THE WAYFARER

Feed

2010-11-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

Measure

2010-11-25T07:51:00.002-07:00

Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T05:57:00.006-07:00

"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new." (Emerson).

The holiday Americans celebrate today is rooted in the unique story of this country going as far back as four hundred years. While the story itself may remain unclear to many of us, we reap the annual benefits of gathering with our loved ones, sharing a meal of abundance, and pausing to reflect on the source of our provision and blessing. It is my favorite holiday, and although attempts are made every year to turn it in to a consumer-driven primer for Christmas, by and large, it has retained its special sacredness and simplicity.

In 1620, one hundred and two English seperatists set sail from Plymouth, England for the New World. These dissenters, who left England to preserve their cultural identity and seek religious freedom, were brought to the America's by a crew of 30 men on board the Mayflower. According to tradition, they landed at Plymouth Rock -- except there is no record of such a place in their writings and the story was probably made up as a nice little addition to American folklore.

The English arrived in desperate condition and were not prepared to survive in the new world. By the end of that first winter, fifty percent of them had died from disease. As they were trying to fight their way from death that spring, a native of the Patuxet people named Squanto made contact and be-friended the remaining English. Squanto knew the English language because he had been kidnapped by Englishman Thomas Hunt who attempted to sell him into slavery in Spain. When some friars caught wind of this, they took Squanto (and many others) in order to teach them about the Christian faith. He eventually found his way to London and on a return journey to his homeland on board another English ship.

When Squanto returned home, he found all of his people dead from disease...disease brought by the English.

That Squanto could move past his great losses and personal tragedy brought on by Englishmen and be-friend the very people who had cost him so dearly is a remarkable and admirable part of our shared story. The Plymouth settlement could not have succeeded without him. He taught the colonists how to plant corn and how to eat from the wilderness. He served as interpreter between Chief Massasoit of the Wampanoag people and the English and helped forged an alliance between the English and Wampanoag for mutual defense against their enemies.

Over the summer of 1621 and with the assistance of their native friends, the English produced and stockpiled an admirable harvest. As was custom in the era, a harvest feast was planned for the late autumn. Contrary to folklore, the Wampanoag weren't actually invited to the feast but showed up anyhow. Since they shared a treaty with one another, the English were obliged to show hospitality. The 60-90 warriors who traveled with Massasoit most likely made a huge dent in the winter stockpile during the three days of feasting and games. The English, should they have visited the Wampanoag villages, could have expected the same hospitality in return.

There was no turkey on that first Thanksgiving menu (yet another folksy addition to the story). Instead, they ate mainly venison, codfish, boiled pumpkin, wild berries, and something called the Three Sisters (a mixture of maize, beans, and squash). Potatoes were in abundance, but the English thought they were poisonous and would not touch them.

This story remained a respected and revered part of our American allegory for centuries. The Continental Congress issued a first National Proclamation of Thanksgiving in 1777. George Washington declared a day of Thanksgiving on October 3, 1789, but national celebrations of Thanksgiving were hit and miss dependent upon the whims of presidents until the American Civil War. It wasn't until 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving to be set for late November. There has been an annual observance every year since then. In 1941, Congress set the permanent date for Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. President Roosevelt signed it into law, and Americans have been celebrating our collective thanks on that day every since.

Ours is a rich, folksy, unique holiday that is rooted in history and steeped in significance with a bit of quirkiness thrown in (such as the President of the United States and his annual pardoning of the White House turkey). An American Thanksgiving is a celebration of the welcome of strangers (even those who cost you), the forgiveness of enemies, the acknowlegment of mutual dependency, and honoring of the providence of the Almighty.

It is a holiday that addresses the soul of our nation and her people. As we gather around our table today with friends and family, I will pause to reflect on those who have made my journey possible, those with whom I share a mutual dependency, and the Creator whose sustaining presence is an every day reality in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Stubborn

2010-10-31T11:51:00.002-06:00

Polarize

2010-10-31T10:28:00.002-06:00

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy" (Ernest Benn).

It is not at all coincidental to me that Election Day in the United States is ushered in annually by a holiday that is all about tricks, goblins, masks, and fear. The dark tide starts rising in September, and society as a whole seems to ride the tide of cynicism and fear until around Thanksgiving when we are feeling good again. Perhaps it was wisdom on the part of Congress in 1845 to establish a permanent Election Day to fall after the bliss of summer and before the joy of the holidays, coinciding with the time of year when all color and life seems to fall into decay and the realities of winter set in...

On the ballot this year in Denver is a City and County Ordinance to determine whether or not Denver should create an "extraterrestrial affairs commission to help ensure the health, safety, and cultural awareness of Denver residents and visitors in relation to potential encounters or interactions with extraterrestrial intelligent beings or other vehicles..."

I kid you not.

This, ironicly, from the same city that legalized "medical marijuana" not too long ago....

But I digress.

Like many Americans, I find myself somewhere in the middle of it all wondering where the moderate voices are and why everything seems so polarized to the "right" and the "left". I hear about this "massive middle" but see no signs of it anywhere as if its presence were merely ethereal in nature. Our political candidates seem to represent the extremes but miss the majority middle who want neither in office. Our churches seem split along lines of right and left, trumpeting their causes, all claiming to be on the "side of God" yet fighting against brother and neighbor.

We divide and conquer one another on TV ads, religious publications, and in our day to day interactions. We are bombarded with information and images and inculcations that seem to stifle sanity and mute God's Spirit.

And who is above it?

No matter how "right" we may be, if we don't bear on our lives the defining mark of love, our words, our politics, our positions are nothing. We do not need to draw up the battle lines, choose sides, and march head-long into the conflagration. If we are engaged in battle, it is a battle we have chosen. Perhaps the middle is so silent because of its refusal to be dragged into the maelstrom. Perhaps they have chosen another Way.

At the end of the day, I have a great respect for those who disregard the fray and go quietly on their way serving the God and humanity they love, not drawing attention to themselves or jostling for position among men. Peace-makers are often hated people, a judgment they are willing to accept from those who have drawn the battle lines.

Their loyalty extends beyond the battle lines.

Acceptable

2010-10-27T18:30:00.001-06:00

Bridge

2010-10-27T17:31:00.003-06:00

"Let us make a dent in the universe" (Steve Jobs).

Anyone who takes a risk runs the risk of being misunderstood. I say, "Risk anyway".

For the longest time, I have felt like odd-man-out in the church and in pastoral ministry. I've always been uncomfortably wedged between generations who understand little of each other and who come from exceedingly different sets of circumstances. I feel just as at "home" serving my brothers and sisters gathered as I do with my friends, neighbors, and students scattered. I see no distinction in the Kingdom of God either serving the church or serving those outside our communities of faith, and I celebrate both opportunities.

I have to admit though, as a pastor, sometimes I feel completely misunderstood by those outside the church...as though I were reviled, feared, or mistrusted. On the other hand, when I give my time to those outside the church, I feel misunderstood by those "inside"...as though I were back-sliding, turning liberal, or losing my way. I've come to realize there are many on the outside who will never understand those on the inside as well as many on the inside who will never understand those on the outside.

I guess that's why the bridge-builders are so important...for both groups.

Bridge-builders run the risk of being misunderstood by both groups they are trying to reach. Our personal comfort demands staying on our own side, cut off and sheltered from the other. The convenience of our distance allows us to feel more self-righteous and superior. Learning to cross over and engage each other just might challenge our lazy thinking and confront some of our own inadequacies and dirty little secrets. We'd rather launch verbal volleys at one another from a distance than take the risk of engagement.

Thank God for the bridge-builders who follow the example of Jesus and cross boundaries led by God's Spirit!

Richard Rohr, author of "From Wild Man to Wise Man" says this: "...balancing love of self with love of the other makes for moral integrity, just as in true love making. It is holding my own boundaries, while also going beyond them for the sake of others (p. 121)." I'm not sure how we've come to believe that giving of ourselves to the "other side" is a bad thing. Whose battle lines are we paying attention to anyhow?

A few years back, I remember speaking at a church regarding our ministry in Ireland. During the question and answer time, a respected gentleman expressed his curious frustration at how the coffee shops of our town were as important to us as the gathering of saints. Conceptually, he could not understand how essentially important those moments of friendship, connection, and conversation were with those who did not consider themselves Christian.

Conceptually, I could not understand how he could not.

I doubt seriously whether the Spirit of God recognizes all the boundaries and borders we have established. It would do us good to remember that apart from Christ, we are all aliens and foreigners! Jesus gave his life to bridge a very great chasm.

To the bridge-builders, to those who build bridges to connect and have the audacity to cross fearlessly, I commend you.

We all need you.

Stir

2010-10-22T06:15:00.001-06:00

Save

2010-10-21T15:39:00.003-06:00

"Lord, save us!" (Matthew 8:25).

I get weirded out when a well-intended brother asks, "Are you saved?" That question may have been understood in Mayberry, but it has well-worked its way out of the American vernacular by now. So far removed is Main Street, USA from the mainline church that I question whether or not we even know how to communicate to those across the widening gap that exists between the church and the "un". Some, however, are quite happy for the existance of that colossal cavern (on both sides).

I am not.

I fear living in a world where people have rejected God, but I also fear being part of a church that has rejected men.

I sometimes question whether or not it is the church that has lost its way. I know this counters our belief that it is the world that is "lost", and many of us would agree that things "out there" aren't what they should be. To be honest with you, I feel the same about the gathered saints at times. Our doctrines and dogmas and practices and comfort too often over-ride love and service and hospitality and peace. We wage war on each other, striking one another as if the battle was all about "flesh and blood".

Perhaps we all need "saved". As much as we would like to blame it on everyone else, our dwindling numbers probably have more to do with ourselves that they do with outside influences or dualism or effective cultural propoganda. I think if the church is to find its way again, it must be the Way of Christ. I don't very often feel that his ways are our ways, and I am not so convinced that we are walking in the Spirit of Christ. We may stand our ground, recite our verses, and present well-modulated arguments but it is easy to detect when the Essential Christ is absent.

We must return to Christ before we can expect anyone else to want to join us on The Way. It is difficult to convince others to join us on a journey that we ourselves are not taking.

I see a brilliant comparison between the story of Jesus calming the storm in Matthew 8 and the current state of affairs in a church that is caught up in cultural warfare. I sometimes feel as though we are being thrashed about on a self-imposed storm, and I refuse to get swallowed up in it. I will not disregard Scripture, and at the same time I will reject any notion that we should reject men. I don't see Christ in either way.

Lord, save us.

I hold on to faith, trusting the written words as well as the whispered word, and I trust that Jesus will have his way with us all.

Risk

2010-10-21T15:19:00.002-06:00

Rest

2010-10-10T14:28:00.004-06:00

"Sometimes the most urgent thing you can possible do is take a complete rest" (A. Brilliant).

Message received loud and clear!

Somewhere toward the beginning of last week, my body began sending me signals that I needed to take it easy. As someone who loves my job, I, of course, chose to ignore the problem and continue on my feet in the classroom all the while trying to ignore the increasing pressure in my lower back. That was a mistake.

On Friday, I could barely get out of bed and was practically in tears on my way out of the house and into my truck to head to work. I knew I needed to be home, but it was the last day of class for my Discovery students, and we had a special event planned for them that I did not want to miss. Whether it was my stubborness or a just heightened sense of self-importance that made me head off to school is your guess.

I got to school, and my principal assisted me back out the door. I went home and straight to bed and there remained until Sunday morning. I read an entire book and started another, took a few naps, and caught up with friends on the phone. I said "no" to my obligations and other plans of interest, and remained confined within the walls of my house.

And it was refreshing.

It is easy for us to get caught up in the Sabbath legislation and forget the purpose behind God's command to rest. As it turns out, resting is an important aspect to our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being, but we don't do it very well. It wasn't too long ago that I read an article that explained how with modern technology, we are actually fitting 31 hours worth of work and activity into our 24 hour days. I wonder how long this can go on before each of us reaches our limit?

Even our Christian Sabbaths (Sundays) can be filled with so much obligation, preparation, and responsibility that there is little time left for the kind of quality rest that replentishes and renews. We talk often about addictions to drugs, alcohol, and other things but choose to ignore our addiction to busyness, which is just as destructive. Our American obsession with "productivity" and how that ties into our value and usefulness to society causes us to ignore some of our most fundamental needs -- like rest and worship and time with the people we love.

Isn't it funny how I always crave Chick-fil-A or need something from Hobby Lobby for student projects on Sundays? I respect their ability to not cave in to the money that can come from the Sunday market, but more importantly, I appreciate that they give their employees the opportunity to rest (whether they choose to rest or not).

I had no choice but to rest this weekend, so being incapacitated by lower back pain that restricted my every move might not have been such a bad thing in hind sight. That said, I will gladly accept the recovery!

After all, I head back to work on Monday.

Repent

2010-10-06T06:38:00.002-06:00

Service

2010-10-05T07:09:00.004-06:00

"Be alert to give service. What counts a great deal in life is what we do for others" (anonymous).

I have a lot of fondness for the "peculiar people" among whom I was raised. The Brethren -- and other Anabaptists among them -- do things differently on occassion, and it is many of those things that set them apart that I appreciate now more than ever. Most notably influential in my life was the bi-annual observance of the Footwashing as a part of Love Feast, the three-part Brethren observance of communion.

I kid you not when I tell you that those experiences of washing other people's feet and having my own feet washed were profoundly influential in my nurture and development as a young follower of Christ. John 13 recounts the story of Jesus washing the disciple's feet, and there are fewer chapters in the bible that have influenced the way I live my life more than that one. Whether we believe Jesus' instruction to "do as I have done for you" is to be taken literally or figuratively isn't so much the issue to me, but his instruction to serve clearly is!

The washing of feet went out of fashion a long time ago, and I find it remarkable (and admirable) that there are still people who practice it as a part of their modern, Christian experience. Many people react negatively to this idea of washing someone else's feet, but I can tell you from experience that that's not the most difficult or uncomfortable part of the process. I can relate with Peter in how difficult (and humbling) it is to have other people wash my feet. To be served in such a way is not easy at all.

Washing and being washed are two sides of the same coin, really. It is just as important for me to admit my need and allow my brothers and sisters to come along side my life as it is for me to come along side of them. We need this mutuality! I admit that it is much more difficult for me to be transparent and open about my struggles and needs and to call out for help than to reach out and serve others in their need. I find little or no difficulty in walking with others through the muck and mire, but it is strangely challenging to have others getting dirty while walking with me.

"Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

There is something to be said about how allowing others to serve us in our need builds community and friendship, love and trust like nothing else. The 1923 Brethren Pastor's Manual says that feetwashing is "love humbling itself for service...such a brotherly love that one is willing to make a sacrifice for the sake of making one's brother purer and better." There is no doubt in my mind that service of that sort and kind fosters love and sacrifice, nurtures humility and mercy, and brings healing and cleansing to both those serving and those being served.

Footwashing -- and its implication for life -- is one of the most sincere shapers of my Christian experience, and some of my most profound spiritual experiences have come through serving others and being served.

Both have cost me.

Both have brought me life.

Both are good and right.

There are fewer moments when I sense the closeness of God then when I am "washing another's feet" or "being washed" myself. In those sacred moments, the Spirit of God is present and the ministry is mutual.

We are serving Christ.

Christ is serving us.

We are serving one another.

"Where two or more are gathered in my name, I am there..." (Jesus).

Study

2010-10-03T20:08:00.002-06:00

Scripture

2010-10-03T18:51:00.003-06:00

"Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand" (Mark Twain).

Digging through an old chest full of memories last week, I stumbled across an old bible that had belonged to my mother. Other than records of her marriage and the births of those in our family, the only other writing in the book were a few verses that she had underscored (Matthew 10:32-33; Mark 8:34-38; and Luke 12:8,9). In all three passages, Jesus seems to be saying the same thing, so it caused me to wonder what my mother had been hearing from God so significantly those fifty-odd years ago.

Do you ever get this sneaky suspicion that you are being read when you read the Scriptures, as though Someone were peering into the window of your soul that you forgot to close? I have experienced that "living and active" part of God's word many times. I find quite often that while I am reading, the Spirit of God is reading me. It's as if he is leaning over my shoulder and whispering into my soul.

I've lost track of how many times I have experienced what Fr. Richard Rohr calls "the right hand and left hand of God". He says, "God clearly loves us with both left and right hands, total demands (commandments) combined with pure, unearned grace" ("Adam's Return", p. 85). This explains why sometimes as I read Scripture, I feel comforted while other times I feel disciplined. Sometimes it refreshes; sometimes it stings. Sometimes his presence is appreciated; sometimes it feels a bit invasive.

It's all the same God speaking.

I must confess, however, that the bible simply as knowledge doesn't really interest me that much. The inner work of transformation does. I've known people who were masters of biblical trivia -- people who would be able to skunk Moses in a quiz on Exodus --but don't possess an ounce of love for God or charity for their fellow man. The recitation of bible stories can do wonders for communicating truths about God, but that transformative element where the Spirit of God communes with our spirit to bring alignment and life...now that's the good stuff!

I've read the bible, and I've been read by the bible...and I know the difference. Reading a book on marriage can be a good thing, but it is no replacement for actually being married. Some of my most profound spiritual experiences have come through being "read like a book" as I moved through the pages of God's word.

It is inspiring.

It is invasive.

It is cutting.

It is healing.

God comes close, and it is significant.

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth" (Psalm 119:103).

Friendship

2010-09-28T21:14:00.002-06:00

Place

2010-09-28T20:12:00.003-06:00

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (Luke 5:16).

Isolated, wild places have always been spiritual places to me, and they have been the source of some of my most profound experiences of life and faith. I find it difficult to explain the sense of life and perspective that comes from removing myself from the busyness of city and planting myself in the midst of wild beauty.

I find God in those places.

It's not that he isn't among us in the Denver metro area. I've experienced his presence in the classroom and the living room, in traffic jams and coffee houses, in large crowds and one-on-one street corner conversations. Nor does he exist only in trees and rock and landscape since none of those natural things actually are God, but I can certainly touch, feel, and smell the creativity of God and be reminded of my place in his universe.

I suppose it's not that I find God in the desert or on the mountain, but I am certainly better tuned to hear the whispering of his spirit when everything that distracts or drowns is gone. I enjoy being stripped of all that is artificial and man-made only to sit exposed, raw, and real before him and without all those "things" upon which I have built my life. I can sit alone with my thoughts and sense the straightening-out that God alone can do when we take the time to be one on one.

He restores my soul.

When I am in the wild places, I go there in the tradition of the Desert Fathers, the Apostles, the Patriarchs, the Prophets, and Jesus -- all of whom went to wild places to commune with God stripped from distraction. They, too, knew the value of those lonely places and were nourished by every word that came from the mouth of God!

A couple weeks back, I joined my friend Jonathon in the Great Basin Desert on the Utah/Nevada state line. As we were driving along US 50, we came across a large, dry lake bed that seemed to stretch for nearly 30 miles. Never satisfied with staying on the main road, we took a diversion and headed out into the desert to find access to this fascinating landscape. Upon reaching the edge of this ancient lake bed, we left the truck behind and walked.

Surrounded by this vast expanse, I was keenly aware that I was but one small dot. I felt small but significant. I thought about those things which seem to loom large over my life, and standing in this great, open landscape seemed to put even those things into perspective.

Perspective.

Peace.

Presence.

I felt the ministry of God's spirit in that place, if only for a moment. A moment was all I needed.

Those solitary places are important to me, and so are the people with whom I share my life. Through both people and place, the Father continues to meet me.

In the next article, I will write about how I feel God meets me in service.

Opposite

2010-09-26T09:00:00.002-06:00

People

2010-09-25T08:24:00.005-06:00

"While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and 'sinners' came and ate with him and his disciples" (Mt. 9:10).

When I was a child and on up through my teen years and beyond, I was afraid of people due to a lack of self-confidence and a deep-seeded insecurity that I'm sure sprung from my fatherlessness. My fear of people, consequently, kept me at a distance and made it rather difficult to establish deep, connected relationships with others unless they were willing to go the extra mile to meet me. I spent a lot of my early years missing out on substance and depth and the life-giving good stuff that comes from those inter-personal connections.

The writer of the Psalms says, "God sets the lonely in families" (68:6), and that has certainly been the story of my life. Even before I knew the significance of deep, connected human relationships, God began placing significant people in my life and began the process of healing even while I was unaware. I recognize the sacred, strategic placement of specific people in my childhood who I am certain brought the incarnational touch of God into my life. Fast forward to the present day, and God continues to meet me in such a way.

I believe as a follower of Christ matures, there begins a necessary outward focus of one's life. While we continue to receive the Father's ministry in our own lives, we are compelled by the Spirit of Christ within us to love and serve others as Christ. For me, this means that where God served me, I am serving others; the place where God met me, I meet others.

It is in the presence of people that I have some of my most profound, spiritual experiences.

When we take the time to be with people, I believe the Spirit of God is present whether I am with other believers or not. Where I go, he goes, and that gives every human interaction the potential for sacred significance. Those hundreds of daily interactions with students, friends, neighbors, family, and strangers become substantial as we bring the presence of God into their lives and deposit something of worth and value. I am keenly aware of this potential everyday as I seek to serve my students...

Where I go, he goes.

Incarnation.

The Spirit of God connecting with flesh and blood.

What a novel idea!

I've got a lot of time for people, and I enjoy those expected and unexpected interactions with others. It's satisfying to be with people and recognize the imprint of the Creator in their soul and enjoy their company as Jesus enjoyed the company of those whose tables he gathered around. It's good, also, to recognize my dependence on others and to be reminded of my dependence upon God. As I seek to follow Christ, I know now more than ever my need for interdependence and to trust his work in my life through those who come close. I do not want to live outside of this community.

Although there are times when I appreciate and need solitude and quiet places, I will not dismiss my call to come along side people and to allow the Father to do the same in my life through others.

In the next article, I will explore how I believe God meets me in place.

Dirty

2010-09-25T07:10:00.001-06:00

Contact

2010-09-21T15:55:00.004-06:00

"We are spiritual beings on a human journey."

I had a lot of time to myself over the weekend as I traveled 17 hours round trip to spend some time with a friend of mine. As if by design, my CD player in my truck quit working at the time I was crossing 500 miles of desert with few people in need of any sort of radio station. Consequently, I was left with my own thoughts and the ever-invading presence of God.

Not that I minded.

It was a great weekend, one of those weekends that refreshed and replenished what my normal day-to-day living can take out of me. In between the random John Denver and Pete Seeger songs that I couldn't get out of my head, I found myself thinking about some of my deepest and most profound spiritual experiences. When I say "spiritual experience", I am not talking about some artificially LSD induced euphoria or a sensational moment of enlightenment, but I refer to those places where I believe God continually meets me, those places where I sense a closeness to God.

Contact.

Although I've been warmed in the embrace of God through prayer and meditation, I've seen the miraculous before my eyes, and I've fallen on my face when confronted with painful life lessons, I realize that my most substantial moments of spiritual formation didn't come through the most common or even expected of Christian conduits. Those deep, inner moments of significance with God in my life have been primarily built around the frameworks of people and place, scripture and service.

Some would say that our experiences with God should be similar and uniform, and so they prescribe rituals and traditions to help their people embrace God and experience a sense of his presence. One of my most profound spiritual experiences comes through the ordinance of feet washing according to John 13 and as practiced among many congregations and Christian communities.

While I value the place of tradition, I'm not so convinced that simply following prescribed formulas produce great moments with God. They may or they may not. How often have I heard the following formula as the path to God: read the bible + pray + go to church + don't sin = success in the Christian life! How many believers have followed that formula only to feel disenfranchised, disappointed, and distant from God and then be told to read more, pray more, attend more services, and sin even less.

Most of those profound moments with God have been outside the sanctuary (or even the sanctioned).

While I value the spiritual disciplines, I sometimes wonder if God isn't a bit more creative in how he chooses to approach us and connect with us. What else can explain his presence at the table, or the encounter on the street with a homeless man that leaves me feeling as though I had just served Christ, or the peace with God I get in the middle of the wilderness? He knows our language, and he knows our need. I'm sure he knows just how to connect.

I am going to take some time to write about those four places where I believe God continually connects with me in the next few articles.

Kiva Walk

2010-09-20T22:18:00.003-06:00

I spent my weekend in the desert along the Utah/Nevada stateline with my friend Jonathon Stalls who is currently walking across America on a dual mission. He is walking for himself as a part of his journey of life and faith, and he is walking to raise awareness and support for an organization called Kiva. To this date, just over $301,000 has been raised in the support of Kiva. Check out his website to learn more! Jonathon is currently walking the "loneliest road in America" along US 50!

Ego

2010-09-14T21:06:00.001-06:00

Hear

2010-09-14T20:10:00.003-06:00

"It's a rare person to hear what he doesn't want to hear" (Dick Cavett).

Ego is a powerful thing. And when it is shouting, it is hard to hear the voice of God above it.

Our headlines have been full of people who claim to speak for God but carry little evidence that they have actually heard God. We have, again, been witness to man's ego attempting to usurp God's Kingdom, and when that happens, destruction follows. All sorts of evils can be unleashed by the tongue of a man who dares to misrepresent God. "Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark" (James 3:5). Though a small spark, things can quickly become enflamed by the winds of modern, global communication. A small man can do great harm.

It wasn't too many years ago that the damage of words was limited to word of mouth. We'd gossip at church or speak ill of our neighbor or call each other names on the playground, but the damage never went very far. Today, a small man leading his miniature empire of 50 people can stir up winds of unrest and hatred the world over. Suddenly, our words have become much more significant.

And dangerous.

It's easy for the self to take over and do the convincing that we are speaking on behalf of God. This is nothing new, however, since the biblical record is full of the stories of false prophets. Although they unleashed damage, false prophets were usually "taken care of" by either God's people or God himself. In our latest example of a man who does not speak for God, we can only hope that the voices of God's people will be heard above his.

I appreciate and respect words, and I love to write them. I know many of the people who read this blog from time to time, and many of them are people I know and trust. Some of them are people with whom I would disagree on a few things here and there, but they are important to me nonetheless. When I write, I think about them. My conscience keeps me aware of my brothers and sisters in faith, and their unwitting presence in my writings keeps me accountable. I know I must think very thoroughly about what I write, and their distant presence in my life causes me to go again and again to the scriptures we love. I do not want to misrepresent.

As a teacher (and husband and friend and pastor, etc.), I know how incredibly destructive words can be. I do those in my life a great disservice when I forget the power of my words and use them for harm. How many people carry with them the scars of wounding words? How much damage has been done by those responsible for speaking life but have instead spoken words of death and destruction?

The false prophets will always be with us (and they will be shouting). How much more important is it that we hear the true Voice of God and speak words of life?

"If I speak in the tongues of men and angels but have not love, I am only a noisy gong or clanging cymbal."

I Corinthians 13:1

Mouth

2010-09-12T21:08:00.002-06:00

Title

2010-08-31T18:50:00.002-06:00

Itch

2010-08-30T17:49:00.004-06:00

"It's easy to be brave from a safe distance" (Aesop).

I am a huge fan of the road trip, and no matter where I have lived, I've piled up the miles in search of people and place. I will eat bread and cheese, bathe in rivers, and sleep in tents to be able to afford that extra tank of gas to get me to that desired destination of discovery. I've been accused of having "itchy feet" , and I'm not going to deny it. Truth is, I would rather spend a weekend out...

My road trips have changed with every move. My friends in Ireland used to joke that I knew the country better than they did, and I used to joke in return that the government needed to build a bridge to Britain soon because I was running out of Irish road trip possibilities. Even now, living in America's west, there is so much to see within a day's drive. To the north, I can walk the sacred spaces of the Black Hills or smell sulfur as it belches from the earth at Yellowstone. To the east, I can camp on an open prairie while listening to the music of coyotes and dream of a time when buffalo roamed freely. To the south, I can explore dwellings of ancient civilizations and hear storytellers recount epic tales of the wild west. To the west, I can traverse mythological landscapes of painted red and carved stone that defy man's imagination. In my own backyard, the Rockies reach to just over 14,000 feet and provide numerous opportunities hiking, camping, and seeing wildlife.

It's all so close.

(Well, close if you live here.)

When I lived in Indiana, I only dreamed about the places I get to see on a regular basis now. What used to cost me precious vacation days now can be explored on weekends or long evenings with very little cost at all. Living in close proximity has its advantages. I have enjoyed this opportunity to live "close".

I lived "close" in Ireland, enjoying people and place, delighting in the history and culture of the people I found myself in the midst of. I couldn't get enough of the place (and I still can't), but I suppose that's perfectly normal for a missionary called out of his home to make a new home in another culture. I might have itchy feet, but I think it's a holy itch.

I can't really explain it, but I think it's important for us to get to know what (and who) is near us, to get a sense of it all, and listen for the whispers of God. For many of us though, I wonder if we are too afraid to wander from the familiar. We keep to ourselves and make up our minds that the distance is too great, the cost is too dear, and the danger is too real.

Instead, we only dream of other places and people. We convince ourselves that "here" is best, and -- with an added dose of cynicism -- we can easily talk ourselves into a position of self-imposed superiority. Before long, we find ease in casting judgment on entire groups while confidently preaching from our pulpit made of distance. Such is the path of rigorous nationalism, rampant fundamentalism, or pompous egotism.

It's quite a different perspective when you get close.

The way I see it, we could use a few more people with the holy itch and willingness to wander away from where we're used to hanging our hat. Missionaries are made of such people, but even the journey to the neighbor's front door -- for some -- might be the trip of a lifetime. Even the greatest of all road trips begins with walking out your own front door.

Better

2010-08-21T13:17:00.003-06:00

Life is better with people in it.

For those of you in my life, your presence in it does not go unnoticed!

Thanks for being part of my story.

Confession

2010-08-21T12:30:00.004-06:00

"A true spiritual leader makes it safe for you to show yourself..." (R. Rohr).

The Anabaptist tradition of my upbringing instilled within me an appreciation for a doctrine called "The Priesthood of All Believers" which is an idea that we need no mediator between ourselves and God except Christ. (That's just part of the doctrine, really.) I was taught that I didn't need a priest to go to God and find forgiveness because that's what Jesus does. I wonder, though, how much of this belief gets translated into idealistic individualism that says, "I don't need a priest, and I also don't need you."

We do need each other.

By and large, there is a rejection of "confession" as a notion and as a practice among Protestant traditions, and many believers particularly reject confession as practiced by our Catholic brothers and sisters. Even within the Catholic community, the confessional is gradually falling out of use. I think the absence of confession is leaving a gaping hole in the spiritual health of the church. Let me explain.

Despite the mandate of scripture that we should confess our sins, many of us continue to keep our sin and struggles well tucked away from all others, wrestling with them quietly and giving those things leverage over our lives. I like what James wrote in chapter 5 verse 16 in the context of prayer and healing: "Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." The "each other" part is very significant here. If James were convinced that healing came from a man praying for himself, he would have said so. There must be something significant about bringing your sins and struggles to others.

The Christian faith must be lived in mutuality.

There's a big difference, too, in confessing your sins to one another and confessing your sins to everyone. Although we are a "kingdom of priests", not everyone can be trusted with the special care, grace, and discernment required for healthy confession. I wouldn't expose my jugular to anyone with a knife and a reputation for using one, nor would I confess my sins and struggles to someone who would use such information for leverage, power, or destruction.

True confession would lead to love (not leverage), freedom (not control), and healing (not condemnation). It would look like Jesus.

The point of confession among believers isn't just the forgiveness of sin but is also healing. I have experienced the washing away of guilt or pain or darkness when I have confessed my weaknesses, struggles, and sins with a trusted brother or mentor. For men especially, getting thoughts outside of the darkness of our minds can be liberating enough to bring about tremendous healing and re-set our course in the right direction. We don't do well alone with our thoughts.

Confession is also a sign of the spiritual health of a congregation and the individual believer. I think when people feel safe enough to confess, it surely must reflect an authentic presence of mercy and wisdom in the life of the one's hearing the confession. I tell you this...it is certainly humbling to be on the receiving end of someone's deepest confession. There are fewer things, in my experience, that are received with such a weight of responsibility.

It is my belief that people discover the love and grace of God when they experience it from God's people. By the look of things, I'd say we could use a little more of it.

Remedy

2010-08-10T07:37:00.002-06:00

Life

2010-08-04T08:23:00.002-06:00

Transparency

2010-08-01T14:37:00.002-06:00

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Jesus, Mt. 5:3).

Where grace persists and people take seriously the communion of the Body of Christ (in other words, the community of followers of Christ), you will see transparency at work. I think our level of transparency with one another is a sign of health in a church and a measure of the loving, restorative nature of our ministry to one another.

Transparency is good for us. All of us.

Transparency puts to death our need to preserve our reputation rather than pursue true spiritual formation. Rather than giving in to the urge to portray ourselves as something we are not, honesty and transparency about our weaknesses keeps us dependent upon God's grace (and others!). Even Paul, whom many admire as a great man, understood the important role of "the thorn" to keep us from becoming conceited and in a state of dependence. For as much as we read all the bravado in Paul's writings, we cannot skip over his level of transparency and honesty about his own life!

Transparency liberates from the guilt and condemnation that comes from battling things privately in the secret confines of our own minds. I know it to be true for myself...when I talk things out with a trusted friend, things aren't nearly as dark and dismal as I had played them up to be. I've known a lot of personal healing through bringing thoughts out of the "darkness" in my mind and bringing them into the light or open. This has been one of my favorite aspects of authentic community!

Transparency teaches and leads others through our example. When we determine to live in transparency, others learn through us and often find the freedom to discover tangible grace for themselves. Doctrines and dogmas, facts and statistics do little to sway people, but the sharing of one's own personal stories, warts and all, can cause people to relate to the inner working of God's Spirit like nothing else.

Transparency stimulates gracious, merciful living towards others. I am convinced that the reason why people find it so difficult in practicing mercy is because of how little they have experienced it themselves. Once we have opened ourselves to being beneficiaries of the grace of God, we have the grace to dispense towards others. Mercy begets mercy, and it starts to defeat whatever remains of the "unmerciful servant" in us (Matthew 18). I believe it causes us to be less uptight and less judgmental of others and helps to develop an appetite within us for bringing people to life!

Through trusted honesty, our real, raw humanity can be met with the tangible grace of God. Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest with a men's ministry I admire, said this: "A man who owns his limitations and weeps over his sin is much more effective than one who thinks he has neither." Transparency and honesty -- especially in authentic community -- keeps us real and keeps us dependent (though we may fear both!).

A month ago, I was talking with a colleague who happened to be very outspoken at a team meeting while challenging some things that were coming out of his manager's mouth. I admired his ability to speak the truth on behalf of all of us, knowing that he was risking his job in the process. When I began to heap my admiration upon him, he stopped me and said this: "I don't want you to be under the impression that I am a brave man. I've just got a great job offer in the works and I have nothing to lose!"

I laughed.

How true! We've got nothing to lose! Apart from Christ, I have no reputation before God. "Jesus Christ is my only reason for boasting."

Light

2010-07-26T17:31:00.001-06:00

"You are the light of the world..." (Jesus).

Illuminate.

Hide

2010-07-25T07:26:00.003-06:00

"...confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed" (James 5:15).

The most common threat every child carries with them in their prepubescent vocabulary is the phrase "I'm going to tell on you!" Such threats can strike fear into the hearts of children in playgrounds and on monkey bars everywhere. Generally, there were just a handful of students who had the reputation of being tattlers, but we learned to avoid them altogether or alter our conversation and behavior whenever they came around. We learned how to survive by mistrusting those who couldn't keep their mouth shut or pretending to be doing something else whenever they were around.

As adults, we've perfected these techniques first learned in childhood. We were taught to hide, but we mastered concealment and secrecy by our teen years and on into adulthood. This, unfortunately, can have serious consequences for our mental health and even spiritual development and transformation. Our emotional, mental, and spiritual health is always tied into community, so whenever we attempt to "go at it alone", we seldom find success or resolve -- quite the opposite, in fact. Community, especially authentic Christian community that is immersed in wisdom and grace, has trememdous power to transform and heal. Despite biblical counsel to confess our sins to one another, it is probably not broadly practiced among believers today. It may be normal to hide, but it is not healthy.

"...confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed" (James 5:15).

I think there are generally two reasons why people hide their struggles and sins, soft spots and sore points: shame and protection. I can understand both. No one likes to air their dirty laundry in the presence of others. Shame and the subsequent act of hiding is one of the oldest recorded behaviors of man (Genesis 3). God, in his mercy, made a covering for them so they would not be ashamed. So, too, should we be careful to cover those who have either been made vulnerable or have exposed themselves by their own choosing.

As far as protection, anyone who has had the awful experience of having their secrets or insecurities used as leverage against them by people who seek to manipulate and control has obvious and credible reasons to keep themselves tucked safely away. Why would anyone openly invite judgment, condemnation, ridicule, or isolation? I am convinced many people don't seek out confession within the Body of Christ because they do not feel safe to do so.

Our fear of one another causes us to bear false witness.

Hiding, among other things, prevents us from experiencing transformative grace, robs us of authentic living and deep community, increases our isolation, feeds self-destruction, and stunts the spiritual maturity and growth of the church. It gives us a sense of false-security but never quite takes away the fear of being found out. That's why the security is false.

When I first went into ministry, there were any number of elder pastors who advised me to be sure to never develop deepened, trusting relationships within the congregations I served. While I should move close to the people I was called to serve, I was advised never to allow them too close to me. For some reason, it was important to keep the insecure, weak, or worried parts of me hidden while the man of strength took center stage. I don't believe this now, and -- quite frankly -- it didn't sit right with me when I first heard it. What an unhealthy approach to life (and ministry)!

One of those irkish little things about being a pastor is how quickly some people morph and change their behavior whenever I am around. I say "some" because I have been priviledged to be around many truly authentic people. Just occasionally, I get to witness the verbal acrobatics some people perform in order to pull off the act of concealment. It's awkward. It makes me feel awkward, and they look awkward. I prefer the company of the authentic over pretense and posturing any day, yet I can understand why some would do it.

I can never forget those countless moments with youth and grown men who have quietly, in the confines of safe places, relieved themselves of the secrets of their hearts, the battles of the mind, or the bruises of yesteryear and found healing and redemption in Christ. I have seen grown men weep and broken men laugh as the mercy of God intersected with their greatest need.

Often I have heard comments about how young people these days are "so far out there". I believe what we are often observing is their backlash against face, pretense, and hiding -- a rebellion against the inauthentic...and this is one of the traits of post-modernism. They want to be known. While I can appreciate their "soul streak", many of them still lack the community and support of those who can offer the foundational things that they are craving. I dream of a church with a heart prepared to engage and serve others at their greatest point of need.

The survival techniques of our youth don't necessarily do us any good as we grow towards maturity. The challenge is in finding our way forward...

Next article "Transparency".

Alike

2010-07-21T23:05:00.002-06:00

Face

2010-07-20T14:18:00.004-06:00

"Most people spend their entire lives projecting, protecting, and maintaining this fiction" (Richard Rohr).

Zhang Haihua, author of "Think Like Chinese" says this about image: "Face, we say in China, is more important than life itself." I read this quote in an article written about how Chinese businesses hire white people to show up at events in order to give their products or services legitimacy. These businesses and institutions hire actors to show up, speak a few lines in English that no one understands, and be seen. Apparently, the illusion of white involvement sells. The actor gets paid before moving on to his next gig.

This need for self-misrepresentation isn't, however, just a Chinese phenomenon. We, too, live in a culture obsessed with image and illusion. From the time we are young, we are taught to put our best face forward and hide any part of us that might bring ridicule or judgment. We've mastered this in the church as well and have therefore missed out on a dynamic aspect of our lives together. In our efforts to keep up a reputation, many of us have simply faked it to make it.

In the backrooms of trust and grace, I have encountered many people whose need for acceptance and love was so great that they found it necessary to hide the parts of themselves they felt would be judged by others (struggles, insecurities, fears, sins, etc.). Whether we want to admit it or not, we in the church may be guilty of creating the very hypocrisy we hate. Rather than finding the safety in the Body of Christ for true confession, we keep those parts well hidden for fear of judgment, isolation, and rejection -- or shame. Consequently, if a person's struggles, weaknesses, or sins become public, they often get hammered by those who wouldn't have tolerated their transparency in the first place but still accuse them of "pretending to be something they are not".

Actress Salma Hayek once said, "So many people are busy trying to create an image, they die in the process." (Did I really just quote Salma Hayek?) I can't imagine the consequences of a humanity more interested in image than substance, but we don't need to look too far to see its effect on the human heart, mind, soul, and body. Perhaps this is one of many reasons why confession is so desperately needed in order to bring healing, grace, and mercy to man's condition caused by a pagan individualism that keeps him trapped in his own mind and a victim of his own battles.

I've been thinking about the subjects of hiding, transparency, and confession lately as I've been reading about ancient Christian practices. I still believe the church is called to that place where Jesus intersects with the world's needs, and I can't help but believe that followers of Christ who live their lives in transparency and who practice confession will have a profound, healing, life-giving presence with neighbors and brothers alike. God knows this generation is crying out for authenticity and transparency.

Image is killing us, but many of us are running after it like it is the source of all life!

"...everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (Ecclesiastes 2:11).

Next article "Hide"

Calling

2010-07-20T14:16:00.001-06:00

Hospitable

2010-07-17T08:56:00.002-06:00

Every believer a priest.

Every home a temple.

Every table an altar.

Every meal an offering.

Every guest a treasure.

Authentic

2010-07-12T16:09:00.002-06:00

Words

2010-07-02T18:16:00.003-06:00

Ancient Words

Holy words long preserved

For our walk in this world

They resound with God's own heart

O let the ancient words impart

Words of life

Words of hope

Give us strength

Help us cope

In this world wherever we roam

Ancient words will guide us home

Ancient words ever true

Changing me and changing you

We have come with open hearts

O let the ancient words impart

Holy words of our faith

Handed down to this age

Came to us through sacrifice

O heed the faithful words of Christ

Holy words long preserved

For our walk in this world

They resound with God's own heart

O let the ancient words impart.

--Lynn DeShazo

Conform

2010-07-02T13:55:00.006-06:00

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).

A friend of mine recently started riding his bike to work several times per week. Coincidently, he began biking to work the week of Denver's Bike to Work day. Never wanting to be a conformist, he decided to drive to work on Bike to Work Day. He simply wanted to bike to work, not be associated with some movement or agenda. He's never been much of one to jump on the bandwagon.

Some would call him stubborn, but I found humor in his little act of non-conformity. I think I have a built-in appreciation for those counter-culture contemporaries in our midst as well as those of long ago who set before us the example of non-conformity, including Jesus Christ.

Read the Gospels, especially Jesus' statements on the Kingdom of God, and you'll see many examples of counter-culture thought: don't resist the evil person, love your enemy, turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, sell all you have and give it to the poor, wash one another's feet, don't store up treasures for yourselves on earth...pretty radical stuff, actually.

The truth is, the Way of Christ will quite often bring us into conflict with the "patterns of this world". Our culture encourages us to consume; Jesus teaches us to give. Our society teaches us to fight; Jesus teaches us the way of peace. Our greed causes us to live for ourselves; Jesus tells us to take up our cross. I don't recall Jesus ever making easy the path to discipleship.

Sometimes I wonder if our compulsive need for acceptance in society is what causes us to conform to so many patterns that do not resemble minds transformed by Christ. Don't get me wrong, I hate rejection. It gets under my skin and can leave my soul groaning for days and weeks afterwards. But I wonder just how often we seek for our legitimacy in other things. How often has our collective desire to be "mainstream" caused us to leave behind some central teachings of Jesus.

Maybe I should really be OK with being "odd". Different.

After all, followers of Christ live differently, love differently, and trust in different things. We may not want to be different (and deal with all the behavior that comes from being different), but we are. Whether I was the fat kid, the poor kid, the white guy, the only American, or having to explain to Christians who the Brethren are because nobody around here has ever heard of them, I've had to adjust to being different than most people around me.

To be honest with you, I've becomed accustomed to being different...and I like it.

Non-conformity is an ageless principle that perhaps we struggle with in our times. I think every generation of believers has wrestled with this perpetual issue. For me, I am concerned about how the patterns of this world are wreaking havoc on body, mind, soul, and spirit. In some cases, I see churches and believers who are exact mirror representations of the society in which they live, comfortable in their fusion of sanctuary and society. On the other hand, I have seen churches and believers who have completely withdrawn from neighbor and the society surrounding them. I'm somewhere in the middle...

We cannot leave the world behind, but I believe we should once again learn to practice discernment as to what in our culture conflicts with the Way of Christ and what does not. While I may reject certain patterns of this world, Jesus teaches me that I cannot reject the people who live in this world. Though we may crave concrete principles and patterns, we must also learn the art of discernment to bring the disciple of Christ into full maturity.

Like my friend who drives on bike day and bikes on drive days, I think it's OK to be different...perhaps necessary.

Danger

2010-07-01T07:07:00.002-06:00

Slow

2010-06-25T07:01:00.002-06:00

Cost

2010-06-22T22:12:00.004-06:00

"Suppose one of you wishes to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?" (Luke 14:28).

I remember hearing great sermons in the past on "counting the cost of discipleship". They were usually stark reminders of how the disciple of Christ would be rejected by the world and how much we must be willing to pay the price to be a follower of his. I found these sermons to be refreshingly grim reminders that the Way of Christ was not meant simply for our pleasure but for his purpose...and those purposes usually conflict with our desire for comfort, safety, and "success".

I've been thinking of "counting the cost" in other ways lately, not so much in terms of rejection by the world but rather rejection by those you have loved and served. It goes without saying that a lot of what Jesus taught conflicts with the world's systems and values, but to experience the raw, abraisive rejection of those you have given your life to...now that's something else.

That's the Way of Christ.

We often talk of sacrificial love, but I wonder how much I really understand what that means. Sometimes, I think I equate "sacrificial" with money or inconvenience. Is the amount of time and money invested in someone the indicator of "sacrificial"? I'm not so sure. Was Jesus inconvenienced at the cross?

The love of God for humanity took Christ to that hill, and Jesus gave while expecting nothing in return. The very people he gave his life for rejected him at the moment of his sacrifice. And yet he gave. I am humbled by the forgiveness Jesus demonstrated while on the cross, but I am amazed by the willingness to sacrifice his body while possessing the fore-knowledge of the rejection. Love anyhow. I want to love like that. I want to learn from that.

If we want to love like Christ, we can expect nothing in return from those we love and serve. When rejection is heaped upon our gifts, it is easy to say "I'm done" and write the whole matter off...but something in my soul compels me deeper. Can the love of Christ keep me from rejecting those who have rejected me? God, I hope so.

No matter how hurtful, hateful, and venomous the rejection may be, people are worth my time, worth my money, and worth my life. There is, of course, one young man in particular that I am thinking of tonight.

Stick around a church long enough and you might hear something about how Jesus identifies with us in his suffering. Sometimes it is good to have it the other way around. I need to identify with him, grow in him, love like him. Proverbs 4:7 says, "Though it cost all you have, get understanding." It causes me to wonder how much I'm willing to pay to get a better understanding of the Way of Christ.

Served

2010-06-22T15:43:00.002-06:00

Frayed

2010-06-22T15:26:00.004-06:00

A Thought for the Frayed

I feel so frayed

Like a rug

Trampled on

Torn at the edges

Worn thin in places

The people come

And go

I am left

With my holes

And my flaws.

But there is more

To me than this

I can be more

Because you made me

To be more

I am not a rug

Beaten and scorned

I am something

Beautiful

A tapestry -- a story.

I am loved

My imperfections

Are nothing

To the one Who wove me

He does not see

The worn out holes

Tattered corners

He sees the beauty

I am more

Because he

Made me to be.

-- author unknown

Market

2010-06-18T06:59:00.004-06:00

"The good life, the blessed life, is found in living as God's sent people" (Todd D. Hunter).

I have often questioned how much we are influenced by our culture around us. Don't misunderstand me...I don't think we should retreat to our Christian conclaves and withdraw ourselves from the world around us. Quite the opposite, in fact. I think followers of Christ should be engaged and involved in the communities in which we find ourselves...loving and serving neighbor.

I guess I struggle a bit with how often we try to imitate the world around us. I don't know whether we do this to find acceptance or because we think this is the key to "attracting them to us". Very often, our imitation of the society we live in (and the methods that society uses) causes us to come off a bit...weird. It can be an uncomfortable experience when we try to imitate the world rather than imitate Christ.

I've been thinking a lot about evangelism lately, and, to be honest with you, I find our "methods" a bit off-putting -- and I have most of my life. It seems that our methods of evangelism imitate the market-driven culture we find ourselves in. I have grown increasingly distanced from our concepts of "selling the gospel" and "growing our brand".

Many of our methods for evangelism could come right out of the "Marketing 101" textbook: 1) have a product, 2) create a brand, 3) come up with slogans, 4) develop the sales strategy and learn techniques for delivery, 5) engage graphics arts to advertize with t-shirts, bumper stickers, ads, and technology. Marketing is intended to identify the customer, keep the customer, and satisfy the customer.

Uh oh. (Did that last sentence give anyone else the creeps?).

Marketing is a process that companies (or churches) use to create consumer interest in our products (the Gospel) and services (the church). I am not sure why this grieves me as much as it does...

A former pastor of mine is fond of saying, "What you win them with is what you win them to". What are they being "won" to? It's a good question. Consumer entitlement? Brand loyalty ensuring life-long commitment and their dollar? New knowlege or philosophy? I'm afraid that pursuing people in this manner seriously misses the point.

Our market-driven approaches to church growth, I feel, have also left segments of the Body of Christ in arrogant competition with one another. When one church grows, usually another church declines. One wins. One loses. While I agree that churches have natural cycles of life and death, our inner-church competition for customers often resembles the competitive pricing I see between Penny's, Kohl's, and Sears (with each trying to win their "market share"). Since we are but One Body, when one loses, we all lose.

We all lose.

I don't like evangelism when it resembles marketing with the latest slogans, cliches, catch-phrases, and products. Neither do I appreciate evangelism that is nothing but words, whether printed or spoken. When I read the Gospels, I see an evangelism that is lived and embodied in our flesh...through our lives...the Living Christ. Words have never been enough, and to follow the example of Jesus, our hands and feet and flesh are required.

People are not a market. People are people, and they deserve our personal interaction, love, and service. Anything else may be disingenuous.

Others

2010-06-17T20:29:00.002-06:00

Life

2010-06-16T07:58:00.001-06:00

Grow

2010-06-13T08:08:00.004-06:00

"...grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

I had a conversation this week with a co-worker who was ready to throw the book at a student for what they interpreted as their blatant disobedience and violation of rules and expectations. Something about this particular bloodlust did not sit well with me, and so I went to bat for the student and insisted that conversation was the way forward, not punitive action. Come to find out, what was interpreted as defiance was little more than a misunderstanding. Had we acted upon this student with vengence, we would of, perhaps, done irreparable damage.

It's easy to forget that we exist to serve others and not the other way around. It's easy for us to forget that sometimes we get it wrong. It's easy for us to do damage to those we view as a threat to our standards and our way of life. How often do we need to be reminded that our methods in dealing with others do not follow the Way of Christ?

When police officers forget that the law exists for the protection of the people and when these same officers live under the fantasy that the people exist to serve them, there is a great danger to the public. In the same way, Christians who forget that they exist to serve humanity can do great damage. Do we dare ignore the example and teachings of Jesus in order to maintain the law? The Lord Jesus Christ himself said, "...the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom to many" (Mt. 20:28).

Sometimes, I see in God's people a "fundamental gulf of gracelessness" and a serious lack of knowledge of who Jesus is, what he really taught, and the life he truly calls us to live. I have seen Christianity at its worst when we lack in "the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ". I have seen Christianity at its best when we posses the grace and knowlege of who Jesus truly is.

John 1:17 says "The law came through Moses; grace and truth come through Jesus Christ." As those who claim to follow Christ, we must be careful to interpret the way we live and the way we treat others and the way we read and understand the Scriptures through the lens of Jesus Christ. We do not follow the way of the Pharisees.

We follow Christ.

Hate

2010-06-10T08:23:00.002-06:00

Wilderness

2010-06-10T07:14:00.001-06:00

Lost

2010-05-31T19:29:00.004-06:00

"All who wander are not lost."

I heard a quote the other day that went something like this: "If you don't know where you're going, any road will do."

I have been lost more than my fair share while trying to get from point A to point B or while exploring some remote region of this country or that one. Isn't it funny how when you are trying to get somewhere, getting lost can cause a real sense of panic and frustrustion since we know we are not where we are supposed to be? I admit I am not the best in those moments I am lost...

On the other hand, there have been those times when I've been "lost" and didn't seem to mind it at all, like those lazy drives in the plains of America or while exploring the backroads of Donegal in Ireland where, if there are any road signs at all, they are most certainly pointing you in the wrong direction. Getting lost, in these occasions, becomes a chance to see the unexpected. Sometimes, it's a nice little diversion that offers a whole different perspective on the place you find yourself in.

For some people, being lost is the destination of choice. With no place in particular to go, some folks seem content to meander through life while enjoying chance encounters with people and place. I can understand the curiosity of the wanderer, those who seem to be seeking after what may be more ethereal than many would prefer. Many have wandered from well-worn paths to seek spiritual renewal or vision. Even Jesus escaped the common to find vision and clarity for his eventual return to the people he was called to.

Clearly, all who wander are not lost.

There is a difference between being lost due to one's own idiocy (which usually follows a period of wandering through the proverbial desert) and taking the less-traveled road to be refreshed, renewed, and even surprised. Many of the highlights of my life have come from the second type of journey; some of the worst moments have come from the first.

There is a Voice that leads us along the Journey. Some, having ignored the whispers have found themselves in the stinky belly of a big fish (or something like that). Others have enjoyed the companionship of the Voice and have appreciated the unique places that listening (and obeying) has taken them. I, for one, have enjoyed the diversion that these last couple years have brought and the perspective such a journey has offered.

I hear someone calling my name. Gotta go...

Give

2010-05-29T21:42:00.002-06:00

Gain

2010-05-29T14:22:00.002-06:00

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36).

Give up my plans for God's plans?

Give up hoarding to gain treasures in heaven?

Give up frustrations to gain God's peace?

Give up unforgiveness to gain God's forgiveness?

Give up control of others to gain God's control of me?

Give up what is false and temporary for something true and lasting?

Give up security in possessions and gain certain security in the promise of God?

Give up grief to gain hope?

Isn't it amazing what we hold on to?

Honor

2010-05-29T14:21:00.002-06:00

What's It Like?

2010-05-15T23:50:00.003-06:00

"Greater love has no one than this..."

What's it like to love as the nails are being driven in your hands and your body is being lifted before on-lookers as a spectacle? What kind of love can go along with that?

What's it like to love and sacrifice because it is right without expectation of anything in return? What kind of love is that?

What's it like to love despite feelings of powerlessness, helplessness, weakness, and inadequacy? What kind of love can overcome that?

What's it like to take risks for love knowing that the costs may be high and risking for it anyhow? What kind of love can do that?

What's it like to love so much that going into it you already knew the painful outcomes and yet you loved anyhow? What kind of love endures that?

What's it like to love a prodigal, to fear for him, to miss him, to wonder what my heart would do upon his return? What kind of love forgives all that?

What's it like to love like Jesus?

I'd like to know...but I don't know if I can pay that price.

Rich List

2010-05-15T07:42:00.003-06:00

"The easiest way for your children to learn about money is for you to not have any" (K. Whitehorn).

I recently stumbled across a website called "The Global Rich List" published in London. By going to the following link, you can enter your annual income and see how you rank among the world's rich and poor. Imagine my surprise as I landed somewhere in the top 1 percent. Even the poorest people in America are in the top 15 percent of the world's earners.

http://www.globalrichlist.com/index.php

Every so often, we need a reminder of how good we've got it -- and perhaps, it may stir us on again to a better Way to live.

Exile

2010-05-10T06:22:00.001-06:00

"I am in exile, a sojourner A citizen of some other place All I've seen is just a glimmer in a shadowy mirror But I know, one day well see face to face I am a nomad, a wanderer I have nowhere to lay my head down There's no point in putting roots too deep when I'm moving on Not settling for this unsettling town My heart is filled with songs of forever The city that endures when all is made new I know I don't belong here, I'll never Call this place my home, I'm just passing through I am a pilgrim, a voyager I wont rest until my lips touch the shore Of the land that I've been longing for as long as I've lived Where they'll be no pain or tears anymore My heart is filled with songs of forever The city that endures when all is made new I know I don't belong here, I'll never Call this place my home, I'm just passing through. "

"In Exile" by Thrice

Liberty

2010-05-02T21:27:00.002-06:00

Friendship with God

2010-04-25T08:09:00.005-06:00

"Church father Gregory of Nyssa (approximately AD 331-396) seemed to have understood that the willingness to pursue friendship with God yields more benefit than pretending to have already attained it" (Eric Sandras, "Buck Naked Faith").

"Since the goal of the virtuous way of life is the very thing we have been seeking, it is time for you, noble friend, to be known by God and to become his friend. This is true perfection: not to avoid a wicked life because like slaves we severely fear punishment, not to do good because we hope for rewards... On the contrary, disregarding all those things for which we hope and which have been reserved by promise, we regard falling from God's friendship as the only thing dreadful and we consider becoming God's friend the only thing worthy of honor and desire. This, as I have said, is the perfection of life."

Gregory of Nyssa, "The Life of Moses"

Tolerate

2010-04-17T10:05:00.005-06:00

Tolerate: to endure without repugnance; to put up with.

Yesterday drew to a conclusion my fifth Discovery class of this school year. As is tradtion, the students and I spend a considerable part of the day expressing our public appreciation to one another and sharing our parting thoughts. We usually do an exercise I call "positive bombardment" during which we shower each student with words of appreciation from their peers and myself. Some classes choose to do the same for me, and it is always a rewarding experience.

When it was my turn in the spotlight, one student thanked me for always seeing the good in (them) and, with tearful expression, shared how much I and the class had made a difference in (their) life. Although (they) were not aware of it, (their) words convicted me to the core. Here's why:

I know my heart. Although I had treated this student with dignity and respect, my heart held other judgments. This student confused my well-disguised tolerance for something better, purer. I knew better. I suppose this is an example of both the ugliness and beauty of tolerance. It's beautiful when a person can treat another human being with decency and respect despite ill-drawn conclusions or personal opinion. It's ugly, on the other hand, when the face of tolerance masks darker thoughts and feelings.

I was happy to know that this student's experience with me and in my classroom was a positive one, but as a follower of Christ, I believe it is important for me to move beyond my pressumptions and judgments...and I hadn't bothered to do that in this circumstance.

It's a fact of life that sometimes we do have to tolerate people whose personalities, life styles, and choices conflict with our own...but we should always aim for something better! I think it cheapens people when we say "I don't like you, but I'll tolerate you."

I think tolerance is part of the journey along the way from intolerance to love. It's good to arrive at tolerance for a little while so long as we are continuing down the road to something better. Tolerance, in and of itself, is not the ideal destination.

Reflection

2010-04-16T22:04:00.003-06:00

Reflection on Psalm 121 by Brian Moore.

Do you see the solitude
of the mountains
There they lie as if asleep
all silent and deep
Their loneliness is matched
by their strength
And so in silence
they keep watch
over the valley floor

We dwell below
their heights
and thus look up
to their strength
In silence and solitude
we join the mountains
in our souls
We share the loneliness
and long for their strength
But we shall not endure
here on the valley floor

The mountains have no life
stand strong and dark
for years
While we in God’s image made
know hardship pain
and tears
The mountains dark and lone
can only point
us home
Our help in creation’s God
is our sole hope
as on the valley floor
we trod

The mountains for all their strength
stand aloof
unmoved by what
moves our heart to tears
But in their speechlessness
we take consolation
that with silence and solitude
comes revelation
As we lift up our eyes
to the One on High
Who gives us hope
Maker of heaven and earth
Who gives birth
to love and life

Kiss

2010-04-15T20:26:00.002-06:00

Family

2010-04-10T08:25:00.005-06:00

Curtis Anthony Powell

We first met Curtis shortly after moving to Colorado in 2008. Curtis was being mentored by our friend Jonathon Stalls, so we'd see Curtis at special events and the occasional community gatherings. In November 2009, circumstances led Curtis to Jon's workplace and doorstep. Since Jon was planning to begin his walk across America on March 1, 2010, Curtis needed a place to stay. When he asked if he could stay with us, we gladly accepted. Curtis moved in in mid-December.

Since then, Curtis has enrolled in the high school where I teach and has excelled in his academic and personal achievement. He has adjusted well to his new family living environment and seems to be loving life. He is discovering what it means to be a son just as much as I am discovering what it means to be a dad. We are so proud of him and are happy to have him as a part of our family.

This past week, Curtis and I took a road trip to South Dakota for some camping and sight-seeing. While there, we learned that a judge in Denver had granted full guardianship rights to Brenda and I for the care of Curtis. Both he and ourselves are delighted! It's been a long process, but we are glad that day is finally here.

Most people who know us don't question the notion of why we bring people home, but once in a while, someone will say, "I don't know how you can do it!" to which I usually reply, "I don't know how you cannot." I see "family" as a right more than a privilege, only these days fewer and fewer are having the opportunity to enjoy that right. Every person deserves the opportunity to experience the love, security, and benefits the sense of family can bring. For ourselves, having Curtis as a part of our family has only added to the richness and fullness of our lives...he has taken nothing away.

Life is better with people in it, and ours is better for sharing this life we've been given with an incredible teenager named Curtis.

Black & White

2010-04-05T06:55:00.001-06:00

He is Risen!

2010-04-04T06:57:00.001-06:00

Rising

2010-04-03T16:36:00.002-06:00

Good Friday

2010-04-01T18:20:00.002-06:00

Beyond Ordinance

2010-04-01T17:35:00.004-06:00

"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet" (Jesus, John 13:14).

My church tradition observes the ordinance of feet-washing according to Jesus' example and instructions in John 13. Twice annually, we'd gather in the sanctuary for some hymns and personal reflection before proceeding to the basement or church hall to be seated at the tables. Around the tables, we'd read the account of Jesus washing his disciples feet and remind ourselves again of his mandate that we do the same. The men would retire to one room while the sisters left for another to begin washing and drying one another's feet.

For many of my non-Brethren brothers and sisters in Christ, this tradition seems like one of the more peculiar practices of Brethren groups.

Feet-washing always preceeded the meal, which was usually some modest affair. In the church I grew up in, we'd eat our ham and butter sandwich in "reflective silence" while awkwardly hearing the sweet pickles crunch in our neighbor's mouth. Other churches shared a more traditional "sop" made of break soaked in beef broth while engaging in lively conversation as among family.

Following the meal, we'd take the bread and the cup in rememberance of Christ and usually conclude the evening together by singing "Blessed Be the Tie That Binds".

It's called the "Love Feast".

As awkward as such experiences would be for most, I have always appreciated the symbolism of washing one another's feet. I remember my first such communion experience shortly after my baptism as though it were just last week, and there was something special about being surrounded by my elders as they cared for me and I for them. The sharing of such experiences have been among the highlights of my times in Christian community.

I'm not sure which is more awkward for people: washing or being washed. For some, the idea of touching another person's feet is a put off -- an act they find repulsive and disgusting. Others, however, seem to really struggle with people having to wash their "immodest" parts, and they struggle with being served in such a way. Either way, the discomfort is good for us. Whether we wrestle with being served (as Peter did) or find the task difficult or repulsive to do, Jesus has his reasons in asking us to follow his example.

Whether washing one another's feet or serving someone in their mess (or being served in our mess), Jesus reminds us that we have been redeemed to serve and to come along side humanity as he came along side of us. The example Jesus set before us is one well worth following.

It goes beyond ordinance.

Marketplace

2010-03-30T20:15:00.003-06:00

"My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of thieves" (Jesus, Matthew 21:13).

It's interesting how Matthew's account of the events of Holy Week make a sudden shift from Jesus entering Jerusalem with the adoration of the crowds to him making a mess and tearing things up in the Temple courts. I can't imagine what must have been going through the minds of the palm waivers when the news of this messianic trouble-maker's ruckus in the Temple reached them. Perhaps this is when they began to re-think this Jesus.

What was it that offended Jesus' sense of justice and sent him ripping through the Temple courts like a holy terror? Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, lost his temper and went wild. Some say he was outraged that the money changers and those selling sacrifices were making excessive money off the pilgrims coming to the Temple...ripping people off. Others would add that perhaps Jesus had an issue with people profitting in the house of God.

I'd like to think it is both.

I remember when I first became youth pastor at the Blue River Church of the Brethren in Columbia City, Indiana and learned that they prohibited the sale of merchandise in the church. If musical groups came to perform, they were not allowed to sell their music. There were no bake sales, rummage sales, or anything of that nature. Fund-raising for youth events were also limited since we were not allowed to raise money outside the church. They held a firm belief that the support of God's work needed to come from God's people.

Consequently, the worst part of a youth pastor's job (fund-raising) was, thankfully, not part of my job description. What I thought would be a severe limitation for our ministry became a blessing. God's people did, indeed, support our work through the church budget and special offerings.

Over time, I came to appreciate this distinction between marketplace and house of prayer. I had been comfortable with the roll of fund-raiser only because the churches I had been a part of were comfortable with consumerism in the sanctuary. I'd like to believe, however, that there should exist a line between marketplace and house of prayer. I find myself more inclined to appreciate that separation now more than ever.

To be honest with you, it is hard to see the difference between the consumerism and marketing that drives the American way of life and the consumerism and marketing that has engulfed the American church. I have an admiration for those congregations that resist the temptation to profit from people seeking God or shamefully market themselves to attract the spiritual consumer.

Jesus turned things upside down in order to make things right side up. I wonder what practices we find acceptable in the house of prayer that he might want to overturn?

We may want to re-consider this Jesus. He's a bit more dangerous than we may be comfortable with.

Hosanna

2010-03-28T08:04:00.001-06:00

Donkey

2010-03-27T08:16:00.004-06:00

"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey'" (Zech. 9:9; Matt 21:5).

When we turned on the TV last evening, we stumbled across a show called "Kitchen Nightmares" starring British chef Gordon Ramsey. I had heard of Ramsey's reputation for brutal honesty and harsh treatment of the restauranteurs he came to "save" and really had no interest in ever watching one of his shows, but there was something about last night's episode that caught my attention.

Here's the premise for the show: restaurant owners who find their businesses in trouble call in Ramsey to rough them up and shock them into changes (with plenty of drama along the way). Admittedly, I was slightly amused at the emotional responses this particular owner was giving to Ramsey's rants and criticisms. I couldn't understand why she was so appalled and insulted. Wasn't she aware of his reputation? Didn't she know what she was getting herself into? Was she looking for affirmation and a pat on the back? Warm and fuzzy is not his modus operandi. Of course, this restaurant owner's initial excitement at this celebrity sighting turned to hatred the moment she didn't receive the affirmation she was looking for from Ramsey.

Enter Jesus. Riding on a donkey.

The prophets had foretold that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem in humility and gentleness on the back of a donkey...not the most majestic and powerful image one could conjur up for the arrival of a conquering king. I had always been taught that this "triumphal entry" was a sort of an inauguration for Jesus, a proclaimation that he was King. I am not, however, so sure that Jesus set this scene up for himself to be honored by the people or commissioned as King. He knew who he was.

By riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, he was saying something to the people.

Jesus knew that these bootlicking, fawning crowds would within the week be calling for his death. The crowds were lauding him for political reasons in anticipation of some sort of deliverance from Roman occupation. Jesus mocked their militant expectations by arriving on a donkey to start a week filled with holy defiance resulting in his rejection by men.

On more than one occasion in the Gospels, we see Jesus thinning out the crowds of people who were attracted to him for the wrong reasons. He didn't need a political movement to galvanize his cause. He didn't seek to attract a crowd to legitimize his mission. He didn't tolerate those drawn to him for their own selfish gain. He was focused on the cross, and he was asking us to follow him there.

Not a popular message.

Do we crown Jesus as King and laud him as Lord because he is the champion of our causes? Do we hammer the Jesus of the Gospels to make him fit into our political and social agendas? Do we, with confidence and bravado, march with his banner into our causes to carry out the will of God all the while ignoring the mind of Christ?

What would the Christ of the Gospels -- who rode to his death on a donkey and who asks us to die -- say to us today?

Perfect

2010-03-23T21:12:00.002-06:00

Forget

2010-03-20T09:56:00.005-06:00

"He who receives a benefit should never forget it" (Pierre Charron).

It's easy to forget...that God is with us when we feel the uncertainty of our future.

It's easy to forget...that God is not confined to time and space and is already ahead of us in our unknown.

It's easy to forget...that God's love and mercy is broader, deeper, and higher than our failings.

It's easy to forget...that God's love and mercy is broader, deeper, and higher than the failings of others.

It's easy to forget...that it is Christ who makes us acceptable to God, not ourselves.

It's easy to forget...that God's work of salvation in our lives is for more than just ourselves.

It's easy to forget...that the Kingdom of God is here and now and is not confined to some future occurance.

It's easy to forget...that my life is not God's only great concern and I am not the center of His universe.

It's easy to forget...that love is the identifying mark of a Christian.

It's easy to forget...that my ways and thoughts are not His ways and thoughts.

It's easy to forget...that men and women are not my enemy.

It's easy to forget...that this isn't just my journey; it is ours.

It's easy to forget...that God is the Superior Being; I am not.

It's easy to forget...that we are called to serve, not be served.

It's easy to forget...

Patrick

2010-03-17T06:15:00.001-06:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Green

2010-03-16T15:42:00.004-06:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

With the arrival of St. Patrick's Day, our thoughts, of course, return to the nations and people we came to know and love while living on the island of Ireland. It's been two years since we returned to the states but much of our heart remains there. Ireland, I don't know if I will ever get over you!

When we were preparing to return to the states, I wrote on article on a previous blog called "A Tongue in Cheek Look at Coming Back to America". I am re-posting it here as a way of looking back and appreciating the cultures we came to love.

"While we haven't lived in primitive conditions, mastered the skill of the machete, or haggled over the price of a live chicket at the market, we have had to adjust to life in a culture that is vastly different than the one we grew up in. Not only have we adjusted, but we have adopted many of the things that we have come to appreciate about Irish life, culture and language. In short, we have acclaimated as best to 'yanks' can, and there are many things about Ireland that we love and want to take back with us.

So we ask for your patience when we return. We will probably not make a lot of sense to you and may seem even a bit strange. But we can't help it! While we may be Americans, we have morphed into this other 'thing' -- changed by a combination of Irish and European culture. If we appear peculiar, it's because we are.

We've been driving on the left side of the road, confined to an island the size of Maine or Indiana, living with two season (wet and less wet), and heating our house with turf. We've been eating black pudding (made with cow's blood), colcannon (mashed potatoes with green onions and cabbage), fry's (Irish breakfast, not French fries), and shepherd's pie. We drink minerals (soft drinks) and snack on crisps (chips) and biscuits (cookies). We order chips (fries) with our meals and buy crisps (chips) in single serving bags. We measure temperature in Celsius, liquids in liters, distance in meters, and speed in kilometers. We put a 'u' in any of your words that end in 'or', so favor becomes favour and color becomes colour. And, by the way, we call the letter 'z' zed and not zee.

If we ask to use your toilet (restroom), don't think we're being rude; that's what we call it -- along with the bog, the jacks, and the loo. We get our prescriptions at the chemist (pharmacist), and going there doesn't make us cross (angry) because drug prices are so much cheaper than in America. We don't ask for a ride (that's petitioning someone for sex) but ask for a lift instead. We use a lift (elevator) to go to the third floor, which is the fourth floor in America (ground level is the first floor in Ireland). We use products like Fairy, Cif, and Cilit Bang and shop at places like Tesco, Dunnes, and Lidl.

We use rubbers (erasers) to correct our mistakes and runners or trainers (tennis shoes or sneakers) for walking. We go for walks on footpaths (sidewalks) or on strands (beaches). People smoke fags (cigarettes) although not in public places. We love 'the crack' (spelled 'craic', which simply means fun).

If I call you mucker (friend), just 'wind yer neck in' (don't get upset)...it's a good thing. If I say words that sound familiar to your swear words, don't 'lose the head' (lose your temper) or 'eat my face' (yell at me)...the probably mean something entirely different in Ireland.

I might have a bit of a problem giving you a yes or no answer at first. You see, there is no direct Irish word for 'yes' or 'no'. The Irish rarely give straight yes or no answers, because it goes against their instincts. There are no direct translations of either word in Irish. My use of the word 'right' might seem a bit excessive to you until I 'catch myself on' (get the hang of it), but it's not much different than your excessive use of 'ya' or 'uh huh' in conversation. When you come to my house, I might say 'you're very welcome'. The word 'welcome', you see, is actually used as a greeting and not a response to 'thank you'. When you leave, I might say 'all the best' or 'safe home' or 'slan', which isn't much different than saying 'best wishes', 'take care', or 'good health'. I might thank you by saying 'cheers'.

I say all of this to let you know that this transition back to America will be an interesting one for us. If we come off sounding a bit peculiar, remember, 'it's not from a stone we licked it' (we didn't just pull this stuff out of the air'). It came to us naturally by living in our adopted home -- Ireland."

Brenda and I reluctantly returned to the United States in the winter of 2008. Our years in Ireland were good, and we are tremendously thankful for them. We miss our home, our friends, and our community of faith. While we always yearn to return, we are grateful for the life God has given us here in Denver, and we aim to build our future and establish our lives wherever we may find ourselves. While I long to be content wherever the Spirit of God blows, I wouldn't complain if He blew us back to Ireland someday!

Credo

2010-03-11T06:09:00.002-07:00

Hate

2010-03-10T18:49:00.003-07:00

"Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that" (M.L. King, Jr.).

Every so often, my sense of justice gets ruffled. And just occasionally, the anger I experience because of the perceived injustice morphs into hate. It happens so seldom, so when it does, it disturbs me deeply. I must confess, I am dealing with a little bit of hate these days.

I teach anger management to high school students in an urban setting. It's a bit like trying to teach peace and reconciliation in Baghdad or Palestine, but I am usually pleasantly surprised with what my students take away from the course. Anger, as I teach in my classes, is a normal human emotion. Our anger senses what is right or wrong and motivates us to make things right. It's what we do with our anger, however, that causes us (and others) problems.

Rarely -- but it happens -- I can feel my anger slipping into something much more sinister. I can feel the impact it has on my spirit when I am no longer working for my neighbor's good and find myself instead hoping for some sort of twisted "justice" in which the other people "get what they deserve". Thank God, I don't get what I deserve.

And yet, it is when my heart gets twisted by anger and hatred that God shows me mercy and gently rebukes and reminds me that hatred towards another is no different than murder. The moment my heart hates, I am reminded that I am the one acting injustly. "Do not repay anyone evil for evil" (Romans 12:17). No matter the injustice, hatred is never a just response.

Love is.

I find that when I reach for empathy instead of condemnation, compassion begins to pour into those places that hate once held. Although the frustration with the circumstance may not change, people begin to make more sense and I find myself overcome with a strange peace.

To quote a man who gave his life for the cause of justice, I offer this: "Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it" (M.L. King, Jr). No matter the injustice, we should "let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8).

It's a better way to live.

Lose

2010-03-09T19:19:00.001-07:00

Home

2010-03-06T07:25:00.005-07:00

"My home is not a place; it is people" (L.M. Bujold).

"For the Lord your God is God of gods, and the Lord of lords, the Great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. Fear the Lord your God and serve him" (Dt. 10:17-20).

I don't think there can be any doubting the Father's love for the fatherless, the homeless, the widow, and the stranger. We don't have to look far to see many of God's people engaged in ministries and organizations that provide mentoring for youth, shelter and food for the homeless, community and support for widows, and and advocacy for foreigners. Christians have long been at the forefront of these causes.

Followers of Christ should be on the frontlines, turning things upside down that they may be right side up.

There are a lot of wonderful organizations doing God's work. I wonder just how much more the issues of homelessness and fatherlessness could be diminished by the church if more and more of our families would begin to open up their homes and welcome these strangers. There is tremendous power to transform lives through something as simple as an open home. Now, more than ever, the curse of isolation and aloneness is all around us. Giving "home" to someone couldn't be more right in my opinion.

This isn't easy for those of us who have been culturally conditioned to believe that our home is our refuge and castle. It is difficult for us to stop believing that our lives are somehow diminished by including others in it outside of working hours. For many of us, the increased risk that comes with opening home and life to others is too much to ask.

There is risk.

But what is love without sacrifice? What have we gained from believing that we own everything, that our house belongs to us and not God? There is much to be gained from giving home and family to those without. The inclusion of others enriches our lives and also increases our capacity to love, empathize, and care as we experience the joy of letting people in. We will find that every day carries with it a sense of purpose and satisfaction in knowing that we are participating in something that is very close to the Father's heart.

And it is the right thing to do!

In the face of so much aloneness, there is a tremendous need for believers to practice generosity and hospitality on such a different level than we have been used to in the past. God's people have the ability to make things right for so many.

It's a matter of choice that we don't.

Distance

2010-03-03T06:06:00.002-07:00

Along

2010-03-03T05:23:00.003-07:00

"Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance but to do what lies clearly at hand" (Thomas Carlyle).

I drove to Delaware this weekend.

My friend Jonathon Stalls began his Walk Across America from Lewes, Delaware. He needed to get there, so I took him. We made it to Maryland in around 26 hours of straight driving and enjoyed the hospitality of our friends Brian and Amanda Moore before continuing on to Delaware the next morning. We dipped our feet in the icy Atlantic and said our farewells on the morning of March 1st, and Curtis and I climbed back into the car and headed west to the Rockies. Four thousand miles in four days is quite a road trip.

Exhausting? Yes, but well worth the time to be near the one's I love. Once again, the road provided me an opportunity to think about what I value most in life. Interwoven with this life in Christ is the life I share with those whom God has placed in my life. I cannot extract the One from the other. Moments like these get me thinking about the joy and privilege I have to come along side of others and share this life with them.

It got me thinking about my brothers and sisters in Christ who preach from a pulpit made of distance and seldom experience the joy of coming along side those outside the walls. The distance their theology prescribes keeps them separate, and I imagine that they are comfortable with the outcomes.

For me, I am moved by the stories of Jesus who came along side all kinds of people. The love of Christ compels me to share my life, to help where I can, to extend my circuit of comfort, and to love more than what my narrow-mindedness can afford. We need to come close and allow others to come close as well. It is what Jesus did.

Four thousand miles in four days might seem ridiculous, and it probably is. I'm ok with that. It afforded me a few more days to come along side those I love and share in their journey.

Walking

2010-02-24T21:03:00.001-07:00

Walk

2010-02-23T18:38:00.004-07:00

"There's a difference between knowing the Path and walking the Path." (The Matrix).

My friend Jonathon Stalls begins his walk across America on Monday, March 1st in Lewes, Delaware. His journey will take him across twelve states covering nearly 3,000 miles over roughly 11 months. His adventure is as much about his faith as it is his desire for authentic community. He will also be walking to raise awareness for an organization he supports called Kiva.

You can find out more about his journey by going to his website at www.kivawalk.com.

In honor of Jon's impending journey, I want so share the Prayer of St. Brendan with you. St. Brendan, born in 484 near present-day Tralee, Co Kerry, Ireland made a missionary voyage across the Atlantic in a leather boat according to tradition. Facing the unknown perils of the journey, this prayer was offered:

Shall I abandon, O King of mysteries, the soft comforts of home? Shall I turn my back on my native land, and turn my face towards the sea?
Shall I put myself wholly at your mercy, without silver, without a horse, without fame, without honour? Shall I throw myself wholly upon You, without sword and shield, without food and drink, without a bed to lie on? Shall I say farewell to my beautiful land, placing myself under Your yoke?
Shall I pour out my heart to You, confessing my manifold sins and begging forgiveness, tears streaming down my cheeks? Shall I leave the prints of my knees on the sandy beach, a record of my final prayer in my native land?
Shall I then suffer every kind of wound that the sea can inflict? Shall I take my tiny boat across the wide sparkling ocean? O King of the Glorious Heaven, shall I go of my own choice upon the sea?
O Christ, will You help me on the wild waves?

Jon -- God be with you on your journey. Safe home.

"A growing number of people are disturbed by the values exhibited by the contemporary church. Worship has become entertainment, the church has become a shopping mall, and God has become a consumable product. Through Scripture, history, engaging narrative, and the inspiring art of Vincent van Gogh, The Divine Commodity explores spiritual practices that liberate our imaginations to live as Christ's people in a consumer culture opposed to the values of his kingdom. Each chapter will open your eyes to how consumerism has distorted our faith and equip you to live differently. The Divine Commodity articulates what so many have been feeling and offers hope for the future of a post-consumer Christianity."

I highly recommend Skye Jethani's The Divine Commodity to you. Here are a few excerpts to chew on:

"Rather than putting on a 'Tommy Hellfighter' t-shirt, a 'Got Jesus?' bumper sticker, or 'Jesus is my Homeboy' underwear, why not follow Paul's advice and focus our energy toward putting on 'compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience'. This is how our identity is revealed, not by the brands we display, but by faith working through love. Jesus said, 'By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another'. Christ's true people are branded with love." (p. 59, The Divine Commodity).

"Jesus wasn't driven by impact. His desire wasn't to attract an ever-increasing crowd of people. In fact, episodes like the events of Holy Week and his teaching to the crowds (John 6) reveal a Jesus who intentionally weeds out those who are attracted to him for the wrong reasons. Something as rudimentary as assembling a crowd was a goal far below his calling. Late night television has proven that a man crushing a beer can on his forehead can draw a crowd. A two-liter of Diet Coke and a pack of Mentos mints can draw a crowd. For Jesus impact did not define legitimacy; bigger was not intrinsically better." (p. 164, The Divine Commodity).

Dependent

2010-02-20T07:18:00.004-07:00

"No man is an island." (from Meditation XVII by poet John Donne).

I've been married for seven years, and I am beginning to notice a disturbing trend. I can't seem to find anything any more. With increasing frequency, I am having to ask my wife where I can find a lot of the little things I used to have no difficulty finding. Since I am only 40, I am doubtful that dementia or senility is settling in. I seem to have no problem managing my classroom and finding what I need there, but at home, things are entirely different. It causes me to be suspicious.

Is this a game wives learn to play to make their men more dependent upon them? Is there some "secret code of the wife" from which they learn to wear down their men and subdue them into some form of domesticated submission? I don't know if this is a darker, feminine consipiracy or if this is just the way it is supposed to be. I used to make fun of those sniveling old men who seem led around with a leash by their wives of 40 years. You know...the ones who would instantly revert to caveman status because of their inability to cook or dress -- emasculated shadows of their former selves. Now, I am beginning to understand how that could happen!

I was single a whole lot longer than I've been married, and I functioned quite well in that environment. I managed my home, cooked great food, did my own laundry, matched my clothes, and -- more importantly -- knew where everything was at. I was in control. These days, whenever someone asks where they can find something in our kitchen, I refer them to Brenda. Three weeks ago, I needed to run something through the wash. I stood in front of the washing machine for 5 minutes staring at the buttons and lights wondering when washers went digital and not knowing what to do. Fortunately, our 17-year old came by and saved me (much to his delight).

I feel much less "in control" than I used to be. In our American vernacular, the word "dependency" carries with it some fairly negative connotations. From the time we are young, the themes of individualism, independence, and personal liberty are held before us as some of our highest virtues. In my opinion, these pursuits in their extreme have produced in us a barbaric aloneness and pagan individualism that has left many of us adrift in the sea of isolation. I see the affects of isolation sickness all around me -- among the students I teach, among my neighbors walking down the street, and even in those sitting in the pew nearby.

I say "barbaric" because this individualism strips men (and women) of community, transparency, and belonging that sustains healthy living and offers necessary support. Isolation tears a person down and has been used as a weapon against POW's and inmates to coerce conformity or interrogate. Aloneness is dehumanizing.

I say "pagan" because I don't believe that rugged individualism is the Way of Christ. I see no where in the scriptures that we are to "go it alone". Our faith is expressed in community, and our faith leads us to care for our community. Even the Trinity -- God himself -- is a model for us of identity, kinship, dependency, and love. We are created for God, and we are created for one another.

I am enjoying this shared life, free of power-struggles and a diminishing self-reliance. I appreciate my growing dependency on those in my family and community of faith which somehow also reflects my growing dependency on God. I was independent by necessity and circumstance; I'm dependent by the grace of God!

Individualism

2010-02-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

Oreo's, Pepsi, and Potato Chips

2010-02-14T08:20:00.005-07:00

"He who shares is left with the best share."

There's a story that took place when I was eleven that I have enjoyed sharing with my students throughout the years. I usually tell the story in the context of discussions surrounding the topic of selfishness or assertiveness. It also reveals just a bit about where I came from and why I think the way I do on certain subjects. The story takes place the night I kicked my step-dad out of the house.

I remember my step-dad possessing an affinity for five things: Oreos, Pepsi, Seyfert's Potato Chips, Oil of Olay skin products, and cigarettes. As a young kid, two of the five didn't interest me in the least, but those junk foods possessed quite the temptation. One of my step-dad's more notable characteristics was that he didn't like to share. Consequently, the Oreos, Pepsi's, and potato chips were stored underneath his sofa and he gave them up for no one. Before he would leave the house, he would count the cookies and Pepsi's and fold and seal the potato chip bag in such a way to know whether it had been tampered with. If he found anything missing, or -- God forbid -- if he had miscounted, an unholy hell would break loose.

You can imagine the temptation those things had for the kid getting off the school bus and coming home to a house without much food in it. There were times when an Oreo would go missing and I would have to take what was owed. I weighed the costs each time and took calculated risks, but at least I got the Oreo.

There was one particular night that stands out in my memory, the night my step-dad left for good. He came home to discover his priceless possessions had been invaded, and the usual game began. This time, however, the missing pieces were the result of his miscalculation rather than an eleven year old's sweet tooth. I stood up to him for the first time and told him about how selfish he was. By the time my mother chimed in, he had had quite enough. He went to the living room, grabbed the Oreos, sodas, and chips and brought them into the kitchen. In front of us, he crumbled up every cookie and every chip and poured each Pepsi down the drain in a tirade that would embarass a three year-old.

He grabbed what was left of his precious possessions and walked out of our lives.

Funny enough, I don't really like Oreo's, Pepsi, or potato chips. Some would say that's because of the associations I make in my mind with my childhood...or it could be that I don't eat junk food or drink many soft drinks at all. What I do know for sure is that there are a couple rules I've established in my life as a result of my experiences with my step-dad and his junk food fetish:

1) Don't hide (or hoard) food.

2) Share what I've got.

This sharing principle is exceedingly important to me and is one of the driving forces of my life. The kind of sharing I am talking about is beyond the "plays well with others" evaluations of kindergarten and encompasses a broader generosity of living. I believe that everything I have is a gift from God and, as such, is not simply my own to possess. Consequently, it is quite easy for me to share my home, my family, my income, my possessions, and my life with others.

It may sound elementary, but I have gained much more in my life by sharing than I ever have by hoarding. I suppose I've got my step-dad and my Father to thank for that valuable lesson.

Paraphrase

2010-02-13T08:37:00.005-07:00

"For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, and you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behavior that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved."

(paraphrased Matthew 25 from "The Hole in Our Gospel")

Knee

2010-02-01T19:05:00.001-07:00

Distance

2010-02-01T07:19:00.005-07:00

"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time" (Steven Wright).

I'm a sucker for a road trip, even when others are taking them instead of me. Our friend Jolene gave my wife a road trip to the nearest In-n-Out Burger as a Christmas gift. We live in Denver; the nearest In-n-Out is in Salt Lake City. Eight hours of open American interstate lay between them and that burger, but they managed to bridge that gap and eat there twice over the course of their weekend together.

Personally, I find In-n-Out Burger to be relatively mediocre, which I know doesn't win me many friends on the west coast. Then again, I'm not from California, and I certainly don't have the same sentimental associations with the place that my California girl does. If I'm going to go out of my way for a burger in America's west, it would probably have to be from Carl's Jr...but it is highly doubtful I would spend an entire weekend trying to get my Guacamole Bacon Burger.

Practically speaking, I can't help but think how much each of those burgers and fries cost when figuring in the cost of gasoline, wear and tear on the car, and any other purchases along the way. But then again, that's not really the point, is it?

While the pursuit of the burger may have been the selling point for the road trip, the journey wasn't really about the burger. There was something much deeper going on. Eventhough In-n-Out might appreciate the lengths and distances people will travel to get their food, I know that this road trip was about the pursuit of friendship and a meaningful existence: two friends journeying together to meet up with a third (Brenda's friend, Janet who lives in Salt Lake).

Though some might judge their little road trip as impractical, irrational, and inane, there are quite a few things about it that I can appreciate. I appreciate the lengths people will go to bridge the distance between themselves and someone they value. I admire people who are willing to sacrifice time and resources to run after what is important to them, particularly when those sacrifices are beneficial for others. Distance traveled can be a measure of devotion. In this particular case, it was more than brand loyalty that took Brenda and Jolene across the west.

Our friend Jonathon leaves in a month to begin his walk across America from Delaware to California. He will spend the better part of a year doing so with pack on his back and dog in tow. His journey isn't some "Into the Wild" escape or running away from life but is instead filled with purpose, beauty, and meaning deeper than many can grasp. San Francisco isn't his goal; the journey is. I can appreciate his journey.

As impractical, irrational, and inane some journey's may seem to others, there can be no arguing with the things that move a man's heart and cause him to go the distance in the pursuit of others. The Christ I admire went the distance for humanity, and he teaches us that leaving the ninety-nine in pursuit of the one is a noble journey. Each of us measures the worth of others by whether or not we are willing to go the metaphorical distance to get to them. Jesus reminds us that people are worth the pursuit, and their value is affirmed in the time spent.

We may seek to quantify whether or not such journeys to help a neighbor or serve a nation are worth the blood, sweat, and tears (or, God forbid, the money). Our consumer culture has taught us this lesson well. But I don't think we should measure the worth of a man according to my convenience, my comfort, or the amount of money spent. Such measurements seem to cheapen a man's soul.

I will always love the journey. For me, the getting there is as important as the destination. The journey is the reward.

Serve

2010-01-31T19:33:00.006-07:00

The following is from Hymn56 in the "Ausbund", the 1564 hymnal of Anabaptist martyrs.

What about the neighbor? -- When God's will is done -- Love of God and other -- Two loves become one. -- Jesus asks the question -- We dare not ignore -- "Will you be a neighbor?" -- "Do you love self more?"

What about the neighbor? -- Do we know their needs? -- Do we seek to meet them -- With both words and deeds? -- Christ is our example -- He did not divide -- Love for God and others -- Both stand side by side.

What about the neighbor? -- God requests reply -- Though we claim to love them -- Do our acts belie? -- No matter what others -- May do in return -- They're our sisters, brothers -- Our equal concern.

Letter

2010-01-24T20:51:00.002-07:00

On Divisions in the Church

2010-01-21T15:52:00.002-07:00

"Living Life Without Complaint"

2010-01-20T16:09:00.005-07:00

Curtis has been living with us since the middle of December and has become a much-loved part of the family. He likes to write, and he shared with me this morning a rap he's been working on. It encouraged me, and so I post it here with his enthusiastic permission and is unedited. Curtis is 17, and this is his story.

Looking back at my life to all the things I see - This is the man I came to be - Grew up without a dad but kept my head up high - Still walkin' tall, livin' life without no lie - Everytime I look back in my past I start to cry - Askin' questions like why haven't I died - Well I got good people in my life to keep me going - Got paper and pencil to keep me flowin' - Understandin' why I haven't gone crazy and committed suicide - But to kill the bad shit is the best homicide - Your actions come from the things you decide to choose - If you wanna get rid of it, you got to pick what to lose - People are here to help you out, not control your life - Let 'em help you out instead of living on the edge of a knife - Pointy and dangerous sure, you can cease to live - The best thing to help will be the way to give - Showin' the love is the best glory you can get - The people I'm livin' with are the best people I met - Carin' for me in the best way they can - Appreciatin' the way for me to become a better man - Live by gun, die by gun is always what I thought - Live by love, die with love is really what I got - Thankin' people and the haters for what they did to me - Waitin' for the opportunity in my life so I could help people be free - Free of anger, free of hate - Can't wait to help people out so their life can be great - My grandma always told me to never hold a grudge on anybody for good - But to hold on to people who are great, I would - Let's pray for people, so bow your head - Pray for the bad so they can be good, not dead - Thankin' the Lord for everything he gave me - I don't got a hero but the Lord has saved me - Pulled me out of the fire so I wouldn't be burnt to ash - I live in the present and never will live in the past - I'm livin' well and healthy - And will die good and happy.

Christian Fundamentalism

2010-01-18T15:44:00.004-07:00

What bothers me the most about Christian fundamentalism isn't that it doesn't match up with New Testament teachings; what bothers me the most is that it doesn't resemble Jesus.

It is ironic to me that fundamentalism started as a unity movement within the Christian church. While the earliest days of fundamentalism were intended to promote Christian unity, it evolved into something much different. Christian fundamentalism, in short, is a strict cohesion to a set of basic doctrines or principles as a reaction to the perceived "worldly, perverse" doctrinal compromises in the modern world. In 1910, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church published their Five Fundamentals at their annual Niagra Bible Conference. The Five Fundamentals are:

1. The inspiration of the Bible by the Holy Spirit and inerrancy of Scripture as a result. 2. The virgin birth of Christ. 3 The belief that Christ's death was the atonement for sin. 4. The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. 5. The historical realities of Christ's miracles.

The General Assembly released other publications as well such as the "Niagra Creed" which contained 14 points or statements that were foundational for "true Christianity". Statements (or creeds) such as these exist to say, "If you want to be part of us, this is what you must believe". Influenced by my Anabaptist heritage, I don't believe a statement of beliefs (or your belief in them) assures one's salvation. Anabaptists believe that the Holy Spirit works among God's people in each generation to interpret our understanding of Scripture and the context in which we live it out.

These "fundamental statements" were used to separate those "not genuinely Christian" from those who profess the "true" faith. While fundamentalists would view these statements the foundations of true religion, I believe that the Sermon on the Mount and teachings of Jesus deserve our attention. How Scripture is understood, interpreted, and contextualized is very different from a fundamentalist view point and, lets say, an Anabaptist view point. Even the word "context" or "contextualization" could invoke charges of apostasy, heresy, and perverted worldliness from the fundamental viewpoint (although, I would charge, they have entirely contextualized their fundamental lifestyles to align with certain periods or thought in American history).

The trinity of fundamentalist thought is textual inerrancy, textual infallibility, and textual literalism. This seems to be true of any religious form of fundamentalism and their approach to sacred texts (whether they be Islamic, Jewish, Christian, or even Buddhist fundamentalists). Although biblical literalism is a relatively modern invention, you would think by listening to them that Jesus and Paul were literalists as well. In such fundamentalist thought, there is a belief that they alone hold to the truest form of their religion and that they hold the monopoly on truth. Everyone else is unfaithful and worldly. Islamic fundamentalists call us "infidels"; Christian fundamentalists call us "pagans".

In Christian fundamentalism, there is a strong emphasis on the strict adherance to doctrine based on a literal interpretation of Scripture. However, since fundamentalism is a reaction against the "corrupt", it became much more than a movement based on biblical literalism. Fundamentalists began to see themselves as keepers of the true Christian heritage of the first century and the heirs of the American, puritan, protestant empire of the USA. Their "battle" was a continuation of the paramount struggle of good and evil, between God and Satan, fighting against all who would corrupt the Christian religion (and America, I might add). In 1920, Curtis Lee Laws, a British journalist for the Watchman-Examiner, described the fundamentalist intent as "doing battle royal for the fundamentals". Anyone who didn't hold to the fundamentalist agenda for Christianity (or for America) was considered an enemy. Their list of enemies is long, and it continues to grow.

Fundamentalists began to court politics in the 1970's, evolved into the Moral Majority of the 1980's, and became the Christian Coalition and Family Research Council of the 1990's. I stopped listening to such groups as Focus on the Family in the mid-90's as they continued to adopt more and more of a political and cultural agenda (even though I may have agreed with some of their politics). I don't believe faith and politics make good bedfellows.

In short, here are some of the problems I have with Christian fundamentalism:

1) Fundamentalism takes it upon itself to decide who's in and who's out and justifies judgment of individuals and society as a whole, often choosing to condemn and criticize rather than serve in love. Their belief that they are "right" gives them the confidence not only to speak from God but to speak as though they were God. This fundamentalist ideology dismisses those they deem as outcasts, and many of these Christian people treat "sinners" with contempt and possess a spirit that is opposite of Christ. Judgment is an affront to Christ, and from a New Testament point of view, there can be no denying that!

2) By and large, there is a rejection of Social Justice among fundamentalists. I have been around many believers who treat those called to Social Justice as liberal, worldly, and ungodly. How can someone who claims to "believe the bible" deny that caring for the poor, serving the homeless, helping the sick, ending discrimination, and fathering the fatherless is wrong and a misallocation of church resources? For 2000 years, the Christian church has been carrying out God's work by founding hospitals, schools, and orphanages and working to abolish slavery, pursue civil rights, and terminate segregation (often in direct opposition to fundamentalists). I seriously question the sincerity of those who claim to "believe the bible" and yet criticize the cause of justice. There is more than one way to preach the Gospel!

3) Fundamentalism requires conformity to established dogmas and doctrines. With major issues resolved, all that is required by followers is conformity...and there is little tolerance for diversity. However, as views get narrower and narrower, the church continues to splinter into smaller and smaller sects, shattering the unity of the church and giving rise to potentially manipulative and controlling environments. Any sect that does not tolerate debate and questioning is obsessed with control. I do not believe coercion or manipulation have any place in the Christian faith because it is opposite to the spirit of Christ. I do not believe that God is threatened by those who poke and prod, search and seek. I do, however, think it is dangerous and irresponsible when we fail to ask questions and seek for truth.

4) Fundamentalism, all too easily, makes enemies of men -- despite the prohibition of it in Scripture and the example of Jesus. Michael Graeme said, "The fundamental flaw of fundamentalism, be it religious or scientific, is that it has a nasty habit of riding roughshod over the humanity it claims to serve." In the name of "true religion", many fundamentalists have declared open season on anyone they have labeled as a scourge on the land. In the name of God, they afflict pain and suffering of a different kind, leaving a shattered humanity in their path. The damage done to people cannot be justified by someone claiming to follow Christ! This kind of religion is perhaps religion in its ugliest form. It all too closely resembles the Pharisees of the New Testament in its tactics and treatment of "sinners". With utter defiance of the teachings of Jesus, they place the law above love and choose repeatedly to cast the first stone.

For the fundamentalists, salvation is found in the correctness of their beliefs and conformity to their expectations. While I do not disagree with any of the Five Fundamentals as individual statements of Scriptural truth, I profoundly disagree with fundamentalism. I cannot identify with nor support they way they live among our neighbors. I cannot reconcile in my heart that their way is Christ's Way.

I just cannot.

While fundamentalism may appeal to our narcissism (we are God's chosen) and to fear (salvation must be this way), it misses the mark when it comes to Jesus. We cannot say, "God said it, I believe it, that settles it" and ignore the Sermon on the Mount, the Greatest Commandments, the Parable of the Sheep and Goats and so many other great and wonderful teachings of Jesus! If we ignore Jesus, then what are we?

Legalism (or even moralism) cannot usurp the teachings of Christ. Jesus, I believe, is God's revelation of Himself. When we see Jesus, we see God! To see Jesus is much more than just understanding the facts that surround his life (virgin birth, miracles, crucifixion, resurrection). To see Jesus is to allow him to read our life, our motives, and our heart and to be transformed into people who live as He did, carrying the Good News on our lives and on our lips -- and we cannot have one without the other!

Please, Mr. Robertson

2010-01-15T06:14:00.005-07:00

I wonder why so many opportunities for mercy get buried in judgment? How can we, time and time again, ignore the Spirit of Christ who transforms us and desires to be present through us?

"Think of the overwhelming perception among young outsiders that we are merely hypocrites. Does your life point people to a life in Christ that bursts with freedom to love, restoration, purity, and transparency? Or are you burying people -- insiders and outsiders -- under the weight of a self-righteous life? Do you lift a finger to help?

As a Christian it is my duty to ask: Are you lifting a finger now?

Which one?"

(Kinnaman, UnChristian)

Indeed.

Individualism

2010-01-12T21:33:00.002-07:00

Conversion

2010-01-11T16:56:00.004-07:00

"Mere sorrow, which weeps and sits still, is not repentance. Repentance is sorrow converted into action, into a movement toward a new and better life" (M.R. Vincent).

I had a pastor who was fond of saying "what you win them with is what you win them to." I've taken a liking to the phrase myself, and it sprung to mind again recently while reading a chapter on authentic witness in David Augsburger's book "Dissident Discipleship". There was a particular quote by Jim Wallis that caught my attention in chapter seven:

"The gospel message has been molded to suit an increasingly narcissistic culture. Conversion is proclaimed as the road to self-realization. Whether through evangelical piety or liberal therapy, the role of religion is presented as a way to help us uncover our human potential -- our potential for personal, social, and business success, that is. Modern conversion brings Jesus into our lives rather than bringing us into his. We are told Jesus is here to help us do better that which we are already doing. Jesus doesn't change our lives, he improves them. Conversion is just for ourselves, not for the world. We ask how Jesus can fulfill our lives, not how we might serve his kingdom" ("The Call to Conversion").

"Modern conversion brings Jesus into our lives rather than bringing us into his." That sentence lept off the text when I read it. Has our understanding of conversion become another path towards self-fulfillment rather than the death to self Jesus spoke of? Has our understanding of conversion been influenced and shaped by the consumer culture and market-driven church?

Conversion: from what to what?

There's nothing new about the pursuit of self. Nothing new at all. Some Christians would suggest we abandon the ways of the world (which includes "trying to make it on our own") while subscribing to a new-found "faith" that resembles little more than legalism. It's a bit like jumping from the frying pan and into the fire, if you ask me. They would suggest that salvation is dependent upon conformity to the rules and regulations of the law favorable to their own particular ideologies.

Others, as it seems, have attracted countless followers through the preaching of "another gospel" that seems to glorify our selfish pursuits and reinforce this idea that even the King of the Universe exists for my pleasure. What a religion!

But being "in Christ" changes everything. It puts to death my vain attempts at righteousness by my own efforts and "draws us towards his intentions for humanity" (p. 183, Augsburger). Oswald Chambers describes conversion as a human being awakening to true life, and I am convinced we find true life by participating in his.