Fearful in a Time of Abundance

Have you seen gas prices lately?  Of course you have!  Have you heard of the rise in home foreclosures and the fall of home values?  Of course you have!  Did you notice the cost of food these days?  Of course you have!

It seems that all we hear today via the media is how gas is going up, home values are going down and that gallon of milk you bought won’t be the same price next week.  This is a lot of tough news for people like me who already work two jobs, live in a very expensive city, and will soon have a family of five.  This is also tough news for college students graduating this spring hopeful of one day having a great career, a house, and a family.  It’s extremely tough news for those already not knowing how to make ends meet this week.

While I happen to believe this economic crunch we’re experiencing is ultimately good for us as over-resourced Americans…it’s still hard not to freak out from time to time when I’m pumping 80 bucks into my car! 

This morning while driving to the office I began to ponder my abundace.  I’m not a “power of positive thinking” kind of guy, but to take time and reflect on my abundance has really settled some financial fears and more importantly, it’s re-focused my attention on a big God who isn’t losing control. 

These were just some of the abundances I pondered today…

I work two jobs (painting contactor and pastor of Redwood Hills) and both right now are going very well.  Two jobs! 

I have a loving family who bring more joy to me than any paycheck or toy could possibly bring!  Although, I’m believing my new Wii will bring a bit of joy…:)

A modest house, with food in the pantry, and two cars in my driveway…

A faith community in Redwood Hills that has brought me healing and hope…

Friends whom I’m devoted to…

Rather than ask what you’re most fearful of right now…let’s share our thoughts on what we’re most excited about. 

What is your abundace?  What has you excited?  Where are you finding hope? 

Love and Peace.

 

Blessed with Anger

There is a story in the Gospel of Mark where we see an angry Jesus.  I love the angry Jesus!  In fact, it’s one of the reasons I have tried to give my life to Jesus.  The story is found in chapter 3 where Jesus is confronted with a Sabbath situation.  Inside the temple was a man with a deformed hand.  Again, it was the Sabbath, so absolutely no work was to be done this day…this would include miracles.  Scriptures say the Pharisees watched closely to see what Jesus would do.  Knowing what’s happening, Jesus brings the man to the crowd and askes the pharisees…”is the Sabbath a day to save life or destroy it?”

They did not answer.  Not a single word was spoken.  Silence.

It then tells us that Jesus looked at them angriliy and told the crippled man to reach out his hand.  He was healed.

You see, we can’t have a God of love without having a God who gets angry.  If he is a God of justice, then he must first be angry towards the injustice.  His love and compassion flow from his anger…just like the story of Jesus reacting towards the Pharisee’s silence.  He did not provoke, form a temple protest, or even point out how far from God the Pharisee’s hearts were.  He just healed…

Last week I shared a beautiful Franciscan Benediction.  In the second stanza there reads this phrase…”May God bless you with anger at injustice, opression and exploitation of people, so that you make work for justice, freedom and peace.”  Wow!  When was the last time you heard a prayer like that in church?  Bless us with anger?

I’ve heard “Lord, help us WIN our city!”, or “take this offering and bless us hundred-fold!”  But never…”Bless us with anger so that our work will bring justice and freedom”.  This is the kind of prayer we should be sharing in…

Today, Sean Bell did not receive justice.  Should we be angry?

Today, slaves are being sold at a rate higher than ANY time in history.  What does this have to do with us?

Today, 300 million kids under 5 will not eat.  Should we let Compassion International worry about it?

Today, 500 million women are not being given the right to education.  Is the church even aware of the Caste system?

You get my point.  If the church is ever going to move from being known as a close-minded, afraid of culture, gay hating, exclusive institution…and become the movement of hope, justice and restoration Jesus instructed us to be…then must seek to be blessed with anger.

May we all learn the power of anger toward injustice and begin to experience the work of healing that comes from it.

Love and Peace.

 

Our Attachment to Athletes…

When I was a little boy I worshipped Pete Rose!  He was and still is one of the greatest players to ever walk onto a baseball field.  I wanted to play like him…diving head first into home plate.  Everything he did as a player was “all or nothing”…he even had the nickname, Charlie-Hustle.  Unfortunatley, he carried that into his betting habits as well and is now considered by many the enemy to Major League Baseball.  I’m still a fan…

I can remember washing my car in the early 90’s while listening to the radio as Magic Johnson admitted that he was HIV positive.  I cried that day.  Magic was such an inspiration to me as a basketball player.  I knew things in the NBA wouldn’t be the same without him.

People get very attached to athletes.  They become our heroes.  Whether it’s an untimely death, like that of Roberto Clemente, a retirment like Michael Jordan’s, or personal tradagy (Pete Rose, Mike Tyson, Pacman Jones, Len Bias)…those of us who love our favorite players feel the pain of their absence.

Today, many will be talking about our local football hero, Shaun Alexander.  He was very, very good for the Seahawks and our community.  Kid’s will cry…grown adults too.  They are left wondering who to cheer for, who to look up to, who could possibly replace a running back like him? 

All this hype about Alexander has me wondering…

Which athletes have been the most influential in your life?  Thinking back in your life, who’s retirment was the most difficult to accept?  Why are our athletes important to our communities? 

Turning over a New Leaf

Happy Earth Day!  Today, some will labor in their yard or help clean up a local park…some will go to their neighborhood Home Depot and finally buy those low energy light bulbs…others will decide this is the day that recycling becomes a way of life.  All of these things would be a great choice to both honor our earth and develop new habits for community service and saving energy.  In our family we’ve been slowly moving towards being more efficient and aware of our climate crisis.  It’s not easy for us to suddenly change all our wasteful habits…but we’re learning.

A couple days ago I checked in with a Seattle pastor and his blog.  Eugene Cho writes one of the better blogs in the area and I thought I would share a recent Beauty and Depravity post on the message of U.S. consumption.   

This might be the bigger conversation we should be having on this Earth Day.  Our obsession with stuff.

Sunday’s Seattle Times featured a full page color ad for Macy’s as they declared their devotion to saving the environment.  Planting trees…going to fabric bags…low energy lights…etc.  I then counted four different ads featuring their clothes, jewelery, and household goods.  Not to mention the two mini cataloges that came in the mail today!  The message is very clear friends…Macy’s is going green, but will RELENTLESSLY pursue us to buy more stuff that we most-likely don’t need.

The Story of Stuff is a progressive organization dedicated to helping us Americans understand the dangers of over-consumption.  Check out their very creative video which will certainly open your eyes to what’s happening.  Some of their approach is a little “gloom and doom” for me, since I’m a believer that the “end of the world” message doesn’t always promote change, since many tend to give in and think “what’s the point”. 

After watching the video, ask yourself some questions…

What can I begin to live without?  What do I currently own that could be given to someone in need?  What wasteful habits do I have?  What does scripture have to say about all this? 

Love and Peace.

Someone’s son…

This picture comes from the NY Times this morning.  Here is a boy, maybe 8 years old, who was walking to a local bakery in Iraq to buy bread for his family.  He was one of several children who have been shot lately by local insurgents…

Please take time to look at this picture.  How does this make you feel?  What is your response to such an injustice?

I can’t help but see this boy and think that this is someone’s son…how must his father feel right now? (assuming his father is even alive!)  How must his mother feel today?  Think of their anger, their hurt and their confusion!

Should this fuel our attacks on the nation of Iraq?  Should we grieve and pray for peace?  Maybe we should just stop reading and pretend this stuff isn’t happening. 

Maybe you don’t know how to respond, and that would certainly be understandable.  For me, I ask God to give me a global heart and a global prayer.  We must stop thinking of oursleves and our small American lives and ask God to awaken us to our global need of peace, grace and justice.

Love and Peace.

 

Show Me What You’re Doing

Prayer for me isn’t always what it should be or what I think it should be.  It’s tough sometimes to find the time (and let’s be honest, the strength) to have designated time for prayer and reflection.  I’m a dad with two young boys who rise early, and I choose to let my wife sleep in every day since I know how hard she works as a mom.  I have a very random schedule as a painting contractor and pastor to Redwood Hills.  This week for instance I’ve been climbing 30 foot ladders all day in a race to beat the rain as I paint a house. Today the rain won…

Rarely do I have a week where I can set my schedule and have it stick without making any changes!

It was Luther who once said that he was so busy, he had no choice but to spend the first 3 hours of his day in prayer.  He was a true world changer and I’m certain his prayer life was a big reason for it.  I’m not sure where to get three hours, but I’ve certainly been challenged this week to be more “prayerful” in my day.  Notice that I didn’t say pray more…

Being prayerful for me means disciplining myself to not let a hour go by where I don’t acknowledge the presence of God where ever I happen to be, and thoughtfully asking him to “show me what you are doing today”.  Yes, I still have times in the week where I sit and just pray for a time, but being prayerful throughout the day has really given me a strength and an awareness of what Jesus is doing and what my role is in it.

I recently came across this Franciscan Benediction and have read it every day since.  I plan to use it in my teaching on Sunday as we’re exploring the doubts we have about our relationships with God.  I share with you today and encourage you to take the time to slowly read it…and then ask God to show you what he’s doing today.

Love and Peace.

May God bless you with discomfort
at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships
so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people
so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears
to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in the world
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.  -Franciscan Benediction

 

Boys Wonder and Genius…

So these are my boys…Mason is not quite 2 and Cade almost 4.  In the past two days each of them have said or done something that I feel I must share with the world.

Yesterday, I took Cade to breakfast before church.  While sitting at the table, Cade came out of nowhere with this comment…”Daddy, you sure are a great man!”.  What Can I say?  It’s obvious this kid is a genius!  He just knows when he’s in the company of greatness…:)

Then today, Mason was down in the playroom for awhile.  I went down to see what he was up to since he is the one who has the knack for trouble.  He was standing in the middle of the room with a kids’ sized basketball trying to dribble.  He was actually getting 2-3 dribbles in before losing control.  He’s not even 2!  You’ve seen the videos of a young Tiger Woods golfing, right?  It was one of those moments when a father just knows his son is destined for athletic greatness!  Isn’t there a saying about being a chip off something??

Well, I very rarely share stories or pictures of my family on this…partly on purpose since I don’t like pictures of my kids available to the world.  But this was too much to keep to myself…kids are truly the best thing to ever happen to me!

Love and Peace.

Revolution of Hope Pt. 2

I thought I would share a comment I received from the Revolution of Hope post.  My friend Jeremy gave his thoughts to my questions regarding what we might add to the things we need to change, embrace and experience in order to begin a hopeful revolution.

I’d add:

We need a revolution in relationships.

Relationships should move away from isolation and befriending only those that are like us and toward breaking down barriers, inclusion of those we would typically shun, compassion, grace, and depth.

We need a revolution in families.

Families (husbands, wifes, children, relatives, friends) all need to work together to find new ways to teach ethics, values and love to each other in a world generally lazy. We need to learn to listen and rely on each other to create new ways of defining family.

Well said Jeremy!

I’d like to run with this idea of a revolution in relationships.  Now, please don’t take this as being critical or negative in any way, I’m being very reflective of my own life in this…and I don’t always like what I see.

It’s very easy to be inclusive in our language.  We hear more and more of it in the evangelical church today and this has been a great thing for us.  But the true challenge isn’t to say “I love people”…”I have a heart for the homeless”…”I embrace gay people”…etc.  This is a good start, but the revolution can only come when we actually become friends with a homeless person, or hang out with gay people.  To love the poor but not know any poor people will never change things between church and culture.  To love gay people but not have any gay friends doesn’t change things, does it.  I’m be-laboring the point…

A revolution in relationships might be the most important aspect of them all…it challenges me to continue to seek ways to engage our culture and further my relationships with people of different beleifs, lifestyles, and backgrounds.  This is what Christ-followers are called to do…

We don’t need to try and change them (that is NOT a genuine relationship), but simply enjoy our friendship, while extending love and generosity through our conversations and actions.

Again…please share your thoughts about this whole Revolution of Hope and what must be done to bring it about.  Talk with your friends about it…ask yourself where you fit in the revolution, and what you could be doing to pursue it.

Love and Peace.

A Revolution of Hope…

Today is the second, and last day of the Deep Shift conference here in the Queen Anne district of Seattle.  It’s basically an in-depth teaching of Brian McLaren’s lastest book, Everything Must Change.  I read the book last fall while in Africa and would recommend it to you to read as well.  Click here to see more about the book.

One of the key segments of his book is the idea that our world is desperate for a Revolution of Hope.  Today, McLaren took some time to address how we might see a real revolution of hope (like the early church experienced in Acts) in America.  Here are some of the points he shared…

           1. We need a revolution in the church.

This begins with moving from church work, to the work of the church.  In other words,  we move from donuts and mission trips to teaching, training, and deploying people into culture as Christ-followers.

           2. We need a revolution in business.

Sustainability through economic, social, and environmental systems.  Better over more…partnership over competition.

           3. We need a revolution in creativity.

New tools for farming, new energy resources, story telling, film, music, art.

           4.  We need a revolution in collaboration.

Inter-faith parnerships, no more “us vs. them” teachings, church and community teams, etc…

This is a very basic summary of McLaren’s lecture, but you get the idea.  What do you think? Agree? Disagree?  If you could add to this list, what would it be?  It’s something worth thinking about…

Love and Peace.

Deep Shift…

Tonight I’m attending the Deep Shift conference in Seattle as Brian McLaren will be talking about his lastest book Everything Must Change.  Should be a good time, as every time I’ve been to one of these forums I get the chance to meet lot’s of new people.  Restoration Project will be doing all the music this weekend…they are one of the better bands I’ve heard. 

Should something interesting, profound, dangerous, or even life-changing happen…I’ll make sure to let you know. 

Peace and Love.