Question for a Christian

So, was thinking today. How often to people who are not Christians really get a chance to ask questions of a Christian? I mean if you search the web, there are a lot of places where Christians claim to know it all, but most of them come across as know it alls.

I think people would welcome the opportunity to engage in the conversation without an alternative motive of conversion. Others will answer questions, but they are not Christians, just people trying to refute Christians,. How can you answer questions about something that you are not a part of. Really only a Christian can answer questions for Christian.

So, I set up a website Ask A Christian. I come from a point of view, of course. But, I will not dismiss questions and will say when I don't know.

Pass on the link to people who have questions.

The True Meaning of Christmas

It's not the point of the story, but it's the point of Christmas -- sacrifice for others because we know we have a hope outside of ourselves, so we can live (and die) for those other than ourselves. This man demonstrated Christmas with his death.

The prize for best trivializing of Jesus' gospel goes to . . .

I was driving around today when I came upon a pick-up truck with a couple of bumper stickers on it. The first one, said Jerusalem, only the 4th, 5th and 6th letters were bigger and red white and blue -- clever. Don't know what it is supposed to mean, but clever (I never noticed that USA was in the word Jerusalem, but then I've always been really bad at word search puzzles).

After my "hey, USA is in the word Jerusalem" moment, I noticed the above sticker. It made me wonder about the guy driving the car. I wondered how he would describe his understanding of what Jesus bought with his death? I wonder what his family, friends and neighbors would say what Good News was for him. I don't mean to judge, I don't know this guy. But, at the same time, I don't think -- even in an era where a reductionist gospel is the norm -- that I have ever seen the salvation Jesus offers trivialized more grotesquely.

Death and Re-birth

I am in morning. I am in the midst of loss.

I say these things with the awareness and apologies to those who are experiencing more immediate loss or morning -- of a loved one, of . . . whatever. My loss is more amorphous in many ways yet specific in others. People, Places, Sights, Sounds.

As I come upon T minus 1 week before my departure for Redmond, Washington, the emotions stirring in me are many. I am so excited to be moving -- not from something but to something. I am so grateful to have been asked to lead a wonderful group of people on mission with God and for his Kingdom. I cannot wait to see what God will do with Creekside in the City of Redmond and beyond. I believe He will do amazing things in us and through us!

Yet this week -- working with Rex on his role review knowing that as he reaches his goals I will not be there; speaking to teens and young adults this week who I will no longer see, final discipleship appointments, saying goodbye to so many places, and spaces and faces.

Sadness

Any and every change brings with it to greater or lesser degrees loss, death . . . and re-birth.

I'm excited, I'm bummed. I'm dying, I'm being born.

Confessions

I re-read the words of Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo today and again was amazed at the beauty and truth of the passage below.

Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!

You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things that you created. You were with me, but I was not with you.

Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you, they would not have been at all.

You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness.
You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me;

I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burn for your peace.

a blast from the past

I was walking down blog memory lane -- sad, but true -- and came across my first ever blog post. "I like that," I thought. So, here it is again:

Imagine.

Imagine what it would would happen if in your community there sprung up 2 or 3 or 6 or 10 or 15 groups of 8 to 15 people who are all committed to being apprentices together of Jesus; to learn what it means to be in accountable community, but saw thier roles as representatives of his Kingdom in whatever setting they spend most of their time.

Imagine if each of these missional communities in learning what it means to be an apprentice of Jesus, in community, adopted a neighbor -- a low income apartment building, or single mom, or family, and just blessed them with food, or time, or whatever.

Imagine if each one of these missional communities gave birth to another missional community that did the same.

Imagine if the people who were blessed by the mercy and grace poured out by these communities began to talk to each other about the strange thing they have experienced in having thier needs met by almost perfect strangers who want nothing in return, and find out that others in need have been blessed as well.

Imagine if the only common denominator between the blessors is not race, or color, or gender or age, but Jesus.

Imagine what it would look like if God's Kingdom were done here the way it were done in heaven.

Imagine what it would look like if people actually did go and make disciples of all the nations.

Imagine.

Transformed Lives For A Transformed World

Nowadays every church wants to be "missional." Some don't really know what that means, only that "missional church" is the way of the future and they need to "do that" to survive -- I do not judge. Others understand the precept that we as a Church have strayed and need to reconnect with our charge as a sent people, sent and sending. Yet they do not know how. How do we move from the idea of being a protective enclave, neither in the world or of the world to a gathered people being sent and finally to a sent people who gather to build up, share stories of the journey, encourage, rejoice and praise?

We have been in a period of prophecy and proclamation -- wise and Godly men and women shining a light on the church and challenging us to reclaim what has been lacking. In this time, there have been very few able to really say what that might look like, to discover the threads of commonality between truly missional expressions of the church and the processes to attain and sustain it. Maybe that is beginning to change. We have been experimenting with a processes of deep spiritual development and engagement with the poor -- taking people on the journey inward, the journey outward and the journey together are coming on the scene, and finding at the end, transformed lives for a transformed world.

We live on the precipice of unprecedented times for the Church. A good time. And exciting time. A time where we will see amazing things done for the Kingdom of God. I feel privileged that God chose me to be a part of all of this.