Courtyard

2012-01-31T15:00:00.000-05:00

You know those times when you're riding high, feeling good, sitting back and thinking "all I do is win!"?

This is not one of those times for me.

In fact, quite the opposite. Lately my thought has been, "I just can't win."

The people-pleaser in me learned a long time ago that I can't make everyone happy, but it's still hard when people are mad at you and despise you for reasons that don't add up. But a wise person recently reminded me that God knows what's in your heart.

That thought is both a comfort and a challenge. There will always be people who misunderstand our actions and intentions, but God will always know where our heart is.

I'm going to continue to make mistakes in my life - sometimes more than others. And even when I don't mess up, there will always be people who don't see it that way. Thank goodness for grace and thank goodness that the only One who matters knows exactly where I am and where I'm coming from.

(And then there are the times that you're in the middle of writing a blog post about not winning and your husband makes a surprise visit to your office with these...

Life is good, my friends, life is good.

2012-01-23T09:16:00.000-05:00

Some Political, or Not-So-Political, Thoughts

Once upon a time I was a political science major, spending my summers working in Washington, D.C. both on and off Capitol Hill. It was a time when I found public policy endlessly fascinating and felt important because of the tours I gave, articles I wrote and hands I shook.

(side note - of all the people I met and hands I shook, the most exciting was definitely the day I literally ran into Muhammed Ali as I was giving a tour in the Hall of Statues. His hand completely encompassed mine and I'm not even sure I got words out. A-mazing!)

But this morning I overheard myself saying to my husband, "Well, at least the commercials can stop in South Carolina. Poor Florida." Who was that person?

Truth is, I still enjoy politics. I make it a priority to vote because I think it's a privilege, and if you get me far enough away from my role as pastor I'm more than happy to wax eloquent on my views about why small government matters. But I made a choice, or rather a discovery, near the end of my time in college - I was far more passionate about and believed much more in the difference the Church can make in the world than government and politicians. And if I was going to expend my energy and time in a specific arena fighting corruption, abuse, mis-informed ideas, hurt and suffering, I was going to do it in the Church.

The Church as an institution made up of imperfect human beings is broken, much like the government. However, the Church still has a leader worth following, a leader who still believes in the Church and a leader who is willing to sacrifice popularity, political gain and His very life and His name is Jesus.

I choose to work for Him. I choose to follow Him. My hope is in Him.

2012-01-18T10:57:00.000-05:00

Reality Check

Being 30 weeks pregnant is kicking my butt.

Well, let's be honest, being the mother of a 2-year old, pastoring a church plant and being 30 weeks pregnant is kicking my butt, but for now, let's blame the pregnancy.

I remember doing it all right the first time around - eating right, exercising regularly, reading the book every month and following the preparation checklist. This time...well, let's just say I've already had two pieces of dark chocolate this morning and I'm currently drinking a diet Coke (I don't even like diet Coke!).

So what's the difference? Reality.

Last time I had the luxury of soaking it all in and letting the pregnancy be the number one thing in my life. This time, there's no checking out of the day-to-day. If my 40-pound 2-year old needs picked up, I pick him up. If a meeting needs to be had and 6am is the only time to do it, then 6am it is.

Truth is, I prefer it this way. I know, wait, that's not where it seemed like this was going. But, it's true. Given the choice between utopia and reality, I choose reality...every time. Why? Because it's real. Because reality is where we're stretched and challenged, changed and inspired.

It's the same thing as saying "I wish I had one of those jobs where you checked in and checked out and didn't have to worry about anything." For starters, I don't think those jobs exist. And while there are moments that I long for that, I know I would be bored out of my mind.

I'm thinking this is part of the reason God sent Jesus. God could have stayed out of the mess and fixed everything magically from a realm outside of human reality, but instead He chose incarnation. He chose to come and be with us - in the mud, in the every day, in the stress and the balancing act and the uncertainty.

Did you catch that? The Creator of the universe who could have it any way chose reality, our reality.

It's here in reality where I learn more everyday to trust God for all that I can't control. It's here in reality where I shed tears that even I can't explain, the kind that can only by comforted by a Father who knows my innermost being. It's here in reality that I get that Jesus' sacrifice was truly a sacrifice. It cost Him everything to come and die for me.

So, I'm 30 weeks pregnant, half of our 4-person church staff is currently missing, my 2-year old is in an "I don't want to go to bed at night" phase, and still, I'm thankful.

2011-10-26T11:25:00.000-04:00

Where Have I Been?

Nowhere, actually.

Well, maybe that's not true. Since my last post (yes, Greg, it was in August), I've been to the Eastern Shore of Maryland where I officiated a wedding in the middle of Hurricane Irene (that could have been a post), to Clemson University for the Clemson/Auburn football game (another potentially great post), to Atlanta for the Catalyst Conference, to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for another wedding (turned out to be windier than Hurricane Irene - go figure) and finally to Pennsylvania for a celebration of my Dad who turns 60 this weekend (watch for a post on my dad later this week).

I've been everywhere and I've been nowhere because the truth is I've simply been busy and got out of the habit of writing.

Have you ever noticed how readily we leave behind the disciplines of reflection and conscious thought when life speeds up? I have, and I've also noticed how those absences always come back to haunt me.

So, I don't know where you've been lately or what's been keeping you up at night, but let me invite you to take a deep breath and slow down. A little reflection, a lot of prayer and some time to think are worth their weight in gold.

I'm back...oh, and I'm pregnant :)

2011-08-08T13:43:00.000-04:00

I Stink at Resting

Now, before you rush to judgment and think, "this is one of those posts where the writer thinks they're divulging a character flaw while really being all look-at-me, I'm so awesome I can't even stop my awesomeness to take care of myself," let me assure you, it's not.

I really stink at resting. I waste time with the best of them. I watch television shows that take hours of my life I'll never get back (Design Star being my newest fascination). I play sudoku and solitaire before bed to make my brain stop doing somersaults with the information in my head. But, I'm terrible at resting, actual God-commanded-I-feel-re-energized-when-I'm-finished resting.

Take today for example. I had a really long week last week and worked 16 hours yesterday. I needed to rest today and I made up my mind last night to do just that. It started out pretty well when my son jumped in bed on top of me at 5:30 this morning and my sweet husband swept him up and took him from our room so that I could go back to sleep. I managed to fall back asleep (a huge feat for me) and stayed asleep until 7:30. I got up and played with Jake for awhile, ate a bowl of cereal and then headed to the gym. Really I was too tired to go to the gym, but I told myself I would feel better after I went - I didn't. I just felt more tired and frustrated with what had been a lame work-out b/c I was too tired to push. I came home, showered and got dinner started in the crock-pot. I ran two quick errands and landed, at all places, in my office. (Again, this is not "I'm an awesome workaholic, please pity me" post). I was not there to work. I was there to grab lunch from the food leftover after yesterday's volunteer appreciation breakfast and lunch. I ate, checked facebook, tried to upload our Rwanda video to youtube, failed and decided to move on. I had a gift card to Kohl's in my purse that I thought I could go use. I got there, realized I was too tired to get enjoyment out of walking around the store without a purpose (not unusual, I'm not a big shopper) and left. Then I sat in my car...

I felt trapped. My husband was at work, the babysitter was at the house with Jake and I really wanted to be at home watching a movie, falling asleep in the couch or reading a good book. Only, I didn't want to go home where I could do those things b/c the babysitter is there and I'm worried she'll think I'm a slacker. Plus, if I go home there will be cleaning and laundry and 80 other things that need to be done. I contemplated going to the movie theater to see something, but there's nothing out that I want to see now that I've seen the final Harry Potter.

Now it's 1:30, I'm stressed that I only have 2 1/2 more hours before I go home and the babysitter leaves and I'm sad that I've squandered a rare opportunity to do whatever I want and simply rest.

What's wrong with me? Or, shall I say, "what's wrong with us?" because I'm guessing I'm not the only one like this. We all live hectic, over-booked lives and we wait until we're at breaking point to rest and then we don't know how to do it. Our list of "things I'll do when I get a free minute" is too long and our rest debt, much like our national debt, is too high to solve in one day. We need to make serious changes to our lifestyle, but the truth is we're too tired to really think about it.

Hmm, I wonder if this is why God felt the need to make a regular routine of rest a command. He knew we would be bad at it. He knew we were just arrogant enough to believe we could go on forever without it. So, how do we get back? What does real rest look like? How do we change our culture to encourage healthy, life-giving rest?

I need you blogosphere - help me. How do you rest? How do you help and encourage the people around you to rest?

2011-06-28T13:35:00.000-04:00

Rwanda, Part 2

On our second day in Rwanda I tried to explain to our driver, Saidi, that where we are from in the lowcountry it is nothing like the beautiful, mountainous landscape of Rwanda, i.e. "The Land of 1,000 Hills." Saidi told me to pick any hill I wanted in his country and I could have it as my own. I believe he meant it.

In my life and travels thus far, I've never met people who were more proud of their country or more eager to share. The hospitality we experienced was overwhelming from the hard-boiled eggs offered to us in Pastor Ildephonse's home, the bottled Fanta's and Coke's given to us by coffee farmers on the top of the mountain in Mbilima to even the barbequed rabbit legs cooked especially for us by the headmistress of the school in Kiryamo Parish, Bukonya. (for the record, I didn't actually eat the rabbit legs).

We went to Rwanda with the expectation of giving so much, but as is usually the case, we received so much more. We gave them soccer balls, they gave us handmade banana leaf balls. We gave them shoes, they showed us what it means to literally walk by faith. We gave a home for orphans to live in, they taught us what home really means as we met widows who take in and care for children who are not their own. We taught them to sing "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes," they sang us a song that said, "One night while I was sleeping somebody touched me, I know it was the Lord." We paid rent for land to provide a sustenance farm and food for the orphans, they carried pineapples by the dozens on their heads up steep mountains for miles in order to offer us some sustenance for our travels. We brought them hope, they brought us joy.

Some of the kids crowding in to say hi and welcome us to Kiryamo Parish School in Bukonya

Beans ready to harvest from the sustenance farm!

Saidi and John (my brother-in-law)

The team with our banana leaf balls.

This home will provide shelter for 12 orphans and two widows

2011-06-14T16:08:00.000-04:00

RWANDA, Part One

“Rwanda was dead.”

So read the marker in the genocide museum in Kigali, Rwanda. In 1994, over a million people were killed in the space of 90 days. It was a people turned on itself and led to do something so horrific that the world needed to look away to survive.

We started to glimpse the reality of the genocide on our first day as we stopped by one of many genocide memorials – little did we know getting out of our vehicle that we were about to walk into a church where 10,000 people were killed after seeking refuge in the house of God. The wooden benches were piled high with clothes left behind to represent the lives of those who wore them. The walls and ceiling were littered with bullet holes and dark blood stains.

The story would be devastating if it ended there. But we serve a God who brings life from death. Today, Rwanda is alive again and I bring you overwhelming news that Jesus is again making a way where there seemed to be no way.

After leaving the church, our team sat in a village with a man who shared his testimony of killing some 30 or so people during the genocide. He told us that he was dead as well, but then God forgave him. When he sat down, the woman sitting next to him handed him her 6-month old baby who would not settle. When we left, we were told that the same man who calmed her baby was responsible for killing several of her family members.

Forgiveness. Reconciliation.

Pastor Deo Gashagaza told us, “Reconciliation is not a philosophy. It is a practice.” He should know. Forty-five of Pastor Deo’s family members were killed in the genocide. He was a refugee. When he returned to Rwanda at the end of the genocide, God called him to go into the prisons and start talking about forgiveness and love and hope. Pastor Deo was the first pastor to go and share that message with the perpetrators of the genocide.

Today Pastor Deo runs a Prison Fellowship Ministry in Kigali and has facilitated the establishment of several reconciliation villages throughout Rwanda where perpetrators of the genocide and people who lost their families live side-by-side, farming the same land, building homes for each other, starting again. In addition to the Prison Fellowship Ministry, Pastor Deo runs a ministry for street kids. Three times a week, he and his wife provide a meal for 85 kids. Our team helped serve one of these meals. We watched as the kids eagerly scooped up rice and spinach with their hands. I cried as I saw one little boy eat ravenously and then move some food from his plate to his sister’s whenever she wasn’t looking.

Joy. Hope. Heartbreak.

This was day one of our trip.

2011-05-24T16:00:00.000-04:00

Rwanda Countdown

We leave in 8 days - to say I'm pumped is an understatement! Tomorrow I start taking the typhoid and malaria pills (maybe slightly less pumped about that).

I've heard it said that the Rwandan Genocide in 1994 was the greatest tragedy of the 20th century with almost a million lives lost in only 100 days, but the recovery and reconciliation and growth of Rwanda is shaping up to be one of the greatest triumphs of the 21st century. Right now, they're in the land between. I don't really know how to prepare for a trip like this, but I'm guessing there will be tears of sadness mingled with tears of joy, moments of hope and moments of realization of how much there is to be done.

Check out this story put together by People of the Second Chance -

POTSC - Emmanuels Story from TK on Vimeo.

I hope I get to meet this Emmanuel in Rwanda.

I know I will meet Emmanuel in Rwanda.

2011-05-04T13:21:00.000-04:00

Need a Little Help for Mother's Day?

Every year you ask your mom what she wants for her birthday and/or mother's day. And every year, you get one or both of these responses:

"Nothing," and "I just want to spend time with you."

It's so frustrating! Here's the deal, I've been a mom now for almost 2 1/2 years and I've realized something - my mom was telling the truth!

So, this mother's day, try listening and giving your mom what she really wants. And then take it a step farther - honor her by sharing the love she poured into you. Here are some ways to do it:

1. Give a gift to Safe World Nexus in honor of your mom. More than 24,000 mothers and their babies will die in Haiti this year. Safe World Nexus is an organization committed to changing that number by building a highly functional maternity center in Port-au-Prince. Go here to check them out.

2. If you live in Summerville, SC, give a gift to the Dorchester Children's Center and help them continue their incredible work in our community to care for abused children and provide parenting classes to help end the cycle of abuse. Check them out here and find out all the ways you can help by visiting their wish list here.

3. Do you know anyone trying to adopt? It's expensive! But with millions of orphans in our world today in addition to the thousands and thousands of foster children in our nation, we need to get on board and care for these kids. Maybe God is calling you to adopt or foster, or maybe this mother's day you can give someone else a little help in the process.

Okay, that's it from me. If you're a mom, what's the best gift you've been given? What are some other ways we can all honor our moms this year?

2011-05-03T20:47:00.001-04:00

Guys, We Need You

I spent this morning sitting on the floor in the guidance department at Ashley Ridge High School crying with counselors and students. Last night the call came that an 18-year old young man, 14 days from the end of his hard-fought journey to graduation, had been shot and killed less than a half-mile from my house. His killer - a 17-year old who got in a fist-fight with him and then resorted to a gun to end the fight.

It's tragic on so many levels. Tragic that a young man will never get to realize what he could have become. Tragic that a mother will spend this mother's day burying her son. Tragic that another young man will spend the rest of his days behind bars. Tragic that there wasn't a father around to teach these men what true manhood is all about.

I read a book a few months back that I highly recommend called "Generation iY" by Tim Elmore, and in it, he provides the statistic that over 50% of kids today are growing up without a father in their home. Shocking, right? Absolutely. And the effects of that statistic are visited for generations.

Guys, we need you. We need strong, Godly men to step up and mentor these young men.

So, here's the deal. This isn't just a blog post of me expounding on the fatherless crisis in America. This is a challenge to every guy out there who reads this and who knows other guys. Every one of you needs to be pouring into the life of at least one other young man and challenging other guys to do the same. Do it as a father. Do it as a brother. Do it as a coach. Do it as a small group leader for 4th and 5th grade boys. Do it as a youth leader. Do it as a neighbor. Do it as someone who know The Father and as such has love to pour into another.

These boys need you. We all need you. Guys, step up. Please.

2011-04-13T14:48:00.000-04:00

From the Bookshelf

These are the super-awesome bookends my sister made for me

I just finished reading...

Forgotten God by Francis Chan - a great book on the Holy Spirit and the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives

Radical by David Platt - be prepared to have your understanding of Jesus and your lifestyle challenged in a big way

I'm currently reading...

In the Company of Others by Jan Karon - some just-for-fun fiction about one of my favorite literary characters, Father Tim

Love Wins by Rob Bell - this book has sparked a great deal of controversy. I have always respected Bell and learned from him, so I'm reading for myself to see what the craze is about.

Next on my pile...

The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons - it's all about the redeemed being called to restore, can't wait for this one!

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett - can't believe I haven't gotten to this epic until now, might take me awhile to finish, but I'm ready to bring it on

What are you reading? What have you learned lately?

2011-03-29T10:07:00.000-04:00

Some Tuesday Entertainment - "The Civil Wars"

If you haven't already heard about "The Civil Wars" allow me to introduce you. They are fabulous and their newest album "Barton Hollow" is amazing start to finish. If you are familiar with "The Civil Wars" you'll definitely enjoy this video of them having a little fun singing Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean."

Happy Tuesday!

2011-03-23T10:02:00.000-04:00

Simplicity - Week Two

My new office

Lunch date with my little man

A Saturday afternoon victory celebration for our Richmond Spiders

2011-03-16T13:30:00.000-04:00

Simplicity, Week One

I stopped reading a lot of blogs.

I figured out that I had replaced a lot of my time with God and especially my time in God's Word with what other people had to say about God and church and life. And you know what? It was making my head too full to function. I was inputting so much about what everyone else thinks about how to lead a church and how to be a better Christ-follower that I had no room in my life to hear what God was speaking into my heart and my life.

And so, I've turned down the noise. I still check in for an occasional blog read at one or two of my favorites, but if I'm being honest (I'm cringing so prepare yourself for the shock of what you're about to read), in the last week I went from reading approximately 100 blog posts a week to about 5 - I had no idea I was reading that many blog posts every week!

Without realizing it, I had become obsessed with knowledge and addicted to other people's thoughts.

Simple = fewer voices, less noise, a lot more Jesus.

2011-03-09T13:58:00.000-05:00

More and Less Extraordinary

One of my favorite songs is "Life Less Ordinary," by Carbon Leaf - "Live a life less ordinary, live a life extraordinary with me." I don't know what Carbon Leaf meant when they wrote those words, but to me it's the invitation Jesus gives me everyday.

Less ordinary, more extraordinary.

Like most things, I took that invitation as a challenge for the longest time. I was determined to live extraordinary. I was determined to have not a great story to tell, but the greatest and most extraordinary the world had ever heard or seen. But, I realized something recently. The most extraordinary story has already been lived. It's Jesus' story. And his invitation for me is to simply be part of it, which is pretty extraordinary if you think about it.

And so, I'm changing my mindset: to live a life more extraordinary and less ordinary I need to make my pursuit less extraordinary (confused yet?). In other words, I need to live simply. I want to wake up each morning in total awareness of God's grace that covers my life. I want to know that what defines me in this world will never be what I do but whose I am. I want my pursuit to not be the extraordinary life, but instead the Extraordinary God who is Jesus Christ.

All day I've heard people talking about what they're giving up for Lent and I've read countless blog posts about what the season is all about, books to read, etc. My Lenten discipline this year is simplicity.

Check back in the coming weeks to see how it's coming along.

What's your Lenten discipline? How are you accepting Jesus' invitation to a life less ordinary and more extraordinary?

2011-03-07T10:24:00.000-05:00

AWKward

I love awkward moments, I love awkward topics and I love controversy. I wake up every morning and think, I hope today is as awkward and uncomfortable as possible.

...Okay, so maybe not.

But even so, yesterday I issued an invitation to our church to a season of awkwardness. In fact, I think I even asked people to schedule some awkward in their life in the coming weeks.

You see, there are far too many elephants in our lives consuming space that we need to make for God. The elephants are all of those awkward issues and conversations in our lives that we've been avoiding for so long. For some people, the elephants are big, green financial elephants. Maybe you've slowly but surely worked yourself into debt and developed spending and lifestyle habits that you don't want to address yourself let alone bring to the light with your spouse, your family or your friends. For others, maybe the elephants are dark, shadowy hidden elephants that have to do with behaviors or decisions you've made that have left you hiding in shame. Maybe your elephant is a bright, red warning elephant because you know you're running headlong into a bad situation, but you don't know how to stop.

It's time to name our elephants. It's going to be awkward and it's going to be uncomfortable. But, I believe that as soon as we name them out loud, they lose their power.

We have a choice to make about whether we're going to let elephants run our lives, or whether we're going to surrender our lives to God. I believe that nothing and no one has power that can stand against the incredible and almighty power of God and it's time to get the elephants our of the way so we can embrace the life Jesus gave us when He gave His up on the cross.

Awkward is, well, awkward. No one likes, much less loves, awkward. But I believe that on the other side of awkward is incredible. So, bring it on elephants - you've got nothing my God can't handle, dismantle, forgive and take away!

What's your elephant? Who do you need to schedule some awkward time with?

2011-02-22T14:00:00.001-05:00

BUSINESS DEGREE REQUIRED

Okay, so I will turn 30 this year and I realize that's not very old and my years of ministry experience pale in comparison to so many others.

However, I would like to offer some words of wisdom to those coming behind me in ministry:

Take as many business courses in your undergraduate years as possible - you will need them!

And for those of you coming behind me in any other field:

Take as many business courses in your undergraduate years as possible - you will need them!

It is quite simply the world we live in - so far today I've attended a Habitat for Humanity breakfast about funding a Disciples Build in our community, gone over the lease agreement for our student ministry space with a real estate agent, talked with a lawyer about moving from an unincorporated entity to an incorporated entity and had lunch with a banker to discuss our financial set-up and possibilities.

This certainly isn't what I do every day, or even most days, but it's all part of ministry.

Read. Know your stuff. Be the best steward you can be of what God entrusts to you.

How's your business sense?

2011-02-17T08:41:00.001-05:00

An Unlikely Friendship

My good friend, Robert Morris, died yesterday. He lived his whole life in South Carolina and spent his entire adult life as a pastor in the United Methodist Church. He will be missed by many.

Our friendship was accidental. He didn't come into the coffee shop looking for me nor I for him. But the first time we were both there, we nodded a faint recognition and did that awkward thing people do when they're pretty sure they know each other but are not sure how. He gets the credit for making the first move. As I stood at the cash register ordering my tall skinny mocha, he walked over and said, "You're Jenn, right? I'm Robert Morris."

The rest is history. He introduced me to his nephew who was looking for a new church and he told him with great certainty that he needed to come to the church I was planting. For weeks after I would go into the coffee shop to work and see Robert there with his nephew and brother-in-law. We would chat for a few minutes and then go to our separate tables. After awhile, I started Wednesday morning Java with Jenn from 6:30-8:30 and eventually we fell into a routine where Robert and I would pull up on Wednesdays around the same time and start our day together.

Robert was traditional, and I am not. Robert was a life-long southerner, and I am not (shh, don't tell). In many ways, Robert made me think of an almost ironic blend of my father and his father. It makes sense chronologically as I am younger than his kids and older than his grandkids. But because the age difference didn't seem quite right, most people walking into the coffee shop would give us that look that said, "hmm, that's odd."

But, somehow, it never was. Robert was a friend, an encourager and a confidante. He came to our Christmas worship and his feedback was "that was interesting." We weren't doing anything that connected with him, and yet he believed in our vision and he believed in our purpose because he believed in Jesus and he believed in Jesus' church.

My Wednesday mornings will never be the same, but I am so thankful for Robert and thankful for our friendship. I can only pray that in the years to come I will be the kind of friend and mentor to future generations that Robert was to me.

Who are you actively encouraging right now and how are you supporting their call from God?

2011-02-15T14:02:00.000-05:00

I Can't Stand "Church People"

(After the Message)

I have been known, on occasion, to rant. I could blame it on my vocation, or I could blame it on my estrogen, but the bottom line is, I rant. I'm a ranter. Set me off on the right topic and I'll tell you everything I've ever thought about it before pausing to take a breath.

It's not one of my most admirable traits, but now I've confessed and you've been duly warned. And so, here goes my rant...

I can't stand "church people." Who are these loathsome types? Glad you asked. I've devised a simple test to determine if you are a church person.

1. Are you more interested in bricks or people?

2. Are you more interested in your time with Jesus or making time for someone else to spend with Jesus?

3. Are you determined to sing the songs you like or are you willing to sing songs that capture the minds and hearts of people who don't know Jesus yet?

4. Do you think you deserve priority and preferential treatment as a church member, or do you think your primary purpose is to serve those who are not?

If you answered "a" to any, most or all of the above, you might be a "church person." (for the record, I'm all about the Church and the people who make up the Church; hence the quotation marks denoting a specific breed) Now, I don't claim to be holy, righteous or even all that great. I'm a sinner saved by grace and in need of all the grace I can get each day. However, I think I'm on pretty solid ground with this particular view. You see, Jesus wasn't very fond of "church people" either.

In Mark 1013-16, we're told people were bringing their kids to Jesus so He could touch them. This didn't go over well with the disciples who thought that their time with Jesus was being invaded. After all, Jesus picked them, chose them, invited them to follow. And, they did, at no small cost. They gave up their livelihoods and their worldly security to follow someone they had never met. It was their time to be with Jesus, and those rascally, unwashed kids were getting in the way. So, they rebuked them. They told the kids and their parents to take a hike.

"Jesus was indignant," (v. 14)

The disciples had decided it was all about them and forgotten that Jesus was pouring into them specifically so they would be able to go and reach others.

So, you know what Jesus told them to do: Move.

Church people are the ones who forget over time that it isn't about them. They're the ones who start to think Christianity is an exclusive club designed to meet their needs. And Jesus wants none of that near Him.

Every one of us has a church person lurking somewhere inside. It's the voice that says, "I want what I want. I want to be noticed. I want to be important. Pick me."

Here's the deal: Jesus did pick you. He died for you. And He would have done it for only you.

That's amazing. That's incredible.

Now, don't be a "church person." Instead, go let someone else know Jesus has picked them too.

2011-02-07T08:38:00.000-05:00

After the Message (making a comeback)

"Be Kind."

It's on the wall of every daycare, elementary school and Scholastic book cover, but not once have I seen it on a company wall or in an employee manual. When's the last time your boss called everyone in for a meeting and said, "Today's topic is kindness."

Fits in the realm of “nice” words. In fact, February is a good time to talk about it, right? After all, February is about love and chocolate and puppies – kindness fits right in, yes?

Two problems: not the dictionary definition nor God’s definition

Dictionary – showing understanding, generous, benevolent

Romans 2:4 – God’s kindness leads us to repentance

Whoa, that can’t mean being nice. God didn’t try everything and then say,

“Oh, if I just say please, they’ll come back to me.” No, God's kindness was sending His

one and only Son to die on a cross for a bunch of people who had repeatedly mistreated

and denied Him.

God did the unexpected, and, according to Jesus, that’s what being kind is all about

Luke 6:27-36

Golden Rule – treat others the way you want to be treated.

So often we convince ourselves that the way we want to be treated is fairly.

Charlie Brown: “I just want what is coming to me…I just want my fair share.”

According to Jesus, the golden rule isn't about fairness, it's about the unexpected

Kindness is loving the person who has shown us nothing but contempt. Kindness is about doing something good for someone who hates you. Kindness is about giving to someone you know isn’t going to pay you back.

Reason we don’t talk about it as adults is b/c kindness isn’t fun, kindness doesn’t pay. Kindness would put your company out of business.

And yet...

Golden Rule in action - Jesus went completely and totally out of His way for us, in the hopes that we would do the same for Him.

What would it look like for us to “be kind” this week?

Random acts of kindness are great – paying for the person behind you in the drive thru line, letting someone go in front of you in the check-out line at the grocery store – awesome stuff

But what if this week…you gave up the grudge against the person who didn’t do right by you; you forgave the person you said you would never forgive; you were patient with the most impatient person in your life; you spent the majority of your prayer time on people who’ve mistreated you and not just your family and friends

vv. 35-36 – God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked, go and do likewise

2011-01-25T17:36:00.000-05:00

Some Political Thoughts on State of the Union Day

For all of the obvious reasons, I avoid political commentary on this blog. However, some of you may know that I have a secret passion for all things political. In college, I majored in political science and had opportunities to intern for U.S. Representative Todd Platts and the policy research and reporting group, Stateline.org. (If you're really interested and desperate for something to do, you can go to Stateline and search the archive for articles by Jennifer Brown :)

I realized my senior year of college that God had different plans for me than the political writing world I had envisioned. I am so incredibly grateful for the turn my life took, but I still enjoy the political world and today I had an opportunity to write a guest review on George W. Bush's new memoir, "Decision Points," for the Gutenberg Girls blog.

Check it out here.

I highly recommend the book for people of all political persuasions and particularly for leaders in all fields.

What have you read lately that impacted you?

Year One New

2011-01-20T13:04:00.001-05:00

Grateful, so grateful!

2011-01-18T08:09:00.000-05:00

My Plate is Full Yet I am Empty

I know you know what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about those times when your life is full, but your soul is empty. You're so busy that your emotions shut down because you simply can't process anymore.

A few more synonyms: burnt out, completely overwhelmed (this is different from overwhelmed, which is a condition I would describe as the new norm), and zapped.

If I'm honest, I have to tell you that I get to this place about every three months. Maybe it's because I'm a church planter. Maybe it's because I'm a mom. Maybe it's because I'm working on being both of those at the same time. But probably it's because I'm human.

We like to think we're superhuman and there is always one more thing we can tack on and still make it all work. But we're not. We don't have an endless supply of energy and creativity, enthusiasm and passion. At some point the tank runs dry and we need to fill up - but that can't happen by doing more "stuff," and unfortunately running away to a remote island for a week or more isn't always (or ever) a possibility.

So now what?

A few things that help me:

1. Re-inserting the prayer time I slowly hacked out of my morning because I had "too much to do."

2. Reading a book that has seemingly nothing to do with my work and my life.

3. Doing something with my hands (i.e. wandering around the park and taking pictures or baking cookies) - I once heard Rick Warren say that if you work with your mind you need to play with your hands and if you work with your hands you need to play with your mind. I've tried it and I think he's on to something.

What helps you re-fill?

2011-01-11T10:18:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Clark! War Eagle!

Today is my hubby's 31st birthday and also the day that his beloved Auburn Tigers won the national championship. To say there is great celebration in our home is an understatement.

And so, in honor of both I say what a game and what a guy! I am blessed beyond measure to have Clark as my husband, partner, best friend and father of our son. He is a man of great passion who loves and lives with loyalty and intensity.

Happy Birthday, baby! May this year be filled with joy, hope, challenge, surprise and the constant knowledge that you are loved by God (and by me :)!

2011-01-06T09:01:00.000-05:00

Overcoming Early Setbacks

Sunday I preached about dreaming big and truly making way for the God who shuts the mouth of lions. Monday morning I blogged about it briefly, and then...

The Great Stomach Bug of 2011 hit the Williams house and the Ashley Ridge staff!

As of this morning, we are officially two full days behind at work (which feels monumental) and our energy stores generated by holiday rest and new year excitement are depleted.

It's hard to recover when you never really had traction to start with. Often, it's the perfect excuse to let it go, decide it's not the time or not the right scenario and just get back to living day-to-day, trying to keep your head above water.

Can I suggest there's another way?

It's still early and the good news is you haven't lost much because it's early in the game. Give yourself time to recover, grace for a re-start and humility to call a mulligan. Make today your new start day!

2011-01-03T09:32:00.000-05:00

It's GO BIG 2011 - Happy New Year!

After an extended technological break, I'm back and pumped for 2011. It's going to be an amazing year! Why? Because God is amazing and this is the year of big dreams, big prayers, big asks and big follow-thru. It's time to see the signs and wonders the apostles saw in Acts 2 and beyond. It's time to start praying prayers worthy of the God who shuts the mouths of lions (Daniel 6:22).

Are you in? What are you asking God to do in your life in 2011? What are you planning to do for God this year?

2010-12-15T12:49:00.000-05:00

What I'm Reading:

1. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

2. Axiom by Bill Hybels

3. The blogs listed to the right and also Michael Hyatt's blog.

What I'm Watching:

1. Scrooge, The Musical with Albert Finney (this is my favorite Christmas movie so I keep it on deck all through December)

2. Parenthood (Tuesday nights on NBC) - my husband and I love watching this one together, especially as we are navigating our way through the early years of marriage and parenthood

What I'm Listening To:

1. Andy Stanley's sermon series on "The Thrill of Hope"

2. One Question with Ken Coleman - series of short podcasts asking questions of some great leaders and innovators

3. North Point's new Christmas album - AMAZING!

4. Gungor - an incredible worship team from Denver; if you only download one song, make it "Beautiful Things"

5. The song "Winter Snow" sung by Audrey Assad - makes me cry every time I listen - if you were in worship with us at Ashley Ridge on Sunday, Kadie Naugle sang this song beautifully!!!

what are you currently consuming?

2010-12-14T14:27:00.000-05:00

For months I said, "I don't care how cold it is, I just don't want it to rain."

But then race day came, and it rained, and it rained, and it rained. But still we ran - 13.1 miles we ran.

That's right, friends, I finished my first ever half marathon Saturday on Kiawah Island. I had two goals: to run the whole thing and to finish in less than 2:15. I ran the whole thing and I finished in 2:13 - mission accomplished!

A few observations:

1. There are a lot of really skinny people at these events.

2. We, and by "we" I mean Jamin, observed that at the starting line where the masses lined up according to pace, people got skinnier as you got closer to the front (which is the nice way of saying that those of us between the 9 and 10 minute pace were heavier :) - something you can easily tell b/c everyone is wearing spandex.

3. Everyone got a medal as they crossed the finish line. While I typically frown on the whole "everyone gets a trophy" mentality, I am now a firm believer that running 13.1 miles is deserving of a medal. (Plus, the people who won got much shinier and fancier medals that actually said "winner" on them; whereas mine just says "Kiawah Island Half Marathon.")

4. We need to challenge ourselves. There is no exhilaration that comes with doing something we knew we could. There's a complete euphoria that comes with doing something we didn't think was possible. It's about being stretched, getting out of our boxes and re-learning again and again that God wants to do more with our lives than we dare to dream.

So, who's running with me next year?

2010-12-14T12:47:00.000-05:00

Joseph's Disruption

The first Christmas when Jesus came, it was anything but silent and peaceful, it was a HUGE disruption to everyone involved.

For Joseph, it was a family issue.

Family is so complicated – tis the season, right? We visit with our families and we eat a lot of food and we think, “surely I don’t share DNA with all of these people.”

Nevertheless, families are important. I had an OT professor who said to never read thru Biblical genealogies too quickly. In
Matthew 1 Jesus' genealogy is rolling along with so-and-so the father of so-and-so and so-and-so the father of so-and-so until 1:16, which says “and Jacob, the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.” Something doesn't seem quite right. It doesn't say "Joseph, the father of Jesus."

Can you imagine what it was like for Joseph when he found out Mary was pregnant? He had to have been stunned. In the end, he had two choices: take her to trial and have her stoned to death for adultery, or divorce her quietly and make no accusation. The Bible tells us that he was a "righteous" man and therefore chose the second.

But then...the angel shows up and clues him in. Stun gun, take two. Joseph, Mary is pregnant by the Holy Spirit, take her to be your wife and name the child Jesus because He will save us from our sins.

And so he did. And because we know the rest of the story, we applaud his obedience. But, think about his decision at the time. The angel didn't show up to the rest of the village to explain what was going on. By taking a pregnant Mary as his wife, Joseph opened himself up to a lot of gossip and ill repute.

You see, Joseph takes on a life that only history will celebrate. In his life, it will not be celebrated. He’ll be the discussion in the corner at the family Passover celebrations. He’ll be talked about in the town square. He’ll be the guy the other guys leave out on spin the dradle nights.

And yet, he was obedient because following Jesus is so much more important than your reputation.

Here’s the deal – Joseph may not have fathered Jesus in the traditional sense, but it was through Joseph’s family line that God promised a Savior would come. God had a plan for Joseph’s life – didn’t fit Joseph’s plan, wasn’t very popular, BUT…

God has a plan for your family this Christmas. When we let Jesus into our lives, into our families, our decisions don’t look the same, our lifestyles don’t look the same.

What is God asking you to do this year that will be hard in the moment, but unforgettable in the end?

2010-12-09T10:17:00.001-05:00

Safe

After a two-month break, my Thursday morning women's Bible study started again this morning. As three married women and one soon-to-be married woman, we decided to read "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge in an attempt to grow in understanding of our husbands. (We try, men, I promise we try.)

Our conversation this morning led quickly to a conversation about safety - our desire for safety, our pursuit of safety and the sinfulness of safety. We live in a world that seems driven by the idea of safety and security. We work hard to make sure our children are safe, we make career choices that are safe, we make financial decisions that are safe (and if they aren't safe, they help us keep up with the Joneses, so at least there's a good reason :/).

While we're not called to be careless with our lives nor foolish with our money, we are called to live dependent on God, which means at times abandoning our safety nets.

How are you living dangerously? What recent financial decision have you made to give extravagantly?

2010-12-06T13:51:00.001-05:00

Disruption, Part 2

Disruptions come in the good and the bad variety.

Good Disruption - my son wakes up from his nap early and comes walking down the hall saying "Mommy, hold you" with his little arms outstretched.

Bad Disruption - a staff member accidentally spills coffee all over his Macbook Pro and we spend the morning laying hands on it in desperation, cleaning the mess and googling home remedies for drying out a computer (for all of the Apple lovers out there who are panicking, fear not, all is well).

Zechariah's disruption in Luke 1 was a little of both. The good part - "even though you and your wife are old and maybe not up to chasing kids, you're going to have a baby and he's going to be awesome. He's going to prepare the way for Jesus!" The bad part - "since you doubted whether the good part was possible, you're going to lose your ability to speak for nine months, which may be a tad detrimental in your work as a priest."

Can you say "DISRUPTION!?!?!"

A kid on the way, no way to talk (how many of you pastors have tried preaching a whole message to your congregation in subtitles?), and on top of all of that, the kid was supposed to be the one the prophets spoke of who would call people back to faith and prepare the way for the Savior of the World (not exactly the message Rome was waiting for or wanting to hear since Herod thought he was the King of the Jews).

See, it's like I said before, that first Christmas when Jesus came created a major disruption for everyone involved. Zechariah thought he had life figured out. He knew his gifts, he understood his job. Sure, he and Elizabeth had experienced some disappointments in life such as not being able to have kids, but they were fine. They had each other. Their life had been good. They knew their parameters and the way of the world. They understood their limits and they worked well within them. Oh, but wait...

Jesus was coming and everything was about to change. Rules are gone, limits blown away.

Jesus is coming again this Christmas. What limits are you placing on your life right now that need to be taken away? What boundaries have you set for what you can and cannot do?

Jesus wants to do more than you ever dreamed possible. Will you let him disrupt your life?

2010-12-01T13:33:00.000-05:00

Awkwardness and Praying Couples

So, let me take you back a few years to one of my earliest and most awkward ministry moments: I was finishing my first year of seminary and had been assigned to a large church in South Carolina for my summer field placement. I was newly engaged and not looking forward to heading even further from my fiance for 12 weeks.

Before going, we had an orientation weekend for field placement supervisors and students filled with workshops and other get-to-know-you activities. The pastor who would be my primary supervisor couldn't attend so he sent his associate pastor, a retired Air Force chaplain in his 60s who today is one of my greatest friends, advisors and confidantes. However, at the time, it was simply awkward. I wasn't real sure about heading to his church (i.e. the church I went to work at full-time when I graduated two years later) and he hated (still hates) sitting in meetings of any kind. We were having a great time (read dripping sarcasm :).

Anyway, during one of the workshop breakouts we chose to attend a workshop that was titled "Spiritual Growth in the local church." Sounded better than "Death and Dying" so off we went. When we got there, we met a pastor who talked about a lot of things, but I don't remember much spiritual growth.

I do remember about 15 minutes into the session when he started talking about couples praying together, followed by the statement that couples who pray together regularly dramatically improve their sex life (he actually was much more graphic, I'm keeping this PG for my readers and my own comfort level). Whoa! Who saw that coming? Not this unmarried pastoral intern. Not the guy sitting next to me. AWKWARD!!! In fact, awkward doesn't begin to describe the moment. We laugh about it now, but at the time, both of our faces were scarlet.

Ironically, one of the things that keeps many couples from praying together is the fact that it's so incredibly awkward. Different kind of awkward, but still, awkward. Fear not, I'm not about to try and talk you into it for the purposes mentioned above. However, I would just like to say that whatever the fringe benefits may or may not be, couples need to pray together. I tell our high school students all the time - look for the person who will pray with you and for you.

When my husband and I were engaged and living in separate states, we used to pray together over the phone. That was more awkward for my roommates than for me. As a married couple, we've had periods of time when we've been very faithful to pray together and periods where we've been awful about it. I can guarantee you the times we're praying together are our best times, our most genuine times and the times we've been the closest and gone deeper in our relationship.

I'm thankful for a husband who invites me to pray with him even on the nights when I'm annoyed with him and would rather just go to bed. I'm really thankful for a husband who invites me to pray with him on the nights when he is rightfully annoyed with me and doesn't really want to talk with me let alone pray with me. Mostly, I'm thankful for a Savior who invites both of us into His presence even when we're so unworthy to be there, but at least we're there together.

I know it's awkward, but today, ask your spouse or the person you're dating to pray with you. I promise you it will be awkward. I promise you it will be worth the awkwardness.

2010-11-30T08:13:00.002-05:00

Disruption

Tis the season - you know, the season of stress, anxiety, over-eating, etc.

Wow, that sounds really Bah Humbug. I assure that's not what I mean. I love Christmas. I'm one of those people who decorates the day after Thanksgiving and watches as many sappy, cheesy Christmas movies as possible between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Nevertheless, along with the Christmas fun, comes a month often overshadowed by shopping, cooking and busyness that can make the most enthusiastic elf weary.

So much of our preparation has to do with shopping for the perfect gifts, preparing for the perfect parties, decorating so as not to be outdone by the neighbors. We prepare in order to manage and control the craziness.

But, what if Christmas isn't at all about peace, control and perfection. As I read the Christmas story this year, I'm increasingly aware of all the disruptions going on in people's lives. Take Mary, for example, she was getting ready for a wedding, transitioning from childhood to a home of her own when all of a sudden Gabriel shows up, scares her to death and then proceeds to tell her she's going to have a baby, and not just any baby, the Messiah they'd been waiting for for so long.

Mary's response: "Not possible." (Luke 1:34)

All of Mary's preparation went out the window - "Holy Disruption, Batman!" was more the order of the day.

Jesus' arrival at the first Christmas was anything but planned and organized, it was a total disruption to all of the immediate players (we'll talk about more of these stories in the coming weeks).

And so, here's the question: what are you preparing for this Christmas? Are you preparing for parties and celebration? I hope so, there's much to celebrate. But, are you also preparing for the complete and total disruption of a Jesus who comes to change your world and your life?

I don't always welcome it with open arms, but I know there are things in my life that need to change. The question is am I willing? Willing to change? Willing to grow? Willing to be disrupted by the greatest gift ever given in Jesus Christ?

Tell me about your Christmas preparations.

2010-11-22T15:15:00.003-05:00

Real Life Radicals

Yesterday in my message I mentioned this blog about a girl named Katie - please follow her and pray for her.

I stumbled on Katie's blog in my reading last week and it blew me away. Katie is living the kind of life Francis Chan talked about in "Crazy Love," the kind of radical love Mother Teresa demonstrated for the world, and more importantly, the life Jesus talked about when he said , "Take up your cross and follow me."

Not all of us are called to leave everything behind, move to Uganda, adopt 14 children, run a feeding ministry that provides food for 1,200 people and spend our free time running a makeshift medical clinic out of the back of our van. However, all of us are called to live a life of sacrifice, a life fully surrendered to Jesus Christ.

I hope Katie's story inspires you to do what God is asking you to do. If you already know what that is, please share b/c the Courtyard family would love to pray for you.

2010-11-17T12:15:00.002-05:00

Stolen

Okay, so my luggage was found and returned after its long voyage coast-to-coast and back again. But then this morning I went out to my car to leave for work and I discovered the contents of my glove compartment all over the front seat.

(Not my week, friends, not my week.)

I calmly walked back inside the house and asked my husband if he had been in my glove compartment. He said no and together we walked back outside to the driveway to discover that both of our cars had, in fact, been broken into during the night. Interestingly, the only thing taken was my husband's GPS. They bypassed the Kohl's shopping bag on my floor, Clark's sirius radio, my iPhone to sound system connector, cd's and more. (Can't figure out why they wouldn't have wanted Jacob's new bibs or the box of diapers in the back :).

Surprisingly, the whole event didn't unnerve me all that much. My family was safe and all was okay. Then I got in my car and started to drive away and all of a sudden the eerie feeling went through my head, heart and stomach that someone had been in my car. Someone had invaded my space.

Now I realize there are lots of people who have experienced what I'm talking about in far more invasive ways. This isn't even on the playing field with people who've experienced personal injury, people whose homes have been broken into, property destroyed and more. But, I think I got a taste of what it feels like when something gets stolen.

I've never before questioned the safety of me and my family in our home. I've never truly considered that something I left in my car wouldn't be there when I got back. That innocence is gone. Stolen.

What has been stolen from you that changed the way you function and think?

2010-11-15T09:01:00.003-05:00

Lost

So, yesterday I flew from Pennsylvania to DC to Charleston, SC. Meanwhile, my luggage flew from Pennsylvania to Chicago to Portland and back to Chicago, hmm... (please say a prayer it makes it from Chicago to Charleston to my house this afternoon).

It's frustrating to be somewhere, but feel like you're not all there. It's downright terrifying to feel like you have no idea where you are at all. I remember watching the movie, American Tale, as a kid and having nightmares for months about not being able to find my parents. The panic of not knowing where you are, where to go next, what to do or who you can turn to. Lost.

As adults, being lost is almost never geographical, but let's play out the geography anyway. I talk to people all the time who tell me, "I feel lost. I don't know how I got here." You see, they thought they were heading to Charleston too, but somehow they ended up in Portland. Maybe it was a foolish decision that seemed inconsequential at the time - they just weren't paying enough attention. Maybe it was a rational decision they thought they could control to go to Chicago but never go the whole way to Portland before coming home, but once they got to Chicago they just couldn't stop, they couldn't get off the train so to speak.

I'm talking about so many things here - addictions, affairs and so much more. We all get lost at various points in our life. We don't set out to get lost, but it happens just the same. We're imperfect, we're human. The question is, how do we keep it from happening again and, if we're currently lost, how do we get back?

A few suggestions:

1. We need people in our life to hold us accountable - people who are going to check in with us and ask the hard questions. These people have to be people we can trust and people who share our faith. They also have to be people who love us enough to not lie to us when we're wrong. Who are the 1-2 people in your life who fit this description?

2. We need the understand the Principle of the Path - enough said, read the book and it will all make sense. It's well worth the time (even better, Ashley Ridge people, join a small group and read it together :). If I have one book I've read in the last year to recommend to anyone and everyone, it's this one.

3. Finally, and most importantly, we need to stay connected to the One who found us when we were lost and made it possible for us to come back. Yes, I'm talking about Jesus. How do you stay connected to Him?

2010-11-02T14:36:00.003-04:00

The Time I Always Waste and the Time I Never Waste

Time I Always Waste:

1. Time spent worrying

2. Time spent critiquing other people so I feel better about myself

3. Time spent playing solitaire to turn my brain off (there has to be a better way)

4. Time spent watching excess television

Time I Never Waste:

1. Time spent praying

2. Time spent reading my Bible

3. Time spent getting dirty and out-of-breath playing with my 20-month old

4. Time spent on a date with my husband or cooking dinner for us to eat together at home

How about you? What time do you waste and what time do you spend well? Which area are you currently spending more time on?

2010-11-02T14:34:00.002-04:00

After the Message

(Relationships Part 2: "I Do")

Two truths: God created relationships, relationships are not easy

Last week - dating

I like you becomes I do (whole different message on that transition, today we’re

assuming)

What is marriage? What does it look like? What does it mean?

Marriage was God’s idea (Genesis 2:24)

A Numbers Issue – when we talk about marriage, we talk about 2s and 1s (and in the south 20s if we include the whole wedding party)

Two sinks vs. One sink

One bed, two sides

Two ways to do things – my way, your way or right way, wrong way

Marriage License reads as a Two-Party Contract – couldn’t be more mis-leading

Marriage God’s Way: A 3-party covenant

Ecclesiastes 4:9-11

Three instead of Two

Covenant instead of Contract

When's the last time you invited Jesus into your marriage? He's our foundation. He's our hope. He's our forever.

2010-10-26T14:26:00.005-04:00

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

We can live an incredible life of meaning, purpose and hope, or we can simply live. Max Lucado suggests the first option.

Lucado's newest book, "Outlive Your Life" reminds us that there are people, normal people, you and me kinda people, changing the world everyday. And make no mistake, our world needs it. People are hurting, people are dying, and it's time for the people who follow Jesus to step up to the plate.

I remember the day I got my first pair of glasses. I took them on-and-off and on-and-off, marveling at how clear everything was. There was a world around me that I didn't even realize because I simply couldn't see it. Lucado's book is like putting on a pair of glasses, revealing a world and a movement that you can't help but join once you've seen it.

Don't get me wrong, I know that world is out there, but it can be so easy to ignore as we wrap ourselves in the busyness of the day-to-day. Sometimes we get so trapped in the rat race that it takes a 2x4 moment to shake us loose. Lucado's book was a 2x4 moment for me.

It has been several years since I've picked up one of Lucado's books and I'm so glad I broke the trend with this one. Lucado tells stories from today side-by-side with the stories from the book of Acts, making an undeniable case for the work of God in our midst. And, as an author, Lucado deserves kudos for the unforced symmetry he portrays between Acts and today. As he points out, there is no conclusion to the book of Acts.

If you need a 2x4 or some preparation to write your chapter in the book of Acts, I encourage you to pick up a copy today.

(And if you're part of Ashley Ridge Church, you may want to start reading early as we'll be using the book in our worship and small groups in May 2011).

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher as part of the Booksneeze program for bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review.

2010-10-19T19:59:00.007-04:00

Starbucks May Take Away the "Christian Bar Scene"

So, apparently Starbucks is going to start serving beer and wine. For the record, I have no problem with this. But it does make me wonder what will happen to the hip Christian social scene. Let me explain.

In a world that is increasingly digital and detached, there are few remaining places where people go to gather and interact with other human beings, you know, a place "where everybody knows your name." Remaining places include hair salons/barber shops, bars and, in recent years, coffee shops.

It seems that with the emergence of coffee shops, Christians latched on to their drug-of-choice, i.e. caffeine. After all, the Bible talks several times about getting drunk, but never once does Paul mention the 3x a day venti latte/espresso/mocha/macchiato trend. And so, for the Christian population, coffee shops have all the advantage of meeting the culture at a popular hub without the stigma of a bar. It's trendy, it's hip, it's church meeting culture in the way Martin Luther did in the 16th century.

Before I go any further, a few disclaimers: I often work in a coffee shop. I even host a gathering called Java with Jenn every Wednesday morning in a coffee shop. I know every barista in my local coffee shop and they know me. I like it. I also make the occasional visit to bars, typically when our church's worship leader is providing the music and half of my congregation is in attendance.

So what happens when coffee shops start serving beer and wine? Do we still hold Bible studies in coffee shops? Do we still make coffee shops our meeting place for casual and official conversations?

I hope so.

Not because it's trendy. Not because it's edgy. Not because it's hip. But because Jesus told us to make disciples of all people, and that requires going to where people are. I love coffee shops. I love the fact that there is a group of guys in their 40s, 50s and 60s that I share friendly banter with in the morning, a retired school teacher who brings in her books and talks with me about her love of theater and a 22-year old barista named Travis who is dreaming big about going to New York someday to open a restaurant.

So, Starbucks, do your thing. I hope the church can continue to take some hints about creating environments that encourage conversation and human interaction, environments where life is being shared. (and no, I'm not suggesting churches start serving beer and wine before or after worship)

What do y'all think?

2010-10-19T14:53:00.003-04:00

"God did not give you a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power,

love and self-discipline." ~ 2 Timothy 1:7

And yet, how often do we live timid lives? How often do we spend time agonizing and planning over how to please people and keep the waters tame? We weren't meant to hide in our shells, we were meant to live in the sun.

Power, love, self-discipline...it's an interesting list. Faith, hope and love seem to have a more obvious connection. I have some thoughts, but today I would rather hear yours.

What do you think of when you hear that we've been given a spirit of power, love and self-discipline? What would your day look like if you grabbed hold of that spirit?

2010-10-18T12:32:00.003-04:00

A Poem

My toddler will not stay in bed. The same toddler who I sat up with during the night because he had a fever and was shaking with chills. The same toddler who threw up several times last night. Yes, that toddler is suddenly feeling better and will not stay in bed.

It's nap time. That precious time on a day like today when I'm home at work with a sick kid and need to get some work done. The hour and a half I'm supposed to have to catch my breath. It's nap time and my toddler will not stay in bed.

I remember the days when a crib did the trick. The glorious days before the climbing began. The days when my toddler would talk for 30 minutes before falling asleep, but eventually fall asleep he would, snuggled secure, contained in his crib. But now the high front wall is no more, replaced by a guardrail meant to catch a sleeping child from rolling out, but an easy escape for my toddler who will not stay in bed.

Someday I know my toddler will be a teenager and I will fight to get him out of the bed. But today, it would be so nice if my toddler would stay in his bed.

(they say art is supposed to be an outlet, a release...I don't know if I feel better yet, I think it may depend on whether my toddler finally stays in bed.)

2010-10-18T12:18:00.002-04:00

After the Message

So, this week I'm breaking form and I'm going to tell you that if you would like yesterday's sermon notes, you're just going to have to listen to the podcast. God did something incredible in our worship yesterday and I'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with my notes...

Check it out on iTunes. It's called Consequences - Part Three and it should be up very soon.

2010-10-14T14:09:00.002-04:00

To Run or To Pray

Okay, so have you noticed how people like to tweet and facebook about exercise when it's going well? Nobody posts an update that says "It's been 82 days since my heart rate rose above 70 bpm." However, if they've been to the gym two days in a row, the world knows about it.

Don't get me wrong, I feel at liberty to write about this because I'm guilty of committing this very act. I'm getting ready for a half marathon in December and I talk about it a lot, in part to keep me motivated and in part to shame myself into doing it if necessary - pride is a great motivator. You better believe that if/when I survive my 5-mile run on Saturday morning I will tweet about it and casually slip it into conversations for the rest of the weekend. That's how I roll.

Naturally, as I'm getting into the thick of this training, my Bible reading today took me back to a verse that I've highlighted, underlined and circled at various points over the years: I Timothy 4:8 "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

That's what we call in the industry "a good one."

Why aren't we more motivated to get spiritually fit than physically fit? Why don't we make sure we get our prayer time in before we get our work-out in? I would love to see someone's facebook page say something like "got up a 1/2 hour early five days in a row for more time with God," or "dominated the book of Ezekiel this morning."

2010-10-12T09:35:00.002-04:00

Holy Discontent

What's that thing that makes your gut twist? What do you lay awake at night thinking about? What's the thing that makes you so mad or sad (or smad for all you Gilmore Girls out there) that you have to act?

There's a difference between discontent and holy discontent. You might be discontent with the traffic situation on your way to work, but your discontent becomes a holy discontent when it's something you know God is desperate to change as well. Not that God doesn't care about your morning commute, but you know what I mean.

My holy discontent is cultural Christianity. It's all the people out there who don't know or haven't heard or don't understand that church isn't something you do it's something you are. I'm not mad at the people, I'm mad at the church for creating this culture. I'm sad that we haven't found a way to help people understand that Jesus didn't die for a building or an organ or a drum set - Jesus died for you and me. He died so we could live - live differently, live strong (to steal from Lance Armstrong), live courageously as people take on Jesus' work of redeeming a broken world.

I believe God gave me this holy discontent. I also believe that holy discontent is a big reason God called me to be a church planter - to take away all the obvious and go back to basics of what it means to ignite passion for Jesus Christ that changes our whole lives and our whole weeks.

My sister Laura has a holy discontent for the huge numbers of women with breast cancer. As a result, she's heading to NYC this weekend to walk 39.4 miles in two days with her team, Paper Girls Wear Pink, as part of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

What about you? What's your holy discontent? Is it starving children? Is it human trafficking? Is it alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual addiction? Is it elderly who are abandoned or uncared for? Is it child abuse or domestic abuse? Is it cancer research or Alzheimer's research?

What's your holy discontent? What is God calling you to do with it? How can we as a community come alongside you and be part of it?

2010-10-11T08:54:00.003-04:00

A note to my readers: Thank you for being patient with my recent lack of posts. I promise this blog has not been reduced to simply the sermon notes. That said, here are this week's sermon notes, but check back for more content through the week. Thanks for reading!

After the Message

If…Then…

And yet we…

And still God…

Last Week – Nineveh knew what they were supposed to do and chose to blatantly disobey and rebel against God…and they were destroyed

This Week – Different kind of disobedience and its consequences, the disobedience of standing by and doing nothing when someone is in need

What Would You Do? – all these scenarios when people see awful things happening and we get awkward and find ways to pretend it’s not happening versus getting involved

We say things like – “it’s not my place” “I didn’t want to get hurt” “I didn’t want my

kids to get hurt”

Obadiah

– shortest book in OT (17 verses)

– written in the form of a dirge of doom

– Edomites – descendants of Esau

vv. 10-15, Obadiah explains why Edom will be destroyed, namely blatant arrogance toward God and persecution of God’s children

- Obadiah said God would destroy Edom as punishment for standing by when Babylon invaded Judah

o A21 campaign – why didn’t you come sooner?

- Edom located in the mountains – thought they were invincible

vv. 17-21 – God will fight for His children and those who stand against or stand by will be destroyed

Who are God’s children? We are all God's children - the vulnerable, the oppressed,
the hungry, the abused

The redeemed are called to restore - we can no longer stand by while our brothers and sisters get hurt, it's time to get involved.

For more information on the A21 Campaign, check out theA21Campaign.org. Our senior high students will be fasting on the 21st to bring awareness to human trafficking - would you like to get involved?

2010-10-05T09:22:00.004-04:00

After the Message

Consequences, Part One

If…Then

If you ignore your laundry piling up and up and up, you will run out of clothing to wear.

If you eat junk consistently, then you’re going to gain weight and have health issues.

If you spend more than you make, then you will end up in debt.

If you betray someone you love – a friend, a family member, your spouse – then you will lose trust.

And yet we…Do it anyway

(We know if we stay up late, we’ll be tired in the morning – but just this one last show on tv, a few more chapters in my book, a little more time on facebook, hey what about these other internet sites…)

Why? When we’re young we think we’re invincible (that bad stuff won’t happen to me, no one else will be affected, I have plenty of time to turn things around…). We get older and we figure we can manage things (I can take care of it, I’m in control…). Then we get really old and we think, who cares, what’s it going to hurt now.

Bottom line is we do it anyway because it feels good, it looks good, it sounds good and, after all, it’s my life anyway.

Nahum

- a minor prophet (minor as opposed to major b/c of population addressing and size of the book)

- Remnants of the Jonah story re-emerge - Jonah is the if…then… - goes to Nineveh, tells them to repent or get destroyed, so they repent

- 100 years later, Assyria is the world power, Nineveh is the capital – Judah is a vassal state

- Nineveh had heard the if..then, but yet they chose anyway to live in disobedience and rebellion to God

- What happens? Chapter 1:1-8, God tells Nineveh they’re going down, which they do (about 50 years after Nahum’s prophecy, Nineveh is destroyed, shortly after Assyria falls to Babylon)

Consequences are real. Not just an OT thing.

And still God…

Romans 5:8 - God proves His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

It's time to stop running from God and instead run toward God.

2010-09-30T08:16:00.002-04:00

Coffee Talk

"I was in the military, attending a church every Sunday, pretty religious if you ask me. It was time for my second child to be baptized and the godparents and in-laws were coming in on Friday night. I went down to the church and asked the pastor if we could do the baptism on Saturday. He explained that the baptism had to happen during a weekend service. I explained that my family was only going to be here Saturday. He said no. I told him I had invested $6k in the church the year before and not to spend it this year because it wouldn't be there. Where the hell does the Bible say you have to baptize in front of X number of people? I never went back."

This was the conversation I overheard five minutes ago as I sat drinking my tall skinny pumpkin spice latte. It was followed by similar stories from the others sitting in the circle. I've heard these stories countless times before. I've read about these stories in books I read about the de-churched. But, I still get heartbroken and angry every time it happens.

Make no mistake, I overheard this conversation from the opposite side of the coffee shop, but it was intended for my hearing. I frequent the coffee shop as does this group. We say hello, we've exchanged names, we've shared friendly banter when we end up in each other's seats. They know who I am and what I do, and today they wanted me to hear what they think about the church.

I hope this is the first step closer to them being open to me joining the conversation. It's taken a year to get this far.

I need some feedback. What do you think when you hear this kind of conversation? Have you had a similar experience personally or with a friend or co-worker who still won't accept your invitation to worship?

Talk to me please.

2010-09-27T14:44:00.001-04:00

After the Message (Sermon Notes)

Who’s Your Team? Part 4

Winners

I like to win – you could say I’m a little bit competitive

Doesn’t matter what the event/activity – board games, brushing teeth

So competitive, I’ll compete at being bad at something – someone says to me “I can’t draw,” my response is “Oh, you want to see someone who can’t draw? I promise I’m much worse than you.”

Where are you winning in your life right now and where are you losing?

Are you winning the fight for your marriage? Your kids? Your neighbors? Are you winning with your money (to steal a Dave Ramsey line)?

Life can feel so often like an uphill battle – the moments we feel as though we’re winning are few and far between

But here’s the good news…

Romans 8:31-39

- Lead-up – God is working things out, despite present hardship or suffering, God is at work redeeming all of creation

- V. 35 – what’s going to separate us from a God who wants to be with us – anger, pride, aggression, bad decisions, pain, anxiety??? None of that

- V. 36 – bad stuff happens, doesn’t change the answer in v. 37

- IN ALL THESE THINGS, WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS

- the only way we win is with Jesus who loved us more than we will ever understand

- with Jesus, we win and we win big – more than conquerors

2010-09-21T08:51:00.002-04:00

Priority Check

I'm reading the book "Mad Church Disease" by Anne Jackson and in the chapter I was reading yesterday morning she was talking about the two greatest commandments (i.e. love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbors as ourselves) and she pointed out that it doesn't say to love our neighbors with all our strength, it tells us to love God with ALL our strength - only if we do that are we able to love our neighbors at all. She also went on to say that a lot of us are doing a pretty lousy job of loving ourselves, which means we're setting a really low standard for loving our neighbors. (For more stuff from Anne Jackson, check out her new book "Permission to Speak Freely" or her blog.)

I needed to hear that. It's so easy to get caught up trying to do everything for everyone and forget to first love God with ALL our strength. It's only when we expend all our energy on God that we have energy to give to anyone else, including ourselves.

I'm going through an overwhelming season of life and I'm thankful for the perseverance God is teaching me (even though I'm not always the best student). But even though overwhelming seasons are part of life, we often bring them on ourselves when we think we're too busy to make time, our best time, for God. We start running on an empty spiritual tank and it doesn't get us very far.

So, here's today's gut check - what are the things currently getting the benefit of ALL your strength and where is God?

2010-09-20T15:38:00.003-04:00

After the Message (i.e. Sermon notes)

Who’s Your Team?, Part 3

Maximizing Your Investment

College Football Tickets - $150

Parking - $20

Gas to and from game - $60

Tailgating - $45

Hotel room - $150

Game Day Apparel - $40

Big Foam Finger - $5

Spending Saturday with 85,000 of your closest friends – priceless

A few caveats:

Money talk is always a little uncomfortable b/c it’s personal

Too often the church has done a poor job of talking about money b/c we only talk about the 10% we want you to give to the church and we don’t talk about the 100% God has entrusted us with and biblical financial management of that money

To make it worse, we didn’t learn it in home economics either – we learned to sew a pillow and make no-bake cookies, but skipped the “home economy” part

So, most of what we’ve learned has come from the credit card companies who spend millions and millions every year talking us into spending more than we have

This message - Not talking about what we give to God, but what we do with what God gives to us.

Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30

- Jesus has just finished telling a story about the kingdom of God, which he ends by telling his disciples to “stay alert,” because no one knows when he is coming back

- Notice first off that the master entrusted his money with his servants, the money never belonged to them

- A talent was a large unit of money, one talent worth about 20 years of work from your average person

- They didn’t all start with the same amount of money – fair? No. reality? Yes.

- If this were a modern parable, there would have been a fourth guy who spent all of his talents, borrowed more from someone else and when the master came back, he was actually at -6

What we do with our money has eternal significance - do we sit on the incredible gifts God entrusts to us or do we use them for His glory?

- 70% of Americans haven’t kept what God has given them – we blow it and then we finance 30% more, as a result, we’re broke

- Average American family spends between $500-$1500/month on debt payment, excluding our house payment

- Average family can get debt free in 18-36 months

Challenge/Place to Start: Take out a blank piece of paper and open your bank account on the computer – make a list of all the things you spend money on and then rank those things in order of where you spend the most – talk about it with your family, have an honest conversation including your teenagers about how you spend money

If you are part of Ashley Ridge Church, sign-up for a small group today. In the coming months, our small groups will all have opportunities to go through a 6-week study called "I Was Broke. Now I'm Not" by Joe Sangl that will provide practical steps to becoming debt-free and investing wisely.

2010-09-16T15:41:00.002-04:00

Someone's Always Watching

It's true, you know. I was making some updates to our church website this afternoon and I happened to click on the stats button. The first graph that appeared showed how many unique visitors come to our site each day, and I was surprised at what I saw. It's easy to think no one is looking, no one is watching, but it can be mind-blowing when you see the data. The same is true with this whole blogging thing sometimes - often, like now, I'm sitting by myself in an almost empty coffee shop, tapping away at my computer, not even thinking about the fact that others will actually read what I write. And then someone I barely know makes a passing comment about something I said on my blog and I think, "wow, did I really put that out there for strangers to read?"

Sometimes we start believing that it doesn't really matter what we do, what we say, how we act, how we react, etc., etc. But it does, someone is always watching.

It might be your kids... We think they're so caught up in their own world that they don't notice the little things, but they do. My 19-month old is in the parrot stage where he repeats everything he hears - it is a constant, and sometimes not so flattering, reminder that someone is not only watching but listening. I read in a book recently, "Our personal relationship with God and with our spouse make a bigger difference than we think in our kid's lives." Our kids are watching, what are we teaching them when we don't think they're paying attention?

It might be your parents... Here's an example: when I'm on facebook, I'm primarily interacting with people my age and younger. Sometimes I'm not thinking and I put silly things on my status, and then my mom calls and asks me about something going on in my life that I know I didn't tell her about - that's right, she's on facebook too. (I met a youth pastor recently who said one of his favorite Sunday morning activities with his students is to throw facebook up on the big screen and then pick random profiles to open for everyone to look at - yikes!)

It might be the person you ate lunch with who looked to see how big of a tip you left... I know we throw this fact out there all the time, but it's true that you can talk to all kinds of restaurant waiters and waitresses and they'll tell you they hate working on Sundays b/c the after-church crowd are some of the worst tippers of the week.

People are watching. What are they learning from your life?

2010-09-15T13:56:00.002-04:00

I Love Wednesdays

Wednesdays are my people days. Wednesdays are my days to ignore my computer through the morning and sit with people face-to-face. I need Wednesdays to remind me sometimes why I love what I do and what it is such a privilege to do what I do.

When is your Wednesday and what does it look like?

2010-09-13T20:31:00.002-04:00

Gettin' My Reads On

Stressed? Anxious? Overwhelmed? Self-consumed?

I recommend a date with a good book. There's nothing like a good book to transport you out of your current situation, lift your eyes out of the dense forest and be re-inspired by a greater narrative (gee, I kinda sound like Donald Miller :).

And so, if you're looking for a recommendation, here are a few from my most recent reads and even one that's coming up next on my list:

1. Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel - there are 10 chapters in this book, and I promise you'll find yourself in at least one if not all of them along with some concrete steps forward.

2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - excellent book about black maids and the white ladies they worked for in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s. Of all the books I've read dealing with segregation and the civil rights movement, this one surpasses them all. It's funny, honest and an opportunity to see life through entirely different eyes. This is definitely a good one if you need a little perspective.

3. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett - releases on September 28th and I'm so excited! Follett doesn't write stories, he writes epics. This one won't be for the faint of heart at almost 1,o00 pages and that only the first installment of a trilogy, but based on previous experience, I think it will be worth it.

Go ahead and roll your eyes now, but I won't write a post like this and miss the opportunity to point out that the best book to be reading at all times is the Bible. Stressed? Read your Bible and be reminded of God's faithfulness and provision. Anxious? Read your Bible and be reminded to cast your cares on the One who cares for you. Overwhelmed? Read your Bible and don't miss the part about walking through fire and not being consumed. Self-consumed? Read your Bible and remember life isn't about you - it's about living everyday for Jesus, the One who gave His life for you.

2010-09-07T13:12:00.000-04:00

After the Message

So easy to zero in on the things that excite us, the things that get our passion running high –

Can you just imagine if we were as excited about Jesus as we are about football?

Thousands of people crowded into stadiums every weekend, faces painted, signs made – so eager to get in that they show up early and cook out in the parking lot, making friends with the people parked next to them b/c even if they’ve never met, they have this one, amazing thing in common.

Not just football…basketball, rock concerts, etc.

Are we that excited about Jesus, or do we come here when we don’t have anything better to do?

Revelation 3:14-22, Church in Laodicea:

Water source was about 6 miles out of town, so when it came through the pipes into their town, it was tepid

Hence, the metaphor resonated with them that they were not to be lukewarm, better to be cold than lukewarm. Jesus wants us to be hot, passionate, on fire.

Jesus doesn’t need lukewarm, he needs boiling hot, passionate, on-fire people who are ready to live a radical, sold-out life to him

The issue is not feeling guilty about loving college football or basketball, or playing golf or doing any of the things we love – it’s about what has captured your heart, or better said, it’s about WHO has captured your heart.

Where are you going to place your passion? What are you going to get so excited about that you’re willing to look foolish for the sake of it?

2010-09-02T15:29:00.002-04:00

Can You Feel It?

There's something special in the air, a shift, an excitement, a buzz - that's right, today is the start of the college football season. If you read any of the other blogs listed on my blogroll or if you've tuned into any kind of media today, you've heard others already speak eloquently about what this day means and what it represents.

I'll admit it - I share the sickness. This morning over a bowl of cereal I explained to my 18-month old how he and I would be spending Saturday morning watching College GameDay to help him learn the players and gear up for the day ahead. My husband has been working with Jake for weeks, teaching him to say "War Eagle" and "Touchdown!"

I've always loved football and I grew up in Steeler country where pride and passion run high, but I married into the college football obsession that is only amplified by living in SEC country where words like "diehard" don't begin to describe the intensity with which people follow and support their teams.

I was a quick study and today I converse easily on topics like the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry and the Iron Bowl. I have a cake pan in the shape of a football field and plenty of food coloring to make orange and navy icing. Heck, I even think my favorite Auburn shirt will fit again this year now that all of the pregnancy weight is gone :)

So, let the games begin - pull out your flags, show your colors and may the best teams win!

...and when the games are over on Saturday, don't miss worship on Sunday morning (before the NFL games begin). Throughout September our worship series "Who's Your Team?" will resonate in the hearts of football fans everywhere. And make plans now to be with us for the Ashley Ridge tailgate on September 26th.

2010-08-30T15:48:00.002-04:00

Asking the Wrong Questions

I took Greek in school, but I couldn't conjugate anything for you today and there are very few vocabulary words I could pull out of a line-up. I studied Paul's missionary journeys in school, but don't ask me off the top of my head to tell you whether Paul went to Laodicea or Ephesus first (I think it was Ephesus because that was on the coast vs Laodicea which is inland, but the point is I don't know for sure offhand). I took a course in undergraduate on Shakespeare's works, but don't ask me to explain the form of a sonnet to you - I don't remember.

Here's the point - the educational process is less about the facts and figures we learn and much more about learning how to learn and how to think clearly and well. Maybe this isn't true of all education - I'm fairly certain that doctors need to remember the anatomy they were taught in school without looking at a book, but you get the point.

And so, I'd like to offer one of my top 3 seminary take-aways that just might transform how you read and understand the Bible:

Don't ask the wrong questions.

You see, too often we read the Bible expecting the Bible to answer questions it wasn't written to answer. The Bible is not a history book. It wasn't written to provide an unbiased, detail-specific, geographically and chronologically accurate and cohesive history of the era in time it covers. Instead, it's a book about God, meant to explain who God is and how God works and who we are as God's people.

Let me get more specific, we can get very frustrated reading the Bible if we get hung up asking questions like, "Did Jesus overturn the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple in the beginning of his ministry or toward the end?" After all, John's Gospel has it happening early and the other gospels have it happening late. I could ask who's wrong and who's right, but that's the wrong question and it won't get me anywhere. A better question is, "Why did John choose to tell the story when he did?" or "What does it tell us about Jesus to see this story in this context?"

Here's another example: in Genesis 1 we read that God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them in 6 days and then He rested on the seventh day. We have and continue to debate this idea extensively in our culture - i.e. was it 7 24-hour periods, or is it a relative statement? is it literal or figurative? Does this disprove the theory of evolution? All of these are the wrong questions. A better question - what is Genesis 1 telling us about God? For starters, it's telling us that God created everything and everything God created was very good. You see, now we're getting somewhere.

It's so important to ask the right questions because if we spend too much time asking the wrong questions we either get frustrated and stop reading because we don't understand, or we decide the Bible must not be true because it can't answer the questions we want it to answer.

Next time you pick up your Bible, ask God to show you what it's teaching you about Him and who you are as His child. The Bible is God's gift given to us, it's a story of God's tireless and relentless pursuit of you and me, it's a story of Jesus offering us life that we don't deserve, it's a story of God choosing you and me - don't miss the chance to be amazed by asking the wrong questions.

2010-08-24T09:46:00.002-04:00

Kiss Me

"An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips." Proverbs 24:26

Some kisses are awkward - like when you bump noses or suddenly remember you ate onions for lunch. Most kisses are awesome - they come from someone you love, they're a gesture of intimacy and love and warmth.

Both of those statements being true, I definitely agree with the Proverb above. Sometimes honesty is awkward, sometimes it's even painful, most times it's beautiful - always honesty is preferable.

Who do you need to be honest with today? Maybe you need to be honest with God about where you have or haven't been in relationship with Him. Maybe you need to be honest with your spouse about the thoughts and feelings you've been having and not sharing. Maybe you need to be honest with your kids about ways you've fallen short. Maybe you need to be honest with a co-worker, boss or someone who works for you. Maybe you need to be honest with yourself.

Whatever it is, be honest - and when you're done being honest, ask the person you were honest with if they enjoyed the kiss (haha, okay, maybe not, but it could be fun if it's your spouse :)

2010-08-23T13:37:00.002-04:00

After the Message

Priscilla and Aquila – Acts 18
- Rome to Corinth to Ephesus
- sent out of Rome by Emperor Claudius when he expelled the Jews
- met Paul in Corinth and helped start the Corinthian church (all tentmakers, lived together for about a year and a half)
- went on and ended up in Ephesus where they helped lead that church, hosting the church often in their home
Taught Apollos who was an important preacher and evangelist in Ephesus
- could have shunned him as a false teacher, but they saw that he was earnest and genuine and instead found opportunity to guide him in the right direction

Risked their lives – may have cost them their business to host the church (Romans 16)

Obscure: not discovered or known about, not important or well known

Romans 16, roll call of the obscure

We live in a culture of rock stars, fighting obscurity – with youtube, 24/7 news channels (the airline guy who became a folk hero), blogs (there are blogs about becoming a better blogger and getting your blog noticed), twitter (game of how many followers, or minions I can collect), facebook

*everyone has become their own agent

Problem: we can get so caught up and spend so much time trying to look like something and never be anything

People who tweet all day about loving their spouse and loving Jesus – only problem is that love is a verb and if they had spent half the time they spent tweeting actually doing those things they might have some credibility

Not everyone could be Paul – in fact, Paul’s letters are often a testament to the fact that the hard work came when Paul left and people like Aquila and Priscilla were left to be faithful in a world that encouraged fulfillment

Kevin DeYoung:

“What we need are fewer revolutionaries and a few more plodding visionaries. That’s my dream for the church — a multitude of faithful, risktaking plodders. The best churches are full of gospel-saturated people holding tenaciously to a vision of godly obedience and God’s glory, and pursuing that godliness and glory with relentless, often unnoticed, plodding consistency. Until we are content with being one of the million nameless, faceless church members and not the next globe-trotting rock star, we aren’t ready to be a part of the church.”

When Jesus ascended to heaven, he didn’t leave one – he left many, he left the church to continue his work, he asked us to be faithful – are we being faithful or are we trying to look faithful?

2010-08-19T15:03:00.002-04:00

And here's why it's all worth it...

2010-08-17T14:21:00.002-04:00

Something Personal

This is a break in our regularly scheduled programming...

Today, I want to talk about being a working mom. I suppose I can talk broadly about being a working parent and I'm sure much of what I have to say is applicable to both moms and dads, but I will also own "working mom" as my primary perspective and not generalize about how the guys probably feel. (you know you're in trouble when a blog post requires this much prep)

Anyway, being a working mom is not new for me. I have been a working mom since Jacob was 6 weeks old. In fact, I came back to work at 6 weeks because it was Holy Week and I couldn't imagine not being at church for the most important build-up to the biggest celebration of the year, which is obviously Easter. Now, let me be honest, while that was true and I had planned long before having Jake to be back that week, I didn't go back crying and weeping to leave my baby boy at home. I went back to work ecstatic to get out of the house, eager to be around adults and have a schedule and go to meetings and eat lunch instead of being lunch (okay, maybe that's too personal, but I'm being real here).

I wanted to work. I love what I do and I wake up every morning eager to do it. This isn't the right decision for everyone and I'm not writing this in any way to advocate for working moms over stay-at-home moms. This was and is the right decision for me and my family for right now.

That said, being a working mom gets harder all the time. I love Jake so much and he is growing so quickly and I don't want to miss anything. He is at an awesome stage of talking and learning and I even have trouble resisting the constant gleam of mischief in his eyes. It's also getting harder because Jacob is old enough to go to preschool two mornings a week and take swim lessons and do so much more. I want him to do all of those things, but that means balancing my job, Clark's job, Jake's activities, laundry, groceries, cooking, cleaning and so much more.

I know I'm not saying anything here that hasn't been said a thousand times by a thousand different people, but being a working mom is hard. I constantly feel as though I'm not doing anything in my life as well as I should or could. When I'm at work, I'm thinking about home. When I'm at home, I'm thinking about work. And often, my husband bears the brunt of my stressed out and harried existence - and yes, you guessed it, that means I now feel guilty about a third area of my life where I'm not doing nearly as well as I would like - the wife category.

And so, to update you on the tally, I'm now a less-than-perfect pastor, a less-than-perfect mom and a less-than-perfect wife - if I weren't somewhat of an optimist, that sentence would read "I'm a slightly-above-failing pastor, a slightly-above-failing mom and a slightly-above failing wife." And I haven't even mentioned yet how awesome I'm not doing at being a child of God and a follower of Jesus Christ.

Anybody feel me out there? Can I get a witness?

Here's the thing - we were lied to when we were told we could have it all. We bought into the lie when we decided we could have our cake and eat it too and then decided to ask for seconds.

So, where's the give? Awhile back, Andy Stanley wrote a book called "Choosing to Cheat" where he talks about this very dilemma. He says that there's a reality that we're going to have to cheat somewhere and when we do, we need to cheat in favor of our God and our families. I'm in a season of my life where I need to pick up the book again, and for those of you feeling the same way maybe you should to (if you can find the time).

We've built up expectations in our life of how we're supposed to be perfect at everything. Let me ruin the dream - it isn't going to happen. At some point, we have to decide what's important and where to draw some lines. And then we have to walk a grace-filled life. We need to receive grace and we need to give grace.

I don't have many answers - I'm a work in progress, but here's a prayer from one working mom to others who may need to use it today (it's short cause I know y'all don't have time :)

"Jesus, give me grace today for every time I've fallen short. Give me eyes to see the things I can do better and give me wisdom to see the things I need to let go. Show me Your way. Amen."

2010-08-16T11:28:00.001-04:00

After the Message

Profiles of the Obscure: Epaphroditus

Kindergarten report card – what was your mark for “works well with others?”

In school the ‘others’ were classmates; in adulthood, the ‘others’ are co-workers, spouses and neighbors and dare we say, fellow church members

Are co-workers the people we compete with for the next promotion, people we gossip about, people we gossip with (usually about our boss and other co-workers) or are they people with a shared mission, a shared goal whom we work with and depend on?

Epaphroditus – Philippians 2:25-30 and 4:18

Paul calls him his co-worker – he came and worked alongside Paul, caring not about his own recognition, but focused on a shared mission and goal.

Do we depend on each other or do we put up with each other?

Work, Marriage, Church

John 17:20-23 – Jesus prayed for us to live in complete unity so that the world would know God’s love

2010-08-11T09:27:00.003-04:00

I Need a Place to Hide

I'm talking about the kind of place where I'm not going to run into anyone I know, the kind of place where no one is around so if I need to lay on my face in prayer, I can. If I need to pace or dance or play my music really loudly, I can. If I need to sing, no one else has to hear me. If I need to talk out loud to myself or to God, I can.

This feeling of needing to hide pops up more frequently these days. I suppose some of that has to do with parenthood - as any parent will tell you, there's no hiding with kids in the house. Even your morning shower is open to interruption once they're big enough to open doors on their own. I suppose another contributing factor is the heat of summer. When the weather is cooler, I like to work outside in parks and other places where you can find spots to be alone. Then, there's the leadership factor, i.e. the fact that there are always decisions to be made and almost never enough time to put the amount of thought, consideration and prayer the decision needs. E-mails come in, I hit reply. Situations happen, I react.

But let's be honest, the big reason I think the feeling comes with more frequency is self-imposed. I've chosen to roll with our culture and live in a way that opens and invites interruption 24/7. If someone sends me a message on facebook, my phone lights up. If I get a text it sounds an alert, and if I don't get it right away it sends another alert 5 minutes later. People know the church phone is my cell phone so if they don't get a call back quickly, they know it's not because I didn't get the message or at least see the missed call. So there's the guilt, the expectation and the constant contact. Most of the time, I thrive on this interaction. Sometimes, I need to hide.

I'm not meaning to complain. I sound like I'm complaining. Maybe I am complaining a little. But, what I'm trying to say is that I need a place to hide. I need some habits in my life to help me disconnect and get quiet enough to hear God. It might be a place, but it just as easily may be a discipline.

Any suggestions? How do you disconnect? Where do you go to rest?

2010-08-10T09:25:00.002-04:00

Talking, Talking, Talking

I make a lot of mistakes, every day. Most of them have to do with opening my mouth too much and too soon. The Bible verse I struggle with most is James 1:19 where we're told to be slow to speak. I'm quick to speak. In fact, I'm fast to speak. I'm the fastest. If there were an Olympic gold medal to be had for opening your mouth quicker than everyone else, I would win it.

I do try. In fact, as a kid I use to pray that God would make me one of those quiet people that everyone likes who doesn't speak much but when they do everyone listens because they know it will be worth it. This wasn't just an occasional prayer. In junior high, every time we took communion and prayed at the altar, I would pray this prayer. Yes, I know there are much more important things to pray about, but in my junior high mind being likable topped the list.

I don't think there is such a thing as an unanswered prayer (despite Garth Brooks song). I think sometimes the answer is simply "no," or "wait," or "be patient." I've learned in years since that God most likely chuckled to Himself as I prayed those prayers, thinking "just wait to see what I'll do with your propensity to speak." I do believe God made me a talker and I do believe God is using my gift of gab for His glory and for His kingdom...just not all the time. Being called to speak does not equal being called to speak always.

And so I continue to pray for the patience and obedience to be slow to speak - not so that everyone likes me, I've given up on that. Rather, I pray that God will make me slow to speak so that I take time to listen to Him. I pray God will make me slow to speak so that I can hear what He's saying through the people around me. I pray God will make me slow to speak so I don't talk over Him as He's speaking into someone else's life.

I also pray that whenever I do speak it would be God-honoring, honest, sincere, gentle and in love.

How about you? Have you listened to God today or just talked to Him? Make time for both.

2010-08-04T10:20:00.002-04:00

"God is Still on the Throne"

Two years ago I was at a conference where Dave Ramsey made 10,000 people, including myself, stand and repeat those words. The economy was just starting to go downhill in a way people were feeling at home and Ramsey's message was one of faith and encouragement to remind us that nothing about our faith and our hope and our foundation has changed or been shaken.

I was reminded of those words this morning as I talked with several people, some looking for jobs, others fighting with teenagers and others trying to make difficult decisions.

It's so easy to feel defeated, let frustration win the day or allow stress to dominate our lifestyle, but truth is truth - God is still on the throne!

Our hope in this life and the next is sure in Jesus Christ and that's more security than anything in this world can ever give.

2010-08-02T14:49:00.002-04:00

My two cents...

So, I would like to be the 1,000th person to blog/comment about author Anne Rice's recent departure from Christianity - you can read more about it here. If you're interested in comments from others that I appreciated you can check them out here and here.

In truth I don't want to talk about her decision specifically because, I'll be honest, I've never read any of her books and I didn't know anything about her other than her name before the recent news. So it's hardly in my place to comment on her life, her history and her motives. However, her departure and the attention it has received brings up an interesting point: It's in to bash Christianity, especially among people who call themselves followers of Christ. I've done it, I've supported those who've done it and I understand it completely.

As Christians, we've too often settled for being cultural Christians who take Jesus as a vaccine in order to avoid infection as people whose entire lives are changed and impassioned in a way that makes no logical, earthly sense. We've settled for wearing the t-shirts and putting fish on our cars instead of radically selling out in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ. Brennan Manning said it well when he said, "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world finds unbelievable."

As a result of our sinful, selfish, judgmental living, we've given Christianity a bad name. And so, we have two options: ditch the name and separate ourselves from its failures; or fight hard to redeem it with faithful living.

The first option is obviously easier and I don't want to readily dismiss it. I was at a conference a few years ago where Andy Stanley, one of my pastor heroes, was speaking and he was asked a question about how to go about taking a traditional church stuck in some old ways and mindsets to a place of renewal and relevance. He said, "I don't know, I wouldn't be the one to do it." He went on to explain that while he didn't dismiss the work as necessary he would rather spend his time starting something new that has the opportunity to do so much more in a shorter time than spending years fighting for inches forward. I resonated with his response that day - might explain some of why I'm a church planter today.

The word Christian is not used in Scripture. So, it's tempting and maybe even useful to ditch the ill-fated, misperceived, confused, beaten-up moniker and move on.

On the other hand, if we just change names and don't fight the cultural Christianity that got us here, what have we really done? In other words, you can change the name, but it doesn't change the behavior. We could unanimously ditch the word "Christian" today and probably by tomorrow "Christ-follower" would be a bad word because all the former "Christians" would have adopted it.

For better or worse, when Jesus ascended to heaven, he asked us - the Church - to be His hands and feet in this world. Crazy, right? He asked us - a bunch of imperfect, sinful people to be His living, breathing letter of recommendation. We've messed it up - again and again and again - and yet God still calls us. It's a high calling and an almost impossible task, but who are we to question the living God? We have a lot of work to do to redeem a name we have dragged through the mud more times than we can count with judgmental and hypocritical living.

Good news - Jesus said He would help us. He said He would even send a helper, His Spirit to live in us and work through us. Maybe we should start leaning on that, throw away our safety nets and get dirty reclaiming the Church, whatever you want to call the people composing it. After all, Jesus called the Church His bride and died for it - it's worth our every effort.

2010-08-02T11:42:00.002-04:00

After the Message

Yesterday we started our series on Profiles of the Obscure. We're taking it back old-school and learning about some of the people in the Bible we may have never heard about or talked about before. Highlight - getting everyone in the mood by singing "Father Abraham" with the motions - so wish I had that on film!

Our profile subject was Boaz whose story is found in the book of Ruth. He was the "kinsman-redeemer" who married Ruth and, through their son, continued the family line of her dead husband. Perhaps the most incredible thing about Boaz is not that he simply stood by his family and did what was right, but he went out of his way to do so. Ruth was not an Israelite - she didn't look right or talk right. She didn't know how to pray or how to worship. She was a foreigner, a member of a hated enemy of Israel. Yet Boaz redeemed her and welcomed her to the table. He praised her for her loyalty and her decision to follow the one true God.

Jesus did the same for us. He took us in - sinful, selfish, bruised and road weary - and gave us a new name. He redeemed us - bought us at a price.

What's your story of redemption? Have you shared it? Have you passed it on to someone else who needs to know they have a seat at the table and a Savior who wants to give them a new name and a new story?

2010-07-28T15:09:00.002-04:00

My Newest Aspiration

Surfing. I want to learn to surf. (Speaking of which, does anyone reading this either know how to surf or know someone who knows how to surf who would be willing to teach me?)

I love the water - the lake, the river, the ocean, the pool, you name it. It's one of the huge perks to living in the lowcountry of South Carolina. While I don't aspire to be one of those surfers out catching 50 foot waves that could kill you in an instant if you fall, I think surfing east-coast-style looks incredibly fun accompanied by enough thrill to get my adrenaline pumping and my heart racing.

When's the last time you felt your adrenaline pumping? When's the last time you chased an adventure like surfers chase the perfect wave? "When's the last time you said "wa-hoo!'?" (the movie "IQ", anybody?)

I don't want to live a boring life. I want to have stories to tell, adventures to share. I want to push the limits, and I believe that's exactly how God made me - and you. We weren't created to live safe, average lives. God created us for the extraordinary. I'm not talking about doing stupid things and being reckless with our lives, but I am talking about dreaming big and working hard. I'm talking about running a fever brought on by an infection called life.

Who's with me?

2010-07-26T19:45:00.002-04:00

A Few Thoughts on Evil, Tragedy and the

"Why" Questions that Have No Satisfying Answers

Miscarriages, Suicides, Gang Initiations involving the rape of an 85-year old woman, Child Abuse, Deadly Car Accidents, Kids with Cancer...this list could go on and on. I'm mentioning here only the things I've personally encountered in my first few years of ministry.

And then there's the inevitable question - "Why, God, why?" I can give the neat, theological answer, i.e. we live in a fallen world where evil is a reality and God did do something about it when he sent Jesus Christ to die so that we have a way back to God and have ultimate victory over sin and death. I could talk about the work of redemption that we get to be part of and how Paul says in Romans 8 that though we groan now we also wait patiently for the hope we have in a future that will exceedingly diminish our present sufferings. There's nothing shallow about those answers, and yet they don't satisfy the gut-wrenching agony when terrible things happen, especially to someone we know and love, especially when they happen to us.

So what do we do with our anger? What do we do with our confusion? What do we do with our hurt?

If we follow the lead of the psalmists, we take them straight to God. So many of the Psalms are cursing songs and songs of anger, songs of lament, they are the cries of people living in a broken world who know their pain is real and they express it passionately to God, the One who loves them, the One whose heart breaks with them and for them.

So, I guess what I'm saying is feel what you feel and put those feelings honestly before God. Don't tidy up your conversations with God, He already knows your heart. And definitely don't stop talking to God altogether - let Him hold you, even and especially when you're kicking and screaming.

2010-07-25T20:02:00.001-04:00

After the Message

Every vacation, every retreat, every worship experience inevitably comes to an end…then what?

In our encounters with God, do we become like the people who are always living for their next vacation?

Our encounter with God isn’t meant to be an every-now-an-then event – it’s an everyday relationship

Psalms – written by people who understood that God was part of their every moment and their every day

Talking to God from the slimy pit, the mountain top, an understanding that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it

Psalm 139:1-10

vv. 7-10 – there isn’t anywhere we can go where God isn’t already there

My vacation with my family is over, it’s a once-a-year opportunity to be together, catch-up, enjoy each other separated from the schedules and demands of the everyday, but still we go back to the everyday yet we don’t forget each other – I call my mom everyday

How often are you calling on God? How much of your everyday does God get to be part of?

2010-07-24T20:44:00.009-04:00

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

You know those essays you had to write the first week back to school in your elementary years...what you did on your summer vacation? Well, unlike the elementary school days when summer vacation lasted two and a half months, summer vacation was only a week this year, specifically, this past

week, and it was awesome! Here's what I did and what I learned...

- I went to Holden Beach, NC with Clark, Jacob, my parents, my sister, my brother-in-law, my nieces and my nephew (sometimes

the be

st vacations aren't about r&r, they're about the pure joy of spending time with the people you love, even when they're 6, 3, 2 and 17 months and have endless energy that starts before 6:30 every morning :)

- I surfed with a bogey board, a raft and just me - the raft got me the farthest (not sure that there's a deep life lesson here, just fact)

- We made homemade ice cream and I remembered being a kid and how long it would take for the ice cream to be finished and the almost unbearable anticipation. But, I also remembered how worth the wait homemade ice cream is (this one's obvious, folks, good things come to those who wait, Is. 40:31)

- my niece Liza and my mom re-taught me how to play "go fish" (when you need something, just ask - the worst someone can tell you is no, or go fish)

- the joy of the Lord should make you want to jump, jump, jump, move, move, move and raise the roof, roof, roof (my niece Ruthie learned this at VBS the week before comi

ng to the beach and spent every evening entertaining us by singing this song and dancing around the house - a not so subtle reminder to

live with joy)

- last year we found tons of awesome shells in the water, including multiple conch shells and whole sand dollars, this year I found none (you don't always get what you want)

- I exercised every day, ate twice as much as I usually eat and thoroughly enjoyed both activities (taste and see that the Lord is good, Ps. 34:8)

- there's so much more, but I'll stop for now - what did you do and what did you learn on your summer vacation, chime in and let me know...

2010-07-15T14:17:00.002-04:00

Where Did I Go?

Fear not, blogophere, I have not disappeared. This week I find myself in Central, South Carolina. "Where?" you ask. A town called Central in the upstate where the campus of Southern Wesleyan University is located. I'm here as the camp speaker, spending the week with 200 students in 7th-12th grade. It's been a long time since I've been to camp, but much like previous camp experiences I'm encountering God in new ways and this week especially I'm enjoying the incredibly powerful worship with Jamin and our Ashley Ridge band.

I've realized and remembered in our time here how fortunate we are as a church with the musicians we have, but even more so the hearts of those who lead us in worship. In other words, Jamin has been rocking the house up here - y'all would be proud!

I'm off to find out what's happening at rec today, but in case any were concerned or had given up on me, I'm still around.

Keep looking for God to show up and surprise you in the most unusual places and incredibly ordinary ways!

2010-07-08T13:55:00.003-04:00

"The Gospel for iGens"

I read this article last summer and I came back today in preparation for a week of talking to teenagers next week at the Breeze conference. It's incredibly helpful and I definitely encourage you to read it!

For those of you who are reading this blog b/c you prefer reading the synopsis version, let me do what I can to quickly summarize:

Scot McKnight argues that different generations need to hear the Gospel differently. He focuses specifically on the emerging adult generation (18-30 year olds - including me) which grew up on Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street. Our upbringing was filled with what many call the "self-esteem movement." Mr. Rogers taught "I am okay." Sesame Street took it a step further and taught "We're all okay." As a result, we have a generation that feels pretty good about itself and therefore doesn't connect with the message that we are sinners in need of a Savior, hence Jesus. We need a different starting place.

McKnight says, "If this generation likes Jesus, and if iGens have the chutzpah to think they are like Jesus, then let's start with Jesus." In other words, to reach today's 20-somethings we need to start with Jesus' life and his passion to reach the least, the last and the lost. "Nothing mesmerizes iGens like the kingdom vision of Jesus."

This isn't new. Check out how Paul preached to the Greeks, who thought they were pretty cool.

The Gospel message doesn't change, but the way we share it must.

2010-07-06T15:39:00.002-04:00

"I'm like 99.9% parched here. I need a cola."

Anybody? Anybody? That's from the movie "Just Like Heaven" and it's said by the same guy who played Napoleon in Napoleon Dynamite (lights just went on all over the blogosphere).

You know the feeling he's talking about? The feeling of being so dehydrated that you can't even produce any more spit to swallow (okay, maybe that was a little gross). Anyway, hydration is key, especially this time of year. I saw on the news yesterday that we need 2-3 glasses of water every time we step outside to stay well-hydrated. Unlike the quote above though, a cola won't work. You see, it matters what we put into our system. Some things though they may be fluid and taste temporarily refreshing, ultimately dehydrate.

So it is with our life and faith. Without Jesus, we have no spit (wait, maybe that didn't come out right). Jesus told the woman at the well in John 4:14 that if we drink the water he has to give us, we will never be thirsty. However, if we continue to look for refreshment and renewal and life in other places, we will always be thirsty and always be searching.

We can spend so much of our life thirsty and not knowing how to quench our thirst. Jesus says, "Let me take care of that." We need to fill ourselves everyday with Him. We need to realize we're parched and go to the only One who can meet our every need.

Are you parched? When's the last time you visited Jesus' well?

2010-07-05T10:09:00.002-04:00

After the Message

Is God looking to have an encounter with you and you’re missing it, or if you’re being really honest, you’re not looking for it and maybe even avoiding it?

What if God sees how I’m living? What if God wants to change something I don’t want to change? What if God wants me to do something I don’t want to do?

I Samuel 3:1-10

v. 1 – Samuel grew up in the Temple, learning from Eli to be a minister

- in those days, the word of the Lord was rare, not many visions – no explanation, but I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest it wasn’t because God disappeared

vv. 4-6 – Samuel doesn’t recognize God’s voice

v. 7 – Samuel did not yet know the Lord, kind of funny when you think about where he spent all of his time – how many of us show up, go through the motions, but do not know the Lord?

v. 8 – “Boy, if you wake me up one more time.” (this is what Eli’s thinking…), realizes it’s God and tells Samuel to say to the Lord, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

When’s the last time your prayers and your day began with that phrase?

“God, I know you have a plan for my day. Jesus, I know you have saved me for a reason. Instead of me sitting here and telling you how my day is going to go and asking you to sanction it and make it easy, how about I listen and you tell me, your servant, how it’s going to go.”

v. 10 – and so begins Samuel’s life as a spokesman for God

Are you listening for God, or are you kind of okay knowing He’s there and keeping him at a distance so He doesn’t change the way you live your life?

Too many of us are living as Christian atheists – we believe in God, but we live as though He doesn’t exist. (Craig Groeschel)

Today, we’re celebrating freedom – maybe the freedom we most need to exercise is the freedom to speak to God, listen to God and follow Him.

In the coming weeks, we’re going to talk more about what an encounter with God looks like, but today we need to answer the question, do we want one? Are we listening?

2010-06-30T09:49:00.002-04:00

I'm a Wimp

Confession One: I rarely bring up the fact that I'm a woman.

Confession Two: Often when I'm out at random places (getting my hair cut, eating out, etc.) and people ask me what I do for a living, I respond, "I work at a church," as opposed to "I'm a pastor." (for a really funny story about this, ask me sometime about an outing I made with friends a few years ago to a Japanese steak house - for the even funnier version, ask Greg Horres to tell the story)

At this point, you may be saying "What is she talking about?" especially in relation to the first confession. Obviously I'm a woman - this is not something I hide, in fact I've come quite a long way from my elementary school tomboy days when I loved to race the boys at recess and took great pride in beating all of them. I now love shoes, massages and girl's nights almost as much as Duke basketball :)

Here's what I'm talking about. I am an evangelical, and in evangelical circles (I'm about to make a big generalization) women who call themselves pastors are often regarded as feminists without any further discussion. For example, in February I went to an incredible conference for church planters and after registering online as a church planter I received an e-mail invitation to the luncheon for pastor's wives that was being held on the second day and at registration when we arrived, I was asked if Jamin, our church's worship leader, was my husband.

I don't want women in ministry to be the issue I'm known for and I fear being branded as a crazy feminist by those who wouldn't have the chance to get to know me and see beyond that initial label.

Why am I writing about this today? There is a great discussion happening over at Carlos Whitaker's blog on this subject that I would love y'all to check out. Thank you Carlos for facilitating this discussion!

I'll share more on this subject another day, but for now I'm going to stop hiding from who God has made me and what God has called me to do in everyday conversation. I'm not a woman pastor, but I am a pastor who happens to be a woman and I love, love, love what God has called me to do and I'm thankful for the privilege and opportunity to proclaim Jesus Christ!!

2010-06-29T10:46:00.002-04:00

Friends, Boundaries and Other Thoughts

I'm thinking about friends today for several reasons: First, one of my very best friends is moving away tomorrow. Ross Chellis is heading to Hampton, South Carolina to be the pastor of Hamption and Varnville UMC. He won't be that far away, but far enough that he won't be able to join me at a text's notice for lunch or read my face and know when I have a situation I need to discuss. I will miss him, but I am thankful for him and so excited to see all that will happen as God uses him in ministry in a new place. Hampton and Varnville - good luck, your lives will never be the same :) I'm also thinking about friends because another friend of mine, Greg over at I'm Just Sayin' posted a blog yesterday on friendship.

So, here are a few of my thoughts...

"Don't be friends with people in your church." Before you laugh and think I'm being ridiculous, you should know that this advice is handed out with frequency in seminaries and within clergy circles. I happen to disagree with it.

I've always struggled with this piece of advice. I've heard the people who give it provide rationales that make sense. In fact, I've already found myself in several of the scenarios they've used as cautionary tales. But still...

From the most basic standpoint, I go back to Jesus and then Paul, neither of whom related to people from a distance. In fact, Jesus very specifically called us his friends; and on several occasions Paul spoke intimately to the people and churches he wrote, calling them both friends and partners. Obviously I can't be best friends with everyone in the church, but I think if we're going to meet together and talk about the most important things in our lives, people ought to know that I love them, I care about them and think of them as brothers, sisters, and yes, even friends.

Friends are people we share our lives with. Friends are the people who stand by us and celebrate with us when things are great and get down on their knees and pray with us when we're walking through the scary stuff. (wait, I think I'm describing the church here...). Friends come in all shapes and sizes, and yes, even levels. But, I think we're being inauthentic to close off the category of friends completely and call ourselves a Christian community.

You see, some of those situations I mentioned I've been in because I ignored the pastor/churchmember/friend boundary are some of the very same situations that have forced me to confront my own insecurities and pushed me to a new level of sincerity in my life, faith and relationships. They're situations that have demanded some painful conversations, but if we skip those conversations, what do we have and how do we grow?

Friendships, like marriages and all other relationships of value, aren't easy. They're often uncomfortable, demanding and impossible to manage. But, today, I thank God that He calls me friend and I thank God for all of the people I feel privileged to call friends!

2010-06-28T07:29:00.002-04:00

After the Message

Yesterday we finished the "One Prayer" series with a video message from Craig Groeschel, the senior pastor of Lifechurch.tv and the initiator of "One Prayer." Craig's message was simply that "the path to our greatest potential is often straight through our greatest fear." We are surrounded everyday by our fears, but our God is bigger than all of our fears.

We started this Unstoppable series with a perspective reminder of how big God is (anybody still have their golf ball?). I think we ended in the same place - our God is huge, so much bigger than our fears.

Where is God calling you to be unstoppable? What's stopping you? Who is your God?

If the last answer is Jesus, then the second answer is nothing and I would love to hear your answer to the first!

2010-06-28T07:06:00.002-04:00

God Says "Yes." We say "Amen."

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God." ~ 2 Cor. 1:20

Do you remember when you were a kid and your parents said things like "when I say 'jump,' you say 'how high?'" Well, this is sorta kindof like that, but much, much cooler. In Jesus, God has fulfilled every promise in heaven and earth to you and me. As a response, we don't get to second-guess God or rationalize with God or put God's plan on a chart to make sure it works for us. Instead, we say "amen" in a way that is acted out in our life as a true "so be it."

Let me give you an example. When Jesus says, "I promise to be with you always." We don't say, "That's cool, I'd like to make appointments for these days and times, but I'm pretty sure I have these other areas covered, so I'll check back with you when I need you." No, we say, "So be it." And then we live our lives as though Jesus is with us always and therefore we can do more than anyone on this world thought possible or imaginable so that in everything, God gets the glory.

When's the last time you relied so completely on God's promise to care for you that you did something your family and friends told you was nuts? It's when we get so uncomfortable and so dependent on God, that God steps up to the plate and fulfills His promises in a way the world cannot deny. Too often, we live inside the bounds and then we take credit for the things that work in our life. What if we started living out-of-bounds in our world, trusting God's 'yes' and pointing back to Him. Athletes do it all the time when they score and we think it's cool. Your co-workers might laugh at you for awhile, but I challenge you to let God's 'yes' to their life break through while you keep living an exorbitant 'Amen!'

2010-06-21T20:27:00.002-04:00

Why Worship?

I grew up as a pastor's kid - Sunday morning worship wasn't optional. God called me into ministry - again, Sunday morning...not optional. I have always lived in the world where worship is simply part of the week. It isn't an enormous effort to go or something that would even occur to me as an option for consideration. It simply is.

It occurred to me recently that not everyone has the same story (I know, one of those rare moments of non-self-centeredness we humans experience from time to time). It made me wonder if I would go to worship every week if I wasn't the pastor's kid or the pastor. I would like to think the answer is yes, but the only thing I can base that on is my four years of college when I wasn't under my parent's direct purview or on a church's payroll and I still went to worship every week. I'm not looking for a gold star here, I get my genetic and habitual presets, I'm just sayin'...

Anyway, since it is summer and the temptation to not worship seems greater, I thought I would take a moment to offer a few reasons why we worship so that the next morning you wake up and ask "Why?" you have some motivators to push you to worship over the extra sleep/boat/beach/pool/to-do list/or whatever else seems more engaging or pressing at the moment. Here goes:

1. God is worthy of all the worship we can give. He created us. He loves us. He provides for us. He saves us from our selfishness, foolishness and daily bad decisions. He forgives us. He gave us Jesus. Enough said.

2. Worship is what we were created to do. You know those moments where everything in your life seems to feel right or in place? Those are the moments we're living fully into our design - a design to know our Creator. It can happen in lots of times and places, but none more so than in times and places of worship. I don't know about you, but in my chaotic life, I crave those moments where things make sense - why miss the place I know it happens?

3. Worship reminds us that we're part of something much bigger than ourselves. It's easy to get caught up in our own world and develop tunnel vision. That's great when things are going well, but when things aren't going so well, it's easy to get despondent. In worship, we see other people who may have an encouraging story to tell of where God has been active in their life. In worship, we read Scripture together that reminds us of God's faithfulness and Jesus' incredible love for us.

4. Worship is an opportunity to say thank you to Jesus for saving our lives and drawing us back to the God who is love. I do a lot of meaningless things in my week, including the hours of mindless television I watch and the solitaire I play on my phone at night to make my brain stop working so I can fall sleep. It's nice to do something with so much meaning to start the week and to start each day.

I could go on, but you get the point. I'm not writing this as a guilt trip for all the times you may have missed worship (I don't have perfect attendance either). Instead I want to encourage you for all the opportunities you have in front of you to worship. Worship is a gift from God - an opportunity to be with Him, and there's no better place in heaven or on earth!

2010-06-21T15:24:00.002-04:00

After the Message

Unstoppable Ashley Ridge

Are we fighting an unstoppable God or

are we part of God’s unstoppable movement?

Other people are inconvenient…

Which is why most of us are slacktivists (a term coined by Don Miller in his May 6 blog post). A slacktivist is someone who finds the most convenient way to help others, or perhaps better said, the least inconvenient way to help others.

Luke 10:25-37 – a slactivist’s story (and an anti-slactivist's story

v. 25 – expert in the law, i.e. that guy who memorized his Bible and uses it as a weapon

v. 29 – but he wanted to justify himself, i.e. feel good about himself, add a gold star to his chart

vv. 33-35 – the anti-slactivist who embraced inconvience for the sake of another person

God chose inconvenience for the sake of you and me – Jesus left heaven and came to earth, God moves mountains if it means reaching us

“Go and do likewise” – choose people over convenience

At Ashley Ridge, we could start a bunch of programs and you could give money to those programs and show up every now and then to help out and we would all feel better about ourselves, but what if it weren’t quite so convenient – what if actually started to share our lives? What if we took seriously Jesus instructions to go and do likewise?

Maybe that’s how the world will know our God is the God who saves.

2010-06-16T10:32:00.002-04:00

Take a Listen

I decided to break form today and share one of my favorite artists with y'all. His name is Foy Vance and he is an Irish musician. One of my life goals is to go to Ireland and see Foy Vance play live in a pub. What can I say - I'm a sucker for guys who can sing and play the guitar. (I could really embarrass Clark here and share with y'all about him sitting with me by the ocean and playing his guitar and singing for me on one of our early dates, but I won't do that - oh wait, just did :)

Foy Vance is not identified as a Christian musician, but, like myself, he is a pastor's kid. His music has an unmistakeable theme of hope that is somehow haunting and incredibly authentic. My favorite song is called "First of July" that talks about heartache but it carries the constant refrain "but that was the end of June and this is the first of July." We all have moments, days and sometimes seasons of frustration, anxiety, and hurt, but we always have hope that another season is coming and God walks with us through it all. I included my husband's favorite Foy song below called "Indiscriminate Act of Kindness" - enjoy!

2010-06-15T14:10:00.002-04:00

After the Message

Unstoppable Church

I John 4:7-12

Are we fighting an unstoppable God or part of God’s unstoppable movement?

Annual Conference – doesn’t always make me very excited about the church

Debating pensions and budgets and organizational charts, closing local

churches - it can be discouraging

How do we know the Church isn’t dying or lost?
1. Jesus is the foundation – may change forms, we may make a mess of things on our own, but Jesus cannot be stopped
2. Where there is love, there is God and there is the Church of Jesus Christ

I John 4:7-12

Since God loved us, we also ought to love one another. If we love one

another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us

Here's one way we're being the Church...
Rwanda

- passion for me started about 4-5 years ago

- the world watched as love overcame the worst humanity had to offer

- Land of 1000 Hills Coffee – largest cash crop in Rwanda is coffee

o 500 orphans in Bukonya, 280 in child-led homes, 95% of the orphans show signs of malnutrition

o $30,000 will start the initial sustenance farm to feed the orphans in Bukonya

Ashley Ridge Church will give $15,000 to Bukonya over the course of the next 6 months, starting this week with a check for $7,500
*And, start praying now about whether God is calling you to be part of our Summer 2011 Team that will travel to Bukonya, Rwanda

“If we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.”
Step One to being part of God's unstoppable movement is loving each other in real, tangible, life-giving ways because that’s how God loves us

2010-06-09T13:43:00.003-04:00

Wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?

(Yes, that is a "Dumb and Dumber" reference - my apologies to those of you whose humor is more refined :)

When my son is fussy or discontent with his current situation he scrunches his face and makes a sound halfway between a yell and a grunt. It's his way of communicating "I'm not happy!!!" but it's also his uninhibited attempt at working out his frustration and releasing tension. He can't explain it to me, but I think he feels better after yelling and not just because he's made his feelings known. It's an actual release.

Sometimes I wish it was socially acceptable as an adult to express my frustration in a similar manner. On the other hand, how annoying would it be to walk around and have people constantly yelling out. But this also leads me to think, how much do we hold in on any given day? Do we exponentially increase our stress levels by suppressing our thoughts, feelings and emotions?

I'm at a conference this week where the comment was made at a break that you can tell we're a dysfunctional community because we don't fight enough. Our discussions are civil and restrained and then we gather in corners to vent. As a result, nothing is solved, tensions aren't released and we walk away with more wrinkles and frown lines.

How many marriages are like this? Businesses? Parent/Teen relationships? What if we stopped learning to stop fighting and instead learned to fight better? I'm not talking about punching and yelling. I'm talking about honest and respectful disagreement, a forum to be honest about our frustration without fearing ostracism - loving each other enough to risk upsetting the status quo.

I'm as guilty as the next person. Too often I wait until I can't control my anger to express my dissatisfaction and the results are never good. I'm resolving to start sharing my feelings while I'm still in control - how about you?

How do you deal with frustration? How do you express dissatisfaction in ways that produce actual results instead of shared misery?

2010-06-07T14:33:00.003-04:00

Rejection

I woke up this morning with a clear sense of what was on my plate for the day. I had two meetings scheduled for the morning and the agendas for both clearly organized in my head and on my iPhone (the note-taking app being one of my favorites). Long story short - both meetings were canceled due to conflicts from the other parties - I was rejected. So I did what any other affirmation-seeking, extroverted-thinking person would do - I contacted a few other people to set up a new meeting over lunch.

Healthy? ...Maybe. On the one hand, I recognized my need for input and feedback from others and I sought it out. My lunch meeting was incredibly valuable and I greatly appreciated my friends with administrative gifts helping me out in an area that I tend to avoid. (I like preaching and teaching and writing - I'm still in administrative training wheels that need to come off quickly). On the other hand, I fell back into the habit of taking rejection personally.

Every time someone visits the church and doesn't come back, I immediately assume it was because of me. The truth is, sometimes it is because of me. However, just as often it was some other circumstance or situation that led them away or elsewhere. But, nevertheless, I take it personally. I lose sleep and I begin thinking about what I can do to be more likable and popular and before I know it, I'm in all-out people-pleasing mode.

A friend asked me this weekend what my greatest personal challenge has been so far in planting a church. The answer - getting over myself and learning to deal with rejection. People rejected Jesus, why do I think everyone should accept me? And if I'm working for affirmation, I'm not working to please God and that's just not cool.

This is and will continue to be a growth curve for me. I like to be liked and I think I'm a pretty likable person. But, there will always be people who don't like me or don't agree with me or don't make time for me or don't want to be part of what I'm doing for whatever reason. I'm learning that's okay and even healthy. And, if I can continue to work to please God, hopefully my friends won't have to put it so much overtime building me back up.

2010-06-07T06:53:00.002-04:00

After the Message

Are we fighting an unstoppable God or part of God's unstoppable movement?

Our God is huge and unstoppable and His pursuits include righteousness, justice and, above all, you and me!

We're going to spend the rest of the month talking about being part of God's unstoppable movement as part of the One Prayer movement. But, if you missed yesterday and you need your perspective updated on how big and unstoppable God is, please check out Louie Giglio's "How Great is Our God" tour on youtube.

Louie has had an incredible ministry worldwide reaching out to college students as part of the Passion movement and now he is planting Passion City Church in Atlanta. He does an amazing job re-sizing our understanding of God - check it out!

2010-06-02T06:55:00.003-04:00

Veritas

I mentioned yesterday that Clark and I drove to Cambridge, Massachusetts last week to attend his brother and sister-in-laws graduation from Harvard. I had been to Yale and Princeton, but this was my first trip to Harvard. As you would expect, it was beautiful and full of history. We went for a run by the Charles River and I got to re-enact the running scene from "With Honors." I felt smarter just being there.

Anyway, the Harvard mantra is Veritas, which means truth. The word is printed all over campus on every post, pillar and written document. As we went from ceremony to ceremony the speakers reflected on truth and what this means and how we understand it and how we seek it. No one said anything about Jesus. It started to really bug me by the end of the festivities (it's not like I was expecting it, but still...). It was at the moment of my greatest irritation when I made a stunning discovery that put everything back in perspective.

The graduation was set up on the steps of Memorial Chapel in the middle of Old Harvard Yard. They had blocked the front doors and pillars with a backdrop and there was a huge tent spanning over the platform, podium and speakers. There were trees throughout the yard so looking straight ahead all you could see was what looked like the front of an assembly. However, if you let your eyes wander straight up, rising high above the trees, into the sky and far above the heads of the esteemed speakers was the high steeple adorned with the cross of Jesus Christ.

The ultimate irony. Unspoken and unacknowledged as some of the brightest minds in our world reflected on truth was the cross rising high above. I smiled and I think I even giggled a little to myself.

We can deny God, we can ignore God, we can pretend to have the world figured out separate and apart from God, but God is always there. Veritas = Jesus.

2010-06-01T14:46:00.002-04:00

So Much to Say...

I've learned that when there's so much to say and so much to catch up on, it's usually best to keep it brief and spread it out over time.

In the last week and a half, I celebrated my 5th wedding anniversary with my husband, made Ashley Ridge Church worship outside in 90 degree heat for Pentecost (trying to drive home the point that we shouldn't aim to be comfortable as a church, I think it worked :), drove from Summerville to Boston by way of Richmond, Pennsylvania and New York City to see family and ultimately witness my brother-in-law and sister-in-law graduate from Harvard Law School and Ed School (huge congrats to both on their incredible accomplishment, and even more on their desire to use their degrees to be public servants in the truest sense - so proud!!), and celebrated Memorial Weekend by marrying a remarkable young woman and man who is deploying to Afghanistan in August and spending time with friends out on their boats.

All in all, it's been busy and crazy and wonderful in so many different ways. I find God showing up and reminding me of things in places I never expect. So, in short, thank you God for always being a million steps ahead of me and yet right beside me every step of the journey.

2010-06-01T14:43:00.001-04:00

After the Message

Mama Said, “Say Please”

Matthew 7:7-11

Finishing “Mama Said” – simple instructions we understood as a child that seemingly get more difficult/complicated as we get older

Say Please…Asking for things

Matthew 7:7-8

As kids, we’re good at it – and not only are we good at it, we learn a simple lesson that, for the most part, getting what we need is as simple as asking and using the word “please”

It doesn’t seem as easy as we get older. Oh, we still ask, we just don’t get what we think we need nearly as often – usually b/c we’re asking for more than a bike or a piece of candy

20-year old girl praying for her mom to find a great son-in-law

Parents praying for healing for their sick child

Everyday, you and me praying for help, praying for salvation, praying for

answers that don’t seem to come

Matthew 7:9-11 – are we asking for good gifts, or are we asking for easy answers?

It’s easy to confuse “good gifts” with getting what we want. And too often we either don’t get what we want and after awhile we stop asking; or, we ask, but for the most part we’ve figured out how to meet our own needs so our asking is for show or habit more than anything else and we settle for okay gifts instead of good gifts.
Need to work from the core conviction that above all things God loves us – and if we who understand only a glimpse of love give good gifts, how much more so does the God who is love give good gifts!

2010-05-25T19:24:00.002-04:00

After the Message

We spend so much time searching for comfort – comfort food, comfort clothes, comfortable people, air conditioning

Acts 2:1-13 – What in the world? This is uncomfortable, and it continues…

Acts 2:14-21

Not only are we not often there as a church, we’re not even sure we want to be there

Let’s be honest, someone starts speaking in tongues this morning and I’m a little

freaked out

And so, we search for comfort…

Ashley Ridge Church, are we already comfortable?

We’ve created a great environment, great music, great coffee, it feels good, it looks good, it sounds good (people ask me all the time, “how’s it going?” and I have lots of great things to tell them)

But the truth is, this isn’t good enough. We ought to be uncomfortable b/c it’s no longer just about what Jesus has done, now it’s what He’s going to do through us…and that’s not comfortable

For the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and those He came to save, are we willing to be a Pentecost church?

2010-05-20T10:07:00.003-04:00

The "E" Word

One of my son's favorite books is the old Sesame Street book with Grover called "There's a Monster at the End of this Book." Grover spends the whole book trying to keep you from turning the next page so you don't get to the monster, only to get there and discover that he, the lovable and friendly Grover, is the monster at the end of the book and there was no reason to be afraid.

In keeping with that idea, I would like to warn you now that at the end of this post I'm going to challenge you to share your faith - I know, you're already sweating.

Evangelism has become a very taboo word in many of our churches - it's that thing the scary churches do. We associate it with the tracts about hell that are left in bathroom stalls and the people who stand on street corners yelling or the people that go door-to-door. Don't get me wrong. I find those practices as alarming as everyone else - alarming and ineffective. Nevertheless, we've let those negative examples be our excuse for not sharing our faith.

I do it as a pastor with people who've taken enough initiative to visit the church. I don't want to come on too strong, or talk about faith too quickly and thus get labeled or perceived as the scary, stalker pastor. So, I just act friendly and assume they'll ask me if they want to know anything about Jesus.

Here's our hold-up (aside from the scary evangelism tactics that have turned us off), we think that sharing our faith means we have to give someone a long, drawn-out, thorough explanation of who Jesus is, how Jesus works, what the Bible means and more. We think we have to know everything and have a great way to explain it.

This isn't true. We simply need to take the opportunity to invite people to experience something that has been powerful, important and life-changing to us. We can't have the experience for them, but we can invite them to the party.

Donald Miller says it this way: "Introducing somebody to Jesus is not about presenting ideas, then, as much as it is introducing the person to a Diety who lives and interacts. Evangelism, then, looks like setting somebody up on a blind date: God does the work, we just tell them about him and where they can find him."

It's not pushy and it's not about how much we can memorize. It's as simple as inviting someone to worship with you or, better yet, taking a genuine interest in someone else's life and story.

So, here it comes, the challenge: Think of someone you know who doesn't go to church, or even someone who does go to church but doesn't know Jesus - take your friendship to the next level (see yesterday's post) and take the risk of inviting them to come to worship or small group with you - point them to an opportunity to experience God for themselves.

I think you might find it's not as hard or scary as you think.

(And if you're the competitive type and need extra motivation, Jamin is trying to invite 25 people to worship before Sunday, and he's monitoring his progress by handing out our Ashley Ridge cards that have a place on the back for you to write your name and number - I'm looking for someone to show up on Sunday having invited more than 25 people! - But remember, the ultimate goal isn't quantity, it's building quality relationships that lead to the highest quality relationship with Jesus!)

2010-05-19T10:54:00.002-04:00

Am I Worthy to be Jesus' Friend?

Right now, my Bible reading has me in the book of Ephesians along with the end of Judges. In Ephesians 4:1, Paul says, "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." He goes on to talk about how some of us are called to be apostles, others prophets and so on. But the thing that jumped into my brain that I can't get rid of is that Jesus told his disciples in John 15:15 that he no longer called them servants, he called them friends.

Jesus calls us his friend, which begs the question: Am I living a life worthy of being called Jesus' friend?

Have you ever spent much time around name-droppers? (That would have been a good Seinfeld episode, perhaps it was and I'm just forgetting). Name-droppers are those people who meet someone once or know a friend of a friend of a friend of someone significant, but they act like they're best buddies. Name-droppers are people who feel good using a name when it gives them an advantage, but beyond that they stick it in their file and don't do anything with it.

The truth is that it's really easy to slip into the category of name-dropper as opposed to friend when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. I'm not proud of it, but this happens to me more than I like to admit.

Here's another way to put it. In the book "Same Kind of Different as Me", a wealthy white man asks a homeless black man to be his friend. The homeless man tells him he will need to think about it. The wealthy man is taken aback by the response, but the homeless man takes his question very seriously and spends a few weeks considering it. When he comes back to respond, he asks the man if it's true that when white people fish do they really "catch-and-release." He tells him that the idea really bothers him because everyone he knows that fishes does it to survive and wouldn't dream of dropping a fish because they had no need for it. Then he looks at the white man and tells him he won't be his friend if he's going to catch-and-release, but if he truly wants to be his friend, then he'll agree to it and be his friend forever.

Jesus calls us his friends and you don't have to read much further to know that Jesus is not in the catch-and-release business. Jesus was in the whole-way-to-the-cross-lay-down-your-life-for-a-friend business.

Are we going after that kind of friendship with Jesus or are we settling for being name-droppers? Paul urges us to be more.

2010-05-18T13:23:00.002-04:00

Loving the Unlovable

I don't know who you have trouble loving, but here are some of the people on my current top 10 list:

- the guy on the infomercial selling mineral water that is "anointed" so if you BUY it and drink it all of your debt will be miraculously erased

- the people who call themselves Christians and spend their Sunday mornings protesting outside of other churches with signs that say things like "God hates people that _______." (I've read the Bible several times and I've never read anything about the people God hates.)

- the people taking hatchets into schools in China, using them to hurt and kill little children

- the people kidnapping 5-year old girls and using them in the sex trade

...this list could go on and on.

It's interesting in some ways because, if I'm honest, there are people on death row who I could find a way to love a lot more easily than the guy on the infomercial blatantly misrepresenting Jesus and people who follow Jesus. Don't get me wrong, I get that I'm being self-righteous by loving people who haven't directly impacted my life and thus feeling good about my forgiveness-meter while despising the people who make my life and my job and my convictions more difficult. In addition to being self-righteous, that's also called hypocrisy because I preach forgiveness all the time and only practice it when it's convenient.

And so, I'm constantly convicted by the fact that Jesus loves every person on my unlovable list - even the guy going out of his way to make Him look bad. Jesus says in Matthew 5, "Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you."

Here's the thing, I don't have to love, like or condone a lot of what people do - there's even such a thing as righteous anger. But I do have to love people and see far enough to know that they are fellow children of God and people in need of God's grace just like me.

Who are you wasting time and energy hating today? What unlovable moments has God loved you through lately?

2010-05-17T08:43:00.002-04:00

After the Message

Mama Said, Part 2 - "Say You're Sorry"

Here’s the thing – very few of us have mamas following us around all the time as adults, and even teenagers. Which means, for most of us, no one is following us around at home, at work, or at school and calling us out on our junk, making us say we’re sorry.

It’s hard to say you’re sorry – it’s humiliating. It’s also interesting how we make our kids say it all the time, but as adults we very rarely use those words. We self-justify, we ignore, we move on. After all, saying sorry makes us look weak and vulnerable, right?

We all do things we should be sorry about from time to time, and how we deal with those things matters eternally.

2 Corinthians 7:8-13,
Paul had a very special relationship with the Corinthians – often to their dismay and discomfort, Paul didn’t let them get away with stuff and called them out on their junk

- Godly sorrow leads to repentance, which leads to salvation.

How man times do we say “I’m sorry” and simply move on?

- their “I’m sorry” didn’t make them look weak, it made them look human and passionate and responsible

We can spend our whole lives brushing things aside and pretending “I’m okay, you’re okay,” but that’s to deny that we are human. We are human. We all make mistakes. We all do things and say things we regret. We have two choices:

1. Pretend they never happened and move on, tucking them away in our box of regret
2. Acknowledge we’re humans in the need of a gracious God who sent us a Savior to drive our sins away once and for all – in other words, deal with our sin and let Jesus’ forgiveness make us clean and new and more able to do and be all that we were called to do and to be

2010-05-13T09:54:00.003-04:00

"Same Kind of Different as Me"

by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

It's been awhile since I've written about books I'm reading, but I couldn't let this one pass by. After numerous recommendations, I picked up the book "Same Kind of Different as Me" last week and read it. It was exceptional! I'm not going to tell you much of what it's about because I really want to encourage as many people as possible to read it.

I will tell you this much, it's a story about what happens when our faith in God becomes more than a Sunday event. It's about faith in action - the kind of action that leads to dirt under the fingernails and not just a nice plaque on a wall. It's about the power of Jesus to transform lives - homeless lives, wealthy lives, our lives. It's about what happens when we get truly relational and decide to love our neighbors like Jesus said.

I walked away from the book convicted and excited - not just to do more, but to do better. Do you know what I mean? I'm talking about the fact that I do a lot of stuff, but my heart isn't always in it, my motives aren't always to dig deeper and know God more, but instead to make it through. That's boring, that's meaningless (as Solomon points out repeatedly in Ecclesiastes). I want to do everything for the purpose of loving the God who made me and loving the people He loves. And that includes everything from washing dishes to preparing a message for Sunday morning. It includes talking to my neighbor across the street who lends us soy sauce when we need it and talking to the annoying people at the pool who sit in the corner and smoke.

Read the book - you might get something totally different out of it, but I promise it will be worth it.

2010-05-12T07:05:00.002-04:00

The Day the Salsa Died

At the risk of being overly dramatic (read "exaggeration coming for purposes of conveying my point"), my heart broke last week when the manager of the Summerville Moe's told me they would no longer be making their mango salsa. The mango salsa was AMAZING (see this post). I loved Moe's before mango salsa and I will continue to love Moe's in the post-mango era, but there will forever be a void without the mango salsa. It was new, it was different, it was the perfect combination of fruit, vegetable and cilantro goodness, but now it has been tossed aside and replaced by the roasted corn salsa (also good, but nowhere near the level of the mango).

Interestingly, when the mango salsa was introduced I used it as an opportunity to wax eloquent on the necessity of change and the importance of mixing things up. I would be a hypocrite to use its demise to lament inevitable change.

You see, we all herald change when we want things to be different, but as soon as things are to our liking, we're done changing. It's the height of hypocrisy and we all do it.

And so, it's time for a gut check (myself in the greatest need). We're rocking and rolling at Ashley Ridge - things are going great! I don't have to make anything up when people ask how the church is going. I can brag for hours about the power of the Spirit, the people, the passion, the outreach and more. But, we're only 4 months in and so far we've successfully created something we love...and now, the change process begins. I can't promise a lot of things on our journey, but I can promise that Jesus will be our constant and everything else will change throughout the course of time. It has to, it must, it's an inherent feature of living organisms - and make no mistake, the body of Christ is a living, breathing, unstoppable force.

We can't afford to get comfortable with what we like, especially if our purpose is to ignite passion for Jesus Christ. When He is the one waking us up in the morning and setting our hearts on fire we will always be changing, being made new and stretching far beyond our comfort zones.

And so, farewell sweet mango salsa, you enhanced and enriched my life. Next adventure, here I come!

2010-05-10T08:29:00.003-04:00

After the Message

Mama said, “Say thank you.” To this day, calls to see if I’ve written thank you notes. But, the thank you my mama was talking about was in response to something someone said or did for me – makes sense

I Thessalonians 5:18, Paul told us to give thanks in all circumstances - I get that we should be thankful people – lot to be thankful for, but to give thanks in all circumstances seems more than extreme

Surely he didn’t mean today’s circumstances…

Flood in Nashville, senseless murder at UVA, oil spill in Gulf Coast, bad economy, bomb scare in NY

Surely he didn’t mean "mine"…

No job, marriage in trouble, kids misbehaving, mortgage payment behind, scary medical diagnosis, etc
Really, Paul, I’ll give thanks for a lot of things I should be thankful for, but this?? They don’t make a Hallmark card for this

Only possible if we read the whole verse, “for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Without Jesus, no hope, no future and no reason to give thanks when times get tough. With Jesus, in the best and worst, we have hope and a reason to give thanks

So, we give thanks that we can be "pressed down but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed" (2 Cor 4:8-9)

Having a forest perspective - we get into bad situations and think, “how could God let this happen and not do anything about it?” He did do something about it and His name is Jesus.

Give thanks in all circumstances, not b/c all circumstances are good, but because God has redeemed the best and the worst in Jesus Christ.

2010-05-06T10:58:00.002-04:00

Prayers

It's National Day of Prayer and everywhere churches and communities are gathering to pray for our nation and its leaders. Many of these prayers are eloquent and prepared with a lot of thought and consideration. Many are simple yet fervent prayers prayed in the hearts of those who are hurting in places like Nashville, the Gulf Coast and the University of Virginia.

My favorite prayer of the day so far is the one shared by a friend who prayed early this morning, "Dear God, it's National Day of Prayer and I know there are lots of people waiting to talk to you, so this morning, I'll be brief."

The prayer I'll pray with Jacob tonight as I put him to bed goes something like this:

"Thank you Jesus for another day - for time to learn and grow and play. Be with all of the world you made, my family and friends and those in need. Bring me safely through the night to serve you in the morning light."

No matter what you pray today, let it be a sincere conversation with the God who made us all and holds us in the palms of His hands.

And make sure you do it again tomorrow - after all, every day is a day of prayer.

2010-05-05T11:36:00.002-04:00

A Prayer

God, today I'm willing to do whatever you ask. Today, I am making myself completely open and available to you. Open my eyes to see you and hear you. Give me courage to go to the places where you send me and even more courage to go to the people you send me to meet. Jesus, as you have given your life for me, let me give my life to you. All that I have and all that I am is yours.

2010-05-04T11:20:00.003-04:00

Accountability is More than Asking Questions

I've been talking A LOT lately about small groups, community and accountability - don't expect this to change anytime soon :) God is a relational God who created us to live in relationship with Him and with each other. We were designed to need each other. We were not designed to function as self-sufficient islands.

A big part of our need for each other is accountability. We are imperfect, sinful people; but, by the grace of God, we don't have to stay that way. Jesus made a way for us to be made new and overcome the sin and death we fall into all the time. But to consistently choose Jesus, to consistently choose to accept God's grace, to consistently choose to make room for God's Spirit to work in our lives, we need a gentle (and sometimes not-so-gentle) nudge from our friends.

But here's the thing, true accountability doesn't end with a nudge. Truly holding people accountable to a life of faith and integrity means getting involved in each other's lives, it means being willing to get dirty and even uncomfortable at times.

In his book, "Confessions of a Pastor," Craig Groeschel tells the story of a small group he was in where a woman in the group was an exotic dancer. She didn't want to live that life, but she didn't know how to get out of it. One night as their group gathered a guy in the group shared that he had a major problem with pornography. Instead of everyone pulling away from him, they surrounded him and prayed for him and the guys in the group told him they would help hold him accountable to not looking at those things. The woman watched this with tears in her eyes, and having witnessed the grace that was shown, she decided to share her story. Immediately, the group told her she needed to quit what she was doing, but they also took it a step farther. They told her they would help her find a job and they would help support her financially until she did. In other words, they made it possible for her to do what she needed to do.

It would have been a very different story if the group continued to meet every week and just ask her if she had quit, but never offered to help. I'm guessing that eventually she would have stopped coming b/c it would have felt like a place of guilt instead of a place of freedom - a place of shame instead of a place of grace.

It's not always that dramatic. How many times have you and your friends talked about your need to read your Bible and pray but your inability to find time and make time to do it? Maybe it's time to not just hold each other accountable, but get involved in each other's lives to make the time available. For example, maybe you need to carpool to get your kids to school so your friend can use the time to spend with God. Maybe you can take turns cooking enough for your family and your friend's family so the saved time can be spent with God.

I don't know what's going on in your life and where your weaknesses are, but it's time to share them with someone and it's also time to involve yourself in each other's lives.