Were they worse sinners?

Personal News
My family had a WONDERFUL Christmas vacation to my parents' place in beautiful Pella, IA. It was very restful and filled with lots of laughter, and none of us wanted to leave last night. That's the way it should be, I think...

Personal Thoughts
Last week I heard that Hurricane Katrina was voted the top news story of 2005. I recalled that shortly after the hurricane, I was having a conversation on the phone with a lady who believed that God used Hurricane Katrina to punish New Orleans for their Mardis Gras celebrations and homosexuality-embracing culture. I was so saddened to hear her opinion.

I was reminded of that conversation this morning as I was reading in my Bible and came across this passage (I was reading in the NET Bible so I will use that translation here):

Now there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. He answered them, ?Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered these things? No, I tell you! But unless you repent, you will all perish as well! Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them, do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who live in Jerusalem? No, I tell you! But unless you repent you will all perish as well!? (Luke 13:1-5)

Whether it was the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, last year's tsunami, or the school board election in Dover, PA this past November, many people have been making judgements and claiming those judgments to be from God.

But as I read Jesus' words, I'm struck by the fact that Jesus didn't want me pointing fingers at those who were victims of these events. He was teaching me to look at myself. I must repent. I must turn from my sinful ways. We are all sinners who deserve the same fate (Romans 3:23). It is only through Christ that we can find forgiveness. And as we experience his grace and compassion expressed through the cross, my prayer is that you and I will be people of grace and compassion as well, inviting others to repent with us.

So when an event happens and you hear the news, what's your first response after the shock? Judgement? Or personal reflection?

Wouldn't Angel Food Cake be a better choice?

So if someone was going to make a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Day, should they be allowed to use Devil's Food?

A Generous Christmas

Here's a beautiful true story that tells of God's provision and blessing. The story is about generosity, a subject I am interested in and want to see captured by all people. And Christmas, the season we celebrate God's generous and indescribable gift of Jesus, is a perfect time for a story such as this one.

But there's something that bothers me a little about the story. Actually it's not the story that bothers me - but the reaction some people might have from it. I fear that some young adults might read an article such as the one I've just linked to and think "so if I just give generously to others - God will give me more!"

I've heard this mentality before. It seems just as selfish to me as the non-generous attitude so prevalent in our culture. The only reason we give is so that we can get more. And if we didn't get something in return, then we wouldn't give in the first place. That doesn't seem truly generous to me.

What makes the mentioned story so beautiful is that the couple didn't expect anything in return. They felt God's urge to be generous to another family, and they were obedient. They struggled with their own emotions, but eventually knew this was the right thing to do. They didn't do it expecting or demanding that God pay them back so generously.

May you capture a truly generous heart - that you will give without thought of getting. May you seek to be used by God as a blessing in the lives of others by being generous to them. And may you walk to the mailbox without expecting a "reimbursement" check.

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." Winston Churchill

Traveling for Christmas

I just got this story via email from a friend, and I thought I'd pass it along since many of you will be traveling for Christmas and New Year's. While the story is probably not true as with most email forwards (but a check with Snopes, HoaxBusters, and Truth or Fiction turned up nothing), the message is still the same. Please drive safe and smart!

Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so often?

When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand.

Bob? Bob from Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day at the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow.

Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he'd never seen in uniform.

"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."

"Hello, Jack." No smile.

"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids."

"Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain. Good. "I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -just this once."

Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. "Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?" "I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct " Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics.

"What'd you clock me at?"

"Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?"

"Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as saw you. I was barely nudging 65." The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.

"Please, Jack, in the car"

Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the window.

The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad.

Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license?

Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper in hand Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.

"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.

Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one going to cost?

Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke?

Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:

"Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it- a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters, all three of them. I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can ever hug her again.

A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now. Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left."

"Bob"

Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.

Treating all people equally this Christmas

I just read this story from a friend of mine (Tony) who currently pastors a church in the Quad Cities:

The church I pastored in Des Moines let the women's group handle [baby showers]. A couple of them decided that they would never have a shower for the child of an unwed mother. One of our young ladies, near the end of her pregnancy, was finally engaged, and the women refused to consider her for a shower.

About two weeks later, they came to me with the bright idea of using Christmas as a chance to restock the nursery with new baby toys, and they wanted to advertize it as a "Baby Shower in honor of the Baby Jesus." I told them no and forbade them from doing it. I told them that he was the child of an engaged but unwed mother who was not marrying the child's father. It took them about 20 minutes to finally get it, and they still wouldn't give this other gal a shower, so I unilaterally ended baby showers at the church until all babies were treated equally.

While I love Tony's response, stories like this make me sad. The Bible makes it clear that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)and yet we (as "Christ followers") won't follow Jesus' example and "die for" (i.e. help) others because we don't deem them worthy of aid. This should not be! What an embarassment to God that his children would behave like this!

So let me ask you:

Are you consistent in your treatment of people?

Do you inwardly judge people based on how they dress?

Do you think differently of someone after you've learned where they work?

Do you treat someone differently after hearing about mistakes they made in their past?

Are you treating all people fairly?

"My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others?" James 2:1 (NLT)

Humility

I was skimming the Nov./Dec. issue of Preaching magazine (it's been buried on my desk for a over a month, and I need to pass it on to the other pastors I share the subscription with!) and came across this portion of an interview with Thom Rainer:

Preaching: If you were a pastor today and you'd just read [your] book [Breakout Churches], where would you go from here?

Rainer: Knowing how I pastored, I probably would fire me right away! But that's not the question. I realize that my dominant spiritual gift in my previous four pastorates was stupidity and so I would tell them to get another pastor. I'm glad I got demoted to academia. It worked out well."

While Rainer's self-deprecation made me laugh, I saw the humility in the midst of the humor. Thom was saying that the church was not about him as the pastor, it was about God and what God wanted to do through the church. And if the church could be more effective with a different pastor, then a different pastor should be found, even if it meant Thom was "demoted".

This same attitude is what helped me realize it was okay to start Watershed. When I was more concerned about seeing God use Watershed to reach young adults in Cedar Rapids than as a platform for me to use my spiritual gift of teaching, I knew it was okay to proceed and that it would probably work (if it was about me, it would have quickly failed - I can say that with honesty!).

Are you living your life with humility like Thom Rainer? It doesn't take self-deprecating humor to reveal it or even to fake it. But honestly ask yourself - am I more concerned about God's reputation than about my own?

A pagan Christmas?

I've often heard that Christians adopted the pagan winter solstice festival as the time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and many of the practices of the pagan festivals were incorporated into our Christmas traditions (like Christmas trees). That hasn't bothered me too much throughout life because what matters to me is that Christ came.

But Gene Vieth seems to believe that this "pagan Christmas" is a myth. According to this article, Christmas actually started first, and pagans later tried to adopt the holiday as their own. Veith even gives some reasoning as to why Dec. 25th was picked as Jesus' birthday.

I'm not sure how accurate this is, but it gets me thinking (and wishing I had more time to research it!).

Merry Chr...er, Happy Holidays

My wife and I did some Christmas shopping yesterday. As we walked into Sears to look for a 36" Quick Clamp (sorry, Dad, they were out - looks like we'll have to get you something else on your list), there were 2 prominent black and white 8 1/2 x 11 signs on the entrance to the store. They simply said "Merry Christmas".

I laughed and caught my wife up on the controversy: Several people noticed that Sears and Target and other stores lacked the word "Christmas" in any of their advertising. I guess the pendulum swung back the other way at the Cedar Rapids Sears stores.

The whole controversy reminded me of this image my friend Leo recently emailed me. Hope you get a laugh out of it too!

Indebted Young Adults

A friend, after reading my last post about the legacies of different generations, sent me an MSN article saying that while the young adult generation may not be fully following in the footsteps of their parents' generation, they are following and going further than their parents in one area: DEBT.

School loans are a big focus of the article, but they also talk about credit cards, which I want to focus on for this blog post. Now, I am not anti-credit card. I have 4 in my wallet right now. But one is a check card, another is a business check card (for my small website company), the third is a Discover card, and the last a MasterCard. My wife and I use the check cards for day-to-day purchases (I rarely carry cash anymore). But the Discover and MasterCard we only use to purchase things for church to get reimbursed on or things that we know we can pay for when the bill comes. We never carry a balance over.

You see, my wife and I view all that we own as coming from and belonging to God. That means my income, my house, even the food we eat together as a family is God's, and my role is to handle His money in the way I think He wants it to be handled. And I struggle with the idea that God would want me using His money to pay credit card interest. And so we don't carry a balance.

You do not need to live your financial life exactly as we do, but I am thankful that I don't have credit card loans hanging over my head. If you are a young adult with a lot of loans, I would encourage you to ruthlessly eliminate your debts, especially high-interest-rate credit card debt. That might mean some sacrifice - no movies, cheap ice cream, sharing a house with LOTS of people to keep housing payments low, carpooling (or riding your bike). But the freedom you will experience and the ability to use those funds to give to things that are in line with the heart of God is wonderful.

If you need some help in this area, I'd suggest starting with Crown Financial Ministries. Another resource you might look into is Dave Ramsey who's featured in the young adult magazine Relevant each month.

Boomer or Buster Legacy?

I just saw this story on young adults from ABC News. According to the Associated Press, young adults admire boomers, but they are more than ready to forge their own legacy.

What legacy are you leaving?

Breaking out of the Bubble

One of my friends who is a young adult from my church wrote a GREAT article on TrueU.org. If you are in college, listen to Lindsay's advice. And even if you are out of college, there is still some great wisdom in Lindsay's words.

Great job, Lindsay. And to think I can say "I knew you when.."

(P.S. That's Lindsay in the picture...)

Saved (by integrity)

Personal News
We are in Topeka, KS right now enjoying Thanksgiving with my in-laws. The cousins are having fun, the turkey was great, the laughter is refreshing to the soul, and the football is enjoyable to the football-starved like myself (even bad games like today's Falcons/Lions game!).

Personal Thoughts
On Monday night, since I was on "vacation" (even though I was still at home), I decided to watch a movie. A friend lent me the movie "Saved", saying it would make for a great discussion movie at our next Movie Night for one of the ABFs I oversee at New Covenant. He was right! This movie would generate a lot of discussion.

The movie is about a Christian high school in America. A very crude summation of the story is the "bad guys" are those who claim to be followers of Christ and the "good guys" are those who don't claim to follow Jesus. It was marketed as a "coming of age" story - a typical teen film.

I was familiar with the story before popping the DVD in the player, so as someone fully dedicated to Jesus, I was prepared to be offended. I'll admit, there were parts I was offended, but overall, my emotional response was one of sadness.

I was first sad for Christ. This was my Lord that was being made fun of. Well, I guess they weren't making fun of Him directly, but rather His followers. But if we are supposed to be "little Christs" (as the word "Christian" means), then they were slamming my Lord vicariously.

But I am also sad for anyone who does not know Jesus and watched the film. Unfortunately, the film portrays some Christians very accurately. Why? Because many of us have been extreme hypocrits.

The film's ultimate "moral" theme was that consistency of character counts. You end up hating the "Christian" girl (played by Mandy Moore) because she lacked integrity and Christlike character.

How are you living your life? Are you giving "props to the Big Man" verbally, but then living your life differently? Are you a Christian only because you're caught in a Christian circle of friends, or because you really have met the wonderful, yet terrifying Jesus? Is it evident in ALL you say and do Who you belong to?

Perhaps God can use "Saved!", which wanted to hurt the image of Christians, to actually save some of his followers from a life of inconsistency and characterlessness. I'm praying so...

Essays on Sex

Everystudent.com has some articles on sex, pornography, relationships, and other topics on their website. While the target audience is college students, I think any young adult could benefit from these short essays. The essays aren't a complete help in making godly changes in the sexual areas of our lives, but they could help transform our thinking, which begins the change process.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2a)

Breaking the Addiction

In my talk tomorrow night at Watershed's Worship Gathering, I will be addressing the issue of pornography, and will be briefly mentioning some ways to get out of an addiction to pornography, especially online.

Here are links to two of the accountability software programs I'll mention:

XXXChurch's Free Accountability Software
Covenant Eyes (this one has a monthly cost, but supposedly have a Mac version coming very soon, which is why I put the link ('cause I'm a loyal Mac user myself!).

My "Jesus" Baseball Card

Just read this in a "Leadership Weekly" email:

Appearing on a Baseball Card with Jesus Christ
I have a small collection of baseball cards. The card that is worth the most is called "Future Stars" and is valued at $100.

There are three players on this card. The first is Jeff Schneider. Schneider played 1 year of professional baseball, pitched in 11 games, and gave up 13 earned runs in those 11 games.

The second player is Bobby Bonner, who played 4 years of baseball but only appeared in 61 games, with 8 runs batted in, and 0 home runs.

The third "Future Star" played 21 years for the Baltimore Orioles and appeared in 3,001 games. He came to bat 11,551 times, collected 3,184 hits and 431 home runs, and batted in 1,695 runs. His name is Cal Ripken, Jr.

Now imagine if you met Bobby Bonner, and he shook your hand and boasted, "Did you know that my baseball card is worth over $100?" You would laugh because you know the worth of the card has nothing to do with him.

That's how it is when we come to Christ and point to our good works, our statistics, and ask, "Is this good enough?" If you want to hold up your stats to God, you don't have a chance. But when you put your faith in Christ, his statistics become yours, and your baseball card becomes worth a lot because of someone else's stats.

Bobby Bonner and Jeff Schneider's baseball card is worth $100, not because of their statistics, but because of what someone else has done.

(Citation: Shaun Brown, Newport News, Virginia)

This Could Have Been Me...

Kyle Lake, 33-year-old pastor of University Baptist Church in Waco, TX, passed away Sunday, October 30th. He was standing in water preparing to baptize someone when he was accidentally electrocuted (possibly through the microphone he was using). Kyle left behind a wife, a 5-year-old, two twin 3-year-old boys, and a great church.

Kyle was born just a year before yours truly. I, too, have little kids. And just this passed Sunday our church was doing baptisms (although I was not involved). This realization hit me: This could have been me.

Kyle's "untimely" death reminds me to ask myself "Am I making the most of today?" While I do not want to live life morbidly and afraid of death, I have to admit that I think of myself as being invincible. I know I won't go home before God's timing, but I doubt Kyle thought Sunday was God's timing for his life. He had a great wife. Great little kids. Worked with a great church. This could have been me.

Are you aware of your mortality? Are you making the most of your days? Are your relationships at a place where you could go at any time without regrets? Because you don't know when your calling card is going to be pulled. This could have been you.

Sex with Bell...

Since I've had sex on the brain because of the "How To Have Great Sex" series at Watershed, I found this sermon of interest and thought you might too (look for the Oct. 23rd sermon entitled "Sexy on the Inside"). Rob Bell is one of my favorite teachers, so I found his talk on sex interesting. And in usual Rob Bell fashion, he takes the whole idea of sex and looks at it in a different and deeper way (pun not intended).

Unhappy Halloween

This isn't a very popular stance these days, but I hate Halloween. No, not because it is so commercialized (I actually like the candy). And no, not because it involves wearing costumes (I enjoy seeing my kids dress up and play pretend). I don't like Halloween, because the older I get, the more I realize that Halloween is a celebration of evil.

Our culture doesn't make sense to me on this day. We live in a day and age where we have seen the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the awfulness of war, genocide, picketing groups filled with hate, and more. Isn't this enough evil? So why do we need to celebrate it?

Why do we need to decorate our yards with stereotypical witches (I'm not talking about the witches of Wicca) who want to create potions designed to hurt children? Why do we dress up as vampires who, according to mythical legend, are the undead who "live" on human blood? Why do we enjoy the idea of dead mummies coming after people to take them to the grave with them? Why are we fascinated with fear?

I don't get it. Fear and death are the tools of Satan. Maybe our culture celebrates these things because some of them are his children? (Boy, I don't like writing that or thinking it, but what if it's true?)

Thankfully Jesus overcame both fear and death through the cross. So as for me and my house, we are going to celebrate life in Christ on this day. So we'll have fun dressing up (tonight will find a bunny, a princess, and a tiger in our house), we'll enjoy some candy, and we'll have fun as a family. But we will do it without taking pleasure in scaring others and celebrating evil.

What are your thoughts?

1 But now, this is what the LORD says?
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush [a] and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.

Sex on the brain...

I've been teaching on sex at Watershed in the brazenly titled "How To Have Great Sex" series. If you want to listen to some of the things I'm saying, feel free to download the mp3s. My voice isn't the prettiest to listen to, but my English is at least understandable (most of the time).

In tonight's message, I'll probably reference a sermon I listened to this week that I downloaded to my iPod shuffle. If you'd like to hear that message or the other sex messages taught at Crossroads Community Church in Cincy, go here for those (thanks go to the big man, Zac, for the link!).

The "Most" Review

Christianity Today has a review of one of my favorite movies, a short film entitled Most.

Media Consumption

Much of this article didn't surprise me. While I don't consume much television, I use the Internet constantly in my job as a pastor: researching for messages, emailing people, finding information and advice so I can make wise decisions, staying somewhat connected to culture, etc.

But one thing did surprise me from the article:

Another suprising find is that 18 to 24-year-olds spend less time online than any other age group except for the over 65s, giving the lie to the idea that young adults are the most computer literate.

As I read the article, I was reminded of the 5th Nooma film "Noise" and the questions that film raises. Do you have so much "noise" in your life (and this includes visual "Noise") that you can't hear the voice of God? What do you need to ruthlessly eliminate so that you can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit?

Ig Nobel Prizes

This one is just too funny not to take a moment to post. You've heard of the Nobel Prize. Allow me to introduce you to the Ig Nobel Prize.

My favorite of this year's winners is in Literature. :o)

Ready for storms?

Personal News
My family and I had a wonderful time in NW Arkansas last weekend. It was very relaxing and lots of fun to reconnect with people we hadn't seen for 10 years. The most fun was seeing everyone's kids! John Brown University's campus looks better than ever, and it made me wish I could be a student again!

Personal Thought
I have lots I've wanted to blog about this past week, but busyness has kept me from it. I'm squeaking out a minute I should probably use elsewhere to post a story I got in my email inbox. It is told by a Joe McKeever, Director of the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans. His website is a great place to keep up with what is happening in New Orleans, particularly among many of the churches. In a recent entry, Joe talked about visiting one church where the hurricane and resulting flooding literally tore the bricks off the church structure.

"How can a storm tear the bricks away from a church like that?" I asked Ed and Freddie, both of them builders. "Look here," one of them said. A quick inspection showed that the workers who constructed St. Bernard Church had not tied the masonry to the wood structure of the building. The metal ties were there, but it was a rare one that was fixed into the masonry. I said, "How can you be sure the workers are tying your brick and your house together?" They both answered, "Be there and watch it done. Or know your contractor."

"For years that little church has sat there looking strong. As sturdy as a brick house, we might say. Paul Gregoire, admissions director for our seminary, has been pastor of that church longer than any other minister in our association. When the storm came, it revealed a weakness in the construction no one had ever noticed. There's a sermon there. Life's storms do not cause the weaknesses; they reveal them. That's why in the good times, when we're well and the children are behaving and the bills are paid, this is the time to make sure of the solid construction of our lives, our faith, our relationship with the Lord. Because sooner or later, the storm is coming."

So what are you doing to get ready for the storms that will come?

Rest

Personal News
The Bird Family is taking off tomorrow for Homecoming and the 10th Graduation Reunion of my wife and yours truly at John Brown University (nobody believes me I'm old enough to have graduated college 10 years ago, but it is true). Not only am I looking forward to seeing the changes on campus and reconnecting with old friends, but I'm also looking forward to some rest and time with my family.

Personal Thoughts
In the midst of this crazy schedule I've had the past few weeks, I've been thinking about rest. Watching the Iowa State/Nebraska game, although a close game, was very restful because it got my mind off of the things I think about 24/7. But I've noticed that if I don't plan for rest, I end up getting rest, but in unproductive, unsatisfying, and unrefreshing ways (like watching The Waterboy on TBS this past weekend when I should have just gone to bed).

How about you? Are you being intentional about getting rest? Or are you getting it in a haphazard fashion? What are some ways you get refreshed?

Offering Update

While nobody gave their shirts, many people did give big and generously last Thursday. Since my last blog, $13 more dollars came in, and so the grand total we will be sending Blood:Water Mission is $1090.77.

I'm still wowed and touched by the generosity of the young adults in attendance at Watershed's Thursday Gathering last week. And I'm beginning to think that if we'd asked for the clothes off their backs, that some of the young adults would have given it!

Wowed at Generosity

We did not have to put any sort of pressure on the young adults attending Watershed's Thursday Gathering last night. We took only the third offering we've ever taken in Watershed's short two year history, all of which was going to Blood:Water Mission's 1000 Wells project as part of the "Be All There For the World" message. The 100+ young adults in attendance last night generously gave $1077.77 to bring clean water to our African neighbors at the end of the earth.

I am extremely "wowed" by the generosity of the young adults last night. I believe generosity is close to the heart of the Father, and for one night, we allowed our hearts to beat in sync with God's, and to "Be All There" for our neighbors in Africa through liberal giving. Thanks to all who gave!

And if you missed last night's Worship Gathering or would just like to give, you can donate directly to Blood:Water Mission and join us in helping bring clean water to our African brothers and sisters.

Thank you, Watershed! I am VERY proud to be associated with you right now!

The Unimportance of Prayer?

I saw this cartoon in my inbox this morning. While I laughed, I grieved that the only reason the picture comic was funny was because it was true. No, not true that prayer is unimportant. True because we THINK prayer is unimportant.

How did I get here - to this incorrect place of making prayer a side thing that isn't as important as study or counseling or teaching or analyzing culture (that's my way of justifying the intake of entertainment ;o) )? Rather than launch into a blog sermonette about prayer, I think I just need to pray for me and for you.

"Lord, forgive us. Forgive us, your children, for not having hearts of prayer that want to boldy come before your throne of grace with confidence and humility, to spend time with you in conversation and seeking your input, direction, leading, and aid in our lives and the lives of others. Teach us, Lord, how to pray without ceasing. Please replace our easily distracted and worldly minds with the mind of Christ. Replace our ears that are filled with the noise of the culture with ears that hear Your whisperings. And replace our hearts that beat for so many selfish things with hearts that are in sync with Yours. Please help us to give prayer an important place in our lives."

Thick Skin, Tender Heart

Recently during a phone conversation, a friend of mine said that in his sales job, one day you are everybody's best friend and the next day those same people ask "what have you done for me lately?" We laughed about it, and I said "boy, sounds like you are getting ready for ministry!"

That's been my last two weeks. One week I'm on top of the world - God is using me in people's lives and doing some encouraging things in the ministries I'm involved with - and the next week I'm blindsided by complaints, leaders stepping down, sin issues, and the like.

Thankfully, I know that Jesus is all-too-familiar with issues like this. During his time on earth, he could go from being everybody's friend to low-man-on-the-totem pole far too quickly. In Matthew 12 alone, there are two instances where Jesus healed someone, and immediately others follow up the miracle with criticism and plots for his assassination.

The most powerful example of Jesus enduring this relational rollercoaster ride is what many Christians refer to as Passion Week. It started with a grand entry into the city, people cheering, waving palm brances (a political sign for desired freedom from the Romans), shouting "Hosanna" (which means "save us"), many believing that this famed rabbi would rise up to overthrow the Romans and free the Jewish people.

But in less than a week, many of those same people who were shouting about how great Jesus was before the city's residents were soon shouting for his crucifixion before Pilate. Any normal human would react naturally with anger, deep hurt, and emotional wounds. But Jesus wasn't a normal human - he was fully human.

How does a true human being respond to the criticisms, abandonment, and sin issues of others? With a steadfastness to stay the course to accomplish the purpose the Father has laid before him. It's as if Jesus has a thick hide to bounce off the criticisms, but a tender heart to continue to love people enough that he would die for them.

So how will you respond when you are being criticised in your job, or experience abandonment in your friendship, or feel the affects of other people's sinful choices? Quit? Criticise back? Blast people with a viscious tongue? Those are the natural responses of normal humans. I encourage you to choose a different path, go the way of Jesus - respond with thick skin and a tender heart.

At least that's what I'm somewhat successfully trying to do this week...

Helping Katrina victims locally

After a tragedy such as we have witnessed in the Gulf Coast, many Americans first response is to help through financial donations. We have made a similar option available to the young adults of Watershed by putting donation buttons on the Watershed homepage.

But sometimes we long to do more. When I lived in Colorado during the Columbine shooting, my first response was to rush over to the other side of Denver and pray with people and counsel them (but I didn't because I figured I'd be more in the way than an actual help). I have a pastor friend leading a team down this weekend to some of the areas impacted by Katrina - they are going to explore where and how they can help, call home to tell a second team what to bring, and then spend the week serving best they can.

I don't feel like I'm in a position to go down there and help like my friend. What could I possibly do here in Iowa to tangibly help the victims besides donate money or items?

That opportunity has opened itself up suddenly. MAHP is preparing some apartments here in Cedar Rapids for some families who lost their homes in the hurricane. They are arriving this Saturday, so we are going to go in and clean, paint, and help however we can to make a home for these families to live in until the decide what to do next.

If you are a young adult in the Cedar Rapids area, I'd encourage you to join us in the west parking lot of New Covenant Bible Church this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. From there, we are going to go over to the apartments and help with what we can.

Won't you join us?

Be All There By Slow Dancing

Just got an email with the below poem in it. This echoes our "Be All There" theme in Watershed.

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"hi"

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift.... Thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

It's just too bad the poem was tied to a hoax email chain letter.

Eye Of The Storm

Here is the blog of a couple of reporters covering Katrina from an area that passed right through the eye of the storm. Some great photos that really touched me and helped me see the devastation in a new and closer way. The photo to the left is the one that stood out to me the most.

Generosity

Personal News
My family had a great Labor Day today. We had a slow morning, then went and played softball with people from church, enjoyed a picnic, and then had our normal weekly family night.

Personal Thoughts
I saw on a forum I frequent a post about a blog on the profits of the oil companies. This is something I would normally have no interest in, but with the war and Hurricane Katrina's effects on the price of gas (and my wallet), I couldn't help but click the link and read the blog myself.

If what is reported in that blog is true, it is very sad and frustrating to see the greed of American oil companies. But unforunately they aren't the only entities in our culture with a heart of greed.

Millions of Americans, Christians included, have hearts of greed. They have a desire for "more, more, more", yet "more" never quenches the desire.

But what God longs from us is a heart of generosity. He has a generous heart, as revealed in the giving of Jesus. And Jesus, our model, gave all of himself for us. And now God desires for us to follow the example of Him and His Son - to be generous, to give all of ourselves for others.

Are you ready to be generous? What area are you being greedy in? Rather than desire more, learn to be content with what God has given you so that the Holy Spirit can develop a heart of generosity in you.

A New Minimum Standard

I love Sundays! Being with people who love Christ and are coming together to worship Him and learn together excites me. Unfortunately, today I'm feeling overwhelmed by my to-do list that I'm slipping back into my office during the services to get work done instead of doing my usual Sunday routine.

As I was working through my email inbox just moments ago, one newsletter had a link to an article I felt I should read as a pastor to young adults. Once on the website, I saw an advertisement at the top of the page that said "Know God better in just 5 minutes a day!"

This ad really bothered me. Let me paraphrase how I interpreted that marketing statement:

"Get to know the most amazing God, who created the entire universe and you, who is all-knowledgeable, all-powerful, all-loving, all-wise, all-just, and all-present by personally sacrificng the minimum amount of time possible."

Now, if somebody hasn't been praying regularly or reading Scripture on a regular basis, then 5 minutes is a great start. I just heard a talk not to long ago by Rob Bell (entitled "Money Sunday - A Theology of Clicks") about "moving to the next click". Going from no time with God to 5 minutes is a move to the next click in the right direction.

But too many Christians stay there. They do their 5 minutes, call it their quiet time, and proceed with the rest of their day. That minimum standard eventually becomes their maximum.

I like how Erwin McManus puts it in his book An Unstoppable Force. He calls for Christians to a new Radical Minimum Standard (see Chapter 10, the Epilogue). This is not a call to a legalistic standard, but an invitation to freedom. As Erwin puts it:

"When we are afraid that the minimum is an unreasonable maximum, we limit the Spirit of Christ from working in the hearts of those who genuinely desire to be used by Him."

Is the Spirit of Christ calling you to allow yourself to be used by Him? If so, is it possible that you have adopted a maximum in your life that should really become your minimum standard?

I encourage young adult followers of Christ reading this adopt a new minimum standard, to not make Sunday attendance their maximum, but a minimum. To not make praying 5 minutes a day a maximum, but rather a great starting point. To not make an obligatory monetary gift a maximum, but to discover the minimum of generous and cheerful giving. To not allow "Christian" influences keep you at a legalistic maximum, but to be unleashed by God's Spirit into the life that goes beyond the new minimum standard.

Making Ripples

Heard a great message this past week by Mike Breaux, one of the teaching pastors at Willow Creek Community Church, entitled Making Ripples. He was teaching at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, MI, on August 21, and a lot of what he said would be meaningful to many young adults who are followers of Jesus.

If you'd like to listen to it, go to this page.

Be All There (even when busy!)

Wowza! It's been a busy past several days. Just wanted to blog that I'm too busy to blog!

We are getting ready for our Be All There series at Watershed. I'm excited, yet nervous about it (because I'll be doing the teaching!). Thanks for any prayers you may say on my behalf and for Watershed.

"Wherever you are, be all there." - Jim Elliott

Influencing Younger Generations

If you know me, you know I am an extremely uncool person. I may drink Mt. Dew, wear my shirts untucked, and have a blog, but no matter how hard I try, I am very uncool. But I'm fine with that! I used to not be (my fake Air Jordan's in jr. high revealed that), but the harder I tried to be cool, the more uncool I became (you've probably seen it before - it's a very painful thing to watch). But I have finally accepted that I am called by God to be an uncool follower of Jesus, husband, father, and pastor.

But while you and I both know the truth about my uncoolness, there have been a few times in my life where some people misinterpreted the truth and actually thought I really was cool. You're probably thinking "who in the world could make that big of a mistake?" Well, they have a good excuse... they were kids.

Kids flocked to me (some still do, but most are catching on to my uncoolness so the magnet affect is starting to fade). Whether it was the first and second graders I taught Sunday School for right after college, or the kids at the missionary kid school in Venezuela, they wanted to be around me. Why? Because I was simply a young adult who would give them attention, talk with them, listen to them, be silly with them, and just simply spend time with them. Kids are attracted to young adults simply because they are adults who are just over the threshold of adolescence, and so therefore that makes them cool in the eyes of a grade schooler.

But too many young adults seem to be focused on their futures (careers, dating, marriage, having their own kids, etc.) to notice that they have a window of opportunity they will never get again in life - to be cool to the generation immediately behind them.

So are you taking advantage of your coolness? What kids have you influenced lately to know Jesus and love him? How are you giving to the generation coming behind you?

The Divine Paradox - Beautiful and Fearsome

I've been reading the Chronicles of Narnia to my girls. One of the things I have enjoyed about the book is how C.S. Lewis described Aslan, the Christ-figure in the books. He is both beautiful and terrifying. I really believe the Scripture describe God like this - he is the most fearsome thing we will ever encounter, and yet the most beautiful, and we will want to be with him because of his incredible love, and yet we will always be aware of the incredible power he holds.

And so this Augustine quote I read in "TwentySomeone" last night really echoed this paradox with me:

You, my God, are supreme, utmost in goodness, mightiest and all-powerful, most merciful and most just. You are the most hidden from us and yet the most present amongst us, the most beautiful and yet the most strong, ever enduring and yet we cannot comprehend you. You are unchangeable and yet you change all things. You are never new, never old, and yet all things have new life from you. You are the unseen power that brings decline upon the proud. You are ever active, yet always at rest. You gather all things to yourself, though you suffer no need. You support, you fill, and you protect all things. You create them, nourish them, and bring them to perfection. You seek to make them your own, though you lack for nothing. You love your creatures, but with a gentle love. You treasure them, but without apprehension. You grieve for wrong, but suffer no pain. You can be angry and yet serene. Your works are varied, but your purpose is one and the same. You welcome all who come to you, though you never lost them. You are never in need yet are glad to gain, never covetous yet you exact a return for your gifts. We give abundantly to you so that we may deserve a reward; yet which of us has anything that does not come from you? You repay us what we deserve, and yet you owe nothing to any. You release us from our debts, but you lose nothing thereby. You are my God, my Life, my holy Delight, but is this enough to say of you? Can any man say enough when he speaks of you? Yet woe betide those who are silent about you! For even those who are most gifted with speech cannot find words to describe you.?

Saint Augustine
Confessions, Bk 1, Sect. 4

Keeping Your Word

Personal News
What a day! It's a Monday, my normal day off, and I am truly taking a day off today. Currently, I am sitting in my backyard under the shade of our big ash tree, typing on my laptop, connected wirelessly to the Internet with a cold glass of water next to me. It is about 62 degrees outside right now, sunny, with an extremely calm breeze. It sure is a lot easier on days like this to say "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!" (Psalm 118:24) ;o)

Today is the first day of school, which also means it is M's first day of kindergarten. She was pretty nervous last week and was NOT looking forward to going, but a series of small gifts from God over the past few days (meeting her teacher, seeing her class room, etc.) helped her change her mind and she was ready to go today.

K, on the other hand, couldn't wait for school to get started. She's been eagerly anticipating today since mid-July. Our non-morning girl was up early, grinning from ear to ear, and while Mom fixed her hair, K said, "this is the best day of my life!" Oh, that I pray that attitude continues for life!

Personal Thoughts
The wedding last Friday went well despite the 92% humidity, 92 degree heat, and 92 mosquitos. But there was a downer on the evening. A friend we didn't expect to see there told us she was getting divorced.

LeAnn and I were shocked. She was devastated. It was such a God-thing that we were able to sit with her at the reception, and cry with her and listen to her share about how broken she is. She does not want this divorce, she desperately wants to work things out, but her husband is determined to finish this out. And to make matters worse, they are still under the same roof.

While Colbee and Vivi fully meant the vows they said last Friday night, I don't blame my friend one bit for being a bit cynical. She, too, meant the words she said at her wedding, and she believed her husband did too. And now those words are being so easily (yet painfully) broken. It is so painful when flesh rips.

I have every intention of keeping the vows I made to LeAnn 11 years ago. But yet, do I keep my word in every area of life?

Christ told us to let our yes be yes and our no be no (Matthew 5:37). And so whether it be marriage vows, or work committments, or an agreement between friends, would you be a person who "keeps their word," who let's their yes truly be yes and not just "maybe" or "yes, as long as I feel like it"?

Our world seems to be running out of word-keepers. And our world desperately needs them more than ever.

A Polarizing Book (Velvet Elvis)

I finished reading Rob Bell's first book Velvet Elvis a couple days ago. I knew going into the book that it was very polarizing. A quick read through the reviews at Amazon reveals that people either loved or hated the book. (Most good books get that kind of reaction.) Like I said: polarizing.

Personal Polarization
But what I didn't expect was that I would be personally polarized. I can't remember another book that I've had a reaction to like this. I loved the book, and hated it at the same time.

There were times where I found myself thinking "I've thought that all along and have always been afraid to voice it!" and at other times thinking "but if you take Rob's idea further, it opens the door to many dangerous trains of thought". I thought his trampoline and brick wall analogies were brilliant, I found myself completely understanding the Epilogue since I experienced something kind of similar, I was uncomfortable about the discussion about Biblical Interpretation (but I don't want to admit that I think he's right)... as you can see, I'm internally polarized.

And to share yet another personal polarization: I think every Jesus follower should read this book, yet there are some people I don't want to read the book for fear of what their reactions might be (in both directions).

So should you read it? Yes. But don't say I didn't warn you. And don't let it polarize you against me. :o)

Weddings

I'm officiating a wedding tomorrow night. Colbee and Vivi make a great couple. They have a beautiful location out at the gazebo at Touch of Class. They've picked out one of my favorite passages,Colossians 3:12-17, to be read in Portuguese and English (Vivi is from Brazil). While I probably should blog about this after the fact, I know it is going to be a beautiful ceremony. I love weddings.

Why?
I think I love officiating weddings because I get to be up front with a couple during a holy, mystical moment. To stand there and watch two great individuals vow before God and friends to enter into a marriage covenant and allow God to make them one flesh is so incredible, I find it difficult to provide the right words.

But I also love what weddings do to me. As I verbally paint a picture of what a God-designed marriage looks like, I am reminded each time of what my own marriage should look like. And often I find myself needing to make small changes to be the husband that God wants me to be and the husband a great woman like LeAnn deserves (and so that I'm not a huge hypocrit to all of these couples I do pre-marital counseling with!).

If you are married, are you being the husband or wife that God wants you to be? If you are single, what are you doing now to develop your character to be the husband or wife God desires you to become in case he holds marriage in your future?

In Christ...

Man, I have so many blog ideas in my head, but just not time to get them typed out here. I really should be heading home right now, but I've got a moment to type here, so I'm taking it.

Are you living "in Christ"?
I started Ephesians this past week in my personal reading time. Man, is it rich! Already done with it, but I'm going to re-read through it a few times I think. As I started chapter 1 on Tuesday, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with how many times Paul says "in Christ" or "through Christ" or "in him" or some other variant. I was in the NET Bible this week (may do a different translation this next time through) and "in Christ" was jumping out all over the place!

It really got me. Do I see my all of my life as being "in Christ", or just a little part of me? Do I see the circumstances around me as being "in Christ" or do I just let them pass me by? Am I doing the things I do during my day "through Christ" or in my own strength?

How about you? Are you daily living "in Christ"?

Mighty Mouse

I'm a Mac guy, and while I don't plan to post much about Macs, this one I felt was worth posting.

Mighty Mouse is on his way!

Dumb name, but looks very cool. But it is 5 years too late! $49 isn't a bad price, but they should have put this out more than a couple of years ago (or left the cord off to be up-to-date). Apple (who was recently named by 600+ CEOs in Business Week as the Most Innovative Company) used to ignore the cry for a two-buttoned mouse with scroll wheel, claiming the one-button mouse as more than efficient enough - now it seems they've changed their ways.

But better late than never, right?

Are you an "Apple"?
Some local church congregations act like Apple has with the computer mouse. They refuse to change things. "But we've never done it that way." And something that surprises me is that I've even heard that line uttered by a young adult before! (Remember, I pastor young adults.)

But our God, the God who does not change, is changing everything! In fact, the whole Christian life is about change! We are changed into new creations when we start following Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are constantly being changed and transformed as we mature in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). And we will be changed yet again when we enter heaven (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). The Christian life is one of constant change. The only thing that doesn't change is God Himself (Malachi 3:6).

So are you afraid of change? If so, why? In what areas of your life do you need to change? In what areas does your church/ministry/life need to be "better late than never"?

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland" Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

What are you living for?

Living With a Hurt Knee
Had a great weekend in Greenville, IL with my wife's family. Lots of laughter, lots of games, little sleep, but restful still. However, the weekend ended with a downer: on my only water ski run of the weekend, just minutes from piling into the minivan to head back to Iowa, I wrecked. Big time. My left knee is punishing me by giving me intense pain when I try to bend it, so I am regularly reminded of the incident. Oh well, I may walk like an old man, but I'm still young at heart...

Living For What Matters
Just saw a video (which requires QuickTime to view) that was a promo for last January's Passion Conference. You can skip the end of the video when the retreat dates start coming up, and you can put it on mute (the music isn't that great, in my opinion), but the content is super. My favorite part:

Renown=what lasts the longest
Renown=fame that will never fade away
Renown=ultimate glory
Most stuff people live for fades with time
One fame lasts forever...

What are you living for? Is it something that fades, something perishable? Or is it something that lasts forever, something imperishable, something worth dying for?

Are you a flashbang?

Just heard about a book entitled Flashbang. A flashbang, as the author (Mark Steele) puts it in a side column in the July/August edition of Relevant Magazine, is "a weapon used by our nation's military that is, in fact, not a weapon. It is a grenade that makes the sound of an explosion and creates a blast of light, but does not actually cause any destruction: the flashbang. It looks and sounds like a grenade, but leaves nothing behind."

He goes on to say, "Unfortunately, I used to live a flashbang life. Making a lot of noise and putting on quite a show without leaving any real permanent mark. [My book] is the story of how God changed me so that my faith leaves a stain."

What Kind of Bomb Are You?
I immediately had to make Mark's thought personal (and since you are reading this, I'll include you as well). Are we living "flashbang" lives? We say the right words and do the right things to complete the image we want people to see (mine being a good little Christian boy), but do we have the type of faith and character that when people come into contact with us, we will "leave a stain?"

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be a flashbang Christian. I want this faith that I have been given by God to be authentic, to be real, to be deep, to be genuine. I want to be a person of true character.

But how do we get there? How do we become the kind of follower of Jesus I am talking about? I have some ideas on what the journey should look like, but I don't want to spoil all your exploration fun by giving you a preprinted map warped with my opinions. I'm sure I'll leave a scattered cookie crumb trail throughout my blog, but for now, let me leave it here - "what should the path ahead towards deep faith and Christlike character look like so that we aren't just flashbangs?"

(P.S. The book Uprising I mentioned in my last post is a great place to search for answers to that question. ;o)

Builds Character...

Calvin and Hobbes is my favorite cartoon of all time (ranks just barely ahead of The Far Side). In several of the cartoons, Calvin's dad has his son doing some sort of job (like shoveling snow, picking up firewood for the campfire, etc.), and as Calvin grumbles under his breath, his dad can be heard to be saying "It builds character!" In one of these strips, Calvin is found in the last panel saying "Nothing spoils fun like finding out it builds character." :o)

Over the weekend, we've been dealing with sickness. It all started on Thursday, July 14, when my son, S, was "sharing" everything he had just eaten. Then LeAnn got the same stomach virus. Then I got it (which I wrote about in Pet Peeve #3). And then, while my brother and his family were visiting for the weekend from Omaha, my oldest daughter, K, got it, and then one of my nieces got it!

But it doesn't stop! My other daughter, M, is now battling a fever and complaining of a hurt stomach (thankfully no violent visits to the toilet!), and now LeAnn seems to be battling something again! I'm sick of sickness!

Well, I realized just how "sick" I was when I found myself today speaking sharper than normal at my children and carrying a hard heart inside. On the outside, I was doing most everything "right", but I didn't want to be playing doctor - I wanted to spend MY time in MY own way (especially on MY day off!). As I was mowing the lawn after "punishing" my children by making them pick up sticks in the yard in the hot humid weather, I realized I was facing a "character building moment."

What do you do when you face a moment like that? Keep harboring the bad attitude? Find an escape through food, dreams, addictions, or something else? Figure out a justification for your behavior and attitude? Or humble yourself before God and others and seek forgiveness?

I didn't want to have to apologize to my kids for some of my actions and words, but I did. And I asked God for forgiveness. My wife really needed me today, and she needed me without the bad attitude. And if my hero Jesus could set aside his rights as God to come to earth and take on the form of a servant (Phillipians 2), then I needed to follow the pattern, humble myself, lay aside my rights to my time and plans, and serve my family.

If you want to read a great book on character and becoming a servant like Jesus, I highly recommend Uprising. But don't read it if you don't want to "build character". ;o) As today proved, that is a very humbling and sometimes difficult thing!

Two random thoughts

It's late, and I need a laugh...

#1 - In light of my Pet Peeve #1 post, a friend put a cartoon in my office box here at church. If I had a scanner, I'd scan it in and post it, but for now I'll just describe it.

Pastor is in the pulpit, speaking to the congregation, and says "Go ahead and take a moment to greet someone whom you will completely ignore later."

:o)

#2 - This one was so funny I just had to share it. Today in a lunchtime meeting about some small groups we are planning and praying to launch this fall as part of our church wide spiritual journey, Dave S. was telling a story of how he got a job through his small group leader who he hadn't known 6 months prior. It was an awesome "God story" and to wrap it up and help us all appreciate God's sovereignty, Dave said "And as John Calvin used to say - 'what luck!'"

Praying I get a chance to whip that one out some day...

Pet Peeve #3

Intro
I was sick on Tuesday this week, "whistling" up the hot dogs I had at The Flying Wienie (but it wasn't their fault! My wife and son had each had a stomach virus just a couple days before me, so I blame them, not the dogs), and as I'm kneeling before the porcelain, I thought "Boy I hate this. Maybe this is Pet Peeve #3".

But it passed, I'm better, and I can't really consider "hurling" a pet peeve. But I did think of another Pet Peeve I'm willing to share: Critical Christians.

Let's Get Critical, Critical...
I'm not talking about "Berean" type criticism (Acts 17) or the type of criticism Paul gave Peter (Galatians 2). Much of my spiritual growth in ministry has occurred through the thoughtful, constructive, biblical criticism of wiser and more mature people. No, the kind of criticism that grates me internally is the high-and-mighty criticism wielded against famous Christians from behind our safe distance and "spiritual maturity".

First, let me say that I am being the world's biggest hypocrite by engaging in criticism of criticizers. That alone made me hesitant to post this. Second, I succumb to this very Pet Peeve myself at times, so I am railing against myself as much as anyone else. But if I can just help one person be a person of truth AND grace through this blog post, then it'll be worth it.

I am thankful for critical thinking. But when our "critical thinking" degrades into a form of bashing on every famous Christian we know, then I think we have turned to jealously instead of godly critical thinking. Yes, we need to weigh carefully what people teach, write, and say in light of the truths of the Bible, and there are false teachers in our day and age, but we must be careful to not slander these people, their character, or their ministry - I have a feeling many of them are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

So will you join me in praying that we can be people of truth AND grace? That we can think critically, pursuing truth, but extend the grace God has extended to us?

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14 (NIV)

Pet Peeves #2

Intro
When I lived in Colorado, I used to say a pet peeve of mine was people that don't use their turn signal. But since moving to Iowa, I can't really complain since drivers here seem to do a much better job of indicating their turning intentions. :o)

So what is my #2 Pet Peeve if I can't say it is the Nefarious Lack Of Turn Signals? Christian Clichés.

Clichés are as easy as pie...
Now, because of my sinful "people pleaser" side, I usually don't say anything if I hear a Christian cliché, but I grit my spiritual teeth internally, hoping they don't unleash their cliché upon a hurting soul. I used to be a cliché man - after all clichés became clichés because there is usually a big element of truth to them. I like truth as any good Christian boy (or girl) should, so I didn't have a problem wearing a spiritual gun loaded with clichés. (And to be completely honest, most times I still don't cringe as much as I am making this sound.)

But the more counseling I do, the more dangerous I realize clichés are. I know the sweet old lady who says "God never gives us more than we can handle" is speaking truth and means well, but it is more like a barb in the soul than a blessing on the spirit to the single mom who is at her wits end thinking she's never going to find another man to help her parent these kids. I know that the twentysomething guy who whips out Romans 8:28 has pure intentions, but to say it to the grieving in the wake of the funeral of a close loved one rips the heart rather than repair the hurt.

Do you long to see Christians move past the shallow-and-easy cliché life and begin living the truth that is behind many of our Biblical clichés? I know I do. But it's probably a lot easier to get people to use their turn signals than accomplish that! :o)

Pet Peeves #1

Intro
I've pretty much gone through life without any pet peeves (must be my StrengthsFinder-labelled strength of "adaptability"). And in a sinful, selfish way, I'm quite proud of that! My biggest pet peeve is that more people aren't pet-peeveless like me. ;o)

But as I grow older, I find myself gaining some pet peeves. And so I thought I would do a series on my blog of the pet peeves I have. So enjoy this: this will be one of the few times you'll probably get to see my whine and complain.

PET PEEVE #1
My first pet peeve is unwelcoming Christians. It drives me NUTS when I see Jesus-followers only talking with their friends and never engaging a new person in conversation.

About 4 weeks ago, I watched a regular "Watershedder" literally push past a new person who was standing alone to go greet some friends. If I hadn't been engaged in conversation with a new person at that very moment myself, I would have excused myself to go greet the ignored person to offset the feeling he might have been experiencing at that moment. I was so glad to hear that later on, someone else approached him and invited him to join a group for an "after the Thursday Gathering" event, but the event I witnessed never should have happened in the first place (in my opinion).

It is very understandable why people don't go greet new people. We were trained as little kids to "not talk to strangers." Plus, we fear that if we approach the person and the conversation doesn't easily click, then they will reject us. So rather than face rejection, we don't welcome the person at all. But by not welcoming them, we are nonverbally rejecting them!

But if Jesus, as a Jewish male, can initiate a conversation with a Samaritan female, who had had 5 husbands and a live in boyfriend, to better lead her into a true relationship with God the Father (John 4), then shouldn't we imitate our Rabbi and initiate conversations with whoever walks into our worship gatherings, our homes, and our lives?

Finally Getting Started

Ok, I've had lots of blogs in my head, but I'm finally getting this started. After midnight of course.

Tonight at Watershed's Thursday Night gathering, I talked about confrontation and not being a clone (we were on Galatians 1:11-2:14 as part of our "Spiritual Wars" series). I got lots of positive comments about the talk.

But when it comes to positive comments: Have you ever read "The 5 Love Languages" by Gary Chapman? Me neither. But I do know the list that Dr. Gary came up with (I think it is some sort of requirement young adult pastors who do lots of premarital counseling to have the 5 Love Languages memorized). And one of the "love languages" in the book is Words of Encouragement.

To be honest, I am not a words of encouragement guy. I try to give it (need to do better at it), but personally I don't need it. When someone says "great job" it just kind of rolls off. I'm always polite and say thank you because I know the person means well. But the words don't really make me feel more significant. (Boy, that makes me seem cold hearted!)

But there IS something that makes me feel significant, especially when it comes in relation to when I teach from the Bible. When I hear or see someone making life changes and/or living more for Christ because of something I said, then I get stoked! The biggest compliment I could ever receive after teaching is to hear what changes have happened in someone's life.

And God blessed me with such a chance on Wednesday night this week. I had the highest honor and privilege of helping baptise Amy Arp (click here to see a picture of Amy sharing her story at the baptism). Amy became a follower of Jesus last October, and she shared how God had made changes in her life. Just knowing that God used me, however big or small, in Amy's life was the biggest compliment I could have ever received!