The Future is Now!!!

The future will be heavily influenced by those who see possibilities and act on them before they become obvious. Did you know that the top ten jobs of 2011 didn't exist in 2004? We're actually preparing the next generation for jobs that don't even exist yet, and to resolve and deal with problems that we don't even know are problems. 20 years ago the internet was a virtually unknown quantity. Today any business worth its salt must not only maintain a presence on the internet, but must actively use social media in their networking. This video speaks volumes more than words so watch it and enjoy.

Who Do You See? (Part 3 of 3)

Today I’m concluding this three part series titled, “Who Do You See?” If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to read Parts 1 and 2 before you read this so that it makes more sense. Yesterday I concluded part 2 by telling you that we’d ask and answer the question, “When God saw Jesus, whom did He see?” The best way I can think of to answer that question is by first sharing an excerpt from Max Lucado’s book, Six Hours One Friday.

The King swallowed….
He looked at the Prince of Light. “The darkness will be great.” He passed his hand over the spotless face of his Son. “The pain will be awful.” Then he paused and looked at his darkened dominion. When he looked up, his eyes were moist. “But there is no other way.”

The Son looked into the stars as he heard the answer. “Then, let it be done.”
Slowly the words that would kill the Son began to come from the lips of the Father.

“Hour of death, moment of sacrifice, it is your moment. Rehearsed a million times on false altars with false lambs; the moment of truth has come….

“Oh, my Son, my Child. Look up into the heavens and see my face before I turn it. Hear my voice before I silence it. Would that I could save you and them. But they don’t see and they don’t hear.”

“The living must die so that the dying can live. The time has come to kill the Lamb.” …

So I ask again, when God saw Jesus, whom did He see?

When God saw Jesus, He saw the only way to reconcile His creation to its Creator.
When God saw Jesus, He saw the sacrificial Lamb of slaughter, born to shoulder the sins of the world.
When God saw Jesus, He saw His beloved Son who was born to die at the hands of the very ones he created.
When God saw Jesus, He saw Heaven’s best given in exchange for earth’s worst (yet He loved us still).
When God saw Jesus, He saw a future filled with promise
When God saw Jesus, He saw the pain and suffering of broken humanity encapsulated in the Son of God (and this is significant to remember as we walk through our own dark journey).

Which brings me to my final question: When you see Jesus, whom do you see? If all you see is a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger… then you’re thirty three years behind the story. If all you see is a broken body hanging on a cross… then you’re still behind even if a little closer. If all you see is an embalmed body lying in a rock hewn tomb… then look again. The tomb is empty! He is risen!!!

In order for pain and suffering to make sense, you must see what God sees. Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Behold, your Redeemer lives. You see, your failures, your pain, your suffering, your insecurities, none of them are unfamiliar to the “suffering” Savior. He knows what you’re feeling and He’s already set a plan in motion, though, from where you sit right now you may not fully understand what it is (Had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory). God knows what it feels like to bury a Son. I know that may sound trite and contrived, but it is the gospel truth! God is writing the story of your life and though the current chapter may be fraught with pain, darkness, and difficulty, the story isn’t over yet. The Master Story Teller is weaving the tapestry of your life into a fitting testimony for His glory and for your good. But don’t take my word for it, ask Job!

For this season to make any sense at all. For it to truly be the “most wonderful time of the year.” For there to be a purpose to the pain and suffering, we must understand the season for what it is: God became a baby, born through the birth canal of His own creation, so that He might reconcile the world unto Himself. Neither presents under brilliantly lit trees, nor exotic fare arrayed on well laid tables, can bring joy to hurting hearts that have suffered such tremendous loss. Only the Son can restore sunshine to a world gone dark with the pain of loss. Only the true meaning of Christmas can restore hope and healing to hurting hearts.

So even if this Christmas threatens to be one filled with pain and sorrow, remember that the veil has once and for all been torn in two to make a way where there was no way. Remember that, as your Savior and mine took His final breath upon a Roman cross, He declared, “It is finished!” However “dark” this season may appear, remember that God is at work in you both to will and to do His good pleasure. However dark tonight may appear, morning is on the way. I pray that your Christmas is brightened by the Light of the Son.

Who Do You See? (Part 2 of 3)

In an attempt to answer the questions I posed yesterday, I’d like to begin by telling you a story from the Scriptures. It’s imperative that you understand the story so that you can answer the larger question posed in the blog title. Only after you’ve been able to answer this larger question, will you be in a position to answer all the others.

The gospel of Luke chapter 23 opens with the narrative of Jesus being arraigned before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Prefect or Procurator of the region of Judaea (Today he’d be called Governor). While I don’t want to lose you in the tedium of detail, it’s important that I explain this role for the benefit of backdrop. Rome was the ruling civilization on the earth during this time of AD 26 – 36 while Pilate served as Procurator. He was Caesar’s representative from Rome to the region. The amalgamation of Samaria, Judaea, and Idumea formed a small, far-flung outpost of Rome that provided very little by way of taxes, to support the largesse of the Roman lifestyle. Nobody worth their political salt really wanted to serve in Judaea, and it was clearly recognized as a stepping stone to a more significant posting… but only if you served effectively and maintained the Pax Romana (Roman Peace)!

Pilate had done fairly well for himself up to this point in time, and the region provided very little distraction other than the typical uprising of false prophets and seditious elements seeking to overthrow Rome’s oppressive government, but even these were easily quelled by the Temple Guards and often didn’t require the involvement of the Roman Army. Let’s pick up the story straight from the NCV Bible:

1 Then the whole group stood up and led Jesus to Pilate. 2 They began to accuse Jesus, saying, "We caught this man telling things that mislead our people. He says that we should not pay taxes to Caesar, and he calls himself the Christ, a king." 3 Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Those are your words." 4 Pilate said to the leading priests and the people, "I find nothing against this man." 5 They were insisting, saying, "But Jesus makes trouble with the people, teaching all around Judea. He began in Galilee, and now he is here." 6 Pilate heard this and asked if Jesus was from Galilee. 7 Since Jesus was under Herod's authority, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at that time…. 13 Pilate called the people together with the leading priests and the Jewish leaders. 14 He said to them, "You brought this man to me, saying he makes trouble among the people. But I have questioned him before you all, and I have not found him guilty of what you say. 15 Also, Herod found nothing wrong with him; he sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothing for which he should die. 16 So, after I punish him, I will let him go free." 17 18 But the people shouted together, "Take this man away! Let Barabbas go free!" 19 (Barabbas was a man who was in prison for his part in a riot in the city and for murder.) 20 Pilate wanted to let Jesus go free and told this to the crowd. 21 But they shouted again, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" 22 A third time Pilate said to them, "Why? What wrong has he done? I can find no reason to kill him. So I will have him punished and set him free." 23 But they continued to shout, demanding that Jesus be crucified. Their yelling became so loud that 24 Pilate decided to give them what they wanted. 25 He set free the man who was in jail for rioting and murder, and he handed Jesus over to them to do with him as they wished.

When you read the above narrative, what catches your eye? If you had to answer the question, “When Pilate saw Jesus, whom did he see?” how would you answer it? Don’t worry if you’re not up on your Bible knowledge, I’m going to answer the question for you.

When Pilate saw Jesus, he saw a potential impediment to his political progress. Up until now, there had been relative peace in the region and the locals had handled all of their own religious and political disputes. Now they were demanding that Pilate take action against Jesus, whom, they “suggested” was out to destabilize the Pax Romana by telling people not to pay taxes to Caesar. They had “conveniently” forgotten that, in times past, this same Jesus had removed a coin from a fish’s belly and given it to Peter to go and pay taxes for both of them. They’d “conveniently” forgotten that He’d told them to render unto Caesar what belonged to Caesar and to God what belonged to God. But they had a plan. They knew that if Jesus was convicted of inciting a rebellion against Rome, then Pilate would be forced to respond and who knows what kind of uprising might result, potentially leading to a conclusion by Caesar that Pilate was not fit to hold any political office talk less of a promotion.

When Pilate saw Jesus, he saw a thorn in his side, potentially stirring up an unwanted distraction in the form of a religious and cultural rebellion. Because he didn’t want to get involved in the politics and religion of the region, he had allowed the people to largely govern themselves as long as it didn’t infringe on his ability to collect taxes and maintain the peace.

When Pilate saw Jesus, he saw a decision that he didn’t want to have to make if he could avoid it. As soon as he found out that Jesus actually hailed from Galilee, he carted Him off to Herod Antipas for judgment. Herod, a Jew, was the Tetrarch of Galilee (a largely figure-head political ruler over the region) and essentially saw himself as the true governor of the people as opposed to Pilate.

Having interviewed Him extensively, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. Let’s pick up the story in verse 8:

8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, because he had heard about Jesus and had wanted to meet him for a long time. He was hoping to see Jesus work a miracle. 9 Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus said nothing. 10 The leading priests and teachers of the law were standing there, strongly accusing Jesus. 11 After Herod and his soldiers had made fun of Jesus, they dressed him in a kingly robe and sent him back to Pilate. 12 In the past, Pilate and Herod had always been enemies, but on that day they became friends.

So, here’s the next question: When Herod saw Jesus, whom did he see?

When Herod saw Jesus, he saw a temporary distraction from the emptiness of his maudlin life. Herod was a figure-head ruler. The High Priest was the de-facto religious and political ruler of the people. In addition, Pilate had usurped all of Herod’s authority since he was officially Rome’s and Caesar’s representative to the region. There was very little left for Herod Antipas to do and his life needed some form of entertaining distraction. Pilate’s inclusion of him in Jesus’ judgment gave Herod a sense of worth.

When Herod saw Jesus, he saw an entertainer. He’d heard of the many miracles Jesus had performed, and his desire to meet Jesus did not stem from any altruistic motive, but purely from the perspective of whatever “entertainment” value He could bring. Herod “was hoping to see Jesus work a miracle.” Herod viewed Jesus in much the same way our generation views David Blaine or Chris Angel… as a performer or magician.

When Herod saw Jesus, he saw an opportunity to display his misguided and misinformed sense of strength and power (he ridiculed and mocked Jesus, then dressed him up as a pseudo king), which in actual fact was really weakness. Oskar Schindler, in Schindler’s List, pointed out that, “Real power is having the ability to punish someone yet choosing to forgive them.” Remarkably reminiscent of how God continually chooses to deal with His creation.

Tomorrow we’ll answer the question, “When God saw Jesus, whom did He see?” Following that, we’ll ask and answer the question that will tie this entire series of posts together and hopefully answer all of the questions posed in part 1.

Who Do You See? (Part 1 of 3)

For many, Christmas won’t be so pleasant this year! I’ve heard it said ad naseum that Christmas is “the most wonderful time of the year,” and if it reflected its true meaning, that would no doubt be true. However, with the commercialization of Christmas such that in the West it’s not even politically correct to say “Merry Christmas” but “Happy Holidays,” I’m not so sure it’s the most wonderful time of the year any longer. For many who say it is, they probably sing a different song come January and the new cycle of credit card bills. Well, maybe for the stores that exceed their annual sales quota in four weeks of Christmas sales, it is.... Or maybe for the ones whose bonus checks ensure that there’ll be more food on the table than they can consume in a week, it is…. But those categories of people are definitely in the minority.

Now hold your horses, before you begin to think I’m the reincarnation of the Grinch trying to steal Christmas. This post is not in any way, shape, or form a Christmas bashing session. In fact, if anything, I’m trying to “return” rather than “steal” Christmas, because it isn’t the Grinch who stole it, but commercialization, political correctness, and cultural trends! Stay with me a moment while I explain.

I have a number of friends who have experienced tragic loss this year. One couple buried their son who died in an automobile accident. The car was being driven by one of his friends (who survived the accident). The kid was only 19. Parents shouldn’t bury their children! This devastating loss has caused the family to some times question their faith. But their story is still being written by a faithful God. Another couple lost a son who died in his sleep at the age of 27. Tragically this same couple has a 22 year-old son whose body has been so riddled by cancer, he weighs all of 90 pounds. Less than a week ago the doctors told him there was nothing more they could do for him. They gave him four to six weeks to live, and sent him home to die surrounded by his family. How does a family cope with potentially losing two sons in one year? Parents shouldn’t bury one child let alone potentially bury two. And in the same year! As you can well imagine, their faith has been tested to its very core. But their story is still being written by a loving God.

I know what it feels like to lose someone near and dear to you. I lost my father in May this year. Unexpectedly. The pain is still often unbearable and sometimes I can hardly catch my breath from crying so hard, yet he died at a decent age. I know how painfully difficult it is to bury a parent. I haven’t a clue how much more so it must be to bury a child. I can however speculate that at the very least it must feel like your world has come to an end. So, how do you tell families like these to “Have a Merry Christmas”? How do they process the idea of a season that’s meant to be the most wonderful time of the year, when for them it isn’t? How can we, in all good conscience, ask them to trivialize their pain and suffering by attempting to replace it with gifts, lighted trees, and eggnog?

And while we’re on the subject of pain and suffering, I should mention that I’ve spent the last few months counseling with five different Christian couples whose marriages are on the rocks. Three of the couples have finally filed for divorce, while one of the remaining two couples is in the process. Did I mention that two of the men are pastors? How do we tell these couples that this is indeed the most wonderful time of the year? How do we convince them that carving a turkey around a shared dinner table surrounded by extended family and other happy couples, all extending empty but well meaning platitudes, isn’t a poor substitute for a broken heart?

I’m confident that the answers to the myriad questions I’ve posed are many and varied, and we’d probably not agree on all of them. But I know one thing for sure that we’d all agree on: Even if the Grinch returned all the stolen presents, it still wouldn’t make Christmas a happier time for the folks whose stories I’ve mentioned above. So what are the answers to the many questions, you ask? Well, you’ll just have to come back tomorrow to find out.

Friends With Benefits!

I recently returned from Auburn Hills, MI, where I attended the “Human Experience” event. If the truth be told, it has represented a real shot-in-the-arm in my spiritual journey over the last couple of years, and that truth is supported by the fact that I’ve been back three times. There’s always so much to masticate and decompress, that it often takes me a little while to wrap my head around all the concepts, ideas, and amazing stories of gospel-induced life change, which is why it’s taken me this long to post on it.

In addition to the typically invigorating brain storming sessions at this event, Michigan in October served to heighten my sensory experience. I couldn’t help but admire the verdant greens and the vivid reds and yellows in the turning trees, and it all served to remind me of just how much I miss the changing seasons, and indeed how important seasons are to the cycle of life. Anyway, I digress…. One of my favorite discussions at the event was centered around the idea of mobilizing the Church to engage our 21st Century world, instead of working so hard to bring people “back to church.” Let me begin by putting out a disclaimer here: My thoughts are exactly that… my thoughts! As I process through these ideas, feel free to make your own contribution to the conversation so that we can all benefit.

• Jesus didn’t come to start a movement of Christianity but to reconcile the world to Himself by making the world more human again. The first time people were called Christians was at Antioch in Acts 11. Prior to this specific occasion, there were both Jews and Gentiles who were finding a relationship with Christ. What were they becoming once they engaged in this new relationship? I suggest that they weren’t making a horizontal or lateral transition from Judaism, Secular Humanism, or Atheism to Christianity, but a vertical relational transition into being Christ-followers.
• Even if we somehow bucked the current alarming statistical trend of 150,000 people a week leaving the institutional “church” and somehow managed to mobilize millions to come back and start attending a local gathering… so what? Would that somehow solve the issues that our world is contending with? Would that make people better at living out the ethos of being Christ-followers? What about the billions of others who didn’t respond to the “back to church” trend?
• Is our mission to “repair” the Church so that people are attracted to our institutions, or is it to become the Church by following Jesus into the world and engaging people right where they are? I’m reminded that, though Jesus did visit the synagogues (local churches) and read from the scrolls of Isaiah and the prophets, His greatest work in the hearts and lives of people was done at the Wedding in Cana; by the Pool of Bethesda; at Jacob’s Well with a broken, destitute woman; on the opposite side of a hostile crowd calling for the head of a woman who’d been caught in the “very act of adultery” (while the man somehow mysteriously went awol). I could go on and on but I’m sure you get the point.
• Instead of focusing our attention on trying to get people back to church, should we be mobilizing the Church forward to engage the world? If so, how do we get the Church to move forward into mission? Is reaching the non-Christian really a function of getting people to switch their religious affiliations or is it calling all people, Christians included, to encounter the risen Christ and follow Him?

Your orientation to the future and to these questions will largely determine how you engage culture and community. As you process through these questions you’d do well to remember that they are not meant to be divisive but are meant to form the framework for healthy conversations that answer the question: What’s the starting point for a conversation about God in today’s world? With that in mind here are a few parting thoughts:

Would we be more effective in our mission if we viewed the local church as a staging area for a cosmic battle in which Christ-followers are the foot soldiers that heaven is marshaling against the enemy of our souls? You see, every army that strategizes and prepares for battle, must have a camp or staging area from which to wage its war, but we’d also do well to remember that no army has ever won a war cowering in camp! Even when Israel cowered in their tents in rabid fear of Goliath, it took the exploits of a brave, ruddy faced, young lad to go into battle against him, remembering that his and Israel’s deliverance lay in the hand of God and not in his own. He was privileged to merely be an instrument of battle.

Had David not been present when Goliath issued his laconic challenge to God’s (Israel’s) army, Israel’s story may have been told differently. By the same token, the establishing of the local church is not the end of the Great Commission, it is merely the beginning. It is simply the staging area from which we wage the war in which we are embroiled against spiritual forces which seek to block the good news of the Gospel message from reaching the hearts and ears of those who are seeking truth. Remember that the crepuscular effects of Satan’s strategies are designed to keep us busy about the “local church” (doing good stuff) and less engaged with fulfilling our mandate of making the world more human again (doing our mission).

Finally, guaranteed safety cannot be a prerequisite for participation in this battle. As Christ-followers we’ve been called to “die daily.” Whatever this looks like from where you sit, it still comes with the ineffable parentheses that makes it abundantly clear that your life is not your own. When you don’t own something, you have no absolute claim in determining its direction, use, or purpose. That, is truly one of the great benefits in being a “friend” of Jesus’. Now it’s your turn!

Smartphone Church?!

I absolutely love my new Motorola Droid and I can unequivocally say that it’s without a doubt the best phone I’ve ever owned. It pretty much does everything short of tuck you in and read you a bed time story, and the way technology is going, someone will probably soon design an app for that too! I get why they’re called smart phones as they’re literally a mobile office/assistant/communication center/media center in the palm of your hands. Here’s what I like best about smart phones though: the fact that they’re an open source platform. This means that any creative ‘Joe Schmo’ can design an app for them and make it available to users of the phones any where in the world.

For protagonists of open sourcing, its success is clearly demonstrated in the over 140,000 apps so far developed for the iphone. As an aside, I must admit that the drawback for owning an iphone or a Droid rests in the fact that they are exclusively available from AT&T and Verizon Wireless respectively. That’s actually why I never owned an iphone and purchased an ipod touch instead. I’m a loyal Verizon customer and have been for over 15 years, so the fact that the iphone was “married” to AT&T precluded me from owning one. I’m convinced that this is one reason why Blackberry smart phones have been so successful (since they’re available through multiple phone service providers). But enough about smart phones before the really smart people out there figure that I have no idea what I’m talking about, especially since this post is actually meant to be about the Church and what we can learn from smart phones.

What if the Church adopted a similar approach to impacting people’s lives? What if we embraced the idea that, to be relevant and beneficial to the people we’re trying to reach, it might actually be a good idea to listen to what they have to say about what their needs are? What if we actually practiced the concept of allowing people to belong before they believe? What if we didn’t become exclusively “married” to a single expression of practicing our faith, but instead embraced the diversity of ideas that represented the diversity of people seeking truth? Wouldn’t it be amazing if we allowed people to become part of our faith communities, bringing new and creative ideas about how we could better impact the larger community that we’ve been called to serve? That would be open sourcing at its ultimate! Remember that open sourcing allows you to develop an app and allows me to come along and modify it (creating version 2.0) so that many of the kinks are worked out, allowing it to function better.

Don’t misunderstand me to be saying we should embrace a pot-pourri of doctrines, because that is absolutely not what I’m suggesting. The Bible is clear on what the doctrines of Christianity are. What I am saying, and what I’ve often said is that the message is sacred but not the method by which we disseminate it. There are significantly more creative people sitting in our churches whose talents are going to waste while we struggle to do what would essentially be akin to child’s play for them. The partnership of Apple and AT&T recognized this fact when they built the iphone, and so they allowed independent developers to produce apps that would make their product better. The developers didn’t rebuild the iphone, they simply created apps that were compatible, and enhanced its performance and productivity. To ensure that they managed the apps as effectively as possible, Apple made all apps available only through itunes. The same can be said for the Droid as all apps for the phone are available only through the Droid “Market.”

Somehow, I don’t think that Apple/AT&T or Motorola/Verizon could have come up with all the ideas for apps that are currently available for their phones if they hadn’t invited, and indeed welcomed, the participation of open source developers. This may well have made their products less efficient and less useful to the market they were actually targeting. Because they allowed open sourcing, independent developers designed apps that they needed as well as apps that their friends told them they needed. This way, the market demand determines the success of the app (it’s kind of like the free-market approach to small groups) So, what possibilities exist if the Church embraced the same idea, and allowed people to become part of our faith communities, even while they’re still searching for answers? Why, they might actually help us develop strategies to more effectively reach our larger communities. Heck, they might simply improve on already existing ideas and help us create “outreach 2.0.” Whatever the case, a smart phone approach to building a faith community and embracing a multiplicity of ideas (or apps) might actually move us from stagnation and the scrap heap of irrelevance, to having a visible and relevant presence among the people we’re trying to reach with our message of love. After all, Jesus did suggest that the way to eternal life was to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.” If we listen intently enough, we just might hear the voice of the community (developers) telling us how they need to be loved.

Undercover Boss

I absolutely love the new reality TV show, Undercover Boss! I love it not only because it celebrates the unsung hero who truly makes the company successful, but because it is a fascinating case study in Christianity. There are myriad applications of this fact but I’ll concentrate on just a few. First though, I need to give you a broad overview of what the show is all about. CEO’s of different companies have agreed to be filmed while working undercover in their organizations. They work in various entry-level positions across different locations of the organization over the course of a week. The big idea is to observe and get a feel for how the employees are doing, what their feelings are about the company, how effectively they work with the customer and with each other, what needs to be rewarded, and what needs fixing. It’s amazing to see how the CEO’s perspective of the business is changed as they interact on a more personal level with the people that make their companies run effectively (or not so effectively!)


But I digress, because I’d really like to talk about the applications and similarities I see between this show and Christianity. The Bible reminds us that we shouldn’t become weary as we serve and care for strangers, because we may well be entertaining angels without being aware of it. These unsung heroes in the companies profiled were completely oblivious to the fact that the employee assigned to work with them was actually the CEO of their organization, and thus the one responsible for “signing” their paychecks. They could have acted all superior and condescending (and believe me some of the employees do), but these unsung heroes simply wanted to provide the best opportunity for a new employee to be successful, and so they went out of their way to ensure that the process was made easier by the way they treated the new employee.

The 7-11 episode is by far my favorite so far. The “undercover boss” spent a day working in a New York store that sold the most cups of coffee each day. Wanting to find out what was different about the product in that store from all the others, which caused it to be so popular he made that his first stop. What he discovered amazed him. Delores, the matronly lady who had served in the store for 12-years (in a 7-11 convenience store!), was the reason people came to the store. She knew just about every customer by name, and had a kind word for everyone. She was patient and friendly as she taught “Danny” (the undercover boss) the ropes and made the learning curve much easier to navigate. Then Danny discovered from a customer that Delores had bad kidneys and was on a transplant list, however she wouldn’t accept a kidney from any one of her five kids because she was concerned that if they developed a problem at some point in the future, they needed their kidneys so that they could live longer since they were younger.

Then Danny went to 7-11’s largest bakery and interned under Phil. Phil was incredibly pleasant, patient, and kind. Even though he was the bakery supervisor, he not only took the time to show Danny the ropes, but he worked right alongside him doing the basic stuff while making light of Danny’s gaffs and encouraging him to be patient with his own foul-ups. During their break Phil, an amazingly talented artist, showed Danny some of his artwork and even drew a picture of a donut and gave it to Danny as a gift. In yet another store Danny works the nightshift where he meets Wakas who refers to him as “Mr. Danny.” Wakas, originally from Pakistan, has worked the night shift for four years. Working with the most pleasant disposition and attitude you’ll ever find on a nightshift worker, Wakas does this “graveyard duty” just so he can put himself through school studying Criminal Justice. His ultimate goal: to return to Pakistan so that he can help the poor people who cannot afford to get justice for themselves! Wow!!

Finally, Danny rides with Igor, an overnight delivery truck driver. Igor is originally from Kazakhstan and he loves his job. His enthusiasm for his job is infectious as he regales Danny with tales of how he’s living the American dream (driving a night-delivery truck that doesn’t even belong to him personally), and how grateful he is for what America has provided for him and his family. Why is Igor so grateful for a seemingly dead end job? You see, Igor came to the USA with a wife and $50.00 in his pocket! Amazingly, Igor works nights while his wife works days, so they are like two ships passing in the night, and only get to spend the weekend together. Igor’s take on that: “Well it means we have less time to fight and more time to be lovers.” Do you see the correlations yet? These are all ordinary people living extraordinary stories. Unknown to them though, life is about to change because the “messiah” is walking among them and they don’t even know it. But simply because they are enthusiastically pursuing their purpose with passion and dignity, they are in for a very pleasant surprise. You see, the best part of the show comes at the end. I call it the big reveal because all the people the boss has met on his undercover journey are brought to HQ where he finally reveals his identity and rewards their faithfulness.

The parable goes of a rich man who was going on a long journey. He calls his three servants and gives each of them some money (each according to his ability), and tells them to manage it until his return. After a long while he returns and finds that two of the servants have literally doubled their investment while the third literally buried the money because he was scared of losing some of it and being berated by his master. The master takes the money from him and accuses him of being wicked, stating “You know I’m a shrewd business man yet you didn’t even put this money in a bank so that it would at least earn interest?” He gives the money to the guy who had the most amount initially so that two of the servants now have not only the money they invested at the beginning, but everything they made through their investments. This is Delores’, Wakas’, Phil’s, and Igor’s story. Investing what time, energy and effort they have into making 7-11 better, they are about to be rewarded.

As Danny reveals his true identity to them one by one, he tells Delores that he is personally setting up a “Delores donor awareness program” within 7-11 so that the tens of thousands of employees are aware of her need for a kidney transplant so that it will hasten the process of her getting a donor. He tells Wakas that he will personally mentor him and ensure that he makes his way up the company ladder as long as he chooses to remain at 7-11. He begins by making him a field operative overseeing ten stores. He assures him that if and when he decides to go back to Pakistan to fulfill his dream of helping hurting people, the company will help him fulfill that venture too.

He puts Phil in touch with the ad agency that does all of 7-11’s advertising and marketing, and Phil becomes a free-lance artist with the agency, helping to build his portfolio. Finally, he moves Igor from driving a delivery truck to owning his own franchise, and also sends him and his wife off on an all-expense-paid, week long vacation. When Igor begins to tell him how appreciative he is, Danny simply says, “Hey Igor, this is the American dream.” Igor’s astounded look says it all, and I think to myself, now wouldn’t it be priceless if we as Christ-followers could love and serve people so much that the expressions on their faces when they discover that we are Christians would be worth everything we do? You see, Jesus is the ultimate “Undercover Boss” because He goes into the world disguised as you and me, loving, serving, and caring for the people He died for. How’s He looking in your neck of the woods?

Focus on your own *@%# Family!

It’s an open secret that we are a nation of voyeurs! We love to poke our noses into other people’s business and this fact is borne out by the popularity of reality TV. The big topic for today is the Tiger Wood’s “orchestrated” apology. I’m amazed but not surprised by the amount of vitriol that is poured out against Tiger. It’s interesting that when a popular leader or figure falls from grace, all of the things about him that people didn’t like but previously ignored, are brought to the surface and highlighted as reasons for his fall.

Tiger has been called stoic, unapproachable, unfriendly and unsmiling amongst other uncomplimentary adjectives. He’s been compared to the ever smiling, ever popular Phil Mickelson and has come up wanting. We fail to recognize that his demeanor on the golf course may simply be the way he focuses on his golf game and is thus able to be the kind of player that he is. If Phil Mickelson had been caught in similar circumstances, I imagine the public perception and response would not have been as harsh. As a Christian leader who has studied extensively in the area of the psychology of behavior, I realize that we hold people to different standards depending on our perception of them.

So here are two burning questions I’m asking this morning:

Why is Tiger’s infidelity and subsequent silence so important as to be newsworthy three months after the fact, and in the light of more pressing issues facing us shouldn’t we be focusing our attention elsewhere?

What does Tiger have to do in order to be “forgiven” by the public and the talking heads

Let me take a crack at answering those two questions. To the first question, it must be said that there is a dark side to the human psyche that loves the macabre and the morbid, and especially loves the downfall of anyone that appears to have the proverbial golden spoon. Ever notice that news of the space shuttle reaching its destination doesn’t raise an eyebrow? Why? Because it isn’t newsworthy! However, the explosion of a shuttle… now that’s news worth reporting. Ever wonder why we “rubber-neck” as we drive by the scene of a fatal automobile accident? It certainly isn’t because we suspect our parents might have caused or been involved in the crash.

Yesterday Joseph Stack crashed his single-engine Piper plane into a building housing the FBI in Austin, TX after allegedly burning down his house first. As the story unfolded we discovered that he was angry about the fact that his long running battle with the IRS has basically made retirement a fantasy and colossal debt a reality in his life. Further incensed by the fact that the government (IRS) would hound small business people like him who are just trying to make a living, yet come to the aid and rescue of banks and big business, Joseph stated:

"Why is it that a handful of thugs and plunderers can commit unthinkable atrocities (and in the case of the GM executives, for scores of years) and when it's time for their gravy train to crash under the weight of their gluttony and overwhelming stupidity, the force of the full federal government has no difficulty coming to their aid within days if not hours?"

Joseph, 53, leaves behind a distraught wife and a scarred daughter who will always have to battle her own demons, wondering why he took his own life and left her fatherless. Alas, Joseph’s story is probably known by significantly fewer people than know Tiger’s. A broken family and the untimely death of a dad and an innocent worker who just happened to be where the plane crashed, is relegated to the small print on most online news websites while “Tiger’s apology” is front and center stage. Why? Because Joseph represents Middle-America. His story is our story and so it holds no interest for us. Tiger however, lives in a world that we can only dream of and watch on reality TV. His story holds tremendous fascination for us and so we want more and more of the sordid details. That way we can compare our lives to Tiger’s and not come up short in our own minds. “After all,” we opine,” he’s as human and fallible as we are”. “In fact,” we tell ourselves, “I’m better than him because I would never do what he’s done.”

In an ideal world, Joseph’s family would be front and center on the news today. We’d be praying for and seeking answers to making life more equitable and fair for everyone. We’d be exploring in greater detail the efficacy of a government that bails out entitled, pompous, and glorified, self-styled royalty, who spend millions of dollars a year on bonuses and private jets from the very tax-payer funds that are used to bail them out of impending bankruptcy. In an ideal world, we’d let Tiger, Elin and the rest of their family work out the details on their long and difficult road back to healing and wholeness. In an ideal world, we wouldn’t make people’s personal business our business. But that’s in an ideal world!

As for the second question, it’s human nature to want to make people pay for their perceived transgressions against us. Married couples do it. Friends do it. Employer’s and employees do it. Every one does it. Tiger apologized to a plethora of people. He took sole responsibility for his choices. He outlined his new priorities in light of his failure. He talked about ongoing therapy. He apologized again! He called his actions foolish and entitled. But that’s not enough. Talking heads say he was insincere because he read a scripted apology. What? He had thirteen minutes of crucial detail he didn’t want to forget, what’s wrong with reading it and why does reading suddenly make it insincere? I know pastors who write out their entire sermons after much heartfelt preparation. They read much of it and deliver it as best as they can without making it sound scripted. Does this negate the sincerity of their message?

Stephen A. Smith (as arrogant a man as you’ll ever find, and I’m confident he has his own major issues), declared that Tiger was a fake. He categorically stated that he was insincere and didn’t mean a word he said. His reasoning? Because no one can go from having that many extra-marital relationships to having no extra-marital relationships. Well thanks Stephen A. for that rousing declaration delivered with gusto and authority. Pray tell, how do you know that and what makes you such an expert in the field of sexual addiction? Is it personal experience, or is it copious study and training in this area of specialization? No, seriously Stephen A., I’d like to know!

It seems that until we feel like we’ve made Tiger pay for his sins, and suffer at least as much as we perceive he should, there is no forgiveness forthcoming. That’s why when we are angry with people, a simple apology does not seem to satisfy. We perceive that they have hurt us much more than their simple apology can erase, and so we levy greater judgment and speculate as to the veracity of their apology and their motives. But to the one who has been forgiven of much, extending forgiveness to others becomes second nature.

It’s time to leave Tiger alone. What a person sows is what they’ll reap. We're not responsible for, nor do we have to monitor Tiger’s “harvest,” it’s plain for all to see: He’s fighting for the very survival of his marriage, his dignity, his finances, his sexual and emotional health, and his professional future. Now it really is time for us to leave the Wood’s family alone and let them get on with their process. Why do I care so much about this? Well I guess this strikes close to home for me because a few short years ago a good friend of mine suffered a similar fate in ministry. While it is true that he must bear the consequences of his actions and choices, I just don’t think that it’s yours or my responsibility to mete out those consequences. Life has a funny way of ensuring that we do reap what we sow. Just my two cents.

How will the Judge score you?

I've recently been fascinated with the idea of living a good story. This simply embraces the idea that God is the Master Storyteller and there's no better, or more captivating story than one that's fraught with conflict and numerous twists and turns so that we become sympathetic to and begin to root for the hero of the story.

The victory at the end of the story is always made much sweeter by the amount of conflict, hardship, and danger the hero has endured. We all consciously or subconsciously embrace this truth and it's borne out by the fact that our favorite movies are always those that have the protagonist in the story going through a really life threatening or dangerous and difficult situation, and then finally finding redemption through doing a selfless act.

If you don't believe me, take a moment and think of your favorite movie and it probably reflects this fact. Even if you picked a non-violent, non-action movie such as the Sound of Music, you'll discover that Maria fully represents those ideas. So, if we're going to live a story that truly reflects God's greatest calling and design for our lives, then it must be a story that pits us against circumstances and situations that often seem incredibly difficult and painful to overcome. But words don't express that as well as pictures since a picture speaks a thousand words. Watch this Francis Chan video and you'll get an even clearer picture (pun intended) of what I'm talking about.

Haiti's Pact with the Devil?

Following Pat Robertson’s unimaginably insensitive comments yesterday regarding the Haitian disaster, and following the angry diatribes and vitriol that has spewed from many quarters, I wanted to take a moment to share my thoughts. I’m saddened by Robertson’s comments and realize that, but for God’s grace that could have been me just a few short years ago. I don’t think he’s a bad man. I don’t for one moment think that his comments were meant to be a scathing attack on Haiti’s “apparent ungodliness.” I don’t even think he realized how insensitive his comments were. I do think though, that that’s the danger of surrounding yourself with only people who think just like you. Charismatic Christianity has evolved a language and culture all its own, and sometimes it’s easy to forget that the rest of the world doesn’t speak your language or live in your world.

Pat Robertson has probably learned very quickly that not every Christian shares his world view. What earthly good (or heavenly good for that matter) does it do to make such unbelievably irresponsible comments in the aftermath of such a tragic event? When you become so insular so that you don’t even have a pulse on the real world where people live, work, play, and die, you tend to make comments like Pat did. Proof that there’s a major disconnect between his heart and his head is in the fact that, as he made his comments, there was a number on the screen to which people could call in and make donations to CBN’s efforts to help the Haitian disaster victims. Clearly his heart was in the right place, so why make such insensitive comments? I could be redundant and answer that question for you in this blog, but Don Miller has done a better job than I ever could of explaining the answer here, and so I suggest you click on the hyperlink and read it before you continue.

If you’re completely oblivious as to what I’m talking about then go here and read it, but just in case you’re in too much of a hurry, the encapsulated version is that Pat Robertson said,

“Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French… and they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, ‘We will serve you if you’ll get us free from the French.’ True story. And the devil said, ‘okay, it’s a deal.’ Ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after another.”

Let us say for the sake of argument, that that was true. Would now be the time to declare it? Miller makes a profound observation in his response to Robertson and states:

Can you imagine giving the eulogy at a funeral and starting out by saying “before I tell you about God’s grace, let me make it clear that little Johnny deserved to die because he stole candy from a store.”

Sadly, Robertson’s comments have done nothing but polarize Christians, and further increase the divide between the Church and the secular world. You see, as far as the media (and many other people for that matter) are concerned, Robertson speaks for Christians everywhere. Since neither Robertson, you, nor I are God, I think we might want to be a bit more careful about what we claim is God and what isn’t. Tony Campolo demonstrated that fact quite succinctly when, during a CNN debate in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina one religious leader noted that the New Orleans devastation was a direct judgment from God on the wanton debauchery of that city. Where upon Campolo reminded him that the French Quarter was fine and only the low-income minorities were devastated. He proceeded to ask if his fellow guest thought that God was angry with low-income minorities. So what’s the point I’m making? Simply that we should arm ourselves with “towels and basins” to wash people’s feet, and worry less about declaring God’s judgment over the very people that Jesus died for! Just my two cents.

Listen to Your Heart!

I’m struggling to wrap my mind around the magnitude of the Haitian earthquake disaster! Sadly our focus on the enormity of the disaster can tend to obfuscate the details of the individual stories. This in turn can tend to make us more analytical and less compassionate in our response to the immediate needs. Stentorian voices call out for your heart and your money from every quarter at times like this. What to do? Where do I give? Where will my help be best utilized? While you’re analytical mind is wrestling with these questions and more, thousands of people are dying needlessly. Haiti needs our help, and they need it now!

We’ve heard inhumane stories of the untold horror coming out of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian Capital, and some of them have suggested that the death toll may be in the hundred’s of thousands. That is a gargantuan number under any circumstances, but even more so in a nation ravished by poverty and one that has a population of only nine million people. Our initial response to such reports may be to analyze the enormity of the disaster and rationalize that there’s little difference our tiny contribution would make so we’ll just commit to praying for the people of Haiti and let the Red Cross and other such agencies do the work of restoring broken lives. I categorically declare that that is not true, and so we need to do more than pray!

There may be a little child wondering the rubble-filled streets in bewilderment and fear looking for his or her parents right now, that hasn’t eaten since the earthquake struck. There may be a baby that was ripped from its mother’s breast as it suckled, who’s now lying under a pile of rubble beside its dead mother, too weak to cry anymore. Whatever you may have thought before, you need to know that your help will make a difference in the myriad stories that will make up the texture of this colossal disaster, so you need to do more than just pray. Researchers have theorized that focusing on the statistics and magnitude of such disasters can tend to short-circuit a response borne out of compassion, by shifting people into an analytical mindset. When people think analytically it can hinder their ability to act compassionately as the head gets in the way of the heart. I love how in Primal, Mark Batterson says, “Logical objections get in the way of compassionate actions.”

If you live in the Orlando area, there are numerous places where your compassionate assistance will be greatly appreciated. You can help package supplies that are being airlifted to Haiti, you can give food or clothing, and you can give money. My family and I along with a few of our friends are doing all of the above at a place called Harvest Time International. They could use your help in all the areas I mentioned above, so if you’re so inclined, contact them (just click on the hyperlink) and find out when you can go in and help, or just drop by anytime on Saturday and we’ll see you there. Remember that you're the lambent radiance in the midst of this terrible darknesss. Thanks for responding with your heart and not your head!

Are you dying?

In John 1: 35-39 we read the narrative of Jesus’ first encounter with two of John the Baptist’s disciples who later became His disciples. In the discourse that ensued between them the first invitation that Jesus issues (really the first words of significance that he speaks to them) are the words, “Come and see.” In John 16: 1-4, as Jesus speaks what is essentially His final charge to His disciples, He essentially calls them to "come and die." He informs them of a time that is coming when people will kill His followers believing that they are doing a service to God (Saul of Tarsus was one of such people before his conversion and name change to Paul). Jesus' cryptic warning, “I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you."

Over the last three years these verses have spoken loudly to me in more ways than I care to recount. In many ways I have died slowly (so that He can live through me). Just as the Scriptures predicted, some of the voices of judgment and condemnation have even spoken in the name of Jesus (believing they were speaking for God) as they have spoken death over my calling and purpose. How have I kept my heart clean through all this? Simply by buying into the idea that as Christ-followers we must learn to embrace the principles that take us from the elementary stages of “come and see” to the missional and visional place of “come and die.” After all, the Bible does say that unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.

Whatever the process you must walk through to get from “come and see” to “come and die,” embrace that process fully, knowing that it is the only way that you can fully walk in the totality of God’s calling and purpose for your life. Remember that Jesus’ first call to those who desire an intimate relationship with Him is to “come and see” and experience the fullness of life in Him. In other words He first calls us to a relationship. Then He calls us to embrace the mission and adventure, which requires a dying to our own carnal desires and a willingness to live for Him. So the real question today is: Are you dying so that you can really live?

We're so, so sorry!

Let me begin by saying, “I'm sorry! On behalf of all Christians everywhere, I'm deeply sorry.” Now in case you’re wondering on whose authority I presume to speak for all Christians, let me unequivocally state, “The Bible.” You see, the Bible teaches that we will be known by our love for all people. It calls us to be beacons of light in a dark world, reminding us that we are the salt of the earth, and that unsavory salt is useless salt. In case you’re wondering what my diatribe is all about this time, I want to draw your attention to a recent news article regarding the slaying of a pro-abortion doctor in Wichita, Kansas.

The news headline reads as follows;

“WICHITA, Kansas – Dr. George Tiller, who remained one of the nation’s few providers of late-term abortions through decades of protests and attacks, was shot and killed Sunday in a church where he was serving as an usher and his wife was in the choir.” (MSNBC.com)

Now I’m fairly confident that there are some Christians who will rejoice at this news and may even make so bold as to claim that his death is God’s judgment for his choices. May I even more confidently state that, that response is the response of unsavory salt. We are called to be bearers of Good News and not judges, executing sentence on people at will. I don’t know if the news headline was written as an incendiary piece to further undermine Christianity, because I can’t in all good conscience see the need to highlight the fact that he was killed in a church where he serves as an usher and his wife sings in the choir. I do however know that killing him serves no useful purpose. We don’t even know if the person who killed him was a member of the church, but the article certainly leaves you thinking that ‘bigoted’ Christians are up to their ‘hatemongering’ again.

At the end of the day, Christians must ensure that we are loving hurting people and serving the broken-hearted, rather than passing judgment and executing sentence on people who believe and live differently than we do. After all, Christ did die for the sinner so that the sinner might live (you and I are beneficiaries of that grace), so what gives us the right to expect that the sinner still needs to die for himself and his sins? Just my two cents.

One Speck of a Shuttle!

Titled “One Speck of a Shuttle” this photo was taken by photographer Thierry Legault. It shows the space shuttle Atlantis in silhouette as it crosses in front of the sun's disk on May 12. The other photo was taken from the space shuttle after undocking from the International Space station. It shows the earth against a backdrop of the utter and severe blackness of space.
As you may well recall, I recently posted a blog titled, "Inatentional Blindness," in which I alluded to the idea that we tend to take for granted things that should ordinarily be spectacular (but have become mundane and ordinary), simply because we’re around them often enough that we become oblivious to them. I wanted to be sure that you didn’t miss out on these spectacular occurrences simply because you’ve ceased to be fascinated by the technological mastery of man encountering the vastness and harshness of outer space.

So, here are some facts for you:

The distance of the sun from the moon is approximately 93 million miles. If that doesn’t fascinate you, let’s try this: The moon is roughly 240,000 miles from the earth, and it makes a complete orbit around the earth every 27.3 days. The moons diameter is approximately 2118 miles, a little more than a quarter of the earth’s diameter. Still not impressed? Okay try this: the International Space Station is approximately 220 miles from the earth at any given time. Now get this, both these photographs were taken from the vicinity of the International Space station against the backdrops of the earth and the sun. Look at the size of the space station relative to the earth at only 220 miles away, and then compare it to the size of the shuttle against the backdrop of the sun at significantly more than 93 million miles away. Do you know that it would take the space shuttle approximately 221.5 days to get to the sun (if it were able to actually get that close) traveling at its top speed of 17,500 miles an hour? If you’re still not fascinated, I give up!

Oh, by the way, I’d like to remind you that this masterpiece of creation was suspended in space by our God, Who, the Bible tells me, holds the waters of the seas in the palm of His hand. Bet you’re fascinated now!!

For those about to die...

For those about to die... we salute you! For those who have given their lives... we thank you! To the One who gave it all... we worship You!

Inatentional Blindness... the more you look the less you see!

I’ve talked before about a concept that I refer to as inatentional blindness. This is simply a term describing the idea of a loss of fascination with things that are ordinarily fascinating. This loss of fascination resulting from things becoming so familiar that we cease to notice them is often the bane of humanity. For instance, when’s the last time you were fascinated by the idea of the earth revolving around the sun while rotating on its axis? Exactly! That’s my point. Now consider this: The earth, according to Isaac Asimov’s accepted calculations, revolves around the sun at a speed of 18.5 miles per second which is 66,600 miles per hour, while rotating on its axis doing one full rotation every 24 hours (It’s literally enough to make your head spin). By comparison the fastest jet plane in the world is reportedly the SR-71 Blackbird, which flies at Mach 3.3 (or 3.3 times the speed of sound in air) which is 2,460.64 miles per hour.

In order to fly this supersonic aircraft, you’re required to wear special gear that prevents you from passing out due to the gravitational forces acting on your body (G-forces). You can find information about the SR-71 just about anywhere on the internet, largely because human flight at such supersonic speeds still holds a particular fascination for us. In reality though, it’s a miniscule feat considering we’re all riding on a planet that’s traveling at 66,600mph (and that without specialized suits). Or how about the idea that, as you read this, there are people walking in space orbit at about 380 miles above us, wearing specialized suits that cost millions of dollars, which prevent them from vaporizing in the unforgiving atmosphere of space. In addition, the precision of the mathematical algorithms that are required, to ensure that the astronauts are able to enter back into earth’s orbit at precisely the right angle so as not to bounce off the earth’s atmosphere and be lost in space forever, are mind boggling. But we have become inattentive to this and now take it all for granted. Hardly anyone even pays attention to the fact that we have people walking in space above us working on a telescope that can transmit precise and detailed images of coruscating stars that are millions of miles away.

Is it remotely possible that we might have done the same with God? Is it potentially possible that we have lost our fascination for the amazing act of love demonstrated in Jesus dying on a cross? Could we have begun to take for granted the fact that the One who holds the waters of the sea in the palm of His hands is the same one that calls us His own. Or are we blinded to the fact that the creator of the heavens and the earth (the One responsible for revolutions and rotations and coruscating stars) is actually our Father? If we are, it’s as a result of inatentional blindness. We’ve stopped seeing the wonder of His love and creation and, like we do with the astronauts walking 380 miles above us, we take Him for granted. If, as you read this, you can honestly say that shoe fits you… don’t wear it. Take it off and fall in love all over again with the Lover of your soul. Determine that from today you will give Him your full and undivided attention, so that you can again be fascinated by the wonders of His love and creation.

Boombox Christians in an Ipod age

Every church age has its critics. When the church was birthed on the Day of Pentecost, Peter and the Disciples were accused of being inebriated. The people observing them couldn’t understand the phenomenon of unlearned tongues being spoken by unlearned men. “What is this new doctrine?” the people asked. Through the ages people have always tried to build “sacred cows” and attribute more value to them than the actual message of the Gospel. Consider music as an example. 19th century Christians were convinced that hymns and the pipe organ were what brought down the ‘anointing’ of God. As the century turned people began to introduce guitars, drums, keyboards and other modern instruments into worship. A segment of the church called this heretical and declared that God could not be honored by this wanton display of ‘worldliness.’

The method was assigned as much value as the message and many people were convinced that the Christian subculture needed to stay away from anything that smelled remotely secular in its application. It never occurred to these people that as generations pass, the value of our message is strengthened by the vehicle that’s used to convey it. Relevant is not a four letter word, contrary to the opinion of many of the so called ‘purists.’ Can you imagine applying for a job in today’s world and when asked if you have any computer skills you reply “No, but I’ve got great typewriter skills.” Your typewriter skills are useless in a world that’s run by microchips and ipods. You may indeed have superior knowledge and abilities, but without the relevant vehicle to convey your skills, they are redundant. It's tantamount to being a boombox Christian in an ipod age.

The message of the Cross is timeless. However, we are not! This means that the methods that worked when our fathers were preaching the Gospel are by no means sacrosanct. One of the critical values for a church that’s trying to impact their community is the ability to speak the language of the people they’re trying to reach. Like many others who are questioning the effectiveness of our methods of ‘doing church’ and consequently challenging the status quo, I have faced my own fair share of criticism. I’ve been called seeker-sensitive, emergent, watered-down, and numerous other monikers that were not meant to be complimentary. I choose to interpret them as compliments. Jesus said He came to seek and save those who are lost. I guess that makes Him seeker sensitive and puts me squarely in the midst of phenomenal company.

Here's what's happening in our world... (Another open letter to Mr. and Mrs. Christian)

Dear Cousin Christian,

It’s been a while since I last wrote to you regarding the state of our world. At times I feel like throwing my hands up in exasperation and declaring loudly to the world that we’ve failed. Who’s “we” you ask? I’m talking about you and I. Us. We who claim to be Christ’s representatives on earth to a hurting world, that’s who “we” is. Have you looked around lately? No, I mean really looked? No? Well here’s what’s happening in our world even as we purchase our Venti Vanilla/ Carmel Macchiatos. Here’s what’s going on while we revel in our acute global nescience.

Taliban fighters have stormed and taken over the Swat Valley in Pakistan. Their objective: Convert the entire valley to Sharia law whether they like it or not. Their methods: Torture, rape, murder, and wanton destruction. According to Hajji Karim, a 55-year-old bus driver, when the Taliban fighters first entered his village last month, they said they had come to bring peace and Islamic law. The next day two of the fighters attempted to slit the throat of a policeman. Karim’s conclusion: “What sort of people have come here? And what kind of Sharia is this? Cutting off people’s heads has nothing to do with Islam. The people are filled with great rage, and great fear.” Sher Mohammed, a property dealer, stated “I feel like I have lost my mind, I work hard to make a respectable life and educate my children. Now we are living in a camp, and my sons are talking of guns.” This, my friends, is the real world. The world into which Jesus sent us as lambs among wolves. While the Taliban enervate the people of the Swat Valley, we act as if the biggest problem in the world is the fact that the US economy is unstable, and consequently might affect our ability to upgrade our lifestyles.

Here’s one final snapshot from the relief agency office in Islamabad. On Wednesday, two teenage sisters huddled on a flour sack next to a few cooking pots, covering their faces with veils. They had fled their village four days earlier after their father was warned that the Taliban were coming. “I don’t know what the Taliban are, but everyone was very afraid. I am very worried because my father went back to get my brothers, and we don’t know what happened to him” said one of the girls. How devastating is that? This is not some temporary separation caused by an airline foul-up, this is real life tragedy. So, cousin, incase you’re wondering why I think it’s important that you know this, here’s why: A spokesperson for a private relief agency based in Swat said, “People in Swat are angry and confused… we are trying to provide them with decent shelter and support, but we need more help so they won’t fall into Taliban hands.” What can you do? You can go, you can give, and you can pray. That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “I’m sending you out as lambs among wolves…”

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.