Saturday, December 19, 2009
7 Lessons from my "Reading the Bible in a Year" Experience
I have read the entire Bible before, however I had never done it in a year. So I decided in December last year to make 2009 the first year I read through the entire Scriptures in a calendar year. As I blogged in January, I decided to read a certain amount of pages per day. If my chapter didn't end at the "3 1/2 page mark," I would keep reading until the end of the chapter. Then on my monthly spiritual retreats, I would usually read double or triple (or even more). This method allowed me to complete the entire 66 books last week.
Here's what I gained from this experience:
1. I saw things in context more. Context is important to me. I was pleased to see how much my understanding of the context of a passage improved by reading three-and-a-hald pages each day.2. I grasped the bigger story. This goes along with the previous idea. By reading larger portions each day instead of just a chapter or a section, I could see the bigger picture more clearly.3. I couldn't avoid the troubling passages. Many times this year I hit passages that really challenged my theology or seemed to grate against other passages. I'm glad I had to work through these sections and not just skim over them. Some have been resolved, but some still are bugging me (which I actually think is a good thing).4. I had motivation to read. Having a goal to read the whole of Scripture in twelve months increased my desire to sacrifice the time to read. I found myself eager to get to the Word daily, and if I missed a day, I gladly read 7 pages to make up what I had missed the day before. But I realize my motivation only stayed high because I stayed disciplined to read regularly. If I had gotten a couple of weeks behind, I might have lost motivation. Thankfully the most I ever got behind was two days.5. I had to persevere. I'll admit - I started to get a bit antsy to skip to the New Testament while trudging through some portions of the Old Testament. Parts of the Pentateuch got long. The first half of Ezekiel was brutal. The Minor Prophets weren't filled with very many "happy-warm-fuzzy" verses. But I am VERY grateful I read each word of these portions. Many of these tough sections helped me see and appreciate the amazing grace of God more than I had previously. Plus, James 1:4 tells us that endurance/perseverance is good for us.
6. I realized I forget too easily. My 12-year-old has been reading through First and Second Kings. One day she was telling me about what she had read. I couldn't recall much of the story she was sharing! I had read that section just months before, but I couldn't have repeated the story to her if my life had depended upon it. This was convicting! (And ever worse - I almost forgot to include this point!)7. I worshipped God. This isn't unique to reading the Bible in a year, but it was a wonderful experience I feared might not happen. I had an unconfessed worry that reading the Bible in a year would feel more like a duty than a delight. Yet day after day, God continued to impact me. I was regularly humbled, in awe of Him and His plan for me and His Church.
If you have never read through theScriptures in a year, I recommend you do it at least once in your life. With a new year just around the calendar corner, why not make 2010 the year you gain your own seven lessons on reading the whole Bible in twelve months?
Friday, December 18, 2009
Primal by Mark Batterson (Book Review)
From the outside, the [Church of San Clemente] appeared weather-beaten and time-worn. But the frescoes, statues, and altars on the inside were remarkably well preserved. We quietly explored every nook and cranny of that twelfth-century church. Then we discovered that for five extra euros, we could take an underground tour…
I’ll never forget my descent down that flight of stairs. The air became damp, and we could hear underground springs. We carefully navigated each step as we lost some of our light. And our voices echoed off the low ceiling and narrow walkway. Almost like the wardrobe in the Chronicles of Narnia, that flight of stairs was like a portal to a different time, a different place. It was as if those stairs took us back two thousand years in time. With each step, a layer of history was stripped away until all that was left was Christianity in all its primal glory. (pg. 2)
This excerpt from the first chapter of Primal, Mark Batterson’s latest publication from Multnomah, lays the illustrative foundation for the book’s premise. Just as Mark’s walk down those stairs helped him see an ancient Christianity stripped of its religious flourishes to a place where Christians worshipped from pure hearts, Mark wants to pastor modern Christians to a place where they, too, can love God purely. And the “primal” foundation for Batterson’s Christianity is the same verse Jesus lays as the foundation when asked in the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of Mark to sum up the Mosaic law:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. (Mark 12:30)
For my review, I’ll use the same framework as the book:Heart
I appreciate Mark’s pastoral heart. It is evident to me that he has a genuine passion to follow God (as if that wasn’t obvious from his previous books, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and Wild Goose Chase), and an equal passion to see others follow God with the same passion. If I could hope anything, it is that Mark’s readers (including myself) would capture this heart: a heart to worship God purely, to follow Him willingly, and to enjoy God through the valleys and mountain-top experiences of life.However, I feel like Mark (and perhaps his editors) tried a little too hard to reach the heart of the reader. While I appreciate the vision-casting closing of chapter 10 (The Next Reformation), true reformations happen as an act of God, not because an author says we need one. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the Wittenberg Doors, he was merely trying to help the Church he loved move in a more biblical direction. I doubt the Reformation as we know it was exactly what Luther longed for. If we are to see another Reformation in our day, once again it will be something that is a move of God, not something from the dreams of men.I know Mark would agree with me based on this paragraph from Chapter 9 (The Hammer of a Higher God):
Here is the great irony when it comes to loving God. And maybe I should have revealed this at the very beginning of the book, because this is the crux of the matter. In and of ourselves, we’re not capable of loving God. We cannot manufacture love for Him. We can only respond to His love for us. And I hope that sets you free. Religion is all about doing things for God. Christianity is all about receiving what Christ has done for us on the cross and what we do for God is a reflection of and response to what God has done for us. (pg. 155)
Likewise, we are incapable of ushering in a reformation to modern Christianity. We can submit ourselves to God individually, but it is only by HIS grace that changes like this take place.Soul
I really enjoy Mark’s writing. Just as in his previous books, Mark’s style is very easy to read, comprehend, and remember. In other word’s, Primal has a good soul.Part of this “soul” is the framework for the book. Mark uses the four aspects of loving God from the Great Commandment as his template.However, Mark’s treatment of “heart” left me wanting. Mark turned “loving God with all your heart” into “having compassion for your neighbor.” I don’t disagree (after all, Jesus captures this idea when he tacked on the second part of the Great Commandment), but to me this concept isn’t complete.I’m of the opinion that when Jesus tells us to love God with all our heart, he is telling us to fully love God with our emotions. When we find joy, we exalt in God. When we experience sadness, we fall on our knees with tears before our Father. When we have anger, we submit it to God and unleash it in God-glorifying ways. And when we love God fully with our heart, THEN we find ourselves overflowing with compassion for our neighbors.Mind
Mark is one REALLY smart dude, but you never feel ignorant while reading Mark’s book. Mark’s excitement for what he has learned helps you get excited about the insights he has and the spiritual parallels he is able to draw. (More on this under “Strength.”)I also appreciated Mark’s approach to “loving God with your mind.” I have heard pastors and seminary professors in the past claim this is the area lost by American Christianity, and they trumpet this aspect so loudly the begin to ignore the other three. Mark heralds the intellect and loving God with your mind, but not to the exclusion of the other three ways.However, a couple of Mark’s quotes in this section could be dangerous if taken out of context. For instance:
“God ideas often seem like bad ideas. But that is when you need to allow the Holy Spirit to override your intellect.” (pg. 140)
Sentences like this can give people permission to do hair-brained ideas that are not originated by God. Hopefully Mark’s readers will have enough discernment to understand Mark is trying to say we have to submit our human intellects to God’s, because His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, not abandon reason altogether.Strength
One of the strengths of Primal is Mark’s masterful use of illustrations. Mark leverages his strength of learning from many different realms to turn scientific insights and historical stories into spiritual analogies.But the greatest strength of the book is what I have already acknowledged – Mark’s heart. Mark truly believes this stuff – he has poured much of himself into this book. Primal is truly the overflow of his role as a pastor. Just as he longs for his church family to worship God purely from a primal understanding of Jesus and love, Mark can’t help but long for that same thing of the universal Church.And I have to admit – I long for it, too.Conclusion
Primal releases nationwide on Tuesday, December 22nd. I feel honored to have been chosen as one of 750 bloggers to be given a pre-release copy to read and review. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and will probably recommend it to a few people.However, I don't feel that people must make it the first book they read in 2010. It’s fine if they do, but I don’t feel overwhelming motivation to get this book in the hands of everyone. Part of the reason is that I had such high expectations. (I think I bought into the marketing a little too much – see the website for an example – “this is more than a book.”) And so, I found myself slightly disappointed. Like Mark, I long for a reformation, a revival, to sweep across the world. But a human book isn’t going to accomplish it. Only the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit will bring that about.With that said, if Primal gets even a few Christ-followers to get back to Scripture and back to worshipping God wholeheartedly (and whole-soulfully, whole-mindfully, and whole-strengthfully!), then I will be thrilled, as I know Mark will be. That’s why I will still highly recommend Primal to the young adults I have the privilege to pastor.For more info, visit http://www.theprimalmovement.com/
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Sharing the Story in the Language of the People
In the video above, a talented girl paints a story with sand on the Ukraine's version of "Britain's (or America's) Got Talent." It is clear to me the story has to do with the history of the Ukraine. And as the camera pans the audience, you see women with tears in their eyes. The story in the sand is part of the story of their lives, of their country, of their people. And because it is their story, it moves them.
While the painting and soundtrack is graceful, I wasn't moved to tears a bit. Why? Because it is not my story. I do not understand the language. I am not familiar with the tale. The story on the table does not resonate with my heart. Because it is good art, I'm touched, but clearly not in the same way as many of the audience members.
However, there is a story that DOES resonate with my heart. And I want to tell it.
I want to paint the story of the gospel in the lives of the people around me. I want to speak this good news in the language of the people. I want to communicate the soundtrack of God that will touch hearts and move minds. And when they understand it, people will jump to their feet to applaud the One who went to the cross. Then HIStory will become their story, a story about freedom, life, and love.
I'm convinced, though, they won't understand the story of Jesus if I speak in a "foreign" language. I need to speak Iowan. I need to paint the Iowan way. So as the video concludes, I find myself praying for God to help me share His story in the language of the people. Just as I don't know the artist's name, I don't care if my name is known. What matters is that HIStory is told and is written on the hearts of His people.
One last thought: just as painting with sand gets one's hands dirty, sharing the story of Jesus is my local context is messy. But if Jesus could be born in a dirty stable with smelly animals and laid on a bed of donkey food, I think I can handle the mockery, the rejections, the failings, the messes, and such. Because out of the sandy mess, God will paint something beautiful.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Monday, December 07, 2009
Friday, December 04, 2009
'Tis the Weekend to be Jolly (Two Christmas Open Houses)
I'm REALLY looking forward to our TWO Open Houses this weekend:
The first one is our annual Christmas Open House for the young adults of our church (and those who help me in ministering to them). Every year our house is stuffed with singles, young married couples, young parents, kids, and friends who enjoy catching up with one another, or meeting a new friend, or enjoying the fire, or having a deep conversation by the Christmas tree, or enjoying a game of ping-pong in the basement, or tasting some of the amazing food my wife makes. Always a good time, and I'm looking forward to seeing people tonight. Come anytime between 6:00 pm and midnight tonight.
The second open house is a neighborhood event. Last year, my wife said, "We already have the house decorated and food made for the young adult open house, why don't we invite neighbors over for an evening and do the same thing?" So this year we are opening our home up for a couple of hours to catch up with neighbors. We've been hosting a summer neighborhood BBQ for several years, but we rarely get to see our neighbors once the weather turns cold. Hopefully a few will venture out in the freezing temps tomorrow night, and we'll all have fun hanging out for a little while (as long as they don't mind me sneaking peeks at the Big 12 Championship game - Go Huskers!).
Thursday, December 03, 2009
So Am I (My family's conspiracy plan this Christmas)
This year, my wife and I decided to handle the myrrh (practical) gift differently. Rather than giving them socks, or winter gloves, or tooth brushes, or whatever else we think they need for daily practical use, we decided to allow our kids to choose their own myrrh gift to be given to a child who truly doesn't have the basic practical necessities in life. We used the Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog, allowing them to choose any of the gifts under $15. They had fun choosing balls, meals, and mosquito nets!
As my wife was filling out the Samaritan's Purse catalog order form at the kitchen table, my 9-year-old daughter looked at my wife and said "I am SO glad we are doing this!" With my throat in a knot as I type this because of the wonderful, sensitive, giving nature God has given my children, I say in response to my daughter, "So am I..."
"...so am I."
(It just so happens that our church family is doing something similar through Advent Conspiracy by taking an offering on December 20, and giving the money to clean water initiatives in East India. I love being part of such a generous church!)
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
I'm published! (Sort of) A ministry article on the death and birth of an ABF
If you find articles about the life cycles of mid-sized groups exhilarating reading, then you can see a piece I wrote for abfresources.com about the "death" of the 12:30@Eleven ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship) and the "birth" of the current BE[cause] ABF here at New Covenant Bible Church.
However, if you find such articles sleep-inducing, then follow the link right before your bedtime to receive a blissful night of Zzz's.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Are you willing to be a "James" for Jesus? (Acts 12:1-2)
Many followers of Jesus, and even some cultural Christians, have heard the story in Acts 12 about the apostle Peter being miraculously rescued from prison. But while we awe at God's plan to miraculously rescue Peter, we seem to skip over his plan for a different disciple mentioned in the same passage. God's plan for James is found in the first two verses of chapter 12. In other words, am I willing to be a "James" for Jesus?
"About that time King Herod laid hands on some from the church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword." (Acts 12:1-2, NET)
The same God that sent an angel to rescue Peter from his chains is the same God who allowed James to be killed by the sword. Both the rescue of Peter and the martyrdom of James brought Him glory. Both events brought God's people to seek Him - one in prayer, the other in praise. And both were used to confound Herod - one set Herod up so he could be shone foolish through the other.
I find myself longing for Peter moments - to be released from my difficult situations so I can give glory to my God. But what if God doesn't want to release me from this difficult situation just yet? What if this trial might actually be what He uses for His glory and my good (James 1:2-8, Romans 8:28-30)? And can I still give Him praise even in the middle of my "jail cell" when I don't know the outcome?
Anonymous for God? (Acts 11:20-21)
Today starts a two-week vacation. Unfortunately, our plans to travel to Michigan to start my two-weeks off have been cancelled. The dear friends we were planning to visit have had illness running through their family this week. So with an unexpected day at home, I thought I would catch up on some blog posts that I've had in my Drafts folder for several days. Here's the first: Anonymous for God.
The book of Acts is the "history book" of the New Testament. It's filled with the acts of God done through the apostles and disciples. All through the pages, we read about the adventures of Peter, Paul, Barnabus, Stephen, and other heroes of the Christian faith.
Even though the heroes of Acts saw their days end long ago, we still have "heroes" in the Christian faith. We hold up various pastors, authors, musicians, and speakers as our contemporary heroes. I don't think this is always bad - I have various pastors and authors that God has used to inspire me in my role as a young adult pastor.
But sometimes our hero worship goes too far. I just had a trusted friend return from a conference where he felt it was more about these Christian "heroes" that were speaking than about the God they were speaking about. And I confess I've made the same mistake as the conference attenders. I mentally join "camps" with certain "tribal" leaders (sort of like the issue in 1 Corinthians 1:12). I listen to the sermons of these heroes, and skip the sermons of the lesser-knowns.
If that weren't bad enough, to compound this issue, I secretly wish I was a tribal leader. There is a part of me that wishes I was famous, to have those in my camp tell me how valuable my thoughts are, how effective my ministry is, and how I have impacted them to move deeper in their spiritual journey with Jesus. Because I know this type of pride is sin, and ministry is to be all about God and not about me, I find myself praying that God would allow me to remain anonymous, but that the message, or Scriptural insights, or spiritual counseling I gave would stick in the hearts and minds of those listening to my words.
That's why in my read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan Acts 11:20-21 jumped out at me. It wasn't just Paul and Peter and a handful of heroes "getting it done" for God. It was God's delight to allow some men from Cyprus and Cyrene to remain anonymous. We don't know their names - not even a mention! Yet the Kingdom-work they engaged in made it into the annals of Scripture. They told people about Jesus, and saw many come to believe.
If you don't struggle with pride or long for attention, this post may not be for you. But if you long to be recognized in your job, if you want to be famous in certain circles, if you keep aiming for the attention of others, let me ask you:
Are you willing to be anonymous for God?
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Four reasons cohabitation is not the best plan for couples
1) Living together doesn't keep the marriage bed pure. (Hebrews 13:4) Many couples want their relationship/marriage "blessed" by God, and yet they intentionally live against his commands. God does beautiful work in the hearts of a man and a woman when they wait to share their bodies with one another - the sexual relationship will actually be better if they wait until after the rings have been exchanged. (Song of Songs 2:7)
2) Living together is practice for an affair. You are being physically and emotionally intimate with someone with whom you have not publicly exchanged vows. If you can display this deep level of affection with this man or woman, what's to say you can't do it with the next person who grabs your eye and heart when your marriage/relationship is going through a rough spot?
"But Erin," you protest. "What if a couple isn't having sex? What if they just live in the same house to save money, but they are saving sex for marriage? That would erase your first two reasons." To that I say:
3) Living together without sex practices divorce. Most divorces come long before one person has moved out. The couple usually live in the same home, sometimes even in different bedrooms, while the physical and emotional intimacy has ended. However, they still have to operate a household together. If the couple has practiced "no intimacy" while sharing living quarters, they set it up for them to repeat that pattern if difficulties appear in the relationship in the future. Living apart until after "I do" allows a couple to affirm their commitment and longing for each other in all areas.
4) Living together stops relationship growth. The reason my wife and I have date nights, read books on marriage, escape on overnight get-aways, and desire to attend marriage conferences is because marriage takes work. Because of schedules, kids, work, etc., we slip into only talking about the day to day issues of life and not the deeper issues of our relationship. The quickest way to stop the growth of a dating relationship or engagement is to live together. But when you commit to living apart until marriage, you use the time you DO get together more wisely and talk about the issues you need to discuss. Along with this, you also dream together about sharing life in the same space, which adds to the joy and excitement when you finally join households as "one flesh." (Genesis 2:24)
I have had this conversation with several couples, and surprisingly a number have agreed with me and separated until their wedding. Every couple (and I do mean every!) that has made the decision to stop living together has told me it was one the best things for their relationship and preparation for marriage.
This topic was brought to my attention again this week by a couple of articles. If you want to read more, try these links out:
-----
Erin Bird
erin.bird@newcovenantbible.org
Young Adult Pastor
www.newcovenantbible.org
erinbird.posterous.com
Twitter: erinbbird
-----
-----
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Can you guess who my daughter's "superhero" is?
As part of Red Ribbon Week (aka "Just Say No to Drugs" Week), the schools in our district have been doing crazy/fun themes each day. One day was "Crazy Hair Day." Another was "Favorite Team Jersey Day." Today at the Middle School was "Superhero Day."
So my 7th grade daughter decided that she wanted to be "Jesus" today since He is her "superhero." Let's just say - she had quite a day!
Forgotten God by Francis Chan (Book Review)
Rating: 5 out of 5 doves
Last year, LeAnn and I were blessed to go on a week-long pastor/spouse retreat in Wisconsin. Much of the time was spent in the Scriptures and in prayer. But because we both love to read, several books went along with us.
One of LeAnn's paper-companions for the retreat was Crazy Love by Francis Chan. She really enjoyed it and was challenged by it. She recommended I read it, so I took it to my office and added it to my "to read" stack - where it patiently sat for several months. After reading Made to Stick (which I enjoyed - but not quite as much as I had hoped. The first chapter was GREAT - then it just plateaued from there...), I was ready for a book to grab hold of my heart, not just my head. I thought I'd give Crazy Love a try. Wow! I was challenged by Francis's passion and found my prayers being affected.
I rarely read another book by an author immediately after reading a prior book of theirs. I often like coming back to their style, thought processes, etc. after a break filled with other authors' thoughts, styles, and such. However, I was intrigued by Francis's topic in his second book Forgotten God and I was secretly hoping that the passionate call to follow Christ in Crazy Love would continue to resound and continue God's work in me.
I am pleased to not only announce that my expectations were met, but Forgotten God impacted me even more profoundly than Crazy Love. My prayers have been even more deeply impacted, I am enjoying the Scriptures even more (and I was already loving my daily times with the Bible), and I am becoming even more passionate about God, His Son, and His Holy Spirit and their work in my life and those around me. I'm tempted to say I'm growing like a weed right now, but weeds grow unwanted and without intention. This growth is very wanted and I believe it has been very intentional by my heavenly Father.
But let me warn you - this book is not for the comfortable Christian looking to remain in his or her comfort. Francis is a very passionate individual, and he is not afraid to challenge his readers to become equally passionate about Christ and the Spirit's work on earth. Francis has made some personal decisions out of passion and conviction that leave others questioning his wisdom. For instance, all of the royalties of his first book, Crazy Love, go to a non-profit organization helping children trapped in sex slavery rather than becoming an emergency fund for he and his family. Some accuse Francis of abandoning his own family - but he doesn't see how he can make himself and his family comfortable when little ones are being horrendously abused and misused.
I grew up in a charismatic church, and while I have come to slightly different conclusions theologically than my charismatic friends from my own reading and study of Scripture, I have always appreciated their heart for the Lord. They are very aware of the Holy Spirit (some might say TOO aware at times - or more accurately, not truly aware...). The churches I have been involved in since entering my adults years have been very different. They have acknowledged the person of the Holy Spirit, but they haven't regularly acknowledged the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. This is why Francis has a tag line saying "Reversing our tragice neglect of the Holy Spirit." I really appreciated the balanced approach Francis took throughout his book. Charismatics, Presbyterians, Baptists, and Non-Denoms like me can read this book without feeling like an agenda or certain theological stance is being pushed.
Francis provides a very brief, but good, summary of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. If you are looking for a theological treatise on pneumatology, this isn't the place. But if you are open to being challenged about your surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit, this is the best book I've read so far.
Also worth noting: Each chapter is followed by a biography of a person who lived their life under the power of the Holy Spirit. Francis does a great job of choosing "ordinary" people who lived "extraordinary" lives to highlight in these biographical sections.
One thing I truly appreciate about Francis is his passion. While he is probably a remarkably intelligent guy, the portrait of Francis that emerges out of Crazy Love and Forgotten God is just a simple disciple of Jesus living full-on for God as empowered by the Holy Spirit. He readily admits his imperfections, but it isn't his failings he dwells on, but rather the direction he falls. I, too, want to be falling toward my Savior when I screw up and grieve the Holy Spirit. I want to be a man consumed with a passion for Jesus, being filled with the Spirit like He was, and living out His Image through me everyday.
While I recommend Crazy Love, you do not have to read it first. Forgotten God stands on it's own, and in my opinion is even more powerful, better written, and more perfectly accomplishes the same goal as Crazy Love. This book is going on my "favorites" list, and one I will probably come back to in the future (which is a very rare thing for me!).
For more information about Forgotten God, visit http://forgottengod.com.
Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson (Book Review)
Rating: 4 out of 5 birds
LeAnn and I have a date night every week. Because I'm not a fan of routine, LeAnn has graciously allowed us to do various activities for our date nights. One of the activities we do together roughly once a month is read a chapter of a book. When we started reading books together, we focused on marriage topics. But this past year we decided to branch out from relationship books. With the blessing of a gift certificate, we purchased Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. And we both feel it was a gift certificate well spent!
The premise of the book is that Christians should be pursuing God - specifically the Holy Spirit. Mark, who is a treasure trove of historical, scientific, and lingual illustrations, says that the Celtic Christians called the Holy Spirit "An Geadh-Glas, which translated into modern English is "the Wild Goose." At first, it seemed irreverent to me to refer to the Holy Spirit as a goose. "If the Spirit is to be equated with a bird, it should be a peaceful dove, not a dirty, noisy goose," I thought to myself. But Mark uses the goose idea adeptly, carefully, and respectfully. Within the first chapter, I was comfortable with the goose imagery.
Through the book, Mark works through six "cages" - responsibility, routine, assumptions, guilt, failure, and fear. These are areas of your life you allow to hamper you and keep you from pursuing the call God has on your life. Mark does an excellent job of working through each "cage" with personal stories, powerful illustrations, and Scriptural insights.
I feared the book would be too similar to Mark's first book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. While there was much overlap in ideas, I found the books to compliment one another very well. However, I am hoping that Mark's third book, Primal, will depart a little bit from the "risk-taking Christian life" theme. Because I read Mark's blog from time to time, I know he has more to give to the Church than just this one message.
On a personal note: The first half of the book really irritated me. Not because of Mark's writing or content, but rather because of my own life last winter when LeAnn and I began reading. I felt like I had made some steps to follow God in a certain area of my life, but I felt that others had shut me down. My irritation was that Christians talked about taking risks and following God, but when I began making steps I felt the Lord wanted me to take, I was either discouraged, left on my own, or told it wasn't time to take the risk. Looking back, I realize this was just part of what God needed to do in my life, that those I thought were "stopping me" weren't truly stopping me, but rather giving advice for what they thought was best for me. If anyone was stopping me, it was probably God - or perhaps it was just myself. As the months rolled on, and God matured me, I began to appreciate the book more and more each time LeAnn and I sat down on the couch together to read.
On a Biblical note: Mark's writing assumes you have a fairly good grasp of Scripture. If you've been a Christian for a long while and know many of the stories found in the Bible, you won't think twice. But if you are sort of new to the Bible or just feel unfamiliar with it, you may stumble from time to time feeling ignorant because you don't know the story that Mark is sharing. There are endnotes with the Scripture references, but I think it would have been helpful for brand new Christians who are very eager to chase the Holy Spirit but new to Scripture to either have the references more readily available, or give them a little more background to the Scriptural glances Mark occasionally makes.
On an interesting note: Wild Goose Chase was released in 2008. Just a couple of weeks ago, the church Mark planted and pastors, National Community Church, found out the theater they have used for the past several years was suddenly closing. NCC had 6 days notice. It seems that Mark and NCC are suddenly "chasing the Goose." I know with my own unpublished-and-probably-never-will-be book that God uses the very thing we write to turn around and teach us ourselves. I wonder if Mark will be reading his own book allowing God to give him and his church leadership insight on what to do next, and what cages to be careful of in these uncertain days. It will be exciting to see what NCC does and learns through this time in their church history.
On a concluding note: Because of my work with young adults, I hear of various dreams from twenty- and thirty-somethings. Dreams to be a missionary. Dreams to go to seminary. Dreams to start a business. Dreams to travel, or marry, or have kids. Wild Goose Chase will definitely be a book I refer to those who like to read and want to pursue God's dream for their lives.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
You're invited to the Bird Family Neighborhood "Trick or Treat Party!"
This Saturday night (Halloween), our family is doing something a little different. Rather than just hand candy out at the door to all of the trick or treaters, we thought it would be more fun to have some simple games, hot apple cider, snacks, and more (which, of course, includes candy) as an excuse to hang out with neighbors for a little bit. So we are cleaning out our garage, preparing the games, making food, and printing simple invites for the kids to hand out at school (which you can see above).
If you live in the Bowman Woods neighborhood, feel free to stop by for a little bit!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
The Simple Stuff
Don't forget the simple stuff!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Growing Up Is Harder Than Ever (How to get over extended adolescence)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
How to get over our extended adolescence.
"Grow up!” How many times have you heard the demand thrown out with vitriol, shot out of the mouth like a bullet? From childhood, we are conditioned to believe that “growing up” is worthy goal—but in reality, we're often a generation of Peter Pans stuck in a perpetual adolescence, saying “Who wants to grow up and get old?”
We are stuck in flux. We are told to explore, to create and imagine, to find the perfect job and perfect spouse ... but also that settling down is lame and for old people. Yet, there is a longing to be grown-up and be movers and shakers, not just people with ideas that can change the world but people who have the power to change the world.
Change happens quickly
Our stage of life is a unique one. According to a Yale study, two thirds of all lifetime job changes happen in the first 10 years of a working career. We are marrying later than our parents (the Census Bureau says the average age for men is 28 and 25 for women), our jobs are less stable and federal studies demonstrate that the traditional four years to graduate is no longer accurate. The old rites-of-passage are disappearing and nothing has replaced them so we are left with the question, what does it mean to grow up?
The phrase has been thrown around in so many ambiguous ways that the meaning is confused. Growing up has to be more than simply a career and marriage; there are far too many people who fulfill both of those requirements and still have the maturity of 8-year-old Max in Where the Wild Things Are.
Gina DeLapa, director of Real-World Etiquette and adjunct instructor in the University of San Diego graduate counseling program, puts it this way: “Being grown up means taking full responsibility for your life—your decisions, their consequences, how they affect other people, all of that. Being accountable. I think it means being able to support yourself and yes, able to hold down steady employment. But even more than that, I think it means being able to rise to the challenges of reality; willing to grow and even seeking it out.”
All these descriptions smell like one thing we often tried to ignore when we were kids: responsibility. When you’re young, other people are responsible for your financial well-being (even if you didn’t get an allowance, chances are you didn’t pay rent to live at home) and though your friendships were important, you hadn’t entered into state-recognized, God-sanctified contracts with them. Kids are responsible for their actions (or should be), but the commitment level is low.
“Young people feel like commitment means they are getting old,” says Brett McKay, creator of TheArtofManliness.com. “That’s what grow-ups do; they get married, get a mortgage and have kids. When you are a kid, the world’s your oyster, you have all these options. To keep options open, they keep putting things off, which end up delaying growing up.”
So does being grown-up and the respect that comes with that simply mean to lose options and live a boring life? Our generation has been told through advertising that life is meant to be “exciting” and that exciting is not sitting at home; exciting is crazy adventure, wild parties, making money, vacations, all of which are focused on the individual and little on giving back, on responsibility. Is it any wonder that we have a hard time making a cultural shift to being “grown up?”
“I think the 20’s are an extended adolescence,” says McKay. “I don’t think you should get married as soon as you’re 19, but if you are still living like you’re 18 and you’re in your 30’s, there’s something wrong. When you feel restless, like you need something more, that’s a good indicator that you need to take on some responsibility. The sad thing is, sometimes when people want to, for example, start a family, it is too late.”
Something bigger
We were meant to live for something bigger than ourselves. From the start, the first people were given the task to care for creation, to be fruitful and multiply. These are responsibilities that far superseded their limited spheres of personal happiness. This isn’t to say that personal satisfaction isn’t important; it is to say that in living for something larger, taking responsibility, we are doing what we were created for and will find true fulfillment.
So what keeps us from reaching this mythical level of getting to sit at the grown-up table? The idea of a career is changing, college education is becoming more the norm than the exception and sometimes, financially, we have dug such a hole that we are unable to take responsibilities without help from others. It is not a bad thing to need help (we all do in some way or another), but this can be a big barrier.
“No employer goes, ‘Ooh, he’s got a college degree’ any more than they say, ‘Ooh, he knows Microsoft Office,’” DeLapa comments. “So people are working harder to get through school, and when the finish, they’re deep in debt and then they may find out the degree isn’t enough. It’s hard to feel grown up when you’re living with your parents—or working the same retail job you had when you were in school.”
The solution is not simply “work hard enough to get a good job, get married, have kids and climb the ladder of success.” It’s more of a mindset, decisions that need to be made and followed through on. Like the decision to start taking responsibility for your own life. And start considering yourself grown-up.
Owning the label
Not everyone will recognize you as an adult, as “grown-up,” initially. In a generation that often struggles with entitlement, it will take hard work before others recognize growth and maturity. If we were coddled and protected as a kid, it may take some searching to truly find out who we are as adults. It may take time and that’s okay. In fact, as DeLapa notes, there really is no point where you “have arrived.”
“The term ‘grown-up’ almost implies the clay is dry, that we’ve stopped growing, which I think is scary and all too prevalent,” she says. “How many people graduate from college and never read another book? Or never expand their worldview, or deepen their faith life? Being ‘grown up’ means you’re always willing to grow and even seeking it out—hopefully as long as you live. It implies a willingness to question things, but in an honest, searching way—not in a snotty, defiant way. ‘Help me understand …’ is a whole different ballgame from ‘How come?’ or worse, just taking your ball and going home.”
There is no point of arrival, no graduation where we can flip the tassle, toss our caps and say, “We’re done!” There’s no one moment of finality; instead, there’s a process where we learn to accept responsibility, embrace commitment and begin to think of ourselves as adults instead of kids. In other words: slowly and painfully, we grow up.
Since I work with young adults, some of whom actually read this blog, I thought I'd point those of you in your 20s to an article about "extended adolescence" from Relevant Magazine.
I've been reading for a few years now that sociologists consider adolescence to be extended to age 26 or even to 30. Some are calling it "adultlescence".
For many young adults, the "marker" for adulthood is marriage. But I think it is far more important for someone to be mature BEFORE they say, "I do." I'm of the opinion that God wants us to seek Him and become mature in Christ. And that means giving up childish ways.
And for those worried about giving up video games, toys, and such - what do you think having children are for? ;o)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
'LeaderSkilz' Pilot Epidsode
via youtube.com
Here's a GREAT short video (done very quickly according to the makers) with a helpful reminder that leaders don't micromanage, rather they should empower and release people to do what they are good at.
An added plus in my book: This was done by a couple of guys associated at the Soderquist Center, which is on the campus of my alma mater - John Brown University. Great to see quality things like this being produced from the institution that gave me my bachelor's. (This fact OF COURSE makes my degree all the more valuable and legitimate! :o)
Hopefully these guys make more of these leadership videos!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Five Octaves on the Piano (or maybe not...)
Thank you, Relevant Magazine, for this laugh today! I just embarrassed myself in the coffeeshop I'm in right now, trying to suppress my laughter, but this is so hilariously painful, that I don't care what others think of me right now.
And thank you, Shane (whoever you are) for recording this and having the guts to put it on YouTube. Even if you intentionally sang off key for humor's sake, my gut gladly hurts from the laughter.
The End?
As I continue on my journey of reading the Bible in one year, I finished the book of Mark today. The ending of Mark is wrapped in a bit of controversy. Seems some scribes were a bit uncomfortable with the abrupt ending the original manuscript seemed to have, and so they created more "complete" endings. Some endings are a bit shorter than others, and one of the longer endings became the more "accepted" ending, but the whole controversy got me thinking.
There have been times in the past when I've been uncomfortable with the place I'm in in life. I don't like the awkwardness, so I create an "ending" in my mind. I try to find an excuse for God to let me out of the situation, because "surely God wouldn't want me going through this." Yet, James 1:2-4 tells me that I should have joy when I face trials (I think awkward situations count as trials!) because that trial will produce perseverance in me, and when perseverance has it's full affect on me, I will become perfect (i.e. like Christ).
So maybe the difficult moments aren't to be escaped or brought to a false ending, but rather they should be embraced. Perhaps it is in the middle of the uncomfortableness that we find God doing exactly what He wants, operating exactly as He has planned all along.
Are you contemplating an ending to a situation, a relationship, a job, a church, or even your life? Before you quit, before you force an end, before you terminate the awkwardness, consider and pray about what God is doing. Persevere (please!). I would love nothing more than for you to move a little closer to perfection, that is Christ.
Oh, and please don't try to add an artificial end to this post...
(For more on the ending of Mark, see the NET Bible's great note explaining the controversy about the "real" ending of Mark 16.)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Are you truly called? (Francis Chan quote)
As I sit here in Coffeesmiths listening to Phil Wickham's free "Singalong" album (which I'm blown away by! I'm now a fan...), I read the following in Francis Chan's book Forgotten God. For some reason it really hit me, so I thought I'd share it here in case one or two other people needed to hear it as well.
It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But it's absolutely vital to grasp that He didn't call you there so you could settle in and live out your life in comfort and superficial peace. His purposes are not random or arbitrary. If you are still alive on this planet, it's because He has something for you to do. He placed us on this earth for purposes that He orchestrated long before we were born (Eph. 2:8-10). Do you believe you exist not for your own pleasure but to help people know the love of Jesus and to come fully alive in HIm? If so, then that will shape how you live your life in the place where you are.
Social Media Addicts Anonymous
My foray into the 21st Century has gone "well" you might say. I wouldn't say I'm addicted to Twitter (yet), but I can see how some struggle with it. (If I was following 10,000+ people, I'd probably feel like I needed to be on 24-7!) Anyway, in light of my new Twittering lifestyle, I found this video humorous, and thought someone else might also:
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Friendship in Proverbs
Did you know the book of Proverbs has LOTS to say about relationships?
Today in the BE[cause] ABF at New Covenant, we started a new "topical" series out of the book of Proverbs. I got to start the series off by looking at Relationships. We looked at five types of relationships I could find in the book: 1) God2) Others (strangers and acquaintances)
3) Family
4) Marital/Romantic/Sexual
5) Friends I made a mistake in my prep. I thought we'd skim through the first four relationships and spend the majority of our time on the fifth - Friendship. But they had much more to say about these first four types of relationships than I expected (and they had some GREAT thoughts!). We saw in Proverbs 1:7 (and again in Proverbs 3:5-6) that the foundation to living life (including relationships) is to be completely surrendered to God. So in order to live out the last four relationships, we had to have this first relationship, a relationship with God through Christ. On the topic of "others" we looked at Proverbs 3:27-30 which encourages us to not withhold good from those who need it when it is in our power to give it to them. The "Family" topic was the area that received the most discussion - this was a bigger issue than I had expected. We looked at Proverbs 4:1-2, Proverbs 6:20-22, and Proverbs 13:1 and then discussed why a twentysomething should listen to parents, and when a twentysomething single might need to NOT listen to parents. What a great discussion! We actually did skim through the Romantic/Marital/Sexual section, because we were just coming off a 3-week series on the first 3 chapters of Song of Solomon. Basically - don't fall for the seductress (i.e. don't have an affair) and stay faithful to your spouse. (See Proverbs 5:3-5 and Proverbs 5:15-18). Because 80%+ of the group is single, I encouraged them to be faithful now to the spouse they will have one day. Then the area I expected us to spend the most time got cut short. We had time to discuss what makes a good friend (but not time to get to the verses) and a fruitful-but-cut-short discussion on why God says the righteous are cautious in friendship (from Proverbs 12:26). I wish we had had more time to make it to Proverbs 17:17 about a friend loving at all times, Proverbs 17:22 about how a cheerful heart brings healing, Proverbs 18:1 which warns against isolating yourself from people, and Proverbs 22:11 which says that people with a pure heart and gracious speech are friends of the king. And if a king wants to be your friend, everyone wants to be your friend! :o)
Weekend Wrap-Up
As I headed home from church this morning, I realized I had a really good weekend:
- While it wasn't technically on the weekend, I enjoyed watching the Husker's football game on Thursday night. I have never watched a Cornhusker game quite like the Missouri game. Pouring rain, no yardage, tons of penalties, and no Husker points until the 4th quarter, where they absolutely dominated, winning the game 27-12. It was crazy! - I downloaded a GREAT iPhone app - Photoshop.com Mobile on Friday. It has a great feature set of basic photo editing options (I created the photo above with it). And it's FREE! - Friday night I led the wedding rehearsal for two friends. They met through Watershed, the city-wide young adult ministry I used to be a part of (and still miss being a part of!). The wedding was in fact held in the facility of the church that allows Watershed to meet. - We didn't have a "wedding coordinator" for the rehearsal so I was in charge of everything. While things went well, it took longer than planned and I gained a greater appreciation for the wedding coordinators I work with at New Covenant. - I really enjoyed Leadership Community on Saturday morning. Don Purdy did a great job of giving an update on our church family's Relocation Journey. And even though it was short, Kim Pagel's devotional thought on the prayer life of Jesus was a great reminder for me of the importance of prayer in the life of a Jesus-disciple. And the delicious hot breakfast of Belgian waffles was a real plus, too! - Saturday afternoon brought the wedding ceremony. It was a ton of fun! Not only did the couple and their attendants look fantastic, but Christ truly was at the center of the ceremony. It is always a joy to me to officiate the wedding of a couple who are truly seeking to follow Christ. My message was based upon the Message version of Philippians 1:9-11 because that was the passage the couple chose for their Scripture Reading. - I enjoyed teaching and leading the discussion once again in the BE[cause] ABF. We started a new series out of Proverbs. Today's topic: relationships. More on that in other post. - Then after BE[cause], I had a great conversation with a guy trying to apply his faith in his friendships, the very issue we talked about in class. - Tonight, we are going to have our weekly Family Night (moving it to Sunday from our normal Monday time slot due to a church business meeting). Next weekend already looks to be great as well - hanging out with our Equipping staff and their spouses for a mini-retreat, seeing my parents (who are coming in to watch our kids while we go on our mini-retreat), preaching in all four services at New Covenant, and enjoying time with my kids as they get a 4-day weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)