crossing a bridge

2002 was an amazing year for me. Not better than now...just different. I had never written a poem or story in my life yet in 02, I penned dozens of stories, poems and thoughtful wanderings. It started while traveling on a 60 year old cargo plane heading to Haiti with a team of some of my favorite people on earth and the experience lasted for 10 months. One summer day that year...call it a vision or a dream...whatever...I had this sense of what Heaven is like.

Crossing a Bridge

Slowly, calmly I ascend a staircase of crystal. My senses seem confused here. It's like I feel colors and I hear exactly what everyone is thinking as I pass them and they’re thinking beautiful things. Everything is illuminated with a light I’ve never seen. The light I used to feel in my heart now lights the stairs. The absence of evil is breathtaking replaced with a freedom of spirit that permeates every thought and action.

He is here! Not just a sense of His presence. He is here! His voice audibly rumbles with force yet remains somehow tender. You hear that Voice in the same way I remember the sound of traffic and trains. Ever present, in the background, reminding you of an ongoing flow of life. Everywhere you look, He is there.

The subtle things you notice gradually are the most amazing. You are no longer subject to bouts of sadness. You’re first inclinations are positive and servant minded. Self makes no sense here. This is a land of us. No earthly song, painting, poem or story about this place even came close. The attention to detail is so marred by sin on earth that we never really see the true brilliance of our Creator under the deep layers of dust and soot brought about by the fall.

Each of us has one or two brief moments in life where absolutely everything seems perfect. The realization of a dream, falling in love, having a child. The intense feelings that those precious few moments generate are mere shavings of the eternal mood of this place.

Slowly, calmly I ascend a staircase of crystal. The sound of a thousand choirs reverberate in the Grand room. My tears, my struggles with sin, the dark moments of doubt and the seasons of silence are behind me now. As my foot rests on the top step…He calls me by name.

Fun for me is riding my bike. My wife and kids recently gave me a new hybrid model and I can’t thank them enough for the pleasure this thing brings me. It’s a mountain bike frame and gear system with touring bike speed wheels. I literally fly on it. My first fall will make a memory for sure. Went riding last night and the lyrics from this song came to mind. They were actually written by my favorite artist Bruce Cockburn who also loves the two wheel. The drum track has the same cadence as bike pedals clicking at a good steady speed. He wrote this on his first bike ride through Montreal the day he relocated there. Great snapshot lyrics written on his bike pedaling through the inner-city.

My Beat

Past the derelict mattress and the overgrown pavement--over the tracks and through the hole in the fence. Past graffiti-bright buildings and the junkyard alarm bell and the screaming police cars...it's all present tense

It's my beat

In my new town

Past the drunk woman reeling with her bag of provisions--down through the tunnel with the stink-fume bus on to the bike path where it's something like freedom and the wind in my ear-ring whispers..Trust what you must!

It's my beat

In my new town

Ancient and always--the wheel's ever whirling. Today I'm riding. Tomorrow I walk. Step through forever into this very moment...the heart is pumping and the heart rocks

It's my beat

In my new town

great video

I was reading a post from Tim Stevens-Granger Church. This is a strong creative on prayer from God's perspective that they are using for their latest sermon series.

viva la vida

I love Coldplay! A young friend of mine nailed why this band makes such sense to people. He said their music “satisfies so many emotions all at the same time.” It’s true.

Picked up Viva La Vida yesterday and really love about half the material. I know the rest will fall into place over time. Violet Hill instantly proved to be important to me. Great song on every level. I found it interesting that the band took acoustic guitars and basic recording equipment to really old church buildings in Europe because they thought the history and intent of the ancient buildings may provide something unique to the sound of the project.

Russert

Tim Russert seemed like the real deal. A man who stood for something bigger than himself. I loved his enthusiasm when he dug into a politically charged discussion. Politics has never really lit me up but when I wanted a responsible point of view politically, I always favored hearing from Tim. Beyond politics, I think his biggest contribution to culture has been the discussion that he started on parenting via his two books. Big Russ and Me, a tribute to his father and Wisdom of our Fathers. When Tim was promoting the first book, thousands of people shared with him how their own dads impacted their lives. He received 55,000 emails and read every one of them. He compiled many of those stories in Wisdom.

Tim was an only son and he only had one child himslef…his son Luke. Take a minute to listen to an amazing tribute from a son to his dad on his first Fathers Day without him.

Thanks C!

It was fun to use my buddy C as part of the weekend sermon. So many people came up to him after the service to say "hello." His new found fame kind of freaked him out.

After church, I spent the whole afternoon hanging with C in my yard as we all celebrated father's day. He put on a clinic demonstrating his dependence on us as he nearly fell into the pond, tried to uproot my plants, flipped over his bike, hung upside down from the glider, ate a buffets worth of yard junk, chased biting bugs, chewed on his shoe, yanked his sisters hair and downed my piece of pie. Yep, he confirmed that I’m one of his support people and I LOVE MY JOB!

I gain a glimpse of God’s love for all of us when I watch the C. Personally, He has walked into my messes and feeble attempts to soar on my own. He has wiped clean my wounds and protects me from evil. Happy Father of fathers Day!

Reality Check--Tomorrow!

It’s crazy how fast things are moving. Seems Al and I just talked yesterday about doing a series called Reality Check and now I’m finishing up week #5. Thanks to all the people who have emailed or stopped me in the hall to say the series has been helpful. That’s sure an answer to my prayers. It’s not often that all of us are on the same page at any stage in life but in terms of this weeks Reality Check…we are all on the exact same page. We all face the mystery of tomorrow. As James shifts his letter to the topic of tomorrow in chapter 4, he uses his strongest language thus far. “Now listen…” The original language indicates he is asking for the reader to stop everything and pay attention. The only other place in the NT this expression is used is 5 sentences later when calling attention to the misuse of wealth. James is speaking to a very young Christianity. The church has only been in existence for roughly 15-20 years. His general letter to Christians indicates that young believers were struggling to be Christ like in the areas of facing trials—communicating properly—showing favoritism and demonstrating weak faith. This can’t be and the only way to change things is to refocus them on living properly today and honoring God in the future. This is what we will be discussing in our sermon time over the weekend. The audio will be posted on our website at some point next week. To listen simply click here. I deeply thank you for the privilege of sharing from the scriptures here at Grace Church.

To escape the distress caused by regret for the past or fear about the future, this is the rule to follow: leave the past to the infinite mercy of God, the future to his good providence; give the present wholly to his love by being faithful to his grace. ~Jean-Pierre de Caussade

Reality Check-Faith

I have really enjoyed working with Pastor Al on the Reality Check series. I’m sure he would agree that preparing for and teaching the Reality Check points each week has been a challenging experience. We have had to pass our own lives through the very practical and blunt teachings of James to see how we measure up in the areas of problem solving, communicating well with others and dealing with favoritism. This week, I look at some tough questions in regards to our faith. James says “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith save him? Faith is far more than the words we speak or the claims we make. Faith has a partner named deeds or actions. Our faith in Christ comes alive when we put into action what we believe. Below are just a few of the random notes/thoughts and articles I reviewed in prepping for this week. Also, if you missed any of the past Reality Check topics, simply click here to listen online. Have an extraordinary day!

"Little Faith" or partial, inneffective faith as seen through Jesus' eyes:

1. Seen in weak understanding in regards to God's care for us—MATT. 6:30. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith'
2. Seen in fear—MATT. 8:26. He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
3. Seen in doubt—MATT. 14:31. Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
4. Seen in wrong thinking—MATT. 16:8. Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread'
5. Seen in failure—MATT. 17:20. He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Faith and reason, Christian Apologetics in a World Community: W. Dyrness

Faith is relying on what God has done rather than on one’s own efforts. In the Old Testament, faith is rarely mentioned. The word trust is used frequently, and verbs like believe and rely are used to express the right attitude to God. The classic example is Abraham, whose faith was reckoned as righteousness (Gen. 15:6). At the heart of the Christian message is the story of the cross: Christ’s dying to bring salvation. Faith is an attitude of trust in which a believer receives God’s good gift of salvation (Acts 16:30-31) and that awareness thereafter (Gal. 2:20; cf. Heb. 11:1).

Characteristics of Mature Faith: In a national study of Protestant churches done in 1990, Peter Benson and Carolyn Eklin surveyed hundreds of people and distilled seven characteristics of a mature faith. You may not agree with everything on their list, but it’s still instructive to look at their conclusions.

1. Trusts in God’s saving grace and believes firmly in the humanity and divinity of Jesus.
2. Experiences a sense of personal well-being, security, and peace.
3. Integrates faith and life, seeing work, family, social relationships, and political choices as part of one’s religious life.
4. Seeks spiritual growth through study, reflection, prayer, discussion with others.
5. Seeks to be part of a community of believers who give witness to their faith and support and nourish one another.
6. Holds life-affirming values, including commitment to racial and gender equality, affirmation of cultural diversity, and a personal sense of responsibility for the welfare of others.
7. Serves humanity, consistently and passionately, through acts of love and justice.

I would recommend you either believe God up to the hilt, or else not to believe at all. Believe this book of God, every letter of it, or else reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deeps of divine revelation; a faith that paddles about the edge of the water is poor faith at best. It is little better than a dry-land faith, and is not good for much. - C. H. Spurgeon

I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath—these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely—these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, “We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact.” But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality. - Dr. E. Stanley Jones

Two incredible charactors James uses to champion his illustration of faith and action working together:

• Rahab the Prostitute: The book of Joshua introduces us to one of the most amazing and thought provoking women of the Old Testament. Rahab, the prostitute earned unique praise for her faith, and a place in the lineage of Christ. Certainly the faith this one women revealed demonstrates the potential we all have; yet she also reminds us to not judge--how many of us would expect a great act of faith from a hooker? How many of us would not only have walked by her house, but crossed to the other-side of the street so as not to be contaminated. Yet, God blessed this women by putting her in the lineage of Christ. God's blessings come in surprising packages.
  


• Abraham: Abraham, is larger than life and lives to the ripe old age of 175. He leaves his father and journeys into the wilderness at God's request. God promises to make of Abraham "a great nation," but he has no son until he is a very old man. He travels from modern day Iraq, through Canaan, to Egypt and back to Canaan. His wife Sarah is so beautiful that twice he asks her to identify as his sister so that powerful men will not kill him to have her. As a result, she becomes the property of a pharaoh and a king, who pay Abraham richly to keep it secret that they were with a married woman. Lot was Abraham's nephew and so we get the shocking story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Sarah is apparently barren, so Abraham has a child, Ishmael, by her slave Hagar. Then when Sarah is a very old woman, she finally has a son. Jealous of Ishmael and his mother, Sarah orders Abraham to cast them out into the wilderness-the desert-where they nearly die. God saves them by revealing water and then promises to make a powerful nation of Ishmael. After his many years of wanting children, at God's demand, Abraham not only casts out Ishmael, but also agrees to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Sarah dies at 127, and Abraham buys land for his wife and his eventual burial at Hebron. Abraham eventually remarries and, now a very old man, has six sons by his wife Keturah. But when he dies, he leaves everything he possesses to Isaac.
  
  

wisdom

As I was getting ready for the day, I had the TV on and was listening to a pastor teach about wisdom. I love when God uses even backdrop communication to embed something into our thinking. I’m in several situations where people I work with are struggling for clarity and wisdom in making life changing decisions. The guy on the TV said, “Let me give you my definition for wisdom.” A word like wisdom by its very nature seems to require a pretty lofty definition, so I paused from what I was doing and listened a little closer. “Wisdom, he goes on to say, is having the ability to discern the difference.” The difference between what? The difference between everything. Wisdom helps us pick right over wrong, a good choice over a bad one. Wisdom plays a key role in our relationships. Some people, because of consistent negative influence, need to remain a part of our past. Others who are in our lives now, need to continue to play a key role in our tomorrow. Wisdom helps frame such things. When I'm counseling, I’ll ask people to paint me a picture of their interaction with the Bible. How key a role does it play in their day to day? Sometimes they roll their eyes as if to say, “point me toward something more tangible.” I honestly believe the Bible is God’s wisdom documented for us so we can know the difference. There is a huge difference between our natural wisdom and the wisdom that comes from a mind soaked in scripture.

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:1-6