Looking to the Right...

If your like me, you spend a lot of time keeping track of time. I always keep my cell phone calender up to date with all my up and coming events plugged in so I do not forget. This helps me stay on top of things, prepare, and do my best. Over the years I have become pretty good at keeping a full calender, always looking forward to the next event and certainly slashing the old ones off my calender when they are finished. At times, this gives me a weird thrill - like I have accomplished something great. Then I read a story about a man and his son at the beach that really made me think. The man is a minister and was looking for some R&R with his family. He says that on his way to the beach, he looked to his right and saw a handicapped man struggling through the sand. All at once, he looked away, to his left. While he did this, he desperately tried to get his sons attention away from the struggling man by pointing out random things to talk about. But he says that his son could not stop looking to the right at the struggling man. While the pastor continued looking left and the son looking right, a crowd began to gather around the struggling man. Immediately, the son stopped his dad and asked if could go over and help the now fallen man. As I reflect on this story I cannot help but think of my calenders.

Have I scheduled God out of my life?

Going to meetings, preparing for the next event, ready to devour some new piece of

information that will help me help others... In the end, I have to remember at what got me here in the first place. The answer is that it was people investing in me. People who saw a young, aimless kid full of potential but misguided.

Folks who when I was in their sight - did not look left but looked right.

What if...

This Sunday is the hallmark of our Christian faith.

Christians around the globe will raise their hands up to worship the One who conquered death, abolished sin, and ushered in victory to whoever calls upon Jesus as Savior. Recently, I have been reading and thinking about a concept called the Butterfly Effect. In its essence, it teaches that everything is connected to everything. For example, it has been proven that a butterfly fluttering its wings in one part of the world can set in motion a hurricane that takes place in another part of the world.

In I Corinthians 15, Paul brings up this idea with Adam and Christ. Paul says that "through one man and his disobedience, death and sin were introduced into the world." He goes on in the very same verse (v. 22) to say, "that through another man's (Jesus) obedience, life was offered to all who believe." -Two men, two actions, two resounding effects-

one flapped their wings and set off a pattern of sin, hurt and brokenness in the world

One flapped their wings and set off a pattern of all life, healing, and redemption in the world

Divine Moment(s)

There is this book I have been treading through called, "Chasing Daylight."

In the first chapter, the author offers up a pretty interesting concept he calls divine moments. He goes on to point out the connection between English word "moment" and the Greek word atom. Apparently the word atom in Greek brings with it the idea of "being unable to be broken down an further." You know, like the atom is the smallest unit possible type thing...

Anyway, the point is that we found a way to break down the atom. To split it.

And with this finding came BIG things...Like blow you off the face of the earth BIG. This is where things get really interesting. Your divine moment, is when you realize that God is ready to break into your mundane world and cause great things to happen.

-Kind of like when we spilt the atom-

Think of your life, and just how many routines you have. I bet that the majority of your day and week is spent doing the same things over and over and over.
Your divine moment is what happens when God enters the picture right in the middle of your regular life.

A recent example: I like to go to the gym and usually I do not like small talk when working out. This past week, a young man came up to me on two separate occasions and told me he needs God in his life and wants to start going to church. The first time he did this, I listened and then asked for his phone number. I wrote it down on a brown paper towel, stuck it in my gym bag and then walked over to the treadmill.
The second time, I put my gear down and listened. Unlike before, I really listened to his heart and his story. This time I was ready to shift my time and my workout for this young man.

-I was aware of the divine moment happening-

-I was ready for God to work-

It is just like God to work like this. In the book of Acts, Saul was traveling on a road with some companions and then in an instant -God showed up. I often wonder what Saul's traveling compadreas thought of the whole thing as they witnessed it. (Were their jaws hanging around their knees?) If you think about it, in one moment, Saul became Paul. His life was changed forever. And in turn, he changed the world as we know it.

-Your divine moment may might just be just one moment away-

Today is a New Day

I have been leading our youth through the book of Exodus this year in Sunday school and this past week, I came across the passage where the Israelites were about to be delivered out of Egypt. In the middle of God's wonders and power, He informs the people to change the date of the departure from Egypt to the first day of the year.

"Now the Lord said to Moses & Aaron, this month shall be the first month, the begging, for you and your people..." (Exodus 12:1-2).

Changing the calender in the middle of a jail break is hardly normal... Why would God do this?

Let me be forthright, I did not do alot of research on this, but I have an inkling that it has to do with newness. The Israelites past was one of hardship, misery, and pain. Was this God's way of saying, "This is a new day for you! Forget the past and move on with your lives! I have taken you out of slavery and am bringing you to new opportunities! Let this date be a reminder of what you were and what you now have become!" If this is true and I think it is -just imagine how we as believers in Christ should live our lives.

We are connected to THE change agent...Jesus.

Do not forget that in the middle of the mundane, you are connected with Jesus. Like the Israelites, you can choose to live the way Jesus wants you to or you can remain stuck. You can break the ties of anger, leave behind the abuse in your past and you can seize your divine moment and live to your potential.

+ + + Kind of Church

I've never been a whiz at math, so when I read through Mark Driscoll's refreshing book, "Confessions of a Reformission Rev"  I was a bit hesitant when he started breaking down the state of the Church using + and - symbols.  In the book, Driscoll explains how there are churches that emphasize certain central elements that if isolated, will deter the Church from its mission.  Using + and - symbols to get his point across made the model he proposes easy to remember and simple enough to communicate to someone mathematically challenged (me).  

1.  Gospel + Culture - Church = Para church. The para church (Promise Keepers, New Life, etc.) are types of organizations that bring the gospel into the culture, but leave behind the Church. This is usually because the Church is lacking in some area and a group forms an organization that seeks to fill that need.

2.  Culture + Church - Gospel = Liberalism. Some churches are so concerned with being hip, they forget the message of the Gospel. In their attempt to stay "relevant" they forget that their primary purpose is to be salt and light in a lost world.

3.  Church + Gospel - Culture = Fundamentalism. "Don't smoke, drink, or chew or date girls that do" might be this groups motto. This church is so into their traditions and buildings that they rarely lift their eyes to the outside world. A key indicator of this type of church is watching how they do ministry. A maintenance style of ministry is popular in these churches as they are more concerned about maintaining what they have -rather than reaching out to the next generation with the Gospel.

4.  Gospel + Culture + Church = Reformission. Why the weird word? This style combines the best aspects of Christianity. Being driven by the Great Commandments and the Great Commission, this church has a tension of respecting the past AND seeking ways to bring in the next generation.

As you can see, balance is important in life and in the ministry. Therefore, let us all work together to seek ways in which we can be the church that Builds Up and Reaches Out in Christ's Name.