If you read my post 12 in 12 you will see that I did not set any new goals this year. This was by design
Most of the time we have great intentions and goals for ourselves but we never get there. As humans we have a tendency to not change much.
I am not seeking fundemental change in my life when I will most likely to repeat similar scenerios as 2011. I am not giving up on change. I am choosing to repeat the same scenerios in a much better way.
This year for me is not about seeking to find God, happiness, meaning in life, relationships etc. in places I have never been before. This year is about finding those things in the midst of the life I already have.
12 in 12
For 2012 my hope is to accomplish fewer goals. That's right I said fewer goals. My hope is to create more healthy and ongoing patterns. Continual renewal. Cycles of self-improvement. Constant reinvention. Developing vs. Developed
Here is the list of patterns I hope to establish in 2012.
New Patterns for 2012
1. Spend more time with other people I care about.
2. Have more purpose-full conversations.
3. Remember I have friends and relationships I want to continue building.
4. Participate in my faith rather than simply contemplating it.
5. Become more pragmatic in business and less pragmatic with the people that surround it.
6. Become more humble, vulnerable, and comfortable with doubt
7. Write more blogs. Make more videos.
8. Read a book every week.
9. Fish more. Teach someone to fish.
10. Convince my friends to do something great together.
11. Visit Nashville.
12. Breathe mountain air.
Here is the list of patterns I hope to establish in 2012.
New Patterns for 2012
1. Spend more time with other people I care about.
2. Have more purpose-full conversations.
3. Remember I have friends and relationships I want to continue building.
4. Participate in my faith rather than simply contemplating it.
5. Become more pragmatic in business and less pragmatic with the people that surround it.
6. Become more humble, vulnerable, and comfortable with doubt
7. Write more blogs. Make more videos.
8. Read a book every week.
9. Fish more. Teach someone to fish.
10. Convince my friends to do something great together.
11. Visit Nashville.
12. Breathe mountain air.
a not so free will
Thoughts on Freewill
There is this idea that freewill gives us a freedom to choose anything for ourselves. This all makes perfect sense in theory, but it doesn't work quite so well in practice. Once freewill steps off the pages of philosophy and into reality it looses its freedom and becomes binding.
To choose anything one thing is to reject all other things. Every choice limits the vast options previously available. Even in choosing apathy one has rejected everything but nothing itself.
To admire freewill is not to appreciate infinite choice, but recognize the beauty in such limit
ed choice. It is the limited nature of freewill that brings meaning and definition to anything earthly. An artist may claim to want freedom of expression, but it is only in his lack of freedom that he creates a masterpiece. He cannot create beautiful music without notes, or paint a tiger without stripes. If he does he has succeeded in creating neither.
Freewill is not the blessing of infinite choice but the curse of it.
Freedom from will only comes with the complete surrender of will itself, and this itself is a choice.
In the book of Romans, Paul talks about this idea of freedom in Christ through enslavement to Him.
Christ loved us so much he gave us freedom from choice.
God is not defined by what our will wants him to be. As a musician cannot create music without notes, a man cannot define the infinite.
In choosing Jesus we loose our own definition in the infinite will of God.
There is this idea that freewill gives us a freedom to choose anything for ourselves. This all makes perfect sense in theory, but it doesn't work quite so well in practice. Once freewill steps off the pages of philosophy and into reality it looses its freedom and becomes binding.
To choose anything one thing is to reject all other things. Every choice limits the vast options previously available. Even in choosing apathy one has rejected everything but nothing itself.
To admire freewill is not to appreciate infinite choice, but recognize the beauty in such limit
ed choice. It is the limited nature of freewill that brings meaning and definition to anything earthly. An artist may claim to want freedom of expression, but it is only in his lack of freedom that he creates a masterpiece. He cannot create beautiful music without notes, or paint a tiger without stripes. If he does he has succeeded in creating neither.
Freewill is not the blessing of infinite choice but the curse of it.
Freedom from will only comes with the complete surrender of will itself, and this itself is a choice.
In the book of Romans, Paul talks about this idea of freedom in Christ through enslavement to Him.
Christ loved us so much he gave us freedom from choice.
God is not defined by what our will wants him to be. As a musician cannot create music without notes, a man cannot define the infinite.
In choosing Jesus we loose our own definition in the infinite will of God.
Discovering my Heresy as Orthodoxy
A young man bored and dissatisfied by the place he grew up in set out on an adventure to find something new. Leaving the port of New Orleans he sailed for days southward in the direction of Cape Horn, Chile. His quest was to find something new, joyful, and meaningful other than the drafty old town which he left. After weeks at sea a large hurricane came along and bashed him about tearing his small craft to pieces. Lost and confused the young man clung to a piece of wood and waited for the tide to bring him ashore. By the time the man drifted in he was dehydrated and disoriented. The locals found him, cared for him, and restored his health. The man loved Cape Horn. The people were wonderful, the cuisine exquisite, and the culture like none other he had ever experienced. He strangely left at home in this foreign land. One afternoon after being there for months he decided to walk down to the local pub but was stopped by the traffic of a large and wild parade. So he asked one of the locals, "What is the meaning of this?" The local replied, "Haven't you ever been to Mardi Gras before?"
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There is this idea out there that we can somehow convince people that Christianity is the truth. If this were true why does every generation have to rediscover faith for themselves?
I speak from personal experience. But often times it is when we have abandoned these ideas we were taught about God that find ourselves in the very place where we can experience him. A lot of times we go to church with these profound doubts we are afraid to tell anyone about. We allow the pastors and church staff believe with certainty that which we cannot. Our minds are convinced but our souls are not.
Perhaps when we escape that certainty and enter a place of complete doubt and unknowing we will find the truth of what we heard in church. It is in abandoning our learned notions of God that we find ourselves open to a place where we can experience God in our lives.
It was not in my intellectual understanding of the message of Jesus first that I believed. But in my experience with Jesus that his message made sense intellectually.
I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy. - G.K. Chesterton
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There is this idea out there that we can somehow convince people that Christianity is the truth. If this were true why does every generation have to rediscover faith for themselves?
I speak from personal experience. But often times it is when we have abandoned these ideas we were taught about God that find ourselves in the very place where we can experience him. A lot of times we go to church with these profound doubts we are afraid to tell anyone about. We allow the pastors and church staff believe with certainty that which we cannot. Our minds are convinced but our souls are not.
Perhaps when we escape that certainty and enter a place of complete doubt and unknowing we will find the truth of what we heard in church. It is in abandoning our learned notions of God that we find ourselves open to a place where we can experience God in our lives.
It was not in my intellectual understanding of the message of Jesus first that I believed. But in my experience with Jesus that his message made sense intellectually.
I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy. - G.K. Chesterton
Beauty in a Postmodern World
Occasionally lighting strikes and the whole forest is burned. The light from the sun shines down on the burnt earth. Out of the ashes new life springs forth and the forest recreates itself in a beautiful new fashion. This new forest is not perfect. In fact it has as many flaws as the previous stagnant forest that needed burning in order for new life to arise. But it is the light of the sun that reveals all that is glorious in the new forest. It was the sun that allowed the appropriate weather systems necessary for lighting to strike. One day this new forest will to become stagnant and need to be burned. All the forests old, new, and yet to come only experience life and grow in the light of the never ceasing sun.
Commentary
Of course humanity won't get it all right this time. The 'new' postmodern argument is as infinitely circular and lives in a world as finitely small as the last. It should be understood and held as lightly as the modern.
Ecclesiastes 1: 13-14......I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
I like these verses because they exclude everything under the sun from meaning. The only thing not excluded from meaning is the sun itself. But to stare into the sun itself is to cause blindness and utter confusion. Its power can not be comprehended by the naked eye. Yet it is so humble. It shares its light so the everything under it which is meaningless can experience meaning.
Meaning is not found in proof of the empirical. Significance is something you experience. It is so subjective. To experience meaning is to benefit from the light. Meaning is not found in our understanding of the world but in our experience of the light.
It is in this present forest that we experience life. And it is the sun that gives us light to enjoy, interpret, and understand the forest. Why would we spend time complaining that the old forest was better when the light makes it possible to experience the new forest around us? Whatever the forest we tend to spend a lot of time proving it's existence rather than living in the light.
Commentary
Of course humanity won't get it all right this time. The 'new' postmodern argument is as infinitely circular and lives in a world as finitely small as the last. It should be understood and held as lightly as the modern.
Ecclesiastes 1: 13-14......I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
I like these verses because they exclude everything under the sun from meaning. The only thing not excluded from meaning is the sun itself. But to stare into the sun itself is to cause blindness and utter confusion. Its power can not be comprehended by the naked eye. Yet it is so humble. It shares its light so the everything under it which is meaningless can experience meaning.
Meaning is not found in proof of the empirical. Significance is something you experience. It is so subjective. To experience meaning is to benefit from the light. Meaning is not found in our understanding of the world but in our experience of the light.
It is in this present forest that we experience life. And it is the sun that gives us light to enjoy, interpret, and understand the forest. Why would we spend time complaining that the old forest was better when the light makes it possible to experience the new forest around us? Whatever the forest we tend to spend a lot of time proving it's existence rather than living in the light.
Can we make God an idol?
The Man and his Jesus Car
There was this guy who really wanted this car named Jesus. It was a beautiful new top of line sport car. So he went to the dealership and gave the man his money. In return he received his brand new shiny Jesus car. However after he had driven the car for a few months he was became tired of it. The thing he once desired no longer brought him happiness. So he return to the dealership and had a new stereo put in his Jesus car. This worked well for awhile but he soon became complacent again. So he decided he needed to add some new rims to his Jesus car. The cycle continued and for a long time the man continued to return to the dealership for upgrades. The worst part for this guy was he had to pretend that he still enjoyed his Jesus car that no longer gave him satisfaction. Because many of his friend also owned Jesus cars, and they seemed to treasure the car.
Are you going to Christianity in pursuit of happiness? Are you looking to gain something from Jesus?
Could Christianity be the freedom from the pursuit of happiness? What if Christianity means gain only through the loss of everything? I believe they do but if heaven and hell don't exist is it still worth following Jesus on this earth?
Are you embracing God as an escape from reality or finding God in the midst of relationships and the world around you?
There was this guy who really wanted this car named Jesus. It was a beautiful new top of line sport car. So he went to the dealership and gave the man his money. In return he received his brand new shiny Jesus car. However after he had driven the car for a few months he was became tired of it. The thing he once desired no longer brought him happiness. So he return to the dealership and had a new stereo put in his Jesus car. This worked well for awhile but he soon became complacent again. So he decided he needed to add some new rims to his Jesus car. The cycle continued and for a long time the man continued to return to the dealership for upgrades. The worst part for this guy was he had to pretend that he still enjoyed his Jesus car that no longer gave him satisfaction. Because many of his friend also owned Jesus cars, and they seemed to treasure the car.
Are you going to Christianity in pursuit of happiness? Are you looking to gain something from Jesus?
Could Christianity be the freedom from the pursuit of happiness? What if Christianity means gain only through the loss of everything? I believe they do but if heaven and hell don't exist is it still worth following Jesus on this earth?
Are you embracing God as an escape from reality or finding God in the midst of relationships and the world around you?
I hope Heaven is...
We spend a lot of time discussing our ideas on heaven. What for? It is outside of our reach. It is past our present reality. We only have promises for an afterlife. We have little to no tangible proof of its existence. The search to define heaven seems to be distracting from what needs to be done here on earth. Yet, I agree it still needs to be discussed.
I heard growing up that heaven is supposed to be this place where we know all the answers.Where we understand how God works. The never ending universe will be explained. Science will be in perfect harmony with Christian thought. There will be no theories. Just facts. Everything will make sense. We will finally be at peace because there will be nothing left to argue about.
If this is true I will just hang outside the gate and talk to people before they come in while they still have an useful imagination.
What I like about heaven is that is beyond our understanding. It is mysterious. Science was meant to explain this life and not the anything past that. So I hope heaven stays unexplainable once we get there. What fun would God's presence be if we could completely understand it? If God's infinite nature becomes logical it is no longer exciting. Send me back to earth where I can continue to be awestruck.
My hope is that we can spend eternity exploring layer after layer of who God is and never understand Him. Heaven does not exist for God to become comprehensible to me, but for me to see just how incomprehensible God really is.
I hope my questions don't get answered in Heaven. I hope my answers become greater questions.
I heard growing up that heaven is supposed to be this place where we know all the answers.Where we understand how God works. The never ending universe will be explained. Science will be in perfect harmony with Christian thought. There will be no theories. Just facts. Everything will make sense. We will finally be at peace because there will be nothing left to argue about.
If this is true I will just hang outside the gate and talk to people before they come in while they still have an useful imagination.
What I like about heaven is that is beyond our understanding. It is mysterious. Science was meant to explain this life and not the anything past that. So I hope heaven stays unexplainable once we get there. What fun would God's presence be if we could completely understand it? If God's infinite nature becomes logical it is no longer exciting. Send me back to earth where I can continue to be awestruck.
My hope is that we can spend eternity exploring layer after layer of who God is and never understand Him. Heaven does not exist for God to become comprehensible to me, but for me to see just how incomprehensible God really is.
I hope my questions don't get answered in Heaven. I hope my answers become greater questions.
John Piper Interviews Rick Warren on Doctrine
John Piper Interviews Rick Warren on Doctrine
If you question the motives of John Piper or Rick Warren take the time to watch this video. You will have new respect for both men. No shortcuts. Watch the whole thing.
If you question the motives of John Piper or Rick Warren take the time to watch this video. You will have new respect for both men. No shortcuts. Watch the whole thing.
I am the Prodigal Son
This is a new parable of the
prodigal son with the implied audience being the Western Evangelical
Church. In many ways I am the story of the older son.
This father has two sons which he loved.
The oldest of the two longed to be like his father. He wanted to know everything about him. He studied for years to learn everything he could. When he was of the proper age he ask for his inheritance. Upon receiving his wealth he set out on a journey to tell the people of distant lands all that he had learned. He spent much time explaining and defining in great detail the nature of father in the hope that others could to learn of the goodness of his father.
The youngest son preferred not to wonder about the ways of his father. When he reached the age of reason, instead going out to tell others of his father's good work he chose not to move out of the father’s house. He had no such ambition. He invited both atheists and theists, liberals and conservatives, democrats and republicans, gays and straights, Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists to live with him in his father’s house. These were all his friends. He claimed no take on who is father was. Neither did his group of friends claim their identity in the father, but none the less they were allowed to take part the the pleasures of his household.
Years later the oldest son returned home to his father tired and weary from doing the work of his father. The son replied, ”Father I have been faithful to tell others all I know of you.”
The father replied, “You of little faith, Why did you desert me and leave my presence for your own gain? Leave behind all you have learned of me, forget who you think that I am and come dine with me and your brothers. We have been eating the fattened calf without you. Come join.”
*This is not a reference to my take of the biblical version of this parable, but a reference to the implications of my recent learning in my own life.
This father has two sons which he loved.
The oldest of the two longed to be like his father. He wanted to know everything about him. He studied for years to learn everything he could. When he was of the proper age he ask for his inheritance. Upon receiving his wealth he set out on a journey to tell the people of distant lands all that he had learned. He spent much time explaining and defining in great detail the nature of father in the hope that others could to learn of the goodness of his father.
The youngest son preferred not to wonder about the ways of his father. When he reached the age of reason, instead going out to tell others of his father's good work he chose not to move out of the father’s house. He had no such ambition. He invited both atheists and theists, liberals and conservatives, democrats and republicans, gays and straights, Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists to live with him in his father’s house. These were all his friends. He claimed no take on who is father was. Neither did his group of friends claim their identity in the father, but none the less they were allowed to take part the the pleasures of his household.
Years later the oldest son returned home to his father tired and weary from doing the work of his father. The son replied, ”Father I have been faithful to tell others all I know of you.”
The father replied, “You of little faith, Why did you desert me and leave my presence for your own gain? Leave behind all you have learned of me, forget who you think that I am and come dine with me and your brothers. We have been eating the fattened calf without you. Come join.”
*This is not a reference to my take of the biblical version of this parable, but a reference to the implications of my recent learning in my own life.
God is no where
I came across this really cool saying the other day. G-O-D-I-S-N-O-W-H-E-R-E
It can be read 'God is nowhere' or 'God is now here.'
The idea is that when we say 'God is now here' then we have forced God to be nowhere else. And when we say that 'God is nowhere' we have allowed God to be here with us.
'God is now here' - When we claim to know exactly who God is and how he works. When we point to something as proof of God's existence. When we claim to God as being a certain way. This is when we fail to allow God to be anything else.
'God is nowhere' - When we make no claim to know exactly who God is and how he works. When we refuse to prove God's existence. When do not claim God as being any certain way. This is when we allow God to be all that he is.
I love this idea that as soon as we grasp God as an object or claim that he acts in a certain way we loose God. And it is only when we become uncomfortable and doubt who we have decided God to be that God can freely work in us.
It can be read 'God is nowhere' or 'God is now here.'
The idea is that when we say 'God is now here' then we have forced God to be nowhere else. And when we say that 'God is nowhere' we have allowed God to be here with us.
'God is now here' - When we claim to know exactly who God is and how he works. When we point to something as proof of God's existence. When we claim to God as being a certain way. This is when we fail to allow God to be anything else.
'God is nowhere' - When we make no claim to know exactly who God is and how he works. When we refuse to prove God's existence. When do not claim God as being any certain way. This is when we allow God to be all that he is.
I love this idea that as soon as we grasp God as an object or claim that he acts in a certain way we loose God. And it is only when we become uncomfortable and doubt who we have decided God to be that God can freely work in us.
Turning the Other Cheek
WE STOOD AT A DISTANCE, WATCHING. We looked on silently as Jesus took his place on the top of a mound, waiting patiently for those who had gathered to settle themselves. We looked with a certain displeasure and discomfort at the disorderly mob that surrounded him. There must have been hundreds of people pushing in to hear his words, most of them poor and hungry. The place was brimming over with the sick and the dispossessed, the widow and the orphan, the ones without a voice and without hope. We watched as Jesus looked at them with compassion and prayed peace into their lives. As he stood before them, we heard him pronounce blessing upon those who are poor in spirit, for those who are mourning, for those who are meek, for those who are merciful despite their hardships, those who are pure in spirit, and upon those who seek peace rather than war.
But Jesus also challenged them saying, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” He said to them, “If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. If someone forces you to carry their pack one mile, carry it two. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” Then he finished by saying, “Do to others as you would have them do to you. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
When he had finished, he turned toward the west, where we were sitting, we who have the power, who have the authority, and who have a voice. For a time he just stared at us, then he approached and addressed us directly: “Do not be mistaken, these words are not for you.”
Then Jesus raised his voice and said, “I am sending you an infinitely more difficult message.
”A time is coming when those you now treat as enemies and slaves will show you nothing but love in return, when those who you curse with indifference will offer you blessing. When you slap these people on the right check, be prepared, for they will turn their left check toward you. When you steal their cloak, they will offer you their tunic. And when you demand that they carry your possessions for one mile, they will freely carry those possessions for two. They will give freely what you demand from them, and they will not seek to gain back what you have stolen from them. They will treat you as they would long to be treated. You will judge them but they will not judge you. You will condemn them but they will not condemn you.
Before leaving us he finished by saying, “These people are my message to you. Heed this message and you will live. Ignore it, and you will perish.”
Rollins, Peter (2009). The Orthodox Heretic: And Other Impossible Tales (pp. 19-21). Paraclete Press. Kindle Edition.
But Jesus also challenged them saying, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” He said to them, “If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. If someone forces you to carry their pack one mile, carry it two. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” Then he finished by saying, “Do to others as you would have them do to you. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
When he had finished, he turned toward the west, where we were sitting, we who have the power, who have the authority, and who have a voice. For a time he just stared at us, then he approached and addressed us directly: “Do not be mistaken, these words are not for you.”
Then Jesus raised his voice and said, “I am sending you an infinitely more difficult message.
”A time is coming when those you now treat as enemies and slaves will show you nothing but love in return, when those who you curse with indifference will offer you blessing. When you slap these people on the right check, be prepared, for they will turn their left check toward you. When you steal their cloak, they will offer you their tunic. And when you demand that they carry your possessions for one mile, they will freely carry those possessions for two. They will give freely what you demand from them, and they will not seek to gain back what you have stolen from them. They will treat you as they would long to be treated. You will judge them but they will not judge you. You will condemn them but they will not condemn you.
Before leaving us he finished by saying, “These people are my message to you. Heed this message and you will live. Ignore it, and you will perish.”
Rollins, Peter (2009). The Orthodox Heretic: And Other Impossible Tales (pp. 19-21). Paraclete Press. Kindle Edition.
Doubting God Part 2
In an earlier post I talked about doubting God. I am not discussing doubting the empirical existence of God. That can not be proved. Sure there is infinite circumstantial evidence that points to his existence, and it is that that leads me to interpret this life through a lens as if there is a God. But let us not kid ourselves, God cannot be measured even if He appears to be self evident.
I don't doubt the existence of God, only my perception of him.
Ever heard someone say?, "Don't put God in a box."
"God in a box" references our perception of God. However, I fear that when people say that what they really mean is "Don't put God in your box. He actually works better as my perception of God." Doubting God isn't about doubting his existence, but rather doubting who we think God is and how he works.
Don't get me wrong I think it is OK to have our beliefs in God. I just think we shouldn't hold to tightly to those beliefs because we risk missing out on all God can be. I certainly have my beliefs but I choose not to hold them in certainty.
Your perception of who God is and how he works is merely a distraction from allowing God to be all that he can be through your life here on Earth. If God cannot be measured why do we try. We do not need to know how or why God is to be a part of who God is.
When we define God we risk loosing all that God is capable of being. Doubting God is about learning to exist within God rather than forcing God to exist within us.
I don't doubt the existence of God, only my perception of him.
Ever heard someone say?, "Don't put God in a box."
"God in a box" references our perception of God. However, I fear that when people say that what they really mean is "Don't put God in your box. He actually works better as my perception of God." Doubting God isn't about doubting his existence, but rather doubting who we think God is and how he works.
Don't get me wrong I think it is OK to have our beliefs in God. I just think we shouldn't hold to tightly to those beliefs because we risk missing out on all God can be. I certainly have my beliefs but I choose not to hold them in certainty.
Your perception of who God is and how he works is merely a distraction from allowing God to be all that he can be through your life here on Earth. If God cannot be measured why do we try. We do not need to know how or why God is to be a part of who God is.
When we define God we risk loosing all that God is capable of being. Doubting God is about learning to exist within God rather than forcing God to exist within us.
The purpose of the Church
What is the purpose of the church? I have had this conversation with a close friend of mine a few times before. He strongly holds that church is a place for Christians to learn about God and be equipped for their work outside of church. He generally can back up his arguments with scripture. I tend to argue toward the church being a place where people of all walks of life can come and hear the story of Jesus. My argument is based on personal philosophy and gut-feelings about how the church body should mimic the teaching styles of Jesus.
The debate is always respectful and usually goes something like this. My questions are represented by the second in each series.
For the Sinner or the Saved? For the believer or the unbeliever?
Do we go to church to learn about God because we are believers? Or do we go to wrestle with our unbelief?
Do we go to church because we believe? Or do we belief because we have been changed by the story of Jesus we learned at church?
Is church supposed to be a members only club or an open invitation for all?
Personally I believe God can work in and through us regardless of our understanding of the church and what it means live incarnate. My hope for church is that we give God plenty of room to work in the lives of people no matter where they are on their spiritual journey. I fear when we make church a place that is centrally focused on our on spiritual needs, we unintentionally loose sight of all that God can be.
The debate is always respectful and usually goes something like this. My questions are represented by the second in each series.
For the Sinner or the Saved? For the believer or the unbeliever?
Do we go to church to learn about God because we are believers? Or do we go to wrestle with our unbelief?
Do we go to church because we believe? Or do we belief because we have been changed by the story of Jesus we learned at church?
Is church supposed to be a members only club or an open invitation for all?
Personally I believe God can work in and through us regardless of our understanding of the church and what it means live incarnate. My hope for church is that we give God plenty of room to work in the lives of people no matter where they are on their spiritual journey. I fear when we make church a place that is centrally focused on our on spiritual needs, we unintentionally loose sight of all that God can be.
Doubting God
My ideas and understanding of God are becoming less by the day.
My problem with certainty, with knowing all the answers is we leave little room for God to work. I think John Piper has an incredible God. I just don't know if I could ever believe in John Piper's God. Piper seems to know to much about him.
Instead, I wonder if church could be a place where we didn't go to find answers, but we went to express our profound doubts. I question if that may be what God intended.
Few things in the world are black and white. Most of it seems to be shades of gray. It's all bit complicated and confusing. It makes life a struggle.
The Bible tells this beautiful story of the Garden of Eden. In the garden mankind was in a perfect relationship with God. Life was simple and wonderful in the presence of God. However, when man ate the forbidden fruit he gained the knowledge of good and evil, of right and wrong; but he was banned from the Garden.
It was in man's knowing that he lost God. It was in his unknowing and uncertainty where he was able to have a relationship with Him.
The more I become comfortable doubting God the more I learn who He is.
As soon as I grasp God as an object I loose him all together. It's only I let go of who I think God is and simply exist in Him that I find God.
My problem with certainty, with knowing all the answers is we leave little room for God to work. I think John Piper has an incredible God. I just don't know if I could ever believe in John Piper's God. Piper seems to know to much about him.
Instead, I wonder if church could be a place where we didn't go to find answers, but we went to express our profound doubts. I question if that may be what God intended.
Few things in the world are black and white. Most of it seems to be shades of gray. It's all bit complicated and confusing. It makes life a struggle.
The Bible tells this beautiful story of the Garden of Eden. In the garden mankind was in a perfect relationship with God. Life was simple and wonderful in the presence of God. However, when man ate the forbidden fruit he gained the knowledge of good and evil, of right and wrong; but he was banned from the Garden.
It was in man's knowing that he lost God. It was in his unknowing and uncertainty where he was able to have a relationship with Him.
The more I become comfortable doubting God the more I learn who He is.
As soon as I grasp God as an object I loose him all together. It's only I let go of who I think God is and simply exist in Him that I find God.
Parable of Two Friends
This story is based from a conversation with a close friend.
This man had two friends. He loved them dearly, and as a Christian he wished that they too could come to know what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus.
1st Friend:
He invited his first friend to church. This friend gladly said yes. He came to church and heard a beautiful and passionate sermon on justification by faith. This friend was deeply moved. He realized he was a sinner and he needed God's grace. When the invitation was offered at the end of the service he walked down the aisle. He prayed a beautiful prayer with the pastor. "God I am a sinner. I receive your undeserving grace and your gift of eternal life." The pastor announced to the crowd what this friend had prayed. Everyone clapped and cheered. The friend returned again the next week and was baptized. Afterwards this friend went back to his old life and never came back to church again.
2nd Friend:
He did not invite his second friend to church. They worked together and would have long conversations. This friend would ask difficult questions about God, Jesus, and faith that he could not answer. After work each day the friend would go back to his wild lifestyle. This went on for several months. He never saw his friend pray to receive forgiveness of sins. However, this friend told him that his life was being changed by their relationship. His actions and their conversations were making this friend change to become more like the Jesus they talked about.
Which friend had a relationship with Jesus? Which friend desired God?
This man had two friends. He loved them dearly, and as a Christian he wished that they too could come to know what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus.
1st Friend:
He invited his first friend to church. This friend gladly said yes. He came to church and heard a beautiful and passionate sermon on justification by faith. This friend was deeply moved. He realized he was a sinner and he needed God's grace. When the invitation was offered at the end of the service he walked down the aisle. He prayed a beautiful prayer with the pastor. "God I am a sinner. I receive your undeserving grace and your gift of eternal life." The pastor announced to the crowd what this friend had prayed. Everyone clapped and cheered. The friend returned again the next week and was baptized. Afterwards this friend went back to his old life and never came back to church again.
2nd Friend:
He did not invite his second friend to church. They worked together and would have long conversations. This friend would ask difficult questions about God, Jesus, and faith that he could not answer. After work each day the friend would go back to his wild lifestyle. This went on for several months. He never saw his friend pray to receive forgiveness of sins. However, this friend told him that his life was being changed by their relationship. His actions and their conversations were making this friend change to become more like the Jesus they talked about.
Which friend had a relationship with Jesus? Which friend desired God?
Desire is not satisfied in God.
Desire is not satisfied in God, it is born in God.
I love the metaphor of marriage used in the bible to describe the relationship between Christians and our God. It works perfectly.
Before I met my wife Mollie I did not desire her. I could only desire what I wanted in a wife. Only after I met her and began to get to know her could I desire Mollie as my wife. It was in knowing Mollie that I began to desire a relationship with her. It was that relationship that brought on a commitment to a life with her.
Before I came in contact with the story of Jesus I did not desire to know him. I could only desire what I wanted in God. Only after I began to learn who Jesus was did I begin to desire a relationship with him. It is because I know Jesus that I desire him. It is because of my relationship with him that I am willing to commit my life to that relationship.
God is not the answer to my desires. He is the source of it.
I love the metaphor of marriage used in the bible to describe the relationship between Christians and our God. It works perfectly.
Before I met my wife Mollie I did not desire her. I could only desire what I wanted in a wife. Only after I met her and began to get to know her could I desire Mollie as my wife. It was in knowing Mollie that I began to desire a relationship with her. It was that relationship that brought on a commitment to a life with her.
Before I came in contact with the story of Jesus I did not desire to know him. I could only desire what I wanted in God. Only after I began to learn who Jesus was did I begin to desire a relationship with him. It is because I know Jesus that I desire him. It is because of my relationship with him that I am willing to commit my life to that relationship.
God is not the answer to my desires. He is the source of it.
The Nature of Good
I don’t agree with all things the philosopher/theologian Augustine had to say, but recently I read his work “On the Nature of Good.” He has a interesting take on what good is and what evil is. I don’t think it is perfect, but it does provide a thoughtful perspective.
Augustine’s Thought Process Oversimplified:
God is the ultimate good. All creatures are flawed by nature but inherently good because they are from God.
Sin is not a step toward evil as much as a step away from the greatest good(God). Sin is the corruption of the inherent good of mankind. Much the same way that darkness is the absence of light; sin(evil) is the absence of good.
All mankind has some level of good. If we allowed for the complete corruption of our good (which Augustine views as impossible) we would seize exist as a creation of God.
The knowledge between good and evil(the apple) is not a bad thing, however the knowledge of the greatest good is best.
God, as the infinite good, does not allow for the corruption of our good by sin, but does give us permission to choose between the greatest good(God) and smaller levels of good. The more you sin the more you corrupt the good inside...the less you become like God. God wants us to choose the greatest good.
Takeaway:
All people have some good inside.
Loving the person as God’s creation is more important than trying to fix the problem.
We are prone to choose good over great. Choose the greatest good.
Augustine’s Thought Process Oversimplified:
God is the ultimate good. All creatures are flawed by nature but inherently good because they are from God.
Sin is not a step toward evil as much as a step away from the greatest good(God). Sin is the corruption of the inherent good of mankind. Much the same way that darkness is the absence of light; sin(evil) is the absence of good.
All mankind has some level of good. If we allowed for the complete corruption of our good (which Augustine views as impossible) we would seize exist as a creation of God.
The knowledge between good and evil(the apple) is not a bad thing, however the knowledge of the greatest good is best.
God, as the infinite good, does not allow for the corruption of our good by sin, but does give us permission to choose between the greatest good(God) and smaller levels of good. The more you sin the more you corrupt the good inside...the less you become like God. God wants us to choose the greatest good.
Takeaway:
All people have some good inside.
Loving the person as God’s creation is more important than trying to fix the problem.
We are prone to choose good over great. Choose the greatest good.
Faith by Trial and Error
Why trial and error is more important than certainty? Today I watched: Tim Harford: Trial, Error, and the God Complex? His talk created clarity for some of the gut-feelings I have toward others opinions on faith and theology?
Someone with a god complex: In the face of an incredibly complicated world he nevertheless is absolutely convinced they know how the world works. When approached by someone with absolute certainty it is important to ask: What does he leave out?
In an world where the complexity is unbelievably staggering the god-complex is tempting. So how do we abandon the god-complex and approach matters with humility and a willingness to learn from the results. Not beginning with an answer and seeking proof to make a point, but learning to let the proof speak for itself.
How do we get there? Curiosity. Trial and Error. Willingness to be wrong. Willingness to fail during the search for truth. Willingness to accept the truth for what it is.
In the end we will have a result that works. A faith that is real. We will not necessarily be able to identify why it works, but we will know that it does. And that is very scary for those of us who rely on reason and logic.
It is easier not to have my opinions challenged. Not to have my conclusions tested. It is more comfortable to be certain than uncertain.
But, I think Jesus/God intended for us to not defend our faith but to explore a relationship with him. I'm on that journey.
Someone with a god complex: In the face of an incredibly complicated world he nevertheless is absolutely convinced they know how the world works. When approached by someone with absolute certainty it is important to ask: What does he leave out?
In an world where the complexity is unbelievably staggering the god-complex is tempting. So how do we abandon the god-complex and approach matters with humility and a willingness to learn from the results. Not beginning with an answer and seeking proof to make a point, but learning to let the proof speak for itself.
How do we get there? Curiosity. Trial and Error. Willingness to be wrong. Willingness to fail during the search for truth. Willingness to accept the truth for what it is.
In the end we will have a result that works. A faith that is real. We will not necessarily be able to identify why it works, but we will know that it does. And that is very scary for those of us who rely on reason and logic.
It is easier not to have my opinions challenged. Not to have my conclusions tested. It is more comfortable to be certain than uncertain.
But, I think Jesus/God intended for us to not defend our faith but to explore a relationship with him. I'm on that journey.
Why do I Write
Why do I write? It forces me to have ideas. To stand somewhere on an issue. To not just float through life.
This is also the reason most people never write. Why do writers get writer's block but electricians don't get electrician block? Because writers get scared. They face lizard brain. They have to be vulnerable. They worry if what they have to say really matters. I deal with this every time I sit down to the keyboard.
Writing is permanent. It is harder than a honest face to face conversation. This stuff is recorded in time. There is no deny-ability. Sure my ideas will change over time, but this serves as a snapshot of what I say right here and now. This is where I stand.
The truth is having to say intelligent things about what you see around you makes you better. Smarter. Aware of where you are and where you are going.
It is not easy, but conflict shapes you into a better person. So write something. Start a blog and don't tell anyone until you are comfortable. Just decide to stand somewhere.
What don't I write? descriptions. management. concrete facts.
What do I write? Ideas. Concepts. Stories. Theories. Uncertainties. Anything that forces me to take the next step instead of being comfortable.
This is also the reason most people never write. Why do writers get writer's block but electricians don't get electrician block? Because writers get scared. They face lizard brain. They have to be vulnerable. They worry if what they have to say really matters. I deal with this every time I sit down to the keyboard.
Writing is permanent. It is harder than a honest face to face conversation. This stuff is recorded in time. There is no deny-ability. Sure my ideas will change over time, but this serves as a snapshot of what I say right here and now. This is where I stand.
The truth is having to say intelligent things about what you see around you makes you better. Smarter. Aware of where you are and where you are going.
It is not easy, but conflict shapes you into a better person. So write something. Start a blog and don't tell anyone until you are comfortable. Just decide to stand somewhere.
What don't I write? descriptions. management. concrete facts.
What do I write? Ideas. Concepts. Stories. Theories. Uncertainties. Anything that forces me to take the next step instead of being comfortable.
Heart of the Matter
Do you ever sit down and ask yourself what happens if my plan doesn't work out the way I want? My wife and I had this conversation the other day. It isn't always an easy thing to think or talk about. We have our hopes and dreams, but what happens if our plan to get there doesn't work out perfectly.
The truth is our plans so far haven't worked out perfectly, and it is doubtful that our plans for the future will play out exactly. There is nothing wrong with having plans. I think they are a necessary part of accomplishing most anything.
Just because we can not foresee the future does not mean we have lost our way. No matter where we land we will always have what is really important to us. The mystery of life makes the prospect of the future both exciting and uncertain.
So if our plan doesn't work, what do we have left to hold onto? We have to have to ask ourselves: what is the heart of the matter? What is the passion that encourages our planning?
It is more important to have a mission than a plan. A mission is fueled by passion. A plan is fueled by pragmatism. You can always hold on to a mission. A plan is only as good as the certainty of your future.
As long as you hold on to the heart of your dreams you will have something to plan for.
The truth is our plans so far haven't worked out perfectly, and it is doubtful that our plans for the future will play out exactly. There is nothing wrong with having plans. I think they are a necessary part of accomplishing most anything.
Just because we can not foresee the future does not mean we have lost our way. No matter where we land we will always have what is really important to us. The mystery of life makes the prospect of the future both exciting and uncertain.
So if our plan doesn't work, what do we have left to hold onto? We have to have to ask ourselves: what is the heart of the matter? What is the passion that encourages our planning?
It is more important to have a mission than a plan. A mission is fueled by passion. A plan is fueled by pragmatism. You can always hold on to a mission. A plan is only as good as the certainty of your future.
As long as you hold on to the heart of your dreams you will have something to plan for.
My Problem with Getting "Saved"
Ever wonder how often we do something just because we can? If we are capable why shouldn’t we? If we are can send a man to the moon why shouldn’t we? Progress and productivity because we can. This is very pragmatic. Very Western. Very American.
Do we ever stop to consider what are the consequences of this mindset?
We become results driven. We only focus on what “really matters” in order to get the job done.
What has this done to our faith? For several years now I have questioned what it means to be as a Christian to be “saved.” What is the purpose of an alter call? Have we simply boiled down Christianity to justification by faith?
At so any church or Christian events growing up I was told “All you have to do is pray this prayer and you will be saved.”
This has never felt right to me, and through several discussions over the past few years I have found others fell this way too.
Relationships are never based on one decision. To steal an analogy from Donald Miller, a relationship with Jesus feels much more like falling in love than a one time decision. You can’t be quite sure how you got to this point, but you certainly know that you have made both unconscious and conscious decisions to get there.
It feels like a journey. An ongoing process that shares common bonds but looks different for every person.
Do we ever stop to consider what are the consequences of this mindset?
We become results driven. We only focus on what “really matters” in order to get the job done.
What has this done to our faith? For several years now I have questioned what it means to be as a Christian to be “saved.” What is the purpose of an alter call? Have we simply boiled down Christianity to justification by faith?
At so any church or Christian events growing up I was told “All you have to do is pray this prayer and you will be saved.”
This has never felt right to me, and through several discussions over the past few years I have found others fell this way too.
Relationships are never based on one decision. To steal an analogy from Donald Miller, a relationship with Jesus feels much more like falling in love than a one time decision. You can’t be quite sure how you got to this point, but you certainly know that you have made both unconscious and conscious decisions to get there.
It feels like a journey. An ongoing process that shares common bonds but looks different for every person.
The Parable of the Ferrari
Knowing the student was more interested in being transformed by his learning and not merely seeking to learn the historical facts of the Bible, Thorsten told him this story.
"There were two neighbors who entered in a contest to win a Ferrari. Despite a billion to one odds the neighbors both had the number to the winning ticket. Ferrari promised to deliver a bright red sports car to each of the neighbors.
The first neighbor cleared out every thing in his garage. When he received his Ferrari he began to deconstruct it. He took every piece apart and put it in it's own place. There was a storage compartment for every part of his new car. He knew his Ferrari inside and out. He could define the purpose of every part and knew the factory where each piece was made. He was so proud of his new found knowledge. When friends would come over he would take them to his garage, and show them how well he knew his Ferrari.
The second neighbor had a garage filled with old rusty tools he did not know how to use. When he received his Ferrari he had to park it in the driveway. The first day he got in his new car and peeled out of the driveway. He pushed the pedal to the floor and went from 0 to 60 within twenty seconds. After leaving the neighborhood he zoomed through the freeway weaving in an out of traffic. He would take it to a race track to find the Ferrari's top speed. Whenever friends would come over he would take them for a ride and show them how fast the car could go and how well it handled.
Neither man was perfect, but which man had a better understanding of the Ferrari?"
Star City
Heavens to Betsy released their new EP today "Star City." If you have ears you are going to enjoy this. These guys bring nothing but excellence.
Question: What happens when well thought out lyrics meet exceptional musical talents?
Answer: They have a baby and call it Star City.
Do I have personal connections to the band that make me biased? Sure I've known lead guy Ben Backus for as long as I can remember and Stephen Lynch for half that long. So would I tell Ben if his music was not any good? Absolutely......I just wouldn't post it on my blog if I thought they were anything short of remarkable. That is what makes me so excited about this project!
Artist who are Christian face a lot of pressure to define their genre. Are you going to be a "Christian" or "secular" artist? Both camps want a clear answer. Heavens to Betsy breaks the rules. These guys earn the right to heard through quality content and quality lives. They are who they are, and their work ethic produces amazing result. These guys stand out.
Question: What happens when well thought out lyrics meet exceptional musical talents?
Answer: They have a baby and call it Star City.
Do I have personal connections to the band that make me biased? Sure I've known lead guy Ben Backus for as long as I can remember and Stephen Lynch for half that long. So would I tell Ben if his music was not any good? Absolutely......I just wouldn't post it on my blog if I thought they were anything short of remarkable. That is what makes me so excited about this project!
Artist who are Christian face a lot of pressure to define their genre. Are you going to be a "Christian" or "secular" artist? Both camps want a clear answer. Heavens to Betsy breaks the rules. These guys earn the right to heard through quality content and quality lives. They are who they are, and their work ethic produces amazing result. These guys stand out.
The Bible Was Not Written to You
The bible was written for us. It is filled with stories and wisdom that have great implications for our lives. But sometimes we forget that the bible wasn’t written to us. We casually read the bible like a mirror asking: what does this passage mean to me? Most christians are all guilty of this at some level... including me. It is human nature to want things to be about us.
Each book was written individually for a particular implied audience. When Paul wrote Corinthians he wrote it with the church of Corinth in mind. The author of Luke and Acts wrote to Theophilous. In no way did the authors of the bible books write with us in mind, or ever expect for us to read it.
When we pull a scripture verse out of context we risk re-authoring the text. We risk making the scripture say and mean whatever is good for us. When we do this we fail to interpret the bible. We fail to allow the bible change us.
What does it look like to assume the role of the implied audience? To use our imagination and read the scripture from someone else's shoes? To try and understand/interpret the bible from the point of view of whom it was really written to? Not to abuse the scriptures to simply meet our current needs, but to allow the scriptures to speak for themselves and have implications into our own lives. What does it mean to avoid extracting the principles that we think apply to our life and beginning to allow transformation to happen organically?
As christians, we are all guilty of making the bible say what we want, and the good news is God still chooses to work through us. I just think we should learn to be more careful not to speak for God, and learn how to best let God speak to us.
Each book was written individually for a particular implied audience. When Paul wrote Corinthians he wrote it with the church of Corinth in mind. The author of Luke and Acts wrote to Theophilous. In no way did the authors of the bible books write with us in mind, or ever expect for us to read it. When we pull a scripture verse out of context we risk re-authoring the text. We risk making the scripture say and mean whatever is good for us. When we do this we fail to interpret the bible. We fail to allow the bible change us.
What does it look like to assume the role of the implied audience? To use our imagination and read the scripture from someone else's shoes? To try and understand/interpret the bible from the point of view of whom it was really written to? Not to abuse the scriptures to simply meet our current needs, but to allow the scriptures to speak for themselves and have implications into our own lives. What does it mean to avoid extracting the principles that we think apply to our life and beginning to allow transformation to happen organically?
As christians, we are all guilty of making the bible say what we want, and the good news is God still chooses to work through us. I just think we should learn to be more careful not to speak for God, and learn how to best let God speak to us.
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