We've missed the point

The Jolokia Pepper, also known as the "Ghost Pepper". This pepper is registered in the Guinness book of World Records as the hottest pepper in the world. I am currently eating a bowl of soup with two drops of this deviously hot sauce in it and my mouth is virtually numb... That's right, after a wonderful vacation with my family I have obtained a hot-sauce lovers dream. And while sitting here, sweat running down my brow choking in those delicious spicy fumes a thought occurred to me... and that thought sounded something like this in my head- 'There is only a small percentage of the population that would ever even want to eat this, in fact many would consider it a form of punishment or torture...' then the next thought hit me hard and fast 'alot of people look at Christianity like this hot-sauce'. That is they see it as a sort of religious flavor that only certain people who have the right kind of taste buds will enjoy. And the worst of it is we add to this perception through denominationalism and division within our own numbers. The world comes to us saying "I think I like spicy food" and we play right in to the paradigm of categorization by saying "great now which denomination better suits your taste buds because their are over 18,000 different kinds of hot-sauce for you to choose from!" In 1 Corinthians Paul says that we are to be united in mind, and thought. Then later in 1 Corinthians 2:16 we are told that we have the mind of Christ. So then if we are united in the mind of Christ, then our thoughts will naturally flow out of that. So lets stop the arguing! Baptists say believe in your heart while Church of Christ says be fully dunked in the water- is their scriptural support for both? Yes! Then stop arguing over one or the other and do both. Is it not possible to be fully emerged and believe in your heart? Catholics pursue tradition and remembrance while Protestants pursue a certain worshipful freedom aspect, are both good things? Yes! So do both. Is it not possible to honor tradition and remembrance while maintaining Christian freedom? God's sovereignty vs. man's free will- are their verses that support both in the bible? Yes! Then why are we arguing. Because we can't wrap our minds around a God who can do both? And I know many of you are thinking to yourselves "Well he's missing the point" or "He just doesn't get it". But hear me out- God doesn't say things in the Bible for us to pick which one's we're going to take a side on, or which flavor hot sauce we want to become. The truth is that ALL of what God says is true, and our side picking is meaningless- the truth is that by classifying ourselves and polarizing ourselves based on different truths of God over and against other truths of God we have created a hypocrisy out of the inbreaking kingdom of God. We have stopped building on the Cornerstone of the good news of Jesus Christ and made other things (most of them good in themselves) the point and the foundations of our Churches and our faith. If I'm wrong then look around... What are denominations for? Why do Church splits happen? Not because people took a stand on Jesus but because people polarize the truths of God into opposites when in reality they should always be married and inseparable. Following Jesus is not a flavor or religion it is the only great truth on this earth. And followers of Jesus can no more be seperated into flavors than a physical body can be separated into parts and still think itself alive.

Pushing Through the dirt

Odd how weaknesses, struggles and setbacks all seem to come when you least expect them. Which is ironic because you'd think that would mean you could know when they are coming (i.e. when you least expect them). But oddly enough we're never ready for them when they hit for the first time, or resurface are we? It reminds me of when I used to help my Dad out in the yard. We would throw mulch and fresh dirt over top of grass and clover growing in our yard and within a few days that grass and clover would push itself back up through the dirt. Something about that imagery has stuck with me, but it's not what you would think. You may be guessing that I'm comparing the grass and clover to our struggles that resurface over time, which I wouldn't disagree with- but more of what I had in mind is how I oftentimes feel like that blade of grass, because it seems that just as I'm finally standing in the sunlight- a fresh shovel full of dirt falls square on my head. It's certainly true that nothing sucks more than when dirt happens, but recently I've noticed something else is happening here. Every time I have an inevitable set back, moment of failure, or the proverbial 'ton of bricks' hitting me square in the face I am presented with a HUGE choice. These moments, where I feel like a victim, or where I'm not proud of what I've done- these moments end up being the moments that define me. It's not when I feel good, or happy, or content, or jolly, or swell that I am becoming much of anything worth being. It turns out (yet again) that God knows what he's doing after all- because as Donald Miller discussed in his book "A Million Miles and a Thousand Years"-'Character transformation doesn't happen in any story (including ours) without conflict.' Though I may have had a weak moment, or been blindsided by circumstances or sorrow- I have realized that I am becoming who God is making me in the getting back up, and in the rebelling against whatever caused the fall. I have learned to rebel against sorrow with Christ centered joy. I have learned to rebel against my own weakness by fighting back internally, but most importantly by surrendering to God and allowing him to fight for me. Because no matter how much I am tempted to doubt God in these situations, the truth is he has always pulled through when I've leaned on him... and that's just the kind of person I'm learning to be, one that leans on God and pushes through the dirt.

Fuel good not evil!

So recently it occurred to me that there seems to be a deep inner need for the human soul to ignite powerfully every now and then. I know this sounds terribly confusing said raw and undigested like this but I'm writing this to give words to a feeling so hear me out. It seems that there is an anxiousness in my soul, as if my soul is tapping it's feet rapidly and constantly looking down at it's watch. . waiting, wanting to do something. Most of the time that anxiety is latent, silent, unnamed and unnoticed- but every once in a while it hits me- I NEED TO BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT NOW. Some of you may know the feeling I'm talking about as just that- an anxiousness to move, to act, to be, to become. But the real aha moment for me that prompted this blog was this- I realized that this anxiousness is one in the same as temptation. Hear me out- temptation is Satan taking advantage of the fire wood that naturally builds up in my soul. The untapped raw human potential. I have recently had the powerful and liberating experience of discovering that I can take that fire wood and use it to fuel a different fire than the one I am being tempted to fuel. Because you see up to now I would always flee the fire wood altogether and blow desperately at any sparks that passed by- but now that I've realized that my need to kindle a fire in my soul can be turned towards good and unleashed in a flurry of light rather than darkness- I have found an incredible raw source of passion and power for good. So feeling temptation has become a mere indicator for me that I can redirect the fire and do great good. Some of my best writings, study times, and moments with God have drawn from the redirecting of this fire. I take the pent up anxiousness and chuck it as hard as I can towards something good and surprisingly enough something altogether beyond what I could have hoped to accomplish before seems to just happen. So to sum up- Temptation is Satan trying to get us to use latent energies and raw potential towards evil. I propose that we have the ability to not only avoid temptation, but to take the latent anxiety and energy within ourselves and use it for good rather than evil. Really, try it! Next time you feel any kind of overriding temptation give it to God and say "Lord, please help me direct this raw energy and passion into a fire for you"- then take that fire and write a song, a letter to someone who needs it, a poem, go for a run and reflect, paint quickly and passionately, worship, sing, dance, call someone and tell them you miss them, move, take powerful action to spite whatever the temptation may have been, let God break your heart- just give it to God and pour out your heart to bring good with this temporary flare up of raw passion and energy. Use it quickly and deliberately for good before it get's diverted to evil or fizzles out!

Victory!

Read-

http://www.standingonthedesk.blogspot.com

Monday, August 2

Not your typical staff meeting…

life from nothing

The past few weeks have been a beautiful reminder to me that I am nothing. You know it's a funny thing, that phrase "I am nothing" used to pop into my head all the time but until recently it had stopped. It was always this incredible reminder of my identity in Christ, this comfort that I was his and didn't have to worry about trying to be someone great or what anyone around me thought because he would use me regardless of my nothingness.

For awhile there I lost my identity and tried to be someone. I thought I had to be something- thought I had to be cool to be a church planter, thought I had to know what to promote and what to be cynical of, thought I had to be. . and the list goes on. Turns out I was wrong. . the old me would have figured that out a long time ago- but thankfully God reminded the new me who had grown a bit dense that I am nothing and all that matters is that I am daily relying on him. Because the truth is I am nothing without him, I need him, I'm not really living when I think otherwise. I am glad that I have an incredible wife, awesome friends, and great people at my internship to help remind me and to talk to about this stuff- and most of all I am overjoyed that God puts up with my crap and still steps in to remind me of who I am and what it means to really live. Thanks

Floating Bricks

Sometimes staring at yourself is like facing a villain for the first time. All this time he’s been there trying to ruin your story, but you never noticed until this one time that you actually looked in the mirror. It seems to me that the whole human condition is just one big struggle between our selfishness and the inherent goodness God built into us from the beginning. Sure there are forces that help either side along (not to mention the context of a bigger story), but ultimately we have to make up our minds. Notice I didn’t say choose. . that would be too easy. I said make up our minds because there’s emotions and passions and desires and confusion and blindness and stupidity and complacency and distractions and brokenness and pain and setbacks and falldowns all along the way isn’t there. Sometimes I feel like a Brick and it seems like all I can do is sink. . Other times I shoot up to the surface like some kind of . . i’dno thing that floats. And when I do that floating thing I know it’s not me doing it, it’s pretty plane to me during those times that it’s God. But strangely enough it seems that when I’m doing the Brick thing there’s something I need to change.That’s the strange thing that I guess I’m trying to say. . I fee like a Brick whose been told he needs to learn how to float. Odd that God chose bricks when it was floating he wanted done. I wish this keyboard were piano keys, and I could play a beautiful heartbroken song over my human condition. Which by the way is beautiful and heartbroken. You know it’s odd how it takes us so long to believe in God, then even longer to notice him, and then even longer than that to realize that he’s always been there, and maybe if your lucky you take your life in your hands, stop lying on the floor crying to him to do the work for you, and start walking and laughing with him all the while knowing he’s right there giving you exactly what you need. . . I wish I could say I’ve been able to get off the floor and start being the floatingest dang brick you ever did see, but I’m reminded daily that I’m not even close. God uses the weakest, most fragile, delusional things doesn’t he? I believe that God’s help is abundant and infinitely beautiful, it just turns out that he’s waiting on me to finally take some initiative. Dear Lord please bless this Brick’s desire to float

"The sports guy"

Since my internship has started I've made the realization that almost everyone in the office is, to some degree- "the sports guy"... when I say "sports guy" I mean that their is an innate burning passion for one or more sports teams. All my life I've been raised to Love the Bengals (don't bother, I've heard all the jeers), and I do. . it's just that I'd never understood what it was to be willing to lay down your life for a sports team. I may take a few blows and talk some trash that I could never back up for the Bengals, but to truly really care with every fiber of my being was foreign to me. . . Until now. I just want to thank everyone here at Crossings for showing me what it means to truly appreciate and have passion for a game. . . namely soccer. Although the US dreams for the world cup are over this time around, I have learned the joy of leaping off of benches with a flying mid air fist pump to celebrate a goal. I've learned the joy of chanting USA whilst proudly pumping my mexican burrito into the air at a jam packed Soccer Taco. I've seen the goodness of following goals via cellphone updates during formal occasions. Even to know the raw passion of shouting at incompetent refs for taking away our stinking goals adds much color to life. So a deep heartfelt thank you to all of you who had a part in sharing your passion. . . who knows, maybe soon I'll be a Cubs fan?

The Holy Spirit

I just got back from the Exponential Church Planting conference and got to hear from some incredibly influential speakers. The inspiration for this blog “The Heart of One” came from the conference theme. The idea was that if we are to transform the world we must first have transformed hearts. I couldn’t help but notice- the most influential main session speakers either spoke specifically on, or stressed the importance of the Holy Spirit.

Father, Son, Holy Spirit- Three in one. . . So why is it that so many of us who confess Christ as our savior marginalize the Holy Spirit? Is it because we’re afraid of the supernatural, is it because the mystery scares us, do we lack faith, or perhaps because it’s just what we’ve been taught. Whatever the reason I’m done being part of this group that treats the Holy Spirit like some kind of impersonal force that comes and goes. I confess that I cannot begin to understand the Holy Spirit, but I am at the very least ready to be open to him.

I leave you with the words of Jesus in John 14:15-17

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

For more on the Holy Spirit check out the rest of chapter 14. Also see John 20:22, and the first and second chapter of Acts. This is a very small glimpse at the Holy Spirit, I would encourage you to do a study of the Holy Spirit, or at least keep your eyes open as you read through scripture. You’ll be surprised how much we’ve tended to overlook him; and I don’t mean just in scripture.

Love you all and may you experience the power and guidance of God through the Holy Spirit in your life.