Naaman

A few weeks ago at church, the sermon started out looking at the life of Naaman. It's been a really long time since I've heard Naaman's story and I forgot how great it is. Where else in the Bible do you have someone "arriving in style" at a prophet's house (according to the NIV)?

The basic gist of the story is that Naaman is from a different country than Israel and gets sick. He is told he should go see Elisha to get healed and so he goes to Israel and takes with him a bunch of money to both impress Elisha and to compensate Elisha for the healing. When he gets there Elisha doesn't even come out to see Naaman and instead sends his servant out with the instructions on how to be healed. Naaman get's furious and storms off. And I'll let you look up the story to see how it ends.

But what stood out to me was how Naaman ignored the instructions and almost missed being healed all because he dismissed the messenger. It made me wonder how often I do the same. It's sad to say, but I probably dismiss what might be words from God based on the appearance, social standing, age, or status of a person more often than I should.

I shouldn't be surprised by that. Biblically, it's often the unexpected people who God chooses to use. And while I've been taught that and clearly see that in the Bible, it's sad that I often don't apply that to my own life. I guess it's good reason to pause the next time I feel ruffled by Godly advice and ask the question and I'm ruffled because of the message or the messenger?

Female Fight Club: Why We Should Put Down Our Gloves

Great article over at The Well. And has challenged me to think about the groups of people/women I tend not to hang out with. (It's also written by a former roommate of mine). http://www.intervarsity.org/gfm/well/resource/female-fight-club

Power of Money

Money easily can have a stronghold in our lives and I love how clearly that comes out in this video that Matt helped produce and edit this past month. I think Lendol makes some great points in this video on financial stewardship.
Dr Calder - Financial Sewardship from InterVarsity-twentyonehundred on Vimeo.

Staff Conference Podcasts - Media Monday

Several of the main talks from InterVarsity's National Staff Conference are now online. My personal favorites are:
Mary Poplin - Redeeming the Campus Time: 44:20
Jen Ball - Structural Change on Campus Time 44:04
Alec Hill - Closing Challenge Time 41:58
Ruth Turley - Rice University Faculty Ministry Time 10:01

Other talks can be found here: http://www.intervarsity.org/audio/

Passover reflections

My least favorite part of the Seder meal is always eating the bitter herbs (aka horseradish). If you've never tried raw horseradish, it's one of the most potent tastes God ever created. It's bitter, it's hot, it makes me tear up, it lingers in your mouth nostrils and clothing and makes me want to gag or spit it out immediately. It's not something I would ever just sit down and eat.

This year I've been struck by how great a parallel horseradish is to sin. In it's raw form, horseradish is not enjoyable. Yet mixed in with mayonnaise, sliced deli meat, some tomatoes and lettuce and put on a nice toasted bread bun...it's less noticeable and perhaps even a bit enjoyable. How true is that of sin. In it's raw pure form, I doubt any of us would ever embrace sin. Yet throw in a little church, your family, work, TV, the gym, pomegranate blueberry lattes, sin doesn't taste so bad.

As we head towards the crucification, the horseradish is going with me. I want to remember that is was for no light thing that Jesus died. Sin is bitter and something I need to be freed from. If you're feeling like you've forgotten or become jaded to the bitterness of the slavery/sin that Jesus has freed you from, I suggest opening up a jar of horseradish and taking a big bite.

God's Kingdom

As mentioned previously, our church has been going through a series on the Kingdom of God. Last night at bible study we looked at Revelations 19. (To be honest, I'm not sure if I've ever really done a bible study on Revelations.) Overall we focused on how the Kingdom of God ultimately defeats any corrupt system here on earth and it's clear in the end that God really is "King of kings and Lord of Lords."

Personally it made me think back to when I was in Bosnia listening to Bosnian friends pray for God's return. His return was something they were not afraid to ask for and you could sense that it was something they truely were waiting for. At the time, it made me ask, if I was really waiting for God's return? Last night's study made me ask the same question. Am I waiting in eager expectation for God's return?

We are responsible to society for our donations?

Last week at the Leadership Summit, I was struck by a quick comment made by one of the speakers about our moral responsibility to society about how we choose to give our money as donations. Michael Porter suggested that since most of the time we are receiving a tax deduction for our charitable gifts, we are actually using society's money. In other words, a portion of our financial gift would have gone to the government/society if we had not chosen to give it somewhere else. The government in good faith is trusting that we would perhaps spend it better than they would? In any case, Porter suggests that because we are in a way using society's money, we should take interest in how our gifts are used. We're gambling with money that is not necessarily all ours. I thought that was an interesting thought.

Reflections on Leadership Summit

One thing that I love about InterVarsity is their desire to invest in me as a leader. Because of that, I am able to attend the Willow Creek Association's Leadership Summit. While I'm attending via a web cast site, it has been incredibly challenging and thought provoking. I'll probably spend the next few weeks trying to process and share a bit about what I'm learning from these talks.

Bill Hybel's spoke this morning about having a vision to die for. His main points centered how an awe inspiring vision will never become a reality unless it is owned by those who follow. He goes on to describe ownership as a follower's willingness to grasp onto the vision so tightly that they are willing to die or sacrifice everything for it. When a follower does that, a vision becomes a dangerous and powerful thing.

This of course leads to the sobering question as a leader; am I willing to die for a vision? As I think of all the vision planning I have done in the past with students and churches, I'm struck by how awe inspiring our visions and plans are at the time, but how quickly they die when faced with the realities of fear, comfortableness, and risks. Has there ever been a vision I have been willing to die for? Not many.

Take that even a step further as a Christian. God has an amazing vision, as Bill would say, a redemptive vision for this world. That vision was so compelling to God that he was willing to die for it. That vision has in no way disappeared and we are called daily to own that vision as Christ followers. Am I willing to die for that same vision?

I think most of us know from experience that a follower will only grasp onto a vision to the extent that a leader does. Followers know if a leader is willing to sacrifice everything for a vision. They know when a leader backs away. And they take the leader's cues. The challenge that I was left pondering from Bill is as a leader, do I own God's vision? Do I own the vision for my church? Do I own the vision of InterVarsity? And am I willing to die for them?

Hybels drew from a powerful parable that Jesus tells in John 10 about a flock of sheep that was tended by both the owners and hired hands. When hard times came, the hired hands fled. They had no stake in the flock and valued their own safety over caring for the flock. The owner on the other hand was willing to fight and even die for the flock. Everything was at stake. I pray I would fight for the flock (for God's vision) so that when the day of accounting comes, I will never be accused of handling God's vision, be that for the world, the church, or my life, as a hired hand.

"The Coming Conflict of Civilization"

Os Guinness is perhaps one of my more favorite modern day thinkers. Today I stumbled across this talk he gave in 1994 at the University of Michigan during a Veritas Form.

His talk gives a good perspective on where we are today as a global society, how different civilizations are attempting to survive in it and how we as Christians fit into it. He raises some interesting questions such as has knowledge replaced wisdom today? Have "words" lost their authority in our world? It's worth listening to if you have 3o minutes or so. (click here to listen)

who is God?

The other week at Bible study we watched a sermon produced by "Nooma" entitled "Kickball". If you ever get chance to watch it, it's pretty good and is filmed in a more artsy style. Anyways, the subject of the talk was about our desires verses God's desires for us. In short the conclusion is that God's way is always better. Very simple sermon with a very simple point.

However I was blown away with a simple thought towards the end of the video. The pastor, Rob Bell, closes by saying that there are a lot of hard things that happen in life that we do not understand. That there are questions that do not have easy answers. Yet despite these injustices and questions, "who do you say that God is? Because how you choose to answer that question will determine how you answer all the hard questions and situation in life."

While simple, it's actually a pretty profound idea. Who do I say that God is? And how does my answer to that question determine my outlook on unjust and unanswerable things in this world? I came to the conclusion that I'm not sure I have an easy answer to who God is. Every time I try and answer, I feel like I'm leaving something out. I think the closest thing I've landed on is that God is the Omnipotent, Unfathomable, Righteous, Father. But....that doesn't seem to do justice to who God is.

It's an interesting idea to think about who God is and what implications that would have on your life perspective. If I say God is a King, that leaves room for him to be perhaps unapproachable and so in response to hard situations I could say they have occurred because God is preoccupied somewhere else. If I say God is a Father, that leaves room for him to be completely relational and more on a buddy buddy basis and so in response to hard situations I could say that they occurred because God doesn't have enough power or authority.

All I can say is that God sure is indescribable, and maybe that's where I should leave it.

The New Atheism

There was a great editorial article in the Wall Street Journal by Peter Berkowitz the other day who shares his opinion about the rise of commercial atheism. If you have a few minutes it's worth reading. (click here to read article).

"I believe I need Jesus, but..."

"I believe I need Jesus, but I don't believe he's the only thing I need" -Doug Grimes

This was a quote from a sermon I heard almost a year ago that still haunts me every once in a while. Do I believe that Jesus is the only thing I need? How would my life look different if I truly believed that?

I think what makes that quote so haunting is the reality that God is the only thing that we really need. And he desires us to live like that. Not just because he says so, although that is reason enough, but because he knows how much sweeter our lives will be as we come to realize the full truth of him satisfying every need.

There are so many things other than God which claim to meet our burdens and needs: money, community, diet pills, the internet, a spouse. But I guess in the end, they will always fall short.

I was reminded this morning about a passage from Matthew which in The Message is translated

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:28)

There is something freeing in coming to Jesus, and only Jesus. I pray that I would learn what it means to desire Him only and come to Him first before all else.

World Assembly 07, post 1

Greetings from Ancaster, Canada!

I am currently sitting in an auditorium at World Assembly 2007, an IFES international conference where missionaries from 150 nations have come to gather. While my role here is to be the conference photographer, I am being awed by things other than my job. I never realized the people I would be interacting with here!

Just walking around I’ve had simple conversations with individuals working around the world. We chat about ministry, compare stories and laugh at our similar failures. Later I find that I was chatting with the founder of campus ministry in Africa, or chatting with the General Secretary from Cuba, or talking to an author form somewhere in francophone Africa. Becky Pippert (author of "Out of the Salt Shaker" and founder of Salt Shaker ministries) spoke last night, Stella Kasirye spoke the day before about AIDS in Africa, and Peter Kuzmic has spoken today. It is amazing to hear all the things that God is doing through these people alone, and there are more stories to come!!!

For example, Peter was talking about his ministry in Sarajevo, Bosnia. (yes, that is the place that Sarah and I have gone on Global Projects) He spoke of the church that he was preaching at during the war. Near the end of the service, they heard the air sirens go off and minutes later the shelling began. Outside, the Croatian Army was systematically bombing the city. Sarajevo is still a very diverse city, and even during this time, there were Croatians in the city. Peter know that if he sent his church out to run for cover, they would surly be picked off by a sniper, instead he called them to pray. Over the sound of bombs and explosions, he heard the church surrounding the Croatian families in prayer, welcoming them and comforting them, in effect saying, “we are not judging you like the rest of the city is.” Peter then walked through today’s talk about community in the Christian context and how different we can and should be from the world.

One of my favorite conversations was with a woman from the Caribbean. We talked about what ministry is like there, and how very important it is to minister to the youth. Not just for the obvious reasons of protecting them from the world and talking to them about Jesus, but because these are the future leaders of the country, these are the future doctors, lawyers and politicians, what a great place to have a Christian influence! They are striving to reach every student in High School, before the temptations of the world attract their innocent minds.
In all I think I am experiencing something that my mind cannot wrap itself around. There are 600-700 people here from all around the world, starting and continuing student ministries all over the world, one even said that IFES is the most diverse, and influential non-profit in the world. I think I am hearing all that is going on around me, but not really grasping the full impact that God is making through His people.

Please pray for this conference, pray for the delegates, pray for the countries, pray for perseverance through troubled (and dangerous) times; pray for simple things like fatigue, conversation issues (many, many languages are spoken here) and safety (many people are risking their lives by associating with us here.)

Am I my brother's keeper?

This past Sunday, the preacher suggested something that I thought was fairly interesting. The sermon focused on the Genisis story of Cain and Able. In that story, there is a point where Cain chooses to kill Able and God asks Cain where Able is. Cain's famos response is "Am I my brother's keeper?"

So Nate (the preacher), pointed out that the hebrew word used for "keeper" is the same word that God used when he commanded Adam to look after the earth. Adam was supposed to "keep" the earth.

Nate suggested that in God's eyes, we are to care for both people and nature equally. We are to "keep" and care for all of God's creation. Or as Strong's Concordance put's it "to watch, observe, guard, preserve" both man and creation.

That's a pretty tall order, but a significant one in my opinion. Am I willing to do this for all of God's creation?

Affirmative action over?

While Congress has been busy debating and rejecting immigration bills, the Supreme Court has been equally busy in a quieter but perhaps just as racially charged issue. Today a "bitterly divided U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday issued what is likely to be a landmark opinion -- ruling that race cannot be a factor in the assignment of children to public schools" (see full CNN article or see Parents involved in community schools v. Seattle School Dist. #1) .

The gist of the ruling basically comes down to the fact that schools can not use race as a factor in accepting or denying a student to a school.

"School boards may pursue the goal of bringing together students of diverse backgrounds and races through other means, including strategic site selection of new schools;drawing attendance zones with general recognition of the demographics of neighborhoods; allocating resources for special programs; recruiting students and faculty in a targeted fashion; and tracking enrollments, performance, and other statistics by race." (see full ruling).

So basically, you can target a racial group and encourage them to apply, however when making the final decisions on acceptance to a school, you can not use race as a determination factor. Does anyone else find this odd?

"Reading his concurring opinion from the bench, the 70-year-old justice said, "This nation has a moral and ethical obligation to fulfill its historic commitment to creating an integrated society that ensures equal opportunity for all its children'" (CNN article). (equal opportunity meaning race can not be used as a factor in school acceptance). I have to admit what is most frustrating about that statement and the opinion of the majority of the supreme court is that the nation is not fulfilling it's commitment to create an integrated society that gives equal opportunity for all of its children. In many ways one could argue that our nation is becoming more segregated than it was 50 years ago. This ruling in my opinion almost suggests that there is no commitment.

What will be interesting to watch is how this ruling gets applied in real life. The case was brought by parents of High Schoolers, but the decision will ultimately have some huge implications for even colleges and universities.


Other sites commenting on this case:
North Western
Cornell Law

"Another me generation"

Interesting article by Eric Bridges entitled "Another me generation." In it he reflects on the mentality of recent graduates towards narcissism and self absorption and how this has effected faith.

I have to say that in many ways I agree with what Eric says. To often the attraction factor of Christianity is solely what is in it for me. If I become a Christian, I will have friends...all my problems will be solved...God might bless me intently...my future is secure...I will receive praise/validation from other Christians. Then when the reality of sacrifice, self denial and humanness sets in, faith becomes unattractive.

Being a member of the twenty something crowd that Bridges targets, I have to stop and ask myself if I continue to believe in Christ or belong to a church for what I can get out of it?

Is my apartment half empty or half full?

This past week as I've been helping out with child care at New Staff Training, I've noticed how often I've had to encourage the children to share. In particular, the 2 year olds never seem content with the toy they are playing with. More often than not, such a child is sitting on a large pile of toys when they spot the one lone child playing with a single toy and then they rush over in desperation to get that one toy they don't have. It's amazing how much these kids mirror reality.

What surprises me is that even from an early age it seems so much easier to identify what one does not have versus what one does have. What's even more surprising is that not only does the child who already has a pile of toys identify what they do not have quicker, but it is that same child who is the quickest to act upon that fact.

As I think about just a handful of the current world dilemmas, (significant global water shortages, food shortages, environmental destruction), I am curious to see how the nations who have (ie. mainly America) choose to respond. To this date the track record hasn't been to great. It seems like the response has been more of the child who already has the majority of toys and despite that apparent wealth chooses to continue to hoard at the expense of the other child.

On a personal level, how often do I partake in the same. Do I spend more time thinking about what I have versus what I do not have. I have to admit that in general its a lot easier to think about what I do not have. It's a shock to realize how greedy a heart I have.

Food for Thought

When is the last time you borrowed something from a friend or family member? When you think of borrowing something from someone, what emotions or thoughts tend to come to mind? I know for me it's usually hesitation or sometimes fear of asking mainly because it makes me feel that I am not capable or am lacking something.

I ran across this quote by Leighton Ford yesterday that made be think about the concept of borrowing. Here's what he has to say about Jesus' perspective of borrowing.

The most spectacular cross-cultural leadership in the history of humanity took place when the Son of God became a first-century Galilean Jew. In that identification he renounced the status and the rights that he enjoyed as God’s Son. Among them, Jesus gave up any right to independence; he was born in a borrowed manger, preached from a borrowed boat, entered Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey, ate the Last Supper in a borrowed upper room, died on a borrowed cross and was buried in a borrowed tomb. In renouncing entitlement he exposed himself to temptation, sorrow, limitation and pain, and yet, “although Jesus identified himself completely with us, he did not lose his own identity. He remained himself.” And so his incarnation taught “identification without loss of identity.” (Transforming Leadership, 32-33)

It's amazing how much Jesus borrowed...I wonder if he actually ever owned/bought anything while he was here.

Suffer-less Christianity: A House of Cards part 2

So now that we are back from our crazy weekend, I wanted to comment on Scott's Blog. (you'll have to come back tomorrow or the next day to hear about our weekend).

As I've thought about some of the things that Scott wrote when it comes to suffering...one of the things I kept coming back to was the question, what is my concept of suffering? Do I have one at all?

I often think back to a warm afternoon walking through the streets in Bosnia where I and several other students came across a dumpster of very bad smelling trash and being stunned to see a young girl, not more than 4 years old, poke her head out of the dumpster her hands filled with random scraps and broken housewares. Still to this day I'm not sure I have a word to describe the emotions that paralyzed my soul in seeing this child.

Suffering. Most of us westerners would probably label this child's situation as that. Yet, how does one come to grips with the enormous smile that erupted from her face? How does one justify the joy and laugher coming from her mouth as she jumped out to embrace us and pulled us towards the local church as if we were indeed the ones suffering?

I feel Scott is right. We do not have a framework for suffering in the West whether that the normal suffering that life chooses to dish out or the suffering that as Christians we can choose to take hold of.

There is something to be said about discovering the joy of Christ in suffering. The joy that comes through the weight of prayer, the joy that comes in seeing others benefit from the above and beyond sacrifice of time or money, the joy that comes in seeing God provide enough, the joy in the recognition that even in suffering, God does not fail or turn away.

Lord, how would you have me glorify you today in suffering for your name?

Suffer-less Christianity: A House of Cards

This is stolen from Scott Besnecker's Blog: "The New Friars". But it's a really good piece. I'm just going to give you a teaser of it here and you can go to his site to finish it. I may try and comment on it later.

"A couple of years ago I surveyed the students who had been on Global Projects (InterVarsity's short term mission program). Forty percent experienced depression upon return. I have watched students come back from a summer living in some of the most desperate conditions humanity is experiencing today, and ditch the faith. They do not have the theological framework to support the existence of an all-powerful good God, and the reality of human suffering.

We in the western church have built a house of cards for our faith - beautiful, large, and colorful, but completely unable to sustain the weight of suffering.

The New Unger's Bible Dictionary has over 6,700 thoroughly researched entries. They have an entry on the word "sulfur," for instance (referencing Sodom and Gomorrah) but they have no entry for the word "suffer." According to this Bible dictionary, the Bible has nothing to say about suffering. This is clearly a reference tool constructed from a western Christian theology - one that has no room for suffering. How can we in good conscience send this resource to believers in China or Uganda or any other place Christians are suffering poverty, oppression or persecution?" -Click here to read Scott's full article