Lights Action Camera

http://lordsaveusthemovie.com/films.html

So I was very excited to hear that Lord Save Us From Your Followers was playing at The Hollywood theater this week. Of course I loved the book, and the reviews in both Willamette Week and Portland Mercury were positive...well as positive as you would expect from those pubs. Not exactly the bastions all that is good and holy....but they do let you know what is happening in Portland. Stuff we all should be aware about (think about reading those as you watch Lord Save Us and see the Family Fued clip)

Well it exceeded my expectations. A good turnout...even Dan himself (who looks much slimmer in black then in the white bumper sticker suit, mentioned that to him and he said he was learning! Funny guy). Even got a bumper sticker out of the evening. The movie is well produced, paced just right and gets the message across without being preachy...which the movie certainly is. But that's a good thing. I was challenged again and again as I watched, just as I was from reading the book, to review my thoughts, my attitudes and my Jesus (or the Jesus I have as opposed to the real Jesus...sometimes not quite the same guy). There is no way you can watch this movie and not be moved.

This film should be must viewing by all those that call themselves followers of Christ. Get out and see the movie! Costs $10 per person, but a large popcorn is only $3.50 and pop is $1.50. But as the commercial says, the movie: priceless

The Dreaded Laugh Track

Leave it to good ol' Roger to stir up all kinds of trouble! If you know Roger, you know that when he leads a bible study, it is like seeing a whole meal in front of you, yet only getting one piece of meat at a time to chew on, and chew on, and chew on. While some like to gobble down their food, I love to eat this way. Well at least in bible study...see me at the Round Table Buffet and it is gobble gobble gobble, (but I'll save gluttony for another time).

So Rog ask the question: can you be a Christian and not love other Christians? It comes from Ephesians 1:15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. After some discussion about what love is, we generally said love is a choice we make and that we don't have to like others, but we must love them (specifically believers). So I left feeling pretty good, nice and warm inside (could have been the Starbucks). Wouldn't you just know it. No sooner had I got a few blocks down the road when that weird Jesus guy starts stirring things up. "Love huh? That's a tough one." Heard Him clear as day. "Lord, you know, I don't have it down pat. But I choose to love, but I don't like everyone". Don't you hate laugh tracks on TV? Kind of what I heard right then. Yep, the sound I'm getting pretty familiar with...God's laugh. "Yeah, about that..." He said. Know I know enough that when God says 'Yeah, about that...." that there is a whole lot more He is going to be saying in the coming days. And this was no exception. I knew right away what I was supposed to do: go straight to the Word and look up the verses on love. And there are a ton. So I'll just jot down a few choice ones God laid out for me:

1. 1John3:16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Put that together with Romans 5:6-8 and you have the truest action ever of love. "So you don't like someone, but you love them enough to lay down your life for them? Tell me how that is working out for you?"
2. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Then for good measure, God has me read Mathew 25:31-46, the sheep and the goats. Go ahead, take a look at that one...I dare you...I double dog dare you. "About those assets of yours you count....how important are those for you to hang on to when others have needs? Not important? Than why do you still hold onto them so tightly?"
3. 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. "Tell me how you love when you gossip, when you talk negative about someone in the name of 'caring', when you say 'how are you' and don't really care enough to hear the answer or see the hurt in their eyes. Tell me how you don't like someone but can overcome that to love them with actions? And do it with total love, not begrudgingly...."
4. 1 Cor 13:1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. The Message translation."So how is that christianese working for you? Are your actions matching your words? " And I can see Jesus reaching to hand me a can of WD-40!
5. Col 3:12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it (Message). "How's that wardrobe of yours doing? Want to talk about 'quiet strength? (uh no, I don't said I). How about forgiving quickly? How about forgiving completely? How about forgiving as I forgave you? Not when you want to, but all the time. Did you see my word? It said all-purpose garment. Never be without it.".

Well that was all that God said I needed to work on. He said I had all the other lover verses down pat. Opps, there is that laugh track again! Okay, maybe after the five above, God decided to have mercy and stop me from reading more. It was plenty to think about and work on.

Bottom line? I fool myself by thinking I love people but don't like them. I disguise my judgemental attitude by calling it 'dislike'. I don't have patience for people 'not like me' and say 'we just have our differences' when in fact I think the differences make them 'strange'. I have issues against people that have hurt me and I shove it down in my spirit and say 'not a big deal', when in reality it is unforgiveness...a huge deal. I am so often clothed in my own thoughts, desires, lusts and hurts that I never even bother consider putting on my all purpose garment. And off I go to church, work, family gatherings, etc...And I wonder why my life so often yields no fruit. Why my witness for Christ is so unpowerful. Why my prayers go unanswered.

I can remember singing 'and they will know we are Christians by our love'. And I have to ask myself: will they?

Sorry, I didn't hear you the first fifty times you asked

Okay, someone out there has to know the answer to this. From 1 Samuel 17:
25 Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father's family from taxes in Israel." 26 David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" 27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him."
28 When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle."
29 "Now what have I done?" said David. "Can't I even speak?" 30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. 31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.
So here is the question: why did David keep asking what would be done for the man who kills Goliath? Now don't get me wrong, David was extremely brave to even consider taking on the giant Goliath. He knew God had set him apart for great things. Yet he asked over and over what would he get for taking out Goliath. In vs 26 David had just arrived at the front lines and maybe didn't have his wireless Internet connection hooked up yet, so he had not heard what the Israelites had been saying. But catch that: 'had been saying'. This was not an advertisement that ran one time, the phrasing is plural, as in repeated over and over. So even if Davids Internet was down, surely he would have heard about it. I mean the newspapers had to have been swamped with 10'6" giant pictures on page 1. And if he hadn't heard about it, what would prompt David to even ask such a question? But then David gets scolded by his brother, yet turns away and asks the question AGAIN! So what gives? Seems like a case of David checking out the ROI for the battle. Can't you see David saying to himself "Hmmmm.....kill the giant and get wealth, tax free status...and a wife! Okay, I'm in.". Now if it was different: "Hmmmm, kill the giant and get a Grande Mocha for the price of a Tall." Maybe David puts away his slingshot and moves back to the sheep.

See, I don't get it! If David KNEW God had set him up for greatness that God was with him, then why the question? Why was the reward important, and not just doing the right thing? Surely I would never, and have never, done an ROI on what God was asking me to do. Not me...I just up and do the right thing. I never weigh what is in it for me against the value of my all important time and energy. Risk vs Reward...totally foreign concept to me.

Or not. Maybe I do get it, but don't want to admit it. "God this is going to be tough, a real war. What do I get in return." Likely have asked that many times in my head. I can't prove it, and the Word does not say, at least for me to understand, but David might be asking that question. I know there is lots of me in David....lust (Bathsheba), shame (his murder of Uriah and cover up). Yet I know there is another part of David in me...the fact that God's destination and will for me will be done. That nothing I have done will keep me from God's role for me, if I turn from my wicked ways and acknowledge him. God is a graceful God, a forgiving God, a God who is not interested in covering up my sin to 'protect His image', but is interested in the total healing and restoration of me. God is good, all the time. All the time, He is good.

On the lighter side...

Today I was paid a great compliment at work. One of the sales managers said I reminded him of Jim Halpert! You know, the guy on The Office, my favorite TV show (although it has been close to jumping the shark at times this year). As Pam would say "it was a great day".

Friend or Foe

Lots of questions have been rolling through my head lately about friends; more specifically what makes a good friend. With some of the things I have gone through since last November, I have learned that some people I thought were friends were not, or at least did not know how to show their friendship in tough times. At the Thursday morning men's bible study, I overheard someone ask why certain characteristics of the world were becoming so common in the church (general church, not a specific church). I think one of the reasons is that we don't understand or are afraid of being a true friend.
One of the lessons God is teaching me is that a true friend speaks up with correction. Mathew 18:14-16 talks about going to a brother that has hurt you and "work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend."(Message) Unfortunately what I see happening too often in the church is what I read on berealmag.com on How To Be A Supportive Friend. Their main points to be a 'friend': (parenthesise are notes taken from their list)

1. Your job is to listen (you are not required to do anymore than listen)
2. Only give feedback when asked (be general, suggest he/she meditate on it, reflect back to her what she is saying so she can discover for her the best course of action)
3. If you can't be there, be honest (if your too emotionally upset with your own life, tell your "friend" you can't listen right now)

Sounds a bit milk toast to me. To me, a friend does so much more than listen. They encourage, they laugh and cry with me, they give me wisdom from their life experiences, they direct me to other sources of help/wisdom/understanding. And one of the most important aspects to me, a true friend does not hold their tongue when I'm wrong...which is often! I want, and have even encouraged, my friends to be bold and blunt with me, to not be a 'yes' man, or to remain silent when they see danger or sin ahead. I don't want them to be a 'supportive friend' that sees me making bad choices, even unbiblical choices, and says 'whatever you decide I will be there for you'. I want a friend that rises up and says "uh no, that's wrong, or against Gods word, or folly, or just plain dumb". A true friend will say "you hurt me". They will say "we need to make this right".

I love David. There is so much to glean from his life, the good and the bad. Recently I heard PG talk about David and Bathsheba. Something really struck me as I read 2Samuel 11 and 12. Read it with an eye towards how many people had to know what David was doing. Sure, there were not security cameras everywhere, but there would have been palace guards all over the place! Don't you think that there were lookouts on the roof of the palace where David drooled over the sight of Bathsheba bathing? Yet no one said "hey, Davey boy, maybe you shouldn't be peaking that way right now." Who else would have known of the goings on with Bathsheba? How about the messengers sent to bring her to David? Chambermaids that would have made the bed the next morning? Servants who would have brought them food? Guards that were surely stationed right outside the Kings bedroom doors for protection as he slept? How about Joab, the military leader who helped plan the death of Uriah? The list would be huge (political note, maybe like the amount of Secret Service that had to know about Monica....). But they said nothing! Why? Okay, fear of death was the likely reason, but even with that possibility, wouldn't one person stand up to David and say "You're the man!" Nathan was just that man. But he didn't stop with the "you're the man" statement. Read 2Samuel 12:7-12. Wow, he let loose a bunch of stuff. Tough stuff that blew David away. The great and mighty King was faced with the truth. And how did David respond? He had Nathan killed right then and there! No, only kidding. He said "I have sinned against God". Nathan was what I call a friend. He knew David could have him killed, tossed in the slammer forever, etc, etc. But he knew the right thing to do, what God would have him to do. He had to point out to David the error of his ways. No 'Gee Dave, maybe the lust and murder aren't the best way to go, but I'll support you whatever you decide to do here'. What would David have become if Nathan had not spoken up?

Don't misunderstand me. I think support is critical. It has kept me going, especially the last eight months. But I think sometimes that people want to say things to me, but don't want to risk losing that friendship. So they smile and nod their head, supporting me outwardly while struggling inwardly. If you read this and have thought that, I encourage you to be bold. Talk to me, correct me, be a true friend.

There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.....

timing is everything

So my oldest daughter called a few weeks ago and was in love with a VW Beetle. Out of the blue to me, but being 25, impulse buying is still to be expected. She found one on craigslist, a good buy, tan with black convertible top, a 2003. To her, it was perfect. And with a little coaching from mom and dad, she was off for a test drive, of course she loved it. She did find a mechanic to take it too, just to be sure. He found one little problem, the automatic transmission had a problem and needed to be replaced! Good thing she had it checked. Of course she was heart broken, but we assured her there would be another one, just the one God wanted her to have, if she was patient. Hmmm 25 and patient. Anyone see a problem here.

Well a week later, after much searching on the net, another car exactly like it came available at a dealer, with a few less miles, but same color, etc. But it was at a dealer....so given a little coaching from family and friends, off she went. Of course it was perfect, drove great, etc....one small problem. The price was more than she was going to spend. Told to wait and be patient....she did...for awhile. Then about a week later she was getting very antsy. She just had to have that car, she would get a bigger loan, etc. I was headed up to Seattle that weekend, so I told her to wait, and I would go with her to look around. She was sure this was the car.

Then, the night before I left for Seattle, her call came in. Her best friends husband, who is a top car salesman in Seattle, had a VW just come on the lot. One owner, super low miles, and ultra clean. They went over it with a fine tooth comb! And best of all, it was less than the first car she looked at and in much better condition. No negotiating, they just said they would treat her like family, sell the car for this much, making this much profit and it was good to go! And it is a great VW Beetle, a very nice blue, with brand new tires and brakes. It was a very good deal.

So that night, despite her being 'all growed up' at 25, came the teachable moment. Trust in God. He has your best interest at heart. In every area of your life, He cares.

And that teachable moment was pointed right back at me. For it is a struggle to plan on changes that are going to occur. At times I am overwhelmed with anxiety and fear. But I have nothing else, no, I have no one else, to hold on to except that weird Jesus guy! And best of all, I find He is holding on to me.

50 is half a hundred

Funny how a few years ago you look forward to something and then when it gets there, life has changed so much that you wish the day started and ended all at the same time. Today is that day for me. And the weather fits perfect, gray and rainy.

But on the bright side at least now I can get discounts on auto insurance, motel rooms, etc!

I do know this, faith is when you still believe despite of what is laid before you. And I still believe.

Closer than a brother

Quick, name your favorite song about friendship? Here are some to consider:
Lean On Me Bill Withers
That's What Friends Are For Dionne Warwick
You've Got A Friend James Taylor
Thank You For Being A Friend Andrew Gold
With A Little Help From My Friends The Beatles
Friends Michael W. Smith

Proverbs 18:24 states: A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. But what exactly does Proverbs 18 look like in real life? Not the quick "hi, how are you" conversations at church in the entry, not the "great game last night" conversations, but the "no, really, how are you" conversations. Lately I have noticed some 'friends' have become distant as the battle I'm going through has gone on. Some have made quick turns at church to avoid me. Others that a year or so ago would have enjoined me in conversation simply give a quick smile and head nod and off they go. So I've been asking God why, and what should I do about it? How can I make people more comfortable with what is going on in my life. And God is so kind. He continues to show me bit by bit the path in front. Not the whole path, but just enough to keep my feet moving forward. Here is what He said;

1. The plan for you is not just for you, but for your 'community'. Your 'community' is uncomfortable because of issues in them, issues that I (God) am aware of and am working on. I want healing for all.
2. Their reactions are not your responsibility.
3. I (God) am not surprised by their reactions, just as I (God) am not surprised or caught off guard by your reactions and emotions.
4. I am your friend (wow, really liked that one...sometimes you wonder from the silence)
5. Learn from the hurt what it means to be a friend...sometimes you haven't been a good one yourself.

Ouch..that one stung. But then God in His grace showed me times when I was not a good friend. Times I didn't pick up the phone and call someone I knew was hurting. Times I said "I'll pray for you" when what was really needed was taking time to sit and talk to the person. Times I walked a different direction to avoid someone. Times I ask 'how are you' when I really only wanted to hear "okay". Times I heard "okay" when I knew that was not the truth and I didn't take time to say "no, really, how are you?" Times when I stood still when what was needed was a hug, a long hug that says 'I'll be here with you'. I could go on and on. Boy do I have some learning to do!

Jesus himself calls us friends. I have often wondered what those meetings with tax collectors, prostitutes and other 'sinners' were like. What were the conversations going on like? Pretty salty I'm sure. Yet there was Jesus - eating, talking, loving. He was a friend to the friendless, the hopeless, the hurting. He was never too busy to put His arm around someone and say "I love you". He was not scared off by their lifestyle or by their 'sins'. He embraced the person within. That is the kind of friend I want to be. To be there when times are good and when times are bad, during the smiles and the tears. I want to be a friend like Jesus is to me.

The Plan

The Plan. I have been asked that more than a few times in the last few weeks. And I have no idea. What next, when, where, how. Lots of questions and few answers. So I go to the one who is supposed to have the answers and ask "okay God, what's the plan?" And God laid it all out, day by day, hour by hour, what would happen, when it would happen; every detail....uh no. That did not happen. Instead God gave me Romans 11:33 (amplified version) 33Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unfathomable (inscrutable, unsearchable) are His judgments (His decisions)! And how untraceable (mysterious, undiscoverable) are His ways (His methods, His paths)! 34For who has known the mind of the Lord and who has understood His thoughts, or who has [ever] been His counselor? 35Or who has first given God anything that he might be paid back or that he could claim a recompense? 36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. [For all things originate with Him and come from Him; all things live through Him, and all things center in and tend to consummate and to end in Him.] To Him be glory forever! Amen (so be it). "So God, are you telling me that THE PLAN is not for me to know? And why is THE PLAN not MY PLAN? I mean, the way I see it and have been praying, my plan makes the most sense, at least to me." I think God chuckled at me. Then the Holy Spirit let me in on a secret: I don't live in a vacuum, I live in community! God was telling me that THE PLAN for me was not for me alone. For the tentacles of God are reaching out and touching many people through this difficult time. Using this trial, God is touching family, friends, church members, and coworkers. He is tilling soil that has to this time has been hard. He is working out things in their lives, making them think, pray and commit to love. He is working on other families in trouble, giving them a glimpse of what might be. Bottom line, His PLAN is that He be glorified. How that is going to work out, I have no idea whatsoever. And I think that is what Romans 11 is saying, like Jack Nicholson to Tom Cruise, "you can't handle the truth". His ways are so far above my comprehension. The whole plan would likely make my head explode!

Last Wednesday night, the lesson at church had seven points, all of which of course related to me and what is happening. God doesn't like to waste time, He just keeps teaching me.

1. God will keep his promise no matter what.
2. God will even use adversity to position me for blessing.
3. God will not always give you all the details (man, did I hate that one!)
4. God never forgets me even when I forget him.
5. God will make sure the more I am pressured, the more I will grow.
6. The pressure is part of Gods plan.
7. My trouble will stop when its accomplished Gods purpose.

So I am changing my prayer. No longer will I pray for God to change my circumstances. Turns out that is the easy prayer to say. Now I will pray, "Lord, whatever you are doing in me, continue to do, no matter how long it takes, or the roads I must travel."

Here is a song by Sanctus Real (posted on the right hand side). Sorry, they don't have a cool video out for it yet, but give it a listen and ask God what He wants you to learn from my trial. If your reading this, your part of the community!

Sad Beyond Comprehension

Today is easily the most profoundly sad day in my life. Nothing is even a close second. While I can't blog in detail about it yet, it involves a loss so great it grieves me to my core. At times I can barely hold a steady thought, and I have few tears left. Heaviness in my heart does not begin to paint the picture.

I sat in the church parking lot, not sure if I could make it through worship this evening. But God reminded me that 'yet I was to praise Him" As the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 42
5 Why are you sad, O my soul? Why have you become troubled within me? Hope in God, for I will praise Him again for His help of being near me. 6 O my God, my soul is troubled within me. So I remember You from the land of the Jordan and the tops of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Sea calls to sea at the sound of Your waterfalls. All Your waves have rolled over me. 8 The Lord will send His loving-kindness in the day. And His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life.

So despite my emotions, despite the chaos that is running circles in my mind, I will trust in the Lord and continue to praise Him. And I acknowledge, that despite what is happening in front of my eyes, God is still in control and has a plan. Tonight PT talked about the struggles in life and the sovereignty of God. So once again, I give up to Him.....yet sadness is still my visitor. And He understands and weeps with me.

The Book or The Movie?

Well, since I have not seen the movie, I'll recommend the book. 'Lord, Save Us From Your Followers' is a tremendous book by Dan Merchant. Turns out ole Dan is a local guy, right here in Portland. I found his book to be both fun (laugh out loud many times) and humbling (those aren't tears, the sun is in my eye). LSUFYF takes a look at 'why the Gospel of love is dividing America'. Dan interviews Tony Campolo, Al Franken, Mike Rich (another local boy made good), Michael Reagan and others. His interview with Sister Mary Timothy is particularly good, from a "ouch, that hurts" standpoint.

Dan made a bumper sticker suit (yeah, a bumper sticker suit) and stood at congested places and talked to people. What transpires is a fascinating look at how people perceive God, the church, and Christians in particular. I could not put the book down.

http://lordsaveusthemovie.com/ Click on the link for a TEN minute preview of the movie. TEN MINUTES! Not the 30 second fillers other web sites give you, but a great look at what the whole movie will be like. Can't wait to see the whole thing.

BTA - Mothers Day Style

It's been about twenty years since my mom passed away from cancer. Started out as lung cancer and spread to her brain from there. It was not pleasant to say the least. I know, why am I blogging about something that would seem so depressing on such a day of celebration? The reason is simple, I wanted to take a moment to honor someone who took the term mother to another level, DC.

My mom came to live with us for the last three months or so of her life. Mom was frail from the moment she was assisted through the front door and no one, except God, knew how long she had left to live. She was just a shell of the lady she once was, chemo had taken its toll on her outward beauty. I can remember the very first night, when mom tried to make it to the bathroom by herself, and fell trying to sit down. I can imagine how she must have felt humiliated by having to be helped to even go to the bathroom. It was not long until mom was bedridden, wearing diapers and barely able to consume any nutrition. Her hair was long gone. Her body rail thin. Her mind, well it too was ravaged by the cancer. Often mom would sit up and hurl insults or shout curse words to those trying to help, but she had no idea what she was doing. It was not mom speaking, it was the disease that had overtaken her. It was not a pretty site.

But there was DC taking care of her 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. DC was there when no one else was, talking to mom, listening when mom could talk. I don't know all that was ever said, but I am sure mom was greatly comforted by her. DC was there, fixing different foods, trying to get mom to eat anything, trying to get her to sip her Ensure. Usually there was no success, mom just didn't taste anything. I imagine that could have been very frustrating, I know to me it would have been. DC? She just kept trying. Can you imagine what it is like, as an adult, to have to have someone change your diapers? To be so helpless that you have to be cleaned up by another? Not the most pleasant of tasks for the caregiver either. But there was DC, day and night, without fail or complaint, doing just that.

I can remember the night mom died. I had been able before to make sure she knew Jesus and was ready to go, and she was. I can't prove this, but I am as sure of this as anything I know, that mom knew Jesus because she had seen Him taking care of her for the last three months. For DC looked past all the unpleasantness of the tasks, the smells of looming death, the times of cursing and simply loved mom. My mom, she loved my mom as only Jesus could. I am sure there were times when DC was exhausted, physically and mentally. But she continued on. DC helped my mom to live out her last days with dignity, when all dignity was gone. And like DP with Harold on an earlier blog, Jesus wept, leaned forward and whispered to DC: 'thanks for feeding my sheep'

Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy. My mom had nothing to give in return, but DC gave her mercy and love. Just as Jesus does.

Back To The Beginning

So I found myself in a situation the other night that wasn't going 'the way I wanted'. Ever been there? If not, check your pulse, you might be dead! Anyway, the words on one side were different than the words from me, yet both claimed to know the will of the Lord in the situation. Is that ever frustrating!!! And I felt anger and retaliation rearing up within me (truth about yourself is not always pretty to look at). I have been praying about this for some time and nothing seems to be working out. But it was Wednesday night, and I had committed to attend the midweek service, so off I went, full of the 'joy of the Lord'. Well not quite. I was ticked off. Right where God wanted me, full of myself and my desires and my pride and my...well full of me.
I think God prepared me for this exact moment, when the "me monster" was in charge. There was not a lot of 'Gods in charge' in my spirit at that moment, truthfully not even an ounce. That is when God works His best, when His words and desires are 180 degree opposite mine. And that is when words were spoken that were meant for me. Sure, there were 2,000 others there that night, but it was if God had a laser pointed right at my heart. "When folks give up on you, He will wait for you" stated PT. It cut through me like a knife. I could hear God say "Do you read your own blog? The first post. When you said when you are about to tap, THEN you rely on me. Remember those words I gave you? Give up, let me. You said you trust me. So give up to me. What if I answer your prayer in a way that is not your way? Will you still trust me? Will you still love me? What if I plan on answering your prayer on my time, not yours? Will you grow weary and stop contending in prayer? Or are you in this for the long haul? Others will fail you, but I am here waiting for you; always".

There He was, right with me the whole time, yet I had chosen to see through my own eyes, not His. At that point I was faced with a decision, continue on MY way, with the attached garbage or repent and move back into Him. God is interested in all of me, all my pain, all my hurt, all my sorrow, all my all my. And as worship continued, God wrapped His arms of compassion around me and assured me, that whatever the outcome, He will be with me.

And that is freedom.

Why work hard when you can have fun?

It was a week ago Wednesday, my last night doing chair set-up after the youth meeting. I'm not sure how many chairs we set up, something like 667 (Can't you imagine setting up 666 chairs and freaking out someone). We were only about two rows in when BN says to me "I can see why you would want to do a ministry that is fun, not a ministry that is such hard work". His words stunned me. I plunked down in a chair as BN sat next to me. You have to know this about BN; he is one of those people that when he talks, EF Hutton listens (aging myself I know, google it for you youngins). BN has a great sense of humor, a quick smile and loves kids. But when his eyes start to narrow, stop what your doing and give him your undivided attention; he is about to speak truth. I don't believe he even knows how profound his words often are, humbleness describes him well. So while we sat for a moment, he expounded on fun ministry verses hard work. I don't think he knows the whole story why I moved on from chairs (but BN, lets have coffee someday and talk about it), but it wasn't because of the hard work involved with chairs (and bless those that do chairs, it takes effort). But God knew exactly what He is teaching me and was using BN to get me to ask myself: 'am I willing to do the hard work God is calling me to do?'
Now this hard work takes on several forms:

1. Continuing to allow Christ access to the deep fears and struggles in my life and letting Him have lordship over those areas. That is very hard work, for me, not for Him. More on this in another blog.
2. Beating The Attitude (BTA); yep, when God is teaching you something that He thinks you really need to get a handle on, He ties it all together, through His word, worship, and His people. But really, is BTA really hard work? Reread the post from May 5th. Put yourself right in the midst of the chaos and pain, the anger, the sorrow, the cries for help. And Jesus looks at you and says:

• Go and be merciful to those that have ruined lives from choices they have made, that have no hope of recovery
• Go and comfort those that are mourning, that have sadness so deep they can't see the need to live another day
• Go and reconcile the families that are torn by strife, be a peacemaker
• Go and tend to the oozing soars and bulging tumors, but healing not only the physical wounds, but touching their broken spirits of humiliation and isolation. Show them you care. Look into their eyes, not past their tears

And fired up, you look away from Jesus and towards the crowds. Where to begin, the need is so great. Everywhere you look, need after need, broken life after broken life. Suddenly you are overwhelmed by the tasks at hand, and you turn back to Jesus and say "I can't. It's too hard. I don't know what to do or say. I'm not trained enough. Don't you have something easier". You half expect the Jesus that overturned the tables of the money-changers in temple to blast you, just as bosses, co-workers, and maybe parents have in the past. You can hear it coming: 'idiot, quitter, slacker, you'll never amount to anything'. But Jesus simply looks at you with compassion and says:

• Don't worry about what to say, for I will be speaking through you
• Don't worry about it being to hard, for it is my power that is at work through you
• Don't worry about training, it will be my hands extended through you
• Don't worry....just feed my sheep.

See Christ is culling out of me the chaff that clutters. He is asking me to love in a new way, to cast off the ties that bind and let His Spirit flow through me with renewed vigor. He is telling me this will be hard work. Fun? Don't know about that yet, could be. But this I know, that the joy He has planned is unspeakable and full of glory. Seeing lives changed when they encounter the weird Jesus is worth it all.

And the next Wednesday night, there was BN, loving kids through all they encounter....and setting up more chairs.

Appetizers

Do you ever hear someone say something and immediately in your mind goes 'wow, I have to digest that some more. There's great stuff there'. So I have noted a few items that have stopped me in my tracks the last two weeks. Take a read and let them simmer and rumble around in your spirit for a bit.

• When folks give up on you, He will wait for you. Pastor Ted Roberts
• Preach the gospel always, and when necessary use words. St Francis of Assisi
• Everybody in the world understands what Jesus was teaching, except for Christians Gandhi
• We're never as right as we think we are; we're never as wrong as we think we are. Tony Campolo
• I can see how you would want to do a ministry that is fun, not a ministry that is such hard work. Bruce N

Each of those spoke (and is still speaking, rather loudly I might add) to me the last two weeks. The gem by Bruce is the catalyst for my blog tonight, but its still stewing around in me! Check back later.....

Beat The Attitude: Hebrews 11 style

Continuing on the Beat The Attitude, I keep looking for examples of what the Beatitudes look like in action. Here is one from a guy I'll call PD. This is from his blog, used by permission.

Lessons from Harold
For the past several months I've had the opportunity to serve an elderly neighbor across the street. His name is Harold. He had fallen a couple of times last year, and when he did, we'd get a call from his wife Dorothy to come and help pick him up.
Harold had a stroke about three years ago that took his sight and most of his mobility. His condition got worse, and in mid-January of this year, instead of spending his last days in a care center, he and his wife opted for in-home hospice.
Harold was able to get out of bed in the morning without help - and his days were spent with his wife, enjoying meals together and playing his favorite game, "Skipbo." By the end of the day, however, he just didn't have the strength to get into bed on his own.
Instead of chancing continued falls by trying to get into bed on his own, we encouraged them to give us a call anytime if they needed help. So, nearly every evening since the middle of January - about 8:45pm, we'd get a call from Dorothy. I'd put on my flip-flops and head across the street to "put Harold in bed."
Each night was the same. He'd be ready in his wheelchair by his bed. I'd bend over and let him grab my neck so that I could lift him up and turn him towards the bed. I'd set him down, Dorthy would help get him ready for the evening, and then I'd swing his feet around and help lift the hospital bed.
The very first night I helped, he reached for my hand and said, "I don't suppose you got a prayer for me, do ya?" - So each night, after tucking Harold in, we'd hold hands and I'd get the privilege of praying with him and Dorothy before heading back across the street.
When Harold came home for in-home hospice in early January - Dorothy was afraid his time at home would be very short, but Harold enjoyed a great couple of months at home. I wasn't the only person that got to help with Harold. Steve Jones from Abundant Life was a Harold hero, too, as was my old friend Jim Newby. Jim's on the pastoral staff at Beaverton Foursquare. Jim did a couple of extended times with Harold, including a week that I had the flu, and this last week when we were out of town on the East Coast.
Harold died last week, and Jim and I were able to continue to serve the family by helping them put together a beautiful memorial service celebrating a life well lived.
When the service was over, one of Harold's relatives came up to me. He said he wanted me to know that he had helped Harold into bed on the Monday before he passed away (we were still on the East Coast). He told me, "You and your friend sure made an impression on Harold."
I asked, "How so?"
He said Harold told him, "You can help me into bed, but you know you have to pray with me."
Way to go, Harold!

Some minor details PD left out. He works tireless and many countless hours. He has three energetic kids he delights in spending time with. He is married to a wonderful lady (who has a great blog!), who he cherishes. As an IT guy, he takes endless text messages, phone calls, emails, and yes, now Twitters. Each says the same thing: HELP. And help he does. And PD has a bad back.
PD expends a ton of energy every day. I am sure at 8:30 at night, he loves sitting in his favorite comfy chair (we all have one), kicking his shoes off, putting his feet up, turning on the tube to his favorite show (oh good, a new episode) and taking a well deserved rest. And just as he settles in, the phone rings. It's 8:45. And boy do the complaints start. 'What? Right when my show is getting good? I just popped this corn, nice and hot. NOW the phone rings?' As PD opens the door to cross the street, the cold east wind blows a pelting rain directly into his face, stinging on contact; 'I should have let the phone ring'.

No, that didn't happen. Maybe at my house that would happen. But every night PD got up and considered it a privilege to answer the phone to serve Harold and Dorothy. Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night could keep this carrier from his appointed rounds. PD knew it was appointed by God for him to do this. And I think Jesus wept. Not tears of sorrow, but from the great joy welled up within Him. And He leans forward and says 'PD, thanks for feeding my sheep'.

I sometimes wish God would make Hebrews 11, The Sequel (it worked for Oceans 11). If He did, I am sure you would find PD right there, front and center. Not because he wants to be there for ego, but because he can't help himself.

He is Beat The Attitude in action.

BEAT THE ATTITUDE

Time for a bit delayed Sermon Says #2. This is from 'What Jesus Had To Say About True Happiness' from the series 'Amazing' by PG on the weekend of 4/27. PG spoke on The Beatitudes, a section of scripture that truly depicts HOW Jesus commands us to love. When it was over, I kept thinking 'what does the Beatitudes in action actually look like?' I have been thinking about that since that Saturday night.

PG set the stage for Jesus' sermon, reading from Mathew 4: 23Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. 25Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. (NIV). Then you move to Mathew 5 and the eight Beatitudes. But I keep getting drawn back to Mathew 4. Read it again. Who is Jesus talking about in Mathew 5? People in chapter 4! Those suffering severe pain, demon-possessed, people suffering uncontrollable seizures, the paralyzed. Read it in the Message translation, (Mathew 4:23-24) He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives. Word got around the entire Roman province of Syria. People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical. Let's not stop there, (hey, if God has allowed so many translations, we might as well use em!) 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in the synagogues of them, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every languor and each sickness among the people [and healing all sorrow, or ache, and all sickness in the people]. 24 And his fame went into all Syria; and they brought to him all that were at mal-ease, and that were taken with diverse languors and torments, and them that had fiends, and lunatic men, and men in palsy [and they brought to him all men having evil, taken with diverse sores and torments, and them that had devils, and lunatic men, and men in the palsy], and he healed them (Wycliffe).

Can you wrap your head around that scene? I've always pictured Jesus talking to a large crowd, with people suffering from sickness, maybe a leper or two, some lame, blind and arthritic people. Picnic baskets for food. Blankets on the ground. A few sheep and goats of course. But that is not what scripture says. Sure lepers where there. Blind, lame and arthritic as well. Keep going: severe pain, demon-possessed, diverse sores, palsy. Now add in the mentally ill. Those that had ANY ailment, whether mental, emotional or physical. Now imagine what it was truly like. It was anything but a serene mountain top experience. A huge crowd of people. HUGE. There would have been yelling, both out of rage, pain, agony and shouts clamoring for Jesus' help. Cries from agonizing anguish. Sobs of deep despair and sorrow. Think of the emotional carnage of those who carried there loved ones up the mountain to see if Jesus could truly heal as they had heard. For many it would have been a last, desperate hope. It would have been chaos on the mountain; really quite a riotious crowd.

I can image the disciples were greatly taken back by what they were seeing and unsure of what they were to do. You see that frequently in them....just like a lot of us (me), wanting to do the right thing, but unsure of what it is. I think that is exactly why Jesus delivered the Beatitudes then and there. For right in front of the disciples eyes were the very people Jesus spoke about, that Jesus came for, that Jesus said to love. People that would be tough to deal with. Have you ever watched someone have a seizure? It can be very unsettling. Ever looked away from someone with a large tumor as they approached? How about walking downtown and running into a mentally ill street person talking to themselves and waving their hands around, and you quickly cross the street? What about someone in the late stages of aids? How about the meth addict whose face is covered in sores? Too tough? Then simply the single mom, struggling in so many ways, who drops by to talk, when you have so many other things to do and you don't want to hear her struggles one more time. How about the elderly driver, negotiating down the street at 20 in a 40 zone and being such an inconvenience to you? More? Sure, here it comes. How about laughing at gay jokes, or even instigating them? Or stereotyping people for a laugh? You know why I write these things? Because many, okay all, are from personal experience. And the worst part, (truth is freedom) done since I accepted Christ 28 years ago. And I believe Jesus wept.

Jesus asked me to love them all. Judging anyone is not my job. I am sure that when I get to heaven Jesus in not going to whisper in my ear "hey, what do you think, is he in or out?" But He is going to lean over and whisper "hey, did you feed my sheep?" I need eyes that see better, that see the child of God in front of me, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or (add your own). Eyes that see the hurt, the rejection, the brokeness. Eyes that see the need for grace, not condemnation.

I learned a long time ago that when you hear something repeatedly from different sources in a very short period of time, that you had better pay close attention. It is 99.9% of the time God trying to get your attention. The onslaught of this message to me is continuous. The next few posts will be about this weird love Jesus commanded.

It may be nuts to you.....

Jesus Loves Me This I Know

The video I linked to today is Jeremy Camp's This Man. It is very moving every time I see it. It really confirms for me Romans 5:6-8; that I blogged about in the Weird Jesus Story first post. From The Message translation:
6-8Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

Watch the video and ask yourself 'would I do that for anyone? And why would Jesus have done that for me?' The first part only you can answer for sure, but Romans makes it pretty clear - no. We just don't have that depth of love in us. The second part is easy to say, but sometimes hard to grasp: He did it because He loves you. Just as you were, are and will be. Unconditionally. Let that sink down inside and roll around today: Jesus loves me. Watch the video again, and as you watch it, repeat to yourself again and again: Jesus loves me.
Understanding those three words will change your life.

Jesus Loves Me This I Know

Freaky Friday & Baptism

So last night the NHL playoff game was over, I had seen the episodes of Gangland, What Not To Wear, and Spongebob Square Pants that were on (variety is the spice of life) so I just kept flipping around. Found Freaky Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis. Yeah, movie snobs think the original was better, but I get a kick out of this one. There is one scene that I wanted to mention; where Jamie's character (after the flip) is on a TV show to promote her book, and the teenage daughter inhabiting her starts going off 'on the problem with everyone is that they don't let loose'. So she starts asking the "elderly" audience if they saw a really hot guy what would they do? And she starts waving her hands and yelling "woo hoo", over and over. Funny stuff.

So how does that tie to Baptism? If you have been to a Wednesday night youth spontaneous baptism experience you know. I directed IMAG for Wednesday night a couple of weeks ago, baptism night. What a party it was! Watching not only the kids getting baptized, but seeing and HEARING the reaction of their friends and fellow youth. Cheers, screams, lots of clapping and shouting praises, and lots of 'woo hoo's'. These kids, and the adults there too, were genuinely excited to see this step of obedience and faith and simply could not hold it in. Kids not prepared to be baptized were moved to be, street clothes and all. As Pastor Randy (PR) said "imagine if this is happening here, what the party in Heaven is like tonight". It was not a night that the Church Lady would be comfortable with....

This weekend at ALC is baptism weekend. PR is speaking, and the baptism is open. We have seen tremendous response to the Holy Spirit this year with 120 people having been baptized so far. I am sure each and every one of those responses prompted a giant 'woo hoo' in Heaven.

So how will you react this weekend? Are you with the Church Lady or are you feeling a bit Freaky Friday? Are you going to quietly whisper "isn't that special", or are you willing to wave your hands around and give a shout?

Epilogue: Finished blogging but had not reread it, so I just saved this as a draft. I like to think about what I wrote, to see if God changes my mind! So I'm telling the family about this weekend and that PR is preaching and its baptism weekend. What does my daughter do? Simply raises her hands and says "woo hoo". I had not mentioned this blog at all. That is what I call "weird"!

My Weird God Story: The Sequel

So back to point #2, which if you missed it is on last Friday's blog. The question was: Why are our weird God stories considered weird?

I have been a Christian for just about 28 years, and I'm sliding into 50 years old very soon. Prior to accepting Christ, I had never read a single bible verse, and can recall going to church exactly once as a kid, of course on Easter. I was clueless to what I like to call "Christian protocol". Everything was brand new. I soon found out that there were "rules" to Christianity. No, not the Beatitudes, not the 10 Commandments, none of those things. But I did not know the "rules", so I just thought I was to trust Jesus for everything. Silly me...

I can remember praying for things and they happened. I thought that was what you did. I had been saved about three weeks when I had to go to work, taking the bus and it was pouring rain. No umbrella (duh, guys don't have umbrellas when their 20-30 years old!). I prayed "Lord, I know this sounds vain, but I don't want to get soaked. Can you please stop the rain." Yep, I prayed that. Dumb I know. Must have been a coincidence that it stopped raining as I stepped out my apartment door and started a down pour the second I stepped under the eve of the garage at the bus stop. I mean a deluge. I told some people at the church I was going to about it, because Ithought it was cool. Uhh, that 'coolness' was not shared. That is when I learned the "don't put God to a foolish test rule". And here I thought it was just this Jesus I was learning about teaching me to cast ALL my cares upon him. Won't make that mistake again.....

I could name countless other instances like that. Weird stuff. Really weird stuff. But you know who I gave the praise to for those answers to prayer? No one, because I had learned that you don't share that weird stuff. Sure, pray over your food (that's another post later!), pray for people to 'get better' (as opposed to outright cured), and for lots of safe things. That became my God Box; I could believe on God for safe and sure things, but for the weird: no.

And yet I read scripture and see Jesus and His disciples performing signs and wonders (Rom 15:19, 2Cor 12:12, Acts 14:3 and I could list tons more). In John 14:12, Jesus himself promises that His believers will do "greater works than these". Were these words and wonders just meant for the early church? I don't see that in scripture at all.

So why is that we don't share our 'weird' God stories with others; believers and non-believers alike? Is it related back to the first point of the 'weird God story' blog; that we want to make Jesus as palatable as possible for our society? I mean if you won't go preaching about a God who dies and lives again, you sure are not going to share about a God who heals the sick, raised the dead, made the blind to see. No, that would be too weird to believe in....at least till you get someone "saved"; and then you can share those stories. I would choose the opposite, and recently had that chance at work.

See, my car blew a head gasket, after 162,000 miles. Big smoke from the hood of the car. Raised the 'bonnet' and saw the bad news. Had a friend come by (thanks KG!) and sure enough, the dip stick pulled out had a nice light chocolate brown foam all the way up the stick. Great color if your painting your living room, but not good if your an engine. Radiator drained as well. So I pulled the car into the church parking lot at ALC (yes, by shear coincidence, it let go right in FRONT of the church). Eventually KG and I went to tow the car home. KG has a truck and tow rope, so we were good to go, except I had pulled in front end first. So to hook the rope up, needed to back the car up. Started it up and backed up. At this point, being a guy took over, which is generally not a good thing. I looked at KG and asked how far he thought it would go till it blew up? Kind of like that Seinfeld episode where Kramer drives the car past empty. So being guys we said 'let's find out, and when it stops we will tow from there'. Off I went in a cloud of smoke. I mean a huge giant cloud of smoke. So much smoke coming out the back that I thought KG was not behind me. Embarrassing amounts of smoke. I thought: give it a block or two. Did I mention yet that the engine rattled like an empty spray can of paint? Many empty cans of spray paint? So off I go down the road and I get to Foster. I'm praying it does not stop on Foster. Pulled out, went about 25 yards, and you guessed it.....the smoke stopped. The rattle stopped. Yeah, I bet you didn't guess that either? I thought "Hmmm that's weird". And kept driving. Came to Cheldrain (or whatever its called) and turned right. Alright, made it off Foster, now it can die and it will be okay. A nice side street. But the car kept going, not loosing power. "Hmmm, that's weird" I thought. Then came to 190th, to turn left. Another busy street. Got to go for it now, half way home! Two stop signs ahead of me. Suddenly, the temperature gauge started to go up, pretty darn quickly. 'That's it. No water in the radiator, better find a place to pull over." And there it was, just ahead, a very nice big turn lane. But for some unexplained reason, the temperature gauge went from its just over half-way position back down to cold. "Hmmm that's weird" I thought. No smoke, no rattle, no over-heating, no loss of power. Suddenly I was one street from home, one last left to make. Still going. Pull in front of the house. KG is behind me, gets out with this grin on his face. He said he was sure I was going to blow up when I pulled out of the church. We opened the bonnet, expecting to see oil sprayed on the engine, just like those NASCAR guys have. Nothing...."Hmmm that's weird" I thought.

So two days later at work, a lady I work next to ask how the tow went. Right there I was faced with my God Box. Did I share what really happened, or did I say "got it home". So I told her the whole story. And there she stood, staring at me. I know she could have thought I was nuts. She could have blown the whole thing off as a coincidence. Instead she paused and said "boy someone was watching over you". And it gave me the chance to say: "I didn't know Jesus was a mechanic too". There I did it, took God right out of the box I keep Him in, and surely out of the box she has God in. HE was set out big as could be for her to evaluate.

So I will choose to believe bigger things from God. Men's Frat says a Man of God expects Gods Great Rewards. If only I will keep Him out of my God Box.

Maybe that is weird, or maybe I'm just nuts to you!

Too Close To Home

My Weird God Story.

Let's call this Sermon Sez: The Prequel. This goes back to Walk Across The Room: the Power of the Story. This was a tremendous series of messages about sharing your faith and loving others enough to share Christ. Pastor George (PG) and Pastor Greg (PG2) talked about investing in others lives and being open to the Holy Spirits leading. Great stuff. But one comment has caused me to ponder: 'leave out your weird God story' when talking to people about Jesus. Now I am pretty sure I understand why PG said what he said (and I should add, when he did his 'Christianize' language it was snot roll out your nose funny, and I heard it five times!) And I am a firm believer in loving people where they are, garbage and all, just like Christ loved (and still does) me. I believe in being down to earth and meeting people where they are. But here are my quandaries:

1. How can you truly introduce someone to Jesus without THE weird God story?
2. Why are our weird God stories considered weird?

The first one bothers me a lot. I sometimes feel that we (Christians in America in general) water down the Gospel to make it more 'palatable', to be more socially acceptable, almost as if we are trying to make Jesus easier to accept. We share sort of a psychologist Jesus, a Jesus who loves you and wants you to feel good about yourself. A Jesus who is there to help you through your problems. A Jesus who is motivational speaker #1 and has blessings for you. And while all those have truth to them, the only way to truly have relationship with Jesus is based in THE weird God story. Don't believe me? How about this for weird:

• Jesus died for me. That's weird. Don't take my word for it, read Romans 5:6-8. Paul says that someone might, just maybe, kinda sorta could, die for someone who was really, really, really good. But probably not. Yet Christ did exactly that for me, a sinner. Not a really, really, really good person. Not even a really really, heck, not even really good. But full of junk and sin, Jesus took my place on the cross. It was as if He looked my straight in the eye and said "relax, I've got this one for you" as He walked to Calvary.
• Christ rose from the dead. Not right away. Not after 24 hours. Not after 48 hours. But after 72 hours. 3 freaking days! That's weird. Don't believe me? Then name five people that you know who have died and rose after three days? Not five? How about three? What about naming two? Still to many? Other than Jesus, name one. I dare you. I double dog dare you.

See, that's some weird stuff. And without accepting those two weird truths and responding to Jesus and His forgiveness, there is no salvation, no true relationship with Christ, no becoming a child of God. It is not enough to show people the Jesus who will make you feel better, for 'feeling better' is temporary. It is not enough to show people the 'Jesus loves you and can help you through your tough time,' for more tough and even tougher times lie ahead. No, you must show people the Weird Jesus; the life changing Jesus, the saving Jesus. Weird? You bet.

The second part, the thing about why are our God stories considered weird? Well that will be for tomorrow.

Does any of this make sense, or am I just nuts to you?

Pop Culture Jesus

Last night on American Idol, Carly Smithson sang Jesus Christ Superstar, and sang it well. That fanned into flame a question that has been slowly burning in me for some time; what Jesus do I show to the culture around me? What Jesus do I reflect at work, at home, even at church?

I'll blog about that in detail tonight, but here is an appetizer for you till then.
http://newyork.metromix.com/events/article/jesus-rocks/379068/content

It is a great article written by a "secular Jew" (his term) about Christians and entertainment. An easy, quick read, but thought provoking.

That's it. Short and sweet. But I sense the next blog to be longer...so rest up!

Bathroom Humor

I admit it: I love Craigslist. I love the total randomness of it. I don't like garage sales because everyone stares at you as you pull up. You feel obligated to buy. But not on Craigslist. Total anonymity. Everything you want and must have. Where else can you get a homemade scratchy video tape of the 1985 TV show Double Trouble? Or the highly collectible Far West Federal Savings and Loan key faub?

Today's find (you can't make this stuff up if you tried):
NEW - Toilet - Model Gerber Works perfect. (Longview WA)
Reply to: sale-652031746@craigslist.orgDate: 2008-04-22, 11:09AM PDTI have a next to new Toilet, it's been installed into a new remodel but has been replaced by the owner of a different type. No toilet seat. WORKS PERFECT. Just call and haul it away. Call George 360-270-XXXX

There are a number of things that are just wrong about this:

1. Title claims it is a NEW toilet, but the post says 'next to new'. I don't know about you, but the moment a toilet is used ONCE, it is no longer new. But it doesn't say used once, it just says 'next to new' (NTN). If it was ten times, is it still NTN? How about twenty times? What if it is five sittings, fourteen standings, and one hurling? There must be a government ruling somewhere.
2. 'Replaced by the owner of a different type'. Huh? What 'type' was the previous owner? Are we talking race, sex, maybe some weird belief system? Seems odd that different 'types' of owners need different toilets.
3. 'No toilet seat. WORKS PERFECT'. For who? If your a guy and you always forget to put the seat down, yeah, it's perfect. But for the other half of the population, or for those non-standing times, it ain't so perfect. I believe they make toilets without the seat; they are called urinals!

I might be nuts, but I think it might be George that needs to be hauled away!

Where do I start?

Wow...where do I begin to blog and what do I blog about? When I decided to start a blog, I came up with a ton of topics and questions. Now which to go blog first?

I decided to start with what I hope will be a weekly post: 'Sermon Says'. Sort of like Simon Says, a game we all played as kids. You know, the leader shouts instructions and when he/she says "Simon Says" do this, you do it. No questioning why, you just do it. Sermon Says takes a different tact, instead of just doing what I hear during a weekend service, I'll take time to think about it and maybe throw out a question or two? Your free to answer the question, add a question of your own, or just silently contemplate what Jesus is speaking to you. So here goes, Sermon Says #1

This weekends message can be heard here: http://coolchurch.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107 . It is from the series Absolutely! from Abundant Life Church in Happy Valley, OR. Pastor George spoke on "Is Jesus Coming Back". Check out the very cool video intro to the message that was done in Pioneer Square. Random people giving some very interesting points of view on the question.

Pastor George (PG) talked about going out to TeamQuest in Gresham, an MMA training school run by Matt Lindland. I love me's some fighting, MMA, wrestling, boxing, any of it. You can catch Sportfight on Comcastsportsnet (channel 37), a show with great potential, but lacking a bit in production values (oops, off topic, focus, focus). PG talked about getting the chance to wrestle a few rounds and being absolutely exhausted after two or three bouts. In fact, he said he just wanted to quit; "just pin me" he said to his opponent. PG's point was this: you have to fight on, you can't quit.

This really spoke to me. In the last six months I have been through a ton of personal battles, all stemming from my own sinful desires and actions that took place over several years. It has been tough going, looking inside yourself, deep inside yourself, to let God get to every nook and cranny of your being to do the deep cleaning He desires. Some days have been great, I feel God not only cleansing, but restoring. I sense His delight, His love, His grace. Other days, not so good. I feel exhausted from the pummeling the enemy lets loose with. It is like an MMA fighter that is on his back, being riden by his opponent, who is throwing punches, reigning down elbows and letting loose a torent of knees to your ribs. Rest for just a moment and you will feel his arms slip around your neck for a choke hold. In the blink of an eye you will tap out. It's over. Done. You have lost. But you were just too worn to go on.

But I am finding that at that exact moment, when all my strength is gone, when my hand is about to hit the mat to tap, then true victory and healing takes place. For I can defend no more. I can fend off not another body blow. The very air I need to survive is being cut off. My whole being: exposed. And HE is all I can rely on. HIS strength, HIS power, HIS victory. It is then that I remember: the war was already won, and Christ stands victorious over all.

Now I know PG meant what he said: don't give up. Honest, I get personal involvement in walking with Christ. I know relationship with Jesus is interactive and true community. But for me personally, I have to change what PG said, just a bit. For me, it is Give Up...To Him. Stop fighting my own battles and let Him. Stop trying to change others, let Him change me. Stop struggling for a victory that is already there; freedom in Christ. Stop, stop, just stop. I find myself at times fighting battles He does not want me to fight; trying for victories that He does not find important in the scheme of being made whole in Him; and trying to change people, because looking deep inside myself for change can be painful and ugly. And He quietly says to me: "Stop. Rest in me".

Two things I hold onto:

1. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13)
2. My God is a God of Hope (Rom 15:13)

What more do I need? I have hopes and God given dreams. I am not alone in these dreams. How others respond is up to them...and Him. For me, I'll simply try to keep my back off the mat.

Wow...that took time. First blog down. Thought it went well. But then again, like the title of the blog page, maybe I'm just 'Nuts to you'

Your thoughts?