The Maker's Way

Is True Joy Containable?

2010-04-08T09:19:00.004-05:00

HE IS RISEN!

"When the holy flame starts burning in us,

the only way to express our praise to God

is in worshiping with our whole being!"

-Beauty Maenzanise

Praise the LORD!

Praise God in his heavenly dwelling;

praise him in his mighty heaven!

Praise him for his mighty works;

praise his unequaled greatness!

Praise him with a blast of the trumpet;

praise him with the lyre and harp!

Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;

praise him with stringed instruments and flutes!

Praise him with a clash of cymbals;

praise him with loud clanging cymbals.

Let everything that lives sing praises to the LORD!

Praise the LORD!

-Psalm 150

Links to 2 of my websites:

2010-04-03T10:03:00.002-05:00

THEGOODSOILPROCESS.COM

BONITAUMC.ORG

Check out my book...

2010-04-03T09:46:00.009-05:00

I just completed my new book and it is available!
Click here for a preview.

APPRECIATION or DEPRECIATION?

2009-11-27T08:59:00.008-06:00

Slowly but surely in these most recent years, I am finally learning the art of appreciation. I want & need to learn to be content with whatever I have. This life secret seems to be found more fully as I turn more of myself over to my Maker and others in love.

There were many years as a kid (and beyond) where all I could do was pour over the Sears catalog, etc. and brood and want what I did not have. And if others had it, my desire seemed even greater. The satisfaction quota of acquiring that missing item from my toy inventory became shorter each time my lust for more was satiated. In other words, once I got it, it no longer held the mysterious allure of that which was out of my grasp. And everyone knows that the the primary difference between men and boys is the size of our toys.

Our consumer culture has encouraged the development of the advertising industry to such an extent that product recognition has become a new religion, so to speak, electronic media our personal altars, the promoters/manufacturers the societal priests & the products themselves, idols seemingly worthy of our worship. We acculturate covetousness in the name of free market. Even the "religious organizations" have entered the arena of competition for our money & souls; thus such items as the bobble-headed Jesus and wwjd bracelets.

This is the world we live in, and has been for as long as we can reckon. The Israelites faced similar temptation issues as a community of faith thousands of years ago... only the names and faces have changed. Today, Jesus moves into our neighborhood, and challenges our priorities, just as He did 2,000 years ago in 1st century Israel. May those with ears to hear and eyes to see learn recognize and apply these truths today.

Can less really be more?
Can we really gain our lives by giving them away?
Do we find our lives by losing them?

I am convinced that what G.K. Chesterton wrote in his autobiography is absolutely true: "The aim of life is appreciation; there is no sense in not appreciating things; and there is no sense in having more of them if you have less appreciation of them." And the Apostle Paul who said, "I have learned to be content with whatever I have."

The key I think as I watch my boys rapid depreciation of their birthday gifts just yesterday is that appreciative contentment with what we have is most certainly a learned behavior. And unfortunately some of us never achieve this type of maturity. We go to our graves trying gain the illusive stuff that we think will finally complete us. The more stuff available to us, the more we want. It is extremely counter-cultural to go against this grain. So, as a result, many of us never realize the futility of it all. Those of us who cry "Rosebud!" earlier in life rather than on our death beds are truly blessed. (see Citizen Kane)

So what is the secret to this abundant lifestyle of less stuff? I have found that the more I get to know my Maker and His ways, the more I learn to appreciate the important things in this life: relationships, moments of inspiration & revelation, beauty, laughter, authenticity, giving rather than taking, healing & restoration, strength of character & love. These are key components to a full and meaningful life. They are not tangible, nor for sale, & yet more real than any man-made material product available on the market today. May we all learn the art of appreciation and pass it on to our children & neighbors. This is our Maker's way!

Politically Correct? Get over it! Disagree? ok. No really, it's ok.

2009-11-23T09:21:00.004-06:00

I shared this email with my Dad, brother and wife, about 2 weeks before the tragic Ft. Hood shootings. We were discussing the issues from varying perspectives. Can we continue to have discussions and disagree in this country with true freedom of speech? Can we look at the facts without being labeled... a nut-case, fanatical, abusive, etc. If not, I am afraid we have moved beyond the point of no return. I post these thoughts un-apologetically, but with no ill-will or evil intentions. We cannot simply ignore the elephant in the room. There are serious issues surrounding extremely violent Islam. This is not merely an isolated act of terrorism, but has shown itself globally to be a growing trend of horrible atrocities. What will happen if we deny the realities of our day and fail to provide a secure place for our children and theirs? Here are some thoughts that are really not PC. Sorry...Look, I know this is a very inflammatory topic, so I will try to respond with care and grace. My response will be secular, in the sense that I will give two separate responses: church and state. I know that in reality it is ridiculous to try to separate the two, but I will try.

My church response as a pastor is that we must recognize that worldly govts. come and go, and that we are foreigners and aliens in this world (1 Peter 2:11). Nonetheless, we are called to live here and now, and bloom where we are planted (see Jeremiah 29). We are called by God to pray for, participate in and support those who are governing the lands we live in, as much as we can. "Render to Caesar what is Caesars" Jesus said. But at the same time, we are also those who look to Jesus as our Lord, not Caesar. We will not bow down to earthly leaders and worship them. To claim "Jesus is Lord" which is the rally cry of all followers of Jesus, is to imply that "Caesar (or the govt.) is not".

We have brothers and sisters around the world who are followers of Jesus living in many different governmental situations, ranging from oppressive totalitarian dictatorships to those free to worship openly and freely as they choose. We in the West who are blessed enough to live in a democracy must recognize that our situation is an anomaly compared to the rest of the world. Most followers around the globe live under persecution, expecting to experience torture at some point and possibly even martyrdom for choosing to go against the grain and worship the Creator God and Father of Jesus Christ. I don't think we in the West can even begin to appreciate the difference that must make. In many regions of the world, there are no nominal followers of Jesus, because they can't afford it. Choosing the state accepted religion can be a matter of life or death. Most of the Christian population today resides in Africa, South America and Asia. Western Christians are now in the minority for the first time in 1,500 yrs.

I appreciate my families freedom to gather in the open and worship regularly, as well as the freedom for others of other faiths to do the same. From my perspective, democracy offers a freedom of religion that no other system in the recent history of the world has ever offered. I want to share the Good News of Jesus with as many people as I can, but I would never force or coerce anyone to follow Jesus. The way of Christ is a personal journey that involves seeking to love and live fully in the midst of a radical community of like-minded folks, Jesus' way, with the help of God's Spirit, to the glory of God the Father. This can happen regardless of the state, but will certainly become more dangerous and difficult if the state opposes such freedom.

Now from a state perspective: We can gather a lot about Islam by observing the history of its spread around the world. Anyone who claims Islam is a peaceful religion which promotes healthy boundaries for its followers is not looking at the facts. The only difference I can really see between radical Islam and moderate Islam is that the moderates are waiting for the Mahdi (Muslim Messiah) to arrive on the scene before sharia law is established. There is no perfect world system, and I don't think there ever will be. The idea of a perfect worldly utopia run by human beings is a ridiculous concept that will never happen. Every human being I know has issues of some sort or another, and any system developed by humans will have a shadow side to it. And yet there are some systems that perform better than others, depending upon what we consider to be good. If freedom is considered a positive result of a system, then I see democracy as the best tool we have developed yet, although it is not perfect. Granted democracy can get ugly at times - it can become partisan at times, but that is part of the beauty, as well as part of the shadow.

If absolute control by a few considered elite is the result we are seeking, there have been many models throughout the millenia, and currently are several we can look at today: socialism, communism, fascism, totalitarianism, etc. I do believe that Islam is in line with these totalitarian models, as it is a theocratic form of political rule whereby the religious leaders impose muslim sharia law upon a population (extremely controlling), expecting that everyone will conform, or else suffer the consequences. Certainly there are some Westernized Muslims who do not want to live under, nor abide by sharia law, but they are a minority, not the majority. That is why they have moved to a free country. We don't hear from a lot of them because they know that if they speak out, they are likely to be terrorized by the Islamic proponents of jihad and sharia law. But, that does not overrule the global reality that the majority of Muslims are living under the geo-political movement established by Muhammed of Islam - and these folks are actively immigrating around the world, setting up culturally comfortable neighborhoods, and rather than integrating into the resident cultures and living with the democratic policies of the states, are rather working to import their native sharia law and supplant the existing laws which are offensive to them. They are moving to the U.S. and Canada in record numbers.

I think that Europe is a great example of what can happen in a very short time to a state governement. What has made Europe more susceptible to this phenomenon, I believe is the socialization of their state systems. When government attempts to become all things to everyone, the govt. is likely to fall very short. In the sharia law system, the govt./religion becomes all things to everyone, but maintains absolute control over everyone at the same time. They tell you what you can say, what you can do, how to worship, how to dress, what to think, etc...

In recent decades, Europe has attempted a social experiment whereby they attempted to allow as much freedom as possible, while letting the government run as much as possible. Government influence over citizens lives grew while at the same time seeking to provide freedom of borders, freedom from work (welfare), freedom from sickness (socialized medicine), freedom from hate (hate laws), freedom from offense (political correctness), etc. Freedom is great, but there must be some healthy boundaries in a society as well. Unchecked freedom results in chaos. The result has been a massive influx of foreigners, and a lack of any national sense of who people are. "Who are we? Well, we are those who allow the govt. to make our lives better. We trust the govt. to solve our problems, i.e., we don't need to think for ourselves, make decisions for ourselves, work for ourselves, because we have smart leaders to do all of that for us". It happens under the guise of a level playing field, but the reality is that the govt. always is above the people. The result for citizens of the state is a lack of pride, character, incentive, effort and identity. The good intentions of a welfare state seem to always result in the negative results of a loss of respect for self, loss of identity, loss of purpose, loss of vocation, loss of productivity, loss of freedom (yes), loss of imagination and creativity, and loss of the important expectation that everyone in a society to should contribute to the well-being of all. The mantra becomes: "I'm gonna get mine... from the govt. - they owe me" - the state becomes the savior of the people, but in reality the state is very fallible and unable to effectively produce what it seeks to provide.There is a very evident shadow side to socialism... we lose: "Of the People", and "By the People"... and simply have "For the People".

Those proponents of sharia law despise the freedoms of democracy, and recognize and are taking advantage of the weaknesses of socialist-democracies. The door is wide open for "Allah" to reign all over the globe, and sharia law to be implemented as the world-wide legal system. Islam will settle for no less. In my opinion, the primary role of the state is to provide security for it's people. If we in the United States don't wake up and recognize what is happening, it won't be too far in the future before our children and grand-children are facing an Islamic choice - convert and embrace sharia law, or face persecution and possible martyrdom. This is the reality we face.

imagining the kingdom of God

2009-05-20T11:16:00.007-05:00

Can we really enter the kingdom of God that Jesus describes for us without imaginations? We must become like "children," Jesus says. The kingdom is for "those with ears to hear and eyes to see". We live into the kingdom as we hear the voice of God and respond faithfully. This response is not some mechanical, rule-oriented, do-this, don't do-that, ritualistic, works obedience to God's law. As a matter of fact God's law is not static and unmoving, but flowing, adaptable to all situations and grace oriented as what is in the best interests of His creation at any given moment. The response to God's Word as Jesus explained and demonstrated is mystical, relational, in connection with all things, cosmic in significance whether small or large, and simply organic in nature. We cannot confine God and His Word into some tablet, book of law or even a self-help manual for life. The Word of God is alive, free-flowing, and speaks to us dynamically through the voice of the Spirit. At the essence of kingdom living is love. As we learn to live and love imaginatively and fully, without holding back, without reserve, we find ourselves in another dimension of reality, one that moves and breathes with all of creation as a positive healing force. This alternate reality kingdom is not reserved for special buildings, groups of people, cultures or nations, but is open and available to any and all who make themselves available to God through His living Word, Jesus Christ.

"Lord, do not allow us to run through the pages of your Bible without, somewhere, encountering you... send your divine breath, your Holy Spirit, so that we may indeed commit ourselves to the deep and come to you across the waters. Give us a simple heart, able to marvel and leap at the sound of your voice, as children leap to the voice of their father... We beseech you: "Let us hear your voice!" - Raniero Cantalamessa

Get Real

2009-04-09T10:52:00.002-05:00

Real people are real complicated. So much of our interaction with people in and out of the church is superficial. We are certainly guilty of defining others with simple adjectives and allowing that to guide our relationships. In order to get to know others as real, complicated people, we must let down our guards, open our homes and lives, and live life together, in the good, bad and ugly. Refrigerator rights are what it takes, getting to a place where we hang out and share existence, rather than just crossing paths in the foyer and singing together in the choir.

meChurch

2009-03-30T09:21:00.001-05:00

Me worship for the "me" church

2009-03-30T09:18:00.001-05:00

21st century spiritual gnosticism

GOD ON MUTE by Pete Greig

2009-03-23T09:36:00.002-05:00

I appreciated what Greig said about our society's virtual denial (my words) about the difficulty of life. We have embraced a victim perspective and see ourselves as entitled to have "happiness" handed to us on a silver platter. This is one of the best books on prayer I have read since many of the classics like E.M. Bounds, and devotionals like Streams in the Desert. Our ancestors knew that life is difficult. They experienced death and suffering first hand, regularly, without the miracles of contemporary medical technology. They were not desensitized by violence and blood on television and in movies. They experienced those things first hand as they went about daily lives, slaughtering pigs, chopping heads off of pet chickens, and burying family members by hand. Life was hard, as it is for most of the rest of the world. Most of the poor folks I know are happier than those with lots of comforts and toys. Why is that?

Greig makes the point well: When life is viewed from the perspective of tough, the blessings of God, small and large, experienced daily in life are illuminated and amplified big time. Rather than blame God when tragedy strikes, or difficult times are had, those with a real perspective of the difficulty of life and suffering are able to see the good God is bringing out of the situation, and appreciate more resolutely the small blessings of life. We move forward through life, doing the best we can, clinging to Jesus, family and friends.

Yes, God is sovereign, but God gets blamed for way more than He deserves. I cringe when I hear people say: "well if God wants her, he'll take her." Life is difficult, and illness and death happen (now anyway). The hope we have though is that God is making all things new, and one day Jesus will wipe away every tear and take away pain and suffering. Until then, we walk through life with dignity, hope and joy able to withstand anything this life can throw at us, because God is with us, and God is good! Mystery? yes. Truth? yes, I believe.

Is virtual reality denial the contemporary darkness which the light of Christ must dispel?

Season of Lent - Power of Silence

2009-03-12T09:21:00.004-05:00

Lord Jesus, I want to remain centered in and focused in you. Not just during this time of Lent, but every moment of every day of my temporal existence here in this place. I want to walk step by step in your eternal joy, listening carefully to your teaching, watching closely your every move, becoming more and more who you created me to be. I want to be your disciple, to follow you any and everywhere. I want to be acutely aware of my alien status here in this place at this time, but also keenly sensitive to your calling and sending wishes as I do my best to serve, love, live fully. Lord Jesus, I am yours. Thank you for inviting me into your Presence. Help me to welcome others as willingly and freely as you welcome me to your Throne of Grace. I love you Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Help me to keep that in the forefront of all my being and doing. Amen.

Isaiah 53 (msg)

Who believes what we’ve heard and seen? Who would have thought God’s saving power would look like this? The servant grew up before God – a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried – our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him – our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him.

He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn’t say a word.

Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence…

excerpt from: Henri J.M. Nouwen, “The Way of the Heart”

The Desert Fathers praise silence as the safest way to God. “I have often repented of having spoken,” Arsenius said, “but never of having remained silent (43).” Silence is an indispensable discipline in the spiritual life (44). Over the last few decades we have been inundated by a torrent of words. Wherever we go we are surrounded by words: words softly whispered, loudly proclaimed, or angrily screamed; words spoken, recited, or sung; words on records, in books, on walls, or in the sky; words in many sounds, many colors, or many forms; words to be heard, read, seen, or glanced at; words which flicker off and on, move slowly, dance, jump or wiggle. Words, words, words! They form the floor, the walls, and the ceiling of our existence. It has not always been this way. There was a time not too long ago without radios and televisions, stop signs, yield signs, merge signs, bumper stickers, and the ever-present announcements indicating price increases or special sales. There was a time without the advertisements which now cover whole cities with words. Recently I was driving through Los Angeles, and suddenly I had the strange sensation of driving through a huge dictionary. Wherever I looked there were words trying to take my eyes from the road. They said, “Use me, take me, buy me, drink me, smell me, touch me, kiss me, sleep with me.” In such a world who can maintain respect for words? All this is to suggest that words, my own included, have lost their creative power. Their limitless multiplication has made us lose confidence in words and caused us to think, more often that not, “They are just words.” – Preachers preach their sermons week after week and year after year. But their parishioners remain the same and often think, “They are just words (45-46).” - - - - - - - The Word of God is born out of the eternal silence of God, and it is to this Word out of silence that we want to be witnesses. Silence is the home of the word. Silence gives strength and fruitfulness to the word. We can even say that words are meant to disclose the mystery of the silence from which they come. (Taoist philosopher Chuang Tzu: “The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten. The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits. When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten. The purpose of the word is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is the one I would like to talk to.”) “I would like to talk to the man who has forgotten words.” That could have been said by one of the Desert Fathers. For them, the word is the instrument of the present world and silence is the mystery of the future world. If a word is to bear fruit it must be spoken from the future world into the present world. The Desert Fathers therefore considered their going into the silence of the desert to be a first step into the future world. From that world their words could bear fruit because there they could be filled with the power of God’s silence (48-49).

Habakkuk 2:20 (msg)

“But oh! GOD is in His holy Temple! Quiet everyone – a holy silence. Listen!”

Pacifism and Terrorism

2009-03-02T09:33:00.002-06:00

Admittedly, this topic has and always will be a difficult road to navigate for followers of the Way. A nation that values security (like ours) must authorize its govt. to ensure that security in a way that will discourage terrorism from outside and within, while at the same time doing so with integrity and as humanely as possible. It is a delicate balance to say the least. I think that as long as our govt. is having to engage in these methods of protection for its citizens, the church can and should support those who offer themselves sacrificially for its neighbors. Yes, training is intense, and war is hell. But I would rather my child be trained intensely and prepared for the realities of combat than not. The question becomes for me, how can the church best assist this endeavor and help with the integrity and healing issues that come along with it. I support chaplaincy and think it vital that the church go out of its way to minister to returning vets in a positive, supportive, loving way. I also believe the church should be a supportive environment for those who have and are serving. Rather than demonizing those who have truly offered their lives for the citizens of their nation and often other countries, we need to celebrate their sacrifice and support them in reintegration so they can become healthy Christian leaders in society. We also need to help vets understand the differences between their patriotic beliefs (love of nation) from their Christian faith (love of God and neighbor) and help them theologically sort out a healthy paradigm for serving nation while ultimately serving God and neighbor.

As far as pacifism, I try by all means to be personally pacifistic. I don't fight as much as I did as a young boy and man (been a long time, thank goodness). But I will defend my family if they are under threat. I can not imagine someone hurting my wife or kids or someone under my care as a pastor, and standing idly by. Now, I am more apt to defend the defenseless than myself. There is power in telling someone that Jesus loves them when they are about to harm you. That may not seem Christian enough to some, but there it is.

E.R. discovers the flaw of post-modernism

2008-06-05T12:42:00.002-05:00

Wow! An awesome clip!

A PIONEERING SPIRIT

2008-04-19T08:23:00.003-05:00

I love to use the word "adventurous" when applied to the Christian faith. If the journey is not an adventure, if it is not exciting and fun, if it is merely a walk through Walmart or Crate and Barrel, what is the point? If we shrink-wrap and present the gospel of Jesus as a preserved tasty morsel to be partaken of as dessert or in between meals, then we limit the power, the uncertainty, the mystery, the majesty, the danger, and the excitement.

My mom always used to remind me, and often still does... "Let go and let God..." That simple, yet profound wisdom can be applied so often not only to our faith, personally, but also to our corporate faith journey as well. If our denominational leaders would learn to simply "Let go and let God... direct local, national and international missions and ministries, determine how local congregations engage their communities, spend their monies, name their gatherings (if at all), build their buildings (if at all), contextualize the Gospel, etc... When the indigenous leaders in colonized countries in Africa and other places like China, were freed up to apply the good news (initially brought pre-packaged by well-meaning missionaries) to their context, their cultures, within their worldviews, all hell broke loose, and the Gospel truly became Gospel to those folks. To "Let go and let God..." is a frightening thing, because it involves faith - real faith, not just a controlled, religious, ritual, institutional faith. To "let go and let God..." is to be adventurous.

Why do we do what we do?

2008-04-16T07:44:00.004-05:00

The Global Christian Church is both diverse and yet unified by Christ's Spirit. The majority of Christianity is no longer seated in the northern hemisphere in Western nations, but now is South in countries like Africa, South America and China. We have much we can learn from our international brothers and sisters. I think that if we are humble and open to critiquing ourselves and practices, we will benefit. So much of our current practices in the western church are enculturated representations of the gospel. And without realizing it, many of our traditions are pagan in origin, outdated and arguably may no longer apply to our culture today...

paid clergy - Constantine created a salaried priesthood
majestic buildings - Constantine transformed the Roman Government buildings into worship centers.
infant baptism - primarily a result of civil religion?
Altars with candles/Rails/procession into Sanctuary /choirs /central seat for priest - the ancient Roman emperor processed into gatherings with choirs singing, and sat at the central seat of honor - this became the process for priests in the state adopted church - the altar table with candles came straight out of the pagan temples - the rails separated the clergy (now a separate class) from the laity (a new word to describe 2nd class Christians.
Pulpit preaching, Robes and the Offering - The traveling Sophists wore special clothes and preached eloquent "sermons" to the delight of many people, and at the end of their speech, passed the hat for donations - many of these intellectual philosophic speakers became the early bishops/fathers of the church when they converted to Christianity.

The list can go on and on - and yet we continue many of these practices as if they were the fundamentals of the gospel. We need to realize that just like the early African church, who are currently dealing with cultural issues like ancestor worship and polygamy, at one time these Western forms were much needed applications for communicating the gospel to the early converted pagan/gentile church. At what point do we re-evaluate our practices and forms in light of the surrounding local culture to ensure that we are accurately communicating and living the good news with those within our reach? Will the young churches of Africa and the south eventually reach this point of amnesia regarding forms and practices?

Being Missional (quick time)

2008-04-02T10:19:00.001-05:00

Good News is meant to be shared!

SEVEN... Last Words; Stations of the Cross - Suggested Holy Week Devotions

2008-03-14T16:34:00.003-05:00

sunday

FIRST WORD “Father, forgive them.” Luke 23:34

read 1 Corinthians 4:12, Acts 3:17, Matthew 27:35

Do we sometimes hurt others and not know what we are doing? What can we learn about forgiveness from Jesus’ first words on the cross?

FIRST STATION Jesus Condemned

read John 19:1-16

monday

SECOND WORD “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43

read Revelation 2:7

Was it fair for the criminal to get to go to heaven with Jesus? Do you sometimes think people deserve it when bad things happen to them? What do you deserve? And what, thanks to God’s action through Jesus, do you get?

SECOND STATION Jesus Carries the Cross

read Mark 15:16-20

tuesday

THIRD WORD “Woman, behold your son! Behold, your mother!” John 19:26-27

read John 13:23; 20:2

Is there someone you could love as though they were a member of your family? Besides family members, who has influenced you greatly in your life?

THIRD STATION Simon helps Carry the Cross

read Luke 23:26

wednesday

FOURTH WORD “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Mark 15:34

read Psalm 22:1

Have you ever cried out to God and asked “why”? When have you felt alone or abandoned?

FOURTH STATION Jesus is Stripped

read Matthew 27:27-31

thursday maundy

FIFTH WORD “I am thirsty.” John 19:28

read Psalm 22:15

When in your life did you feel like you needed someone or something? Did you feel God’s Presence at that time? If so, how?

FIFTH STATION Jesus is nailed to the Cross

read Mark 15:22-28

friday good?

SIXTH WORD “It is finished.” John 19:30

read John 21:25

When your life on earth is finished, what do you think people will say about you? Are you casting a shadow or projecting the light of Jesus?

SIXTH STATION Jesus dies read Luke 23:44-46

SEVENTH WORD “Father, I trust my spirit into your hands!” Luke 23:46

read Psalm 31:5, John 19:30

What should we do when we want things our own way? What happens when everybody wants their own way? When is it hardest to let go and let God have His way?

SEVENTH STATION Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross and Buried read Mark 15:42-46

saturday

REVIEW, CONTEMPLATE, AND FAST

monday Jesus chased the money changers out of the Temple. Tuesday and wednesday Jesus preached and taught in Jerusalem. thursday Jesus and His disciples had the Last Supper. Jesus prayed before He was arrested. friday Jesus was crucified. saturday everyone rested, because it was the Sabbath.

Fast from something today (food, tv, phone, computer, etc.). Think about Jesus and consider your emotions. How would you have felt that day if you didn’t know the rest of the story. How do you think Jesus felt? How does it make you feel now knowing what you know? What do you think you would have felt like if you had been there during that time?

sunday easter!

resurrection

from the dead

He is alive! The tomb is empty! Jesus is alive!

read John 20:1-18, Acts 10:34-43, Colossians 3:1-4

He has appeared to Mary Magdalene at the Tomb. She thought He was the gardener at first. Jesus told her to go and tell the others. Peter and John ran and searched and found no trace of the body of Jesus, besides his death linens, neatly folded, the scent of frankincense and myrrh still lingering in the air. The guards had fled, and left the tomb unguarded. Something amazing has happened. What does this mean? How does this information change our lives? Knowing that Jesus has been raised from the dead is an amazing revelation. What does this say about God and our place in His mission? What is God’s mission, in light of what we now know about this redemptive work in the world? Why did God choose to do this, and what does it mean?

He is alive! Jesus Christ lives! Alleluia, and Amen.

Green? How 'bout Spectacular?

2008-03-10T06:55:00.002-05:00

I am humbled and enriched by a broader, all-encompassing view of the redemption of all creation. Our theological and ethical views are often so limited, even when we think we are moving in direction which challenges the status quo. From the conservation movement to the rights of future generations to animal rights to biocentrism to the wilderness movement to the land ethic to a deep ecology; all of our attempts to understand God's creation and work in the world fall short. When I approach God with humility, seeking to know Him more, God continues to expand my discernment of the breadth, height, width, and depth of His love for His creation. How much farther can this go? What must it be like to see our Creator Redeemer face to face rather than through a lens or mirror darkly? Oh the light of New Jerusalem, the Presence of our Almighty God, His Shekinah glory! Wow!

Good ecological theology read from evangelical point of view: Bouma-Prediger, For the Beauty of the Earth

RECOVER PRAYER

2008-03-03T07:07:00.002-06:00

Ephesians 1:10-23 And this is his plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ-- everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long ago. God's purpose was that we who were the first to trust in Christ should praise our glorious God. And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God. Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for Christians everywhere, I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people. I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come. And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence.

What an honor and privilege to be able to engage in prayer. Knowing that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf, constantly, makes our prayer life all the more important. We are called into prayer as we commune with Christ through His Spirit, and even when we aren't sure how to pray, the Holy Spirit prays for us and through us in accordance with the will of the Father. Moving mountains is God's work, and yet we are called to cooperate in some mysterious way in making those mountains move. There is power in all prayer, individual and corporate, but truly amazing things happen, I think, when two or more are gathered together in the name of Jesus Christ, praying in accordance with His will for others. We in the West need to recover a supernatural understanding of faith in general, and prayer in particular.

FILL UP AND SET OUT

2008-02-26T07:40:00.006-06:00

1 Samuel 16:1-13
"Fill your horn with oil and set out... I will send you... for I have provided..."

FATHER ALMIGHTY, Why do we grieve so much over the past? Why is it so difficult for us to shift gears with you and move on to your new thing? The mighty prophet Samuel was even afraid of what others might do or say if he left at your instruction and searched for your next king. "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." How often is this phrase repeated in your church today?

Saul, who was once considered a mighty warrior was now fearful, suspicious and worried about maintaining his own rule and power. Rather than focusing on you LORD, Saul was focused on maintenance of his own status quo. How often is this repeated in your church today? Samuel knew things were a mess - he knew Saul was not the LORD's king over Israel - and yet allowed himself to be intimidated by Saul and his minions. And yet YHWH says, "How long will you grieve... fill your horn with oil and set out... I will send you... for I have provided..."

Lord, help us in your church to be Samuels - willing to listen obediently to your directions and to go where you send us seeking your provision. I pray Lord for all of our leaders, myself included, that we would not dwell in our grief and disappointment over the past, but step heartily and bravely into the new thing you are doing. This is an old, old story, repeated time and again... But your Kingdom is not stagnant, not reliant on one or a few persons, not a formula of rituals and comforting practices, but rather a journey of change and unexpected grace and adventure. Your are not impressed by our budgets, buildings or barbeques, for you don't look at the "outward appearances", but you O Lord "look on the heart".

Help us in your church today to be men and women of courage - to embrace the fullness and wholeness of your gospel mission - going where you send to those you send us to - seeking out your provision - anointing new leaders who are men and women after your own heart - Davids and Samuels. May we be a church on the move - seeking - anointing and moving on in your victory!
"Rise and anoint him; for this is the one. Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went..."

May we recognize our sent nature, Lord Jesus, and move forward, for your glory and in your grace with your Spirit mightily upon us. Amen.

The Ultimate Love Story

2008-02-18T10:12:00.002-06:00

St. Valentine's Day was originally an early Christian remembrance of a couple of church leaders, both named Valentine, who were martyred for their faith, that is killed by an oppressive regime because they refused to dis the Jesus who they followed. The consumer takeover of the holy day is not unusual today, but is very misleading. Sometime during the Romantic period in Europe, Chaucer and others helped make the shift towards a celebration of Romantic Love rather than a remembrance of Sacrificial Love. The result is the benefit of the market place today, especially for those who sell greeting cards, flowers, food in restaurants and movie experiences.

All of that aside, if we return to the heart of the holy day, we are reminded that Love is Sacrificial, not just Romantic. The warm fuzzies come and go, but sacrifical love is here to stay, come hell or high water. According to Jesus, this sacrificial love doesn't come easy, but is our true source of joy in this life. "I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you. And here is how to measure it-- the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends." (John 15:11-13)

Jesus clearly shows us how to really love, and that love unavoidably involves sacrifice: It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began-- to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 1:9)

True romance doesn't happen at 8 pm on Valentine's Day, as a guilty husband or boyfriend runs into Walmart to purchase some discount flowers to bring home to an expectant spouse or girlfriend. True Romance is love that is sacrificial and well-thought out. It is the thought put into these acts of love that makes it special. A dozen roses is here today and gone tomorrow, but true sacrificial love stays the course.

Our God was not at the Roman equivalent of Walmart at the last minute purchasing cheap flowers for humanity to prove His love. No, our God’s love was well thought out, extravagant, sacrificial, and planned before the World began… Jesus is not an afterthought, Jesus is sacrificial love in the flesh. His story, God's story is the ultimate love story...

For God so loved the world... that He created it, and never left.

For God so loved the world.... that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus came not to condemn, but to save. (John 3:16-17) Jesus comes to us as sacrificial love, personified, in the flesh and spirit, and hopes to transform us into His likeness. "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (John 13:34-35)

The ultimate love story is "the" story, "our" story. We must simply begin to live into it, not in our own strength, but indwelled by the One who is sacrificial love. Our response is submission, acceptance and joy! THE ULTIMATE LOVE STORY is still playing out…

How does the Story END?

We don’t know the exact Time and Place… Only God Does.

But… We do know How it Ends (READ Revelation 21)

See, the End is only the Beginning!

Spade High School Last Graduation

2008-01-24T17:55:00.001-06:00

What a great story.
Texans rock!

Manipulative Faith

2008-01-23T09:31:00.000-06:00

Matthew 6:5-7 "And now about prayer. When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you. When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again." - JESUS

Romans 8:26-27 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.

Jeremiah 29:12-14 In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you," says the LORD.

Psalm 138:3 When I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me the strength I need.

1 Kings 8:30 "May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive."

I am a person who believes in prayer. I love the precious gift of prayer offered to us by a benevolent, loving Creator God. I love the fact that my Savior is sitting at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for me and the whole creation, and that Jesus calls us into prayer in accordance with His heart. I love the Holy Spirit who prays for us at times when we have no idea how to even begin to articulate our prayers (Romans 8:26-27). Prayer is a gift - Prayer is a calling - Prayer leads us closer to God - Prayer helps us come to know God better - Prayer is intimate and relational, and at the same time corporate - Prayer is powerful - Prayer is a privilege - Prayer is for everyone.

PRAYER IS NOT...
a magic formula to get what we want. God listens to our hearts and desires, but true prayer is in accordance with God's heart and God's desires for our lives. The more tuned into God we are, the clearer our prayer life becomes. Have you ever had an internet prayer forwarded to you? Pretty stupid question, eh? We all have. Unfortunately, most of the forwarded internet prayers that get passed around are generally not about generating a sweet aroma of incense towards God, as much as about pleasing the person who started it. These Spiritual emails are genuinely manipulative, and self-serving (in my opinion). It drives me crazy when I read something that makes the reader feel that they are not faithful if they do not increase the number on the forward box and send it to as many people as possible. These are plain and simply chain letters, that are steeped in superstition, and capitalize on fear and manipulation. In a rare moment this morning, I was reading one and thought I would give it a chance. It sounded pretty good, so I was praying along with it in agreement up to a point, and then I just stopped cold and deleted the message. This is what was inserted into the middle of the prayer...

"I pray for those who will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those who don't believe. But I thank you that I believe."

We have all read these emails, some have even forwarded them on, but have you ever really thought about what the real message is...
God is a manipulative God - not a God of grace, mercy and love - you must perform by jumping through particular hoops in order to convince God that you believe.

Does it actually show a lack of faith when we feel like we must argue or manipulate someone into believing as we do? Can't we simply live our lives before others trusting that God is with us and glorified through us as we live bold, radically different, grace-filled lives? This type of prayer smacks of pagan ritual and belief. In a sense we feel that the more people we can guilt into a faith of works (i.e. passing on an email) the more points we score on the heavenly game card (see Matt. 6:5-7).

The God I serve and pray to does not work this way. My Lord, Jesus Christ is with me no matter what, always ready to forgive, always offering love, always helping me to keep my feet on the path of sanctification. I think it is important that we recognize how contrary to our Christian faith these email manipulations really are. Now, you need to go out and spread the word about these emails, or something terrible may happen, or you will miss out on a tremendous blessing, or...

Well, you get the point!

Exodus 8:9b "I will pray that you and your houses will be rid of the frogs."

Logan, the Sky Angel Cowboy

2008-01-05T10:57:00.001-06:00

What is wisdom? How is wisdom acquired? Why does God deeply desire that we would "know" Him? To "know" God is to know God's love, mercy, compassion, and interest in all of His creation, especially His human creations. God is with us. we are not alone. Thanks be to God!

PC Out of Control!

2007-12-24T00:36:00.000-06:00

Please accept (with no obligation, implied or implicit) our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

Cisco Telepresence Magic

2007-12-24T00:17:00.001-06:00

Princess Leia, eat your heart out!

FREE HUGS in NYC

2007-12-24T00:12:00.001-06:00

A Moving Experience

2007-12-22T08:52:00.000-06:00

A quick update (well, depending on one's interpretation of "quick"):

Within an itinerant system (United Methodist), we pastors are willing to trust that the Bishop of our annual conference and her cabinet are used as instruments of God's will, and that we will agree to go where and when we are sent. This requires a perspective that trusts and believes in the provision of God through the hierarchy of the God ordained institution, in this case the denomination and its leaders. I will confess that this is not always easy to do, and it is tempting to get caught up in criticism and concerns of what is happening and why. But it is always necessary to maintain a clear understanding and trust that Jesus is Lord, and that God is able through His providence, in fact, more than able to bring good out of any situation (Romans 8).

This itinerant system has both positive aspects and negative. Rather than the autonomy provided through a congregational system, the itinerant system goes back to the early frontier and traveling circuit preachers. Back then, as the west was growing so quickly, traveling pastors were needed to bring the Word of God to isolated settlers. This was organized by a general conference, and later annual conferences who decided who went where. As local churches became established and settled in various locations, preachers were needed to settle in and live amongst the people and serve in a chaplaincy-type, incarnational ministry setting. Yet, the Methodists chose not to decentralize the authority of the conferences, and have clung to their itinerant/connectional ways of sending pastors to locales.

For quite a while, during the majority of the 20th century, pastors were moved every two years, which allowed for a corporate model of moving up the ladder from smaller churches to larger churches. As one's experience grew, so did their responsibilities, and pay. The problem was a lack of stability and tenure in the local churches, and a tendency among some to “serve towards their next charge” rather than serving fully where they were. With short tenures, it makes it very difficult for a pastor to enter into deep relationships with congregants. Generally, it takes about two years for most clergy/lay relationships to begin to take shape. Many in the Methodist congregations are gun shy, and it takes a while for people to trust a pastor’s leadership. It also takes a while for a leader to discover and discern a local culture and get to know people’s hearts. In rare cases, usually in larger churches, Methodist pastors have settled in for many years (8-20 or so) and had fruitful ministries within one local congregation.

Some positives about the itinerant system as it stands is that local churches are guaranteed not to go without a pastor, and full-time pastors are guaranteed an appointment. Although beneficial, there is also a sense of helplessness among congregations, and at times conspiracy theories circulate, especially among the smaller congregations. So there is your Methodist history lesson, in brief, the good, the bad and the ugly.

All that said, our family is being moved after two years of service in Corrigan and Moscow, down the road to a larger local church. We are sad, and at the same time excited about the opportunities. My wife, Deb will be on staff as the Music Director, and will probably also be working part-time as a counselor with the Methodist Children's Home, next door to the church. She will be helping get a foster program started and preparing the way for a new Charter school. I will be an associate pastor, working primarily with youth, kids and young families. The congregation is very entrepreneurial, as they have purchased two blocks of downtown land around the church, including a former intermediate campus, which will house several ministries (Methodist Children's Home, Habitat for Humanity, Food Pantry/Clothing Ministry, Boy Scouts, etc.). According to my district superintendent, the youth group is actually one of the most integrated in the Texas Conference. This is going to be a great learning place for us!

The move is taking place right now, during Christmas. We have known about it for about two and a half weeks, and have been feverishly packing since. The moving company picks up our things on the 26th of December, and we move in to our new home in Crockett on the 30th of December. Work starts after the new year, and school for the boys on the 2nd of January. Whew! We trust that God knows what He is doing. We just need to walk it out - one step at a time. We welcome prayers for our family, and for the new ministry phase. We especially ask prayers for the two congregations we are leaving, that they would thrive in the midst of this change, and that the Lord would provide the best leadership possible for them.

Leaving is never easy, but our family has decided that we choose to live our short lives in this earthly realm (as opposed to our eternal life with the Almighty)… we choose to live fully, and love fully, at all times and with all folks possible. We try not to hold back. There are no guarantees in our journeys, except for the promises that God loves us, God is with us, and His grace is sufficient. We have found that wherever God leads us, we always find other brothers and sisters who live fully and love fully, trusting in God, and following His lead.

transcendental castration

2007-11-29T08:39:00.000-06:00

How many people have given up on love in our culture? There is such a longing for meaningful, loving connections within all of us, and so many wrong attempts at satisfying that deeply spiritual drive. The world is good at providing false avenues (cheap flings, porn, fantasy, prostitution, material things, power, wealth, etc.), which seem for a time like valid measures of happiness/pleasure, but the reality always turns out to be painful, lonely, isolating.

Jean-Luc Marion suggests that those who have become cynical, destitute and hopeless of ever finding the love of another have, "in proportion, lost their humanity." According to Marion, this transcendental castration renders individuals basically an "artificial intelligence, a mechanical calculator or a demon, in short, very likely lower than an animal." (pp. 20-21, The Erotic Phenomenon)

Pretty harsh description of what happens with an absence of loving relationships in our lives. Certainly we all know of someone or have heard stories of those who appear to have slipped into this loveless, hopeless worldview, and have committed atrocious crimes against others, or just slipped into a miserable, hidden, droning existence. I would argue though that because of a loving Creator God who is near everyone, it is impossible for someone to be completely destitute of love. It is possible for individuals to become so enmeshed in the despair of seeking eros in the wrong places and never finding what they seek there, that they buy into Satan's lies and believe that they will never find that which they seek. It is possible for individuals to so reject the love of their Creator that they become hardened and refuse to recognize that love or are so conditioned by their circumstances that they have a very difficult time ever coming to a place of discovery.

Sin plays a huge role in keeping us from discovering that pervasive love that surrounds all of us, our sin as well as the sin of others. But the church's message is this - it is not hopeless! God has overcome the deception of Satan and the sin of the world. He has provided an amazing picture of what true love looks like, and has left no one out! We all are loved, no matter what. We have free choice, but we are loved unconditionally. Jesus is God's gift of love to humanity. We no longer need to fear the results of transcendental castration. This erotic message is worth sharing to a society hungry for love.

Diversification of Faith

2007-11-26T06:26:00.000-06:00

“We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne.”

– Marcus Aurelius

“Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters.”

– Galatians 6:10

According to Webster, a devotional (n.) is a brief worship service, and a devotee (n.) is a person strongly devoted to something or someone / or religion, a zealot. The better I get to "know" God, the more creative my acts of devotion become. Early in my faith journey, when I was still suckling on spiritual milk, my perception of devotional time was simply the discipline of waking up early, during the quiet hours of the morning, reading Scripture, and meditating on it. Now, I continue to highly value that form of devotional time, because I have experienced God's leading and direction, as well as a profound filling of His Spirit. And yet as I have begun to grow in my faith and relationship with the Lord, I have found my devotion diversifying with the Spirit of God. I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy, but am learning that God provides all kinds of meat for the spiritual carnivore to devour. (I know that the last thought probably turns off any vegan devotees, but the image is biblical).

Two brief examples of diversification of faith: SPIRITUAL ACTS OF KINDNESS as devotion...

1) Yesterday before worship, I received two cards made in Sunday school by a couple of young men in 6th grade. They were handwritten -
Thank you Brother Keith - Thank you for welcoming me and Raney (sister) and teaching us about God. - from Taylor -
You are a funny guy, and I like coming to your church - it is a fun church - (look on back) - God loves you Keith, from Justin.
What a great Sunday school lesson for these kids - what a great gift of encouragement for me! These cards are acts of devotion not to a teacher or preacher, but to God, the one who inspires a loving, kind spirit and produces such fruit in our lives. Within this form of devotional, God is glorified, and the body of Christ is built up. My devotional early this morning was writing each boy back, with a special verse and quote for each, along with the teacher, and placing the envelopes in their classroom so they will find them next week. Simple acts of kindness, yet who knows what God can and will do. I know this should be natural, but for some of us this kind of engagement with others takes intentionality and discipline. And my engagement in this simple, yet worshipful experience this morning has been uplifting and I sense God's presence and pleasure.

2) A few Sundays ago, after preaching about God's generosity and His expectation that we live that way, God tested me (as usual). We have about 7 amazing pecan trees around our yard, and this year they are producing a bumper crop. I was mowing the back yard, where the dogs stay during the day, and an older Hispanic man who lives across the street, sent a neighbor to come ask me if he could come inside the yard and pick up the pecans before I ran over them. I asked her to tell him that he was welcome to pick up the pecans outside of the fence, but that our family was going to pick up the ones inside the fence. My wife picked up a few, and then gave up because of the mess the dogs had made. As I started to mow again, I began to wonder how the gentleman must have perceived my response. Was I acting with generosity? How would God have me handle this situation? I stopped the mower and began gathering pecans. I filled a BIG bag full, and walked across the street and gave some to my neighbor Juanita, and then went over to the older man's home, Senor Gonzalez. When he opened the door and saw the pecans I was giving him, the biggest smile spread across his face. In very broken English he thanked me profusely, and shook my hand about 6 times. Then he ran to the back of the house and brought out his little chihuahua, obviously his pride and joy. He told me that she was 16 years old, I could see that she was blind, and he showed me her scars from surgery and the tumor growing on her belly. Suddenly, Mr. Gonzalez and I had a relationship. He shook my hand again and told me he would be over to my house the next day to do some work. I had no idea what he was going to do, but could tell that there was no stopping him. It turns out that he was retired after 27 years of working for a lumber company in town, and feeling pretty useless. Each day now for about 3 weeks, Mr. Gonzalez comes over to the house and bags up leaves (while picking pecans), he has bagged about 30 bags which he has supplied. He asks for no pay, although my wife and I have brought more pecans and fresh baked bread. Honestly, we haven't known what to do in response. It has been very humbling. He has mowed and weed-eated, even the neighbors yards, and cleared tree limbs and vines off the fence. It has been amazing to see the transformation that a simple act of kindness has made.

Devotional acts of worship can come in a variety of forms, but the essence is this - because of our devotion to God, the better we get to know God, the more creative our worship becomes, and the more like Jesus Christ our behavior looks - like a horse running, or a bee making honey, or a vine bearing grapes - the more zealous for God we are, the more diverse our faith becomes through Him.

2 Timothy 1:9 - It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began-- to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus.

All Out!

2007-11-12T07:42:00.000-06:00

"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws..." (Ezek. 11:19-20a) "I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with ALL THEIR HEART. (Jeremiah 24:7)
From Rufus Jones (1863-1948): "There are stories of painters who have mixed their own blood with their paint. They probably are fanciful tales, but the idea is worth something at any rate. Until the very life stuff of the man goes into his task, until he grinds himself into his paint, his work will be ordinary and will lack the mark of inspiration. What a splendid sight it is to see a young man, who has been drifting along with the flow of the current, and who has put no blood into his work, suddenly wake up and throw himself with passion into his daily task as though his life depended on doing it. Everybody discovers that something has happened. A new spirit has awakened. There is some power behind him. What is the explanation? He is in love. He has found an inspiration. He is working for the sake of somebody, and this passion of love gives him joy as he works to make a home and a livelihood. His whole self goes into his task, because his life has become consecrated by love. His face shines, his eye flashes, his step is quick. When he puts his hand to a task, it moves, for there is power working in him. We need to get a love which will melt down our lives and send the spirit of our entire personality into our work. We shall stop playing at religion, and the glow and rapture of service will make our faces shine when once, out of love, we pour into the task of saving the world all we are and all we have."

Lord, I don't want to lose that passion and excitement of the discovery of your love and purpose. I want to press forward with an unseen but obvious power driving every step - Your power! Help me to avoid slipping into the mundane. My time here is too short not to risk and sacrifice - fully living - fully loving! Amen.

Emerging / Postmodern / Missional - Say What?

2007-10-22T09:33:00.000-05:00

With the ongoing advance of technology, and the growing globalization of our world, we live in what must be the most fast-paced time in the history of humankind. This incredibly fast growth is bringing a variety of nations and cultures into each others back yards. Humans must adapt to a multi-cultural life, where worldviews are continually challenged and changed as human cultures clash and conform at amazing rates. Many would say that the Church has been slow to adapt. Some would say that the Church has been unwilling to adapt. But the reality is that Christ’s Church is still alive and well, albeit a bit behind the times, particularly in the Western cultures.

The heart-cry of many faithful church leaders today is “how do we not only survive the incredible cultural shifts going on around us, but how do we thrive and faithfully accomplish the mission of God, which is to make disciples of all the nations, and bring healing to a broken world?” The Western Church in general is in decline. The problem many in the West are finding is that the institutional mainstream model of ministry passed down to us from our grandparents and parents is no longer functioning in a way that could be described as missional. The mainstream church tends to serve within a local community from an “attractional” position, hoping to provide enough advertising, programs and entertainment to draw non-Christians into the buildings so they might become disciples. The idea is along the lines of “build it, open the doors and they will come”. The attractional model is just not very attractive anymore for postmodern, global, technologically driven younger folks. The average age in most mainstream churches is now somewhere around 50 and above. Frankly, most non-Christians have no desire to attend a “traditional” or even “contemporary” congregation.

Humanity and the Church are at the cusp of one of the most massive cultural shifts in history. Making the changes necessary will prove to be difficult for many. There is much misunderstanding between those who many of the authors I am reading would categorize as Moderns and Postmoderns. In short, Moderns grew up in an Industrial Age, where science was the final word on truth, attending church was the social norm, and the church building was the center of community fellowship. Postmoderns are growing up in an age of high-tech computers and nano-chips, where no truth is easily trusted, much of the culture is hostile to Christianity, and the internet is becoming the center of community fellowship.

The disconnect between the church and the culture is the crux of what many church leaders are struggling with. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be in the world but not of it. We must engage the culture with the good news of Jesus Christ and allow the gospel to transform the culture. What does faithful Postmodern Christianity look like? Many are saying that it looks like historic Christianity has many times over in many different places among diverse people groups. The Gospel has the amazing ability to adapt and speak God’s truth through Jesus in many different ways and contexts. The problem is not the Mission of God and the Gospel, the problem is the institutional ways we organize the church without continually re-imagining our forms with a missional emphasis on engaging the culture and introducing others to Jesus.

Moving the church from maintenance to mission is a common theme among many of the authors I am studying... (Webber, Hirsch and Frost, Pagitt, Kimball, Nessan, Newbigin, Sweet, Oden, Tanner and Hall) Some interesting secular books on the future at hand... (Scharmer - Theory U, Pink - A Whole New Mind, Gardner - Five Minds for the Future)

Click on the Title of this post for a link to Video: Tim Keller, Characteristics of a Missional Church

prayer (for) life

2007-10-20T08:22:00.000-05:00

"Be earnest and disciplined in your prayers". - 1 Peter 4:7

Of all the activities we may engage in today: ordinary maintenance and routine, extra-ordinary problem solving, deep thinking and learning, kind actions, holy conversations, community care, world changing developments; the most vital and foundational activity requires intentionality and patience, for truly divine wisdom and character is forged within us when we set apart time to humbly and simply release ourselves to the sacred quiet in prayer. Without prayer we are lost and wandering, within prayer our path is illuminated as we are connected to the Source. Prayer is relationship and power, pure and simple. Prayer is the Maker's way.

QUOTES from: A Pocket Prayer Book - 1941 (given to me at graduation in 1987).

"I have much work to do today, so I will arise an hour earlier in order to have time for quiet prayer." - Luther

"Prayer is not a mere telephoning to God to ask Him to do things, but a developing life, an expanding, a deepening, a heightening, an intensifying of the whole being." - A.H. McNeile

"Lord, what a change within us one short hour spent in Thy Presence will prevail to make!" - Archbishop Trench

FARMING WITH GOD (what a privilege!)

2007-10-09T09:05:00.000-05:00

There is no doubt about it – God is a Farmer. And God’s field is a big (from our perspective) blue & green ball spinning around a massive ball of fire in a galaxy we call the Milky Way. This field of the Maker’s imaginings is set in the midst of a universe which is so massive that we can not even begin to fathom the complexity and size of it all. From beginning to end, the Scriptures use imagery of a garden filled with abundant life and good things. Everything is perfect at the beginning (Genesis) and the End (Revelation), but there is that season in-between when something has happened, and the land has been tainted and disturbed. This in-between season has cycles of weather that we could describe in scientific, agricultural terms as “good”, “bad”, and “ugly”. “That was an ugly storm that moved across the western fields yesterday”… “Looks like good weather today in the southern fields, as the sun rises and a cool front blows through”… “A bad storm is brewing over in the middle east fields today”… And so the forecasts and reflections go, a never ending cycle of confusion, disturbances, and occasional peace and hope. But we who know the Farmer, are certain that these weather disturbances are only temporary. We know because the Farmer has told us so.

"My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where briers grew, myrtles will sprout up.” This miracle will bring great honor to the LORD's name; it will be an everlasting sign of his power and love. (Isaiah 55:8-13)

Seeds are being planted and watered; workers are being called into the fields to prepare for the harvest. Our toil, tilling and sweat is not in vain; the Farmer knows His land, He knows its cycles, He sees the broader picture and He has the patience to bring about an incredible, plentiful crop that will produce abundant life and fullness in this field. The Farmer is not distant and remote, but rather walks among his crops, testing the soil, adding fertilizer where needed, pruning so as to produce much fruit, caring, tending, and enriching the fields as much as is needed, exactly as is needed.

Toward evening they heard the LORD God walking about in the garden…(Genesis 3:8). In the beginning the Word already existed. He (the Farmer) was with God, and he was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make. Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. But although the world was made through him, the world didn't recognize him when he came. So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the (Farmer) - Father (John 1:1-4, 10, 14).

His timing and concern is perfect. The Farmer knows the seasons; He does not waste one bit of soul, (excuse me), soil; He scatters seed everywhere with loving care, especially in the marginal zones, in places one would not think to plant. He is a creative master, a botanist of the highest order, and knows how to grow anything, anywhere. He sends His hired hands out to work and tend, to water with loving care, to distribute the fertilizer of His Word of Life especially in those places that seem desolate and unproductive. For the Farmer has a green thumb; He can create life out of emptiness simply with a song.

"Peace be with you. As the (Farmer) has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21).

The Farmer’s awareness is always upon this spinning ball of life, He lingers among His fields, both day and night, and not one little detail misses His careful and precise attendance. He knows when the Harvest will be ready, and all of creation awaits that day with longing and expectation! The Maker’s Way is the most excellent method, and our hope is in the Farmer’s loving care and marvelous wisdom.

Then an angel came from the Temple and called out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud, "Use the sickle, for the time has come for you to harvest; the crop is ripe on the earth” (Revelation 14:15). And the angel showed me a pure river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, coursing down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will anything be cursed. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there-- no need for lamps or sun-- for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever (Revelation 22:1-5).

(link to song Blackland Farmer - just click on post title)

Frustration, Helplessness and Redirection

2007-09-28T20:29:00.000-05:00

My wife and I purchased 17 acres near her parent's homeplace in Stockman, TX about 5 years ago. We have been struggling to pay for it and improve it while I have been in seminary (twice now). It isn't a huge place but it is beautiful, with a big hill rolling down into an old hay field with a dry creek crossing it. There are some ancient, massive oak trees on top of the hill with a water well, electricity hookup and septic system. Our plan was to possibly build a retirement home there over the next 30 years and settle some day, out in the country.

We found out recently that we do not have mineral rights to the property, only surface rights, and that an oil company out of Shreveport, LA was marking out a 3 acre spot right in the middle of our hillside to drill for gas. We went through the roof! All our plans were ruined. We felt helpless and a bit like we and our land was being raped. We had no consent whatsoever and no ability to stop them.

Our future was changing, and our field of dreams was yanked out from under our feet. What could Deb and I do now besides vent to each other? Well, I got on the phone and asked the land man to meet us out at our place. They did, and we discussed possibilities. As we talked I realized that with some redirecting and letting go, our future could still include this piece of land, just in a new way. God could still take this seeming terrible situation and bring some good out of it.

To make a long story short, the oil company moved the pad down off the hill and into the hay field. They agreed to dig me a big lake into the hillside, and to tear down the old, rotten chicken barn, and remove all of the debris. The damages they offered will pay off our remaining debt on the land.

We have now agreed to this emerging future, albeit a bit reluctantly, and are planning to create an outdoor getaway, a camping spot, with a lake for fishing and swimming. While rummaging through the old chicken barn, we found some old window frames and about 8 old doors from my wife's great-grandparents home that we plan to incorporate into the gazebo we will build where the chicken barn was. We also removed quite a bit of old, heavy oak hardwood beams that is beautiful when cleaned up and plained. Who knows what else will come out of this, but we really had no choice but to sit and steam over the situation, or let go and let God work.

Blundering Apologetics

2007-09-20T07:16:00.000-05:00

Three of the biggest growth moments in my budding faith were challenges to my ability to communicate what I believed. When we try to articulate that which we hold so dear inside of us, we often find out that we haven't really worked out what that really means to us and why.

1. Shortly after I asked God to help me get my life back together and began giving Him control (slowly but surely), I was asked to teach the high school Sunday school class in the new congregation I began attending. What a stretch, as I wasn't much more spiritually or physically mature than they were. I began studying and preparing, and realized quickly how little I remembered or learned as a kid growing up in the church. Needless to say, I began growing out of necessity.

2. I began an email debate with an "agnostic/atheist" buddy from college. I read a book on World Religions and poured through my Bible, and began trying in a very loving, caring way to articulate why I was a Christian. I know that if I was to read all of those emails again, I would probably cringe at some of my theology, but nonetheless, it helped move me further in my journey by articulating my faith. I don't know what the effect was on my friend. I hope more positive than negative.

3. The encounter that God used to really challenge me and lead toward my call into the ministry took place in a bar after a long day of partying with a friend in Colorado. He knew I went to church regularly, taught Sunday school and played Jesus in a passion play every year. We drunkenly argued about Christianity, and looking back, I know I was probably not very sensitive or calm. But one thing he said stung me like a barbed arrow, right into my heart... "You know, I know a lot of Christians, and none of them are any different than anyone else I know. So what is the point?" That comment still rings in my ears with conviction, as I realized at that moment how tainted my witness was because of my lifestyle and lack of living what I said I believed. That encounter, along with many others, have changed my life for good.

Our apologetics may not always be so "purty" (east texas slang) all the time, but God can take any attempt, whether we blunder or make mistakes, and bring about some good. As my wife says... "God can use an oops, but He can't use a nothing!"

A good read on the subject is: Humble Apologetics by John G. Stackhouse Jr.

German Pope Brings Reformation!

2007-09-12T09:50:00.000-05:00

I am sorry, but I do have a deep respect for the Catholic Church. Although I am a United Methodist pastor, I was baptized Catholic, and my Mimi and Pappy were both devout German Catholics in New Braunsfels, TX, home of the Wurstfest. Talk about Contextualization - I think this is hilariously great! (note: this is a joke)

What Really Killed the Cat

2007-09-11T09:21:00.001-05:00

The small cat looked across the street at the big tom cat singing to the moon. The small cat noticed all of the animals gathered around... dogs, other cats, raccoons, squirrels, and even a fruit bat. The big cat had a large group of cats up on the fence singing and playing various backyard instruments. The small cat felt lonely. "What must I do to have friends sing and hang out with me? Maybe I can impress the other animals and make them want to come over to my side of the street." The small cat began to sing louder, and strutted back and forth along the curb, dancing and twirling in the moonlight. The big cat's band only played louder. The other animals looked on feeling a little sorry for the little cat, but not about to abandon the great entertainment offered by the big cat. In despair, the small cat finally shouted out loudly, "I can do anything you can do, big cat, only better!" A silence settled among the animals on the other side of the street as they looked at the big tom cat, wondering how he would respond to such a challenge. Big cat only chuckled to himself and said, "Bring it on, little brother!"
Thus the games began - night after night, the animals gathered in the street to watch as the two cats, big and small, competed for the grand prize - "The Ultimate Cat Championship". The first event was a bone digging competition, which appealed to the dogs. Each cat must locate and dig up a bone in their yard to provide to the dogs faithfully waiting along the street. Big ran straight to a recently dug whole, by his family's pet, and quickly laid a bone at the feet of each dog in the audience. Cheers and barks resounded. Small ran around hopelessly searching for a bone, because there were no dogs in his family, and thus no bones. Small just sighed and conceded the dogs to Big. The next event appealed to the cats, who loved to sing and socialize. Big struck up his big band and played the swingingest, most howling popular song, The Catarena, while Big passed around cat-nip and feathers (which was a big hit with the felines). On the other side of the street, Small sang the old classic Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, while dancing on the fence. Unfortunately, he got his claw stuck in a slat, and fell flat on his face (which is pretty sad for a cat always lands on their feet). Things couldn't get much worse for Small, but they did. Not only did he lose the dogs and cats, but he had no trash to gather for the Raccoons, no nuts for the squirrels, or even shade trees for that matter, and no fruit trees for the bat. You probably already guessed that Big had all of these things to offer his guests. Now everyone was gathered once again on the other side of the street, rejoicing in the song, dance, fellowship and food. The party was rocking over there on Big's side, and everyone quickly forgot about poor, lonely Small. Small sat by himself once again, feeling like a failure. He looked up at the moon, and with a mournful cry said, "Well, Faithful Light, I guess it is just you and me again. I am sure glad you are still with me. What are we going to do?" "And from somewhere out there, or maybe it was in there... from somewhere near, yet far away... Small heard these words... "I am with you, and I am glad you are with me." And suddenly, Small didn't feel so small anymore. And Small didn't feel so lonely anymore. And Small didn't feel so angry anymore. And Small didn't feel so competitive anymore. What Small felt was... complete, satisfied, and full of life. He climbed up on his rickety old fence and shouted at the top of his lungs, "We are not alone! Yes! We are not alone!" And all of the animals across the street paused in a moment of hush as they looked at the lone, joyful cat across the street. And for a moment, Small didn't look so small.

Did you get "fed" Sunday?

2007-09-04T22:58:00.000-05:00

How badly has our contemporary consumerism mind set and individualized Western worldview damaged our understanding of salvation and the mission of the Church? Is it really all about me? Is worship bad if I don't like the music or if the sermon didn't speak to me? Is salvation simply a personal experience where I choose to be saved and earn my free ticket to heaven? Was Jesus a door to door salesman selling fire insurance? Is it right for me to shop for a "church" like I would for a new pair of pants? Or is there supposed to be more to our faith? Is there a bigger purpose beyond my personal happiness? Is my being "fed" on Sunday what is most important? What is going on? Why are we so selfish? Has the Christian faith always been this way? NO!
Go figure...
our God is a God of relationships. Father, Son, Holy Spirit - - - Adam, Eve, Abraham, Moses, Israel, Peter, John, Jew, Gentile, male, female, slave, free, etc. We can't horde God to ourselves, we can't turn God into Santa, we can't buy God, we can't own God; and yet we can be in relationship w/ the Almighty Creator God. God is God - "I AM" - "YahWeh" and God is building a people after His own heart. God is personal & God is communal, God is more than just... mine & more than just... ours. For God so loved the world that He created it. God invites us to sit at His table and He fills our cups to overflowing, and breaks bread among us. And God promises an eternity of relationship - an eternity of pancakes and bacon and orange juice and coffee - Uncle Joe and Aunt Bee, Granny and Pop, Little Jimmy and Sally - God offers us participation in an eternal feast of relationship. Not a consumer feast, but a soulful feast.

Home?

2007-09-01T15:43:00.001-05:00

Hebrews 3:1-7
An incredible week in Portland with my new friends (cohort, advisor, teachers and Len Sweet). After flying all night and finally walking in the door at "home" at 6:30 am, I climbed into my familiar bed and crashed (hard). There is a peace about having this sheltered, private space we call home. And yet when I arrived, my wife and boys were not there. So to say I was at home is not completely true. When Joshua says "As for me and my house - we will serve the Lord" - who was he talking about? Certainly not his tent. Home is not as easily defined as we might like. Home is not merely this shell built by human hands that provides us protection, personal space, etc. Home is relational and spiritual - incredibly deep, mysterious and complex. Home is sacred space, it is the world around us which we willingly incorporate into our lives. NOT HOME is that which we reject or avoid. Home defines who we are and what we do. Home is not just something that belongs to us, but home is something that we belong to as well. It is a conglomeration of symbiotic relationships and responsibilities that we are an integral part of. Every element of that relational system is connected and tied together in defining who we are and our place in God's Creation (most often in ways that we are not even aware of, although our Maker is). Ok - I hope I didn't lose anyone - Here are my thoughts in a nutshell...

"And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are bound for heaven, think about this Jesus..."
*Jesus is "builder/architect of the house" (see Colossians 1:15-20).
*Moses, you and I (and potentially all our neighbors) are "the home" (servants-caretakers-hospitality staff-concierge-wait staff-gardeners etc.)
"But Christ, the faithful Son is in charge of the entire household."

Is HOME really my personal sheltered, familiar, private space where I feel comfortable and can rest? Or is the whole HOME thing much bigger than that? Where was Jesus' home during His 3 years of ministry? A better question might be "WHO is Jesus' home?" Am I really living fully as a member of Jesus' home, or am I hiding out in my own, comfortable, sheltered house? The ongoing answering of this question is life changing: "What is HOME and where do I fit into that whole system?"
It has been discovered that there is a communal nature to the simple life forms of amoebas - they will actually sacrifice themselves for the health and continued existence of the community. Somehow, someway every amoeba counts and is connected and important to the welfare of the rest of God's creation. Examples of the symbiotic connections that exist within God's household are all over the place. The Holy Spirit reminds us to listen to the voice of The Builder - and live accordingly. With connection comes participation & responsibility - on The Maker's terms, not mine. With connection comes joy, here and now and forever.

What Does Missional - Relational - Incarnational Look Like?

2007-08-31T13:55:00.000-05:00

"The new Mother Theresa is Bono. NOTICE - it is not someone who comes out of the institution."

-Len Sweet - today

The Road Less Traveled

2007-08-31T08:54:00.001-05:00

Acts 9:1-20
Saul the persecutor of the followers of the Way, gets cuffed and stuffed (arrested) by Jesus on the road to Damascus after a 150 mile journey on foot. Amazing testimony repeated many times in the apostle and Luke's writings. But what about Ananias (v 10...)? A believer in Damascus who gets called into duty by God in a vision.
"Ananias!"
"YES, LORD!"
"Go..." (It usually means trouble when God begins instructions with go)
"Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas - ask for Saul of Tarsus."
(Uh, Oh) "BUT LORD...!" (That is the dude with letters to arrest us all and he's out of control.)
And God's reply - "Go and do what I say."
Like driving through a heavy fog, can't you imagine Ananias slowly stepping down Straight street, step by step, praying, every sense heightened and tuned in, tunnel vision focused on overcoming the fear of not knowing what lies ahead and pressing forward in faith, praying, praying, praying (ok Lord, ok Lord, ok Lord)?
(v. 17) So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you may get your sight back and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight - got up - was baptized - ate - was strengthened - stayed a few days - And immediately - (IMMEDIATELY) - he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "HE IS INDEED THE SON OF GOD!" "HE IS INDEED THE SON OF GOD!" "HE IS INDEED THE SON OF GOD!"
(and this continued for quite a remarkable time through quite a remarkable witness.) Saul trashed the religious leaders letters authorizing arrest and instead brought his witness, his testimony of Jesus to the synagogues.
So let us not forget about our brother and model, Ananias, inching his way down Straight street - It took Ananias' blind obedience to cure Saul's blind disobedience. Ananias took the road less traveled... and it made all the difference.

Spiritual Linebacker

2007-08-30T23:41:00.001-05:00

Vince pole vaulted against my cousin Kyle in college, holds the record for the biggest person to clear 18', and is in my Doctorate of Ministry cohort at George Fox Evangelical Seminary. Don't mess with Vince.

Football at the Top of the World (Barrow, Alaska)

2007-08-30T23:32:00.001-05:00

This was my home in kindergarten, first and second grade. A long way from Texas. Check out the abc news special about the new Barrow Whalers football team - really cool (literally) - find the short video by clicking on the TITLE OF THIS POST.