The Doing-Being Test

I have been a little down. The attendance and participation at CPC is stagnating. Somehow, I feel I am responsible. I am responsible to get more people here—to get more people to give—so the church can afford me, the youth director, and expand its ministries. Perhaps, I am failing. Perhaps, I am not qualified for this position. I know better than this—I know this is God’s ministry and God has called me here. But in the back of my mind—I feel I am responsible to do.

I have been preaching about the Exodus and the wanderings in the Wilderness. How God was testing the Israelites to form them into the people he wanted them to be. Perhaps God is testing CPC—he is testing me. I have failed the test. Instead of rely on him, I rely on myself. I feel I must be the doing—instead of just being the child of God he wants me to be—instead of just allowing God to transform me.

That is the thought that hit me. I need to trust and be patience; God put me and CPC together. I (we) need to trust that He is going to provide. He will provide—He is providing.

Serving with our children

It is amazing how many people heads turn or question our decision to bring our children on mission trips--particularly to the Gulf Coast. However it is the best way that we believe we can disciple our children. We want them to see the passion that drives us and we want them to learn from the earilest of age that we are called to Love Jesus and serve him by loving others. This picture is of Andrew, our 4-year-old, hammering in a nail. Now our children are limited physically what they can do--but were excited when they could help out and talked about serving on the mission team.

The greatest moment for us as parents--is when Andrew sat in the back seat with his mom asking questions as to why the people's houses were broken and then came up with a simple plan of helping everyone out. Basically it can be summed up as this (1) We can house everyone in our home until the homes are not broken, (2) We can fix all their homes.

The Faith and Love of a Child. May we all regained that Love.

Struggling Hearing God's Voice

Andrew was had one of the most honest and intellectual questions lately. He told me that he was frustrated because he knows that God can hear him, but he can’t hear God’s voice. The first time he shared this with me last week, my heart sank—I don’t want my child struggling to find God’s voice—I don’t want him to struggle with his relationship with Jesus. But it is such a fantastic question.

Previously, I told him that God was talking to him whenever there was a lightning storm. God’s voice came in the thunder and is saying, “I love you Andrew”. That seemed to calm him during the storm. Yesterday—he said as we went over the question again—he knows he can hear God’s voice in thunder but is frustrated that he can’t understand it.

How many of us know God talks to us, but are frustrated that he can’t understand him or can’t hear his voice (or are unable to recognize his voice between the noises of this world and our life). If the naiveté of a 4-year-old is struggling with this concept, how much more are we?

Yesterday, I think I had a break-through with him. I told him God speaks in many ways to us—particularly through the Bible (God’s words). However, what sparked his interested is that I told him that sometimes God speaks to me through him (Andrew) and vice-versa. He liked that idea, so I think is mulling that over. But than he asked, how can I hear God’s voice when he is in my heart. How do you answer that question? It seems to me that answer that question is the question itself. If God is in your heart—your life is transformed to respond to God and to be directed by him.

Lord, may you grant Andrew and Joshua the ability to hear your voice. May they hear you speak and recognize your words. May they be faithful children to you. May they grow deeper in love with you.

Refusing the Help we Need

Sometimes we just refuse help. No matter how dire the circumstances or how painful it is, we just refuse help.

Last night was one of those moments. Andrew, who is suffering through a poking-of-the-eye-with-the-toothbrush injury refused to take his eye ointment. The night before we woke up several times in the night whimpering and putting a cloth to his eye. Nevertheless it made for a miserable night for all of us. After taking him to the doctor, and the doctor thinking that he just irritated the eye and nothing was wrong, prescribed an eye ointment. Last night after the fury of his birthday (which was a grand event) Andrew refused to take his eye ointment (his being over-tired didn’t help the process). It took over 30 minutes of calming him down and bribing him, until eventually we had to overpower him and give it to him by force. He refused his eye medicine even though he was complaining about his eye.

People are like that. Sometimes we just don’t want help, even though, we know we need it, even though we know we are suffering, we refuse to take the help. People are that way with Jesus all the time. This world is full of death and suffering, and when you open up the doors for people to see Jesus they refuse the only help they really need.

Pray for Andrew to be open to receive the help he needs for his eye, and for people around us to receive the help that Jesus offers to them.

Why I Have a Velvet Elvis

I am not particularly a fan of Elvis—he is a little before my time, but I have been influenced by his fans, namely one of my pastors who was a big Elvis fan, and had a handful of sermons that he would preach about Elvis on the anniversary of his death.

As a long-time youth minister, you collect things—particularly items that make kids thing you are cool or just a little bit off (you want to keep kids on their toes). Well, one day, a good friend found an old Velvet Elvis in a garage sale and thought it would be a hoot to give it to me.

Part of me hangs it on the wall of my Pastor’s Study just because it is funny. Part of me hangs it on the wall to offset the other elements of ego on the wall (diplomas and such). Part of me hangs it on the wall to start conversation with people—it is a good ice-breaker. But mostly, I hang it on the wall to remind me of the mission God has given us

So how can Elvis, the King, remind me of God’s mission for me?

"Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things." (Acts 17:22-25, NRSV)

Did you know that Elvis Presley made more Gospel albums than Rock albums? Did you know that Elvis came from a family that was deeply religious—Pentecostal background—and the hip movements and gyrations he performed on stage he learned and in his church growing up? Did you know that Elvis often would perform “How Great Thou Art,” during his concerts, and that after the end of all his rehearsals and recording he would make people sing a hymn with him. Did you know that just before he died he made a promise to make only Gospel albums for the rest of his life.

Yet, the church pushed Elvis away, instead of clinging on to a person that had the ability and ear of so many people, the church railed against him and condemn him.

While Elvis Presley was a teen cataclysm with millions of American girls screaming at the sight of him, his own church viewed Presley's gyrations on stage as an affront, labelling it the Devil's work and a mocking of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Presley records were condemned as wicked and Pentecostal preachers thumped their pulpits with Bibles, warning congregations to keep heathen rock and roll music out of their homes and away from their children's ears (especially the music of "that backslidden Pentecostal pup, Elvis Presley"). People who decades later would be considered part of the religious right spoke out vigorously against Presley including Cardinal Spellman. In its weekly periodical, the Roman Catholic Church added to the criticism in an article titled "Beware Elvis Presley."[1]

What if the church instead of pushing Elvis away, latch on to him and used his arena of influence to further spread the gospel? Imagine a church this isn’t afraid of a few warts and is willing to be all things to all people. Imagine a church that is more interested in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, than its own public appearance.

The Apostle Paul on Mars Hill did just that. He wasn’t afraid of learning the culture or engaging it. In fact, Paul thought it his mission to learn and engage the culture so that we may engage people with the Gospel.

The picture of Elvis is a reminder of the failure of the church to grasp onto the opportunities that God provides. So often we put things into boxes of sacred and secular, instead of realizing we are all in the secular box in which God is trying to make sacred.
Let us not depend on our own wisdom and plan, but let’s see how God works and join Him in His plan—even if it might include someone as outrageous as Elvis.

[1] Wikipedia.org

Opportunities for Communion

I just watch a video of a guy that set up a folding card table in different public places. He placed himself in a mall, outside a fast food restaurant, in a public market, a park, outside a subway entrance. On this table, he placed a bright pink piece of paper that read in Bold black letters, “COMMUNION”. In addition he placed on the table a loaf of the best smelling and tasting bread that you could buy. He had broken the bread into two pieces. Next to the broken bread was a clear wine glass filled with the best wine that he could buy. This gentleman sat behind the table in a chair wanting for people to engage this visual peculiarity. This man was offering communion, he was inviting people to a relationship with Jesus.

In the video, most people walked on by without even noticing the table, some look at him, but didn’t even slow down. Some people slowed down and smiled, but kept walking by. Some people even hovered a bit, but never got too close to engage. Some even stop to talk to the person, but when offered the bread and wine, refused. Then just one person eventually engaged the person, took the bread and wine and thanked the man.

What a fantastic image of what God has done for us. There God is at the fast food place, the mall, the public park, everywhere we go, offering all of us a relationship with Him—a chance to commune with Him. How many of us engage this offer and accept it freely as it is freely given.

Let us be a people that engages in every moment and let us be a people that commune with God.

Tombstone of D.L. Moody

Took a trip with several other pastors yesterday to the gravesite of D.L. Moody and his wife in Northfield, MA. Here is what their tombstones read:

Dwight Lyman Moody
1837—1899
Feb. 5—Dec. 22
“He that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”

Emma C. Revell
1843—1903
July 5—Oct. 10
“His servants shall serve him and they shall reign forever and ever.”

May we be people that do the will of God by serving Him.

Show & Tell

My oldest son had Show & Tell today. It was his first one. The teacher gave him this purple basket to bring whatever he wanted to show and tell. He had the whole weekend to consider what to bring. I kept asking him, "what do you want to bring?". His response was, "Whatever I want to bring" (with a look of disgust that I would even ask the question. When I would push him further, he said he would decide the day of. However, he was excited about being able to share something of himself to his friends and his teachers. You could tell he was putting some serious thought as to what would be the best thing to bring. When I would give him suggestions he would ponder it and then say, "No, I will decide."

It got me thinking about how I share my faith with people. God has given me the opportunity to Show and Tell every day and every moment, yet I usually don't take the opportunities God gives me, and I rarely take his advice on what to share--let alone how to share it. I think I tell God, "No, I will share whatever I want--I will decide." The reality is God has decided for me. He wants me to share the Good News that He came into this world, that his Kingdom is being ushered in by His Son, Jesus (God Himself), and that He died on the cross for us, and that he defeated death by rising from the grave. Even better yet, He will come again. That is the news, he has commanded me to share, yet I ignore his suggestions.

Andrew eventually decided. He brought his stuffed birds that have a similarity to their real-life counter parts and make the actually bird calls of those birds. He knows all their names. He eventually decided and took the suggestion of his father that the birds would be a good idea. (I need to go home and find out how the show and tell went).

Heavenly Father, may I be a person (may we be a people) that listen and obey your commands (suggestions) and show and tell the world you (and your good news).

The Church vs. Dunkin Donuts

Open for Business. We had 18 people for service yesterday. Not bad considering there was a blizzard. I was surprised anyone showed up, I was expecting no one. However, I thought it was important that I be at the church in case anyone did show up.

I don’t like the idea of canceling church due to bad weather. I made it safely, if I couldn’t I would cancel. However, I also don’t expect people to risk themselves to make it to service—so I didn’t expect anyone to show.

I have this sense that someone should be here on Sunday regardless of the weather. Sometimes I feel that people come to church as the last resort. Maybe they are depressed, deeply hurting, whatever their circumstances—I want them to know someone loves them and cares for them.

My resolve to have service was strengthened as I drove to church and saw Dunkin Donuts open. Surely if Dunkin Donuts can be open during a blizzard so can the church. So we had 18 people, more than most churches. God blessed us yesterday.

The Pain of Equality

“It’s annoying but justice and equality are mates. Aren’t they? Justice always wants to hang out with equality. And equality is a real pain.” Bono at the National Prayer Breakfast.

Equality. It is not a word or concept that I think much about. I think about Justice, I think about doing good for people- sometimes even do good for people. Jessi and I tithe faithfully to all sorts of organizations including our church. But I usually don’t think about Equality.

But then Bono’s words hit me. Of course it is about equality. You see the problem with my charity is that I often don’t equate myself with the people I am giving to. To be very blunt—I think I am better than they are.

Somehow I believe that I am responsible for all my wealth, my family, my job, all my blessings. The reality is everything is a gift from God and all of humanity is in the same boat. There really is a fine line between me and the poor, the sick, the criminals. That line is grace. The reality is though I am not better, and I just more privileged and therefore have more of an obligation to reach out to the rest not with charity but with equality. Not just giving to them, but being with them, seeing myself as one of them. Seeing them how God sees them.

Then I got to thinking about all the issues of the world that are caused by people thinking they are better than other people. The list is long.

Check out the rest of Bono’s speech at http://www.data.org/archives/000774.php

Cheers of Children

Children are wonderful. As I was watching my Seahawks self-imploded in the Super Bowl last night, and discouraged not because the Steelers won (but the Seahawks really lost the game), my children put the whole evening in perspective.

Andrew and Joshua spent the afternoon baking and cooking with Babci. Andrew kept running in and showing me what they were making for Super Bowl Night (his two fists raised in the air as he states, “Go Seahawks”). Both of them maybe watch 10 plays but they would send cheers into the air for the Seahawks every once in awhile, lifting my spirits up. Andrew would watch my reactions and that mimic me. It is hard not to put a smile on my face with the positive and innocent cheers of a child.

So perhaps it is not whether your team wins a Super Bowl, but whether or not your children share in the joy of watching it with you.

Salvation thru Judgment

“Sometimes God saves by judging. . . . judgment is generally a good thing. It means the coming of truth and justice into our deceived and oppressed world.” (Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy)

We don’t like being judged. I don’t like dealing with the consequences of my behavior. I know my children don’t like the consequences to their behaviors. They dislike the timeouts we give them for not listening or misbehaving. Usually the threat of the timeout changes their behavior. However, sometimes they need the timeouts to be corrected. We find that when we are not consistent with their consequences the more courageous they are with the misdeeds.

God saves us by judging us. God saves us because he is consistent with his judgment and rules. God is not wishy-washy or bends the rules. God rescues us from our deceived and oppressed ways. God also rescues us by forgiving us. He judges then forgives. He sets forth the natural consequences for us allow us to see the untruth of our ways and the world. Then when we turn from our ways (repent) he rescues us with forgiveness.

My favorite part of the timeouts with my children (a process I do not take any enjoyment from) is after they have served their time, they apologized for their actions (usually with the saddest tears) and I get to say, "You know that I love you." Then with their tear-filled eyes they turn to me and they leap in my arms and say, “I love you too, Daddy”

That is salvation, being rescued from the falsehoods of our behavior and being freed by the love by and for our parent.

Thank you Heavenly father for rescuing me time and time again with your judgment and forgiveness.

Lord Have Mercy

Jesus I've forgotten
The Words that You have spoken
Promises that burned within my heart
Have now grown dim
With a doubting heart I follow
The paths of earthly wisdom
Forgive me for my unbelief
Renew the fire again

Chorus
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on me
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on me

I have built an altar
Where I've worshipped things of manI have taken journeys
That have drawn me far from You
Now I am returning
To Your mercies ever flowing
Pardon my transgressions
Help me love You again

I have longed to know You
And all Your tender mercies
Like a river of forgiveness
Ever flowing without end
So I bow my heart before You
In the goodness of Your presence
Your grace forever shining
Like a beacon in the night

Some songs just stick in your head. May this song be my prayer this week. This song is called, “Lord have mercy” by Steve Merkel. A good version of it is on itunes by Michael W. Smith.

Turn up the Signal, Wipe out the Noise

“Send out the signals deep and loud
And in this place, can you reassure me
With a touch, a smile – while the cradle’s burning
All the while the world is turning to noise
Oh the more that it’s surrounding usThe more that it destroys
Turn up the signal
Wipe out the noise” (Peter Gabriel, Signal to Noise)

How do we hear God?

I sometimes get the impression that we view ourselves as the Verizon wireless man? You know the guy that wears the telephone repair suit and walks all around the country asking, “Do you hear me now? Do you hear me now?” We might believe that we can talk to God or at least say we do, but I often get the impression that most of our prayers and conversation with God is in doubt. Deep down we question whether God can really hear us?

I actually think it is the opposite? I think God is the Verizon wireless man, and he is constantly on the phone with us, and with His supernatural wireless connection asking us, “Do you hear me now? Do you hear me now?” God is speaking to us constantly. His life-changing breath/spirit is whispering in our ears awaiting to tingle them, if we just remove the distractions in our life. God is sending out his deep and loud signal to us, yet we turn on the noise and distractions of this world.

Look at all the noise we put into our life. How often are we in the car without the radio, at home without the television on? We now walk around with mobile phones filling any potential quiet moments with more noise. We don’t take the time to turn the noise off and listen to God. It is no wonder that most of us struggle to hear him, we are drowning out His voice.

Turn off the noise. Turn up God’s Signal

Deep Thoughts from a Dentist Chair

I just came back from the dentist today. I haven’t been in awhile. I had several thoughts that occurred to me while I sat in that torture chair for 45 minutes.

(1) Trust: Why do I trust this person that puts instruments in my mouth that sound like she is excavating a mine shaft? One of the main struggles of being human is trusting in the sovereign God. Yet, I willingly and without much hesitation trust this person, whom I only met 5 minutes ago to drill, scrap my teeth. I can’t see what she is doing and as far as I know she could be planning to pull my teeth out one by one or carver her name into my teeth. Yet, I struggle to trust God, the creator and sustainer to run my life.

(2) Faithfulness: I always have the best intentions before and after I go see the dentist. A couple of days before I go on a strict regime of brushing/flossing my teeth just like they told me to do the last time I visited. After taking a brow beating about the state of my mouth, I pledge to brush softly and in little circles, to floss daily, and treasure my teeth for the gifts that they are. How long does that pledge last? It is like when we go on a retreat or pledge to God, I will be faithful and study your Word everyday. How many times do we make pledges to God with the best intentions but fail to keep.

(3) Stewardship: God has graciously and generously given me these teeth, yet I fail to be a good steward of them. I don’t take care of them and treasure them for what they are and allow me to do. What if I didn’t have my teeth? Life would be different. I need to be a better steward of the resources God has given me, therefore allowing me to generous give of myself.

(4) Justification: It is one of the best feelings have your teeth professional clean. They smooth, the look shiny and they feel shiny. There is a confidence you gain from having the freshness and healthiness in your mouth. Yet, no matter how hard and how diligent I clean them at home; they never feel the way they do after the dentist. It is that way with sin, no matter what I do; I can never take the stain or remove my sin. I can make it look marginally better, make it look and smell more socially acceptable, but it is only through the professional cleaning of Jesus that any of us are able to have that smooth and refreshing feeling of being clean by the blood of the lamb. There is a confidence and freedom after been cleaned by Jesus.

I had no idea that my trip to the dentist would be so fulfilling this morning. I should go more often.

The War on Christmas

The war on Christmas has been on the news lately (particularly Fox News). There is a sense of outraged that Christmas is being banned from American and that Christians are being forced out of the public arena. Here are examples of the battlefield around the country:

• In Illinois, state government workers were forbidden from saying the words “Merry Christmas” while at work
• In Rhode Island, local officials banned Christians from participating in a public project to decorate the lawn of City Hall.
• A New Jersey school banned even instrumental versions of traditional Christmas carols.
• Arizona school officials ruled it unconstitutional for a student to make any reference to the religious history of Christmas in a class project.
• Attorneys are working to educate library officials in Memphis about the unconstitutionality of their exclusion of Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the wise men from a nativity scene.
• Teachers at a Georgia elementary school reportedly were told to nix any religious pins and refrain from referring to a party as a “Christmas” party, while the local district has censored certain religious Christmas songs from its “winter” program.
• In Dodgeville, Wisconsin, Ridgeway Elementary School's "winter program" has changed the name of "Silent Night" to "Cold in the Night." Sung to the tune of "Silent Night," the lyrics include: "Cold in the night, no one in sight, winter winds whirl and bite, how I wish I were happy and warm, safe with my family out of the storm."

Perhaps we should be concern with this “war”. But you know what I am more concern with is the Church proclaiming Christmas to the people of God and the world. Since Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, many people and churches are faced with the dilemma of upsetting the family idolatry/consumerism of Christmas morning vs. keeping Christmas a holy day remembering God’s greatest gift. Seriously, what is the Churches telling the world about Jesus if we crumble under pressure and let Christmas become secularized.

Instead let’s be a people that redeems Christmas from the culture and celebrate what God has done and is doing for us. Are we willing to sacrifice some family traditions and secular customs to focus ourselves with our words and actions on Jesus at Christmas.

God is Giving

I love giving gifts particularly if I know the person is going to be excited about it. There is a joy about getting the reward of satisfaction knowing that the person loves the gift. I dislike (or yes, maybe even hate) gifts for the sake of gifts. It is amazing how easily we fall into the trap of giving gifts because it is Christmas and we ought to give a gift to that person. We ought to give to people because they have a need. We ought to spend time with people because we love them. I would rather spend the time with people that spend the time running around making sure I have the right gift for them or any gift for that matter.

The focus of Christmas quickly becomes how much I can give instead of how much God has given us. This frenzy of gift-giving is the anti-thesis of what Christmas is all about. It is not about our righteousness or worthiness to do the right things or to do anything, but it is about God’s generous and abundant love for us, that GOD GIVES himself to us.

This season let’s not worry about what we are giving, and what we are doing, but let’s focus on what GOD has GIVEN, and what GOD is DOING.

Distorted Mirrors

I went to look at a Nursery school today. I don’t know if I am overly-protective, or overly sensitive but I have not been impressed with Nursery schools. I am supposed to send my child to these one of the schools where they don’t seem equipped to handle or nurture my child.

Beyond my over-protectionism, I was horrified with what I saw. This nursery school was created by the church that it resides in as an outreach to the community. And as I listen to the Nursery school director and asked him about teaching the faith in the school, she seemed like that was a crazy question. They don’t integrated faith into the school because it is an outreach. Huh? What kind of outreach is that? She stated very confidently and proudly that they celebrate all faiths, all traditions, and all families. If this was a secular school, I would have understood this philosophy, still might not want my child to go there, but understood it nevertheless. But this was a church based nursery school.

Basically the outreach they are doing is telling everybody that everything is okay. Instead of pointing people to the Living God and Truth of Jesus, they are holding up a mirror to people and telling them okay. Except the mirror they are holding up isn’t a mirror that reflects reality, it is a mirror that reflects falsehoods and lies so that people aren’t offended by what they look like.

Is the church too scared in this world to identify what we look like? Are we too scared and frightened to see what is actually in the mirror of this world to react? Or are we courageous enough to stand in the light of God and see the true reflection of who we are, and allow God to transform us into who He wants us and has created us to be.

If the church is giving up the Truth, who will preserve it?

Needless to say, Andrew is not going to that nursery school.

Potter and the Right Path

I went to see Harry Potter last night. I have to admit I am a Potter junkie. I can’t get enough of the stories and movies. Every time a movie or book comes out, I rush to read through it all and then go through a period of withdrawals. Good movie, but it strips a lot from the book for the sake of time. If you haven’t read the book (which are they any people out there) I don’t see why you would see the movie.

Anyway at the end of the movie, Professor Dumbledore (the father, wise figure) tells Harry, “we have two choices now, one that is right, and one that is easy.”

Which path are we going to take? The easy one or the right one. It seems hard to determine which is the right path for us to take. However, it isn’t really hard to determine which path is easier. I am not saying that the easy path is always wrong, but at times it is how we escape because the right path is too difficult.

In our culture today, we avoid conflict—at least living in the conflict. We are pretty good at entering into conflict and creating conflict, but we are not very good or eager to live and process through that conflict. It is easier to avoid it and just demonize the other side of conflict, instead of trying to reside and reconcile in the conflict.

The right path is difficult, it is counter-cultural. The right path takes us down a road that seems impossible or too difficult. The right path leads to God and is led by God.

Little Faith

Little faith. Sometimes I feel like I have little faith. Doesn’t God hear me, doesn’t he know what I desire. I cannot move the mountains with my faith, but Jesus says in Matthew 17, if we had the faith of the mustard see we could. How big is my faith then? How big is our faith? Do you really believe God is working in our lives? Do we really believe God has a plan and purpose for Christ Presbyterian Church? Will God bring revival to this church and to this community?

Lord, help my unbelief. Help me ignore the enemy at the door. Help me to ignore the distractions that Satan is putting before us. Help me to hear your voice. Help me to have the faith bigger than a mustard seed. Help me to let go of my will, so your will can consume me.

Lord, Come! Come and bring revival in our hearts so your name can be proclaimed.