Good Questions

I recently went down to San Diego to hang with some church planters I'm friends with. One of the people within their church emailed me some questions & I thought it would make good food for thought here. 

Thanks for the question, I'll do my best to answer it. 

"It seems to me that the Bible teaches conformity in many ways, in other words, there are only so many leaders and the rest should follow."

Two questions here, first Conformity. The Bible does teach conformity however we have the choice to either obey or do our own thing. The Bible is many things & one of them is "how best to live life." Now WE think we know how to live life, but do we? Do you? I don't. God created humans; I'm learning what it means to be human. I assume He knows best how we should live life in a world which is corrupt by sin. Too, do we actually think we are free from conformity if we don't conform to the Bible? This is foolish. We are mastered by whatever masters us. As I often say, just because you realize your ability to choose doesn't make you mature. I constantly choose the wrong thing. God has never chosen the wrong thing when I've followed his ways. Lastly, here's something I tell people: When I choose to express my "freedom," choosing to do my own thing I discover bondage; when I bind myself to Christ I always find freedom. When conformity always leads to freedom what do we call that? 

Leadership within the church. The irony in this question is that ANYONE can become a leader within the church. That said, most people choose not to take responsibility for anyone other than themselves. Leadership is both a calling & a choice. God calls some to leadership; however God calls everyone to grow up, become like the Father, & take responsibility for the story of redemption ("we are ambassadors in Christ."). Sadly, most people remain infantile in their theology & are solely concerned about their own welfare & not the welfare of others both inside & outside of the church. Anyone can become a leader within the church, including, & hopefully, men of God like you. 

" individual nature of human beings." 

This is an odd cultural assumption we read into the Bible. God himself isn't an individual. The story of mankind has never been about individuals: Adam was given Eve; Noah & his family; Abraham & his family; Joseph & his brothers; Israel being THE main character within the Old Testament; Jesus & the twelve; Paul & his companions; The Trinity. In America we STRESS individualism. Is this right, wrong, or different. I say different; however we have to understand how this effects our theology. Do we have individual nature? Yes. That said, Paul make it plain that Christ is honored above all creation because He gave up His rights for us. Once again, am I most important to me or us? Who am I living for me or us? Is my faithfulness for me or us? Will my life be given so I can feel important or can I see the value in those who will never know me, maybe not appreciate me, but can benefit from me using my individual nature to love what God loves: People. & how does God show his love to people? The people of God living for the purposes of God: CHURCH. Watch the movie: Of Gods & Men. What a privilege we have in being able to be church with each other & the world. Too, we don't lose ourselves in others; we truly find ourselves as we give our life for others like Christ gave His life for us. "Whoever saves his life will lose it, whoever loses their life will find it." Do we believe this? 

Hopefully this answered your questions. If not write me back & ask away. I think God intentioned for us to meet & you are an incredible man of God. 

Blessings, 

Sean 

Pastoral Publishing

Below is a great article written by Skye Jethani on the topic of celebrity pastors & Christian publishers. Celebrity is a big deal for us Americans (& I've often wondered about publishing $$) & Christians are no exception. It's worth a look.

Publish Me

Are you pointing at me?

Here's an email my wife recently received: 

"Linda,

I really want to thank you for offering up the rosemary. 

(Ok, stop here. My wife loves to garden so she planted a bunch of rosemary starters & then posted the free starters on freecycle. Several people, including this person accepted the gift.) Resume email... 

I am the only person in my little enclave of a neighborhood of 10 homes that ever does any road maintenance, weed abatement, culvert repair, etc. of the property that is used by all and technically/legally supposed to be cooperatively maintained/paid for. Since I spend my own money (rather than on attorney’s fees and small claims costs to force/sue them to do what they are legally obligated to do) and be as productive as possible, any contributions of free material are most welcome.

The rosemary is going to help prevent erosion and hopefully outcompete Scotch broom I removed on a slope above the culvert that my husband and I installed before last year’s ridiculously wet winter. Fortunately, we alone prevented the roadway from collapsing further and washing out. The broom covered slope is a serious fire hazard and just below the home of an older man in poor health, so I voluntarily protect and maintain that portion of his property for him. Your contribution will benefit many other people than just myself (though most in the enclave don’t recognize, acknowledge or take the time to be grateful).   

We don’t always know the impact our actions have on others; I wanted you to know that your generosity and kindness made a difference."

I am often mystified by people, how complex we are, & how broken we are. I find that I often get blamed for things. Now no doubt I am to blame for all of my actions, & if we engage in a healthy mature conversation I will gladly take all responsibility for my actions; however, what I often find is when people play the blame game the pointer is generally pointed outward. 

One morning I went surfing & paddled by a man as I was trying to get at good spot to sit in the lineup. Well, evidently I made this man mad because he started cussing at me. I calmly paddled up to the man & apologized, which oddly made him cuss at me more, which of course made me more resolute in my apologies until finally he stopped, accepted my apology, & said, "Its not you man. Its just that everyone out here is an idiot." Really. Out of 30+ people out here, you & I are the only non-idiots? I'll surf with them thank you very much.

Surf, culvert repair, work, relationships, church, family: Whose fault is my frustration? 

As I read this email I thought of this woman coming to our church. What would she see?

What would you see? I think what we see often says more about us than what is actually there. Talk to me about your dad, neighbors, co-workers, spouse, friends, etc.

Jesus offers to clean us from the inside so that we might see the outside with healthy eyes. If we're unable to see the outside as it truly is, than we are robbed of ever experiencing real relationships because, how can we truly love something we can't trust, & how can we truly love someone if they bare the burden of our brokeness perceived or real?

Jesus offers to clean us from the inside so that we might see the outside with healthy eyes & truly be able to enjoy surfing, culverts, rosemary, relationships, work, & see people as the image of God everywhere instead of the engine driving the vehicle of my pain.

A Synopsis of our Pastor's Book Club

Here's my friend's recollection of our last Pastor's book club & his invitation to other pastor's in Santa Cruz. Needless to say we have a great time discussing some serious issues. Thankfully we understand disagreement can be a fun process, which leads us away from the fallacy of unity & into the difficult beauty called community.

When I read this I had many thoughts, & wouldn't normally post something with my name in it so often, but it's too funny to pass up, seeing that this is the invitation to our book club many pastors in our city will receive. 

"During a fun-filled discussion of the spiritual implications of fat and dieting, we ate great food and drank deeply at the well of Sean's hard work at mastering the magical qualities of yeast. And let me assure you, Sean is the magician's apprentice when it comes to harnessing the magical qualities that God has created into the world on the microscopic level. Sean makes great beer. In fact, if we all weren't so happy because of our dancing tastebuds, I'm quite sure our tongues would have formed into sharper shapes when a divisive topic like dieting is the ring around which we were all rosey-ing. But happy tongues have a hard time lighting fires, so instead we sang each others praises for disagreeing so tactfully."

 Here's Pastor Jason at one of his church BBQ's.

The Story of Christmas

Grab a glo stick & enjoy the Gift.

Christ Has No Body

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks

Compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

        Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

Why?

As a follower of Jesus I'm regularly challenged by why I do things. Why did I move to Santa Cruz? Why share the love of Christ? Why serve? Why love? Why do I do the things I do for Jesus?

I ask this question of myself because this is where I find a great deal of tension in my own life. I feel as if my desire to do these things often results in less than expected results; this leads to my disappointment & I then wonder if what I've done was"worth it." Too, I often wonder if what I'm doing is only for myself so that I feel o.k with the insecurity of  whether or not I matter.

Yet today, as I was sitting out on the ocean waiting for good waves, I was struck by the revelation that I generally do what I do not because of my devotion to God, but for the results themselves. Results aren't bad; they are the outcome of our actions. Yet am I living my life in order to get results or am I living my life because I'm loved & in love with God? One never ceases to amaze; the other never satisfies.

Today I dropped into a really big wave (9ft+) & barely made the  landing. People were hollering, as they often do on a great wave, & I felt the rush of my results; yet by the end of my surf session I was tired, & those who had witnessed my earlier exploits were gone, & I was surrounded by a new group of people who were snagging all the waves making me feel kinda' lame. The fulfillment of my results didn't last even 2hrs; why not just enjoy the water?

I'm not convinced results are the goal in almost any venture. 

This is no simple task, but I want to do what I do because I'm loved; Too, I want to do because I deeply believe in what it is I'm doing regardless of what "happens." I assume real art results from this perspective. I want to be who I am because it's worship. I want to alleviate myself of what was never mine: The Outcome.

Easier said than done.

Who is Your Standard?

I'm thankful to God for many reasons & certainly one reason is Jesus. I'm thankful for the gospel, & to be honest, I'm becoming even more thankful as the gospel continues to reveal itself to me through the years. There is no end to the transformative power of what God has done for us; Jesus is the apex of life.

Jesus is not only the one who gives life, but He's also the example. When I think, "Who is the Standard," of being human? Who is the standard of how to treat others? Who is the standard on how to forgive? Who is the standard on how to live? Who is God's standard on what it means to be human; once again we look to Jesus.

Now many might think this an impossible task; "I can't be Jesus." Rightly so, but no one is asking any of us to BE Jesus because He's one of a kind; however, God presented Jesus as the standard not because it's impossible so we might always be presented with failure, but because it is doable, with His help of course. Now without a doubt we will all fall short of His standard, but it's not about arriving as much as it's about abiding. Abiding in Christ, daily, hourly, through the laughter & tears; this leads us to Christ-likeness, which when you read Paul is one of the main objects of the Spirit in our lives.

Is it easy, no; yet as I look around the landscape of those who know Christ & those who don't, I find it's easier to choose Jesus as the standard of what it means to be a man than the option presented by those who use themselves as the standard.

^1-4If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.  ^5-8Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.

A Day in the Life...

From the Orval Monastery.


Daily Rhythm:
"Show me your diary and I shall tell you who you are. The way in which a man uses his time reveals his life-style and his priorities. To what does a man give his time? For whom has he time ? In a monk's diary pride of place is given to seeking the Lord. The day is organized around those moments of gratuity, around those non-profit making hours which are the hours of prayer. It is there that one touches the price of monastic life: it foresees moments in which the monk does nothing other than take the time to live for God, the time to come together as a community of brothers and to sing together of God's love for man, the time to remain silent in the presence of the One Who gives life."

This is the challenge for all of us to follow Christ: Living out His values in day to day life; seeing Him in the day to day routines, habits, chores, & joys of life. I wish we were all able to see Him, as He is, in our daily rhythms.

How can we, as a church in Santa Cruz or other areas, live out the life of Christ, daily? Let's attempt to not make it more difficult than it really is. 

All Over the Country

I just got off a webpage about a Christian conference happening near Santa Cruz & must admit I'm kinda over church culture (it's been a slow process). Really, it's kinda gross. As I scrolled through the bios of each speaker & musician it was really weird. "So & so wrote this book & speaks (or plays) all over the country." I guess my question would be: Is that some sort of arrival point? Is it the goal of Christian leaders to write a book or song & then play "all over the country?" & this magically gives them some sort of clout to be a "main presenter?" It just seems weird.

I think this is coupled with a recent visit to a blog where the author was blasting a conference for not being Heidi Baker, because "if everyone did what she did this conference (on social justice) wouldn't even matter."  It made me sad because this girl isn't Heidi & she won't really get to be herself until she realizes that's best.

Celebrity.

I guess I'm over the "so & so; & who's who," within the faith & my opinion is that as long as we continue to teach Christians to listen to "so & so who wrote this & that & spoke here & there," we belittle the little ones who make up the brunt of the face of Christ in the streets; because they never will be celebrities & that's just fine.

I realize certain people do have fabulous things to share & therefore do travel to & fro in order to share their wisdom; however, "so & so, has spoken or played all over the country," has become a mantra for our church culture to make us believe they're something special (or maybe we're helping them believe they're special?). 

What if the speaker's bio said: "So & so, been faithful in the little things for 25yrs." 

I'm not sure how that would sound on a conference bio: My name is Sean; I just got back from my neighbors house where he showed me his birthday homebrew with 4oz of weed in it.

How do we within the church help everyone to see they are as important as Heidi? How do we within the church help our teachers present us with a bio that reflects day-to-day faith? How do we in the church learn how to appreciate simple acts of faith like going next door?

The Perils of a Godly Man

I recently opened a message from a woman I assumed I went to Highschool with. What followed was a rather interesting dialogue as I discovered I was being given a "proposal." I think we get proposals often, sometimes from simple things, & other times we get a proposal that will shipwreck who we are. I wish I always made the right choice when presented with a enticing proposal, but "very often" will have to sustain me to the finish lines as we practice the ways of Jesus in Santa Cruz. 

Below is the actual dialogue between my suitor & I via Facebook:
--You look good in your profile picture, are you still single? Smile!!!!
--What's up Nancy. Thanks for the compliment. I've been married for 11 years & have 3 incredible kids. I hope you're doing well. Blessings.
--Yes, i am doing good and you?
--We're doing great. We live in Santa Cruz & are a part of a really cool faith community here following Jesus. What have you been up to?
--Nothing much just wish we could get to know each other and see how it goes, how are your kids doing as well?
--How do we know each other Nancy?
--well, maybe we can exchange email
--Hey Nancy I don't know if you caught on or not, but I'm a happily married man. Too, I have three kids. What would it have been like for your dad to accept some invitation from another woman? What would that have done to your life? Is that what you'd like to do to my family?

Maybe she's still thinking about my questions...

Sign of the times...

I haven't been in the blogging mood lately. Here's some filler content...Santa Cruz style. 

Now you tell me...

“Pastoral work is slow and tedious. Be patient. It’s not easy or exhilarating. It’s plodding. In some ways its easy. Just stay there and be faithful. Pray. Know the names of the people in your community. Trust them and see them as blossoming saints, even if they don’t act like it.” Eugene Peterson

God, help me learn this lesson for our church in Santa Cruz.

Church Success

"When the church is driven more by the idea of success rather than obedience, it really hasn't traveled far off the road called failure."

A homeless person in Santa Cruz California

Practice makes...Real

What is the devotional life? What does it mean to be "saved?" What's the resurrection got to do with: Work, bills, the environment, sex, beer, coffee, career, hate, or any of the other aspects of "life?" Sadly, we've become professionals at seeing certain things as spiritual & other things as, well, just normal life. This isn't how it's supposed to be & as a community in Santa Cruz we want to live out our faith now.

Here's a great quote:

"Why is it that we look upon our salvation as a moment that began our religious life instead of the daily life we receive from God?" Dallas Willard

When we think about what it means to be a church we should be certain about these things: We're alive in Christ NOW. We're a part of the resurrection NOW. The church & our church in Santa Cruz is the body of Christ NOW. We are a part of the New Creation NOW. Work is worship TODAY. 

All of this become even clearer when we take Communion as a church. Communion isn't a reassurance that one day we'll enjoy God without any issues; Communion is God's evident reassurance that we are to enjoy Him NOW. The Bread & the Wine aren't mystical things taken from the world transformed into something other-worldly; the Bread & the Wine are normal things of the world taken into ourselves that we might realize life is spiritual. His whole self was crucified & risen to redeem my whole self all the time...all of me...all the time. 

What's it mean to live the resurrected life in Santa Cruz (or anywhere else) NOW?

Stumble Not

 ⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. ¹⁰ It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

Great thoughts from a local pastor.

My sister-in-law recently graduated from one of the top medical schools in the country. It has achieved that status not by being the biggest, but because of the quality of students it turns out and the number treatment-breakthroughs that are discovered there.

Similarly, our churches (or Bible studies, or worship teams, or whatever other ministry-effort we're leading) should not be evaluated by their size, but on what is happening in the lives of those who are there.

Here are a few other parallels that have crossed my mind:

1. Most med-schools also have hospitals attached. What a great picture of church! Everyone is welcome... nobody is shamed or turned away. However, entrance into the hospital does not guarantee entrance into the attached med-school. At our church, what we're looking for in people who would aspire to ministry leadership are servant-heartedness (my spell-check doesn't know that word), teachability (a desire to learn things that I don't already know), accountability (a desire to be linked up with others in a growth-process), and repentance (an eagerness to have my thinking changed by God).
2. We have more "students" than "doctors" and the learners are the ones doing the hands-on work. While patients at med-school hospitals might prefer to have full-fledged doctors doing the surgeries, often students are involved in the process. At church, it's the same. Our pastoral team and Delta leaders' jobs are not to do the ministry directly, but to mobilize and connect people who are learning how to pray and counsel with those who need it (all of us). Interestingly, studies have shown that (despite patients' nervousness) the care at med-school hospitals is better than at non-teaching hospitals.
3. For patients, healing is the goal. Everybody hopes that a trip the hospital is brief! Some treatments can take time, but every patient should aspire to wholeness. The point of coming to the hospital is to be healed so that we can get on with our lives. Sometimes church can seem like an endless cycle of going into the hospital! Instead, let's all set our sights on fruitful ministry (getting off the sick-bed and into the white gown and stethescope).
4. For students, each day is lived with graduation day in mind. The point of this school is not just to build a bigger and bigger school and hospital... but to SEND out these students into the wide world where they are needed. I am asking God to give me big dreams for those who call our church home... and the wisdom to equip them for what God is asking them to do. And I want to get better at planning a church-program that will love, mend, train, and send people in a period of a few years.

It's helpful to spend time thinking about what we're trying to do with this thing called "church." Without proactive thought, we'll end up just doing stuff out of tradition or routine. Neither will get us to our objective ("Go therefore and make disciples...").

Who's Your Momma?

"He can no longer have God for his Father, who has not the Church for his mother."St. Cyprian

I've recently realized the most prominent issue within mankind. One would assume it is: Greed, perversion, hate, sexual sin, or something else, but it isn't. It's rebellion. I'm the captain of my own ship.

I too wrestle with this, yet as I sink within the waters of my own choices, countless have been the times when the church has wrestled me from my own determination to find freedom through my distorted lens of reality.

Thank you mother church for offending my sinful nature. You are the water-wings that keep me afloat as I have been so determined to drown when I wrench the wheel of my ship from the Holy Spirit. Thank you Father, Spirit, & Son...& Mother.

"He can no longer have God for his Father, who has not the Church for his mother."St. Cyprian

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.