In Breath. In Rhythm. Inspired. (Part 2)

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Last Sunday after church, we decided to go to the beach.  It was a hot day and we were looking to relax by a local lake.  As we were getting our boy's bathing suits on, we heard a rush of ambulance and police sirens.  We didn't think much of the commotion as we made our way down to the water, but when we got there, we realized that something was wrong.  There was a mass of hysteria in the air.  We noticed hundreds of people lining the shore.  Almost all of them were looking in the same direction.  As I followed the direction of their sight, my eyes arrived at the focal point of activity.  A 19 year old boy had been underwater for 10 minutes and the paramedics were trying to resuscitate him.

Time stood still.  Eternity seemed to pour into the moment.  For 15 minutes, CPR was performed.  Every second seemed like a minute, every minuted an hour.  Horror and fear gripped the family who watched as their loved one was unconscious.  In panic and desperation, they embraced each other, hoping that their brother/boyfriend/nephew/friend would take a breath.

There seemed to be two causes for commotion.  The primary attention was on the boy.  As I glanced over the mass of people lining the beach, I noticed clusters of people huddled together in prayer.  For the most part, people's attention focused on the horrific drowning scene.  But something else was happening.  A party was taking place.  There was about 40 people packed under and around a pavilion.  This pavilion was 15-20 feet behind where the grief stricken family was sitting.  Why was this party causing commotion?  Because unlike the hundreds of people who stopped what they were doing to watch and pray for this unconscious boy, the party continued as usual.  These 40 people were yelling, swearing, laughing - as if someone WASN'T dying.  The first cause of commotion was the boy who was dying on the beach.  The second cause of commotion came from disbelief as this 40 person party continued to go about their festivities oblivious to the drowning boy.  I kept seeing the dying boy's brother turn around and look at the party with disbelief.  Not only was he being embraced by the horrific truth of mortality, he was being enveloped by a cloud of disrespect and irreverence.  Not only was he worried about his brother's drowning, he was probably wondering if anyone cared.

The party went on as if no one were drowning.
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And the thing is, I just got done teaching about Isaiah 6 by using a motif about breath.  I went from talking about breath in church, to witnessing someone die from a lack of breath.  This scenic contrast happened in less than an hour and a half.

From the beauty of breath…
to death by drowning.

And it messed me up.

Not only did the scenic contrast mess me up, so did the party under the pavilion.  Why didn't they care?  Why didn't they quiet down?  Pay attention?  Show some reverence and respect?  Why?

The reason it bothered me so much is because I'm one of those people.  I've had an Isaiah 6 kind-of-moment.  I've taken a breath.  And while I can be so concerned with "church stuff," or my life, or my opinions, or my problems; there are people around me that aren't breathing.  I can be so concerned with my "party under the pavilion" that I fail to recognize those who are drowning.

If we look at Isaiah, we notice he didn't just take a breath for himself.  No, he used his breath to teach others how to breathe.  If we look at Jesus, we see that he avoided the "party under the pavilion" and directed his attention to those who were drowning.

I want my breath to give breath to others,
to inspire others to faith.
I want the beauty of God to be seen in the way I live my life.

I don't want to be ignorantly consumed with the "party under the pavilion" (whatever that may be),
or to focus on "me" and "my world."
I don't want to be self-absorbed or narcissistic.

Like Isaiah, may you become a messenger for God.  May you not only take a breath, may you continue to breathe.  May your breathing be inspiring.  May you be aware of the drowning.

"You are the light of the world."

In Breath. In Rhythm. Inspired

"In breath."

"In rhythm."

"Inspired."

Did you know that the word "Inspiration" has two meanings?  The first one we're all familiar with: the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something.  The second one is a bit more interesting: the drawing in of breath.  I've always equated breathing with respiration, but inspiration?  Interesting.

Meet Stig Severinsen.  

Stig is an accomplished swimmer and free-diver.  He's also set numerous world records in breath-holding.  He is known in free-diving circles as one of the best in the sport.  In 2010, he swam 236 ft under ice, breaking a previously held record set in 2000 by 30 ft.  Later in 2010 after inhaling pure oxygen, he held his breath for 20 minutes and 10 seconds.  Now, Stig works with athletes and teaches them proper breathing techniques.  He writes books, hosts conferences, and trains professional athletes to breath.  

There's an interesting dichotomy about Stig in regards to "inspiration."  He went from being one of the best in the world at an uninspired sport, to being one of the best inspirational teachers.  He went from being known as a breath-holder, to being known as a breath-teacher.  From being one of the best underwater, to one of the best above water.  

Have you ever tried to hold your breath underwater?  

There seems to be three different stages one goes through.  

1.  Initially, you can submerge into the water and pretend that you don't have to breathe.

2.  After a while, you begin to feel and acknowledge the need for breath.  At first, you stubbornly fight the urge to breathe, but with time, this urge becomes stronger.

3.  As the urge significantly increases, you're no longer able to hold your breath.  You surface and gasp at the first opportunity to breathe.    

We were created to breathe.  Being underwater and holding our breath is unnatural and opposes the way the human body functions.  Being underwater is being out of breath, uninspired, and out of rhythm with the way things are supposed to be.  

This is about that.  This isn't really about breathing, this is about our relationship with God.  This isn't about being underwater, it's about embracing God's intended order for creation.  This isn't about being inspired (being mentally stimulated), this is about being inspired (the breath of God).  

Some of us live in the first stage of breath-holding.  We pretend, justify, rationalize, and ignore God's existence and/or order.  We do what we want and we're offended when anyone tells us we're "out of order."  "How dare anyone tell me how to live my life!"

Some of us live in the second stage of breath-holding.  We continue to live in opposition to God, but deep down we acknowledge that something is wrong.  Perhaps we open our Bible, attend church or say a prayer as a way to seek something greater in our lives.  Although we believe in God, we fail to truly embrace that belief.  We continue in our ungodly, underwater, uninspired, out of rhythm ways; but deep down we know we're living in opposition to the Lord.

Some of us have taken a breath.  Our souls have been uninspired and out of rhythm for far too long and we've embraced the truth of the Lord.  We've not only embraced it, we've given our lives to following its authority.  We've committed ourselves to accepting Christ and becoming one of His followers.  We're devoted to pursuing the rhythm of Life found in the kingdom of God.  

Stig went from being the best at an uninspired sport to being a teacher of inspiration.

The sixth chapter of Isaiah narrates Isaiah's transformation from being uninspired to inspired.

The ninth chapter of Acts narrates Paul's transformation from being uninspired to inspired.

And whether you're pretending you don't have to breathe…

or whether you're stubbornly refusing to breathe…

or whether you've taken a breath…

today, tomorrow and the next day, you can continuously breathe…

be inspired…

and embrace the rhythm of God.  

May you breathe.  

May you be in rhythm.

May you be inspired.

May you embrace Christ and follow Him with everything you are.

Today.

join us/support us/be with us

To my family and friends,

Join us.  This Sunday, I invite you to come as I speak among our new church.  I've recently taken a pastoral position and this Sunday is the first time I'll be speaking.  This is an exciting time for Kelly and I and we're super-excited about what God has been doing amidst our church community.

Brief history.  A year ago, a few people were inspired to plant a church (an extension of Impact Church in Lowell) in the Saranac community.  Plans were made, organizing was done; we can't believe how God has showed up.  Our church has now been in official existence for the past 12 Sundays.  People from Saranac/Ionia/Clarksville/Lowell have banded together in community and have sacrificed their time and energy in order to make this happen.  God has been faithful as people are continuing to be reached in the greater Saranac community.  We're seeing 200+ people come each Sunday with an inspiring amount plugged into LifeGroups throughout each week.  We're continuing to watch a movement unfold…

People not building.  Right away from its inception, this church has been centered on a community with a desire to follow Jesus.  It's been about people wanting to be part of a fresh expression of church as well as their willingness to make it happen.  It's about people who are passionate about learning what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.  It's about friendships.  It's about community.  It's about bringing the ways of Heaven to Earth.  It's centered on Christ's influence in people's hearts and souls, not a building.

Saranac High School.  This Sunday, we invite you to join us at the Saranac High School for our 10am gathering.  We'll be talking about what it means to truly live an inspired life.  If you have kids, you may want to come early (9:30) and get them checked into our KidsZone.

Join us.  Again, this will be my first time speaking among our new church community.  I'm pumped about it and I'd love it if you could join us!

a collision of moments

At one particular moment, I find myself struggling with burdens, issues and stresses that I think are specific to me and my situation.  In these moments, I feel like I'm the only one in the world with this these struggles.  I'm alone.  In these moments, even God feels a million miles away.  "Where are you Lord?"  "I need you."

   "Nobody can understand what I'm dealing with."
   "If only people knew the storm that was building in my mind."
   "Something must be wrong, this is far too uncomfortable."

In another particular moment, I find myself talking to a dear friend.  Before I get the chance to vomit all my frustrations, he vomits his.  And the amazing thing is, he's been here before.  He's been where I am.  He's experienced these things and it's made him stronger.  Together, we realize that our struggles bring a certain vibrancy to the meaning of the Apostle Paul's words when he says:

God said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.

As these two moments collided, I realize the beautiful friendships God continues to give me.  I realize that God is placing wise people in my life who have "been there, done that."  I realize these experiences aren't specific to me.

I'm thankful for friends, guides, and counselors.
May my "youngness" learn to value my friend's life experiences.

Thank you, friends.
Thank you, Lord.

I love church

I love church.


I love it, not because of its coffee,
politics,
buildings,
landscaping,
potlucks or pews;
I love church because I'm around people who want to center themselves on Christ.


I love it, not because the people are perfect,
dressed up,
always smiling,
pious or pure;
I love it because the people realize their flaws.


I love church, 
not because I love Sunday,
but because I love Jesus.

I bit

I once heard someone say, "Whatever you look for, that you will find."

I recently bit on a hook.  The hook was a Facebook forum in response to my friend's status about homosexuality.  The hook jarred it's way into my cheek; I was caught and I couldn't get lose.

Homosexuality.

In my experience, it's a word that carries so much weight, so much emotion and so much baggage, that one can hardly enter the discussion without worrying about its ramifications.  If you think homosexuality is a sin, you're called a "hater."  If this is your opinion, your debaters categorically lump you in with the pictures they've seen of people holding signs that say, "God hates fags."  Once you're lumped in with this category, it's hard to escape.  Once you're lumped in with this category, you're seen as over-emotional, oppressive, and a reason for some people's atheism.  On the other end of the spectrum, if you think homosexuality isn't a sin, some Christians talk to you like you're stupid - like you don't get it.  Once you're placed in this category, some Christians want you to read this book or that book in order to convince you to leave the dark side and come back to the light.

This sort of heated discussion often spirals out of control without any redemptive value.  Most of the time, it's counter-productive for both sides.  It can leave people scarred, hurting, and without hope.  It can leave people cold, hard, and turned off.

Emotion.  Baggage.  Weight.
Once you bite, it's hard to get the hook out of your cheek.

Back to the "Whatever you look for, that you will find," quote.  Today, I needed to meet one of my friends for lunch at Moe's Southwest Grille in Grand Rapids.  What did I do?  I Google mapped it.  I found the directions, learned where to go, and figured out what time I needed to leave.  It was that simple.  Google helped me find exactly what I was looking for.  It was that easy.  We found exactly what we were looking for.

Many of us are looking for answers.  If we hold to a particular opinion, we'll Google for answers and ways to support our pre-existing opinions.  Perhaps we think homosexuality is a sin; we'll look to Google for particular Bible verses that say it's an "abomination."  Perhaps we think homosexuality isn't a sin; then we'll look to Google for verses that talk about God's love and that Jesus came to die for our sins.  Whatever you look for, that you will find.

But this quote leaves us with an unresolved tension.  Because we can look for answers that support our pre-existing opinions, is one opinion more true than another?  Does truth exist?  Does our attempt in looking for answers subconsciously signify that we ultimately believe in truth?  And these leading questions provoke more questions about the source of truth:

   -Is truth found in God (and if it does, what does that mean)?
   -Is truth found in humanity's ability to rationalize?
   -Is truth found in the Bible?
   -Is truth found in Google (perhaps it isn't this easy)?


Where do we look for sources of truth?

If we believe in truth, we must continue to think about our sources.  Does truth come from what the culture around us says?  Does truth come from the Word of God?  Does truth come from what we feel?  And how far are we willing to go with these?  How do we decide what parts are true and what parts aren't?  If we trust our own logic to pick and choose, aren't we merely using our own mind as the source of truth?


"Whatever you look for, that you will find," but step lightly.


And to bring it full circle, I've learned something.  I've learned that there is no redemptive value in debating a faceless Facebook-er over a topic like homosexuality.  I've learned that next time, I shouldn't be so quick to bite.  I've learned to be slow to speak.  I've learned not to jump into an argumentative abyss of emotion without a face-to-face interaction.  I've learned (perhaps a little better than before) not to give others an opportunity to categorize me as a hateful Christian.  I've learned that my best Facebook argument probably isn't going to change anyone's mind.  I've learned that love is the farthest thing from my mind when I'm debating on Facebook.


The hook left a scar and the scar lasts a while.


I bit and I was wrong.  The scar shows me that perhaps there is a better way to communicate.  The Bible reveals what God identifies as sin and what God identifies as righteousness.  The Bible will remain my source of truth.  Yes, what you look for, that you will find, but I'm going to look into the words that are inspired by God.

May the Lord grant me grace to move on.
May the Lord show me better ways to love.

"Crusader" by Rick Hopkins

If You were only a simple remedy,
then what I complicate would You describe for me.
I guess it's only a matter of time
till this stiff neck leaves me paralyzed.

I can't lie.
I'm not here to hear your Word.

You are my enemy.
You are my enemy.
And I'm a true crusader.

You are my enemy.
You are my enemy.
And I'm a true crusader.

So leave the outside,
leave the inside how it is.
'Cuz I'm not drinking if it's gonna be like this
like I should care about my brother to my left
or give a damn 'bout anything that's killing him.

I can't lie.
I'm not here to hear your Word.

You are my enemy.
You are my enemy.
And I'm a true crusader.

You are my enemy.
You are my enemy.
And I'm a true crusader.

Forgive me if You can
if You can save me from myself and my own plans.
forgive me if You can
if You can save me from the guilt of my own hands.

I can't lie
I'm not here to hear your Word.

You are my enemy
You are my enemy
And I'm a true crusader.

You are my enemy.
You are my enemy.
And I'm a true crusader.

"Karlie" by Rick Hopkins

If these tragic memories serve me right.
Then the air I breath has been a real luxury all my life.

Can you hear?
Do you see?
Of all the faithless children
you chose me.

If you're hear,
come meet me.
Of all the faithless children
you chose me.

And if these legs could carry me I'd stand here still
So sing to me some sweet melody,
Sing me to sleep.

Can you hear?
Do you see?
Of all the faithless children
you chose me.

If you're here,
come meet me.
Of all the faithless children
you chose me.

Please say I've been sleeping.
And all the chosen words adhere thee.
Someday this dream will fade
and every leaf will stay on the tree
never to fall to the ground
and be swept by the wind to a land
where kids can run or play or swim or dance and sing.
If only it was now.

Can you hear?
Do you see?
Of all the faithless children
you chose me.

And if you're here,
come meet me.
Of all the faithless children
you chose me.

If you're here,
come meet me.
Of all the faithless children
you chose me.

a million word lecture

Before I get going, this is a story
… about listening.
… and about prayer.


Soon after I accepted Christ and committed my life to following Him, I had this crazy amount of naive passion.  God did something so large in my life that I couldn't keep it to myself (and still can't for that matter).  The direction of my life was headed in a particular direction, and within a day the needle of my compass was pointed in a completely opposite direction.  South became north, north became south - my polarities completely flipped.  I couldn't keep this to myself.  I remember telling my friends at college - they thought I went off the deep end.  "Jesus," they'd say, "really?"  I remember being mocked.  They'd sing Jesus Loves Me in an attempt to make me feel stupid.  And it worked.  But something inside continued.  Overnight, Christ made sense to me.  I couldn't explain it, He just did.

I began attending Bible studies with other students at college.  I was so ignited to read and study the Bible, that joining a Bible study wasn't even an question.  I had to.  The plain and boring words of scripture, or so I had previously thought, were now full of life and vibrancy.  The Bible had become soothing to my soul.  I was hungry for it.  I longed for it.  More than any other time before, I valued the Bible on a level that seemed to be of another dimension.

I previously had something I refer to as a "bad complex."  I was a rebel.  If the opportunity arose, I would do exactly what I wasn't supposed to do.  I'd look for ways to be "bad."  I loved it.  There were even times that I was "bad," not for any other reason than the fact that I knew it was "bad."  This complex seemed to control my life.  It owned me.  And I knew how to manipulate my way around "good-complex" people.  I remember devising plans to steal and take advantage of other goodie two-shoe Christians.  For me, the easiest thing in the world was to deceive in order to get my way.  One of the things I became really good at was pretending to be a good-complex.  I was a poser, and I was excellent at this kind of acting.  Although I had some sort of "bad-complex," I always despised others who had the "good-complex."  You know these types, the ones who always follow the rules and do the right things.  These are the ones who are innocent to the core - those who "wouldn't hurt a fly."  Although I was jealous and despised their innocence, I put targets on their backs.  I'd play deceitful games, and to this day, I'm embarrassed of who I was.

Back to the Bible study…
It was full of good-complex people.  I tried to relate with them but from my perspective, my newly found faith's adrenaline could not understand their seemingly unresponsive faith.  Why weren't they excited to read words given to us by God?  Why did they seem bored?  Why didn't they talk about the amazingness of Christ?  I was a bad complex convert, and I was excited about it.  I couldn't fathom their lack of enthusiasm, and quite honestly, at the time, I didn't care.  I was out to follow Christ and that became the north of my compass.

One time, a friend of mine told me he admired the surge of my faith.  He wanted to talk to me because he said he wanted his faith to be real.  So we met.  It quickly became evident to me that he was a good-complex person.  He always did the right thing.  Always attended Sunday School.  He never drank, had sex, or rebelled against his parents.  His shirt was always tucked in and his tie was always knotted tight.  He was a good-complex person and I could identify the type from a mile away.  He made it clear that he'd never been excited about his faith.  He'd never seen beauty in scripture.  But, he wanted to.

It was my turn, or so I thought.  I began telling him my journey.  I told him where I came from, who I thought I was, what happened when I gave my life to Christ, and who I want to be.  Every once in a while, I'd glance over at his widened eyes to observe a guy trying to soak in every word coming out of my mouth.  So I talked, and talked, and talked, and talked.  I gave him a million word lecture.  Throughout my talk, I looked over and noticed that his interest level continued to diminish.  "What on earth," I thought, "Why isn't he as pumped as I am?"

After the night of the million word lecture, I began wondering what happened.  I even asked him.  He said, "I just can't relate with anything you said.  It seems like it's something that's so far away.  I don't know."

And I realized that I didn't listen to much of his story.  In my naive passion, I was so excited to vomit out my story, that I completely remained ignorant of his.  Perhaps like bad-complex people, good-complex people have stories too.  Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to talk, and more patient to listen.  Maybe in listening, I could have been better informed to pray for my friend.  Maybe prayer would have been far more powerful than a million word lecture.

I wonder how many other times I've done this to people.  My story didn't relate to his story, and the whole while, maybe I needed to be more sensitive to his story.  Perhaps I need to recognize that other people have stories and struggles as well.

Although I am passionate about my story, I need to recognize that it's also about our story.  Not just mine, but his too.  Not just your's, but their's as well.  Let us be less eager to give a million word lecture, and more patient to listen.  Perhaps what we hear can better inform us on what we can pray.

I'm thankful.
I'm thankful for the grace God showed me when he opened my eyes and flipped the polarities of my compass.
I'm thankful for finding Christ in the middle of my bad-complex.
I'm thankful that a sinner like me can continue to live in grace.
I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to listen and pray for those who need Christ.
I'm thankful for God's endless pursuit of me.
I'm thankful for his abundant love.


I'm thankful for lessons about
…listening and prayer.

Prayer of Mother Teresa

There's a lot of talk about the effects of God's Spirit on a person's life.
Whether you're a Catholic or Protestant, this prayer (of Mother Teresa) is like purity to the soul.


Refreshing.
Like the first few sips of ice water pouring down your throat on a steaming summer day.
Like the first glimpse of green leaves after a long arctic winter.
Like the determination on a child's face after their first few steps.
Refreshing.

God's Spirit refreshed her in such a way that she prayed with purity, sincerity, and humility.
May this prayer demonstrate the transforming and refreshing effect God's Spirit can have on your life.


Dear Jesus,
help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly
that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine.
Shine through me and be so in me that
every soul I come in contact with may feel
Thy presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me
but only Jesus.
Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.