Wesley’s words of wisdom

I think sometimes we forget that the experience of God is not just found in a corporate sanctuary with music, lights, and smoke machines. Jesus does not ascribe to “fast-food” theology, in that we just soak in his “glory” with quick and easy spiritual fixes. This experience goes far beyond what we feel. This is because what God gives us isn’t just for our pleasure but ultimately for His glory. There is purpose behind the experiences that extend beyond “well that felt good”.

God has given us so much more than just what we feel, and to receive it, there is work involved on our part. Laziness is not an excuse in a walk with Christ. We will not receive what God wants to give us without devoting our time to Him. This is a relationship after all.

John Wesley writes:

“You are in danger…every time you depart even a little from the Scriptures. We must never depart from the plain meaning of Scripture, and we must always take it in the context which it was written. But keep in mind that we must not despise reason, knowledge, or human learning, every one of which is a gift of God and was given to serve a purpose.

One general inlet (to this) is expecting the end without the means: expecting knowledge, for instance, without searching the Scriptures and consulting with the people of God, or expecting spiritual strength without constant prayer and steady watchfulness, or expecting God to bless you without hearing the word of God at every opportunity”.

…I caution you to beware of antinomianism, which is the belief that there is no need for laws in the life of the believer. That great truth that “Christ is the end of the law” may betray us into this belief if we do not consider that Christ himself adopted every point of the moral law! Beware of thinking, ‘because I have the love of God I do not need holiness’ or ‘Since I pray all the time I have no need for set times of private prayer,’ or ‘Because I am spiritual I have no need for self-examination’.

Instead, let this be our thought: ‘I prize thy commandments above gold or precious stones. O, what love I have found in your laws! All the day long I will study in it.’ We must beware of self-indulgence, or of mocking self-denial, fasting, or abstinence. We cannot cry out, ‘Only believe, believe!’ and call others ‘legalists’ who are trying to live as Scripture teaches. We must remember that ‘by works our faith is made perfect’.

Richard Foster has this to say about John Wesley’s words:

“Wesley tells us to beware of wanting God to do things for us that he has ordained we should do for ourselves. Sometimes people hanker after direct revelations about issues that can be fully fesolved by an honest study of Scripture. At other times people expect to progress and mature in holiness by “spiritual highs” when God’s ordained means involve regular disciplines or prayer, fasting, and solitude. God, you see, wants us to be “co-laborers” with him as we discover this gracious life of ‘righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’ (1 Cor. 3:9; Rom. 14:17).”

I agree completely with Foster’s concluding remark regarding this subject that “We would do well to pay close attention to Wesley’s counsel — in it are words of life”.

May Wesley’s words be an encouragement for you to experience God beyond this weekend’s church service.

Uncertainty and loneliness

Feelings of uncertainty make a person feel lonely.

More and more I’m coming to the conclusion that when our minds are focused on uncertainty we feel this way. For whatever reason this evening as I made the drive from Philly to Ocean City I began having an overwhelming sense of loneliness. After a couple of minutes of trying to figure out why I came to the conclusion that I was focusing on some things in my life that aren’t absolutely certain. They might not work out how I have them planned. Being that everything in my life, to a degree, is uncertain, this can mess with your head.

Who’s to say that you will have another opportunity to speak with the person that you just hung the phone up with? What about not getting the job the you’ve been trying to get that you’ve been slaving over? What about getting a call from the doctor telling you to come in to talk about your most recent scan? How about forgetting to pay the bill that you now don’t have money for? What about facing the wife who slams the divorce papers down on the table when you thought you’ve made progress?

The purpose of this post isn’t to make you sad or incredibly nervous, but so many times we as Christians forget that we were never supposed to be anxious, even in our fallen world that breeds uncertainty. We were designed to rely on God who never changes. He is always sure. He is always on our team. We don’t have to ever question if he will be there to listen to us or speak into our lives. He is always working out his perfect plan. It makes so much sense then that when we focus first on the uncertainty of life’s issues that we feel lonely…

…it’s because we are choosing to be alone in them.

I am in no way downplaying tough times. I am, however, saying that when we face our challenges we don’t have to feel lonely in them. When uncertainty hits we can chose to trust first in God and avoid loneliness. He wants to be our supply. I would encourage you in the next couple of days to really think about what you focus your mind on most over the course of a day. Is it the uncertainty of your issues or the eternality of your Savior? Do you dwell more on your problems or on God’s promises? Here are a couple promises for you:

He will never leave you. He will never forsake you.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but his word will never pass away.

He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

He hears the cries of his people.

Trusting in him leads to straight paths

He provides peace. He is the prince of peace.

He is preparing a place for you.

He desires to give you abundant life.

If you seek first his kingdom and righteousness, everything else will be taken care of.

He is for you. Who could even be against you?

Church attendance numbers

I recently discovered the beauty of RSS feeds and if you have a Mac and have access to the Mail application I would highly suggest using it. One of my feeds is TheResurgence, a blog by Mars Hill Church out in Seattle. They recently had a post that I thought was great about church attendance numbers and how pastors look (or should look) at them. I’ve included the link below. Enjoy!

http://theresurgence.com/justification-by-attendance

Don’t forget

I go through stages where music becomes a sanctuary for me.

I’ve really been on a U2 kick lately. I feel like their music really makes you think because they actually sing about things that matter. I also can’t get “Don’t Drink the Water” from Dave Matthews out of my head. Look up the lyrics and listen to the song. If you’re an American it will probably make you cry, or at least it should.

5 years ago this week one of my best friends passed away from cancer. I was reminded yesterday how much I miss him. It’s crazy the things we do to try and forget pain. My method has unfortunately always been to cut ties with it. For example, if something were to happen with somebody that was less than pleasurable, my way of dealing with it has been to run away from anything that reminds me of it. This could include both people and places. It has nothing to do with those people/places themselves, it more or less is a way of controlling memories. If I see a person or place that reminds me of pain, pain wins. If I remove them/it from my life, I get to be the one to remember the memories that I want to. It’s a control thing.

I’m not admitting that it is healthy in the least. This week reminded me how much I have forgotten even the good memories. This method of mine, and probably of others, is one that can lead to more pain; a different kind of pain; a pain from forgetting. I don’t really want that.

Everybody is dying. That’s just life. We can’t pretend like it doesn’t exist, although society would love to make you think that you are going to live here forever. You’re not. Sorry. The choice is to either embrace death and its victims or to hide from it. I’ve hidden from parts of it to shield myself from pain…

…and then I realized just how much pain there was in hiding. I’ve lost a big part of my life in doing so.

Humans don’t have control. The minute you think that you have it will probably result in something beyond it. Embrace the fact that you have no control, but you can follow somebody who does. When the world crumbles, give your “right to control” to the person who deserves it…and for that matter can sustain you. Embrace memories, painful and not, and don’t forget the people and places that you’ve met along the way. Chances are they are still there, you’ve just forget about them along with your pain.

Minimalism, contentment, and Shalom

The past few days I have been toying with idea of minimalism. For whatever reason this idea trying to live with as little as possible has suddenly become an interesting thought to me. Now if you know anything about me, it may surprise you, a little bit. It’s not that I am constantly buying things, but I am an avid Mac-head (converted), I have a smart phone, I love XBox, and I drive the latest and greatest sports car (’94 Tercel)…okay not really serious on the last one. For me, it’s not that I’ve been one for accumulating a lot of material possessions. The past few days however it’s really began to hit me as to how much stuff people feel like they need to have to survive, and in reality they really don’t. We spend countless hours thinking about the next thing that we need to get, and in the end it doesn’t satisfy; we are already thinking of the next thing that we need…

I think it would be wise to take some time and really begin partitioning in our brain needs and wants.

I really saw my failure this evening when I got to the shore to read. I set up my fold out chair in the sand and sat down. With the majestic, endless ocean in front of me, I pulled out a book and went to put my headphones in my ears to listen to music when it hit me: why in the world would I want to listen to music when I have the sound of the surf crashing into the shore? I sat there and felt dumb. All of the splendor of the Creation right in front of me and I would rather listen to a dumb song. I’ve become dependent on the imitation.

I feel that God provides so many beautiful things for us to enjoy and we just push them off.

It’s in times like these that you really have to think about what you need. It really isn’t that much. Simple pleasures really. Attempted minimalism might not be that bad…

The last week or so for me has been an emotional one. All the things they tell you in books and classes about being a pastor are true. It can mess with your mind.

There is an idea in the Old Testament known as “Shalom” that talks about being at peace with God. It is the idea that we as human beings do not deserve fellowship with the Creator, but in his grace and mercy he provides a way. It’s doesn’t just make you “feel good”, but rather it is a wholeness that brings contentment to the soul. Friendship with Christ is the avenue. I really believe that the thing that has kept my head on (relatively) straight has been this Shalom. I’ve really tried to get away from the 1-2-3 steps about being a “good” Christian and gotten back to just chilling with Christ. In my world where there is so much stress and so much pressure to succeed, it’s the times that I spend with Him that make me feel content. I could medicate myself by trying to get more stuff, but he brings me contentment.

Contentment is a funny thing. In the Christian community it is often looked down upon because your supposed to continually be one-upping yourself to make God happier (or something). It’s real bologna when you think about it. In the middle of this changing season of my life, I look to the Savior and realize that in Him lies all of what I want; all of want I need; the Shalom of God that passes all understanding. It’s where I find rest for my soul.

What I need: Christ…and maybe a good cup of coffee, a great book, and the ocean.

Shalom.

Regrets

It is sad to say that I haven’t blogged since February. It probably had something to do with the three blizzards we had. Maybe it was just laziness. It is possible that I may have been working on a top secret mission for the U.S. Government. For all intents and purposes, we’ll just call it a sabbatical-hiatus. As you can see, I’ve moved from Blogger to WordPress at the suggestion of some good friends. Here’s a little summary of what’s happened since I last posted back during the ice age:

-I officially graduated from college; meaning I walked across the stage, shook the president’s hand, and got my diploma holder. I received my diploma previously in December.

-I went full-time at the hotel I work at. It was my first real “full-time” job.

-I moved into my first real apartment.

-I started paying school bills. They’re a real treat. Let me tell you.

-I took a job at Ocean City Worship Center in Berlin, Maryland as the Student Ministries Pastor.

In 6 days I am moving to Maryland. During the last 2 weeks or so since I took the job I have really been trying to soak up things here in Philly. Being that I’ll never get to experience living here again (maybe?) I figured it would be a good investment of time. This evening was especially interesting. I decided to take a walk around my alma mater’s nature trail and I started pondering an idea. I have heard a lot of people over the course of my life tell me that they try to live their lives without regrets. What they mean by this (at least what I take from it) is that they try to ignore the things in their past that they wish hadn’t happened and simply look forwards at the future. They don’t dwell on negative things that have happened to them but instead try to move forward making everyday better than the last. It’s almost like pretending that those things didn’t happen in an effort to erase the memories from the mind. To them this is a better way to live because they don’t have to deal as painfully with the past and any future actions aren’t that big of a deal because, hey, living without regrets mean that today actions wont matter tomorrow anyway, theoretically speaking.

–It seems to me like trying to live in a fantasy world.–

Tonight I realized that I would have to politely disagree with the idea of living without regret. Here’s why:

As I walked around the campus it suddenly hit me that everything that I’ve known for the last 5 years is about to not be in my everyday life anymore. It suddenly is all becoming real. And for whatever reason tonight I remembered my times at the Forge and realized just how much time I wasted there. I remembered the first 2 years of my college career and how much I didn’t really care. I remembered the books I never read. I remembered the classes I didn’t pay attention in. I remembered the professors I never got to know. I remembered the friends I made that I didn’t keep up with. I remembered opportunities I didn’t take advantage of…

…all this to say..I regret a lot of things about the last 5 years. I feel that the best way to handle those “regrets” is to actually, well, regret. I have to chose to regret those things because, if I don’t, I won’t be inspired to make the next 5 years any better. I can’t just pretend that they never happened. I can’t make decisions about the future without regret. I feel living without regret is like trying to shoot at a target blindfolded. It’s the mistakes of the past that give us aim for the future, and when we try to understand our mistakes they can help us in the future. I don’t believe that we should dwell on our regrets, however I certainly don’t think we should live like some things never happened. We have to live today with tomorrow in mind, but the best way to live for tomorrow is to regret things in your past.

Regret can be a redeemable foundation by which God can motivate for the future.

…so regret well.

My prayer

I read this today along with Ephesians 2, and both chapters 2 and 3 are outstanding works about how God saved us and the fact that we had nothing to do with it. He doesn’t save us because we are better than anybody else. It’s not because we have something to offer Him. We don’t. It’s simply because of His perfect love for very, very imperfect beings. I look at these passages and realize that if God can save me, then He can save anybody. Read this passage slowly; take in everything it says, and I hope that it brings as much blessing and hope to your day as it has mine:

Ephesians 3:14-20

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love,18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Reading list

It’s been a little while since I last blogged, but I figured that it’s probably better that I think long and hard about what I put on here so that I don’t get caught with my foot in my mouth. I promise that this entry shouldn’t do that. Who knows…maybe it might?

Since graduating from college in December, I’ve had a lot of things demanding my time and it caused me to question my priorities. What really is important to me in my life? One of the things that I never thought would be is reading. Since graduating, reading has become somewhat of a savior to my mind in that because I’m not in classes everyday I no longer feel challenged intellectually. I feel as if over the last four and a half years my mind has become a sponge, and now that the “water” is gone…well…we all know what happens to sponges when they just sit for a while…

I’ve been trying to put together a reading list for myself so that I can put it down somewhere and track my progress. I thought to myself, “Why not put it on the blog?”. I also thought it would be cool if readers would comment at the bottom some suggestions on books that maybe I should add to it. That’s all up to you. Below is my reading list since the turn of the new year, and it will increased as soon as I hear back from you on what I should read. What I have read or am reading will be in bold:

The New Testament Epistles and Acts (God)

Blue Like Jazz (Donald Miller)

The Seven Checkpoints (Andy Stanley)

The Forgotten Ways (Alan Hirsch)

A Series of Unfortunate Events books 1-5 (Lemony Snicket)

How to Read a Book (Mortimor Adler)

Searching for God Knows What (Donald Miller)

Through Painted Deserts (Donald Miller)

To Own a Dragon (Donald Miller)

ReJesus (Alan Hirsch)

Untamed (Alan Hirsch)

Jesus for President (Shane Claiborne)

The Connecting Church (Randy Frazee)

Lectures to My Students (C.H. Spurgeon)

Vintage Jesus (Mark Driscoll)

The Signature Classics (C.S. Lewis)

A Series of Unfortunate Events books 6-13

Ready. Set. Go.

Real men love Jesus…and are humble

Well everybody, it’s February, according to some rodent we have six more weeks of this coldness before we can go outside and actually enjoy it. Regina Spektor is blaring from my Pandora, and if you don’t like that then too bad. I like me some soft “anti-folk” music.

The other day I was walking next to some parked cars and one of them had a sticker on the back, and in all capital letters was this phrase:

REAL MEN LOVE JESUS

Now don’t get me wrong, I have seen these bumper stickers before, and for the most part I’ve never really thought about any of the implications that were being made to those who, by this sticker-displayer’s definition, weren’t “real men”. I’m going to question here how a non-Christian would take the words that were shown on the back of this person’s vehicle if they happened to be driving behind them. What is the person who has put this sticker on the back of their car trying to say to the non-Christian? Here are a couple of theories:

1) “REAL MEN LOVE JESUS, and you obviously aren’t a real man like me.”

2) “REAL MEN LOVE JESUS, and I’m comfortable enough with my masculinity to admit it.”

3) “REAL MEN LOVE JESUS, and you’re not, so that makes me more man than you”

4)”REAL MEN LOVE JESUS, and when you become a Christian you can be a real man just like me.”

5)”REAL MEN LOVE JESUS, and you should love Jesus so that you can be a real man like me.”

I could go on and on, but the point here is that most people would say that they display this (or any other foolish Christian propaganda) on their stuff because they don’t want to be ashamed of being a Christian. Some would even say that this is a “proselytizing” or “witnessing” tool…”We just want to get them saved”…

Oh please.

The common idea in any of our hypothetical thought patterns above is not Jesus, the one whom we should be pointing people to. Instead, when we display stuff like this, we are pointing people to ourselves. We are pointing people to our own pride and the fact that we think we’ve figured out something all on our own and that we are better than other people because of it. Even worse, we act like we had something to do with it. We act like we have made ourselves perfect before God and that somehow God looked down on “us” and saw how well we did things and poured out his approval while the rest of the world continues to live on in failure.

I honestly pray that if you think this way that you would do Jesus a favor and stop.

In Philippians 2 Paul puts together a very beautiful description of how Jesus emptied himself of himself to serve the world. I feel that if our real goal is to win the world we also must do this. We must not be so obsessed with feeding our own egos. We need to stop being so self-righteous by putting up ridiculous window clings and bumper stickers on cars that tell people how good we are. (Heavy, heavy sarcasm; take note)

May I remind you that Christ chose us and that it wasn’t the other way around. We have nothing to offer God. Our righteousness is like a used tampon (aka, a filthy rag).

My resolution? I feel that the best move is to not put up window clings or bumper stickers and continue to fuel the Christian propaganda machine. If you have one that points people to look into YOUR EGO, then take it down. Please. We could be spending our money on so many better things. Consider helping out in the homeless ministry, or sponsoring a child, or giving money to missions work. I really don’t want this blog to come across as rude or anything like that, but something needs to be said because most non-Christians have this view of Christians being self-righteous bigots; and you know what? They’re right. We are.

We need to start practicing what we preach, and instead of telling people how they should be more like us, maybe we could set an example and do good deeds so that non-believers will see and glorify our Father in heaven. Maybe we could put a bumper sticker on the back of our car that says “I’m a dirty sinner and I nailed Jesus to the cross”. At least that says “don’t be like me!” We need to point people to Jesus, not ourselves.

Real men do love Jesus, but they also have an understanding that their salvation was not their own doing. They display it by loving others, not alienating the world from Jesus with Christian propaganda. We will never win the world without following Jesus’ example, and that starts with humility. Everybody is given the invitation to join in on the feast that is to come.

Would you buy this?

Thanks to Kyle Burke’s latest tweet, I thought I’d post this…

Sex Panther Cologne

“60% of the time it works EVERY TIME!”

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Yes, it really exists…

Gotta love Anchorman…