Young Love (Courtesy of TAB)

I really enjoy these two songs and what they teach about the roller coaster of young (and sometimes not so young) "love."  When we build a relationship on anything other than a love that is patient, kind, giving, humble and honest we end up with something that looks like...this.  Enjoy!

"November Blue"

"Denouncing November Blue"

Tough Love

"One thing God has spoken,
      two things I have heard;
 that you, O God, are strong,
      and that you, O Lord, are loving."
                        Psalm 62:11-12

God is strong enough to take care of you and He is loving enough to want to take care of you.

Book Review: "No Greater Love" by Levi Benkert

Most Christian books I read are of the manifesto-type---presenting Biblical and theological support for an idea of a movement.  And I enjoy these works.  They are practical, and I'm a practical person. But, sometimes, idea-overload can occur and burn out isn't far behind.  After The Next Christians, I was almost to that point.  It was the perfect time to read Levi Benkert's No Greater Love, even if I didn't know it when I started.

No Greater Love is a memoir, covering the journey of the Benkert family to remote Ethiopia to save children from the tribal practice of mingi.  In the first few chapters, we find that Levi Benkert had been a wildly successful real estate developer living in San Diego with his wife Jessie and three children (one of whom was adopted through the American foster care system).  Then the housing market collapsed and Benkert quickly was on the verge of losing everything.  At the end of his rope, he had the opportunity to take a short-term missions trip to Jinka, Ethiopia to assist with orphan care.  While on this two-week trip, Benkert learned of the horrifying tribal practice of mingi, the ritual killing of children who were considered cursed by tribal leaders.  Children were being rescued (in small numbers) by courageous Christian locals and being brought to the orphanage.  It was seeing this process in action that led Benkert to believe that God might be calling he and his family to Ethiopia for good.  Not a particularly religious man (though he did consider himself a believer and had done humanitarian work in the past), Benkert wondered if God was really speaking to him.  Through conversation with his wife and a series of related events, the Benkerts decided that God was indeed bringing them to Ethiopia.  They sold everything they owned and moved their family of five overseas, trusting that God would guide their work.

Once I got past Benkert's American life (interesting, but not fascinating), I became enthralled in this book.  The story of this family, the children in the orphanage and the triumphs and hardships they all faced were amazing.  Dozens of children were rescued.  The Benkerts adopted again.  More Americans joined the cause.  Things broke down in a heartbreaking turn of events.  God restored the ministry of the Benkerts.  The story of this family and God's work through them kept me reading last night until I had finished 200+ pages in an hour or two.  This is a stirring, inspiring read.

The book is not a how-to manual on orphan care, foreign missions or hearing God's voice.  Yet, after reading it, I'm more inspired than ever to fight for orphans.  This book is not meant to equip, necessarily.  It is meant to fuel us to listen for God's voice and to see His heart for the poor and powerless.  Benkert's book hits the mark.  Check out the Benkerts work at http://bringlove.in

Book Review: "The Next Christians" by Gabe Lyons

Do Christians have an image problem?  That's a tricky question.  If you ask the general public, the answer is absolutely.  Statistically speaking, Christians (particularly evangelicals) are not exactly the most popular group in the world.  If you ask Christians, you'll probably get a plethora of answers.  Some argue that Christians shouldn't concern themselves with image.  Jesus said the world would hate His followers, so why be concerned when those words become reality? In fact, they contend, we should be proud of our "image problem" because it just demonstrates our righteousness. Others have taken the criticisms of the world to heart and have gone to great lengths to become more "relevant," changing everything from music, to venues, to programs to even messages.  Still others are completely oblivious to the conversation all together. 

Gabe Lyons, author of statistics-drive unChristian, wholeheartedly acknowledges the image problem that Christianity has in the West, particularly among the under 40 population.  His research from unChristian bears out his beliefs.  Yet, despite the grim assessment of the Church's current image, The Next Christians is an extremely hopeful book.  Lyons argues that a new group of believers---believers who are focused on restoration---are rising in Western Christianity and slowly, but surely, turning the tide of outsiders' perceptions of Christians.  

Synopsis:  Lyons spends the opening chapters outlining the decline of the Church in America and the West as a whole.  We now live in a post-modern, post-Christian, pluralistic world, a world that has ostensibly passed the Church by.  Lyons melodramatically writes, "Many churches are increasingly exhibiting less and less real influence in the communities where they are located.  If they were gone tomorrow, one can't help wondering if anyone would notice." (p 25)  Americans are still looking for spirituality however, states Lyons, citing a Newsweek cover story.  The article presented research that illustrated that 80% of Americans consider themselves spiritual and 75% of those people considered a "personal relationship with God" to be vitally important to their lives.  If these statistics are accurate, then the Church still has an abundant opportunity to make a difference in America.  Lyons argues that a grassroots movement of Christians, believers focused on how things "ought to be" are poised to make a difference in spite of the parody of itself the Church has become.

Throughout the 20th Century and into the 21st Century, Lyons attests that two types of Christian cultural interaction have taken place---separatist and cultural.  The two approaches are fairly self-explanatory.  The separatist approach has been to (duh) separate from the culture, while the cultural approach has been to engage the culture.  Within these two categories are several subgroups.  The separatists include the insiders (those who insist on engaging in activities and within groups explicitly labeled "Christian"), the culture warriors (those who believe America is inherently a Christian nation and are fighting against the secularization of the nation) and evangelizers (those whose sole intent is to "get people saved").  The cultural approach includes the blenders (Christians who attempt to blend in with the mainstream, hoping to not be associated with "crazy Christians") and philanthropists (Christians who make good works their trademark, rather than the grace of Christ expressed in the Gospel).  Lyons contends that each of these groups has a certain strength to them, but have overall missed the mark and have in their own way pushed outsiders away from the Gospel.   However, Lyons has seen a third way of cultural interaction arise in recent years.  He calls this group the restorers (of which, not surprisingly, he is one).  He writes that restorers "envision the world as it was meant to be and they work toward that vision.  Restorers seek to mend the earth's brokenness...Through sowing seeds of restoration, they believe others will see Christ through us and the Christian faith will reap a much larger harvest." (p 47)  He considers the restorers to possess "a way of following Jesus that is radically different" than the other groups described, making them the hope of the future of the Church.  I'll briefly outline those ways of following Christ below.

*"Provoked, Not Offended"- When elements of culture run counter to the teachings of Scripture (i.e. the promotion of homosexuality), Christians have typically been offended and critiqued the culture.  The next Christians are provoked instead of offended.  They look to engage instead of condemn, offer grace instead of judgement, and be faithful without regard to reputation.

*"Creators, Not Critics"- Statisics show that outsiders view most Christians as critical of the culture of the world.  The next Christians look to instead create culture.  They celebrate beauty, affirm goodness, tell the truth and serve others.

*"Called, Not Employed"- Christians have long considered calling as something reserved for those in full-time Church-related ministry.  The next Christians see things differently, seeking to find calling regardless of career path.  Lyons illustrates that there are several channels of cultural influence in which Christians can impact society- media, education, arts and entertainment, business, government, social sector and church.  The next Christians are intent on discovering their talents and abilities as a guide to calling and then having influence in each of the seven channels.

*"Grounded, Not Distracted"- Lyons explains that this characteristic is crucial for the next Christians in distinguishing themselves from the blenders and philanthropists.  As the next Christians engage culture, they must remain grounded in the Gospel and its disciplines or risk stumbling badly into sin.  He argues that the next Christians who are making a difference have made a commitment to five spiritual disciplines----immersing themselves in Scripture (instead of entertainment), observing the Sabbath (instead of the modern drive for productivity), fasting for simplicity (instead of consuming), chosing embodiment (instead of division) and focused on prayer (instead of power).  He warns that the thrust of the next Christians will collapse without focus on these disciplines.

*"In Community, Not Alone"- In a culture of isolation and individualism, the next Christians are intentional about creating and remaining in community.  They seek intimacy, permanance and service as modes of restoration.

*"Countercultural, Not Relevant"- As a response to the less-than-favorable outlook of outsiders, many churches and Christians have made an effort to become "relevant."  They have attempted to look as much like the world as possible.  The next Christians instead look to create new culture, a restored culture that looks more like things "ought to be."  Instead of being a carbon copy of a broken culture, the next Christians create a culture for the common good that gives outsiders hope.

Lyons maintains that if the next Christians remain rooted in the Gospel, they will create and restore culture and present the Gospel in a new and fresh way that will result in the next big shift in Christianity, a modern-day Awakening.

Review:   The Next Christians is a thought-provoking read.  I found myself discussing Lyons' ideas often with Alyssa and found much of the text challenging.  However, the book is far from perfect.  The book is overly optimistic about our generation and, in fact, comes across as a bit prideful at points.  The implication throughout the book is that this group of Christians finally "gets it" where all other groups have missed the big picture.  One thing I have learned over the course of my faith journey is that we should never dismiss the history and practice of previous generations of the Church.  There is always something to be gained from others within the Body.  To think that a new group has come up with something completely new is a bit naive.  There are plenty of examples of Christians throughout the past two centuries in America who have embraced community, service, the spiritual disciples and cultural engagement.  In fact, I'd say most churches embrace these things.  Additionally, I felt at times that the Gospel itself is missing from the book.  Lyons has the mistaken idea that good works and restoration alone with lead people to Christ.  Despite admitting that there is no way to quantify this happening, he insists it is in motion.  Early in the book he goes as far to say that conversion and good works are of equal importance.  You won't find much orthodox theology that will embrace this statement, let alone the Gospels themselves.  I don't think that Lyons actually believes this, but less discerning readers may walk away with the wrong impression.

In spite of these flaws, there is much to be gained from The Next Christians.  The approach to life he promotes for Christians is spot on.  We should be purposeful about being restorers of culture, engaging outsiders in a way that demonstrates the grace, love and beauty of Christ.  This type of living will lead to opportunities to share the Gospel in ways that other generations have not been able to.  I highly recommend reading the book...it will challenge your thinking, cause you to re-evaluate your lifestyle and give you practical examples of how to live out culture restoration.

Name that Tune

While I'm anxiously awaiting the September release of the Avett Brothers latest album (that fire was stoked by a great cover article on TAB in Relevant Magazine this month), I've been checking out some of their older and off-beat stuff.   I've been particularly loving a lot of the covers of some under-appreciated classics...check them out and if you're an AB or folk fan, prepare to be delighted.

 Seth Avett and Bob Crawford cover Jim Croce's "Operator"

Scott Avett covers Bob Dylan's "One More Night"

Scott Avett covers Tom T. Hall's "Country Is" 

Scott Avett covers Matt Butcher's "A Famous Country Singer" (ok, not exactly a classic, but sounds great anyways)

Enjoy!

   
 

Knocking on the Brothel Door

"Every man who knocks on the door of a brothel is knocking for God."- G.K. Chesterton

What do you find consuming your life?  Where does the majority of your time, attention, money and energy go?  Is there a sin you consistently fall into?  Stop and consider for a moment that those things might be revealing that you are not finding your significance through Christ.  You may be desperately looking to fill something that is empty inside you and continually ending up disappointed.  Like Chesterton points out, when a man is looking for sexual conquest, it's not really about the sex.  He's looking for something that ultimately is found only in the Almighty.  What doors are you knocking on and who are you expecting to answer?

Be Quick to Listen, Slow to Post

In the age of constant information, the opportunity is always there to post an opinion on Twitter, chime in on a conversation on Facebook or rant and rave on a blog.  I know that everyday I see things posted on Facebook that I consider responding to....then I think better of it.  Who wants to argue, let alone get a billion notifications?  It's not just reacting to other's words however.  Alyssa and I were in Chicago today and saw numerous people, places and things that maybe deserved some social commentary.  But to what end?  Why do we post what we post?  Why do we blog what we blog?  What exactly are we hoping to accomplish when we publically address our thoughts on the social issue of the hour?  I'm not necessarily arguing that we shouldn't speak up at times about where our society or its members are headed.  But we need to be extremely wise about what we say, when we say it and why we say it.

Alyssa and I discussed this topic as we walked around the streets of the city.  I'm the kind of person who likes black and white answers, but the longer the conversation went on the more apparent it became that there is not always a definitive way to go about choosing what we say.  There are some Scriptural guidelines that help us know some of the things we shouldn't say, of course.  We should never post gossip about anyone.  We shouldn't write anything that is there to simply tear someone else down.  There are clearly ways of saying things that are abrasive, off-color or simply inappropriate and those things should be out of bounds.  But what about chiming in on political topics, gender issues, sexual orientation, and the like?  Even when we strongly feel the Scripture favors what we are posting, we need to consider our end game.  What am I hoping to accomplish to posting what I am posting?  An example of this is posting about homosexuality.  I make no secret about the fact that I am a Christian, and by default I'm sure most people know the Christian view on homosexuality.  So, when I post that it is wrong, what am I trying to accomplish?  No one is learning something about me or my views that they didn't already know.  I may get some slaps on the back from fellow Christians, but I may also have pushed some readers further away from the Gospel.  I'm not saying that I (or anyone else for that matter), should always tolerate every view and should never use social media as a platform to discuss spiritual issues, even hot-button issues.  So, how do we know when to post and when not to?

The answer is simple, but carrying it out is difficult.  Simply put, Christians absolutely must deepen their relationship with Christ and rely on Him for direction of what to say and when to say it.  I believe most of us have a relatively shallow relationship with Christ most of the time.  This leaves us to our own devices in terms of speaking our mind, a dangerous situation for people with darkened, sinful hearts.  However, the more we connect with Christ through studying His Word and fellowshipping with Him through prayer, the more we will know how to hear His voice.  In fact, as Paul discusses, we will begin to see Him living through us more and more.   We need His direction.  I don't want to be just another voice in a world with a billion voices.  I want Him to speak through me because I know what He says is perfect, true and loving.  Christ knows when to speak on sin and when not to.  Case in point, consider the stories of the Samaritan woman at the well and Zacchaeus.

Jesus confronts a Samaritan woman, breaking numerous social boundaries in the process.  During this conversation, Jesus points out this woman's sexual immorality and infidelity.  This does not turn this woman away.  In fact, it turns her towards Christ!  His timing and words were perfect.  Then, consider the story of Zacchaeus.  This is a man who was reviled by his own people.  He was a tax collector and he was notorious for cheating his own countrymen.  Yet, when Christ encounters Zacchaeus he embraces him and does not point out his sin.  Zacchaeus, in response to this exposure to Christ, actually recognizes his own sin, repents and turns to Christ!  Again, Jesus knew his heart and knew how to approach the situation.  We see that Jesus was sensitive to the Holy Spirit and knew precisely what to say and when to say it.

There will be times when Jesus will lead your heart to post something (or say something, people still do talk these days, I think) that is controversial and it will actually go a long way towards moving the heart of someone He wants to touch.  Other times, He will simply have you love others and allow His love to move them to recognize truth.  You will only be able to recognize this leading if you have consistent, daily communion with Christ and His Spirit.

As you grow in this relationship, let two biblical principles guide your speech.  First, James tells us to be slow to speak, quick to listen and slow to anger.  Listen first, speak second and wait to get angry.   Most of the time, once you've listened, you won't be angry after all.  Second, Paul tells us that judgement and correction is to be from believer to believer.  Remember that those people who are not Christians don't share your trust in God, let alone the Bible.  Don't expect a non-Christian to act like a Christian.  Extend Christ's love to them and be open to speaking the truth in love when Jesus leads.

Debt Emancipation

Two years ago, Alyssa and I were blessed to be a part of a Crown Financial Bible study with our friends from Bridgepoint Church.  At that point, we were up to our necks in debt---credit card debt, auto loan debt, medical bill debt, student loan debt, etc.  In fact, not including our bigger deferred student loans (tens of thousands of dollars more), we had over $51,000 in debt we began paying on in March 2010.  Utilizing many of the strategies we learned from Crown and our small group, we have since paid over $40,000 of the debt off in just over two years!  We did not start making more, we didn't inherit anything and we definitely didn't win the lottery.  We follow Biblical principles and are committed to our strategy, and it has worked.

I know we are not the only family in the world who has carried the weight of debt.  The Bible calls debt slavery and that is exactly what it is.  Proverbs 22:7 says "The borrower becomes the lender's slave."  Think about it.  When you are in debt to a credit card company, you WILL work to pay that money back with interest.  There is no getting out of it (other than the even more undesirable options of bankruptcy, default, etc).  You are the company's slave.  (NOTE:  The use of slave here is not to diminish the horror of human trafficking...but the Bible is clear that the punishment for finding yourself in debt is severe).  No one wants to be a slave.  So, given our relatively successful battle against debt, I wanted to share how you can find your debt shrinking and your freedom expanding.  

1.  If you're not in debt, don't start now!

2.  If you are in debt, read what the Bible has to say about debt and money.  Whether you are a Christian or not, I assure you that you will find great wisdom in the Scripture on both topics.  How does your perspective on money compare with that of the Bible?

3.  Pray that God can a) help you to dilligently carry out a plan to eliminate your debt and b) can change your attitude towards money.  Most of us look at money and possessions as "ours," things we have earned.  The Bible corrects that mentality, helping us to see that everything belongs to God.  When we start to understand we are dealing with God's money, it is much easier to be careful with it.

4.  Create two spreadsheets.  The first sheet is your monthly bills and savings.  Ours is a seven column spreadsheet----company/bill, due date, total, interest %, balance, paid?, and expected payoff date.  We have found this sheet helpful for several reasons.  First, we aren't paying bills late because they are in order by date.  We look at the sheet often and we know what must be paid and when.  This has saved us a lot in unnecessary late fees!  Second, we are able to see the interest we are paying and this is helps us know how to spend our excess money (more on this later).  Third, the payoff dates give us hope.  We can see how the debt will disappear if we stick to our plan and God continues to provide.

The second spreadsheet is our budget spreadsheet.  This sheet is set up in such a way that we see how much we start with in each category, and has blanks to the right so we can deduct from those totals with each purchase.  The budget is much more difficult to get right at first.  We had to play with different amounts for a few months until we settled in on what were appropriate limits for each category.  FYI, our categories are groceries, clothing, gas, dog, miscellaneous, entertainment, dinners out, health and beauty and allowance.  We have actually taken this a step further in recent months, taking our budget totals and putting cash in envelopes for each category.  Once the cash is gone, the spending for that category is over for the month.  This eliminates the tendency to go through money on a debit card as if it is monopoly money.

5.  Add up all your income for the month and add up all your expenses (bills + budget).  Subtract your expenses from your income.  Hopefully, you have a positive number!  If your expenses exceed your income, you have two options.  Using a credit card is not one of them.  First, you can eliminate expenses.  A data plan, cable television, excess groceries, excess gas (eliminating trips and riding your bike or walking can help), eating out, entertainment money and any other unneccessary expense can be cut to help you get into the green.  Second, you may need to get a second job or a new job in order to have your income exceed expenses.  I am not suggesting this part will be easy or fun.  But remember---you're trading slavery now for freedom later.

6.  Once you have excess income, you can start to really pay debt.  If you ever read your credit card or mortgage statement, you know that paying minimum payments results in paying a lot of money for a long time.  Paying minimum payments is no way to get out of debt.  Go back to your bills spreadsheet.  Which bill has the highest interest rate?  Add your excess income to your highest interest bill.  You will be shocked at how fast that bill disappears.

7. After you have paid off one debt, take your excess income PLUS the minimum payment you were paying on that bill, and add it to the payment for the highest interest bill remaining.  You can see the pattern and where to take it from there.  Eventually, your excess income will be high enough that you will be making $1000+ payments on smaller debts!

8.  Somewhere along the line, and this will be different for each person, I would recommend putting a small percentage of money in savings.  If possible, avoid every purchase made on credit besides a mortgage (and more power to you if you can pay for a house in cash!)  If you have sufficient savings, you can pay for a car in cash.  You avoid the interest and you will most assuredly get a better deal on a car you are paying for in cash.

9.  Most importantly, honor God with your money.  I don't just mean tithing, although I do think you should give a percentage of your money each month to a church, charity, someone in need, etc.  Read what the Bible says about that if you need direction.  However, I'm talking more about doing what is right with your money.  Don't spend on things that are wrong.  As you gain more, don't become greedy and selfish.  Always reevaluate your attitude towards your finances.  Money is not the root of all evil----the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.  If you're asking God to help you get out of debt, honor Him through the process.

Hopefully, this information is helpful to someone reading out there.  Alyssa and I have been extraordinarily blessed throughout this process and we want to bless others with our story and we've learned.  Feel free to contact me if you want some additional resources, need advice or just want to share your story!