This morning I awoke to Rowan's adorable voice calling my name (daddy) from his room upstairs. As I arrived in his room he was at the end of his bed in utter frustration trying to get his sock on. I helped him put on his sock, then I made my way into Zyan's room. Zyan was up and ready to get out of his crib, together we made our way downstairs to the couch. Before we could get to the couch, Zyan and I were still making our way down the stairs, Rowan found an old children's book about the story of Jesus and Easter. He desperately wanted to read it, I wasn't that excited to read it to him. The story wasn't well written, it was long and detailed and the pictures were weird. But Rowan loves to read and this morning he just had to read this book. So I told him the story page by page adding and summarizing the story myself in order to help him understand what was happening. After we finished the book, Rowan wanted to read it again, which I thought was strange since the first time through I didn't find it that interesting. After I was done the second time he started asking me questions about the story and about Jesus. Eventually I asked him if he'd like to have Jesus in his heart. I explained that having Jesus in his heart meant that Jesus would always be with him, that Jesus loved him, that he could always talk to Jesus and that Jesus would help him become good boy. He said "yes I want Jesus in my heart". And so I prayed with him. The whole moment took me by surprise. It wasn't the first time I had talked to Rowan about Jesus and his love and His desire to be his friend. But this morning Rowan initiated a keen interest in Jesus, it was like the Spirit had chosen this morning to capture my sons heart in a simple way. I almost missed it, I was still tired and trying to settle into my morning routine of sitting with the boys and watching cartoons. Later when we went up for breakfast I told Julie about Rowan's decision and together we encouraged him about this decision. As I think back to this morning I thank Jesus for pursuing us. More then anything I want my boys to become followers of Jesus too. I want them to know his love, I want them to experience his calling on their life to become men who are known simply as passionate Christ followers. I know this morning was only part of Rowan's journey, but I am so grateful for it.
Thanks Jesus
Thursday, May 03, 2012
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
More Thoughts - Review of Love Wins by Rob Bell
So, after processing this for a while. I need to say I don't know the heart of Rob Bell, whether or not his intentions were to create a stir. I choose to expect the best and in doing so I see Rob simply wrestling with the questions many of us if we are honest wrestle with to. My area of greatest tension with this book comes with the speculation that God will give those in this age who choose not to follow Him more opportunities to choose Him. I feel this strips the Church of urgency and purpose. Not that God doesn't have the means to offer second chances, and not that I believe this isn't an option. I simply don't feel this assumption does us any good. Why not go with the now, the present, the certain option. Why give people hope in something that may not be certain? Yes I believe love wins, but Bell explains that love is free will, love does win for those who have chosen not to follow Jesus now. As much as I want them to choose otherwise.
I am grateful to Bell for opening this conversation. And I like that he's okay with people like me disagreeing with him. I like that he leaves room for a spectrum of interpretations.
I guess I'm just wrestling with the consequences of his speculation. What is it's affect on how we the Church be the Church?
I am grateful to Bell for opening this conversation. And I like that he's okay with people like me disagreeing with him. I like that he leaves room for a spectrum of interpretations.
I guess I'm just wrestling with the consequences of his speculation. What is it's affect on how we the Church be the Church?
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Review of Love Wins by Rob Bell
Many Christians I've encountered over the past 8 years have had mixed feelings about Rob Bell. Most of the feelings have stemmed from jealousy at his creativity, charisma, style of communicating the gospel and widespread popularity. It's been 8-9 years since I first encountered Nooma's which has been the main outlet that has popularized Rob Bell. In a blog I posted a number of years ago I defended Bell, indicating that he wasn't a false prophet by putting forth the fruit of his ministry and personal life. Over the years I've admired his humility, his gentle questioning of evangelical tradition in order to help move us to own and understand our belief's, but most of all I've admired how he has gracefully accepted criticism and abuse by other Christians, never throwing punches back.
In his most recent book "Love Win's" Bell has thrown a massive blow, and plenty of pokes back. In his opening preface paragraph he mocks the basic foundational understanding of heaven and hell of practically every evangelical calling it "misguided and toxic". He then spends the next half of this book pushing every button you can imagine. One button that upset me was 5 words packed in a small little sentence most people would miss (the woman who wrote Hebrews), were did this come from? Bell is a brilliant mind and he knew's exactly what he is doing, he knows exactly who his audience is and how to stir them into a frenzy. It's not that he doesn't have some valid points, it's just that for a book titled "Love Wins" it seems to lack love for it's readers. Bell's primary calling is a pastor, and God has chosen to use him to feed a mass load of sheep from North America and beyond. This book leaves the average sheep feeling like a failure and confused.
I've read Velvet Elvis, Sex God and Jesus Wants to Save Christians and never has Bell been so arrogant. Near the end of the book he addresses his audience with that pastor heart that I've become accustomed to sharing with us the story of when he first accepted Christ at his beside with his parents. Bell then goes on to speak into the impact of how some of the idea's he has presented might affect his traditional evangelical reader encouraging us to continue on this journey. At this point in the book it's too late. The majority of his reader's will never make it to the concluding chapter. I get it, I understand his dramatic style, I was at his preaching conference. I just don't think he effectively pastored us into this enormous conversation, and that really frustrates me.
I believe Bell's has a couple purposes for writing this book. It's clear he wrote to challenge the average Christian's view on heaven and hell. His thoughts on hell come out on page 82 as he says "Jesus did not use hell to try and compel "heathens" and "pagans" to believe in God, so they wouldn't burn when they die. He talked about hell to very religious people to warn them about the consequences of straying from their God-given calling and identity to show the world God's love". It seems clear to me that Bell is tired of Christians making assumptions about hell and who will be there, he desires instead to challenge these Christians on their understanding of hell, to stop them from trying to scare people into heaven. He does the same kind of thing with the typical Christian understanding of heaven, challenging us to stop concerning ourselves with getting "there" and focusing on bringing the thing's of God here into the present. Okay simple enough conversation.
But here's where things get a bit dicey, and this happens at about at the halfway point of the book. Bell obviously has some issues with the general assumption of "who is going where" and begins to speculate and create new assumptions. No longer is he poking his reader by asking questions, presenting many scriptures that force us to question our understanding of heaven and hell and how we as Christ followers use our understanding. Now Bell is firing away with his own (and possibly Martin Luther/C.S. Lewis's) speculations. At this point I'm not just sure he accomplishes his intentions for speculation. It seems he wants the us as Christians to do a better job communicating the love of God, he wants us to do a better job at communicating the beauty of God's redemptive work on the cross in Jesus, the hope that God is about, that Jesus is about saving everyone. And I agree I want us to do a better job at this to, however I'm not sure the speculations on "who is going where" actually helps us accomplish this.
Here's some of his speculations
What responses will/have these speculations create in us?
So in conclusion. I'm not intending to join the bash Rob Bell campaign. However I'm disappointed that Bell seemed to stray from his giftedness and humility. The conversation needed to happen and is happening but it's happening in the midst of a ton of disunity. Bell made it to number 3 on the most tweeted list but at least half of the discussion is out of anger. Did he really have to poke so much. For the record I'm not there with the majority of Bell's speculations. I agree I'm not the judge of the hearts of humans, I don't know exactly how things will go down. I do believe the Church and Christ followers need to be more concerned with bringing the things of God to the present and we need to stop focusing on getting out of here. I agree we shouldn't use the concept of hell to scare people into heaven. However I am certain that who I live for today is a choice I can make now.
In his most recent book "Love Win's" Bell has thrown a massive blow, and plenty of pokes back. In his opening preface paragraph he mocks the basic foundational understanding of heaven and hell of practically every evangelical calling it "misguided and toxic". He then spends the next half of this book pushing every button you can imagine. One button that upset me was 5 words packed in a small little sentence most people would miss (the woman who wrote Hebrews), were did this come from? Bell is a brilliant mind and he knew's exactly what he is doing, he knows exactly who his audience is and how to stir them into a frenzy. It's not that he doesn't have some valid points, it's just that for a book titled "Love Wins" it seems to lack love for it's readers. Bell's primary calling is a pastor, and God has chosen to use him to feed a mass load of sheep from North America and beyond. This book leaves the average sheep feeling like a failure and confused.
I've read Velvet Elvis, Sex God and Jesus Wants to Save Christians and never has Bell been so arrogant. Near the end of the book he addresses his audience with that pastor heart that I've become accustomed to sharing with us the story of when he first accepted Christ at his beside with his parents. Bell then goes on to speak into the impact of how some of the idea's he has presented might affect his traditional evangelical reader encouraging us to continue on this journey. At this point in the book it's too late. The majority of his reader's will never make it to the concluding chapter. I get it, I understand his dramatic style, I was at his preaching conference. I just don't think he effectively pastored us into this enormous conversation, and that really frustrates me.
I believe Bell's has a couple purposes for writing this book. It's clear he wrote to challenge the average Christian's view on heaven and hell. His thoughts on hell come out on page 82 as he says "Jesus did not use hell to try and compel "heathens" and "pagans" to believe in God, so they wouldn't burn when they die. He talked about hell to very religious people to warn them about the consequences of straying from their God-given calling and identity to show the world God's love". It seems clear to me that Bell is tired of Christians making assumptions about hell and who will be there, he desires instead to challenge these Christians on their understanding of hell, to stop them from trying to scare people into heaven. He does the same kind of thing with the typical Christian understanding of heaven, challenging us to stop concerning ourselves with getting "there" and focusing on bringing the thing's of God here into the present. Okay simple enough conversation.
But here's where things get a bit dicey, and this happens at about at the halfway point of the book. Bell obviously has some issues with the general assumption of "who is going where" and begins to speculate and create new assumptions. No longer is he poking his reader by asking questions, presenting many scriptures that force us to question our understanding of heaven and hell and how we as Christ followers use our understanding. Now Bell is firing away with his own (and possibly Martin Luther/C.S. Lewis's) speculations. At this point I'm not just sure he accomplishes his intentions for speculation. It seems he wants the us as Christians to do a better job communicating the love of God, he wants us to do a better job at communicating the beauty of God's redemptive work on the cross in Jesus, the hope that God is about, that Jesus is about saving everyone. And I agree I want us to do a better job at this to, however I'm not sure the speculations on "who is going where" actually helps us accomplish this.
Here's some of his speculations
- Maybe God will be "more generous" with who gets in and who doesn't.
- Maybe when John writes in Revelation 22 about heavens gate's always being open because their is no night that maybe God will continue to bring people into heaven after a period of cleansing.
- Maybe God will give people multiple chances after they die to accept Jesus and thus eventually take part in heaven and life with Him.
- Maybe God is at work in every religion, in everyone's story of being hurt by the Church and even in the tribal groups who have no missionaries. Maybe God will still in Jesus accept all of these people into the new heaven on earth.
- Maybe we should stop trying to judge who is going where.
What responses will/have these speculations create in us?
- Maybe people feel like they have more time. Is this certain? Do people have more time?
- Maybe people will feel better about their friends and family who've either died without walking with Jesus or are currently not walking with Jesus. Okay does that really make us feel better?
- Are we more or less excited about the great commission? "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you, and surely I am with you always even to the very end of the age". Does God really need us? What's the role of the Church exactly?
- Disunity. Paul tells the 1 Corinthians it's embarrassing to bring disputes into the public forum. Once again the Christians are fighting and they are using every means possible.
So in conclusion. I'm not intending to join the bash Rob Bell campaign. However I'm disappointed that Bell seemed to stray from his giftedness and humility. The conversation needed to happen and is happening but it's happening in the midst of a ton of disunity. Bell made it to number 3 on the most tweeted list but at least half of the discussion is out of anger. Did he really have to poke so much. For the record I'm not there with the majority of Bell's speculations. I agree I'm not the judge of the hearts of humans, I don't know exactly how things will go down. I do believe the Church and Christ followers need to be more concerned with bringing the things of God to the present and we need to stop focusing on getting out of here. I agree we shouldn't use the concept of hell to scare people into heaven. However I am certain that who I live for today is a choice I can make now.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Reproduce
It's 5:21pm on a Tuesday in January. I'm alone in my kitchen. This is extremely rare, the quiet. I just finished talking on the phone with Julie who's 3hrs away at her parents with the boys, she said do something you enjoy tonight, watch a movie, go buy a book. I decided to start by going for a run, it had actually warmed up enough that shorts was weird, but not frostbite weird. The run felt good, just as I was running up the final hill my favorite Relient K song "celebrate the day" came on via shuffle (yes it's from the Christmas album) - I sang out of breath my favorite line singing "here is where you're finding me, in the exact same place as New Year's eve, and from the lack of my persistency, we're less than half as close as I want to be". The song continues on in celebration that Jesus is our saviour, meeting us exactly where we are at and saving us here, despite the fact that we seem to constantly stay at the same place.
So I get home and I decide I want tonight to be one of those nights that I never forget, one of those moments when I encountered God, I want to wake up tomorrow with the urge to mark this spot like Jacob did, so that I never forget that God spoke to me.
Okay so I'm not sure this is really appropriate. God calls the shots, if He wants to speak with me then He will. I can't just stop and expect Him to show up, can I? I feel Him all the time nudging me closer, and I typically shut my brain off and watch some mind numbing t.v. or browse through sport articles on my ipod or check my email (which I already checked 4 minutes ago) - like my brain is trying to do now. But no. Not tonight. I'm at a crossroads in my life (yah it's cliche) but really it's true. God has always showed up for me, every step of my life. He has led me and I've followed. I need Him now. My prayer for as far back as I can remember has been "God use me to do something great". And over the years I've wrestled through the root of this desire, is it about me or about God. And to be honest it's about both. I'm not a theological brainchild, I'm not an incredible leadership strategist, I'm not the popular charismatic teaching pastor, not the most disciplined, but the gift I've been given is Faith and just enough of the rest to understand what it takes to really have that gift. I can see it in my son, he is most happy when he is doing something significant (he quickly figures out when his screwdriver isn't the real screwdriver, he wants to be involved and it's gotta count - real vacuum, real dishes, real hammer please). I get it, that's me. Why create me God if I can't be a part of what you are up to? Why give me this gift of Faith? A gift that I'm still trying to figure out - as of right now I believe Faith is the burning desire within me to risk, to try to new things because this crazy Faith - ongoing confidence that God is an unshakable foundation. I relate with Peter, I'd love to have the opportunity to jump on water. Which is probably why the lyrics "if you're all you claim to be then I'm not loosing anything" from sidewalk prophets really hits my heart.
So, after all this thinking as I type, God has reminded me of who He's created me to be. Gifts are meant for the body, for the Church - 1 Cor 12:4:11. I've always been a start up guy, the guy with enough Faith to start something new, the guy who hardly see's something new as a risk - simply because "if it is of God it will not fail" and so why not? This is what I have to bring to the body, the Church. The faith to enable and empower others to risk and do that new thing, and I've been given enough of the other parts to help others understand what role in the body they are to play.
Reproduce. Genesis 1 - 10 this is a major theme. Everything is created to create. And it hit me the other day as I was reading this. It's also stuck out to me all day. Tonight I want to learn more on this. I want to hear from God on what this means for my life, for my specific calling.
And so I will listen.
So I get home and I decide I want tonight to be one of those nights that I never forget, one of those moments when I encountered God, I want to wake up tomorrow with the urge to mark this spot like Jacob did, so that I never forget that God spoke to me.
Okay so I'm not sure this is really appropriate. God calls the shots, if He wants to speak with me then He will. I can't just stop and expect Him to show up, can I? I feel Him all the time nudging me closer, and I typically shut my brain off and watch some mind numbing t.v. or browse through sport articles on my ipod or check my email (which I already checked 4 minutes ago) - like my brain is trying to do now. But no. Not tonight. I'm at a crossroads in my life (yah it's cliche) but really it's true. God has always showed up for me, every step of my life. He has led me and I've followed. I need Him now. My prayer for as far back as I can remember has been "God use me to do something great". And over the years I've wrestled through the root of this desire, is it about me or about God. And to be honest it's about both. I'm not a theological brainchild, I'm not an incredible leadership strategist, I'm not the popular charismatic teaching pastor, not the most disciplined, but the gift I've been given is Faith and just enough of the rest to understand what it takes to really have that gift. I can see it in my son, he is most happy when he is doing something significant (he quickly figures out when his screwdriver isn't the real screwdriver, he wants to be involved and it's gotta count - real vacuum, real dishes, real hammer please). I get it, that's me. Why create me God if I can't be a part of what you are up to? Why give me this gift of Faith? A gift that I'm still trying to figure out - as of right now I believe Faith is the burning desire within me to risk, to try to new things because this crazy Faith - ongoing confidence that God is an unshakable foundation. I relate with Peter, I'd love to have the opportunity to jump on water. Which is probably why the lyrics "if you're all you claim to be then I'm not loosing anything" from sidewalk prophets really hits my heart.
So, after all this thinking as I type, God has reminded me of who He's created me to be. Gifts are meant for the body, for the Church - 1 Cor 12:4:11. I've always been a start up guy, the guy with enough Faith to start something new, the guy who hardly see's something new as a risk - simply because "if it is of God it will not fail" and so why not? This is what I have to bring to the body, the Church. The faith to enable and empower others to risk and do that new thing, and I've been given enough of the other parts to help others understand what role in the body they are to play.
Reproduce. Genesis 1 - 10 this is a major theme. Everything is created to create. And it hit me the other day as I was reading this. It's also stuck out to me all day. Tonight I want to learn more on this. I want to hear from God on what this means for my life, for my specific calling.
And so I will listen.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Babies = Change
A couple night's ago my wife Julie and I collapsed on our two pleather opposing couches in our main room. Pleather is an excellent choice for people with babies, no stains or smells if we keep on top of it. Julie sat in the love seat with her knees up, and I stretched out in the three seater. Julie shared about how her relationship with God is different now. Her life was different now and so were her opportunities to experience God. In highschool she remembered those high energy conferences, when you were the center of other's energy. When the leadership breathed God's Word to you in a new way, when the lights and the music were about creating an environment for you to encounter God. She remembered in her university years joining a ministry team and being a part of creating these moments for others. As she reflected on washing feet she remembered just how close God felt. Now things are different. She has been removed from the glamour, seemingly trapped within the four walls of our home. Left to experience God in the few moments she finds to catch her breath. Starting a new family shakes up all routine, it leaves you feeling unbalanced.
It was just over two weeks ago that our second son was born. After a few days nameless we landed on Zyan. I gave Julie a big speech as to why it should be Zyan. Here's the summary... I've always loved the name Zion, but thought it didn't really feel like a name. So I mixed up the letter's a bit came up with Zyan. Zyan means "little king". Zion spelled Zion means "highest point" and in the Old Testament was the name the Israelites while in exile used to describe the place of their longing. Zion was the dream of Israel/Jerusalem in all it's glory. And in the New Testament Zion is used to describe the place of our longing, Heaven in all it's glory, the Kingdom finally in place as God intends. So my prayer for Zyan is that God will use him to display God's Kingdom on earth, Heaven here.
Yes I realize that prior paragraph is a sidenote. But that's what children do, they capture your thoughts when you least expect it and mess with what you know as the norm.
I've thought a lot about my conversation with Julie. I've wrestled with solutions for her. I've wrestled with solutions for myself in the midst of this huge change. I have discovered that sometimes the present change is simply to be embraced, you must change along with it. I have discovered that God wants to shake things up a bit. God's story is full of this truth. The sun sets and rises and the new morning is different then the day before. Our God is constant, yes. Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Yet the day changes. Babies create a permenant change in many areas, they call us to react. Regarding how we encounter God we decided we must reimagine, rediscover and recreate ways to encounter and experience Him in the present change. God invites us to be active in this.
Churches need to have babies.
God is always at work to make His churches reproduce, to make babies. God desires to shake things up. He wants His Church to constantly reimagine, rediscover and recreate ways to encounter and experience His Son Jesus. The question for each local church what does your baby look like? How will you be giving birth this year?
As God leads churches to new birth. I'm excited to see what routines we will be called to examine. Will it be Leadership, The Building, Worship, Programing... What a privilege to embrace change alongside Jesus. What an adventure it will be. I'm so excited to see what new things I will learn, so excited to be a part of the process of encountering and experiencing God afresh.
Thank God for babies...
It was just over two weeks ago that our second son was born. After a few days nameless we landed on Zyan. I gave Julie a big speech as to why it should be Zyan. Here's the summary... I've always loved the name Zion, but thought it didn't really feel like a name. So I mixed up the letter's a bit came up with Zyan. Zyan means "little king". Zion spelled Zion means "highest point" and in the Old Testament was the name the Israelites while in exile used to describe the place of their longing. Zion was the dream of Israel/Jerusalem in all it's glory. And in the New Testament Zion is used to describe the place of our longing, Heaven in all it's glory, the Kingdom finally in place as God intends. So my prayer for Zyan is that God will use him to display God's Kingdom on earth, Heaven here.
Yes I realize that prior paragraph is a sidenote. But that's what children do, they capture your thoughts when you least expect it and mess with what you know as the norm.
I've thought a lot about my conversation with Julie. I've wrestled with solutions for her. I've wrestled with solutions for myself in the midst of this huge change. I have discovered that sometimes the present change is simply to be embraced, you must change along with it. I have discovered that God wants to shake things up a bit. God's story is full of this truth. The sun sets and rises and the new morning is different then the day before. Our God is constant, yes. Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Yet the day changes. Babies create a permenant change in many areas, they call us to react. Regarding how we encounter God we decided we must reimagine, rediscover and recreate ways to encounter and experience Him in the present change. God invites us to be active in this.
Churches need to have babies.
God is always at work to make His churches reproduce, to make babies. God desires to shake things up. He wants His Church to constantly reimagine, rediscover and recreate ways to encounter and experience His Son Jesus. The question for each local church what does your baby look like? How will you be giving birth this year?
As God leads churches to new birth. I'm excited to see what routines we will be called to examine. Will it be Leadership, The Building, Worship, Programing... What a privilege to embrace change alongside Jesus. What an adventure it will be. I'm so excited to see what new things I will learn, so excited to be a part of the process of encountering and experiencing God afresh.
Thank God for babies...
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