Started reading Simply Christian by N.T. Wright today. Good so far!

The Kingdom of Heaven

I have been having Kingdom thoughts lately. I have been teaching through the Sermon on the Mount in youth group and something had begun to change in me. I am looking differently at many things in my life. Is seems that God is doing some major renovation right now.

"Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him. He began to teach them. He said. . .Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those that mourn for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those that are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

God's Spirit is really changing the way I am looking at things. These things are so foreign to us. Where are the peacemakers? Where are the meek? The pure in heart? I would like to say look in the mirror Matt but all to often those do not describe me. But God is changing that. I want to be a peacemaker! I desire to gentle (meek)! I yearn for a pure heart! I'm hungry for some righteousness! I am not looking for persecution (being honest) but it is promised so bring it on!

Any body else up for some beattitude change? The road is well worth it. Come join the road to a mountainside with me. Let's do this together.

Bono's prayer

I came across Bono's prayer at the National Prayer Breakfast held in Washington D.C. Here is a link to it. Read it and tell me what you think about it.

Bono's Prayer

I thought he was right on. The part with him talking to a wise man. The wise man was right. Why do we ask God to bless our activities and not go to where the blessings already are happening? Thoughts to ponder and think about!

Parable

Here is my parable I wrote.

A Parable of Swimming

As Tommy grew from a baby to a child, he began to desire what most children desire: to learn to swim. He had already learned to run and jump. He had already learned to play with his friends around the neighborhood. As his friends began to learn to swim he, too, desired to be with his friends in the pool. Long past was the enjoyment of the little plastic kiddy pools that are only a foot deep. Long past was the enjoyment of splashing in the water. He desired to be in the great big depths of pools that were deeper than a foot of water.

As the questioning commenced, “Mom, when am I going to learn to swim?” “Is it time to learn to swim?” or “Mother, I want to go swimming.” His mother began to offer suggestions: “Maybe when you are a little older.” “Swimming lessons do not start in the winter.”

When the end of Spring rolled around, the question was inevitable. “Is it time to swim?” His mother finally gave in. They enrolled the young energetic boy into swimming lessons at the Parks and Recreation Department. What seemed like an eternity pasted from the day they signed up to the first day of swimming lessons. That fateful day arrived. Nervous mothers and fathers and nervous kids all converged onto the swimming pool at the park.

One knows, who has learned to swim, that the lifeguards do not throw new kids into the deep end and say “swim.” So the time honored methods of learning to swim were followed. As the lifeguard stepped up to the class of anxious kids, she began to address the parents standing on the outside of the fence: “I am a trained lifeguard. If something may happen let me do my job. I have been trained and experienced in saving kids from drowning. Please do not believe you need to exert control over the situation, chances are you will probably end up hindering it.” So, she jumped into the pool and said to the kids, “There is nothing to be afraid of. All of you can touch the bottom.” So she encouraged each of them to step down the steps into the water. Some kids quickly formed a line because they wanted to get into the water as fast as they could. Other kids hung back because they were still unsure of the water. This deep water was new and scary. Mothers and fathers stood on the outside of the fence anxiously waiting to see their little Burt or Tamequa. Tommy’s mom seemed extremely nervous. She stood along with the other parents, yet she stood more rigid. Her fingers were melding with the fence. Tommy did not understand this until later. Tommy, on the other hand, was one of the first kids to get into the water. The lifeguard said “walk in” and he jumped. She said “no splashing the other kids” as they got into the water but Tommy was submerging his head when she said that, so he began to splash and play. He was having a blast in the water. His mom was still nervous.

It took the whole hour for some of the kids to get into the water on the first day. As soon as the last kid got in, the lifeguard announced that time was up and that all of them needed to get out of the water and go change in the dressing rooms. “I am so proud of all of you for getting in the water today. There is nothing to be afraid of. (She said this to kids and to the parents.) Don’t forget to wash off in the shower and I will see you tomorrow,” was the last thing she said to them that day as they lined up and walked toward the dressing rooms.

The drive home was full of excitement and relief. Excitement because Tommy learned to swim that day (not really), but he thought so. Relief on his mother’s part because he was safely out of the water and in her presence where she could have more control on his surroundings. As the weeks went by, he learned more and more about floating, breathing, and the many strokes of swimming. He learned that there are many ways to swim in the water: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and the butterfly. His favorite was the freestyle. Was he adept at swimming by the end of the summer? No. Was he ready to swim across a lake? No. Was he ready to swim without supervision of a lifeguard? By no means! But he could now go into water that was over his head. Gone were the days where 3 feet of water was Tommy’s boundary. Here were the days when 5 feet of water was great to be in!

Tommy’s mom on the other hand was still nervous and anxious every time he put a foot into the water. Tommy still did not understand this as a little boy.

Many years passed by and more lessons meant deeper water for an older boy who loved the water. Three feet of water was bypassed all together and five feet of water was where he would begin his swimming. His mom had released her position at the fence to another mother or father who was watching their child learn to swim in three feet of water. Tommy’s mom now was positioned a little farther back at the picnic tables, but she was still anxiously watching—ready to swoop in and save him.

As he grew into his older teen years, he learned why his mother had been so anxious and nervous when he was around water at a pool or a lake. She was uncomfortable with the uncertainty that the deep water brought. She was nervous with water that was over her head or the head of her child. She knew that if she needed to jump in and “save” her child, that her ability to do so would be greatly hindered, if she could at all. So she tried to keep Tommy in water that was deep enough to have some enjoyment but not to go too deep. That made sense. He hardly ever saw her in the water. He did not even recall five times that his mother went swimming with him

Tommy’s mom would explain that she was just trying to protect him and that her guidance was the best. She saw it as her sole responsibility to protect him from the unknown of the deep water. She did not know what was out there so Tommy did not need to go there. This was a heavy burden. As Tommy learned to swim better, he desired to swim farther and deeper. She was torn because she wanted Tommy to grow in his swimming skills but she was not comfortable with where it could lead. It could possibly lead to foreign water which she had never been in herself.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This parable models the Christian journey. We all begin in the shallow waters of faith. We all rely on the Lifeguard to teach us the intrinsic elements of what it means to be in relationship with God, but we do have the safety of the shallow water in these formative years. We all rely on the Lifeguard to reassure us that learning to swim is one of the most important things a person can do. As we continue in the waters of faith and get used to the swimming strokes (as different as they all are), we mature in our relationship with God. Then it happens: the learning of the strokes unite with the swimmer. The swimmer uses these strokes not to learn to swim but to swim. They become more than “things done” to swim, they actually become part of the swimmer. Also in this time the swimmer begins to develop a swimming technique that is unique to the swimmer. The relationship between the swimmer and the waters of faith is unique. When this happens, the Lifeguard looks upon the swimmer and takes great joy. The swimmer no longer needs the hard structure of the beginning lessons. The swimmer needs the freedom to go swim, wherever that takes him/her in the waters of faith.

Faith mentors have always been anxious concerning the faith formation of people they love. They take great time and effort in trying to help the person produce a deep, lasting relationship with God in the waters of faith. But there comes a point when they have to release the person fully into the hands of the Lifeguard and let the Lifeguard become the primary person that is influencing faith development. That may mean the Lifeguard takes the swimmer into water that is unknown and foreign to the faith mentors. That is okay because the Lifeguard is there. Is it scary for the faith mentors? Yeah! Is it hard to go there yourself? Yeah! But the control desperately needs to be given over to the Lifeguard. Otherwise, the swimmer will probably reject the faith mentors because of the freedom that is in the waters of faith but not experienced in the controlled environment of the faith mentors.

Each stroke learned or breathing exercise experience is part of the journey. The swimmer only knows how to swim because the Lifeguard’s example and the example of the other swimmers that have gone before. The swimmer is not rejecting those who have swum before, he is embracing them and their lessons but is moving on into the future. Each swimmer has the responsibility to swim and pass on swimming to the generations to come. That could mean swimming in larger pools or even swimming in the largest pool: the ocean. Each of the waters of faith have their own dangers and rewards, but each is watched over by the lifeguard.

Swimming lessons have evolved through time. Breathing exercises have transformed as we understand our respiratory systems better. At one time in history the breaststroke was a new stroke. It looked weird (maybe still does). It was something new and different. But through time and teaching and practice, the breaststroke is one of the most recognized swimming styles. In the waters of faith, sometimes new ideas and new ways of doing things need to be embraced. Not because they are new or “just something different,” but because there is a new way to swim.

One

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The One

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Christian Teenagers and the Internet

I began a teaching a couple of classes to my youth group on Christian Teenagers and the Internet. It is going to be interesting I believe. This coming week I am going to be dealing with the whole mySpace craze.

I can't wait to see how they respond. Christians need to start spreading light into the world of the internet. I know some of you do already. I take great encouragement from some beautifully lighted (that whole light in the darkness thing) pages. I came across one last night and had a spiritual experience while I was slowly working through the pages. Here is the link: mayBe. Take sometime and work through the pages. I was encouraged and deeply moved by their faith and practice.

I would also recommend the following sites:

Online Labyrinth

OpenSourceTheology

Have fun with the sites and don't forget if you blog or whatever on the internet--be a Light!

12 People

A friend once told that if he could find 12 people totally sold out to Jesus. God would change the city of Portland.

I am looking for 11 people to change the city of Federal Way. Anybody interested? Since when did God want his church to be totally irrelevant in the culture it exists in? God is alive and active int eh world and in the city of Federal Way. I am looking for some people to journey together. Don't know what it looks like or how it is done. I do know that God is there in there in the journey so any takers?

Random Thoughts

Basketball is approaching. College basketball is my favorite sport to watch. I cannot wait! Maybe this year will be the year of the Jayhawks! That is Kansas for those of you that are not fans of college sports.

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving. I have mixed emotions though. Shelia Dunaway will be coming over for Thanksgiving but her husband will not, he is in Iraq. Pray for him! He is spending a year there and just left last Monday. He also has a small baby daughter born earlier this year. I cannot wait to spend Thanksgiving with my wife, Shelia and Elizabeth!

Hope. God will take care of tomorrow because he is already there!

Talked to Jeff Sordahl, Jr. today. He graduated a few years ago from my youth group, but he is a friend! I enjoyed our talk Jeff!

Mike Lewis, I am still praying for you and your family!

Kevin Woods, I continually remember you in my prayers!

PUMP staff, I pray God will expand your loving touch into the community and lives of those families you are in contact with and pray for. Love them the same way Jesus loves them!

Moved Again

I watch Hotel Rwanda again today. I shed tears every time they save the children. One man making a difference that the whole world can see. One man can change the world. Actually he already did. His name is Jesus. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be him now.

Incarnational ministry!


A friend is leaving his ministry position. God will take care of him and his family. I am confident of that. Word to you Mike! Prayers going up for you!

Parable

I attempting to write a parable. I am using a swimming metaphor. I am trying to be blunt but not blunt (much like parables). Hopefully this attempt will do what I am desiring it to do. When it is done I will post it and let you read it.

White Sox rule!

One of my best friends leaves Monday for Iraq. He has already been there once. It wasn't that hard last time, but this time is different. We are much closer. AND, he has a baby girl now. It is going to be tough. I pray God will protect him. Pray a prayer for my friend if you don't mind when you are praying.

God, protect Pete! May he be a blessing to those he is around and may he show your glory. May he bring honor to your name. Bring him home safe to his family and friends. May his year go by fast. You can do anything! Please grant this request. In the name of your precious Son and my Savior, Amen!

Thanks for lifting him up in your prayers. I know his wife will appreciate it.

Transformation

What would it look like if we emphasized spiritual transformation? Conversion has been taught and abused (if I may say so)! But transformation? Nothing. Transformation speaks of journey. God's Spirit is transforming my spirit into what God intended all along.

That speaks to me. Transformation says even though I am not all together and sometimes my life isn't together at all, God is still continuing his saving work in my life and the life of the church. What if we taught transformation? Would we be more loving? Would we be more forgiving? Would we be more willing to extend grace and less quick to judge (because they do not look like us and I am not writing about our belief dogmas)?

Going a journey with God speaks of excitement, danger, and security. Going on a journey with God speaks of holiness, love, and faith. Going on a journey with God speaks of compassion to less fortunate, the blind seeing, and the lame walking. Going on a journey with God speaks of His Kingdom on this earth not just in the eschaton but NOW!

I desire to journey with God like that! Anybody with me?

Dogs

We have two dogs. My wife's dog lives inside with us and my dog, Maximus (his name should resonate how big he is) lives outside. This week Daisy got really sick. She could not keep anything down. I will save the details from you. We went to the vet on Wednesday. All of us were effected by our sick dog. Julie was worried. I was trying help where I could. Maximus didn't get the normal nose touching from Daisy.

There was uncertainty in the air. She is all better now. A shot and some medicine later makes thing better. It is interesting how dogs become part of the family. When they become sick, the whole family is affected.

Knife of Dreams

I can't wait. Tomorrow is the day. Book Eleven (that's right eleven) of the Wheel of Time series written by Robert Jordan. I am predicting a Borders stop on the way to the office Tuesday morning.

The evil empire lost tonight. Cheers for the halos.

Post Christian

I have been looking for where youth ministry has been needing to go for some time. I have read and read and read about postmodernity. I have been excited and disillusioned at the same time with the postmodernity mindset. I knew it was not going to last. Postmodernity (in my opinion) is a house divided. It is only a matter of time before it begins (if has not already) to collapse on itself. I was down at ElderLink at sponsored by Abilene Christian University. I heard a phrase that I had heard before but it was defined in a new way. The speaker defined the West as a Post Christian place. Augustine made Christian beliefs the norm for culture. And we have been living in this "norm" for hundreds of years. Now for the first time in a long time, Christian beliefs are not the norm. Christianity on the west coast has been pushed to the margins and even had hostility vented against it. The margins. Think about that. The margins! Christianity has not been in the margins for a long time. When the Church was being persecuted early in the first century, Christians lived in the margins. Persecuted. Look down upon. Humble. Living day to day by the Spirit. It is going to be good in the margins again. Hello youth ministry in the margins.

How far will you go?

As I sit here writing this blog, I am currently on another computer (office laptop) working up a video for my friends who just addopted a baby girl from China. It is late and they are leaving town to go to their parents house tomorrow and they really wanted to take a dvd video with them. I went to their house this afternoon because he was having problems with his computer. Thought I would take all his videos home and deal with at my house and I had problems.

I am still having problems. But I told my friend that he would have his video by in the morning before they fly out. In the big picture of things, this is really nothing but I find myself thinking about "how far will I go?"

How far will I go to help save a life? How far will I go to love God? How far will I go in dying to self and letting Christ live in me? How far will I go to surrender my life to God? How far. . .

Sometimes I know how far. Other times I can honestly say that I have no idea. How far?

Hiking

Julie and I went hiking last Sunday. We went to the a place called High Rock Firehouse Lookout. It was close to 6900 feet up. It is now one of my favorite places to be.

Summer

This summer is going by so fast. If is hard to believe it is almost August. Our mission trip to PUMP is in a few weeks, but before then I need to get my CDL. Pray that is happens. Otherwise we do not get to take our bus.

Star Wars

Tonights the night. Here I come to see Yoda kick some Sith butt.

Shocked. . .Not really

One of our local news stations reported a story about an offensive license plate. On the license plate was "John 3-16). A woman who was driving behind the car reported to the State Department of Licensing that she was offended and did not want to be "prayed over" by a license plate and that there is separation between church and state. Since this was a filed complaint, the owner of the plate will have to defend her plate in front of a review committee. She has had the plate for 21 years.

You can read the story by clicking on this link. http://www.komotv.com/news/story_m.asp?ID=36833

I am not shocked at this story. We live in a post-Christian society in America. We have left the times when church and faith was the norm. I live in a state that the majority of the population is nonreligious (and that includes any religion). Not only has America become a secular country, it has rebelled and revolted against Christianity. All religions will be tolerated except Christianity.

I will not be surprised if the owner of the vehicle is required to change her license plate. I will not be surprised if this story gets more involved. Sadly, I will not be surprised if this goes to court or even the Supreme Court of Washington. I believe now more than ever the world needs the message of John 3.16. Christians need to be introducing people to God's love. God loves everyone so much, that. . .

Many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

At HOME groups tonight, we read most of John 6. Toward the end of the passage many of the followers decided that Jesus was not worth following. I asked the question "why is it so hard to follow Jesus?" That opened up over an hour discussion on reasons why it is hard to follow Jesus. We had answers anywhere from his hard sayings to taking the leap of faith. There comes a point in your life when you will be faced with the choice to take the leap. Sometimes we have relied upon science to help make this decision easier (but it can't). Sometimes we have relied upon our rationality to make this decision (but many of the things God does are irrational).

We are stuck with the leap of faith. Are we willing to take that leap and decide to believe or stay in our neat little "controlled" worlds? What would happen if we did have that faith as small as a mustard seed?

If we do take that leap, God begins to work through us but also he begins to transform us. Those are exciting and great futures. But God also begins to demand things from us. The rich man could not give it up. Judas couldn't see past himself. Pilot lost courage. But the roman soldier at the foot of the cross echoes in the house of faith "surely this man was the Son of God.

Faith is a simple but very complex thing. Good thing God gives it to us.