The Word made Flesh, God with us, Emmanuel in the form of a helpless baby who came to save the lost and reconcile them to Himself. It is unbelievable, unfathomable and awesome. He was born under the shadow of King Herod's rule and the announcement of His birth was made first to peasant shepherds. This is the story of a different kind of King. One who came to turn the world upside down and in the process redeem and reconcile all of His creation to Himself. I pray that you enjoy the truth, joy and peace of Jesus this year.Sunday, December 23, 2007
merry christmas!
The Word made Flesh, God with us, Emmanuel in the form of a helpless baby who came to save the lost and reconcile them to Himself. It is unbelievable, unfathomable and awesome. He was born under the shadow of King Herod's rule and the announcement of His birth was made first to peasant shepherds. This is the story of a different kind of King. One who came to turn the world upside down and in the process redeem and reconcile all of His creation to Himself. I pray that you enjoy the truth, joy and peace of Jesus this year.
internet & email fast...
Starting Monday, I am proclaiming an internet and email fast. This means no access to email or the internet for a week, until the following Monday. The reason I am doing this is because I was talking with a friend tonight about how much I complain about being so busy yet I waste hours most evenings surfing the internet or obsessively checking my email. Since I have the next week off, I am now ensuring that I spend it playing with my daughter, hanging out with my wife and catching up on some reading.
Monday, December 3, 2007
advent challenge...
Well, my wife started us on a family challenge to not eat out for a week, so I guess that got me in the challenge mood. Either that or I'm just bored; maybe a little bit of both. Honestly, this is an idea that I got from a bunch of guys at Mars Hill. I have committed to NOT shave for Advent (Dec. 1 - Dec. 25). This may sound kind of goofy; it probably is, but I am always looking for an excuse not to shave. So here's the challenge for me and anyone interested in joining me. I figure I save 10 minutes each day by not shaving, so for each minute saved I will set aside 10 cents for a worthy cause. This works out to $1.00 a day. So by Christmas, I will have set aside $25.00. This isn't that much, but my thought is that if more people are interested in participating or sponsoring me, we can raise more. To me, it's not so much the amount of money but it's an opportunity to intentionally prepare for Christmas and celebrate the greatest gift ever, the gift of a Savior, by giving a little back. So when I see my scruffy face each morning, hopefully it will remind me of the blessings God has given me and His desire for me to use those blessings to bless others.
Here's the update. Updated image: 12/18
So what's the cause?
Some acquaintances of mine have teamed up with the Mission Society and they are working to provide aid to orphans in Egypt and Lebanon by building new orphanages. Because of the sensitive nature of this work, I encourage you to contact me directly for more details.
Here's a pic of me a few days in...
Here's the update. Updated image: 12/18Thursday, November 29, 2007
the gods aren’t angry, but the people are…
(WARNING: LONG POST AHEAD)
Another warning: If you are planning on seeing Rob Bell on his current tour, you may NOT want to read this as it summarizes his teaching.
I went to see Rob Bell speak at the Electric Factory on Monday night as part of his “the gods aren’t angry” tour. First off, I should note that all the net proceeds of this speaking tour are going to the microfinance program that Mars Hill is supporting in Burundi. So, the first thing that impressed me is that there was no fluff on this speaking tour. It was stripped down and raw. It was basically Rob on a stage with a headset microphone and a small stone altar set. No high tech video or music. This all equals more money for Burundi.
Rob is an amazing communicator. He held the sold out audience’s attention without any distractions for about an hour and forty-five minutes without any notes. Some music prefaced Rob’s stage entrance, but the music was quickly silenced as he immediately began teaching.
I came to this event having heard Rob teach at Mars Hill numerous times as well as having watched most of his NOOMA DVD’s. Rob catches a fair amount of criticism in many Christian circles for not presenting the whole gospel message clearly; particularly for emphasizing too heavily social justice and not enough of Jesus. I respectfully disagree (I can say that since this is my blog). What I know is this: God has used and continues to use Rob in amazing ways and unconventional methods to reach those who would not otherwise know Jesus. Rob’s teachings in the NOOMA series along with his books, Velvet Elvis and Sex God have influenced me heavily in my walk and have drawn me closer to God by kindling my passion for God and His Word. God has shown me, through Rob, the value of historical and cultural context and the layers that it peels away from God’s Word when understood more fully.
Back to Rob’s teaching…he began speaking about the early caveman and cavewoman and how through plants growing, hunting animals for food and their own reproduction, they recognized that there was some force at work behind everything. He continued to explain that humans began to associate this force or power with gods. He went through a rather thorough explanation of gods in various cultures (Sumerian and Greek to name a few) and how humans began to offer sacrifices to these gods in order to please them. The idea was that this would ensure the gods were happy. When there was no rain, they offered sacrifices to please the gods to bring rain, when there was an abundant season of crops, three times as much as usual, they would offer more sacrifices to the gods. Since they never really knew what would appease the gods, they kept offering more and more. Rob tracked this process through its development into worshippers of Baal cutting themselves to show their devotion, the sacrifice of children to Molech, etc.
It was at this point that Rob made a great statement about the Bible. He stressed how the early Jewish Torah grew out of oral tales from the people. It did not just mysteriously drop out of the sky. He went on to explain how Abram (or Abraham) grew up in the midst of Sumerian culture and was exposed to this process of worshipping many gods. He is approached by the One True God who tells him to leave his family and his land and go into the land that God will show him (Genesis 12). Rob talked about the significance of this in that Abraham was not only being called out of his culture and land, but out of his world view into a new way, a new world view with a God who is intimately involved with His people, not distant. The previous cultures had always reacted to the effects of their gods, whereas in the case of this God, He walked with and among His people.
Rob went on to explain how the Jewish people were given Torah and directions for offering sacrifices to God. Rob suggested that God did not institute the sacrifice for His sake, quoting various passages from Psalm 50, Micah and Hebrews, but for the people so they could deal with the guilt that grew out of their sin and disobedience. It was as if God knew they had this tendency to work to please Him, so He instituted this sacrificial system to deal with it, so they could make the sacrifice and walk away forgiven. The problem was that this did not work to remove their guilt.
He talked about God’s command to Abraham to “take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you,” Genesis 22:2. Rob suggested that Abraham was not shocked by this request because this is what other gods at the time would have been given. It would not have been unusual for a god to expect someone to sacrifice their child. However, this God is different. He does not accept the sacrifice. At the last minute, with Abraham’s hand raised with the knife to slaughter his son, God commands him to stop and provides a ram to be sacrificed on Isaac’s behalf. God proves that He is different and we see again that he does not need the sacrifice and we sense that he is looking for more; trust and faith.
Rob talked about how when the Sadducees came on the scene and began to corrupt the sacrificial system by using it to get rich and elevate themselves, God speaks out against this corrupted system through Jesus. Up until Jesus’ coming, the focus of the Jewish people is on the Temple worship and the sacrifices. But Jesus arrives and says, “I tell you something greater than the temple is here.” Matthew 12:6 and he uses whip cords to drive the money changers out of the temple, John 2:15 and says “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” John 2:19. Rob said that this was symbolic of Jesus leading and drawing the people into a new world view, into a new way.
Rob talked about how the author of Hebrews says “Jesus appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Hebrews 9:26. Rob explained that God reconciled all of creation back to Himself through Jesus and we can trust in Him and therefore be confident that God is not angry but God is love. He talked about how we are told that the entire sacrificial system in Torah was a shadowy example or picture of what was to come in the true sacrifice that Jesus made once for all.
Rob then told some powerful modern stories of people who still, in our technologically advanced world and society, live to please God by doing this and that, the same way people thousands of years ago were making sacrifices to appease the gods, not certain of what would work, and constantly offering more and more. He also mentioned a person he knew who was going to church to fulfill a quota again to appease God.
He then went back to the subject of sacrifice and spoke about how just when we think that Jesus has completely eliminated the need for sacrifice, Paul calls us to be living sacrifices. Rob spoke about how this calls us to live out in flesh and blood our trust in the reconciliation and hope of Jesus so we can be an example for those with so much hurt and despair that they just cannot believe in this idea of hope in Jesus.
Rob closed amazingly and powerfully with three stories of hope and love in an attempt to further display and communicate God’s love for us.
I had prayed before I went to the event that God would use Rob mightily and boldly to proclaim the gospel and that He would speak through Rob to me. God faithfully and graciously answered those prayers. As I mentioned earlier, I have heard and seen many criticisms of Rob regarding not preaching the blood of Jesus enough or not presenting the whole gospel. I think Rob counters those claims with this tour. What I love about Rob’s teaching method is that he uses a down-to-earth, humble style backed with thorough research and training which makes people more and more curious about this Jesus and what it means to trust and follow Him. I like that he has chosen venues that would not be used on a typical teaching tour. This goes back to Craig Groeschel’s quote from my earlier post, “If we are going to reach the unreached, we are going to have to do things that have not been done before.”
So while I have been disappointed to see the negative criticisms of Rob and his teachings, some going so far as to label him a heretic, I was encouraged to witness first hand those reached through the Holy Spirit as God uses Rob. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Looking back through the history of the Church, many who paved the way were called heretics in their day. I do, however, encourage everyone not to follow teachings blindly and to always check them against God’s Word. I pray that more will come to know the One True God through His Son, Jesus Christ as a result of this teaching tour.
Thanks for taking the time to read this (if you made it all the way through). While I did not touch on every ounce of Rob’s teaching, I tried pretty hard. This was as much for me to remember it by as it is for you.
By the way, I laugh every time I see the photo below. With the shadows and the looks on our faces, it’s a classic. 
Another warning: If you are planning on seeing Rob Bell on his current tour, you may NOT want to read this as it summarizes his teaching.
I went to see Rob Bell speak at the Electric Factory on Monday night as part of his “the gods aren’t angry” tour. First off, I should note that all the net proceeds of this speaking tour are going to the microfinance program that Mars Hill is supporting in Burundi. So, the first thing that impressed me is that there was no fluff on this speaking tour. It was stripped down and raw. It was basically Rob on a stage with a headset microphone and a small stone altar set. No high tech video or music. This all equals more money for Burundi.
Rob is an amazing communicator. He held the sold out audience’s attention without any distractions for about an hour and forty-five minutes without any notes. Some music prefaced Rob’s stage entrance, but the music was quickly silenced as he immediately began teaching.
I came to this event having heard Rob teach at Mars Hill numerous times as well as having watched most of his NOOMA DVD’s. Rob catches a fair amount of criticism in many Christian circles for not presenting the whole gospel message clearly; particularly for emphasizing too heavily social justice and not enough of Jesus. I respectfully disagree (I can say that since this is my blog). What I know is this: God has used and continues to use Rob in amazing ways and unconventional methods to reach those who would not otherwise know Jesus. Rob’s teachings in the NOOMA series along with his books, Velvet Elvis and Sex God have influenced me heavily in my walk and have drawn me closer to God by kindling my passion for God and His Word. God has shown me, through Rob, the value of historical and cultural context and the layers that it peels away from God’s Word when understood more fully.
Back to Rob’s teaching…he began speaking about the early caveman and cavewoman and how through plants growing, hunting animals for food and their own reproduction, they recognized that there was some force at work behind everything. He continued to explain that humans began to associate this force or power with gods. He went through a rather thorough explanation of gods in various cultures (Sumerian and Greek to name a few) and how humans began to offer sacrifices to these gods in order to please them. The idea was that this would ensure the gods were happy. When there was no rain, they offered sacrifices to please the gods to bring rain, when there was an abundant season of crops, three times as much as usual, they would offer more sacrifices to the gods. Since they never really knew what would appease the gods, they kept offering more and more. Rob tracked this process through its development into worshippers of Baal cutting themselves to show their devotion, the sacrifice of children to Molech, etc.
It was at this point that Rob made a great statement about the Bible. He stressed how the early Jewish Torah grew out of oral tales from the people. It did not just mysteriously drop out of the sky. He went on to explain how Abram (or Abraham) grew up in the midst of Sumerian culture and was exposed to this process of worshipping many gods. He is approached by the One True God who tells him to leave his family and his land and go into the land that God will show him (Genesis 12). Rob talked about the significance of this in that Abraham was not only being called out of his culture and land, but out of his world view into a new way, a new world view with a God who is intimately involved with His people, not distant. The previous cultures had always reacted to the effects of their gods, whereas in the case of this God, He walked with and among His people.
Rob went on to explain how the Jewish people were given Torah and directions for offering sacrifices to God. Rob suggested that God did not institute the sacrifice for His sake, quoting various passages from Psalm 50, Micah and Hebrews, but for the people so they could deal with the guilt that grew out of their sin and disobedience. It was as if God knew they had this tendency to work to please Him, so He instituted this sacrificial system to deal with it, so they could make the sacrifice and walk away forgiven. The problem was that this did not work to remove their guilt.
He talked about God’s command to Abraham to “take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you,” Genesis 22:2. Rob suggested that Abraham was not shocked by this request because this is what other gods at the time would have been given. It would not have been unusual for a god to expect someone to sacrifice their child. However, this God is different. He does not accept the sacrifice. At the last minute, with Abraham’s hand raised with the knife to slaughter his son, God commands him to stop and provides a ram to be sacrificed on Isaac’s behalf. God proves that He is different and we see again that he does not need the sacrifice and we sense that he is looking for more; trust and faith.
Rob talked about how when the Sadducees came on the scene and began to corrupt the sacrificial system by using it to get rich and elevate themselves, God speaks out against this corrupted system through Jesus. Up until Jesus’ coming, the focus of the Jewish people is on the Temple worship and the sacrifices. But Jesus arrives and says, “I tell you something greater than the temple is here.” Matthew 12:6 and he uses whip cords to drive the money changers out of the temple, John 2:15 and says “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” John 2:19. Rob said that this was symbolic of Jesus leading and drawing the people into a new world view, into a new way.
Rob talked about how the author of Hebrews says “Jesus appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Hebrews 9:26. Rob explained that God reconciled all of creation back to Himself through Jesus and we can trust in Him and therefore be confident that God is not angry but God is love. He talked about how we are told that the entire sacrificial system in Torah was a shadowy example or picture of what was to come in the true sacrifice that Jesus made once for all.
Rob then told some powerful modern stories of people who still, in our technologically advanced world and society, live to please God by doing this and that, the same way people thousands of years ago were making sacrifices to appease the gods, not certain of what would work, and constantly offering more and more. He also mentioned a person he knew who was going to church to fulfill a quota again to appease God.
He then went back to the subject of sacrifice and spoke about how just when we think that Jesus has completely eliminated the need for sacrifice, Paul calls us to be living sacrifices. Rob spoke about how this calls us to live out in flesh and blood our trust in the reconciliation and hope of Jesus so we can be an example for those with so much hurt and despair that they just cannot believe in this idea of hope in Jesus.
Rob closed amazingly and powerfully with three stories of hope and love in an attempt to further display and communicate God’s love for us.
I had prayed before I went to the event that God would use Rob mightily and boldly to proclaim the gospel and that He would speak through Rob to me. God faithfully and graciously answered those prayers. As I mentioned earlier, I have heard and seen many criticisms of Rob regarding not preaching the blood of Jesus enough or not presenting the whole gospel. I think Rob counters those claims with this tour. What I love about Rob’s teaching method is that he uses a down-to-earth, humble style backed with thorough research and training which makes people more and more curious about this Jesus and what it means to trust and follow Him. I like that he has chosen venues that would not be used on a typical teaching tour. This goes back to Craig Groeschel’s quote from my earlier post, “If we are going to reach the unreached, we are going to have to do things that have not been done before.”
So while I have been disappointed to see the negative criticisms of Rob and his teachings, some going so far as to label him a heretic, I was encouraged to witness first hand those reached through the Holy Spirit as God uses Rob. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Looking back through the history of the Church, many who paved the way were called heretics in their day. I do, however, encourage everyone not to follow teachings blindly and to always check them against God’s Word. I pray that more will come to know the One True God through His Son, Jesus Christ as a result of this teaching tour.
Thanks for taking the time to read this (if you made it all the way through). While I did not touch on every ounce of Rob’s teaching, I tried pretty hard. This was as much for me to remember it by as it is for you.
By the way, I laugh every time I see the photo below. With the shadows and the looks on our faces, it’s a classic.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Thursday, November 22, 2007
thanksgiving...
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
1 Chronicles 16:34
1 Chronicles 16:34
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
YouVersion...
This is a great idea. The team at LifeChurch.tv just launched this online Bible program. Click on this link to check it out...
Friday, November 16, 2007
product (RED)...
Last month, I posted about Hallmark entering the Product (RED) family. Hallmark is now having a competition to design a card for this family of products. So, how did I unwind last night (the first night this week without a meeting)? I designed this card. I didn't spend a whole lot of time on it, but I figured I'd give it a try. You'll recognize the picture as the one I use for my blog above.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
quotes...
I have been reading a book that I picked up in Atlanta called A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Here are some gems from the book:
"Before I was a civil rights leader, I was a preacher of the gospel. This was my first calling and it still remains my greatest committment."
"But we must remember that it's possible to affirm the existence of God with your lips and deny his existence with your life. The most dangerous type of atheism is not theoretical atheism but practical atheism - that's the most dangerous type. And the world, even the church, is filled up with people who pay lip service to God and not life service."
Speaking to "many Christians in America" - "They are afraid to be different. Their great concern is to be accepted socially. You have unconciously come to believe that right is discovered by taking a sort of Gallup poll of the majority opinion."
"I still believe that standing up for the truth of God is the greatest thing in the world. This is the end of life. The end of life is not to be happy. The end of life is not to achieve pleasure and avoid pain. The end of life is to do the will of God, come what may."
Quoting Napoleon, "Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have built great empires. But upon what did they depend? They depended upon force. But long ago, Jesus started an empire that depended on love, and even to this day millions will die for him."
"In the terrible midnight of war, men have knocked on the door of the church to ask for the bread of peace, but the church has often disappointed them. What more pathetically reveals the irrelevancy of the church in present-day world affairs than its witness regarding war? In a world gone mad with arms build ups, chauvinistic passions, and imperialistic exploitation, the church has either endorsed these activities or remained appallingly silent. During the last two world wars, national churches even functioned as the ready lackeys of the state, sprinkling holy water upon the battleships and joining the mighty armies in singing, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." A weary world pleading desperately for peace, has often found the church morally sanctioning war."
"If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevent social club without moral or spiritual authority."
"The church today is challenged to proclaim God's son, Jesus Christ, to be the hope of men in all of their complex personal and social problems."
"And this is why John said, 'God is love,' so that he who hates does not know God, but he who loves at that moment has the key that opens the door to the meaning of ultimate reality."
Wow! It is so obvious that the Holy Spirit spoke through Dr. King (and is still speaking through him) because reading his words today, they are just as relevant and convicting as I am sure they were then. At the deepest core of his soul, Dr. King was a servant of God who was filled with angst for the present state of the world and just as most of God's prophets, he was hated, rejected and ultimately killed for his bringing of God's word. But also as most of God's prophets, his words and life live on through written accounts, stories and memories.
"Before I was a civil rights leader, I was a preacher of the gospel. This was my first calling and it still remains my greatest committment."
"But we must remember that it's possible to affirm the existence of God with your lips and deny his existence with your life. The most dangerous type of atheism is not theoretical atheism but practical atheism - that's the most dangerous type. And the world, even the church, is filled up with people who pay lip service to God and not life service."
Speaking to "many Christians in America" - "They are afraid to be different. Their great concern is to be accepted socially. You have unconciously come to believe that right is discovered by taking a sort of Gallup poll of the majority opinion."
"I still believe that standing up for the truth of God is the greatest thing in the world. This is the end of life. The end of life is not to be happy. The end of life is not to achieve pleasure and avoid pain. The end of life is to do the will of God, come what may."
Quoting Napoleon, "Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have built great empires. But upon what did they depend? They depended upon force. But long ago, Jesus started an empire that depended on love, and even to this day millions will die for him."
"In the terrible midnight of war, men have knocked on the door of the church to ask for the bread of peace, but the church has often disappointed them. What more pathetically reveals the irrelevancy of the church in present-day world affairs than its witness regarding war? In a world gone mad with arms build ups, chauvinistic passions, and imperialistic exploitation, the church has either endorsed these activities or remained appallingly silent. During the last two world wars, national churches even functioned as the ready lackeys of the state, sprinkling holy water upon the battleships and joining the mighty armies in singing, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." A weary world pleading desperately for peace, has often found the church morally sanctioning war."
"If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevent social club without moral or spiritual authority."
"The church today is challenged to proclaim God's son, Jesus Christ, to be the hope of men in all of their complex personal and social problems."
"And this is why John said, 'God is love,' so that he who hates does not know God, but he who loves at that moment has the key that opens the door to the meaning of ultimate reality."
Wow! It is so obvious that the Holy Spirit spoke through Dr. King (and is still speaking through him) because reading his words today, they are just as relevant and convicting as I am sure they were then. At the deepest core of his soul, Dr. King was a servant of God who was filled with angst for the present state of the world and just as most of God's prophets, he was hated, rejected and ultimately killed for his bringing of God's word. But also as most of God's prophets, his words and life live on through written accounts, stories and memories.
Friday, November 9, 2007
24...
No, not the TV show, although I'm anticipating the return of Jack Bauer in January...
I love this song:
I love this song:
"24" by Switchfoot
Twenty four oceans
Twenty four skies
Twenty four failures
Twenty four tries
Twenty four finds me
In twenty-fourth place
Twenty four drop outs
At the end of the day
Life is not what I thought it was
Twenty four hours ago
Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And I'm not who I thought I was twenty four hours ago
Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
Twenty four reasons to admit that I'm wrong
With all my excuses still twenty four strong
See I'm not copping out not copping out not copping out
When You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now
And You're raising these twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts
But I want to be one today
Centered and true
I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now
And You're raising the dead in me
I want to see miracles, see the world change
Wrestled the angel, for more than a name
For more than a feeling
For more than a cause
I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And You're raising the dead in me
Twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts.
I'm not copping out. Not copping out. Not copping out.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
food for thought...
While I was in Atlanta, I had the privilege to hear Craig Groeschel speak. His message was extremely powerful and inspiring. There were a few major items that I took away from his message that I thought I would share and hopefully start some conversation.
1.) What if we believed that what happened in the Bible could still happen today? The healings, the miracles, the massive spreading of the Gospel, the transformation?
2.) When we hit a wall, it often times causes a revelation that we wouldn’t see otherwise.
3.) Limited resources + increasing passion = exponential innovation
4.) Sometimes, in order to be effective, you have to break some rules.
5.) How would you live your life differently if you knew you had 30 days to live?
6.) If we are going to reach the unreached, we are going to have to do things that have not been done before.
Thoughts?
Be sure to check out Craig's church here.
1.) What if we believed that what happened in the Bible could still happen today? The healings, the miracles, the massive spreading of the Gospel, the transformation?
2.) When we hit a wall, it often times causes a revelation that we wouldn’t see otherwise.
3.) Limited resources + increasing passion = exponential innovation
4.) Sometimes, in order to be effective, you have to break some rules.
5.) How would you live your life differently if you knew you had 30 days to live?
6.) If we are going to reach the unreached, we are going to have to do things that have not been done before.
Thoughts?
Be sure to check out Craig's church here.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Martin Luther King, Jr.…
I had the opportunity to visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site today. I spent most of my time at the Visitor’s Center and the King Center. The Visitor’s Center chronicles Dr. King’s life along with segregation, integration and the civil rights movement. I must tell you; there were a number of times that I was moved to tears at the hatred that dominated so much of the United States during these times. It just appalled me to no end to see how something like this could have gone on for so long with a group of people (God’s creation) being treated as less than human. It is just despicable. Walking through the streets of Atlanta, I was thrilled to see the fruits of Dr. King's labor. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t think race relations will ever be perfect, at least until Jesus’ return, but I think we have made major strides in the last thirty years. I was overwhelmed at the influence that Dr. King had and the change that he and those inspired by his life brought about. He is an excellent example of a man who was given a vision from God and carried it out faithfully to the end.
I also visited the King Center and saw Dr. and Mrs. King’s resting place in the middle of a large reflecting pond. The King Center offers displays on Dr. King, Mrs. King, Rosa Parks and Mahatma Ghandi. It focuses on nonviolent social change. Having taught this past year on Matthew 5:38-42, specifically on nonviolent resistance, this was extremely powerful. This inspires me to study more closely Jesus’ teachings and follow them as if he really meant what he said.
I also visited the King Center and saw Dr. and Mrs. King’s resting place in the middle of a large reflecting pond. The King Center offers displays on Dr. King, Mrs. King, Rosa Parks and Mahatma Ghandi. It focuses on nonviolent social change. Having taught this past year on Matthew 5:38-42, specifically on nonviolent resistance, this was extremely powerful. This inspires me to study more closely Jesus’ teachings and follow them as if he really meant what he said.
The streets of Atlanta…
picture courtesy of Emerging GraceSo, I’m in Atlanta for a meeting, conference and expo and I had a chance to do some exploring today (which is rare these days when I travel for a meeting). On my way back from Olympic Park, a guy approached me on the street to ask where I was going. I told him that I was on my way back to my car by the MLK, Jr. historic site. After saying that he was surprised that I was walking that far, he shared with me that he was homeless. His name is Eric. We introduced ourselves and after explaining why I had traveled all the way from Pennsylvania, I asked him to share his story with me. It turns out that he has only been on the streets two-and-a-half months. He told me that he found his wife sleeping with another man and turned to alcohol. Eric was arrested for DUI and has been living on the streets ever since.
This is the second divine ordained encounter (if you will) with a homeless person in the past week. All of this following my conviction after reading Todd’s blog.
I want to share a few things that I learned from Eric:
Eric believes in God. When he found out I work with churches and preach on the side, he asked me to pray for him. In fact, he is confident that God is using this situation to strengthen him and teach him what it means to appreciate things after having everything stripped away. Eric appreciates what he has and where he is. He thanks God that he is alive, has a new pair of boots, and has only been on the streets for two-and-a-half months (a lot shorter than most of his other friends).
Eric told me that he appreciated that I talked to him. He said most people won’t even look at him. He said that in most cases if he approaches someone to ask them for something or talk, the police tell him to move along so he doesn’t harass anyone.
Eric wants to work. He said he has filled out a number of applications, but most employers will not consider him if he lists a shelter as his home. A friend of his uses a P.O. Box number to have a better chance. He asked the owner of a restaurant if he could help them clean in exchange for food and they called the police on him. He asked someone for money and they began to curse him out.
What hurts Eric the most is when people dehumanize him (by not looking at him, acknowledging him, or seeing any value in him). You could see it lift his spirits when I told him that the two of us are no different. For whatever reason God has placed us in the current situations we find ourselves.
Eric has been on my heart and mind ever since. I have been praying for him. After he left, I wondered if I would remain so faithful despite losing every material thing that I have. I wondered why I live in comfort with no real need when so many others do not. God has been working in my heart on the issue of homelessness lately. I pray that God continues to give me compassion and love for the least of these, so that I do not grow desensitized to their plight. I pray that I do not take what I have for granted, but continue to give out of the abundance that God has blessed me with. I pray for Eric for safety, encouragement, strength, faith and that God will bring him out of this current situation at just the right time to bring glory to His name. And if Eric does not find his way off the streets, I pray that God will continue to use him as an inspiration to those like myself who so often look past the poverty and injustice right under our noses.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
props for my pops...
My Dad has had a concern for the people of Darfur on his heart for the past few years. He lives in a development in Northern Virginia where they have an annual Christmas decorating competition for their homes. It has been amazing to see the time and money people put into this competition. Last year, someone in his development actually paid someone to design and install their.
Well, he recently put together a proposal for his idea: "Dark for Darfur", shown to the left. His idea is to have people calculate how much they would normally spend decorating their house with lights and instead of putting up the lights, donate that money to the Save Darfur Coalition funding the crucial awareness and advocacy programs that play a critical role in building the political pressure needed to end the crisis in Darfur. Unfortunately, this is not a political issue, it is a humanity issue. Yet through Save Darfur, it is our hope that the word gets out so that we will not longer stand quietly while a brother or sister is subjected to atrocities and genocide. Save Darfur enthusiastically accepted his proposal, so this year will be the kick-off of the campaign. Each person that commits to going Dark for Darfur with a donation will receive a yard sign bearing the logo above so you can let your neighbors know why your house is dark. I think this is an excellent way of raising awareness and taking a stand for our brothers and sisters on the other side of the globe. I encourage you to check it out at the website (which has just launched recently). Oh, and if you are too attached to the tradition and look of the lights, make a donation and go Dark for Darfur, one night, one night a week, whatever works for you.
Friday, October 12, 2007
interesting interview...
I stumbled upon this interview in Christianity Today. I think these types of dialogues can help us as followers of Jesus understand modern Judaism better. Although tone is really hard to read in text, I sensed some judgemental tone in Kendall. Maybe that's just me, you can "judge" for yourself. HA!
The following quote bothered me a bit though:
Kendall: Christianity is basically about a person, Jesus of Nazareth—who was, we believe, the God-man. And it isn't as much what he taught about loving one another and all of the things people say they admire about Jesus. The heart of Christianity is the person of Jesus, who he was and what he did more than what he said, although we accept what he said as true.
What do you think of this statement? So as to not bias your responses, I won't elaborate on my thoughts until I get some responses.
The following quote bothered me a bit though:
Kendall: Christianity is basically about a person, Jesus of Nazareth—who was, we believe, the God-man. And it isn't as much what he taught about loving one another and all of the things people say they admire about Jesus. The heart of Christianity is the person of Jesus, who he was and what he did more than what he said, although we accept what he said as true.
What do you think of this statement? So as to not bias your responses, I won't elaborate on my thoughts until I get some responses.
Introducing Hallmark (PRODUCT) RED
It's VERY rare that I plug a product, but Hallmark just recently joined the (PRODUCT) RED team and I love this commercial.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
breaking the silence...
The blog has been silent for a bit...sorry about that.
I have been listening to two great teaching series lately and I highly recommend them both. Check out Mars Hill and The Village Church current teachings by clicking on the links. They are both podcasts so you need iTunes to listen.
I have been listening to two great teaching series lately and I highly recommend them both. Check out Mars Hill and The Village Church current teachings by clicking on the links. They are both podcasts so you need iTunes to listen.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
journal entry...
Not sure why, but I felt moved to share this...
I feel this sorrow in my soul, on the verge of tears, I’m not sure from where it comes. Call it a crisis of faith? No it’s not close to that, but I wonder why I am who I am, where are you calling me to go? The confusion surrounds me wherever I go. Lead me and guide me. Never forsake me. Help me to know that you will never let me go.
Up, down, I look all over. Searching for your face. Is it Jesus? Is it the Holy Spirit? Is it you? Aw, the reflection stares back at me and it looks just like me, but maybe it’s you living inside of me. How could I be more than what I am? I don’t know, but maybe you do.
I feel these words flowing from within, as a pit in the bottom of my stomach. I want to get them out, can’t type fast enough. Maybe you are typing in the midst of my world. I don’t understand, I fear I never will, reveal to me, reveal to me your will.
Help me, hold me, lift me up. So that I might be high enough to catch a glimpse. To catch a glimpse of your glory, just as Moses did. Would it be enough then? I doubt it would, I doubt it ever will be, for just as Moses was not satisfied, I long for more, I long for it deeper, is that wrong? I long for more in the midst of all you’ve already given. Am I selfish, am I a fraud?
I know I love you deep within, but is it knowledge, is it spirit? I don’t know what to call it, it just is. Your love is more than I can comprehend, your love, your expectation for us to send, to send ourselves into this world and conquer it with love for your cause. But you’re more than a cause, more than a crutch, more than anything I can comprehend.
In the end, it’s just you and me. And I struggle to understand what it’s meant to be. Thank you Jesus, thank you so for loving me and letting me go from all the burdens, all the fears, all the turmoil. If I let it, it would eat me up, but with you, you just build me up.
I sense your Spirit, I sense your presence, Oh my God, if I could only describe the feeling that is inside. If I could write it down or paint it true, I fear that it wouldn’t really describe you. Lead me, guide me through it all, Father God, you are my all in all.
I feel this sorrow in my soul, on the verge of tears, I’m not sure from where it comes. Call it a crisis of faith? No it’s not close to that, but I wonder why I am who I am, where are you calling me to go? The confusion surrounds me wherever I go. Lead me and guide me. Never forsake me. Help me to know that you will never let me go.
Up, down, I look all over. Searching for your face. Is it Jesus? Is it the Holy Spirit? Is it you? Aw, the reflection stares back at me and it looks just like me, but maybe it’s you living inside of me. How could I be more than what I am? I don’t know, but maybe you do.
I feel these words flowing from within, as a pit in the bottom of my stomach. I want to get them out, can’t type fast enough. Maybe you are typing in the midst of my world. I don’t understand, I fear I never will, reveal to me, reveal to me your will.
Help me, hold me, lift me up. So that I might be high enough to catch a glimpse. To catch a glimpse of your glory, just as Moses did. Would it be enough then? I doubt it would, I doubt it ever will be, for just as Moses was not satisfied, I long for more, I long for it deeper, is that wrong? I long for more in the midst of all you’ve already given. Am I selfish, am I a fraud?
I know I love you deep within, but is it knowledge, is it spirit? I don’t know what to call it, it just is. Your love is more than I can comprehend, your love, your expectation for us to send, to send ourselves into this world and conquer it with love for your cause. But you’re more than a cause, more than a crutch, more than anything I can comprehend.
In the end, it’s just you and me. And I struggle to understand what it’s meant to be. Thank you Jesus, thank you so for loving me and letting me go from all the burdens, all the fears, all the turmoil. If I let it, it would eat me up, but with you, you just build me up.
I sense your Spirit, I sense your presence, Oh my God, if I could only describe the feeling that is inside. If I could write it down or paint it true, I fear that it wouldn’t really describe you. Lead me, guide me through it all, Father God, you are my all in all.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
too much caffeine...
Those of you who know me know that I cannot do caffeine. In fact I have completely cut it out of my diet for health reasons. I thank God that for whatever reason I can still enjoy chocolate since it does not tend to bother me as much as caffeine in soda. Anyway, I had an evening meeting tonight and picked up a green tea and dark chocolate for the ride home and I am way too wired now...so what else to do but blog?
I have been reading through (and listening to) the book of Joshua lately and today I heard something interesting for the first time.
Joshua 2:15 reads, "So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall."
Now prior to this, we are told that Joshua secretly sends two spies to look over the land, "especially Jericho." They went and entered the house of Rahab, a prostitute. She hides the spies because she knows, "that the LORD has given this land" to them and "the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below." In exchange she asks for protection for her and her family.
After the Israelites cross the Jordan and come to Jericho in the most bizarre story of conquering a city ever, God gives them the city upon following his command to march around the city seven times on the seventh day (of marching). How do they get into the city? "The wall collapsed."
First, Rahab has amazing faith in God in the midst of a city filled with people who for all we know do not believe in the one true God. This faith gives her the boldness to hide spies who were scoping out her land to conquer, and to bargain with them for her and her family's lives. She does as the spies tell her and ties a scarlet cord in the window so they can distinguish her from the others. Yet, we are told that she lives in the city wall and the wall collapsed. Can you imagine the fear that Rahab and her family must have experienced as they felt the wall collapsing around them waiting for the promise to be fulfilled?
I have been thinking a lot lately about the cost of following Jesus. We are told by Jesus himself that it is not easy. We are told to take up our cross and follow him. We are told that in this world we will have trouble. But we are also told that Jesus has overcome the world! As difficult as it must have been for Rahab and her family to trust in God's promise in the midst of the chaos and disaster unfolding around them, after the siege of the city, her faith was rewarded with the fulfillment of God's promise to save her and her family. And more than that, her faith was rewarded with being included in Jesus' lineage.
Just like Rahab, although we experience trouble and difficulties that test our faith, God keeps his promises. And just as Rahab is saved and included in Jesus' lineage, we are saved by Jesus and included in his lineage as "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
In a culture where we avoid suffering at all costs, may we come to understand this text more deeply through the presence of Jesus in our lives and truly understand what it means to share in Jesus' sufferings. I know; it's a very scary prayer...
I have been reading through (and listening to) the book of Joshua lately and today I heard something interesting for the first time.
Joshua 2:15 reads, "So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall."
Now prior to this, we are told that Joshua secretly sends two spies to look over the land, "especially Jericho." They went and entered the house of Rahab, a prostitute. She hides the spies because she knows, "that the LORD has given this land" to them and "the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below." In exchange she asks for protection for her and her family.
After the Israelites cross the Jordan and come to Jericho in the most bizarre story of conquering a city ever, God gives them the city upon following his command to march around the city seven times on the seventh day (of marching). How do they get into the city? "The wall collapsed."
First, Rahab has amazing faith in God in the midst of a city filled with people who for all we know do not believe in the one true God. This faith gives her the boldness to hide spies who were scoping out her land to conquer, and to bargain with them for her and her family's lives. She does as the spies tell her and ties a scarlet cord in the window so they can distinguish her from the others. Yet, we are told that she lives in the city wall and the wall collapsed. Can you imagine the fear that Rahab and her family must have experienced as they felt the wall collapsing around them waiting for the promise to be fulfilled?
I have been thinking a lot lately about the cost of following Jesus. We are told by Jesus himself that it is not easy. We are told to take up our cross and follow him. We are told that in this world we will have trouble. But we are also told that Jesus has overcome the world! As difficult as it must have been for Rahab and her family to trust in God's promise in the midst of the chaos and disaster unfolding around them, after the siege of the city, her faith was rewarded with the fulfillment of God's promise to save her and her family. And more than that, her faith was rewarded with being included in Jesus' lineage.
Just like Rahab, although we experience trouble and difficulties that test our faith, God keeps his promises. And just as Rahab is saved and included in Jesus' lineage, we are saved by Jesus and included in his lineage as "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
In a culture where we avoid suffering at all costs, may we come to understand this text more deeply through the presence of Jesus in our lives and truly understand what it means to share in Jesus' sufferings. I know; it's a very scary prayer...
Friday, August 24, 2007
hangin out with God and Jesus...
As I was walking with my daughter this afternoon, I told her how nice it was to spend time with her because I have been so busy with work lately. She responded, "well, when you get to heaven you won't have to work anymore; you'll get to just hang out with God and Jesus." Wow, I love the idea of just hangin out with God and Jesus. My desire is to enter into that rest in the midst of the busyness of our lives and today I just caught a brief glimpse of that rest...
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Thank you Jesus...
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Thank you Jesus...
Monday, August 13, 2007
Friday, August 3, 2007
planes, automobiles, atlanta and sushi...
So I arrived at the airport in Philly with no issues to speak of at security and proceeded to the gate where my flight was scheduled to leave at 11:45am. We ended up boarding around 12:15pm and took off. I dozed off for about 20 minutes during takeoff (airplanes are incredibly therapeutic to me) when I woke up to an announcement that we were going to have to land in Philly again because there was some sort of issue with the landing gear. Now, this sort of stuff does not get to me. I don't really get nervous on planes; call it faith, call it my nature, whatever...so we landed in Philly to find out that they couldn't fix the problem so we had to get off and board another plane after about another 30 minutes. This time it was pretty much seamless and I finally arrived in Atlanta at about 5:30pm about 3 hours later than I was originally supposed to. Much thanks to my boss for volunteering to do the meeting tonight solo so I could hit the hotel and rest to be ready for our workshop tomorrow morning. I took the shuttle to get my rental car and after some searching for a full-size car, the guy came around with a new Nissan Altima. I filled out the paperwork, got directions to the hotel and hit the road. Once I was on the highway, I happened to look down and notice that there were no keys in the ignition! There was a big ON/OFF switch for the ignition in its place. It's at this point it hit me that I don't know where the keys are and if there are any keys! After my mind was spinning the rest of the drive to the hotel about whether I'm going to have to leave the car unlocked or call Enterprise to bring the keys to me, I pulled into the hotel parking lot. After some serious searching, I finally noticed the key electronically inserted into a slot on the left side of the dash under the steering wheel! HUH?! Are we really that lazy that we can't turn our wrist to start the car? Man, I felt stupid. So after getting settled into the hotel, I found a fantastic sushi bar around the corner and had dinner. Man, there's nothing like good sushi, especially when you top it off with Haagen-Dazs.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
the bridge...
Most of you probably heard the news yesterday of a bridge collapse in Minneapolis. I stumbled upon this blog site today by John Piper. I was moved to tears by his insight and faithful reflection.
Monday, July 30, 2007
blood diamond...
I watched Blood Diamond last night. It was an excellent movie, although my recommendation comes with a heavy warning. The movie is filled with harsh language and violence. However, I think through that is communicated an amazing story of a family caught in the middle of the diamond war in Africa.
What was so disturbing and moving to me was the depiction of Africa itself in the midst of the turmoil of civil war and senseless killing of innocent people. I was so convicted last night after watching the film that I began praying for the people of Africa; not just those who live on the west coast where this film was set, but for those in Darfur and other areas that are experiencing similar situations.
I realize that this was simply a movie, but the most shocking aspect of it for me was watching families disrupted and ripped apart for greed and violence. Watching young boys being kidnapped and forced into rebel armies where they are strapped with machine guns and forced to kill innocent people just tore my heart out. Although this was just a movie, I hear more and more of these truths as I push beneath the surface of the media's lead stories.
The most memorable quote for me was by a female American journalist in the film that is so distraught by the situation and America's lack of response says, "you might find a minute long story about this on CNN between sports and the weather." I feel as though we must do more to make our voice heard about this genocide and senseless violence so that it will be tolerated no more. But how do you bring peace to a situation where there is no value for human life? Jesus Christ is the only way that I know...
Sunday, July 29, 2007
the elders...
I was surfing the internet tonight and stumbled across a link to this site. This is an amazingly powerful concept and an excellent group that has been formed. I am still learning more about it, but so far, I really like what I have read...
Friday, July 20, 2007
Should it stay?
or should it go?
I thought I'd lighten up the blog a bit with this post. Please vote to the right on whether or not you think I should keep the gotee.
the options are shown above...
My lovely wife's vote counts twice...
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
God HAS blessed America...
We watched the Nooma DVD Rich a few weeks ago at The Village and tonight I really had an experience that reminded me of that teaching. My doorbell rang and when I opened the door, two young men asked if I was interested in supporting an initiative (to quote their website) "assuring supplies of clean, safe and affordable water for all Americans, now and for the future." I supported them and signed their paper to show our local politicians that we the people feel strongly about this. http://www.cleanwateraction.org/
After they left, I was strongly convicted. How blessed are we in America that we can develop grassroots organizations that speak for the ordinary people so our concerns reach the ears of those in charge? Very blessed. I then thought of those in other countries who do not have any access to clean drinking water and whose voices are never heard. As important as it is to participate in our democratic system in America to bring reform here, we must also consider our brothers and sisters on the other side of the world who have no voice. We must be their voice. Because as much as God has blessed America, I believe He wants us to share those blessings with others. Let's give power to those whose voices fall on deaf ears. Let's give strength to those who do not have the energy to form the words. Let's spread the love and continue to build the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Anderson Cooper: What is a Christian? Part One
I checked out the footage of Anderson Cooper's CNN broadcast special with the above title the past few nights. It's a pretty interesting and scary (sometimes) look inside churches.
It's broken up into eight parts I think. My personal favorite is when Anderson says in response to the question 'what would Jesus drive?' "the big ol' honkin' Bentley." I tell you Joel Osteen scares me to death.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Christmas in July...
It's hard to think about Christmas this time of year, especially after the temperatures we had today, but I was browsing Rick McKinley's blog site and found this link.
I am really excited about the possibility of joining in with this at The Village and encouraging others to come aboard. I have been struggling over the past few years with the consumerism of Christmas especially since my daughter has begun to associate love with people buying her things. I think this is a great opportunity for us to focus on the meaning of Christmas by remembering how Jesus came to us and lived out His ministry on earth. This is a great opportunity for us to be missional walkers instead of just talkers.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
blessings...
The past week was one of the most relaxing vacations I can remember. I really focused a lot on appreciating God's Creation (ocean waves crashing, sunsets - never got up early enough for the sunrises). I have really found the value in periodically taking some time to reflect on the blessings that God gives us and our relationship with Him. I also reflected on my appreciation for my family. I certainly have been blessed. I continue to wrestle with how to use these wonderful blessings to bless others so they do not terminate on me. Here is a stream of consciousness list of things I am thankful for at the moment...good food, fruit of the vine (fermented), my daughter, my wife, life, friends, family, health, rest, Jesus...
Thursday, July 5, 2007
i've already got plans nov. 26th...
For those of you who check out J.R.'s blog regularly, you've probably already seen this, but for those who haven't, Rob Bell is doing another speaking tour and I plan to attend...you can get pre-order tickets on the website and the proceeds go to the microfinance project that Mars Hill is financing...
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
pre-vacation...
This pic describes my emotions pretty well the last day before vacation...I'll update it throughout the week...
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
faith...
I was listening to the book of Acts on my Bible cd in the car today on my way to a meeting and I have been wrestling with the following verse from Acts 14:9:
"He saw that he had faith to be healed."
The verse speaks of Paul when he is in Lystra and comes upon a lame man. Scripture clearly points out that this man had never walked, that he was lame from birth.
I find it interesting not only what Paul says, but what he does. 1.) Paul "looked directly" at the man 2.) he "saw that he had faith to be healed" 3.) and he called out "stand up on your feet!"
This is fascinating to me because Paul and Barnabas were just sent out from Jerusalem after the apostles settled the matter of a sect of Jewish followers of Jesus who were forcing Gentiles to be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul then almost gets stoned and then goes on to Lystra with Barnabas.
He then comes upon this man. The word "saw" stands out to me. In the context of the sentence, "he saw that he had faith to be healed," this is a much different concept of seeing than the physical human sense. Paul "saw" something that is not clearly visible to the average person. My only explanation is that Paul, empowered by the Holy Spirit, senses the faith of this lame man. How does he see this? He sees with the eyes of the Spirit, the eyes of Jesus, the eyes of God.
First, why don't we see this way? It requires being completely in tune with the Spirit. Second, how is Paul able to heal the man? Does Paul really heal the man? In fact, all Paul does is make a pretty bizarre statement. He is surrounded by people anxious to learn from his teaching about Jesus and he pulls a Jesus and heals someone. But, in the same way Jesus did, he empowered the man to participate in the act of his healing. He calls the man to stand up. Now, we have already been told that Paul saw that this man had faith to be healed, and we are then shown that by the man's willingness to stand up after not ever knowing what it felt like to stand. Two notable times that Jesus performed a miracle this way is first the wedding feast at Cana. He commands the servants to fill up the jugs with water. They obey and the water becomes wine. Second, he heals a blind man by spitting in the mud and wiping it on his eyes and telling him to go and wash. I find it pretty amazing that Jesus invites us to participate in our own healing. Even Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross invites us to act. We have to choose whether we will accept his sacrifice or not.
And what is the crowd's reaction after this amazing miracle? They try to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods. Talk about missing the point. God must be so frustrated with these jokers. No wonder Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes and run into the crowd to confront them...
"He saw that he had faith to be healed."
The verse speaks of Paul when he is in Lystra and comes upon a lame man. Scripture clearly points out that this man had never walked, that he was lame from birth.
I find it interesting not only what Paul says, but what he does. 1.) Paul "looked directly" at the man 2.) he "saw that he had faith to be healed" 3.) and he called out "stand up on your feet!"
This is fascinating to me because Paul and Barnabas were just sent out from Jerusalem after the apostles settled the matter of a sect of Jewish followers of Jesus who were forcing Gentiles to be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul then almost gets stoned and then goes on to Lystra with Barnabas.
He then comes upon this man. The word "saw" stands out to me. In the context of the sentence, "he saw that he had faith to be healed," this is a much different concept of seeing than the physical human sense. Paul "saw" something that is not clearly visible to the average person. My only explanation is that Paul, empowered by the Holy Spirit, senses the faith of this lame man. How does he see this? He sees with the eyes of the Spirit, the eyes of Jesus, the eyes of God.
First, why don't we see this way? It requires being completely in tune with the Spirit. Second, how is Paul able to heal the man? Does Paul really heal the man? In fact, all Paul does is make a pretty bizarre statement. He is surrounded by people anxious to learn from his teaching about Jesus and he pulls a Jesus and heals someone. But, in the same way Jesus did, he empowered the man to participate in the act of his healing. He calls the man to stand up. Now, we have already been told that Paul saw that this man had faith to be healed, and we are then shown that by the man's willingness to stand up after not ever knowing what it felt like to stand. Two notable times that Jesus performed a miracle this way is first the wedding feast at Cana. He commands the servants to fill up the jugs with water. They obey and the water becomes wine. Second, he heals a blind man by spitting in the mud and wiping it on his eyes and telling him to go and wash. I find it pretty amazing that Jesus invites us to participate in our own healing. Even Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross invites us to act. We have to choose whether we will accept his sacrifice or not.
And what is the crowd's reaction after this amazing miracle? They try to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods. Talk about missing the point. God must be so frustrated with these jokers. No wonder Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes and run into the crowd to confront them...
Thursday, June 21, 2007
the simple way...
Click here to find out how you can help our brothers and sisters at the Simple Way after the devastating fire...
http://www.thesimpleway.org/
http://www.thesimpleway.org/
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
sins - forgiven...
You all know that I am addicted to Mars Hill's podcasts, but you HAVE to listen to this past week's teaching by Ed Dobson. Ed was Rob Bell's mentor and he is an excellent teacher.
Enjoy...
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=214057317
Enjoy...
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=214057317
Saturday, June 16, 2007
music...
I am really not big on the radio these days, since I listen mostly to cd's and my iPod, BUT I stumbled onto this station recently and I love it. There are hardly any commercials (and the ones they do have are short and sweet) and they rarely repeat songs in a single day. PLUS, it is all music from the 90's and 00's, heavy on the grunge rock. Man, I feel like I'm back in college every time I listen.
Give it a listen at http://www.radio1045.com/main.html
Give it a listen at http://www.radio1045.com/main.html
Friday, June 15, 2007
conference...
I spent all day today in Philly at the Annual Conference for the EPC of the UMC. Two things I learned: 1. There has to be real motivation for pastors to go out of their way to an off-the-beaten-path ballroom to look at vendor's booths. 2. Pastors love candy.
It was a rather boring day, although I did get to catch up with a bunch of pastors that I had not seen in years, which was cool. I also met an amazing guy named Osaze from Palmer Theological Seminary.
To fight off the boredom, I did a lot of brainstorming for The Village, particularly for our gathering this week, and for our upcoming "doubt booth" at VBS. At one point, my hand just had to keep moving, so I did this sketch. Sorry, I could not get the picture any clearer.
It was a rather boring day, although I did get to catch up with a bunch of pastors that I had not seen in years, which was cool. I also met an amazing guy named Osaze from Palmer Theological Seminary.
To fight off the boredom, I did a lot of brainstorming for The Village, particularly for our gathering this week, and for our upcoming "doubt booth" at VBS. At one point, my hand just had to keep moving, so I did this sketch. Sorry, I could not get the picture any clearer.
what art movement are you?
This is in response to Liza's blog...check it out at
http://brusheswithgrace.blogspot.com/
http://brusheswithgrace.blogspot.com/
| You Are Surrealism |
 Dreamy and idealistic, you've created a world that is all your own. It's very likely that you've either dabbled in drugs or are naturally trippy. You are always trying to push beyond the boundaries of your culture and society. You believe that art, love, and freedom can change the world. |
Thursday, June 14, 2007
interesting article...
I found this interesting as we try to "understand" God and continue to ponder the true meaning of worship...
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/juneweb-only/124-42.0.html
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/juneweb-only/124-42.0.html
Monday, May 28, 2007
memorial day...
Most of you may know that Lisa's brother spent two tours in Iraq with the Air Force. He's finished his service now, but I have never been the same or seen the war in Iraq the same way since I spoke to him after he returned. I cannot imagine living through some of the things he was exposed to over there. I take this day to remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect our freedom. The majority of those who serve are young men and women. My prayers go out to those still over there and elsewhere around the world. In this world of senseless violence that buys into the myth of redemptive violence, may we turn to follow Jesus' other way...
Check out Lisa's blogspot; she has a great memorial youtube video link for today...
http://lisaslittlebitofeverythin.blogspot.com/
Peace.
Check out Lisa's blogspot; she has a great memorial youtube video link for today...
http://lisaslittlebitofeverythin.blogspot.com/
Peace.
Monday, May 14, 2007
another article...
Since we were talking about Revolution by George Barna, I thought this was an interesting post to see how many different impressions people can get from reading the same book...
http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=1411
http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=1411
Sunday, May 13, 2007
and now for something completely different...
When hair clippers attack...man, I'm never gonna live this one down...how long does it take hair to grow back?!
must read...
You all have to read this article...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20070510/ts_csm/cbelief_1
I actually found out about Henderson when I read his book A.K.A. Lost.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20070510/ts_csm/cbelief_1
I actually found out about Henderson when I read his book A.K.A. Lost.
Friday, May 11, 2007
green is the word...
Great convention that I attended in San Antonio. I came upon two links that I thought I'd share for those that are interested. The first is a letter to humanity from a ton of scientists written back in 1992 that got zero press. The second is a link to the website of a scientist, David Suzuki, on real ways that we can reduce our carbon footprint.
http://www.worldtrans.org/whole/warning.html
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/NatureChallenge/
Although these individuals may have a different world view than most of us, I choose to react to the facts rather than ignore them, since one of the first and most basic tasks we have been given is to be good stewards of what we've been given, starting with God's creation...
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
dos de mayo trivia...
Any guesses as to why Jesus' knees are bloody in this statue?
(HINT: I don't know the answer but I have some thoughts of my own)
REVOLUTION!!!
Oh and by the way, I finished this one before diving into Sex God. This is a MUST read...join the revolution!
travel, Sex God and work...
So, I'm here in San Antonio...what a beautiful city. The riverwalk is amazing. The pic above is our hotel.
So I was in airports and planes most of the day yesterday and I finally got to dive into Rob Bell's book Sex God.
Once again, Rob delivers with his amazing way to make you rethink everything you ever thought you knew, stretch those boundaries and feel like you are learning everything new for the first time. I got through the first three chapters and as most of you have probably read the first chapter, the next two certainly don't disappoint.
Don't worry, I won't give anything away, but Rob redefines the word sex based on the Latin root and you will never look at, use or think of the word the same way after reading this. One of Rob's best abilities is to find the spiritual in everything and the connections he makes are astounding. Just like in Velvet Elvis, he intertwines scripture to back up his statements and personal stories to drive home the point. If I had to summarize the book so far with one word, it would be "connection". I can't wait until Monday (my next travel day) to finish it off...
And now back to work...
Friday, April 20, 2007
the Sun...
This is fascinating to me. Check out this article...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20070419/sc_space/sunsatmospheresings
(for whatever reason the link tool wouldn't work)
After I read the article, I just kept thinking even the Sun sings praises to God the Creator. Amazing...
15 It was you who opened up springs and streams;
you dried up the ever flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.
17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.
Psalm 74:15-17
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
ode to a cell phone?
Wow...I was convicted pretty hard core by the Holy Spirit this morning. I was driving to work and I realized that one of the most exciting things I had on my mind this week was the anticipation of a new cell phone coming in the mail (a free upgrade, I might add for humility's sake). I started thinking, what is this crazy material world that we live in that I could be completlely consumed over a freakin cell phone?! It got me thinking about the Psalms and how most of the psalmists pour out their heart in devotion to God whether in misery or jubilation. How unfortunate is it that our senses and awareness of God is numbed out by our misguided lust over material objects. Not only that, but I listened to a message today by a pastor who spoke about our devotion to sports teams and how we get more excited about whether they win or lose than our experiences with God.
Not much more I can say on this one...convicted...I thank the Holy Spirit for opening my eyes to it...
May we chase after God with this same obsession and love so that all we see and encounter we may use to bring glory to His name...
Oh and for those of you who run into me and notice my new phone, feel free to rip into me...HA
Not much more I can say on this one...convicted...I thank the Holy Spirit for opening my eyes to it...
May we chase after God with this same obsession and love so that all we see and encounter we may use to bring glory to His name...
Oh and for those of you who run into me and notice my new phone, feel free to rip into me...HA
Monday, April 9, 2007
Easter?
So, I got to thinking earlier this week about "Easter". What does the word "Easter" actually mean? This became more interesting to me the more I heard people use "Resurrection Day" in lieu of "Easter". Ok, I'm done with the quotes, that was annoying...So, according to Wikipedia, "the origin of the term Easter comes from the Germanic name for the month in which the Christian feast usually fell, and so, just as the American civic holiday of the Fourth of July has nothing to do with Julius Caesar for whom July was named, neither does Easter have anything to do with the pagan goddess Eostre, the namesake of the month in which Pascha fell. This potential difficulty only exists for speakers of Germanic languages, however. Most languages in the world use a cognate form of the Greek term Pascha and so are free of any pagan connotations for the name of the feast."
So, we use some term for the resurrection of Jesus that has absolutely nothing to do with Him or what He did. Nice. Fortunately in most other languages, the word used for the celebration of Jesus' resurrection is derived from the Hebrew Pesach, meaning Passover, as Jesus is the true Passover lamb. This got me thinking about how many words we use regularly having no idea what they mean or what they are deriven from. It has made me think more intentionally about the words I use.
So, next year I guess I'll be wishing people a Happy Resurrection Day or Happy Pascha...
My next research project: why do we feel the need to bless people after they sneeze...
So, we use some term for the resurrection of Jesus that has absolutely nothing to do with Him or what He did. Nice. Fortunately in most other languages, the word used for the celebration of Jesus' resurrection is derived from the Hebrew Pesach, meaning Passover, as Jesus is the true Passover lamb. This got me thinking about how many words we use regularly having no idea what they mean or what they are deriven from. It has made me think more intentionally about the words I use.
So, next year I guess I'll be wishing people a Happy Resurrection Day or Happy Pascha...
My next research project: why do we feel the need to bless people after they sneeze...
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Lent...
In this season of reflection, inward looking and meditation, check out this link to Mars Hill Bible Church's Lent page...
http://www.marshill.org/lent07/index.php
Click on the link for the Lent Book for daily readings during the season, which I have found extremely helpful so far...
May God bless you in your walk...
http://www.marshill.org/lent07/index.php
Click on the link for the Lent Book for daily readings during the season, which I have found extremely helpful so far...
May God bless you in your walk...
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
what is truth?
This is my sermon topic for Sunday evening. My hope and prayer is that it prompts the desire for further discussion as you wrestle with the text and the ideas brought forth.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Men's Sunday school class...
Ok, guys. We are in our fourth week of our study, Jesus' Response to a World Gone Wrong. We are dealing with some deep topics, so here's a post for us to contemplate and wrestle some more.
Friday, January 26, 2007
just walk...
This is a place where you can share stories, feelings, comments, etc. about the Just Walk campaign. Let me know how your doing with it (i.e. difficulties, strengths)...Thursday, January 25, 2007
the breath of life...
So, I checked out the nooma DVD breathe last night. It was pretty amazing and insightful. Rob talked about how the Hebrew word for spirit and the Hebrew word for breathe are the same and how the name of God in Hebrew was thought by some rabbis to actually be the sound of breathing.
He talked specifically about the story of Moses and his encounter with God in the burning bush, which reminded me of the story of Jacob where he encounters God while sleeping and wrestles with Him. In both cases, there are references to the ground being holy where they had their encounter with God. Rob wonders and I wonder also if this ground became holy because of God's encounter there with each of them or whether the ground was already holy. I mean, doesn't God ultimately dwell among all of His creation?
This thinking about breathing and spirit also includes the story of creation when God forms Adam from the dust and "breathes into his nostrils the breath of life." When we are born into this world, we must take that first breathe to live and we breathe it in, receiving it. Jesus told His followers before he died and rose again that He would send the Spirit to be with His followers. He then, after the resurrection, breathes on his followers and says, "receive the Holy Spirit." The breath of life, the breath of new life...
I encourage you to wrestle with this, ponder this and while you are, read Ezekiel 37 and see how it relates...
And check out the nooma website at http://www.nooma.com/
and the journey continues...
the conversation begins...
Well, this is my first attempt at a blog, but I thought I should get with the times. I will blog here fairly frequently about spiritual things as I continue in the journey...
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