Convergence

One Another- Hospitality part five

2009-12-07T09:23:00.003-05:00

Hey there! Today we wrap up the last of four characteristics that our hospitality-oriented "one another's" (greeting one another; washing one another's feet; waiting for one another) all demonstrate.

And of course, it all comes down to kickball.

Okay, maybe not just kickball. It could be just about any game/sport that happens between teams on a playground.

You know the drill. There can't be teams until we pick them. So let's do this old school, and imagine that we're all standing around waiting to be picked. Okay, here come the captains. They're looking out at all of us now, scanning the crowd. They decide who gets to go first, and that captain chooses...

So, how are you feeling? Excited? Impatient? Nauseous? Come on, we're just picking teams. What's the big deal?

Well, if your elementary experience was anything like mine, it was a very big deal. Getting picked in one of the first couple of spots meant one of two things: 1- you were very good at the game about to be played, or 2-you were good buddies with one of the captains. In grade school, either one of these was like the holy grail, because at that moment, you were important.

I'm sure glad that doesn't matter once you get older...

There's certainly nothing wrong with wanting to be good at something, nor is there anything wrong with being a good friend. And those things will sometimes create for us an elevated status; you may very well be recognized or identified for who you are in one of these areas. But understand that the pursuit of status for status' sake is the enemy of hospitality, because hospitality creates equality.

During the three years that Jesus had His public ministry, the inner circle of His followers—those we know as the apostles—had an ongoing squabble over who among them was the greatest. As we talked about in the "love one another" posts, it even showed up during His final meal with them. In the midst of this pettiness, it must have made quite an impact to see Jesus quietly get up, take off his outer cloak and get to work washing the road filth off the feet of the disciples. The lesson is clear: what right of superiority could we possibly claim after witnessing the Son of God take on the task the was to be performed by the lowest servant?

Authentic hospitality says, "I'm not better than you."

And it looks like this: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." -Galatians 3:28-29

In light of this common pattern, it is easy to see why Peter’s instruction ("Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling") is important for us to take to heart. It is impossible to sincerely communicate these four characteristics of hospitality if our attitude communicates something different. Luke chapter 7 contains a story that is probably the best possible example of this, and as we wind down, I’d like you to read it:

Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."

Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.

"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." -Luke 7:36-47

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." -John 13:35

When we love much, freely offering hospitality to one another is natural. Because that kind of love comes from understanding that we have been forgiven MUCH. And no expense has been spared to purchase that forgiveness.

But the symbol for this kind of hospitality isn’t the pineapple.

It’s the cross.

In Him we live,

Jeff

One Another- Hospitality part four

2009-12-05T15:02:00.002-05:00

Hi! Thanks for stopping in!

We've been talking about authentic hospitality this week, and I wanted to finish up today, but I think we need to let each of our four characteristics have their own post. So, if you can hang in there a little longer we'll cover them all!

The third characteristic that each of these actions (greeting one another; washing one another's feet; waiting for one another) demonstrates is affiliation. I got an up-close lesson in the all-around awesomeness of affiliation earlier this week.

Our family was driving back from meeting some friends for dinner on Wednesday, and my youngest daughter said, "I'd like to take a walk when we get home." My wife and my oldest daughter each had a couple of things they needed to get done, so it ended up being just the two of us heading back out into the wonderfully chilly evening. It was already dark, so the houses with Christmas lights were glowing like beacons on each street.

We stepped to the sidewalk and started on our way, when a remarkable thing happened. She reached out and grabbed my hand and held on for the entire walk. For those of you who don't know us well, I should mention that my youngest daughter is twelve. That's the age when you begin to walk a few steps ahead or behind your parents because, well, they're your parents. We wandered up and down several streets, stopped at a couple of houses with impressive displays, and talked about anything she wanted to talk about. There wasn't an agenda; we were just enjoying being together as family.

It was an amazing walk, and it reminded me how important affiliation is to the "one another-ness" of hospitality. Essentially her actions said, "I want to be associated with you," and that sentiment reminds me of Paul's words in Galatians 3:26-27 when he says, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."

Authentic hospitality is wonderful in part because it gives us the opportunity to simply enjoy being God's family.

It's life together!

In Him we live,

Jeff

One Another- Hospitality part three

2009-12-03T23:20:00.003-05:00

Hi there!

Another day out and about. I'm starting to feel pretty tired, but we're on a roll with hospitality, so let's keep it going!

The second characteristic that each of these actions (greeting one another; washing one another's feet; waiting for one another) communicates is commitment.

In the culture of the first century, greeting was a commitment. Unlike today, when you can shout a “how’s it going?” from across a room and then get back to what you’re doing, if you saw someone in the marketplace or in town as you were going about your day, the decision to greet them was going to involve both time and proximity. We’re talking about physically going to where that person is, just so you could embrace them and engage them.

That may be particularly troubling for us to think about, because our society is so very time-conscious. How many of us in the last couple of weeks were (at least) tempted to cut through a parking lot instead of waiting through a long line of traffic to turn right at a stoplight, because we knew it would save 3 minutes?

OR, over the last few weeks have you put something in the microwave, turned it on, and then found yourself standing there wishing it would hurry up? “Sheesh, four minutes to cook this? And now I’m supposed to let it stand for a minute? Bump that, I’ll risk the 3rd degree burns.”

In a world that seems to thrive more and more on busy-ness, authentic hospitality says "I have time for you," and it looks a lot like this:

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. -Matthew 25:35-36

Authentic hospitality can wreak havoc on your schedule and wreck a to-do list.

But that kind of commitment to one another trumps busy-ness.

See you tomorrow!

In Him we live,

Jeff

One Another- Hospitality part two

2009-12-02T18:25:00.003-05:00

Hey there! I've been out keyboard shopping most of the day for C3 (but we finally got one!)- I know this is late, but here we go:

If you tuned in Tuesday, we were asking “Why greet one another?” “Why wash one another’s feet?” “Why wait for one another?” Interestingly enough (to me at least), each of these instructions demonstrate four common characteristics that teach us about hospitality.

The first characteristic that each of these actions communicates is priority. Authentic hospitality says "You're important to me," and it looks like this:

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. -Romans 12:9-13

The best story I've ever heard that drives this idea home comes from the preacher and master story teller, Fred Craddock. Here's what he experienced, in his words:

I preached four nights in a church in Atlanta, a nice, big church with a good crowd, more than I'm used to. There was a moment in the service which the pastor said, "We'll now have our moments of fellowship. Greet each other in Christian love," and you never saw such hugging and carrying on in your life — people going across the room, and up and down the aisles, and grabbing and hugging. Somebody came up to me — I was down behind the pulpit — and gave me a big smack. It was just really something. Finally he said, "All right, hold it, hold it. We have to get on with the worship." Four nights of that.
The last night, he and his wife took me and my wife out to coffee. He said "Did you ever see such a family church? Did you ever see such love in your life in a church?"
My wife said, "Yeah, well, yeah, I have."
He said, "What do you mean?"
She said, "I was there for all four services, and nobody ever spoke to me."

And do you know what he said?

He said, "Well, that was because they didn't know who you were."

Wow. Reaching out to people we don't know (or don't know well) really can be difficult; it takes courage. But it seems to me that if we are only willing to say "you're important to me" to a select group, then it’s not really hospitality- it’s favoritism.

Most of us lead pretty demanding lives. Will you dare to make "one another" a priority?

I'll pick up the next one tomorrow- hope you'll join me!

In Him we live,

Jeff

One Another- Hospitality part one

2009-12-01T10:47:00.002-05:00

ONE ANOTHER.

The dictionary tells us that this phrase is used to “indicate a reciprocal relationship or reciprocal actions…” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/One+Another on 10/07/09). In other words, it describes the “give and take” behaviors that go on between members of a particular group. For example, in order to get things ready for Sunday morning’s worship gathering, C3's set up team has to help one another.

There are several “one another” teachings in the New Testament. And they’re important because they’re all about community. And community is one of the BIG things that God wants His church to be about.

In the last two posts, we talked about Jesus’ command to “love one another, as I have loved you.” We started there because it’s really the foundational “one another” teaching. Everything else we talk about over the next few weeks will be practical expressions of loving each other the way Jesus first loved you and I. This week, we’re going to talk about showing hospitality to one another.

Did you know that throughout America’s history, the pineapple has served as the symbol of hospitality? At one time pineapples were often carved into the wood work of a home's entrance, dining room and even the headboard or posts of the bed in the room most likely used for guests. Seems kind of peculiar to me; I mean, have you ever handled a pineapple? It doesn’t really present itself as “welcoming.” The story behind the symbol goes all the way back to Christopher Columbus.

He and his men first experienced the fruit on the Caribbean island of Guadalupe and in 1493, Columbus brought the pineapple back to Europe. Because the pineapple was both popular and so difficult to grow there, it quickly became a coveted commodity.

As America was colonized, the pineapple retained its status. As a result, serving fresh pineapple symbolized the warmest welcome a hostess could extend to her guests, and suggested that no expense had been spared on their behalf. Adapted from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_origin_of_the_pineapple_as_a_symbol_of_hospitality 10/17/09

When we talk about hospitality today, we’re typically referring to a similar idea: ”The act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests.”

The Greek word for this is philoxenia:

Philo- = love

-xenia = stranger/foreigner/traveller

It literally means ”love of strangers.”

"In the ancient Mediterranean, this term did not refer to something one extended to friends and family, but to outsiders due to need, networking, etc."(Palestine in the Time of Jesus by Hanson and Oakman.)

However, the apostle Peter opens it up to everyone with his instructions in 1 Peter 4:9 when he says, "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling."

There is really no instruction given here concerning method (the “how to”). Rather, the emphasis is on attitude.

However, there are several places in the New Testament where specific instructions fit under the umbrella of hospitality. Let’s take a look at them:

1. Romans 16:16, 1 Cor. 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:12 and 1 Peter 5:14 all contain the instruction to

“Greet one another with a kiss of love.” (NOTE: Don’t get hung up on the “kiss.” Though it may be a bit foreign to us, there are still many cultures in which a similar practice is the accepted norm. The focus however, is on “greet one another.”)

2. "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet." -John 13:14

3. "So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other."

-1Cor. 11:33

So, why place these under the umbrella of hospitality? To answer that question, we’re going to have to ask “why?” a few more times. Specifically: “Why greet one another?” “Why wash one another’s feet?” “Why wait for one another?” When we ask those questions, a pattern emerges that teaches us about hospitality.

I'm sure you've got plenty of blogs to read, er, important things to do today, so I'll pick up there tomorrow. Hope to see you!

In Him we live,

Jeff

One another- Part Two

2009-11-20T00:01:00.009-05:00

So, if you tuned in yesterday we were looking at the words of Jesus in John chapter 13, especially verse 34: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

The question is, what makes it new? Isn’t “love one another” a lot like “love your neighbor as yourself”? It is—until Jesus completes His thought with the words “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Hmmm. Okay, this is new then. Up to this point, what happens if you got into a situation where loving your neighbor somehow conflicted with loving yourself? That’s a bit gray and leaves you a sizable way out. But Jesus just clarified that His followers are to love one another the way He loves them. That’s actually “love your neighbor more than you love yourself. This is sacrificial love, and it takes things to a whole new level.

I think now is good time to call attention back to our word that inspired the naming of Maundy Thursday: the Latin word mandātum is where we derive our modern word, “mandate.” This was not “a new suggestion,” or “a new recommendation” from God’s Son. It’s a command; a mandate. “As my followers, you WILL love each other as I have loved you.”

So, why is this “one another” so important that it’s a command? Jesus tells us in the very next verse:

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." -John 13:35

Imagine being given tickets to see your favorite college team play. At home. In a decisive game. What colors are you going to wear to the game? Why?

Whether you graduated from that school or not isn't really the point. You proudly wear your team's colors because they are an identifying mark that helps tie you to the them. You might even say, “by this all men will know that you are an Aggie/Longhorn/Red Raider…” (Hey, when you write the post, you can choose the teams- now stay focused.)

In the midst of the tumultuous 1960’s, scholar Francis Schaeffer wrote an essay entitled, The Mark of a Christian. I’d like to share an excerpt in which he draws a comparison between the modern church and the church in the first century:

In the church at Antioch the Christians included Jews and Gentiles and reached all the way from Herod's foster brother to the slaves; and the naturally proud Greek Christian Gentiles of Macedonia showed a practical concern for the material needs of the Christian Jews in Jerusalem. The observable and practical love among true Christians that the world has a right to be able to observe in our day certainly should cut without reservation across such lines as language, nationalities, national frontiers, younger and older, colors of skin, levels of education and economics, accent, line of birth, the class system in any particular locality, dress, short or long hair among whites and African and non-African hairdos among blacks, the wearing of shoes and the non-wearing of shoes, cultural differentiations and the more traditional and less traditional forms of worship.

If the world does not see this, it will not believe that Christ was sent by the Father. People will not believe only on the basis of the proper answers. The two should not be placed in antithesis. The world must have the proper answers to their honest questions, but at the same time, there must be a oneness in love between all true Christians. This is what is needed if men are to know that Jesus was sent by the Father and that Christianity is true.” -Francis Schaeffer, The Mark of a Christian

You see, it’s a command because Christians don’t have any other uniform or identifying mark. There is no bracelet or t-shirt we can wear, no bumper sticker or fish we can put on our car, no sign that we can place in our front yard or radio station we can listen to at work that will clearly demonstrate that someone is a true Christ follower. There is only one new standard:
^"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Alright, don’t check out on me yet, because now we’re coming to the critical point where we have to ask, “HOW can we do this?” To love one another like Jesus loves us: completely; unselfishly; sacrificially; perfectly. Forget hard; this doesn’t even seem possible. And the short answer is- it’s not.

I don’t have what it takes; you don’t have what it takes. We can’t do it.

As a matter of fact, author and speaker Louie Giglio points out, “There’s only one guy who’s ever been able to pull it off. And He was so good at it they named it after Him (“Waking up to the Whole Gospel,” Louie Giglio).”

So what do we do- give up? Of course not! Jesus wouldn’t give us a command that was impossible to keep. “But you just said it wasn’t possible…”

Well, I said it wasn’t possible for us.

The One who lived a perfect Christian life died on a cross, rose again on the third day and is still alive. And His resurrection ushered in a new way.
God knew we couldn’t live the Christian life perfectly. So His new covenant allows Christ to do more than just work with us- He works in us. And He does so through the Holy Spirit:

"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. -John 14:15-17

He has to live in us. And that begins with surrendering to Christ as Savior.

If you’ve made that declaration already, but you don’t feel like the “love one another” thing has been very successful, could it be that you are trying to do it without Him? Surrender is an everyday decision for a Christ follower. This is the only way we can hope to love one another the way Jesus loves us.

It’s all about surrender.

In Him we live,

Jeff

One another- Part One

2009-11-19T10:34:00.003-05:00

one: being or amounting to a single unit or individual or entire thing, item, or object rather than two or more; a single: one woman; one nation; one donut.

another: being one more or more of the same; further; additional: another donut.

one another: (pronoun) Used to indicate a reciprocal (or mutual) relationship or actions among the members of the set referred to by the antecedent… the teachers help one another. (Accessed from: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/one+another on 10/10/09)

Putting those 2 words together makes all the difference. We can see this difference lived out in kids as they learn to play together. Sometimes children first exhibit something called “parallel play,” in which ONE child will play next to ANOTHER child, but not really interact with them. Once interaction begins, they discover that in order to play together, there has to be some give-and-take between them—which is not always easy! But when it happens, these beautiful itty-bitties get a taste of “one another.”

It’s clear that God wants all His kiddos to understand “one another” as well; there are over 50 times in the New Testament where either that phrase or its close neighbor “each other” is used to teach us something about community. For the next couple of posts, I'd like us to look at some of the most significant “one another’s” and let them teach us—the big kids—more about how to play together, not just next to each other.

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (-John 13:1-5)
Foot washing was a common practice of this time. People wore sandals and walked dusty, dirty roads every day, so by the time of the evening meal, their feet were really messy. Since it was also common practice to recline at low tables while eating, the washing of feet before a meal just made sense.
You can imagine how unpleasant this task would have been. It’s no wonder the servant of the lowest stature was typically saddled with this responsibility. Some of the other gospels (Luke 22:24) share that the 12 had been “discussing” before the meal who among them was the greatest. Could it be that they were also trying to decide who was the lowest among them, and therefore the one who should take this indignity?
There’s no doubt that Jesus’ action created one king-sized moment of awkward silence.
Even after Peter breaks the silence, an awkward tension remains. Jesus proceeds to correct Peter, and share that they should do this for each other. He then says bluntly that one of them is going to betray Him. In the aftermath of this shock, Judas leaves without apparently raising any questions from the remaining disciples.
At this point, the tension lifts. But Jesus uses this moment to deliver a mammoth lesson, perhaps THE mammoth lesson on what it truly means to be His follower:
"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (-John 13:33-34)
Love One Another.

This is the “one another” that will serve to direct all the others that are found in the New Testament. And if we unpack these verses a bit, we’ll see why it’s so important.

Working backwards from the resurrection, it seems that the last supper would have happened on what we call Thursday. In many traditional circles, the Thursday before Easter is referred to as Maundy Thursday. If you’ve ever wondered where it got its name, you’re answer can be found in the passage of Scripture we just read.

From Middle English maunde, from Old French mande, the word stems from the Latin mandātum (commandment).

Mandatum is the first word in the Latin translation of John 13:34, completed by the Latin word novum (new):

"A new command I give you: Love one another.”

A new command? What makes it new?
We'll save that for tomorrow. Hope to "see" you then!

In Him we live,
Jeff

Not dead yet...

2009-08-19T10:57:00.007-05:00

I know. You can say it. I've been gone for a long time.

Let me just say that, although I love blogging, I'm kind in an ongoing wrestling match with it. But that's for another post...

Believe it or not, the title of this post was not meant to be a declaration that I'm still kicking. When I wrote it, I was really thinking about the local church. It seems that more and more I'm noticing this burgeoning conversation about the inevitable demise of what we call the "local congregation" over the next two or three decades in favor of a more personal and organic method of expressing one's faith. As a church planter, it's been interesting to read and hear about this prediction, because if it's true, I'm wasting my time.

But that's just it: I don't think I'm wasting my time at all. I love the church. I know that there are always flaws to remove and improvements to be made, but I don't think that means throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Brian Jones recently wrote a post about this very idea, and it was a great read. If you want to take a look at it, just click here.

Christ intended His church to share the Gospel with the world. "...you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8b)."

Christ followers are bunch of imperfect individuals.

But we're better together.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Everyday

2009-04-17T15:12:00.003-05:00

The trip was long. Long enough to think; long enough to remember; and yet it could never truly be long enough. With each step, the man thought of the destination. As they followed the path, now moving upward, he was unsure of many things: why here? Why now? Why him? The answers to these questions were not promised, nor were they offered. But despite the circumstances, he would be obedient; he would be faithful; he would trust the promise.

The place where they were going now came into view. It had been three days. The servants must stay with the animal. This final part of the journey will be taken only by himself and the boy. He tells them, “stay with the donkey while the boy and I go over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to you.” Yes, somehow, WE will come back. He would trust the promise.

Genesis 22:6-14

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham? Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

In Romans 12:1-2 Paul writes,

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

When Isaac got up from the altar, he literally became our first example of a living sacrifice. And just as Abraham had told his son, God Himself did provide the lamb, in the form of HIS only Son, whom He did not withhold when Jesus bled and died to literally take away the sins of the world. The journey of this sacrifice was also three days. And on the third day, HE became the perfect, living sacrifice, rising from the dead, bearing in His body the scars of crucifixion, and becoming our high priest, and our advocate before the very throne of God!

There is a lot of talk today about what makes “good worship.” And we could spend a lot of time talking about music and teaching styles and lighting and sound and drama and the color of carpeting, but the single greatest contributor to great corporate worship is great PERSONAL WORSHIP.

Worship was never intended to be limited to an event. Worship is meant to be the very lives we lead, and events like those that happen on Sunday mornings at church buildings are intended to be born out of the overflow of the rest of our lives! If you are relying on a worship gathering to fuel the rest of your week, you will always run dry, because this was never meant to be your primary expression of worship.

Give Him your "everyday," and see what happens!

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Marketing Homelessness

2009-02-20T14:45:00.015-05:00

Around December, a couple of us at C3 met some guys who were living under an overpass at Highway 6 and I-10 here in Houston. It started with a conversation and some lunch, and has grown to a chance for us to get to know a small group of guys in that area. There's John, Tim, Bobby, Wolf, Billy (who was travelling through), and several others that our peeps have had short conversations with.

Over the course of the last few months, we have endeavored to live out the gospel with these guys. Sometimes that has meant hot meals or warm clothes or medicine.Sometimes it has been conversations about Christ's love for them. Sometimes it has simply been conversations about our love for them. We sure haven't done everything right; we're just trying to learn as we go.

I haven't written about this before now because we don't want accolades or media coverage; we love because Christ loves us. There should never be an "agenda" when you build a relationship with someone- they are a human, not a conquest. Do I share with the hope that the guys who don't already claim Christ as Savior decide at some point that they want to follow Him? Of course. But seriously- I want that for everybody. And yes, we want to help these guys get off the streets, but sometimes that involves them making some difficult choices.

So, why write about it now? Good question. The answer goes back to our friend Tim and a website that is centered around him.

Last week I was talking with Bobby, and he mentioned that some guys had stopped by and asked he and Tim if they would like to help them with an experiment in viral advertising. These guys are a father and son marketing team, and they wanted the guys to hold up a sign on the street corner advertising a website on which donations could be made to help the guys out. Tim was the first to agree and was promised one hundred dollars from the marketers, plus all the revenue generated by the site. The website's name? I'll let Tim show you:

Yes, it does say "www.pimpthisbum.com."

Actually there's more to it than this. I'm sure you can find the site if you want to take a look.

Alrighty. So I really want to know what you think about this. I'm all for Tim getting off the street- rock on. And I love the idea of other organizations getting involved in the lives of these guys- I am getting to know some really awesome folks at the Bridgewater Church that are doing just that.

This however is really just a very different thing than I've ever experienced. The guys who created the website say they're "Using Internet Marketing to Fight Poverty." So what do you think? Is this a great way to increase awarness and help get these guys off the street? Is it exploitation of people like Tim?

I really would appreciate hearing your take.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

P.S.- If you want to comment, please remember that a believer's behavior reflects Christ to our world. Thanks!

Irony

2009-01-29T18:04:00.005-05:00

So I was driving downtown today on my way to jury duty, when a parked car caught my eye. It stood out because it had the word "PSYCHIC" painted on the side in giant letters.

I started to think about the irony of trusting the predictions of some stranger who claimed to know your future, while ignoring a Creator who really does know everything about you- and loves you anyway.

Then I started getting irked at the audacity of the psychic/scammer who takes people's cash and feeds them hooey.

Then I noticed that the car also had a giant dent in it.

At that point, all I could think was, "I guess you didn't see that one coming."

Questions, Part Three

2009-01-07T11:17:00.002-05:00

I fancy myself to be a creative kind of guy. I enjoy the process of making something new. But I also believe that you don't need to re-invent the wheel; sometimes a thing is so good in it's original form that the best thing we can do is just point to it.

That's the way I felt about the first "question" I posted, and that's the way I feel about what I've got for you today. But first, give me a minute for a somewhat connected tangent.

I just finished reading a book called Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. I would HIGHLY recommend that you pick this book up and read it. (Come on, you know that sometimes you get books and they just sit on your shelf- with good intentions. Don't let this be one of them.)

Anyway, the quote you're about to read isn't from him. It's from John Piper. BUT, I read this quote in Francis Chan's book, and in all fairness I think you should know how I found it.

So this quote is originally from John Piper's book God Is the Gospel. This is my last question for this series of posts. I'm not sure you'll want to answer out loud, but if you do want to comment, I'd really like to hear from you on this one. Here it is:

"The critical question for our generation--and for every generation--is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?"

In Him We Live,

Jeff

[John Piper, God Is the Gospel (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2005), 15]

Questions Part Two

2008-12-18T08:47:00.002-05:00

So right now at C3 we're talking about how each of us has a unique role in the Body of Christ. Part of discovering our "fit" involves getting to know ourselves and our personal style; how we're wired.

It's kind of old school, but I still enjoy using the "personality inventory" as a tool in this process. You know, those sheets that have a bunch of character traits on them, and you select from each set of traits, the one that you think best describes you. At the end you transfer your answers to a scoring sheet that helps describe your personal style, or personality type.

I know, "tests" like this have some inherent weaknesses, but hey, what have humans ever developed that doesn't? Anyway, kept in a proper perspective, I also like how much fun people have with it.

So my next question for you is:

What character trait do you most admire in others?

If you want a list character traits to get you started, you can go here:

http://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/web/2000/kochan/charactertraits.html

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Questions- Part One

2008-12-16T14:29:00.002-05:00

Hey there!

Yup, I'm alive. It's been awhile since you saw a new post here on Convergence, and I'm sorry for that. These days I'm working with a fantastic group of peeps, meeting in homes and preparing for the launch of Convergence Christian Church, or "C3" if you don't want to write it all out.

Oh, and I'm asking lots of questions.

It seems to me that ministry in general, and church planting in particular, fills my world with a constant flow of questions. Really, there's way too many for me to even give an example that would be representative. Anyway, I was just out perusing the blog world and I came across a fantastic post by blogger extraordinaire, Anne Jackson. What I liked so much about it, was that it was a question.

Since she writes that she stole it from her "nashville-book-publisher-ceo-friend Mr. Michael Hyatt," I'm hoping she doesn't mind if I steal it from her.

Here's the question:

What would you do if you were brave?

Don't wait for further explanation; it's not coming. What is your gut answer to this question?

Jeff

Ike

2008-09-12T12:27:00.001-05:00

Although we only have clouds right now, it looks like our area is going to get hammered in a few hours from hurricane Ike.

If you are a part of the C3 community locally and you feel that your home may not be safe, please contact me as soon as possible, and we will find a safer place for you to ride out this storm.

For our prayer partners outside of Houston- our area needs your intercession. It's likely that we will lose power/phone for a while, so don't be alarmed if you can't reach us. I'll update you on the situation as soon as I am able. This is a huge storm, but God is bigger.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

(This entry is duplicated on www.prayc3.blogspot.com)

2008-07-24T11:55:00.002-05:00

I'm a guitar player, and a worship leader. And I have really appreciated the way that Christ followers have renewed an emphasis on expressions of worship over the last 2 1/2 decades.

But I wonder if you've noticed something. Maybe it's just me- where I'm at personally, but I think it's more than that. And as a somebody who loves worship, it bugs me.

We talk so much about "worship" today, but often that talk ends up centering around music. Like I said, music is a huge part of my life, and I recognize it to be a big part worship. But worship goes much further. Paul described it this way:

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship."

-Romans 12:1

If we accept that Paul knew what he was talking about, then surely worship includes, but must be more than, what we can experience in a public gathering for an hour or so once a week. It also must therefore be more than any one element that goes into it- like music.

Worship is also about our daily interaction with God. It's a constant conversation.

It's a lifestyle.

I wanted to talk a little about worship through prayer this week, and as I was updating the C3 Prayer Partners blog, I got a little carried away. So, I think I'll point you over there for the rest of this entry, because it just made sense to write about prayer on the prayer blog (I know, "Thank you, captain obvious.").

Hope you join me for the rest of my rant! www.prayc3.blogspot.com

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Internet Drought

2008-07-21T17:23:00.002-05:00

Sorry for my absence over the last few weeks. My family and I just moved from Findlay, Ohio back to Houston, Texas. We had the internet connection turned off the last week of June, and since then I've been relying on the kindness of my friends to sneak some time when visiting them, or using the public wi-fi access at Starbucks (which is what I'm doing right now).

I am grateful for the invitation from our friends to log on at their home. But I don't quite feel right blogging while I'm over at someones house for a visit- it just seems rude. Public wi-fi is an awesome alternative as long as you have enough session time to write. I've been bumped off already while trying to check email and write this post.

However, tomorrow we are scheduled to have our phone hooked up and with it will come a new high-speed internet connection.

I have never been so excited about a phone line.

So, look for a new post soon, and thanks for continuing to check in with me!

Uh-oh, I'd better sign off- I'm just about out of session time.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Full, Part Four

2008-05-28T18:30:00.003-05:00

I drive a 1996 green Geo Prism.

There, I said it.

I feel no shame about owning this car. It is the only "brand new" car my wife and I have ever purchased. It had 28 miles on the odometer when we drove it off the car lot (and we put 21 miles on it in test drives- which, admittedly, is excessive and may say more about my personality than I want to delve into in this post). As I write this entry, it has been driven close to 130,000 miles, still gets close to 38 miles to the gallon, and has been virtually problem free the entire time. Outside of normal maintenance, I have only done one repair: a new starter.

A couple of months ago, I started the little green car up like normal, and it made a funny noise. Not funny "ha ha," but more like funny "hmmm, that's not normal." The noise was a quick, chirp-like sound. And, the car was running a little rough. Over time, the chirp turned into a squeal. After a few weeks, I faced the truth: my alternator belt was going bad. Sure enough, upon inspection, the belt was so worn it was actually tearing down the middle into two skinny belts. Unfortunately, phrases like "the more, the merrier" don't really apply in a situation like this. The belt needed to be replaced. Once the repair was made, the car quieted down and the engine ran smoothly again.

Maybe at this point you're thinking, "hey Jeff, I know it's been awhile since your last post. Do you remember that you were doing a series called 'Full'?" Or maybe you're thinking, "hey Jeff, do you remember that you usually talk about God? If I want 'Car Talk,' I'll listen to NPR."

Here's the point of my little green car story: If the car had always run a little rough, and made a little chirping sound, I wouldn't have been concerned. I knew something was wrong with my car because I'm familiar with how it runs when things are right.

If a big part of living a life that is "full," is knowing what it takes to be filled, then we have a problem. We chase after all kinds of things that we think will fill us up, only to find that they don't live up to their hype. If we've never really been "full," how can we know what it's like? And if we don't know what it's like to be truly "full," how can we know what it takes to get there?

Enter Jesus. He actually makes the outrageous statement that He has come to bring us life. Not only that- He literally says it is "life to the full." Is this just more hype?

I don't think so. Mostly, because Jesus is a decidedly "low-hype" guy. Even when He did something miraculous, there wasn't a bunch of razzle-dazzle attached. Reading about Jesus in the gospels tells us that He lived authentically, and He kept His promises. And, His teaching has a way of stripping all the non-essential stuff away to reveal what is most important.

Just look at Matthew 22:36-40. The religious leaders had come up with a law system that was bulging at the seams with 613 commands. They were constantly debating with each other over which were the most important. Jesus takes this complicated system, and He clears it up. Essentially He says, “Love God; love people.” This is good news, right? Because it simplifies things. The last two "Full" entries talked about those things.

But what exactly does it mean to love someone? How do you know that someone loves you? How does someone know that you love them?

One way is to say it- you can declare love to someone.

But the other way to identify love is to show it. Love gets substance when it’s demonstrated, and that demonstration will often speak louder than the words.

If we are going to learn by Jesus’ example, we need to look not only to what He says, but also to what He shows. So now that Jesus has declared that we should love God and love people, how does He demonstrate it?

Philippians 2:3-18 makes it clear that Paul thought that Jesus gave us the example of serving, and that we should be like Him:

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

While Jesus was here on earth His nature was to serve-even when it cost Him deeply. If we want to be like Christ, we will serve.

Remember also that the definition of “Lord” is “Master.” If Jesus is our master, doesn’t it make sense that we would be the servants?

To put it bluntly, you won’t find fullness in Christ unless your love for God and for people is demonstrated through sacrificial serving.

“Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.” -James 1:26-27, The Message Translation.

In Matthew 20:25b-28, Jesus told His followers, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus modeled this behavior before eating His final meal with his disciples. In a gesture that shocked them, He humbled himself and washed their feet—including the feet of the one who would betray Him later that evening. With this image vividly etched into their minds, he then suffered the ultimate humiliation, and “became obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

Chirst's example shows us that we will never be full until we are living out our love in service.

For over a decade, my little green car has really served its purpose; it's been a useful tool. But to get there, someone had to make it. Then I had to buy it. Finally, to fulfill its purpose, someone has to use it.

God made you. He bought you. And, He wants to use you.

The first statement you just have to acknowledge- He made you, whether you like it or not. The second you must accept. He bought you at the price of His Son’s life. If we are obedient and accept this gift, we can have eternity with Him. That requires us to surrender, but it’s only the beginning. After surrendering, God wants to use us. God can certainly use whomever He pleases (He used Pharaoh, and even Balaam’s donkey), but what He desires, is for us to yield to Him; to freely place our lives in His hands, to empty ourselves out, so He can fill us up.

Full.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Full, Part Three

2008-05-06T19:10:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting in a coffee house on Main St. in Findlay, OH as I write this.

Outside, about half a block down, two guys just spent about 35 minutes standing on the street corner. One was holding up a large banner of Jesus on the cross. The other, dressed in a tie and jacket, was "street preaching. "

Well, at least I think he was street preaching. He was yelling a lot.

With the exception of one short break, he maintained a constant level that was easily heard down into the coffee house, which has it's front door propped open to let in the warm air from one of our first real Spring days. For a while, it was just me and the barista in here. As I was adding sugar and half and half to my cup, she was leaning out the door to take a quick listen. As I headed for my table by the front window, she smiled at me and said, "they have a banner, but it doesn't look like there's anything bad written on it." I leaned out the door to take look, but couldn't make out all that it said. The two were facing toward the center of the intersection, so a large portion of the banner was obscured.

I watched as groups of people, going to and from lunch, passed by on each side of the street. There really wasn't any interaction between the people and the two guys. Actually, the guys were so focused on the middle of the intersection that it seemed to me that their target audience must have been the manhole cover in the center of the street. Despite his high volume, no one looked up as they walked by- even when he shouted the invitation to come to Christ.

As I walked back to my seat, I thought about the stark object lesson that the scene was serving up for me. Sitting on my table is a book entitled, "I Sold My Soul on eBay," by Hemant Mehta (pronounced HEH-mint). It's the true story of an atheist who decided that he wanted to explore some of his conclusions about God (i.e., his lack of belief in God's existence) by going to church. Being a rather bold and creative guy, Hemant "held an eBay auction, agreeing to attend any place (or places) of worship determined by the winning bidder. Jim Henderson, a former pastor and author of 'Evangelism Without Additives,' won the auction. He asked Mehta to attend a number of churches and write a critique of each one." (This excerpt is taken from the publisher's note at the book's beginning.) Hemant's reviews are still available on Henderson's site at http://www.off-the-map.org/ if you are interested. Just go to the site, click on "eBay atheist," then go to the right column and the find "Hemant's Church Surveys" link.

(I know this sounds like an unbelievable partnership- the pastor/author and the atheist, but it worked. Hemant did just what Jim requested, and his reviews reflect a sincerity in what he proclaims: He's curious, and he doesn't believe there is a God. After completing Jim's assignment, Hemant went on to visit other churches, and compiled his experiences into the book that is sitting by my computer. His words aren't angry or insulting, but he also doesn't pull any punches. If he thinks the preacher's presentation is dull, or the music stinks, or the people are unfriendly, he says it.)

Anyway, back at the table, I picked up the book again and read these words:

"But as I read Christian books, and as I spent months attending an amazing variety of churches in different parts of the country, I kept running across a consistent and troubling truth about American Christianity. It is clear that most churches have aligned themselves against nonreligious people. By adopting this stance, Christians have turned off the people I would think they want to connect with."

As I read, the street preacher shouted at the manhole and people continued to walked past, pretending he wasn't there.

Being "full" in Christ involves not only that we love God, but that we also love people, and strive to develop real, authentic relationships that allow us to live in real community. I mentioned in the last "Full" entry that corporate worship gatherings provide a great starting point in forging community, especially with other Christ followers. But real community is so much more than this. Authentic community is literally "life together" with others.

"This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

-Ecclesiastes 4:8-12 (New Living Translation)

We need each other. And it seems to me that an authentic, open community is a lot more attractive than a guy shouting at a manhole.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Exponential '08

2008-04-20T00:23:00.003-05:00

Hi to everyone!

Things have been quite busy for the past few weeks. With the help of some great people, Convergence Christian Church has filed its articles of incorporation, which means we are now "officially recognized" as a church by the state of Texas. A lot of my time lately has been spent working on things that have to do with our initial start-up. Some of what needs to be done has been slowed by the fact that my family and I are still over a thousand miles away from Houston. As we draw closer to the end of April, I am reminded daily that the big move is coming, and I will likely need to go a little earlier than I had anticipated. I'll be sure to keep you updated on those dates.

In the meantime, I am working on parts 3 and 4 of "Full," which may be finished around the same time. Unfortunately, it won't be this week, because we will be out of town for the next several days at a church planters conference called "Exponential."

You can look for an update to this main page in about a week (it's April 20th as I write this). If you haven't ever checked out the link on this page to the "Extra Stuff," this might be a great time to take a look- I'm hoping you'll find something of value there, but at the very least, you can hear some great acoustic music, read a book review, and possibly get a laugh or two.

I hope you have a great week!

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Full, Part Two

2008-04-01T18:55:00.004-05:00

If you read the last "Full" entry, you'll remember this quote from Blaise Pascal:

"What is it then that this desire and this inability proclaim to us, but that there was once in man a true happiness of which there now remain to him only the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present? But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object,that is to say, only by God Himself."

I can't speak for you, but I know that I have felt "the infinite abyss," and have known the longing to be filled up with the "infinite and immutable" God of the universe.

I believe that God wants us to be "full." And although this fullness is never promised to be "easy," I really don't believe that God ever intended it to be complicated for us to understand.

I would suggest that it is all about discipleship. Here's what I mean:

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says, “…All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." For the Church, there can be no better description of our purpose. Robert E. Logan shares this thought on the Church’s role: “The Great Commission sets disciple-making as our strategic objective. Throughout most of this century the Church has focused its attention on the sending imperative—‘Go therefore’—rather than on the making imperative—‘and make disciples.’ But the focus clearly is on the objective of making disciples—both more and better disciples. This is a very large expectation, but he offers us a great deal of help in this task.”[1]

If the church's role is to "make disciples," then surely the role of a Christ follower is to be a disciple. And I believe discipleship can be summed up in three simple words:

Love. Live. Serve.

Each of these words represents a significant stage in the simple process of discipleship, which is kind of an older word that basically means "to be a student of." A "disciple" of Jesus is literally someone who is asking Jesus to pour Himself into them.

“Love” is the first stage in this simple process of discipleship. Love God; Love your neighbor as yourself.

The logical question then is, “how does a disciple love God and love their neighbor?” The answer is through the vehicle of relationship. When using the term “relationship,” I am referring to “a connection, association, or involvement.”[2] In speaking of God, J. K. Jones says, “He longs for a relationship with His creation,” and suggests that we can learn about pursuing that relationship by looking at Jesus’ example in the Gospels.[3] Certainly He models disciplines such as prayer and solitude in passages like Mark 1:35 and Luke 9:28. But the Gospels themselves also serve as an example, since they tell the story of God incarnate.

Jesus communicates this very point to His disciples in the fourteenth chapter of John’s Gospel when He tells them “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well,” and “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”[4] If we truly desire to develop a relationship with God, we must get to know Jesus. And I mean, know Him.

I have read several biographies on C.S. Lewis, as well as a large body of his work. There are characteristics of Lewis' personality that I have identified in his books that can be confirmed while studying accounts of his life. Over the years, I have grown to know about C.S. Lewis. But I did not know him. As a matter of fact, he died several years before I was born. There was no relationship. I am little more than an amateur historian.

Jesus doesn't long for you to reduce your association with Him to simply becoming an amateur (or professional, for that matter) historian of the Scriptures, or of His time on earth in the flesh. The Scriptures are far more than historical; they are living and active! And so is HE! He loves you, and He longs for you to know Him through His Word, and to love Him! The environment in which our relationship with the living God/Savior/Spirit is cultivated is called worship. It is far more than a place. Worship is an authentic, "all the time" lifestyle.

Because it is "all the time," worship happens both privately and publicly. We have to carve out personal time to talk to Him (pray), to learn from Him (read His Word), and to listen (silence-this can be a tough one in our society!).

We also need to be a part of corporate gatherings/celebrations where we can study the Scriptures (“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17) and live out our growing love for God in its various levels of development along side of each other.

Paul talks about this kind of authentic worship when he addresses the church in Romans 12:1 (NIV Translation): “Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship."

Have you ever wondered about the term, "living sacrifice"? On the surface, it seems like a complete contradiction; an oxymoron, like "jumbo shrimp." But Paul chose his words for a reason.

Today, we use the word "love" in lots of ways-especially in Western culture. "I love you." I love summertime." "What do you think of the new restaurant? We just love it!" During the period in which the New Testament was written, the Greek language had 3 different words for expressing "love." One word referred more to a brotherly love, or strong friendship kind of affection. Another word referred to romantic love. And then there was the word "agape."

"Agape" represented a love that was absolute and unconditional. It primarily described God's love toward Jesus (John 17:6), toward humanity (John 3:16) and specifically for people who have chosen Christ as Savior toward one another (John 14:21).”[5] This love is not awarded to us because of our worth; it is given despite us. It is a very costly love; it is sacrificial. The ultimate demonstration of "agape" love is shown in God sending Jesus to die for our sins. If this kind of love is starting to seem a bit dangerous, you've got the right idea. It's really not safe to love like Jesus. At least, it doesn't allow you to stay too comfy.

In his book, The Barbarian Way, Erwin McManus talks about this very idea. In it he says, "Love always moves to sacrifice, which is exactly where He calls us to go. We shouldn't be surprised, then, that to follow Christ is to abandon the luxury of safety and security. If we are to be like Him, we must always risk for love." When Paul calls on Christ-followers to be "living sacrifices," he is essentially saying, "live and love like Jesus." And since his words indicate that our living sacrifice is directed to God, this act of worship is our way of expressing true love to Him.

When worship- both corporate and private- becomes our lifestyle, a Christ-follower gets the opportunity to live and love like Jesus. And it also gives us the opportunity to have real, authentic community with others. Living sacrifices after all, need a place where there can be honesty about both the joys and the pains of life “on the altar,” while growing to understand more about God's Truth.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

[1] Robert E. Logan, Beyond Church Growth, (Old Tappan: Fleming H. Revell Co, 1989), 96.
[2] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/relationship (accessed: June 24, 2007).
[3] J. K. Jones, Longing For God, (Joplin: College Press Publishing Co., 1994), 13.
[4] John 14:7a & 9b.
[5] Vine, Unger, White, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers, 1985)m, 381

2008-03-27T20:05:00.002-05:00

I've been out of town most of this week and just returned this evening (Thursday). A new post will be coming soon. Thanks for being a part of the Convergence community!

Jeff

Full, Part One

2008-03-19T17:06:00.005-05:00

I actually started this entry over a week ago, but I kept running into these little "problems" that had to be addressed before I could continue. As a result, my train of thought this week stops at a couple of extra stations along the way. Maybe we can just call it a "scenic trip"...

For the last couple of weeks, I've been thinking about the quote, "Everybody has a God-shaped hole in their life." It seems like I've heard it a lot lately, and in general, I like what it says. But as I considered writing about it, I saw a couple of "problems."

When I come across a quote that I think I might like to use, I typically try to find out where it originated. There's just so much faulty information readily available to us today, having a source is important, since it allows you to check for accuracy. [Note: I think too many of us who share in semi-public arenas like this one find it tempting to use a "great quote" without adequate research. I know it takes extra time, but that's a small price to pay to avoid perpetuating a load of hooey.] First problem: This quote is attributed to a philosopher from a couple of centuries ago, but its wording seemed a little too "modern."

Second problem: when I really stop and think about it, describing humanity's intense longing for our Creator as nothing more than a "God-shaped hole" diminishes and trivializes the scope of that longing. Like the hole is finite and definable, and we just need a little god to "cork" it up.

The statement in question was attributed to Blaise Pascal. So, I did some digging and it was beginning to look like the "quote" was actually a paraphrase of these words: "There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus."

Ahh, now it seemed we were getting somewhere. The website "chem4kids.com" described a vacuum as, "a space that has no pressure and no molecules inside. It is truly an empty space." That's a better description than a "God-shaped hole." But I still had a couple of problems.

First, while the term "vacuum" helps me to visualize the emptiness in our longing, I'm still left wanting a better description of just how big that emptiness is. And second, I can't find this quote in any of his writings either. Oh, I can find a lot of people who will credit him with saying it, but I can't find anyone who will tell me where he said it. This left me wondering if it was a paraphrase too... (If you know it to be an actual quote, I'll gladly make a correction to this entry. I'd really appreciate getting that info!)

See what I mean? Problems. So I kept digging. In the end, here's what I did find:

Blaise Pascal was a philosopher and mathematician who lived during the 17th century. Saying "he was intelligent" is a lot like describing Tiger Woods by saying "he's a good golfer." He was a brilliant mathematician who, in an effort to ease his father's immense workload as a tax commissioner, invented a mechanical device that became a forerunner to the modern adding machine.

As a philosopher, he was equally brilliant. Among Pascal's more well known works are his "Pensées," which is a French word that means "thoughts." They were actually published in book form after his death, and are basically a compilation of notes and essays. It was in looking through this collection that I found a short essay on "Morality and Doctrine." In it, he talks about how all people seek happiness, but few find it. Take a look at what he says:

"What is it then that this desire and this inability proclaim to us, but that there was once in man a true happiness of which there now remain to him only the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present? But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object,that is to say, only by God Himself."

-Blaise Pascal - The Pensées

#425, Section VII. From "Morality and Doctrine"

Unless I'm mistaken, this is the actual passage that has been reduced to "Everybody has a God-shaped hole in their life." Even if it's not, I'm glad I found it, because this statement more accurately describes the kind of longing that I have known. I know without a doubt that the absence of God in my life would not produce a "God-shaped hole." Instead, it would leave me with a massive, gaping wound from which the entirety of myself as I know it would be drained. Without God I would be empty.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:10

So why is it then, that someone can be a Christ-follower and agree that they would be empty without God, but also have to admit that they don't exactly feel full with Him?

Maybe we don't feel "full" of God because we're still too full of ourselves.

For the next couple of weeks, I'd like to spend some time exploring this idea, because I believe that a Christ-follower who focuses on loving God, living in community, and serving the world allows the “infinite abyss” inside them to “be filled by an infinite and immutable object."

And I think we all long to be full.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

(By the way, my resources for the stuff on Pascal came from places like an Oregon State University page on philosophers- http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/pascal.html and the History of Computing Project website- www.thocp.net/index.html as well as Pascal's book, "The Pensées." Just in case you want to see for yourself...)

2008-03-17T09:31:00.002-05:00

A new post is coming soon! Sorry to keep you "waiting." (It really is purely coincidental. I've been working on it this weekend, and it's almost ready.)

In the meantime, take a gander at the picture to the right. Fred is a part of this community and sent this original pic my way this morning. Thanks Fred!

Jeff

Waiting

2008-02-27T03:05:00.002-05:00

I love to watch the snow fall- especially in the evening... From indoors... With a fire in the fireplace...

Okay, I'll admit it: I like snow once or twice a season (it's a plus when it happens the way I described it above) but after that, I'm really just waiting for Spring. So, I guess it would be more accurate to say that I'd like to visit a place where it snows- see it, play in it- and then go home.

Reality, however, woke me up this morning to find five inches of new, wet, heavy snow on the ground with more falling. I suppose I could have climbed back into bed, pulled the covers up over my head and told myself, "I don't want any more snow, so it can't be snowing." I suppose I also could have stood at the window lamenting all the bad weather this town has experienced in the past 6 months thinking, "It's not fair."

I am anxiously waiting for Spring. But while it is very true that I don't think there should be any more snow this Winter, it's also true that I'm not even remotely equipped to make that decision. And, come to think of it, I'm also not equipped to talk about what is "fair." After all, there are several things about life that aren't "fair," (particularly in the area of God and eternity) in which I am relieved that I don't have to get what I deserve. Besides, denial and self-pity won't get the cars and porch cleaned off or the sidewalks shoveled.

The only response which accomplishes that result is action. So even though I'm still waiting on the Spring, I got dressed and got to it, remembering that Winter doesn't last forever.

But in that brief moment, it wasn't an easy choice, even though I clearly knew it was right. Precisely because I'm waiting for it, the big snow seemed to somehow make Spring more implausible- as if it might not actually happen. It was temporarily defeating. Waiting seems to trigger a unique combination of thoughts, emotions, and physiological effects in most people- especially when the wait is ongoing.

Waiting tires us out and wears us down.

Don't think so? While waiting for something, have you ever used the phrase, "I'm so tired of..."? Or how about this one: "I can't take this much longer."

When our emotional batteries get drained, our judgement can be compromised. I believe that more than a few poor choices have been made out of a desire to end the waiting and find closure. In order to avoid this situation, we need to find a source of renewal; a way to keep our stamina while things are on hold.

Waiting is a theme that is literally found throughout the entire Bible. Jacob waited seven years to be allowed to marry Rachel, only to be tricked by his father-in-law Laban into marrying her older sister. After re-negotiating for Rachel's hand in marriage, Jacob worked an additional seven years for Laban (Gen. 29:16-30).

At the age of seventy-five, God promised Abraham (then called Abram) that he would be "a great nation" (Gen. 12:2). After receiving that promise, Abraham waited twenty-five more years until God gave him a son, Isaac, through his wife Sarah.

And in Acts 1, after the resurrection and just before he is "taken up before their very eyes," (v.9) Jesus tells the eleven remaining apostles not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there instead for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Okay- so in this case He actually tells them it will happen in a few days. But when they ask if this is the point when He will "restore the kingdom to Israel" (something for which the Jewish people had been waiting a very long time) Jesus responds by telling them, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority" (Acts 1:7). I'd say that roughly translates to "nobody gets to know that, you'll have to wait and see."

In each of these examples, they chose to act while they waited. Jacob negotiated for Rachel's hand in marriage, and then continued to work for Laban until the terms of that agreement were met. Abraham trusted God's promise that he would be a great nation, so he left his country and set out on a journey to a new land. The apostles returned to Jerusalem, joined together in prayer and chose someone to take the place of Judas.

So where did they find the stamina to do those things?

Isaiah 40:27-32 says, "Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the LORD, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God'? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." (NASB version)

Interestingly, sometimes "wait" in v.31 is translated "hope." These verses, compare Israel with a person waiting for some kind of resolution. In frustration, the cry goes out, "I'm so tired of this! Don't you see me God? This isn't fair!" But, they are reminded that God does indeed see everything, and he never gets tired. And they will find the strength and renewal they need to endure the waiting if they will put their trust and hope in Him.

Life is full of waiting, for both the mundane and the very serious. Waiting to check out. Waiting for lunch time. Waiting for that file to download. Waiting for the light to turn green. Waiting to find out if you got the job. Waiting for those test results. Waiting to see if the surgery was a success.

It's likely that you are waiting on something right now. It may be wearing you down and draining your strength.

Do you need renewal?

Where will you go?

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Bucket

2008-02-19T00:11:00.004-05:00

The sun was shining, and I was surprised at how warm I was getting. It was not particularly hot, but my load was heavy and awkward. About halfway up the hill, we paused for a moment on the gravel road and I turned to take in the view behind me. Looking out past miles of pasture and grassland, my eyes met the horizon and fixed on the mountains that stretched out as far as I could see in either direction. Turning back to our burdens, we started again up the hill.

When we had gone as far as the road could take us, we negotiated a small culvert and continued on across country. The buckets made it difficult to traverse the steep incline of the hill, but by now the destination was only a few minutes away. As we neared the top of the bluff, I thought about the objects I was transporting.

I had only chosen a few rocks, but they were significant. Most of them were pretty close in size and weight, but had specific physical characteristics. For example, one was really rough and abrasive- like sandpaper. Another was quite attractive on one side, and black on the other. Every new rock caused me to consider the instructions that were given concerning their selection: "Each should represent a deep hurt someone has inflicted on you; a wound that you continue to carry."

Every new rock made the lesson sink in more deeply.

My final selection was unique. It was a wound that I had carried around for a very long time. No, it was actually several wounds that were all joined together with the common thread of one relationship. I knew it as soon as I saw it. Large, angular and sharp, this rock was as awkward and unattractive as the hurt that it represented.

“That thing doesn’t even fit right in your bucket,” Tamara said. “Are you sure you want to carry it all the way up the hill?” She was right. This one rock was as heavy as all the others combined. And since the diameter of my 5 gallon bucket wouldn’t accept all of the lopsided mass, adding it made the whole load awkward and top-heavy. But that was precisely the point. I didn’t want to carry its weight, but I already was. It was perfect.

We arrived at the top of the bluff, set our buckets down, and peered over the edge of the cliff. The path we followed on our ascent had circled around so that we could see the mountains again. We could also see where we had begun. Ironically, although we now stood 40-50 feet above it, we really weren’t too far away from our starting point. Had we not been carrying the stones, we could easily have made the same journey in less than half the time.

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22 NIV).”

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins (Mark 11:24-26 NIV).”

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (Matthew 6:12 NIV).”

We just stood silently for a few minutes, looking at the mountains and enjoying the cool October breeze. Then one by one, we took turns throwing our rocks off the cliff. With each toss, we expressed to God that we had forgiven the one who hurt us so deeply, and surrendered the burden of the wound to Him. When I got to my last rock- the big one- I stopped and prayed, “Lord, I’ve carried this burden around for so long that it feels like a part me. But I don’t want it, and I never did. I am surrendering everything about the situation to You, including the person.
After hurling it over the side, I watched as my rock landed on an even larger one at the bottom of the cliff and was broken.

When we can’t forgive, we load ourselves down with burdens that can be much heavier than a bucket full of big rocks. If you’re carrying a weight like this around, take it to the cross and let it go. Life is better with an empty bucket.

Forgive.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Plant

2008-02-10T18:24:00.000-05:00

Can a blog become a church?

Not sure. But they could share a name...

A little over a year ago, the Convergence blog made its debut. The entry was called "A New Adventure," and it described exactly how I felt. I talked about bike rides when I was twelve, and how I loved to explore places that I'd ever been. I guess I've always been a sucker for a good adventure.

As I explained in that first entry, I could never have described it then, but as I look back on all the incredible adventures, I think those feelings were stirred because I was at a point of convergence. You can see one definition of that word above- every time you log on to this site. But according to WordReference.com, “convergence” can also be defined as “the occurrence of two or more things coming together.” It is a “meeting place” of sorts.

My life in Christ has been an ongoing series of these moments, and the feelings of adventure and excitement have been joined (and possibly intensified) by a passion to share the amazing gift of the Gospel with people who don’t know Jesus. But just when I think my experience, wisdom, or understanding has grown a little, I have been met by new challenges and further sections of the trail, waiting to be explored. Sometimes these challenges appear purely as obstacles to be overcome. At other times they are opportunities.

At each new stage, I am reminded of my inadequacy. I feel like that twelve year old again, hesitating at the edge of the unknown, feeling very small and weak. But in my better moments, I am also reminded that “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9. NIV Translation)."

If it is true that a "leader’s inadequacy finds resolution only in the grace of God (David Faust, Growing Churches, Growing Leaders, (Joplin: College Press Publishing Co., 1994), 126)," then it would seem that it is in the facing of these very challenges that we will find our Savior’s gracious hand, guiding us forward in His strength. I am trusting in that strength as I journey toward the opportunity to plant a new church.

It is far beyond the scope of any human to establish a new body of Christ, purely based on their own strengths and abilities. Jesus’ words to Peter in Matthew 16:18 tell us that the church will be built on the rock (petra), in which he refers to Himself. This is in response to Peter’s confession that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of God, living with them in the flesh. In comparison we, like Peter (petros), are more like small stones, or pebbles. People need the guidance, power and blessing of the triune God to plant a new church. But people however, do without a doubt have a contribution to make.

I believe that a healthy, thriving church can be rooted in a simple process. It can be birthed, grow, and reproduce by focusing primarily on the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. This process can be seen not only in the life of the church as a whole, it can be observed and measured within the context of the individual disciples that make up the larger body. This process can be expressed in a simple mission statement that encourages the believer to “Love God, Live in Community, and Serve the World.”

Love. Live. Serve.

I do not feel worthy of this amazing opportunity. But I know that “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us (2Corinthians 4:7 NIV Translation).” When I replace my frailty with God’s strength, what is left is the potential to see, as author Randy Pope says, “a place where the presence of God’s power is demonstrated with such force that the community in which it exists is marked with an indelible spiritual imprint (The Prevailing Church, (Chicago: Moody Press, 2002), 20).”

The thought of seeing such place become a reality is in itself a point of convergence. As a matter of fact, "Convergence" is again one of the best words I can think of to describe what I'm talking about. Just imagine: the opportunity to establish a body of Christ, built on a simple process that invites believers as well as the spiritually curious to "come together" with the living God into an ever-increasing relationship.

Now that's what I call Convergence.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Encounter

2008-02-01T12:39:00.000-05:00

This is not the entry I had planned for today. Maybe that one will make it in next week.

Music is a big part of my life, and has been for as long as I can remember. Long before I understood anything about music theory, I recognized that there were certain elements in music that had a strong affect on me emotionally, and sometimes even changed my mood.

I have always listened to the words, too- and I mean really listened. By the time I was ten, I could easily (and accurately) sing along with most of the music that my parents listened to, both in the house and on the radio in the car. Much to their relief, I was still too young to understand what some of the songs insinuated (i.e., I thought Star Land Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight" was about a cookout on the 4th of July, since they kept talking about "making sparks ignite," and "skyrockets in flight.")

In my life, God has often used this love for music (with a now increased understanding of lyrics) as a tool to remind me of His presence and get me thinking about His Word. Sometimes it's just one line from a song that digs deep into me. (And it hasn't been exclusively "Christian" music, just in case you're wondering.)

Yesterday however, He used worship music. I had my mp3 player on as I worked on other stuff, and decided to listen to the song "Fuel." You may know the opening lyrics: "You are the fuel our spirits burn; the oil, the light, the flame the fire, we are burning..."

Then it was the song by Hillsong United, called "Look to You": "As I look into the sky above; Wonder how my life has changed; Wonder how Your love, it came to me; As I look into the sky above; All my fears, so far away; All I hear is heaven calling me. So I look to You; So I look to You. No one else will do; No one else will do."

I began to think to myself, "These are songs that declare a total dependence on God- they indicate a life that acknowledges Him as the ultimate source." I then decided to listen to "Look to You" a second time. This time though, a piece of John 1:3 came to mind: "Through him all things were made..." The rest of the verse is, "...without him nothing was made that has been made."

Then it sort of expanded to Colossians 1:13-20 which says, "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." I was thinking of the next part specifically:
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created:" (When I looked it up later, the power of the whole verse practically knocked me over.) It continues, "..things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

From there, I thought about a Vineyard music song from the late 90’s, which we've been singing lately at worship gatherings called "You are in Control." It starts out, "You are my shepherd, I have no need; You lead me by peaceful streams; And You refresh my life. You hold my hand and You guide my steps; I can walk through the valley of death and I won't be afraid. Because You, are in, control. You, are in, control. Yes Lord You, are in, control. You are in control..." I probably don't need to mention that my thoughts were turned to Psalm 23.

Sooo... why share that story today? In an effort to be as transparent with you as possible, I'll just lay it out: I think I'm supposed to.

I had something completely different in mind for my entry this week, but by the time this impromptu worship experience was complete, I was left thinking about who God is: the Creator and sustainer of everything that has ever been or will ever be. About all God has given to me: existence; hope; salvation; the very life of His Son. And about how He is totally in control of everything, but won't force himself on anyone, desiring instead that we choose to freely give Him the authority in our lives that He, by all rights, could demand.

I love music. But despite all its good points, music is not the focus of this entry. More accurately, music in this story plays the part of the vehicle which provides transportation to the real focus: An encounter with the Living God.

Has God been trying to remind you of His presence lately? He's not limited to music. God can use anything from medieval literature to muscle car restoration to get someone thinking- if they are willing to pay attention. You see, God's only "limit" is self-imposed: He will not allow Himself to push beyond someone's free will. We must choose to listen.

He still desires that we choose Him.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Hot Wings

2008-01-24T09:04:00.000-05:00

Spicy rules.

In just a little over a week, the nation will be tuning in to one of the most watched events in network television: The Super Bowl. You might be a Giants fan, pulling for Eli Manning. You might be hoping to see the Pats pull off a completely "perfect season." (Should I add an asterisk next to that statement, in light of their "spygate" incident?) You might be mourning Brett Favre's lost opportunity. You might even still be blaming Jessica Simpson on behalf of the Cowboys.

Or, like many people, your love of the Super Bowl might be primarily and intrinsically tied to your love of the food that comes with it. If you fall into this category, don't worry- you have a lot of company. I mean, places like Buffalo Wild Wings shape their whole business around the reality that almost all of us connect professional sports and T.V. with food.

Whatever category you might be in, I am hoping to make your big day a little brighter (and spicier) with what I am about to share.

Here for you my friends, is my recipe for hot wings. This offering has made me a welcome guest at almost a decade of Super Bowl parties. If you decide to write this down, remember this rule above all others: The way you prepare this recipe is just as important as the ingredients.

Okay, here we go. You will need:

1 Large bag of wings/drummies (about 30-50 count)

1 Stick of butter or margarine

1 Gallon of Louisiana hot sauce (yes- a gallon- don't skimp on me)

A medium to large slow-cooker.

Your grill.

"That's it," you say? That's it. It's all about the preparation.

Start by melting the whole stick of butter/margarine in the slow cooker. (Don't be worried about the calories- you're diluting it into a gallon of hot sauce.) Now add about 80% of that Louisiana hot sauce and set the temperature to low. Let the sauce cook for about 2 hours. Around the second hour, it should be simmering, and you will notice that it is beginning to change colors slightly. If it's not yet simmering, increase your temp a little to get it going. (NOTE: Try not to let this stuff boil, or you may be left with something that can only be used in stripping your garage floor, or perhaps as an anti-terrorism device.) Now, on to the chicken.

Thaw the wings and then grill them until the chicken is almost cooked through.

Yes, grill them. I know. "But we're putting them in the slow cooker." Take the time to crisp up the outer skin and add some of that wonderful "off the grill" flavor. Trust me, this is not a wasted step. Combining your grill with your slow cooker is the culinary version of an unstoppable force of nature.

Once the chicken is nearly cooked through with some nice charring on the outside, add it to your sauce. This is also the time where you can feel free to add some or all of the remaining sauce from your original gallon. Be sure to taste-test the sauce first, because as it simmers with the butter, it will be getting hotter. My suggestion would be to add enough of the uncooked sauce to cover the wings (or to bring the spice level back down to a place where someone won't take a bite and then run screaming from the room).

Let the wings cook in the sauce for another 1-2 hours. You're in the flavor zone now. The combination of all these steps produces a result that will make you very popular with just about anyone who likes hot wings. But remember, it's all about the way you approach the preparation. You might be thinking, "that sounds like a hefty time commitment for a hot wing." You're right, it is. But then again, it's not your ordinary hot wing.

Extraordinary things can come from simple ingredients. But short-change the preparation, and you'll short-change the result.

This is the way it is with our life in Christ. If we skimp on our time cultivating our relationship with our Savior, we end up in a world of bland Christianity. Christ is inviting us to join Him on an adventure into a world of extraordinary life in Him, but we have to continue to choose to come along. One of my friends recently shared this very same idea in an email saying, "Years ago, I began praying for God to draw closer to me. Then… somewhere along the way I heard a TV evangelist (don't recall the man's name) comment that WE should focus on drawing nearer to Him. Well… "duh…" It's like a light bulb went off over my coconut and I finally got it! I guess I was expecting God to do all the work…".

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me (John 15:4)."

It isn't overly complicated. An extraordinary life in Christ is waiting for anyone who will choose to love God in worship, share their life in community with others and grow as disciples, and reach out to the world as a servant.

Love. Live. Serve.

Now that's a truly unstoppable force.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

p.s.- If you end up with leftover wings, be careful. Their much hotter the next day!

Saturated

2008-01-16T11:46:00.000-05:00

You just never know what God will use to teach you something.

It was May in Virginia, and the weather was getting hot. We had just moved, and were still unpacking boxes when an old Dodge Diplomat pulled down our gravel drive and parked in the front yard. From within the car emerged a hulk of guy wearing bib overalls and no shirt, with a wad of chewing tobacco in his cheek that was so big it made him look like he was eating a jawbreaker. He lumbered onto the front porch and knocked.

As I opened the screen door, he extended his hand to me and said, "Hi. I'm Landon. Welcome to the South." Actually, the chew was contorting his right cheek so much that the last word sounded more like, "Sowf." Landon went on. "I'm glad you all are here at the church. I work at the dairy down the road."

Although true, this last statement was unnecessary. Since we didn't have air conditioning, all the windows were open to allow the breeze to blow through. We knew Landon worked at the dairy from the moment he drove up. Both his car and his clothes exuded that aroma that is unmistakably, "all things cow." After a short conversation, Landon went on his way- probably back to the dairy. The aroma of "all things cow," went with him.

About a year later, I was driving back to the church building after lunch. As I approached the dairy, I noticed that they were watering a field near the road. Just about the time I drove past, the wind really kicked up and my little green car was coated on one side with a mixture of something that resembled watery pudding. I immediately realized that "watering" had not been the right term. When the milking stalls were cleaned, all the waste and runoff was washed into a nearby lagoon. That lagoon was now being pumped to fertilize the field. At the corner stop sign, I turned right instead of left and headed straight to the car wash. By the time I had driven the remaining four miles to town, "all things cow" was my overpowering companion.

I rejoiced that it hadn't eaten off the paint. I also rejoiced that the passenger windows were shut during the wind-induced manure malaise. Washing a coat of dung-paste off your vehicle's shiny exterior is one thing. Trying to get it out of your upholstery is something else entirely. But here lies the difference between myself and Landon. (Well besides the fact that I don't wear bibs or chew Red Man.)

That smell was an immediate problem for me, and I wanted it off my car. I don't, however, think I've ever met a dairy farmer who complained about the odor. Actually, I've heard more than one say, "It just smells like money to me." The benefits they receive have altered their perspective. They have also accepted that when you spend a lot of your time milking, caring for, and cleaning up after cows, you are going to smell like them at the end of the day. After all, the closer you are to something, the better the chances are that you'll become saturated with it.

To be saturated is to be unable to hold or contain any more; it is to be completely full.

In Colossians 2:9, Paul says, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form...." In other words, there is no part of Him that is less than fully God- even as He walked in human form.

Now look at the rest of his statement: "...and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority (Col. 2:10)." Do you realize that we can choose to be literally saturated with Christ? Each time an undesirable part of our old self is removed, we can cry out to Jesus to fill the void. Little by little, we decrease and He increases in us.

All this saturation seems to carry its own "smell"-both to God and to others. No kidding. Even more interesting, our smell to others ends up depending on their choices. Here's what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16a:

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance or life."

Who knew we were all so smelly?

Be saturated.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Jumbo Shrimp

2008-01-07T11:19:00.000-05:00

Today's entry is a rant. And it all goes back to jumbo shrimp.

My family and I were enjoying New Year's eve at a friend's house when we got a phone call. Just as I put it on speaker, we heard a cacophony of voices shouting greetings to us from Houston. As they passed the phone around, our friend Kara said, "Hey Jeff! We're all over at Shaun's house having a great time, and we've got jumbo shrimp. Isn't that enough to get ya'll down here?" I was immediately reminded of the line from the movie "Jerry McGuire," when she tells him, "You had me at 'hello'."

Now, you may not be as familiar as I am with jumbo shrimp from the gulf area. Let me just say that, if you've been eating shrimp anywhere else, you are missing out on how good it can really be. There's just something about that region and the freshness that takes tasty to a whole new level. (You may now insert any of "Bubba's" dialog from "Forrest Gump," i.e., "shrimp salad, shrimp kabobs, shrimp on a stick," etc.)

Now that I think about it, most of the places I've lived have had some kind of food that is a "specialty" for their particular area.

I was never a fan of mussels until I lived on Prince Edward Island, in eastern Canada.

When I ministered in Virginia, there were certain times when some of the ladies would come to the church kitchen and make homemade yeast roles. My office would be so flooded with that incredible smell, that I was hungry enough to eat my stapler by the end of the day.

You have never truly experienced baby Swiss cheese until you've had it from Amish country in Ohio.

For me, all thin crust pizza will forever be second place imitations of St. Louis style pizza. (Ahhh, Imo's...)

While I'm really not sure what makes those Virginia yeast roles so incredible, I suspect it's the same secret ingredient to enjoying cheese in Amish country, mussels on PEI, and shrimp on the gulf: it's local. You might even consider these foods to be expressions of the unique cultures that they come from.

Okay, so is there a point to all this- I mean, besides the confession of my love for all this food? I certainly hope so. If not, I've made you all hungry for nothing.

In my opinion (and that's all this is), it all goes back to the jumbo shrimp. I'm not heading to Amish country any time soon for a taste of the famous "Amish shrimp of Ohio." You get great shrimp in the gulf region because the gulf has great shrimp, and lots of them. Period. You get great cheese in Amish country because those farms aren't as concerned with mass production as they are with producing a great product. Each place has made the most of what it already has locally.

Churches sometimes become enamored by the growth or "success" of another congregation. In an effort to imitate the result, they imitate the outward, measurable actions of the "model" church. Interestingly enough, this second generation just doesn't reap the same results. So what happened? Again, in my opinion, it's the "local" factor. The second generation church has spent less time studying the principles and philosophies of the "model" church, and more time duplicating methods and actions that may be dependent on, or influenced by what God has naturally given the "model" church to use locally.

Here's what I mean: It would be helpful to examine the principles behind a church that has consistently drawn in great numbers of new visitors and helped them grow into Christ-followers.

It would be short-sighted, however, to simply copy a program, curriculum, or event that this same church has used, without considering

similarities and differences in culture and context.

This is not an attempt to get some kind of back-handed jab in at mega-churches. It is also not a commentary designed to warn people against using Willow Creek group studies, Saddleback "40 Days" campaigns, or any other widely marketed tools. No church needs to reinvent the wheel- if an established method or approach fits your church's unique community and personality, by all means consider using it; each can be beneficial under the right circumstances.

What I am saying, is that there is no "one size fits all" approach to church growth. Different people have different needs. Different communities can have many different local cultures and personalities. Our churches are comprised of those same unique cultures and personalities.

What we all share, is the need for a Savior. We all have sinned, and cannot be brought back into a right place with God unless we accept His grace through Christ. In John 17:18, part of Jesus' prayer for His disciples was, "In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world." (The Message trans.) What could be a more effective way to share this message than by embracing the ways that God has naturally given our churches their own unique "thumbprint" in our community?

So, pass the shrimp, bake the pizza or cut the cheese- but whatever you do, be what God intended you to be, not a copy.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Dusting off the Blog

2007-12-28T16:57:00.000-05:00

Hey there!

It's been several months since my last posting, so coming back feels a bit like returning to a familiar cabin or vacation getaway; everything stills feels homey, but I've got some cleaning to do!

So, while I shake the dust off the Convergence blog and ramp up for the new year, let me take this opportunity to invite you back for a visit at the first of January. I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

One Wet August

2007-08-28T21:32:00.000-05:00

Findlay saw one of the worst floods in it's history last week. I'm not sure that pictures can really describe the situation, but I've selected a few that will give you a small overview.

From Main St. (yup, the thing that's almost buried is a van) to Fort Findlay (a park just 4 blocks from our house), much of the town was under water. It really got me thinking, but I'll write more about that later.

These shots were sent to me by my friends Rusty and Lisa, and are credited to: Pat Gibson, Jim and Mike Gould, Drew Glaser and Bob Powell.

Talk to you soon,

Jeff

Hope, or Hooey

2007-08-17T20:29:00.000-05:00

Suffering.

I really don’t have to explain suffering, do I? As soon as I said that word you probably filled in the blanks with your own story of pain, custom fit just for your life. Pain doesn’t care how old we are, or how much money we make, or what kind of car we drive- it sinks its teeth into all of us.

It’s in the sound of the doctor’s voice, saying those words we never wanted to hear.
It’s watching as your Mom and Dad’s marriage falls apart.
It’s in the helplessness of seeing a child slipping away.
It’s hearing the words “I don’t love you anymore.”

These things stack up inside us, and they can make us skeptical to the 2000 year old words of Paul in Romans 8:18 when he says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

That’s a pretty big statement. If it wasn't in the Bible, it might sound like a bunch of hooey.

Actually, depending on what you're going through right now, it might sound like a bunch of hooey anyway.

At any rate, it makes me think about something that happened a while back.

I eat breakfast every Wednesday with a couple of guys. We usually talk about a book that we’re all reading, but a couple of weeks ago, we just talked about Rose. This wasn’t too hard- Mark had
3 entire albums full of their latest pictures of her.

The photos were from a trip that Mark and his wife Kim had recently taken to Haiti, to spend some more time with their little girl. They knew they wouldn’t be able to take Rose home- but that wasn’t really the point.

Mark and Kim love Rose. She isn’t some abstract concept, like “the orphans of Haiti,” or a name on a support card. She is their daughter. She just doesn’t live with them yet.

Adopting a child from Haiti is a long, expensive process and you have to jump through a lot of hoops. Every day that Mark and Kim spend without Rose is painful. But they continue to hope, and that hope is based in a quiet, confident expectation that it WILL happen. Nothing that Mark and Kim endure today will compare with the day when the adoption is complete and they get to take Rose home.

Do you think that God is any different? Is it any wonder that Paul can say that nothing we endure today is worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us? The hope that he is saying we can have is that same confident expectation that Mark and Kim have about Rose’s adoption. It will happen.

“Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” -Romans 8:23-25

I think that dealing with suffering is infinitely harder when you question if you really matter, and if there’s anything to believe in; to hope for.

The Creator, God of the universe answers both of those questions. He tells us, “You can believe in Me. I didn’t have a beginning, I won’t have an end, and I don’t change. I will be solid for you to hang on to, and I will never leave you, or forsake you."

But He’s also saying, “I believe in you!” “You matter to Me, and I want you as my daughter; as my son.”

If we accept that adoption, then we HAVE to accept the truth that God wants us!

Nothing we endure today will compare with the day when our adoption is complete.

And that's not hooey.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

p.s.- Thanks Mark, for letting me tell your amazing story.

Finally

2007-08-17T20:02:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm back!

Thanks for your patience- the big project is done for my MA. It wasn't exactly a thesis; perhaps we could refer to it as "son of thesis," or something like that. It was a lot of work, but I'm very glad to have done it. (I got an A-, by the way.) I'm also at the official "halfway" point as far as credits go toward the degree, which sort of feels like a bit of a milestone, too.

Anyway, a more lengthy entry is on the way soon, but before I posted that one, I just wanted to say a quick "howdy" to everybody and tell you again how grateful I am to be a part of this community. Talk to you soon!

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Crunch Time

2007-06-18T08:13:00.000-05:00

Howdy!

Well, I am closing in on the final weeks of my first year of school. It still amazes me that God has provided a way (through this new concentrated program of study) for me to get half of the degree completed by mid-August of this year.

However, in an effort to squeeze one more thing in, I agreed to do my big master's project in one of these classes, and it is just a few weeks from its due date. It is definitely affecting the amount of writing I'd like to do here, so I'm going to spend the next couple of weeks finishing up this project and then get back to the blog.

Thanks again to everyone who has become a part of this online community. I'll "see" you again here in July!

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Chainsaw

2007-05-31T22:25:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make.

I hope you don't mind, but I've really got to get something out in the open, and this seems like just the place to do it. Okay, here it is:

I am still a huge fan of Rock and Pop music from the late 70's and early 80's .

Yup. I admit it. Van Halen, The Clash, Billy Squier, The Go Go's, Foreigner, Scorpions, Rush, The Police, Styx, old U2, and- even early Rick Springfield (oh, the humanity!). You name it, I probably like it. (And yes, I agree- that's most likely the first time Rush and The Go Go's were used in the same sentence.)

In 1980, the band Styx released "Paradise Theatre", arguably their last really great album. On it was a catchy little song called "Too Much Time on My Hands". (Come on children of the 80's, do you remember?) It was sort of a tongue-in-cheek song about the ups and downs of having no real purpose. Behind the synthesizer-bass, Tommy Shaw sang about a guy who's outlook changes from depression to optimism- all because he found a place where people would listen to him.

I would have to agree that our perspective on life can change just because we have a place to go where we feel like we fit and people know us (cue the music from "Cheers"). But by the end of the song, the guy admits that the people around him are there primarily because he's buying them drinks. Sooner or later he knows he'll be right back where he started (The last line in the final verse is, "Is it any wonder I'm null and void?") Still, while everybody is with him, he feels like he belongs. And even if he has to buy it and it's temporary, he wants that feeling.

What we're talking about here is community, and when it is built (intentionally or instinctively) on love, acceptance and grace, it is a very beautiful thing. I'm not sure there is really any way to accurately quantify the effects of true community. And when that atmosphere of grace, love and acceptance is Christ-centered (the original and purest example) and the group is open, there are no limits to what God can do in someone's life, or how the community can grow. Of course, this kind of openness and acceptance takes some effort. Sometimes people really don't know how to go about it. And sometimes people just don't want to work that hard. But we all still want that feeling of belonging.

Because of this, people will sometimes attempt to build a form of community around other things. There are several examples, but for the sake of space here, I'd like to mention just one: The common enemy. This can effectively bring a group of people together, even when they can't seem to agree on or be organized around anything else. Don't believe me? Just read our history. After enduring a decade of the Great Depression, a common enemy unified and organized a large enough majority of the U.S. population in World War II that a byproduct was the healing of our nation's economy. If that's too far back to seem relevant to you, just think about how many flags you saw flying and how many people you saw hugging each other during the weeks that followed the attack on the World Trade Center.

This is not a commentary on any particular war, or even on war in general. This moment in history however, does illustrate a point I want to make. Today as I drove my kids to school, I didn't see as many flags out front as I did a couple of years ago, and I didn't notice many people spontaneously hugging each other. Do people not care any more? Of course they do. But national pride must be rooted in the nation, not in an act of terrorism. My point is simply this: A "common enemy" is only a temporary reminder of the value of our community; it is not a sustainable purpose for it.

Here's the problem as I see it: A group that finds community in a common enemy will be united only as long as they have an enemy. It's conditional community. And this is true for ANY community- a country, an activist group, a union, a fraternity, a church.

There are certainly times when we are called to make a stand as believers. But if you find yourself in such a situation, I would like to suggest that you ask yourself a simple question: "Does this group find its purpose in what it is for, or what it is against?" If the answer is "against", please be careful in how you proceed (no matter how positive the "against" is painted). When you decide to join a group that has defined itself by standing against an enemy, you may discover that you need to find new enemies in order to continue to have purpose. Eventually, finding new enemies may quietly become the purpose

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. " -2Timothy 2:23

I can remember a week of church camp that illustrates this point perfectly.

I was working as a lifeguard and groundskeeper (for those of you who know me, try not to fixate on the lifeguard part- I don't want you to pass out from laughter). The camp dean had decided that he didn't want to overwork his volunteers, so he gave each adult only one job to do. This worked out to about an hour and a half to two hours each day for most of his staff. For most, the remaining hours were spent under the large picnic shelter, drinking tea and talking. For the first day or so the adults seemed glad to have the time off. But by Wednesday, they began to "notice" things.

It began when one of the ladies was certain that she had discovered fleas in the playground sand and called the group together to discuss whether this might pose a potential health risk to the campers. A closer inspection by the camp staff revealed the bugs to be gnats, which are annoying, but harmless. This however, prompted some of the adults to question whether the camp staff (a common enemy) might be telling the truth about the bugs. By the time the insects were confirmed to be gnats, we had a full-scale problem on our hands.

On my way into the shop while cutting the grass one afternoon, I crossed paths with one of the guys. He was carrying a power drill and a long extension chord and headed for the girls dorm (no, it wasn't a horror movie). He informed me that the "group" had discovered that the ceramic soap dishes mounted to each shower stall did not drain properly, and the standing water might pose any number of threats to the campers. He was going over to drill holes in each of the soap dishes. I have to confess- I think I just stared at him for a minute, in stunned disbelief. Then, as seriously as I could muster, I asked him if he had considered what might happen if he drilled a hole through the finish on each soap dish, allowing the water to soak into the ceramic on the inside. "Instead of drilling out each soap dish and causing them to disintegrate," I asked, "perhaps we could just send someone through to wipe them dry each day?" I got to take the drill back to the shop.

But as I was coming out, another small group of men emerged from the trail leading to the creek, carrying the chainsaw. "We went down to clear a couple of trees that were an eyesore across the creek, but we dropped the (running) chainsaw in, so we weren't able to finish the job." I quietly accepted the dead chainsaw and walked back to the shop, humming an old 80's rock song by the group Styx (Cue synthesizer bass) -perhaps you know the one I'm thinking of...

In Him We Live,

Jeff

p.s. - To not include a section of scripture that I think perfectly outlines what real community looks like would be sort of ironic, considering what I just wrote about. But it also just seemed better to let it have a separate space- like a mini "part 2" of what is above. It doesn't need any explanation, so I will let it speak for itself:

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." -Acts 2:42-47

Pictures

2007-05-18T16:08:00.000-05:00

My refrigerator is an art gallery.

It's been this way for almost a decade now. Both of my girls love to draw and paint pictures, and they're great artists. I know what you're thinking: "Okay Dad, everybody thinks their child is a great artist." It's true, parents tend to be a little subjective in this area. But seriously, these two really aren't bad. I look forward to what they will bring home from art class or up from the basement playroom where we keep the file cabinet full of crayons, markers and water colors.

I especially love the stuff they make just for me. I have cards, notes and lots of pictures on everything from construction paper to Popsicle sticks to rocks, and quite a few randomly-shaped pieces of paper retrieved lovingly for them from the discard pile at the office by a certain wonderful church secretary. Sometimes I'll open a book that I haven't looked through for awhile and find one of those small pieces of paper marking a place with a picture of a stick version of me smiling and holding hands with a smiling little stick person. I love those because I know they were drawn to send me a message, and I like what it says.

Actually, some of those simple pictures mean much more to me than the increasingly difficult projects they do at school. Don't get me wrong- those projects are beautiful and I am both proud of their achievement and impressed with their developing talent. But when that talent is mixed with their heart- even if it's just a couple of stick people smiling and holding hands- then, I am captivated.

I have heard more than one person say, "I don't know what to say when I pray," or "I'm sure God has better things to do than listen to me." As far as I'm concerned, statements like these just don't make sense when I think about those pictures. Complex prayers are fine, but they aren't necessary to capture God's attention any more than the complex art projects are for my daughters to capture mine. And you may think God has better things to do than listen to you, but then again, you're not God, are you?

"In him (Christ) and through faith in him (Christ again) we may approach God with freedom and confidence." -Ephesians 3:12 (New International Version)

Did you catch that? If you have faith in Jesus, you can come into the very presence of God and be confident that He is glad you are there. (For more on this, see Ephesians 1:5-6)

In a way, our prayers are like those pictures. If our hearts are attached to them, it doesn't matter whether it is a complex "project" designed to go into great detail or a simple message, like a couple of stick figures. Especially if that message is saying "I Love You."

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Lost in Translation

2007-05-04T01:40:00.000-05:00

Just a couple of random thoughts this week that came together and made me laugh.

One of the first classes I took last fall was called "Research and Writing for Graduate Studies." It is an online class that is required for all students, but doesn't result in any actual credit toward graduation.

It's a class about how to write papers, use the library, and do research.

Yes, it was every bit as fun as it sounds. (I didn't think you could find a hundred different test questions to ask about using the library, but sure enough...)

One of our more practical assignments was to share two or three web sites that we consider valuable for ministry. After a number of people had posted http://www.biblegateway.com/ as a favorite, I knew I wanted to check it out. It is a great web site that allows you to access several different translations of the Bible anywhere you can log onto the web. I'm finding it very helpful while I'm writing papers, lessons, and this blog. It's actually been so helpful that I wanted to see if there were other study helps out there. One of the sites I found is http://www.htmlbible.com/, which provides several really cool resources, like a translation of the Bible in English sitting side-by-side or "parallel" with a translation in ancient Greek. There's also a dictionary for the ancient Greek words so you can look up what they literally mean and see how the English translation compares.

The only drawback for me is that the only English translation provided on that site is the King James Version.

For as long as I've been regularly reading the Bible, I've been using a newer translation, like the NIV or the New Living Translation. I've just always felt that the modern language used in the contemporary versions make them more culturally relevant today. Because of this, I haven't used that site too much.

Or, maybe it's just because I'm stubborn.

At any rate, during my last course something happened that gave me a new appreciation for the old language.

We were talking about redemption and the professor was using Exodus chapter 13:12-13 as an example from the Old Testament:

12 you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord's. (which means they must be sacrificed.) 13 Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. (This is from the ESV, which is what I think he was using.)

This practice was to be a reminder of the final plague while they were in slavery, of the passover, and ultimately of God's deliverance of the Jewish people from Egypt and Pharaoh.

The lesson was interesting enough, but as he read, I remembered hearing Rich Mullins talk about this same verse; about how one of his professors had made a point of using the King James Version when he taught about it, and how funny it was. Later, I got online and confirmed my suspicions. Here's how it reads:

12That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD's.
13And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.

Hmmm... An ass is redeemed by a lamb. I'm starting to think that those King James translators might be more relevant than I originally suspected...

It seems like there's an application to be made somewhere.

Perhaps I'm just too stubborn to see it.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

God of Wrath, God of Grace

2007-04-11T09:03:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been in a situation where something really funny or exciting happens to you, but when you try to describe the situation to a friend later, they just don't get it? Typically, your only response is, "I guess you had to be there." As a storyteller, I really despise those moments. Of course, I keep telling stories, so what does that say?

Every once in awhile, somebody will ask me, "So, what are you studying at school right now?" This is a dangerous question to ask me, because I am really enjoying graduate school. As a matter of fact, I just finished a paper in a class called "The Doctrine of Grace" in which I was asked to write about some of the insights I gained while taking the course. Among the things that really impacted me was a point the professor made about God's nature throughout time and how His grace relates to that.

This week I thought I'd share the last part of that paper, in an effort to let you see a bit of what I'm studying right now, and let you take a look at this idea about grace. I realize there's a chance that you may finish reading this and think to yourself, "I guess you had to be there." But, I've never let that stop me before, so here we go!
(Don't worry, it's not a tough read- I'm just not that academic!)

Another area in which I have gained a greater understanding is the matter of certain aspects of God’s nature, such as His love and grace, appearing to be in conflict with other aspects,
such as His holiness and justice. It is not unusual to hear people speak of God in the Old Testament as being “judgmental” and characterized by His holiness, or even His wrath. By contrast, God’s nature in the New Testament is most often characterized in His love and grace.

It can be pointed out easily enough that frankly, this is a gross over-generalization. The antagonist however, will sometimes escalate the point by insinuating that this is inconsistent and may go so far as to say that they could not possibly be the same God. Thus, both must be nothing more than the invention of humanity, adapted through time to better fit Man’s image and his desires.

It is of course, true that humans have often misrepresented God and deliberately misinterpreted His Word in an effort to justify their beliefs and actions. It is a much more serious accusation however, to postulate that primary characteristics of God are in conflict when one compares His behavior in the Old Testament (or covenant) with that of the New Testament (or covenant). If this thesis were true, and carried out to its logical end, it would bring only grim options for the Christian. Either one of these conflicting accounts of God is a lie, or God Himself is a fabrication.

Although I think that I have in the past rendered adequate, and theologically accurate responses to these questions, I have never personally been satisfied with any answer I have given on this subject. It is absolutely reasonable to me that characteristics like holiness and love could both exist in God’s nature. But explaining this in any succinct fashion has always proven to be difficult.

Here again, I think I have found some clarity. The illustration in class that compared a stretched rubber band with these opposing characteristics really helped me visualize the concept. This idea clearly demonstrates how traits like justice and holiness can co-exist with mercy and love, exerting equal tension in the nature of God, who is the embodiment of perfection.

If they exert equal tension, it is reasonable that His holiness would always respond to sin with wrath, while His love would always respond with grace. It is also reasonable to assume then, that He has responded in both of these ways throughout all of time. So there would be evidence of both grace and wrath in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament, regardless of any covenant status.

God’s mercy and love are expressed in the New Testament in memorable passages such as 1 John 4:7-8 which states, “Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” We also see it in John 3:16 when Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” It is important to note that this scripture clearly indicates that God extended love and mercy before the New Covenant was established, since these words were spoken by Christ before His death and resurrection.

It is also critical to see areas in the New Testament where God’s holiness and wrath were shown. The death of Ananias and his wife Sapphira as recorded in Acts 5:1-10 is a vivid example. But the greatest proof that God’s holy nature is constantly in tension with His love is found in the cross. Nothing in all of creation was worthy enough to provide the sacrifice needed to pay for Mankind’s sins that stood as an affront to God’s holiness. Justice was required, and Jesus provided the perfect propitiatory sacrifice.

As we move to the Old Testament, providing evidence of God’s holiness, judgment, and wrath is largely unnecessary, as these elements of his nature are often emphasized (and overemphasized) here. Perhaps people are so transfixed by these stories of judgment because they are literally some of the most spectacular and dramatic displays in the Bible: a raging flood; fire from heaven; a river turning to blood; swarms of insects; the death of every first-born male.

But there is more than wrath and judgment in the Old Testament; there is justification and love. The section of class and in the commentary that covered Romans chapter four was a significant part of this course for me, as it pointed to this fact. Paul states plainly In Romans 4:2 that “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God.” He is explaining that Abraham was not justified by his works, but instead “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” as Genesis 15:6 tells us. This is evidence that Abraham was, in fact, justified by his faith. And this evidence leads to an even more crucial observation. If Abraham was justified by his faith, it means that God’s grace was in place even in the Old Testament.

The proposition that “everyone who has ever been saved has been saved by grace” was perhaps the greatest insight I gained in this course. God’s nature has never changed, and from the fall of Man, His method for saving us has been the same.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and
this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by
works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which
God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:8-10)

Thanks for reading!

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Darkness

2007-04-04T02:31:00.000-05:00

"It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two." -Luke 23:44-45 (NIV)

It's Spring break time here. I for one greatly appreciate the fact that our school system schedules the time off late enough that northern Ohio actually begins to show signs of the new season. The weather is getting warmer, flowers are beginning to come up, lawns are turning green and the sun is actually shining again! Today we had temperatures in the low 70's and my daughters spent most of the day on a picnic with their Grandma. Their timing was perfect, because not long after they got back home, it started to rain.

I had spent part of the afternoon holed up in our basement family room reading a book for one of my classes, so I was surprised at how quickly it had gotten cloudy. But I guess I didn't have any reason to be shocked; weather is pretty unpredictable this time of the year. It really isn't unusual to have sunshine and blue skies turn into clouds and rain.

Maybe that's why the darkness that is described at the time of Jesus' death sometimes seems to get overlooked or trivialized in our minds- as if it was just God's version of "dramatic lighting." Now don't misunderstand me; I know the darkness is just a part of the overall story of Christ's death. But it's a part that has significance.

All the gospel writers that talk about it say that the darkness "came over the whole land." We're not talking about a gloomy day or isolated cloud cover; they are literally saying that it got dark everywhere. As if it were night.

At about noon.

And it stayed that dark for three hours.

When God alters something about creation itself to make a point, it's more than a detail.

Don't believe me? Talk to Noah.

It's pretty interesting to note other places in Scripture that talk about the sun giving way to sudden darkness are usually referring to a time of God's judgement (Joel 2:10, 30-31 or Amos 8:9). Jesus is carrying the weight of every sin that has already been committed and every one that ever will be in the future. The penalty He is choosing to pay will cost nothing less than His perfect life as a sacrifice. When you stop and think about it, it makes sense. God chose to darken the sun to parallel the immense darkness that was being heaped on His Son.

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." -2Cor. 5:21

Take a moment and imagine that scene. The wind is blowing on the hilltop. The crowd is shouting insults at Jesus. The soldiers are gambling for His clothes. The religious leaders are smug as they talk to the crowd and each other.

Then, darkness.

It's amazing to me, but none of the authors record any sudden reactions from the crowd. It's as if they simply refuse to recognize it. What do you think was happening? Were they standing around uneasily, trying to pass this amazing event off as a change in the weather? How could they not realize that this darkness was a result of their actions; their sin; their darkness?

I suppose it's what keeps you and I from realizing the same thing, or at least from remembering it.

I am not suggesting that you should live in guilt, as if God hasn't forgiven you- if you are in Christ, your debt is paid. Period. But it is easy to begin to take something valuable for granted if we forget how much it cost.

This week as you celebrate Christ's resurrection, remember the darkness and the cost- and let that remind you of your rescue, and of grace!

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Revolution, part three

2007-03-21T05:30:00.000-05:00

I can't remember exactly how old I was, or what grade I was in, but I would guess it was junior high. I have no idea what I was wearing. I can't remember a thing about the main lesson that night, or the rest of the week, for that matter. I only know it was Summer because it took place during a "Vacation Bible School" at my friend's church.

I do remember that it happened while our group was watching a cartoon filmstrip about life in a far-away country that a missionary worked in. (Ah, the filmstrip- complete with that little "ding" to let you know it was time to change the picture... sorry, back to the story.) I remember this part because the boy in the filmstrip had to get away from a huge snake just to get to school. Or to the village. Hmmm... I'm not sure where he was going, but there was a huge snake, and that got my attention. But after the great snake escape, I confess that I kind of lost interest.

You see, I was a bit distracted. I had been keeping my eye on someone else that night. Okay, actually all week. She was positioned just a few rows in front of where my friend Kevin and I sat. At this point I should probably mention that she was our group's teacher, and taunting her was the only mission I was really interested in. I was looking for the right moment and knew this was it. So, I leaned over to my friend and said what I had been thinking for the past ten minutes. My words barely had time to escape my lips when Kevin let out a laugh that pretty much eclipsed the sound of the actual presentation, which by this time had gotten very serious, even without the snake.

The filmstrip stopped. The lights came on. "Is there something you boys would like to share with everyone?" I considered my options. Kevin was still laughing and I have always liked making people laugh. Add to this that at one point (believe it or not) I had a tiny problem with authority, and you have a dangerous combination. Reason told me that I should stay quiet, but Kevin was literally shaking next to me. I tried to hold the laughter in and my mouth shut, but made one of those "raspberry" sounds as the air burst through my pursed lips. That was, as you might expect, the wrong thing to have done. She walked in a startlingly deliberate line toward the two of us and "guided" us out into the hallway.

Although our disruptions had so far been smaller, we had already been given multiple warnings during the evening. And the week. I began to get nervous. I could tell that we had finally crossed a line. What would happen if she decided to bring in Kevin's dad, who was working in another part of the building? Even worse, what if they contacted my dad and he had to drive across town to come pick up his delinquent son? Now I was beyond nervous.

As she spoke to us her words were stern, but never cutting. She didn't hesitate to discipline us, and yet I never doubted the tenderness behind her serious tone. Despite my lack of respect and manners, I could tell that somehow, she genuinely cared about me.

When the discipline was over, we returned to class. And from that day forward, I changed my behavior and learned to do the right thing...

And then the sky turned purple and pigs started to fly.

I'd like to tell you that my behavior changed more than temporarily. And I'd like to tell you that the temporary change was motivated by more than fear of punishment. I'd like to, but I can't- because there are too many other stories that happened just like this one. Most of the time I did far more to deserve justice than love. I will never forget the joke that I made that evening at her expense and her response, because it perfectly represents the kind of revolutionary love that can only come from Jesus.

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:6-8

To be sure, this verse explains that there is nothing we could ever do to on our own to earn (or keep) salvation. If our only hope for salvation is to obey a law system, we are as good as lost, since no one can obey law perfectly. In other words, without His grace, we are powerless.

But another keyword to notice in this verse is "ungodly". Since we were powerless, God had to make the first move. A commentary I am reading right now about the book of Romans describes "ungodly" as being in "opposition to God and his law". When God demonstrated the extent of His love for us, we were in a state that was the opposite of Him! In other words, we weren't very lovable, and Jesus died for us anyway.

Certainly no one can show love to the extent that God has shown it to us through Christ. But we should listen carefully to John's words when he says, "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love each other" (1 John 4:11). Despite the risks and difficulty, we must show love to others even when that love is not returned. This is tough to think about, but if we say we love God, we can't just love people who are "safe" or "easy".

Is there someone in your life (or maybe a whole group) that you just don't think you can love? Ask God to allow you to see them the same way that He does, and then to respond based on what He shows you.

I know that's not very comfortable. At least it doesn't involve escaping a big snake or watching a filmstrip.

In Him We Live (and Love),

Jeff

p.s.- Thank you again Mrs. C. for loving this trouble maker. That love continues to amaze me.

Happily Unstructured

2007-03-16T17:04:00.000-05:00

Just a little note to invite you to check out the link on the side bar of this blog. Clicking on it will take you to another page that contains, well, "Extra Stuff" just like the title implies. It might be an article or a section of a book; it might be an addendum to a regular "Convergence" entry; it might be pictures of the family or a recipe for hot wings- who knows? One thing is certain: it will reflect a happily unstructured format that I'm sure will be conducive to all people who don't mind a train of thought that stops at a few extra stations. The link includes the date I update it, so you'll always know if there's new stuff without having to click on it.

I've also been asked if there is a way to send an automatic notification when this blog gets updated. That might be possible, but I'm still not sure exactly how. If you are savvy with that type of thing and know of a way, I'd appreciate a few pointers. Talk to you soon!

Thanks,

Jeff

Revolution, part two

2007-03-04T14:21:00.000-05:00

Organizing my thoughts this week has been difficult. I wasn't at a loss for words- I mean, how often does that happen? Actually, I've had this in mind for awhile and have just been working on how I would say it. However, while I was trying to make things nice and neat, God got involved. In a manner fitting of the word convergence, He allowed several random events to completely crash into the stuff I was already thinking about.

Earlier this week, my oldest daughter was memorizing part of the United States Declaration of Independence. When she came to me to practice, she had memorized the following lines: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Since I am currently writing about the topic "Revolution", I thought I should file this away- you just never know when part of the Declaration of Independence will come in handy.

Around mid-week, I travelled to Ashland, Ohio to attend a funeral. As I mentioned in an earlier entry, some funerals are just extraordinary events, where God somehow allows both great sorrow and great joy to exist side by side. This was certainly one of those times.

Throughout the whole service, people read letters about her, thanking her for her faith, but one in particular summed it up. I can't hope to remember it verbatim, but here is the basic message: "You lived a life of faith, and that faith was passed to your son. He lives a life of faith and passed it on to your grandson. Your grandson lives a life of faith, and passed it on to me. And so because of you, I know Christ." Wow. What a legacy. It was even more amazing when I stopped and thought about how many of her children and grandchildren had chosen this life of faith.

Finally, just as I was beginning to compose this entry, I found, quite by accident, another blog called "Convergence". It's just the word- no extra numbers or anything- just "Convergence".

I found it interesting for two reasons. First, it is also written by a guy named Jeff. (Maybe that's just interesting to me...) Second, and perhaps the reason the first one captured my attention, is that this guy's blog is almost an exact opposite of the one you are currently reading. It's entirely black, and I'm not just talking about the layout color. It was heartbreaking to read; his posts begin as the entries of a "typical" 20-something guy entrenched in college life- and become increasingly more hopeless as time goes on. For instance, one of his latest entries is simply this sentence: "i lie everyday." Another says, "i wish someone would read my blog an maybe feel the same way as me. then i wouldn't feel alone." He said he's fighting anxiety and that "life kinda sux when i feel this way."

And then it happened. The different events began to bump up against each other in my head. Little by little all of those individual fragments started to mix, and before long they were swirling together and forming a kind of mosaic. From my vantage point, here's how all the dots connected to form that picture.

Christianity is perhaps the most revolutionary idea/movement/life choice/commitment in the history of History. I mean, no other world religion wraps its whole central moment around the necessity of the perfect Creator dying (freely, out of love no less) for all the wrongdoings of those whom He created. This same God, who rises from the dead, now offers the opportunity for those He created to be adopted as sons and daughters, simply as a gift- you can not earn it. Jesus himself makes this clear when He says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10)." Later in that same chapter He says "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand (John 10:27,28)."

So, here it is: God is offering everyone the chance to be a part of the ultimate revolution. His gift is eternal life. So far, this is great. As a matter of fact, it sounds kind of American- a revolution that bring freedom and life (I knew the Declaration of Independence would come in handy). Now all we need are our other rights, like liberty and the pursuit of happin...

Maybe this isn't exactly like our Declaration of Independence after all. Come to think of it, it's really more a declaration of dependence. Since we didn't (and can't) earn salvation, it's not exactly a right, is it? It's more like an incredible privilege. So, our most reasonable response to God seems to be a life of service, lived out of gratitude. The church then, is a group of people whose lives have been impacted by the revolution and who are together, growing in Christ and serving out of gratitude, right?

Well, not exactly. In fact George Barna, a believer whose research group holds vast statistical data on the church says that one of his greatest frustrations "has been the disconnection between what our research consistently shows about churched Christians and what the Bible calls us to be. Granted, we are sinful creatures and will never achieve perfection on this planet; only when we are reunited with God in heaven will we experience a fully restored state. However, if the local church is comprised of people who have been transformed by the grace of God through their redemption in Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit, then their lives should be noticeably and compellingly different from the norm." He goes on to give four pages of stats that demonstrate that largely, we aren't different at all.

"Revolution" can also be defined as "One complete orbit or cycle." In other words, it's going in circles. If you have made the choice to follow Christ, you are a part of the revolution. The world is filled with people like our friend Jeff from the other Convergence blog. They are all around us; in the next cubicle; across the street; maybe even down the hall in their bedroom listening to music. You can take a chance and live a life that serves God with gratitude and leaves a legacy of faith, or you can be comfy and go in circles.

So, how will your life define that word?

In Him We Live,

Jeff

An "In Between" Post...

2007-03-01T12:54:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody!

I wanted to post a quick note just to let you know that a "real" entry is coming soon, but is still a couple of days away.

Our family had a visitor from Houston on Tuesday evening and I was with him at a funeral in another part of Ohio on Wednesday. Perhaps I'll share more on that later. For now I'll just say that some funerals are truly special events, when God somehow allows the paradox of great sorrow and overwhelming joy to exist side by side. This was one of those events, and I feel grateful to have been there.

I returned from the funeral early Wednesday evening and polished off a paper I have been writing for my current class. As a result, I haven't found a big enough block of time just to sit down and write out what is on my heart this week. No excuses, though- just catching you up on my week. I am heading to Cincinnati right now and will be home again around 1:00 Friday morning. After a little sleep, I'll get to work on the new entry.

I truly hope that you have experienced God in a real way this week- I know that honest community with Him is something He very much desires from us. Since we are created in His image, it explains why we too have a deep inner need to be in community with each other. With that in mind, if you have a story you'd like to share, or just want to catch us up on what is going on in your world, please feel free to post a comment. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the comments so far, and look forward to seeing this community develop even more. I'll talk to you soon!

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Revolution, part one

2007-02-20T19:30:00.000-05:00

The word "revolution" (based on findings at wordnet.princeton.edu) can be defined as "a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving."

Our popular culture is fond of this word. It is often used to make something sound edgy and appealing. With this in mind, it's almost ironic when you stop and think about how well the definition fits what following Christ is all about.

If that's the case though, why does it sometimes seem that being a Christian is anything but revolutionary? I don't want to speak for you, but my history shows that I will at times settle for something that I know deep down inside just doesn't measure up to the revolutionary life that God has for us. I only realize that I'm settling when I actually have an experience that shakes me out of my comfy place.

Here's an example of what I mean.

This past Friday night, the girls and I got dressed up and headed to their school for the annual Father/Daughter dance. It's a great time, complete with cookies, punch, a complimentary photo to commemorate the evening and of course, music and dancing. Well, sort of dancing. I mean, imagine the scene with a bunch of K- 5th grade girls revved up on cookies and punch running around while a school sound system plays favorites like "YMCA" and the Hokey-Pokey. The average dad alternates between dancing awkwardly with his daughter and standing by himself and watching while his daughter (or daughters) leaves him to dance with her friends. I understood my role perfectly, so I took turns dancing and standing, dancing and standing.

It was during one of my turns to stand that I noticed my friend Bud (also taking a turn standing) on the other side of the gym. He was there with his granddaughter, who is in the first grade. As I made my way over to chat with him, I saw her run up and grab his shirt, yell something with a big smile on her face, and then disappear again into the crowd. Bud and I stood there for awhile and caught up on life in general, while we waited for one of the girls to approach and signal that they were again ready to dance with us.

It was great to see him and chat, but the really amazing thing is that he had a reason to be there at all. I remember the Tuesday night when he called me at a worship team practice and asked if we could pray. When Bud's granddaughter was born, she was so premature that she weighed less than a pound and a half. Her prospects were dim, at best. As I shared the news, the priority of the team was clear. We knew that we were together that night to pray for her; the rehearsal was simply the occasion that had gathered us for our real purpose.

By the time the youth minister and I got to the hospital in Toledo, the family had been told that she had experienced some complications that would greatly hinder her sight, hearing and capacity to learn. I could tell the seriousness of the situation by the way the hospital staff treated us. As soon as we mentioned that we were ministers, they practically led us by the hand to where she was.

As I entered the intensive care unit, I was beyond words. Here was a tiny baby, barely the size of my hand, attached to enough equipment to fill a garage. Places like that seem devoid of hope. But the reality is, hope is found in someone much bigger than the machines that were monitoring her little life. We spent most of the night alternating between praying and waiting with them. I'm not always the most discerning person, but this was another night when I understood my role perfectly. So I took turns praying and waiting, praying and waiting.

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." -1 John 5:14

You may feel trapped by your circumstances; ready to give up and accept what seems to be inevitable because there is nowhere to turn. But the truth is, God hears us. That's not just blind hope. It is truth. I am not going to pretend that we will always understand His timing or decisions- that really isn't my point. What I know is that we never utter a word to Him that falls on a deaf ear. God hears us.

Don't miss this, because it's part of the revolution. Take a chance and embrace the "drastic and far-reaching change in behavior" that comes from really believing that the God of the universe honestly listens to you- and desires to hear from you! It may radically affect how you look at your circumstances, how you communicate with your Creator- maybe even how you look at your whole relationship with Him. God does hear us. And, He responds- sometimes in ways that are far beyond amazing.

During that whole first year, as we prayed and waited, God heard and responded. Although her road hasn't always been smooth, Bud's granddaughter has absolutely defied many of the doctors' predictions about her.

And Bud?
Well, he has a date for next year's dance.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

...She Got Her Wish!

2007-02-16T17:13:00.000-05:00

Like the look? I was going for "Arctic Cone-head". Anyone for a vacation to Ohio?

Winter

2007-02-13T01:15:00.001-05:00

"Dad, I heard that we might get six to eight inches tonight!" My oldest daughter was practically ecstatic this afternoon as she shared the weather man's predictions. At eleven years old, snow is still amazing. It is more than weather- it is possibility and anticipation. Even before the first flurries begin to fall, you can see it in her eyes. She can already feel the crunch underneath her boots, taste the flakes in her mouth and imagine the size and shape of the new snowman- or snow-woman, or snow-dog that will be built. I think she even made a snow-squirrel once. (She really does have quite an imagination.) In her mind, school is already cancelled and the toughest question she'll have to answer all day is, "which mug would you like to drink your hot chocolate from?"

I smiled as she shared the news with me. I mean, you almost have to smile at that kind of excitement. But as an adult (who has grown up with it), snow is not all that amazing. Actually, it can really be a drag. I will admit, the first snow of the year is still great. Everything changes and you are happy that the barren landscape has a new look. It's really a treat if it happens in the evening and you can watch it fall outside, while you enjoy the fireplace inside! But soon it's not new anymore. Then the snow represents driveways that will need to be shoveled and cars that will need their windows scraped and interesting commutes to work with lots of people that have seemingly forgotten how to drive overnight. Actually, I think there's more to it than that. As an adult it's not the snow that gets to you; it's what the snow represents- Winter.

Instead of snow men, you anticipate the sting of the icy wind on your face and the relentless gray sky that seems to want to invade the core of who you are. It's not even always about the time of the year. Winter is more than a landscape, or a weather pattern. It is a season of the soul. A time when, regardless of the temperature, you feel a chill deep within yourself. Like a tree that has lost all the grandeur of its leaves, you begin to feel barren and exposed. People who trust Christ are no more immune than anyone else, (although we sometimes have a harder time admitting it).

Tough times can bring the cold.

Sometimes it comes quickly with a call or a message.
"You've missed three payments in a row and we must advise you that..."
"Please see me in my office at the end to the day."
"I just don't love you anymore."
"It's malignant..."
Sometimes it's a hundred things that would seem small if they were by themselves. But stacked together, they carry the weight of a truck. Regardless of the circumstances, Winter has come and you must endure it.

Without a doubt, Winter is hard and I would never pretend that it isn't. Now please hang in there, because what I'm about to say may at first appear to be either cliche' or overly simplistic. When I really stop and think about these darker, lonely seasons though, and what is required to emerge on the other side, I have to go back to my daughter and her comments about the snow. I suppose the real insight comes less from her comments and more from what fuels them in the first place.

Matthew 18: 1-4 says, "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'"

The verses before and after this story are teachings about walking in faith and avoiding sin, and the child is an example of innocence and purity. As adults, I think we typically view children from the perspective of what we can teach them, and typically this is correct. But in this case, Jesus told his disciples to look at a child as the example. The greatest in the kingdom of heaven will be the one who seeks to live a life of faith and humility and sets an example of innocence and purity.

I can learn a lot from my daughter's perspective on the snow. What I have "grown" to see as an obstacle, she sees as an opportunity. One of the most important elements of riding out a Winter of the soul is faith. Not the "adult" version of faith that has learned to spout holy-sounding phrases on cue and then proceed to rely on itself anyway. I'm talking about the cold-braving, snowman-making faith of a child that could honestly say "I don't understand this, but maybe with Your help we can make something." The kind of faith that would even admit "I don't like this, but I trust that You wont let me get so cold that I won't ever thaw out again."

If you're still exploring who God is and Winter is blowing, I hope you will dig deep into this. If you'll take a chance and read the stories about Jesus in any of the gospel books in the New Testament like Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, I think you'll see that Jesus shows Himself to be someone that you can trust; someone who can restore the innocence and purity of a child in you.

If you already know Him and you're feeling barren, remember His promise to never leave you or forsake you, because He means it. Don't be afraid to tell him how you really feel- He can take it. Ask Him to renew that child-like faith in you again- trust me, He can do it.

And then decide which mug you are going to drink your hot chocolate from.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

A New Adventure, Part Two

2007-02-05T13:29:00.000-05:00

So, did you watch the Super Bowl this weekend? The whole thing worked out well in our home. Ten years of ministry in Kempton, Indiana have solidified my wife's parents as Colts fans. I grew up in St. Louis, so I was happy to root for anybody who was playing the Bears.

Regardless of my... well... less-than-fan status for Chicago as a team however, I've got to say that watching Lovie Smith sincerely congratulate Tony Dungy after the game was an awesome thing to see.

Without a doubt these men will be remembered as the first two African-American coaches to lead their teams to a Super Bowl. But I think their faith is far more memorable. They set a great example of camaraderie among believers and each modeled what a life yielded to Christ can look like. Both Smith and Dungy allowed others to see the influence of Christ in their leadership styles, while demonstrating that this influence isn't a hindrance to building a strong team. Through it all they showed a genuine appreciation for each other that never seemed at all forced. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that much of this happened on live television in a situation that would make it tough for anyone to hide their true nature. As C.S. Lewis points out in Mere Christianity, "Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is..."

If you read my first entry, you might be wondering at this point if I've forgotten my promise to share my second reason for choosing to call this blog "Convergence." Believe it or not, it's all connected- at least it is in my head.

The second definition listed above for the word simply says, "a meeting place." You may have noticed that the link to this site is "convergence244." Numbers are often included in links like this one simply because the word has already been used by someone, and the numbers allow an original address. I imagine "convergence" is probably being used somewhere else, but I actually included the numbers to remind myself (and whoever else might be interested) of a characteristic of the early church that is described in Acts 2:44. This is what it says: "All the believers were together and had everything in common."

Take a moment and picture that. This was the beginning of the Church, and one of their main focuses was true community. Just two verses later, in Acts 2:46-47 Luke writes, "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." The Greek word for "church" is ecclesia, or "assembly". It is the very nature of the Church to be a community; a gathering.

The early Church met in a variety of places, from the temple courts to each other's homes. The place was not important in itself; it only provided the people with a common destination and an opportunity to gather as they lived out the characteristics that defined them as Jesus' disciples and as a community. Today just as it was then, the locations where the Church meets are nothing more than points of convergence, or meeting places.

Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith did a great job of demonstrating this idea. They faced each other in an intense competition and were able to use that unlikely meeting place as an opportunity to be the Church. As they met at the games end, their embrace showed respect, admiration, and a true sense of community.

This blog is just an opportunity; a meeting place. It is incidental. But perhaps, what happens here will be a tool for encouragement, or challenge, or conviction. And if you choose to join me on this adventure, perhaps together we will find a true sense of community here, as a part of Christ's Church.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

A New Adventure

2007-01-31T22:25:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about starting a blog for several months now, but a couple of recent email conversations have convinced me that now is the time. One of the things I was having trouble with was a name. Anyone who knows me will understand that it was important to me to find a name for this thing that represents it's purpose. And so, after much deliberation, I made my choice. Unfortunately, my first two choices, "Twinkie Puppets" and "Flying Monkey-Junkie" were taken. Just kidding- Convergence really was my first choice, for two really big reasons. I guess I could just tell them to you, but what fun would that be? This is a blog, after all.

When I was growing up, I loved to go on bike rides. I think it was a basic hunger for adventure that motivated me more than anything else. At the age of twelve, there was nothing that compared to the feeling of riding just a little further than I'd been before and finding something new; a little bit of woods that I'd never explored; a bridge that crossed into a neighborhood where I hadn't ridden; a trail that I hadn't taken- yet.

I could never have described it then, but as I look back on all the incredible adventures, I think those feelings were stirred because I was at a point of convergence (see above definition). For a moment, there was more in front of me than new woods, or a new bridge, or even a new neighborhood. For just a moment, everything I knew was colliding with all that was unknown to me. I wanted to see more of this place and know more about it, but what I didn't know made me hesitate. As these two realities met, they generated those feelings that exist together in the paradox of choice that walks us all through life.

Can you feel it? Adventure and Excitement long to move ahead, but Fear is pleading with them to reconsider. Safety is tugging at the sleeve of Risk, reminding it of all the unseen dangers that may be waiting just out of sight. Doubt whispers in one ear, "You probably can't" and "It's probably not worth it," while Hope whispers in the other "What if you can" and "What if it is?

As we grow up, these "convergence" moments continue to happen, but begin to carry greater weight. Worthwhile journeys and epic adventures are rarely easy and often include some real pain. If we look at our lives as journeys, I think it's reasonable to expect that challenge (and yes, pain too) will be a part of what we experience. Not because of fate, or destiny, or random cosmic chance, but rather because God created us and understands what needs to happen in each of us to help our lives become the epic adventures that He envisions.

James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be complete, not lacking anything." (NIV) Because He loves us beyond what we can imagine, He won't give up on us. It's just not in His nature. "...if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself." (2 Timothy 2:13, NIV)

I don't know about you, but there are quite a few things coming together in my life right now that are either reminding me of God's faithfulness or testing my faith to develop perseverance. "Convergence" is a word that perfectly describes where I am finding myself these days, and serves to remind me that the collisions in our lives are often the very tools that God is using to develop in us the potential that He sees.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

p.s. - Yup, I know I only gave one reason. Stop by next week for the other one!