Something is stirring....

O.K. - so here I am at Hardee's (Carl's Jr.'s cousin for those of you on the Left-coast). And though they are making some of those wonderful hand-scooped shakes in the background - that's not what is currently stirring.
Lemme 'splain.

I'm here having lunch with my trusty new Notebook computer open, and I just finished a homework assignment for one of my MBA classes. The other assignment I wanted to work on requires me to watch a Youtube video which their network won't allow me to access (probably wise on their part to restrict certain things in this VERY public location).

The point is - I feel something stirring within me, as if God is preparing me for new and exciting things. I still can't quite explain why I'm back in school - studying BUSINESS of all things. But, though I see through a glass, darkly, I believe things will get clearer as we get closer to our goal. As I've written before, in these posts and elsewhere, I still can't explain why we don't "belong" in vocational ministry somewhere - but I know that we just aren't supposed to be there right now. So what is a fellow with a B.A. in Biblial Languages supposed to do to feed his family? Should I stand on the corner wearing a sign that says, "Will parse Greek verbs for food" - ????? Nope.

The fact is, I work in an office setting. The stranger fact is, I'm good at it! How could that be - especially in light of the fact that I truly belive that I am called to the ministry? Well - for starters, I know that God has a plan for me, for us, for my family. He hasn't left us high and dry yet, and I know that He won't - despite my failures and my profound ability to make masses of things. The second thing is, I always have to remember to ask - what does "the ministry" look like? I love people - that's a topic for another day I s'pose. Ministry, of course doesn't involve working at a church or "christian" organization. However, I do feel ultimately called to that sort of thing - but perhaps in a different context. It's all quite fuzzy still. But I believe that in the near future, full-time vocational ministry will be the "exception" but not the rule- particularly in the U.S. This goes to my belief about the church in North America - get ready for some toe-stepping folks. Two things:

First, I really, truly believe that the church is in transition. Basically, I think we're really good at having meetings - but we're notso great at meeting people where they are "at" (bad grammar alert). I was excited to talk to a dear friend (and my former pastor) regarding their church's transition from the "traditional" model of having lots of meetings, to a small-group structure that seems to be taking root. Again - this obviates the point that by and large, the church is in transition - from having meetings, to reaching people where they live. Don't get me wrong - there's still a need for corporate worship - but by and large, the people aren't coming in droves just to attend one of our "meetings" - which are generally designed "by us, for us" - those of us who are already "In" so to speak.

Secondly, I firmly believe that churches who don't face the facts and do something to change in this regard are going to become irrelevant - soon, if they aren't already. (Ouch!) How can you say that, Steve? Well - look around! Are we reaching the next generation? Not only are they not even coming through the door, but what if our ultimate goal is to actually disciple people? In most cases (not all, but most) - our goal has been to somehow get them through the door, and down front mumbling "the prayer" at one of our "meetings." But, what if the goal is to help them become Jesus-like? Are we doing the job? Are we anywhere close? With little exception - in my opinion, nope.

But we do have some really great meetings,... don't we?

I'll probably regret posting this later.

Busy, busy...

Soooo, Lots going on. Where to begin?

We had a great service today - for me. I was very touched because someone I respect shared about his own tendency to be a people-pleaser. Then I got convicted. The Lord has dealt with me on this issue before - I usually refer to it as either the need to be "liked" by everyone - or the need to "perform" - not necessarily to excel at things - but leave my mark. I continue to be the class clown in certain groups, which can be both bad and good, I guess since I have the ability to loosen people up at times and get them involved. I also have trouble saying "no" - and find myself doing things or being involved in things not because I should - but because I feel that I would be letting others down if I don't.

Today though, it kind of hit me. People pleaser..... Where does that come from?

Growing up I had no real problem getting along in my family. I got plenty of attention. Why would I feel the need to get attention or to have others like me or accept me? Where does that insecurity come from? One thing I have found is that there is an INVERSE relationship between my busy-ness and my relationship with the Lord. So, I'm in process right now - rethinking this whole thing in my life, which is a healthy thing. I thank the Lord that he continues to remind me that my relationship with Him is the most important thing - not all the stuff I do in His name, or even serving His people that can be a distraction. Like I said, I'm in process - and this afternoon I'm on my way to: Play practice for the childrens' choir, youth worship team practice, preparing for a skit(practice) that we're going to do tonight at a children's event where the youth worship team will be leading two songs........ but first I'm gonna take a nap!

Under deconstruction...

I apologize in advance if this post seems a bit garbled.... I am feeling the same.

Where to begin? I heard a message recently on a Focus on the Family broadcast featuring a chapel address from Dennis Prager, a radio talkshow host I used to enjoy listening to in So. Cal on KABC. (He's not there anymore - now he's here). In the broadcast, Mr. Prager (an Orthodox Jew) spoke about the sanctity of marriage - being a union between a man and a woman) and what the current climate of change in this area means for our society. I strongly urge everyone to have a listen. It is well worth the 45 minutes or so of your time.
There is one statement that stuck out to me, and it really didn't have much to do with the topic, but I want to share it here because I believe it is important, and it is important for me on my personal journey. The statement was this - rather the question was this: What did God do on the second day of creation? Answer: He SEPARATED. (sea from dry land, etc...) The hebrew word in the passage is Kadosh - which is more frequently translated HOLY. Hence, separate, or set apart. This concept should be nothing new to many of us who have sat in church lo these many long years, but it struck me in such a way, that I got all teary-eyed. I believe God wanted to remind me of what my life, and our lives - what the life of the church is and should be all about.

• Holiness = being separated unto God, set aside for a specific purpose or use.

There is a distinction between things that are Holy vs. those which are for everyday or common use. In Biblical times (and today for that matter) the Sabbath day was Set Apart - "Remember the sabbath day to KEEP it Holy." (Ex. 20:8) Am I advocating legalism or a return to Sabbath law? NO! This is just to illustrate the point.

What does true Holiness look like? I dunno! I do however think the church has done a rotten job as an example to our society. We define ourselves too often by the things we "don't" do rather than who we are. When we do talk about holiness and separateness in the church today, there is almost a fear in our eyes that if we get too close to real sinners we might somehow get our hands dirty or something. What did Jesus have to say about this? Didn't he say it wasn't the healthy who needed a doctor, but the infirm? (Mt. 9:12) He was called a glutton and a drunkard - spent time talking with prostitutes and tax collectors and lepers.....

We fall FAR short of Jesus' example of being set apart for our true purpose:

• Today, the church is separated unto God - on Sundays.
• We have meetings, and we call it "serving God".
• We do things 'for God" that are By Us, For Us - and call it worship.
• If things didn't quite go right in our services, we get all bummed.
• If people are critical about certain aspects of our "services" we "correct" our mistakes and do our best to "get it right" the next time we meet.

I have been caught up in ALL of that! I am GUILTY as charged! What I am not - is Holy.

*like I said. This post may seem a little garbled.

More to come...

Just a quickie...

Check this out over at Kamp Krusty. I appreciate the tongue-in-cheek way that Brant is able to point out our flaws without being too offensive. (O.K. - sometimes it is too offensive but we need it!)

TTFN

Soggy bottom alert...

We had a wet weekend. It was raining outside most of Sunday morning, and raining IN church over where the worship team usually sits. It was fun! Our set went something like this: "...my chains are gone.....(drip,drip,drip) I've been set free.....(drip,drip)..." I guess it's better than crickets chirping, but a lot more expensive to fix.

We had a baptism - which was really awesome because it was a guy who had been very vocal about his "seeker/doubter" status, but who really loved being a part of the "community" of believers. He said he felt no pressure from anyone and even allowed himself to be interviewed one Sunday morning as part of the service. Wow! Needless to say, we all rejoiced at his decision to finally make a decision - and yesterday was his baptism. (It started out as a "sprinkling" because the roof was leaking over the baptism and dripping down.)

I am still really geeked about the whole thing - though I don't know him well yet. I just think its' cool when "seekers" are drawn in by the Holy Spirit. He was not pressured into anything, was allowed to doubt, participated in our services (which are not intentionally "seeker-sensitive") and God did the rest! He had questions and doubts, and was able to ask, debate and wrestle with God in a safe environment.

I am also really proud of our people for not cramming the 4 spiritual laws down his throat!

In other weather news, the Farmer's Almanac predicts that we'll be having a "Frigid, Wet, Wild & Snowy" winter in our part of the country. Sound like fun? Mmmmmm Hmmmmm! I can hardly wait. I have a lot of weatherizing to do...

Toe-stepping time!

O.K., here goes.

I am still formulating my belief's and opinions on this topic and I hope this will start some meaningful discussion. Let me start with a little background - on myself, just to let you know where I am coming from so that I won't be accused of either being defensive or biased (which we all are to a degree if we'll just admit it!)

I grew up in a ministry family - my mom was a full-time, licensed C.E./Children's pastor, my uncle served on the mission field in Central America, I spent a great deal of time during my adolescence doing ministry with outreach teams in Mexico (all over Mexico!). I went from High School to Bible College where I majored in Biblical Languages, then I went to Fuller Seminary (I lack 5 classes for my Master's. My whole goal in life has always been ministry - pastoring, church staff ministry, and Teaching at a Bible College or institute.

I have been leading worship and teaching since I was in high school. My first real foray into ministry was leading worship and being on the "team" for a successful church planting venture while I was still a senior in High School. I had a great mentor. I then spent several years in full-time ministry as a youth pastor, then bi-vocational ministry while at Seminary. Our family then moved and we pastored for a couple of years (it was disastrous!). After that we served on staff again for a year or so - then we were dumped! (I won't give any details - but let's just say I wasn't the first and certainly not the last casualty under that particular ministry/senior pastor).

Soo, I now find myself in the Mid-West rethinking the whole role of the institutional church and where I fit in as a servant to the body of Christ.

I am not responding to any particular post, book or blogsite, but rather to my personal sense that the pendulum shouldn't swing too far in the direction that it is currently headed. Let me just say that I could fill several lines with links to references from just a handful of bloggers, book reviews and articles to prove my point. Here I choose not to make it personal against any particular author or post, just suffice it to say, I am not angry about anything, nor am I offended - I am just concerned. Also, my opinions and observations are not directed toward any specific church or pastor - My former church (JAG) is a GREAT church, with a GREAT PASTOR! I now attend another great church with a great pastoral team and awesome ministries for the whole family. That being said, here goes.

My first point (yes, that was a long intro.....):

The institutional church is definitely in trouble.

There are scores of books and bloggers out there currently spelling this out. Some of them are helpful at pointing out areas where we are missing the point and not connecting with our culture - I agree. Some are merely critical and don't offer any real solutions - in fact the perception I get is that many of the authors themselves have all but given up on the church as it stands today. I believe that this is a mistake.

The Church HAS been (slowly) Responding

There are many different formats and forums where "the church" can flourish - house churches for one. In our society there is a growing need for people to connect in a meaningful way. As an aside, one thing that drew our family to LARGER churches in the past was our need to feel "safe" and insulated from people because we were wounded in ministry. (This was both wrong and a temporary solution to a very real problem we had to work out in ourselves.)

In my experience there is also something very meaningful about coming together as a larger representation of the body of Christ and gathering in celebration. That could explain why there are so many regional conferences popping up where smaller churches (and home-based fellowships) can come and worship collectively. There truly is something special that happens as we identify with the body of Christ at large.
My main point is that while we are in a state of flux, there are and will continue to be "successful" ministries across the spectrum. The whole goal should be to fulfill the Lord's commission to make disciples. There are people who get plugged-in through traditional ministries as well as through non-traditional formats. I believe it is a shame to completely discount the "traditional, institutional church" as totally irrelevant. True, there are many (like myself) who are screaming for reform from within the old structure. I believe we can find success - it is a worthy endeavor. Two of my heroes were just such figures - Erasmus, and Sir Thomas Moore. They were both contemporaries of, and mostly in agreement with many of Martin Luther's criticisms of the catholic Church of his day. But, they sought to reform the church from the inside-out (which would have saved much bloodshed). History tells us that they were successful to a degree - as was Luther - only many years later.

This new state of flux and need for reform we are currently experiencing shouldn't require bloodshed. (Although I have witnessed a few lively church-council meetings in my day). In a nutshell, there seems to be a bit of pride getting in the way between churches who have buildings vs' churches who choose not to have buildings. Also, (and to a lesser degree) churches with professional clergy vs' those whithout. There are arguments for and against both models.

Frankly, I am on neither side. I rejoice when I hear that one of the churches in town is growing to the point where they need more space. There is a limit to how many services you can hold in a given weekend - especially if you rely heavily on volunteers. I also relate to the church who chooses to meet on a Saturday evening at the park, play volleyball, cook bratz and sing together accompanied by acoustic guitars - awesome stuff! My beef is that there isn't a RIGHT way, or WRONG way to do church, as long as we are being obedient to what the Lord has called us to be and we aren't doing it out of rebellion or pride.

Any thoughts?

Thoughts on burn-out prevention...

I have been doing a lot of thinking and reflecting lately on where I "fit in" in the body of Christ. I suffer from a very common problem that many of you may be able to relate to. For some reason, I have a hard time saying the word "no."

Here's the deal. There are a lot of things I really enjoy doing, and a few that (I think) I do pretty well. The unfortunate situation is, I can get overly busy doing all of these things and eventually something (or everything) suffers because I get myself burnt out. I'm a husband, father, brother, son, son-in law.... these come first (second to my relationship with the Lord), I'm also an employee - I have to earn a living and take care of my family.

However, these things haven't always come before ministry and ministry opportunities. At times being a pastor, youth pastor, worship leader, camp speaker, bass player, teacher, student - have all taken that number one spot in my life. How does that happen?

Confession time! Let's face it - it's alluring to be in the spotlight. Especially if you are good at what you do. (You know you're good at it - c'mon, admit it!) Ministry can and should be fun! We should be using our talents for the Lord - He gave them to us! But, when it becomes all about "me" - it's "my" ministry, this is "my church", "my worship team" it's "my council" these are "my leaders" and that's "my classroom" or "my pulpit" - then we have a problem folks. Even when we're not in the spotlight, being "on" the team, so to speak wether with the 2yr-olds ministry, the worship team, the parking lot ministry, the church council, running sound or whatever can be a mixed blessing - it's easy to miss the big picture - serving.

If that we'ren't enough, we also have to admit that it feels great to be "needed" by people. When people come up to us and say - "We just couldn't do it without you...." We are stupid enough to believe it! I may be wrong, but I believe God can and does use whomever and whatever He chooses to achieve His purpose.

Does anyone remember the story of Balaam? How did God choose to get his word across? Did the donkey give a televised message to Balaam? Was he wearing an Italian suit and did he tell Balaam he could live his "best life" by turning back and going the other way? God doesn't "need" us as much as we think sometimes - and neither do the people we are supposed to be serving.

So what does this mean? I'm so glad you asked.

This has been a year of transition for me and my family. In the past I (and my wife) have been willing and able to serve. I have also (admittedlly) made quite a few mistakes in ministry over the years - namely by diving in, getting too busy, and burning-out. My family usually pays for it. More recently, I've grown a little wiser in that I will sometimes think before I say yes, but I still say yes too often.

So here's the dilemma - I find myself wanting to serve - but I'm a little skittish - afraid to commit because I don't want to over-commit. Still, there's a genuine tug in my heart to serve (yes, for the right reasons). Scripture tells us in Romans 12:5ff

"... in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his[b]faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

My task then, is to seek the Lord and serve diligently where and when He wants me to. It's o.k. to say no, unless that would be disobedient. Neat!

Still more thoughts on evangelism...

Here is the second installment on the topic of evangelism.

Let me repeat what I said a few days ago and say that I believe in evangelism wholeheartedly, in salvation by grace through faith, and that we each have a responsibility to fulfill the great commission. I just have a problem with some of our methods, goals, and various expectations with regards to "winning souls."

To put it plainly, we inadvertently end up hurting the cause more than helping it. We are very good at being irrelevant in the name of Christianity. (My friend Jason has a lot to say on the subject here for just one example.) But aside from that, the environment has changed quite a lot during this past few years. The truth of the gospel will always be relevent - only Jesus can set us free from the bondage of sin and death. In general though, our society is less open to the message.

For one thing, the idea of "sin" is a foreign concept to many people on the street. We christians have successfully branded ourselves as the "can't do" crowd. Try this one on the average christian you may run into - ask them to define "sin" and then listen to them. Chances are you will get a list of "bad" behaviors we as "christians" aren't "allowed" to engage in. Go ahead - I dare you! What are we modeling to the world out there? Is this freedom from sin?

On the contrary, victory over sin should mean that theres a whole lot of things out there that just don't satisfy the longing in my heart - I know, cause now I'm not empty any more.

But, back to the point - sin no longer exists in our society as far as the average person is concerned. We do what we feel like as long as nobody gets hurt (and if they do, hey that's the way it goes.) So, if there is no sin, why do we need a savior? Salvation - from what? And don't even talk about a literal heaven or hell!

Maybe what I'm ranting about here is the fact that we have allowed the media and our politicians to define christianity for our society. They have managed to turn us into nothing more than another "voting block" or subculture. We just need to be acknowledged and satisfied come the nearest election cycle. We'll shut up and play nice as long as somebody throws us a bone once in awhile. (Hows that for a few mixed metaphors! This blogging stuff is real hard - it's almost like rocket surgery...) Once the news cycle is over, we again become irrelevant.

How are we viewed by society at large? What do they see in us? Are we angry like Fred Phelps? Perhaps they see the glitz and glamour of the TV evangelists, or the gaudiness of the Prosperity Gospel megaghurches. Do we christians appear to be naieve and sheltered like Ned Flanders? Maybe we're hypocrites in their eyes and they view us in the same vein as Ted Haggard or the late Tammy Faye?

While I don't wish to validate these stereotypes, wouldn't you agree that we have done our part to perpetuate these classic misconceptions?

So what does this have to do with evangelism? I'm so glad you asked. The point is that WE (and our methods) need to adapt to this phenomenon. For the most part, people out there want to at least appear to be "open-minded" - in fact they consider us to be exclusive, intolerant and "closed-minded". What people are looking for (believe me - they are looking for something) - what people are Screaming for - is community! We want to belong. We crave relationships. We long for authentic friendships.

This is in stark contrast to how we often treat people we are "witnessing" to. We can't treat our "friends" as nothing more than conversion "prospects." I have met many people who have expressed that they felt a christian had befriended them just to get them to join their church, or come to a play or some other "evangelistic" event. How would you feel if you knew that your new friend wasn't really interested in you as a friend - but a number, or a "scalp?" But the organized church has encouraged this sort of befriending by running campaigns, crusades and contests - I've taken part in it myself in days past.

I do believe we have the answer to makind's delimma. The world is dying of thirst, and we have the water (wasn't that a bit cliche) - but it's true! We just spend too much time trying to make the water more palatable. (It doesn't need it!) We repackage it, buff it, shine it and have contests to see how many people want it - without really giving it to them. That's my beef. More to come - I promise.

Thoughts on Evangelism...sort of...er, I guess...

This is the first in what will I am sure become a controversial topic on my otherwise bland blogspace. I blame this entry on the fact that it is currently too bloody cold to give you one of my usual manly fishing reports. Here goes – you’ve been forewarned.

I have never been one to stand on a street corner, or even openly “witness” as many other “Evangelists” I know do routinely. I wholeheartedly subscribe that it is our duty as Christ’s followers to fulfill the great commission and make disciples. However, I don’t always agree with current methodology, or many of the current measures of “success” that we evangelicals have put forth. At the risk of sounding downright cynical, (or liberal), I think we have really missed the point.

The apostle Paul certainly “persuaded” many (though usually in the context of a public forum) and none would argue that he achieved what we would consider “enviable results.” When he was intentionally un-persuasive, God confirmed his message through signs and wonders (c.f. 1 Cor.) However, I seriously doubt that the author of the very “Roman” road that we are taught in our evangelism 101 classes ever resorted to such canned methods. So what is the point? (I thought you’d never ask!)

Lately I have found myself questioning “our” (I mean the conservative evangelical community that we narrowly call the “church”) – I’ve been questioning “our”, definition of being “saved”, “getting saved” and the notion of the “salvation” experience as we currently accept it.

Before you freak out let me assure you that I am a firm believer in true, instantaneous “conversion” – salvation, by grace, through faith- I am in EVERY way an orthodox, evangelical Christian. However, I believe that our methods often fall short of this true conversion in my opinion.

We can all site myriad examples of people who “witness” 24-7, 365 and are very confrontational everywhere they go. While at the grocery check-out they ask – “have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior?” Now, don’t get me wrong – I have always admired those who are so bold – but I don’t often see the fruit. On the contrary, in my journeys I have often (too many times to count!) had to clean up after these proverbial ‘bulls’ in the china shop. I have also witnessed what I would call “true” conversion during such clean-up efforts because I took the time to be real with folks.

My beef with the whole process is in how we define success. Too often while “witnessing” or “soul-winning” (my favorite term to make fun of) the goal is to simply win an argument – an unsolicited argument at that, on the part of the intended “soul” being “won”. If the argument is “won” and the soul in question assents, then you get to pray, the “sinners” prayer and “viola” - success, you now have a baby Christian on your hands. On to the next victim.

In church settings the goal is to get ‘em down front. That is “success” in our world. The question then is, How shall we then live? Isn’t there more to this life than praying the sinners’ prayer or going down front?

There will be more on this subject soon – if you don’t all string me up first. Bye for now…

I hope next time to define what success ought to be - here's a hint - there's something called "community" involved.

And now for something completely different!

I found (stole from) this picture on a totally cool blog site by an old acquaintance (check it out here). Talk about honesty! He really has a lot to say about the church (the way it oughtta be!).

A Fun Day for US!

We ditched church today and went instead to a good ol' fashioned corn maze!
For my west coast friends - yep' - it's a big ol' maze cut into a cornfield. You get to pay big money to go through it too! But hey - we had fun! Here's some pics.

Ah, I'm melting......

Sooooo, it's really hot out there! And humid, and muggy, and there's generally no breeze. Miserable.

This past week and a half have been pret-ty busy! I was enlisted to play bass in an "orchestra" for a play - Lil' Abner - which is being performed at "Theater in the Park" in New Salem. It's about a half hour from our home. Here's the catch, rehearsals have been late in the evening - performances have begun at 8pm! Haven't been getting home till 11:15 or later - and up at 5:40am for work each day. I haven't had two minutes to rub together. We don't have performances again until Thursday. I get one more night off - then it's four more days in a row. Don't get me wrong - I really enjoy playing - and getting paid for it (unless you count gas and food expense into the equation....). Here's the other catch - it's "IN" the park - we're playing outside - in the hot, muggy, buggy nighttime air. I may think twice before I do Theater in the Park again.

As for everything else, we are still praying about where we "fit in" with regards to a Church body. I firmly believe in the importance of being in regular fellowship. I believe that the church is and always has been God's plan to reach the world (yes, even as flawed as we are!). I will be writing more about this very soon - perhaps even on my "new" theology blog. Some folks may take me to task on some of my views on these issues - I welcome the debate. Bye for now...

We're Baaaaaaaaaa-aaaack!!!!!

Well, we made it. We went to Bogalusa, Louisiana for a whole week. We got in late last night. Also, we ditched church today (we had planned to - I let the pastor know myself- we needed to, we didn't feel guilty about it.... well, maybe a little...)

Here's a small sampling of what we did.

Our major task was Vacation Bible School at our host church. Beth and I were in charge of crafts. We had a blast with the kids!

Cameron and I were also part of a construction crew - we mostly did drywall work for a family who is still living in a FEMA trailer after two years. The problem down there is mainly that insurance companies left people high and dry. This family wasn't "poor" or even helpless, they just had no money to rebuild their house that had been destroyed. We were able to finish up the drywalling and get the house ready to paint - starting with their laundry room. They were overjoyed at the prospect of not having to take their clothes to a laundry to wash them. (as soon as the water heater is installed.)

Beth, Darian and Rachel helped to paint a neighborhood school - it needed painting badly. In this case this was a public school - but hadn't been maintained in a long, long time. They made it look great! There was a professional painter on our missions team - he really knew what he was doing. Our team learned a lot in the process.

We also had planned on hosting a couple of neighborhood block parties. On Sunday night we had everything set up - including a full band stage and sound system - and a freak thunderstorm came out of nowhere - we got rained out. We set up tuesday at a nearby park - there were lots of people and we had a great time. Oh well.

Cameron helped tie balloon animals. He got quite good at it - really! We had one free evening, and were able to visit New Orleans for a few hours. (It really reminded me of Venice Beach, CA - with all the street performers and "Openness" - if you know what I mean.) There was a lot on display.

All in all, we had a great time!

(Except for sleeping on air mattresses on the floor - small price to pay.)

What is your word?

Our church has been going through a re-evaluation process this past few months. It is truly exciting - I am hopeful of the outcome. We are on the path to good health! Part of this process has been to examine our core values as a church body. One question that we have asked ourselves is: What one word would describe our church? What do people say about your church in one word.

This got me thinking: Hmmmmmm.

Let's get personal with that. If I were to ask that question about myself what would it be? If I were to ask another person what comes to mind when you think about "Steve Oberg" what would that one word be? Quite candidly - I've got a few:

Chubby, Opinionated, "Consitently Inconsistant", Apathetic, Irreverent, procrastinating, cynical, self-serving, lazy, under-achiever...blah,blah,blah...

You get the idea. No, I'm not picking on myself - this is healthy self-examination. (sort of)

Truthfully, what would your list of possible one-word descriptors look like? Does your day-to-day behavior match up with your stated beliefs? Are there areas in your life where you need pruning so that you can grow more healthy? Do you ever think about it? Yes, it can be painful to be so honest, but many people just go through life day to day without ever thinking about who they really are or what they would like to become. Soooo, take some time and think about it for just one minute. What is your word? Really.

The truth is, this side of heaven there will always be a disconnect between how we would like to see ourselves and day-to-day reality. No, we aren't always at our worst, but for me at least - I am closer to my worst than my best most of the time. I'm a sinner. I'm in process. We all are. God isn't finished with us yet. I'm thankful every day for His grace and forgiveness.

As for my personal disconnect, I know what I would like to hear people say about me:

Faithful, Honest, Hard-working, Loyal, Integrous, Talented, Humorous, Thoughtful, Bold...

How about you? What is your word? (For yourself) What would you like for me to say about you in just one word.

Think about it. Be honest. It's good for you.

Thoughts on athiests and other unimportant stuff...

When I was a kid (in body and in mind) I enjoyed the occasional indulgence in Mad Magazine - in particular the comic genius of Dave Berg's "The lighter side of.... We even owned a little paperback with a collection of his comics as they appeared from the 60's & early 70's. One of my favorites was of a very dour looking pale thin guy wearing a sandwich sign that read:

"I Swear To God, I'm An Athiest"

We can laugh about this now, especially in the post-modern world in which we live. Today that sign might read:

"I Think I May Be An Agnostic, But I Don't Really Know For Sure"

One of our favorite commedians put it this way - it's no longer in vogue to call yourself an athiest - instead you say, "I'm an agnostic, and you're stupid."

However unpopular, athiests still don't seem to be in such short supply .

In a recent article in Newsweek, Rabbi Marc Gelman (here) comments on a recent debate between Rick Warren (Pastor of Saddleback Community Church) and "Devout Athiest" (my term) Sam Harris on whether we can know that God is real. Dr. Gelman (in addition to being a trained Rabbi he holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy) says that the two are missing the point - that the existance or reality of God is a "Mystery" and is born out in how we live our lives. For him (if I understand the article correctly) not only is this the wrong question, but it is also unanswerable and completely subjective. He goes so far as to wish that Rick Warren could be less exclusive in his belief.

This (to me) is disturbing for at least a couple of reasons.

God's existance is not dependent upon my thoughts or feelings about him. To say that God may be real to one person in such and such a way, and not to another person and that's O.K., is to render God subject to OUR will and whim. If He is God - by nature He stands outside of creation - all of creation must be subject to Him. We seem to have this backwards. He is God whether or not I acknowledge Him.

As well, it would seem for Rabbi Gelman that, since he is so willing to let everyone have their cake and eat it too (just read the article) he may not be among those who would acknowledge the existance of a "real" God. I cannot in fairness speak for him - but his language (and inclusiveness) are strong clues. True, God's essence may be beyond our grasp. However, the question still stands: Does He or does He not exist? This may be a continuation of the previous point - but it bears repeating: He would exist - or not exist apart from my belief, if He is indeed God.

Thirdly - and this is a very common argument (read: worn-out and over-simplified). Can the true athiest even exist? An athiest by definition is one who believes that God does not exist. However, can he "prove" that God does not. He can appeal to nature (natural disasters, etc...). He can appeal to man's nature (his cruelty and such). He can appeal to logic - ("Is there impirical evidence that God does exist?"). These are all examples which would question the existence of a "just" God. True, they are good questions, but can the athiest "Prove" that God does not exist? Can he claim to know everything? He would have to know everything about the entire universe to know that there isn't a God hiding somewhere in some far off corner. Logically then, the athiest cannot honestly claim to know everything - and so, the athiest vanishes forever in a small simple puff of logic.

Who's side would God be on?

So, while at work this week I came to the realization that I have a little moral dilemma.

Let me explain. I work for a pest control company. We are very good at what we do.

What do we do? We kill things.
Every winter for the past 75 years my company experiences a seasonal slow time. Every Spring - things pick up. We are waiting for the annual pick-up. In order for our company to be "successful" we hope for the annual pest invasion to occur.
Ants, mice, roaches, termites and other pests are responsible for literally BILLIONS of dollars worth of economic loss every year. We obviously derive an economic benefit from this "loss." Call it a symbiotic relationship.

So, this past week, I have found myself waiting for the phone to ring. I've been hoping more folks will call with ant problems, or mice, maybe a few roaches. Do I dare say...termites? Am I wrong for hoping business might pick up a little - even though it may mean misfortune for others?

It makes me wonder. What does God think of all this.** After all, these are His creatures we are killing. He is really the one who feeds and nurtures them, though we sometimes view them as a nuisance. He can even use them to teach us things - for example in Proverbs 6:6 "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider its ways and be wise..."

God can also use such humble little creatures to accomplish even bigger tasks. I remember back in the day when we (our churches) used to sing a song (definitely NOT among my personal favorites) entitled - "Blow the trumpet in Zion." Here are some of the words:

They rush on the city, they ride on the walls,
Great is the army that carries out His word!
Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sound the alarm!

People would get all excited and hyped up. Yeah! The army of the Lord is coming! Yet, when you read Joel chapter 2, the scripture underlying that song you soon find out that the army of the Lord is a locust swarm being prophesied as judgement AGAINST Israel! Now that's exciting, isn't it? God's army - carrying out His word - destroying their livelihood! Praise God!

And so, it causes me to muse - with regards to my current employment, who's side would God be on? I'd vote for the termites.

**Footnote: Seriously, were you really expecting a deep theological argument for this particular subject? C'mone, really? In the future there will surely be some serious discussion - but not today.