Generic Christian

Flowers and Fools (me, that is)

2011-06-21T16:04:00.000-04:00

I'm an idiot in so many ways. But here is one of the better examples from recently.

While away at my Annual Training with the Army, I decided to be a good husband and send Mary flowers. I ordered them on a Friday with a Saturday delivered scheduled. I excitedly- and cryptically- told her to expect something on Saturday.

So Saturday comes and I get a friendly email from 1800FLOWERS explaining that the flowers had been delivered and I should be expecting a call from a certain someone (yeah, they actually phrased it almost exactly like that.... cheesy, but, whatever).

So I texted the most reliable source in the world, our 16 year old, to ask if they had been delivered. Mary Ann was out and about for the day, so I assumed she hadn't seen them yet. Calvin insisted nothing had been delivered and throughout the day we texted back and forth until about 5pm, when I decided to call the flower company and let them have it.

I ranted about being on Army duty and wanting to surprise my wife, etc., and I complained long enough that they acquiesced to my demand for a refund.

After getting off the phone I realized they were eerily certain the flowers had been delivered. So I decided to text our neighbor and ask her if she would check a specific house with an address similar to ours. Her response was: "Oh, Mary Ann already got them" and she went on to explain that Mary posted a nice picture and thank you to me on Facebook as she headed out for the day.

Oh.

My bad.

And now 1800FLOWERS is sending a refund? In 5-7 business days.

I felt just a little stupid. Actually, a lot stupid.

So today I confirmed that they had actually put the refund in my checking account and I sheepishly called them and told them to charge me again.

Which brings me to my point: I really didn't want to call. I knew I had to do it... It was the right thing to do... but somewhere in the back of my mind, I was hoping to justify why the refund was ok. I couldn't obviously. I was wrong, they did their job, and I couldn't get around that no matter how much the sinner in me would like to do so. So I called them.

And did I mention I'm preaching on the 7th Commandment this weekend: Thou Shall Not Steal.

Sigh.

Oh well. Come to church Sunday and hear the rest of the sermon. :)

*Note: some of you who grew up in various Protestant backgrounds might think I got the Commandment numbers wrong, but Lutherans, Catholic and Episcopalians number them different than other Protestants. Google it.

Glimpses of Eternity

2011-02-15T07:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my day off. That usually means running errands and getting stuff done on the home front.

After we ran some of those proverbial errands, Mary Ann, Maggie and I got some fast food and then pulled up alongside the beach on A1A to take in the view. God made an amazing world and a quick trip down to the beach always reminds me of that.

When we were finishing eating, I decided to take Maggie for a walk on the beach, since she'd been exclaiming "Let's go to the beach!" throughout lunch. Mary Ann decided to have alone-time in the car, so Maggie and I jumped out and began walking.

It was perfect: lower 70s, no one on the beach, with my daughter and I walking while she (and I...) sang a version of a Yo Gabba Gabba song, which was changed to reflect walking on Flagler Beach and not through Gabba-town. :)

After a while, I realized this was a glimpse of heaven.

I could have stayed there, well, forever.

And something clicked for me. You see, I've always had trouble with the concept of eternity. We are a time based nation, and the idea of being in heaven forever kinda freaks me out, if I'm honest about it.

Yesterday I "got" it. We could have been walking for a 1000 years, and it wouldn't have mattered. There will be no clocks in heaven, no concept of time, just moments of what life is supposed to be.

So I imagine that yesterday was a foretaste of that. It was simple. A dad and his daughter walking, and pausing to play, on the beach. No schedule, calendar, clock..... no countdowns. Just being in the moment.

God is good!

How to Read the Bible in an electronic way

2011-02-02T06:03:00.000-05:00

Today's entry is a shameless plug for my favorite online and/or electronic-device study Bible tool. I didn't create it, and it's free, so I'm allowed to make this shameless plug. I'm telling you about it because it's simply good stuff.

This is such a cool and easy way to study the Bible. You can go to their website, or download it as an "app" to your iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, etc. Or you can just use it online. Go to http://www.youversion.com/ to check it out.

I'll tell you why I use it:
-You can access almost any translation. If your pastor or church uses a different or new translation, you don't need to "buy" anything. You just switch from the NIV to the NLT (or whatever) with one click (or one touch on your iPhone/iPad). And different languages too.... just about any language you can imagine.

-It will give you reading plans. Do you want to read the Bible in one year? Do you want to study a certain topic for a couple weeks? Want to just read Psalms and Proverbs? Read the Bible in 90 Days? They have dozens up different plans. When you open it up, each day, you can access your readings for that day!

-NOTES! This is way cool. When I'm reading a passage, I can simply touch the verse (on my iPad), and it will give me options, lots of 'em. One of those options is to write a note. I can make it public (so others can see) or private (only me). And what's even cooler: you can read the notes of others.... it's like being in a virtual small group of people: hear their notes, their thoughts, their advice, etc.

-Share it. When I write my notes, sometimes they're private, but sometimes I want to share them, so it's linked to my Twitter account. Isn't sharing that a lot nicer than hearing about my politics or sports? It's a cool way to get your friends and family thinking about God's word without being preachy in their face. And you open your heart to others. It's an easy way to be real with people.

So here's what you do: go to the website above and create an account. If you've got a handheld device, download the app in its respective store (i.e., iTunes for Apple products, etc.).

Once you've done that, set aside your devotional time if you don't have one already, and use this app. You'll love it, and you'll be blessed. Thanks to the awesome people at lifechurch.tv for creating it for everyone in the world to use for free!

Ah... I'm a hypocrite!

2011-01-31T17:29:00.001-05:00

I flew down (er, up) to Charlotte and back to make a presentation to a church yesterday. On the way back, the woman in the seat in front me of blatantly defied the "electronic devices" rule. As we approached for the landing she was talking on the phone.. While we were still flying! Doesn't she know it's against The rules? And it's annoying.

So upon landing, I tweeted the following: "Just landed in Daytona. Woman in front of me was talking on the phone before and as we landed. Annoying. #rulesdontapplytoher"

There. I got her. It felt good.

Then I heard a small voice inside reminding me of the time I turned my phone on before landing in Minnesota and texted my sister, since I saw her office building (Target Headquarters).

"BUT, I thought, that was different... After all, I was only texting, so I wasn't annoying anyone."

The small voice in my head called me out on my hypocrisy. "So it isn't about the rules... It's about your personal annoyance."

Yep, I plead guilty. The day after preaching a sermon on hypocrisy and judging, I'm quietly seething behind the "annoying" woman, judging her for doing essentially the same thing as me.

Being judgmental is a funny thing. It always comes back to bite us.

What she did WAS against the rules. And what I did in Minneapolis was against the rules. Even though I know the plane isn't going down if I use my cell phone it's still a rule. I'm not justifying her rule breaking or my own.

It's just funny that so often we fulfill what Jesus says when we see the speck in someone else's eyes while ignoring the plank in own. God forgive me and make me more like Jesus. I need it. :)

The Value of Life

2011-01-15T07:46:00.000-05:00

I've been reading with interest some of the comments on Facebook regarding the need for new gun laws in the US. While not the purpose of this post, I'm going to say I'm not in favor of new laws for various reasons. Instead I'd like to focus on something else:

As tragic as the shooting was (and it was VERY tragic), it makes me wonder why this level of outrage doesn't exist about the daily shootings of regular citizens? We hear so often about kids caught in the crossfire of gang warfare or domestic disputes turning deadly.

Yet this incident has sparked new conversation about gun laws.

What this illustrates is that society has grown numb to most violence. So let me divert for a second and raise some questions:

+Does it bother us that certain parts of our country are worse than war zones? Yet we continue the same economic and political policies in those places that have existed for decades. We create hopeless ghettoes with our social welfare policies, and wonder why this hopelessness results in a resort to violence. But we compartmentalize because most of us don't live there.

+Does it bother us that 35,000+ people have died in northern Mexico in a war that gets very little attention in the United States. Why so little attention? This war has cost far more lives than Iraq and Afghanistan combined. My good friend Enrique and his church are in more danger than most of my Soldiers. It breaks my heart.

+Does it bother anyone that the abortion rate is 41% of all pregnancies in New York? Not to stimulate a pro-life/pro-choice debate, but this should bother people on both sides of the aisle. Around 40 million babies have been aborted in this nation. Does that bother you?

+Do we think twice about buying kids very graphic and violent video games? As an Iraq Vet I have zero desire for my children to play games simulating the stuff my Soldiers and I experienced in Iraq. Zero. We play harmless Nintendo Wii games like the sports ones. More often I tell the kids to go play outside.

+Does it bother us that the market for senselessly violent movies is much deeper than for classic family movies? Seriously, what sickos think that movies like Saw have any place in a decent society?

My point is this: the greater problem in this nation is that we live in a bubble. This is a very violent and senselessly cruel world, but most of the time we turn a blind eye because it doesn't affect us.

The shooting in Arizona affected us because we could have been there. It hits home. Who hasn't been to some community event similar to that one.

Most of us don't think much about the violence in northern Mexico because we don't live there. We compartmentalize abortion under the cover of political-choice. We argue that violent video games and movies don't affect us.

And we're wrong when we do that.

God created all human life in His image. Every single human being has value.

Rather than craft feel good legislation that won't solve the real problem, it's time for our nation to take a good hard look at how we value- or don't value- life, and to begin to work for heart change, rather than hoping that a few new laws will help.

The shooter is very sick man. Nuts, evil, crazy.... use whatever adjective you want. At the end of the day he isn't the issue. How we handle violence is the bigger challenge.

How we handle life is the most important issue.

[Back to my original disclaimer: this post isn't about gun laws. Allow me quickly to explain why. Passing gun laws will only take them out of the hands of the law abiding citizens. Laws are feel good band aids. We have a Constitution that guarantees the right the bear arms, so it's a bit of a moot point anyway. More gun laws won't keep crazy, deranged or criminal minds from procuring weapons. The more difficult solution is the try and change how we think about violence.]

Ramblings about my sinus surgery.

2011-01-14T11:52:00.000-05:00

Some have you read on Facebook that I had surgery this week. Since I'm recuperating at home, and restless, I'll say a little more about it.

On Monday I had sinus surgery to try and fix the endless sinus infections I've had since the last century. I get them regularly and when I get them they hit me quick and hard.

A couple of months ago I finally went and saw an ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) physician. My doctor had sent me in for sinus x-rays and it showed polyps in my sinuses. However, when she examined me, she said that polyps were the "least of my concerns."

I have to admit to asking something stupid like "are they cancerous?"

No, she said, the big issue is a deviated septum. It was bad enough that she couldn't send the camera on a scope up into my sinuses. (yeah, she was sending a little camera up my nose...)

So she sent me in for a CT Scan. Long-story-short: my sinuses and nasal area were really messed up. That's my lay explanation.

So I was scheduled to have a surgery of the everything. I needed my sinuses opened and cleaned out, the deviated septum repaired and my nasal turbinates worked on. I've never even heard of those last things. I'm a mess.

But I'm tired of being on anti-biotics and going to see the doctor every couple of months. Surgery can't be too bad, I reasoned and it'll be worth the pain.

Sort of.

I knew I was in trouble when one of Mary Ann's friends posted on Mary's wall that she had had this surgery and it was worse that giving birth. What?? I happened to read that while in the car on the way to the surgery. That was a little unnerving.

So Monday came and went.

It doesn't feel good.

I can't complain too much, because as a pastor I've seen people through all stages of life and death, and this is relatively minor. So forgive my griping.

But it really hurt. It's getting better, thank God. But even worse than the pain is the, um, discomfort. You may not want to read the next part.

You see, as part of fixing the deviated septum, the doctor placed stints (basically tubes) inside my nose.

I have rods in my nose. In. My. Nose.

I wonder how deep they go? It appears that they're jammed pretty far back. And they come to the edge of my nostril. (I told you that you might not want to read any further). I have rods inside my nose. Ugh.

Oh and did I tell you they're stitched into my nose? Yes, stitches in my nose....holding those awful tubes in place. Not that they'd slip out, since they're JAMMED into my nose. But the stitches are icing on the cake.

They're driving me nuts.

I feel like I can't talk. They uncomfortable. And I'm not supposed to blow my nose. I won't even begin to explain the stuff that is in there. Seriously, you don't want to know. I have to "irrigate" it with saline solution.

So I sit here surfing the web, playing games on my iPad and wondering if it will be worth it.

Then I start to think crazy thoughts. "What if I roll over onto my face while I'm sleeping?" "What if I sneeze really hard?" "Could they touch my brain?" "What if society collapses before next Wednesday and I'm not able to get them removed?"

The last one is kind of creepy. But probably not likely.

I'm antsy. I can't remember the last time I was cooped up this long. I really want to go for a run. But I'm not supposed to exert myself physically, lest I bleed out. Or something like that.

So, there it is. My gripe session for the day. I feel better already.

I can't wait to get back to work.

The Theology of Aliens

2011-01-12T08:10:00.000-05:00

Do you think there is "life out there?"

And if there is, what does that do to our faith? Would the existence of aliens challenge our faith?

I get questions like these from time to time, and I have to admit, they're questions that fascinate me.

The Bible never addresses the possibility of alien life, but that doesn't preclude its existence.

Knowing that God created all kinds of life on Earth, that He has created angels and various spiritual beings, it would not be surprising if there was life on a different planet. And it would make sense that they have a spiritual nature and a knowledge of God.

That's why I find it fascinating when I read articles like this, which suggests, in black and white terms, that there are only two possibilities: 1) aliens exist and want to harm us, 2) or we're alone in the universe. Click on that link, read the article, and then jump back.

What amusing arrogance. At one point, the article states: "evolution operates predictably, producing relatively predictable outcomes."

Evolution operates predictably? So we know aliens will be hostile?

That's amusing.

And full of hubris.

The reality: We don't know. There is so little we understand about our own world, and yet we're supposed to believe, with certainty, that we know what life is like on other planets and why we need to be scared?

I don't buy it.

And my faith would not be shaken by the possibility of aliens because I believe in the sovereignty of God. It's His universe and He's in charge of the whole thing.

Would they harm us if they exist? We can't say. It's quite possible that God has intentionally kept us separate from any alien life, for His purposes... either to protect us, or to protect them....

Maybe He has a plan for us to reach alien life at some point?

Or maybe we're all that exists?

We don't know. Regardless, the relevant question is: "Is God is really in charge?"

He is, and so I'm able to look at the question of alien life with amusement and fascination.

In the meantime, I suggest reading C.S. Lewis' series The Space Trilogies for some good fiction on aliens that grows out of a Christian worldview.

I talk too much

2011-01-08T18:55:00.000-05:00

I talk too much.

Everyone who knows me knows that.

But I'm also talking about my prayer life. I talk but I don't listen very well.

I wish I could say that I was the most super-spiritual prayer warrior in the world... that I could sit for days contemplating simple thoughts from God.

But I'd be lying.

My prayer life needs work. Don't get me wrong.... I pray. A lot some days.

But listening isn't my thing. I hear other pastors talk about just waiting on the presence of God... of being silent and waiting, listening.... being quiet.

That hasn't worked so well for me.

Today I tried something new in the car while I was praying. Praying in the car has been my thing lately. Rather than listen to talk radio (which gives me a headache) or listening to music, I've started praying while driving more. On my way to Dade City on Thursday, I prayed through our member directory and prayed for each person by name.

Before you think I'm bragging, I'll be quick to point out that while driving through part of the Ocala National Forest I had neither cell phone reception nor any radio stations. My decision to pray through the directory was not very deep.

So I come to today. On the way to Army drill this morning I started praying, and I began to think about the concept of listening.

I believe I listen to God and that He speaks. But it tends to happen most in the context of reading Scripture, preparing sermons and writing Bible studies.

Today I thought I'd just try and be quiet... not only quiet verbally, but also quiet in an attempt to think about nothing but listening. Knowing my attention span, I decided to try it for two minutes. Mary Ann tells me she can think about nothing but I don't think it is possible.

So I sat quiet for two minutes. Normally my mind races and I think about stuff. But I really tried to think about nothing and just listen.

I was semi-successful. I thought a little about not thinking, but for the first time in a long time (or ever) I just sat quiet... not thinking, planning or mentally writing a sermon.

There was no huge spiritual breakthrough to report. Sorry. But it was interesting. I might try it more often. Imagine that.... being quiet.

Freedom of Religion and Alleged Islamaphobia

2010-12-30T19:42:00.000-05:00

Click here for an interesting take on Islamaphobia in America. After you read it, jump back here for some conversation.

The whole topic of Islamaphobia is important for Christians. Followers of Jesus are called to preach the Good News of God's love for us. We're not called to convert others through coercion or violence. Ever. When we spread the Gospel through those violence or hatred, we deny Christ in the process.

So what about these claims of Islamaphobia? Are Christians (or Americans in general), afraid of or hateful toward Muslims? I'd like to look at the author's claims point by point and in relation to how these issues might play out in Islamic Majority Countries.

1) The Ground Zero Mosque. The author, Rachel, uses this as an example of Islamaphobia. Let's take her example for a second and apply it to the Middle East. What if I wanted to build a Lutheran Church in Mecca? In Medina? In Riyadh? In Tehran? What do you think the response would be? It would be: No, No, No, and No.

In the United States, people of ALL religions are free to build houses of worship. We have churches, synagogues, temples, mosques... you name it, we have it.

We have freedom of religion. Many (most?) Islamic majority countries do not. The very fact that we can have a debate about a Ground Zero mosque shows our tolerance.

And we're free to disagree about the wisdom of building a mosque close to the site of the worst terrorist attack on US Soil. A terror attack that just happened to be done in the name of Islam. Yes, I know those terrorists do not speak for all Muslims. We understand that. But maybe in return for our tremendous freedom, the Islamic community might consider the fact that Ground Zero is a sensitive site. Maybe, out of love and compassion, they would choose to build elsewhere?

But guess what? We couldn't even have this debate in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia or many of the Middle East nations. That. makes. us. different. We are free. Those countries are not.

2) The Koran Burner. Rachel uses this as another example of Islamaphobia. And, yes, this crazy pastor is guilty of it. It was a stupid idea. And it was soundly denounced by Christian leaders as well as politicians, including the President. The Koran burning pastor is a very rare character and does not represent the USA. Not one bit. If anything this story is an example of tolerance winning out. This isn't an example of American Islamaphobia.

But guess which holy book DID get burned by American citizens? The Bible. By our military. Click here for that story. We did it because we didn't want to offend the Afghan citizens. We didn't want to give them the impression that we are fighting there for religious reasons. So when a church sent Bibles, our troops threw them away and burned them. We respect other religions, even to the point of taking the higher road.

BTW, do you remember the masses of Christians protesting and threatening violence when the Bible burnings were reported? No? Neither do I. It's not how we're wired.

So here's the difference: in the US, all religions are free to have their holy books. You won't get arrested for mailing Korans to the US. In fact, as a Chaplain I have Korans in stock at the Armory so Muslim Soldiers have access to them.

If you go to the Middle East, try and find a Bible. I knew Iraqi Christians in Iraq. Guess what they can't do? Pass out Bibles in the streets. Yet we made sure that every one of our detainees had a Koran and a prayer mat.

So where is the intolerance? In the US? The place where ALL people have access to their religious books? Or is it more likely to be found in the Islamic world?

3) Lawsuit in Tennessee. Again, the outcome shows the tolerance in our nation. A group sued to prevent construction of a mosque. Not knowing the details, I assume it was a frivolous lawsuit. Or maybe there was more to it than simple opposition to Islam.

But the fact that a lawsuit exists doesn't mean much. In this nation people can sue for anything, no matter how ridiculous... sometimes they even win. In this case they didn't; the construction of the mosque was opposed legally and they lost.

So in a nation of 300 million people, the author of this article cites three relatively isolated examples of Islamaphobia. My question is this: what about a reciprocal article? Let's talk about Christianityphobia (is there even a word yet?). Will she chronicle the many, many examples of Christian persecution in the Islamic world? There are the stories of the Christian hostages killed in worship in Baghdad (story here) or the Christians killed in their homes in Iraq (story here). There is the Pakistani woman sentenced to death for being a Christian (story here and here). I can tell you personal accounts of an acquaintance- a Catholic priest in Baghdad- and his persecution. I can tell you of an Iraqi convert to Christianity (we'll call her Mary) who was threatened with death by her family. (note: she converted to Christianity BEFORE the war... not as a result of the American presence).

If you spend a little time on the web, you can find dozens, even hundreds of stories of Christian persecution in the Islamic world in the last year. Moreover, it is illegal to even evangelize in many of those countries. In relatively modern Turkey, persecution of Christians persists.

So why the focus on the fictional persecution of Muslims in America?

Has the author ever considered that maybe, just maybe, some Americans are a little worried about Islam because they see what's happening in the Islamic world? They're not hateful, they're not resorting to violence. But they see what's happening in the Islamic world and they logically question the implications of this religion spreading.

They see the persecution of Christians in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Indonesia (etc.), and they see the death threats over cartoons of Muhammed and they wonder.... why? Will it happen here too?

Let's work toward peace and understanding... for ALL religions. Let's bring religious freedom to all nations. Wouldn't it be exciting to see a day in which churches were built freely in Saudi Arabia, just like mosques are built in America?

Looking for a Jesus Like Us

2010-12-24T13:53:00.000-05:00

My greatest desire is for people to know Jesus.

It's why I do what I do. I have the greatest job in the world. I get to tell people about Him.

This is one my favorite days of the year.... Christmas Eve. Along with Easter, the year pretty much revolves around these two days.

My heart breaks for those that don't know Christ. I lose sleep over it. I spend my days thinking about how to reach out. I want people to know the love... the grace... the power... the peace.

But there are so many things that hinder people from coming. One of those barriers is that people look for a Jesus that looks like them.

They come to God and demand to worship an image of themselves.

How often do people miss Christ because they expect him to conform to their politically or socially or culturally pre-conceived notions?

They come to Jesus with already developed ideas and look for him to affirm those things. And they leave when he doesn't meet their demands.

Some people expect Jesus to advance their political agenda (liberal or conservative). Others expect Jesus to help their pet social projects to move forward. Still others expect him to bless the sin in their lives. Some people want to get rich, never be sick, always have happiness and never suffer.

We all do this at times. None of us is exempt.

But this Christmas, don't miss Jesus by looking for yourself.

Finding Jesus will make you uncomfortable. He'll ask you to deny yourself and follow him. He might ask you to sacrifice the most precious things in your life. He will change you and grow you, and it's not easy. He'll change how you think about yourself, about others.... and about God.

Just don't miss him by hoping to find him in the mirror.

R & R

2010-12-20T09:57:00.001-05:00

What do you do for fun? For relaxation? Just to unwind?

Do you have something?

I read this article today about deadly thought patterns. Read it here and jump back

Then I thought about Jesus' words about worry in Matthew 6.

Obviously the most important thing for dispelling worry is to "seek first" God's kingdom. Put God first. Simple.

Along with that, we need to live. Jesus tells us don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself, and today has enough stuff to deal with. Life is short and tomorrow will be here soon. So live.

Back to that first question: what do you do? How do you live? What are your healthy outlets?

For me, it's two main things: family, exercise and following sports.

I'm not too deep. I like going for runs to de-stress.

My other thing is sports. I love watching sports both on TV and in person. I have certain teams I follow, but, honestly, I like going to any sports event in person. Doesn't matter who's playing.

Living in Florida, we've got easy access to all major league sports. Well, easy within a somewhat short drive. Today we're headed to our furthest event- to see Tampa Bay Lighting hockey. Should be interesting.... I haven't been to an NHL game since 2007. This will be my first game there.

I've learned how to find cheap tickets for pro games. I don't have the money to get the expensive seats (well, if I did buy expensive seats, I'd only go once a year!).

We enjoy it as a family. I'm taking my two sons today. We'll make a day of it... leave around 1pm, and explore the area and then head to the game. What a great way to spend my day off.

What about you?

The Heart of the Bible

2010-12-14T17:36:00.002-05:00

Yesterday on twitter, someone passed along this quote from Max Lucado: "Cut concern for the poor out of the Bible, and you've cut the heart out of it."

It's a great quote, and I love Max Lucado, but.... is this really the heart of the Bible? Is concern for the poor really the heart of Scripture?

The answer is no. The heart of the Bible is the death and resurrection of Christ. You cannot have Christianity without Jesus' sacrifice for our sins.

Concern for the poor is important, of course. Christians are to display the compassion of Christ as we live it out day to day.

But what concerns me is that Christianity is often distilled down to a really good social program. This understanding says: "Real Christians" are people who advocate a certain social justice or political point of view. People on the left and right of the political spectrum are both guilty of this. They take Christianity and use it as a means to justify their political perspective.

Christianity, ultimately, transcends politics and human social programs. The heart of Scripture is the heart of the Gospel: Jesus died so that you would be in a right relationship with God.

[Note: before anyone objects, I know Max Lucado knows the heart of the Bible is Jesus... I was just using his quote as a starting point :) ]

My quiet time?

2010-12-02T05:26:00.000-05:00

It's exactly 5:19am as I type this. It's usually my "quiet time." I can get up, put on my iPod, and read the news, listen to music and work. I get some of my best sermon writing and Bible study work done around this time of the day.

I think it might be ending. I've got a companion down here. Maggie.

For some reason she has started getting up ultra early. She comes down stairs to our bedroom, and often crawls into our bed. Sometimes she just rummages through our room. Today she climbed into bed. Thinking she was asleep I got up, got my headphones, was getting ready to listen to the "worship" playlist Mary Ann put together when out came Maggie out from our room.

Now she is on the stairway. "Look Daddy!" She just declared. (I just stopped writing for a bit to shut the fridge, and now she wants to play "phone." We have old cell phones she likes to pretend to call with (just writing stopped again. She has procured a box of Wheaties and brought them to me).

Sigh. No deep thoughts for now. I write again in a week or so. :)

As you give thanks...

2010-11-22T08:42:00.000-05:00

I love this week. After Christmas and Easter, Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. I love the whole week.... eating food, spending time with family and friends... watching football and decorating for Christmas. There will also be a basketball game involved, but Wes doesn't know it (Orlando Magic vs. Cleveland on Friday). So.... suffice it to say I'm looking forward to this week.

During this week, however, I want you to think about those who serve. Last weekend I did the departure ceremony for 200 of my Soldiers in my battalion. They will spend the next year separated from their families. I did another departure ceremony for about 40 of my troops last month. They too will be separated during these important days.

So give thanks, but also take time to remember those who aren't in the same position as you.

And extend it beyond troops. Think about those who are grieving, those who are sick, those who have to work on Thursday, those who wish they had a job.

It's humbling. God has given me so much to be thankful for; so on Thursday (and all days) I want to make sure I pray for those who are struggling for any variety of reasons this year.

I remember Thanksgiving of 2006... in Baghdad. We had a rocket attack late in the morning, and I spent the rest of the day in full battle rattle. The line for the Thanksgiving meal was about 45 minutes long, standing there in my body armor. I missed my family SO much. Later that week... on Sunday, I lost a friend of mine, CPT Jason Hamill. We weren't best buddies or anything; I'd only known him for a few months... but I knew him better than the other company Commanders. He was a great man. He cared for his Soldiers and they completed a tough mission. He was supposed to head home the next day. He and one of his Lieutenants, CPT David Fraser (post-humously promoted) were both killed by a roadside bomb that Sunday. So I honor their memories. Here is a video done by Jason's wife: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az4xbbyaKBI

It's hard to believe it's been 4 years.

So as I thank God this week I will also remember and celebrate those making sacrifices. I will also lift up the less fortunate and pray that God will shine his grace upon them and uplight them in every possible way.

Thanks be to God that we are even free to give Him thanks!

Counting my Blessings

2010-11-15T09:45:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday and I thank God that my blessings outnumber my years. For that, I give Him thanks and praise.

Yesterday, my day began on the beach-see the picture?! :) We had our monthly beach service. Mary Ann played the guitar... she is such a blessing! She is musically talented and taught herself to play the guitar over a couple of days using the Garage Band app on her MacBook. She is awesome.... and she did a great job leading worship.

Then we headed back to the church for a couple of great services. We also held elections for the Board of Spiritual Oversight and the Board of Administration. We have a great new team coming on board to lead us. It has been so wonderful to see the congregation move from a council based constitution to this new system of governance. I thank God I get to serve CLC.

After that.... off to Palm Coast Central Park where Wes' football team had their trophy presentation during the closing ceremony... as a part of the Fall Festival. Speaking of which.... our evangelism team had a vendor's tent there. They do an amazing job. We just had our annual Trunk or Treat and this year we had 1100 people register. We've already sent out postcards inviting them to Family Night at Church on December 8th. I am so blessed to work with an amazing, energized and loving group of lay leaders at Christ Lutheran.

Meanwhile, our good friend Eli was at the Jaguars game with Calvin. He went because I wasn't going to get done with my commitments in time to take Cal to the game, but I really wanted Cal to go (he and Wes rotate going to the games). We are blessed to have Eli and Meghan (and their kids) as neighbors, friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. I thank God for all our friends today!

In the late part of the afternoon, Mary Ann and I worked on our yard landscaping project. Maggie played in the yard, and our dog Ragnar played peacefully with his ball under the big Palm Tree. It's so nice to have a dog that chills out and doesn't run.

Today I get to chill out. We'll do some more work on our landscaping projects. Maybe dinner at the Golden Lion with the kids. We'll see.

I say all of this, because I'm counting my blessings. Sometimes life is really hard. Three years later, my deployment to Iraq still reminds me that I should remember thank God for the good things, and not just come to Him when things are tough. I need to remember my blessings when the inevitable difficult times come and go.

So, thanks God! You give all of us far more than we deserve, or could ever earn!

Christian woman sentenced to death in Pakistan

2010-11-10T09:04:00.001-05:00

Read this article and then jump back to my blog.

This is a horrifying and saddening story.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Christians, we need to do three things:

1) Pray for this woman, Asia Bibi, and her family, especially her five kids. Ask God to intervene in the situation to save her life. Pray that her faith would be a witness.

2) Contact your political leaders, and ask them to pressure Pakistan. In September there was a world-wide outcry because a silly pastor in Gainesville was going to burn a Koran. Now we need to have the same kind of intervention. We need President Obama to let Pakistan know this is unacceptable.

3) Forward the article and/or my blog post on to other people.

I pray that she and her family might be allowed refuge in the United States. The article mentions that no one has yet been executed under Pakistan's blasphemy law, but there is a great risk that she or her family could be murdered.

The Muslim world needs to help out on this. They cannot allow countries like Pakistan to arrest and execute Christians, and then turn around and protest someone drawing cartoon of Mohammed. Religious tolerance is a two way street.

Caesar and Priorities

2010-10-31T12:38:00.000-04:00

I heard this at chapel this morning: "If you have no God, politics is everything."

I have to confess that I like following politics. Not as much as I used to, but I enjoy it. It ranks below sports, for one thing. Especially since the Badgers are 7-1.

But I do follow it pretty closely, and I have some opinions.

This quote struck me today because of the broader context. The Chaplain who was preaching was essentially making the case that most people get really ugly when it comes to politics because we think politics is everything. What follows is a short summary of his line of thinking.

In essence, we make politics our God.

Christians believe we are to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is His. Good enough. We have a role in this world, while being citizens of heaven. We should pay our taxes, follow the laws, vote in elections and be good citizens here.

The problem is when we start giving Caesar (the government) too much credit. Both political parties do this. Among other things, some people want "Caesar" to stop abortions or to take care of our health or to educate us or to provide us military security or to (fill-in-the-blank).

It's not that Caesar can't do that stuff. But sometimes we turn to Caesar for more than he can provide, or sometimes we want him to do it perfectly. And when we do that, we get angry when he doesn't deliver.

It was a good message.

I think he's spot on.

I'm still interested in watching the election returns Tuesday, but maybe this message has tempered that. Life goes on. God is still God, and I'm still a husband, father, pastor, Soldier and Badgers fan. :)

I guess it's all about priorities.

6 years is forever

2010-10-24T19:55:00.000-04:00

Today I returned to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for the first time in over 5 years. I'm here at the United State Army Chaplain Center and School, for my Chaplain Captains Career Course, the next step in my military education before being promoted to Major.

It brought back some memories. 6 years ago I was here for part of my basic training and Mary Ann and Wes came down to visit.

It seems like an eternity since then. Fort Jackson has changed; in fact, the hotel in which I'm staying didn't exist when I was last here. (btw, the accommodations are amazing.... the pictures to the left are a couple views of my room. It's essentially a one bedroom apartment... it has ceramic tile floors in the entry, kitchenette and bathroom. Hmm....)

But the changes I'm thinking about are personal to me.

6 years ago Wes was a 3 year old kid, playing at the water park here at Fort Jackson. Now he just finished his tackle football season (see his picture from yesterday). I was an associate pastor at Church of the Cross, Calvin was in 3rd grade at Delaware Elementary, and Maggie didn't exist.

Fast forward to 2010. I'm serving my third congregation... Christ Lutheran Church, living in Palm Coast, Florida, serving in the Florida National Guard in Daytona Beach. We now have three kids, and I've spent 14 months deployed to Baghdad, Iraq. I've been elected to the LCMC Board of Trustees and already completed the term. LCMC had 96 congregations in 25 states. We now have close to 600 in 9 countries.

And during those 6 years Brett Favre became a Viking. Randy Moss became a Raider, then a Patriot and now a Viking. Tonight I'll watch Brett Favre throw passes to Randy Moss at Lambeau Field.

Oh, and the iPad and iPhone exist. :)

Life is strange.

I can't imagine talking to the me of 2004. What would I have said if I was told that, when you return to Fort Jackson for the career course you'll be an Iraq vet with 3 kids, living in Florida, drilling in the harbor at Daytona Beach, and when you get to Fort Jackson you'll tune into the Vikings-Packers game, hoping to see Brett Favre throw some TDs to Randy Moss. I'd also tell myself that I'd be slightly disappointed that the Army housing only had a ethernet connection and not wi fi in the room.

There is no real morale to this post except this: we need to enjoy the ride. Life is always interesting. I'm not sure I buy into the idea that it goes by quick.... 6 years ago seems like forever. But it does go by, and we never know what God will do next.

I'm glad about that.

Boldness, Collective Sin, and Healing

2010-10-22T13:21:00.000-04:00

I'm going to throw out some controversial thoughts today, so as you read this, take a deep breath, and don't get fire off a nasty email or comment without thinking for a bit.

This weekend, I'm preaching on sharing our faith with boldness. (well, it's more than that, but the point of this post isn't the sermon, so I'll leave it at that) Acts 3:1-10 will be part of what we'll look at. Read it here and then jump back.

Have you ever seen a healing like that? Not a gradual healing, or a "maybe" healing... but a Biblical, ask-for-healing-and-get-it? (if so, share your experience in the comments)

Odds are, many of you may say, "no, that hasn't happened to me." And odds are even better that most of you would never attempt a healing like that. I'll be honest... that's not typically how I begin a conversation about healing. :)

Why?

Seriously, why don't we pray like that? If we believe the Bible, why don't we see more healings like that... or at least see more prayers like that?

I've been thinking about it this week, and I wonder if some of it doesn't tie into our relative lack of faith in 21st century America. I think about Jesus in his hometown, and the fact that "....he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith." Could the same be true in American Christianity?

Some of you might protest "I know many people with great faith!" And so do I. But is it possible that collectively, the spiritual state of America (i.e., the relative lack of faith) is playing a role in this? Could we be suffering from a disconnectedness from God?

As Americans, we're used to viewing everything as individuals, but in the Bible it was often the group that was dealt with, for good or for bad. Israel was often punished for turning from God, and we can assume that not everyone in Israel had turned away. Yet they were punished collectively.

That kind of thinking is not too popular these days. We've seen televangelists get skewered for suggesting that a natural disaster might be punishment from God, and I'm usually in agreement with the people criticizing them.

But I wonder.... how far off are they? Is it possible, even a little bit, that the US is collectively suffering for enduring a culture in which babies are aborted, sexuality has become a revolving door, hundreds of millions of dollars is spent on horror movies like the Saw series while people live in the streets.... is it even a little possible that there is a cause and effect?

Many of my fellow Lutheran pastors would say no, and they'd harshly critique me for suggesting it. But I wonder, since Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, is it possible that we resemble Matthew 13:58?

Missed the Boat

2010-10-19T10:02:00.000-04:00

I'm working on my sermon for Sunday right now, and I realized that last night I missed the boat on something. It's nagging at me.

As you may know from reading my Facebook updates, Wes and I went to the Jacksonville Jaguars Monday Night Football game. We had a blast. When we do things together, we both approach it the same way: we're focused and know where we want to go, and we are fast walkers and fast talkers.

Last night was no different. For three hours before the game, the Jags had something called TealTown. It's a play area for kids (and adults) that they have before each home game. The food and beverages are cheaper, but more importantly, they have free exhibits and hands on games. Wes and I timed it so we would get there and be able to take it in, but not be too early or too late. We got there, and we busted through each of the exhibits and demonstrations, including the four "tryouts:" high jump, broad jump, 20 yard shuffle and obstacle course. (for the record, I still have my jumping.... they set the high jump according to your height and I reached over the highest one for my height. Just saying....)

Anyway... when we left we were fired up. We were making a beeline for our gate and weaving in and out of pedestrian traffic. Wes walks as fast as I do.

At one point I saw a man out of the corner of my eye. He seemed to see us and seemed intent on selling me something. As a general rule, I avoid any purchase I can avoid at the game. He looked like he had a program, and those are ridiculously expensive ($10 or so). We weren't going to do it. I started to avert, when something unexpected happened. This kindly older gentleman asked Wesley if he would like the program. Before I could blurt out "no thanks" he explained that he got it free for his food donation (they were having some kind of canned food drive, and he must have given quite a bit). He said, verbatim, "I don't have a son, and I don't need this." We said thanks, and I was floored. What a nice thing to do. Wes was off the wall. He knows we would never buy one, and he engrossed himself in it. He went to town reading that thing and this morning over breakfast he broke it out to read.

But I missed something. Big time. It's gnawing at me. First, we were in such a hurry to get to where we wanted to go that we were oblivious to the people around us. What else did I miss last night? I was more concerned about shooting past this suspected vendor that I missed him.

More sadly, I missed a conversation. He said "I don't have a son...." He was approximately 70 or 80 years old. What did he mean? He never had a son or his son is grown? Is he at the game by himself? (thinking back, he appeared to be there by himself) What was his story? This sounds strange, but he looked at Wes with such kindness that I there was something more going on. What did I miss?

I said thanks, but, I don't think it was enough. I have this sneaking suspicion that I missed a divine appointment. Don't ask me to explain why, but I have a strong feeling he was acting out of the kindness of faith. Not sure why I think that, but I do. There was something I could have learned from him, and maybe something I was supposed to say.

So I missed it last night. I doubt he'll ever read this blog, but, thank you again. It made Wes' night. I just wish we had taken the time to have a conversation with someone who gave freely to us.

I wish I knew what it was. But yesterday we.... no, I... was too self-focused to see around me.

Christians and Drugs (Legal AND Illegal)

2010-10-08T07:38:00.000-04:00

I'm awake and listening to the news. One of the items in the news is the ballot initiative in California about whether or not to legalize Marijuana. It's gotten me thinking about how I feel about it politically, but, more important, does my Christian faith say anything about it?

First, some full disclosure. As a Lutheran, I see no problem with drinking alcohol. I come from a branch of Christianity that believes having a glass of wine or drinking a beer is not wrong. Not only is it not wrong, but we believe the Bible even commends it. Psalm 104:15 praises God for "wine that gladdens the heart." Jesus himself turned water into wine (John 2) and used wine at the Last Supper. Paul, the Apostle, even offered some interesting advice to Timothy, to drink some wine for his stomach and not just water (1 Timothy 5:23).

My point is not to encourage drunkenness or misuse of alcohol, but just to show that certainly the Bible does not prohibit wine, and even points to the fact that wine gladdens the heart.

Ok, so the second part of my full disclosure is that I have never used drugs. I'm probably one of the few people to get through the University of Wisconsin without having smoked pot or used an illegal drug. I say this not as boasting, but to admit that I know nothing about marijuana firsthand. I speak from a certain level of ignorance.

But I wonder, is it any different than alcohol? My knee jerk reaction is that all drugs should be illegal, but the reality is that we use mood enhancing drugs every morning when we drink a cup of coffee or enjoy a soda or energy drink. How many of you quite literally would find it difficult to work without caffeine?

How many Christians take medicine for depression, anxiety, or other psychological conditions? I understand those are different, and they're used under the direction and oversight of a doctor, but I think the comparison is relevant. We can't say Christians are simply against anything that artificially alters our moods.

So we've established that many (most) Christians will alter their morning moods with caffeine and some Christians will relax (another change of mood) with wine or beer. Some use medically prescribed medicines as well.

What makes marijuana different? I'm asking that sincerely and without the benefit of personal experience. Would making it legal reduce some of the drug trafficking? Can someone make a Biblical case that smoking marijuana is wrong (or ....right?)? What Bible passages inform your thinking about this?

Anyone care to offer an opinion? I'm not arguing either position... just thinking/typing out loud.

Reflection on a New Way

2010-09-27T06:16:00.000-04:00

It's a good morning as I sit here and type. I'm sitting on the lanai, waiting for the Sun to come up.

We had a great day yesterday. At Christ Lutheran there was a positive spirit around the place- the Holy Spirit is really moving. Sunday School classes are growing, visitors are coming, and God is doing some amazing works in the hearts of our people. God had some things to say to us during the sermon, and I'm glad I was able to get out of the way of the message.

I want to ask my little blogger audience to indulge me. Listen to yesterday's sermon, and then contemplate a few of these thoughts below. The sermon title is: "Cultivating a Christian Culture- Honesty and Authenticity." Here are 3 different ways to listen:

1) First, if you have iTunes, download it here: CLC on iTunes
(note: the iTunes download won't update until probably mid-day Monday)
2) You can also download it directly without iTunes here: Direct Download

3) FInally, if you want to listen to it play directly from the website, go here: Sermons Streaming Online

OK, back to the post.

Isn't it time for Christians to get real? Hypocrites are people who wear masks. They come to church pretending to be one thing.... but won't honestly lay it before God. They're afraid to be judged, or not accepted, or that they aren't religious enough or (fill-in-the-blank). Lots of people avoid church because they're turned off by the hypocrisy.

It's time to change that Christians.

First, remember that we are broken. Jesus said he came for the sick, not the healthy. Spiritually we are the sick and we need Jesus. So stop pretending you're not, and let's stop barring the door to those who are still in transition. :)

Second, we will continue to ask God for that healing. Just because Jesus calls the sick doesn't mean he wants us to stay sick. But only HE can do it. You don't get better by just trying a little harder this week. Lay it down at the foot of the cross and join the journey. God can do it, you can't.

Finally, we're going to accept people where they're at, and let God do His work. My job isn't to change people.... it's to the point them to the One who can. Christians, we're like a bunch of receptionists who work for the doctor. We're telling people which door to enter. "Go there."

We have some values we're living out at CLC:

1) We'll be a place where you can come as you are. Check the mask at the door. Be real.

2) We expect God will move in crazy, miraculous ways, and He'll change us.

3) We won't be a place of criticism or personal destruction.... but where people are part of a genuine family in which they can grow together.

As I reflect on yesterday, I'm proud to be part of you. God is on the move and we're along for the ride!

I hate going to the doctor

2010-09-22T07:34:00.000-04:00

Well, I finally broke down and went to the doctor yesterday. Another sinus infection. Sigh. I haven't had one in a couple years, but my friends in Des Moines know my ever present allergy issues and my proclivity for it to turn into Sinus infections. My allergies haven't been as bad down here, but Thursday it hit me, and went zero to sixty in about two days. I should have gone to the walk in doctor on Saturday, but instead I muddled through all 3 services on Sunday.... beach at 7am, contemporary (Praise) at 9am, and traditional (Gospel) at 10:30am.

So, I never learn. I went in yesterday and the doctor had that horrified, face contorted expression on his face, as he look in my nose (yeah, gross, I know). He put me on steroids, anti-biotics and other nasal related stuff. He even went so far as to give me a steroidal injection AT the office, along with the tablet steroids. That was new for me, in 36 years of fighting allergies

When will I learn? Had I gone in earlier, it wouldn't have been so bad, but instead I'm at church yesterday morning, dizzy, acting like a drunk guy, and trying to figure out when it will go away.

Don't we do the same thing in our spiritual lives?

We're fine.... we don't need Jesus like all these other messed up people. We treat our faith kind of like a yearly check up. It's good, just to keep yourself in check. Men typically do this more than others. We're more hesitant to go to a doctor. You know the type: "I never get sick. I don't do the doctor thing." Some people really don't get sick... I envy them. But most people just lie to themselves.

Same thing with our faith. Hey... I got it figured out. I have some issues, but I'm not like the other people around here. "Maybe my whole purpose is to be an example of holiness and squared away living for all these poor sinners?! " (sarcasm added....)

Sorry, doesn't work that way. Read this passage and then jump back. Read This

The tax collector and prostitutes got it. They knew their issues. And they were entering the Kingdom of God ahead of those who thought they had it all figured out.

Today... even after just one day of medicine, I feel a lot better. Why didn't I just go to the doctor earlier?

What about Jesus? Avoiding him because you don't need "religion?" Are you the hypocrite, walking around with a mask on, pretending you don't have issues? I'd get someone to take a look at that, if I were you.

Being Right... and letting others know?

2010-09-10T11:42:00.000-04:00

At football practice on Tuesday, while we were in the team time (the time in which we line up offense vs. defense and run plays...), I watched as Wesley blocked the cornerback. Wes did a great job and a nice hole was opening up.... except..... he was holding. His hand slipped and he went from a pretty decent block to a full blown hold. I called it, and the play whistled dead.

Wes glared at me. "I wasn't holding," he whined, sort of quietly. He said it softly enough for the head coach NOT to hear, but loud enough for me to know he disagreed with me.

And he kept with it after practice. One thing about Wes: he doesn't like to be wrong, and he doesn't back down. We went back and forth... "Yes, Wes, you DID hold him. I was watching. Apparently you think that I don't know what holding is..." and so on....

Finally I asked him: do you want to get better? Don't you want to know how to block more effectively? Don't you realize that even the pros slip up and end up holding? I peppered him with questions like that and had modest success. Modest. Not much.

But it brings up a broader issue of right and wrong and whether or not we are teachable.

If someone else knows something is right, what is their obligation in telling us?

Should a teacher tell their student that 4+4=8 and not 10?

Should a financial advisor point out that one choice might be undeniably better than another?

Should my doctor be honest with a prognosis and tell me the best course of action?

I think we'd say yes to all of those. Some of the "right" answers are more subjective than others; e.g., 4+4 is always 8, but sometimes doctors and financial advisors are wrong. But, within the constraints of their humanity, don't they have an obligation to speak truth?

I ask this in light of the debate occurring in our country about Islam, mosques, terrorism, Quran burnings and all sorts of other things.

As you read in my last posting, I'm not in favor of burning the Quran (or, really, any books). If I believe Christianity to be true (and I do), then I want to convert Muslims and burning the symbol of what they believe to be holy is probably not the most effective way to do it.

But let's talk about right and wrong. I believe I'm right. And I believe Islam understands God wrongly. I believe what they teach is wrong. And I believe that our beliefs have consequences.

It's fashionable to say we all worship the same God. It feels nice. It doesn't offend.

But what if it's wrong? If someone is standing in their driveway worshiping a garbage can, and sincerely expressing the belief that this garbage can will bring him eternal life, don't I have at least some obligation to say "hey buddy, I know a different way, and I'd like to share it with you?"

I think religious beliefs matter. Just like my beliefs about math, grammar and gravity all have consequences in my day to day life. Granted, faith is less objective than math, but that doesn't mean it is any less true or false. It simply means there is a different means of discerning and testing it.

I believe Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The Quran and Islam do not teach this. They teach the opposite. They say Jesus was "just" a prophet... a good guy... a nice person doing God's work. But they don't believe Jesus died for my sins. They believe you get to heaven by doing good works, not by God's grace.

Friends, those are really big differences. If I'm wrong, I'm in big trouble.... believing all this nonsense about grace while I should be out earning my salvation.

So shouldn't I share it? Not by burning Qurans, of course. But shouldn't I share it?

At one of my chapel services, I had an Iraqi civilian attend (of his own volition without being asked). He heard about peace through Jesus and came to me after the service telling me he believed in Jesus now, and he told me he felt clean. He received Christ and the forgiveness of sins. He started coming to Bible study and following Jesus. His life changed.

That's what the world needs. I believe it. And I need to share it.

So is it ok to share truth? Are we willing to be teachable?

Everything depends on it.

Christians Burning the Quran???

2010-09-07T09:59:00.002-04:00

In case you haven't seen the story, a church in Gainesville, Florida is prepared for a Quran burning on September 11th. Click here to see one of many stories.

Now before I go any further, let me make one thing clear: I wouldn't do this at my church and I don't support it. I just can't picture Jesus taking time out of His schedule to do this. :)

Re-read that paragraph above if you need to.

With that said, it does raise some interesting questions and thoughts.

First, it raises the issue of Muslim sensitivity. What does it mean that this church in little ol' Gainesville is getting world-wide attention for burning Qurans? Thousands of people are protesting in Indonesia, halfway around the world. About a church in.... Gainesville, Florida.

There are people burning, defacing, mocking and destroying Christian symbols all the time. Sometimes it's called art and put into museums.

How do we Christians respond? Well, if anything, we might threaten a boycott or express anger about it, but you won't see Christians taking to the streets and rioting, or killing the people who did it.

What about the reaction to cartoon depictions of Muhammed? Remember that? Riots, death threats, some nuns were killed.... all over cartoons.

Now we have General David Petraeus warning that IF this church burns the Quran, it might harm our Soldiers in Afghanistan,

What?

I admire Gen. Petraeus, but this kind of worry about extremist reaction is exactly the sort of thing we're fighting. We fighting a war against global Jihadists who threaten and kill all who disagree with them.

In some ways, asking this church NOT to burn the Quran is playing into the hands of the extremists.

Think about it. What the General is essentially saying is: Behave how they want you to behave or they will get violent.

What? Isn't that what happened on 9/11? We were attacked for being a liberal, free, western nation. We were also attacked for coming to the defense of Kuwait in 1991 (a Muslim country) which was attacked by Iraq (a Muslim country). The very presence of US troops in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia was what initially got Osama Bin Laden (and company) so upset in the first place.

Our presence in Kuwait, defending Muslims, was what sparked attacks on our embassies, the USS Cole, the first World Trade Center attacks, the second World Trade Center attack (9/11) and so many other terrorist events.

Isn't this kind of religious sensitivity what has gotten us into trouble in the first place? Listen to us, or we will kill you?

So back to the church in Gainesville: again, I don't support burning the Quran, because it's childish, unnecessary and uncharitable, but they are raising some interesting points simply by the reaction they are evoking. (Edit: after reading more on this issue, I'm also convinced that this church is looking for outrage in reaction to the church burning. They are seeking attention by their offensive behavior, and they're getting it)

This leads to my second question: Don't we have second amendment rights in this country?

I think book burnings are tacky, and they aren't a very effective evangelism tool. :) But don't we have a right to burn and protest whatever we want, as long as it's done in a safe manner? They're doing it on their church property (not in front of a mosque or in a crowded city).

I don't like it, but don't we have freedom of speech?

And what about the Muslims protesting in Iran, or Syria, or Palestine, chanting "Death to Israel" and "Death to the USA?" I can bet you wouldn't be free to take to the streets in those places and say "Death to Iran...."

We're a free country. I don't like a lot of the opinions other people express. But they're free to do so.

I don't like it when people create movies or paintings or other media that criticize Christianity. But they're free to do so.

And here is the key thing for Christians: our God is bigger than that.

God isn't harmed when people mock Christians or our beliefs. God is all powerful and all knowing, and full of grace and truth. The only ones hurt when they mock God are the ones mocking God.

So this church will burn Qurans. Tacky? Yes. Pointless? Yes. But maybe Muslims need to consider whether their God is bigger than this or not.

It reminds me of my kids. They will intentionally push each others' buttons. Inevitably one of them will over-react to some stupid little provocation. The one that over-reacts gets in trouble.

Sounds like people around the world are preparing to over-react to a church in Gainesville that really wants attention.

Edit: It looks like this church in Gainesville has some ties to the "church" in Kansas that routinely protests at funerals of US Soldiers. Westboro Baptist Church is a horrific misrepresentation of Christianity, and it looks like the above-mentioned church in Gainesville has some ties to Westboro. Not surprising. http://libertypundits.net/article/breaking-quran-burning-church-linked-to-west-baptist-church/

Thoughts on the Viability of Churches

2010-09-06T07:48:00.000-04:00

Are buildings like this and the people that hang out there viable anymore?

The United Methodist Church just released a survey, in which they found four common ingredients of growing churches. While these will look familiar to many of us, I'd also caution that not all growing churches necessarily exhibit all four characteristics, and not all churches with those characteristics are growing. Anyway...

The 4 keys for success are:

Small Groups and programs, such as Bible Study and activities geared toward youth.
An active lay leadership.
Inspirational pastors who have served lengthy tenures at churches.
A mix of traditional and contemporary worship services.

As I look at my church, I think we're hitting 3.5 of the 4. Right now, the small groups is an area we have not begun to cultivate like we should (but soon will). We're a mission church starting to hit its stride. I think the third one is hard for me to assess... I pray every week that God will work through my message and believe He does. But I certainly believe in long pastorates for senior pastors and believe God has planted me here for the long term. So according to this list, we're doing the right things. Is that really enough?

What about your congregation?

Speaking of church growth (or death), here is a must read article from Dave Housholder, about the death of Lutheranism. It applies across many denominations. Take a few minutes to read it and bounce back.

Ok.... so back to the list up there. I think it's overly simplistic, especially compared to Hous' article. I think Hous hits on some deeper demographic and sociological challenges that are NOT quite as easily solved as the four simple points imply.

But then I think about how they tie together. The four characteristics above seem to me to point to something deeper. There is a passion you have to have for the Gospel that pairs belief that Jesus is the WAY, paired with a willingness to do whatever is morally allowable to reach people, seasoned with a desire to be contextual as you do it.

Ministry in Palm Coast, Florida is dramatically different than Des Moines, Iowa, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, or Newport Beach, California.... all among the places I've lived.

Rolling it all together, I think church growth (i.e. leading people to follow Jesus) is a combination of a laser-like focus on building relationships, understanding the context, and faithfully (and inspirationally) preaching the Word.

Breaking it down further:

You gotta care about people and reach out to them
Authenticity is crucial; act like yourself (pastors: when did preacher voices and uniforms become necessary?)
Believe in what you're preaching and let the enthusiasm be infectious
Connect people together as you're connecting them to Jesus

God is doing just fine. Some of the human institutions representing Him are in trouble, but I believe His plans tend to work out, so it's really a question of whether or not people and churches will get on board with where He's headed, or die out.

A Christian Culture?

2010-08-29T06:03:00.000-04:00

This morning I'll get up and preach at two worship services. If I wasn't a pastor (i.e., if I wasn't doing this as a vocation), would I be in church this morning? Would I find that church is a place where I connect with God, hear a life-changing message and worship Him? Or would I sleep in and get ready for the beach?

A lot of people choose the latter because they go to church and find.... just another club. One more obligation. They might have gone to church during a time of stress, need or seeking and found.... nothing useful.

Why?

I think a lot of it has to do with a failure on the part of Christians to live out the message of Jesus Christ. We sit and listen to His words about grace, truth, peace and so on, but we turn around and do the opposite.

Before I go any further, let me make it clear that this isn't going to be a rant about trying to live more holy or perfect. Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course... but I'm focused on something different right now.

Rather, I'm wondering what it would look like for visitors to come to church and experience God's presence and SEE Christians living it out? What if you could go to church and meet other humbled and broken people? What if you could be honest about your shortcomings and build authentic relationships with like-minded people that consisted of grace, forgiveness and, sometimes, brutal truth?

There is a fine line there, but I suspect that if people experienced this kind of Christianity, it would be viral and draw people by the thousands.

Today, and over the coming weeks, we'll talk about that. So much of Christian culture has more to do with tradition, or politics, or personal preferences and not with being completely changed by Jesus and made new in His image.

What would happen if the focus shifted to Jesus and away from us?

Endless Misery vs. Purpose and Meaning

2010-08-19T07:04:00.001-04:00

I'm getting tired of the misery of our national mood right now. Is anyone else sick of it?

The news is always bad, bad, bad, and whether it's the far right or the far left, it's doom and gloom and impending collapse.

I used to think it was a political thing (i.e., people mad at George W.), but it seems to transcend that. Some might argue that it's economic- and that's certainly part of it. But the misery seems to have preceded the current economic issues. In fact, I think the miserable national mood has led, in part, to the current economic issues. Yes, it's far more complex than that, but consumer confidence IS a big part of economics.

Instead, I think the bigger issue is a spiritual issue. I think we've collectively lost our sense of direction. I'm not talking about morality, or a call to live holier lives.

I'm talking about sense of purpose. That sense of spiritual focus and purpose.

People with purpose get things done. They know where they're going, what they want to accomplish and they're able to surmount ridiculous odds to get it done.

I think nations and communities can have the same thing. You also see it in sports teams. You can feel it. I've watched football games in which you could just sense that one team wanted it more, and was simply going to get it done. You could feel the momentum shift.

We've lost that in the United States. I don't know when and how, but we lost it.

I think it can be recovered, but I don't think it will be a person or political party that will do it.

It's going to have to start local, and become viral.

It will begin with individuals re-assessing their goals, dreams and purpose and decided to pursue it all without allowing themselves to be locked into the current cycle of misery.

And these individuals will need to network with like-minded people.... building real and lasting relationships in order to affect others.

It begins by asking what kind of impact you can have, and how God has wired you to live your life. We need to stop trying to just get by, and live purposely with focus and direction.

Part of the problem our nation has faced is trying to put off the difficult decisions... saving them for future generations. We lived for the present with no sense of direction or purpose.

What about you? It starts with each of us. What's your point in life? It's time for this nation to snap out of it, and it begins with us.

Impact

2010-08-13T23:29:00.000-04:00

Impact is the word on my mind right now.

Today I feel like I made an impact. It was a long day, and I won't get into details, but it was an "impact" day. It's a nice feeling to be at home after a long day and feel like it mattered.

That's my prayer to God: that I make an impact. How- and where- is up to Him, but I want to make an impact.

I like the word impact not just for its meaning, but because it's loaded with underlying themes.

An impact leaves an impression. It's usually permanent.

Impact also implies a collision. I want my life to collide with real and authentic needs. Impact is an action word.

An impact can be hazardous: It's a serious risk.

The force of an impact changes you. A meteor colliding with the world leaves a lasting crater but it's radically transformed in the process. You can't collide with life, make an impact, and escape without being changed.

One of the greatest failures is to try and avoid impact. I think about kids learning to play tackle football. They realize the impact of a tackle might hurt, so they avoid the hit, but miss the action.

So that's my simple, parting thought for the night. The impact might not be pleasant, but don't let that cause you to miss out on the action, and don't be afraid to leave an impression. It's why God put us here.

The Art of Following a Sports Team

2010-07-27T07:55:00.000-04:00

No deep thoughts are included in today's blog. What follows is a long rambling post on sports.

I'm thinking a lot about sports teams lately. It's that unsettled time of year when basketball and hockey have finished, and the NFL and College Football haven't started up. We just have baseball, which is great, but I'm missing the other sports.

If you're like me, you love following a team or teams in each sport. My deepest loyalties lie with the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, and Wisconsin Badgers. In the NHL and NBA, my loyalties tend to drift (e.g.- I just about hurt myself scrambling to jump on the Miami Heat bandwagon.... something I can openly admit!).

I love sports, and having a team to watch and follow makes it that much better. But choosing your team is a bit of an art. Sometimes your team chooses you: the Vikings and Twins are default teams from my childhood.... they chose me as a result of living in Minnesota. Sometimes your teams "leave" you, like the Minnesota North Stars, and (perish the thought) the Vikings might do after 2011. Other times you jump on board with the local team because of a move (my examples: the Iowa Cubs, Iowa Stars, Iowa Chops, and, now, I'm following the Daytona Cubs and a host of other Florida teams). It's way too much fun following a local team, so it's a good switch as along as it doesn't conflict with an existing allegiance.

I'm facing the personal dilemma of what to do if the Vikings DO move. I have to follow some NFL team. In addition my loyalty to NBA and NHL teams waver. With that in mind, here are some sports-team-following-rules:

1) The home town team gets extra points: I grew up in Minnesota and southern California. Teams from there have a special place in my heart, especially the Twins and Vikings. This rule gets a little twisted if the team starts playing there after you move away. As an example: I like the Minnesota Wild, but it isn't the same as my old North Stars. I haven't really lived in Minnesota during the Wild era, so I haven't fully committed. This rule also comes into play if you move. If a move brings you to a town or state with teams that don't conflict with current loyalties, you have an obligation to give the local team some consideration. Examples: I adopted the Iowa Cubs, then the Daytona Cubs as my "minor league" teams. Also, for my AFC team (since the Vikes are NFC) the Jaguars and Dolphins deserve consideration. And, heaven forbid, if the Vikings move away, the Jags and Dolphins get first shots at my new loyalties.

2) Your Alma Mater is "sacred:" your college is your college. My diploma will always say Wisconsin, and they will always be my number one college team, through good times or bad. As a subset of this rule, you're allowed to root for other teams, if it doesn't conflict with your Alma Mater. Some examples: when I moved to Iowa I could cheer for Iowa State (which wasn't very fun), but rooting for Iowa (a Big Ten rival of Wisconsin) was a no-no. Here in Florida I can follow the Gators (the closest big school), except if they ever play Wisconsin. To violate loyalty to your Alma Mater is one of the worst breaches of sports fan conduct. With college teams, it's also hard to be a complete fan without having attended the school. You can be a diehard fan, but if you actually attended the school, it completes the picture.

3) Having physically attended a game is a prerequisite to true fandom: You can follow a team, but to truly be a fan you have to have been to a game. Examples: I've attended well over 100 Twins games, in all 3 stadiums (old Met, then the Dome, now Target Field). I've been to many Vikings games, as well as countless Badgers games, including our 1994 Rose Bowl win. Here in Florida I've attended games of the Magic, the Gators and the Daytona Cubs. I've seen the Lakers and Dodgers play in person and even made a trip to old Dodgertown with my grandpa in 1987. Attending a game doesn't make you a fan, but having never seen the team play seriously complicates it. So, while I've jumped on to the Heat bandwagon, I can't claim any kind of allegiance until I've seen them in person.

4) Liking a player is a legitimate reason to root for a team: Growing up I was a huge John Elway fan. Did my 8th grade speech at Blake on him. I loved John Elway. It gave me a legitimate reason to cheer for the Broncos. You may like a team with a favorite player, provided it doesn't directly conflict with your primary team. Since the Broncos weren't in the NFC Central at that time, I could pull it off. I also had the opportunity to see Elway play in person a couple of times.

5) The fun factor plays into fandom: It's hard not to root for a fun team. Again, it can't conflict with your primary team. Here is my latest example: the Miami Heat. While they're villains to some, I love the idea of bringing the core of Team USA together in one place. It's fun. It gives the NBA more attention. While the other teams may hate Miami, who can blame them from signing all three guys and trying to create a super team? If nothing else, this team is watchable because they'll either be a stunning success or one of the worst failures ever. In my mind, they are the anti-thesis of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves had the benefit of being from Minnesota, but they've never captured my true loyalties because they are.... boring. They are most known for two big moves: 1) Signing Joe Smith (who?) to an illegal contract and losings tons of 1st round picks as a punishment and 2) Trading Kevin Garnett to Boston so Boston could win title #17. Thanks Wolves. Each year they manage to bumble the draft. They even manage to make a cool mascot (a Wolf!!) seem stupid. They lose points for making the NBA less fun. Speaking of mascots....

6) The mascot and team name are either helpful or damaging: Some are cool from the start (like Vikings.... how awesome is that?). Others seem pretty lame- what did Minnesota fans thing of "Twins" when they started in 1961? The lame names can grow better with time and success. "Twins" is cool now, especially paired with a good logo and two World Series titles. Same thing goes for Red Sox and White Sox. I don't think socks are particularly fearsome, but if you change the "cks" to "x" and play long enough, it becomes classic. Tangible mascots are better than ambiguous concepts. Examples of bad choices: Wild and Magic. I like both teams, but.... Magic?? And Wild? The only thing saving the Magic is their relatively good record since inception. The Wild are still proving themselves. One of the worst names has to be "Browns," but they've been around long enough to make it classic (at least to Cleveland). But imagine naming a team the "Greens?" Some names are just dumb- who would think of Buckeyes today? But they get points for being a dominant program, allowing people to forget they're named after some kind of plant.

7) Longevity and Intent to Stay is the Final Piece: In Minnesota we've had two classic teams move away: the Lakers and the North Stars. Both went on to win in other places (though the Lakers won titles in Minneapolis before leaving). If a team even hints it might be moving, they lose points big time. When the Twins were flirting with leaving in the late 90s it hurt the brand. Now that they have one of the best stadiums in baseball, they're selling out every game. On the other hand, who isn't worried about the Vikes. Owned by an out of state guy, the team has said they're not playing in the Dome after 2011. They don't have a new stadium being built which means.... what? It means someone out in LA would love to buy them if Minnesota won't take care of them.

So.... if you're still reading (doubtful), these criteria will come into play if my Vikings abandon home. I'm already taking auditions for my favorite AFC team, and I'll try out the Jaguars this season, and maybe Miami. I plan to go to a Jags game (not tough since they're not selling out the stadium). I'd like to get to a Dolphins game as well.

Of course it would be a lot easier if Minnesota would just build a new stadium for the Vikes. I know the economy is in bad shape, but I propose that Minnesota make a law that requires every single resident of the state to look under the cushions of their couches, and they can use the change to build a stadium. It would probably be enough.

Race in America- what next?

2010-07-24T18:17:00.001-04:00

Have you been following the discussion on race lately? There is a huge uptick of racially oriented discussion going on right now... from accusations of racism in the tea party, to accusations of racism within the USDA to.... fill in the blank. (for the record, I personally think the accusations against the tea party AND against Shirley Sherrod are false.... both sides need to settle down)

It seems that even with the election of an African-American President, our country isn't quite done with the national discussion; in many ways, it has accelerated. This may be a good thing, it may not be... it just depends on how we handle it.

So how do we move forward?

I have to admit I'm not sure.

But as a Christian, I hold these things to be true:

1) God created all people in His image. African, European, Asian, etc. There is no difference.

2) Christians cannot tolerate using race as a barrier, as a means to divide, or as a means to judge.

3) Christianity has been blessed by diversity. Christian music didn't begin or stop with 16th century European music (thank God!). Whether it be Latino music or African American hip hop or spirituals, or Bach's symphonies, we have a huge variety of ways to praise God.

4) Any attempt to divide/judge/harm people based on race is demonic in origin and does not please God.

So how do we Christians contribute to the national discussion?

Remember that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a pastor. This is Christian turf. Christians led the way in abolishing slavery. The civil rights movement had a huge Christian component to it. This is our battle.

Groups like the KKK or the New Black Panthers aren't the majority. They're the fringe.

Christians who love their neighbors and don't care about color, ethnicity and language are the majority. It's our nation and we won't see it divided. It's time we stepped forward and said "enough!" We have enough problems in this country without getting distracted.

So what do we do? What is our next contribution? How do we move forward?

It isn't helpful to say Republicans are racist. It isn't helpful to crop videos to make people like Shirley Sherrod look racist. We need to unite.

What should we do? What do you say?

What is really God like?

2010-07-19T08:25:00.003-04:00

Inspired by a book of the same name, I asked our LCMC Board of Trustees to describe God with one word, and come up with a Bible verse (if possible). Here is the list we came up with. I'd like you to ad your thoughts. Comment below, or hit me on Facebook, or twitter @magnell

I want you to think about God either from your relationship with Him, or lack of a relationship. Be honest. Who is God?

We've got our list and a few verses below. Let's add to it!

God is:
Persistent Philippians 1:3-6
Truth John 14:6, 1 John 1
Inconsistent or teasing Isaiah 55:8
Nurturing edit- Bible verse from Sue Luke 13:34
Enveloping
Tremendous mystery 1 Kings 19:9-13
Father Matthew 6:9-15
Compassionate Psalm 103

Update- these are added from Facebook or blog comments!
Providence (from Jenny on Facebook)
Imaginative (from tony on Facebook)
Restoration Psalm 23:3 and Acts 15:16 (from Chris L. in comments)
Good Mark 10:18 (from April in comments)
Trinity (from Diana on Facebook)

And our God is FOR US. Romans 8:31 The God who is persistent, truth, inconsistent, teasing, nurturing, enveloping, tremendously mysterious, our Father and compassionate is for us.

What do you say? Would you add a word, or add a Bible verse to this list?

And what does it all mean to you?

Stadiums, Economies and Values

2010-07-17T08:57:00.000-04:00

I just got back from a trip to Minnesota for LCMC board business. I brought along Wes, and while there we went to a Twins game with the Board. It was my first time in Target Field, the Twins' new home.

Here is my reaction: well done Minnesota, well done. This landmark stadium is beautiful; architectural genius has seamlessly woven this oasis into downtown Minneapolis. The stadium has great views of the game as well as downtown, in a park like setting that gives the Twins a permanent home of which they can be proud. It is a blend of traditional and modern with Minnesotan themes throughout.

Which forces me to think back to the place they left: the Metrodome. After years of fighting, the Dome was built on the cheap in 1982 and it was obsolete within a decade. It was the most generic plastic place you could build. What a waste of money for something so pivotal to a community.

Now the debate rages about whether or not to help the Vikings build a stadium. At the end of the days the options all look something like this: Option one- somehow spend the money to build a landmark stadium and create a permanent home for one of the most visible and unifying institutions in Minnesota. Option two- hold the "high" ground because of the bad economy and watch the Vikings move away, the state yearn for the return of NFL football, and, eventually, pay MUCH more for that new team than it would cost to build an entire new stadium now.

(Note: the Vikings have never said they were moving. They have just said they aren't playing in the Dome after 2011 and they've cancelled all contracts with vendors after that. You fill in the blanks.)

Maybe it's not that important in the grand scheme of things. This brings me to my point: I love economics because it highlights what we actually value. Economics is a study of the value judgments we make given limit resources (such as labor or money). Minnesota is on the verge of making the statement (implicitly) that the Vikings matter less than the budget excesses of the past (which now limit spending). Fair or not, Minnesota has to make a choice.

This is, admittedly, over-simplifying it. But I use it to bring the case home. I (and we all) need to look at our own finances to see what we truly value.

I'm not a financial guru, and would never claim to have perfected my own spending patterns. But a quick glance at Magnell family spending would reveal the following: we don't values cars (both have well over 100,000 miles), but we do value our home. We don't give money to political parties (only once have I donated to a candidate), but we have faithfully given money to Compassion International for almost a decade. We don't value long vacations, but we value frequent trips to the beach on the weekends. We, I mean "I" value attending sporting events. We don't buy clothes from nice stores, but we spend money for lawn care, pest control and other quality of life factors for our home. I could go on, but you get the point...

I say all of this because these are the economic choices we make. Spending money on one thing means denying yourself something else. Look at what you actually buy and what you don't, and you have your values.

It kind of scares me. It forces me to be brutally honest about my spending and it's imperfect. I have some work to do in that area. I'm happy with what God has given me, and I want to be a good steward. I fall short because I'm human but I ask God to keep working on me.

Back to the Vikings: I hope Minnesota steps up to the plate. My values may be skewed on this one. I don't know. But it would be a shame to see them move. I'll have to become a Jaguars or Dolphins fan. Minnesota, do you want to force me to do that? I hope not.

But make your choice. My values might be out of whack. Just make sure you examine your own values before you let them go. They might not be worth saving. And if they're not, just don't go and overspend to get a team back.

Religion: enslaving or freeing?

2010-07-12T07:51:00.000-04:00

Last night Mary Ann and I watched The Book of Eli. It's an intriguing post-apocalyptic movie in which the central character (Eli) is on a mission from God. (The movie isn't exactly new, but if you don't want to hear any more, stop reading now).

Eli, played by Denzel Washington, is on a quest to bring the last remaining Bible ("The Book") to the west. A voice- from God, he believes- has told him to undertake this mission and he is supernaturally protected from the violence, gangs, strife and the survival-of-fittest remnant while on this mission.

The bad guy in the movie, Carnegie, played by Gary Oldman, wants "The Book" as much as Eli wants to keep it safe. Carnegie believes if he has the Book, has can read and preach from it and control the people even more than he does with his already powerfully violent gang rule. He is willing to stop at nothing to get the book. With the Book, he can control the people.

Isn't that the great temptation of religion? To use it to control, rule or govern....to gain excessive power, money or fame? To use religion as your own means to an end, rather than trusting God as THE end and not a means?

It's the age-old dilemma: does your "religion" enslave or set you free? Is religion only a means of control, power and conquest, or is it freeing, enlightening and empowering.

For Christians the answer is: it depends.

If our relationship with God is mediated by the rules and laws of legalism, we are enslaved and in bondage to religion, to people and to empty rituals and ultimately to fruitless religion.

On the other hand, if we are set free by Christ, we are free to live for God, and our relationship is like that of a child to God, not a slave or servant, but a child with an intimate and eternal connection to our Father.

What about you? Are you enslaved by "religion?" Do you measure your relationship with God by the good you do and the number of rituals, rites and superstitions you can perform? Or do you stand humbly before God, set free by surrender to Christ?

Think about it. If you want to hear more, listen to yesterday's sermon on Galatians chapter 4. You can download it from iTunes by clicking here, or download it directly by clicking here.

It's OK to have fun

2010-07-09T06:04:00.000-04:00

I've enjoyed watching the spectacle surrounding LeBron James and his "decision" to sign with Miami. Yeah, I watched ESPN's "The Decision" last night. I'll admit it.

Many people have looked with disgust upon the whole thing (because of the ego, money, celebrity, etc.), but I think we need to take a deep breath and remember that athletes are entertainers.

In a day and age in which we're obsessed with oil spills, recessions, politics, wars and all the negative news, it doesn't hurt to sit back and just have fun. Speculate. Make a guess. Think about the game (it's just a game) and how it might all fall out.

We take ourselves too seriously. Our country has a serious case of not-being-able-to-relax. Watch the local news and count the number of good news stories. I dare you to find a piece of good news in the first 10 minutes of the broadcast.

So this silly diversion about where "the King" is going to play is fun..... harmless fun. Overblown, yes. Stupid? Probably. But kinda fun to watch.

So what about LeBron? Here is my non-spiritual, don't-take-it-too-seriously analysis:

I think LeBron did the right thing by signing with Miami. But regardless of where he signed, he's a smart and talented young man. Kudos to him for having positioned himself to be able to choose where he wants to live and to make lots of money doing it. Earning an income and enjoying his life options isn't a sin.

The endorsement proceeds from his special went to support the Boys and Girls Club. Has anyone noticed we're actually paying attention to an athlete who isn't getting arrested or caught doing something stupid? We're paying attention to someone making a well thought out business decision about a game.

Relax.

Let's just hope he continues to make good decisions.

So why sign with Miami? Just for fun, let me offer my perspective:

-He gets to team up with two friends who also happen to be crazy-good basketball players. How many people get to pick their co-workers? They are arguably 3 of the top ten players in the NBA and they want to play together. They'll have fun. Congrats to them. And they're apparently taking less money to play together. They'll still be ridiculously wealthy, but they probably left millions of dollars sitting on the table.

-Miami is fun. LeBron James is an entertainer. He isn't a politician, lawyer, pastor, or doctor. He gets paid to play basketball and entertain people. Why not go do it in a fun, warm, vibrant city?

-These guys can create their own history. Chicago will always be Michael Jordan's town. New York is bigger than the Knicks. Cleveland already belongs to LeBron. If these three can create a dynasty with a relatively new franchise (the Heat), why not do it? If they succeed, they will be the beginning of basketball history in south Florida. It's a chance to blaze some trails.

-He pays no state income tax. If it was only about money, he would have stayed in Cleveland. But...part of the benefit gained by signing with Cleveland is mitigated by the state income tax. Florida has no state income tax. Not a big deal, but a bonus. It's always nice to mention times when the government isn't taking everything. :)

Anyway, I've enjoyed the spectacle and watching the reaction on Facebook.

I can't say I was a Miami Heat fan before this (though I've always kinda liked Wade and I rooted for them in 2006). But this new team will be too fun to ignore. :) Will they win an NBA title? Who knows.... but it's going to be fun watching them. I loved following the Orlando Magic (which I've done since Dwight Howard entered the league), but this year I'll be following a couple of Florida teams.

Surprised by evil and sin

2010-07-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

I spent some time this morning reading Jesus' parable about the wheat and the weeds. Read the complete parable here. The short version (my paraphrase) is that there will be evil people among the good, and they will be there until the judgment because removing them would cause great harm to the good.

Interesting... and challenging. I know I don't like to think people are "evil."

It reminds me how shocked we are when people do evil. We rush to find an explanation (insanity, poverty, bad parenting, etc.). But the Bible warns us that there are people who do evil because they are led by the evil one. Calling them weeds, Jesus says: "The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one." (Mt. 13:38).

What I'm pondering this morning isn't so much the presence of evil, but the fact that most of us live as though evil doesn't exist. We think if we can just reason with people they'll do the right thing. If we can just offer the right economic opportunities, the right diplomacy, the right parenting, then all will be good and the world will get better.

There's nothing wrong with doing those things, as long as we remain alert to the fact that evil exists and sometimes you can't reason with it, and instead must oppose it with love, peace, strength, force, truth or a mix of them all.

By the way I picked that picture because I think cats are kinda evil. :) It was supposed to be a surprised cat, but he can fit the bill for either surprised or evil.

In the Streets of Flagler Beach

2010-07-02T22:27:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I'll be at the Flagler Beach Fourth of July Celebration with members of CLC. There will be vendors and businesses and community organizations and the streets will be blocked off for the celebration. We'll have a tent with info about our church, Vacation Bible School Registration and crafts for sale (proceeds going to help needy families in the county).

Lately I've been thinking a lot about getting into the streets, both literally and figuratively. This is the future (and present) of Christianity in our nation. It's reaching into the streets, into our neighborhoods, building relationships one by one and making the invitation to come and follow Jesus.

This isn't a new or revolutionary thought for church leaders. But it's easier said than done.

My congregation is maybe a little more aware of this need. We've got a nice building but we're in an light commercial complex... not a very churchy location. It's not highly visible and people always wonder if we're a storefront (we're not). We're growing and the people that visit tend to stick around.

But it's hard getting people in the front door. If we had a more visible building it would help, but, the days of growing churches by simply putting up a building are gone.

So we need to get out and reach people where they're at. I think a lot about the Parable of the Banquet, in Luke 14:15-24 (read it and then jump back). The short version is that a king holds a banquet and all people who were invited have an excuse. They're busy. One bought a field, another is off to get his oxen, the third just got married. These are important and well off people.

So the King goes out and brings in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. The banquet still isn't full so they're instructed to go out into the streets ("roads and country lanes") and compel people to come in. The place is designed to be full!

The takeaway for us is that we can't wait for "churchy" people to just show up. We gotta get into our neighborhoods and invite friends and neighbors. And we need to show up in the community and invite anyone who will listen.

Nothing I've written is revolutionary. But isn't it easier to talk about it than to do it? My question is this: how is your church doing it where you're at?

You or God?

2010-07-01T07:56:00.000-04:00

Who do you trust more, you or God?

Don't give me the "religious" answer. Answer honestly.

Do your life patterns reflect a trust in yourself, or in God....i.e., your habits, beliefs, decisions.... what do they say about your faith?

If we're honest, most of us trust ourselves. If we feel distant from God, it must be something we have to "do." Most of us have a default behavior/reward relationship with God. If I do (fill in the blank), God will reward me.

We also tend to default to ourselves and to our intelligence before approaching God.

I once asked my good friend Pastor Enrique why there are more miracles among his churches in Mexico than what we typically see in American mainline Christianity. His answer was simple (and I'm paraphrasing): essentially he told me that they do not have the "resources" we have in the US, so they begin by praying.

This Sunday we'll be addressing this question of "You or God?" at Christ Lutheran Church. Read Galatians 3 in advance and make sure to bring your Bibles and something to write with.

Let me give you a preview with a few thoughts:

God brings us to faith. You didn't come to know Jesus in a vacuum, but the Holy Spirit has led you every step of the way. Can you think of times in your life when this has been evident?

God prepares us to serve, but don't we like to think it's our own giftedness? How has God gifted you to serve? Do you know your spiritual gifts? (Have you ever heard of spiritual gifts?)

God builds the church, but sometimes we're more focused on what we need to do. While programs, buildings, staff and other resources are important, what does it look like to turn first to God and let that all fall into place? Are we willing to let God be in charge of the church? What does that look like?

I'll finish by telling you that my life often reflects a trust in myself first, and God second. I'm still a work in progress and I thank God that He is the craftsman and not me.

Unplanning Life

2010-06-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

I had this GREAT idea the other day that Mary Ann and I (and maybe Wesley) should try and do an "unplanned" trip.

The idea would be to take off a few days, and plan to travel Space Available on a military flight.

What that means is this: you go to a base which has regular military flights, which often have extra "seating" and members of the military can place their names on a waiting list and get a seat as space is available.

It's free and they fly to interesting places. It's FREE. It's also relatively uncomfortable and somewhat unreliable.

So we talked about the idea of flying to Europe, or somewhere else in the United States, and just kind of going with the flow. See where we end up. Look for a cheap hotel and do a very cheap vacation.

Cheap is good. Add in the element of adventure and it's a good idea, right? We could pack our bags and hop on a jet and end up in somewhere like Aviano, Italy. Look for a place to stay and see the town. What could go wrong with that?

Who knows if we'll ever do it. But it runs contrary to a way of thinking that has been constant in my life lately: planning. My days are planned. My weeks are planned. My months are planned. I plan myself out of plans.

So lately I've started saying no to some things and started intentionally planning unplanned time. (is that possible?).

My knee jerk reaction with unplanned time is to put something in there. That's a bad thing.

Does anyone else do that?

Our culture is built around that mindset. My iPhone suddenly has a new feature in which it will include links in my email so that if someone is offering a time and meeting, it will allow me to simply touch that "event" and put it in my calendar.

A member of church emailed a few of us yesterday to suggest getting together today to put the final touches on planning for our Fourth of July booth in Flagler Beach. I opened the email on my iPhone and Apple simply gave me the option of putting it in my calendar. It's scary because it's so efficient and because google and Apple probably have my events stored somewhere in their search engine.

So I'm thinking about unplanned time. No big moral lesson here, but I am wondering if the need to plan takes something away from my reliance on God, who has the great and right plans for us.

Do you ever unplan? If so, how? What has been the result?

For me it's straightforward. Unplanned time leads to more conversations with people at church or in the community, more quality time with my family, and less stress.

Nintendo Wii and The Lasting Values

2010-06-29T06:32:00.005-04:00

Last night my family joined the rest of America and we bought a Nintendo Wii. Yeah, we're about 5 years late to the party, I know. It's kind of how we operate.... we buy really cool things, but we just wait until they're almost obsolete and have dropped in price before we take the plunge. We went to the PX (NEX in Navy talk) at Naval Air Station Jacksonville yesterday to shop and the Wii's had dropped in price yet again.... so we did it.

And it is strangely addictive. Wes and I played first, and then when Maggie went to bed Mary Ann, Wes and I played. I hate to admit it, but Mary Ann and Wes took me to SCHOOL on the Ski Slalom. I'm the only skier in the family and I got crushed. Oh well.

So, in retaliation, I blanked Wesley in baseball. 3 innings.... I struck out every single one of his players in the victory. 2-0 win for the good guys. Later he and Mary Ann played tennis and it was interesting watching them. Wesley really has a competitive side to him. Something I know he gets from me (no surprise) and from Mary Ann (which may surprise some).

I'll be honest: I'm glad. I'm not going to sugarcoat it and pretend otherwise... I want him to be competitive. I want him to care and do his best and get mad when he loses. I like the fact that he's competitive with us and gets a little whiny when he loses.

But it makes me wonder what other values, character traits and life skills I'm passing on. Competitiveness isn't a Christian trait. It isn't necessarily "un-Christian," but it isn't something specifically taught. There is no: "Though shalt beat your friends in Wii and enjoy it" passage. Some might say "turning the other cheek" is a check on competition, but I don't think Jesus was really talking about games, sports and grades. I don't think there is any harm in trying your hardest and wanting to achieve, as long as the means are righteous and corners aren't cut to win.

Still.... it isn't a specifically Christian trait. So what are the values I'm passing on? I'm not going to end with a big life lesson or sermon, it just makes me reflect a little. I see myself in Wes when I see the competitiveness. I hope that as the years go on I also see lots of Jesus in him. (and I do...) I'll try my best to reflect that myself, but that's also the part where I have to turn my children over to God and pray for His guidance in their lives.

Sanitized Church

2010-06-28T06:25:00.003-04:00

I'm doing a sermon series on Galatians for the next few weeks (www.christpalmcoast.org). As I hit chapter 2 yesterday, I spent a few minutes discussing the issue of the day for Paul and the Galatians: circumcision.

It's always fun explaining that in church. I suppose I give a little more sarcastic reading of this issue (e.g., I noted that requiring circumcision to be a Christian will hurt evangelism). But I think it's in line with how Paul felt, and spoke, about this twisting of the faith. Paul wasn't tame.... especially as he cries out in chapter 5 that he wishes the "agitators" would go ahead and just castrate themselves completely.

And the Bible itself isn't tame. It's not sanitized for our ears. It has stories of warfare, murder, adultery, fighting, rivalries.... wild prophecies about the future (many of which have already come true... like the Messiah being God in the flesh, and a suffering servant... scandalous to those who crucified Him).

The Bible doesn't conform to our cultural norms. To the slaveholders, segregationists and racists, it proclaims that all people stand equally before God (e.g. Galatians 3:26-29). To our own culture it tells us that sexuality does have boundaries and it does not define us (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). To those who wish to work for their own salvation (the self help crowd), it tells us that only God can do it (Ephesians 2:8-10).

God's Word isn't subtle, it isn't politically correct, it doesn't pander to our ears... and yet I feel like this is the kind of Christianity that gets peddled most Sundays in America.

The Bible challenges us to think and the Holy Spirit will take you to amazing places if you listen to Him.

But I think many of us pastors and lay leaders are afraid to go there. I'll make that confession.

I preach from a short list of notes, rather than a manuscript. I'll confess that there are times that I wonder how a certain comment will be received... will it offend someone's politics? Will it challenge their way of life? Will it hurt their feelings because of family of origin issues? Will unleash their own personal axe to grind?

Not that I think about ALL of that all of the time... and it certainly doesn't drive me. But the point is that all of us tend to sanitize the things of God to suit our own ears.

This is often appropriate. Sometimes people are only ready for so much. Paul made the comparison to milk and solid food (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

Yet I wonder how often we miss the real message because we're concerned about the consumer? How often to do we miss the power, the challenge, the transformation possible because we want to tone it down?

Back to Galatians. Paul was MAD. Adding things to the Gospel is heresy, it's dangerous and it destroys the faith. The agitators were teaching you had to believe in Jesus, PLUS get circumcised to really be saved. They wanted God's grace mixed with their own good works and religious deeds.

Paul couldn't sanitize this or water it down. It was dangerous teaching. So he unleashed.

We can't sanitize the faith. Life is too short and the Word of God is too important to try and fit it to our own fleeting and incomplete sensibilities.

This doesn't mean everything has to be preached in one sermon, but it's a reminder that sometimes the most important task in sharing the faith is to get out of the way of what the Holy Spirit is doing and let God be God, in spite of our own misgivings.

How Do You Win in Life?

2010-06-26T14:01:00.005-04:00

Wes and I played the boardgame Life today. He won. :)

You win by ending in retirement with the most money. Simple concept, right?

What about in real life? Does the person with lots on money at the end win? Some say yes, others say no. Consider variations on these cliches:

"Whoever dies with the most toys win!"

Or,

"You can't take it to the grave!"

Which perspective is right?

Logic tells us money makes life "better" right?

Paying bills, taking vacations, putting your kids through college, providing for retirement... It all takes money.

Yet my gut tells me it's not the whole story. I feel like there is more to life.

Why?

For me it comes down to God, His plans, and eternal life.

If it's only for this life that we live, than money is pretty much the key to it all. Think about that for a second.

But if there is something more then the rules, the goals and the path changes.

What about you? How do you think we "win" at Life? Do you think about that much and order your life accordingly?

Peace and News, Worry and Concern

2010-06-25T06:21:00.004-04:00

Has anyone gotten tired of images like this? Are you tired of endless (but real) negativity?

We've got a lot of "stuff" going on in our world right now: the oil spill, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a crumbling economy, another unpopular president (the media just kinda jumped from Bush to Obama with about a 6 month pause)... and we know that negativity sells and we're getting a lot of it. Some good news would be nice.

Personally, I'm tired of it all. I'm a news junkie, but it's getting old. I'm reading the news less than I did a year or two ago.

Does anyone else feel like our country has lost the ability to hear good news? I don't want to diminish the problems we face: they're serious challenges. But do we even want to hear good stuff anymore?

I get this sense that if all was well, we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves. Last night I was watching the news, and the local Florida station was giving the weather (beautifully sunny at the time) and I noticed the name of the weather center is the "Severe Weather Center." SEVERE. It's scary and fearsome! Throw in a "Mega" doppler radar to your station and you're set. Weathermen are no different in Iowa or Florida or (fill in your state). Why not Sunshine Central? Can anyone from Iowa tell me which station brings out "Operation Winter Storm" every time it snows?

We love to worry. We worry about the weather, about the crumbling economy, about the oil, about the Republicans and Democrats. And we have some good reasons for concern. But we worry.

This morning during my devotions I read these well known words from Jesus: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34)

They're not new words to me, but I wondered, where do we draw the line between legitimate concern and action, versus letting fear and worry drive our lives? How do we balance out managing our lives versus being ruled and driven by fear?

Who can add an hour to his life by worrying, Jesus asked.

Not me.

So what do we do?

How do you handle this balance? I'd like to know your responses.

As a group, I think we Christians need to point people to the awesome message we preach. I get excited about all this God-talk-heaven-eternal-life-transformation-transcendent-salvation-truth-power-glory business. If talking about God and His personal action in our lives can't get us excited, I can't help 'ya.

We've got the message and we need to preach it. Our world needs a little peace, and it won't come from the news, or from political engagement or a full economic recovery. It comes from the powerful truth of God's peace.

So have at it. And tell me how you apply it to your lives.

Modern Pharisees?

2010-05-20T06:25:00.004-04:00

I've been wrestling with the idea of the role of clergy lately. It has to do with titles, garb (attire) and how we conduct ourselves. [Warning: what follows may irritate some people]

I struggle with two passages. I'll quote them here:

Matthew 10:7-10 "As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep."

and this passage:

Matthew 23:5-11 ""Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'

"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

I'm struck that Jesus criticized the religious leaders for their excessive attire, for their desire to be known and addressed as religious leaders, for the public nature of their religious displays. They were SO holy and wanted people to know it.

On the other hand the disciples were sent out and told to be simple and trust God. They didn't take an extra tunic, sandals or staff. They relied for their pay on the people to whom the were ministering.

What about today's clergy? Which group do we resemble?

It's almost as if Jesus wants the religious professionals to be stealthy. It appears he wants them to get out of the way so the focus can be on God.

I don't think we can fulfill what Jesus is calling us to do by taking vows of poverty, celibacy or retreating to monasteries. That draws a similar kind of attention to oneself (as if to say.... look at how holy I am... I have and need nothing, and I just sit here and suffer). It's a kind of false humility in my opinion.

It seems to me that the spirit of what Jesus is saying is not drawing attention to oneself, but rather, "preach the Gospel and get out of the way."

The temptation for clergy is to make it all about us. We work the crowd. We make sure people know we're pastors. We dress for success. Me, me, me.

I plead guilty to that at times. It's a hard balance between doing your job and becoming your job. For example, on Sunday morning it's somewhat helpful for people to know I'm the pastor. Do they need my name and title in the bulletin? Do they need for me to wear vestments and sit in a special place? Or is it obvious through the fact that I preach the sermon each week?

I know these aren't earth-shattering issues. But I also wonder if some of these things don't contribute to the destructive temptation of pride that hits clergy so hard?

So I'm asking these questions.

What about you?

What's the bottom line?

2010-05-17T10:01:00.002-04:00

Many of you know I'm a huge sports fan. I love every sport and enjoy almost any kind of discussion revolving around sports. I had a blast being able to watch the Magic-Celtics game in person last night. I love to analyze and discuss all sports related stuff.

One of the recurring themes these days is the desire/want/need for a player to find the "right" team. It seems to have evolved over the last decade or so from being a financial issue to a "winning" issue.

[Let me pause for a moment and say that the career path of an athlete is thoroughly filled with hypocrisy. We admire those athletes who stay in school, but chide those who leave early for the NBA/NFL, etc. We forget that a huge part of the college experience is about preparing people for a career. Who in their right mind would tell a 20 year old to stay in school if a large corporation offered him/her a 10 million dollar signing bonus and a guaranteed 3 year contract for $10 million+ per year? If my kids get that kind of offer while still in school, I'll tell them to jump at the offer! Some players leave school too early and are NOT ready for the big leagues, but that's a different story; I'm talking about the guys getting offered the guaranteed contracts, etc.]

So back to my point. There's a lot of discussion about LeBron James, and where he should play next year. Should he stay in Cleveland, his hometown? The arguments in favor of staying are "loyalty" and the good chance winning a championship there. Others have said he might be headed to Chicago, Miami or New York. In Miami he could team up with Dwayne Wade and have a great chance to win... in Chicago he and Derrick Rose might be able to pull it off. In New York he'd have fewer tools, but he'd be on the biggest stage of all.

What's interesting is that money doesn't seem to be the chief motivating factor. He'll get paid amazing amounts of money wherever he goes. He already has tons of endorsement deals. He might get more in Chicago, New York or Miami, but it's not like he's underexposed right now.

So it comes back to winning a championship. I think that's is a pretty healthy motivation.

Maybe sports is coming full circle. Athletes make so much money in SOME sports that their motivation- their bottom line- comes down to the desire to win. Isn't that the point of sports? To play and win games?

What about non-athletes? What is the bottom line in your life? What motivates your decisions and life goals? Do you have goals? Do you have a direction or purpose driving your career, family and personal life decisions?

Broadly speaking, my goals look like this: I want to be in a place in life in which I can most effectively serve God and raise my family.

Do my decisions always track those goals? No, because I'm an imperfect human being. But I think my overall trajectory has been fairly consistent and I'm than satisfied with where God has led me.

Mary Ann and I feel like God has put us in the right place, at the right time, to accomplish His bottom line for us. We love our congregation and our community.

Not every church would be right for me; and my church wouldn't be right for everyone. Not every community would be the most effective place for me to serve; Flagler County wouldn't be the best place for everyone else.

So what about you? I'd encourage you to look at your life goals, your life mission statement and ask if your decisions are moving you toward those goals or away from them.

It looks like LeBron's bottom line might be winning a championship. We'll see. Will he make the right choice and will be move toward his goal? Who knows.

Now is the time to ask the same of your life.

Christian and Patriotic?

2010-05-07T06:11:00.002-04:00

Patriotism has had an interesting ride these last ten years. After 9/11 there was an upsurge. Everyone flew the flag. People lined up to show their patriotism. Congressmen and women of both parties sang God bless America on the steps of the Capitol.

Then it went through a down period. Some of it, I believe, was linked to questions about the war being fought against terror. Some of the decline, oddly enough, seemed to be tied to a dislike of George W. Bush. Recently, there has been debate about our status as a superpower and whether or not we should be proud of that.

So what is patriotism, and how should a Christian feel about his or her country? I define it as love of, or pride in, one's country. The word itself comes from the Greek root, "patris" which is "fatherland." The Greek "patriotes" means "fellow countrymen." These Greek terms evolved into modern English. One online dictionary defined patriotism, circa 1600, as "loyal and disinterested supporter of one's country." The term Patriot was not always a complimentary one in Great Britain. In the US, it has had a generally positive connotation over the years. The US Army Chaplain Corps sports the motto "Pro Deo et Patria," Latin meaning "For God and Country."

Yet many Christians resist the patriotic impulse. Some do so based on the idea that to be patriotic is to worship our nation and not God. Others come from a different perspective: they are NOT proud of this country, and do not believe it worthy of honor or respect. Depending on the political power in control, the group of un-happy folks changes from time to time. Some Christians debate whether or not flags should be in the sanctuary, or how (or whether) to honor Veterans.

To answer the question of Christian patriotism, I think we need to ask two questions: Does the Bible allow for patriotism, and, if so, should we be proud of this country.

First, I believe the Bible DOES allow for patriotism. Jesus famously told the Pharisees to "give to Caesar what is Caesar's" a form of separation of Church and State, it seems.

More relevant, is Romans Chapter 13. Read the entire passage here and then jump back.

Some of the key points are:
-Submit to the governing authorities (not a blanket endorsement of all policies, however...)
-Rulers are God's servants
-To submit is not just a matter of punishment, but of conscience
-Pay taxes, pay revenue, pay honor, pay respect, where they are due.

This is a solid case for being a good citizen, paying your taxes and participating in the civic discourse. Honor and respect include respecting the rank or political office of an individual (even if you disagree with them), rendering salutes or observing a moment of honor or respect (such as the National Anthem).

Christians ought to have the maturity to be able to say the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the National Anthem with Romans 13 in mind, and understand they are not "worshipping" their country but rendering the proper respect and honor.

So the other part of this question is: is this country worthy of honor and respect?

Again I believe the answer is yes.

Are we a perfect nation? By no means. There have been disastrous policies by both political parties, we've chosen wrong in conflicts in the past, and we had to overcome our own demons as a nation, particularly slavery.

But we are a great country. We embrace freedom. We love to worship God- at a rate higher than most nations. We've got the most powerful military in the world, yet we have resisted the urge to simply invade other countries and steal their land and resources, as most great powers have done in the past. We have usually been on the cutting edge of invention and innovation. We have loved scientific inquiry and put a man on the moon.

We're a fair nation. We take civil rights seriously, even if we have vigorous debates about what defines civil "rights." We believe all individuals have value because God says so. This is NOT a concept embraced in every country. Try going to Iran or Russia and having a Tea Party (conservatives) or a gay rights parade (liberals). (I'm not advocating those particular protests, but let's be honest and happy about our freedom regardless of your politics).

We give generously to other countries in need, even though we usually get ridiculed in spite of it. We freed western Europe and protected them for two generations. We've done the same for the South Koreans and others.

Some will object. "What about the Spanish-American War?" "What about the internment of Japanese during World War 2?" What about (fill in the blank)?"

My response: we're not perfect. You will not find a perfect country. Grading countries REQUIRES grading on a curve in an imperfect world. If you're waiting for a perfect country, you'll be waiting until Jesus comes back.

So I'm proud of this place. I'm proud to be able to put on the uniform of the US Army. It's not a right. It's a blessing. As Memorial Day approaches I'm humbled by those who have paid for our freedom with their lives. I'm brought to tears by the memory of some of those I saw or knew in Iraq.

Can we be Christians and Patriots? Yes. Should we be? It's up to you, but I am. This is a pretty good place blessed by an Awesome God.

Transparency

2010-05-04T16:32:00.003-04:00

Last night I had a conversation with my son that reminded me that we Christians are not as transparent as we really think we are.

As we prepared to say our bedtime prayers, we talked a little about my sister's daughter, who will be born with a heart issue that will need to be surgically fixed. This really bothered Wesley and we started talking about the fact that people are ALL born with challenges, unique to each person. I used my need for contacts and glasses as an example (albeit a poor one).

The conversation then led to moral challenges. I don't know why. Wes is a bright kid, though and we began to talk about those. With a 9 year old, words like challenges and problems make more sense than "sin." So that's where we headed... original sin and the struggles we all have.

He asked me point blank, "Dad, what are your challenges?"

Wow. "If I was with adults...." I thought, "it would be easy." I could list off things that all men deal with. Lust is an easy, and obvious, example. But I thought that explaining lust to your 9 year old son might not be so easy, so I left that off the list. That mental blockage continued until I realized I had very few sins I could transparently lay before him.

I mumbled something about arrogance. "I can be arrogant and I don't always listen very well." I also added that "sometimes I'm not as caring as I'd like to be."

Great. I just painted myself as a complete lie. Here's the picture I made: "I don't struggle much, except with occasionally thinking I'm really awesome and not thinking others are as awesome." I didn't say that, but that's the message I gave.

Superficial.

I failed him.

But isn't that the great struggle of our faith? To be totally transparent with our brokenness? Maybe some of you have this nailed down, and maybe some of your churches have perfected this. Good for you. :)

But most haven't. And tomorrow I start a Bible study at church on 1 John. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us...."

Ok, back to the drawing board for me. I guess I can add "spiritual liar" to my list!

The Joy of Growing

2010-05-03T18:52:00.002-04:00

Today is my day off, and Mary Ann and I ended up at a nursery in Daytona Beach. We'd been wanting to get a citrus tree, and we heard from friends the "place" to go. So we headed out there with a few things on our checklist.

We left without too much damage: a small palm tree (a Windmill Palm... will grow to about 20 feet), a jasmine plant, a Kiwi vine, and, finally, a Ruby Red Grapefruit tree.

The grapefruit tree is a small one. It wasn't a financial issue, as much as it seemed more "interesting" to buy it and watch it grow. I remember my dad planting small trees at our house in Minnetonka when I was a kid. When you drive by today, the yard is quite literally a forest.

I'm thinking along the same lines. As you can see above, the tree is small. Compared to the Palm already in the yard, this little 3 foot tall grapefruit tree is tiny. It won't bear edible fruit for at least 3 years.

But I like it. Like the Autumn Blaze Maple we planted in the front of our first house, we'll take pictures of this each year and look forward to it getting bigger.

Following Jesus is like that. A seed is planted and the next thing you know, God is doing something big. Sometimes it's the faith of an individual. Sometime it's larger movements; I think about LCMC- just a handful of congregations a few years ago, and now more than 400.... and the dozens upon dozens of mission starts happening right now in our midst.

I think about my congregation. As a fairly new congregation we're growing and looking forward to the future. God knows what it holds; we just wait with excitement. God brings the growth. He dreams bigger than we ever dare.

I wonder if the disciples could have imagined the reality of the Gospel going to the ends of the earth when it was just a handful of believers as Jesus ascended into heaven?

Thank God His vision is bigger than ours!

Something for Nothing

2010-05-01T07:25:00.000-04:00

How often do churches do something for nothing?

Before you talk about feeding the poor or some other kind of mission, think about that question.

How often do we really do anything without thinking about the benefit or growth it will bring to our congregations?

I'm thinking about this question because I want me my congregation to grow. That's natural. Jesus told us to go and make disciples of all nations; we know that in the Book of Acts they were candid about talking about numbers (like 3000 being saved and baptized....)

So there is nothing wrong with wanting more people to come to church, as long as our motivation is to expand God's kingdom, and not just have a bigger church, bigger building, more to brag about, etc.

But this is balanced out with a lot of thinking I've done lately on "Proclaiming the Kingdom of God." How often do I, or members of my church, just proclaim the rule of God....the love of God...the presence of Christ.... without expecting some kind of growth or benefit to our congregation?

I'm thinking of a couple of examples. We recently had a team that began holding worship services at a nursing home in town. This is not a retirement home. It's a place where they're unable to drive, leave by themselves... to participate in the life of our congregation outside their nursing home.

I love it. It's no strings attached ministry.

We won't grow our church. But the Kingdom of God will be proclaimed. That's the really important part.

And I think about our new podcast. I spent some time this week figuring out how to do it. I've wanted to do it for a while, but just hadn't. Well, after hearing Dave Housholder talk about the number of people who download their podcast, people who will never set foot in their church doors, I realized that we can reach people we'll never meet by simply getting sermons online.

It's no strings attached ministry. Proclaiming the Kingdom of God. So now it's up and running. It's on iTunes under "Christ Lutheran Church of Palm Coast," and or can be directly downloaded at: http://christpalmcoast.libsyn.com/

This is church in the 21st century. It isn't about building cathedrals or having the largest membership. If God blesses us with a larger building and increased membership.... then praise God for that. But the point is simply preaching Jesus to whoever will listen.

We're in a different day. Maybe it's more like the 1st century when the disciples simply went out and proclaimed the Kingdom of God. They weren't expecting to increase their budget and build new buildings.

They simply preached the Good News. And miracles happened. The blind saw, the lame walked, and people came to know Jesus.

The same thing is happening today.

Looking for the man of peace, proclaiming the Kingdom

2010-04-29T06:48:00.001-04:00

Yesterday at the airport, I had a great conversation with John Waak, my good friend, who is an LCMC pastor and Board of Trustee member. John is a faithful Christian who has a deep sense of what the Spirit is doing these days.

We talked a little about healing, and I took great interest because I'm preaching on miracles over these next few weeks. John talked about using Luke 10 (and Matthew 10) as guides for healing. Go ahead read Luke 10, or click here.

Anyway, in that passage, there are a few key items:

-Look for a "man of peace" when you enter a home (or hospital room, or whatever place you're headed). This could be a whole separate discussion, but I understand a man of peace (or woman) to be that gentle, peaceful person who is open to the Gospel, not contentious, and willing to hear what you have to say. Base your ministry or your healing around that person.

-Heal the sick. John said he will simply ask "Is there anyone sick who would like prayer?" (I'm not quoting him exactly... but you get the point). Pray for healing. I would add: pray expectantly.

-Proclaim the Kingdom of God. This is the announcement of the rule of God in Christ. This pronouncement is the declaration that Christ reigns, and any demons, sickness, brokenness, pain... anything outside the Kingdom must flee. This is where you invite people to know Jesus Christ.

Man of peace --> healing --> proclamation of the Kingdom.

I like it. I'm processing it. What are your thoughts? Post your comments below and let's talk about this.

Fear, Joy, Trembling?

2010-04-28T06:56:00.000-04:00

"Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling." Psalm 2:11

This caught my eye this morning. It resonates. The Psalm, as a whole, is talking about the kings of the earth plotting against the Messiah; it's a reflection of the folly of this plotting, as well as an admonition to them.

So the mix of fear, joy and trembling jumped out at me. Yesterday at the closing worship for the LCMC Leadership Conference, we sang the song "God of Wonders." That's one of my favorite songs... God of Wonders beyond our galaxy... you are holy... and later on, the part that almost brings me to tears: Early in the morning I will celebrate the light And when I stumble into darkness I will call your name by night

That songs brings me to the point of awe, trust, love, and even fear. It's the mix that makes up this crazy Christian life.

One of the speakers at the conference reminded us that if you read the whole Bible, it will "mess with your faith." I love that. He meant this as a reminder that the Bible is God's Word, not ours, and it doesn't fit neatly into our cultural box. It will bring you fear, and joy mixed with trembling... sometimes within the same verse and within the same breath.

We serve a holy God, in a time and place when the sense of holiness is gone. He is an awesome and awe-inspiring God, and yet He knows us personally. It's a crazy mix and it's hard to wrap our minds around it.

I'm glad for that. If God could be put in a box, studied and totally understood, He wouldn't be the God of Wonders.

The New Command

2010-03-31T21:49:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday. Maundy... coming from the Latin "mandatum," meaning order, command or decree.

We call it that because we celebrate the "New Command" given by Jesus in John 13:34: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." This new command was given at the Last Supper, right after Jesus had washed His disciples' feet.

It's a hard teaching: Love one another.

On a superficial level, it's not too hard. I believe I love everyone. I'm a generally agreeable person (though prone to debating). I don't think I have any real enemies. Loving shouldn't be too difficult.

But Jesus is talking about something deeper. He's talking sacrifice, servitude and serious dying-to-the-self.

That's hard.

So how do we do it? How do we die to ourselves and truly love those around us?

We do it by seeking Christ in prayer. We do it by asking God for humility, by putting others' needs first, and taking the burdens of others upon ourselves.

Jesus modeled this kind of love on the cross. He humbled Himself, to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2), and took MY sin upon Himself.

It's hard to understand. So I pray. And I ask Jesus to show me how to love like that.

Perspective

2010-03-12T05:31:00.000-05:00

One of the greatest challenges in life is keeping perspective.

The life warning we should have stuck to our foreheads, or maybe on our hands where we can see it should say: "Warning, objects in your view will appear much larger, worse, dangerous, challenging or scary than they really are."

That's my experience. Do you know what I mean?

For example: When you're in high school a rejection for a date seems like the end-of-the-world. Then you get a little older and look back and realize how silly so much of the peer pressure at that age actually was; but it was so HARD at the time. Your perspective has changed.

I remember, as a kid, wondering if I would be able to drive a car when I was older based on the difficulty of keeping the car on the road in the arcade game Pole Position. Anyone else have that fear? (I didn't think so....)

Then there have been the bigger life events.... deploying to Iraq, for me. I remember that I couldn't even conceive of being in an actual combat zone with people shooting at each other and blowing things up. And yet while I was there I came to the peaceful realization that I would either come home alive, or I would go to my eternal reward with Christ, and that brought me a measure of comfort. A LOT of comfort.

But I still lose perspective. We're closing on a home today. It's 5:30am (eastern) as I type, and we close at 9am. I am so wired right now. I went to bed at midnight and got up at 5am. I would have gotten up at 3am, but I decided I should get at least some sleep.

So I have a mix of emotions.... fear, anxiety, excitement, joy, dread, happiness and sadness. All bundled together. Those who know me know that this will manifest itself today in me talking even faster than normal. I'll be chatty and talk a mile a minute.

The question is: WHY?

The answer: perspective. I'm not keeping perspective.

There are a number of things that could go wrong today. Maybe the closing company didn't get the HUD statement last night and we can't close today. Maybe they gave us the wrong amount for closing and we'll have to cough up more money. Maybe..... maybe, maybe, maybe.

And how much does it matter? A lot, and yet, very little. The sun will rise this morning and it will set. We will either spend our afternoon starting to move things over to the house, or I'll be calling all my buddies and telling them we can't use their pick ups tomorrow and to wait until Monday or Tuesday. Who knows.

But here's the one thing I know to be true: once we get settled I will look back and wonder why I was so anxious.

In short, that's life. The very worst thing that can happen, from most people's perspective, is dying. And it hurts when we lose a loved one. But what if all of this business about heaven and eternal life and being with God is true?

Then it changes our perspective forever. I guarantee you we will look back on our lives and chuckle at the silly things we lost sleep over (like mortgages). But I also realize I might be losing opportunities in the present because I allow fear or anxiety to get out of perspective.

Where are you missing opportunities because you lack perspective?

Do we really believe Romans 8:31: "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Do we believe God's promises, like to the people of Israel: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

I do. I believe God's promises. I just take my eyes off of Him sometimes and I begin to lose perspective. Thank God that He pulls me back in and re-directs my steps.

Answered Prayers

2010-03-10T06:20:00.000-05:00

This weekend, at CLC, we're tackling the subject "Does God Answer Prayer?"

For Christians, this may seem like a slam dunk, "of course, He does" question.

But not everyone believes that. In a time and place in which the economy is struggling, two wars are bring fought, there are earthquakes around the world, politicians are fighting about everything from global warming/cooling to stimulus packages, to how to stayed elected.... well, in this environment some people ask "Where's God in all this?"

And prayers?? Some may think God is as distant as ever.

The truth is different and it's found in both small and large ways. It's found in the miraculous healing of a girl who was blind, on one of my mission trips, to simple answers to everyday prayers about household finances, friendships and other aspects of daily life.

Why?

Because you matter to God. He hears- and answers- your prayers. You have value.

Does this mean God gives us everything we want? Of course not. Faith isn't a blank check to health, wealth and pain-free living.

But you matter to God and He is more involved in your life than you can ever imagine.

So pray to God as your heavenly Father. And remember these basics:

-You don't need special "churchy" words and don't be afraid to keep it short.

-Believe. Ask boldly. If you have doubts, ask God to take them away.

-Expect miracles. And when you get those miracles... whether mundane or life altering, tell others.

I'll finish with these words from the Bible:

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:2-6

Faith and Economics

2010-03-08T20:04:00.000-05:00

Does your faith influence how you vote, how you handle your finances or how you think the government should govern? What about how you understand the economy? Do you, as a Christian, favor big government or small government? Should the government be responsible for the poor, or should the bulk of it fall to charity, private enterprise and the business world?

Why or why not?

Faithful Christians can come down on either side of the argument. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have a corner on the "Economics of Jesus" market.

But what do you say, and why?

Here is a link to an article about a Republican congressman from Wisconsin, and his "plans."

Share your thoughts.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/04/news/economy/paul_ryan.fortune/index.htm

Jihadist Hypocrisy

2010-03-05T18:08:00.001-05:00

I'm taking a little different tack with today's post. Here is an intriguing article on Muslim jihadists going to places like strip clubs.

Read this article, and share your thoughts:

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/03/is-it-inconsistent-for-muslim-holy-warriors-to-go-to-strip-clubs.html

The Intricate Beauty of God

2010-03-04T06:45:00.000-05:00

I sit here listening to my 22 month old daughter talking in her room. She'll be ready to get up soon. (when she starts talking, she's not quite "ready." She tells us when she is). I've made my wife's coffee and prepared the baby's bottle.... part of my morning routine.

And it's kind of amazing. God has designed each and everyone one of us... he knew us before he put us together in the womb, the Bible tells us.

The baby squeals, my early rising habit, my wife's soon to be foggy looking face which perks up after my coffee.... all part of the fabric of how God wove us together.

Now wonder that the head of the Human Genome Project, which mapped the human DNA, is a Christian. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/03/collins.commentary/index.html

How can't you know love and praise God when you see this world?

Science and Serious Christianity?

2010-03-03T06:01:00.000-05:00

This Sunday I'll be talking about Science and Faith.... do they conflict?

The world is looking for solid ground and real answers right now, and it seems harder and harder to find it.

The "Religion" Problem: Let's face it.... in some ways, "religion" is in trouble. On the one hand you have shrinking mainline churches who continue to issue crazy political statements that have little to do with the Bible or real life. People walk into these churches and hear boring sermons about....nothing. There's lots of religious stuff out there, but very little practical, relevant teaching about God and His role in our lives. Why go?

And scandals: it seems like there are always scandals of pastors cheating on their wives, terrible things happening to kids, and so on. Some of it is blown out of proportion, but.... how can "religious people do this?" No wonder people begin to distruct the whole religious world.

And then you have the common image of Christians being out-of-touch-hypocritical-do-gooders who sit in judgment over others.

"Religion" has a problem. But what about science?

The Science Problem: Lots of people from my parents generation turned to science as the new foundation. Advances in quality of life, new learning, research and development.... science seemed to offer all of the answers. It was sure a heck of a lot better than the boring religious stuff they heard in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s in the increasingly irrelevant churches.

But science has a problem too: we're realizing that science is filled with scientists who are as human as you and I. They make mistakes. They say things and then new research contradicts and changes those things.

People like me.... in their 30s, 20s, and younger are wondering what to believe.

Think about this: are the Himalayan glaciers going to melt by 2035? Whoops... maybe it was 2350 we find out. Then we hear it might actually just be wrong. I'm told the ice in the arctic (north pole) is shrinking, but the ice in Antarctica (south pole) is growing. Now everyone says the last 10-15 years haven't seen any warming.... but who do we believe? I've read that the Vikings settled Greenland in the middle ages because it was so warm they could FARM there. It isn't green anymore!

What about medicine? I trust and love doctors. But I hear the commercials and warnings for all theses medicines and it makes me wonder. I can take a drug to treat allergies, but the side effects might be things like dry throat, coughing, itchy nose, bleeding from the eyes, memory loss, listening to Britney Spears music and possibly death (ok.... I made up the itchy nose part).

So who knows?

What I know is this: we serve an unchanging God. The Bible says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Even if His spokespeople (us) mess things up, He hasn't changed. And I know that science is a gift from God- the ability to learn and grow. We just can't worship it, and or get too freaked out about it.

Let's talk about it Sunday. Come to Christ Lutheran Church (www.christpalmcoast.org) and let's get real about finding truth and a path in this world. God made it all. Science is part of God's world. God is here, real and relevant. Time to sort it all out.

Tell me what you think? How do you answer these questions?

Do not be anxious....

2010-03-02T07:54:00.000-05:00

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul writes:

"6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

I love that passage... one of my favorite passages in the Bible.

But I find that in my human weakness, it's easier said than done. Right now we're going through the last stages of the mortgage process. This is more stressful than deploying to Iraq, I think.

We're at that point where our packet is about to go to the underwriter, and we should be closing around March 15th. This is the point at which they're crossing the "t's" and dotting the "i's" and it seems like every day we're asked for something new.

Today I plan to send them a DNA sample just to be proactive.

So... "don't be anxious about anything." Easier said than done. I woke up last night and started running through all of the worst case scenarios. Ever done that before? :) Thoughts like: What if they suddenly change their mind from "pre-approved" to "we don't want to lend you money." What if they all of a sudden change the amount we need at closing? I could go on....

But we're told to give it to God in prayer. That's what I'm doing. I'd love to report that the second I do that, I'm floating on clouds and listening to choirs of angels. It's not quite that simple. But God is present, taking us through this, and reminding me that, in the grand scheme of things, this loan doesn't matter much.

That helps. Big time. :)

Irony and patience

2010-01-12T07:01:00.000-05:00

So here I sit at the Daytona Beach airport. My planning was perfect; got up around 4am, on the road by about 5am, had all of my stuff in order and breezed through check in and security. I was so prepared for my 7am flight that it wasn't even funny. I'm the man, right?

Except that there's ice on the wings. I suppose thus properly defines irony: when flying to Minneapolis from Daytona Beach, I'm delayed in DAYTONA because if ice. Thru have no de-icing equipment (for good reason- they'd never use it enough to justify the expense). So we wait. The sun needs to come up and de-ice the wings the old fashioned way.

But it reminds me that I can plan all I want and I'm still not in control, God is.

I think about Job wrestling with the idea that he couldn't understand why certain things were happening to him. God's response was not an explanation, but a reminder that He alone is God, and He doesn't have to condescend to explain everything to us.

My situation is NOT a hardship... Just ironic and a reminder that I control very little.

How can we serve young families?

2009-12-27T17:25:00.000-05:00

"How can we serve young families?"

This question keeps me up at night.

I serve an amazing congregation. Our average age is probably 65, and when they called me as pastor, one of the specific goals was to reach young families and be able to adapt to a changing community.

Palm Coast (Florida) began as a retirement community planned by ITT in the 1970s. It's dramatic growth began about 10 years ago when it was incorporated as a town, and from 2000-2008, Flagler County was the fastest growing county in the United States.

Young families moved in. Families from everywhere: from New York to Cuba, to Russia to the Midwest. 21st century diversity. Everyone is from here because no one is from here. The good times were rolling.

And then the recession came and the housing bubble burst.

Our schools are growing like crazy and this town is chock full of kids. And many of these families are hurting in that "not-quite-visible" middle class kind of way.

So how do we serve these young families?

It consumes my thoughts.

Our congregation is starting a second contemporary service (our traditional service has grown to capacity), we've got a nice web presence (www.christpalmcoast.org) and our members are some of the most passionately committed Christians I've ever met. We're growing, we're focused and we're ready for what's next.

So that brings me back to the original question: what next Lord? How do you want us to serve them?

What are you doing in your communities? What can we be doing that no one else is doing? What is needed today?

Tell me your thoughts!

I have the week off (yay!) and I plan to catch up with life and spend some time praying and seeking God's vision for how we can reach young families.

What do you think?

Spiritual Hazards at Christmas

2009-12-26T04:49:00.000-05:00

I have to admit it.... Christmas day was kind of a killer for me.

Let me be straight-forward: the day was just about perfect. Perfect as a rationale person would define it. Family here, kids opening presents.... kids enjoying presents (Maggie loved what we bought her- WOW!), and absolutely beautiful weather. 75 and warm down here in Palm Coast.

But I was bored out of my mind. I desperately wanted to get my Christmas Eve sermon uploaded and edit our church website. But the company that hosts our editing software has been having server issues. Sigh. I know I'm not supposed to "work" on Christmas, but this really doesn't "count" as work.

So I thought about playings games on the computer. I have a silly war game I play online when I'm bored. But they had a special 3 day break for Christmas. Ironic, I think. I believe the game is based out of Germany or the UK, where very few people practice Christianity. But this game- not work- this game takes a break when I have free time.

I thought about working on my sermons for when I get back from vacation. I'll be gone this Monday, for a week. That seemed like a good use of time. But, alas, I left my sermon series and sermon titles at church. I didn't think Mary Ann would appreciate me going to church to find work.

So.... TV!!! But no football. How is this possible? There is NBA basketball, but no football? How can there be basketball on such a sacred holiday as Christmas, but not a single game of football? Note: Irony of ironies... somehow I MISSED the Chargers Titans game on... I was only looking for Bowl games and made the assumption the NFL had no games.

Later on, after we put Maggie to bed, I suggested Mary Ann and I go down to the beach for a walk, but she didn't want to go without a flashlight and ours are packed away somewhere. At least I tried.

So I went to bed early. And I slept great. And not I'm up before the crack of dawn. Blogging, thinking, praying... and realizing how much of Matthew 6 I have just ignored. Listen to what Jesus says:

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

and then:

33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Hmmm.... I guess I forgot about that one.

It wasn't so much that I was "worried." But I think the emotion I was displaying was something similar. I was/AM still worried about getting my sermon posted. I'm still itching to get out and "do" something.

I missed the chance to simply be present and relax. Sigh. Yesterday really wasn't about seeking God's Kingdom first, but it could have been.

Thankfully, today is a new day, and His grace allows me to start over. Thank God.

Joy, Now and Forever

2009-12-19T06:27:00.000-05:00

I'm reading 1 Peter this morning.... and in Chapter 1:3-9, Peter says:

"In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Look at some of these words: "new birth" and "inheritance that can never perish" and "greatly rejoice" and finally "inexpressible and glorious joy."

JOY... we use the word a lot before Christmas, but I wonder who really feels it? Who really feels joyful?

I know it's cliche to talk about the negativity in our world, but it's true.

9/11 did change things, but not in the way we think. Our culture seems to have spiraled down into a cycle of negativity from which we cannot recover. War, recession, fallen heroes (the Tiger Woods and others). And throw in the debate about climate change and the seemingly endless political campaigning and this world can just be.... weary.

So Peter talks about an "inexpressible joy."

Do you have it? Do you want it?

It comes from taking the long view. The long view is the eternal picture. Understanding that if you know Jesus you have an imperishable life. You understand the bigger picture in a way that others don't. The temporary stuff ends up being, well, temporary.

Without this joy we can be consumed... by the temporary but unceasing bad news, the ever present gossip and politics of personal destruction, and the short sighted materialism of this world.

But there is simple joy in Christ. And it's powerful. And if you don't have it, ask Jesus.

New Website for Christ Lutheran of Palm Coast

2009-08-13T12:20:00.001-04:00

Check out our new website: www.christpalmcoast.org

Let me know what you think!

Waves of the Spirit and the Beach

2009-08-06T07:58:00.000-04:00

Since moving to Florida, I've taken to running on the beach. It's my morning ritual, every other day. I've got a three mile route marked out... actually, not really a route, but just 1.5 miles up and then I turn around.

As I've observed the beach, I've begun to formulate some crazy connections between the beach, the ocean and the Holy Spirit.

I see the waves hitting the beach, and I see a connection to the Holy Spirit guiding and molding the church. The surf hitting the beach constantly changes and molds the beach; although it's the same ocean and, in a sense, the same beach, it constantly looks different. From afar it, the beach looks the same, but up close each day I see different patterns in the sand, new ocean life washed up, new shells and crabs, and the water ebbs and flows.

I also see that my footprints are quickly erased and the beach constantly looks new and fresh.

I know it's an imperfect comparison, but follow me for a moment longer. Here's how I see the connection:

+The message of the Gospel never changes, but the church is constantly in flux. New faces, new languages, new musical styles, new renewal movements. To try and resist the Spirit is futile. The Spirit is constantly moving in waves in the church, and we need to try and see where the Spirit is moving, rather than try and demand that the Holy Spirit move in "our" way.

+As I run along the beach, I have to know and watch where I'm running. The sand here is pretty soft, and tinted red by well worn shells, coral, etc., but every once in a while there is a sharp little shell popping out. In the same way, as we move through church life, we have to be aware of what the church looks like, the needs, the people, the challenges and the sharp places as well. The church changes, so we can't assume we can do things the same way, in the same place, and get the same results.

+The Spirit brings renewal and, of course, forgiveness. There is a certain humility in running along the beach and seeing your footsteps quickly erased after, what, 30 seconds? In the same way, the Holy Spirit is NOT focused on our legacies, but on the life-change and renewal in which we participate. The Holy Spirit is in the business of transforming and making new the broken, the lost and the sinner.

So what's the application? I'm not sure. Maybe these are just the crazy early morning ruminations of a runner. But I think we ought to be well aware that faithful work in the Church is about being in step with the Holy Spirit, His work, and the way He's changing lives.

Reach Out, Receive, Retain

2009-07-31T09:51:00.001-04:00

Here are three concepts I want you all to think about over the coming weeks. I'll write a few brief thoughts and then expand on them in future posts.

Reach Out: how do we creatively reach out to people in Palm Coast? What needs can we meet that aren't being met? Can you think of an idea so crazy that it just might reach people? How we do we connect with people in order to connect them to Jesus?

Receive: How we receive new people matters. It's one thing to bring them in, but what do they experience at Christ Church? Do they hear the Word? Do they feel welcome? Can they follow the worship? What are the next steps we need to take to do ever better to receive people? (because I think we're doing an excellent job and will only get better!)

Retain: this is about growing people and making certain this is a place they can be planted for the long term. Discipleship, children's ministry, fellowship, going deeper in their walk with Christ. What do we need to do to make sure we retain those that come to Christ.

Here is my challenge: I want you all to think of one way to creatively bring people to Christ Lutheran Church. Pray for the community, and be willing to dream about how we can reach new people!

On the Ground in Palm Coast

2009-07-28T08:14:00.000-04:00

Well.... it's been "boots on ground" in Palm Coast for a little more than a week.

What a great week it has been! Here are few observations:

-The people in Palm Coast- and this part of Florida- and incredible friendly. It seems like when I go into a store, people are are always willing to talk. I've already invited a few people to worship just because the conversations have led us in that direction. It's going to be a blast getting to know this community!

-Our church- Christ Lutheran Church- is a Spirit-filled, vibrant and loving place. The welcome my family has received has been outstanding. We have felt welcome from the moment the call was offered, and the welcome has only grown. When we came to worship on Sunday morning, one of the ushers (Bill) made sure that the nursery was staffed- the nursery which was just re-painted and re-configured! This is exactly how you welcome young families and it certainly made us feel more welcome and allowed my wife to worship without tending to Margaret! This church knows how to welcome people!

-This church has a passion to reach new people. And we're going to do it. There is a world hurting for lack of a relationship with Christ, and we've got a mission before us.

This weekend, I want to talk about some core values we will hold before us as we move into the future. They're nothing new; the Word of God is the same yesterday, today and forever. But they're helpful reminders and they're where we stand. Here they are:

Jesus is Lord
We stand on the Word of God
We are called to serve
God is changing lives
We are making disciples

Like I said, none of this is new, revolutionary, and none of it should be news to anyone! But here is my challenge: this week, leading up to worship, I want you to think about what this means for us in Palm Coast.

For example: God changes lives... and He has changed so many lives at Christ Lutheran. So how do we share that transformational power with the community?

People are hurting here in Flagler County. Unemployment is high, homes are being foreclosed, families are being pulled in different directions. They're looking for hope. And that hope is found in Jesus Christ, who radically transforms all who encounter Him.

Many people have spoken to me about the need to reach young families (and old ones, I would add!). Well.... we've got the Gospel, and we've got the transformational power of the Holy Spirit. Now is the time for us to get out there and continue the work already going on in this church.

Are you ready to step forward together, and reach this community for Christ?

I'm excited for what God has in store for us!

Good News

2009-06-13T19:12:00.000-04:00

It's been almost a month since I've posted; I'm not doing so well on the writing lately, am I?

Anyway, today I was out for a little run, and I began to think about the state of things these days. There has been an awful lot of bad news in the media lately, and it only seems to be accelerating. Among the news has been:

-Continued wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
-A poor economy
-Chrysler and GM going bankrupt
-A terrible housing market in most places, and huge numbers of foreclosures
-Pirates
-Sabre rattling from North Korea, and murmurs of war
-Continued crazy talk from Iran and, now, violence after the "election"
-Talk of inflation, a devalued dollar and loss of economic prestige for the US
-Gay marriage in the heartland and continue moral degeneration
-And so on....

You get the point. Yet in the midst of this I think about the Good News that we offer as Christians. No one likes hardship, but this is also an opportunity to boldly speak of the hope we have as Christians. It's a time to be counter-cultural by not giving into fear. It's a time to speak encouragement to frustration and proclaim peace in the midst of anxiety.

It's time for Christians to stand up, and stop wringing our hands, and proclaim the love of God to a fearful world.

Satan is the master of lies, and he wants you to believe there is no hope. And like all of his lies, there is a grain of truth. There is truly no hope if your trust is only put in the institutions of this world.

Nevertheless, satan IS a liar, and there is hope outside the temporal remedies of this world. There is transcendent, eternal hope. Hope in Jesus Christ. God's plan is bigger than this, and the world has seen worse than what we're going through. And, the Bible tells us, there is worse to come. But God is bigger than all of it, and you will find peace if you cast your hope upon Him.

The former Minnesota Governor, Jesse Ventura, once called religion a crutch for weak-minded people. But, truly, the opposite is true. God is the victor. The real question isn't whether faith is a crutch or not, but whether you're going to be part of God's victory, or wallow in the defeat of a temporary world, unnecessarily weighed down by things that were never meant to last.

Which is it?

Blessings and Affirmations

2009-05-18T08:23:00.000-04:00

I had started to write this blog, and then stepped away from the computer for a moment. When I returned, I discovered that Margaret, our one-year-old, had somehow managed to erase the blog post and all that was on the computer was a series of "e's' and "w's". Since she loves to scream, the repetition of the letter "e" seems apropos.

Anyway, what I started to write about was my announcement yesterday to Zion that I have accepted a call to Christ Lutheran Church in Palm Coast, Florida. It was a tough day because we're sad to leave, and yet it was a blessing because the reaction was uniform across the board: a mixture of sadness that we're leaving combined with excitement for us.

What I got in the end was something unexpected: an affirmation of the call to Christ Lutheran. God has been doing this in a variety of ways over the past number of weeks. Since the beginning of the discernment process, Pastor John has been on board, and I cannot express the love and friendship we have, and his guidance has been crucial for discerning this next step. He is a gifted and godly leader, and I can compliment him without him rolling his eyes because he's on vacation for a couple weeks and probably won't read this. But all of us on staff are blessed to work alongside him in the Kingdom. And all of your reactions yesterday were, likewise, a blessing and affirmation of what God is doing.

God is using all of us: staff, members, visitors, to grow and expand His Kingdom. I won't be saying good bye for about 7 weeks, but I do want to take a moment to say thanks, and to give God glory for what I see happening at Zion.

Prayer for Lukewarm Churches

2009-05-13T22:04:00.001-04:00

Here is a thought provoking post from another blog. What are you reactions?

http://regularfolksunited.com/index.php?tab=article_view&article_id=1597

Tea Parties, Politics and Confession

2009-04-15T22:30:00.001-04:00

Well, today was an interesting day.

In Des Moines there was a "Tea Party" held. It's a form of protest against the massive government spending and there were 750 events like it held across the country.

I was invited to speak at the gathering, but I prayerfully declined. While I think it was a decidedly non-partisan event, I felt that many people would perceive it as partisan, and I don't want that to interfere with my witness. However, I was asked to do the invocation, and I accepted that invite!

Here's what I find interesting. My prayer was lengthy (yeah... does that surprise anyone?), and it included prayers of blessing for President Barack Obama, and for Gov. Chet Culver (both Democrats). I truly believe we are called to support our leaders in prayer.

I also included a confessional element in my prayer. A confession that we as a nation have turned away from God... that we've spent money we don't have, and sought our own wisdom over God's. And included in that list of confessions was a remark that we have killed our children and called it choice.

Guess what got reported? Just that remark! See the article: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090415/NEWS/90415018

They mentioned this segment of my prayer as evidence that people there were voicing socially conservative viewpoints. They didn't mention I asked God to bless our leaders... liberal or conservative.

They didn't mention that I prayed for our president, that I prayed for peace in this demonstration, or that I prayed that God would bless Gov. Culver.

Oh well. God heard my prayers anyway.

The bottom line is this: our country is in the mess we're in because we've turned against God's Word. It isn't the Democrats' fault, it isn't the Republicans' fault.... it's all of the above. As a nation we have sought to have our cake and eat it too. We want to spend recklessly, to live like our choices have no consequences, and we've worshiped government, business, Wall Street and all kinds of man-made things.

It's time for Christians to come together regardless of political affiliation and work to live our lives as God has called us to live. Christians will have a far greater impact by being disciples and making disciples than anything that we could do in the political realm.

What are your thoughts?

A Cold Run

2009-04-13T17:36:00.001-04:00

Today was a bad day for run. I was on Army duty today (making up my Sunday drill from April 5th, since chaplains don't drill on Sundays) and I decided to work a little PT (physical training) into my schedule. So I brought my Army PT uniform with me to the Reserve Center.

The only problem? It was rainy and in the upper 30s. But I really needed to run, and I guess I have a little bit of a "do it anyway" mindset when it comes to my workouts as the Army Physical Fitness Test approaches next month.

But I got about 5 minutes into my 30 minute run and I was miserable. Wet, cold, and achy, I really didn't want to be out running. But I went anyway, because I knew that finishing my run would make me feel better and run more efficiently n the coming weeks and months. I stuck with it because I knew the benefits would outweigh the feeling of turning back to the Reserve Center.

So why am I telling this story? Because physical training is such a great parallel to our spiritual lives. Paul writes this in 1 Timothy 4:8: "for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (ESV)

Physical training is valuable. But it's value is limited. I can't run as fast as I could when I was 18. And when I'm 45, or 55, or 65, I won't be able to run as fast as I can now. No matter what I do, my body will decay and eventually die. That isn't meant to be morbid, but it's a reminder that physical training has its limitations and eventually this body I have will cease to be.

Spiritual training, on the other hand, only increases in value. While physically we grow weaker as we age, our spiritual lives continue to mature. The efforts I put into my spiritual life will bear fruit in increasing amounts in this life, as well as in the life to come.

And like physical training, sometimes spiritual training is tiresome. Sometimes we feel too busy. Sometimes the conditions in our life seem bad for training (ever sat down to read the Bible after yelling at your kids or getting in a fight with your wife? ). Sometimes we're distracted or just plain tired. But pushing on in our spiritual lives bears fruit.

Sometimes working out is fun. I like running on trails through the woods or around a lake. Sometimes it's not fun and I have to do it anyway. In a similar way, sometimes when I'm reading the Bible it's all coming together and I'm having epiphany after epiphany. Other times it's more mundane, but still every bit as important. The challenge is to keep going regardless, knowing that spiritual training will bear fruit. Through it, God will strengthen you when you're tempted, encourage you when you're downcast, give you hope when you grieve, and peace when you're tempted.

My running is nice, but it has limited value. Peace, hope, encouragement and strength from God far surpass anything we could imagine or craft on our own!

Focus

2009-03-09T11:06:00.000-04:00

Today is my day off, and I have one task to accomplish: fixing the garbage disposal.

It stopped working a couple of days ago, and our drain clogged up. Yesterday I got that drain unclogged, and yet the disposal still isn't working. The motor hums but the blades aren't turning. I've used the wrench that came with it to manually turn the blades, but that still hasn't gotten it free.

So my task today is to do whatever I can to fix it. My plumbing and garbage disposal knowledge is limited, but I'm going to try my hardest to fix it, before calling a plumber.

So... it's my focus.

For Christians, focus is vital. It's too easy to get distracted by other stuff, but Jesus says very simply: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (ESV) As Christians, we have one simple task: Seek God's kingdom and righteousness and the rest is going to be taken care of.

So today, whether successful or not, I'm going to work on the disposal. Maybe it won't be the ONLY thing.... but for the next few hours, it will be THE thing.

For us... Christ is THE One we seek and follow every day. The rest is details.

UPDATE:
It's 10:45am, and I have achieved success! I removed the garbage disposal, took it out, and found a can tab (from a pop) jammed in it. Wow... I fixed it myself. Crazy, huh? I'm not usually a handy man, but this was pretty easy.

So... to take the metaphor a step further: when we put our focus on Christ, it's amazing how so many other things in our life will take care of themselves. Like focusing on the garbage disposal meant a quick solution, even more so in our lives will focusing on Christ take care of the anxieties, burdens and doubts that life can bring.

Just for fun, I'll include photos of the can tab in question:

"Everything's Amazing, Nobody's Happy"

2009-02-28T13:49:00.000-05:00

This was the line from a comedian, named Louis CK on Conan O'Brien recently. Watch the video on this link (warning, although it's edited, he says a couple bad words): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk7nKjr9Keo

Think about that: "Everything's amazing, nobody's happy." This is the great struggle of our times. This is the condition of sin. We get used to certain things and we want more.

I think about this in terms of the church. How often do Christians complain about the slightest inconvenience in our lives- and especially in our church lives- while others Christians around the world are persecuted and martyred for their faith? How often do we get upset because the sermon's a little long :) or the music isn't just right, or the bulletin has incorrect information, or... the list goes on... I think you get the idea.

This comedian looks at a number of different ways in which we, as Americans, have gotten spoiled. For example, flying. We are so used to the ability to fly thousands of miles in a few hours, that we are unable (no....unwilling) to tolerate a 40 minute delay. How true is that? I find myself doing that sort of thing, unfortunately, more often than I'd care to admit. I turn my blessings into curses because I'm, well... spoiled.

Let's translate to the Church: we are going through tough times in America. The economy is hurting. Giving to non-profits- including churches- is down. We're not able to do some of the things we used to do, as individuals, and as business, non-profits and other entities. This includes the church.

But we have the Gospel. When the rest of the world is confusing and looking for guidance, we must remember that "everything's amazing." It's amazing for reasons that Louis CK didn't touch on. He correctly pointed out that cell phone, internet and airplanes are amazing. He's right.

However, even more amazing is the truth about our world: God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Think about that. You have eternity in store for you. All this stuff is temporary... it's the warm up, it's the pre-season. We know God and have a relationship with Him. He has taken broken and sinful people like me and you, and made us right.

That's amazing. And we ought to have tears of celebration every time we walk into church. It doesn't matter if we don't like the song selection that week, or the way the preacher talks, or the crying baby besides us. We have LIFE. Let's celebrate that.

Maybe the rest of the world will catch on. The world really needs hope right now, and it won't come from the economy or the government. So let's make sure the church doesn't pile on to the misery- we're the ones in the business of celebration, blessing and happiness!

Living Recklessly?

2009-02-09T08:22:00.000-05:00

I'm reading John 4-6 this morning, and Jesus says this: "I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life." (John 5:24-25, NLT)

This passage has always been interesting to me, because of the fact that Jesus is speaking in the present tense. Those who "listen" and "believe" have eternal life. They've already passed from death into life.

Think about the implications of that. If you trust Jesus, you already have eternal life; so what does that mean for how you live life now? Let me ask it another way: if you knew for certain that would live forever after you die, how would it change you?

We have to live by faith, of course, and not by fact, which makes it hard for us to think like that. But that is exactly what is meant by faith: thinking like you already know or have the thing you're hoping for.

Living like you already have eternal life will change you. You do certain things that you wouldn't have dared to do; you'll be more willing to speak openly about what you believe, take risks for the Gospel, and live boldly. Your life is just going to be different.

Now think about the opposite of this: let's say you get to heaven, and you're welcomed into eternity, and, suddenly, you realize that you lived your life paralyzed by fear, and never fully trusted Jesus' promise that's you'd live forever. Wouldn't you then understand that much of your life catered to things that weren't real? Wouldn't you see that you gave into unfounded fears and put your hope in temporary things instead of what is forever?

It's not that we'll be unhappy in heaven! But... why waste the time we have now because we don't really believe what Jesus says about eternal life? Why not live recklessly for the Gospel? Not foolishly, or unhealthily, but recklessly devote yourself to the things of God!

Why am I up at 4am?

2009-02-07T05:30:00.000-05:00

It's drill weekend now! So here I am, waking up at 4am, and getting ready to head down to the Reserve Center for Battle Assembly. I guess I don't have to be up quite this early, but, it's when I woke up, and it gives me a chance to fully wake up and be ready for the day.

So why do I do it? I ask myself that sometimes. I've been in the Army for about 6 years and I've done a year in Baghdad.... 14 months total away from home on that tour. If I were to get out now, I could feel proud about giving my time to the country. So what keeps me in?

Well, I enjoy the camaraderie, of course, and I feel good about serving my country. There are some financial benefits, but I'm not sure they outweigh the time away from my family!

At the end of the day, it's a calling. This ministry is woven into my ministry at Zion and my ministry to my family and community. So... frankly, it's up to God to tell me when to start and when to stop. He hasn't released me yet :)

The people I work with in my unit are good. And it benefits me to do ministry outside the church setting. The continuing education I get is good for my work as a pastor. So not only do I have a chance to give, but also to receive, as I serve as an Army Chaplain.

So will I do it for another 3 years? 10 years? 20? I don't know. God hasn't shown me an end yet... and praise God that I serve a congregation supportive of this part of my ministry.

Serving as an Army Chaplain has certainly humbled me (can I say that and still be humble???).

I saw things in Iraq (good and bad) that left me changed. I'm stronger in some ways, weaker in others, more sensitive, and certainly more appreciative. I pray that I gave as much to people there as I received. I met some amazing Soldiers during my time there and I did my best to serve them faithfully.

So now I head down to the Reserve Center in a bit. It will be a good day. I'll be tired when I get home. It's always gratifying to be tired at the end of a day. And I look forward to what God has in store for me today!

De-sensitized

2009-02-06T06:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I was driving over to catch one of Calvin's basketball games (so... it was about 4:15pm), and I was listening to one of the local sports stations, 1700am, which is an ESPN affiliate. As I was driving, an ad came on for an adult entertainment venue. I won't name it, and give it the free gift of advertising on my blog, but this ad proceeded to talk about "customer appreciation night," and what would be going on, etc., including two Nintendo Wiis being given away.

And that's when I caught myself: I can't believe this garbage is on a regular radio station! It caught my ear because my kids want a Nintendo Wii, and it was at that point that it kind of clicked as to what this advertisement was advertising. Adult entertainment. In the middle of the afternoon, on run of the mill sports station. When my kids would normally be listening with me. This kind of misogynistic, sinful behavior was being floated around like you might advertise a basketball or hockey game, or a car sale at a local dealer. I'm sure it's been advertised on there before, but somehow I haven't been listening, or wasn't paying attention. But this caught my ear.

And you know what? It's wrong. Pure and simple. These adult entertainment venues degrade women, they lead men (and the women) into sin, and they do it to make a buck and provide cheap gratification in lieu of real relationships and godly love.

So I turned off 1700am (and won't listen to them again, for a while, if ever). It makes me mad to think about the things we just accept now in our nation. We consider it normal free speech to hear this kind of stuff advertised.

I fear that we have done the same thing with violence. We have gotten used to war. We have come to accept that gratuitous depictions of violence are just part of "entertainment.' We have come to accept that these are just "images' and not real, so it must be ok.

But it's not. It isn't "ok." It should be disheartening for anyone wanting to live in an advanced, morally superior culture. Shouldn't we strive for moral advancement? Or does a misguided notion of free speech trump our sense of right and wrong?

My solution, though, isn't to attack the people doing it. It's to ask the church: why do we take part? It's our fault, after all.

Jesus didn't call us to judge those outside the Body of Christ. We are to love them, and share His love with them. We are to judge ourselves, and those inside the church.

Truthfully, if we didn't participate in this stuff, it wouldn't have a market. If we said "no thanks, that's not for me," the stuff would dry up pretty quickly. We don't need to picket, to organize boycotts, or to attack the bad guys. We just need to say no thanks and quietly turn the dial.

Christians, we need to be less worried about shutting others up (which doesn't work), and we ought to be worried about the fact that WE have become de-sensitized.

So I'll go back to my choices. I'm not going to listen to AM1700. Sorry, nothing personal guys, but I don't want to hear that stuff. My 7 year old doesn't need to sit and ponder what adult entertainment is, because once he's old enough to figure it out, he'll have already had the seeds planted that our society accepts and affirms it. I can't go there for the sake of my kids. I won't accept and affirm it.

It saddens me. The women who feel compelled to make a living this way sadden me. The men who substitute real interaction for this cheap entertainment sadden me. And I know that it offers a temptation common to all people... otherwise they wouldn't be in business.

The good news is that God offers real life. We've all been tempted by lust, violence and greed. But God offers us life that transcends these artificial replacements for joy. Christians, we ought to be fired up to share that life and that joy. That's what saves the world.

The world is lost because it believes lies like the lie that adult entertainment is real entertainment. Joy isn't found there, and the deception hurts people. But we know joy and we know life. We gotta get to the business of inviting people to know the joy and peace we find in Jesus, and for me, yesterday was a reminder of how much work there is to be done!

Joy and Discipleship

2009-02-05T07:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had an interesting phone call. A fellow LCMC pastor called me and asked if I was responsible for bringing Bill Hull (a Christian pastor, author and speaker) to the LCMC National Gathering as a speaker. I said I was; I had suggested Hull and contacted him. He then proceeded to tell me that Hull had ruined his ministry.

Uh oh.

I didn't like the start of the conversation, but it turned out that he had been convicted by Hull, in a good way, about the need to really get back to the business of making disciples. Hull hadn't literally ruined his ministry (thank God!).... but Hull's books had really challenged this pastor to re-think how to do ministry. We had an awesome conversation... two brothers in Christ wrestling with how do we make disciples? How do we get back to the basics, in ministry, of what Jesus has called us to do: make disciples.

We didn't solve the challenges of discipleship over the phone, but I was humbled to hear him talk about what they're doing in his congregation, and it's conversations like those that remind me of why I enjoy ministry so much.

Ministry, at its heart, is about followers of Jesus trying to be more like Christ, and helping others to do so. There are so many "things" that churches do that we often forget that this is the heart of it all. But ultimately our job is to be disciples and to make disciples.

There's joy in that. Pure, unbridled joy.

Satan doesn't want us to see or remember that, so he does whatever he can to distract, disrupt and destroy followers of Christ. But that's why it's so much more important that we keep our eyes on Jesus, and immerse ourselves in His Word. Remember the joy you've found in Christ and don't get distracted from the mission at hand!

Do you know the Gospel?

2009-02-03T07:21:00.000-05:00

Last week I had a great chat with one of our members, Jim, who has been doing something that intrigued both Pastor John and myself: focusing, with laser-like intensity, on reading the Gospel of John.

It's not that he doesn't read the rest of Scripture. He does. But he's dedicated himself, with passion and intensity, to simply knowing John. He carries around a few different translations, and reads 3 chapters each day.... so over the course of a week he has read the whole Gospel. Over a year, he will have read it 52 times.

I love it. This is so counter-cultural to how we do things now. Yesterday I talked about the need to speak the language of our times. We also need to recognize the deficiencies of our culture, and one of those is focus. It's a blessing to learn in so many different ways, and to have so much information. But the downside is losing focus. How can we maintain the diversity of our learning but also have depth and focus?

So I'm trying it. I started Sunday with chapters 1-3, 4-6 yesterday, 7-9 today, etc. I might buy a few Gospel of Johns for my family and invite them to do the same thing. I have a very good grasp on John right now.... but what would happen if this became a discipline? It should be interesting!

A Timeless Message Prepared in Our Context

2009-02-02T11:25:00.000-05:00

One of the challenges for me as a pastor is to think about being a missionary to my own culture.

Why?

Because our culture is changing so rapidly that my way of communicating will not always be the most effective way to do so. This means we have to constantly think of new ways to communicate an unchanging message.

The Gospel has power to transform lives, families, cities and nations. The Gospel doesn't need to be packaged. But it needs to be presented in a language that people can understand.

If I preached in Swedish, I'd lose 99% of my church in Des Moines. If I spoke in Shakespearean English, most people wouldn't "get it." So I preach in the vernacular, which is 21st century American English. Martin Luther and the Reformers fought hard to get the Bible translated into a language people could understand. Thank God for that...

So how does that apply in our culture? Not only has our language changed, but our language is no longer just words. It's multimedia.

My kids and I have been raised with the opportunity to learn from reading, seeing and hearing from a variety of media. We are a multi-sensory society. Video, music, books, internet... all are means for growth and learning. I get 99% of my news from the Internet. I have no newspaper delivered to my house, yet I feel relatively well informed about the news of the day.

So why would we limit the most important message in the whole universe to one medium? Why would we limit our proclamation of the Gospel in any way? Isn't it FAR more important than math or history? (and I love math and history...)

That's why we incorporate video, music, and other various ways to tell people about Jesus at Zion. It's nothing new; we really doing what Christians have done for 2000 years. After all, stained-glass windows were initially created to communicate the Gospel to illiterate people. It's nothing new, then or now, to be multimedia.

But it's tempting to find your comfort zone and stay there. Right now we use PowerPoint. I like that. It's easy for me. But soon something new will come along that will be even better and easier to present a sermon. Will I change? Will I use new means to reach young people when I reach 40, 50, 60 or 70 years old?

I hope so. The people that have gone ahead of me were willing to adapt so the Gospel could be presented to me in ways I could understand. My work as a pastor is to make sure the most important message ever is always in the forefront!

What do you all think?

Heroes

2008-12-17T09:48:00.000-05:00

On a totally different note, today, I wish heroes like SFC Timothy Nein got more press in the media. Here is an article about him from the VFW:

http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.newsDtl&did=4855

Near the end he sounds a hopeful note and talks about all the progress he has seen in his deployments in 2003, 2005 and now.

Attitudes that hurt that Church Part 2- Lack of Joy

2008-12-16T07:41:00.000-05:00

Last night I watched the movie "Chronicles of Narnia- Prince Caspian" with my kids. While it's not quite as good a story as the first installment, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (in my opinion), you still can't help but well up with excitement, joy and even a few tears at the appearance of Aslan (the powerful lion who represents Christ). There's a joy in the depiction of Aslan that somehow mirrors what I know I'll experience so much deeper when I'm actually in the presence of Christ.

And it gets me to wondering.... how often do I exhibit joy as a Christian? True, unabashed, let-it-go joy. Not as much as I should...

One of the undercurrents to the movie is that some of the characters doubt that he will return to help them. They know he exists (at least, they thought they did), but they're not seeing him and they decide they need to go with their plan instead of waiting on Aslan. And they suffer a defeat because of their desire to go it alone.

There is a parallel for a lot of Christians here. One of the most destructive attitudes in the church is a lack of joy, and I believe it stems from forgetting what we believe about Christ. If all of this stuff about salvation, grace, heaven, eternity, and the return of Christ is true, shouldn't we literally jump for joy when we think about it or go into worship?

If we believe God has given us this life to live for Him, and then when we die we stand in his presence, shouldn't that affect us?

Shouldn't we be filled with such a joy that it's visible... and contagious?

I've seen it happen. I've seen Christians and churches exhibit this kind of joy. I saw it most concretely in Baghdad, of all places. I had a chance to pastor the Sunday evening contemporary service at our base for 9 months. We started off as a small group- maybe 25 people or so- and grew to over 120.

And it was joyful. I can't explain it fully. You'd walk into this chapel mixed with Soldiers, civilians, Airmen, Sailors, KBR workers, and people from many different countries.... and there was joy.

There was a buzz.

Maybe something about being in a warzone separated us from the silly anxieties that drive away joy. It was like all of the background noise of life was filtered out, and the only sound remaining was joy.

And it was there. There were Americans, Iraqis, Filipinos, and so many more, and they loved each other. When we stood to greet each other, the fellowship was real. People didn't critique the color of the chapel's tile, or complain because our single powerpoint projector was way less than adequete. I didn't hear them gossiping about what others were doing. But there was laughter, hand clapping, hand raising, sincere hugs and true joy.

I think it's what heaven will be like.

So we, as Christians, need to find ways to hold onto that joy. If you're a Christian, I know you've experienced it before. And then it's probably faded from time to time.

It needs to be re-kindled, but also fed. A fire will burn out if it isn't fed. In a similar way, Christian joy feeds on the Word of God, on mission work, on love, on spending good time with other Christians. It requires that anxieties be given to God, and the troubles of this world put in perspective to the joy of eternity.

If your joy has burned out, I suggest you let the Holy Spirit re-ignite it!

Attitudes that hurt that Church Part 1- Toleration instead of Transformation

2008-12-15T09:14:00.000-05:00

I'm going to spend some time over the next few days ruminating on some of the destructive tendencies that I see hurting churches in America.

So with that said, let me begin: #1 Toleration instead of Transformation

The local church is the most important institution or organization on earth. I believe that. I've heard many great church leaders say it in various forms, including Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, etc.. And I agree with them... there is nothing more important for impacting this world than Christians gathered together as church.

There are many different ways to look at the "mission" of the church, beginning with the Great Commission at the end of Matthew 28, when Jesus tells his disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations." And many modern day pastors have taken the New Testament and broken it down into easy to digest systems of thinking about church mission. Rick Warren, as most know, talks about it in terms of: worship, evangelism, discipleship, ministry and fellowship.

For our purposes, I want to simplify it even more: the church exists so people can meet Jesus and be transformed.

So here is where I struggle: too often in American Christianity, we seek "toleratation" rather than "transformation." Too often we're more worried about just getting along, than challenging a brother or sister in Christ to allow Jesus to change them. Too often you find that the "church" looks no different than the rest of the world.

We tolerate nastiness, grumpiness, division, back-stabbing, gossip, negativity... and so much more, all in the name of keeping the peace.

And then we wonder why more people aren't drawn to Christ!

When people wander into our churches, they pick up on these attitudes. And it turns them away.

The prescription is something Christians talk about all the time, but so often fail to practice: love.

For some reason Christians struggle with love. We confuse love with toleration; we confuse "doing" ministry with love. We limit our love to those who think or act like we do.

I'm totally guilty of this. I wonder: how can I reach the world for Christ if I don't love the people in it?

I'm an outgoing and friendly guy- most people would say that. But privately I struggle with judgmental attitudes that hinder my witness.

So how does love play into transformation? Christlike love permits us to speak truth for the good of another. It walks the fine line between tolerance and judgmentalism.

Most people err in one of two ways:
1) They think love means accepting all things. This is a struggle for mainline Christianity. In the long run, this isn't love; it's laziness and cowardice. I would be a terrible father if I never challenged my kids to do better in school, in their spiritual life, or in their obedience to rules. Toleration is a form of neglect. The mainline churches do a lot of "good deeds' but have become spiritually neglectful.

2) The opposite is judgmentalism. This is a push for transformation without love. Churches often fall short on the transformation front because they don't really love the people they are challenging. Transformation becomes more of a political slogan or a righteous cause, but the actual people caught in the middle are lost in the mix.

So what is the solution: it's love that lays down its life for others. Sacrificial, self-giving love.

I know if I practiced this more- and if American churches practiced this more- we would be amazed at the harvest.

Charlie Brown Christmas

2008-12-13T18:28:00.001-05:00

Today we had the final practice for the Children's program at our church tomorrow: A Charlie Brown Christmas. It's taken directly from the cartoon itself.

What amazes me about the cartoon video is how wonderfully traditional it seems. It's such an classic depiction of Christmas.... and yet it seems unfortunately out of place today.

The point of the cartoon, as everyone knows, is getting back to the true meaning of Christmas, summed up by Linus telling the Biblical account of Christ's birth.

Most of the Christmas stuff on TV today usually has some kind of nice moral to it: be nice, remember the downtrodden, reject commercialism. Yet nothing touches the make-it-about-Christ focus of a Charlie Brown Christmas as far as network TV fare goes.

So then it makes me wonder... what was the response when it came out in the early '60s? I imagine it might have been a bit controversial at the time? Times were different, but what was their reaction?

So I did some quick google research and come up with this:

When CBS executives previewed A Charlie Brown Christmas, they were vastly underwhelmed. There was just so much wrong with it. There was not enough action. It moved too slow. The voices had been done by real kids, not adult actors. There was no laugh track. And Linus read from the Gospel of Luke in one scene. (“You can’t read from the Bible on network television!” they declared in unison.) At the end of the meeting, Mendelson was told: “Well, you gave it a good shot. Believe me, we’re big Peanuts fans, but maybe it’s better suited to the comic page.” (taken from http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/10584)

Another website said this:

CBS initially balked at A Charlie Brown Christmas. After all, it addressed some challenging themes: Besides the frank expressions of alienation that Peanuts had embraced from the beginning, the show raised questions not only about the commercialization of Christmas — "A racket run by a big eastern syndicate," Lucy confides to Charlie Brown — but about faith itself. And the network execs just didn't think jazz and Christmas mixed.

But Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz was a man of quiet but deep faith, and he stood firm on Linus' moving speech from the Book of Luke, which can give you a lump in your throat no matter what your religious inclinations. And although Schulz generally disliked jazz — his Beethoven-loving character Schroeder was clearly an alter ego — he dug Guaraldi's music. It was an alternative to the holly-jolly likes of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, who'd arrived on TV the previous Christmas, helping make the Peanuts Christmas special a thoughtful oasis in the hurly-burly of the holiday season, not to mention the frantic, mindless rush of network television itself. (taken from: http://www.emusic.com/features/spotlight/293_200712-charlie-brown.html)

Interesting. I guess times haven't changed all that much. Yet they did take a chance and it was a huge success. I wonder if those same studio execs would do it again today?

Is it hypocritical?

2008-12-11T07:22:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have followed the relatively minor news story about Dallas Stars' forward Sean Avery, who is a feisty, controversial player with a history of fighting and mischief making.

The latest issue is stems from his comments about his ex-girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert. Without repeating the totality of it, he essentially referred to her subsequent dating of other NHL players as "sloppy seconds."

It's a horrifically crude, shallow and demeaning comment. The NHL immediately suspended him indefinitely People have been debating the punishment and now the Dallas Stars aren't sure what to do with him.

But here is where I'm struggling with this: Am I totally de-sensitized, or does something seem out of line here? Did his comments merit this kind of a reaction? I know he has a history, but people are acting like he has uttered words never before uttered.

Here is my beef: he expressed concepts that, honestly, have become quite prevalent in prime-time television. Try watching an hour of Grey's Anatomy. The whole show is an hour long celebration of superficial sexuality and centered around astonishingly childish and self-centered doctors.

I just don't see how we can look at this jock, who said something stupid in an attempt to talk smack, and act as if he is the anti-Christ while we turn around and regularly consume this stuff on TV and in the movies.

Am I missing something? Is there more to the story? Everyone from teammates, to commentators, to his own team owners have condemned him. Is something our of whack, or am I missing part of the story?

Real Life, Real Joy

2008-12-10T05:56:00.000-05:00

These are anxious times. That's what the news says. I understand that.

But the world is missing so much.

Jesus came that we might have life. In John 10:10, he says "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (ESV)

Think about that for a moment. He said that to living people. They were already alive, but Jesus came that they could have LIFE. Abundant life. Different life. Real Life.

This gets misconstrued. Some people think it means Jesus is going to make you rich and keep you healthy. He doesn't promise that here. Others think he is talking about eternal life. Sure he is... but he's also talking about abundant life here and now.

He is talking about real life, as God meant you to live it. This means:

-Freedom to live, because you have life eternal. If death has no hold, you are free. how should you live differently if you know you won't cease to exist at death?
-Joy in knowing your value comes from God and not from your assets or your education. do you struggle because you don't measure up to what the world says you're supposed to be to enjoy life?
-Peace in understanding that God is above all the temporary problems of our lives... and He'll see us through it. what anxieties do you need to place in God's hands right now?
-Truth by understanding what really matters and how we have bought into lies about ourselves and been hurt by them. how have you believed lies and been burned by it?

Christians, we need to be encouragers during this time. The economy isn't getting any better. People will lose their jobs. Wars won't cease. Crime isn't going away. To a hurting world, we gotta proclaim what God has in store for us. It's good.

We can talk about real life. We can live it contagiously.

Go out and do that.

Greed and Our Crisis

2008-12-09T07:16:00.000-05:00

What happens when you try to solve a moral crisis without moral transformation?

The answer is: you stay in crisis.

That's my greatest concern with what's happening in our nation today.

Our crisis is not economic or political. It's moral.

Don't misunderstand me.... we have some serious issues facing America. But those issues are symptoms of the moral failings in our nation, and the problem is that we're treating the symptoms and not the cause.

So what is the cause? Greed and arrogance. Greed in the desire to get something for nothing. Arrogance found in a mis-guided belief that we, as Americans, should never suffer or struggle (and, I would add western Europe and parts of Asia to that admonition).

Before I say more, let me make this clear: I am a free-market capitalist in my economic worldview. I believe that in a broken and fallen world there is no perfect financial system. Nevertheless, capitalism seems to be the best system in the midst of imperfect systems. Let people make their own decisions, reward innovation and receive profits for your work.

The trouble has been our capitalism paired with this ever growing greed and the arrogant belief that we are unstoppable. We have bought into the lie that our self-worth stems from how much we own; the size of our house, the cost of our cars, and the prestige of our jobs. We are taught to consume first, and count the cost later. We have all fallen prey to this lie, and I count myself among them.

How has this played out? The extension of mortgages to families that couldn't afford it; the ability of middle and upper middle class families to buy homes beyond their means... sometimes with interest-only loans. The massive build up of personal and national debt. The inability of the government to ever cut spending.

This greed has been paired with an ever growing sense of invincibility on the part of Americans. We honestly believe we should never pay the price. GM, Chrysler and Ford have been working with dead end business models for years. While companies like Toyota have successfully built cars in the US for years, the Big Three have slowly died off. The problem isn't the American worker; the problem is the entitlement mentality that has crept into American automakers, both in management and among the workers.

Now we are told we cannot allow them to fail. This is the extension of our belief that failure is not an option. Never mind that we often grow the most from our failures. We would rather prop up a failing system than take the harsh medicine now, so we can grow stronger from our failures.

Rather than admitting that we screwed up the housing market, we seek ways to artificially prop up the system that got us into trouble. Rather than admitting that we have been consumed with greed, we hope and pray that Black Friday will solve the problem.

We borrow from ourselves to pay ourselves back. We're out of money, so the solution is to borrow more.

I note that in the Book of Revelation there will come a time when the merchants of the world will cry out; they will "weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more-" (Rev. 18:11). While that passage is in the context of the end of time, it ought to serve as a warning for us as well.

There is hope for this country. But it must begin with an honest assessment of what gotten us in this mess. God is good and "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) While we find solutions to the economic and political challenges we have, it will be even more important for a national change of heart. It begins with a willingness to put God's values back at the center of all that we are, and put him at the center of our personal, economic and political decisions.

Why Generic Christian?

2008-12-08T09:31:00.000-05:00

I blogged while I was in Iraq and loved it. I had quite a following too.... but after I returned home there wasn't much to write about on that front.

So I've wanted to start blogging again for a while, but couldn't quite figure out what "angle" I would take.

My life is a series of roles, relationships and duties. I'm a husband, father, pastor, Officer in the Army, sports fan, a member of the LCMC Board of Trustees and a follower of Jesus (by far the most important of all of those).

So I'm a generic Christian. I'll simply share random thoughts about the world from my perspective. Maybe they'll be devotional, some might focus on the nuts and bolts of life and ministry, others might simply be humorous ramblings.

It's not possible as a Christian to separate out the various parts of my existence. My faith must permeate every aspect of my life.... and tie it all together.

But I'm also a "generic" Christian because I'm tired of labels. If I say I'm an Evangelical (which I am), people assume certain things- that may or may not be true. If I mention that I serve as a pastor at a mainline church (which I do), it creates a whole different set of presuppositions (some kinda scary). If I say I'm a conservative (which I am) there are yet another set of assumptions that arise.

And here is the problem... none of those describe the totality of who I am as a follower of Christ.

That's what I am: a disciple of Jesus and I want my faith to permeate all I do. I believe the Bible is perfect, and that God has totally and completely communicated what He wants us to know. I strive to live it out.

And I'm more than that.... but that's the foundation. So hopefully you'll find something worthwhile on here, and I covet your comments and feedback!

Enjoy!