Before you read this post, read the first comment by my buddy Jimmi (aka Joshua) on the last post, Being Versus Doing Part Quatro (yes, he's the guy who compared Anne Lamott to Bruce Springsteen -- please offer him some grace). Jimmi makes some deeply profound points in his thoughts.
The best thing Jimmi says is that the starting point is the cross. I take no exception to this observation and deeply agree with it. How I view the cross is very important and is the starting point for all belief. I jive with all that, to a point.
Jimmi puts it like this:
"I think the point is that it is not us acting out our AM-Devotional Truths by will-power, and it's not us tapping in to our wishy-washy emotions. Instead, it's God grace allowing us to come along for the ride.
So, I guess my argument is that there is a difference in evangelizing, being married, doing funerals and counseling, when your brain is tuned to the “belief” of the all-encompassing grace of God vs. an emotion or passion.
Can the Spirit use passions? Yes. Does He? Yes. But, is that the starting point for our actions? Depending on how we define our words...I'm inclined to say "no". Because our passions should spring from our belief in the cross."
I'm falling back again on my Reformed leanings here, but I don't think that how I view the cross or what I believe about the cross is nearly as important as how the cross views me, because it is in that view that my identity is formed. There's a reason why Jesus died, because He loved me. It is in the reception of that love that my identity is formed and I am made new, not in an act of my will to believe anything (John 1:12).
When I am a new creation in Christ, when God births me again, I become more and more who Jesus made me to be. My identity in Him is concretely made manifest by who I am as I "work out my salvation with fear and trembling (Phillippians 2:12,13)". I'm not ignoring the battle between old man and new man, nor am I advocating a new Gnosticism, but I am saying that I believe that "our spirits bear witness with God's Spirit that we are the children of God born of water and of blood (Romans 8:16)". And that means that what my spirit feels matters and I believe that what my spirit feels comes from a place of deep redemption.
"The Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12)."
There is a difference between soul and spirit. I am still thinking this through, but I'm coming to a belief that the spirit is the place of regeneration where the fullness of my positional, soteriological blessings in Christ are held. The soul, for lack of better terminology, is the place where sanctification begins as a practical outworking of my new identity as my mind, will and emotions are made subject to my redeemed spirit.
And so, the more that I am deeply aware of my identity in Christ in my redeemed spirit, the more I am released to be, feel and know all that Jesus has for me.
I hope the Eagles win on Sunday.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Being Versus Doing Part Quatro
The thing about being vs doing is that it releases me to be who I really am.
Take this weekend, for instance. On Sunday afternoon I led the funeral service of a seventeen year old named Nick who died of an overdose. It was a terrible tragedy.
I don't consider myself to be very good in those situations that require an intense amount of shepherding -- I'm just not a natural shepherd-type person. My pastor in St Louis, Clint, is an awesome shepherd. He really connects with people at those darkest times of their emotional trauma and brings a lot of love and hope.
Do you know what my naturaly reaction is at a funeral? Anger.
Anger because it is not supposed to be this way. I don't know personally if Nick knew Jesus or not. Praise God that his mom says he did. All I know is that here is this beautiful young life with so much potential for the honor and glory that God made it for (Psalm 8), and it is violently ripped from us. This is not how it was suppposed to be. Nick should still be here, skateboarding and dreaming about a souped-up Volkswagen, not lying on his bedroom floor breathing his last breath because of cocaine.
I stood before a packed house at the funeral home...standing room only, mostly teenagers, and the primary emotion in my spirit was anger. But it was righteous anger, it wasn't sin. And because it was right, it didn't come out wrong. I think God used me on Sunday because I was being who God made me to be. If I had tried to change to fit a mold of "doing" like I had seen others doing, or like some class in seminary tries to teach me, I don't think I would have connected with the hearts of the people there.
The point is this...be fully who God made you to be. The thing is, the only way to be that is to deeply engage God intimately so that He can define you on the deepest level. The more superficial your relationship with God, the more you will do instead of be and the more empty you will be in the places you were meant to feel life most deeply.
Take this weekend, for instance. On Sunday afternoon I led the funeral service of a seventeen year old named Nick who died of an overdose. It was a terrible tragedy.
I don't consider myself to be very good in those situations that require an intense amount of shepherding -- I'm just not a natural shepherd-type person. My pastor in St Louis, Clint, is an awesome shepherd. He really connects with people at those darkest times of their emotional trauma and brings a lot of love and hope.
Do you know what my naturaly reaction is at a funeral? Anger.
Anger because it is not supposed to be this way. I don't know personally if Nick knew Jesus or not. Praise God that his mom says he did. All I know is that here is this beautiful young life with so much potential for the honor and glory that God made it for (Psalm 8), and it is violently ripped from us. This is not how it was suppposed to be. Nick should still be here, skateboarding and dreaming about a souped-up Volkswagen, not lying on his bedroom floor breathing his last breath because of cocaine.
I stood before a packed house at the funeral home...standing room only, mostly teenagers, and the primary emotion in my spirit was anger. But it was righteous anger, it wasn't sin. And because it was right, it didn't come out wrong. I think God used me on Sunday because I was being who God made me to be. If I had tried to change to fit a mold of "doing" like I had seen others doing, or like some class in seminary tries to teach me, I don't think I would have connected with the hearts of the people there.
The point is this...be fully who God made you to be. The thing is, the only way to be that is to deeply engage God intimately so that He can define you on the deepest level. The more superficial your relationship with God, the more you will do instead of be and the more empty you will be in the places you were meant to feel life most deeply.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Why No Posts? Being Versus Doing Part Tre
It's been a while. To be honest, I've thought a lot about posting in the course of the last three weeks. I've even logged into blogger and written some stuff and then deleted it.
So why no posts?
I have had nothing to give.
September was rough month for me, spiritually speaking. That rough time extended into some of the key relationships in my life and I started doing rather than being. Here's a window into my life: if I miss time with me and Jesus, just for the sake of loving Him and being loved by Him, I lose it spiritually.
One of the weak points about my driven type of nature is that I have an incessant need to work harder in order to fix stuff...even my relationship with Jesus. So when things are rough at home, and people at church are frustrating, and the prayer network has no one coming to pray, and the children's ministry fund is not going well...I know that the key to me staying "on top of things" is to get alone with Jesus and right things spiritually.
And so I do, but only with the intention of getting me "fixed" so that I can get back to doing. And so I do what is right and what I know to do, but there is no heart connection because the relationship is not flowing out of my identity, it's flowing out of my work ethic. I'm using Jesus to fix me -- setting His agenda for Him -- instead of releasing myself completely into Jesus to be born again in Him again (if that sentence didn't make sense, come to Cornerstone Sunday).
So, last week, after much tough love by my wife, I went to spend time with Jesus just to be with Him and receive. And it was life-giving and wonderful. He again established my identity in Him and reminded me that as long as I am His, I have everything I need.
Take the world, give me Jesus.
So why no posts?
I have had nothing to give.
September was rough month for me, spiritually speaking. That rough time extended into some of the key relationships in my life and I started doing rather than being. Here's a window into my life: if I miss time with me and Jesus, just for the sake of loving Him and being loved by Him, I lose it spiritually.
One of the weak points about my driven type of nature is that I have an incessant need to work harder in order to fix stuff...even my relationship with Jesus. So when things are rough at home, and people at church are frustrating, and the prayer network has no one coming to pray, and the children's ministry fund is not going well...I know that the key to me staying "on top of things" is to get alone with Jesus and right things spiritually.
And so I do, but only with the intention of getting me "fixed" so that I can get back to doing. And so I do what is right and what I know to do, but there is no heart connection because the relationship is not flowing out of my identity, it's flowing out of my work ethic. I'm using Jesus to fix me -- setting His agenda for Him -- instead of releasing myself completely into Jesus to be born again in Him again (if that sentence didn't make sense, come to Cornerstone Sunday).
So, last week, after much tough love by my wife, I went to spend time with Jesus just to be with Him and receive. And it was life-giving and wonderful. He again established my identity in Him and reminded me that as long as I am His, I have everything I need.
Take the world, give me Jesus.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Freedom Of Love
It's cool how when I really believe that Jesus loves me and when I see that love concretely in the people I am closest to that I feel truly free.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Children's Worship And The Cornerstone Family
September 5, 2006
Dear Cornerstone Family,
One of the most foundational ways in which we have seen God’s blessing to Cornerstone is the arrival of many new families to our community and the arrival of a lot of new babies. It has been so cool to see God blessing our Cornerstone family at large as He blesses individual families within our community. This blessing also comes with increased challenges. Today, I am writing to you as parents and church family in order to reference a particular issue.
Children’s Worship
A few weeks ago, we had a Sunday morning service dedicated solely to how we serve and are served by the children in our Cornerstone family. On that Sunday, one of the teaching workshops focused on the banners that many of our children use to worship on Sunday mornings. It was good, biblical teaching and the concept of worshipping the Lord through the waving of flags and banners is a beautiful form of worship.
Children need to be led into worship. Left to themselves, children will begin to be children and become easily distracted. Last week during the service, I counted thirteen children who were flying banners! What a magnificent joy! Without being led through the worship experience though, it often resulted in a lot of distraction for our little worshippers as they began playing with one another, walking back and forth across the front of the sanctuary to exchange one banner for another, and flying their banners very close to lit candles.
Now, hear this loud and clear, we do not want our children to stop flying banners in worship. We believe the Lord delights in our kids as they worship Him. We do want to lead our kids into worship and help them focus on what worship means for them, even at their young age. Therefore, we are asking that if your child desires to fly banners in worship, at least one parent or guardian needs to join them in that worship and help lead them into and focus on our time of worship as a community.
Here is what I fear: I am afraid that we, as adults, will be filled with the fear of man and project that fear on to our children. Our kids will want to fly their banners, and because we, as adults, are afraid of what other people think, we will the quench the Spirit of God within our children and discourage their expression in worship.
Hear this warning, my brothers and sisters,
Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea (Matthew 18:3-6).
If a child wants to fly banners in worship and you actively or passively prevent him/her from doing so based on your fear of man, you have caused that child to sin. Jesus’ words are crystal clear. You do not have to stand in the front of the sanctuary. You may get your banners and take your child anywhere in the sanctuary that you would like to be. As worship leaders, we love to see the banners in the front because as we view them, they remind of us of our God and our calling in Him, but please do not feel that it is mandatory to remain in the front.
It is my true feeling that in this, God is trying to teach the adults of our community something about letting go of our pride and becoming unabashed and without shame or fear in our worship of Jesus, and He is using our kids to get our attention.
Again, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Pastor Tim or Pastor Jay at the church office.
Peace to you all,
Pastor Jay
Dear Cornerstone Family,
One of the most foundational ways in which we have seen God’s blessing to Cornerstone is the arrival of many new families to our community and the arrival of a lot of new babies. It has been so cool to see God blessing our Cornerstone family at large as He blesses individual families within our community. This blessing also comes with increased challenges. Today, I am writing to you as parents and church family in order to reference a particular issue.
Children’s Worship
A few weeks ago, we had a Sunday morning service dedicated solely to how we serve and are served by the children in our Cornerstone family. On that Sunday, one of the teaching workshops focused on the banners that many of our children use to worship on Sunday mornings. It was good, biblical teaching and the concept of worshipping the Lord through the waving of flags and banners is a beautiful form of worship.
Children need to be led into worship. Left to themselves, children will begin to be children and become easily distracted. Last week during the service, I counted thirteen children who were flying banners! What a magnificent joy! Without being led through the worship experience though, it often resulted in a lot of distraction for our little worshippers as they began playing with one another, walking back and forth across the front of the sanctuary to exchange one banner for another, and flying their banners very close to lit candles.
Now, hear this loud and clear, we do not want our children to stop flying banners in worship. We believe the Lord delights in our kids as they worship Him. We do want to lead our kids into worship and help them focus on what worship means for them, even at their young age. Therefore, we are asking that if your child desires to fly banners in worship, at least one parent or guardian needs to join them in that worship and help lead them into and focus on our time of worship as a community.
Here is what I fear: I am afraid that we, as adults, will be filled with the fear of man and project that fear on to our children. Our kids will want to fly their banners, and because we, as adults, are afraid of what other people think, we will the quench the Spirit of God within our children and discourage their expression in worship.
Hear this warning, my brothers and sisters,
Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea (Matthew 18:3-6).
If a child wants to fly banners in worship and you actively or passively prevent him/her from doing so based on your fear of man, you have caused that child to sin. Jesus’ words are crystal clear. You do not have to stand in the front of the sanctuary. You may get your banners and take your child anywhere in the sanctuary that you would like to be. As worship leaders, we love to see the banners in the front because as we view them, they remind of us of our God and our calling in Him, but please do not feel that it is mandatory to remain in the front.
It is my true feeling that in this, God is trying to teach the adults of our community something about letting go of our pride and becoming unabashed and without shame or fear in our worship of Jesus, and He is using our kids to get our attention.
Again, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Pastor Tim or Pastor Jay at the church office.
Peace to you all,
Pastor Jay
Friday, September 01, 2006
Being Versus Doing Part Deuce
Before reading this post, it's important that you read Being Versus Doing Part Uno and read the first comment on that post by my buddy Jimmi.
Jimmi's an MDiv student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is an eclectic, good thinker. He also has great taste in music and film although in his latest post, he does compare Anne Lamott to Bruce Springsteen which is just insanity. Check out his blog here. And he makes a good point. To answer your question, Jimmi, allow me to not answer it at all, but instead to think of seminal virtues.
Without diving into endless conversations of predestination and free will, consider for a moment the virtues of love and faith. I deeply believe that both originate in the heart and character of God and are held to no "rankings" at all. In my mind and experience though, love precedes faith. To hold to McManus' language and form my own equations,
love = passions
faith = beliefs.
In the government of God, everything originates in love. God did not have to make humans and I believe that we are more than a random decision by a bored Higher Power. God made us to reflect Him in His image and the basis of that image-bearing is the ability to love. Adam and Eve loved God simply because He was God, not because they believed anything about Him. I don't know that I actually believe the statement I'm about to write, but here it is: Faith was not even a part of human existence, consciousness or essence until Genesis 3:15. My son doesn't believe that I'm his dad, I just am. Faith as a gift of God is a result of love as a gift of God. That statement I definitely agree with.
I think that what McManus is saying, and I would agree, is that passions are seminal. To answer another question posed, I do take McManus to mean that values and passions are synonomous. It is possible to be passionate about something without believing anything rational about it. I can be passionate about desiring an end to the war in Iraq without having a belief that war is inherently evil or understanding foreign policy or just war theory. My spirit just tells me that something is very wrong there.
I definitely believe that passion is compelled to stir some type of belief. Passion without belief is just a bunch of hot air. But passion is the starting point because love is the starting point in the rule of God.
Again, not sure I agree with anything I just wrote. I think I do though.
Jimmi's an MDiv student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is an eclectic, good thinker. He also has great taste in music and film although in his latest post, he does compare Anne Lamott to Bruce Springsteen which is just insanity. Check out his blog here. And he makes a good point. To answer your question, Jimmi, allow me to not answer it at all, but instead to think of seminal virtues.
Without diving into endless conversations of predestination and free will, consider for a moment the virtues of love and faith. I deeply believe that both originate in the heart and character of God and are held to no "rankings" at all. In my mind and experience though, love precedes faith. To hold to McManus' language and form my own equations,
love = passions
faith = beliefs.
In the government of God, everything originates in love. God did not have to make humans and I believe that we are more than a random decision by a bored Higher Power. God made us to reflect Him in His image and the basis of that image-bearing is the ability to love. Adam and Eve loved God simply because He was God, not because they believed anything about Him. I don't know that I actually believe the statement I'm about to write, but here it is: Faith was not even a part of human existence, consciousness or essence until Genesis 3:15. My son doesn't believe that I'm his dad, I just am. Faith as a gift of God is a result of love as a gift of God. That statement I definitely agree with.
I think that what McManus is saying, and I would agree, is that passions are seminal. To answer another question posed, I do take McManus to mean that values and passions are synonomous. It is possible to be passionate about something without believing anything rational about it. I can be passionate about desiring an end to the war in Iraq without having a belief that war is inherently evil or understanding foreign policy or just war theory. My spirit just tells me that something is very wrong there.
I definitely believe that passion is compelled to stir some type of belief. Passion without belief is just a bunch of hot air. But passion is the starting point because love is the starting point in the rule of God.
Again, not sure I agree with anything I just wrote. I think I do though.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Being Versus Doing Part Uno
This idea is where my heart has been a lot recently.
"Cultures are not born in a vacuum. The fuel of a culture is what is referred to as ethos. The fuel of ethose are values, which I am convinced are deeper and more primal than beliefs. It is far more important to change a person's passions than their beliefs. You can believe many things without being passionate about them, but you cannot be passionate about something without believing in it. The revolution Jesus began 2000 years ago does not simply change our theology, but more powerfully it transforms our pathos. The dynamic tension between the message and the culture is not about what Jesus once said but about what Jesus is saying. The intersection is not simply between an ancient message and a contemporary context but between an eternal God and this moment in history.
The real issue facing the church is not essentially about methodology or even preserving the message; the real issue is why the church is so unaffected by the transforming presence of the living God. Jesus lives in every time and place in human history. He both makes Himself known and manifests Himself through the Body of Christ. We should give up our role as preservationists -- the church was never intended to be the Jewish version of the mummification of God. God is not lost in the past, He is active in the present. Our mandate is to continue the revolution Jesus Christ began 2000 years ago. The Scriptures are more than our textbook; they are our portal into the presence of God, where we not only come to know His mind and heart but also are transformed to become like Him." -- Erwin McManus, "The Church In Emerging Culture" pg.247.
This is what I'm talking about when I speak of being versus doing, what McManus calls changing passions instead of beliefs. The key sentence in the quote is the first sentence of the second paragraph, and why I believe we have nowhere else to turn but away from our institutions, programs and work, and completely back to Christ and our personal and collective identity in Him. To quote Steve Fry, otherwise "we will be forever healing the soul and never aligning the spirit."
"Cultures are not born in a vacuum. The fuel of a culture is what is referred to as ethos. The fuel of ethose are values, which I am convinced are deeper and more primal than beliefs. It is far more important to change a person's passions than their beliefs. You can believe many things without being passionate about them, but you cannot be passionate about something without believing in it. The revolution Jesus began 2000 years ago does not simply change our theology, but more powerfully it transforms our pathos. The dynamic tension between the message and the culture is not about what Jesus once said but about what Jesus is saying. The intersection is not simply between an ancient message and a contemporary context but between an eternal God and this moment in history.
The real issue facing the church is not essentially about methodology or even preserving the message; the real issue is why the church is so unaffected by the transforming presence of the living God. Jesus lives in every time and place in human history. He both makes Himself known and manifests Himself through the Body of Christ. We should give up our role as preservationists -- the church was never intended to be the Jewish version of the mummification of God. God is not lost in the past, He is active in the present. Our mandate is to continue the revolution Jesus Christ began 2000 years ago. The Scriptures are more than our textbook; they are our portal into the presence of God, where we not only come to know His mind and heart but also are transformed to become like Him." -- Erwin McManus, "The Church In Emerging Culture" pg.247.
This is what I'm talking about when I speak of being versus doing, what McManus calls changing passions instead of beliefs. The key sentence in the quote is the first sentence of the second paragraph, and why I believe we have nowhere else to turn but away from our institutions, programs and work, and completely back to Christ and our personal and collective identity in Him. To quote Steve Fry, otherwise "we will be forever healing the soul and never aligning the spirit."
Friday, August 18, 2006
Spirit
I love this picture...a coloring page for my kids. It's just really simple and I appreciate the fact that Jesus doesn't look like a wimp.
"Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don't be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit."
Been thinking a lot about John 3 lately. Without giving away my teaching for September 24, the phrase "born again" has got to be reclaimed. This has nothing to do with "getting saved" as if it were something we could get anyway. It has everything to do with understanding the role of Spirit and spirit in our lives. To be born again by water and Spirit is to be regenerated, a new creation, new DNA, a whole new identity. To miss this truth is to live life in our own strength and miss the abundant life that Jesus came to give.
By the way, pray for Carrie Wenzler today, she's in surgery at Hershey. Should be home on Sunday.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
San Francisco
Returned recently from San Francisco. Sheri and I went there so I could officiate yet another wedding of a former student/intern. The wedding was beautiful.
San Francisco is a great city. The wedding was in Sausalito, so we had to cross the Golden Gate Bridge four roundtrip times. I remember watching this special on the History Channel (which I watch because I'm a nerd) about the engineering marvel that it is. It's one of the world's largest suspension bridges which means that the bridge is literally hanging on the cables that run up and down from the main cable that is suspended off of the two towers. The towers are what I was most "wowed" by. They're huge. In my imagination, I pictured this apocalyptic scene from Planet of the Apes or The Matrix sometime after global warming, nuclear holocaust and country music have caused the end of the world as we know it, and those two towers were still standing. They are that strong. It made me think differently about God being a strong tower.
Definitely one of the coolest things I've seen and San Francisco is one of the coolest cities I've been in. It actually made it into my top five.
Top Five Favorite Personally Visited American Big Cities
(population 1 million or more)
1. Philly -- I just love Philly. Maybe it's a hometown thing (though I'm actually from a western suburb). Every time I am in Philly, I love the vibe. I love cheese steaks, the Eagles, the rude people, South Street, the Italian Market, Center City, streetball, the Sixers, the brownstones, the cobblestones, the stoners, the history (love the history!), the pretzels, the ethnic diversity, the music scene, and the colletive hatred of anything Jersey. Philly rules.
2. Chicago -- Chicago's a great town. I've been there mostly for meetings and conferences at Moody Bible Institute which is in the heart of the city. It's clean, the people are Midwesternly friendly, and the art, music, and museum scene is great (you have to go to the Contemporary Museum of Art). I also had a huge encounter with God in Chicago in 2001, so it's got spiritual sentimentality for me. Great town.
3. New York -- New York is full of energy and beauty. It's really cleaned up its act since I was a kid; I love the law about no smoking inside anywhere. I really like NY City for its history of immigration as well, as the Gateway to America, the world has come to us and the fire of the melting pot began there. Central Park is a great place to chill. I also deeply respect all New Yorkers for how their city handled 9/11.
4. St Louis -- I lived there for five years, and it's a great city. It doesn't have a huge downtown, but the people are so friendly and hospitable. Most every tourist thing is free, which is great. Forest Park is a smaller version of Central Park and every bit as good. The Delmar Loop is a great place to chill, with the best cd/record store I've ever been in. St Louis pizza is horrible, but the pork steaks, ribs and root beer can't be beat. By far the greatest baseball town in America. But the people make the city...great people.
5. San Francisco -- Set in the mountains, these people just build houses on hills everywhere...it's unbelievable. The traffice is horrendous, but the vibe is great. Take a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge and drop into Sausalito for an incredible view of the bay from some great coffehouses. Union Square is one huge moving mass of shops and humanity that is a great place to hang out. The thing about California is that most people you meet aren't actually from there. I stood outside on a sidewalk for a bit (an hour) while Sheri shopped and I heard so many different languages. It was really cool. Great people too, didn't get to meet a lot, but those I did interact with were really cool.
I think I'm going to go into tourist book writing. Peace out.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Israel
Hey...sorry for the lack of posts lately. I hate excuses, so I won't try to offer one.
In Chicago now for to officiate a wedding for one of my former youth group kids. Love doing this kind of stuff.
I'm worried about this conflict in Israel...really worried. I get TIME magazine weekly. I think it's pretty good journalism and it keeps me up to date on the way the liberal side of the media is thinking. I much prefer it to FoxNews.
Anywho, in the latest issue of TIME, a writer offered a six step plan to peace in Israel. I gave the magazine to a lady we met on the plane, so I'm trying to remember all of them.
1. US must involve themselves diplomatically
2. Israel must restrain itself
3. Hizballah must stop making bad decisions for the Arab world
4. Iran must be handled
5. Iraq must be won
I can't remember the sixth one.
Anyway, this is such a hard topic to
Oh yeah, 6. Hamas must rethink its positions
Anyway, this is such a hard topic to engage in just common every day life. To any normal person in the world, this six step plan makes sense -- especially politically. For the most part, it's the same song that every Secretary of State or US president has sung since 1948.
For me though, there is no man-made plan of peace that is every going to work and I call upon the facts of history as my witness.
At its heart, this is still a spiritual issue and God cares about His people possessing that land. This still stems back to Abraham's disobedience, Israel's exiles as explained in the Old Testament, the giving of the New Covenant and God's continuing fulfillment of His promises to His people as given in the Scripture, especially Ezekiel.
To an outsider, I sound like a religious nut. To other Christians and maybe some Messianic Jews, it makes sense. I care for Israel deeply because I am the seed of Abraham by faith. I think every Christian should be emotionally connected to the Jewish people. We (Christians and Jews)look like idiots to the world. But I'm cool with that.
At its heart, this is still about Jesus. My emotional connection to Israel is based on the fact that I know our Messiah and I wish they did as well. Israel has such a sad and glorious story. It's my prayer that the present conflict will in some supernatural way point their hearts toward the emptiness in their souls and that their Prince of Peace and His government will be realized (Isaiah 9:6) and established, not politically, but in their hearts.
In all things though, brothers and sisters, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
In Chicago now for to officiate a wedding for one of my former youth group kids. Love doing this kind of stuff.
I'm worried about this conflict in Israel...really worried. I get TIME magazine weekly. I think it's pretty good journalism and it keeps me up to date on the way the liberal side of the media is thinking. I much prefer it to FoxNews.
Anywho, in the latest issue of TIME, a writer offered a six step plan to peace in Israel. I gave the magazine to a lady we met on the plane, so I'm trying to remember all of them.
1. US must involve themselves diplomatically
2. Israel must restrain itself
3. Hizballah must stop making bad decisions for the Arab world
4. Iran must be handled
5. Iraq must be won
I can't remember the sixth one.
Anyway, this is such a hard topic to
Oh yeah, 6. Hamas must rethink its positions
Anyway, this is such a hard topic to engage in just common every day life. To any normal person in the world, this six step plan makes sense -- especially politically. For the most part, it's the same song that every Secretary of State or US president has sung since 1948.
For me though, there is no man-made plan of peace that is every going to work and I call upon the facts of history as my witness.
At its heart, this is still a spiritual issue and God cares about His people possessing that land. This still stems back to Abraham's disobedience, Israel's exiles as explained in the Old Testament, the giving of the New Covenant and God's continuing fulfillment of His promises to His people as given in the Scripture, especially Ezekiel.
To an outsider, I sound like a religious nut. To other Christians and maybe some Messianic Jews, it makes sense. I care for Israel deeply because I am the seed of Abraham by faith. I think every Christian should be emotionally connected to the Jewish people. We (Christians and Jews)look like idiots to the world. But I'm cool with that.
At its heart, this is still about Jesus. My emotional connection to Israel is based on the fact that I know our Messiah and I wish they did as well. Israel has such a sad and glorious story. It's my prayer that the present conflict will in some supernatural way point their hearts toward the emptiness in their souls and that their Prince of Peace and His government will be realized (Isaiah 9:6) and established, not politically, but in their hearts.
In all things though, brothers and sisters, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Barb Shutt
Hey Cornerstone Family...
Barb Shutt's dad died last night. He has had some health problems with his kidneys, and some dehydration problems caused a heart attack. Pray for her family, some of whom don't know Jesus. Pray for Barb as well as she carries this heavy weight.
Barb Shutt's dad died last night. He has had some health problems with his kidneys, and some dehydration problems caused a heart attack. Pray for her family, some of whom don't know Jesus. Pray for Barb as well as she carries this heavy weight.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Eschatology
I swiped this 1970's record cover off of www.purgatorio.com -- great site by the way if you don't mind Christians making fun of themselves. It cracked me up.
Front
Back
Here's what I know about eschatology (doctrine of the end times): Jesus is coming back.
That's pretty much all I know. There's a lot of creative guesswork and novel writing going on that is in my estimation doing more harm than good, but whatever.
I also think it's funny that Tim Lahaye wrote the evangelical textbook on sex and then published a massive line of end times novels (books about prophecy or profitcy?). I don't know why that strikes me as funny, but it totally cracks me up.
Front
Back
Here's what I know about eschatology (doctrine of the end times): Jesus is coming back.
That's pretty much all I know. There's a lot of creative guesswork and novel writing going on that is in my estimation doing more harm than good, but whatever.
I also think it's funny that Tim Lahaye wrote the evangelical textbook on sex and then published a massive line of end times novels (books about prophecy or profitcy?). I don't know why that strikes me as funny, but it totally cracks me up.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Favorite Card Games
It's been a while since I posted a list. We played UNO with the fam tonight, so here's my favorite card games:
1. Pinochle -- A family favorite at every holiday and family gathering. We'll play till our fingers fall off and marriages on the verge of major issue.
2. Spades -- On the way back to Beckley, West Virginia after the national tournament in Oklahoma City, Jason, Brock, John, Rob and I played spades for ten straight hours -- seriously.
3. Poker -- Hold 'Em, Baseball, Blackjack, Draw, El Diablo, whatever -- poker is fun. Anytime I play with Travis though, I get pretty upset cause he always manages to pull the most amazing hands out of nowhere. I think we should have a poker night at Cornerstone.
4. Hearts -- I most enjoy playing with my uncles and grandfather because things get so animated with the queen gets tossed, but online is fun too.
5. Rook -- Haven't played it since college, but it is way fun and thinking of it spurred me to write down "buy Rook deck" in my PDA to do list.
6. Uno -- I'm colorblind, so I have serious difficulty telling the red cards from the green cards, but it's fun to play with my kids.
7. Phase Ten -- There's a good possibility I may be undefeated at this game.
8. Dutch Blitz -- I'm not joking, my wife is a world-class Blitz player. I've never seen her lose except when I beat her once. I had her sign the score card for proof of the outcome and I have it hanging on the white board in my office. If the Amish gambled, I'd take her to barn raisings and hustle for cash.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Father's Day
"The Prodigal Returns" by Rembrandt, one of my favorite artists.
I really liked studying for the sermon I gave this past Sunday about the Prodigal Son. Re-discovering the story with the father being the active agent in the restoration of the boy rather than the boy being the active one really put the story in perspective. It also helped so much for me to understand the disconnect between the two preceding stories of the lost sheep and lost coin. In those two stories, the shepherd and woman are the ones initiating the search and doing the finding and now I see how the father in the Prodigal Son story is the one doing the restoring, not the boy.
One thing I ran out time to say yesterday: the second son often gets the short end of the stick. But he is also in need of rescuing. I see the Prodigal Son as being the person in need of rescue because sin has wrecked him. I see the older son as being the person in need of rescue because he has been wrecked by religion. Whereas the younger son knows he is unacceptable and hatches his own scheme to work his way back in, the older son thinks that his actions necessitate the father's love.
The key to Luke 15 is this (a nod to my Reformed leanings): it is God who seeks and God who saves. He is the shepherd seeking the sheep, he is the woman seeking the coin, he is the father seeking the restoration of his sons in spite of their deep offenses to him.
Seeing God as Father is something that I am just recently stepping into -- somewhere over the course of the last four or five years -- but it is something that is revolutionizing my relationship with Him. It's a cool journey.
Monday, June 12, 2006
World Cup Part 2
I coach my sons' soccer team. It's the Rising Star FC Micro Team, ages 4-6 years. They play with more energy and aggression than the US played with today.
It's not even that we got beat by a really good team -- it's that there was no sense of urgency. No attacking, no speed -- the USA team's greatest strengths never capitalized on. Beasley didn't attack, Donovan wasn't served, Convey's crosses were horrible, Pope didn't mark -- it was rough.
By the way, Rosicky is the man. Those goals were incredible. Nedved ruled the midfield. I think the Czech Republic could beat Brazil if they attack the way they did today.
On to Italy.
World Cup
It's impossible to say how excited I am that the World Cup is here.
The USA is ranked seventh in the world and is playing in the group of death with the Czech Republic, Italy and Ghana. First game is in 1 hour 14 minutes versus the Czechs.
I love the World Cup!
My friend Ben is there, in Germany and has tickets to the Italy/USA game. He's so freaking lucky and is getting a beatdown when he gets back, provided the Italians don't beat him down in Germany because he can get pretty loud.
PSU Football
I'm aware that Penn State is not going to have the same year that they had last year, mostly because of line restructures and rebuilding, but I'm still pretty high from last year's awesome year.
I felt for Paul Posluszny when he hurt his knee in the Orange Bowl, but it's going to be great to have him back for his senior year. At Linebacker U, the be called the best that ever came out of Penn State is pretty huge.
The receiving corps, especially Derrick Williams, is really great too. All Morelli should have to do is throw the ball far and long, and the speed should take over.
Unfortunately, being Morelli's first real year, rebuilding both lines and the secondary will probably take its toll. Athlon has Penn State unranked in the top 25 and finishing sixth in the Big Ten. I don't know -- I think they'll go 7-4, which would probably keep them unranked, but get a bowl game.
Look out for the Lions in 2007 though. They will be a real contender for the BCS title.
Joe Pa rules.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Weddings
I'm officiating a wedding ceremony tomorrow. Weird week, this past week was. Two of the staples of pastoral ministry happened/are happening this week. A wedding and a funeral.
Weddings are pretty much the exact opposite of funerals. At funerals, a life has come to an end. At weddings, a life is just beginning as two become one. At funerals, I feel like people hang on my every word because they're dealing with some of the toughest questions of their lives. At weddings, people just want you to get to the vows, even though what I say during the charge at a wedding ceremony is really deep stuff. At funerals, the primary emotion is sadness. At weddings, the primary emotion is joy. Both are emotionally draining.
It would be cool for Jesus to show up like He did at Cana and turn water into wine, or for my friends in recovery or fundamentalism, Coca-Cola. That's never happened to me, and I don't think that miracle had nearly as much to do with the wedding as it did the submissive spirit of the Messiah, but it would be cool. But I think there's an even deeper miracle that happens at a wedding: two becoming one.
It's hard to picture, and as believers, we put God into that equation and suddenly it's a beautiful trinity: husband, wife, Jesus. I think most of the marital difficulties that I counsel couples about has to do with a lack/misunderstanding/misusage/absence of intimacy. Two becoming one is not nearly as much about sex as it is about intimacy. And lack of intimacy in marriage, particularly emotional and spiritual, can reap devastating consequences.
But for those few moments in time, that first few hours when a couple is protected by the presence of their family, friends, pastor, one another and the magic that a wedding day brings, the intimacy is complete -- even before sex comes into the picture. And it's because God has shown up and made two become one.
There's a lot of pictures of the church in the Bible, but my favorite is the church as the Bride of Christ and the intimacy we are able to have with the Lover of our Soul, not because we loved Him, but because He first loved us.
"In this is the love of Christ demonstrated, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Weddings are pretty much the exact opposite of funerals. At funerals, a life has come to an end. At weddings, a life is just beginning as two become one. At funerals, I feel like people hang on my every word because they're dealing with some of the toughest questions of their lives. At weddings, people just want you to get to the vows, even though what I say during the charge at a wedding ceremony is really deep stuff. At funerals, the primary emotion is sadness. At weddings, the primary emotion is joy. Both are emotionally draining.
It would be cool for Jesus to show up like He did at Cana and turn water into wine, or for my friends in recovery or fundamentalism, Coca-Cola. That's never happened to me, and I don't think that miracle had nearly as much to do with the wedding as it did the submissive spirit of the Messiah, but it would be cool. But I think there's an even deeper miracle that happens at a wedding: two becoming one.
It's hard to picture, and as believers, we put God into that equation and suddenly it's a beautiful trinity: husband, wife, Jesus. I think most of the marital difficulties that I counsel couples about has to do with a lack/misunderstanding/misusage/absence of intimacy. Two becoming one is not nearly as much about sex as it is about intimacy. And lack of intimacy in marriage, particularly emotional and spiritual, can reap devastating consequences.
But for those few moments in time, that first few hours when a couple is protected by the presence of their family, friends, pastor, one another and the magic that a wedding day brings, the intimacy is complete -- even before sex comes into the picture. And it's because God has shown up and made two become one.
There's a lot of pictures of the church in the Bible, but my favorite is the church as the Bride of Christ and the intimacy we are able to have with the Lover of our Soul, not because we loved Him, but because He first loved us.
"In this is the love of Christ demonstrated, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Funerals
A friend's mom died over the weekend -- I'm officiating the funeral tomorrow night and just finished up preparations for the service.
Funerals are tough from just about every aspect. I think that what's weirdest about them though is how in such a stark presence of the reality of death, that grim reality is not truly there.
Just ask anyone who has gone through the difficult loss of a loved one -- the funeral can oftentimes consist of a rush of adrenaline, full of plans to be made, the presence of family and sweet memories of a life well-lived. The depth of the death, while terribly painful, is hard to fully realize. A few weeks or months down the road though, that's when it gets tough. That's when the nights are lonelier. That's when great memories bring tears instead of smiles. That's when key times when you would have been together bring back the sting of what should have been.
It's hard to have hope there.
I've had a lot of friends lose people they love over the last few years: Justin and Naomi, Larry, Kati, Ann, Kurt and Sue, Leonard and Mary, Lois, Megan, Julie, Josh, Betty -- to name a few.
I've been reading John 11 pretty often lately; it's the passage where Jesus declares Himself "the Resurrection and the Life". It's also the passage where Jesus weeps. I don't think that Jesus was sad about Lazarus being dead. The passage begins with Jesus finding out that Lazarus was sick. So He, the One who heals the sick, decides to wait a few more days before going to see the family. On the way, Jesus hears that Lazarus died. When He arrives on the scene, the mourners are gathered, the body is buried, the family is grieving. Jesus isn't surprised by any of this -- He intentionally waited.
Have you ever been so angered by something that it brought tears to your eyes? I have. I've gotten so angry and frustrated that I've cried. I think that's what happens with Jesus in John 11. Jesus sees this wreckage that death brings -- a wreckage that He never intended, that is a result of the brokenness and fallenness of this world, and He weeps because this is not the way it was supposed to be.
I wish I could have heard Him say "Lazarus, come forth!". A commentator I read once, I think it was J. Vernon McGee, said (paraphrase here), "Had He not prefaced that statement with Lazarus' name, every grave in Israel and Samaria would have opened and ushered out resurrected bodies!"
Jesus, the Creator of life and Giver of life, hates sin and hates the sting that it brings humankind. It was never supposed to be this way. His children were not designed to feel this pain. When He made the world, there were no plans for graveyards, hospitals, ambulances, or funeral homes.
This is the beauty of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, because in Christ, the way things were meant to be has now been restored. In Christ, the sting of sin and death is gone. In Christ, death is a new chapter in the reality of our present eternal life. In Christ, funerals take on new meaning.
That's not to say that in Christ, there is no pain in the loss of people we love. But it is to say that in a venue of hopelessness, there is hope. In a place that is so dark, there is light. In the presence of death, there is life. The call of suffering is a call to a higher plane of life in Christ.
So to you, my friends who are hurting, I give you these words:
I look up to the mountains--
does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made the heavens and the earth!
He will not let you stumble and fall;
the one who watches over you will not sleep.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never tires and never sleeps.
The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not hurt you by day,
nor the moon at night.
The Lord keeps you from all evil
and preserves your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.
-- Psalm 121
Funerals are tough from just about every aspect. I think that what's weirdest about them though is how in such a stark presence of the reality of death, that grim reality is not truly there.
Just ask anyone who has gone through the difficult loss of a loved one -- the funeral can oftentimes consist of a rush of adrenaline, full of plans to be made, the presence of family and sweet memories of a life well-lived. The depth of the death, while terribly painful, is hard to fully realize. A few weeks or months down the road though, that's when it gets tough. That's when the nights are lonelier. That's when great memories bring tears instead of smiles. That's when key times when you would have been together bring back the sting of what should have been.
It's hard to have hope there.
I've had a lot of friends lose people they love over the last few years: Justin and Naomi, Larry, Kati, Ann, Kurt and Sue, Leonard and Mary, Lois, Megan, Julie, Josh, Betty -- to name a few.
I've been reading John 11 pretty often lately; it's the passage where Jesus declares Himself "the Resurrection and the Life". It's also the passage where Jesus weeps. I don't think that Jesus was sad about Lazarus being dead. The passage begins with Jesus finding out that Lazarus was sick. So He, the One who heals the sick, decides to wait a few more days before going to see the family. On the way, Jesus hears that Lazarus died. When He arrives on the scene, the mourners are gathered, the body is buried, the family is grieving. Jesus isn't surprised by any of this -- He intentionally waited.
Have you ever been so angered by something that it brought tears to your eyes? I have. I've gotten so angry and frustrated that I've cried. I think that's what happens with Jesus in John 11. Jesus sees this wreckage that death brings -- a wreckage that He never intended, that is a result of the brokenness and fallenness of this world, and He weeps because this is not the way it was supposed to be.
I wish I could have heard Him say "Lazarus, come forth!". A commentator I read once, I think it was J. Vernon McGee, said (paraphrase here), "Had He not prefaced that statement with Lazarus' name, every grave in Israel and Samaria would have opened and ushered out resurrected bodies!"
Jesus, the Creator of life and Giver of life, hates sin and hates the sting that it brings humankind. It was never supposed to be this way. His children were not designed to feel this pain. When He made the world, there were no plans for graveyards, hospitals, ambulances, or funeral homes.
This is the beauty of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, because in Christ, the way things were meant to be has now been restored. In Christ, the sting of sin and death is gone. In Christ, death is a new chapter in the reality of our present eternal life. In Christ, funerals take on new meaning.
That's not to say that in Christ, there is no pain in the loss of people we love. But it is to say that in a venue of hopelessness, there is hope. In a place that is so dark, there is light. In the presence of death, there is life. The call of suffering is a call to a higher plane of life in Christ.
So to you, my friends who are hurting, I give you these words:
I look up to the mountains--
does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made the heavens and the earth!
He will not let you stumble and fall;
the one who watches over you will not sleep.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never tires and never sleeps.
The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not hurt you by day,
nor the moon at night.
The Lord keeps you from all evil
and preserves your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.
-- Psalm 121
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