What's Up with Your "Aura"?

Okay, I am un-apologetically Christian, so I don't spend time processing concepts like "aura". I used that word to provoke your curiosity and get you to read this little devotional blog. My real agenda, here, is to get us to do some self-examination regarding the "energy of influence" that we are carrying around with us.

Are people drawn to you,lately? Are people being energized by your presence? Are people being encouraged and uplifted by your presence? When you walk into a room, does your presence seem to "suck" the life out of the place? Are you attracting blessings or curses into your life? Are the things you are touching turning into "gold" or spiritual "gore"? For the people in your life, do you represent hope or death? In your interactions with others, are you - unconsciously - helping or hurting?

...and one final question: in your presence, is the Kingdom of God made more present or is it diminished?

Go ahead. Tell yourself the truth. No one is watching.... but God.

Warning: this can be kinda painful, but know that God's mercy and grace are chasing you your whole life long.

My Media Hero - Tim Russert

I am mourning the passing away of Tim Russert, my favorite journalist. What made Tim my favorite was his ability to be supremely objective while "drilling" his guests with thorough and intense interrogations. He always knew his facts. He was never caught "off-guard" by a guest's response. He was always tough, but never confrontational.

Tim was so excited about the upcoming presidential election, and in spite of the all the "loud" voices on our national media scene, no one gave more quality attention to the issues that matter to us all than did Mr. Russert.

Back to his objectivity.... I am amazed that I could never get a definitive judgment on whether he was Democrat or a Republican, because no matter the persuasion of his guest, he was always searching and thorough.

In a social age where we seem so totally incapable of seeing things objectively, and where people have learned the truth-hiding art of "seeing things from their own perspective", Mr Russert was a personal hero of mine who could look behind the biases, prejudices, and personal dispositions and get to what we all are in such desperate need of - the unadulterated truth.

Good night, Mr Russert. We'll see you in the morning.

An Amazing Discovery!

Today, I celebrate my 42nd birthday!

Okay, so, I'll try and offer up a brief note of wisdom that I hope is a decent reflection of 42 years of living - good living!

My only regret is that I've probably spent far too much of these 42 years trying to live up to other people's expectations, standards, and rules. I've lived too much of my years fretting over others' opinions of me - hoping they like me, accept me, really love me.

In this sense, I'm really no different from anyone else. We all want to be loved and accepted. On the flip side, rejection and disappointment may be our biggest handicappers in life, and nothing creates space in our lives for rebellion and negative behavior like these twin adversities.

Something has happened for me over the past 5 years. Somehow, the "light" of God's Love was finally able to burn through the fog of people's opinions and peers' expectations. Had I come to a sense of this overwhelming love earlier in life, I would have avoided a lot of self-destructive behavior. I would have spent more of my faith-walk enjoying God's love rather than trying to earn people's love. I would have, therefore, avoided a lot of self-destructive behavior, the kind that grows out of the resentment and anger that develops in a person's heart when your best is never quite good enough.

So, on my birthday, my prayer for you is that you will come to know the length, height, and depth of God's immeasurable love for you, and that God's love will chase away all of your demons of fear, rejection, disappointment, resentment, and anger.

In one of my favorite recent movies, "Ratatouille", there is a scene in the movie when Remy, a rat, gets separated from his family and lost in a sewage. After days of swimming, fighting through dung and waster water, he finally decides go "go for it" and climb out of the sewer. When he does, he pushes open a sewer-drain cover, looks around, and says, "You mean, all of this time I've been living in Paris?!"

Climb out of your sewers, your waste-places, your places of rejection and shame, and look around! All of your life, you've been living in the love of God!

Happy May 1st!

Vain Repetitions

Jesus once told his followers to not use "vain repetitions" when they pray and insinuated that people who pray this way are trying more to impress peope than communicate with God.

It has been said that prayer is not just a moment of speaking; rather, prayer is really a way of life. Prayer is living one's life as an inquiry of, response to, and communication with God. If this is true, then "vain repetitions" happen more than just in "prayer moments". In fact, I think they are the order of the day for too many people of faith.

Vain repetitions are the things that never bring desired results, but we keep doing over and over again as expressions of our deepest desires for transformation and true life. These repetitions seldom reap any benefits, but we've been told that they are necessary and are the singular means by which we can access the blessings of God, so we keep doing them over and over again!

You may ask, "what are the vain repetitions of which you speak?" I will not answer that question. The key here for you is to search your heart and your life. Identify those things that you keep doing, saying, and believing in hope that they'll bring about change. Now, If God specifically commanded you to do these things, by all means, keep doing them. However, if you are doing these things because that's what the religious establishment has ordered, or if you are doing them because that's what other reigious people you've know have done, or worst, if you are doing them because you fear that if you stop your life will be worse off, then, by all means, do something else. Break the mold. Turn to God. Seek His face, and trust Him that He really will give you truth, hope, and life.

Jesus counseled us to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking in trust that the God to whom we run for hope will not give us stones when we have begged for bread!

Count this as my clarion call to you to break the cycle of endless, meaningless activity. Seek God for the "one thing" that can do for you what a thousand years of "vain repetitions" never can.

Trust God, for real! Choose life!

People of the Spirit?

The new "forbidden fruit" is to be so well-planned and organized that we leave no room for the Holy Spirit to move and direct us. Come to think about it, that's not "new," in fact, it's the same issue that was at the heart of Eve's curiosity about "that one tree from which we cannot eat."

Eve wanted more than what the Lord had given. She "aspired" to a greater level of knowledge, insight, and most of all - control. The serpent exploits this aspiration with something so subtle and yet so attractive for human beings - "remove the limitations of your humanity, expand your reach, remove the gap between what it is to be human and what it is to be Divine. Don't settle for letting God be God; Be like God!"

The forbidden fruit was too much of a source of ambiguity and uncertainty for the first family. "You need to plan for the future; remove the uncontrolled variables; He who fails to plan, plans to fail. No room for that! 1% of creation abiding outside of our control leaves too much to chance!"

Yet, human beings are not God! We are not created to live with complete control. We are created to live in complete dependence on God. There's certainly plenty for us to organize and plan, but to ever expect anything we do in cooperation with God to be fully planned and completely controlled is human arrogance and vanity. We plan and organize, but God has the final Word about what happens.

I think that God intentionally frustrates our plans, from time to time, just to keep us humble and open to His Sovereignty.

People of God should especially understood that our way in life is not control and human organziation. We are people of the Spirit, and of course, as witnessed to in our Scriptures, that means many things, but here's one of Jesus' interpretations of what it means to be people of the Spirit: "The wind blows where it wants to and you hear the sound of it, but you don't know where the wind comes from or where it is going. It is the same way with every one who is born of the Spirit."

The Spirit moves; I'm lost as to what's going on. So, I just let go. Let the wind take me... enjoy the ride... out of control... not knowing and uncertain... wrapped in the arms of God.

Life Without "Good Fridays"?

As I celebrate Good Friday, today, I am spending a lot of time reflecting on my understanding of what it means for someone to be "saved." I think that it's important for the people of God to constantly reflect upon and remember what, exactly, we are offering the world when we proclaim our Faith as "good news". What are we offering that will make their lives different? Why should they listen to our message?

For most of my ministry, I have believed and taught that to be "saved" means to be made whole, to be delivered from the consequences, power, and even influence of sin. I have believed and taught that to be "saved" means to attain the life that provides us protection from much of the pain, struggle, and trouble faced by others who are "outside" of the family of God. In fact, I have often believed and taught that to be "saved" means, in some sense, that we will experience fewer and fewer "good fridays" - days during which are lives are characterized by pain, disappointment, suffering, and struggle.

Today, my thoughts are different... refreshingly so. As horrible as Jesus' Good Friday was, some wonderful and powerful things were happening that have changed the course of history. On Good Friday, God died, and in dying, He was giving the highest and greatest expression of His love for us. On Good Friday, Jesus was canceling our debts and giving us an eternal opportunity for jubilee - a fresh start without debt! On Good Friday, God demonstrated that our worst days are often handy tools for the display of God's magnificent love and power (a setup for Resurrection!)! Good Friday was indeed a good day because in the midst of, in spite of, and I would add, because of the suffering of that day, God reclaimed all of creation and gave us the decisive victory over sin and death!

I believe that God wants to do the same with our own "good Fridays". I believe that our most dreadful days, our most challenging days, our most difficult days, are days when God does His best work in our lives and in the lives of people around us.

To be "saved" cannot mean, then, that we gain exemption from "good fridays", rather, to be "saved" means that we are placed into our uniquely designed role to live a life through which God accomplishes His Will and is glorified. To be "saved" means to be live a life of purpose regardless of whether you're having one of your best days or one of your worst. To be "saved" means to be forgiven, set free to live without the bondage of the past. To be "saved" means to be given the "fullness" of God Spirit so that in spite of of our "good fridays" we can live with the joy of the Resurrection!

Vote for Jay Z or Jesus.... Who's Cooler?

Who's Cooler, Jay Z or Jesus?

Who’s Cooler: Jay-Z or Jesus?
This is the question that popped up on my blackberry as a text message around 7 am on a recent Sunday morning. My first thought was that the question was rather shallow and even pointless, but as I sought for a reasonable answer, the depth and serious implications hidden beneath the surface of the question “hit” me.

My first impulse was to come to the defense of Jesus, but this question isn’t really about Jesus, rather, it’s says more about the culture in which we live. The question isn’t about what I personally think about either Jesus or Jay-Z. This question is about how, in our culture, Jay-Z has more influence than Jesus.

Here are some critical questions that must be raised in our comparison: “who has greater influence on our youth?” “Who’s in the headlines more?” “Who’s most likely to get a favorable review from the media?” “Who’s more attractive to our youth?” “Who’s most likely to attract financial resources for new projects?”

Anyone of reasonable honesty would have to admit that Jay-Z is certainly more popular and influential in our culture. However, the fact of the matter is that we are actually comparing Jay-Z with Jesus’ contemporary followers. Jesus, himself, is a much more invigorating and provocative figure than his followers. Let me give you a few examples.

Jesus took the risk of incarnation from heaven to earth. Confidence. Boldness. Passion. That’s cool…. Cooler than Jay-Z, in fact.

Jesus slept in the midst of a life-threatening storm! Confidence. Coolness. Strength. That’s ‘s cool.

Jesus took some of the least of society and changed the world. Cool. Way Cool.

Even in the midst of his worst trials, Jesus was able to stick to his values and show compassion for others. A crucifixion? No compromise. Crazy-cool!

What do YOU think?

A Resolution for Life

A Resolution for the New Year

I resolve to look for the presence of God in every situation and on every occasion.

Of course, I expect to encounter God in church (especially at New World Church!). I expect to encounter God through my favorite preachers and Bible teachers. I suspect that it’ll be pretty easy to discern the presence of God in prayer vigils and Bible classes. I thank God for giving us “places” where we can consistently and reliably meet Him and experience His empowering and life-giving presence. I thank God for the grace that allows us to have special places and special gatherings where He continuously shows up.

I am reminded, however, that God is everywhere (“omnipresent” is the word that Biblical scholars use). I recall the experience of Isaiah as recorded in chapter 6 of the book that bears his name, where he discovers that “the whole earth if full of the glory of God”! Paul quoted and affirmed the words of the poets of his day, “in God we live, move, and exist” (Acts 17:28). God is everywhere, even in the places, people, and gatherings that appear to be the very opposite of the God we’ve come to know, love, and worship.

So, my project for this year, and really for the rest of my life, is to look for signs of God’s presence in every place and in every situation. I know that sometimes I’ll find it difficult to discern him because of my own limitations, fears, and prejudices. Yet, I know He’s there – in even the ugliest, darkest of places.

I’ll look, watch, and wait. If I get a glimpse of the glory, I’ll embrace it, celebrate it, and pray for the grace to become a vehicle for its expression and magnification!