Thursday, February 27, 2014

Come Off the Mountain

My local church (New Song) has been challenged by our leadership to read through the New Testament as a church family this year.  We've got groups getting together, and we even have some online discussions surrounding our readings.

Today's reading was on John 6.  There are lots of wonderful, deep theological verses in this chapter.  In fact, someone made the comment we could have a Facebook page about just the passage.  It can also be rather confusing, what the whole eating flesh, drinking blood and Bread of Life stuff.

Maybe in light of my recent trip to Eagle Eyrie (see my previous post), there was something else that stood out to me.  It wasn't the feeding of the 5,000 or Jesus walking on water, amazing miracles for sure.  No, it was the bit about the mountain.

Jesus and his disciples had gone up to the mountain, presumably to have a little time away from the crowd and connect with each other.  Instead, a hungry mob shows up.  Instead of moving further up the mountain, Christ challenges his disciples to SERVE them.  I can imagine the grunts and groans. "Awwww, Jesus! We just wanted to be with you!  I don't wanna feed these people.  This is MY time."  Nevertheless, they served, and everyone went home full.

Then they came off the mountain.  Herein lies perhaps the bigger miracle.  I know when I am in a place of solitude, and I am as close to Father as I will ever be, I never want to leave.  I want to stay in that place and rest in His arms and grow my goatee, but I'm called to come down.  No mountain top experience is meant to be permanent.  It's meant to carry us into and through the valley below.  The valley is where the work is.  It's where the people are, and it's where we're needed.

Maybe come down a little slower!
We need to come off the mountain to allow the other workers a chance to rest.  Staying up there is selfish and lazy.  There's work to be done, and we're called to do it.  The challenge is to take the feeling of the mountain into the valley.  Allow the time you had to strengthen you for the journey and the service God has called you to.  Use it to encourage those who have never been to visit the mountain and spend some time in Father's arms.

How do you carry the mountain top feeling into the valley?

Photo Credit, David Niblack, Imagebase.net.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

When Boys Weren't Being 'Boys'

This weekend I had the incredible experience of spending some time with the youth of New Song, my church.  I do not think I can overstate what a powerful and moving weekend this was.  As happens so often, I set out to give and ended up getting back so much more.

Each year our church sends a group of middle and high school students and chaperons to Eagle Eyrie, a retreat center in Lynchburg, VA.  I went last year as a chaperon, and even though it took a few days to recover from the lack of sleep, I agreed to go again this year.  This year there were about 60 of us spread out over three different houses.


This year's theme was Ka-Pow.  We were encouraged by Joe Torrence to cast aside our labels and be the super heroes we were made to be.  Joe is an excellent speaker and really has a passion for today's youth. he knows how to speak to their level and into hearts.

What moved me this weekend was not anything Joe said, as anointed as he is.  It was not any song sung or skit performed.  What had me balling like a new born was what I saw among our youth.  When one was overcome with emotion, they were surrounded, instantly, by their peers.  High school boys were wrapping their arms around middle school boys who were openly sobbing.  There was no judgment.  There was no laughing.  There was only compassion and caring and love, not words you usually associate with boys of that age.

This gave me hope.  But it also gave me cause to think.  How do we keep this going?  How do we get these young men to continue showing love to their male friends?  How do we foster a culture that makes this normal and not weird?

I don't have all the answers, but it starts with the men in their lives.  Once these men feel free to cry, to hug and  just feel, then maybe these boys will grow to be men whose hearts are more visible and open and not barricaded behind a wall of machismo.


Photo credits: Allie Reed

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Jimmy Fallon Christianity

I am a relatively new Jimmy Fallon fan.  The first thing I recall seeing from his show was a clip of him, The Roots (the show's house band) and The Sesame Street gang singing the the Sesame Street theme song in the green room on toy instruments.  I thought it was absolutely fantastic!


I found him to be infectious! I searched for more clips, started watching episodes on Hulu and following him on Twitter.  I couldn't explain it at first.  I don't know that I have ever been as captivated by a television personality as I am by him.

I appreciate the way he, even after all the guests he's had on, still gets awestruck by them.  I admire how passionate he is about comedy.  He allows himself to crack up and double over in laughter.  He still pays homage to the past, but pushes on into the future.  (See Ragtime Gals.)  He comes across as humble as anyone I have ever seen in show business, but he still has the confidence to give some of the best monologues in the industry.  

These are all characteristics I want as a Christian.  I don't get to meet a lot of celebrities, but I want to be moved by the everyday creations of Father.  I want to be passionate about Him and His people, and I want that passion to be visible. I want to remember what He's done for me, but I want to live for what He WILL do in me.  I want to lose my sense of self, but remember that I am an heir to the throne and can go boldly where He sends me.  I want a Christianity so contagious, people are eager to find out more about it and want what I have! 

So to that extent, before I change my mind and rethink everything I just wrote, I'm hitting publish.  What did I miss?  What did I get wrong?

Friday, February 14, 2014

It's Me Again!

I have not written in some time, almost 2 full years.  I do so now with lots of questions and even more doubts. So why start up again?  What do I write about?  Will anyone read it?  Will I offend people?  How will I deal with any scathing responses?  Do I have anything to say?

Well, to answer the first question, I write because I can no longer NOT write.  I am not creative, cannot make stuff with my hands, but I have felt for some time the need to produce/make something.  I am not necessarily a good writer, but, frankly, it's my only option.  What I am is open.  I share too much too often, but sometimes people connect with that.  It's one of the things I feel is wrong with the church today, but that's the subject for another time.

Feeling a strong need to write is one thing.  Actually doing it, is another.  Once a month I meet with a good friend.  Well, we just started last month.  We decided we would hold each other accountable for professional and personal goals.  I decided my goal would be to write at least twice a month.  So, now I have motivation to make it happen.

Coming up with a subject matter is something I worry about. This same friend, who also writes, said just to write. Get started and let it come to me.  That's what I'm doing.  I thought maybe I would respond to Donald Miller's blogs on the church.  Maybe I would write about grace.  Perhaps the gospel according to M*A*S*H, my favorite show.  Maybe...

The answer to the remaining questions is I can't worry about that.  If no one reads it, I've learned a lot in the writing, and I've scratched an itch.  I won't set out to offend people, but I know it might happen.  I'll write out of a place of love, love for people and love for the Gospel.  The Gospel tends to offend people, but my conscience will be clear.  I'll deal with responses out of that same love.

We all have something to say, a story to tell, a testimony to give.  I have decided that I want to tell mine, and I believe Yahweh will honor the telling, in spite of bad grammar and poor prose.  I want to live my life out loud, and this is the best way I know to do it.

If you decide to read my writings, I can't promise anything new and profound.  I can't promise anything mistake free or moving.  What I can promise is myself, laid open and honest.  I can promise each and every word will be soaked in thought and prayer.  My passion is to see the church universal being vulnerable and real.  I think too many are closed off and afraid to admit they haven't got it all together. It's got to start somewhere.

photo credit: bachmont via photopin cc