Things Should Make Sense!

Can you tell which point I'm on?

Call me crazy, but it just seems to me that things should make sense. I'm not for war. I wish we weren't in Iraq, but didn't we go there to change the government that supported and sponsored terrorist? And now, who are we fighting? An army? No, terrorist groups, both insurgent and sectarian, and because terrorist groups are making it tough to establish the government we helped set up, we need to pull out? Doesn't make sense to me. I don't want another drop of American blood to be spilt in Iraq, but I also don't want us to let the three thousand plus men and women who died there to have died for nothing. That's the lesson of Vietnam, not being bogged down in a protracted war! Sometimes things in the world don't make sense to me.

Sometime things in religion don't make sense to me. If the Greek word for "church" is ekklesia, which means "the called out" or contextually and literally, "God's people," how can we go to something we are? "Church" is used in the New Testament in only two ways. It refers to the universal church or body of believers, and/or a specific group of believers meeting in a place or district. I'm as much the church when I'm alone as I am when I'm with a gathering of Christians. It never was a building or an institution. It never really was a name. It describes who belongs to God - those who have been "called out of the world" by Him. So - going to church is really - going to Christians?

I also don't understand how an awesome concept has been turned into a dirty word by some of "the faithful" in our fellowship. How did "Change Agent" become a dirty word, a nasty label, a mark of the devil? The real question should be "How can any child of God NOT be an agent of change?" Stay tuned! I'm working on an identification list. I want to present a Top Ten ways "You know you're a Change Agent if..."

Under Construction

These pictures are of my latest project, which I just started yesterday, finishing our basement. It should be obvious which ones are the before and after pictures. I'm framing it now and then I'll run the electrical stuff, sheet rock the walls, put in a suspended ceiling, and then carpet the whole thing. Presto! A new living area. Well, presto isn't the right word because it's going to take a couple months to do the construction, especially since it's a pay-as-you-go project and I don't have loads of time to work on it. Turkey season is coming up next month too!

Under construction? That's my basement and the story of my life. God is so patient with me. Sometimes I look at the same passage of scripture a thousand times before it hits me. I got punched again this morning as I read First Corinthians. Why have I ignored Paul's simple warning in chapter 8 and verse 1? "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." Wow! Have you ever stopped to think about how much of our "church life" is centered around knowledge? Why you HAVE to have Bible class! Why wast time visiting, drinking coffee and sharing doughnuts? Just hint that fellowship (i.e. learning to love one another) might possibly be more spiritually productive than a 45 minute lecture and you might get stoned by the faithful. How did we get so far from building love that we have to convince people that it's important? The answer is simple - our emphasis on knowledge - the very thing that "puffs up"! What declares to the world that we are disciples of Jesus? What is the fulfilment of that law and the prophets? What is the one thing that gives meaning to all other spiritual activities (chapt.13)? It's not knowledge! So why do we keep defining, directing, and driving the church with an educational paradigm? Maybe we like churches that are puffed up. That would explain why we avoid what builds up. Just thinking, and just thankful for another God-punch!

Future and Past

This is Joshua going to school on the day they all were to dress like they were one hundred years old. I think he's got it down don't you?

We are truly enjoying having family with us this week. We miss Chad, Jonathan, and Holly, but we have everyone else, and it's been a long time since Christmas. The grand kids are growing so fast that it makes us sad to not see them for two plus months, but such is life - such is ministry! So "don't be looking for much blogging this week" from this Seeker. I got better things to do - nothing personal towards you.

Sunday morning we sang "Faithful Love" (#18) and, like songs so often do, it brought a wonderful memory to mind. It was several years ago, at the Pepperdine Lecturship. Pat and Deborah were there with Donna and me, and their first-born, Joshua was with them. He had to be only about one and a half. He's five - almost six now. We were sitting up in the stratosphere area of the field house for an evening lectureship session. It was a full house and the singing of the thousands was incredible. Then we sang "Faithful Love." Well this is the song Deborah and Pat sang to Joshua every night as they put him to bed. I will never sing that song again without remembering the tiny little fellow, sitting on his parents lap just singing this song to the top of his lungs. People in the rows in front of us turned around and started smiling and whispering about the baby singing so sweet and so loud on such a difficult song. It was his song. A gift from his mom and dad, and his Father in heaven. There is nothing like the sound of a child's voice singing "Faithful love from above, came to earth to show the Father's love. And I'll never be the same, for I've seen faithful love face to face, and Jesus is His name." Amen!

From Blasphemy to Heresy

If there is a subject in the church that is a larger sacred cow than our worship traditions it would have to be outreach. How could anyone dare question our views on outreach? It's heresy, it's satanic, and it's, it's, - well it's un-Christian! That's why I thought I'd give it a shot. You see, in my journey to understand God's will in my life- as I draw closer to him and know him better, I'm finding it harder to accept man made guilt. Two areas of never ending guilt for all Christians is prayer (see previous post: Prayer Giants) and evangelism. Why? Because you can always do more - and you should! Right? And how is that not a legalistic salvation by works?

Here's my question: If the Great Commission is so great, why isn't repeated by a single writer of the New Testament after the founding of the church? I told you it was heresy! Oh, I know all the places where it's taught in principle, mostly it's Paul talking about why he did mission work, but come on - it's THE GREAT COMMISSION - as we've been taught, it's the most important command in the Bible and the easiest thing to make everyone feel guilty about! No matter how many classes you've taught, sermons you've preached, and Bible studies with non-Christians you have - you still haven't gone unto all the world to preach the gospel! It's never repeated, quoted, or slightly referred to in all of the letters of encouragement, correction, and guidance from Paul, John, Peter, James, etc. Why, in Jesus' only description of Judgment, in Matthew 25, did he not include outreach? He only talked about compassion for the hurting and needy. Why did Paul say that only "some" were called to be evangelist, pastors, and teachers (Eph.4:11). Isn't everyone a missionary - if the great commission is for all?

I don't think it was ever meant to be for everyone. Okay, get out the smelling sauce. Jesus was sending his apostles on a mission trip that they didn't even understand until persecution kicked them out of the city (Acts 1:8 and 8:1). Are we supposed to "baptize" and "make disciples"? Absolutely! But everyone wasn't given the talents or intended by God to teach, evangelize, and speak to large groups. Everyone can and must be a light. Everyone can and must be a witness - tell their story - when the opportunity presents itself. Pray for opportunities. Create opportunities. Then don't wimp-out when he gives them to you. I think Peter said it best, and he wasn't talking about everyone being a missionary or knocking on doors and making cold contacts. He said, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Pet.3:15) That sounds awfully passive to me. Wait for someone to ask? Look for the opportunities he gives you and quit feeling guilty about not being a missionary or hating to have doors slammed in your face. Why isn't "The world will know that you are my disciples if you love one another" a Great Commission? Without it, the original one is meaningless and unappealing to the lost. It's also significant to remember that we can't give away what we don't have - and the message is still Jesus - right?

Enough heresy for one day.

Wine Review

Did God give us wine? I feel safe in saying he did. I haven't tasted it in many years and don't have any particular desire to taste it now. I'm a fan of Lipton 'o7, with a light bouquet and a slight fruitiness emboldened by a dash of Sweet & Low. I realize that to use wine as an analogy for comtemporary church folks is like telling folks in Green Bay about how uncomfortably warm it is in St. Louis today. The ability to identify is limited. Nevertheless, I think it's thought-provoking so I'm going to use it. You see, a glass of wine is just fine, all poetry aside. Paul, as we all know, suggested it to Timothy. Did you ever think about the transformation that takes place when a person goes from enjoying a glass of wine with their steak dinner to becoming an alcoholic? Something that is good, in and of itself, becomes terrible because it went from being a good thing to a control thing. Alcohol becomes the new master. A tool becomes a terror because someone lost perspective, focus, and purpose.

This caused me to wonder, after hearing some whining from Christians about what the church should do, if some of us aren't churchoholics. Yes I know that sounds like blasphemy, but with the institutionalizing of "THE Church" isn't is possible that many people are addicted to church and not Jesus? Especially when church becomes the crutch or the definition of our faith. It defines righteousness, law, rituals, and faithfulness for us and we can't begin to function as worshipping creatures without it being scheduled by the official church calendar. We can't possibly do outreach without an Outreach Program within our church. And why doesn't our church have a better plan for welcoming our visitors? Giving takes place "at church" and loving one another is an extra-curricular activity for those who do more than "go to church." Does it replace a personal walk with God? If so, it's not the church he build. The tool that God gave to help us draw closer to each other and to him, has become the idol to be worshipped and obeyed, because without it, how would anyone know you're a faithful Christian?

We will not stand before God with our church family and give account of our ministry record. We will stand before him, and "each of us will give account of himself to God." (Rom.14:12) There will be no "yes, but the church didn't have an outreach ministry" or "they never called me to help with benevolence." When the tool becomes the addiction, what was good becomes bad and what was a help becomes a hindrance. Churcholoholic? It's when we depend on "church" to "guide, guard, and direct" our spiritual maturity instead of developing a personal devotion to God. Kind of makes Paul's call to "be sober" even more dramatic. I never said it wasn't important, essential, and something we deeply love - it is the Body of Christ, but it's a tool not an end. At some point, we are to be filled with the Spirit, not living on wine. Didn't Paul say that first- somewhere?

A View of last Sunday

Our resident photographer is, at my request, experimenting with taking some pictures during our assembly time on Sunday morning. He's an awesome photographer, but he's trying to use no flash and a super zoom lens and hasn't quite figured out the best way to do it. I just thought you might enjoy seeing some action pictures of me preaching last Sunday, and my poor wife trying to interpret it in sign language. I'm sure she straightens out a lot of my stuff. Not many preachers (esp. C of C) get to share the podium with their wife. She is silent! Now if we could just figure out what "in the church" means when it's a 24/7 proposition....I digress (to which many say "What's new about that?") And just for the record, I'm not in all black because I want to be like Randy Harris - or Johnny Cash for that matter.

Leadership and Lordship

We talked about elders today. In our staff meeting we read Hebrews 13, which to me seems to settle the issue about who wrote it because it's so Paul in this chapter, but we spent a lot of time talking about the authority of elders. It was interesting to reflect on why we totally twisted the biblical picture of shepherds into something more closely related to business bosses and military ranking. Jesus warned his apostles that leadership in the kingdom would not be like the world thinks of leadership. It's a call to serve, to lead by example, and to mentor members into a closer walk with God. How can "people of the Book" see the servant shepherd role as primarily a decision-making job? They had executives in Bible times! If Jesus wanted us to understand that it was a job for Lording, he would have said so. I still remember, in the past, how "toxic" it sounded to hear elders dismiss the staff from the meeting so they could have an "executive session." And yet, in my 40+ years as a Christian, some of the most wonderful, compassionate, and highly respected men I've ever know where shepherds. Some of the biggest encourager's in my life have been elders, and the most disappointing Christians in my ministry have been elders. I guess most people could say the same thing about preachers. Nevertheless, I thank God for everyone of them. I'm thankful for the ones who showed me so much love and Christ-like character, and yes, even the one's who where very un-Christ-like. Maybe the negative ones even more because they drove me to a deeper relationship with Jesus as I sought help, guidance, and wisdom. I have been so blessed to know so many wonderful men of God and some absolutely incredible shepherd's wives too. Presently I have been placed with some of the most humble, sensitive, and godly disciples of Christ that I have ever known. It's a joy to be in their presence and witness their unity and servant hearts in action. A great church family with wonderful shepherds; what more could a preacher ask for? I can only think of one thing. I'd love to be able to do it for nothing. I'd love to remove any possibility of having an employer - employee relationship. But then, I don't think I'd enjoy making tents.

Self-esteem vs. Self-control?

I resisted the urge to comment on my daughter Elizabeth's blog when she wrote about self-esteem because I knew I couldn't do a short comment. I have been fascinated by the news reports and the response of others to the new research that shows the emphasis on building self-esteem in children has led many children to lack self-control, especially as they become college aged young adults. How can it possibly be wrong to encourage your children, to build them up, to want them to experience winning, and to want them to feel good about themselves? Hey, I was teaching the importance of self-esteem to teens in a teen seminar twenty-five years ago! And I can guarantee you that every Root-kid got plenty of positive reinforcement that they were important, talented, and supported completely by family and friends. Remember the three key elements of self-esteem are significance, security, and capable. We gave all three. BUT, like everything in life, there are limits and there must be balance. So I offer these two observations.

First, as we raise our children to feel good about their victories, we must, I repeat MUST, allow them to fail and learn to cope with it without it destroying how they feel about themselves. That starts by teaching them to live with "NO!" Everything can't be "wonderful," and they can't always win or get their way. In fact, a smart parent will look for appropriate times to make sure that happens and that it can be a training experience.

Second, and most important, the only true balance comes from knowing God. He is the only one who can give totally healthy self-esteem. It's called grace! It declares us valuable and important to Him, and at the same time totally unworthy to receive such love. If we don't help our children experience His love, his disappointment with our sin, and his complete forgiveness, they will grow up thinking the world rotates around them, and that's a sad world for anyone to live in. We need to help our children, as well as ourselves, get our self-esteem from Him not man.

It never really was SELF-esteem, but rather GOD-esteem. Then we can figure out who comes before the "control".

Movie Idea.

Okay, I am officially switched over to the "new blog" format and it was relatively painless. I survived the "clicking" and kept on ticking. I still don't know what it means and the instructions still sound like a foreign language to me, but hey, it's the first step. I'm learning! Besides, I talked to two "really old" friends last week and neither one had ever even heard of blogging. Go figure! Maybe I'm not such a techno-dummy after all.

We had a wild Saturday evening at the Root house. We actually had nothing pressing and no where to be, for a change, so we stayed home and watch DVD's. I told you it was wild. Are you ready for this? We actually watched Ghostbusters 1 & 2 back to back and really enjoyed every minute of it. What fun movies! Nothing deep or bloody (or Donna wouldn't be watching it with me), but just funny, entertaining movies that were still funny after all these years. I loved noticing the differences between the two. The second one supposedly happens five years after the first and, I think, was an improvement. The comedy improved, they all quit smoking, and the new characters really added to the story. The walking statue of Liberty was a stretch, but so was the whole movie - not to mention happy-sing-a-long New Yorkers. And what a rich cast of characters? I'm ready to see Ghostbusters 3! Really! Wouldn't it be great to see how each character has developed over the last twenty years? How about having all of them coming back together to save Dana Barrett's, now adult son, from some new hideous monster that the new CG experts could truly do something fantastic with. They are all big name actors now and would really create some excitement about finishing a Trilogy. Whatdoyathink? I can hear the theme music cranking up all ready and it's gotta have Rick Moranis, the nerdy Louis Tully as an older, mellow husband, married to Annie Potts, the GB's old secretary. How about "The Revenge of Gozer".

Post Sermon Trauma

I like it when people tell me that my lesson from the previous Sunday caused them to think about it all week long. Well, sometimes I'm a victim of my own preaching. I usually think about the lesson all week prior to the delivery and then unload it on Sunday and start focusing on the next, but this week has been different. I've been thinking a lot about my opening quote in last Sunday's lesson. I introduced it as one of my favorite saying, and it is, and I've spent plenty of time thinking about it in the past, but this week, for some reason, it has come back to haunt me several times. He it is, "The greatness of a person in not found in their talents, but in what discourages them." It's a truly different, and challenging way to look at our character. I forgot where I heard it first, and I've changed it a couple of times, so now I'm claiming it as original to me (originality is forgetting where you got it). What does our discouragements say about us? As I said in the lesson last Sunday, it speaks to our sense of purpose and our priorities in life. If every little thing that comes along that we don't like or want discourages us, it that not an indictment of our priorities in life? Does it show us how self-centered we are, or maybe how ungrateful we've become? My next question was, "What discourages God?" It's not just sin and ignorance, because that's common to mankind (Romans 3:23). It's how we think about him, when we reject him and his gracious love for us.

So why have I been thinking about "what discourages me" this week? I've just realized that when I focus on what God has done for me and continues to do for me, that should dramatically change how I see life's potential discouragements! Let people complain, let the news media sensationalize the mediocre, and the let the temperatures stay in the single digits too long! So what? God loves me! I love him! If I'm breathing, I have another second to glorify Him. How can I let anything that doesn't impact my hope of spending eternity with Him discourage me?

Yet, I do. Sometimes. But I'm not going to let that discourage me, because it's really not about my character as much as it is about His grace!

Beautiful People?

Is church a social club for all the beautiful people? Of course not, but they are just the ones we like to spend time with. I love my church family and I can't wait to see them every time we get together. I like being around smiling, positive, people, who love me and tell me how wonderful I am. It's nice to be loved! Duh. It's nice to have people seem so thrilled to have me pay attention to them - and it's no chore for me to do it because I DO love them and I DO enjoy letting them know that I love them. It's why God told us to get together! It's what "doing church" is really all about - not the ritualistic performance of five man-made acts! BUT, and this is a personally disturbing "but" for me, I know that if Jesus walked into our auditorium, he would talk to each person he met, be encouraging to everyone, BUT his real attention and compassion would be directed to those few who are not "the beautiful people" of church. You know who they are. Every church has them. The socially inept. The unfashionable. The coarse, the crude, and the unclean. The folks who are super shy, or obnoxious, or just different. They may even be demanding, embarrassing, and complainers. Whatever the description, they are hard to enjoy and usually only get our attention when we "run into them" and have to acknowledge them. But spend time with them? Give with no hope have receiving any warm, tingly feeling whatsoever? I wish I could be self-righteous at this point and shame "others," but I am too convicted by how unlike Jesus I can be at times - when it really counts - when no one knows but him, and me. It's nice to have a wife who doesn't know how to be that inconsistent. I've been working on it lately because I hear God speaking to me through repeated reminders. If you want to be like Jesus - look for the people he would look for. Seems like I remember someone talking about "loving only those who love you" being a selfish love. Surely I didn't imagine it.

Prayer Giants?

If you want to make someone feel like a real spiritual dwarf just talk about the "hours" you spend in prayer. You do spend "hours" at a time in prayer don't you? Why that's got to be one of the clearest and purest signs of spiritual maturity, right? Let's see, the sum total of prayer training that most Christians receive consists of a two minute Sunday morning "formal" prayer and a ten second offering of "grace" before devouring a meal. Then we talk about "hours" of prayer and utterly squash any sense of spirituality that young or immature Christians have. Do most Christians understand that seeking to know God is building a relationship with God? It's not just gathering info about Him, but creating a closeness that makes Him real, present, and powerful in our life. If that is true, do you know of any relationship that started out with long periods of communication? Eventually, yes, but to start with, most relationships are learning, sharing, asking, and usually lots of short discussions over a long period of time. AND THAT IS WITH TOUCHABLE FLESH AND BLOOD! How much more time is it necessary for a relationship based on faith? Once a relationship is established and strong, the deeper and longer periods of communication happen naturally. It's not forced, it's part of an intimate relationship. Prayer is the most important element in building a relationship with God. By it's very nature, it must start out short and simple, but as often as we can make it. Prayer is simply inviting God into the thoughts of our heart. The more we do it, the more real and present He becomes. The "baby steps" become mature adult steps and we talk about all kinds of things without any regard to time. If it's not part of a natural growth in our relationship to God, it simply becomes a forced ritual for the purposes of self-righteousness. Anyone wanting a relationship with God, who doesn't know how to make it happen, must think "baby steps" when it comes to prayer. Talk to God all day long in short, but intentional efforts to make Him an integral part of your life. It will grow as you get to know Him better.

Two things to chew on. How much praying did the apostles do during their three and a-half years of walking with Jesus? You say, "Well, they had Jesus" but even Jesus felt the need to spend a lot of time talking to His Father and He was disappointed with their inability to pray in the Garden. And secondly, why is the "Model Prayer" one of the shortest prayers in all the Bible? (Jews, who needed to be taught how to prayer? Go figure?) Maybe the point is that it's not the "hours" of prayer, but the heart of prayer that God is looking for.

Sweating to the Coldies

Weather is weather. That may not sound super intelligent, but we all tend to try to explain why weather happens like it does. How many people have explained our resent ice age as our "paying for the mild winters of the last few years" or "paying our dues for the mild late December early January we had." Hey, it's winter! Cold happens! It won't last much longer, and besides, in a short time we'll be looking for some mythological explanation for why it's too hot. I personally like four distinct seasons and I really like the fact that no single season is too long. Hang in there it will change. In the meantime, we can turn ice into a hockey game, like the kids in our neighborhood did on the pond behind our house this past Saturday. I took the above pictures from our kitchen window. They zoomed up and down the full length of our pond for well over an hour. It's pretty solid, but there is a small, about four foot opening on the far side where a muskrat family lives. Obviously, they had to avoid it. Hmmm! I wonder what an ice hockey game looks like from underneath the ice? I bet there are some seriously frightened muskrats living there now.

Parenting Pop-Ups

One of my Rootisms is "If something keeps being repeated, maybe God is trying to tell you something." Ever notice how a subject just seems to stick around and keep popping up as if to say, "Pay attention to me?" Well, I've had several "pop ups" about parenting in the last two weeks. Donna and I studied and prepared to do a presentation on parenting last week, and somehow, in my Wednesday night class on Psalms we started talking about it, and then yesterday Donna showed me an really thoughtful article that Mike Cope wrote in his blog about parenting. All I can think of is, "Okay God, you have my attention. Just what am I supposed to do with it?" Do I need to teach my Pillars of Parenting Seminar here at Florissant? Are we supposed to seek ways to help our young families here? Why do I feel like He is saying, "share it before you forget it?" My Pillars Of Parenting Seminar has eight sessions. I don't know if I've forgotten a lot or not, but my eight points have been reduced to three. After lots of reflecting and studying, I see only three essential elements in parenting: love, clear direction, and consistent discipline. I fought the urge to change love to charity so I'd have three "C's". That being said, it's still true that the most valuable gift any couple can give their children is a strong, healthy marriage. The ironic part of it all is that no matter what our rules, values, or principles of parenting happen to be, our children will be more effected and molded by the character of our hearts, what we have a genuine passion for, and what kind of attitude we approach life with. The right spirit will always cover for mistakes in parenting, but correct parenting can't overcome a negative and inconsistent life-style.

Why do I feel like this isn't going away anytime soon?

Let There Be Understanding?

At the risk of sounding supremely negative, I can't help but reflect this morning on several things that just don't make sense to me - things I see or hear regularly and just don't understand. For example:
* I don't doubt "global warming" but I don't understand why folks try to get people to CARE when they are freezing their...toes off! We could use some global warming right now!
* If a man can be an incredibly successful business man, governor of the second largest state in the nation, win a national election, and be in his second term in the White House, I don't understand how can anyone call him "dumb"? If that's the most intelligent way I can disagree with him, it says more about me than it does him.
* I don't understand, and NEVER have, why anyone, but especially players and coaches, would yell at a referee. Here's a news flash! IT NEVER WORKS! IT NEVER HELPS! ALL IT DOES IS PREJUDICE HIS THINKING AGAINST YOUR TEAM!
* I don't understand why people don't use their turning lights, which is a common courtesy and the law, but use their car horns which haven't been needed for decades now.
* I don't understand how you are supposed to know how to spell "courtesy" when you spell things phonetically. "cur...cir...cer...maybe it starts with a k..."
* I don't understand why someone would use part of a Sweet & Low pack and leave the rest for someone else. Who in their right mind would use the remainder of a total strangers pink packet?
* I don't understand "Group Meditation." Isn't that an oxymoron or something?
* I also don't understand "Sports Bar." Just what kind of sport is that. Isn't it a place full of people desperately needing some physical activity in their life? Call it what it is: A Sports Watching Bar!
* I don't understand why so many people act so totally crazy when a TV camera is one them. I like watching some of the Today Show early in the morning, but I'm embarrassed and distracted by crazy people who think being seen on TV is such an astounding event. I can almost understand it at football games, but even then I find myself thinking, "Come on people, get a life!"
* I don't understand teens smoking. Is there anyone in the whole world who still thinks smoking looks cool? What's cool about stinking?
* Along with that, I don't understand why smokers can't or won't comprehend that in a restaurant their smoke stinks, gives head aches to many, and ruins the wonderful smell and taste of the expensive food we are trying to eat. Call me radical, many have, but that seems like a no brainier to me.
* And speaking of restaurants, I don't understand why anyone feels the need to be mean or impolite to a waitress. It's a sure sign of an inferiority complex or being a control freak. Some even act like it's their right - what they are paying for, and that's truly sad. I've been amazed at how some Christians can suddenly be rude and dismissive to someone who is being a servant to them. Go figure! At our New Member's Dinner, the shepherds and ministers server dinner to the new members and the symbolism is intentional. Can you really serve if you don't know how to be served?

These are not things I dwell on. This is not ranting as much as it's wondering. I have too much to be thankful for and too many wonderful people in my life to think about. However, I do find myself forced to think about these recurring experiences, and I guess I will continue to not understand why they happen. I wonder how many things I do that people shake their head and say, "I don't understand why Mike..."? I remember several years ago, on a road trip with a fairly new friend, I was down about several things and I sort of unloaded on him, hoping for sympathy and pity. After I ranted for a while and waited for his words of comfort he said, "Wow Mike, I always thought that you were a very positive person." Uggg! He was hoping I'd be the one to lift him up and instead I dumped on him. Well, the above is mostly tongue-in-cheek, so I hope you can laugh and not feel dumped on. May God bless you will full understand of all the things you see and experience today! At least be nice to referees and waitresses.

"Lost In Thought"

Have you ever contemplated the phrase "lost in thought"? How many times have I used that to explain to someone why I didn't hear what they said to me? How many times did that describe why I didn't get things done? How many times has that been the definition of my day? I think it's good to think. I think I've always thought that thinking was the thing that made thinkers of us all. Dah! I've been lost in thought in nearly ever class I ever sat through. I've been lost in thought watching TV - especially the famous History Channel, as it caused me to think - which is also why I like the CSI stuff. I've been lost in thought during sermons!! Yes! Not mine, of course, but others who were boring and unchallenging, and some who caused the thinking with their insights and relevance. I've been lost in thought while sitting in a tree stand waiting for the "monster" to walk by, and I've had many a deer under my stand before I found my thoughts.

Some times the "lost in thought" was worry and anxiety, and other times it was pure dreaming and fantasizing. "What would I do if Publisher's Clearing House knocked on my door with a ten million dollar check?" While that made me think of new houses, ATV's, and vacations on beaches, the most fun was dreaming about giving it away and helping others. Some times I worked through problems while lost in thought. There have been many theological changes that took place because of being lost in thought. The best "lost in thought" moments have been spent with God. Inviting Him in on the discussion, asking Him questions, and just knowing He was there. I wish I'd remembered to include Him more often. I guess you'd have to say that if He is part of it, it's never "lost" in thought, but always "found" in thought. Quiet time without God is just less noise, but quiet time with Him is a symphony of love.

Bloggophobia?

Will my blog implode if I click on the new version? Why am I petrified to switch? Insecurity? Ignorance? Fear of change? Boy there's a phrase I never thought I say about myself. I wonder if God uses our techno-insecurities to keep us humble? About the time I feel cocky about my outstanding Power Point artistry, I get crushed by fear of clicking on the wrong thing. Go figure? Fear of clicking! Sounds like the makings of a new racy novel or movie. What about a mystery like Clicking On the Orient Express, or maybe that bone chilling blood-splattering Silence of the Clicks? Before you know it there will be the TV series Law and Clicking and the sitcom Two and A-Half Clicks. Then CNN will come out with Clicking: 24/7. The only thing more frightening will be the Dr. Phil daily special "You Can Master Your Click". Soon clicking will be essential for salvation!!!!

I digress! All I really meant to do with this blog is introduce to any readers who care, the new logo for our musical production this June. The Lord of the Parables is going to be a lot of fun. We had our first "are you interested" meeting and over 100 applications were picked up. I had to print up some more. We have twenty-three songs on this play. They are Broadway and oldies parodies, and some awesome praise songs. Dates are June 7, 8, 9, & 10. Come and see it if you can.

I wonder if I could write a musical....The Sound of Clicking? It could happen!

Splashing In The Shallows

We accidentally clicked onto a TV program where three people of questionable expertise and gender were critiquing the dress and accessories of the stars as they arrived at the Golden Globe Awards. Talk about "no-bodies" saying nothing, wow! How can a bunch of non-celebrities question the tastes of real celebrities who clearly have an audience and are marketable? No one in that group ever walked the red carpet to receive a national honor, yet they were experts on how stars should dress. They should at least have other celebrities doing the criticizing. Even sports commentators are usually ex-players or coaches who have "been there done that." For the few seconds we watched the show, all I could think of was "how shallow." One star wasn't wearing "her color" and another was wearing "too much jewelry." The only thing that amazed me more than the fact that anyone would care was that a group of anonymous no-bodies had TV time to air their opinions. But then again, I feel the same way when a movie celebrity presents themselves as an expert on politics. Notoriety in one area of life doesn't make one an expert in all areas of life. Stay where you're deep, thus avoiding being shallow.

All this just made me wonder if shallowness (if it's not a real word I just made it one) is subjective. I guess it has to be - you know, in the eye of the beholder, but isn't there a way to objectively know that something is indeed shallow? You have to exclude the mundane and the routine. There is nothing intrinsically deep about brushing your teeth, wishing you'd worn a different shirt, or trying to figure out were to go for lunch. But what about priorities? I know I've been shallow in my priorities at certain times of my life. Cars? Clothes? Sports? TV? Many etc...? Unless your livelihood depends on these, how important are they? The list is endless. Things that seem so important at the time, in retrospect, were a waste of energy, drive, and focus. Though it's nothing like it used to be, I still fight shallowness at times. Worrying about what someone thinks about me; "Are people going to remember I wore this last week?"; and wondering why the guy in the bathroom mirror has so much less hair than I do. Again, just to name a few. Maybe spending ten seconds wondering why some "no-bodies" are on TV is a slip into shallowness. I guess if I define shallowness as any waste of time, I might discover that there is a lot more shallowness in my life than there should be. Even Jesus said that worrying about food or clothing was a waste of time. How much does that convict us of shallowness? His remedy was to "seek first the kingdom of God." Loving God and loving one another is always deep.

I really hope you're happy!

In Westerhoff's levels of faith, he talked about "affiliative faith." It is a faith we have simply because of our desire to affiliate with certain people. People we like, agree with, or even family. We connect with them, agree with them, and have our faith supported by them. It's nice, even biblical to a point, but it's not an "owned faith." It's a faith of association, identification, and acceptance. Again, it's part of God's plan, because He wants us to be with folks who will encourage, edify, and equip us, but the goal is to have a faith that is our own - that is a personal walk with God. Look at Eph.4:11-16 again and the goal is clearly maturity, Christ-like, and the headship of Jesus.

I made the observation in a lesson yesterday while talking about Romans 1:16 (as part of a lesson on vs.8-17), that being ashamed of the gospel (i.e. being a Christian, Jesus, representing His point of view, etc.) is a good indication that our faith is affiliative rather than owned. How hard is it to have faith when you're around faithful people? How do you know that what you have is real faith? How do we know we have convictions and not co-dependency? I have struggled with this regularly through the years because I know how driven I am to be a people pleaser (yes kids, it's in your genes). When you are primarily around other Christians, and you want them to think highly of you, it gets easy to be driven by acceptance rather than a genuine Christ-likeness. If it is not real faith, we become like whoever we happen to be with at the time. On the other hand, if we do have an authentic faith, if we do sense His presence wherever and with whomever we are around - even when we are alone, then there is a consistency of life in our example, our witness, and our hearts. Can we truly say we are seeking Him if He is not the one we want to please - first? Authentic faith can only come from an authentic relationship with God and Jesus. If God is happy, God's people will be happy. Everyone else is a prospect.

The Purpose Drivel Church?

In my opinion, there is no tougher problem facing any congregation of people than being honest about their purpose as a church. I can't begin to estimate how many times through the years I have worked with my church leaders to hammer out a clear sense of direction. Through the years I've been part of focus groups, planning groups, goals setting groups, and dozens of elders retreats, meetings, and workshops - all trying to clarify what the church should be doing. There were several times when I had it figures out too! At least I thought I did, with the knowledge I had at the time. It's not as easy as it sounds. For one thing, church leaders are never objective. It's rare to find a leader who can step back, look at the big picture, and dump all the extra baggage of traditions, politics, and people-pleasing. For another thing, we assume that those who've gone before us have worked out the details of "What the church is and does" and our job is to simply develop the most efficient and effective way to carry it out. I remember how dumbfounded I was thirty-five years ago when I asked, "Why hasn't anyone wondered why worship IS NEVER described, used, or performed in the New Testament like we do it today?" How could the "most important thing we do" (at least traditionally) be so "undescribed" in the Bible? Well, you get the point hopefully, without me quoting chapters from one of my books. Those who went before us DID NOT WORK OUT ALL THE DETAILS - at least not always correctly. They weren't always "restoring" as much as they were adjusting.

Today, the last thing I want to do is hammer out a Mission Statement or create a new Vision for the church. I like God's. Building a church is not always the same thing as seeking God! We get it twisted around. It's not the big church that God is looking for but the big heart that seeks Him! It's not about the church! The church is a tool to help people develop a deeper relationship with Jesus! Anything that doesn't contribute to that, is a worldview church. At the risk of being repetitious, the church exists to facilitate the building of spiritual relationships. It was never in the plan of God that the church would become the Temple of the New Covenant. So I'll close this theological tantrum with two ignored or at least diminished principles that any child of God can place scriptures to.

1. A deeper relationship with Jesus comes from having deeper spiritual relationships with one another.

2. The best way to have a deeper relationship with Jesus is to help someone else have one.

The real question then becomes: How does the church help make this happen?