"Build a Bear/Jesus Theology"

As my daughter gets older, I hate to admit that she is outgrowing her favorite store, Build a Bear. If you have never gone through the Build a Bear experience, I highly recommend it. You start at the very beginning looking at these limp little bears and animals that have absolutely nothing in them. You pick out the type. You then move over to the stuffing section. You give them form, definition. And it goes on. You can pick out a heart, place it inside. You fluff it, pick out clothes for it, give it a name, print out a birth certificate and then BAM. You have your own little bear creation made exactly the way you want it. I have to say, the whole experience is quite cool.

I reflect on the Build a Bear experience this morning because I came across a quote yesterday that continues to make me think. It was from Voltaire and it read,

"God created man in His own image and now we are returning the favor."

Voltaire is saying that God created us in His own image and now we as a people are returning the favor; recreating God the way we want him to be.

Francis Chan, a pastor of a church in California recently spoke on this. He added,

"Inevitably what we are saying is this. 'Let me create God. I want a God who is OK with me being filthy rich. Spending it on myself and giving 10% to him. I want that type of God so I am going to say that that is the way Jesus is. I want a God who says that it is OK for me to sleep with my girlfriend because we are in love. And I am going to say God is OK with that because I am OK with that and God must be like me.'"

As hard as that is to write and read, I have to admit that for many there is truth in this post. It is easy to take the Build a Bear approach and turn it into Build a Christ. I am afraid that we as a society are taking Christ and turning him into this middle class Jesus. But read the scriptures and you find that Jesus was anything but. He was radical. He would tell his disciples, "I have no idea where i am going to eat tonight or where I am going to sleep tomorrow. Do you still want to follow me?" He said things like, "Stop storing up treasures on this earth where moth and rust will destroy. Put it up in heaven! And stop worrying about tomorrow. I will take care of that. See the birds of the air? They don't worry because they know that their Father is providing for them. And how much more will our Father provide for each of you?"

These are heavy words but truthful ones. The truth is that we are called toward holiness. And it is not easy. Christ never said it would be. We have just finished a study on the book of Philippians in our college group and it has been beautiful, challenging, encouraging and pushed many of us to look at our lives and our walk with Christ. As Paul writes Philippians, he is under house arrest. Reflecting on persecution and having gone through every emotion possible (see Philippians 4:12), Paul responds with learning to be content whatever the circumstances. And it is found in knowing that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. Living a life that reflects the walk and the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

If you really want to find a Jesus that lets you live a certain kind of life you will find it. We can really make Jesus whomever we want Him to be. But read through a gospel and you will see how Jesus really wants you to live.

"We should be living lives that demand an explanation."

My prayer for you reading this now is that you know that God is for you. This lifestyle that Jesus lived, it is attainable. Holiness is something to strive for and we are never alone on this journey. Know that I pray for you as I pray that you do the same for me.

Blessings to each of you!

Community; It's What's For Dinner"

Hey friends.

I pray this finds you enjoying the grace that God has rained on you at this very moment. I am sitting in reflection this morning still pondering Philippians 2 which we finished in Bible study last night. We re read the chapter finishing with Paul's comments about Timothy and Epaphroditus. In it, Paul said the following that is from the Message version...

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 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. "

I fear that the institution is losing the importance of community. I shared recently a story from Francis Chan's church about a gang member that recently joined his congregation and got baptized. As he attended their church for the first time, his initial reaction was, "this is the group of brothers and sisters that I want to stand beside" and he left the gang. However, 5 weeks later he was no longer found in the church. When a congregant ran into him he asked him how he had been. He shared with the member of the church that he had the wrong impression about the definition of 'church'. "In a gang, I know that no matter how tough it gets my gang members have my back. But in your church, I joined, I got baptized and that was it. Outside of the building, no one recognized me. No one invited me to their house. Guess I just had the wrong impression of what being a member of the 'church' was."

Amazing that Francis Chan would share this story with his congregation (honestly, I believe we need more pastors willing to share hard stories to speak the truth even when it makes us uncomfortable. Sign me up for THAT church...)

Take a look at Acts 2. When the church formed, it was all about community...

"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"

So, today, I look for community. I look to share in the joys, sorrows and experiences of those I encounter. Today, I look to BE community. To those I know, and those I run into. And may we, as the church and body of Christ, recognize OUR role. May we gather around the table, may we tear down our walls and freely receive that God's grace is enough for us all and the Kingdom work is far from done.

Grace and peace, friends! Grace and PEACE!
Mark

Can't Waiti for Haiti

Not going to lie. Feeling puny today. Not sure if it is the new vegetarian diet or a "bug" but not going far from my home today, that is for sure. I am spending a majority of my "home confinement" in silence and I don't do enough of that.

Thoughts today go towards my Haiti trip next week. I was informed that leaving my computer here is a necessity. Funny how that led to a speck of panic as the thought occurred, "can I make it without my computer?" And then at the same time I realized that the possibilities of getting a WIFI signal where I am going to be are remote, to say the least. And what will come from the lack of computer and technology, actually, is exactly what I have been seeking as of late.

Lastly, thinking about my Uncle in Iowa. I would appreciate all of your prayers as he is having a pretty major surgery this week. I spent a lot of time with my aunt and uncle over summers as I was growing up and they mean the world to me. Certainly keeping them in my prayers and I would appreciate that you could do the same!

Grace and peace, friends.

The Danger of Busyness

Happy lent, friends.

Been a busy week. Ever notice that when God wants to get a point across to you that the same message comes in repetition? For me as of late, the topic of "busyness" continues to creep into my path on more than one occasion a day.

I recently was reading the latest "Relevant" magazine subscription and came across an article that was written by Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. In it, he quoted a missionary by the name of Jim Elliot who said,

"I think the devil has made it his business to monopolize on three elements: noise, hurry and crowds... Satan is quite aware of the power of silence."

I was sitting at Starbucks when I read that and just thought, "yeah, point made, God. Point made." But the truth is, how hard is it to avoid all of the noise, hurry and crowds that we all come in contact with on a daily basis? I mean, the idea of "being still" is great. But, there are things that we HAVE to do, jobs that HAVE to get done and check lists we HAVE to complete.

So what is the secret? Wish I had the answer. I think it all boils down to one thing and one thing alone; practice.

I still consider myself to be a horrible runner. But you know what? I can run solid for 30 - 45 minutes. I remember when I started, however, my distance was 30 seconds. It was horrible. I remember thinking, "no WAY will I ever make a full mile!" But with some patience and practice, I made the mile and have gone well beyond.

Maybe the secret to being still is found in my lesson learned in running. Practice. What if, on a daily basis we stopped for a moment and just let silence enter in. In our car, in our home, in our thoughts. If you go back to scripture you find Jesus, time and time again sneaking off for some quiet time with his Father (Luke 5:16).

I like the approach Pastor Driscoll is taking in his life and, dare I say, I might strive for this in my own.

"I try and spend at least five short minutes an hour in silence, at least 30 minutes in uninterrupted silence each day, and a full day of silence once a month."

Not sure about you but silence is needed in MY life. And I have a feeling that if I allow the silence into my life, it might be found with the reassurance that I am not alone in the noise of the world. And THAT is something I need more than ever.

Grace and peace, my fellow journeyers!

Mark

The article posted the following. If you have the time, check it out...

the Bible has a great deal more to say about the benefits of purposeful silence including:

• hearing from God (1 Kings 19:11-13)
• waiting patiently (Lamentations 3:25 - 28)
• worshipping God (Habakkuk 2:20)
• knowing God better (Psalm 46:10
• praying effectively (Luke 5:16)
  

"Meat. It's NOT What's for Dinner"

Lent begins today and, honestly, I am quite excited about it.

The older I get, the more I have grown to appreciate the lenten season. I remember growing up, easter was that "day of the year" you wear the new tie, go to church and become overwhelmed with the smell of easter lillies, which, I am not convinced that they smell very pleasant anyway (Am I alone in this thought?)

But easter is so much more than that. Lent, for me, is a walk with Christ through what He did for each of us on the cross. Holy week has become a journey for me. From passion Sunday with the praise and rejoicing, to Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and ending with the BEAUTY and UNASHAMED rejoicing on Easter Sunday morning recognizing that Christ HAS RISEN, He has risen, INDEED!

So with Lent comes the question, "What do I give up this year?" I haven't always participated in the 40 day fast of something. Only within the past 5 years or so have I started really recognizing this. And I might also add, who says you HAVE to give up SOMETHING? One year my wife and I took ON the task of having a daily devotion with one another. It was committing TO something and not giving something up. That is a beautiful thought, the thought of committing to something.

This year, Nycki and I are giving up meat and going vegetarian for 40 days. Honestly, I am excited about the thought. Of course, I am excited and it is day one. Ask me again in 20 more days.

Now I hesitated to type this out because it is not in the spirit of, 'my lenten give up is better than your lenten 'give up'. But here is what I would ask of you. 

Walk the journey with Christ this lenten season. Don't just look up Easter Sunday and say, 'oh yeah. That thing Jesus did, did happen." 

Breathe it. Walk it. Take your time in the journey and what awaits you on the other side, I have no doubts, is a total blessing.

Know that you are never alone on the journey, my friends!

Grace and Peace!

Mark

Could it Be Possible? (Part Two)

So I listen to Francis Chan via podcast. I love listening to Francis and I will tell you why. He is just so bold in his Word. He is working through Philippians with his church (coincidentally, I am doing the same with our college group and Mars Hill just finished a year long trip through the book of Philippians). The sermon Francis was giving this past Sunday was on rejoicing. As the sermon started, Francis Chan started with a confession. He shared that he was just having a terrible morning. He was angry, he was not in a mood to be with people and just felt that he was under spiritual attack. Then, he opened up with this beautiful spirit of authenticity with his congregation. Saying that he could easily go through the motions of speaking ON rejoicing, but, honestly, it is not where he was and more than anything, he need to be prayed for by those around him.

I loved this message. In fact, he shared that in the early service he had previously preached, he just "went through the motions" of what he had prepared and he said that it "failed miserably." Love it. And I will tell you why. I think at times, we put this amazing expectation on ourselves that we HAVE to act like we have it all together when, truth be told, there are moments when we just need to be transparent and admit we are a mess.

I relate to this all to often because I, too, feel this huge expectation from people to be "up" all the time. As I type this, I also realize that it is an expectation that I put on myself. I don't really think people "hold me captive" to my magnetic personality. But, truth be told, I feel the pressure. But here, in a moment of honesty, Francis shares that he just "doesn't have it all together" and needs some prayer.

So, a challenge for me today is to be authentic. If I need prayer, then I intend to ask for it from those who know me. If I see a brother or sister in need of prayer, then I intend to offer it. And I also plan to spend the day and days to come with "eyes wide open" and seeing what God has in store for me in the days ahead.

Need some affirmation? Re read Isaiah 43 OR read it for the first time and know... this is YOU God is talking too...

Grace and peace, my friends. Grace and peace!

Mark

PS...check out Francis' sermon by clicking here...

EVEN FRANCIS HAS A BAD DAY

Click under media and the sermon is the titled link above...

Could it be possible? (Part One)

Hey friends. I am thinking this is going to be a long blog so I will release in two parts. Here is part one!

Took awhile to break away and blog today but WAY too many thoughts going through my mind. Good thoughts. Challenging thoughts. Reflective thoughts.

I spent the weekend in Bryan, TX, with friends at First United Methodist Church in Bryan. It was such a recharge for me to be with that church family and speak to the youth at their youth Sunday service. I recently spoke in my own church on the desert and the need to know that, 1) it exists for us all and 2) no matter where we are in it, we are never alone. As I prayed and searched out direction for what I should speak on, God led me to the "desert" message and, honestly, I wasn't quite sure why. But afterwards, it was was very revealed that there was a need for many to hear it. Beautiful stories came from the service. I think a favorite came in the form of a grandmother who grabbed me at the conclusion of the service. She looked me square in the eyes and said, "You're weird". It caught me off guard and I just kind of laughed and said, "i'm sorry?" And then she repeated the compliment. "I said you're weird. But you know what? My grandson is too and he needed to hear what you had to say today. I am going to fill him in on all of it." She then just gave me this hug that I didn't know a grandmother was capapble of giving! Crazy strong bear hug. So the moral of the story is, "Embrace your weirdness. God will use it for His glory!"

Grace and Peace!

Mark

Coming up next... this quote from part two...

"Be careful when you can hear the word of God and do nothing. Because it quickly becomes a habit. And that is a scary habit to have in your life. When you can hear a sermon, get convicted by it and then do nothing."

Some Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

I wish my coffee addiction was just that... an addiction to coffee. Truth is, I hate coffee. It is the fraps and non fat mocha's that get me at $4 a pop. There might be hope, however. This morning I launched into a $1.27 tall bold pike's peak coffee with some half and half and it is not bad! I see hope...

I am heading over to Bryan, TX, to speak for the morning worship services of First United Methodist Church, Bryan. Going at the request of some dear friends, Matt and Kelly Idom. I am so looking forward to the opportunity. I would appreciate your prayers as I head in that direction over the weekend. Speaking "Desert" with them and the need to be reminded that, a) the Desert is uncomfortable, hot and we hate it... BUT... b) it is where we are refined, molded and become stronger and where are never alone as God is there with us in the midst of it. Beautiful stuff.

In regards to the 'No Ordinary People' tour, we just added First United Methodist Church, Houma in May. Dates are coming and we are stoked. Hey? What about bringing us to YOUR church?

Grace and peace, friends. Grace and peace.

Mark

The Blogging Begins

Here we go. The first of many blogs, I am guessing. I am so excited about so much that is in front of me. At present, I am thinking about the "No Ordinary People" tour I am doing with my friends chasingCANAAN. We are spending the better part of July this year in Haiti. Les Cayes, Haiti, to be exact. We will be working with a local orphanage, helping the local pastor in ministry and loving on people. Can't wait.

We are asking churches to help us by hosting "evenings of worship and awareness" where we will come in and lead worship. A lot of new songs are coming into this tour, as well as current worship songs. All we are asking is for a love donation of some kind, of which ALL monies go towards the cost of our trip.

It is amazing to think that it is already mid February. Lots to do.

Signing off now. Blessings my brothers and sisters and know that NONE of us are simply "ordinary people". In the eyes of the Creator... we are extraordinary!

Grace and Peace!

Mark