Guess Who Moved?

I am often not particularly fond of church signs.  I find that most of them do not help the Kingdom.  They usually end up with some cheesy message, something incredibly insider focused, or something downright outsider offensive.  I suppose they're meant with the right heart, but "Eternity...Smoking or Non-Smoking?" is not going to really help people not connected to Jesus feel welcome in your church.  I think they should probably just say, "All Welcome!" or something like that.  That's supposed to be the purpose of the sign, to shout to the world that everyone is welcome there, not to announce "Sunday School Committee Meeting this Thursday at 7:00". 

However, I have had a sign or two that stuck with me and didn't annoy me.  One, in particular, sticks in my brain because it spoke to me and still speaks to me.  It said:

"If God seems far away, guess who moved?"

The Bible says that there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother (God's spirit), that God is present when we sit and when we rise and was there when we were created in our mother's womb (Psalm 139).  God desires to be near us, to live in us, to draw us to Himself.  If He seems distant and aloof, it isn't because of Him.  I think we moved.  I belive this happens for one of two reasons. 

1. A spiritual earthquake.  Something happens in our life that is of seismic proportions.  It changes our geography with God.  We mess up, big time.  Somebody else messes up, big time.  There is some unforeseen change in our life.  We are disappointed, broken-hearted, hurt, or damaged.  We do something that leaves us feeling ashamed or guilty.  Whether we are the cause or someone or something else is, something happens that leaves us in a different place with God, and all of a sudden, he seems far away.  We know what the cause was.  We just don't know how to get back to where we want to be.  Or, we're scared of the implications of what getting back will look like. 
2. Continental drift.  We wake up one day and God just seems like He's on the other side of the world.  We can't pinpoint it.  We don't know exactly what happened...it just happened.  We skipped church one Sunday.  Then two.  All of a sudden, we haven't been in five months...or five years.  We used to set aside a time to pray, then we got busy, or tired, or bored.  We had a Bible reading plan, but we just stopped.  Now our Bible is dusty sitting on our night stand.  We were in a small group, but then we got a new job, or joined a new team, or had the baby, or had to start getting up so early.  It just happened.  And we don't want to be here.  We want to be with God.  But He seems like He's a million miles away and we have no idea how to get back after falling so far.

The remedy for both is simply one step at a time.  In fact, I think we find that when we simply start walking God's direction again, we realize that He's not quite as far away as we thought He was.  That seismic event didn't create the gap that we thought it did.  That continental drift didn't take us as far across the ocean as we had imagine.  That's because we serve a God who is slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who is ready to pour out on us grace upon grace upon grace upon grace upon grace upon grace.  Lots and lots of grace.  You may have moved, but you're not as far away as you think.  He's not as far away as you think.  Pick up that Bible.  Go worship.  Bow your head and pray.  You'll find Him nearby, about a step away.

Perspective

"Some time later, God tested Abraham...Take your son...sacrifice him." Genesis 22:1-2


Many of our LIFE Groups finished up our study on the life of Abraham in the last week or two. The last section focused on this central story of Abraham's life. It would really become the story that defined his life. Abraham waits 25 years to have a child. He's over 100 years old now. This is his only son. This is the son God promised. This will be his heir that begins a family that will outnumber the stars in the sky, so said God. And this is confusing now. Now God is telling Abraham to throw it all away, to sacrifice Isaac? It makes no sense. But this is a test.
 
When I think about this, I think about the idea of 'perspective.' My first thought is, "How can God ask Abraham to do something so harmful and vile?' Abraham could see two almost impossible perspectives: 1-Obey God and my child dies. 2-Disobey God and my child lives. Impossible. Think about God's perspective, though. In God's eyes, Isaac won't be harmed either way. God also has two very different perspectives: 1-He disobeys me and the boy lives. 2-He obeys me and the boy lives because I'll stop Abraham from killing him. It's a simple test for God. It boils down to one question from God to Abraham: Will you trust me even when it doesn't make sense? Same goes for us. Will we trust him? Will we do His will even when it seems crazy? Sometimes, we still get tests. Let us be as faithful as Abraham when life throws us those opportunities to choose obedience over our own path.  Let us trust that God is seeing things from a perspective that we can't possibly fathom.  And let us trust that perspective.

Do Right

My wife has a lot of do right in her. A lot. She just has that bone her body and that nudge in her spirit to do right. It's one of my favorite things about her.  I don’t know if you’re born with do right or if it’s acquired. I just know that some people have it and some people don’t. I don’t know that do right is uniquely Christian. I know Christian people that have do right in them, and, unfortunately, I know some that don’t. I know some non-Christians that have a great deal of do right in them. There are a million circumstances day after day that require a choice to do right or do wrong. We have choices with how we interact with people, how we drive, whether or not we show up on time for work, how we speak to our children, how we tip at lunch, what our body language is at meetings, how we behave at our kid’s ballgame, whether or not we say ‘thank you’ to our spouse, whether or not we choose to gossip. We have lots of choices to do right or choose another way.
There are two things that are crucial when it comes to doing right. First, whether or not you are a Christian, I believe doing right comes from God. When you are feeling that nudge in your gut to do right, that is the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Do right is God’s fingerprint on your conscience. We are made in the image of God. Each and every one of us. And God wants you to do right. God is pushing us and pulling us to do right because doing right is…right. Really, it leads to the second point. Doing right aligns us with God’s best.

God us pushing and pulling us to do right because God wants what’s best for us. When you feel that 'do right' welling up in your spirit, it is God trying to pull you into His will and His way. He is seeking your best. He is wanting you to succeed by His standards. He’s trying to get you to live your best life -- the life He's planned for you.  So often, we ignore that nudge.  We choose to do wrong.  Whenever I do that, I'm reminded why he nudges us.  The consequences are painful.  Doing right brings life, wholeness, and healing.  You'll have many opportunities this week.  Do right.  It's not just a better path.  It's the best path.

Same Ol' Easter

Tuesday is my sermon day, so I spend most Tuesdays looking over notes, flipping back through the Bible, typing, backspacing, and staring at a computer screen. I've had this computer since we started Church of the Way, so I figure I've written somewhere around 310-315 sermons on this thing. This is my 7th Easter as pastor of Church of the Way. It is always an exciting day.

But, Easter provides a bit of a challenge sometimes. So does Christmas. The story is the same each year. It's not like there's a surprise twist one Easter and Jesus doesn't rise from the dead. Every Easter, He still resurrects. Sometimes I wonder if people want to hear that same old story every Easter. Don't they know it by now? Aren't they tired of hearing about it? Is there a fresh Word for Easter? Two things come to mind:

1. No, not everyone does know it...that Jesus is alive. To many, Jesus is still just an idea. We believe he's alive. The central truth of the Christian faith is that death does not win. Jesus lives, and he lives on through us. We believe he reigns throughout the universe. It really happened. And as long as one person hasn't heard or understood that, I'll be preaching it every Easter.


2. I keep needing Jesus to rise for me. Though I've heard the story a million times, I keep needing resurrection in my life. I've been a Christian for 27 years, but there are still parts of me that dead, that are just not right, and I need them raised to life. I keep needing to connect with the Living God. And I need reminding each Easter that this resurrection happening inside of me is an ongoing process. I want to be more alive this Easter than last. And I better be way more alive 10 Easters from now. I keep needing this new life. And I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.

Every pastor in America will try to bring their "A" game this week. They'll try to preach their best message of the year. And they should. The Risen Jesus certainly deserves our best. I call it Super Bowl Sunday for pastors. Where ever you are, I hope you'll step into a church to hear one of those pastors pour their heart out. Because what they are talking about is not just the same ol' Easter message. They are sharing the greatest message of hope the world has ever known. Life wins. Death loses. And I don't know everything about you, but I'll bet your world could stand to have a little new life breathed into it. I know just the guy that can help you with that.

It'll Grow Back

It'll grow back. That has been a mantra around my house for my entire life. I grew up with a brother and boys were always over at the house. I now have four boys of my own and have taught this mantra to my wife. We repeat it regularly: it'll grow back.

It comes from a poem my parents had when I was younger. I've searched and searched, but I can't find it anywhere. So I felt led to give my own re-interpretation of the classic that formed so much of my understanding of being a boy and, now, being a parent.

Dad was proud. He'd worked so hard to get his yard just the way
he wanted it -- to be the envy of the neighborhood. It was lush and
green. With a few young toddlers, he wanted to groom a yard that would be
perfect to play in. Mission accomplished. It. Was.
Perfect. Years of sweat, seeding, watering, and mowing this way and that
to get it to stand up just right. Now, it looked like Augusta National was
in his back yard. Mom, comes over and says, "It really is
beautiful."

Of course, the yard made a great baseball field for the neighborhood
boys. Pretty soon dad looked out the window with pride as his now young
boys rounded the bases with friends. It was just as he'd imagined.
His back yard was the hub of the neighborhood. One night, the boys forgot
to pick up the bases and left some brown spots where they'd stayed the entire
next day. Dad was a little upset. Mom assured him, "Don't worry,
it'll grow back."

It did over the weeks, but as the games became an almost nightly
occurrence, Dad noticed that what had become the de facto pitchers mound and
batting box was becoming worn. He went out to inspect it one day and
encouraged the boys to rotate the field from time to time. Mom soothed him
at dinner, "Honey, it'll grow back."

Of course, by the end of that first summer, there was very little grass
in those same two spots, and the bases had been left out more than a couple of
times. His own little Augusta National was now littered with brown spots
and dirt spots. Mom chimed in, "Oh, next year, in the spring, it'll grow
back."

It sort of did, but by the time the weather turned warm the boys were
back out there playing and winning imaginary World Series. It got worse
that second summer. Though a little doubtful, Mom spoke words of
encouragement, "I'm sure it'll grow back." By the time they were in high
school, his once glorious back yard had become more like a pasture. They
didn't even need the bases anymore because they were permanent dirt spots.
There was the burnt spot from the campfire. There were dead lines from the
paint they'd used for the Thanksgiving Turkey Bowl game. It was once a
source of pride. Now it was the worst looking yard in the
neighborhood. Part of it made Dad angry because he'd worked so hard and
they'd just ruined. Mom kept saying it, but it never seemed happen --
"It'll grow back" just didn't materialize.

The boys finally went off to college. That spring Dad worked
extra hard on the lawn and that summer it got a little better. There still
wasn't any grass on the old pitching mound, but the burnt spot and lines were
gone. A few years passed and each spring and summer the yard looked better
and better. Finally, Augusta National was back. He was once again
the envy of the neighborhood. But, there were no more touch football
games, campfires, or imaginary World Series anymore. There was no more
laughter from children, boys barging in for a drink of water, or arguments over
strikes and balls. It was just mom and dad. Sitting on the back
porch, admiring his beautiful yard and with a tear in his eye, Dad looks to Mom
and says, "You know, I'd take back the brown spots for a little more laughter
and a few more ballgames back here." Mom replied, "I told you it would
grow back."

If you are a parent with young children, this season of life lasts only for so long. It is filled with messy houses, lots of broken stuff, crayons on walls, and dirt spots in luscious green yards. But it'll grow back. It won't last forever. Instead of fretting over the things that aren't right because of this stage of life, learn to appreciate for what it is. Know that it always grows back because they always grow up. You'll get the yard back. But you'll never get these years back. That's why my wife and I shrug most stuff off and say, "It'll grow back."

How you become who you become

I went to see The Iron Lady the other day, a movie about the life of Margaret Thatcher. Good stuff. She was one tough cookie. There were a lot of great quotes and leadership insights in the movie. One quote that stuck out was one that is attributed to many, long before Thatcher. And who knows if she actually even said it. However, it is certainly an axiom by which she lived.

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."

What you thinking? What you are thinking will eventually be who you become. If you are thinking on the things of God, you will become someone who does the things of God. Are you thinking about success and money? That's what you'll pursue. Are you thinking about serving others? You'll eventually become a servant.

Character is a lost attribute, it seems, and so vitally important in a world devoid of it. The people who seem to get the most press these days are people of little character. I keep seeing commercials for the new show, "Shannen Says", which appears to be a reality program showcasing how immature Shannen Doherty is. It doesn't seem to have much character. To me, character means you've got a lot of what I call 'do right' in you. Some people don't. They're not concerned with doing right. I want to be concerned with doing what is right, whatever the cost. Character will shape your destiny. You cannot have a good destiny without a good character. It will eventually catch up to you. And the things that will eventually lead to building of our character are the small, everyday actions like thoughts and words.

If you are a follower of Jesus, and you want your character to emulate His and your destiny to be in Him, it's worth asking ourselves a few questions:

• Are my thoughts on Christ?


• Are my words reflecting Jesus?


• Are my actions in line with God's Word?


• Are my habits drawing me closer to God?

Little things today become big things tomorrow.

Schedule

It's been a while since I posted...too long, actually. But, the title gives it away. It's the schedule. I am convinced that our society is busier than it has ever been. I know I am. And if you'd have asked me in high school, I'd have said I couldn't get any busier. I'd have said the same thing in college, and even more so in seminary. Heck, I went to seminary full time, pastored two churches at once and even got married in there somewhere, and that life pales in comparison to the busy-ness I know live through.

So, blogging has been the first thing to go lately. And life promises not to wind down much in the near future. As I uploaded my boys' T-ball and baseball schedules into my calendar amidst church meetings and functions, I laughed and cried all at the same time. Something. Every. Night.

But this is not my pity party. This is my revelation. There simply isn't much I can do to back off my schedule, and I'll bet you can't either. I've got four boys with three playing ball this spring. Our church is about to launch a Capital Campaign. Easter is coming. We just launched a Sunday Evening Worship Experience. We're finalizing building plans. I'm meeting with potential lenders. I'll bet your schedule is filled with similar and altogether different family and work obligations. Such is life. I can't change my schedule.

But I can change me. If I'm going to be me in the midst of that schedule, I'm learning that I better make God a priority. I mean for real. I'm learning that when my schedule is at it's peak, I need to make sure that I give God time to calm my soul. I need time to 'be still' with God. If I'm honest, I've never been a "pray for an hour and a half a day" guy. Now, I've had days like that. I've had days during which I prayed way more than 90 minutes. But, that's just not who I am. The Bible never says you have to do that to be a disciple. But, it says that we need time to be still. In the busiest season of my life, I am learning what that means. I need a few minutes with God before I tackle the day...maybe at the end of the day...maybe in the midst of the day. I need encouragement from His Word most when I have the least time to read it. I am finding, as Bill Hybels says, that I am too busy not to pray.

So you're busy. So what. Make sure your schedule doesn't lord over you. Instead, make sure you've got a Lord over your schedule.