The Tree

I'm not given to frequent visions and I don't know if what I saw even qualifies as a vision...it was more like a very short mental video clip. While I was praying I got a random image in my mind; random in that it had nothing to do with what I was praying about or thinking about.  I've learned over the years that when I see something so random that I would do well to pay attention to it.  This was one of those times.

What I saw was a large tree partially suspended above the earth but still partially attached at the root system on its right side.  The tree was large with a large spread of boughs.  The root system that was exposed showed that the roots were just as big as the system of branches.  Dirt was crumbling away from the exposed roots.

I shared this with the men that I was with at the time and admitted that I had no idea what it meant and any assumptions that I had weren't all that substantive.  I pondered what I saw for a couple of days when I sensed the Lord bring a revelation of what I was seeing.

The tree represents the church that I lead.  It was a well established tree with an extensive root system.  The exposed roots were not indicative of the health of the church but was instead an image of the present tense of what God was doing.  The dirt that was falling away showed that what was happening was currently in process.  The words "root bound" and "transplantation" came to mind and I realized that what I saw was God uprooting my church from the soil it was currently planted in and placing her in new soil.  God was doing a root pruning so that the church could thrive where at one time she had been unable to flourish.

This process would be a shock to the system.  As with any transplantation, the plant or tree goes through an adjustment as it tries to respond to the new environment.  What is perhaps most difficult for the plant/tree is that its roots have been tampered with and has experienced needed pruning.  Even though it was in a state of unhealthiness, the roots had grown accustomed to the state of its health.  The shock is sometimes too much for the plant/tree to endure.

While that might sound like a scary description of what the church is enduring, I get no sense of dread from the images I saw.  I felt great assurance in that the gardener doing the transplanting was no slouch.  He has a new environment for us to thrive in.  Not an environment that is inward focused but an environment that allows our roots to spread out and be established beyond any previous parameters.  What I saw held a lot of implications for us both practically and spiritually.  The foremost implication was that a great shift was taking place in our thinking.  We are approaching and pursuing our community in arenas that have yet to be tapped.  A great work is ahead of us and everything we are and have gone through is leading up to this season!

Isaiah 43:19--

"For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."

Radical Grace

My friends over at POTSC (People of the Second Chance) created an artistic time-lapse video called "Deep Black Darkness" that I wanted you to see...what button does this push inside of you? What does it cause you to think?

Lord, Save Me From Myself

I finally got around to seeing a documentary that I've been meaning to see since it came out (Lord, Save Us From Your Followers. Dir. Dan Merchant. Perf. Dan Merchant, George Bush, Al Franken, Bono, Tony Campollo. Big Finish Media. 1998. Streaming.) Gotta love Netflix. TBN aired the movie in July of 2010.

I had originally watched a small part of the movie because there were some friends and ministries featured in it that I wanted to see. At the behest of my wife I watched it in its entirety. When it was over I immediately posted on Facebook that those associated with our ministry and that had access to the movie should consider it a mandate from their pastor to watch it as part of their spiritual formation.

Whether I was out of touch or was oblivious to some of the messages of the movie (or both) I was not prepared for or even anticipated the very diverse reactions that my posting received by those that had already seen the movie. So what did I do then? I took the time to watch it again the very next day because my opinions from the first viewing didn't line up with some of the negative feedback that my brief post was receiving.

The overarching theme of the movie was how people outside of conservative evangelical faith circles don't receive Christ's message of love because of how that message is typically presented by those inside the faith circle i.e. the church. The church is viewed as judgmental, unloving, angry and despite the label of Christian...not very Christlike. Those interviewed shared how in their experience the message of the church is not a message of love but it is a message of being right. In other words, the church doesn't care what others think and will only engage in a conversation if they are agreed with.

The primary reason for the negative reaction to the movie seemed to be that it felt like an indictment against church leaders like Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson and that it also dismissed the hard work of those those that are considered to be the elders of the church who have spent their lives fighting the good fight.

I went into my second viewing looking for these things and came away with the conclusion that there must be a certain level of defensiveness against the movie by the church because the title implies that the movie is anti-church. I found no personal attack against any church leaders or specific groups in this movie. The only personal attack that I spotted was by the narrator toward liberal pundit Bill Maher as “a loud mouthed, pot smoking, know-it-all” though in the same sentence he recanted his statement about the pot smoking as a jest. I couldn't find a statement that made any church leader look foolish or put into a bad light.

My intention is not to review the movie here though. My intention is for us to look at why something like this movie bothers us so much. Why does a movie like this bring such intense emotion to the surface? Understand that I'll speak mostly in generalities when I talk about the church or liberals or Christians. There are always exceptions but don't miss the points that I'm trying to make because you figure that you are one of the exceptions.

The first reason why we get so agitated by something like Lord, Save Us From Your Followers is that it may feel like or truly does embody what we consider to be evil. Anything that attacks our character, our faith, our agenda, our way of thinking and way of life is something not easily dismissed and something we convulse against. But because it confronts us, does that make it evil? Because it makes us ask questions or even causes us to go so far as to doubt the way we’ve done things is that the standard by which we toss something out? I hope not because if we aren’t constantly confronted by opposing viewpoints then how to we shape our own views?

It is true that confrontation produces feelings of anxiety, angst and a general feeling of uncertainty. It affects the peace that we feel. Those feelings are not a good indicator of whether or not God is in it somewhere. How do we get sharpened without adversity? Can we be comfortable with our belief of anything before it has stood the test of an opposing view? This isn’t true just for matters of faith but for any kind of belief. Theology is easy. The practical application of that theology is another matter all together. It is that wrestling match that sometimes produces the greatest advancements in our faith and worldview.

I am not interested in arguing with anybody about theology or politics and I bet that some of you aren't interested either. This might sound noble but it isn't for my part. I'm just not a very good debater. I do think we automatically raise our shields and hunker down when we think our views are being called into question and when our heads are down under cover then we fail to see the bigger picture or at the very least the opinions and views of others. I saw a bumper sticker today that summed up our defensiveness. It said “I respect your opinion...I just don't want to hear it.”

Another reason a movie like this might bother us is that we view the comments and statements as inflammatory. Let's pretend for a moment that they are. Is this always bad? The late Jerry Falwell had said a lot of inflammatory things over the course of his life. I think some were spirit-led and I think some were straight from his flesh. Pat Robertson, founder of CBN and host of their flagship program 700 Club continues to say things that are inflammatory and even absurd (Google “Pat Robertson Alzheimer's” for the firestorm he created by his bad theology last week). Both are/were considered great leaders but that doesn't mean we just take everything they say as truth and on the flip side just because they say something that seriously smacks of senility, it doesn't mean you throw the baby out with the bath water. Either approach is just lazy.

Interestingly though, I observe that we generally can be very forgiving toward some of these well-known Evangelicals who have made some outrageous statements. A liberal on the other hand, we will automatically disregard any and all statements NOT based on their merit or lack of it but based upon whether or not we have already categorized them as a liberal (a synonym for ungodly in our Christian thesaurus). One thing is certain though-we don't get as riled up about a ridiculous Pat Robertson statement as we do about a less ridiculous statement or honest critique made by a liberal.

As a pastor I try to be inflammatory on a regular basis. I don't say inflammatory things (like “you must watch this movie”) for the sake of being inflammatory. I say inflammatory things in order to get the listener's attention and force them to constantly re-examine if they are part of a fat and lazy American church. Jesus was the epitome of inflammatory but carried with him the purpose of shaking up the spiritual climate in his day. This is how he rolled.

A third rationale for our inclination to resist this conversation is because the inherent feeling that by engaging in an examination of how we've done things is tantamount to a dismissal and invalidation of the work of our evangelical forefathers.

I honor the work of my forefathers. I honor the lives spent and poured out in the efforts to see Christ’s Kingdom expand. I hope that my life’s work will be looked at and appreciated someday and I can only dream of having a fraction of the impact and influence that those mentioned here have had. I can tell you right now though that the church would be destined to fail in its role if it doesn't change after I am gone.

Reform and change will always happen and it happens through Spirit-led confrontation. Is it our pride and fear that keeps us from looking at our need to change? Does simply having the conversation automatically come at the expense of those that have walked before us? What would have happened if the conversation was resisted from when Luther nailed his confrontation to the door of the Wittenberg Church? Certainly the reforms of Zwingli, Calvin and Knox were an indictment against the then current church culture but the church has proven to be resilient enough to survive a few stepped on toes. It goes with the territory of leadership.

One of the last reasons that I can think of for the anxiety that such confrontations produce is because it demands the hard work of reflection and introspection. It is ironic to me that I had more cause to be offended by the reasons for not liking the movie than those giving the reasons. I am a product of the church, given my life to the church and as a pastor have been responsible for the very things that have come out of it.

I am over qualified to be vexed by statements that call my work, philosophy and calling into question. But I'm not. I'm not put off because I want to be better than I am. Having my methods, actions and words examined makes me sharper, it keeps me honest. It forces me to constantly look inward.

I think what concerns me the most about our difficulty in having the conversations that we need to have is that the technology of our lives often derails the conversation. The ability to send a mass message has made it too easy to avoid the face to face conversations that we need to have. It is too easy to rant without having to see the damage of our words. I am disturbed that we flock to and follow so many voices of authority who are not under any authority themselves.

What if we stopped and took a breath the next time we have an opportunity to engage the views of somebody we don't agree with? Could it be that the very act of listening might create a bridge that didn't exist previously? Could we consider it an act of service to God to do what doesn't come easy. To not allow our pride or fear to circumvent the opportunity that God has so graciously given to us. An opportunity that is about cross-pollinating the church that he loves with the world that he loves.


How about you?  Do you have any thoughts on why you might not be receptive to a conversation with someone who doesn't see things like you do?  Tell me about it.

The Sign of Things to Come

Do you ever feel like you are spiritually wallowing in a place that you would love to escape yet feel like you are there by your own doing? Whether by your own action or inaction you find yourself stuck, broke and wondering if it will always be this way. Does it feels like you have wandered into some kind of exile from God, not really knowing how or why but suspecting that you probably deserve to be in this unhappy place?

That description doesn't adequately describe how I have felt often times this last past year but it will suffice for now. I haven't been enjoying the hope and optimism that usually marks my life. I have lacked the compunction that normally exists to serve as a great motivator toward discipline and righteousness. On the outside these traits may still seem evident but I know that inwardly there has been a great departure.

I felt like God grabbed my attention when he said in Jeremiah 31:4, “I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.” Specifically, I was struck by how God referred to Israel. If you are familiar with any of the prophetic books then you quickly recognize that this isn't how God generally refers to the nation. Words like wicked, adulterous, unrighteous and unfaithful are commonplace in his dealings with these people. Theologians place this passage in the “yet to happen” column but the promise of restoration is crystal clear.

Only God can take a people, who by their action and inaction, have exiled themselves from him and ultimately bring them back to a place where all of their filth is treated as if it never appeared. We see the picture from God's perspective which is a big picture indeed. The big picture includes how God oversaw the destruction and exile of His people with the singular purpose of seeing them fully restored beyond any hope or imagination they had.

And that is the essence of the hope that God has placed within me. I know that He is bringing you and me to a place of restoration and fruitfulness that we neither hoped for nor imagined. Bring your restoration Lord!

What's the Big Deal About Mondays?

I know that a lot of people don’t care for Mondays. Returning to the grind of work after a full weekend of excitement, entertainment and/or relaxation can seem pretty discouraging and certainly anticlimactic. As a pastor, I keep a different schedule than most people. I even keep a different schedule than most pastors. Originally I took Mondays off but I found that my emotional exhaustion from Sunday wrecked me and I would only feel like lying around the house all day…not a very productive day off. So now I go into the office on Mondays and I use that day to take care of a lot of my paperwork, administrative and other non-intellectual tasks that need attention. I also use that day to work on church projects…namely yard and facility work.

My wife and others have told me repeatedly that I shouldn’t be spending my time on yard and facility work. Not because those things are below me but because there are so many other things that I should be focusing on. The argument could probably be made that I should be delegating some of these tasks. There is some wisdom in that but what I have working against me is that there is something in my wiring that compels me to focus energy on these areas. The reason is simple enough--seeing things broken, unkempt, or in a general state of disrepair drives me crazy.

Once something starts bothering me or has distracted me…it will continue to bother and distract me until it is addressed. I don’t think that is an entirely bad thing in that eventually those things will finally get done even if it did take away attention from something else that I should be doing. I like the sense of accomplishment and being able to check something off of my mental list.

I was raised with the notion of treating the church building with holy reverence. This would include not running in the building, keeping your feet off the pew in front of you, speaking in hushed voices, and you would NEVER get up to go to the bathroom while the pastor was speaking…as well as contributing to the upkeep and cleanliness of the building itself. The wrath of mom and dad were never far off and I learned the ropes early on. Those things have kind of stayed with me through the years and are probably the last and most difficult to drop vestiges of church protocol that I learned.

If only I had the same anal retentive personality when it came to Christ’s temple—me. The passage in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says that each of us is God’s temple: body, mind, and spirit. I recognize that I don’t seem to be nearly as meticulous and uptight about the upkeep and maintenance of this temple. How am I treating my body? Ouch. What am I feeding my mind? Hmmm. What am I allowing my spirit to be influenced by? God forgive me. Today I purpose to view this temple as sacred because what is sacred to God had better be sacred to me.

ARRRG...My Eyes!!

I am NOT a morning person, yet here it is barely 5 am and I am awake. I am awake because it is finally summer and where it would typically be as dark as the rest of the night at this time of day, not so this time of year. My wife and I keep our room very dark and cool so that we can sleep; however, this morning a faulty shade inexplicably opened itself, exposing this tired, under dressed, unshaven, bed-headed, morning-breathed sluggard to the sun. In other words, what was best left in the dark was exposed to the light of day. When I say that I am not a morning person, I really mean that I am not a morning person. If there is one thing that I don’t handle well, it is someone with too much energy and too much talk first thing in the morning. Just leave me alone and let me adjust please…let’s talk after I shower.  Fortunately, my wife is not a morning person either.

Everybody knows what it is to feel the call of nature in the middle of the night and to blindly stumble into a darkened bathroom and thoughtlessly flip on the light switch.  The eyes reflexively squeeze shut as you curse to yourself while trying to find the light switch again before you are blinded permanently.  If you manage to see yourself in the mirror when this happens, you are reminded once again that some things are better left in the dark, because what you see is surely the stuff that horror movies are made of.

I read in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 that a light is coming. That light is coming in the form of fire. It tells us that all of our work, deeds, thoughts, motives…any action that man is capable of taking…will be tested by fire.  What does that really mean though?  Throughout Scripture, fire is equated with the manifest presence of God. I don’t view this passage as referring to a judgment happening someday in the future at the end of all things. On the contrary, this is much more imminent and certain. Just as certain as the sun will rise again tomorrow, when (not if) the presence of God suddenly shows up in your circumstances then you’ll be known for who and what you are.

It is in that moment where you will have one of two possible reactions.  You can embrace the light of His presence as one who has been hungry for sunshine after a long, long winter, or wish you could reach for a light switch so that you could leave in the dark those things that would have been better left in the dark. One can’t avoid God’s presence any more than one can avoid the light of day.  One can’t prevent the sun from rising any more than one can prevent God from being active within the lives of those He loves.

Taking One For the Team...

We are in the waning days of Little League Baseball for 2010 and my son and I are very excited to be part of this year’s post-season Honors team. Realizing that we are at the end of a six-year stretch with Gresham Little League has generated a strange feeling of melancholy. We can and will likely continue coaching/playing but it just isn’t the same in the upper leagues. The innocence and joy of the game can diminish because of the mounting competition and pressure to excel.

We had a pretty decent season this year and have high hopes for the post-season. I have a great group of dads helping out and each of them has strengths that really complement one another and the team as a whole. One is really good with teaching pitching technique; one is really good with teaching fielding technique, etc. Each of them is genuine in their passion and commitment to the team. They all contribute to the overall health and success of the team.

In baseball, the players that seem to get the most attention from the spectators are those who pitch and those who can make big hits. There are eight other players, though. Even though they might not stand out like the pitcher or the hitter, every baseball fan knows that if you were to remove them from the field you could never succeed at the game. Everybody contributes too much to ignore the team as a whole. The team functions as a unit. Yes, there are moments of individual success, but give me a team player over someone who is just interested in making themselves look good (what professional sport doesn’t have that going on?).

The passage in 1 Corinthians 3:8-11 reminds us of our one purpose in the Kingdom of God—to fit into the team God has assembled so that His ultimate goals may be accomplished. Each of us has a work and it isn’t the one who gets the most attention who gets the reward. The purpose of the Kingdom of God is a team purpose but the reward of the Kingdom of God is an individual reward…based upon our labors with the team in mind.