American Babylon

Like a typical millennial I watch a fair amount of Netflix. Alright, I watch a lot of Netflix. Shayla and I are on our second or third time through The Office and we aren't ashamed. The abundance of good shows on Netflix has made me picky about good writing. I'm convinced that The West Wing was one of the best written shows in the last couple decades. I love politics, power plays, negotiations, drama, etc. but today, 10 years or so after it was on cable, it seems lovingly nostalgic of a cleaner time in politics.  It is actual politics and not the veiled specter-like politics of the Hunger Games or Divergent. Like most millennials I am pretty disenchanted with our specter-Hunger-Games-esque politics. 

Maybe I'm young.  Maybe I'm naïve. Maybe I didn't live through the crazy 60s and desperate 70s and see the political and social contention then. But for my generation this political and social turmoil is slowly eroding our impression of America. We are the generation across the globe that goes crazy at soccer matches, gets excited about the olympics, bonds at concerts, and express passion in groups. Patriotism is, in theory, a fantastic opportunity for millennials to bond together.  National movements, rallies, speeches, something to get behind and excited about... but in stead we are utterly disgusted by what we see and the choices we are presented with.  So rather than forge a new generation of patriotic Americans today's political parties are turning away millions of passionate people, for what?

We can tell that the outward appearance of politicians is a farce, however hard the media tries to convince us that their public face is who they really are. As a generation who holds genuineness paramount, there is nothing more revolting than putting on an image to try and seek our approval. Shaping yourself to appear more presentable, crafting a message just right so it can ring in our ears, smiling and waiving at the right times to be caught on camera... But at the same time deleting thousands of racist, antisemitic, scheming emails and feigning ignorance or getting all steamed up over what you think we'll get steamed up about and not really holding any conviction on it is showing more of your facade than your convictions--and we find that demeaning.

A sobering thought hits me every now and then, "this is not the America I grew up in."  When I was younger I was hopeful that America would continue to grow, continue to be prosperous, continue to protect the world, continue to help the destitute at home and around the world. But today... Today Shayla and I are more concerned about preparing for when the shell all falls apart and society begins to break down. Seriously, the thought of society breaking down enters my mind more than the prosperity of America.

Pope Francis said something that resounded with me a few days ago during his visit to Poland after the Islamic jihadist attack on an elderly priest during the middle of mass in northern Fance. "We must not be afraid to say the truth, the world is at war because it has lost peace."  War is not always declared by a piece of paper or ratification among a body of representatives. War is declared sometimes by the sound of shattered peace. A shooting in a theater, a truck down a road full of people, a bomb at an airport, etc.


I like the BBC News. Not only because I wish I had an English accent but because I feel like they're far enough away from American politics to report with less of an agenda than American media. (Notice I said "far enough" and "less" not "totally removed" and "no.") I usually check the BBC News once a day. Pardon the cheesy reference but I feel like I finally empathize with Ron in the Deathly Hollows Part 1.  He always has that radio on. Why? Not because he loves hearing the news, it's always terrible. But because he has to know what's going on and make sure no one he loves has died. I hate the news today. There's been a terror related attack at least once every few days for the last month. But I refuse to turtle up and become ignorant and just live in my little home. 

So how are we responding? For me and my family we are first grieving the loss of our impression of what we thought America was. Next we are staying alert and keeping our heads up. Finally, we learn skills that prepare us for the worst and hope that one day it just makes us really good at recreational camping and not wilderness survival. 
Whether we like it or not, the world is at war again. No, I'm not saying that the world hasn't always been at war in some way or another, but this is different.  This is like 1920s or 1930s Europe, the bigger, more physical confrontations are coming.  Keep your radios on, not because the news is good, but because you don't want to be ignorant. 

Ultimately I know that Jesus is Lord. That scares me.  Not because I doubt my salvation or his sovereignty, but because of his unpredictability in my selfishly organized world.  Political parties and even radical ideologies are somewhat predictable. But sometimes God does the seemingly unexpected because we aren't aligned with what he wants for the world. It is unfathomable and truly offensive to some people to even suggest that maybe God is writing on the walls of the American experiment. The real question to ask is will we, Christians, become more like Belshazzar or more like Daniel. 

The Entropy of Love

"I love you" is not a foreign phrase that needs translating, it's not an obscure phrase that needs parsing, it's something children can understand, heck, it's something dogs can probably understand.  But the meaning those three words hold is profound.  The greatest love is "when a man lays down his life for a friend."  We can know love only by first being loved.  Think about that, you would have no idea what love is without your parents, friends, significant others, etc.  It's not something that is spontaneously generated out of nothingness.  We can only know true love by first knowing God's love.  If we don't express love, other people can't know what it is to be loved.  Marriage and family are two of the most fundamental generators of love.  So why do so many marriages that were passionate, exciting, and loving in the beginning fall apart?  Why do so many husbands and wives slowly drift apart and end up alone? (You can remain married and still be alone.)  It is because love is entropic in nature, meaning if it is not maintained it will slowly fall apart and disintegrate.

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." -1 Jn. 4:10-11

The logical conclusion of being loved is to love others.  You know this, it isn't groundbreaking.  I was talking with a friend the other day and they asked me offhandedly how often Shayla and I say "I love you" to each other.  I thought about it for a bit and said probably somewhere around two dozen times a day.  He was surprised it was that high.  It's not something we really think about anymore, but it's the best short phrase to express a multitude of feelings and thoughts.

I began thinking, is it just a reaction, are they just filler words at this point, do we really mean it every time? So over the course of a couple weeks I thought about it every time I told Shayla I loved her.  Thankfully, I meant it every time, it was the best pithy phrase to express what I was feeling or thinking, and was more appropriate than writing a poem or something at the time.  I think, considering the state of the world, we are very blessed to be in a relationship that expresses this much love.

But just saying "I love you" daily is not enough.  Maybe it's enough for women expressing their love to the man in their life, but it definitely is not enough for most women.  This is not a knock on women, it's how they were designed.  That's why Paul reminds us "Husbands love your wives..." (Eph. 5:25) Through some trial and error and after much confusion, I've learned that Shayla (and truly, most women) have to be reminded of love--frequently.  Going back through old journals, text messages, notes, etc. I've found that Shayla feels most loved through little random things.  A poem, a goofy picture with a mushy caption, spending a little extra time together, a shoulder rub, things that cost me very little but mean the world to her.

Whenever I write her a letter now or buy her a cat yoga calendar (yes... they exist) and she feels all warm and fuzzy I've started telling her "marriage is about finding new ways to say 'I love you.'"  Breaking the monotony, being vulnerable, and most importantly expressing love in any way that it can be received is the lifeblood of a healthy relationship and the force that holds entropic love together.

Find a new way to tell your partner or someone you love them.  Don't let love fail and fall apart, it is a gift from God.

"And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." -1 Jn. 4:21

What's in a Name?

Shayla and I's wedding day is quickly approaching and we're beyond excited!  One question that I keep asking is, "why are we doing this?"  Not "why are we getting married," I have never questioned that, but "why are we doing this part of the ceremony," "why do we have to do this part of the reception?"  "Is this particular thing an essential part to getting married or a frivolous expectation set by the culture in which we live?"

One of the things that we have evaluated by that question is "why does the bride change her name?"  Is this a cultural expectation that just goes back in history and we've forgotten its purpose?  Is it a display of our misogynistic society?  Is it an androcentric idea?

I was reminded of this when watching TV one afternoon and a couple was arguing about whether or not the bride should change her name.  This commercial has prompted this post, because I think it is something we have forgotten as a culture.  Changing a name is not a demarkation of property, it is a sign of a covenant.  For those of us who still believe marriage is a God given covenant, this is very important.

In order to understand the significance of any covenant we have to understand what a covenant is, and what it is not.  First, what it is:

• Bond or agreement between two people
• One person is primarily responsible for said covenant
• It is usually sealed in blood
• If one party breaks the covenantal agreement, the other party doesn't break it, but rather tries to restore the covenant.

This is different from a contract.  A covenant is not a contract, but our world is very comfortable with contracts, heck, I'm a contract worker for a lot of different jobs.  Here are some properties of a contractual relationship.

• Agreement between two parties
• Both parties are equally responsible
• Sealed by a signature or handshake
• If one breaks the contract the other party is no longer obligated to fulfill their end.

The differences are subtle but a covenant is not a contract.  Let's look at some examples of covenants.

Abraham and circumcision: God establishes Abraham as the father of his people and seals that covenant by male circumcision.  Needless to say, God is primarily responsible for this agreement as he is going to protect them, lead them, and provide for them.  The circumcision is only a mark of this agreement.  If Abraham breaks the agreement how does God handle it?  He doesn't just wipe his hands and walk away... he seeks earnestly to restore the covenant.  And then, there's the blood, when flesh is cut, it produces blood.

Jesus and the crucifixion: When Christ died on the cross, he sealed the new covenant that God has made with believers.  There was no shortage of blood, and God is definitely the one primarily responsible for this relationship. 

Marriage: In the Christian understanding, though the husband and wife are seen as equals, the husband is the one who is held responsible.  In the first marriage, when Adam and Eve sin, God does not call for Eve, even though she sinned first.  He is looking for Adam; why did he allow this to happen?  He was responsible for Eve's mistake as well as his own.  In Ephesians 5 this is outlined by Paul even more, the husband is the head of the wife, not as domineering tyrant, but loving provider.  (Shayla likes to remind me of the quote from My Big Fat Greek Wedding where the wife says "the husband may be the head, but the wife is the neck, she can turn the head any direction she wants.")  This does not mean he is a better person, nor any closer to Jesus, but he is the one responsible for the relationship.  Where is the blood?  There was an 18th and 19th century practice of hanging the bloodied honeymoon sheets outside the bedroom to show that the covenant had been sealed and the marriage consummated...  I'll leave it at that.

But there's one more thing, what's in a name?  Names show who you are, it's your identity, it's how people call you, identify you, and recognize you.  When God makes his covenant with Abram and Sarai he changes their names to Abraham and Sarah.  While God is changing Abram's name from "exalted father" to "father of a multitude" he's also subtly marking his name in Abram's by placing an "h" or "-ah" in it.  God places his name, or the shortened version of it, on Abram and Sarai to make their names AbrAHam and SarAH.  He is showing that he's responsible for them. The one responsible for the covenant gives their name. 

This is one reason why Shayla and I will continue this tradition, in recognition of our covenantal bond to God and each other through our marriage.  

God is a funny guy...

As I write this I realize I haven't posted in nearly a year, but I've started plenty of drafts.  Second guessing those drafts and their purposes eventually made me not post them.  But this one I've put a lot of thought into and is more or less a narrative of the past year to 18 months.  It's a long one, so if you end up reading it, thank you, but it was more cathartic for me to just write it.

__

I am a planner.  I typically start my day by showering, making a double shot of Cuban espresso, reading a few Psalms, and a chapter of some other book.  Then I sit down and think about what I need to do that day and put them in the order that's best to complete them.  If that's how much planning I put into one day, imagine how much I've thought about careers and long term goals.

When it comes to big decisions it may take me a while to make the decision as to what I'm going to do, but once I've made the decision, it's made.  That's my path and it now gets 100% of my effort and energy.  It took me a long time to decide where to go for grad school.  Did I want to go to seminary and pursue a Masters of Divinity or get a Masters of Education from another institution.  Once I made the decision I went for it.  Here I am a year later, one year of internship/classroom experience under my belt, teaching license in hand, degree almost complete (nothing left but the blasted thesis...) and plenty of contacts in the education industry, yet zero desire to be a teacher.  Over the past year I battled with not only writing lesson plans on time and making sure I was prepared for the next day but wondering if I had made the right choice.  I wonder sometimes should I have gone to seminary?  Should I have gone right into ministry?  Should I have kept working in the AV industry in Orlando?

I can't help but wonder why God pulled me towards education only for me to eventually arrive at the conclusion that it's not for me.  It's like I made the decision, started running at 100% towards the goal of an M.Ed. and job as a teacher only to discover I've been running on a treadmill for the last year.  Why?

I know one thing for sure was not a mistake.  I proposed to the love of my life about a year ago and we're getting married in roughly 45 days.  That was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the right decision.  So for that alone, I do not regret coming up to Tennessee.

My favorite characters in the Bible are Timothy, Jeremiah, Josiah, and David, among others.  Not only were they great men, but they were called to ministry early and succeeded in expanding God's Kingdom or leading them back to righteousness.  The verse "do not let them despise you because you are young" is a constant refrain in the back of my head.

But God has a funny way of reminding me of other characters in the Bible; people like Moses, Abraham, and Zechariah (John the Baptizer's father).  These men were not called to ministry until much later in life.  Heck, Moses had to wait 40 years in the desert watching sheep before even being called to go back to pharaoh.

All of this leads me to the conclusion that maybe running on a treadmill isn't as pointless as it seems. After all, you're still exercising and being prepared for the next chapter where you may be running outside in the real world.  Back to me being a planner, I know that God is also a planner.  If you can even fathom how he crafted a story over nearly two millennia from Moses penning the pentateuch around 1600BC to John writing Revelation around 100AD it doesn't happen by accident or chance.

The frustrating part is that God more often likes to show me his mysterious side than his planner side.  He likes to keep me guessing, wondering, and curious.

This isn't the first time God and I have had this issue.  When I arrived at FCC/JUFL I had my heart set on youth ministry.  But after 3 years and an internship in it, I arrived at the conclusion it wasn't the best fit for me.  I could do it but it wouldn't be the best fit.  So after much prayer and counsel from friends and mentors I set my sights on teaching.  A year later, here we are.  God's a funny guy.

At this point I am applying for AV ministry jobs across the country.  About a month ago I made it to the third round of interviews at a church in Illinois.  I feel certain that God will take care of Shayla and me.  I have no doubt there. 2016 could be as much of an existential crisis as 2014-15 was, but I hope not.  I hope I really have found the best fit to my skills, passions, and gifts.  I hope I can expand the Kingdom wherever I am given the chance to and that the Kingdom can grow in me there as well.  I pray that I can take care of Shayla and a new marriage.  I pray I am not trying to be a Timothy when God wants me to be a Moses.  I pray I don't plan God out of my daily life by structuring too many things and not allowing His Spirit to move.

Nostalgia

So there are very few things I'm nostalgic about.  (btw, here's a definition for nostalgia, I don't think I actually learned what it meant until college... "a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.")  I am nostalgic about my granny's old house in Mississippi, my parent's house in Ft. Lauderdale, the smell of an afternoon rain coming (doesn't happen a lot in TN) to name a few.  Smell is the fastest sense to register a memory.  Before you even realize the memory bubbling up from your brain was triggered by the scent you're in it.  

Anyway, what made me think of this were my headphones.  Why?  Earwax.  Just kidding.  Over the summer (2013) Shayla borrowed my headphones all summer to use at work.  No big deal really, nothing special.  Except Shayla is a trooper and worked outdoor maintenance... in the summer... in Florida.  Naturally the headphones now smell like sunscreen and sweat.  I used to grudgingly hug her whenever she came by my door for lunch or just to say hi.  But now that I pull these headphones out of their little trendy (but handy) apple case they unlock a time capsule of memories.  I was pulling these headphones out at Starbucks, and Shayla, sitting across from me, thinks I'm studying.   But, for a few moments, I am remembering little sweaty Shayla from 18 months ago, smiling, and wanting nothing more than a hug.  Life gets busy, Spring semester is always worse than the Fall... Stop and enjoy some nostalgia from time to time and hey, give a sweaty person a hug.

Alright, back to this school junk.

20 Steps Make All the Difference...

Sort of an impromptu post here.  Shayla and I both have class on Tuesday night and typically we get coffee and go for a walk in order to catch up on the day, sometimes pray together, and just relax before class.  Tonight as we were on the "final approach" to our classes there was a fork in the sidewalk that led to our two respective buildings.  Normally we are running a little late (to us that means we'll make it to class on time rather than 5 minutes early lol) and therefore say goodbye and split at the fork.  But tonight it made her night that I took the extra 20 steps to walk her to her building.  I'm sure she felt loved and felt all warm and cuddly, but for me it was just a simple extra 20 steps.

When it only costs you 20 extra steps to make someone's day, do it.  Small acts of selflessness (even the ones that aren't that costly to you!) keep relationships alive and make them thrive.  True love is selflessness in large doses like Christ on the cross and in small daily doses like 20 extra steps.  One thing I have learned about love in my relationship with Shayla is the value of small, daily, even unnoticed acts of selflessness is invaluable.  Our relationship would probably quickly wither if we stopped these little acts.  If you're in a relationship, do something impromptu to serve your other half; if you're not, serve a friend.  If you really want to go the extra mile plan something specific that you can do to serve the other person, but don't do it for the recognition or for the expectation of a return on your investment.  It's not an investment, it's a sacrifice.

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..." 

-Ephesians 5:25 ESV

Eggs, Pagan Worship, and Church Shopping

Episode 2!  Listen as Ryan Brackett and I talk about the idea of church shopping and do some follow up on last week's episode about church AV production and worship. (Episode 1)


"Is Your Church Worship More Pagan than Christian?" Article



Ryan's pictures of his favorite paper-towel dispensers:

This is easier than blogging...

This may surprise you, I listen to a lot of podcasts.  This may not surprise you, I'm opinionated.  My friend Ryan Brackett is away in South Asia and we don't get to talk a lot.  One Saturday we finally got to FaceTime and had a really good two hour discussion.  We thought we might record it and see if other people would like it.  So, we are trying a podcast about church stuff, christian thoughts/ideas, random culture things, whatever catches our attention really... So the link is below, it's only 22 minutes, if you like it, leave a comment (either here or on soundcloud) so that we know!



Worship Arts and Paper-Towels

Link to the article we talk about.


Ryan's paper-towels:
The Good:
(I'll put some of his pictures here when he is able to get them to me, remember, he's sort of in a developing country!)



The Bad:

Rain

Rain may be one of the best fitting metaphors of God's love. It's out of our control. It falls on everything, the grass, the crops, the concrete, the buildings. Everyone needs it and the good soil needs it to grow. For soil that is ready, receptive, and maybe even thirsty for it it not only hits the surface but sinks in, and becomes part of the soil. For the concrete that is resistant to it, even it can't help but soak a little up, and it is inevitably worn down by it's pitter patter over time.

I woke up this morning to a soft gentle rain outside my open windows. It was overcast and just gently and steadily raining. It's quite possibly the most peaceful thing I could have imagined. This week has been incredibly stressful and busy and I just kept going to bed frustrated every night and a little discouraged. Then I wake up to God gently taking my hand and showing me he's bigger, he's refreshing, and he gently loves. It took me a while to get this but now I understand that sometimes God loves to give good, beautiful, and perfect gifts to the ones he loves. Sometimes for no particular reason at all other than just to make them smile.

“Take me to that place Lord
To that secret place where
Where I can be with You
You can make me like You
Wrap me in Your arms
Wrap me in Your arms
Wrap me in Your arms”

It's not about the plant.

My Dad is an avid small gardener.  He loves growing his own tomatoes, peppers, sometimes cucumbers, etc.  We live in a major metro area in the suburbs but there’s a little patch of country garden on the side of the house that is well managed and taken care of.  His pride and joy (and honestly best tasting) are the tomatoes.

He recently got some “wild Everglades tomato plants.”  Yeah, a strain of tomatoes that started growing wild in the Florida Everglades and can produce fruit much later into the year, even after it starts staying above 80 degrees at night (which is when most normal tomato plants stop producing fruit).  He said they look pretty ugly, more like a weed than a typical tomato plant.  He was skeptical at first, but about a week ago he sent me this picture. 

It produced lots of little cherry tomatoes that he said tasted great!  He sent me this text along with the picture, “It’s about the fruit, not the plant.”  He has this method of gardening that produces incredible tasting fruit; only water the plant if it is going to die.  They don't need to be watered every day, only when they need it.  It was only after he sent me that text that something clicked and I replied “Dad, that would make a great sermon illustration.”  I was thinking of John 15 and how we only survive by staying connected to the Vine, Jesus Christ.  But what is the purpose of staying connected to the vine, of being a part of this vine that is Christ and his church?  It’s not for the vine to just grow and grow and grow (although that is definitely one purpose, it’s not the primary focus), the purpose of the vine is to produce fruit.

My point in drawing this out and explaining what clicked in my head is this: when you, as a Christian, feel like you aren’t getting the nutrients you need to grow lots and lots of fruit, maybe the Father is only watering you a little bit in order to produce fewer yet “better” fruit.  Remember it is not about you, and how good you look, it’s about the fruit and the Vine first, then you.

Graduation 2014 "Alma Mater"

This is more or less the transcript of my graduation speech for the 2014 graduating class at Johnson University Florida on May 2nd, 2014.

Alma Mater is a Latin term that translates to “caring mother.”  It has been used affectionately for a student’s first college or home college since the early 1700’s in England.  Alma Mater is appropriate because it is really only at college that young men and women are away from their parents for the first time and living on their own.  The world is a harsh place and our “caring mothers” extend, to a lesser degree, the warm, safe, wonderful, protected bosom that a mother provides for her children.  She allows them to grow up and figure out who they are in the world.

            This place has been our alma mater for the past four years.  An alma mater is made up of people, lessons, memories, and mentors.  We have sat with our classmates, friends, and peers in class, chapel, D-groups, church, and apartments.  Our mentors and teachers have taught us invaluable lessons inside and outside the classroom.  But what will make this place and time stick out to us 20 years from now are the memories that we made here.  Don Miller says it like this, “good stories have memorable scenes.”  I will remember my roommates and I singing happy birthday to Ryan Brackett Sophomore year at midnight wearing funny hats and interesting costumes.  I will remember the late night conversations in the living room solving the problems of the world with my roommates.  I will remember the constant rabbit chasing in our tech meetings in LB-1.  I remember watching everyone make cardboard forts.  I remember spending hours making that colored powder at Amos’ house so that we could make it last 5 minutes for everyone to throw at each other.  I remember every semester for the past four years “Da Jesus Book” a Hawaiian translation of the Bible has been pulled out and read at every study night event in the library.  I remember the frequent late nights at Denny’s finishing a group project at the end of most semesters. 

Make a list of those memories.  Keep them in a folder where you can go back and reflect on them when you’re lonely in ministry and tired of work.  The days are against you; they will be long and trying.  This speech should typically remind you to stay focused on Jesus the rest of your life.  We have all failed to do that even here at some point because of finals or projects that occupy our minds; imagine how much easier it will be to leave Jesus by the wayside when work, bills, and a family comes into play.

This place is not only designed to be a shelter for our last stage of development but a training ground.  What have we been trained in?

Professor Bundy has taught us how to deal with not only other people’s issues, but also our own.  Somehow every class turned into a counseling session where Bundy sorted out our issues in front of the whole class and at some point managed to shout “woe is me!”

Professor Sias not only tells the best stories but has taught us how to understand and connect with people – something she does intuitively.

“Don’t be an idiot, Dwight.”  “You could say that…” “You don’t know anything about Jesus.” Yes, Dr. Hardin humbled us and taught us his love of READING the Bible and studying it.  He trained us to be critical in our interpretation, challenged our preconceived notions, and explored and explained the full story and context.  He taught us whom Jesus really is and definitely made sure those who ventured to learn Greek were kept humble.

Dr. Hartley taught us how to understand the power of a good story, and that if we want to be taken seriously as Christians, that we need to learn how to communicate well.

Dr. Peters with his soul piercing blue eyes and question “how are you?” taught us how to defend our faith, understand why we believe what we believe.  He gave us previews of what we will encounter in the world we are entering into.  More than that, he taught us to give the benefit of the doubt and to always have compassion along with wisdom. 

Dr. Ritchie taught us that if we don’t want to repeat history and make the same mistakes as previous generations we have to understand what happened and why.  His vocabulary is only rivaled by his repertoire of pithy one-liners.

Doc Smith has forgotten more about the Old Testament than I will ever learn and he has written more books on it than I’ve ever read.

Each of these professors, and the ones I have not mentioned, has contributed to different facets of our education.  They have passed down knowledge, helped us understand how to solve problems (interpersonally and intrapersonally), and taught us how to study, learn, and teach this generation and the next about Jesus.

We are leaving this safe place of our alma mater and venturing out into the real world, where Bryce can’t help you make a payment plan since you don’t have enough money to pay for things right away.  Where you actually have to pay for A/C, Internet, TV, water, etc.  But more than that, we are going into a world where we are increasingly the minority.  Morality, absolute truth, traditional family structures, work ethic are all changing and we are on the shrinking side of the arena.

These people behind me are passing the baton on to us.  Now we have to stand and take our place in the world.  We have to teach others not just knowledge we have acquired but how to learn, think critically, interpret, etc.  We have to preach the Gospel to this generation.  We have to counsel those who are hurting and fighting with one another.  We have to lead people before the very throne of the Father while not getting in the way ourselves.  We have to be light to the world in a time when it is desperately needed.

In the midst of lesson plans, sermon writing, worship set planning, helping people work through issues, and just work in general we cannot forget that we ourselves are unfinished, incomplete.  We have to “continue to work out our faith with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). 

Christianity, is in essence, about becoming more like Christ.  In story terms this is called “character development.”  Character development does not happen in a void any more than a piece of metal becomes a sword by sitting in the sun.

Graduation speeches are supposed to be encouraging and uplifting saying we can conquer the world!  But leaving here is more like Bilbo leaving the Shire than the 300 leaving Sparta.  Friends we are leaving “home” and venturing into a whole new arena.

Satan is always going to be against us, and honestly if he’s not, you’re probably not shaking him up enough and need to work harder.  Satan will attack us through pride, loneliness, lust, laziness, insignificant arguments and distractions like getting too caught up in where the flowers should be placed on stage, that the sound guy didn’t unmute the mic quick enough, or didn’t preview that video that he played on the screen of the chapman center during the middle of a class banquet…

            One of my favorite writers is Donald Miller and in my D-group here with Jordan Stancil, Robby Williams, Tony Webb, and DJ Rodeffer we had it drilled into our head that “every good story has conflict.”  There are around 12 words for the concept of trial, test, persecution, or conflict in the New Testament. They appear a combined number of 217 times in the New Testament alone.[1]  We read our Bibles right friends?  So why are we surprised when we face trials?  It shouldn’t come as a surprise!

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. 1:6-7)

            “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

            “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. (Jn 15:18)

            “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (Jn 15:20)

            “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33)

            “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.  They will put you out of the synagogues (out of society).  Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God (and humanity).  And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.  But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.” (Jn. 16:1-4)

And that isn’t everything!  I could go into Nehemiah how everyone was working on the wall with weapon in one hand tool in the other or Job who’s entire life and story focuses a period of suffering.  Don’t shy away from conflict, friends. 

I know that I am proud to be a Sun of Johnson University Florida.  Character development has been difficult enough here in this protective place; I can only imagine what it will be like when we leave…  But more trial presents more opportunity to become more like Christ.  That intimidates me.  We can’t conquer the world, but we belong to someone who already has and has adopted us as his own family, and in that we have confidence and hope.  We also have confidence in the instruction we have received by the men and women seated behind me.  We must leave our caring mother, we must push forward, and we must continue the kingdom work that has been set before us.

Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

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Video can be watched here: http://new.livestream.com/accounts/5196051/events/2966272/archives

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[1] πειρασμος (21), πειραζω (39), δοχιμαζω (22), δοχιμή (8), κατακρίνο (18), θλῖψις (45), θραύω (1), καταδιναστεύω (2), πνίγω (3),  διώκω (45),  ἐκδιώκω (1), Διωγμόσ (10).

To the seemingly inconsequential...

My church here in Kissimmee has been going through a series that focuses on the Tabernacle and how Christ has now made us the tabernacle and his dwelling place.  One particular Sunday my preacher read an excerpt of Exodus 36 which is where construction of the Tabernacle begins.  

You have to understand who I am to understand why this has stuck with me and why it has impressed upon me enough to write about it.  I am a tech guy, I love going to concerts; sometimes if for nothing other than the lights and chest slapping bass that comes through the subs, I really could care less who is playing sometimes.  But I have wrestled with my passion for tech and a “good show” and how much of that should be included in worship services.  My generation is increasing the desire for more tech in Sunday morning worship and churches are beginning to spend more on A/V equipment.  For a long time I wanted LEDs, intelligent (aka moving) lights, creative prop/stage design, fog, haze, lasers (okay maybe not lasers), in services at my church.  I, at the very least, have always wanted to expand and take things to the next level of technical production.  But then I am hit with the memories of when my most powerful worship experiences have been…  They are usually with one acoustic and a circle of 3-60 people just singing their hearts out, not caring what they sound like, raising hands, swaying, etc. without amplification, without EQing, without any lyrics on a screen…  So why do I want tech so much in services?  Why has God given me so many opportunities to expand my knowledge and proficiency in the A/V world?  How do I use this to glorify him without distracting people by an amazing "show?"  I have wrestled with these questions for a long time, longer than most people would guess.

Anyways, back to the Exodus 36 Sunday.  Exodus 36 (you actually have to go back partially into Exodus 35) is about how God selected two artisans to oversee the physical construction of the Tabernacle and the articles that would be placed inside the Tabernacle.  God selects Bezalel and Oholiab to work, train, and oversee workers on what would become the center of the camp of Israel for decades to come(centuries if you count the time at Shiloh after the conquest)—even more than that, the Tabernacle was very model by which we understand how our own bodies are a tabernacle for God today as Christians.

Bezalel and Oholiab were, by Biblical standards, ordinary men.  They did not part seas, save countries from famine, make everlasting covenants with God, build a boat to save humanity… you get the picture.  These guys were just really good at carving wood, stone, working with gold, silver, precious stones, etc.  Matter of fact, it says that the Lord had put these skills into them.  These two ordinary men would be responsible for building (and probably maintaining) God’s dwelling place among Israel for the next few decades. 

God can still use my gifts in what seem unrelated to the kingdom to not only grow it but to make it something that leads people to focus more and more on Him.  The Tabernacle was not itself worshiped, it reminded people of God’s presence and was a place to worship and pray and focus on Him.  God takes ordinary people with seemingly unrelated skills and uses them for His glory--even tech guys.  

How else can God use your seemingly unrelated skills to help point people towards Him?  I really want to hear what stories you have or what ideas you have about using your gifts and talents, post them in the comments below.