I just had a very meaningful conversation with a young man who was in my youth group in Georgia. In fact, this young man was in the first Sunday School class I ever taught when I was fresh out of college. The first day I walked in dressed in all scuba gear (we were talking about Jonah that day … um, yea) … halfway through the class I was very warm and decided to go in the closet to change into my regular clothes; this young man wasted no time in leading a cohort of his buddies to blockade the closet door … leaving me locked in, and feeling ridiculous. Well, throughout high school this guy had pretty even split of shining moments and shameful moments. But all along I saw God working in his life, tugging on his heart to draw near to Him, to love Him, serve Him, and enjoy His goodness.

So, when we talked today and he shared what was on his heart I was thrilled, but not really surprised. He never liked school much, nor responsibility in general for that matter … but now he is excelling in school, will be a paramedic in May and is considering continuing in school to work on his bachelor’s and then go on to medical school. No shock here. This kid was born with a razor sharp mind.

But what was more exciting than that was what he shared about his walk with the Lord. Mark is going through a crisis of satisfaction. He is being challenged with this simple question: who or what will be the person or thing that provides satisfaction for your searching heart (any of us who are completely honest have wrestled with this same question at some point). Having recognized how his girlfriend was serving as that satisfaction piece, he has since broken things off with her, as he should. It’s not fair to her to ask her to provide something for him that she is not designed to be able to provide – ultimate satisfaction for the longings of the human soul. He also challenged himself to give up alcohol and tobacco … he realized that too often he turned to these for relief when things got stressful … instead of the one who says “come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” He has grown closer to his roommates as they have been keeping him accountable for his commitments, and he has grown immeasurably closer to God, having cleared out the junk that was getting in the way of finding satisfaction in Him alone.

“Whom have I in Heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25,26) Can we say with the Psalmist, “earth has nothing I desire besides you”?

Today, Mark Mellette can. Proud of you Mark. Keep crucifying the flesh; keep finding your joy in Christ. He alone satisfies. Love you.

I'm Really Intrigued

It was the kind of reaction I like to hear when people are first introduced to thoughts about Movement Church. This was a lady in the park with two kids. We had a lovely little talk about cute and sweet kids are, and then she asked me, "what brings you to Richmond?" So, I told her, and then explained what our Community Groups are all about. And she was intrigued. She said it sounded really neat, and unique ... which we both agreed was unfortunate, that it was unique. When she asked me what kind of denomination we are and I explained that we try to focus on the Bible and what Jesus said ... she said, but how do you know what Jesus said. A fair question. So I shared that there was pretty good evidence for the reliability of the Gospels, the accounts of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I told her about two different ways ancient texts are tested for reliability: # of years in between the date written and the date of the earliest copy we have (this time span represents the number of times it would have been recopied, more time, more margin for error); and the number of total copies (the more copies, the more texts you have to compare and validate one another). So, in light of that, I compared for her Plato and the New Testament ... consider the data below (it's a little jumbled but I can't fix it, so do your best):

Text Date Written First Copy Difference # of Copies
Aristotle 384-322 BC 1100 AD 1400 years 49
Ceasar 100-44 BC 900 AD 950 years 10
Plato 427-347 BC 900 AD 1200 years 7
NT 40-100 AD 125 AD 25 years over 24,000

It turned out to be a really great conversation, and I'm praying that God will use that seed to draw her to Him. I'm so grateful for these opportunities and for the confidence we can have in God's Word!

Mighty Mouse, Part III

I think we got him ... with poison. Not so mighty now are you? I win.

Mighty Mouse, Part II

Ok, so last night at about 3:45 a.m. Joanna wakes me up, tells me the mouse has been struggling in the sticky trap for about 45 minutes, and says I have to do something because she has to pee extremely bad and she's not going out there by herself. Amazingly, I was coherent enough to understand what she said ... so I got up, trudged in there, and tried to figure out which of the twelve traps it was stuck in (ok, not really twelve) ... of course, under the stove, so I try to move the stove and I'll make a dramatic story shorter ... I saw a tale, I heard a struggle, I reached for the trap and ... silence. Houdini got away again (third escape for this guy) ... but the trap was thoroughly chewed and our friend had left another gift of droppings ... the whole thing must have scared the crap out of him. Anyway, stake out tonight ... coffee, headlamp, sling shot ... and victory cigar. I'll let you know what happens.

Mighty Mouse

I'm not exactly sure what the deal is ... a couple nights ago we heard a rustle behind the fridge (so we said, "Russell, what are you doing back there" ... sorry). We concluded it was a mouse (also b/c of the mouse poo everywhere). So, I bought some sticky trap thingies. We put them out and headed to bed, but after about ten minutes we heard insanity in the kitchen. Certain we had our little furry friend, I went into the kitchen to check it out. Nope. But the trap was turned upside down ... spry little mouse. So, the next night, we try again, but this time w/ a little cheese right in the middle of each trap, ya know, to make him get up there in the middle and get good and stuck. The next morning ... no mouse, but it did look like a little of the cheese was gone ... and he left some droppings for us ... ON THE TRAP. Come on, seriously. Am I being mocked by a rodent? I think so. This isn't over ...

Service Connection

Sunday we gathered at Cheswick Park to discuss and demonstrate these two values: City, Generosity. We are generous with what we have because that what we have has been given to us. We want to be be generous with our time, talent, treasure, and the truth. We value our city because there's something very special in the city ... people. We love people. And if we truly love people we will want to positively impact the city in which they live. Credibility will be gained as we demonstrate that our faith breeches the walls of a building where a church gathers.

The work went great. We had three new people, and we washed about 20 tables, plus washed and painted seven grills. Then enjoyed a quick discussion of the values, plus pizza and hang out time. Worship Connection this Sunday. Pray for us.

I Don't Go As Often As I Should ...

"... ya ever heard that before," he said with a snicker. I have, plenty. And I always wonder what sort of things are going on in peoples' hearts to cause this pseudo conviction. There are people who say they belong to a church, don't really attend, and yet, feel as though they probably should. Now, before you roll your eyes thinking this is a blog about church attendance, let me assure you, it's not. The issues in the church today go much deeper than people not showing up on Sundays. In fact I would encourage the church to attend functions where people are, instead of just expecting them to come to us.

So, anyway, where was I ... oh yea ... why the pseudo conviction? Not sure. I guess like most people in the world they feel like they should be doing something to appease the gods. I wonder if they realize that the one true God has been appeased, His wrath has been satisfied, by His Son dying a criminal's death ... and so we go to church not to appease, but to celebrate. Not to earn anything, but to express our gratitude for what has been earned. We don't go to church to appease God.

So, what's with the title? ... I was walking down the street today and started talking to a man in his yard. The comment came after I shared what I am doing here in Richmond and asked him if he goes to church anywhere. I smiled, we kept talking, and then I explained our vision for community and relational depth. He seemed intrigued. I then gave him a card, asked him to say a prayer for me and went to walk off. He responded by asking me to say a prayer for him, with an added, "I just might go to church this Sunday." So, I went ahead and offered to pray for him right then. He seemed touched, and held his hand out for me to hold. Not what I expected. I grabbed his hand and talked to God, simply and sincerely , thanking Him for listening to us, and loving us, and dying for us. I finished and looked up to see a moist-eyed older man who had been touched by a simple prayer to an awesome God.

I walked away feeling like a missionary, and affirming to myself that this is all I ever want to do ... bring God to people. So where does this leave us with the church conversation? There are people outside the church walls, with some sense of religious convictions ... they just need to encounter Jesus ... will they encounter Him in you?

First Vision Cast

It's one thing to have a vision, a vision of what could be ... what should be. It's another thing to transfer that vision to others. When you have a clear vision of what should be, it is never alone. It brings with it inspiration, clarity and endurance to keep going when the vision begins to cost more time and energy than you anticipated spending. But like I said, transferring a vision is different than having one. However, if you can transfer it clearly, then perhaps you transfer the a fore mentioned treasures as well.

So how do you transfer a vision? A vision birthed in the heart of a passionate disciple of Christ will have been formed over years of following Him, struggling with the truths He has revealed to us, and being broken over the way we fall short of what those truths demand. This is not a journey that can be duplicated in a night, or a month. So, what does it take? To be honest, I'm not completely sure. But I think if you can present it with the same passion that you felt when it was forming in your soul ... if you can pray in faith for the Spirit of God to reveal it to others as He has revealed it to you ... then perhaps God can do in another's heart what He has done in yours.

That is my prayer for tomorrow night as we begin to cast a vision for what could be in the city of Richmond ... the vision of Movement Church.

Input ... Output

So, here's something to think about ... you can you have input without output, but you can't have output with out input. Right? I think so. Consider this: you fill a glass full of water (input), you may or may not have output - it depends on if the glass is turned upside down and poured out. But if there is not water poured into the glass (no input), then it is certain, there can be no output. Seems like a pretty simple concept. But I believe it is a concept that is central to a life that is set on following Jesus.

I was reminded of this concept tonight as I went to fill up an air mattress for my father-in-law (welcome to Richmond Jim). I took out the pump, disregarded a simple diagram offering instructions and set out to plug the thing up and fill up the mattress. After I struggled for a minute to get it connected properly (who needs directions?), I turned it on and waited for it to fill up. It was making kind of a funny noise; I thought nothing of it. Trey kept coming in and messing with it, and the noise would change, but still funny. Also, it wasn't really filling up like I had anticipated, hmm. So, finally I told Trey firmly that he was not to mess with it, and I lovingly escorted him out of the room. Then I thought back to the diagram that I had barely glanced at ... it was showing something about where the air comes in and the air goes out. Then I realized why the mattress wasn't filling up and the pump was making a funny noise. The intake was on the ground, with no chance for air to come in ... no input ... no output. That's a problem.

It was a problem for the mission of filling up an air mattress, but it's even more of a problem for the mission of following Jesus and inviting others to do the same. This mission is a mission of giving. If we are not receiving, we cannot give. If you ever notice that there seems to be little output in your life, consider whether you have made one of the blunders I made ... ignoring instructions, ignoring warning signs, blaming others (poor little Trey). These are all a hindrance to having an open input valve. And without input, there can be no output.

Sweaty Kisses

Some may have decided not to read this one after one glance at the title ... but for those brave enough to check it out ... thank you, and I hope you won't be disappointed. It was a comment I heard that I just can't get out of my head. The details are a little foggy (that's code for "I'm making this whole thing up" ... just kidding), but there's a nugget of truth in this story for us to ponder.

I was at Cliff's house (for anyone just tuning in ... Cliff Jordan is the guy I'm partnering up with to plant a church in Richmond, Va), and April (wife) kissed Cliff, who happened to be sweaty, and she commented that he was salty ... to which Cliff responded, "yea, I need to drink some more water." Hmm, that's not the solution to the problem that I first would have thought of. The idea is, that if your sweat is really salty, you're not getting enough water, and so your sweat has a higher concentration of salt than it should. So ... salty sweat, drink water. Ok, but why not just go take a shower?

That's when it hit me ... there were two very distinct approaches to this issue. One approach only dealt with the surface, but one went below the surface. See, I was thinking, if you got salt on your skin, you just go wash it off. But, the real issue is - you're not getting enough water ... it's your condition on the inside that really determines the saltiness of the sweat on the outside. Then I thought, hmm, this whole concept seems familiar.

How many of us take this same approach to sin? When we detect sin in our life, we just think on the surface ... just try to wash it off. But sin can't be dealt with on the surface, because that's not where the problem is ... it's on the inside. Jesus pointed this out to the pharisees in Matthew 23:25-26: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but on the inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."

We cannot address our sin issue with behavior modification; simply trying harder not sin will not produce any lasting results. We must look below the surface ... the heart of the matter. If God has saved you, He has also changed you. We must recognize that God HAS cleansed our hearts and made us new ... and then we can live that new life knowing that we have a new identity, not simply trying to stop doing bad stuff.

Spiritual showers like church attendance, giving money, and attempts to stop doing bad stuff are not enough to cleanse your heart ... only the blood of Jesus is enough to cleanse your heart. And if He has, recognize it, thank Him, and live in light of that truth.

Area Pastors Unite in Prayer

I didn't know quite what to expect as Cliff and I walked up to St. Giles Presbyterian Church in Richmond. We knew we were coming for a prayer meeting, but "prayer meeting" means different things to different people in different places ... would the emphasis be on "prayer" or "meeting"? So, my stereotypes were in place ... this was an ecumenical meeting (which sometimes equals liberal), at an old traditional looking church. I love it when God blows my stereotypes. As we entered and got our name tags on I began to observe ... people of different colors, different ages, different genders ... but one purpose ... calling out to God in prayer.

People were sharing prayer requests about obtaining more resources to expand ministries, about racial reconciliation, for God to use them to glorify His name. And I knew I was in the right place when the prayer began and there was a chorus of "yes Lords" and "hallelujahs." It turned out to be one of the most powerful prayer meetings I've been to in a long time.

One of the most powerful moments was when we split into small groups to continue prayer, and three strong, authoritative black men invited little ole me to join them in prayer. Mr Don was first to pray ... he poured out his heart to God asking Him to bless me and my family and Movement Church. Mr Otis followed suit, and before it was over three men who didn't know me from anyone had passionately prayed ... for me. I was so honored and humbled.

Other highlights included: Mrs Rosa's powerful prayer (which included clapping and shouting), spontaneous singing during prayer, and a great breakfast and fellowship that followed. This is one monthly event that we won't miss. Praise God for leading us to this incredible meeting.

You've Just Made An Outrageous Claim

That's what he told me. We were sitting there in the Applebee's in Wake Forest... 2 for 20 was the deal, I think I had the chicken. Anyway, Eddie told me ... oh, Eddie McCabe, he's a guy who works at BBandT; I met him there and asked him if he'd like to have lunch and talk about religion ... so, Eddie told me I had made an outrageous claim. And I had. I just didn't realize how outrageous it was until I saw Eddie's reaction as we discussed the Gospel. Here's how it started: I had asked Eddie whether it was accurate to assert that all religion really dealt with these two questions: what is the problem with the world? ... and how can it be fixed? This led inevitably to a discussion about the problem of sin and God's answer for this problem.

I told him that God had come to earth to redeem humanity and provide a way back into a relationship with Him. (I Peter 3:18 says "For Christ died for sins, once for all, the just for the unjust, to bring you to God." It was at this point, as I referenced the pre-Fall world and the intimacy that Adam and Eve had with God, that the outrageous claim was made. I told Eddie that God had made a way through Christ for us to experience intimacy with Him once again. That's when he asked me if I meant the same kind of relationship Adam and Eve had before sin. And I said, "yes, spiritually that is." "That's a pretty outrageous claim" was his response. And I realized ... it was.

Then he asked me what my source was. Oh how I wanted to give a simple answer, "the Bible." For a minute I was on my heels ... had I gotten so used to the "outrageous claims" of the Gospel that I wasn't able to point to the specific places in God's Word that articulated its truths? So I went to Colossians 1:19-22, "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (Christ), and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation."

I paid for our lunch, we parted, and planned to do it again sometime. Later I sent him an email with more Scripture. But I'll never forget how I felt when I realized just how outrageous the claim of the Gospel is ... that we can be reconciled to God and enjoy pre-Fall fellowship with Him because of what Christ has done on our behalf.

A Happy Mother's Day

... is usually had by more than just the mother ... it's the kids who are often very happy on this day as they count their blessings and recognize God's goodness to them in the gift of a mother who has loved them and raised them well ... at least that's my experience today. So ... a Happy Mother's Day to me, because of the mother I've been given! And a Happy Mother's Day to her ... because she deserves it as much as anyone I know (of course, "deserve" can take on different connotations depending on how much you know about us, the children ... ha, ha).

The thing I think my mom would probably appreciate the most is a few pictures of Trey. A couple of these were from today a really cute place called Hill Ridge Farms where Trey got to feed goats and catfish and play in a huge pile of dried corn! Enjoy Mom ... we love you so much!

So, About Missional ...

We desire Movement Church to be a missional community. In the last blog I put down some brief thoughts about community, so what about missional? What does that mean? Did I make that up? Am I in a cult? No ... and no. The word missional is used in some church leadership circles today to describe a certain type of church. A church that is more outward focused than inward focused, a church that is more about people than programs, a church that would sooner attend an event in the community than ask the community to attend one of their events, a church that would rather bring the church to the people than expect the people to come to church.

The term is sometimes put up against the term "attractional." In an attractional model, your church seeks to attract the lost in the community to come to you; in a missional model, your church goes to the lost in the community and brings the message to them. Let me say that I don't think it is wrong to be attractive to your community, in fact, a loving body of believers practicing the one anothers should be attractive. I just think the attraction should be genuine relationships, not cutting edge programs.

So, as a missional church we desire to be involved in the events and culture of our city and to have a presence in our community on the common man's turf. To be there, and to be intentional about connecting with people, loving people, and, in loving them, sharing the truth of the Gospel with them. This is the mission we are on. This is a snapshot of what it means to be missional.

On the Edge ... Movement Church

Joanna and Trey and I will be moving to Richmond VA this summer to do something crazy ... start a church. We will be joining Cliff Jordan and his family in this faith-stretching strategic venture for God's glory. I want to do some quick blogs over the next several weeks and work through some of our vision for what will be Movement Church. (For a more thorough discussion see www.moverichmond.org)

That's me ... and Cliff, Cliff Jordan. We were on a huge rock on the edge of a cliff (different cliff) that dropped down to the Arkansas River. And as we sat there and looked out ... and down, I realized my situation was similar to what it will be when we move to Richmond this summer to plant a church ... on the edge. The edge of what? Lots of things I think ... but mostly I'm praying we're on the edge of a glorious move of God to make His name and character known in the City of Richmond. And that's a church, that's the church we hope to start.

Here's a brief thought about our heart for Movement Church:

* A missional community - when I say community I mean a group of people that value Relational Depth. Valuing Relational Depth will be demonstrated by genuinely caring about people, and cultivating mutual accountability and encouragement. That means ... when someone in our church is sick, celebrating, hurting, happy, or living in patterns of addiction or sin ... we're there, we're there to bear their burdens (Gal. 6:1,2), to celebrate their sanctification, to cry their tears, and to join their joy.

There's some thoughts on community ... check back in, more on missional later.

Resonation With Reconciliation

That may sound weird, but I'm pretty sure there's a huge part of our heart that resonates with the concept, the value, the principle, the picture ... of reconciliation, that beautiful thing that takes place when two hearts return to one another.

So, here's what happened ... we had our friends, Spencer and Jana, over to hang out, eat spaghetti, watch a movie, and eat brownies and ice cream - classic Saturday night. We were discussing which movie to watch ... the potentials were: Elizabethtown, First Knight, Hitch, Knight's Tale ... all good options, but then a movie was starting on TV ... Just Like Heaven. (Reese Witherspoon and that guy from 13 Going on Thirty ... not that I've seen 13 Going on Thirty, but I heard he was in it ... anyway) We decided to just watch that.

Well, like any good movie it had us wrapped up pretty good about halfway through as we were starting to really wonder whether the two main characters were gonna get together. And it really had us wrapped up right at the end when one of them decides to do something crazy in the name of love. But sure enough, at the least opportune time a basic commercial break turns into a 10 minute break due to tornado warning updates from the weather guy ...

We were considerably less than happy about this (I know, very insensitive) and the four of us sat there, waiting, wondering ... what was happening in the movie (which at this point had gone from fiction to reality in our story driven minds), how much longer is this guy gonna be, will they pause the movie or will it continue and we miss the most crucial part of the whole thing? I could just picture the weather guy saying "we now return you to your originally scheduled program" ... only to have the screen change to a picture of our lovers kissing in the sunset and us having no idea how the conflict was resolved! And it was killing us!

Just when we thought we couldn't take it anymore, the movie comes back on ... and our worst fears were realized ... no, the tornado wasn't headed our way ... the story had gone on without us, we got dumped back in having missed the most crucial aspect of any narrative - the conflict resolution! We quickly turned the channel while expressing our true brokenness over not knowing how things got worked out ... not to fear, we live in the age of the internet ... within minutes we've pulled the movie up on Youtube and are finding where we left off ... sweet relief ... as you may suspect, the story ended with the kiss of two lovers ... together again ... ahh, sweet reconciliation ... the heartbeat of human longing.

What in the name of narrative was going on in our hearts that made us so set on finishing the story, knowing what happened, and HOW?! What were our hearts communicating to us about how we're wired? Why were we so irritated with the poor meteorologist who was keeping us from the narrative our hearts had connected to and needed to return to? Ok, I get it, tornado warnings are important, lives are at stake ... but in our hearts something else big was at stake ... reconciliation ... and not just reconciliation, the means of reconciliation. We're hard wired for story, relationship, and purpose ... and in a broken world, reconciliation is a key part of any of those. Our hearts demand several things ... to be part of a story, to know that it works out in the end, AND to know HOW and WHY it works out in the end! Why wasn't it enough to just see them kissing at the end and be happy knowing they got together? We had to know how, and this isn't just some culturally conditioned movie madness ... the desires we experienced open a little window to our hearts ... and to our design.

I believe every human heart understands that we live in a broken world, and they long to know that it's going to work out, but as much as they want reconciliation, they also want to know how it can be. As Christians, we value Genesis 3 because it lets us know why the world is broken, we value the Revelation because it lets us know that it's going to work out for good in the end, God wins. BUT ... Revelation wouldn't be near as satisfying without ... the Gospels ... the MEANS of reconciliation. We long to know it's going to be ok, but we also long to know how it is possible that it's going to be ok ... and for Christians, there's only one answer ... the cross ... our means of reconciliation.

May my heart beat as passionately for a deeper understanding of the beauty of the cross as is did to finish the movie tonight.

This Could Be My End

That's what I was thinking as I sprinted through the woods ... angry barking dog at my heels. I had been walking in the woods for some fellowship with the Creator. A beautiful day, a babbling brook, cool breeze, and some great time to breathe deep, focus on the goodness of God, and remember why I exist. And as much as I enjoyed the time it was time to head home. I was walking through someone's backyard for just a sec, headed back into the woods to take a shortcut home ... still in a meditative peaceful mode ... when I heard the sound of a ferocious man eating dog barking and charging me. I went immediately into a dead sprint, dodging trees and hoping for the best. But at one point I was quite certain this dog would indeed catch up with me, tackle me from behind, and proceed to eat my flesh. At that point I decided I wasn't goin' out like that, so I stopped, turned around and proceeded to yell at the dog. Amazingly it stopped (which I thought at the time was due to an invisible fence but ... people don't bury invisible dog fences in the woods ... he was intimidated by me), but he continued to snarl and bark and desire me for his next meal. So I took off again and he didn't follow, but I heard its owner calling him. I thought that it was a call to come back home and leave the poor innocent pedestrian alone, but when I got out of the loud rustle of leaves and was on the road I heard quite the opposite: "good boy, get him ..." What kinda nut? Anyway ... It's funny how quickly I went from peaceful communion with God to running for my life. Sounds a lot like walking out the front door of a church after a service. I think my ferocious dog anecdote paints a good picture of the reality of the world at war that we live in. Whether we stay aware of it or not, the world is not a friendly place to those who are in Christ. And as important as it is to have those times of peaceful communion with God, it is just as important to stay alert as we re-enter the world at war. I Peter 5:8 puts it like this, "Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Lion, dog, whatever, the point is - the enemy is real, and just like the owner displayed no pity on the poor shmuck running for his life through the woods ... our adversary shows no pity. So it is extremely important to seek and enjoy those intimate times with God, but always be alert and re-enter this world ready to fight (or run in my case ... maybe that's where the analogy breaks down?) ... remembering Jesus' words: "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world." John 16:33.

Some of you are wondering how I managed to get a picture of the killer dog ... let's just say sacrifices were made to enhance the effect of this post. Dedicated bloggers press on.

Forgive Me, But ...

I don't think I care. Not that I don't care about Penelope Cruz, I do. She's a beautiful person made in God's image for His purpose. But I don't care much for a big deal headline about how she almost fainted for winning an Oscar. The caption: "Penelope Cruz says she almost fainted after winning the night's first Oscar." … Is "so what" an appropriate response? … I could tell you about many people around the globe tonight who didn’t “almost” faint … they did … from hunger, thirst, drunkenness, loss of a loved one … from real issues, in the real world, that’s really broken and in need of a real Savior. Not a functional Savior (thanks to Driscoll for the insight), someone or some experience to distract us from our emptiness and give us "heaven on earth." The more the news dishes out shallow trivial anecdotes about superhuman movie stars the more we are potentially lulled into thinking that we live in a shallow world that has no need for the depth of the Gospel. Am I overreacting? Comments welcome.

Let's Be That Generation ...

... that throws off ambitions of vanity and lives for a bigger cause than self gratification ... that turns away from societal norms and cuts a new path ... and most importantly, let's be that generation that doesn't react so sharply to the disappointing flaws of those before us that we lose the value in their convictions and belief systems. Think about it - there have been generations before who have thrown off the norms and blazed new trails, of course they weren't always leading in the right direction (the 60's come to mind), but even those that sought to lead in the right direction often went so far into that direction that they introduced a whole new set of injustices and heresies to be corrected. By whom? The generation after them of course ... who would react so strongly that they ended up back in the same pile of mess the other guys were reacting to. Confused yet? Reacting to something that does not line up with God's heart and plan for redemption is completely appropriate. Reacting so much that we are disgusted by anything associated with the crowd and/or convictions that we're reacting to, regardless of its validity in the Christian worldview, is not appropriate ... but often practiced. Perhaps you have noticed some of this in the past half century. Strong orthodoxy absent of compassion for the broken leads to a social gospel devoid of the truth about sin and the need for a Savior ... which leads back to fundamentalism combined with skepticism about anyone who tackles issues of social injustice (hello Dr. J) ... which leads to ... you get it. Overbearing dominant leadership in the church combined with (the one man answer-all show) combined with stiff sermons laced with lengthy theological rhetoric leads to a an unhealthy skepticism about leadership in general and an anti-authoritarian bent that even slips into questioning that authority God's Word claims for itself (hello McClaren). Overemphasis on the church building and its structures and hierarchies leads to a distrust of institutions and organizations (hello ... me). So, where do you stand? What are you reacting to? If you are passionate about the mission of the church you have likely noticed the oregano in its teeth and are prepared to remove it with a pressure washer ... but may I suggest that a simple water pick might do the trick. What am I saying? That we don't have to react so strongly that we do more damage. The orthodox ogres are right about the importance of sound doctrine ... and the meek mercy-givers are right about the need for that doctrine to translate into a mission to loose the chains of injustice. So it is my prayer that as we are reacting ... we slow down, pray more, seek God's heart, not our own agenda ... and somewhere in the middle of the swing back in the other direction stop and realize that balance is needed in these issues. Let's be that generation ... the generation that doesn't react so strongly that we need to be reacted to.

What's In Your Ear?

I know a lot of people like to wear their IPod when they work out, and that's cool, I guess. I'm not really into it myself. I like to hear the sounds, and be aware of the people around me, ready to converse if the opportunity arises. But what I saw tonight was really over the edge. A husband and wife working out together ... both with IPods in. It was actually quite entertaining at times. The wife would say "whew my arms are Jello." To which the husband would reply "huh" ... and she'd repeat it louder. Then the husband would say "maybe you should use less weight for this one." To which the wife would reply "huh" ... and he'd repeat it louder. Please try to picture the funny faces made with each "huh" and the removing of the earpiece ever so slightly to get the message. It seems like this would have been awfully frustrating, but apparently it wasn't. Because it just continued as I sat and pondered the situation.

I feel like that scenario painted a good picture of the way our lives become in our modern era of business and activity. It seems like we always have something in our ear, whether it's an actual IPod or not. So many things rival for our attention, and too often we offer little resistance to the noise of the world ... there's always something in our ear. And just as the bride and groom in the above story were having a hard time hearing each other ... we, as the bride of Christ, often have a hard time hearing Him due to a noisy lifestyle. And even if we think we hear from God sometimes, maybe we only take the earpiece out long enough to say "huh," but not long enough to sit, and be still and fix our gaze on His beauty ... and truly listen. So, what's in your ear that may be keeping you from hearing the One who loves you? Maybe it's time to clear some space ... to be still, to be quiet, to listen.

And let us not forget the wisdom of the Three Amigos ... "in a way we each have our own El Guapo in life ... in this case it also happens to be the actual El Guapo." We each have our own IPod distraction in our spiritual life ... and if yours happens to be an actual IPod ... take it out. You're missing a lot of life. (don't take this part too terribly seriously (unless you have a serious IPod addiction) ... I just wanted to get the Three Amigos in there).

But seriously, I know in my life I need to make space to listen and be still. As your brother in Christ I lovingly challenge you to do the same. He is truly beautiful, as are the gentle words He longs to speak to us ... if we'll listen.

None of the Other Birthday Blogs Would Be Possible Without This Guy ...

That's right ... this man is partially responsible for the six wacky kids that carry the name Christmas. And we are truly grateful for his part both in bringing us into the world, and teaching us how to live in this world. And in this crazy world where little is certain anymore, I am certain that our Dad has been there, as the pictures show, for ... birthdays ... swimming days ... lake days ... play days ... fun days ... Christmas days ... wedding days. He has been there and has been ready to give, love, live, correct, teach, provide, and lead our family. Thank you Dad. Happy Bir- oh, yea, Trey wanted to say something too ...






It's pretty wild to think that I now have the same privilege and responsibility that I am thanking my dad for today. Happy Birthday Dad ... thanks for being there, for caring, and for loving. Pray that I will do the same for Trey. I love you.