Random things

Here are some of my random thoughts lately. . .

1. Reese changed everyday. My little girl is changing constantly. Slow down please.
2. I have given up being angry for Lent. It has been going mostly good. Still get angry some times but God is helping me realize it and overcome it.
3. My friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. I am always praying for you Terri.
4. Go Kansas Jayhawks! Maybe this is the year.
5. PMC went well last weekend. I am looking forward to the adventure.
6. Northwest Youthworkers retreat is this weekend. I need to finish up the material for the weekend. I am excited about God's presence.
7. I love my wife!
8. I am living in God's story. What part am I playing out right now?
   

Day 1

Day 1 of the rest of our lives with the three of us.

Heavenly Father, we praise You for Reese! God, we thank you for all the promise of this little new life. May you be the guiding light Reese needs to grow in goodness and grace, and love of You. We thank you for the love that hits us like a bolt of lightening when Reese looks into our eyes and for the reminder of how much You love us. May we always shower Reese with unconditional love from you. God, we are so grateful! Jesus, may she come to know you as Lord and Savior of her life. Jesus, please walk the road of faith and peace with her as she matures and grows into the woman she is to become. May she see the Father through you. Holy Spirit dwell in her for the rest of her life. Teach her the ways of holiness and love. Guide her into the peace that passes all understanding. Never leave her. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit of God Amen.

Welcome Reese JulieAnn Tibbles

Reese JulieAnn Tibbles

6 lbs. 2 oz.
20 inches long
January 31, 2007 at 11:26 PM

The Hospital

We have been here since 4:15 this morning. And it looks like we will be possibly having a birthday party later tonight. We will see. Don't hold your breath or anything. The baby has not been in a rush all day so why start now.

And so the end of "my time" and the beginning of his/her time has begun for the rest of my known life.

More Ready Than You Realize Chapters 1 & 2

In the introduction, McLaren begins to describe evangelism as a dance. Not a bill of goods, not a salesman, or not even a strategy to "save" as many as possible. Dancing allows for the individuals to move freely with the music. "Evangelism as dance begins with something beyond yourself"--a song. You begin to hear a note here or a phrase there. Once you hear it, the song seems so natural, it seems like it is the rhythm of life--life the way it should be. This song is so mysterious and grand that it points to a composer far greater than any one of us. Once you begin to harmonize your life to it, it is natural for you to want others to hear the song and dance with it.

Chapter 1
McLaren invites us to explore a "spiritual friendship" with him. In a multitude of emails, he allows her to question, express doubt, and grow in faith in God. He provided a friendship that allowed her to listen to the call of God and embrace it when she was ready instead of forcing a set of doctrines and rules upon her right then.

He walks through the first email pointing out questions and attitudes that would easily have been missed with our "twentieth century view of evangelism." Evangelism is not a "win-lose" argument, it is not a pressuring technique to "save" people.

McLaren introduces the idea that Jesus was a great conversationalist. Most of the interactions with people during his life were conversations. Jesus did argue and confront people but mostly that was the religious folk.

He closes chapter one with the metaphor that an evangelist is like a midwife. "The evangelist is never coercive, pushy, combative, rather, she is patient and gentle like a midwife, knowing that the giving of life takes time and cannot be rushed without potentially lethal damage."

Chapter 2
In chapter 2, McLaren tries to reconnect us with the Story. We have out doctrine that we try to teach others and have forgotten about the Story. He uses the doctrine of the Trinity as an example.

He presents again an email from Alice. Many 'born again" Christians become judgmental, condescending and arrogant. Alice does not desire to become a Christian because she doesn't want to have to change into that.

He also presents Dan. Dan is learning the "ways of Christ" but doesn't believe in God. He too doesn't want to be changed into an intolerant, unforgiving person. McLaren writes that one of the elements of good spiritual friendship is knowing which questions are helpful and which aren't. He asks Dan "why don't you believe in God?" Dan responds that his brother became a Christian and nobody can stand him. McLaren challenges Dan that maybe someday he will see a way to believe in God and become a better person instead of a worse one. Dan says he had never thought of it like that.

To close the chapter he ends with three questions. What elements of Alice's email strike you the most? In what ways can you agree with her? What would you have said in reply to this message?


Overall, I thought a decent beginning to the book. I like the concept of dance. How would you answer the above questions?

Scripture

I have been raised in the Church all my life. From the littlest of age, I have always had the Scriptures near me. Whether it be a picture Bible for babies or a Bible for children or a teen study Bible or an "adult" Bible, Scripture has always been around me.

As I sit here in my office typing this, I have 5 Bibles to the left of me on my desk (ESV, NLT, NIV, The Message, TNIV). To the right of me on the book shelves boasts another 8 Bibles, each in their own translation and emphasis on Scripture.

Growing up my parents always taught me to spend time reading God's word. I can't say I was always faithful to that teaching. Sometimes the Bible seemed so out of touch and foreign that it didn't appear relevant to anything much less my life. My youth ministers and teachers tried to reinforce the practice of reading Scripture. How do you grow to love reading scripture when the world you are reading about is stuck in the past? Where is the connection today?

I went off to college to study to become a youth pastor/minister. My first class I took was Hermeneutics (how to interpret the Bible). The class was steeped in rational thought and that all can interpret the Bible the same if they are "truly open to God." Even in a class of 30 where that was being taught, I bet not a one of us read and interpreted the Bible the same. We took our Greek classes to the learn the original language. We learned how to take a word and dissect it to the core and get at the original meaning of the word and by getting at the original meaning we would have the meaning for us today. I learned command, example, necessary inference and silence (even though that one was not taught verbally). Those were the rules of interpreting Scripture.

I left those classes with renewed vigor to dive deeply in to the Holy Writ and let the Spirit of God change me. But, again even though the intent is good, I left Scripture wanting more.

A transition has been happening over the past 6 years. I still value diving into the Word and looking at the original languages. When I have the time to really look at the cultural values and historical settings of the authors and recipients, I cherish it.

Recently I have been approaching Scripture differently. A friend of mine, a couple of years ago, introduced me to the practice of Lectio Divina (Divine Reading). The practice approaches Scripture with the intent on letting the Spirit of God speak through the passage. You are not trying to prove anything or let your presuppositions ruin an interpretation. You simply let the passage speak. The more I practice this type of reading (some would call it devotional), Scripture has been transformed into a living and vibrant Story that continues today.

Saint Jerome would write:

"In the field of Scripture multicolored flowers, ready for the picking, are to be found everywhere. Every species is present there, red roses, white lilies and flowers of every color: there is an embarrassment of riches. It remains for us but to collect the flowers which seem to us the most beautiful. And if we gather up roses we should not be unhappy that we have not picked lilies; and if we have gathered lilies, we are not disdaining the humble violets. All is beautiful and fascinating in the sweet land of promise to generous souls who have agreed to labor a little among the holy books."

Scripture truly has become a vibrant field of flowers to be enjoyed and savored! The world that was so out dated and foreign has transformed into a story that I am actively a part of. My life takes meaning and identity from the Story of God in Scripture. That meaning and identity gives me the part I am to play in God's story.

Thank you mom and dad for encouraging me to read the Scripture. Thank professors and mentors for providing new ways. Thank you Spirit of God for developing a love of reading the Words of Life in all their wondrous and magnificent colors.

How has the love of reading Scripture changed your life?

Missio Dei

I found this article on Western Christianity. Here is an excerpt. I would recommend reading it the whole article.

But behind all this stands God with a mission (the redemption of his whole Creation from the wreckage of human and Satanic evil). The mission of God is what fills the Bible from the brokenness of the nations in Genesis 11 to the healing of the nations in Revelation 21-22. So any mission activity to which we are called must be seen as humble participation in this vast sweep of the historical mission of God. All mission or missions that we initiate, or into which we invest our vocation, gifts, and energies, flows from the prior mission of God. God is on mission, and we, in that wonderful phrase of Paul, are "co-workers with God."

This God-centered refocusing of mission turns inside-out our obsession with mission plans, agendas, goals, strategies, and grand schemes.

We ask, "Where does God fit into the story of my life?" when the real question is, "Where does my little life fit into the great story of God's mission?"

Prayer

I came across this prayer. May you rest in peace.

While I sleep, O Lord,
Let my heart not cease to worship you;
Fill my sleep with your presence,
While creation itself keeps watch,
Singing psalms with the angels,
And taking up my soul into its paean of praise
Amen

St. Gregory of Nazianzus

Another Doctors Visit

Tomorrow is another doctors visit for Julie and baby Tibbs. We have now entered the every two weeks and will probably be told after tomorrow that we will be visiting every week from now on. I am so excited about the new baby! I can't wait to hold baby Tibbs in my arms. The countdown continues.

Discipleship

I was reading one of my new tomes, Presence-Centered Youth Ministry by Mike King and found this quote from Brennan Manning:

"Paschal says that the truest test of discipleship is the way we live with each other in the
community of faith. It is as simple and as demanding as that. In our words and deeds, we give
shape and form to our faith every day. We make people a little better or leave them a little
worse. We either affirm or deprive, enlarge or diminish the lives of other."

What are some encounters in your life with other people that have affirmed and enlarged your life?

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! I pray God blesses the new year. May he bring peace in Iraq and all the civil wars in Africa.

What is in store you in the New Year?

What's in a name?

Recently I had to opportunity to take the youth group up to the Pacific Science Center and view the Dead Sea Scrolls. What a great experience it was. The Dead Sea Scrolls have been in Seattle for some time and will leave on January 8th.

It was a chance of a lifetime to see the ancient documents that Christ-followers hold dear. I have to tell you that I am not interested too much in archeology. But something about having the opportunity to see these ancient documents stirred excitement in me.

It culminated in when I entered the room with all the fragments in it. The lights were low. Eight cases of fragments positioned throughout the room. Beside each case was a banner that explained where the fragment was found and what the text was and a translation of the text.

I said a short prayer before I entered the room. What happened in the room, I was not ready for. It was truly a spiritual experience for me. Fragments with the text of the creation story made my heart and faith leap for joy. Seeing fragments with the words of the prophets on them made my devotion to God seem more real. Then I came to Psalm 119. The fragment had 8 columns, each column was missing about 7 or 8 lines at the bottom, but what a magnificent fragment. In the middle of the fourth column was the name of God.

I have read the Bible my whole life. I was raised in a Godly home by Godly parents and grew up going to Church in the Midwest. But as I just stared at the name of God written so carefully and reverently, it hit me--the name of God. Moses asked God at the burning bush God's name so the Israelites would know who had sent Moses. God gave Moses his name--YHWH. The Israelites reverenced the name so much that it was unpronounceable. They did not even want to accidentally take God's name in vain so they never said it. In the fragment, God's name was in a different font and size. I began to think about even in writing God's name there was reverence and respect and love.

I stood over the Psalm 119 fragment for probably 30 minutes just staring at the name of God. It was almost like I could feel God's presence in the written name. I don't know what to make of it, but I am beginning to believe God's presence was there in the written name. I spent some time in prayer asking God to forgive me of all the times that I have nonchalantly used his name then I asked God to grow in me a new kind of respect and reverence for him.

I mentioned I grew up with reading the Bible, going to Church and doing Church things, but maybe in all of that God had become a normal part of my life. Not saying that is all bad, but maybe I have been taking the LORD for granted. Maybe the LORD has become so "normal" in my life that when I got to the Psalm 119 fragment the LORD said I am not "normal." I am not to be taken for granted. I am always here but I am the LORD.

What's in a name? Everything. I have been thinking about this all week. It has also struck me that the LORD's name is not even pronounce able in human language. Maybe there is a reason behind that.

May we begin to recapture the reverence the name of God deserves.

O Holy Night

I found this on my friend Ike Graul's blog. I love most versions of O Holy Night. This one is by far one of my favorites.

O Holy Night

I am looking for compile a whole cd of O Holy Night. What is your favorite version?

What is your favorite Christmas song about Jesus' birth?

Doctors Visit

We had another visit to the Dr. today. Everything is going well. She told Julie some stuff to watch and to count the movement of the baby in a 2 hour period. Julie and I also think she slipped and told us what gender the baby is. Maybe just a partial surprise when it is born.

Countdown

New Orleans #2

Here is what happened on the last day we were in New Orleans over Thanksgiving.

Our day started out like normal. Get up and eat breakfast. Have a devotional and then head out to a house to muck. I was told, before we headed out, the owner of the house we were going to was traveling 3 hours to meet us. So, I round everyone up going to this house. We begin traveling excited that we will have a home owner but also excited this was the last day of work. We arrive at the house. The father of the home owner was already there. I parked the van and trailer and began talking to the father. He began to walk around the inside of the house with me.

Let me preface the rest of the story. Normally we would work in houses that either the people didn't have the money to do anything with, the people were below the poverty line, or the people were elderly and couldn't do the work at all (we even worked in a house that the elderly home owner had just died a week earlier).

Now back to the story. The home is a two story home with a nice facade of brick on the side. I walk through the front door. There is a nice room off to my right. Beautiful piece of antique furniture. The stairs are a few steps in front of me and to the right. Another hallway leads to left and goes into the master bedroom. I continue to walk straight ahead. I walk into a beautiful living room area that has nice wood paneling on the walls, leather furniture, 70 inch HDTV, surround sound, wet bar in the corner, another beautiful piece of antique furniture. There are two doors leading out of the living room area. One leads to a room with a slate pool table and two 5 ft. Browning safes. The other leads to the kitchen, dining room. There is a sun room attached to the back of the house. More beautiful antique furniture in the other rooms. The kitchen tabe must have been breath taking before the flood. The upstairs had four rooms. You could tell that it had been looted.
I begin to put people to work. The father tells me that his daughter (homeowner) should arrive pretty soon and that she wanted to save as much as possible. I am okay with that but it really slows down our work. The daughter finally arrives. She begins to go through EVERYTHING. We try to save as many of the antiques as possible. Here is where the day begins to take a different way. All of my volunteers, including myself, begin to get frustrated with the homeowners. They have plenty of money! They have a summer home in Alaska. They still have 10 of the 70 Tennesse Walkers alive. We are getting this big huge story of how they have nothing. Nothing! They continue to go through everything. A few of my teens in the youth group find another Browning safe. They find what were nice suits and a plethora of suits. Another group finds boxes and boxes of dress shirts still in their packaging (over 200). The wet bar had enough liquor to keep the alcohol flowing for days. The home owners keep asking me to make sure we do this and do that. Bear in mind that I have over 15 people working in this house during those times.

Then it happened. Through all the conversations about how they don't have any money, the boyfriend (2nd homeowner of the house) drops a $2,000 check donation to Hilltop. After I learn about it, I begin to have verbalize out loud while I am working that I am working for Jesus. I even made this catchy tune (it didn't catch though). My volunteers' attitudes continue to go down. The question everybody is thinking (Why are we here?) is actually being verbalize aloud. I try to keep everybody "working for Jesus".

I found myself not even desiring to talk to the owners. I even began to develop a arrogance in my service. My thoughts were very arrogant and not so nice. "Why the hell are we here?" "We could be out helping people who need help, but instead we are here." "These people don't appreciate what we are doing for them." "I want to serve the people who will appreciate it. Jesse find me another house." Those are just a few.

As I began to process the day and my attitude. I suck! In trying to serve and be like Christ, I found that my attitude and thoughts were not like Christ. Jesus died for everyone. Those that appreciate him and those that sadly will not know him until the end. Who am I to decide who needs help and who doesn't? Can't Jesus work with faith as small as a mustard seed? Who knows what the actions of a few volunteers (25+ by the end of the day) help encourage faith even in the rich? Jesus was right when he said that it is hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of Heaven. I saw that played out. They were the only family in about 40 houses mucked that were so attached to their things, that they could not let go even when they had the money to replace them.

I am still processing this day. I know that I have much to learn about serving with humility. I will say I was totally unready for it. My actions though good were trumped by my heart and arrogance.

Has anybody else experienced a day similar? I would love to hear how you handled it!

New Orleans