our cultural dialogue

There is no way to have a sincerely, truth-seeking conversation these days because of the ultimate trump card that everyone in this culture knows they can play. It is subtle, but used as a weapon to end the discussion - often delivered in anger or disgust at one's close-mindedness. The trump card - the phrase that pays so to speak - has many variations. Usually something like: "this is the way I feel", or "this makes me happy", or "I have always been this way". These are all true statements by the way. People actually do "feel" a certain way and some of those feelings make them "happy" and we all have at least a few emotional and mental realities which we assume we have always had. The problem with these statements is twofold. 1. The way we feel is not a legitimate reasoning technique for whether something is true (or even good)or not. People feel things all the time that are measurably not true (or good)..but they are true to the person who holds them. It is interesting to me that the same science-driven culture that demands Christianity prove everything also willingly applauds any post, tweet, or text that someone says is the way they feel or the way they are without any empirical evidence of said feelings. In other words, "I feel..." will not hold up in the science lab. 2. The way we feel avoids the real questions of right and wrong and true and false. Ultimately, if how you feel is your truth and how I feel is my truth we have confirmed that there is no real truth. No truth means no rules and absolute chaos for our world. If there is no truth, there are no laws, there are no crimes, and there is no recourse for changing the world for the better. If you don't believe that this is true,just try googling the Nuremberg trials after World War II in which Nazi war criminals basically argued that for them it was culturally right to kill innocent Jews. So how do we enter this cultural dialogue? I'm reminded that good questions (as modeled by Jesus)lead to Holy Spirit led conversations in the Christian life. That's all I can do is have one conversation at a time, but it's not to win an argument. It is to have a loving talk about how all the stuff I feel and think ultimately make sense in one huge truth: JESUS! So instead of coming up with compelling arguments, I'm listening, and I'm asking..."So do you believe that everything that everyone feels is true?" "Is there any way that your feelings have to do with past circumstances in your life?" "What do you think is the solution to all the world's problems?" [recently I received an email from a gay man asking what I thought about homosexuality - sensing a trap and a conversation ender, I answered "why do you care what I think?" - the dialogue continues]. Even as I write these questions I realize that they aren't very brilliant, but if I can enter the dialogue in a humble way - the Holy Spirit will likely direct the conversation. I'm praying for that because as a Christian, it's all I've got in a world where the conversations is often shut down by "this is how I feel" or "this is how I am". I'm banking on people really deep down knowing that how they feel is not what they want. Enter Jesus!

In Jesus name, Amen.

Since i was a little child, I have been taught to pray (with closed eyes, bowed head, and folded hands mind you) to begin my prayers with "Dear Father" and end them with "In Jesus' name, Amen." To this day I end most prayers that way and of course, I have come to appreciate it not only as the form I learned but as the biblical pattern and practice of the early church. As I preached yesterday, there was simply nothing the first century church did that wasn't in the name of Jesus. Today I'd like to add an extra thought to doing "whatever I do in word or deed... in the name of The Lord Jesus" As I said, we are able to do everything in Jesus' name first by simply being aware of his presence in every situation (ie. Jesus is here). If we begin to realize how present he is in every conversation, every location, every task, and every activity then our words and actions may reflect his name in them. Secondly we noted that we can do things in Jesus' name when we realize we are his direct representation in every encounter. This bestows on us an incredible honor to actually speak words of encouragement and love on his behalf, to actually love and do acts of kindness on his behalf, to represent his presence in the most common of settings. Everything (and I mean everything) can be done in the name of The Lord if we are aware that he is there and that we become his voice and hands. What came to me today is that if we as Christians were to live like this, we could rightly end every conversation with the actual words, "In Jesus' name, Amen". We should be able to end every conversation with "In Jesus' name, Amen". If we are living out our calling, we can look at every relationship and every task as a prayer that begins by calling on the Father and ends with "In Jesus' name, Amen". I began thinking that my life should really be lived as a daily prayer that begins each morning with "Dear Father" and ends when I lay down for the night with "In Jesus' name, Amen." It's the middle of Monday now, and my life prayer is midstream, but even now I can call on God to Father me through it all and work as unto The Lord so that I can later say that this day was lived in Jesus' name. Amen.

quarterbacks and preachers

First off, let me give a shout out to Martin Luther King's birthday. His "I have a dream" speech remains one of the best discourses in human history outside the Bible. Still, he was promoting what Jesus came for - freedom. Praying that the church continues to be a place of freedom from all slavery, but mostly the slavery of sin that crosses all racial barriers. Now to football. I am a fan. I like sport and I like all the conversation and debate that goes with it. My wife does not. She's already tired of all the hype, debate, opinion, and argument from all the voices who will weigh in on the big game coming up in two weeks. I'll listen to much of it because it entertains me...but to my point. I have been particularly interested in how much attention quarterbacks get when it comes to winning games in the playoffs...I see some parallels between this high profile job and the high profile role of a preacher. Below are some observations. 1. Both the quarterbacks and preachers get way too much credit. When a football team wins, the quarterback is credited with the win, even though he may not have been the biggest contributor to the outcome and certainly wasn't the only contributor. Now, I must address the reality that there is no real tangible way to measure a "win" for a church. Unfortunately, our culture usually thinks of it in non-spiritual terms like attendance, offerings, and buildings - it's harder to define a "win" spiritually and since all churches are God's, winning is assured. But to my point, when things are good at a church, the preacher often gets the credit - this even though the Holy Spirit empowers it all, the staff and volunteers live out their callings and passions to make it all happen, and the living Body of Christ is designed for growth. In the Old Testament, God often helped his people during the reign of a lousy king, I suspect He still does the same thing with his church. Ultimately, people should never give too much credit to the preacher. The pastor himself certainly shouldn't buy the hype. He simply is not the reason churches grow. 2. Both the quarterbacks and preachers get way too much blame. On the other hand, when a team loses a football game, the quarterback often gets blamed for one or two bad plays. But considering there are 11 men each performing a number of functions on about 100 plays a game - there are thousands of opportunities for failure...and many of them go unnoticed. In the same way, when a church is not going well, the criticism mounts for the preacher and he often ends up losing his job. The truth is, there are hundreds of people with hundreds of conversations and hundreds of ministries, and hundreds of actions each week. If a church is not bearing good fruit, there are many root systems to consider. Jesus wasn't a hit in Nazareth, but not because he wasn't a great spiritual leader. 3. Both quarterback and preacher can reach their full potential without "winning it all". There is a crazy idea out there that a quarterback is no good unless he wins a championship (or several if you're a legend). In the same way, a pastor is often not seen as effective unless his church is in a continual numeric growth pattern, he is speaking at several national events, or he is writing spiritually ground-breaking best sellers. The truth is that God has gifted, placed, and used millions (perhaps billions) of preachers in history to change the world. They may not all make the headlines, but they are all effective as they are empowered by the Holy Spirit. There are great quarterbacks and great preachers, but winning and losing is about the team and the Body of Christ, the church is about all of the parts. Something to remember in a culture of hype.

calendar reboot

Some people spend some time on New Year's Day making resolutions - a sort of recommitment to improve their lives in the coming year (I'm one of those people) and other's do not, realizing that actions speak louder than words (my wife is one of those people). Either way, this first day of 2014 is a natural calendar reboot that allows us to think of our spiritual journey and how we might grow in the coming year. Here are the resolutions I'm praying for my flock at Eastview in the coming year. 1. That we may become more generous. I pray that every Christ follower gives more money away this year than ever before. That we would share more of the resources that God has shared with us to advance his kingdom through his church. 2. That we would become people of the word. I pray that every Christ follower spends time daily reading the Bible in the coming year. That we would memorize a Scripture a week to "hide God's word in our hearts that we might not sin against God. 3. That attendance in our weekly assembly on Sundays would be a priority. I pray that snow, rain, time change, sports, kids activities or laziness will not be excuses to stay at home on Sundays. That the fellowship of the saints would be a priority for us. 4. That every member would participate weekly in their small group praying, studying, and living together. I pray that our mini-communities within our larger community would become loving gatherings of Christian brotherhood. 5. That every Christian would make a disciple. I pray that we would all pray for, invite, be ready for conversation with as many non-Christians as possible so that at the end of this year we can say we fulfilled part of Jesus "Great commission" to make disciples. May we see 1,000 people baptized into Christ this year. 6. That every member would grow in their faith. I pray that we will be bold enough to ask for miracles and trusting enough to move forward by faith even when it doesn't make sense in human terms. 7. That we would live in joy. I pray that the hope of glory and our promise of future eternal life will allow us to walk through every day of this year, no matter the circumstance with great a confidence that God is accomplishing his will in us.

Mikey's wedding day

Well, it's finally arrived. In a way, Sara and I have been anticipating this for a year and in a way we have been anticipating this for 25 years. Raising a kid is a journey, and the journey with Mikey has been like all of our life's journeys...filled with ups and downs. It's love that keeps the thing going. In a way that only parents can understand, there is a deep-heart longing for your child that gets past all the disobedient and disappointing moments to see the potential and wish for the best. The apostle nails it when he describes love in I Corinthians 13:7 - love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Sara and I have done a lot of "bearing" all things over the years...but that has not changed all that I believe about him. I believe that he is a child of God and learned long ago to let him be what God wants him to be and not what I want him to be. God loves him more than I do. Because of this, I hope great things for his life...and of course his marriage is one of them. I have prayed for Abby for 25 years. I didn't know it of course, until this day. But when I pronounce them husband and wife today, I will be looking at a 25 year old answered prayer in real life. Now, I will hope for them...for the joy of parenthood, buying their first home, growing in their faith, finding couple friends, etc... Love is also about enduring all things. The mark of real love is that it sticks around for the long-haul. Anyone can "love" for a while or when things are good, but the 25 years with Mikey means we have endured a lot. This is love. He, like all humans, has not always been lovable, but I love him more today than I ever have and I'm extremely proud of the man he is and is becoming. Now, I pray that their love will simply endure. That's the key to a successful marriage you know, just show up every day and never think of giving up. Before you know it, you've been married for 28 years. One more thing, when you're a dad you brag on your kids. I brag because I have a view of who Mikey really is. While others see flaws (or tattoos :-), I know the story behind the flaws and know why he has reacted and lived the way he has. I've seen the insecurity, the successes, the heartaches, and the milestones. I know him better than he knows himself. So I can brag on the truly unique things about him that are awesome. He is an incredible tattoo artist. I mean he has creativity oozing out of him. He sees and then can put into art form things that most can't. I'm amazed at his skills. Some may look at him and see a scary tattooed guy, but I still see a little kid with a mullet running around in shorts and boots creatively examining the world. He hasn't changed much in 25 years and he's changed quite a bit. Only a parent can truly understand that statement and fully appreciate what this day means. This is his wedding day and I am the preacher...but more than anything else, I'm just his dad. A very proud dad.

When to pray at Christmas

It's not about a time or a place necessarily although a "routine" of both can be helpful. It's about going through life with a Lord who is in relationship with you. Most Christ followers pray before meals, before bed, first thing in the morning, and at church...but when are the other times I should pray? Well, Christmastime is a natural time to pray. See list below for when you should pray at Christmas...maybe this is what Paul was talking about when he says to pray without ceasing (I Thess. 5:17): *When I feel like a Scrooge mood - Pray for God to give me joy *When I taste a Christmas treat - Pray a prayer of thanks for good things *When I face a medical test/exam - Pray for God to grant me peace *When I go to Christmas gatherings with people I don't know - Pray for uplifting words to say and ability to hear with my heart. *When I celebrate Christmas with family who have hurt me - Pray for a forgiving heart and attitude *When I'm sitting at a table to eat - Pray thanks for God's provision *When laughing - pray for how light it feels *When giving gifts - pray a prayer of thanks for the ability to share *When receiving gifts - pray a prayer of thanks for the picture of Jesus as the ultimate gift. *When watching the snow - pray a prayer of thanks for how God has washed your sins away *When you see children on Christmas morning - pray a prayer of thanks for the innocence they bring *When you see the elderly sing a Christmas hymn - pray a prayer of thanks for God's faithfulness in the journey. *When listening to Christmas music - let your singing along be your prayer (think of the words) *When you feel the cold of the air on your face - pray for those who are cold spiritually and thank God for the warmth of soul you have in Jesus. *When you see the lights on your tree - pray a prayer to of thanks for the light of the world. Add to this list as you wish, but whatever you do...pray

Jesus as we like Him

Yesterday I mentioned in my sermon how sometimes our culture, our songs, and our nativities can place Jesus in a box during this time of year. In other words, we can worship Jesus as we like Him. He can be the savior we want him to be and not the one He truly is. Here are some thoughts to expound on what I said yesterday (NOTE: these are not thoughts condemning nativities, Christmas carols, or cultural impressions of the baby Jesus this time of year, simply some things to think about): 1. We like Jesus in a box. Subtly, when we place whatever Jesus likeness we have in the various manger scenes it may represent being able to control Jesus. It may be I like baby Jesus best because He is exactly where he belongs - in the hay, among the cattle, shepherds watching on, etc... I'm not as comfortable with him invading my life where he wants or him being something that I can't explain or don't like (eg. the guy throwing tables in the temple or rejecting a Phoenician woman's request for her daughter's healing) 2. We like Jesus "tender and mild". Jesus is pretty harmless in the manger. How much damage can a baby do? As a baby, he doesn't seem confronting or rejecting. It's as if, the baby in the manger is so cute and cuddly that he couldn't possibly have distinct teachings of right and wrong. In the manger he is lovable because this baby can't convict us or call us out for our sins...he simply smiles and coos and has soft skin. He is happy if I simply make faces at him and talk baby talk. We can easily forget that this baby grew up to preach the sermon on the mountain that spoke against our idolatry, our oath taking, our selfishness, our pride, our anger, and our materialism. 3. We like Jesus to be like us. Of course, Immanuel - God with us is the point. He became like us - human so that he could show us his love in a tangible human way. But he did not become human to show us that we were all right. He became like us only in the fact that he shares our flesh, our temptation, our hunger, and our thirst. But he is not like us because he did not sin. Often, I see Jesus as human and think - "oh he understands." Well, he does understand how bad I really am and that's why he came to face the cross. The point of Jesus as a baby is not that He has become like us, but that He died so that we could become like him. He was a baby, and I was a baby..but the comparisons end there. Just a few things to think about as the Christmas season kicks into full gear.