Perspective on Things

It's been another one of those days...a day in reality that has been fine but becuase of all the things that haven't worked out it feels like nothing is working out.

I had one of these days a few months ago and my friend Carl gave me a little perspective. As I was pondering things of the day his insight came to mind. I thought I would share it with you.

U know if things worked out every day they would be body builders, and things aren't body builders, thats probably why they don't work out every day.

TR

Another one of my current reads is The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell. I was reading about the Law of Process last night and the way former president Theodore Roosevelt (TR) demonstrated it so well in his life. (If you want to know more about that, you'll have to read the book - or at least the end of the third chapter :) - which is well worth your time)

At the end of the story it tells that he died in his sleep and when they removed him they found a book under his pillow. Maxwell remarks, "Up to the very last, TR was still striving to learn and improve himself." I thought that was good. What I liked best,however, and what I think I might like people to say about me, is what the then Vice President Marshall said about him:

"Death had to take him sleeping, for if Roosevelt has been awake, there would have been a fight."

The Exodus

I've been reading in the book of Exodus lately and was especially ________ last night. The word to describe that blank eludes me, floored, excited, thankful, intrigued, perhaps? I've heard it said that the Israelites exodus is quite indicative of my story (and yours too) and I believe it, I see it.

Here are some of the cool (I need to increase my vocabulary) things I found last night (between Exodus 13:17 and 14:14):

1) When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.

I was thinking about how even when I'm coming out of bad (or even just not so good) places at the first sign of trouble I want to run and return to what is familiar, even if it's not what is best for me. I'm a mind-changer - of myself.

2) By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

Overwhelmed by God's faithfulness through the day and night...

3) Multiple times in this passage God talks about his glory, this is just the first,
But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.

I'm so thankful to serve a God who is about his own glory. If God was about anyone or anything else's glory, would it be right for him to be God? I don't think so. I love that He gets glory- one way or another and through virtually anything. I like that we can chose to be a part of giving him glory but also, that he gets it whether we chose it or not. I think its best though actively, willingly participate.

And finally,
4)The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.

What a promise and reminder. I think there are times when we are called to stand firm and fight, but there are also times when we need only to be still. Rest. Peace.

I hope this is good news to you. It was to me as I laid in bed pondering many things and enjoying the goodness of God.

#3 (In Raw Form)

This one is even more raw as I wrote it in a hurry just shortly after waking up...

okay i remembered point 3 -

this is from Eric Micheal Bryant

he says over and over again "love is the new apologetic" in his book peppermint filled pinatas, subtitled "breaking through tolerance and embracing love."

I'm not sure if that should get its own bullet point in my head in answer to your question OR if its the new way we "do evangelism" w/in the heaving coming to earth idea of point one.

In Raw Form

A friend of mine recently sent out an email asking for help. It read:

I’ve been asked to do a presentation later this month, and I’d love to pick your brains for ideas, rather than just presenting what I think you (and others) might think.

Here’s the topic:
the younger generation's expectations and dreams of the church for the 21st century
"What is the most significant aspect/thought that I feel is important for being the church in the 21st century?"

I sent her my response just a few minutes ago- very last minute, unrefined and raw. Then I thought I'd share those thoughts here for you to not just read but to respond to. I still didn't clean it up, forgive me. Nonetheless I would be interested to hear (read) what your answer would be to that question. As you will read in my scattered (potentially incoherent) ramblings, I do not have it figured out, I only have some thoughts and they are even complete.

Consider that your warning. Here we go!

"What is the most significant aspect/thought that I feel is important for being the church in the 21st century?"

First, that is a long period of time. It is interesting to think about the global church in this light as the United States seems to continue their rumblings about the shift to post-modernism when Australia, the UK, and western Europe are already through the transition and submerged in post-modern thinking. (oh well)

(1) The idea of bringing heaven to earth seems to be permeating the church right now specifically in the area of social justice. As we continue to hear that extreme poverty could end in our generation, in the next ten years it seems like the Church is starting to get a glimpse of that (and act). In addition to social justice, environmental issues are coming more and more to the front of the church. Environmental responsibility is an issue the church traditionally didn't address. It seems as though we are starting to realize that we will be held accountable; taking care of the environment is one of our jobs.

CS Lewis wrote
The world does not consist of 100 per cent Christians and 100 per cent non-Christians. There are people (a great many of them) who are slowly ceasing to be Christians but who still call themselves by that name; some of them are clergymen. There are other people who are slowly becoming Christians though they do not yet call themselves so. There are people who do not accept the full Christian doctrine about Christ but who are so strongly attracted by Him that they are His in a much deeper sense than they themselves understand.

Even though he wrote those words so long ago, it seems to hit the nail on the head for our culture today. I think we are seeing a shift in evangelism, church planting, education, financial investments (how we are spending our money) in response to the areas we are feeling responsibility for. We are seeing people, who may or may not associate themselves with the Christian community, associate themselves with Christ and what he said on the sermon on the mount and in other teachings.

In addition to these things, tied back to the idea of bringing heaven to earth, Louie Giglio, specifically, talks about the unreached people groups in the world and how we are more equipped than ever to reach them. As the world seems to be melting together in cities like Los Angeles and Toronto we understand that we, in a sense, have a global influence, a global stage in our back yards.

(Just wanted to share another quote - this one regarding social justice: Bono said, "But the one thing we can all agree, all faiths, all ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and the poor. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house... God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives... God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war... God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them." )

Its seems as if there are these ideas we've talked about for so long are becoming actions, actions that can bring those very ideas to reality...people being reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ...for some that gospel looks like freedom from hunger, for others it is freedom from slavery, addiction, and for others still, freedom from the mundane. It is the freedom in Christ, through Christ, by Christ.

(2) My gut reaction to the question was to talk about community - as experienced in the New Testament Church. While community does seem to be an area that is being talked about more and more (both in a sense of churches having small group ministries to reaching out to neighborhoods) two thoughts came to mind. The second was that when we are reaching out to our community and the world around us, it seems to be tying back to social justice more and more. But my first thought pulled me back to an interview I heard recently (sorry I don't remember who is was, I think it was the folks at Catalyst)... anyway, they talked about how Africa, for instance, isn't lacking community. That is part something they have a pretty good grasp on, thus community is not an answer to your question...but I still don't know what is.

(3) I totally lost this thought...though I think it was a good one. Even though it was forgotten, I think it was more coherent that the first 2. Sorry about that.

---------
I really did totally lose that last thought. Crying shame, I really think it was a good one.

Enough of that... What do you think? How would you answer the question? Or what do you say in response to my answer? Fill me in.

Advice, and maybe a challenge

I received the following in an email from a friend of mine on new years day. I didn't know whether to consider it as advice or a challenge. It good as both, really. I hope it inspires you to do something:

Try something new and different, experience life, share time with your loved ones, family and friends. Tell them all how much you care. Make new friends and try new things, like altruism, donating, volunteering, bartering, all the while exchanging how many positive outlooks you bring to all those who cross your path and may Christ be real and intimate to you like never before.