My favorite service of the year...

I love church. I'm not sure you could do what I do and not love church. I love to hear a sanctuary full of people raise their voices in worship. I love to see friends encouraging each other and praying for each other. But I think my favorite service of the year is the Christmas Eve service. Other than some lights on the platform for the choir and speakers to see by, the service takes place by candlelight. We sing some carols together, listen to some music by the choir and orchestra, read a prayer together, and join in the Advent reading. The service ends in candlelight with the song Silent Night.

There is something very special about this service, not just because it is done by candlelight. I think it's because of the anticipation Christmas Eve brings. Even though we've heard the story our whole lives, we cannot help but anticipate what we know will come in the morning--the birth of our Savior. And that anticipation strikes a chord not only because we are looking back at what happened more than 2000 years ago, but because we believe that God will again step into the pages of human history to finish rescuing his people. And so we wait...

Bible Reading Program

I'm very excited about our journey through God's Word this year and I want to encourage everyone to join us. Here's what we're asking: 1) choose a translation 2) choose a Bible reading program 3) sign up so we can encourage you and so you can share your experiences along the way. This post is designed to help you choose a translation and a Bible reading program that's right for you.

Choosing a translation is not difficult. It's really about personal preference (aside from a few colorful, ideologically driven translations). Here are five prominent ones that you might enjoy.

1. The NASB, or the New American Standard Bible, is the perfect Bible for you if you like your translation VERY literal. It preserves the original form of words as well as the original word order, including the times when the original word order is not English word order. For example, Matthew 28:18-20 reads, "And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
2. The NIV, or the New International Version, is a good translation if you like a fairly straight forward English translation that prizes idiomatic English more than original literal translation and word order. For example, Matthew 28:18-20 reads, "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
3. The ESV, or English Standard Version, is a good translation if you like something more literal than the NIV, less literal than the NASB, and also want a translation that preserves much of the literary beauty of the text. For example, Matthew 28:18-20 reads, "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority iin heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them oto observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
4. The MESSAGE translation, or more accurately, paraphrase, is a good version to read if you want to read a paraphrase. The Message attempts to stay faithful to the ideas of the text, but in no way attempts to translate the original words as does the NIV, NASB, ESV, or the NLT. For example, Matthew 28:18-20 reads, "Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”
5. The NLT, or the New Living Translation, is a good translation to read if you like very idiomatic English, but want a translation of the text instead of a paraphrase. The NLT is gaining popularity as an alternative landing somewhere between the NASB/NIV on the one side, and the Message on the other side. For example, Matthew 28:18-20 reads, "Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Choosing a Bible reading program is not difficult. Here are three popular options.

1. The chronological Bible reading program allows you to read through the Bible as any other, but it takes you through the Bible chronologically rather than in the order the books appear in the Bible (and there is a difference).
2. The one year Bible reading program allows you to read through the Bible by date. You simply open the Bible to the current date and it has the reading portions broken down for you. Every day you read a portion of the Old Testament, the Psalms, the New Testament, and a couple verses from Proverbs.
3. The God's Word for Today Bible reading program is available in the church foyer. It gives you a list of chapters to read each day and provides a devotional thought to go with them. The reading guide makes it easy for you to use whatever translation you prefer without buying a new Bible (such as the one year Bible mentioned above).

Finally, if you need to purchase a new Bible there are two main options. You can purchase them online or in a store. If you want to look online, try a site like www.christianbook.com. If you want to look in a store, you can try everything from Walmart to Cokesbury to Family Christian Stores.

I cannot think of any better way for us to grow in our love for God than to consistently read his word. Please prayerfully consider joining us in reading through the Bible this year.

A Cheeseburger For Christmas?

Yesterday I had an interesting conversation with my kids about Christmas that reminded me of my relationship with God. Jake turns 4 on December 14th and he received a coupon from someone for a free cheeseburger from McDonald's. He relished getting a card addressed to "Jacob Stoner" in the mail, and when he saw the cheeseburger coupon, well that just sweetened the deal. But after a few moments he got quiet and said, "dad, do you like cheeseburgers?" I had no idea where he was going so I just took the question at face value and said, "yes, they're great." Then he gave held up his card and said, "you can have my cheeseburger coupon."

I melted inside, thanked him profusely and then told him that I thought he should keep it and enjoy it himself. He insisted I take the card and happily turned it over to me. I didn't want to refuse him so I took it and thanked him again. Later that night as I drove Katie and Jake home from their Christmas party (thanks, Pastor Tina:) Katie listened to Jake explain what he had done. Katie wasn't buying.

"Jake, dad has enough money to buy his own cheeseburger," she protested. He simply responded, "I want to give it to him because kids can give their stuff too so that moms and dads can have a nice Christmas." Katie was exactly right. I have enough to buy a cheeseburger at McDonald's. And yet Jake was so right, too. The fact that I had enough to buy one didn't lessen his joy in giving it or my joy in receiving it. And then I thought about my relationship with God and what I can give him this Christmas. My best gift is nothing more than a cheeseburger coupon to God, and yet the joy I think he finds in it is far beyond its actual value. It's my heart of love that makes the gift so precious, that makes him savor the memory of receiving it. This Christmas I want to give God a gift that will let him know how much I love him, even if it's something he can afford buy a million times over.

Date Night

Tonight was special...it was a family date night. Keri took Jacob to meet a friend and her little man so they could shop for their sisters. That left me free to spend the evening with Katie, and it was great. She wanted Chinese food, so we went to the Chesterfield Mall for some rice and veggies, did some Christmas shopping for mom (she reads this so I can't share any more), and went by Walmart for some browsing. Then we came home, hid the presents and finished the evening with a little Tom and Jerry. She's growing up so fast and I want to enjoy every minute I can with her. She's a beautiful person and I can't wait to see what she becomes.

Thanksgiving Part 3

Last one (not the last thing I'm thankful for, but the last one I'm writing about). I'm thankful for the church I have the privilege of serving. Case in point-on Sunday I did a baby dedication for Penelope who was distractingly cute, and then moments later listened to the Walker's talk about their memories of Christmas growing up in the Depression. Mr. Walker talked about never having a Christmas present or a Christmas tree and that if the snow was too deep to make it to church in the Model T (South Dakota) then they would hitch the sled to the horses and ride the five miles to service. I love that I get to be a part of the lives of a broad range of interesting people.

Thanksgiving Part 2

Well, now that Thanksgiving is over, let me tell you one of the other things I am thankful for, my family. I have a wonderful wife and two wonderful kids. They're not perfect, which is best, because if they were they would never put up with me. However, they're as good as families get.

I used to say that one thing I was very thankful for in my wife was that she was hardy, but then I realized that for most people the word "hardy" does not carry with it a real romantic feeling:) And although I won't share with you all my pet names for her, she is the fire in my fireplace. But not only has she been my sweetheart for 16 years, she has also been willing, again and again, to go with me anywhere that God has led us. Not only do I love her, but I respect her devotion to God and I could never have guessed how important that would be to our marriage and to God's call on our life.

Then there's the princess, whose smile and blue eyes thwart my sincerest attempts to be tough. She is so tender and considerate, thinking about how others feel and what she can do to make them feel better. And of course, what's a princess without a brave knight. He just as cute in his own way, although he creates a more pungent odor. He wants to be strong and brave and likes the opportunity to help Katie when she's afraid (or when I have captured her and hauled her off to the dungeon:)

I could go on and on--about my parents, about Keri's parents, and even my grandparents, but I think you get the idea. No family is perfect, but I think mine is as close as you can get. Thank you, Lord, for my family.

Thanksgiving Part 1

This is the week of Thanksgiving and so I'm going to be thankful, or at least share some of the reasons I have to be thankful. The first reason, and the one upon which all others are built, is that I am loved and surrounded by God. Psalm 139:5-10 says,

"You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

When you you serve in full-time ministry, such as a pastor, it's very easy to relate to God in terms of what He has called you to do or what you're trying to do on His behalf. And while serving Him in this way truly is a joy, it can also crowd out your personal relationship with Him if you're not careful--the time you spend just being His child. I am so thankful for scriptures like Psalm 139, which reminds me that I can come to Him, not in any official capacity, not with any responsibilities, but just as His child, to love and be loved.

The Definition Of Necessary Evil

You've heard the phrase before, necessary evil, but what does it really mean? I like to think of it as a euphemism for the more common word, budget. It's that time of year again when we crunch numbers and project income and expenses for 2009. It's been a while since I used an adding machine with any regularity and I could tell because I sometimes got more than one total for the same line of numbers added. The numbers were too big for my preferred method of fingers and toes, in case you were wondering.

But in the midst of the torture I call budgets, was the joy of realizing that the numbers I was adding could translate into changed lives (I was working on the missions budget). I think about the people who will hear the name of Jesus for this first time this year because there is a missionary we had a small part in sending. I think about the person in living in St. Louis who may see the love of Christ in a tangible way for the first time this year and take steps toward Him. The Bible says that God is a God of order and on a good day I can file accounting and budgets under the heading "order," but much more satisfying is the realization that the money we give and spend can make an eternal difference in the lives of people.

So, pass me the aspirin and an adding machine...

Missions Convention

We just finished a one week missions convention and I'm pooped--but what a great week. We had the Morton's, the Johnson's, the Godbout's, the Hausfeld's, and the Tucker's. This week we tried to give people a better chance to meet with the missionaries personally so we set up small group opportunities in people's home and in the church. I enjoyed hearing from two of the missionaries--what they were doing, where they were going, etc. We also had our second missions banquet on Friday night where we shared humorous stories from the field. Some of the stories were very funny and beg to be shared. Since not everyone could be there I'm posting two of them that were particularly funny.

Mark Hausfeld, area director of the Central Asian Republics shared this story:

Our family had been in Pakistan for a couple months. We went to a community celebration called a "Mela." A Mela has all kinds of foods, crafts and carnival like activities for adults and children. One of the favorite activities is when a snake charmer plays his flute and a cobra comes out of a basket. I had always wanted to see that so I went to the center of the Mela grounds to the snake charmers platform.

There on a platform two feet off the ground was a family whose lives were dedicated to charming cobras. As I stood looking at the baskets of cobras that surrounded the family of snake charmers and watched a little boy two years age at the most pulling baby cobras out of a basket and playing with them like strands of thick spaghetti. Soon there were several Pakistani men around me and in Punjabi, a language I did not know; they seemed to be negotiating a price for him to charm a cobra from a basket with a flute. The each put down 10 Rupees (about 33 cents). Thinking this is what I am about to see I laid down 10 Rupees too.

The father reached for a small straw basket and took off the lid. He reached in and pulled out a baby cobra that was the diameter of a dime and about two feet long. In one motion from the basket he took the head of the cobra and shoved it up his nose. As the head disappeared in his nostril he slides the rest of the cobra's body into his nose. Suddenly he opened his mouth and put his free hand into his mouth and pulled out the head of the cobra with his index finger and thumb.

With one hand he pulled the head of the cobra and with the other he held the tail. Then he began to pull the head and tail with each hand back and forth like some kind of nose floss! Then he concluded his act with pulling the head so that the remainder of the body and tail came out his mouth. Then he took out a handkerchief and wiped the cobra clean.

And I thought I was going to see a snake dance out of a basket...

Don Tucker, director of Africa Harvest shared this story:

In our first term, we shared an old mission station with a caretaker family. They were nice people but had some very invasive goats. One day, we looked up from lunch to see one of the goats butting through the screen door to come inside.

I could tell by the look on Deborah's face that this was a bit too much for a lovely, young, new missionary lady. So, I proceeded to run out the back door, looked for the closest thing I could find intending to chase away the goat. We lived rather close to the city refuse pile, and there, lying near our back door was an empty long-necked bottle. I picked it up and through it in the general direction of the goat, hoping to scare it away. Would you believe it? That bottle smacked the goat square between the eyes and he fell graveyard dead on the spot!

That event became the talk of the town for a few days. You see, Don is left handed. So I threw the bottle with my left hand. In that country there is significant superstition about left-handed people (which I didn't know at the time!). They used my dead-aim bullseye (or rather goats-eye!) to confirm their suspicions that left-handed people have special abilities!

Little did they know how surprised I myself was when the goat passed away so quickly and thoroughly!

Unfortunate Opportunities

This is a tough time for many businesses. I can say that without reservation despite my thorough lack of understanding of macroeconomics or the like. But there are some businesses that are at least partially insulated from downturns in the economy. The market may be down but people still need toilet paper, gasoline, heat, and other such things. They might be able to use less, but they can't cut them out altogether.

And then I thought about the church. What is the church's business? People. The economic downturn certainly effects the church because the church is supported by people who give according to what they get. But the church's business is NOT profit, it's pointing people to Christ. And so many times that happens by helping people in some of most difficult times in their lives. People are never more willing to listen to the hope found in Christ than when their hope has crumbled. To put it as simply as I can, uncertainty is good business for the church. The business of the church is to offer hope that is anchored in eternity, unchanging and unshaken by the ups and downs of our world. That means that although we may have to figure out how to do more with less in the mean time, the opportunities before us are endless, and the God among us is infinitely creative. I pray that he will help us to use this opportunity to share his love with those who are hurting around us.

Explaining Deniability

Have you ever gone into negotiations with your spouse in Walmart? The other night we were in Walmart for some things we needed, and out of the blue Katie and Keri conspired against me to buy a costume for our dog, Sadie. More out of my own issues than sympathy for my dog, I made a great case against a dog wearing a costume. However, they persisted in the madness and I gave in on the condition of complete deniability. Katie listened with interest to the negotiations and eventually wanted to know what "deniability" meant. I explained to her that I wanted to be able to deny having any knowledge of or participation in the pitiful sight of my dog looking like a bumble bee. She indicated she understood. But the truth is, I knew about it and was complicit in it's purchase (although I didn't tell the guy who checked us out).

Isaiah 53:6 says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." God offers us no deniability for sin. Instead, he provided a substitute to take the shame and the punishment for our sin. This weekend is communion and I am struck once again by the peace there is in owning up to my own sin and yet being able to leave it with God and walk away clean. What an incredible gift!

Appreciating The Little Things

I just finished watching ABC's Extreme Home Makeover. This week they built a new house for Job McCully and his family. Job and his family spent more than a year in St. Louis waiting for and recovering from a double lung transplant. Watching the McCully's receive a beautiful new home was delightful.

Rob and Tina's bedroom contains a picture frame with a phrase that Ty heard Tina speak earlier in the show. She said, "you have to appreciate the little things that other people take for granted." I want to appreciate the little things. Tonight, before the show, I just sat and watched Katie and Jake run around the living room, carrying pillows, running smack into each other, and falling on the floor giggling uncontrollably. Now there is something worth appreciating.

Installation Service

I'm getting ready for the installation service this weekend and, not surprisingly, I've been thinking a lot about it. I don't really have anything to do other than be installed, but I still feel like I need to get ready. Here's some of what I've been pondering along the way:

• I've always heard of and referred to God's sense of humor, but I've never felt quite so sure he was getting a good belly laugh because of me as I do now. "Come to St. Louis," I thought, "and do some school and ride off into the sunset on my shiny red scooter." Didn't quite work out that way.
• I'm surprised at how nice it is to think about settling down somewhere and digging in for the long haul. Some day I'll know how to say "Interstate Farty Far" and sound like a local. I'll say things like, "I remember when 141 stopped at Olive, before it went through to Page." My son will grow up loving the Cardinals and maybe even the Rams (he will, however, be a Redwings fan if I have anything to say about it).
• There are so many people who have invested so much in me, I feel incredibly grateful and want to honor their sacrifices.
• My only hope at West County Assembly of God is what my only hope would have been anywhere else God might have called me--to trust Him to do what I cannot do on my own, to trust Him to move beyond my faults and failures and build His church in spite me.
  

Here we go...

Mary, Martha, David Allen, and Edgar Allen Poe

While packing some books the other day I couldn't help but chuckle. I packed the book Having Mary Heart In A Martha World: Finding Intimacy With God In The Busyness of Life. The very next book I packed was David Allen's book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. That is a picture of the tension I constantly struggle to balance, and I'm guessing the same is true of most people living and working these days. Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to be so efficient that we could do everything and still have plenty of extra time to spend with God? Yes, but God doesn't want our extra time; he wants our best time. Sometimes I think I struggle to spend undistracted time with God because I know that my to-do list is always there. It's like The Tell-Tale Heart (Poe); no matter what I'm doing I can hear it making noise and distracting me. But the time we spend with God cannot be shortened, compacted, or made to be of such "quality" that "quantity" no longer matters. There is no substitute for sitting down with God and simply being in his presence for an extended time.

Overheard From The Back Seat

Blog? What blog? Oh yeah, this one. It has obviously been a while since I've written and so I'm starting back slowly. Tonight we brought some things to our house, among them some plates and glasses and other fragile things. I set the box next to Jacob's seat and told him in no uncertain terms, that under no circumstances was he to step on, in, or near that box. I got in and buckled up and Katie continued my speech by telling Jacob, "if you break it, you buy it." I wasn't going so far as to demand payment in the event of damage, but I realized that at least Katie was paying attention.

Why I Use A Mac

I use a Mac because I can do things like this right out of the box:) Don't try this at home--I'm a trained professional with extensive experience.

Faust Park At Night

I talk about my motorcycle on occasions, but I've never posted a picture of it. This is a picture of the motorcycle I have, a 1998 Honda VFR Interceptor (this is a stock photography picture--mine is not nearly so clean:)

Sometimes I get the itch to ride late at night. Tonight I left the house about 8:30pm and set off on my bike for an unknown destination. As I rode down Olive I decided to pull in to Faust Park about 8:40pm. I had my iPod with me and fired up some worship music and sat on the bench in the darkness looking at the stars and just spending some time enjoying the presence of God without the barrier of a ceiling or lights. Earlier in the evening I had thought about seeing the new Batman movie--Faust Park At Night was better.

Pressing Through

This weekend I attended a men's ministry retreat at the Marionist Retreat Center, and it was a great retreat. The theme was Pressing Through, appropriately named given the incredible challenges some of the men are facing. It had what most good retreats have--times of silence, lots of laughter, prayer, games, worship, and straight talk about challenging issues. The final service was particularly moving; Mickey Davis spoke about the tragic loss of his wife in a car accident. What did I come away with? Several things, but let me share one.

I came away with a fresh realization that I cannot lead anyone to places I've never been. I can point to the far off country--I can describe what others have said it's like--but a large part of my responsibility as a spiritual leader is to go to the place where God is calling his people, to go there so I can lead others there as well. In the same way, men cannot lead their families to places they've never been. And so I pray that God will lead the men of our church so that we might lead those under our care.

If You Hear Drilling Sounds...

If you hear drilling around the church, don't worry, we're just doing some fund-raising. Apparently the Barnett Shale is producing a lot of natural gas these days, and the oil companies have figured out how to harvest it right out of the middle of the city. And churches are cashing in too-like this one! And although I'm pretty sure the Barnett Shale doesn't run quite this far, you never know how far 2.5 trillion cubic feet of gas might wander, and we're not taking chances. So if we strike it rich, we'll have the grandest pot luck St. Louis has ever seen:)

Pondering The Wilderness

Nehemiah 9 recounts God's goodness to the Israelites; God provided the Law, gave the Israelites food from Heaven, water from the rock, and prepared a land for them they did not have to settle. Nehemiah 9:16-18 then says, “But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands. They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies." If you're going to traverse the wilderness, you certainly want the God of Israel going with you. And while slogging through the sand may not be pleasant, you can be sure that He will provide everything you need. As I look back at some of my own trips through the wilderness, I wince as I remember the grumbling and the longing for the land of slavery; if not for his kindness and his patience, I might have been one whose body was left in the wilderness. God is so kind.

Vacation Finale

Well, all good things must come to an end. We spent last weekend in Branson, Missouri with my parents and my brother's family. Six adults (loosely defined), and five kids (Hanna 8, Katie 6, Lauren 5, Jacob 3, and Logan 1). We saw the new Noah's Ark production, which was quite spectacular. We did some swimming. We visited First Baptist Church in Branson. We ate Bransonese food. But mostly we just talked, laughed, and took pictures of the kids having a good time. I've attached a few of them.

It's great to be back in St. Louis and to get back to work.

What To Remember

Wednesday was an interesting day. In some way it was a disastrous day, and in others a very special day. I spent some time in the morning trying to fix a problem with the contract on our rental car, which involved two shuttles to the rental car company and two shuttles back after they told me they couldn't help me (all this after the office in St. Louis told me I needed to go there for help). On the whole, not so good for my blood pressure, but my eye wasn't twitching yet and the day was still fairly new. Next we went to IKEA to look around. Wahoo! However, the joy of IKEA was cut short when I went to pay for I don't remember what and discovered my debit card was being declined. Since I knew how much was in the account I called the Credit Union to inquire and they told me their whole system was down and unless I could find a local shared branch credit union, there was no way I could get money at all-no debit, no ATM, nothing. On the whole, not so good for my blood pressure; my eye was beginning to twitch. The Credit Union tried to give me directions over the phone to a local shared branch but after nearly an hour of searching we had to drive back to our hotel and find a location and directions using my laptop. We got stuck in traffic and so that took about another hour. On the whole, my blood pressure could have been counted by timing the rapid-fire twitching of my eye. By the time all this was done it was 4pm and we nearly decided to scrap our plans for the day. However, my daughter strongly exhorted us to stay the course and head to the beach and to Navy Pier. We got to the beach about 5pm and then left for the pier about 6:30pm.

Despite the first appearance of the picture, Jake isn't have a coronary or threatening anyone with bodily harm; he's making muscles to show his formidable strength. I was careful to be duly impressed. The other picture is a picture from the top of the ferris wheel at the Navy Pier. It goes up 150 feet and gives you a spectacular view of the Chicago skyline and the beach. We played games, had some snacks, ended the evening with fireworks, and schlepped two very tired children back to the hotel.

As I was thinking about yesterday and listening to Katie and Jake talk about everything we did, I realized that they didn't say a single word about the hours they spent in the back seat waiting for us to get where we were going. They never mentioned the shuttle rides or the unsuccessful search for a Credit Union. They didn't even talk about the nasty traffic and the guy in a blue Volkswagen Passat who nearly put us all in the hospital. They remembered the fun we had and the time we were able to spend together. I know that some day they will grow up to be much more sophisticated and be able to more fully appreciate the frustration of such days, but not yet. And why should they? It won't change a blessed thing. So for the time I'm trying to grow up a little to be more like them-simple, joyous, child-like.

Vacation And The Afterlife

I have a couple interesting events to report.

One, while at the Field Museum in Chicago, we took our kids through the part of the museum that's a small version a pyramid. It gives you a chance to see how they were made, what went where, and to read some interesting facts about these ancient engineers. While looking at some mummies, a retired volunteer for the museum came up and started talking to me about the Egyptian view of the afterlife, how they saw the life force or energy as something that could not be destroyed and so they simply prepared for the next phase of their existence. He ended with what I thought was a telling comment: "many people today think the Egyptian's religion was morbid, but they were just preparing for another existence--no complusion or scare tactics--that sounds pretty good to me." For the sake of my family enjoying our time in the pyramid, I decided not to debate this gentlemen on the Egyptian view of death or the fact that less than 1% of Egyptians had the financial resources to go into eternity at all prepared (as did the Pharaohs and other prominent leaders). But the thing I really wonder about is what sort of experiences this man has had that would cause him to so quickly and so openly share his distaste for any religion that had any sort of concept of ultimate justice. I hope that in the midst of the message of judgment was a message of love and grace, but I know such was probably not the case. That's a good reminder for me.

Two, we went to the beach today and I have a picture to share of my kids. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I believe it, but I have also spent the last few years immersed in endless words and so I sometimes do not use pictures as much as I should. In fact, I have been blogging for some time now and this will be the first picture in my blog. That's what's so special about this post, not that we went to Lake Michigan (go Blue!) at a beach in Chicago. I have the greatest kids in all the world...other than yours, I'm sure.

Vacation

Family vacation is underway! We left St. Louis about 4pm this afternoon and got to our hotel just inches from the O'Hare runways about 9:30pm. After a few unscheduled pits stops and a coin-only toll bucket that took our picture and I'm sure by now has mailed us a ticket, we got the little people in bed and are now settled in watching a Jackie Chan movie. Could there be anything better? Just yesterday someone told me that rest is holy. I had never thought of it that way, but I'm looking for some holy rest. And while I'm at it I'm going to drag my kids around and have some fun.

Clever People

I ran across a memorable quote the other day in George MacDonald's book The Curate's Awakening, which says, "We do not half appreciate the benefits to the race that spring from honest dullness. The clever people are often the ruin of everything." First, I just love the way the English use the word clever (along with nappies, cheeky monkey, and a variety of other things). But even more I began to think about the spiritual application of such a statement. Paul said something not too different. "For since in the wisdom of God, the world, through its wisdom, did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe (1 Cor 1:21)." In other words, it was according to God's plan that no one would be able to know him by using worldly wisdom . Instead, he used the foolishness of the message about Christ to save those, not who know, but who believe (or trust). Worldly wisdom has many benefits and many good things have come about from unbelieving, clever people. However, worldly wisdom will never lead to salvation and a spiritually rich life. It's impossible, because the spiritual life God provides for us is anything but clever.

Lines

I had a meeting today, and while sometimes it feels like that's all I do, lunch was free and it was Mexican food! Wahoo! I was talking to the General Manager of the Marriott hotel across the street from our church and he told me the story of his girlfriend who travels to South America as a nurse. She and her colleagues set up medical clinics and feeding stations and provide 16 hours a day of help for people who stand in long lines and camp out over night to receive help they would otherwise never get. Before I could shut my trap I said, "kinda like the lines for the new iPhone." There were a couple other people sitting at the table with us and they all thought it was funny, but I realized again that everything is a matter of perspective. And if you think I'm going to get sanctimonious and rage against nice phones, you don't know me very well (especially since I'm a Mac guy). But it did give me pause to stop and think once again about the conditions of my fellow-humans around the globe. I pray that God would never allow me to become dull to the suffering of others and my responsibility to do what I can to help them.

Fragmentation

Sunday I preached a sermon on being an intergenerational church (here). The more I read about pop culture and it's addiction to smaller and smaller market segments, the more aware I become of what an incredible challenge (and opportunity) this is for the church. Today I came by this article from the Boston Globe talking about that very thing. As our culture focuses more and more on the things that make us different, the church will have to focus more and more on what makes us the same and find creative ways to share life together, even if we belong to different market segments.

Signs Of Reentry

Nearly five years ago Keri and I finished selling most of what he had and left for Bulgaria with Katie who was 18 months old at the time. That was an important time and marked what for us, was our exit from normal life. After serving in Bulgaria we felt led to return to the States to pursue one last jaunt in education, but that wasn't reentry; we knew it was just a step into something else we would do, although we didn't know exactly what. In seminary you go into survival mode, always looking to the future when some day life will become semi-normal again, or at least semi-predictable. The hardest part of leaving normal life was having to find a new home for our dog Molly, who we'd had for 11 years when we left for Bulgaria. Losing Molly was our exit.

Now God has revealed the place he has been preparing for us. We are living in St. Louis serving at West County Assembly of God, and the time has come for reentry. You might think reentry would be finding a house (we're looking and saving), but reentry has actually come through the newest member of our family, Sadie. Sadie is a five-pound, 3-month-old, curly, white-haired Bishon Frise. She's fierce!

The Painful Truth

In Matthew 18, Jesus asks his disciples, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" There's no record of a response, probably because that very issue landed them in hot water on more than one occasion. Jesus answered his own question when he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Scholars have bantered about numerous ideas concerning what it means to become like a little child; I'm sure there's more than one possible answer. But I was reminded the other day of one aspect of being child-like. We were out with a friend who was holding Jake's hand walking through a store. One of the women who worked there struck up a conversation with him and he politely answered all her questions. She said to him, "wow, are you always this good?" My friend started making some kind remarks about how nice he was and Jake interrupted with a vigorous head shake and a very clear, "No."

He was telling the truth. Even though it didn't put him in the best possible light, he just came right out with it. He didn't have the sophistication to think about how to answer the question in a way that would make him look as good as possible. He didn't think for a moment that his answer might cause him to be loved less. He just said what he knew to be true.

There's a lesson in there somewhere. How many times do I say or do something to make myself look better than I really am? How many times am I afraid that to be honest about my brokenness would make me less loved? How many times do I choose a higher status in the kingdom of men rather than the kingdom of heaven? I want to be a truth teller, and so, somehow, grow up to be a child, perfectly at home being loved and blessed by Jesus in the kingdom of heaven.

Tent Murmuring

Ps 106:24-25 says, "Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the LORD." Nearly all the translations say that Israel despised the pleasant land, but I think rejected more accurately reflects our way of thinking. Israel didn't despise the land, as though they didn't think it was good enough for them. They rejected the land because the difficulty of taking possession of it seemed far too great to be a realistic option. So they refused to even consider it.

They rejected God's lavish provision because they didn't trust in God's promise that he would do what it took to help them take possession of the land. If God had promised them a barren land with just enough vegetation to sustain their existence, but a land without giants, they might have been quite happy to go. But God had a lot more in mind. He had a better land that would take more trust and more work, but would provide for them much more richly.

True to human nature, they rejected God's big promise for something they could grasp, but then spent time in their tents grumbling against God and his leaders because of the lack of abundance. They did not obey the voice of the Lord and they suffered greatly because of it. That pattern can be an easy one to fall into. God offers abundant provision with the caveat that I trust him to do the heavy lifting, and instead I settle for the wilderness, rationed food, and evenings spent murmuring in my tent. Lord, help me to obey your voice and live in the provision you have called me to.

Missions Convention

Our church recently finished a missions convention; we invited several missionary couples to come and share their lives and ministries with us. Spending time around missionaries sometimes leaves people with a sense of awe because of the exoticness of where they live and what they do (and in my book, anyone who eats soup with their hands from a large pot with a goat's head sticking out does have a claim to living an exotic lifestyle). But most of them will tell you that most of what they do is fairly mundane. They get up and work, shop, eat, rest, and all the other "normal" parts of our existence. In the end, I think what makes them stand out
is not just their lifestyle, but their deep sense of the mission of God and the part that God has called them to play in that mission. They endure frustration and struggles because they know that they have been called to join God in his mission to bless all the peoples of the earth. That brings me back to me.

Is there any reason that I should feel less of a sense of God's mission just because my soup comes with a spoon and happens to be chicken noodle? I don't think so. When I wake up in the morning, I should have just as strong a sense of God's mission as my brothers and sisters living on the other side of the world. May the Lord help us to sense the opportunity we have every day to join him in his mission.

Spiritual Leadership

The Bible contains some difficult sayings; some are difficult to understand, and some are difficult because I understand them. 1Corinthians 11:1 falls into the second category. "Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ," Paul says. It's possible to find some comfort in the immediate context. After all, we no longer struggle with meat offered to idols and so we could just dismiss the passage as "historically bound." However, even a moment's reflection reveals the hopelessness of that argument. The bigger issue includes anything that would cause offense to another person, thus the words, "whatever you do."

But even more than the immediate context, I believe this statement reflects something much more central to Paul's way of thinking about spiritual leadership. Paul lived his life that he might know Christ--"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil 3:10-11)"--but he wanted those under his leadership to follow his example--"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you (Phil 4:9)."

That leaves me with some difficult questions. Would I be happy if everyone under my leadership followed the example of my life? Would I be happy if everyone responded to my sermons to the extent I respond to them? Would I be happy if everyone lived out their faith they way I live out mine? The gap between my example and the Biblical standard provides the to-do list of my spiritual life. God grant me eyes to see where I fall short and heart that is quick to repent.

The Gym Roof

After a large gust of wind this afternoon, the gym roof at our church peeled off like the lid on a can of spam. Fortunately there was no questionable meat or gelatinous material under it:o) That meant an afternoon of talking to roof guys and insurance people, neither of whose language I speak particularly well. Apparently the fascia wasn't properly anchored which led to wind getting under the membrane and eventually to a loud pop, lots of flapping, and pieces of insulation and roof decking all over the parking lot. The roof guys did their thing, the insurance guys will do their thing, and now I'm home watching an old Star Wars rerun. That's exactly why we have weekends!

Which One Doesn't Belong?

I fondly remember those puzzle workbooks I used to fill out. What fun it was to look at a series of objects and try to figure out which one didn't belong. I was reminded of that today when I made my usual Monday afternoon hospital calls. Since the hospital is pretty close to my house I decided to meet Keri and Jake for lunch. And since it was such a nice day I decided to ride my motorcycle back to work instead of my car. No big deal, right? But when I pulled my shiny red motorcycle into the parking spot marked with the large "clergy only" sign, I received no small number of nasty looks. "What's that young guy on that shiny bike doing stealing the clergy parking space," I could see them thinking. I guess I was the object in the series that didn't seem to fit. I'm really glad God doesn't judge me by what other people see.

Which reminds me. Jake's interest in Bible stories right now is pretty much limited to the story of David and Goliath. He told me today that he didn't want anything other than the Old Testament because of the story of the little guy's victory over the giant. Given the fact that he's not much more than three feet tall, I can appreciate his admiration. But in addition to being a heretic (a thoroughly mixed up Marcionite, in case you're wondering), I just don't think I can read that story one more time. Then it struck me, that story is sorta like my experience at the hospital. David was judged by all to be completely out of place, ill-suited and ill-equipped for the task at hand. It seemed like a joke that no one thought was funny. But in the end, what God sought out was someone who was willing to fight for His honor and His glory, and he didn't particularly care what he looked like on the outside (or what he drove).

It's a good reminder. God doesn't particularly care about what other people see, because he looks beyond that. God told Samuel, "man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." God give me a heart that strives for your glory...and remind me to put my clergy parking pass in plain sight.

God's PR Problems

God seems to be having some PR problems these days. For example, someone sent me a clip of Oprah discussing her religious views. When she was in her late twenties the baptist preacher at the church she attended spoke about characteristics of God: his omniscience, his omnipresence, and his jealousy. God's jealousy didn't sit well with her and she began to search for an experience of God that was outside the box in which the Christian Bible had placed him. She found a much bigger God, one who could be experienced in any number of different religions using any number of different methods.

I can't help but think Oprah might have a stroke if she read Isaiah and discovered that God said he wouldn't share his glory with anyone or anything else. Even worse, were she to read John Piper, who boldly claims that God is most interested in his own glory, she might well not recover. That just makes God sound so ill-mannered and spoiled. But if God is truly perfect, then he alone is worthy of all glory and has every right to be jealous, whether it sits well with our modern sensibilities or not.

Oprah's PR capabilities stagger the mind. But rest assured, God has been through other PR problems in the past and he seems to outlast them all:o) God will receive the glory he deserves.

Practicing What I Preach

Every once in a while someone makes a statement that reflects their curiosity about the relationship between my life and my sermons. That's fair enough. I periodically see doctors smoking or police officers speeding and I wonder too. I guess some things are different when when you're not "on the job."

So what's the relationship between a sermon and the life of the person who preaches it? I can't answer that question for anyone else, but I must admit, if I were a police officer I might have to write myself a ticket periodically. And that's because the standard I preach is no easier for me to attain than anyone else. "Trust God," I say, but then something happens and I find my default response is to look to some thing or some one else. "Live in the power God has made available through Christ" I say, but then I struggle not to feel defeated or powerless in some situation.

I think Paul might have known something about this. He said, "I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize (1Cor 9:27)." I can't think of a much better way to say it. The biggest difference between me and those who hear a sermon I preach might be that my response time is before the sermon instead of after it.

Living The Resurrection

I don't really struggle with believing that God raised Jesus from the dead. I know it was almost impossible for the disciples to believe at first, but they didn't have the advantage of my perspective perched comfortably atop a 2000 year span of time. I get it. No problem.

But I do struggle with living out the implications of his resurrection. Ephesians 1:18-20 says, "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know...his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms." I read what Paul wrote and realize that the eyes of my heart remain darkened so many times. I struggle through difficulties and trials, never realizing that God has made his resurrection power available to me anytime, in any place. What a waste. This Easter I am praying that the eyes of my heart might be enlightened throughout the year so that I can live a life full of God's resurrection power, day in and day out. He is risen indeed!

Surving An A-BoMb

What's an A-BoMb? The word A-Bomb usually refers to atom-bomb. However, in Jaredese, A-BoMb stands for Annual Business Meeting, as in The Annual Church Business Meeting (spoken in a deep voice with lots of reverb). Why am I thinking about an A-BoMb? I survived leading my first one last night. The difficulty is not so much in preparing for the questions you know are coming...it's preparing for the questions you know you can't know are coming. The A-BoMb turned out to be anything but explosive (thanks to the wonderful people at WCAG). So what do I take away from such an experience?

It's a great metaphor for trusting God. You prepare for all the stuff you know is coming, but fear of the unknown is usually the most unnerving. What if this? What if that? Trusting God means that after we have done everything we can to prepare ourselves for life and godliness, we rest in the knowledge that He knows what we can't and He will provide what we need, when we need it, even if it's a well-timed motion to adjourn:o)

What I learned from Frank Sexton...

If you don't know Frank Sexton, let me tell you about him. He has been at WCAG for the last twenty years, and for the last seventeen has led a business men's luncheon every Thursday at high noon. Frank has organized over 800 meetings and many of the men who attend have gone for years. The thousands of people who have attended these meetings have seen Frank live out his Christianity in the midst of some difficult circumstances. But that's not what I took away from his final meeting today. What I learned is that we all have a unique group of people God has put into our lives to walk with us through the ups and downs every life brings. There are memories that Frank and his companeros share because they were doing the same things at the same time--they shared with each other in life, cared for each other in loss, laughed a lot, cried at times, but the whole time were demonstrating what Christian community is all about. It makes me all the more thankful for those I am walking with right now--my family, my church, and the friends God has blessed me with. Thanks, Frank.

No short jokes, please!

Zacchaeus has gotten the long end of the stick as far as Biblical stories go. I think it has something to do with being known as a wee-little-man and the fact that Jesus wanted to have supper with him. How can you not love a wee, little man? But the truth is that if he lived today, no one would write a song about him, and if they did, it wouldn't be so kind. He was a professional crook. He enriched his life by impoverishing others. So what does this story teach us?

The story of Zacchaeus offers an antidote to cheap grace. Zacchaeus didn't take God's grace as a free pass for all the terrible things he had done. Instead, he allowed that grace to work itself out into his broken past and he made restitution, to the extent he could, for what he had done. The Old Testament law commands restitution for any number of offenses. In fact, many are surprised to learn that incarceration was not used as a punishment for crimes in the Old Testament. Instead, God called people to make things right. We could learn a lot from Zacchaeus. Grace may be free, but it does come with a price.

A Thirsty Woman

The story of the woman at the well fascinates me. There's so much tension and so many secrets that the story seems so...human, so realistic. Her antagonism toward Jesus is thinly veiled at best. She doesn't like his kind and knows his kind don't like her kind and she just can't bring herself to speak civilly to him. Of all the things we learn about this unnamed woman, perhaps the most import lies in the fact that she's thirsty, and her thirst runs much deeper than the need for well water. She needs a long, cold drink from the well of God's grace, and thankfully Jesus remains undeterred by her most valiant attempts to avoid receiving his message of hope. But finally, seeping through the hardened ground that was her life, the spring of living water began to flow and she experienced pure, unfiltered grace.

So what do we learn from this fascinating story? So many of the facets of this story sparkle and beg to be explored. But this Sunday I want to look at two things in particular. One, using Jesus as our example, I want to explore what living out God's grace requires. Two, I want to explore the grace we see in the story, a grace that exposes and comforts all at the same time. What do you think? What strikes you about this story?