Pastor Jon's Blog

Graduation

2009-06-18T22:51:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of school for my son. The lad is now officially a second grader. Corran's transition got me to thinking about other (perhaps, more substantial) graduations that are going on this time of year. It reminds me of a sermon I preached some time ago. There is a myth that I have heard spoken at almost every commencement ceremony that I attended during my many years of youth ministry. Invariably, some well-meaning student would stand up to speak and share about the wonderful time that they had in high school. Then they would say something to the effect, “when we look back, we will realize that these were be the best years of our lives.”
Well, I want to say that that is absolute rubbish. It is rubbish because it ignores two very important realities. First, it ignores the reality that, for many, joyful participation and inclusion into extracurricular activities did not characterize their school experience. Instead, many experienced school as a source of alienation and deepening despair simply because they were different in some way from the expected norm. However, the second reality that this pronouncement ignores is the reality of God’s constant presence in our lives, and God’s constant call on our hearts. It ignores the fact that while you some may experience a degree of freedom from responsibility as young people, what no one ever tells you is that the responsibilities of adulthood come with freedoms all their own. The best is not behind - it is ahead. It is always ahead. Because that is God's way.

I Need A Hero - part II

2009-06-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

After writing my last post (rant) about needing a hero, I remembered a wonderful story that everyone should read. Just follow this link. I humbly (as humbly as I am able, anyway) submit this young man as a candidate for the position of hero. I was an assistant coach for my son's coach pitch team this past spring and this young man was on our team. In fact, I am the coach that threw the pitch in the story. It is a great story, and he is a great kid. Check it out.

I Need A Hero

2009-06-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

Do you remember that 80's song by Bonnie Tyler (reprised wonderfully in the movie "Shrek") "I Need A Hero." It was a sappy pop song that was about 100 times more sentimental than necessary. But lately, I am kind of liking the idea of it. I need a hero. We all need a hero. It seems like we live in a society (and I am speaking specifically to those of us who live in suburban America) that has completely lost a sense of its moral compass. I am not talking about this specific moral principle or that one (those we will continue to argue about until we have beaten one another into submission - another problem with our culture, by the way). I am merely talking about the sense of actually just having a moral compass. It seems like the prevailing attitude is whatever I feel like is right. When I was young, they used to say, "if it feels good, do it." But, it seemed that we at least acknowledged that some of the things that felt good that we were indeed doing were wrong. Now, it seems like, if it feels good, it is good. What I feel, what I want, what I need, are how the universe should go. Consider the display of poor sportsmanship of Lebron James in the Eastern Conference Finals last week. Because Lebron is a gazillionaire and a "world-wide brand" (Coke is a world-wide brand, Lebron is a world-wide celebrity - just my two cents), none of the Nike officials who endorse him, none of the management of the Cleveland Caviliers basketball team, probably not even the NBA, will admonish him because they do not want to upset him. So, this 24 year-old kid gets to pout and whine like my six year-old (who does get in trouble when he behaves that way), and no one says anything because we don't want to offend. Here's the problem, somewhere, someone is actually going to have to say, "enough." Someone is going to have to say the obvious - there are actually more important things in the world than the NBA playoffs (like, for example, the fact that the Detroit Tigers are atop the American League Central Division). As far as I have been able to observe, most (not all - most) professional athletes that reach the "elite" status ultimately care more about there own situation than anything else. And they have people around them who encourage that because they make money off of it. That is fine. That is their right. I do not begrudge anyone riches or fame. However, act like a stinkin' adult once in a while. When I was a kid, athletes were heroes. Today, they are "international brands." I need a hero...any ideas.

The Right Thing?

2009-05-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

The Lewis Center for Church Leadership, a great resource for church leaders, encourages people to not be so concerned with having the right answers as much as asking the right questions (this comes as a relief to those of us who are not the "sharpest tools in the shed"). Often, we begin worship at Light of the Canyon with a question, or series of questions. Last week, the scripture text was Mark 2:23-3:6. We opened worship with the following questions. How do we know what is the right thing to do? How do we know what God desires? Is the right thing that which is legal? Or is it something more? Jesus cared very deeply about his followers doing the right thing. Only sometimes, the right thing did not seem like it to others? How do we know what is the right thing to do?

Vacation Bible Camp is Coming

2009-05-21T09:14:00.001-07:00

Start your summer vacation off right with a wonderful experience of Vacation Bible Camp. It begins on Monday, June 22 and continues through Friday June 26 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The theme this year is “Fruits of the Spirit,” and activities will include singing, games, arts and crafts and a whole lot more. Follow this link for an application. If you have any questions, please e-mail Children and Family Ministries Coordinator Minnie August. Come and experience the “fruits of the spirit.”

Voting Matters

2009-05-19T10:22:00.001-07:00

I voted this morning. And if the pundits are to be believed, I am one of only 25% of all eligible voters that will go to the polls today to cast a ballot in this special election. When I walked into the polling place this morning at about 9:00 a.m., I was the only voter in there. I am happy to report that there were 5 or 6 voters by the time I left. But, it felt a little creepy. It forced me to ask myself the question. Why do I vote? Maybe everyone else has already figured out that it doesn't really matter and I am simply to naive to recognize that fact. Then I thought, no way; there can't be that many people in California that are smarting than me...can there? Well, my intelligence (or lack thereof) relative to the population notwithstanding, I want to tell you why voting is important, and not just for the political process. Voting is important because...

1. Whether we like it, or not, it is our responsibility. And it is not a terribly difficult one to carry out. But, when you measure the sacrifices that were made in obtaining the freedoms that we enjoy (it is painfully ironic, by the way, that this low turnout election is just a week before Memorial Day when we actually do recognize those aforementioned sacrifices), taking a little time to familiarize ourselves with the issues and to cast a ballot doesn't really seem like much.

2. Voting, regardless of how you vote, is an act of hope. Even if the outcome is a foregone conclusion, taking the time to cast one's ballot is a declaration that hope remains in the human heart. And, in that sense, voting is a spiritual discipline, a "means of grace" to use the Methodist term. Voting is important, not just because it is our responsibility, and not just because it can have an impact in the world, but it is also important because it helps us to be people of hope. And hope is never a bad thing.

So, vote. It is good for your soul.

Stand By Me

2009-05-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

Today, in worship, we continued our sermon series "Breaking the Chains: Learning to Live in Healthy Relationships." Today, we talked about my least favorite subject, when the church hurts. In a perfect world, the church would only be a source of healing and redemption in the world. But, ours is not a perfect world, and sometimes the church hurts. Jesus warned against the leaven - the yeast - of the Pharisees and Sadducees. I take that to mean the tendency in religious people to be self-righteous and judgmental. The service was wonderful today. The music from the praise band was outstanding. At the end of the sermon, I played a video that someone turned me onto. It is the song "Stand By Me" sung and played by people from all around the world. To me, it is a wonderful image of what the church can be. Enjoy. http://tinyurl. com/clxyfd

Rethinking Church

2009-05-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

The United Methodist Church, like most mainline denominations, has been involved in a lot of soul-searching in the last few decades as we have faced declining numbers of people participating in our churches and as we done ministry in a culture that is increasingly hostile to organized religion (my use of the term "organized" refers here to the organizational aspect of the UMC, and not necessarily to its stream-lined or ministry driven structure). This month's edition of Interpreter Magazine features articles on the subject "rethinking church." It is encouraging to see people in "the corporate office" involved in this project. However, people have been rethinking church for a while now, often times with a great deal of success. I invite you to check out the articles on Interpeters and follow some of the links. Explore. Discover. Tell me what you think.

Fight the Team

2009-04-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

This is why I love being from Ohio. You won't see 100 different celebrities courtside at a basketball game. And you can't go surfing on Christmas Day. But, the great state of Ohio produces some diehard fans for our state school The Ohio State University, our beloved Buckeyes. This is fandom that borders on religious fervor, and I love it. Check this link out. You won't see anyone doing this on the beaches in sunny Southern California. Enjoy.

It Was Good

2009-04-27T17:07:00.001-07:00

I was a little indisposed this past week on Earth Day, so I thought that I might share a few thoughts today. When I reflect on the creation story in Genesis, there is one phrase that continues to repeat again and again. "And God saw that it was good." After each day of creation, God reflects on what He has done, and decides that it is good (for what it is worth, I happen to agree). There is a myth in our culture that says that something's value is related to its utility, i.e. the earth is good because we can use it for stuff we like. However, the biblical witness says something different. Before there even were people to use (and over-use) the earth's resources, there simply was creation, and it was good. God said. The earth has a value that is intrinsic to itself. It needs no justification, no utility. It simply is good, whether we like it, or not. So, care for creation, not because it makes sense (which, it does), not because it is practical (which, it is), and not even because it is moral (and in case you wondered, it is), but because God said that it was good, before we even had a chance to pollute it. God saw that it was good.

David Has Slain Goliath

2009-04-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

We live in a cynical world. It seems that we are so jaded that we actually miss magic when it happens. For all of you that think magic does not happen in this world, let me tell you, it does. David has slain Goliath. Mr. Smith has gone to Washington. The nerd has beaten up the bully. The homecoming queen is not an anorexic model. The Detroit Tigers will win the world series in 2009 (o.k., maybe I am pushing it with that one). But, magic does happen! You don't believe me. Follow this link, O you of little faith. And prepared to be moved.

The Devil Came on Horseback

2009-04-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, my sermon was finished and I was relaxing at home trying to store up energy for Easter Sunday. I flipped on the TV to National Geographic Channel and was transfixed by a film called "The Devil Came on Horseback." I have this DVD, but have not had a chance to watch it. So, Cindy and I watched it together. See this film. It will break your heart. It follows U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle as he serves as an observer in the Darfur region of Sudan. Steidle bears witness with his words, his photographs and movies of the genocide taking place in Darfur. The film is a call to conscience. After you have watched the film, go to enoughproject.org, and find out what you can do. Today is Easter, and I talked about how God did not rescue Jesus, God did not resuscitate Jesus. God resurrected Jesus. That is altogether different. Rescue is deing delivered from danger. Resurrection is being transformed and made new. There is nothing that can be done to prevent genocide in Darfur. It is already happening. But, it is not to late for something new to emerge out of the chaos and suffering. It is past time for the church be a part of bringing the hope of resurrection to Darfur.

No Regrets

2009-04-04T11:02:00.000-07:00

We are finishing our sermon series "One Month to Live" tomorrow and the topic is "living a no-regrets life." The text that I am using is 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 where Paul talks about his "thorn in the flesh." If you remember the story, Paul asked God three times to take the thorn away, but God said, "My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in your weakness." That is heavy. We just don't get that. We think of a no-regrets life as completing all of the items on our bucket list, or being bold and daring. Au contraire! Living the no-regrets life simply means that we turn it over to God. It is God who redeems our regrets and renews our lives. God's power is made perfect in our weakness! That means that God's strength is revealed in our lack of strength. We need to remember that. I saw a youtube video recently that depicts this so well. I am may even use it in my sermon tomorrow. Check it out.

Breaking the Chains

2009-04-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

Beginning April 26, we are beginning a new sermon series that I am very excited about. It is called "Breaking the Chains: Learning to Live in Healthy Relationships." We all have gunk from our past that creeps its way into our present.. This series will look at that gunk (no matter how gross) and hold it up to the light of God's love and grace. It should be a great series. Check out the commercial.

"No Doubt, No Faith"

2009-04-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

We have been talking a lot lately about the differences between faith and knowledge. Where does doubt fit in to the Christian walk. Here are thoughts from a sermon I preached a few years ago about doubting Thomas. Check it out.

John 20:24-31

You know, you can call me a rebel without a clue if you want, but I think that the disciple Thomas – known to church tradition as “Doubting Thomas” has received a bum rap. In church tradition, Sunday School, even VBS, Thomas is portrayed as a villain. But let’s look at the story.
The Crucifixion was a very ugly event, and very disheartening to Jesus' closest followers. The disciples very afraid in the upper room (gathered to lick one another’s wounds) – the crucifixion was not what they expected. It was not what anyone expected. They felt abandoned, maybe even a little betrayed. Thomas, for whatever reason, was not with the disciples when they saw Jesus after the resurrection. All he wanted was the same experience that the other disciples had. No more, no less.
Can doubt and faith co-exist in the human heart? This is an important question. For anyone living in the real world today, no matter how strong their faith, doubts must occur. When we consider all that goes on in our world, how can we not have doubts? So often the power of God and the redemptive love of Christ seem so distant from the world in which we live, it would almost seem insane not to have at least the occasional doubts. This has been true of some of the great religious leaders in history.
And that is why, I propose an alternate reading of the story of Thomas this morning. Not one that vilifies him for having doubts, but instead one that sees in his story a model for how we deal with the inevitable questions that all thinking people must wrestle with. Thomas experienced doubt, and that is true. I mentioned previously that Jesus turned out to be not what anyone expected or hoped for – he was beyond human imagination. And perhaps Thomas felt a little abandoned. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt in the deep recesses of your heart that God had left alone to survive in this cruel world alone? If you have, you are not alone. Doubt has a long tradition in the Christian faith. In fact, I would like to go even one step further – I would like to show how doubt was not only a part of Thomas religious experience, it was also a part of his faith tradition. The psalmist expressed the doubts of the people of Israel (read Psalm 22:1-5 for a specific example). Jesus quoted this psalm from the cross. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? We have all felt that way at one time or another, haven’t we? We have all prayed to God for something at some point in our lives – we have shared with God how we would define success or victory. And we have been disappointed with God’s response. In my years of ministry, I have heard a multitude of stories that have caused people to doubt God’s grace and presence in their lives. Usually related to their desire for their life and God’s seeming unwillingness to accommodate those desires.
Doubt, as you might expect, is defined in technical terms as, “To be undecided or skeptical about; to tend to disbelieve; distrust, to regard as unlikely.” And this definition is sufficient – as far as it goes. But, I want to suggest to you this morning that in terms of the life of faith, doubt has a deeper, more meaningful expression. The question for Christians is not whether we will be skeptical or distrustful about the truth of God. The real question is how do we believe in the power of the resurrection in the midst of the trials and tribulations of life? How do we declare with our lives that Christ is risen when the idea of resurrection itself is contrary to our expectations? That is the dilemma that Thomas faced. It is not that he doubted God’s power to raise Jesus, for he witnessed Jesus raise Lazurus. Thomas' struggle with the idea of the Jesus’ resurrection was that it completely redefined the way that he understood the power of God. This was an entirely new way to understand the way that God related to his people.
And that is the challenge of faith – overcoming our need to define how life should be and allowing God redemptive work to occur.
This past weekend, a group of people went down to Mexicali to do some work at the Methodist Church in that city. This was my first time with LOTC. A few doors down from the church we were staying at is a place called the Hotel Nuevo Pacifico. I was warned before we arrived that prostitutes use this bar to conduct their business. I tought I was prepared. However, when we arrived at the church, I saw a young woman, not more than 14 years old, standing in the doorway of the bar,with a faraway look in her eyes. She was dressed to accentuate her physical traits. At first, I felt a bit like Thomas, struggling to believe in the authority of a loving God in the midst of such human tragedy. And then I realized – that girl was Thomas, trapped in her own fear and loathing and the life that resulted – waiting for someone, anyone, to make real to them the power of the resurrection. They were waiting for someone to reveal to them – as Christ did for Thomas – the true power of the hope of the resurrection. I did not know how to respond.
Can doubt and faith co-exist in the human heart? Of course they can. We have all experienced doubts; we have all felt abandoned by God. And our doubts can serve as an invitation – a wake up call of sorts – to bring us to the place where we present our doubts before God. For resurrection does not occur once we have overcome our doubt, it occurs in the midst of our doubt. Resurrection does not occur once we have achieved a certain level of holiness – it is the gift from God that makes us holy. Resurrection does not mean no doubt – it means new life. And that is the experience that Jesus invites us to - every day of our lives. He invites to allow the power of the resurrection to transform our lives, to make of them something new, even in the face of our doubts. The invitation is there for us all. Jesus is waiting to reveal himself to us as the resurrected Christ. Will toy present your doubt to him? Will you allow him to redefine how you understand what is important and meaningful? Will you follow Thomas to the upper room?

Somethin' to Believe In

2009-04-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

I confess, I am a fan of the 80's glam-metal band Poison. Quite frankly, I think they are are world class when it comes to the power ballad. But, that's just me. One of my favorite songs from Poison is "Something to Believe In." It is an almost pop perfect song about the search for signs of life on the planet. The opening lyrics, which are about disgraced minister Jim Bakker (at least, I assume that is who they are about since he is featured in the video), are really an indictment of the terrible witness to the love of Christ that the church provides. "Well I've seen him on the TV preaching about the promised land. He tells me believe in Jesus while he steals the money from my hand. Some say he was a good man. But, Lord, I think he sinned. Give me something to believe in...if there's a Lord above." What?! If there's a Lord above. Most Christians I know that hear this lyric would be appalled by the doubt. If...if...are you kidding me? But, then I look around. I see a church that is in bed with secular power (money), I see a church that defines success as more butts in the seats than it does genuine transformation. I see a church more interested in the "ticket to heaven" than it is the kingdom of heaven on earth. I am a pastor, and sometimes I find myself asking, "give me something to believe in." That is why I celebrate the little things. While the rest of the world thinks that whatever pastor they see on TV is the real deal, I see normal people - people that go to work everyday happy to have a job, people who are not celebrities, just regular people - and they come to church and seek to know God. And in the midst of all else that is going on in their lives, they seek to serve Christ. They work to free those who are enslaved. They visit people in prison. They take food to the hungry, clothes to the naked. They seek to share God's love with people they meet. They, to quote St. Francis, "preach the gospel wherever they can; and when necessary, they use words." When the make-up wearing, Harley-riding rock star (or anyone else, for that matter) pleads "give me something to believe in," I point to these good people. They may not be interviewed by Larry King. They may not be well-known. But, they are quiet disciples, living out the love of God in tangible ways. And that is reason to believe.

I Need to Know This?

2009-03-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

I have recognized for many years now that we have a culture that worships at the altar of celebrity. So much so, in fact, that we have people that are famous just because they are famous (pick your favorite "reality star - and I use both of these words loosely - and insert their name here). But, how strange are things when it is newsworthy that a famous person - in this case, Michael Jordan (who is famous for good reason, I might add) - does something utterly ordinary and it makes the news? Case in point, Michael Jordan may or may not have shed a tear as his son's basketball team won the Illinois state high school basketball championship. Whoop-de-dooh! Are we really that obsessed with celebrity that this is news? Are there no other important things happening in the world that perhaps we should know about (like, for example, how would people respond if they read an article on the web and then were told that in the minute that they spent in this insipid, trivial, meaningless tripe - have I made my feelings known, here? - thousands of people died because they do not have enough food). What is next? My question is, "how far are we going to take this lunacy? Michael Jordan cried today. Paris Hilton blew her nose? Lindsey Lohan went potty today, news at 11:00 a.m. I get it - celebrities are people - just like you and me. And it is no more interesting when they wipe their bottoms than when I do. So, perhaps, we can let them live their lives, and get on with living ours.

"Sinfully Proud"

2009-03-21T10:59:00.001-07:00

When my dad was Pastor at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Tustin, he had many sayings for which be was famous. One of the most popular was when he would tell his congregation that he was "sinfully proud" of them for something that they had done to reveal God's love and grace and justice to others. Well, I do not plan to use my dad's catch phrases too often in my career, but I do want to say how "sinfully proud" I am to be the pastor at Light of the Canyon UMC. Whether it is reaching out to people in need within our own community, or covenanting with a church in Mexicali, or volunteering at the Special Olympics, or fighting to end slavery and human trafficking in this world, the people at LOTC are engaged in doing the work of God's kingdom. On Saturday morning, March 14, a group of about 27 people from LOTC joined other groups to help prepare food boxes at the Orange County Food Bank. I am proud not only of the fact that so many from the church participated, but also by the genuine caring and joyous attitude that so many had. It was genuinely a great time. Check out this short video to see what I mean. And while one group was at the food bank, there was a smaller group, but no less dedicated, digging ditches at the church to help resolve an outdoor leak. Add to that the scores of folks who help out every day in a variety of ways from teaching a class to installing lights, to writing cards, to delivering meals. And the list goes on and on. One thing that I know is that the kingdom of God is built not only on the large dramatic events that take place in human history. More often than not, it is built on the brick and mortar of daily, faithful, seemingly insignificant acts of kindness, justice and mercy by ordinary people. And I am "sinfully proud" to be the pastor of a church that knows this and lives it.

Don't Take My Word For It

2009-03-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

I was catching up on some of the news out of the "not for sale" campaign today. Reading their blog, I found this little ditty about Craigslist. I just thought I would share it with you in case you thought I was pulling your chain (a colloquialism that, I am very much aware, reveals much about my age - it means in case you thought I was kidding). I am not for sale. You are not for sale. No one should be for sale. I don't care how convenient.

Shame on Craigslist

2009-03-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

Once again the on-line swap meet Craiglist.com has run afoul of people for its inability to monitor what happens on its network. The Cook County Illinois Sheriff filed a lawsuit against Craigslist "saying the popular Web site promotes and facilitates prostitution on a massive scale." But, according to the article, the issue goes far beyond prostitution. People who stand against slavery and human trafficking have cited that Craigslist has been used to solicit minors for sex as well as to deal in human trafficking. This is a serious issue and, at some point, we have to ask ourselves are the things that we are supporting actually hurting the world. I don't know about you, but I will be staying off of Craigslist until they manage to get their house in order.

A Day in the Life

2009-02-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

I try to not get too personal on the old blogosphere. I truthfully find the rampant self-revelation that goes on on the internet a tad bit narcissistic. However, I am a pastor and we are veritable connoisseurs of narcissism. So, I will indulge myself this time. I want to tell you about my day. I woke up, got out of bed, dragged the comb across my head. O.k., I'm sorry, I had to push the Beatles reference a little. Anyway, I went to work today and seemed to be busy from the get go. I did something that I rarely do. I closed my office door to pray before worship (I always pray - I rarely close the door). I just had a real need to pray. Of course, within a few minutes there was a knock on the door. It was my youth director. There was an issue with a young man who is a friend of one of our youth. I went downstairs and attended to the young man. By then, it was almost time for worship, so I scrambled to get my things together, and headed for the sanctuary. After worship, I got to spend time with a variety of people talking about all kinds of different things, some of the issues were deeply personal, some just your run of the mill friendly conversation. By lunch time, I was already exhausted. I spent a few hours in the office catching up on paper work (I always seem to be behind). And then we had an important meeting at church at 5:00 p.m. I am proud of my church. After years of struggling with our finances, we approved a package that will help us to move forward in ministry. It is an exciting time to be the pastor at Light of the Canyon. After the meeting, I met with the NAMI class (National Alliance on Mental Illness) that meets at our church, and spoke with them. They received me very warmly and I am very happy that they meet at our church. Finally, I came home to Cindy and Corran, always a wonderful thing. As I reflected on my day, I was struck by the ups and downs, the different experiences, the whole meaning of it all. And then I realized, it was a good day. And I have a good life. I get to talk to people about the love of God, I get to help them deal with both joy and grief, I get to preach (I love preaching). I shuffle papers around, I make phone calls, I plan, I dream, I hope and I pray. I am a rich man, maybe not Dinald Trump rich, but rich in a fiscally challenged kind of way. And I thank God. That's really all I wanted to say tonight. Thank you for reading. God bless you.

Here I Stand - Part 7

2009-02-14T20:45:00.000-08:00

Well, as sad as I am sure many of you are, our series on core principles must come to an end. I am in the middle of a sermon series entitled "The Extreme Center: Reloaded," and so I think now is an appropriate time to chime in with core principle #7. "Christian faith is both personal and social." Again, this is no great mystery, no monumental insight. However, this is something that so many people of faith forget. Jesus Christ gave his followers a holy mandate. The greatest commandment (greatest being most awesome, most wonferful, most incredible, but also it meaning most important [i.e. the commandment that all other commandments hinge upon]) is that we love God with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, and that we love our neighbor as ourselves. Bada-boom, bada-bing. There it is. He does not tell us to say a certain prayer or proclaim allegiance to a particular creed. He simply says, "love God." Love is not an act of will. And that very same love that we extend to God - in response to the reality that He has first extended it to us - should also be extended to our neighbor. And Jesus is pretty clear (pretty clear - nothing - He flat out says it), that our neighbor is anyone in need, be they friend or enemy, Christian or non-Christian. No one is outside of the grace of God. So, Christian faith will have components of personal holiness as well as social justice. That is the kind of complete faith that Jesus calls his followers to. Anything less is just...it's just...well it's just not complete (and we Methodists are big on completion). There are many scriptures that illuminate this principle further. here are a few. Matthew 25:31-46, Matthew 28:16-20, Luke 16:19-34. This principle is what I am talking about when I talk about the "extreme center."

The Yin and the Yang of It All

2009-02-14T20:28:00.001-08:00

This has been an interesting week. Tuesday, February 10 was the first year anniversary of my dad's death. I won't bore you trying to describe how much I miss him; suffice it to say that I do, as do friends and family. But, as if conspiring to bring me crashing back into the present, my beloved son Corran yanked out his third loose tooth this week. It is funny, but before I became a father, I actually envisioned having something to do with my child losing his teeth when the time came. But, Corran (much like his dad, I must admit), when he feels that little sucker getting loose, he just works it and works it until it is out. And as I sit and consider all of the emotions of this past week, I am struck by the constant interaction, entanglement - whatever you choose to call it - of the past and the present. I mourn the loss of my dad. I miss him, and I especially wish he were around to continue to give me advice on those rare occasions when I was willing to ask him for it. At the same time, my little boy (who is almost looking me in the eye at the ripe old age of 6) continues to grow and learn and discover and seek and everything else that boys do. And he looks to me the same way that I looked at my dad, as if I actually know what is going on in this world, as if I have some semblance of control of the events that happen in our lives. And I just look at him with probably the same fear and hope, the same trepidation and faith, with which my dad looked at me. In my heart, I tell him. I will do my best, little man. But, God is in charge. I am not big enough for the job (both literally and figuratively). It just blows my mind how heaven and earth, how eternity and the moment, collide every day. When I think of my dad and my son, I am reminded of a saying that a college professor used to say to us. "It's your world; I'm just passing through." And that's the yin and the yang of it all.

Here I Stand - Part 6

2009-01-26T18:11:00.000-08:00

We continue our journey talking about core principles. For me, core principle #6 (and I think it's a biggy) is "Christian discipleship in intentional, not accidental." Again, I know that this is not rocket science (I think I heard the collective "duh" from the blogosphere). But, this is an important principle to articulate. It is important because so often we treat our spiritual life in a hit-or-miss, come what may kind of way. And, as often happens, this approach leaves us suprised and disappointed. I don't know why we are surprised. Would we be surprised if we said we were going to run a maration, but prepared ourselves by sitting in front of the TV watching Oprah and Andy Griffith reruns while eating Cheetos and washing it down with a Big Gulp soda? No, we would not be surprised because we know that, not only did we not prepare ourselves for the marathon; we actually did everything we could not to succeed. I am never surprised when they announce the lottery numbers and I don't win - not because of the astronomically long odds associated with winning the lottery, but because I don't buy a lottery ticket. The same is true of our faith. If we are going to deepen our faith, we must exercise those spiritual muscles every now and then. In the Methodist tradition, we say that God has ordained the “means of grace” for this purpose. The means of grace are “outward signs, words, or actions, ordained of God, and appointed for this end, to be ordinary whereby he might convey to men [and women] preventing, justifying, or sanctifying grace.” That's a quote from John Wesley. He talks pretty, doesn't he? Anyway, the regular practice of the means of grace is a fundamental by which we come to know God and discern the stirrings of God’s spirit. They include things like prayer, bible study, small groups, acts of service, acts of mercy, etc. The list is long. Some scriptures that might help illuminate this principle are Romans 8:1-8, Matthew 4:1, Matthew 26:20-29. Christian discipleship in intentional, not accidental. Here I stand.

Truth - Or a Reasonable Facsimile Thereof

2009-01-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

This Sunday, we are finishing up our current sermon series, "Christianity's Family Tree." This has been a fun series, and an enlightening one. I have learned a lot about other Christian traditions. But, I have also learned about myself.

A few weeks ago, while I was attending conference in Nashville, I had an interesting experience. I was sitting in the hotel lobby, waiting for the shuttle. It was very peaceful and quiet and I was enjoying a great book. All of the sudden, the lobby doors opened and a woman walked through lobby exclaiming at the top of her lungs, “In the name of JESUS, I anoint this place for His purpose. In JESUS name, I cast all want, all worry, all suffering, all pain." She went on and on as she passed through, all the while two companions on either side of her would shout "Amen" every few seconds. The first time she hit the hard “J” in Jesus, I almost jumped out of my chair. No one else seemed fazed one bit. At first, I thought, “welcome to Nashville,” in my kind of haughty and arrogant sort of way(we practice “real” Christianity, “civilized” Christianity in suburban Orange County).

Then I reflected on it for a few moments. And I realized that there was absolutely nothing wrong with what this lady said. In fact, whenever I fly, I hold the chair back in front of me before takeoff and say a prayer for the flight. This woman and I both have the same goals, God’s blessings on the people around us. We just ask God for those blessings differently. And sometimes, those differences make us uncomfortable with one another.

Well, if this sermon series has taught me anything it is that God is bigger than the tiny little box I put Him in, and he is able to be experienced in a variety of ways. In fact, it is the diversity of the church that represents its greatest strength. God has more tools in his box than we can possibly imagine. So, next time someone's prayer (or religious outburst) makes you uncomfortable, right before you climb up on that high horse, just remember, the church is bigger than you, and the church is bigger than me...and God is bigger than us all.