I stole this story from Phil.

Often times, our point of view says more about us than it does the circumstance upon which we are commenting…

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside. “That laundry is not very clean”, she said. “She doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.”

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: “Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this.”

The husband said, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.”

Good Question

The last post generated a great question that led me to some thinking and questioning... "Hey Rick... stopped by and saw this. I get where you are coming from, you made clear points about how to not go about "choosing" a church to attend. But how should we go about choosing a church to attend. No matter which one we attend, you are actually attend ONE church. That aside though, how should we go about choosing our "home base" if you will? I am asking not because I have a preset thought of this, I haven't really thought much about it at all and this blog got me thinking. So what are your thoughts?"

First, let me say that I wrote the last blog with the thought of how we currently attend a gathering of believers, I never really thought of the individual looking for a church. This has led me to these positions. First is this...Romans: 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
I see the first issue is the attitude we come into a relationship with the body with. On the micro (single believer) or macro (Larger body) we need to come into a relationship with humility, attitude of service, and grace. We cannot come to a person and expect them to meet our needs and evaluate if we will love them because they are funny or smart and on that outcome decide if we will enter into a brotherly relationship with them. So with a larger body we cannot be measuring it's performance and then concluding if it works for me. We often times evaluate with subjective measures that we value, not substantive measures like how many people are involved in ministry here. So what do we do? We attach ourselves as a limb to the body. Humility asks us to submit to the Theology and Practices of that church. The way the bible is taught is HUGE and how it is interpreted in the actions of the congregation and how they serve in their community is HUGE! If it is a charismatic church and you don't believe in the spiritual gifts, don't fight to change them, just because you like the people and the worship... find a Theological/ Philosophy of ministry fit (that said if God is asking you to stretch and learn and go to a place a bit different than you are used to- Shut up, Submit, learn and go with the vision). The bulletin tells the story, they want you to know what to do, so what is important to them will show up.

Second we go to church and ask the Lord what can I do here? Do they need help in setting chairs? Need help feeding the poor cleaning the Nursery? We need to use "sober judgment" about ourselves. We at our best think a little more of ourselves than we should. We often time come and say, but I can teach or lead worship that's my gift and I want to serve there, instead of waiting for the process and the affirmation from the body which confirms your call, beyond a "vetting" so to speak but an establishment of trust and bridge of relationship. It may very well be so, that you are gifted BUT to do those tasks you must first show yourself faithful there in the current church. We are all called to serve and it reveals your character; calling and character trump gifting every time!

Lastly - you must love and serve the people. Churches are made up of people and if you don't love them... well you won't really love the church. People are people and they will make mistakes. Can you give room for grace, and growth at the expense of your pain? Can you live with messy spirituality? Churches have a lot of great talkers and needs a lot of radical forgiver's. People that will boldly live out radical grace and radical forgiveness. Remember this too; you cannot be loyal to the church because they let you express your gifts. You use your gifts to serve those you love to impact a community with the Kingdom of God. I have heard people say that God has called them to a church; well if that is so then only God can call you away... NOT the failings of a program, Pastor, or person. If you are called out of a church... then, God, WILL call you into something else, not call you into limbo or church on your terms. It may take a bit of a process on your part to die to some of the things that may be toxic. In my experience, I had to stay away from church for a bit because my heart condition was not right and I would have hurt people in a body. Looking into my own heart was a great place for me to start.

He has a body, yes a huge global, a smaller congregation, and an even smaller group of people to do life with. He loves his bride deeply, and is preparing her, and in time will come for her. Church is NOT just you, for you, or operating on your own terms and expectations.

So happy hunting, and if you find the perfect church, well enter with a sacred, solemn care- you may very well be the one to ruin it!

Shalom

American Bandstand, American Idol, or American Idolatry?

American Bandstand was a great show to watch when I was a kid. If was the cool kids dancing around then they would come up and tell you what made the song cool. It had a good beat, you cold dance to it... I give it a 91! Well that's the music business and pleasing the consumer is what it's all about. American Idol has taken the evaluation of talent to a whole other level. It seems like people love to watch the auditions to see who can make the biggest fool out of themselves, and if that wasn't enough... to hear the pearls of encouragement come from no other than Simon Cowell! Now the fun begins to see contestants cry as their efforts get ripped to shreds for the sake of entertainment and a chance at a record contract. Now granted there are people who lack talent and have absolutely no business being there... sure, they asked for it. Yes I fully understand that they are putting themselves out there and taking a risk and that involves criticism, I mean after all it's TV right. You sign a contract and you get you fifteen minutes of fame.

Unfortunately we have no bounds when it comes to church. I have heard the innocent comments like bandstand... "It’s got good worship, stuff for my kids"... it's a 92; to the Simon Cowell level of... "The spirit is not here" or "I am not fed". As if it was just about the ministry I am involved with, no, this is being said about the house church movement, the emergent/ emerging movement, the mega-church, anything that your can think to have an opinion on, the gathering is never good enough. No. This is not going where you think! I believe in constructive feedback, no group or gathering of people is perfect and people need to speak out in constructive and clear ways to communicate the issues of heart and practice... I agree and invite that. Furthermore am in a great place of dialogue and interaction with people so this is not a rant, more like a narrated observation overheard in coffee shops and market lines. That being said my question is this. When did we become Simon Cowell judging an entity established by God? Why would I want to be that person? Worship was great this week but the message was a little off, last week the message was OK but the announcements... oh, too long, thereby quenching the Holy Spirit and releasing the spirit of entertainment. Really... is that what happens?

Did you ever notice Simon says, but never sings? He is like the trainer who never works out but knows how to get you in shape. I wonder how it would be different if those who weren't fed were feeding? Those who wanted deeper worship, simply worshipped? Maybe, John Wimber was right the meat is in the streets. Perhaps we should mind our attitudes and garden our hearts and look beyond the surface with some good questions, like.

If God is ever present, why am I not seeing what He is doing?

If God's word promises to not be void... why is it empty to me?

Why do I need to be right, better or know more than this other person?

It just seems that in our criticism we show the true problem, our insecurity, and lack of love and comittment.
Sure, Simon is often right, Paula just glosses over the truth and Randy, well, he's just cool... that's entertainment.
We are a people of love, hope and grace. Our world needs to see it radically lived out; that's transformation.

Shalom

Interesting Quote

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.

Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.

Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

Calvin Coolidge

Indulgences...

I remember being in high school history and learning about the Roman Catholic indulgences, the practice of priests forgiving sins for money, or favors, and usually wealthy people thinking they are getting out of some punishment in purgatory or Hell. This practice was so offensive that it was one of the core reforms of the Protestant reformation. While today after five hundred or so years we look back and think of what a corrupt practice that was, yet we unknowingly practice our sort of private indulgence today. Think about it... what do you do to gain God's favor? I know we think we don't BUT how do we live and how do our words and actions line up to what we say, think, and do. Often times our actions betray us. For example... why do you serve or volunteer? Why do you read your bible? Because you have to? Because there is some horrible consequence that awaits you? A wrath too much to bear. That is a great system under law, but it is not the heart of Jesus. If you study the word origins of the words in Greek & Hebrew the words for wrath both have roots in the words for passion not punishment. God's passion is focused onto the death agent, sin... and He kills off all that brings us death. So if God's wrath is based in love why do we live a life based on the fear of how God will punish us instead of living in the peace of relationship with Him. When we know Jesus there is a promise that there is no condemnation and no punishment for those found in Him.

When we see the wonder of God, the mystery of His love lavished on us, we cannot resist but want to be with Jesus. In this enchanted relationship we find ourselves consumed by Him and His things. How can we resist but be in this wonder - embraced in an eternal dance with the author and giver of life present and forever. The true indulgence is Jesus. He is the source of our motive to serve, to love, and to give - to move in a community and see what the father is doing - and responding in love not obligation or fear of condemnation.

Shalom

Forgive & Forget

When you here the words forgive the words are so much more loaded than we are ready to accept. Is the heart of forgiveness to really forget? I see that as the easy out… instead you should probably say I just don’t care about you just let me move on. Here’s why.

Forgetting is dismissing the events or issues that led to a hurt, offense or misunderstanding. I would see the bulk of scripture speaking and showing us this… Forgive and remember in love and grace! Yes they may hurt you AGAIN! Turn the other cheek, you can’t offer the other cheek if you forget the other was struck. Yes, this is a challenge and begs the question, how many times are you supposed to forgive??? Seventy TIMES seven was the answer I remember!

It’s easy to get mad and just hang on to our definition of justice backed up by our hurt and how right we are in our position. It makes perfect sense till we see the lack of growth in people’s lives, and the same cycles of sin in our lives never going away. You see we are intended to be Kingdom people walking together with people through their junk AND our junk too. Where two or more are gathered- God is in their midst. In His presence power and healing are there. Forgiving brings us to proximity in relationships- it gets us to the table. Walking through our lives together brings unity by involving trust, humility and love. So I choose not to forget, but to heal. To offer the cheek again to radically love, make things right, and bring about restoration.

Shalom

Interesting quote

THE BONHOEFFER QUOTE:
“The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community - even if their intentions are ever so earnest - but the person who loves those around them will create community.”

Three Days, Three Kings, a river and Becoming Human

On my retreat I was reminded of how much I need the rhythm of my life to be in a cycle of renewal. I used to ride a Mt. bike for seven miles, hike or something everyday to have a steady time of solitude. But when a year of your life requires you to be cared for… getting out to renew is challenging. So I spent my time with God guided by a Vineyard Pastor who’s PhD is in spiritual formation. I practiced some early church prayer and study rituals, journaled, read two short books, and sat alone for a long time and listened as the presence of God filled my soul.

There is a book – A Tale of Three Kings - a study in brokenness.
This is a fictional narrative based on Saul, David, and Absalom. Far too many insights to really list but here’s a few that I can share now…
- God uses the struggles I face to kill the Saul in me. Saul was mad and threw spears at David in his throne room. David killed and committed very sinful acts and yet the difference - David repented, died to sin. and sought his God’s heart.
- How hard must it have been to follow a warrior leading as he cried and sobbed. More frustrating, this, at every opportunity would walk away from killing Saul who was hunting David to kill. He didn’t look like much of a warrior more like a wimpy crybaby. Yet, eventually, he would lead God’s nation.

The River of Mercy… two days on the Merced. The river’s name means mercy in Spanish and there is a cleansing that flows through my soul as I sit by the shores and hear the voice of God. I hear mercy. As I sat I just listened… thought of where I am and am grateful for all I have been given. I got some answers. I know I am loved and I know that I am called to serve Him and I know that the calling to minister, reach, and see the Spirit change lives is more alive now.

Becoming Human… another book about the way God uses trial and struggle to forge our heart and character. Making us more as we were intended to be - dependent on Jesus, independent of life’s situation.

I see this as a beginning to the cycle of life that has evaded me since before my accident, just as this church plant began, a rhythm of renewal, I hope you will take my experiences to heart and find rest for your soul.

Shalom

It's a gift...

Today was a day of moments. I went to Stanford Medical Center to undergo a nerve transfer from my Latisimuss Dorsi to my deltoid muscle in my shoulder. It is a very complex surgery... I begins with the harvesting of the nerve from you leg to extend the nerve from your back to your shoulder then taking the healthy nerve and plugging it in to the shoulder (deltiod) muscle. So as I am going under I say to the doctors, that I have been praying for an elegant and effective healing. So I wake up and I notice a pain in my arm, not my back. The Dr. went into the old harvest sight and found healthy nerves were there were compromised nerves before, so, she took one, plugged it into my shoulder and I was out of surgery in an hour. The Dr. said that she didn't know how the nerves were good now, maybe I was too cold before, certainly a gift. I just think God is elegant and I love him for it a gift from His hand is good, really good.

a year...

Hi all,
Today is a rather contemplative day for me. It was exactly a year ago that I was in the accident, and what a year it's been! The same moment that profoundly changed me physically has also led to profound changes in my inner world. The day started with this question... What am I most grateful for? I would say the focus of life now, I have a very keen sense of what is important and what is not, what matters and what really shouldn't have the place of significance in my life. I am thankful for another year to spend with my wife and daughter and what a precious gift that is. I have a very good friend who tells me -"Rick, you're playing with the house's money" and I am.

The next thoughts came as reflections over the year the faces and the moments of the recovery. The months of babysitters, rides and meals as people helped me cope and recover. Putting up with all the issues of medication and recovery. Then I just got better day by day... I do see now love is the best medicine.

Then I looked over my journal and asked myself what have I learned? I've learned a lot.
God does work all things out for good... His good, not yours or mine or our opinions, interpretations or expectations of what good is.
Miracles still happen!
I hate hospitals.
To love and forgive more deeply.
He is sovereign, and answers us and "no" is an answer.
That there is a lot of really bad teaching on suffering, and we as the people of God need to learn how to mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice, regardless of our situation.
I hate hospitals.
There are some really great cooks at church.
God uses people to love lavishly!
People use the term "I understand what you're going through" way too much- I pray you never come close to understanding what I've been through.
I really hate hospitals.

So where am I now???
At the most delicate place in the recovery process... The head of my femur has the center of it dead so every step at first was a risk of collapsing that bone, now every hard step or staircase is a big risk. My shoulder also risks injury with however long it takes to reconnect a nerve or get a nerve signal it takes that same amount of time to restore it's strength; as well as the risk of damaging the previous repairs due to the lack of muscle support. So everyday has it's risk & adventure. So I choose to trust God, take Him at His word and know that He has been and will be faithful.

Which leads me to the point... Appearances can be so deceptive. Things can look so nice on the outside yet be so turbulent beneath the surface... so undone. That' why I have come to appreciate grace, the patience and love to see the undone- redone. The beautiful song of one so forgiven is worth the shouts of condemnation, the song of the forgiven; freedom, thanksgiving and praise. It is the beauty of easter, that we, all of us, in whatever state of the process of being re-done can sing the song of redemption. In my observation the verse of that song is the story of what God has rescued us from, and the chorus is the story of His unfailing love and faithfulness.

Isaiah 52:8-10 8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.
9 Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

Big hand

There was a televised interview with Jane Roe – of the famous Roe-v-Wade abortion case. During the interview, she shared that she had become a believer in Jesus Christ. As she told her story, you could hear how her heart had been softened and she’d become a warm, caring, loving individual.

It dawned on me that one person who showed love and attention and shared the Good News with her – one loving relationship – in Jane Roe’s life did what all the protests in the world had failed to do and that was to change her mind.

You don’t change people by protests. You change them by love. Society is changed one life at a time. God has put specific people in your life that he expects you to share the Good News with. You’re the only Christian some people know.

If you don’t share the Good News, who will?

God will hold us responsible for the lives of the people he has put in our path to tell the Good News. Not just family, friends, and relatives, but all the people we come into contact with.

That might scare some of you. "The Holy Sprit doesn’t want you to be afraid of people but to be wise and strong and to love them and enjoy being with them. If you will stir up this inner power, you will never be afraid to tell others about our Lord.” That Living Bible paraphrase says the antidote to fear is love. The reason we don’t share the Good News is that we don’t love people enough to want to get them into Heaven. If they loved them enough, they'd want to tell them the Good News.

If my kid were in a burning building, I wouldn’t care how big the flames were – I'd go in after her. I wouldn’t care if I got hurt. I wouldn’t care if other people said I was crazy. I'd still go in! I’d grab my child and bring him out. I may be singed and burned. Then people would say, "You were brave!” No, I wasn’t brave or courageous or crazy. I was motivated by love.

Jump in...

I read today that Sir Edmund Hillary died, the first man ever to ascend Everest. I often think of the rigors he went through and the focus he had to accomplish such a feat. I respect the sustained effort it must have taken a laser like focus, he was all in. I sense this stirring in my soul, this need for a focus on discipleship. So many of the things that we criticize the church for has nothing to do with the faults of the church it has to do with people. People that are immature and not grasping the depth of scripture and the responsibility of every believer to grow, not be grown by a program or system but by the Spirit and Word of God. There are people who know way more than they can ever apply, yet they will grow in application as they teach and disciple others. Sustainable and healthy growth happens person-by-person, life on life, not system-by-system. We need a death to a consumer mindset that says what church does is give to me while the biblical model says what can you give to the bride, how do you function in a body, or how do I serve a Kingdom. Not a whole lot of what I want in there but there is some much that changes in me when I go there giving and serving. I think this is the appropriate response for a King.