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.

more than a quote

If you're a follower of Christ (Catholic or Protestant), you've picked up on the fact that this quote is in opposition to your Christian faith.  It sounds good.  It almost has a ring to it.  But ultimately, this quote is misleading.  It's nothing more than a cultural proverb.


In the past few years, many of us have seen waves of Facebook posts showing inspirational quotes.  Whether they've been status updates or whether they've been pictures, you have to admit that at times, they're appealing.

  -"There's no fun in a perfect life.  So make a risk.  Take a chance.  Go where the wind takes you.  Have fun."
  -"Take pride in how far you have come and have faith in how far you can go."
  -"In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different."


These quotes are inspiring.  They make us feel good, encouraged, motivated.  And the quotes are really, really good at it.  There's something about these little nuggets of truth that keep us going.  Who doesn't like to have fun?  Who doesn't like to recognize their success?  Who doesn't like to be distinct?

Many of us rummage through our Bibles (or Google if we're honest) and extract these kinds of verses.

  -"With God all things are possible."
  -"Let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."
  -"Be strong and courageous."


Inspiring.  Encouraging.  Affirming.  Supporting.


And then one day you're thumbing through the Bible (or Google) and you come to something that puts a bad taste in your mouth.  Perhaps it's something like this:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power.  Have nothing to do with them.  They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.  These men oppose the truth - men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.  But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.                 (Written in a letter by the Apostle Paul and found in 2 Timothy 3:1-9)


All we wanted was a happy quote; one that made us feel good.

But this?


Why is it that so many of us are willing to settle for a quote that makes us feel good rather than a quote that challenges and gives direction (or truth) to our lives?  We'd rather read Eminem, James Baldwin, an Irish proverb, Emerson, or Marilyn Monroe, rather than the words of God.  We'd rather take a surface-level nugget of truth as opposed to reading something too deeply "religious."  All the while, the desire to feel good ultimately misleads from the truth of God.


The Bible is so much more than a collection of inspirational quotes.  It contains stories, poetry, songs, instruction, direction, letters, laments, and proverbs.  Why do we treat it like a buffet of truth - picking and choosing which truth's to consume?  We need to learn it and understand it's context.  It's beautiful and rich.  It speaks to the depths of our hearts.  It's wisdom penetrates.  It's not simply a collection of inspirational quotes, it's direction for the abundance of life.


And as for the quote shown in this blog's picture, it's nothing more than a shallow, weak, foundation-less, ignorant, sensational, hollow little saying.

So the quote,
"Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself."
...it isn't true.
"Life is found in Christ."
It's not about who you can create yourself to be.  It's about what God can create in you.
It's not about something you can do.  It's about what Christ does.
It's not about finding life in yourself.  It's about finding life in Christ.


Life....with a capitol L.
A flourishing, everlasting, abundant, overflowing life that is truly life.


May the extent of your hope be built on Christ.

May you allow God's Word more respect than a "feel good" quote.

But first, may you allow it...

spinning on a beautiful day

If I was honest with you, I'd tell you that there are days I let "things" get to me.

I'd tell you:
    that things aren't great,
    or I'm not a good dad, or husband,
    or that I'm too impatient,
    or how frustrated I can get with life,
    or how easy it is to look at life through a negative lens,
    …and I'm not even getting specific.

Today I went on a walk with my boys.  Calvin was taking a nap in the stroller and Jude was walking closely behind me.  It was a beautiful day.  The air was crisp, the grass and trees were exploding in their colors, and the birds were extra musical.  As I was admiring the beautiful day and the precious look of my baby's sleeping face, I turned around to see my other son, Jude, spinning in circles.  He loves to get dizzy, and when he's dizzy, he's dangerous.  The last thing I needed was to see him fall on the concrete and hurt himself.  I know how dangerous a dizzy Jude can be, I've seen it.  I firmly told him to stop, but he kept going.

And I wonder.  Why can't Jude be amused by the beauty of the day?  Why can't he simply take a walk and look at the trees?  Why is it that he has to start spinning and run the risk of getting hurt?  And furthermore, why won't he listen to me?

And it hits me…

I'm the one that's spinning.  Every time I focus on the negative, the things that aren't right, my frustrations, and what I'm not good at, I'm spinning.  And spinning is destructive - it can cloud a beautiful day.

It's interesting to note that the Bible addresses such things.  In a letter written by the Apostle Paul, he says, "…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

While we all find ourselves in the destructive pattern of negativity, may we be reminded of these words of scripture.  When our spinning becomes so intense that we feel like we're going to lose our balance, may we open our eyes to the beauty of the day.

The birds are singing to be heard.
The trees are waiting for you to acknowledge their colors.
The crisp air is trying to get your attention.

Stop spinning and look up.


It's a beautiful day!

"our" story

This weekend, Kelly and I were blessed by the opportunity to share our story with Impact Church (both the Lowell and Saranac campuses).  As we spoke, we witnessed the joys and tears of others who find themselves in the middle of a story as well.  While each of us have our own story, we must remember that our stories form a much larger story.  How is it that God can orchestrate so many stories when I can hardly keep track of and communicate my own?  This is the beauty of the Church.  When a community unites themselves and finds identity in Christ, something magical takes place.  The community who grounds themselves in Christ then becomes His physical presence to the world.

This is humbling.  

It isn't about me or my story.  Why did I ever think it was?  

This is about us...

   about we…

   about our story.

This is about God's Spirit moving in the hearts of a community.  It's about an internal longing to see God's Kingdom unfold right in front of our eyes.  

As Kelly and I shared a bit of our story, we humbly acknowledge that it's only a fraction of "the story."  I'm blessed, honored, and pumped about serving as the Saranac Campus pastor.  What God is doing through Impact Church reminds us of our smallness and His greatness.  May we continue to look at our stories within the context of "the story."  

insane eight >----[an overview from september '11 to april '12]

~In the summer of 2011, we had plans.

Kelly, my wife, was going to finish her LPN degree in December, and soon after we would be on our way to Kentucky to attend Asbury Theological Seminary.  It seemed as if the path was laid out for us.  As a pastor of four years, I had felt the need for higher education.  Asbury was our plan, but plans quickly change, don’t they?

News.   In mid-September, I received a phone call that changed the trajectory of our lives.  In the early afternoon, I received a phone call from Kelly’s mom, Mary.  Her voice was frantic, full of fear and horror.  With a tone that sent sheer terror down my spine, she told me that Patrick died unexpectedly.  Patrick was Mary’s husband (Kelly’s dad) and was only 52 years old.  Mary then said, “You need to tell Kelly!”  Numbness permeated every nerve ending in my body as I started processing this nightmare of information.  In the moment, I felt like a helpless child with absolutely no idea of what to do.  How could I tell my wife that her dad just died?  Furthermore, Kelly was pregnant at the time; would this affect the baby?  I remember crying helplessly on my parent’s shoulders as they prayed with me before I left to pick Kelly up. 

Devastation.    Loss - unrecognizable emotions that neither Kelly nor I can put in to words…  Patrick’s death was an earthquake that sent shockwaves hurling towards the family as well as the greater community of Ionia.  We spent the next week in Ionia with Mary and the rest of the family.  We laughed in celebration of his life, but mostly, we cried as we missed (and continue to miss) him.

Implications.    What did this mean for our family?  How would Kelly and I respond with a 20 month old and another baby on the way?  When it came down to it, we didn’t want to be ten hours away from Mary nor my family.  Asbury was out.  So if Asbury was no longer a reality, then what?  Grand Rapids Theological Seminary (GRTS) was second on my list, and because of Patrick’s death, it was now first. 

~In the fall of 2011, we had revised plans.

Aid.    Kelly did it.  After everything that happened, she continued the completion of a high intensity LPN program and graduated Magna Cum Laude.  I still don’t know how she stayed so strong.  At the same time, I was approaching my last days as the associate pastor of a church in Bad Axe.  We were in a peculiar position.  God was leading us toward seminary, but we wouldn’t have any income and Kelly was nearly 9 months pregnant.  She couldn’t work, and neither could I with my upcoming semester’s class load.  We sent out letters to some our greatest supporters asking for prayers and financial support.  Apparently, enough people from both the church and the community of Bad Axe (as well as our families) believed in the mission God put on our hearts because the support we received was nothing short of miraculous.  In January, I began seminary at GRTS soon after our second child, Calvin, was born.  The prayer, encouragement, and financial support continue to provide for our family as we pursue the calling of full time ministry that God has placed on our lives.

Tension.    Finances.  Housing.  Church.  Babies.  School.    The tension was heating to a boiling point.  Something had to break.  This wasn’t working!  We realized that if we didn’t trust the Lord in this, the stress would literally eat us alive.  God wouldn’t call us to follow Jesus in such a radical way to simply abandon us, would he?  It felt like we were walking off a cliff…

Needs.    Kelly and I sat down to talk and pray about what we needed to do to move forward.  I needed to adjust full-time seminary classes to part-time – something that would be more realistic and healthy for our family.  Kelly needed to get a job to support our family.  I needed to look for a church where I could fulfill my longing to serve in a pastoral capacity.   We needed to find a group of Christ-followers that we could do life with.  We needed to find (or start looking for) a place to rent.  So, we began to specifically pray as we looked for ways to fulfill our family’s needs. 

Puzzle.    We had connections in Bad Axe that we didn’t have on the west side of Michigan.  That was one of the hardest parts.  We felt like the different mega-churches we attended didn’t really fit.  Sure, they were big and flashy, but an element of community seemed to be missing.  We wanted something attractive but deep, personal and communal as well.  One Sunday, we attended Impact Church in Lowell, Michigan.  Kelly and I were shocked; it was exactly what we had been looking for.  I set up a meeting with one of the pastors to talk about his vision and heart for the church community and a possible internship/residency program through school.  Come to find out, they just planted a church in Saranac (a town between Ionia and Lowell).  One of the pastors invited Kelly and I to come check out that campus and meet with another pastor.  Have you ever had that feeling when you just click with people?  It was like that.  Everything from the way they looked to the way they talked to their heart for people and the kingdom of God was parallel to ours.  This is what we had been praying about.  We felt like a puzzle was being masterfully fit together.  Come to find out, the Saranac Impact Church was averaging 200 people and needed a pastor.  Are you kidding me?  From there, things started to snowball and conversations started to progress. 

~In the spring of 2012, we realized that perhaps God had a bigger plan.

Surrender.    We tend to screw things up.  It’s been the human story from the beginning of time.  When people do their own thing, they have a tendency to mutate into something ugly.  Kelly and I are shocked and amused by these recent relationships that are developing.  We’re currently in the middle of a transitional process, but we realize that the best thing we can do is surrender.  In everything from Kelly’s dad passing away to the decisions we continue to make, the best thing we can do is trust that God can and will orchestrate something far bigger than we can ever know.  We want the Lord to use us for his purposes.  If that’s in the Saranac community, may God’s will be done.

To Be Continued...    This Sunday (4/15/12) I was introduced as the campus pastor at Saranac.  This will allow me to pastor and continue seminary at the same time.  It’s happening much faster than we ever imagined, but we believe there has been a divine work in bringing us together.  Speaking of divine, one of our prayers has been answered.  Kelly has been recently employed at a long-term-care facility in Grand Rapids.  We’re grateful with the way this transition continues to unfold as we consistently place our trust in the LORD.  Our story continues to progress, but God seems to be saturated in the things that are happening.

Better or Best

I don't always associate myself with the women of the Bible.  In fact, I never do.  There's something about relating with a feminine Biblical story that messes with a guys manhood.  Perhaps I'm insecure.  Regardless, why would I want to try and associate my story with a woman named Mary?

I'd rather associate my story with people like John the Baptist - a barbarian of a man who wore a mixture of leather and camel hair, ate grasshoppers and wild honey, and appeared out of the wilderness.

Or people like Paul - one of the fiercest advocates for Jesus.  A guy who had one of the most messed up pasts you could imagine.  A guy who spend a significant amount of time in prison.  A guy who was relentless for Jesus.


But Mary?


Because I want to be like her!  Does that sound weird?


As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!"  "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."      ~Luke 10:38-42


So…as Martha was being hospitable, Mary was sitting and listening to Jesus.  This story is about the difference between better and best.  It's about the best kind of discipleship.


Why am I interested in Mary's story?  Because I want to be like her!  Unlike Mary, I find myself getting caught up in the same kind of thing Martha was doing.  I'm not cleaning the house or baking bread or making dinner (although my wife would love that) for Jesus; the kind of hospitality I'm participating in is a little different.  My focus is sadly confined in my attempt to work out Jesus' intellectual hospitality.  Instead of soaking in every word that comes from Jesus, I'm busy putting together proofs and trying to intellectualize the Christian faith.


Instead of listening to Jesus, I'm busy writing about the compatibility between evolution and the story of Adam and Eve.  Instead of listening to Jesus, I'm trying to figure out who's theology is more biblically accurate, Jacobus Arminius or John Calvin.  Instead of listening to Jesus, I'm busy doing intellectual dirty work as I attempt to preserve the idea of Biblical inerrancy.


If I'm not listening to Jesus, what am I doing?  I'm being like Martha.  In Martha's attempt to serve Jesus, she was called out due to her misguided priorities.  Jesus wanted Martha to hear and be changed by the wisdom of his words.   Martha wanted to foster the situation by complimenting it with perfect preparations (food, decorations, ethos,…).  Instead, Jesus would rather have Martha sit and listen like Mary.


I often wonder how many of us fail at listening to Jesus.  We can be so busy in the chaos of life that perhaps we never sit and listen (or read).  And I wonder how well we can follow Christ if we never listen to him.  If I'm always trying to be intellectually hospitable for Jesus and I never listen, how screwed up is that?  And for some of us, the Martha activities we participate in are different.  Some of us have busy families, activities, jobs, hobbies, ministries, high-maintenance friendships, and etc…


I've been challenged and I challenge you to hear from Jesus on a daily basis.


So before I rush to the flurry of daily activities ahead, I'm going to read some "red letters."  As Mary was complimented for her ability to simply listen, I invite you to listen as well.  Not just by reading the following quote, but by reading the Jesus of your Bible too.


Jesus said:
"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."        ~Matthew 11:28-30    (The message)

Creatively Speaking...

Words are powerful; sometimes.  Unless you're like me and have had someone fall asleep while you were talking.  Seriously?  Did I just talk for five minutes to a sleeping person?  Am I really that boring?  Are my words really that weak?  Many of us have had the chance to be around phenomenal communicators  It's easy to be jealous of that person who has the perfect tone of voice complimented with the ability to wax eloquent.  That person is not me.  That person can keep people awake.  It seems as if that person can generate beautiful images and ideas out of mere words.  It seems as if that person can produce something from nothing.


A few years ago, I remember a myth suggesting that humans are able to only utilize 10% of their brain power.  This myth obviously alludes the the point that 90% of the human brain remains unemployed.  I'm not completely convinced about the 10% statistic, except for perhaps a few people I know.  This myth also suggested that if humans could tap into all their brain power, they might have the ability to mentally compute pi or have telekinetic powers (the ability to move objects by the force of thinking).  Although this statistic is a myth, I thought it seemed to interestingly imply the power and potential involved in human intelligence.


It's fascinating to observe humanity's ability to communicate compared to that of other species.  Although we cannot fully understand how other species communicate, we can observe that humans communicate on a much higher dimension than any other animal.  Human intelligence teamed with communicative ability makes amazing potential.


A question arises in regard to the level of human intelligence and communicative power in comparison to other species.  Why is there such a gap between humanity and the rest of the animal kingdom?  Why doesn't the communicative ability and intelligent power in monkeys (humanity's closes relative according to evolution) partially compete with humans?  Sure, birds and dogs communicate through chirps and barks, but one has to admit how amazing it is one realizes the depth and sophistication of human communication and intelligence.  Then again, I have seen some incredible dogs and birds talk better than some people I know.  Anyways.  The simple fact that you can read this is amazing!


Words are powerful.  But God's words are especially powerful.  The book of Genesis displays a scene showing just how powerful God's words are.  When he speaks, people don't fall asleep.  When God speaks, something is created from nothing.  The first chapter in Genesis demonstrates and describes God's communicative power.  He speaks and the universe explodes into existence.  He speaks and nature organizes itself and flourishes according to his commands.  At one point, God tells Isaiah: "my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."  God's words always produce, accomplish, and execute.


We find something interesting when we compare the poetics of Genesis to our observation in regards to human communication and intelligence.  Genesis says that "God made man in his own image, in the image of God he created them."  This statement is interesting taking into account that humans are the most advanced and sophisticated in all the created order.  This would make in sense in understanding humanity to be the only creature made in God's image.


A friend of mine who loves to learn about the Jewish side of the Christian faith told me something interesting about the story of "Jesus and the Sick Woman."  Jesus, as others did in his day, wore a garment (called a Tallit) of clothing around his neck.  On each end of the garment were five tassels representing the Word of God (each tassel representing one book of the Bible known as the Torah).  As the story goes, while Jesus was teaching, there was a women in the crowd who had been sick for twelve years.  She believed that if she reached out and touched Jesus' clothing, she would be healed.  The thing is, she wasn't simply reaching to touch Jesus' clothes, she was reaching out to touch the garment (tassels) which represented the Word of God.  Why?  Because she believed God's Word possessed power.  Perhaps she recognized the power of God's words in the Genesis account.  Perhaps she recognized the power of God's words in the Torah.  Whatever she believed, her faith in God's Word was what healed her.        (Matthew 9:18-22)


Words are powerful.  In fact, the book of John goes on to describe who Jesus actually is, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  he was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."  Apparently, John believed that God's words, his speech, and his commands actually became a person; that person is Jesus.  Jesus became known as the Word of God because in him, God perfectly speaks.  To reiterate this, God's speech becomes a person: Jesus the Christ.          (John 1:1-3,14)


Nobody's words are as powerful as God's.  Whether I put someone to sleep, or whether I have the ability to wax eloquent; the power and literal creativity of God's words far outweigh my own.


I heard a national speaker recently say, "Perhaps we're using our words carelessly."  I couldn't agree more.  I'm not sure about you, but I can't count how many times I've said something negative, hurtful, or "careless."  Perhaps I should remind myself that I've been made in the image of God and my words also carry power with them.


In the study room at the seminary I attend, there's a big quote from Ed Dobson hanging on the wall.  It reads, "Preach the Word…Love People."  Perhaps I'm starting to understand this...


Therefore, as people created who carry God's image, our words should mirror the words of God.  As Jesus is the materialization of God's Word; his words should be our words.  These words are transformational, creative, and powerful.  However weak our words may be, if we speak according to God's Word, there is strength.  When his words are spoken, they retain the potential to produce.  His words will not return empty.


May the words that flow from our lips resonate with the words of the LORD.  May we allow the words of God to continually produce fruit in our lives.  May our words continue to bring and give life.