Anyone who understands grace as all getting and no giving, doesn't understand grace. The God who provides more than we could ever repay, still demands something from us. Just because it isn't equal to Christ's sacrifice, doesn't mean a sacrifice isn't required. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, "when Christ calls a man, he calls him to come and die."
Exodus 23:15, Exodus 34:19, and Deuteronomy 16:16-17 are all passages that have to do with bringing sacrifices before God. In each of them, the same phrase appears:
No one is to appear before me empty handed.
But why? Why must we give to God who needs nothing?
For the simple reason that love demands response. For the simple reason that creation act in right response to its Creator.
And, as strange as it may sound, our inability to be right enough doesn't excuse us from trying to be right. The fact that our sacrifice is never enough doesn't make it unnecessary. The same hymn which says "nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling" also states "not a mite would I withold."
Our giving up and making sacrifices at Lent isn't simply about being filled with the presence of God, but also responding to that fullness, by being poured out as living sacrifices.
But what about the times God says "I desire mercy, not sacrifice", when He counts care for the poor as true fasting.
That gets us to what else Lent and emptying and fullness are about.
Deuteronomy 15:7-14 states that when those who are in need come to us we "do not send them away empty handed." Empty handedness is a no no with God. We are called to be people who give, give to God and give to others.
And why? That takes us back to out first Lenten meditation; because Christ gave himself up for us. Because God gave His only Son.
In Exodus 3:21, before God has freed His people from slavery, He assures them that He will cause the Egyptians to be favorably disposed towards them so that they "will not leave empty handed."
God's provision has always come first. Our giving at Lent, giving up, giving to God, and giving to others, all goes back to what He first gave to us. We must be willing to make this sacrifice and to live our "lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For [we] know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that [we] were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to [us] from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Fullness and Lent Pt 2
This Sunday was the first Sunday of Lent, a time when Christians around the world give up something they enjoy for the sake of Christ. It’s a season of sacrifice that culminates in Christ’s sacrifice. It’s a season of emptiness that culminates in an empty tomb. It’s a time when we reflect on our own mortality in relation to the fullness of God.
But why is emptiness so important? In the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness we are given some clues.
Following Jesus’ baptism and before he begins his ministry, he spends 40 days alone in the desert, fasting. During that time, he is visited and tempted by Satan.
Here is Jesus at a point of emptiness, at a point when you think he’d be most vulnerable. He is certainly hungry. So Satan strikes there, tempting him into turning rocks into bread. Jesus’ response is from scripture, that "man does not live by bread alone."
Satan then tempts Jesus a second and third time with power and fame. Jesus responds again with the word of God.
In a sense, Satan offers Jesus what he offered Adam and Eve. He tempts with basic physical needs and with more emotional ones as well. He offers food to take and eat, and he offers power and fulfillment and happiness. And really, is there anything wrong with these things?
After all, doesn’t God want us to be happy? What’s wrong with pursuing happiness? Isn’t it one of our God given rights?
First off, God is not opposed to earthly pleasures, He infuses them with a foundation of meaning. Jesus isn’t a Gnostic, nor are his followers, they don’t disconnect the spiritual from the physical. Calls to fasting aren’t meant to deny ourselves of physical things so that we can concentrate on “spiritual” things, but so we can redeem the physical things as spiritual things. Food can become substantive and enjoyable instead of one more thing we shove into a gaping hole. So can entertainment, relationships, sex and other pleasures.
A theologian named Pascal once wrote about a “God shaped hole” that exists in all of us. He argued that every human being was created with a place inside of them that can only be filled up by the presence of God. He went on to say that humans make the mistake of trying to fill that hole with other things, the things that make them “happy”.
The God-shaped hole in the human heart is in fact an infinite and terrifying abyss, Pascal said, which I try to cover over with all sorts of false facades. But then a crack appears in the facade, and I see through it the well of eternal nothingness plunging down forever, and I hurl myself back in total horror.
Can I pour alcohol through the crack in the facade and fill the primordial abyss of nonbeing and remove the unbearable terror? This does not work for very long. Sigmund Freud said in Civilization and Its Discontents that no mood-altering chemicals ultimately perform this job satisfactorily. For a while Freud thought that cocaine could safely do this, and had to learn the hard way, through his own personal experience, that in the long run it worked no better than alcohol.
Neither does money or sex or power or security. We’ve seen evidence, either through witnessing it, or by first hand experience.
Only that which is infinite and completely transcendent, Pascal said, could fill such an infinite abyss.
The Bible says that we cannot love both God and mammon. Mammon is just a word for “stuff” or things. We cannot love both God and things. God is to be loved and things are to be used. And it is increasingly important that we love God and use things, for there is much in our gadget-minded, consumer-oriented society that is encouraging us to love things and use God.
Satan tempts Jesus with provision, wealth, and power. He tempts Him with what he tempts us. The pursuit of happiness. The American Dream. But we are called, as Christ did, to pursue holiness. Remember Jesus’ words to Satan, “man does not live by bread alone, but by the word of God.” Jesus knows where his blessings come from. His time in the desert has been a reminder of that. His time in the word was a reminder of that too. That’s why he can use it to sustain himself in the midst of temptation. He knows to put the giver before the gift.
The devil is always suggesting that we compromise our calling by offering us what is good in place of what is best. He plays on our hunger and he plays on our fear. We’re so afraid to face our own emptiness that we’ll consume anything to make that emptiness go away.
So, in this season of Lent, we follow the example of Christ in the wilderness and make a conscious choice for emptiness.
There are schools of religious thought that teach an embracing of emptiness as the key to happiness. That we must die to ourselves. That a denial of our physical selves will, in and of itself, redeem our spiritual selves. That the physical is bad and the spiritual is good. That is not what we proclaim. We proclaim the physical and spiritual are connected and we witness that in the incarnation of Jesus. If we deny ourselves, it is only so we can take up the cross of Christ. If we die, it is only so we can live again. If we embrace emptiness, it isn’t with emptiness as the end goal, but as a means to an end, experiencing the fullness of God. If we stop grasping at stuff, it is so we can grab hold of God.
I encourage you, if you haven’t already, to give something up this Lenten season. Something you really like. Something you’ll miss. Something that you use as a crutch to sustain you, to keep you from being lonely or quiet or empty, to keep from looking into that abyss. I encourage you to ask God into that time and that place that you normally fill with television or chocolate or shopping. Let this season of Lent be a time when you embrace emptiness in order to better understand the sacrifice of Christ and to be more filled with the Spirit of God.
But why is emptiness so important? In the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness we are given some clues.
Following Jesus’ baptism and before he begins his ministry, he spends 40 days alone in the desert, fasting. During that time, he is visited and tempted by Satan.
Here is Jesus at a point of emptiness, at a point when you think he’d be most vulnerable. He is certainly hungry. So Satan strikes there, tempting him into turning rocks into bread. Jesus’ response is from scripture, that "man does not live by bread alone."
Satan then tempts Jesus a second and third time with power and fame. Jesus responds again with the word of God.
In a sense, Satan offers Jesus what he offered Adam and Eve. He tempts with basic physical needs and with more emotional ones as well. He offers food to take and eat, and he offers power and fulfillment and happiness. And really, is there anything wrong with these things?
After all, doesn’t God want us to be happy? What’s wrong with pursuing happiness? Isn’t it one of our God given rights?
First off, God is not opposed to earthly pleasures, He infuses them with a foundation of meaning. Jesus isn’t a Gnostic, nor are his followers, they don’t disconnect the spiritual from the physical. Calls to fasting aren’t meant to deny ourselves of physical things so that we can concentrate on “spiritual” things, but so we can redeem the physical things as spiritual things. Food can become substantive and enjoyable instead of one more thing we shove into a gaping hole. So can entertainment, relationships, sex and other pleasures.
A theologian named Pascal once wrote about a “God shaped hole” that exists in all of us. He argued that every human being was created with a place inside of them that can only be filled up by the presence of God. He went on to say that humans make the mistake of trying to fill that hole with other things, the things that make them “happy”.
The God-shaped hole in the human heart is in fact an infinite and terrifying abyss, Pascal said, which I try to cover over with all sorts of false facades. But then a crack appears in the facade, and I see through it the well of eternal nothingness plunging down forever, and I hurl myself back in total horror.
Can I pour alcohol through the crack in the facade and fill the primordial abyss of nonbeing and remove the unbearable terror? This does not work for very long. Sigmund Freud said in Civilization and Its Discontents that no mood-altering chemicals ultimately perform this job satisfactorily. For a while Freud thought that cocaine could safely do this, and had to learn the hard way, through his own personal experience, that in the long run it worked no better than alcohol.
Neither does money or sex or power or security. We’ve seen evidence, either through witnessing it, or by first hand experience.
Only that which is infinite and completely transcendent, Pascal said, could fill such an infinite abyss.
The Bible says that we cannot love both God and mammon. Mammon is just a word for “stuff” or things. We cannot love both God and things. God is to be loved and things are to be used. And it is increasingly important that we love God and use things, for there is much in our gadget-minded, consumer-oriented society that is encouraging us to love things and use God.
Satan tempts Jesus with provision, wealth, and power. He tempts Him with what he tempts us. The pursuit of happiness. The American Dream. But we are called, as Christ did, to pursue holiness. Remember Jesus’ words to Satan, “man does not live by bread alone, but by the word of God.” Jesus knows where his blessings come from. His time in the desert has been a reminder of that. His time in the word was a reminder of that too. That’s why he can use it to sustain himself in the midst of temptation. He knows to put the giver before the gift.
The devil is always suggesting that we compromise our calling by offering us what is good in place of what is best. He plays on our hunger and he plays on our fear. We’re so afraid to face our own emptiness that we’ll consume anything to make that emptiness go away.
So, in this season of Lent, we follow the example of Christ in the wilderness and make a conscious choice for emptiness.
There are schools of religious thought that teach an embracing of emptiness as the key to happiness. That we must die to ourselves. That a denial of our physical selves will, in and of itself, redeem our spiritual selves. That the physical is bad and the spiritual is good. That is not what we proclaim. We proclaim the physical and spiritual are connected and we witness that in the incarnation of Jesus. If we deny ourselves, it is only so we can take up the cross of Christ. If we die, it is only so we can live again. If we embrace emptiness, it isn’t with emptiness as the end goal, but as a means to an end, experiencing the fullness of God. If we stop grasping at stuff, it is so we can grab hold of God.
I encourage you, if you haven’t already, to give something up this Lenten season. Something you really like. Something you’ll miss. Something that you use as a crutch to sustain you, to keep you from being lonely or quiet or empty, to keep from looking into that abyss. I encourage you to ask God into that time and that place that you normally fill with television or chocolate or shopping. Let this season of Lent be a time when you embrace emptiness in order to better understand the sacrifice of Christ and to be more filled with the Spirit of God.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
For Lent: A Communion Meditation on Fullness
When was the last time you felt full? What was it that caused that feeling?
Not full as in sick, but full as in satisfied.
Genesis 1 says so much, but it is also just one long amazing poem about God’s provision, and that it was good. It isn’t meant to be an historic play by play of six literal days, but to reflect the eternal truth that the universe exists, we exist, the earth exists and everything in it because God said “Let there be…” It destroys the myth of the self-made man and reminds us that we are dust and that we are of God, all in the same breath. God has created, God has provided, God has given us more than we could ask or imagine.
And yet, it seems as if no time has passed before we begin to value the gifts over the giver. Adam and Eve are in the garden, a garden full of everything they could ever need and one thing they aren’t ready for. God commands them to eat of any tree in paradise, except for this one tree. This tree brings death.
And still, life is good. Adam and Eve enjoy the presence of God and the paradise He has provided. Until the snake arrives. Satan, the tempter, the deceiver, the adversary, comes and asks Adam and Eve to put the gift before the giver. He tells them that they should eat what they like. He promises power on par with God Himself. Satan whispers “Take and eat. This eternal life.” And they don’t resist. They take and eat. And as a result, they are commanded to leave paradise. As a result, they bring sin and suffering and death into the world. As a result, our reality is broken.
And humanity spends thousands and thousands of years wrestling with this brokenness and wrestling with God, obeying Him one second and defying Him the next. And yet, He continues to provide. From the start, he provides clothing for Adam and Eve, since the clothing they have made for themselves is so inadequate, and continues on throughout history, providing second chances and new beginnings, deliverance from Egypt and food in the desert, the law and the prophets, judges and kings. And, finally, providing the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ.
If we’re going to talk about being full, we have to begin with where fullness comes from. If we’re going to talk about gifts, we have to begin with the giver. If we’re going to talk about sacrifice, we have to begin with Jesus. Jesus who was with God in the beginning, when paradise was first created. Who is with us now, through His Spirit and His Church. Who is with us in our time of communion.
Jesus who comes offering us salvation from sin and an end to brokenness. Jesus who comes offering us the bread that is His body and the drink that is His blood. who offers fullness when he says “take and eat, this is eternal life.”
Not full as in sick, but full as in satisfied.
Genesis 1 says so much, but it is also just one long amazing poem about God’s provision, and that it was good. It isn’t meant to be an historic play by play of six literal days, but to reflect the eternal truth that the universe exists, we exist, the earth exists and everything in it because God said “Let there be…” It destroys the myth of the self-made man and reminds us that we are dust and that we are of God, all in the same breath. God has created, God has provided, God has given us more than we could ask or imagine.
And yet, it seems as if no time has passed before we begin to value the gifts over the giver. Adam and Eve are in the garden, a garden full of everything they could ever need and one thing they aren’t ready for. God commands them to eat of any tree in paradise, except for this one tree. This tree brings death.
And still, life is good. Adam and Eve enjoy the presence of God and the paradise He has provided. Until the snake arrives. Satan, the tempter, the deceiver, the adversary, comes and asks Adam and Eve to put the gift before the giver. He tells them that they should eat what they like. He promises power on par with God Himself. Satan whispers “Take and eat. This eternal life.” And they don’t resist. They take and eat. And as a result, they are commanded to leave paradise. As a result, they bring sin and suffering and death into the world. As a result, our reality is broken.
And humanity spends thousands and thousands of years wrestling with this brokenness and wrestling with God, obeying Him one second and defying Him the next. And yet, He continues to provide. From the start, he provides clothing for Adam and Eve, since the clothing they have made for themselves is so inadequate, and continues on throughout history, providing second chances and new beginnings, deliverance from Egypt and food in the desert, the law and the prophets, judges and kings. And, finally, providing the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ.
If we’re going to talk about being full, we have to begin with where fullness comes from. If we’re going to talk about gifts, we have to begin with the giver. If we’re going to talk about sacrifice, we have to begin with Jesus. Jesus who was with God in the beginning, when paradise was first created. Who is with us now, through His Spirit and His Church. Who is with us in our time of communion.
Jesus who comes offering us salvation from sin and an end to brokenness. Jesus who comes offering us the bread that is His body and the drink that is His blood. who offers fullness when he says “take and eat, this is eternal life.”
Friday, February 23, 2007
Reading and Listening Pt 2: Desert Island Discs
I forgot, I also picked up Kill Your Idols and Stranded, in order to read them alogside each other. Stranded is a collection of rock critics sharing which disc would go with them on a desert island. Kill Your Idols is a collection of rock critics tearing down "classics" from the rock & roll canon. They're both an excellent excercise in validation and frustration, depending upon whether you find yourself agreeing with said critic.
So, I invite you to share your Desert Island Discs as well as a "classic" that you'd only take to a desert island as something to burn. I'm doing 25. You do whatever you like. In order:
Johnny Cash -Live At Folsom Prison
Bruce Springsteen -Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ
Bob Dylan -Highway 61 Revisited
The Beatles -Revolver
Elvis Costello -My Aim Is True
Van Morrison -Moondance
Tom Waits -Closing Time
Jackson Browne -Late For The Sky
Paul Simon -Graceland
Ron Sexsmith -Other Songs
U2 -The Unforgettable Fire
Otis Redding -Otis Blue
Marvin Gaye -Let's Get It On
The Kinks -Arthur
John Coltrane -A Love Supreme
Neil Young -On The Beach/Tonight's The Night (tie)
Harry Nilsson -Nilsson Schmilsson
The Band -Music From Big Pink
Big Star -#1 Record
The Beach Boys -Pet Sounds
John Lennon -Imagine
Elton John -Tumbleweed Connection
Wilco -Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
The Who -Who's Next
Jeff Buckley -Grace / Neutral Milk Hotel -In The Aeroplane Over The Sea (tie)
My disc for burning: Captain Beefheart/Lou Reed -Trout Mask Replica/Metal Machine Music (tie)
So, I invite you to share your Desert Island Discs as well as a "classic" that you'd only take to a desert island as something to burn. I'm doing 25. You do whatever you like. In order:
Johnny Cash -Live At Folsom Prison
Bruce Springsteen -Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ
Bob Dylan -Highway 61 Revisited
The Beatles -Revolver
Elvis Costello -My Aim Is True
Van Morrison -Moondance
Tom Waits -Closing Time
Jackson Browne -Late For The Sky
Paul Simon -Graceland
Ron Sexsmith -Other Songs
U2 -The Unforgettable Fire
Otis Redding -Otis Blue
Marvin Gaye -Let's Get It On
The Kinks -Arthur
John Coltrane -A Love Supreme
Neil Young -On The Beach/Tonight's The Night (tie)
Harry Nilsson -Nilsson Schmilsson
The Band -Music From Big Pink
Big Star -#1 Record
The Beach Boys -Pet Sounds
John Lennon -Imagine
Elton John -Tumbleweed Connection
Wilco -Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
The Who -Who's Next
Jeff Buckley -Grace / Neutral Milk Hotel -In The Aeroplane Over The Sea (tie)
My disc for burning: Captain Beefheart/Lou Reed -Trout Mask Replica/Metal Machine Music (tie)
Reading and Listening
I said it would be every week, and that works out about right. A couple of books per week and a change out in the stereo. All that brings us to this week's installment of what I'm reading/listening to.
Reading:
Divine Nobodies by Jim Palmer. I've had about 6 different friends recommend this to me, so it's really about time. Not that far into it yet, but it has a Donald Miller feel to it. I'm enjoying it. A sort of spiritual memoir about a minister who almost threw in the towel and the people that helped him find his way back.
Searching For Truth by John Polkinghorne. Polkinghorne is a well respected physicist and theologian. This is a collection of Lenten meditations on science and faith. One for each day of Lent, in the style of a 'My Upmost For His Highest'.
Still working my way through The Brothers K and Decoding the Universe.
Listening to:
Clemency by Summer Hymns. Has that easy folkie indie feel of Neil Young's 'Harvest' or The Byrds 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo'. Summer Hymns get better with each album (this is their second to latest). Put out by the Misra label and is a sunnier version of other artists that Misra produces.
Our Endless Numbered Days by Iron & Wine. Neither this nor Clemency are particularly new albums (both came out in 2003 or 2004, I think), but this, like Clemency, is a favorite I hadn't pulled out in a little while. Rachel and I pulled it out last night and soaked it in while we played cards. At one point, one of us mentioned that it felt like we'd gone back in time. Very cozy and warm and heartfelt and sad.
The Very Best of...The Tremeloes. Wow. I forget how amazing The Tremeloes are. Those not familiar with the name would still recognize a few of their songs ('Here Comes My Baby', 'Silence Is Golden'). That stuff is the tip of the iceberg. For fans of the British Invasion (particularly The Kinks). I dare you to listen to 'Hello World' and stay in a bad mood.
Reading:
Divine Nobodies by Jim Palmer. I've had about 6 different friends recommend this to me, so it's really about time. Not that far into it yet, but it has a Donald Miller feel to it. I'm enjoying it. A sort of spiritual memoir about a minister who almost threw in the towel and the people that helped him find his way back.
Searching For Truth by John Polkinghorne. Polkinghorne is a well respected physicist and theologian. This is a collection of Lenten meditations on science and faith. One for each day of Lent, in the style of a 'My Upmost For His Highest'.
Still working my way through The Brothers K and Decoding the Universe.
Listening to:
Clemency by Summer Hymns. Has that easy folkie indie feel of Neil Young's 'Harvest' or The Byrds 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo'. Summer Hymns get better with each album (this is their second to latest). Put out by the Misra label and is a sunnier version of other artists that Misra produces.
Our Endless Numbered Days by Iron & Wine. Neither this nor Clemency are particularly new albums (both came out in 2003 or 2004, I think), but this, like Clemency, is a favorite I hadn't pulled out in a little while. Rachel and I pulled it out last night and soaked it in while we played cards. At one point, one of us mentioned that it felt like we'd gone back in time. Very cozy and warm and heartfelt and sad.
The Very Best of...The Tremeloes. Wow. I forget how amazing The Tremeloes are. Those not familiar with the name would still recognize a few of their songs ('Here Comes My Baby', 'Silence Is Golden'). That stuff is the tip of the iceberg. For fans of the British Invasion (particularly The Kinks). I dare you to listen to 'Hello World' and stay in a bad mood.
Monday, February 19, 2007
If Mankind Can't Come To The Mountain...
Most of us are familiar with the phrase “if the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, Mohammed must come to the mountain.”
The phrase gets used when someone or something can’t or won’t budge. Sometimes we apply this proverb to grand events and sometimes to everyday circumstances. The idea is that when one cannot get one’s own way, one is forced to make adjustments.
The proverb has roots in a story about Mohammed. The legend goes that when the founder of Islam was asked to give proofs of his teaching, he ordered Mount Safa to come to him. When the mountain did not comply, Mohammed raised his hands toward heaven and said, 'God is merciful. Had it obeyed my words, it would have fallen on us to our destruction. I will therefore go to the mountain and thank God that he has had mercy on a stiff-necked generation.’ Because the mountain would not come to Mohammed, Mohammed went to the mountain.
In the New Testament gospel of Luke, we have a story that is popularly known as the Transfiguration. It is a story about a mountain. In the story of the Transfiguration, Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a high mountain. Mountains, you may well know, in Greek, Hebrew, Roman and Asian religious literature, were always places where the human could touch the divine. Sure enough, at the top of that mountain with Jesus, a wonderful thing happened. Jesus was revealed in new form, surrounded by bright light. The apostles began to see Jesus a new way. The apostles got a brand-new insight into whom this Jesus really was -- dazzling, consuming, literally enlightening. Here stood their teacher, Jesus, alongside two of the greatest men from their history; Moses and Elijah. Two men who were, for all intents and purposes, the law and the prophets. Jesus is revealed in His true form, and the effect on the apostles is instantaneous and the experience is glorious.
When we find ourselves in the midst of enlightening experiences, what we often call “mountain top” experiences, there is a strong desire to want to live in the moment, to want to make of the experience a pious response. To say to ourselves "this as close to heaven as I can get, so I'm staying here." This is what Peter opts for. He says, "Let's settle down here, Jesus, and build three booths, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
I'm not really sure, but I think what he had in mind was to build a sanctuary and call it a church. Peter, in other words, was opting for a religion of temples, institutions and shrines. Peter was opting for a religion that transcends the world, but the scripture reads that before he could even finish speaking, God interrupted and said, "Listen." Before Peter could go into the greater details of his amazing plan, God spoke, pointed to Jesus, and said "Listen to him."
Then something happens that we too often forget. The gospel is completed by a portion that is usually unread, too little remembered, too much unfulfilled. At the very moment, when it would seem that Jesus is emphasizing the mystical and transcendent dimension of religion, Jesus himself takes the apostles away from visions, away from privatized religion, to meet the ones who needed them most in the town.
Jesus takes them down the mountain to a man whose son was possessed by a demon. Jesus himself leads them down to the bottom of that mountain to the hurting people, unbelieving officials, the ineffective institutions and the demons below.
Following Jesus isn’t about building a church, but being a church. It is not about building temples and keeping shrines. It is about healing hurts, speaking for and being with the poor, the helpless, the voiceless and the forgotten who are at the silent bottom of every pinnacle, every hierarchy and every system.
Following Christ, the scripture insists, is not about transcending life; following Christ is about transforming life.
The purpose of holiness is not to protect us from our world. The purpose of holiness is to change the way we live in the world, not for our own sake but for the sake of others.
The disciples are permitted to see the transfigured Jesus, but now they want to stay in the world of the transfiguration, and no longer return to the real world. They want to remain in the world of Jesus' visible glory and power, in the world of the visible fulfillment of the promise. They want to remain where they can see, not where they simply have to believe. But the disciples are not allowed to do this.
The people below, the people at the bottom of our mountains, wait to be healed of the diseases that spring from our spiritual darkness. The poor wait for jobs; the homeless wait for shelter; children are waiting for food. Those who are lost and lonely and broken wait to hear some piece of good news.
That is what the Transfiguration is about, that is what religion is really about, we are transformed so that the world might be transformed.
When Mohammed commands the mountain to move, the mountain scoffs at his arrogance and will not budge. But the people who sit at the foot of the mountain cry out for mercy. Thousands of years earlier, God’s people, the Israelites, encounter the presence of God at a mountain known as Mount Sinai. The glory of God is so great, that the people cannot even touch the base of the mountain. It is so terrifying that the Israelites ask that Moses go up on the mountain and bring back some word, some glimpse of God’s glory. The people cannot come to the mountain and they suffer as a result.
Today our predicament is the same. The glory of God is too great for us. Our sin creates a gap between us. We cannot come to the mountain.
And so, if mankind cannot go to the mountain, the mountain must come to mankind. In the person of Jesus Christ we receive the Word who was with God and is God. We have looked on Jesus and we have seen his glory. Through the Son of God, born as a man, crucified as a sacrifice, and risen as Lord, the glory of the mountain is brought to us. Through His Holy Spirit, it dwells in us.
If Christ brings the mountain to us, then we must follow suit on behalf of others. Too often the church has existed for it’s own purposes, a people on a pedestal instead of a city set on a hill. Too often we’ve been so enthralled with our own mountaintop experience that we have sought to re-create it as an ongoing series of mountaintop experiences. In starting churches we built booths at the top of unreachable mountains. Too often we have said that if people want church they have to come to church, but that doesn’t follow with the example set by Christ. If Jesus Christ goes down the mountain, the followers of Christ must follow Him down. Follow Him into the everyday circumstances where the light of Christ is most needed, into the lives of people who are crying out for someone to save them, into contact with the demons who torture and afflict them. If the people won’t come to church then the church must come to the people.
The phrase gets used when someone or something can’t or won’t budge. Sometimes we apply this proverb to grand events and sometimes to everyday circumstances. The idea is that when one cannot get one’s own way, one is forced to make adjustments.
The proverb has roots in a story about Mohammed. The legend goes that when the founder of Islam was asked to give proofs of his teaching, he ordered Mount Safa to come to him. When the mountain did not comply, Mohammed raised his hands toward heaven and said, 'God is merciful. Had it obeyed my words, it would have fallen on us to our destruction. I will therefore go to the mountain and thank God that he has had mercy on a stiff-necked generation.’ Because the mountain would not come to Mohammed, Mohammed went to the mountain.
In the New Testament gospel of Luke, we have a story that is popularly known as the Transfiguration. It is a story about a mountain. In the story of the Transfiguration, Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a high mountain. Mountains, you may well know, in Greek, Hebrew, Roman and Asian religious literature, were always places where the human could touch the divine. Sure enough, at the top of that mountain with Jesus, a wonderful thing happened. Jesus was revealed in new form, surrounded by bright light. The apostles began to see Jesus a new way. The apostles got a brand-new insight into whom this Jesus really was -- dazzling, consuming, literally enlightening. Here stood their teacher, Jesus, alongside two of the greatest men from their history; Moses and Elijah. Two men who were, for all intents and purposes, the law and the prophets. Jesus is revealed in His true form, and the effect on the apostles is instantaneous and the experience is glorious.
When we find ourselves in the midst of enlightening experiences, what we often call “mountain top” experiences, there is a strong desire to want to live in the moment, to want to make of the experience a pious response. To say to ourselves "this as close to heaven as I can get, so I'm staying here." This is what Peter opts for. He says, "Let's settle down here, Jesus, and build three booths, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
I'm not really sure, but I think what he had in mind was to build a sanctuary and call it a church. Peter, in other words, was opting for a religion of temples, institutions and shrines. Peter was opting for a religion that transcends the world, but the scripture reads that before he could even finish speaking, God interrupted and said, "Listen." Before Peter could go into the greater details of his amazing plan, God spoke, pointed to Jesus, and said "Listen to him."
Then something happens that we too often forget. The gospel is completed by a portion that is usually unread, too little remembered, too much unfulfilled. At the very moment, when it would seem that Jesus is emphasizing the mystical and transcendent dimension of religion, Jesus himself takes the apostles away from visions, away from privatized religion, to meet the ones who needed them most in the town.
Jesus takes them down the mountain to a man whose son was possessed by a demon. Jesus himself leads them down to the bottom of that mountain to the hurting people, unbelieving officials, the ineffective institutions and the demons below.
Following Jesus isn’t about building a church, but being a church. It is not about building temples and keeping shrines. It is about healing hurts, speaking for and being with the poor, the helpless, the voiceless and the forgotten who are at the silent bottom of every pinnacle, every hierarchy and every system.
Following Christ, the scripture insists, is not about transcending life; following Christ is about transforming life.
The purpose of holiness is not to protect us from our world. The purpose of holiness is to change the way we live in the world, not for our own sake but for the sake of others.
The disciples are permitted to see the transfigured Jesus, but now they want to stay in the world of the transfiguration, and no longer return to the real world. They want to remain in the world of Jesus' visible glory and power, in the world of the visible fulfillment of the promise. They want to remain where they can see, not where they simply have to believe. But the disciples are not allowed to do this.
The people below, the people at the bottom of our mountains, wait to be healed of the diseases that spring from our spiritual darkness. The poor wait for jobs; the homeless wait for shelter; children are waiting for food. Those who are lost and lonely and broken wait to hear some piece of good news.
That is what the Transfiguration is about, that is what religion is really about, we are transformed so that the world might be transformed.
When Mohammed commands the mountain to move, the mountain scoffs at his arrogance and will not budge. But the people who sit at the foot of the mountain cry out for mercy. Thousands of years earlier, God’s people, the Israelites, encounter the presence of God at a mountain known as Mount Sinai. The glory of God is so great, that the people cannot even touch the base of the mountain. It is so terrifying that the Israelites ask that Moses go up on the mountain and bring back some word, some glimpse of God’s glory. The people cannot come to the mountain and they suffer as a result.
Today our predicament is the same. The glory of God is too great for us. Our sin creates a gap between us. We cannot come to the mountain.
And so, if mankind cannot go to the mountain, the mountain must come to mankind. In the person of Jesus Christ we receive the Word who was with God and is God. We have looked on Jesus and we have seen his glory. Through the Son of God, born as a man, crucified as a sacrifice, and risen as Lord, the glory of the mountain is brought to us. Through His Holy Spirit, it dwells in us.
If Christ brings the mountain to us, then we must follow suit on behalf of others. Too often the church has existed for it’s own purposes, a people on a pedestal instead of a city set on a hill. Too often we’ve been so enthralled with our own mountaintop experience that we have sought to re-create it as an ongoing series of mountaintop experiences. In starting churches we built booths at the top of unreachable mountains. Too often we have said that if people want church they have to come to church, but that doesn’t follow with the example set by Christ. If Jesus Christ goes down the mountain, the followers of Christ must follow Him down. Follow Him into the everyday circumstances where the light of Christ is most needed, into the lives of people who are crying out for someone to save them, into contact with the demons who torture and afflict them. If the people won’t come to church then the church must come to the people.
How A Church Plant Really Feels
Yesterday, I wrote a letter to a fellow church planter about my reflections on church planting after a year at it. Some highlights:
First off, it's been hard. Much harder than Rachel or I could ever have imagined. I'm in a pretty constant state of over my head.
Secondly, it's been worth it. I've started to realize that when Jesus directed Peter to take the boats into deeper water, it was because being out of your depth is the best place to begin real fishing.
Im loving this even as I'm overwhelmed by it.
I'm 30 years old, and I'm the oldest member and lead pastor of my church.
I feel like a Timothy in need of a Paul.
I'm feeling the pressure of something that feels very new and the importance of connecting to something very old. I see the importance of learning new things without throwing out all the old.
I want to embrace the "I don't know" mystery of faith without losing the "this I know" basis for it.
I'm trying to shepherd a community in being disciples and disciple making, in bringing people to Jesus and being Jesus to people. I'm seeking and exploring and reading and praying and talking and listening and trying to lead and trying to follow.
Most of the time I feel like a dumb kid with a whole lot left to learn.
I heard a professor and theolgian say recently that the emerging churches and church plants are discovering that "there are no experts at this."
That is frightening in that I could use some experts and it's freeing in that I don't have to pretend to be one. I wanted to put this out there for any pastor, preacher, teacher, disciple and/or believer who ever felt like they were barely keeping their head above water. If it were just me and my "little faith" I would be drowning. Fortunately, Jesus is always there to save me.
First off, it's been hard. Much harder than Rachel or I could ever have imagined. I'm in a pretty constant state of over my head.
Secondly, it's been worth it. I've started to realize that when Jesus directed Peter to take the boats into deeper water, it was because being out of your depth is the best place to begin real fishing.
Im loving this even as I'm overwhelmed by it.
I'm 30 years old, and I'm the oldest member and lead pastor of my church.
I feel like a Timothy in need of a Paul.
I'm feeling the pressure of something that feels very new and the importance of connecting to something very old. I see the importance of learning new things without throwing out all the old.
I want to embrace the "I don't know" mystery of faith without losing the "this I know" basis for it.
I'm trying to shepherd a community in being disciples and disciple making, in bringing people to Jesus and being Jesus to people. I'm seeking and exploring and reading and praying and talking and listening and trying to lead and trying to follow.
Most of the time I feel like a dumb kid with a whole lot left to learn.
I heard a professor and theolgian say recently that the emerging churches and church plants are discovering that "there are no experts at this."
That is frightening in that I could use some experts and it's freeing in that I don't have to pretend to be one. I wanted to put this out there for any pastor, preacher, teacher, disciple and/or believer who ever felt like they were barely keeping their head above water. If it were just me and my "little faith" I would be drowning. Fortunately, Jesus is always there to save me.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Reading and Listening
So, I've decided to make "what I am reading/listening to" a regular feature on the ol' blog. I'm ADD and an avid enough reader/listener for that to change on a weekly basis. So, here's where we are this week:
Reading...
Any Human Heart by William Boyd. My friend and co-worker, Wellington Chew, suggested that I read this. It's a novel laid out as one man's series of journals throughout the 20th century. I'm only a third of the way through it and already tempted to call it a favorite. An excellent story.
Decoding the Universe by Charles Seife. Also recommended by Wellington. Also excellent. A very readable physics book for right brained people looking to tackle left brained subjects. I felt smarter just reading the introduction. And my head is swimming with sermon ideas connecting the Word to information and redundancy to His clues in the universe.
The Brothers K by David James Duncan. This is a re-read of one of my favorite novels. A story of a family trying to reconcile faith and family and love and loyalty and so on. It's very sad and very raw and very real.
The Soul of Prayer by PT Forsyth. Reading about prayer always does exactly what I hope it will do, which is get me praying more. Forsyth is amazing. Prayer is amazing. God is amazing. Not at all necessarily in that order.
Listening to...
Tommorow Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Bill Fay Group. If you haven't heard Bill Fay, but love Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, and every other iconic singer/songwriter I might name, you need to hear Bill Fay. Jeff Tweedy does a cover of Bill Fay's "Be Not So Fearful" in his live show, so you Wilco fans might like him too. Tomorrow may be my least favorite of his three, but it is also the most recent and my most recent purchase and may just need time to claim the 2nd or 1st place. A third place Bill Fay album is still a first rate album.
Live In Texas by Lyle Lovett. It's been awhile since I popped Lyle in the stereo, but I'm glad I did. This live show is so much fun. Rachel and I got to see this same tour at the Backyard some years back, and it was fantastic. His backup band and singers are something to hear as well.
Ill Communication by The Beastie Boys. I just needed to hear some 'Sabotage' this week. This music makes me want to roll down the windows and inflict it on pedestrians. It makes me want to jump off buildings and land on my feet. It makes me want to drive fast.
Streetcore by Joe Strummer. Nevermind the Sex Pistols, I'll take The Clash. Not that Joe Strummer's posthumously released album sounds much like The Clash. Still, it has stripped down, punk sensibilities, even in its quiet folkiness. Plus, a brilliant cover of 'Redemption Song'.
Someone commented that I didn't list what I'm watching in my last post. That's because I have a 2 1/2 year old son who makes my days as a moviegoer about 2 1/2 years past. I get out to a flick every once in awhile, but I usually have to wait to rent and then never get around to renting. I am looking forward to renting "Half Nelson". I hear good things. I'm watching "Heroes" on TV (the only show I make a point of watching), but will be giving up TV for lent. So, not much watching for a little while.
Reading...
Any Human Heart by William Boyd. My friend and co-worker, Wellington Chew, suggested that I read this. It's a novel laid out as one man's series of journals throughout the 20th century. I'm only a third of the way through it and already tempted to call it a favorite. An excellent story.
Decoding the Universe by Charles Seife. Also recommended by Wellington. Also excellent. A very readable physics book for right brained people looking to tackle left brained subjects. I felt smarter just reading the introduction. And my head is swimming with sermon ideas connecting the Word to information and redundancy to His clues in the universe.
The Brothers K by David James Duncan. This is a re-read of one of my favorite novels. A story of a family trying to reconcile faith and family and love and loyalty and so on. It's very sad and very raw and very real.
The Soul of Prayer by PT Forsyth. Reading about prayer always does exactly what I hope it will do, which is get me praying more. Forsyth is amazing. Prayer is amazing. God is amazing. Not at all necessarily in that order.
Listening to...
Tommorow Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Bill Fay Group. If you haven't heard Bill Fay, but love Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, and every other iconic singer/songwriter I might name, you need to hear Bill Fay. Jeff Tweedy does a cover of Bill Fay's "Be Not So Fearful" in his live show, so you Wilco fans might like him too. Tomorrow may be my least favorite of his three, but it is also the most recent and my most recent purchase and may just need time to claim the 2nd or 1st place. A third place Bill Fay album is still a first rate album.
Live In Texas by Lyle Lovett. It's been awhile since I popped Lyle in the stereo, but I'm glad I did. This live show is so much fun. Rachel and I got to see this same tour at the Backyard some years back, and it was fantastic. His backup band and singers are something to hear as well.
Ill Communication by The Beastie Boys. I just needed to hear some 'Sabotage' this week. This music makes me want to roll down the windows and inflict it on pedestrians. It makes me want to jump off buildings and land on my feet. It makes me want to drive fast.
Streetcore by Joe Strummer. Nevermind the Sex Pistols, I'll take The Clash. Not that Joe Strummer's posthumously released album sounds much like The Clash. Still, it has stripped down, punk sensibilities, even in its quiet folkiness. Plus, a brilliant cover of 'Redemption Song'.
Someone commented that I didn't list what I'm watching in my last post. That's because I have a 2 1/2 year old son who makes my days as a moviegoer about 2 1/2 years past. I get out to a flick every once in awhile, but I usually have to wait to rent and then never get around to renting. I am looking forward to renting "Half Nelson". I hear good things. I'm watching "Heroes" on TV (the only show I make a point of watching), but will be giving up TV for lent. So, not much watching for a little while.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Eros V. Agape
eros -a desire for sexual intimacy. sexual desire, concupiscence, or physical attraction
agape -selfless love of one person for another without sexual implications (especially love that is spiritual in nature)
Today is Valentine's Day. Romantics take the opportunity to get gooey, cynics call it a Hallmark holiday, and Hallmark benefits either way.
You can count me somewhere in between the romantics and the cynics. If the most love you ever show someone is because a day was set aside specifically for you to do so, there's a problem. On the other hand, why miss an opportunity to love on your loved ones just because everybody else is doing it?
Sure, it can be a Hallmark holiday, one that's wrapped up in eros, in the moment, in attraction and in lust. It can make those who have somebody feel extra special and those who don't feel depressed.
It can also be a time to simply reflect and remember what love is, to celebrate it and practice it.
However, on a day when the pictures of love tend to be hearts pierced with arrows, I reflect hands pierced with nails. On a day that can be all about eros (and there's nothing wrong with a little eros), I remember a day that was all about agape.
A Biblical writer named John put it this way, "This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ laid down His life for us."
This act was the very definition of love. How appropriate, then, that when I looked up agape in the dictionary, the second definition was the one that begins this post. The first definition was this: the love of God or Christ for mankind.
The Bible says that "God is love." Not that we can define God in our own terms of love, but that we define love in terms of God. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Love is and does these things because they are what God is and does. And so those of us who seek to love each other, must follow the example of God who loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, that whoever believed in him would not die, but have eternal life.
Today I celebrate eros, my sexy wife and her curvy body and that smile that won't quit. But, more than that, I celebrate agape, my wife who sacrifices daily for her husband and her son and her church and her friends and her clients and for strangers on the street. I celebrate the people I know who love others as themselves. And I celebrate the God who is agape, whose love made the ultimate sacrifice for us.
agape -selfless love of one person for another without sexual implications (especially love that is spiritual in nature)
Today is Valentine's Day. Romantics take the opportunity to get gooey, cynics call it a Hallmark holiday, and Hallmark benefits either way.
You can count me somewhere in between the romantics and the cynics. If the most love you ever show someone is because a day was set aside specifically for you to do so, there's a problem. On the other hand, why miss an opportunity to love on your loved ones just because everybody else is doing it?
Sure, it can be a Hallmark holiday, one that's wrapped up in eros, in the moment, in attraction and in lust. It can make those who have somebody feel extra special and those who don't feel depressed.
It can also be a time to simply reflect and remember what love is, to celebrate it and practice it.
However, on a day when the pictures of love tend to be hearts pierced with arrows, I reflect hands pierced with nails. On a day that can be all about eros (and there's nothing wrong with a little eros), I remember a day that was all about agape.
A Biblical writer named John put it this way, "This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ laid down His life for us."
This act was the very definition of love. How appropriate, then, that when I looked up agape in the dictionary, the second definition was the one that begins this post. The first definition was this: the love of God or Christ for mankind.
The Bible says that "God is love." Not that we can define God in our own terms of love, but that we define love in terms of God. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Love is and does these things because they are what God is and does. And so those of us who seek to love each other, must follow the example of God who loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, that whoever believed in him would not die, but have eternal life.
Today I celebrate eros, my sexy wife and her curvy body and that smile that won't quit. But, more than that, I celebrate agape, my wife who sacrifices daily for her husband and her son and her church and her friends and her clients and for strangers on the street. I celebrate the people I know who love others as themselves. And I celebrate the God who is agape, whose love made the ultimate sacrifice for us.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Fear
Yesterday I filled out one of those typical online surveys with a bunch of random information, mostly because I was bored. Looking back over it today, I'm struck by how often I wrote the first thing that popped into my head, and the honest answers that resulted.
In particular, I fear: failure.
I wish this wasn't so true. Or I wish that the failure I feared wasn't so defined in human terms. The downfall of King Saul in the Old Testament of the Bible is wrapped up in this statement that he makes concerning himself: "I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of JEHOVAH and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice."
I wish my answer had been I fear: God.
We fear so much because we fear God so little. Not a horrified "there's a monster under my bed" kind of fear, but an awe and respect that only God deserves. All my fears about how I am perceived and whether I'll succeed miss the point that I am already loved by the God who created the universe.
Thomas Merton asked, “Why should I desire anything that cannot give me God, and why should I fear anything that cannot take God away from me?”
The Bible says that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Only we have the power to deny that love, by living in pursuit of lesser things, of what Tony Campolo called "lovers less wild."
Singer/songwriter Derek Webb has a gift for singing what I'm thinking. Never more so than in the words to a song called "Wedding Dress". Here is the verse that always knocks me flat:
So could you love this bastard child
Though I don’t trust you to provide
With one hand in a pot of gold
And with the other in your side
So, week to week and day to day I keep coming back to the one who gave himself for me, who offers me grace through his death and new life through his resurrection. Who assures me that if I fear the LORD, I have nothing to fear. Who calls me away from everything this world has to offer and offers himself instead. Asks that I put him on in baptism, like new clothes. Who commands me to die so that I can live. Who asks me to trust him and gives me every reason to do so.
Our son, Harry, has a Psalm that he sings around the house from time to time, and it serves as a reminder to me:
"When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise"
It is a reminder to me that if I live in God I have nothing to fear. It is the reminder of the apostle Paul in the book of Romans:
"What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?"
My fellow church planter Bob Hyatt talks about fear and failure and mission this way:
"How will you define failure? I realized that failure wasn’t if we did this and had to close the doors in a year because not many people showed up and we couldn’t pay the bills. Failure would be if we failed to love the people God did bring us, if we failed to love each other in community, if we failed to feed, clothe and otherwise care for anyone. That would be failure… not if we simply failed to achieve any type of long term momentum and institutional stability. I realized that for me personally, failure would be if I didn’t even try. If you do this might you fail? I guess it depends on how you define failure. They say 80% of church plants fail. I don’t know about that… all I can say is that I think that many church plants that seem to be failures by the standard of “Did they make it?” were probably great adventures for many involved, probably introduced people to Christ and probably made a practical difference in the lives of some people who really needed those small, “failing” churches."
We may not meet with success as this world defines it, we may not always please people the way we had hoped, we may not always have the happiness that is so flighty and fickle at the best of times. But we will have the joy that is constant in the midst of sadness in the midst of pain and in the midst of anxiety. We will have the perfect love that casts out fear. We will lose the weight of this world when we put it down in exchange for taking up a cross. Jesus assures us "my yoke is easy and my burden is light" even as he calls us to die. Because no matter what hardship and sacrifice that God might call us to, it is nothing compared to the hardship of trying to live in this world without God. Because when I fear God I don't have to fear anything else.
In particular, I fear: failure.
I wish this wasn't so true. Or I wish that the failure I feared wasn't so defined in human terms. The downfall of King Saul in the Old Testament of the Bible is wrapped up in this statement that he makes concerning himself: "I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of JEHOVAH and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice."
I wish my answer had been I fear: God.
We fear so much because we fear God so little. Not a horrified "there's a monster under my bed" kind of fear, but an awe and respect that only God deserves. All my fears about how I am perceived and whether I'll succeed miss the point that I am already loved by the God who created the universe.
Thomas Merton asked, “Why should I desire anything that cannot give me God, and why should I fear anything that cannot take God away from me?”
The Bible says that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Only we have the power to deny that love, by living in pursuit of lesser things, of what Tony Campolo called "lovers less wild."
Singer/songwriter Derek Webb has a gift for singing what I'm thinking. Never more so than in the words to a song called "Wedding Dress". Here is the verse that always knocks me flat:
So could you love this bastard child
Though I don’t trust you to provide
With one hand in a pot of gold
And with the other in your side
So, week to week and day to day I keep coming back to the one who gave himself for me, who offers me grace through his death and new life through his resurrection. Who assures me that if I fear the LORD, I have nothing to fear. Who calls me away from everything this world has to offer and offers himself instead. Asks that I put him on in baptism, like new clothes. Who commands me to die so that I can live. Who asks me to trust him and gives me every reason to do so.
Our son, Harry, has a Psalm that he sings around the house from time to time, and it serves as a reminder to me:
"When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise"
It is a reminder to me that if I live in God I have nothing to fear. It is the reminder of the apostle Paul in the book of Romans:
"What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?"
My fellow church planter Bob Hyatt talks about fear and failure and mission this way:
"How will you define failure? I realized that failure wasn’t if we did this and had to close the doors in a year because not many people showed up and we couldn’t pay the bills. Failure would be if we failed to love the people God did bring us, if we failed to love each other in community, if we failed to feed, clothe and otherwise care for anyone. That would be failure… not if we simply failed to achieve any type of long term momentum and institutional stability. I realized that for me personally, failure would be if I didn’t even try. If you do this might you fail? I guess it depends on how you define failure. They say 80% of church plants fail. I don’t know about that… all I can say is that I think that many church plants that seem to be failures by the standard of “Did they make it?” were probably great adventures for many involved, probably introduced people to Christ and probably made a practical difference in the lives of some people who really needed those small, “failing” churches."
We may not meet with success as this world defines it, we may not always please people the way we had hoped, we may not always have the happiness that is so flighty and fickle at the best of times. But we will have the joy that is constant in the midst of sadness in the midst of pain and in the midst of anxiety. We will have the perfect love that casts out fear. We will lose the weight of this world when we put it down in exchange for taking up a cross. Jesus assures us "my yoke is easy and my burden is light" even as he calls us to die. Because no matter what hardship and sacrifice that God might call us to, it is nothing compared to the hardship of trying to live in this world without God. Because when I fear God I don't have to fear anything else.
Monday, February 12, 2007
A Bit Of Random
I Want: Aurelio's pizza
I Have: more than I need
I Wish: I could walk into movies
I Hate: seafood
I Miss: certain people
I Fear: failure
I Hear: my son talking when he should be napping
I Search: all the time
I Wonder: as I wander
I Love: Rachel
I Always: put jelly on the last bite of pancake
I Am Not: a good person
I Dance: badly
I Sing: well
I Cry: from joy more than sadness
I Am Not Always: who I ought to be
I Win: some
I Lose: some
I Confuse: children with angels
I Need: Jesus
I should: break from this and get Harry to lay down
Yes or No...
You keep a diary/journal: yes
You like to cook: yes
You have a secret you have not shared with anyone: no
You set your watch a few minutes ahead: no
You bite your fingernales: yes
You believe in love: yes
You've been in love: yes
You have a crush: yes
Who is...?
Weirdest person you know: hard to say, I know some weird people
Loudest person you know: sarah or bri
Sexiest person you know: rachel
Person that knows the most about you: rachel
Most boring teacher: mr. bagwell
When you see this name, you think of...
Ryan: cousin
Rob: college friend
Drew: cousin
James: and the Giant Peach
Stephanie: high school crush
Heather: longtime family friend
Aaron: former co-worker and current friend
Amy: BookPerson
Will: kid from my first youth group
Paul: uncle
Eve: Adam
John: Malcovich
Lauren: how many Laurens I know
Alex: Michels
Jessica: Immanuel member
Dave: Barry
Justin: Case
This, or that:
Cuddle or Make out? I see no reason to separate the two
Chocolate Milk, or Hot chocolate? depends on the weather
Milk, Dark, or White Chocolate? milk
Vanilla or Chocolate? pudding or ice cream?
In the past week have you...
Cried? yes
Helped someone? yes
Bought something? yes
Gotten sick? no
Gone to the movies? no
Said "I love you" and meant it? yes
Written a real letter? no
Talked to an Ex? no
Missed an Ex? no
Written in a journal? yes
Had a serious talk? yes
Hugged someone? yes
Fought with your parents? no
Would you ever...
1. Eat a bug? sure
2. Bungee jump? never say never, but no. never.
3. Hang glide? no
4. Kill someone? no
5. Parachute from a plane? no
6. Walk on hot coals? no
7. Go out with someone just for their looks? no
8. For their reputation? if their reputation was as a really nice person, sure
9. Be a vegetarian? sure
10. Wear plaid with stripes? isn't plaid just a series of stripes?
11. IM a stranger? sure
12. Sing karaoke? yes
13. Get drunk? no
14. Shoplift? no
15. Run a red light? not on purpose
16. Dye your hair blue? no
17. Be on survivor? no
18. Wear makeup in public? no
19. NOT wear makeup in public? yes
20. Cheat on a test? i have, but i wouldn't
21. Make someone cry? yes
22. Kick a baby? this is absurd
23. Date someone more than ten years older than you? yes, but that'd be the limit
24. Take a job as a janitor? yes
I Have: more than I need
I Wish: I could walk into movies
I Hate: seafood
I Miss: certain people
I Fear: failure
I Hear: my son talking when he should be napping
I Search: all the time
I Wonder: as I wander
I Love: Rachel
I Always: put jelly on the last bite of pancake
I Am Not: a good person
I Dance: badly
I Sing: well
I Cry: from joy more than sadness
I Am Not Always: who I ought to be
I Win: some
I Lose: some
I Confuse: children with angels
I Need: Jesus
I should: break from this and get Harry to lay down
Yes or No...
You keep a diary/journal: yes
You like to cook: yes
You have a secret you have not shared with anyone: no
You set your watch a few minutes ahead: no
You bite your fingernales: yes
You believe in love: yes
You've been in love: yes
You have a crush: yes
Who is...?
Weirdest person you know: hard to say, I know some weird people
Loudest person you know: sarah or bri
Sexiest person you know: rachel
Person that knows the most about you: rachel
Most boring teacher: mr. bagwell
When you see this name, you think of...
Ryan: cousin
Rob: college friend
Drew: cousin
James: and the Giant Peach
Stephanie: high school crush
Heather: longtime family friend
Aaron: former co-worker and current friend
Amy: BookPerson
Will: kid from my first youth group
Paul: uncle
Eve: Adam
John: Malcovich
Lauren: how many Laurens I know
Alex: Michels
Jessica: Immanuel member
Dave: Barry
Justin: Case
This, or that:
Cuddle or Make out? I see no reason to separate the two
Chocolate Milk, or Hot chocolate? depends on the weather
Milk, Dark, or White Chocolate? milk
Vanilla or Chocolate? pudding or ice cream?
In the past week have you...
Cried? yes
Helped someone? yes
Bought something? yes
Gotten sick? no
Gone to the movies? no
Said "I love you" and meant it? yes
Written a real letter? no
Talked to an Ex? no
Missed an Ex? no
Written in a journal? yes
Had a serious talk? yes
Hugged someone? yes
Fought with your parents? no
Would you ever...
1. Eat a bug? sure
2. Bungee jump? never say never, but no. never.
3. Hang glide? no
4. Kill someone? no
5. Parachute from a plane? no
6. Walk on hot coals? no
7. Go out with someone just for their looks? no
8. For their reputation? if their reputation was as a really nice person, sure
9. Be a vegetarian? sure
10. Wear plaid with stripes? isn't plaid just a series of stripes?
11. IM a stranger? sure
12. Sing karaoke? yes
13. Get drunk? no
14. Shoplift? no
15. Run a red light? not on purpose
16. Dye your hair blue? no
17. Be on survivor? no
18. Wear makeup in public? no
19. NOT wear makeup in public? yes
20. Cheat on a test? i have, but i wouldn't
21. Make someone cry? yes
22. Kick a baby? this is absurd
23. Date someone more than ten years older than you? yes, but that'd be the limit
24. Take a job as a janitor? yes
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Love Has Its Own Agenda
One of the great pleasures of this church plant has been a new way of thinking about evangelism. Brian McLaren refers to evangelism as "developing spiritual friendships" and I am happy to be all about that.
For years, the idea of evangelism has been taught as a sort of sales pitch. A bunch of people either unsure or defensive about the validity of their product, tried to get people to buy into Jesus by presenting a slick and aggressive salesman's approach. This almost never worked.
It's a great thing to invest in people and develop friendships with no agenda. To go to lunches and grab coffee and sing songs into the night simply because you love the people you're with and want to share more of yourselves with each other.
Of course, love has its own agenda -to seek the best for the other. And here, evangelism comes full circle. Instead of selling products we're sharing goods, sharing the good that is within us, the God that within us by giving us His Spirit, with those who have yet to encounter Him.
At BookPeople, the question is often asked why the turnover isn't higher. After all, the pay is half what we could get by walking down the block and working at Barnes and Noble. But the difference is this, as corny as it may sound, at B&N they sell you a product, at BookPeople we share something with you.
Being a BookPerson has taught me a lot about what it means to be a Jesus person. BookPeople's slogan is "a community bound by books". A group of people that came together for love of words, not to sell a product. The Immanuel Community is about something similar. A group of people brought together for love of the Word, the Word who was with God and who was God. A group of people excited to share that Word with those they love.
For years, the idea of evangelism has been taught as a sort of sales pitch. A bunch of people either unsure or defensive about the validity of their product, tried to get people to buy into Jesus by presenting a slick and aggressive salesman's approach. This almost never worked.
It's a great thing to invest in people and develop friendships with no agenda. To go to lunches and grab coffee and sing songs into the night simply because you love the people you're with and want to share more of yourselves with each other.
Of course, love has its own agenda -to seek the best for the other. And here, evangelism comes full circle. Instead of selling products we're sharing goods, sharing the good that is within us, the God that within us by giving us His Spirit, with those who have yet to encounter Him.
At BookPeople, the question is often asked why the turnover isn't higher. After all, the pay is half what we could get by walking down the block and working at Barnes and Noble. But the difference is this, as corny as it may sound, at B&N they sell you a product, at BookPeople we share something with you.
Being a BookPerson has taught me a lot about what it means to be a Jesus person. BookPeople's slogan is "a community bound by books". A group of people that came together for love of words, not to sell a product. The Immanuel Community is about something similar. A group of people brought together for love of the Word, the Word who was with God and who was God. A group of people excited to share that Word with those they love.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
What American Accent Do You Have?
Your Result: The Inland North
You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
A Case For The 90's
Anybody who is anything more than a casual listener of mainstream music has a decade that they insist produced almost no good music. I've heard it said again and again, and the decade that suffers most tends to be the 90's. Just the other day, another friend (and fellow music lover) of mine made this same case and challenged me to come up with definitive albums that the 90's produced. Here are 20 artist/bands and the albums they produced:
The Bends/OK Computer -Radiohead
The Soft Bulletin -The Flaming Lips
In The Aeroplane Over The Sea -Neutral Milke Hotel
Slanted & Enchanted/Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain -Pavement
Nevermind/In Utero -Nirvana
Endtroducing -DJ Shadow
I See A Darkness -Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Fear of A Black Planet -Public Enemy
Siamese Dream -Smashing Pumpkins
Odelay -Beck
The Three EPs -The Beta Band
Being There/Summerteeth -Wilco
Check Your Head -The Beastie Boys
Bone Machine -Tom Waits
Automatic For The People -R.E.M.
Either/Or -Elliot Smith
Grace -Jeff Buckley
Achtung Baby -U2
Ten/Vs. -Pearl Jam
The Score -The Fugees
Sound off. Let me know if I made my case.
The Bends/OK Computer -Radiohead
The Soft Bulletin -The Flaming Lips
In The Aeroplane Over The Sea -Neutral Milke Hotel
Slanted & Enchanted/Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain -Pavement
Nevermind/In Utero -Nirvana
Endtroducing -DJ Shadow
I See A Darkness -Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Fear of A Black Planet -Public Enemy
Siamese Dream -Smashing Pumpkins
Odelay -Beck
The Three EPs -The Beta Band
Being There/Summerteeth -Wilco
Check Your Head -The Beastie Boys
Bone Machine -Tom Waits
Automatic For The People -R.E.M.
Either/Or -Elliot Smith
Grace -Jeff Buckley
Achtung Baby -U2
Ten/Vs. -Pearl Jam
The Score -The Fugees
Sound off. Let me know if I made my case.
Monday, February 5, 2007
But Until Then...
So, I can check e-mail and even post a blog, but I have yet to learn how to do all the fancier little things that make a blog more personal (besides the writing itself). I don't know how to make a space for "What I'm Listening To" or "What I'm Reading", though I'd like to do both. Any friends looking to give a tutorial this week? Let's grab coffee (on me).
But until then, let me just tell you what I'm listening to and what I'm reading.
The Apples In Stereo. Frankly, I'm not sure how I missed this band. They're apart of the whole Elephant 6 thing, and I'm obsessed with Neutral Milk Hotel and I love bands that excel at the art of pop rock (Beatles meets Beach Boys w/out ripping off either) and all that to say that I REALLY should have discovered these guys sooner than a few months ago. They have a new album coming out tomorrow. Go pick it up. It's fantastic.
Peter Adams. If I were a young and aspiring musician, I'd have to struggle not to hate this guy. At 21, he records this brilliant album in his dorm room. You'd never know it. It's one of the most lush homemade indie productions I have ever heard and one of my favorite albums in awhile. You can't buy it in stores. Go to his website and get it there. It's worth it. I'd make Andrew Bird/Jeff Buckley/Radiohead/Neutral Milk Hotel comparisons if I didn't think that would turn you off.
The Arcade Fire. Specifically the album they are releasing in March of this year. It is fantastic. More of the same, but not in a bad way. Actually, one difference: this was the first time that they reminded me of Springsteen. No, not in a bad way (I never mean that in a bad way you "too hip" indie kids).
So, that's what I'm listening to. That and the new Shins and The Good, The Bad, and The Queen, both of which you can read about anywhere and don't need me to tell you about. They're both excellent. And I've always got something by Springsteen or The Kinks or Van Morrison or The Beatles playing.
As far as what I'm reading...
Snow. Written by Orhan Pamuk. I haven't read much by Pamuk (Black Book was good, but didn't have me running out for more), but I'll be reading more now. This book is incredible. Magical. Lyrical. Rich. Like Garcia Marquez or Saramago.
Acts of Faith. Philip Caputo. Less personal than What Is The What (which is, in my opinion, the best book out there about the current situation in the Sudan), but a better overview of the Sudan as a whole. I recommend reading WITW and AoF back to back. I found it rewarding. I will certainly be picking up Caputo's memoir on Vietnam. He reminds me of Graham Greene.
How (Not) To Speak of God. This book is frustrating me, but who says you should always read books you agree with (I'd say just the opposite, in fact). This is one of the authors I was referring to a few posts back (on the limitations of God). The guy is crazy smart and innovative. I like the way he thinks, even if I don't draw the same conclusions.
I'm always reading whatever I can get my hands on by NT Wright (quite a bit) and Peter Forsyth (harder to come by). Wright's new one on evil is as good as you'd expect it to be (which is very good indeed).
I've got a reader for the new Michael Chabon that I am excited to start. I love the initial premise (what if the Jewish state were established in Alaska instead of Israel, as Franklin Roosevelt once suggested?). Also thinking about rereading Franny and Zooey. Again. And am always dipping into old favorites like Flannery O'Connor and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Let's do this again sometime. At least until that tutorial.
But until then, let me just tell you what I'm listening to and what I'm reading.
The Apples In Stereo. Frankly, I'm not sure how I missed this band. They're apart of the whole Elephant 6 thing, and I'm obsessed with Neutral Milk Hotel and I love bands that excel at the art of pop rock (Beatles meets Beach Boys w/out ripping off either) and all that to say that I REALLY should have discovered these guys sooner than a few months ago. They have a new album coming out tomorrow. Go pick it up. It's fantastic.
Peter Adams. If I were a young and aspiring musician, I'd have to struggle not to hate this guy. At 21, he records this brilliant album in his dorm room. You'd never know it. It's one of the most lush homemade indie productions I have ever heard and one of my favorite albums in awhile. You can't buy it in stores. Go to his website and get it there. It's worth it. I'd make Andrew Bird/Jeff Buckley/Radiohead/Neutral Milk Hotel comparisons if I didn't think that would turn you off.
The Arcade Fire. Specifically the album they are releasing in March of this year. It is fantastic. More of the same, but not in a bad way. Actually, one difference: this was the first time that they reminded me of Springsteen. No, not in a bad way (I never mean that in a bad way you "too hip" indie kids).
So, that's what I'm listening to. That and the new Shins and The Good, The Bad, and The Queen, both of which you can read about anywhere and don't need me to tell you about. They're both excellent. And I've always got something by Springsteen or The Kinks or Van Morrison or The Beatles playing.
As far as what I'm reading...
Snow. Written by Orhan Pamuk. I haven't read much by Pamuk (Black Book was good, but didn't have me running out for more), but I'll be reading more now. This book is incredible. Magical. Lyrical. Rich. Like Garcia Marquez or Saramago.
Acts of Faith. Philip Caputo. Less personal than What Is The What (which is, in my opinion, the best book out there about the current situation in the Sudan), but a better overview of the Sudan as a whole. I recommend reading WITW and AoF back to back. I found it rewarding. I will certainly be picking up Caputo's memoir on Vietnam. He reminds me of Graham Greene.
How (Not) To Speak of God. This book is frustrating me, but who says you should always read books you agree with (I'd say just the opposite, in fact). This is one of the authors I was referring to a few posts back (on the limitations of God). The guy is crazy smart and innovative. I like the way he thinks, even if I don't draw the same conclusions.
I'm always reading whatever I can get my hands on by NT Wright (quite a bit) and Peter Forsyth (harder to come by). Wright's new one on evil is as good as you'd expect it to be (which is very good indeed).
I've got a reader for the new Michael Chabon that I am excited to start. I love the initial premise (what if the Jewish state were established in Alaska instead of Israel, as Franklin Roosevelt once suggested?). Also thinking about rereading Franny and Zooey. Again. And am always dipping into old favorites like Flannery O'Connor and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Let's do this again sometime. At least until that tutorial.
Friday, February 2, 2007
Let's Talk About Sex
I should begin by saying that I hesitate to even post this. People I care about who aren't Christians and who come to different conclusions than me are bound to disagree with me. I'm comfortable with that. Some may also feel harshly judged by it. Even unloved. I'm more than uncomfortable with that.
This is about sex. And sex is a touchy subject. The church's stance on sexual purity is seen as outdated and naive, at best, and puritanical and harsh, at worst. It has, unfortunately, too often been used as a way for those who have waited for marriage to feel superior to those who have not. And yet, as with all sin, I think that sexual impurity is more about God's best intentions for us and not about feeling a constant sense of superiority or shame.
When my dad talked with us about sex, he talked about super glue. He talked about what would happen if a man superglued his hand to a table and then had to go through the painful process of tearing it away. The fact that something of himself might get left behind.
God created sex to bond together two people who are already bonded in every other way. Sex works as a sort of spiritual adhesive, and so it makes sense to have sex with someone you wouldn't mind (or, better yet, have committed to) getting stuck with.
In Milan Kundera's book "The Unbearable Lightness of Being", Kundera postulates that our lives, our actions, and our decisions are "light" and insignificant and that we, as humans, find this "lightness" unbearable. I would be the first to agree that this "lightness" would be unbearable, but I would argue that there are other options.
Sex, like all of God's gifts (and let me take this opportunity to part ways with any Christian who would argue that sex is anything but fantastic), is substantive and substantial, it carries a weight that is less cumbersome and more concrete. To quote Marty McFly, "that's heavy."
This heaviness only dissipates when we imbue it with lightness, each time we give more of it away, it becomes lighter, lacks substance, and the result is unbearable.
Fortunately, God Himself carries with Him what the Bible describes as the "weight of glory". And the coming of His Son, Jesus, was about offering us this glory, placing it within each of us, so that our unbearable lightness might be weighted down and make us whole again.
If you've made it this far, you see this is about a whole lot more than sex. Sex is one way that we try to too often try to become a whole person, and the pursuit only makes us lighter. The same can be said of a whole lot of other, equally empty, pursuits and habits. This is about how light and casual we make our lives and actions and decisions and how weighted and meaningful God means for them to be.
I started with the subject of sex because I came across this article (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-2545852,00.html) and because I've been reading Lauren Winner's book "Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity" and because I see and know and love people who treat this lightly and then find it unbearable. Because I'd like for those people to not feel that way.
I'm not here to judge people, or to hold past mistakes against them. I'm not here to argue abstinence only legislation or to hold myself up as some shining example. I'm certainly not here to say that sex isn't fun and exciting. I'm saying that sex can be so much more than what we too often make it. It doesn't have to be casual, it doesn't have to be "light". It's not supposed to be.
This is about sex. And sex is a touchy subject. The church's stance on sexual purity is seen as outdated and naive, at best, and puritanical and harsh, at worst. It has, unfortunately, too often been used as a way for those who have waited for marriage to feel superior to those who have not. And yet, as with all sin, I think that sexual impurity is more about God's best intentions for us and not about feeling a constant sense of superiority or shame.
When my dad talked with us about sex, he talked about super glue. He talked about what would happen if a man superglued his hand to a table and then had to go through the painful process of tearing it away. The fact that something of himself might get left behind.
God created sex to bond together two people who are already bonded in every other way. Sex works as a sort of spiritual adhesive, and so it makes sense to have sex with someone you wouldn't mind (or, better yet, have committed to) getting stuck with.
In Milan Kundera's book "The Unbearable Lightness of Being", Kundera postulates that our lives, our actions, and our decisions are "light" and insignificant and that we, as humans, find this "lightness" unbearable. I would be the first to agree that this "lightness" would be unbearable, but I would argue that there are other options.
Sex, like all of God's gifts (and let me take this opportunity to part ways with any Christian who would argue that sex is anything but fantastic), is substantive and substantial, it carries a weight that is less cumbersome and more concrete. To quote Marty McFly, "that's heavy."
This heaviness only dissipates when we imbue it with lightness, each time we give more of it away, it becomes lighter, lacks substance, and the result is unbearable.
Fortunately, God Himself carries with Him what the Bible describes as the "weight of glory". And the coming of His Son, Jesus, was about offering us this glory, placing it within each of us, so that our unbearable lightness might be weighted down and make us whole again.
If you've made it this far, you see this is about a whole lot more than sex. Sex is one way that we try to too often try to become a whole person, and the pursuit only makes us lighter. The same can be said of a whole lot of other, equally empty, pursuits and habits. This is about how light and casual we make our lives and actions and decisions and how weighted and meaningful God means for them to be.
I started with the subject of sex because I came across this article (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-2545852,00.html) and because I've been reading Lauren Winner's book "Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity" and because I see and know and love people who treat this lightly and then find it unbearable. Because I'd like for those people to not feel that way.
I'm not here to judge people, or to hold past mistakes against them. I'm not here to argue abstinence only legislation or to hold myself up as some shining example. I'm certainly not here to say that sex isn't fun and exciting. I'm saying that sex can be so much more than what we too often make it. It doesn't have to be casual, it doesn't have to be "light". It's not supposed to be.
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