Santa Cruz: A New Kingdom

I'm a part of a group of pastors in Santa Cruz who read a book a month & then gather to discuss, amongst other things, the book we've read. This month we're reading: "Surprised By Hope" by N.T. Wright. It's been a great read so far, & I must admit I'm a bit ignorant as to the meaning of the Resurrection now & for the life after.

N.T. Wright is tackling many questions including: "What do people believe in when they talk about life after death?" Moreover, what do we Christians believe when it comes to life after death? As N.T. Wright demonstrates we believe much more in "Heaven," then in the Resurrection of all believers. As my daughter said the other night at dinner, "People who believe in God go to Heaven. Those who don't go to Hell." Needless to say, I'm glad to be reading the book. Although her statement has some merit it's more a product of popular thought then thorough Biblical thinking.

One of the things I most appreciate about N.T. Wright's writings is his insistence upon the bridging of Jesus' arrival & our, the church, response in light of this in the world. He says, "It (The Resurrection) is not an absurd event within the old world but the symbol & starting point of the new world. The claim advanced in Christianity is of that magnitude: Jesus of Nazareth ushers in not simply a new religious possibility, not simply a new ethic or a new way of salvation, but a new creation."

Jesus is the beginning of a new creation. He is the catalyst of the Kingdom of God. This is incredible in so many ways, but the thing I find most amazing is that we, the church, are that new creation. We are the the greatest living example of the Resurrection. We are the Kingdom of God here & now. This was a huge issue in the first century. The church was one of the most obvious signs that something real had actually happened: A new community was now in existence where beforehand there was not. A group of people who desired to have their lives shaped by the Lord of the Cosmos; a people who desired to live out the values of the Kingdom. That's a big deal.

But what does the church mean in the world today? Jesus is the start of a new creation. We are the deposit in this world of that new creation. However, currently, to what end? Are we the lightning rod for the Kingdom God envisions to demonstrate here? Is the church, like a window into a house, a way for people to see: "Aha, that's what the Kingdom looks like." Clearly the answer is, in most cases, no. At least in Santa Cruz, when people think church they don't associate it with: The clear example of what God's Kingdom looks like here & now.

Somehow we (I) don't get the Resurrection; because if we did this world would look a lot more like the one Jesus came to inaugurate.

Big Ass Grasshoppers

I love spending time with people who aren't Christian. I find it incredibly refreshing to spend time with those whose interest in Jesus compels them to seek after the one who has perplexed & given life to the cosmos, which includes people like me.

One thing I like about spending time with those who are seeking God is how they describe the Biblical narrative in their own language. We Christians have our vernacular &, correct as it is, isn't as colorful as those who don't yet know "protocol."

As I've been coaching track at a local high school I've had the honor of helping some of the athletes see more clearly who God is. One athlete even agreed to start meeting with me each Friday at 6:15am. So, this morning we had our first "Bible Study." We started in proverbs, then moved to Mark, & finished, per his request, with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

My favorite quote from our time was when after reading Mark Chapter 1, as Mark describes John the Baptist wearing Camel hair & eating Locusts. As we passed through this description I asked, "Do you know what a locust is?" He replied, "It's like a big ass grasshopper. Right?" After he said this my soul grew warm as I enjoyed the company God had placed me in. As we sat in his car, the rain moving down the windshield painting our Bibles with refracted lights, I answered, "Yep, it's a big ass grasshopper."

I'm Too Busy

"I'm too busy." Really? Too busy? Too busy to: Pray, read, share, love, sit, rest, worship, etc. Too busy? Too busy.

I often wonder what we're too busy doing. Why is it that spiritual exercises: Service, prayer, reading, meditation, hospitality, or singing aren't refreshing to us; yet physical activity is something we can find time for (when we aren't MAKING time for movies).

Time released a new study on time, at least time spent in physical activity.

Time: Santa Cruz 4th most active city in the country

SANTA CRUZ - Time magazine has taken what they call geographical sloth distribution data from the Centers for Disease Control and compiled a list of the 15 most active cities in the country, placing Santa Cruz fourth on that list.

In reality, someone who says, "I don't have enough time to do that," isn't telling the truth (lying? maybe not sooo intentionally); because everyone has the same amount of time. What should be said is, "I don't find that activity valuable enough to devote what time I do have." That's a bit more honest. Right?

Please stop saying you don't have time; in reality that's all you have. It's a measure of value as to where you place yourself for a given period of time. I don't value that, but I do value this.

We do have time & we spend it on what we value most. It's never been about time, but I often find we blame it. Time isn't the issue; value is.

I wonder what SC would look like if it were rated: Ranked 4th in the nation for churches living out Kingdom values.

But, who has time for that? Too many new releases, trails to run, bodies to look at in the gym, & waves to surf.

& yes I do run ultra-marathons so I get the rub.

What or Whom?

Another great chapter from "The Christ of the Indian Road," is titled: What or Whom? Are we to believe in the "what" of our faith or is it centered upon a "whom?" Stanley Jones puts it sharply that we believe in a whom & not a series of whats.

Here are five great quotes from the book:

"Christianity with a what-emphasis is bound to be divisive, but this tendency is lessened with a whom-emphasis. Note the things that have created denominations in the west: baptism, human freedom, rites, ceremonies, dress--the points of division have been nearly all "whats."

"Only life can lift life. A doctor lay dying--a Christian doctor sat beside him & urged him to surrender & have faith in Christ. The dying doctor listened in amazement. Light dawned. He joyously said, 'All my life I have been bothered by what to believe, & now I see it is whom to trust.' Life lifted life."

"But the statement made above about Jesus coming out of an uninspired Book must be corrected a bit, for Jesus did not come out of the Book; it came out of Him. It did not create Him; He created it."

" We must call men not to loyalty to a belief but loyalty to a Person. We may be loyal to a belief & be dead spiritually, but we cannot be loyal to this Person & be other than alive spiritually. He creates belief. We do not get Jesus from our beliefs, we get our beliefs from Jesus."

"There is no real danger lest Jesus be lost among the many in all this, that it may end up in his being put in the Pantheon of Hinduism. Greece & Rome tried that & the Pantheons amid which he was placed are gone--Jesus lives on. He is dynamic, disruptive, explosive like the soft tiny rootlets that rend the monuments of man's pride. Like the rootlets he quietly goes down into the crannies of men's thinking, & lo, old forms & customs are broken up. Absorb him? you may as well talk about the moist earth in springtime absorbing the seed. The seed absorbs it, for it is life. Jesus is life. He will take care of himself."

Thanks E. Stanley Jones.

Jesus through Experience

I just got back from a pastor's book club. 6-7 of us get together & discuss a book we've read the previous month. It's a wonderful time of argument, tension, & serious discussion, mixed with sarcasm, laughter, & friendship. It is a truly wonderful time. This month we read: "The Christ of the Indian Road;" by E. Stanley Jones. Mr. Jones is truly a theological find. He was described as the Billy Graham of India & his wealth of knowledge is radiant. Faced with unbelievable theological issues from a very spiritual culture, Stanley Jones is forced to search his soul & faith to find the very thing that makes Christianity worth living; thankfully, he doesn't shrink from the challenge.

Chapter: Jesus Through Experience.

Religion is the life of God in the soul issuing in the kingdom of God on earth. But first of all it is the life of God in the soul. Religion means realization. If not, then religion soon means ritual, & that means death. The early disciples had little ritual but a might realization.

Chapter: The Great Hindrance

(To Ghandi, his friend.) What would you suggest that we do to make (Christianity naturalized in India?)

"I would suggest, first, that all of you Christians must begin to live more like Jesus."

"Second," he said, "I would suggest that you must practice your religion without adulterating or toning it down."

"Third, I would suggest that you must put your emphasis upon love, for love is the center & soul of Christianity."

"Fourth, I would suggest that you study the non-Christian religions & culture more sympathetically in order to find the good that is in them, so that you might have a more sympathetic approach to the people."

Ghandi has some other amazing things to say about Jesus in this book.

E. Stanley Jones is a serious theological find.

Jean Vanier: On Sex

This is my wife's post, so since we're one in flesh--often--I figured this would be good on my blog too! Enjoy.

The Newleywed Bed
I seem to be passionate lately about sharing the naked truth about matters of sexuality. There are a lot of things I learned growing up, but I am a late bloomer when it comes to this conversation topic. As a newlywed I would have greatly appreciated some honest talks from women who knew the truth about normal and healthy sexuality rather than basing my knowledge and expectations on TV and other popular media. There may have been women around who were willing to share, but the truth is when it came to questions about sexuality, I just never asked!


So far, I've found little truth about healthy sexuality on TV. As a newlywed mentioned to her virgin friend, "I haven't seen a sex scene yet that is realistic!" She's right. Hopefully, though, she at least has someone to steer her to some honest resources and candid conversations about realistic expectations and healthy sexuality. Hopefully she finds out that she is somewhere in the realm of normal in her newlywed experience.


Some friends and I are currently reading Man and Woman God Made Them by Jean Vanier. I am more than willing to talk openly about sexuality, but not so graceful about bringing up the subject on my own. This book has been the perfect way for us to start good conversations and shed some light on many popular myths. The following quote started a wonderful conversation since most virgins are shocked by Vanier's comments about the time of adjustment and how long it may be before a woman experiences an orgasm.


"Sexual education is not so much a practical manual of what one must do and how, as a basis for harmonious sexual relationship, but rather a matter of helping people to be at ease with their own sexuality. It implies growth in the capacity to see the other as someone with needs. It also includes helping people to face the challenges and difficulties involved in relationships. This is, in fact, apprenticeship for true love. In most couples it takes a long, long time for one, or both, of the persons to have fulfilling and joyful sexual relationships. Often it is the woman who has the longest period of adjustment. There can be pain involved, or failure to have an orgasm. This can last for years. This is a real learning process that requires much sensitivity towards the other (and most often it is the man who has to learn to be sensitive to the woman's body). It is important for young people to know that sexual relationships don't 'work', are not completely fulfilling, right from the start."


I haven't seen that scene in a movie yet.


I find Jean Vanier's delivery of truth in this book to be refreshing. Why don't we talk about this stuff more often? Okay, okay, as I mentioned earlier, I am not the most graceful at bringing up intimate issues. It's not like I'm going to say, "Hey friend! How's your week going? By the way, it may be a year or more before you experience an orgasm. Just thought you should know."


But I am, however, going to find a way to expose as much truth as possible in my daily life. For me this means intentionally choosing a book on sexuality to read with some friends. It means posting faithfully about healthy sexuality when I find resources worth sharing.


It also means getting used to pointing out false truths that I watch on movies with my kids (regarding sexuality, or any other myths I see presented in movies we watch together). I might even pause the movie and say, "This is just a movie. This movie is pretend. In real life it's more like this..." I am certainly not going sit there and by my presence place my seal of approval on some dream world notions about life and sexuality that will be cruelly crushed when they come face to face with reality. Nope. Not me. I am going to speak truth and hopefully equip my kids, my friends, (and heck, you, the general public who may read my blog) with some tools to deal with reality.


So today there are some myths to dispel. Sex is not all about me, nor is it all about sensual pleasure (though pleasure is a definite bonus). In a healthy relationship there is a lot of give and take, a lot of communication and sensitivity to the other person's needs. Learning about making love is a process that is both beautiful and awkward in the best sense of the word.


Let me tell you that more complete sexual pleasure usually comes a long way into a committed relationship as two people become more and more in tune with one another, more and more intimately acquainted. Shy and clumsy, strange and funny, practice and failure are all part of real life picture perfect. Not only does intimacy become more pleasurable over time, but the journey made with one committed partner is truly better than any movie could ever depict.


I fear that there are many women in particular who are sadly disappointed in their sexual experiences as they seek love and affection from a man who is not committed for the long haul. Also, I fear that many newlyweds are left with feelings of failure and insecurity when they realize that their intimate life is not picture perfect like they imagined. They have simply been presented with an unrealistic and highly romanticized 'picture perfect'.


Much of this could be avoided, or at the least understood, if we are faithful to speak openly and candidly about sexuality with our kids and other who are looking to us for guidance. Trust me, I am not the best at this, but I am more than willing to embarrass myself in the process. I think it's worth it to be real for the sake of relational and sexual health that should be the blessing of every marriage and every marriage bed!


Please join the conversation in the comments section. I value your opinion and would love to hear your perspective. Feel free to be "anonymous" if that enables you to share more freely, or email me if you want to discuss more in private.

No Power Lovin'

As I was reading through the latest Cutting Edge (The Vineyard Churches Publication) I read the article on Power Evangelism. When asked what he meant by "power evangelism" the writer said, PE "is using the "power gifts:" healing, prophecy, deliverance, & ministry of the manifest presences of God-to reach people." Oddly, love didn't make the list of "power gifts." Love isn't power? God IS love, but it's not a power gift? Paul explicitly says love is the greatest gift, yet it's not a "power gift?" Weird. Wrong. Unbiblical. Sad. Reflective. Unfortunate.

I am thankful for the multitudes of those who are great lovers of God who never prayed in tongues or prophecied. E. Stanely Jones; Mother Theresa; Jean Vanier; Henry Nouwan; Charles Studd; Francis of Assisi. These incredible people remind me, as I flounder in the shadow of Apostolic shadows, that "love is the greatest gift." I am thankful too of my "empowered" brothers & sisters; I'm blessed to witness the miraculous in & around me.

Yet if love isn't the greatest of the "power gifts" than we've missed the point. In fact we've missed Jesus.