STUPID GRACE

O God, Where Are You Now?

2011-12-21T11:01:00.002-05:00

It's been a difficult 6-8 weeks for our church family. We lost our beloved secretary, our Choir Director's 2-year old son died in his sleep and just this week, we've had 3 sudden death of persons connected to our church community. It's not ironic that there seems to be a "weight" hanging on to many this Christmas season. One person was honest enough to post on Facebook that this season just doesn't seem to be like Christmas.

Is death all we will know?

I wanted to write my thought in order to get my heart and head aligned and to just be honest with you all about the struggle that is death, dying and loss. I'll share my heart, encourage lamenting and challenge us to rethink what holds our attention.

MY HEART
-I feel wounded every time there is a death. It's not a personal attack by any means, but a deep feeling of loss because I know each death holds with it memories, hopes, tender and rough moments. Each lost life tears at the life we've known and forces change. And change is always painful.
-I ache for those whose death offers little comfort. When you bury a child, no matter how ill the child, you still feel without comfort or hope.
-I want to just BE with those who have lost so much, but I recognize that I cannot. We, as a Church body, must, however, offer our selves to be God's presence.

LAMENTING
The following song at the end of the blog is just an honest prayer. I love it and I find it compatible with the Scriptures that seem to encourage honesty and not religiousity. One of the greatest parts of loss is that it cuts us down to the bare essential, where there is no pretense, no hiding, no pretending. We just are naked before God and others. Our emotions are raw. Our physical needs are acute. Now this is painful, but I find that in these honest places, I can actually begin to crawl out of my desperation.

CHALLENGE
I'm not sharing this because I serve as a Pastor. I share this because I need it and the world in which we live needs it!

We are way too focused on the here and now. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that how we live here doesn't matter. Oh my goodness, it does. But the motivation for how I life here and now matters more. Let me explain.

When the early church was seeing death after death of its brothers and sisters (largely because of persecution), the church actually grew in numbers! How could that happen with so much grief? Well, it was because they saw their lives as ones of ambassadors of Christ Jesus. They had a passion to carry on this new faith...because if they didn't, they worried that the movement of God would die. So, they lived in such a way that focused on bringing God's eternal Kingdom here on earth. So, when one died in their journey toward this motivation, the community around them grieved but also celebrated! They even wrote, "So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me insuffering for the gospel, by the power of God," and that the apostles were "rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of sufferingdisgrace for the Name." Their entire life's mission was to make known the Gospel, the good news, and they expected pain and suffering.

Death reminds me that my life should have a motivation that will transcend this time and space and although grief will always be present, death should speak to the life lived in commitment to the Gospel motivation. Then, death's sting is taken away. When I stop living for myself, death's punch in put in perspective.

Weep today. Grieve today. Lament to the God of Mystery.

But also...

Reevaluate your life's motivation. Respond to the grace that God continually offers. Pray for a renewed passion to affect lives around you. Work for restoration. Repair relationships. Embrace the poor.

Top 10 "Obscure" Crowder Songs

2011-10-27T09:29:00.002-04:00

I have the privilege of seeing David Crowder* Band in concert tonight. This is a historic night as this is (supposedly) their last tour (see the post here). In honor of the many times I've seen them, danced to them, worshipped with them and introduced them to my kids, I thought I'd come up with my top 10 obscure songs to prepare for tonight's show. These are not the ones that get played most in churches but ones that have brought my soul delight. What would you add?

#10 - Be Lifted or Hope Rising - I love this song's progression

#9 - Turkish Delight - Combining food, CS Lewis and Temptation

You can listen to a sample on Amazon.com

#8 - Church Music - Dance - I will always remember having a dancer dance to this on Christmas Eve at Sidney First UMC.

#7 - Alleluia, Sing - The percussion on this track and the rise and fall of the music just makes me want to move.

#6 - God of Wrath - The song title alone deserves props but the lyrics paint a great picture of just how big God is.

You can find other, fuller versions of the song (here), but this one describes why he wrote it.

#5 - Only You - This is a song that I use when I'm in my comfy chair with my journal and Bible.

#4 - The Glory of it All - I heard them preview this at Ichthus Festival and fell in love with it. "He came here for the rescue of us all that we may live for the glory of it all."

#3 - Wholly Yours - I love how this song uses antonym, depravity and other big words to describe our condition coupled with the phrase, "i want to be holy like you are." This song helps me know that from brokenness comes redemption. I can be holy...and wholly God's.

#2 - I Need Words - If you've ever been in a place with God where you struggle for the right things to say, this song nails it. "I need a voice bigger than mine. I need a song to sing You that I've yet to find. I need You to be here now."

#1 - All I Can Say - There are a lot of good songs to choose from but this is one that strikes my heart every time I hear it because it is an honest cry and an honest revelation that in the questioning, God was there all along. I think this is how they'll close the show tonight, so it fits here at the end.

Here are the lyrics:

Lord I'm tired
So tired from walking
And Lord I'm so alone
And Lord the dark
Is creeping in
Creeping up
To swallow me
I think I'll stop
Rest here a while

And didn't You see me cry'n?
And didn't You hear me call Your name?
Wasn't it You I gave my heart to?
I wish You'd remember
Where you sat it down

And this is all that I can say right now
i know it's not much
And this is all that I can give
yeah that's my everything

I didn't notice You were standing here
I didn't know that
That was You holding me
I didn't notice You were cry'n too
I didn't know that
That was You washing my feet

What would you add?

Temptation #3 - Proving your worth to people who don't matter

2011-09-12T11:01:00.005-04:00

Luke 4:9-13 from The Message says,
"For the third test the Devil took him to Jerusalem and put him on top of the Temple. He said, "If you are God's Son, jump. It's written, isn't it, that 'he has placed you in the care of angels to protect you; they will catch you; you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone'?" "Yes," said Jesus, "and it's also written, 'Don't you dare tempt the Lord your God.'" That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity."
This one is difficult. The Devil begins with "IF you are God's Son, jump." The whole temptation is about Jesus proving who He is. For the Devil, God's Son would jump and be protected. The Devil uses and twists scripture to try to get Jesus to do something to prove himself.
How often do you try to prove your role, identity or responsibility to persons or groups who have twisted scripture to create unGodly expectations?
Can you hear them?-"A GODLY mother wouldn't work outside of the home."-"Paul said we needed to be all things to all people, so I don't have any rights anymore."-"A capable pastor must be able to meet all the needs of the sheep!"
This is not to say that there is no absolute truth by which we are the pattern our lives. Oh no. This temptation is a distortion of truth to make someone feel less about themselves than God does.
You are to please your Father. Your worth is determined by His love and care.

Temptation #2 - Getting what you want by sacrificing what you can't afford to lose

2011-09-06T10:03:00.002-04:00

Luke 4 from the Message reads, "5 For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. 6 Then the Devil said, "They're yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I'm in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. 7 Worship me and they're yours, the whole works." 8 Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: "Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness."

Jesus, again hungry and fasting for 40 days, is tempted by the Devil. This time, the Devil has some kind of virtual screening of all the nations of the world in front of Jesus (I see this looking like the interactive touch screens of Minority Report) and he offers them to Jesus. All Jesus needs to do is to worship the Devil.

Didn't Jesus want to lead all nations? Didn't Jesus want his influence to grow? Couldn't Jesus have used this authority to affect more lives?

Sure he could have. But He would have sacrificed his very being at the altar of the immediate.

This temptation could be written in many ways:
-Temptation to get what you want by sacrificing what matters most
-Temptation to succeed in mission but fail at the process
-Temptation to have more and more by compromising your exclusive allegiance to Christ.

Jesus responded with a statement declaring his SINGLE-MINDED allegiance to His Father. His devotion to His Father was more important than obtaining what could have been his.

THOUGHTS AS TO HOW TO APPLY THIS:
-Being presented with a great opportunity to extend one's influence does not necessarily mean that God is behind the opportunity. Would saying "yes" to that opportunity compromise your worship to the Father or your obedience to what God has already told you?
-Timing is as important as the end result. We all want to get to where we are going. I just pray that I get there with my integrity in tact. To rush God is to put oneself in the place of God. Maybe I'm not ready for all the kingdoms, and maybe they're not ready for me. :)
-Being dependent upon God (remember Jesus was fasting) helps discern the phony from the holy. How can I cultivate a desert/fasting dependence upon God (hint: it may just involve fasting from food)?
-Write down the values that God has asked you to live. When faced with new opportunities, how do they/don't they pass through your values-filter?

Dan

Temptation #1 - Using Power for Something Trivial

2011-09-05T10:04:00.003-04:00

Luke 4 (The Message) says,1 Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. 2 For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry. 3 The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: "Since you're God's Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread." 4 Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to really live."

A lot has been written about the many takeaways from this passage and I guess I'm adding my thoughts to the mix this morning.
Jesus was hungry.

When you're hungry, you're vulnerable. When you're hungry, you're physically and mentally weak. The body and mind is functioning on low reserve.That's precisely the point where the Devil tempts Jesus.

This first temptation begins with an affirmation. "Since you're God's Son..." The Devil is telling Jesus who he is. Why? Because the Devil's about to try to leverage Jesus' human sense of entitlement.

Can you hear the "little devil on Jesus' shoulder" saying "well you are God's Son...you deserve to eat...Really, could your heavenly Father really desire for you to be in this pain...."

Temptation began with a truth.

Then he said, "command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread."

Again, he affirms Jesus' POWER, as he believes he has the ability to command one thing to become another.

This 'another' just happens to be the thing Jesus' empty gut would be longing for. It's like a Tim Hortons donut to the one who is fasting sugary goodness during Lent. The Devil tempts Jesus to use his power and his sense of entitlement to eliminate the rumbling in his belly.

To which Jesus replies, "it takes more than bread to really live."Life is about so much more that what we see...what we eat...what we touch.I hear Jesus saying, "Sure this bread would be great but my life is sustained not by anything of this world but by the strength, provision and power of my Father." That is what matters. The "more than bread" is what pleases God and it is the very thing that we are to give ourselves to.

But when we are malnourished, hurt or weak, we often use our leverage, power and misplaced identity to fill immediate needs, eliminate loud noise (from people and our broken selves) and show off to people we are not meant to please.
- We give into the squeaky wheel in our organization because we are tired of listening to the grumbling.
- We hire people that fill voids in our lives instead of people that best help us accomplish the mission
- We do everything for everyone and find that we have just been spinning our wheels.

Oh "lead me not into temptation" Abba.

What if, instead, the temptation created an even deeper intimacy with our Father? What if, when we are tempted like Jesus to use our power, position or identity for something immediate and base, we leaned heavily into our relationship with our Father to help us purify our actions and focus? What if our weakness actually became the place where God's provision is most fully seen?

When you are weak yet yielded to the power of God, God is strong in and through you. Don't settle for the meager. Use whatever leverage you have to affect what really matters.

"I came that they may have life and have it to the full!"

Doing What Nobody Sees

2011-07-11T14:06:00.004-04:00

I went for a walk this morning around our school's track and instantly made a friend. I'm not sure of his name as I couldn't read his sewn on name badge at the pace of my walk (which was a stunning 1 mph pace :)) and guys who are sweating profusely know the unwritten manrule of not talking to each other.

Let's call him Steve. (that's his picture above)

As I listened to an Andy Stanley Podcast on leadership, I watched Steve work. Every 8 feet or so he would bend over and scrape out whatever found itself in the cracks of the thin cement barrier between the track and the infield. He cleaned one and then another, each time removing clutter that without cleaning would produce lots of unwanted vegetation, critters and weeds.

And what hit me was that this is July 11 and that track or football field won't be used or seen for another 7 weeks!

Steve was doing what nobody else will see.

And yet it was essential to produce the desired results.

As a leader, how do I cultivate an appreciation and a discipline to do the things that noone sees in order to produce the desired results?

To answer this, I need to begin with naming the desired results?
-I want to live a life that honors God.
-I want to continue to have an incredible marriage
-I want to cultivate a culture where our team thrives in their giftedness.
-I want children who love Jesus and serve Him faithfully.
-I want to live debt-free.
-I want people to connect with God through my teaching in a way that produces change.

To stop there would be missing the mark. I then have to ask,

What are the things (seen and unseen) that I must give myself to in order to go after these results?

And am I willing to do them?

Even if it means bending over every 8 feet in the 90 degree heat with long pants on, scraping off junk more than 7 weeks before anyone will ever see it?

Will I do what is needed that noone will ever see?

Maybe this will be Andy Stanley's next leadership podcast.

My Comfort on Good Friday

2011-04-22T10:17:00.003-04:00

As I prepared for my day today, Good Friday, I took a little extra time to read several accounts of Jesus' last day. Two sentences from John 18 have been gripping me since.

"24 Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas bound as a prisoner. 25 As this was happening, Peter was still warming himself by the fire."

Jesus...bound as a prisoner

Peter...warming himself by a fire

Just a couple thoughts/questions in reflection:
1. I often buy into the belief that my comfort is what Christ died for.
2. Innocence and Guilt are not things that can be seen and are often handed down to people who do not know the whole Story.
3. When we are scared or something is on the line for us, we often hide behind our comfort or deceive ourselves (and others) to compensate for our fear.
4. What would it look like to follow the prisoner Christ, letting go of my fires?

My Version of Psalm 42

2011-04-19T13:28:00.003-04:00

I never understood deer. They either stare at you (from a field or mounted on a wall), hit your car or become nice steaks or jerky to enjoy.

So when the psalmist writes about a deer panting for water and how that somehow speaks to a deep place within himself, I kinda check out and want to go get another venison jerky stick.

So a couple weeks ago I rewrote Psalm 42. I'm no Eugene Peterson but the message seems more alive to me after I did this. Here goes nothing:

I long for you.
I am thirsty
When can your presence satisfy me?

I am wounded and broken as others question me.
I recall times of joy not sorrow
...times of community
...times of song
...times of depth
...times in celebration
That makes this reality more painful.

I am frustrated with myself;
my soul is depressed
my inner life is complaining
Yet my God is a God of hope
And I know His presence will restore me.

When I feel like this, I rehearse significant parts of my story with God
...from my childhood
...marriage and family
...even ministry moments
As the waters of the seas, rising and moving at your command, I find myself flooded with your power.

You pour grace upon me before I wake and before the day ends, I hear your song written just for me.
My life is your prayer

Because you are unchanging, I cry to you during moments where absence dominates.
Have you forgotten me?
Why did you put me here?
Why does the harassment from others bring me to such agony?
Their opposition threatens my very core and I'm pressured to give up
They want to know the very thing that my soul long for...
Where are you God?

Soul, why are you depressed?
Why are you so volatile?
Trust in the God of your story - the God of hope
You will be praising soon
You will be satisfied
By the Living Water

Humility's Recovery

2011-04-18T14:10:00.000-04:00

John 13:1-9 The Voice Revealed

1 Before the Passover festival began, Jesus was keenly aware that His hour had come to depart from this world and to return to the Father. From beginning to end, Jesus’ days were marked by His love for His people. 2 Before Jesus and His disciples gathered for dinner, the adversary filled Judas Iscariot’s heart with plans of deceit and betrayal. 3 Jesus, knowing that He had come from God and was going away to God, 4 stood up from dinner and removed His outer garments. He then wrapped Himself in a towel,5poured water in a basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with His towel.

Simon Peter (as Jesus approaches): 6 Lord, are You going to wash my feet?

Jesus: 7 Peter, you don’t realize what I am doing, but you will understand later.

Peter: 8 You will not wash my feet, now or ever!

Jesus: If I don’t wash you, you will have nothing to do with Me.

Peter: 9 Then wash me but don’t stop with my feet. Cleanse my hands and head as well.

I love this story! Jesus is spending his final night with his friends when he does the unthinkable: he begins to wash their feet. Peter, responds violently (ever wonder why? If someone you respect was to wash your feet, would you let them? What if you have corns or fungus?) saying, "YOU will not wash my feet." He could not let his Leader wash him.

But Jesus tells Peter that if he doesn't wash his feet, Peter won't be connected to Jesus!

What's interesting to me is that all that happened in front of others, colleagues of Peter who he was often in competition with. Peter opened his mouth, Jesus warned him in front of others (public humiliation) and what did Peter do?

Did he sulk?

Did he try to re-explain his earlier comment to save face?

Did he defend himself at all?

No. Peter recovered quickly because Peter, although brash, was humble. Jesus was right. Peter did not respond out of his embarrasment or humiliation but instead he says, "Well, then, please, wash all of me."

Only the humble can do that?

Only the humble can be publicly humiliated and still respond with grace.

Maybe I'm slow to recover from my "stuff" because I'm too proud to accept the fact that God (or others) are right.

May this Holy Week break me of my pride and humble me as I sit at the feet of the One.

Submitting to Wisdom

2011-04-14T15:11:00.002-04:00

Proverbs 11:14 says, "Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances."

Another version says, "There is wisdom in a multitude of counselors."

But still, I don't often like to listen or obey others, especially when I am passionate about something. Authority is often difficult to follow, yet God seems to work in places where Godly authority is present. When Jesus is in his last hours, instead of walking away from the pain awaiting him, he remarks that he is submitting to the Father's Authority, the Father's Plan, even at the expense of his own body!

Do I submit to authority when it pains me? When I am passionately moving in another direction?

This reminds me of the Taylor Building

This is a building that was located on the same block of a church I served at as a Youth Pastor. 9 years ago, we decided to look into either redesigning our church space or buying/renting a facility off campus in order to help lead people to Jesus. One of the potential off-site Buildings was the Taylor Building. When I saw it, I was stoked. I thought we could put a coffee shop on the lower level, a worship space on level two and just a kickin' it Man Cave somewhere on the top. It's potential was endless and as a wide-eyed Youth Pastor I thought this building had the potential of cementing my legacy (Yes I admit my vanity).

To purchase it would have cost $100,000 and then we'd have to renovate it.

I thought it might be worth it.

When it was presented to Godly leadership who sought the Lord, looked at our finances and the possibility of the mission field, they decided to instead let us renovate one of the floors INSIDE the church.

What would you have done?

Last week the Taylor Building was destroyed at the cost of $350,000. (see pic below) It had defects in it that noone saw for years. We didn't SEE that 9 years ago, but the multitude of counselors, did SEE that God was leading elsewhere. By trusting that, we saved over a half a million dollars AND the reworked church housed incredible youth ministry for 9 years.

Do I give anyone else in life any authority in things that matter?

When I don't get my way do I leave? Pout? Claim superiority?

What if God's plan for my life and for the redemption of others actually causes me pain? At the end of the day, does God have the authority in my life, or does something else?

A Friend's Tender Prayer

2011-01-17T15:04:00.002-05:00

I was blessed by a friend's reading of her prayer at church yesterday and I wanted to invite you into its beauty as well.

Father God, we live in a world of sin…
a world of temptation,
where every day we are faced with decisions…
not just decisions of
right and wrong,
but choosing between you and the things of this world.
And we are weak Father,
we are so weak.
Over and over again we fall…
we fail to choose you.
So easily our faith is shaken
and we become strangers to the life you have planned for us…
it becomes harder and harder to surrender it all,
to trust that you have not given us more than we can handle.
We forget that only with you,
with your grace,
that we can make it thru every day.
It is only in a life with you that sin
will lose its power…
and our hearts will be free.

Rise, Father…
Rise in this place right now
and meet each one of us at our greatest temptation.
Deliver us from what keeps us farthest from you.
We need you God…
we need you every day.
We need your wisdom…
to know when it is you leading us.
We need your strength…
to stand tall and look sin in the face.
It is only thru your strength that we can do anything.
Father God, wake us up every morning,
and remind us to step into your armor…
to shield ourselves before we even take that first step…
to surrender to the One,
the only One,
who will always love us…
no matter where we are,
and how many times we fall…
Father God, to surrender it ALL to you.

The Blanket of God's Love

2010-12-01T11:37:00.003-05:00

How long does it take for God's unmerited, unconditional love to completely envelop me?

I took a little nap yesterday afternoon. I climbed into our bed on the cold day with my whole body being chilled. I pulled up the warm blankets but they initially weren't warm enough to bring a full warmth to me. I yanked them up to my neck and just prayed that I would get warm.

When I awakened about 90 minutes later I was more than warm! I was almost too warm. Yes, my body temperature dropped while sleeping but the blankets also regulated me. I became accustomed to them and they worked as I stayed under them.

Maybe receiving God's love isn't something that just happens in a moment. Maybe it's full, regulating, warming effect only occurs as I continue to linger INSIDE of it.

I'm finding that it takes years to live with the awareness that I am loved by God...I mean a REAL awareness that there is nothing I could do to make God love me more or less...a REAL awareness that affects what I do and what I don't do.

At different times in my life, I just jumped out of the bed, impatient that God wasn't working at my pace. And then the next time I tried to embrace His love and grace, I was even colder.

What does it mean for me to linger until God has done His full transformation in me?

35th Birthday and a Decade of Wonder

2010-11-06T10:53:00.003-04:00

I was born in 1975, which puts me at roughly 35 years old tomorrow.

I was driving with Erin the other day and we spent some time reflecting on my birthday and more specifically the last 10 years. In the conversation I realized how life-changing this last decade was and I started making a list in my head of the WONDER of the decade that was 25-35. Here are some things that stand out:

-I celebrated my 25th Birthday at Asbury Seminary as an engaged pup finishing what he thought was his last year ever of Theological Education.
-I will celebrate my 35th Birthday as a student at United Theological Seminary, finishing what had better be my last year ever of Theological Education.

-This past decade had significant rites of passage:
-Graduate School completed
-Marriage
-Buying our first house
-First full-time Ministry placement
-Birth of Caleb
-Adoption of Silas
-Birth of Elena
-Surgery to make sure there were no more births
-Attempted selling of our first house and first major move and job change

Some other cool things in my life this decade:

Life-Changing Trips:
-Holy Land Trip 2006
-12 Trips to Tijuana Christian Mission, the last couple engaging in understanding Human Trafficking.
-2 trips to Quito, Ecuador
-Trip to Turkey including a sit-down meeting with the IHH
-Road trip with a good buddy to Portland
-2 Europe Trips (one with Erin and one with my Dad and brother)

Unforgettable Experiences:
-Having Shabbat dinner with a Hasidic Jewish Rabbi during Sukkot
-Watching the World Cup in a dingy bar in Modern Istanbul, surrounded by multiple nations.
-7 nieces or nephews born
-Honeymooning with my Honey in Lake Tahoe and Yosemite
-Praying over a man dying of AIDS
-Having a glass of wine with my Dad overlooking the Mediterranean

Medical:
-1 broken arm
-1 lost appendix (Erin)
-Lots of passing out

Music - I was introduced to some good tune-age this decade, here are some that still resonate somewhere in me:
-Over the Rhine
-Johnny Cash
-Ryan Delmore
-Enter the Worship Circle
-Eminem
-Hillsongs United
-David Crowder Band

These lists got me so excited today that I decided that my next 10 years would be filled with even more wonder and discovery. Here is my 35-45 Bucket List:

-Get my motorcycle license...and a motorcycle
-Spend significant time in Africa
-Take each of my kids to a favorite place in the world to explore and learn
-Teach Caleb how to drive a stick shift
-Take Erin to Spain during Christmas
-Learn even more how to best love my wife
-Learn and practice playing an instrument

What's on your list?

Why Halloween Doesn't Have to Be Evil

2010-10-18T08:54:00.004-04:00

Tony Morgan from www.tonymorganlive.com wrote the following and it summarizes a lot of my thoughts on the matter.

I've added #'s 9-10.

I love Halloween. I know. I’m not supposed to love Halloween since I’m a Christian and a pastor, but I do. Here’s why:

1. Friends from my neighborhood come to my front door, unannounced, to visit.
2. I get the chance to meet neighbors that I haven’t met before.
3. I have the opportunity to engage in conversations I would not normally have.
4. My kids are darn cute when they dress up in costumes.
5. My home feels warm and inviting after being outside for a couple of hours.
6. No one is expecting me to do anything “pastoral” on Halloween evening. I can just be normal [Dan].
7. I have a rich assortment of candy that I can steal from my kids.
8. I get to enjoy a fun evening with my family.
9. I get to see the parents walk with their kids in dedicated time with them.
10. Hot cider, cocoa or coffee after the walk!

Fasting and Prayer Guide - Day Ten - October 10th

2010-10-10T01:50:00.000-04:00

10.10.10

Prayer Focus - Pray for the abundance of life that God desires for us.

Scripture Focus - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 NIV

Fasting and Prayer Guide - Day Nine - October 9th

2010-10-09T01:48:00.001-04:00

October 9

Prayer Focus - Pray that we may be generous in our time, resources, finances, and love.

Scripture Focus - This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 MSG

Fasting and Prayer Guide - Day Eight - October 8th

2010-10-08T01:47:00.001-04:00

October 8

Prayer Focus - Pray that God gives us the faith to believe in things we hope for and in God’s power that is greater than us.

Scripture Focus - I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. Mark 11:23 NLT

Fasting and Prayer Guide - Day Seven - October 7th

2010-10-07T01:45:00.000-04:00

October 7

Prayer Focus - Pray that as these ten days wear on, we would have God’s strength to persevere, and not only in this, but in all he has called us to do!

Scripture Focus - Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

Fasting and Prayer Guide - Day Six - October 6th

2010-10-06T01:44:00.000-04:00

October 6

Prayer Focus - Pray that God would provide for our needs as families and as a church; God knows our needs even better than we do.

And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NRS

Missing LOST

2010-10-05T14:51:00.001-04:00

In the absence of my favorite sci-fi drama I've picked up some light reading. I miss you John Locke!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fasting and Prayer Guide - Day Five - October 5th

2010-10-05T01:43:00.000-04:00

October 5 -

Prayer Focus - Pray to have a spirit of repentance (turning from sin) and forgiveness, for if we are not right with God and each other, we can keep God from acting.

Scripture Focus - If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

Fasting and Prayer Guide - Day Four - October 4th

2010-10-04T01:41:00.000-04:00

October 4

Prayer Focus - Pray that we will have unity in the Church, that our hearts will be aligned with God’s will and leading.

Scripture Focus - So if in Christ there is anything that will move you, any incentive in love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any warmth or sympathy -- I appeal to you, make my joy complete by being of a single mind, one in love, one in heart and one in mind – united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:1-3 NJB/NAS

Fasting and Prayer Guide - Day Three - October 3rdd

2010-10-03T01:40:00.000-04:00

October 3

Prayer Focus - Pray that God would make us aware of the opportunities he gives us to invite people and share our faith.

Scripture Focus - I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Philemon 1:6 NIV

Fasting and Prayer Guide - Day Two - October 2nd

2010-10-02T01:38:00.000-04:00

October 2

Prayer Focus - Pray that God would give us a genuine love for our neighbors and community.

Scripture Focus - May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 1 Thessalonians 3:12 NIV

Fasting and Prayer Guide - Day One - October 1st

2010-10-01T01:35:00.000-04:00

October 1st

Prayer Focus - Pray that we would have God’s heart for God’s Kingdom (his rule over all) and his purposes.

Scripture Focus - Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Matthew 6:33 MSG

Saying Thanks

2010-09-30T17:18:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is October 1st. It is a significant day for me and maybe for many in the church. It is the first day of a 10-Day commitment to fasting and praying together that will end on 10.10.10 at our CHURCH HAS LEFT THE BUILDING DAY.

This morning, God impressed upon me that my soul needed prepared for this journey by beginning with thankfulness. In other words, the soil of my heart needed some THANKSGIVING planted before the rain and sun hit it. In honor of that, I've decided to say at least 10 things I'm thankful for in this church. It will not be enough to communicate how thankful that I am that we are serving God together but it is a start.

10 Things I'm Thankful For at Lewisburgumc.org

10. Incredible Hospitality - from the moment the truck arrived on Commerce Street, we were immersed in your love made known in service, food, words and presence. Thank You!

9. Dedicated Laity - oh my goodness do you all love your church!!! You sacrifice hours, money, sleep and sometimes logic in order to give yourself to the Bride of Christ. Thank You!

8. Risky Faith - from a merge to a new building in Preble County to giving to 10.10.10 you have demonstrated that you believe in a God who can do the impossible! Thank You!

7. Openness to Change - One thing that makes you stand apart from most places is that you really want to see God's Kingdom grow. And you understand that change is mandatory for that to happen...and although change is difficult, you have allowed God to grace you into it. Thank you!

6. You Put Up With Me - I know I'm a pain in the rear sometimes (or most of the time) but you've allowed me to share my heart behind things and to be myself (even without a Clergy Robe). Thank you!

5. Your Giving Spirit - I remember when Jeff was going to local Pastor's school to discern his next steps in ministry, someone on the Leadership Team recognized how critical it was to support him and made sure we paid his way! Thank you!

4. Beautiful Buildings - yes our sanctuary is gorgeous but so is the Home you have prepared for me and Erin and the kiddos. We love them both and consider ourselves overly blessed to live into their beauty. Thank you!

3. Sharing Your Lives - one of the things that keeps me energized is when I get to intersect with your real lives! Some of you have shared concerns with me and about me, you've shared tears, we've shared hugs, you've let me into some deep places in your soul and you've shared your deepest longings. Thank you!

2. Service - Man you all are crazy servants! Just this week we had a call at church from someone who heard about the Samaritan project down the street wondering how many more we were going to do! Woah! You are being Jesus to our world. Thank You!

1. Care for my Children - as most of you know, I love my kids and their development means the world to me. I am humbled at how you've cared for Caleb, Silas and Elena these 3 months. You've let them be them. You've encouraged them to know Jesus. You've held them as they've cried or slept and you've shared with them your lives. Thank you!

Ten Days of Fasting and Praying

2010-09-29T09:17:00.000-04:00

The congregation of Lewisburg UMC are engaging in 10 Days of Fasting and Prayer beginning October 1st. This will lead us to a Big Event on 10.10.10 where we will bring friends with us to church and then go serve in 10 service projects instead of "church like normal." To do this, we are giving away

In an effort to unify us and focus our times of prayer, we have prepared a Guide to Prayer that will lead us during these days.

Below is the script for our time together but each day I will post on the theme for the day. Please join us in prayer as we seek God for our selves, our families, our communities, church and world.

10.10.10. PRAYER GUIDE

10.1 Pray that we would have God’s heart for God’s Kingdom (his rule over all) and his purposes.

(Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Matthew 6:33 MSG)

10.2 Pray that God would give us a genuine love for our neighbors and community.

(May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 1 Thessalonians 3:12 NIV)

10.3 Pray that God would make us aware of the opportunities he gives us to invite people and share our faith.

(I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Philemon 1:6 NIV)

10.4 Pray that we will have unity in the Church, that our hearts will be aligned with God’s will and leading.

(So if in Christ there is anything that will move you, any incentive in love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any warmth or sympathy -- I appeal to you, make my joy complete by being of a single mind, one in love, one in heart and one in mind – united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:1-3 NJB/NAS)

10.5 Pray to have a spirit of repentance (turning from sin) and forgiveness, for if we are not right with God and each other, we can keep God from acting.

(If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV)
10.6 Pray that God would provide for our needs as families and as a church; God knows our needs even better than we do.

(And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NRS)

10.7 Pray that as these ten days wear on, we would have God’s strength to persevere, and not only in this, but in all he has called us to do!

(Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV)

10.8 Pray that God gives us the faith to believe in things we hope for and in God’s power that is greater than us.

(I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. Mark 11:23 NLT)

10.9 Pray that we may be generous in our time, resources, finances, and love.

(This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 MSG)

10.10 Pray for the abundance of life that God desires for us.

(The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 NIV)

New United Methodist Survey - Good or Evil?

2010-09-02T12:24:00.001-04:00

A new survey came out recently that suggested ways for the United Methodist Church to stop the rapid Membership Decline. Go read it here.

Then, let's talk about it.

Here are my thoughts:

I resonate well with the action steps in various ways:

-Small groups especially programming for youth - these CAN be means to help people BELONG - one of the ways people grow in Jesus.

-Active Laity - I feel my role is to equip the lay people of the church so to not have active laity would mean that it has become about me. Also, active laity COULD mean that they OWN their faith and mission.

-Inspired Pastors with Longer Tenures - I'm not sure what categorizes as "inspirational" but I really think that the longer stays are usually key.

-Traditional and Contemporary Worship - this COULD represent a contextualized approach to what we do on Sundays.

BUT...

I really take exception to a couple key things in the article:

1. They interviewed churches and pastors about themselves. Really? Is there a way that they could have polled the laity instead? The guy sitting in the back row? I think sometimes churched people speak a "church-ese" language that doesn't make sense to real life. How do we know that a growing membership even equals long-term Kingdom impact? Maybe we could compare/contrast this with other denominations or non-denominations (=baptist) who have a track record of it's people living out the Gospel.

2. They asked the churches, "what are you doing...?" - Hear me - what we DO is important and we are judged partially on what we DO with our faith. But, too often we are quick to go to programs and not to real life. I would love to see a question for pastors and the laity that looked something like, "How are you grooming your soul to connect with God?" OR "How do you being equipped to spend more time connecting with God and what has been the fruit, the overflow of that time?"

3. Membership - This is an issue for me so I will be brief. I do not think a goal of any church is to increase Membership and those who are not members do not need to give their lives to membership...they need to give their lives to the love of Jesus. And Membership may help them stay connected but that is NOT OUR GOAL.

4. "worship is like a mall...people can go where they like" - Having both contemporary and traditional music styles should come out of a contextualization of each church. I had a good Pastor friend tell me that if you're in Nashville your music probably should have a bit of a southern draw. Context partially determines style. Secondly, is the goal of what happens on Sunday that people "go where they like" and are able to complete a successful shopping experience? For me, all that happens on Sunday should be done in such a way that the whole Story of God is modeled, embraced and lifted up so that all may find themselves within that Story. Sometimes that means we sing a song that is not our favorite or our preferred style but it says something about God's Narrative that couldn't be said otherwise.

5. "Any congregation can be come vital if they practice these things" - really? Any? I think these 4 items are GREAT GOALS and good benchmarks but there is a working of the Spirit that ebbs and flows in different places. Sometimes a pastor needs to be there 20 years and sometimes bringing someone in for 1 year could do more for the church's future than anything. I think I'm just always wary of Step-by-step programs for success. I like benchmarks but I'd take the promise statement out of it.

So, let me ask you:

How do you being equipped to spend more time connecting with God and what has been the fruit, the overflow of that time?

Where has the Church - God's People - been instrumental in your life?

The Greatest Commandment by Dwight Pryor

2010-08-05T08:42:00.003-04:00

This is a post from an email that I received this morning from Dwight A Pryor from jcstudies.com out of Dayton. I wanted to cut and paste stuff from it but I realized that there is nothing I would leave out. So below is the full text.

I'm putting it here because it is the best explanation I've seen for Jesus' handling of the question, "What is the greatest commandment?". Go subscribe to their regular emails too. Enjoy and send your comments.

The 'Mega Mitzva'

Author: Dwight A. Pryor

WHY WOULD AN EXPERT in the Torah (a “lawyer”) ask Yeshua “which commandment in the Law is the greatest?” (Matt 22:36 NRSV). Was this a trick question, “to test” or “tempt” (KJV) him (22:35)?

How can one commandment be called the “greatest” (Gk megas)? There are hundreds of mitzvot in the Torah (613 according to rabbinic count). Are some less important or not so “great”? Even Jesus states that whoever keeps “the least” of the commandments and teaches others to do the same “shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven” (5:19).

To confuse matters further, Jesus cites two commands when asked for one! How many “great commandments” are there? One or two?

WHAT WE HAVE HERE is a translation’s failure to communicate. To understand this weighty text we need to situate it in its original Jewish context, including the teaching traditions of Israel’s Sages. That will help to clarify its meaning, as well as draw attention to a vital point in Jesus’ reply that often is missed by Christian readers.

Actually, the incident depicted in Matthew 22:35ff (and Mark 12:28ff) was not an uncommon one in the first century. Experts in halakhah (legal rulings) might well ask a sage like Yeshua, “Rabbi/Teacher, how do you read the Torah? What do you take to be its summarizing principle, its core or great precept?”

Before and after the time of Jesus, sages like the esteemed Hillel and Rabbi Akiva attempted to formulate a condensed set of precepts or principles that represented the whole Torah. Some suggested that the Ten Commandments could be viewed in this way. One said that Micah 6:8 (“O Man, what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?) constituted a foundational summary of our Torah responsibilities. Another proposal was Habakkuk 2:4 (“The righteous shall live by his faith/fullness”). Hillel and Akiva, by the way, agreed that Leviticus 19:18 is the core precept of the Torah: “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

So the lawyer’s question to Jesus was not some kind of trick or disguised test, but a genuine inquiry as to his interpretation of the Torah. Nor was Jesus’ reply entirely novel or unexpected; it was fully consistent with the best of Second Temple Jewish values. However, to understand the unique and striking implications of his answer we must consider the rabbinic style of teaching he employs here.

Jesus is saying far more than that the “great commandment” actually consists of two parts: a) love of God (Deut 6:5) and b) love of neighbor (Lev 19:18). He uses a foundational Jewish method of scriptural exegesis called gezera shava. The Sages liked to interpret Scripture by Scripture. To explicate the meaning of a verse therefore they would look elsewhere in the Bible for another verse with the same key word or phrase, and then use the second text to interpret the meaning of the first. This is arguing by gezera shava or verbal analogy.

The key phrase in Deut 6:5 that Jesus picks up on is “And you shall love…” (v’ahavta). He then links it with the identical phrase in Lev 19:18, “And you shall love…” (v’ahavta), thereby using the latter to interpret the intent of the former. The love of God requires and is expressed through the love of neighbor, he claims.
Lev 19:18 therefore is not a ‘second-place’ command. For Jesus it is equivalent to Deut 6:5. He inseparably links these two scriptures together—so that the two become one!

THIS UNDERSTANDING OF the “great commandment” is consistent with Yeshua’s teaching on another occasion when he states the core precept of the Torah this way: "Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matt 7:12). This is his variation on Lev 19:18
.
We also now can reconcile the Apostle Paul’s view with that of his Rabbi, Jesus: “For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Gal 5:14 NRSV). Paul is not overlooking the obligation to “love God…” Rather from the Master he learned that Deut 6:5 is fulfilled in the doing of Lev 19:18. This truly is the ‘mega mitzva’!

© 2010 Dwight A. Pryor and The Center for Judaic-Christian Studies.
All rights reserved.

NY Times Article on Clergy Burnout

2010-08-02T11:23:00.002-04:00

After attending the Emotionally Healthy Leadership Conference in April this year, I have been known to "preach" a little too much about the need for a healthy emotional life for clergy and everyone really!

This article includes quotes from Pete Scazzero about the rhythm of a Pastor's life. One of the most fascinating parts in it is this quote below from a Jewish Rabbi. What would it look like if the UMC adopted something like this:

“We now recommend three or four months every three or four years,” said Rabbi Joel Meyers, a past executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly, the international association of Conservative rabbis. “There is a deep concern about stress. Rabbis today are expected to be the C.E.O. of the congregation and the spiritual guide, and never be out of town if somebody dies. And reply instantly to every e-mail.”

Some bigger questions in my head need to be addressed in order to really tackle this issue. Here are some:
-In our clergy systems of call, how are we teaching/modeling/forming women and men who are emotionally mature before they become licensed or ordained? Does our current system allow for that or what tweaks would be needed?

-Why do clergy especially have boundaries issues? The better question may be, Why does everyone have boundary issues? Does Emotional healthy tie in here?

-What role does a clergy member have toward their family and how does that play out in their expectations in full-time, paid ministry?

The Brilliance of the Old Spice Guy

2010-07-16T07:14:00.001-04:00

I have to admit. Both Erin and I run to the TV when the new Old Spice commercials begin. "I'm on a horse." :)

This is Old Spice. The same Old Spice company that had a permanent residency in my father's vanity. I'm not sure he ever used it but the fuzz on the bottle added to the Old feeling of Old Spice.

It's a whole new world now. Here is a Fast Company article on how Brilliant they are in their strategy. Here are my favorite take-homes for story-telling and leading change:

Character - "We had this character who is not only loved by ladies, but equally loved by guys. A woman's man that was okay for men to love. And we realized there were no edges to where he could exist." Do I tell stories that are too specific, that contain edges that people do not identify with? How does the story of God get communicated?

On Using Youtube to Respond to Questions: "People are very familiar with the ways of sharing it, liking it, and favoring it, and just the fact that it can go everywhere very quickly was a huge positive." How accessible is our story to modern forms of sharing?

Dan

Confronting Your Leader

2010-07-15T10:07:00.003-04:00

I read a great post this morning from Mac Lake. I would add a lot of my own thoughts, and I may in a bit, but I want you all to read his post first. You can find the original by clicking HERE. Or below is a copy of his article.

Its not an uncommon for a leader to hurt someone’s feelings, rub someone the wrong way or mis-communicate to those they lead. If you follow a leader it’s likely you have been offended by them at some time or another. How you handle that offense speaks volumes about your character. When a leader has hurt your feelings you have three options:

Remain Silent

Complain to others

Talk to them about it.

Okay, let’s break down each of these options to determine which approach we should take.

OPTION #1 REMAIN SILENT - While this may seem honorable to some, it’s extremely dangerous. Those who take this approach actually undermine authentic community and can develop a spirit of self-righteous pride. If a leader has offended or hurt you, not dealing with it allows resentment to build in your heart. And if the leaders actions were truly wrong then not addressing it allows that potential blind spot to persist in their leadership character. Remaining silent hurts you and the leader in the long run. Solomon declares in Proverbs 10:18 “He who conceals hatred is a liar.” Be careful, your silence may not be as honorable as you think.

OPTION #2 COMPLAIN TO OTHERS – Many people feel justified using this approach because they were truly wronged. However, complaining to others spreads discontent and division among the team. Even the most subtle complaints to co-workers undermines the authority of the leader and weakens the unity the organization. Someone one told me, “If you speak poorly of an individual, what would make tha person you are talking to think you would not speak poorly of them as well.” When we speak negatively about others it diminishes peoples confidence in our character. Solomon gives warning in Proverbs 16:27-28 “A scoundrel plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire. 28 A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.”

OPTION #3 TALK TO THEM- The reason most people fail to confront is they view confrontation as a means of recompense rather than reconciliation. Viewing the confrontation from a selfish perspective (What am I going to get out of it) will only build walls and create a defensive spirit in most leaders. But a Christ Centered perspective of seeking reconciliation and restoration is more likely to produce an open spirit within the person being confronted. When they sense a humble spirit with a selfless motive walls of defense will melt and it’s more likely to produce a healthy, productive discussion. Solomon reminds us in Proverbs 27:6 “faithful are the wounds of a friend.”

Hurt? Offended? What’s your next step?

New Series

2010-07-08T16:33:00.001-04:00

Emotionally Healthy Leadership Part 1

2010-05-02T21:52:00.002-04:00

The Theology of Marriage Part 1 by Pete and Geri Scazzero.

Intro to the EH Leadership Conf - 04.29.10 from New Life Fellowship on Vimeo.

New Series Starting this Sunday

2010-04-05T09:15:00.004-04:00

I am really excited for our next Sunday morning series that begins this coming weekend. We will be unpacking some of the big concepts from a book that has completely affected the whole of my life, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.

We will not have a chance to cover everything in the book but if you're interested, my good friends will be leading a book study each Wednesday from 6:15-7:45 starting April 14 at church.

Here's a teaser for the series...come and explore what it means to be alive.

Lenten Study - April 4 Easter Sunday

2010-04-04T05:49:00.000-04:00

This is the final Lenten Devotional for 2010 written by David Chivington. I hope you enjoyed the daily readings and journey together.

Sunday April 4 Read John 20:1-18

Happy Easter!

Because Jesus lives we are told we will live also. Everything has been done for you, to permit you to be a part of the Kingdom of God. Before the bunnies and the ducks and the eggs get in the way of your Easter celebration, will you offer your life to God and promise to follow Him wherever life takes you? Let today be the beginning of a grand and beautiful journey in the Kingdom of God.

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the World today.
I know that he is living whatever foes may say.
I see his hand of mercy, I hear his voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.
He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along the narrow way.
He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.

Lenten Study - April 3

2010-04-03T05:49:00.000-04:00

Saturday April 3 Read Acts 9: 1-6

You would think that the cross would be enough suffering for Jesus. At least I would think so. Then I read where Jesus feels persecuted because of what Saul is doing to the church. Think about it. Jesus continues to suffer because the church is suffering. Does that mean when we cry, Jesus cries? When we hurt, does Jesus hurt? When we grieve, does Jesus grieve? Is it possible that Jesus continues to suffer because of our suffering?

I have to wonder how many hurting desperate people have cried out to God, “Lord you don’t get it. You don’t understand how much I hurt.” Can you imagine the answer? “Are you kidding? It is you that doesn’t get it.”

It doesn’t seem like a great plan to us who hurt. It demands a great deal of faith. Our choice seems to be simple. We can choose to suffer for a short time here on earth clinging by faith to the cross of Calvary, or we can suffer for eternity.

The only way for us to really triumph over evil and suffering is to live forever in a place where those things don’t exist. It is the Christian claim that there is such a place and that place is available to all who seek it. God has revealed his plan and invites us by faith to trust Him, accept Him, and follow Him. In the end the Kingdom has the last word. It is the most important word of all; Heaven.

Has this study been of any help to you? Please let the staff know. Are there any questions you feel are left unanswered? Please let us know. Can we help you on your journey of faith? Please let us know dchivington@sidneyfirst.com

Lenten Study - April 2

2010-04-02T05:47:00.000-04:00

Friday April 2 Read John 19:16-37

This is Good Friday. It is the day we remember that Jesus died on the cross. The cross of Calvary exposes God’s love and grace and also exposes how evil we really are. Look carefully at the cross and you will see a mirror. That is our punishment for our sins. That is what we deserve for the evil in our lives. That is what every day in Hell looks like. But God so loved the world He chose to pay it all.

John Piper writes, “The suffering of the utterly innocent and infinitely Holy Son of God, in the place of the utterly undeserving sinners, to bring us to everlasting joy is the greatest display of the glory of God’s grace.”

“In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
a wondrous beauty I see, for ‘twas on that old cross
Jesus suffered and died, to pardon and sanctify me.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.”
George Bennard

How does Jesus’ death on the cross change your world view of suffering? How does God’s love change your view of yourself?

Lenten Study - April 1

2010-04-01T05:46:00.000-04:00

Thursday April 1 Read Luke 22:24-38

Wow! What a combination of celebrations, April Fools Day and Maundy Thursday. Although if you think about it, you either believe Jesus and His disciples were fools or Satan is about to be fooled. In fact, in some Christian traditions the days following Easter are celebrations of the fact that Satan got fooled and Christ defeated Satan and death through the resurrection. The celebrations are filled with humor, jokes and funny plays. In Delphos, Ohio the Sunday after Easter is Holy Humor Sunday. I like their spirit. (Thursday is called Maundy because of the Latin word mandare which means to mandate or command something. Jesus commanded us to remember Him through the communion.)

Did you see in the Luke story how the disciples were jockeying for position of who was to be greatest? They came to the Passover supper preparing to do battle. They have two swords and Peter is ready to lay down his life to fight for the Kingdom that Jesus is bringing. So, naturally, they are interested in who is going to be the top general in this fight. Peter even starts the fight later that night in the garden by cutting off the ear of a servant. They just don’t get it, and some of us struggle to get it as well.

Jesus is not bringing that kind of Kingdom. The fact is that the Kingdom of God triumphs over evil and suffering, not with a sword but with a cross. The plan of God for the victory of His Kingdom is to win by surrendering to suffering. You can’t do that with a sword in your hand.

We like to serve God and others from a position of power and might. We’d rather be healthy, wealthy, and wise as we minister to the sick, poor, and ignorant. We feel confident when we go to Haiti and serve those poor people.

The followers of Jesus in the Kingdom, however, discover that they are expected to lay down their swords and take up a cross. They are invited to join Jesus in suffering for the world. That is much harder. Without his sword Peter can’t even stand up to a little girl. It is much harder to serve God when we feel broken, unsure, and weak, but that is when the Kingdom is at its best.

What weakness can you offer Jesus? What sword do you need to lay down to take up a cross? Which is harder for you?

Lenten Study - March 31

2010-03-31T06:46:00.000-04:00

Wednesday March 31 Read Hebrews 12:2-3

When we lock our eyes on our cancer, arthritis, fibromyalgia, diabetes or disability; self-pity and bitterness can creep in. When we spend our days rehearsing the tragic death of a loved one, we will interpret all life through the darkness of our suffering. How much better when we focus on Jesus!

However great our suffering, His was far greater. If you feel angry at God, what price would you have Him pay for His failure to do more for people facing suffering and evil? Would you inflict capital punishment on Him? You’re too late. No matter how bitter we feel toward God, could any of us come up with a punishment worse than what God chose to inflict upon himself?

Tim Keller writes, “When we look at the cross we may not know why God allows evil and suffering but we do know what the answer isn’t. It can’t be that God doesn’t love us. It can’t be that God is indifferent or detached from our condition. God takes our misery and suffering so seriously that He was willing to take it on Himself.”

In the shadow of the cross, with our eyes on Jesus, we no longer ask, “Why did you do this to me?” Now we ask, “Why did you do this for me?” Look at his hands. Do those look like the hands of someone who doesn’t care?

If you ran the world would you eliminate suffering and evil? What would be different about that world? What would be different about the people that grew up in that world? What would be different about you if you lived in that world? How difficult is it for you to keep your eyes on Jesus when you struggle and suffer? How can you get help for those moments?

Lenten Study - March 30

2010-03-30T05:45:00.000-04:00

Tuesday March 30 Read Hebrews 2:10 & 5:8 and Romans 8:17-18

Does it strike you in any way that Jesus was really only perfect because he was willing to suffer? We have a “right here and now perspective” of suffering. Scripture teaches us to have an eternal perspective about suffering. The Kingdom of God is uniquely tied to suffering. F.F. Bruce writes, “It is not merely that the glory is a compensation for the suffering; it actually grows out of the suffering. There is an organic relation between the two, for the believer as surely as there was for his Lord.” The eternal perspective of suffering is that God is using suffering to transform our character into the likeness of His Son Jesus.

God’s promise of glory doesn’t minimize our suffering, of course. We still hurt, we still cry, we still grieve and we will until that glorious day when Christ returns. What we rest upon is the promise that our current suffering will be eclipsed by an immeasurable greater glory, and in the meantime, God is using our current suffering to work in us His Holy transformation also for His glory. We are in the middle of a great story. The book contains twenty chapters. We are living in chapter twelve. We cannot see all that is taking place and understand all that is being done in us, but we have this hope. The end of the story is coming. All our weeping will be replaced with laughter; our poverty with wealth; our hunger with satisfaction; and hatred, insults, and rejection with eternal reward. What a day that will be!

Can you see how suffering caused growth in your life? How difficult is it for you to accept the promise that God is working “good” in you through suffering? How does having an eternal perspective of suffering affect how you live your faith among others who are suffering?

Lenten Study - March 29

2010-03-29T09:56:00.000-04:00

Monday March 29 Read 1 Corinthians 15:17-19

Randy Alcorn writes, “Only the resurrection can solve the gigantic problems of this world - and resurrection can not happen without death. Without Christ’s resurrection and what it means - an eternal future for fully restored human beings, dwelling with Christ on a fully restored Earth - all the promises of Christianity vanish like smoke in a stiff wind”. As Paul says, “We are to be pitied more than all men. Thankfully our resurrection is certain because of Christ’s.”

“Without this eternal perspective we assume that people who die young, who have handicaps, who suffer poor health, who don’t get married or have children, or who don’t do this or that will miss out on the best life has to offer. But the theology underlying those assumptions has a fatal flaw. It presumes that our present Earth, bodies, culture, relationships, and lives are all there is-or that they will somehow overshadow or negate those of the New Earth.”

What are we thinking? The stronger our concept of what Jesus did on the cross, with his resurrection and through his life, the more we understand that God has an eternal plan that overshadows all the problems of evil and suffering. What a day that will be!

What concepts of death and suffering rock your faith? When have you found it difficult to live into the “not yet” part of the Kingdom? What about heaven do you look forward to experiencing? What might change in your thinking if you saw our present existence as the before life rather than calling Heaven the afterlife?

Lenten Study - March 28

2010-03-28T02:49:00.000-04:00

Sunday March 28 Read Matthew 21:1-11

Today begins Holy Week, a solemn time for some when we remember how Jesus suffered, died and was buried for our sakes. Today is also Palm Sunday, a festive remembrance of how the people cheered and spread their coats and palm branches on the road for Jesus, Messiah as he entered Jerusalem on a donkey. Probably nothing confuses the young Christian as much as this Kingdom message.

I grew up with Roy Rogers, Popeye, Mighty Mouse, James Bond and of course the Lone Ranger. I learned from these heroes of mine that you saved the world through power, strength, cunning and occasionally a little luck. It is American to know that the best way to get things done is to walk softly and carry a big stick. Ask any kid on the play ground and they know that the spoils go to the biggest and meanest. It is a fact of life.

In the triumphal ride into Jerusalem, Jesus, Messiah teaches the greatest Kingdom lesson of all. He will save the world, not through power and might but through suffering. His Kingdom will not be established on earth by being the biggest and the meanest, but by being a servant and laying down one’s life. The Kingdom of God will be established on earth by Kingdom people taking up their cross and following Jesus. Nothing can be harder to understand for those who like big sticks.

There is a family with a two year old son who will die in these next two weeks of cancer. The family is devastated. They are disappointed with God and sometimes angry. There is constant crying. I know this because my son is their pastor and friend. He called me the other day broken because of the journey this family has to take. He doesn’t have to be there with them. He doesn’t have to take on their pain. He doesn’t have to share in their frustrations with God. He doesn’t have to but in the Kingdom of God, those who follow Jesus know that the greatness of the Kingdom is experienced through suffering. And sometimes that suffering is not your own.

What part of this Kingdom lesson is hard for you? When have you been willing to embrace the suffering of others? When did you feel someone else was embracing your hurt and pain? When you think of sharing Jesus with the world, how does the idea of suffering become a stumbling block for a non-believer?

Lenten Study - March 27

2010-03-27T02:49:00.000-04:00

Saturday March 27

“Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” Mark 10:24b-25

HE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOYS WINS

SHE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST MATERIAL WINS

Those are familiar bumper stickers that make us smile. Maybe, that is because we recognize some truth in them. If we truly believed the sayings then it would appear that Jesus lost the battle.
We know the truth, Jesus won. Because Jesus won, we receive forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation. We are truly rich. We know that it is no longer all about us, but all about Jesus. That’s the good news of the power of the Kingdom of God.

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT ME

Take time to be holy in silent meditation.

Look full upon the face of Jesus

PRAYER

Lord, help me to repent of the times when I thought it was all about me.

Turn me around and make me a new person.

Teach me to walk in your ways and give me the grace to search you out.

May I find a new beginning in you?

May I wake up new each day?

May I walk in your Kingdom and live in your ways?

Amen

Lenten Study - March 26

2010-03-26T02:48:00.000-04:00

Friday March 26

“You lack one thing; go sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;” Mark 10:21

WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU?

Story: The son of a wealthy man expected to receive a sports car for his graduation. Instead his Dad called him into his study, told him that he loved him and handed him a wrapped-up present. When he opened it, he found it to be a box containing a leather Bible. And they never spoke again, despite the fact that the young man’s father tried hard to contact him.

Years later, the son got a call to say his Dad had died, leaving him everything. As he was gong through his father’s belongings, he found that Bible still in its’ box. Curious, he took the Bible out of the box and opened it. The page fell open to a passage his father had marked. As he looked at the page, he noticed that his Dad had underlined Matthew 7:11

“If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father give what is good to those who ask Him.” And as he read it, a car key fell from inside the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer’s name on it for the sports car that he had wanted years earlier. On the tag, beside his graduation date, were the words, “Paid in full, love Dad”.

The young man missed a wonderful present from his father because of his greed.
Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. (Matthew 6:21)

And the opposite is true also: Where you treasure is, there you will find your heart.

SILENT MEDITATION

PRAYER

Lord, in all situations and with all people, fill me with the grace to notice the love that you are giving to me. Help me to live a grace filled life. Amen

Lenten Study - March 25

2010-03-25T02:45:00.001-04:00

Thursday March 25

Jesus looking at him loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” Mark 10:21

Jesus knew the man loved Him. Jesus knew that the man’s wealth had made him way too comfortable. Jesus wasn’t upset that the man had possessions but that the man was relying on his possessions to keep him safe. God was not the man’s source, his possessions were.

Mine, mine, mine pushes God into a corner. “I did this”, and “I did that”, is a pit that easily traps us. Our consumer culture can easily swallow us up in more and newer. We live in a throw away society. If something breaks, we replace with new.

The question to ask ourselves is not how much we have but how much has us.

Prayer
“Oh, God, help me to see you as my source and to be thankful for all the “stuff” you have given me. Lord, help me to be thankful for the many talents and gifts you have given me. Help me to know that all is a loan from you and respond accordingly. Lord, help me not to “cling” to my stuff but, to “cling” to you. Amen

SILENT MEDITATION

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QUESTIONS FROM OUR RIVAL KINGDOM

There is the Kingdom of God and there is our Rival Kingdom. We war with God in giving our all to God verses giving to ourselves.

Does your wealth, goals or plans hold you back from God?
Does a hobby or sport occupy an excessive amount of your time?
Does your self image hold you back from God?
Are you afraid to let things go?
Do you hold on to old hurts?

Prayer
Lord, thank you for the grace to hear you love me into new places.

SILENT MEDITATION

Lenten Study - March 24

2010-03-24T03:52:00.000-04:00

Wednesday March 24 Read Acts 19:8-10

I love this passage. Paul has this awesome moment converting men to The Kingdom and then he enters the synagogue (what boldness!) to persuade more. But when he enters many “became obstinate” and did not believe him. And then, to top it off, they made fun of this movement of Jesus-followers.

• Recall a spiritual moment in your life when you would have used words like “mountaintop experience” or “awakening.” What did that feel like? What emotions did you have? What resolutions did you make?

Much of life is lived in patterns and rhythms. Some enforced deliberately and some rhythms are accidental. But there seems to be a pattern in many lives of big highs and then reality of lows!

• What was life like about a month or two after your spiritual moment? What did it feel like? What comments circled in your head?

Paul went from being successful to being unappreciated. In these short 2 verses we can learn a lot about how to respond. It is a maturing thing to learn how and when to walk away. “So Paul left them.” He had spent three months trying to convince people of something that they did not want to be convinced over. They begin to make fun of him and his fellow followers. So Paul grabs the disciples and leaves. It is a great, deep work of the Spirit that teaches us when to press on and when to move on! There are times when God wants us in the middle of the maligning. There are times when it is best to leave to new paths. Paul does not criticize those that make fun of them. He doesn’t call them “stupid.” He doesn’t become passive-aggressive. He doesn’t write a letter to the editor. It doesn’t even say that he rallied all his friends around him in order to dismiss their words. Paul knew himself. He knew God. And he walked away.

As much as he “argued persuasively about the Kingdom” in the synagogue, he just as passionately withdrew and did so with the Kingdom in his sights.

• What is your patterned response to criticism and/or rejection? What might be a Kingdom response?

Lenten Study - March 23

2010-03-23T03:51:00.000-04:00

Tuesday March 23 Read Acts 14:14-22

He doesn’t really mean “we MUST go through hardships.” He doesn’t right?

Paul and Barnabas were drawing a crowd. And this crowd was so enamored with them that they were claiming that Paul and Barnabas were gods themselves and that all people should make sacrifices to them. They were ‘idols’ in some capacity to the crowds. They were put on a pedestal (we don’t do that with our leaders do we?)

Oh, but how quickly things change. Some Jews came from Antioch and flipped the crowd. So much so, that they took Paul, stoned him, and thinking he was dead, dragged him outside the city! He was dead to them.

“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”

The kingdom of God represents a God-reality that can be here and now. It is a fulfillment of God’s desires. And this writer says that to be faithful in living out this God-reality, we must endure hardships! Maybe we won’t be killed or nearly killed but have you experienced complete rejection from a person or group that you’ve just given everything of you to? Maybe we won’t be thrown out of a city but have you ever been un-welcomed in a place or in a social group because of your beliefs?

Have you ever longed for the best in someone only to see them constantly choose the worse? Life is hard! It will take a toll on us because the Kingdom of God is not one that most of us live near regularly. We get frustrated. We get beaten. We hurt others.

In moments like these, in seasons such as this, it speaks much to me that on the verge of humankind’s redemption, Jesus was hurt. Jesus was abandoned. Jesus’ emotions were laid bare. And yet Kingdom came.

• What characteristic of God means the most to you when you are facing difficult things?

• How might you cling to Jesus during moments of pain?

Lenten Study - March 22

2010-03-22T03:50:00.000-04:00

Monday March 22 Read Acts 8:4-24

Philip “preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.” People who were sick were healed. People filled with evil were set free and one man, Simon, became very interested in this “Kingdom talk.”

It says that Simon has practiced sorcery in Samaria and he seemed to be so powerful that rich and poor named him “the Great Power.” Samaria followed Simon because his magic was amazing. That is until Philip came on the scene. Samaria followed this Good News, this Kingdom. Simon even appears to initially give himself to this as well.

It is always amazing to me what happens when the Kingdom of God breaks into unexpected places. Have you ever been in a conversation that was going one way and then someone comes in with a voice of truth, saying a prophetic word that stuns the room into silence? Kingdom power! Have you ever seen a community come to a standstill when something bigger than them comes on the scene? Kingdom power. The power of God stills us into silence.

In the Old Testament at one point the power of God was placed in the enemy’s camp and it turned over all the idols. The enemies of God’s people were so freaked out that they gave the Symbol of God back! The power of the Kingdom of God will always purify us of our false power and manipulations.

Look at Simon. The Good News comes in and it is so compelling that Simon signs up. But when he sees that these apostles have something that he doesn’t, he falls back to his old ways and attempts to bribe God’s power from the leaders. Some reflection:

• What would it mean for God to ask you to surrender the very thing(s) that represent power, prestige and/or influence?

• What is it in the human soul that often reverts to former ways when it’s out of control?

• How have you bribed God? What are you looking for and why?

God, be with us. Our desires often get askew. We want to surrender to your Kingdom and not ours, but we are fearful. Hold us as we tremble and relinquish our grip on our power. Amen.

Lenten Study - March 21

2010-03-21T06:34:00.000-04:00

Sunday March 21 Read Mark 10:20-26

I want to ask you more questions today than normal because today’s passage is one that raises moer questions than answers.

What relation, if any, is there to pleasing God and keeping the rules?

Maybe this rich, young ruler came to Jesus because something was missing. Maybe he had pleased God in every possible known way and yet was lacking in something internally. Maybe he pulled up his regal robe and high-tailed it to Jesus in the midst of the peasant crowd because he was desperate. And Jesus meets that desperation by asking him to DO one more thing.

Jesus’ request seemed to stun the man.

It certainly stunned the disciples.

Maybe it was because in that culture to be rich meant to be considered favored or blessed by God. If you were poor or sick most thought you to be cursed from God.

So Jesus was redefining what has value. He was telling this man to rid himself of the very things that, in his culture, evidenced God’s blessing in his life.

How do you define blessing? Name some blessings in your life.

How would you name Jesus’ definition of blessing from this story?

Another reason to question this story is that it appears Jesus is unsympathetic to the guy. Re-read verse 21. Did you catch the key to the passage? “Then looking at him, Jesus ___________ him.” Jesus loved him…before He asked him to do anything…before the man chose a response.

Do you believe that Jesus loves you apart from your responses to Him?

What would it look like for someone to live life fully connected to Jesus’ love?

The command came after the love. Since the command comes after the love, regardless of what the command is, the only option for us is to believe that the command of Christ is made OUT of that love.

Jesus was asking this man to consider what defines him. Only by stripping away those things that he or culture said defined him (possessions, money, etc.) in that moment of crisis, could he define himself the way Jesus wanted – by whom his faith was in.

What would it mean for you to live an identity marked by God’s love for you and not by WHAT YOU DO?

Spend some time reflecting. Is there anything you need to trade off so that you may best orient yourself in God’s love?

Lenten Study - March 20

2010-03-20T06:33:00.000-04:00

Saturday March 20 Read Matthew 13:18-23

I have been motivated this week to help us see how spiritual practices help us become the dirt that bears much fruit. I hope the lengthy conversation we have had has been a help to you personally. I would like to take this day to challenge us as a community of faith to reflect on the story as a faith community.

Notice how Jesus emphasizes the results of the sowing. The focus is not on the sower, but on the ground and the results-the growth and fruit-of planting the seeds. The sower is not described. He is not critiqued for his seed-scattering style. He is not reviewed for his agricultural eloquence. The sower merely sows. But the solo sower produces four different results-three that lead to death and one that leads to life and abundance. Jesus makes very clear that the results are the crucial issue here. Only when seeds grow and bear fruit can the sower accomplish his purpose.

Don’t miss this profound meaning for us as a church today. Teachers, preachers, youth workers, children’s ministers, and parents often miss the point. We tend to evaluate ourselves and others based solely on the quality, accuracy, passion, and learnedness of our message, what we consider the teaching and preaching. We’re considered great sowers of the Word if we speak with authority. But Jesus’ story illustrates that our success depends entirely on our seeds producing fruit. We can teach with great conviction, but unless our students learn and bear fruit, we really are not accomplishing the goal of Jesus.

Unfortunately, today’s church is built mostly on the notion of seed-spewing. So long as seed is spewing, we feel good. We rarely analyze if people are learning and becoming disciples that bear fruit. But Jesus is calling us to look for more. The challenge to the church is to better prepare dirt in order to produce fruit. We must turn our emphasis from seed spewing to fruit-bearing disciples of Jesus.

How can we do a better job in the church to alter the growing environment for you? How should the fact that people learn in different ways and in different environments change the way we teach and preach at the church? What is your responsibility as a part of the faith community to make sure the church is doing an effective job of producing fruit-bearing disciples of Jesus?

Lenten Study - March 19

2010-03-19T06:32:00.000-04:00

Friday March 19 Read Matthew 6:16-18

Routine, regularity, normalcy, habit, ordinariness are essential for those keeping the spiritual disciplines as regular breathing, drinking, sleeping and eating are for the physical life. But even so, a human body needs to stop and stretch, exercise or change movement to stop stiffness, lethargy, obesity, atrophy and even more serious diseases. So people of faith have periodically interrupted their normal lives, with an intentional experience of discomfort, dislocation, and intensity, by engaging in fasting, pilgrimage, Sabbath and observance of sacred days.

Fasting is an exercise of interrupting the habitual and routine practice of eating three times a day. To forgo normal eating- whether through a complete fast or through a partial fast- becomes a way of making sure we haven’t let the rhythms of the everyday put us to sleep, a way to make sure that our habits have not become addictions (as in sugar), that our kitchens have not become prisons. Often experienced during Lent, fasting is an exercise in extraordinary intentionality.

Pilgrimage interrupts our normal orientations- the familiar sights and sounds of daily life- by seeking the new, unknown places God will show them. We often think of a pilgrimage as going to a foreign land, and it can be. Trips to the holy lands, Rome, or Mount Sinai are great spiritual experiences. Just as valuable are Christian camps or retreats, conferences, or even trips into the woods.

Sabbath sets apart the seventh day as a day of rest. God commanded us to take a break. In God’s Kingdom there is a rhythm of work and rest for everyone. People don’t live to work, but work and rest are a part of life under God.

Sacred days give us a chance to enrich our lives with special holidays and seasons during which the past is remembered and feasts are celebrated. These are special occasions when we tell our children our faith stories so that the past will have a future, and our faith will be rediscovered and renewed every year.

Go over the spiritual practices mentioned above. Reflect your experience with each of these practices. Share with someone the practices that have touched your life the most. What questions or curiosities do you have about the practices you have had the least experience with?

Lenten Study - March 18

2010-03-18T06:31:00.000-04:00

Thursday March 18 Read Matthew 6:5-14

What more can be said about prayer? When all is said and done, if you want to pray, pray. Prayer is the great gift God gives his children. We make it more complicated than it needs to be. If you want to talk to your friend you make time to talk. If you want to talk to God you make time to talk. It is that simple and that difficult.

Every one of us have relationships that we would like to strengthen with more time. Old class mates, distant family members, mentors and teachers who made a real impact on our lives, neighbors living next door, and even those living in our own house come to our mind when we think of people we wish we had more time to talk with, and build a stronger relationship. Where does all the time go? More than once in a while my mother calls and starts the conversation with “I haven’t heard from you in a long time.” God is on a long list of many we don’t seem to have enough time to talk with.

That is one reason spiritual practices emphasize routine, regularity, normalcy, habit, ordinariness as essentials for the spiritual life. A fixed hour of prayer means just that, fixed, consistent, regular, every day at the same time. It is only in the routine that we make sure it is a regular part of our day.
If it isn’t fixed in our day then it becomes the left over time of our day, or week or month. How long since you had an hour with God?

We make plans to watch a favorite show or ball game on television. We can make plans to regularly be at meetings, events, activities. We can become routine about where we get a cup of coffee. Nothing is stopping us from a fixed hour of prayer but our real desire to do it and a willingness to stay with the routine as a priority for our day. That is why spiritual practices are often called disciplines. It takes discipline to practice spiritual practices.

Think about other routines you have in your life. Why do you keep these routines regularly but other things seem to slip away from your daily practices? What would you need to do to have a fixed hour of prayer? Who could help you be more disciplined with this goal?

Lenten Study - March 17

2010-03-17T06:30:00.000-04:00

Wednesday March 17 Read Ephesians 3:14-19

“I haven’t told the whole story though. Yes, spiritual practices are ways of exercising intention regarding the kind of people we are becoming at every turn. Yes, they are ways of habitually waking up and discovering Life. But Life points beyond life itself: spiritual practices are also and truly about the Spirit. They are about somehow driving with our windows wide open to God, keeping our elbows in the wind and our hand surfing beside the mirror. They’re about tuning our radios to the frequency of the Holy, turning up the volume, and then daring to sing along. They’re about staying alert so our eyes see the glory of the coming of the Lord, and our ears hear the Word, and our skin feels the warm touch and the gentle presence of God.” (McLaren)

Spiritual practices are ways of becoming awake and staying awake to God. For some life is in a fast-forward business. Spiritual practices help slow life down so we can watch it unfold and hear the divine source whispering “let there be…” For others there is numbness to life. We get up we do our routines and we go to bed. Spiritual practices help life become alive with colors, sounds, and movements all reflecting the presence and the glory of God. Through Spiritual practices we catch the signs of life signifying the wonder of God long enough to start our minds wondering.

Spiritual practices are not magic. There are no guarantees of great and wonderful experiences of light shows and thunder. Sometimes we practice the spiritual practices and feel nothing, experience nothing. Spiritual practices are gifts we give to ourselves and to God that provide an opportunity for the creation to sit in the presence of the Creator that will help reshape us for a more intentional, attentive, and perceptive way of living.

If your relationship with God was a marriage, how would you describe things to a marriage counselor? What would make it a better marriage? Is there something Paul wants for you in his prayer that you want for your life as well?

Lenten Study - March 16

2010-03-16T06:29:00.001-04:00

Tuesday March 16 Read Luke 14:25-35

Ever ask yourself why Jesus ends His stories with “Those who have ears to hear, let them hear”? Is it because many people live life looking at stuff and not really seeing what is important and many people hear all of life’s noise but fail to distinguish the really important noise from the unimportant? This is another reason why spiritual exercise is important- aliveness.

Through the exercises of the faith we develop not only greater character but also aliveness, alertness, and wakefulness. We see the world with the eyes of the Holy Spirit and we listen with the ears of God. We become awake to the sounds, colors, smells, and the touch of our world. We really see others and take notice of them. We sense their pain or joy before words are ever spoken.

I woke the other morning to the song of a bird. The little song was a promise to my soul that it was going to get warmer. A new season was coming. I watched my granddaughter laugh and smile at nothing particular but I smiled because she did. I sat beside my wife on a long ride in the car. As I held her hand she drifted off to sleep. Her touch, her presence, the soft sound of her breathing made me aware of how much I love her. These are the gifts to the life that is awake. The spiritual practices train us to be the kind of people who have eyes that actually see, and ears that actually hear and so help us, with increasing consistency, experience LIFE.

No one really wants to grow old and then discover we missed life. No one really wants to grow old and become someone who has never known the joy and happiness of being alive. We call those people grumpy old men, or fussy old women. That is why paying attention to spiritual exercises is worthwhile for everyone. No one wants to grow old with a grumpy old man or a fussy old woman.

Are you awake? Rate yourself on how alive you feel at the present moment. Be honest. Are you happy about that rating? What needs to change? What are the advantages to sleepwalking through life? What are the advantages of being alive and awake when life happens?

Lenten Study - March 15

2010-03-15T10:17:00.001-04:00

Monday March 15 Read John 15:1-8

“You can’t take an epidural shot to ease the pain of giving birth to character. In a sense, every day of your life is labor: the rhythmic agony of producing the person who will wake up in your body tomorrow, creating your reputation, continuing your legacy, and influencing your family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and countless strangers, for better or worse. It is questionable whether you can ever be exactly the same person for two consecutive days: what today throws at you will force you to become better or bitter for tomorrow; it will push you toward breakdown or breakthrough, nudge you a step closer to courage, nobility, charity, integrity, and honor…or otherwise.”

“In a wild world like ours, your character, left unattended, will become a stale room, an obnoxious child, a vacant lot filled with thorns, weeds, broken bottles and raggedy grocery bags. Your deepest channels will silt in, and you will feel yourself shallowing. You’ll become a presence neither you nor others will enjoy, and you and they will spend more and more time and energy trying to be anywhere else.” (Brian McLaren in Finding Our Way Again)

Well tended, your character will be a fragrant garden where beautiful fruit is experienced, pleasant memories are created, and parties are held in every corner. That is why people, who want to be deep rich soil where the seed of the Kingdom can grow and multiply, try to exercise their souls. Through soul exercises they become the person they are proud of becoming, happy to be, the one God meant for them to be; the beloved and beloved lover. They become fruit-bearing disciples of Jesus.

McLaren offers seven such exercises of the faith: fixed-hour for prayer, fasting, Sabbath, sacraments, pilgrimage, observance of sacred seasons, and giving. These spiritual practices can help us be the dirt that receives the truth of the Kingdom and multiplies.

What will your character be like in ten years given your current trajectory? How does your answer feel? What might be one step you can take right now to better exercise your character? What is the biggest hindrance in exercising your character? What can you do about that hindrance?

Lenten Study - March 14

2010-03-14T06:00:00.001-04:00

Sunday March 14 Read Matthew 13:1-9 & 18-23

The thirteenth chapter of Matthew introduces us to one of the teaching methods Jesus used to reveal the secrets of the Kingdom: parables. Parables have a dual function. Parables reveal and hide the truth at the same time. Only those who are really ready for the truth will discover the meaning of what is being revealed. That is the meaning of the parable of the sower.

Some lives have been so hardened by evil that when they hear the truth about the Kingdom, they have no way of accepting it. The truth cannot penetrate their lives. Soon Satan swoops in and snatches away what is being revealed. Their hard hearts are like a hardened path.

Some lives are open to the truth about the Kingdom and enjoy hearing about God’s grace and love. They have great emotional needs and come running quickly to the invitation to enter the Kingdom. But they are interested in the Kingdom because it meets their needs. When life becomes hard, or they experience “push back” from family and friends, or when they actually discover that faith in God will cost them something, they quickly turn away seeking fulfillment in other things.

Some lives are open to the truth about the Kingdom but struggle to let God be their King. They try to serve two masters and fail to put the Kingdom of God first. Their needs are met not by Jesus but by their money, power and position. Soon their fears for their possessions choke the Kingdom life out of their lives.

Then there is good soil. These people hear the truth about the Kingdom and accept the invitation to enter God’s reign. They grow as disciples. They mature in faith. They bear the fruit of righteousness.

The parable really calls us dirt. Some of us are good dirt and some of us are not. What kind of dirt are you? What do you need to do to be better dirt? In what ways can you see the fruit of your faithfulness? How do you help bad dirt become good dirt?

Lenten Study - March 13

2010-03-13T06:59:00.000-05:00

Saturday March 13 Read Matthew 6:24-34

There is a song with a catchy tune that repeats the line, “Don’t worry, be happy.” Of course we characterize the singer of this song as being an unemployed bum, filled with rum drink, who doesn’t understand our circumstances or they would worry just like us. After all, we have a lot to worry about.
Jesus teaches that worry is irreverent, irrelevant and irresponsible and if you are going to be a part of the Kingdom you need to trust the King. Worry is irreverent because it fails to recognize that God is in control of the Kingdom. It is irrelevant because it doesn’t change a thing. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his/her life?” And worry is irresponsible because it takes away energy and strength that could be used to help the Kingdom.
The basis of our trust is confidence in the King. Notice that the writer Matthew ties verse 24 to verse 25 with the word therefore. You have to choose who your master is going to be. In the Kingdom of God, God must be your master. If God is your master then you will not need to worry. Kingdom people know that God can be trusted to care for the needs of His children.
The most important focus for Kingdom people is the Kingdom and God’s righteousness. In fact, this is one of the distinctive marks of Kingdom people, that they desire first and foremost that God’s triumph over evil should be completed; that God should reign in the hearts of all people; and that God’s justice should be universal. Origen, an early Christian teacher, wrote; “Ask for the great things and the little things will be added to you, and ask for the heavenly things, and the earthly things will be given you as well.”
We all have concerns but how can you know when your concern has grown into worry? What are the things you tend to worry about? What does your worry say about your faith in the King? What areas of your life do you struggle to put the Kingdom first?

Lenten Study - March 12

2010-03-12T06:56:00.000-05:00

Friday March 12 Read Acts 4:32-35

I have two boxer dogs that I must cage during the day. They understand the routine and know that when they get in their separate cages I will give them several dog treats. I find it amusing that often before I get out of the room they will snarl and bark at one another in an effort to protect their personal dog treats. Mind you, they are in separate cages and could not get to the other dog’s treat if they wanted to, but they still snarl and bark. I understand that they are just silly animals but once in awhile I still yell at them to behave and stop acting so foolish.
It is one thing when dogs act foolish and another thing when people act that way. We have been brainwashed to believe that bigger houses, more prosperous businesses, more luxurious gadgets, are worthy goals in life. As a result, we are caught in an absurd, materialistic spiral. The more we make, the more we think we need in order to live decently and respectably. We soon find ourselves snarling and barking at forces and people who we see as threats to our way of life. We claim to be owners but in fact we are owned; enslaved to our greed. Of course we are just silly animals but God has given us better instructions.
The early church functioned as if they personally owned nothing. Everything was lifted up as a common possession and it worked. Instead of snarling and barking they were serving and loving. The materialistic spiral keeps us from seeing the needs of others and when we do see them, keeps us from responding generously.
Kingdom people have learned how to break the materialistic spiral and they know the secret that true joy comes from sharing. They hold onto what they have lightly understanding that everything we have is a gift from God and is for God’s “lordship” not our “hoardship”. They value themselves and others not by attaching themselves to things but by attaching themselves to Jesus.

Consider your possessions. Do you find yourself snarling and barking to defend what you own? Are there times when your possessing and spending are out of control? Have you found yourself failing to respond to a need because you held too tightly to what you own? What are some ways you can respond to your personal materialistic spiral?

Lenten Study - March 11

2010-03-11T06:48:00.000-05:00

Thursday March 11 Read Luke 7:36-50

One of the five cornerstones of healthy congregations, according to our Bishop Ough, is radical hospitality. For the Bishop, hospitality isn’t about anything as simple as the best china, lace napkins, and crystal wineglasses. It might include those, but the real meaning of hospitality has to do with what one friend called, “making room inside yourself for another person.”
Radical hospitality is what Jesus models for us consistently with His life. He received children, sinful men and women, Samaritans and Gentiles, lepers and even tax collectors. All these people were considered unwanted, outcast by the rules, laws and customs of the Jews. You see clearly how Jesus’ attitude of hospitality conflicted with the local customs in the story of the woman anointing Jesus. The Pharisee who is hosting the party says, “If this man were a prophet, would he not know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
In the eyes of the Pharisee Jesus is failing two tests. He is failing the test of being a prophet because prophets should have great insight about people and know they are sinners. He is also failing the test of holiness because if He was a holy person then He would not allow a sinner to touch Him.
With His life Jesus teaches us that Kingdom people rather than separating themselves from sinners, go to sinners, welcome sinners, and eat with sinners. Jesus teaches us that when the holy touch the unclean, rather than becoming unclean themselves as the law taught about lepers, the holy make the unclean clean. Jesus teaches us that all people are welcome guests of the holy and that in the Kingdom, those who are the weakest, like children, are often given places of great honor. Jesus teaches us what radical hospitality really looks like by making room inside Himself for others.
We often encounter opportunities to make room in our lives, in our schedules, and in ourselves, for another person. Yet the moment can come and go quickly. How can you become more consciously aware of the needs of people around you both at home and in the world? What could you do differently to become a more hospitable person? Who do you automatically dismiss as a sinner or as unclean? Why do you think your attitude about “those people” is different than the attitude Jesus has about those people?

Lenten Study - March 10

2010-03-10T06:47:00.000-05:00

Wednesday March 10 Read Matthew 10:5-10

If you have ever tried to learn how to swim, you know there is only so much you can learn in a classroom. To learn how to swim you must get into the water. Not surprisingly, this is true about most learning experiences including the spiritual. Nothing beats getting into the water. Do you want to learn how to pray? Then pray. Do you want to learn how to worship? Then worship. Do you want to “go into the world” with the gospel message to make disciples and help the needy? Then go. The fact is that intimacy with God is best developed in the context of carrying out our responsibilities as Kingdom people together in community.
This is the approach Jesus used with His disciples. Notice that the disciples do not spend three years in training before He sends them out into the world. In practice Jesus does just the opposite. Not long after recruiting His disciples, Jesus sent them out two by two, instructing them to preach, to teach, and to heal. In later verses Matthew 10:19-20, He tells them not to worry about what they are going to say but trust that the Holy Spirit will tell them what to say.
Here is the lesson. The power of the Kingdom is discovered by spending time with Jesus and then also in the context of ministry. Nothing helps expand our faith and trust in the power of the Holy Spirit, grow spiritually and develop a more intimate relationship with Jesus, than our engagement in meeting the needs of the world.
Tony Campolo writes, “If we live out Christ’s calling to share the gospel with others, to work for justice in society, and to preserve and protect God’s creation, there is a good likelihood that Christ will become increasingly real to us and an assurance of salvation will intensify in our hearts and minds. The Holy Spirit’s presence becomes dramatically real to us as we do what we are commanded to do in ministering to the needs of others. In the contest of our labors and struggles, we come to see something of the reign of God realized in us and through us as we progress toward spiritual maturity.”
Christian service is best carried out in the context of community. What is happening at church that you can join? What can you and your small group do together? What have you accomplished in the past that has helped you grow in intimacy with Jesus? Do you agree with Campolo?

Lenten Study - March 9

2010-03-09T01:46:00.000-05:00

Tuesday March 9 Read Matthew 25:31-46

One of our cherished old hymns is “In the Garden”. The first verse speaks of being in the garden with Jesus alone. When Kingdom people think of intimacy, they often crave time to be alone with Jesus. When you discover, as the author did, the wonder of being alone in the garden with Jesus, it can be very tempting to stay there. But you can’t. Jesus calls us out of the garden into the world. These are the words of the third verse:

I’d stay in the garden with Him,
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; Through the voice of woe,
His voice to me is calling.

Kingdom people enjoy spending time with Jesus but they have also become hearers of the voices of woe around them. The fact is that we can become very self-centered spiritually by spending all our time alone with Jesus. Loving Jesus means responding to Jesus’ invitation to go in and come out of the garden daily. It means sharing the love of Christ with others, because the real fruit of our relationship with Jesus is demonstrated by the way we treat “the least of these.”
We must be careful of the two great temptations Kingdom people experience. We stay in the garden so long that we do not notice the cries of those in need or we are always working so hard responding to hurting people that we forget to enter the garden where Jesus waits for us daily. In one instance we are overfed Christians with very little practical spiritual strength because we are only full of ourselves. In the other instance we become lean and weak, unable to finish what we have started because we have not gained our spiritual nourishment from intimacy with God. Often our good works lack the real love of Jesus and become filled with our own obsessions, ego-centered ambitions and doctrinal prejudices.
We need to be in the garden for renewal, and we need to go out and help to bring God’s reign by making disciples and working for justice for the whole world. We need both.
Living this way day in and day out can be difficult. Where do you see the imbalance in your life? What do you need to change?

Lenten Study - March 8

2010-03-08T11:45:00.000-05:00

Monday March 8 Read Philippians 1:9-10

Intimacy with Christ through spiritual disciplines creates in us God like ideas about ourselves, others and the world. We discover that we are no longer satisfied with the way things are in the world. Promptings from the Holy Spirit begin to pull us into Kingdom thinking demanding change. We are encouraged and even pushed by the love of God to be more loving, more compassionate, and find ways to do what we may already be doing only with a greater sense of God’s grace. We may even be led to life-changing directions and decisions involving more intentional personal, interpersonal and world change.
Living in the Kingdom means conforming to how the King demands we treat one another and how we are to make the world a more just place. This new Kingdom living demands constant attention because we are conditioned to live our lives not on Godly principles but on our cultural status quo that blinds us to how radically different God’s directives really are.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, designed and organized “classes” whose purpose was to encourage devotional practices and social concern. Wesley’s class meetings involved small groups of people getting together weekly for discipline and instruction. In addition, class members were to help meet the needs of each other by praying for and caring for one another, much like the early Christians did. Many historians believe it was the influence of these early Methodists that caused England to pass many social and economic reforms including stopping the economically profitable slave trade.
It is common for Kingdom people, influenced by the power of the Holy Spirit, to feel that the status quo must change to reflect more of God’s love, compassion and justice. However, many of us will never see the truth about how we compromise Kingdom values for worldly pleasures without other Christians who speak regularly to our lives.
What Kingdom voices have permission to speak to your life? Where do you risk speaking to the lives of others? In your small groups, where do you see God calling you into change, greater compassion or justice? Today pray for the opportunity to love someone, give someone compassion, or help someone in need. Watch as opportunities spring up all over the place. It is a Kingdom thing.

Lenten Study - Feb. 26

2010-02-26T03:32:00.000-05:00

Friday February 26 Read John 7:37-44

The writer John tells us that the fullness of the Holy Spirit had to wait until Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. Those events have since occurred, Jesus has been glorified, and the fullness of the Spirit is now available to all
This is the great heritage of the Kingdom people, the Spirit-empowered life. This is the life that is open to you and to me. A life flowing with rivers of living water. Rivers of joy and love. Rivers of signs and wonders. Rivers of peace and power. Jesus shows us the way, writes Richard Foster.

It is interesting to watch how people respond to the good news of the Kingdom. Jesus proclaimed love, peace, joy and justice was available free by faith in him. Many people believed but many more did not. The rich young ruler said no because he had great wealth or maybe because great wealth had him (Mk. 10:17). Some individuals refused to repent (Mt. 11:20). The leader of the synagogue was indignant because Jesus healed on the Sabbath (Lk. 13:14). And, as in our lesson, others did not feel Jesus measured up to their pre-conceived notions of the Messiah. For whatever reason, each person rejected the opportunity to enter the Kingdom. Sadly, everything God offers was available to them and they said “no” to the offer. It is the great gift of God not to force us into the Kingdom but to invite us into the Kingdom.

How have you responded to the invitation to enter the Kingdom? What made or makes your decision to accept God’s invitation to enter the Kingdom difficult? Are you aware of another who is struggling to make a decision to enter the Kingdom? How are you assisting their decision?

Lenten Study - Feb. 25

2010-02-25T03:27:00.000-05:00

Thursday February 25 Read Matthew 12:22-28

We often do not know what to do with the demon-possessed stories of the Bible. These stories are foreign to the experiences of most of us and leave us wondering if modern science wouldn’t give different explanations for the mental health of the different individuals identified as possessed. Yet here is a story where Jesus clearly identifies two kingdoms: one Kingdom of Satan (vs. 26) and the other the Kingdom of God (vs. 28). The Pharisees believed since Jesus had the power to cast out demons that he himself was possessed.

No one was arguing about the out come. It was clear that people were being healed. The people were “astonished”. No one could argue about the life changing power that Jesus demonstrated. So the only question was the source of this power.

Jesus responds by pointing out how stupid it would be for Satan to fight against Satan. The only obvious explanation for what was happening is that “the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” Here again the proclamation that Jesus brings the Kingdom is validated in the demonstrations of Jesus’ power to set people free from their bondage to demons and illness.

The Kingdom has come.

Are there times and places where the power of the Kingdom of God is revealed today? Have you ever experience freedom through the power of God? Why do you think so many are uncomfortable with stories of healing or demon possession? Do you think we prevent God from demonstrating Kingdom power because we are often so uncomfortable with healing stories or stories of demons?

Lenten Study - Feb. 24

2010-02-24T03:26:00.000-05:00

Wednesday February 24 Read Mark 2:1-12

Read the scripture lesson twice today. Read it once for the story and then again for what it reveals about the Kingdom. The important line in the story is “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Notice that Jesus does not argue the point. The implication is that he agrees. What Jesus does next reveals the Kingdom. Do you see it? He heals the man.

We might be tempted to quickly say that proves that Kingdom people will get healed. That is a small part of Kingdom living and requires a separate lesson of its own. If you only focus on healing of the paralytic you will miss the greater lesson. The healing of the man validates that Jesus, the Son of Man, has the authority to forgive sins. It speaks to the deity of Jesus, since we know only God can forgive sins and speaks to powerful truth that Kingdom people can be forgive. Jesus reveals two Kingdom truths at the same time. God is a great God of love, healing and forgiveness and Jesus can offer all this to Kingdom people because he has the authority of God.

As you examine your life during Lent, are you aware of the importance of God’s forgiveness? God doesn’t demand that we feel guilt and shame about our past, why do we often feel those things after we are forgiven by God? In what ways might guilt and shame be rejections of the Kingdom life style?

Lenten Study - Feb. 23

2010-02-23T03:25:00.000-05:00

Tuesday February 23 Read Mark 1:16-20

The three Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark and Luke all share the story of Jesus calling the fishermen to, “follow me.” Jesus calls us today exactly as he did so long ago, saying, “follow me.” We experience the Kingdom by faith when we become a disciple who follows Jesus. Disciples are not people who learn about the teacher. Disciples are not someone who learns all the things that the teacher teaches. Disciples are not someone who does a few things the teacher did. A disciple is one who becomes just like the teacher in every action, word, and thought. Disciples are apprentices in the Kingdom life.

When Jesus calls us to follow him he invites us into the Kingdom life. As followers of Jesus we learn Kingdom living by doing what Jesus did. We don’t just learn about it we imitate it. The disciple’s life is radically transformed by the Holy Spirit so that more and more we can live every moment of every day we like Kingdom people. Like the first disciples, we leave the old nets of our old life behind and move forward into our new Kingdom life.

What are some of the “old nets” you find it difficult to leave behind?
Is there any fear for you as you move forward into this new Kingdom life?
What do you find most difficult about being an apprentice in the Kingdom lifestyle?

Lenten Study - Feb. 22

2010-02-22T03:23:00.000-05:00

Monday February 22 Read Daniel 7:13-14

The book of Daniel identifies four Kingdoms of men, symbolized by beasts, that misruled the earth. Then Daniel identifies a new Kingdom that will come that will never pass away, symbolized by a person “like the son of man.”

Several times in the Gospels Jesus identifies himself as the Son of Man. He is the one who brings this different Kingdom to us. Jesus reveals the Kingdom, teaches us about the Kingdom and models for us the life of those in the Kingdom. In fact, Jesus is the incarnation of the very good news he announced; the Kingdom is near. That is why Jesus was able to say “I am the way…” (John 14:6). It is by Jesus that the Kingdom has come and it is through Jesus that we will experience the Kingdom.

Think of a story you know about Jesus. How do you think the story helps us know more about the Kingdom? If Jesus is the “way” to the Kingdom what does that say about the importance of having an intimate, passionate, life changing relationship with him? How could you improve your relationship with Jesus?

Lenten Study - Feb. 21

2010-02-21T03:22:00.000-05:00

Sunday February 21 Read Mark 1:14-15

We often pray “your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven”, but what is it we are praying for? What is God’s Kingdom? What would it look like if God’s Kingdom really did come to earth? Would God’s Kingdom bring me peace or would it disrupt my world in such a way that I would regret the invitation to bring it to earth? How would I know it if I saw it?

These are often questions about the Kingdom of God we seldom think about.

During our Lenten season we want you to think about these questions and many more.

The Bible Dictionary defines Kingdom as the sovereign rule of God over the universe. It is the whole spiritual common wealth of God’s children, the true company of all faithful people. It is represented by the organized or visible church, but is more comprehensive and greater than the visible church in any age or all ages.

Read the definition slowly and circle key words. In your mind what does the Kingdom of God look like? What change would be made in the world, in our communities, in our church if God’s sovereign rule was fully experienced? What change would be required of you to permit God to fully reign in your life? I invite you to pray during this Lenten season for God’s Kingdom to come to you as it is in heaven.

Lenten Study - Feb. 20

2010-02-20T03:21:00.000-05:00

Saturday February 20 Read Matthew 13:44-46

Jesus often talked about the Kingdom through parables. Parables are stories using common experiences that reveal greater truths. These tow parables teach the same truth. The Kingdom of God is of such value that one should be willing to give up everything in order to gain it. That isn’t to say one can buy the Kingdom but it is meant to remind us that nothing is more important than the Kingdom.

Jesus tells us that he has brought to us the Kingdom. We can accept it as a gift or we can ignore it if we chose. We can say “yes” to Kingdom living or we can say “no I will live my own life the way I want to live it.” C. S. Lewis writes about two kinds of people. There are those who pray to God “thy will be done.” And there are those who God says “alright have it your way.” The parable of the pearl and the hidden treasure remind us of the importance of this decision.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, is more important than the Kingdom. A gift of such magnitude should persuade us to sell all, give all, and do anything to be a part of the Kingdom. It is a “no brainer” of a decision. Yet we know that many trade the chance to be a part of the Kingdom of God because they can not part with something else.

What is it that you try to keep? What is it that you hang on to preventing you from fully accepting the Kingdom of God? What price are you willing to pay to receive the Kingdom of God? Everything? What would selling everything look like to you?

Lenten Study - Feb. 19

2010-02-19T03:20:00.000-05:00

This is Kingdom!

Friday February 19 Read Psalm 51

King David’s humble prayer of a contrite sinner is a model for all of us who have experienced the confrontation of God’s Kingdom on our lives.
When the prophet Nathan confronted David after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba David had a choice. He had the power and authority to dismiss Nathan and not deal at all with what had happened. He could have swept it under the rug and went on with his life.

He also could have played the blame game. His dad never treated him right. His brothers picked on him. King Saul had abused him. Bathsheba had tempted him. It is tough being the King. But David neither played the blame game nor did he dismiss Nathan. David opened his life to the truth of God. He was a sinner.

David’s prayer begins the moment his heart hears and accepts the truth of God. He lays everything he knows about himself before God and cries out for help. Have mercy. Wash me! Cleanse me! Create in me a new heart. Restore to me your joy. The prayer is powerful because we sense that David’s heart is in the right place, broken and contrite, and therefore, God will give him what he prays for.

The power of a prayer of repentance is that it does move us to a new place. God does forgive. Our sins are washed away. Joy and peace are restored. This is our hope. This is what we trust in. Still we must learn to live into our faith.

Many of us accept the fact that we are sinners but struggle to live into being restored. We get stuck in feelings of guilt, shame, and brokenness. God is not honored by our guilt. God is honored when we accept his grace and allow him to restore us.

What prayer of repentance does God need to hear from you? Are you able to move on from being a sinner to being restored? Where are you stuck?
How would your life change if you really believed you were forgiven?

Lenten Study - Feb. 18

2010-02-18T03:19:00.000-05:00

This is Kingdom!

Thursday February 18 Read Mark 2:21-22

No one demands change more than Jesus Christ. Anyone who has tried to be a disciple of Jesus knows the demands Jesus places on our lives to obey his commandments. He is relentless in his demand that we live into the Kingdom of God. He pushes every button possible and at times the pain is great.

We try to compromise with God in an effort to minimize the pain of change. We blend some of what we think and like with some of what God says and commands. We try to mix some of the new ingredients of God’s Kingdom world view with the ingredients of our old world view creating a cake that “goes down” a little easier. We even grab one or two solid ideas of Jesus and make them critical to our lives as we stubble around some of the others justifying that a little change is better than nothing at all.

Jesus never lets us play these games. He demands disciples leave their nets, leave their mothers, leave their dead, and leave it all for the sake of the cross. Jesus allows no compromise with the old. He demands that we break away from the old and embrace the new.

The parable of the garment and wine skins tells us that God is ready to pour the new Kingdom truths into us but we need to become new vessels. What can you do this Lenten season to prepare your life for the new wine of the Kingdom of God? What are ways that you try to compromise with God to avoid the pain of change demanded by Jesus as he brings Kingdom truth into your life? Is there any Kingdom truth that you simply can not accept for your life? How can this Lenten season be a way you offer that to God?

Lenten Study - Feb. 17

2010-02-17T03:17:00.000-05:00

Ash Wednesday
Wednesday February 17 Read Job 42:3-6

Today is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance and it marks the beginning of Lent. Ashes were used in ancient times, according to the Bible, to express mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent's way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults. An ancient example of one expressing one's penitence is found in Job. Other examples are found in several other books of the Bible including, Numbers 19:9, 19:17, Jonah 3:6, Matthew 11:21, and Luke 10:13, and Hebrews 9:13

Lent (the word "lent" came from the Anglo-Saxon lencten meaning "spring") is a forty day period related to the separation of Jesus in the desert to fast and pray. In its earliest Christian form Lent was an intense period of fasting and prayer for catechumens preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil. Today Lent is marked by fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of penance. The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigor during Lent are prayer (justice towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and almsgiving (justice towards neighbor). Today, some people give up a vice of theirs, add something that will bring them closer to God, and often give the time or money spent doing that to charitable purposes or organizations.

During our Lenten study at First Church we will focus on what it means that Jesus introduced us to the Kingdom of God. How do we live as Kingdom people? What is different about living in the Kingdom of God? We invite you to observe Lent this year through prayer, study and penance to seek the Kingdom of God for your life. Lord, your Kingdom come.

Sunday's questions

2010-01-24T11:28:00.003-05:00

This Sunday in worship we opened the floor to your questions about the Holy Spirit, our thought life and us. Here are some of the questions we received.

Do you have one too? Add a comment and we'll quickly try to respond.

Q: How do I get out of the way and let God shape me?
A: As we discussed in the service, the classic Spiritual Disciplines such as silence, solitude and meditation are great ways to learn how to listen and release the voice and power of the Holy Spirit within. Through disciplines such as these (I would add journaling or walking and praying too) we become sensitive to what God is doing and God begins to work out even areas where we don't even know to surrender.

Q: How do I get my dad to stop drinking?
A: It sounds like from the sermon yesterday that your thoughts are consumed with your dad's drinking. I'm so sorry for your hurt.

While there are some practical answers to your question it is important to say that you cannot change anyone. In fact, most people will not change unless the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change. In other words, most people change through pain. I would begin by praying, seeking God's wisdom in this.

I wonder if you and your dad have a relationship where you could be honest with him about how his drinking is affecting all of your thoughts, actions, etc.? Sometimes seeing the pain in another's eyes are enough to pursue change.

My good friend and Pastor Mike Martin runs a ministry that helps people walk through this. Visit that link and give Mike a call and he's a great listener and will guide you spiritually, emotionally and practically.

Q: Howdy Partner
A: Howdy. I'm fiddin' to reply but I just might could be knee-deep in grits and sweet tea.

Q: How does one take captive a thought?
First off, I hope you did not get a feeling of "guilt" about your thoughts from the message. We were hopefully giving everyone practical and spiritual ways to unleash the fruit of the Holy Spirit by reexamining and renewing our thoughts.

I think HONESTY is an important concept here. Can you be honest with yourself about what your thinking? It begins there. There are multiple times when I am trying to spend time with God that I think about other things like "who's going to win the basketball game", "I can't forget to pick up noodles for dinner" and even, "what did I just read." I used to beat myself up for thinking those things but instead, as we discussed on Sunday, I try to either:
-A. Replace that thought with something else.
-B. Dive into that thought with God. What is causing me to think about this now? Are there circumstances in my life that are triggering this that I have not surrendered to God?

I also think that this verse often implies only "negative" thoughts but I think the author would suggest that we take all thoughts and run them through what we know is true about God. I may have a great thought and idea about how I am going to change the world BUT there is discerning process that I may forfeit if I just take and run with it. Does that help at all?

Q: What if what you’re trying to focus on, what you think is good, pure and holy isn’t? But your thoughts are too screwed to see that…what do you do then?
A: First, you must be thinking somewhat clearly in order to be able to ask such an honest, good question!

This speaks to the value of community. Do you have a place to test your thinking, your ideas with a healthy community? Where or when do you surround yourself with people who are healthy enough for you to be able to see that? If you don't have friends that can do this for you are there others that can help you in this? The key seems to be that if you can't trust your own thoughts whose can you trust? This becomes the risk of transparency because we all know that as you share your thoughts another could respond with, "You're screwed up." And yet, you are NOT the only one thinking this and at some point being vulnerable is worth the risk. I applaud you for even risking by sending this text. Thank you.

Q: If I don’t pray does God still hear it?
A: Well "hear" may not be the exact word I would use but Yes, God knows our thoughts. I am struck at how many times Jesus responded to the thoughts of the people around him that were never spoken. I think God can handle unvoiced prayer.

There is a separate issue raise here though: What good, if any, then is it to pray? My first response to that question is to ask one in return, "What is the point of prayer?" If the point of prayer is to have an answer or solely to speak at God, than maybe audible prayers aren't any more "effective" than unspoken ones (maybe even just LOUDER to God). But I think when Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he was inviting them into a relationship with Father. The beginning of the Lord's Prayer or Our Father could be spoken as "Dear Daddy." Maybe prayer is another catalyst to help me relate to God. Maybe prayer is about tuning my heart to Daddy's. Maybe prayer (relating to God) can happen in silence almost like a peaceful presence like a quiet night just BEING with the one you love.

Q: How can I help my teen to better see God’s love?
A: Great question. We see what we want to see at times and yet our experiences and situations around us can influence our thoughts/emotions and eventually what we focus on. I would suggest a couple things:
1. The phrase, "There's nothing you could do that would make me love you less" should become part of your regular vocabulary. This communicates a love that MUST be from God, unconditional and not-dependent on the other achieving anything.
2. I would continue to work the relationship with your teen. What makes your teen energized? What inspires them? What in their world means everything? How can you validate their feeling and experiences? I think God does this with me and it helps me think that I am worth it...I am loveable. If my parent sacrifices good stuff (time even at the church, money, etc.) to be with me, man I must be pretty important.
3. This is definitely my bent but I think that there are some aspects of God's love that we will never get until we embrace and identify the pain and humanity of our world. Is there a way to expose your teen or reflect with your teen on the brokenness of the world?

Q: I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.
A: Haven't we all. I know of a God who has a long reach.

Keep sending your questions. I'll post a video of the message mid-week too so we all can keep growing.

You are loved!

Significant Moments of 2009

2009-12-31T09:35:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking all morning about the snapshots of 2009 that are lingering in me. I have no idea why some of these remain fresh in my head and others are so significant that they seem heavy. Some are just stupid. Regardless, here are some snapshots of 2009 that remain somewhere significant in me (in no particular order):

1. Elena's Birth - 2009 began with an announcement from my wife that we were going to have a 3rd child. Never could I have expected the blessing that is Elena Jael. She is precious, beautiful, peaceful and is a calming presence in my life.

2. Michael Jackson Died - and thus my life-long quest to be one of his back-up dancers.

3. Church Change - I have been serving at Sidneyfirst.com for 8 1/2 years. This last year however seemed like a big year of staff transition. I lost some good friends and colleagues for many reasons, some good, some bad. Either way, I have learned to grieve deeply and to firm up the relationships in life that give me life.

4. School - I returned to graduate school in August at united.edu. While I have appreciated the learning and thinking and formation, it has been an adjustment that I am still getting used to. I am thankful though for the opportunity to complete my MDiv and to grow in my own self-understanding.

5. Mexico - I led a group to Tijuana in January and have not been back since. That has been difficult for me. But, I was filled with joy when Erin was able to co-lead a women's trip there in June that was filled with divine moments.

6. Europe - I had the privilege of taking my Dad and brother Jon to Europe in May. We ate well, we saw incredible sights, we had great talks, we met gracious new friends in Munich, we laughed a lot and we built memories that will last forever.

7. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality & Journey to Freedom - both of these books came across my path early in 2009 and together, they helped me see how my spiritual growth has been stunted by my emotional immaturity. I am learning patterns in my life where I give into the Inner Critic and I am becoming in tune with my emotional noise and my addiction to people-pleasing.

8. Klinsing Sisters - For the first time since all 3 girls were married we were able to spend Christmas together. It was a joy to watch us all interact and I am blessed to be a part of their joy.

9. Caleb in School - My big boy began pre-school this year and he is also reading at an early age. I love listening to him read and tell stories of his adventures with his friends in school.

10. Mini-Van and Olds 88 - twice this year, we were given, yes GIVEN vehicles that blessed us incredibly. First came a mini-van that despite our pride, has really been nice with our growing family. Next came an old, Olds 88. This car is better for my back, can fit more kids in it and has white-wall tires. It doesn't get much cooler than that. The best part though might be the fact that we were able to give away our former cars to people in need.

11. Good Music - I was introduced to some new artists or new albums this year that have meant a lot. These included: Ryan Delmore, Brenton Brown, The Civil Wars, The Flobots, Switchfoot's Hello Hurricane, Amos Lee, Kari Jobe, Captivate Us by Watermark, Jeremy Riddle and Jon Foreman.

12. Gethsemane - Erin and a good friend went to the Abbey of Gethsemane (monks.org) in February last year for a silent retreat. It was great to see her get excited about listening to her own soul.

Thank You and Gift Cards...my wife is smart

2009-12-09T19:37:00.004-05:00

After having some great online and email and phone discussions with friends today I just felt that my previous post on the levy did not say THANK YOU enough for all the things my family is celebrating tonight. Here are some things we are toasting with our hot chocolate:

-Administration - from growing up in an education admin's home I can tell you that I can count on one hand the number of phone calls my dad received saying THANK YOU. Pat and your leadership, Thank You for believing in what you do and who you do it for and for leading in the way you felt honored yourself, school, community and more. I am thankful for your passion.

-Teachers - I heard that teachers were hugging each other today! Well deserved after the agonizing over if you'd have jobs next year. Hug away!

-Students - Go after your dreams, not just when it's urgent but always. God has placed something deep within you, go get it.

-Sidney - we have been a part of this community for 8+ years and we have found the words told us at the beginning to be true, "this is a great place to raise a family." Thank you.

----------------------------------------
To Flip It On It's Head a Bit:

Tonight as my wife and I were talking about the levy and our continued efforts to bridge the divide in the community we were reminded of our own financial sacrifice and our plan to make that happen. In that, we remembered and grieved for those whom this levy will create more need, more fear and more stress. We refuse to give lip service to the phrase, "we stand with you." We are committing to providing more resources to serve the needs in front of us. Erin said, "I can't vote yes for a levy and not buy a gift card or two."

Our church has asked the congregation to buy gift cards from Kroger's or Gas Stations so that we could help people in 2010 with basic needs. You wouldn't believe the amount of foot traffic for need NOW. We will see more in the next year and I just want to encourage you all to dig deep and care for those in tough situations.

Where is God, The Levy and Competitive Christians

2009-12-09T12:12:00.002-05:00

We just received word that the Sidney City Schools Levy Passed by one vote. Apparently this decision has begun to spread around the community already and I have been pondering my heart and my head like crazy because of it. So, I don't do this often, but I'd like to offer my thoughts on it in a random yet honest, heart-felt way.

*JOY - I'm excited that the school system will be able to offer opportunities, that if taken advantage of, could give students even more leverage in this world to produce the change God wants. I'm excited that the students who worked hard to spread the word felt a sense of ownership in this levy, realizing their own potential to go beyond their self-limitations for their passions! That is cool. I'm joyous that my kids will have more opportunities before them.

*WHERE IS GOD? - The danger in this whole process for believers is to equate God's Will with the levy passing. The thought is, "God wants to prosper me and give me a future, so ergo, God must want this passed." Now, hear me...I do think God has an abundant life for each of us as best made known in a relationship with Jesus, but I do not think that it necessary means that God wants earthly prosperity, opportunity or abundance. I'm reminded of the honor that many of the early church leaders claimed they received by being counted worthy to suffer. The question should not be, "is God on our side" but "are we on God's?" And what does that mean? All I'm trying to say is that "God's favor", "God's side" and "God's will" relating to the levy is a much more complex thought than saying, "surely God wants what is best for our kids." I have good friends that led prayer efforts that called on God to pass this. I know of people who are the verge of financial collapse who cried in the chapel next to my office diligently asking God to let this fail. Did God answer the one and not the other? Did one have no faith? And just because it passed does it mean that it is what God wants?

*COMPETITIVE CHRISTIANS - I blogged about this before (see this link) but why do I always want to be on the winning side? Why do I find myself measuring my faith based on self-pleasure? And in doing so, do I run from places that are difficult, painful or unpleasing because God can't be in that?

*DIVIDED - One vote does not change the fact that our community is wounded and the levy passing or failing will never be the means to end that hurt (in fact during many times of blessing in Scripture the 'good guys' became bad guys because they lost their focus). I think a grassroots effort to know our neighbors, eliminate our pride, run to authenticity and community, embrace those most like us who dislike us and serve sacrificially sounds like a great way to give ourselves to God toward that end.

THOUGHTS?

Best $30 of my month so far

2009-12-03T19:14:00.002-05:00

I met with Marty from Optimal Objective today over lunch at Smokey Bones BBQ to discuss Leadership Development, systems in a church and the difference between Mustard BBQ and Smoked Seasonings. Along with our meal, I was blessed by his friendship, his knowledge of God and his passion for developing systems that make sense. Here are some nuggets from our time together:

-You cannot know God until you know self
-If you can't move beyond the form/system with flexibility then you really don't know the form/system. (apply this to sermon prep and it will kick you in the pants. This is why I believe so strongly in manuscripting then outlining then bullet pointing sermons. It's when I'm so prepared that I can "let the Spirit lead" and be flexible).
-"It is the commitment to change, characterized by training and developing commitment, which builds the organization knowledge that produces positive change and related outcomes."
-The WHY makes all the difference.
-Tell me why you disciple people without using Scripture - this one hurt a bit!
-My first ministry is to my wife and my family. I don't need to pray about decisions that would compromise these 2. :)
-If we don't have strategic goals, we can't have alignment!
-Watch Bruce Lee on Youtube - the formlessness of the form - it will be the most holy thing you'll do all day!

It was worth the $30 lunch!

The YOUNG and the Restless

2009-12-03T16:04:00.003-05:00

1 Timothy 4:12 (CJB) says

Don't let anyone look down on you because of your youth; on the contrary, set the believers an example in your speech, behavior, love, trust and purity.

If I may, I want to completely neglect the context of the passage and even the greek stuff that could be fun to go into and suggest something out of my own head...what if "youth" refers to spiritually young even more than young in age? Could it be that one's spiritually maturity is as "measurable" as one's age?

If so (again, I'm not taking some liberties here I think), what does the writer say to the young?

SET AN EXAMPLE

-Don't complain that you're not mature
-Don't whine about being left out
-Don't look back with longing
-Don't go to a Bible Study per se

SET AN EXAMPLE

If you know me, you know that I never lean toward our actions defining us, but this passage seems to suggest that some next step comes when we begin to ACT. That begs the questions, "what results does this example-being have for the young? For the "believers?"

I also want to know why this is never written to the "old." Why isn't it the mature who are to set an example in trust and love? Why is it that as we "age" we tend to fall into predictable patterns instead of cutting paths of new trust, faith and new behavior?

Just thoughts today.

Systems - Andy Stanley Podcast Notes

2009-12-02T12:56:00.002-05:00

Here are my scattered notes from listening to Andy Stanley's Leadership Podcast on SYSTEMS.

4 Things to Blend Into the Conversation on Systems:
a. Your system should allow you to hire the best person for the job. - The people we choose is more important than the system we use. Does our system create a lid for what can take place in an organization? (example: in the UMC do education level minimums limit or raise the lid here?). "If you're forced to hire based on education and where that someone was educated verses talent and competency, you have a systems problem."
b. Your system should allow you the flexibility to get the right people to the table. - "never give someone a seat at the decision-making table based on organization responsibility alone." = does the education director automatically sit at this table regardless of that person's capabilities? This should be the best and brightest people.
c. Your system should allow you to make complex decisions within the context of a small group of empowered individuals. - "you cannot effectively communicate complicated information to a whole lot of people." To do this well, you need a small group team to help do this effectively, not a congregational-ruled system. (The example he gave is when a church had one of its leaders make a public moral lapse and instead of having the congregation come together to decide the course of action, within 2 days, the small leadership team of the church looked at the evidence and make a decision to remove that leader with all the wisdom they had...that, he said, is a good system). Agree?
d. Your system should ensure that only 1 person answers to "they" - If your church board or elder board is in place, the Senior Pastor should be the only 1 person who answer to THEY. There are problems when the THEY can bypass the Senior Pastor and go to the ministry leader directly. No, the ministry leaders should each have a point person, one person, that they report to, but it should not be a THEY. This is a bit of a CEO model, but he claimed that it was Biblical, God sending a prophet to talk to the people.

Other Thoughts:
1. Hiring the right people
a. Have detailed job descriptions - a Job Title is NOT a job description
b. Have multiple interviews and cross-departmental interviews - the church should feel great about the person AND the person should, after this long process, be able to look at the job description and the people she will work with and say, "Man, this is a calling that I can get excited about!"
c. TESTS - Taylor-Johnson and Right Path are tests Northpoint uses. This gives objectivity to the hiring process.

2. What if you've inherited a flawed system where the wrong people are in the decision-making positions?
a. Don't try to get rid of the "bad" people, but create more spaces to bring the right voices into the decision-making. This may mean creating another meeting before the meeting (that includes the BAD people too). Overtime, things will change

Martha's Vision

2009-10-04T22:23:00.000-04:00

Big Kahuna and Character

2009-08-18T15:11:00.002-04:00

I was introduced to The Big Kahuna today and here are a couple memorable quotes to chew on as quoted by Danny DeVito's character:

"It doesn't matter whether you're selling Jesus or Buddha or civil rights or 'How to Make Money in Real Estate With No Money Down.' That doesn't make you a human being; it makes you a marketing rep. If you want to talk to somebody honestly, as a human being, ask him about his kids. Find out what his dreams are - just to find out, for no other reason. Because as soon as you lay your hands on a conversation to steer it, it's not a conversation anymore; it's a pitch. And you're not a human being; you're a marketing rep."

"I'm saying you've already done plenty of things to regret, you just don't know what they are. It's when you discover them, when you see the folly in something you've done, and you wish that you had it do over, but you know you can't, because it's too late. So you pick that thing up, and carry it with you to remind you that life goes on, the world will spin without you, you really don't matter in the end. Then you will gain character, because honesty will reach out from inside and tattoo itself across your face."

An Article on Anger, Doubt and Faith

2009-08-16T14:06:00.001-04:00

This is my first draft of something that I wrote for church. It's a work in progress and I would love to hear where it strikes you (good or bad).

ANGER

I can still feel it in my chest. As I breathe, I feel the heaviness of the words. “Bryan’s dead.” I inhale to keep going but the breath is faint.

A few hours later, I was face-down on my living room floor. Unable to stand. “Sad” doesn’t cut it. Nor does it explain my violent tears and protests with fists. I was angry. I was furious. He was too young. God was too small.

Many years later…

Similar expression on a different living room floor. Fists beating into the carpet. Tears flinging off my face. How could it happen to them? Didn’t God protect and sustain?

Both of these moments (and many in between) are very real stories from my journey. Both of them led me to a deep place of disappointment with and even furious anger with God. I could not assimilate these experiences into the character of God as made known to me over the years and even in Scripture.

These moments are moments where I seemed to scream, “Why?” Have you had moments like this?

When I ask that question, it stems from one of two places in me:
1. The fact that God seems to be completely unlike me. Because if God were me, God would have done something different! Wrapped up in this is the feeling that God does not care.
2. The feeling that God as I know God is a myth!

What happens when I play this question out a bit in my life is that I usually go to a place that one could describe as doubt-full or fear-full. I begin to fear that God does not care. I doubt whether God is real.

My question is, “Can doubt and fear exist in a faith life of a follower of Jesus?”

DOUBT

Psalm 88 is a Psalm that doesn’t get much press. In fact, I believe that I have NEVER heard of it being read in any worship gathering of any sort. And yet, it is part of what we claim as the Holy Word of God. Here are some of it’s words:
1 O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you by day. I come to you at night.
2 Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry.
3 For my life is full of troubles, and death draws near.
4 I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left.
6 You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths.
7 Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me.
9 My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for your help, O Lord; I lift my hands to you for mercy.
13 O Lord, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day.
14 O Lord, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me?
16 Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me. Your terrors have paralyzed me.
17 They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long. They have engulfed me completely.
18 You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend.

Did you catch any hope in the Psalm? No. How would you describe faith as spoken from this Psalm? Does it exist?

My answer for that is, “yes.”

The psalmist was on the verge of death. The psalmist did not mince words at his disappointment with God. The psalmist even blamed God for not coming through. God seemed unlike the Psalmist. God didn’t seem to care.

And yet, the Psalmist wrote a prayer to this God. And yet, the writer poured out his heart to this “God of my salvation.” In the middle of feeling the most distant from God and the most doubting of God, I offer that the Psalmist still felt a closeness and a faith that allowed him to offer to God the most intimate spots of his heart.

So, it may be possible that intimacy can happen when God seems most unlike me. Intimacy and faith can actually grow not in sameness but also in unlikeness. When the Psalmist wrote to God, he was frustrated with the Otherness of God. God was not like him and didn’t make sense to him yet he trusted him enough with the most tender of songs.

It is in our very real sense and feeling of doubt (and often subsequent anger), that I offer can still pull us closer to the very One in whom we have these thoughts. I believe that we have made faith a word that implies the absence of doubt…the riddance of anger…the vacuum of the question, “why”. And I think we are missing something.

Peter Rollins writes, “Belief should not be read as empirical certainty. Belief is more than this; it involves doubt, commitment, hope, faith and desire.”

FAITH

Does doubt and anger with God water-down or threaten Jesus’ or the New Testament statements about faith?

James 5:15 says, “Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well.”

Matthew 21:21 states, “ Then Jesus told them, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, `May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen.”

These two passages seem to suggest that doubt would limit healing, the work of miracles and the power of God in our world. And that may be true. There is a reality of God that is limited when I doubt what God can do. But both writers here are not necessarily speaking to the absence of doubt; they are speaking primarily to an increased faith.

James calls for pray-ers that choose to believe or have faith in a healing God. Does it mean that these prayer warriors have no doubt in them? Or does it mean that their faith is stronger than any doubt that may arise?

Paul, a New Testament hero (my description, not his) pleaded with God to take away a thorn in his flesh and yet it was never taken away. Was Paul a man without Biblical faith? Maybe we should call him ‘Doubting Paul.’ Or did God simply choose not to grant him his request? And Paul moved forward in faith despite it.

The Matthew passage is even more challenging. What did the disciples doubt? Was it really in God or did they doubt that the power that Jesus displayed in the fig tree incident could be the very same power in them?

Faith is choosing to live as though the God of the Bible is true regardless of circumstances, emotions or cultural trends. Faith is a big enough umbrella to allow doubt, anger, frustration and humanity to fall under it.

As I picked myself up off the floor in my anger moments I was spent. My body was drained. I had said words to God that I was not sure my Sunday School teacher would be proud of. And yet.

God handled my anger. God handled my doubt. My intimacy with God somehow grew in the state of our unlikeness. My faith became rich. Maybe my anger and doubt were the very things that developed my faith.

Comedian and writer Susan E. Isaacs was 40 years old, loveless, jobless and living above a garage when she did what any of us would do: She took God to couple’s counseling. “Either God isn’t personal and I’ve wasted my time, or he is personal and he hates me,” Isaacs tells her therapist. “There’s a third option,” her therapist counters. “God loves you. But crappy things still happen.”

In our anger may be find life. In our anger may we discover love. In our anger may we not hide from the One with whom we’re angry.

God loves you but crappy things still happen.

C.S. Lewis & Good Will Hunting

2009-08-13T17:09:00.001-04:00

"Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."

C.S. Lewis

"Well, I think that's a great philosophy Will, that way you can go through your entire life without ever having to really know anybody." - Sean in Good Will Hunting.

Kindle or Paper

2009-07-23T09:31:00.003-04:00

As much as I like technology I can be a bit stuck in my ways when it comes to daily practices. However, the Kindle from Amazon has been something that I have been looking into more lately and I would love to hear thoughts from others on it. I understand some strong arguments against getting one like:
1. Who wants to carry around a big electronic thing that only does one thing?
2. "There's just something about the smell of the pages and the feel of a book in your hands"
3. "I Love to go back and re-read my notes in a book, almost like re-journeying."
4. Many books aren't available yet

And honestly, I may be closer to the objections against than I am with moving forward with getting one.

But, is there something to be said for the following thoughts:

1. Environment - is the experience of feeling the pages enough to outweigh the amount of damage done to produce the book.

2. Cost - this has yet to be finalized but could I possibly save money for me AND the church if I downloaded them.

3. Weight - I have been blessed to really only move books 1 time...to Sidney. I now have 10x the number of books that I had then. That means I will most likely have to carry that weight of books and would then demand bookshelf space or storage space at the place I'm going. Would a Kindle help keep me simple?

4. Ease of electronic posting - much of what hits me during my reading becomes something used in sermons, papers, blogs or emails. If a Kindle would ease that my time could be used more wisely.

What do you think? Do you have one?

I would love to play with one at some point if you'd let me borrow one for a day...just email me or comment.

Long-Winded Eloquence

2009-07-18T10:10:00.003-04:00

I'm doing a bit of research this next week on "The Lord's Prayer". Growing up Catholic, we said this prayer multiple times each week in Mass while holding hands with those next to us.

Then I went to a Nazarene church and they replaced some words with other words and added some words at the end and there was no hand-holding.

Now, I serve at a Methodist Church and often I can hear different wordings come during the "debts/sins/trespasses" part and the overall volume diminishes near the end as many ex-Catholics do not "finish" the prayer.

So, I have been reading this week in Luke and I came across the passage where Jesus is asked to teach his Talmidim how to pray. Here is how it is printed in the Complete Jewish Bible:

Father,
May your name be kept holy.
May your kingdom come.

Give us each day the food we need.
Forgive us our sins, for we too forgive everyone who has wronged us.
And do not lead us to hard testing.

It's simple. It's holy. And yet we seem to have added a whole lot of words and phrases to it in our current liturgy. I'd love to know why?

It has challenged me personally the last 24 hours in how I communicate to God and about God. Do I add words to make myself sound pious? Do I over explain the things of God in order to justify my fear that others will twist the words to mean whatever they want? Am I more concerned with eloquence than I am honesty?

Here are the words from Matthew 6 to live into today:
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Simple Church Complexity

2009-07-13T14:37:00.004-04:00

This isn't a post with information as much as it is a request for feedback. So, please dialog with me if you will.

The above book was given to me last year and HIGHLY recommended by at least 4 other pastor friends of mine in the last 2 years, so I actually decided to read it! Geiger and Rainer do a great job in describing the cultural revolution that is "simple." They then, go on to say that research shows that churches with a clearly communicated process for developing disciples are the most successful. This process must have Clarity (a simple, strategic process), Movement (a plan for helping people journey through the process), Alignment (uniting the whole church and all ministries around the process) and finally Focus (eliminating anything outside the process).

I read it the first time and thought, "wow this would be nice." Serving in a 175 year old church often seems overwhelming when asked to help people grow on their journey. Overwhelming mostly because we have SOOOOO many options. The idea of simplifying them sounds great and being strategic about it speaks so much to my desire to stop doing stupid church stuff. But...

Upon re-reading it and praying, I have lots of issues that I am wrestling with. Can you help?

1. Is there a simple, Biblical process for how disciples are matured? It seems to me that Jesus called people, traveled with them, involved them, taught them, ate with them, sent them, re-taught them, rebuked them, sent them back out, etc. until the Holy Spirit came. Then, they just went out and went nuts. Really, is that reproducable and secondly...

2. How can a simple process allow for flexibility without losing it's simplicity? For example...the authors state that there must be a clearly defined entry point into that process. That seems to make sense. But, almost every church represented uses their big worship as that entry point. That may work on paper, but I am just not so sure that worship is the entry point for a lot of people any more. In fact, my entry point was church softball...actually friendships in church softball. I had a deep sense of belonging established long before I ever worshipped. We are having people come "into the process" through service as the entry point before worship. Am I having a problem with "a clearly defined entry point" because I like ambiguity or because I just don't think it is relevant any more?

3. Instead of investing in a strategic process overhaul, would it be more valuable to begin investing in shepherds for people? The authors acknowledge that programs do nothing for people if "relationships don't bridge the programs." Instead of trying to realign everything in order to be simple and thus less cluttered and more free to worship God, what if we could accomplish the same thing by helping our people help people walk their journey together? If relationships are what moves people, what would it look like if the PROGRAM was completely replaced by PEOPLE? Is that realistic?

Again, I want to hear your thoughts. If you've read this AND Joseph Myers' Search to Belong, i REALLY want to hear your thoughts as I am having a difficult time trying to bring them together.

Thoughts?

Sufjan Stevens Tribute to Flint-Town

2009-07-01T16:43:00.001-04:00

After my previous post, my itunes pulled up this song "randomly." The lyrics are below too.

Lyrics to Flint (For The Unemployed And Underpaid:
It's the same outside
Driving to the riverside
I pretend to cry
Even if I cried alone

I forgot the start
Use my hands to use my heart
Even if I died alone
Even if I died alone

Since the first of June
Lost my job
And lost my room
I pretend to try
Even if I tried alone

I forgot the part
Use my hands to use my heart
Even if I died alone
Even if I died alone
Even if I died alone
Even if I died alone
Even if I died

Flint-Town

2009-07-01T07:36:00.002-04:00

Growing up in Flint, Michigan was an absolute joy. Seriously, I loved it and I never knew that it ever had a stigma associated with it until I got a bit older and eventually got a job out of state.

As much as Flint can be a punchline or a politician's joke feed, Flint is still full of 110,000 people who are just like you and me. They are trying to live life. They are desperate for hope and I honestly feel that they represent the places that the Church should be running toward. Sure, it may not be sustainable for quite some years, but wouldn't it be cool if a local Body ran into the fire, gave it all and was a part of Love Coming to Town.

What made me think of this was this article on how Flint would be the city with a population over 100,000 with the greatest decline since 2000 if Hurricane Katrina would not have hit.

God have mercy

Stupid Grace

2009-06-16T13:41:00.002-04:00

Every June 16th, I am reminded of God's Stupid Grace in my life as I celebrate my anniversary with the love of my life Erin. Here's to my faithful God and my incredible wife.

A Guide for Respect in our House

2009-06-12T10:17:00.002-04:00

I have finished Peter Scazzero's Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and am daily trying to reflect on and implement my greatest learnings from the book.

In the end of his book, he offers a Bill of Rights that helps name each person's worth and also would guide our family's actions.

"Respect is not a feeling. It is how we treat another person. Regardless of how we might feel about another human being, they are made in God's image and of infinite value and worth...

Bill of Rights

Respect means I give myself and others the right to:

-Space and Privacy - (e.g., knocking on doors before entering, not opening one another's mail)
-Be Different - (e.g., allowing preferences for food, movies, volume of music, and how we spend our time)
-Disagree - (e.g., making room for each person to think and see life differently)
-Be Heard - (e.g., listening to each other's desires, opinions, thoughts, feelings, etc.)
-Be Taken Seriously - (e.g., listening and being present to one another)
-Be Given the Benefit of the Doubt - (e.g., checking out assumptions rather than judging one another when misunderstandings arise)
-Be Told the Truth - (e.g., counting on the truth when asking each other for information - from "Did you study for the test that your failed?" to "Why were you late coming home?")
-Be Consulted - (e.g., checking and asking when decisions will affect others)
-Be Imperfect and Make Mistakes - (e.g., leaving room for breaking things, forgetting things, letting each other down unintentionally, failing tests when we have studied, etc.)
-Courteous and Honorable Treatment - (e.g., using words that don't hurt, asking before using, consulting when appropriate, treating each other as I-Thou's)
-Be Respected - (e.g., taking one another's feelings into account)"

How would living this Bill of Rights change your marriage? Your relationship with your kids? Your colleagues?

Developing Leaders

2009-06-11T11:29:00.001-04:00

These are my notes from Sue Nilson Kibbey's talk at Annual Conference...hopefully the diagrams come through ok.

Developing Leaders Sue Nilson Kibbey

Bottom Lines
About developing and unleashing servant leaders…

o Psalm 37:4-6 – “delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of you heart…”
-We all have these God-tugs inside of us that speak to who God has made us to be.
-Most of our people have forgotten how to dream. Many of us have inadvertently done that…through…

o 20/80 Barrier - --
-20% of the people are doing all the work and 80% are watching them.
-The 20% become burned out and annoyed at the 80%. We the leaders, act like the only way to serve Jesus is to do the 5-7 things that the 20% are doing. We become pre-occupied with keeping the 5-7 things going, that when new people come to the church, we think we have to get them to help us do the 5-7 things. The 80% are feeling a calling, just NOT TO THE 5-7 things we’ve been doing.

o Church self-image change – not a fortress church but a launching pad to release people, not ministers

o Language Change – volunteer is the language of the club. We are servants, the life of Jesus living through us. Servants thrive in environments of possibilities.

o Atmosphere Change – How can we invite people to consider God’s dreams? We are to fuel the atmosphere of possibility…dream…listen…create.

o What it “costs”…
1. a release of our habit of guarding the status quo
2. the energy of throwing gas on other’s dreams
3. the release of control
4. our willingness to reconceive our churches
5. our urgency to maintain what we’ve got
6. our willingness to ignite a contagious movement.

NEW MINDSHIFTS in order to become a fruitful developer of leaders…

1. People want a CALLING, not just a JOB – we often created perceptions that all we have in the church are jobs. “Can you help us out, we’ve had someone back out…?” God’s Spirit has been talking to people and your ASK is a part of God’s calling within them. People (the 80%) have TIME for the calling/dream that is within them!

2. Think beyond the CORE TASKS for servant leadership – embrace new leadership ideas from the people who are looking for launching pads. Throw gasoline on the energy that is within them…not on the 5-7 things we’ve always done.

3. Revamp how you INVITE people to lead. Create pictures and give permission to dream. Create a servant catalog each August that helps give ideas and pictures to those in the seats to allow them to dream a bit.

4. Unleash the COLLECTIVE ATMOSPHERE of POSSIBILITY. What happens when the family of faith doesn’t wait to be told but instead rises up and initiates hope and possibility?

Landmarks from My Leader Part 5

2009-06-05T08:01:00.001-04:00

(this Sunday will be the final sermon from Sidney First's Lead Pastor for the last 10 years, Chris Heckaman. Chris took a chance on hiring me 8 years ago and so, having spent a lot of time with him, I thought I would spend this final week of his journey here documenting 5 of the biggest lessons that I've learned from him...but because he's instilled in us the concept of a Faith Journey, I prefer to call these "lessons" "Landmarks" for my journey.)

5. Redemption is the Only Option - I literally saw Chris put toothpaste back into the tube one Sunday. He was making a point that what was done can be "un-done". A better way to put it is that God can redeem anything or anyone.

Tax-collectors (those who steal): A young man came into the church one day and stole the cross off the altar in the sanctuary. The greatest thing about it is that this boy's Dad has been coming to our church almost every Sunday since!

Reckless Sinners: Instead of prosecuting some teens who literally threw their crap all over our bathroom walls, we had them come in and be mentored by a guy in the church as they served alongside him. Judgment was real but it was coupled with relationship so that they knew they were valuable.

Prostitutes (public sinners): There are a number of men and women attending our church who have had public moments of failure (And in a town of 20,000, everyone knows about it), many of them sexual in nature. This is a difficult one to embrace because we have to protect our congregation but we also must extend the forgiveness and grace of God all. So, we have established safety measures to welcome men and women on the Sheriff's Sex Crimes list...simultaneously caring for our kids while giving those that made mistakes a chance to contact God's mercy and grace.

Chris believed that because of the Church's past abuse of power and authority it had to really do the hard work of re-establishing itself as a relevant institution of Grace (without sacrificing God's standards of holiness). Could you do a wedding for a couple that can't get any Pastor to do it in such a way that would introduce that family to a church family that modeled God to them?

Do I really think that God can and wants to redeem all?

Landmarks from My Leader Part 4

2009-06-04T07:48:00.004-04:00

(this Sunday will be the final sermon from Sidney First's Lead Pastor for the last 10 years, Chris Heckaman. Chris took a chance on hiring me 8 years ago and so, having spent a lot of time with him, I thought I would spend this final week of his journey here documenting 5 of the biggest lessons that I've learned from him...but because he's instilled in us the concept of a Faith Journey, I prefer to call these "lessons" "Landmarks" for my journey.)

4. Create Workable, Life-Giving Systems - This one seems a bit boring to make the Top 5 list, but it has been extremely important for me to learn. The UMC system of government and organization can be, to say mildly, a bit overwhelming. There are so many committees, reports and meetings that I cannot and have deliberately not tried to keep track of anymore. It exhausts me to even think about.

But somehow, over the last 10 years, this complex web of organization has been given new life. Some of it I'm sure had to do with the fact that if the system didn't change it would have killed Chris! But more likely, I know that Chris was deliberate about making the system work for what God's Spirit was doing in the work of His Body.

For example...

We have a committee that when I arrived had about 55 people coming to it, sharing a one-page report of what was happening in their ministry (all you tree huggers would have freaked at the amount of paper being wasted...I used it all to doodle). The meeting lasted 8 hours or something like that. It was ridiculous. And yet, on paper, it was a necessary, prescribed thing that the system demanded. So, knowing that this type of committee would kill the NEW life of God that was emerging, Chris and the leadership of the church, were strategic about slowly fading it away and replacing it with what is now our Leadership Community. Leadership Community is a once a month gathering of leaders, servants and emerging leaders for a time of vision sharing, soul discussions, worship and leadership training that is set in a mentoring model. It is incredible. It fulfills the "requirement" but we turned the committee on it's head, breathed new life into it made sure it was the BEST we could offer to God's Body each time we met.

It's made me think about the pre-requisites that we all have in our work environments and the scripture that "Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath." While we cannot change everything or eliminate what we don't like, I wonder if there is a way to grow in our leadership capacity in such a way that we can build up enough influence to re-think them. How can the system that you are a part of foster new life? How can the system or organization better serve the leadership of the group? How can you find "another way to skin a cat?" (I like that saying on many levels...thanks Chris). We were not created for the system, it was meant to give us life.

Send Your Kids to Olivet

2009-06-03T20:25:00.004-04:00

Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) is known for graduating great spiritual leaders of all sorts (my brother Jon is one). As proud as the administration must be of that, the following video really displays the heart of the institution.

Landmarks from My Leader Part 3

2009-06-03T07:37:00.001-04:00

Landmarks from My Leader Part 2

2009-06-02T07:25:00.002-04:00

(this Sunday will be the final sermon from Sidney First's Lead Pastor for the last 10 years, Chris Heckaman. Chris took a chance on hiring me 8 years ago and so, having spent a lot of time with him, I thought I would spend this final week of his journey here documenting 5 of the biggest lessons that I've learned from him...but because he's instilled in us the concept of a Faith Journey, I prefer to call these "lessons" "Landmarks" for my journey.)

2. "Accept Love's Shame" - I don't really remember the day of the sermon series or even the year that Chris spoke these 3 words, but I feel as if the 3 words have been etched into my core. ACCEPT LOVE'S SHAME.

The Father of the Prodigal Son stood watching for his son, no doubt a laughing stock to his neighbors.

Jesus, hanging on the cross, being mocked and spit at and completely misunderstood.

A mom walking through Wal-Mart with her special-needs child on her hand, not saying anything to her cursing child about his behavior (despite many stares from good church folk) because this is the first time her child has ever obeyed enough to get out of the car. She was proud of him and correcting him would have sent him into a growth tailspin.

ACCEPT LOVE'S SHAME.

To me it is saying that there are many things that I will have to sacrifice or take on in order to see my love through to its end. People will not understand. People will even mock because they do not see the love that is behind the action (or in-action). But Biblical love MUST sacrifice pride in order to produce grace.

I remember when Chris dreamed of reaching the working class, beer-drinking party men and women who had been hurt by the church. It wasn't that he wanted to start a church in a bar to be controversial or extraordinary, he just LOVED people and would do just about anything to make sure they knew that they were loved by God.

There are always limits here but I think that I (and most people) err on the side of caution, comfort and security. If I am "in love" I must at some point lay all that down in order to pursue my affections.

As a leader, I must daily accept love's shame. People will misunderstand. The crowd will wonder why I'm not treating my children in public the way they want me too. But I must be honest with God, my wife and with my team of accountability and accept any shame that comes from me honestly pursuing God's best.

Landmarks From My Leader Part 1

2009-06-01T10:11:00.003-04:00

The Europe Countdown

2009-05-27T12:47:00.005-04:00

I just returned from a 2-week trip to Italy, Germany, Prague and Switzerland with my Dad and brother Jon. It was incredible.

As I reflect back on our time there, I have decided to write in short chunks, kinda like the short jaunts that we had falling in love with each city. And in honor of the stellar band, Europe, here are 10 thoughts, in Countdown Form.

10. Human Interaction and Connection makes me feel normal. (After meeting a romance fiction writer on a trail in Italy)
9. My Dad is an incredible man. He has overcome a lot in life, he has had God's provision on him from a young age (even when he couldn't keep his mouth shut) that really turned the direction of our entire family.
8. I feel like a schmuck only speaking one language.
7. I sat next to a 20 year old on the plane who puked 2x into a garbage bag. Not exactly the lasting memory that I wanted, but at least I didn't reflex puke (see Stand by Me pie eating contest)
6. Airplane movies rock. I watched: Slumdog Millionaire, Revolutionary Road, Yes Man, Doubt and Frost/Nixon. My favorite: Frost/Nixon. Second Place goes to Doubt and Third Place goes to Slumdog Millionaire.
5. Some of what I missed the most about my family (oddly, these are the things I most take for granted too): a child's laugh, walks, hearing my name "Dan" or "Daddy", "ordinary" conversations with Erin, being understood, touch and routine.
4. American Music is everywhere (Eminem was most popular)
3. The American Reputation is not what most Americans want it to be.
2. The kindness of strangers kept us going.
1. wireless internet + Erin's ipod touch = happy Dan.

Top Foods

2009-05-25T15:17:00.000-04:00

You may see a similar post at some point here, but trust me, mine is much better. I like to eat and i like to eat different foods, so our Europe trip allowed me to experience love in many ways. Here are some of my memorable food moments.

-The Pesto in Cinque Terre is simply incredible. Pesto looks quite strange on top of penne, but man, it does not get much better for me.

-Gelato in Italy blows away ANY US Ice Cream. I had one everyday and miss it everyday.

-German and Czech Food is really not my love. I tried it but it all seemed a bit Hungarian for me and quite heavy. Maybe I just ate the wrong stuff.

-German Coffee and Cake time in the afternoon, however, makes up for any misgivings I may have about their food.

-Eating Peanut Butter sandwiches on the historic "square" of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome was an ironic contrast that was one of my favorite moments of all time. Just 3 guys with a simple lunch in front of a place flooded with wealth and power.

-Caleb and Erin made each of us a homemade trail mix. We ate every drop and they were awesome on many levels.

-10" pizzas in Italy could be (and were) eaten every day

-Spending $40 in Switzerland on McDonald's wasn't our best moment. (that was how much 3 value meals cost...no refills)

-I had a great Gnocchi pasta in Prague...a nice surprise and a great start to our trip.

-We all have a new appreciation for Penne Bolognese.

-Nutella is THE spread of choice on any baguette.

-Milk out of a box takes a bit to get used to.

-Things I really missed: skittles and ice.