Monkwater - a thirsty pastor

St. Francis Prayer

2011-01-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

Almighty, eternal, just and merciful God,

Grant us the desire to do only what pleases you,

and the strength to do only what you command.

Cleanse our souls,

enlighten our minds,

and inflame our hearts with your Holy Spirit,

that we may follow in the footsteps of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Gaining Christ

2010-08-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

I am blessed. No doubt I have lost more than I wanted but I still have more than most. Even if I lost it all, it would still be a good deal to gain Christ. Since our transition out of vocational ministry we have hung on to Matthew 5:10 that we would be blessed. We have been...

Kristan and I have stayed connected
The kids are resilient
Friends have drawn close for fun, comfort and care
Family have given us support, food and love
Kristan is living her dream of a private counseling practice
Church family has prayed, hugged and given us money
We have had ministry opportunities to speak and serve
I have new insight into Scripture, people and myself
God has given us daily bread
Our bank account has multiplied like loaves and fish
Doctors and Businesses have comped their services
Charlie has a home with my parents
Brent has given us a home
I have a job with benefits and free tuition
I sense God's presence and preparation for what's next

Ultimately I want my life to please Jesus. A quote by Fil Anderson has helped...

"Often, our gift will be found in endless and tireless service, but Jesus reserves the right to suspend our service in order to help us know what our greatest affection is."

Losing it All

2010-08-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

My favorite chapter in the Bible is Philippians 3. In verse 8, Paul says...

"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ."

I have found this to be true, though I have questioned and found it painful. In my recent transition out of vocational ministry it feels I have lost it all.

the church I pastored
my career
some friends
my credit score
my house
district support
my reputation
my possessions are in storage
stability for my kids
money, lots of it
my dog can't live with us
american amenities and luxuries
position, status, recognition
privacy, solitude, control of quiet
my books are in boxes
platform for ministry
neighborhood friends, routines, places
maybe even a portion of my faith

I don't naturally have the proper response: mourn, detach, refocus, anger, depression, paralyzed, cocoon, vengeance, cursing and cussing. I know I am not like Paul yet and far from the quality of Jesus. I lack contentment, peace, love, faith, hope and forgiveness.

It amazes me to think of what Paul lost. In the religious world of the Jews, he had it all: education, position, success, accolades, mission, status. As a Pharisee he was set for life and a 401K to retire on. Paul chose to lose it all for Jesus. Or Jesus chose Paul.

Top 10 Pick Up Lines for Christians

2010-06-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

1. "You've opened the eyes of my heart" - Paul Baloche

2. "Beautiful one I love, Beautiful one I adore, Beautiful one my soul must sing" - Tim Hughes

3. "You are my all in all" - Dennis Jernigan

4. "Draw me close to you" - Kelly Carpenter

5. "All of you is more than enough for all of me" - Chris Tomlin

6. "I could sing of your love forever" - Martin Smith

7. "Every move I make" - David Ruis

8. "I stand in awe" - Mark Altrogge

9. "You never let go" - Matt Redman

10."I called you answered and you came to my rescue and I wanna be where you are" - Hillsong United

Psalm 23 - is for the Dogs

2010-03-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

If we changed the metaphor from sheep to dogs...

Jesus is my master, I do not have to beg for anything.
He invites me to sit on his lap,
He fills my water bowl with cool water
He refreshes my panting mouth and tired paws.
He holds my leash and guides me down the right path because he is good to me.
Even though I cross major intersections, I don't fear people who want to hurt me,
For my master is always with me;
Your "down boy" commands and "good boy" affirmations comfort me.
You feed me everyday and give me treats,
The coyotes and big dogs are close but you protect me
You get me groomed and my water bowl overflows .
No doubt you will continue to be good to me and pet me all the days of my life,
and I will be a loyal companion in my Master's house forever.

13 MANscaping Tips

2009-12-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

The philosophy behind manscaping (landscaping of a man's hair) is if you get a haircut for the top of your head, you should consider caring for the rest of your hairy body. If your wife says she doesn't care or notice, she is lying! Never manscape in public (like the gym locker room) and don't think people don't notice your curly, pubic-like, shoulder hair when you wear a tank top. Lastly, the motivation for manscaping is for a woman, not to become one.

Trim your hairy chest, arms and legs. Shaving them is metrosexual, trimming is manscaping
Wax your back, it's gross
Keep armpit hair in your armpit
No one should ever see hair coming out of your nose or ears
If you're going bald, shave it. You're not fooling anyone and Agassi's hair was a wig
Never give yourself a haircut and if no one has ever complimented you after your wife's attempt she must stop too
Shave your neck line between haircut appointments
Uni-brows are still out so pluck and shape but don't over do it Alice.
Eyebrows should have a length limit. How come you don't notice that 2 inch wild hair?
Cut your sideburns parallel to your jaw bone and cut facial hair symmetrically
Don't miss a patch of hair while shaving. We notice the left over stubble under your nose and around your moles
Trimming some areas make objects appear larger than they are!
Knuckle hair shouldn't cover your wedding ring

Top 10 Favorite Things of NorthGate Church

2009-11-15T17:40:00.000-08:00

Kristan and I have spent the last 5 1/2 years serving as lead pastors at NorthGate Church of the Nazarene. Here are just some of my favorite things...

10. Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the church with former pastors and families

9. Ministry to people and seeing God move to help and change them

8. Participating in life's passages such as marriages, baby dedications, baptisms and funerals (can you believe the Benson boys finally got married! Most painful to me was saying goodbye to Emma Simpkins - see you soon)

7. Preaching the Word - nothing greater than trying to communicate God's heart for people

6. Doing church at the movie theater - thanks for leaving the 99 so we can search for the 1

5. Getting healthy - I found a safe atmosphere to get physically healthy and strengthen my marriage

4. Taking trips - Mexico, Mt Whitney, Uganda, Grand Canyon rim to rim and Ireland!

3. Learning about leadership and loving people by teaching, practicing our faith and finishing my B.A.

2. Raising my family - Kennedy was 2 and Kristan was 8 months pregnant with Jameson when we came. NorthGate was a great introduction to my kids

1. People - Thanks for your love, support, patience and forgiveness. We love you too!!!

Emergentia - Missional

2009-11-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

Dave Curtiss presented this message from Mark's Gospel.

He opened with Genesis 12 and the vague vision of God's plan. 2 of the most powerful words in Scripture..."Abram went".

This was paralleled with Jesus' call to his disciples...

"Let's go to the other side."

The other side of the lake was home to pig worshipping herders, demon possessed people and backslidden Jews.

Hear the voice of the Holy Spirit sending us on the Misseo Dei.

Emergentia - Holiness

2009-11-10T09:40:00.000-08:00

Stan Reeder presented this topic. Very helpful in seeing the distinctive between yesterday's understanding of holiness and today's. His outline was Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis. This was debated on who is exactly under what. While being helpful, I didn't find it hopeful. Synthesis was a future reality not to be experienced today.

Thesis (1838 - 1960)

A. Personal Piety

B. Heavenly Focused

C. Crisis Emphasis

D. Prophetic Destiny

Antithesis (Today)

A. Authentic Community
B. Missional Focus
C. Discipleship Emphasis
D. Historically Rooted

Synthesis (Future - the pendulum will settle in the middle)

A. authentic community enjoyed by individuals of personal piety
B. mission focus compelled by eternal motivation
C. discipleship journey punctuated by crisis of experiential grace
D. historically rooted with a sense of prophetic destiny

What if the pendulum is the wrong image to think about in regards to God's revelation of holiness?

Emergentia - Christian

2009-11-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

Dan Copp presented this session, I love this guy!
He started by telling his story of love expelling sin and pharisaical pride. Dan encouraged us to tell our stories but not be prescriptive on how God should work but rather descriptive.

"The body of Christ is to be the DNA of Jesus". - Howard Snyder

1. One - Diverse: put a name/face on those that are different
2. Holy - Charismatic: invite the Spirit into messiness
3. Catholic - Local: we are part of a Kingdom and a tribe
4. Apostolic - Prophetic: we follow the apostle's teaching and are visionary dreamers

The Nazarene's core values are stakes in a big tent.

Emergentia - Portland

2009-11-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

I went to Portland, Oregon last week to attend the Emergentia Conference at the Community of Adsideo. It was a time to think about and discuss the Church of the Nazarene's core values and how they relate to the emerging church. In short, good times, good people, bad weather.

Some Highlights...

Being with old friends and making new friends

Enjoying local establishments in the Sellwood neighborhood

Hanging in Adsideo's Living Room

Voodoo Doughnuts - eating cock and balls

Powell's City of Books - 1 city block and 4 stories of heaven

General sessions with thought provoking presenters

Seeing the difference between being a critic and an editor

Feeling hostility on boths sides of the discussion

Being away from home and more so coming home

Thanks to Jim Wicks and his people for their hospitality (especially Chad and Chris for letting us crash at your place).

Why Pastors Stay

2009-10-29T19:28:00.000-07:00

The following is corny and will get annoying by the end of the post but is a great topic and conversation starter. Here are 12 things that will help with a pastor's duration and continuation with a congregation...

1. Desperation - for Jesus and reaching others
2. Transformation - willingness to allow God to change your life and desire same for others
3. Celebration - positive and expressive response to God's movement
4. Appreciation - expressions of being wanted, needed and loved
5. Compensation - salary and benefits to remove stress from family
6. Cultivation - opportunities to learn and grow into God given potential
7. Imagination - using creativity to envision God's dream for the future
8. Innovation - looking forward and risking something new
9. Reconciliation - conflict handled in a healthy, biblical way
10. Relation - meaningful and deep friendships
11. Collaboration - working together in harmony with respect and humility
12. Destination - traveling the same road together towards the same goals

Why Pastors Leave

2009-10-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

Pastors leave churches for all kinds of reasons. Leaving makes some people happy and some people saddened. Here are some various reasons...

Stress, finances, conflict, immorality, resistance to change, power brokers, immaturity, ambition, loneliness, not prepared for the job, negative effects on the family, gap between effort and reward, bad fit, unrealistic expectations, unwillingness to confront issues, poor self image, refusal to own or learn from mistakes, lack of vision, lack of ministry volunteers or resources, no sense of support from leaders, leadership style (too strong/ too weak), health, prior unresolved conflict, poor people skills, decline/rise in attendance, burnout, out of tricks, no longer fun or joyful...

We need to add that none of the above reasons could be involved. No one knows where the wind will blow and so sometimes leaving is just obedience to what seems to be the Holy Spirit's leading.

In the Church of the Nazarene, pastors are staying longer.

Average Tenure:

2006 - 4 years and 5 months
1996 - 3 years and 3 months
1988 - 3 years and 3 months

Some pastors and people think that after 5 years it is time to move on and some pastors and people are looking for a lifetime covenant. What do you think?

The Bell Boy vs. The Maid

2009-10-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to stay in a nice hotel.
I observed 2 types of servants:

The Bell Boy...

Up front
Works hard
Motivated by tips

The Maid...

Behind the scenes
Works hard
Motivated by the work

It seemed to me the bell boy was wanting to please me for more money while the maid simply wanted to do her job well. We are all called to serve but what is our style and motivation?

The Nines Leadership Conference

2009-09-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

On 9/9/09 there was an internet conference for pastors and church leaders. Each presenter had 9 minutes to say what they wanted. Here are some quotes I enjoyed...

A movement of God cannot be planned but it must be prepared for - Perry Noble
Don't confuse large with legitimate - Skye Jethani
Lord, send us the people no one else wants - Jorge Acevedo
Spiritual Practices, Safe Relationships, Stretching Experiences - Nancy Beach
Missional Church - people of God, partnering with God in His redemptive mission in the world - Reggie McNeal
How to deal with a big head... A Jesus Spirit of humble confidence and confident humility. Paradoxy is Orthodoxy. - Len Sweet
Do ministry out of the overflow of the Holy Spirit. - Craig Groeschel
Ask barrier breaking questions. - Greg Surrat
We have shrunk Jesus to the size he can save our soul but not big enough to change our world. - Jennie Catron
1 God idea is better than 1,000 good ideas. - Mark Batterson
Be a both/and church. - Rich ?
In the church, tradition should never get in the way of mission or it is a sin. - Dan Kimball
God's message of loving ALL won't be credible when preached to segregated pews. - Mark DeYmaz
Take care of yourself. - Chip Henderson
Best practices come from good theology or we get better at doing the wrong things. - Brian McLaren
Disciples are hand crafted not mass produced. - John Ortberg
People want access to our hearts and lives. - Rick McKinley
Mission is the opposite of self. - Ed Stetzer
Idolatry = we make a good thing into a God thing and it becomes a bad thing. - Mark Driscoll

Top 100 Church Blogs

2009-09-07T17:29:00.001-07:00

http://churchrelevance.com/resources/top-church-blogs/

Dualistc Duos

2009-08-13T19:48:00.001-07:00

Instead of thinking in terms of opposites and enemies maybe we can think more paradoxically like peanutbutter and jelly, chocolate and peanutbutter, needle and thread, love and marriage, cardinals and superbowl.

APOPHATIC AND CATAPHATIC
CONTEMPLATION AND ACTION
TRUTH AND LOVE
EVANGELISM AND DISCIPLESHIP
TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY
LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE
ATTRACTIONAL AND MISSIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL AND SMALL GROUPS
WORD AND SPIRIT
BODY AND SOUL
SCHEDULED AND SPONTANEOUS

Can you think of others???

To Do or Not To Do?

2009-08-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

An emergence or resurgence of social justice is being awakened in the church. There is a renewed emphasis on the poor, marginalized and disadvantaged. This is being led by Bragelina, Bono and Emerging Church leaders.

This could be a reaction to the spirituality of not doing. The aim of not doing was focused on the Big 5: NO drinking, smoking, dancing, movies or playing cards.

The spirituality of doing could be rooted in Matthew 25 when Jesus said, “whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me”. The list could be called the Big 6: hunger, thirst, hospitality, nakedness, sickness, and the imprisoned.

The problem is that we can be the source of our not doing or the source of our doing. We use our energy so we get the credit for not doing harm or doing good. Most of us run out of energy and experience moral failure or burnout. Matthew 7 reminds us that Jesus desires for us to know him, not just prophecy, drive out demons or perform many miracles. The parable of the Good Samaritan is an example of loving God and neighbor not just being a do-gooder. And back to Matthew 25, neither the sheep nor goats had a self consciousness of their doing or not doing when they both said, “When did we see you and help you? When did we see you and not help you?”

The good news is that Jesus sends His Spirit to live in us and be our energy. It seems the pendulum of doing vs. not doing swings every 50 years. The church can chase the culture and try to stay relevant or live in the energy of God and lead the cultural change. It is not about doing or not doing but about allowing God to do or not to do through us. This is the simple definition of holiness = Holy in us. Think of how much more good we would do if the Spirit of Jesus lives through us.

Come Ye Aparty

2009-07-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

The basic meaning of holiness is "separateness". When people in the holiness tradition want to make a moral argument against something they say, "we are called to be separate". This has led to the exclusiveness of the christian bubble, our irrelevance to people and our ineffectiveness in healing the world.

I do believe that God's Spirit indwelling a person will dramatically change one's behavior because of their heart being purified. Yet the end goal is not to never drink, smoke or play the lottery.

Holiness is separateness FOR something. We are sanctified for sacred USE.

Jesus, without sin, partied with sinners and was accused of being a drunk and glutton. He was divinely used to teach others to live, laugh and learn about God's promised abundant life.

So, will you Come Ye Apart or Come Ye Aparty???

What is the Church???

2009-07-06T17:57:00.001-07:00

The Church of the Nazarene updated the language on the mission of the church. Here is article XI.

We believe in the Church, the community that confesses Jesus Christ as Lord, the covenant people of God made new in Christ, the Body of Christ called together by the Holy Spirit through the Word.
God calls the Church to express its life in the unity and fellowship of the Spirit; in worship through the preaching of the Word, observance of the sacraments, and ministry in His name; by obedience to Christ and mutual accountability.
The mission of the Church in the world is to continue the redemptive work of Christ in the power of the Spirit by making disciples through evangelism, education, showing compassion, working for justice, and bearing witness to the kingdom of God. (new language in bold)
The Church is a historical reality, which organizes itself in culturally conditioned forms; exists both as local congregations and as a universal body; sets apart persons called of God for specific ministries. God calls the Church to live under His rule in anticipation of the consummation at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Exodus 19:3; Jeremiah 31:33; Matthew 8:11; 10:7; 16:13-19, 24; 18:15-20; 28:19-20; John 17:14-26; 20:21-23; Acts 1:7-8; 2:32-47; 6:1-2; 13:1; 14:23; Romans 2:28-29; 4:16; 10:9-15; 11:13-32; 12:1-8; 15:1-3; 1 Corinthians 3:5-9; 7:17; 11:1, 17-33; 12:3, 12-31; 14:26-40; 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:1; Galatians 5:6, 13-14; 6:1-5, 15; Ephesians 4:1-17; 5:25-27; Philippians 2:1-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12; 1 Timothy 4:13; Hebrews 10:19-25; 1 Peter 1:1-2, 13; 2:4-12, 21; 4:1-2, 10-11; 1 John 4:17; Jude 24; Revelation 5:9-10)

My thoughts...

Church is a…
1. Confession – Jesus is Messiah
Matthew 16:13-19
2. Covenant – Mutual love
Matthew 18:15-20
3. Calling – Mission to be/make disciples
Matthew 28:19-20
4. Context – Meaning of the message to the surroundings
Matthew 2:1-12

Pope Bowling Rescinds - New Pope Toler

2009-07-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

Following the opening devotional and prayer time before the Thursday session, General Superintendent Jesse C. Middendorf introduced Bowling, who was elected to the Board of General Superintendents on Tuesday. Bowling addressed the Assembly, stating he had awakened at 3:00 A.M. and felt "checked" by God. He said he was conflicted about his decision to accept the superintendent assignment. He considered how Eugenio Duarte and David W. Graves had been elected to this Board, accepting their elections with an obvious peace. He, however, did not feel that peace. With emotion, he indicated he felt he should rescind his election to the Board of General Superintendents."Out of love and respect, I apologize to you all," Bowling said while asking for forgiveness. Bowling becomes the first individual in Nazarene history to decline the superintendency twice (2005, 2009).

Stan Toler was elected Southwest Oklahoma District Superintendent on June 4, an election which was to be effective approximately 30 days from that time.He has been serving as pastor of Oklahoma City Trinity since May of 1997. He also served as pastor for Nashville (Tennessee) First, and Oklahoma City First.He is a graduate of Circleville Bible College (Bachelor of Theology), Southern Nazarene University (Bachelor of Arts), Florida Beacon Bible College (Master of Theology, Doctor of Divinity), and Marantha Seminary (Doctor of Ministry).For several years he taught seminars for John Maxwell's INJOY Group, a leadership development institute. Toler has written over 70 books, including his best-sellers, God Has Never Failed Me, But He's Sure Scared Me to Death a Few Times; The Buzzards Are Circling, But God's Not Finished With Me Yet; God's Never Late, He's Seldom Early, He's Always Right on Time; The Secret Blend; Practical Guide to Pastoral Ministry; Total Quality Life, and his popular Minute Motivator series. His latest book, ReThink Your Life, debuted at No. 23 on the CBA Christian Living Best Sellers list.

White Smoke - 6 Popes!

2009-07-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

The Church of the Nazarene has 6 leaders of the denomination called general superintendents. 3 retired this year and so the general assembly elected 3 new people.

Cunningham, Gunter (first woman GS) and Deihl are out.

Duarte (first GS elected from outside USAmerica), Bowling and Graves are in.

Duarte (pronounced dwart) has been a pastor, district superintendent and the Africa regional director. Duarte holds a master's degree in leadership from California's Azusa Pacific University and speaks at least five languages, including English and three of the major African languages. He has a gentle spirit, is a firm leader, and has a good understanding of mission philosophy.

Bowling has been a pastor, college faculty and university president. The dude is smart or least has more degrees than a thermometer. Bowling was also elected general superintendent in 2005, but graciously declined the election to return to Olivet. He gladly accepted this time.

Graves has been a pastor and Sunday School Ministries Director at Nazarene Headquarters. Graves is the third consecutive pastor from Olathe College Church to be elected general superintendent. Graves replaced J.K. Warrick, who was elected to the Board of General Superintendents at Indianapolis 2005. Warrick succeeded Paul G. Cunningham as pastor at the church after Cunningham was elected to the Board in 1993. Warrick began his service at the church in January 1994; Graves in September 2006.

Duarte, Bowling, and Graves will join re-elected superintendents Jerry D. Porter, Jesse C. Middendorf, and J.K. Warrick to comprise the Board for the next quadrennium.

The question remains... In the midst of denominational division between Nazarenes concerned about fundamentals and Nazarenes concerned about missional living, where/how will this group lead?

Do you facebook, myspace or twitter?

2009-06-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

Found on Scot McKnight's blog. What is your disease...ADHD, Narcissim or Stalking?

Annual Pastor's Report

2009-05-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the Arizona District Assembly. All the Nazarene churches on the district (about 60) gather and give a report on what God is doing in their local congregation. The biggest part of policy passed was a change in the district budget amount. There has been a confusing formula that dictated how much each church contributed to the denomination, now each church gives a straight 10% from all income. Here is my report...

Dr. Porter, Dr. Schortinghouse and Assembly,
At last assembly we changed our name from Desert Hills Fellowship to NorthGate. The intent was to better reflect our membership and mission area. We followed this up by articulating a vision to make Christlike disciples in our context. This was a year of risk and reward.
My staff and I compiled two resources to equip our people for evangelism and discipleship. The first we titled “The I.M.A.G.E. Profile”. This is to help people discover the truth that they are created in the image of God and have dignity. The second resource is “The Spiritual Life Coach”. We defined a discipleship lifestyle as, A Jesus Community – always seeking to know God, connect with people and serve others. The Life Coach is a reference guide for spiritual practices that are means of grace in healing the image of God in people.
Desiring to be missional and chase the vision, we planned on spending 5 weeks in a new movie theater to reach an adjacent neighborhood to the church building. Attendance rose and we decided to spend another month there for a total of 9 weeks. It was a fitting place to celebrate the Church of the Nazarene’s centennial birthday. A man named Mitch who lost his wife to cancer donated $500 to sponsor a Sunday in the theater. He wasn’t a church attender but after visiting a worship service he is now faithful to Christ and the Church.
God is still moving,

Pastor Jimmy Farley

Grand Canyon Hike

2009-05-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

A group of 25 from NorthGate travelled to the Grand Canyon on Memorial Day weekend. Lanny and Michelle organized the trip and talked all of us into doing something we normally wouldn't dream of...hike from rim to rim in one day. The trip is 24 miles, just short of a marathon and if you haven't seen it, the canyon is kinda deep.

4 guys (Lanny, James, Ryan and Scott) left at 8 pm to hike from the south rim in the rain and darkness to meet us on the north rim. We met them at 6:30 a.m. The weather was perfect for me. It was cloudy, rained when I was sweating, sunny when I needed to dry off, and hailing the last 1.5 miles. Lanny and James turned around and hiked it again. James made it out by 8 pm to reach his goal of getting out in 24 hours. Lanny after having diarrhea on the first way across was a stud and waited to get a man 84 years old out at 11:30 pm. My brother in law, Brent, set a monster pace for me and we got out in 10 hours. I feel good!

Lessons Learned...

Be prepared
Hike with a partner
Watch out for donkey dung and piss
Thank Jesus for the little things on the journey
Life is not a highway, it is a kick butt, make you wanna cuss canyon but you'll make it out if you don't give up

Outliers

2009-05-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

Read a great book on vacation. Gladwell argues that SUCCESS is not just about being the best and brightest but others factors surrounding the person.

To be successful...

Yes, you have to have an IQ, some talent or gift; but this is not enough.
Timing of your birth and the next _______ revolution (ie. bill gates was born in 1955 so by the time of the computer revolution he was the right age)
Family Background - 2 parenting styles: Concerted Cultivation = parents involved in developing the child's potential vs. Accomodation of Natural Growth = loving accomodation as the child develops naturally. People with concerted cultivation have a greater chance of success.
Community and Culture: people who come from a culture of honor that are easily offended when called an asshole have less chances of being successful.
10,000 hours or 10 years of preparation to become an expert. (the beatles performed eight hours a night in strip clubs 7 days a week for 7 years before coming to the US)
Persistence - attitude not ability
Hard work that is meaningful: autonomous, complex, relationship between effort and reward
OPPORTUNITY - "to build a better world we need to replace the patchwork of lucky breaks and arbitrary advantages that today determine success...with a society that provides opportunities for all." So give a guy a chance.

Gladwell gives great anecdotal evidence that success needs a threshold of intellegence and ambition but also the right history, community, opportunity and legacy.

I would argue one chapter is missing. Behind the scenes in all of our lives we have a God who is working out the details. More than we wanting to reach our human potential, God wants it for us more. I believe He orders the steps of the righteous and all we need to do to succeed is to respond to His leading. Gladwell does a good job of sketching out what the response looks like.

Cruisin'

2009-05-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

Kristan and I took a cruise to celebrate 10 years of marriage. We left the San Diego port on a Monday, sailed two days at sea, spent a day in Victoria, then disembarked the next day in Vancouver. We chose this cruise because we honeymooned in Victoria and wanted to go back.

Some thoughts and memories...

Sailing on Holland America's ship the Ryndam was like expecting to go to a contemporary mega church but ending up at your grandmother's traditional church.
Don't make out with your wife on the deck. It will sunburn one side of your face and people will then ask questions or make dumb comments.
Formal night is unnecessary. We dressed up, sat next to strangers at dinner and had shallow conversation. The fun part was that I played a part... I was a professor of psychology and human sexuality.
I like mojitos.
We both got wobbly legs and vertigo. Sea sickness is not fun.
We spent some time in our cabin watching movies, getting a facial, taking a nap and obviously some things described in Song of Solomon.
We exercised everday. Kristan took a spinning class and I did some weights and cardio.
Victoria was the highlight of the trip. We went straight to the Sticky Wicket for lunch, had tea and cookies at the Humboldt House (the B&B we stayed at 10 years ago), went to the mall, bookstore, internet cafe and had dinner at Cafe Brio. Went back to the Sticky Wicket then back to the boat.
The ship's crew sang a farewell, "Love in any Language" by Sandi Patti. Yes, it was as bad as it sounds but so bad we couldn't stop laughing.

ORIGINS/ Catalyst

2009-04-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

Good times and good people. Some highlights...

"The raging Mississippi River has no effect on the Pacific Ocean. Is what we're doing having an effect on what matters" - Erwin McManus
"I left the passionate pursuit of God's Presence and became a pastor." " I wanted a big-ass church!" - Naeem Fazal
Alan and Debra Hirsch's book is coming out about Untamed Jesus followers vs. Domestic disciples. Can't wait!
The Origin's Project: Jesus, Humanity, Innovation
The higher up in leadership you are the more complexity and uncertainty. "I will always be uncertain, I'm certain of it". In uncertain times, have clarity and flexibility. - Andy Stanley
"Pleasing everybody creates mediocrity." "Don't let the bozos grind you down." - Guy Kawasaki
Line #1 Christians: Believe enough for the benefits. Line #2 Christians: Believe enough to comfortably contribute. Line #3 Christians: Believe enough to give their life for the gospel. - Craig Groeschel (the guy with big guns!)
Culture's foundations and pillars: Eternity, Morality, Accountability and Charity - Ravi Zacharias (brilliant!)
"I'd rather be a church builder than church critic." - Brian Houston (sorry bro, I'm really trying)
There are 27 million people in slavery today! More than anytime in history. What to do??? make it unprofitable, enforce laws, after care shelters
Churches are either "come and see" or "come and die". they need to be both. God wants faithfulness and fruitfulness. You need a process for discipleship. - Rick Warren
The Acts Church was unstoppable. Our church is easily stoppable (pastor, style, time, location, music etc.) - Francis Chan
"The size of the vision God gives you is directly related to the amount of pain and discomfort you are willing to endure." - Perry Noble (looks like a hillbilly serial killer but the man brought the Word!)

Blog Stalkers

2009-04-14T08:01:00.000-07:00

For those who follow blogs and like to comment...
I've googled blog etiquette and added some of my own.

Comment, don't blog on my blog. If you have that much to say buy me a cup of coffee!
Post comments that are related to the entry.
If you have your own blog, don’t blatantly promote yourself on other’s blogs. Especially if the entry is unrelated to you.
If you don’t like it, move on. If you don’t share a blogger’s opinions, don’t make it your mission to spam his/her blog with your vile personal attacks. There are so many blogs to choose from in the blogsphere, find a new one to frequent.
If you’ve accidentally posted repeat comments, apologize to the blog owner, preferably via email. You could post the apology with another comment, but be careful not to have it posted multiple times again.
Rude and childish behaviour just because you’re an anonymous commenter or are behind a pseudonym is unacceptable. As much as good manners is required in the real world, it works the same in the blogsphere.
If you’re emotionally riled by a blogger, pause before you hit submit. You might regret what you wrote.
Before you write...think, read, converse, think again.

Jesus Followers and Church Goers

2009-04-13T10:48:00.001-07:00

Church used to be simple. People who followed Jesus went to church. They shared a common life and weekly routine. They would laugh about the CEO (christmas and easter only) attenders and cry over the occasional "hypocrite". Church isn't simple anymore.

Jesus and Church don't always mix. I've observed 4 kinds of people...

1. Do follow Jesus, Do go to church.

The good ol' days! People follow the life and teachings of Jesus and unite with a group of others to do the same.

2. Don't follow Jesus, Don't go to church.

I respect these people's honesty. They don't follow the life and teachings of Jesus and don't waste their time pretending like they do.

3. Don't follow Jesus, Do go to church.

These people give me ulcers and adrenal fatigue. They are involved in the organization of the church but don't or half-heartedly follow the life and teachings of Jesus.

4. Do follow Jesus, Don't go to church.

The next generation. People are leaving church to follow Jesus. This is a call for us as the church to follow Jesus again in a kick butt fresh expression kind of way.

Nazarene Government and Infrastructure

2009-03-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

Wondering why this has bothered me...maybe I figured it out.

It seems to me that this structure is an internally focused church and does not line up with our core value of Missional.

Parishioner vs. Missioner

2009-03-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

I found a new word in the dictionary that lights my fire!

Old School Word:

Parishioner = a member or inhabitant of a parish (church)

New Word:

Missioner = a person sent by a church on a mission

In a fight, who would win?

Parishioner vs. Missioner

out of shape sitting in a pew vs. calloused hands helping others
sunday school answers vs. real life questions
invested vs. invested and involved
supports missionaries vs. becoming a missionary
comfortable with a busy life vs. life is busy bringing comfort

Disturbance in the Force, Glitch in the Matrix

2009-02-26T17:36:00.000-08:00

Historical What Happened...

Israel was once a great nation. In 586 BC, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and forced many of the people of God into exile and the rest to scatter. This was a shocking event because the Jews believed as long as the Temple was in the city center their political/military greatness would never end. After the fall, Lamentations describes Jerusalem as a naked widow, abandoned by her lovers with her menstration sticking to her skirt.
This did not end their relationship with a faithful God but changed their religion. The Temple rituals and festivals were over and scholars believe this is when the idea of synagogue started.
With the Temple dysfunctional, people gathered, with a minimum of 10, as a house of prayer and house of study. The Temple was rebuilt and destroyed again and many people still are waiting for another Temple.

Contemporary What If...

The Church was once a great institution.
Is the church a naked widow?
Has culture conquered the church?
How do we respond to the church not being the center of society?
Should we learn to live as exiles?
How is the church dysfunctional?
How does this shift effect our worship gatherings?
Are the days of mega churches over?
What is the place of the house church?
Are we waiting to change the church while we should be wanting to changed the world?
With all the changes, how do we continue in relationship with our faithful God?

LIFE - Ministry - job

2009-02-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

LIFE = Who I am
Ministry = What I do
job = Where I do it

Problems with my job:

· It doesn’t feel sacred
· I see no measurable success
· The Jesus community isn’t communing or commuting
· Marriage and ministry can be like oil and water
· It has taken my health
· Impatience with staff/ board/ leaders
· If I’m going to run a business I want to get paid
· Leadership development isn’t developing
· I see little life response (seek God, connect people, serve)
· Vision gets further away
· God doesn’t source everything I do
· I’m not good at half of it
· Pastors are hired to be fired, no job security
· Denominational utilitarian expectations
· It’s painful and lonely
· It’s more religion than Kingdom
· Is it the best expression of my life and ministry?

Am I Spiritually Exhausted? - Oswald Chambers

2009-02-09T07:28:00.000-08:00

The everlasting God . . . neither faints nor is weary —Isaiah 40:28

Exhaustion means that our vital energies are completely worn out and spent. Spiritual exhaustion is never the result of sin, but of service. Whether or not you experience exhaustion will depend on where you get your supplies. Jesus said to Peter, "Feed My sheep," but He gave him nothing with which to feed them ( John 21:17 ). The process of being made broken bread and poured-out wine means that you have to be the nourishment for other people’s souls until they learn to feed on God. They must drain you completely— to the very last drop. But be careful to replenish your supply, or you will quickly be utterly exhausted. Until others learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus directly, they will have to draw on His life through you. You must literally be their source of supply, until they learn to take their nourishment from God. We owe it to God to be our best for His lambs and sheep, as well as for Him.

Have you delivered yourself over to exhaustion because of the way you have been serving God? If so, then renew and rekindle your desires and affections. Examine your reasons for service. Is your source based on your own understanding or is it grounded on the redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually look back to the foundation of your love and affection and remember where your Source of power lies. You have no right to complain, "O Lord, I am so exhausted." He saved and sanctified you to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that He is your supply. "All my springs are in you" ( Psalm 87:7 ).

Church Visit

2009-01-05T18:41:00.001-08:00

This past Saturday night, Kristan, the kids and I went to a worship gathering in Goodyear. The church we attended was Palm Valley Church. They are 8 years old and meet at a high school. I thought the pastor was genuine but the worship team entertaining. I was most impressed by their emphasis on the bible reading plan. (As a side note, I think that reading through the bible in a year is guilt producing and not life changing.)So overall not bad, not good, just contemporary vanilla with lots of people.

It seems there a similar ingredients in contemporary vanilla churches:

Good location
Hip pastor with fashionable clothes
Use of technology - videos, extra screens, light shows, fog machines
Kids rooms designed by disneyland or rainforest cafe
Starbucks
Multiple services
Class 101, 201, 301
Small groups
Colorful signage and bulletins
Topical Sermon Series about current events or sex

I think (which means I could be wrong) that contemporary vanilla is the new traditional. As we shift from a modern to postmodern culture in 20 years there will be few churches that will be hymnal led singing or legalistic preaching. Instead people will be fighting to keep a certain style, technology, program or coffee brand.

Christmas Pagan

2008-12-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

On the night there was no room at the inn for Joseph and Mary... I will be travelling to a hotel to celebrate Christmas the next day. I could help myself feel better by rationalizing that you will be overeating after overspending on the holiday and I won't be but I still feel pretty paganistic.

Advent Hope

2008-12-03T14:17:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from A. W. Tozer

It is precisely the "yearning" and the "fainting" for the return of Christ that has distinguished the personal hope from the theological one. Mere acquaintance with correct doctrine is a poor substitute for Christ, and familiarity with New Testament eschatology will never take the place of a love-inflamed desire to look on his face.
If the tender yearning is gone from the advent hope today, there must be a reason for it; and I think I know what it is, or what they are, for there are a number of them. One is simply that popular fundamentalist theology has emphasized the utility of the cross rather than the beauty of the one who died on it. The saved man's relation to Christ has been made contractual instead of personal. The "work" of Christ has been stressed until it has eclipsed the person of Christ. Substitution has been allowed to supersede identification. What he did for me seems to be more important than what He is to me. Redemption is seen as an across-the-counter transaction which we "accept", and the whole thing lacks emotional content. We must love someone very much to stay awake and long for his coming, and that may explain the absence of power in the advent hope even among those who still believe in it.
Another reason for the absence of real yearning for Christ's return is that Christians are so comfortable in this world that they have little desire to leave it. For those leaders who set the pace of religion and determine its content and quality, Christianity has become of late remarkably lucrative. The streets of gold do not have too great an appeal for those who find it so easy to pile up gold and silver in the service of the Lord here on earth. We all want to reserve the hope of heaven as a kind of insurance against the day of death, but as long as we are healthy and comfortable, why change a familiar good for something about which we know very little? So reasons the carnal mind, and so subtly that we are scarcely aware of it.

A Pastor's Vacation - II

2008-11-19T15:56:00.000-08:00

so here's what I did...

drove to Vegas, ate at a buffet, didn't exercise, walked the strip, joined the journey church staff prayer time, went off my medication, hung with dave c., went to a bookstore, ate memphis bbq with steve p., visited an antique bookstore, checked out central christian church (a seeker sensitive MEGA church), saw the James Bond movie, played $20 at video poker (lost $17), walked around retail outlets, ate taco bell, drove home.

watched judge judy, went to the gym, hugged the kids, kissed the wife, missed wed church, hung with chris c, dropped the dog off at my mom's, went to the doctor to check my testosterone, went to the gym, packed.

drove to San Diego for Point Loma's homecoming and Kristan's 15 year college reunion, changed my name to jimmy waldfogel, had Miguel's white sauce, met a pastor who got burned because he wanted the church to help the poor, went to the park, saw some good friends, went to the baseball game then basketball game, heard my testosterone is low (188), attended Smee Hall dedication, ate at Adalberto's, made smores, went to 1st church (classic and contemporary service), checked into a hotel, drove to Coronado Island: visited Hotel Del, walked the beach, picked up sea shells with kennedy, buried jameson in the sand, held kristan's hand for a few paces, ate a big dinner, then a big breakfast, exercised and drove home.

watched tv, had lunch with some pastor types Ron Lush gathered, got a prostate check, ate wings, went to the gym, tried to avoid phone calls and emails from people who know I'm on vacation but think I should still be working, slept in, went to the gym, hung with some old biltmore friends at EJ's : david, bonnie, chantelle, jimmy, bj, kathy, brent and kristan.

had Thanksgiving with kristan's family and my family combined at our house, remembered some were without food and family, watched football, sang the doxology, went to a movie with the kids (Bolt)

stayed in bed and watched the Mork and Mindy Marathon, went to gym, dinner (yard house) and movie (4 christmases) with Kristan, didn't shave, went to City of Grace church (saw Gary K who cancelled preaching at my church; thanks scott), went shopping with the kids, visited the emergent desert cohort with dave, saw ron and sarah, cancelled staff meeting, ate chipotle, watched the suns game, went to bed hoping to wake up ready to head back to the church office.

A Pastor's Vacation - I

2008-11-19T14:38:00.000-08:00

Why does a guy who only works one hour, one day a week need a vacation???

First because of comments like those plus...

I'm burned out; addicted to thinking about church; too attached to my phone, email and the clock; life and work are out of balance; people withdraw more from a pastor than they deposit; I don't have a hobby; I care much about people and the organization's future and need a space where I don't have to care; I haven't taken a vacation this year; I've worked extra hard this fall; I'm taking an anti-depressant; My wife told me to; My counselor told me to; I need to clear my head; I have nothing left to give; I'm empty and drained; I am always tired; I need new clarity and focus; My staff needs me to be nicer; My kids need their dad to have more energy; I haven't taken care of myself; I need to re-prioritize marriage and ministry; To love others I have to love myself; I need to stop. I'm stopping.

ReClaiming Paul Conference

2008-10-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Nazarene Theological Seminary and Emergent Village partnered together to host the conference devoted to a fresh look at the apostle Paul. Some have viewed Jesus and Paul as being antagonistic towards one another or telling a different story of God. I have never had issue with Paul while looking at him through the lens of Jesus.

The presentations were academic and the conversations were practical. It was beneficial for all of us to mix university and church worlds, Nazarene and Emergent worlds. It seems to me, this is what is needed to advance peace talks rather than smack talk.

It was fun to visit with Ron Benefiel, Tony Jones, Doug Paggit, Tim Keel and hang with friends Brent Peterson, Jim Wicks, David Charlton, Dave Curtis, Scott Comfort and Dave Sharpes.

A Politcal Prayer

2008-10-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

Found this on Tim Keel's blog who found it on J.R. Brigg's blog:

A Prayer of Confession

Forgive us O Lord: A Prayer for American Politics
Forgive us O Lord, for being divisive rather than working to build unity.
Forgive us O Lord, for striving to be right more than striving to be kind.
Forgive us O Lord, when we desire to be understood more than to understand.
Forgive us O Lord, for placing our hope in a person, a system, a government - rather than in you alone.
Forgive us O Lord, for complaining about politics rather than thanking you for our freedom.
Forgive us O Lord, when we use our mouths - and our email forwards - to tear down "the other."
Forgive us O Lord, for spending more time and energy thinking about the Empire than the kingdom.
Forgive us O Lord for speaking poorly and wishing ill will on another candidate.
Forgive us O Lord, when we are known more for following a party than for following the Risen Christ.
Forgive us O Lord, for claiming that God is only on "our side."
Forgive us O Lord, for claiming and proclaiming that one political party completely and accurately represents the politics of Jesus.
Forgive us O Lord, when we forget that the heart of the king is in your hands.
Forgive us O Lord, for being more excited to speak to others about our candidate than about our Savior.
Forgive us O Lord, when we think this prayer is for someone else we know and not for ourselves.

Give us grace to treat others with dignity and respect, even in the midst of our differences. Give us wisdom - not just with what we say and do, but how we say them and do them - so that we may not represent our political party, but that we may represent the one who has given us True Life.
Amen.

Kansas City Trip

2008-10-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

Kansas City BBQ!!!

Jacob's Well -
Host of ReClaiming Paul Conference

Global Ministry Center

2008-10-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

From Headquarters to Global Ministry Center.

From Inner city to Suburbs.

From American centric to American centric.

Cross Style Splits or Cross Style(s)

2008-10-27T11:28:00.001-07:00

Resetting the American Dream - V

2008-10-16T09:03:00.001-07:00

10 Practices to Reset our Standard of Living:

1. Work - Get the best paying job possible and work full time with at least one day off per week.

2. Family - Life is easier with a partner and it's cheaper to stay married. Then raise kids and teach them your values.

3. Education - Get then give your children an education (12 free years of public school plus life lessons at the dinner table) that prepares them for character choices and career opportunities.

4. Thrift - Live simply, within your means by saving money to make purchases and avoiding consumer debt.

5. Morals - Do not break the law, practice ethics and love your neighbor.

6. Health - Maintain your well being with prayer, proper rest, diet, exercise and recreation.

7. Responsibility - Keep your word, pay your bills, stay committed to relationships and make things right when they go wrong.

8. Give - Tithe, give to charity and volunteer to serve in the community.

9. Prosperity - Use your wealth to bless others and to maintain justice rather than creating a class system.

10. Remember - it's a dream, not a promise or an entitlement. Be thankful and content.

Resetting the American Dream - IV

2008-10-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

- Emma Lazarus

Resetting The American Dream - III

2008-10-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

Presidential Quotes:

"That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves."
- President Jefferson
"May our country be always successful, but whether successful or otherwise, always right."
- President Adams
"Wealth can only be accumulated by the earnings of industry and the savings of frugality."
- President Tyler
"It is the responsibility of the citizens to support their government. It is not the responsibility of the government to support its citizens."
- President Cleveland
"The prudent, penniless beginner in the world, labors for wages awhile, saves a surplus with which to buy tools or land, for himself; then labors on his own account another while, and at length hires another new beginner to help him. This…is free labor--the just and generous, and prosperous system, which opens the way for all."
– President Lincoln
"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."
- President Kennedy
"We are a nation that has a government—not the other way around. And that makes us special among the nations of the earth."
- President Reagan

Resetting the American Dream - II

2008-10-14T20:40:00.001-07:00

"I just wanna prove somethin'—I ain't no bum . . . It don't matter if I lose . . . Don't matter if he opens my head . . . The only thing I wanna do is go the distance—That's all. Nobody's ever gone 15 rounds with Creed. If I go them fifteen rounds, an' that bell rings an' I'm still standin', I'm gonna know then I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood . . ."

- Rocky Balboa

Resetting the American Dream - I

2008-10-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

Buzz words have been added to our currency of words... foreclosure, bailout, rescue plan, corruption, partisan, debt, trillion, rights, bankruptcy, 401k, crisis, financial markets, recession and depression.

Who's to blame?
wrong question (if I answered it would hurt your feelings)
What can we do?
I think it is the right time to reset The American Dream.

The definition of The American Dream has changed. It was "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". It is now lust, license and the pleasures of huge debt.

In the next 5 posts, I'll give you some things to think about and 10 ideas to adjust our standard of living.

Movie Theatre Church - Week 6

2008-10-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

The end of the Story: God's Coming

John 3:16,17 summarizes the story of God's love mission to heal the world. He does not have our faces on his divine dartboard! He will re-create a new heavens and earth and we get resurrected bodies, just like Jesus.

Word of the Day: INFLUENCE

We are asked to join in the work of the Lord. We get to co-re-create!

"Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can."
- John Wesley

Religulous

2008-10-06T23:47:00.001-07:00

Just saw the movie/documentary with some friends. A few thoughts...

Bill Maher is a smart man and surprisely did not offend me as expected. He was more honest than most and came from a position of doubt and "I don't know" about religion.

It seems to me he asked some tough questions any normal, thinking human being would ask. Questions about talking snakes?, living in a big fish for 3 days?, virgin birth?, similar religious myths?, homosexuality in nature?, prosperity of the religious not helping the poor? and end times violence???

Bill is not the only one with questions of doubt. I think a more helpful posture to have is one of seeking truth with him instead of arguing truth against him.

Some principles...

1. Drop the Fundamentalism. Admit that we have doubts too. Go beyond the I'm right and you're wrong debate posture. Seek truth, don't defend it militantly.

2. Deepen our Folk Religion. Give Biblical answers rather than bumper stickers. Read the whole counsel of God, engage in challenging dialogue and develop a sound theology.

3. Depend on Revelation. Truth is greater than the western mindset of the scientific method. God reveals himself in a Person not in arguments of doctrines, tenets or practices.

After Jesus is raised from the dead, we find this verse in Matthew 28:17, "When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted".

Movie Theatre Church - Week 5

2008-10-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

God's Church.

She's a Gomer of a gal but ain't she beautiful!

Word of the Day: INSPIRATION

Pentecost is the restoration of divine respiration. God Breathed... over creation, into man, to divide the sea, into Christ's dead body, into the disciples of Jesus and into the Church.

Take a deep breath. God's Spirit is forming us into being...

A Jesus Community

always seeking to know God,

connect with people and serve others.

Family Tree

2008-09-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

On October 5th, the Church of the Nazarene celebrates its Centennial Anniversary. You can trace her roots back to Jesus and the Early Church through the Holiness Movement, John Wesley and the Methodists, The Anglican Church and Reformation and The Catholic Church.
Happy 100th!

Movie Theatre Church - Week 4

2008-09-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

The climax of the story: God's Christ.

A monarchy, an occupied nation and hope for a coming king.

Enter Jesus.

Instead of political power and peace through victory he uses the power of presence and peace through death.

Word of the Day: INCARNATION (think carne asada burritos)

The cross was more than an event one day in the life of Jesus; it was and is His continual style. Are we still arguing to be the greatest or looking for a place to serve?

Baby dedications help church attendance:
Thank you Jay Delbridge Benson!

Movie Theatre Church - Week 3

2008-09-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

Today we focused on God's Covenant relationship with people such as Abraham, Joseph, Moses, , David, Isaiah and Hosea. Scott helped me tag team preach and it was fun.

Word of the Day: Interaction

God has demonstrated He never quits interacting with us. Even when we could not care less, He has given Himself to us 100%. The Cross is the ceremony of becoming blood brothers and Jesus' offering of all of Himself for all of us. What a deal!

Levels of Interaction...

Couldn't Care Less

Curious

Casual

Commitment

Covenant

What covenant relationships are you interacting with?

4 Kinds of Emerging Churches

2008-09-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

Mark Driscoll just wrote a descriptive article for Christian Research Journal on What is the Emerging Movement. Driscoll states that the movement started as a dirt path and is now a 4 lane highway. You can see his synopsis here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bie-Wu8S20E
Mark is kind and honest (unusual for the "cussing pastor") and believes the first 3 Lanes are Orthodox and the 4th is not (while admitting he doesn't know Bell).

1. Emerging Evangelical
Lane: Start new churches with cool services
People: Dan Kimball, Donald Miller

2. Emerging House Church
Lane: Against church buildings and institutions
People: Shane Claiborne, George Barna

3. Emerging Reformed
Lane: Reformed theology, Charismatic, Only Male Pastors
People: Mark Driscoll, John Piper

4. Emerging Liberal
Lane: Questioning Orthodox beliefs, Ambiquous answers
People: Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Doug Pagitt

I WANT A 5TH LANE!!! Emerging Wesleyan
Lane: A middle way of Truth and Love between the Reformed and Liberal
People: so far...me and a few friends

OR... No label or lane at all that will further divide God's people, thus making it harder to answer Jesus' prayer in John 17 (that they may be one as we are one). Even better... "By this all men will know you are my disciples, by what label you subscribe to" (John 13:35)

Spending Fast

2008-09-16T07:59:00.001-07:00

As politicians wrangle over economic words, it was not a good week for America's financial sector. The national deficit is close to 10 trillion dollars and climbs over 1 billion every day.

As the government spends fast on bailing out financial institutions my family is doing a spending fast. We gassed up our cars, went grocery shopping and put away the debit card for one week. Kristan is happy to save money and I am challenged in my unconscious consumerism.

The beginning of the week is always easier than the weekend. No movies, caramel macchiatos, chipotle steak tacos, gum, parking downtown, ice cream after school and my gas tank is already half empty.

If we get together this week, you buy, and I'll get you back next week. Thanks!

Movie Theatre Church - Week 2

2008-09-15T06:31:00.001-07:00

God's Crisis - He created people and the world "very good". What the heck went wrong? It unravels through the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Tower of Babel.

Word of the Day: INCURVATURE
We have a "craving to get into trouble" called original sin or selfishness. This has caused separation between us and everything else.

Jesus is the mediator. He describes sin as disease (Mark 2) and is the cure for our demise (Romans 7).

Attendance is still strong and I'm hoping we remember the most important part of church gathering is loving God (in the service) and loving others (after the service). Or for the anti-dualists: loving God as we love people.

Marriage and Ministry

2008-09-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

In Ireland, I had my first sip of whisky. It was terrible, so I added lots of Coke. This made it bearable. Sometimes ministry is like that. There are weeks of unkind comments and people acting like people and it gets very tiresome. I could not survive working at a church without my wife Kristan. She is lots of Coke to me.

At our wedding reception, Kristan's sister, Angie, toasted us with, "your ministry will only be as strong as your marriage". True. We have experienced both results of this statement.

The battle for balance in a pastor's home is ongoing and can be more challenging when both are pastors. Our kids have attended more church services and events than most people in a life time. We continue to find the key is the same as in all of life: Focus on Jesus and let him do through us rather than us frantically doing for him.

My daughter turned 6 today! On her wall are the pencil marks of how tall she has grown this past year (about 5 inches). Other than a few late nights and ministry trips, I've been able to watch her growth. And hopefully she senses our growth as marriage and ministry are mixed together.

Movie Theatre Church - Week 1

2008-09-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

We focused on God's Creation in Genesis 1.

Word of the Day: Image

God created us in his image and we are to reflect his goodness.
Jesus is the image of God (Colossians 1:15).

Great turnout. Great help. Great time. New friends!

Already worth all the praying, planning and perspiring (preacher's like to use alliteration).

Now Showing!

2008-09-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, NorthGate church hits the road to host their worship gathering at Harkins Theatre. We will be there for 5 weeks for a morning service at 9:30 followed by conversation at lunch.
Here's the rundown...

9/7 - God's Creation
9/14 - God's Crisis
9/21 - God's Covenant
9/28 - God's Christ
10/5 - God's Church

The big question... WHY? valid question but hard to answer succinctly.

We sense God leading and we are being obedient
Shift from "come to us" to "go to them"
Reach people, get our name out, meet new friends
An opportunity to serve
Better to die trying than live dying
_____________________

I'm praying for an unexplainable success and asking people to pray and participate with me. I'll keep you updated.

Church HOPPING

2008-08-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

During our Staff Staycation last weekend we visited 4 churches.

Radiant Church, Christ Church of the Valley, Life Church and Genesis.

Being a sensitive (or defensive) pastor I don't want to pick on any of them. So here are some general observations without identifying which church I'm describing.

VANILLA - everything is so predictable at church. I'm all for liturgy but does it have to be so bland?

PRODUCTION - churches work hard behind the scenes. all the churches used videos and click tracks and lighting effects and "quiet please, ready...action..."

QUALITY - from the bulletins to the programs things were done well.

PREACHING - disappointing. one pastor showed pictures of political figures to cartoon characters and explained why they could be the anti-Christ. two used scripture to get across the point they wanted to make. one taught the word with depth, insight and passion - i liked that.

PEOPLE - kind cattle.

Visiting other churches was a great experience and think everyone should take a weekend every year to do it. It was fun to be unknown, like a mystery shopper, and see what God is doing in Phoenix. If I didn't have a church home, I don't know where I would go. This reminds me that church is not a place to go, but relationships shared.

The Extreme Center

2008-08-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

Why do people leave the church?
Many reasons, but this is what I have heard...

You are too CATHOLIC, You are too NAZARENE, You are too CHARISMATIC, You are too EMERGING, You are too CONSERVATIVE, You are too CONTEMPORARY, You are too EMOTIONAL, You are too MISSIONAL, You are too RELATIONAL, You are CHANGING too much etc. etc.

Fascinating because I also hear we are too the OPPOSITE of the above concerns. I sense the reformation in the Church and society today is leaving behind this dualistic thinking. This is the day for Believers of the EXTREME CENTER to quit being polarized by preferences and embrace Christ as our identity and not any other label.

The Church's unity will be found in answering Jesus' prayer in John 17 and not in doctrinal disputes or finding the gathering that meets all my intellectual needs. I resonated with Rick Warren's comments while interviewing Obama and McCain when he said that we need to learn again how to disagree without demonizing the other. AMEN!

Wesley spoke of this a long time ago:

"Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences."

I am not there yet, but want to be. I look forward to the day when we are too JESUS.

What a Friend Needs...

2008-08-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

I was hanging with two friends (Gabe and Tom) awhile back and we came up with a list of what a friend needs. When one is hurting we all want to help but don't always know how or what to do. We thought it is helpful if one person tells the other specifically what would help. Here's our list...

JUST LISTEN, initiate sex (from spouse of course!), Brainstorm Options, agree, SYMPATHY/EMPATHY, speak Truth, Remind me Who/Whose I am, real Prayer NOW, S-P-A-C-E, BE with me, RESOURCES - books, quotes, music, bible verse, ADVICE or Wisdom, Go with me, Do the hard thing with me, FUN/Pleasure, getaway-escape, Permission to EXPRESS!!! the good, bad and ugly W/OUT Judgment, BRUTAL Honesty, CHALLENGE me to ACT, relieve me of a responsibility, Discern my place/purpose in God's Story, Bible character Association, SHOOT the BREEZE, Give me a SECOND+ chance, FORGIVE me, REmind me to Forgive...

Campmeeting

2008-08-05T08:56:00.001-07:00

The AZ/So. Nevada Nazarene District of 60+ churches gathered in Prescott for 10 days of services and fellowship.

Dr. Schortinghouse brought in 2 speakers: Jack Eyestone and Gary Haines.

Some thoughts:

God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Campmeeting was geared towards the Abraham generation with a few appearances for Isaac.
Being a lover of expositional studies, I received little help from the preached word.
Being Wesleyan in theology, I received little help from the "semi-eradication" in the American Holiness sermons.
The Abraham generation was negative about the new proposal for a gymnasium and dormintory for children and youth. One pastor responded, "Why, ya'll be dead in 10 years!"
There was wide consensus of disappointment, yet the regulars will return next year.
Re-creation is needed not evolution.
Self fulfilling prophecy from the denomination's decadel emphasis on children and youth: "You're Losing Us."

A.W. Tozer's Ordination Prayer

2008-07-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

O Lord, I have heard Thy voice and was afraid. Thou hast called me to an awesome task in a grave and perilous hour. Thou are about to shake all nations and the earth and also heaven, that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. O Lord, our Lord, Thou has stopped to honor me to be Thy servant. No man takes this honor upon himself save he that is called of God as was Aaron. Thou has ordained me Thy messenger to them that are stubborn of heart and hard of hearing. They have rejected Thee, the Master, and it is not to be expected that they will receive me, the servant.
My God, I shall not waste time deploring my weakness nor my unfittedness for the work. The responsibility is not mine but Thine. Thou hast said, “I knew thee—I ordained thee—I sanctified thee,” and Thou has also said, “Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.” Who am I to argue with Thee or to call into question Thy sovereign choice? The decision is not mine but Thine. So be it, Lord. Thy will, not mine, be done.
Well do I know, Thou God of the prophets and the apostles, that as long as I honor Thee Thou wilt honor me. Help me therefore to take this solemn vow to honor Thee in all my future life and labors, whether by gain or by loss, by life or by death, and then to keep that vow unbroken while I live.
It is time, O God, for Thee to work, for the enemy has entered into Thy pastures and the sheep are torn and scattered. And false shepherds abound who deny the danger and laugh at the perils which surround Thy flock. The sheep are deceived by these hirelings and follow them with touching loyalty while the wolf closes in to kill and destroy. I beseech Thee, give me sharp eyes to detect the presence of the enemy; give me understanding to distinguish the false friend from the true. Give me vision to see and courage to report what I see faithfully. Make my voice so like Thine own that even the sick sheep will recognize it and follow Thee.
Lord Jesus, I come to Thee for spiritual preparation. Lay Thy hand upon me. Anoint me with the oil of the New Testament prophet. Forbid that I should become a religious scribe and thus lose my prophetic calling. Save me from the curse that lies dark across the face of the modern clergy, the curse of compromise, of imitation, of professionalism. Save me from the error of judging a church by its size, its popularity or the amount of its yearly offering. Help me to remember that I am a prophet; not a promoter, not a religious manager—but a prophet. Let me never become a slave to crowds. Heal my soul of carnal ambitions and deliver me from the itch for publicity. Save me from the bondage to things. Let me not waste my days puttering around the house. Lay Thy terror upon me, O God, and drive me to the place of prayer where I may wrestle with principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world. Deliver me from overeating and late sleeping. Teach me self-discipline that I may be a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
I accept hard work and small rewards in this life. I ask for no easy place. I shall try to be blind to the little ways that I could make my life easier. If others seek the smoother path I shall try to take the hard way without judging them too harshly. I shall expect opposition and try to take it quietly when it comes. Or if, as sometimes it falleth out to Thy servants, I shall have grateful gifts pressed upon me by Thy kindly people, stand by me then and save me from the blight that often follows. Teach me to use whatever I receive in such manner that it will not injure my soul nor diminish my spiritual power. And if in Thy permissive providence honor should come to me from Thy church, let me not forget in that hour that I am unworthy of the least of Thy mercies, and that if men knew me as intimately as I know myself they would withhold their honors or bestow them upon others more worthy to receive them.
And now, O Lord of heaven and earth, I consecrate my remaining days to Thee; let them be many or few, as Thou wilt. Let me stand before the great or minister to the poor and lowly; that choice is not mine, and I would not influence it if I could. I am Thy servant to do Thy will, and that will is sweeter to me than position or riches or fame and I choose it above all things on earth or in heaven. Though I am chosen of Thee and honored by a high and holy calling, let me never forget that I am but a man of dust and ashes, a man with all the natural faults and passions that plague the race of men. I pray Thee therefore, my Lord and Redeemer, save me from myself and from all the injuries I may do myself while trying to be a blessing to others. Fill me with thy power by the Holy Spirit, and I will go in Thy strength and tell of Thy righteousness, even Thine only. I will spread abroad the message of redeeming love while my normal powers endure.
Then, dear Lord, when I am old and weary and too tired to go on, have a place ready for me above, and make me to be numbered with Thy saints in glory everlasting. Amen.

Nazarene Regional Prayer Summit

2008-07-17T22:47:00.000-07:00

Just got home from San Diego after hanging out with a bunch of pastor types. The denomination scheduled 8 prayer gatherings across the US with no speaker, agenda or program. They capped each summit at 200 clergy but was unnecessary because no gathering was that large.

It was facilitated by Daniel Ketchum, Tom White and Dan Copp. Tom facilitated and initiated the time by declaring us to be "off duty". As pastors we all have tendency to take charge, lead, make transitions, teach and talk even without the prompting of the Spirit.

Even after the admonition to wait on God and then submit, defer and prefer one another, as soon as the floor openned it was like the kid's boardgame hungry, hungry hippoes - all vying to eat the marbles and win.

We were hungry to find a word, give a word, look good, lead, get something out of it and we missed God. There was the crazy lady singing off key, the young and brash man wanting to show off so he could climb the ladder and the old man trying to make us believe everything is just fine.

The question was posed after 8 prayer gatherings for the Church of the Nazarene are we more pessimistic or more hopeful for the denomination. One of the facilitators lamented..."slightly more pessimitic".

Covenant Prayer

2008-07-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

Lord, I am no longer my own, but Yours.
Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for You or set aside for You.

Exalted for You or made nothing for You.

Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

For I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
You are mine, and I am Yours.

So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

Africa - Final Thoughts

2008-07-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

We are shaped by our cultures. There are comparisons in American and African cultures and both contrast the Kingdom Culture.

The call to live in God's story of Creation - Incarnation - ReCreation is for every person.

Law and order is good for a society. Driving in Uganda was scary as many followed road rules as suggestions.

God is good no matter how bad it is. (remember Africa if you think you've got it bad)

I've lived in the excess of American culture rather than the Kingdom culture of faith, hope and love.
I want to live in eternal life today by loving God and loving others not just confessing with my mouth or believing in my heart Jesus is Lord.
I am not called to move to Africa but came home with a greater passion to serve my church and community (while hoping to visit Uganda again to visit my new friends and encourage their ministry).

Africa - 12

2008-07-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

The story of Kampala, Uganda is filled with drama. It is symbolically a city set on 7 hills. Until 1875 it was believed that the tribal gods lived on these mountains. That is when the first Christian missionaries arrived. Believing that Jesus is Lord and teaching that he climbed the mountains to pray to the Most High God, they built their churches on these places as a witness to Ugandans.

At first, Catholic and Protestant missionaries fostered competition for converts. That was until the persecution began and they united in the person of Jesus. A group of 45 Anglican and Roman Catholic martyrs were executed during the persecution of Christians under Mwanga, kabaka (ruler) of Buganda (now part of Uganda), from 1885 to 1887.

We stayed at a guest house on the foot of the mountain where the first Christian church still stands beautifully as a testimony to the faith of those pioneers. I attended a Wednesday morning communion service where they shared from the gospel of Mark, took in 2 new members and welcomed me like one of their own.

Even now with some of the mountains hosting Islamic Mosques, the Church is still being built and is strong in Uganda.

Africa - 10

2008-07-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

ROAD TRIP

We woke up to no electricity or hot water. We planned a trip to Jinga and thought gas at $7 per gallon was a good deal so we went.

We met with Pastor Hanington and Pastor Godfrey at the Source Cafe. They both pastor village churches and are connected with Cross Style Ministries. I enjoyed exchanging stories of family and church. We also introduced them to two African ministers associated with Amahoro for possibly a future partnership. Hanington summarized it when he said, "we digested the cross".

We then left for rural Uganda and saw a new water well put in a village for $5000. This gives clean water to 80 families or 400 people.

Then further down the dirtroad to a house where Paul and his wife live. They have 4 children of their own and two years ago brought in 20 children who were orphaned due to hiv/aids. They make necklaces to sell and farm their own food to survive.

We headed back into civilization and stopped to see the Nile River and subsequent falls. It was weird to see it with my own eyes after seeing it on a map for so long. Breathtaking and beautiful!

After a coke (made with sugar not corn syrup) we crammed back in the vehicle and headed back to the guest house. We stopped to buy a stalk of sugar cane which makes for a great appetizer when after a week I'm over the food. Very tired but a good day!

Africa - 9

2008-07-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

SATURDAY/ SUNDAY

We met for services at Kampala International University, home of the Giraffes! Scott preached Saturday evening on God's creation story and his calling of us to join him in co-creation. I preached Sunday morning and spoke out of Mark on being captured by God's love and joining Jesus in his revolution of mercy, justice and reconciliation. Both crowds were made up of students that number 200+. The welcome was warm and we made many friends and will stay in touch through email.

Dave and Breilan both preached at a village church called Disciples of Christ Fellowship. They shared out of Philippians. Breilan spoke first followed by worship and then Dave spoke. Again a crowd of 200+ and they were asked if we could all return for a pastor's conference. It was Breilan's first time preaching and I heard he did a great job!

Pastor Kennedy of University Family Church at KIU has been gracious and hospitable along with his staff in caring for all our needs. He concluded our service with a phrase that is working on me...

"The church sleeps in the light, as the world is dying in the darkness".

Africa - 8

2008-07-05T06:58:00.000-07:00

We drove through the slums last night. We saw kids younger than Kennedy and Jameson on the streets who were abandoned and begging for food. Our host said, "the mothers love them but cannot provide for them. When a home no longer has food it is no longer a family." The mothers leave the kids on the street hoping that someone would take care of them.

Today we saw some SUCCESS STORIES...

First, our new friend, Caleb, took us to some of his homes for boys. Caleb rents a home, brings in abandoned boys and raises them as brothers in a family. They focus on education, health, God and community service (luke 2:52). As a boy gets older he becomes the mentor and Caleb starts another house to multiply the ministry. There are now 200 kids in homes with no more than 20 in each one so it doesn't feel like an orphanage.

Then, we took a boat across Lake Victoria to the Bethany Village. Churches and other ministry organizations banded together to create a village for orphans with a school, church and homes.

Last we met Mary. She was a school teacher and hosted a group of children teaching them. When funds went away, she quit her job and invited 15+ children to live with her. They live in one room of her house and rents out the rest to pay for food. These children were full of joy, singing and dancing for us.

I will upload photos and video when the internet connection is faster.

Why do these people give so much?

Caleb explains... he says there are 2 formulas to receive eternal life in scripture. The first is Luke 10 stating that we should love God and others. The second is Romans 10 that says if we confess and believe we will be saved. Caleb teaches Luke 10. Caleb lives Luke 10 by loving these kids (even the non - Christian kids and knowing 25% of them are Muslim).

America is Romans 10. Africa is Luke 10.

Africa - 7

2008-07-04T04:26:00.000-07:00

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

I arrived in Entebbe Tuesday night, finally catching a flight through Amsterdam. Our host, Kennedy Kirui, and Grace picked me up from the airport and I was happy to see a friendly face.

Driving - I seriously thought we would die driving on the dark roads or kill any group of people walking or on a scooter. I was told that there are rules of the road but no one follows them.

People - not enought adjectives; friendly, joyful, hospitable, knowledgable, articulate, conversive

Worship - everyone participates, true communal celebration, expressive while intimate

Teaching - very biblically literate and not willing to swallow anything without reasoning it out and making sure it is practical

Food- beans, rice, boiled bananas, meat (with lots of bones), bottled soda

So far I'm loving it. We just finished the Amahoro Institute and are staying in an Anglican guest house in Kampala, Uganda. We will next go to a children's ministry in local slums, attend a University Church and then head to Jinga on Monday.

Africa - 6

2008-06-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

A resource I'm using while I teach on The Image of God in Africa.

Eikon is Greek for Image. The idea is that humans are like "icons" on your computer desktop. When clicked on they open up to a new world. The world of God.

http://www.theopedia.com/Scot_McKnight
click on "The Story of Eikons" (mp3)

Africa/Europe - 6

2008-06-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

I think we need a THEOLOGY OF INCONVENIENCE. A Biblical perspective when we are uncomfortable, undone, and undercared for.

Like when your stuck in a foreign country alone, people make you late, you missed your favorite t.v. show, you have to park farther than you like, you've missed your exit, the waiter forgets your order, your alarm clock doesn't go off or your dog eats your homework.

You hear people's theology speaking things like..."he's unlucky, she deserves it, what goes around comes around, lucky dog, the enemy's attacking me, I'm blessed, I'm favored, this always happens to me, it's not fair" etc.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks of blessings being beyond our circumstances. What if this is true? Can I live beyond my circumstances and quit complaining, feeling sorry for myself or blaming others. This theology could even affect my bad mood, hopefully!

Africa - 5

2008-06-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

You know you're in Europe when...

...they ask if you want gas in your water.
...you pay $6 dollars for the water
...then wait 30 minutes to order your lunch

...the homeless lady outside the church takes your change and gets in a Mercedes taxi

...churches are now tourist attractions

...you consider starting smoking to be skinny like everyone else

...trip in the street because of the cobblestone

...no shops take your visa or currency

...when English is everyone's 3rd language

...you are starting to enjoy the warm sensations of the bidet!!!

Africa - 4

2008-06-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

"DING!"

Our flight was delayed out of the U.S. because the DING didn't work?! When the flight attendants use the intercom to communicate it is suppose to DING. The intercom worked as well as everything else but because the DING didn't we were delayed 5 hours!

We missed our connection out of Brussels, Belgium to Entebbe, Uganda and so we'll be delayed. We will arrive in Entebbe Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. The DING cost us 2 days!!!

This has reminded us that we are out of control and that Jesus is the focus not our schedule.
Scott will start the conference without us but we will be there shortly.

Have you experienced a "DING" today?

Africa - 3

2008-06-29T05:49:00.001-07:00

We met Josh McDowell on the airplane yesterday. Josh is a once popular author ("Evidence that Demands a Verdict") and communicator. He is still travelling, writing and speaking. He stopped by our seats after we recognized him and had a chat.

He began by saying how frustrated he was with the new emergent stuff. QUOTING... brian mclaren says truth changes, but truth doesn't only the culture does. Youth pastors are leading this movement and they are not educated enough. modernism and postmodernism are wrong. modernism is a reaction to pietism (feelings, inner spirituality, mysticism) and is rational, logical and absolute (all good things). postmodernism is a reaction to modernism and is emotion and experience based (suspicious). He calls for balance because balance is always biblical and being biblical is always balanced.

I responded that it would be fun to have all the leading thinkers on the subject, including him and mclaren, on a panel and he rejected it. He said he doesn't want a panel but a debate. He then spoke of his son debating all the liberal, gay, evolutionist professors at Berkley and seemed proud. His son is good at this because he can take someone's logic a part because of his degrees in philosophy and systematic theology.

My impression:
I appreciate his influence and heart for truth. He did seem to self-promote and sell his son to us. I felt uncomfortable with the right vs. wrong approach to life and the power involved when you can prove someone wrong. It seemed truth was defined as propositions about truth instead of the person of Jesus. We both share a love for John Wesley and it was good to interact with him, even though he was in first class and we were sitting with the goats and chickens in the baggage compartment!

Africa - 2

2008-06-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

Jesus spoke of a city gate called Needle. It had a low head clearance and so if a camel wanted in, it had to stoop low to enter. Jesus uses this picture to describe the rich man wanting into the Kingdom. It is hard to enter the Kingdom like a camel going through the eye of a needle.

I think this speaks more of just our materialism that makes us rich. As we prepare to leave for Uganda, there is a sense of stooping low and humbling ourselves. There is also a letting go of our attachments... packing less, doing without, being uncomfortable, saying good bye.

I'm sad as I take my kids to the movies (Wall-E!), having my mom pray over me and kiss my wife good bye.

For the Kingdom...and to bring back a giraffe for Kennedy and an elephant for Jameson!

Africa - 1

2008-06-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

I met Claude Nikondeha at a lunch hosted by my pastor Ron Lush. Claude is from Burundi and we shared similar thoughts on the gospel and the world. I wanted to explore the idea of missional living and after conversing a few times, Claude invited others to share in his work, Amahoro Africa.

The Group:
Grace Scale, Christy Jones, Breilan Rosenberg, Scott Comfort, David Charlton and myself. We will also meet up with others from Amahoro .

The Purpose:
Grace and Christy will be in Burundi serving in an orphanage. Grace is a recent high school graduate and will return to the states after the summer. Christy is an elementary school teacher who is taking a leave of absence to serve the next 9 months (no she is not concealing a pregnancy!)
Breilan is a senior in high school called to full time ministry and will be travelling with the boys as an intern. David, Scott and myself will be facilitating learning conversations with other church and marketplace leaders. We will be discussing Theology - Context - Praxis. With the theology piece we want to unlearn our reduced, western gospel and engage in a more global, robust, Biblical story of God's heart. I will be teaching CREATION, Dave will focus on INCARNATION, and Scott will center us on ReCREATION. Claude's language is a shift from a gospel of "evacuation" to a gospel of "transformation".

The Journey:
We leave June 28 for Entebbe, Uganda. Stay there for the Summer Institute, head to Kampala, Jinga (source of the Nile River), up to Gulu (Invisible Children) then back to Entebbe. We are scheduled to be home July 10th.

Obviously we are out of our element and are ready to humble ourselves, be flexible and come back changed with new friends in Africa.

You can read more about Claude and Amahoro in Brian McLaren's book Everything Must Change or visit his website http://www.amahoro-africa.org/

The Cross Style Message

2008-06-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

The cross was more than an event one day in the life of Jesus; it was and is His continual style.

This style was manifested in His constant response to the will and moving of the indwelling presence of the Father. Jesus did not operate on His own or out of His own resource, but lived in the continual flow of what the Father would do through Him.

It is still His style, the "cross style," which He now desires to reproduce as He comes to indwell us through His Spirit. As Jesus lived in this world, so we live in constant response to His will and moving in us, not operating out of our own resources, but in the constant flow of what He would do through us for a time such as this.

www.crossstyle.org

What is a Nazarene?

2008-06-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

Everyone who attends the Church of the Nazarene gets asks this question and has a hard time answering. In short, the C.O.N. is a Christian Church.

Some history...
The C.O.N. can trace her roots back to Jesus and his disicples through the Methodist Church, Church of England, Roman Catholic Church and the Early Church.

Some theology...
Nazarenes are Wesleyan/American Holiness people. They are not fundamentalists but are liberal thinkers. They are social conservatives rooted in convictions that desire a holy lifestyle. A common quote, "In essentials - unity, in nonessentials - liberty, in all things - charity."

Some story...
Phineas Bresee, a Methodist preacher, focused on serving the poor in Los Angeles which led to him leaving that church and starting a new denomination. J.P. Widney, the second president of the University of California, was a friend and contemporary of Bresee. Widney suggested the name "Church of the Nazarene" citing it was the name Jesus used of himself and symbolized the toiling, lowly mission of Christ.

Some future...
The core values of the C.O.N. are "Christian", "Holiness" and "Missional". The denomination's mission statement is "to make Christlike disciples in the nations". Nazarenes celebrate their centennial October 5th, 2008.

10 Favorite Books

2008-06-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

I didn't always enjoy reading. My youth pastor and his wife instilled in me the thought that there is always more to learn and somehow God has given me the desire to learn of him. When I dropped out of school I sensed that I would need to become a reader. The picture of A.W. Tozer on his knees praying that God helps him understand what he was reading has always inspired me. Evelyn Underhill's statement that there is no spiritual growth without spiritual reading has always challenged me. I read at least one hour per day and up to 4 or 5 books at a time. My reading philosophy is some books are meant to be chewed, some swallowed and some digested. Here are 10 books that I've digested...

1. MY UPTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST - Oswald Chambers
My youth pastor would speak from this almost every Wednesday night. He then passed on the devotional to all of us in the youth group. I still use it today.

2. THE PURSUIT OF GOD - A.W. Tozer
My bones burn when I read this book. I feel Tozer's passion in his writings.

3. THE RAGAMUFFIN GOSPEL - Brennan Manning
The heart of the gospel. God's love for perfectionists like me whose cheese is falling off their cracker.

4. CELEBRATION OF DISCIPLINE - Richard Foster
All is grace, even the discipline to receive more. An oft used resource.

5. FRESH WIND, FRESH FIRE - Jim Cymbala
My family has visited his church and experienced the prayers that bring radical change.

6. SUBVERSIVE SPIRITUALITY - Eugene Peterson
My introduction into spiritual formation studies.

7. HUMILITY - Andrew Murray
Read during my first ministry assignment. Yes, it was humbling.

8. THE WAY TO LOVE - Anthony DeMello
It introduced me to the author and all his other works. My first non-Western thoughts.

9. THE YOUNGER EVANGELICALS - Robert Webber
How can a church be so brutal in firing a God loving, potty mouth associate pastor? Because of his mouth but also because he is a Younger Evangelical.

10. RECLAIMING GOD'S ORIGINAL INTENT FOR THE CHURCH - Roberts and Marshall.
Read while working at Starbuck's eating lunch at Chipotle. Helped focus my vision for a church just before becoming a senior pastor.

Many, many books have help to shape me. There are many I didn't include that probably deserve in my top 10. Above all I wish to be like Wesley, a man of one book, the Bible.

District Assembly

2008-06-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

The Assembly for all Nazarene churches on the Arizona District was held in Las Vegas this year. I loved the location even though many other pastors and laymen hated it and made it known.
I should confess this was the first year I wasn't excited about the actual gathering. Since junior high I have attended this annual event with enthusiasm, sitting through the missionary slides, voting by delegates and 4 hour ordination services. Something has shifted in me.
I enjoyed the missionary speaker, Brubaker. I enjoyed the fellowship of other pastors and the leadership of the General Superintendent, Jerry Porter. I even engaged in the voting of delegates as our Distrit Superintendent was reissued the invitation to lead our district with a vote of 187-39. But something was different in me.
The Holiness movement has stalled and is constipated. Aside from the inbredness and unfunny religious jokes we put up with, I sense serious problems. The first is the focus on sin defined as the gambling and prostitution that is legal in Sin City. I struggled with the constant references to sin being an outside, behavior thing - rather than an inside heart condition. Which means sin is not narrowed to a city that celebrates it but can even be found in the church that mocks it.
The second challenge that has me uncomfortable is the beaurocracy that stifles the cure for the disease we all suffer. There seems to be a different philosphy of our association for local churches. Initially we associated to combine resources for better effectiveness. Now the church exits for the denomination and for the preservation of the institution.
I'm glad I went to report what God is doing at NorthGate Church, hang out with my wife by watching a movie in a casino, and connecting with others who with me are discerning how to follow Jesus while serving in his church.

The Story of God

2008-06-10T16:32:00.000-07:00

What is the Gospel?

The death of Jesus on a Roman cross is the climax to God’s story of world restoration, not just an event of individual forgiveness. By proclaiming the whole counsel of God, our gospel shifts from a story of evacuation to good news of transformation.

The Bible – God/man
Genesis through Revelation

The Story We Find Ourselves In – Brian McLaren
Creation
Crisis (the fall, sin, disobedience)
Calling (of Abraham and the Jews)
Conversation (with priests, prophets, poets and philosophers)
Christ
Community (of the church)
Consummation

Static – Ron Martoia
Creation
Fall
Redemption
Restoration

The Story of God - Michael Lodahl
Creation
Sin
Covenants
Christ
Church
Last Things

Ancient-Future Worship – Robert Webber
Creation
Incarnation
ReCreation

The Christian Story - Gabriel Fackre
God
Creation
Fall
Liberation and Covenant
Incarnation
Church
Commonwealth of Love and Justice

Simply Christian - N.T. Wright
God - Creation
God - Israel
Jesus - Kingdom of God
Jesus - Rescue and Renewal
Holy Spirit - Church
Holy Spirit - Spirituality
God's New Creation