No Shirt, No Shoes, Know Jesus

Screw Ups

    On Tuesday night, I spent some time teaching about the twelve apostles, the ones that Jesus hand picked to be His friends.  It turned out to be a pretty funny night as we laughed at the weird names and even weirder actions of this group of men.  We came to the conclusion that Jesus can use anybody to accomplish great things if He could use these guys.  Pretty standard church fare.  I've heard that sentence, or a version like it, a billion times. (I'm not kidding...ONE...BILLION...TIMES! Read in your best Dr. Evil voice)  If you have been around church, you probably have as well.  Here's my challenge for you today: go past hearing to believing!

    See, I think we may acknowledge that fact with our minds but not with our hearts.  We see men who hung out with Jesus and then went on to change the world.  And that is true!  But they were still screw ups for the three years they were physically spending time with God Himself and, even after being filled with the Holy Spirit, they still made mistakes.  Peter gets rebuked by Paul for being a hypocrite, Paul calls himself the king of sinners, and John, Jesus' bestie, makes sure we know that if we say we don't sin, we're liars.  Definitely not the behavior of perfect people.  Yet God did amazing things through their lives!

    Maybe today, you suck at life.  Maybe you think the sticky stuff on the movie theater floor is more quality than you.  You may be right.  You may be an epic screw up.  Jesus uses people like that.  IF...they let Him.  I'm encouraging you today, don't allow your present condition to prevent you from believing that Jesus can use you to change the world.  He has destiny, He has purpose, for even the biggest loser.  We just need to take Him at His word and believe that it's true.  Trust me, I'm talking from experience.

Cleaning House

    I have too much junk.  This is the conclusion I have come to after being forced to remove all my belongings from just two rooms in my house due to repairs.  Nowwe are trying to put everything back and it doesn't want to fit.  But that's ok because, as I said before, it's junk.  We need to get rid of it.  But that is easier said than done.  After fifteen years of marriage, we have managed to collect all the flotsam and jetsam that flows in on the tides of life and feel the need to cling to it least we drown. (Wow, that was great!  Someone should quote that!)  That seems a bit dramatic but you haven't seen the amount of crap we have in this house!  What is ridiculous though, is how hard it is to let some of this stuff go.  Each little memento has some meaning.  Every knickknack and souvenir has a memory attached.  We can't get rid of that little dry rotted dress!  We brought the baby home in it!  Difficult though it may be to accept, lots of these "treasures" need to find a new place to live.  We don't have room for them anymore.

    I think we may struggle with this same problem in our lives.  The years pile all kinds of junk in our hearts and we have a hard time getting rid of it.  We cling to hurts, bitterness, scars, guilt, regret, and brokenness that does nothing for us put take up space that could be used for better purposes.  But it's hard to let go!  We have memories attached to wounds that we like to stir up now and again.  We digthem out of the attic of our heart and reminisce, savoring all the emotion that is connected to each one.  And when we are done, we try to find a place for them to live in our lives because, if we got rid of them, maybe we would get hurt again.  If we let go of our bitterness, we might need it later when dealing with certain individuals.  If we allow our scars to heal, maybe something worse would take its place.  So we make room for things that should not fit and cling desperately to the trash that life has deposited into our hearts.

    Maybe it's time for a spring cleaning.  I gotta tell ya, throwing some of this junk outta my house has been liberating.  I can imagine it being much more so when we remove junk from our hearts.  Maybe it's time to take some of the broken parts of our lives and get rid of them.  You were never meant to house them.  The good news is I know Someone who will come and collect them for you.  All you gotta do is ask.  Just something to consider.  And with that, I'm outta here.  I got to make another run to the dumpster.

Weekend Update - 5/9/11

 The end of the world is near, nobody likes Plastic Jesus, plus a video to celebrate Mother's Day with a subject most mom's are familiar with - poop!  The fact that all of the previous statements are true makes us the best church ever!  If you missed out on yesterday, here's the update...

Service:

The Jesus we often are presented with is counterfeit.  He kinda looks like Jesus, says some of the same things as Jesus, but when we investigate further, we realize that he is plastic and hollow, a cheap imitation of the real thing.  Yesterday, we considered how this impostor shows up in our traditions and rituals and is offered in place of authentic relationship with Christ.  Jesus for an hour on Sunday is never what God intended.  It makes our spiritual life hollow and can lead us into believing all kinds of crazy, like the world is gonna end in a few weeks.  Speaking of which...

Sherlockian Moment of the Week:

The world is not gonna end on May 21st.  You can take my word for it, which flies in the face of every thing I said yesterday, or you could check out your Bible and see why picking a day for your sky date with Jesus never works out for anybody.

Shout Out:

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's at OSC!  Hope you had a great day and got treated like royalty. (Not British royalty. People are all up in their biz-natch!)

 

Five For Friday

    It's Friday, it's Friday...and here are a few thoughts bouncing around in the old cranium:

1. Can't wait to see Thor tomorrow!  It marks the official start of the summer movie season and this summer holds more than it's fair share of great films.  I plan to see Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Kung Fu Panda II, X-Men: First Class, Green Lantern, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two, Captain America, Cowboys and Aliens, Conan, and the Smurfs.  Hitting Cracker Park every Friday till September.  Let me know if you want to share some popcorn.

2. Had someone tell me that Jesus was coming back on the 21st. While I think they are crazy go nutso, it got me thinking how I would respond if I was convinced Jesus was showing up in a few weeks.  Gotta say, I would make some life changes.  How about you?  If you knew things were wrapping up forever, what would you do differently?  Don't say nothing, cause that's a lie and you're not playing the game right. What would you change?  Seems like a pertinent question and one worth considering even if we are still here on the 22nd.

3. I'm always surprised at the political fallout when something good happens in our country.  We eliminate a known threat to our nation and the rest of the week is spent fighting about who should get the credit.  Personally, I think it should be me, cause I wanted it really bad that one time.  Seriously, that makes about as much sense as some of the straw grasping I've seen this week.  Hey, America, here's a reminder: We don't have a king.  Lots of people have to be involved in any successes.  Let's be happy our government got the bad guy and share the credit.

4. I am jamming out to Taylor Swift while typing this.  Apparently, if I blog after midnight, I turn into a teenage girl. This is concerning.

5. Just finished reading Bossypants by Tiny Fey. (Gosh, I am a huge girl!) I always enjoy reading well thought out ideas and concepts even when they conflict with mine.  Plus, it was so funny!  Tip of the hat to ya, Mrs. Fey!  Thanks for making me think... and laugh in my high pitched special way.

Five For Friday

    It's Friday, it's Friday...and here are a few thoughts bouncing around in the old cranium:

1. Can't wait to see Thor tomorrow!  It marks the official start of the summer movie season and this summer holds more than it's fair share of great films.  I plan to see Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Kung Fu Panda II, X-Men: First Class, Green Lantern, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two, Captain America, Cowboys and Aliens, Conan, and the Smurfs.  Hitting Cracker Park every Friday till September.  Let me know if you want to share some popcorn.

2. Had someone tell me that Jesus was coming back on the 21st. While I think they are crazy go nutso, it got me thinking how I would respond if I was convinced Jesus was showing up in a few weeks.  Gotta say, I would make some life changes.  How about you?  If you knew things were wrapping up forever, what would you do differently?  Don't say nothing, cause that's a lie and you're not playing the game right. What would you change?  Seems like a pertinent question and one worth considering even if we are still here on the 22nd.

3. I'm always surprised at the political fallout when something good happens in our country.  We eliminate a known threat to our nation and the rest of the week is spent fighting about who should get the credit.  Personally, I think it should be me, cause I wanted it really bad that one time.  Seriously, that makes about as much sense as some of the straw grasping I've seen this week.  Hey, America, here's a reminder: We don't have a king.  Lots of people have to be involved in any successes.  Let's be happy our government got the bad guy and share the credit.

4. I am jamming out to Taylor Swift while typing this.  Apparently, if I blog after midnight, I turn into a teenage girl. This is concerning.

5. Just finished reading Bossypants by Tiny Fey. (Gosh, I am a huge girl!) I always enjoy reading well thought out ideas and concepts even when they conflict with mine.  Plus, it was so funny!  Tip of the hat to ya, Mrs. Fey!  Thanks for making me think... and laugh in my high pitched special way.

The Fifth of Mayonnaise

    As a kid, I thought Cinco de Mayo was a Mexican brand of mayonnaise.  I was a fat kid and free associated lots of stuff with food. I had no clue that it celebrated liberty and independence from the French.  I never knew the French ever went to Mexico.  They're too pasty white for that type of direct sunlight!  (Not surprised that they lost a war, though. That's kinda their thing.)  I bet this whole French thing is a surprise to most of you.  If we have a clue at all, Americans tend to think Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day, similar to our Fourth of July. (It's not.  That's on September 16th)  Most of us, however, think it's National Taco and Margarita Day, set aside to celebrate Mexican cuisine that was created in Texas.  Basically, we got the whole thing wrong.

    That's what happens when a tradition crosses cultures.  We can lose the meaning without an understanding of the history.  We struggle with that even when the history is our own!  Time and distance can obscure the facts of the events and create a rather blurry picture of what really happened.  If we don't intentionally study our history, we need to accept that we will be ignorant.  That's unfortunate when it comes to our National and International History.  It is potentially devastating when it comes to our Spiritual History.

    After existing for two thousand years, the church has picked up its share of traditions.  Some are benign. (does anyone really believe Jesus was born on December 25th?)  Some are bizarre (I'm not really into touching someone else's feet, much less washing them!)  Yet they exist as misinterpretations of history, never intended for literal response by the principles.  Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas!  I celebrate it as a reminder of the birth of Christ.  I just know it's full of false information. (did I mention there were not wise men at the manger?)  And I know that many people have experienced profound humility and spirituality from foot washing services.  But the original point was to perform a legitimate act of service. (We typically don't wash each other's feet in America.  How about washing your neighbor's car?  He'd appreciate it more and would be less creeped out.)  If you don't spend time reading and understanding the original documents, a.k.a the Bible, you run the risk of having your understanding blurred and suffering the affects of ignorance.  The above examples are harmless and, often, very good.  Unfortuately, there are some people deceived through ignorance and have lost their way.  Jesus warned of this possiblility...

For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.  Matthew 24:24

    There are a lot of bad guys, with horrible agendas, who will lead you astray by twisting a basic understanding of Christianity to confuse and deceive.  There are even good guys who, accidentally and with good intentions, who are doing the same.  If you don't take the time to learn the Bible and the history and culture that surround it, you run the risk of being a spiritual victim.  And that could be tragic. 

    Don't get me twisted in the end.  Traditions can be wonderful.  I'm having tacos for dinner!  It's all good!  But I would suggest some effort on our part to understand the facts surrounding them, especially when it comes to Scripture.  It's harmless to think that effectively celebrating Mexican freedoms means indulging in nachos.  It's less so when some fool convinces us that Jesus has already come back and is running a deli in Manhattan.  Just saying.

Paradox

    You know what we hate here in America?  We hate us some grey.  Say all you want about our public doctrine of tolerance, on a individual level we tend to live in extremes of black and white.  Even the most uber PC devotee falls into definitive positions when confronted by issues they take personally.  You are either a Republican or Democrat.  You like Leno or Letterman.  Pull for the Bosox or Yankees.  Coke or Pepsi.  We love to take sides and don't care for fence sitters.  Nothing has demonstrated this to me more than my Facebook feed in the last forty eight hours.

    The news that Bin Laden is dead as a result of U.S. Military action created a deluge of posts as people rushed to share their thoughts and feelings about the death of the most wanted man in the world.  Not one post with ambivalent.  I saw posts that rejoiced in his death and relished the idea that he is burning in hell.  I saw posts the admonished Christians that we shouldn't celebrate a death.  I saw posts that were anti-Semitic and some that pro-Israel. (not sure how they applied)  I read a horrific one that suggested Americans have no right to judge Bin Laden because the deaths from abortion far outweigh his crimes. (That's not even comparing apples and oranges.  That's like comparing apples and ... head lice.  They don't belong in the same conversation and if brought up together it makes ya kinda queasy)  No matter what the sentiment, that black or white mentality shone through.  And I have to tell you, I found it troubling.

    As a follower of Jesus, I've come to realize that, while the Bible does take definitive stands on absolute moral issues, it is also filled with paradox.  The idea that two equal but seemingly opposite things could be true is baffling to Western minds.  How can God be One and yet Three?  That sounds like a stretch.  They can't both be true...can they?  The Bible teaches yes.  A quick Google search will reveal plenty more seemly irreconcilable concepts in the Bible.  Many times with Scripture it is not either-or, it's both.  We have a real hard time with this.  It has certainly been apparent in our response to Bin Laden.  How can we celebrate the death of an evil man and yet love our enemy?  You have to choose one, right? Well, maybe not.

    Let me encourage you to embrace the power of paradox.  The same God who challenged us to turn the other cheek accepted credit and worship when Israel slaughtered their enemies.  Both things were appropriate and, from a biblical perspective, both were true.  In this case, as well as with Bin Ladan, I would suggest that it is good to rejoice in the destruction of evil yet not allow hatred to take root in your heart.  I can recoil in horror when faced with the possibility of a life lost for eternity and, simultaneously, want to high five the Seal team that brought justice on a murderer.  Both equal, both true.

    So let's apply a little of that highly publisized American open-mindedness to the paradox of the Christian life.  It will shatter the box that you have so conviently put God into and will expand your ability to accept His work in your life.  Plus it might calm a few of you down.  In all honesty, some of you guys are freaking me out.