the branch.

Note: I invite you to read through some of the comments from young adults posted on Thursday. Please feel free to continue the conversation if you're interested!

A couple of years ago, The Ten10 Branch was born. For those of us who go down there, it’s just “the branch.” When the branch was created, it was created as an overflow gathering in the gym because of the large crowd attending the 10:10 service upstairs. At that time, something significant happened in that our church found Megan (Blosser) Hobbs – or maybe she found us. I think this is significant because Megan is a young person with a voice and a gift for leading people into worship.

So the branch became a place where this young person could work on her craft, so to speak. It is a place where she can learn to use her voice and exercise her gifts in the midst of close family.

What if the branch becomes a place where everyone has an opportunity to come together to use their voices and share their gifts as a community? I envision a place where we are able to plan and dream about worship through different teams of people with various talents. I picture a space where people of all ages can learn to use our voices together.

That’s why I am excited to tell you that, 10/10/10 at 10:10 in the gym, the branch is doing a new thing. The most noticeable change, at first, will be that Jeff’s sermon will no longer be broadcast on the big screen. Shawn Franssens and I, Josh Shepherd, will take turns speaking. It brings me a lot of joy to know that I will be able to work with Shawn to learn to use the voice that God has given me to speak love and “compare notes” with others on this Spiritual journey with Christ.

As we progress, there will be other changes. You may find that the worship space is more contemplative or meditative. We want to bring you into a softer space that hopefully eliminates distractions. There are certainly plenty of distractions outside, and we want you to be able to breathe deeply inside.

Shawn and I are looking forward to collaborating with Megan about creative ways to worship God. Because of our close relationship, it will be possible for us to work together to develop cohesive themes throughout worship. We are also praying and passionately hoping that God will send many, many more people who have a desire – not just to “attend worship” – but to work together in community to create captivating worship as an offering to God together. If you are interested in exploring this with me, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

Another noticeable change is our desire to share Communion at the table with each other each week. We believe that Jesus has given us the Word and the Table so that he can communicate something of himself to us every time we gather. The Table is packed with layers upon layers of meaning, and we look forward to exploring these layers together over time.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, as Shawn and I will be communicating about the expected changes as we near October 10. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to e-mail me at joshs@woodschapelchurch.org, or leave me a comment here!

with love,

Josh

Birth.

I was born on November 26, 1984. On that day, I emerged from the comfort of darkness into the blinding light. I am told it was not a pleasant experience. Apparently, birth is painful. There is blood. There is screaming. You would think you were witnessing Death rather than Life.

See, birth is not a simple transaction. You can’t just sign a card and walk out with new Life all bundled up and warm in your arms. Birth is messy. Bringing new life into the world is no simple, sterile matter.

So when Jesus tells Nicodemus that we must be born again (John 3 – Read it again for the first time!), he is not talking about a label we can stick to our car bumper. He’s not talking about a simple transaction, where we can fill out a card or say the right words and walk out with New Life. Where my first birth was the chaotic transformation from the womb to the world, Jesus calls us into another birth. At my first birth, I came out looking a lot like my mother. But the second birth is about making me look more like the Father. This is the work of his Spirit, delivering me from my comfortable darkness into the light.

As far as I can tell, the second birth is every bit as messy as the first one. Rather than saying that I am a “born again Christian,” maybe I would say that I am being born again, as we speak. And it is often very painful. Sometimes it feels much more like Death than New Life.

On my birthday, as my mom tells the story, they bring me to her. And I am beautiful, of course. I am clean. Her heart is swelling with otherly-love. And she is celebrating how we will never be apart. This life has come from her, and it is good.

I think this is a tiny glimpse into the New Life that is available through Christ. The Spirit draws us out of ourselves and into Him. We become beautiful. We become clean. Our hearts swell with otherly-love.

There is a celebration. A feast. Because the one who was lost has been found. The one who was Dead has been Born Again.

With love,

a young shepherd.

young adults.

Note to Readers: What follows is a bit of a departure from what I usually share in Jeff’s blog. Namely, it is much lengthier. If it is too lengthy for you to read, please feel free to scan and/or come back to this post when you have more time or curiosity about the subject. Also, I am hoping to spark some interesting conversation so please pay attention to the comments as they are approved by Jeff.

with love,
Josh

Intro to the Conversation

As you may know, I work as the Young Adult Director at Woods Chapel Church. My mission is to work to connect young adults to Christ. I am consumed by thoughts of how to do this in the way that best reflects the love of Jesus Christ. In this post, I am attempting to spell out some of the underlying reasons why I think connecting with my generation is a crucial issue facing the church. Whether you want to read my thoughts or not, I am inviting you to weigh in with your thoughts about young adults in the church. Feel free to skip down to the discussion points at the bottom and join the dialogue.

Either way, I invite you into an ongoing conversation with me, whether it’s on this blog or in person. Please feel free to contact me any time at joshs@woodschapelchurch.org or hit me up on Facebook.

Church Crisis

I am not a statistical person. I prefer a good story any day. Sometimes statistics tell a story, though. As I shared yesterday, I consider it my current mission in life to understand – and ultimately respond to – the story of how my generation (18-29 and called “Millenials” for people that like labels) relates to the church in my culture. Here are some statistics that tell a story.

According to USA Today, 18% of Millenials in the U.S. attend church weekly. In fact, the church in the U.S. has been in steady decline since the 1960s. The average age among Methodists is 57, and we are steadily getting older. Out of 16,000 UMC clergy, only 850 are under the age of 35.

Someone recently balked at my usage of the word “crisis” to describe the situation in our church. The more I think about the statistical story, the more I stand by this word. We have an age crisis. Because we have an age crisis, we also have a leadership crisis. Not only will there be fewer leaders in the future as experienced clergy retire or die; there are also fewer leaders who are able to speak to the Millenial generation now. I call this a crisis.

The future doesn’t seem much brighter. Many American missiologists (people who are smarter than me and study the church’s efforts to reach out in mission) look to the church in Europe to predict the steady decline of the church in the U.S. Currently in the United Kingdom, only 2-3% of Millenials attend church. Europe, the home of the original towering “mega-churches”, has now become the home of towering mega-church museums. The church in the U.S. is dying. The church in Europe is dead.

That’s the story.

Spiritual Hunger

To hear this story, one might conclude that the Millenial generation is simply no longer seeking God – that we have lost our spirituality. However, the statistics are telling another story. 72% of U.S. Millenials call themselves “more spiritual than religious.” Thus, they have not turned away from spirituality. They have turned away from the church as a relevant teacher of spiritual matters.

If the term “spirituality” is too generic for you, then consider this. Dan Kimball recently wrote a book called They Like Jesus but Not the Church. It’s about – you guessed it – the overwhelming amount of young people in our culture who resonate with Jesus, but don’t resonate with the church. Together, these two groups are telling us a story of a church who has not only lost its way spiritually, but who has lost its way in following Christ.

I’m listening to this story.

What’s Our Story?

If a group of people who are spiritual seekers and who like Jesus Christ can’t find a home in the church, then I take that as an indictment against the church. We have failed to communicate the true Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ. In reading through the New Testament recently, a theme I have come across time and time again is the theme of “Life in the Spirit.” What could be more spiritual than living together in the Spirit of God? This is a Story we can share.

Instead, in my lifetime, the American church – not everyone, but in large part -- has seemed more interested in telling the story of cold rationale or political power or “creationism versus science” (as if such a polemic must necessarily exist) or modern-day Pharisaism that has created an “us, the good ones and them, the bad ones” split. Meanwhile, we have – again in large part – ignored the sufferings of people around the world, while secular organizations and people outside the church have responded much more quickly. I do not blame my generation for seeing this and concluding that Jesus may be doing more outside the church than through the church.

Re-think or Repent?

For years, the church in America has noted the decline and has attempted to respond. At times, though, our response is more about re-marketing than repentance (which means to turn back; to change your ways for the better.) Appropriately noting the bad PR of the church, we have attempted to correct the PR instead of simply correcting our behavior. The church’s PR problem cannot be corrected cosmetically. I do not believe it can be corrected through top-down programmatic change.

I propose a different solution, one of bottom-up change. Forget the PR problem, I say. I won’t try to take the splinter out of my brothers and sisters in the church, when there is a log in mine. I won’t try to tell you what to do about this crisis. But as for me, I intend to take the criticisms to heart so that they break my heart. I am convinced that my repentance and resultant love for others will do more to draw others into the church – that is, the people, the Body of Christ, not the building – than any cleverly designed marketing campaign.


Embodying the Story

Along the way, I am continually finding others who have let this story break their heart. And we are joining together, because it’s all we really know to do. In our relationships with each other and with others, we are able to share a new story.
Won’t you join us?

Woods Chapel Young Adults

There are local churches all over the U.S. and throughout Europe who are wrestling with this crisis. I am proud to be a part of one of those local churches. After awareness comes action, and action is beautiful. It is beautiful because we are able to come together to face these challenges as a community. I have a feeling this is exactly what Christ envisioned for his church.

I know from everyday experience that Woods Chapel is striving to tell a different story from the one I described above. I have nothing but fervent hope as I see us coming together. We can have hope because we know that death is not the final story for God. The Good News of Jesus is that just when we think Death has spoken the final word, God speaks up with Resurrection. And because I’ve read to the end of the Book, I know that the church never dies, no matter how bleak things may appear. That is why I have hope, and why I love to share the reason for this hope.

At Woods Chapel, I am just one voice among many voices of people who have witnessed the increasing alienation of my generation from the church. Everyday, I find myself in conversations with people who are thinking and dreaming about where we go from here.

Invitation to Dialogue

I invite you to share your thoughts by commenting here. It’s okay if your perspective doesn’t coincide with mine. If you want to go off on a tangent, that’s fine, too. If not, here are a few questions related to my thoughts above.

1. I cited a few statistics about the ongoing decline of the church in the Western world. What are your thoughts on this? Would you consider this a crisis? What should be done? What can YOU do?

2. What are your thoughts on young leadership in the church? What can we do to find and empower young leaders?

3. Do you have stories to share about your experiences as a young person in church? How about stories about experiences relating to young people in and out of church?

4. In what ways might Woods Chapel come together to connect young adults to Christ?

Timothy.

Lately, I have been reading through Paul’s letters to Timothy. People smarter than me say that Paul’s second letter to Timothy was probably the last letter he ever wrote. This means that Paul, writing from prison and soon to be martyred, chose to spend his last ounces of leadership, experience, and love on mentoring this young man.

Timothy is just a young man trying to lead a church. Leading a body of people – a church – is difficult enough. I can imagine how much more difficult it would be to lead so many older people. A commentator in one of my Bibles notes how “Timothy’s young age made him an easy target for those who preferred a seasoned leader.” I’m sure it’s no different today. And I’m sure that Timothy yanked this letter from the messenger’s hands and scoured it for every word, every bit of guidance he could receive from his wise, experienced mentor.

Lest the connection be missed, I want to make a few things clear. I am 25 years old. I grew up in the church, and I walked away as soon as I had the choice. A few years later, I decided to return – or was drawn into returning – back to church. Now, I love the Church. I would die for the Church. But since I probably won’t have to do that in my time, I will give the life I am given to the Church.

Is this too intense for a Wednesday morning? My friends have confided that I am too intense sometimes, and I have though about this for about a year. This is what I have decided.

Now is the time for intensity. Do you see what I see? Can you simultaneously hold a picture in your mind of all the people the church has hurt standing beside all the damaged people Christ is transforming through the church? In my life, I have seen church at its worst. And I have seen church at our best. I believe it is my mission to do everything in my power to lead us into the best that Christ has called us to be. And I believe this mission calls for intense love.

But this is scary. I’m too young. I’m too inexperienced. I’m too uneducated. I’m too broken. So I fall on my knees and I pray. I pray that Christ will break me even more, because it isn’t my success that will restore the Church. It is our brokenness. And so if you are my friend and you are close to my age, I’m sorry. I pray for you to be broken, too. I want you to have a broken heart, because I believe that is the beginning of having a heart like Christ. In Gethsemane, he sweated blood for us. Jesus surely smiled many times in his life. But at the climax of his life, he wasn’t smiling. He was broken and he was intense. So this is what I pray for you, my young friends.

And if you are one of my older friends, I pray that you see what Paul has done at the climax of his life. He invested his last remaining days on earth to a young church leader named Timothy. Paul was now counting on Timothy the way that Christ had counted on Paul. Likewise, I want you to count on me. Not because of anything I have done, but because it seems to be Christ’s joy to pass on what he has received from the Father. So that you can pass it on to me. And I will pass it on to others.

Like Paul, our days are numbered. I beg you not to spend the rest of your life pursuing temporary comfort or money or things but the one thing that we know lasts forever. I beg you to let your heart be broken over the things that break God’s heart. You may suffer, but you will have no regrets.

with nothing but love,

a young shepherd.

Rain.

I was in Guatemala in July. While working one afternoon, the rain came down. Out of nowhere, God tore open the sky, and the Guatemalans ran for cover. Apparently, they don’t work in the rain. And “when in Guatemala…”

About eight of us gathered in a tiny covered hut near the job site. I learned a few new Spanish words before deciding I wanted to get drenched. I could dry off later on the long walk back to the San Lucas Mission. Without a word to anyone, I walked out of the hut carefully over the slippery rocks that we all had piled together over the last few days. My friends and the Guatemalans shared a few laughs at my expense. Laughter is the same in any language.

I listened as the rain poured down on my poncho percussively, and I was drawn into deep prayer. This was not the prayer of petition. This was the prayer of simple receiving from a God who freely gives. I opened my hands and felt the rain fall down.

The rain falls on us all. The rain causes everything to grow. The rain interrupts what we are doing, so we stop and pay attention. The rain calms and soothes us. The rain washes away the dirt and grime that is caked on our hands. It cleanses. It purifies. It nurtures. And it is the same everywhere. The same rain that drenched me amongst the poorest of the poor in Guatemala is drenching thousands of Chiefs fans as I write this late Monday night.

We are not so different. The rain falls on all of us.

In the rain in Guatemala in July, I considered how the rain is like God’s love. Try as I might, I cannot do anything to make it rain. And try as I might, I cannot do anything to make God love me. Yet God pours this rain and God pours this love out on us freely. All we need to do is sit quietly underneath it.

There is more. Once the rain soaks into the ground, it is pulled back into the sky in a cycle of giving and receiving that never ends. We, too, are called to give back the love we have received. Why would we hold onto something that falls on us so freely? The love that falls on me regardless of merit is to be given to others regardless of merit.

Because God’s love falls on us all. God’s love causes everything to grow. God’s love interrupts what we are doing, so we stop and pay attention. God’s love calms and soothes us. God’s love washes away the dirt and grime that is caked on our hands. It cleanses. It purifies. It nurtures. And it is the same everywhere. The same Love that drenched me amongst the poorest of the poor in Guatemala is drenching thousands of Chiefs fans as I write this tonight.

We are not so different. God’s love falls on all of us.

with love,

a young shepherd.

for you today

I wish for you today, I pray for you today, a smile on your face. Joy in your heart. California weather in Kansas City. Healing for the hurt. Resolve to carry on. A friend to enjoy lunch with. Peace in your heart.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

just keep going

By the way, who ever commented that I would do nothing on Saturday was pretty close to right. I was pooped out.

As for today, Just Keep going. Sometimes you need inspiration and it doesn't come. You need a word from God but the heavens are brass. You feel like you need to learn something but it doesn't happen. I would be at the end of my rope but I just can't find it.

Everyone gets like this sometimes. Just keep going. Just get out of bed and put your feet on the floor and keep going. This is not the end, it is not over. It is just a spell. Get up and get going. Find someone to care about for Jesus.

Nothing more to say. If you are in the pits, just keep going. Things will get better. Emotions are fickle, God is good.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

productive days

I love productive days. Yesterday I went to a birthday party. I got the oil changed in my wife's car. I got the oil changed in my car. I worked on the sermon. Did I mention that Friday is my day off? I went to the store and bought light bulbs. I rotated the tires on my wife's car at home in our garage. I fixed a flat tire on my car [I have the technology]. I went to a friend's home for dinner. I bought dog and cat food. I cleaned a retired computer in preparation to give it to a friend. I finished a tile job at the house by laying the 1/4 round and painting it out. Oh, yes and I took a nap.

Is that a good day or what?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

close call

Last night I took my daughter to Paddys for dinner. Sorry, I know they have a new name, but it will always be Paddys in my brain. She had a salad, I had the ribs and a great talk with my daughter.

We are driving home. Woods Chapel Road to 291 north. Lakewood Blvd exit. I exit off 291 and cruise up to the light which is green and has been green for a bit. I start to slow down to make the turn. Out of the corner of my eye I see a red truck flying towards us. I hit the brakes. That little Honda has pretty good brakes. The Honda stops halfway into the oncoming lane, the truck swerves a bit. It is hard to swerve when you are going 50 miles an hour.

A couple of kids in a big red pick up truck not paying attention. A chance almost encounter. I have been in enough wrecks to know what happens when trucks broadside little cars. They missed us by less than a foot. It was one of those moments that take your breath away.

And then you are thankful. Thank you God. We are all so fragile. Life is so precious. We take so much for granted and you just never know when it will all be over. Thank you God.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

creation

The heavens declare the glory of God. Psalm 19. Creation is telling us a story. Every day, to every person the voice of creation is speaking. Calling out to us about the glory and wonder of God. I am touched by the stars of the sky, by trees, and by birds.

When the heavens are brass and nothing is speaking to us, creation still calls to us about the goodness of God. What part of creation speaks to you?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

burning the Koran

There is a church in Florida that is going to hold a special event on 9-11. You have probably heard about it on the news. They are going to have a "burn the Koran day." I have no idea what they are thinking, but it does not sound like a good idea to me.

Maybe they think they can hurt Muslims by doing this. That may be true, but why would you want to hurt others?

Something that I find interesting is that this church, the Dove World Outreach Center, has a whopping 50 members! Not that you would want that kind of publicity, but boy they got themselves center stage. Image if we did something so good that it made national news. That would be my preference.

Anyway, Jesus does not need you or me to go and demean Buddhists or Muslims. The Bible does not become more true if we burn the writings of Hindus or Wicans. I recall something in the Good Book about loving others and not returning an eye for an eye. That is what should attract people to Christian churches, the amazing love and grace of God.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

gold

Gold. Gold. Gold! There's gold in them thar hills! Humans apparently have a fascination with gold. For the last two years, all we have heard is "buy gold, buy gold, buy gold now!" Well, last night, in between dreams, I heard part of an infomercial that said, "sell your gold now."

Well doesn't that just confuse things. Buy it, sell it. Buy it sell it. Buyitsellit. Hurry. Worry. Sell your gold now. Or should we buy it?

I am reminded of something that Jesus said. "Do not store up your treasure on earth where moth and rust will corrupt it, where thieves can break in and steal, instead, store up your treasure in heaven when moth and rust will not destroy and thieves will not steal it. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

labor day

So what do you do on labor day? The office is closed, but I go up to church to clean up a few things. And what do I find there?

Volunteers. Wonderful volunteers. Someone is working in the giving garden. A couple of guys are working on a retaining wall. Someone else is running a tractor working on a couple of projects. It is not an organized work day- people are just up their loving their church.

I look around the grounds and remember. I remember when there was no grass, no flowers, and only a few scrub trees. Today I look and there is beautiful grass, plants, flowers, gardens and trees. Six separate garden areas. Over 50 trees that we have planted. Beautiful. And it all happens because people care about their church enough to work to make it beautiful. thank you!

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

incapable

I heard a phrase a few weeks ago, that some people are "constitutionally incapable of change." I hope that is not me or you. I would like to think that when confronted with the claims of the gospel that you and I would gladly hear the word and receive it. That we are constantly in the process of growing into the image of Christ.

Heaven forbid that I am unwilling, or constitutionally incapable of changing. Let us always be those who are open and willing to be a part of God's plan for us, what ever that means.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

football season

Football season is getting ready to start. It is always an exciting time, just as it is when baseball season starts. That is because at the beginning of the season everyone is in first place. But if you live in Kansas City, you are used to being let down. Every year we hope that the Royals and Chiefs are going to get something going, and every year it seems that we end up in the cellar. Many are discouraged by this, some people get down right mad.

Maybe we are putting our hope in the wrong things. Maybe we are placing our joy in things that cannot satisfy. As we flit around chasing completion in cars, homes, clothes and victory, someone is out there, still waiting.

A car is only a car. A home is only a home. A first place team doesn't last very long. Only Jesus can satisfy your soul.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

sometimes

I got back last night from a 3 day pastors conference. The content was very good, and I always get smarter when I go to this event. And as my daughter likes to say, "Dad, you really need to get smarter."

So here is my airport experience. Tuesday I woke up at 3:30 am and hit the road. The highway was wide open. I drove right to the parking spot. They put me in row 6, space 7. It doesn't get much better than that. The bus was there before I got out of the car. At the terminal there was no one in line to print boarding passes. Three people in security. The plane was on time. It was half full. Everyone spread out. the direct flight arrived on time and I was second in line in the rental car line. I had paid for an economy car, but they put me in an SUV. Nice.

Then there was the way home. I got to the airport at 1230. the plane was to take off at 2:15. I was supposed to be home at 515 KC time. The plane is on time. No the plane is delayed 90 minutes. Then three hours. Then the flight is cancelled. There is another flight that leaves at 5pm. Everyone rushes to the nearest counter to make new arrangements. I listen to the hatefulness that so many passengers are delivering to the counter staff, who of course are personally responsible for the delay. Long and short of it is, they route me through Denver and i finally get home at 11pm.

To me, the activity of God is not in whether he made the flight be cancelled or not. I don't see his activity in whether my prayers [desires] were answered. Where i see God's activity is in how all of the passengers chose to respond to the circumstances. Some were ugly, some were graceful. I could almost pick the Christians out for you. They were trusting and patient.

Some times in life you get what you want. Sometimes in life you get what you get. I am glad to be home.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

dissent

Dissent. To differ in opinion. To challenge the status quo.

Weak organizations and weak people fear dissent. It makes you feel that there is something to hide. On the other hand, strong, healthy organizations welcome questions and disagreements because they know that we only learn when people ask questions. The truth is never afraid of questions.

Do you live in an open or a closed system? Do you allow other ideas to challenge your world view?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

mentors

Be sure to read the prayer of Thomas Merton that was shared by Erin in a comment on yesterday's post. I may not be doing this right, but I believe that my desire to please you, does please you. Awesome.

Mentors. A mentor is someone who helps you "get it." They help you leave your little Pollyanna world and face reality. They comfort, advice and challenge. They hold you accountable. Everyone needs one. A child is mentored by his parents. But what happens after he or she is out of the house? Well we are just supposed to know what to do. But we don't, do we?

A mentor does not have to be a forever thing. You can have someone mentor you on a project, through a problem, or over a cup of coffee one afternoon a month. It does not mean turning your life over to a maharishi. But, to not have a mentor is to indicate that I don't need any help. I have it together. I have the answers. Surely all of us can learn from someone. I had a seminary professor who said, "never trust a pastor who isn't someone else's sheep." That can be applied to all of us. Who is mentoring you? Who is calling you forth toward your potential? Who is helping you get it?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

prayers

A week ago Sunday I mentioned that one of my confessions would be that I feel that I have not done as good of a job as I could have/should have, visiting with you about prayer. Trying to help you understand the purpose of, and benefit of Godly prayer.

I share these three prayers with you over the last few days to give you a picture of what I think are some of Christianity's best prayers. I asked you to read them and look for the common themes. Several of you commented, and you get it.

If you take a moment today and read them again, you will see the common themes. Prayer submits me to God. Pray brings my heart to kneel. In prayer I am lost in him and in his purpose. In prayer I realize that nothing on my heart or mind compares to basking in his presence.

Now at this point someone will say that God cares for our needs and concerns. I would agree. But these should not be the primary focus of our praying. Our praying needs to be about spending time with the Master........ with no strings attached.

When I come to your house to dinner, it is about us hanging out and enjoying each other. It is not about me asking you for everything.

This is such a change to the thoughts of most American Christians, who think that God is a spiritual vending machine...... prayer in - blessings out. The monastics, and the great Christ followers of all time, found peace and rest in the presence of the one that they loved.

And so in prayer, I lose myself in Him. I find myself in him. I retreat from the world, so that I can return to it as the person he made me to be. In prayer I say, not my will but thine. In prayer I deliver my time, talent and treasure to him for his disposal. It all came from him anyway, and our lives find perspective when our focus is leaning into him instead of worrying about our stuff.

I also find it a bit interesting that often in prayer, you are the answer. Not that you are some power broker, but often, the answer that we seek comes from us simply releasing ourselves to do and be what God calls us to be. This principle is illustrated in the old story of the person who was going to ask God why he allowed so many people to die of hunger, but then the person decided not to ask, because he/she was afraid that God might ask the same of us. Why do we allow so many people to die of hunger? And so, as I am submitted to God, I can become the answer to many of my prayers.

There is so much to say on this subject, but this post is long enough. May you find the place in prayer where worldly concerns are absorbed and dissipated by the sheer joy of holding fast to the one that you love, and who loves you like no other.

It's at beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

the youth rock

Tomorrow we will talk about the three prayers. Today, I can only write about the awesome mark that the youth made on my life yesterday. So, ok, I am easy. If anyone is hungry to be touched by God, it has to be the preacher that does not have to preach on a particular Sunday. For once in your life you get to go sit in the pew with your wife and listen to the service.

The youth did not disappoint us. The music was awesome. The singers were awesome. The speakers were awesome. The energy from the youth group was beyond description. If you missed it, I am sorry for you. If you intentionally skipped it, then you have reaped the reward for that choice.

Young people, you were awesome. I was blessed. I can only hope that I give to others the same touch of God that you gave to me at the youth service on Sunday. I can't tell you how excited I am for you and how proud I am of all of you. Thank you!

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

3 favorite prayers pt.3

St. Ignatius of Loyola 1491-1556 was a Spanish priest who founded the Order of Jesus [Jesuits]. He is the patron saint of spiritual retreats. He left some pretty cool prayers. Here is one called surrender:

Take O Lord and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will. All that I am, and all that I possess, you have given me. I surrender it all to you to be disposed of according to your will. Give me only your love and grace. With these, i will be rich enough and will desire nothing more.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

3 favorite prayers pt.2

John Wesley [1703-1791] was an Anglican Priest who inadvertently became the founder of the Methodist Church. He was a fiery preacher who led thousands of people to Christ. Travelling by horseback all over England he would preach three times per day. The common people of the day responded with joy to his message of grace.

Wesley spoke seven languages and wrote a ton of books. Consequently, he made a lot of money, but lived a very austere lifestyle and gave the rest to the poor. Among his many writings is a prayer that has become known as the Wesley Covenant Prayer.

I am no longer my own but thine. Put me with what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing. Put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee. Exalted by thee or brought low by thee. Let me be full or let me be empty. Let me have all things or let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thou are mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.

Good stuff.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

3 favorite prayers pt.1

I have three favorite historic prayers. I am going to share them with you over the next 3 days. They are awesome. See if you can see a common thread within these three prayers.

St. Francis: Giovanni Fransesco de Bernardone 1181-1226. Patron Saint of animals and the environment. He organized an order of friars which would become known as the Franciscans. You see a lot of statues of him in gardens. We have one at our house. Although he only lived for 45 years, he left quite a mark on the world, and he left one of my favorite prayers.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master-
Grant that I may not seek to be consoled, as to console.
to be understood, as to understand.
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
It is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.
Amen.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

myth #4

Oh no. We are going to become a mega church. If we become a mega church, a lot of people are going to leave. We don't want to be a mega church.

Ok. So, what is a mega church? And, who gets to decide when there are enough people?

Personally, I am sick to my stomach thinking about how many people are here now. I go to meetings with people who have attended for years, and I don't even know them. It drives me crazy.

But, who of you would like to stand out at the front door and tell the really new folks that they can't come in? We have enough. You can't come in because we don't want to become a mega church.

I thought that we were supposed to win every person that we could to Jesus Christ and his church. If that is so, then how do you stop that? When do you get to stop that? Do you ever get to decide how big your church will be? Isn't it a blessing if others want to come to your church? I am sure there are lots of churches who wish that they were at capacity and still others want to come.

Jesus did not stop with the 12. Nor did he stop with the 70 or the 120. There are millions of Christians all over the world, and he keeps trying to win more. So should we. It is not about our comfort, or how many, it is about us hearing the call of Christ to reach out and working to fulfill our potential. Is there someone that you know that you want to invite to church?

The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. pray that God would send others to work the fields. God wants everyone to come to a knowledge of him. he wants everyone to come into a relationship with him. We have no right to stop that because we are uncomfortable around crowds.

Sorry, but that is just the way that it is.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

myth number 3

Building myth #3 = we should not spend the money on a building, but we should spend the money on missions.

Ahh. So awesome sounding. But if we took that advice 12 years ago, we would still be spending $3,000 per year on missions. Fact is, the money we spent to build the building in 1999 opened the door and increased the potential so that now we are spending 100,000 per year on missions.

Making room for others grows the soil from which larger missions ideas grow. There are dreams for us out in the future in mission that we will never know if we do not invite others to join us.

Truth is, it is a both and. When others join you, your potential grows. But, that will never happen unless you make room for them. It all goes together. Space for people that will hear God's call and join us in mission. It all goes together.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

building myth 2

If yesterday's post was building myth one: we have enough room. Today can be building myth two: the pastor only cares about new people.

Ouch.

If that were true, the only people that I would care about were the 125 that were here in 1994. Everyone else, since then, is technically "new". Because they have all been won to the church by the outreach efforts of the original group. Fact is, your pastor cares deeply about every single person in the church. Young, old and in between. Child, youth and adult. God's family includes every single one of you and it is my job to reach you when you are outside the church, care for you once in the church, and send you out into the world to reach others.

That is the cycle. We come in. We get our feet on the ground. We go out. Without the going out, there is no church, just a country club. And the going out into the world, by definition, implies reaching out to others.

It is not that the pastor cares for others more than those who are here, it is that the pastor's deep desire is that we all fulfill God's purpose by continuing to reach out. When we stop doing that, we have forgotten what the church is about.

So the pastor cares about all of you. And the pastor cares about all of you enough to not allow us to sink into our easy chair and decide that the world revolves around us. The gospel is active. It is out there, and it is waiting for your active participation today. I love you enough to challenge you to be about our Father's business.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

we have enough room

I heard it the other day. Why build? We have enough room for us.

Please stop and think of what that sounds like and what that means.

If the people at Woods Chapel had said that in 1998, there would still only be 250 people in attendance. Everyone else that has joined since then would not even be here at the church.

When we join the church, we pledge to support it by our "prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness." What is our witness to the community if we stop making room for others? We have enough for us. That is all that matters.

When churches decide that they have arrived, they begin the process of dying. People with vision leave. People that want the church to reach out and touch the world, they leave. The church becomes a place that is turned in on itself, where everything is measured by "if it is good for us."

There are lots of churches like this around. Let us pray that our church does not become one. It is a very difficult place to come back from.

Jesus still calls us to reach the community with his love. There are lots of unchurched people in our neighborhoods. There is still this thing called the great commission. Let us draw together in pursuit of God's purpose for our church.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

victory

This post is shamelessly human. Never count the old guy out.

I was on a canoe trip Friday and Saturday. Same bunch of guys for the last four years. One of the traditions of the trip is that everybody tries to dunk the biggest guy. Don't feel bad for him, this is just what happens when you are the biggest dude on the block. You get used to it.

Well, for years, we have tried unsuccessfully. One at a time, two at a time, surprise attack, nothing worked.

This year, everything changed. let's just say that the oldest guy dunked the biggest guy. Alone. Mano e mano. Yes, it was a surprise attack, but when you are the oldest guy you have to do what you can to settle the score. Regardless, anyway you look at it, he went all the way under.

Yes, he got up and thrashed the old guy like a rag doll, but it was all worth it. Victory is sweet.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

today's lesson is.....

Romans 12
Place Your Life Before God
1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.


I am at my best when I am not trying to fit in...to feel comfortable....to be what someone else expects. It takes to much effort. For me there seems to be little reward or satisfaction in conformity. The older I get the less appealing it has become....life is too short to not explore it and what it has in store for me. My father was that way. He saw things and people from a whole other angle. As a kid I used to think he was just strange, as an adult I began to see and understand him differently....scary when that happens. I suppose the key is to become comfortable in your own skin and understanding that, "God brings the best out of you" if you let him.


Peace,
Lion's Den Man

village people part 2

Back in July I wrote about our family's positive experience with sports, teams and coaches. I mentioned a friend of mine that is both a teacher and a coach, how he loves what he does and how important and rewarding it is to him to help kids reach their potential. Yesterday I got to see him in action. He and his coaching staff had a student athlete that needed encouragement. They understood the situation. They showed compassion. They humbled themselves by sharing their own similar personal experiences and struggles. They brought humor into the conversation. Weaknesses were not mentioned. They worked from the positive. They made the student feel whole and inspired. It was so perfect it almost seemed choreographed....but it wasn't....it was just an honest and pure response made by a few good people who want to make a difference in the life of a kid. Awesome!

As I said before, it takes a village, and I am in a good one.

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

more on guilt

Someone asked if Jesus delivered guilt. What about his pointed painful talks with the pharisees? I guess I would agree that Jesus squared off with a few people. He challenged them to stop oppressing and hurting people. I think there are people and systems in the world today that Jesus would challenge if he were here in person.

I do think that there is a difference between squaring off with someone, telling the truth as you see it, and delivering guilt.

Guilt is something that we use as a tool to manipulate people to do what we want them to do. Parents are known to do this to their children. Some pastors do this to their people. Some churches have a theological approach that is all about casting blame and shame in an attempt to straighten people up. Those that engage in delivering guilt generally tend to do so as a normal part of their mode of operation. They may not even see that they are doing it. After all, aren't they just trying to help people do right? But the end of such behavior is hurt and pain. The end of guilt delivery is broken and crushed people. We end up driving away the very people that we were trying to win.

Yes Jesus squared off with the arrogant. But Jesus did not in my opinion try to motivate people by shaming them or making them feel guilty. I don't think we should either.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

an ounce

There is an old saying: an ounce of mother is worth a pound of pastor. Let me say it another way: an ounce of love is worth a pound of pastor.

Recently, I delivered an ounce of guilt to someone. Maybe even a half an ounce. And... it crushed them. I did not mean to deliver the guilt, I thought I was trying to do good. But evidently it hurt them. Obviously it hurt them.

I am sorry. Guilt is a very painful thing. Jesus never dealt in guilt. We need to be very careful about delivering guilt. Grace is the alternative. Grace. Grace. Grace. Grace. How can I help you see that you are loved, that you are awesome, that you are forgiven. Grace alone. We go forth, we go forward, we live, by grace alone.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

grass

Grass. We like it when it is pretty, green and free of weeds. There is a person not far from our house who did some re-sodding in their yard. They neglected to keep the sod watered and it died. What did come up though, was a nice stand of nutsedge. Nutsedge is that stuff that looks like grass but the blades are fatter and it grows really fast. Now the neighbor is watering their nutsedge, thinking it is grass. It is tough stuff to get rid of and definitely not grass.

And so what is growing in our lives? Is it Christian stuff or do we only think it is Christian stuff? How do you know the difference. It is pretty simple really. If what we are doing is Christ centered, it is Christian. If what we do is us centered, it is nutsedge. If self is in the mix, it only looks like the Christian life. To really find the joy of being a Christian, we need to learn to live lives that are void of self-interest. We need to learn and practice giving ourselves away for the sake of Christ.

When we do, oh what joy! It feels good! And the good news is, no matter where you are on the journey, you can begin today to live the life that is about loving others. God is love so when you love others, you will find him in your midst.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

family

There are those moments when everyone is smiling and all is well. Don't let them go by without giving thanks to God. Because other moments may be coming where you will look at the pictures and remember the times and wonder.

Into each life a little rain must fall. Rain causes the flowers to grow. Sand irritates an oyster and produces a pearl. God makes all things beautiful in his time.

Look long term, keep busy and enjoy the pictures.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

church for sale

Beautiful little white church for sale in Ben Lomond, Calif.

When churches forget why they are here, they begin to die. The people forget about the great commission and turn inward. They forget that Jesus came to serve rather than to be served. Their sanctuaries become less and less filled. Joy is replaced with fear. The average age of the congregation begins to soar. Pretty soon the handwriting is on the wall. People begin to make plans to close, to merge, to end the dream. You see this repeated all over the country.

Sometimes I take time to wonder- who were these people, what were their dreams? Where did they go? What happened to the fire?

The remedy for this disaster is simple. Churches have to recover a sense of why they exist. They must refocus on the call of Christ. They, we all need to sniff out self-centeredness as it appears in our church world view, and find again the purpose to which Jesus calls us. When we do this, the church thrives and dry bones come back to life.

When you come to church, are you primarily looking for something for yourself, or do you realize that you are an important part of the plan of God to reach out and care about the people that he brings your way? Do you find your joy in what you get or what you give?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

plumbing and wildlife

Someone asked about the plumbing for the shower. Is there hot water or does it just run off the roof. Interestingly enough, the water pipes, both hot and cold are attached to the kitchen sink, they run outside, around the perimeter of the cabin, totally exposed to the weather, and finally back to the shower. The water was hot and it felt really good.

Another interesting thing about this camp was the number of deer that seemed to roam around with no fear of man. Now why would anyone be afraid of Quakers anyway? I saw many deer while I was there and they were very cooperative when I wanted to take their pictures.

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone was so trusting.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

the haven pt 2

Someone asked what the bath room facilities were like at the haven. Well, there is a toilet inside the haven. but there is not a sink in the bathroom. the sink is in the kitchen. So, you go there to wash your hands.

The shower is outside. It is the kind of situation where you know no one is around, but you still feel kind of funny taking a shower out where anyone that came along could see you. See the picture?

We don't like to feel uncomfortable, but sometimes that is just how life is. Quaker life is simple. There is a mop and a bucket to clean the floor but no chemicals. Clean it with regular water. I think that is just how life used to be. And somehow, it is simple and it is good. I really enjoyed the stay.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

the haven

The name of the place that I stayed last week was "the haven." It was a nice cabin almost to the end of the road. The haven is one of several cabins that belong to the Quaker Center in Ben Lomond, Calif.

No TV, no airconditioning, but you really didn't need it. Nice, but basic. Simple. That is the Quaker way.


To find a place of quiet is so important, and you don't have to go to California to do so. Today at 9am I baptized a young man at the beach at the cove behind the main Lakewood Clubhouse. It was so quiet and peaceful and beautiful back there at 9am.



Simple. Quiet. Good.



It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

difficult things

[the pop up box that some of you were experiencing in the last few days has been resolved. It was not a virus. A picture that was posted was somehow directing readers to the woods chapel server which calls for a password. Sorry about the concern. It should be fixed now.]

Difficult things

Sometimes I get to visit with folks about difficult things that they are facing. Divorce, Family feuds. Problems at work. Etc.

Many of the problems that we face are not easily resolved. Some are not resolvable. Sometimes we are powerless to change what is happening and we are left dealing with things that turn into ongoing open wounds.

One of the best pieces of advice that I have collected over the years sounds something like this: "yes this thing makes you mad, yes this thing is very disturbing, yes we wish it was not here. What ever you do, be sure to conduct yourself in a manner that years from now you will not regret your behavior." In other words, yes this is a tough time, but don't act vindictively. Don't hurt the other people just because you are hurt.

If you can be kind when your heart is breaking, you can always look back on that chapter of your life with no regrets. Sometimes I have to take my own advice.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

crowds

Odd. I don't like crowds. I am ok with crowds at church. I have learned to get used to it, and I know that we are supposed to win every person that we can. But in the rest of the world, I am not into crowds.

My counselor tells me that I am an introvert in an extrovert's world. I noticed my nervousness about crowds on my trip last week. After being alone in the forest for a week, I spend the last day in San Francisco because my flight left from there. When wandering around some of the famous places by the bay, there were big crowds.

If it was bad enough, I did not even go in. Some place that I really wanted to see, but I would just walk on by because I did not want to deal with the bodies. When given the choice I will always choose the restaurant with the quiet corner, the grocery store when there are no lines, the road less traveled.

I don't know what that is all about. Quiet is good, silence is golden. I am glad for the chance to win ever person that we can, but lots of people make me nervous. Oh well.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

fear

I have some stories to share from last week.

United Methodist Pastors are required to spend two weeks each year in continuing education. Everyone knows that preachers need to get smarter. Often continuing education consists of going somewhere and sitting in a seminar. One of the things that I have chosen to do the last three years is to take a week and go to a camp in the California Redwoods to read. I am constantly accumulating books that I need to read, and a week sequestered away with a pile of books is one way that I have found to get them digested.

So I am at this camp last week outside of Ben Lomond , California. The camp is at the end of a very narrow road. There are no street lights, you can barely call it a street. My cabin is at the end of the road, the farthest up the hill. This is a one way road and in some places you can barely sneak a car past the trees.

One night, after spending the afternoon at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and stopping for Pizza on the way back to the cabin, I arrived after dark. And let me tell you, it was dark. I realized as I pulled up in front of the cabin that this is about as quiet and dark as a person is ever going to find.

I have to walk from the car to the cabin in the pitch blackness of the night. Did I mention that there are signs all over this part of the country warning you about the presence of mountain lions? I was never so glad to get into that cabin and shut the door.

Fear. I wish my worst fear was fear of the dark. I guess one good thing about worry and fear is that it tends to push me back towards God. When I find myself in the valleys of life, my heart tends to look harder for the Shepherd.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

silence

Silence- we don't know very much about it. That is one reason, that each year I take a retreat to the redwood forest. Silence. There is nothing quite so quiet as being the only person for miles, out in the middle of a forest.

Silence reminds us that our souls are important. It reminds us that there is something going on in this world besides the crashing noisy input of our society. The great masters of the faith considered the practice of silence to be an important Christian discipline.

I thank the Levite for posting in my absense. Most days I had no readily available access to the internet- and I survived!

The noise of life can turn us into something that we don't want to be. Turn the TV off. Go sit outside for 30 minutes and just sit. Silence is good for the soul.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

what service will you attend?

I remember leading communion as a youth pastor in Camdenton, Missouri. We had 2 services to break the bread. The first service, I took the loaf, broke it in half, telling the congregation that this was the body of Christ broken for them. The 2nd service I went to reenact the breaking of the same loaf, and the kids decided that it might be fun to fill the already broken loaf with jelly beans. So you can imagine what happened when I went to break bread. This is the body of Christ .....bouncing jellybeans across the alter for you. Let's just say, I was not filled with laughter at this moment ---but I do remember it quite clearly.

So which service do you attend?

We have 5 of them now at our church on Sunday morning.....soon to be six when the Beacon launches a Saturday night service August 21st. Do you like contemporary, traditional, blended, organic or cutting-edge? Do you like the preacher to tell great stories or quote from the scriptures? Do you like the worship leader to energetically lead the choir or band, or do you prefer a more contemplative worship? And how about the visuals ---lots of flowers, motion backgrounds, or not? What about the sound levels and the lights? Should we pass the offering plates or just put boxes in the back of sanctuary? And communion, how often, real bread or wafers?

Sometimes I feel that we approach selecting a church or a service to attend the same way we might order off of a menu (a nice hymn, with a touch of scripture, a great prayer, and an inspiring sermon --to go please) But what if our approach was different? What if we asked how will our service to the Lord be worship? What will we do, what will we give, how will we show this day that we love the Lord? Let's make our worship --to serve. To rob a quote from JFK: let's ask not what our church can do for us, but what we can do for the church.

So here it is . . . .just showing up on Sunday morning is not enough . . . .I said it.

And it hurts.

Because I spend a lot of my work preparing for Sunday mornings. Bill Hybels, leader of the Willow Creek Church, likes to say that the local church is the "hope of the nations." And why shouldn't it be, after all we are "the body" of Christ. And we should be bouncing more of our lives across the alter, spilling out into the streets and cities where we live, speaking into the broken lives of our neighbors, friends, and our families.

If you attend Woods Chapel, you are a missionary. We make sure that you know that being a part of our church involves giving yourself away. If you haven't figured out what that means yet for your life, talk to someone on staff at our church. We have lots of opportunities for you to serve the poor, the orphans, the aliens, those in prison, the widows.

Jesus asked Peter 3 times, "Do you love me? --then feed my sheep." What was it that Jesus told his disciples when the 4000 people needed to be fed? "You feed them."

Rise up Church --we are Christ's plan A and there is no plan B (check out the book Radical by David Platt subtitled, "Taking back our faith from the American Dream," this theme is all over this book) ---let's get to work!

Holy Spirit rise up among our people and let us lay down our lives for YOU.

AMEN

the levite (thanks for letting me sound off this week --Jeff will be back tomorrow)

Belly Laugh

Psalm 126

"When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with LAUGHTER, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy"

Jennifer and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary on August 12th. My one piece of advice for every new couple getting married is this ---be sure and LAUGH together as much as possible. Laughter can get you through a lot of difficult moments. Just don't laugh at the wrong times.

We were driving back on our 1300 mile trip from the East Coast. After a long day of potty breaks, crumbled gold fish crackers , pillow fights in the back seat, not enough clean pacifiers, and a car smelling like 2 days of french fries. Jennifer had been pushed to the limit and broke through the bickering with this phrase "We're not stopping for diarrhea!" I looked at her, a little shocked by what had come out of her mouth and then bursted with laughter. When these phrases come up, I like to keep a log of them, and reuse them whenever possible. This was a classic and I won't be letting go of this anytime soon.

So when the 5th child douses himself in powdered sugar and uses a pack of thawed, yet uncooked hot dogs as a teething toy, When the 4th child is collecting a small fortune of smarties in the air vents, the 3rd child is literally climbing the walls, and 1 & 2 are having a disagreement over who is the meanest, then what can you do but laugh...It's more than good medicine.

Find somebody you can laugh with....We need more laughter in the church....when's the last time you laughed until it hurt...... fill your home with laughter, because there's enough difficult stuff in this world. In fact, try this: mark down every time that you worry about something today ---and for every worry that you have ---find a joke to share with someone. For where there is laughter, there is joy.

And if you run out of jokes, ask our pastor .....he's got some good ones.

Taste and See that the Lord is good. ---have fun with this tune.

the levite

A Holy Moment

Have you ever had one? One of those moments that is so pure, so true, so awesome, where you could say that was unmistakably God's presence. Make no mistake, these are unplanned, spontaneous moments where God steps in. Jeff has been sending me these pictures of the Redwood Forest that clearly display the awesomeness of our God in creation. Our response to seeing the rockies, or the black hills of South Dakota, or the grand canyon, or the birth of a child, is certainly one of awe.

But holiness...this is me shuttering before my creator and realizing God truly is in this. It's not an emotion, or a revelation, or an aha moment. This is Zechariah coming out of the temple upon hearing the news of a Savior...This is you and me experiencing the forgiveness of sin (Psalm 130:4)

We live in a time where there is very little that our culture recognizes as sacred anymore. And yet, God has put within us, a need and desire to experience holiness.

I invite you to wrestle with the words of this song by Addison Road. Catch a glimpse of His holiness and you will rediscover what it means to fear God. And the fear of God, after all, is the beginning of wisdom.

What Do I Know of Holy

verse 1

I made You promises a thousand times

I tried to hear from Heaven

But I talked the whole time

I think I made You too small

I never feared You at all No

If You touched my face would I know You?

Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

(CHORUS)

What do I know of You

Who spoke me into motion?

Where have I even stood

But the shore along Your ocean?

Are You fire? Are You fury?

Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?

What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

VERSE 2

I guess I thought that I had figured You out

I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about

How You were mighty to save

Those were only empty words on a page

Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be

The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

Consider God's holiness today.

Make it a great one,

the levite

Church Music

David Crowder's last album that he released was called "Church Music." If you're not sure who the David Crowder Band is, you may want to get more familiar with him. He has touched a nerve with many young worshipers by cultivating a new and creative sound that explores reinventing the old and using electronic media and unorthodox instrumentation. Of course church music is changing --always. For example check out the Michael Gungor band or Matt Papa --you may be hearing these in church soon. (Think Coldplay or One Republic)

So what is church music? We immediately might think about opening the hymnal and turning to page .... or we might think of the folk tunes of the early praise and worship movement "Seek Ye First" or of course, the crowning jewel of the praise and worship movement "Lord I Lift Your Name on High." Do I keep up with the trends --no way. But I do recognize that when a singer or musician or composer creates something beautiful, or powerful, or mysterious, or when it captures an emotion or truth where words have failed, God is present.

When it comes to how we present this in the church, when we have a body of people who obviously have different tastes in music and are moved by different styles....how do we approach selecting music? I suppose this is my job. I believe that we can begin by finding those songs that capture the heart beat of God, sung in a way that the instrument or the one who delivers the song connects the words in a way that people are allowed to enter into a glimpse of God's holiness, His eternal and mysterious nature.

Southern Gospel: Check out the Isaacs --this arrangement of "It is well" gets me every time
Black Gospel: I love the Mississippi Mass Choir --"I'm not tired yet."
Choral Music: I got to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir when they came to KC --it was tremendous.
R&B --Toby Mac has struck a chord with many, I love "City on our Knees"

I guess the question that we need to be asking as we prepare church music is simple. And it's not what style, what singer, what genre, how fast, or slow, what instrument, how old is it. But Does it indeed move us into a place where we can enter into God's presence. My hope is that it happens for you at our church and perhaps you can assist me as we consider together, what is that music that stirs the soul to a more profound conviction, confession, confrontation with our Maker.

Peace,

the levite

Lukewarm Christians

I didn't grow up a Methodist. I grew up in the First Christian Church in Jefferson City, Missouri. I've been a part of a Presbyterian Church, a United Church of Christ, and a few others along the way. But I'm always curious to hear how people define what being a Methodist is about. One guy in our church says --"they're not too hot and not too cold, kind of right in the middle."

A lot of people want to define churches as being liberal or conservative, fundamentalist or not. I am thankful to be a part of a church at Woods Chapel whose leaders are more interested in seeing lives transformed for the sake of Christ and His glory, rather than trying to define a "Christian" world view that makes practical sense in our world. Most of what Jesus did, after all, didn't make sense to his followers.

Back to the soup .....if it's not too hot or not too cold then it's, well, lukewarm. Francis Chan has some pretty strong words to us who are "lukewarm" Christians --check out "Crazy Love." p65-81. This chapter really shook me up because I realized that there is nothing lukewarm about following Jesus and loving Him with ALL our heart, mind, soul, or strength. What does this even look like?

So the mantra in our society is live a "balanced" life ---"everything in moderation" --some of us believe this came right out of the scriptures. As someone with an artistic temperament, I have no problem discarding this philosophy. Us artistic types, after all, are a little manic in most things we do. But we only have to look as far as Jesus himself to discover that balance was not a principle that governed His life. Look at the story of the samaritan woman in John 4 , the disciples were concerned with Jesus getting something to eat, Jesus was concerned with this ladies life being transformed. Look at the feeding of the 5 thousand in Luke 9 --"send them away" say the disciples, "we are tired and there is nothing to eat." Following Jesus does not require balance, but obedience.

Look, there are hard things in our life and some of you might be experiencing the pain right now. Some of you have been in it for awhile. Don't abandon the faith, celebrate the chaos, check out what James or Peter or Paul have to say about suffering (James 1:2-8 or 1 Peter 4:12-13 or Romans 5:3-5). Perhaps God is using this time to draw you back to Him. And remember John 15:5 --we are the branches shaking in the wind, but as long as we are attached to the vine...the fruit will come. And I don't know about you, but I want to bear great fruit for Him......, but it only happens in a season ---there is winter out there and it is His season too. Check out Nichole Nordeman's song about this "Every Season" --great song.

Okay, so tomorrow we talk more about music....

the levite.

orange toothpaste

5 kids brushing their teeth at the same time, in the same bathroom, jockeying for position in the sink. It's a Sunday night at the Bartman house and we are shutting it down. They are all at different stages of brushing: some have the technique and the spitting, some go for a swipe and a drool, some just open their mouths and scream. By the time you get done, you definitely have a mess, large clumps of toothpaste, and one left by the sink dumping water back and forth in two 2 inch cups. A short story, a prayer, and the magic hour is over.

This is our life and day by day we are learning when we need to encourage, when we need to be silent, and when we need to correct. So we are overwhelmed, but it is quiet, and we'll do it again tomorrow.

So I've been asking the question a lot lately, and so I give it to you this morning: how are you starting and how are you finishing? Are you running the race to win the prize, or are you counting the seconds until the next ...game, meal, test, paycheck.

Okay, so I don't like the big messes, or the noise, or the whining, but when I stop and consider that God has given us this moment then my response is worship. Yes, worship. Thank you God for giving us this opportunity to see large clumps of orange toothpaste in the sink.

Oh yes ......and a life verse from me James 4:17 .....check it out

the levite

a friend

How do you define a friend. They are just a call away. They stand beside you. They laugh with you. They cry with you. When everyone else has given up on you, your friends are still there. When you are at the end of your rope, your friends sit with you and console you.

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share.

If you feel alone today, he awaits. If you have come to the end of yourself, he beckons you to come to him. He is that friend that sticks closer than a brother. He is just a call away.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

the invisible bird part 2

Although she assured us that she was not, the rest of the family had a lot of fun thinking my wife was crazy for a day. Read yesterday's post now if you have not done so and come back here after you have. Josh chimed in, asking the timeless question, "did she hear the invisible bird sing?"

So we have resolved the mystery. We have a wonderful gal who does a bit of cleaning at our house on Friday. This is needed since my wife travels and no one else who lives here knows how to pick anything up. Anyway, I hear her call my me: "Pastorrrrr...........please come here, there is a creature!!"

I go in and check it out and sure enough, there it is. It has crawled underneath the cross leg of a table and wedged itself into a spot that is about two inches tall. I hate to admit what happened next, but please understand that I cannot have this thing loose in our home. My wife would kill me if it takes flight again.

I get a broom. She pulls the table out of the way. I pin it down. It goes to heaven. That is the short version. We take a couple of pictures. Are you ready for this?

I assume that it took refuge one night in a fireplace vent and then crawled in through the fireplace grate. Nice.

We are going to give my wife another chance.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

the invisible bird

I am across town picking up a mattress. Kids going off to college. We found a good bed sale. I am talking to the sales person. The phone rings. It's the wife. She is frantic. She has been buzzed by a bird four times in the house. Or maybe it was a bat.

I grin. She is hiding in her bedroom and won't comeout until I get home. I take my time.

When I get home, I check every inch of the house. No bird, no bat, no wasps. She must be hallucinating. Scott comes home. He checks the house. Nothing. The cats are lounging. If there was a bird in the house, they would be all over that. If a fly gets in the house they chase it until they catch it and eat it. If there was anything in the house, they would be on point.

So we are going to keep an eye on my wife, why don't you watch out for the imaginary bird.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.

entitlement

I am entitled to that. I deserve it. I want it. It should be mine.

Our country promises us life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Interesting that they put the word "pursuit" in there. No guarantees. No entitlement.

Over the years we have come to define happiness as "having more stuff." Entitlement is a disease that I see in the teenager who wants their parents to buy them an I-phone. I see it in Lindsey Lohan. Unfortunately, I occasionally see it in myself. In fact, it is probably there, within me, more often than I do actually see it.

The Christian faith does not promise us stuff. It does promise us a relationship, the results of which are love, joy, peace, patience, etc. Hope in this life and a place in God's heavenly home. But the joy of the heavenly home is not about the idea of a mansion, it is about being with God for eternity. Relationship. With God. Brings joy.

What are you pursuing in your life? What are you after? What do you expect to make you happy? What are you investing your time, talent and treasure in? Are those things letting you down? And Jesus says, "come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

unconditional love

I love you. Forever. Nothing that you can do or say will ever change that. I may have to withdraw for a spell so that you can learn to take responsibility for your life, but I will always love you.

Love is doing the right thing, even when it brings discomfort to the one that you love. Love is ultimately about wholeness, not comfort.

I wish for each of you, at least one person in your life that loves you unconditionally. A friend. A cousin. A spouse. Someone that says, I will never leave you. For each of us, God is that person.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

the wounded dog

My daughter is looking for a used car. If you know of one that would be good for a college age kid, please give me a call.

Today from 4-10pm I will be working at 7th and Sterling in Sugar Creek at the Hillcrest transitional housing property. If you want to help paint, let me know.

The wounded dog. The wounded dog curls up in the corner. He has a hard time falling asleep because he is startled by every little noise. His sleep is fitful, because he dreams of times past when nameless faceless humans were chasing him and striking him. He is uncomfortable in his new home because he is not sure that people are to be trusted. Kids scare him too, so his life has been a journey from home to foster home to animal shelter to foster home and so on. Many wounded dogs end up being euthanized because they just can't adjust to a normal family.

They don't know what to do with a kind touch. They enjoy a back scratch, but it is so hard to get used to, because their mind has been trained to fear human touch. People that love the wounded dog feel sorry for him. They want to help him and care for him, but he just has a lot of trouble responding positively to kindness.

The wounded dog. The wounded dog is some of us. Hurt as a kid, many humans live out their lives hiding, fearful, or snapping at others. If you are one of them, we offer you true friendship. Love that will not be withdrawn. Christ. The grace of Jesus Christ. In time, Jesus makes all things better.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

love hurts

Love hurts. It just does. There is an inseparable connection between love and pain. We usually only think of love as a joyful thing, but sometimes, love hurts.

Someone you love dies. Something that you love goes away. Someone that you love leaves the church. Someone that you love is in trouble.

And you hurt.

That is just the way it is. If you didn't love them, it wouldn't hurt. So I just remind myself that this kind of hurt is ok. The only way to get rid of it is to stop loving and no one wants to do that.

Love hurts. And it is still a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

hillcrest pt. 2

Tuesday afternoon and evening will be Hillcrest day for me and a few others. From 4pm-10pm I will be at the Hillcrest site in Sugar Creek at 7th and Sterling. Painting, trim work, and removing a floor.

If you can help, let me know. Kim, Jamie, Doug and Ann, thank you for your offer and I hope you can still make it. Anyone else, let me know.

If you cannot help on Tuesday at Hillcrest, please make a point to help someone, somewhere during that time. Heck, we should do that every day.

Hope to see you at the Lord's house today.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

helping

Yesterday. Yesterday I am bummed out. Random reasons. Dumb little things that I am worried about and feeling crummy about.

Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda, here I am at, Camp Granada, camp is very entertaining, and they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining.

I received an invite to help someone out. It was totally voluntary and not something that I should do because I am a pastor. If I chose to do it, it would be because it was a good thing to do.

I thought of ten reasons why I was too busy. Then I looked at how I was feeling about the day. Feeling crummy and being worried. I realized that going to help the person was not just what they needed, it was exactly what I needed.

Immediately, upon making the decision to go, I felt better. And spending that time helping that person, was one of the most rewarding things that I have done in a while. I forgot my problems and the blues melted away.

Wait a minute, it's stopped hailing, guys are swimming, guys are sailing, playing baseball gee that's better, Mother Father kindly disregard this letter.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

police report

Today I will go to the police station and fill out a report. I don't know that I have ever done that before. On Monday, my daughter went to the Royals game. While there, she misplaced her wallet. In her wallet were the normal things that a college student has. A debit card, driver's license, AAA card, and no cash. Oh yes, and she had Dad's credit card.

See it is that time of the year when college students buy their books. Online and with a credit card. Dad's card. And so goes the wallet, so goes the credit card.

You wonder if it is in lost and found. You wonder if it was vacuumed up by the giant clean up trucks. You wonder if it is on the side of the road somewhere. And you wonder if the bad guys got it.

So you cancel everything. The debit card, the credit card et al. Only one problem. Since you don't really use credit cards, you forgot which one you gave her, and you cancel the wrong one. So, on Thursday afternoon, [and why they wait until Thursday, I will never know, but I am grateful,] you get the phone call. "Mr. Brinkman, we are calling as a courtesy to let you know that we suspect fraudulent activity on your account."

Instantly I knew what happened. I cancelled the wrong card. After about 30 minutes on the phone with Capital One [the viking people] I have the entire story. From 3pm to 5pm yesterday afternoon, my credit card was used successfully twice and was declined four times at gas stations in the area of 25th and troost. Thank the Lord that the computers at the credit card companies just don't think that you should buy gas at a whole bunch of stations within a few hours.

It's funny. We lost the card and we cancelled the wrong one, but you still feel violated when you find out that someone is using your card like that.

I am making a police report today. Maybe with the dates and times, they can find a video tape at the station and catch the people who think that this is what you do when you find someone's wallet.

I guess I want you to know that if I find your wallet, you will get it back, with every stitch of cash. Heck, I will drive it to your home and drop it off. And to those who got a couple of free tanks of gas on the Brinkman's yesterday, well, if I knew that you needed it that bad, I would have just given it to you.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

good things

I witnessed a couple of really good things yesterday. Someone got some good news in the employment world, and someone else got some good news regarding one of their children. I was able to witness, share and enjoy the good feelings.

Now I am thinking about all the days that nothing really "special" happens. Just another average day. Well, when you think about it, those days are pretty special too. We grow so accustomed things that we stop seeing the good.

We are so fickle. Do you remember when you were so excited to get some new thing that you have? And now, you walk by it and don't even notice it? It brings you no more joy?

Stop and look and see the things and the people in your life. Good things are going on. It is a beautiful day.