Stewardship Series

26 Jan

This month we have been working through a stewardship series.  We have talked about how we need to be stewards of ourselves, our relationship, our time and (this coming Sunday) our money.

All of these thing are in all of our lives.

All of these things come from God.

How we steward all of these things show us how well we understand the Gospel.

That’s really what stewardship as a follower of Jesus is all about: the Gospel.

Jesus has rescued us, and he wants us to tell that good news to others.  If we look at all the things in our lives as just our things, and not opportunities to move the Gospel forward then we are missing the point.

It’s all about the Gospel.

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I Actually like the Star Wars Prequels

20 Jan

I don’t know about you but the farther I get from the original release of Star Wars eps. I, II, III the more I appreciate them.  The acting is not great, and Jar-Jar Binks is still a painful experience, but the story arc is still good.

Yes I do believe that eps IV, V, & VI stand-alone and they are amazing.  In the original trilogy Luke Skywalker is the hero, Han gets the girl, and the Rebellion defeats the evil Empire.  It’s great.

What George Lucas was trying to do with the prequels is important though.  I think he was trying to show us why Luke matters so much.  Using Anakin Skywalker’s journey from an innocent and gifted child, to an accomplished yet troubled hero, to a man who is willing to do anything to save the woman he loves and ultimately the person who destroyed the Jedis and fell to the Dark Side, George Lucas gave us a character who is troubled and conflicted.  Darth Vader is no longer just the face of evil.  He’s a person who tried to do what he thought was right and he was ultimately decieved.

Star Wars then becomes about the redemption of Anakin Skywalker.  Luke’s mission is not about overthrowing the empire it is about rescuing his father from darkness.  In the process the Emperor is defeated but in the process Luke saves his father.  I find the saga of Anakin Skywalker to be compelling.  I find Luke’s journey to be very interesting.  And I wonder how long we should wait until we reboot eps. I, II, & III and see if we can do it right.  that or just edit out Jar-Jar and replace the actors for Anakin.

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God In A Brothel

19 Jan

Part of my responsibilities at Creekside is to learn how Creekside can engaging in meeting the needs of our community and of the world (Serving and Missions).  I have been overwhelmed by the amount of attention that has been given to human trafficking.  So overwhelmed that I didn’t really have the courage to investigate how to help.  I’m ashamed of that fact.  It’s so easy to see all the big issues in the world and feel like you can’t do anything about it.

I have been personally challenged lately as a follower of Jesus to be doing the things that Jesus said he was all about.  Particularly I have been drawn to Luke 4 where Jesus declares what he is going to do at the outset of his ministry:

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

I’ve been challenged by the notion of proclaiming freedom to the prisoner and setting the oppressed free.  Human Trafficking is modern slavery.  Much of this trafficking is in the sex trade.  Being challenged with this information I decided to finally begin to do some research into how to rescue people from this oppression.  So I ordered God in A Brothel by Daniel Walker.

In this book Walker tells of his own journey in rescuing people from the sex trade.  This book challenges the assumption that one person can’t make a difference.  While I would not recommend that people address this issue the way Walker does, I would recommend that people read this book because it will open your eyes to just how devastating this issue truly is.  Walker is far from perfect but he

It could also be easy to say that Human Trafficking is not an issue in America, but it is.  This is an issue that the church cannot afford to ignore.  I am being challenged in how to help Creekside address this issue and how to set people free.  We have been engaged in building homes which helps give families security and changes their future.  We have begun partnering with WorldVision and their Clean Water Fund, another of the major issues facing the world is the availability of clean water.  Now is the time to set people free and to give those who are stuck in the devastating sex trade hope.

 

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Editors

16 Dec

I’m working through the final round of edits on my Thesis. Some very important questions were asked, and some very helpful suggestions were given.

Part of this process required that I toss half of my introduction.  Such a great suggestion.  It reads much better.

In order to do this I had to come to the painful realization that my words are not an extension of my being.  They are tools that I use to communicate an idea.  Sometimes I need to get rid of some tools.  Usually because they don’w work properly.

It’s very easy to try to defend every idea and sentence that I wrote.  But I want to be a better writer.  When someone who doesn’t live in my head points out that an idea doesn’t work or a sentence isn’t necessary, then I need to listen to those people.

A good editor wants the writer to succeed.  I’m blessed that my editors have all been on my team.

Wouldn’t it be great if we all had editors, people who were trying to help us to make the best possible product, with our whole life.  People who want us to succeed are invaluable.  They come in the shape of mentors, family members, friends.  Listen to them.

God Particle

15 Dec

Has your kid ever asked why is there stuff?

If not then you are pretty lucky because that’s a pretty difficult question to answer.

As a Christian I believe that everything had it’s origin in God.  But why is there matter and stuff and why does that stuff matter, that’s where things get complicated.

Scientists have been trying to find this thing called the Higgs-Boson particle that theoretically could give some understanding to why things have matter.  It is completely theoretical because no one has ever seen it.  It’s been called the God particle and as Alister McGrath explains in this article it’s actually a great place to begin the search for God.

I am going to paste the last half of the article in this blog becuase I think Mcgrath gives some helpful understanding for the importance of science and how it relates to Christian faith.  The two are not mutually exclusive.

Some tell us that science is about what can be proved. The wise tell us it is really about offering the best explanations of what we see, realising that these explanations often cannot be proved, and may sometimes lie beyond proof. Science often proposes the existence of invisible (and often undetectable) entities – such as dark matter – to explain what can be seen. The reason why the Higgs boson is taken so seriously in science is not because its existence has been proved, but because it makes so much sense of observations that its existence seems assured. In other words, its power to explain is seen as an indicator of its truth.

There’s an obvious and important parallel with the way religious believers think about God. While some demand proof that God exists, most see this as unrealistic. Believers argue that the existence of God gives the best framework for making sense of the world. God is like a lens, which brings things into clearer focus. As the Harvard psychologist William James pointed out years ago, religious faith is about inferring “the existence of an unseen order” in which the “riddles of the natural order” can be explained.

There’s more to God than making sense of things. But for religious believers, it’s a great start.

 

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Stewardship [or] All About (all) the Benjamins

12 Dec

I am currently working on a series of sermons about Stewardship.  As a pastor, when I use the word stewardship the common assumption is that I’m going to talk about money.  If I say, I’m doing a series on stewardship, people hear, “Here come four week talking about money, give more, give more, give more.”

Can I be completely honest and vulnerable about something here on my blog.  (I’m going to anyway so deal with it.)  I hate this common understanding of stewardship.  I hate it because it is just too narrow.

Am I going to talk about money?  Yes.  1 week.  Am I going to talk about tithing and giving offerings?  Yes.

I have said before and I will say again, I will never apologize for talking about money at Creekside because no one is getting rich at Creekside.  If all of a sudden all the pastors pull up in Bentleys then we will start apologizing for talking about money so much.  (Just between you and me, we are so far from that becoming a possibility.)

Another part of my problem with the common understanding of stewardship is that all that matters is Tithes and Offerings.  These stewardship campaigns often feel like, the goal is simply to increase tithes and offerings.  To give a shot in the arm for the year to make sure that we keep making budget.  Ministry has expenses, there is no way around that, and at Creekside we try to run a pretty tight ship to make sure that we are getting the most of the resources that people have given in tithes and offerings.  So it’s important to talk about the importance of giving, and we do that every week.

But stewardship, and specifically talking about financial stewardship is more than just tithes and offerings.  God cares about every penny that you spend.  And he cares because he gave it to you, and he wants you to use it towards his purposes in the world and his purposes for your life.

Pay your bills, enjoy your life, there is nothing wrong with doing these things.  But stewardship is so much bigger than just making sure people tithe.  Tithes and offerings are a key indicator in spiritual growth and if people are truly trusting God, but so is whether or not you are spending wrecklessly on credit, or if you are neglecting your financial responsibilites.

All of that is also stewardship.

I think we would all benefit, church attenders and church leaders, to take into account that God has called us all to be disciples, not just on Sunday but every day where ever we go.  And not just with 10% of our gross income, but with every dollar.  God cares about all of our life, and how we are using all that he has given to us to advance his mission of grace to the world.  And he cares about the Benjamins, all of them, as well as the little copper Lincolns.

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Science and Faith

30 Nov

I’m not very smart in a lot of areas, and one of those areas is science.  Because I never felt like I needed to learn science-y stuff.  I took chemistry because there was promise of explosions (thank Mr. Hilty).

But lately, I have been compelled to reconsider my understanding of faith and science and how they interact.  This has led me to have some really interesting conversations, but more importantly it has led me to trust God more and more as I talk about scientific investigations that some might feel could discredit my faith.  This has not happened at all.  My faith, I feel, has actually become stronger.

One of the blogs I read is from Professor of Philosophy Jamie Smith.  Smith was the prof. of one of the most impacting classes in my entire MATC at Northwest University.  He posted this blog about an organization called The Colossian Forum, which is trying to help foster conversations between science and faith.  I watched this video today and was encouraged about the science and faith discussion, and reminded that truly all things hold together in Christ.  If you are intersted in the Colossian Forum go check them out.

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Crazy Weekend

10 Nov

The next few days have a pretty crazy rhythm.

Tonight – I have a wedding rehearsal.  Kathy is also working tonight.

Tomorrow – I am doing the wedding.  Kathy is scheduled to work as well.

Saturday – Creekside Comedy for Missions event.  Looking forward to it, I’m even going to do a short set.

Sunday – I’m preaching 9am, 11am and 6pm and I’m starting a new round of pre-marriage counseling at 4:30 pm.

Monday – VACATION DAY!!!!

It’s going to be a pretty busy couple of days but it’s going to be a lot of fun.  And Monday is going to be a great vacation day.

Sometimes my schedule gets crazy on accident, sometimes there are seasons of Crazy.  The important thing that I have learned is what kind of rhythm I need to survive the craziness.  Fortunately I have a lot of vacation days to use up still (I don’t know how) so looking at the craziness of this weekend I need Monday to rest and recharge.

What’s your rhythm?  Do you take breaks before your a busy season or after?

Love Is A Weapon To Destroy Evil

7 Nov 
 
This is a great photo blog featuring people from Rwanda who have been torn apart by Genocide.  
Grace and reconciliation are powerful forces. 

Check it out here.

 
"Love is a weapon to destroy evil."

Erasing Hate

2 Nov

Erasing Hate

This is Bryon.  Bryon is a reformed neo-nazi.  He used his tattoos to show his beliefs to the world.  When he had a change of heart and realized the destructive path he was on, he didn’t want to project that hate to the world anymore and so he went through the painful process of having his tattoos removed.

You can see the AP story here:

and you can see the trailer for the documentary Erasing Hate here:

Bryon considered this process a form of pennance for all the pain that he inflicted on others.

Wow.

Here’s the really amazing thing.  While no one can see my sins, Jesus bore all the pain of my sin on the Cross.  When God looks at me, he doesn’t see my sin anymore, he see’s Jesus.  What Bryon went through to change his physical appearance, Jesus endured something even worse to change Bryon’s and yours and my spiritual appearance.  That’s incredible grace and Jesus did that.

When God looks at us he sees Jesus grace.  When we look at others do we have that same kind of Grace perspective?  Do we see how Jesus wants to change people?  Or do we simply see the sin?

I’m amazed by Bryon’s story.  And I’m glad that he was able to transform his face, and I hope that his story will help many people to see the error and destruction of racism.  And I hope that this story will help us to see that even the people that we don’t think can ever be changed, can in fact be transformed.

Jesus please help me to walk in grace!

 

 

 

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