This afternoon I spent some time in prayer. I usually use the Lord's Prayer to lend a structure to my prayer times. Today as I prayed "your kingdom come" I spent time submitting myself to His Lordship in my life, but then I began to think about what that meant to me. I recognized that I saw that primarily as a "limiting" thing: I would submit to the circumstances he led me into, that I would avoid sin, that I would seek to obey him, etc.
But what if it means something else? What if submitting to His Lordship also means living in anticipation of what He is going to do? What if submitting to His Lordship means that it is possible to walk on the water? What if submitting to His Lordship means stepping out in faith and seeing Him do miracles? What if submitting to His Lordship means living a "march to the sea and it divides" lifestyle?
In that case, submitting to His Lordship isn't limiting, but launching. It isn't kneeling, but jumping. It isn't silence, but singing.
I actually think that it is both limiting and launching because following Him means releasing our dreams for his and embarking on the greatest adventure of life.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Mourning the Packer Loss
It's taken a while, but I am finally able to talk about the Packers loss in the NFC Championship game. It's hard to get so close to the Super Bowl and lose. The Packers haven't done that very often, especially on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.
So how do I cope? First, I watched the Packers play the Patriots in the Super Bowl. That's right, the Packers and the Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Packers won! I know, it was a few years ago, but at least I know what the outcome of a Green Bay/New England Super Bowl clash would have been if we had beat the Giants.
Second, I cope by asking all of the Vikings fans that needle me how their team fared and whether they have a copy of the Vikings Super Bowl victory. That usually shuts them up, but some Vikings fans are pretty well beyond hope of reasoning with about the superiority of the Packers.
Finally, I ask myself the big "Why?" question. For me, I don't understand why the Packers kept running screen plays that never worked. It didn't seem like they gained more than 4 yards total on about a dozen screen plays. Did they run them because they were "in our game plan"? Or was it because "We like them"? Or was it because "We always run screen plays"?
That made me wonder about the things in my life that I am doing that aren't producing the results I want. There are some things I do over and over that aren't accomplishing anything and may actually be taking me away from where I want to get to. I do them because "I planned them" or "I like to" or "I always do that". Pretty dumb reasons to do something that doesn't work. It might even cause me to miss my goal altogether.
Which leads me to the moral of this post: Before you criticize the Packers, take a long look in the mirror!
So how do I cope? First, I watched the Packers play the Patriots in the Super Bowl. That's right, the Packers and the Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Packers won! I know, it was a few years ago, but at least I know what the outcome of a Green Bay/New England Super Bowl clash would have been if we had beat the Giants.
Second, I cope by asking all of the Vikings fans that needle me how their team fared and whether they have a copy of the Vikings Super Bowl victory. That usually shuts them up, but some Vikings fans are pretty well beyond hope of reasoning with about the superiority of the Packers.
Finally, I ask myself the big "Why?" question. For me, I don't understand why the Packers kept running screen plays that never worked. It didn't seem like they gained more than 4 yards total on about a dozen screen plays. Did they run them because they were "in our game plan"? Or was it because "We like them"? Or was it because "We always run screen plays"?
That made me wonder about the things in my life that I am doing that aren't producing the results I want. There are some things I do over and over that aren't accomplishing anything and may actually be taking me away from where I want to get to. I do them because "I planned them" or "I like to" or "I always do that". Pretty dumb reasons to do something that doesn't work. It might even cause me to miss my goal altogether.
Which leads me to the moral of this post: Before you criticize the Packers, take a long look in the mirror!
38 Degrees in January...is that Good?
Yesterday was one of those rare January days in northern Minnesota. The temperature was above freezing and the snow was actually melting. Well, not really melting and running down the streets like it does in April, but you could actually see places where it was wet rather than icy. The temperature according to the bank clock was 96, but I know that wasn't right. We don't even see that temp in July. I'd say it was about 38. It actually rained a little in the evening.
Today is a different matter altogether. Last night I woke up at about three and listened to the wind start to howl. It was a wind that started at the North Pole and slammed any chance of an early spring all the way down to the tip of Florida. It was 2 above when I woke up and that will be the high today. Tomorrow morning will be -30.
This raises two questions: Is a January melt actually a good thing? I suppose it is if you consider it a break from the bitter cold. On the other hand, it seems a little like a mirage in the desert. Your hopes can raise pretty high only to be dashed by the reality that you are living in the coldest part of the US.
The second question is why do we live here at all? A former mayor of St. Paul said, "-40 keeps out the riff-raff". It is true that we don't exactly have many people living on the streets here.
My answer to the question has three parts. First, there is a wild beauty to this place that I really enjoy. Even on the bitterest of days the wilderness intrigues me. Second, I have developed some of the greatest friends imaginable here and the smiles and laughs are worth the cold. Finally, I have a real sense that God has called me to this place. That in itself is reason enough.
Besides, I kinda like the cold. At least this time of year there are no mosquitoes!
Here's a question for you: If heaven and hell are opposites, and hell is a raging inferno, then heaven is....? Answer: Alot like here!
Today is a different matter altogether. Last night I woke up at about three and listened to the wind start to howl. It was a wind that started at the North Pole and slammed any chance of an early spring all the way down to the tip of Florida. It was 2 above when I woke up and that will be the high today. Tomorrow morning will be -30.
This raises two questions: Is a January melt actually a good thing? I suppose it is if you consider it a break from the bitter cold. On the other hand, it seems a little like a mirage in the desert. Your hopes can raise pretty high only to be dashed by the reality that you are living in the coldest part of the US.
The second question is why do we live here at all? A former mayor of St. Paul said, "-40 keeps out the riff-raff". It is true that we don't exactly have many people living on the streets here.
My answer to the question has three parts. First, there is a wild beauty to this place that I really enjoy. Even on the bitterest of days the wilderness intrigues me. Second, I have developed some of the greatest friends imaginable here and the smiles and laughs are worth the cold. Finally, I have a real sense that God has called me to this place. That in itself is reason enough.
Besides, I kinda like the cold. At least this time of year there are no mosquitoes!
Here's a question for you: If heaven and hell are opposites, and hell is a raging inferno, then heaven is....? Answer: Alot like here!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Building The Church Together
Last night I shared at the annual meeting that I believe the theme for this year is "Building the Church Together." For those of you who missed the meeting, I'll be posting the report on the church website this week. Let me highlight the five main ways I that I believe God is calling us to "build the church together."
1. Build the Church Together through Prayer. We need to spend more time praying together in order to stay in touch with God and to see Him work in our midst.
2. Build the Church Together through Outreach. Touch every person in the Nashwauk area with the gospel in 2008.
3. Build the Church Together through Organization. We are going to be improving the "bones" of our church so they will support more ministry.
4. Build the Church Together through Small Groups. Belonging to a small group will become the norm for people who call NAC their church home.
5. Build the Church Together at 825 First Street. We'll be moving when the snow melts!
1. Build the Church Together through Prayer. We need to spend more time praying together in order to stay in touch with God and to see Him work in our midst.
2. Build the Church Together through Outreach. Touch every person in the Nashwauk area with the gospel in 2008.
3. Build the Church Together through Organization. We are going to be improving the "bones" of our church so they will support more ministry.
4. Build the Church Together through Small Groups. Belonging to a small group will become the norm for people who call NAC their church home.
5. Build the Church Together at 825 First Street. We'll be moving when the snow melts!
Crazy January Days
I chuckled when I noticed that my last blog entry was about a "Sermonless Sunday". That was two weeks ago. Since then I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance to check my email much less sit down and blog about something. There have been a few issues that have demanded a lot of my time and countless hours on the phone sorting through decisions that needed to be made.
Looking back on things, I realize now that some of it was poor planning on my part, but mostly is was the simple difficulty of decision-making in a church. In the business world it is fairly easy to call a meeting and get everyone around a table to discuss something. If more information is needed then someone is assigned to gather it and the meeting is adjorned for a few hours and then everyone gets back together again. Decisions can be reached fairly quickly and everyone involved hears everything.
In a church setting like our where people travel for miles to get to church it is more difficult to gather people for a meeting. Sometimes that means trying to reach a decision through phone calls rather than face-to-face meetings. Trying to reach consensus about something by means of a dozen phone calls back and forth takes time and energy, particularly if you find yourself at the hub of all of the activity. What could take two or three thirty minute meetings in the business world winds up being several hours of phone calls stretched over a couple of days. It carries with it the danger of someone being out of the loop or misunderstood. Its the nature of the process can sometimes be the stressful for me rather than the actual "issues" involved.
Sometimes during periods like this I can lose perspective. I was reminded of this during my devotional time yesterday. I was reading Luke 8:22-25. Jesus told his disciples that they were going to go to the other side of the lake. He then climbed in the boat and promptly fell asleep. As they were crossing, a squall came down the lake. Water was pouring in the boat and the disciples, some whom were professional fishermen, were terrified that they were going to capsize. They woke Jesus up. Jesus stood up, told the wind to die down, and then asked them where their faith was.
It suddenly dawned on me that the disciples were placing their confidence in their apparent circumstances rather than in God. Think about it. The creator of the universe had just told them that they were going to the other side of the lake. He was with them in the boat. What was going to keep that from happening? A squall? I don't think so!
It's a good thing to remember when things get crazy hard. If you are following God you can be certain that you will reach your destination, even if an occassional squall comes up. In fact, it is seeing the power of God in the midst of the squall that fills us with awe and wonder about this Jesus that we are following.
Looking back on things, I realize now that some of it was poor planning on my part, but mostly is was the simple difficulty of decision-making in a church. In the business world it is fairly easy to call a meeting and get everyone around a table to discuss something. If more information is needed then someone is assigned to gather it and the meeting is adjorned for a few hours and then everyone gets back together again. Decisions can be reached fairly quickly and everyone involved hears everything.
In a church setting like our where people travel for miles to get to church it is more difficult to gather people for a meeting. Sometimes that means trying to reach a decision through phone calls rather than face-to-face meetings. Trying to reach consensus about something by means of a dozen phone calls back and forth takes time and energy, particularly if you find yourself at the hub of all of the activity. What could take two or three thirty minute meetings in the business world winds up being several hours of phone calls stretched over a couple of days. It carries with it the danger of someone being out of the loop or misunderstood. Its the nature of the process can sometimes be the stressful for me rather than the actual "issues" involved.
Sometimes during periods like this I can lose perspective. I was reminded of this during my devotional time yesterday. I was reading Luke 8:22-25. Jesus told his disciples that they were going to go to the other side of the lake. He then climbed in the boat and promptly fell asleep. As they were crossing, a squall came down the lake. Water was pouring in the boat and the disciples, some whom were professional fishermen, were terrified that they were going to capsize. They woke Jesus up. Jesus stood up, told the wind to die down, and then asked them where their faith was.
It suddenly dawned on me that the disciples were placing their confidence in their apparent circumstances rather than in God. Think about it. The creator of the universe had just told them that they were going to the other side of the lake. He was with them in the boat. What was going to keep that from happening? A squall? I don't think so!
It's a good thing to remember when things get crazy hard. If you are following God you can be certain that you will reach your destination, even if an occassional squall comes up. In fact, it is seeing the power of God in the midst of the squall that fills us with awe and wonder about this Jesus that we are following.
Friday, January 4, 2008
A Sermonless Sunday
Almost every week of the year I spend a great deal of my time preparing a sermon. This week Tim Maki will be preaching and sharing his vision of a new church in Hibbing. So what do I do on weeks that I am not preaching? Is it a vacation week?
No.
A week that I am not preaching is a refreshing break from the routine. That's something we all need. I wouldn't call it a vacation though. I use my time to try to catch up on things that have been neglected and to try to get a head start on the coming weeks. Right now that means getting ready for Vision Day and the Annual Meeting. It also seems like the weeks that I don't preach wind up being busy with counseling and family obligations.
One thing I've noticed this week is that I find myself praying for Tim pretty regularly, but praying for myself even more. I am praying that Tim has a keen sense of what he is supposed to share on Sunday and that he is truly led by the Spirit.
One reason I'm blogging about this is that I want to encourage us to pray along the same lines every week. I know that I can tell when people are praying for me during the week as I prepare for Sunday morning. I covet people praying for me!
I have also been praying for myself, that I might really hear what God wants to say to me this Sunday. I have to confess that before I became a pastor there were many Sundays that I didn't really listen. My focus was on other things. I think I probably missed alot. So I'm praying for myself, that I would be open to what God wants to say to me. Perhaps that will be the key thought of the sermon, but it could be found in a song we sing, a prayer that's prayed or comment from a friend. Whatever it is, I believe that God wants to speak to me.
The other reason I'm blogging about a Sermonless Sunday is that I want to encourage us to pray for ourselves and one another that we would have a hunger for what God wants to say to us each week. Let's arrive hungry and leave filled to overflowing with something to share!
No.
A week that I am not preaching is a refreshing break from the routine. That's something we all need. I wouldn't call it a vacation though. I use my time to try to catch up on things that have been neglected and to try to get a head start on the coming weeks. Right now that means getting ready for Vision Day and the Annual Meeting. It also seems like the weeks that I don't preach wind up being busy with counseling and family obligations.
One thing I've noticed this week is that I find myself praying for Tim pretty regularly, but praying for myself even more. I am praying that Tim has a keen sense of what he is supposed to share on Sunday and that he is truly led by the Spirit.
One reason I'm blogging about this is that I want to encourage us to pray along the same lines every week. I know that I can tell when people are praying for me during the week as I prepare for Sunday morning. I covet people praying for me!
I have also been praying for myself, that I might really hear what God wants to say to me this Sunday. I have to confess that before I became a pastor there were many Sundays that I didn't really listen. My focus was on other things. I think I probably missed alot. So I'm praying for myself, that I would be open to what God wants to say to me. Perhaps that will be the key thought of the sermon, but it could be found in a song we sing, a prayer that's prayed or comment from a friend. Whatever it is, I believe that God wants to speak to me.
The other reason I'm blogging about a Sermonless Sunday is that I want to encourage us to pray for ourselves and one another that we would have a hunger for what God wants to say to us each week. Let's arrive hungry and leave filled to overflowing with something to share!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
An Uncomfortable Day in the Hometown
I was reading Luke 4:14-30 and as I pictured the scene playing out in my imagination, there came to be some real challenges for me personally. I'd like to share them with you.
Jesus was a young man of about thirty when he returned to his hometown of Nazareth. His reputation as a preacher preceded him and the synagogue was filled with family, friends and the influential people of Nazareth that day. A hush fell over the crowd as his finger ran down the ancient, hand-copied scroll, finally resting in Isaiah 61. In a calm, clear and firm voice Jesus read the words of the prophet written many years before:
As I thought about this I realized that part of my fear, if you can call it that, is that I will be overwhelmed with the problems of other people. How do you help the single mom that barely graduated from high school that is struggling to raise a family? What about the unemployed worker with a bad back that has been self-medicating with alcohol? As I prayed the Lord showed me that I am not the answer. He is. I can build relationships, point people to Him and work for justice in our region. He will do the rest. Isn't that what the Holy Spirit said through Micah?
Every eye was focused on Jesus. Jesus was silent for a moment, allowing the suspense to build. Then he said simply, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." The crowd was "amazed at his gracious words" and "all spoke well of him." The hometown boy could speak well. They were proud of him. There was another undercurrent, though. There were those that actually listen to the implications of what Jesus was saying. This was a passage that talked of the Messiah, the Anointed One, the one who would lead all of Israel! "Isn't this Joseph's son? Where does he get off claiming that?" they asked themselves.
Jesus changed his tone. He told them that a prophet was only without honor in his hometown. He told them that there would be no show for them. He told them that the prophets of old didn't do tricks for the folks back home.
They were furious! In fact, they tried to kill him by throwing him off the cliff, but he got away and went on to Capernaum.
Note to self: Remember to keep the back door locked in the new building. It is way too close to the cliff for me to survive a "bad sermon".
Seriously, I wondered why the home-folks reacted this way. Why didn't they accept Jesus? Was it familiarity? I mean, could it be that they couldn't handle the fact that Jesus wasn't who they thought he was...he was really the Messiah? If so, is it possible for me to think that I know Jesus so well that I dismiss what he really wants to do? In fact, if Jesus wanted to do something new could I find it upsetting?
I knew the answer to that question was yes. It took me some time to work through the implications again of saying, "Jesus, you are the Messiah. You are God. You are the one who I want to lead my life and this church. Help me to keep remember who you truly are and never think I can do things on my own without you. Be my Guide and my Rock." When I finally worked things through, the sense of freedom was incredible. Jesus is the Messiah who has come and is setting the captives free.
Jesus was a young man of about thirty when he returned to his hometown of Nazareth. His reputation as a preacher preceded him and the synagogue was filled with family, friends and the influential people of Nazareth that day. A hush fell over the crowd as his finger ran down the ancient, hand-copied scroll, finally resting in Isaiah 61. In a calm, clear and firm voice Jesus read the words of the prophet written many years before:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.Here is where I encountered my first uncomfortable moment. As a product of upper-middle class suburbia the poor, the prisoners, the blind and the oppressed were things I read about in the textbooks and drove past if I had to go through the city to get to the suburbs on the other side. They were people to be avoided. People created the suburbs to insulate themselves from the problems of poverty and oppression. Yet here is my Lord saying that these were the very people that He had come for. I thought of the U.S. Representative I saw last night on CSpan as he talked about the community he represented in Chicago. It was a poor community totally unlike the one I grew up in. It was a community that struggled with poverty, but it was a community that he loved and was working to help. I had to admit that Jesus would have been at home there. Would I?
As I thought about this I realized that part of my fear, if you can call it that, is that I will be overwhelmed with the problems of other people. How do you help the single mom that barely graduated from high school that is struggling to raise a family? What about the unemployed worker with a bad back that has been self-medicating with alcohol? As I prayed the Lord showed me that I am not the answer. He is. I can build relationships, point people to Him and work for justice in our region. He will do the rest. Isn't that what the Holy Spirit said through Micah?
Every eye was focused on Jesus. Jesus was silent for a moment, allowing the suspense to build. Then he said simply, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." The crowd was "amazed at his gracious words" and "all spoke well of him." The hometown boy could speak well. They were proud of him. There was another undercurrent, though. There were those that actually listen to the implications of what Jesus was saying. This was a passage that talked of the Messiah, the Anointed One, the one who would lead all of Israel! "Isn't this Joseph's son? Where does he get off claiming that?" they asked themselves.
Jesus changed his tone. He told them that a prophet was only without honor in his hometown. He told them that there would be no show for them. He told them that the prophets of old didn't do tricks for the folks back home.
They were furious! In fact, they tried to kill him by throwing him off the cliff, but he got away and went on to Capernaum.
Note to self: Remember to keep the back door locked in the new building. It is way too close to the cliff for me to survive a "bad sermon".
Seriously, I wondered why the home-folks reacted this way. Why didn't they accept Jesus? Was it familiarity? I mean, could it be that they couldn't handle the fact that Jesus wasn't who they thought he was...he was really the Messiah? If so, is it possible for me to think that I know Jesus so well that I dismiss what he really wants to do? In fact, if Jesus wanted to do something new could I find it upsetting?
I knew the answer to that question was yes. It took me some time to work through the implications again of saying, "Jesus, you are the Messiah. You are God. You are the one who I want to lead my life and this church. Help me to keep remember who you truly are and never think I can do things on my own without you. Be my Guide and my Rock." When I finally worked things through, the sense of freedom was incredible. Jesus is the Messiah who has come and is setting the captives free.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Vision Saturday
This afternoon I walked through the new building again. They have put the exterior metal on the north wall so the wind has been stopped. Even though it was only in the teens it wasn't too cold to spend time walking around the place and praying for what God wants to do there.
And that leads to the next obvious question: What is it that God wants to do there?
That's where our Vision Saturday (January 12) comes in.
We're setting aside the day to come together to pray and seek God for his direction. I believe that during the day the Lord is going to meet with us and begin to show us some things that He wants to do in and through us over the next year. I have some thoughts, but the purpose of this Vision Saturday is not for me to dump what I want to see happen on everyone else. Instead, it is to lead us in seeking God together and allowing Him to speak to us.
I'm excited about it. When we have done this in the past I've always walked away with a greater appreciation for the people in the church and tremendous anticipation for what God wants to do in our midst. It should be a great day. Hope to see you there!
And that leads to the next obvious question: What is it that God wants to do there?
That's where our Vision Saturday (January 12) comes in.
We're setting aside the day to come together to pray and seek God for his direction. I believe that during the day the Lord is going to meet with us and begin to show us some things that He wants to do in and through us over the next year. I have some thoughts, but the purpose of this Vision Saturday is not for me to dump what I want to see happen on everyone else. Instead, it is to lead us in seeking God together and allowing Him to speak to us.
I'm excited about it. When we have done this in the past I've always walked away with a greater appreciation for the people in the church and tremendous anticipation for what God wants to do in our midst. It should be a great day. Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
New Year's Resolutions
Some people have long lists of resolutions that they intend to keep over the coming twelve months. My wife and oldest son are going to try to go sugar-free for the entire year. Of course, that's a resolution that is going to affect other people. My youngest and I are wondering (worrying?) how long their resolve will last and whether their will every be cookies in the cookie jar this year. Perhaps the fact that we still have a cookie jar is a good sign.
Personally, I've decided that the "all or nothing" resolutions don't really work that well for me. I get too discouraged when I fail. I'm going to try to "tweak" things instead. So, here's my list:
Personally, I've decided that the "all or nothing" resolutions don't really work that well for me. I get too discouraged when I fail. I'm going to try to "tweak" things instead. So, here's my list:
- Be more encouraging. I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't like to be sincerely encouraged about something they are doing. I'm surrounded by people who are doing some pretty incredible things. I need to let them know what I think about them more often.
- Look for the potential in people. I want to focus more on what people can become. Instead of "getting to know people" and leaving it at that, I want to see the potential of the people around me. I want to help the people around them become what God has designed them to be.
- See the opportunities in the situations I'm facing. I'm sure that this year will bring challenges. Instead of being overwhelmed or sulking about them, I want to see the opportunities that each one represents. For example, in the building project at church there is going to be a lot of sweat equity put in. I want to see it, not as a ton of work, but as a chance to spend time deepening relationships, making new friends and maybe learning some new skills.
- Become more focused in my use of time. I'm not quite sure how to do this yet, but I sense that I need to do a more efficient job in using my time.
- Lose the holiday weight! Like many people, I overindulged during the holidays. I need to return to healthy eating and the weight should come off. Swear off sugar for a year? No. Moderation in eating? Yes.
So that's it. I suppose that the highly goal-oriented people among us would point out that four out of the five resolutions cannot be measured, but that's fine with me. I figure that if I can make progress on the first four I will be a greater blessing to the people around me. If I can achieve the last one, I'll probably live longer. I think that's a good thing. I hope you do, too.
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