Word of Beard

Often I forget the simple nature of words as tools.  That most of the time they either build up or tear down.  That when James describes this tool, language, he uses rudders and sparks - very beneficial tools in the hands of the healthy.

A rudder, when utilized by a true pilot, safely and productively steers the ship and its goods to the desired location, even amidst storms and waves and sirens and sea monsters.

A spark also, when placed in the hands of the wise, non-pyromaniac, builds a fire for warmth, for meals, for innovation and production.  Little things that are designed to build up and bear fruit.

It's true James notes the evil nature of our tongues which inevitably are an overflow of our collective soul (not the band) and while I can't deny it, I wonder if more often than not with the existence of so much social media, technology and narcisim (I'm aware of the irony says the guy writing a post on his personal blog with a picture of himself and titled after a notable facial feature of his own) that the average bear isn't so much set on speaking evil but simply incapable of shutting-up?

Self control is difficult, it takes practice, it takes discipline, it takes intentionality and accountability.

Even good things such as expressing dreams and desires, plans and visions and missions and goals...all very good things but done without an understanding of the weight and accountability of such expressions we may, albeit naively, find ourselves leading others, challenging others, designing expectations and stirring movement in others lives that we never truly committed to ourselves...simply because our words, our tools, were naively used.

Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts...

Read James 1:19 and 3:1-12 and 4:13-17 and 5:13-20...ah, just read the whole letter, it's worth it.

Redeeming the Sacred Night of the Candy

Oh sweet hallows eve.  Some thoughts for incarnational living on this most...religio-sacro-spirituo-holish-day.

It's that strangely universal celebration of after-hours-candyholics.  One that draws your neighbors out of their homes once a year - so hand something out and connect with them.  (If you don't agree with candy do something cool like temporary tattoo's, please avoid the rice cakes, please.)

1. Why not walk around and chat it up around fires, glowing pumpkins and bowls of sugar with the rest of the neighborhood?  In fact, make it point to connect on a deeper level with at least one other family on your journey.  (I've not yet been accused of anything more than having a sweet beard and a lot of fun on Halloween.)
2. Join up with your missional community, small group or extended family and have a party in your front yard handing out candy to neighbors.  Why not add some sweet music and a barbecue and I promise you'll not only connect with the unknown hermits down the street, but you might enjoy it yourself!
3. If you simply must redeem the night through blatant Christianization from the commercialized-pagan-holish-day, and if you must dress up as your favorite patriarch of the faith, and if you  must quote copious amounts of Scripture...then please, please, please at least do it with some serious pizzaz, drama and fanfare as though you actually believe and enjoy the dramatic ancient beauty of the text, the heroic people, and the their powerful God.

Oh, and whatever you choose to do with the night, model for your children what it means to glorify God through missional candy collection, proliferation and neighborhood connects...and for those of you staying indoors with your kids, demonstrate healthy fasting from what you believe to be all-too-close identification with and worship of the worlds gods without condemning the rest of the Body.

Party on Wayne...Party on Garth.

A Key Ingredient to an Ancient Message

'Adam, here's Eve. Love her.'

'Eve, here's Adam. Honor him.'

Brooke and I dated for three years before marriage.  I've uncovered a type of love not experienced with another along the journey through life together.  All in all I've known my wife for over a decade, nearly 1/3 of my life.

We love one another.
We had thought this might become true as we dove into a relationship.
We proclaimed it's truth at the onset of our united life together.
We experience this truth as we travel together daily as a family.

'This is message you heard from the beginning. We should love one another.'  John wrote this in the midst of describing the life of one who truly demonstrates the love of God on a daily basis.  Habitually.  Daily they become more like Christ than they do the devil.  Pretty direct.

As we discover and experience a healthy love for one another we're demonstrating a Truth as old as anything we understand.  This was and is Gods message.  Love one another.

Personal observation here:  Our current age, current culture desires immediate knowledge, quick decisions, immediate fulfillment.  In everything from vocational success to how we want to view the world.  While we might be quick to proclaim a willingness to love another, to proclaim it honestly and experience it habitually takes time.  Love is slow, and just as a river slowly moves and grooves into the land, love moves likewise.

This concept flows way beyond marriage and into the array of relationships all about us.  Within friendships, neighbors, working acquaintances, disciples, bosses, professors, pastors...move slow, with hope and not skepticism, move slow.

Decisions may be quick but nurturing the outcome takes time.  Knowledge comes in waves yet discerning slowly how to utilize it is vital.  I'm not attempting to write a prescription for the appropriate speed to obtaining relational depth...I'm simply saying there are key ingredients.

What relationships are you rushing?  Why?  Who are you intentional with?  Is there a toxic relationship that doesn't allow for a reciprocal one-another love you ought to step back from?  Is there a hard heart you ought to steadfastly, patiently share that very message from the beginning with?

Read 1 John 3 for some thoughts on what it means to love well with a love eternal.

re-Training Me Up...

My son, a kindergartner, noted recently how orange a tree was as we drove past it at 45 mph. Until recently I hadn't noticed the tree's. To be honest I'd sort of forgotten about them.

I'm in North Eastern Ohio, surrounded by millions of beautiful trees, woods, forests. It's Fall at that. And I'd not noticed the colors of the trees until my 5 yr. old described them as we drove by unnecessarily fast.

In the past I'd taken time to notice them. In fact, I would have been the one to point them out to my children, my friends, my wife. I would have pointed out the individual leaves, noted the depth of color, divine art in organic motion. I would regularly, daily even, walk with my family through town, through parks, neighborhoods, the city and we would speak of and enjoy the movement of the Spirit yet partaking in creation as He did in the beginning (Genesis 1:1-2).

Now, once again, I'm able to take in the trees amidst the forest.

The Patriarch Moses noted years before that our role as fathers, as parents, is to raise our children to journey with God. My 5 yr. old, in pointing out the trees and noting how God had made them turn his favorite color orange (just for him!), was simply doing what I had trained him to do: note Gods work, point it out to others, and give Him Glory.

It not only feels good to see the trees again, but all the more I'm able to hear my son give God Glory as well.

Read Deut. 6:4-9 - How would you raise your children to glorify God all the more if you could do it again? Start that rhythm tomorrow.

One in a Million

Paul was miraculously reconciled to God by Jesus post-resurrection. That isn't typical.

He was then specifically set-apart with Barnabas, by God, to do a specific work. Atypical as well.

He even received strange visions, one of a Macedonian man calling out to him for help. Standard? Not sure.

Many factors shaped Paul's journey: Gods specific ordination (Acts 13:2), need (Acts 27:3), time (Romans 13:11-12), location (Acts 17:1-2), finance (Philip. 4:14-16), vision (Acts 16:6-10), circumstance (2 Cor. 6:3-10), division (Acts 15:36-41), etc...

Yet the narratives above aren't prescriptive for all believers. Luke simply describes the role of Paul in the spreading of the church as appointed by God. We are all most definitely ambassadors of the Kingdom, yet each one of us is not appointed to live out a Pauline story.
 

So while Paul may have been called by God to a specific place here or there, think of the general mass of believers who are called to love and worship and serve out of their homes, in their neighborhoods, as mechanics and CEO's.

There are many spiritual Patriarchs of our faith...and many more bodies of believers:

1 Moses / millions of Israelites
1 David / millions of Jews
1 Peter / 3000 nameless converts heading home
1 Paul / thousands in church plants

Clearly He calls some to specific roles in time and space. Since you nor I know who will be appointed where and when:  pray, live open-eyed to His workings in your life, be active with your gifts, love your neighbor, wisely and humbly plan for the future, beware of reading the shapes of the clouds looking the right sign to move here or there.

God does have your days numbered. He is God omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient. He knows your every step. He also knows that you and I are imperfect. Don't focus on the missed opportunities and failures...focus on being like-Christ here and now.

You have a story. It will not be Paul's. What is it?

How's Your Community Group: Part 4

Pray to the Father. Jesus has opened up this communication for us anywhere, anytime. He intercedes for us, He presents our requests to the Lord (Matthew 6:9).

He alone is Holy and so we must meet Him in His righteousness in order to speak to and with Him. But we have no weight to throw around, no connections, we have no currency to purchase perfection. And let me clarify in case you're wondering, perfection is not subjective, it isn't what we each individually desire it to be. He endows us with eternal perfection through our relationship with Christ, the only one who can vouch for us (6:9).

Submit to and seek out the realization of His Kingdom here and now (6:10)

Submit to and seek out His will on earth here and now. What is currently in the Spiritual world will be tangible, visible, audible, smellable...(6:10).

With thanksgiving and humble expectation lean into Truth. Press into the Scriptures and lean on the Spirits guidance and gifts. Seek fulfillment not merely on nachos and chips but on Life Himself (6:11).

As with true fellowship and devotion both with the Lord and one another - forgive. You have been, are and will be. Share this basic element of relationship with others, everyone, even your enemies and especially your friends and family (6:12). It's amazing how much of His character, His holiness we display through the act of forgiveness. We incarnate the Gospel in dramatic ways.

Pray for speed. Run from temptation. Build walls where necessary for yourself founded on Scripture and guided by the Spirits conviction. Pray that you might move quickly when needed and exercise and practice speed in your free time (6:13).

He will deliver from Satan's temptations, schemes, lies, foolishness, pleasures, false joys...He delivers from and to (6:13).

Are you praying? Is your Community Group in prayer? Does your small group or life group pray together regularly?

Are you praying with your disciples co-leaders, future leaders, spouses, friends, families?

1. Begin a monthly community prayer night if you don't already have one.
2. Begin praying with your spouse at night after some time in the Word.
3. Challenge your co-leaders to lead in prayer. Pray out loud. Pray together. For and with one another.

Pray.

Read Matthew 6:5-18

Parenting Lessons from a Famous Made-up Father

A couple parenting lessons from a famous but made-up father.

Jesus once told a story about a Jewish son who demanded his inheritance early, while the father yet lived in fact. We know the story. The father agrees, the son takes his money and runs, wastes his life for a season and returns to his family. And the older brother who stayed was ticked and bitter. Read Luke 15:11-32.

The father in the story not only teaches us much about the love and character of our Heavenly Father, but about our role as parent to our own children. Let me draw out two observations.

First, the father attempted to live up to the sh'ma in Deuteronomy 6. To talk about God and model God-likeness in such a way that his children would know God personally. Your saying, 'but the younger son was a jerk, he was a rebel, he was a fool.' Right.

But the son also returned. He recalled the truth of his childhood and banked on it holding fast upon his return. His repentant response gives this away, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.'

1. The son noted his sin against heaven (the Lord) first and foremost.
2. The son noted his rebellion against his own father.

His paradigm was correct even when his heart and mind had been so selfishly distracted by the world. The dad here faithfully raised his family in Truth. In fact, I believe the training up of his sons was such a gracious overflow of his own life (Deut 6) that his faith was yet enticing to his son even amid rebellion.

Second, the father genuinely loved without bounds.

1. He Waited for his sons return and reconciliation.
2. He Watched quite literally for his son to one day walk onto the family farm.
3. He Welcomed him when he finally did.

So what can we take away from this parable as parents? Be faithful in raising up our children in the Truth. Not simply speaking Truth at them but discipling them in all things - from the moment we rise in the morning to the setting of the sun, with every word and deed, blanketed with the Word of the living God.

And WHEN rebellion occurs. Whether it lasts 10 minutes or 10 years, know that you have faithfully raised your children well, that the Spirit is yet at work in their heart, mind and soul.

And if they return, in whatever state they return, healthy and whole or broken and bruised - wait, watch and welcome with the very same love God offers you upon your daily return to Him.

Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9