current reading

I just began reading today, Seeking a Lasting City: the Church’s Journey in the Story of God. I am just a few pages in and enjoying this work immensely. Here is a little excerpt that raises some important questions: 

“The church is faithful when it lives within the story of God. However, in Churches of Christ, we’ve often misunderstood the church’s faithfulness not primarily in terms of its story, but of its structures. We ask: what is the organization of the church? The name of the church?  The worship of the church? The work of the church? This approach has an impressive legacy in our history. With these structures as our starting point, our efforts to reform inevitably focus on returning to the Bible and getting these things right. This approach, however, creates nagging questions. Is getting these structures right God’s mission in the world? What happens when the structures are right, but there is no serious engagement of the gospel with the world?” (Seeking a Lasting City, 5-6). 

So, what do you think, is getting the structures right the point, or is the church supposed to be part of something bigger than right form and right worship styles? Let me hear your thoughts…

doing and being

There is a difference between doing and being. Doing church requires no effort. Just show up on Sunday and Wednesday and follow the rules. Being the church is an active participation in the community where you live taking healing to the broken places and light to the dark places. Doing church is building-centric. Being the church is Christo-centric. Doing church is a commitment to the status-quo. Being the church is a committment to be salt and light in whatever circumstance or situation you find youself in. Doing church is all about us. Being the church is all about Him. Doing church is attractional. Being the church is missional. Doing church isn’t working. Being the church is the missing element in our communities and world. Being the church is a committment to the people in our communities from the wealthiest citizen to the poorest of the poor. Being the church is an extension of the in-breaking of the kingdom of God. Doing church is going through the motions. Being the church is a life of adventure inside and outside the buildings we meet in.

modern day kingdom parables

The kingdom of God is like your child crawling up into your lap and hugging you and just nestling in your lap.

The kingdom of God is a like a teen who gets her hands and feet dirty to serve the poor of her community.

The kingdom of God is like a single mother who works two jobs to make ends meet for her family.

The kingdom of God is like a church that leaves it pews and takes itself to the streets.

The kingdom of God is like floodwaters running wildly over the banks of the river or creek.

The kingdom of God is like…

what are some modern day kingdom parables you would add?

Holes and Mice

It has been really wet in Oklahoma. We have some ceiling damage at our home and two holes have appeared. In addition to the holes in our ceiling, we have another mice infestation. Another?! I know it sounds weird, but we have a big field behind our house and well, we are a depot for little lost critters. It could be easy to gripe about our circumstance, but I think the best medicine for rough times is to follow Paul’s advice in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, “pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances…” So, Lord, help me to see past the problems and dwell in your promises to take care of us, and that you would never leave us nor forsake us.

I want to take this story of the ceiling and the mice a different direction. We don’t expect holes to show up in our homes nor do we generally anticipate mice invading our home. But, what if the holes and mice were living metaphors for other things that we let invade our lives? Like greed, jealously, envy, bitterness, sensuality, etc? Holes and mice are representative of leaving our souls untended, symptomatic of a bigger problem, aka a life of selfish indulgence.

Okay, maybe I am stretching it a bit here, but when you are looking for God in every situation, sometimes you just can’t help it!

Darfur

Ten years ago the world say idly by and witnessed about a million innocent people die in Rwanda. Today, another genocidal regime is running wild in the Sudan, and innocent people are dying. We could do more, save.darfur.org is one such agency working to end the genocide in the Darfur. We need good people to band together to do something. Write letters to Congress, to the President, to newspapers, tell your friends, get your churches engaged. Just don’t sit there and do squat.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has a special feature on Google Earth that let’s you get a feel for the depseration in the Darfur. They have special features that let’s you see damaged villages and other features.

for Buckeye fans only

I was driving past a local high school the other day, and I saw some guys in helmets and shoulder pads running some drills and my heart leaped for joy. Football season is right around the corner. As a Buckeye fan, it has been a an interesting year. Two of our teams lost to the same school twice. Ouch! But, there is always next year and well, for Buckeye football fans, here is a headline with some starting times for Fall games that will interest you.

Blog round-up

Just a few random highlights of the blog world, these are certainly worth taking the time to browse.

Larry Chouinard writes a great post on what it means to be a member of the kingdom, and live in a country that is not our home.

 Fred Peatross has written a new book, Missio Dei. I have read what others are saying about this work, it is certainly worth our time.

 Keith Brenton astounds me with his pursuit of Jesus. If you are unfamilar with Keith’s blog, spend some time over there, it will stir your heart.

Mike Cope always inspires and encourages. His words draw us deeper into the kingdom.

John Dobbs is a man of hope and doing a great work in the Katrina ravaged Gulf Coast. John, your work and words have given “hope” to many through a season of despair and doubt.

already tired of the political mumbo-jumbo

It seems all the news has to report on these days is what candidate said what, and who didn’t say something. I am tired of the circus already.

Dear politicans running for the office of presidency,

Do you want to truly impact American voters, then get out into the real world. You see the desperation in some families, do something. Why don’t you use your fundraising money to make a difference here in our own backyard. All of our candidates on both sides of the aisles could pool their money and eliminate stupid poverty. You could even help working Americans, but volunteering to baby sit, or finding out what is of real concern to the working class. Who knows, you might impact more people if you got of our world of high dollar fundraising and stooped down on our level.

And here is  the thing, if you don’t get elected, at least you would know that you made a difference in the lives of the citizens you claim to serve.

“you want me to do what?”

I was reading in 2 Kings 5 today and this prhase, “you want me do what?” kept resurfacing in my mind. Naaman may not have said just that way, but don’t you know he was thinking it? A man with a skin disease, desperate for healing goes to a man of God, he expected a dramatic healing, not some mundane instruction to go dip himself into the Jordan River seven times. Hundreds of years later, a Jewish carpenter pledged to be married to Jewish peasant girl must have thought the same when she was found tobe with child and yet swore that she had not been unfaithful. Mary probably had proof of her virginity, the cloth she wore as proof of her virginity had not been bloodied. Jewish girls pledged to be married just don’t end up pregnant unless she was unfaithful or the creator of the heaven and the earth intervenes in a huge way. When Jospeh was told to take her to be his wife and that he was to name the baby in her womb Jesus, he must have thought, ”you want me to do what? Hundreds of years earlier, another man thought the same thing, when a burning bush captured the attention of a desert shepherd. God appearing and appointing Moses to be the leader of the Exodus of God’s people was, “you want me to do what?” moment. Hundreds of years before Moses, another prominent figure must have thought something similar, as God told Noah to build an ark to carry his family and the animals for a flood was coming to destroy the earth. Noah accumulated wood, began to built and must have wondered, “God you want me to do what?” As a youth minister, I ask this question alot of God. Why me? You want me to do what? I don’t have the tools, the training or the cool to do youth work, are you sure I am the right one for the job? But, isn’t just like God to call into his service, those who have shaky pasts or rocky reputations? Isn’t just like God to use the most unlikely, uncool, and untrained to do his work? And for you, youth ministry may not be your reasoning to ask, “you want me to do what?” but ask nontheless you do.  I think the example over and over again in Scripture is that God will use whoever has a heart for him to do his work no matter how big or how small.

the best gift of them all

Sunday morning, on her own my oldest realized what day it was said and grinned as big as her little mouth would let her and shouted, “Happy Father’s Day Daddy.”

It was so sweet. To be loved by your kids, and be a part of their lives is the best Father’s Day gift.