Living vague and sketchy

For about six years I lived in the state of Nevada. I lived north, in Sparks which is right next door to Reno. Great place, great people, beautiful scenery. Every once in while you’d get the sense that the wild west of yesteryear was still right around the corner. People came to Nevada for a lot of reasons. Some to find their fortune, others to lose a fortune. Some came for a fresh start. And others came to hide out, hoping not to be found.

Occassionally, I’d sit down with someone and as ask them questions about their past. Sometimes folks were very forthcoming. Often enough the answers I got were a little vague, very sketchy. I wondered why. Then it began to dawn on me. Nevada is a big state with few people. It’s a great place to disappear. Buy a single wide mobile home, park it in a desert valley next to some other single wides and no one would notice. No one would care. Just fit into the landscape. There were people in Nevada that had a past they wanted to escape from. “ Don’t ask, don’t tell” was the mantra long before ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.’

Moses moved to the biblical equivalent of Nevada. It was a place called Midian. It was a good place for a murderer to hide out, buy a trailer, grow a beard and start life all over again. It had to be a tough move. Moses went from the penthouse of Egyptian society to a nomadic existence in the middle of nowhere. He had a past. It probably served him well to be vague and sketchy.

And then God found him. Spoke to Him. Stopped him in his tracks with a 'burning bush message'. He not only found him but he had a ‘mission’ for him. Moses didn’t want any part of it. It meant going back to Egypt. It meant staring down one of the most powerful people in the world and then attempting to extricate thousands upon thousands of people who knew nothing but slavery and take them on a journey towards a future they weren’t even sure they wanted.

God was disrupting Moses’s life.

I’m convinced God is in the ‘disruption’ business. And that’s a good thing. It’s a sign of love.

If truth is told we don't like disruptions. Of course if God wanted to disrupt my life tomorrow and say to me ...

Mike I want you to be the pastor of the Caribbean. I’ve got a place in Arube, right on the beach, for you and the family. Nice salary, medical, good pension. I’ve also got a yacht and a crew because I expect you to check up on my people in Grand Cayman, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Antigua …don’t go any further north than the Bahamas. I don’t want you to come close to getting chilly. Make sure my people are doing OK, that they have what they need. OK?

I think I'd like that kind of disruption. Unfortunately, that's not the way God seems to work. OK, maybe if you’re a TV preacher he works that way but not in ordinary lives.

Nope, God looks for you. He asks for your heart. And then he messes with your life and we don’t understand why half the time. Oh sure, God loves to love on us. But almost always He’s calling you to someplace or something where you’ll have to trust Him.

And the truth is we don’t want that because it’s disruptive. We want a big house and a nice car. He might want you in a trailer park in a desert valley in the middle of Nevada. We want a nice retirement. God says “I’m your retirement plan”. We want more. He says less is more. We're committed to being busy and God says 'slow down so you can get to know me'. We commit ourselves to being laid back and God asks us not to squander our talents.

Let me be blunt. Most of us don’t want to hear what God will say to us unless it’s on our terms. That’s especially true if we’re lucky enough to be living high and well and relatively secure.

And so we hide ….trying to create a cocoon of safety. It works as long as we forget that God is on the prowl.

In all honesty, I want to be Pastor of the Caribbean. Many of you would love to be on my staff. Those jobs don't exist.

Moses faced the business end of God over and over again. He interacted with God. He saw God’s anger and frustration and He saw God’s provision. God called Moses from a hideaway in Midian to one of the great adventures a person ever was called to undertake.

And Moses didn’t want it. He made excuses. He asked God to send someone else. When push came to shove Moses was God’s man for that time for that mission. Just as Moses was feeling OK about Midian God forces him to change direction and focus on going back to Egypt.

Why does He do things like that?

1. Because He loves us.
2. There’s work to be done.
3. He needs to call our bluff or challenge our priorities in order for us to become more like Him.
4. He’s prepared us for some specific mission.
5. He knows we’re growing soft.
6. Because our comfort isn’t necessarily integral to His purpose.

All these things. You could probably add a dozen more.

Let me repeat. Most of us don’t want to hear what God has to say to us unless it’s on our terms because we value our comfort more than we desire doing God’s will.

And so we hide and hide and hide …ignoring the burning bushes calling out our name.

Moses is a good example. He didn’t ignore his burning bush. He went, certainly not sure of himself but with enough trust in the God who was leading him.

I don’t want to go sometimes. Uncertainty reigns. When I do go I learn to trust God all over again. Sometimes I hide. I rent myself a singlewide trailer in the middle of my mind and pretend that no one notices me. I want to live in a vague and sketchy kind of way. God always notices. Always beckons.

Let the fun begin.

Talked to a friend today. She was born in another country. We talked about America and whether or not our country would ever return to 1980’s-90’s prosperity. That appears to be the goal if you listen to both politicians and pundits. We both agreed that what we had will probably never return.

Does that make you sad or does it invigorate you?

Prosperity. It’s an interesting phenomenon. Some get rich. Their wealth is supposed to trickle down but it doesn’t trickle as far as we'd like to think it does. Many get poor and poorer. So, a return to prosperity is economic good news for some but not for all. Those on the + side of prosperity don’t like to hear such things, especially if they are Christians. Hearing should cause a leap into action. For some it does. For most it doesn’t.

Our world is changing. 40 years from now white American will no longer be a majority. Western Christian culture will be influenced greatly by eastern Christian thought and practice. What was, won’t be any longer. Those who can’t adapt will spend time yearning for what was. It’s not coming back.

For Christians, our notions of the Gospel have been read through the lens of prosperity and individualism. Others in our world read the Gospel through the lens of ‘good news for the poor’ and the value of community. These different readings are destined to collide. One is about me, the other is about us. Different perspectives.

I wonder if we’re ready, able and willing to engage in the cultural paradigm shift that’s taking place. My guess is that we’re not. Many churches won’t make it. They’ll get old and they’ll die. Many individuals will hold on, encouraged by well meaning but misguided spiritual guides, to a gospel that was created in our image and likeness instead of grabbing hold of a gospel that can transform us into His image.

This is big stuff. What does the old song say …”I wish we’d all been ready.”

Our meism doesn’t allow us to consider much beyond what we already know. Because we think we’re the center of the universe we don’t read much, don’t engage much in interesting conversation with those who are different, and don’t care much about what’s happening in the world unless it impacts our pocketbook. That’s going to be the death of us.

There’s a whole world out there that is reading and learning, and engaging. For them, life is bigger than prosperity. There’s issues of compassion, justice and poverty. We talk about how we can return to a time when we can get ‘rich’ again. The rest of the world reads the gospel and wonders how we can spread the ‘riches’.

So, I wonder what’s going to happen. Who’s going to wake up and start to look at themselves and their faith and start to wonder if what they believe and what shapes who they are is going to be adequate for what’s coming straight at us? My guess is that it’s not going to be many.

I’m wondering if Jesus isn’t going to use the ‘few’ to revive our western hearts and soul into a more transforming vision of what it means to a Christian. Then, let the fun begin.

Beautiful Day

What a beautiful day.

A bike ride, Cubs win, dinner outside with Anita, some interesting meetings with good people and another beautiful day promised for tomorrow.

We traveled just a few miles to eat. People, people everywhere. There were bike riders, moms and dads with their kids, an old car festival, young lovers. parks filled, softball games, Dairy Queen lines and lots of smiles.

Days like this are so good. So needed. Is this what heaven will be like?

I sometimes live at a frantic pace. Even today, I had a small group, then a meeting and even a wedding. But it felt more manageable. Do you think good weather helps put things into perspective or does the promise of good weather help us to manage our time better?

Tomorrow promises to be good. We're heading out after church to the Chicago lakefront. We'll ride bikes, enjoy the skyline and delight in some people watching.

Monday, the race begins again. I have a day filled with decisions, meetings, and obligations. It's OK. That's part of life.

Maybe weekends like this remind us of the need for Sabbath. I'm reminded of a book written by Mark Buchanan called 'The Rest of God'. Clever title and a good read. He reminds us that our yearning for the rest of God requires us to actually rest. It's part of the rhythm of a maturing believer. Go, go, go is not the mark of maturity. It's a sign of a life out of whack.

So, three cheers for Sabbath reminders, for nice weather that helps us slow down, for the hope of maturity, and for the longing for something more.

'Twas a good day.

Oh yah, the Cubs beating the Cardinals was frosting on the cake.

No Yellow Jersey

After watching a portion of the Tour de France I asked Anita if she thought I might be past my prime bike riding days and whether or not I should shoot for the Tour next year? In her typical fashion when I talk nonsense she laughed at me and dashed my dream of riding into Paris wearing the yellow jersey. So if preparing for the Tour de France isn't my raison d'etre what is?

I've written about this before but am increasingly becoming agitated by a world that just seems to go along in order to get along. Satisfaction with the hum-drum, what amuses us and what doesn't inconvenience us is the order of the day.

I still think it's not a silly to think about such things as purpose and meaning. I'd rather live with a sense of meaning and purpose than without. I mean who wouldn't want to have a keen sense of why they're alive and what they were created to do and be?

My guess is that plenty of people don't know nor do they care. Whenever I mention the subject a lot of folks just roll their eyes and look at me with that look that says 'who cares?'.

I think God Cares.

Scipture shows pretty clearly that God uses us to fulfill His plans. He doesn't need to but he chooses to. He expects us to be uselful, helpful, and at least somewhat focused on the things He cares about. It's surprising, however, the number of people who don't think about such things.

It's all apparent that God wants us to use our talents and giftings. It's like he nudges us in the midst of us being surprised and/or wrecked by and something and He says "You could do something about this." That's why you see people getting all excited about feeding the world, teaching kids, visiting prisoners, coaching soccer, praying for the sick, etc. etc. They find their God ordained 'sweet spot’. My friend Robin Chaddock calls it their 'divine assignment'.

Scripture warns us, however, that we have an enemy who wants to kill, rob, distract and destroy. In any way possible he wants to dissuade us of any notion that this sweet spot exists. And we are easily dissuaded and distracted.

How many times have we given up on something because someone has said or done something that's discouraged us? We just give up. Don't try anymore. Sometimes I feel like the rookie third baseman who's in an 0-20 slump. The boo birds are the only ones I seem to hear. And the enemy of good wins another battle. I'm sidelined.

Distractions keep our eyes off our 'divine assignment'. I know all about distractions. I have three. One's called TV. Another is called cell phone. The internet is my third nemesis. Although each have value each keeps me preoccupied, often ignoring what's most important. That great TV show (the one that's going to give me a glimpse into the culture I say), the ringing phone, and the vitally important hourly check of Facebook all give the appearance of urgency. Usually they never are. But they occupy lots of time, lots of thought, and plenty of my resources.. I wonder how often they keep me from what's truly important - my 'sweet spot'?

Busyness also keeps us from God’s best and from living with a sense of purpose. It’s almost a badge of honor to say “I’m busy”. Adults with older parents love it when their parents ‘stay busy’. It seems to be a sign of health and well being. Unfortunately, a steady dose of 'busy' keeps people from seeking God’s direction. Instead of filling life with meaning and purpose people just try to fill their calendars.

Drive to a casino sometime. Go in. Look at all the retired folks in the middle of the day who are 'busy' feeding the slot machines. They're busy but I think unfilled. I know. That's a judgment. There's nothing wrong with diversions. There is something wrong with a life wasting away. Busyness fills a calendar with often unrewarding activities. At the end of the day there can be a sense of emptiness . Purpose, on the other hand, fuels our need to give our life away. And a noble life purpose seems to lead to something bigger than busyness. It paves the way to leaving a meaningful legacy. There's nothing empty about that.

Most people, when pressed, will admit to spending most of their time reacting to whatever life throws at them. Not very purposeful. And life throws discouragement, distractions and busyness at us in massive quantities but mission and purpose isn't thrown at us. It's discovered. Discovery requires work. And prayer. And counsel.

Too many don't want to discover anything new, especially if it involves work, honesty before God or being vulnerable in front of others. We don't want want to do it. Afterall, we're spending a lot of time being distracted and busy. Who has time to discover our life purpose and mission?

I’ve read in a number of places that those who do best in life have a sense of purpose.

Bill Hybels wants churches to thrive.
Bono is wrecked by the AIDS epidemic.
Ron Santo wants to find a cure for juvenile diabetes.
Wendy Kopp of Teach for America wants to end educational inequity.
Catherine Rohr wants to teach inmates how to never return to jail.
I know some business people who live to bring integrity into their workplace.
I know moms who want to raise Godly kids not spoiled brats.

Even thought these people all have other things that occupy some of their time they remain focused on what appears to be some God-ordained sense of purpose and vision for their life.

When I watch purposeful people the sense I get is that they are able to focus on what’s important in their life. There's discouragement. Sure there are distractions. Sometimes purposeful people find themselves filling their calendar instead of living their dreams. That’s true for anyone but when push comes to shove they do what’s important, those things that feed their purpose and sense of mission.

OK. I'm not in the Tour de France next year. No yellow jersey for me. But there is a race I need to be in. So do you. There's some need out there that God knows you can meet. In the process you'll have to battle discouragement, distractions and busyness. It's a battle worth having. Know this. There's something out there for you. If you do it, you will start to live again.

Engaged and Involved

If you have ever been to Washington D. C. I’m sure you’ve seen and experienced the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial. It was designed by a young woman, from Chinese descent, named Maya Ying Lin. That mirrorlike wall of black granite contains a roll call of deceased soldiers. Every name beckons you to touch it and in reaching see relected your own image in the polished granite.

When Maya Lin's design was first unveiled, the backlash took everyone by surprise. One veteran called it "a black gash of shame." Another called it called it "the most insulting and demeaning memorial to our experience that was possible," Another noted that the design was a "nihilistic statement that does not render honor to those who served." It was alleged that the selection panel was infiltrated by Communists. Some veterans groups lamented the fact that the Lin design didn't hoist a flag. Of Chinese descent, Lin had racial epitaphs hurled at her - slurs filled with hatred and insensitivity.

A controversy over the appropriateness of the memorial had begun. The government stepped in, appointed a committee and with the decisiveness of a bureaucracy muddied the water further by authorizing the commissioning of a second memorial - call the "The Three Servicemen," which was a more traditional, oversized, statue of three soldiers much along the lines of the Marine Corps Monument, with its bronze soldiers raising the flag over Iwo Jima.

For more than three years the fight raged over these two memorials. Maya Lin fought the concept of a "second" memorial”. She thought it was unnecessary. Politics. When it became clear that the issue had become such a political hot potato that the only way to get Lin's sculpture built was to put in the other one, the question was where. Opponents wanted it placed in the vortex of the V-shaped wall, with a flag stuck on top. In a moving speech before the government commission, Lin stood her ground and refused to change her design. Finally Lin agreed to this compromise: Go ahead and install "The Three Soldiers" near the entrance to the memorial site; but don't invade the wall's space and give people room to experience, participate, and interact with the monument. And that's what happened.

The rest is history. The outpouring of emotion that greeted Maya Lin's memorial continues to this day. It has done more to heal the oozing wounds of the Vietnam War than any other single thing. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial collection now contains more than 250,000 items, artifacts, and mementos left behind by pilgrims to the wall. Ironically, Lin's greatest critics have now become her greatest fans. Vietnam vets now see her as one of them, and every major veterans group has passed resolutions either apologizing for their earlier treatment of her, or thanking her for hanging in there when their own members mercilessly attacked her.

This snapshot is a mini-case study of America and the perils and promise of freedom.

America desired to do something good - to honor fallen service men and women. But good intentions often gets intertwined with the deceitfulness of the heart. Thus the debate that freedom mandates is sometimes filled with tension, rudeness, misunderstanding, racism and compromise which doesn't always lead to what's best but rather what is expedient. It gets messy. For those of us who like things neat and clean freedom is problematic. .

The woman who designed this memorial intrigues me. She had deep convictions that withstood deep attack. She didn't back down in the face of almost overwhelming obstacles. She also had an interesting slant on what a memorial should be - she wanted her tribute to be interactive. That tells me she understood something about the true heart of America. Our history, I believe, tells us that people need to be involved and engaged in order for our republic to work. And their hearts touched.. That's what happens at the Viet Nam memorial. If you've ever been there you see a living drama - where those who come to visit - become, in a sense, part of the memorial.

Freedom is like that. It needs to be engaged. It's an interactive experience, not passive. Freedom is at the core of both the American experience and the Christian life. We are free to choose … it's a God given gift that needs to be EXERCISED thoughtfully and prayerfully - for Freedom, outside the context of moral law, is nothing more than a license to do one's own thing even at the expense of others. That kind of freedom honors no one.

On the 4th of July we celebrate our freedom, our nation, and our citizenship. They deserve to be celebrated. Understand this though. Even though our country has roots deep in Christian thought and experience we are not a Christian nation. The reality is that we live in a multi cultural, pluralistic country. We are one among many. Our country allows for diversified expressions of thought, of worship, and of practice. There are those Christians who don't like that reality but it is a reality. And on this 4th of July questions of how we live, work, and witness within an increasingly pluralistic culture deserve reflection.

Some people choose to live with the pluralism in our midst by withdrawing. Driven by fear. Many Christians advocate this position. Let’s eat at Christian restaurants, have our tires changed at a Christian garage, get in shape at the Christian health club and buy our books and videos at the Christian book store. Somehow, I don't think we honor God when we retreat into a Christian sub-culture that proclaims the message "you're bad-we're good". Hunkering down, doing our Christian thing and pointing fingers at the rest of society is, at best, counterproductive.

Others dive headlong into the cultural delights of this day and age without reference back to the authoritative voice of Jesus. That becomes dangerous.

There is another way. A better way. It is basic to the freedom we enjoy as Americans. It is also at the heart of the biblical message. What is it? With the Holy Spirit as our guide we are to be engaged and to be involved - striving to be God’s agent within this culture.. When we are engaged and involved we begin to better understand the obligations that free people must attend to in order to live as responsible citizens both in our country and in the kingdom of God.

When I was in college Spiro Agnew was Vice-President of the United States. He argued against anti-War activists and in particular the press corps that he considered partisan calling them "nattering nabobs of negativism". He thought they were emblematic of but a tiny, insignificant minority who paled in comparison to the "silent majority" supporting our involvement in that war. It was that silent majority, Agnew believed, that was the true heartbeat of America.

The Vice-President, I believe, was sincere in his belief but failed to understand a fundamental democratic principal. When silence becomes apathy that silence thwarts the debate, engagement, and involvement freedom demands. Those who remain silent lose ground to an active vocal minority.

The silent majority in the Revolutionary War, for example, did not want to fight the British. An active minority won the day. Many of whom, by the way, were Christians. And the United States was born.

In the 1960's a silent majority of people cared little about Civil Rights. A movement started, deep in the south, by a band of determined men and women …an active minority, literally putting their lives on the line, that took a struggle for freedom to center stage and men and women of color took their rightful place on the American landscape.

In this time and place we live in a world beset with issues. There is Terrorism. Poverty. Racism. Right to life and right to die concerns. Broken families. Educational reform. Health care reform. Business ethics. Welfare issues. Crime. Immigration. And the scope of the problems we face in the days and weeks and months ahead dare not be underestimated. These are issues that have both international, national and local impact. It’s big stuff. Complex.

Sometimes we are guilty of wanting to provide the quick fix to complex and substantive issues. Let's just get a famous personality to go to schools and tell them not to do drugs. Let's get everyone to sign an abstinence pledge and then we’ll never have to worry about teenage pregnancy. Let's put the Ten Commandments up in every classroom and behavioral problems will disappear. Let's bring back prayer to the schools and little Johnny and Suzy will have the moral compass that is lacking in their life.. Let's point a finger at Hollywood and boycott everything that appears sleazy and America will be OK again.

It's not that easy. Sin is too deeply rooted in our culture. No, the answers lie in a more intense and relational approach. These issues before us will be discussed and policies formed not by a silent majority but rather by active and committed people willing to make their voice heard. The resolution of big issues will call for good people to log quality time at the decision making tables. That begs the following questions. Are the variety of Christian voices in our culture poised to make an impact in relational ways? More importantly … Are you, Christian, willing to do your part? If yes, remember this.

When we choose to be engaged and involved there will be battles won and battles lost. That’s what happens in a republic like ours. But if we are not at the table we lose by default. That’s not a great way to lose. Too many Christians leave the table before the main course. They give up …pointing fingers, getting involved in the pursuit of our own pleasures …retreating to our religious ghettos -hoping God will make all the yucky stuff go away or that somebody else will do our dirty work for us.

It doesn’t work like that. It’s about engagement and involvement - it’s about long obedience and staying at the table even when it feels we can’t take it any longer. But when we stay at the table we get sharper, we listen better, we win the right to be heard, you influence decision making and you often learn to love people you thought were your enemies. And God smiles. Without a place at the table our voice won't be heard. And perhaps even more importantly we won't be able to listen. When we don't listen we don't understand. When we don't understand we battle stereotypes and caricatures. And then we battle shadow and not substance. And there is just too much substance, these days, to be wasting our time fighting boogeymen.

I wrote this several years ago. I don't have my original notes anymore. Some of the info about Maya Lin and the controversy surrounding the Memorial comes from an original source that I no longer can find but I wish I could because I'd like to give credit where credit is due. Although I doubt that I'm quoting anything word for word I just wanted to acknowledge that I wish I could cite the original source inspiration for the first four paragraphs./strong>

Too much I

I was thinking about Debbie today. The 30+ year memory of her came suddenly into my consciousness. Debbie was in my youth ministry program. She committed suicide.

Debbie was not a pretty girl. She was short, bulky, and had zits. She wasn’t a great socializer. She was on the fringes. I liked her.

If memory serves me well she had a great experience on a retreat. It was an experience of community that lasted, unfortunately, only as long as the car ride home. I knew she longed for a carry over experience. But true community proved elusive for her.

After high school Debbie went away someplace for school. She found a drug crowd. They accepted her. She found that if guys got high enough they found her attractive. The sexually intimate exchanges that followed gave her a sense of belonging and love. She wasn’t being loved. Just used.

For some reason or another Debbie came home. The changes in her exasperated her parents. One night they had enough. They kicked her out. I remember a phone call “Please come get me.” And on a very frigid Minnesota winter night I found Debbie. She was alone and afraid.

I helped her get into a treatment center. Her drug use was killing her. She was getting better but something happened and she ran away. When I tried to find her word came back that ‘she was ashamed of what was happening in her life and she didn’t want to face me.’ I sent back word ‘tell Debbie that I care about her no matter what.’

Late one evening a few weeks later a phone call came late at night. “Mike, we found Debbie. She’s dead. She found an abandoned barn and hung herself.”

At the funeral I remember someone coming to me and saying something along these lines. “Wasn’t that a horrible sin that Debbie committed?”

I lost it a little.

I remember saying something along these line.. “I think we have to take responsibility for some of this. Debbie was part of our church, our ministry. She felt alone. Not included. The only place she could find community is with people who wanted the drugs she could buy. It’s not right. Debbie died of loneliness. She felt abandoned. Her life couldn’t get traction. Suicide wasn’t the answer. Never is. But she felt she had run out of options. Why did she feel so alone when so many of us were all around her? Is there anything we need to own in this?”

Debbie came to mind today. I’m reading a book that I’ll write more about in the days ahead. Part of the author’s discussion revolves around the individualism that runs rampant in today’s church. Individualism stakes out the territory of ‘I’. As long as I’m OK, and me and Jesus are good …then it’s all good. Unfortunately the gospel says a whole lot about ‘we’. That’s hard for us to grasp.

Debbie longed for community. She found it once on a retreat but the mountaintop became a valley. She found it in ‘drug friends’ but she was being used. She couldn’t find it in her family. And at her death some in the church wanted to talk about what they perceived to be her sin, not her life. And it was clear that we didn’t want to use her death as an opportunity to repent of our lack of caring.

That was a long time ago.

Community is still elusive for so many. We capture it occasionally on a mountaintop. We desperately need it in the valley below.

I serve at a big church. People say ‘hi’ all the time. And I wonder. How many Debbie’s are here? Who’s close to losing it? Who’s afraid to come out of hiding? Where are the models of transparency? Where’s the ‘we’ in our definition of community?

Hide and Seek

In the book of Jonah, we read about a man who wants to play a game. The game is called Hide. He thinks he’s a really good player. But he’s playing his game against someone who plays a game called Seek. And he’s the best there is. There’s no one he can’t find …no one, absolutely no one. And He won’t stop until He finds whoever is hiding. It’s not in his nature to quit.

Jonah is the hider and from my perspective is kind of a punk. I don’t know if I’d like him if he moved next door to me. He’s trying to second guess God all the time, he’s disobedient, he thinks he can fool God, and he thinks his game of Hide is better than God’s game of seek. Jonah gives half-hearted effort and when he doesn’t get his way he gets all pouty and throws himself a pity party.

I identify with Jonah. That probably makes me a bit of a punk too. No comments on that please. I like to hide from God. Sometimes I don’t go all out. And I’ve been known to get all sulky and pouty. I'm not proud of this identification. It's painful to write the words. It is accurate however. Thankfully ... hiding, half-hearted effort, sulky and pouty is only an occassional description. I have better moments.

Jonah was being asked to be a prophetic voice, to go into the proverbial lions den and let the meanest, baddest people in the middle east (the Assyrians) know that they had ticked God off and God wanted them to change. Jonah was to remind them of their wickedness and turn their attention to a good God. It’s like one of us being asked to walk into Bin Liden’s camp to tell him and his friends God’s not happy with them.

Jonah didn’t want to go on his ‘mission from God', a mission that was going to require him to use words and not merely be a presence. I get why he wouldn’t want to go. I’d probably say to God

“You want me to go where and tell them what?”

Jonah knew if the Assyrians took God’s message seriously that God would have a big enough heart to give them a second chance. Jonah wasn’t so sure that a second chance is what they deserved. Jonah, I think, thought that God was for the Jews, not for those people over there. And so instead of going into a hostile environment to deliver a hard message that might result in the Assyrians getting a second chance…Jonah decided to run and hide.

Jonah heard pretty clearly from God. He decided not to act on what he heard. Because whatever he heard wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

I don’t know what Jonah was praying about on the morning he heard from God but it wasn’t about Ninevah I don’t think. What Jonah had on His mind wasn’t close to what God had on his. I learned a long time ago that God just might ask us to do something we’re equipped to do but not be something necessarily something we want to do.

That's something to file away. If you find yourself going through life only doing what you want to do …stop …because if you’re only doing what you want to do… well, that doesn’t sound like someone listening to God. Think about it. God has a history of calling people to things beyond what they ever imagined possible.

Noah, build me an Ark.

Moses, confront Pharaoah.

Esther, risk your life.

Mary, bear my son.

Peter, feed my sheep.

Jonah, go to Ninevah

It’s a pattern.

So, if you’re praying tonight and you’re asking God whether or not you should buy a Mercedes, or help in choosing your next outfit to buy, or what you should do with your life don’t be surprised if God says:

"Nope, not a Mercedes. You’ve got too much already. Buy a junker. Take the money you’d save each month and give it to the poor."

"No new outfit. You can’t wear everything you’ve got as it is. No, the reason I’ve got you hear at Nordstroms is because of this salesperson. She’s hurting. Needs a friend. She’s broke. You’re here because I want you to go to her, love her up, tell her about me."

"What you’re doing is fine. But I’ve created you for something more. Make a choice. Do you want your way or my best?"

These aren’t the answers we want. What we want God to say is "shop till you drop, live extravagantly even at the expense of ignoring people I put in your path. And of course, …do your will not mine."

I think Jonah wanted God to say. “I’ll let you go. I’ll find someone else. Spain is lovely this time of year. You deserve a break today.”

God loves us too much to tell us stuff that won’t make us more like Him and advance His purposes on this planet of ours. Our problem is that we’ll pretend not to hear and just go ahead and do what we want. That’s hiding. And God will find us, doing whatever is necessary to get our attention.

Slowly, but surely, I’m learning that it’s better to listen sooner rather than later. The truth of the matter is that God is good. Whatever He asks is His best for me you that moment. Why hide from that?

Dad's Day Musings

Comedian Ken Davis, I believe, is the one who told this story.

One day, while holding my baby daughter in my arms, I made the biggest mistake of my life. I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I was in a dorm at a college helping her to arrange her room. And then, kissing her good-bye, I got in the car and left wondering how all this could have happened so quickly.

On Dad’s Day one remembers stories such as these. They remind us of the quickness of life. One day we’re placing kids in car seats, the next day they are in the drivers seat, and in a heartbeat those children hold their own son or daughter in their arms and we pray they don’t blink. The cycle continues, moving at what seems to be the speed of light. .

Introspective sorts of people think about such things. In the thinking and remembering they wonder about how they did as the parent to the children entrusted to them. Different people use different measurements.

Some might ask.

Are my children successful?
Where do they live?
Can they afford to give their children everything they’ve been given?
Can I brag about them?
Are they well educated?

I prefer these.

Do they love God?
Do they give back?
Are they making a difference?
Will they leave a footprint?
Will they sacrifice for the common good?
Will they care about those who lack essential resources?
Will they teach their children well?
Are their passions and abilities being used to meet some important need in our world?
How generous are they?
Will they choose to live where they can make an impact?
Will they have a deep desire to continue to learn and to grow?
Will they confront evil?

Different questions for different people.

If Jesus is to be believed the first set of questions don’t matter much. The second set are far more important. They point to the priorities of the kingdom, not the world.

I love my kids. Looking back, I did some good things. I also did some not so good things. Of course, I’m not done being their dad yet. In little ways I can still influence their lives. Daily I can pray for them. I also trust that God loves each of them far more than I can ever imagine. He will also be nudging, encouraging, and even disciplining their lives.

My kids grew up too fast. I blinked.

Now, as adults, their lives are filled with choices. They will stand at numerous crossroads during their lifetime. The decisions they make at those times will be important ones.

This world will woo them with promises of instant gratification, the adulation of peers and the gratitude of the marketplace. The kingdom of God beckons them to a life of adventure, a long obedience in the same direction and a chance to leave a legacy of faith, of caring, and of deep impact.

May God give my children and yours the wisdom to grab hold of what will last forever,

Always Questions

One of my favorite stories in Scripture is out of the Book of Mark. Chapter 2. It’s the story of friends who bring a paralyzed man to Jesus. The last time I spoke on that passage some questions came to my mind. How would you answer them?

Do I expect that God is going to move in incredible ways right here, right now? Here’s the truth. I go to church week in and week out fully expecting not much to happen. I talk a good game but when push comes to shove do I really expect God to do something quite remarkable right here right now. Seriously. Do I believe that my God can break out and do something in someone’s life …maybe yours …now, today? My big fear is that I’ve become a spectator at a religious game.

If I really believe God can still move powerfully ...well then, who’s mat am I carrying? Who am I praying for so intently that I’m begging God to do something in that person’s life? And am I willing to be inconvenienced, to push through the crowd, and to climb onto a roof because my love for someone else and for God is so strong I can’t do anything else?

Do people matter to me? Really matter. And do I pay attention to those who interrupt my day and disrupt my patterns?

Am I willing to give up my membership in the religious referees club? Would I be willing to give up my right to declare a penalty when God acts in a way that breaks the mold I’ve created for him or when you break out of the culturally Christian mold of what a person of faith should look like?

Would I be willing to climb onto the mat myself when I’m hurting and allow your faith to carry me? Am I willing to all your prayers to become mine when I can’t find the strength to utter them myself?

And do I really believe that God can heal me inside and out? I’ve often wondered what the paralyzed man would have said …when someone asked him about ‘what happened’ back there. What would he have said about the ‘sin’ thing? Did it feel like Jesus took a backhoe to his insides and cleaned him, put him back on his feet and made him like new? And if he had a choice would he choose that inside healing over the more obvious physical healing? Is that what I really want?

And my answers.

I want God to be bigger than the box I’ve put him in.

I want every gathering of believers be a place where we walk away and go ‘whoa, this is a dangerous place.’ There's a sense that God's on the prowl, always to be trusted but never safe.

And I want my faith to be big enough that someone could hitchhike off it if they need to.

And I want to be the kind of person that’s always looking and praying for people to bring to Jesus.

Just as all people matter to God I want all people to matter to me.

I want Jesus to clean up the junk in my life because all the garbage doesn’t serve me well.

And I don’t want any part of the religious referee’s club. Because I don’t want to be so religious that I’m not real.

How about you?

Questioning Faith

I started my ministry working in the Catholic Church. And one of the first people who really influenced me was a bishop up in Duluth, Minnesota by the name of Paul Anderson. He was a godly man who swore the following story is true.

In the Catholic Church at one time children were being confirmed in the fifth grade. Some bishops liked to ask particularly tough questions. They would walk the aisle way trying to put little fifth graders on the spot and if they missed a question out the door that they would go.

There was a certain bishop who liked to be hard-nosed and seemed to have a knack for picking the child who was most insecure.

One night he found a young man trying to hide behind a pillar. The bishop zeroed in on the boy asking ‘What’s the Holy Trinity?”

And this little boy kind of looked at him in terror and mumbled softly ‘it’s the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.’

And the bishop glared at him and said “I don’t understand. What’s the Holy Trinity?”

The terrified boy mumbled again “The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

Again the bishop said that he didn’t understand and asked the same question. The boy answered in his soft mumble. This happened several times.

Finally the bishop said “Young man, one more chance. What’s the Holy Trinity?”

The boy, quite embarrassed by this time once again said “the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

The bishop, with raised voice, challenged him saying, “I still don’t understand what you’re saying.” The boy, now filled with righteous indignation finally mustered all the courage he could and said in a loud, clear voice …”You’re not supposed to understand. It’s a mystery.”
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In our world that sometimes wants nothing but certainty there is a stage of faith that is dominated it seems much more by questions than answers and requires us to embrace the mystery and uncertainty of our belief systems. Consider what Quaker writer Parker Palmer says. “A contradiction in paradox and the tension of opposites have always been at the heart of my experience. I seem tugged in one direction and then another. I had thought that living spiritually required a resolution of all contradictions and tensions before one could as it were gain one’s wings. Perhaps on the other hand contradictions and paradoxes are not impediments to our spiritual life, but an integral part of it.”

When life and faith appears uncertain we live and breathe what we don’t understand and what we’ve learned to be true no longer has the ring of authenticity. This ‘questioning’ stage of faith can happen to anybody. You can have the finest spiritual pedigree, the best of Christian educations, a life filled with blessings and then one day something happens and we find that our spiritual DNA isn’t enough for that particular moment in time.

Every been there?

Have you ever sensed a shift in the firm foundation of what you knew, what you experienced to be true and the faith that felt so secure? It’s a bewildering time.

It happens to the best. Some speculate that Mother Theresa through most of her adult life experienced more of the absence of God than His presence. Did you know that?

Elijah went from a great victory, taking on the prophets of Baal to shuddering in a cave, depressed, not sure of the protection of this God he served.

This questioning stage of faith is not uncommon. It’s not easy. Most don't welcome it. But when it comes our way we have no choice but to experience it. It's where God will meet us.

Sometimes in the journey of faith we run across people who are certain about everything and anything. You might know someone like that. And these kind of folks always have a ready bible verse, a practiced answer for every question, who live in the light of their knowledge, and who know exactly what needs to be said and thought at any given moment.

Usually these people are not the best guides for someone who is living in a ‘questioning’ stage of faith where contradiction, tensions, and paradox seem normative.

The best guides are those who are comfortable with ambiguity, who know that Jesus resides even amidst the shadows of life, and that a good God can use even these uncomfortable times to shape us into the man or woman He desires us to be. These guides are not wishy-washy. Their orthodoxy is lived in plain view. But they are comfortable with the tensions caused by uncertainty for it has helped shape their life. They will always point you to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - very real, quite mysterious, always loving you.
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This is an excerpt from a sermon given at Christ Church of Oak Brook. If you want, listen to the whole thing. http://www.ccobtv.org/search.php?series_id=69&category=Sermon

Loser Guy

This is my wife. She’s grinning sheepishly because she just killed me in putt-putt golf. She wanted to look triumphant (which she did about five minutes later) but, at this particular time, she was being kind. Only 90 minutes earlier I remember proclaiming that she ‘stood no chance’ against me. She was a miniature golf novice. I was an accomplished practitioner of the art of artificial surface putting. And then she ‘smoked me’.

A few days ago I wrote about being dumped into some white water not once but twice. This was a river that I had navigated successfully just a few short years earlier.

So, here I was licking my wounds not once but twice.

OK. OK. You’re right. Losing in putt-putt and getting river dumped is no big deal. And yet, for a short period of time I felt something ‘ugly’ happening in me. You see, I really like to win. I like to beat rivers and have the lowest miniature golf score. I didn’t. I didn’t beat the river and Anita turned out to be the Tiger Woods of putt-putt. But I felt this ‘ugliness’ inside of me. Whenever I sense it I want to know what it’s all about. Ugly doesn’t help me to become all that God wants me to be. In fact, if it isn’t confronted (even in its teeniest manifestation) it gives root to something potentially bigger.

The shorthand version is that goals I had established got blocked. One goal was to stay dry and look good in front of a bunch of guys. The other goal was to ‘win big’ at The Red Putter. Murph had to deal with these blocked goals. What Murph would show up? The 'child' or the 'adult'?

The ‘childhood’ version of Murph makes staying dry, looking good, and winning, pretty big priorities. The adult version of Murph can laugh it all off. So, why does the ‘child’ still show up and why does that version of me still lay claim to so much of my life?

Maybe God uses times like this to humble me. It’s His easy way of letting me know that I’m getting a little too big for my britches. It’s His reminder that I’ve still got some growing up to do. God knows me well enough that I won’t brush ‘the ugly’ away. He knows there’s a bigger dream and purpose in my heart. That dream will never be fulfilled unless I deal with the little things. Wasn’t it Stephen Covey who said ‘the little things are the big things’?

When the ‘child Murph’ shows up God graciously gives the ‘Murph of adulthood’ an opportunity to stand up and be counted. My choice is to recognize the choice before me.

Life is lived in the ordinary experiences of life. It’s in and through the ordinary that things like ego, pride, mean-spiritedness and selfishness reveal themselves. It’s also in and through the ordinary that things like love, peace, patience and self-control stand in opposition to those things that have the potential to tear us down. Which wins out?

I’ve chosen to confront the ugly and give birth to the beautiful. Some days I do a better job of it than others. My deepest desire, my fervent hope is that I can be attentive in the moment to the simple choices that end up defining a life. It’s what helps me to live in the ‘Spirit’and not give in to the 'sin that so easily entagles' us all.

I'm fine. Adult Murph has won out. I will, however, start private miniature golf lessons tomorrow. I can handle being dumped in the river. Losing at putt-putt is another story. Watch out, Anita, a rematch is in your future.

River Rafting Pin Ball

It's a little hard to see. The guy on the right is me. The guy on the left is my friend Kip. We just hit a rock. We're in a narrow gully. There is no sandy shore line where one can swim to safety. Only rocks, straight up and straight down. There's a nice sized drop at the end of the rapids.


Yep. We went in. Human pin balls. Guides threw two ropes. Kip grabbed both. I decided to develop a personal relationship with every boulder I could find. As an added bonus a couple of rafts decided to run over the top of me.

Just before that drop at the end of the run my brain clicked in and I managed to wedge myself between a rock and a hard place, awaiting rescue.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the last dump into the river. We managed to hit yet one more rock at the very end of the day. That was right at the top of a waterfall (wasn't huge, but water was indeed falling).

My body was indeed bruised. My ego slightly bent out of shape. But you want to know something? It was really fun. I'm inclined to believe Kip doesn't know his right from his left and he's convinced I'm directionally dysfunctional. Regardless, we tipped. We ran the rapids with our bodies. I'm not complaining. Know why? It was a rush. Made me feel alive.

I'm 59 years old in a couple of weeks. Had a defibrillator installed two months ago. More of my life is in the rear view mirror than is out in front of me. And I got to go white water rafting and run the river with my body instead of a raft. That's living. Really is.

Those who know me have heard me argue, in Eldredge influenced fashion,that God has built men in a certain way. Men gauge their worth against some time tested standards. Do men need battles to fight, adventures to engage in and women to show off for? I say 'yes' althought taken to an inappropriate place these kind of standards are only a hop, skip, and a jump away from a man becoming a chauvinistic neanderthal. Taken seriously, appropriately and prayerfully a man comes in touch with some God-given creative energy. Find a man who's not fighting any battle, who's not hoping an adventure might be coming down the pike and doesn't want the woman in his life to really notice him and you've got a man who's probably struggling.

Think about it. How many men do you know who are really alive? By alive I mean they're seeking God, standing up for what's right, lovin' on their families, and are passionate about Kingdom priorities. These are men you can count on. How many?

It's not enough. We know it.

Sometimes I worry about men. Have too many guys become afraid to test themselves against something that's not in their comfort zone? I understand that. Been there and done that more than once in my life.

But here's the thing that I always come back to. Doesn't Jesus call us our of our comfort and into the adventure? Could too many Christian guys be retreating to what is staid and predictable and in the process being wildly disobedient to God?

Alright, I know. I'm making too much of all this. A rafting trip is a rafting trip is a rafting trip. But it got me thinking. I'm glad I did it. The river beat me this time. But I felt I was alive. That's a good thing. In the end, it reminds me of some God ordained longings deep inside. That's another good thing.

Sense of Curiosity.

I like to find out about people.

For instance, at dinner tonight Anita and I were sitting in an outdoor cafe in Fish Creek, WI. We met three different families. Family #1 was a husband and wife from Southern California. They were in Door County for a month of vacation, RVing it at Penisula State Park.

Family#2 lived in West Chicago. I'm guessing they were Muslim (didn't get far enough into the conversation to know for sure but the wife's head covering got me wondering). He was born and raised in Egypt. She was born in suburban Chicago. Nice kids.

Family #3 lived in San Jose, California. He was from Sturgeon Bay, WI originally. This was their annual visit back to the midwest.

I suppose to a lot of people this information doesn't amount to much. To me, asking questions and trying to find out about the people I'm around (even for an hour) helps to create a sense of community in a world that is finding itself more and more isolated.

I'm amazed at how quickly people open up and are eager to tell a complete stranger something about their life. There's something about asking questions and being eager to hear another person's story that creates a bond of good will.

Tonight was nice. I asked questions. They asked questions. That doesn't always happen. You see, the art of being inquisitive is fast becoming a lost skill. Too bad. We miss opportunities to make friends and to build bridges.

Try it next time you're out.

Find out about your waitress or bus boy. Make eye contact with the people at the table next to you. Ask them if they're local or not. See what happens.

Once in Paris in a quintessential French bistro I had a hunch that, other than the waiter and cook, no one in the restaurant was a native Parisian. So, I started asking. I was right. Two table of Chicagoans, a family from New Jersey, a couple from the deep South, and assorted Floridians and Dakotans. It was a hoot. We had a good time. It made for an even better dinner.

I think we've lost our sense of curiosity. Maybe it's because we're afraid to offend someone. I'm finding people don't get offended. In fact, just the opposite. They enjoy being included. It puts a smile on their face. Nothing wrong with that.

Pete Seeger Inspired

The other night we watched a dvd, a look at the life of Pete Seeger. Whether he is a believer or not, I’m not sure. But the story of his life sparked something in my own faith. Seeger is a song writer. He’s old now. His songs were sung by the labor movement, around campfires, during civil rights marches and in protest against the war in Viet Nam. He used the power of interactive music to draw people to peace issues, to care about the environment, and to free the prisoners. He was and is ‘very interesting’. He’s not bored. He’s not boring.

We live in a world where far too many are both bored and boring. You can see it in their eyes. They’re busy but not fulfilled. We’re created with longings for something more than busyness. Patterns of boredom weigh heavy, creeping inward, separating us from those deeper things. Boredom is rarely intentional but it does become habitual. The pursuit of longings must become intentional before it lingers as a habit.

Boredom declares that life is no longer interesting. By default it declares our own lives lack the capacity to spark either our own imagination or the wonder of others.

We are in great need of men and women who will be used by God to make life interesting again and to awaken in us a desire to be interested in all those people and things placed in our path. That’s what is required of all who claim to be 'kingdom people'.

Interesting people are involved and engaged. Involvement and engagement leads to a discovery of meaning. Meaning opens us to the possibility of being surprised by purpose. Purpose travels the road of adventure which we know to be a narrow path populated by only a few. But a few are enough company for the journey. Waiting for the multitudes and a wider road is not what the Gospel demands. The ‘company of the few’ walk together toward the hope and promises of Jesus. The journey becomes the destination. The Kingdom promised is experienced. And boredom becomes a far off memory.

So it begins. One here. One there. Waking up, each admits the truth about tedious existence. Longing for more, one listens. God calls. He asks us to become both interested and interesting. Our personal world changes. And when we move from passivity and predictability into the world of purpose and Kingdom alignment the greater world around us is changed. That movement towards purpose is never boring nor does it create boredom.

So, why do so few desire it? It requires change and sacrifice. Anyone answering the call away from boredom and towards purpose pays a price. Seeger was blacklisted. Others have been killed. Some move from mansions into ‘ticky-tacky’ little houses. Many are inconvenienced. More than a few look foolish. Fear is confronted. Dreams become altered. Friendships are lost.

And so, boredom becomes OK. No blacklists. No worry about inconvenience. No countercultural discomfort. No silly dreams. No life altering decisions. The status quo remains.

Funny Thing

Jesus tells a story about sheep, goats and judgment toward the end of the book of Matthew. It’s a story about two groups of people. Each group say they believe. Now they’re being judged.

It wasn’t a good day for one group.

Basically, the story tells us that Jesus is walking around all the time in a distressing disguise (thumbs up to Mother Theresa). He’s disguised as someone hungry, someone thirsty, someone without clothing, someone sick, and someone in prison.

And for those who notice him, feed him, gave him a drink, clothe him, nurse him and visit him there’s a kingdom waiting for them. And for those who don’t notice and care there’s eternal punishment.

Tough words.

It’s a hard, hard story. In the narrative people argue about the decision reached. “Hey, when did we ever see you hungry, thirsty, naked, sick or imprisoned?” And Jesus basically says “ If you would have opened your eyes for half a minute you would have seen me. Come on there’s people in need all around you and if there aren’t you don’t have to go very far to find someone. You didn’t do. I’m sorry. Some of you are in. The rest of you aren’t.”

This all throws me for a loop. I don’t like it. It puts responsibility on my shoulders. It makes me realize God isn’t messing around. I’ve got to do more than go around singing “This little light of mine …” He’s saying there’s a role He wants me to play and it’s a non-negotiable.

Some people might say. Well, it sounds like God is saying ‘you’ve got to earn your way into heaven.” I don’t think so.

I think we can always hang our hats always on the doctrine of grace and its message of unmerited favor.

The whole counsel of God reminds us, though, that when we belong to Him that people will be able to look at how we act and see someone who cares. Grace filled action accompanies real faith.

I preached all this on Sunday.

Yesterday, I was driving down the highway in the heart of Chicago.. I was late for a meeting. There was car on the side of the road. Abandoned. A quarter mile ahead there were five people walking down the busy road carrying a gas container.

I almost stopped but didn’t. I almost decided to take a 15 minute detour to go back and offer a ride. But I didn’t.

Funny thing. I was rushing to talk with someone about helping those in need.

Letter to God

Dear God:

There’s some things I need to talk to you about. Please sit down when you read this. I don’t want you to get ‘ticked’ and do one of those plague kind of things. I hate to say it but as a casual observer, God, that was pretty brutal. Just an opinion. But it didn't sit well in certain circles.

First, the Bible is getting to me. I'm not liking what it has to say. I’m sure it’s not the first time you’ve heard that said but this serious. I'm frazzled, running crazy, trying to make big decisions and every time I pick up the Bible I'm reading something that urges me to think, pray, and do something that I don't want to do. To be honest, God, it gets discouraging. I've got my life mapped out and it feels like you're trying to change my direction. Not sure if that would be a good decision for me at this stage of my life.

Let me give you an example of some disturbing Bible stuff. I'm reading about the 'sheep and the goats' in Matthew 25. What's that doing in there? Come on, God, I thought I was in. I prayed that prayer awhile back. And now, I'm reading this 'judgment' thing and I'm thinking that you're actually expecting more from me. Come on. It's not fair. It has a bait and switch feel to it. Kind of ugly.

And another thing, Lord, it's not just me who’s thinking about these kind of things. I’m not alone. We talk. We're all for the 'come to me if you're burdened' verses. We also like anything that tells us we're 'blessed'. Anything else isn't working for us. And you do want this to work for us, don't you?

Here's something else. I have a group of friends who aren't liking all the stuff about justice, and creation, and the poor and suffering. It sounds pretty leftist if you know what I mean. They're pretty sure you don't mean all this stuff about freeing prisoners and actually being kind to people who won't get off their backsides and work for a living. Next edition you've got to fix it. Just consider it. You're alienating some pretty influential people. Seriously, when you talk about freedom and jubilee and lack of oppression and stuff like that you weren't talking about that in real terms were you? If you're talking about real stuff things would really have to change here and there and everywhere. That would be asking a lot. It's just not playing well in the heartland if you know what I mean. You don't want to lose your base.

On the other hand, there’s another group of my friends who aren't happy about all the stern language. It seems harsh. Not very inclusive. It sounds like you're too serious all the time. They’d like you to lighten up. Make suggestions. Give options. If you could just tone down the language a bit and show everyone a little more love I think you’d get more followers. It’s just a hunch. But I know people like it when show the ‘love’. On the other hand, anything that implies 'should' or 'got to' is hard to swallow. Again, that's just some information I thought you'd like to have. It's another group that might walk if you're not careful.

Here's something else that needs fixing. When people in Africa or South America read the Bible they seem to get something different out of it than those of us here in the West. We know you wrote it for us in the West and that those in developing countries are probably just going to be disappointed if they take it too literally. I mean it goes back to those freedom, justice and oppression issues. They really think you mean it. We know you were speaking metaphorically. So, maybe if you could help the people down there and over there see things the way you really intended then maybe there wouldn't be such a gap between them and us. What do you think?

Consider this, huh? It might be hard to swallow but some of the Jesus stuff is bothersome. Don't get me wrong. Thanks for sending him. Good role model. But when Jesus says things like "I am" and "No one comes to the Father except through me." Whew! Hard to digest. It makes it difficult to stand up and be counted when you allow Jesus to make statements with not much wiggle room.

Maybe that's it. Wiggle room. We need more of it. I believe in you, God. I mean, you can do anything. So, work on it. Edition 2 will be much better if you think about some of these things.

Let me know what you think. Rooting for you to do the right thing.


Sincerely,

Anonymous Fan

Grumpy Dave's Worship

I'm in Bowling Green, Ohio. Today is my son's wedding day. It will be good.

This morning Anita and I had some time so we decided to find a church. Never an easy task in a strange town. A chance encounter at Panera's yesterday led us to a worship at Grumpy Dave's Saloon. A college ministry called H2O holds a weekly service at Grumpy Dave's every Sunday morning.

There's a small stage. A bad sound system. There were about 50 of us on this Memorial Day weekend. The music was Crowderish, the congregation quite young, the band was enthusiastic, and God was honored.

I loved the setting. Beer brand posters adorned the walls, there were a couple of pool tables, and a big bar. It had that nice and grungy kind of feel. I was the second oldest by my reckoning and Anita was probably the only person 40'ish in the place.

The pastor was an ex-college football player. Big guy. Tatoos. Earring. Still looked like he could play. He loves God. Good message.

He was talking about being salt and light. Great topic. When he talked about us being 'salt' he wondered aloud as to whether or not Christians are viewed as taking the flavor out of life or putting it into life. He thought that we're supposed to put the 'pizazz' into the culture. He wasn't sure that's what was really happening. He thought too many Christians looked like they had signed up for a lobotomy and then sit in their churches looking freakin' depressed.

I laughed when he said it. It wasn't that I thought it was funny. OK, it was funny. More importantly I thought it had the edginess of truth to it. If I didn't laugh I might have cried. Didn't want to do that.

Lest you think he was bashing churches that don't meet in a bar let me assure you that wasn't the case at all. He was a really respectful kind of guy. I don't think you'd want to mess with him but he wasn't lobbing hand grenades in the direction of other churches.

He was making a good point. He really believes that we're called to be salt and light in a world that's struggling to make sense of itself. He was challenging his young crowd not to fall into bad habits. He told the story of talking to a buddy about Christ. The friend told him to back off, that he was a Christian. This pastor said, "Dude, I couldn't tell." A week later his friend came back to talk. He was troubled. It bothered him that his life didn't speak the message of Jesus.

It bothers me when my life doesn't speak the message of Jesus. What about you?

I realize that if I don't watch myself I can take on the habits and attitudes of those I hang out with. Because I hang out with lots of Christian types I find myself caring more about what happens in our little 'club' than I do about what's happening on a Saturday night at a place like Grumpy Dave's. I start to speak Christianese. And after awhile I realize that, if I'm not careful, the 'pizazz' of my life with Jesus is in danger of getting sucked right out of me. Not good.

It was a good morning in Bowling Green, Ohio. Worship at Grumpy Dave's. It got me thinking.

Do something. Go up to someone you hang out with, work with, go to school with, socialize with, coach with ...and ask him/her. "Is there anything about me that makes me different from anyone else you know?" Listen carefully. See if they mention anything of 'Jesus' who wants you to be salt and light. If they don't start to tremble a little bit. Maybe you've gotten yourself that lobotomy the Grumpy Dave pastor talked about. Instead of being salt and light you're just tasteless and dim.

Think about it.

2 Random Thoughts

I tried to start a conversation about American Idol today. One of my colleagues sarcastically wondered if I had overnight become a 13 year old teenage girl. I looked. I didn't.

I do watch American Idol. Why? Not sure. But I'm entertained.

This year the choice came down to Adam or Kris. Kris was middle America's choice. A good looking, guitar strumming, song styalist. He's from Conway, Arkansas. Married. I understand he's a believer and spent some time as a worship leader.

Adam is west coast, from San Diego. He wears guyliner, loves rock and roll, toiled in the theatre world and has been seen kissing other men. Nothing about him suggests that he is a man of faith.

Both men are great entertainers. I've heard both are really nice guys.

Kris won.

Some say the 'Christian vote' might have been a deciding factor. I think it made a difference.

This morning I started joking that the internet was filled with some disturbing news. Adam was the believer, not Kris. Kris was gay, not Adam. I have an ability to make insane things like this sound true. And I wonder if anyone I talked to was caught in a bit of an American Idol cunundrum?

What if it was true? What if we had been dooped? What if Simon Cowell used all that money of his to play one huge practical joke on America? What if this was all a big set-up, a humorous attempt to get us to believe something was true but it really wasn't? Would Christians want to change their vote? Would middle-America lean toward the left coast and start chanting Adams's name? Would they point fingers at Kris? And it got me wondering. Were people voting against a lifestyle or for a singing artist? Or were they doing both?

I wonder about thing like this.

_______________________________

Yesterday, I got my bill for my defibrillator and hospital care. It's up there. Right around $120,000. Yipes.

But no worry. I have great insurance. Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO. It's like the gold standard. My cost, so far, is under $1,000. Still a bite but it's not $120,000.

It got me thinking about the issue of health care. What happens to those who don't have insurance, who lost their coverage, or just can't afford anything? What happens to them? What would it be like to get a $120,000 bill in the mail and not have the foggiest idea how it might get paid?

That's what's happening to lots of people in the USA. They can't afford routine medical care and something like a defibrillator is out of their sight.

And then I turn on the news and learn that a big teaching hospital in Chicago is closing some clinics. They're closing the ones that care for the poor. And so where are the poor supposed to go?

I talk to a friend who works at another teaching hospital. They still care for the poor but because so many others aren't their budget is hugely burdened. Can they continue to do what their mission asks them to do?

I think of what Jesus says, "I was sick and you looked after me".

And I'm realizing this health care crisis is very real. It's real to Jesus. He didn't tell us only to care for those who had a Blue Cross PPO. He meant for us to care for everyone.

I wonder about things like this.

______________________________________

Don't quit

I love the story of the high school basketball coach who was attempting to motivate his players to persevere through a difficult seaon. Halfway through the season he stood before his team and said, "Did Michael Jordan ever quit?" The team responded, "No!" He yelled, "What about the Wright brothers? Did they ever give up?" "No!" the team resounded. "Does Kobe Bryant ever quit?" Again the team yelled, "No!" "Did Elmer McAllister ever quit?" There was a long silence. Finally one player was bold enough to ask, "Who's Elmer McAllister? We never heard of him." The coach snapped back, "Of course you never heard of him - he quit!"

The world we live in has its share of problems. We are in need of good people fighting the good fight. We need strong leadership. Leadership with a vision. Principled leadership. And we need people who won't quit.

Some people think that leadership is all about the 'rhetoric'. Speak loudly and boldly enough and people will follow, change will occur. I'm all for good peope speaking up but I'm reminded of something Mark Twain once said that "few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example." In other words step up. Run the good race. Stay in it to the end. Don't quit. "Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words." (St. Francis)

I've always loved the Book of James. Practical. Earthy. It tells us to open our eyes. It demands that we walk our talk. It reminds us that talk is cheap. It challenges our thinking. James reminds us that living faithfully is a costly proposition.

I think it's true that we don't hold people in high regard who are all talk and no action. The people I remember fondly are those who live life fully, who don't quit, who have their eye on the prize, and who will run the race set out for them well. They inspire me to do the same.

It's easy to quit. It's easy to mouth off. That's not where the action is nor the lasting impact.

Helen

I wrote this a few years ago for a story telling class in grad school. It's based on some experiences in Young Life ...

When Helen got off the bus, I had to smile. She just didn't fit in with the tall, leggy blue-eyed blondes that came to camp from the East Bay Area. Helen was 80 years old and in all honesty, looked a bit bag lady-ish. I found out she was the counselor for 12 very determined to live life to the fullest teenage girls.

Helen was a woman on a mission. She didn't want to waste her life. She asked God what He wanted her to do and Helen felt that God told her to give her life away to high school kids. So Helen did just that. Every week, sometimes several times during that week, Helen became a missionary. She entered a foreign country. She hung out on a high school campus, to meet kids, to earn the right-to-be-heard - so she could tell kids about Jesus Christ. A lot of folks thought she was crazy. She wasn't - just faithful. Helen felt that you could never retire from serving God. As long as she had breath she wanted to be God's servant.

But when Helen got off that bus I had to chuckle. The bus trip had done her in. She was going to need a lot of energy for the six day camp we had planned. I hoped she had it in her.

All through the week Helen was at least a couple of steps behind everyone else. But she was there, fully participating. She was a skit in the hondeo - a rodeo on hondas. She rode the jet skis. She tried out the mountain bikes. She was even the victim of some practical jokes.

One night there was a cabin raid. When I found out about it I found Helen and asked her what happened. "It was those boys," she said. "It wasn't bad. A little chaotic. The only thing I wonder about is why they wanted my underwear." I didn't have an answer nor the heart to tell her that her bra was high atop the camp flag pole.

On the first night of camp some guys lured her over to a trashcan where they had lit some firecrackers. You could tell it unnerved her a bit but she didn't react like most adults would. She was pretty cool about it and just walked away even though there was a lot of giggling going on.

Helen told me she came to camp so that her kids could fall in love with the Lord. She said she had prayed all year that these girls would come and hear about Christ's love for them. She knew the week was going to be hard but she wanted so badly just to be with these girls as they embarked on this adventure of faith discovery.

One afternoon Helen tested her own faith and endurance. It was at the high ropes course. Ropes courses test you. You do a series of challenging exercises 35 feet above the ground. Even though extraordinary safety precautions are taken - it really is quite scary and for anyone afraid of heights the fear level can reach epic proportions. It's a huge test for many.

The first obstacle was the log walk. Starting at ground level, you walk up a series of logs to a platform high above the ground. It is scary. Helen, afraid of heights, stopped in the middle of the last log - 10 feet from the safety of the platform. She froze. She couldn't move. She could barely talk. I was the staff member on the platform. Quietly I said, "Helen, I'll come and get you." "Oh no," she exclaimed, "Don't do that. The girls are watching me. They need to see me make this. I can't give up. I've been telling them faith is scary too but worth it." And so she just stood there. The girls watched very carefully and you could see concern in their eyes. I heard Helen start to pray. " Now, Lord, you told me you would never leave me or forsake me. I need to feel you close more than ever. I'm scared but I told the girls you could be trusted, so don't make a liar of me." And then slowly, Helen began to inch her way up the log to the platform. She made it. I hugged her and she began to cry, shielding her face from the girls. "I hate heights," she said, " but I couldn't disappoint the girls. They really need to see me living out those things I've been telling them." And then she looked at me and said, "It gets harder from here, doesn't it?" "Yes, Helen, in all honesty this was the easiest part." "The Lord and I are going to do it, Mike." And then she was off zip-lining throught the forest.

The girls followed Helen up the log. Some came up confidently, some very tentatively. All asked, "How's Helen?" "Fine," I said, "she's a trooper." Several said to me that they didn't want to be on the ropes course at all but if Helen could do so could they.

On the last night of camp the speaker asked kids to stand if God had touched their life that week. Helen's whole cabin got up. Each proclaimed that they wanted to walk with Jesus. They weren't sure what or who had made the difference but they ended up thanking everyone profusely except for poor Helen.

Later that night I saw Helen crying. It was tears of joy and disappointment. Joy because her girls had met and fallen in love with Jesus. Disappointed that her efforts had gone unnoticed and unappreciated.

Later in the summer I was telling some staff friends my camp stories. Each of them had met an incredible person at their camp. I told them about Helen. On the East Coast kids had been captivated by Sheila, a girl with cerebral palsy. In the south, Stan, all-American-Stan, Stan with the blonde girl friend and fantastic future had fallen in love with Jesus. Up in Canada, Calvin, a very bitter inner city kid broke down in front of everyone and admitted later there might be a God.

Jesus was being greeted by the whole host of heaven. They all agreed he had been gone far too long. Jesus looked tired, but not weary. When asked why he had left Jesus said, "It's important not to forget. I need to be with the people I left behind." One of the angels asked, "Don't they all recognize you and shower you with praise?" Jesus had to chuckle because He knew how hard it was, for so many, to see and acknowledge the presence of God.

He told the angels. "A woman on earth loves people who are dying on the streets of India. She says she sees me in a 'most distressing disguise.' She undertands.

I went to earth again under disguise and learned, once more how hard it is to be human. It wan't easy this time when some guys stole my bra and I was embarrassed.

And then I felt fear in the middle of a log and had to learn to trust my Father all over again. Later in the week I was hurt by some young women that I cared deeply about and I cried.

But I did feel love sitting in that wheelchair and I think my faith was strengthened when I struggled long and hard about whether I could afford to believe and then finally broke down in front of everyone.

And I had to work through what it meant to be good looking and popular and to live a life of faith.

The hard part was being human again and feeling, really feeling and wanting desperately to be faithful when there is so much to call me to unfaithfulness. But in the midst of all that I found that some paused long enough to notice me even if they couldn't see through my disguise. And the look in their eyes gave me hope."

Want in?

Years ago I gave my 7 year old heart to Jesus. At age seven I sat all alone in Cathedral of Christ the King Church in Superior, Wisconsin and told Jesus He could have my life. I knew very little about Jesus and probably less about the meaning of my own life but I took what little I knew and made a pact with God. I haven’t always held up my part of the bargain. He’s never wavered.

Now, 52 years later, I look forward to what God will continue to do with my life. I know I can trust Him. And I stand amazed that God still believes in me despite my spotty track record.

God has directed my life in some pretty amazing ways. He’s allowed a pretty ordinary guy to be involved in some pretty significant things. For this, I’m grateful. I’ve had a front row seat on some miracles. I’ve seen lives transformed. And as a result I feel that my life has had and will continue to have significance.

That’s why I don’t find myself playing the success to significance game. Whatever comes after significance and before death is my new playing field. I don’t know what to call it but what I know for sure is that at the age of 58 God is saying “We’ve still got some business to do together. Do you want in?”

That’s both exciting and scary. My answer, though, is “Yes, I want in.”

Can’t wait to find out what I just signed up for.

I’ve always been taken by author Frederick Buechner’s famous line. “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

Fascinating. That wouldn’t be a bad place to spend our remaining days, would it?

I’ve learned over the years that the ‘needy’ are all around us. They're in our home, at our school, in the supermarket, in the car next to us on the freeway, and in every classroom. Everyday we have an opportunity to be caring, kind, and attentive. May we never waver from that opportunity.

But there’s another kind of ‘real need and deep hunger’ that Scripture asks us to see and respond to. It requires us to move beyond the ordinary needs of others who will cross our paths. It requires more than awareness, simple kindness, and caring.

You see, there's a harder edge in Scripture. There seems to be this call to go beyond what is ordinary and comfortable to confront what Mother Theresa called “Jesus in his most distressing disguise.” Moving beyond what's comfortable seems to always be what God wants from those who have been given much.

And so, are we willing to intentionally move towards the great hunger and need of this world fully knowing that by taking those steps we will move into discomfort? Are we willing to surrender our sense of security for the sake of being faithful?

When I was seven I gave as much as I knew of my life to as much as I knew about Jesus. At age 58 I do the same knowing that God will always keep his end of the bargain. And at age 58 God is saying once again ‘do you want in?”

And so ...

Am I willingness to face the deep hunger of this world?

Do I really want to meet Jesus in his most distressing disguise?

Do I really want in?

And do I 'want in' at the expense of being uncomfortable?

Want to know something? I really don't have any choice. Not if I really want to live. So, I still say "yes, I want in".

What about you?

Out of the Daydream

Perplexed.

That’s the best word for it. Perplexed. One day is so good. The next, not so good. I do the same things. Get up close to the same time. Go through the same routine. But different results. There’s a whole different feel to the day.

Sometimes, I want sameness. No whiny phone calls or infantile e-mails. I want blue skies and clear sailing.

What I get is unpredictable, whiny and infantile. Ugh.

Oh, I’m smart enough to know that life happens and good is sometimes edged out by bad and when life hands you lemons you make lemonade. But I want to wake up more often to the lemonade, sit back and just ‘do life’. And that life is easy, carefree, no sweat, good times not bad, the best not the worst.

Who wants to join my ‘Carefree, No Sweat Club’?

If only it was that easy. If only we could just send in a membership and it becomes ‘all good’. If only we could just start a club that could guarantee that we don’t have to ‘sweat’ life. Nice.

It’s a great daydream, a daydream that I sometimes want to get lost in. That daydream envelops me on those days when I just don’t have the energy to fight the good fight, to do the right thing, to be God’s man. Ever been there? Dumb question. We’ve all been there. More than once.

Life overwhelms at times.

I have a friend who lost his job. It hit him hard. And then his wife lost hers. Ouch.

A woman keeps calling. She keeps missing me. She won’t leave a call back number. It sounds like she’s in an abusive situation. There’s no way for me to help her until we connect. How much danger is she in?

An acquaintance has lost almost everything due to a relative’s financial malpractices. The road ahead is rocky.

I know many a person who knows they’re at a fork in the road. A decision has to be made about life direction. And they feel stuck.

So, what do we do? I’m fond of the Eugene Peterson quote about the life of faith “A long obedience in the same direction.” It’s not very daydreamy is it? But it’s truth.

What’s required for that long obedience?

Almost every prayer I pray for someone in need is that he/she might experience the presence of the living God in whatever they’re encountering.

In the joy of life may they experience the freeing presence of Jesus. In the sadness of life may they experience the nurturing guidance of the Holy Spirit. In times that overwhelm may they fall into the arms of the caring Father.

The long obedience in the same direction requires trust in a God who promises to always be there, even when it doesn’t seem like He is.

I think that journey calls for friendships. Who doesn't need men and women in their life who can encourage, prop up, and even help carry the burden? But so many try to go it alone. And loneliness is their only constant companion and the journey appears longer, more arduous and never ending.

Is there more? Probably. But a good God and good friends is a nice way to start. But I worry about that woman being abused, and my friend and his wife who will wake up tomorrow without a job, and the acquaintance with an empty wallet, and for all who are at a fork in the road. What if their faith is inadequate and their friendships shallow? What becomes of them?

They will live feeling overwhelmed.

Unless …I move into their neighborhood, living into the long obedience of my own faith and I bring with me whatever I can of what I have. Maybe they can hitchhike off my faith for awhile and allow me to offer the prayers they don’t know how to offer. I could do that but I’d need to move out of my daydream and into the messy reality of whiny people and infantile e-mails. Hmmm …what should I choose?

I dream of a perfect world sometimes, wanting life to be easy and carefree. It’s not. But there are moments when you can get a glimpse of what our future beyond this life can look like. It’s together with God, in the company of other faith journeyers. Nice. There’s no reason, though, why we can’t start to live into that vision of that kind of kingdom future right here, right now.

I've got a hunch. That's what God wants. He wants us out of the daydream and into reality. That's where He'll meet us. Seriously.

Only God

I’m on the leadership team of a new ‘alternative contemporary worship service’. The good news is that God is using it to do some nice things in people’s lives. People who haven’t been to church for awhile are starting to come back. Believers are inviting friends. Thinking is being challenged. Hope is being kindled. There’s a buzz.

The whole thing causes me to chuckle. God has a sense of humor. When you think of a new contemporary service you automatically think of something that is ‘youthful’. The vision is of blue jeaned 20 and 30 somethings gathering and developing something that is truly ‘alternative’. It has an urban, hip, social justice, cross cultural, emerging theology, musical angst kind of feel.

We’re not urban. In fact, we’re very suburban. Cross cultural to us means that the Dutch sit next to the Irish and everyone is kind to the Swedes. The guy who preached last week (me) is only hip in that 'almost 59', aging ex-hippy kind of way. Not sure that counts. Some on our team are into social justice thinking but not all. Most in our worship circle wouldn’t recognize or care about emerging theology. And any musical angst is more a result of a misfiring feedback loop in our sound system than a planned excursion into countercultural pain.

What I’m trying to say is that this has to be a ‘God thing’. It’s humbling. Take a look at our team and you might shake your head and say ‘no way’. God, however, seems to believe in us. Now, we’re just trying to believe in Him in deeper ways.

I’ve been fond of saying that our service is being run by people who don’t know what they’re doing. What’s really happening, I think, is that we’re allowing God to be God. We’re putting into motion all the things our guts, hearts and training tell us to do but it’s really obvious God is doing something. How cool is that?

You’ve heard the expression ‘only God’. I’m watching that expression take on fresh meaning.

Only God would choose an overweight, card carrying member of AARP to be one of the teachers at an ‘alternative contemporary worship service’. And only God would create a void in the music plans and bring a 30 something mom, without a whole lot of experience, to step into the gap. And only God would choose to have this service launch in late spring with no change in the Sunday schedule. And only God would say ‘launch it’ even though going head to head with Mission Sunday, the Children’s Musical, and Mother’s Day will make you wonder if you’re crazy. And only God would anoint a non coffee drinker to make our ‘fair trade’ brew. Only God.

What’s also cool is that the senior leadership of our church wants to see this succeed. And succeed in a big way. And our team is praying that God will continue to use our other services in very powerful ways. Ultimately, this isn’t about our new thing succeeding at the expense of everything else. This is about the church making impact and it’s about living into kingdom possibilities. Sure, there’s some tension. Once you change anything in any part of an organizational structure it exerts change on everything else. The prayer is that the tension becomes creative and moves us to be more synergistic and helps us in our overall goal of creating disciples. But ‘only God’ can make that tension creative and stir the pot of synergy. Only God.

This week I get to take my teaching hat off and greet people at the door. I get to sit back and watch another 30 something mom do her thing as she opens God’s word to God’s people. And if I look closely enough I’ll sense the fresh wind of God’s spirit moving. Only God.

The Plan

I'm reading the "The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns. Provocative. Stirring. Will force you to rethink your view of the faith. I think it's a must read. Stearns, by the way, is the President of World Vision.

I was challenged by this quote. No one knows who wrote it but I'd be happy to take credit. This is what it says.

"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering and injustice when He could do something about it."

"Well, why don't you ask Him?"

"Because I'm afraid He would ask me the same question."

And if God asked us that question ...what would we answer? Think about that for awhile. What would you answer?

Let's be honest about some things. There's a world of hurt out there. Just a few miles from where I write there are people who don't have very much. They're not lazy, insolent, or incapable. That's the easy stereotype of those who don't have and don't want first hand knowledge of the truth.

Further miles away there are millions and millions and millions of people who live on less than a dollar or two a day, sometimes raising families on that much money. They're not lazy, insolent, or incapable. The stress and strains on their lives are almost beyond our imagination.

The gospel asks us the question 'Who's our neighbor'? The short answer is 'anyone who's in need'? The longer answer lays a whole lot of responsibility at the feet of those of us who by any world standard have so much. We have so much money, stuff, access, influence, education and know-how. Having much, requires us to invest much. Are we willing to do so?

It's much more convenient to shake a fist at God and blame Him for all the suffering and hurt in the world. Looking in the mirror and shaking a fist at ourselves ...whew.

I used to give a talk at retreats that ended like this:

"So Jesus, what's your plan for carrying on your work?"

And Jesus took her to a place where she could see all of human history and together they watched the activities of ordinary men and women."

After they watched for awhile, she looked at Him in disbelief. "You mean 'we're your plan'."

And Jesus nodded.

She asked, "And what if you're plan doesn't work?"

Jesus said, "It's got to. It's the only plan I've got."

We don't believe it. Not down where the truth lives. We dig semi-deep into our pocketbooks, allaying as much guilt as we can, investing a little time, a little expertise but the truth is we don't live as if 'we're God's plan'.

What would happen if we lived more fully into the reality of being 'God's plan' for the hurting, the lost, the poor, and the marginalized? What would that do to our giving, the use of our time and our willingness to use what really is incredible influence? Easy. We'd give more, be more generous with our time and we'd be trying harder to bring more people along for what could be a rather incredible ride.

There's a world of hurt out there. A world of need. Who's going to help meet that hurt, meet that need? Count me in. I want to start filling that hole in our gospel. It might fill some holes in my own life.

Fear

'Fear not' ...yet we do! We're afraid of swine flu, Muslims, liberals, conservatives, that guy in the White House, the guy who used to be in the White House, and the woman who wanted to be in the White House. We're afraid of the past repeating itself and the future not fulfilling our dreams. Maybe fear is stronger than faith after all?

Every other e-mail I get (ok, I'm exaggerating a little) is filled with fear. I almost don't want to open them anymore.

Why are we so afraid? Maybe we don't believe God is big enough. If we did we wouldn't be shaking in our boots about things that may never happen.

Life is tough. Threats are real. God says that He's here with us. We can bow to the toughness of life, the real and imagined threats of a world out of whack or we could choose to lean into a God who keeps on saying 'don't be afraid'.

I think we get a strange satisfaction out of being afraid and even being fear mongers ourselves. It gives us a sense of power. We can rant and rave with what we think is righteous indignation at people and situations that we often don't have clue about. And when we link up with other ranters and ravers we think that 'them' plus 'us' is a majority, righteous in outlook and practice.

It's a recipe for disaster.

Fear breeds low grade insanity. We take refuge in our e-mail assaults and our blog postings. We sign petitions that nobody ever sees ...and we think by doing all this that we are making an impact.

In fact, we are but the impact we make isn't good. We just raise the bar on other people's fear levels. We push their buttons. They, in turn, push ours.

Maybe it's time to push back in different ways.

For everyone who is fearful of Muslims, try befriending one.

For everyone who is fearful of liberals, find one and dialogue (not argue) with him/her. Liberals do the same with a conservative. Dialogue implies listening by the way.

For everyone fearful of swine flu, use common sense and develop good health habits. If you get sick drink plenty of liquids and stay home until you get better.

If you don't like the current inhabitant of the White House start praying for him. Let's see what happens to your attitude.

If you don't want the past to be repeated make sure you know your history.

If you're fearful that your future won't be what you had planned put your trust in God who has your days all figured out. His plan might even be better than yours. What do you think?

If you're worried that the world is going to go to hell in a handbasket quit watching TV, turn off your computer, leave your house and in God's name find someone you can feed, love, tutor, visit or care for. Make the world a better place.

I think we stay 'fearful' when we don't put our life into motion in constructive ways. Let's face it. Bad things will happen. We can, however, be a force for good. Instead of living in 'fear' we can act in 'love'.