Honduras (better late than never)

On Saturday 3-12-11 at 6:00 am Creekside’s Honduras Home Build Team departed from Seattle, WA. We were traveling to The Island of Roatan, Honduras. A long exhausting Day of travel to be sure. When we landed we were met by Tom Hackett, director of Alternative Missions and Dwellings. This was our second home build with Tom. Last year we built a home in rural Mexico.
We were also met my Carlos, the owner of Casa Isabella, the hotel we stayed at for the duration of our trip.

As the leader of this group I was nervous about how we would all get along, if we would get in each other’s way with the home build, if we would even get the home done, if we were all going to get violently ill with explosive diarrhea. Only one of those things was a problem for our team. I’ll give you a hint, it rhymes with iarrhea.

Something that I learned from last years trip was the importance of a daily group times for reflection, prayer, and bible study. This year I came to Roatan with a plan, and I was determined to stick to the plan.

I’m not a builder. I can lift heavy things and that’s what I did on the job site. I don’t have many skills beyond that when it comes to anything construction-y. So I can’t really speak to how quickly and efficiently the house was built. I can say it was quick and efficient and we were able to work on 3 houses in one week which was awesome!

What I can speak to is how well the team related to each other. I’ve been on enough church related trips to know that they don’t always go smoothly.  Some trips have a lot of interpersonal drama. Some trips have individuals who are sent home early. Some trips you come home from committed to never do a trip like that again.

I’m happy to report that this trip was not one of those trips. Our team got along excellently. We all still like each other. And we became better friends in the process. At Creekside I oversee missions, serving, community and spiritual growth. It was amazing to see all of these things happening on this trip. We would have really great conversations at the end of the day about the book of James. We were able to take some time to get to know each other and build community. And we did all of this around a project of serving the poor in another country. It was amazing.
My prayer moving forward is that all of our trips would be experiences where we grow together, serve others, and strengthen community.

We came home 3-19-11 and I know that this adventure was life changing for all involved. Many are looking forward to the next opportunity to serve like this again. My prayer is that we would not wait for an official opportunity to serve but that we will see the opportunities all around us everyday.

Brea Bursch put together a great slideshow

Links to check out
cyephotography.com
Alternativemissions.com
DwellingsNow.com

Modern Proverbs

We’re in the middle of a sermon series at Creekside called the Wise Path.  We are examining different topic in the book of proverbs.  Part of this sermon series was creating a series of shorts called Modern Proverbs.

This were a lot of fun to help create and if you are a Creekside member and wondering where you can find them they are available on our website here.

You can also find them on vimeo.com/creeksideshorts/

But here are all the videos we’ve used so far:

Wisdom and Fear of the LORD

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Creation and Wisdom

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Wisdom Heals

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Wicked Women

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Avoid Wicked Men

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Parenting

Vodpod videos no longer available.

The Sluggard

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Enjoy

The GOSPEL

This is a great 5 minute presentation of the Gospel.  Creatively presented and compelling.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

 

The Gospel should always be compelling.  Unfortunately we spend so much time in the minutae that I think we lose sight of what the Gospel is really all about.  We debate over atonement theories, and soteriology, almost like we need to tell God how to do his job, because it’s really important to Him that we understand all that he does.

It is important to study theology.  It is important to know what we believe and why.  But we should never lose sight of these truths:

  • The Gospel is the greatest story that was ever told.
  • God’s love is really big
  • We are the problem with this world
  • God provided the solution through Jesus’ Cross and Resurrection

Do we really need to know how it all works?  Do we really need to foot note those truths that we find in the Bible with the words of theologians who lived thousands of years after the event?

Whenever I read the Gospel accounts I find that Jesus is way more compelling than our Theology or Christology or Soteriology makes him out to be.

So in all the debates about salvation that are going around the internet and in churches, let us not lose sight that the Gospel is an amazing story of God’s love for us.  And let us not lose sight of the fact that we need to tell people about Jesus.  And let us not lose sight that we are to continue the work that Jesus started, through the power of the Holy Spirit!

We have a mission before us.  Stop fighting, and tell the good news.  Our hope should be that all will accept God’s story of rescuing his people! That should be our motivation.  Our motivation should not be that our side is right and their side is wrong.  Stop!  Tell the Gospel story.

I should stop before I get angry.

(thanks to Josh Hebert for the heads up on this video)

Groups Coach

Yesterday I talked about the importance of starting and maintaining the projects that you know you can pour yourself into.

One of the projects that I have started and I want to make sure that I can keep focused on and maintain a strong level of commitment to is Groups Coach

Groups Coach is a training initiative for our Groups Ministry at Creekside Church.  The goal is to produce a weekly 10 minute podcast that our leaders can listen to for quick training sessions.  The beauty of the podcast is that it’s available when the leaders are available instead of trying to work everybody’s schedule into a meeting.  There will still be needs for meetings of course, but this way training will be in small doses instead of trying to drink from the fire hose.

Out of this there is also a blog project to post groups and community related articles and ideas.

And this is a resource that I want to give away for free.

So if there are any folks out there who need resources for training group leaders, then please check out Groups Coach, and please tell your friends, colleagues pets etc know about it as well.

The Groups Coach Blog  GroupsCoach.tumblr.com

Groups Coach Twitter: twitter.com/groupscoach

email ideas for groups coach to coachinggroups@gmail.com

Starting

Starting is both the easy part of an idea and the hardest part.

Starting is easy because if you start an idea it’s just one step in the process, you can cross it off your to-do list, you can move on.

Starting is the hardest part because if it’s a truly worthwhile idea then you must be able to sustain the idea.

Starting writing a book

Starting a new project at work

Starting a new bible reading plan

Starting a health initiative

Starting a new friendship

Starting a new business partnership

All of these things are fairly easy to start, but the real pay off on these worthwhile ideas is way past the starting point.  The payoff is when you’ve maintained that same energy and focus that you needed to start the idea 6 months down the line, when the book is finished, when your friendship has lasted 16 years, when you’re about to reach your health goals.

Starting then becomes the easiest part.

So of all the ideas that you have, all the projects you’d like to start, what are the things that you know that you can maintain.  Go after those with everything you have.

Slow Down

Seriously, unless you are driving an ambulance going as fast as you can will only burn you out.  Can you slow down long enough to recharge go after the project you are working after backing off for a bit?  Don’t burn yourself out for your passion.  We have to work in our passion in a way that is sustainable for the long haul.

 

Slow Down for a second and reflect on what you are up to.

Slow Down and reflect about what God is up to.

Slow Down and assess the state of the people on the journey with you.

Slow Down.

Fear God, not the world

I received Church Dogmatics for Christmas, and when I have a few moments I like to read a bit.  Also, I can only digest a little bit at a time.  Today I read this and I was encouraged and challenged.

The Church should fear God and not fear the world.  But only if an as it fears God need it cease to fear the world.  If it does not fear God, then it is not helped at all but genuinely endangered if it fears the world, listens to its opposition, considers its attitude, and accepts all kinds of responsibilities towards it, no matter how necessary and justified may be the criticism it receives from this quarter.

The Church’s biggest responsibility is to Fear God with awe and reverence, and not to fear the world.  Fear of the world is what drives the church away from the Gospel.  But if the church rightly fears God, then the Gospel work will continue.

 

Assurance vs. Certainty

I had a fun twitter debate (tweebate?) with my ol’ college pal Matt (@ireadtheology).

I posted this:

“There is a difference between assurance and certainty. Assurance requires faith. Certainty does not.”

This verse is part of what inspired the above statement:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Now The point is not that certainty is the opposite of faith.  Rather, certainty is not the point of faith.

1 Corinthians 13:9-12  9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Some day God’s people will have absolute certainty, and our faith will be fulfilled.  Until that day we must be content with assurance that God is at work, that God has a plan, that God’s promises are true.  And God is trustworthy.  These promises and plans of God will come to pass.  I can have confidence in God through my faith.

The reason that this is important is because Certainty is a stumbling block for those who are seeking God.  Also Certainty is often used as a weapon towards those who disagree with you..  The rhetoric of Certainty builds walls instead of bridges to the world.

When we claim that we are certain then people expect us to have all the answers.  I can’t do that.

When we claim that we are certain we read the Bible looking for proofs and it becomes a science text book.  And I don’t think that’s the purpose of the Bible.

My Faith tells me that God Created the world.  If I’m completely honest with you, I’m not 100% certain how God did that.  The Bible gives us a 6 day creation.  I still don’t know how that happened.  If God created the world in 6 days, and rested on the 7th.  I have enough faith to say that God could do that (he is God after all).  But I don’t have enough certainty to fight someone over it.

The Bible tells me that Jesus died on the Cross for my Sins.  I have to accept that by faith because I really have no idea how that all works.  I don’t have a certain answer for what that would look like, and the process for how Jesus applies that grace to cover over my sins.  My faith is big enough to accept that though, and live in that promise.

Can I be honest with people and tell them I’m not certain how all this works, and I don’t have all the answers, and I have moments of doubt and confusion, where all I have to cling to is my faith.

Does that make me a bad Christian? Does that make me a bad Pastor?  Or is that exactly what Jesus wanted from his followers when he said”

2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 18:2-4)

My children are not looking for certainty in our relationship.  I have to live in a way that gives them assurance that I will always love them and always be there for them.  That assurance is pretty close to certainty for them because they have no reason to doubt it.

Example:  On wednesday morning my daughter woke up at 4:30 AM crying and came out into the hallway.  When I came to her I asked her what was wrong and she said, “I need a hug.”

In that moment I can be angry and tell her, “No, it’s night time, and you need to go back to bed.”  Or I can give her the hug that she’s looking for in the middle of the night and assure her that her daddy is always there to give her a hug.

So I gave her a hug and she went right back to bed.

Joss has assurance that I love her, and that’s all she needs right now.

We can have assurance the God loves us and has provided grace to us through the Cross of Christ.  And that assurance is good enough for me.

 

Thoughts On Vision Prayer

Thanks to everyone who came out to vision prayer last night.  Such an encouraging time of community prayer and worship.

Events like vision prayer are where the church gets to be the Family of Christ.  Sunday gatherings are designed for guest.  It’s like inviting the neighbors over for the party.  Vision Prayer is where we do the household work.  And the work of the household of Christ is Prayer and worship.

We cannot (and should not try to) do the work of the church with out first going to the Lord in prayer.

It was great to have a time of encouragement from team members.  To pray with and for the staff.  To keep Jesus and his mission central in all things that we do at Creekside.

Looking forward to the next one.