just a moment to brag…

now I know this nothing huge but still it’s a lot for Pearl and I. We started this crazy biking thing back in April and this morning on our commute into work our wheels rolled over there 200th mile.

Yeah for 200!

your opinion...please

Our Young Adult ministry is going through a season of evaluation and last night a market analyst came in to lead us through 2 focus groups. Here are some statements I highlighted in my notes while I sat at the observation table, a.k.a the table that you’re told to shut up and just listen at.

Here's some of what I heard:

“I felt isolated because I didn’t know how to plug in, there was not an obvious entry point”

“Environment is EVERYTHING to me and it shows that this is IMPORTANT to you, and I appreciate that, even if you get it wrong at times”

“Form doesn’t matter as much as real encounters with God”

“Our Generations doesn’t want church, they want God, so give me real encounters with God”

“if you want to create a comfortable environment just put your gathering where all our friends naturally hang out”

“I felt no accountability to the church because no one seemed to notice when I wasn’t here?”

“When someone stands up to teach me, they better shoot straight, not beat around the bush, and be real! Cause the one thing I’m looking for the most is an authentic faith, I'm sick of pat answers”

“I want to know where YOU have screwed up, and how God was there!”

“I don’t go to events to meet new people, I go to events with my existing friends, I don’t leave my comfort zone, and I’m considered to be an outgoing person”

“Always have food!”

“What I mean by wanting “deeper teaching” is more historical context”

any insights? feel free to share

street corners and evangelist...

I hope this comes across the way I desire for it, I’m a little scared to even go here, but what the heck, here I go: I don’t like evangelist, there I said it, now I must add that I dislike most but not all, but most.

The sounds of past “evangelists” are now ringing in my head. Their messages blaring loud, loaded with hate, judgment, and condemnation, void of grace or peace. The image is usually of a white male, overweight, in a white button up dress shirt, passionately (or possibly viciously) screaming out into the masses of innocent people who are unfortunate enough to walk by his message of wreath.

That’s my general view.

I know it’s a very bias view but I’m being honest, and I believe others would share this view with me. (I could explain more why this is so, but that not my point here.)
But today as Pearl and I where walking through the city on our way to her favorite coffee shop (Prince St café) this view was challenged a little. As we crossed over King St. an elderly man was standing on the corner, his face was gentle, he came across as simple, humble, almost like a large teddy bear. He gave me the impression that he could have some mental challenges, but I could be totally off base here, but either way he seemed to ooze grace and peace, like I could go give him a huge hug.

As I passed this gentle giant of a man I noticed he held out little pamphlets of paper for the drivers stuck in traffic to reach out and take.

He said nothing

Just held his pamphlet out

Sun baring hot down on his sweetly forehead, a watermark around his collar

I expected my past feelings to arise, for my amazing ability to judge and condemn and to stereotype to kick in, but it never came,

A swirl of emotions ran around on my inside until a very different emotion stayed still.

One I did not expect

I admired him.

He was sharing what he believed in, gentll, humbly, but none the less against the stares and negative assumptions of the crowds passing by.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about 1 Peter 3:15
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”

He was doing this,

In a way he knew

With gentleness and respect

His form is not a form I normally appreciate,

but his heart I greatly admire

May I live a life of gentleness and respect

May strangers feel like they could come and receive warm hugs from just seeing the countenance on my face

God thank you for giving us a hope worth sharing

But may we now ooze gentleness and respect from our lives in such a way that people are begging to know what’s within.

an early morning and a great book

I have just done 2 things that have occurred only a few times in my life, first, I was out of the bed before 5am, and second I read an entire book in one sitting.

The reason I was out of bed so early (for those that don’t know mornings are not my strongest part of the day) was because a friend needed a ride to the train station. So an early ride across town accomplished this task.

But once I was alone again I had to ask a hard question, “do I go back to bed?”

The answer was “NO, I’ll fight the sleep monsters away stay up, not giving into the lure of the pillow”, So I went go to Starbucks.

So a hair past 5:30 I sat down in a window sit and started to enjoy my “tall Pick place roast w/ extra cream and sugar.” (I like a little coffee with my sugar and milk)

I was recently loaned a book which I was told I “must read”
The cover dates it to the sixties the copyright claims MCMLXXX (1980)

It’s titled “A Tale of Three Kings: a study of brokenness” by Gene Edwards.

It is written as a story would be told, the pages turn fast, and in a little over an hour one can gleam it’s nuggets of truth.

The if I wrote the cliff notes the book I would say that it is a retelling of the story of David. Focusing on how the struggle for power would play out for Saul and David and then David and Absalom.

The questions I now ponder are:
1 – which of these three kings most represent me?
• Saul – Was chosen by God, was appointed to lead the kingdom, yet he held tighter to this power than to God, and when that power was questioned he went mad to maintain it. He was willing to throw spears at those who he feared, some that struck the body and others the soul.
• Absalom – would declare he knew what was best for the kingdom, and then fight to have it that way. He was willing to destroy those who stood in his way, to even spilt the kingdom. He knew all too well the fighting style of Saul, which he mastered and repeated.
• David – Never claimed to understand the ways of God, he held his position in life loosely, knowing that it was given by God and that it would not be taken away until by God. He learned to never throw Saul’s or Absalom’s spears back, but to only dodge them. He respected the authorities God had placed, no matter how much he agreed or disagreed with them. He would not divide the kingdom of God, even when challenged for the throne.

2 – Do I throw spears?
• Back at those who hurt me?
• To those I disagree with?
• To those I’m jealous of or scared of?

3 – How will/do I view those above me?
• When I agree and believe in them?
• When I think they don’t have a clue what their doing?
• When I think I could do it better?
• When I think they are actually hurting our said goals?

4 – Will I hold my leadership loosely?
• Do I really believe God will keep me where he wants me?
• Am I able to not fight for where I want to be?

5 – Am I willing to wait patiently for God to move me?
• Even if where I’m I hate?
• Even if I think I’m outside of my gift mix?
• Even if I believe I’d be better at something else?


God, please let my heart be after you, not my dreams, fame, or hopes.

God, help me to respect those you’ve placed above and around me, knowing that you make “kings” raise and fall, not me.

God, help me to see the spears coming my way and to dodge them, but then once they pass to leave them on the ground and not send them hurling back.

God, help me to value the processes, too see the joy that comes in it, to know the outcome is worth the wait.

Let the ruminants of Saul and Absalom that live in my heart be put to silence, and your voice amplified.

laughing

I’m sitting on the coach watching America’s funniest home videos, I think laughter, even at dumb little video’s like these, is good for the soul.

So laugh hard, laugh often, and learn to laugh at your own dumb self.

Change+process+tension = ????

Today’s one of those days, well that’s not an entirely true statement, today’s my decompression day from a rough week. This week’s just been hard; a lot of stuff has been flying around in my head. I seem to be feeling the early trimmers of change coming, its just weird because the change is so unclear right now. I want to embrace it, helping the transition be quick, smooth, and as painless as possible, yet I’m not sure what I should be looking for, hoping for, longing for.

So many emotions swirling around, fears running into dreams, excitement pushing up against anxiety; a mix of it all.

I once heard that Change would not take place until the cost of staying the same is more than the cost of changing. That’s so true. I’m realizing I’m ready; I’m ready to pay the cost, to make the move, to “put the ball in play” fore say, yet I just don’t know where. It’s like knowing you need to get off the bus, yet you’re clueless what stop is yours.

I know God is good, I know he knows what’s next and what’s best, I know all that; it just sucks waiting on Him to pass that info along.

God, I know you give a rip, although at times it really doesn’t feel that way, I know you care, I know you know what’s best, I know that waiting on you is what I need to do. I just want to run ahead, to hate the process, to hate the unknown, to hate having to live in the tension! Help me pause, help me be patient, help me open my hands and allow you to take hold. Please give me what it takes to stay still, to not rush the process, to not avoid the tension, cause yet again, I know this is best, it’s in the process that you live, it’s the tension that changes me, it just hard being here.

Those guys…

Tonight as I pulled out of the church parking lot a little after 11pm, I reflected about “those guys.” You see, tonight we had a pretty different night at saturate. We pushed aside the normal format and structure of our gatherings and rolled in tables, jars of candy, a soft serve ice cream machine, tiki torches and one of the biggest grills I’ve ever seen and after a time of worship, and reflection hung out and had fun just being together.

But as the festivities pulled to a close and cars started to pull out of the parking lot a grim truth hit home. We had one huge mess to clean up. But as I started to pull away from my conversations to go start the daunting task ahead of me someone was walking towards me, not for small talk or a need, but a question, a great my I add question, they wanted to know where things went. A group had already cleaned up all 29 tables inside, organized the candy, pens, jars etc and where awaiting my direction of where to store them.

What a wonderful surprise!

After the shock wore off I walked back outside to begin yet another grim task of cleaning up, but yet again a group had already started and eagerly waited for direction.

So this blog is dedicated to all of “those guys.” The amazing men and woman who quietly come alongside of you and say “what can I do” then just as quietly run off to fulfill the task.

“those guys” make my job great

“those guys” make ministries thrill

“those guys” truly make the world a better place.