Phil Ebersole

Thanks, Coach Wooden: from one who loves sports, yet...

2010-06-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

After my hiatus from blogging, I'm jump back with this from the sports world...

The Coach died last night. If you couple the words "basketball" and "The Coach" in the same sentence, for anyone who follows sports in the U.S. most will immediately leap to John Wooden. He died last night at age 99.

If you don't know, he was the legendary coach of UCLA that led to unparalleled success in the 60's and early 70's. Records that will never be broken. Two straight undefeated seasons. 88 wins in a row. Seven straight championships. Get out! I won't list all the stats; check them out for yourself if you're interested.

It wasn't merely that he happened to have some great bb players (Lew Alcindor, aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Walt Hazzard, et. al.) and the talent carried the day. Coaching matters. His wisdom, discipline, and coaching skills was the basis for the championships.

But, it's another dimension that far exceeds the wins, and it put him, dwarfed next to his Walton's and Alcindor's, heads and shoulders above the rest of the field. It's the person, John Wooden. Things like his loyalty to his late wife, who died in 1985 after 53 years of marriage. His devout Christian faith. Character. Integrity.

Things like living in the same, small modest home in L.A. Endeavoring to build character and foster maturity in the young men he coached. Things like his three absolute "rules" for his players: no profanity on the court, no tardiness, and no talking behind any of your teammates' back. Like when, as coach of Indiana Teacher's College (Indiana State), he turned down a tournament invitation because of NAIB's policy of banning African American players; one of his players was an African American.

Things like not throwing chairs onto the court or cursing at the refs when they make a bad call...

I grew up playing sports and loved it. I'm sure, until the day I die, you will find me, early morning, with my nose in the box scores (even if I can catch the scores on my Blackberry last thing at night). I'm looking forward to a Rockies' game at Coors Field Monday night. Every spring, I'll live with endless hope that the Reds and Rockies will make it to the World Series. In the fall, I'll start pulling for new coach Jimbo Fisher and FSU.

But...I've changed over the years. I grew up in the competitive saturated culture of sports in America. It took. But, increasingly, I find some things about the extremely competitive aspects in sports to be inconsistent with my faith as a follower of Jesus. I do not find, anywhere, this win-at-all-costs or winning-is-the-only-thing-that-matters in the person and life of Jesus. So, I'm beginning to reject much of what I see in that world of extreme competition.

I also know that this is not theory or some pious notion: as I am honest with myself, I know this tugs at my own heart and self. I got annoyed at myself on Thursday when I hit some lousy shots from the fairway! Or, I realize how strong the tug is to join a fierce, competitive stance. So, I'm a work in progress.

Interlude: likely, I would not agree with everyone that Wooden would say about this, nor do I believe there is no room for healthy competitiveness. However, that's a much longer discussion.

To come back to Wooden...He stands in sharp contrast to so many players and coaches who, even in the name of "Christian faith," have bought into this extreme competitive culture, with flashes of anger and violence. Screaming, cursing, veins popping out of the neck. You have the feeling they want to destroy the other team/player.

Contrast- The Coach: discipline, hard work, commitment, training, skill development, character development, no yelling, no cursing, no talking behind the back of your teammate, giving your best effort, and...humility. And, even though it wasn't the only thing, i.e. winning, they did win a few games!

There are a ton of coaches I would not want my kids/grand kids/friends in my community to play for. But, you will not hear that from any of Coach Wooden's players. Not one.

Class act.

Easter: this I believe...

2010-04-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

To state decisively what one believes, especially in our current context, is rowing against the stream. I understand some of the objections. In fact, I would agree with some of the reasons for objecting to bold, "truth" proclamations. For one, many who espouse this have funneled the Christian faith into propositional truth statements. Further, these bold statements have, for many, become narrow litmus tests of who is "in" and who is "out."

So, I understand, and I agree with some of the resistance. The Christian faith is anything but essential truth statements- cognitive assertions. And, the heresy police, with their narrow windows of what is orthodox for Christian faith, are causing havoc in some circles. There is "orthodoxy" but it must not be funneled down into one particular stream. There is so much to God that can't be known, and when this prompts us to awaken awe and mystery before God, it is a wondrous and good thing. A very good thing.

With that preamble, here is where I'm headed this Easter morning, 2010. It is also good, even if rejected by much in our cultural context, to say, "This I believe." And, to name what we believe to be true, along with above given that there is much- so much- that we cannot know.

I will say what I believe to be true about Easter. I am not interested, here, in giving a defense for why I believe this to be true; there are a number of reasons. What I will state is that this has been the normative thread from the beginning of Christianity and throughout the generations that have followed, in every stream of orthodox Christian faith. I don't stand alone here, and what others have believed and how they have lived is vital for me. Those "cloud of witnesses" must not be ignored. We are not "making up" or inventing what it means to be a follower of, and believer in, Jesus.

As important, what I believe has changed my life, continues to inform and transform me, and it is why I will give my life for what this means.

So, here is what I believe and state this Easter morning: Jesus, who died, came back to life three days later.

While what the cross and death of Jesus means carries multiple meanings, and while the nuances of it have caused multiple debates and searchings, one basic meaning that has been declared throughout the centuries is vital for me: that evil, death and sin has been disarmed and defeated by Jesus' death on the cross (Colossians 2:13-15). And, Jesus being raised from the dead has made all the difference in the meaning of the cross.

I want to borrow the words of two gifted thinkers and writers and use their words to state what, in part, I believe: N.T. Wright and Frederick Buechner.

Why would those early followers of Jesus continue to follow him after he is executed, and not see him as another failed "messiah?" Wright says, “The rule, then, seems clear. If you follow a messiah and he gets killed, you obviously backed the wrong horse….After Jesus was executed, his followers didn’t give up the revolution, nor did they choose another leader…Why?...Why did they think he was the Messiah after all?... The early Christians give one answer, and only one. This is what they said: three days after Jesus’ execution and burial, he was raised to bodily life again, leaving an empty tomb behind him.” (p.71-72- The Original Jesus)

This gave them, and it gives me, a task: "to tell the world that the new creation had begun; that justice and peace were now to be put into operation in all the world; and that all this could happened because the power of evil had been decisively broken.” (p. 74)

There are many ways the "resurrection" is portrayed, and it is much more than just "inspiring the human spirit." Some use that language; it isn't important if Jesus actually came back from the dead; if our "human spirit" is inspired, that's enough. I don't believe so. What happened that first Easter morning? I agree with Buechner, "So, what do I believe actually happened that morning on the third day after he died?...I can tell you this: that what I believe happened and what in faith and with great joy I proclaim, is that he somehow got up, with life in him again…And I speak very plainly here, very unfancifully. He got up.” (The Magnificent Defeat)

I believe the resurrection to be vital to our faith and life. To use others' words one more time, I'm with Wright as he speaks about everything being altered as a result of that empty tomb, “Without it, he remains a total enigma: a wonderful teacher, a great leader, a wise man of prayer- but ultimately a noble failure. With it, he stands at the great turning point of history and beckons. And, to those who see, and come, he points: points to the work he has for them to do;… to take the news of his victory over evil and death to the ends of the earth.” (p.74-75)

This I believe.

But more: this is how I will seek to live- living a new, resurrected life myself. To walk in the resurrection. To live by the power of the risen Jesus.

That both cultivates joy and empowers.

On this Easter: to God be all glory.

Whassup, Glenn Beck?

2010-03-11T13:30:00.000-08:00

I don't watch FOX News or the Glenn Beck program. But, it didn't take long before I heard the recent pitch by Beck this week, on his program, blasting the use of "social justice" in churches. Word travels rather quickly.

If you haven't heard, it went something like this: "social justice" is just a "code word" for communism and Nazism. He held up two cards, one with a swastika and the other with a hammer and sickle. He said, if you see the words "social justice" or "economic justice" on the website of your church, "ran as fast as you can." His advice: leave your church if they talk about and use that language.

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/03/08/glenn-beck-urges-listeners-to-leave-churches-that-preach-social/

In an era when it's hard to determine whether the Rush Limbaugh's or Glenn Beck's or Bill Maher's are uber Capitalists selling entertainment, or whether they truly believe what they spew, I wonder if responses like this is exactly what they're hoping for. More business. More book sales. Whatever the case may be, here's another side.

If people in our church took Beck to heart, our church, The Bridge, would fold. We could close the doors this week. (P.S. I'm not worried, Glenn.) One of our four core values is...uh...well...um..."social justice." That core value: a commitment to action- seeking social justice, serving the marginalized, pursuing peace.

This would be true, I imagine: if you believe Beck, et.al., then you will run as fast as you can from our community of faith. And, you will- thank God I can say this now- run from more churches today than you would 20 or even 10 years ago. That will be the case: that some do not want anything to do with the language of social justice and the like. "It's not the Gospel. It's immaterial. It's 'extra.' What really matters is getting your heart 'right with God.'"

So, I'll take the opportunity from the Beck prompt to say the opposite: it is not an appendage to the Gospel, but that the "good news" ("Gospel") is inclusive of God's reconciling work which includes all kinds of fractures and brokenness. It is the good news that Jesus came announcing and proclaiming, living and embodying in his very person. Good news to the poor in spirit; good news to the poor. Freedom from inner captivity; freedom from oppression.

Instead of my own words, I refer to Jesus, his life and his words, for I take him to be central as God in the flesh. Jesus, announcing these words from the prophet Isaiah and taking on that mantle for himself, says: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free." (Luke 4:18) Code words? Or, words anchored in the One we, as followers of Jesus, call Lord?

Jesus' life, is consistent with this very proclamation. These words are not an isolated proof text; nor does his life, which we are called to follow, lead another way.

This is also in the prophetic tradition, where God calls us to seek...justice- socially. "Is this not the fast I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice...to let the oppressed go free?..." (Isaiah 58:6-14) Code words? Or, "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)

Code words? Or, words rooted in Scripture?

My reading of Scripture, and where it comes to completeness and fullness in Jesus, is that this good news will include saving us from narcissism and pride, to surrendering to God and a relationship with God, to helping the poor in Nicaragua run their own business, to helping eradicate malaria in Africa, to seeing the walls of Apartheid dismantled in South Africa, to helping others have a decent meal during the week, to...well, you see.

To wherever there is a need for reconciliation with God and with others, and wherever there is need for healing of the fractures and injustice.

I'll turn the tables on Beck's statement: if your church does not have the words "social justice" or the like in its vision, go ask why not.

I am under no illusion that people will leave the Glenn Beck program as a result of his statements. He might even sell more books. But, if statements like his this week will prompt a few more to scratch under the surface, and look in the Biblical story for evidence of social justice, and actually read the words and life of Jesus, then, I am convinced, a few more will experience this transforming good news.

If you had to bet everything on...

2010-02-28T11:31:00.000-08:00

During Lent this year, I'm throwing out a question each week that I found from Frederick Buechner. I'm passing this on to our church community, The Bridge, with the encouragement to ponder, pray and even write about each week.

So, here's the question from this past week:

If you had to bet everything you have on whether there is a God or whether there isn’t, which side would get your money and why?

No fair using any "Sunday School" cliches if you grew up in that environment...

What's the "self" you present to others- to the world?

2010-02-16T17:46:00.000-08:00

I might as well say it up-front: what follows is not about self-absorption or the pursuit of self-knowledge as the end.

Now, with that being said, I want to think about this concept of the "false self" and the "true self." That can mean various things to different ones of us, and I'll say shortly how I am using it. I am going back to some "saints" and spiritual writers that I was introduced to many years ago, and two of these, in particular, have had massive impact on the spiritual landscape in the last century: Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen.

In a short book by a Jesuit, James Martin, the focus was on these two men who have had such major impact, and I was prompted by this idea of false and true selves. The false self, as I'm using it here is the self we want to present to the world. It may come from what we others think we are, or should be. It might come from expectations of others. Or, it can come from something we may want to be or someone else we may want to be. But, it ain't me!

I've been a preacher for almost all of my adult years. (Actually, how I normally identify my role is as a pastor and part of that role is preacher, but that's another story.) I'll bet there isn't a preacher around who hasn't thought-whether they said it or kept it to themselves: "I wish I could preach like ____________. Maybe, if I work at it and mimic some of his/her preaching style, I could preach nearly like __________."

False-self confession: I heard Walter Wangerin (you may not know him but he's a wordsmith and gifted communicator) speak at a conference, and that's just what I tried to do for a time: preach like Walter. That was short-lived and that was a joke! I'm not Wangerin; I can't preach like Wangerin. Further, I shouldn't try to preach like him, as it just isn't me, besides the fact that I don't have those innate gifts he has.

This false self gets played out in things like this, but also in all kinds of other ways related to what we want to convey to others- to the world.

On the other hand, and the search we ought to be on, is living out our true self. It's more than a cheesy quip: to be who we are. To be the person God crafted us to be. To let go of trying to be anybody else, or to pursue a false trek just because society/culture/family has defined what "success" looks like, or what one should be.

And, the point of this is not to end up navel-gazing. As Martin commented on both Merton and Nouwen, with respect to this process of self-examination, he said "...it was not simply a narcissistic quest for self-knowledge. Rather, it was a discipline undertaken to allow them to become more loving and more centered on God." That's part of the point: to love- love God and love others, and not end up absorbed in the self with little ability to love others.

I'm drawn to listen to the Merton's and Nouwen's of the world, both modern and ancient. I'm inspired, not by some flawless folks (far from it!), but by those seeking to live authentic lives (true self) in our families, friendships, on the job, among the poor, seeking justice, pursuing peace.

This life-long journey for authenticity is anything but a quest for self-knowledge and then stopping there. It is to live and love more fully!

The enemies of "oughts" and "ifs"

2010-02-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile- a long while-since I stepped inside a "Christian" bookstore. I don't tend to find the books that I'm interested reading in that spot. And, there are plaques and posters with pithy sayings, like: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift- that's why they call it the present." I think I'll pass on the mug.

You can find this stuff at Hallmark stores, thrift stores, and, somewhere in Boulder, there has to be a store with these trinkets. Not just Christian bookstores. One of the quips, whether it is a ditty on a Hallmark card or in some self-help book or in a conversation, is that living in the present moment is what we aim for. Not in the past or in the future, but now. Here and now.

"Here and now." Ahh, that's the title of a book I just finished. By the late Henri Nouwen. This idea of living fully in the present is not a new concept, and it sounds rather simple; it's not a complex idea. It's not like some of my college philosophy textbooks where, after reading the same page five times, I was still scratching my head! But, just because it is a simple notion doesn't mean it is easy to live this out in my life. Far from it.

Here's the way Nouwen put it, "The real enemies of our life are the 'oughts' and the 'ifs.' They pull us backward into the unalterable past and forward into the unpredictable future." (p.18) I messed up and ought to have done it differently. Or, I had an opportunity to take positive action and I didn't; I should have. The other end is the enemy of the "what if." What if I never get married? What if the economy doesn't clear up and I can never get a job with security? What if something happens to my health?

Now, there is a positive dimension to looking into our past and learning from either mistakes (or, I'll use the "sin" word) or hurtful experiences, and taking time to consider goals, dreams or visions for one's future. That is quite different from the "oughts" and "ifs."

I'm inclined to think we gravitate, for any number of reasons, more toward the "ought" or "if" side. The catch, if it toward the "oughts," is the drain of guilt. If you are prone to the "what ifs," you will get snagged with anxiety or worry. I land on the side of the "ifs" when I am not operating out of living in the present.

What is it for you? "Oughts"- and then, guilt? Or, "ifs"- and then, anxiety?

What I hear in Jesus' words, and see in his life, and the good news of the Kingdom he came announcing, is clearly about the present. "The Kingdom is here among you!" Enter this abundant life- now! Love God. Love others. Share your life, especially, with the poor, outsider, broken, and people who are marginalized.

It is far too simplistic to suggest that we can always live in the present, and avoid the "oughts" and "ifs," and the corresponding and crippling guilt or worry. But, it is realistic to propose that we can live more and more in the present, rather than focused on the past or future.

I need reminders; that's why I read such books. Why I read scripture daily. That's why community is important for me.

Here and Now. Good reminder. Let's keep reminding each- both in words and action.

Anyone have a pithy slogan for this to put on a plaque, mug and t-shirt?... No; forget it.

Focus outward even builds community- I saw it this week

2010-01-28T11:02:00.000-08:00

I experienced community when the clothing closet was open on Tuesday night. I'll explain in a minute....

If the sole purpose, or the primary purpose, of a church is to preserve or save itself, it will not be fully alive. Further, if it is absorbed in seeking to build community, the irony is that it will not have community at a deeper level. It's one of those Kingdom "reversals."

Two things I read early this morning stated this very thing. Frederick Buechner explains it this way, "To journey for the sake of saving our own lives is little by little to cease to live in any sense that really matters, even to ourselves, because it is only journeying for the world's sake- even when the world bores and sickens and scares you half to death- that little by little we start to come alive" (p. 22, Listening to Your Life).

The community-building piece came in a note by Henri Nouwen about caring together for others in his meditation on dying and caring in Our Greatest Gift, "I have always been impressed with the thought that people are only ready to commit themselves to each other when they no longer focus on each other but rather focus together on the larger world beyond themselves." (p. 64)

I hear the longing for community continually. It is something that is important for our community- our church- The Bridge. To love, know and be known, laugh, build relationships. We were not meant to walk through life in the type of individualism that has been prominent in much of Western culture.

So, saying this on the positive side of the equation: when we see the world beyond ourselves, when we engage together for the world's sake, and when we care together for others, especially the poor and marginalized, community is built at new levels. We are more fully alive!

I can point to that very thing on Tuesday night. There are all kinds of stories out there that would tell a similar story, but here is a recent one. Simple. Nothing fancy....

Tuesday nights: our church is staffing a clothing closet on Tuesday nights, and we are in the process of organizing and expanding this service. There's a warm meal each Tuesday night for 75-100 homeless, or near homeless, folks at the church building we rent, and then a clothing closet is open after the meal for about an hour. Six of us were there this past week to not only help find a pair of jeans, coat, socks, underwear, soap, razor, or other items for those lining up in the basement. But, we also chat and joke with, listen to and begin to learn the names of the "regulars."

It's dangerous to try and speak for others, but I'll risk it. I think the six of us felt a bit more "alive" that night chatting with someone who needs a tube of toothpaste. Some of our own personal struggles might be put into perspective. Our world gets expanded another notch. We move a tiny step further away from the illusion that the world is about "me."

And, community was being built, and it was from the very act of caring about others, and engaging in the world beyond ourselves. Laughing with George and his puns. Knowing that the same older guy always asks for a bar of soap "because I don't want to be stinky!" Getting in on two guys ribbing each other. Hearing a slice of the stories (each one of our stories matter!) of those who come each week.

Another layer of community was built on Tuesday night as a result of caring together, for the world's sake.

Funny, and fun, how that works.

My Haitian brothers and sisters...

2010-01-22T05:27:00.000-08:00

All kinds of crazy things get said, and done, that are associated with religion, including Christianity. If we spent our time focusing on those statements or actions, we would become immobilized in many ways. And while it is sometimes appropriate, and important, to say what one is against, the main focus is: what are you for?

But, there are times when I feel compelled to say, "No; I don't believe this. No; this is not connected in any way to our faith as followers of Jesus." In the midst of the unimaginable suffering in Haiti brought on by the devastating earthquake, and when our hearts break staring at death and the weeping, Pat Robertson of the 700 Club, states this:

The Haitians "swore a pact with the devil...ever since they have been cursed by one thing after another."

In some ways, it doesn't deserve comment. You just want to say: enough said. But, this is one of those times I don't want to sit on the sidelines. There is so much out there that goes under the umbrella of "Christianity" that it makes it difficult for many to even be compelled by orthodox, Christian faith. So, I want to say in this case: there are many of us out there that will categorically deny and disassociate ourselves from this comment and all that is implied in it. Many of us, as followers of Jesus, will say- this has nothing to do with our faith.

I will not judge the person or the faith of a person. But I will disassociate myself from this.

Perhaps another reason I don't want to stand on the sidelines is because of the way this tragedy, so close to our shores, has torn our hearts open. So, instead of this type of statement, we will pray and act. We will say: God stands with the poor and the suffering. We will join others- anyone!- to help bring immediate relief and support long-term efforts toward healing in Haiti. We will put together relief kits, send money, and support short-term and long-term personnel to help with recovery.

I am coming off a leadership week and conference at the seminary I graduated from, and the speaker, Greg Boyd, called us to be churches- communities who follow Jesus, to manifest and embody the self-sacrificial, servant love of Jesus that seeks to love all people. That is first, local- people in our communities and cities. But, it is also global. Denver and Haiti, in my case.

Stuff happens. Really bad stuff. This side of the reconciliation of all things in the "new heavens and the new earth," we will not be able to rationally and logically explain evil and suffering in some complete fashion. But, this earthquake is not because of a pact with the devil or a curse. My Haitian friends, please here us on that.

Have mercy on all of us.

And, we go to work for the Kingdom in Denver, Haiti, and ....

Our own flesh suffering in Haiti today

2010-01-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

Haiti, an already desparate, small country, is now faced with a multitude of suffering following the earthquake yesterday. This is not my city, my state, my country. Those suffering are not my family members...

But wait. Oh, it IS my family. MY kin.

Walter Brueggeman pointed out that the noun used to describe the oppressed, poor, hungry, naked- those on the margins and those suffering- in the prophetic call in Isaiah 58:7 is the word "kin" (NRSV). The Hebrew word for "your own flesh." So, our hearts, and support for all the efforts to share with our global family, go out to "our own flesh" in Haiti.

I'm glad Mennonite Central Committee, the Red Cross, and a host of organizations will respond quickly to aid our brothers and our sisters.

This Franciscan Prayer of Blessing, that Esther Malwitz cited today, is one I copy here:

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers,
half-truths and superficial relationships,
so that we will live deeply in our hearts.
May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression
and exploitation of people and the earth,
so that we will work for justice, equity and peace.
May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer,
so that we will reach out our hands
to comfort them and change their pain to joy.
And may God bless us with the foolishness to think that
we can make a difference in our world,
so that we will do the things which others say cannot be done.

My friend has cancer

2010-01-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

My friend has cancer. It's hard to let those words roll out. But, that's what I heard yesterday.

Maybe it is harder, still, due to the scare we had July 23. As Gail was taken to the ER for some physical symptoms, and after a series of CT scans and MRI's, with Gail on the ER bed and with me by her side we hear the words- cold, blunt: "I'm nearly certain you have a malignant brain tumor and it is likely inoperable." Our world falls apart. But, as I've written about, after a second opinion and a team of neurosurgeons, we are told it is unlikely that it is a malignant tumor. It may be something that has been there most of her life. No other symptoms to date.

For us, it is a much longer story. I'm grateful for each day of health and no symptoms for Gail. During that awful weekend, these close friends cried with me/us. We hurt; they hurt.

Now, just months later, I'm on the other end of the phone hearing, "I have cancer. They plan to start chemotherapy tomorrow..." (This is after a series of multiple tests over a period of weeks, and pathology reports coming back yesterday.) They hurt; I hurt. Oh, that is way too simplistic, for it is much deeper than "hurt."

The husband is a really close friend of mine- for 20 years. She, too. She is about to graduate from seminary and will now need to put that on hold this semester. They are gems. Quality.

So, here we go with the immediate and unanswerable question: "Why?" I have long left the theory behind when these things emerge that says, "God has a purpose in this. There's a reason for everything that happens." A purpose that people would suffer? A reason for someone to get really sick from intensive chemotherapy treatments? A purpose behind- as I've heard it from some who have gone through chemo- "I felt so sick that I just wanted to die?" A reason for someone who is actively loving God and loving others, and living in the way of Jesus- a reason that sometimes there are people like that whose lives come to a premature end in the fullness of life?

No, that doesn't work for me. That would make no sense. It is some of the very things I pondered, again, that weekend of July 23rd. Now, I know you can point me to volumes and volumes of those who have written about suffering, theodicy and how to make sense of evil in the world. I've read some of them. It is a question that will be pondered and debated, and more importantly, wrestled with at the deepest levels of our being forever.

I feel like I can merely scratch the surface when I muster up the statement, and enter the mystery, that God is God. Our finitude cannot grasp the fullness of this, and the tragic repercussions of evil. I concur with what Marva Dawn wrote recently about "...the fundamental dialectical truth that God is both good and almighty....If we begin with trust that God is both good and almighty, then we look elsewhere for the reasons behind suffering." (p. 22-23, In the Beginning, GOD). I believe that God is both good and almighty, even when I can't understand.

Here's the other thing: this morning- January 8, one day after hearing about my friend's pathology report on January 7- it was this morning, in my early time of prayer, that I open my daily guide with scripture and prayer and it begins: "I am the LORD who heals you."- Exodus 15:26 (NLT) Thomas Keating writes in the reflection, "Divine love has the power to grow and transform us." And the page ends with, "'I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD."- Jeremiah 30:17 (NIV)

I won't even address the issue of the "coincidence" or whether this January 8 topic was "meant to be." What matters to me, is this concept of healing.

I understand the thought of "the LORD who heals." About 12 years ago, at a time of darkness and loss, when I wondered whether it would happen, I began the process of being healed. Over time. A long time. I know what this is talking about.

Right now, this is what I desire in this situation: healing. I can't even know what that will look like or how or when. But, I am praying- pleading- for healing. Healing for my friend from her cancer. Healing for her devoted husband and family. And, for me and all the others who love them.

So, healing it is. Through tears, and with hope, I will pray for healing.

The 1st question when they find out I'm a pastor...

2009-12-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

My favorite time was after a round of 18 holes of golf with a friend, and his co-worker that I just met. The times, that is, when people find out that I'm a pastor. And, it tends to be people who barely connected to church (the Easter and Christmas thing), or who may have no religious background. This has been changing in the past 10 years, but with my generation and older, many people were uncomfortable around pastors and would act differently once they knew this.

I didn't want people to know I was a pastor because I didn't want them to act or try to be different around me. So, this beautiful summer day in Ohio I am with Larry, who is a member of our church, and his co-worker who never asked me about my vocation. This guy was funny. He was telling jokes the entire round- some pretty funny ones, then he would drop in a crude joke, and he was dropping the F-bomb and some other colorful language the entire round. I enjoyed being with him.

After the round of golf, we had a drink and something to eat. As we were eating, the co-worker dude asks me, "So, what do you do?" When I told him I was the pastor at Larry's church, he about choked on his burrito, gulped, and then said, "Thanks, Larry; why didn't you tell me earlier! Holy cow; I'm sorry for all the jokes...." Which is why I often don't tell people what I do so they don't try and be something they are not.

Which leads to another "pastor" conversation. Whether it is the person sitting next to me on a plane, or a neighbor I meet for the first time, or any stranger I meet- do you want to guess what the first question I am asked after I tell them I'm a pastor of a church? Almost always it is: "So, how big is your church?" Based on some of the comments and body language, I can often sense the question, and my answer, is the grid that is used to measure success. Big= successful. Small= unsuccessful.

You should see the looks now when my answer, over the past year, has been 15, 20 or 25!

Which then leads me to a comment Brad Cecil of Axxess church made about how they are measuring success. It was in the context of this newer, emerging church that has a deep commitment to community and relationships. "...we want to be a community of people committed to sharing life together...We don't measure our success by numeric growth. We have decided to measure by other means, such as, How long do relationships last? Are members of the community at peace with one another? Are relationships reconciled?" (p. 99, Emerging Churches by E. Gibbs and R. Bolger).

I track with that focus on community as it is part of our core values at The Bridge. I would also add other means by which we might measure our success related to our core values: What are we doing to serve the poor? How are we seeking social justice in our city/world? What is the nature of the conversations like in our community? etc.

It's a different way of defining success, which, ultimately, is the wrong question. Not to be cliche: but, it is about faithfulness in our lives personally, and in our communities of faith. I admit the ways in which I have succumbed to the voices and judgments of others about who we are. As Henri Nouwen has written succinctly and prophetically: the way we often answer this is, "We are our success, we are our popularity, we are our power." (p. 134, Here and Now) The deeper voice, however, keeps prodding me.

Being a community, in a network of relationships, is a central component of what we aspire to be at The Bridge. How and what this will look like specifically, as we journey forward, is unknown; but it will be community. Even as we have it anchored in the very nature of God in community/relationship as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

"So, how big is your church?" My neighbor down the street might now get it. I do.

Beliefs: more like a Scrabble game than jigsaw puzzle

2009-12-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

There's a pretty strong resistance to beliefs in our time. What one believes, what beliefs seem to be essential, and what beliefs are critical in terms of faith.

If you consider the trilogy of beliefs, belonging and behavior, beliefs would be at the bottom of the list- at least, in the circles I tend to hang around. I understand why many have this resistance to beliefs for far too many have been immersed in church cultures where one must have the precise set of beliefs- propositional truths. Christianity was set up, in those settings, with the abstract truths that one must hold or one is out. As in, "I'm in and you're out!"

One of the wonderful things taking place among those who follow Jesus is a deep understanding of narrative. The Big narrative. The Story of God unfolding in history, with God at the center, with God Incarnate- Jesus, at the center, and finding where we fit in this Story. I love the line in "Emerging Churches" (Gibbs and Bolger), "Who wants to listen to abstract, contextless propositions when one can hear or watch a story unfold?" (p. 68)

Belonging and community take on much more meaning than beliefs, in our setting. Behavior is much more engaging than abstract truth statements- "How are we going to live?"

But, beliefs are not discarded, on the other hand. I've been pondering this recently: what beliefs are essential in this way of Jesus? I don't see this divorced from the larger framework of narrative and the story of God. I came across a nugget in a short book by James Reimer, "The Dogmatic Imagination," in which he takes on tough questions in seeking the "dynamics" of Christian belief.

In thinking about beliefs, and endeavoring to paint what beliefs might be crucial, he uses the metaphor of a Scrabble game vs. a jigsaw puzzle. The dynamic of beliefs is not like a jigsaw puzzle which is totally predetermined and there is no freedom. Each piece of the puzzle fits exactly in one spot. When I shared this notion with one friend, he said that for many Christians the metaphor is more like "paint-by-numbers." Good one! Robotic. No room to think. Just paint inside the lines.

In contrast, the Scrabble game gives freedom to the players, the outcome is not known until the end of the game, and reason and intelligence is involved. But, Reimer points out that there is a fixed component; "The cosmos is not entirely open."

This metaphor is compelling, for me. As we think of what beliefs are crucial (I want to include all three: belonging, behavior, and beliefs), there is freedom, we use reason, and it is not a rigid jigsaw puzzle or paint-by-numbers game. And yet, there is a fixed component- not all beliefs are the same and there is a broad parameter within which we are working.

So, there is room for diversity and differences of belief as we attempt to put words to the narrative- the Big Story of God. We can see things from different angles. We will differ with one another on some of these beliefs. And, yet "the cosmos is not entirely open." As we attempt to identify core beliefs, there is great freedom and yet there is a fixed game board that we are working with.

This metaphor helps me to see the folly of both extremes: on the one hand- a rigid view of abstract, propositional truths that allows no room for diversity; and on the other hand-a view that has no parameters for beliefs or places all beliefs on the same level.

The homeless guy who gave me $2

2009-11-22T09:51:00.000-08:00

He was standing in line to get a warm meal, and I've seen him every week for the past five weeks. He was one of 72 homeless persons, or ones who are poor and really need a warm meal; the room can sit 72 at one time: 9 tables with 8 at each table.

His table was next to get in line, and I was standing close to the front where the buffet line begins. My self-appointed role, while people get in line for the meal is to say hi, look each person in the eye, and chat briefly. Some don't want to talk; some have a hard time looking at me, or anyone, straight in the eye. For different reasons. For some good reasons.

Since I just started going five weeks ago, I'm just getting to recognize some of the regulars. George, with his cap and ZZ Top beard, jokes each week. He loves puns. Ike is always the first in line for the Eucharist (for those who attend the service before the meal) and always picks up the lyric sheets left on the pews. Jim has a nervous disorder, always goes to the clothes' closet line, and asks for toothpaste- Sensodyne, to be exact.

So, Mark was standing in line. His life has been hard, from the look on his face, and while he looks older than me, my guess is that he is younger. It's hard for him to talk with anyone, I have noticed. I don't know his story; he doesn't know mine. But, we are in the same place each Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. for this meal that is served to those who are homeless, or nearly so.

While I don't like doing this (what I'm about to say next), it is necessary for the story. Gail and I have committed our giving to the church, but there are things we also want to support on occasion. We decided the week before to give a check to the ministry that prepares the meal each week, and we asked what it would be to support the meals for one week. So, earlier that evening, I gave that check to the deacon in charge. About 75-100 come in for a decent, three-course meal with dessert and coffee.

Back to the line. When I say hi to Mark, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a crumpled $1 bill, and picks at the loose change in his hand, pulling together 4 quarters. I wasn't prepared and I didn't know what to say when he hands me this crumpled bill and 4 quarters. I stuttered. "What's this?" He says, "I want to make a donation for the meal." Fumbling and thinking this may be about all he has on him, from what I can gather (did he get it from begging on the street corner when the light turned red??), I said, "No; it doesn't cost anything. The meal is free."

He said, again, "I want to make a donation." I realized I had it wrong at the moment. A voice within told me to shut up, take the money and thank him. And, I did. "Thanks, Mark; we really appreciate it. Thanks for your generosity." I took the $2 and gave it to the Episcopalian deacon.

Here I had another lesson in grace. Another lesson in giving out of poverty. Our giving seemed so small compared to that gift out of poverty. (You can read another story about this in the Bible: Luke 21:1-4).

I go each Tuesday night because that is something God has prompted me to do. It's in the same space where we meet on Sunday nights, where we, our church, have a meal together and another meal- Eucharist. Communion; a meal of "thanksgiving."

This is why I go on Tuesday nights, in part: so that I can be converted. My heart and life increasingly changed, in Christ, as we eat and pray and talk.

Peace,
Phil

Resisting nationalistic idolatry

2009-10-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

Since we talked about it a week ago at our church- my teaching followed by discussion and engagement with the issue, I've been thinking about nationalism a bit more in the past several weeks. Several things, rather independently, reinforced the significance of looking at this with respect to our faith as followers of Jesus.

A good friend of mine, Jeff Munroe, who is currently in Europe involved with a ministry, is in the U.S. on a visit and noticed a neon sign in front of a business where he used to live which said, "God Bless America." He wrote these words on his blog this past week: "To a European, God Bless America carries with it a certain arrogance that hints at feeling like God’s favorites. A European mentality would challenge us instead to put up a sign that asks God to bless our enemy – maybe a God Bless Afghanistan sign by the highway. Imagine the scandal that would cause."

That morning, early, as I'm reading/reflecting/praying, I read these words by Eugene Peterson about the prophet Jeremiah, "...Jeremiah was designated 'prophet to the nations' [Jeremiah 1:5]...The title 'prophet to the nations' is a deliberate rejection of any understanding of the life of faith that is identical with a single nation or a particular culture...Biblical faith always has and always will have this global dimension to it." (p. 182, Run With the Horses)

Then, that same day, I led to these hard-hitting words with respect to the sin of nationalistic idolatry, "People just know that God (or the gods) is on our side and against our enemies. It’s obvious, right? Nothing in history has caused more bloodshed than this arrogant and unfounded assumption. Nor, I submit, is anything more contrary to the Kingdom Jesus brought than this assumption." (Greg Boyd in an October 9 blog entry)

That led me to one of the sentences I remember from seminary days. (Funny- some of the things you remember.) I remember not expecting to hear it from this prof. He was the oldest faculty member at Eastern Mennonite Seminary and about ready to retire. Plain. Nothing fancy. Not a dynamic teacher. Not hip. He said something very close to this, "The greatest sin we find in the Bible is that of nationalism." He was an Old Testament prof and he would cite examples during my three years of Jonah, or Jeremiah, or the nation of Israel, etc. and how it was destructive for humanity. He said it often. You may or may not agree with him.

These were reminders to me that we must resist the pull of nationalism. We say "no" to it. It has caused, and continues to cause, untold harm.

And, we also say "yes" to what it means for followers of Jesus to live in ways that demonstrate that any theocracy is tossed out the window. That we, followers of Jesus, sojourn with those who are from all languages and nations and race and tribe. That we display a love and acceptance and compassion for all people, knowing the every person bears the image of God.

I'm glad for these voices again this week.

What are you against? Or, what are you for?

2009-10-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

I'm against having an American flag in the sanctuary of a church where I would serve as pastor (or be a member). I'm against the death penalty. I'm against human sex trafficking. I'm against the Florida Gators football team (oops). I'm against...

Do you find it easy, like me, to blurt out the things you're against? That it might be even easier to say the things you're against rather than the things you're for?

From a faith standpoint- and mine on this path with Jesus, there are times when one must say "no" when we're moving forward with the "yes." In our church this fall, we're using the term Greg Boyd has used in stating things we believe we must "revolt" against as we are attempting to embody the good news of Jesus and his kingdom. Revolting against things like violence, individualism, judgmentalism, greed, nationalism, etc.

So, we sometimes need to say "no" to the things that harm or derail us from the good and true, light and wholeness.

But...There is often a "but." The priority is on what I'm for. What I believe in and will give my life to. This I'm for.

In attempting to start this church in Denver, it is easy to say what we're against, what we don't believe, and what we do not want the church to be or look like. But, that is not the focus and cannot be the focus on what will bring energy and life.

What am I for? I can't put it into a few words, but it includes things like: authentic relationship with God, family, life, forgiveness, genuine relationships, loving others (including enemies),...where do I stop?!

What are you for? It doesn't diminish the things you might oppose, but who wants to spend one's life living out what one is against?

There are times when we ought to say "no," and loudly, at times. But, front and center will be the "yes" that moves us, and with it will be the path it carves saying "no" to what we oppose.

When we help serve a meal to the homeless, it says no to poverty. When we take steps to forgive someone who has wronged us, it says no to hating enemies. When we listen with love to my next door neighbor who is Muslim, we say no to building walls with people. When we respect and look for ways to serve our spouse, we say no to dominant/subordinate relationships. When we...

What are you for?

The Pledge of Allegiance

2009-10-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

I don't recall saying The Pledge of Allegiance since my school days. I did it automatically, didn't think about it much as a child, and we didn't really talk about it at home. Although, the combination of my home church not having a flag in the church building, and the emphasis on serving others around the globe, did have a subtle impact on me growing up.

About the time we stopped saying it in school is the time I started to think about what it might mean to recite this pledge.

Fast forward to 1999: I'm the director of a faith-based, non-profit that helped lower income persons start or reinforce their own small business. As part of the networking and building of relationships in the community, I was invited to join the Rotary Club in that city. It was a huge one. 500 members. One of the top ten in the world with the number of members.

My first meeting, a luncheon on Mondays, I found myself faced with a decision: should I recite the Pledge of Allegiance, a practice I wasn't aware of? I didn't want to offend the friend that sponsored me to become a member, or those who were doing great things in the community, or those who had a different understanding of the Pledge. But, I didn't believe I could recite it in good conscience.

Why? It is tied to my understanding of my faith in and commitment to Jesus. It goes along two lines...

First, I see myself, and the church I'm part of, as "resident aliens" with respect to my posture in any culture or nation state. (The term that Stanely Hauerwas and Will Willimon that caught on for many.) I'm respectful and seek to be a responsible citizen of the country where I reside; but, I'm not anchored in, nor is my allegiance with that country.

My allegiance is to the transnational Kingdom of God, and to the King of this Kingdom. That's where my loyalty and allegiance resides. It embraces followers of Jesus spanning every tribe, language, race, and nation.

Second, I see everyone as a bearer of the image of God as Creator. Everyone. Not just those who choose to follow Jesus and believe in God. When my allegiance is to my nation (whichever nation that would be), that can begin to impact how I view others.

What did I do that day in Rotary? Maybe I was a bit chicken. I ended up putting my hand on my heart, as the rest of the 250 in that room did that day, but I didn't say the Pledge. I prayed. I prayed my allegiance, in a whisper, to Jesus. I prayed for others around the world in those seconds. (Which is what I did each week at Rotary.)

Maybe the Pledge isn't the main issue. What I do hope is that our churches will pledge allegiance to Jesus, envision a church where "in Christ there is no East or West," and that we will live and love in ways that view each person as a bearer of the image of God.

Part II of missing the point: "I hope you come back in a body bag!"

2009-09-20T12:51:00.001-07:00

It seems like everyone is getting a word in on the question of civility, or lack thereof, in the likes of incidents in Serena Williams threatening words to a line judge at the U.S. Open, Kanye West ego-drive to the stage of the MTV awards and grabbing Taylor Swift's mike, or Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie!" outburst smack dab in the middle of President Obama's speech. I chose to say something about Wilson's outburst in my last post.

To say it again: I'm appalled by Wilson's disrespectful outburst. But, this is not about partisan political or philosophical viewpoint. It has to do with character, how we treat one another, whether we listen to each other, and how we talk to each other when we have disagreements.

Story #2: during the first Gulf war, I felt compelled to join some people to express our sadness, as well as our opinion that we disapproved of going to war and advocated a different approach to dealing with this conflict. So, one very cold January morning, on the corner of the busiest intersection in Toledo, I joined 25 people or so with signs and standing together in solidarity with our desire for another way. I'll have to admit, I was nervous yet felt this is something I needed to do.

I was with some people I knew and others I did not know. At this one moment, I was standing next to a woman who I did not know when the light turned red and a man in a white pick-up truck rolled down his passenger window. He was wearing fatigues and started yelling at us. Cussing. Calling us cowards. The woman next to me decided to take him on.

He said things like you guys are cowards, that we should be happy that we'll start killing crazy people in Iraq, that we should have something better to do than this.

She yelled back things like you don't know what you're talking about, we are the ones with true courage, the problem is with people like you, etc.

He: "Well, I wish I could be over there right now fighting for the U.S.!"

She: "If you went, you might end up in a body bag!"

He: "Well, I'd rather come back in a body bag than to stand there doing what you idiots are doing!"

And then...her line. The peace activist. She said, angrily: "Then, I hope you come back in a body bag!"

What?? What did I hear? That you hope he comes back in a body bag??

At that moment, after being stunned, I decided to leave. I shook my head and said "No. No." to her, and I left. We, who were advocating for peace and non-violent solutions, cannot take that approach, for it completely nullifies the message we want to communicate. I want no part of this. One bad apple was spoiling the whole bunch of us gathered that day.

What we say and how we say it is part of the message.

Now, I did not agree with the particular viewpoint of the man in the pick-up, but I'm called to love, not just those I agree with, but even my enemies.

For those who take up the name "Christian," and say we are followers of Jesus, must show a different way in our discourse and actions. Part of that is cultivating a character that is open to questions, will ask questions, and enter into respectful dialogue.

Part I of missing the point: "You lie!"

2009-09-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

A heads-up from the beginning: this is not about partisan politics. In fact, far from it.

It appears, far too often, in the arena of politics that a game is being played and you toss out the rules that guide behavior in other walks of life. (I'm referring to "politics" in a specific sense- that of the halls of Washington, state capitals and local municipalities.) It gets nasty. It's increasingly partisan. A game. Posturing.

If you've been around this blog some you will know that I don't place my emphasis, hope or focus in this sphere. My focus is on the call of Jesus of what life as a transnational citizen of the kingdom of God looks like, and seek to embody that in the world. But, there are times when you just have to "name" things out there.

What Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina did during President Obama's speech last week was appalling, in my mind. Reprehensible. To call out, "You lie!" to the President, during his speech, is stunning. This is one who is elected to serve in congress?

Flat-out rude.

This is not about the issues at stake in a discussion about health care; there is a setting for that discussion. (And, you can argue, well, in fact, that there's a great deal of more maturity needed in the halls of congress when issues get debated in this or any issue!) You can totally disagree with the President's viewpoint and direction, and there should be informed and compassionate debate about the issues. But...but, you don't yell out in the middle of a speech the President is giving.

I know there was a small slap on the wrist that the House of Representatives gave yesterday, but I'm still shocked that there would not be overwhelming rejection of this type of action from all political parties. Then again, maybe I shouldn't be shocked.

So, I'll call it from my end: rude, disrespectful, immature. This is not how you engage the issues.

Is it a surprise, then, that lack of decorum and respect will be accepted by others in society if this is not denounced?

This does lead me to the fact that in our communities seeking to follow Jesus, we must be good models of how we talk to one another, discuss issues with which we disagree, and dialogue about tough issues. "Agreeing and disagreeing in love," as we say in some circles.

Perhaps that's the main point: that we must model this in our churches and communities of faith. We say "yes" to this way of dealing with our differences; and we say "no" to the "You lie!" outbursts and ways of engagement.

It applies to wherever one is along the continuum of beliefs, politics, philosophy, etc. That's why this is Part I. Part II is another story to follow...

Safe place to ask hard questions

2009-09-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

I had lunch recently with a 29 year old guy in a Thai restaurant on a fun street in a popular neighborhood. A good Thai restaurant and my first time there. Great yellow curry dish. Have you had a yellow curry chicken meal recently?! Ok, that’s beside the point…

In the course of the conversation we talked about The Bridge, this church that is a year old today. He asked me about the church, how it started, the vision, and where I see it going. Does he know what he’s doing by asking that question? For one, it means he’ll finish his food and mine will get cold while I relish the opportunity to talk about this stuff!

And I did. Imagine that.

And I asked him about life and what he’s looking for and church and community. Those things. It was a great conversation. I learned as I listened. I plopped down my jotter on the table and took notes on my 3X5 cards. Is there ever a time when one doesn’t learn from a meaningful conversation?

In response to my question of what ideas he would have for our church, he said: “One of the most important things you might offer is a safe place for younger adults to ask the hard questions.” And then he went on to talk about that a bit.

A safe place to ask the hard questions.

I’m with you! A safe place to ask hard questions, and to engage and have dialogue around those questions; that is built into the intent of The Bridge as it began.

I pick up this polarization that is floating around. On the one hand, questions are encouraged but there is a notion, whether implicit or explicit, that there are no answers. Only questions. On the extreme other end, answers are given for everything and you might as well not ask questions. For, either there is no point to asking questions or you might be judged and looked down upon for your question or doubt.

There is a third way. As I find to be the case with rising frequency, we don’t have to choose between these two poles. One of the things I hope that we can convey in our church community, is that we believe there are some answers. Some important answers to significant issues related to meaning, life, the quest for truth, about loving God and loving others (enemies included). We are not left with only questions.

And right on the tail of that…we also do not have answers. No one person or group has answers to all questions, dilemmas and doubts. There is a ton of, to use a well-worn word these days, mystery.

So, bring on the doubts, questions and search for truth and God. We will not come out on the same page when wrestling with these questions. We do believe there are some key beliefs and ways of living that we believe to be true, and centered in Jesus as the fullness of God revealed to humanity. But, there are many questions that will keep us searching and in dialogue as a community.

Come to think of it, that yellow curry dish is not beside the point. Enjoying great conversation over great food in a fun neighborhood is part of life. Part of this search for joy, life, truth and meaning.

I don't want to die...now

2009-08-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

I don't want to die. Gail doesn't want to die. I don't want Gail to die. Not now.

Fact: I am going to die. Gail is going to die. Some day.

I don't think about this a lot. But, that changed on July 23 when we ended up in the emergency room, and through a series of tests (CAT scan, MRI, etc.) we were told Gail has a brain tumor. After the numbing jolt to our very being- body, mind, soul, spirit- that thought consumed us for the weekend: dying.

As I wrote in my last post, things have changed since our July 23 ER visit (being told this mass is very likely a malignant tumor and inoperable due to its location) to our subsequent visits to a new neurosurgeon.

In the two visits, and with some further tests (ophthamologist and endocrine tests), he has consulted 3 other neurosurgeons and his neuroradiology team. They all believe this: that this "mass" in Gail's skull is not malignant, that it has likely been there for quite some time, and that the best course is to monitor this closely. The next step: a follow-up MRI in October to see if there has been any change (he tends to think there will not be a change). If there is no change, then there will be MRI's at 6-month intervals for a year.

Of course, if there are any symptoms that would indicate some possible changes, we would meet with Gail's neurosurgeon. During these past four weeks, with the exception of Gail's last day on staff with Young Life (a very painful/stressful day), she has had no symptoms. We have been grateful, and continue to pray for this to continue down this same path.

Thinking about death...

That first weekend was horrible, the weekend after the ER visit. Everything is going through your mind- the fear, terrible grief, unimaginable life without Gail, the loss of a very part of me. Each moment, each hour was pregnant with meaning.

We all know that we cannot determine when death will reach our door. I might help the odds, and even fool myself into believing that I can somehow determine the length of my life; but, I am not in control of this. I eat my share of fruit, vegetables, grains, healthy cereal and grab those 23 almonds daily for a snack. I drink enough water. A glass of red wine for my heart (and taste). I exercise regularly. And so does Gail. And we can't control the day we will die.

I know this. I know that I have lived, at age 54, longer than many in our global village. I know that far, far too many in our human family suffer and die daily due to inequities and injustice. I know I could live to be 95 or I could die tomorrow. But, I'm not ready to die nor am I ready to think about my closest friend, lover, intimate companion, and partner on this journey in life and ministry dying.

I have also pondered this, frequently, over the past 5 weeks: heaven. More specifically, a "new heaven and a new earth." Or, as N.T. Wright calls it, "life after life after death."

What has troubled me about the "heaven" thing in some religious circles is that it is the only thing that matters: you're born, sometime you believe that Jesus died for you, and then you go to heaven when you die. Period. That's it. All there is to it. And, I don't believe it- that is, this is all there is to it.

I believe, from my standpoint as a follower of Jesus and a faith in a God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that this life matters. Life now. Life that is robust with meaning ("eternal life"). Joy and beauty and wholeness. And, living in such a way that loves and cares about the marginalized and the "least of these." Living life to the fullest and seeking justice where it is absent. Seeking even to love one's enemies. This new realm, this new reign, this new "Kingdom" that has broken into our world...NOW.

I believe that. I want to live my life aligned with that truth.

And...I believe in life after my life has ended in its current state. That there will truly be a new heaven and new earth (whatever that will look like) that will not be this huge dichotomy between the physical and spiritual being.

I have thought much more about this in the past 5 weeks. It's not an either/or: this life or life after death. This is where history is headed, where God will redeem and restore and bring all things to completion. That gives me great hope even as I walk through life on this earth. Another one of those both/and deals.

While I'm not ready for that today, I know that much more awaits me, and Gail. It will be the fullness, completeness and perfection of the Kingdom of God that we are already beginning to experience now.

Our personal world turned upside down

2009-07-31T12:15:00.000-07:00

I am crying a lot these days. We, Gail and I, have shed a ton of tears.

Two huge happenings in our lives.

Today is Gail's (my wife) last day on staff with Young Life. That may not sound so startling; people change jobs/ministry quite a bit. This is different than a more typical job change. Gail has served almost 32 years in this ministry, the past 10 as one of the senior vice presidents for field ministry.

So, this is a time of grief. Loss. Deep grief. I can't begin to describe what it has felt like over the past several weeks, and I certainly can't fully understand what it feels like for Gail.

I do want to say this: I am totally proud of Gail in the way she has led and leads, in the way she empowers others to most fully use their gifts, for the tremendous impact she has had on kids and Young Life, and her powerful relational style-full of love-she exercises with her staff.

She will be used in significant ways in the next steps of her life. (Gail would be embarrassed for me to write these things.)

But, it is still grief. And, then, more grief, coupled with shock...

A week ago yesterday, we ended up in the emergency room after Gail was experiencing some headaches and some other symptoms. The shorter story: after a battery of tests, and several MRI's, and waiting hours for the physicians to report back...

...a radiologist and then neurosurgeon come into our room and say that they've spotted a brain tumor. Brain tumor. Do you know what that sounds like when you hear it? Brain tumor. I can still see the look in Gail's face, and feel the numbness that ran through my body. Surreal.

Not only that- he said that he is pretty sure it is a malignant tumor, is in a position deep in Gail's brain, and is likely inoperable. He said that a biopsy is what he would recommend and then we would know for sure. Not only were we in shock, terrified, and numb, but we felt little hope. We wept in each others' arms. Then, that night, and in the days that followed.

For a number of reasons, we decided that we were getting a second opinion and that next day, Friday, we searched high and low for any connections with a reputable neurosurgeon.

It's a longer story, and maybe I'll write more about it at some point, but we got a call out of the blue late Friday afternoon from a top neurosurgeon in the Northwest. A gift. He said his brother called, after hearing about Gail's situation from a prayer network in the Northwest, and wondered if he might call us. I could tell immediately this was a brillant neurosurgeon, confident, resourceful, and had compassion. I cried. An angel? (One friend said, "I think it was Jesus calling!")

We were put in touch with an amazing, exceptional neurosurgeon here in Denver who has been marvelous. After looking at the MRI, and consulting with others, he has said it is tricky, uncertain if it is malignant or benign, and is pursuing various tests to help diagnose this mass.

It may be malignant or benign. It may be operable or inoperable, or partially removable. It may or may not need to be removed. We are waiting.

We have been given so much more hope, even with the uncertainty facing us. We are so grateful for competent, compassionate medical professionals.

And, we are so grateful for the flood of emails, calls and cards (and other expresssions of love) from people coast to coast. We are empowered by the prayers of thousands (one friend has kicked in a network of prayer in West Africa where he said there are 1,000 people each hour praying for us!). We do not take this lightly. This prayer for healing and for us as a family.

So we wait. We plead for healing. I know God wants us to pray what is on our heart and mind.

Our world has been rocked. But, I know we have the Rock and Refuge, and as one in our new church has said, "We will be your rock!"

That has been taking place and we are blown away by the love of others and people who are praying fervently. As we wait, and find our hope in God, I'm so thankful for this.

I don't want a "Christian" America

2009-07-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

I'm not looking for a "Christian" nation. That's not my hope as I live in this country.

And, if I lived in Iran, I would not want a "Muslim" nation.

In other words, I would not want to live in a theocracy. The recent protests in Iran, after the most recent Presidential election, has brought this to the table more forcefully. The Supreme Leader, in that setting, is powerful with regard to politics and the direction of the nation.

Many in America find this theocratic rule, in Iran, to be unsettling. It creates anger in many. I wonder: would Christians in this country be equally upset if we had a theocracy here if it were Christian? I'm not so sure what the reaction would be. "Perhaps it would be ok as long as it were Christian," some might think.

Not me. For, neither did God intend this to be the case (nation states run theocratically), nor do I believe it to be good or what is best for nation states or governance. God did not intend for Christians to take over a country, rule it, and then impose that faith on others (the Constantinian error, i.e. Constantine becomes Emperor in 303AD and makes Christianity the "officical" religion of Rome). Faith in and relationship with God is always voluntary. We live with pluralism of not just socio-economic, ethnic, and racial dimensions but of religion, as well, in our nation states. We seek to respect those differences, live side-by-side, and work for the common good.

But, we do not impose religion on others- Islam, Christianity or any other faith.

So, I don't want a "Christian" nation. Besides that, it's a myth- that notion. I want to live in friendship and with respect for my neighbors and fellow citizens regardless of their religious beliefs.

And, what I really want is for the church to be the church. To live as faithful communities within this nation (or any nation), seeking to follow Jesus as counter-cultural communities. We don't impose; we invite. We don't coerce others with morality; we endeavor to live what we believe is moral and true.

Forward as groups of "resident aliens."

Shane Claiborne, Greg Boyd, Jim Wallis and Mennonites

2009-07-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a week at the biannual Mennonite Convention of Mennonite Church USA. If you were in a Mennonite church in the past 20 years, and attended the youth convention (coincides with the adult gathering), you know what it's like- about 5,000 high school kids with speakers like Tony Campolo, Mike Yaconelli, Yolanda King, etc.

If you are not in a Mennonite church or know nothing much about Mennonites you might go, "So...?" Or, "What's the big deal?" Or, "Sounds like a happenin' time!"

Speakers for the worship sessions included Shane Claiborne, Greg Boyd and Jim Wallis. You might be interested in Boyd's blog entry, "A night with Mennonites and Jim Wallis," http://www.gregboyd.org/blog/

So, here's the deal for me...we have started a new church, The Bridge, in this emerging/missional stream that has roots in an Anabaptist/Mennonite vision and spirituality, and connects to a more progressive Evangelical stream. What I heard from the speakers and the conversations with others in Columbus, Ohio only reinforced the vision for this church. Others, including Claiborne and Boyd, said, "Go after it!"

These speakers pointed to the theology and vision rooted in the Anabaptist/Mennonite tradition that intersects with what many are talking about and looking for as we begin the 21st century. Frankly, I don't know where the Mennonite Church will go- if it will be able to adapt in some of its settings to connect to this growing hunger. We'll see. I hope so.

But, I come back to Denver energized by the voices of Claiborne, Boyd and Wallis. Some great things are bubbling around the world with a renewed vision for the Kingdom of God.

Count me in!

Father’s Day reflections

2009-06-21T15:47:00.001-07:00

My absence from this blog has ended…with a few reflections on Father’s Day.

Among the times we take a look backward and forward, and evaluate what is indeed important, are milestones, beginning of a new year, crises and special days. So it is with Father’s Day, for me, this year.

Perhaps it is because we have just come off a wonderful vacation that included my two children. Perhaps it is just this arbitrary day on the calendar: “Father’s Day.” But, my thoughts came around to a few of the things that matter most to me.

I have some goals and hopes and dreams that are beyond my immediate family. And, I think about those quite a bit and endeavor to live my life and use my gifts focused on some of those core values and goals. It’s part of my life each week.

But, in the old what-would-you-want-said-about-you-at-your-funeral deal, here’s what really matters: that my son and daughter can say that they respect me, that they have been a priority in my life, and they know without a shadow of doubt how much I love them; and, that Gail, my wife, can say the same thing.

What matters to me is how I live my life with integrity as a dad and husband. If that isn’t there, then the other goals and dreams lose their meaning.

On my anniversary I tend to focus more deeply on gratitude for the wife I have. On Father’s Day, I’m prompted to reflect, with gratitude, on how blessed I am with two wonderful children.

If Wade and Megan happen to read this, they might be embarrassed. Sorry…

On the recent trip we were fortunate to have had (for several reasons), I don’t hesitate to say, without question, the best part of the trip. It was the last night when we were all together before Wade, Megan and Aaron, her boyfriend, had to fly back to the U.S. We were at a hotel on the side of mountain in Southern Switzerland- Locarno. It overlooked a lake and the mountain next to it.

Instead of going out to dinner, the consensus was to buy some groceries and wine at the local store and sit out on the terrace for our meal. Good choice. Fantastic choice. For the next hours of daylight, sunset and then evening hours, we had a fabulous time enjoying the beauty, laughing, telling stories- a ton of family stories from our extended family that will get passed on, and enjoying each other.

As a dad, you couldn’t buy those things and times from me. Not for any price.

In gratitude this Father’s Day.

The fall of "Christian" America??

2009-04-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

The idea that we are in a post-Christian America or that the religious landscape has changed dramatically in America is not a new notion. It has been bantered about for quite some time. A recent article in Newsweek (cover story) by Jon Meacham, "The Decline and Fall of Christian America," has prompted reaction from various circles.

I want to say more about this in a future post(s), but I'll add this note for now:

I'm not alarmed. In fact, it could be a good thing to acknowledge: America is not a Christian nation.

It's important to distinguish "civil religion" (of any country- those values, stories, mores, etc. that link people together from a variety of faith traditions) and the "kingdom of God" (for followers of Jesus, this is our priority).

The church (followers of Jesus) was on the margins of society following Jesus and continued in that form for the first 300 years...and it had a powerful impact on society and grew tremendously.

A lot of fear will get tossed around in Christian circles with this idea ("what is happening to our nation??!!"). I do not live with fear regarding this. My goals, or the purpose for the church of which I help to lead (The Bridge), do not change.

Carry on.

(More later)

Spring, Cincinnati Reds and hope

2009-04-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

The itch comes each spring. The baseball itch.

I've long given up the dream of setting foot on a major league field and playing in a major league game. My body aches thinking about it. The last time I played baseball (not softball, but baseball) was when I was 42 in an Over-30 yr old baseball league in Toledo. Holy cow, Harry Carey, those reflexes change drastically!

But, I still love spring and the opening of the season. Box scores when I open the Sports' section in the morning. Baseball Tonight on ESPN, catching some Reds' games with my son, going to Coors' Field and cheering on the Rockies (they still don't have the same status as the Reds yet), and living with hope.

My Reds are 4-4 as of today. Some say they are the "dark horse" this year. Optimism- they might do it this year! They might end up in last place...in the middle of the pack...or in 1st. Right now, it doesn't matter. This is the beginning of the season and anything can happen!

Easter, mimosas, community and a feast

2009-04-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

Easter was different this year. I have memories of many wonderful Easters in my past, and there are numerous ways and forms in which the Resurrection of Jesus can be named and celebrated. This year was different from previous Easter celebrations...and it was good.

It was a celebration with our new church, The Bridge. The one glaring absence was not being able to be with our two children, but that is now part of our life when you live in three different cities.

This was also something we had in common with most of the 25, from The Bridge, who showed up at our place for a day of celebration: their immediate family didn't live in Denver. Part of what made this a special celebration is that there was an obvious warmth and genuine sense of community as we were together. And, we were together, most of us, for about 6 hours.

Here's what kicked off the idea: a study group of 8 from the church went through N.T. Wright's book, Surprised by Hope, this past winter. It's about the Resurrection of Jesus (yep, just that: Jesus was dead and buried, and he was resurrected back to life...a body- not a disembodied spirit), and about hope, and about rejecting an escapist view found in some circles of Christianity (in that view- we live, "accept Jesus," die, go to heaven and don't give a hoot about this world/earth because "we're outta here!"). It was a wonderful study and had impact on us- thinking about how we live and function in the world. In Denver. In our neighborhoods.

So...Wright says Easter needs to be a time when we "take things up" in the same way Lent is a time to "give things up." Easter should be our highest celebration! "Champagne for breakfast!" One night, a member of the study group said we ought to think about our Easter celebration: "why not have mimosas!" We did.

We had coffee, rolls, casseroles and other breakfast foods starting at 10:00 a.m. We talked and laughed. We had mimosas and a tasteful, meaningful toast (not a cheesy affair) acknowledging the Risen Christ, that our lives our changed, that we want to follow him as Lord, and celebrating our community being built on Jesus....We had four "testimonies" about the meaning of the Resurrection for personal lives and for The Bridge. (I had tears as I listened to these representative voices.) I shared a proclamation of why Easter matters. We prayed and read Scripture....And, we had a feast- everyone contributing to this great meal.

We talked, laughed and enjoyed each other.

While I don't want to make this more than what it is, I also don't want to minimize it. This was a significant day for us as a church. It was both a culmination of the past 7 months (when we started the church); it was also a launch into the future with zeal, joy, hope and energy. Empowered by the Risen Jesus.

This was also important: 2 attended as guests for the first time. They were welcomed and it was also symbolic: there is always an open space for new people in this community. As new people have joined these past 7 months, more will join in the months and years ahead: joining this Resurrection band seeking to follow Jesus, live this out in Denver, and endeavor to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others who seek, are lost, poor, suffering or cast aside by society.

And, I mean this in any way but cheesy: Easter- it's all about Jesus and I'm full of joy!

Hanging out and inviting (Week 6:4)

2009-04-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 6- The new community: the body of Christ
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Matthew 9:9-13

Yesterday, our church, The Bridge, hung out in the west side of Denver for four hours. It was a significant event and time for us, another step for our church. (That’s another story, which might work its way here at some point.) Related to the thought today, it was time for this body of Christ, this new community, to be with “outsiders.”

Whether it was helping Delen, the cook, prepare and serve the meal for the seniors at lunch, or chatting with the seniors who come to the Denver Inner City Parish for meals and community, or listening to Allyson tell about the programs and outreach of the center, or going on a neighborhood walk with Jason, Hector and Hector, Jr., or staring at the graffiti art or gang signs, or making a decision to take steps to partner in both an urban garden and with the food bank, it was about “outsiders,” in many ways.

Not outsiders from the viewpoint of God toward humanity (some of you are insiders and some outsiders), but from my/our standpoint. Not “outsiders” as in us and them, and we’re here to help you. But, outsiders with respect to our community, our current make-up of The Bridge.

It’s easy to get comfortable with insiders and those who are in our group. And, Jesus wants us to break the mold and comfort of just being with our group. In that sense, the outsider can be the one who is without a relationship with God or following Jesus. In this story, Jesus calls or invites (v. 13) the “sinner.”

Or, the way of relating to outsiders may be to hang out with them (v. 10)- hang out is my translation of “sat at dinner in the house,” which is the meaning of sharing a meal in the home in that 1st century setting. Jesus hangs out with the “tax collectors and sinners,” clearly outsiders.

Invite and hang out. That’s part of being the body of Christ. Whether that might be rubbing shoulders or relationships at The Irish Rover on Thursdays, or coffee with a friend, or serving a meal to lonely seniors, or handing out food at the food bank to those struggling to make it through the month without being hungry, or planting an urban garden with others in the neighborhood in honor of our Creator God, building relationships, and providing some healthy food for those who need it. Or, you name the ways you might invite or hang out with those on the outside, broken, lost or in need.

These two words stand out to me today in one aspect of being the body of Jesus in the world: invite…hang out. With joy!

Question: Where is a situation(s) where you might hang out or invite (outsiders)?

Prayer: Gracious God, you sit down with me. The most profound way you have done this is by your Incarnation: coming to be with us in Jesus. You also continue to do that today; you continue to “hang out” and “invite” me. My Lord, show me the ways you want me to do that very thing with others as the body of Christ. In your name I pray, Amen.

Characterized by love (Week 6:3)

2009-04-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 6- The new community: the body of Christ
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read John 13:34-35; Matthew 5:43-48

The idea we are thinking about this week is the “body of Christ,” which is, the church…or, new community (if “church” has a bad ring to it). We- this new community- are the body of Christ.

What are the characteristics of being the body of Christ? I’m noting only several; yesterday it was serving “the least of these.” Today, love. During these six weeks, I’ve mentioned love twice. Today, I’d like to see it from the framework of how this, love, let’s people in on knowing we are followers of Jesus.

How might people know that we are followers of Jesus (or have their curiosity heightened about faith and life in Jesus)? In this passage in John, Jesus says it is “when they see the love that you have for each other” (v. 35, The Message). This love for each other is something people can see, as Jesus notes.

I don’t know how you see it, but that appears quite true from my experience. People can tell if love is present.

Distinguishing mark #1: love for each other in the body of Christ- the new community you are part of.

Mark #2: love for enemies. Ouch. Here’s how Jesus calls his followers to also indicate they are his followers, i.e. the body of Christ: “You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. …If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.” (v.43-44, 46-47 The Message).

It’s easy (most of the time, at least!) to love those who love you. The distinguishing piece, in this area of love, is loving our enemies. That’s the work (a spiritually, disciplined life) of a lifetime and being connected close to Jesus (he “in us”).

So, another characteristic: love. And, two aspects, when lived out, point to Jesus and let others know that we are followers of Jesus: love for each other, and love for enemies.

This is part of our call. In a call to be this kind of community (body of Christ), Greg Boyd says, “This is what we are called to be: a community characterized by radical, revolutionary, Calvary-quality love; a community that manifests the love of the triune God; a community that strives for justice not be conquering but by being willing to suffer; a community that God uses to transform the world by providing it with an alternative to its own self-centered, violent way of existing.” (p. 122, The Myth of a Christian Nation).

So we might experience a more robust life and that others may see Jesus.

Question: How do you see yourself, today, in your “love life?”

Prayer: Lord, may your love in me continue to grow daily so that I display this more completely to my community of Jesus-followers. And, may it grow even more deeply that I display it to my enemies in whatever form they take. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Tom- a “weekly sacrament of grace” (Week 6:2)

2009-04-01T18:07:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 6- The new community: the body of Christ
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Matthew 25:31-46

The guy on the other end of the phone line appeared to either have a speech impediment or some type of mental disability. He called and asked for the pastor, and when I picked up the phone, he proceeded to tell me that he lived three blocks away and wanted to know what time church was on Sunday and if he was welcome. He and his friend, Norm.

He also wanted to know if we had potluck meals at church. In the years that followed, it was evident why he asked that question: he was usually first in line at our monthly potlucks, went back for heaping servings of seconds, thirds and more, and he left potlucks with his bag full of plastic tubs of church-potluck food that the hospitality committee members always prepared for him.

Tom was 52 yrs old when I first met him that Sunday after his first phone call to me. He was overweight, wore clothes that didn’t match (as in, striped shirts with double-knit plaid pants), he smelled of stale sweat, it always seemed he had a 3-day beard, and he had poor social etiquette (he would walk up and interrupt a conversation you were having with someone else). He was in church almost every Sunday and he never missed potluck Sundays!

He carried a paper bag with handles to church each week which contained his Bible, a picture of Jesus, a picture of his friend Kevin, and odds and ends. He was often annoying. It wasn’t the prettiest sight to eat across the table from him at potluck meals.

He had a mental disability and was in a group home, with Norm, three blocks from our church. More importantly, in my view, he had an emotional and spiritual vacuum that was with him, perhaps, since he was a small child. And, he loved Jesus. Yes, I believe he loved Jesus in the way he could best understand it. And, he hugged people. He hugged members of the church. I got a hug every Sunday from Tom and I hugged Tom each week.

Here’s the thing: in the years before he died, he was a member of our church, and I’m grateful to say, that church community loved Tom. They picked him up and drove him to church when our church location was moved. They packed food for him after potlucks. They hugged Tom- smell and all. They listened to him when they were bored to tears. They listened to him tell the same stories about Kevin over and over again.

He was annoying and it was frustrating more than once. But, he became a “weekly sacrament of grace” (as one member called Tom- profoundly, in my eyes). He was accepted here. This was the church being the body of Christ.

Shane Claiborne reminds us of being the body of Christ in this, “We are literally to be the body of Jesus in the world. Christians are to be little Christs- people who put flesh on Jesus in the world today. You are the only Jesus some people will ever see.” (p. 228, Jesus for President). We, the new community, are the body of Christ.

Included in that is the posture of serving others, especially the poor and broken. Jesus comes as and is a servant; he has called us to be servants. This is being the body of Jesus in the world: serving.

And here is one of those apparent puzzles: this new community (“church”) is the body of Christ in the world today; serving is one essential characteristic of this body. And, when we serve others (the hungry, poor, homeless, suffering, broken, etc.—see the Matthew 25 passage today), Jesus says we are doing this to him- Jesus himself!!

We, the body of Christ, when serving the poor, hungry, stranger, etc. are doing it to Jesus. For, Jesus, the one who has suffered for us in his love for us, is in the broken and poor (as we see in this passage). I don’t have a clean way of resolving this tension of these two aspects; I merely live with the truth Jesus shares with us in this mystery.

We are called to serve each other, and especially, the Tom’s of the world. And in doing so, we meet Jesus in new ways even as we do this as the body of Christ. My life has been changed as a result of Tom who came into my life- messy, smelly, annoying, and broken to the core. A “sacrament of grace.”

Question: Where might God be calling you/us to serve the poor and broken?

Prayer: Oh Lord God, you have called me to be part of the body of Christ and to be the body of Jesus in the world. Make me more like your Son Jesus so that I reflect him to the suffering and poor, abused and wounded. In your name, Amen.

The new community or something like that (Week 6:1)March 31, 2009

2009-03-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 6- The new community: the body of Christ
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Ephesians 1:20-23; 1 Corinthians 12:27

Bring up the word “Christian” to some stranger in a conversation and you’ve got decent odds that she might roll her eyes or you get a sarcastic smirk or maybe even initiate a tirade against those hard, judgmental, hypocritical, and pious folks who want to tell me how to live my life. Say the word “church” to anyone who is not a part of or member of a “church” and you might find the “church” written off or worse.

Say the name “Jesus” to that same crowd and the odds of a positive response go way up.

Which brings me to Jesus. The Christ. And here is where I’m going this week: the body of Christ in the world today. The “body of Christ:” this is what the church is called. “…the church, which is his body…” (Ephesians 1:22-23) This Pauline phrase you will find again and again in his letters in the New Testament.

Ok, I don’t know what to do about some of the semantics; do we find other names for “Christian” and “church” and the like? I don’t know; perhaps. I think about it often because of all that has become associated with those nouns, and how it clouds being able to have a conversation without some of that baggage. For now, I’m still using “church” as well as some new language. Maybe, the “new community” as some are doing.

But, whatever word, or words, we use the reality is this: the church is the body of Christ. Robert Webber says it this way, “The church is the continuation of the incarnation…There is only one actual incarnation of God and that is Jesus Christ, but the church, being his body, sustains an incarnational dimension.” (p.95, The Younger Evangelicals). This new community is the body of Christ.

Ok, we’re talking about you and me. I’m thinking of my context and time: The Bridge, our “new community” in Denver. But, this is any of us in this new community(ies) around the world.

Over these six weeks of thinking and praying and reflecting on “who is Jesus,” this is part of it: the body of Christ in the world today. I find the words of Stanley Hauerwas compelling and accurate, “The work of Jesus was not a new set of ideals or principles for reforming or even revolutionizing society, but the establishment of a new community, a people that embodied forgiveness, sharing and self-sacrificing love in its rituals and discipline. In that sense, the visible church was not the bearer of Christ’s message; it was itself to be the message.” (cited by Tim Keel, Intuitive Leadership, p. 156).

To many of you, these words- “body of Christ”- are not new. They may be familiar and worn. But, I would invite you to consider the reality and potency of this concept: the new community as the body of Christ in the world. That…that is something which has the potential to foster deep joy, energy and to even make small ripples in changing the perception of “church” to those who are on the outside.

The rest of this week I’d like to consider some of the ways for us to be the body of Christ.

Question: What first comes to mind when you think of yourself as part of the “body of Christ?”

Prayer: Our heavenly Father, may I consider anew what it means for me to be part of the body of Christ in the world today. May I be captured by what this means for me and for us to be this new community. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

New post tomorrow...

2009-03-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Just a short note: we are in Kansas City visiting a church, Jacob's Well, and Tim Keel, the pastor. Our days are full and I haven't had time to write my daily blog/meditation. I will be back on tomorrow- Tuesday.

The peace of Christ!

A new creation (Week 5:4)

2009-03-27T17:55:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 5- Christ in us
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Is it, “There is a new creation!” or “he/she is a new creature?” (v. 17). While not to minimize the hard work of textual critics attempting to give us the best guess at the most accurate text, my answer is: both. The NRSV and NIV translate this differently.

My response: when Christ is “in us” or we are “in Christ,” there is a whole new creation! Yes! And, one is a new creation when Christ is in us. That is what can make the difference in how we seek to have our lives formed more in the likeness of Jesus, living it out in our personal lives, our families, among our friends, among and with the poor and suffering, and among those who push our buttons, who want to hurt us, who want to tear down instead of build up, i.e. our enemies.

I find Lewis Smedes’ words helpful in thinking about Christ in us and us being a new creature. “ ‘Christ within us’ is a reality of the new creation. Jesus Christ is Lord. The Lord is the Spirit. The Spirit is Christ in effective action within the present time, leading, enlightening, calling, and pulling us from within, shaping our lives to the pattern of Christ and His way. The power, or the Spirit, is at work within us and on us, in our inner man [being], in our hearts, ‘on our spirits.’ This is Christ within us.” (p. 133, Union with Christ)

This new creation is from God (v.18) and this is the work of God.

Without this, and I consider this a vital issue, we are merely trying to follow the teachings of Jesus on our own strength and without the power of the Spirit at work in us. But, with the Spirit, all things are possible.

We see it. And, it’s in ordinary folks like you and me. Yes, we see it in St. Francis, Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, Desmond Tutu, Oscar Romero, Martin Luther King, Jr. But, sometimes that litany can almost paralyze us and not realize: “Christ in us” applies to all of us who surrender our lives to Jesus- ordinary folks like you…me.

Walk in that power that is shaping your life into the likeness of Jesus!

Question: What might the power of Christ in you do to make an impact in your sphere of influence?

Prayer: Lord God, thank you that I can live as a new creation because of your reconciling work. Make me an instrument of your reconciliation and love by the power of your presence within me. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

“Do you not realize…!” (Week 5:3)

2009-03-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 5- Christ in us
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read 2 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 2:20

“Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?!” In the midst of this letter Paul writes to the Corinthian believers asking them to examine themselves, he asks this question. We could ask that same question, perhaps rhetorically.

It’s pretty startling if we step back from it and ponder the question. It reiterates what is said in Galatians 2:20 about Christ living in those who acknowledge him as Lord.

When we ask, “Who is Jesus?,” this is part of the answer: Jesus Christ is in us.

This can get a bit confusing: who, actually, is living within? Christ? The Holy Spirit? The Spirit of Christ? The Spirit of God? (see Romans 8:9-11) We can only allude to it here and it embraces an understanding of the triune God- this mystery and truth, and the oneness of God and the various ways God is manifest.

I believe it’s worth noting a lengthier quote from Lewis Smedes, the late theologian/ethicist who taught at Fuller Seminary, in his book Union with Christ, “The Christ within is the Lord Jesus…History moves on in redemption. The specific person of Calvary becomes the specific Lord of heaven and earth. And his modus operandi changes, not to fit the changing epoch, but to create the new epoch. He is now the Lord who operates effectively through the Spirit. This is not merely a change in title; it is not only an elevation in status. It is a shift in the kind of work He does and in the manner in which He does it. Being the Lord Jesus within us, He is at work within us in the freedom of His lordly power.” (p. 134)

Jesus is Lord, operating “effectively through the Spirit,” living within. We, in our bodies individually and collectively (next week’s topic), are the temples-the locus, of where the Spirit dwells.

Amazing.

Question: What might transpire if you listened to (and prayed) this question over and over again this morning (evening or whatever): “Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have promised to never leave me. Do I realize that you, operating ‘effectively through the Spirit,’ live in me? I want to live in your kingdom way this day, this week, living in that revolutionary kingdom by your presence within me. Amen.

Connecting who Jesus is and ethics/living (Week 5:2)

2009-03-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 5- Christ in us
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Matthew 5:1-2; 28:20

How do I demonstrate value and significance to the student in my class who is constantly angry and annoys me? How do I take the Jesus’ way with my neighbor who tosses his cigarette butts over in our yard? How do I demonstrate Jesus’ life and not hate Mr. Road Rage, cutting in front of me and slamming on the brakes? How do I forgive her when she has hurt me so badly by what she did? How do I love my enemy, praying for him and returning good for his evil?

In other words, how do I follow Jesus in the hard ways that come our way just in the course of going about life? How do I live the Sermon on the Mount and all the ways Jesus taught and modeled for us to live? Matthew 5 begins with these first two verses telling us this is what he taught his disciples then, and teaches us today, as well.

In a slightly different focus from the “Christ in us” theme for this week, I want to bridge the person of Jesus with the practices of living for the follower/disciple. In theological terms, it is the bridge between Christology and ethics.

It’s the person of Jesus that makes the difference. The things we have been considering over the past weeks with the question, “Who is Jesus?” The one who saves. The one we follow as Lord. The one who came announcing and embodying the kingdom of God- that which he talked about more than anything else. God Incarnate- God among us.

And further, the one who said, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). Always.

This is what Dale Bruner had in mind with his introductory words to the Sermon on the Mount in his Matthew commentary, “Matthew taught us in his four-chapter preface that Christology (who Jesus is) is the key to the mystery of Christian ethics (what Jesus teaches). Without the Son of God, the Sermon on the Mount is not only impossible; it is impertinent. But since the Sermon’s Commands are accompanied by the Sermon’s Commander, there is something very exciting ahead!...With this Commander, all things are possible (19:26), even…the practically impossible Sermon on the Mount.” (p. 152, Matthew)

It’s with Jesus, the one who is with us always, that we are empowered to deal with Mr. Road Rage dude, love our enemies…

Question: What’s the area, right now in your life, where you most need the person of Jesus to help you live the way of Jesus?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your promise to be with me always. Empower me to walk in this joyful, yet often very difficult, way of compassion, forgiveness, and loving others, even my enemies. In your name I pray, Amen.

The Spirit of Christ in us (Week 5:1)

2009-03-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 5- Christ in us
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Romans 8:9-11

I’d like to begin this week with the “big picture” idea of the Spirit of God living within us. We not only have God revealed to us, in Jesus, when he came to live and be one of us (the Incarnation). But, we have not been left alone for we have been given the Spirit of God to be within us (the Indwelling).

In this passage Paul says that the Spirit dwells/lives within us. He says that: the "Spirit…Spirit of God…Spirit of Christ…Christ" lives within those who are in the Spirit, who have given their lives over to follow Jesus. This Spirit can be said to be the very Spirit of Jesus living within- Christ lives in me! (Galatians 2:20).

We are called to follow Jesus, but we are not left alone to do this. The very Spirit of Christ lives within and empowers us to follow in the way of Jesus.

Many have written off the Sermon on the Mount and other teachings of Jesus as impractical; “You can’t do it!”- so, it’s written off. I will agree, but only in this way: you can’t do this merely on your own will power and determination.

And that’s the point: we aren’t alone. Jesus didn’t teach us to follow him, or call us to this new way and the kingdom of God, in order to frustrate us or just give us some theoretical teaching that was never intended to be lived out. But, neither did he leave us without power or alone; he came to live within and set us free to walk in this way of the “upside-down kingdom!”

That fills me with hope!

Question: Have you thought about the power that resides within you- Christ in you, enabling you to follow Jesus in your daily life?

Prayer: “’Have your own way, Lord! Have your own way! Hold over my being absolute sway! Fill with your Spirit till all shall see, Christ only, always, living in me’ (Adelaide Pollard). I pray this in your name, Amen.”

Who’s kingdom? (Week 4:6)

2009-03-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 4- Jesus and the kingdom of God
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Mark 1:14-15

With a bias toward action and a commitment to following Jesus, there is a temptation for us to take control. It sneaks in the back door- the illusion: “We will bring in the kingdom!” The greater temptation is the opposite: sit back and God will do this on his own. But, the reminder this morning is in response to the first temptation.

So, here’s the reminder: this is God’s kingdom. “The kingdom of God.” What Jesus is announcing, teaching and embracing in his very person is the kingdom of God.

We do not usher it in. We do not control it. We don’t set the agenda. We don’t define the nature of it. God does. Further, it is the power of God that is infused in us even as we seek to follow Jesus in this kingdom that is counter to the kingdom of the world.

But…there is always a “but” here. But, that doesn’t mean we sit on our hands or say to God, “Go change that situation of poverty. Go help those refugees. Go and bring justice into the housing situation over there. Go bring peace into that conflict.” We are participants; we are God’s ambassadors of reconciliation. We are the instruments that God uses.

We are the hands and feet of Jesus in the world. Walking in and announcing this kingdom that Jesus embodied. And, that kingdom is the kingdom of God.

Thanks be to God!

Question: What temptation do you face most often: to take charge, be in control, and serve the needs of others on your own efforts (as if it’s your kingdom); or, to sit back and pray and hope God changes poverty, violence/war, an injustice, etc.?

Prayer: Lord God, this is your kingdom. I pray for your kingdom to come, your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. May I be an instrument of yours and your kingdom for healing, peace, joy, justice, freedom, reconciliation and life by your power and life within me. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

My friend, Robby (Week 4:5)

2009-03-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 4- Jesus and the kingdom of God
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Luke 22:24-27

This kingdom of God Jesus comes announcing, and embodying, is truly an “upside-down kingdom.” It’s certainly not always easy and it often defies logic among standards in the world, but it is good. Very good. The way and life with the King and this kingdom brings meaning, even as it is upside-down.

I’ve known Robby (as I’ll call him) since 7th grade. In so many ways, our differences would not have brought us together naturally. He was from a wealthy family, he was Jewish, and he lived in a huge, expensive home on the other side of town. I came from a blue collar, middle class family, my parents were Christian, and we lived in a small, modest 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home.

Sports brought us together in junior high. I played on the same baseball, basketball and football teams with Robby. He was the second-baseman and leadoff batter; I was the centerfielder and hit behind him in the line-up. On the baseball field, basketball court and football field we became good friends. We often sat next to each other on bus trips to games.

Robby was “normal.” He made all “A’s” and “B’s.” He was our class president one year. He chose “The Age of Aquarius” for the theme song of his campaign for class president; it worked. (Trivia for the old dudes: what group made this song popular in the 70s?) He had tons of friends and was at the popular parties.

Then something happened. It’s a longer story, and not that pertinent to my point here, but Robby was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He’s been in “institutions” ever since the early 80s. I lost track of him except for an occasional call to me over the years. I haven’t seen Robby for 30 years, until this past month. He’s living in Colorado and in a nursing home. I hunted him down and we met last month.

I met Robby and we went to lunch. It was pretty startling to me, because, instead of the guy who you would expect to have a family and decent job, I looked into the eyes of a guy who looks a homeless man on the streets of Denver. At 5 ft. 9 inches, his 260 pounds slows him down. (Not the old Robby who was the fastest on the team.) He is sockless in beat-up tennis shoes. His pants and shirt are stained with food. During lunch, he gulps food and it’s sloppy. He’s balding, like yours truly, and his hair isn’t combed. He takes a break to smoke outside; he smokes three cigarettes, in rapid order, on the bench outside. His health can’t be that good. Messy.

But, here’s the deal: God has asked me to love Robby and take him out to lunch. I am to just flat-out love him. Hang out with him. That, and Robby in particular, is another sign of this upside down kingdom. In addition to my family and friends, and my church community, The Bridge, I need people like Robby in my life.

My friend teaches me grace. It teaches me how I don’t earn God’s love. Being with Robby is another sermon to me about everyone being created in the image of God and that God loves the world. And, it is a reminder to me of the kingdom of God Jesus embodied, announced and called us to: the great reversal. Up is down. The last are first. You enter like a child. The greatest is the one who serves. The greatest power is self-sacrificial love. The cross of Jesus is the greatest witness to all of this.

So, I’m thankful for Robby. When I bring him pictures and articles of our junior high basketball team, we recall how Wiggins used to have that sweet jump shot from the baseline, we laugh about an old girlfriend, or I see a full, body-laugh from Robby when we share a crazy story from the past, I experience joy and life within in a strange way. Over a messy, sloppy, cheap lunch I get another glimpse of what Jesus is talking about in the nature of this “upside-down” kingdom of God.

And...I want the "Robby's" of the world to be welcome in our church community.

Question: What are the ways you hear and see God speaking to you about the upside-down nature of the kingdom of God?

Prayer: Lord, it is easy for me to gravitate to the things that are comfortable. I give thanks to you today for all that you have given me- this relationship with you, relationships with others, and all that comes my way. Help me to have my heart open to ways you continue to speak to me, even in the uncomfortable things that come my way. In your name, Amen.

At the heart of it: love (Week 4:4)

2009-03-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 4- Jesus and the kingdom of God
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read 1 John 3:16; Luke 6:27-36

There’s a good chance you’ve seen this on a plaque, framed picture, or wedding gift: “…and the greatest of these is love- 1 Corinthians 13:13.” It likely conjures up some warm, positive feelings. Usually tame, mild and maybe a bit syrupy.

It’s not that this isn’t true. In fact, love is central. But, love is sometimes very difficult, even if it is the “greatest,” and we may lose sight of the foundation for this love that is talked about in this letter.

“Who is Jesus?” That’s the question that we’re just scratching the surface with for these six weeks. And, one response is this: not only is the main focus of Jesus’ teachings the kingdom of God but he himself embodies the kingdom of God!

The heart of this kingdom of God, and Jesus himself, is love. But, not just any love. It is love that we see demonstrated on the cross by Jesus, and that love was demonstrated by him throughout his life- the way of the cross. Loving outsiders and outcasts, forgiving those who put him on a cross, loving enemies, and loving those who denied him.

And, it doesn’t just end with Jesus; here is where it is not just a simple reference framed in a picture or on wedding wrapping paper. We are called to this type of love- this “Calvary love”- in our lives as well. Greg Boyd says it this way,

“The love we are called to trust and emulate is supremely manifested in the cross of Jesus. The cross is the ultimate symbol of the kingdom of God, for it defines what the kingdom always looks like. It looks like Christ- self-sacrificial and loving. It looks like grace.” (p. 34, The Myth of a Christian Nation)

There’s that “upside-down kingdom” again. It was this love, in God among us in his Son, Jesus, that has defeated Satan and evil on the cross. This is the power that has overcome and transforms: Jesus on the cross. It has changed our lives.

This love is what we are called to as well, as Jesus tells us. It is that which has power to transform, heal, restore relationships, and break down walls. And, it comes from the power of Christ living within us.

Question: What situations and relationships might be impacted if I pray for this love of Jesus to be made more real in my life?

Prayer: “Lord, I know this is the way of life, freedom and joy- living out your love. I also know this is hard and I need your power and presence within me. Help me to follow you and your call: to love my enemies, to do good to those who hate me, to bless those who curse me, and to pray for those who abuse me. Show me who I am to love today. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.”

What does the kingdom of God look like? (Week 4:3)

2009-03-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 4- Jesus and the kingdom of God
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Matthew 4:17; Luke 17:20-21

If this kingdom of God is so important, what does it look like? If Jesus talked about it more than anything else, then our ears should perk up.

What does it look like? In a word, Jesus. Jesus, the Incarnation of God among humanity, embodies and incarnates the kingdom of God. At the beginning of his public ministry, he announces, “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.” (Matthew 4:17, The Message) It is here and he embodies it.

“It is here! God’s kingdom is already here! It is here among you!” Look at Jesus, and all that he taught and preached about the kingdom, and we will get handles on what this kingdom looks like.

Followers of Jesus are kingdom people. The kingdom: the rule and reign and realm of God. The reign and rule and intentions of God: this is what Jesus comes announcing, and then incarnates in his person. And, we are invited to live in this way of Jesus.

It is already here…and it is not yet here fully. That is why we also pray “Thy kingdom come” since it is not completely here. We seek to live as kingdom people, to be signs of and point to what it will be in fullness some day in the new heavens and new earth.

What does the kingdom look like? Jesus. We take our cues from him, God’s final and definitive revelation. We look at his life and death. We listen to his stories and parables, his teaching and preaching. And, we open up our inner being to his rule and kingdom- and to his very person to come live and rule within.

We keep looking to Jesus, the “pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), “the first and last” (Revelation 22:13). This is, literally, the journey for the rest of our lives- to continually learn and grow and be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. What we see in Jesus is the very kingdom of God- that rule and reign and life that is from God, and…which is “upside-down” from the kingdom of the world. More later…

Question: What do I see in the nature of the kingdom of God as I look at Jesus?

Prayer: “O God, keep my eyes intently fixed on Jesus. I submit to your rule and reign, your kingdom; keep me focused on Jesus and what this life looks like that you so desire for me and the rest of the world. In the name of Jesus, Amen.”

Jesus: “My kingdom is not of this world” (Week 4:2)

2009-03-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 4- Jesus and the kingdom of God
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read John 18:36; 17:15-18

Jesus not only makes it clear in what he says but in the very way in which he lived: his kingdom, the kingdom of God, is in sharp contrast to the kingdom of the world. We see it splashed over the pages of the New Testament.

When Donald Kraybill used the title phrase of his book, “the upside-down kingdom,” it stuck with many of us. It is an apt description of the kingdom of God. Down is up. The last are first. Life comes from death. The cross is power. Servants are elevated, etc., etc.

Our Lord, the embodiment of the kingdom, rides in the parade exalting him as king on a donkey, not the victor’s horse. He gives his life in the greatest act of love and power in history. It’s the grand reversal of things. Flipping logic on its head.

This is a complete contrast in the way of the kingdom of the world. It’s that contrast that we see lived out and taught by Jesus, and then giving that call to us, his followers, the body of Christ in the world.

But, this is important not to miss: while the contrast of these kingdoms, in the way they operate and function, is clear, followers are not to opt out of the world! This is not a sectarian view: stay away from the “world;” don’t get stained by interactions with it.

Jesus says the opposite. In essence, he says this, “You are different. You live this upside-down way of self-sacrificial love, this servant love. But, I’m not pulling you out of it. In fact, I’m sending you into it! Penetrate the world, as kingdom-of-God-people. Let them see this type of love and servanthood, and I will empower you to live this way.”

Contrasts? You bet. So, do stay off to ourselves? No way! Go into the world, Jesus says, and he is with us.

Question: What are some of the main contrasts you see between the way the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world operates?

Prayer: “O God, go with me into the world, for you have sent me. May I be, increasingly, a light in the world of your ‘upside-down kingdom.’ And may we, as a community who follow Jesus, be a corporate light in this world. It’s in his name that I pray, Amen.”

What Jesus talked about (Week 4:1)

2009-03-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 4- Jesus and the kingdom of God
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Mark 1:14-15

Here’s an answer to a Bible trivia question that someone throws out there at a party/summer cookout/bar: “What topic did Jesus talk about more than any other?” If you answered: Heaven and hell- wrong. Salvation- wrong. Belief in God- wrong. Faith- wrong. Eternal life-wrong. Sin-wrong.

Answer: The kingdom of God.

If Jesus says something, those who are followers of him pay attention. If Jesus says something frequently, we pay even more attention. If Jesus talked about something a lot, it must matter and be something he wants us to hear.

When asking the question of “Who is Jesus and what difference does that make?” the kingdom of God comes into the picture. You can’t talk about Jesus and not talk about the kingdom of God; it’s everywhere in the Gospel accounts of Jesus.

Jesus says, “The time is fulfilled; and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1:15) If Jesus speaks so much about it, what does he want us to hear?

Question: Does this surprise you that this is the topic Jesus spoke most often about? What is it about the kingdom of God that Jesus wants me to learn about, experience, and live?

Prayer: Lord God, these words feel pregnant with meaning- the time is fulfilled…the kingdom of God has come near…repent and believe the good news. May you continue to open up to me what you would want me to know and experience about the kingdom of God. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Both/and: Jesus as example; Christ in us (Week 3:6)

2009-03-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 3- Jesus as Lord
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Galatians 2:19-20; 4:19

One of the more common ways I have come to describe this way of Jesus, a life with God, and this life in the kingdom of God is “both/and.” With every book or conversation or study we don’t need to include the “both/and.” Often we focus on a particular topic or issue in our life that needs to be addressed, and it may not have balance in terms of the entire message of the kingdom. And, that’s appropriate.

But, we need to continually remind ourselves of this balance or else we wind up with half of the good news or half of the Story.

This week’s focus on discipleship (following after, learning from Jesus) and imitation (just as Jesus, so we) is needed more than ever in our world by Christians, in my opinion. Jesus is Lord- not Caesar, not any ideology, not any nation, not any system, not any other person. We bow to Jesus as Lord now in what the entire creation will do eventually (Philippians 2:9-11).

We follow him. He is Lord, he is our example, he is The Way. The method matches the message. We are to walk as he walked (1 John 2:6). In doing so, this is where we find life and where others will see Jesus in us as we see Jesus in the ones we serve (Matthew 25:30).

But, I feel compelled to add the other piece of the whole at the end of this week: the “and.” It is the risen Christ, living in us, that is part of the whole. While it may appear strange to say, and garbled, this is our life: we follow Jesus and walk as he walked, and we do this as Christ is living in us (Galatians 2:20). It is Christ who is being formed in us (Galatians 4:19).

To take the steps in this radical way- to extend mercy, welcome outsiders, love enemies, live with simplicity, show forgiveness, resist violence- is to follow Jesus as Lord. To follow Jesus, God Incarnate. And, we are not left alone, for he has sent us his Spirit to point us to Jesus and to live within us.

That empowers me and gives me hope! Jesus is Lord!

Question: As you seek to follow Jesus, what does it mean for you that “Christ lives in” you?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are Lord. I acknowledge that now for my life, and the entire world will bend the knee and confess that some day. As you live in me, Christ, I seek to walk as you walked. May you be formed in me, day by day, so I may love as you loved. In your name I pray, Amen.

Love as Jesus loved (Week 3:5)

2009-03-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 3- Jesus as Lord
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read John 13:34-35; 15:12; Luke 6:32-26

I continue with this aspect of the Lordship of Jesus: imitation and discipleship. Imitate or mimic, the meaning of this word in Ephesians 5:1 and found throughout the New Testament. Discipleship: to follow after, to learn, to become a disciple/follower of Jesus.

“Just as” Jesus, “so” you and me. The center and essence of all of this is love. If we had to boil it all down to one thing it would be love. It is the first, and second, commandment, Jesus says (Matthew 22:37-38). To love is to fulfill the law (Romans 13:8).

This isn’t pulled out of the hat somewhere; we go to the words of Jesus. Jesus, who is Lord. He says it explicitly and it is implied throughout his life and teachings: how he lived and what he taught his followers.

Here’s the explicit call to us who choose to be his followers, the “just as…so you” language. “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34) God has come down to humanity, become one of us; God Incarnate: Jesus. And, he has shown us, in flesh and blood, what God is like. God’s will for the world. What brings life, freedom and joy. Love is at the core.

It’s unconditional love. Indiscriminate love. We aren’t asked to love with conditions or to choose just to love only those who love us; it is even our enemies we are called to love (Luke 6:32-36). That’s how God loved us. That’s how Jesus loved us: when we were enemies.

Tough! How that gets worked out in specific situations is part of our life-long discernment and a dependence upon the very power of the risen Christ in us.

Question: Where, in my life, is the most pressing situation to follow Jesus in his call to me: “just as I have loved you, so you love…?”

Prayer: My Lord Jesus, our Lord Jesus; teach me more how to love as you loved me. And, I know how you loved me: even when I was an enemy and apart from you. With that power of your love, may I love those you have put in my path. In your name, Amen.

Jesus: “Follow me” (Week 3:4)

2009-03-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 3- Jesus as Lord
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Mark 2:13-14; Romans 6:4

For the next three days, we will continue this theme of who Jesus is with respect to the confession that Jesus is Lord.

The simple, and sometimes not so simple, call of Jesus is what we find him saying to folks along the way, “Come, follow me.” There’s more to it than some leader who might echo similar words (you pick the setting: a key leader of the company you work for, a political leader, etc.).

It might have some similarities- the vision sounds compelling, you like the direction where things are pointed, etc. But, with Jesus’ call the person calling is God Incarnate, the Lord. And with the follower, whether that is Matthew, Peter, Mary Magdalene, or any one of us, there is a way in which we participate in the Person of Jesus.

In this participation, we are invited, by Jesus, to follow. To imitate, in the words from yesterday. The idea of following after and imitating Jesus is pervasive in the words of Jesus and throughout the New Testament. John Howard Yoder cites at least 53 places in the New Testament where this language about Jesus- discipleship, following after, learning from and imitating Jesus- is used (p. 118-127, The Politics of Jesus).

As…So…That’s the tag David Augsburger gives to this discipleship. An “As-So Model of Spirituality:” as Jesus…so us (p. 32, Dissident Discipleship). There are many places we see this in the New Testament. For example, “just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

Jesus saves. We cannot save ourselves. Jesus is also Lord of all. Master. And when we enter into participation with him, by his power, to follow him, we will enter more fully into the life he has promised. It will also be, equally so, for the benefit of others- for goodness, justice, forgiveness, compassion, love of neighbor and enemy, mercy. That is, in all the ways in which we are called to follow him.

Question: What are the “just as…so me” (as Jesus…so me…) ways of Jesus that are more urgent for me at this time in my life?

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, you not only called Matthew and Mary, Joanna and James, but you have also called me: “Come follow me.” I cannot do this on my own strength, and you have promised to be with me through your Holy Spirit. But, I can choose to seek you and to walk in newness of life. I do so. Empower me. In your name I pray. Amen.

Imitators (Week 3:3)

2009-03-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 3- Jesus as Lord
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Ephesians 5:1-2

As young baseball fans, my brother and I played a game we cooked up with some of our friends in the backyard. Pre-fantasy baseball fantasy league. We used a softball and carved out a small baseball field. The fun part: we picked real major league teams, went through their starting line-up, and had to imitate the batter’s pre-pitch routine before the ball was thrown.

Some of my favorites: the Willie Stargell “wind-up,” Joe Morgan’s “chicken-flap,” or Carl Yastrzemski’s “wave-to-the-sky.” We were imitating some of our baseball heroes in the batter’s box. Trying to mimic their unique routines and preparation.

That’s the word used in Ephesians 5:1-2: imitators of God. Mimic, literally. “Live in love, as Christ loved us.” Whoa! It’s a lot easier to imitate Joe Morgan’s pre-swing routine!

This is not an isolated scripture that is pulled out of context; there are numerous references and calls to this very thing in the Scriptures. (More in the next several days.) Nor is this something to dismiss and then move on: “What’s next in the rest of this letter to Ephesus.”

This is part of lordship. Jesus is Lord and, as followers of him, we seek to do just that: follow him and be transformed into his likeness. We will do this imperfectly, but that doesn’t mean we write this off. We confess, ask forgiveness (sometimes, asking forgiveness from the world), and then move on.

Others in history have reinforced this call: Augustine said, “The gist of religion is imitation of him who is worshiped.” Soren Kierkegaard noted, “God’s will is to express that he desires to be in relation with us, and therefore desires the thanks and adoration which is in Spirit and truth: imitation.” (p. 474, The Journals of Soren Kierkegaard).

This is not fantasy or a backyard game. It’s the real deal. Real life. And, when living in this way of Jesus, we know it is abundant life and faith in Jesus becomes more credible to the world.

Batter up.

Question: Where would Jesus call me to follow him, imitate him, and “love as he loved us” this day?

Prayer: Lord God, you have called us to be imitators of you. Help me today to live in love as your Son, Jesus, loved us, giving himself up for us. May gratitude empower me for this day. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen

Jesus is Lord and… (Week 3:2)

2009-03-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 3- Jesus as Lord
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Philippians 2:5-11

If you are new to Christian faith and this Jesus way, or if you were raised in a home where you rarely missed a church service on Sunday, these words from a letter Paul wrote to the church in Philippi will likely sound familiar. This was a hymn by these early followers of Jesus that Paul quotes.

Two things from this hymn (out of the vast reservoir of meaning and implication that can’t be addressed here): first, that Jesus is Lord is the climax of these seven verses. Jesus of Nazareth, does not cling to his equality with God, but empties himself, takes on the form of a servant, and becomes human. He humbles himself even to the point of death on a cross. Then he is lifted high: he is Lord of all.

Jesus is Lord. Not Caesar, whom Rome demanded you to declare lord at that time. Not anyone or anything else. We might even say, “Yep, Jesus is Lord. I believe that.” It makes for good hymns, litanies, a scripture verse on a bookmark, or a good passage on my-verses-to-memorize-list some day.

If you meditate on this passage it can lead to some pretty profound implications on the nature of Jesus.

But, here’s the second thing: don’t miss verse 5, which leads into this hymn about Jesus. Here’s the kicker: “Let this same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” The same. Emptied. Servant. Humbled. Obedient. Downward mobility. Now it’s more than a sweet hymn or confession about Jesus.

Jesus is Lord. And, we are called to this same way of the cross- the way of the servant and self-sacrificial love. While that way may not always be easy, it is good news for others, good news for the world, and good news for us.

Question: What will having “the same mind” of Jesus as a servant look like in my life?

Prayer: Jesus, you are Lord. I can only begin to grasp what it meant for you to take this downward mobility posture as servant- becoming human and the way of the cross. Help me to take this way of the servant, and reveal to me what this means for my life. Amen.

Jesus: follow and know…know and follow (Week 3:1)

2009-03-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Topic: Week 3- Jesus as Lord
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Colossians 2:6-7; John 17:3

One of my favorite both/and lines, with respect to being Jesus-followers, comes from a 16th century Anabaptist, Hans Denck. “No one can know Christ truly except by following Him daily in life; and no one can follow Him faithfully except those who truly know Him.”

It addresses the “cheap grace” question or that faith in Christ is merely some private piety- just Jesus in my heart. But, neither is this walk with Christ merely obedience to Jesus on our own efforts.

To confess and believe and live this earliest of Christian confessions- Jesus is Lord, is to sometimes just take a step…and then another step, in following Jesus. In the process, we come to know Jesus more fully. And, those steps of following faithfully are also rooted in the power that comes from knowing Him (John 17:3)- through prayer, worship of Jesus, silence, reading Scripture, etc.

There is “…one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist” (1 Corinthians 8:6). We seek to know him and follow him. We follow him and know him. We know him…

We’re off and running on this ongoing cycle.

Question: Is there balance in my life with the “knowing” and “following” of Jesus as Lord?

Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, I acknowledge you as just that: Lord. My desire is to know and follow you, for I know that this is where there is life and life abundantly. As I have received you as Lord, I want to continue to live my life in you. Show me what this looks like today and this week. Amen.”

Saving and a dose of humility (Friday)

2009-03-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

Topic: Week 2- Jesus as Savior
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Matthew 11:27; Romans 5:1, 6-11

I’m not a fan of street preachers who wave signs, point fingers, and shout words of judgment at anyone walking by. When Gail and I walked out of Coors Field in October 2007, when the Rockies had just won the National League Championship, there he was- this street preacher saying “Jesus saves” and yelling at all of us walking out of the stadium. If the Rockies had lost, more than a few fans might have punched out the guy, or at least wanted to.

I’m afraid of my faith in Jesus getting lumped in with the street preachers, and having conversations with others set back as a result. It’s not that the message might be offensive to some (e.g. saying that you believe going to war in Iraq is wrong will cause offense); it is how one says it that matters a great deal to me.

In this respect, I would advocate we seek the posture of humility. In this arena of the saving, rescuing work of God in Jesus, two areas, among many, come to mind.

First, we are unable to save ourselves (already noted this week). “If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son…” (Romans 5:10, The Message). When reading the beliefs’ section of The Simple Way this week (community of Shane Claiborne), their statement on “Humanity” fit this description, “We believe that people are created in the image of God… We also believe that humanity is fallen, and Jesus died and rose in order to save humanity. Humans are incapable of holiness and perfect love without the sacrifice of Jesus.” Thus, humility.

Secondly, this “exclusive” claim about Jesus gets tricky and can appear arrogant. I do not believe the Story of God, and of Jesus, is one story, equal among many. I like the way in which Dale Bruner, in his monumental commentary on Matthew, comments on this verse from Matthew 11:27, “We have not been authorized to say that there is salvation anywhere else than in faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Self-Gift.” (p. 535)

But, Bruner also adds this, “Christians must also allow the Son, if he chooses, to reveal the Father to those outside of Christendom.” (p. 534) This is not the all-paths-are-great-just-pick-one notion. We are called to live and announce Christ. But, we also come at this with humility, acknowledging our need of God and that we aren’t God. Humility.

This is even in concert with the truth that we need a Savior. We can’t save ourselves.

Question: Is there an area in my life characterized by arrogance?

Prayer: Thank you, God, that “when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms” with you. You save and rescue and put us in right relationship with you, something we cannot do on our own. I thank you. May l live in your saving work, day by day. Amen.

Rescue from evil and sin itself…that includes me! (Thursday)

2009-03-05T16:29:00.000-08:00

Topic: Week 2- Jesus as Savior
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Colossians 2:13-15; Romans 6:5-8

Evil must be reckoned with. Sin must not be overlooked. When statements like that are made, what often follows is a litany of “ain’t if awful.” Well, there are a ton of awful things on personal and systemic or structural levels. But, I’ll omit the litany.

You could make your list of the outcomes you see from evil or sin today. You don’t have to look far, only as far as yourself. That’s all the further I have to look, even though I’d rather look at and enumerate the sins of others.

What’s at stake: not overlooking evil. There is a temptation, perhaps in reaction to abuses or an “ain’t it awful” party that has appeared in churches and pulpits, to diminish the realm of evil and sin. I can find no other way to make sense of the sad and sick and twisted ways humans have (and still do) treated one another and creation itself. So, it’s here. Real.

But…and this is an important “but:” God has done something about this. By coming to us in the flesh, Jesus has rescued us from evil and sin itself in his life, death and resurrection. It wasn’t a rescue effort to defeat sin by political means, or by use of force; it was the upside-down way of self-sacrificial love. His death on the cross is totally consistent with the way in which Jesus lived. Rescue. Victory over evil and Satan and the powers! Christus Victor!

Now, evil is still sputtering along but the victory has been won and it will come to full completion in the “new heavens and new earth.”

N.T. Wright states the importance in this way, “Nothing in all of history of paganism comes anywhere near this…The death of Jesus of Nazareth as the king of the Jews, the bearer of Israel’s destiny, the fulfillment of God’s promises to his people of old, is either the most stupid, senseless waste of misunderstanding the world has ever seen, or it is the fulcrum around which world history turns. Christianity is based on the belief that this was and is the latter.” (p. 111, Simply Christian).

This makes sense of both the personal and systemic level of sin, rather than turning my head and acting as if evil did not exist. And, God in Jesus comes to rescue, save and restore. I need no longer be enslaved but freed, and to live in that freedom with increasing awareness.

Question: What is it in my life that Jesus wants me to be freed from and no longer enslaved? In what ways would Jesus want us, as a community of his followers, to be engaged in living and announcing this freedom in our city?

Prayer: Oh Lord God, you know that I can’t rescue myself. Evil is powerful and runs deep, and it needed the cross- the bearing of the sin of the world and defeat, by this self-sacrificial love, of evil and sin. Thank you for that in my life; may I live in that freedom today. And, help us to be instruments of your work on the cross and the resurrection, to those in our city: announcing good news to the poor, release to those who are captive, forgiveness of sin, reconciliation, and walls that are broken down. Amen.

Something we can’t do on our own (Wednesday)

2009-03-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

Topic: Week 2- Jesus as Savior
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Matthew 1:20-21

If I say that I can’t save myself, that I can’t rescue myself from sin or things that hurt me or others, than does this mean that following Jesus and his teachings are incidental? In other words, that the point of Christianity is God’s rescue effort in Jesus and that there’s nothing for us to do? That ethics, the teachings of Jesus, and the life Jesus describes is peripheral, at best?

There is a way to look at this that makes it appear that these two notions- something we can’t do on our own and something we can do- are opposites or contradictions. One way to deal with that is to decide: the life and teachings of Jesus do make sense and are important; therefore, the other part about Jesus as Savior must not make sense or it isn’t necessary.

I believe this falls into dualistic thinking and opting for an either-or approach. I want to suggest a both-and approach which is holistic and biblically rooted in the story of salvation, God’s great rescue effort!

And, it begins here- with salvation (this is one of those words that has become distorted in our setting in America; it’s unfortunate since it is rich and freeing!). Eugene Peterson’s words here hit the mark: “Salvation is God doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Salvation is a work of God that we cannot approximate or rival or reproduce. (p.177)…Jesus is the central and defining figure in the spiritual life. ..He is God among us: God speaking, acting, healing, helping. ‘Salvation’ is the big word into which all these words fit. The name Jesus means ‘God saves.’” (p. 32, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places).

To omit the Sermon on the Mount or Jesus’ teachings is a serious error. To miss the call of Jesus to be made into disciples- “come follow me” is to miss the life Jesus is talking about. But, to take the “try harder” approach or to think this way of Jesus is something we can do on our own is also to miss a crucial of the biblical, salvation story.

Jesus, God who came to us as a human, saves. And, and as we eagerly seek and take steps toward this, God is doing the work of transforming us into the likeness of Jesus. We follow Jesus- in our families, marriages, friendships, among co-workers who annoy us, in response to the grocery store clerk who is bored, into the pub where some lonely dudes are looking for community, among/with the poor we serve, to the discarded and “sinners,” and in loving our enemies-we follow Jesus, in all of life, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Question: Do I try to follow Jesus on my own efforts? Is there an area(s) of my life where I want I need Jesus’ saving work- doing for me what I can’t do for myself?

Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for your saving work. Thank you for doing for me what I cannot do on my own, that is, save myself. Now, empower me to follow you in the very ways you called us to live. In the name of Jesus. Amen

Jesus saves (Tuesday)

2009-03-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

Topic: Week 2- Jesus as Savior
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read 1 John 4:14

“Saved.” That tag can still trip me up in my mind. I can recall the time, when I was 12 years old, when I said to myself, “I want to be saved.” It carried significance for me at that point in my life.

While this stage of my life was real with respect to faith, questions started to roll in over time: was this just a one-time event? Is it a private experience? What’s the practical experience of being “saved?” How does this relate to living my faith?

It began to have a static feel to it. And, as I heard many other Christians talk about it, it began to feel even more flat. Pointing to some event on such and such a day.

But, then…the meaning of “saved” changed. Part of it was a deeper understanding for me of what salvation was/is/will be after reading Scripture over time and having others open up some new meaning for me. Part of it was life experience- what I was learning about myself, the world; learning from failures and disappointments.

So, sometimes when I hear “saved” in a religious context, it still feels flat. But, for me, it is a positive, even necessary, thing in my life: Jesus saves; I can’t save myself. More later…

Question: What does this mean- “that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior?” What does “Jesus saves” include for you…even this day?

Prayer: Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be your name. I cannot save myself, so my trust and dependence is upon you. Thank you. Thank you for coming to us, for sending your Son, to be the Savior of the world. May I live in that awareness today. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Clearing the baggage (Monday)

2009-03-02T11:46:00.000-08:00

Topic: Week 2- Jesus as Savior
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Psalm 18:46; Matthew 1:20-21

Since this second week of a meditation/Scripture for the day, there are three things that can serve as reminders:
...These daily meditations (normally, Monday-Friday), are for the six weeks before Easter on the question, “Who is Jesus and what difference does that make?”
...My focus and context is our church, The Bridge, in Denver, but it is not limited to our church community. (The teaching on Sundays will be linked to the daily meditations and topic.)
...My hope is for the entire six weeks to help us focus and pray on the question of “Who is Jesus?” So, I envision the daily/weekly themes to be in the context of the whole: God Incarnate, Jesus as Savior, Jesus as Lord, the Kingdom of God, being “in Christ,” and the church as the body of Christ.

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When you hear or read things like, “I was saved on ________ at _______,” or, “I want my friend to get saved,” or, “Jesus saved me and now I have a home in heaven when I die,” what goes through your mind?

Or, perhaps you had an experience with church when you heard the pastor (or tv/radio preacher) ask for anyone interested, at the end of the service, to raise your hand or come down front if you want to be saved. Or, maybe you never heard the word saved or salvation, or hardly ever.

Depending on our past experience, the idea of Jesus as Savior or that “Jesus saves” can carry some baggage that clutters some of the real intent with salvation. It could carry some very positive notions. It could involve some quite negative associations.

What if we attempted clear some of the trappings that we have associated with Jesus as Savior and the one who saves? If we cleared some of this away, might we be in a position to more openly receive the meaning(s) of “Jesus saves?”

Question: What do I bring to my time of prayer regarding “saved” and “Jesus as Savior?” Is there negative baggage and associations that might block the intended meaning of Jesus as Savior?

Prayer: Gracious God, I want to love you and to live my life in love of others. If there are things that are in the way of understanding and receiving the implications of Jesus as Savior, may you reveal them to me. May I open myself more to your saving work. Amen.

Worship of Jesus provides needed power (Saturday)

2009-02-28T06:48:00.000-08:00

Theme: Week 1- Jesus as God Incarnate
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Matthew 14:22-33
John 20:19-28

In these two scenes from the life of Jesus- one a pre-Easter and the other a post-Easter setting- we see Jesus being worshipped. In John, it is a climax to the gospel account in which Thomas declares, “My Lord and my God!” I believe this worship of Jesus is grounded in the theme for this week of Jesus as God Incarnate.

Considering this idea of worshipping Jesus can be confusing if we think that we have two Gods. We don’t. Willard Swartley in his book, “Send Forth Your Light,” spends time making the case for a high Christology (fancy word for study of the nature of Jesus), Christianity that is monotheistic (fancy word for one God), and cites numerous places where Jesus is worshipped.

I offer these two sentences from Swartley as a place for your prayer, listening, reflection, worship and commitment this day. “…worship of Jesus empowers both the mission assigned to Jesus’ followers, to proclaim the gospel to all nations, and also the call to peacemaking, living out our new identity as God’s children. Falling at Jesus’ feet in worship provides the humility and the strength to do what is humanly impossible: love enemies and share the gospel with all people.” (p. 218)

This aligns with some of our core values here at The Bridge (our church in Denver): a Christ-centered faith and commitment to service and social justice (as I see it, peacemaking is part of this; Swartley uses peacemaking and social justice, I assume, would flow out of the Gospel of peace).

And here is what is essential, in our personal lives and in the life of our faith community: worship of Jesus, God Incarnate, empowers us to do mission, serve the poor and marginalized, seek justice in our city, be peacemakers in our community, and address issues that need systemic change. For living in this way is something that is beyond what is humanly possible.

When we worship Jesus we name who is Lord- not Caesar, not anyone or anything else. We worship the one who saves and rescues us- it is God who saves, Jesus who saves, and not us. And, we are empowered when we fall at Jesus’ feet.

Question: What might take place in me this day if I exclaimed, like Thomas, “My Lord and my God!”? What are the places in my life where I am in need of power- to do those things which are beyond my human strength alone?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I worship you. You are Lord and no other. It is God who saves; it is you who save; I cannot save myself. As I bow down in worship of you, my Lord and my God, may I experience your power to face those things in my life that I cannot do on my own strength. And, may I be empowered to love my family, my friends, the poor, the forgotten, the ones who do not have a voice, and even my enemies. I pray all of this in your name. Amen.

Worship of Jesus- fully human and divine

2009-02-26T22:46:00.000-08:00

Theme: Week 1- Jesus as God Incarnate
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Friday:

Read Matthew 2:9-12; 28:16-20

When I think of Jesus being “fully human and fully divine,” along with some other complex realities within faith, I see mistakes that often are made: one, there is an attempt to explain comprehensively what cannot be done; and two, there is a dismissal of tough questions that a friend or someone we know poses. I believe it is a mistake to take either route.

While we can’t explain this entirely and dialogue and engagement must continue when tough questions are raised, I believe the full humanity and divinity of Jesus is a foundation for the church. Greg Boyd speaks to this uniqueness, “The foundation of orthodox Christianity is the belief the Jesus Christ is, as the Chalcedonian Creed puts it, ‘fully God and fully man.’…everything that is unique about Christianity is related to this central truth.” (p. 54, Seeing is Believing).

The earliest Christians, says N.T. Wright, “remained firmly within Jewish monotheism; and yet they said, from very early on, that Jesus was indeed divine.” (p. 117, Simply Christian). This earliest conviction has been carried on throughout history.

One of the outcomes, of which I am giving more thought recently, is worship of Jesus. Not as a separate God, but in the way God has come to us in a human. And, the great outcome of rescue from my self-centered existence and pride, and leading and providing the power to live the life God intended for us. (What we’ll open up to consider and pray about in the weeks ahead regarding Jesus.)

This is intriguing but also significant: when looking at the gospel according to Matthew, we find that at both the beginning and the end that Jesus is worshipped. (Thanks to Willard Swartley for this insight.) The magi worship Jesus when they first see him (Matthew 2:11); right before Jesus commissions his disciples in mission, they worship him (Matthew 28:17). The same Greek word is used for worship- prosekynesan.

Worship is due God alone, for the things that God alone can do. If not, it is idolatry. We worship Jesus, who is fully human and fully divine, for all that God has done through his Son.

Question: What would worship of Jesus include for me this day?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, while I can never fully comprehend all of what it means that you are God Incarnate, I will continue to give thanks that you, the one “in whom all things hold together,” came to earth as the visible expression of God. I worship you. Teach me more of what it means to worship you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Living with questions and Jesus as God Incarnate

2009-02-26T06:02:00.000-08:00

Theme: Week 1- Jesus as God Incarnate
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Colossians 1:15-17
John 1:14

For the past five years, I have been one of the guest speakers in a social studies class at a local high school. The teacher invites a variety of pastors and religious leaders, over the course of several weeks, to speak on what our faith/religion says on a number of issues. I’m the token Mennonite! It’s fun. The kids ask great questions. I love it!

The initial questions go like this: how we define “soul,” when we believe human life begins, and if we believe Genesis 1is to be taken literally as the account of creation. (You can see the implications of where this will lead with questions and discussion.) The last time I was there, I was paired with a pastor of a conservative, Christian church and he had very definitive answers on each question. Our approach to answering the questions was quite different.

In part, this is why: I live with a chunk of unanswered questions. I find more complexity in what comes our way in life. I used to think “old” people stopped asking questions and simply had answers. Increasingly, I know that is not true.

Yet, here is a paradox: in the midst of the questions and complexities of issues we face in life, I find a growing conviction about core beliefs in Christianity. (I realize using “Christianity” stands on shaky ground because of all that is associated with it in our time.) What these core beliefs are is open for debate; but, I am referring to those strands that can be traced throughout orthodox Christianity.

One such area is that of God becoming human in Jesus. The one in whom “all things hold together” (Colossians 1) has taken on flesh in Jesus of Nazareth (John 1). This is of importance in a number of ways, some of which we’ll consider in the next several weeks.

But, here is the issue I would raise today: to live with questions, and even the puzzle of how we might view truth that can be found in other faiths, does not detract from the conviction, belief and commitment to base my life upon the truth of Jesus as God Incarnate (taking on flesh). Leonard Sweet speaks to our context, “Postmodern Christians, who acknowledge the various degrees of truth, will protect the rights and rituals of people of other faiths, while at the same time presenting Jesus as God Incarnate.” (p.384, Soul Tsunami)

Holding these together, conviction and questions, will impact the way in which we relate to others. It will include humility, passion and gentleness.

Question: How can I embrace the particularity of God becoming flesh in Jesus, and not have a spirit of arrogance or judgmentalism?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as I embrace the fact that you became flesh and blood and “moved into the neighborhood,” allow me to see that my ongoing questions confirm the limits of my humanity and what I can know. And, allow me to see, more and more, why you chose to become one of us. In your name I pray. Amen

You see Jesus…you see God

2009-02-25T06:27:00.000-08:00

Theme: Week 1- Jesus as God Incarnate
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read John 1:18; 12:44-46

One of the questions that surfaces when talking about Jesus as divine, and the definitive revelation of God, is the question of all those people who lived before the time of Jesus on earth. How would they have the nature and being of God revealed to them? Is it fair that they were not given this visible revelation of God? Is Jesus necessary?

The questions could continue along that line. This is not the setting to explore this more fully, but I would respond, in part: it doesn’t seem fair from my limited, finite vantage point, I will never be able to unpack the nuances of God’s timing, and I will just live with gratitude for this concrete picture of God in the person of Jesus.

Jesus, this man from Nazareth, lived approximately 2,000 years ago…and, was God among humanity. Concrete. Visible. We have not seen God, but we have in Jesus. “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. (John 1:18). Jesus, in his words, says that if we see him, we have seen the Father (John 12:45).

I would echo the importance Greg Boyd gives to this very truth, “To think of Jesus Christ, therefore, is to think of God. It is impossible to overemphasize the importance of this fact.” (p. 55, Seeing is Believing)

With expectancy, hope, and life-giving urgency I want to listen to the Word and words of Jesus, observe closely the way in which he lived, and continue to grasp the way in which Jesus died and the meaning of his death (and resurrection). Because…because when we see Jesus, we see God. And, that is the center and where we will find life.

Question: In the midst of our busy, often preoccupied, lives, how can we more effectively see and hear what Jesus has to say to us?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to have my mind open to hear you and your words. Enable me to be more keenly aware as to what you are revealing about the Father from your life, the way you treated others, your choice of stories you told, and the way you lived and died. Keep me alert, for when I see you I see God, for you were God among us. Thank you for choosing to reveal yourself to us in this way, and may I be more transformed into your likeness this very day. In your name I pray. Amen.

Jesus as the final and definitive revelation of God

2009-02-23T22:39:00.000-08:00

Theme: Week 1- Jesus as God Incarnate
Theme for 6 Weeks- Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?

Read Colossians 1:15-20; 2:9

Since this is “day 1” of a 6-week daily blog/reflection, it warrants a few words of introduction. I am new enough to the blog world that I’m unaware if any or many use it the way I will write between now and April 12 (Easter). But, I guess bloggers can make their own rules!

The Plan- I am writing a daily reflection around the question of “Who is Jesus and what difference does it make?” Each week will have a different theme under this larger question. It will include a few words on that weekly topic, a Scripture passage, question and prayer.

I am thinking and writing in the context of our new church that is forming in Denver- The Bridge. The daily meditations will be the theme for our discussion the following Sunday evening (when we meet) in our gathering/worship time (and discussion, engagement, and conversation is an important value for us!). While I am working primarily in this context, I decided to use the blog as a way for our participants and members to access this, and to make it available for anyone else that is interested.

Enough on the introduction….

I titled this week’s reflections, “Jesus as the final and definitive revelation of God” (p. 33 Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places). Perhaps it doesn’t need a citation as it is a common phrase and used often. “Final” and “definitive.” That isn’t appealing and it may appear harsh to many in our setting in Denver…or North America, in general.

But, I would suggest that this has been the confession and conviction of the Christian community in all ages and contexts. While this can be stated in various ways, the confession of Jesus as God incarnate has been a common thread. I must add: to think that anyone could presume (much less, me!) to address all the implications of “Who is Jesus?” in 6 weeks is preposterous! My hope is that we might center on some core aspects of this question that will prompt us to a greater relationship with the living Christ and living it more fully.

So, if this is true, Jesus as the “image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15) and “in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. 2:9), then this will move us to pay more attention to Jesus and all that we know about him. In fact, it changes everything.

As you begin your day- or end it or pause in the middle of it- the invitation I would offer is not to get sidetracked on an intellectual word game or haggle over a hyper-creedal statement about Jesus, but to ponder and rest in this reality from Colossians 1 and 2, and that of Jesus as the “final and definitive revelation of God.”

Question: How might my life be impacted today, and throughout my life, as the result of Jesus being the “final and definitive revelation of God?”

Prayer: Lord, while I hold the mystery that I can never fully grasp and comprehend who you are, I also live with ultimate gratitude that I can know you. I give thanks that when I see you, Jesus, that I see God. Help me to see you more fully, Jesus. In your name I pray. Amen.

"Living gently in a violent world"

2009-02-22T09:37:00.000-08:00

My blog title today is a recent book by Stanley Hauerwas and Jean Vanier. It is an invitation to the way of peace, rooted in "weakness" from the story of the L'Arche experience, and grounded in Jesus. For those who don't know, L'Arche is a web of communities made up of people with various disabilities that Vanier started in France. (Henri Nouwen introduced many to L'Arche when he moved to Toronto in the 90s to be pastor/member of the L'Arche community there.)

Good stuff on "weakness" (see 1 Corinthians 12), violence, peace. A few lines from Vanier, among the many simple, profound words...

In a word of how we grow and learn together, he says, "We must begin at the bottom. Jesus came to announce good news to the poor, freedom to the captives, liberty to the oppressed, sight to the blind. Let's help the poor to rise up, and then help those who have power and money to see that for the sake of peace, which is the greatest good humans can seek, they too should enter into this vision and start helping the weak to rise up." (p. 71)

I have learned much about myself, the "upside-down kingdom," weakness, peace and community from those who have been considered dispensable in the eyes of the world. Someone like Vanier has much to teach me and followers of Jesus.

When describing what places like L'Arche can teach the world, he invites us to have communities of celebration. "Maybe what our world needs more than anything is communities where we celebrate life together and become a sign of hope for our world. Maybe we need signs that it is possible to love each other." (p.75)

More and more, in the course of reflection and listening to what others are saying, these words ring true to me. To demonstrate love for each other. To live out, imperfectly and yet real, love, reconciliation, celebration, laughter, non-violence, compassion, forgiveness, weakness, and acceptance.

The world desperately needs to see this. Thanks, Vanier.

...Footnote: beginning Tuesday (after a slack on the blog) I'll try something new: I'm writing a daily devotional/reflection during these 6 weeks before Easter (Lent, as it is known in many parts of the larger Church). The focus will be on the centrality of Jesus- primarily as I see its meaning for our new church, The Bridge (Denver). So, while the primary context is this setting, it may have a broader application for reflection on the nature of Jesus, the Kingdom of God, etc.

A "bigger" gospel

2009-01-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

In some circles "gospel" has been reduced to forgiveness of sins. Yes, it includes that; but it is much more when we look at the whole Story in the scriptures. And, that has massive implications for how we live our lives, portray hope, care for creation, seek peace, work for social justice...essentially, all the practical details of our lives in how we "love God" and "love neighbor."

In a recent blog post, Scot McKnight defined gospel in this way: "it is the work of God to restore cracked Eikons [image], in the context of the community of faith, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Spirit, and this restoration is to both union with God and communion with others for the good of others and the world."

I've added that to my catalogue of definitions of "gospel."

As 2009 begins, what question are you asking?

2009-01-03T11:21:00.000-08:00

As I begin 2009, I'm thinking about the questions I'm asking walking into a new year. I'm thinking about the questions that others are asking, as well.

For most, I don't think it's the question that I was told my freshman year of college.

I attended a very conservative church that year, one which emphasized evangelism- in a very specific form. I was eager to be an evangelist, in a personal friendship evangelism, and I wanted to learn everything I could about how to be an effective evangelist. (I still carry some of this "first love" but in an entirely different way and theology.)

So, I attended a weekly class on a popular method of evangelism in those circles. What interested me was not only the teaching from this book but that we would put this in practice- going out in two's or three's. When we went into homes to visit folks who visited the church, or had a "prospect" from our own lives, we were trained on how to do small talk. Knock on their door, get into their home, chit chat for awhile, and then- Zing! Get to The Question.

Here it is: "If you were to die tonight, do you know for sure where you will go?" (That is, to heaven or hell.)

That's the question I don't find most people asking. I'm not suggesting it's unimportant nor that to be a follower of Jesus doesn't include the issue of what happens after one dies. I do think it includes this but I see it framed in quite different ways than just, "If you were to die tonight..."

So, here's one of the questions I am asking: "How do I want to live my life?"...And, I find others, many others, asking that question or ones similar to it.

When asking this question, it is sometimes prefaced with, "If you had only 2 years to live, how would you want to live your life?" Some are facing this kind of question and it is a real question. Most of us are not facing this question (that could change overnight, of course, with some sad news of a terminal illness). If I did receive such news, it would alter my life radically.

But, I want to ask myself something more along these lines: "If I have a bunch of years left to live, how do I want to live my life?" I think that's a question more engaging, with more potential, and that many more persons are asking- or, perhaps waiting to be asked.

But, this question also fits more, from my vantage point, into The Story of God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the message of Good News- the gospel. It's teeming with life, and life is fundamental to what this story and message of Good News is about.

"The kingdom is near! It's at hand! Change, turn around and believe this good news!" So says Jesus in Mark 1:14-15. Jesus, God in the flesh, has come announcing this message of life, freedom, joy, hope and good news. It is in the very person of Jesus- God breaking into our world to redeem, save and restore.

And yes, this life that can begin now will find it's ultimate form for all eternity in the new heavens and new earth.

Standing at the edge of a new year I'm asking this question again and filled with hope as I think of Jesus' words on the kingdom, pregnant with meaning and hope.

It gives me more energy than to think of just going through the motions or asking where I'll go when I die. This question of how I want to live already includes the issue of life after death.

Christmas, humanity and divinity of Jesus, and mystery

2008-12-26T12:21:00.000-08:00

I'm holding two things together as I walk through this Christmas season. It's also something we are intentionally holding together in this new church- The Bridge- that is beginning.

The two things go something like this: the confession about nature of Jesus' humanity and divinity and how mystery enfolds this very truth.

On the one hand, I believe and live out of the reality that the Church has said in all traditions and in all of history: God became flesh and blood in Jesus- God, the Son (and our new church has also been built on "orthodox" Christian teachings and beliefs). This is the meaning of the Incarnation: God becoming flesh. Yes, we say, Jesus is fully human. And, yes, we say, Jesus is fully divine.

Historically, those in the more conservative stream have backed away or have had fear in naming the humanity of Jesus. Some in more liberal streams have been hesitant or reject acknowledging the full divinity of Jesus. The Church, throughout history, has said both.

I readily acknowledge this truth.

And...I also live with mystery in attempting to grasp this marvel that has changed my life and countless others. I echo the feelings of Madeleine L'Engle, "Don't try to explain the Incarnation to me! It is further from being explainable than the furthest star in the furthest galaxy." I am uncomfortable when we try to explain this, robbing this truth of its mystery.

But, this are not mutually exclusive: the truth that God became flesh in Jesus of Nazareth (God in flesh and blood) and that we can't explain this entirely. We live with this grand mystery that has changed our lives forever!

This is a mystery. A wonderful, powerful mystery! And, I pray words like the Church throughout history about The Story in which we are living our stories. Prayers like these, that are in "The Divine Hours" (Phyllis Tickle, p. 431) as part of my daily prayer: "Purify my conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in me a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."

"Joy to the world! The Lord is come!"

Belief...belonging...behavior

2008-12-13T12:05:00.000-08:00

What about "Christianity" would be attractive to some of our neighbors or others on the "outside?" For that matter, attractive to "insiders?"

That's a topic that could fill pages of blogs, books and engage one in hours of discussion...and it has. I'm prompted by some insightful proddings, and credible research, by Alan Kreider in a small (out of print, I believe) book, "The Change of Conversion and the Origin of Christendom." It examines early Christianity and includes this idea of the attractiveness of these early Christians and churches/communities.

Specifically, I am thinking about belief, belonging and behavior, which Kreider traces with respect to conversion and the changes in history.

A nugget: "The early Christians lead us to reconsider the balance of ingredients in conversion...They did of course emphasize right beliefs...But the emphasis in the early Christian liturgies of a radical shift in the believers' sense of belonging...seems extreme to us. Even stranger to us...is the focus on transformed behavior." (p. 103) This was one of the very attractive pieces for those on the outside looking in, says Kreider.

Little is different today. Perhaps even more so in a "Post Christendom" culture where the church is again moving to the margins as in the first centuries.

While "right beliefs" are important (e.g. God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; God Incarnate, Jesus- the mystery of his full divinity and full humanity; the redemptive work of God in Christ-the victory of Christ over the powers of evil, sin and death; the centrality of the Kingdom of God; God's reconciling work with a new heaven and new earth) this is not the primary thing attractive to those who have not entered God's story. I do not find people, as a whole, looking for a "good set of beliefs."

What will indeed be compelling is the observation of people with a consistent way of living who, while stumbling, display love, fairness, justice, have compassion for the poor and discarded in society, forgiveness, gentleness- in a culture of violence, sexual morality, and so on (behavior). That is...will any of this make a difference in how I live?

Further, it is compelling to see a living, breathing group of people sharing their lives, serving one another, taking care of the needs of one another in the group, praying for each other, and not just living isolated lives (belonging). That is...will I have others to walk with me in community?

I am aligned with Kreider's thesis that the early Christians' conversion (the message of Jesus that sets people free, opens up abundant life) changed the nature of- quite radically, in fact- behavior and belonging as well as belief. As the church lives out this new life in Christ (behavior), and has a genuine level of community (belonging), rooted in their beliefs, and as it is "sent" into the middle of life in the world, I believe these will be the most attractive elements for a life with God-- especially, living in a world wandering in narcissism, individualism, consumerism, violence and with little sense of a moral center.

That gives me hope- to consider being part of such a community of Jesus' followers!

Yard sign during the election

2008-11-19T17:43:00.000-08:00

I'm squeamish when talking about politics and the church since I have witnessed its abuse over and over again. I was hesitant to put a sign in the yard for a presidential candidate as I didn't want this to be perceived as a pastor indicating that this is "the" way one should vote.

But, it felt different this year, and for the first time in my life as a pastor, our church community had a discussion about the election- should one vote as a follower of Jesus? If so, what should be the values that help guide that decision? So, we put a sign in a yard. And even though it may appear trivial, I didn't want to say in this setting whose name was on that sign until after the election.

When I had finished mowing my yard in mid-October, and I was sweeping off the driveway, my neighbor across the street hollered, "I like your yard. I mean, I really like your yard since the yard sign went up." (pointing to the Obama/Biden sign) "Oh, yeah?" I said. I started meandering across the street to his driveway where he was shooting some hoops.

He is about 23 years old, working on his MBA and living at home temporarily. This was going to be his 2nd presidential election in which he would vote. I'm 53 and this was to be my 9th. "You like it, huh?" He begins to tell me that this is how he is leaning but he hasn't made the final decision yet.

And what he said next is why I mention who I voted for. He said, "I'm surprised, though, with your sign. You're a pastor in one of those evangelical churches, right? [It would be too complex to get into some theological discussion of where I fit, so I just said, "Yeah, sort of."] "Well, I thought all of you pastors vote for the more conservative, Republican candidates, especially because of their view on abortion. So, why are you voting for Obama?"

We had a great, short discussion. I was able to say that when I vote, I take into consideration a list of values, growing out of my faith in Christ, that includes abortion, as well as, policies and positions related to poverty, education for children in poor communities, issues related to justice for the poor, minority populations, and others, gender issues, war, death penalty, etc., etc. This was the first time he heard those issues from a pastor. I asked him what issues were important to him and it was a wonderful exchange.

I'm not here to advocate that this was the "right" candidate. But, I am happy for a growing group of those in the evangelical community who are saying there are many more issues than just abortion that should matter to us.

Not only am I opposed to the concept that if you are a committed follower of Jesus you will vote for this candidate (fill in the blank). But, I also do not place my greatest hope in the ballot vote for a candidate; I believe a much greater impact is found when a community of those who follow Jesus embody his life in them, living it out in their context. So, I'm with a growing group of voices like Greg Boyd and Shane Claiborne who point to this reality.

So, in four years, maybe I'll vote, maybe not. Maybe I'll put a candidate's sign in my yard, maybe not. But, I do hope our church will be growing, day by day, in what it means to be the church, a church incarnate embodying hope, forgiveness, justice, equity, courage, compassion, grace, loving one another and enemies, and living in the way of Jesus.

That's my most significant vote.

This justice thing

2008-11-15T09:30:00.000-08:00

I'm reading a remarkable book, one to digest, savor and not let the words die when it finds a home on my bookshelf. At the same time, our new church, all of ten weeks old, is in prayer and discussion on very specific ways we will go to Kingdom-work in serving others and seeking to do justice. This is built into what we see this good news of Jesus Christ to be about.

Three thoughts from this book are on my mind this morning, and they feed into what we are considering as a community seeking to follow Jesus in the way of service, social justice, compassion and peacemaking. This is from N.T. Wright's most recent book, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church.

First: in building for the Kingdom with respect to our calling and mission as the church, Wright notes that justice is not an add-on. With regard to the specific issues in our day and context, he believes "the major task that faces us in our generation, corresponding to the issue of slavery two centuries ago, is that of the massive economic imbalance of the world." (p. 216) He calls this the "number one moral issue of our day." If this is on target, what does this imply for the mission of the church?

The second thing that I am pondering this morning is the idea of holiness. Oh, boy; sounds real "churchy" or religious. Without going down some rabbit trails on this term, and some of the intricate biblical definitions, for our purposes here I'll use it to mean: seeking to live our lives in concert with the ethics, values and morality of the Kingdom of God. God is holy; we seek to live our lives as God revealed himself in Jesus.

One of Wright's phrases is particularly relevant here: "Christian holiness consists not in trying as hard as we can to be good but of learning to live in the new world created by Easter....Personal holiness and global holiness belong together." (p. 253) Our personal lives are not isolated and severed from the call to do justice and to be a voice that will address specific issues of social injustice. If we are not endeavoring to live a just life, it will be difficult to call for justice in other places.

The third nugget is that we need one another. The "church." Or whatever we want to name this (sometimes a name loses its meaning if it is distorted over time)- community of faith, a community of Jesus' followers, etc. We will be called individually, in clusters or collectively as a church to serve needs in our city or to be agents of the Kingdom helping to bring about justice. And, in Wright's words, "All will need one another for support and encouragement. All will need to be nourished by the central, worshipping life of the church." (p. 268)

I find energy in considering these aspects for our church, and, I would suggest, for other churches and communities. These have concrete, practical application for the church:

We will need to be people of prayer and discernment to be led to the specific areas where we are called to serve and to address social injustice. What are the great moral issues of our day? What are we called to do as individuals and as a community?
The connection between personal and global holiness is especially vital today. Many are disillusioned with the "church" because of the disconnect many see or perceive. People want to see what we say. This is not about perfection; it is about spiritual transformation.
This must all be based in community. We are not isolated islands of individuals. When we are called by God to serve in a particular capacity (tutoring disadvantaged kids, feeding a homeless population, visiting a discarded, lonely senior, becoming an agent of change for in public housing, etc.), we will need support from others. And this is not just any community; it is spiritual community rooted in Jesus. We need life and nourishment that comes from prayer, scripture, and worship of God, the source of our life.

The possibilities are endless for a community of hope!

I was riding my bike, minding my own business…

2008-11-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

I had my next post almost written in my head, and then I went on a bike ride…

Then a new idea popped up on the ride. It had to do with peace and war, and a guy driving a pick-up truck that was being totally ridiculous. Those who know me understand how much I love biking. Road biking in the Denver area. It’s a gorgeous early evening, perfect weather and I hopped on my bike for an hour ride.

The sky is turning colors as the sun is going down- blue, pink and blistering orange. My heart rate is up because I’m getting a decent workout, but my “heart” is at peace because I’m relaxed and loving the ride! We all have things that renew and bring life, clearing the mind and soul. Biking is one of those things for me.

The ride is great until… this huge, apparently new black pick-up starts to veer to the right in my direction. Toward the bike lane. The well-marked bike lane on the right. I had ridden along the Cherry Creek Reservoir and then went outside the park on some roads next to the park to vary my ride.

This was late in the afternoon/early evening and there was a long line of traffic waiting for the red light. I’m cruising on the bike path, with other bikers that day, and approach the light. “Why is that truck starting to head toward the bike path, off the road??,” I wondered. As I got closer, it was obvious he was trying to nudge me off the road. I slowed down and he kept inching over into the bike lane. I could see him looking my way in the rear view mirror.

Instead of an absent-minded driver, here was a guy intentionally moving into the bike lane when he sees this bike ready to pass him in the bike lane. What’s the deal?! Actually, a few other words went through my mind, muttering them under my breath, but I can’t put them down here!

As I barely made it past him, almost getting knocked off the path, my thoughts go down this path: Ok, so you don’t bike or jog or whatever and you’re ticked off when you see persons working out….You’d probably have a gun rack in your rear window if it was legal in the city…Then some other prejudiced thoughts leaked out.

I’ll never know what was going through his head: it might be some stupid insecurity, or he’s frustrated at a long line at the traffic light, or he had a bad day at work. Who knows. Whatever it was, he was still being nasty for whatever reason. And, I was upset. Angry.

Now here’s the good thing about biking for me: in the grandeur of creation, with blood pumping into my body, God seems to speak to me quite often. (Not that “speaking” of an audible voice but with nudges and thoughts.) And, it happened that day.

Like this…What are you thinking, Phil? Are you going to turn this into hate for your “truck-enemy?” Ok, so he’s being a jerk- for whatever reason; but hate won’t win. Further, if you can’t work at the love-the-enemy-thing for the dude in the black truck, how are we going to work at communicating this Kingdom message to broader and more perilous situations of violence and war?

Busted! Alright; I get it! So, after I had some time to reflect a bit, and when he finally got through the red light and passed me, I reluctantly prayed for him. There wasn’t a gush of warm, fuzzy feelings. But, I prayed for the guy, and it was a start to diffusing of the anger.

A lesson on praying for and loving our enemies, as Jesus calls us to do. Now, I don’t suggest that there is a direct parallel to this situation and the decision to dropping horrific bombs and killing thousands of people. I believe issues of violence and war are areas for the church to address, live out and be prophetic for the sake of the good news. However, I was reminded of how all of this must start from within- having our heart continue to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus- this Jesus who has called us to these very things.

Peace (shalom= wholeness, well-being, peace) is not just peace within or peace in one’s heart. But, it is hard to display the outer forms and actions of non-violence and peace without the inner work of peace.

I don’t always succeed in this; I’m still a work in process of being transformed into the likeness of Christ. But, this also was a result: by God getting it through my thick head, and heart, that I should pray for that guy, I was released from a spirit of retaliation and the rest of the bike ride was great!

Want to guess how the rest of the bike ride would have gone if I held onto the resentment, listing the reasons in my head this guy is crazy??

(Next: a follow up to my presidential candidate’s sign in our yard.)

They say there is an election in two weeks

2008-10-22T17:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, cut this guy some slack. I'm trying to get rolling with my blog. I resonate with Greg Boyd when he said last year, "To be honest, I don't get this blogger thing at all...I'm sure it's because I'm almost 50."

I'll figure it out as I go, I'm sure.

A thought came to me when I was on a bike ride last week: putting that campaign sign up in our yard, for one of presidential candidates, evoked some conversation in the neighborhood. Neighbors tend to keep to themselves in our neighborhood and there isn't a ton of chatting. But, the sign prompted more talk than usual.

Like when there's a snow storm and everyone is outside shoveling their driveways and the conversation picks up. Or, when we had that terrible rain storm and flooding in Indianapolis and neighbors were pitching in to help, or at least, commiserate together.

Some interesting things happened due to that sign (the first time I put a sign out for a presidential candidate). It's worth a few more lines, at least for me.

But, I decided against writing about it until November 5th or later. The primary reason: from my years as a pastor I do not want to be seen as endorsing a specific candidate. So, I'll wait until November 5th to say more about this; it won't be primarily about the specific candidate as it is the broader issues pertaining to faith, politics, and so forth. (This might appear contradictory since I have a sign in my yard! Fair enough. But, I view it as my expression in my neighborhood.)

Here's what I can say now. This current election has stirred up a chunk of emotions. Other presidential elections have, as well. It has eaten into a lot of my time over the past year, whether it is reading the New York Times or Denver Post, Newsweek or Time, the Jon Stewart Show or CNN, Sojo or Christianity Today, Googling, Youtube or...blogs!

When you have the Democratic National Convention in your own city, you are bombarded with the news and the city is alive in new ways. Gail and I read, watch, view and engage in conversations with others and then spend time on our walks or over dinner comparing notes and ideas.

Here's the thing: I have got caught up in this and get fooled into thinking that it is more than it truly is. In Kingdom of God terms, that is. Considering, praying and discerning who might be a better candidate for President is worthwhile. It can play a role in what we think will be a more humane society, striving for the common good in a nation. But, it's not the most important piece.

What I find more crucial- much more critical, in fact, is what followers of Jesus are actually doing. Those communities (ok, I'll say "church," if you understand that I'm not talking about some institutional reality) who gather, talk, build community, worship, study, pray, and then act on that commitment to Jesus to the poor, marginalized, lost, suffering and broken in their sphere. That's where the primary action is.

You don't have to choose: do I vote or do I become part of community seeking to live out the way of Jesus in one's city or area? Both actions can flow out of one's faith. They do for me.

I see it like this: I will vote for one candidate who I believe holds positions that will help advance some of the areas for the common good in our nation and world. But, it doesn't hold a candle to gathering on Sunday nights (when our new church meets) to eat, hang out, pray, read Scripture, put together Mennonite Central Committee relief kits for people in Iraq, Nicaragua, Haiti, etc. and discern together how to live out the way of Jesus in serving people in our city.

1st blog post..."mission statement"

2008-10-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me is aware that I’m a couple of steps behind the majority culture when it comes to technology. When my friends, family and colleagues were well on the way with email, years ago, I resisted. I had my arguments lined up for debate: “There’s no substitute for the ‘high-touch’ forms of communicating- in person or on the phone.” “Communication could slide into being impersonal; even the hand-written note conveys something about the personal nature of what I want to communicate that an email could never do.” “This could lead to further breakdown of community.” I had my reasons.

That was then and this is now: how could I exist without email?

“I-pod? I’m fine, thank you, with my CDs. Saving songs to I-tunes and purchasing songs will be time consuming.” Guess who listens to his I-pod on bike rides and working out at the fitness center?

Then: “Digital camera? Is it necessary?” Now: “Why didn’t you guys tell me about this before?!” In the past I kept my list of contacts in the back of my Franklin Covey Planner (nope, I haven’t switched to a PDA yet), whereas now, I run down the cell number, email, home address, and personal information in my Contacts in Outlook.

It won’t take Albert E’s keen intellect to deduce that I’ve been late to the blogging scene. I’ve been pushed and poked and prodded by friends and family to consider my own blog.

My read is that there are tons of reasons why people blog and some that are great and some that are, uh, not so great.

So, here’s my primary motivation for this blog: the start of our new church and community in Denver. This is one vehicle to communicate the vision, hopes and direction of this church for participants and for those who may be interested. As well, I hope it can be a setting to offer some reflections- perhaps, on-the-ground theology and stories and ways of trying to live in this way of Jesus here and now. My hope is for conversation and engagement with interested folks.

Blog entry number 1…

Some of you will know that we are starting a new church in Denver (I’ll have much more to say about this in the future; since we are just getting started and only three weeks old, and no website yet, I’m very happy to communicate personally about this). It will be affiliated with the Mennonite Church (I’ll try to dispel some of the myths about Mennonites in the future- no, we’re not Mormons, I don’t have a horse and buggy, my wife does not wear a white bonnet, and I like to dance).

But, we will be more than that and not linked to some of the historical, cultural expressions of the Mennonite Church, e.g. dress, style of worship, family ancestry and so on. For example, with the beginning group in this church, only a minority of the persons are from any Mennonite Church background. It will be tied to faith values of personal relationship with God, serving one another and the world, social justice, peace and endeavoring to be a visible expression as a community of Jesus’ followers here and now.

One further thought. I’m reading a book by N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, and a potent line jumped out at me. (He wants to have us rethink a popular notion going around for some time: that the point for Christians is all that matters is getting a “soul saved,” dying and then this disembodied soul goes off to heaven. It’s got to be more than this. I’m with him!)

So, this line jumps out at me, a good summary line. And, it occurs to me: this could be my “mission statement” of sorts. And our new church’s mission statement. And, something you might consider. Here goes:

“Our task in the present…is to live as resurrection people in between Easter and the final day, with our Christian life, corporate and individual, in both worship and mission, as a sign of the first and a foretaste of the second. (p. 30)

I like this. I like this a lot. I have never written a personal mission statement that I have laminated and tacked to my office wall. But, this feels like a mission statement I could live with.

This is part of what I’m seeking to do: live as a resurrection person, in between Easter and the final day, and that this life can be a sign of the first (Easter) and a foretaste of the second (final day). That’s what I seek to be in my marriage, how I treat the clerk at King Soopers or the waitress at McCormick and Schick’s who brings drinks and appetizers, why our recycling bins are full each week, why I pray for those who see me as their enemy, why we put relief kits together for persons in Iraq…actually, for every facet of my life. I falter, ask for forgiveness, and keep going.

Hey, I think this is a compelling mission statement. I think many in the world are looking for this type of visible Christianity. Not just talk and theology and statements of faith, but living “testaments” of faith as resurrection people, here and now.

That’s the hope for my life. That’s the hope for this new church and community in Denver.