Day 87 and Holy Week has started. We have 2 guys in Haiti (what an incredible way to engage with Holy Week); we have 27 people rehearsing every night this week - nightly reenactments of Good Friday; we have some staff camped out with 350 young people trying to bring the Kingdom of God to Fresno ...... and I'm at Carmel by the Sea!!
It's becoming a Holy Week tradition - prepare to preach Easter services with family somewhere nice and away from Reedley (it seems to also
involve golf courses!)
You might call it vacation - but the British call it holiday. Much greater than vacation (which seems very similar to 'vacant') it is "holy" day.
Makes you rethink holy.
There is something sacred about bring with family, resting, recharging and preparing by reading, reflecting and rethinking.
I guess Easter weekend will tell if it's been vacation or holiday!
But for me it's my intentional follow for the next few days.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Day 86 - death.
Day 86 and its Sunday evening and I've just found out my favorite TV series The Amazing Race has been going on for 6 weeks and I've been missing it!!!
Aargh!
I could have seen Rusty (my old friend) and me doing it ....would be a blast. Can also see my friends Tod & Traci doing this someday. And maybe .....one day when I'm old I could do it as father and son and have show these young pups up!
So today the competitors are in the Seychelles - yep 50% of the couples couldn't pronounce it yet alone know where these fabulous islands are!!! Classic Americans!! Duh!!!
Been doing a lot of reading on death these days. Partly getting ready for Easter weekend preaching, partly for a funeral and memorial service I need to lead.
Death.
I was greatly encouraged to read C S Lewis' reflections on death written not long after his second wife died of cancer.
For years I've viewed death with anger and hatred. Other pastors I know talk about death as simply a shadow (quoting Ps 23) or the way to the better life ....but for me I'd always viewed death as the enemy.
Lewis confirmed my theology (see ....I truly am orthodox!)
Lewis raged against it.
False comforters with quaint words - made him angry.
Death is not natural ....it is an invader into what God made.
This makes Easter all the more profound.
So ......on Day 86 I had my theology confirmed and I had my heart inspired and energized to focus this week on listening to the Holy Spirit as I get ready to preach resurrection and victory over the enemy death next Saturday and Sunday.
Going to be a great week being stirred by God to preach the incredible truth of Christ and his victory!!!
Aargh!
I could have seen Rusty (my old friend) and me doing it ....would be a blast. Can also see my friends Tod & Traci doing this someday. And maybe .....one day when I'm old I could do it as father and son and have show these young pups up!
So today the competitors are in the Seychelles - yep 50% of the couples couldn't pronounce it yet alone know where these fabulous islands are!!! Classic Americans!! Duh!!!
Been doing a lot of reading on death these days. Partly getting ready for Easter weekend preaching, partly for a funeral and memorial service I need to lead.
Death.
I was greatly encouraged to read C S Lewis' reflections on death written not long after his second wife died of cancer.
For years I've viewed death with anger and hatred. Other pastors I know talk about death as simply a shadow (quoting Ps 23) or the way to the better life ....but for me I'd always viewed death as the enemy.
Lewis confirmed my theology (see ....I truly am orthodox!)
Lewis raged against it.
False comforters with quaint words - made him angry.
Death is not natural ....it is an invader into what God made.
This makes Easter all the more profound.
So ......on Day 86 I had my theology confirmed and I had my heart inspired and energized to focus this week on listening to the Holy Spirit as I get ready to preach resurrection and victory over the enemy death next Saturday and Sunday.
Going to be a great week being stirred by God to preach the incredible truth of Christ and his victory!!!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Day 85 and what I learned from a missed flight!
Day 85 and you may think I've been quiet because I've been on my United flight to Minneapolis and back.
The last you heard from me (Day 82 blog) was that a United operator was now talking to me and you would assume he was fixing it!
Not so.
After 3 hours on the phone, United could not get me another flight to MN ....even although they did get two of my colleagues.
But then .....it was only a flight and a meeting!
So I slept in my own bed the last 2 nights .....and ....what I thought were two extra days, became two really busy days. here were two days I was going to be gone and I had set my work for such, but I found multiple things to do in those two days.
How does that happen?
......and as I thought about that I spent tonight reading a chapter a leaders group is discussion tomorrow over breakfast: "The Seduction of Success"
Boom - there's my answer to why two extra days became two busy days!
Like so many leaders, much of my identity is tied up to not resting but being busy on the next
project, the next initiative, the next thing. The subtlety of how the idol of success grabs you. Keller calls it an "achievement addict."
To some degrees I have this.
I try to justify it as the next project is for the kingdom of god, the extending of the Gospel, the Church. But when you scratch where it itches - sometimes its more to do with my own sense of achievement than the greater cause.
So, my intentional follow of Jesus day 85 - learn from what my change of plans for Days 83 and 84 have revealed of my own heart and work it through to a healthier place.
The last you heard from me (Day 82 blog) was that a United operator was now talking to me and you would assume he was fixing it!
Not so.
After 3 hours on the phone, United could not get me another flight to MN ....even although they did get two of my colleagues.
But then .....it was only a flight and a meeting!
So I slept in my own bed the last 2 nights .....and ....what I thought were two extra days, became two really busy days. here were two days I was going to be gone and I had set my work for such, but I found multiple things to do in those two days.
How does that happen?
......and as I thought about that I spent tonight reading a chapter a leaders group is discussion tomorrow over breakfast: "The Seduction of Success"
Boom - there's my answer to why two extra days became two busy days!
Like so many leaders, much of my identity is tied up to not resting but being busy on the next
project, the next initiative, the next thing. The subtlety of how the idol of success grabs you. Keller calls it an "achievement addict."
To some degrees I have this.
I try to justify it as the next project is for the kingdom of god, the extending of the Gospel, the Church. But when you scratch where it itches - sometimes its more to do with my own sense of achievement than the greater cause.
So, my intentional follow of Jesus day 85 - learn from what my change of plans for Days 83 and 84 have revealed of my own heart and work it through to a healthier place.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Day 82 - intentional following on a phone!
Day 82 and at this very minute United Airlines are not my favorite company. Been on hold for 1 hour 10 minutes on one phone and 19 minutes on my other phone, and their website is not helping me. Seems they have cancelled my flight for tomorrow, but they won't answer their phones to let me rebook!
Don't you love automated answering machines!
So ....as I wait on both phones, how's my intentional following of Jesus going?
Patience ...that's a fruit of the Spirit. Being tested and beginning to crumble.
Kindness ...that's a fruit of the Spirit. Nope, that one is going as well.
Gentleness ..another fruit of the Spirit. And as I rehearse what I'm going to say to the operator when he or she finally answers me ....gentleness is slipping badly!!
Help!!
I mean, when placed alongside the important and big things of life, this is minor.
Today, I sat with a new widow planning her husbands funeral; I emailed a friend about a Muslim who I can't contact for fear of his life; I heard from a friend who is going for unexpected surgery next week.......to this add, world poverty, AIDS, and world peace ....but I'm losing it waiting a phone call being answered.
Help!
Why do I become so engrossed in my own tiny world so easily?
Help!
And here's the recent update .......one of my phones reached a United operator and after they didn't want to help me - they hung up!!!
But still.....the world is spinning and why do I let my own little spinning world make the bigger spinning world spin more!
Surely intentional following of Jesus is resting in Him and not spinning.
Surely intentional following is not losing it over cancelled flights.
Whatever it might be.......it must involve letting the big things be big and the little things be what they are little.
Now talking to nice United agent.......but hey its a little thing anyway!!
Don't you love automated answering machines!
So ....as I wait on both phones, how's my intentional following of Jesus going?
Patience ...that's a fruit of the Spirit. Being tested and beginning to crumble.
Kindness ...that's a fruit of the Spirit. Nope, that one is going as well.
Gentleness ..another fruit of the Spirit. And as I rehearse what I'm going to say to the operator when he or she finally answers me ....gentleness is slipping badly!!
Help!!
I mean, when placed alongside the important and big things of life, this is minor.
Today, I sat with a new widow planning her husbands funeral; I emailed a friend about a Muslim who I can't contact for fear of his life; I heard from a friend who is going for unexpected surgery next week.......to this add, world poverty, AIDS, and world peace ....but I'm losing it waiting a phone call being answered.
Help!
Why do I become so engrossed in my own tiny world so easily?
Help!
And here's the recent update .......one of my phones reached a United operator and after they didn't want to help me - they hung up!!!
But still.....the world is spinning and why do I let my own little spinning world make the bigger spinning world spin more!
Surely intentional following of Jesus is resting in Him and not spinning.
Surely intentional following is not losing it over cancelled flights.
Whatever it might be.......it must involve letting the big things be big and the little things be what they are little.
Now talking to nice United agent.......but hey its a little thing anyway!!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Day 81 - waiting another flight.
Day 81 and I'm sitting at the huge glass front of Seattle Tacoma International Airport watching a beautiful sunset. Spent the day with a pastor and his staff talking about how to reach people with the Gospel.
It's amazing how many times the same issues surface. A few stubborn untheological members restrict the Kingdom of God.
Why does God restrict himself to the church.
If it was me I'd bypass it. The job of saving the world is too important to leave to Christians.
Now I agree. There nothing like the local church when the local church is working right.
But when it's not working right - yuck!!
I guess however He can quit on us.
Think Revelation 2 & 3 and is there any church today in Smyrna or Ephesus, or.....
He can and does snuff out the candlestick!!
So today was all about pushing on and getting things working right.
Intentional follow of Jesus ..... encourage them not to quit, not to see all the dark days. But keep on as this generation and the next are counting on us - as is God!!!
It's a long flight home (thankfully there's free beer on Horizon flights!)
Another flight Wednesday - all worth it
It's amazing how many times the same issues surface. A few stubborn untheological members restrict the Kingdom of God.
Why does God restrict himself to the church.
If it was me I'd bypass it. The job of saving the world is too important to leave to Christians.
Now I agree. There nothing like the local church when the local church is working right.
But when it's not working right - yuck!!
I guess however He can quit on us.
Think Revelation 2 & 3 and is there any church today in Smyrna or Ephesus, or.....
He can and does snuff out the candlestick!!
So today was all about pushing on and getting things working right.
Intentional follow of Jesus ..... encourage them not to quit, not to see all the dark days. But keep on as this generation and the next are counting on us - as is God!!!
It's a long flight home (thankfully there's free beer on Horizon flights!)
Another flight Wednesday - all worth it
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Day 80 - skubalon!
Day 80 and no, this is not meant to be an 'every second day' blog. It's daily ....hopefully!
Today is Sunday.
Preach day.
Second last preach in the series called Holy Hilarity (check it out): http://www.redeemerschurch.com/dlgMediaPlayer.aspx?id=880
Skubalon.
There's something about preaching just one word.
My grandfather did this brilliantly. He could read the text (in Greek), pick out one word, and then for 50 minutes preach that one word - without a single note! Brilliant.
Skubalon.
Unsure if he ever preached this word. Normally he preached words of complexity, words of intrigue. This word is as near a profanity in the Bible as you can get. But Paul uses it very deliberately.
He uses it to shock us, to wake us up, to get our attention.
He uses it to help us see how magnificent God's salvation is.
And his salvation is Jesus.
Read Philippians 3.
It's Jesus, only Jesus, all Jesus.
Everything else is skubalon!
That's Paul's point.
And that's the point you have to get.
Intentional follow of Jesus #80 ......only Jesus. Nothing else.
Sweet!
Worship!!
Today is Sunday.
Preach day.
Second last preach in the series called Holy Hilarity (check it out): http://www.redeemerschurch.com/dlgMediaPlayer.aspx?id=880
Skubalon.
There's something about preaching just one word.
My grandfather did this brilliantly. He could read the text (in Greek), pick out one word, and then for 50 minutes preach that one word - without a single note! Brilliant.
Skubalon.
Unsure if he ever preached this word. Normally he preached words of complexity, words of intrigue. This word is as near a profanity in the Bible as you can get. But Paul uses it very deliberately.
He uses it to shock us, to wake us up, to get our attention.
He uses it to help us see how magnificent God's salvation is.
And his salvation is Jesus.
Read Philippians 3.
It's Jesus, only Jesus, all Jesus.
Everything else is skubalon!
That's Paul's point.
And that's the point you have to get.
Intentional follow of Jesus #80 ......only Jesus. Nothing else.
Sweet!
Worship!!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Day 78 - parking lot spirituality
Day 78, yep sorry still a little sporadic. Next week will be better.
Been reading today about John Knox. A Scottish hero.
He was the leader of the Scottish protestant movement. an ex-catholic priest. He witnessed the death of George Wishart (burned at the stake in St Andrews). But rather than run away he returned to Scotland to lead the protestant movement and risked also being martyred.
After an incredible ministry he passed away and was buried.
Here's the thing. Today, if you want to see his burial spot ...its parking space #23 in a government parking lot.
That's all you'll find of Knox!
But then - that's all Knox would have wanted!
Everything I counted gain I view now as rubbish ....wrote the Apostle Paul.
Knox's burial spot becoming a parking space .....holds to Paul's epitaph.
Intentional follow of Jesus - refuse any acclaim, seek no title, make sure you've got no designated parking place...unless its a basic number built on top of your grave!
Been reading today about John Knox. A Scottish hero.
He was the leader of the Scottish protestant movement. an ex-catholic priest. He witnessed the death of George Wishart (burned at the stake in St Andrews). But rather than run away he returned to Scotland to lead the protestant movement and risked also being martyred.
After an incredible ministry he passed away and was buried.
Here's the thing. Today, if you want to see his burial spot ...its parking space #23 in a government parking lot.
That's all you'll find of Knox!
But then - that's all Knox would have wanted!
Everything I counted gain I view now as rubbish ....wrote the Apostle Paul.
Knox's burial spot becoming a parking space .....holds to Paul's epitaph.
Intentional follow of Jesus - refuse any acclaim, seek no title, make sure you've got no designated parking place...unless its a basic number built on top of your grave!
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