"Alafia" Peace!

On Christmas day, while many tripped out on tryptophan and some were comatose on cake, others were dying from a senseless, heinous and criminal act of terrorism in Nigeria, carried out by a group that represents a growing terrorist threat globally. You see, Islamic Nigeria's answer to Al Qaeda and the Taliban is a group known as Boko Haram. 

The term "Boko Haram" comes from the Hausa word boko meaning "Animist, western or otherwise non-Islamic education" and the Arabic word haram figuratively meaning "sin" (literally, "forbidden")

Boko Haram claimed responsibility for planning and carrying out a series of coordinated attacks targeting churches in Nigeria on Christmas Day, in which an estimated 40 people lost their lives. The most serious blast took place on the outskirts of the capital Abuja claiming at least 30 lives.

Observers say the group, which has carried out dozens of violent attacks since its formation, is increasingly expanding the scope and sophistication of its operations. Why are they doing it you may ask? 

While the answer is a lot more complicated than I care to write about here, in simple terms they'd like to see Western influence and education completely eradicated from Northern Nigeria and Sharia law implemented as the penal system. 

For those who may not be aware, Nigeria represents the largest population of black people on earth with over one hundred and sixty million people living in a land area about two and a half times the size of Texas. There are over 350 ethnic groups and 250 languages.

With roughly 50% of the population professing Christianity, 47% professing Islam, and 3% animist, it's a cauldron of potent and toxic emotions waiting to explode at every turn. Sadly, we accomplish nothing other than hurting ourselves as we kill each other simply because we view the world from different perspectives.

Today, following the senseless attacks, all that's changed in Nigeria is that a few more families carry the scars and bitterness of having needlessly lost loved ones who are merely collateral damage in an un-winnable war against ourselves.

So, what's the answer? Well, the Scriptures do call Jesus the Prince of Peace and declare that God is Love. They also testify that Love covers a multitude of sins. This means that the only way to win this war is to fight the battle where it needs to be fought and with weapons that enable you win the war.

"We are not fighting against flesh and blood but against spiritual enemies in the heavenly places," declares the book of Ephesians. 1 Corinthians adds, "The weapons of our warfare are not physical but spiritual weapons that attack demonic strongholds...." Love is the only guaranteed weapon with which to win this war!

This music video is a brilliant reminder by a Nigerian artiste that "Alafia" (peace) is the way to resolve these incendiary issues that seemingly have no beginning and no end. Enjoy! And please remember to say a prayer for the families of the victims of the Boko Haram bombings.

Making Sense of Nonsense!!! (Part 2)

Following yesterday’s blog, the premise of my post is the fact that, contrary to what we might have been taught to believe, pain and suffering, and trials and tribulation, all form part of the fabric that God uses in shaping and molding our life stories. Before you begin to argue the basis of my theology let me point out a couple of verses in 2 Corinthians 4: 17-18 which read, “These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye” (The Message). The CEV translation declares; “These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. Things that are seen don’t last forever”

An acute understanding of these verses is essential in order to find a place in life’s seemingly arbitrary puzzle for such pain as, the deformity of a child, the magnitude of an earthquake’s devastation, or even a senseless event such as the 9-11 plane “bomb” disasters. The only way to make sense of such “nonsense” is to see these types of events through the lens of an eternal perspective. When we understand that God is writing a story much larger than just our own, when we can embrace the fact that the intersection of life’s difficulties and God’s larger purpose can often hold confusion and misunderstanding for us in the immediate, only then can we understand that what doesn’t seem to make sense in this season of life will make perfect sense in the next. For that matter, what appears to make no sense in this life will make perfect sense in the next. Proof: you in the womb.

Every moment of your time in utero prepared and equipped you for your life here on earth. Your bones solidified, your eyes developed, your umbilical cord transported nutrients into your continually developing frame… why? So that you could remain in the womb? Absolutely, resoundingly, no! Womb time equipped you for earth time. Some of your prenatal features went unused before birth. Your nose, eyes, tongue, toenails, and hair all served no function in the womb. Aren’t you glad you have them now? We often think that certain chapters in this life seem so unnecessary, such as suffering, loneliness, disease, holocausts, martyrdom, and even the 9-11 disaster. If we assume that the world exists just for pre-grave happiness, then these atrocities disqualify it from doing so.

But what if this earth is eternity’s womb? Is it potentially possible that these challenges and difficulties serve to prepare and equip us fro the world to come? Better yet, what if your current trials and suffering are merely preparation for your next season of life? Imagine what it would be like if you had to go through this life without those features that you developed but didn’t need while you were in the womb, but that are essential to the life you’re living now. Maybe, just maybe, you’re in the womb of your life’s story, being prepared for what the future holds in store for you. Live the adventure! Enjoy your story!!

Making Sense of Nonsense!!!

I make so bold as to declare that pain, trials and tribulations, and disappointment and hurt, are all necessary parts of living a good story! For that matter, they are essential parts of God shaping our lives for His purpose. You see, living through these circumstances forces change in us, especially because humans, by nature are not given to readily accepting and embracing change (especially when it moves us out of our comfort zone) without a “prompting.”

Every branch of the special forces of the US military “forces” change by inducing more pain than any normal person thinks they can endure. At the end of their torturous training, ordinary men become precision weapons, and well oiled machines because of the changes they have had to undergo in order to successfully become whatever special force it is they aspire to become. Those who resist or cannot endure the change, are destined to fail, or doomed to repeat the cycle of training until they embrace and fully accept the change necessary for success.

I find it exceedingly difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that, if you want to become a coast guard rescue swimmer, you must first learn to embrace death by drowning. What? If you think about it carefully though, it really makes sense. In order for you to rescue someone from drowning, while yourself contending with twenty foot high waves in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight, you must first know what it feels like to drown so that you can anticipate and prepare for their reactions. Failing this, you may well find yourself drowning too. So in training, they simulate worst case scenarios so that you can experience drowning before you ever really have to experience drowning. Make sense?

God’s broader purpose for us is to be used by Him to change our world so that it embraces Him. In a sense, this cannot happen until we embrace the changes that He’s orchestrating in us. Often, as God’s changes reshape and alter our perspectives and our world view, He also alters our assignments. Gideon went from being a farmer to being a general. Mary went from peasant girl to mother of Messiah. Paul went from local Rabbi to world evangelist. Joseph went from rejected and scorned kid brother to Prince of Egypt. David went from goat herder to king of Israel, and Peter from fisherman to first church leader. In each one of these cases, the process of change was painful, and was not without its unique trials and tribulations, but the “fruit” of each one of their changes is still being felt in our world today.

I'll finish my thoughts on this idea tomorrow. In the meantime, feel free to share yours.

What will you do if...?

“WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? KEEP QUIET AND IGNORE IT LIKE THE NIGERIAN PASTORS, REVERENDS AND BISHOPS ARE DOING? THE SOLUTION IS NOT TO TAKE ARMS OR FIGHT, BUT WE MUST REACT NOW!!!!”

This was the caption beside the two photos above. I’m making no apologies for publishing them or for offending your sensibilities. These are the realities in which our world is embroiled. While we live sheltered lives in our comfortable homes, with the weather being the greatest threat to our comfortable western lifestyles, much of the world is being ravaged by earthquakes (three in the last month, with the Chile earthquake registering as the third most powerful in recorded history), and people are being slaughtered for simply professing to be Christians. For all its barbarism, we might as well be back in the dark ages and the Spanish Inquisitions, or in the Coliseums of Rome!

The Middle belt of Nigeria has always been a volatile hotspot for unbridled religious fervor and intolerance. These precious souls being randomly slaughtered were also created by the hands of a loving God, yet their senseless deaths will go unheralded and may not even warrant a mention in the late night news in the Western hemisphere. You see, the West has nothing to lose by standing on the sidelines and letting this crisis play itself out. If you’re a praying person, then Nigeria needs your prayers now. We have a dying president, an ailing economy, an impotent legislature, and a religious crisis all wreaking wanton havoc on our beleaguered nation all at the same time. More than just your prayers though, Nigeria needs the collective voice of the nations to stand up and speak against these atrocities.

If we don’t draw attention to the evil that is being perpetrated, we might as well be willing participants. The needless pain and devastation of the Rwandan genocide isn’t that distant of a memory. Let’s not allow another such scenario again on our watch. Let’s be a voice and a resistant force to the needless and senseless violence that is so blinded by hate and intolerance that it cannot distinguish between militant opposition and an innocent child. Will you be a part of the solution? If so you can begin by copying this to your twitter account, or linking it to your Facebook or your blog. Imagine what could begin to happen if millions joined forces and began to act?!

I was just thinking...

This is certainly not a rush to judgment, nor is it meant to be an attempt to vilify anyone especially since I don’t have all the facts. But since I can’t be silent, I’ll simply stick to discussing what we all already know because it’s been reported in the press. Steve McNair, former NFL MVP and quarterback of the Tennessee Titans, is dead! He was found on the sofa in the living room of a condo he co-rents with a friend. He had multiple gunshot wounds including a fatal shot to the head. On the floor, not far from Steve’s body, was the body of 20-year-old Sahel Kazemi, a “friend” of McNair’s, dead from a single gunshot wound to the head.

Recently I blogged on leaving a legacy as I reflected on the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, and on how it’s so much easier to be remembered more for the negative things that stand out in most people’s minds, regardless of whatever else it is you may have done well. Quoting McNair’s ‘condo-mate’ (who reportedly discovered the dead bodies), an NBC Sports report stated “Aaron said McNair’s wife, Mechelle, is “very distraught.”” Wow, thanks Aaron for stating the patently obvious! Sadly, what we really do need to know, we don’t know. We don’t know the who, the why, the when and so many other details of this dark tale. So the “million dollar” question is: what do we know?

We know that Steve McNair, 36, was married with children

We know that Steve McNair, 36, was found dead alongside a 20-year-old girl (Kazemi) purported to be his girlfriend.

We know that “Two days ago, Nashville police arrested Kazemi on a DUI charge while driving a 2007 Escalade registered to her and McNair.”

We know that the arrest affidavit said “Kazemi had bloodshot eyes and the smell of alcohol on her breath, but refused a breathalyzer test, saying “she was not drunk, she was high.””

We know that “McNair and his family frequented the restaurant where Kazemi was a waitress” and that “McNair and Kazemi met at the restaurant.”

We know that Steve McNair has left a widow and four sons asking questions that may never be answered.

So my question is: Was it worth it? Is this the legacy that Steve envisioned leaving for his sons as he raised them into young men? Having examined all that we do know, I’m still left with more questions than answers, and I’m saddened that all too often our lives are so self-serving and self-absorbed to the detriment of those that mean the most to us. Are Steve’s sons supposed to remember their dad as the man who loved and protected their family, or as the adulterous husband found shot to death alongside a lover almost half his age?

Revolutionary Rules for Renegades (Part 2)

Read yesterday's post here before you read this.

So I’m trying to wrap my mind around this idea of ‘following’ God’s directives even when they don’t seem to make any sense whatsoever. In my recent life, I’ve wrestled with the idea of significance, having gone from a resource rich environment to planting a church that struggled early on. Through the process though, I’ve developed this idea that, in order to be successful I must be willing to be labile. While I’m adapting and changing, my purpose is becoming clearer. Like the lepers in Luke 17, I’ve often felt like I’m relegated to the fringes of culture (in the church world); trying to belong, trying to find my place, while all the while wanting to do something meaningful and significant.

In our story, Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and just happened to be traveling on the border between Samaria and Galilee. These lepers found themselves at the same intersection at this most pivotal season of their lives. Nothing about the encounter was chance, though it may seem like it. But God never leaves the fulfillment of His purpose up to chance. As soon as they saw Jesus, they called out to Him and He responded with a directive, which they followed without hesitation (at least that’s the impression we get when we read the story). While they may have followed his directives without hesitation, I’m certain that they didn’t do it without wondering what exactly the point was. Again, I want to point out that their healing didn’t happen when they cried out to Jesus nor when He gave them a directive. It happened while they were on the way to show themselves to the priests in obedience to Jesus’ instructions. There have been countless days since we ‘birthed’ The Well that I’ve wanted to quit and find something less painful and less demanding to do. On my worst days, the isolation may well feel somewhat similar to what a leper might have felt, knowing that he was all alone and despised as insignificant and worthless to the larger society.

Those days provoke invidious reminders of the blissful innocence of a regular job in which I was judged only based on my performance during working hours as opposed to on every waking moment of my life. But then they were healed! I often wonder if this might be the day when I encounter Jesus along my intersection, and find answers to my myriad questions as I try to do what I believe He’s called me to do. You see, I know that Jesus loves the leper, the outsider, and the ones on the fringes of society who seem to be without hope. Amazingly, greater proof of this fact is found in what happens after they are cleansed. When I read the story, I’m most fascinated by the events following their healing. “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him—and he was a Samaritan. (Luke 17: 15-16) Wow! The one who was an even bigger outsider than the others came back and thanked Jesus. He was not only a leper; he was a ‘Samaritan leper’. Watch what happened next. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then He said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17: 17-19)

What? Weren’t they made “well” on their way to see the priests? Apparently they were cleansed, but not made well. Whatever the difference between those two conditions may be, we know it’s significant enough that the Bible points out that ten lepers were cleansed but only one was made well because of his attitude of gratitude. I want to be thankful for all that Jesus has done and continues to do in and through me, even on my seemingly insignificant days when all I can feel is sorry for myself. I want to be thankful so that at my intersection, I’m not simply cleansed but also made well.

Revolutionary Rules for Renegades

I spent all of last week immersed in Los Angeles. On Monday and Tuesday I took part in the Mosaic Church Immersion. On Wednesday it was Origins and on Thursday and Friday it was Catalyst. It was an incredible week of learning, processing, changing and connecting. There were a number of really great speakers at the events but one of the guys (no pun intended) that impacted me the most was Guy Kawasaki. A self-described evangelist for Macs, he is one of the most innovative and brilliant people that I’ve ever met. I just wanted to tell you that, especially since I'm not actually talking about Guy today. Dave Gibbons, in his Origins session, asked the question, “How are we engaging the transition that’s currently affecting the world?”

He proceeded to highlight the fact that as Christ-followers we should see the major global transitions that are happening economically, socially and otherwise, as opportunities rather than stumbling blocks. He explained that many of the greatest miracles in life happen in transition. In Luke 17, Jesus was at the intersection of Galilee and Samaria when He encountered ten lepers who called out to Him for help. Jesus simply instructed them to go and show themselves to the priests. The priests were responsible for pronouncing lepers as unclean. These men were already outcasts from the larger community, living on the fringes of society, in a world without the caress of a human touch. They could have wondered at Jesus’ instructions, especially since they really wanted to be healed. “What good will showing ourselves to the priests do?” they may have reasoned.

Fortunately for them, rather than wonder they obeyed. They began to head towards wherever it was the priests were, not knowing for sure why they were going or what was going to happen. Here’s what the Scriptures record: “And as they went, they were cleansed.” (Luke 17: 14)

Wow! They were healed not when they cried out to Jesus, not when He instructed them to go to the priests, but when they got up and acted on His directives, as 'senseless' as they may have seemed under the circumstances. What if they’d decided not to go because the instructions didn’t exactly line up with their expectations? So what's my point? Wherever you are in your journey during this global transition, just start moving in the direction you’re persuaded God has called you to go, regardless of how ‘foolish’ that might look. What 'foolish' thing is God asking of you during this season that doesn't at all seem to make sense? We’ll pick up this idea again tomorrow.

Instant Gratification

Recently I wrote an article in which I suggested that, if we had any idea as to where we'd be and what we'd be doing in the future, it would inform the choices and decisions we make today. I don't know about you, but sadly, as a pastor I've had the unfortunate 'task' of having to look back at decisions I made that I wish I could take back. Sometimes I listen to old sermons and cringe at what I said and wonder how it must have sounded to those hearing it at the time. I'm convinced that the more in the public eye you are, the more you must carefully guard what you say and what you do, because your words and your life are quotable.

Enter embattled Governor Bill Richardson, Nancy Killefer, Tom Daschle and Timothy Geithner. Richardson was tabbed as Obama's initial selection for commerce secretary, but withdrew his nomination amid a grand jury investigation into a state contract awarded to his political donors. The other three were all 'investigated' for tax evasion. Killefer, an executive with the consulting firm of McKinsey & Co., was nominated to fill the new White House post of Chief Performance Officer, which ironically, would have entailed working to increase efficiencies and eliminate waste in govt. Tom Daschle was Obama's pick for Secretary for Health and Human Services. Sadly, it was ascertained that Geithner, Killefer, and Daschle did evade paying taxes, Daschle to the tune of $128,203.00. (Daschle later paid the back taxes plus $11,964.00 in interest). What? If that isn't sheer greed, I don't know what is. Evidently it only occurred to him to do the right thing and pay his taxes only when he realized it would jeopardize his political future and the publics trust in him! And Killefer? For a paltry $964.69, being taxes for a household employee, she lost the chance to serve in a role that would have made her one of the most powerful people in the Obama White House.

Fortunately for Geithner, despite personal tax lapses that turned more than a third of the Senate against him, he was sworn in as Treasury Secretary in January. So we now have as our Treasury Secretary a man who has a questionable ethic where finances are concerned. The sad and bitter truth is, we all tend to have 'skeletons' in our closets, which may well come back to haunt us when we least expect it. All too often, the gratification of the moment supercedes the fear of potential repercautions, and we gratuitously bask in the apparent pleasure of the moment, until we become the next days headline story. If you don't believe me, ask... I've said my piece!

Can you say Okada?!

I cannot begin to describe to you what emotions this picture elicits in me. No doubt the bikers head is as vacuous as the 'helmet' he's wearing, but in a strangely poetic sort of way, I can really understand why he's doing it. You see, this photo was taken in the country of my birth, Nigeria! Why on earth is he wearing a bucket for a helmet? I'm glad you asked because I was going to tell you anyway. My homeland is a land of contradictions. We provide people with the opportunity to make a living by allowing the introduction of 'motorcycle' taxi's to beat the inhuman traffic conditions (these bikes are commonly known as Okada, and named for a now defunct local airline with a reputation for being on time but unsafe). We don't require them to pass any kind of safety test, or even wear any sort of protective clothing. They can bribe county officials for licenses and off they go to the races! Many of them actually learn to ride as they ferry passengers up and down the death-traps called streets, in Lagos.

Some of these asinine daredevils often carry as many as three complete strangers (besides themselves) on the backs of these motorbikes that are about 120cc capacity. Safety is not even a consideration for them and they are known to die in their hundreds from fatal crashes. However, the 'brilliance' of the Nigerian road safety system, clearly unsurpassed by any other nation, is displayed in the random way in which it was decided that each one of these untrained, unlicensed, and unflappable taxi-bikers must, effective January 1, 2009, wear a helmet whenever they are on their bikes. Only one small problem with that completely unenforacable law: A helmet in Nigeria costs about $25.00 which is, oh I don't know... about half the monthly income of these bonafied boneheads!!!

In an attempt to be compliant with the new helmet law, and to avoid unecessary delays and requests for bribes from the malnourished Nigerian police force, these enterprising young men have found ways to obediently 'comply' while protecting their hard earned income. Before you begin to criticize their ingenuity let me give you the Webster's Unabridged Dictionary definition of the word, helmet: anything resembling a helmet in form or position. I guess, even though they are barely literate, they know enough to figure out that they can save money, and be 'safe' and 'compliant' all at the same time, barring of course any sort of 'unforseen' accident. So, the next time I hear you complaining about how tough life is where you are, I'm sending the Nigeria Police to cart you off to Lagos on a one year sabbatical.

Stupid is as stupid does

I'm ticked! I know, I know, it seems as if I've been ticked for a while now, right? Any way, this time I'm waxing philosophical on a completely different issue than politics or faith. One of the drawbacks of living in a country where everyone gets to excercise their 'free-will' freely, is that you have to deal with stupid people who display a measure of lunacy by putting others in harms way because, in the excercising of their free-will they've chosen unwisely. The recent hurricanes in Louisiana and Texas are perfect examples. Read the following excerpt from the Associated Press reports:

As dawn broke, emergency officials were fielding pleas for help from residents along the coast who remained behind and were trapped in their homes.... "The unfortunate truth is we're going to have to go in... and put our people in the tough situation to save people who did not choose wisely. We'll probably do the largest search and rescue operation that's ever been conducted in the state of Texas," said Andrew Barlow, spokesman for (Governor) Perry.

About half of the nearly 300,000 residents of coastal Brazoria County stayed behind in defiance of evacuations orders... as did about half of the 110,000 people in Beaumont.... "I'm drained. I'm beat up," Steven Rushing said later Saturday morning. "My family is traumatized. I kept them here, promising them everything would be alright, but this is the real deal and I won't stay no more."

Wow, Steven, what a revelation! At least you're alive to commit to excercising some wisdom next time. Others weren't so fortunate. The truth is, we are spoiled, because we live in a country that has such an advanced disaster response system that we can take for granted. People in most developing nations find out about natural disasters when they happen. Then it's every 'man' for himself as people trample on one another trying to escape. Sometimes there is more carnage from the disorganized attempts to flee than there is from the actual natural disaster. How can anyone "promise" their family that everything will be alright in a hurricane!?! One inch of standing water is known to be able to float vehicles (hydroplaning) let alone 4 - 8 feet of fast rushing water laden with oversized debris. There are mandatory evacuation orders preceding these hurricanes, yet people foolishy defy those orders in an attempt to 'protect' their property. Well... dead people can't protect anything. So here's a friendly word of advice to future hurricane warning areas: heed the warning!!! There, I've said my piece. I feel much better now! It's your turn.

Say it aint so!!!

I have to admit to being stupefied by this photo! It was posted on ragamuffinsoul.com (Carlos Whittaker's blog), and I couldn't help copying the photo and pasting it here. I admit that I was pretty rankled when I read it. And we wonder why church attendance and the perceived relevance of Christianity is on the decline? We wonder why the world considers us intolerant and judgmental? This sign says it all. Isn't it amazing how we choose to major on the minors? The self-appointed, self-righteous people who came up with this list, have determined that these are the people or lifestyles that God hates the most. Since they have so 'thoughtfully' and 'prayerfully' put the list together, I guess that makes slave dealers/owners, arbiters of genocide, and other such abominable acts, safe?

To read this, you would think that these were the things that condemned people to hell. You would get the distinct impression that Jesus didn't die because He loved us, but merely because He wanted us to observe a set of rules. I imagine that the people who came up with the idea for this sign have probably never had an evil thought or committed any of the acts that they so gleefully list on their sign. Don't miss my point by thinking that I support these lifestyle choices, I just don't think that's the way we'll convince people that a loving God cares for them and that we are His very 'caring' ambassadors. What do you think?

Update on breakfast!

The death toll in the Myanmar cyclone has reportedly topped 22,000 and there are over 41,000 people still missing. These numbers are not just zeroes but valuable, individual lives. Please spare a prayer if you can do nothing else. Check out the details here. You can give financial aid to victims and families of the deceased here.

What's for breakfast?

Do you know where Myanmar is? Are you even aware that Myanmar is the name of the country that used to be known as Burma? I didn't think so. In case you're wondering what this is about, let me assure you that I'm not remotely interested in giving you a geography lesson this morning (National Geographic channel does a pretty decent job of that already). I'm talking to you about Myanmar this morning because of the devastating tragedy that has hit that largely Tibetan Bhuddist nation. They've been in the news quite a bit lately. The collective eyes of the world have been focused on the iron-handed tactics of their military Junta against protesting monks who are simply protesting against the continued oppression of the citizens of that nation.

Four days ago Myanmar was struck by the unimaginable tragedy of a freak cyclone that ravaged homes, temples, and lives. The report (consigned to a small corner of the page on msnbc.com), suggests that there are already 15,000 reported dead and still 30,000 people unaccounted for so far. What's that got to do with you, you might be asking? Well that's exactly the point. It has absolutely nothing to do with us and so we don't really recognize how devastating it is for that many people to die from one disaster. No food, no running water, no electric power, no real news as to whether your lost family members are dead or alive, an oppressive military dictatorship with an almost reluctant response to the disaster... wow! What if they were your brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, uncles and aunts... how would you respond then? The truth is, if you're a Christian, they are your brothers and sisters, and the love of God compels us to act.

This is not meant to put you on a guilt trip (I'm patently aware of how sensitive people tend to be about feeling judged or criticized), it is simply meant to call your attention to something that grieves the heart of God. Many of those listed as dead, may never have had a personal encounter with Jesus and so their lives have amounted to little more than just an existence. In the wake of the disaster, they have left behind relatives that are searching for answers. As Christians, we have direct access to the One who is the Answer, and so if we can do nothing else, we can pray! As we spare a few moments of our day in prayer for the survivors and for the victims families and friends, we might do well to remember that, while we had access to the breakfast of our choice today, many of them have not eaten or drunk clean water in days. Will you spare a moment and pray?

Gollum or Smeagol... who are you?

The two figurines in this photo have pride of place on the mantlepiece in my study. They represent my favorite character in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It never ceases to amaze me how we can be so divergent in our personalities depending on the day. There is a constant battle going on in us. On the worst of days we are Gollum and on the better days we are Smeagol, while most times we are conflicted between the two. There's so much that life demands from us, that we are constantly having to make a decision to be one or the other. I wonder if we are meant to live between the two? I wonder if successful living is learning to control the measure of how much of each personality is manifest at any one time?

You see, Gollum is the daring, risk-taking, rule-breaking, confident one, but the down side is that he is selfish, mistrusting, scheming and devious. Smeagol on the other hand, is the play-within-the-boundaries, follow the rules, butter-wouldn't-melt-in-his-mouth, loved-by-everybody type of guy. The downside: he's timid, insecure, and scared of his own shadow. The Gollum in us ensures that we don't allow our failures and difficulties in life to beat us down, so that people don't take undue advantage of us. Smeagol teaches us that we must learn to live within the parameters laid down by civilized society. Smeagol serves as our constant reminder that we don't live in a vacuum and cannot therefore "retire to the wilderness to live off the land" while eschewing the value of community.

I'm convinced that there's a bit of Gollum and Smeagol in every person, and learning to live within the limitations they create is the key to living well. In case you think I'm making that up, read what the most prolific New Testament writer (Apostle Paul) had to say about this struggle: "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing." So, just in case you thought you were in pretty bad shape wrestling with your "multiple personality disorder"... remember Paul! If he struggled with daily living and yet successfully penned three quarters of the New Testament, I'd venture to say you're in good company. What do you think?

Goodmorning God...

I was hoping I'd get your attention with the title of my post. I know that a number of you read my post and watched the inspiring video of Charlene Hornsby's testimony about her faith in God through this incredibly difficult season of cancer she's battling. I also suspect that the majority of the people that take the time to visit my blog are Christians. I must admit though, that I fantasize about the number of irreligious people out there who stumble upon, or for whatever reason find themselves reading what I write. It's to those precious people that I write todays post.

Charlene's testimony does not come from her sagacity, or from her committment to attend church every Sunday. It comes from a deep place of intimacy and understanding of who God is. Charlene has settled some core values in her heart. Among other things, she knows that, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1: 21); she knows that His plans for her are perfect even when she doesn't understand them (Jeremiah 29: 11). This kind of understanding stems from making it your life's priority to seek God and know Him. The first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is to communicate with those you love, that share your life and live with you. You cultivate relationships by spending time connecting with those that you're building a life with.

My wife, my kids, and I have made it a habit to say "goodmorning" to each other the first time we see each other at the start of the day. Now don't misunderstand me to be advocating some pedantic approach to living. What I'm talking about here is a genuine desire to connect and establish an intimacy that carries through the day. It's a great habit to cultivate, especially since it gives us an opportunity for further dialog. Making communication with God a priority is what helps us through the darkest seasons of life (such as the one Charlene is going through at the moment). If you've never tried it, I urge you to consider the fact that you have everything to gain and nothing to lose by giving it a shot. So, why don't you wake up and say goodmorning to God tomorrow? Take a moment out of your unparallelled busy day and communicate with the One who gave you the opportunity to live that day!

I can see clearly now...

Yesterday I flew to New Hampshire and my connecting flight went through Charlotte, NC. As we approached Charlotte International Airport on the descent, the pilot’s voice came over the public address system to explain that the weather conditions in Charlotte were "extremely foggy." (How’s that for a professional weather report?) I’ve flown often enough that I paid little attention to the announcement, thinking that the cloud cover would probably be around 100 feet or so. We kept descending in clouds and fog so thick that I was suddenly and unexpectedly jolted by the wheels touching down on the tarmac. I was shocked! I literally couldn’t see the end of the wing from my window and yet we had landed safely.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that, if I couldn’t see the tip of the wing, then most certainly the pilots had the same limited visibility too. How on earth did they have the confidence to land the plane with such incredibly poor visibility? I mean, I don’t want to be morbid or anything, but if you can’t see the runway upon which you are planning to land, isn’t that tempting fate and inviting a potential ‘pancake’ onto the hard tarmac? The answer to that question is: not if you have the inside track on flying! You see, planes are equipped for instrument landing, which, in lay man's terms is an electronic guidance system that brings the plane in safely (to all you real pilots out there don’t get technical and hung up on the details of my description).

The only problem with instrument landings is that they go against everything that is natural to the mind. You want to be able to see where you’re going but in a heavy fog, you must learn to trust your instruments. Their precision under such circumstances is unparalleled by the human mind and vision. This means that you must be willing to give up control and trust that the instruments will do what they were made to do. It reminds me a lot of my own life. I’m often cruising in clear blue skies, but sometimes I hit a 'fog patch' and then I wrestle with whether or not to trust my ‘instruments’ (my knowledge of God and His word) to bring me in safely. The reality is though, that God’s faithfulness is unparalleled, and His desire for me to accomplish my purpose is greater than mine. So in the final analysis, because He guides me, I can see clearly, even when I can't! What’s your story?

What would you die for?

Sagarmatha (which means "Mother of the sky") Is the best known of the Himalyan mountain range lying between the countries of Tibet and Nepal. It is more commonly known in the West as Mount Everest! The first westerner on record to have scaled its lofty heights was a British explorer named Sir Edmund Hillary. For his efforts he has a "step" on the Mountain named after him. Others were not so lucky. Their legacy to an attempt at summitting the worlds highest peak: their bodies preserved forever right where they fell and died. In 1996 more than 16 people reportedly died in one summer expedition to the summit (read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air). Some of the worlds most renowned climbers have died or been severely 'beaten' by this 'mother', yet every year they come back for more, not deterred by the apparently exhorbitant climbing fees ranging from $45,000.00 to over $60,000.00 (these fees don't include climbing equipment, and they offer no guarantees that you'll make it to the top or for that matter even make it out alive).

Why do seemingly sane people do it you might wonder? Well, George Mallory gave what I consider to be the most classic of responses when asked why he wanted to summit Everest. "Because it's there" was his well reasoned response. Excuzeme??? "Because it's there"? So let me try and unscramble this in my fogged brain. The worlds highest piece of real estate (higher than many jet liners fly) offers a challenge for some people to summitt simply because it is there? I'm glad I live vicariously through the Discovery channel and National Geographic, because you couldn't drag me to that mountain even if I were dead (I would place a well aimed karate chop right to your jugular). I just don't think attempting to scale a mountain while suffering from high altitude pulmonary edema is worth dying for. Evidently, judging from the bodies that lie strewn across the barren, colorless landscape that is Mount Everest, some people do.

I have often thought long and hard about what I would be willing to die for. I have settled this fact beyond any shadow of a doubt: I would die for the cause of Christ! As I think about Rwanda, Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan and other such war-torn areas of the earth, I am broken-hearted for the innocent people whose lives are given as collateral damage for a war that they didn't even understand. I would be willing to die to ensure that they received the good news that: Jesus already gave His life in exchange for theirs. Some people would die for money, some for drugs, some for a licentious lifestyle, and others from simply having nothing to live for. It is part of the human psyche to believe enough in something to be willing to die for it. That is what becomes your passion. That is what becomes your driving force and your motivation to do whatever it is that you do, even on your darkest days. So, In case no one's ever asked you the question, I'm asking it now: What would you die for?

It's all beginning to make sense (part II)

So, back to this "working idea" that could change in six months, about "It." What is present when "It" is present in your church? Craig gave us a list of seven "working theories," along with seven questions that he suggests are present when "It" is present in your church.

• Vision Alignment - Always make sure that you have a strong, clearly communicable vision that people can jump on board with. Without a vision, people cast off restraint (Proverbs 29:11)
• Question: Do you have a God given vision? Is your team in alignment with the vision?

• Divine Focus - What do you do as a church? You can't successfully or effectively be a full-service church and so you must figure out what you do best and what you are passionate about, and focus on those things. If you are doing too much, you need a strategy for a "planned abandonment" of some of the things you are doing.
• Question: What are the things we are doing that we need to stop doing? (We don't need to be adding stuff to our To-do-list but to our To-don't- list).

• Unmistakable Cameraderie - On teams that have "It," there is a divine flow. People genuinely like each other and enjoy working together. There are nicknames, practical jokes, and a ton of fun. This really enhances an atmosphere of creativity.
• Question: What would make your ministry more fun?

• A very high pain tolerance - When you have "It," and others don't, they will find every excuse in the book to attribute your success to something negative (you're compromising the message, your'e too seeker sensitive, you're drawing people in with smoke and mirrors, and the list goes on). Generally speaking, the main difference between the larger church pastor and the smaller church pastor is not the fact that the larger church pastor is a better preacher (this is often not the case), but simply the fact that the larger church pastor is willing, and has chosen to endure more pain. You have to be willing to make some tough decisions, endure criticism gracefully, smile when you are hurting, and learn to play hurt.
• Question: What painful decision are you avoiding?

• You have a willingness to fail - Failure is not an option. It is an absolute neccessity! (I personally really love this big idea because I have experienced it first hand). Peter could not have preached the rousing and passionate sermon he did in Acts 2, if he hadn't experienced the failure of rejecting Jesus and then being so absolutely forgiven. Until you have failed and know what it's like to be loved by God even through your failure, there are some things in you that you may never really accomplish.
• Question: What has God called you to do that you are afraid to try?

• You have a Kingdom mindset - You must be willing to share what you have since it really isn't yours anyway. Your success is not primarily a result of your skills and your labor, but is the will and purpose of God being played out in your life. You can and must still make it about Jesus no matter how successful you may become. It doesn't have to be yourname.com. When you have "It" you give "It" away.
• Question: What do you have that you can give away to others?

• You have "It." - For your ministry to have "It," you have "It." It keeps you up at night, it makes you mad at the devil. It begins from the passion that burns inside of you. Remember though, that the fact that you have "It" doesn't mean that you can't lose "It."The innate danger for many of us who serve as "full-time" pastors, is that we can become "part-time" followers of Christ in the midst of our busy, important lives. What caused us to have "It" in the first place was what was burning on the inside of us and became manifest on the outside. If we stop concentrating on the inside and begin to focus on the outside, we are likely to lose "It."
• Question: Do you have "It"? If not, what are you going to do to get "It"?

Craig concluded this mind blowing "working theory" with an excerpt of a prayer by Sir Francis Drake attributed to him in the 1500's, and it goes like this:

Disturb us Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves. When our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little. When we have arrived safely because we have sailed too close to the shore.

It's all beginning to make sense (part I)

This blog is definetely random. I am still trying to piece it all together as, what I'm about to share with you is packed with "nuggets" of truth that are incredibly powerful. I am still reeling from an amazing two days at a conference I'm attending in Austin, TX at Celebration Church. It's a church planters conference sponsored by the ARC (Association of Related Churches), a group of relational, visionary, and forward-thinking guys, who pastor some of the most innovative, dynamic and successful churches in America.

I should tell you that I am not one who is easily wowed by other pastors messages, and at the risk of sounding arrogant, I consider myself somewhat of a decent thinker, communicator, and leader. At least I did until I met and heard Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv speak. To say Craig is a brilliant mind and an incredible communicator, is to truly understate the truth. I was blown away by the ideas he had to share. I came away fully convinced that the success of his church is no accident of circumstance. He is focused and intentional about building the Kingdom of God, and consequently has built a successful church along the way.

As I continue discovering the esoteric truths along this journey of pastoring a church, many things are finally beginning to make sense because I get the chance to hear people like Craig tell their story. Craig talked about something which he titled, "It." He explained that "It" is that thing you find in a successful church that creates a spiritual buzz that is almost perceptible to the human ear. In actual fact it is a sense you get when you walk into a church, that something is about to happen.

He further opined that, when a church has "It" most things that you try, work.

When you have "It," creativity flows. When you don't, you are at a loss for what to do.
When you have "It," you are part of a divine mission. When you don't, you are simply drawing a paycheck.
When you have "It," the room is a buzz. When you don't, the room is dead.
When you have "It," lives are changed. When you don't life is static and you just go through the motions of doing church.

When you have "It," it is obvious to everyone.

Having so skillfully whet our appetites and prepared us for the big insight, Craig crushingly informed us that he really can't explain what "It" is. He didn't leave us hanging however, as he graciously explained what "It" is not!

"It" is not the music, lights and videos. "It" is not the 4-color mailouts or the fact that we keep up with the current dress styles. "It" is not even the fact that we are so "cool" and contemporary. "It" is not something that you can copy. In fact, he emphatically encouraged us not to insult the heart of God by trying to be the next (fill in the blank), because he has "It" and so we think if we are like him we will have "It" too.

He gave us his working, in-progress idea of the nebulous "It" by stating, "It is a rare combination of the anointing of God, passion, creativity, teamwork, focus, faith, intensity, drive, hunger, desperation, and divine expectation." He emphasized that all of these in combination would be manifest through each person that has "It" in its own unique way.

To my mind, these are incredible insights into successfully accomplishing God's calling and purpose in the lives of those who are privileged to be called to serve Him by serving others through pastoring churches.

(watch this space for the concluding instalment of what is present in a church when "It" is present).