Do You Believe in God? Prove It!

I went for a walk today. As I walked, I listened to a podcast by Andy Stanley, the pastor of North Point Church in Atlanta. At a point during his message, a phrase popped into my head. (And no, he didn't say it or even hint at it, lest you think I am simply stealing his material) That phrase was this:

Our behavior reveals our theology.

I know, it's not earth-shattering. It's probably not even original. I probably heard it during some other podcast in the past and it's just now making its way out of my subconscious and into my conscious. But, I couldn't shake it. I tweeted it right away and decided to write about it in greater depth.

If you want to know what someone believes about God, you can ask them. But that will only tell you what they THINK they believe about God. If you want to know what they REALLY believe, you observe their behavior. That will tell you everything you need to know about what they believe about the character and nature of God.

A few examples to ponder:

• Behavior: Stan refuses to give money to his church.
• Theology: God is not capable of providing for me, so I have to do it myself.

• Behavior: Albert spends a good portion of his time looking at airbrushed pictures of naked women on the internet.
• Theology: Not everyone was created in God's image with a sense of dignity and value. Some people were created to simply be objects to ogle.

• Behavior: Betsy is consumed by her physical appearance, especially as it relates to how guys look at her.
• Theology: Not everyone was created in God's image with a sense of dignity and value. Some people have to earn it through the lens of others.

• Behavior: Cory won't let anyone in his sphere of influence know that he is a Christian or talk about his relationship with Jesus.
• Theology: A) Jesus isn't the only way to Heaven, and/or B) There really isn't a Hell.

• Behavior: Sara owns a Bible, but only cracks it on occasion at church (and sometimes not even then because they have all the words on the giant screen behind the preacher).
• Theology: God isn't all that concerned about my life and certainly doesn't have anything to say to little ol' me.

I could go on. You get the idea. This is not a matter or trying hard to be a good person, but simply the idea that what you believe about God will be revealed by your actions, like it or not.

How is your behavior betraying you by telling everyone what you really believe about God? (You probably shouldn't put your answer in the comments. That could be awkward for you.)

Do The Hard Thing

I just got back from a run.

Get up off the floor. Its not THAT shocking. This is not, "Elvis is alive and working at a Burger King in Kalamazoo." (BTW, that was a real rumor when I was a kid.) Granted, I haven't run much in the last year, but I have walked quite a bit and have been using the Gain Fit app on my iPhone since my Lenten commitment to avoid sloth. So it's not like I've been laying around eating Twinkies 16 hours a day...although that sounds pretty good right now.

I ran for the first half of my course then needed a break. I walked for a while, then decided for the rest of the run that I would run up the uphills and walk down the downhills. As I did this, I imagined a conversation with an imaginary friend. We'll call him Phil:

Me: So the last part of my run, I ran up the uphills and walked down the downhills.
Phil: Why?
Me: Why what?
Phil: Why would you walk down the easy part and run up the hard part? That seems counterproductive...no, wrong word. Stupid.
Me: Because it just seemed that it would do me more good to do the thing that was hard rather than take it easy...although, I guess I was taking it easy since I wasn't running the whole way. But I didn't want my heart to explode or my legs to be rendered useless. But still, it was hard!

Isn't that so true in other areas of our lives? So often we avoid the hard thing because it is just that: HARD! But in so doing, we often miss out on the good we can only have by doing the hard thing:

• We don't shut off our phones or computers at home because it is hard to unplug and miss out on prime time to build relationships with our kids and spouse.
• We don't eat the right foods because it is hard to resist the double chocolate better-than-sin cheesecake and miss out on the opportunity to feel good and lose weight.
• We don't get up early in the morning to spend time with God because it is hard to lose sleep and miss out on the intimacy that comes from that personal relationship.
• We don't break up with him/her because it's always hard to break a heart and miss out on being free from an unhealthy relationship.
• We don't talk with our friend about having a relationship with Jesus because it is hard to not have all the answers and miss out on an opportunity to participate in their faith journey and maybe leading them to Christ.
• We don't give our money to the church or other places where it is needed because it is hard to part with cold, hard cash and miss out on being a part of something bigger than ourselves.
• We don't have a difficult conversation with a loved one because it's hard to confront someone and miss out on the freedom from the 'I should've said' spectre.
• We don't go on a mission trip because it would be hard to give up a week of vacation and miss out on the joy of being used by God in a significant way.

This is NOT to say to simply do something hard because it will always result in something good. Cutting off your leg with a butter knife would be hard, but wouldn't necessarily result in something good. But many good things in life come only as a result of doing the hard thing.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27: Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! ²⁵ All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. ²⁶ So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. ²⁷ I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

What good thing do you wish to attain? What is the hard thing you need to do to get there?

Leadership Lessons from the NFL Draft

In just under two months, the Super Bowl for the Cleveland Browns will commence. It's called the NFL Draft. Being a Browns fan, this is one of the biggest sporting events each year as maybe, just maybe, THIS will be the Draft that turns things around for them (granted, we're still waiting for that to happen). And with the big prize being RGIII from Baylor, the excitement is palpable.

But this post is not about the Browns, but rather the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are slated to pick #3 in the Draft, right between the Rams at #2 and the Browns at #4. At the present time, there is all sorts of speculation and conjecture about what the Rams will do at #2. It is virtually guaranteed that a team - Cleveland, Washington, and Miami being the most likely suitors - will sacrifice several draft picks for the right to move up to that #2 position in order to draft RGIII, the electric QB from Baylor. At least one writer hopes that it ends up being the Browns.

What does that have to do with Minnesota and leadership? As it turns out, quite a bit.

In week 16 of the 2011 season, the Vikings beat the Washington Redskins 33-26. After the game, head coach Leslie Frazier seemed quite pleased with the results. The problem with that is that, by winning, the Vikings improved their record enough to move into the 3rd slot of the Draft instead of the 2nd. That being said, by winning that one meaningless game in December they missed out on an opportunity to pick up perhaps three first-round picks and probably more. As it stands instead, they will likely get a nice offensive lineman. Offensive linemen are good, but one of them compared to the haul of quality players they could have had certainly pales in comparison. Which raises the question:

Should they have tanked the season?

One writer suggests that winning that game was the worst thing the Vikings did with regards to the upcoming draft.

Would it have been better leadership to maybe put a gameplan in place to give them a better chance of losing and a better draft choice?

Perhaps.

A leader needs to know his current context and be able to look far down the road and see how the decisions he makes now will affect the long-term stability and quality of the organization. And if it would benefit the organization in the long run to make difficult decisions to sacrifice the good for the better, he must make those decisions.

OK, I'll admit it, I've never been an NFL player or head coach (not that this is news to anyone), and I don't know what I would have done in that particular position. But as a leader, part of my job is to look far down the road, not just at the task in front of me. I need to be able to see the preferred future and make decisions based on that, not on what will bring immediate gratification. If that means making decisions that tick people off or that look like the completely wrong decisions in the present, I still have to be able to pull the trigger. Jesus saw the long distance view when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Not my will, but Yours be done." His immediate right decision would have been to call on angels to save Him, but the preferred future called for a different, far more difficult decision. He sacrificed the good for the better. And that is what we must do as leaders.

What good present thing must you sacrifice for the your better future or that of your organization?

Lent's Do This Thing!

Let's start with a confession:

I have never given up anything for Lent.

There. I said it. I know, I'm a pastor, a professional Christian, and I've never given anything up?! I'll give you a minute to sit down and compose yourself.

Actually, if you really know me, you probably don't find it very shocking at all. You know how many faults and foibles I have, so this confession probably comes as little or no surprise.

I did not grow up in a church tradition that placed much emphasis on Lent, and certainly did not encourage giving things up for it. So it wasn't until I got to seminary that this became a part of my consciousness. And since then, I have approached it with some amount of skepticism. I just wondered if giving up chocolate or caffeine will really draw someone closer to Jesus. And isn't that the ultimate goal, becoming more like Jesus? It always seemed to be more of a form of self-flagellation exercise than a 'how can I follow Jesus more closely through prayer and repentance?' exercise. Self-flagellation for the purpose of abusing oneself I don't see being particularly beneficial to the believer or her relationship with the God who loves her.

The being said, I have decided to finally give up something for Lent. Or maybe I should say somethings, since there are two things. I mean, I have lost time to make up for, so why stop at one. Why am I choosing to do this after so many years of skepticism? Because there are many areas that I can identify in my life that are getting in the way of truly following Jesus and loving others. That being said, I am doing this to improve my ultimate relationship and with those close to me, not simply to abuse myself. Without further ado, here are the two things I am planning on sacrificing for Lent:

Sarcasm
Those of you who know me are right now probably thinking, "He'll maybe make it to Thursday afternoon, but I wouldn't bet on it." I have identified this as a problem area for me for many years, but I haven't done anything substantial about it. For the most part, my sarcasm is not harsh or intended for harm, so some would say, "What's the big deal?" The big deal has two parts. First, it can harm. I generally use sarcasm with people that I assume can take it and won't be hurt by it. But people have a great ability to hide their true feelings, and my words can deep down be hurting them, and that is not cool. My words should provide healing and encouragement, not harm. Second, the majority of the time my sarcasm is intended to show people how funny and clever I can be. I don't need the spotlight on me. God has called me to be humble and to shine the spotlight on Him, and if changing how I use my tongue can give Him more glory and honor, then I want to do that.

Sloth
We discussed this a while back in our weekend services as being spiritual apathy, but I'm approaching it from the angle that most people do: laziness. Exercise has not been a regular part of my repertoire for quite a while now, and it's starting to take a toll in how I look and feel. But this is not just about me. I want to be around for my wife and kids for a long time, and I don't want my selfish desire to sleep in and eat a lot and sit around get in the way of that happening. So I will start exercising. The other things I plan to do is have my desk at work modified. I read a blog post recently by Michael Hyatt about how damaging sitting down is to our bodies. I sit a lot at work. Today I will have a conversation with our facilities manager about the possibility of making a podium that will sit on my desk that I can use the majority of the time so I spend less time sitting. It may also have the side benefit of keeping me from sitting at my desk so much and getting me out of the office.

I thought about adding a third 'S' - smoking - because that's my standard answer to the question, "What are you giving up for Lent?" But then, I guess that would violate the Sarcasm pledge.

What are you giving up for Lent? And more importantly, why? I'd love to hear your comments below.

Leading Teenagers to Wholeheartedly Follow Jesus Christ

I recently asked several youth ministry co-workers this question:

We are in the beginning stages of rethinking and (potentially) overhauling our youth ministry. The mission statement of our church is 'leading people to wholeheartedly follow Jesus Christ.' Up 'til now, we have had our own, separate mission statement which, while it has been good, has made us complicit in silo-izing our youth ministry. So I feel like our mission statement needs to be 'leading teenagers to wholeheartedly follow Jesus Christ.' That being said, I have this question:

What are the non-negotiables to what a person who wholeheartedly follows Jesus Christ looks like?

Here are the responses I have received thus far:

Andy Stanley has a Checkpoints book that isn't a bad starting point.  – Brian Jones – Colonial Church / Edina, MN

Thanks for including me on this. I would have to say that wholeheartedly following Jesus would have to be centered on the three priorities that Jesus had for his disciples in John 15.

1.       A Growing Commitment to Christ (15:7-11)

2.       A Growing Commitment to the Body of Christ – The Church (15:12-17)

3.       A Growing Commitment to the Work of Christ in the World – Personal Evangelism and Missions (15:18-19, 21, 26-27) – Todd Erickson – Second Presbyterian Church / Memphis

love god, love others.  any more of a list can spiral out of control.  wrap your minds around those 2 things and you will have fun coming up with ideas to fulfill those 2 commands. – Scott Russ – Epiphany UMC / Loveland, OH

Here are my quick thoughts on the non-negotiables of a person who follows Christ wholeheartedly.
      I think they need to have accepted the grace of Jesus.
     They need to continually explore with their brain the truths of scripture.
     They need to experience God through worship.
  They need to express God's love and mercy to others.  They can't be the end point of grace. – Rob Bergman – Windsor Crossing Church / St. Louis

Obedience, trust, gratitude – Hal Hamilton – First UMC / Tulsa

We also recently adopted our church's mission statement. "Making disciples of Jesus Christ who love God, love others and serve the world."

     Love God = commitment to worship

     Love others = commitment to community (small groups)

     Serve the world = service and mission

To me, these are key components of a disciple. – Johnny Brower

Great Commandment and Great Commission – David Thompson

Service to the church, community and the "world" – Jeff Hogg – North Cross UMC / Madisonville, LA

What would you add to this list? Subtract? Tweak?

Lessons on Leadership from Really Bad Singing

On Friday night I got to attend the volunteer appreciation banquet that our Children's Ministry area had. Two days before that my friend and co-worker Angel asked if I would be willing to help out with a performance at the banquet. It would involve singing, and since I did some singing in high school (OK, so that was 25 years ago - leave me alone!), I thought, "Why not? Sounds like fun." What I didn't know was that we would be performing - or attempting to perform - a parody of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. Keep in mind that Queen was comprised of operatically-trained singers with years of practice, and that we would have an hour-and-a-half to work on it the day before the big day. No pressure.

So the five of us who would be performing gathered in our worship arts office suite and started 'working on it.' Three of us had significant music performance experience...and then there was me and Kim, another sucker. As we started, I don't think I've ever felt that much in the dark before. They just played the karaoke version of the song and picked out their parts as easily as they had poured milk on their morning cereal. Meanwhile, I had no flipping idea what I was supposed to be singing. Sure, they gave me the first note, which was swell, but after that, I was as lost as Tom Hanks in Castaway. As they sang and had a good time - I had a good time, too - I thought, "I am SO screwed! It's a good thing that I won't be performing this in front of hundreds of people. Oh wait, I am?!? AAAHHHHH!!!!" As I type this, the big performance is in a few hours and I am looking for my raincoat to fend off the rotten fruit thrown my way.

I had a couple of thoughts during this experience:

Don't Assume
Because you know what that does to you and me, right? If you are a leader, don't assume that everything that makes sense to you makes sense to everyone else. You are a leader because you have been doing what you have been doing for a long time, usually. And the people you are leading may just be beginning. Don't assume that they are at your level or know what you know. You need to train them well so that they can be on the way of knowing what you know. And make sure you stop along the way to make sure they are still feeling good and not overwhelmed (like I felt, not knowing what I should be singing). And maybe, just maybe, that person is not cut out for the job that is assigned to them. A good leader must be able to recognize that and make the tough call of reassigning them for the good of all those involved.

Ask For Help
Just because you are a leader doesn't mean you know everything. You have people who know more than you do. You feel clueless about stuff. Don't try and play it off like you have it all figured out, because you don't. A good leader is humble enough to be willing to say, "Can we stop for a minute? I have no clue what I'm supposed to be singing here." It's for your best interest, and that of your organization, that you continue to learn and ask questions.

Have you ever felt this way? How does this apply to your leadership area?

Lessons in Leadership from a Children's Ministry Volunteer

A few weeks ago I was shopping in Barnes and Noble with my family. I was walking hand-in-hand with Colin while Marcy and Hanna were elsewhere. As we walked by the aisles, Colin noticed one of his teachers from the Reign Forest, our Children's Ministry. He said, "Hey Dad, that's Mr. Jim" (Names have not been changed so as to give props where props are due) I asked him if he wanted to go say hi, and he got real shy. But when I asked him if he would go if I went with him, he said yes. I called out to Mr. Jim as we approached him. He turned and his face lit up when he saw us. He walked over to us and - this was the part that got me - got down on both knees in the store and talked with Colin. I might as well have been invisible as they carried on a conversation about what we were doing and what we were shopping for. In my short time as a parent, I don't think I've been that impressed with anyone who has had contact with one of my kids. I learned a few lessons in leadership that day:

Take The Time
Mr. Jim didn't have to give my kid the time of day. He could have simply smiled, maybe even waved, and then gone about his business. But he put away the book he was looking at, and walked over to Colin to talk to him. Are the people you lead getting the time and attention the deserve? Sometimes I fall into the trap of thinking my 'work' is more important than the people. People are keeping me from getting my real work done. But as a leader and a pastor, people ARE my work. Anyone who holds any sort of leadership position needs to recognize this fact: People are your work, so take the time they need and deserve.

Get On Your Knees
Mr. Jim very easily could have had a conversation with Colin as he towered over him, but instead he got down on his knees so he could look him in the eye at his level. As leaders and as ministers we need to make sure we are so arrogant to think that we are better or more important than those we lead and minister to. We may know more and may have spent more money on our education, but we are no different. So we need to be willing to get on the same level as our people where there is a perceived difference. The Church has a big fancy word for this: incarnation. Jesus took on flesh so He could get on our level and see the word from our perspective. When Mr. Jim got on his knees, he became a 5 1/2 year old boy so he could connect with another one. Until we spend time in their world, we won't understand it.

Avoid Distractions
When Mr. Jim was talking to Colin, I probably could have walked away and no one would have noticed. That's how focused Mr. Jim was on my son. When we are spending time with those we are leading, are we 100% there, or are we too distracted by other things going on around us. When you are meeting with someone and your phone buzzes letting you know you have a text, do you read it and answer it right away? If so, what does that communicate to that person sitting across from you? Are you listening to that other person, I mean really listening, or are you thinking about what you will say in response? If you're meeting at a coffee shop, are you focused on the other person or by all the activity around you? As leaders we must be willing to put on blinders to give our people the attention they need a deserve. (Side note: This really applies to families, too. Maybe it goes without saying. Probably not.)

What do you think? Were there any other lessons I missed?

Daddy, Watch This!

If you are, or have been, a parent of young children you will be able to identify with this post. My two kids are firmly entrenched in the "Daddy, watch this!" Phase. It's the stage of life in which your kid wants you to watch every little thing they do. For us, this usually takes place in the next-door neighbor's pool (yes, we have permission to swim there):

"Daddy, watch this!" Colin jumps in the pool.

"Daddy, watch this!" Hanna does the same.

"Daddy, watch this!" Colin dunks himself under water.

"Daddy, watch this!" Hanna puts her face under water and blows bubbles.

"Daddy, watch this!" Colin does an underwater somersault.

"Daddy, watch this!" Hanna practices floating on her back.

If they weren't so cute and charming, it might get tiring.

One day as we were playing our little back-and-forth game, I began to reflect on my own relationship with my Father. There are times in my life when I desperately want Him to watch what I'm doing:

"Daddy, watch this!" I get up early to read my Bible.

"Daddy, watch this!" I travel across the globe to play with orphans.

"Daddy, watch this!" My wife and I decide to adopt one such orphan.

"Daddy, watch this!" I am attentive to my kids and do things that would make my wife happy.

Sadly, though, I think those events are fewer and more far between than I'd care to admit. Instead, I find myself more frequently in the "Daddy, don't watch!" camp:

"Daddy, don't watch!" I use my time in the morning to check Facebook and Twitter.

"Daddy, don't watch!" I'm short with my wife and ignore my kids.

"Daddy, don't watch!" I allow my mind or eyes to focus on things they shouldn't.

"Daddy, don't watch!" I get frustrated by fellow drivers and don't always hide it well.

"Daddy, don't watch!" I'm selfish with my money and stuff.

It's during those times that I wish my Father weren't so darn omniscient. Can't He turn a blind eye every once in a while? He can't. But the good news is, no matter how many of those "Daddy, don't watch!" moments He witnesses, He never gets tired of loving me. He never gets frustrated. He never wishes I weren't His. He is still nuts about me and would do - and has done - anything to be with me. That's grace.

Africa - It's HUGE!!!

In about 2 1/2 weeks, I will be travelling to Swaziland with some students and adults from our church, our area, and other areas of the US to serve the orphans there. Then, later this year, I will be taking two trips to Ethiopia to make our adoption official and bring our beautiful little girl home. Having never been to Africa, it's a bit of a whirlwind, but an exciting one. I will be logging lots of frequent flyer miles and getting lots of books read on my new Kindle.

As I think about the time I will be in Africa, I can't help but remember this graphic. It shows exactly how big Africa really is. It's stupid big!

Click on the image for a bigger version.

When you consider that 33% of the people living in this enormous continent suffer from malnutrition... And only 50% of Africans have access to hospitals or doctors...And the average life expectancy of Africans is 41 years...And that one in six African children die before the age of five...When you take all of that into consideration, you can't help but come to the conclusion that the Church has a BIG job to do! How will we bring life and light and help and healing to this hurting continent?

What do you think?

Christians in the Media

I just got done watching Easy A with Emma Stone. It's about a girl who lets a little white lie about her sexual activity slip, which ultimately unravels her life. I won't give it a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down because I thought it was decent movie, but had a lot of undesirable language and content in it.

So if this isn't a movie review, what it is? It's a commentary on the portrayal of Christians in movies. In this movie, there was a group of Christians led by Amanda Bynes' character. Their primary part in this movie was to be the judge, jury, and executioner of Stone's character because of her alleged promiscuity. As I watched the movie, I got angry about how the Christians were portrayed. My first thought was that we Christians need to do a better job representing who we are so that the world will see the love of Christ in us. For years I have defended the media thinking that if we did a better job as Christians, we would be portrayed in a more favorable light.

However, as I thought about it more, I do now blame the media. I think about the Christians who have been portrayed in the media: Fred Phelps (the God Hates Fags guy - sorry about the term, but that's what his website is called and what he is about), Harold Camping (the guy who predicted the end of the world in May - the world looks pretty good, having ended and all), preachers who fail, etc. And then I reflect on the scores of Christians who are doing good things in the world: TOM's Shoes, the A21 Campaign, IJM, and the teenagers I had the privilege of hanging out with for a week serving the poor of Chicago. Where is their press? Why no news stories about them? While I certainly don't think we as Christians are doing a perfect job of representing who we are, I do think we are doing a much better job than the media would like you to believe. For some reason, the media likes to give us a one-sided view of the way Christians behave. Is it because there is some big media god out there pulling the puppet strings? Or because people in the media have been hurt by Christians? Or something else altogether? I don't have the answers; I just know it bugs me to see such a biased view.

What do you think? Why are Christians portrayed in such a manner? Comment and let me know...

Book Review: Soul Print by Mark Batterson

I was really excited to get this book after having read and loved Primal, Wild Goose Chase, and In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day. However, I was underwhelmed. I don't think Soul Print is a bad book; it just didn't capture me like Mark Batterson's other books.

As usual, Mark does a really good job mixing solid, Biblical scholarship with scholarship from lots of areas: science, social science, history and the like. And in this particular work, he looks in depth at the life of David and how God created Him in a specific way to do specific tasks, and with that helps us discover how we were created in a unique way for specific tasks. It was a good work, but again, it didn't capture my heart or imagination. It may have been simply a feel thing, or the fact that I head really high expectations, but this wasn't my favorite work by Batterson.

God Knows What You Need

After spending three services ripping out my heart and laying it on the altar for everyone to see, I was (understatement coming) a little emotionally spent. I came home and had lunch with my amazing family. It was after lunch that God showed up in the form I needed Him the most.

Marcy was in the bathroom with Hanna, who was going potty. I was sitting in one of our dining room chairs. My beautiful boy, Colin, came up to me and crawled up in my lap, wrapped his arms around me, and laid his head down on my shoulder. No pretense. No desire to play and be silly. He simply loved on his Daddy and held onto me as I held onto him. I could have sat there for hours, days even. It was one of the most loving experiences I have ever had, knowing what I had just gone through and how much I needed it.

Marcy called from the bathroom, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean, 'Nothing'?"

"We're just sitting here."

"Are you talking really quietly?"

"Nope. Just sitting here."

It was beautiful. It was love. And boy, did I need it! Thank you, God, for showing up in my boy!

Unexpected Beauty

Improv Everywhere seems to be taking a turn toward the more serious, revealing beauty in unexpected places. I just watched this one with my son. At first he said, "This isn't funny." He didn't like that people were laughing at this poor guy. But it worked out well for the guy - and my son - in the end...

Hope for the Future: A Book Review

As a "professional" Christian - I'm a youth pastor by trade - I read many articles with interest about the decline of American Christianity. I read how the numbers of people who claim to be Christians are in decline, how those who claim to be Christian are actually embracing theologies that are not in line with orthodox Christianity, and how the American church is largely viewed as irrelevant, or worse, condemning of the culture we find ourselves in. Needless to say, these statistics and articles are alarming. But, Gabe Lyons presents a convincing argument that there is a new wave of Christians who are working to restore our culture in his latest book, The Next Christians.

I received this book free through Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program, and am really glad I chose it. I was encouraged to read about individuals and churches who are not separating themselves from culture (think Amish or the ghetto of 'Christian' music) nor immersing themselves in it (think people who try so hard to blend in to culture that the distinctiveness of the Gospel is nowhere to be found); instead, they are restoring the culture. They see the inherent beauty in God's creation that has been hidden and marred as a result of the Fall, and are working to reclaim that beauty instead of, as some would choose to do, sitting around and waiting until God fixes it all. These individuals take many shapes: a woman who starts a entrepreneur mentorship with hardened prisoners; a man who started an organization to free people from slavery and injustice after witnessing the horrific genocide in Rwanda; a man who started a website and organization to free people from slavery to pornography and the adult film industry; a man who had been a huge influencer in the New York nightlife scene, whose heart was broken on a humanitarian trip, who now finds himself influencing people to help provide clean water to the people in the world who don't have it; and many more.

The stories in this book were enlightening, uplifting, and challenging. I found myself questioning why I do certain things in ministry. Am I doing them to restore culture, or to make me or the ministry I lead look good? I also found challenging the characteristics Lyons lists as being the cornerstones of these Next Christians (provoked, creators, called, grounded, in community, and countercultural). I know that if these are what sets them apart, I have some work to do.

If you are a Christian wondering about the future of Christianity, read this book. I think it will encourage you. And if you are not a Christian and skeptical about what Christians are all about because of something you have experienced at the hands of Christians, read this book. I think your opinion of Christians may find itself on an upswing.

Book Review: Under the Overpass

As I type this review, my kids are watching Diego on a flatscreen TV, I have a cup of coffee by my side, I am sitting in my recliner in my climate-controlled house, and my belly is quite full. The reality is that every day, thousands of people in every major city would give anything for these luxuries. Right now, they are outside, trying to find shelter from the cold rain that is pelting my windows. This is the plight of the homeless and the genesis for the writing of Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski.

Mike was a student at a Christian college when a sermon at church challenged him to examine whether or not he was the Christian he said he was. As he mulled over what that meant for him, he wondered how he would react if he put his comfortable life aside to live "alongside of those who live with nothing every day." That spurred an idea in his spirit to become voluntarily homeless to experience what they experience every day, and hopefully increase his heart for the homeless. After discussing his plan with trusted people and loved ones, and after finding a traveling companion, he set off on his five-month journey.

The book follows his - for lack of a better word - adventure through six major American cities: Denver, Washington DC, Portland, San Francisco, Phoenix, and San Diego. In each of the cities, the reader is exposed to the real life struggles that every homeless individual experiences: Where will I eat? Where will I sleep? Am I safe here? How can I get warm? How can I get cooled off? Where will I go to the bathroom? and so on. I have been on numerous mission trips and have worked with lots of homeless individuals, but this book painted their struggles in a completely new light. I have a new appreciation for the hardships with which they daily have to deal. But perhaps the biggest struggle that stood out to me in this book was the relational one. You read first-hand how the homeless are prejudiced against, talked down to, yelled at, and treated like dirt, and this sometimes by 'Christian' people. In a Q&A with the author at the end of the book, Mike writes, "By far the hardest aspect was the lack of strong relationships." Comments like these will help me be more conscious of how I treat the homeless when I encounter them. They are, after all, people created in God's image, just like any other.

I really enjoyed this book, if you can enjoy reading about someone's struggles on the street. It opened my eyes even further to the struggles of the homeless, and I had a hard time putting it down each night. But perhaps the best review I can give it is that I am different as a result of its reading.

This book was originally written five years ago, and this is an updated an expanded edition, including an epilogue to the updated edition and a Q&A with the author. It was cool to read how the experience had changed the course to the author's life, as he is now living in community with others who are homeless and doing life with them. The publisher, Waterbrook Multnomah, now offers an Under the Overpass action plan for Christmas, which you can access here. If you would like to read the first chapter (which I would highly recommend!), you can do so here. Once you do so, chances are good that you will end up buying the book, so be prepared...

Flash Mob Beauty

These are probably my two favorite flash mob videos. If you are unfamiliar with what a flash mob is, first of all, where have you been? These things have been quite popular over the last several years. Second, according to the Urban Dictionary, a flash mob is A group of people who are organised via various mass communications to come together at a specified place and time, perform some (typically whimsical) action, then disperse.

The reason why I love these two is because they amount to random acts of beauty. God is all about beauty. Look at the world He created. Look at a newborn baby. Look at a sunset. Look at images from the Hubble telescope. You can't do any of those and argue that God doesn't like beauty. And when I see things like this, I see God's creative work in the world to make it a more beautiful place, and that's never a bad thing. How cool would it have been to be in this food court / department store and randomly experience the beauty of one of the greatest works of art ever? I don't care how bad of a day you may have been having; it would have been better after this. That's what beauty does: it inspires, uplifts, and encourages.

The question for today i: What are you - and I - doing to bring beauty into the world and the lives of others?

LeBron's Return

I proudly wore my Cleveland Cavaliers t-shirt on Thursday in preparation for LeBron James' return to Cleveland after making The Decision on July 8th, when he jetted Cleveland and took his talents to South Beach. I didn't think the Cavs would actually win the game, but was hopeful that they would have a good showing, which they didn't. When I saw the Cavs line-up and some of the players who came off of the bench, my thought was, "Who are these guys?" Many of them weren't even on the team last year. An it wasn't a matter of Cleveland picking up some high-price free agents; these were the only scrubs they could pick up after James made his decision so late in the game. It was not a lot of fun to watch.

I had at least one friend ask me, and a few others menton on Facebook, that they didn't understand what the big deal was. These people are clearly not sports fans, especially ones of Cleveland sports teams. When you become a sports fan - especially when you are raised as one, like I was - part of your civic pride, part of your identity is wrapped up in those teams. Those are not just sports teams; they are YOUR teams. So when someone pulls something like LeBron did, it's not simply a business decision, as he claims. It's personal.

And the bigger problem with LeBron's leaving is that he did it to Cleveland. I have been a Cleveland sports fan for 41 years now, and am still waiting for one of my team to win a championship. The last major sports team to win anything was the Browns in 1964 - that's pre-Super Bowl, for you uninitiated. So when LeBron came along, Cleveland felt like, "Finally! Someone is going to do it!" Especially since he said that his goal was to bring a championship to Cleveland, and wasn't going to leave until he did it. The way he did it was pretty unclassy, too, on national TV. If you're going to go, OK; don't rub it in our faces. And it was an even bigger deal after all we had gone through:

• Red Right 88
• The Drive
• The Fumble
• The Shot (I was actually at that game)
• The Departure
• Jose Mesa and Charles Nagy
• And now, The Decision

That's a lot of heartbreak for one city to have to deal with. Time and time again, our city had been beaten up in the sports world, and just when it looked like we were pulling ourselves up off of the canvas to fight again, we get blindsided. So was it just a guy choosing to go to another team as a free agent? Yes. But it is so much more to those of us who love Cleveland sports. It's one more chapter of frustration in the book of Cleveland sports. It will not be quickly forgotten, if ever. Art Modell can't really come back to Cleveland after having moved the Browns in the early 90's because he is not welcome; James will likely get the same kind of treatment for the rest of his career...

For a really good read about Cleveland and the effect The Decision has had, check out this article by Wright Thompson at ESPN.com...

Why I am thankful...

In honor of Thanksgiving, here are 100 things I am thankful for. These are not the top 100, nor are they in order; just 100 things I appreciate. It sure has been fun thinking about the blessings in my life. I really should do that more often:

1. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus

2. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit

3. The creativity, character, and love of the Father

4. My amazing wife, who also happens to be smokin' hot

5. My kids, who never stop being awesome

6. My job/ministry/calling

7. Cleveland, OH

8. My house

9. Attie

10. Satellite TV and DVR

11. Computers / the Internet

12. My overall health

13. Chocolate

14. My extended family (cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.)

15. My two parents who are both now sober

16. Books

17. The Apple Corporation and all of their products

18. The Cleveland Browns

19. The Ohio State Buckeyes

20. The Cleveland Indians

21. The Cleveland Cavaliers

22. The Kent State Golden Flashes

23. My '95 Honda Civic

24. La Croix UMC

25. Church of the Open Door

26. Pastors I enjoy listening to and being challenged by (Rob Bell, Andy Stanley, Perry Noble, Matt Chandler, Steven Furtick, etc.)

27. Podcasts I enjoy listening to (This American Life, Wait! Wait!, etc.)

28. Music I enjoy listening to (Phil Wickham, U2, David Crowder, Mute Math, Paper Route, Gungor, John Mark McMillan, Hillsong United, etc.)

29. The ability to hear

30. YouTube

31. Certain authors (Brennan Manning, Mark Batterson, Malcolm Gladwell, Douglas Adams, Bill Bryson, and Harper Lee to name a few)

32. Central heating and AC

33. Microwave technology

34. Soap

35. Toothpaste and toothbrushes

36. The Bible

37. The unique gift set and personality that God has given me

38. My brother and his family

39. Good friends

40. Good food (BBQ, steak and potatoes, Italian, etc.)

41. Donuts

42. The number 42

43. Ice cream

44. Teenagers who impress me with their faith and life

45. TV shows I have liked (Lost, Prison Break, Seinfeld, Sledgehammer, Captain Kangaroo, Sports Night, etc.)

46. Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots

47. Rain (as I type this, it is pouring outside)

48. Retreats and mission trips with youth

49. The privilege of being a part of what God is doing in the world

50. Cut and paste

51. Snow

52. The sun

53. Camping in the backyard with my kids

54. Date nights with my wife

55. Talking sports with my dad

56. Flying

57. Continuing ed trips

58. Holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter

59. Martin Luther King, Jr.

60. The people I work with

61. Memory foam

62. Playa del Carmen, Mexico

63. The sound of rain on my roof

64. The sound of my kids when I tickle them

65. The way my kids greet me when I come home

66. Movies (among my favorites: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Evil Dead 2, and To Kill a Mockingbird)

67. My small group

68. My early-morning senior high small group

69. Talking to my mom on the phone

70. My education: Waldo Elementary, River Valley JHS, Open Door Christian School, LCCC, BGSU, Kent State, and Asbury Seminary)

71. My wife's family

72. Deep-dish pizza

73. Sleep

74. Zombies and their movies

75. Big cities: Chicago, NYC, Washington DC, et al.

76. Small towns: Wilmore

77. Medical technology

78. Fire: fire pits, gas fireplaces, and bonfires

79. Bill Watteron and Berkeley Breathed

80. Funny and sweet things my kids say

81. Sports: football, basketball, baseball and soccer

82. Facebook

83. One sale a day websites (even though I rarely buy anything from them)

84. Parades

85. Fantasy football

86. PBJ sandwiches

87. Satellite TV

88. Eyeglasses

89. 'Duty'

90. Opposable thumbs

91. The X Games

92. The ability to read and comprehend

93. August 19th

94. Pain, because it helps me better appreciate non-pain

95. Washer and dryer

96. Coffee, Dr. Pepper, and Jones Cream Soda

97. Water

98. The moon and stars

99. Opportunities and the ability to preach

100. Encouraging words 

Fantasy Football Draft 2010

As promised, here is my fantasy football draft for 2010:

1. Steven Jackson - RB - St. Louis
2. Miles Austin - WR - Dallas
3. Cedric Benson - RB - Cincinnati
4. Greg Jennings - WR - Green Bay
5. Brent Celek - TE - Philadelphia
6. Ronnie Brown - RB - Miami
7. Jay Cutler - QB - Chicago
8. Dwayne Bowe - WR - KC
9. Ricky Williams - RB - Miami
10. Devin Aromashodu - WR - Chicago
11. San Francisco - D/ST
12. Ryan Longwell - K - Philadelphia
13. Steve Smith - WR - New York Giants (keeper from last season)

I'm pretty please with it. Your thoughts?

New Nike Ad with Tiger

I saw this latest ad from Nike featuring Tiger Woods and the voice of his deceased father. Frankly, I was appalled. This is in horrible taste to sell a few golf clubs and shirts. Did I mention that his dad is dead, and they are using his voice in an ad? Shame on you, Nike! And Tiger, after all of the poor decisions you have made recently, was there no part of you that said, "Hmmm, maybe this one isn't a great idea."? Guess not.