Clueless

You ever walk out of a meeting and feel like, "That person just doesn't get it!"  It could be your boss, spouse, kids, coworkers, or whoever you rub shoulders with that at times you'd prefer to rub away.  You go into the meeting hoping to help, teach, or convince the other person to do things a better way.  You know, your way.

A pastor once told me that the key to leading a meeting is be in constant control.  Talk louder and longer, know more than the other person and let them know that you know more, control the subject matter, identify and manipulate the other person's weaknesses to your advantage, and move the conversation to your predetermined outcome.  Yeah, this guy's a pastor!  

I've been in meetings with him and seen him at work on his unknowing prey.  He has the ability to make you feel guilty for things that aren't your fault, can get you to commit to things you don't have time to do, and force you to give in and compromise against your principles.  This guy gave me a better understanding of why Nehemiah and posse wouldn't leave their work to meet with their enemies.  

Now I'm sitting here at my mac wondering if I ever went into a meeting trying to straighten someone out and it actually worked... I'm coming up with nothing.  People I work for, people who work for me, volunteers, even my two sons, do not respond well to manipulation and control!!!

I'm going to let you in a little secret that my wife Ronnin (and Rob Bell) is (are) teaching me - Love Wins.  The more I listen, understand, serve, give, and love, the more God pulls up my tent pegs and expands my borders. (Ok that sounded weird and a little gross, but you get the point.)   I'm exhausted with conversation competitions, boardroom banter, and heckling hoedowns.  I'd rather be the guy that speaks only when he's spoken to, uses words to exhort and not extort, and learns and not lectures.

So I bless you to remember that Jesus saved the world not by words, but but dying and he commands us walk out the same path in our lives.  

Love, Listen, Liberate

Thanks for the comments to my previous post, several of you told me that you had trouble posting a comment and I've corrected the problem.

A few weeks ago we received a letter from a homosexual in our community looking for a church home.  This person stated that they are an openly gay person, and were looking for a congregation that would accept him, challenge him, and help him grow in his pursuit of God.  He ended the letter by asking if I thought that our church would be able to provide those things for him.

Obviously, we could dissect his letter and bring out a few errors in his theology and motivation.   Kudos (yes, I did just use that word) to my readers who commented on the deeper issue, the man himself, because last time I checked, all of our theology is a little fuzzy at times.

With this email still on my mind, I took our students to a conference last week. The second night featured a youth pastor with one of the largest ministries in the country. (If you didn't know, for some reason we (ministers) judge success by how many people follow us.  So Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, and the latest nutjob from American Idol would all be excellent candidates for the protestant pop-bandwagon with book deals, TV spots, and a full conference calendar, if they would just carry around a black book.)

Well this bright-eyed, optimistic messenger of the Gospel and his latest products, got off to a great start.  He took the stage with confidence and lifted his voice with immense bravado and fanfare.  We had our notebooks out, were seated erect, and tuned our ears to receive the latest download from heaven from this man of God.  He went right into his message about catching the next wave of God and he had 4 points to prove it. Apparently God always speaks to us with 3-5 points that most time start with the same letter of the alphabet, and we were halfway through point 2, or d for deliverance, when things got messy.

The speaker referenced point 1, or d for discipleship, and talked about how every teenager in his youth group must be discipled and delivered.  A loud applause and a chorus of amens were quickly interrupted by his next comment when he said,  "And we don't allow limp-wristed boys in our youth ministry."  Nervous laughter was the audiences response but dead silence would soon follow.  Next he explained with Pentecostal-fervor, that faggots and dykes were not welcomed either, they would be delivered or ran off by his ministry-gestapo units.  Not wanting to leave anyone out, he next railed against people with tattoos, tight jeans, long hair, and pretty much everything else Hitler said six decades ago to demonize people who were different than himself.  I was so mad I wanted to scream, but I wimped out and stayed for the entire message. On the way home though, I kept wondering if kids doing drugs, having sex, and skipping church were the problem or if stiff suits horribly representing Jesus and the cross might be to blame.

I have absolutely no problem with homosexuals coming to my church!  I have no problem with people with tattoos, tight jeans, or different ethnic background as well.  In fact, I believe the church should be the most eclectic gathering on the face of the earth.  Every meeting should be a smattering of races, political parties, belief systems, and even religious backgrounds.  We should all gather and worship under the banner of love for Christ.

Does this mean I am tolerant of homosexual behavior?  Have I pulled a Jim Baker Jr and decided to edit the Gospel to please the homosexual community?  Of course not, homosexuality is sin.  But do you know what the bigger problem is?  Church people don't like, and in many times hate homosexual people.  Like a five year old in fear of cooties, we want them out of our church, our political party, coffee house, etc.  I think the entire American Gospel Enterprise (Christian radio, TV, amusement parks, businesses) was started as a way to keep homosexuals out.  

And yet Jesus died on a cross and tore a big veil, to welcome people in.  No gestapo at the door, no Hitler-like suit stirring the crowd to hate, and no utopia free from the people not like us.  You see the man with messy theology who told me he's looking for a church, is a person.  And Jesus told us very clearly that we must focus on two things, loving God and loving people.

So I bless you to leave the dividing dialogue to the political pundits, blowhard radio celebrities, and dead-head theologians.  Take up the greater task to love, listen, and liberate.

Safe Place?

We received the following email at our church last week.  I enthusiastically volunteered to respond to the email, and attempt to connect with the author.  I hope it stirs up something inside of you and makes you ask yourself some tough questions.  Leave a comment and let me know how you would react.  How would your church react?  I'll post what my response was in a few days.

Hey,

I am trying to find an open and affirming congregation in Lees Summit MO. I am an openly gay servant of God and am wanting a place of worship that is open and affirming of me as a person. I am looking for a place that is open and accepting of me as a human being will hopefully respect my differences just like I will respect the other members of the congregation. A place that will challenge me spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and aid me in my journey with the Creator as I know it. 

I was wondering what your views on homosexuality are for this church as specifically. I would also like to know that based off of what I have asked you in this email, if you think this would be a safe place that would be open to me as a person who is gay, and affirm me in my walk with God.  Thank you for reading this.

Go in peace, with lots of love, and harmony   

Dinner on the Riverwalk

A perfect summer evening with the family on the Riverwalk in San Antonio...

Trip to San Antonio

I'm still on vacation, but I wanted to share my favorite pics from our 3 day trip to San Antonio.  We're back in Dallas with family and then heading home on Tuesday.

This is the evening before our trip.  We went to a semi-pro baseball game, the tickets were $1, the hotdogs were $1, but the memories were priceless.  Jace got to go on the field several times betweeen innings to compete for prizes and dance with the mascot.

I'm not sure how we went on long trips when I was a kid.  Now my son has his own DVD player (he calls it is laptop) and personal DVD collection to choose from.  Him and Kaden watched movies, ate, and slept, my kind of vacation.

Here's a pic of our bags.  My brother Tim is somewhere behind this mammoth display of fashion overload by my wife Ronnin.  Remember that this was our bags from a 3 day part of our vacation!!! 

750 feet in the air in Tower of Americas.  As soon as I step off of the elevator, guess what I see... Starbucks.  They really do have one on every corner.

My 10 month year old son Justus showed more bravery than I did.  Look at him lean on to the glass and look over downtown San Antonio from 750 feet in the air!!!  By the way, Ronnin was not around when I held him up and took this photo.  (Before you accuse me of pulling a Michael jackson, there is safety glass all around us.)

You can't go to San Antonio and not visit the Alamo.  This was not Jace's favorite part of the trip.  Notice how Ronnin has to hold him by us for the pic.

Jace riding a bull in the heart of Texas.  Actually it's a coin operated bull and I Ronnin and I didn't have the change to turn it on.  He's just sitting there for the pic.

Sarcastic Confessional

  I'm riding in the car with my family, Ronnin beside me, (who by the way is hotter now than when I first met her 12 years ago) the boys are in the back (Jace 5 years old and Justus 10 months old)  engaged in a hotly contested battle over who can scream the loudest, when something besides screaming boys and a hot momma grabs my attention.

I'm in Dallas, on the way to my parents house after speaking at their church in Dallas.  Sitting at a busy intersection, I notice about 15 people dressed up in their "Sunday best", you know guys in starched white shirts and dark ties, and ladies in colorful, full length dresses.  Some are holding signs, some are holding bibles, but all are chanting verses focusing on God's judgement, anger with sin, and discontent with mankind.  Kids stood proud next to older brothers and sisters, under the shadow of moms and dads, and braved the Texas sun and heat to make their point.

That night, my dad said he wanted to show me something.  He turned his TV to a local broadcast channel, and let the program do the talking.  With out of date decor and bottom-line quality production, a local church was preaching and proclaiming its message to whoever happened to pass on their way from one shopping channel to the next.  The preacher was barely audible (I'm not so sure that was a bad thing) but through my dad's interpretation, he was railing against the local police department, "unsaved" people, and how every church was wrong except for his.  After his sermon, the chairs were moved out of the way, "gimme some of that ole' time religion" style worship was hammered on the piano, and the audience started walking, praying, and worshipping in organized circles, while skilled (I use the word loosely) dancers took up the center aisle dancing freely to music while beating on decorative tamborines.

So to sum up my day, it was a sarcastic bloggers dream and any respectful Christian's biggest nightmare.  As a follower of Christ and a student of His teachings, I couldn't help but feel that these two groups were completely clueless of who Christ really is and that they were desperately in need of someone to "turn their tables over" and bring out the whip.

But then I thought of my church, the way we worship, and my own theology and inability to represent Christ purely.  I'm sure someone thinks the way we worship, follow God, and live out His commandments is wrong as well.  In my instant response to condemn these groups as misguided idiotic ideologist, I started to feel convicted about my own imperialistic ignorance.  It sure is easy for me to fall into the mindset that I'm right and "they're" wrong.

And that's the disease that the church has fought since day one.  Jew vs. Pagan, Jew vs. Gentile, Gentile vs Pagan, white vs. black, Baptist vs. Methodist, Pentecostal vs. Charismatic, hymn vs. modern chorus, suits and ties vs. jeans and untucked shirts, seeker vs. spirit, and on and on and on...

The differences aren't the problem, they accurately represent a beautiful, diverse God.  Instead it's the idea that one expression is right and the others are wrong where we get off track.  I recently heard some simple advice that gave me a new perspective:  "In our journey following God,  for every mile we travel, there are two miles of ditches."  To the right and left of us is the opportunity to get off track and start going our own way.  The key when you swerve off track, is to get back on.  I know it sounds too simple, and wouldn't be enough to satisfy a Sunday morning crowd hungry for 3 points, a slick powerpoint presentation, and a moving altar call, but it works.

So I've decided to force my sarcastic wit to take backseat to my humble pursuit of truth and spiritual sobriety.  It seems like a better way to live, a better way to worship, and a better way to represent a Saviour of people from various races, backgrounds, political parties, and religious expressions.

I bless you to pursue a truth that does not come at the cost of love for mankind, and the humility to understand that our ways aren't a full representation of His.

Okay, it's been way too long since my last blog.  We've (me and the youth group) been selling fireworks, and making a ton of cash, and now I'm on vacation in Texas.  Here's a pic of me and some of the chulios (my nephews and nieces).  We're headed out to pool and I'm going to try out gawker for the 1st time.

Much has been marinating in my mind, so the blogs will be coming rapid fire at you soon.

My steakhouse is better than yours

I take a break from my usual religious ramblings to offer my reaction and review of my recent trip to AMOR DE BRAZIL steakhouse:

You park your car, get out, and the aroma overwhelms you.  Imagine your best 4th of July BBQ on steroids.  Your other 4 senses bow without mercy to the powerful scent of fresh meat being seared on a hot grill.

With what can best be described as a schoolboy skip, you quickly make your way to the front door, but then your eyes are distracted.  There in a glass tomb, or silo of sin, is three of the juiciest skewers of meat you've ever imagined, much less seen before.  It makes you think biblical, and you start to understand why meat was considered such a holy sacrifice.  But today is not just about worship, its a day of indulgence.

You step into the entryway, and you realize that this is also a place to bring the significant other.  The opulent atmosphere would be the envy of Benny Hinn and his TBN colleagues, and even stir Liberace from the grave.  The buffet(which I recommend you stay away from so that you can properly celebrate as a carnivorous creation) is decorated in such a way to tease the eye into thinking that you've stepped into an art museum.  Greens, mixed with reds, oranges, blues, and the rest of the rainbow surround the table to create a beautiful panoramic view.

Your waiter or waitress leads you to your table, and you quickly notice that the plush leather chairs are built for comfort and confidence that you can stay for as long as you'd like.  With a simple flip of a card, you know what the lifestyles of the rich and famous truly are as waiters rush to your table offering various cuts of fresh meat off the hot grill.  They never stop, until you start to beg them for mercy.

As you leave the restaurant fully satisfied and barely coherent, you already begin to imagine the next time your wallet and your waistline are ready for another round.

Significance Found

Here's some notes from a recent message I did on Finding Significance.  The pics make it plain, the application is a little more difficult.  I've also included some bullet points from the video with Chris Hill.  No service tonight. we're having a kids conference at the church all week.  Tomorrow morning at 10am central, we'll be live streaming the youth sessions at the conference on: www.ustream.tv/channel/encounter-student-ministries.

Stop the vicious cycles in your life.  How?  Become consistently intentional and deliberate with attacking the areas of your life that have you stuck in survival mode.  Break unholy alliances with apathy and mediocracy.

Don't be the guy with Vanilla Ice hair, Hammer pants, and Michael Jackson glove.  Move past your successes and jump off the cliff of discovery again.  The past is in the past.  It's time to turn personal achievement into kingdom impact.

Rhythm of Heaven

 I'm not a mystic, but I believe in the spiritual.  Many people think that's a contradiction.  They'd rather group mystical, metaphysical, spiritual, etc. all together; a little Hocus Pocus action, black magic, hearing from the dead, supernatural kind of thing.

By definition a mystic is someone who sees with their eyes closed, they close off the physical so that the mysteries of the supernatural can be revealed.  A mystic is someone who devotes their life to the study of life's mysteries.  Sounds cool, we'd all love to unlock the mystery, hunt for the treasure chest, find the hidden clue.  You know, Indiana Jones meets National Treasure, meets Pirates of the Caribbean, meets Lost. (Yes, I did just shamelessly reference Lost.  By the way, I also want to take this opportunity to recommend Psych.  Rent or buy the 1st season and you'll thank me.) 

Well I'm not a mystic, your church shouldn't be mystical, and Jesus isn't understood in a cloudy quest for divinity.  You see, the spiritual and the mystical split paths at the 'eyes closed' thing.  This has been one of the biggest crutches for the church today: we'd rather be weird than embrace truth.  I'm sure that right now you're in front of your computer shaking your head in disdain, but you also have this nagging suspicion that I'm right.  The moment you, or the church, closes it's eyes to access the 'spiritual realm' all you really do is become a walking blind person.  In our attempt to walk the clouds, we have trodden over a hungry, hurting humanity.  

Here's my problem.  Jesus was more in tune with the supernatural, spiritual realm than anyone else in history.  It's said that He only did what He saw father God doing in heaven.   He was a walking mirror of the plan and purposes of God... He had captured the rhythm of heaven.  So in His life's journey walking out the great plan of God, the exclamation point in God's pursuit of humanity, what kind of footprints did He leave along the way?

He accepted children, people of all races, the sick, the outcasts of His day, prostitutes.  He passionately split the divide between the synagogue and the sinner, while at the same respecting and embracing the governmental leaders of His day.  He angrily took action against those who put up socioeconomic walls and demanded justice for mankind, without prejudice.  All this while walking out the plan of God, the journey to the cross.

Your spiritual journey if legit, should at times be messy, confusing, exhilarating, even painful but at no time do you walk with your eyes shut.  We're not looking for a cloud, a sign, a wonder, or an awe, we're looking for truth.  And you're probably on the right path if on the way you catch the heart of God for mankind, you know, simple humanity.

So I bless you to walk in spiritual sobriety, but to do so with your eyes open, leaving the lava lamps and mindless mantras with meditation to the mystics.  Passionately pursue truth and allow your journey to cause an unhappy alliance with poverty, sickness, and prejudice with eyes wide open, the rhythm of heaven.  

Great Day

Hope you had a great Father's Day!  (Thanks Tiger for making it last an extra day)  I had some mad BBQ this weekend and I wanted to share the details with you.  Now remember I live in Kansas City, the heart of the nation's best BBQ.

• Burnt End Platter
  
• Cole Slaw
  
• Fries
  
• Side of smoked beans
  
• Toast
  
• Sweet Tea (It's hard to find sweet tea in the midwest, so I had to sweeten it myself)

This is my plate after I split my meal with Jace:

Thanks Ronnin, Jace, and Justus for a great weekend!!!

Do Not Pass Me By

Happy Sunday and Father's Day.  Pastor Alan just threw down the best message I've heard him preach, Do Not Pass Me By.  Here's my notes, check out the stream... www.ustream.tv/channel/encounter-student-ministries

Do Not Pass Me By

Mark 10:46-52

What God wants to do is greater than we can think or imagine.

1. Jericho was a city under a curse, vs 46

2. This was Jesus' farewell tour before He was crucified

3. Jesus was traveling into the narrows, between the city gates, a place where beggars hung out, vs 46

4. Blind Bartimaeus was a man known by his curse.

5. To get God's attention we must cry out.

6. Desperation must be followed by changed action, vs 52

See ya, I'm headed to lunch with the fam and Jace just told me that I have a prize at home.  Enjoy God, enjoy your family, and enjoy yourself!!!

On Target

The overcomplication of the Gospel is one of the greatest sins of the 21st century church.  Don't know if it's because we want to sell more books, teaching cds, or just sound smarter than we really are, but I fear that we are making it more and more difficult for interested people to engage in relationship with God.

I gave one of the simplest teachings of my life last night to a group of young people, Living on Target with God(faith vs fear).  Worried that it would sound too basic,  I juiced it up some by using big words, video, and spray paint.  In other words, I committed the very sin that my message was all about; I call it elusive evangelicalism- alluding to the great character and nature of God while at the same time presenting it more as illusion than reality.

Well the true reality is found in 1 Samuel 15 (The Message Bible) "... Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production." 

Here's my notes...

Living on Target

Exodus 7:10-12

1. Simplistic Linguistics

Exodus 7:8-9, "The Lord said..."

2. Awesome Acquiescence

Exodus 7:10, "... and did just as the Lord commanded."

Missing the Target

Exodus 32:2-4

1. Confusing Linguistics

Exodus 32:1, "... they gathered around Aaron and said..."

2. Nonsense Acquiescence

Exodus 32:22-24, "... I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!"

Watch the full service, with worship, at www.ustream.tv/channel/encounter-student-ministries

Hard work in the office

Mighty Mouse, very cool... Huge Spider, not so cool.

But it was the first time that I've used one of my big preacher books... to slay the deadly, venomous spider!!!

Where did the party go?

So little man, isn't so little anymore, he just graduated from preschool. No typo there, the pic proves that 5 year olds do get a full graduation with cap and gown and everything that goes with it.  Thinking now that I should have sent out cards so people would have felt obligated to buy me, I mean him, some gifts.

Oh well, it got me thinking.  When you're young, the people close to you celebrate everything you do.  Birthdays are a big deal, walking, talking, even pooping becomes an act to throw a party over.  People will walk up to us while we're shopping, eating, and doing our thing and say, "Oh, your kids are so cute, they're so well behaved!"  Apparently, sitting in a stroller(by the way, the reason they're so good is that the boys are strapped in) and looking cute is a reason for people to stop by and compliment the boys.  So yeah, I guess preschool graduation is a reason to celebrate.  And I'm cool with my son kicking the ball in the wrong goal, I'm just happy he kicked the ball.

But as you get older reality sets in.  The voices that celebrated each achievement in our lives start to become quiet as new voices that criticize and analyze take over.  Not too many people stop me in the mall to tell me how good looking and well-behaved I am anymore.

So if it's been a while since someone has said, "Good-job sport" and gave you a pat on the head, remember that maybe you're just growing up.  And a part of growing up is to start becoming the one doing the affirming.

So I'm no longer a cynic about preschool graduation or soccer where you don't keep score, let the celebration begin.  There's something right about one generation celebrating the exploits of the next, even when it's the small stuff.

Bubblegum Haze

My oldest son Jace is 5, and he's taught me more about love and life than I ever thought I could hold in a brain most often filled with questions about Lost (there's your link).  Justus is my 8 month year old, so we're still figuring out why we've invaded each other's world, but we're having a good time.  The boys keep me overwhelmed with feelings of fear, joy, happiness, and sleep deprivation.

Not long ago Jace, after our doctor, specialists, and too many tests, was scheduled for surgery to repair a birth defect.  Everything was going well the morning of the surgery.  Ronnin and I let him take as many toys, clothes, and DVD's that he wanted, and our goal was to make the day as least traumatic as possible for our son, and me.  He wasn't too excited about the hospital gown, but the dinosaur bed in his examination room kept him calm.  Things were going smooth, almost too smooth, and as the nurse asked what flavored anesthesia he wanted, I was too busy figuring out all the reasons that seemed wrong to notice that my son wasn't doing well anymore.  He was getting more and more nervous and he could tell that this trip was not going to have a happy ending, well at least not that day.  

The nurses finished their preliminary tests, and it was now time for Jace to part ways with his dinosaur bed and move to surgery.  The nurses let us walk with him down the hall, and when we came to the end, Ronnin and I stood at the waiting room door as the nurses prepared to move him to his meeting with bubblegum haze.  We kissed Jace, held him tight, told him we loved him, and turned to walk away.  At that moment, my heart was crushed in a way I hope never happens again.  He started crying and screaming my name, he ran up to me, and wrapped his arms around me as tight as he could.  He was crying out the same phrase over and over again, "Don't make me do it, daddy.  please don't make me do it!"  I knew he had to go through it, and the nurses peeled him off of me as my wife peeled me off the floor.  

In the waiting room I got a little ticked.  No, not at my five year clinging to me for survival, but at the stupid idea of a God who's more like a genie-in-a-bottle.  Jace's fear, my pain, and the whole process made me hate the Jesus that wig-wearing, toupee toting, 'let me hear you say amen' shouting, three-point thumping, homosexual-hating, and right-wing fundraising, empty headed, zero hearted preachers had represented him as. (Maybe they hit the bubblegum haze one too many times.) 

In other words, I was questioning my faith.  But somehow, my son's tears started healing me from bad church, bad preaching, and bad Christianity.  These words made sense for the first time..."Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

Because the truth is life's not simple, and pain can be pretty complex.  So I need a truth that's simple and a God that can teach me the complex, even if it's just in part.   Zero hearted, zero headed Christianity isn't Christianity, it's the blind leading the blind.  We don't need men, method, or material, we need relationship with someone who cares enough to put his name, ego, and deity on the line, offering us a way to transcend fear, pain, and hurt.

Today Jace is okay, and so am I.  But tomorrow could change everything.  It's why I'm struggling at best, but attempting more everyday, to call to God and let Him reveal His mysteries, His key to life a better way.

So I bless you to reject poor representation, your own pain, self(and church)condemnation, and move in to the great and unsearchable gift He has for you.

Sorry Al, we can't solve it

I'm flipping through one of my magazines the other day, anxious to get to my favorite section, yes the cartoons, when I ran across an ad that grabbed my attention. (That's kind of the point in advertising.)  It was a simply black and white ad with a picture of two older men sitting on a couch.  Reverend Al Sharpton and Reverend Pat Robertson were sitting there, smiling, and gazing at each other like a young couple on their honeymoon.  (By the way, let me save you some time from researching their church affiliation.  Neither one of these guys is actually a "Reverend" of any church, but function more as political puppets for the left and right.)

Al Gore has started a new organization called wecansolveit.org (no I'm not providing the link) and he has teamed up with Rev Al and Rev Pat.  Two superhero religious leaders of our day with polar opposite beliefs, working together to end global warming.  It's kind of like Superman and Spiderman joining forces, Dirty Harry and James Bond, RoboCop and the Terminator, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (wait, that already happened), Kevin Federline and Kato Kaelin, so enemies beware!!!

I love that the dominant political, I mean religious forces of our day are joining the dominant political, I mean documentary-making, eco-cover boy Al Gore.  And you have to love the Bob-the-Builder, "Can we fix it, yes we can!" attitude of these grown men.  I just have one problem... we can't solve it.  For many reasons, but primarily because we are the ones who started the problem in the first place.

I'm enjoying the 21st century, even more so now that I have a MAC.  We are becoming alive and responsive to the realities of poverty, pollution, war, and disease.  We are seeing an explosion of NGO's and non-profits making huge efforts and great results in local, national, and global markets.  Individuals are waking up to the reality that self-consumption can not come at the price of others.  Even churches and large companies are making sacrifices in building structures, energy use, and disposal practices.  It's like the crying Indian, make America beautiful campaign from the 70's, has finally found some ears.  You know, a lot of this social, political consciousness reminds me of the 70's, and that's what has me a little worried.  Not so much the consciousness, that's a good thing, but what comes after self-awareness... remember the 80's?

Some of you don't, you weren't born yet, and me, I was only 2.  The 80's were all about pride, self-indulgement, a bubble economy, greed, and bad clothes.  Seems odd, how can we go from caring about others and our environment right into pride and greed?  Because self-awareness only works when you become aware that yourself can't solve it.  When you look at the problems in our society and mankind, and bypass the problems of self, things get fuzzy and you start thinking that all we need is Oprah and her book club, Al Gore and his gang, Hollywood and its stars, and 'poof'.... we've landed safely on modern-day Utopia.

Truth is it feels more like quicksand, and I'm looking for a way out.  We need someone who doesn't think like us, who doesn't do things the way we do it.  Someone who can honestly say, "My ways are not your ways, and my thoughts are not your thoughts."  Someone who does more than care about humanity, the environment, and social justice, they lay their life down for it.

So before you join the 'we can solve it campaign', ask yourself if that really makes sense.  Can we really save us?  I think it's time we look outside of humanity, reach out to divinity, and ask him to solve the messes we've created.

Sorry Al and the Dynamic Duo, we can't solve it.

Who would have thought that the Kingdom of God coming by force really has nothing to do with political protest, bumper stickers, and prayer lines, but instead radical acts of love in our communities... Check out my bro's blog to hear what their church did over the weekend to really "be the church" to a family in need.  

I live for this stuff!!!

before beverage...

after beverage...

Thanks Leandro, for the best coffee mug ever!!!

Crying over spilt...hair?

I made my wife cry this weekend.  No not the, "I'm so happy and awed" kind of tears.  I'm talking about the deeply hurt and offended type.  I gave Jace a hair cut.  And I found out something about my wife that a)I should have known already because she has perfect hair and b)really scared me because I have no hair.  She told me, through tears and sobbing, that hair is the most important physical feature for her.  She was heartbroken to see our son's hair so short.

I laughed and that seemed to make things only worse for me.  To her, it's one thing for me to be bald and beautiful by nature's(or God's) hand, but quite another to force my 5 year old to have the same look.  He loves it, I love it, and here's a pic for you to decide.

Turning off the Mower

Maybe I have commitment issues.  Regardless, I was very hesitant to buy my first house two years ago.  Something about living in an apartment, renting a house, living on the beach (I've done all of those at one time in my life) seems bold, carefree, and exciting.  Buying a house seems boring, restricting, and mature.  

I miss my first apartment in college with the dishwasher that we never used, couch that needed multiple blankets to conceal the holes, dirt, and questionable stains, and carpet designed during someone's LSD trip in the 70's.  We never vacuumed in all our time there, we didn't even own one, we never mopped, no mop either, but we sure had a lot of fun, although we couldn't get our girlfriends to come inside.

So as the family and I packed the UHaul, waved goodbye to maintenance free living, drove 5 miles, and then unpacked for what seemed like 6 months, I was still reluctant to the idea of home ownership.  Today, not much has changed.  My wife has taught me how to clean, and sometimes I even do it, I have a toolbox with actual tools in it, and I even bought a ladder from Home Depot (Although I've never used it).

The one thing I enjoy about home ownership is mowing the lawn.  This my 90 minutes, I have a small lawn but I'm slow, to let my mind wander and nature speak to me (OK, pretty much just the mind wandering thing).  My son, Jace likes to come outside with me and play and pretend that he's mowing as well.  It's a great time to stew over ideas and brainstorm over the hum of the mower.  If Apple would develop an imower, I could type out these ideas as I'm mowing.  PC guys could even use one of those manual mowers with the antiquated 3 blades that spin.  they could even have a complicated booklet that confuses everyone.  But back to the point...

So my mind is active and alert while I'm mowing, kind of like when you were first allowed to use a calculator in math class.  And then, and this happens every time, one word will shatter my meditation.  It's always my 5 year old calling out my first name, which I'm cool with, eager to show me a bug he found, tell me something he forgot to tell me 3 days ago, or ask me an important life question such as, "Why are aliens green?"

It's become habit for me to shut off my mower, get down on one knee, and say, "What do you need Jace?"  Now this normally happens 2-3 times each time I mow.  One day after I finished mowing, he came up to me and said, "Daddy, thanks for shutting off the mower to talk to me, that makes my heart dance."  That made my heart dance.

Makes me think about the other machines in my life.  The hum of busyness, programs, and goal-achieving that causes me to fall into patterns of putting people and relationships a distant second to ideas and strategies.  I think this is the true meaning of anti-Christ:  To put humanity below stuff.  

So I bless you to put stuff back in its place, and return to listening to humanity.

Funny Thing about Politics

I hate politics.  Everybody likes to say that, but press a little and you will find that underneath that false veneer, their colors run true blue or blood red.  A recent article I read (we'll talk about it later) states that 1% of Christians believe you must vote for Democrats, 5% believe Republicans, and 94% say there's no correct choice.  I think 94% are liars who are too afraid to admit they always vote the for the same party, no matter the candidate or the issues.

I don't vote.  Seems contradictory to me to say I hate something and then go out and spend my time participating in the whole process.  My dad used to say, and he probably still does, "If you don't vote, you don't get to criticize."  As if that's the #1 reason to vote; so I can criticize the guy(or lady) who won instead of my candidate.  Or how about this one, "Our forefathers fought and died so that we could have the opportunity to vote".  In all my time learning US history in school, we never covered a war fought over voting rights.  And no, the Revolutionary War was not about voting rights.

The funny thing about politics is that it seems to bring out the worst in people, especially Christians.  A recent article in a magazine I read asked leading "relevant" leaders their views on the major issues today.  The question of politics came up and it focused on whether either party is right.  Instead of sticking with the simple no, these leaders spoke themselves out of any amount of respect as Christians, leaders of the day, or humans with brains.

One of the leaders stated that she had issues with both parties, but went on about why one was great and the other was wrong.  She (ab)used the bible to say that it supported the death penalty and war.  She went on to say that the polarizing issue for Christians is abortion and the fact that 50 million babies have been aborted since 1973.

Many of you are sitting in front of your screen saying amen, but before you sell your soul to the Republican party, let's review.  I'm going to skip the issues of war and the death penalty for now and focus on abortion and what she was afraid to say, homosexuality.  These really are the reasons that so many Christians vote Republican.  They are against gay-rights and abortion.  We'll sign me up for a one-way ticket to Naive City, where everyone believes that all we have to do to stop people from being gay and killing babies is to vote Republican.  Don't mean to derail your train but haven't we had any Republican presidents, Republican congressman and senators, Republican governors, and Republican state leaders in the last 35 years.  Why then, do we still have issues like gay-rights and abortion!

Not to be outdone,  another one of the esteemed panel had this to offer,"A Christian is not supposed to vote on one issue... Christians ought to be political and active, but I don't think we should prescribe for people what that means."  I just put away my history book looking for the imaginary war we fought over voting rights, and now I'm scanning my bible for the verse that says we can't vote on one issue.  Nope, not finding it.  Truth is, she's a Democrat trying to make the Bible say that you can't vote Republican just because of abortion.  Here's a hint, anytime anyone starts a sentence with, "A Christian is not supposed to...", they are probably headed for trouble.

So what do we do.  It's becoming popular to say what another on the panel said, "We need Christians in each party, calling their political party to a higher standard."  The esteemed expert appears to really be an expert at dodgeball, with great ability to throw out a weak statement while not taking a hit from either party.  Maybe they should go into politics.

We're not being fair with politics, and it's time we lower our expectations.  Politics won't and can't stop abortion, deal with gay-rights effectively, bring peace to the world, and end crime.  We need something and someone who transcends hate, fear, insecurity, and manipulation.  We need someone with perfect clarity, who's walked in our shoes, who can bring truth, justice, and pure equality.

Funny thing just happened.  I was looking for that verse that told me I can't vote on one issue, and I got distracted by this one:  Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, and love extravagantly.

I vote for that.

Camping with Jace

I've been waiting several months for spring weather to show up. We had a tame winter here in the Midwest, but cold temps have hung on for way too long. The, "one day Al Gore's a nut, the next minute he's an accurate doomsday prophet", kind of spring. Last fall, my oldest son Jace and I went on a couple of camping trips, and he and I have been dying to get our gear out of the garage and put to good use.

Well, it finally happened. We had a beautiful day Sunday and Jace and I loaded down the Honda and headed to the campground. We were one of only 4 campers on the entire grounds and it was great to have the place to ourselves. I set up the tent in record time, 15 minutes, thanks to Jace being distracted by the playground. I like to spoil my sons in creative ways and my goal was to make the entire trip a blast for him. We stayed up too late, ate too much food, watched movies (thanks mom for the portable DVD player), laughed until we cried, stayed in our pajamas most of the next day, went on a hike (Jace picked out a killer walking stick that would have made Moses jeaulous), went to the lake, and had breakfast while most people were making lunch plans.

He begged me to let us stay another night but I was in desperate need of a shower and technology so we headed home. As we pulled into our driveway, Jace jumped out of the car to let Ronnin and Justus know that we were home and had conquered nature's elements. I sat in the car, tired and procrastinating having to unload the car, when Jace came back outside and ran up to me. My window was down, and he leapt up through the window, gave me a big hug, and said, "Thanks Dad, for the best day of my life."

Now my son's only five and I know that any day involving junk food, movies, and getting really dirty constitutes greatness in his mind. But man, what a euphoric experience to feel his little arms around my neck and hear those words come out of his mouth. My mind went back to my own father who continues to go out of his way to "spoil" me. Just to take time to love me.

I'm at a weird place in my life. I am still addicted to my father's attention, embrace, protection, guidance, and approval while at the same time I am now responsible for providing those same things to my sons. I am a son and a father at the same time. I crave the opportunity to be transparent, weak, and confused like a child and I also feel the push to be strong, brave, and responsible like a father.

I see my relationship with God much the same way. I need a pure relationship where I can be brutally honest about my fears and weakness, and yet feel that I am being changed into a whole person at the same time. The Bible says, "we are changed from glory to glory". For some, that may conjure up some warped idea of a mystical experience that morphs you into a better person, but for me, I see it as God revealing to us that we are changed in pieces. Step by step we are growing closer to God, understanding his will for mankind, and grasping our place in his marvelous design.

So I embrace the reality that my son may not have really had the best day of his life, but that we enjoyed each other's company, had a lot of fun, and grew closer together. It's exactly how I feel after spending time with my own dad, and a great way to picture your relationship with your heavenly father.

I bless you to enjoy God, have fun doing it, and to grow continually closer to Him.

Putting the World Right Again

Most of us memorized John 3:16 about the same time we learned our ABC's and that stupid Barney song. Sorry, it's probably stuck in your head now isn't it?

Unfortunately, growing up we never seemed to get to the next verse. It's a shame because John 3:17 perfectly describes divinity's heart towards humanity.

'God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.' -Message Bible

Does that really happen? Does Jesus really put things back together or is He just a good bumper sticker, excuse to vote our own political ideas, or imaginary folk-lore persona that has birthed mass-deception. And do we really need his help? We're educated, sophisticated, experienced, and sympathetic to others, so what's with the condescending, 'I'll put the world right again.' Doesn't every consecutive generation make the world a better place by ending war, poverty, and senseless genocide?

When Nietzsche famously said, "God is dead", he was more accurately saying God is no longer relevant. Several of his works are premised on this presumption and call on mankind to find a new mode of survival. In essence, what is the fuss of religion, God, forgiveness of sin, and grace when we have evolved into an advanced species who are capable of developing our own parameters of nurture and nature.

Funny thing happened after Nietzsche eulogized God: World War I with 18.5 million soldiers and civilians dying, World War II with over 35 million soldiers and civilians dying, 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded releasing one hundred times the radiation dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, violence continues in the Middle East as genocide grows in parts of Africa, and 27 million people are enslaved in modern day slavery and human trafficking.

As I write this, I can't help but think of kids dying of starvation all over the world, people suffering under physical and sexual abuse, and rampant war and disease.

I know Theology is a messy thing because most time it starts and ends with a why. But Jesus didn't come to make sense, he came to make things right, and that's why Nietzsche's not. We need help, from ourselves. God's only irrelevant when he's misrepresented, or his message is perverted for personal gain. And when you've made God into anything but what he is, I agree with Nietzsche, he's dead.

Nietzsche may have been a great author, but he was lousy as a prophet. We need something purer than us, without selfish motivation, to rebirth us. To make the messy things in life right again. Can God really heal pain, sickness, war, fear, prejudice, abuse, and fear? Because the truth is, we can't.

Cyclone Power

“The problem in many of our congregations is not that we’ve chosen a wrong strategy or have an irrelevant style but that we are an unhealthy culture.” - Erwin McManus

I love sports and I love going to sporting events, especially when they’re free. The Big 12 basketball tournament is at the new Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City this weekend and I took my son to the free open practice sessions on Wednesday and yesterday a friend took me to see a couple of the games.

Now I love sports, but I have digressed in my relationship with ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and March Madness ever since marriage and fatherhood became my #1 leisure sport. So as I’m walking into the beautiful, yet out-of-place in dreary downtown stadium yesterday, I wondered if I would still be able to speak coherent sports jargon with my friends during the games. I couldn’t name a single player from any of the teams playing, and I wasn’t even sure what Iowa State’s school mascot was, but more about that later.

I took my seat just a few rows behind Kevin McHale, who was scouting those players I couldn’t name, I ordered food that graciously did not provide the nutritional content on its packaging, and I cheered, booed, and yelled with the eclectic crowd wearing various school colors.

And then something unusual happened…

Iowa State took the court for pregame warm-ups. I knew nothing about the school or the basketball team, and these were my initial reactions:
1. They are called the ‘Cyclones’. Nothing like naming your school after horrific natural disasters.
2. The mascot is a Cardinal. Not sure the connection between the cardinal and the cyclone, but I don’t think the cardinal comes out of that one too well.
3. The school colors are yellow and red. Doesn’t seem bad, right. Except last night looked like a McDonald’s convention at happy hour. Even the mascot, the bird not the cyclone, was dressed like the reincarnation of Ronald McDonald.
4. The band members were wearing hockey jerseys. This was a BASKETBALL tournament.

So by default, I decided to root against Team McDonalds and cheer for Texas A&M. It didn’t last.

Across the stadium, I noticed several guys painted in yellow, wearing red wigs, and chanting wildly. I looked beside me and I noticed I was one of the few fans not wearing the McDonalds two-tone special. The atmosphere in the stadium was changing. These fans weren’t annoying or obnoxious, they were intriguing. They made the game exciting, even though the basketball team wasn’t, they made me laugh, and won me over. It was great to see fans who traveled, from wherever Iowa State is, and physically and emotionally take over the filled-to-capacity stadium. Even the band, although they may not have realized what sport they were playing for, frustrated A&M’s band because they were louder, more passionate, and played until the last possible moment.

I was swept away in a sea of mustard and ketchup, wishing I had attended Iowa State and wondering why I hadn’t been a fan all along. The same team I mocked at first, became the object of my affection for the next 40 minutes.

It’s been said that the goodness of God leads us to repentance. For some reason we’ve become dyslectic with that truth. We think repentance leads us to the goodness of God. ‘Say your sorry enough, have a revelation of how worthless you are, and then you’ll encounter God.’ That gospel is not only ineffective and stupid, it’s wrong.

God says, ‘See me in nature, see me in the arts, see me in people groups all over the world, see my goodness in creation, harmony, and life…and be awed!’ That will lead you to become a community of people who believe in me.

It wasn’t the mascot, team uniforms, conflicted bird, or badly dressed band that determined my belief in Iowa State, it was the passion of their community. The love the fans had for their school, each other, and even their acceptance of converted A&M fans like me was a powerful force. The way they took over a stadium not by bumper stickers, religious rants, or protests but by how they seemed to be loving life, drew us in.

Christianity doesn’t work any differently. The belief that the church will be empowered when we win elections, more powerfully protest sin, and organize effective boycotts of the bad guys, makes our message impotent. Instead we must become vibrant followers of Christ, hunger healthy communities of truth, and desire to produce life and love wherever we go.

So I bless you to live life full, and pursue healthy communities marked with humility, excellence, and passion.

Imagine

Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today...Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace...You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world...You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
Imagine by John Lennon 1971

An honest attempt to visualize a place where the things that divide people no longer exist. I love the melody, a soft approach masking a strong political and religious message, although Lennon probably saw these two regimes as one.

Lennon asks the listener to follow him on his journey, his ideological quest for living without the death of heaven, hell, countries, killing, religion, possessions, greed, and hunger. In 2001, under the shadow of a debri-filled New York City, Neil Young performed this song before a televised audience of 60 million; 60 million people still moved by the power of Lennon's prophetic musings.

Lennon was calling for a movement, although he always publicly denied this in interviews, but the third stanza gives his motivation away as he is calling for us to more than imagine, and to join arms with 'us'.

I've been thinking about this, not Lennon but the song, what it means, not to Lennon but to us today and tomorrow. And I've hit a road block.

Doesn't every political and religious force use the same rhetoric as Lennon's? Isn't every war fought to 'end war' or remove suffering? Don't people join a religion to remove 'evil' from their own lives and bring about an end to 'evil' in society? Don't most see heaven as an eternal extradition from things like greed and hunger?

I guess my problem is what Lennon's was, and why his movement has not moved past imagining. He offers no real answers or explanations, only condemning the generation before him for the systems they put in place. That's probably why the song continues to be so popular. Nothing like blaming mom and dad and their politics and religion for all the bad in society.

Lennon struggled to imagine real answers to killing, pride, and poverty because to achieve it requires a purely motivated political uprising demanding equality, a religious movement demonstrating societal justice, and men and woman serving the needs of community over the wants of their souls.

Now Lennon's song will remain on my playlist, and will probably continue as the anarchist anthem for generations to come. But I'm not content to only 'imagine' all the wrongs in government, religion, and society. I want to make a difference, now. I want to do something about poverty in my community, eliminate hatred and fear in my city, and remove divisions of race, gender, and religion.

Maybe politics and religion are not to blame after all, maybe we're the problem. We might be in need of some help from someone who died passionately for what he was(and not just what he believed in), and left a perfect example on how to achieve what Lennon sings of.

So I encourage you to celebrate imagination, let your dreams be unhindered, but be brave enough to move into the fog of living them out.

No Insiders Allowed

As usual, I was waiting several rings to see if someone else was going to answer the phone. Just before the call was directed to the answer machine, I realized that today I was the only person in the office. I reached for the phone and my notepad at the same time, sure that I would just be taking a message for someone else.

The caller never did tell me his name, nor did he ask me mine. He baited me by telling me he was new to our community and was looking for a new church home. He just wanted to talk to a live voice(which is pretty much all you get out of me on the phone) before he decided to visit our church. I’m not a good salesman, and I have never meet a good salesman that I would want to spend any time with away from the sales floor. My wife, in act of defiance and wisdom, will not step foot on a car dealership, real estate office, or electronic superstore until the very last minute, when we have already done our research from the safe confines of our home. So although I love my church, I knew I wasn’t suited to ‘sell’ this guy on the benefits of attending our church.

Well, luck or favor was on my side, because this guy was not interested in ‘buying’. He immediately went off about our church, the church in general, and how society and the world was being harmed by our message and focus. As he tore at everything our church stood for, I must admit, it was good to hear that our church was having such a global impact! Normally when we get calls or emails like this we end the communication as soon as possible, but I was enjoying this guy. Yes, he was off the wall with his exaggerations and hyperbole, comparing teaching to brainwashing, discipline to control, love to manipulation. But, I’ve heard that stuff before, and it sounded like he was reciting from someone else’s skewed view of Christianity. What intrigued me was what the man was trying to say, and I found great truth in the unsaid longing of his heart.

He felt that the church, and because I answered the phone, my church, had made him an outsider and was trying very hard to keep him as one. We have our weekly meetings, our songs and radio stations, even our own television stations all geared to…us, the insiders. He desperately wanted to know why we had turned a message about creator loving creation into sophisticated, orchestrated weekly meetings designed to please insiders and at the same time, even if done without malice, keep the outsiders as…well, outsiders. We dress alike, have our own book sections in Barnes & Nobles, our businesses marked with the fish symbol, our coffee houses, our amusement parks, even our own political representatives!!!

But, what this man, who dropped as many F-bombs on me as my high school football coach, was picking up on, was all we really have been doing with Christian influence, money, and power, was clearly making our churches and bible studies as havens for insiders.

Well I must admit, the man who ended up hanging on me before I could tell him that he was making more sense than most 3-point sermons on a Sunday morning, sure got me thinking, and now I’ve decided to become an outsider. No, I’m not leaving Christ (In case you didn’t notice, the only time he visits the inside is to knock the place around). Instead, I’m on a search to find where he really is, and just as important, where I should be.

So consider this your invitation, come join me outside the walls of plastic Christianity, and let’s live life as Christ lived his…on the outside.

Deadly Pandemic or Authentic Journey

"Do not follow where the path may lead; but go to where there is no path and leave a trail."
- unknown

I have an incurable disease - a deadly pandemic that I was infected with almost nine years ago. It happened innocently enough, by two random events spread apart by several years. The first and least important event happened when the Texas Department of Motor Vehicle issued me a driver's license. The second event was my wedding day nine years ago. These two days were crowning achievements in my life, and I successfully completed both tasks on my first try.

Unfortunately, the combination of these two innocent events has resulted in an inoperable condition I call, "I know where I am going, we don't need directions!" (which will be refered to as NOMAP from now on) My wife, who was originally a nursing student, has labored in vain as an amateur apothecary mixing various medicines such as, "Just read the map stupid!", "Stop at the first gas station!", and "Ask that old lady walking down the street!"

These may seem like items with powerful medicinal powers, but the side effects, plus the pride the druggist would take in 'curing' me, have proven to be too much for me. I have accepted the fact that I will never be cured from NOMAP and I, and my unfortunate passengers, will suffer under its effects for as long as my license is renewed.

The truth is, much of my life is governed the same way. I don't want a map or a program to tell me when to turn, where to go, and what decision to make at every intersection. I want to make those decisions myself...better yet, I want to search out the truth about what decision I should make, instead of listening to someone else telling me what to do. Many times parents, pastors, well meaning friends, and family members protest to those infected with NOMAP. But the truth is, many times we are not acting out of rebellion or youthful ignorance, instead we are driven by a desire for authenticity.

I don't want to be someones religious robot nor evangelical puppet. I don't need to be told how to vote, how to dress, what movies and music to listen to, and whatever else we have confused Jesus with being about. Instead, I need to be shown how to love, how to heal, and how to forgive...the things Jesus was about. And for that, I don't need a map or a religious system. I need a relationship with a revolutionary thinker, a heroic champion of justice, and an architect of a better way to live.

Sometimes we call the bible a road map, but I think we're selling it short. For me, the bible is the greatest romance novel ever written. (And thankfully, Fabio isn't on the cover.) It is a story of a deliberate and intentional God giving humanity life and relationship with their creator, and putting into motion a way for all to experience communion with his presence, forever.

A map has pictures, lines, and symbols. The bible has passion, shed blood, and produces life and liberty. One of the major problems with modern christianity is we have minimized an infinite God to stats, number, and rules.

So those of you infected with NOMAP, I urge to not check into the hospital(or church) for a quick immunization. I challenge you to continue on your difficult journey in your pursuit of an authentic relationship with your living, loving creator.