Friday, December 30, 2011

The Gospel According to Children



This is the Gospel!  When you see the story of Jesus Christ through the eyes of an innocent child, you see how gloriously simple it is.  Jesus came to this world, leaving his perfect home, to embrace a broken, dying world.  He lifted up the poor.  He restored relationships.  He ended strife.  He was perfect.  And just when it seemed like all was lost, he defeated death once and for all.  All it takes is accepting it.  Kids get it.  And when all start to get it, it looks like the last minute or so if this video.  Life is a joy to live!

This band has absolutely wrecked me the last couple of days!  So glad God has allowed me to come across them and be blessed by their music.  I leave you with a prayer from their song "Broken Bread":

I will not fight you
Take me past the line that my heart draws
I will not fight you
Take me beyond the laziness of my thoughts
I will not fight
Lead me further than I've gone before
I will not fight you  

Amen!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Killer Live Music

Bon Iver, "Skinny Love" live at Haldern

The Head and the Heart, "Winter Song" live in Charlottesville


Brandi Carlile, "Pride and Joy" live in Salt Lake City

Denison Witmer, "Are You a Dreamer?" live in Kennebunk

Check Yo'self

The other night we lost our first game of the season...well, I shouldn't say we lost.  We were blown out of the gym by 35 points.  Not exactly what we envisioned at 7-0.  There were a lot of reasons we lost---they were better than us; we shot very poorly; we were in foul trouble; the officiating was less than stellar; and the list goes on.  Needless to say, none of us were happy with the outcome.  As I talked with my team, my coaches and my wife, my frustration level went through the roof.  I kept reliving various moments in the game that I had no control over---a bad call, a poor decision by a player, etc---and it drove me crazy.  I went to bed this way and woke up still thinking about basketball.  At some point that morning it dawned on me---"Derek, you are really screwed up."

My priorities were completely out-of-whack, and as I really considered the situation, it occurred to me that it's been this way for quite some time.  I'm not sure when it got to this point, but basketball was obviously taking a position of lordship over my life.  As I thought more about it, I realized that maybe basketball wasn't the only thing out of it's rightful place.  Money and bills have created some serious stress.  An inordinate amount of time has been put into work, usually at the expense of my family.  It took a basketball game to get me self-evaluating and when I did, it wasn't pretty.  But it was good.  Why was I letting something so inconsequential wreck my night or an entire weekend?  It's as if God let things get bad enough, let my stress level reach it's boiling point, to show me how ridiculous I've let things get.  I was mad, frustrated and sick over a stupid basketball game.  When was the last time I had that kind of anguish over any number of things that are infinitely more important?  It was time for a change; I really feel that I was at a crossroads and God was laying out for me two choices----continue down this self-absorbed, short-sighted path and dive headfirst into a lukewarm faith that inevitably would result in destruction, or quickly adjust my heart and mind and get back to walking and thinking in the Spirit.

I made a decision last weekend.  I decided that I refuse to let the circumstances of this world dictate my attitudes, emotions and behavior.  I will reprioritize my time, effort and energy and put God in his rightful place on the throne of my life.  No longer will I use people as my sounding board for my stress, but I choose to be salt and light in the lives of the people with whom I cross paths.   As I made that decision, it is amazing the peace I have felt over the last several days.  My stress level is as low as it has been in years.  When you choose to actively work to connect with and think like the Lord, it is impossible for your attitude not to be affected.  It's been a long time since I felt like God wants to do something new and special in my life, and I have felt that for the last week.  No idea what that will be, but I'm excited to find out.

We lost again last night, this time by 5 points.  Was there frustration?  Of course.  No one likes to lose.  But my heart and mind immediately was encouraged by the improvements our guys made.  This is in stark contrast to the frustration and anger I would normally feel.  God is doing something.  Sometimes He just needs you to check yo'self before...well, you know the rest.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Currently Listening To: Worship List

Ten songs you should check out...seriously, this is great stuff.  Worship is changing.  There are artists making music that goes beyond four chord, radio friendly stuff.  We don't have to settle for the typical.

1.  Holy (Wedding Day)- The City Harmonic
2.  Alive- All Sons and Daughters
3.  Sins are Stones- John Mark McMillan
4.  Alive Again- Matt Maher
5.  Take the World but Give Me Jesus- Ascend the Hill
6.  You Have Me- Gungor
7.  Heaven- Daniel Bashta
8.  The House of God, Forever- Jon Foreman
9.  Love- The City Harmonic
10. Won't Back Down- Mat Kearney

If we're Facebook friends, you can check out my playlists on Spotify if you're interested.  If we're not Facebook friends, well, then I guess there's no hope for you.



Ultimate Things

"The Christian way is different: harder, and easier. Christ says “Give me all. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.


The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self—all your wishes and precautions—to Christ. But it is far easier than what we are all trying to do instead. For what we are trying to do is to remain what we call ‘ourselves’, to keep personal happiness as our great aim in life, and yet at the same time be ‘good’. We are all trying to let our mind and heart go their own way—centred on money or pleasure or ambition—and hoping, in spite of this, to behave honestly and chastely and humbly. And that is exactly what Christ warned us you could not do. As He said, a thistle cannot produce figs. If I am a field that contains nothing but grass-seed, I cannot produce wheat. Cutting the grass may keep it short: but I shall still produce grass and no wheat. If I want to produce wheat, the change must go deeper than the surface. I must be ploughed up and re-sown.(C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, emphasis added)


I've been reading Tim Keller's The Reason for God over the past couple of weeks (basketball season really slows down my reading pace, I guess).  The book is ultimately addressed to skeptics, but I enjoy Keller and always am down for reaffirming what I believe and why.  Tonight's chapter dealt with the area of sin.  Borrowing from Kirkegaard's definition of sin, Keller argues that sin can be properly defined (at least in its deepest form) as anything that human beings put in the place where God should rightly be.  He explains that most skeptics think about sin as a cosmic list of dos and don'ts when in fact sin is more rightly addressed as pride---looking to fill ourselves with our own work, relationships, abilities, etc instead of God.  We deify ourselves, others, activities and accomplishments when we look to fill the God-shaped hole in our hearts with anything but Him.  Think back to the the Ten Commandments, the ultimate list of "religious rules."  What's the first?  "You shall have no other gods before me."  This was the first law God gave to man.  Sin is wrapped up wholly in that first commandment.  


This thinking about sin is not new to me, but too often I get caught up in the dos and don'ts like everyone else.  It's easy to spot lust or greed or dishonesty.  It's not quite as simple when we try to figure out what we are idolizing.  If we knew we were idolators, we might be inclined to re-prioritize.  This is subtle sin.  It's a sin that creeps in without us fully recognizing its presence.  Sure, we may have the nagging feeling that we are spending too much time on something or that we may not be as closely connected to God as we should be.  These feelings tug at us; the more recognizable sins slap us in the face.  Before we know it, as Keller writes, we have turned "good things" into "ultimate things."  Yet, as a Christian, there can only be one Ultimate thing; He will accept no less.  Lewis was right.  We can try to hold onto "ourselves" (if we can really convince ourselves that we are really fully "us" without Christ completely in control) and our desires, but then we certainly cannot turn ourselves over to Him as He demands.  We're either all in or we're all out.  That is not popular theology---at least not with me, it isn't.  I don't like it, but Jesus makes it abundantly clear that I can't serve myself and Him.  I can't put life in any order that doesn't have Him first and rightly belief I'm walking in truth.  


I'm glad I'm reading this book.  It reminds me of the bigger picture of Christ's call on my life, particularly in terms of the sin of idolatry.  Between my family, the adoption, work and basketball, I'm in constant danger of putting many other things on the throne that only Christ should rightfully sit upon.  I need to renew my mind when it comes to thinking about sin and understand that sin begins with putting any other gods before Him; those "good things" can very quickly become "ultimate things."

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

City Harmonic Speaks Truth

Love seems like such a tricky thing
It can find us in the gutter
And it can make us feel like kings
I could give away the whole wide world
But if I never had it
I never really had a thing

God is love

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Dead Man Walking

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."- Galatians 2:20

This verse is often-quoted.  I wonder how deeply we have pondered the implications of this Scripture.  My fear is that Christians tend to make this a feel-good verse about life in Christ and we leave out the unpleasant detail of our own death.  Paul isn't teaching that Christ is alive WITH us as if there are two lives going on in our bodies.  No, he tells us that when Christ is alive in us, WE ARE DEAD.  How does that jive with a culture that preaches the message of self-esteem, "finding yourself" and achieving your hopes and dreams? 

I'm trying to really get this.  I'M DEAD.  That means my hopes, my dreams, my ideas, my wishes, etc are not important any more.  That probably offends some of you reading this and that's okay---it offends me too.  Here's the thing though---God is not calling me to abandon my hopes, my dreams, my ideas or my wishes.  I'm supposed to be dead.  Dead people probably aren't too worried about themselves.  He is the one that's supposed to be alive, right?  Doesn't that mean that He is the one with the hopes, the dreams, the ideas and the wishes?  Of course, this whole concept of being physically alive while putting my very flawed, very human spirit to death is a bit confusing.  But there is no possible way I can read Galatians 2:20 and walk away with any other interpretation other than the fact that I'm dead and Christ is alive.  I'm not completely sure what that looks like or how my flesh can stand in the way of Christ's work through me.  But my prayer is that God helps me to really let Him live through me.  I'm dead anyways, right?

Saturday, August 13, 2011

GUNGOR!

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you.........Gungor.






Bid My Anxious Fears Subside...

A few years ago, I attended a church in Nashville that played some great old hymns and I really connected with the classic  "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah" (from which the title above is taken).  The song talks of the journey of the weary pilgrim who has been beaten up by life and was desperate for God to get him safely to the Promised Land.  For a long time, I had struggled with anxiety (and I still do to some extent). At that point, I was having a tough time in life and the song spoke to my soul.  I, too, asked God to bid my anxious fears subside, to help me to trust in Him in the midst of difficulty.    That song was an anchor for me that kept me clinging to God and got me through my trials.  Still, I know anxiety is my rival and I will have to battle it.  So, when I came across a chapter about anxiety in John Piper's "Battling Unbelief," I was an eager reader.  Piper is a fantastic scholar and pastor, and his biblical knowledge is second to none.  Knowing that I am surely not the only one with this struggle, I wanted to share a condensed version of the chapter.

"When I am anxious about some risky new venture or a meeting, I battle unbelief with Isaiah 41:10- 'Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.'

When I am anxious about my ministry being empty and useless, I fight unbelief with with the promise of Isaiah 55:11- 'So shall my word be that it goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.'

When I am anxious about being too weak to do my work, I battle unbelief with the promise of Christ, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' (II Corinthians 12:9)

When I am anxious about decisions I have to make in the future, I battle unbelief with the promise, 'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.' (Psalm 32:8)

When I am anxious about facing opponents, I battle unbelief with the promise, 'If God is for us, who can be against us?' (Romans 8:31)

When I am anxious about the welfare of those I love, I battle unbelief with the promise that if, I, being evil, know how to give good things to my children, how much more will 'your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!' (Matthew 7:11)

When I am anxious about being sick, I battle unbelief with the promise, 'Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.' (Psalm 34:19)

When I am anxious about dying, I battle unbelief with the promise, that 'none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.  If we live, we live to the Lord and if we die, we die to the Lord.  So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.' (Romans 14:7-9)..."

I was encouraged and uplifted by Piper's words in this chapter and reminded me that our anxious thoughts can't be battled with anything other than the very words of God.  Ultimately, our anxiety isn't healed by medication or counseling or will power (although all of these things can and usually are good things).  Maybe this word was for you today...you are not alone in this struggle and I encourage you to speak the Word of Truth into your heart, bidding your anxious fears subside when they come upon you.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Christianity is a Covenant

Tonight at our high school Bible study, we talked about the erosion of commitment in our culture.  We see it in failing marriages, church-hopping, constant career changes (the latest statistics indicate that we adults change careers/jobs 11 times in our lifetimes), and a general fickleness about being rooted in any one thing forever.  Commitment---or better yet, covenant---is no longer as valuable as it once was.

The theme of covenant is foundational to the Scripture.  Throughout the Old Testament we read of various covenants made between people.  These commitments were sealed by blood and were deep promises that were expected to be kept as long as both parties lived.  Of course, covenant is fully realized in the New Testament as Christ's death and resurrection form a new covenant that connects humanity to deity.  This covenant between Christ and man is described as a marriage between the bridegroom (Christ) and the bride (His Church).  Even considering the rising divorce rate in our culture, the marriage covenant is ostensibly still valued today.  Yet, despite our respect for the marriage covenant, do we really hold our marriage commitment to Christ in such high esteem?

If I were to flirt with another woman, my wife would be hurt and our marriage would suffer.  So, I don't do that.  But I flirt with the world often and expect my relationship with Christ to be fine.  I'm sure I'm not the only one.  Not only that, there have been many times when I have chosen to be unfaithful to Christ and knowingly indulge in sin.  If I were unfaithful to Alyssa, it would destroy our relationship.  Somehow, I don't recognize the damage being done to my relationship with Jesus when I ignore our covenant.  Of course, Christ is full of grace and forgiveness but that doesn't mean my relationship with him doesn't suffer.  Days can go by without me talking to God...how many of us would have much of a marriage if we didn't talk with our spouse for a week?  I'm not writing this to be down on myself or on any of you, and I certainly don't think that Christ's love for me swings on the pendulum of what I do.  However, we need to seriously consider what the word covenant means and ask ourselves, "Am I committed to this serious pact I have made with Christ?  Will I treat Him with the love, respect and honor that I would give my spouse?"

This Christ-life is a commitment.  In a culture that does not value commitment, we MUST work hard to remain rooted in the covenant we have made with Christ.  It has to guide our steps and we must remain vigilant in keeping it.  Christianity is a covenant, and a covenant is serious business.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Nothing Worth Anything Ever Goes Down Easy

I'm still on a huge music binge, and Mat Kearney has been getting some serious air time.  He is a fantastic artist, a Christian who is making great music (I call it great music, not Christian music...just like I would with music that is great in any genre.)  Anyways, he has a line in a song that goes "Nothing worth anything ever goes down easy."  Boy, isn't that the truth.

You probably know someone who seems to accomplish anything and everything with easy grace.  They belong to a pretty exclusive club, one I'm never going to be invited to join.  When I look back at my life, the most rewarding, fulfilling parts have never gone down easy.  Not a whole lot HAS gone down easy and when it did, it either had that "too good to be true" feel (which of course it was) or the hollowness of knowing that there is little value in things that are easy.  While I still hate the struggle, I am learning to appreciate the refining that happens in the fight.

Marriage, career, parenting, faith---not one of those things has gone down easy for me.  I'm a selfish, stubborn person.  Believe it or not, that puts a strain on marriage!  I have to fight those impulses to look out for number one all the time and put my wife's feelings and needs above mine.  It's not easy.  Our culture teaches us that things are supposed to be done our way all the time.  I can't deny that mentality rubs off on me and I have to kick back against that mindset every day.  Marriage is hard.

I love to work.  My career is fulfilling, but I have to remind myself that my worth is not found in what I accomplish.  My worth is found in my relationship with Christ, but that is always difficult to internalize in moments of frustration and defeat.  Too often I ride the roller coaster of success and failure and my emotions are along for the ride.  I can be my own worst enemy, and the last thing most of us need is another enemy.  There will always be people out there who will try to criticize your work and break you down...it's best that you don't add to your own peanut gallery.  On top of all that, it is difficult to be a young man doing an older man's job.  Usually, when I talk to athletic directors and principals, I'm the younger voice in the conversation.  I'm thankful that God has positioned me in a great place to use me, but it doesn't halt the feelings of frustration or inadequacy that come along with inexperience.  Growing into a career is hard.

Parenting...well, most of you reading it probably know that it's hard.  It's extra hard when your parenting career begins with teenagers at thirty!  Working as a youth pastor and teacher for a decade has helped a little, but it's not the same as living with kids and being responsible for them.  This is another area where there are plenty of highs and lows, and it is difficult to keep your emotions and self worth from rising and falling with each situation.  Parenting is a challenge when you are a leader who is self-acknowledged control freak (I hope not to an extreme, but it sure is hard to evaluate ourselves, isn't it?)  You so badly want the best for your children and it is difficult to allow them to make their own choices and along with those choices, their own mistakes.  Even thought I am completely cognizant of my own failings as an adolescent,  I still cringe at their errors.  I know this comes from a heart of love, but it also brings frustration.  Sharing the parenting with three other people just adds a few more layers of challenge.  Parenting is hard.

I think we assume sometimes that faith should be easy.  Salvation brings joy and freedom and those sound like easy words sometimes, don't they?  Yet, Jesus made it clear that in this life we would have trouble.  Following Him is difficult on two fronts---internal struggle and external struggle.  I know what it takes to have a relationship with Christ and yet so often I find myself missing the mark.  I'm clear on what sin is.  I still willfully and knowingly sin.  I know I should engage myself in God's Word everyday.  I often pass over my Bible all day without a second thought.  I know that connecting to God (and to anyone for that matter) involves communication.  I struggle to pray and have a hard time making it a priority.  Christianity is hard, internally.  I struggle against myself, my flesh and my impulses.  Meanwhile, a war rages against me---and you---by the forces of this world.  We are bombarded with filth, with self-centered thinking, and with consumerist worldviews.  These things surround us and it is difficult to find escape.  Anyone who thinks faith should be easy is probably not being very honest with themselves.  Or maybe those people are the chosen few in the "easy grace" club.  I'm sure not.  Faith is hard.

I always feel a little better thinking about Job.  Talk about a guy knew a little something about things not going down easy.  He lost his children, most of his income, suffered horrible physical pain and endured the silence of God.  Yet, he had the trust and fortitude to say "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me I shall come forth as gold."  His life was hard, but Job understood that the struggle was God's hand refining him.  He maintained his hope in the Lord.  And, when I step away from my life and look at it with God's perspective, I know that these things that are hard are all areas that God is using to make me more like Him.  I have to refocus on the finish line, keeping my eye on the prize that is eternal life with Him.  God, keep my perspective eternal and not on the transient.  Help me to know that these light and momentary troubles are achieving for me an eternal glory that outweighs this life.

Yeah, nothing worth anything goes down easy.  But the truth in that statement is that when things aren't easy, they are probably worth it.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Awake My Soul

I have a new favorite tech application---Spotify.  I'm assuming some of you have seen it.  Basically, it's like having iTunes with every song you could ever want or imagine.  It recognizes all of the music on your computer and allows you to create playlists with any other song you want.  So, I've spent a good portion of the day listening to all kinds of great music on a fantastic playlist.  

I hadn't listened to much music without interruption for a while, and I was reminded of the power it has on me.  Music is one of the few, rare mediums that seems to awaken my soul.  When I am listening to music, it arouses emotions that I don't experience very often.  It makes me want to create.  It causes me to wrestle with the past, helps me to think hopefully about the future, and it makes me feel more fully alive in the present.   Music makes me more cognizant of the relationships I have in my life and I experience them more completely in the context of music.  Some people may look at music as an escape; I find it causing me to go deeper into who I am and particularly who I am in Christ.   

Does that mean that Christian music is the only venue through which God can awaken our souls through music?  Not at all, although we certainly must be careful about what we listen to and what we allow to take root in our hearts.  Proverbs tells us that whatever a man thinks about in his heart will be what defines who the man is.  There is plenty of music that is filled with vulgarity and profanity and is a clear perversion of the creative drive that comes from the image of God in which we are created.  Yet, there is soul-stirring music that boldly proclaims the glory of Christ and there is music that is subtle but speaks volumes about God's goodness through it's beauty and truth.  Music is powerful because it originates from the one who is omnipotent.  Music comes from God and is most fully perfect in His heavenly presence---right now, in this moment, music is being played and sung in the heavenlies that would blow us all away.  Music we listen to now is our clumsy attempt to create or listen to something that is even a shadow of what many of us will experience one day.  Music shows us just a shadow of God, and that fleeting image is enough to stir us to deep emotion.

As I've thought about this today, it has caused me to dwell on how music is handled in our churches and how it is often a source of contention and division.  I've always kind of written off those splits as people either being selfish or simply having different tastes.  I think that may be partially right.  But I have been mostly wrong.  The deepest longing in the heart of every person is to be connected to someone greater than ourselves, someone outside of mundane humanity---God.  Music provides a bit of that connection.  It causes our hearts to swell with longing for the One and we are willing to fight for that feeling.  It's no wonder we will split churches over music---we think it is maybe the medium that will help to fill that ultimate longing for Christ.

Jesus desires that His children be one.  That was His prayer for the disciples and His prayer for us.  How can we reconcile that hope with the very personal way in which "our" music speaks to us of the love, beauty, and closeness of Christ?  Is it simply a matter of humbly submitting ourselves to the Body and losing ourselves?  Maybe, but there is no denying that some music stirs our soul more than others.  I don't have an answer, but I'm up for having the discussion.  What do you think?  Even if you don't respond here, talk about this topic with others.  Music is often the voice of God calling to us...let us embrace that and not let it divide us.

And fyi, here was my playlist artists today---Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, J.Tillman, Rocky Votolato, M.Ward,  Denison Wittmer, Brandi Carlile, Jon Foreman, Pedro the Lion, John Mark McMillan, Gungor, Avett Brothers, Amos Lee, Ray LaMontagne, and The Civil Wars.  Check them out for a really nice, laidback playlist of some solid music.  And if you're listening to anything in this vein, let me know...I can add a million songs to my playlist, ya know.




Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Exiles

"Our life-long nostalgia, our longing to be reunited with something in the universe from which we feel cut off, to be on the inside of some door which we have always seen from the outside, is no mere neurotic fancy, but the truest index of our real situation."- C.S. Lewis, "The Weight of Glory"

I've been reading Tim Keller's The Prodigal God over the last week.  Great book.  Keller briefly explores the famous parable of the prodigal son and argues that the older son---the one who was disappointed in his father for taking his younger brother back---was every bit as lost as the younger son.  Both, he says, were ultimately outside the home---one chose to leave and live wildly and the other was so religious that he found himself resisting the father's love.  As Keller spells out this argument, an interesting discussion of exile unfolds.  The Bible is a story of exiles looking for a place to call home.  In Genesis, Adam and Eve are expelled from the Garden.  Cain is forced to wander after killing Abel.  Jacob has to flee his home.  Joseph is sent away from his home and family.  The story continues throughout the Old Testament with numerous periods of Israelite exile and oppression.  This story of exile climaxes in the Gospels when the death and resurrection of Christ ultimately opens the door to God's house, a home that all men over all times have been desperately trying to enter---whether they knew it or not.  God's home is the only true and lasting home.

I'm finding this to be true in my own life.  The Lewis quote above hits the nail on the head.  As I get older and enter new phases of my life, I realize that you really can't ever go home again.  Sure, we can continue to remain in the love of our families and friends, visit our childhood home, return to key places and people from our past.  But it really is never the same.  My parents' house will never be the same for me as it was when I was a child.  Roles have changed, life is different.  My closest friends from a couple of years ago, people I talked to every day in Tennessee, are people I chat with once in a great while.  Guys I lived with in college, I have no idea what they are doing or where they are.  Even if I did, that home that was created for two years can never be the same again.  Try visiting your old church a few years after moving on.  Some things will be familiar, but ultimately, you can't recreate what was once there.  I know I'm rambling here, but I hope you are seeing where I'm coming from.  Everything changes so fast, it feels like we are always unsuccessfully trying to grasp "home" before it slips away and things change.  As Alyssa and I work on shaping our life together and our home, it won't be long before things change again.  The kids will grow up and move on.  We may move.  God could call us to new jobs or churches.  Friendships will evolve.  Home is transient and is constantly changing.

Ultimately, this deep desire for a secure and unchanging home is found in our relationship with Jesus Christ.  That emptiness we feel when things change can only be remedied when we truly rest in Him.  He is our Rock, the same yesterday, today and forever.  I must remember this as I reflect on change.  As we get ready to adopt sweet Kaylee and give her a "home," I cannot forget that the most important home we can give her is a relationship with God.  It is the most secure place that she, or any of us, can ever find ourselves.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Just Like Jesus?

One of my students commented today that people say they want to be like Jesus, but the reality is that they don't. In other words, if people REALLY had to go through the things Jesus went through, they might not be so quick to want to be like him.

This is a topic I've been thinking a lot about lately---what does it mean to be authentically Christian? While I'm still convinced I want to be like Christ, I think I'd better---we'd all better, really---heed his words to count the cost. Jesus repeatedly told whoever would listen that following him would be really hard. They would lose everything. They would be hated by the world. They would have to abandon themselves to find themselves. They might even be killed for his sake---and most of his closest followers were killed, and most in pretty awful ways.  Just because we are distanced by time and space from the culture Jesus lived in, we are not suddenly exempt from the struggles Jesus cautioned would come.  Maybe we aren't facing those struggles because "being a Christian" has become far too easy and comfortable.

I realize I am walking a fine line here.  I don't intend to cross over to a works-based salvation.  We are woefully lost beings outside of Christ's grace and I certainly can't do enough to somehow save myself.  My bad thoughts alone far outweigh my good works.  That alone is enough to send me to hell if I find myself outside of the loving mercy of Jesus.  Yet, Jesus said that those who abide in Him will bear fruit...and those who aren't bearing fruit will be cut off and thrown into the fire.  Time and time again he tells us that few will really follow Him and few will find salvation.  In this day and age, we have made salvation as simple as believe and say a prayer and you're in.  I hesitate to argue against that because it is so prevalent in our church culture, but I just don't see that portrait of a Christian painted in the Gospels.  Jesus says being a Christian will cost something.  James tells us that believing is not enough.  Our faith will be shown in our lives, and Jesus makes it clear that those who don't bear fruit aren't in Him.  Maybe that kind of talk makes you uncomfortable.  It's not surprising, considering that it makes me uncomfortable too and I am the one typing the words.  But, I challenge us all to read the Gospels anew and ask the question, "What does following Christ look like according to Christ?"  I would love to hear what picture emerges for you and how that impacts the way you think and live.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Love is the Only Answer...Everything Else is Just a Trainwreck

I didn't come up with that title on my own.  Those are some lyrics from the song "Portland is Leaving" by a killer artist named Rocky Votolato.  (If you like singer-songwriter acoustic stuff with some harmonica thrown in, this is your guy).  Anyways, this entry isn't really about me plugging music.  I've heard that song hundreds of times and always thought it was good, but those specific lyrics have been stuck in my head lately.  I think Rocky is a Christian, I'm not really sure, but boy do those lyrics sum up what we are supposed to be about.

When we try to go about this whole Christian thing with any other motive than love, it really is a massive trainwreck waiting to happen.  Paul made that pretty clear in I Corinthians 13 when he wrote, "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."  How many times are our actions based on something other than love?  How often do we treat others with a measure of love that we feel is equivalent to what we receive in return?  

Are you a love-centered person?  Is your church love-centered?  We cannot be program-centered, ministry-centered, social justice-centered, small group-centered, or any other kind of centered.  We need to weigh every action and every word, considering the question, "Is love motivating me?"  

The only thing that will change people, culture, and our church is love---it is the only answer.  

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Re-blog: Kevin DeYoung's review of Rob Bell's "Love Wins"

A well-written review of the new Rob Bell book...I know there are a lot of Rob Bell fans out there, and certainly a fair share of critics.  In reading the selections from "Love Wins," it is clear Bell is making some dramatic leaps beyond the fringes of orthodoxy.  It's a long, but valuable, read.

God Is Still Holy and What You Learned in Sunday School Is Still True: A Review of “Love Wins”

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Called to Adopt?

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress" James 1:27

Most people in the United States would consider themselves "religious."  (I know, I know, that word is not popular among Christians these days, but I don't mean it in the legalistic sense...I just mean that most people believe in something supernatural, something bigger than themselves.)  In fact, the vast majority (the last number I read was something upwards of 80%) of Americans label themselves as a Christian.  Given that most people self-identify as Christ-followers, why is James 1:27 ignored by the majority of us?  If we consider ourselves "religious," then why don't we want the right kind of religion, a type that God considers "pure" and "faultless"?  

Maybe our Biblical illiteracy keeps us from grasping the heart of God when it comes to adoption.  Sadly, a growing number of Christians spend very little time in the Bible, much less have an in-depth understanding of what Scripture teaches.  Adoption is close to God's heart.  James 1:27 is not the only place where God mandates orphan care...the Bible is full of references to taking care of children, the poor, the weak, and the voiceless. But, even more importantly, the Bible makes it clear that we are spiritually adopted by God.  Through the sacrifice of Christ, we are grafted into God's family tree as his sons and daughters.  When we see God participate in a process on a major scale, it usually means that we need to imitate his work on a human scale.  Adoption is a God-act, and therefore needs to be a part of the work of the Church as well.  

Maybe we don't understand the gravity of the problem.  UNICEF estimates that there are 140-210 million orphans in the world.  Every day, nearly 6,000 children become orphans.  Over 2 million children become orphans each year in Africa alone.  This is an epidemic of epic proportions.  The Bible mandates that we take care of the orphans.  Maybe we have such a problem on our hands because the Church has dropped the ball for 2,000 years and failed to be what God has called us to be.  If the Church isn't taking care of orphans, who is going to?  (And on that note, if the Church isn't feeding the hungry who will?  clothing the naked?  housing the homeless?  And the list goes on)

Maybe a lot of us are waiting around to have the feeling we are "called" to adopt.  We are no more "called" to adopt than we are "called" to be kind, to help the poor, to share the Gospel, etc.  James doesn't say that adoption is part of pure religion for the super-spiritual or "called to adoption" crew.  It's for Christians.  That includes me, and if you're reading this, probably you.  It's not just for middle-aged couples who already have kids.  It's for young couples with babies.  It's for widows.  It's for couples with children and without children.  Pure religion is for every Christian which means adoption is for every Christian.  Maybe some circumstance keeps us from bringing a new child into the house (although I would venture to say that most of us have some pretty lame excuses for why our circumstances keep us from adoption), but even in that case we can contribute to the cause of adoption by giving to someone else, supporting others, etc.  

Alyssa and I are in the same boat as all of you.  So, we are going to stop worrying about the finances, family dynamics, waiting for our own babies, etc.  God wants Christians to adopt.  We're Christians.  So, we're exploring adoption options and considering what our next step is.  We would appreciate your prayer and wisdom, but more so I hope you consider this epidemic and get involved personally.  Tonight, all over the world, children are alone, without parents or a family  They are hungry, cold, alone, and sad.  Their one dream is to have a family.  How can you help?  

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The Sad Truth about Water

Water is a luxury that we (Americans/the Western world) take for granted.  Showers, dishes, drinking water, car washes, toilets, washing machines, swimming pools, water fountains, ice cubes, decorative fountains---all things that take water, whether or a lot or little, that we don't bat an eye at.  Water is plentiful---for us.  In the majority of the world, clean water is scarce.  Do you realize just how scarce it is?  Check out these facts from Compassion International:

*50% of the world's hospitalizations are due to water-related illnesses such as cholera.


*One in five children (TWENTY PERCENT OF ALL CHILDREN!) worldwide die from diarrhea---that's more than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined.

*Poor people living in the slums often have to pay five to ten time more per liter of water than wealthy people living in the same city.


*2.5 million people do not have adequate sanitation facilities.

*800 MILLION PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER.

*1.5 million children die of water-borne illnesses every year.

These numbers are absolutely staggering.  I can't even comprehend the suffering that is happening worldwide.  Life is cozy and safe here.  Kids aren't dying because they don't have water.  People aren't begging in the streets for clean water.  We are isolated from this worldwide epidemic.  We can choose to not be isolated.  There are ways to help.  Blood Water: Mission is a ministry that our family supports that builds wells for impoverished areas of Africa.  Check out this video to learn more about what they do and how you can help.


Our friends the Palms have a heart for Uganda and particularly an unsanitary holding area for orphans that lacks clean water.  Read their story here and get involved by giving $20 to their cause.

We all need to do something.  Please, get involved and save a life.



Sunday, February 13, 2011

Music: The Avett Brothers- Various Songs

Sometimes, we need to appreciate art because it's beautiful, and good.  If every good and perfect thing comes from God, then we can definitely find God in art and music.  As I was watching the Avett Brothers rock it tonight, I was reminded of how creative God is and how creativity is such a reflection of who he is. We are made in the image of the Creator God, so our creativity comes as a result of being made in his image.  Long story short, I really appreciate the Avett Brothers music and I'm posting it because it is art and not because of some deep spiritual teaching (not that I am saying I provide that here, but you get my point).   Enjoy some of my favorites.


"Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise"


"I and Love and You"

"The Ballad of Love and Hate"

"I Would Be Sad"

"If It's the Beaches"

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Music: Jon Foreman- "Revenge"


I really enjoy this song and have heard multiple intriguing explanations of the meaning of some of the writing.  What do you think?

Righteous Indignation

Maybe it shouldn't make me proud to hear my students expressing some righteous indignation, but I admit that I felt that way today.  Righteous anger can sometimes really be nothing more than pride not-so-subtly rearing its ugly head, but it can also be a sign of maturity.  So, let me explain what happened and why the attitude of my junior and senior Bible class encouraged me that they are growing.

Today, we had a speaker come into our chapel to share about the 30 Hour Famine ministry of World Vision. (http://30hourfamine.org/) He actually seemed like a really solid, humble guy and I enjoyed his presentation on social justice stemming from Micah 6:8.  I want to be totally clear here and state that I think the work that World Vision does to create awareness about hunger and to raise funds to feed the needy is wonderful.  The purpose of the speaker's visit was to encourage students to attend a 30 Hour Famine event at a local church.  (To summarize this event, students get pledges for every hour that they don't eat during this teen-centered event.  They do some community work during the night and a lock-in is held where kids hang out and fast.)  I think it's a good way for kids to become aware of a need in a tangible way, so I support the kids participating.  What I found a little off-putting---and I later found out ruffled my students feathers as well---was that after a great presentation the students were encouraged by the speaker to attend the event because they would have a "sweet juice bar" and several great bands for the kids to listen to.  Now, it probably sounds like I'm just picking everything apart and being a jerk.  I'm not.  I just know that my kids don't need that kind of incentive to help others.

Later, when I talked to my class, they were quick to mention how they felt a little patronized by the incentives to participate.  One student said, "I don't need all that to do what's right..."  Another commented that it didn't sound like "suffering if I get a juice bar."  Sometimes, I think, we don't give teenagers enough credit.  We assume we have to put together a cool event or flashy worship service or attractive youth room in order to get kids to be willing to do something "Christian."  This isn't true.  Kids are spiritually astute enough to know that something is missing in their lives when God is not there.  They are hungry for significance and wholeness.  They aren't opposed to considering Christ as an answer to the void in their lives.  When you get a solid group of Christian kids like we have at VCA, their hearts are already moved towards helping the helpless.  They need awareness.  Awareness IS the incentive to act.  


These principles apply to adults too.  People know they are missing something.  If what we provide is more about aesthetics and less about authenticity, we will find people quickly becoming unamused and moving on to the next form of entertainment.  If we're really the Church, we don't need the bells and whistles to be moved by the Spirit.  That goes for our kids too...

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Music: John Mark Macmillan- "Death In His Grave"

If you're one of my students, this song is nothing new to you. Since I was practicing playing it tonight (yeah, I'm picking up the guitar again after about a year of not playing), I thought I would share it with those who haven't heard it...I love hymns and this is a modern-day hymn of sorts. Jesus has defeated death and this song is a celebration of that struggle and victory. Hope you enjoy it!



Thursday, January 27, 2011

Now We See in Part...

Recently, I heard something so simple that it shouldn't have been profound...but I've had a hard time shaking it the last couple of days so maybe it's more profound than it seems at first glance.  Basically, it was said that our attempts to explain God (think of the water-ice-gas comparisons) consistently fall flat because "God isn't like anything else."  Well, that makes sense, doesn't it?  I'm not sure why something that simple has never occurred to me, but boy have I tried to explain God to people over the years. 


As I think about this truth, I am drawn to Paul's words to the Corinthians.  He writes, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (I Corinthians 13:12) In all my best efforts to understand God (much less explain him)---all the books I read, the conversations I have, the conferences I attend, the church I align myself with---I will never see any more than in part while I am flesh and bone.  I can't even begin to comprehend the heights and depths of who God is.  He isn't like anything else I have experienced, am experiencing, or will experience.  My humanity can't offer me anything that is even comparable to who God is and what He offers me now and eternally.  In fact, Paul says that what I think I see now is just a poor reflection...my vision of who God is now is poor, despite my good intentions.  One day, we will see Him face to face and experience the surpassing greatness of his love, a love that knows no boundaries.  I know that love in part now; one day I will be completely overwhelmed by the fullness of that love.   And just think, God knows me fully now!  There is nothing about me that God doesn't know.  He knows my every thought, my deepest secrets, my most difficult struggles, my most embarrassing sins, and the depravity of my heart.  Yet, God's love is bigger than my falleness.  He knows me completely and loves me completely, one of the all time great miracles.

So, as I think about how little I really know about God---how little we all know---it sure does slap my critical heart in the face.  Who am I to think I have things figured out when God has made it very clear that I am only seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Him?  I'm seeing in part.  Yes, I see some and He continues to reveal more to me as I look to Him.  But I'll never know it all, and neither will any of you.  And that's okay.  But let's allow the truth of Paul's words to gently remind us to approach the Church humbly and with loving kindness as we work together to piece together the biblical vision of God's kingdom on earth.



Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Do You Live in a Christian Ghetto?

For some of you students who are reading this, ghetto may not mean what you think it means.  Well, it might mean "gangsta" or "hood" in your venacular, but I'm using it a little bit differently.  A ghetto is a place where a particular group (sometimes stereotypical) lives, and it's usually not a very desirable place to reside.  Most of us are familiar with the socioeconomic sense of the word or perhaps the historical sense of the word (i.e. Jews being herded into ghettos during 1930's and 1940's)...but, in recent times, the term "Christian ghetto" has surfaced as a hot topic of conversation amongst progressive evangelicals.  So, what exactly is meant by "Christian ghetto?"  Well, the idea is that many evangelicals have retreated into holy huddles in which every area of their life is saturated with Christian "stuff"---everything from people to programs to concerts to t-shirts.  We go to church on Sundays.  We belong to a life group.  Christian conferences are hot social events.  Our kids go to every youth group outing or camp we can possibly get them into, and if we can afford it they're in Christian schools.  If we can afford the time, they may even be home schooled.  We love to go to Christian rock concerts ("If you love Secular Rock Band X, you'll love the Christian Alternative Rock Band X!") Why read a great "secular" novel if there is a new Francis Chan book to read?  (Mind you, I really enjoy Francis Chan's books and highly recommend you read them...just read some other stuff, too.)  Consider your life---who do you spend the majority of your social time with?  What events or groups do you participate in?  What music and movies entertain you?  If all of your answers include "Christian," "church," or "Bible" as an adjective, you probably are living in a Christian ghetto.

You are probably wondering, "What's so wrong with any of these things?  Shouldn't we want everything we're involved with to be Christian?"  In and of themselves, none of these things are bad and most are actually really good things.  But, when we get sucked into a Christian bubble in every area of our lives then we are missing the mark.  Jesus spent the majority of his time with his inner circle of believers, and you should do the same.  However, he also encountered his culture without insisting on a spiritual adjective being attached to everything.  He touches a leper, dines with a tax collector, hangs out with a prostitute, and isn't shy about pushing back against a religious establishment that was on the wide path.  I'm not sure the residents of the Christian ghetto would have let Jesus move into town.  If Jesus were living in our culture today, I honestly don't think he'd be at many Christian events.  You would find Jesus in the dark corners of the world searching for the sick and broken...after all, they are the ones who need a doctor, right?  He understood a very basic, logical concept that most of us choose to ignore most of the time---if you want to reach the lost, you have to spend time among the lost.  You have to be in this world and not of it.  So, we are left with a choice...we can remain immersed in our Christian ghettos and we can be very ineffective in reaching the world and making disciples.  Or, we can move out of town and bring light into darkness.  Just so I am clear, you need to stay in Christian community to do this.  You will fail miserably without the encouragement, teaching, admonition, and love of brothers and sisters in Christ.  You just have to be intentional about moving into community with those outside of the faith so that Jesus can reach them through you.

What would Jesus do?  He wouldn't live in the ghetto.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Did he really mean that?

Today I spoke in chapel at VCA about Matthew 25...the famous "least of these" passage where we are reminded of our responsibility to take care of those in need.  And that passage stops there.  No, it doesn't.  Jesus actually says in that passage that the people who didn't take care of others are going to be separated into sheep and goats---sheep inherit eternal glory and goats are cast away.  Reading that passage gives me one of those "did he really mean that?" moments.  Am I really headed for trouble if I have faith but don't take care of "the least of these?"  Undoubtedly, this is a confusing passage when we consider our standard definition of salvation---faith and trust in the life, death and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sin.  I'm not questioning eternal security (or even entering into that murky debate), but Christ inextricably links our salvation to what we do.  If we have experienced saving faith in Christ, our actions will show it.  If our actions don't show our faith, we might need to do a little soul-searching about our walk with God.  So, yes, Jesus really did say that if we make a lifestyle choice to not take care of the poor and needy then we will face the ultimate consequences...I am not willing to write off his words as figurative or as a message for another culture or generation.  He meant it and I have to take it seriously.


What passages seem too hard, too challenging, or too demanding to really be what God intended?  Those are the passages you should wrestle with the most...God can stretch you in those moments and shake up your life.  In a good way.  I mean it.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Movie: Rich Mullins- A Ragamuffin's Legacy

Can't wait to see this movie when it releases...Rich Mullins was a great man.  Enjoy.

The Miracle of Transformation

"One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God...Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is

“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’


Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say." (Excerpts from Acts 3 and 4)

Ever ask yourself, "Why don't we still see the miracles of the Bible?"  I know I have (although, the global explosion of Christianity has seen the miraculous in places with undeveloped theology and a hunger for God...maybe something we should take note of).  As I have been reading this passage over the last few days, however, I realize that two miracles took place.  Obviously, the healing of the lame man's feet and ankles was physically miraculous.  A man who hadn't walked for his entire life was jumping and dancing!  Unbelievable!  Yet, the second miracle may have been greater than the first.  This man, who I would imagine would have been a pitiful site, begged at the Temple in a heap as a way of life.  People likely pitied him or were disgusted by him.  This same man, was now completely transformed in personality, spirit, and attitude.  Imagine the most sour, down-on-their-luck, depressed person you know and then imagine them running through your neighborhood with joy, praising God for new life.  I would consider that pretty miraculous too, wouldn't you?

Notice that after Peter's sermon, the Sanhedrin aren't concerned with his message or his theology.  Anyone could argue with words or a belief system, and the courts surely did throughout the Gospels and the New Testament.  What they couldn't argue with is that a man's life had been completely transformed physically and spiritually.  He stood before them changed and they couldn't write that off.  Maybe, then, we should be less concerned with our theology and more concerned with being agents of change in the world.  Theology is definitely important, and I don't mean to downplay it, but if you know Christ you know enough to be a catalyst for change in the life of a hurting person.  Stop over-thinking and over-talking and just start doing.  The Holy Spirit can handle our clumsy words and our inability to articulate an article of faith.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

"It's Kind of Cute..."

I've now read the same passage from surgeon Richard Selzner's Mortal Lessons (mind you, not in the original book) twice in the last month...it's a wonderful story.  When you look at people, who do you see?  Do you see the beauty of Christ in them?  This story illustrates the true love of Christ that sees through socio-economics, appearances, and any other barrier we impose when it comes to others.

"I stand by the bed where a young woman lies, her face postoperative, her mouth twisted in palsy, clownish.  A tiny twig of the facial nerve, the one to the muscles of her mouth, has been severed.  She will be thus from now on.  The surgeon had followed with religious fervor the curse of her flesh; I promise you that.  Nevertheless, to remove the tumor from her cheek, I had cut the little nerve.
Her young husband is in the room.  He stands on the opposite side of her bed, and together they seem to dwell in the evening lamplight, isolated from me, private.  Who are they, I ask myself, he and this wry-mouth I have made, who gaze at each other so generously, greedily?  The young woman speaks.  'Will my mouth always be like this?' she asks.  'Yes,' I say, 'it will.  It is because the nerve was cut.'     She nods and is silent.  But the young man smiles.  'I like it,' he says. 'It's kind of cute.'  All at once, I know who he is.  I understand, and I lower my gaze.  One is not bold in an encounter with a god.  Unmindful, he bends to kiss her crooked mouth, and I so close I can see how he twists his own lips to accommodate to hers, to show her that their kiss still works."

Lord Jesus, forgive me for looking only at the outward appearance and not the heart.  Help me to see you in others and to love with the compassionate, unconditional love that can only come from You.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Music: Pedro the Lion- Secret of the Easy Yoke

If you are reading this, I'd be willing to wager that you've felt just like PTL front-man David Bazan felt when he wrote this song.  Wondering "Where has God gone?" is a common feeling for us all at some point or another...most of us just aren't brave enough to say it.

Peace, be still.  


A Hypothetical

Suppose Jesus walked into a church board meeting this morning and was given $1,000,000 with which to do whatever he thought best.  What do you think he would do with it?  Does his decision look like what your decision would be?  Does it look like the decision your church would make?

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Music: Ascend the Hill- Rock of Ages

Lectio Divina

Yesterday, my class and I discussed studying the Bible for all its worth.  We all agreed that too often our study of the Bible is cursory, routine, and mundane.  It's so easy to get into scheduled habits when it comes to the Scripture.  Over the years, I have read a whole lot of Scripture.  Many times, though, it's felt like it has gone in one ear and out the other.  I've read for completion or for an academic understanding, often missing out on the richness and personal application that the Living Book offers me.  Lectio divina (sacred reading), an ancient approach to the Scriptures, offers a method of experiencing the Bible that helps us go beyond surface readings and connect with the One.

Initiated sometime in the 4th Century, possibly by Pope Gregory I and Saint Benedict, lectio divina is a spiritually holistic approach to spending time in God's Word.  Going beyond simply reading and thinking, lectio divina is a prayerful communion with the Holy Spirit.  The early Benedictine monks put great emphasis on lectio divina, aligning it with their duties of prayer and service.  While this sacred ritual has roots in the Cathloic tradition, the steps involved in the process are appropriate for Christians of all doctrinal flavors.

First, choose a small passage of Scripture to explore (lectio).  The Scripture can range from one verse to a significantly longer passage.  Ultimately the length does not matter as the pursuit of lectio divina is for God to illuminate phrases and concepts in the passage that resonate with the your spirit.  (Just to be clear, this is not a post-modern, emergent approach to interpreting Scripture.  Orthodox interpretation is still foundational.  It is simply a focus on what stands out in a verse in that reading.)  Slowly read the Scripture out loud, letting each word resound in your ears.  The words should not just be heard, but felt.  Read and re-read the passage, reciting phrases multiple times if something particular stands out.  What is the Holy Spirit specifically saying to me today?

Second, begin to meditate over the phrase or idea that the Holy Spirit has highlighted (meditatio).  (Note that Christian meditation is far different than Eastern meditation.  Eastern meditation puts focus on emptying your mind, while Christian meditation is a process of allowing God to fill your mind with truth.)  Ponder the meaning of the words, and allow them to mingle with your thoughts, fears, experiences, etc.  How do all of these things become more deeply informed by what the Lord has brought to mind?  

Third, talk to the Lord about what you are thinking, feeling, and experiencing through this particular passage (oratio).  Our Lord desires intimacy with us and wants us to pour out our thoughts and emotions to Him.  (We can't lose sight of this miraculous truth---the Creator of all things actually cares about US...incomprehensible!)  Pray the Scriptures you are reading back to God, claiming His promises, thanking Him for His love, asking Him to explain any confusion you might be experiencing.

Fourth, be still and silent and rest in God's presence (meditatio).  This step is probably the most difficult for us as we live in a society that devalues rest and puts a premium on efficiency.  Remind yourself that prayer is a conversation and we must allow God to speak back to us.  This is certainly opposed to the typical prayer monologue that most of us have every day.  Let the "still small voice of God" speak to you and rest in Him.

Lectio divina is not mystical or more spiritual than other ways of studying the Bible.  It does, however, force us to slow down.  We need that.  The rest of life is fast enough, let's let our time with God be sacred moments that we refuse to rush.  We should savor our study time, not just look to complete it.


God, time belongs to You...let us approach life, and our sacred study, with that truth in mind.