Monthly Archives: March 2009

Lent Reflections: Life

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I announced on Monday that my wife and I are having a new baby. I was, and am so excited I almost don’t know what to do with myself. While rejoicing in this, it got me thinking about what an incredible, and beautiful thing a new life is…and what an incredible gift it is.

There are innumerable processes that take place in the human body to even allow such a thing to happen,  too many for me to number now. But to look at the transformation that takes place, from the embryo growing inside of my wife, to the little girl that now runs, talks, yells, cries, laughs, dances, and jumps around my house,  is too much for words to even capture. She is the embodiment of the fullness of life. Free of worry, free of shame, free to just live.

This observation is three fold….first, how could anyone ever look into the eyes of a child, and take his/her life? I know the extenuating circumstances…What if the woman was raped? What if the baby will be handicapped? What if the mother is a teenager? But, the bottom line is that those circumstances, which are so adamantly thrown around to defend this practice, are not the norm…they are anomalies. In fact statistics tell us that most women who have abortions have them because the baby would not fit their lifestyle at that time.

We have to see life as valuable, as precious, as beautiful…as a little girl, twirling in our living room, who could have never been had followed the trend that we could not afford to have her at the time

Second, I want to reflect on and celebrate life, because it is truly a gift from God. We are not here by accident, we are designed, planned and purposed for a specific role in our given time on earth. And in Christ, we can be as a child,  free of guilt and shame… free of worry  and fear…free of feeling like life is one series of meaningless events after another, as we grow closer in our pursuit of him.

Lent Reflections: Justice

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The FBI reports that my city, Atlanta, is first among cities in the United States actively involved in the sex trade industry. When I first heard this, it ripped my heart…it left me speechless. How can we live, going about our lives, day by day, with this evil lurking in our city…around the corner…at our door steps. Where is justice, where is right? Who will stand for these who can not stand for themselves?

My brother, Aaron wrote that “according to several news sources like the AJC and the Signal Urbanite, this has become an increasing problem within our city.” You can read more here.

I have spent the last several summer’s in Cambodia and Thailand, two countries that are reviled by the rest of the world for allowing these sick practices to take place, and yet, here in an industrialized, post-modern society, we sit idly as this egregious practice continues to take place…and increase in frequency.

Could this possibly be real? That just weeks ago a sex-trade ring was broken up here…in the U.S….in Atlanta? How long will we pretend that this is not going on in our city? How long will we lay silent?

To the Christ Follower, it is time to reflect what is in your heart toward those who suffer, are abused, and are treated as property…less than human. Jesus said, “Go and learn what this means, I prefer mercy to sacrifice.”

To those who do no follow Christ, reflect on why you desire justice….if life has no design, no function, and no grand designer who establishes moral law….then what is right or wrong? Who is right and who is wrong? How do we know the difference?

Lent Reflections: Who?

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Who is this living God, who penetrates my heart, my soul?

Cut through by the sword of His word, and might in His hand…

Who is this living God, who whispers to my heart in secret?

Yet causes my heart to overflow, and my mouth to cry out in His praises…

Who is this living God, who manipulates the material universe?

All power in his hands, All control in His voice, All authority in every movement…

Who is this living God, who causes me to weep and joy simultaneously?

Who causes me to fear and love simultaneously…

Who causes me to tremble and stand in strength simultaneously…

Who is this living God? His name is Jesus…Messiah…my Savior King

Lent Reflections: This silver ring of mine…

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Above you see a picture of my right hand, and on it is a silver ring that I have worn now for nearly seven years. I have always worn it on my index finger…no real significance to that except that it’s different.

The ring though has great significance to me…I have shared portions of my story on here in various forms over the last year, and this ring is another part and perspective from that same story of how Jesus has radically transformed my life.

One evening, I was having a party at my apartment. It was packed, and we were having a good time (as drunken nonsensical  parties go) and, as I was prone to do, in the middle of it I got frustrated and disgusted with myself, and how I was living my life. I can only attribute this discomfort to God dealing with my insufficiency in self sufficiency.

Without any announcement or warning I left my own party…while drunk and stumbling through a parking lot I saw something glimmering slightly under the street light. I looked down in my haze, and picked up this ring. I immediately put it on, and it fit. Context…I wear a size 12.5 ring, so for it to fit was quite a surprise…you usually don’t find stuff in my size just laying around.

Long story short, this night was the night before the next night which would be a horrible reminder of my fragility and my great awakening to Jesus, and who He truly was. This was the beginning of my passionately pursuing Christ.

I have kept and continue to wear this ring because it is a milestone in my life, and  reminder of the amazing transformation the gospel did in my life. Nearly every time I look down at it, I remember how absolutely broken I was, and how absolutely amazing God is, and the sacrifice He made, in His son, for my life, and His glory…whoa, mouthful!

During this lent season I implore you to reflect…do you have memories, milestones, reminders of who you were before the gospel absolutely transformed your life? Do you engage in these thoughts, and do they compel you to worship God, and His amazing love?

Think…reflect…and pursue. Jesus is all sufficient, as we are insufficient.

I woke up in a tornado that I caused

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There are some incredible things happening with Renovation Church. I can’t reveal everything right now, but suffice it to say that God is moving barriers and opening doors to see this thing happen. With that in mind, there are several things to be praying for.

My blogging has slowed down significantly because right now I am burning the candle at both ends. I am willing to admit that I may have bitten off more than I can chew

  • I am working with Cornerstone about 40 hours a week
  • I am working on Renovation Church everywhere in between
  • I am in seminary full time (12 hours), because the scholarship I received mandates it
  • Oh yeah, and I spend time with my wife and daughter
  • Bottom line, something must suffer, and right now it is my not sleeping enough

I have no quick answer right now. No clear solution, but I know that very soon something must give, and I don’t want it to me.

Over the next several blogs  I will share some of the writing I have been doing during this lent season, and all of the business that is surrounding it. It is my favorite form of thoughtful prayer and meditation, and just one way that I connect with God.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers…

Shalom

A moral makeover…really? Is that it?!?

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“Does Christ come merely to improve our existence in Adam or to end it, sweeping us into his new creation? Is Christianity all about spiritual and moral makeovers or about death and resurrection — radical judgment and radical grace? Is the Word of God a resource for what we have already decided we want and need, or is it God’s living and active criticism of our religion, morality, and pious experience? In other words, is the Bible God’s story, centering on Christ’s redeeming work, that rewrites our stories, or is it something we use to make our stories a little more exciting and interesting?”

- Michael Horton, Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church (Grand Rapids, Mi.: Baker Books, 2008), 24.

Michael Horton writes this, and it gets to the heart of what we, in America mostly, have reduced faith in Christ to. Where is the passionate new life? Where is the total devotion to the One who remakes us? Where is the adventure in this total overhaul of all that it means to be human?

We have traded those things for a better life, being a better dad, being a better employee, and making better decisions….none of which are wrong, but in the end they barely scratch the surface of what a life resurrected by Jesus looks like.

Moral deism, 6,8, and 10 step processes to YOUR best life, and a lack of definition for what it means to truly follow Jesus is that bland taste you get in your mouth when you think about Christianity.And, like me years ago, you have the same thought…is that it? Really?

That is not…there is a radical faith, an all consuming call lurking beneath the pages of the scriptures, and at the heart of Christ calling us out of our old way and into a new one. A moral makeover….no! But, a total redefining of what it means to be a human being…absolutely! But, this can only be found in a genuine and passionate pursuit of Jesus…follow Him, love Him, CHASE Him, make Him the center of your existence…and all of a sudden, it all begins to make sense. All of a sudden, life is bigger than you, and church is more than a building on Sunday.

Snow…in Atlanta? What the crap!?!?

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Although I had many noble reasons for leaving Sevierville, there was one that was much less honourable. I HATE COLD!!! and I HATE SNOW!!! Sevierville provided one or the other or both….often.

So, I ran to Atlanta. And yet, this weekend, I was here, trapped in my house, surrounded by 4-6 inches of snow.

What manner of wanton hubris is this? Translation…what the h@ll! I was not happy, but, so goes life.

Lesson: What we run from most will often find us, because it is shaping us in some way. It may seem minor, but this weekend the snow taught me patience, how to slow down, how to pull back and enjoy quiet with my wife and in my life. What are you…have you, run from? Was it shaping you? Was it teaching you, even some small lesson? Stop…examine…transform.