Just a thought: If you aren't content where you're at, doing what you're doing right now, than you won't ever be content. Is this true? Maybe a nugget of truth, but not totally true? What do you think?

BTW: I'm up at UCSC taking an astronomy class & then headed to the junior college for my Ultimate Frisbee class. Having a mobile office is...what Jesus did!!! "Bad church office, Bad!!" Where the people at?

I'm starting to see a common theme in the lives of people: How we deal with conflict really defines a large portion of our life. Too, how our parents dealt with conflict REALLY has an effect on our lives. As I continue to spend time with people I'm realizing many of their, or my, or our, problems revolve around how we deal with conflict. Therefore, to the degree we have healthy conflict we will have a healthy relationship; likewise, to the degree that we have unhealthy conflict we will have unhealthy relationships. How we deal with conflict defines a large portion of our lives.

Conflict can be huge--a fist fight. Conflict can be small--"What type of toppings do WE want on OUR pizza." No matter how big or small, people really aren't equipped to deal with conflict & therefore create a bunch of coping mechanisms: Work, denial, various drugs, booze, chocolate, hobbies, anger, sex, porn, Facebook, seclusion, crowds, laziness, etc. Instead of actually confronting the conflict we allow it to drive us into various habits & many of them self-destructive; which always means destructive relationships, since no one lives in a relational vacuum (no matter how hard we try). As in a recent sermon I gave: "You either speak out your frustrations or you act out your frustrations; these are the only options." Unresolved conflict doesn't go away until you deal with it.

I am often amazed by people’s ability to not DEAL with the actual problems! If only we applied similar discipline to helpful or Christ-like habits; the world would be a different place. Instead we allow unresolved conflict to run rampant in our souls & relationships. So we see repeated themes throughout our relationships. We literally get stuck on stupid, until we deal with it.

Conflicts almost always start small, like a match. However, if the match isn’t dealt with, “before the sun goes down…” it grows, & grows, & grows, until it is out of proportion & then you need helicopters, fire engines, & state financing in order to put out the fire started by the small, often meaningless match. Dealing with my hurt ASAP is very important: “Before the sun goes down.” If not, when the sun comes up, & the heat of the day presses on, the flames of the previous day's match are joined by the new matches of the new day.

Why is conflict bad? I have conflict with myself & others all day. This isn’t because I’m really picky or mean. It is a result of the Fall, but conflict is a normal part of life.

Healthy people have healthy conflicts. Healthy conflicts make healthy relationships. Unresolved conflicts require medication. Unresolved conflicts create unhealthy relationships. It’s great to have healthy conflict, because I’m creating a real, genuine, healthy friendship with someone. Healthy conflict is the beginning & not the END of a healthy relationship! Sadly, in most cultures, conflict is always bad, so we pretend it isn't there until: "Hey Linda the house is burning down. Wanna' talk?"

Proverbs 27:7
He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

This is one of the most difficult things to experience as you walk with others on the Jesus journey. Some people just aren't hungry; or they still believe other things can keep them full. Jesus is just another side-dish in their grand buffet.

However, when you meet someone who is hungry...

I love how Jesus helped people to realize what they hungered for.

The things you can do when you live in Surf City. Check out our new sandwich board signs!! You rock Dan.

Pastors are caught within a wonderful dynamic: On the one hand I need to be an example of what it means to be successful follower of Christ; on the other hand I am not, & never will be totally successful. What makes this more interesting is the neverending appeal of religion; Those who do good are--gooder & I am the gooderest of them all. Right? However, I'm not good.

What is the role of a pastor? To create the "That's it" image? I need to teach Saints & non-saints how to be: Broken, angry, forgive, sexually appropriate, depressed, frustrated, etc. However, do I teach them from the position of: "When I used to..." or "Last week when I..." Don't I have a pious image to uphold, since no one wants to follow a loser? Especially a pastor who wrestles with sin. No doubt there are limits to my involvement with any sin & it's ability to control me vs. my ability to yield to the Spirit. However, we can so easily create a theology of leadership, which says, "Follow me as I follow Christ" because, "I've arrived," vs. "I've been working on this for years, & I'm still walking."

Yesterday at a meeting of pastors I sat & listened for some time as one of our brothers spoke about the pressure of leadership. One of the things I kept hearing was his inability to share his failings. More importantly, share his feelings with this group of pastors who meet monthly & have traveled many miles together. Why?

Aren't the broken blessed? The poor in Spirit happy? The hungry full? We've replaced servant leadership with CEO leadership. We've replaced transparent friendship with church. We've replaced dependence with independence & call it discretion & then wonder why the volcano erupted; we had no warning. You always seemed like you were doing so well; we thought you had everything together; You created an image we all wanted. Sadly you created an image & not reality. You created an image God has never desired.

We create churches where people can't share the very things that would bring them freedom. Why? Because if they did they would be disqualified. From what? Being like the pastor? One of the greatest theological problems people have today about church is this: Church isn't for bad people it's for good people!?!? Go ask 20 people: "Is church filled with good or bad people." Why do they believe this? When's the last time you went to church & saw real people dealing with real stuff? Who starts this crap? I do.

Yesterday I asked a simple question: "After listening to you discuss all of this (transparency) I'm confused as to the reputation I'm trying to uphold & to whom?"

I understand Christians want to follow a leader with the gooderest reputation; however, many of those same Christians aren't cutting the cake. At least not in the Bay Area. Who do I want to relate to/attract: Christians or "He wrestles?"

Jesus didn't come to make bad people good into good people. I am redeemed. I am a saint. I wrestle with sin. I am a great example; of someone who follows Jesus. The scars on my knees prove I have fallen several times. My new shoes prove I want to walk some more. I don't have it all together; I am however walking & have walked for some time now & people can relate to that--at least broken people can.

24-HOUR PRAYER SIGN-UPS

Psalms 2:8 “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.”

6pm on Friday starts our 24-hour prayer. We want to be a praying church, so each month we pray for 24hrs as a community. It's a great time to learn how to pray & hear his voice. Here are the times:
FRIDAY Sept 4th
6pm – 7pm Sarah
7pm – 8pm Corinna
8pm – 9pm Yizenia & Stephen
9pm – 10pm Jacob & Grace
10pm – 11pm Taylor
11pm – 12midnight Karol
SATURDAY Sept 5th
12am – 1am Jayson
1am – 2am Nate
2am – 3am Rachel
3am – 4am Rachel
4am – 5am Laben
5am – 6am Laben
6am – 7am Alana
7am – 8am Jeff
8am – 9am Jeff
9am – 10am Hae Jong
10am – 11am Julee
11am – 12noon Emelia
12pm – 1pm Sarah
1pm – 2pm Daniel
2pm – 3pm Sean
3pm – 4pm Linda
4pm – 5pm Janine
5pm – 6pm Janine

Wow.

So we are starting to have family devotions several times a week. As you may have guessed it can be pretty comical. We read a scripture from Colossians today & the devotional we use had many questions to go along with it. However, one thing became evident as we started asking the questions. It seems as if every question we ask our children the answer is always Jesus. Now theologically this is kinda' true 'cuz he is pretty Alpha & Omega status in the cosmos. Too, it's funny to see Jonathan read his small Gideon bible out loud (he can't read), while he holds it upside down. Yet, the words are pretty contextual: "God thank you, Jesus, Heaven, thank you, Jesus goes there, thank you..."