The Wait

I’m impatient.  Don’t like long lines.  Poor customer service irritates me.  I like quick fixes.  Impatience isn’t a good life skill to have.  My guess is that most Cubs fan are impatient people that a good God has decided need a healthy dose of ‘waiting skills’.  I’m one of those Cub fans.

Liturgical churches have a ‘waiting’ season.  We call it Advent.  It’s a forced bit of calendaring that slows down a mad rush to Christmas.  The deal is that we are to spend some time anticipating the birth of the Savior.  It’s a little strange because we spend time hoping for something that has already occurred.  Liturgical masterminds hope we can use a bit of imagination and put ourselves into the story of Christmas.  Can we begin to see, here, smell, and touch the very familiar story so that it takes on meaning afresh?

As impatient as I can be I’m looking forward to slowing down the season a bit this year.  I’m sensing I need a fresh infusion of anticipation. 

I’m one of those people who doesn’t jump up and down gleefully during this season. Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not a scrooge (entirely).  It’s just that the hustle and bustle combined with holiday expectation takes its toll on me.  Couple all that with the disjointedness that a divorce causes on a family and it’s a recipe for some unsettledness.

And so I have to work on this Christmas thing.  And thus I’m a bit thankful for a church that believes in entering into an Advent kind of experience.  My soul needs a fresh movement of the rediscovery of the season.

Today I read Psalm 40: 1-3 from The Message.

I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. 
   He lifted me out of the ditch, 
      pulled me from deep mud. 
   He stood me up on a solid rock 
      to make sure I wouldn't slip. 
   He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, 
      a praise-song to our God. 
   More and more people are seeing this: 
      they enter the mystery, 
      abandoning themselves to God.

I’ve felt like that.  I’ve waited and waited. Felt like I was in a ditch and needing solid rock.  And God met me in unexpected ways.  I need God to meet me again.  Maybe you do too.  But the waiting is hard especially when the way out is entering into ‘mystery’ instead of certainty and when abandoning yourself to God is the very last thing on your mind.

On my journey recently I’m encountering some pretty hurt people.  The holiday season seems to bring unsettling emotion to the forefront.  A whole lot of folks I know are waiting for a God that they aren’t even sure they want to see show up.  Because when he does He’ll get an earful. They want to ‘abandon themselves to God’ but are sick and tired of the uncertainty of the mystery.

Maybe this describes you. 

Maybe Advent is just what you need.  It’s where the ‘hopes and fears of all the years’ are laid out on the table.  And maybe that’s where we all start.  We lay are cards on the table, admitting our doubts and certainties, our pain and our joy and dare God to help us make sense of it all.  Such is the way of faith.  It’s not for the faint hearted.  It’s a necessary journey into the truth of our own lives and a hope filled yearning for a God who will indeed show up and makes things ‘alright’ again.

It’s in the ‘in between time’ that we live during Advent.  Will God really show up?  And if He doesn’t what will happen? Will we embrace the ‘waiting’ for another season?  And if He does will I recognize His presence?  And if I do recognize God will I willingly abandon myself to Him?  

So we wait and wonder.  Advent.

Broken Road Thankfulness

The broken road.  Most of us have traveled it.  When a dream is shattered, when a relationship flounders, when our world falls apart the superhighways of life seem to disappear and we find ourselves on what appears to be a lonely and barren path.

It is a good road but not a welcome one.  It’s not a chosen path.  Some die on this path.  They emotionally cave in.  Spiritually they falter.  When viewed as a broken road to nowhere that expectation comes true.

Others embrace the broken road. It heals them.  And on the journey into their brokenness they discover that they are not alone.  There are other wounded people on the same journey and God uses them to help heal our wounds.

I’m thankful for the broken road and for broken road healers.

Yesterday I did a wedding of two friends.  I said this to them:

 “You have traveled a broken road. And on the broken road a good and beautiful God has helped you discover a partner for your remaining journey. On your road, you embraced your personal brokenness, dealt with your sadness, found traveling companions, reacquired confidence in yourself and God.  You’ve discovered that you can love again and in the process have allowed yourself to be loved.  And you’ve learned to trust once more.  And that’s huge because not to long ago you didn’t think you’d ever trust anyone again.

And so  I believe God is smiling today.  Two of his favorite broken road people are saying ‘yes’ to each other and He knows that you want Him in this marriage with you. 

I’m privileged to know both of you.  I’ve been blessed to be part of your journey.  Just as both of you have blessed mine. I’m convinced that you know what love will require of you. You have the right vision of what your marriage can be.  Your intention to live into the full potential of your relationship is a beautiful and good thing.  You understand that the means of living into your dream will be fueled by healthy doses of both selflessness and intentionality…

God has blessed your broken road hasn’t he?  You both have allowed God to use it to shape you more and more into the image of Christ.  And God will use your broken road experiences to help and encourage  others.  I’m convinced of it.”

During the candle ceremony Racal Flatt’s ‘God Bless the Broken Road’ was sung. Very appropriate.

So, today, on Thanksgiving Day, I’m thankful for so much.  But I’m especially thankful for ‘broken road’ people who enrich my life so wonderfully.  They are the wounded healers who ‘get’ what life was meant to be and are making kingdom impact wherever they continue to travel.

And I want to give a special Thanksgiving shout out to Mike and Joyce, the ‘two who became one’ yesterday.  Enjoy what God has done and will continue to do in your life.  Woo hoo!!!

Especially to God I am thankful.  Bill and Gloria Gaither said it well.  "Something beautiful. Something good.  All my confusion He understood. All I had to offer him was brokenness and strife.  But He made something beautiful of my life."  Yay God.

What's New?

Change is a constant in all of our lives.  Do we want that change to occur with God or without Him?

The sad truth is that we are a part of a culture that likes to pick and choose everything. We even like to choose what version of God we want.  It’s as if we go into a God Shop and start shopping for a deity.  Not finding what we want exactly we begin to borrow from this philosophy and that TV show and this economic perspective and that political idedology (there are shelves and shelves of such stuff in the God Shop) and before you know it we have enough ingredients to mix ourselves up a little god.  And when that god is fully formed it's comfortable and cuddly. It looks amazingly like us if truth be known. But it’s really just a trinket god with no power to transform our lives.  It does however look nice on the mantel.

But  then there’s a real God.  People walk right by Him in the god shop.  He’s on the lower shelf, fairly non descript. Mother Theresa described Him as wearing the' most distressing of disguises'. As Lucy discovers in Narnia this God, who is the King, is never safe but always good.  And this God on the lower shelf doesn’t always say the most politically correct things.  This God won’t settle for sitting on the mantel.  He’s an active God who will challenge both our lifestyle and our thinking.  He is quite determined and inflexible in his notions of holiness.  And he’s crazy in love with us. 

And a whole lot of people don’t want this real God. He is not convenient or tame. Some find him embarrassing and far too demanding.  He is the God, however, who is.  He’s different from the god we conjure up.  The real God is a bit more inclined to mess with our lives and isn’t particularly impressed with those things we’re obsessive about.

As followers of Jesus it’s our job to make sure our life is being shaped and changed by the God who really is, not the god of our imagination, shaped by our own personality and our lack of discovery.  Our job is to be in search for the God of the bible.

I believe that God will change your life.  And as part of that process He wants to give us a new identity and a new name.

I remember once a teacher in grade school told me that I didn’t have what it takes. She said, “You’ll never go to college. Just not bright enough.”  Kind of shocking someone would say that to a little kid.  I knew instinctively that she was wrong and that I was more than 'not bright enough' but her words hit me hard and knocked me back. She had given me a name and it wasn't good.  It was one of those times when I realized that the old playground taunt is wrong …”Just as sticks and stones can break our bones words can hurt us”.

The Bible tells us in the Book of Revelations that God is going to do something for all of us who live victoriously. “And I will give to each one a white stone (a sign of victory in ancient times), and on that stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.”  (that secret name is a sign of great intimacy …given by a God who knows us to our innermost being).

What do you think is going to be written on your stone?  It’s not going to be Stinky or Thuderthighs, or Fat Bob, or Wiener. It’s not going to be Weird Al, or You're an idiot.  It's not going to say 'you’re the one who disappoints me’.  It’s not going to say divorced, dropout, sinner or unable to pay your bills. It’s going to be a name that builds you up, not tear you down. Mine isn’t going to say ‘not bright enough’.  That’s not my name.  Another teacher gave me a foretaste of what God is going to write on my stone.  She called me a talented student.  And I was able to finally trade in ‘not bright enough’ for a new name that helped me forge a more noble new identity. 

The God of the Bible is all about giving us a new identity.  Check out 2 Corninthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 

I don’t know what you believe about yourself but I know that the identity God wants us to live into is has power and purpose attached to it. Here’s the identity of the new person in Christ.  

I am a child of God. One in whom Christ dwells.  I am an inhabitant of a joy filled eternity.  I have been bought by the blood of Christ. I am infused with God’s power and presence. I do not have to live a sad, fearful or defeated life.  I am a new creation. I was designed to have the fullness of God inhabit me.  I am an ambassador of the Creator of the World.  I am somebody.  I belong to God. I am free from condemnation.  I cannot be separated from God’s love.  I am being transformed into the image of Christ. 

Our identity comes from being clear about what God has done, is doing, and will continue to do in our life.  And that identity can change the trajectory of our life.  When I decided not to buy into an identity of being stupid and instead saw myself as having potential my life changed.   Just as our life can change when we begin to live within the framework of a new God given identity.

So, is faith just about thinking about positively about ourselves.? No, but it doesn’t hurt.  Scripture does tell us that we will “be transformed by the renewing of our mind”.  I have no problem thinking positively about a God place identity.  Neither should you.

The tag line on this blog says this.  “Live like God is real and He will transform your life.”

Somebody might be saying: “Living like God is real can be hard. And I might not like the path the transformation takes me on.” And if you’re saying that …well, you’re right. But life  is difficult and hard no matter what. Would I rather walk through life with a good God who gives me new identity and renewed purpose or trust only in what the counterfeit god I’ve invented can do for me? 

I choose to go through it with  the God of the Bible.  Our job is to live into our new identity by holding onto the God that gives it to us. And we do it in a world that still carries far too much of the remnants of sin in it …a world that can defeat us at times unless we’re clinging hard and fast to a good God. 

When I used to coach I’d ask my players to trust me.  To trust that I knew what I was doing, how I was preparing them, and to trust me especially when crunch time came.  But they’d have to believe that my way was the good way even if, at times, my methods and my tactics seemed unorthodox.  Most players bought into it. A few didn’t.  The teams that bought into it did a whole lot better than those that didn’t. It wasn’t always easy.  But at crunch time, in the final seconds of  an overtime, when we had time for only one more play I loved looking into the eyes of my players.  They came to me as individual players.  Now they were a team and a band of brothers. They had succeeded in creating a new identity.  And as a team they were ready for the moment at hand.

And at times like that I could easily give them new names. I could look Darnell in the eyes and say ‘your new name is Sky Walker for no one jumps like you do, and I could say to Andrew …youre name is Stud Defender and I could look at Ricky and say ‘your name is Captain and Leader. To Michael I could say You’re our warrior.  To Jermaine I could say you’re The Glue that holds this team together.  To each …a new name added to a new identity. 

So it is with the Christian faith.  God says trust me. I know you’re not going to always understand why I’m doing what I’m doing.  For  “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways.  .”   He says, “Buy into what I’m saying. I am a good God. I’m a loving God. I paid a deep price for you.  You are a new creation.  I love you like crazy.  I have a new name for you. Trust me. Forever we’ll be together.  I am the God who is. I am the God who changes lives.  And I want to transform yours.  May it be so.

When you're not sure what to blog about.

I’m realizing that I haven’t posted on my blog for a couple of weeks.  I’ve been very busy.  I have some ideas.  Not sure what strikes my fancy but here’s snippets of some of the stuff going on in my head.  

Doing a sermon this week called God is Life Changing but wondering if anyone really feels their life is changing because of God.  Seems like there are a fair amount of people doing things that they hope will be life changing but not feeling any of the power of God while they're doing it.

I was channel surfing last night and caught a glimpse of Sara Palin’s Alaska.  No matter what you think of her politics she sure is a pretty good marketer of her message.

Why do I like to watch House Hunters International?

Also, tuned in briefly to Mike Huckabee’s show.  Never saw it before.  I’ve always liked the guy.  He has a way of talking politics that makes sense, invites dialogue, and isn’t mean spirited.  May his tribe increase.

There sure are a lot of empty seats at NFL stadiums these days.  Wonder what means?

Chicago is bracing for it’s mayoral election.  Might make a long winter a bit more entertaining.  It’s an interesting cast of characters.  Big shoes to fill.  Daley certainly made the city work.  How he made it work was a bit questionable at times but he certainly kept things moving.

Just heard that a Democratic congresswomen is urging her party to delay their decision about legislative leadership until they’ve had time to talk about and understand fully what the ‘shellacking’ a few weeks ago actually means.  Got to applaud her for doing this.  I doubt if they’ll heed her advice but moving quickly in the midst of adversity isn’t always the best thing to do.

My wife is on a book tour.  Heading to NY City next.  Lots of people don’t realize that writing a book is one thing.  Promoting it is an entirely different matter. Even with a good publisher like Zondervan there’s a whole lot an author has to do on their own to build an audience.  Anita’s lucky that she has a platform and contacts to launch a promotion so her ‘message’ can get out.  Others who have some good things to say don’t have that kind of platform.  It’s what makes publishing difficult these days.  Anita wrote a blog post about it.  www.anitalustrea.com

Been thinking about something I’m learning about myself.  I’m afraid to live fully into the power of my own influence.  Wonder what that’s all about?

Holidays are coming fast.  I’m one of those folks who doesn’t revel in it all.  Not quite sure why.  Some childhood stuff going on I’m sure.  Divorce plays a big factor (the gift that keeps on giving J).  I think fear of not being able to live into the ‘high expectations’ of the season is another.  I’m sure there are plenty of folks like me out there.

My stepson John is in the midst of a college search and choosing process.  Whew!!!  Good choices he has.  Much money it will cost.  College, I think, is wasted on the young.  Wish I could go back.  I’d actually sign up for early morning classes now that I’m up early in the morning.  Does that have anything to do with age?

We’re planning an Advent series at the church for our 2HC Worship.  How to make Christmas come alive for folks who have heard the story a gazillion times?  Just praying that God will use what we come up with for His purposes.

I’ve been struggling mightily with the notion of ‘community’.  Is the community I’m looking for just a figment of my imagination?  Is it right before my eyes and I don’t recognize it?  What does Christian community look like or is Facebook community enough?

Still can’t understand why God is calling thousands of good faith-filled people to Florida and Arizona during the snow season?  It seems that many are going without any sense of a divine assignment but only out of a sense of personal entitlement.  Does that seem odd to you? Of course, if you've lived all your life without looking for a divine assignment doing your own thing is the only thing you know how to do.

Before the Votes are Counted

I don’t know who won or lost in today’s election.  The votes aren’t counted as I’m writing this.  My best guess is that the electoral tilt will be to the right.  There will be another week or two of detailed ‘spin’ from all sides and then who knows what will happen.  For sure, the Democrats will need to reorganize in order to reenergize.  The Republicans will have to heal the conservative vs. moderate rift in their own ranks in order to make sure this is not a one and done kind of deal.

America will be able to slow down, catch our collective breath and then start leaning into a world that is filled with both challenge and opportunity.  Are you ready?

If the latest electoral season is any indication we are in deep need of a deeper goodness in our country. Actually, I think that deeper goodness is here.  It’s just obscured a bit.  And we need an infusion of hope. At least I’m sensing we do.  I don’t think Rush, Glen, Jon, the ladies from the View, or Oprah can do it.  Not even Barak or Sarah.  God can certainly use them but we are in need of something more substantive than what our entertainers, pundits, gadflies, and politicians can offer us. 

For some of us that more substantive thing is a reawakening in our spirit.  In our churches it may mean revival.  In many arenas it’s a rediscovery of passion and an unleashing of talent. For sure, I think being more attentive to the promptings of God is at the heart of the renewal that needs to take place.

My prayer is that the church continues to show leadership in all things leading to awakening and re- imagining our preferred future. It means facing down and filling the holes in our gospel (thank you Richard Stearns) and living into the ‘unforced rhythms of grace’ (thank you Eugene Peterson).

The church is at its best when we do what we can do best.  That means showing up where the need is great.  How many hospitals, schools, orphanages, hospices, homeless shelters, feeding centers ….bear the imprint of the faithfulness of God’s people?  It’s everywhere you look  We certainly still see evidence of God’s people going to difficult places, to do difficult things often at the cost of their life.  It makes me want to both applaud and cry.  Even the most jaundiced observer of church life has to give a thumbs up to the millions upon millions upon millions of dollars given freely to help those who have so little.  Add to these heroic efforts the gazillions of little kindness and courtesies done day after day in every workplace and neighborhood that make our world a better place.

Yet, I think we’re just scratching the surface of our potential especially when we gauge the great need all around us.  How many of us are still caught up in things that are so self serving that we just can’t see a very cool, greater call on our life?

The hope we desperately need in our country and around the world is going to come as a result of paying attention to the very things God pays attention to.  In all honesty segments of the church seem to be playing around with things that don’t really matter and missing out on great opportunities to join God where He is truly at work.  I’m more concerned about what we can do proactively going forward rather than staying angry about what has already occurred. 

So, election day is almost over.  Some who read this will be very discouraged over the results.  Some not so much.  In fact, there will be great jubilation in some circles.  If history is any indicator our joys and sorrows in the political arena are short-lived.  It’s rascals in and rascals out (according to a finicky public) in pretty predictable cycles.  But God is doing something beyond our politics and culture battles.  He’s on the prowl.  He knows what needs to be done. As always, God will use the church.  It’s the vehicle He uses. Always has. Always will. I want in on this.  I want in on the next chapter God is writing. How about you? 

So, I will pray for our new leaders and for my friends that want to make a huge impact in the political arena.  May God use them greatly, beyond expectation.  Wouldn’t that be something?  In the meantime there’s another place to play, a different kind of kingdom to serve.  Here’s to the future.

Paying Attention

Just received an update from Kevin and Helen, missionary friends from New Zealand.  They oversee a number of projects for Bright Hope World in Asia and Africa.  You can follow their exploits at http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?go=bigkevandnell&aff_id=15

I’m always struck by their observations of people and the lands they travel.  Having spent a week with them in the bush of Uganda I know of their commitment to the poorest of the poor.  They live out the gospel in incredible ways looking for ways to encourage local Christians and to seed worthwhile projects that will help provide a healthy economic framework for familes and entire neighborhoods/villages.  They have a very wholistic way of looking at Scriptrue.

I’m struck, at times, with how stuck we are in our approach to God’s word.  We read it, at times, in such a pietistic way that we miss out on the social dimensions of God’s intent. Others, of course, do quite the opposite, missing out on ‘being’ in that personal relationship with a God who loves them like crazy.

Tomorrow I start teaching a class at our church called “Justice and the Everyday Christian”.  My original title was “Glenn Beck is Wrong” but was considered a bit too inflammatory. Although with just three people currently registered I think the first title might have packed the room.

What does doing justice really mean in an ordinary life?  That’s the question isn’t it.  Certainly it means being ‘just’ in the way we live, where we currently are.  Surely we are intended to bloom where we’re planted.  But leading a life of justice also requires asking tougher questions.  Perhaps we’re planted in the wrong place and our gifts and talents can be used elsewhere.  Self-satisfaction can keep us from having our heart break over the same things that break the heart of God.

We’re getting better at seeing the world I think.  We make modest attempts to ‘fair trade’ our purchases and to give more generously.  Some trek like I did to Africa  to see first hand what God is doing in those place.  Others regularly invest in inner city neighborhoods partnering with ministries who work with people on the edges of the American dream. More than a few are using power and influence to help dismantle or at least challenge ongoing systemic injustices. This is all good. I think I’m part of this crowd. I’m aware, active, and growing in my understanding. And unfortunately I want to pat myself on the back for that.

There’s another part of me, however, that is almost afraid to ask God ‘what more is required of me’. I like making modest attempts at things.  Could God be asking me or you for greater sacrifice and/or investment?  That’s a huge question isn’t it?  It’s not for the faint hearted.

Throughout Scripture God asks people to do difficult things.  He asks for bold devotion and almost heroic contribution.  He demands heart commitment and extra mile compassion. God asks for more than a sinners prayer.  He asks for a life well lived.  When we live well we pay attention.

Maybe that’s it.  Maybe the ongoing habit  for anyone who wants to live wholistically  in today’s world as a follower of Christ is to keep on paying attention.  And to pay attention not just to what’s convenient and self-serving but also to those things that are inconvenient, requiring selflessness.  Maybe that’s at the heart of being a Christ follower.

My friends Helen and Kevin pay attention.  God sends them on adventures, often heart breaking ones in some of the ugliest places in the world to meet some of God’s most precious people. .  I know people who are extraordinarily kind.  Because they pay attention God blesses them by putting people in their path who need tender kindnesses lavished on them. 

And I know people who don’t pay attention and they try to find meaning in the clothes racks at Nordstroms or in caffeine rush of Starbucks.  That’s not where the heart of God resides no matter how hard we try to convince ourselves of that. 

Tomorrow I will teach on ‘justice and the everyday Christian’.  I’m thankful for the people who will show up.  I’m betting they are listening to the stirring of God in their heart.  Why else would they want to explore such a topic?  And I will tell them that the #1 rule for people who want to live justly is that they must ‘pay attention’.  And when they do they must listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. They can’t be surprised if the Holy Spirit asks ‘even more of them’. And then they must step into the adventure of faith in a bold new way.

Vote

Tuesday is coming.  Election day.  Are you going to vote? My guess is that a whole lot of people will ride this mid-term election out. Too bad. Kind of un-American really.

I’m voting this time  because it’s my obligation as a citizen to do so.  That’s not very compelling, I know, but it’s as real as I can get.  I’m trying to figure out who to vote for.  In all honesty, I’m not inspired by my choices.  In some races it’s a little bit like voting for the political version of the movie ‘Dumb and Dumber’. I could vote for ‘none of the above’ those instances but that little noise of resistance won’t even be heard.  In this election I have to make the most educated choice I can because my heart isn’t beating hard for anyone. But vote I must.  People have died for the right to vote.  Many around the world still don’t have an opportunity to vote in a fair and free election. By showing up and casting a ballot I’m saying that democracy still means something to me.  Not voting isn’t an option for me.  It shouldn’t be for you.

In all honesty we have a lot of ‘not so good’ candidates these days.  Politics is not for the faint hearted.  And so many good people who are excellent leaders are refusing to play the political game.  Even if one does step forward can they count on other good people to go to the polls and cast a ballot?  There are good candidates however. There really are. Finding them isn’t always easy but it’s important for us to look and to look beyond our normal patterns and habits. It means that we take the time to inform ourselves.  That’s more work than the grumbling we usually do.  It’s necessary work though.

This should be an interesting election.  The Democrats will lose ground if historical trends continue. The Republicans will gain some. And the rebel factions in this election are making the political scene a bit dicey this time around. 

I've been watching the ‘Tea Party’ with some fascination.  I don’t love all the rhetoric and tactics I’ve seen.  I do enjoy the fact that the political establishment is sitting straighter and taking notice.  The ‘Tea Party’ movement might be the needed corrective for a system that’s gotten too fat and sassy for its own good. Will it have long life as a movement?  Hard to tell.  If it’s successful it runs the risk of becoming what it despises.  In the meantime, it might be the stimulus for needed reform.

 A lot of you who read this are people of faith.  Many of you have a ‘litmus test’ that candidates must pass.  I have my own litmus test.  I’m looking for the candidates who will fight for a more just society regardless of political affiliation.  Are they willing to look at points of view different than their own?  Can they change their mind?  Do they care about the marginalized?  Do they care about the very things that break the heart of God?  Are they a man or woman of integrity? I don’t expect every candidate I vote for to be 100% in lock step agreement with my political and religious point of view.  I’m looking at character.  If someone is willing to listen and isn’t afraid to change their mind then that person has a leg up on someone who’s rigid in thought and practice even if we’re closer to agreement on key issues.

Bottom line.  Vote. That’s what good citizens do. Encourage others to vote.  And continue to pray for the leaders of our country even those you don’t like.  Leadership is tough these days.  The issues are many.  Solutions aren’t necessarily easy to come by.  God’s help is needed.

Preacher Remorse Day

I know stuff.  Some of it is useful. Lots of it isn’t.  At times, the stuff I know has been helpful to people.  Other times not so much.  There’s lots of stuff I don’t know.  For instance, I don’t know much about quantum physics.  Actually, I know nothing about it.  Women confuse me.  Anita, however, continues to be a good guide.  I know stuff about God.  Probably more than the average person but if truth be known …there’s a whole lot about God that I know I don’t get.  However, by profession and calling, I have the privilege of telling people what I do know and confessing my ignorance about what I don’t.  That’s always humbling.

At our church we’re preaching through a series called ‘God is…’.  You know the drill.  God is love.  God is sufficient.  God is good.  God is holy.  I played a fun, little ditty by the Michael Gungor band yesterday  about what God isn’t.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WybvhRu9KU   According to the band God isn’t easily boxed in.  That’s much to the chagrin I’m sure of people who have the habit of doing such things.  I guess it makes life easier to ‘box’ away.  It’s just hard to remember where you’ve put everything after awhile.  Trying to remember that God loves us all …lesbians, terrorists, conservative, liberals, Protestants,  Catholics, Mormans, Jews, Muslims, and even the guy who didn’t stop at a stop sign and almost hit me yesterday isn’t everyone’s favorite pastime.  We like to play games with winners and losers.  God’s love seems to favor ‘losers’ and it doesn’t make sense.

So, yesterday I stood up and stated that God is love.  I believe it and don’t have to convince myself of it.  But as I stood up yesterday I realized that I didn’t have the words in my heart to adequately express what I know to be true.  So, I danced around it a little bit and far too quickly moved to life application issues.  “How then do we show God’s love to others?” Today, I’m a little ticked at myself for doing that.  I should have stayed with the main course for awhile longer.  And there’s the dilemma for me.  I’m going to be really honest here.  Maybe I don’t know enough about God’s love to speak with any authority about it.  Again, I believe God is love and I’ve certainly experienced it and seen it in action but yesterday I felt like I couldn’t put words to it.  And in all honesty, I worry that the little bit I said yesterday was all I know.  That bothers me.  Don’t get me wrong.  I think it was OK stuff but today (preacher remorse day) I’m bothered about not being able to dive deeper, at times, into important subject matter.

Part of the problem for me is that I know myself pretty well. As a result of upbringing, personal experience, failure, and sin ‘love’ is something I know exists but have a hard time accepting.  Like many, I don’t think I’m very loveable.  My wife tries to convince me otherwise and I have many friends but there is something inside me that resists ‘love’.  Intellectually, I get it. Emotionally, I put up walls.  That keeps love from getting in and being released.  And at times I wonder how a good God could love me. 

Despite my bewilderment I know God does love me.  I believe the truth of the biblical text.  I have experienced his love on numerous occasions.  In my marriage I feel secure in Anita’s love.  But those darn walls.  Sometimes I think they are everywhere.  Most certainly, at times, they get between my head and my heart. 

I’m reminded of a story about Karl Barth I believe. Someone asked this brilliant man what he knew about God.  He thought for a moment and then began to sing:

Jesus loves me this I know

For the Bible tells me so.

That’s what I cling to oftentimes when everything else is a bit murky. Jesus invited me into His heart a long time ago.  I said ‘yes’.  Sometimes all I can muster is the objective truth of the written word.

I felt compelled to write this morning.  To work this all out.  Like a written confessional.  It’s good for my soul.  A sign of God’s love I think.  A bit of angst goes with being an introvert.  My hidden ‘extrovert’ needs to think out loud.

By the way, I think the sermon went just fine. At least it is lingering with me.  That’s always  a good thing.  Sometimes the message I think is intended for others is really meant for myself.

Blessings.

Election Day Coming

Watching the TV ads I’ve learned that one candidate is damned because he’s earned money in his lifetime (how dare he), another is a liar, a third is unprincipled, another didn’t anticipate the economic collapse, another is incapable because he’s a friend of Obama, and another because he supported Bush.

Like little children in a playground shouting match grown-up people are saying just about anything that comes into their head these days.  It doesn’t have to be thoughtful or principled but it has to be well executed and hard hitting.

The problem is that whatever they’re slinging is starting to pile up and the smell throughout America is nauseating. 

I’d love to see an ad that has a candidate looking into the camera saying something like this.

 “I’m running for ______________________.  I have an opponent.  He/she is a good person.  The truth is that he/she will probably do a good job if elected.  The reality is that we’re basically on the same page on a whole lot of issues but not all.  We have different perspectives specifically on education, health care, and immigration. Most everything else we’re on the same page.  On some of the big issues neither of us has the one right answer. We have opinions and convictions but both our positions probably need to be adjusted. There’s a lot we don’t understand.  Adjustments come by listening.  That’s what I promise to do.  If you vote for me I’ll listen.  I’ll listen to you and I’ll listen to others in the legislative body. I’ll listen to the experts in the field and to those who will be impacted by our policies.  As I listen I might change my mind on some things.  When I do I’ll tell you about it.  I want you to know that I’ll value each and every vote I cast.  Without sacrificing my family or my health I’ll work hard.  Wherever I can I’ll try to build a bridge to the other party and give credit where credit is due.  I’ll be cautious about spending your tax money but I will have to vote to spend it. That’s one promise I can make.   Some of you won’t like my votes.  Tell me why.  And I’ll tell you why I felt compelled to vote the way I did.  Even if you don’t like my reasoning you'll know exactly where I stand.

So, I want your vote.  Look carefully at my position papers and those of my opponent.  If you think he/she is the best candidate vote that way.  But don’t just vote for me and against him/her because of your habit of always voting for either a Democrat or Republican.  That doesn’t work very well anymore.  Vote for the person you have the deepest conviction about.  As I said, my opponent is a good person.  I’m proud to be in the political arena with someone of his/her character. 

See you on election day."

Would love to see something like that.  Honesty and authenticity instead of half-truth and innuendo.   OK, I know, I know …I’m an idealist.  In a perfect world principled people with good ideas and great character run campaigns that inspire and inform.  The trouble is that we live in an imperfect world and our political arenas are not always populated by smart people guided by heartfelt principles. And so mud slinging and truth twisting because an accepted norm.  And that troubles me.  For when it becomes an acceptable campaign tactic it sends a message to one and all that we’re settling and giving a thumbs up to sleaze.  Ugh.

I’m realizing more and more that somehow, someway those of us who care have to speak up and ask for ‘better’ from politicians.  The free swinging anger of the ‘new’ right wing and the patronizing, sardonic attitude of the left are all part of the same problem.  We don’t know how to ‘say what we mean’ in ways that are both clear and civilized. And that scares me.  We know how to mock, shout, grimace, tell lies, manipulate facts, and create a firestorm of public opinion.  I’m thinking that civilized folks can do better than that. 

Me and Mandela

I just finished reading Nelson Mandela’s autobiography.  It called ‘Long Walk to Freedom”.  I’m late to the table on this read.  It was published in 1995.  It was profoundly thought provoking.

Mandela was on a mission.  He once said: “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to the struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”  To be willing to die for that which you live is a riveting testament to a life well lived.

Mandela spent ten thousand days in prison. He was a political prisoner. ‘Free Mandela’ became a rallying cry as Black South Africans struggled to overthrow the oppressiveness of apartheid.  Awarded the Nobel Peace Price Mandela eventually became the leader of South Africa and a spokesperson for the marginalized and oppressed world wide.

Ten thousand days in prison.  That’s a fair amount of years, closing in on three decades.  With a compromise here, an accommodation there, a wink and a nod at the right times Mandela could have become a free man at just about any time during his incarceration.  Yet he chose not to nod, wink, accommodate or compromise.  The price of doing so was too great.

Mandela was fighting a ‘system’ that was unjust.  Until that system changed and was in fact eradicated there could be no accommodation in his eyes.  The only option was to stay the course and allow his imprisonment and the imprisonment of other like minded men and women to speak loudly about the tyranny of the ‘white’ South African regime.

Imprisonment became a source of power and influence.  It reminds me of the upside down kingdom strategies of Jesus.

We live today in world where there are unjust systems.  How many times have I adjusted to and accommodated those unjust systems?  How many times have I chosen to remain silent instead of using my position of influence to speak against injustice? How many times have I chosen to remain blind to the marginalization of people within a short driving distance of my home?

John F. Kennedy once wrote a book called ‘Portraits of Courage’.  I didn’t make it in.  And the truth of the matter is that my accommodations and indifference are not the acts of a courageous person.  They are the acts of someone who is indifferent.

I want to be courageous.  Not indifferent.  But all too often I cower in my corner of the universe failing to challenge ideas and systems.  And yet I’m not comfortable with my indifference.  It smacks of the ‘apathy’ I truly appall but have adapted to.  I want to be a difference maker.

To be a Christian means that I can’t wink and nod at those things that are wrong in today’s world.  Yet, some would persuade me that hiding in a little religious corner and doing exactly that is the ‘way of God’.  Maybe.  But what God.  Certainly not the ‘God in the flesh’ I’m committed to following.

A self serving  faith gives me permission to sit still, stay complacent, and find some Kumbaya friends to make nice with.  I have a hunch that complacency, sitting still, and holy huddles weren’t what Jesus was talking about.  How many of us have settled for a faith that has very little to do with what Jesus was all about?

Tonight, I’m asking myself “Am I fighting for those things that are worth dying for?”  And if I’m fighting for something noble can I win the battle if I’m willing to wink and nod my way to make easy, thoughtless accommodations?  Something worth pondering.

Good God?

Last week my favorite college football team (The Johnnies from St. John’s in Collegeville, MN) lost to their arch rival St. Thomas in overtime. It was in front of a record crowd for Division III football (16,421). The loss probably knocked them out of the playoffs.

Sometime during the game I remember asking God for a victory. And when they didn’t get it ….I wondered about the goodness of God. Why would he give victory to the Tommies when we all know my alma mater probably is filled with more righteous people than our big city opponents?

OK. Maybe I didn’t wonder about the goodness of God when victory was snatched away from us. I was disappointed. And I bet there were some rabid fans who looked to the heavens, shook their fist, and wondered ‘why’.

I know that happened. Because that’s what we do. We wonder much about the wisdom, the integrity, and the goodness of God.

One of God's faithful missionaries, Allen Gardiner, experienced many physical difficulties and hardships throughout his service to Jesus. Despite his troubles, he said, "While God gives me strength, failure will not daunt me." In 1851, at the age of 57, he died of disease and starvation while serving on Picton Island at the southern tip of South America. When his body was found, his diary lay nearby. It bore the record of hunger, thirst, wounds, and loneliness. The last entry in his little book showed the struggle of his shaking hand as he tried to write legibly. It read, "I am overwhelmed with a sense of the goodness of God." (from sermonillustrations.com)

“I am overwhelmed with a sense of the goodness of God.” Whew. That’s a mouthful. Considering his circumstances that’s a big mouthful.

Is God good? We ask the question all the time. I wondered about it when St. John’s missed the extra point. 9/11 got us thinking about it. So did Katrina.

We hear it phrased in this way “If God is good why …”

If God is good ….?

I know a fair amount of people whose faith is weak, easily shaken. Their faith is strong on picnic days when the sun is out and the breeze is gentle. Their faith weakens when their plans are thwarted. when the promise of a good day morphs into heavy rains and high winds. And the praise of a good God becomes a whiny complaint. We wonder aloud and mutter “what good is God? Why is there rain on my parade? “

So Is he? Is God good? And the truth is many people aren’t sure that He is. And so they play the blame game, accusing God of being not good, malicious in intent, a manipulative force in our lives bent on blocking our goals and ruining our fun. Helpless, God seems, in the face of racisim, poverty, illness, despotic political systems, rising taxes, and the plaintive pleas of football fans.

If God is not good then the world we live in becomes a paralyzing, terrifying place filled with dread of unfair treatment and capricious divine judgment. It is a world lacking hope.

I believe in a good God. I see that goodness permeating the Scriptures and I’m reminded of God’s goodness everyday through the lives of good people, living out their faith in both simple and heroic ways.

And today I want to state unequivocably …God is good. He is always good.

When we look through the Scriptures we get a lot of mixed messages, at first blush, about God. The God of the Old Testament appears to have a habit of smiting, drowning, challenging, inconveniencing and attacking people. I’ve had people say that the Old Testament God has ‘ issues’ and that thankfully he took advantage of some ‘anger management’ seminars. Thus, the New Testament is a little easier read.

But the truth of the matter is that throughout the Scripture we see a good God in search of his wayward children. He deals with those children in historical and culturally appropriate ways. He speaks their language. People in a primitive culture understood the power of nature, the uncertainty of day by day living, and the power struggles that resulted in invasions and occupations by enemies. It is, in and through, their cultural understandings that God tends to get His people’s attention.

Francis Chan says that "The whole message of the Bible is not about this God in Heaven who wants to take from you. It's about this God who wants to give to you. And if you miss out on that, you're gonna miss the whole point of your life.”

It doesn’t take long to see the goodness of God in virtually every part of Scripture. He walks alongside, he cajoles, he gives second and third and fourth chances, he sends messengers and signs. He writes his signature on the canvas of creation.

Is God good? Scripture screams of his goodness page after page after page. And that’s why when we come to the end of our rope, when we’ve exhausted our own resources …we seek comfort in the goodness of God as revealed in the word of God.

Is God good?

Look no further than the closest example of the people of God at work. A hundred of my churchmates are running for World Vision in the Chicago Marathon this weekend. They’ve raised in excess of $60,000 to be used in a village in Africa. The goodness of God is flowing through this effort. And these good people are a force for good.

Phil Yancey writes that “if someone in Africa is asked what a Christian is they might say "Well, I'm not sure, but there's this hospital van that comes here once a month and has a cross on it and they treat our wounds."

Another might say, "Well, I'm not sure but these folks came and they dug a well for my village and now we have something to drink.”

My friend Lori in Reno is quitting her job that gives her a stable income to dive into the poorest neighborhood in the city. Why? A good God is nudging her to use her gifts in behalf of the most marginalized.

The people of God, filled with the goodness of God, do good things in every nook and cranny of our world. We are the only ‘text of God’ people often see.

Is God good? Yep. Do things happen that make us scratch our head and wonder why? All the time. But I'm learning that what I don't understand isn't going to kill me. Living with a world view that views God as 'not good' might be hazardous to my health.

Questions. Hard questions.

I'm in the second week of facilitating a discussion among a diverse group of wonderful people about the important issues of our day and age. We're going to be tackling at least a few of the following questions tonight. It sets us up for a continued, honest dialog about such things as race, ethnicity, privilege, power, and class.

As you know I believe that unless we figure out ways to really talk together instead of hurling slogans, rumor, innuendo, and hate around ...we're in a deep pool of water with no way out. Hard questions among people desiring to come to some common understandings is one way to bridge the gaps in today's culture. Feel free to use them in your own journaling, in a home group or Sunday School class. If you can bring together young, old, rich, poor, white, black, brown and yellow the discussion will be richer.


The first time I realized there were people different from me in the world was…

What does the current economic recession mean to the rich?

What does the current economic recession mean to the poor?

If you consider yourself a person of privilege how does that impact the way you look at the world?

How does racism manifest itself in today’s world?

Talk about how you think class divisions and racial divisions in our country are impacting people.

Is social justice really part of the gospel message of Jesus?

Can someone truly be a follower of Christ if they don’t care about people who are on the margins of life? Who's on the margins?

What does racial reconciliation mean to you?

When you drive through a ‘city’ neighborhood and see a group of young men on the corner wearing white t-shirts what runs through your mind?

Have you ever felt you’ve been denied opportunity because of your race or ethnic background?

How has a relationship with someone truly different from you impacted your life?

Do you ever get confused as to why people of another ethnic or racial group act the way they do?

When people you know say ‘times are tough’ what do they mean by that?

It’s said that ’10:00 Sunday is the most segregated hour’ of the week. What’s the problem?

When you pass by a gated community what do the gates represent to you?

How has the amount of money you have or the lack of money impacted your life?

Do we live in a society where there is equal opportunity?

Many people who drive into the ‘inner city’ for the first time find themselves feeling apprehensive? Why do you think that is?

Have you ever felt you were being watched or targeted because of your race or ethnicity?

When someone points out that ‘so and so’ lives a life of privilege what do they mean?

When someone points to someone else and says ‘that person feels entitled’ what do you think they mean?

Is life more fair for some than it is for others?

When Jesus talked about the ‘least of these’ what was he talking about?

When you ask the average suburbanite about the ‘inner city’ what are they thinking?

When you ask the average person who lives in the ‘inner city’ about people who live in the suburbs what are they thinking?

If God called you to ‘give away all that you have’ in order to follow Him what would that mean to you?

What does ‘living the good life’ mean to you?

Would living in a diverse neighborhood appeal to you? By diversity we mean diversity of class, age, color, sexual identity, religious faith and educational achievement.

What ‘stereotype’ of you bothers you the most?

Have you ever thought that your race, ethnicity or gender ever got in the way of opportunity?

Do you think you’ve gained opportunity because of your race, gender or ethnicity?

In what ways do the people you know exhibit fear of people who are different from themselves?

What do you think being poor means to someone who is rich?

What do you think rich means to someone who is poor?

In many urban neighborhoods schools are not good, food is hard to get, there are safety concerns, and jobs are hard to come by. What causes such things?

Stirrings

My wife has a great job/ministry. She gets to talk day after day with some of the great thinkers in evangelical Christianity. Those kind of thinkers don’t ignore the contributions of mainline Protestants, Roman Catholics, and the Orthodox. Her truly interesting guests have dived into the treasures provided by pre-reformation scholars and practitioners and are wise enough to know that God has been at work outside the confines of evangelicalism and certainly within that movement in great ways.

One of the great treats for me is to sit down with Anita and listen as she talks about her interactions with those kind of guests on Midday Connection. These are the kind of people I want influencing me.

Last week Anita had a couple with wide and deep ministry influence and experience on her show. My guess is that they are 70ish. They continue to have an influential ministry mentoring many. They are good thinkers. They planted some questions in her mind about where she and us were investing ourselves beyond our personal ministries. We spent some time talking about the questions they posed. The next day, on my commute, I spent some time pondering what I now recognize as the stirring of the Spirit. Three questions are flowing in, through, and around me.

1. Who are the people Anita and I are choosing ‘to do life with’ (as a couple) in an intentional manner?
2. Who are the men I am choosing ‘to do life with’ in such a deep way that I am truly known to them and they are known to me?
3. Who are the next generation of leaders I’m investing in for the sake of the kingdom?

These are questions of community, accountability and transparency, equipping and legacy. And I don’t have great answers to them.

Let me be truthful. I know a lot of people but am so busy that I am close to almost no one. Much of my work with people has a work/ministry focus so I am always bothered about how far I can go or even should go to reveal the deeper things of my life. That’s a struggle for many in ministry. And I struggle, internally, about whether or not I truly have any wisdom and insight to pass on to a new generation. For that line of thinking I am chastised by my wife.

I’m realizing that I have some deep longings.

I long for community but my introverted tendencies draw me inward and busyness traps me. I long for accountability, authenticity, and transparency. And I am realizing that I have fewer years left in my life than I’ve currently lived. So, there is a longing to give away what I have learned and am learning to others.

In some respects that happens in my current life. I am surrounded by such good people both at Christ Church and Breakthrough. And I have opportunity to counsel, mentor and encourage within those settings. I am a blessed man. Certainly, issues of community, legacy, and accountability are addressed to some degree through these ministries. But not totally.

Sometimes, what one yearns for is beyond the ‘work’ environment. Sometimes I just desire to be Mike …without title or job description and the accompanying expectations.

Anita’s interview with that ministry couple was a challenge to think differently at this stage of our life. It was an invitation to think a bit more selfishly about our own wants and needs without neglecting the commitments already established. Perhaps it’s time to look beyond work/ministry environments and obligations and ask ourselves basic, hard questions.

What do we need? Desire/ Want?

That’s hard to answer. Sounds selfish to some extent. But we are at a stage of life where we’re realizing that asking these kind of questions aren’t selfish at all. They are necessary. We’re wondering if we can create something for ourselves that might be a blessing to us and to others. And if God is stirring all this in our hearts is He doing the same thing with others we know?

My guess is that some of you reading this might need to ask the same kind of questions. At this stage of your life …what do you need, want, and desire in order to live into God’s call for you? I’d urge you to consider such questions and to be open to what the Holy Spirit might reveal to you.

I'll keep you posted about our journey.

Is lost the new normal?

Those who know me well know that I’m not a big fan of cultural theology that proclaims that it doesn’t matter who or what you believe in as long as you believe in someone or something. When someone says all you need to get to heaven is a desire to do good, go green, watch Oprah, love Bono and choose a spiritual path …and any path will do… I’m a tad bit underwhelmed.

All through the Scripture we find God deeply concerned about men and women and even entire nations who act independently of His counsel and direction. And from His perspective God thinks people are lost, like sheep without a shepherd, and needing to be found. And we’re lost because of this thing called Sin that is active and alive and wants to keep us hiding from God and living apart from Him. It has ramifications for eternity and on the current quality of our life. Lost is a big deal. Huge.

I know this about lost. It’s not fun being lost. It’s not fun being called lost. And I’ll do just about anything to make sure I don’t get lost …I’ll even ask for directions (hope I don’t get booted out of the man club). If I could have invested in anything during the past few years it would have been a gps company. Even people who never go anyplace have gps. I mean, they never leave their neighborhood and they’re punching in their destination to go to the same restaurant they’ve gone to every week of their life.

GPS is in because people know that being lost is not fun.

When my family moved to the Chicago area 27 years ago they ventured on the L to go do the loop. They missed their stop and ended up deep on the south side of Chicago. A kindly woman approached my family and after inquiring where they were headed shook her head and said ‘you’re way off course’. And explained how they could get back to the loop. She was very kind, for not only did she give directions, she offered to stand at the station with them because she didn’t consider the stop safe.

Lost is not only not fun but it can also be dangerous.

In the 15th chapter of the Book of Luke Jesus has just finished interacting with Zaccheus, a tax collector. And from the perspective of the religious score keepers of the day and age Jesus has once again done wrong. In their eyes, Zaccheus was a sleezy, slimy guy.. He was a pawn of the Romans and an enemy of his own people. And he was a very obvious slime ball because he was dealing with people’s pocketbooks. And if anything gets people’s attention it’s someone who can impact their personal ‘bottom line’. Some things don’t change.

The religious leaders had this quaint notion that ‘faith’ was for those who toed the line, who kept the rules, who at least attempted to create a façade of righteousness. And then Jesus came along and turned those notions upside down. Not only does he talk with Zaccheus but he hangs out with him and in the process Zaccheus makes some dramatic changes in how he ‘does life’. And then Jesus makes this very dramatic announcement “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

To seek and save the lost. What a personal mission statement, huh? I mean that’s very dramatic. So, let me ask you a question. Do you think people you know are lost? And if they’re lost do they even know it? Do they even care? And should we care about lost people? Could you yourself be a little lost?

I was lost at one time. Didn’t even know I needed a Savior but I did. And then after I met Christ I periodically managed to wander away from Him. Every once in awhile, God has had to come find me again because where I was heading wasn’t good. I was even hiding from God and I needed to be reminded that He loved me.

At times I feel a little bit like Charlie Brown in one of his encounters with Lucy. Lucy comes up to Charlie Brown and does something that is very unusual for her. She says, “I love you.” But Charlie Brown keeps responding by saying, “No, you don’t.” And each time Lucy answers a little louder, “Yes I do, I really love you.”But Charlie Brown has been rejected so many times he keeps saying, “It can’t be true.” So in the last square, Lucy has reached the limit of her patience and she screams out in a loud voice, “Hey stupid, I love you!”

That’s a message God sends me often. And I’m thankful.

Being lost means that you have a problem. You’re not where you’re supposed to be. If it really doesn’t matter where you are and all paths are the right path …why would Jesus care about Zaccheus? Or me? Or you? Because he loves us. We matter to him. Lost people always matter to God.

If someone’s lost, by the way, that doesn’t mean that that person doesn’t contribute to the common good, aren’t fun to hang out with, aren’t moral people, aren’t helpful or are not well read or don’t have great insights, and can’t be pillars of the community. That’s not what it means. It just means that when you’re lost you’re not at ‘home’ with Jesus. You’re living far from God and not being the disciple He wants you to be.

Lost people include those who don’t know they are lost but really are. It includes those who know they are lost but are having such a good time where they are that they don’t want to be found. And it includes those of us were once found but figured out a way to get lost again. Some lost people are notorious sinners and are easy to indentify …bin Laden, Hitler, and Idi Amin come to mind. Others are the kindly school principal, the helpful policeman, and the good Samaritan who helped us when we locked our keys in the car. It doesn’t matter what title they hold or what kindness they do lost is a spiritual condition that manifests itself in a variety of ways. But basically it boils down to living life with God being a stranger. And even really nice people do that. And it’s a problem. For our purpose is to be known by God and to know Him and then to live in a way that says we belong to Him.

Jesus talks about ‘lostness’ in another part of the gospel of Luke. It’s in Luke 19 where Jesus talks about three lost objects – the sheep, the coin, and the son. All represent people who are spiritually lost. According to pastor Tim Keller …”They are lost, yet they are lost in quite different ways. The sheep is lost through foolishness, the coin through thoughtlessness, and the son through willfulness.” It’s a very nuanced look at the problem of sin in a person’s life and how it contributes to getting us lost.

Jesus tells us stories like this to help us understand that lost is both an innate part of the human condition but it’s also due to foolishness, sometimes thoughtlessness, often it’s a willful embrace of another path and sometimes it’s a combination of all three. The end result is that we end up where God didn’t intend for us to be.

Ever feel lost? What takes you off the path? Is it your foolishness, your thoughtlessness, your habit of being inattentive, or are you a stubborn, strong willed person who makes very conscious choices to do your own thing at the expense of experiencing God’s best?

Last week I sat down to talk with a young man I had just met. We met at a conference. He opened up to me and said that he wasn’t doing well spiritually. His disobedience to God was putting him on a perilous path. I mentioned to him that it sounded like he was lost. He said, “Yah man, that’s it. I’m feeling lost.” And he said it with great sadness. I’d love to say that our conversation fixed his life but it didn’t. I don’t know exactly what the disobedience was all about but I’ve got a sense that it was sexual sin. He said, “I’ve got to stand tall. Quit buckling.” And then we were interrupted by the conference and I didn’t see him again. But I couldn’t get over the sadness I saw in his eyes. It’s haunting me even today.
What will it take for him to confess to his foolishness and admit to his stubbornness? Will he be open to being found or will he live in a land called ‘lost’ where his profound sadness will become his new normal?

‘Lost’ is not a good place to be. No matter how we gussy it up and try to make it pretty Jesus is making it very clear that when someone is lost, far from Him, then there is a problem. Heaven wants the lost to be found.

Shelter

Many moons I took a group of adolescent guys on a winter camping trip. We picked a weekend in late January and met in the hinterlands of northern, MN. Our intent was to camp out in tents all weekend. We hadn’t counted on the weather being as brutal as it turned out to be. When we started our hike to the camp site the temperature was 30 degrees below zero. The temperature for the weekend would not get above 10 below zero. As we neared the place where we were going to put up our tents we realized that we really needed better, more secure shelter. Only a few of us were adequately prepared for the brutal, brutal cold. If we didn’t find adequate shelter we could be in some serious trouble. Luckily, we found a nearby cabin …part of a Boys Club camp …nothing more than an uninsulated cabin for children. But as we peered through the windows we saw that it had a small stove. We broke the lock to get in and made the security of that small cabin, our shelter, our refuge from the frigid cold for two days. At any other time it would not have been my first choice. That weekend …it felt like the Hilton. By the way, we made things right with the owners of that cabin.

A few weeks ago I was coming back to the burbs from the city. I was in Hillside when some huge winds and rain came rumbling in. I pulled into a Walgreen’s. Seeking shelter. I wasn’t the only one. There were others who knew that was happening out there was bigger than their capacity to handle it.

We know about shelter. Any port in a storm sailors are known to say. But not all ports are good for the long haul, not all shelters are adequate for extended periods of time and not all shelters can stand up against deep cold and high winds. No, not any port will do. We know that. For many of us have pulled into ports that we thought were safe and secure but instead proved to be unsteady and filled with peril.

In the 73rd the writer shares his frustration and anger.. He’s been looking around and wondering why people who indulge themselves seem to be happy and those who obey the rules are getting the short end of the stick. I’m sure we can all relate can’t we?

And then the psalmist goes into the sanctuary of the Lord and exits a different person. Contrite. He confesses to a bitter heart. And out of that confession comes a clear resolve..

Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.

I was so foolish and ignorant—I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.

Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you.

But as for me, how good it is to be near God!I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

So, the big question today is this. Do we live in the shelter of God? And especially, when life gets tough, when we’re surprised by circumstance, when we’re humbled by uncertainty, when we’re beaten down and scrambling, and when life seems unfair … is our first instinct to find shelter in God, to be near to Him or is the shelter of God only an abstract concept? Do we seek to be near to God or do we distance ourselves from Him when the road gets tough? Is the shelter of God our normal resting place?’

A few weeks ago I was at Breakthrough Urban Ministries where I hang out a couple of days a week. Arloa Sutter, the Founder and Executive Director, had bad news for the staff. She said that the recession had finally caught up with us. We’re at the edge of our resources. For the second year in a row she announced there would be no raises. In addition, a couple people would lose their jobs. No longer would the organization be able to afford matching payments in the 401 c plan. Hard news for many people already on the edge of a financial precipice.

When she was done talking. Someone asked if we could pray. And we did. And I wondered what kind of prayers would be prayed? What I heard amazed me. The prayers were prayers of great thanksgiving. Of praise. Thanking God for where He’s worked in the past, how He has met people at point of need, and how he is already at work in the midst of this bad news. One man begin to cry and repeatedly said "Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord. You are so good to us. You are so good."

In the break that followed. Arloa said, What just happened? I said “You just kicked people in the teeth and now they are thanking God for it.”

And I thought. How could this be? So I’ve been thinking about it. I’ve come to these conclusions. My friends were jumping into the arms and shelter of a God they knew. Intimately. They prayed Scripture. Which they knew. Intimately. They were in the habit of taking in the word of God. They were able to shout, “You know what you’re doing God. We’re trusting you.” Because they’ve trusted before. It’s easy to pray, “I’m in your arms Jesus” when you’ve been in the Savior’s arms before. Their identity was secure in the refuge of a God who knew them and they knew Him. Their memory was sharp about the ways God had met them at their point of need previously. They believe that even though everything is going crazy all around you …that when you are in the arms of God nothing can harm you. Nothing.

That’s why apostle Paul could say in Corinthians 2. We will be afflicted, perplexed, struck down and even persecuted in this life but affliction doesn’t have to crush us, being perplexed doesn’t have to lead to despair, being persecuted and struck down doesn’t mean that we’re forsaken or destroyed. Paul believed, deep in his being, that there is safety in the shelter of the kingdom of God. What about you?