John David Hall

-An Open Letter To Tiger Woods-

2010-02-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

Dear Tiger,

I forgive you. I know that doesn't mean very much coming from some random guy whom you never met and likely never will, but I felt compelled to say it. There are already a number of people with opinions about you statement this morning. Facebook and twitter are in full bloom with comments about your words, many of them questioning your sincerity. I think these people have a lot of audacity in judging the intentions and heart of someone they have never met or discussed the situation with. But just for the record, not only do I forgive you, but I believe you.

You discussed that you felt a certain sense of entitlement to indulge yourself in all the temptations around you because of all your hard work. Wow. That must have been a difficult thing to admit. Not just to your family and friends and the press but to yourself. We've heard story after story of public figures like yourself making mistakes but none of them have had the courage to acknowledge that. So, I thank you for your transparency.

You also mentioned that you somehow forgot that the rules apply to you too. I am in awe of this. Whether we want to admit it or not, we've all felt like this. We've all done things that sent the message that the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to us. As you have discovered, this attitude is poisonous to us. But at least you had the courage to come out and say it. The acknowledgement that you weren't living according to "the rules" is a step toward healing that most people will never make. Even as they sit back and criticize people like you who's mistakes are tabloid fodder while they continue to hide their deepest secrets to make themselves appear better than the rest of us. Ultimately, it is hurting them as well and that is very sad.

I say all this, Tiger, so that you will know that you still have at least one fan. Not just of your golf game but of you as a person. Did you make some mistakes? Absolutely. There is no question about it. And I don't think you should simply be let off the hook for it. But you are taking steps now that display a high quality of character in my opinion. You have decided to continue to focus on healing yourself and your family rather than return to golf right away. Way to go! I truly hope to see you on the golf course again soon. I want to see you get 19+ majors. You are an amazing golfer who continues to make mind boggling shots when you're out there. Your focus on the course is second to none and it shows on the score cards and the stat sheets. I hope you put that same drive and that same focus now into your marriage, family and personal healing, so that when you do get back into golf, you will be whole again and free from distraction.

Finally, Tiger, I wanted to let you know that I will still point you out as a role model to my children. Not because you're a great golfer. Not because you are best at what you do. And not because you are perfect. But because you are NOT perfect. Because, when faced with your biggest failures, you chose to deal with it head on rather than run. You chose to make your marriage your priority when it would have been easy to simply divorce and continue playing golf. You didn't take the easy road of excess and denial, but the difficult path of healing and restoration. As much as I hate it, my kids are going to make mistakes in their lives. And when they do, I hope they face them with the same raw, gut-wrenching honesty and courage that you are displaying now. Well done Tiger. Well done. You still have at least one fan.

Sincerely,

-John Hall

-The Difficult Work of the Soul-

2010-01-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

I know that "sin" isn't a popular word these days. Even in the church though many Christians won't admit it. It seems that in response to the judgmental stereotype that Christians have held in the USA for so long now, many churches have gone to the other extreme and tread lightly on the word or even the concept of "sin." The problem with this is the same as the problem with being hyper-judgmental toward people's sin. Good intentions, poor execution. But I think it's a subject that we can't ignore. Sin is, in fact, what separates us God and therefore needs to be talked about. The idea of trusting Jesus and following Him hinges on our acceptance that we are not perfect. That we have done bad, selfish things. So if we don't treat the subject with the seriousness that it deserves, then we neglect to admit that we need saving. On the other hand, when we harp to much on the sin, we may never feel as if we have been restored to our Creator. It's not like there is a fine line or anything, we're just hyper-sensitive about what we believe and therefore we tend to get a little over zealous. It's how opinions eventually turn into doctrine. Which is scary.

That being said, I want to talk about sin. It's the universal topic when you think about it. It's like breathing. We've all done it pretty much our whole lives. some people don't see it like that. They think you can do whatever you want as long as you don't hurt anyone else. Others don't even have the "as long as you don't hurt anyone else" clause. Some simply figure God will work it all out so when you do bad things, bad things will happen to you. (NOT). And then you have the Christians.

We're a strangely diverse bunch. We have rich people, poor people, Republicans, Democrats, independents, businessmen, farmer, white collar, blue collar, and I could keep going. But just like everyone else, all of us have, and continue to, sin. Our response to our sin however, can be totally different. Some of us ignore it. Some of us try to hide it. Some of us beat ourselves to death for it. Some of us carry the guilt around for years. Still others of us say a quick, "Hey God. Sorry about that. Amen." type of prayer and never think about it again. No matter which of these you may be, there is an issue here that is bigger. We're not being saved from our sin. In fact, we often don't want to be.

I am learning that there is a difference between being saved from my sin, (which is what Jesus came to do) (Matthew 1:21), and simply being saved from the penalty of my sin. The penalty of my sin is death, (Romans 6:23), but God loves me so much that he has given me an opportunity to have eternal life, (John 3:16), but He doesn't want me to stop there. He's happy to extend the opportunity to have eternal life to me, but He wants so much more for me. He wants me to be saved from the very thing that causes my separation from Him. The sin itself.

God will forgive us over and over and over again if that's what it takes. As long as we are genuine in our desire to be forgiven He will forgive. But what he really wants is for us to become who we were created to be. People who live and work and laugh and love and cry and who's hearts break with HIS. He wants to close that gap that our sin creates not just be getting rid of the penalty but by getting rid of the sin itself. Sadly, we rarely let Him do this work. Because this would require full submission to Him. We can fake our way through life with other enough to make it look like we have our crap together so don't do the hard, difficult work of the soul it takes to be saved from our sin. I am learning that this work is not popular because it hurts. I'm learning that coming face to face with how selfish I have actually been living is humbling. I'm learning that being saved from my sin is humiliating sometimes. But I am also learning that unless I go through it, I'll never be the person God made me to be. I'm also learning that the life I am headed into by doing the difficult work of the soul is the abundant life that Jesus talked about. I'm learning that living the way of Jesus is even harder than I thought. But taking up your cross was never a pleasant picture. So i can't blame Jesus for sugar-coating it. He simply didn't.

I don't have all the answers. It's a long, hard road to travel and the road is different for everyone. So as much as I wish I could give you the steps to take to do the difficult work of the soul, I just can't. all I can say is that it begins with asking God to help you love him more. Help you follow him more closely. Help you know Him better. Because the more you love God, the closer you get to Him, and the better you know Him; the more like Him you will become. And that is what will save you from your sin, and not just from the penalty of it.

-The Voices Of 2010-

2009-12-31T14:15:00.000-08:00

Well here we are. It's the last day of 2009. How was your 2009? What happened to you in 2009? What life changing things did you set out to do? Who's life did you change? How did your life change? What goals did you accomplish? What was the hardest thing about 2009? The funnest? The most painful? Seriously, what do you remember about 2009?

If you're like most people, you don't remember much about the last year of your life. Sure there are some events that will stand out to you. Maybe even some that you will remember for the rest of your life. But for the most part, you won't remember much about this, or sadly, any other year of your life. It's not fun to come to this conclusion. But if we're honest with one another, we can all admit that it's true. Our lives simply aren't memorable.

Thats the great thing about New Year's. We get a chance to start over. For one day every year we look ahead with extreme optimism about our lives. Anything is possible. We make resolutions and declarations that THIS year, THIS time we will be different. Our lives will be better. They will be the way they should. WE will be the people we've always known we could be. Starting NOW.

But then we get back to work or school or just to our regular lives and something happens. Our lives get in the way our lives. The mundane and routine take over, reminding us that we are still the same people we were yesterday. We still have the same struggles as we did yesterday. We still have the same problems, the same personality, the same flaws, the same... well, the same everything. We come face to face with realization that who we are and what we have hasn't changed with the new year.

This is when we usually make a fatal mistake. We give up. We listen to the voices in our head that tell us we were being overly optamistic about what we capable of. We let them convince us that we were just being sentimental about the New Year and made some unrealistic resolutions. We let them convince us that we really can' be THAT good. That our lives can't really get THAT much better. And so we settle back into who we have always been. Because we believed the voices. We believed the lie.

This year I hope you will stand with me and shut the voices that tell you these lies up. This year I hope you will the voice of your Creator. The voice that says you are more than a conqueror. The voice that says you are beautifuly and wonderfully created. The voice that says you are worth dying for. The voice that says He wants to give you an abundant, significant life. The voice that says you can do all things through Him. THAT is voice we must listen to. But it won't be easy.

You see that voice is said to be "still" and "small." And a still, small voice is difficult to hear over the boisterous lies that plague our inner thoughts. But we must hear it. We must remind ourselves that it is there. That we must silence the loudness of the everyone and everything else. That we know those voices are telling us lies because when you don't have anything of merrit to say all you can do is shout. It's the quiet, humble voices that are worth listening to. The ones that don't INSIST on being heard are usually the only ones worth hearing. Listen for those voices with me this year. Those one want us to be the people we know we can be. Lets listen to them. Lets listen to Him.

-Money Blog Part 4: Tithing vs. Giving-

2009-11-19T08:40:00.000-08:00

Churches and church leaders have gotten a bad reputation over the last few decades when it comes to teaching or even mentioning the practice of giving to the church. Much of this reputation has been earned by a only hand full of "christian preachers" who were basically caught stealing from people. I mean, the was more to it than that but when you break it all down, that's what they were doing. So because of these hand full of people, pastors and teacher and church leaders with genuine hearts and motives have been hamstrung when it comes to talking about giving money to the church. People come in already jaded because of the now defunct "preachers" they've heard about on the news and are hypersensitive to ANY church leader talking about giving. This has led to pastors and church leaders being over-paranoid about talking about giving and the topic has been basically ignored in many churches in our culture out of fear of being labeled "all about money." That being said, today I want to talk about giving to your church.

One of our biggest problems as a Church (when I say "the Church" I am talking about ALL the Christian churches everywhere not just MY church) when it comes to giving is that, just like everything else, we can't agree on it. Some churches take up and offering, others don't. Some churches teach to give a specific amount, others teach to give "whatever God puts on your heart." Most churches, however, teach the biblical principle called "tithing." Tithing is simple. It simply means that you give 10% of your income to your church and this is the practice that I, personally believe is a great start.

Many from with the Church argue about the practice of tithing. They have "theological" points to show how we don't really have to tithe anymore. And if 9 out of 10 of these people had this view out of a desire to give and love then I'd be totally okay with it. However most of the people I've heard use these types of arguments seem to o it in order to absolve them of guilt for not actually giving to the church at all. Lets talk about some of the common arguments against tithing that are heard, shall we?

One argument I hear a lot is, "Tithing isn't really talked about in the New Testament." This is a pretty ignorant point to try to make. we have to remember WHO wrote the New Testament; Jews. Jewish people who believe in Jesus were the ones God used to pen the words of the New Testament. And when they devoted their lives to Jesus they didn't STOP being Jewish. They continued to practice Jewish Law. In fact, many of them we emphatic about it. So they wouldn't HAVE to mention tithing. It was simply assumed as a normal practice. Beyond that, what happens if we decide to use the New Testament as our only guide? In the gospel we see Jesus telling a man to sell everything he has and give it to the poor. Later in the book of Acts it says that all the believers sold their possessions and had "everything in common." So if you want to use strictly a "New Testament pattern" you'd better be prepared to give 100% because that is what the New Testament describes... and more than once.

I also hear a lot that the practice of tithing is a part of "the Law" of the Old testament and the the New Testament says we're not under the Law anymore. Okay, yes tithing is described in what we call "Levitical Law," meaning it is found in the Old Testament book of Leviticus which lays out much of the Law the Jews were to live by. But what many people don't realize is that by that time, tithing wasn't new. If you read Genesis, God asks Abraham to tithe. Abraham passes this practice on and we see his grandson, Jacob, committing to giving a tenth of all he has to God as well. Leviticus is simply making the practice "official," but it existed LONG before Moses gave the Jewish people "the Law." So the practice of tithing actually precedes even the 10 Commandments.

I also hear about how Jesus didn't talk about tithing and that we never read about Him actually practicing it himself. Once again this is an ignorant argument because Jesus was also Jewish. In fact, Jesus followed the spirit of the Law better than anyone else. He was a Jewish rabbi, living in a Jewish country, teaching Jewish people to live the Jewish way. Once again, they wouldn't need to mention Jesus tithed because it would have been assumed by virtue of His culture. It also doesn't say He ever went to the bathroom, or blinked, or laughed, got cold. So are we assume those things never happened too? Beyond that Jesus DOES mention tithing in Matthew 23:23. He affirms that the Pharisees have tithed but ignored things like mercy and justice. Bet then Jesus goes on to tell them that they should, indeed, have been tithing without ignoring mercy and justice. So, apparently Jesus is actually pro-tithing. Which really shouldn't surprise anyone because, once again, He was Jewish!

Finally I want to make it clear that I believe wholeheartedly in tithing not because I want or need your money, but because our money is usually one of the last things we're willing to let go of and trust God with. Because He's not really God unless He's the God of everything. Even our money. Sadly, in most churches today 15-20% of the people pay 95% of the bills. If everyone in our churches began tithing, many churches would know what to do with all the money. It would open whole new possibilities for the church to contribute to the lives of others. I think that it could be amazing. I also believe something else about tithing. I believe it's simply a starting point. I think 10% is a good place to begin but not to end. And I think that if you began to tithe and experience the joy of giving to God obediently you'll actually get greedy for giving. Try it. I dare you. Prove me wrong.

-Money Blog Part 3: Value vs. Cost-

2009-11-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

Not long ago, in a galaxy not so far from here, an organization conducted a study about income in Americans. It asked several questions of people about money and income and budgeting. I wish i could remember details of the survey but unfortunately most of it has slipped my memory. The one thing that has stuck with me however, was what they reported about their findings as it related to how much income was "enough."

The reports said that in their findings, the majority of those surveyed indicated that "enough" income was about 10% more than they were currently bringing home; REGARDLESS of their current income level. This means that the person making $20K a year thought that if they could just make 10% more they would have enough. It also means that the person making $250K a year thought the exact same thing. 10% more and they would finally be making enough. But would it really be "enough"?

I'm persuaded that it's never "enough." That for some reason we are conditioned in our culture to never be content with what we have but to always want and even need more. Even to the point to where we allow our happiness depend on it. We are conditioned in this culture to want to attain a certain level of wealth and we think when we do attain it that we will finally be content. But it's just not true. Because it seems that we are wired to always think we need just a little more.

The problem with this mode of thought is that it cares more about the value of money than it does the cost of it. Getting more money will always cost us something. To some, it can cost time with their family. To others it will cost a piece of their integrity. To some it will cost them their mental and sometimes physical health. And still to others who take it to an extreme it will cost them their freedom. And the more value we place on money, the higher the cost. You'll know how important money is to someone when you get a peak and what they are willing to do and say and become in order to get more of it. This is not how we were designed. when we were designed, money did not exist.

But money does, in fact, exist today so we cannot simply ignore it. But we also must always keep it in perspective. If we don't we will always lose something while trying to resolve our monetary concerns. Too often monetary wealth leads to spiritual poverty. Along that same line, often times monetary poverty can lead to spiritual wealth. It's been my experience that the people who have the least are much happier to share what they DO have where as those who have the most tend to be much less generous unless they stand to gain something from it, (i.e a tax write-off). And that isn't really generosity is it?

So how do we resolve this. Do we say, "To hell with money!" and forget about it? No, I think that would be a waste of an opportunity. Again, money exists in our world and we can't ignore it. But what we can do is change the way we think about it. As Paul writes, we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:2) We need to think of money as an opportunity not an obtainment. I'm not suggesting we stop trying to make more money. I'm simply saying that when we DO, we use it in ways that place the proper value on it. We must learn to use our money to serve God's purposes rather that using ourselves to serve money. Don't make the point of money become about "having more," make the point about USING MORE. Use your money to invest in love, in your family, in yourself, in people. Use it as a means and not and end. And always, always make sure the cost is never greater than the value.

-Money Blog Part 2: Jesus vs. Being a "Good Steward"-

2009-11-04T17:10:00.000-08:00

What to do with our money has been argued about by Christians for centuries. How we should we handle it? Is tithing really a New Testament practice? Should I give money to the homeless guy even though he may use it to buy drugs or alcohol? Some Christians have taught that God wants us all to be rich. Others have taught that God would prefer it if we were all poor. Many people have had money essentially stolen from them in the name of Jesus. I mean, lets face it, when it comes to money, us Christians are a strangely confused bunch.

The rise of the Evangelical movement has brought us to an interesting place when it comes to money. It has brought us to the era of the "good steward." God wants us all to be "good stewards" of our money. We should not be frivolous. We should live within our means. We should save some money for the proverbial rainy day. And these are all great things. Except that being a "good steward" has turned into so much more than just that. Lately, being a good steward has just been a tool to prop up the evangelical "Republican" ideals rather than a tool to preserve the church and the individual from financial trauma.

Now, don't get all freaky on me for throwing the words "evangelical" and "Republican" in there. I myself could be identified by both of those terms in one way or another so believe me when I say I am NOT showing any bias. But I have too often heard that people don't give money to the homeless guy because he may use it to buy drugs and that would mean that they were contributing to his sin and that's not being a good steward of their money. Somehow I think that's just an excuse to NOT give money but rather to keep it for yourself. Besides, you can't be a good "steward" of something that is yours. By definition, a steward is a caretaker of SOMEONE ELSE'S property. So being a good steward means realizing that it's not even YOUR money to begin with. I think Jesus was a great example of this, (no surprise there).

In any Biblical account when Jesus is questioned about money or talks about money, his attitude toward it is always much less arbitrary than ours seems to be. "Give it to Cesar. Give it to the poor. Pay the Temple tax. Here Judas, you be in charge of the money people give us." It seems that when it comes to money, Jesus is a horrible steward by today's "Christian" standard. But wait, He's Jesus. He's our example. He's a living, breathing, flesh and blood example of what it means to live according to God's Word. In fact He IS the word in flesh according to John 1:14. So how can we resolve this "Christian paradox" that Jesus was and is perfect and yet by our standards He was awful with money? It's simple really. We have to pick a side. Do it Jesus' way, or do it the "Christian" way.

Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't use your money wisely and I'm not saying you should just give it all away willy-nilly like. But if you REALLY want to be a "good steward" then you should emulate the ATTITUDE that Jesus had toward it. It is merely a tool. It isn't even near the top of the list of things we should "demonstrate" as Christians. Savvy investing or a high net-worth isn't one of the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5. So what was Jesus' attitude? "...From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded..."(Luke 12:48) If you have been blessed with money, then God will demand that you use it in such a way that you are a blessing to others. Why? Because that is what we are ALL called to be. A blessing to others. Others. Others. Others. That is what Jesus was about. Others. That is what He died for. Others. That is who he asked us to reach out to. Others. That is who he tells us to put first. Others. And that is what being a good steward is about. Others.

-Money Blog Part 1: Currency vs. Character-

2009-10-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Even if you don't believe anything else the Bible says one thing that is hard to argue with is 1st Timothy 6:10 which tells us, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil..." Take it from someone who worked in bank branches in Orange County, CA (a region where you can find one of the most concentrated groupings of wealth on the planet), for almost a decade. Loving money can cause problems. I once listened to a brother and sister argue in front of me for 20 minutes about who should get the extra 1 CENT from their recently deceased mother's savings account because it wouldn't split evenly into 2 parts. There's something wrong there. Something terribly, terribly wrong.

I think one of the biggest problems happens when we assign value to money. If you're thinking, "What are you talking about John? Money already has a value. We don't assign it one," that's not at all what I mean. What I mean is the value we allow our money to give us. I'll explain. Often times in our culture, we equate someone's value as a person with their affluence. The car they drive, the area of town their house is in, the places they eat, the clothing they wear. These are all ways in which we gage someone's wealth and, in turn, gage their value. That is a problem in it's own right but it leads to an even bigger problem. Comparison.

We begin to compare what we have with what others have. Is my car as nice as theirs? My clothes? My home? But comparisons like these are actually a double-edged sword. We can't win. If someone else's "stuff" is better than ours then we feel inferior. It their "stuff" isn't seemingly as nice we feel superior to them. either way we are basing not only their value as a human on their money, but also OUR value. Then it becomes about being "as good as" someone else. So rather than basing our value on what we ARE, we base it on what we HAVE. When this happens, money becomes more than just currency, it becomes our character.

We, as individuals, must make conscious decisions to end this mentality. We must stop confusing our self-worth with our net-worth. Until we do, we won't have our money, it will have us. We must remember that money and "stuff" is not the goal itself but simply a tool we can use to help us achieve our goals. Because when our goals in life revolve around the accumulation of cash and "stuff" then in the end, we have done nothing with significance. We have simply hoarded and taken and allowed our currency to be more important that our character.

-Jesus Blog Part 4: A Life of Significance-

2009-10-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

One of things I hate the most is when Christians have a "transaction mentality" of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. What I mean by this is when they see their faith as a transaction with God. They say, "Okay God, I'll believe in you and accept Your Son and in return, when I die, You'll let me into heaven." Of course this isn't usually a conscious thought. Usually it's just totally normal because that's how faith seems to work in Western Christianity, (western word not west coast). We put in our time at church and try to play by the rules and in the end we avoid hell. Yay for us. And what makes it even more difficult is that this is really the only kind of faith people know. So, well meaning people who really do love God simply live their lives the way they're told they're supposed to.

But providing us an opportunity to go to heaven when we die is not what Jesus lived, died, and resurrected for. It is simply a fruit of what he actually came to do. Jesus' life was about the restoration of all things. He came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10) and by save he didn't mean simply saving us from hell. He meant saving us from ourselves. Saving us from our own attitudes and our own perceptions of how life should be lived. He talked a great deal about loving the unloved and caring for those who couldn't care for themselves. He discussed at great length the idea that forgiveness and reconciliation are much better than living with grudges and bitterness. He talked about loving God, loving others and, yes, even insinuated that you should love yourself. He got frustrated when those closest to Him stopped believing in themselves because He believed in them.

You see, Jesus also said that He came to give us " a rich and satisfying life," (John 10:10). I think we like to quote this verse but then we forget it. Jesus gives me a better life NOW. Not just when I die. And he didn't mean a life of wealth. He meant a life of significance. A life that has an impact on the world around it. A life that He doesn't just pour into, but a life he also pours out of. This is the life that Jesus came to give. Here. Now. At this time. In this place.

So yes, Jesus came to give an opportunity to go to heaven. But He came for so much more. And when we fail to recognize and respond to that we rob the gospel of all it actually offers us. We lose a great deal of value in our lives when we think of it as an "after-death" arrangement. And we tear away a significant amount of Jesus' sacrifice when we don't let it infiltrate our whole life.

A life of significance. That is what Jesus offers. Not just a ticket to heaven. And until each of decides to grab hold of the life Jesus extends to us, we will continue to rob the gospel of all of it's weight and meaning. And unless we begin exploring the life of significance Jesus offers, we will redeem our ticket to heaven only to find that when we get there, it's not as full as it would have been had we taken Jesus up on his offer. A life of significance. Jesus had one. Jesus came to give you one. Will you accept it?

-Jesus Blog Part 3: Love & Insecurity-

2009-10-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

I'm a people-pleaser. Like most pastors, I am wildly insecure, (though few will admit how deep their insecurity runs). So I work and work and work and try to make sure that people love and accept me. I try to be funny and entertaining and supportive and empathetic and charismatic and talented and I'm really good at making it appear as if I have my crap together. Because I want people to like me. To accept me. To trust me. To love me. Is that so bad?

As I look at Jesus and read about His life I discover that he wanted those things too. Jesus wanted to be liked, and accepted and trusted and loved and He still does today. In fact the entire premise of the Gospel hinges on the idea that we love, accept and trust Jesus. So I have to conclude that my longing for that same love and acceptance is okay. It's okay that I want, desperately, for people to admire and love me for who I am. It's also okay that you want that. Now, before you get all agitated with me for making assumptions about YOUR insecurity and need to be loved lets just be honest here. You are human and therefore I CAN make that assumption.

You see, I believe we were created by God. I don't presume to know His methods or understand how it all happened or worked but I believe with everything in me that God, in some way, created the universe and then us. I also believe that when God created us, He created us in His image. This means we were instilled with the same thoughts and feelings as Him. It means that we have been wired to share some of the attributed of our Creator. It's like He signed us as a painter would his masterpiece. And so when I look and see that our Creator has a need and longing to be loved and accepted then it is easy for me to see why we, His masterpiece that bears His signature, also have those same needs. The difference between God and us however, is how we handle or desire for love.

I look at the life of Jesus and see it as God's way of literally stepping into our shoes. In Jesus, God takes away our ability say, "But You don't know how it feels." because He DOES know. And in reality, He always has known but we needed the extra evidence of Him actually becoming human. But as I examine Jesus' life and I see that He had the same need for love and acceptance as me, I also find that HIS need for those things manifested in much different ways. Jesus responds to the human condition not by hoarding love but by giving it out generously.

It's as if Jesus is showing us that we are misunderstanding our own need for love. That we have tainted our original design. That our need for love isn't that we receive it as much as it is that we give it away. And that through the acts of giving our love and acceptance to others, it will somehow find it's way back to us. Jesus was NOT like me. He was NOT a people-pleaser. His energies weren't spent so much on being loved and accepted but rather, on loving and accepting others recklessly. I wonder what it would be like if I did this. How much good could I do in this world if I took all the time and energy I put into being loved and accepted and, instead, put it into loving and accepting others? This is what Jesus SHOWS me I can do. This is why Jesus died willingly rather than fighting it. To show us that real love will go the whole way. Real love isn't the kind you long to receive, but the kind you long to give. And I want to start loving like that.

-Jesus Blog Part 2: Jesus Ate Kosher-

2009-10-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

I think that movies mess us up when it comes to our perception of Jesus. In most movies I've seen that portray Him, Jesus has long hair (sometimes blond), a beard, blue eyes, and is in pretty good shape. He wears Birkenstocks, and a white "dress" with either or red or blue sash around it. Seriously, we portray Jesus as a 1st Century metro-sexual. In some of the movies He's even wearing guy-liner.

But that's not really how Jesus would have looked. I mean, He would have had a beard, sure, but that's where most of the similarities end. The idea that He had long hair is highly debatable, I promise his hair was dark and there is no way He had blue eyes. (The only way we can argue that point is by alluding to the fact that maybe "his Dad has blue eyes." But that's a scary discussion in of itself.) His clothing would have typical for the day too. So, not likely white and no "sash" around him; just a tunic. Oh and He wasn't white. Caucasian Jesus is a myth. This comparison may freak some people out, but Jesus probably looked more like Osama bin Laden than he does our own mental depictions of him. Because what we often forget here in the west is that Jesus wasn't a Christian, He was a Jew.

Now, the idea of a Jewish Jesus really doesn't surprise anyone. We "know" He was Jewish. But do we really? Do we even know what that means? As a 1st Century Jew, Jesus' life and upbringing would have revolved around the Torah, (1st 5 Books of the Old Testament). We see Him at 12 years old going to Jerusalem for the Passover, the New Testament talks about Pentecost (the Jewish feast, not the "christian" version of it), and even what we call "The Last Supper" takes place in the context of a Jewish Passover meal. Jesus was a Jew. He lived in a Jewish region of a Jewish country, was raised by Jewish parents, celebrated Jewish holidays, learned Jewish tradition, spoke Hebrew as well as Aramaic, and ate Kosher.

The reason this is important is because as Western Christians, I feel like we have lost some of the richness of Jesus' words and life because we view them OUTSIDE of His cultural lens. As a church, Christianity has stepped away from our parent faith, Judaism. We've become like the 18-20 year old who just moved out of his parents house and is trying to be independent. But in declaring our independence we are only robbing OURSELVES of our full and rich family history. WE are the ones missing out. But in our arrogance we fail to recognize it. We miss the truth that if i really, truly want to learn about Jesus and the things He said, then I must also be a student of Judaism. I must try to see the Torah the way he did. I must try to understand the importance of those Jewish feasts. If I want Jesus to invade my world fully, I must also be willing to invade His world.

I'm not saying we should all put on a yamaka and start spinning a dradle. I'm not saying we all need to convert to Judaism or start saying, "Oy Vey!" I am simply saying that if we want to know Jesus the way we say we do, we need to learn about the faith and religion that He practiced. Otherwise, we're not really getting to know the real Him. I think my own life, (and quite possibly yours), is proof of this. It would be impossible to really know me if you tried to understand me OUTSIDE of my faith and religion. Because every single part of my life is penetrated and influenced by my spiritual beliefs and faith. So if you removed all the "Christian undertones" from my life, you wouldn't be left with much to get to know. Jesus is the same. By trying to know Him OUTSIDE of His Jewishness, we are left with only a shell of who and what He really is. So, hey, lets get together for some good kosher and learn more about what Jesus was like.

-Jesus Blog Part 1: "Me Too"

2009-09-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think we, as Christians, really dehumanize Jesus. I think we get so over-zealous about ensuring His place in the Trinity that we make him out to be super-human. We imagine Jesus as someone who always knew exactly what to say and what to do in any situation. we imagine Him with a certain strut or swagger about Him that exuded confidence because, we think, "He knew who He was." But I think we miss out on so much of Jesus when we do this. Now let me make it clear, I believe that Jesus is God in the flesh and i believe that He knew who He was. But the fact is that Jesus was and is a man. During His life on Earth I believe he was just as susceptible to human emotion and yes, even insecurity.

The bible tells us then when Jesus took on a human form that He became, "a little lower than the angels." (Hebrews 2) It also tells us that He was profoundly hansom or attractive that we should be drawn to Him in any way. (Isaiah 53) Jesus was a child as well. We know He grew up with human parents, had brothers and sisters and went to school. So for me, it is safe to conclude that for all intents and purposes, Jesus dealt with the same range of feelings and emotions and hurt and joy and struggle and that we do. But what convinces me most that this is true is what I hear in His voice when I read those red lettered words.

I think often times when we read the Bible we read it as a text book. It's a book that has information that we need to learn in order to improve out lives or so we know the right things to say and do so we can go to heaven when we die. This is probably due to some of the language we use. We talk about "studying" the Bible. We call it "Text." We refer to it as our "Instruction Manual for Life." Our "Study" Bibles contain "footnotes" and "glossories" and "dictionaries." We have inundated ourselves with the idea the the Bible is a very important text book. But we have forgotten that it is also a story. A narative. With history and songs and poetry and passion and agony. Lately, I have begun reading the words of Jesus like this. And I am finding a whole new side of Jesus that I wish I knew before.

Listen to this short passage; "From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve." (John 6:66-67) When I read the question Jesus asked the twelve I hear in Jesus' voice a very sad, hurt and even insecure tone. "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Can you hear the angst? The anxiety? I hear in Jesus' voice a man who is desperate to be accepted because He knows what it means. A man who hopes and prays that He is saying the right words and doing the right things. A man who has just been deserted by many of His "friends" and is asking other if they are going to bail on Him too. "You don't want to leave too, do you?" It feels like a plea that they not leave Him alone. Because Jesus doesn't want to be alone.

I get like that too. I'm desperate to be accepted. I hope and pray that I say the right words and do the right things. I don't want to be alone. And I feel a little better knowing that Jesus, the SON OF GOD, felt some of the same insecurities I do. To know that that He can feel my turmoil within because He has been there. He has felt it. He knows exactly...what...I'm going through. And I find it comforting to know that Jesus can say to someone like me, "Me too, John. Me too."

-Letters To Myself Part 4: Dear Death-Bed John-

2009-09-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Death-Bed John (Date: Unknown)

So you're pretty much done huh? I mean, I've always mentioned how when any of us wakes up another day it's because God isn't finished working on us or through us yet. So He must be done with you now. What's that like? Do you feel satisfied with the life you've lived? Do you feel like you can say that you have "fought the good fight"? Did the things you've done have a purpose other than self-preservation? Did you have an impact on the world around you? Because fighting the good fight takes work. Fighting the good fight takes energy. And most of all, fighting the good fight takes "goodness." I wonder how much goodness you demonstrated. We're all fighting for something during our lives. I hope you chose to fight for goodness and love and people your whole life. Because the good fight is worth fighting. And you can only fight it with good deeds and good work. Not with anger or violence or ignorance. I hope you fought the good fight, John.

I also hope you can say that you have "kept the faith." And I'm not talking about the kind of faith that just made sure you were in church every Sunday. But the kind of faith that James writes about. The kind of faith that demands action. I guess that's really the only kind of faith that there is when you think about it. Faith that doesn't inspire you to move isn't really faith at all is it? It's just a set of phrases and proverbs and religious sounding chatter that make us sound deeper and more profound than we really are. Because if we really do believe the things we say we believe then it should come pouring out of our lives. It should influence and affect every decision we make. We can't claim to be an environmentalist and drive a Hummer. Likewise we can't claim to have faith in Jesus and his teachings and still hate people. At the core of the life of Jesus is the unwavering belief that people are worth dying for. Part of me hopes that's the reason you're on your "death-bed." That you're giving you life for a person or people. Did you keep the faith, John?

Finally John, I hope that you "finished the race." I hope you didn't give up and walk off the track before you got to the finish line. The race is exhausting, I know. I'm still running it. But I have to believe that in the end, when I cross the finish line, all the effort will be worth it. The race is long true, but it's the only one worth running. And I never have to run alone. I wonder if you ever took off on your own. I know it's a long race and sometimes it seems like it would be so nice to just sit in the shade and watch the other runners. But both of us know that if we did that we would always wonder what it would feel like to cross that finish line. We weren't born to be spectators. We were born to run. So I hope you finished the race, John. I hope you know what it feels like to cross the finish line. I'd ask what it does feel like but even if i did you wouldn't be able to describe it. So if you'll excuse me John, I have a race to run. And I think I just got my second wind. See you at the finish line John.

Truly,

-John Hall (Age 31)

P.S.

No one was born to be a spectator. We were all born to run. So I hope you inspired and encouraged others to run the race with you. Because the race is easier when others are there running along side of you. I hope we cross the finish line knowing that people are running because of us.

-Letters To Myself Part 3: Dear 40 Year Old John-

2009-09-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

Dear 40 Year Old John, (March 30, 2018)

I wonder about you a lot. It seems sometimes that I'll never actually be where you are but I know that it's inevitable. Time always seems to move slower when you're looking forward than it does when you're looking back. So no matter how far off you "seem" to be, I know that, baring some accident that takes my life, I will, quite literally, be in your shoes. And so I wonder about you.

What are you doing? Are you still an associate level pastor? Did you make the jump to a Lead Pastor role yet? Are you even in a pastoral position at all? Have you written a book yet? There are so many things I wish you could tell me about the plans and vision I have today for my life tomorrow. Am I living a life of significance? Am I helping change the world by changing lives one at a time? Am I being the inspiration that I want to be that pushes others to make a difference too? What have I done right? I have so many insecurities about becoming you that it is overwhelming sometimes. If I could just talk to you. Listen to you. Get your advice. Sadly, I don't think it would change much would it? I'd still have all my insecurities. I'd still wonder about the man I am becoming. Even if I could talk to you, I'd still be me. And if being me isn't good enough without talking to you, then neither will it be good enough if I could. So maybe the best I can do is to take the steps now to ensure that just being me IS good enough. And maybe by the time I'm you, I'll be proud of the man I am becoming.

What kind of friend are you John? Do people trust you? And if they do, do you really deserve their trust? Do you put your own agenda aside for others? Do you make people feel loved and valued and important? Or have you given up that pursuit? I fear that a lot. That over time I'll slip back into being the critical cynic that I have fought so hard to subdue. He's always there you know. Wanting to come pouring out me and point out all of the the flaws of everyone and everything around me. But I don't want to be him. He pretends to love people but refuses to accept them for the wonderful and amazing people that they ALREADY are. I hate him. Have you overcome him? Have you finally beaten him out of existence? I hope so. Because people mean too much to be ridiculed and judged into believing they aren't good enough. But you're probably still fighting him off too. Like I said: he's always there. I hope you haven't become him again. I pray we are pushing him farther and father from us. I don't want to become him again. So I'll keep fighting for people. To love them. To accept them. To welcome them the way Jesus did and still does. And maybe, by the time I'm you, he'll be gone.

What about your family John? Are you good enough for Krissy yet? Do you deserve her yet? Probably not. Even if you have grown as much as I hope you have since you were me, you'll have a long way to go. She's always been out of your league though. You know that as well as I do. But I hope we've never stopped trying to be the man she deserves us to be. And what about your kids? Felicia turns 15 in a few months from where you are. That means boys re alive and kickin' in her life and that hormones are a daily part of life. Have you taught her to have high standards? Have you treated her in such a way that she will always expect the best from any guy that comes in her field of vision? Does she know by the way that you treat her and her mother that she should expect nothing less than someone who would lay down his life for her? Have you made her feel valuable and loved and respected? Because that's what I want for my little girl. I hope you've done your job with her. And likewise, what have you demonstrated to Ian? Have you acted like the man you hope he becomes? A man of strength and patience and love and responsibility. Have you taught him self-control? Have you given him confidence in who God has made him to be? I hope you have taken your responsibility to him seriously. And I hope you can still make them all laugh and smile and help them to love life. But there is no way for me to know what you do. So, I'll love my family in real, tangible, expressible ways now. And maybe, by the time I'm you, they will know how much they fill my life with joy.

So I guess it doesn't matter what you would say to me does it John? Because it's up to me to take the right steps and do the right things here... now... today. And then to wake up tomorrow and chose to do it again. And you simply can't help me do that. I have to do it. It's up to me to make sure that you turn out to be the man I hope you are. So today I make a promise to you John. I'll try. With everything that is in me I will try to make the choices today that will ensure you become the best man you can be. I can't promise perfection. I'll most certainly make some bad, wrong and even selfish choices. But I promise that I'll try. And maybe, just maybe, by the time I'm you, I will have begun to leave my mark upon this world. And it will be a better place because I am in it. Maybe...

Truly,

-John Hall (Age 31)

P.S.

This is the hardest, most deeply personal thing I've ever written. I hope it means as much to you as is has to me. God speed John. Never forget the man you hope to one day be and never stop trying to become him.

-Letters To Myself Part 2: Dear 25 Year Old John-

2009-09-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

Dear 25 Year Old John (March 30, 2003),

It doesn't seem like that long that I was you, but so much is going to happen to you over the next few years that you won't know how you managed to navigate through it all. You will mature more over the next five or so years than you did in the previous 15 combined. So buckle up and put your helmet on because life isn't the "roller coaster" it's been made out to be, it's more like the bumper cars.

You got married about a year and a half ago and that has worked out quite well for you hasn't it? But you're still learning to be unselfish aren't you? It's not easy but you're finally starting now to understand that in marriage you can't think in terms of "me" but always in terms of "we." Continue to cultivate this attitude. It will be invaluable to the success of your marriage. You've also set some good ground rules with Krissy that will serve you well for the upcoming years. The "veto" rule was good. Giving your spouse the power to tell you you're not allowed to do something and knowing that they have given you that same authority shows a tremendous amount of trust and respect. You were also wise to agree to never let an argument cause you to spend the night under different roofs. These simple things have proven to strengthen your marriage like nothing else could. You love and respect and trust Krissy and she does the same for you. This will only continue to grow over the years causing you two to become closer than you knew was possible and you will have the ability to talk about anything without fear. Ultimately, you will realize that what you were suspicious of all along is, in fact, true: she is way too good for you. Fortunately, for you, she loves you anyway.

You're also just a few months away from being a father for the first time. Now, I won't ruin it by telling you if it's a boy or a girl but I want to prepare for a few things. Holding your child for the first time is going to wreak havoc on your equilibrium. Never will you feel so important yet so insignificant at the same time. Nothing will inspire you to be the best you can possibly be like this event will. You fell in love with Krissy over time. You got to know her. You got to know about her. You interacted with her and came to appreciate her personality and uniqueness and it has grown into a deep sense of love and devotion that could never be replaced. But it happened over time. When you hold your child for the first time, all of that love an devotion is going to come crashing down on you in a matter of nanoseconds. You WILL be overwhelmed by it. But even as i type this i know my words aren't even a fraction adequate enough to prepare you. So, good luck. As for the actual birth part, you're about to see Krissy in a whole new way that will simply add to your knowledge of how amazing she is.

Professionally John, you've got a long way to go. You're still cocky and think you know it all. But an off the cuff comment from Billy Phipps is going to snap you back into focus. He won't know it when he says it because he wasn't even really talking to you or even about you; but will be a ginormous, (that word will be added to the dictionary in 2008), wake-up call and you will never forget that moment. Right now you are learning to always be learning and that is good. But in a few years a book recommendation, (once again Billy Phipps will play a major role), will altar how you see the church, the world, people, politics, ministry, and relationships. It will set you on a path of learning and growth that take you to new heights and help you combine your intellect with your spirituality. This step is a major turning point for you.

Introspectively you will really start to come into your own. You will be filled with ideas and dreams and visions for amazing things. When you don't make them all real it will be taxing for you. It will even hurt. But you will press on and find more and more creativity hiding just beneath the surface. It's there for the taking but there will be obstacles in finding it. Pride and self-centeredness will always be a struggle for you. You will have to come to terms with this or you will never be able to grow. This won't be easy for you but I hope that in the long run, growth will be more important to you than always being right. Keep learning and keep loving because if you don't there will be no reason to keep living. You're becoming a grown-up now John. It's time to put away childish things. There is more to you than your sarcastic fun-loving exterior. There is depth. There is the ability to affect people on a deeply personal and spiritual level. Dig deep John. Find it. Bring it out. Make a difference. It's up to you.

Truly,

-John Hall (age 31)

P.S.

I didn't mention your trips to the Philippines and Fiji that will shatter your life into a million pieces. You will see things that will rock your world. They will bring you to tears and to your knees. Breathe in these experiences. They will help you understand your role in this world.

-Letters To Myself Part 1: Dear 18 Year Old John-

2009-09-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

Dear 18 Year Old John (March 30, 1996),

First off, wipe that stupid "I know more than you do" look off your face because it makes you look like an idiot. This, "know it all" thing is really going to cause problems for you later. It's good that you have identified your gifts and calling and that you did it at a young age but you have failed to identify your shortcomings and weaknesses. This has made you believe you are better than you really are, (hence that stupid smile on your face). But what's worse than that, John, is that you tend to judge other people's weaknesses on your strengths. You expect more out of people than you yourself are willing to give. When you're a little older, you're going to wish you learned how to love people for who they are much sooner. You still struggle with this into your early 30's at least.

Humility doesn't come naturally to you, John. That means you actually have to work at it. The last thing the world needs is another arrogant pastor with a "holier than thou art" attitude and that's what you're well on your way to becoming. (Sorry, the Christian rock-star thing isn't going to work out.) John, the good news is that you have the "Love the Lord you God" part down okay, but you still struggle with the "Love your neighbor" part. But you'll learn. It will take a lot of painful introspection though. You'll come face to face with some very ugly truths about yourself that you'll have to choose whether to acknowledge or to ignore. It won't be easy.

The good news is you will get to know some amazing people and have some amazing experiences along the way. Enjoy the music thing you're doing right now. Learn all you can about it because it will play a major role in your life in the future. Meeting Pastor Chris was no accident either. You owe him more than you could ever repay. Listen and learn from him but know that you will make the mistake of trying to become just like him. Resist this. God created you to be you, not to be another Chris Sonksen. That isn't to say you shouldn't learn from him and try to take on some of his traits. It just means God wants you to be YOU.

There's other people you haven't met yet too. People like Billy Phipps who will teach you how to love people better without even knowing he's doing it. You will get so much out of knowing him that you won't even realize until years later. But that's how it is sometimes. You don't even know when you're learning. You just look back a few years later and realize who taught you this or that and often times lately the answer has been: Billy. You'll also learn a ton of things from women like Laura Sonksen, Annie Phipps, and Sonya Henry who will have had no clue how big an impact they made on you. People like Jim Hill and Steve Tiscareno will teach you about temperament and character on whole new levels and you'll make friends that will be there for you in some very difficult times.

Yes, John you have a long, long way to go at 18 years old and I can confidently say that at the age of 31, you'll still have a long, long way to go. But press forward. You have so much potential to change the world one life at a time. But potential simply means that you haven't done anything yet. Potential is like a reserve gas tank. Until you decide to use it, you'll never know how far you can go. So quit talking about all the things you are capable of doing someday and get to actually doing them. Because until you do, you just wasting oxygen. Don't WAIT for the future, MAKE the future, John. Because you've wasted too much time already.

Truly,

-John Hall (age 31)

P.S.

I could tell you about who you're going to marry, (I know that, that question consumes about 85% of your head-space right now), but if I did I would rob you of some serious emotional and personal growth. But I will tell you this; you are very, VERY happy.

-Church Blog Part 3: Broken & Messed Up Together-

2009-08-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

One thing I can honestly say is that I know I am loved. And not just by my wife, kids and other family members but also people outside my circle of relatives. And not even just a few life-long friends either. I know. that I know. that I know that I am loved by a lot of people. People older than me, younger than me, smarter than I am and more talented. People better looking with more money and a better sense of who they are. I'm also loved by people who have less money, less education, and less of a sense of who they really are. I'm even loved by people who don't like me. I am loved by a lot of people, and they are loved by me too. Because the "church," is a beautiful idea.

I believe with all that's in me that I would not be as loved as I am were it not for the church. And please know that when I refer to "the church" I'm talking about Christians everywhere and not just the local church that I am a part of. The church has provided me with and endless supply of people to care about. I could rattle off name after name. Some of them I've only met once, some of them I've known for years and some of them I have simply only heard of. It's funny how that works. Yes, the church has provided me with mentors, proteges, and peers alike and I have learned from each one of them.

I think that's one of the main functions God has in place for His church. That we learn from one another. That it doesn't matter who you are, where you came from, what you've done, or how long you've been around. If you here, I can learn from you. You have something to contribute. And your contribution may open up whole new possibilities that I could never imagine without you. The church is a community, an entire Kingdom of people that are committed to loving God by loving each other. Service God by serving each other. Learning from God by learning from each other. Like I said, what a beautiful idea the church is.

So, where do you fit in this Kingdom? Because I promise you, you fit somewhere. And when you find your place or even just begin trying you add value to us all. Your presence and contribution make us better, stronger, and more complete than we were before. And the more people that join God's Kingdom, the closer we become to God's picture of what the church is supposed to be. Now don't get me wrong, I know the church isn't perfect. When you get people involved in something they tend to mess it up a little and the church is made up entirely of people. So naturally, we have our problems. Many outside the church often talk about how the church is full of hypocrites. And you know what? They're right. It absolutely is. So they should fit right in then.

You see the church is filled with broken, messed up people living in the same broken, messed up world that everyone else lives in. We are simply compelled by Christ to be broken and messed up together. And when we are broken and messed up together, we find strength. A strength that only God can provide through His people working in His Spirit to build one another up. To remind one another that we are not alone. To allow God to give us hope, peace, strength, love, joy, laughter, friendship companionship, and comfort through His people. Because when someone else in the church laughs or cries or prays or sings or hopes or celebrates or embraces me, it is not just them that does it. It is God laughing, crying, praying, singing, hoping, celebrating or embracing me through them.

The church is God's way of doing life at our side and not just above our heads. The church is God's way of being with us through life not just after it. The church is God's way of saying to us, "me too." The church is a beautiful idea. It's an idea worth dying for. It's an idea worth living for. If you are already a part of it, I thank you and honor you for your contribution. If you are not, we stand here waiting for you. Anticipating all that we can learn from you and all the ways God can love you through us. We are just broken, messed up people living in a broken, messed up world. But we're doing it together. We hope you'll join us.

-Church Blog Part 2: Don't GO To Church-

2009-08-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

My pastor once told a story about a member of the church pulling him aside one Sunday to talk with him. (Note: If it's possible, don't pull your pastor aside on Sunday. His/Her mind is in a million different places and it'll be better for BOTH of you to just call him during the week.) The long time church member proceeded to explain to Pastor Brad that another church member was struggling financially and that she had been assisting her for several weeks now. The well meaning church member went on to say, "I think the church should do something about it." Pastor Brad responded by asking her, "You've been helping her lately?" and the woman reiterated that she had been. "Then the church IS doing something about it," he said. And the conversation ended.

I love this story because it's a real life, flesh and blood example of what "church" actually is. Often times we get confused because of our modern, western understanding of the word "church." So lets explore the origin of the actual word. The word we translate as "church" comes from the Greek work "ekklesia." To understand the significance of this it's important to understand what the word "ekklesia" meant to a First Century person living in the Roman Empire. When a city within the Empire pledged it's loyalty to Cesar and Cesar alone, Rome would formally adopt that city and it's inhabitants would become citizens of Rome. Being a Roman citizen was extremely valuable at the time and came with rights that other were not given. (i.e. Paul's right to appeal his case to Cesar in the book of Acts.) Because of this, many cities were more than happy to give their loyalty to Cesar. They would adopt the currency, styles, rituals and holidays of Rome. They would learn to say things like, "Cesar is Lord." or "There is no name under heaven by which man can be saved than that of Cesar." (Sound familiar?) And for their loyalty, Cesar would declare their city an "ekklesia." You see, First Century Christians hijacked the word church from the Roman Empire.

They did that a lot actually. Hijacking Roman terms and mantras that we still use today. For instance we still say "Jesus is Lord." rather than "Cesar is Lord." And we still call gatherings, "churches" or "ekklesias." Why is this important? Because we should always remember that the very name we use to identify ourselves was meant to fly in the face of human power structures. The term "church" as it was used by First Century Christians was never meant to describe a hierarchical organization with a "top-down" leadership structure. Sure it had, and has, leaders but not in the same sense as we know it. The leadership came along side of it's people, it's didn't rise above them. But over the centuries the church has become domesticated. We began a wild lion and have become a common house-cat. We institutionalized ourselves, segmented ourselves, we fight amongst each other. Sadly, the Kingdom of God has grown more and more like any other kingdom in appearance and function over the last 2 Milena. Somewhere along the line we lost our desire to fly in the face of human power structures and replaced it with a desire to conform to them. We stopped being an insurgent, counter-culture revolution of people who love God and love others. Tragic.

That brings me back to the story my pastor tells. What was he saying to this very well meaning and kind-hearted lady? He was reminding her that "the church" is not a location. It's not a building, it's not staff, it's not service on Sunday. He was reminding her that "the church" is all of us. All of that claim to follow Jesus are the church. The church is alive. Rick Warren recently tweeted "The Church is a Body, not a business; an organism, not an organization." I love this quote because it's a reminder. It's a reminder that church is something we ARE not something we DO. Something we should BE not somewhere we should go. Church is found in people not in places. Today, when we gather as a "church' we call it "going to church." But in doing so, we lose the beauty and honor and wonderful responsibility of BEING the church. Please, don't just GO to church, BE the church. For God, for each other and for the world that needs us to fly in the face of human power structures.

-Church Blog Part 1: Stay Home-

2009-08-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

OK I admit it, sometimes church bores me to no end. Sometimes I'll go to a service somewhere and 15 minutes into the service I've checked out mentally and am thinking about what I'm going to order for lunch. And why is it that the most boring churches have the longest services? What is it about the mundane that it somehow always breads an over-consumption of time? We have lives outside of church man! Let us go! I mean, if you can't make your point in 20-25 minutes you're certainly not going to be able to make it 45 minutes. Besides, I've heard all this before. Teach me something I DON'T know, don't just tell me the things I already believe. And another thing... wait I'm getting off topic. I'll cover boring sermons and having a life outside of church in the weeks to come. For now I'll just stick to "checking out" while at church. Because even when church bores me to tears, I never go in with anything but a sincere hope and desire for God to speak to me and invade my life.

I cannot tell you how often I look around in a church and see people who have tuned everything out. They are there physically, but have no real desire to get anything out of church. They're like mannequins in the seats showing you what it "looks like" to be in church but are rigid and unmovable. Please know that I am not talking about MY church. I'm talking about every church I've ever been to, seen or heard of and all the ones I haven't heard of either. This is a serious issue. We have developed routine Christianity in our lives rather than living out real faith. Because truly following Jesus should be anything but routine.

But there they are week after week filling our pews and chairs and occupying a space that may otherwise go to someone who is thirsting for interaction with their Creator and Savior. We do that sometimes as Christians don't we? We get in the way of someones opportunity to have a real encounter with the living God. Maybe we don't mean to. But sometimes, our mere presence is like a fence that keeps out the Holy Spirit. I hate this because we're the ones who are supposed to be the example to show others the joy and fulfillment that comes with interacting with a very real God in a very real way. But what message do we send when we're just sitting there in the seat mindlessly staring at the stage daydreaming about other things? What message do send when church is simply routine instead of real? What message do we send when church is an item on out "To-Do List" rather that one on our "To-Be List."

Sadly, this syndrome seems to be most prevalent in Christians who have been Christians for a while. It seems the longer you're a Christian, the more infected by routine you get. I am absolutely petrified by the idea that this will happen to me. What is even more frightening is that in many ways, it already has. But I still have yet to go to church just to check off my "to-do list." I still have yet to sit in a service without anticipating and longing for a real, powerful, life changing encounter with God. I still hunger and thirst to hear His voice. Do you? When in church do you long for a life changing experience? Do you pray that you would somehow, in some way be different when you walk out the door than you were when you walk in? Because if that's not the attitude you carry into church with you, maybe you should just stay home.

I know that many people wont like that idea. I know that many people think you should always be in church and for the most part I agree. But in this case, I simply don't. I think that if you aren't interested in a real interaction with God when you go; if all you're going to do is sit there with a mind-numbed expression on your face instead of seeking God; then you're just getting in God's way. I know that there are people who will suggest that, "At least if they're in church God may get their attention," but I don't agree. First off, if they don't want God to get there attention then going to church isn't going to make it happen and secondly, God doesn't need them to come and sit in a specific building on a specific day of the week, at a specific time of the day to get there attention. He can do it whenever and where ever He wants.

So please, when you sit in service, seek God. Seek life-change. Seek His voice. If it's time to sing and worship, then sing and worship. Cry out to God as His church with a single unified voice that you are there for Him. To hear from Him what He wants to do in your life. Consider the words and message behind the lyrics to the songs. Let them our out of your heart and soul instead of just reciting them from memory. When it's time for the speaker to teach/preach, listen attentively as if you were hearing the words of God Himself because in many ways, you are. Don't just fill in the blanks and then throw our bulletin away. Consider what God is saying to YOU through the message that day. Encounter God. If you're not interested in that, just say home. Maybe someone who is thirsty for God will use your seat that day.

-Sex Blog Part 5: Dirty Alternatives-

2009-08-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Last week we discussed some of the "whys" behind the idea that God thinks it's smart to wait until we are married to have sex. The idea that sex has, quite literally, caused so many problems in our world not unique. Human-beings have often taken something God created to be beautiful and enjoyable, and used it to such an extreme that it becomes distasteful and far from God's original design. But actual physical sex is only part of it. The act of sexual intercourse is very intimate and, quite pleasurable sure, but what about other acts? What is OK to do outside of marriage? You may be surprised to hear the kind of things happening today.

I have always been a fan of technology. Over the last century we have grown leaps and bounds technologically with each step helping to make the world smaller and smaller. It has opened up doors and methods of communication that would seem like "magic" just 75 years ago. But the technologies have also given rise to other types of sex. Phone sex, cyber-sex, webcam-sex, and the newer phenomenon referred to as "sexting" are rampant in our culture. In each of these, the parties involved never actually make physical contact. There is no real "sex" being had. It is simply a means by which people "inspire" themselves and each other during masturbation. But is it OK just because no one is actually having sex? I honestly believe this act is pretty much the same as actual intercourse. Sure there is no exchange of bodily fluids and no opportunity to pass on a disease but it is still a very very intimate scenario. Remember our discussion in Part 1 of this series about discussions of the most intimate details and corners of our minds being a way to draw us closer together as a husband and wife? So phone sex, webcam-sex, cyber-sex, and sexting open these highly intimate discussions up and create a false sense of intimacy which can be very dangerous outside of a fully committed, marriage relationship. It can be detrimental to you in the long run as well.

The same can be said in many ways for pornography which is highly available to pretty much anyone with an Internet connection. In this circumstance, the person using porn is lulled into the idea that "no one is getting hurt," because there is nothing intimate about it. No conversation is happening and there is no exchange of personal information or sexual discussion. But there is something deeper going on here. When you view porn in any form you are supporting the idea that it's OK for a man or woman to give themselves away for money. Let's make no mistake about that porn is a form of prostitution because it's sex in exchange for money. I don't care that they're called "actors" and I don't care if they aren't always having actual intercourse. They are giving a piece of themselves away and by viewing it we support it. By participating in it at any level, we are saying that it is acceptable for you to do this or show that in order to provide stimulation for random people. It's OK for you to become an object rather than an individual. Porn turns people into fantasies that are not real. It takes a human who God created in His image, and turns them into fiction. It dehumanizes them. And just because they were willing to do it or got paid for it doesn't make it OK for us to participate in robbing them of their humanity and removing the image of God in them. That is what porn does.

Finally friends we come to the "where do we draw the line physically" question. What are we allowed to do when we're not married? What if we're "in love" and want to express that physically? What if we're engaged? Please understand, i have asked these questions myself. Every relationship I was in prior to being married came with these questions. For me, I have to examine the the motive behind the questions. For example, there are many "alternatives" to actual intercourse that people think aren't actually sex. Hands can be used on one another to simulate sex. Oral sex has long been viewed as an "alternative." In recent years, many "good Christian girls" are using anal sex as a way to protect their virginity but still keep their boyfriend happy. It's quite sad really. Because in ANY of these cases, you're still giving yourself away. God tells us that a woman should never settle for anything less then a man who is willing to die for her. It tells us that a man should love and respect her enough to put his own agenda aside and give his very life for her. If you're willing to die for her then you should be willing to wait for her. So, once again, what is the motive behind asking how far you can go? the motive is to get as close to the line as we can without actually crossing it. (Which is an exercise in futility) As people who want to live the way of Jesus, we cannot afford to have the philosophy of "get as close as you can to sinning without actually doing it." So when we ask these questions to justify our actions we are creating a false foundation for our faith. Using you hands, mouths or anything else to simulate sex is just as intimate as actual sex and the idea that "The Bible doesn't actually say it wrong," is ridiculous. In the time it was written, the Bible didn't need to clarify what was sex and what wasn't because even seeing a woman you weren't married to let her hair down was very provocative. It doesn't say it's wrong because it assumes you ALREADY know it. Which, in your heart, you do.

Sex, IN ANY FORM, is a deeply personal and intimate expression. God created us as sexual being because He loves us and wants us to experience the ecstasy of that type of intimacy. He wants us to know what it's like to be loved physically an not just emotionally. Sex was created to help us build a stronger bond and deeper connection with our husband or wife. I am saddened that our culture has used it to drive us apart. Porn, phone sex, and justified simulated sex all end up pulling us AWAY from our original design. They destroy the image of God in us and rob us of our actual sexuality as a human. Sex, in any form, should bring you closer and closer to someone you've made a lifelong commitment to. Someone you're willing to set aside your agenda for. Someone you willing to die for.

-Sex Blog Part 4: Dirty Secrets-

2009-07-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

OK so we've covered some topics about sex as it relates to married people and having an open, honest relationship. We've talked about how God may have made us so different sexually in order to get us to talk to our spouses in a deeply honest way about the most intimate topics of life; thus making it easier for us to communicate with them about other issues when they arise. For example, if I am comfortable sharing my deepest sexual thoughts with Krissy, then talking to her about how we spend our money or how we're going to raise our children will probably be pretty easy in comparison. (By the way sex, money and kids are the top three subjects married couples argue about.) I'd like to use this communication idea as a springboard to this weeks post. If you're not married, this type of deep intimate communication is not necessary.

Too often when we talk about sex before marriage in a "Christian" setting we simply discuss that the Bible says we shouldn't have sex until we're married. And while this point is absolutely true, we're simply not doing the Bible, or God any justice by limiting our reasoning to that and that alone. I'm a big fan of asking and talking about "the whys." It isn't enough to say that God wants us to remain sexually pure until we're married. We have to discuss WHY God says that. What purpose could it have? If God made us sexual beings and gave us sexual desires, then why would He also tell us to quench those desires?

Well first, I'd like to go back to the original point. The type of deep, deep intimacy that sex brings really doesn't make a whole lot of sense outside of a marriage. If I'm 15, what business do I have sharing my deepest thoughts and most intimate feelings with another teen-ager who really isn't equipped to understand them and probably doesn't really care anyway? The intimacy of sex was created to share with a single person because your marriage relationship is supposed to be the most intimate relationship you EVER have. I am proud that there is something between Krissy and I that we have only shared with one another. There isn't another human being alive who could possible say that one day, they were just as close to Krissy as I am today or just as close to me as Krissy is today. Because they have NEVER shared that most intimate of acts, sex. And because of this truth, our marriage is stronger than most other marriages out there.

Another reason I think God asks us to keep sex off the table until we're married is because God is also a very practical God. If you simply stop and think about it, you'll see that saving sex until you're married just makes more sense. Unlike several friends, I've never had to worry about getting herpes, crabs or even aids. I've never had to concern myself with telling my parents that I got some girl pregnant. And I've never had to worry about finding some form of birth control and feeling all awkward about it. Just think of all the crime, disease, and conflict that comes from sex. Would there be an issue of prostitution or young girls being sold as sex slaves if EVERYONE decided to wait until they were married? Would HIV and any other STDs be as big an issue, (if an issue at all), if EVERYONE decided to wait? Would abortion be such an issue if over 90% of "unwanted pregnancies" were eliminated because EVERYONE decided to wait? I mean, look at history. Wars have been fought over sex. Imagine a world without all the pain, suffering, and heartache that sex is able to cause. It would be possible if everyone would simply see the practicality of waiting until you're married to have sex, (and remaining faithful to your spouse of course).

Finally, I think God asks us to remain sexually pure until marriage to help teach us self-control. We do not live in a culture that puts a lot of weight on self-control and moderation. We are living in a time that is a very, "do whatever you want but don't hurt anyone else" time. I like the idea of "not hurting anyone else" but is it very difficult to combine it with the "do whatever you want." If I do whatever I want, someone else is bound to get hurt. If a guy sleeps with some girl because he wants to he is potentially hurting her even if SHE wants to as well. What if she gets pregnant? What if he has an STD and doesn't know it? "She wanted it too!" is no excuse for a lack of self-control. We need to learn to be the master of our hormones instead of letting them master us. We need to learn to let our self-worth comes from the fact that God thinks we're worth dying for rather than doing what it takes to get the approval of some guy or girl. Ladies, stop using sex to get love. Guys, stop using love to get sex. You're both just cheapening yourselves and are worth so much more. Control your desires, don't let them control you. Then there will be no secrets to keep and no shame to feel. But that's just my opinion.

-Sex Blog Part 3: Dirty Talk-

2009-07-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

OK so far in this "Blog Series" we've discussed the importance of communication in a marriage as it pertains to your sex-life and then last week the importance of serving one another in our marriages was the topic. So lets say we do that. Let's say we learn to open up with our spouse about our sexuality. We begin to have an open and honest discourse with one another about our needs. We get more and more comfortable with one another and then begin opening up about our sexual desires and fantasies with our spouses. And, more importantly, we also listen to them. We hear them out out and the communication begins to flow both ways between us. We begin to see each other's sexuality as a gift not only for them but for us. We find greater and greater fulfillment in our marriage and sex-life as we learn to step outside of our comfort zones in the bed room. We are another step closer to being "naked and feeling no shame" with each other. It's a beautiful awareness isn't it? To be able to trust someone else so intimately and know they trust you as well. But we also trust other people don't we. We have friends that have earned our trust. What happens when the trust in those relationships crosses into our sexual relationship with our spouse?

As you may be able to imagine, I'm a pretty open guy. I'm not a big fan of having personal secrets. I think it's easier to maintain integrity if I keep no secrets about myself, (emphasis on "about myself" as i hold the confidentiality I take with others very seriously). Because of this personality trait, it is easy for me to be open about pretty much every part of my life. this includes my sex-life. I have good friends who i feel at ease discussing certain intimate things with because (1) I have that type of personality, and (2) they have earned my trust. My wife is at the very top of this list. But even though I share EVERYTHING with my wife, even though there is nothing that goes on in my heart, mind and soul that I would hold back from her, there are things that she'll just never understand. Not because she won't try, but simply because she CAN'T. Likewise, there are things within her that I'll never be able to understand. This is where those friends come in.

We trust our close friends don't we? We feel like we can tell them anything and they'll get it. they can relate on some level so they understand where we're coming from. Sometimes even more so than our spouses can. Sometimes, our long-term, closest, most trusted friends seem to find their way in to our "transparency zone" easier than our spouse can. Not because our spouse doesn't want to but because that friend seems to relate easier. So what happens when sex crosses over into that "transparency zone"? It often does. We often feel so comfortable with our friends that our sex-life finds it's way into our conversations. Is that OK?

I'm a true believer that we should have people in our lives that we can bounce things off of. People who can be a sounding board for us. People who will listen. But we must also be sensitive to our spouse when it comes to discussing our sex-life with others. Our first responsibility is to our husband or wife, not to our own "need" to vent. I think if you're going to discuss your sex-life with others, there should be an understanding with your spouse. I shouldn't discuss anything with someone else that I couldn't discuss with Krissy. She should ALWAYS be my first sounding board. But if she doesn't know about something that's going on in my head about our sex-life then no one else has any business knowing either. She should also know that I am discussing it with others. I shouldn't hide it in any way. And finally she should also have veto authority. She should be able to tell me that she would rather me NOT discuss certain things with people outside our marriage. But she has responsibilities too.

As a husband or wife, we MUST understand our spouses need for a sounding board. We must be open to the truth that most of us need someone else who can relate on a level that our spouse simply can't relate. (Once again, this usually caused by gender differences) Before I use my "veto authority" I must be aware that my wife needs to have conversations with people who can relate to her. i can not simply plug my ears and refuse to let her discuss SOME intimate things with her closest, most trusted friends. I have to trust her. I have to trust that she has already shared with me the things she is sharing with them. I have to trust that protecting our marriage is on the forefront of her mind even when she is talking to others. Because I want her to trust me too. I want her to trust that I'm NOT having a sexual "one up" conversation with my friends where we simply talk about all the things that go on in our bedroom like we're bragging. I want her to trust that i know certain things aren't appropriate to share. And when all is said and done i have to believe that my relationship with her will only end up be stronger, richer and filled with more trust and intimacy than it was before.

I know there are those who will disagree with me on this. There are those that believe that discussions about your sex-life should be kept between a married couple only. I respect your view with deep sincerity and I would love to hear your thoughts. I am working through many of life's big questions as i go and have learned, quite definitively, that I could be wrong. So let's open the discussion. What do you think? What are your opinions about this? And if you feel so bold, what do you and your spouse agree upon in discussing your sex-life with others? I'm learning and would love to learn from you.

-Sex Blog Part 2: Dirty Sex-

2009-07-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

As we continue our discussion about sex in this weeks blog, I feel I should throw out a disclaimer. Many of you actually know me personally so I felt that it was important, for my wife's sake, to make something very clear. Please do not read these posts and presume anything about what does or doesn't go on in our bedroom. While ALL of my blogs are derived from personal thoughts and sometimes experiences, it doesn't mean that it is safe to make assumptions about my wife and I in this respect. These blogs are simply an exploration of certain aspects of sex and not a peek into the private life of John and Krissy. They speak of sex and sexuality in general terms and not about my specific experiences or my personal sex-life. These are simply my opinions and I am working them out even as I write them. To be quite honest, Krissy may not even see eye to eye with me on all of these...yet. That being said, lets get started with this weeks topic.

Last week we discussed the idea that in a marriage, it is very likely that each spouse will have different sexual needs to be fulfilled within the marriage. We talked about the potential reason for this being that God created us with different sexual needs in order to encourage us to open up and talk with our spouse about the most intimate parts of life, thus driving us closer together. Once again, a beautiful, wonderful idea. But what happens when we do that? What happens when we begin opening up to one another and expressing not just our needs, but also our desires, our fantasies? This can be scary for both people but, once again, it will drive us toward a greater degree of trust in our marriages. But what might these conversations look like?

Well, in many cases you may find out things you never knew about your husband or wife. That he or she may want to try this or do that, in your mind, may seem strange or at least unconventional. Once again often times this is the man expressing a desire to try something his wife may not be 100% comfortable with. This is especially true in a Christian marriage because sex is not often discussed in Christian homes, (a very dangerous truth). This usually leaves a devout Christian girl with the impression that sex should only be done certain ways at certain times. This is poison to a marriage.

Please understand that our culture makes it more and more difficult to remain sexually pure for your future spouse. But when someone is able to do that, they make it all the way until marriage they're going to have certain expectations. Imagine a man who, despite all the temptation, keeps his virginity as a gift to his wife. He gets married and thus begins his life of being sexually active. But then a year or so into it, he's bored. Sex has become predictable and because of her "Christian" upbringing she seems unwilling to do much more than sex in a few different positions once or twice a week. The man may feel cheated after having waited until marriage. That is why certain attitudes toward sex are poison to a marriage.

But lets say this same man begins talking to his wife about his sexual desires and she doesn't dismiss them right away. She doesn't commit to them either but at least she gives them a hearing. She may find that what he's asking for isn't so bad after all especially after giving it a shot. Like any other part of life, if we want our sex-life to be better then we must be willing to step outside of our comfort zone. In my opinion, I think if your spouse wants to try something sexually and it is isn't potentially harmful, all of us should be willing to try it. And not just once, at least three times because it'll take that many times before you get used to it and can relax. I think that if after three attempts one of you is still not at all comfortable with it, then they have veto authority under the ability to honestly say, "I tried." We need to get it out of our heads that sex is dirty because it's simply not.

God made us sexual beings and so our sexuality is good. This doesn't mean a woman should be willing to bring another woman in to her marital bed to fulfill some unhealthy fantasy of her husband's. But what I'm trying to say is that there is no such thing as dirty sex when it's between a married couple. What they do in the confines of their marriage bed is between them and they should feel the freedom to explore their sexual desires with one another. It's OK to wear this outfit or that costume, or try this position or that technique. It's NOT dirty! It's trying to be whatever your husband or your wife needs you to be. It's about serving and being served in a beautiful, exclusive, sexual relationship. It's about fulfilling the needs and desires of the person you love most in the world if for no other reason than to make him or her happy and about having them fulfill your needs and desires as well. Life is too short. Let go of your inhibitions in your marriage bed because unless you do, you will never be able to be "naked and feel no shame" with your husband or wife. And that is the true blessing of marriage.

-Sex Blog Part 1: Dirty Words-

2009-07-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Sex is an interesting topic. When I say it's interesting I'm not just referring to the appeal of discussing of sex and sexuality. I'm referring to the different reactions people have to the topic itself. Especially within the Christian population. It was such a taboo subject within the church for so long that even today, when we're able to talk about more freely than in any time in history, we still feel awkward or even "dirty" discussing sex. This is tragic for a number of reasons. So for the next few weeks I will be devoting my blog to the frank discussion of sex and sexuality. I hope to be concise and blunt yet respectful in the process and I hope and pray that anyone reading this will join the discussion even if you have only a quick thought.

Usually when Christians are talking about sex we are pretty much discussing the importance of waiting until you are married. Now, I want to make it clear that I whole-heartedly support the idea that it is better and more productive for you if you save your virginity as a gift for your future husband or wife. But I don't want to make my first "sex blog" about a topic that we have discussed into the ground already. I'll cover that in another blog. The main reason is that most of act like if you jut wait until you're married to have sex then everything will be all "fireworks and grins" for the rest of your life. But this couldn't be further from reality. We need to be able to discuss the issues that follow.

Even if you manage to wait until your married before jumping in the sack with someone you must be aware that sex is a very deeply profound and unique experience. Because of this is has the potential to cause great strife between a couple. Much of this comes from our preconceptions of what (1) sex is supposed to be like and (2) what role our spouse is supposed to play. I believe God designed sex to be a very unique and personal experience for a man and his wife and therefore the landscape of their particular sex-life will also be unique and personal. Your sex-life will be different than mine. What you do and how you do it will be different then what I do and how I do it. This means we must resist the urge to compare our sex-life with other people's. The grass is ALWAYS greener, especially for guys. One of your friends is always going to be having hotter, freakier sex than you are and doing it much more often. Resist the urge to take his or her stories home and try to impose them on your spouse because it can cause serious discomfort and embarrassment in a relationship where you are supposed to be the most comfortable. Besides, your friend is probably lying about his or her sex-life anyway.

Another major issue that will likely arise in EVERY marriage is about the sexual needs of BOTH people being met. Inevitably, one person will want to have sex more frequently than the other, (usually the man). This is unbelievably normal but there is no real "solution" I can speak of that will work for everybody. Our sex-drives are different and that, as they say, is that. The only thing I can really tell you to do is to try everything you can to understand. Ladies, read about a man's reaction to sex (or lack of it) physically and psychologically. Try to understand that a man's desire for sex goes well beyond simply "wanting" to orgasm but it is actually a biochemical need. Men try to understand that a woman views sex on a much deeper level then you do. The intimacy involved for goes well beyond a simple physical activity. You have to remember the physics of sex. For a woman, the act is LITERALLY internal in every sense of the word. Sex for a woman happens on the inside emotionally, physically and even spiritually and the connecting is very intense. This is why most women like to cuddle after sex. They FELL close to you so they want to BE close to you.

So, why would God make us so different? Why would he give us different needs when it comes to how often, and even specific activities we prefer? What was God thinking when He made us so different when comes to something so important like sex? I think one of the reasons was to make us talk. I think God made us so different when it comes to our sexual needs so that a husband and a wife would need to learn how to discuss them most intimate things of life. God is strong-arming us into being closer to our spouses then we are to anyone else. He pushing us toward having a relationship where we can be "naked and feel no shame" with one another the way Adam and Eve did. Not just physically naked but emotionally, spiritually and mentally naked. In making us sexually different God is find a way to drive us together. He is using something that separates us to bring us together. What a beautiful, wonderful idea.

-What Is The Bible?-

2009-07-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

The Bible remains an extremely compelling collection of books. Even though the MOST RECENT part of it was written nearly two-thousand years ago, the Bible still strikes a chord in the deepest parts of our hearts in a way that Shakespeare, Whitman, Lewis, and Homer, (despite being amazing writers in there own right), could only dream of doing. Christians believe that this phenomenon occurs because the Bible is "divinely inspired," but many Christian scholars have differing opinions on what "divinely inspired" even means. Then there are the ways many preachers and teachers have come to describe the Bible. Can I just say that I HATE when we try to label the Bible? It drives me nuts. Once again we try to take something God has given us and define it with neat corners and edges. But when we try to put those neat, clean edges on something God has done we limit it to what our perception of that object is. Let me give you a few examples that drive me the furthest up the wall:

"The Bible is Our Instruction Manual for Life": Have you ever bought something from Ikea? I have and it can be an interesting experience. Furnature from Ikea come with instructions for putting the item together. Sometimes these instructions are clear and at other times they are completely ambiguous. (Much like the Bible). But here's the problem with the idea that the Bible is our "instruction manual": Once I've put the item together, I throw the instruction manual away. I don't keep it. And even if I did, I would never look at it again unless there was something wrong. The Bible has to be better than this. It can't just be a book we refer to when life falls apart or we need advice. It has to be bigger than this. That is why it is described as "living and active," (see Hebrews 4:12). Besides, who ever reads an instruction manual?

"The Bible is God's Love Letter to Us": Love letter? Really? Is that what we really want to go with? I'm looking at an average size Bible right now. The text of this particular "love letter" is 1658 pages long... with small print. If some handed you a "love letter" that was 1658 pages long, what would you be thinking? EVEN if it was someone you cared deeply about. You'd think they were out of their gourd. besides that, the Bible has verses like Deuteronomy 6:15 that reads, "for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land." Jealous? Anger? Destroy? OK if the Bible is a love letter then God is an all-knowing, all-powerful creepy stalker. How scary is that? I'm sorry but "love letter" just doesn't make sense either.

So what makes the Bible so compelling? Why does it draw us out into such honesty? How is it that this ancient book can see right through us? I think it's because the Bible is ABOUT us. Sure they are a telling of someone else's story, but they're our stories too aren't they? We've been David, fighting against the odds to overcome some giant in our lives. We've been Peter struggling with a guilty conscious after we've turned our back on a close friend. We've been Mary, agonizing over the loss of someone important to us. We've been Paul wrestling with ourselves when we "do the things I don't want to do." The Bible is MY story too. I find myself in it. As if God is working in my life by showing me how He worked in the lives of others. Putting me in their place within those lines on those pages of ancient wisdom. Why is the Bible so compelling? Because it's a book about me. And it's a book about you. What part of your story is it telling today?

-The Lakers, Stan Van Gundy, and The Church-

2009-06-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

Well, they pulled it off. The Lakers managed to secure the franchise's 15th NBA Championship title in just five games relying on excellent play from, among others, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, and Kobe Bryant and being commanded by Head Coach, Phil Jackson. This is the 10th time Phil Jackson has coached a team to the title, a new record for ANY of the four major American sports, (Basketball, Football, Baseball and Hockey).

What struck me most about this whole series however was something that Stan Van Gundy, (Head Coach for the Orlando Magic who lost the series to the Lakers), said in a post-game interview after a gut-wrenching loss in game 4. An interviewer asked him to comment on the importance of experience in a Championship series like this, alluding the the fact that several Lakers players have been in Championship contention before but none of Orlando's players had been. He responded by saying the experience had nothing to do with it. He said it was "too chiche" to say it has to do with experience and that this was simply just another basketball game. I wonder if the fact that this was HIS first time to the NBA Championship Series had anything to do with that opinion. I also wonder if he'll be saying the same thing if he gets there again in the years to come. Something tells me that the more times he coaches a team to the Championship, the more he'll come to realize just how important experience is.

I think many young and new Christians, (especially Christian leaders and professional ministers), have the same problem as Stan Van Gundy though. Right now the Church as a whole is in the middle of a paradigm shift. New voices are starting to be heard and even sought out within the Church. This is a fantastic thing. It happens every few generations and is important to the survival and growth of Christianity. But, as it often happens, many of these "new voices" are blatantly critical of the "old voices." What an remarkable tragedy this is. It is 100% unBiblical, 100% counterproductive, and 100% ignorant. It makes absolutely no sense for someone to criticize and berate those who came before them and claim they didn't do anything right when they, themselves, would not be where they are in their faith had it not been for the very people he or she is criticizing. In other words, If yesterday's Church couldn't do anything right then their wouldn't be a Church today.

Don't get me wrong, I'm am by no means saying there is nothing to improve upon. I believe wholeheartedly that the Church has dropped the ball in many ways and hope we can pick it back up and start making the difference God calls us to make rather than the difference we think we should be making. But we have nothing to gain by pointing fingers at those who came before us. In fact, we should be honoring them and even seeking their council. At the church I am currently serving in there are many who have been loving God and loving people for longer than I have been alive. I have learned to listen when they talk. I have learned to seek out their opinion. I have learned that there is wisdom in experience. I may not follow their advice to the letter. I may not do exactly what they think I should do. Often times I will reinterpret their thoughts to meet the needs of those I mean to minister to. But there is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that comes from age and experience, (just read the book of Proverbs if you don't believe me), and I don't want to be like Stan Van Gundy and deny that while I lose. Because the Church losing is just a basketball game. It means people miss out on a life changing message that brings them closer to God now and forever. Please, lets reinvent the church for the emerging generations. Lets see their needs and adjust our methods without adjusting our message. But let us not forsake the experience of those that came before us. Let's take advantage of it. Let's leverage it for the betterment of our endeavors for God. Because experience is wisdom. And we could all use more of that.

-Silencing The Stones-

2009-06-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

For a little while now I've been putting a lot of thought and consideration into God's act of creation. And I don't just mean I've been pondering Adam and Eve's story. I've been wrestling and meditating and praying and studying and examining and really investing myself into the creation poem of Genesis. I think that there is so much in the first chapter of the bible that we either miss or simply ignore. As the poem unfolds you can feel that God is going somewhere with this whole creating the universe thing. He creates and creates and then creates things that can create. God saturates our universe with the ability to keep creating itself. To move itself from on level to the next. Because God isn't just creative, He is Creativity itself.

Finally, in His last act of creation, (that we know of), God forms man in His own image and plops us down smack-dab-in-the-middle of all this creative potential. He charges us with helping to continue in the creation of the world. To help bring order and balance and at the same time for humanity to grow and create and learn. It's like God says to man, "I made all this and it's GOOD. But I've given you the ability to take hold of it and make it even better." Now the question is: where do we fit in the grand scheme of creation?

Let's not kid ourselves, mankind is NOT the focal point of creation. I know many of us would like to believe that but it's simply not true. God did not create the universe for man. Why did He create then? Simple. For Him. Creation exists to bring glory to God. Everything that is good and right and true and beautiful in our universe has the singular purpose of crying out to it's Creator in gratitude, admiration and yes, even worship. That means that mankind, as God's most beloved and important creation, has the responsibility to do the same thing. To cry out to God in gratitude, admiration and yes, even worship. Because God is going to get His. But what happens when He doesn't get it from us? Check this out:

"When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
(Luke 19:37-40 TNIV)

I wonder what that looks like. I wonder what it sounds like. What does it look like when the "stones cry out"? What would we hear? Would we see the molten spews of an erupting volcano? Would we hear the rumbling of an earthquake? Would stars fall from the sky? What does it look like when the "stones cry out"? I wonder if they aren't crying out already. If we have grown so proud and so "wise" that we simply don't stand in awe and terror and wonder and admiration of the Creator of all things. If we for got how to "cry out" in utter amazement of who and what and why He is. Maybe the stones are already crying out. Because God is going to get His. He is supposed to get it from us. But if we "keep quiet, the stones will cry out." And I think it's about time we start silencing the stones.

-First Name Basis With God-

2009-06-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

My son turns two in just a few months here. He's an interesting kid so far. Having a very outgoing and affectionate older sister has made him fairly aggressive and independent. He wants to turn the lights off and on, feed himself and sometimes tries to dress himself as well. If you try to help him, you get yelled at. He LOVES his mommy which, for me, is great to see. "Mommy" is by far the word he uses most with "no" coming in second and "mine" a close third. Other favorites of his are "doggie," "sissy," "thank you" and "bye-bye." Did you notice an important word that is strangely absent from that list?

For whatever reason, my son refuses to call me "daddy." He also won't say "dada," "dad' or even "pop." No, when my son is talking to or about me he calls me "John." That's right, my not even two-year-old son insists on calling me by my first name. And it's not as if he doesn't know to call me "daddy." When he calls me "John" I don't answer him and when my wife hears him she tries to correct him. He'll say, "John!" and she'll tell him, "Daddy," and he'll tell her, "No!" and then proceed to call me "John." The fact that my son thinks we're on a first name basis doesn't bode well for me when he gets older.

Now, I don't think Ian realizes that when he calls me by my first name other than "daddy," he is refusing to acknowledge my relationship to him. He is not properly recognizing me as his father, provider, protector, teacher, caregiver, and giver of life. What he doesn't realize is that by using my first name, he is putting himself on the same level as me. I wonder how often we do this with God. I wonder if we think we're on a first name basis with the Creator of the universe. My son has an excuse in that he is merely a toddler. Do we have an excuse?

As a worship leader I sometimes play a song called "Friend of God" written by Israel Houghton and Michael Gungor. This is a great song that I think really illustrates how amazing it is that the Creator of time and space and everything in it still longs for a relationship with us, His creations. But I think there is a danger when we get TOO caught up seeing God as our friend. Yes He is that but He is so much more. And when we fail to recognize that we are essentially putting ourselves on His level. And that is a tragic mistake.

Look, I'm not saying we shouldn't call God our friend. Jesus himself called His disciples His friends and so it's safe to assume He kinda feels the same way about us today. But what I am saying is that when we focus only on THAT aspect, we run the risk of forgetting that God is also our father, provider, protector, caregiver and giver of life. When we get to comfortable calling God by His first name we lose site of the fact that He is also the one who sustains us. The one who provides the very oxygen we breath. The one who keeps our hearts pumping. The one who in vast enough to imagine and create the infinite universe. When we think of God primarily as our friend, we forget to stand in awe and wonder of who He and what and why He is. Growing up my dad used to tell my brother and I that he wanted to be our friend but that he was our father FIRST. I think we need to see God as our God first, and friend second. It doesn't mean He's not our friend. It just means that He's our God first.

-Gay Marriage Questions For Everyone-

2009-05-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty deliberate to not blog when it comes to politics or my political views. I usually try to keep my blogs to spiritual issues or, in most cases, my own mindless ramblings about things I think are fascinating but the rest of you wonder what I'm even so interested in. And while I think this post is more spiritual than political, many people will view it as the reverse. With that disclaimer, I'll begin.

Yesterday, (05/26/09), the California Supreme Court ruled to confirm the November 2008 California ballot initiative known as Proposition 8. In a nutshell, Prop. 8, which passed by a margin of 4%, defined marriage in California as being between 1 man and 1 woman, effectively closing the door to gay couples getting married. The State Supreme Court basically said, what the majority of voters want is OK with us. (Of the 7 judges, 6 voted to confirm Prop. 8 and only 1 voted to overturn it.)

I don't know where any one of you stands on this issue. Due to the general content of most of my blogs, I am persuaded to believe that most of you are against gay marriage. I'm some of you aren't and quite frankly where you stand on this issue is not my concern. The point of this blog is NOT to influence anyone to one side or the other. What I want us ALL to do is ask ourselves a few questions and really consider then before "towing the party line," whatever party you may be in. So, below are some questions we need to ask ourselves before we get so emphatic about this, clearly, polarizing issue.

1. Are we all prepared for the probability that gay marriage will be legal within the next 2 election cycles?

It is VERY likely that gay marriage will be legal in California in a matter of just a few years. Those against gay marriage should not simply plug there ears and pretend this isn't true. This is the direction that our culture is headed and that's all there is to it. I am not suggesting you change your beliefs or that you give in and vote contrary to your own convictions. I am simply suggesting that, baring an act of divine intervention, (which God rarely does in matters like this), the outcome will eventually turn toward legalizing gay marriage. Now, if you are for gay marriage you should prepare for this day with a certain degree of anticipation but please, if and when gay marriage is legalized, accept it with humility and not with an "in your face" attitude.

2. If gay marriage IS legalized, where then do we draw the line?

What happens when we redefine marriage? Other groups will come out of the woodworks with a cry of "Hey, what about us?" Will polygamy, (the practice of having more than one spouse at a time), be allowed next? Will someone be able to marry a dog? A tree? A corpse? I know these sound like far-fetched examples but if there is anything we have learned about people in our society it's that there is not limit on how far we can take something. Look up an organization called NAMBLA and you'll find proof of what I'm talking about. We need to be aware of where the line should be drawn.

3. Are we too hung up on the word "marriage"?

This is a question for both sides. If you are against gay marriage you probably feel that way because of certain faith-based morality and applaud your commitment to your convictions. But if God doesn't recognize a union between a gay couple then do we really care if the State of California does? Why are we OK with it if a heterosexual couple who had sex while they were dating gets married? Isn't their life-style just as sinful? If you are FOR gay marriage you may not be aware that same-sex couples who had civil unions already have the exact same rights as married couples in California. So why the NEED for the word "marriage"? Is it out of spite for "those religious people" who you just don't like?

4. What happens to clergy and church rights if gay marriage is legalized?

One of the reasons many churches are against gay marriage is because it creates a concern that the ministers, pastors and priests will be FORCED to perform ceremonies for a same sex couple regardless of their own personal convictions. As a pastor, I could be fined or jailed for refusing to perform a wedding ceremony for a same sex couple because I would discriminating. Doesn't this infringe on my Constitutionally protected freedom of religion? The same is true for the actual church facilities. Churches could theoretically be fined or lose their tax-exempt status for not allowing a gay couple to be married in their church. I think this is a travesty. You don't extend rights to one group, and in doing so trample the rights of another. And before anyone starts the, "Gay people don't want to do that to churches" argument, let me just say this. You're wrong. While the VAST majority of the gay community wouldn't want this to happen, there are activists in that community that would do just out of spite for how they've been, "mistreated by those religious people for years." It's the few that WOULD make an issue out of it that worries me.

5. For all our talk of love and equality, what's our real agenda?

All of us need to check our hearts. If you are against gay marriage out of your commitment to Biblical principles then you must also take into consideration the attitude with which you express those principles. Are we, as Christians, being an extension of God's love and grace? Is that the message we are sending? I believe there is way to disagree with someone's lifestyle without alienating them. I believe you can be against gay marriage but not against gay people. because Jesus was and is always FOR people. He expressed our need to change by dying for us. As Christians, are we willing to express others need to change by dying for them? If you are for gay marriage, is it really about equality for you? Or is it just about winning? If people against gay marriage should just accept you for who you are then shouldn't you just accept them for who they are?

I have made a VERY concerted effort to not list where I stand on this particular topic. Those of you who know me probably know that. But the point of this blog wasn't to express where i stand but to try to help all of you have a better understanding of where you stand and, hopfully, where others are coming from. All of these are highly personal questions that I am not saying an entire people group should ask themselves but that individuals should ask themselves. Don't answer for the group of people who share your point of view but answer for yourself. With brutal honesty. Then encourage others to do the same. Only by seeing someone else's point-of-view will we really grow. I am not saying we have to agree with them. But I am saying that we should make an honest effort to understand them. Then, maybe we can disagree without demonizing our opposition.

-Reverse Theology-

2009-05-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

There is this method of motivating people that I think I probably first heard about in an episode of The Brady Bunch or some other old sit-com. The idea is that you deceive another person to believe that the results that you want to happen are actually the opposite of your real desired results. This type of approach is called "reverse psychology" and I'm quite sure you've heard the term before. For some reason this came to mind the other day as I was reading the passage in the Bible that can be heard in about 86% of all weddings. 1st Corinthians 13.

As i came to this chapter, which describes what love is, isn't, does, and doesn't do, I began to try to look deeper. I mean, I've read and heard this passage countless times but I knew there was still more to draw out of it. That's when the reverse psychology concept hit me. I thought to myself, what if I looked at the opposite of all the things this chapter says about love to draw out a more specific understanding of it? What if i employed a system of what I am calling; "Reverse Theology?" (By the way, I don't believe for a second that I am the first person to use that term so please don't send me comments about how I stole someone else's idea. Besides, in ministry there is no such thing as plagiarism.) What could I learn about love that way? Lets see shall we?

If "Love is patient" then we can also assume that it is not in a hurry. It doesn't need everything RIGHT NOW. This may be a great thing for single girls and guys to remember when they're in a relationship, (especially girls). If the person you are with is not being patient then you have to wonder how much they really "love" you. Love is not in a hurry.

If "love is kind" then we can also assume that it is not mean. I realize this sounds elementary but it's true. Love does not mistreat others. It doesn't dehumanize people either. Doctors are taught to detach themselves from their patients to avoid emotional involvement. This is a cold approach that love doesn't take. Love is kind and values people and life.

If love "does not envy" then we can also assume that it celebrates the fortune of others. That means when someone else gets the promotion instead of you, love celebrates their achievement. It doesn't mean you're not disappointed, but it means you don't target your disappointment at someone else. Love is happy when good things happen for anybody. Even when it's not us.

If love "does not boast" then we can also assume that it remains humble even when it has reason not to. So when you DO get the promotion, love takes the responsibility seriously and doesn't talk about how much it deserved it. When good things and blessings come, love quietly accepts it with gratitude.

If love"is not proud" then we can also assume that it doesn't need accolades and credit for every accomplishment. Ronald Reagan said it well, "There is no limit on what a man can accomplish if he doesn't care who gets credit for it." Love doesn't seek credit, rather it seeks to pass credit on to others.

If love "is not rude" then we can also assume that it is polite. Love says things like, "please" and "thank you." And especially things like, "after you" and "please take MY seat." It's not always easy, but love is polite and has manners.

If love "is not self-seeking" then we can also assume that it is generous. Love gives more than it takes. In fact love doesn't even take, it accepts when it is offered something freely. Love is willing do without so that others don't have to. Love is generous.

If love "is not easily angered" then we can also assume that it keeps a level head. Love realizes that other people are not perfect and makes allowances for that just as James instructs us to. Love has a looooong temper. Not something that is easy to have.

If love "keeps no record of wrongs" then we can also assume that it does keep a record of "rights." Love remember the good that others do. Love learns from the positive contributions people make and helps them learn from their mistakes. Love doesn't allow itself to become bitter.

If "love does not delight in evil" then we can also assume that it mourns it. Love sees injustice and hurts with those that are suffering. Love feels sorrow and grief when it sees senseless acts of ambition at the expense of others.

If love "rejoices in the truth" then we can also assume that doesn't keep the truth hidden. Love seeks truth in everything it sees and when it finds it, love celebrates it and shares it without prejudice. Love cannot keep the truth under a rock. It understands that truth exists for all people everywhere.

If love "always protects" then we can also assume that it never lets other be exploited or taken advantage of. Love is moved to action by the suffering of others. Love protects the image of God that all people were created in and recognizes that no one life is more valuable than any other.

If love "always trusts" then we can also assume that it is not suspicious. Love doesn't look for reasons to accuse people of wrong-doing. Love takes things as they are not wondering what someone might be up to. Love believes in others and works to bring the best out in them rather than assuming the worst about them.

If love "always hopes" then we can also assume that it isn't pessimistic. Love always hopes for the best instead of assuming the worst. Love recognizes that as long as there is a tomorrow things can be better and works to make it happen.

If love "always perseveres" then we can also assume that it never gives up. Love does not end. Love has no expiration date. When love is abused is still loves. When love is taken for granted, it still loves. Love is willing to go all the way to the end, even if that end is on a cross.

So there's my exploration of 1st Corinthians 13:4-7 using "reverse theology." It was a good experience for me so i thought I'd pass it on. I hope you got something out of it. I'd love to know what you think I missed. Surely I didn't cover it all so please, comment and tell what else we can assume about love from reading this passage. I hope you'll try some "reverse theology" next time you come across a passage that it could apply to.

-Change The World Through Procrastination-

2009-05-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

I'm a total procrastinator. I know there are a lot of us out there. Our mantra is "Why do today what you can put of until tomorrow?" and one of these days I'm going to start a facebook group for us. The thing about knowing you're a procrastinator is that it really takes away any excuse you might have to not get something done. You lose the ability to even lie to yourself anymore once you realize you have a tendency to put things off. Then you're only a short step away from the understanding that procrastination is just another word for lazy.

Even typing that last sentence hurt a little. No one wants to be called lazy; especially if they actually are lazy. But self-actualization is important. Knowing you shortcomings and claiming them is step one in the process of allowing God to overcome them. My choice of words was very intentional. It is important to understand that YOU don't have to overcome your "flaws." It is important to understand that you are free from climbing that mountain alone. It is important to understand that God has a history of doing this for us if we just work WITH Him.

The Bible is filled with stories about people with flaws and shortcomings. One of the things that makes Scripture so compelling is that it is full of people just like us. Flawed, imperfect people who make one mistake after another. Here's some examples:

-Abraham was too old

-So was Sarah

-Jacob was a liar

-Moses stuttered

-He was also a murderer

-So was Paul

-David was too

-He was also an adulterer

-And a liar

-Peter denied Jesus

-He was also just a fisherman

-So were James and John

-The thief on the cross was a thief

-AND he was hanging on a cross

-Mary was a virgin

-Elizabeth was barren

-Lazarus was dead

-So was Jesus

-Paul was in prison

-Solomon had 300 wives (as well as mother-in-laws)

-Joseph was a slave

-Jeremiah suffered from depression

-Timothy was too young

-And Samson had long hair

Thats a lot of stinkin' shortcomings. But God manages to not only use these men and women despite these "flaws," in many cases He is able to use them BECAUSE of these "flaws." These people are all considered "Heroes of the Faith," (to use a Christianese phrase), and they are just as deeply insecure and troubled as I am. Shoot, I'm just a procrastinator. Surely if God can do powerful things through a murderer He can use me in big ways too.

Acknowledge and even claim your shortcomings. Own up to them. Then let God start to work through you anyway. As he does you'll find yourself in a place where those shortcomings you once had are gone. They will have been eliminated through the sheer addiction of being used by God. I'm a procrastinator. But I'm not as bad as I was a year ago. And next year I'll be even better. And one day, if I work hard enough for God, I won't be a procrastinator anymore. If David can do what he did and still be loved deeply by God then I really have no excuse to not change the world. And neither do you.

-10 Things That Get On My Nerves-

2009-05-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Do you have things that get on your nerves? Of course you do. i feel it's healthy to get these things out. So below are 10 things that really get under my skin. This is by no means an exhaustive list but it's a start. The most irritating part is that I'm guilty of many of these so, by definition, I annoy myself often. Here's 10 of mine though:

1) When people leave their blinkers on and don't change lanes.

I don't know what it is about this that just gets on my nerves but that constant yellow flashing in front of me for no reason is the visual equivalent to nails on a chalkboard for me.

2) When people bring more than 15 items into the express lane.

OK, I admit it. I'm a item counter. So sue me. I just find it arrogant and rude to believe that rules like this don't apply to you. 16 items is one thing But where does it stop? 20? 25?

3) When women wear clothes that are tight and revealing and then complain that men gawk at them.

Seriously, why is modesty such a problem these days. Sure we should always be respectful and not objectify women but, ladies, HELP US OUT. Especially if you think it's wrong for men to stare.

4) When I can't have a normal conversation with another Christian.

Does it bother anyone else when another Christian has to quote scripture to you the whole conversation? Don't get me wrong, I love the Bible... a lot. But when I ask "How are you doing?" I don't need to be reminded that "This is the day the Lord has made." And if I tell you I'm tired, I don't need to be reminded that Jesus said, "Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest." I'm glad you're memorizing scripture and excited that you can apply it to daily life. But please, can we just chat, one human being to another?

5) When people think their car is too important to merely use up 1 parking space.

This really gets on me nerves in crowded parking lots but it is always just plain rude. Once again is displays an arrogance that seems to say, "The rules don't apply to me!"

6) Drama-prone people.

This is the kind of person that moves from one life crisis to the next. There always has to be a major issue going on with them. If there isn't, they find a way to cause one. Some people just don't know how to be happy I guess. It's probably a serious issue that they need help with too and usually I feel very bad for them. That is until their self-induced life crisis vomits all over me. I try to help but, for me, people like this suck the energy right out of me.

7) When someone has to "1-Up" everybody else in conversations.

Have you ever been talking to some people about something that happened to you and then someone steps in and say, "That's nothing," and then proceeds to share how their experience makes yours look lame? I'm sorry I wasted everyone's time with my "nothing" story.

8) When someone speeds up so I don't get in front of them on the freeway and then proceeds to slow down to 60 mph.

What the heck!? I just don't understand the HURRY UP AND SLOW EVERYONE DOWN mentality. These people have a sense of urgency for about 4 seconds and then it magically disappears.

9) Militant Raiders fans.

OK I'm all for being a fan of a sports team. I love sports and have favorite teams myself. Shoot, I'm even generally OK with some of the body-painting or bizarre outfits. But I should be able to cheer for whatever team I want in whatever stadium I want without the fear of being assaulted for it. But if I go to the Oakland Coliseum and root for the Dolphins, there's a 78% chance I'll be leaving the stadium in an ambulance. Settle down Silver and Black Brigade. Why are you all so bent out of shape anyway? Is it because the Raiders suck? (P.S. Red Sox fans are not far behind on this one)

10) Oblivious Drivers

Hey, lady. THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD! I am a true believer that I am not only responsible for the safety of the people in MY car but also people in the cars around me. I think that not killing anybody is a pretty big priority. So when you're driving, pay a-freaking-tention. Get off the phone, put the burger down, and for the love of God and everything that's holy, put your make-up on at home.

So there's my 10. I know it's a super spiritual blog post but like I said, I think it's healthy to get these things out in the open. Did I miss anything? Do you agree with these? Do you take issue with any of them? What did I forget? I'd love to hear what you think and what gets on your nerves.

-From "Could Be" To "Could Have Been"-

2009-04-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

I bought a lot of books recently. In fact, my book que hasn't been this full in a long time. At the moment I have eight books in my lineup on top of the three I am currently reading. If you're not a "reader," let me encourage you to become one. There is so much to be learned in this world and I believe that reading by reading what others have learned and gone through we will be better equipped to navigate the course of our own lives.

The problem I have with books though, is that I can't seem to get through them fast enough. It seems like for every one book I read, five more are written that I want to read. I have some fantastic books on deck to read right now. Books like "The Starfish and the Spider," "Beyond Opinion," and the classic "Mere Christianity." But there were so many others that I wanted but didn't get. Books like, "Crazy Love," "The Sacred Echo," or "Wide Awake." I just wish there was a way to read faster. I wish there was a way to get things done now so I can move on to what the future has in store for me.

Have you ever felt like that? I don't mean with books but just with life in general. I remember wanting to get out of High School so badly because I felt useless there. I felt like I couldn't do anything with any degree of significance while I was stuck there. Then, as I moved into the working world I always believed I could do a better job then the people in the positions "above" me. If only someone would give me the chance. If only someone would give me the opportunity to show how great I am. If only they would open their eyes and see my talent. What's wrong with them anyway?

Then I became the guy in charge. After some hard work and experience I was given the opportunity to show what I was capable of. All of the sudden I found myself explaining to people with less experience why we do things the way we do them. A few people on staff were constantly saying that they would do things differently if they were in charge. But what they didn't understand was that what they were suggesting wouldn't work. I knew it wouldn't work because I had been in the business much longer than them. Then one day during one of these conversations it dawned on me that I used to be just like some of my staff members only now, I had more experience.

I heard a speaker once say, "Too many people want to be discovered, not developed." I was one of those people. Fortunately I have learned the value of being developed rather than just waiting to be discovered. Maybe you're in a place where you keep constantly looking into the future. Obsessing over what will someday be. The problem is that when we obsess over the future we neglect the present. If we are faithful to do the things God has called us to do TODAY then tomorrow will take care of itself. If we focus on how we're being developed in the present, then someone will discover us in the future.

I realize that this is not a mind-blowing, ground-breaking, deep-minded concept. I am aware that you're not reading this and thinking, "Wow! No one has ever said that before!" And I suspect I may even be breaking copyright laws for such an unoriginal concept. But I feel it's important to be reminded of this every now and then. To be reminded to live for today and not tomorrow. Because if we find ourselves constantly thinking about what "could be," on day we may find ourselves constantly thinking about what "could have been." I hope you never find yourself doing that. Just a reminder from someone who needed to be reminded himself.

-Love In A Bag-

2009-04-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

Later this morning five other people and I will be leaving to attend a conference. We live in Fresno, CA and the conference is in Orange County, CA which gives is a four hour drive to get there. I usually am not a big fan of long drives. Something about being stuck in car just bothers me. Oddly, I also hate stopping when I'm on a long drive. I hate being stuck in the car but I also hate getting out until I've arrived at my destination. I'm such a hypocrite. But this morning when I came into the office, (where we'll be leaving from later), I was given several bags of snacks and drinks to help us through the long drive ahead.

Judy, (my Pastor's wife), was the one who made sure to provided us with the "road grub" for no reason than that she wanted to do something small to help us have a good trip. It was like getting love in a bag. Maybe you have a person or two in your life who are like Judy. People who somehow always manage to find small ways to make your day smoother, your burden easier and your life better. Whether it's a quick encouraging text, (something my wife has a PhD in), or a cold drink hand delivered, it just seems to make us smile even for just a second. This is what Mother Theresa meant when she said, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love." It's funny; the little things always seem to make us feel more loved than the big things do.

Jesus knew this too. Sure He did some big things for people. Huge really. But it was always the little things that had such a great impact on individuals. Zacheus whole life was restored and changed because Jesus simply had a meal with him. The woman at the well was given new life because the humble Jewish rabbi simply sat and talked to her over a drink of water. These small, simple and seemingly insignificant acts meant the world to these people and their lives were revolutionized because of it. It makes me wonder how many people I know who's life could improve if someone, (like me), would just sit down and have a meal with them.

It's strange really. How important the little things are. How impactful they are. A bag of snacks and a six-pack of Dr Pepper has me sitting here pondering what little things I can do for others too. Join me won't you? Lets make people's days just a little bit better one small act done with great love at a time. Lets send those texts. Lets deliver those cold drinks. Lets do someone else's chores. Lets pick a flower or two. Lets bake some cookies Lets share a meal. Lets do the little things. Because the little things always seem to make us feel more loved than the big things.

-Guilt In Church Clothes-

2009-04-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

Over the last few days I've been bombarded by the facebook phenomenon of "becoming a fan." If you don't know, basically what happens is that little messages pop up on the side of your facebook page with a tiny picture and a label and asks you if you'd like to be a fan. These things range from organizations like, "In-N-Out" or "Disneyland" to specific things like "cookie dough" or "The Office" and even activities like, "sleeping" or "jogging." Participation is completely voluntary but sometimes you just cant help it.

On facebook, I have "become a fan" of several things. Twitter, The Angels, Samoa Girl Scout Cookies, U2, Dr. Pepper, and Cow Bell are just a few examples of what I am a facebook fan of. But earlier this week I added three more things. Earlier this week I became a fan of "Jesus," "God," and "The Bible." (Sorry Holy Spirit but I haven't found a "become a fan" for you yet.) That got me thinking about how many other people became a fan f Jesus, God and the Bible more out of obligation than desire. I hate that idea.

I've never been a big fan of guilt, especially being guilted into something. Every now and then when Krissy and I are having an argument she or I will will throw something out there because we know the other person will feel guilty. It's stupid really. But the first time she did it I said, "Pack my bags!" The said, "What?" and I repeated, "Pack my bags." "Why?" she asked playing right into my hands and I closed the set up. I said, "Cause' I'm going on a guilt trip!" (Husbands, don't make jokes like this in the middle of arguments, it only increases the likelihood that you'll be sleeping alone that night.) But I wonder how many people feel guilted into being a facebook fan of Jesus.

It's like those Christian chain-letters that I HATE with every fiber of my body, mind, and soul. You know, the ones that always end with, "If you really love God, send this to 20 people bla bla BLA." Some of them even go as far as to say something like, "If you don't really want to stand up for God just delete this." (FYI to all my friends; I delete these immediately upon receiving them and never think about them again.) I seriously can't see Jesus talking to me after I die and being disappointed that I didn't forward the email to my friends. "Well John, Dad and I had big plans for you and Ghosty was all ready to make it happen. But then you deleted that email and it sent shock-waves throughout eternity that caused unparalleled repercussions. We thought Lucy, ha ha he really hates it when we call him that, was going to win there for a second."

I believe that Jesus came to set us free from guilt. To help us let go of the past and move forward instead. Jesus demonstrates this over and over again with Peter, the woman at the well, and the adulterous woman just to name a few. He says, "Nor do I accuse you." You can't be found guilty if you're not accused. But we Christians have dressed up guilt and given it a different name. Christian guilt is called, "conviction." Are you serious? Conviction is just guilt in church clothes. We can't be convicted if we're not accused either. So what's it called when we really do feel bad or awkward because we've done something we know God isn't fond of. I think a better word is "remorse". I don't think we feel convicted because Jesus didn't come to condemn. I think it is our heart and soul feeling remorse for letting our body take us a step away from God. Yeah, remorse is a better word.

Incidentally, I am a facebook fan of Jesus but not because I felt obligated. I wanted to. The word "fan" is actually short for the word "fanatic." If I'm going to be fanatical about something or someone, I think it should be Jesus. He was pretty fanatical about us so I'll gladly return the favor. But not out of guilt. Not out of conviction. Not out of obligation. Not even out of remorse. Out of joy. Out of love. Out of gratitude. Out of choice. I hope He doesn't get upset that I just deleted another Christian chain letter.

-Jesus: Alpha, Omega, Cosmic Umbilical Chord-

2009-04-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Being in the room for the birth of your children is a strange experience. At least it was for me. Watching my wife give birth is probably the most difficult thing I've ever been through. I know that sounds strange considering how difficult it was on Krissy but that's a subject for another post so for now we'll just leave it at that. But shortly after both Felicia and Ian were brought into the world the doctor handed me pair of scissors and directed me to cut the umbilical chord. So I did. (By the way, the umbilical chord has more girth to it than you'd think, it's not just a quick snip.)

There is power in the umbilical chord. So much power that I think only a mother can really fully grasp it. It links a child to it's mother for much longer than just the 9-and-a-half months of pregnancy. It connects them at a level that goes beyond the physical into the spiritual. When a child is hurt badly, their father tries to end their pain with everything in him, while their mother feels their pain with everything in her. That is the power of the umbilical chord. It's really quite beautiful and extraordinary.

Because of the deep and powerful link that the umbilical chord symbolizes, I've always found it quite the dubious honor to be the one responsible for severing the connection between my children and their mother. It's poetic really. From the day they were born I was pushing my children toward independence. Preparing them for life in this world that is much colder than the warm embrace of the womb they were accustomed to. A world that is noisy and where they can't hear mommy's heartbeat anymore.

I think this is one of the ways God shows us what happened all those years ago when Adam severed his connection with God. Humanity having to leave the Garden is like a baby leaving the womb. It must have been a shock to Adam's system. The world was colder, bigger, and noisier than he had ever known. There were dangers all around him that he never knew existed. And he couldn't hear God's heartbeat anymore. Because when you leave the womb, the umbilical cord must be cut.

But this isn't how we were created to live. The cosmic umbilical chord that connects our souls to God was never supposed to be cut. Our soul wasn't originally designed to leave the womb and God never had any intention of allowing the separation to persist. So, He provided a new cosmic umbilical chord. A new way to bring our souls back into the womb. Jesus came to not only be that connection, but to make it stronger than ever.

Interestingly enough, the powers that be during Jesus' time tried to sever that connection as well. You see, if our souls were connected to God once more, we wouldn't need them and the life they provided. God would be the one who provided us with our sustenance. So they killed Him. They pounded holes in Him and tried to break the connection to God that He represented. But it didn't work. Three days later Jesus was alive again. Demonstrating that this connection could not be broken. And He lives today, still demonstrating the unbreakable connection to God He represents.

That is what this Sunday is about. Easter is a reminder that God has provided our souls with a new umbilical chord link to Him. A reminder that no matter how many holes we pound into Him, the connection Jesus provides will never be broken. A reminder that our souls were not created to live in a cold and noisy world. A reminder that, through Jesus, we can once again hear the heartbeat of God. And that is the most comforting sound in the universe. Can you hear it?

-Felicia and Ancient Jewish Rituals-

2009-04-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

I've said it a million times and odds are, I'll continue to say it until I'm dead: My kids have taught me more about God than anyone else. If you are a parent, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about. Our children will say and do things that somehow transcend the level of wisdom they should have for their age. I am convinced that this is because things like faith, life, and love aren't rally as complicated as we adults make them out to be. We somehow lose sight of the simplicity of them over time, usually in an effort to justify our behavior in one way or another. Young children don't really bare that burden though. They are simply living without any preconceptions or any real agenda to speak of. Maybe this is the "childlike faith" that Christians talk so much about.

A few years back, my wife's Grandfather died. It was a hard time for her because it was the first person close to her that she had lost. He was also the patriarch of the family which made it difficult for many of her relatives as well. Watching them say goodbye to him at his memorial, I could see how much his children and grandchildren would truly miss him.

If I recall correctly, my daughter, Felicia, was right around 3 years old, (give or take a few months), when this took place. She attended the funeral with us and it was my job to keep her "under control." Because she was so young, she wouldn't understand the gravity of what a funeral was and so we thought it best for everyone if I simply kept her close. It would be quite embarrassing if she ran around the cemetery at the outdoor funeral service thinking she was at a park.

As the funeral began, Felicia did very well. She stayed quiet and remained close to me, fixated on the silence and somberness of the goings on. We stood off to the side of the gazebo because there were not enough seats to accommodate the number of people there and I felt it prudent to give the seats to family members and the seniors that were there. Felicia watched as the service began. In the front row she could see and hear the sights and sounds of her mother, grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins as they wept. Then something beautiful happened.

With no warning, Felicia let go of my hand, and walked over to the front row where the family was sitting. She quietly squeezed her way in between two family members that were crying and reached over to hold one of their hands. Then, as if by instinct, Felicia began to cry with them. Not because she understood that her great-grandfather had died, but because she saw people she loved hurting, and wanted them to know that she was hurting with them. Remarkable.

What Felicia didn't realize was that she was, in an indirect way, taking part in an ancient Jewish mourners ritual known as "sitting Shiva," where you simply sit and mourn with a loved one who has lost somebody close to them. Many Jewish families still practice this tradition today and to me, it is a very small glimpse into what Jesus had in mind for His church.

Remember, Jesus was Jew. He lives in a Jewish town, in a Jewish country, had a Jewish upbringing, celebrated Jewish holidays, said Jewish prayers and ate Kosher. Jesus would have likely taken part in sitting Shiva for others and perhaps have even had people sit Shiva for him. Jesus would have understood the importance of hurting with someone who is hurting. Remember when He asked Peter, James and John to pray with him on the night of his arrest? "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." (Matthew 26:38) But I think this was simply one facet in God's plan for us as a people.

Hurting with someone is only part of the plan. The Bible is full of the phrase "one another" for a reason. God is interested in not only restoring our relationship with Him, but also with one another. We were created in God's image. This is an image of community. The Trinity demonstrates to us that God's very nature is one of community and therefore, as God's image bearers, our nature is as well. We were created to know and love not only God, but also one another. This means we laugh, cry, smile, rejoice, mourn, celebrate, rest, love, and live with one another. Many of today's Christians call thins, "Doing life together," and it is a beautiful thing.

At 2 or 3 years old my daughter taught me what it means to really "do life" with one another. She did not know what was gong on, she simply saw those she loved hurting and so she decided she would hurt with them. She decided they shouldn't be alone. She decided to love with tears. And in doing so she became the most visual, real life, flesh and blood representation of Jesus that I have ever seen. I hope I can be more like she is.

-1 UP-

2009-03-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest things about growing up in the time-frame I did had to be the incarnation of the NES. That's right, the Nintendo Entertainment System. Sometimes I really miss it. I own a PS2, (which I never play anymore), and now a Nintendo Wii currently but sometimes nostalgia gets the better of me and I just want to pop in a game cartridge and play Contra, or Metroid, or the classic; Super Mario Brothers. My favorite part of playing games like these is getting to that certain point when the game gives of a specific chime and the phrase "1 UP" appears somewhere on the screen. My brother and I called this, "getting a free man."

The free man was such a stress reliever. Especially if you were down to your last "life." The free man was like having permission to fail without fear of having the dreaded "GAME OVER" screen pop up. It was another chance to do better next time.

I think Jesus is a huge fan of the free man too. I imagine him smiling every time someone collects 100 coins in Super Mario Brothers. Because Jesus is all about giving us another chance. Jesus is all about giving us another opportunity to do better next time.

In the 8th chapter of John's Gospel, we're told about an incident when a bunch of angry religious people bring a women to Jesus. Apparently this woman was caught in the very act of cheating on her husband. This was a major "no-no" to the first century Jewish culture and the punishment called for was death by stoning. Not a pleasant way to die. Because Jesus is a Rabbi, they ask him what he thinks about all this and he responds with his well know answer, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." You got to love that response! Everyone eventually leaves except Jesus and the woman and Jesus tells her that she hasn't been condemned and that she should go back to living, but living a different way. Jesus gives her a free man.

What strikes me most about this story though is that John writes two separate times that Jesus bent down and "wrote on the ground." For centuries scholars and theologians have speculated on what Jesus was writing. Some say he was writing the 10 Commandments, others theorize that he was writing the names and sins of the people in the crowd. There are all kinds of opinions but when all is said and done they are little more than a shot in the dark. John never tells us what Jesus was writing. Why not? Probably because it wasn't important to know WHAT Jesus was writing on the ground, it was only important to know THAT Jesus was writing on the ground.

John is a Jewish writer and he often employees a Jewish literary tradition known as "the principle of first mention." Essentially, the principle of first mention tells us that when we come across a significant word, phrase or general concept in this writing, to look and see where that significant word, phrase or concept is found in the Jewish Bible, (Old Testament). John does this all over his gospel record. If you want an example, find the first place John mentions "love" and then the first place the Old Testament mentions "love." It's pretty cool, especially if you are a Jew in the First Century. So what is the significance in this story? Well, the only other time we see God writing on the ground is back in Genesis... when he is creating mankind.

John is telling us that Jesus is doing something new here. He's creating a new humanity out of the old one he created thousands of years earlier. The new life he breathes into us is his phrase, "Nor do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:11) Jesus is granting us a free man. This is what Paul was talking about when he wrote to the Corinthians, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2nd Corinthians 5:17) If we are in Christ we are not condemned, we were redrawn on the ground and given a new breath of life. We have a free man! We have an opportunity to try again and do better this time. Because Jesus, "bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger." (John 8:6) What are you going to do with your free man?

-Jesus Wasn't A Carpenter-

2009-03-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Before his death and resurrection, Jesus was a rabbi. I know that many Christians credit Him with being a carpenter by trade but there are no examples of Him acting in that capacity found anywhere in scripture. None, zero, zilch. We base our assumption of His being a carpenter on the idea that Joseph was a carpenter but even this isn't technically true. A more accurate translation of the word used for carpenter in Matthew 13:55 makes Joseph a stone mason instead. But the Bible never clearly states that Jesus carried on Joseph's trade. In fact it insinuates that He became a rabbi.

How does the Bible insinuate this? Several ways really. The language He used when calling His disciples, the way that even those who didn't like Him wanted Him to come to their home for a meal, and the age at which He began His public ministry are just a few ways. But perhaps the most blatant example is that Jesus is called "rabbi" or "teacher" (the Hebrew word "rabbi" literally translates to the English word "teacher"), 55 times in the gospels. What most striking is that He is called "rabbi" by even the Pharisees who didn't use titles like this loosely. At one point we see Jesus being referred to as "Rabboni" which has even greater implications that I won't go into. To me it seems pretty clear that Jesus was a Rabbi rather than a carpenter or stone mason. That isn't to say that He didn't know a thing or two about what Joseph did, I'm absolutely sue He did. But I think it is clear that His primary "occupation" was as a Rabbi.

Now, if Jesus was a rabbi we have to assume that He had to take certain steps to become a rabbi. The Jews were not in the habit of simply handing out a title like that all willy-nilly like. So what did Jesus have to do to obtain this title that was essential for the type of ministry He would be doing? Well in the first century, He would have gone through three phases of Jewish education, Bet Sefer, Bet Talmud and Bet Midrash. During this educational process, Jesus would have memorized the entire Old Testament, (Genesis through Malachi), studied what various other rabbis and religious leaders had taught about these books, and even would have done about a 15 year apprenticeship or internship under another rabbi. (For a more complete explanation of a first century Jewish education, read "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell, a book that completely changed my view of ministry, Christianity, study, and the Church.) When he completed all of this, Jesus would have been ready to begin His own public ministry at about the age of 30. (hmmmm coincidence?) You see, Jesus had to work hard before He earned the right to teach us and eventually lay down His life for us. Jesus had to put in a lot of effort to get where He was called to go.

We are no different. God has called each of us to a certain life. Some people are called to serve in a hands-on capacity like Joseph who although he was a "blue-collar worker" had a huge role in shaping the person Jesus would become. Other people are called to be more detail and administration oriented like Luke, the physician who penned more words in the New Testament than any other Biblical author. Still other people are called to a life devoted to the Word of God and the service of His people like Jesus, who showed what real leadership is when He washed the feet of those who were His supposed subordinates. Each of us has a life that we are called to live just like Jesus had a life He was called to live. And like Him, we must be willing to do what it takes to get there.

The vast majority of Jesus' life was spent in education. About 23 of His 33 years, (about 70%), were spent preparing to become a rabbi so He could effectively live the life He was called to live in that place at that time. What does that mean for us? It means that we too, must be willing to put in whatever work and effort it takes to get to he place that God is calling us to go to in this place at this time. The bible tells us that many are called but few are chosen. Why are few chosen? Because few are willing to do the work that their calling requires of them. We somehow believe that we are entitled to a position based on our calling and natural abilities and gifts alone. But if it didn't work like that for Jesus then why would it work like that for us? Even the Apostles spent three years apprenticing under Jesus. Why should we be any different?

Getting to where God wants you to go is difficult. It takes hard work, effort, tears, sweat, turmoil, stress, and even some doubt. Probably because when you finally do all that work and put in all that time and effort to get where God is calling you, you'll find the same hard work, tears, and sweat waiting for you. But it'll also be the best, most abundant and rewarding life you can live. A life where you see prayers answered regularly and miracles take place that most people can't see. Going in the direction God wants you to go and being in the place God wants you to be will never make life easier, but it will always make life better.

-My Stolen Instinct-

2009-03-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

Watching my kids grow and learn is probably one of the greatest gifts I have been given. Seeing them discover who they are and what they are capable of is something I don't think I could ever get enough of. Just the other day I was playing with my 18 month old son and he went running down the hall yelling, "Ahhhhhhh," as I chased him. It occurred to me that he wasn't always able to run down the hall. He learned how to over time and in a series of steps.

There is something within us all, as human beings, that causes us to not be content with just laying around when we are infants. God has designed our minds and bodies with an inclination to be mobile. To be on the go. To move forward. We're not content with just laying there on our back so we learn to roll. When we master that we try and try to lift our heads up until we can finally see what's in front of us. When we realize we can do that we begin to the hard work of pushing our chests off the floor and begin scooting forward. After this we discover that we can get our legs underneath us as well and begin to crawl. But are we satisfied with that? No, we are driven to stand up tall and learn to walk. We try, and fail, a thousand times but there is something in us that will not let us give up. Finally, we take our first, real unassisted steps. What a great moment that is. Mom and dad may even write the date down so it's never forgotten. But that doesn't matter to us because we're not done yet. Soon we learn to run and then ride a tricycle, a bike, and eventually, learn to drive. Because from day one, there is just something in us that compels us to be on the move.

But something happens to us at some point in our lives. We become content and stop exploring our possibilities. When we're children we can be anything. Astronauts, athletes, world leaders and even super heroes. Our potential is limitless. But something happen along the way. We lose that instinct inside of us that longs to be on the go. To move forward. Or maybe we don't lose it. Maybe it's taken from us by our culture. Taken by the masses who have themselves given up and so they tell us we should do the same. It's just the way of the world. Welcome to reality. The sad thing is that these people usually mean well. Their motive is good because they are, "just trying to be realistic." It's all well and good to be "realistic" but it's the dreamers who change the world, not the realists. The dreamer walks on water while the realists watch from the boat.

Watching my son run down the hallway has reminded me to be a dreamer again. To reclaim that which was taken from me that I seemed to have let go so easily. To find within me that childhood instinct to be mobile. To be on the go. To move forward. God has a dream for my life and I am convinced that it is an unrealistic dream. A dream that goes beyond the safety of the realists and has me walking in the liquid footsteps of the dreamer. I hope I will muster the tenacity to follow those footsteps. And I hope you will too.

-Unfriendly Friendly Fire-

2009-03-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

I'm a reader. I wasn't always but thanks to a man named Chris Sonksen, one of my life's great mentors, now I am constantly reading. Now, I devour the pages of a book like a Catholic at a BBQ the day before Lent begins. If you're not into reading books, do yourself a favor and start. Force yourself to do it if you have to. It'll just take one book that really grabs you to get you hooked. Start now and don't stop.

Nothing comes without some degree of disappointment though. I read a lot from the different philosophies of Christianity. The Main-liners, the Evangelicals, the Fundamentalists, the Emergents, the Emergings, the Traditionalists, the Ecumenicals and even those who claim to have no attachment to any label. There is so much information and wisdom to be found in each of these points of view that it would be ludicrous for me to pigeonhole myself to only one school of thought. That's one of the advantages in being 2000 years removed from Jesus. It means we have 2000 years of study and wisdom to glean from. Unfortunately it also means we have 2000 years of opinions and personal agendas to sift through. Not an easy task.

In reading various books by various authors representing the various groups of Christianity, I have come to the conclusion that each of these groups share two things in common. First, they all love God and are just trying to point people to Him the best way they know how. Whether it's loving acts of kindness, friendship evangelism, fire and brimstone preaching, tent revivals, stadium crusades, street corner preaching or even telling people they're going to go to hell, all of these people have the same motive; getting others closer to Jesus then they are right now. These techniques are all flawed and no single technique has a 100% success rate. And while I have my own opinions about the constructiveness of each of these, I do believe that they all aim to point people to God in their own way; and that is a comforting thought.

The second thing these groups have in common is that there is inevitably some people within them who can't wait to tell you how right their group is and criticize the others. All of them. Not one single group is void of this type of mentality. Don't believe me? Go to youtube.com and type in a name of a Christian leader and you will inevitably find a video of another Christian leader telling us how ridiculous the first leader is. The Emergants hate the Evangelicals, the Main-liners hate the Fundamentalists, the Traditionalists hate the Emergings and everybody hates the Ecumenicals. It's sad really. The Army of the Kingdom of God is the only army that shoots it's own soldiers on purpose. It's like we have to watch out for "Unfriendly Friendly Fire."

It's funny that this happened in the book of Acts too. Different groups of Christians arguing over the superiority of their particular philosophy. Paul and Peter calling each other out in public. Paul even went as far as to say he wished that some "agitators" in the other group would just cut off a certain body part. Brutal!

And here we are, with the benefit of 2000 years of study and wisdom and "growth" and we're doing the same thing. Why? Why can't we move beyond our petty need to be right? Jesus said that people would know that we are His disciples by the way we showed each other love. Are we any good at that? It's no wonder that church attendance in the USA is dropping even during a time where interest in the spiritual and supernatural is growing. Who wants to be part of a splintered and combative faith? Don't we have enough conflict in our lives already?

I don't what to do about it really. I mean, I have my own struggles with being critical and needing to be right all of the time. It's a daily challenge for me and love doesn't always come out on top. I just wish that we were better at showing ourselves at Jesus' disciples by loving each other. I wish I was better. What can we do? Any ideas?

-Hollywood Is Right-

2009-02-25T08:48:00.000-08:00

Did you watch the Oscars? Fortunately for me I teach a group of young adults each Sunday night so I wasn't subjected to too much of it. I've never really gotten caught-up in all the hype of celebrities patting themselves and each other on the back during the awards season. However I did catch the last few awards. One of these was "Best Actor" in a lead role and it was won by Sean Penn. Now, I think Mr. Penn is a terrific actor. He blew me away a couple years back with his role in "I Am Sam" and I'd love it if he did another role like his classic Jeff Spacolli in "Fast Times At Ridgemont High." But I found his comments awkward. In one breath he said that people who voted against gay marriage should fell ashamed, and in the next breath he praised our new President, Barack Obama, who has publicly stated on several occasions that he is against gay marriage. It seems that Mr. Penn is being slightly inconsistent. I am not commenting on gay marriage or President Obama here, I'm just pointing out a celebrity blunder that will likely go generally unnoticed.

I think it will go unnoticed because both supporting gay marriage and verbally complimenting the President are popular things to do right now for the Hollywood elite. And their biggest party of the year, the Oscars, is the best place to display how socially relevant you are. They all get dressed up in outfits that cost ridiculous amounts of money, (and claim to care about the poor and starving), then strut there wears on the red carpet for all to ooh and aah. Because in Hollywood, your image is everything. And can I tell you something? They're right about that. Image is everything.

Now before you start cursing me as a heretic hear me out. One day some of the religious leaders of the day figured they could throw Jesus off his game with a trick question. They asked Him if it was OK with Jewish Law for them to pay the taxes to Caesar that Roman Law required of them. So Jesus tells them to bring Him a coin and they did. He held it up to them and asked, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?" (Matthew 22:20 [TNIV]) They answered Him correctly saying that the it was Caesar's image and Jesus responded saying, "Give back to Caesar was is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." (Matthew 22:21 [TNIV]) What a great answer! What strikes me most about it is His use of the word "image."

Jesus points out that since the currency of the day contained Caesar's image we should feel free to give it back to Caesars. The image on the coin is what determined who it should go to. Caesar's image, Caesar's coin. It's that simple. We give the coin back to Caesar because it has his image on it. But Jesus also said to give back to God what is God's. How do we determine what that is? To answer that we need to go back thousands of years before Jesus even said this.

In Genesis Chapter 1 verse 27 it reads, "So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27 [TNIV]) So what is it we're supposed to give back to God? He created our entire being in His image. We bare the image of God just as the coin bore the image of Caesar. Jesus insists that God isn't at all interested in who or what we pay taxes to, He's only interested in who or what we give OURSELVES to. Because He knows whose image is on us.

So what are we supposed to give back to God? Everything that we are! Ou bodies, our souls, our minds. Every breath and every heartbeat. Every fiber of our beings belong to God because we bear His image. His inscription has been on us since the day we began living and Jesus insists that we are to give it back to Him. What does this mean for my life? For yours? What changes must we make in order to pay what Jesus insists are the divine taxes we owe to God because we bare His image? God help me to give back to You what is rightfully Yours. Body, soul and mind. Each breath and each heartbeat. Every fiber of my being. Teach me how to give it back to You. Because I bare Your image. And image... is everything.

-Jesus Must Like Whoppers-

2009-02-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

I remember one time when I was living in So Cal and had to use the 91 freeway to get to and from work. If you are unfamiliar with the 91 freeway let me just explain that there is NEVER a good time to take that freeway. Weekends, holidays, work days, mornings, afternoons, evenings, nights, and even in the twilight the 91 is bound to have you in stop-and-go traffic one way or the other. As I was in this traffic stand-still one day returning home from work and talking to God about something that was on my mind and heart for a while, He managed to use a billboard to speak into my life. A Geico car insurance billboard that I passed and read just about everyday all of the sudden became the voice of God. Because God can speak to us in strange ways. I wonder how many times I passed that billboard before I finally realized God was trying to tell me something.

Since that day I've always tried to be aware of what God might be using to speak to me. For the most part this has been successful but but other times I have found myself over-analyzing things. (See http://www,johndavidhall.blogspot.com/2008/07/housefly-vacation.html for example of this.) God has used all kinds of experiences and avenues to speak to me since then but Jesus must like Whoppers because last week He was speaking to me at a Burger King drive through. Or maybe he was there for the Chicken Fries. I guess that's not really important. I would like to share with you what He said to me.

as I was sitting in the drive-through, I looked up and saw a sign with a picture of that creepy looking King they use as a mascot. It read "Do you have what it takes to work for the King?" Instantly I began a personal inventory of whether or not I have the appropriate qualifications to work for "the King." But not the freaky-deaky Burger King guy. I was thinking about Jesus, the King of all creation. Did I really have what it takes to work for Jesus? Could I live up to that? Can any of us?

I let my brain and spirit marinade on these questions for a few days. I allowed them to work on me and in me and in reality I am still very much trying to get the whole message God has for out of this. So far I have come to the conclusion that whether or not I have what it takes isn't really the issue. Moses, David, Mary, Noah, Peter, Esther, Jacob, Abraham, Sarah; none of them had what it took to do what God was asking them to do. They all felt inadequate and under-qualified and God managed to find a way to some great things through them anyway. So if I look at Scripture, it doesn't matter whether or not I have what it takes. That's not the real question.

So, what is the real question then? As I considered this I again began to think about the people God engaged with in Scripture. Moses was an insecure mess, David was just a delivery boy, Peter was a self-deprecating manic-depressant. I mean, God's family seems to be the dysfunctional in history. But as I kept examining these individuals and their actions and attitudes it struck me what the real question was. It doesn't really matter whether or not I have what it takes. What matters is whether or not I'm willing to take what He has.

Am I willing to grab hold of the life God has for me and hold onto it tightly? Am I willing to deny myself in order to take up the cross He has for me? Am I willing to place my own agenda aside and pick up His agenda in it's place? Who cares whether or not I'm qualified? What difference does it take whether or not I already have what it takes? The question is whether or not I trust that God will give me what I need to live the life He has called me to live. It's not my responsibility to make sure my resume fits the job description God is giving me. I job is ALREADY mine. There was no interview or application process. The decision to hire me was ALREADY made. I don't have to concern myself with having what it takes I just need to take what He has ALREADY given me and get to work.

P.S.

Is this making sense to anybody? I often post things that God is speaking to me about personally while I am still digesting it all. Am I simply writing a bunch of incoherent thoughts and trying to connect them or is this actually heading somewhere to people other than me? Let me know.

-I Don't Want To Be A Cheap Copy Of Jesus-

2009-02-11T09:04:00.000-08:00

I've been going to church regularly for about 18 years now. I realize that to some people that isn't very long and to other it's an eternity but to me it's just the way my life has unfolded. During that time I have been introduced to an immeasurable amount of "Christian" concepts. Doctrine, theology, dogma, apologetics, essentials, non-essentials, allegorical interpretation, literal interpretation, verse by verse studies, subjective studies, I could go on and on. But if I examine all the concepts I've been taught within these "ologies" much of it seems to be based on an interpretation of the words the Bible says rather than the point these words are trying to make.

For example, when Christians get together and pray as a group, one of us inevitably quotes Jesus in Matthew 19 saying something like, "Lord, you told us that where two or more are gathered in your name, you'd be there." We can't resist the urge to quote this verse and claim the presence of Jesus in out little meeting. For some reason we also figure that since He said He'd be there with us He must approve of whatever we're doing or deciding in our little gathering. This can be very dangerous. What makes it worse is that if you look at the context Jesus actually said this in, it could change the point. Jesus was talking about confronting another person if he or she offends you. Christians are good at this. Adding meaning where it may not be. Quoting a quaint little verse with complete disregard for the point that verse was actually making. And to top it all off, we add stuff.

Now, when I say we add stuff I don't mean we add self-serving gibberish and try to pass it off as biblical truth. (Although that does happen too.) What I mean is that we devise well intentioned concepts and over time, they become so attached to our theology that we never question them. One of these concepts that I have been re-examining and wrestling with is the idea that God wants us be, and we should strive to be "Christlike." On the surface, this is a beautiful concept. What could be more valuable than trying to emulate Jesus? The problem is that the word "Christlike" isn't found anywhere is scripture. Nor is there any passage telling us we should be "like Christ." The closest thing is found in Philippians 2 where Paul says that our "attitude" should be the same as Jesus'. And in this instance Paul was referring to humility and serving others. Here's what I have come up with so far as I wrestle with this. Maybe God wants me not to be "Christlike' but to be "Johnlike" through Christ's reconciliatory work. I'll try to explain.

I don't think God is interested in having a bunch of "Jesuses" running around. First off, He knows there is no way we could ever measure up to that standard. So why would He set such an impossible goal? I don't think He would. What I do think is that God wants me to be like the person He has envisioned ME becoming. We often forget that Jesus was a human. He had a personality and idiosyncrasies and maybe even an O.C.D. or two. So if God wanted us to be just like Jesus, He would have wired us all with the same personality, idiosyncrasies and O.C.D.s. But that isn't what he did. So what does this mean then? What can we assume God wants from us? Who does God want us to be?

I think God is a lover of variety and uniqueness. One look at creation should tell us that. So I think that God's goal for me is to be the version of John that He had in mind from the beginning. I don't have the same gifts and abilities as Jesus and neither do you. So why try to become what I CAN'T ever be? I think I should invest my energy into becoming what I CAN be. "Johnlike" is what I want to be. Not the current version of John but the one God dreams I can be. Of course as I strive for that and make changes to the person I am I will take on certain "Christlike" attributes. Of course my attitude will change like Paul suggested it should. Of course my actions will become more loving like the actions of Jesus were. But I wasn't created to be Jesus, I was created to be John. The best, most loving and humble version of John I can be. The version of John that Jesus makes it possible for me to become. Jesus did not redeem me to God so that I could be a cheap copy of Him. He redeemed me to God so that I could be the unique masterpiece He formed me to be. Help me, God, to become that version of John.

-Hear What I'm Not Saying-

2009-02-04T10:07:00.000-08:00

There is a new television series premièring tonight on Fox called “Lie to Me.” From what I can gather together with the fragments of promo-commercials that have been run for it, the show is about a group of people working with law enforcement who are experts in picking up on little nuances and idiosyncrasies that can determine, with a high degree of accuracy, whether someone is telling the truth or simply fabricating their story. (Wasn’t that a long, intelligent sounding sentence? I’m pretty proud of it, which makes me kinda sad really.) What a terrific ability that would be to have. Being able to pick up on even the subtlest signs of deception by simply having a better grasp of nonverbal communication.

Studies suggest that the vast majority of the way we communicate is nonverbal. In fact some studies indicate that up to 93% of communication is done in one nonverbal fashion or another. Gestures, facial expressions, body position, eye contact, voice tone and fluctuation, fidgeting, and even breathing patterns are all forms of communication that we send and receive, often unaware. It’s as if we are subconsciously going out of our way to make sure people can hear what we’re NOT saying.

I wonder sometimes what kind of “nonverbals” we send to God. Many people lift their hands as they sing or pray to God as a sign of surrender. Others bow as they pray with their face down as a sign of humility as they speak to One as vast and endless as the Creator of time space and everything in it. Most people will fold their hands and close their eyes as they pray to show they are focused on their conversation with God. (Even if it is a one-sided conversation.) Still others insist on removing their hats to show reverence and respect. All these, and many others, are very good things to do if you find they help you connect with God at a deeper level than you otherwise would have. But does God pick up on other nonverbal messages we send?

The tone in our voice as we hurry through a prayer so we can get started with the meal. The sighs and frustrated breathing we use as we drag ourselves out of bed because we “have to go to church.” The way our eyes and attentions wander around the room during the message at church when God is trying to speak to us through our pastors. The way we constantly look at our watch to gauge just how much longer this service, or prayer, or song, or meeting is going to last. How about the way refuse to even look at a homeless person; someone who God created and loves and who Jesus died for, because then we might feel compelled to actually help them? What about when we roll our eyes when the visiting missionary asks for financial support in trying to show God’s love in real, tangible ways to people who have so little in countries we’ll never go to? What can God hear us NOT saying?

This awareness of my nonverbal messages to God is something I am only now beginning to explore so I have no real commentary other than to say I think that if I learn more about myself and the messages I may be sending it can only be a positive thing. I think digging deeper into my own thoughts and responses in certain situations will only serve to purge those things in me that prevent me from becoming what I was meant to be. So as I’ve come to realize that God can hear what I’m not saying, I hope He’ll help me discover the things I say that I’m not hearing.

-Jesus and the Super Bowl-

2009-01-28T09:11:00.000-08:00

The Super Bowl is Sunday. Many of you don't care. A few of you pretend to care. Still others of you actually do care but not because you like either the Steelers or the Cardinals, but simply because it's the Super Bowl. This is the category I fall in. I love football. The strategy, the nuances. Really, I consider a football game to be a Soap Opera for men. It has deceit, and drama, and sometimes violence. Just no dialogue which makes it perfect for men. But I digress. The last category of people are the ones who care about the Super Bowl because they are fans of one of the two teams. As a Dolphin fan, this is not a category I have fit into since the early 80's.

These fans generally suffer from a temporary case of insanity who's symptoms include, (but are not limited to):

Inexplicable increase in voice volume at random times.
Desire to "high-five" total strangers.
Celebrating someone else's accomplishments as if they were their own.
Excessive shouts of "wooo hooo!" and/or "In Your Face!"
Yelling at the television in the hopes that a coach or referee will hear them in their headphones.
Excessive self decoration in only two or three colors; sometimes as severe as altering the color on ones skin.
Denial of reality despite the use of video documentation, AKA: instant replay. (This particular symptom is known as "Raiderous Delirium" because it commonly occurs to fans of the Oakland Raiders throughout the NFL season.)

If you or someone you love shows sign of these symptoms this Sunday, I'm sorry to tell you that there is no known treatment at this time. The good news is that their return to reality is fairly likely. More so if the team they are cheering for loses. If their team wins, they are likely to display some of these symptoms for up to 7 days. Sometimes people are just too obsessive.

I once heard a Christian speaker suggest that as Christians, we should be able to get just as excited about Jesus as some people do about their favorite sports team. Our zeal and boisterousness should be equal or greater to that of the thousands of fans that fill entire stadiums to see their favorite teams play. Quite frankly, I don't know if that is such a good idea.

I don't think face painting, chest bumping and random, incoherent shouting is quite was Jesus had in mind. Besides, it would be difficult to eat ice-cream out of a miniature crown of thorns. But what scares me the most is how close we really are to being belligerently fanatical about Christianity. Think about it; we have our own bumper-stickers, T-Shirts, coffee cups, magazines, anthems, web-sites, jewelry, and even our own MINTS. In a sense, Christians have out marketed major sporting franchises. Christians can also be way too "In your face" about Christianity that ultimately makes people look at us like we're as psychotic as the scary raider fans who dress up like Gwar every week during football season. (If you don't know who Gwar is, just do a google image search and you'll see what I mean,) I don't think that's what Jesus died for.

Don't get me wrong, I believe wholeheartedly that we should be excited about the truth that has been revealed to us and I have nothing against "Christian" products like t-shirts and magazines. In a manner of speaking, this blog itself is part of the "Christian machine." I think our zeal and excitement about Jesus should manifest itself in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. (These attributes are described by Paul as "the fruits of the Spirit") Look at that list of qualities again. Now compare that to a fanatical admirer of a sports team. Does the fan display any of those qualities? I think Jesus had something much larger and more revolutionary in mind than a bunch of screaming "fans" to fill his divine stadium. I think Jesus wants us to be ON His team, not just fans of it.

-God Is Purple-

2009-01-21T09:34:00.000-08:00

So yesterday Chief Supreme Court Justice John Roberts administered the Presidential Oath of Office to the new President of the United States, President Barack Obama II. Whether or not you are satisfied with the results of last November's election, you cannot deny the historical significance the event. We've heard it over and over again; how terrific it is that finally, after over 230 years, a minority was able to win the majority of both the popular and electoral college votes and ascend to the highest office in the land. Personally, I think God was pretty proud of us too.

I have been very deliberate about not making any of my blogs political commentary. I am learning that politics and political priorities are personal. I know that there is a HUGE segment of evangelical Christians that are convinced that God is a republican based on two issues: abortion and gay marriage. Personally, I think that in a world of 6 billion people, God has bigger fish to fry than whether or not a nation of 300 million people, (roughly one-half of one percent of the global population), think it's OK for a homosexual couple to be "married" according to the nation's standards. But I digress. I am learning that a person's political priorities are mostly determined by how God has wired them as an individual.

God has given each of us a different set of gifts and inclinations. He does this through various channels. The Holy Spirit, hereditary traits, influences He places in our life, and internal burdens are a few. That is why I have such a difficult time understanding a Republican Christian criticizing another Christian for voting for a Democrat, or vice versa. Our political motives are a fruit of spiritual motives and therefore subject to ebb and flow across the Church as a whole. What I mean is that God places burdens in and individual. So, naturally, that individual will prioritize his or her political views around that burden. If God has given them a burden for the sanctity of human life in the womb, then they are more likely to place abortion prevention at the top of their list and vote Republican. But the same God might give another person a burden for feeding the poor. That person is much more likely to place social reforms at the top of their political agenda and vote Democrat. And you know what? They're both right. Because God isn't red of blue... He's purple.

As Christians, our goal is not to become people that are all carbon copies of one another. Our goal is to become the individual that God has created us to be. I love the way way Rob Bell says it in his book, Velvet Elvis. He says, "Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God made YOU to be and everything else is sin." (emphasis mine). God wired us with different burdens and priorities for a reason. Any single objective taken to an extreme, even a good objective like evangelism, can be detrimental to God's plan. The Crusades and the Inquisition are good examples. So by giving individual Christians different gifts and burdens God is essentially providing us will a system of spiritual checks and balances.

I don't know where any of you stand when it comes to political opinions and I'm not about to use this blog to vomit out mine. I am simply trying to express that a person's political views, especially a Christian's, is simply an fruit of the the kind of person God wired them to be. Believe it or not, the United States is not the Kingdom of God that Jesus was talking about so neither the Republicans nor the Democrats have cart blanch on being "God's party." It's good to have political views. It's good to believe passionately in those views. They are an outpouring of the things that God has placed in your heart. But yours are no more or less important than someone else's. One again, our differing opinions are God's system of spiritual checks and balances. It's good that we have both Democratic and Republican leaders. It's good that a single party doesn't control the office of the presidency.

Which brings me back to yesterday and why I think God was proud of our .05% of the global population. We put a minority, a black man, in out most prestigious office for the first time. I think God was proud of us because we are getting closer to seeing people the way He does. Not as black, white, male, female, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, fat, skinny or any other label. We are finally beginning to show signs of seeing a person as simply a human being and understanding the potential that comes with that label alone. I think think God is proud of us because we are finally beginning to see people the way He does. I mean, we have a very, very long way to go. But we're finally past the starting line. I hope we can keep running.

-Why Christianity Needs Simon Cowell-

2009-01-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

So last night Season 8 of American Idol premiered. Even if you don't watch the show there is a 96.78% chance that you have a general understanding of how it works. People get up and sing in front of some judges who critique their performance. Sometimes they have positive feedback and other times they tear the contestant a new one. In either case, the feedback they give is generally honest with different degrees of "bluntness" from each judge. But the judge that always gets the reaction is Simon Cowell.

Watching Simon give feedback to people for the first 3 or 4 weeks of each season is the whole reason I enjoy the show. Is that wrong? Every freaking year there is a veritable parade of tone-deaf people who are absolutely convinced that their vocal chords have been endowed with the voices of the angels. Simon sees it as his personal mission to bring them back down to earth. What strikes me is that just about all of these utterly hideous singers have people in their lives telling them that they are supremely talented. Who are these people? Why would you let your friend or kid or sibling embarrass him or herself on public television? Some people think Simon is cruel for being so blunt with them. I think it's their friends and family who are cruel for NOT being so blunt with them. Isn't it better to know what we can and, especially, cannot do?

I think the same rules apply to someones area of involvement in a church. I think the church would run better, more efficiently, and ultimately closer to God's design for it if 2 things happened. (1) Christian quit being so stinking hypersensitive and (2) we Christians got ourselves a Simon Cowell. One of my former pastors was absolutely right when he told me, "It's easier to get a person into a ministry than it is getting them out." The fact that it's so true is what is so sad to me. If you can't sing, you shouldn't be singing on the worship team. If you have leather eardrums you shouldn't be doing sound. If you have no patience and are annoyed with kids you should stay out of children's ministry. If you can't remember lines get off the drama team. But pastors and other church leaders can't say that to people because they'll freak out.

I think as a whole, Christians have become too self-involved with their service to their church. Too many people think that simply handing out a program or setting up chairs or even cleaning up after an event is beneath them. People try to find a way to get stage time too much. But what if that isn't what God called you to do? What if that's what you're not made for? There are lots of people in my church that LOVE to sing but that couldn't find a key in an empty room with a metal detector. I hear them every week. But just because you enjoy something doesn't mean it's what you're MADE to do. Peter enjoyed fishing but he sucked at it and Jesus told him as much. I think we need more of that. I think we should be able to tell someone that they're just not operating in their God-given skill-set and that they need to try something else. This will only be better for the church as a whole. The problem is, just like those contestants on American Idol, too many Christians are convinced that they are supposed to be doing what they're doing and will actually leave the church if you tell them otherwise. This is so sad.

That's the attitude that hamstrings church leaders. they want to build a better, more effective church in order to make a larger eternal impact but the people in the church are so self-absorbed in doing what they want to do that they don't get it. they don't see the bigger picture because their tunnel vision is pointed directly at themselves rather than the church as a whole. The vast majority of these people undoubtedly love God and want to serve Him with all they have. Their intentions are good, but nearsighted. We need to be able to accept guidance from our spiritual leaders. We need to trust that they are trying to build the best most effective ministries for the whole church. If that means that we, as individuals, need to sacrifice some pride then that's the way is should be. Jesus made a lot of sacrifices as did many of the first Christians. They understood that they couldn't be so nearsighted and self-involved because there was something much bigger than them at stake. In the book of Acts, it was an honor to be chosen to serve widows. I think if our attitudes were the same, there would be beautiful and wondrous results. But until then, I think Christianity needs Simon Cowell.

-Date Night-

2009-01-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

If you were hoping to get together with me Saturday night you're out of luck, I have plans. I have a date. But don't tell Krissy because it's not with her. It's with a girl I met about less than two years after Krissy and I got married. And she's younger too. But I can't help it. This girl is the one who made me believe in love at first sight. She's smart, fun to be around, and to me, is the definition of beautiful. Her smile gets me every time. So needless to say I'm pretty excited about this date on Saturday night.

I'm sure you've all figured out by now that my date is with my daughter, Felicia. If you hadn't figured that out yet then you may want to start doing some intellectual exercises because I made it pretty obvious. But I really am excited about taking my daughter out Saturday night. I think that as a father, that's one of my main responsibilities. To show Felicia how she should expect to be loved and treated by a man. Because I know that it's inevitable. One day she'll start seeing men in a romantic context. I have delusions of Felicia joining a convent. I realize that one day, probably sooner than I'd like, I will no longer be the most important man in her life. What's odd is that I am strangely OK with that. (sort of) That fact reminds me of my duty to make sure she has the proper expectations in a relationship.

I see two main ways in which I can accomplish this. The first way is to demonstrate it in how she sees me treat Krissy. If I treat Krissy with respect and love and affection and attention, Felicia will grow up with the distinct impression that that is the way she should expect to be treated by men. If I love my wife and am willing to die for her, Felicia will expect nothing less from the man she marries. The second way is to help Felicia experience some of these things before hand which is what doing things like taking her out Saturday night will accomplish. I will make sure to open her doors for her. I will make sure to give her my undivided attention. I will make sure to tell her how pretty she is. I will make sure to tell her how much I love spending time with her. I will make sure to tell her how smart she is. I will make sure to all of this and much, much more so that when she goes on a "real" date someday, she will not settle for a disrespectful, obnoxious kid but will have the high standards she should have. The way her father treats her is the way she should expect to be treated. I also believe we should expect the same from others.

Look around at the world. Take away all the damage that people have done to it. Thats the world God gave us. Think about something you love doing and are good at. Thats the gift God has given you. From laughter to friendship to music to dancing to food to art to sex. God designed it all for our enjoyment. And then think about the lengths He went to ensure we could enjoy it forever. He was willing to live and die for us...even death on a cross. I think these things should tell us something about how we were created to treat each other.

If God is willing to extend that kind of love and sacrifice to us, shouldn't we be willing to do the same for each other? And shouldn't we be able to expect it from one another as well? I mean God gave us free will. The ability to choose our own way rather than His way is a pivotal gift given to us. And then to show us how serious He was about it, he hasn't interfered even though it hurts Him. As a Christian, I am convinced that living the way of Jesus is the best, most abundant life possible. But I realize not everyone sees eye to eye with me. So I think my responsibility as a representative of Jesus is to acknowledge their right to free will and love the anyway. God doesn't take gifts and abilities away from people because they don't accept Him. If God doesn't withhold love, I shouldn't either.

In the same vein of thinking, I should expect to be treated with respect as to my life choices. Just as I am not here to condemn other people, I am not here to be condemned by them either. Christians are rapidly losing the right to be taken seriously. I don't like to play the victim or the martyr but it's simply true. But I think, no I KNOW, that Jesus would not want us to give up our basic right to be heard and understood. I fully admit that Christians have dropped the ball in the past. We have not wanted to hear and understand anyone else and e are simply reaping what we have sown. But I think we can find a place to stand on in Jesus. By loving people the way He does and protecting their humanity as well.

God treats ALL of us the same. Whether or not we even acknowledge His existence He gives us the same world, the same opportunity to be loved, and the same respect. We should demonstrate and expect the same. Because the way our Father treats us is the way we should expect to be treated.

-Good Communication-

2008-12-31T15:32:00.000-08:00

The key to good communication is brevity.

Happy New year everyone!

-While They're Not Looking-

2008-12-24T09:43:00.000-08:00

Krissy and I were very fortunate to get a girl and a boy when trying to have kids. It means we won't have to take any chances with our reproductive efficiency. I know several couples who have tons of kids because they kept trying for that boy or girl they didn't have yet. In many ways it's funny; as long as it isn't happening to me. Years ago, Krissy and I decided that we would stop at three kids no matter what. The scary part is that twins run on both sides of both of our families. So I biggest fear was trying for the third one and having twins. God's kind of a funny guy with that kind of thing. Luckily, we won't have to worry about that though.

Having kids is so much more intense than I ever imagined. One night, shortly after Felicia was born, I was laying in bed and worked myself into full "pissed-offed-ness" by just thinking about the idea of someone trying to take her from us. Seriously I was ready to hurt someone and the whole thing was just a hypothetical that I created myself. But adversely, certain thoughts about my kids can bring great joy as well.

But I'd have to say that one of the best parts of having kids is just watching them. Our five-year-old daughter, Felicia, is great to watch because she uses her imagination more and more everyday. She dances around and sings pretends she a character from one of her books. For Krissy and I, it's so beautiful to watch. She is also blowing us away with how smart she is. I don't like to be "that parent" that insists his kid smarter than everyone else's but seriously, she's amazing us. We had our first parent/teacher conference with her Kindergarten teacher this year and she was going over what they call "sight words." these are words that the kids are supposed to be able to read by just looking at them. Of the 19 kids in her class she said most of them know between 4 and 9 sight words which is normal. A few others knew up to 12 which was great. Felicia knew 44! Yes, 44! And at this point she is reading entire books on her own.

Our son, Ian, is about 16 months old. He's load and often obnoxious. He totally gets that from Krissy. He is extremely curious. He's always opening drawers and then closing them. he likes taking the back off the remote controls and pulling the batteries out just to see if he can put it all back together. He pushes buttons on the TV to change the channel or just turn it off. Right now one of his favorite things to do is walk up to Felicia and just grab a handful of hair and then YANK. Laughing hysterically the whole time.

I express all of this to let you know the sheer joy that comes with simply watching your children be themselves. If you are a parent you probably know exactly what I mean. But you know when the best time to watch your kids is? When they don't know that you're doing it. When they don't know they have an audience kids true personalities come out and when it is your kids, it can bring you to tears to see. They dance just a little bit more freely. They sing just a little bit louder and out of key. They get into just a little bit more mischief. And they make a much bigger mess. It truly is one of the great joys of being a parent and I believe that God is trying to tell us something through it.

I have yet to meet anyone who has seen God face to face or to do so myself. God is mysterious. I won't go as far as to say that He is hiding from us but I think there is a reason He doesn't just walk in and sit down next to us. I know about the whole "humans can't actually see God and live," thing but I think there is more to it than that. Because He is God and can do anything so if He really wanted to He could meet for lunch whenever or wherever. So there must be more to it than that.

Through out scripture, we are referred to as "God's children." From Genesis to Revelation God is constantly reminding us that we are His kids. One of His most commonly used identities is even "Heavenly Father." Well, maybe He thinks the best, most precious and rewarding times to watch His kids is when we don't know He's watching? What if that's one of the reasons we don't see Him face to face. Maybe one of the great joys of our Heavenly Father is simply watching His kids when they dance a little more freely, sing a little bit louder, and make a bigger mess.

I know that isn't the only reason God doesn't just show up at Taco Bell while we're having lunch. I know that it is much more complex than that. But I also know what it is like to be a daddy. I know the fears and laughter and joys and responsibilities that are attached to that title and I know how great it is sometimes to just watch your children. And I think maybe God loves to watch us too. I think He He takes great joy in our just making our way through this life He has given us. Thank you God for this life. I hope that watching me will sometimes put a smile on your face.

-A Five-Year-Old's Philosophy-

2008-12-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

My daughter goes through strange phases. I'm not sure how common they are but Krissy and I have grown accustomed to them over the last few years. What she'll do is get really concerned about something and then keep asking us about it over and over again. For instance, not long ago she was worried about using the toilet. Why? Because she was petrified that the toilet would clog. So every time she had to go the bathroom she would ask us, "Am I going to have an overflow?" This kind of thing goes on for months at a time. But with her new O.C.D. she once again illuminates to me a theological life lesson.

Lately her concern has been whether or not she'll get in trouble for saying something wrong or whining too much. She'll say something innocently that she probably shouldn't say like, "Jingle bells homework smells the teacher's really mean," and I'll let her know that it's not very nice to say that her teacher is mean. Especially considering how great her teacher is and how much Felicia really likes her. But her response is what is interesting. She'll then ask , "Can I say it in my head?" She's asking me if it is wrong for her to THINK things but not say them out loud. This puts Krissy and I in an awkward position but Felicia solved it for us one day when she started saying, "OK if I say it in my head I'll just ask God to forgive me." It's so simple for her.

Jesus said a lot of very cool, life-changing, world-altering, culture-shattering things when He walked around ancient Israel. One of His most well know concepts was the idea that each of us should strive for what He called a "childlike faith." What exactly Jesus meant by this is debatable in our world today but Felicia's recent concerns have helped to point me in what I feel is the right direction about it. When she asks, "Can I say it in my head," and then solves her serious moral dilemma with, "OK if I say it in my head I'll just ask God to forgive me," she demonstrates a childlike faith.

First, her concern is rooted in the right place. She isn't worried about where her next meal is coming from or whether or not the economy is going to turn around. She is simply worried about doing the right thing. She wants to make sure that even the things she THINKS are OK. Her priority is being a good girl. In fact, that is her only concern. But she doesn't stop there.

Felicia is realistic enough to know that she probably won't always do, say or even think the right things. So her very basic response is that she'll just ask God to forgive her and that'll be the end of it. She isn't concerned whether or not He will, she simply accepts that the act of asking forgiveness will take care of it. She also doesn't continue to beat herself up when it's over. She tells God she's sorry and moves on with her day.

For a five-year-old, Felicia seems to have a lot of things worked out that I, at 30 years old, am still trying to wrap my mind around. Fortunately for me, Felicia is there to teach me a few things about life, love, faith and God. Her philosophy is a simple one really. She just tries to be a good girl, the best girl she can be, and all she cares about being. But when she fails. When she says the wrong thing or even thinks something she's doesn't think she is supposed to, she simply asks God to forgive her and moves on with her life knowing that He will. I think I need to do that. To just try to be the best man that I can be and when I fail, to understand that God will forgive me and then move forward with my life; trying, once again, to be the best man I can be.

-Jesus, Krissy And Why You Should Be Like Them-

2008-12-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week my wife, Krissy, started a new job and was pretty nervous. This is the first time in 11 years she has changed the company she works for so she's entering unknown territory. But for the last 11 years, (roughly 84% of her adult life), Krissy had worked in a bank in various different positions. Entry level, supervisory, district operations support and even as a branch manager. Her new job will have her remaining in the banking industry as an Assistant Manager for a Washington Mutual branch. But even while remaining in an industry she knows well, and despite being extremely qualified for the position she is assuming, she was nervous. Personally, I thought she was being hypersensitive about it because her record and resume speak for themselves and there was no need for her to worry. If you will indulge me, I'd like to take a few moments to brag about my wife.

Krissy is an alumni of California State University at Santa Barbara. She is one of the few people I know that managed to graduate college in four years rather than five which, to me, is impressive enough. But in her four years there, Krissy managed to get not one, but two bachelors degrees. One in Business and one in Communications. In her professional life, Krissy was rapidly promoted from Supervisor, to Assistant Manager, and finally to Branch Manager by the time she was 24. A few years later she gave birth to the first of our two children and decided to work only part time hours. For the next several years, the company she worked for used her in several different ways. She covered branches whose management team was struggling. She trained new employees or developed current employees into supervisors. She was placed in branches who were having operational difficulties and performing poorly on audits to help clean them up. She was a commodity and every manager in the region was requesting her assistance in one way or another. How do I know this? Because I worked for the same company as her and was a branch manager during her stint and the region's most sought after resource. Please believe when I say I am not exaggerating the demand she was in.

If you add all this to the fact the she is an amazing mother for our daughter and son and that she is simply the greatest wife in history of the human race, (sorry guys... it's true), you'll see that Krissy really should have had no concern about the job she is now doing. But she did. She was worried she was getting in over her head. She was worried that no one would like her. She was worried that she wouldn't measure up to her resume. She was worried that she just couldn't do it. But I think that's OK.

Just before he was arrested, Jesus was praying. He knew what was coming and was stressed out about it. All the anxiety and solitude and questions about whether he had done and said everything he was supposed to before his death culminated at that moment and he prayed that if there was any other way humanity could be restored then he'd like to go with Plan B. But there was no other way. There was no Plan B. And Jesus continued on toward his own torture and execution knowing what was coming.

I talk about this moment of worry in Jesus' life because, to me, it really displays his humanity. Jesus was afraid. Jesus was worried. Jesus questioned his ability to do what needed to be done. That is comforting to me. Because if Jesus wasn't sure if he had the strength and fortitude to move forward then it's OK for Krissy, or me, or you to worry too. It's OK to question our our ability sometimes. In fact it's probably healthy. It's OK to be afraid of failure as long as that fear causes us to focus instead of paralyzing us from moving forward.

Even though Jesus knew that the cross was temporary but his resurrection would be eternal, he was afraid. Even though he knew that the power of creation was in him, he was nervous. And even though he knew that time and time again he had seen and been a part of amazing miracles, he was full of anxiety. And even though Krissy knew her new job was in an industry she was very familiar with, she was afraid. Even though she knew that she was a valuable commodity in her previous job, she was nervous. And even though she had countless experiences doing the exact things her new job would require of her, she was full of anxiety. And it's OK. Because like Jesus, her anxiety causes her to focus and move forward with strength and the will to do what must be done. It's OK to be afraid. It's OK to worry. They can be your best friend if they help you focus. But they can be your worst enemy if you let them paralyze you. Which one will they be for you?

-R.I.P. Max-

2008-12-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I had the opportunity and the privilege to visit Fiji on a short-term mission trip with a group of ministry students. That trip remains one of the defining experiences of my ministerial life and I could tell you story after story of the amazing things that I either saw or got to be a part of. But don't worry, I won't. I do, however, have a story from that trip I'd like to share that has nothing to do with the ministry we were involved in on that trip. It didn't happen during prayer, during a church service, during an evening event, or even during a meal. It happened in a van.

The group was using two vans to get around and the van I was in was usually driven by one of our group members rather than by a Fijian local. We were headed back to our Hotel for the night and speeding our way down a long, dark, single lane highway. As our driver continued on, we noticed up ahead, a dog laying in the road. We couldn't tell if it was dead or alive so to avoid it, our driver drifted over to the right in the lane of traffic headed in the opposite direction. (They drive on the left side of the road in Fiji and using the oncoming traffic lane to pass is perfectly legal there.) As he swerved over, he noticed an oncoming car and so he sped up to try to get passed the dog before having to move back into the left lane thus avoiding a head-on collision. Despite what I am 50% sure was his best effort to avoid the dog, our driver was unable to pick up enough speed to avoid both the dog and the oncoming car. He was forced to get back into the left lane just in time to run the dog over at a high speed. Now, i can't be certain because it was so dark but I think the van managed to twist the dog in half. If the animal was alive before we hit it, it sure wasn't anymore. We named the dog Max. When we got back to the hotel, you could see some of the remains of Max's innards on the wheel wells of the van. It was very disturbing but we managed to make a joke out of it the rest of our trip.

I tell this story because I think our lives are like it more often than we think. Max was in our way. We tried to avoid him but it just wasn't possible without risking the safety of the 8 people in the van. So we hit him square on and at full speed. We all have obstacles throughout our life and sometimes we can avoid them. But other times... we simply have to hit them head on and at full speed. Because if we don't, then the obstacle wins and hold us back from getting where we want to go.

I don't know where any of you are at in life really. But i can promise you that if there isn't a dog laying in the road ahead of you right now, there will be soon. Who knows what it'll be? A relational obstacle, a spiritual obstacle, a financial obstacle, an emotional obstacle, or even a self-inflicted obstacle. Whatever it is, you must be prepared to hit it head on and at full speed. By all means try to avoid it. Serve out of the way. But something issues and problems and obstacles in life cannot be avoided and if that is the case; push the pedal down and and twist the obstacle in half. The bump may be load and send you out of your seat and, like it was with Max, things may get messy. But it might be the only way move forward and get to where you want to go.

In Philippians, Paul tells us to "not be anxious about anything." Anxiety has a way of eating away at your joy. It blocks out anything good that happens to be going on in your life so all you can see is the obstacle in front of you. But Paul reminds us that worry and anxiety will get us nowhere. That all it will do is overwhelm us chew up our hope and our joy. This is not what God wants for us.

Some obstacles are unavoidable. They're there in front of us and swerving right or left to go around them is simply not an option. Even if we didn't put it there, sometimes Max is just unavoidable. So I say hit it. Hit it head on and at full speed. The bump will be big but will end. If it throws you out of your seat you will eventually come back down. If it gets messy you can clean it up later. Hit it head on and then watch it fade away behind you as you continue moving forward.

P.S.

I have kept the drivers name anonymous in case there are animal lovers out there who would seek to exact vengeance on him for Max's death.

P.P.S.

This blog post is dedicated in memoriam of Max the dog. Thanks for giving all of us in that van an experience we won't forget. Rest in peace boy. Rest in peace.

-Perpetual Infection of Siblings Syndrome-

2008-11-19T10:56:00.000-08:00

My one year old son, Ian, has been sick this week. It's the first time he has really thrown up so he has no clue what's going on. The odd thing is that he doesn't have a fever and he's acting totally normal except for the whole horking up chinks of food thing. Then there's the joy of the obligatory parental clean of the chunks. Yeah, not exciting stuff. But if you have multiple kids, you know what I mean when I say there is an even greater concern when one gets sick. It's called PISS, Perpetual Infection of Siblings Syndrome. It's a real disease with doctors and drugs and everything.

OK so maybe it's not but it does actually happen so we will treat it like it is. The general rule of PISS is that one sibling will pass it on to another and they will continue to pass it back and forth for what seems like forever. The more kids you have, the longer PISS generally lasts. there is also no real form of prevention. It's like swimming in a public pool...there's just no way to keep the PISS off of you. Often times PISS is followed by Chronic Release to Adult Parents or CRAP for short. If this happens, there is an 87% chance that at least one person in your home will be sick for 10.7 consecutive months. And don't even get me started on what happens if you have pets.

Krissy and I are currently trying to minimize the effect of PISS and CRAP in out home and scientists are hard at work trying to find a prevention measure. But until that glorious day finally arrives the rule is simple: When one of us is sick, we're all sick. I think this is how it's supposed to be though.

We have a bad habit, as Christians, of alienating other Christians when they have made mistakes and allowed temptation to get the best of them. People who were once considered close friends are all of the sudden ostracized because they slept with their boyfriend, got caught looking at internet porn, are struggling with alcoholism, or voted for a democrat. Why do we do this? Why is it that when these people need the love and support of Christ the most, His representatives, Christians, shun them like they're the Antichrist? Even an elementary reading of the Gospels would conclude that this is not how Jesus acted or intended us to act.

Christians, every one of us together, are described in the New Testament as "the Body of Christ." In alienating and ostracizing other Christians we are effectively amputating a part of the body that isn't even infected yet; just wounded. If I get pneumonia I don't rip my lungs out of my chest because they're making me feel bad. I devote my energy into helping them heal so that my whole body can function properly once again. I think this is what Jesus had in mind.

I think He put us here and connected us together as a family of faith. he gave us a new commandment that we love one another. He actually used the word commandment not suggestion. I know it sounds strange, but as a family of faith I think the PISS and CRAP rules apply. When one of us is sick, we're all sick. And we should spend our energy helping heal the illness rather than trying to just pull it out of our chest.

P.S.

When I stated that Christians ostracize people for "voting for a democrat" I, in no way, meant to indicate that there is something wrong with democrats who Christians who vote democrat. I was simply pointing out that many Christians get all worked up over the republican/democrat debate and believe, for whatever reason, that the republicans actually care about the causes of Christ and that democrats worship Satan. Both perceptions are absurd.

-Don't Stop In Fog-

2008-11-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

It was foggy when I drove into the office this morning. Not too bad but enough to make you pay a little more attention than you normally do. I got in my car, pulled out of the driveway and headed toward the freeway to get to work. As I trekked the thin fog I made sure to keep my speed down a little from what it usually is and to turn my headlights on. I began to remember times when I drove through dense fog. Fog that made it difficult to see even 20 feet feet in front of me.

I was on the 71 during most of these times, heading home late at night to Corona from San Dimas where Krissy lived when we were dating. The fog got so bad at some points that me and the few other drivers on the road turned on our hazard lights for a little more visibility. at first I wasn't sure if this was a great move but then I saw a CHP unit that was doing the same thing so I figured it was OK. I would also slow down quite a bit as to not come up behind another car too fast. But one thing I didn't do, ever, was stop. Because stopping and sitting there until the fog clears up could do more harm and be a grater risk than if I just kept moving forward.

Stopping in that situation would be a huge mistake. Not only would I not get to where i was going, but I would put my vehicle and myself in danger too. When things get foggy while driving, you should continue to move forward at a safer slower pace but you shouldn't actually stop. I think the same is true for our spiritual life as well.

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard Christians say that they aren't moving forward with something because they are "waiting on God." I hate that expression. I think most of the time it's just an excuse to not actually make a decision or have to do something. Don't get me wrong, I know that there are some people who are honestly and earnestly seeking God's direction, but most of the time I don't think this is the case. I think most of the time we think if we move we'll fail and so we fail to move.

I think the biggest reason I hear for this failure to move is that we want to make sure that this is what God wants us to do. Whether is has to do with school, work, relationships, ministry or whatever else, many Christians are totally paranoid about making a move or a change that they want to make because they're afraid that it's not what God really wants. They know where they want to go, but the road seems a little foggy and the way isn't crystal clear so they just stop. So how should we handle these situations?

Psalm 37:4 says: "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of you heart." Many of us have heard this verse over and over again but I think we miss all of what it is saying. We read it to mean that if we honor God and seek Him, he will give us the things that our hearts want most. While there is some truth to this, I think it's only half of the real meaning here. I read it as saying that if we honor God and seek Him, then He will give our hearts the things that they should desire. It's the same verse from a different angle.

This view of this verse has given me permission to move forward even if the road in front of me is foggy. because rather than knowing I want to do something and having to wait for God's answer as to whether or not I should do it, I view my desire to do it as His answer. in other words, God is the one who gave me the desire to do it in the first place. if what I am seeking is not destructive to myself, to others, or to the church, then what is my hesitation? If it honors God, then I move forward believing He is the one who put that desire in my heart.

Sometimes the way is crystal clear and I can coast forward with great speed and ease because God has cleared the path for miles ahead. Sometimes the way isn't so clear though. It is during these times when i proceed with caution, slowing my pace and taking steps to avoid damaging myself or the vehicle carrying me. But I don't stop moving forward. because stopping and sitting there until the fog clears up could do more harm and be a greater risk than if I just kept moving forward.

Are you waiting to hear from God about something before you move on it? Is there a choice you want to make or something you want to do but are afraid of doing it because the road in front of you seems foggy? Why are you waiting? If what you want to do is not destructive to you, to others, or to the church then maybe your desire to do it is the answer you're looking for. Sure, if the road isn't clear, you should proceed with caution. But don't just sit there. Move forward through the fog. Don't just sit in it.

-How Many Times Do I Have To Ask?-

2008-11-05T10:13:00.000-08:00

So last week I began a two part “blog series” with the idea that when Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” He was talking about the fish that Peter had just caught. I won’t recap it because if you really want to, you can just read it again so I’ll just pick up where we left off in the 17th Chapter of John’s Gospel. Continuing from last week it reads:

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

So here is Jesus who just guts Peter by asking him whether or not he loves Him more than some dead fish and Peter responds by saying, quite sincerely, that Jesus already knows that he love Him. But then Jesus asks again, and then a third time and Peter responds the same way each time. But the third time Jesus asked, John records that, “Peter was hurt.” Why was Peter hurt? The common teaching I’ve heard on this is that Jesus asked Peter three times because Peter had denied Jesus three times and by affirming his love for Jesus three times, Peter was now “even” and could once again assume his role an Apostle. I think there is much validity in this reasoning but I think it misses it a little.

If you read the Gospels, you will see they paint a picture of Peter as someone who is very self-deprecating. Peter strikes me as a man who wants to do the right thing so bad, that sometimes he speaks or acts too soon. In fact, Jesus corrects Peter more times in the Gospels than the other 11 apostles combined. In short, all his mistakes weigh heavily on Peter and he demonstrates very little self-esteem. Peter seems to have the idea that he can’t do anything right. I mean look at his occupation. He was a fisherman by trade but both times we see him fishing in the Gospels, he sucks at it. Seriously, the only recorded times of Peter catching any fish are because Jesus intervened. So what does all this have to do with Jesus asking Peter if he loves Him three times? Jesus was making a point.

Of course Peter loved Jesus. Peter knew and Jesus knew it. Peter even said, “You know that I love you,” all three times Jesus asked. I think Jesus real message was more about making Peter feel OK about what happened than anything else. He didn’t ask him so that Peter would be “even.” Jesus’ death and resurrection already made Peter “even” and Jesus would have known this. This questioning was about Peter knowing he was “even.” It says “Peter was hurt,” when Jesus asked the third time because in asking three times, Jesus is once again saying so much more. Can you hear the rant hidden so gently in Jesus’ words? “There Peter! If you say you love me three times will you stop feeling sorry for yourself? If you feel like I know you love me will you get over this whole denying me thing? Can’t you understand? Do you know why you suck at fishing? It’s because it’s not what you’re supposed to be doing! I told you when we met that, “From now on you will fish for men.” Do you know what “from now on means?” So get up and lets go! Stop feeling sorry for yourself! You have no idea how much of an impact your life will have on this world. So take my hands, the ones with holes in them that were put there so could stop feeling guilty, get up and get moving.”

Jesus wanted to Peter to accept the fact that the past is that past and not the present. Jesus wanted Peter to accept that he had denied Him but to also accept the fact that Jesus is already past that. Maybe Peter couldn’t let it go but he could certainly move on. And the same is true for us. What is it about you that you can’t move on from? What is holding you back from being what Jesus has called you to be? Not just your occupation but your effectiveness. What is it that is holding you back and how many times does Jesus have to ask YOU if you love Him before you finally get it? For Peter, it only took three times. I think for most of us, it’ll take more. So the next time you meditate on Jesus. The next time you are in prayer. Listen for His voice. Listen for that question. Because He’ll ask it as many times as He has to until it sinks in. “Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?”

-What's Your "These"?-

2008-10-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

So this is actually going to be a two-part blog about a few things that have been working on me lately. Fortunately for anyone reading this, I have no story to tell to lead into my point like I usually do. But I want to discuss a couple of things that have been on my mind. Not detail things but big picture things about life. Both topics can be pulled from the story of an encounter that the disciples, and more specifically Peter, had with Jesus after His death and resurrection. The story is found recorded by John in the 21st chapter of his gospel. Verses 11-15 read:

"Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

If you’re anything like me, when you read this and get to the part where Jesus asked Peter if he loves Him, “more than these,” your first inclination is to think the “these” Jesus is talking about are the other disciples. But when we really consider that question, wouldn’t it be an inappropriate thing for Jesus to ask given that the other disciples were all sitting right there? And wouldn’t be even more inappropriate and arrogant for Peter to respond, “yes I do.” Especially when you consider that the author of this gospel refers to himself as, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” throughout the gospel. When I really started thinking about it, I can’t imagine Jesus was talking about the other disciples. So then who are the “these” Jesus is talking about?

If we examine the story a little closer we see that the disciples had just been fishing, (unsuccessfully), but once again Jesus showed up and helped out. Exactly like he did the first time Peter met him. We are told that they dragged the net in and there were 153 large fish and that they ate some of them for breakfast. When they are done eating, Jesus poses His question to Peter. I am convinced that the “these” in Jesus’ question were the fish. Jesus was asking Peter if he loved Him more than he did the fish. But why?

Well, if you’ll recall, Peter was a fisherman prior to being one of Jesus’ talmudim, (disciples). It was the family business and, before following Jesus around for about three years, it’s all he knew. Then something Peter did not plan happened. Jesus was arrested and executed. Peter was crushed. His Rabbi and Messiah had been killed. Then a few days later Peter was told that Jesus had risen from His grave. Not long after this Jesus actually appeared before Peter and others and proved His resurrection to them. How frightening, and beautiful would that be to Peter? But Jesus’ appearances were erratic and unpredictable so Peter couldn’t just follow Him around like he had before. So, not knowing what to do, Peter went back to the only life he knew. He went back into the family business and started fishing again. An interesting decision I think and I don’t think it was the one Jesus was hoping for. So He paid Peter another visit and asked him, “Do you love me more than these (fish)?” Because when you meet the resurrected Jesus, life shouldn’t ever be the same.

Jesus question to Peter was to prod him in the right direction. You can almost taste the divine sarcasm of such a question. In those seven words Jesus was able to convey several questions to Peter. “You’re fishing again Peter? Weren’t you paying attention Peter? Who gave you the name Peter to begin with? Do you remember when I first called you that? It’s because you knew who I really am. You were the first to say it out loud. I named you Peter, (rock), because there is strength in you. There is power inside of you Peter. And here you are, right back where I found you…fishing. God has made you for so much more!”

Peter loved Jesus and knew, even more than we do today, that Jesus was and is the Christ. He followed Jesus for three years of his life and was even willing to kill to defend Him. But obviously Peter allowed areas of his life to be totally unaffected by his encounters with the resurrected Christ. And Jesus wasn’t about to let that slip by. So He did something about it.

I think many of us Christians today are the exact same way. We have met the resurrected Jesus. We get filled with zeal and passion. Then when we don’t “see” Him for a while our lives go back to business as usual. But God has created us for more than just business as usual. Our WHOILE life should be transformed not just the bits and pieces that make us feel “right.” Jesus asked, “Do you love me more than these?” For Peter, the “these” were fish. If Jesus visited you, and asked you the same question, what would you “these” be? What would your “these” be?

“Do you love me more than these?”
-Jesus

-Well or Good?-

2008-10-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

I love my daughter. I know that's an obvious statement that most parents can and will make, (providing that they have a daughter), but I like making it anyway. Felix, (her name is Felicia but we call her Felix), and I have the quintessential daddy-daughter thing going and I couldn't love it more. She is amaz-za-zing. She looks like her mom but talks like her dad. Seriously, she is a sarcasm prodigy. One of our friends once said that watching her is like seeing Krissy act like me. A frightening thought in theory but somehow Felix makes it work and I fall more and more in love with her every day.

As part of being her daddy, I usually put Felix to bed at night. This consists of reading her a story, praying with her, and then dealing with about 15 minutes of her stalling with things like wanting "cold water" or another hug and kiss or her ceiling fan on or a tissue or a specific doll or a different CD in her radio. She has mastered drawing out her bedtime process sometimes causing me intense frustration. But generally, I get over it.

As I said, part of this process is that she and I pray together. We take turns with one of us praying one night and the other the next. When Felix prays, she will usually make sure to pray for each person in our family individually. Whether she does this out of genuine love or out of a desire to stall bedtime a little longer, I'm not sure. Probably a little of both. But as she was doing this last week she asked God, "Help Ian to grow big and strong. Help me to not get in trouble. Help mommy not have a headache," (something I pray for constantly as well), "And help daddy do good at church…" And with those words my five-year-old daughter gave me yet another lesson to consider.

For those of you who don't know, I work at a church. So Felix was simply intending to pray for me to do the best job I can while at work. But her choice of words is important. She said, "Help daddy do GOOD at church." Grammatically this sentence is not proper for the way she intended it. She meant, "Help daddy do WELL," but that's not what she said. Dictionary.com defines well as "commendably, meritoriously, or excellently." But it defines good as "morally excellent; virtuous; righteous." The difference isn't exactly subtle.

We all want to do well. We want to achieve new things and accomplish certain goals and complete certain tasks. We want to ensure that we will continue to have a job so we can pay our bills and support ourselves and/or our families. We want to be recognized as being proficient at what we do and have the respect from others that comes along with it. We all want to do well. Unfortunately, our culture has become obsessed with doing well even at the expense of doing good. Yes, we all want to do well. But not everybody cares about doing good.

Doing good is harder than doing well. It requires us to think outside of our own agendas and our own goals. It requires us to act in a selfless manner. Doing good requires that we actually care. Doing good requires that we act for the benefit of someone else and usually calls for some degree of personal sacrifice. Doing good is harder than doing well. Because doing good requires that we do well. But doing well doesn't require that we do good.

To do the most good I can I must also achieve personally. If I do well I will invariably have more opportunity to do good. More time, more resources, more insight and more experience are all byproducts of doing well. Therefore I will be able to turn around and use those things to do good. In short, the better I am at doing well, the more opportunity I'll have to do good.

But our culture has made it so easy to just achieve. I mean think about it; how do we measure someone's importance to society? If they have the bigger house, nicer car, better boat, greater education and fancier title they are considered more important. But how many people have all of those things but allow it to only benefit themselves? Compare that to the person who lives in a modest home, drives a Chevy Malibu, doesn't have a boat and has the title of auto mechanic but takes time each week to volunteer at a soup kitchen, or gives money to organizations that dig wells for people in Africa. Which one has directly made a more valuable impact on those around them? That's the difference really. We do well for ourselves but be do good for others.
In my life and in my job doing well is similar to other jobs. It means hitting goals and accomplishing certain tasks. It means learning and growing and maintaining. But even in a church, no especially in a church, just because I've done well doesn't mean I've done good. And sometimes it's easy to lose sight of which is more important. Well or good? Well or good? Well or good?

-Tweet Me A Life Lesson-

2008-10-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

On my way in this morning my phone beeped alerting me that I had just received a text message. Being the irresponsible driver that I am, I grabbed my phone and diverted my attention from the road in front of me to the small 1.5’ by 2.5’ screen on my LG Voyager phone. I feel like I should have a “Don’t text and drive” disclaimer at this point but really, would anyone care what I have to say on this subject? Especially after just confessing to do it myself. I will say that if you’re in California, texting and driving will be illegal come January so there you go. Anyway, on with the story.

The text was actually a “tweet”; that is to say it was an update from someone I’m following on twitter. The tweet came via a good friend and mentor of mine named Billy, (yes, the same Billy I mentioned in last week’s post); indicating that today, October 15, 2008 is his and his wife’s 20th wedding anniversary. 20 years is a long time. Some of you reading this may not even have been alive for 20 years yet so you know what I mean. To be cohabitating, loving, being loved by, learning, raising kids, paying bills, cleaning, working, and growing with someone for 20 years is pretty impressive I think. It makes my seven years of marriage seem quite minimal but based on my seven years, (not a single one of which I would trade in or change), I can say with confidence that going 20 takes a lot of love, patience, understanding, compromise and most importantly…arguing. Because you can’t live with someone for 20 years without having a few yelling matches. What fun would that be? So how have my friend Billy and his awesome wife Annie managed to do it? He once told me about their marriage philosophy which I will share with you. At least, what I took from it.

Most people probably view marriage as a 50/50 type of an arrangement. It’s a “give and take” philosophy about knowing when to give and knowing when to take at the right times as to make both of you relatively satisfied that you are getting as much out of the marriage relationship as you are giving to it. In short, the idea is to give 50% of the time and take 50% and both of you will break even in the end. On the surface this seems like a great arrangement. A simple and logical, mathematical formula ensuring the “contentness” of all parties involved. The problem is that relationships, especially marriage relationships, are anything but simple, logical and mathematical. They are messy and abstract without fixed lines and permanent definitions. Knowing this, Billy and Annie have developed a different formula.

Billy once told me that in his marriage they do their best to apply not a 50/50 type of philosophy, but a 100/100 one. The idea is that if they are giving 100% of themselves to their spouse and their spouse is giving 100% to them, it becomes a win-win scenario. This made such a huge impact on me because Billy and I had this conversation shortly before my wife and I married. Now, when we talked about it, it just seemed to flow naturally out of the conversation we were having. But as I look back to that conversation knowing what I now know about Billy, I think that he was steering the conversation in that direction intentionally to help set me up to have a healthy marriage.

I loved this philosophy from the word “go” and Krissy and I have done our best to use it in our own marriage. Sometimes we’re successful, sometimes we’re not. I have also found this idea to be a manifestation of how the Apostle Paul describes the marriage relationship in 1st Corinthians 7:4. He writes, “The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.” Billy and Annie give 100% of themselves to one another because they realize that they belong to each other and not just themselves. I think this is beautiful.

But today, as I read Billy’s tweet and marveled at how awesome it is to see two people love each other so much for so long a time, I began to expand their philosophy beyond marriage and ask myself a few questions. What if I gave 100% of myself to my children too? What if I gave 100% of myself to my friends? My co-workers? My neighbors? My Bankers? My grocery store clerks? My waitresses? My fellow commuters? What if I gave 100% of myself to my fellow human beings everywhere? What would that look like? Is that what Jesus had in mind when he said, “Love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another.”?

What if I could do that? And what if I could, by doing it, inspire others to give 100% of themselves as well? What would that look like? Imagine. What would that look like? I think it would be beautiful.

P.S.

Thanks Billy. You continue to challenge me toward greatness without even trying or know that you’re doing it. People like you don’t come around often and I’m glad God put me in your flight path.

-Who Are You Really?-

2008-10-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago I was having lunch with a friend, (another Pastor), and he was telling about a speaker he had recently went to see. As he recanted his experience of seeing and listening to this man, you could tell how deeply the experience affected him. It was obviously a defining moment in his life and he was adamant about not walking away from the experience unchanged. I have much admiration for this attitude of his and have really let his response to that experience speak into my life as well.

When the speaker was finished and the event was drawing to a close, my friend approached him to speak with him. As he told me about his conversation with the man something he said struck me. He said he told the man, "Whatever it is that you have, I want it." I have heard that statement before over and over again actually and usually not in the same way that my friend meant it. I know what my friend meant when he said it and I admire his tenacity in going our and trying to become who he was made to be. But usually when I hear the statement, "Whatever it is you have, I want it," it means something else.

In the Pentecostal environments I have been in, this statement usually has something to do with obtaining some gift or power instilled by the Holy Spirit. There have been several "movements of the Spirit" over the past 15 years or so and that is when I hear this statement most. The problem with this statement is that it is the very definition of envy, which the Bible tells us is a sin. This puts me in an awkward place when I hear the statement.

For me, the idea of wanting what someone else has is an issue of discontent with what you do have. Even when it comes to Spiritual gifts, which are good things, it creates an attitude of discontent. When we want the gifts and abilities that God has given someone else, what we are saying is that we are not happy with the gifts and abilities that He has given us. We are saying that we would rather have what God wants for others than what God designed for us. This can be such a destructive way to view things.

In almost every ministry position I've held, paid or unpaid, I have made this error. I have tried to be someone else. Someone I wasn't created to be. I modeled my speaking style after someone else, my speaking content after someone else, my administrative strategy after someone else, my mentoring style after someone else, and in doing so I left no trace of myself in any of it. This only works for so long. The person I really was invariably began to come out, often to the detriment of the persona I was trying to create. One day I decided to stop trying to be a carbon copy of my mentors and only recently have I really begun to get a sense of who I am in ministry. This process is ongoing still today as I try to glean lessons and wisdom from what my mentors have taught me rather than try to become my mentors themselves.

To give you an example of what I mean I need to tell you about one of my mentors. His name is Billy and he is a natural born mentor. He invests himself fully into people and sometimes even gets hurt because of it. He feels deeply for people and because of this he bears their burdens with them. It also makes him a bit of crier but we won't get into all of that. Because Billy is so gifted at connecting with and raising up others, I tried to model myself after him when I was attempting to mentor others. The problem with this is that, even though Billy and I have some similarities, we are very different people. So my trying to become him was actually destructive to my goal of mentoring others. What I am now learning to do is take the things I learned from him and altar them to fit my personality and skill-set rather then altar my personality and skill-set to fit the lessons. Lessons from him like, "Be intentional about bringing them into your world," or "Ask them the tough questions," are easily transferable into any context and I missed the point years ago when he taught me these things.

I am finally in a place where I am not only content with who God is making me into but excited about it. Billy is one of many mentors whose lessons are paying off huge dividends currently because I have learned the hard lesson of being who I am. Being who God created me to be. So next time you find yourself wishing you were more like someone else or wishing you had something they have, please, learn from my mistakes rather than repeating them, and altar the lesson to fit your personality rather than trying to altar your personality to fit the lesson. Because who you really are will always come pouring out and usually at very inconvenient times.

-What Eric Clapton Taught Me About Life-

2008-10-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

I have a very specific way to read books. I didn’t copy it from anyone nor was it ever suggested to me to read books this way. It has simply evolved over time to what it is today and it seems to work for me. The way it works is like this.

I am usually reading three books at any given time. One of them is my primary book that is the one I read most often. Usually this book is about faith, life, or self-improvement of some type. The goal is for it to challenge the way I think and give me different perspectives on life, leadership, ministry, relationships, faith and abstract things like that. The second of the two is generally very informational. Lost of facts, statistics, timetables, and words I have to look up in order to understand. These books usually feed the left side of my brain and often times are very tough reads but have great information. The last of the three books is usually a book that I am strictly reading for enjoyment. Sometimes fiction and sometimes not, they usually pertain to subjects like music, mythology, politics, or history. Sometimes, such as currently, I supplement these books with a fourth just for kicks. A fourth book has no set agenda it’s just a book I want to read for one reason or another and it usually takes me a long time to get through it. The books I’m in right now are:

1. “Who Stole My Church?”, by Gordon MacDonald
2. “The Language of God”, by Francis S. Collins
3. “Clapton – The Autobiography”, by Eric Clapton
4. “A History of God”, by Karen Armstrong

The strange thing about my current reading list is how much I am actually learning about myself from reading Eric Clapton’s autobiography. Now, if you don’t know who Eric Clapton is then I’m sorry, I don’t think we can be friends. Never the less I’ll explain that he is a guitar virtuoso and one of the most famous musicians of all time. His career is now in it’s fifth decade and he is arguably the best guitar player alive today and possibly ever.

In his autobiography, Clapton spends time first describing his addiction to heroine for a few chapters and then describes his alcoholism for a few more. From the early 60’s to the 80’s the guy did everything and everyone he could. Eric Clapton, it seems, is addicted to addictions.

This idea got me thinking about myself. You see, moderation does not come naturally to me. One look at me and you’ll think, “Wow, that guy really likes fried food and cheesecake,” and you’d be absolutely right. But my “addictive personality” stretches far beyond food. I, (like many parents I know), am also addicted to my children’s laughter. But it doesn’t stop there either. I’m addicted to my wife’s smile, (and other things about my wife I won’t mention here), spending time with friends, certain songs, my faith, Dr. Pepper, “Heroes”, and sarcasm. It seems that I, like Clapton, am addicted to addictions.

This type of personality has some very huge plusses. It means that I commit to things 100%. It means I am loyal and value loyalty. It means once I commit to something I see it out to either its success or it’s dismal failure. It means that I would take a bullet for those close to me without hesitation. It means that when people around me succeed, it is a victory for me too.

Unfortunately, it also comes with serious personality flaws. It means I can be hurt easily. It means I get frustrated easily. It means I have a hard time seeing when it’s time to cut my losses and give up on something that is destined for failure. It means I don’t know when to shut my mouth. It means I lose sleep if everything isn’t full of roses and sugar-cookies. It means I can be really paranoid and take things way too personally. It means I can be way too competitive even in the trivial things. Basically, it means I’m a basket case.

But reading Clapton’s descriptions of his battles with addictions makes me realize that we all struggle with ourselves. Even guitar gods. Even Presidents. Even mega-church pastors and world-famous evangelists. Even powerful C.E.O.’s. Even Biblical heroes. Even Hollywood royalty. Even violent dictators. Even brilliant scientists. And even obscure bloggers in Central California. It’s all of us. Every last soul on earth.

I am learning that my weaknesses are a part of me even when they get in my way. I am learning that I am wired like this for a reason even if I haven’t discovered it yet. I am learning that God knew what he was doing when he created me even if I don’t. I am learning to rely on my strengths even when I can’t predict the outcome. I am learning to be cautious of my weaknesses even when every fiber of my being wants to just ignore the writing on the wall and push through. I am learning that the struggle to “have it all together” is one I can never win. But I am also learning that that struggle is still worth it to make. Because nothing with true value ever comes without a struggle.

And that is what Eric Clapton taught me about life.

-McChristianity-

2008-09-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

A few days ago lunchtime rolled around and my wife and I decided to go to McDonalds. That is to say, my wife decided that I should go to McDonalds and pick lunch up for us. So I did. It was a typical McDonalds experience for the most part; except that in Fresno, where I live now, McDonalds is much slower then they are in Corona where I grew up. I drove up, waited for them to take my order, paid them, received my food praying that they didn’t put ketchup on it, and drove home.

A few days later I was on my way home and was jonesing for a double-double and some animal-style fries. So I pulled into In-N-Out to get my fix and the experience was completely different than the one days before at Mickey D’s. They asked me how I was, (I was well). They asked what I wanted, (I gave them my order). They asked if I wanted grilled onions, (I did). They repeated my order to make sure it was accurate, (it was). They asked if I was going to eat it my car, (I was not). I pulled forward to pay for my food and was greeted with a smile, and another repeat of my order to make sure I was paying for the right thing. They asked if I needed a drink holder, if I’d like ketchup, and told me to feel free to check my bags and make sure everything looked right. I was thanked for my business and told that they hope I have a great day.

Driving home, I was struck by the dichotomy of my two fast food experiences. It wasn’t that McDonalds did anything wrong really, it’s just that In-N-Out took the exact same process and put a better attitude on it resulting in a much more enjoyable experience and greater desire to return there. Which got me to thinking about Christians and our behavior.

I think that many Christians today treat our church and faith like a McDonalds employee as opposed to an In-N-Out employee. Or to put it another way, a lot of people in churches today are McChristians. What I mean is that our attitudes toward our faith don’t come across as someone who is excited about Jesus, church or Christianity in general. We don’t smile enough. Our focus doesn’t seem to be in the here and now. We seem to be just getting through our life so we can die and go to heaven like a McDonalds employee would get through the day so that they could go home. We certainly don’t seem to be a group of people who “rejoice” like Paul did.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we should walk around with plastic smiles and pretend to be happy; we definitely shouldn’t. Because happiness is temporary but joy is permanent and I want to live my life displaying joy. To have an attitude that compels others to want to take a second, third, and fourth look at Christianity because of the peace it seems to bring me here and now.

The problem with McCristianity is that the focus is on somewhere else. The central idea is to make my way through life so that when I die I will finally be happy because I’ll get to go to Heaven. I won’t have to put up with this horrible, corrupt, dangerous, and sinful world anymore. I’ll finally be free of it. But we are ALREADY free of it. The Bible is very clear on this and yet we still harbor the “this life is bad” attitude. Yes the world can be scary and sinful and cruel and dangerous but it can also be beautiful and true and good and pure. In fact that is exactly what Jesus wants US to make it.

In what we call “The Lord’s Prayer,” (because we feel the need to label everything Jesus said), Jesus says “Your Kingdom come.” He is asking God for His Kingdom, Heaven, to “come” here to Earth. That is what we’re supposed to want. He didn’t say “Bring us to Your Kingdom.” Jesus wants us to be God’s Kingdom on Earth. But how can I do this if I’m so focused on getting to Heaven. It seems Jesus’ focus was on getting Heaven HERE. McChristianity is robbing the Gospel of one of its central messages, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” and it is our job to do change this; to get out of the rut of McChristianity and display an attitude of joy in the here and now.

Believe me when I say I have conformed to McCristianity myself many, many times. It has a way of subtly taking hold of us and robbing us of the joy that is already ours to claim. But if we really want to take Jesus seriously; if we really want to complete the mission he has given us, then we have to throw it all out. We have to get rid of every part of McChristianity. That means understanding that the gospel is a lifestyle and not just a message. That means living a life of joy and not just happiness. That means learning that Jesus death on the cross was about His glory and not just our salvation. That means being people that God can out of and not just pour in to. And that means being the church and not just going to church.

As Christians we do not work for God Inc. and our church is not a franchise. It isn’t McChurch. When people start treating it like McChruch then it becomes a place to go to have YOUR needs met rather than a place to help meet the needs of others. We have to get out of the McChristianity attitude because people don’t come the church to get an order of salvation with a side of spiritual gifts. We have to get rid of McChurch because Jesus deserves and desires people that will use their time in this world to make it a better and more beautiful place. When God created the world, He said that it was “good.” But good isn’t perfect which means that the world had some growing and advancing to do from day one. That’s our job. Making the world better. Will we do it? Not as long as we’re McChristians.