The Journey

The Whole Sweep of Scripture

2011-06-15T10:57:00.001-05:00

A friend put me on to this clip from one of my “literary mentors,” N.T. Wright, discussing how to get the most out of reading Scripture. I find that he is putting to words a feeling I’ve had during this long series on the life of David, that there is just something powerful about reading large chunks of the biblical Story and, as he says, “letting it wash over you.” Far too often, I’ve turned Bible reading into a hand-held version of a bumper sticker; looking for a little word or chunk here or there to “get me through the day.” Obviously there is a time and place for that practice done well, as the discipline known as lectio divina has shown. But there is a balance in healthy reading that seeks to see the broad brush strokes and the panoramic view of God’s Story. So I commend Wright’s wisdom to you:

http://tinyurl.com/3gnyx7c

Swimming in the Shallow

2011-05-17T13:25:00.000-05:00

Here's a humorous look at an all too common problem: would-be followers of Jesus being content to stay in the baby pool of spiritual life and community, when God offers us the Ocean!

http://tinyurl.com/3ome2dc

The Bridge: The Danger of Over-responsibility

2011-03-16T16:45:00.002-05:00

Some of life’s most critical lessons have to be learned again and again. Forgiveness. Love. Purpose. Faith. Endurance. The more I live, the more I realize how insightful Plato was centuries ago when he said that all learning is remembering. The principles and wisdom that enable us to flourish in life must be affirmed and embraced anew each passing day.

I was reminded today that principles of compassion and leadership are like that. Specifically, a tireless servant in the medical community shared with us how easy it is to forget that there is a difference between being responsible to another person in times of need and feeling responsible for another person in times of need.

She shared with us the following fable by Edwin Friedman, called “The Bridge,” which convicted me all over again of the dangers of over-responsibility. The applications for this story in leadership and service are endless. Enjoy.

The Bridge:bit.ly/gbRNui

Nothing Uglier

2011-01-26T10:21:00.003-06:00

Paul doesn’t waste time calling out the problem in the city of Corinth so many years ago: “there are quarrels among you” (1 Corinthians 1:11). When I look at your church, Paul says, it looks more like an ultimate fighting tournament than a spiritual family or faith community. The “body of Christ” is falling apart, the “people of God” are engaged in civil war; the conduct of “the saints” makes them look far more like the sinners they had been; the “pillar and foundation of the truth” has become a hypocritical house of cards; and the “bride of Christ” has become like a lady of the night. When Paul opens his letter to them, without missing a beat, he moves from thanking God for their identity—“those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus,” enriched in Christ in every way, not lacking any spiritual gift and fully expecting to be blameless on the day of Christ—to the painful reality—this community is falling apart in factions and fights.

There’s nothing uglier than a family feud. I still remember one Thanksgiving, fifteen to sixteen years ago now, when my brother and I stood in the yard in front our house yelling at each other at the top of our lungs. I’m ashamed of how I acted, appalled at how shallow the reasons for the fight were, and how public our display of disharmony was. Just one foolish example of how ugly family fights can be. But I’d also say, there’s nothing uglier than church fights, nothing more repulsive to the world we are called to serve than a divided and contentious church. I recall one day, many years ago, a friend of mine who was seeking God came to a church gathering. It happened to be on the same day that one member pulled another aside a church leader to speak her mind. She decided to have this conversation, not later in private, but right there in the crowd, before the notes of the final song had stopped echoing in the sanctuary (ah, the irony of that word, the way we look sometimes, the sanctuary; perhaps it’s better than many of our churches have watered down the idea, calling it an auditorium). She pulls the leader aside and unloads her issues and solutions for all the church’s ills, right there in eyesight and earshot of everyone. Of course, it’s no surprise that my friend seeking God sought him in a different place. Reactionary of him? Perhaps. Short-sighted of him? Maybe. Not the full picture of that church’s character? Of course. But still, I hear the words of the Apostle who says, you are “called to be his holy people,” and I understand why he grieves and implores God’s church to put down the knives, gloves and incendiary words and live into that ideal a bit more. There’s nothing uglier than a contentious church.

So Paul pleads and urges with them to unite, not on issues, people, or personalities, but on the person and mission of Jesus Christ: “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” Paul’s language here is quite visual. He uses the word ‘schisms’ (here, ‘divisions’) in verse 10. It’s a word we see Jesus use elsewhere as an image of clothing: “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.” Schisms. The same word is used in classic Greek literature to describe a ship that is splintered into pieces by the turbulent sea. Schisms. Paul says, that’s what happens when you try to base a spiritual community on anything other than cross of Jesus Christ. Like brand new slacks that get caught on a fence and torn apart, like a once mighty oceanliner splintered in a raging sea, it is a tragic thing for the body of Christ to be dismembered by human divisions and petty fights.

It seems so simple and I know ages of church fights testify how difficult the ideal is to reach. But I am confident that God is working in his broken, flawed church, to bring about his purpose in creation: to bring all things together again in Jesus Christ. So, let us take up Paul’s charge to let God start with us. Let us begin reflecting among ourselves and our world the very harmony, unity, and coming-together that God will do for all things when Jesus returns.

Meet the Family

2011-01-12T13:55:00.003-06:00

Nearly every budding relationship has this pivotal, defining moment—a kind of relational rite of passage. I picture it this way: a young man, after a few sleepless nights, walks with his beloved up the concrete steps to a door, biting his lip, convinced that everyone on the entire block can hear his heartbeat. He’s imagined every possible scenario of what might happen next, as the door swings open…

It’s no surprise that countless stories have been told, and in recent years an entire movie franchise launched, off the premise of this kind of moment—that sacred (and at times scandalous) moment when young lady or young man takes their new loved one home to “meet the family.” It’s an anxious time: because there is risk—what if the family doesn’t like her? What if mom doesn’t approve of him?

But you know, of course, the deeper fear isn’t what the family thinks, it’s what your beloved thinks. You see, it’s harder to hide now that you are surrounded by those who know you best; it’s harder to maintain the image of what you want that special person to think about you. Now that she’s met my family, he wonders, what if she wants to run? She’s thinking: what if he decides to opt out, now that he knows who I am and where I’m from?

This sacred moment is far more than an ancient custom or an empty ritual. This moment is critical to any relationship because there is a real sense in which you cannot truly know someone until you know the people closest to their heart. You do not truly know someone until you know who they love and to whom they are connected. That’s one way I think of the role that Israel plays in the Story of God. In the OT, when we hear the stories, sing the songs, pray the ancient prayers, it is as if God is taking us home to meet the family—to learn something of his character and his heart by seeing the company that he keeps.

This is one reason that I encourage and try to practice entering into Israel’s story. Three practices I might suggest are these. First, pray the Psalms. The liturgical collection in Scripture that makes up the book of Psalms has been the prayer book and hymnal of the people of God throughout the ages. Every conceivable emotion is contained in its pages: every possible struggle we face, every longing we experience. I learned to lament, to grieve honestly and openly to my God, through the Psalms. I continue to learn the language of praise and adoration through the Psalms. As I’ve said so many times, we do not learn to talk in an English or Grammar class. We learned to speak by mimicking those who already knew. Prayer is no different: we learn to communicate and commune with the One who made us by mimicking the masters we find in the Psalms.

Second, I would encourage all of us to “go East.” Although there is much in the Western historical and philosophical heritage to be embraced and appreciated, the faith revealed in Scripture is an Eastern tradition. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was a Jewish man. To know him, then, we must know the Story that defined his life, the Story of Israel. One great resource I have been given in recent years is the website www.followtherabbi.com, Ray Vanderlaan’s online resource to help Jesus followers reconnect with our Jewish roots. He has a brief slide presentation on the site to help people understand the difference between Eastern and Western thought. I also have appreciated the book by Philip Yancey called The Bible Jesus Read, which opens up the Old Testament and its worldview as the framing story of Jesus. Another resource I’d mention is any of N.T. Wright’s historical material—the chapter on Israel in Simply Christian, or for particularly ambitious readers, his work Jesus and the Victory of God, which explores how Jesus’ mission and activity was defined by the Jewish mindset and expectations of his time.

The final practice to help us meet the family of God in Israel is to see their stories as our stories. At its simplest, this means to actually attend to the Old Testament texts and to allow God to shape us and locate us in that narrative. A friend put me on to a phenomenal article by Donald Miller (on the one thing that will allow you to “rise above your peers,” i.e., reading great books: http://bit.ly/b2SyTH) and this sentence struck me as strangely familiar: “I started reading Shakespeare, even though I didn’t understand him. It didn’t matter that I didn’t understand him, because I could understand parts, and the parts were worth the reading of the whole.” I feel the same way about the stories and writings of the Old Testament. Let’s be honest: parts of the Old Testament seem so distant from our time and understanding that it makes reading them difficult. But in those same pages there are also countless stories, prayers, experiences and testimonies of God interacting with his people that stir our souls in such a way to make it worth the effort. As my beautiful bride put it so well the other day, “I feel different when I open the Bible; just reading this book affects me in ways that no other writing does.”

At least in my better moments, I long to know God. I long to connect with the One who has given me life and given life to this world. I long to know his Son, who is willing to sacrifice everything so the world might be renewed and reconciled to his Father. And I long to know the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who works on the stage of human history to consummate the Father’s plan. I sense this God calling me, and all who share this longing, to come and “meet the family” in the Story of Israel.

Seeing Jesus in Surprising Places

2011-01-04T17:40:00.003-06:00

Sunday we talked about the glorious Christ hymn in John chapter one. Most of my life, when I’ve read this passage, I focus on the Trinity part: “the Word was God.” Or, I find myself marveling at the incarnation, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Or, I am captivated by the picture of God’s intimacy with the Son and with us: “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”

But this Sunday we leaned into the line in verse 4: “In him was life, and that life was the light of all people.” That one word astounds me: “all.” With our perceptions of God, we expect the passage to read something like: “that life was the light of his people” or “that life was the light of faithful people“or “that life was the light of good people.” But, astonishingly he says that the Word of God, the Christ of God, is the light of all people. And so, as we discussed this week, this means that Jesus shows up, revealing God, in surprising places. We will find elements of His truth, goodness, light and life, as one has put it, “even outside of the Christian franchise.”

Now, let’s be clear: that does not mean that “all paths lead to God,” or all truth is relative. Instead, I believe this passage helps us see that, if you encounter truth, goodness, wonder, or light in the world, you can be confident that the ultimate source of that light is the Son of God—whether or not the source of that truth has a “Christian” label on it. So, followers of Jesus have a great opportunity: to embrace and claim truth, wherever we find it. We also are called to great humility, as we marvel at how and through whom God chooses to work (not the least surprising is his astounding promise to work through broken people like me and anybody else who claims membership in a church).

One of the first people who helped me pay attention to this part of the Christ hymn is Augustine. Long ago, when confronted with questions about the relationship between Christian thought and pagan philosophy, Augustine invited believers to claim any truth they find, whatever the source, and to use it for the service of the Gospel. Here is his argument, using a brilliant analogy of Israel’s departure from Egypt:

If those who are called philosophers…have said anything which is true and consistent with our faith, we must not reject it, but claim it for our own use…. The Egyptians possessed idols and heavy burdens, which the children of Israel hated and from which they fled; however, they also possessed vessels of gold and silver and clothes which our forebears, in leaving Egypt, took for themselves in secret, intending to use them in a better manner (Ex 3:21-22; 12:35-36)…. In the same way, pagan learning is not entirely made up of false teachings and superstitions…. It contains also some excellent teachings, well suited to be used by truth, and excellent moral values. Indeed, some truths are even found among them which relate to the worship of the one God. Now these are, so to speak, their gold and silver, which they did not invent themselves, but which they dug out of the mines of providence of God, which are scattered throughout the world…. The Christian, therefore, can separate these truths from their unfortunate associations, take them away, and put them to their proper use for the proclamation of the gospel (excerpt from On Christian Doctrine, cited in Alister McGrath, The Christian Theology Reader, 6).

What I find so compelling is not just that Augustine acknowledges truth even from pagan sources (as Paul did so many years before, see Acts 17:22-28); but that he recognizes the ultimate source of that truth in God himself. He sees God revealing himself in many diverse avenues, “scattered throughout the world.”

I just wonder how different our world and our relationships might be, if those of us who follow Jesus would begin our interactions with those around us by asking, where do I see Jesus in this person or situation? Too often, Christians lead with judgment. Now, there is a place for honest, respectful critique of harmful paths and ways. But I long for Christians today to be known more as people who seek truth—or better yet, who seek Truth (the Person and not just ideas, John 14:6)—wherever we might find it. I thank my God that he has chosen to reveal the light of his Son to and through all people.

Ortberg's "IQ Test"

2010-07-25T15:03:00.007-05:00

Several folks requested that I make available the tool I shared from John Ortberg on how to discern what might be the main idols in our lives, the principal rival to God holding the center place in our lives. Ortberg calls it his "IQ test," not an Intelligence Quotient, but our "Idolatry Quotient." With some minor adaptations, here's his diagnostic tool.

Step One: Common Idols of our Day

Start by recognizing or identifying common idols in our time:

- Money
- Relationship/s
- Success
- Attractiveness
- Intelligence
- Pleasure
- Addiction
- Religion/Spiritual Reputation
- Work
- Other________?

Step Two: Questions for Discernment

Now, use these to identify which idol most competes with God for first place in your life; you might make a mark next to the items above after each question and see which has the most marks at the end:

(1) Which of these do you think about most? When you wake up or fall asleep?
(2) Which do you most fear losing?
(3) Which most gives you a sense of identity?
(4) Which do you look to in order to feel secure?
(5) Which do I most want to be known for? Makes you feel like “somebody?”
(6) Which most causes my emotions to go up and down?
(7) Which would other people who know me well say is my biggest idol?
(8) Which do my efforts most tend to revolve around (what you sacrifice for)?

I would add a warning here: please do not allow this tool to be an instrument of guilt, but simply a way of assessing where you are in your walk. We all have a (fallen) natural tendency to replace God with something or someone else; so this is about owning where we are and offering that to God to lead us in a healthier way.

The passage in which I introduced this, Isaiah 44:6-23, ends with these strong words of grace and hope from our God: “Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you, you are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you. I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.”

God only reveals our idolatry so that he might set us free--free to experience the joy and wonder that comes when we invite him back to the center of our lives.

Grace and peace.

Dean

Even This City Can Overcome Death

2010-04-09T09:41:00.006-05:00

I came across this simple poem by Howard Nemerov, which provokes me again to dream. Even though he speaks a vision of Easter life to the suburbs, I imagine it speaking to the whole city, our city—the entire area of Greater Nashville. I hear in the announcement of this glorious season of our Lord’s resurrection that “even this city can overcome death…even here, death will be vanquished again…and certainly not by our own doing.” May this season be one where our God moves us outside of ourselves, so that we might be used by Him to restore life in all of its forms, right here, even here, in our city.

Enjoy the poem and Happy Easter!

Easter, by Howard Nemerov

Even this suburb has overcome death.
Overnight, by a slow explosion, or
A rapid burning, it begins again
Bravely disturbing the brown ground
With grass and even more elaborate
Unnecessaries such as daffodils
And tulips, till the whole sordid block
Of houses turned so inward on themselves,
So keeping of a winter's secret sleep,
Looks like a lady's hat, improbably
Nodding with life, with blue jays hooting
And pigeons caracoling up among
The serious chimney pots, and pairs
Of small birds speeding behind the hedges
Readying to conceal them soon. Here,
Even here, Death has been vanquished again,
What was a bramble of green barbed wire
Becomes forsythia, as the long war
Begins again, not by our doing or desiring.

Where Would We Be?

2010-03-28T17:03:00.008-05:00

Palm Sunday, 2010. I came across this incredible image of Jesus' fateful journey taken from a painting in the Zirl parish church in Austria. I see it and strain to grasp even with all we know now, the full significance of this humble moment. I can't help wondering how many people missed it? How many folks simply went on with their day, ironically preparing to celebrate the mighty acts of God in the world, all the while oblivious to the fact that the mightiest act of all was unfolding before their very eyes?

But then again, can we really blame them? Would we really be any different? All of history is about to change, but the only marker of the occasion is a homeless carpenter, who happens to be the Son of God, riding into town on the back of a common farm animal. Pretty sure I'd have missed it too. Or, worse yet, I might well have been one of these men depicted in the back, with scowls on their faces, pointing in self-righteous accusation. Makes me thank God for second chances, for giving us all another shot (each year) to experience in some small way His life-changing actions in this world. It also makes me wary: in all of our preparations and celebrations this holy week, is it possible we too might miss him, showing up yet again in the most ordinary places and ways?

So, I don't know where I would have been then, or even what I'm missing right now. But I do know this: by the grace of God, here is where I stand today--honored to be one who cries out in grateful anticipation, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."

Nature's Stop Sign

2010-02-07T13:36:00.003-06:00

It has become nearly a cliché, but the wisdom is still sound: sometimes we’re so caught up in the “what” of life that we don’t see the “why.” For instance, much of the east coast sits under a blanket of snow and the newscasts incessantly announce what the weather is doing. They prophesy how long they expect it to last, list what organizations are closed, and then march out the statistics: so and so degrees, so many inches. We certainly need this information. But, sometimes we are so caught up in the facts that we don’t take the time to consider if there might be some meaning behind all of this.

Honestly, I’d never really thought about a ‘why’ for the weather before. At least I haven’t thought much beyond the typical question of why disasters happen (which recent events show to be still a valid subject to probe). But what about things like that snowstorm that keeps kids, teachers, and business people alike all glued to the television? Do we ever pause in the midst of the newscast to consider why? Is there perhaps some deeper purpose in simple things like drifts, sleds, and snowballs?

Some years ago, I came across this delightful treasure in the book of Job: “God says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work, he stops all mortals from their labor” (Job 37:-7). Of course, I don’t want to make this more than it is; or to imply that every time the weather acts up, God has specifically planned that for some end. But we perhaps should take more seriously that what we call “bad weather” might actually serve as an imposed invitation to practice what God has always intended: for his people to regularly stop and rest.

When you think about it, this happens in other ways. I have a friend who recently was working at such a frenzied pace he couldn’t slow down even for a moment. Finally, his body just said stop! He got sick and was forced to practice a Sabbath rest for a couple of days. I read this text as God saying, sometimes at least, weather can do the same thing. It’s like He’s saying, “I allow the snow to pile up, just so you crazy humans have to slow down for a minute and breathe.”

So for years it has become a practice for me to view any big snowfall as God’s invitation to stop, play and enjoy his creation. I know, most everybody does this, but the Bible’s wisdom here reminds us that this isn’t just some childhood pleasure, it is a spiritual practice. That means, when Christine and I walked through the woods last week and pretended we were in Narnia, it wasn’t just make-believe. It was a prayer. It was worship. It was connecting to ‘the why’ behind ‘the what’ of our best snowfall in years.

I pray that in these moments God might begin to train me, to train all of us, not to wait for a blizzard to accept his gift of rest.

Hard Lessons from the Hardwood

2010-01-27T15:35:00.003-06:00

I was playing basketball recently, for first time in months, and I was struck by how the 12 year old inside of me still delights in being chosen by the “A-court” players to be on their team. I was almost shocked at how a simple nod from the guy I watched rain three pointers in the previous game made me feel validated in some way, when he overlooked several others to invite me to jump in. I realize that it’s incredibly shallow, of course, to feel good because some weekend warrior thinks I can still run with them. But as I think back on my superficial reaction, I sensed that it does reveal a genuine longing as well: to belong in some deeper way. I guess that's why today I was so moved by these words from Jesus: "You did not choose me, I chose you" (John 15:16). I long for the day when these unconscious moments might reveal that I am living from my true self, from the fact that value and significance comes not from any fleeting performance or ability, but from a deep centeredness on the One who made us.

Glorious Fall!

2009-11-11T10:32:00.002-06:00

I thank God for the artistry of the seasons, especially fall.

It wasn’t always that way. I used to hate the fall. That all changed, some years ago now, when one of the most difficult times of life for me began as August drew to a close. Summer had always been my favorite season. I guess that started back when summer heat signaled freedom: freedom from teachers, schedules, and routines. Summer meant swimming pools and baseball, driving late at night with the windows down and Van Halen playing too loudly on the old Kenwood. We’d play whiffle ball in the park behind the house and we’d all keep our home run stats and batting averages for the season. So from childhood on, fall symbolized sadness for me, an abrupt ending to the joy of rest and play.

So I distinctly remember when life fell apart at a time that coincided with summer’s end. I recall praying to God and telling him that I didn’t know if on top of all the pain I was feeling that I could handle grey skies and a depressing fall. Now I’m fully aware that God didn’t change the weather because of me, but I did experience the most wonderful and paradoxical joy that year: the most glorious fall I’d ever seen, juxtaposed against the darkest emotional despair of my life. The skies were so blue you could drink them. The trees were ablaze with color. I’ll never forget the golden-clad oak that towered in front of my apartment. I deliberately went out several times a day just to see that tree that stood like a masterpiece on the canvas of the Virginia sky. It was as if God were saying, “Even in the midst of the Great Darkness of your life, I will paint for all creation reminders of hope and the restoration of all things.” I heard the Gospel in the rustle of trees that year and I witnessed God reclaiming my soul in the autumn skies. And I’ve needed to hear that sacred song and see heaven’s display many times since.

I thank my God for the artistry of the seasons.

The Covenant Prayer

2009-08-07T16:34:00.005-05:00

I came across this great prayer of surrender recently by John Wesley. It fits so much the need for complete dependence on God in these uncertain times:

I am no longer my own but yours.

Your will, not mine, be done in all things,
wherever you may place me,
in all that I do and in all that I may endure;
when there is work for me and when there is none;
when I am troubled and when I am at peace.

Your will be done
when I am valued and when I am disregarded;
when I find fulfillment and when it is lacking;
when I have all things, and when I have nothing.

I willingly offer all I have and am to serve you,
as and where you choose.

Glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours,
may it be so for ever.

Let this covenant now made on earth be fulfilled in heaven.
Amen.

Tomato Seeds

2009-07-31T14:35:00.003-05:00

In a moment of inspiration, my beloved bride, Melanie, wrote these thoughts last week. As always, she moved me, from simple imagery to profound meaning. I post this to honor my heart's companion and best friend. Thank you sweetheart!

I was able to visit my 88 year old Grandmother in Richmond recently. She gave me a gift. A half ripened tomato from her garden. I held it as if it were the greatest gift and told her I would "treasure it forever!" We laughed...

This single tomato made the trip from Virginia to Tennessee and it sat on my window sill for a week or so, ripening in the bright TN sun. I smiled each time I saw it as I remembered our visit. I hesitated to slice it and eat it, for then the gift would be gone. And that got me thinking...seeds! I would make this a true "heirloom tomato." I would save the seeds from this delicious tomato and use them to grow more of this delectable treat next summer and I would remember her sweet gift each time one was harvested from the garden. As I was scraping out the seeds from this lone tomato, another thought occurred to me...

"Wow, there are SO MANY!" I thought of God's creation and how amazing that from this one small tomato that THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS more could be produced. The exponential impact that this one small tomato could have boggles the mind. From one, comes many. This is not only true of tomatoes, but I thought of other fruits and vegetables produced by God. Watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumbers, oranges etc...We often view these seeds as a nuisance... an annoyance to our enjoyment of the sweetness that lies within...

What if instead of discarding these seeds into the trash, what if I treasured them as I should? What if I saw them for the potential that they are? LIFE! Especially in a world where starvation is rampant and apathy reigns...

I thought, "How simple!" Starvation around the world could be impacted to a great degree if we only saved the seeds that we simply discard as trash. You only need soil, seeds, water and sun. But then it hit me, you also need time. It is this element that is most vital...TIME...I don't take the TIME. The potential is there, I just don't make the effort. What a waste!! If only we saved the thousands of discarded seeds and used them to produce life what an impact we could have on our world locally and globally. Landfills are literally filled with rotting potential for life...

God somehow whispered a spiritual lesson to me in all of this as well. That is usually the point, but the noise of my world often deafens me.

Each of us, as small and seemingly insignificant as a tomato seed, can produce life and have a huge impact on our world both physically and spiritually. We can produce ripples through the lives of others like a pebble tossed into a pond on a cool Fall morning.

We just need to take the time...

-Melanie Barham

Lance Armstrong, Bono and World Redemption

2009-07-12T17:03:00.003-05:00

Ok, I start by Googling “Tour de France” to see where Lance is in the standings. There’s a link to an article about Africa by one of my favorite modern “saints” and thirty mintues later this came out...

Lately I find myself craving tangible signs of redemption. As I say that, I’m only too well aware that Jesus warned “a wicked and adulterous generation” that no sign would be given them except “the sign of Jonah” (Mt. 16:4). I don’t think my longing is one of rebellious unbelief, though: I’m in this faith-thing for the long haul. I do choose to trust the God who already displayed his sign-language at the Red Sea, Cross and Empty Tomb. He doesn’t owe me anything and he certainly doesn’t need to prove anything after that. I’m with this God who raises the dead. But I must admit, it is so refreshing to see tangible expressions of God’s new life working in the dark places of our world. I long to see Jesus respond to us as he did to John’s disciples: “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor” (Lk. 7:22).

In his kindness, I must say, God has responded to this longing. Not as often, or as neatly, or as predictably as I would like. But I am so grateful for the places I have seen his fingerprints and have heard the whispers of his presence lately. I have seen the audacity of faith proclaimed by his people in the host of funerals our church has had to endure in recent days. I have seen and heard the miracle of life in the words of a friend and the smile of a baby that all of the doctors said would not be alive today. And then this afternoon, I came across the words of one of my favorite prophets, Bono, who testifies about redemption on a societal scale on the very continent which has witnessed unspeakable brutality and death (see the article “Rebranding Africa” at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/opinion/10bono.html?ex=1262836800&en=805a3a73547a8e54&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=OP-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M105-ROS-0709-HDR&WT.mc_ev=click

No, these glimpses do not quench my soul’s thirst for this world to be different than it is. But at least today, I find these hints of grace awakening hope that the promise really is true: “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed” (Rom. 8:18).

Simple

2009-05-21T10:27:00.017-05:00

Simple. Practical. Real. I’ve been preparing recently for a series coming up in about a month that will help our church family rediscover the power and beauty of the classic spiritual practice of Scripture reading and reflection. For me, so many approaches to Bible reading I’ve heard over the years are either so boring or too complex to be an ongoing, meaningful practice. I’ve found what works best for me is always the simplest and most natural things.

That’s why I like the simple approach to Scripture reading that my friend and mentor, John Mark Hicks put me on to. He writes about it in his blog: http://johnmarkhicks.wordpress.com/2009/02/08/reading-the-gospel-of-mark/ Here’s the approach he suggests, taken from Stu Cameron, using the acronym S-O-A-P:

S-Scripture: prayerfully read and reflect on a section of scripture, with the expectation of one who wants to know God’s heart. You might even write out the text word for word in a journal, as a way of focusing your attention.

O-Observe: note any significant words, phrases, ideas, or images that connect with you. I like the questions Paul Watson gives here: what does this passage reveal about God and about humanity? I also like how he will write out a simple summary of the message in his own words, as if he’s sharing it with a friend over coffee.

A-Apply: ask God to reveal how this passage needs to impact our lives. What needs to change, what needs to begin, what needs to stop—what would it look like to live this truth?

P-Pray: simply respond to what God has revealed in his Word; it is a conversation after all. It could be thanks for a promise or grace given, a confession for falling short, a request for strength to endure or to change, or any number of things.

You can see Stu’s full explanation of this at stucameron.typepad.com/what_matters/2008/02/soap.html I really like this approach. It’s refreshingly simple. I tried journaling using this model today in my reading of 2 Samuel 7:22-24, as I’m reading through the David story.

Scripture: “How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself…”

Observations: God’s uniqueness is one thing that makes him so astounding. Unlike all of the imposters in my life that contend for my devotion, this God is real. He actually delivers on the promises he makes (fulfillment, power, enduring joy). He offers so much more than the emptiness and shame that follows the momentary thrill of the idols of our age. His uniqueness also restores our own sense of worth. God has chosen to show up at the Cross, the Red Sea, and throughout history. When he does, it’s always to rescue and to relate to real, everyday people. And this gives people like you and me infinite worth.

Application & Prayer: I ask you, my God and King, to direct my full attention and devotion to you alone. By your grace, I will seek to practice this devotion by putting “my treasure” of time, focus, energy, and money where you want my heart to go. I also ask you to help me consciously define my worth by what you have already done, not by my performance at work or in any other superficial value system. Also, please enable me to see and treat others with this vision of worth as well, as they are priceless in your eyes.

MOMENTS

2009-04-22T10:56:00.007-05:00

I was reminded this past weekend of the power of simple moments. Because of the all the busyness that unfortunately surrounded the days leading up to Easter, I figured I owed my children a serious block of uninterrupted time, doing the things that are special to them. So, it began leaving work a little early Friday afternoon and taking David biking in the dirt and “off the main path.” We climbed hills, scaled rocks, made skid marks in the dirt and raced around the track where David proudly declared “the Cowboys play, even in Tennessee” (the Franklin Cowboys, of course, but all he sees is the star). It was one of those Spring days when the air literally tastes good—which for me is a symbol in the lungs of what times like this do for my soul.

Later that evening, I took Christine on a daddy-daughter “date night” to see one of her favorite stories—The Miracle Worker performed at the Boiler Room in Franklin. We munched popcorn, met some new friends waiting in line, played games on my iPhone at intermission, and laughed over the silliest things. I caught myself fighting back nostalgia even before the moment was over because I realized as I watched one little girl on stage discover a new world of language and hope, I was watching the one next to me grow up before my eyes.

In the morning, it was Luke’s turn for one-on-one time and we discovered a trail near our house we’d never seen before. As we hiked through woods, “climbed trees,” and jumped over creek-water, a longing arose in me to see the world again through his eyes—to remember what it was like to be content with nothing more than a truck in one hand and dad’s palm in the other. To remember a time when going around the block was like Louis and Clark mapping new territory. And, just for a moment, I think I did.

Then as Luke settled down for a nap, there was still time left in the day for Christine, David and I to hike Radnor Lake—a proper finale to the best twenty-four hours I’ve spent in months.

I sat down later to reflect with my beautiful bride, sharing with her the images of these delightful excursions. We committed ourselves again to the wisdom we’ve known for years, but so often forget—life is made up of these priceless moments that exist only now, and soon will be gone. Or, as God himself said more beautifully in Scripture: “This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for people to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives people wealth and possessions, [and time] and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their lives, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart" (Ecclesiasties 5:18-20). Thank you so very much, my God in Heaven, for the gift of these moments with my loved ones. Please enable us to treasure the gift of time we have while we have it.

The Easter Challenge

2009-04-14T14:53:00.007-05:00

Well, once again this past Sunday, we members of the Jesus community got to vocalize the greatest announcement in history: “Christ the Lord is risen today!” Yes, the story has been told before—but it never gets old to me: we get to worship a man who wouldn’t stay dead! This is vividly personal for me as it means that whatever is dead in my life doesn’t have to remain lifeless and empty: the darkness in my heart; the failures in my past and present; my father’s grave; my friends’ marriage; our world’s future… The list of places that cry out for resurrection’s hope is endless.

But I thought I’d focus this week on the challenge a friend of mine, Jesse Baker, presented recently: can the reality of Easter actually make a difference, actually be made visible, in the gathering of the people of God? His challenge is much richer than that line actually, so I invite you to read it on his blog of April 5, titled “Easter”: http://1ostinacloud.blogspot.com. The lines that continue to work on me are these: “I would argue that the congregation, not the preacher, bears the burden of stepping up to the plate on Easter Sunday. This is the time of year when the people on the ‘outside’ will come to us... the people who are disenfranchised by the machine that the church has become are walking through its doors, maybe for the only time this year, maybe for the only time in their lives. So what are we going to do? Leave the cheesy small-talk and your penny-loafers at home... be authentic. The church should look different on Easter Sunday... there should be a Joy and a thankfulness among the people that spills over the aisles from pew to pew, heart to heart.”

Now, these words resonate with me, not because it “lets me off the hook” as a preacher-type. Quite the opposite: it places the challenge on me (and the rest of us), simply by being members of a congregation of Christ-followers. So, it’s a simple question I will carry with me: will we proclaim the Easter message with our lives, in our gatherings, and in our going-about-in-the-world and not just with our mouths? That said, I certainly don’t want to diminish this simple but life-changing proclamation either. But for that, let me direct you again to Jesse’s blog entry “risen” on Monday, April 13.

Blessings in your life and journey this week!

“He is risen indeed!”

Game On

2009-04-05T19:04:00.003-05:00

I have always enjoyed sports, games and other avenues of friendly competition. I must admit, though, that these can be places that reveal just how far short from God’s character I still am. I can think of far too many times in the past when the “friendly” part of the competition all but disappeared and my attitude stole the joy of the game. I recently came across a section in Basil Pennington’s book Centering Prayer that reveals what is at the heart of this battle:

Most of us have to struggle with a very poor self-image—sometimes more, sometimes less. Negative attitudes toward ourselves have been programmed into us by negative feedback from parents, teachers, and others all along the course of our lives. In many cases, we have tried to hide this even from ourselves by the false self-image we have constructed—that fragile thing that calls for much defensive care. In other cases we let the negativity dominate much of our sense of self.

When we can realize that all such judgments are being made in the light of false norms, false evaluations of what truly constitutes our worth as human persons, we can let those negative judgments and feelings go. When we experience our true beauty and worth in God’s creative and adoptive love, the negativity we are tempted to feel about ourselves melts away and gives place to joy and freedom. Secure in our own true worth, we no longer need to be competitive or jealous or stand on the head of the other to bolster our slumping ego. We can stand in the crowed and not be lost, because we know we are uniquely the object of a divine Love (126-27).

This makes sense. In the barrage of our performance-driven culture, we grasp the most fragile foundations on which to ground some sense of self-worth. Pennington reveals a more secure footing—the immeasurable Love of the Father, Son and Spirit. So I long for this God to reveal himself in such a way that I increasingly find my worth simply in being the object of His delight. As he himself has said, “God’s pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the speed of a runner; but the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love” (Psalm 147:10-11).

Prep for the Season: More than Just a Day

2008-11-26T12:47:00.017-06:00

It seems like more and more followers of Jesus are awakening to the fact that Christmas is more than just a day. For centuries, believers have seen Christmas in the larger context of the season of Advent (which comes from the Latin word for “coming” or “arrival”). Advent begins the Sunday four weeks before Christmas week (the Sunday between November 27 and December 3; this year it’s November 30). The idea is to practice in this season the posture that the church should always be in: eager anticipation of the coming of our Lord Jesus. So we literally prepare for Christmas day in the weeks before. What I like about seeing this larger picture is that we don’t just celebrate that fact that God has come into the world in Jesus, but that he is coming again to finish the work of bringing all creation back in harmony with its Creator. Liturgical traditions like Catholics, Lutherans and Eastern Orthodox churches have recognized this season for ages, but apparently Advent isn’t just for high-church folks anymore. See this excellent article in USA Today which shows how the classic observance of Advent is going mainstream: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20081125/advent25_st.art.htm

Two helpful books are mentioned in this article. One I’m going to try reading through with the family is Nancy Guthrie’s Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas.

Here's the link for the book: http://www.amazon.com/Come-Thou-Long-Expected-Jesus-Experiencing/dp/1433501805

The other read highlighted in the article is Stormie Omartian’s, The Power of Christmas Prayer.

And the link: http://www.amazon.com/Power-Christmas-Prayer-Stormie-Omartian/dp/0736910042/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227724927&sr=1-1

In a world where it’s easy to lose our roots and even easier for the significance of this season to get lost in consumerism, it’s refreshing to reclaim this classic practice. So, Happy Advent season my friends!

The Smart Car

2008-11-01T15:29:00.002-05:00

I still can't get over the fact that my creative and talented wife actually won a car! After three months of waiting, we finally picked it up this week, and yes, it's tiny. I particularly like when we park it next to SUV's, you could almost put it inside of them. But it gets crazy good gas mileage and it's good and green for God's Creation.

Way to go Melanie!

The Bridge

2008-10-24T10:43:00.006-05:00

I've heard this story for years, but this video depiction is powerful!

http://www.maximumreferrals.com/videos/bridge/bridge.html

A Quiet Conspiracy

2008-09-21T16:19:00.008-05:00

I get weary sometimes of hearing Christians all over our land (and, hearing my own heart sometimes) crying out in fear in the midst of a changing world or griping about the supposed dying spirituality of upcoming generations. Anyone who claims to worship a man who wouldn’t stay dead has no business fearing much of anything around here. And anyone who’s spent more than a few minutes with students and young adults lately knows there’s every reason to be ecstatic about what God is up to in the emerging generation.

I suppose this need for redirected hope is why one of the best books I’ve picked up in some time is The New Conspirators, by Tom Sine.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Conspirators-Creating-Future-Mustard/dp/0830833846

Sine is an authority on global trends and Christians’ response in the midst of such changes. In his seventies now, he’s a refreshingly optimistic forward-thinker, who’s willing to embrace what God is stirring up in an upcoming generation. He’s not naïve about the genuine challenges that face humanity with the rise of what he calls “McWorld” and the myth of the “Global Mall.” But neither does he wring his hands in desperation: “Both the church and the world have changed tremendously. But God’s strategy hasn’t changed. Jesus let us in on an astounding secret: God has chosen to change the world through the lowly, ordinary and insignificant…. So, get ready friends—God is preparing us for something really, really—small…a quiet conspiracy that is destined to change our lives and God’s world” (22-23). One of the reasons for his cheerful outlook is that Sine sees God’s work in several new movements in Christianity today: “as my wife Christine and I wander the world, we see the Spirit of God working largely through the vision, creativity and initiative of a new generation—through emerging, missional, multicultural and monastic streams—as well as in traditional churches that are hungry for more authentic, vital, mission-centered faith. This book is written to invite you not only to support what God is doing through these renewing streams but also to join this conspiracy of compassion” (20).

So hail to this prophetic septuagenarian who refuses to cower in fear or to buy into shallow misperceptions of emerging spirituality. May we all be so bold as God leads us into a breathtaking future.

Rhythms

2008-08-27T19:16:00.002-05:00

Around this time of year, I have been often struck by how much I enjoy the rhythm of the academic calendar. I don’t experience the benefits of that so much now that I am no longer working primarily in the university environment, and I wonder if I took for granted the natural slow-down that happens in summer in that world. In the academic environment, this Sabbath-like rhythm shows up not just in the pace of work, but in the college cities themselves. It seems that the whole city is ready for the slowing down that happens around May and then August comes just in time to get the adrenaline flowing again. For me, it’s ironic that this summer, which began with a sermon series on rest, ended up being one of the fastest paced I remember in decades. Maybe this is one more reminder that we were created to live in a sacred rhythm of work and rest and how easy it is to get thrown off of that. Lord, I need you continually to call me back to your pace for living.

The Miracle of Peace

2008-06-16T16:39:00.002-05:00

I love those moments when truth goes from the head to the heart. It happened to me recently. First, the head truth: one of my favorite verses in Scripture for years has been the promise of Jesus to his troubled followers the night of his arrest: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:47). I've often turned to this promise, from everything as trivial as my discomfort when flying to situations far more serious like prayers for those facing serious illness, broken relationships and the death of loved ones. I know the truth mentally: Jesus offers a peace to us, beyond our own ability to muster. I've treasured for years that it is "his" peace he offers, not mine. But I must confess, far too often I'm better at announcing this than experiencing it. Yet, just a few weeks ago, God brought the head and heart together for me. I had let myself get pretty distressed about many different things and as a result, I sunk to a pretty dark place of disquiet inside. In an effort just to breathe one particularly stressful day, I went to a hill overlooking the city for a time of quiet prayer. When I was there, I found myself calling an old friend, whose walk with God alone seems to give me peace. He was in the middle of about three things at the time, but still took a moment to offer for me a thirty-second prayer. One part stood out to me, he asked something like: "God, please give Dean some word or Scripture to repeat that will remind him of what he needs to know." After his prayer, he had to go. Within three minutes, God answered that prayer--putting on my heart a passage from years before that had oriented my life and ministry. I can't express in words what happened then, but all I can say is I went from an intensely anxious heart to one that has been completely at peace--a peace which has remained for weeks now.

Two reflections strike me about this: one is that it really is possible to experience what the prayer-masters in the Psalms seem to experience so often. God really can give us a peaceful heart, even before anything changes in our circumstances. What a magnificent God we serve! The second thought is really a question which I suppose will linger with me: why do I seem to have to get to the desperate place before I'm able to experience that miracle of peace? Will I learn more quickly in the future to open myself up to his serenity rather than to try to manufacture my own?

So, my God, I confess both my failure, to run to you first as a refuge; and I confess my faith, I do know that you are able to deal with all that troubles us and I know that you stand ready to allow your children not only to enter, but always to dwell in your peace. Teach my restless heart to be still in You.

Catching the Wave

2008-04-29T13:33:00.002-05:00

I'd like to post an excerpt of an email I got recently from one of our small groups. I believe that they are modeling for us the future of what "church" will look like. There is a (healthy) movement away from program and event driven churches to a more organic approach that starts with genuine community in smaller groups in the church and then spreads by them living out their faith together in the neighborhoods around them. Notice how this group focuses on needs right where they live and how it isn't a one-time thing. They serve in one way and expectantly move on together to another opportunity to serve. Here's the group's testimony:

As you may remember our small group requested help for a fifteen year old young man who is autistic. He has been going to Saddle Up (a horseback riding facility for mentally and physically challenged youngsters just down the road from our house). His family believes that this has helped bring [their son] out in a way that nothing else has. The family is going through financial hardships…[and they] were about to have to withdraw [their son] from the program. On the very day that the mother was calling Saddle Up to take him out of the program, the bookkeeper told her “you are not going to believe this. A church just sent us a check for one full year’s tuition.” The mother told me this while sobbing. . . . This family is deeply touched by our caring and our small group is thrilled with the outcome. Our latest project is to buy new tennis shoes and socks for the needy students at Allan Powell’s school. He gave us the sizes for twelve students which he says are in dire need. We will get new tennis shoes and socks to them this week and we asked him to add others as the need arises. Our small group has always been a great connection, but never as much as when we started knowing the rewards of service.

May we all grow into this vision of the life of faith!

A Likeness to Eternity

2008-04-03T14:27:00.002-05:00

In the spiritual community to which I belong, we are reflecting on the art of meaningful relationships, and I am struck by some wisdom I’ve come across which advises the opposite of what most of us would consider the Christian way: be slow to make friends. It seems odd, even ungodly perhaps; and yet that is precisely what the spiritual giant, Alred of Rievaulx, claims is best. Alred was a 12th century monk and a contemporary of St. Bernard of Clairvaux. In fact, Bernard was so taken by Alred’s rich and healthy relationships, Bernard asked him to write a book describing the pursuit of such Christ-centered friendships. The result is Alred’s classic work, Spiritual Friendship, in which, among many other treasures of wisdom, he gives this advice: don’t commit to friendship with just anyone. Now, it helps me to realize that he means friendship in a very specific way: not just those with whom we have causal, “friendly” relationships, but those we allow into the closest places in our heart. Once I see that, the wisdom becomes evident. Yes, Christ-followers are called to love everyone, but not to admit just anyone into the inner circle of our lives. We all seem to know this intuitively: he just offers a more thoughtful and intentional rationale:

Since your friend is the companion of your soul, to whose spirit you join and attach yours, and so associate yourself that you wish to become one instead of two, since he is one to whom you entrust yourself as to another self, from whom you hide nothing, from whom you fear nothing, you should, in the first place, surely choose one who is considered fitted for all this. Then he is to be tried, and so finally admitted. For friendship should be stable and manifest a certain likeness to eternity, persevering always in affection. And so we ought not, like children, to change friends by reason of some vagrant whim.

What a helpful vision! First, Alred would have us practice discernment in those we allow in the inner circle of our lives. This is not out of any pretension, but because it is they who most will shape and define who we are, and we them. But, after that, once we’ve committed our lives to another, we refuse to cast off that friendship on a whim, or whenever difficulty arises. What a refreshing picture in a world of superficial connections and disposable relationships! I pray that God would give us the wisdom to live out this vision in such a way that our friendships might become for the world “a likeness to eternity.”

The Easter Effect

2008-03-24T13:33:00.005-05:00

As recent posts reveal, I have just been captivated by the richness of the historical language of the Christian faith, both the language of God's inspired Scripture, and also the richness of the practice of prayer known as the "Daily Office" or fixed hour prayer. One aspect of the daily prayers is known as the "collect," which is a kind of prayer that specifically reminds us that we don't just pray personally and individually, but as part of the larger Story of God and as just one member of the community of God. Jesus himself gave this kind of collect reminder when in the Lord's Prayer he called us to say, not "my Father," but rather, "Our Father." With this in mind, I turn my attention to the collect for Easter-time, in which we find ourselves now. This prayer not only connects us to the larger community of faith, but reminds us of our calling, of the effect that Easter is supposed to have on us. Here is the Easter Collect:

In the Paschal Mystery, Almighty God, You established the new covenant of reconciliation. Grant, we pray, that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in our lives what we profess by our faith.

I thank you my God, for reminding me and all your people that Easter is not just a time when we recall the fact that Jesus is alive and working to bring about your new creation in the world, but that you invite us to display in our lives the reality of this very new creation which we profess. For your glory we pray that you might fulfill this prayer in our lives this season. Amen.

The Morning Sun has Risen

2008-03-16T16:10:00.004-05:00

This is one of those times of the year I most treasure, when after what seems like weeks of gray, spring is fighting its way through the clouds and making its presence known. It reminds me of the lines in the classic prayer known as the Daily Office which reads: "In Your tender compassion, the morning sun has risen upon us, to shine on us, we who live in darkness, and to guide our feet into the paths of peace." There have been countless days in recent weeks when I pray those lines by faith, so to speak, knowing that the sun has risen, but not seeing it shine. I very much prefer saying these lines when I have to squint, with the morning sun's rays in my face.

I suspect God's gracious presence is like that too. I find myself in seasons when I'm squinting because He is so obviously near; but there are times when I accept his presence in my life and our world only by trusting what I know to be true, because I cannot see. My friend challenged me years ago when he said, "we shouldn't pray, 'God be with me,' because he already is." The daily prayers remind me that he's probably right. Perhaps I should pray instead, "Lord give me the eyes of faith to know your presence, even on those days when I cannot see evidence of it anywhere." And I thank God for the times of Spring, literally and spiritually, when he amplifies his voice to shatter my deafness. Enjoy the sunshine my friends!

Coffee Shop Musings

2008-03-06T18:20:00.004-06:00

I had an interesting conversation today with a friend of mine who is incredibly wise, a spiritual guru of sorts. I asked him what advice he had for how our churches can pursue spiritual formation, to grow spiritually to be more the Jesus-followers we were created to be. His response was interesting: he said, we need to focus on doing the one thing that will not happen unless we do it--worshipping our God. Basketball leagues will be started for kids, people will learn to sing, counseling will be offered by therapists. But, he said, only the church will worship our God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And if we do that well, if we train people to genuinely and authentically worship (not just to craft things in churches to please themselves) it will change us over time. We will take on the character of the One we worship and we will impact the communities in which we live. I'm am captivated by this wisdom. Are we allowing ourselves to be distracted by a consumer mindset of offering what the crowds want? Of catering things to fit our lifestyles and our tastes and ignoring the One who made us and for whom we're made? My God, call us back to an utter abandonment to You. Capture us with your beauty and wonder and, as the ancients instruct us to ask, "turn our eyes from wanting what is worthless and grant us life in your ways."

Anticipating Advent

2007-12-13T11:00:00.001-06:00

As many realize, for centuries followers of Jesus have celebrated the weeks leading up to Christmas (starting four Sundays before) as the Advent season. Advent is just a word that means "coming" or "arrival," and it focuses on the arrival and coming again of Jesus into the world. I found the following article excerpt by Chris Armstrong from Preaching Today. It is a helpful summary of what Advent represents and describes why it is a wonderful way of practicing the anticipation and expectation that the people of God have in Jesus. So, I wish you a glorious Advent season!

-D

I confess: when my parents tried to impress on my two brothers and me the importance and the intricacies of Advent observance, I could hardly keep from rolling my eyes. In a country that spends its cold Decembers in hot pursuit of food, presents, and parties, the historical niceties of an ancient liturgical season seemed … well … irrelevant. These days, on the other side of an evangelical conversion and nearly a decade of graduate study in church history, I've begun to see what excited my parents about Advent. I'm even entertaining the possibility that my own young family might benefit from an informed observance of Advent.

In fact, Advent season presents a unique opportunity to many Protestants. It's like the once-a-year conjunction of two planets: It brings a great mass of Bible-loving, praise-and-worshipping, extemporaneously praying born-again Protestant Christians into close contact with a big chunk of the historic church's liturgy. Even many non-liturgical Protestants don't think twice about joining in the season's rituals, old as well as new. They pull out and count off advent calendars, listen to lectionary sermon themes and Bible readings, and recite set prayers at the dinner table around candles in meaningful hues of purple and rose.

What is this thing called Advent? Once upon a time, in 4th- and 5th-century Gaul and Spain, Advent was a preparation not for Christmas but for Epiphany. That's the early-January celebration of such diverse events in Jesus' life as his Baptism, the miracle at Cana, and the visit of the Magi. In those days, Epiphany was set aside as an opportunity for new Christians to be baptized and welcomed into the church. So believers spent Advent's 40 days examining their hearts and doing penance. It was not until the 6th century that Christians in Rome began linking this season explicitly to the coming of Christ. But at that time, and for centuries after, the "coming" that was celebrated was not the birth of Jesus, but his Second Coming. It was not until the Middle Ages that the church began using the Advent season to prepare to celebrate Christ's birth. And even then, this newer sense of the Lord's advent or coming did not supplant the older sense—the Second Coming. And the muted, Lent-like mood of penitential preparation remained alongside the joyous anticipation of Jesus' birthday.

So, the modern liturgy divides Advent into a period, through December 16th, during which the focus is Christ's Second Coming, and a period, from December 17th to the 24th, focusing on his birth. It starts with sobering passages and prayers about the apocalyptic return of the Lord in judgment. Then it moves to Old Testament passages foretelling the birth of a messiah and New Testament passages trumpeting John the Baptist's exhortations and the angels' announcements.

Every year these rich Scriptural reminders and the traditional prayers that accompany them set my blood rushing a little faster and bring a rising excitement: Christ came with plenty of prior notice! Prophets and angels joined to proclaim his coming! And now I can join too, with the cloud of witnesses stretching back to apostolic times, in the same proclamation! And in the protected, quiet times of meditation, I can respond as I imagine believers have done on every Advent since the tradition began: I can bow my head and prepare my heart to receive the One who is always present, but who seems distant in the busyness of the season. I can mourn for my hardness of heart. I can hope in his grace. And I can rejoice that in answer to the cry, "O come, O come, Emmanuel," he came. Would I really be able to do this—in the midst of December's commercial rush of lights, decorations, present-buying, and piped-in carols—without a gently insistent, weekly liturgical pattern? Maybe. But I'm not rolling my eyes any more.

Weekly Musings: Grand Exits

2007-10-22T11:34:00.000-05:00

One afterthought from a series reflecting on God's Adventure in the epic story of Exodus: God knows how to finish a story. Here are some of lines from the final scene: Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35).

I love how God reminds us at the end who the true hero of the story is. Moses does remarkable things: his leadership is courageous and consistent; his mercy on those who would undermine him is astounding; and his willingness to step out of the comfortable places in his life to take up God's tasks again and again are inspirng. But, in the end, God doesn't even let him in the tent. This show is about God. This story is about God. This adventure we call life is about God. In fact, as we discovered, the adventure isn't just about God, the adventure is God himself. The purpose and delight of human existence has always been and always will be about finding ourselves in the larger story of God's character and activity in the world. It's all about Him.

I guess this is on my mind still, not just because this was the theme of the final message in our most recent series; but because I was thumbing through a recent mailing listing new Christian books. I'm struck by how much of what we put out is all about us. I don't intend this to be critical at all, because I do know how important it is to connect God's truth to our lives, and I try to do the same every week. But sometimes in the mainstream Christian world, all we're offering is what my friend calls "Dr. Phil with a Bible verse." Our attention is so easily turned inward. Unfortunately, the great irony of this spiritual navel-gazing is that when our eyes are taken off of the Creator, we'll never find the healing and happiness that the these "self-help" materials so desperately seek. I truly believe that the greatest longings of our hearts will be satisfied only when we pursue that satisfaction in the wonder of God. So, like Moses, I pray that we can get out of the way long enough that he could fill up the tent of our hearts all over again!

Have a wonderful week!

Dean

Diving Down the Rabbit Hole

2007-09-24T12:40:00.000-05:00

“Alice was getting very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do; once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, ‘and what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice, ‘without pictures or conversations?’” [After that Alice noticed an oddly well-dressed rabbit run by]: “Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waist-coat pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit hole under the hedge. In another moment, down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.”

So begins the classic, The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. I just began reading this with my daughter recently, right after finishing Tolkien's The Hobbit. This was right at the time we were beginning our current series on Exodus, Journey into the Adventure of God. Then it hit me: from nomadic people in the Ancient Near East to children in America today, it seems as if we're wired for adventure. There seems to be something in the human heart that just longs to join the quest, or discover the treasure, or save the world. I resonate with Alice's boredom sometimes, because in contemporary Christianity it often feels like we're just sitting on the river bank watching someone read. That is, we have been told that the point of faith is to "get saved," find a comfortable pew to sit on and tell stories as we watch the world go by, pining for the day when "heaven" will take us away from all of this. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm all about seeing and being part of the new creation when Jesus returns, I'm just convinced that God is calling us to begin embodying that new creation even now. He's calling us to dive down the rabbit hole of his work in the world today; because Egypt-like oppression still exists in our time and there are still people enslaved today (literally and symbolically). The God who brought freedom for Israel in the Exodus stands ready to bring similar freedom today and what astounds me is that he invites us to be a part of this journey too.

So, as we have conversations through this biblical epic, I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on the parallels you see in the world today. Who are the Pharaoh's and oppressors today? And where do you see God splitting seas and opening up new worlds in our time?

Enjoy the journey!

Dean

Anchor Forward

2007-09-02T14:41:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I've slacked in posting the last few weeks; but I'll say here how much I've enjoyed this brief series looking at anchors of our identity as a spiritual community. I got the image that shaped the series from Leonard Sweet, an image of how the anchors of our past don't just hold us down or hold us back, but can actually propel us forward. Here's how Sweet himself puts it: "The biblical image is clearly one of casting an anchor ahead, not behind, and then pulling oneself forward.... In the legend of the Welsh Prince Madoc and his discovery of America, his ship got stuck in the Chesapeake Bay. After trying every way concievable to get the vessel unstranded, the crew came to Prince Madoc and asked if there were anything he could think for them to do. He responded, 'Kedge on our anchor.' So they rowed out with an anchor, dropped it as far into the sea as they could, and then winched their way toward it. The ancient saling practice of 'kedging' is what I mean by the AncientFuture methodology of moving into the future." (Ancient Future Faith, 118-19).

I can't tell you how much I appreciate this image. For our Christian hertigage as a whole, I see wounderful resources in the stories, language and classic practices of our faith that will enable us to weather the uncertain journey ahead. For the congregation in which I serve, I see all that God has already done among us as beacons urging us forward to serve God as courageously in the future as he has allowed us to do in the past. And I see the possibilities of this image helping us as individuals redeem even the dark moments in our own lives, seeing even these experiences as directional markers for the journey God still has to take us on.

I guess that's yet one more reason I find the Christian story so compelling. It honors where we as humans have been--history matters, it's not just about great ideas. And yet, this faith does not honor complacent satisfaction with the status quo. Our God always has us asking, "in light of all of the places and ways that Jesus has shown up in the past, what fresh new places and ways will he reveal himself to us in the times to come?" So thank you Father God, for telling us a classic story with a cosmic twist.

Have a great week!

Dean

Celebrating God's Work

2007-08-14T12:22:00.000-05:00

Well, it's hard to believe it; but as I shared on Sunday with the Family here, this past Sunday was the year anniversary of when we visited and spoke at Woodmont for the first time, praying and seeking whether God was leading us here or not. We all celebrated what God has done among our church family over the last year, taking a page from Rick Atchley's practice of giving a State of the Pulpit address every year. If you're interested in his 18th installment of that practice, here's the link from his message this summer: http://www.rhcc.us/audio.php?pagecount=1&a=1&b=2 (click on the message from July 1).

One final reflection on our own congregation's journey the last year: it's interesting to me how God maintains the balance of inward transformation of his people and external mission for his people in the world, it's both an inside and outside thing to be a Christian. The most mentioned defining moment in our past year was the testimony of Bill Wooten, our courageous brother who has modeled for us and spoken to us the faithfulness of God (see his testimony at: http://www.woodmont.org/page.asp?SID=1&Page=329). This moment was internally transformative for us as a family. But then, God doesn't leave us there: our most mentioned theme for the year and desired place to grow more was to "get off the hill" and serve the poor and needy in the city and around the world. These two themes remind us how wonderfully God develops community inside the family of God and then propels us outward to share his wonder with a hungry world.

May we always hold in balance both the internal transformation and the external focus of our God. Have a wonderful week!

Dean

Grace Beyond Borders

2007-07-22T14:34:00.001-05:00

Sorry about the down week--between a wedding/vacation in Colorado and team teaching my first grad class here in Nashville, we've been out of sorts. Here's a word on our series to end the summer: Grace Beyond Borders: Life in the Global Village. This completes a summer that has gradually looked further and further "out" in our vision for God's work in the world. We began focusing on God's work in the home and family. Then we streched to look at how God reveals his message in and not just to contemporary (American) culture and now we're ending with a look at how the grace of God is not just something to be received, but something that compels us to bring that hope to the farthest reaches of our world. As I heard John preach powerfully today about different places we might locate ourselves in Jonah chapter three, I can't help asking myself again and again, where is the surprising place "beyond borders" that God wants to send us to reveal his hope? Where is our Nineveh today?

Let me end by sharing from Mark Buchanan's challenging book, Your God is too Safe: "What is God mostly interested in? Strangely, anticlimatically, it has to do with concerns--with what our hearts fix on, with what stirs us in the depths and makes us rise to the heights. What are we concerned about? Is it what God is concerned about?. . . The last thing Jonah wants is for God's concrens to be his own. . . Jonah just wants to dwell on borderland, undisturbed and safe."

May God call us beyond safety, beyond our expectations, and beyond the borders to display his global grace in our world.

Dean

You can find the latest series at http://web.mac.com/woodmontwebcast/iWeb/Woodmont%20Webcast/Podcast/Podcast.html

Hear the Remix

2007-07-03T10:55:00.000-05:00

Well, we've finished our Conversations with Culture series, but certainly not the conversations themselves. I was amazed watching and hearing Randy Gill masterfully bring out techniques and themes in music that we need to give some Gospel consideration. I guess what strikes me most after all of the reflection is the incredible artistry of God. He reveals that artistry in creation itself, as I'm reminded every week when I hike alone with God or with my kids. He reveals that in the Gospel narratives, which the more I study them, the more I am staggered by the depth of literary wonder there. And I've seen through my collegues here and my spiritual family the artistry God has placed in our everyday lives through the gifts of his people and the creativity of humanity.

So, a concluding thought and a question to ponder. The thought: we serve a breathtaking God who has not ceased his creative work. The question: some have legitimately asked, where do we draw the line between finding God in the common and profaning the name of God by connecting conversations about him with aspects of the world? I tend to lean toward Augustine's take, that whatever good that is found in the world comes from God, so like Israel of old, we should feel free to "plunder the Egyptians" and find God anywhere he chooses to reveal himself. In fact, like Paul discovering attributes of God in pagan poetry (Acts 17:28), I find it incredibly honoring of God to find him at work in surprising places. But, I don't want to dishonor him by falling into the trap of trying to water down the Story of God and reduce it to what those in a pop culture would find attractive. Any thoughts on keeping the balance in our conversations and lives? Or, you might feel free to share your own encounters with God and his creative artistry.

Dean

Here's thge Final message on Gospel & Music: http://web.mac.com/woodmontwebcast/iWeb/Woodmont%20Webcast/Podcast/Podcast.html

Spidey & Culture

2007-06-23T12:56:00.000-05:00

A word on where we've been and where we're going in the latest sermon series, Relevant Discord: tommorrow, John and I will be discussing The Battle Within, themes from our fascination with superheroes and Spiderman 3 and next week Randy and I will be tackling the intersection of themes in music with the Story of Jesus. So feel free to offer any thoughts.

Here's the basic assumption we're working off of: the Story of God can be seen in culture and not just brought to it. So, we're trying to begin by allowing the gospel to affirm what's healthy in expressions, themes and practices of popular culture and only then move on to critque and complete those themes with the larger Story of God. Any musings on where we've been or where we're going?

By the way, there are some cool clips & study guides to Spidey 3 at http://www.sermonspice.com/search?fpage=1&q=spiderman%203

Dean

Beginnings: Following a Formerly-Dead Man

2007-06-23T12:29:00.000-05:00

Ok, I don't have a clue what I'm doing, but Jason and I talked on the gospel according to bloggers a few weeks ago (see link below), so I figured we might give this blogging thing a try. First, a couple of warnings: I'm computer illiterate, so be patient with us as we get this going. Second, I have a hard time keeping up with my email, much less a blog, so I can't promise always to be up to date--but I do enjoy joining and sparking conversations. I've been so impressed by several folk's email reflections our Gospel in Culture series, so basically I'm throwing that out to the web. My main focus here will be to dialogue about what this adventure of following a formerly-dead man looks like in the real world. You can hear our conversations on podcast at the link on this page ("Dean's Podcast"). I Look forward to "walking" with you here.

Dean