. But, the narrative continues to say that the church had fear in God after this incident. I think we have a lot of Christians who don’t have a healthy, reverential fear in the Lord of Lords. Sometime I wonder if I know what it means to grasp knowledge and wisdom, which is rooted in the fear of the Lord. The Jewish people understood this type of fear in that they wouldn’t even mention the holy name of G-d! This argument isn’t a rant about “Jonathan Edwards – “Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God”” or becoming a hell, fire and brimstone preacher. This case of a hope filled church is simply about Peter being honest, obedient and righteous in his politics. This is about truth being spoken leading up to an unfortunate death rather than avoiding issues that could have led to a “successful” church movement booming in attendance due to falsity and tolerance, disrespect and a lack of integrity in the face of a holy God.

It seems to me that the church of Acts 2 (one that was fully devoted) began to live out its mission in a real world within the narrative of Acts 5. Peter had a decision to make, confront or take the generous money and forget about the little lie. But, devotion is about a people fully connected. What’s worse: the death of Ananias and Sapphira or the spiritual death of a church before its beginnings? Believe me when I say that I do have a difficult time with the severity of this judgment. But I can't argue with the Father's judgment. Yet, the lesson I see is in the church leadership. What does it mean to be a church leader devoted to the apostle’s teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer? What does it mean for the people to be filled with awe? What does it mean to enjoy the favor of all the people? This only happens when we stay true to the sprit’s convictions, God’s holy decrees and come before one another in honest confession. I guess this gives a new meaning to “speaking the truth in love.”

The church in America is one which is notorious for building its structure with vast resources entrenched in a social mentality which captures comfort. It too often compartmentalizes life into countless pieces leading to the ministries within the worshiping body not knowing one another very well. We must stay connected to all of life. We must be devoted. We must learn how to get along with all people regardless of age, ethnicity, attire, personality, theology and hairstyles.

The Raw Truth

Years ago I left a church where I served for many years due to unfortunate church politics. I loved the people where I worked, but the decision had to be made in that season for reasons that are not important to bring up. Forgiveness and healing has won that battle, indeed! I only bring this up as a brief example. Looking back, I am still saddened because I believe people are not evil. I have always hoped for the best in all God’s creatures. But, it’s interesting to me how easily we can be led astray in fear, insecurity and a lack of trusting community. We all get scared. We all put up our walls of defense and fight light dogs backed into a corner. Yet, when devotion to intimate fellowship, the Lord’s teaching, the breaking of bread and intercessor prayer is seen in a church leadership team, problems are lovingly and truthfully worked out over time. That is the hope of the gospel...

I believe most churches believe in the ideals of Acts 2, but when Acts 5 comes knocking on the door most of us run the other way, pretend like nothing is going on, or fight like hell. My hope is that we will have more leaders emerge in the generations ahead that will lead in acts of courageous hope and love being filled by the power of the Holy Spirit. I prayerfully anticipate church staff to commune with steadfast love and for leaders to speak the truth in great love. My prayer is that we put away our swords (the tongue is the biggest one!), and move toward a gardening motif using plowshares to cultivate a crop for God’s kingdom.

Wrapping it up…

Don’t you want to ask this question again, “Does the church in America do its job?” Wouldn’t you love to deeply learn from our mistakes over the years and talk to these youth once more?

Let’s pray this prayer together as an act of devotion to God and one another…

“Grant us – the church – the discipline to move forward!

Grant us YOUR vision!

Grant us peace and acceptance to how things are, but grant us hope for a traveling posture of better-ness!

Grant us discernment!

Grant us community and healing!

Grant us your will in all our decisions!”

[i] Indermark, John, Turn Toward Promises: The Prophets and Spiritual Renewal (Nashville, TN: Upper Room), page 37.

[ii] Fernando, Ajith, The NIV Application Commentary: Acts (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan), page 119.

[iii] Pagitt, Doug, Reimagining Spiritual Formation: A Week in the Life of an Experimental Church (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003) page 25.

[iv] Ibid., 30.

[v] Foster, Richard, Prayer: Finding The Hearts True Home (????????), page 3.

[vi] Morganthaler, Sally, Worship Evangelism

[vii] Pagitt, page 44.

[viii] Fernando, page 123

[ix] Ibid., 125-6

[x] Claiborne, Shane, The Irresistible Revolution (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), pages 138-9.

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Love Wins but Christianity Loses

2011-03-17T23:35:00.004-04:00

There was a Christian man battling to "pick sides" during WWII. The dilemma... "Do I remain loyal to my country and their military strategies of justice, or do I become a pacifist who seeks peace?"

The evil, manipulative force of influence which awaited the man's decision could care less whether this godly, young man remained loyal to his "colors" or changed loyalties to a "peace" sign. There was another sly character aligned with the sneaky antagonist who leaned toward the ear of his fellow partner in crime and said, "Just wait till he picks his side. Then, we got 'em!"

PICK A SIDE... PICK ANY SIDE!

That was the voice of the Accuser's/Satan's partners in crime in C.S. Lewis' classic, The Screwtape Letters. The basic reasoning is sheer genius as I often remind myself and a few of my friends of this simple truth on a pretty consistent basis. Think about it... if we chose our allegiances on earth - Republican or Democrat, Liberal or Conservative, Pro Military or Anti-Military, Baptist or Catholic, Rob Bell or Mark Driscoll - we have allowed the Enemy easy access to divide, conquer, steal, kill and destroy. It's what the Accuser does BEST! The Accuser is in the business of division, and he/she/it is kicking ass and taking names. Let me make a quick disclaimer before I engage down this reflective rambling. I am not against picking sides as long as we are not cruelly exclusive and arrogant, while moving us toward the elite class of jackasses toward the "others" in the process of picking our fan base.

Truth be told... we all kinda pick teams, don't we? We've been picking teams since grade school. He jumps higher. She's hot. He's smart. She's funny. He's got nice hair. She's got big eyes! Americans love picking sides. I love the Texas Longhorns, which means I hate the Oklahoma Sooners. I grew up Baptist, which means for many years I thought that all Catholics were going to hell. C'mon... let's really be honest. I thought everyone was going to hell! :)

So, here we are on a pretty emotionally driven week right after a large natural disaster wondering about picking sides and dwelling upon concepts like heaven and hell thanks to people like Rob Bell and many other leaders, writers & bloggers. etc.! There's chaos in the ocean and chaos in the churches.

I'll begin by saying that I am not going to pick a side the way in which many people might want me to pick a side. Too many people have been doing that over the last few days. The world really doesn't need to hear another review, and it certainly doesn't need to hear another evangelical follower of Christ slamming yet another evangelical follower of Christ. But I will be quite honest regarding several aspects of Rob's latest book, LOVE WINS. I will treat this more as a reflectional piece, and less of a review. If you want to read the book and read a bunch of "conservative" and "liberal" reviews, you won't have to google search very long at all. :)

Still, I must be completely honest because I'm not trying to win votes here ... Truth be told, I have actually been a fan of Rob Bell's work for six years. I stumbled upon him at a Youth Specialties convention in Dallas, TX. He was doing a two day critical course session on "The Revolutionary Voice." I have never been good at sitting still while someone else was talking. Just ask my mom, dad and wife. I have sat through more sermons in my entire life than I know what to do with, and yet I've never really jived with a particular preaching style until I heard Rob Bell. Finally, there was a pastor who spoke my ADD language, and could connect the dots throughout the biblical narrative with great passion, wit, geeky humor and creative story telling abilities. Rob's teaching moved me to begin studying Leviticus! Fun, I know! His quest to seek Jesus throughout the Torah helped reshape my understanding of the Gospels. I have a deep love for our Jewish roots, and I am truly blessed by the LORD for putting men like Rob Bell, Ray Vander Laan, Brad Young and many others along my path toward discovering what it means to walk in the "dust of our Rabbi Jesus."

Am I biased? Sure... but who isn't?

I do believe that Rob is a devout follower of Jesus. I think his church, Mars Hill, is a fantastic model for the rest of the world of what it means for a local body to bring love and healing to the world in need of God's redeeming love. And, after reading his latest book I do not think Rob is a heretic or a universalist.

My quick, initial reflections after reading this book...

First, it wasn't his best work, but it wasn't bad either.

Second, I wish he spent time going through Leviticus in light of the cross and sacrifices. He preached a whole year on that good stuff a while back.

Third, I wish

wouldn't

always

THIS!

I read this book in approximately three hours. I enjoy reading his work, but I feel the same way after each one. Dude, that could have been an article!

Fourth, while it's a short read, it's PACKED with a lot of great questions, stories, Scripture, church history and theology.

Fifth, Rob does seem to contradict himself in the chapter, "Does God Get What God Wants." You can read about that chapter on another blog/review.

Sixth, while I know that Rob believes in justice as he speaks of it often in other works and a bit here, he comes across a bit soft throughout most of the book. I wish Rob spent some time talking about the wrath/judgment of God, which is still, the mysterious fullness of His radical love.

"Take home" reflections...

I love questions because questions move a reader/listener to engage and take ownership. Rob asks quite a few raw questions, to say the least. American Christianity wants answers, but we often forget that 1st Century Jews (i.e. Jesus) answered questions with questions and stories. Rob has been accused of skirting around answers by replying with questions and stories. He is deeply embedded himself in some ancient Rabbinical teaching tools that is based on the reality of "sharpening." Every time we see Jesus answer a question with a question with other Rabbis, that shows a sign of respect as the answer is usually in the question.

Speaking of this form of learning, as I stated earlier, much of Rob's teaching/writings are less Greco-Roman/Western and more Hebraic/Eastern. I often have to remind myself that I'm an American, and the way I approach issues is established from a Western mindset. I was born into this way of thinking. There's nothing wrong with it. If we were born as a Western dude, essentially we have been trained in systems and boxes. That's how we work! I have only recently begun to love the paradox that is deeply rooted in much of what Rob is teaching.

Why? Well, because that's the world we live in, and that's also the world of the biblical narrative. If you talked to an orthodox Jew, you would see a whole different approach to theology. The Eastern mind is actually okay with the tension and paradox found in differing opinions and insights made through engaging the Text. Americans want black and white answers. We want to know, "Do you believe in a Sovereign God who predestines things, or do you believe in the free will of man?" "Does God have an open will or is it shut?" Jews would answer yes and yes! We want to pick sides and chunk spiritual stones.

This leads me to my next point... Rabbis love to hand wave/throw down and debate, but they do it in fierce love and genuine respect. At the end of the day, they can vastly disagree on some theological issue, but still have dinner, drink some wine and go worship the LORD, side by side, in their differences! Christians usually throw their dinner in one another's faces and start their own worship services across the street with picketers around the "Enemy" camp! Rob makes it very clear that the beauty of our faith is seen through the 2,000 years worth of voices who have gone before us making various claims about a number of issues, including heaven and hell. Americans typically want all the grey issues to turn black and white and become resolved.

The thing that is black and white is that there is a heaven and a hell! Rob talks about both of these dimensions/realities in his book. If we are looking for him to answer the question about the "after life," we've missed the point of the book, and we've missed the point of much of what Scripture teaches us about heaven and hell. Here me out... I'm NOT denying an after life. Rob never denies it either. In fact, I do believe in the resurrection of the last things. Rob does too!

Right now, I'm passionately interested in getting us to see the 2 major points that so many Evangelical Christians might miss because sometimes, we'd rather pick our team rather than be sharpened by others who are a tad different.

1.) Hell! Yes, Gehenna/The Valley of Hinnom was an actual place outside of Jerusalem. It was a city dump, and it was a reminder of literal hell on earth filled with pure filth ... it's an image that comes to mind when we think of all the evil in our world! And, yes, we can choose to live in that hell or NOT...

2.) Heaven! Yes, the kingdom of heaven/God is used interchangeably throughout the Gospels. And, it refers to shalom/love and the LORD's perfect reign within a situation, an individual and a community.

Westerners have often adopted a Greco-Roman pie in the sky and an other worldly fiery place underneath our earth's crust (Thanks, Dante!). Much of our theology of the "after life" is based on pagan, Greek mythology. Even the reference "gates of hades/sheol" are based on a pagan cultic site (the goat god, Pan in Caesarea Philippi) in Matthew 16.

It seems to me that throughout the beautiful narrative of Scripture that our heavenly Father has been trying to get his kingdom down here to good 'ole planet earth. On the contrary, many (not all) Western Christians have been trying to get people to escape this world and go hang out in the clouds. How many times does Jesus refer to the kingdom of heaven? ... on earth as it is in heaven. Our God loves this earth, and he will continue to break through into our realm because it's His realm, and He cares deeply for what happens right here and right now!

Lastly, Jesus was asked a question by one of the Torah teachers in Luke 10. "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

How did Jesus respond to this man?

He asked him a question about the Torah... because the question of "eternal life" had to do with the here and now, seeking abundant peace through following the commands of God, which were a gift. Every Jew, including Jesus, would have known that!

The 2 commands which dealt with eternal life were the following:

1. LOVE the LORD (Deut. 6:4-9)

2. LOVE your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18)

Jesus wasn't finished... he told a story about the "Good Samaritan," followed with the question, "Who was the neighbor...?" And that heretical story about a Samaritan not only elicited a shocking response in the crowd, but it also gave the answer to the first question about "eternal life." According to Jesus in this particular scene in the Text, eternal life was all about loving your enemy!

That's why I say, LOVE WINS but Christianity Loses!

God is love. Jesus is the fullness of God in flesh. To love one's enemy is at the center of the cross, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing!"

And, while Jesus continues to shine forth the kingdom of heaven on earth through His love, mercy and goodness, Christianity loses another stupid battle as it continues to show the world that we not only pick sides well, but we also throw stones with amazing zing and accuracy at our so called, brothers and sisters in Christ.

You can pick a side, pick any side in this debate. I encourage you to throw those hands well, indeed. But remember, at the end of the day, we are all one body under Christ working out our salvation with fear and trembling.

LOVE Wins because Jesus is the ONE who has set us all free!

Let's choose LOVE, gang!

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Tsunamis, Evil, Justice & the Cross... by N.T. Wright

2011-03-11T13:09:00.001-05:00

Summer 2005 | Volume 28, Number 2 | Features

God, 9/11, the Tsunami, and the New Problem of Evil

Transcript of one of N.T. Wright's May 18-19, 2005, lectures at the Church Leaders' Forum, Seattle Pacific University.

Introduction

In the new heaven and new earth, according to Revelation 21, there will be no more sea. Many people feel disappointed by this.

The sea is a perennial delight, at least for those who don’t have to make a living on it. What is going on? The sea is part of the original creation, part of the world of which God says that it is “very good.” But already by the story of Noah the flood poses a threat to the creation, with Noah and his floating zoo rescued by God’s grace. From within the good creation itself come forces of chaos, harnessed to enact God’s judgment. We then find Moses and the Israelites standing in front of the sea, chased by the Egyptians and at their wits’ end. God makes a way through the sea to rescue his people, and again to judge the pagan world; like the Noah story, though now in a new mode. As later poets look back on this decisive moment in the story of God’s people, they celebrate it in terms of the old creation myths themselves: the waters saw YHWH and were afraid, and they went backwards. But then, in a passage of enormous influence on early Christianity, we find in the vision of Daniel 7 that the monsters who make war upon the people of the saints of the most high come up out of the sea. The sea has become the dark, fearsome, threatening place from which evil emerges, threatening God’s people like a giant tidal wave threatening those who live near the coast. For the people of ancient Israel, who were not for the most part seafarers, the sea came to represent evil and chaos, the dark powers that might do to God’s people what the flood had done to the whole world, unless God rescues them as he rescued Noah. This sets the biblical context for any reflection on what happened on December 26 last year.

It may be, indeed, that one of the reasons we love the sea is because, like watching a horror movie, we can observe its power and relentless energy from a safe distance, or, if we go sailing or swimming on it, we can use its energy without being engulfed by it. I suspect there are plenty of Ph.D. theses already written on what’s going on psychologically when we do this, and I haven’t read them. We would, of course, find our delight turning quickly to horror if, as we stood watching the waves roll in, a tsunami were suddenly to appear and come crashing down on us, just as our thrill at watching a gangster movie would turn to screaming panic if a couple of thugs, armed to the teeth, came out of the screen and threatened us personally as we sat innocently in the cinema. The sea and the movie, seen from a safe distance, can be a way of saying to ourselves that, yes, evil may well exist; there may be chaos out there somewhere; but at least, thank goodness, we are all right, we are not immediately threatened by it. And perhaps this is also saying that, yes, evil may well exist inside ourselves as well: there may be forces of evil and chaos deep inside us of which we are at best only subliminally aware; but they are in control, the sea wall will hold, the cops will get the gangsters in the end.

Of course, in the movies of the last decade or two things may not work out so well, which may tell us something about how we now perceive evil both in the world and in ourselves. And, of course, when a real tsunami wipes out quarter of a million people in a day, we are forced to take stock of everything in a new way. We are forced, in fact, to think in fresh ways about the problem of evil; maybe even to see that there is what I have called in tonight’s title “a new problem of evil.”

What do I mean by this? In the last few years, everyone has been talking about evil. President Bush has declared that there is an “axis of evil” out there somewhere, and that we have to find the evil people and stop them doing any more evil. Tony Blair said three years ago, ambitiously, that the aim of his government must be nothing short of ridding the world of evil. The press shout “evil” at the faces of terrorists and child-murderers. And the odd thing about this new concentration on evil is that it seems to have taken many people, not least politicians and the media, by surprise. Of course they would say that there has always been evil; but it seems to have come home to the Western world in a new way. The older discussions of evil tended to be more abstract, with so-called natural evil (represented by the tidal wave) and so-called moral evil (represented by the gangsters). But the tsunami and the gangsters came out of the theory books and attacked. Just as in the previous generation Auschwitz posed the problem in a new way, September 11, 2001, kick-started a fresh wave of discussion about what evil is, where it comes from, how to understand it, what it does to your worldview whether you’re a Christian or an atheist or anything else, and, not least, what if anything can be done about it. And, though terrorism and tsunamis are not the same kind of thing, the events of December 26, 2004, have added their own dimension to the problem.

From the Christian point of view, there will be, in that sense, no more sea in the new heavens and new earth. We are committed, within the worldview generated by the gospel of Jesus, to affirming that evil will finally be conquered, will be done away. But understanding why it’s still there as it is, and how God has dealt with it and will deal with it, how the cross of Jesus has anything to do with that, and how it affects us here and now, and what we can do here and now to be part of God’s victory over evil — all these are deep and dark mysteries which the sudden flurry of new interest in evil open up as questions. What I want to do this evening is not to attempt to answer the problems but at least to sketch out the areas where we should be urgently thinking and praying.

1. The Inadequate Old View of Evil
The older ways of talking about evil tended to pose the puzzle as a metaphysical or theological conundrum. If there is a god, and if he is a good, wise and supremely powerful god, why is there such a thing as evil? Even if you’re an atheist, you face the problem: Is this world a sick joke, which contains some things that make us think it’s a wonderful place, and other things which make us think it’s an awful place, or what? You could of course call this the problem of good, rather than the problem of evil: If the world is the chance assembly of accidental phenomena, why is there so much that we want to praise and celebrate? Why is there beauty, love, and laughter?

The problem of evil in its present metaphysical form has been around for at least two and a half centuries. The Lisbon earthquake on All Saints’ Day 1755 shattered the easy optimism, the straightforward natural theology, of the previous generation. The wrestlings of the great enlightenment thinkers — Voltaire, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel — can be understood as ways of coping with evil. And when we come further forward to Marx and Nietzsche, and to the 20-century thinkers, not least Jewish thinkers, who have wrestled with the question of meaning following the Holocaust, we find a continuous thread of philosophical attempts to say what has to be said about the world as a whole and about evil within it.

Unfortunately the line of thought which has emerged from this at a popular level is least satisfactory. I refer to the doctrine of progress. Everything is moving towards a better, fuller, more perfect end; if there has to be suffering on the way, so be it; omelets are made from broken eggs.

This belief in progress, which you find in poets such as Keats, was in the air in the pantheism of the Romantic movement, and was given an enormous boost by the popularization of Charles Darwin’s ideas and their application to fields considerably more diverse than the study of birds and mammals. The heady combination of technological achievement, medical advances, Romantic pantheism, Hegelian progressive Idealism, and social Darwinism created a climate of thought in which, to this day, a great many people not least in public life have lived and moved. The world is improving! It’s our article of faith. Things are getting better. Evil is on the decline. Progress is winning. This belief in progress has received many challenges, but has remarkably survived, and flourishes. The first world war shook the old liberal idealism; Auschwitz shattered the idea of Western civilization as a place of nobility, virtue, and humanizing reason. Yet, despite everything, people still suppose that the world is basically a good place, and that its problems are more or less soluble by technology, education, “development” in the sense of “westernization,” and the application or imposition of Western democracy and capitalism.

This state of affairs has led to three things in particular which I see as characterizing the new problem of evil. First, we ignore evil when it doesn’t hit us in the face. You see this in the philosophy, psychology, and politics of the last century, but you don’t need to look that far back. Western politicians knew perfectly well that al-Qaeda was a danger, but nobody took it too seriously until it was too late. Countries bordering the Indian Ocean knew about tsunamis, but hadn’t bothered to install early warning systems. We all know that Third-World debt is a massive sore on the conscience of the world, but our politicians don’t want to take it too seriously, because from our point of view the world is progressing reasonably well and we don’t want to rock the economic boat — or to upset powerful interests. We all know that sexual licentiousness creates massive unhappiness in families and individual lives, but we live in the 21st century, don’t we, and we don’t want to say that adultery is wrong. We live in a world where politicians, media pundits, economists, and even, alas, some late-blooming liberal theologians, speak as if humankind is basically all right, the world is basically all right, and there’s nothing we should make a fuss about.

So, first, we ignore evil except when it hits us in the face. Second, we are surprised by evil when it does. We like to think of small English towns as pleasant, safe places, and were shocked to the core three years ago when two little girls were murdered by someone they obviously knew and trusted. We have no categories to cope with that; but nor do we have categories to cope with the larger renewed evils such as renewed tribalism and genocide in Africa. We like to fool ourselves that the world is basically all right, now that so many countries are either democratic or moving that way, and now that globalization has in theory enabled us to do so much, to profit so much, to know so much; and then we are puzzled as well as shocked by the human tsunami, the great wave of refugees and those seeking asylum. Terrorism itself takes us by surprise, since we are used to imagining that all serious questions should be settled ’round a discussion table, and are puzzled that some people still think that doesn’t work and that they need to use more drastic methods of getting their point across. And, ultimately, we are shocked again and again by the fact of death. We ignore evil when it doesn’t hit us in the face, and so we are shocked and puzzled when it does.

Thirdly, as a result, we react in immature and dangerous ways. The reaction in America and Britain to the events of September 11 has been a knee-jerk, unthinking, immature lashing out. Don’t misunderstand me. The terrorist actions of al-Qaeda were and are unmitigatedly evil. But the astonishing naivety which decreed that America as a whole was a pure, innocent victim, so that the world could be neatly divided up into evil people (particularly Arabs) and good people (particularly Americans and Israelis), and that the latter had a responsibility now to punish the former, and that this justified the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, is a large-scale example of what I’m talking about — just as it is immature and naive to suggest the mirror image of this view, namely that the Western world is guilty in all respects and that all protestors and terrorists are therefore completely justified in what they do.

The Western world, then, has not been able to cope with evil from within its modernistic beliefs. Postmodernity doesn’t help here, because it merely highlights the problem of evil remorselessly, while avoiding any return to a classic doctrine of Original Sin by denying that there is really anybody there in the first place. Humans themselves deconstruct; you can’t escape evil, in postmodernity, but there is nobody to take the blame. There is no moral dignity left. To shoulder responsibility is the last virtue left open to those who have forsworn all other kinds; to have even that disallowed is to reduce human beings to mere ciphers; and most of us, not least the genuine victims of crime and abuse, find that both counterintuitive and disgusting. Furthermore, postmodernity’s analysis of evil allows for no redemption. There is no way out, no chance of repentance and restoration, no way back to the solid ground of truth from the quicksands of deconstruction. Postmodernity may be correct to say that evil is real, powerful and important, but it gives us no real clue as to what we should do about it. It is therefore vital that we look elsewhere, and broaden the categories of the problem from the shallow modernist puzzles on the one hand and the nihilistic deconstructive analyses on the other. This sends us back to the Bible itself. What has it got to say about all this?

2. The Biblical Analysis of Evil, and of God’s Answer
There are three things to say by way of introduction to this sketch of a biblical response to the new problem of evil.

First, there are no easy answers, in Scripture or elsewhere. If we think we’ve “solved” the problem of evil, that just shows that we haven’t understood it. We cannot say, with that dreadful hymn, that “all our pain is good.” That induces a moral chaos worse than that offered by Job’s comforters. Nor can we say that evil is good after all because it provides a context for moral effort and even heroism, as though we could get God off the hook by making the world a theatre where God sets up little plays to give his characters a chance to show how virtuous they really are. That is trivializing to the point of blasphemy. So, first, no easy answers.

Second, the line between good and evil does not lie between “us” and “them,” between the West and the rest, between left and right, between rich and poor. That fateful line runs down the middle of each of us, every human society, every individual. This is not to say that all humans, and all societies, are equally good or bad; far from it. Merely that we are all infected and that all easy attempts to see the problem in terms of “us” and “them” are fatally flawed.

Third, though there is indeed a radical difference in kind between the problem posed by 9-11 and the problem posed by the tsunami — no terrorists or wicked governments were responsible for the tsunami; a tectonic plate’s just got to do what a tectonic plate’s got to do — they pose, together, the great question to which the Bible is in fact written to address, even though we cannot fully understand the answers until the end.

What help then can we find in the Bible? We have already seen that the sea, both in itself and in its symbolic significance, is simultaneously part of God’s good creation and part of the continuing source of chaos and terror. We should also note, to glance ahead to the very end of the story, that God declares throughout Scripture that he is going to put the world to rights at the last, even though this will involve, in Haggai’s phrase, giving both heaven and earth one last great shake to sort everything out. Scripture seems to be trying to say that creation is good, but incomplete; and that human evil has somehow stalled the project of creation in its incomplete mode, so that humans need to be put right and the world itself needs a good shake. The biblical imagery of judgment insists over and over again that God will put the world to rights and wipe away every tear from every eye.

But how is this to come about? Here I believe we have gone astray. We have been accustomed to seeing what we call “the problem of evil” in terms of the philosophical puzzle of how to justify a good, wise, and powerful God in the face of continuing evil. We have therefore gone to the book of Job as the one part of Scripture which addresses the problem in broadly those terms. But we have failed to see that the whole of Scripture addresses the problem of evil in a different way. After Noah comes the debacle of the Tower of Babel, and immediately after that God calls Abraham, and declares that in him all the world will be blessed. The curse of evil at every level is to be undone. Those Israelite prophets and poets who saw this most clearly spoke of creation healed, of the wolf and the lamb lying down together, of swords being beaten into ploughshares, of shrubs and fruit trees coming up to replace the thorns, thistles, and briars that had defaced the garden.

And they spoke of evil itself in a variety of ways. They spoke of evil in terms of wicked nations oppressing God’s people, of wicked rulers oppressing the poor, of wicked people within society using their money or their power to oppress one another. They spoke of evil in terms of the failure of human beings in general, and of Israel in particular, to live as image-bearing human beings should, to live as the redeemed people of God ought to do. They spoke, in other words, of evil at the level both of individuals and of society; of evil as a problem infecting all, including God’s people; of evil in terms of both human wickedness and demonic activity, of structural injustice and systemic oppression and violence, particularly that of the great empires of the world. The opening chapters of Genesis make all this extremely clear. But then, in Abraham, God declares, as an act of sovereign grace following the word and act of judgment, that a new way has opened up, a way by which the original purpose, of blessing for humankind and creation, can be taken forward. From within the story we already know that this is going to be enormously costly for God himself. The loneliness of God looking for his partners, Adam and Eve, in the garden; the grief of God before the flood; the head-shaking exasperation of God at Babel; the frustration of God at Abraham’s vacillating half-obedience — all these, God knows, God will have to continue to put up with. There will be numerous further acts of judgment as well as mercy as the story unfolds. But unfold it will. The overarching picture is of the sovereign creator God who will continue to work within his world — that’s the key — until blessing replaces curse, homecoming replaces exile, olive branches appear after the flood, and a new family is created in which the scattered languages can be reunited. That is the narrative which forms the outer frame for the canonical Old Testament. It’s not a matter of God as a puppet-master, pulling the strings from a long way away. It’s a matter of God loving his world so much that, faced with evil within it, he will work precisely within it, despite all the horrible ambiguities that will result.

The body of the Old Testament, from this point onwards, carries — and the writers know it carries — the deeply ambiguous story of how Abraham’s family, the people through whom God’s solution was being taken forwards, was composed of people who were themselves part of the problem. The Exodus gives the major paradigmatic Jewish answer to the question, what is God doing with evil? Evil comes here in the shape of the wicked powerful empire oppressing the enslaved Israelites. But when the people are freed, they behave themselves in a thoroughly pagan manner, as they continue to do in the deeply ambiguous entry into the Land, in the period of the Judges, and then in the monarchy. David, the man after God’s own heart, is himself deeply flawed. Exile threatens, looms, and then, like a great tsunami, Babylon comes and sweeps away the Temple itself, where YHWH himself had lived in the midst of his people. And, though the people return two generations later, all is still not well. Pagan empires still lord it over them. The sea monsters still come up and attack. God’s people still cry for YHWH to come and redeem them, to put the world to rights once and for all.

At the heart of the greatest prophetic book of all, that of Isaiah, we find the picture of the Servant of YHWH, who does two things at once: He represents Israel itself within the purposes of God, and he embodies God’s rescue operation for Israel and the world. Indeed, it is immediately after his suffering and death in chapter 53 that we have the word of new covenant in chapter 54 and new creation in chapter 55. Somehow, the prophet is saying, the people of Israel, the bearers of the solution, have themselves become part of the problem; but as God had determined to work from within his world to rescue his world, by calling Israel in the first place, so he has determined to work from within Israel to rescue Israel, by calling this royal yet suffering figure, by equipping him with his own Spirit, and by allowing the worst that the world can do to fall upon him. If you want to understand God’s justice in an unjust world, says Isaiah, this is where you must look. God’s justice is a saving, healing, restorative justice, because the God to whom justice belongs is the creator God who has yet to complete his original plan for creation, and whose justice is not simply designed to restore a balance to a world out of kilter but to bring to glorious completion and fruition the creation, teeming with life and possibility, that he made in the first place. Somehow Isaiah has so redefined the broader problem of evil, of the injustice of the world and the justice of the one creator God, that we now see it, not as a philosopher’s puzzle requiring explanation, but as the tragedy of all creation requiring a fresh act from the sovereign creator God, focused on the tragedy of Israel requiring a fresh act from the sovereign covenant God. And, to our amazement and horror, we see this fresh act coming into sharp focus in the suffering and death of the Servant. Sharing the fate of Israel in exile, the exile which we know from Genesis 3 onwards is closely aligned with death itself, he bears the sin of the many. He embodies the covenant faithfulness, the restorative justice, of the sovereign God, and by his stripes “we” are healed.

Central to the Old Testament picture of God’s justice in an unjust world, then, is the picture of God’s faithfulness to unfaithful Israel; and central to that picture is the picture of YHWH’s servant, an individual who stands over against Israel, and takes Israel’s fate upon himself so that Israel may be rescued from exile and the human race proceed at last towards the new creation in which thorns and thistles will be replaced by cypress and myrtle, dust and death by new life, the chaos of the sea with the victory of the creator. Within the larger canonical context, we might see the entire book of Job alongside Isaiah as an anticipation of the harrowing scene in Gethsemane, where the comforters again fail and even creation goes dark as the monsters close in around the innocent figure who asks what it’s all about. And that leads us to the heart of this lecture. The moment when the sinfulness of humankind grieved God to his heart, the moment when the Servant was despised and rejected, the moment when Job asked God why it had to be that way, all came together when the Son of Man knelt, lonely and afraid, before going to face the might of the beasts that had come up out of the sea. The story of Gethsemane and of the cross itself present themselves in the New Testament as the strange, dark conclusion to the story of what God does about evil, of what happens to God’s justice when it takes human flesh, when it gets its feet muddy in the garden and its hands bloody on the cross. The multiple ambiguities of God’s actions in the world come together in the story of Jesus.

3. Jesus
Theologies of the cross, of atonement, have not in my view grappled sufficiently with the larger problem of evil, as normally conceived. Conversely, those who have written about “the problem of evil” within philosophical theology have not normally grappled sufficiently with the cross as part of both the analysis and the solution of that problem. The two have been held apart, in a mismatch, with “the problem of evil” on the one hand being conceived simply in terms of “how could a good and powerful God allow evil into the world in the first place?” and “the atonement” on the other hand being seen in terms simply of personal forgiveness. Much modern Christian thought has accepted the framework offered by the Enlightenment, in which the Christian faith rescues people from the evil world, ensuring them forgiveness in the present and heaven hereafter. The Enlightenment-based wider world has then accepted that evaluation of the Christian faith — not surprisingly, since it was driving it in the first place — and so has not thought it necessary to factor in Christian theology to its own discussions of “the problem of evil.” How, after all, does a hymn like “There is a green hill far away” have anything at all to say to a world dumbstruck in horror at the first world war, at Auschwitz, at Hiroshima, at 9-11?

With this in mind, we need to re-read the Gospels as what they are. People often observe that there is not that much “atonement-theology” in the Gospels. Mark’s “theology of the cross” often seemed to be reduced to one key verse, 10:45, which speaks of the Son of Man coming “to give his life a ransom for many.” The Lord’s Supper gave hints towards an atonement-theology, and the crucifixion narratives, especially in their evocation of biblical allusions, provided some further elements. But for the most part the Gospels, as read within the mainstream tradition both of scholarship and of church life, had little to contribute, except as a general narrative backcloth to an atonement theology grounded elsewhere, in Paul, Hebrews, and 1 Peter.

But when we read the Gospels in a more holistic fashion, we find that they tell a double story, drawing together the themes I have spoken of so far. They tell the story of how the evil in the world — political, social, personal, moral, emotional — reached its height; and they tell how God’s long-term plan for Israel — and for himself! — finally came to its climax. And they tell both of these stories in and as the story of how Jesus of Nazareth announced God’s kingdom and went to his violent death. The Gospels, read in this way, offer us both a richer theology of atonement than we are used to and also a deeper understanding of the problem of evil itself and what can and must be done about it in our own day. The Gospels have more to say about terrorism and tsunamis than we might imagine.

Watch as they tell how all the varied forces of evil are involved in putting Jesus on the cross. They tell how the political powers of the world reached their full, arrogant height: Rome and Herod stand in the near background of the story, and so, too, does Caiaphas and his corrupt Jerusalem regime. All three come into focus as the cross comes closer. So, too, the Gospels tell the story of corruption within Israel itself. The Pharisees offer a hard-edged interpretation of Torah which excludes the inbreaking of God’s kingdom through Jesus. The revolutionaries try to get in on the act of God’s inbreaking kingdom, but they, the terrorists of their day, try to fight violence with violence and so merely collude with the real problem of evil. The death of Jesus, when it comes, is the work not only of the pagan nations but of the Israel that has reduced itself to saying that it has no king but Caesar.

The Gospels also tell the story in terms of the deeper, darker demonic forces which operate at a supra-personal level. These forces operate through all of the human elements I’ve mentioned, but cannot be reduced to terms of them. The shrieking demons that yell at Jesus, that rush at him out of the tombs, are signs that a battle has been joined at a more than personal level. The stormy sea, the miniature but deadly tsunamis on Galilee, evoke ancient Israelite imagery of an evil which is more than the sum total of present wrongdoing and woe. “The power of darkness” to which Jesus alludes immediately before his betrayal suggests that on that night evil was being given a free rein to do its worst, with the soldiers, the betrayer, the muddle disciples and the corrupt court its mere instruments. The mocking bystanders as Jesus hangs on the cross (“If you are the son of God . . .”) echo the taunting, tempting voice that had whispered in the desert. The power of death itself, the ultimate denial of the goodness of creation, speaks of a force of destruction, of anti-world, anti-God power being allowed to do its worst. The Gospels tell this whole story in order to say that the tortured young Jewish prophet hanging on the cross was the point where evil, including the violence of terror and the non-human forces that work through creation, had become truly and fully and totally itself. The Gospels tell the story of the downward spiral of evil. One thing leads to another; the remedy offered against evil has itself the germ of evil within it, so that its attempt to put things right merely produces second-order evil. And so on. Judas’s betrayal and Peter’s denial are simply among the last twists of this story, with the casual injustice of Caiaphas and Pilate and the mocking of the crowds at the cross tying all the ends together.

Once we learn to read the Gospels in this holistic fashion, we hear them telling us that the death of Jesus is the result both of the major political evil of the world, the power-games which the world was playing as it still does, and of the dark, accusing forces which stand behind those human and societal structures, forces which accuse creation itself of being evil, and so try to destroy it while its creator is longing to redeem it. The Gospels tell the story of Jesus’ death as the story of how the downward spiral of evil finally hit the bottom, with the violent and bloody execution of this man, this prophet who had announced God’s kingdom.

The Gospels thus tell the story of Jesus, and particularly of his death, as the story of how cosmic and global evil, in its suprapersonal as well as personal forms, are met by the sovereign, saving love of Israel’s God, YHWH, the creator of the world. They write intentionally to draw the whole Old Testament narrative to its climax, seeing that narrative precisely as the story of God’s strange and dark solution to the problem of evil from Genesis 3 onwards. What the Gospels offer is not a philosophical explanation of evil, what it is or why it’s there, but the story of anevent in which the living God deals with it. Like the exodus from Egypt, or the return from Babylon, only now with fully cosmic reach, God has rescued his people from the dark powers of chaos. The sea monsters have done their worst, and God has vindicated his people and put creation to rights. And he has done so throughthe suffering of Israel’s representative, the Messiah. This is what it looks like when YHWH says, as in Exodus 4, “I have heard the cry of my people, and I have come down to set them free.” This is what it looks like when YHWH says “Behold, my servant.” As Isaiah says later (chapter 59), it was no messenger, no angel, but his own presence that saved them; in all their affliction he was afflicted. God chose the appropriate and necessarily deeply ambiguous route of acting from within his creation, from within his chosen people, to take the full force of evil upon himself and so exhaust it. And the result is that the covenant is renewed; that sins are forgiven; that the long night of sorrow, exile and death is over and the new day has dawned. New creation has begun, the new world in which violence will be overcome and the sea will be no more.

The Gospels thus tell the story, unique in the world’s great literature, religious theories, and philosophies: the story of the creator God taking responsibility for what’s happened to creation, bearing the weight of its problems on his own shoulders. As Sydney Carter put it in one of his finest songs, “It’s God they ought to crucify, instead of you and me.” Or, as one old evangelistic tract put it, the nations of the world got together to pronounce sentence on God for all the evils in the world, only to realize with a shock that God had already served his sentence. The tidal wave of evil crashed over the head of God himself. The spear went into his side like a plane crashing into a great building. God has been there. He has taken the weight of the world’s evil on his own shoulders. This is not an explanation. It is not a philosophical conclusion. It is an event in which, as we gaze on in horror, we may perhaps glimpse God’s presence in the deepest darkness of our world, God’s strange unlooked-for victory over the evil of our world; and then, and only then, may glimpse also God’s vocation to us to work with him on the new solution to the new problem of evil.

4. Implementation
I spoke earlier of the shallow analysis of evil and of the immature reactions which it produces. It is fascinating that the best-known of the gospel “atonement” passages occurs in the context of a sharp saying of Jesus about the nature of political power and the subversion of it by the gospel events themselves.

The request of James and John, that they should sit on either side of Jesus when he comes into his kingly power, is a political question which receives a political answer: earthly rulers lord it over their subjects, but it must not be so among you. Rather, those who are great must be the servants, and those who are chief must be slaves of all, because the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. This evocation of Isaiah 53, in a manner entirely true to the original context, sits in the middle of the political analysis of empire, and subverts that empire, based as it is on violence, by showing how all the traditions of Israel, the people through whom God would address and solve the problem of the world’s evil, converge on a figure who takes all that Babylon, all that Rome, can do to him and exhausts and defeats it. We find the same point in Luke 9:54, where once more James and John want to do things in the world’s way, calling down fire from heaven on their enemies. Jesus’ rebuke to them is directly cognate with the “Father, forgive them,” which he gasps out on the cross.

What then is the result? The call of the Gospel is for the church to implement the victory of God in the world. The cross is not just an example to be followed; it is an achievement to be worked out, put into practice. But it is an example nonetheless, because it is the exemplar, the template, the model, for what God now wants to do, by his Spirit, in the world, through his people. It is the start of the process of redemption, in which suffering and martyrdom are the paradoxical means by which victory is won. The suffering love of God, lived out again by the Spirit in the lives of God’s people, is the God-given answer to the evils of the world.

But what if (someone will ask) — what if the people who now bear the solution become themselves part of the problem, as happened before? Yes, that is a danger, and it must be addressed. The church is never more at risk than when it sees itself merely as the solution-bearer, and forgets that every day it must say “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner,” and allow that confession to work its way into genuine humility even as it stands boldly before the world and its crazy empires. In particular, it is a problem when a “Christian” empire seeks to impose its will, dualistically, on the world, by labeling other parts of the world “evil” while seeing itself as the avenging army of God. That is more or less exactly what Jesus found in the Israel of his day, what he saw in James and John. The cross was and is a call to a different vocation, a new way of dealing with evil, ultimately a new vision of God.

What, after all, would it look like if the true God came to deal with evil? Would he come in a blaze of glory, in a pillar of cloud and fire, surrounded by legions of angels? Jesus of Nazareth took the total risk of speaking and acting as if the answer to the question were this: When the true God comes back to deal with evil, he will look like a young Jewish prophet journeying to Jerusalem at Passover time, celebrating the kingdom, confronting the corrupt authorities, feasting with his friends, succumbing in prayer and agony to a cruel and unjust fate, taking upon himself the weight of Israel’s sin, the world’s sin, Evil with a capital E. When we look at Jesus in this way we discover that the cross has become for us the new Temple, the place where we go to meet the true God and know him as savior and redeemer. The cross becomes the place of pilgrimage where we stand and gaze at what was done for each one of us. The cross becomes the sign by which, and by which alone, we go to address the wickedness of the world. The cross becomes the sign that pagan empire, symbolized in the might and power of sheer brutal force, has been decisively challenged by a different power, the power of love — and that this decisive challenge shall win the day. That is the Christian answer to the problems which are summed up for us in 9-11.

What then about the tsunami? There is of course no straightforward answer. But there are small clues.

We are not to suppose that the world as it currently is, is the way God intends it to be at the last. Some serious thinkers, including some contemporary physicists, would actually link the convulsions which still happen in the world to evil perpetrated by humans; and it is indeed fair enough to probe for deeper connections than modernist science has imagined between human behavior and the total environment of our world, including tectonic plates. But I find it somewhat easier to suppose that the project of creation, the good world which God made at the beginning, was supposed to go forward under the wise stewardship of the human race, God’s vice-gerents, God’s image-bearers; and that, when the human race turned to worship creation instead of God, the project could not proceed in the intended manner, but instead bore thorns and thistles, volcanoes and tsunamis, the terrifying wrath of the creation which we humans had treated as if it were divine.

When we then go to the Gospels for help, we should listen to what they actually say. Matthew tells the story of God-with-us, Emmanuel, with us in the middle of the swirling, raging waters, asleep in the boat on the lake, vulnerable to the screams of the demoniacs and the plots of the Pharisees, undermined by his own associates and finally hunted down by the chief priests and handed over to the imperial authorities. Matthew would forbid us to ask the question about the tsunami in terms of a God who sits upstairs and pulls the puppet-strings to make things happen, or not, as the case may be, down here. We can and must only tell the story in terms of the God who is with his people in the midst of the mighty waters: the God who was swept off his feet and out to sea, the God who lost his parents and family, the God who was crushed under falling concrete and buried in mud. And then we have to learn to tell the story, as well, in terms of the God who rescued others while not saving himself; the God who worked night and day to recover bodies and some still alive; the God who rushed to the scene with all the help he can muster; the God who gave not only generously but lavishly to help the relief effort. Truly, if we believe in Matthew’s God, the Emmanuel, we must learn to see God in that way. Remember that when Jesus died the earth shook and the rocks were torn in pieces, while the sky darkened at noon. God the creator will not always save us from these dark forces, but he will save us in them, being with us in the darkness and promising us, always promising us, that the new creation which began at Easter will one day be complete, and that with that completion there will be full healing, full understanding, full reconciliation, full consolation. The thorns and thistles will be replaced by the cypress and myrtle. There will be no more sea.

The Gospels then pose the question to us at every level, questions about what we have called the atonement as well as questions about what we have called the problem of evil. Dare we stand in front of the cross and admit that all that was done for us? Dare we take all the meanings of the word “God” and allow them to be re-centered upon, redefined by, this man, this moment, this death? Dare we take the chaos of the dark forces within our own selves and allow Jesus to rebuke them as he rebuked the wind and waves on the Sea of Galilee? Dare we address the consequences of what Jesus himself said, that the rulers of the world behave in one way, but that we must not do it like that? Dare we thus put atonement theology and political theology together, with the deeply personal message on one side and the utterly practical and political message on the other, and turn away from the way of James and John, the way of calling down fire from heaven on our enemies, and embrace the way of Jesus himself? Dare we live out the message of God’s restorative justice, claiming the victory of the cross not only over the obvious wickednesses of the world but over the wickednesses of those who want to fight fire with fire, to bring a solution by creating further problems? And dare we stand at the foot of the cross, feeling the storm clouds darken overhead and the earth tremble beneath our feet, and pray once more for God to finish his new creation, to make the wolf and the lamb lie down together, to bid the mighty waves of the sea be still and depart for good, to establish the new heavens and new earth in which justice and joy will dwell for ever?

Evil is still a four-letter word; so, thank God, is love. God grant us grace to be so filled with that love that we may work in our own day with mature, Christian, and sober intelligence to address the problem of evil, to implement the victory achieved once for all on the cross, and to be agents, heralds, and living embodiments of that new creation in which the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

Transcripts from other N.T. Wright lectures at Seattle Pacific University:

The Christian Challenge in the Postmodern World
Decoding The Da Vinci Code
The Bible and Christian Imagination
God, 9/11, the Tsunami, and the New Problem of Evil

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Tsunami video - IDENTITY

2011-01-27T18:16:00.000-05:00

Tsunami // Identity // Sun. Jan. 30th from Liquid Church on Vimeo.

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Miller's 2010 in review- by Lauren

2010-12-31T12:45:00.002-05:00

Our 2010 was one for the record books!

1st, a look at our 2010 timeline: Jan-April 2010 in Dominica. April 10th flew home and attended my cousins wedding in Dallas, Texas. April 11th, 2010 flew to MN to visit doctors. April 15th, back in Austin! A few weeks in San Antonio... Ryan's grandma in Tulsa passed away in May. June 13th took Step 1, June 15th flew to MN, June 18th, heart surgery. July 2nd flew to Dallas, July 3 drove back to Austin. July 13-27th, Ryan was in Israel. August - Ryan's mom had knee surgery, his dad turned 60, and my college friends came to visit! Busy month!
September- found out we're headed to NYC, and sold the Super Ghetto Cruiser (infamous Exploder), and bought a new car! October 8th- left Austin with car and trailor packed, and headed to NYC.

A friend of mine in Dominica taught me her family's tradition of doing High's and Low's of your year on your birthday- so this year I'm doing it on new years eve!

We ended our time in Dominica, which was both a high and a low for us, sad to leave but happy to have accomplished what we did there. A significant High for me was taking and passing the Step 1 exam- and then came the low. Back up a bit... In January of 2006 a doctor in San Antonio discovered that I had an undiagnosed congenital heart defect that would a.) prevent us from having a child in the near future, and b.) require open heart surgery. That was definitely a blow to our little family- especially since we were both praying about having a child at that exact time. We rallied, set new goals, and had some opportunities of a lifetime! Ever looming was the timing of the heart surgery. In January of 2010, a visit to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota declared the time was now, this year, this summer. As the conscientious student, I replied "not till after I take step 1." My doctor politely agreed :) So... on June 13th I took step 1, and on June 18th I had open heart surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

The surgery went well, except for this 1 minor complication... I developed what is called complete heart block. What this means is that without a pacemaker, my heart does not beat! This was not something I anticipated or planned on, and it definitely threw me. I and many others had prayed and prayed for a good surgery with a great outcome... and I felt quite let down. My faith had definitely been shaken. I felt as so many do... "God, you've given me so much stuff to deal with, I'm a good and faithful servant, and I just asked for a good surgery, and now this?" I left the hospital on June 26th with a pacemaker, and a long recovery ahead of me.

My recovery included a depression, and anxiety that I have never experienced before. We were warned by doctors that this may happen, as it is common for patients who have had open heart surgery, but I of course thought... "not me, I don't deal with that!" It was like being hit by a truck for me. I didn't want to talk to anyone, or see anyone. Being out in public brought on panic attacks, and feelings that people were staring at me. I received an overwhelming amount of prayer and support during this time and although it helped, I suffered. As time went on, I decided that friends and family had had enough of me... my silence had offended them, and I was alone. This could not have been further from the truth.

It was during this extreme low that I realized that sometimes, and most times God uses our friends and family, the people who truly love us to show us his extravagant love and patience- even when we can't see it or accept it!

4 months after surgery, Ryan and I packed up, and moved to New York City!! I look around, and still cannot believe that we are here... that I have started my clinical rotations, and that we have defeated heart surgery.

Our life, as most lives are, a complete and total adventure. I have learned so much about myself, and my friends and family this year. I would love to say that I have learned the lesson that God has been trying to teach me... that he loves me unconditionally, and is with me wherever I go, but I am still learning :) I am as hard headed as they come!

The final outcome of my very successful surgery is that due to the pacemaker, I can feel and hear every heartbeat I have. (except when I'm sleeping!) Ryan and I laugh that this is a.) better than the alternative, and b.) a constant reminder that God did answer our prayers! As funny as it is to joke about... I am trying to use it as a daily reminder that God does love me, and takes care of me. He has given me an amazing family, one that dropped everything to be with me in Minnesota for surgery, and was there for the good, bad, and the ugly during recovery- he has given me wonderful sweet friends who care so much- enough to forgive me for my depression, and lapses in communication, and has given me an incredible husband who does indeed dig this chick with scars. I am hoping that this experience in the hospital, and with recovery will make me a stronger and better person, and a more caring and compassionate physician.

And so it is with great joy that I say goodbye to 2010, and welcome 2011 and all it's adventures!

The Purpose of Christ?

2010-12-27T18:17:00.003-05:00

This seems like a "Capt. Obvious" blog on many levels, and of course, on the simplest level. But have you ever really asked yourself the question, "What's the purpose of Christ?" and after spouting off the typical "Sunday School Answer" (for those who were raised in the church this comes too easily like blinking) taking a minute or two to digest this dynamic, life changing question in the deeper parts of your inner being?

Let's start with the Average Joe's (Sunday School Joe, that is!) typical response... "The purpose of Christ is to save me from my sins so that I can spend eternity with the LORD in heaven." Yup, that about sums up the extent of many church goer's responses when asked the question pertaining to the purpose of Christ. Who is going to argue with that answer? Why would there be a need to come up with another answer since this one seems to be working... and, to use my father in law's favorite line, I would ask the follow up question, "How's that working for you?"

How is the standard S.S. answer working for the majority of modern day Christians who claim Jesus as their Christ/Messiah? To ask this question means we have to ask another follow up question, "Since the purpose of Christ seems to be saving you from your sins so that you can spend eternity with the LORD in heaven, does the rest of the non-Christian world seem to take notice of your "dynamic, life changing"answer with eagerness and a desperate longing in the depth of their gut to get to know this Christ you profess?"

Or to put it in a more simplistic and straightforward way, "Does this standard answer dynamically shape society?"

Sadly, I would have to honestly answer this question with the answer, "No! Society doesn't seem to be dynamically shaped... ." Why do I say this... ? Well, if society was dynamically shaped by this answer, then the communities that rub up against faith communities would genuinely experience PEACE!

There's nothing wrong with the answer to the question, but I believe this answer is incomplete. The bottom line: We've undersold the gospel/good news of Jesus. For many years, the majority of Christian communities have only been giving 1/2 the gospel, and when we give 1/2 the gospel, we don't get down to the heart, mind and mission of Jesus.

I've been spending the past two months slowly reading and devouring Paul's letter to the 1st Century church in Ephesus. I'm nearing the end of Ephesians chapter 2 as I've been patiently seeking all kinds of truths, really trying to own it, allowing the text to read me as I read it... and, as I've been digging through the Greek roots, verb tenses and all that jazz, I've come up with two solid and very simple points. The first one is all about the riches of the Father's love including His great mercy, grace and redeeming love which incorporates His desire for us to become His beloved sons and daughters. It's the A, B, C's of the Christian walk, but way too often, we forget that the whole "son/daughter" and "grace/mercy" stuff is the core of our existence. Without really grasping how much the LORD loves us, it's foolish to move forward with theological ramblings. Bottom line: HE LOVES YOU!!!

Then, we get to the transitional word, "THEREFORE..."

Whenever you see the word, "Therefore," in literature, it's as if the author is saying, "HEY! YOU... PAY ATTENTION... all the stuff I've been saying is about to hit its peak/culmination & all those application pieces that come afterward!" Paul did this same exact thing when he wrote to the Roman church in chapter 12 after he talked about sin, grace, faith, Jews and Gentiles... and, he does the same thing here in Ephesians in chapter 2 verse 11.

"Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (which is done in the body by human hands) - remember that at that time you were excluded from citizenship from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world." - Eph. 2:11-12

Yes, we are talking about circumcision, because the context in the 1st Century church dealt with Jews (snippy snippy) and Gentiles/non Jews (no snippy snippy)! Circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant. Often, we (Christian communities who are primarily Gentile) forget that we were grafted into the promises and covenant of the Jewish nation through Father Abraham... long story (too long for a blog, but just know that Jesus allows the "no snippy" peeps to be included due to his death and resurrection.)! Paul spent countless hours impressing the words of the Father's extravagant love for the Gentile believers in light of all the disagreements and odd cultural baggage that came to these awkward situations. These ancient stories of Gentile and Jewish friction within the circles of believers in Jesus the Jewish Messiah were all leading to the second half of the gospel message... the PURPOSE OF CHRIST!

So, what is the purpose of Christ?

According to Paul (the Jewish apostle), the purpose of Christ "was to create in himself one new humanity." - Ephesians 2:15b

Why would Christ want to do that?

SHALOM!

Shalom is the Hebrew word for PEACE! This word is about wholeness, harmony, everything in its right place! Paul tells the church that Jesus, himself, becomes our peace. The purpose of His death on the brutal Roman cross was to allow the two vastly different groups of people (Jews and Gentiles) to become ONE family, one body under the sacrifice of his own flesh!

Jesus is essentially saying,"You can lash my body and kill me. But don't lash out at one another and break each other apart. I'll take the beating!"

When we see how much He loves us, and what the Rabbi from Nazareth went through on our behalf, it's difficult for us to see the world in segments, cultural divisions and the ever present distinctions between one culture against another. The foolishness of the cross points to the truth that mysteriously WE ARE ONE FAMILY because the foolishness of Jesus' mission on the cross points to our utter foolishness pertaining to ongoing divisions and fractions in the Christian world.

Jesus put to death the hostility of the differing cultures by allowing the world to see the cruel oppression of the Roman way of "peace" (called Pax Romana = force, manipulation, control and man made power through the sword and political propaganda). Jesus put himself right in the wicked wedge between Jews and Gentiles. Jesus put to death the barrier that separates black from white. Jesus put to death the hatred lashed out toward homosexuals. The purpose of Christ was to not only preach shalom/peace, but was to vividly exemplify the Way of peace on an ugly cross in order for the message of redemption to ring loud and clear beyond a Sunday School answer!

When the Christian world divides, we beat the face of Christ.

When we gossip about another brother/sister, we slash the back of Jesus.

When followers of Jesus "love" with strings attached adding rules to the good news, we put another crown of thorns on his brow.

When communities of faith speak and live in hatred toward another human being, we put Christ back on that cross once again... !

Jesus took the beating, nails and death so that the wall of division would be abolished!

Now, it's time to ask the question, "How's that working for you?"

"For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." - Ephesians 2:18

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Who wants a "Lauren Post?"

2010-12-26T16:34:00.003-05:00

Lauren has occasionally expressed an interest in blogging every blue moon... but, sadly, we've yet to hear the less verbose Miller in the blog world. However, the moon is currently BLUE as the end of 2010 comes to its end. Yup, she's feeling the itch to be a tad vulnerable and express some raw feelings about this past roller coaster ride of 2010. We have probably experienced more in one year than most people will experience in a decade. Ups, downs, surprises, twists and turns, indeed!!!
So, I need your help (She knows I'm doing this BTW!)... please, comment "WE WANT LAUREN!" either in the comment box or at FB and/or my email ryanm14bones@yahoo.com. I think the moon just might be blue enough this year... :)
Much love, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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Miller Time

Chocolate, Gas Cans & Locker Rooms

Oops...

Under Pressure?

Top 3's of 2011!

The Truth About Xmas

Drill Rig from Haiti - LQD Church

I'm Sexy & I Know It

JOY!

Goats & Trashcans

Christians & Rosh HaShanah!

Video Message - Identify with Deliverance?

Identification

Zeal for the HOUSE!

Does the Church in America Do its Job?

Love Wins but Christianity Loses

Tsunamis, Evil, Justice & the Cross... by N.T. Wright

Tsunami video - IDENTITY

Miller's 2010 in review- by Lauren

The Purpose of Christ?

Top 10 Questions ...

Who wants a "Lauren Post?"