We need to see our world more clearly...

What the Other Steve Says....is Better

I go on and on about Christian American things, post them, and then, I find this. Go ahead, look. Steve (same name as me) lives in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

I am shamed by the beautiful simplicity of this man's commitment to and love for Jesus.

More Peterson - Misplaced Intimacy

The Wrong Kind of Intimacy


As I mentioned yesterday, I was thunderstruck by the thoughts of Eugene Peterson in this article in Christianity Today. More to discuss today:

We've got to disabuse people of these illusions of what the Christian life is. It's a wonderful life, but it's not wonderful in the way a lot of people want it to be.

If intimacy means being open and honest and authentic, so I don't have veils, or I don't have to be defensive or in denial of who I am, that's wonderful. But in our culture, intimacy usually has sexual connotations, with some kind of completion. So I want intimacy because I want more out of life. Very seldom does it have the sense of sacrifice or giving or being vulnerable. Those are two different ways of being intimate. And in our American vocabulary intimacy usually has to do with getting something from the other. That just screws the whole thing up. It's very dangerous to use the language of the culture to interpret the gospel. Our vocabulary has to be chastened and tested by revelation, by the Scriptures. We've got a pretty good vocabulary and syntax, and we'd better start paying attention to it because the way we grab words here and there to appeal to unbelievers is not very good.

The Christian life is not a wonderful life - in the way we want it to be. Oh my goodness, that single comment right there, in my mind takes out about 1/2 of the stuff I see on the bookshelves in Christian Book stores (including this book, which merely by its title, gives me massive willies). Maybe that is why, when I seldom visit my local Christian book store, I get a feeling like I have been dipped in Sweet N' Low; all sugar, no calories, no protein, no carbs, no real nourishment for the soul. A kind of parroting of all the nice neat parts of American culture, without cuss words, and lots of Thomas Kinkade art.

Shame on us church folk for using the language of the culture to interpret the gospel. Eugene is so right, we need to use the the Scripture as the basis for our vocabulary. But this is hard. How do we communicate a gospel that has at its core these two competing ideas (among many others):

Matt 10:38 - "and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."
and
Matt 11:30 - "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Darn that Jesus. He is not self-actualized. Not listening to his inner child! How do we communicate this to a waiting world. This stuff is not easy. But our silly Christian culture makes out like it is.

One more quote from Eugene, that speaks for itself:

I've been a pastor most of my life, for some 45 years. I love doing this. But to tell you the truth, the people who give me the most distress are those who come asking, "Pastor, how can I be spiritual?" Forget about being spiritual. How about loving your husband? Now that's a good place to start. But that's not what they're interested in. How about learning to love your kids, accept them the way they are?

My name shouldn't even be connected with spirituality.

Eugene, your views on the "s word" are not so bad after all.

May I love my wife, my kids, my friends, my neighbors all in a most unusual way, and may that love be seen as something of value for the Kingdom. May it be so Lord.

Peterson - Spiritual Intimacy

Softball Season has begun!
Blue Crush 5, Other Team (Name unknown by me) 7 Darn!
Season Record 1-1

The thoughts of Eugene Peterson in the most recent edition of Christianity Today has done me much good. To wit:

Spirituality is no different from what we've been doing for two thousand years just by going to church and receiving the sacraments, being baptized, learning to pray, and reading Scriptures rightly. It's just ordinary stuff. This promise of intimacy is both right and wrong. There is an intimacy with God, but it's like any other intimacy; it's part of the fabric of your life. In marriage you don't feel intimate most of the time. Nor with a friend. Intimacy isn't primarily a mystical emotion. It's a way of life, a life of openness, honesty, a certain transparency.

Hearing this, for me, is like opening a window to a fresh spring breeze, after that drunk uncle has been visiting after eating a bad burrito.

Ordinary stuff. Image that. And all those books on Spirituality. I just Googled "Christian Spirituality" and received back 2,970,000 hits! At Amazon, you get 2,285 relevant book hits for this topic. Whew! I am tired, just thinking about it.

Not mystical. Itimacy as a part of the fabric of your life. I love this idea, and it seems to be a concept I can get my mind around. Openness, honesty, transparency. These are so very much the characteristics of Jesus, and so much of what I struggle against. After all, in our world, isn't it better to have your guard up just a bit, to be cautious of the other person? Perhaps I need to spend my time listening to Jesus, pondering the life he lived here on earth, seeking Him. Imagine that. Ordinary stuff.

More Peterson:

If you read the saints, they're pretty ordinary people. There are moments of rapture and ecstasy, but once every 10 years. And even then it's a surprise to them. They didn't do anything. We've got to disabuse people of these illusions of what the Christian life is. It's a wonderful life, but it's not wonderful in the way a lot of people want it to be.

Not wonderful in the way we want it to be? What could that mean. More later, its late. Work tomorrow.

Spirituality for All the Wrong Reasons

Eugene Peterson

As my plane ride to Sacramento for business hit cruising altitude yesterday morning, I was perusing the latest issue of Christianity Today. From long-time Presbyterian pastor and the author of The Message, we are now blessed with this remarkable interview. If you do anything today, read this please!

My thought: all we Believing folk should take Eugene's ideas, and make them grist for discussions about the way we do church. This interview with Dr. Peterson serves to clear away the cultural fog we face in building the church. As I finished the article, I set down my glasses, and thought to myself, "Wow, now this is clear thinking about life in Christ." And then, out of the window of the plane, laid out before me, were the snow capped Sierras. Wow - look what God has done....and continues to do. Creating!

A Beloved Drunk Uncle

After feeling varying degrees of sadness and angst over being "church homeless", this article renews my faith in what God continues to do each day.

Oh that Believing people might love their communities, their unchurched friends, and even their dysfunctional church like that "beloved drunk uncle"!

Suburban Haiku

My mortgage is large
Debt looms over me like fog
American Dream?

A Response To Derek

A response to Derek

I received a thoughtful response to two posts, here and here, from Derek, who is obviously a kind, handsome, thrifty, brave, and courteous Christian fellow. Oh, and one who takes well to compliments.

Derek had a couple of thoughts that I wanted to respond to here, as they are important ideas that beg further discussion. Derek was concerned about setting a "low bar" to membership in a church. Lowering the bar seemed to be troublesome to Derek, in that some compromising (watering down) of the Gospel may be taking place if a church is too easy on letting in new members. This is a good point. Derek noted that some of the "wild questions" from potential new members about the responsibilities of membership in a church would avoided if we were more strict in our delineation of what membership is all about.

In my mind, the height or depth of the bar to church membership, wild questions, and the general spiritual depth of congregants are all related to three primary things - the Word proclaimed, the Word received, and Christian Community. If we assume together that the Word is being faithfully proclaimed, then we have the issue of whether people hear it with open hearts and minds, and then whether they are acting on the direction of Scripture to lead lives that reflect genuine Christian Community.

My thinking is that one of the big reasons that the Word (once faithfully proclaimed) is not received well, or is received not in the proper context is that we church folk are pretty lousy at practicing Christian Community. Ok, let me rephrase that, we stink (often times) at understanding what Christian community really means. For further very good reading on this subject, please see this book. We can live transformed lives, we can model communities, families, friendships, and fellowships that reflect the grace of Jesus. It is very hard work, but my experience has been this is the single most important thing that leads people into relationship with Christ, not setting the bar high to membership in a religious institution. My life in Christ was brought about by seeing Christian community practiced in a college dorm at UCLA - if you can imagine that.

Derek also made a very good point, and points to something that the modern church is very poor at conveying, the concept of Christ as LORD, as opposed to Christ as Savior. Again, does this not go to the issues of Christian community? Are our lives really transformed, and do we this out in a way that is attractive to others - magnetic, appealing, life-giving and affirming?

I am concerned about the use language such as "ungodly neighbors", or the "remnant" (pertaining to the small band of faithful believers). My neighbors may indeed be ungodly, but I will choose, to my last breath, to persistently express to them, in ways that they might be able to hear, the great and immeasurable love of Christ. I will not dismiss them as ungodly, for the Hound of Heaven pursues us all, to the end. We are all, to the last person, loved greatly. And a remnant we may be, but I think we might want to be a remnant possessed of the need to share our faith to a world dying around us. Not just a defiant and self-satisfied remnant.

Derek, I hope that I have responded with a kind heart, heard your concerns, and in some small way brought understanding and hope. Hope for the church.

P.S. Derek, do you have a blog??

Our Lives of Quiet Desperation

Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau once penned:

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation"

This was written as Thoreau spent two years and two months on Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts, pondering the life of being removed from civilization. There is wisdom in taking this time of separation to consider one' place in life, and the ways in which live moves around us and affects us.

Sitting by a Pond
I identify with the idea of separation in some ways, and the words of Thoreau, in that I have been on a journey of sorts for some time now, as we left our church home of many years, and are, in some ways but not all, "church homeless".

My wife and I have sought the counsel of a wise pastor, who understands well the struggles we have been facing. His encouragement has been very helpful. We have decided together that this is both a time of mourning for what we have lost and a time of discovery, to see what God will provide in the future. How thankful we are to have both wise counsel and a God that leads and cares for us.

"Doublethinkers"
I came across a second thought about this concept in an editorial in Christianity Today, that contains this quote:

"Natan Sharansky, in his The Case for Democracy, argues that societies are based on either fear or freedom. A free society allows for public protest without fear of punishment. Fear societies do not. As a result, fear societies subdivide three ways: there is a small minority of true believers in the totalitarian regime, another small minority of dissidents, and a vast middle of "doublethinkers." Doublethinkers publicly toe the repressive party line but inwardly yearn for freedom."

Doublethinkers. Interesting. I wonder if, in fact, we might have a form of quiet fear going on in all our own lives to some extent. Would the quote above not also be true for the spiritual state of us, and many of those around us. And what is the "regime" we face? Is it not a regime of consumerism, success defining our character, status in society? And what does "yearning for freedom" mean? Could it be a freedom of the heart, as described here?

Only relationship with Christ will make us truly free. But freedom is a subtle thing, there are varying degrees of freedom. Only the constant healing grace of the Savior can save us from "lives of quiet desperation" and transform us into free people.

Overcoming Obstacles

Go Rachel, Go!

Feel like your life has too many challenges? Too many bills to pay, kids too noisy, feeling lonely, like your job stinks. Feel overwhelmed? Wonder if life has no meaning?

Try this. Try being born with a severe visual birth defect. Try coping with life that way.

Then try taking on a 1,131 mile dog sled race. You have to go see this, it is amazing. Awesome. I am going to be watching after Rachel. I sent this link to my daughters, and told them....you can do anything, if you set your mind to it.

And, while you are looking it over...think about this.

Is It Just About Showing Up?

I had another conversation today with a (different than the other day) pastor friend. He was telling me about his new members class at his church, and how they work to "set the bar rather low" to allow people the room to find their place in the church. He has been teaching this class for a number of years, and has had all sorts of wild questions from all points on the spiritual spectrum. This makes me glad, as this church does not just attract dull religious types, that I alluded to yesterday.

One of his favorite questions came recently, when a prospective new member shot up her hand and said, "Can I ask a question here.....ok, so how many Sundays a month are you guys expecting me to be here?" What an interesting question.

So, is this what some people think the church expects, that we just "show up"? That there is some sort of "attendance protor lurking in the balcony"? Remember it was Woody Allen that said that "Eighty percent of success is showing up." Oh please!

What if we churchie folk, those who care dearly for the Body of Christ, devoted our passions to building a church like this? A place where people would never need to ask a question like this. Ever. A place where the sense of community, grace, learning, laughter, and care for the real needs and hurts of life were so well met that - folks would never need to ask this question. They would just always show up. Always feel the need to go. Be attracted. Have to go!

Wait, I know of a para-church place that does this, for youth.

But What do the THE REST of The People Want?

Are The Cleavers "Seekers" or Just "Emergent"?


Gosh, come on and smile you people, or is church THAT bad?

Ok, so Tod Bolsinger has summarized for us what people want from the perfect church. I love the ideas people mentioned and those things not mentioned. What a nice gaggle of Christian folk. However, this whole topic has me wondering, what about people that don't usually, or do seldom, or won't ever -- go to church. What do THEY want? This question lead me here, where there are some rather scary thoughts on "unchurched" folk.

Try on for size:

• There has been a 92% increase in the number of unchurched Americans in the
  last thirteen years. In 1991 there were 39 million unchurched Americans compared with 75 million currently. (2004) 92%!!
  
• Men are one-third more likely than women to be unchurched (38% of men and 28% of women are unchurched). (2000)
• More than half (54%) of unchurched adults consider themselves to be Christian. (2004)

So, what should us church folk DO about this? Pretend like these people don't exist? Work hard to understand what their needs are, and why church is completely irrelevant to them? Care for them, start conversations with them about what they really want from life? Is their indifference about church our problem, do we "own" this one?

Or do we attribute their lack of attendance or interest in church to, well, their sinfulness? Their laziness? I mean heck, they can't get out of bed for a couple hours on Sunday? What is wrong with these people? Why would they want to go hear a potentially irrelevant sermon delivered in a place that looks like 1970 occurred yesterday and mingle with a group of indifferent Christian folk who like like they would also rather be at home, in bed, reading the Sunday paper?

"Its Over"

I had lunch yesterday with a pastor friend. He has always been known as a bit of a nonconformist, not really fitting in well with the crowd. He said to me, over sandwiches, "you know, the church as we know it, is a dying breed. Its over."

The more I have thought about this, the more encouraged I become. Perhaps God is doing a new thing? And perhaps those of us who Believe will be called to something really new, and different, much more like the First Century Church, or Revelations calls us to be. Who knows?

Thoughts, comments, questions?

White Guy Nearly Crashes Volvo Listening to NPR

Daniel Schorr

So I am driving home today from work, listening to NPR. There is lengthy coverage of the news that freedom seems to be breaking out in several places in the Middle East. Amazing. Its beginning to feel like 1989 in Eastern Europe. I am smiling, thinking, maybe God is at work in all this. Maybe, all this Iraq mess has some unexpected dividends. I wonder what Rob Asghar is thinking?

Then its time for news analysis with Daniel Schorr. I sink lower in my car seat, anticipating the typical smug discouragement I have come to know. Now mind you, in my recollection Mr. Schorr hasn't said anything favorable about a Republican administration since Ike. I am thinking, "here it comes", some form of indirect tribute to Madeleine Albright's brilliant foreign policy is the reason for recent developments in the Middle East. But instead, to my shock, I hear THIS (you have to listen to it, especially the ending).

I wanted to shout! "George Bush may be RIGHT." Right? Daniel Schorr on George W. Bush? I nearly piled my car, and could not stop grinning all the way home.

A Different Kind of Worship

As noted here my way cool wife just returned from a weekend of home building in Tijuana. Upon return, the team of those who went were trading emails about their experience. This email, from Jason Blandford, a Fuller Seminary student, has something very good to say:

"You know, our church has four different "styles" of worship, which are all different versions of the same thing. But the idea of going to Mexico and building a house seems to me like an act of worship--we are offering our bodies as living sacrifices, a spiritual act of worship (Romans 12), and we labored and worked honestly with our own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy (Ephesians 4), we rendered service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men (Ephesians 5), we did it for the "least" of God's people (if there is a "least") and we did it for the King (Matthew 25). People at our church have asked me what is my favorite style of worship...from now on I will tell them the truth--my favorite way to worship the Lord is to build a house for someone who doesn't have one."

Amen!

Look Dad, The Perfect Church. Pull the car over!!

I need to get a pipe!

Alright, I take off a day or so from blogging, and cyber-space zaps past me. My friend Tod Bolsinger has a wonderful series of posts on Perfect Church here and here. In particular, take a few moments and read the comments. Wonderful stuff. Really great - a collection of people who really care and are passionate about the church. A conversation about what the church could actually be, as opposed to whining (which I do lots) about what it is not. Could this be another Bolsinger book in the making? I sure hope so!

Here are my thoughts on the Perfect Church. First off, please, please, watch this movie as a partial but important illustration to my response. Brother Sun, Sister Moon, released in 1972, is the story of the life of St. Francis of Assisi. This movie, more than any other for me illustrates many of my ideals of the church, more so in the character of Francis and his friends, but also with small peeks at what a church should be. The movie is over the top in some ways, but wonderfully simple in its presentation of changed lives for Christ. Also, Donovan fans will love it.

Second, here are my "Top Ten" of Perfect Church Requirements:

10. Never having to hear, "We've never done it that way before!"
9. Missions, missions; urban, suburban, national and international.
8. A sense of constant call to those who do not know Christ, and a will for all to be completely welcoming
7. Willingness to experiment, and fail if necessary, with new ways to reach out - to welcome the questioning and lost
6. Sermons that connect the ancient mystery of the Gospel to the challenges of living in the modern world
5. A congregation that is intentional about welcoming anyone, regards of race, clothing, income, etc.
4. Joy, laughter, and endless enthusiasm for building community. Ability to be flexible and "messy" Christian folk
3. Flexibility in worship, and a congregation that works toward excellence and creativity in worship.
2. The Gospel proclaimed faithfully by a staff that reflects the mercy and love of Jesus.
1. Lives transformed, consistently, remarkably by the grace of Christ.

Our Friend Mr. Bee

Terry Schiavo

This is simply not right. I know. Our dearest friends have a family member who is living in sub-acute care, and slowly declining from Huntingtons Disease. His name is Bee, (known affectionately as Mr. Bee, to those who love him). He is about my age. He is my friend, and each time we visit him, he always tells me that he loves me; he like to repeat that. A lot.

Bee has an MBA, was once married, and has just about the sweetest heart of any man I know. He is more cognitive than Terry Shiavo, but cannot care for himself anymore, and requires round-the-clock medical assistance. The doctors and nurses who work with him are wonderful.

Bee cannot eat normally like the rest of us. One of the effects of Huntington's is a constriction of the esophagus to the point that choking on food is common. And so, Bee has a feeding tube. If his feeding tube were removed, he would slowly die, and it would not be pleasant. It would be, in my mind, unspeakably cruel. Bee's extended family understands that although his quality of life is not that of ours, he is still persistently and dearly loved by God, and is one of His children. It is not for us to decide that Bee has become too much of a burden and should be allowed to slowly die. We will stand with Bee's family, as long as God has need of him here with us on earth. Life is not neat; yet it is in the messiness that we find Christ.

It seems that Terry Shiavo's ex-husband has been the primary moving force in disconnecting Terry's feeding tube. Might we all agree to pray for this man, that God might change his heart, and change it soon.

My Wife - Gotta Love Her

Building a bit of the Kingdom

For the past 10 years or so, my wife has always wanted to celebrate her 40th birthday by building a home for someone less fortunate. Well, 40 came and went, and what with the busy-ness of two daughters in school, multiple sports, church, music lessons, etc, that trip to build the house slipped by.

However, about two months ago, God provided my Nancy with the chance to go to Tijuana to build a home. She is there right now, and I am home with the girls. The team hopes to complete the 14' by 14' home in three days (with the foundation being poured before they arrived), with the help of 25 volunteers from Southern California. Simply stated, this is a very good thing, and it is my hope and prayer that this weekend will be filled with love, laughter, lots of hammering, a roof that doesn't leak, and doors and windows that will emit the sounds of a happy family for many years to come. Solo Deo Gloria.

I was in a pastor friend's office today, and spotted this quote, framed on the wall:

"Lord its your Church.

I am going to bed."

Prayer attributed to Pope John XXIII

Awwww...so touching

Loneliness in a Crowd?

So very alone...

Interesting. My little bits recently on Homeless Churchie, Perfect Church, and Church Shopping have started the gears turning inside Tod Bolsinger's head. This is great; and perhaps will engender more conversation about what the church does well, and not so well. We might also touch on what the church "blows chunks" at, if you will, to coin a phrase from the eminent pastor KC Wahe.

I have seen quite a bit of church "chuck blowage" in my last 25 years, but have also experienced so many good things, much blessing, and have met the finest, most sincere, honest and wonderful people I know - all in church. A veritable rainbow, if you will.

And now on to today's topic, illustrated above - loneliness. My wife and I have been experiencing quite a bit of this as of late, as we have left the comfortable confines of our church home, after 17 years of involvement. We have, so far, been to two different churches in the past eight months or so, and have visited a third church together as well. As I look back, the common thread is one of a haunting sense of loneliness associated with our church visits. The worship is fine, the sermons are good, even great on some occasions. But the interaction, the "fellowship" if you will, is sadly lacking. If I never showed up again, no one would know, or care.

But our family is doing alright - don't worry about us. We will survive. What I wonder about is this:

What about the experiences of those attending church with real needs? Those not accustomed to the folly of "church" folk. What of those with needs that nearly ooze out of their pores. Relational pain, the loss of someone close to a horrid disease or accident, those who have suffered abuse, or addiction, or great suffering. Others who are profoundly confused, or lost, or just plain mad at God? If my wife and I leave many Sundays feeling strangely lonely, what of these others? What do they think of church? Did someone greet them, ask them their name? Will they come back? Will anyone care?

Or will that deep sense of quiet, relentless, haunting loneliness become, in the words of song writer Bob Bennett, their Shadow Companion? And is the church powerless to combat it? Is our work ever done, as long as one of these still sits quietly in the back, come Sunday morning?

Crucial News Item!

And you think this blog does not offer important news items?
Prepare to have your paradigm shifted.

A Company of Soldiers

A Company of Soldiers

Tonight I had the opportunity to watch the PBS Series Frontline, which presented "A Company of Soldiers", involving a detailed look at a unit in the Army's 8th Cavalry in South Baghdad. This piece was filmed during November 2004, a very rough month indeed. I needed to watch this, as do all of here at home, sleeping well and enjoying our lives. This takes place because men like these are dealing with unspeakable risk and threats each day in Iraq.

Imagine driving to the market or work wondering if every other car was loaded with explosives. Explosives designed to blow you up. Or try out the concept of hidden snipers along the route, targeting your car with not only small arms fire, but rocket propelled grenades. This is only part of what these men face. I was struck by their honor, their devotion, their brotherhood, and sense of duty to both their country and the people of Iraq.

We Americans owe a debt of gratitude beyond words to those who serve our country.

Slow Down, You Move Too Fast....

Simon and Garfunkle had it right. Our lives race by at a pace that is stunning, breathtaking, ridiculous. Tod Bolsinger has a post on this topic that uses his own folly as a good example of what is wrong with many of us, myself included near the top of the list. I have found myself bugged recently because my personal life is infringing on time I could be spending at the office....oh PLU-EASE, Steve!

In anticipation of Good Friday and Easter, we must recall that Christ has done something amazing, remarkable, mysterious - an act of love from the heart of God. Perhaps Lent is a time of year we need to remember this, and to ...........slow................down.

Ok, so tomorrow I will spend more time just talking to my wife and children. I will call an old friend and ask how he is really doing. I will put in a call to my aging parents. I will slow down to thank God for what song writer Bob Bennett calls the Small Graces. Amen, and thanks for the reminder, brother Tod.

This Dude So Totally Rocks!

Pastor KC

About fifty jillion years ago, I used to spend time with a group of college aged fellows from my old church. One of these guys had an amazing life story, coming from a dysfunctional family, he attended college, Princeton Seminary, and is now an Associate Pastor in Northern California. He is truly a remarkable reflection of God's grace and mercy, and the transforming power of Christ. I am so proud of my friend, KC.

And now, my old friend, KC Wahe, has a blog. Just about nothing else in the Universe, besides In N' Out burgers, a great 8-iron shot into the green from a tough lie, and my wife (not in that order, honey!) is as cool as this concept. Read this Blog daily, memorize it, and make it a part of your daily bloggage activity. Low in fat, high in protein, use as directed.

Strangers - Part III

The King had a dream....

Recently I heard a series of messages given by Dr. Mark Labberton of First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. All credit here goes to Dr. Labberton. Below are my simple attempts to process the thoughts of this kind pastor. The series of talks was entitled, Strangers in a Strange Land. The Scripture is from Daniel Chapter 2.

The primary question many of us spend lots of time asking in our lives is:

"Is God able to handle this situation"

Indeed. Is He? Can He? Will He?

In every human heart, there is a longing for a genuine spiritual encounter. Our culture is replete with seeking people; those who want something real, something substantial, not a just a "show" of Christian sounding platitudes. However, if people are longing to experience God, and are seeking Him, how will they know when He has, in fact, "shown up" - made His Prescence real to them?

This was the dilemma of King Nebuchadnezzar. He was seeking for a real,authentic, and trustworthy voice from God. He gave Daniel a real acid test, involving the threat of real violence if he did not get what he wanted. Are we alert and listening to those around us who, more subtly express the same kind of need for God, and that He could actually be known. How well do we listen to those around us, and how often do we tend to "cubby hole" people into categories?

In the midst of the rage of the King, Daniel responded with discretion. Daniel and his friends had practiced their indentity. They were grounded people, they knew to whom they belonged. Are we prepared to trust God for a vision that exceeds our normal grasp of things around us? Daniel and his friends believe that they serve a God who influences all those around them, those who claim to know him, and those who do not. This attitude and the prayer of Daniel clearly distills the character of God who is far larger than our ideas of him.

More coming....

Hope for Healing

Julie and her family

Those faithful who have stopped by this blog in the past, have heard about my friend Julie, who continues to battle cancer. It has been almost a year now since her second cancer event. This time it is very serious, sometimes ugly, and very hard on this dear young family. We spent time with Julie today, praying and singing.

This next week, Julie will be starting radiation for cancer on her spine. She may also be facing the decision to end chemotherapy, as its effects on her physical well being are presently worse than the minor healing effect it appears to be having on her cancer.

Julie would want you to know the following things: God is full of mercy, and He has the power to heal her at any time, in His perfect timing; this cancer is very painful; she is so thankful for those who have prayed for her, supported her family, and loved her during this journey; she is thankful beyond measure for her husband and children; she wants to live, and continue being a wife and mother.

Pray for Julie.

Blog Thee Verily in a Biblical Fashion

A good man from one-half way around the world, living out the gospel in his vocation, offers these great guidelines for blogging from a Christian perspective. Good advice!

Strangers in a Strange Land - Part 2

Recently I heard a series of messages given by Dr. Mark Labberton of First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. All credit here goes to Dr. Labberton. Below are my simple attempts to process the thoughts of this kind pastor. The series of talks was entitled, Strangers in a Strange Land.

The Scripture is from Daniel Chapter 1.

Daniel and his friends made the choice to practice their identity in all that they did. Even though they were offered education, housing, food, they chose to remember God. This was not done in the form of martyrdom, or in grand ritual, but every time they ate, they practiced "remembering" to whom they belonged. Yahweh.

We live in a strange way suspended between our physical world and our spiritual lives. The louder, repeating, resounding, more deafening voice is that of the surrounding secular world. It the midst of this cultural influence tidal wave, we Christian folk have.....Sunday worship, perhaps two hours a week, at most. Hundreds of hours immersed in the world versus a brief time on Sunday, if we can make it, the kids are not playing soccer, or we feel like it.

What a stark contrast. In the face of this, how do we practice our distinct Christian identity? Daniel and his friends chose to remember daily the One who appeared to be abscond, but was daily present in their lives. So what do we do? How is our identity derived? How do we live our lives in terms of hearing a Dominant Voice, that of God Himself? And what determines our identity and our worth? Is it our jobs, our education, our looks, our height, abundance of hair, the goods we own, our social standing, who likes us, how we fit into the social fabric of our community? We need a whole new identity. We need that from Christ....

More coming....

Stranger in a Strange Land - Part I

Strangers in a Strange Land by James B. Janknegt's

Recently I heard a series of messages given by Dr. Mark Labberton of First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. I was captivated by Mark's thoughts, derived from the Book of Daniel. What I would like to do here is share with you a brief overview and reaction to Mark's reflections on the Scripture, and its applications to our lives - in particular how this applies to some of the discussion I have been randomly touching on in terms of Church, Perfect Church, and Searching for Church. All credit to anything good here should be given directly to Dr. Labberton. The series of talks was entitled, Strangers in a Strange Land.

By way of reference, Stranger in a Strange Land is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, which was first published in 1961. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human raised by Martians on Mars, as he returns to Earth in early adulthood; the novel explores his interaction with -- and eventual transformation of -- Earth culture.

The Mars analogy works well for how I feel often. I sure like it here on earth, but I know at some level that this is not my home. There is a longing deep within me for something different, more than much of what I find here. Is it my own fear, or is it Heaven calling me? As I go to work each day, even as I spend meaningful and rewarding time with family, there is, what songwriter Sara Groves calls "the echo of a grand design" behind it all.

Can we agree together that there is very little that distinguishes the Christian Church from the broader culture? The divorce rate among Christian people is no different than the general population at large. The American church is often anemic, seemingly (in the words of Chuck Colson) 3,000 miles wide, and an inch deep. Sadly, we Christian folk mirror in large part, much of the folly of the rest of the world. We just try to look good doing it.

We often live as if in exile, "holding on" here on earth, until the Promised Land arrives. We are meant to be changed, and be agents of Devine Change. Perhaps we have surrendered practicing our real identity. Perhaps we need to learn new ways to tell our story of true identity.

The Scripture is from The Book of Daniel, Chapter 1. Read it first. Go ahead, feel free. We are called to be Strangers in a Strange Land. More in the next post.

So what's with All These Darned Bloggers?

Blog, blog, bloggity blog. This has been an interesting journey of Blogging thus far for me. I spend far less time watching the Food Network, and I think this will keep my mind better engaged in reality and reflection as age advances. My buddy Rob Asghar has a link today to a very helpful (as always) article by Peggy Noonan on Blogs. Check it out.

Now, remember on the old (good, and really funny) Saturday Night Live when Dan Ackroyd and Jane Curtain used to do "Point, Counterpoint"? Well, here is the "Counterpoint" post on the power of what blogs can accomplish. We who think ourselves so cool and hip to be blogging would do well to take these points into consideration.

Perfect Church, or Place of Hope and Healing?

Oh look, the perfect family at the Perfect Church!

You might recall I have been thinking recently about the concept of "The Perfect Church". I had an interesting conversation with a friend today on the phone (again not accomplishing anything for the American economy). He has recently moved churches, in a situation similar to our family, and has found a new church home in which his children, aged 11 and 9, can thrive. As for he and his wife, well, that is another matter. Seems this church does not really believe in leadership roles for women, and might be a bit autocratic in its leadership styling. Well, imagine that. And you thought dancing and drinking were bad news!

My friend made a comment during our chat that caught me off guard, but was actually quite generous in its tone. He said,

"We have learned to lower our expectations. What we are looking for is a
place where our kids can learn and grow in a healthy, nuturing place with good
Christian ed. As for my wife and I, the expectations are different. We are really just looking for something that is not really bad! If we approach it that way, we can't be that disappointed".

As I have reflected on this, I have two strains of thought, in keeping with my slightly bi-polar personality.

First, maybe it is alright for us to lower our expectations. Wait, maybe its ok for ME to lower MY expectations. I have high ones you know. Just ask my kids! Sheesh....Daaaad, give me a break. Perhaps I am too judgmental, and I demand too much from the church. Maybe its a result of going to school where expectations have always been high. Or maybe, because I know some really good pastors, who have really healthy churches. Or maybe its that darn wonderful seminary near our house, where so many of our friends have gone, and we continue to meet outstanding people. I need to relax. Lower the bar, slack off, take it easy. Mellow out, dude.

But wait a second here. Maybe we need to think more about our expectations. Seems that some famous church fathers have, in the past, in letters to some rather wacky congregations. Are we to settle for "not really bad"? With St Paul I have to shout, "Certainly not!" Perhaps we have to raise the bar, demand more from Christian community, and work hard to achieve authentic communities where people can discover a way of life and a gathering of believers that points the way to a remarkable Savior.

Coming next....discussion of how we might begin to do that....

Productive American Workforce, Unite!

My daughter says I never do anything productive at work. What does she know!?

Here I am, today, discovering that it is not good to pour coffee into the CD drive on my desktop PC before saving the crucial client file to the hard drive. Stay tuned, more office management efficiency tips forthcoming.

Gosh Its Hot....or Maybe Not!

As a kid I loved Bugs Bunny, and I still do. There was one Bugs episode in which the Abominable Snow Man got somehow displaced in Palms Springs, or somewhere similar. His line to Bugs, after he had been sitting poolside in a towel and flip flops for a while, dripping huge quantities of water was, "Gosh its hot here......."

So, is it really hot, or not? This article from the Wall Street Journal discusses some interesting facts about a controversy over the issue of global warming. See also, this web site for more details on whether its really hot or not.

While I feel that environmental stewardship is very important for us to consider and perhaps embrace as Believers, I am also very hesitant to believe everything I am told by UN climate study experts. Read the Journal article for more on this. I have to go now, and denude some forests, create a toxic spill plume in my backyard, and squash small helpless endangered bugs with my hiking shoes.

To TNIV or Not TNIV, That is the Question

Ewwwww......

Alright, I confess right here my predominant ignorance of which is the most correct Bible version. However, Mark Roberts has started an interesting series of posts on the new TNIV (which does not stand for Truly Neat Incredible Version, nor Those Naughty Inspired Visions) Bible, which has recently been released. Seems there is some disagreement brewing in Happy Evangelical Land over this one. I trust Mark will deliver us a helpful and thorough overview of the matter, which really will be helpful to understand the issues involved. Mark is a good man.

As for me, after discerning this matter, I will know exactly, precisely, and without question what is the perfect will of God regarding the correct Bible version to carry in my oversized, leather clad, bumper sticker-covered Bible book cover (which can also be used to thonk theologically incorrect clods over the head!). Thank goodness for self righteousness. Amen.

Getting Some Perspective on Life Here

I read this wonderful post tonight, as I finished a busy day of carting girls around Pasadena and surroundings, augmenting their teenage American lives. I was struck with the remarkable difference in the life of Keith Smith in Burkina Faso, and my life here in Southern California. A breath of fresh air, and a needed reminder of our place in the Kingdom.


Under the Acacias.

One more item. For the most balanced thinking on the political dangers of pulpiteering I have seen in a long time, please check out this post from Rob Asghar.

Church Shopping or Settling Down to Imperfection

Looking Around
We have several friends who have been church shopping for more than 10 years. Actually, we know lots of people like this. Most seem to be under 40, and constantly in search of just the right blend of hip worship music, sermons that encourage without threatening, and a latte bar that serves biscotti with just the right amount of crunch to it.

Ok, maybe not the last bit. However, constant church shopping eventually becomes sad, has a tendency to fracture our lives in Christian community, and can lead to behavior noted here. Many of these folks never seem to find the "perfect church". Come to think of it, the concept of a perfect church is a bit creepy. Just think of it. Everyone smiling and happy, no problems, really good snacks on the patio, no conflict, short and efficient committee meetings. Yikes! Does such a thing exist? Indeed, should it even exist? Discussion for another day.

Settling Down
There are those who final decide to settle in. And this is one of my favorite stories, given the changes our family has been going through these past months. During the past year, as our family has had to adjust to worshipping at a different place each week, something wonderful is happening at a small church in Pasadena.

Interestingly enough, there is a small group of Christian men who meet in an office suite directly across from mine in Old Town Pasadena. Each Wednesday, as I come to work around 7:30 AM, I can see the lights on in the suite across the hall. Ranging in age from mid 30s to mid 40s, these men have been supporting each other for a number of years. They have seen weddings, family struggles, and the birth of children together. One is a film maker, another a financial planner, a third a stock market investor. There is also a landscape architect, and a youth ministry worker. These are varied friendships that have lasted through a common bond in Christ. One member has a wife who is on the faculty of a seminary.

Interestingly, this group is also almost entirely comprised of several families that are very accomplished at church shopping. They have been visiting churches in our area for over 5 years. Stopping in to a new church for a couple of weeks, then moving on; never quite finding what they wanted. Never quite right. This porridge is too hot, that is too cool. Where is the "just right" bowl?

The Sanctuary of Knox Presbyterian Church in Pasadena

Finally, one Sunday not long ago, the corporate journey of wandering ended. This group of connected families that grew out of this small group... all agreed to rendevous at a small Presbyterian church in town, one that had been dwindling in membership for a number of years, with the congregation aging. To make a longer story short, they have decided, together, that finally they will settle here, in this little church, warts and all. God seems to be working in the hearts these families, as they have joined the church, and are beginning to sink down roots of faith in a congregation that is happy to welcome them. Pray for the members, old and new, of Knox Presbyterian Church. This could be a journey worth watching!

They Called Him Coach

I have received a tribute from an old friend that I am not even close to being vaguely worthy of. My old (well, he is not that old) friend Rob Asghar has penned a kind post about John Wooden, the most famous of all college basketball coaches, and me. Coach Wooden and me...can you imagine? I can't.


"Coach"

As I mentioned to Rob in a recent email, Coach Wooden has, for me, been a hero, a role model, and a literary mentor of sorts. I have read most everything he has written; each full of wisdom, grace and experience from life. While I attended UCLA a few years after Coach retired, I felt the influence he left on the University for many years to come. Rarely has such a quiet, gentle man of profound faith, has such a lasting affect on athletics. Rob Asghar says it much better than I can. However, Mr. Asghar might also want to read this.

Beginning of Lent

Forty days until the Most Remarkable Day in History. Mark Roberts shares meaningful thoughts on Lent here, from which I quote my favorite portion:

Throughout my pastoral tenure at Irvine Presbyterian Church I’ve put ashes on hundreds of foreheads. It’s both a strange and a wonderful thing to do. It’s strange to tell people, in so many words, “You’re mortal and you’re going to die.” Yet it’s wonderful to remind people of why they need a Savior, and to invite them to begin getting ready for a deeper experience of God’s grace on Good Friday and Easter – even seven weeks before Holy Week begins.

I remember distinctly times when I have put ashes on the forehead of a dear member of my church who was nearing death. And I remember occasions when I have imposed ashes on the foreheads of newborn infants. The point is that, whether old or young, we are all mortal. We are all caught in death grip of sin. And we all need a Savior.

Indeed, we do.

More Yummy Church Cooking

Baby Back Ribs with Lemon Confit Marinade

First off, go here to find a great list of the winners of the first awards for best evangelical blogs, including my friend Mark Roberts. Now, on to more cooking, chopping, and grating.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

After the last post, you should have completely messed up your kitchen counter, and possibly even begun saying bad words to yourself. Cooking is messy, unless you microwave your entire menu like this. Life is messy too. The church can be a very messy place, and so can trying to find a church that fits just right. Or is that what we should be doing in the first place? Where does the Scripture tell us, "thou shalt looketh for a great long time for a fellowship of saints, and not settle thee in until you findeth a place that is just alright in all things completely."

Right now, in our family we attend between two and three churches each Sunday. We are very religious! Ha! The reason for this is singular - we have daughters aged 11 and 14, both of whom are involved in good youth programs that nuture their growing faith. To our frustration, these youth groups are not at the same church. However, we are becoming logistical experts, with the carpooling, pick up and drop off prowess of FedEx. The spiritual health of our kids is our first priority. My wife and I have made the decision that, for this season in our lives, "it is not about us" - it is all about the health, growth, and development of our girls relationships with Christ.

That is all that matters. We are grown ups (well, I am most of the time). Over the past week, as I have reflected on all this, I have slowly become more aware of the big problem in this church hunt. Me. My judgmental heart, my longing for perfection, my baggage and frustration with the past; in short, my weakness. Perhaps that is why I have always identified at the deepest level with this verse. I need more grace, and I need to reflect it more in all I do, including my searching.

If you are interested in this whole concept of church, what it means, why it is important, take a look at this recent article in Christianity Today by Tim Stafford. This sums it up far better than I can.

Recipe of a Homeless Churchie

Jamie Oliver has never seen a recipe like ours!

In the several weeks I have been blogging, I have been carefully avoiding the largest issue in the spiritual life of our family. You see, we Norris family are a somewhat, sad yet hopeful, wandering yet found, happy yet pessimistic, conflicted yet at-peace bunch. We are, as of this writing, without a church home for the first time in our lives together. How can this be, you wonder?

Well, here is the receipt for living at our home: Take two forty-something adults, blend well with more than 16 years of marriage, child rearing, career developing, laughter and tears, and a wonderful church home. To this mixture add one 11 year old vivacious girl, and then spice with a dash of a 14 year-old girl, with a mind of her own (sprinkle in liberally -"adolescent attitude"). Whisk repeatedly with the busyness of life.

To this stock add the profound disappointment of leaving said church home after 17 years. (Reasons for the leaving are best left unsaid, but in the interest of full disclosure, will color the comments I make going forward). This ingredient has the tendency to sour the mix, so counter this with some rum or wine, your choice.

Next begins the chopping and grating portion of the recipe, and our journey, together and apart as a family attempting to follow Christ.

Bringing you the Latest in Cold Weather Survival

I submitt this, as a retort to those who say I am humorless, and do not provide sufficient discussion of ways in which to survive percarious natural hazards.

Hey Jude, No Wardrobe Malfunctions!

By the NFL's desire to be more wholesome than apple pie, and by the grace of God, we are delivered from aberrant halftime show drivel this year! I also must thank the Lord for the invention of the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) which allowed our family to have a relatively normal day at soccer games with our girls, etc, and also enjoy a wonderful halftime show at the Super Bowl. Paul McCartney at 62, can still rock. Call me square, call me entertainment challenged, but I spent all 20 minutes of his show with a smile on my face! It was also good to have Anheuser Busch deal with their own sense of guilt from massive sales of game-day beer to deliver a touching commercial saluting our citizen-soldiers. I resolve to shake the hand of a soldier, the next time I see one.


Get back!

If you will look over this post, you will know that our dear friend Julie has been struggling with very serious cancer. Tonight, we learned that Julie is back in the hospital, in a great deal of pain.

By way of the good people at Whittingshire, may I encourage you with this thought:

"We can't pray for everyone. But we can each pray for someone. Before you go to bed tonight, think of someone who is grieving, lonely, ill, or in pain; someone who is stumbling because of his own flaws, or because of someone else's; someone who is hurtling toward disaster, or crawling toward good. Someone you know personally, or someone you don't. Choose someone, and then--for her sake, your sake, and heaven's sake--pray."

Might you pray for Julie...tonight?

Carolyn Arends - The Bargain

I just read a wonderful story about the meek, and their inheritance of the earth. The author is Carolyn Arends (a Canadian - to whom I am partial, because I married one), a song writer from British Columbia, whose work I admire for being real, honest, and God-honoring. Go have a look, and read a story of generosity that just might touch your heart.

Atheism and Eternity

This is worthy of reading and reflection. In a world increasingly set upon the idea that "God is dead", our children have much to teach us - about Him.

Can God Move Mountains, or Walls?

In March of 1956, Winston Church gave a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri with this remarkable quote:

From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia; all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject, in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and in some cases increasing measure of control from Moscow.

And so, almost 40 years later, the curtain had not lifted, and our ragtag band of European, South African and American missionaries spent our summers smuggling Bibles into the Soviet block, in order to encourage the persecuted church. In my previous post, I began to relate my experiences in Eastern Europe prior to the fall of the Iron Curtain. Our starting point was a farmhouse in The Netherlands, and unlikely base camp for counter espionage efforts for the Kingdom of God.

During our time resting and preparing in Holland, one of the disciplines the directors of the mission asked us to practice was prayer. During all the waking hours, there would consistently be someone praying in a small room on the second floor of the farmhouse. This way, the theory went, the work of the mission would always be covered in prayer. As a part of this prayer discipline, a kind of scrapbook had been prepared with photographs and biographies of all of the leaders, and even sublieutenants of the Eastern Block. Talk about "scrapbooking", remove the "s", was more like it! We were asked to spend a period of time praying for these men....

There I sat, the little young missionary from America, with my scrapbook of commies. I will never forget what went through my mind during that time of flipping through the book of photos. My thought was "Oh please, God! I believe in you and love you with all my heart. But can you really do anything about these guys, I mean, really?! These are the leaders of the Soviet Block, for heavens sake! These are really bad guys, and they have a LOT of really large missiles, and tanks, and guns. And none of them are even smiling in these pictures here! This is never going to happen! How about I just pray for my relationship with that girl I like back home instead?" My faith was tiny and thin. But, I remembered something about praying for your enemies.....

So, doubtfully, hesitantly, and well, obediently I prayed. And over the 10 or more years that ministry had been in existence, other people before me had been praying. For many years after they prayed.....day in, and day out. And undoubtedly, so did countless faithful Believers behind the Iron Curtain - for year upon year - praying for the eventual demise of the system that had repressed them for years. Slowly, deliberately, the wall was beginning to splinter, from deep inside its base.

Five years later, I was celebrating Christmas with my family in Toronto, watching on the news as the Iron Curtain crumbled.

God can move mountains, and walls. He is doing so today, all around us. Might we have eyes to see, and ears to hear the silent, sometime nearly imperceptible sound of movement.

Greater Love Has No One Than This......

From John 15:12 - My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

My more liberal friends will excuse me for a moment if I offer this. Tonight's State of the Union was one of the most moving in recent memory. For almost two years, our nation has struggled with and debated the concepts of a just war, nation building, and the appropriate exit strategy from Iraq. Tonight, we witnessed the focal point of what we all have been debating. I quote two passages from the State of the Union:

"One of Iraq's leading democracy and human rights advocates is Safia Taleb al-Suhail. She says of her country, "We were occupied for 35 years by Saddam Hussein. That was the real occupation. Thank you to the American people who paid the cost, but most of all, to the soldiers." Eleven years ago, Safia's father was assassinated by Saddam's intelligence service. Three days ago in Baghdad, Safia was finally able to vote for the leaders of her country -- and we are
honored that she is with us tonight. "

"And we have said farewell to some very good men and women, who died for our freedom, and whose memory this nation will honor forever. One name we honor is Marine Corps Sergeant Byron Norwood of Pflugerville, Texas, who was killed during the assault on Fallujah. His mom, Janet, sent me a letter and told me how much Byron loved being a Marine, and how proud he was to be on the front line against terror. She wrote, "When Byron was home the last time, I said that I wanted to protect him like I had since he was born. He just hugged me and said, 'You've done your job, Mom. Now it is my turn to protect you.'" Ladies and gentlemen, with grateful hearts, we honor freedom's defenders, and our military families, represented here this evening by Sergeant Norwood's mom and dad, Janet and Bill Norwood. "

Janet Norwood, right, of Pfugerville, Texas whose son was killed in Iraq last year, is thanked by Safia Taleb al-Suhail, leader of the Iraqi Women's Political Council, during the State of the Union address Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

This moving moment between distant cultures, illustrates so completely, the justification and real meaning of what this war is about. The cost of Freedom is born of bittersweet pain. Thank you Norwood Family.

God In a Box - And Our Need

Daily Thought from John Stott:

Instinctively we know that we cannot box God up in any conceptual framework of our own devising, and that if we think we have succeeded in doing so, then what we have in our box is not God. Our little minds cannot conceive him, let alone contain him. '"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts"' (Is. 55:8-9).

Even the fleeting glimpses we catch of him as he passes by in moments of ecstasy or pain, of beauty or wonder, of goodness or love, leave us tantalized by the fullness of the Reality beyond. Yet these glimpses are themselves a form of 'mediation'. For they are declarations of God through the glories of heaven and earth, through the intricate mechanisms of nature, through the complexities of the human situation in its combination of nobility and degradation, and through the whole range of our responses to it. These 'mediations' leave us dissatisfied, however. They point to heights we cannot scale, to depths we cannot
fathom. We need a mediation that is at once more concrete, more personal, more genuinely human. In a word, we need Jesus Christ. For however rich the reality we have ever seen or felt or thought or suspected, apart from Jesus Christ, God remains the Infinitely Beyond. Only once has this Beyond come personally into our midst, when the Eternal Word of God actually became a human being and lived among us. Only then did human eyes behold true 'glory' in human form, the radiance of ultimate personal reality, 'the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father' (Jn. 1:14).

Dead Church Part Trois

As all seven of you readers know, I have randomly touched here on the concept of a "Dead Church", working from one of my favorite books - "The Death of the Church".

And now, my friend, Tod Bolsinger has this post which begins to touch on the issue of real Christian Community - having the church become more of what perhaps (as I am not God, although my dog thinks so) God intends for it to be. I am passionate about seeing the church become more real, more vibrant, more genuine - so that lives may be changed for the Kingdom's sake.

I am confident that Tod will lead us further on an interesting journey. Perhaps we might even get off our blogging duffs and spend some real "face time" with people who are genuinely seeking after God. Now there is a concept....

Humility - A Concept Needed

During my lunch hour reading, I came across this piece in today's Wall Street Journal. Humility is something lacking in our cultural landscape, and I long to see more of it, and to practice it more in my own life. That individuals, churches, and nations knew more of the qualities of genuine humility.....

Crossing the Border Into the Past

The Berlin Wall - circa 1984. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" I think God had lots to do with it too!

Last night, I began a tale of my travels into Eastern Europe in 1984. This was, for me, a turning point experience of my newfound faith, as I had come to know Christ the fall of 1979 (a story I shall reserve for later, if you care). Ever since my coming to Christ, I had always felt that something was missing - that I did not really understand the whole picture about what following Christ meant.

I shall never forget one man we visited in a little house in what is now the Czech Republic. Our team of four US well-meaning 20-something missionaries had worked quite hard at trying to "dress Eastern", meaning dull colors, no designer labels or hip styles, etc. We were painfully drab, and proud of it. We had memorized the route to our "contact's" home. We walked there from our campground outside of town, and we were quite pleased with the way in which we attracted essentially no attention to ourselves. It should be noted here that the people we were to visit were never notified in advance that we would be coming on a specific day and time; they were simple told to anticipate a visit at one or several times each summer - from "friends from the West".

The home of our contact came into view as we rounded a corner, and we were feeling more confident that no one would ever notice us, due to our clever disguise. As we came to the front yard of the home, we looked up to the front porch of a simple house to find the front door opening, even before we made it up the front walkway. Outstretched arms greeted us, as we were quickly welcomed in. We thought our "cover" was blown! After we exchanged greetings, we asked our contact how it was possible that we had been recognized, since we looked so "Eastern". This dear brother, persecuted for many years for his faith, imprisoned, and marginallized by the communist regime, smiled, looked us in the eye, and said,

"Oh my friends, that is easy. I saw you coming down the street. You walk...like you have freedom!"

Want to discover a new demension of faith? Spend time visiting persecuted believers, whose very lives are at risk because of what they believe. Moving. Transforming. Meeting people like this has a tendency to reorder your entire world view; it did mine. It has been 20 summers since we packed our vehicle full of Bibles and headed off on an adventure.

The adventure of following Jesus continues to this day!

A Remarkable Day

The early returns are in, and maybe I have it wrong - I just heard a probable 60% voter turn-out on Fox News. Given the fact that one might get shot or blown up voting in Iraq, I still find this day quite remarkable. As a side note, now might be the time for France, Germany, Russia, and other nations to consider really participating in some positive nation building. I wonder what my friend Rob Asghar thinks about today's developments, and the likely future for this struggling nation? May peace and find a new home in Iraq.


History in the making

Grasping for Freedom

Tomorrow the people of Iraq will be given, for the first time in far too long, the privilege of voting. In my reading of the Wall Street Journal this week, I noted that estimates for eligible voter turnout in Iraq are anticipated to be up to 80% of eligible voters. These voters head to polls under the threat of injury, while we head to the polls under the threat of being late to Starbucks, or missing a Simpson rerun if we get home a bit late. Can anyone tell what OUR voter turn out was here, in November, in the land of the free, etc? Try a 59.6 turnout rate of eligible citizens, the highest since 1968 when 61.9 percent of eligibles voted. Sigh!

An Iraqi votes in Michigan, overcome that his son, who was killed in the 1991 uprising,
could not vote with him. Hat tip to Hugh Hewit for the link to this wonderful photo.

All these thoughts of freedom bring me back to a wonderful opportunity I was given in the summer of 1984, when I traveled to Eastern Europe on several occasions with a ministry then known as Eastern European Bible Mission, now changed by the force of freedom into New Hope International. I traveled with teams bringing (actually smuggling - very James Bond-ish) Bibles and encouragement to the persecuted church behind the Iron Curtain. That summer changed my life, and began to change some of my political perspective as well.

I will never forget meeting with the faithful behind the Iron Curtain. Young and old, humble and educated. Their perspective of their faith was so very different than mine. They really needed Jesus, they depended on Him daily, in a way that I could only imagine. Theirs was a faith that had legs on it, that meant something of substance. In 1984, freedom for Eastern Europe was only a fantasy. But more on my travels later.....

And now, it is the Iraqis' opportunity to grasp for liberty. May all of our prayers follow them as they head to the polls. Lord, keep them safe...

One Important Thing...Make that Two about $$$

I spotted a wonderful post today on Sidespot about money. This has been something that has possessed far more of my attention than is necessary over the years, and continues to do so. Given this, might I also point you to a wonderful sermon, one of the best I have ever encountered on money by my friend Mark Roberts.

With money on the brain, lets not forget that tragedy is still a daily occurrence many places in the world. ....From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.

Dead Church, or Community of Transformation?

Well, the early votes are in, and it looks like Election 2004 with two days to go. We are evenly split at 50% brilliant, and 50% "not bad for a neophyte". What am I to do with that? Help me out here people, and vote to your right..... I am sure the readership of this blog is now close to the occupancy level of my family van! Get out there and make a difference....vote! I am also sure that the readership is handsome, kind, thrifty, well groomed, and treats dogs very well.

So, is the church in America heading toward cultural insignificance, has it become just another manifestation of our fixation with the temporal, or can it be a place of real, substantive transformation? Why is the church in our own country growing at a rather tepid pace (or in many denominations - shrinking), compared with dramatic, explosive, and sustained growth in many places in the "third world", most notably in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America? Why is it all we read about concerning church growth in America has to do with Rick Warren's latest book, or some Bible-belt Name It and Claim It congregation?

Could it be that we are not listening to the real meaning behind the stories we find in the book of Acts? Tod Bolsinger has started an interesting look at what Christian community really means. Read it, think about it, discuss it with your Christian friends. Perhaps, just maybe, if we could begin to grasp what real, meaningful, Christian community looks like, we could, one church at a time, transform our culture. I have to quote Tod's finishing thoughts today:

Further, Christian Community is not just a shared experience. It's
not people who sit together in pews or a movie theater or a football stadium
(even if they are the audience for a Christian event!). It's not polite
conversation at a potluck or a great weekend together at a Christian camp.
Christian Community is an ontologically irreducible organism. It is a
living reality that is imbued with the Spirit of God. And most
dramatically, it is the very life of the Triune God drawing people into a
covenantal relationship with God and each other. It is God's own being on
earth lived in and through believers for the single end-result of seeing each
person become like Jesus Christ. So that the Community together is a
witness for Christ.

An Excellent Book on Youth Ministry

Besides being the things listed in the headline of this Blog, I am involved in the ministry of Young Life (YL), a national para-church ministry whose motto is (modestly) "Every kid, everywhere, for Eternity". It is a wonderful ministry, and since the church often fails to reach kids, for a myriad of reasons, Young Life is there to reach out, big time. Have extra cash, send it Young Life's way! As a part of my involvement with YL, I have recently read a book that anyone who is even vaguely connected with the world of kids from 12 to 22 will want to read. "Hurt", by Chap Clark is just out, and is perhaps the most insightfully book on youth culture produced in some time.

Imagine this, taking a sabbatical from your career as a seminary professor, and instead of resting by the seashore, pondering theological thoughts (phew!) during your time off, you elect to teach public high school for a year, all with the intent of better understanding the lives and culture of young people. This choice to teach high school was the basis for Chap Clark's ground-breaking book, "Hurt". As a former youth worker and parent of a teenager (and another approaching teenage) I cannot say enough about this book for its clear perception of the state of youth culture. Prepare to be surprised, shocked, offended, and awakened to the state of our youth. This book will make you mad, sad, scared, and hopeful. Prepare for a paradigm shift. Clark has done careful research of the world of high school students, and his work examines their world of "clusters", or friendship groups, and also includes insightful glimpses of the social world, moral confusion, loneliness, and sexual behavior of our young. Clark points out in vividly clear language the pain they face, the confusion they deal with, and the ways we adults have abandoned them. However, this book is not a complete downer. Each chapter ends with hopeful suggestions for change; ways in which the cultural afflictions young people face can be healed. Hope is abundant, and change is possible. Make it your book club choice, buy it for your friends, fellow teachers, administrators, school board members, and youth workers!

There, said my feelings, I feel better already!