"Jesus Manifesto" -- A Book, An App, and a Song.

Over the years, you’ve heard me talk a lot about my love for Len Sweet’s writing and speaking. As a matter of fact, I credit his book, Carpe Mañana as a major part of the impetus for a new chapter in our lives where God ushered us to Michigan to be part of Westwinds Church over 6 years ago. Len has been an encourager and spiritual mentor to me. And, over the years he has become a friend.

In early March, I received a thrilling invitation—-to write a song to be the official theme song of Len Sweet and Frank Viola’s new book, Jesus Manifesto.

After reading the book galleys and taking it all in, I sent some songs I wrote (inspired by the book) to Len and Frank. We all decided on “It’s Jesus” as the song to be released in tandem with the book.

The song is available on iTunes right now! And, you can also download the free app a.k.a. the nano-manifesto from the iTunes store. The app is somewhat of a tract version of Jesus Manifesto complete with a summary, a preview of the book, helpful links, and the song for your iPhone.

Click here to buy the song from iTunes!

Click here for app!

Click here for book on sale at Amazon! ON SALE BEGINNING TUESDAY, JUNE 1st!

You can join the Facebook group here.

This has been a joy ride for me. On a personal level, I respect and admire both Len and Frank very much. I am pleased with the amount of trust they have placed in me. As an artist, I am thrilled with the final product. As a Jesus follower and pastor, I am ecstatic about the book for Jesus’ church worldwide and honored to be associated with it.

Jesus Manifesto is heartening, refreshing, and convicting. My first read through the book was timely—-right in the middle of a series we were doing in the book of Colossians. If Colossians was the melody, Jesus Manifesto was the harmony.

Here is a brief description of what you will find in, Jesus Manifesto:

“Christians have made the gospel about so many things—things other than Christ. Religious concepts, ideas, doctrines, strategies, methods, techniques, programs, and formulas have all eclipsed the beauty, the glory, and the reality of the Lord Jesus Himself. On the whole, the Christian family today is starved for a real experience of the living Christ. We know a lot about our Lord, but we don't know Him very well. We know a lot about trying to be like Jesus, but very little about living by His indwelling life. "Jesus Manifesto" presents a fresh unveiling of Jesus as not only Savior and Lord, but as so much more. It is a prophetic call to restore the supremacy and sovereignty of Christ in a world—and a church—that has lost sight of Him. Read this book and see your Lord like you've never seen Him before.”

Please, go download the song! And, wait until Tuesday, June 1st to buy the book from Amazon. Spread the word!

P.S. Some time ago, there was some talk surrounding an evangelical manifesto that was circulating. Please do not confuse this book with that movement. This book is about Jesus. Pure. Simple. It is not political. It is not militant. It is not about who is in and who is out. It is not about rules and regulations. It is not about doctrine or methodology. It is about refocusing on Jesus in the midst of many distractions.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #10

The prayer posts just keep on coming.

I had a wonderful talk with a woman today who I respect as a constant pray-er. She had some questions about my blog posts and we shared a bit more of our prayer journey together. We saw eye to eye on most things and disagreed on some others. That was okay for both of us because we are both committed to the process of learning. I hope these posts are inviting you into that process as well. Please comment.

In the course of the conversation, she asked if I would expand my thoughts on the purpose of prayer and the validity of it. Fair enough. The last thing I want anyone to think is that I don’t believe prayer has purpose. Oh, Lord, if that has come across in any way please help me hone my speech more accurately.

I have read back over my posts again and I don’t take back any words. What I do want to communicate loud and clear is that while I tend to poke fun at “us” and laugh at myself and question the way we promote prayer, it is all in a spirit of seeking God and understanding Him. My burden is for myself, my friends, those I am in relationship with, and my church.

• I don’t want to play Christian
• I don’t want to lead new believers in the wrong direction with prayer expectations
• I don’t want to clutter up prayer with bogus language

• I want prayer to mean something.
• I want prayer to change us.
• I want prayer to draw us closer to God.
• I want prayer to not be a thing we do but rather a place we exist.

I want to be part of the everyday kingdom, meet needs and have mine met, be forgiven, learn to forgive, receive protection and deliverance and experience rescue like Jesus said I could experience and know through prayer (Our Father Who art in heaven . . .)

Jesus taught us to pray. Paul told us to do it always. Heroes of the faith modeled it.

As we talk about prayer, what it is, what it is not, what we get tired of, and the questions we have of prayer, etc. I pray (seriously) we don’t overlook the magic of prayer.

When I say “magic” I do not mean it in the sense of an incantation. I do not mean we somehow control God. I do not mean we summon his presence.

I mean there is something about prayer we can’t explain. And, when we are obedient in it, as it changes us, as we become part of the praying community, as we open up to God, things happen . . . magical things.

I feel the same way about the sacraments. We explain them away in an effort to help people understand and sometimes run the risk of stripping them of their magic.

For instance, when it comes to Holy Communion (Eucharist, Lord’s Table, etc.) some believe in consubstantiation (the body is somehow actually present with the bread and wine). Some believe in transubstantiation (the bread and wine actually literally become the body and blood). Some believe communion is simply a memorial act.

It is good to discuss all those things but it is far better to simply be obedient in participating in it. Whatever it is that “happens” during communion, we cannot dismiss the otherworldly magic there is in participating in something that saints for thousands of years have done before us. Every one on the same playing field. To each the same portion.

Baptism is much the same. Whether one believes it is a public proclamation, a right of passage into a community, or it confers grace on an individual, no one should deny the act of obedience in baptism carries with it a certain unmistakable magic for the individual being baptized—and even those observing the event. Something happens to us when we are baptized. Period.

I am currently reading the novel Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. The scene is 19th Century Britain and all magic has been reduced to an art that is “studied” and “talked about” by gentlemen who know the craft yet don’t practice it. The story follows a younger new magician who apprentices under someone with a rather “restrictive” view of magic but breaks free on his own to create a whole new age of magic. One review of the novel stated Clarke “manages to portray magic as both a believably complex and tedious labor, and an eerie world of signs and wonders where every object may have secret meaning.”

Sometimes, we reduce prayer to the old magic. We talk about. We study it. But doing it . . .

I love how N.T. Wright describes prayer as standing at a fault line between two worlds that have converged—heaven and earth. And standing at the fault line with Jesus is sometimes magical.

I believe in things unseen. I believe in peace that passes understanding. I believe in perspective. I believe in partnering in a kingdom venture with God. I believe in deliverance. I have seen people healed in times of prayer. I believe prayer changes me. Changes us.

In conclusion (for now) I do not believe prayer is a numbers game, I do not believe we can conjure or manipulate God, I do not believe God heals every wound in this life through prayer, I don’t believe God “promised” us to move according to our prayers . . .

But, I cannot deny the magic.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #9

Continuing with our conversations on prayer, let’s dive into prayer and God’s will.

I once heard a story about how Adam and Ever prayed for days in the garden (pre-fall) over what they should eat for dinner. They went on prayer retreats, spent time apart from one another praying, prayer journaled, prayed together, etc. but never came up with “God’s will” for their dinner. The point of the story was that God told them to eat “anything” from the garden—just not “that” tree. At the end of the story they settled on fruit salad since God wasn’t giving “clear” answers.

This imaginary scenario/story is typical of the way many of us approach “God’s will” for our lives. It’s the same kind of approach that some people have when they are looking for a job or a spouse.

However, we can find no clear evidence in the Bible that God is in the business of revealing a “perfect choice” for us through prayer. Some choices are better than others. Some choices are definitely wrong.

Sure, there are stories throughout scripture where God physically showed up and revealed His desire for someone but we need to put that in a different category.

I do strongly believe however, God IS revealing His will to us and HAS revealed His will to us in many ways.

For instance, God HAS revealed His moral will to us in scripture. Whenever there is a crisis or one finds himself or herself at in impasse or quandary, it is safe to say a good spot to check first is with the Bible—where God has already revealed and communicated a moral standard.

If your friend is wondering if he should start having an affair with his neighbor—no prayer is needed. Answer=no.

I actually had a conversation with a gal recently who wondered if it was God’s will for her to pursue an affair because she saw so many “godly” qualities in this other man who seemed to be her “soul mate.” Ummm . . . no.

When it comes to making choices, we can know some things with absolute certainty:

• God does not contradict himself.
• God will not move us to do anything contrary to scripture.

There may be any number of choices and dreams we could pursue in life that may be “in God’s will” for us.

You can pick any job in the world—just not “that” one.

You can have any spouse that may reciprocate your love and your wooing—just not “that” one.

We can also safely operate by the proverbial ideas:

• There is safety in a multitude of counsel (Proverbs 11:14)
• Being open to correction is a way to wisdom (Proverbs 19:20)

In many ways, the OT prophets were “tested” by this logic and this instruction. When someone stuck their head up and said, “thus sayeth the Lord” they were opening themselves up to the testing and scrutiny of scripture and of the community.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 and other passages specifically warn about messages or dreams that contradict scripture

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer.

Deuteronomy 18 teaches the prophet’s words must come to pass. Prophet posing presented some pretty harsh risks.

19 If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death."
21 You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD ?" 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

In reality, we are seldom faced with the kinds of “false dreams and visions” that the above scripture is warning us about. Though history has shown the church and the world abroad plenty of “crazy” visions and schemes that left unchecked by scripture and wisdom have ended in tragedy. Kool-aid anyone?

But . . .

You might be surprised at the countless seemingly harmless ideas and dreams that are presented to the local church leadership all wrapped up in a feverous box stamped, “God gave me this dream” day in and day out.

Often times, people judge the validity of their dreams/visions/choices/ideas based on the lack of any apparent obstruction or difficulty in achieving them. In the same way, many are quick to judge something as “invalid” or “not God’s will” based on roadblocks.

Scenario: A man is out of work and applies for a job in a new town. His wife hates the town, they will have to compromise on the children’s education, they have been warned by many friends not to go there, the man has a past history there that will be hard to overcome, there is no church for them to be involved in, etc. However, the man is offered a new position in the town after searching for work for a year. Should he take it?

OR . . .

Scenario: A woman applies for a job in a new town. She has been drawn to this town her whole life. Though she has been gone a few years, she grew up there, there is opportunity to help the community, she loves her home church there, she has many great relationships there. Many have counseled her that it would be wise to pursue something in this town. She knows that if she keeps pushing on towards her dream of moving back she can accomplish great things and she has a vision for the community. But, she can’t find a job there. Should she give up trying?

It is my conviction that just because something comes easy it doesn’t make it good. And, just because something is difficult doesn’t make it not worth pursuing.

I am certainly not saying praying for direction is irrelevant. Far from it! I do believe we should pray through difficult choices. I believe as we line our desires up with scripture, listen to wise counsel, practice Godly wisdom, learn through mistakes, meditate on the Word and digest it, and respond to God our prayer life will come alive and we will gain Godly perspective and direction.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #8

This post focuses on the “quirkiness” of group prayer—the people and the prayers we all put up with and/or don’t know what to do with in group prayer gatherings.

And, in no certain order—as they pop out of my brain—here are a list of things that will make me want to put my head in a freezer in group prayer settings : : :

Prayer gossip. This is where a “prayer request” is shared as a covert tattletale operation or a way to fill everyone in on something. i.e. “We should really pray for Susan. I don’t know if it is true or not but I heard she is having an affair with her neighbor. It is probably true. She has been acting weird. Let’s pray.”

The "unspoken" prayer request. Who started this one? I don’t understand. i.e. “I have an unspoken prayer request.” Thanks, Joe. “Lord, we pray for Joe’s unspoken request. You know what is going on. Please deal with that.”

The long talker. This is the guy you can’t shut up in the prayer meeting who wants to talk about himself a lot and/or whine about his life and/or prays for a stinking long time without giving anyone else a chance. The problem may not lie with this guy as much as it does with the leader who doesn’t step in and set boundaries.

The holy roller. This is the person who either speaks in tongues and makes everyone freak out or prays so loud and fast and adds so much “energy” that everyone is looking for the exit door.

The “share your prayer requests” time. This is the time when everyone chats about what they need to pray about before they pray. This usually eats up most of the prayer time and then you get to hear it all again in the short “during prayer” version.

The “praise report” time. Yeah, this one always weirds me out. This is when you get to hear all about things that happened throughout people’s week that they are happy for. They range from great things like “I got a new job” to trivial things like “I found a new lady to do my nails.”

The prayer echo. i.e. “Yes, Lord. I echo what Steve and John and Tim and Joel have said. Yes.

I like the sound of my own voice person. This person prays very verbose prayers. Poetry. Long. Loud. Pause. Pitch. Pace. Punch. Their prayer is a COM201 rhetoric exercise. Very well spoken. And they know it.

“Mmmmm. Yes, Lord.” This person is pretty self explanatory but, just in case we need help, this is the person that doesn’t say much in the group except, “Mmmmmm, yes, Lord.” Over and over again. It’s not that it’s bad to agree with one another. But . . .

Touchy prayer person. This person feels the need to reach out and grab you during prayer. Maybe it’s the knee. Maybe it’s the back rub or shoulder squeeze. What makes it awkward is that they are the only ones doing it. It’s different if everyone is holding hands. But, somewhere in the middle of “let’s pray” and “amen” this person surprises you with the touch. If the hand goes on the shoulder it can be especially weird because they usually don’t know they are pushing you into the ground with their hand weight. Can actually be okay if it is a friend.

The out-of-context Bible verse prayer. This may not be weird for everyone but it always derails me. This is when someone is praying about something and they decide they will “claim” a Bible verse as proof their prayer is legit but it is totally out of context and not what the passage means. i.e. God, we are so glad there are three of us praying here tonight because we believe ‘where two or three are gathered you are there.” (that is not what the verse means outside the context of Matthew 18 and furthermore, God is “present” when even one is praying).

The “let me fill you in” prayer. This is the prayer where someone tells a story as they pray. The story is not for God’s benefit. It is for everyone else. i.e. “Lord, today I was sitting watching the kids play bla bla bla . . . when I remembered that time back in college bla bla bla . . . and it was then you made it very clear bla bla bla . . . and in light of that I pray for my friend Don next to me . . . who is very much like my neighbor Hank who just last night said blab la bla . . .

The bomb-drop prayer. This can be a doozy. You don’t want this one to happen. This is where the person has something to say but doesn’t know how to tell everyone so they drop it like it’s hot in the middle of the prayer. i.e. “Lord, you know that we are getting a divorce” or “Lord, not everyone knows here but I have been lying for years about stealing that money” or, “God, you know I am having an affair with so-and-so” etc. When the prayer bomb is dropped it is intended to diffuse the shock of the person’s news because—after all, they are telling God and you can’t interrupt.

The Bible study/preacher prayer. This is the prayer where someone believes they have some wisdom to impart to you and they use the prayer time to do so. i.e. “Lord, before we came in today I couldn’t help but notice John was having a hard time disciplining his child. Lord, we trust your word is true when it says to train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from there and we pray for John that he will understand this truth and apply it to his life. Lord, we know you desire John to be a good parent. Your word also says . . .”

The prayer you pray all the time and don’t do anything about it prayer. This prayer is a weird one. An example is the guy who always prays God will give him an opportunity to share his faith at work. Got news for you buddy . . . you have been praying that prayer for 10 years. The opportunities have come and gone. What you need is to get off your butt and talk to someone. Someone please tell this guy God already answered his prayer and he needs to move on.

Big words guy. Self explanatory. Knows the prayer jargon and uses it. Thick.

The King James prayer. Leave the multiple thee’s and thou’s where they belong--17th Century England. Thee works well sometimes in a song because it rhymes well with “me” and “see” but, other than that . . .

Break out in song prayer. Now, this can actually be cool sometimes but nothing will make everyone more uncomfortable in no time at all than when someone breaks out in song during prayer expecting everyone to join along but . . . no one knows the song. Obviously, the person “thought” everyone would know it or they wouldn’t have started it. But, nope. Wow, this is awkward. The words slowly die, the volume goes down, then there is the awkward “where do I finish the song?” moment. Exit doors?

Think of any others?

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #7

This post is on the topic of “group prayer.”

When I say “group prayer” I am referring to any number of prayer vehicles such as small group prayer, prayer email groups, prayer chains, etc.

Each “group” has it’s own dynamics and it’s own personality so, though I am throwing them all into one group for this post, I will also separate them and discuss their own idiosyncrasies in future posts.

For years, I have led prayer groups. I led one in High School before school in a classroom. I have led small groups where prayer is a focus. I have pastored prayer teams.

Over the past few years at Westwinds, we have had prayer groups come and go. We have had groups organize for the purpose of praying through “requests” that come in on cards and emails. We have had groups meet during Fusion. We have had one particular prayer group that has ebbed and flowed and died and rose from the ashes countless times with countless leaders at the helm.

Recently, I had someone ask me why I didn’t seem very supportive of the “prayer group” (the one that keeps dying). I think it is time I jotted some things down to clear up that little misconception.

It is a misconception that I don’t “support” it but, this person was very astute in thinking I have some concerns. The concerns are not with “prayer” but rather some of the “prayer talk” surrounding a group of this nature. I plan on getting together with some of those who want to see this group thrive but I am going to show my cards and seed the conversation here first. I think it is also good for the rest of us.

Before I voice my concerns and invite you in to the conversation, I want to point out some important things—some of the things I LOVE about group prayer.

• For starters, I believe in prayer because God instructs us to do it (Ephesians 6:18). I believe it aligns us with God and helps us develop a relationship with our Maker (Matthew 26:41). I believe prayer gives us perspective and reminds us of who we are in light of who God is(Ephesians 5:2). These things are true of private and group prayer.

• I believe there are some great benefits to prayer besides “getting answers” or tracking things in a journal to see how God moves—or doesn’t move.

• I believe prayer unites us. Jesus prayed for our unity with one another. He prayed we would be in community with one another and with God just as He and the Father are in community. This unity talk was all in the context of His prayer (John 17). When we pray with one another, not only are we aware of one another’s needs, concerns, victories, challenges, etc., we don’t have a chance to bicker with one another. We get on a level playing field. We focus on something other than ourselves. Group prayer promotes unity.

My concerns with group prayer in some contexts revolve around some myths about prayer and some problems with group dynamics.

Let’s look at a couple of the myths.

Myth #1—the more people that pray, the better chance God will answer that prayer in the way we want.

There are a few different scenarios with this myth that bother me to my core. It is not always “stated” as I have it stated above but it is certainly implied.

The greatest infraction is probably the Fwd: Fw: Fw: email prayer request. It’s not the request itself that bothers me—I like to know what is happening with my friends and I love to pray for them. It is the prayer request that comes in from a friend of a friend who has a brother who knows a guy in some country I have never heard of that seems to think if “enough” people pray his prayer will be answered. And, that I need to stop everything I am doing and pray and forward that prayer request to as many people as possible so that it can be answered.

I don’t see “the more people who pray” argument anywhere in scripture.

Again, good things happen when God’s people are in unity but we don’t have any reason to believe that God is counting prayers before He makes a move.

Frankly, I think this perspective is dangerous. I think it is a slippery slope that leads to believing we somehow hold the power to make things happen if we have enough “faith.”

Myth #2—If we “bathe” an event in prayer, God shows up.

Again, God does not “need” us in order to make a move.

God moves in spite of us. God moves without us.

Myth #3—If we don’t have a large group of people praying for “XYZ” then God WILL NOT “bless it.”

False.

God has already revealed his moral will and many of his expectations to us. When we do those things, we are doing His will. He is happy with that.

This sometimes shows up in conversations like “if we don’t pray for God to bless the weekend services how can we expect things to go well and expect the Spirit to show up?”

Answer: We can expect things to go well because the Holy Spirit who moves spontaneously is the same Holy Spirit who guided the planning of the event and is the same Holy Spirit who lives in every believer who is told to worship in community with one another. Therefore, when we worship together, the Holy Spirit is there. Period.

We don't have to beg Him to be there. We don't have to pray He will "rain down" on us.

We can however, pray that while we meet together in HIs presence we are focused on Him, non-distracting and helpful to those who may not believe yet, treating one another kindly, not full of ourselves, listening, attentive, uninhibited, etc. Boy, do we ever need to pray these things.

I am a proponent of prayer. Alone. Group. All of the above. These myths and some others are what add to my “caution” about group prayer meetings. I love them. I support them. But, now you see inside my head a little more.

Do any of you experience some of the same thoughts/concerns?

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #6

This post flows better out of the previous post . . . so you know . . .

Right after Jeremiah pours out his heart—and his angst——he gets back to work. I picture him letting out a huge sigh as if to say, “there God, I said what I had to say.” And God replies, “Yeah, I hear you. I know how it is to be laughed at. I know how it is to feel betrayed. I know you can’t take too much before you melt down. It’s okay. I made you. I know.

The last thing I learned about God and honesty and prayer in this passage is:

• You won’t always get the “answers” but you may get a whole new perspective
  

Jeremiah goes back to work. He realizes that God never ever said his job would be painless. I think the pain he expressed to God gave him a much greater perspective than if he had said a few “hail Marys.” I think He learned something about God’s faithfulness in the way God handled his honesty. I think the pain gave him a greater awareness of what it must be like to experience pain without God holding your hand. I think the honesty helped him move on.

I once talked to a friend a few weeks before she went to be with God. She had cancer. Two little girls. Beautiful. Every time I ran into her though, she had a smile.

One day, I cornered her at church. I asked her if she ever said, “this sucks!” to God. “Do you ever shut your door and scream? Have you ever given God the finger? Or, is this otherworldly glow you have something you experience all the time?”

She broke down a bit and shared with me that she felt a freedom to address God with all her anger based on how He handled honest prayers in the Bible. We talked about the King David (you should read his rants!) and his honesty. We talked about Jeremiah. And, we saw a pattern with these guys. We saw anger and disappointment, then a prayer of absolute pain and an honest cry, and then we saw a pause—a reflection, and finally, new perspective.

Mary told me the Psalms encouraged her to be honest and they gave her perspective when fighting her cancer. But, the difference between Mary and I at that moment was that she had a real clear perspective that only came through pain.

I want the perspective, but not the pain.

I’ve learned a lot about God by watching my kids. I remember when I taught my son to pray. He was about 3 or 4 years old and I used to kneel by his bed every night and pray with him. One night, I asked him if he wanted to pray alone. He said he didn’t know how but, knowing that prayer was something like “just talking with God” he said he would try.

I walked out of the room and stood around the corner waiting—the proud father. A minute went by and then I heard him say “Hi, God.” That was it. Simple. I went into the other room and cried like a baby. My son taught me something about connecting with God that I was missing. Honesty. Simplicity. That was the end of my sanitized prayers. I had been ripping—off God and myself with my dishonesty.

I do believe in hope. In peace. In joy. I believe one can have all those in the midst of madness. And, I have experienced it. Real joy. Not a fake Jesus smile--a supernatural perspective in the midst of things I can't understand.

My hope and prayer is for me and you, that we will be honest with God when the pain comes. We will tell him everything—unsanitized and messy as it is. Then, we will pray, “what can I learn? What new perspective can you give me? How can I use my pain to help others on this long, strange trip.

Dare : : : Take out a piece of paper and write "God can handle it" at the top. Make a list of the things that seem unbearable and/or "unspeakable" to you. Hide the list somewhere. Take it out and look at it this time next year.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #5

As a father, I want to be a hero. I want my kids to love me. Sure, I love them unconditionally but, there is nothing like your baby running up to you unsolicited and hugging you. I don’t want tension. But, sometime—they don’t like me very much.

My 9 year-old is a doll. A princess. And, as most 9 year olds—she has a . . . problem with authority at times. I remember once when she was about 5 I had to send her to her room for a time-out. She had just finished having a meltdown of sorts. She was cranky, tired, had too much sugar, had been spoiled at a friends home, and wasn’t getting her way.

As she stomped off to her room she screamed the dreaded words I had never heard her say.

“I hate you!”

Could I handle it? Yeah. Did I tell her it was hurtful? Yes. Do I want to hear it said again? Not really. Did I stop loving her or beat her for saying it. No way. I told her there is nothing she could say that would make me stop loving her. I would still love her even if she didn’t apologize. As a matter of fact, I wept for her.

So, what does Jeremiah do? How does He handle it when he is angry at God?

7-10You pushed me into this, God, and I let you do it.
You were too much for me.
And now I'm a public joke.
They all poke fun at me.
Every time I open my mouth
I'm shouting, "Murder!" or "Rape!"
And all I get for my God-warnings
are insults and contempt.
But if I say, "Forget it!
No more God-Messages from me!"
The words are fire in my belly,
a burning in my bones.
I'm worn out trying to hold it in.
I can't do it any longer!
Then I hear whispering behind my back:
"There goes old 'Danger-Everywhere.' Shut him up! Report him!"
Old friends watch, hoping I'll fall flat on my face:
"One misstep and we'll have him. We'll get rid of him for good!"

11But God, a most fierce warrior, is at my side.
Those who are after me will be sent sprawling—
Slapstick buffoons falling all over themselves,
a spectacle of humiliation no one will ever forget.

12Oh, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, no one fools you.
You see through everyone, everything.
I want to see you pay them back for what they've done.
I rest my case with you.

13Sing to God! All praise to God!
He saves the weak from the grip of the wicked.

14-18Curse the day
I was born!
The day my mother bore me—
a curse on it, I say!
And curse the man who delivered
the news to my father:
"You've got a new baby—a boy baby!"
(How happy it made him.)
Let that birth notice be blacked out,
deleted from the records,
And the man who brought it haunted to his death
with the bad news he brought.
He should have killed me before I was born,
with that womb as my tomb,
My mother pregnant for the rest of her life
with a baby dead in her womb.
Why, oh why, did I ever leave that womb?
Life's been nothing but trouble and tears,
and what's coming is more of the same.

What I learned about expressing emotion from God:

• God is not afraid of your honesty—He already knows, you cannot hide anyway, there was no lightning, there was no smoke when Jeremiah spoke these words. As a matter of fact, God continued to use Jeremiah and be pleased with him. (Moses fought with God as well)

• When you are convinced of God’s character and love—you know it’s safe. Jeremiah knew He was Lord and Creator (10:12-16) He is all powerful (32:27) He is everywhere present (23:23,24) He desires reconciliation (31:31-34) By God's very nature and names He let's us know He is "safe" and desires our honesty.
  

Jeremiah knew God could handle a messy, disorganized, angry, gutsy, painfully honest prayer. He cursed God out. He accused God of seducing him. He called God a liar. He threw it out. “This is where I am at, God.”

Quite frankly, I think Jeremiah was even being sarcastic with God in verses 11-13

11But God, a most fierce warrior, is at my side.
Those who are after me will be sent sprawling—
Slapstick buffoons falling all over themselves,
a spectacle of humiliation no one will ever forget.

12Oh, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, no one fools you.
You see through everyone, everything.
I want to see you pay them back for what they've done.
I rest my case with you.

13Sing to God! All praise to God!
He saves the weak from the grip of the wicked.

I have a hard time believing Jeremiah was being "sincere" in 11-13. Those statement are bookended by him shaking his fist at God. I can picture him saying it in a mocking tone.

How do we feel about that? Are we ready for that kind of honesty? Is God?

Do we believe that God is all the things He says He is? Kind, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love, just, righteous? If so, He has to be the kind of God that can handle my screwed up prayers.

This was a hard one for me to learn. For most of my Christian life, I may have said I believed it, but I certainly didn’t practice it. I was taught to be "respectful" in my prayers. Which usually, for me, meant "fake it 'till I make it."

Sometimes, the things I have thought “should not” be uttered.

Psalm 62:8 says “Pour your heart out to God, He is a refuge for you” It does not say to rehearse your prayers and clean them up. It doesn’t say put on a happy face. It doesn’t say turn that frown upside down. It doesn’t even say to take out the cursing. God is a refuge.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #4

Sometimes, the environment we grow up in—though it may be uncomfortable for us while we are in it—or we may not want to return to it—can be very helpful in our learning process if we embrace it.

This is true for me and prayer. I spent a good deal of time in one particular church experience as a child that I would never want to repeat, nor would I wish it on anyone. However, in those painful years I learned a ton. I learned a lot in the way one might look at a parent and say, “when I grow up I will not treat my child like that.”

So, here is a list of some things I learned from other Christ followers growing up (p.s. just in case you are not good at picking up on sarcasm, the list below is NOT something I believe). These things screwed with my prayer life for years :

What I learned about expressing emotion from “Christ Followers” :

• Christ Followers are “happy people” (shiny, happy people) at all times

They “know God is in control” so they smile
There is too much to be happy about—no tears

• Christ Followers who struggle and are frustrated are people without clarity

So, they give clarity with misquoted Bible verses and pithy grabbers intended to satisfy (God is in control, He won’t give you more than you can handle, there is power in weakness, there’s a prize at the end, there’s no crown without a cross, yada, yada, yada. They are not always false, but mostly they are untimely.

• Christ Followers that are “spiritual” have good sounding prayers to God—well thought out and verbose

Things I learned from the world, the media, friends, and the uninformed:

• God sends lightning

• God’s main job is to punish us

• We have to earn God’s favor—so don’t make Him mad!

• I must change before God accepts me (stop drinking, smoking, cussing, looking at porn, being angry), I must get my act together!

Things I learned from life experience and motivational speakers, tapes, and books

• Doubt is the opposite of belief

• It’s best to buck up, grab the bootstraps and move on

• People with emotional “issues” are weak

I believe these are unbiblical misconceptions about God, emotion, prayer, etc. and if we don't move past them, they will haunt our prayer life (or lack thereof) forever.

Another prayer dare : : : go down this list of misconceptions again and find one that may have you hamstrung. Tell someone about it. Investigate it. Ask someone to pray through the issue with you and ask God for a change of perspective.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #3

I think I have more questions about prayer now than I did when I started. I don’t have it all wrapped up nice and tidy. My “theology” of prayer is incomplete.

Some questions I used to ask (and some I still ask) : : :

Does it change His mind? Does God move only if I pray? What about multiple pray-ers? What about email prayers? Can I influence God? Is God the only one who hears? Does He only hear believers? How do I address Him? Does God wait for me to ask?

Today, we’ll camp on another one of my questions as you walk this journey with me. The big question today is . . . What can I and can’t I say to God—what are the boundaries?

Jeremiah’s story is recorded for us in the longest book of the Bible—containing more words than any other book. Jeremiah was a prophet who began speaking for God about 626 BC. Sometimes Jeremiah is referred to as, “the weeping prophet.”

Jeremiah lived in a time where people were giving God the finger. Probably a lot like the world we live in. They didn’t give a rip about God. The leaders were corrupt, the priests were liars, the people were crooked and self-centered; the moral fabric of the nation was getting weaker all the time.

So, God approached Jeremiah and told him He had an assignment for him. He wanted Jeremiah to tell these people that God still loved them and they still mattered, but He was going to teach them a huge lesson if they didn’t turn.

In Jeremiah 1:17 through 19, God gives Jeremiah the charge and a promise.

So Jeremiah accepts. He gets and audience with the rulers and warns them. He encourages them to repent—to turn. They laugh. Jeremiah is puzzled.

God tells Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house and watch him work. He sees the potter making clay pots but halfway through it the clay spoils and he has to mash it up and start over again. God says, “go tell the people what you saw.” So Jerry tells the people what he saw and tells them, “God was shaping you into a great nation but you have turned out to be bad clay. If you don’t repent, God will mash it up and start all over again.”

Well, they didn’t like that at all. People usually don’t like hearing they are about to get mashed. Damnation speeches aren’t very popular in any culture. They start to think of a way to shut him up for good.

Jerry, at this point, is going, “God, what’s the deal? These guys are after me. Why don’t you just do some of that God Kung Foo Panda action and go postal on them. Go Uma Thurman on these bad boys. Take ‘em out. This is ridiculous. He is getting a bit discouraged.

So God responds by saying, “I have another object lesson. Go buy a big vase. Gather all the leaders together again. Hold the vase above your head and tell them if they don’t repent, they don’t turn, they don’t humble themselves, they will be like the vase. Then, smash it to the ground (smash vase).”

He does it. And . . . they don’t like it. Jeremiah 20:2 says they then proceeded to beat him and throw him in stocks by the gate of the city. People could then walk by and ridicule him, spit on him, hit him, and hurl insults.

After hours of this torture, he is released. Jeremiah has reached the end. He is spent. He’s thinking, “Hey, I was just doing my job, God. I was doing what you told me. I warned them. I went to see the potter, I smashed the vase. He is confused, feels betrayed, he is very angry. He has a lot of baggage to deal with.

Not to mention the part where God promised to protect him.

What would you do if you were Jerry? What advise do you have for him? What do you do when you are just going along in life, trying to live right, trying to stay out of people’s way, trying to worship God the best you know how and then . . . crash. It all falls. Your protection isn’t there. How do you approach God? What do you say to Him?

Your good friend dies in a car wreck. You lose your job. Your teenager tells you she hates you and you are worthless. Your home is vandalized. Your family member talks about taking their life. You’re ridiculed and betrayed by a friend. Your spouse. A family member dies. A family member is called to war.

When you start feeling those feelings of confusion, abandonment, anger or resentment towards God, what do you do with the feelings? When God’s definition of protection and love seems like it came out of a different dictionary than yours, what do you do?

Today’s dare . . . if you have a hard time expressing to God how you really feel, start by telling Him you are afraid to tell Him.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares #2

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. When it came to things like prayer, I had little frame of reference.

My grandmother had some beads she used to hold when she would pray. She would go from bead to bead chanting mantras. She called it her rosary. And, she wouldn’t only talk to God, she talked to his “mom” apparently—I thought her first name was Hail. Hail Mary.

My father occasionally talked to God and addressed him by his full name. I thought his last name was dammit. I’d pray before meals, tests, and when I needed something. But, God was really no more real to me than Santa Claus. We didn’t really “chat.”

And, maybe you’re like me in that when I first started attending a church—it wasn’t so much about heart change for me, it wasn’t so much about a journey or experiencing God, it was about, “doing the right things.” I wanted to be a good boy.

So, when I started attending club Christian—I started looking for examples. I started to mimic. I wanted to do things right. I’d hear things like, “Oh, Mr. So-and-So is a good pray-er.” “Oh, she has a direct line to God.” “That was such a ‘moving’ prayer.” “They are prayer warriors.”

I modeled a formula . . .

Recipe for Prayer:

• 1 dash of “tion” words i.e. “propitiation,” “supplication”

• A sprinkling of poetry—use generously

• A couple of adjectives before “Our Father” like “most gracious” or “all knowing”

• A few sighs

• 2 “amen’s” example: “amen and amen!”

• 10 or more uses of the word “just”—Lord, I just want to thank you just for . . .

This is the model I had learned as a child. Whenever I heard people pray, this is what it sounded like. I guess I got good at it.

One day, someone told me they liked my style of praying.

But, honestly, I didn’t want a prayer “style.” I wanted to know more about prayer. I wanted to talk to God.

If I were to ask my dad for his car keys, I wouldn’t say . . . “Oh, most loving and gracious father, might you bestow upon me—your humble son—thy keys for which to use the vehicle you have so lovingly provided for my use? I would say, “Dad, can I use the keys?” Plain. Simple. Genuine. So why did I talk to my heavenly Father as if I were in a Shakespearean play?

Then, I started noticing quirky things about prayer all around me.

It was not only the language that was bizarre, not only the Monty Python words and accents, it sounded so . . . unconversational and so . . . not real. Every prayer was so sanitized. So clean. So polished. So impressive.

I was talking to a friend of mine tonight about prayer and he said that even after reading my blog post yesterday he realized how many habits he slips into with prayer without even thinking twice—the language—the posture.

What are some of the prayer quirks you have? Have you been able to change old prayer habits? Do you have a default language?

Today's dare . . . make mental note of the things you say in prayer that you are not really even sure what they mean.

Do you use words and phrases you are not sure of? Make a list. Share them here.

Prayer Posts and Prayer Dares

Before I begin, let me say I love Jesus. I believe in prayer. I pray. I believe prayer is important. Jesus taught us to pray. Pray.

Please read all my prayer posts through that lens. Please.

I have always been somewhat of a student of prayer. I have never considered myself a “prayer warrior” and, quite frankly, the phrase makes me a little uneasy.

The topic of prayer has come up A LOT around Westwinds lately. I think it is time to blog a few of my thoughts and maybe you can process with me.

I have been a follower of Jesus for 30 years.

I have read more books and had more conversations on prayer than you could possibly imagine.

And, honestly, I don’t feel much further down the line with my understanding of prayer than I did 30 years ago.

Sometimes, I think I understood it better back then—when I didn’t know anything. And that very statement may actually be more profound than I originally intended.

I have changed my mind about how to pray, when to pray, how often to pray, and what prayer accomplishes more than you can imagine.

And, I'll be honest . . .

I have strong opinions about what bothers me when it comes to prayer. I have strong opinions about what bothers me about certain kinds of prayer agendas. I have strong opinions about prayer words and phrases—i.e., “get on your knees and fight like a man,” “we must align our hearts with God,” “lift your request up to him” . . .

I have strong opinions about definitions of prayer that somehow “require” God to respond in certain ways based on where my heart is or how often I pray or how many people pray with me, etc.

I will have some scattered thoughts and posts about prayer over the next few days. Comment please. Converse.

Sometimes, I'm a prayer mess.

I have shown some of my cards already.

Honestly, a lot of my prayer baggage is out of a concern for those who are just beginning to follow Jesus and are watching and listening. To us. To me. I am scared to death sometimes at the garbage that some people are fed about prayer that I believe is --at best-- silly and shallow and --at worst-- unbiblical. So, it is more than pet peeves that I will be sharing.

This first post is simple. No deep theology. No big questions.

Just a simple challenge.

This challenge is for the “seasoned” pray-er. This challenge is for the professional Christian pray-er. This challenge is for the student of prayer. It is not meant to belittle or demean anyone.

If we are going to have this conversation, I dare you to pray for one day like this:

• Without using the word “just” i.e. “Lord, we just want to just thank you for just . . .

• Address God differently than your normal go-to name i.e. “most gracious heavenly Father, etc.

• If you pray out loud this week, talk like you normally talk—normal inflections. Normal words.

• If you pray out loud this week, do not sigh

• Without using words you never use in any other context (most of the “tion” words like propitiation are out)

• Try ending your prayer with something other than, “in Jesus’ name” as a form of “sincerely”. Maybe try putting the “in Jesus’ name” at the front of the prayer. Or leave it off the prayer.

• Try praying “after” a meal once.

• Try praying in the middle of a meal once.

• Try praying with your eyes open.

• If you stand, try it on your knees. If you kneel, try standing.

• Do not use the phrase “we lift up” while praying
  

The next part of the challenge is tough. Kinda weird.

Make mental notes of how many times you hear other people praying around you in light of the above list. God will not be angry at you for doing a prayer experiment—He is bigger than that. I happen to believe God is a big fan of learning through observation.

After you try it for a day, discuss it here. This is food for conversation.

Jesus Makes Us New

As we continue in our series on “Images of Atonement” at Westwinds, I have a busy weekend ahead of me. I am excited though. This weekend, David is out of town and I will be speaking as well as leading worship.

I will be speaking on Jesus “making us new” through the lens of resurrection. The "newness" motif shows up in many songs from my generation. The atonement images of "newness" are popular ones.

“Resurrection” is a great word. We usually only talk about it—specifically— on Easter Sunday. But this word is used over 40 times in the New Testament.

Many dismiss “the resurrection” by saying that lots of people have near death experiences, there wasn’t a coroner at the cross to really make sure Jesus was dead, a resurrection isn’t really that impressive and modern medicine will achieve that in a few short years, and if Jesus really raised from the dead—he would have been seen by the Chinese, etc.

Or, they will say lots of people have been raised from the dead—so big deal.

You know, they are right. The Bible records quite a few resurrections. However,

1. Someone always called them from the grave by the power of Jesus’ name and for His glory.
2. Nobody walked out of their grave clothes.
3. They all died again (even poor Lazarus. I don’t even want to worry about how I’m gonna die the first time).

Without a resurrection, there would be no Christianity. Christianity rests on a miracle we call the resurrection. If Jesus didn’t rise, He is still dead. If He is still dead, we have no Savior, no hope.

The resurrection is the miracle of miracles.

The Bible is a story of resurrection/new life from beginning to end.

The greatest demonstration of God’s power in the OT, the standard of God’s power, is found in the story of God delivering His people—Israel and bringing them into a land of promise—giving them an identity, a name, new life. In the NT, we have essentially the same story.

Jesus wasn’t specifically talking about “a resurrection” as an event when He said He is the “resurrection and the life.”

• He wasn't talking about Lazarus’ resurrection (or He would have said, “I am the guy who can raise him”)
• He wasn't talking about His own resurrection (or He would have said, “I am the guy who will be resurrected).
  
• Jesus made a statement about Himself. I AM THE RESURRECTION. Not—I can do them, not—I will do it, not—I have the power to do this, but I AM THE RESURRECTION! This statement not only says something about Jesus, it says something about the possibilities for us all.

There is way more going on with the idea of “resurrection” in scripture beyond life after death. Certainly resurrection holds a promise of an afterlife and death only being a comma. AND,

There is a huge connection between resurrection and quality of life.

We will discuss Paul’s statements on “the power of the resurrection.” And, as always, quite a few stories.

This one is near and dear to my heart. As a Christian who wasted too many years in a mopey, depressed, woe-is-me-a-worm-of-a-sinner, beat-down, guilty existence . . . I am happy to speak about new life any chance I get.

You can listen and watch the live broadcast at 10:00 and 11:30 EST right from the Westwinds page. Please join me on the web if you are not already joining us in person.

The Crucifixion of Oprah-- La Fin.

My final questions/rants/observation sabout this video, the email, and things like them can be summed up by looking at how they sign-off on the video. “Christians, time to open your eyes, turn off the TV and pray.”

It is this kind of instruction that creates bitter, uninformed, judgmental, recluse, militant Christians. I believe Jesus would be watching Oprah with us. He would be inviting friends over to watch it. He would bring it up in conversation. He certainly wouldn’t hide and wish it away. He would not send an email. He would not make a YouTube video.

I am not saying not to pray P.S.

What a great time to engage in spiritual conversation. If Oprah is getting people talking about spiritual things then we should join the conversation. The fields are ripe for harvest but the laborers are few—someone once said that. No, it wasn’t Oprah.

I don’t agree with everything Oprah says. Not at all.

I don’t agree with everything our speaking pastor says either.

I don’t agree with all of Billy Graham or Lee Strobel or Bill Hybels or Rick Warren or Rob Bell or . . .

I don’t know that I agree with what I say a lot of the time.

I do know this. We never finish reading the Bible. As soon as we put it down, it is begging us to read it more and learn more. And it keeps asking us questions. The truth is not something we “learn” and wrap up. The truth is. His name is Jesus.

We never have all the answers wrapped up. To think that we know everything there is to know is naïve at best and dangerous at worst.

I’d encourage you to read this book. Watch Oprah. Read your Bible. Talk to others who are already talking about it. Engage. You may think the whole book is crap. That’s okay. Maybe it is. But rather than not reading it and forming an opinion while giving the whole world your best “talk to the hand” and boycotting Oprah, invest in this phenomena and take advantage of the Jesus opportunity here.

These posts are not as much about a defense of Oprah as they are about the way we handle things that seem to oppose our belief system. Ignorance and militant boycotts look really dumb and sad to the rest of the world. I pray we don't have some idiot go flapping his jaw on TV about Oprah being evil. Please God, no.

God, help us to get to the root of the questions, understand the questions behind the questions, etc.

Christians, I dare you to read the book. Then, I dare you to ask a neighbor if they have read it. If it is as popular as they say it is, someone who lives around you has read it. This may be your doorway to a bright future of spiritual conversations and making new friends.

Involve yourself in the conversation. Love Jesus with all your heart. Love others. Live.

The Crucifixion of Oprah Part Tres

This is the third post on Oprah and the barrage of emails and videos I have received to make her out to be “new age” (have we not retired this term yet?) and evil. I would encourage you to watch the video from the first post and follow with us from The Crucifixion of Oprah Part One.

Continued : : ;

Then they say Oprah promotes, “The man on the cross is an archetypal image. He is every man and every woman.” Okay, a little weird, yes. But, what about the concept of Jesus becoming sin on our behalf? All our sin taken on Himself. Every man. Every woman. That man told you and I to take up our own cross and follow Him. Then we are told to lose our lives. Put the old man to death. “I am crucified with Christ—nevertheless I live,” said the Apostle. Doesn’t seem as weird now, right. Poetic device and metaphor are not statements of truth. They are pictures to get us to the truth. I’m just sayin.’

“My mind is part of God’s—I am very holy” says Oprah or Eckhart. Okay. Is this really that whacked? I mean, the Bible says I am transformed by the renewing of my mind. And, I am urged to be holy as he is holy. He calls me holy because of Jesus. I am made in His image. I’m just sayin.’

“My holiness is my salvation” is another apparently bad thing to believe. Well, what if I said Jesus—our high priest—in whom I have salvation, has made me holy. His holiness has become my holiness. Now is my holiness my salvation? I’m just sayin.’

“My salvation comes from me” they say. Yeah, that is weird. But what about the Christian who believes they must make a willful decision to follow Jesus in order to obtain salvation? What if they say they made a choice to lay down their burdens and put aside old ways and follow Jesus for salvation?” Where did salvation start in that process? I’m just sayin.’

“Let me remember that there is no sin” they say. Well, okay. I do agree sin no longer has a hold on me. I have been made right in relationship with God that was once broken. It is no longer broken. That sin is in the sea of forgetfulness. As far as east is from the west. It no longer exists as far as God is concerned and as far as I am. So . . .

“Do not make the pathetic error of “clinging to the old rugged cross.” Hmmm. Let’s take that for a spin. Honestly, a case could be made for not wallowing in the death of Jesus constantly and walking with our heads hung low. He is alive! Our salvation is not in the cross, it is in Jesus! So, yeah, it is kinda pathetic on some levels to constantly be clinging to a cross that could have been any other device of torture and doesn’t really bring us salvation. The absolute horrific thing about the cross was the “removal of God” to quote Peter Rollins. Now, can we find the absent God in the midst of the absence? Yes! Absolutely! But, there is more to the story than the cross. Jesus doesn't want you to pathetically cling to it either. He wants you to fall in love with Him and begin to love others.

“The only message of the crucifixion is that you can overcome the cross.” Ummm. Yeah, that’s kinda dumb sounding. Of course, it is all out of context though. We know what happens when things get taken out of context right? Denominations get started. Any good preacher could take this statement and turn it in to something beautiful. Context.

It is sad to me that they are making a case against Oprah for confusing Christians as they say in the flick. Really? Oprah? Like there is nothing else to confuse people? In all honesty, Oprah doesn’t confuse Christians . . . Christians who don’t ask questions or read their Bibles or jump in to every witch-hunt confuse other Christians.

Oprah says in the video she took God out of the box, recognized His indescribable hugeness, and was unsettled by simply trusting in the rules, belief systems, and doctrine that was handed to her by the Baptist church. Nothing wrong with that.

They make a big deal out of Oprah saying she was confused about the “jealous God” quote. She even mistook it to mean God might be jealous “of” her, which didn’t make sense and sent her on a quest. So she misunderstood what jealous God means. So? Lots of people can’t explain that one until they dig deep and seek to understand. If I believed that meant God was jealous of me I would be confused too.

How about the quote “Man made god in his own image” and that “the eternal, infinite, and un-nameable was reduced to a mental idol?” Well, isn’t that true for some? We can certainly be accused of this stuff. Read Screwtape Letters—the classic by C.S. Lewis and get some insight on this.

Then there are a few words to this effect: “God isn’t something to believe. God is. If God is simply a belief he is not truly God.” Actually friends, a lot can be said about this. God exists outside of our belief of Him. God doesn’t need us to step towards Him to reveal Himself. Being a Christian is way more about relationship and participation than it is “believing” the “right” things and being able to articulate them.

More to come . . .

The Crucifixion of Oprah Part One

Okay, I received this video from a few different sources re: Oprah. All of a sudden Oprah has become the new thing for Christians to rally against.

• A few years ago it was the emails telling me not to buy Heinz catsup.
• And not to go to Disneyland.
• And not to buy Pampered Chef.
• And not to vote for gay people because they are apparently dumb.
  

Every few months someone starts a panic through email and webposts and video about what or whom we should not support as Christians.

I think I finally got all the messages right in my brain. It is hard to stay on top of them.

I think : : :

I am not supposed to spend any money anywhere with my debit card not only because it is run by a huge computer in Belgium called The Beast but also because my money eventually funnels to Harry Potter who bought Disneyland with Berkshire Hathaway money that he earned while building gay abortion clinics for Warren Buffet which are only a cover for Madeline Murray O’Hare to counterfeit money without “In God We Trust” printed on the bills which you can only find if you use your Golden Compass. Or something like that.

Then came the Oprah video(s) and posts and emails.

Pause.

Let me take off my sarcastic hat—for just a bit.

For the record, I am a Christian. I believe there is only one way to God through Jesus Christ (many people find Jesus in a number of ways but that is for another post). I believe Jesus is real. He lived on earth. He died. He rose again. I believe I am not Him. I believe I will die and have no control over when. Outside of these things, there is a lot of for grabs.

My friend Dave says Len Sweet told him we are all wrong about 25% of what we believe—we just don’t know which 25%.

As Christians we should all be concerned about investigating claims, we should all beware of what is happening in the media, we should all be careful to hold tight to that which we know to be true about Jesus. Agreed.

But before you get caught up in the frenzy and forward the video to all your friends with a picture of a sunset and a nudge to email it to 10,000 of their closest friends to receive an answer to prayer, let’s take a close look at this video.

Part of me does NOT want to do this. Partly because I know some people mean well and I don’t want them to feel bad and partly because it just takes too much time. But I also believe part of what I am called to do is do the things that take time.

So, if you are really interested in the “claims” on this video regarding Christians watching Oprah, watch the video above and read on--more posts to come.

(I will be quoting the video so it is a good idea to watch it then read on. If you don’t watch, you can still read but some things may be lost in translation)

Introducing Jesus Part Vier

Every Christ follower heard about Jesus from someone else.

Maybe from an individual. Maybe they heard the story of Jesus in a group. But somebody else told them the story.

Maybe it was a person like John the Baptist who pointed the way and said, “Look, the Lamb of God.”

Maybe it was a person like Andrew who started hanging around John the Baptist—looking, anticipating, and waiting for the Messiah to show up on the scene. He probably had these crazy stories about hanging out with other spiritual seekers and inquirers and one day he came face-to-face with Jesus and he just had to tell someone about it! “Here’s the guy that we’ve been looking for!”

Or, maybe they heard the story from an intellectual and that’s exactly what that individual needed—someone like Phillip, who was well versed in theology, who knew the history and was ready and willing to give someone an account of the indisputable facts. They were interested in religious things and he knew they would be interested just like Nathanael.

Maybe somebody’s introduction to Jesus was more like Jesus’ own approach when He said, “Come and hang with me.” Maybe it all started with a “come on, and hang out at my place.” Someone sought to understand them and “do life” with them.

When all of the disciples were called to Jesus, I am not sure that everybody at that point in the story completely “got it.” I am not sure that they started following Jesus and they completely understood what it meant at that point. Some may have. But some certainly had to grow in to Jesus. There was a good period of time for some between the following and the “I am willing to give my life for this guy.”

I am not saying that the best “evangelism” is the kind where we sit back and let people observe—without us ever engaging them. BUT I am leaving room for that being the very thing that some people will respond to.

I’m not saying that it’s not necessary for us to know the “gospel” message and to know how to explain it. But I am saying that some people will just not be too interested in a flip-chart presentation across the kitchen table and they will liken it to us selling them soap.

I’m not saying that it’s not necessary for us to be able to present the “gospel” in a concise manner. But I am saying that people smell a salesman a mile away.

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t dig into our Bible and digest it and understand it and fall in love with it. But I am saying if that’s all we do with it and we just keep it to ourselves, we don’t ever share it with anybody else, that we may as well just digest and learn and memorize and understand the entire Harry Potter collection, because it won’t make an eternal difference.

I’m not saying there’s no room for persuasion or for challenges or for tough questions or encouraging people to get to a point of surrender. I am saying that we are not responsible for somebody making a decision.

All these approaches and ways people "come to Jesus" are valid. None are better than the other standing on their own merit. Some ARE better than others in relation to individuals.

We’re responsible to tell our story. And to listen to "their" story. That old saying that people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care is true.

Food for thought.

Introducing Jesus Part Deux

I really want to fall in love with Jesus. I really want others to fall in love with Jesus. Jesus is loving and lovable.

At an early age, I understood that my story, like the Bible says, is not a secret to be kept. My story is part of a much larger narrative— a meta-narrative—an over-arching story where I play a role. I am a character and you are a character and we are part of a bigger story where God is weaving and shaping and molding and scripting without a strike. And, our job is to tell our story. To hear other stories. To spread the stories.

But as far back as I can remember, from about the time that I was nine or ten years old, some things didn’t jive with me when it came to some “evangelism tactics” I heard of and witnessed. It wasn’t always about good storytelling or the stuff of life—it seemed more like a recipe to be followed. A one-size-fits-all plan. A cookie-cutter flip chart presentation.

I think that the word “evangelism” and maybe even the word “gospel” has garnered a bad reputation outside of the Church and it’s understandable, because not every example of evangelism has been as gentle and as loving and as relational as the example of my hero Charlotte that I told you about.

The words evangelism and gospel come from the same root word and really, it’s not a religious word. In context it certainly can be. When we talk about religion, then evangelism becomes, or gospel becomes, a religious word, but it’s really a word that just means good news. It simply means “good news” or “good headlines” or “good story”— something good to think about.

The thing is, when there’s good news, we want to hear it. We seek out good news, right? Everyone likes good news.

I wonder though if sometimes we’ve done a poor job of understanding the people that we’re in relationship with (or not as the case may be) and erroneously assume that the good news we are going to share with them is actually good news to them. Or, at least, our version of what the good news is.

So, in some cases, the church has approached people as projects—void of relationship—and invaded someone’s space with a story about Jesus. In some cases, I fear the approach, the non-relationship, the pat answers, the non-tact, and the sales job doesn’t get anyone closer to Jesus. In fact, this person’s “good news” may be when the evangelist shuts up and leaves them alone.

Good news is not simply heard or told. Good news is also seen. Good news sometimes comes unexpectedly. Sometimes good news is not realized until Act Three of the play and sometimes good news is picked up in Act One. Sometimes the good news is understood in one sitting with a person and sometimes the good news unfolds over a long period of time, sometimes an entire lifetime.

I fear sometimes in our attempt to define the gospel and to narrow the gospel— the good news— down to small booklet size we do people and God a disservice.

I wonder sometimes if our simplifying of the gospel is actually more about us then it is about people. Not that we have impure motives by any means just maybe a skewed perspective. It might be possible we have been guilty at times of stripping the transforming power of the “gospel” in an effort to make something concise and simple that was never meant to be that way.

When we get to the end of our diagram, or our chart, or our booklet, have we in fact shared the good news?

I think that sometimes we desire to simplify this good news in order to determine exactly at what "point" we have shared the gospel.

I think most of us agree the “gospel” is not about winning an argument or closing a deal but . . .

Introducing Jesus Part 1

Step back in time with me.

I want to talk about the “evangelizing” of a little boy.

I’m about nine years old. My family--my mom, my dad and my one brother (at the time) are all living in a camper. We’re living in a van down by the river, pretty much, almost literally—in a truck-bed camper that has been laid out on pipes so it doesn’t get dry rot. . We’re building a humble home. When the home is done, it will be about 700 square feet.

My dad is a struggling house painter and we are taking showers in a fifty-gallon drum that sits outside of the camper. You fill it up with water in the morning and it is warm enough by the evening to take a shower. My dad calls them “Vietnam showers.” It is our evening routine to do this. Another part of our evening routine is for my dad to disrobe, to get naked, and walk around the property smoking weed. So, pretty normal family for the most part. Ordinary. Ha.

But one day something out of the ordinary happens. This small Honda Civic drives down the driveway and parks down by our little campsite and out walks this woman. She’s probably in her late 40’s to mid-50s and she approaches my family. Not too many neighbors talked to us. My dad—as gentle as he is—is tattooed head to toe, drinks, rides a Harley, and well . . . there’s that naked thing.

But, this woman seems to see right through all of that. She asks my parents’ permission to take my brother and me to Sunday School.

That’s how my Jesus story begins.

The rest is an incredible story of love and of sacrifice and of risk and of time investment in two little boys. I can tell you story after story about my journey and my connection with this beautiful woman that I call Charlotte. I can tell you about the Bible she bought me (I am looking at it right now)--the first Bible I ever owned— and the stories that she told me. I often think about the time that we used to spend hanging out in her garden together and the cookies that she baked me and the shoulder she gave me to cry on. I remember kneeling with her by a swing and praying to God to tell Him I wanted in.

I am who I am today because somebody was a risk taker and a storyteller : : : because somebody took Jesus seriously.

That is the story of how I came to Jesus.

Not every story is like mine. If you are a Jesus follower, your story may be similar or way way way different.

Charlotte’s “evangelism” methods were very sweet and began with relationship.

Webster says “evangelism” is: “Zealous preaching and advocacy of the Gospel.” Every church I’ve ever been in has been part of this tradition— the evangelical tradition. Really, it’s something that I’m proud of; I’m not sorry for the name. If you called me an “evangelical”, I wouldn’t be disappointed with that label on some levels.

But, not all the way comfortable or excited either.

The discomfort that I’ve had with some “evangelism” tactics lie in how we determine just how people “come to faith in Jesus” and what role we play in their faith journey--how we go about telling them the story of Jesus and really what our role and responsibility is in making sure they “get it.”

These things are really heavy on my heart right now—especially as we plan an upcoming series on Atonement Theories/Theology.

More to come. In this and the next few posts I value your insight and banter. Please join the conversation.

Atonement Talk and Twitter

In May we will be doing a six-week series at Westwinds where we discuss various theories of atonement. This may be one of the more “heady” series we have approached in a while but at the same time, perhaps one of the most practical and freeing.

When we (the Christian church) talk about Jesus and tell the story of the cross—whether we are at youth camps, retreats, playing a concert, Sunday morning service, or across the kitchen table—there are certain “words” and metaphors we have all become accustomed to when it comes to atonement and what Jesus has “done for us.” Is it about substitution? Payment for a debt? Satisfaction? Ransom? Covenant?

Probably most Christians answer a hearty yes to all of the above.

A book that has been very helpful and encouraging to me in recent days is “A Community Called Atonement” by Scot McKnight. I highly recommend it.

In the prologue of his book, McKnight tells a helpful story about golf wherein a friend asks him what his favorite golf club is. His reply is “when I am at 150 yards, I like to ‘knock down’ my 7-iron. When I am at 200 yards and there is no wind, I like my 3-iron. When I’m on the tee box, if the fairway is open, I like my driver. On the green, I like my putter. When I’m in the bunker and a green, I like my sand wedge. When I’m at 80 yards and in the fairway, I like my lob wedge. “

The point of McKnight’s story is that all the clubs are useful at some point, they are all valid, they are all designed for certain situations, and none can or should ever be completely ignored in the grand scheme of things. We need to “understand the value” of each club.

In my opinion, one of the huge dangers the Christian church has mired in over the years is the inability to reconcile atonement theories with one another or have a workable understanding of how to present “the gospel” in light of all scripture teaches about the work of the Jesus and the redemptive work of God. This often causes division, fights, and confusion. Some become very “religious” about their understanding of redemption and the work(s) of Jesus. And, in some cases, the story is dumbed down to a few hoops a person has to jump through to be reconciled to God. All the while, there is seldom thought given to the way God has shaped each individual and the idea that each individual is part of a story.

I think there is an entry point into unlocking everyone’s redemption story and the entry point is not always the same.

How do you talk about Jesus to the man or woman who believes they are okay with God because the concept of “sin” doesn’t jive with them? Well, you certainly don’t start with talk about the debt they owe. This doesn’t mean that sin is a non-issue, it just means it is not the entry point.

How do you talk about Jesus to the man or woman—like many of my friends—who grew up in a good home, two kids and a dog and cat, parents had great jobs, never wanted for anything, good student, never gets in trouble, a bright future in a good company, big house, good neighborhood, great group of friends and community, etc.? Do you start with the new covenant and Jesus’ ability to restore community and people? Probably not.

To my grandparents, Jesus was the Victor. The man who led their battle. The one who slays the enemy and keeps him at bay. To my parents, Jesus is the one who washed them white as snow. Cleansing them of all their impurities. To my new friend at church who was first introduced to Jesus in prison, Jesus is the one who makes everything right, the one who is his judge, the one who paid the penalty, the one who did the time without the crime. All of them are right. Jesus is all of those things. And more.

I can’t wait to dive in.

For this series, Westwinds has set up a new Twitter identity that I am managing. We are encouraging people to bring their laptops and/or cell phones to church throughout the series so we can have ongoing discussion on-screen, in interactive moments, and throughout the week. If you would like to eavesdrop on the conversation and/or join in, please follow us here on Twitter. We will be up and running in a few weeks and I will keep you updated. If you don’t yet have a Twitter account—what are you waiting for? Go to Twitter and get set up!

You are welcome to watch the live stream of Fusion and interact during the series as well by going to this link.