God-Directed!

There is a passage in the Bible in Acts 16 that never fails to ignite my curiosity. In this section of Scripture, Paul and his companions are traveling around the ancient world spreading the good news of forgiveness through Jesus and planting new churches. What is odd is in verse 6 where apparently Paul was ‘prevented by the Spirit’ from preaching in the province of Asia, but then, in the next few verses, Paul has a dream or vision showing someone requesting to hear Jesus’ message, and so, Paul concludes this was also God and thus enters Asia. It’s even more interesting to learn that from that point on, Paul and his traveling buddies face some pretty tough resistance to their ministry of telling Jesus’ story. You might think they’d start doubting that vision.

The reason this Scripture has always made me feel a bit unsettled is because I wonder what messages God has directed toward me through dreams and visions and through the Holy Spirit, and, I’ve been too boneheaded and missed them. In fact, I’ve wondered how of God’s direction we’ve all missed. So, recently I’ve resolved to try and give God more and more opportunities to speak into my life His plans. In Bill Hybel’s book Courageous Leadership, Bill highlights ways to maximize our ability to hear and receive vision from God, which he forms in a series of questions like: Have we totally given God our lives? Have we asked Him about what vision He’s got for us? Have we fasted? Have we prayed? Have we been quiet and waited in silence for Him? Have we cleaned up sinful patterns in our lives? Have we weeded out all the distractions and noise that would keep us from hearing what God might be saying? Have we read about, traveled to and looked at areas where God is already working for inspiration? (pg. 37 & 38 of Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels Zondervan © 2002)

As we enter year 3 as a church, I pray that we would all get rid of anything that prevents us from really hearing from God and seeing His vision of where He wants to take our church!

Christianity & Science...friends again?

I recently read a book that is really messing with my mind - called God at the Speed of Light by Dr. T. Lee Baumann, MD (no relation ok?). Anyway, he uses a lot of technical jargon to show how the sciences are rediscovering the mystery of matter and especially light and how it works. The concept of light behaving differently when viewed or observed is stunning...blows my mind! The one thing I still wonder is where or not Dr. Baumann sees God as PART of the creation, or God being intimately invovled but completely INDEPENDENT of creation...? Either way, the read was pretty curious and, yes, a bit exciting because I do think that science and spirituality are all part of God's truth.

Christ The Lord - at least it ends well...

I just finished a book that has been on my night stand for a few months...Anne Rice's Christ the Lord. It is a fictional story about Jesus's childhood with much liberty taken and much apocrphyal info added...thanks Gospel of Thomas, eh? Why was it on my night stand for that long? Well, it just wasn't that compelling. The story lacked passion. I did, however, enjoy the wrap up where Mary finally reveals his birth and his real identity...that was cool. Too bad it took 300 pages to get there...

I'm not giving up on Rice though - maybe I should read her other stuff - the vampire stuff? Not enough time in the day...

Wonder Struck

I have been rereading a book called Your God is Too Safe by Mark Buchanan and I ran across something that really spoke to me. Buchanan writes of the need for us to let the Bible, and God, be a bit mysterious and awe-inspiring rather that cold, meticulous, safe and comfortable. Rathern than disect everything to death, we do well to let God's truth be discovered in the story and in the wonder. He writes on page 60, "The worst consequence of losing our imagination, our wonder, is that we no longer see the Christward life as an adventure. We see it as a duty, a chore, a list of dos, don'ts, and how-tos...the stories we read in Acts about the church 'turning the world on its head' (Acts 17:6) - well, what would that kind of thing do to our tax-exempt status?'" We could really do our community, our church and our families a great justice by getting ourselves wonder struck! Well said Mark!

Generation EX Resource

Many people have asked me about the book I recently read about adult children of divorce called "Generation EX"...here is a link to order the book:

http://www.familylife.com/1-800-358-6329/detail.asp?id=10050&p=&c=&g=

Generation EX

I recently spoke at my church (Common Ground Church) on the touchy subject of divorce, and, specifically, being an adult child of divorce. Since that message, I've had a lot of people comment about their experiences and how they believe divorce has effected them. I am beginning to notice that kids of divorce who find and commit to following Jesus seem to be working through life better than those who do not have a relationship with Christ. God's power not only can create something (like Earth!) from nothing, it can also heal brokeness from divorce. I've been reading through the Psalms and finding comfort from phrases about God healing brokeness, protecting His children and defending those who love Him from all kinds of evil. There is a God who cares about what we care about! He cares about what is hurting us! Pslam 55:22 says, "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let teh righteous be shaken."

A Musician's Key Scripture - Psalm 33!

A few days ago I was reading Psalm 33 and ran across a great couple of phrases that showcase the value God has on musicians and songwriters. The Psalm begins with the idea that singing and praising God is simply what those who love God do, period. Next we see how instruments enhance this practice of singing and praising God, and specifically (to my liking), STRINGED INSTRUMENTS! Finally, in the third verse or phrase of this Psalm, we see that playing well, or skillfully, is extremely important. Musicians, vocalists and writers must be offering our best to the King - it's crucial to the overall worship of the people of God! What an awesome yet incredibly weighty task we musicians have! I pray that God would help me shoulder this great burden and assist me in being the kind of musician and songwriter He needs me, and the other church musicians I work with, to be!

Worship Opens Doors...

I was reading Psalm 34 this morning and I was blindsided by a great phrase Eugene Peterson uses to translate verse 9 - check it out: "Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all His goodness" - wow! That phrase has stuck with me...that when we give God the worship from our very depths it opens doors to the very best life has to offer. Sometimes I treat the worship of God way to unimportant. Worship should be center in everything we do whether working, playing, resting, etc. I want God's best - and, I think many would agree with me. Let's be 24/7/365 worshippers y'all! It's the KEY to open the doors to God's best!

How Did Sunday Go?

Sometimes when people miss a Sunday morning at Common Ground, they'll come up and ask me 'how it went'? I confess, I have no earthly idea what the answer to that question should be. Would I say, wow, we had lots of people there? Or, maybe, wow, we had a big offering that day? Or, maybe they want to know if the sermon was good or that people generally had a good time? Now, I'm not trying to be contentious here, but, what should the measure of a great Sunday morning worship time be? Beyond having a big crowd of people who are genuine and generous, how do we really gauge a great Sunday? I guess if you were to ask me how I measure Sunday morning's 'success' (beyond techinical stuff and musicality), I'd say simply that if people encountered and worshipped God, it's a success! I think its a success if we walk away from a Sunday morning feeling encouraged, inspired, and more in awe of God - what about you?

Praying the Psalms

In my lifelong quest to grow in my spiritual life, I've discovered something that is helping - praying the Psalms. I certainly didn't INVENT this idea, but, its simple and it is a great tool for directing my prayers on days when I'm not feeling all that 'spiritual'. Today I prayed through Psalm 9 and I really reflected on the simple act of praising God. I realized that if I really focusing on praising God, other stuff seems less important. Anyway, I'm a work in progress and maybe praying through these Psalms will further that progress...

The Heart of God - Generosity

I recently read a book that a friend gave me to read that talked about living life the way God intended us to live it - blessed. The writer, Robert Morris, pointed out that there are 3 levels of generosity or of being a good steward that the Bible presents. The first, and the most I've ever really thought much about, is the tithe or the tenth. This is a principle laid out way back before the Jewish nation of the Old Testament even had the 'law'. Morris thinks that statistically most of those who claim to follow Jesus don't do this today. In Morris' opinion (and from a passage in Malachi 3), those who don't give God the top 10% are subjecting themselves to a curse. Ouch! For me, I give my 10, but, I have to admit that God has been dealing with me about the 90...it's still not MINE...its His and always will be - He's just loaned it to me. Morris digs deeper to talk about going above the 10% into the realm of both offerings AND extravagant gifts (like a year's salary or a car or house or something). In both of these 'above the 10' categories, he speaks of relying on God's Spirit to direct us. So, after reading this book, called "The Blessed Life", I realized that my attitude had to change regarding the 90, and, that I need to be walking close to the Lord and listening to Him on opportunities for me to be generous in the 'above the 10' category...Lord, help me obey You in this and help me be truly GENEROUS!

Barna's 'Revolution'

I recently read this book (Revolution by George Barna) for myself and am struggling with why some of my peers are saying that Barna, the writer, calls for all church members to abandon the contemporary church, period. I didn't get that from the book. I did get a feeling that Barna, like myself, senses both by intiuition and statistics, that disciples are not necessarily being made in our current 'church' culture. In fact, the church, as a whole, is losing membership at an alarming rate - partly due to the fact that our culture has shifted in many different ways such as postmodernism, globalization, isolation, etc. As our culture has shifted, the church has not made appropriate changes. Barna talks about broadening our picture of what church should be by including valuable movements like home churches, smaller churches and other non-traditional discipleship methods. I personally liked his approach - the church in the New Testament did meet in larger groups, but, more often, they met in homes and focused on loving God and loving each other - it wasn't a big show each meeting with a 30-40 minute sermon by a designated 'preacher' with everyone staring at a stage as if it were a theater - passive onlookers, etc. Somehow we've got a church 'culture' that is all about the show, and thus, as Dallas Willard calls it, we've got a bunch of consumer Christians who shop for the best show. It's about becoming disciples of Christ who can make disciples...nice work Barna.

Emma's Baptism

It's been brewing in my head and heart to journal about this, and, since it's been so crazy this Summer, I'm just now getting to it - ouch! Emma-Anne, my 10 year old daughter, was baptized into Christ on Monday, August 14th in the Bumping River at the Indian Flatt campground. That was an amazing evening. Many friends from our church were there and I was confident Emma knew what she was doing, why she needed Christ, and understood what baptism was for. Really, she preceeded my own baptism, in age, by 4 or so years. It is a humbling experience being used by God to bring others into His kingdom, and that evening was very, very special. I must mention that the evening was made even more special by the fact that some other dear friends Tim & Heather were baptized after Emma - what a night! God was and IS moving in hearts young and old. Sometimes it takes longer for some, shorter for others to decide to jump in with God, but, when it happens - AWESOME!

The Time Flies

My kids both had birthdays recently and as I watched them enjoy opening gifts and laughing with friends, it occured to me that the time we have with our children isn't long in the scheme of things. In fact, my daughter Emma turned 10, which means we're only 8 years away from the time she'll be leaving the nest - just 8 years. Dylan, my son, is 6 and is already not playing with the things he used - the sandbox in our backyard, the Tonka dump trucks, etc. Emma loves to dress up in ball gowns and have me dance with her in the front room. Yes, she's loved that since she was 4 but now she can almost look me square in the eye - she's looking more grown up than ever. Lord, help me remember that these 2 precious people are only in my care for a limited time -help my wife and I shape them into the people You want them to be Father.

Cool Bible Version Trick...NAS & The MSG

This morning, as I was reading and meditating on the Scriptures, I tried something I hadn't done before - reading one line from the New American Standard version and then repeating that same line in The Message version...I did this with Psalm 23 - wow, what an eye-opening, enlightening experience. This is a great way to get a literal and more conversation view of the same Scripture! Often the more literal versions of the Bible (say KJV, RSV or the NASB) seem a bit out of touch with the way we talk today. I guess maybe the feel a bit more stuffy than the relaxed way that current American English sounds. This is why I like versions like The Message and the New Living Translation. However, to make sure we still have our bearings in more literal word-for-word translations from the original Biblical language, I like reading both together. I'm going to be doing this more often! Maybe God will unlock His word in my life in a new way!

The 'Dream of God' (aka the kingdom of God)

The kingdom of God was something that Jesus spoke of many times during is ministry. The New Testament records many statements from Him regarding this topic using phrases like, …. The problem for us reading this language today is that it doesn’t resonate with the world we know. Kingdoms are a thing of the past and bring about notions like Shakespearean chivalry or in the case of current kings - more of a formal or ceremonial reign for pomp and circumstance. In Jesus’ day however, the language of kingdom was much more current and relevant. So, in reading a new book by Brian McLaren (The Secret Message of Jesus), I was struck by the idea of how one might talk about this kingdom of God in today’s language. Terms like the ‘the dream of God’, the ‘revolution of God’, the ‘mission of God’, the ‘party of God’, the ‘network of God’, or even the ‘dance of God’. We should feel free to describe God’s kingdom with these and possible many other terms so that the culture in which we live can be let in on the beauty of God’s work here and now for eternity’s sake.

The Secret Message of Jesus

Sounds almost scandalous doesn't it? Yet, in His ministry among us, Jesus opted for indirect teaching as the crowds grew - from parables to the use of probing questions, He wanted people following Him to be transformed - not simply informed. That's part of the premise behind McLaren's newest book The Secret Message of Jesus. Well, I don't want to spoil it for you, but, this book, akin to Dallas Willard's Divine Conspiracy, is about how the kingdom Jesus talked about wasn't something only accessible after death, but right here and now - the kingdom among us. I liked a few chapters in particular beginning with the decision making process that potential disciples or apprentices encounter when confronted with Jesus's teachings. I think that chapter is called 'Getting It, Getting In'. He talks about the 'steps' in the conversion or decision process which are: rethinking, believing, receiving, going public and practicing a new way of life. Rethinking (repentance) is the idea that we've realized we've been heading toward the wrong direction. Believing is the trust that God's kingdom is really good news. Recieving is where we are open to receive forgiveness, acceptance, love, hope, empowerment, strength, encouragement, perseverance...everything we need to live in the kingdom of God. After rethinking, believing and receiving, we're ready to go public and be immersed (baptized) and identify with God's kingdom. This leads to living the rest of life as a follower of Christ...the practice of following Jesus. This was a great way to describe, in my opinion, the decision to follow Jesus. More to come...

Everyday Stuff; Indelible Memories

In the front room of my house I have an old upright piano weathered by time and barely in tune. It was made around 1903 and it takes up the entire back wall! Me and my family love it though because it has special meaning. You see, when I was a little boy, I remember my great, great grandmother playing songs on it when we visited her in Redmond, Oregon. So, when my mother told me that the family wanted us to have it, I was moved almost to tears. The piano may not be that valuable on the antiques market, but, it has a lot of sentimental value as a gift of love. Have you ever been given a gift by someone you love who has since died? Or maybe you might have something that belonged to someone that was close to you but is now far away from you. Those things are now very valuable to you regardless of how everyday they might seem to other people. One of the last things Jesus did before going to the cross to die for us was to give us a way to remember Him. Of all the things He could have done, He decided to give us something that was very everyday and simple. He chose common meal items: bread and wine. Then, He gave a blessing and told His followers to continue to remember Him through this very simple, everyday meal where the bread represents His broken body and the wine represents His blood poured out for everyone. So, the simple ‘meal’ of bread and wine (often grape juice in our case) becomes very valuable to us everytime we remember what Jesus did on that day at the cross.

Consumer Christianity vs. Disciples

I've just finished Dallas Willard's extensive work on the Kingdom of God called The Divine Conspiracy. There is so much meat in what he's writing about, that it would be silly for me to sum it all up in a blog entry. However, 2 chapters (chapters 8 and 9) really hit me. They both talk about the immediate, urgent need for making disciples rather than more consumer Christians. Every church leader, no, every follower of Christ would be moved by his words. American church membership has become a very consumer-istic institution, and thus, even talking about radical commitment to hearing Jesus and doing what He taught sounds crazy. Followers of Christ must fight this bland, psuedo-Spirituality. He recommends a 'curriculum for Christ-likeness' to help emulate Christ's methods for training His apprentices...so, as I chew on this 'curriculum', maybe we all can chew on how to be so 'ravished by God and His kingdom' that we cannot help but do what He would have us do!

Prayer & Fasting

Of all my years of following Jesus, I think the hardest Spiritual practices or disciplines for me have been in these 2 areas. It's easier for me to read, study Scripture or listen to worship music and sing out to God than to stop what I'm doing, get alone or at least away from distractions and talk with God. Equally so, I've found that going without food has been difficult to do on a regular basis. I've decided recently to infuse more of these 2 practices in my weekly life. I'm definitely dwelling on God and His kingdom more as a result of this new venture. My desire is to drink in more of God and see that invigorate every area of my life. I even think this will then spread to my position as lead worshipper for my church and my other leadership responsibilities. I desire to know God in a way I've not known Him - Lord, open my heart, my schedule and my mind to the deeper waters You dwell in.