Before I dive into what's on my mind, I would like to preface this blog with two clear points:
1.) Although I always try to write and speak to a general audience, in this particular blog post I am writing specifically to my friends who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and thus would call themselves a Christian. Wherever you find yourself on the 'religious spectrum', I encourage you to continue reading this post, but please keep in mind that I am speaking directly to those would who label themselves as followers of Christ.
2.) The definition of irony is, "incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs."(Dictionary.com). I bring this up because it will not take you long to realize this blog post directly violates the principle I am trying to raise in this post. In many ways, I am asking you not to do something that I am actually about to do. It would be like me telling you the physical consequences of smoking while I puff smoke from my cigarette right in your face. That being said, I ask you to consider the heart of what I am trying to say. And I too will try and adhere to my own advice.
Now that we've got that out of the way, let's dive in.
I have found myself, on more than one occasion, spending too many hours on YouTube, reading the comments that viewers will post to particular videos. Whether they are bashing the flow of Justin Bieber's hair, or giving you deep insight to how the universe came into existence, everyone seems to have a voice and opinion.
I personally don't play online video games (I grew up with three sisters in the house. We had dolls, not video games. I've got deeper issues), but have heard similar stories of the 13 year old boys shouting death threats over World of Warcraft. Again, it's fun to live in a modern day society where everyone gets a chance to voice their opinion.
At the risk of sounding repetitive, I would like to remind anyone who is reading this, that this particular post is directed to my Christian friends. This will be especially important as we move forward. If you are not a Christian, please continue to read. Just know I am not speaking directly to you :)
I think one of the biggest dangers of online media, with an emphasis on Facebook, is the opportunity for Christians to replace personal relationships with what I call an "online soapbox".
Let me unpack that.
As Christians, we ought to be consistently asking ourselves how we can best demonstrate the love of Christ to a hurting and chaotic world. The danger, however, is seeing Facebook as an opportunity to speak to the masses while actually not speaking to anyone at all.
I've said this before, and I'll say it again. I am a very simple dude. Complex theories make my head hurt. So let me make this point as clear and as simple as possible.
If you are a Christian, I urge you to consider removing Facebook as a platform to express your deep opinions and convictions, specifically about your faith, religion, or Christ. He did not call us to use megaphones, events and billboards to reach the world. He taught us to use relationships.
If you are passionate about Christmas, politics, movies, etc., pull up a chair at a coffee shop, not your computer desk. Invite your friends, especially the ones who don't think like you, to join you in conversation face-to-face. Buy them a coffee or even a meal. Talk about things you're passionate about, and allow them to share the things they are passionate about.
As the old adage goes "They don't care what you know until they know that you care".
Jesus could have used tons of different strategies when sharing the greatest news of all time to humanity. But he chose to do it through relationship. He loved people. The people he loved the most were the least like him.
Let's use Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family. Let's use YouTube to watch videos of kittens acting out Star Wars episodes. And let's use food and drinks to bridge gaps with people we wouldn't normally sit and chat with.
Now, like I said at the top of this post, I am going to try and take my own advice and get my butt up off this computer and hang out with real people. It doesn't take a bunch of courage to sit behind a screen and use capital letters to get your point across. Although it does take a ton of courage to invite someone who is nothing like you to have coffee or a meal.
Before I end this, I would like to make one thing clear. I believe that we should use every means possible to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. I am truly a fan of social media, blog sites, and online forums. I prove that last point by writing this blog for people to read. I am grateful that we live in such a time that allows us to communicate to large groups of people at one time. And I trust that God uses the internet as a tool to reach people for his Kingdom. So with all that said, allow me to emphasize the point of this post. I am urging you to not fall into the trap of replacing real relationships and real conversation with real people by strictly posting your thoughts and opinions online. If the only reason people know you are a Christian is by the things you post on Facebook, you should probably re-evaluate your strategy.
Stepping off my modern day soapbox now.
Thanks for listening.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
American Nightmare
Less than 10 years ago, it wouldn't be uncommon to drive down the freeway and pass by multiple cars wearing bumper stickers that read, "God Bless America".
I've always found this statement fascinating because by all of our American standards, aren't we blessed?
When it comes to wealth, we are in the minority. We live on more money than the majority of the world's population. We have more clean drinking water, fewer disease rates, better paying jobs, more educational opportunities, bigger houses and just about all of us own a car.
What a blessing! Or should I say, What a blessing?
From the time I was young, I was raised to believe that I could do whatever I wanted to do with my life. The whole world was at my fingertips. It was suggested to me, both subconsciously and sometimes rather aggressively, that the best pattern to a successful and blessed life was as follows:
1.) Don't worry as much about what your friends are doing in school- good grades are what's most important.
2.) If you work hard in High School, you will have the opportunity to attend a great college. Thus giving you the ability to find a better paying job one day.
3.) Find the best looking wife with the best personality and she will add to your success after college.
4.) After college, attempt to the land the best paying job. Stay there for 30+ years, build your savings and get ready to retire with that beautiful wife of yours.
5.) Make sure you raise your kids to do the same. Provide them with a safe home, good education, and shelter them from the "evil" of the world.
6.) Eventually you die, leaving a better life for your children, and hoping they can do the same for their kids.
Living the dream. The American Dream.
I may be exaggerating a little to make a point. However, I don't think I am too far off here, and would even suggest that you have felt the same way at one point in time as an American.
My personal American Dream included many of these things, and the best part was that I accomplished most of them before the age of 24. As a bachelor, I moved from California to the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon. I had landed my dream job; A pastor at one of the largest churches in the area. I had virtually zero debt, and made a living playing music in front of hundreds of people. The coolest part was that I got to do this all as "ministry". I had been a Christian for the majority of my life and now was being paid to work for a church, doing what I love.
Not long after my journey to Portland, my dream only got better. I found a beautiful and amazing woman, got married, bought a new home in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the Nation, bought a cute puppy, purchased two new cars, and found out 9 months later we were having our first child.
By all accounts, God had truly blessed me.
I wish I could say the story ended there and that I am writing this post today to tell you that if you are obedient to God, this too will happen for you.
I can't.
Shortly after marriage I began to lose countless nights of sleep. I found myself wide awake in the early hours of the morning, wrestling with a deep restlessness, not just physically, but deep in my soul.
I found myself asking questions like:
"God, I feel like you have blessed me so much, why is my soul restless?"
"Is this what a life committed to Jesus looks like?"
"I am doing your ministry, why does it feel like I am still missing something?"
My first reaction was to answer my own questions by doing more. I would make myself a better person. I would give more to the church, I would feed the homeless once a month, and I would start writing songs that people could really engage with.
After months of this, my soul only found less rest. And I began to become depressed.
And Then Everything Changed
What if my definition of "Blessed" was wrong? What if God "blessing me", or Blessing America had nothing to do with stuff.
Jesus says in Matthew 5:3-6
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the poor? The mourning? The meek and the hungry?
Has Jesus lost his mind?
Would we still ask Jesus to bless us if he redefined the word "blessing" from stuff to "mourning, hungering, and being poor in spirit?"
If that were the case, I would want a bumper sticker that read, "God Please Don't Bless America!"
Shortly after I found myself losing months of sleepless nights, I quit my job as a full-time Music Pastor. I realized that my particular role was not meant to just lead people in song, but to be in the trenches with people who are hurting and hopeless.
I had no other job lined up, no source of extra income and no plan B. I just knew that something had to change. Being "blessed" how I was raised to know it started to feel more like a curse.
Now What?
To this day, I have no second job. We are two months away from having a baby and we currently have more bills than we have income to pay for them. Yet somehow I feel more blessed than I have felt in my entire journey with Jesus.
The American Dream has slipped away from my hands- and I'm starting to love it. My life used to be one filled with luxuries, in which Jesus and Religion made a great addition.
Today I have less money, cheaper cars, less stuff and more joy. And I only want more of it.
Leila and I dream of selling the house we live in and moving among the poor around us. We dream of building a budget that involves less stuff and less bills to pay for that stuff. We dream of doing ministry out of the overflow of grace God has shown us, not because I can play a guitar and we need a paycheck. And we're dreaming of all this while trying to live "radically" here today.
What if Jesus changed your definition of Being Blessed? What if Jesus said that following him will require you to give up your dreams, education, career, safety, health, and processions? Would you still want to follow Him? Would you still want to be blessed?
What if He promised that if you take that risk, you may not find a better job, bigger house, cooler cars or better stuff, but that you would find joy in ways you could never imagine or define? You would find peace that doesn't make sense to the rest of the world. And you would find hope in something that lasts for eternity.
Are you blessed?
I've always found this statement fascinating because by all of our American standards, aren't we blessed?
When it comes to wealth, we are in the minority. We live on more money than the majority of the world's population. We have more clean drinking water, fewer disease rates, better paying jobs, more educational opportunities, bigger houses and just about all of us own a car.
What a blessing! Or should I say, What a blessing?
From the time I was young, I was raised to believe that I could do whatever I wanted to do with my life. The whole world was at my fingertips. It was suggested to me, both subconsciously and sometimes rather aggressively, that the best pattern to a successful and blessed life was as follows:
1.) Don't worry as much about what your friends are doing in school- good grades are what's most important.
2.) If you work hard in High School, you will have the opportunity to attend a great college. Thus giving you the ability to find a better paying job one day.
3.) Find the best looking wife with the best personality and she will add to your success after college.
4.) After college, attempt to the land the best paying job. Stay there for 30+ years, build your savings and get ready to retire with that beautiful wife of yours.
5.) Make sure you raise your kids to do the same. Provide them with a safe home, good education, and shelter them from the "evil" of the world.
6.) Eventually you die, leaving a better life for your children, and hoping they can do the same for their kids.
Living the dream. The American Dream.
I may be exaggerating a little to make a point. However, I don't think I am too far off here, and would even suggest that you have felt the same way at one point in time as an American.
My personal American Dream included many of these things, and the best part was that I accomplished most of them before the age of 24. As a bachelor, I moved from California to the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon. I had landed my dream job; A pastor at one of the largest churches in the area. I had virtually zero debt, and made a living playing music in front of hundreds of people. The coolest part was that I got to do this all as "ministry". I had been a Christian for the majority of my life and now was being paid to work for a church, doing what I love.
Not long after my journey to Portland, my dream only got better. I found a beautiful and amazing woman, got married, bought a new home in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the Nation, bought a cute puppy, purchased two new cars, and found out 9 months later we were having our first child.
By all accounts, God had truly blessed me.
I wish I could say the story ended there and that I am writing this post today to tell you that if you are obedient to God, this too will happen for you.
I can't.
Shortly after marriage I began to lose countless nights of sleep. I found myself wide awake in the early hours of the morning, wrestling with a deep restlessness, not just physically, but deep in my soul.
I found myself asking questions like:
"God, I feel like you have blessed me so much, why is my soul restless?"
"Is this what a life committed to Jesus looks like?"
"I am doing your ministry, why does it feel like I am still missing something?"
My first reaction was to answer my own questions by doing more. I would make myself a better person. I would give more to the church, I would feed the homeless once a month, and I would start writing songs that people could really engage with.
After months of this, my soul only found less rest. And I began to become depressed.
And Then Everything Changed
What if my definition of "Blessed" was wrong? What if God "blessing me", or Blessing America had nothing to do with stuff.
Jesus says in Matthew 5:3-6
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the poor? The mourning? The meek and the hungry?
Has Jesus lost his mind?
Would we still ask Jesus to bless us if he redefined the word "blessing" from stuff to "mourning, hungering, and being poor in spirit?"
If that were the case, I would want a bumper sticker that read, "God Please Don't Bless America!"
Shortly after I found myself losing months of sleepless nights, I quit my job as a full-time Music Pastor. I realized that my particular role was not meant to just lead people in song, but to be in the trenches with people who are hurting and hopeless.
I had no other job lined up, no source of extra income and no plan B. I just knew that something had to change. Being "blessed" how I was raised to know it started to feel more like a curse.
Now What?
To this day, I have no second job. We are two months away from having a baby and we currently have more bills than we have income to pay for them. Yet somehow I feel more blessed than I have felt in my entire journey with Jesus.
The American Dream has slipped away from my hands- and I'm starting to love it. My life used to be one filled with luxuries, in which Jesus and Religion made a great addition.
Today I have less money, cheaper cars, less stuff and more joy. And I only want more of it.
Leila and I dream of selling the house we live in and moving among the poor around us. We dream of building a budget that involves less stuff and less bills to pay for that stuff. We dream of doing ministry out of the overflow of grace God has shown us, not because I can play a guitar and we need a paycheck. And we're dreaming of all this while trying to live "radically" here today.
What if Jesus changed your definition of Being Blessed? What if Jesus said that following him will require you to give up your dreams, education, career, safety, health, and processions? Would you still want to follow Him? Would you still want to be blessed?
What if He promised that if you take that risk, you may not find a better job, bigger house, cooler cars or better stuff, but that you would find joy in ways you could never imagine or define? You would find peace that doesn't make sense to the rest of the world. And you would find hope in something that lasts for eternity.
Are you blessed?
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Comfortably Uncomfortable
One day I want to live a radical life for Jesus.
But first I need to get out of debt. Pay off my mortgage. Start a family. Learn a little more about the Bible. Save some money and watch the football game.
After that- I'm all in.
I'm half kidding.
I say "half" because although I've never actually made such a black and white statement like the one above, I live everyday like it's the truth.
My friend, Chuck gave this message called, "but first" awhile back that shook me to my core. I haven't be able to shake it off.
There is a book in the Bible called Luke. In his book, Luke shares with us an encounter involving Jesus.
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.'
Jesus replied, "foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nest, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
He said to another man, "follow me".
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family."
Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God". (Luke 9:57-62)
Jesus is harsh.
Following God means being homeless? Not being able to bury our parents? Not even saying goodbye to our families?!
The message of Jesus isn't complicated, but it is difficult.
Really difficult.
It's hard enough to commit to going to church on our day off, reading the Bible, and praying. But now Jesus asks this of us too?
Too much of our lives are spent compartmentalizing our faith. There is a time for school. A time for work. A time for church. A time for TV. A time for friends. And alone time.
Somewhere Jesus got lost in our list of "to-do" items that we check off each week.
I'm like the first guy: so quick to say, "I will follow you wherever you go."
But first...
First let me go to work. First let me finish schooling. First let me blah, blah, blah.
For too long we've used the Bible to "challenge us" while we continue to live our American Dream with a hint of Christianity.
I want to follow Jesus- not on Sunday's or during a Bible Study, but with my entire life.
I know I'm young. I know I'm dumb, emotional, passionate and idealistic. But if I can somehow actually be like Jesus in the midst of that, then I'm ok.
I want a nice house, car, and retirement. I want my wife to have everything she wants. One day I want my kids to have everything they could desire. But not at the expense of another child dying because they don't have clean water. Or my neighbors going to bed hungry and cold because they lost their job.
I'm tired of reading the words of Jesus, feeling all tingly inside and then going back to my comfortable life and watching the world around me die both physically and spiritually.
I think God is sick of our, "but first's".
Frankly, I'm sick of my own.
Maybe you are too...
But first I need to get out of debt. Pay off my mortgage. Start a family. Learn a little more about the Bible. Save some money and watch the football game.
After that- I'm all in.
I'm half kidding.
I say "half" because although I've never actually made such a black and white statement like the one above, I live everyday like it's the truth.
My friend, Chuck gave this message called, "but first" awhile back that shook me to my core. I haven't be able to shake it off.
There is a book in the Bible called Luke. In his book, Luke shares with us an encounter involving Jesus.
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.'
Jesus replied, "foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nest, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
He said to another man, "follow me".
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family."
Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God". (Luke 9:57-62)
Jesus is harsh.
Following God means being homeless? Not being able to bury our parents? Not even saying goodbye to our families?!
The message of Jesus isn't complicated, but it is difficult.
Really difficult.
It's hard enough to commit to going to church on our day off, reading the Bible, and praying. But now Jesus asks this of us too?
Too much of our lives are spent compartmentalizing our faith. There is a time for school. A time for work. A time for church. A time for TV. A time for friends. And alone time.
Somewhere Jesus got lost in our list of "to-do" items that we check off each week.
I'm like the first guy: so quick to say, "I will follow you wherever you go."
But first...
First let me go to work. First let me finish schooling. First let me blah, blah, blah.
For too long we've used the Bible to "challenge us" while we continue to live our American Dream with a hint of Christianity.
I want to follow Jesus- not on Sunday's or during a Bible Study, but with my entire life.
I know I'm young. I know I'm dumb, emotional, passionate and idealistic. But if I can somehow actually be like Jesus in the midst of that, then I'm ok.
I want a nice house, car, and retirement. I want my wife to have everything she wants. One day I want my kids to have everything they could desire. But not at the expense of another child dying because they don't have clean water. Or my neighbors going to bed hungry and cold because they lost their job.
I'm tired of reading the words of Jesus, feeling all tingly inside and then going back to my comfortable life and watching the world around me die both physically and spiritually.
I think God is sick of our, "but first's".
Frankly, I'm sick of my own.
Maybe you are too...
Friday, May 7, 2010
A Heaven full of Painters.
I'm not the smartest guy you'll ever meet.
I am learning more about myself every year, and this year I am learning that I'm not the smartest tool in the crayon box.
I wish I could sit for hours debating elaborate theories or deep philosophical... stuff.
But I can't.
I'm a pretty simple dude with pretty simple thoughts.
I have a lot of friends who are smart. I figure if I surround myself with smart people, it will either rub off on me or I'll be mistaken as deeply intelligent.
As most of you know, I'm one of the pastors at a local church here in Portland. I'm the youngest pastor on staff, which can be pretty intimidating. I work with people who have been doing this kind of thing longer than I've been alive.
Sometimes my feelings of inadequacy paralyze me. I'm slow to speak or choose not to act because I feel like I don't know enough. I can't quote the Bible in Greek or tell you the dimensions of Noah's Ark.
My heart has great intentions, but my mind often stops me from action.
I have a friend back home in California that is a painter. Every week he goes around to the local restaurants and collects left-overs. He stores them in a freezer until Friday afternoon. At the end of each week, he pulls out the left-overs, heats them up in his oven and takes them to a park to feed the homeless. He's been doing this for years. He knows a lot of those hungry people by name. Rain or shine, he sits every week on the same wooden park bench and enjoys a meal with his friends.
He's a painter.
He's not a pastor. He's not a deep theologian. He's not a professor. He can't quote scripture in Greek and he probably has no clue what the dimensions of Noah's Ark were.
He's a painter who wears jeans and an old sweatshirt, heats up food, and feeds people who are hungry.
If you have made a decision to live for Jesus, odds are you believe in Heaven.
Have you ever wondered why God didn't just "zap" us up to Heaven when we made a decision to put our faith in him? I mean, everything is better in Heaven right? The food is better, the scenery is better, people aren't fighting, and you can snorkel without a snorkel.
Why didn't God just take us up and save us from this life? He had to know that we would face hardships. He had to know that husbands would cheat on wives. He had to know that cancer would take our loved ones. He had to know the economy would collapse and people would go to bed hungry.
Maybe this is our punishment. Or maybe God wants us to experience "hell on earth" so we can really enjoy heaven.
I hope that isn't true. I don't know if I could devote my life to a god like that.
I can't quote the Bible off the top of my head or tell you all the details to every story- But I think I know at least this much about the God I serve.
I think God created me so that I could know Him and He could know me. I think in my sinful and selfish ways, I turned my back on God. I wanted to be in control. I've lied, cheated, hated, hurt, and done things my own way. Because of that, I separated myself from God.
And I think that broke God's heart.
I think it broke his heart so much, that while I was still turning my back to him, he sent his son Jesus to earth in order to take my punishment. He wanted a relationship with me so much that he was willing to put the punishment of my sin on his son, so he can see me as innocent.
Jesus took what was mine and gave me what was his. He traded my sin for his righteousness. He gave me his "rightness" with God.
That's good news.
That's good enough news that it makes me want to live my life for him. Not follow a bunch of rules or religion, but a relationship founded in thankfulness.
I think God didn't zap me up to heaven because he is in love with a bunch of people who still have their backs turned away from him and he's giving me the opportunity to tell people about this Good News.
Jesus told us to pray like this,
"... Your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven"
Maybe the point isn't getting to heaven. Maybe the point is bringing heaven to earth.
I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I understand that what God did for me is a big deal. It changed my life. I don't know all the verses in the Bible, but I think I get the story of God and I can't help but tell other people about it.
The message of Jesus isn't complicated, but it is difficult.
Jesus rescued me and now he is telling me to bring His kingdom, his way of doing things, here to earth.
That means if I have two coats, I give one to someone who needs it. It means seeing my money, relationships, and time as way to share that Good News with people who haven't heard it.
That's tough. It's not complicated. But it's tough.
I want two coats. I want more money. I don't want to wake up every Friday and heat up leftovers.
And so I pray,
"God, thanks for rescuing me. Would you give me the ability to bring your kingdom, your way of doing things, here to Earth"
I don't always do that. And I don't always understand everything in the Bible. But I'm kind of glad God didn't zap me to heaven, because when I do get it right, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing a piece of heaven here on earth.
Thanks for listening.
I am learning more about myself every year, and this year I am learning that I'm not the smartest tool in the crayon box.
I wish I could sit for hours debating elaborate theories or deep philosophical... stuff.
But I can't.
I'm a pretty simple dude with pretty simple thoughts.
I have a lot of friends who are smart. I figure if I surround myself with smart people, it will either rub off on me or I'll be mistaken as deeply intelligent.
As most of you know, I'm one of the pastors at a local church here in Portland. I'm the youngest pastor on staff, which can be pretty intimidating. I work with people who have been doing this kind of thing longer than I've been alive.
Sometimes my feelings of inadequacy paralyze me. I'm slow to speak or choose not to act because I feel like I don't know enough. I can't quote the Bible in Greek or tell you the dimensions of Noah's Ark.
My heart has great intentions, but my mind often stops me from action.
I have a friend back home in California that is a painter. Every week he goes around to the local restaurants and collects left-overs. He stores them in a freezer until Friday afternoon. At the end of each week, he pulls out the left-overs, heats them up in his oven and takes them to a park to feed the homeless. He's been doing this for years. He knows a lot of those hungry people by name. Rain or shine, he sits every week on the same wooden park bench and enjoys a meal with his friends.
He's a painter.
He's not a pastor. He's not a deep theologian. He's not a professor. He can't quote scripture in Greek and he probably has no clue what the dimensions of Noah's Ark were.
He's a painter who wears jeans and an old sweatshirt, heats up food, and feeds people who are hungry.
If you have made a decision to live for Jesus, odds are you believe in Heaven.
Have you ever wondered why God didn't just "zap" us up to Heaven when we made a decision to put our faith in him? I mean, everything is better in Heaven right? The food is better, the scenery is better, people aren't fighting, and you can snorkel without a snorkel.
Why didn't God just take us up and save us from this life? He had to know that we would face hardships. He had to know that husbands would cheat on wives. He had to know that cancer would take our loved ones. He had to know the economy would collapse and people would go to bed hungry.
Maybe this is our punishment. Or maybe God wants us to experience "hell on earth" so we can really enjoy heaven.
I hope that isn't true. I don't know if I could devote my life to a god like that.
I can't quote the Bible off the top of my head or tell you all the details to every story- But I think I know at least this much about the God I serve.
I think God created me so that I could know Him and He could know me. I think in my sinful and selfish ways, I turned my back on God. I wanted to be in control. I've lied, cheated, hated, hurt, and done things my own way. Because of that, I separated myself from God.
And I think that broke God's heart.
I think it broke his heart so much, that while I was still turning my back to him, he sent his son Jesus to earth in order to take my punishment. He wanted a relationship with me so much that he was willing to put the punishment of my sin on his son, so he can see me as innocent.
Jesus took what was mine and gave me what was his. He traded my sin for his righteousness. He gave me his "rightness" with God.
That's good news.
That's good enough news that it makes me want to live my life for him. Not follow a bunch of rules or religion, but a relationship founded in thankfulness.
I think God didn't zap me up to heaven because he is in love with a bunch of people who still have their backs turned away from him and he's giving me the opportunity to tell people about this Good News.
Jesus told us to pray like this,
"... Your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven"
Maybe the point isn't getting to heaven. Maybe the point is bringing heaven to earth.
I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I understand that what God did for me is a big deal. It changed my life. I don't know all the verses in the Bible, but I think I get the story of God and I can't help but tell other people about it.
The message of Jesus isn't complicated, but it is difficult.
Jesus rescued me and now he is telling me to bring His kingdom, his way of doing things, here to earth.
That means if I have two coats, I give one to someone who needs it. It means seeing my money, relationships, and time as way to share that Good News with people who haven't heard it.
That's tough. It's not complicated. But it's tough.
I want two coats. I want more money. I don't want to wake up every Friday and heat up leftovers.
And so I pray,
"God, thanks for rescuing me. Would you give me the ability to bring your kingdom, your way of doing things, here to Earth"
I don't always do that. And I don't always understand everything in the Bible. But I'm kind of glad God didn't zap me to heaven, because when I do get it right, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing a piece of heaven here on earth.
Thanks for listening.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Batman, Buddha, and You
My fiance is a Registered Nurse at one of the local hospitals here in Oregon. She work's specifically with cancer patients and specializes in giving Chemotherapy.
I remember when we first met, I was so amazed at how strong she was. I admired her ability to treat her patients with such a gentle spirit while maintaining her strength as she sometimes had to watch them pass away.
I'll never forget her words to me as I asked her how she is able to deal with their loss.
"Jerrad, death is as much a part of life as anything else. It's never easy to watch, but it's a reality we all will eventually face." She said.
It's a weird subject to talk about. I use the word "weird" because I really don't know how else to put it. Even as I write about death I feel odd. You may get a similar feeling as you start to think about it, unless you are an RN, I guess.
Maybe it's "weird" because it is a mystery. I mean, we can explain, through science, how the body stops working, but beyond that we don't know much.
Death has no prejudice. It will take the young or the old. The rich or the poor. The black or the white. And despite all the plastic surgeries and age-enhancing drugs, it will eventually happen to every human that is breathing as I write this.
If, by some miracle, you are still reading this and not curled up in a fetal position weeping, I'd like to change gears.
I recently came home from a trip I took to Nicaragua for two weeks. During my time in the country, I had the opportunity to meet a man named Earl. Earl is about 5'7, has very little hair, and is a little more on the heavy side. At first glace, Earl is really no different than the average guy.
Awhile back Earl felt like he needed to start a church in a little Nicaraguan town called Puerta Cabazas. Despite having hardly anyone show up to his church, Earl developed a huge heart for this community. He started an orphanage for the hundreds of orphans in the area. These kids receive an education, basic skills, 3 meals a day, and genuine love on a daily basis.
Earl has also raised money, through his small church, to build numerous homes for families who were forced into homelessness by recent hurricanes.
Earl has a cool story.
The earth is covered with "Earl's". Men and women who have dedicated their whole life to making other people's lives better. You hear the stories of people who devote their life to getting clean water for people in Africa. Or people who spend countless hours fighting for children around the world being used in sex-trafficking. Or even the guy who heats up leftovers from local restaurants to feed the homeless people in the park.
I wonder if some people are just meant for that. I mean, were some people just born to help a bunch of people, while the rest of us watch?
I think Earl is OK with not being the main character in his story. I think he is OK with being a co-star in his own story and allowing everyone else take the spotlight. I really do think that he wakes up and uses his eyes as cameras to see the world around him. And in his story, it's not about him.
I have no control over death, but I have control of my story.
Nothing annoys me more than home videos. Especially when they are of other people. Although I have found that most people can sit and watch videos of their own life for hours.
I think if we're honest, we'd all say there are some pretty lame stories out there. Stories of husbands cheating on their wife. Stories of people gossiping about other people. Stories of dad's leaving their kids. Stories of people working so hard to obtain their dream, that they miss the world around them. Stories of selfishness.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that death doesn't scare me as much as the thought of people showing up to my funeral and saying my story was all about me.
I don't want to live the kind of life where people would just be sad if I leave, but that the world would actually be a different place if and when I die. I want to live the kind of story that touches lives. A story that makes a dent in the injustice in the world. A story that brings a glimpse of hope in dark places. I want to live a story that honors my wife, challenges my peers, and sets an example to the generation behind me.
We can't control death, but we write our story everyday. Maybe today you can be the hero in the story of someone else. That may involve bringing clean water to a dying nation. It may be opening a door for someone. It may be both.
What's your story?
I remember when we first met, I was so amazed at how strong she was. I admired her ability to treat her patients with such a gentle spirit while maintaining her strength as she sometimes had to watch them pass away.
I'll never forget her words to me as I asked her how she is able to deal with their loss.
"Jerrad, death is as much a part of life as anything else. It's never easy to watch, but it's a reality we all will eventually face." She said.
It's a weird subject to talk about. I use the word "weird" because I really don't know how else to put it. Even as I write about death I feel odd. You may get a similar feeling as you start to think about it, unless you are an RN, I guess.
Maybe it's "weird" because it is a mystery. I mean, we can explain, through science, how the body stops working, but beyond that we don't know much.
Death has no prejudice. It will take the young or the old. The rich or the poor. The black or the white. And despite all the plastic surgeries and age-enhancing drugs, it will eventually happen to every human that is breathing as I write this.
If, by some miracle, you are still reading this and not curled up in a fetal position weeping, I'd like to change gears.
I recently came home from a trip I took to Nicaragua for two weeks. During my time in the country, I had the opportunity to meet a man named Earl. Earl is about 5'7, has very little hair, and is a little more on the heavy side. At first glace, Earl is really no different than the average guy.
Awhile back Earl felt like he needed to start a church in a little Nicaraguan town called Puerta Cabazas. Despite having hardly anyone show up to his church, Earl developed a huge heart for this community. He started an orphanage for the hundreds of orphans in the area. These kids receive an education, basic skills, 3 meals a day, and genuine love on a daily basis.
Earl has also raised money, through his small church, to build numerous homes for families who were forced into homelessness by recent hurricanes.
Earl has a cool story.
The earth is covered with "Earl's". Men and women who have dedicated their whole life to making other people's lives better. You hear the stories of people who devote their life to getting clean water for people in Africa. Or people who spend countless hours fighting for children around the world being used in sex-trafficking. Or even the guy who heats up leftovers from local restaurants to feed the homeless people in the park.
I wonder if some people are just meant for that. I mean, were some people just born to help a bunch of people, while the rest of us watch?
I think Earl is OK with not being the main character in his story. I think he is OK with being a co-star in his own story and allowing everyone else take the spotlight. I really do think that he wakes up and uses his eyes as cameras to see the world around him. And in his story, it's not about him.
I have no control over death, but I have control of my story.
Nothing annoys me more than home videos. Especially when they are of other people. Although I have found that most people can sit and watch videos of their own life for hours.
I think if we're honest, we'd all say there are some pretty lame stories out there. Stories of husbands cheating on their wife. Stories of people gossiping about other people. Stories of dad's leaving their kids. Stories of people working so hard to obtain their dream, that they miss the world around them. Stories of selfishness.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that death doesn't scare me as much as the thought of people showing up to my funeral and saying my story was all about me.
I don't want to live the kind of life where people would just be sad if I leave, but that the world would actually be a different place if and when I die. I want to live the kind of story that touches lives. A story that makes a dent in the injustice in the world. A story that brings a glimpse of hope in dark places. I want to live a story that honors my wife, challenges my peers, and sets an example to the generation behind me.
We can't control death, but we write our story everyday. Maybe today you can be the hero in the story of someone else. That may involve bringing clean water to a dying nation. It may be opening a door for someone. It may be both.
What's your story?
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Dreams and Roses
When I was younger, I wanted to be a professional basketball player. And a police officer. And a doctor. And the President of the United States.
I'm a pastor.
I used to think there was going to be this day where all of a sudden "life started". As a child, I assumed that I had to spend my adolescence "training" for that big day. I would start with elementary school, finish high school, go through college and then suddenly my life would begin.
I'm still waiting for that day to come.
Being a Christ-follower and especially working for a church, you start to hear a lot of "churchy-lingo". To be honest, it gets kind of frustrating. I don't even know what all the fancy words and phrases mean.
There is one particular phrase that I often hear:
"I just want to know what 'God's will' is for my life!"
In non-Christian terms, I think that phrase means:
"What do I have to do to 'start life'?"
Whether you claim to follow Christ, don't believe God exist, or find yourself somewhere in the middle, I think it's safe to assume that we all are searching for the meaning of our life. We all ask the same questions; "Where should I go to school?", "Where should I work and live?", "Who should I marry?", and "What is the point of my life?" Most of us are just hoping to "start life".
I'm beginning to wonder if that day will ever come.
I remember one particular weekend I was staying in Carson City, Nevada while visiting my aunt and uncle. During my stay, I received a phone call from a church in Anchorage Alaska, offering me a job as a Music Director. Taking the job would mean I would be getting paid more and offer me an opportunity to grow in my career.
I spent that whole weekend wrestling over my thoughts, trying to figure out if that was what I was "supposed" to do or not. During the last night of my visit, I was sitting with my aunt in the living room, over looking the beautiful city lights, when she turned to me and asked me a question that forever changed my life;
"Jerrad, when will you be satisfied?" she asked.
Up until that point, I'd spent my whole life dreaming about my future. I think I get it from my dad. I had spent hours upon hours, years upon years, dreaming about my future job, wife, family, career, and successes. I'd set goals and made life changes to reach those goals.
When would I be satisfied?
At what point would I feel complete? When would I feel like I accomplished everything I was "supposed" to accomplish? When would I know that I found "God's will" for my life?
There is a book in the Bible called Matthew. During one point of this book, Matthew tells his readers of this story about Jesus teaching the people to not worry about tomorrow. Jesus says things like, "Do not worry, saying things like, 'what shall I eat?' or 'What will I drink? or 'What will I wear?"
I wonder if Jesus were here today if he'd say things like, "Do not worry about tomorrow, asking things like, 'Where should I go to college?' or, 'Who should I marry?', or 'Where should I work?'"
I wonder if Jesus would remind us of the things happening around us.... today.
Things like the AIDS crisis in Africa, or child soldiers in Sudan. I wonder if he would remind us about the families in our cities who go to bed hungry and cold every night, or our neighbor who is struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. I wonder if Jesus would remind us that our classmates and co-workers, despite their belief, are His children and that He needs us to show them some of His love.
I guess through all this I am learning. I'm learning that "that day" will probably never come.
And that's ok.
I'm learning that maybe God isn't so concerned with what degree I get, what company I work for, or even who I marry. I'm learning that God is concerned with how I treat my classmates, no matter what school I am at. I'm learning that God is concerned with how I serve my co-workers, no matter what company I work for. And I am learning that God is concerned with how I faithfully love my wife, no matter what the situation.
Maybe today, as you feel compelled to think about tomorrow, stop and "smell the roses". Realize that today is a gift that might not be here tomorrow. As you go through today, look around you. Serve those in need today. Feed those who are hungry today. Listen to those who need to be heard today. Love those who God has placed in your life today. Laugh with those who need a smile today. And most of all.... learn to be more like Christ today.
Cause really, that is what we are "supposed" to do.
Thanks for listening.
I'm a pastor.
I used to think there was going to be this day where all of a sudden "life started". As a child, I assumed that I had to spend my adolescence "training" for that big day. I would start with elementary school, finish high school, go through college and then suddenly my life would begin.
I'm still waiting for that day to come.
Being a Christ-follower and especially working for a church, you start to hear a lot of "churchy-lingo". To be honest, it gets kind of frustrating. I don't even know what all the fancy words and phrases mean.
There is one particular phrase that I often hear:
"I just want to know what 'God's will' is for my life!"
In non-Christian terms, I think that phrase means:
"What do I have to do to 'start life'?"
Whether you claim to follow Christ, don't believe God exist, or find yourself somewhere in the middle, I think it's safe to assume that we all are searching for the meaning of our life. We all ask the same questions; "Where should I go to school?", "Where should I work and live?", "Who should I marry?", and "What is the point of my life?" Most of us are just hoping to "start life".
I'm beginning to wonder if that day will ever come.
I remember one particular weekend I was staying in Carson City, Nevada while visiting my aunt and uncle. During my stay, I received a phone call from a church in Anchorage Alaska, offering me a job as a Music Director. Taking the job would mean I would be getting paid more and offer me an opportunity to grow in my career.
I spent that whole weekend wrestling over my thoughts, trying to figure out if that was what I was "supposed" to do or not. During the last night of my visit, I was sitting with my aunt in the living room, over looking the beautiful city lights, when she turned to me and asked me a question that forever changed my life;
"Jerrad, when will you be satisfied?" she asked.
Up until that point, I'd spent my whole life dreaming about my future. I think I get it from my dad. I had spent hours upon hours, years upon years, dreaming about my future job, wife, family, career, and successes. I'd set goals and made life changes to reach those goals.
When would I be satisfied?
At what point would I feel complete? When would I feel like I accomplished everything I was "supposed" to accomplish? When would I know that I found "God's will" for my life?
There is a book in the Bible called Matthew. During one point of this book, Matthew tells his readers of this story about Jesus teaching the people to not worry about tomorrow. Jesus says things like, "Do not worry, saying things like, 'what shall I eat?' or 'What will I drink? or 'What will I wear?"
I wonder if Jesus were here today if he'd say things like, "Do not worry about tomorrow, asking things like, 'Where should I go to college?' or, 'Who should I marry?', or 'Where should I work?'"
I wonder if Jesus would remind us of the things happening around us.... today.
Things like the AIDS crisis in Africa, or child soldiers in Sudan. I wonder if he would remind us about the families in our cities who go to bed hungry and cold every night, or our neighbor who is struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. I wonder if Jesus would remind us that our classmates and co-workers, despite their belief, are His children and that He needs us to show them some of His love.
I guess through all this I am learning. I'm learning that "that day" will probably never come.
And that's ok.
I'm learning that maybe God isn't so concerned with what degree I get, what company I work for, or even who I marry. I'm learning that God is concerned with how I treat my classmates, no matter what school I am at. I'm learning that God is concerned with how I serve my co-workers, no matter what company I work for. And I am learning that God is concerned with how I faithfully love my wife, no matter what the situation.
Maybe today, as you feel compelled to think about tomorrow, stop and "smell the roses". Realize that today is a gift that might not be here tomorrow. As you go through today, look around you. Serve those in need today. Feed those who are hungry today. Listen to those who need to be heard today. Love those who God has placed in your life today. Laugh with those who need a smile today. And most of all.... learn to be more like Christ today.
Cause really, that is what we are "supposed" to do.
Thanks for listening.
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