glitch

Communications

2011-12-18T09:01:00.000-06:00

Seems like such a simple concept. I have an idea, an emotion or some information that I, in some manner, convey to you. Whether it be through spoken words, written words, an art form, some coded form of symbols or gestures, I am attempting to convey something from my mind into yours. So, what's the big deal?

I mean, the arts are still with us. They're still growing, evolving, keeping up with the times, right? And, if you get right down to it, spoken or written words, which most our culture consider to be different from other forms of sounds, symbols and gestures used to communicate, are really no different from these "lesser" forms of communication. They're just more accepted and formalized.

Well, I believe this is such a big deal because we, as a people, do this so poorly. I mean, we live in an age where "communication" technology is as advanced as it's ever been. And this technology is advancing at a dizzying rate. We can communicate to more people, faster, over greater distances than ever in the history of the world. Personal, face-to-face communications continue to exist to this day, and I will address those later. For now, I want to focus on communicating through technology. The written word. What it has gained us and what it has cost us.

200 years ago, our communications were slow and generally reached a pretty small audience. Most personal communications were delivered in hand-written letters and couriered by people, manually carrying them from you to its intended recipient. While written communication was, by modern standards, an art form in that day. It was emotionally charged, as much about communicating one's heart as it was about communicating facts. But it had its down-side, as well. Even though communication was polite, emotional and artistic, utilizing a large vocabulary to communicate specific and engaging thoughts and emotions, it lacked two things that are so critical in face-to-face communication - tone of voice and posture or body language. Modern linguists have posited that up 90% of our communication is non-verbal, having to do with tone, pace and posture. This was lost, to some degree, in written communiques.

Just a few years later, we began communicating across great distances at much greater speeds, sending our thoughts and ideas across a wire, encoded as dots and dashes. But this was expensive, so we had to alter our message to fit our budget. Messages got shorter and some just didn't get communicated. Communications became more functional rather than communicating with the artistic voice of the hand-written word. So, we'd not only lost tone, pace and posture, we'd gotten to the point of losing a large part of our vocabulary, as well. Being charged by the word.

Skip forward a few decades and we're not sending our communications over that "old fashioned" wire, encoded as dots and dashes. Now we are talking, and having our voice "transmitted" over a newer kind of wire. We can speak to each other over those great distances. But it is still expensive, so our conversations are generally kept short, to facts and figures. But we've regained something that was lost before - tone and pace, and the opportunity to use our, now reduced, vocabulary. But we just didn't have the luxury of time to craft our communications, as we were being charged by the minute. So our vocabulary tended to become more pragmatic, as we had limited time to communicate.

Now, come to the late 20th century. Cellular phones are becoming more and more common. Soon, every family will have one. We'll be in constant communication and life will be so much better. Or so we thought. And about this same time, a new communication technology is shaking off its baby fat and getting some of us involved with being part of an elite group of communicators - the internet. And, before long, the World Wide Web, to be specific. So, by the end of the 20th century, almost every family had a cellular phone - being charged by the minute, and a growing majority of the population has access to the web either at home, work or some other venue. It is now possible for us to communicate with each other, in real time or very close to it, around the world (for a bit of a price) 24/7. At our convenience.

Phone communications are not much different from 50 years earlier, except that communicating over vast distances is less expensive. But, by this time, our vocabulary has deminished to a point that anything resembling the language used a couple of centuries prior is completely missing. And in chat rooms and BBSs, typing out words is not even an option. Abbreviations, initials and acronyms become the standard. User handles have replaced names. Anonymity has been entered into the mix. BigBadJoe could be your grandmother, or the teeny-bopper next door. So polite, engaging communication is absent completely.

Come forward just a few years, into the first decade of the 21st century. Everyone (children included, in many cases) is connected 24/7. Via cell phones, internet to every home and even mobile web devices. "Personal" communication has become more about "shock value" and "followership" than about me communicating my heart to you. What passes for polite in this society is, I would imagine, what would be considered as "barely civil" in generations past. So, for as much as technology has helped our capacity to communicate, I believe it has robbed us of our ability to do so. The intent of politeness is gone. Our vocabulary has been decimated, along with our ability to actually write a hand-written letter.

And, with the speed of our communications, there seems to have been a loss of the ability to engage our intellect and spirit in the communicating and responding process. Our society is now completely consumed in evoking a reaction and delivering that reaction as quickly as possible. And, when someone does try to actually communicate thoughts and ideas, it's done poorly. There's an emotion or idea that they want to communicate and they've not obtained the tools to do so effectively.

As much as I hate it, I'm guilty of being part of this, too. I have written things, anonymously, for shock value and to get reactions out of people. Also of dumping my "stuff" out there for everyone to see and consume without regard to the impact it could have upon them, the reaction it may evoke. Even writing out what I think I mean only to find that someone else doesn't understand my intent, my heart. I know, I know. It's shocking and unbelievable, but it's true. (Yes, that is sarcasm - but you can't get that from my writings.)

So, I'm putting a stake in the ground. Making a contract with myself and you. My communications are to be more about communicating the higher things - ideas, concepts, my heart - with an intent of getting a response rather than a reaction. And it is my intent to be more deliberate with communicating my heart, my thoughts and ideas, my emotions and beliefs. Not that I won't be communicating facts, figures and such, as well. But I'm looking to augment my communication. Gain back some of what has been lost. Become a better communicator.

I am taking it upon myself to be responsible for the message you receive - not just the message I transmit. Because, if they are not the same message then I have failed to communicate. I believe it is incumbant upon the person writing or speaking to convey their message clearly and completely, not upon the reader or listener to appropriately interpret the message.

I do not claim to be perfect, or even proficient, at this. But I do promise to try to improve, little by little. I challenge you to do the same.

And, in regards to the spoken word - face-to-face communication, I would like to suggest that part of the reason we, as a society, communicate poorly is that we don't take it seriously. We don't believe there's any power in it. I don't know about where you're coming from, but my Bible tells me that my words can be more harmful than a blow from a sword. My words can build up a person to be greater than they imagined themselves being. That's powerful. It deserves to be taken seriously. So, please increase your vocabulary - find words that contain the nuances you'd like to convey. And learn to pronounce them correctly. Again, it is my firm belief that we are losing our language, and our ability to communicate, because people don't know how to pronounce words. I have seen intelligent people struggle with spelling, only because they have not learned to pronounce the word correctly. So they're put in a position of mispronouncing and misspelling a word and *appearing* less intelligent or a position of dropping that word from their vocabulary and losing part of their ability to communicate effectively.

These are my words. This is my heart. If my thoughts or intent are unclear, please question me on it. As it is with most things, this is not engraved in stone. I can and will edit it as is appropriate.

Lunch with Robbie Seay

2011-10-30T11:49:00.001-05:00

After three hours in a "corporate" Q&A with Robbie Seay - discussing his life, his family, his ministry - I learned a few things about this young man.

I learned that he grew up as a Pastor's Kid. I learned that his dad grew up with HIS grandmother (Robbie's great-grandmother) because Robbie's dad's parents both died in the Korean war.

I learned that when Robbie was a young man, in Houston, he moved to Waco to help his brother start a church - UBC. I learned that a CD I have (somewhere) by the band that played at UBC, which included Robbie and David Crowder, is not all that common to own.

I learned that Robbie felt so blessed to be a part of that environment, that team. How he was allowed to create, to make mistakes and to do great things.

I learned that Robbie met Rich Mullins and how that impacted his life.

I learned how he truly appreciated the scene in "Walk the Line" that delivered a similar message to one he'd gotten from Rich Mullins - being excellent doesn't make people believe you. Being true to yourself and who you are in God will get people to believe you. Revealing yourself and God is art. Being technically excellent simply to convey a pre-determined message is just propaganda, it's not art.

I learned about his time with a big record label - how much he loved it, and how much it frustrated him. About how he wanted the freedom to create the music he had inside, rather than something that would fit the producers "categories."

I learned that he sees creating art as an extension of who he is - as a part of his ministry and his family - rather than being a job, a separate part of his life. And how it's scary because he doesn't know if anyone will like it. I learned that is what he feels makes his art believable, but that doesn't make any less of an emotional risk. Let alone the risk to his career and livelihood.

I learned that he married his high-school girlfriend and left UBC to move back to Houston.

I learned that then his brother wanted to start another church in Houston, how scary and crazy THAT seemed. Apparently, Houston is fairly well-populated with churches, so the idea seemed rather crazy to Robbie until he found out that his brother was wanting to move into a district of town that was filled with things like shopping salons and museums, but no churches. Robbie has been there most of the past 12 years - leading worship, attending and generally loving being a part of that.

And I learned that Robbie Seay and I have somethings in common. First, something that I do miss from time-to-time, the beauty of the Hill Country around Austin. And secondly, something very near and dear to my heart, eating barbecue and Tex-Mex. I was very, very pleased that he knew of one of my favorite barbecue places, Salt Lick Barbecue in Driftwood, TX. I can only hope that he takes his wife there, someday, and recalls our brief discussion on it.

Did I learn everything about Robbie Seay? Not in three hours. But I did get a glimpse into the soul of a man who is humble, but not in a fake way. A man that I was honored to speak with, if only for 5 minutes or so.

Now, for my take away. You knew THIS had to happen, right?

I am inspired to learn what is it that God has gifted me to create. What is my medium? And how do I keep that as part of who I am rather than it becoming what I do?

I am challenged to discover what are my struggles and what are my strengths? And how do I use them to create relationships and develop community? How can I bless others through them?

And I am SO very glad that I have the UBC "All I Can Say" CD. I wish I had unpacked the box that it's in - but I'm not sure which box that is. It would have been very cool to have Robbie sign THAT CD.

Service

2011-05-28T09:49:00.001-05:00

I want to take a moment and express the undying gratitude I have for our service men and women. If it weren't for them, we'd be living in a far different world. And I mean that - the world is a different place because of OUR service personnel.

One of the best comparisons I have ever heard goes like this:

In the history of the world, there have been two people who have been willing to die for you - one is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. The other is the US Marine (soldier/airman/sailor/Coast Guard).

There are a lot of things to be said about our military, and you can find the negative just about anywhere - it seems to be the darling of the "free" press. But what gets reported MUCH less often is the good that our military does. And THAT is, by far, the majority of what happens. Men and women who do their jobs, 24-7, and then find extra margin to go above and beyond to help people they don't know.

If you sit and talk with service members and veterans, you will hear story after story of loyal friends and selfless comrades that will amaze you. You won't find these stories in the paper or on the nightly news, and you may occasionally hear them on local radio - but almost every vet or active duty service member has a story (or three) of this kind of person.

And THEY are what make our military forces the best in the world. Sure, the training and equipping and military discipline make for an awesome fighting force. But the caring, the giving and SERVING that I see, year-in and year-out, the sacrifice is what makes our military the envy of the rest of the world.

So, in honor of all of who have gone before and my brethren (and sisters) who have voluntarily put themselves in a position to sacrifice all for the sake of our way of life, God Bless the USA. God bless our military personnel.
On a more personal note: TI Phil, Diz, T-Baum, P-Baum, Major and Sarge - God bless you, my brothers. I am truly humbled to have shared this honor with you. If no one else does (and I know they will), I want you to know how much you are appreciated by me and my house.

CRASH!!!

2011-01-18T22:18:00.000-06:00

WOW!!! Three nights of CRASH course and tonight rocked it ALL!!!

Between my pre-class meeting with my friend and the blessing John brought to the group (me, specifically), it was a seriously powerful God-night. I (re)learned so much and am even more prepared and (hopefully) qualified to head into this next season of ministry.

I could go into the things I learned about me and my place in the larger group, but I think that will have to wait.

What I want to cover was what I learned about God. Jesus. Grace, acceptance and love.

John had us do a little exercise and I'm going to walk through my experience. Everyone in the room had different experiences, but this is mine. So, this is pretty close to what was said, but it'll be paraphrased because I didn't record it exactly and I think it was somewhat of an ad lib kind of exercise.

Close your eyes.

I close my eyes.

Picture Jesus.

I see Jesus standing (floating?) in front of me, his arm open, white robe, glowing light. NO, NO, NO! That's an idolic image that people worship. It's not the Lord I want to have relationship with.
Start over. Jesus is sitting on a stone bench, with children around him. They're laughing and playing. Jesus is smiling and playing with them.

Is he standing or sitting.

Already covered that part.

He calls you into the room with him.

Nobody said anything about a room or that I wasn't in it. I go into the room.

What does his face look like?

Young-to-middle-aged man. Medium length hair, beard. His expression is one of pleasure and anticipation(?). I go over and sit next to him. He places his arm around me and asks about me, my day.

Let's have him sit down.

Already sitting.

To your left, there's a mirror. A full-length mirror so you can see all of yourself.

Guess I'd better back up...

Look in the mirror. What do you look like?

I see the young man I was, oh, 20-22 years ago. Trim, fit.

Jesus is standing and walking over next to you now.

K.

He's standing next to you. Do you see his face in the mirror.

Yes. He's put his arm around my shoulders and is talking about the things going on with me.

Jesus moves to stand right beside. He puts his arm around you. Can you see it?

Whoops. Back up again.

What does his face look like?

Warm expression. Loving, calm eyes. I turn and hug him.

Turn and look at his face.

Backing up, again.

He puts his arms around you and hugs you.

OH MY LORD!!! Seriously, this is where I got it. The blessing of the night - week - year.

What do his arms feel like on your back?

Who cares?!?! I am loved. I am accepted, approved of, appreciated. Every fear, every doubt, every inadequacy, everything that I am NOT is gone. All that is left is what I AM - and that is exactly what he loves in me. That is what he created me to be. He shows me that I can be fulfilled with what I am and nothing else matters. He and I can do eternity with that - because it's perfectly his.

Jesus turns you towards the door and you walk out of the room. He puts his hand on your back to guide you...

I'm not sure what was said after that - but it was essentially the end of the exercise. I am still energized by that experience. May be for days. It was incredible.

So, John said that there is a book that walks people through exercises like this, Escaping the Matrix, I think. Guess what just jumped to the top of my reading list...

May God bless you through this. I know He has blessed me.

Time for a reset?

2011-01-11T19:55:00.001-06:00

A couple of years ago, I wiped my blog and did a "reboot". Prior to that, it had been, well, less than productive. Now I'm wondering if I should do that again. I haven't posted in well over a year (save the earlier post, today, and it was a left-over draft from some months ago) and I just wonder if I should drop it and start over.

Then I skimmed through the old posts. Nope. Nothing there I feel should go away. Good stuff, for the most part. I think I'll keep it all and just change what I do from here on out.

First thing I'm gonna do is try to shorten things up a bit. Pick a topic, with a few points, and throw that out there. In the past I've tried to do somewhat complete and total coverage of all of my thoughts and feelings on a subject. To be honest, they frequently read like the ramblings of an indecisive mind. So, with the possible exceptions of my "take-aways" of my faith/spiritual encounters, I'm gonna try to keep it short and to the point. Or two.

I've been advised a few times to journal. This is probably as close as I'll ever really be able to get. I hope it's at least entertaining for someone.

Thanks giving

2009-11-29T13:52:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been --weeks-- since I posted. Since I've been "moved" to post. Piet's message today did it for me. Well, part of Piet's message. The part when he was talking about his father's attitude of gratitude - even when it would have been understandable for him to be something else.

So, this is an exercise I haven't engaged in quite some time. I'm going to look at a few of the things I whine about (even if it's internally) and find the blessing the Lord has put in them for me. And then be grateful.

Father, I thank you for:

- a truck that has poor power, poor gas mileage and no four-wheel drive. For it blesses me with no payments, reliable transportation to my job and the impetus to save up and purchase a better vehicle

- a job that I frequently feel inadequate to do. For it blesses me with the daily opportunity to be among people who challenge me to grow, to improve myself. I get to walk into a comfortable workspace and do something that I find challenging and rewarding rather than pointless drudgery. It also allows me to express myself and bring my unique, God-given perspectives and talents to bear in a way that blesses others

- a perspective that keeps me dissatisfied. For it blesses me to continue to strive for the better blessings You have for me. While I am constantly challenged to be content with what I have, I am also aware that I am not to settle for less than You have prepared for me. And that I am to desire to continue to grow and be a better husband, father, friend, employee and Christian

- a world full of imperfect people. For it blesses me with the knowledge that I, too, am imperfect and have plenty of room for improvement. They also help keep me humble in the knowledge that the only thing I control in this world is my response to it - and that my response, what I do, is what defines me (and those I associate with) in the eyes of others

- a government that is inadequate. For (through the Constitution) it blesses me with the freedom to disagree with it openly, to believe and worship openly, to express my thoughts and opinions openly, and to make choices in my daily life, all as I see fit. This inadequacy allows me the opportunity to succeed or fail - as I choose. And to know that I will never have all of my needs met this side of Heaven

- children who frustrate me. For they bless me with opportunities to be a better father, and to model the important things in life, like patience, humility, grace and faith. And unconditional love

- a home that I really don't like. For it blesses me with a warm, dry place to live. Again, compared to 90% of the world, this is an extravagant home in a community that is relatively safe from violence, crime and unsavory influences. And it does give me the opportunity to dream of a better place in an immediate sense

- an estranged family. For in this, I find the blessing of hope. Hope that I will eventually overcome the issues which have plagued me for most of my life. Hope that, once I have an appropriate response to these issues, I can pursue reconciliation. And hope that God's blessings can be a part of the family

For these and so much more, Father, I am thankful. Amen.

There are so many more areas I could look for blessings and reasons to be thankful. These are the biggies, the things that come to mind frequently and that I am tempted to whine about, or feel sorry for myself. In these things I am to learn gratefulness - for the opportunities they provide, for the lessons they present and for the blessings which I must seek out.

And then we had Piet...

2009-09-06T15:13:00.004-05:00

I told Brad that I was going to name this entry that. It's really hard to put the context (as he meant it) into writing, but the words were "Wasn't the band awesome today? And then we had Piet." It just struck me as hilarious. His intent was to express appreciation for the band (he's a musician, after all) and then appreciation for the great message Piet delivered. I hope he gets some grief over it, because it's funny, but not too much, because he really did express appreciation for the message.

Okay, I was gonna ask Piet how to spell the word/phrase he was using today, but he posted it on Facebook as "hoop se kay" which doesn't translate with Google or Babel Fish. Phonetically, I'd spell it as "hope se kay", with a very slight extension of the long "o" sound to make it maybe a-syllable-and-a-half. Or "ho-op se kay" with the first syllable blending into the second syllable and the distinction between the long "o" and short "o" being nearly undetectable. But I'm not certain I got the pronunciation properly - it's just a best guess by a Midwestern redneck to distinguish subtleties of a foreign tongue. And, without quoting exactly what Piet said (because I don't remember EXACTLY what Piet said), my best understanding of the phrase is, "Well, we're done here. Let's move along."

Anyway, the message. I have to say, Piet didn't let off from last week. I thought he had come out of his sabbatical with an extraordinarily strong message, and he follows it up with an equally brilliant effort. The message was entitled "Stuck". The balance of this piece is my take-away from the message - not a recap or review to help others "get the message". I believe God has a message in/for each of our hearts, and we can each hear the exact same teaching and have differing take-aways based upon the work God is doing in our hearts during that season.

So, what happens when we get stuck? What happens when we know we need to do something and:

we don't know what to do?
we know what to do but don't know how to get it done?
we know what to do and how to do it but even if the body is willing, the spirit is weak?

Essentially, what do we do when we're stuck? How do we get "off center" and moving again? How do we progress when inertia is against us? My mother-in-law frequently (every email...) reminds me that we can't expect God order our steps if we aren't willing to move our feet.

The message was based around 1Samuel 29&30, and specifically 1Sam 30:6, which reads:

⁶And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. - 21st Century King James Version

David and his army had been fighting a war with another king who dismissed them because of political reasons. They journeyed home to find their homes burned and their families and possessions captured. The men began to feel this was all David's fault and then we come to this passage.

It's a good sentiment, as we should all be encouraged in the Lord our God. But, as Piet pointed out, the passage is frustratingly vague. As I've told a number of well-intentioned advisors over the years, that sounds great, in theory, but what does it look like in MY life? Some details, some specifics, maybe an example or two, would be helpful.

But this passage gives us nothing further on David's encouraging himself. So, Piet's suggestion was that we can find at least a clue of what we're looking for through other writings in Scripture, both about David and by David.

From these writings, we gain insight into the kind of man David was. We learn that David PROBABLY gave himself permission to be human and experience what he was feeling; to be who God made him to be in that moment. We can read this in his writings:

¹ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning? ² O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, Psalm 22:1-2

³ My tears have been my food
       day and night,
       while men say to me all day long,
       "Where is your God?" Psalm 42:3

⁴ My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death assail me.
⁵ Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me. Psalm 55:4-5

⁸ You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them. Psalm 88:8

Piet suggests that in our society, we have learned to "self-edit," to think and say things, to "be" more like we "should" rather than be who we are and feel what we're feeling. This leads up to Piet's "crux of the message," the point that he stated was the thing he wanted us to understand. Even if we'd been working on Labor Day cook-out menus up to that point, we needed to set that aside and "get" this:
When we give voice to our feelings, we discover the point at which we need God's provision.

We all have our emotional hooks, things from our past that hook us in and take us to places, emotionally, that we would never go in a rational state of mind. When we are able to give voice to our feelings, when we allow ourselves to feel and experience the life we have, we find what it is that we need. We find the place where God can meet our needs. And we find that we are better for having done so.

We do this with our physical needs almost instinctively. When we go to a physician, they ask, "What is hurting?" We don't tell them about everything that isn't causing problems in our lives, only about the things that we want to get better. And we don't ignore aches and pains when we don't understand the cause or have a solution.

It's the same with our soul, we need to experience and feel the pain to know what needs to be healed. Without feeling the pain, we never find the need that needs meeting. Piet voiced a "common belief" around Woodcrest, "Everyone needs Recovery." I've been saying that for 8 years, since I did my first Recovery class in 2001 - everyone needs to "do" Recovery, even if it's to find out you don't need to "do" Recovery. I've not met anyone who truly engages the Recovery process and finds they didn't need to do so.

A quick aside here: When I speak of Recovery, I am talking about the emotional and spiritual recovery process which happens by going through a program similar to that offered by Woodcrest's Recovery Ministry. I am not referring to a 12-step program or any physical or chemical dependence recovery program. They have their own place and do, in some cases, address some of the issues addressed by Woodcrest's Recovery Ministry. But they are not solely focused on spiritual recovery or healing the soul.

So, we live in a culture that has learned to look good and smell good and can't move on. We're stuck on center and can't get the inertia up to begin moving again. What do we do? Piet suggested a number of things, and we could try one or two to see how it works for us:

journaling
a retreat
Recovery

David modeled this well. He regularly went to a place of solitude, or a lonely place, and laid it ALL out before God. He identified his situation. He identified how it made him feel. He identified what he needed. He reminded himself of God's capacity to meet his need. And he turned to God to receive it.

David didn't self-edit. He didn't live in denial. He expressed it all. To God. Then he would not let his need be a cause for disobedience or loss of faith. He allowed God to meet his need and to mold him into a better servant.

⁴ These things I remember
       as I pour out my soul:
       how I used to go with the multitude,
       leading the procession to the house of God,
       with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
       among the festive throng. Psalm 42:4

⁶ On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night. Psalm 63:6

⁵² I remember your ancient laws, O LORD,
and I find comfort in them. Psalm 119:52

¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:12

Piet wrapped up by going personal. He's had numerous (innumerable?) conversations over the past 15 years at Woodcrest, over coffee, over lunch, or just in his office, where sincere, well-intended Christians have expressed being "stuck." And Piet has suggested things like journaling, retreats, and Recovery - only to see the response building in the recipient's eyes before the suggestion was completely verbalized. "That sounds great, but I don't know if I'd have time for that in my life right now. Maybe I'll have time later." Or something to that effect.

I've had a few of these conversations with Piet, and I truly hope I was not one of those. But I can't be sure, as I've failed to act on a couple of Piet's recommendations. I pray that Piet never got the impression that I did not take his suggestions seriously. I have managed to move on some and they have paid off well. Just as I am taking this weekend's message and planning to move on it. To step into a place of solitude and make the effort to feel what is happening in my soul. And to find my need, so I can lay it before God and experience His faithfulness in meeting my need.

Piet didn't suck

2009-08-30T15:56:00.002-05:00

Okay, Pastor Piet's been on sabbatical for how long? Oh well, it doesn't matter - it was a long time and far too much in the way of emotional drainage. The loss and pain Piet's family suffered exposed a hurt in my life, as well. Now, I have to deal with it.

Anyway, back to Piet didn't suck. That was his FB post after the Saturday evening service. "Piet Van Waarde didn't suck..." So after attending the service, I have to agree. And here are my thoughts, my take-away. It doesn't follow the order of the message, nor is it limited to Piet's message, as this is MY take-away. How the message impacted me. It makes sense to me. And, although this is kinda tailored to Woodcrest and our situation, I believe it is applicable to any Bible-believing church out there.

I hope I don't, in any way, misrepresent Piet's message to anyone out there.

First of all, it was good to have Piet back before the Woodcrest crowd. (I was tempted to channel Mike Kelly there, but... nah.) Those who have been covering the speaker duties (mostly Dr. Brother Rod Casey and some assortment of guests) while Piet was away have done very admirably. Absolutely nothing missing in the messages we've had since Piet began his down-time. But Piet is Piet and no one else is.

And now that he's back, Piet didn't suck. Like The Bambino didn't suck. Set the bar kinda high for your first week back didn't you, Piet? This was an out-of-the-park home run, my friend.

First, laying the foundation for the message: the three tiers of "buying it." The truths that are "easy to believe and easy to live," those things from the Bible that "just make sense" and can be readily incorporated into our lifestyles.

Followed by the truths that are "easy to believe and hard to live." Those truths that we can all look at and say, "Yeah. That's right, but if you knew my situation..."

Finally, the Woodcrest-patented (should be, anyway), counter-intuitive truths that are "hard to believe and harder to live." Those truths that we read and say, "WHAT?!?!" Or that we can look at and say, "You know, it would be great of more people behaved this way." Never for a second thinking WE are those people. Guess what? SURPRISE!!!

Acts 20:35 reads:
"... the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

And this was the basis for the message on Service. Particularly, service around the church. You see, I believe a church lives and dies through the appropriate service of its members. If there is no service to others, how does one become more Christlike? Jesus lived his life to serve others and you can't become Christlike without serving.

And I believe this takes a couple of forms.

Serving the community and world around us, as we are gifted, passionate and able to do so. From local to international missions, serving those outside of the church to model Christ's love to them, to serving the community around us, like helping the elderly lady down the street whose health keeps her from getting out and about as she used to, or mowing the neighbor's lawn while they're dealing with a family crisis and mowing just isn't a priority for them, or even dropping in on the stay-at-home mom of 3, 4, 5 (or more) for some afternoon socializing and a break in the "routine". These are ways we, as the Church, can serve the community around us.

And service to each other, as we are gifted, passionate and able to do so. I believe this is why Woodcrest thrives as well as it does - there is an intentionality about finding people to serve, finding out how they are gifted to serve and where they are passionate about serving. Whether it be the world around us, or within our own "family".

There are those who are not in a season of life where they can serve, as they are more in need of the blessing of being served than that of serving.

And there are those who ARE serving, and getting the blessing of being able to serve, using their giftings in an area about which they are passionate.

Yet, there are those who are feeling unfulfilled and not satisfied and are just not quite convinced that they should serve THIS church, THIS pastor, THIS congregation. Those who could very well be contemplating a move to another church, for whatever reasons, to see if they should serve THAT church, THAT pastor, THAT congregation. And whether or not God is calling them to do that is not for anyone else to say - it is between them and God.

But, if God isn't directing them to another church, what could be the source of this lack of fulfillment? This dissatisfaction. Could it be the community of our church? Is there some lack in our community? Something broken? Something that makes them feel our church is just not the place they think it should be? My contention (that was revitalized by Piet's message) is that God is revealing to them their opportunity to serve. Rather than go somewhere else because they see a lacking at our church, they are seeing an opportunity fill that need. Stand in the gap. Make us better for having them amongst us.

After all, many of us begin our spiritual journey being filled with emotion and fed by being served and having God meet us in our weakness. Is that what we should expect the rest of our spiritual lives to be like? Having our needs met? Getting our plates filled? Let's put a pin in that for a moment and see if I can't get back to it.

Piet brought up a concept today that I've heard thrown about from members of other churches - spiritual maturity. In the 9-plus years that I've been at Woodcrest, I've spoken with people I respect as intelligent Christians say things to the effect that Woodcrest is a nice "starter" church, for the immature Christians. They eventually get around to commenting that anyone who is truly maturing needs more from their church - more Bible teaching, more spiritual discipline, more traditional hymns, and all the rest of whatever their church offers that Woodcrest doesn't put in their weekend services. And that may be what they look for in a church. How they get their plates filled. But my take on being a mature Christian (may I be one, someday, amen) is that you are being Christlike. Delivering his teachings, in a culturally relevant way, with real-life applications, to people who DO NOT KNOW HIM. Not to sit amongst each other and feel comfortable that we're all saved, that we all know Jesus.

I don't have anything against these other churches nor the people who attend them. I know that God has put a message in their heart which I hope is to be revealed to them in that environment. Whether or not this will happen, I don't know. It's His will, not mine, being worked out there.

But, back to my perception of spiritual maturity or being a mature Christian. I believe you can read the Bible front-to-back, pray holes in the floor of your "prayer closet", "give" your church into beautiful, new buildings, and praise God with the greatest fervor your church has seen, and STILL not get this "mature Christian" principle as I see it. When I read my Bible, I read about a war. When I watch TV, I see this war being played out. When I listen to the radio, I hear this war being waged. I'm not talking about any military action in the Middle-East or Eastern Europe, rather a spritual war being fought over the hearts, minds and souls of men, women and children. The tactics aren't political debate of left-vs.-right, but the exposure of content, the desensitization of the soul to evil through immorality, ugliness and hate. This war has waged throughout history, is being waged today, and will go on for as far as can be seen into the future. And, as much as "our side" needs generals, captains and "military strategists" to win this war, they cannot do it alone. This war, as with any, is going to be won or lost on the front lines. By the people in the trenches, doing hand-to-hand combat over every inch, every hill, every soul that is won or lost. And THAT is what I believe Woodcrest does so well. Woodcrest "holds the line." They take the risk that a vulnerable soul, beat up as it is, messy as the world has made it look, is worth winning for Christ. THAT is why I choose to invest my time, my money and my loyalty in this church. Because I have seen lost people, hurting people, disenfranchised people from other churches, or no church at all, come into Woodcrest and find direction, find healing, and find a meaning that is not dependent upon Bible verses, prayer cards or a cross hanging in the sanctuary. And it is because there are people, like Piet, like Rod, and like the staff and volunteers who make Woodcrest work. People who commit, day-in and day-out, week-in and week-out, year-in and year-out, to WIN as many of these skirmishes, as many of these battles as it takes to win this war. To provide a place where people who are lost, hurting, and disenfranchised by other communities and environments to sit, get some respite, get some comfort, some compassion, some healing.

And then, when they're ready, to learn about Jesus and how he is the answer.

Now, back to the pinned-up point I was dangling out there earlier. What fills us 'Cresters up? What fills our plates? What meets those needs we found so readily met emotionally and spiritually in the early days of our spiritual journey? By serving and being served.

Piet said, explicitly or implicitly, I don't recall, that we LOVE being served! It's what draws us to Christ in the first place. Christ serves us with forgiveness, comfort, acceptance, and so much more. Well, that doesn't go away! As "mature" Christians, we tend to look upon that "neediness" as "immature," so we "stuff it." (to borrow a Recovery term) Then, eventually, our plate is empty. Our well is dry. We get burned out and end up burning bridges that could have turned out to be our lifeline, either then or down the road. Our capacity to serve has been used up.

So, Woodcrest is strong on seeing to it that the people who make the Church what it is, those who serve, are served. Because, as much as it grinds our "mature Christian" egos to think we "need" serving, we do. And this weekend, I think Piet laid out a very, very compelling message to those who feel that Woodcrest just isn't the place to serve for them. A message to give it another think. Give it a try. And if it's not for you and you're called something else, may God bless your path. But you may, JUST MAY, find that the gap you see in Woodcrest was put there for you to fill.

Finally, for all the nay-sayers out there, I do not have illusions that Woodcrest is perfect. Nor that we do things "right" or are THE church for everyone. As Greg Boyd put it, we're just a bunch of real sinners with a real passion for a real God. Woodcrest is made up of, and run by, broken human beings. We all make mistakes. We all have weaknesses and failings. But it is in our capacity, through Jesus, to forgive each other and ourselves that we continue to pursue the things which are good, right and desirable in our world. His children.

REBOOT

2008-09-17T20:47:00.000-05:00

I did enjoy that show.

Anyway, here we are - at the beginning of a NEW deer season. One full of promise and hope. And, as "chance" would have it, on the eve (figuratively) of a monumental election. I don't know if "monumental" is the correct word, but it seems to fit. For now.

Anyway, I'm getting my hunting skills honed (a bit late) - sort of starting over. We're at the end of an 8-year administration in our government - getting ready to start over (regardless of who's elected). And I've wiped my blog entries - to start over. Reboot.

I have no idea if anyone will read this anytime soon, let alone comment, but here it is. And I hope it goes better than the last effort.