Beware of the person of one book.
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
"Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
Obi-Wan
Brenden and I have been watching the Star Wars movies (sans the one where "Ani turns evil") over the past several weekends and this quote has jumped out at me the last few times I've seen Return of the Jedi.
It is early on Sunday morning so I can't really think very well to develop the thought....maybe later.
I hope everyone has a great day!
Obi-Wan
Brenden and I have been watching the Star Wars movies (sans the one where "Ani turns evil") over the past several weekends and this quote has jumped out at me the last few times I've seen Return of the Jedi.
It is early on Sunday morning so I can't really think very well to develop the thought....maybe later.
I hope everyone has a great day!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
a friend's journey
I spent some today talking with a work friend today. He was born and raised a charismatic, fundamentalist Christian (his words). He was raised in the home of a pastor of those churches. He became a teacher and a pastor within that environment.
When we first met it was 2003 and we were both in our first year of being Personal Bankers for BofA. I was just kinda going sideways (probably not possible) in my Christian life and he was "on fire for for God". He was preaching and teaching and I remember him coming in one Monday and telling me a story of a lady who was miraculously healed during their Sunday morning service that weekend. I remember being happy for him and the feelings that had created for him and privately knowing that God didn't do that type of thing...especially for those wacko charismatics. Jason was the picture of holiness and righteousness.....never drank, smoked, cursed, went to rated R movies, looked at women the wrong way, etc...
Fast forward 5 years and Jason is now a professed Atheist. I don't have enough room to go through the journey that got him to this point but I do want to tell you that it wasn't anything bad. No cheating wife, no bad stuff with church or church members, no fall out with his mom or dad.....nothing to "blame" for what has happened.
I also want to let you know that I'm not worried about him at all. I believe in a really big God and I also believe that God has big plans for Jason. As I told one of our mutual friends today, Jason is a very intelligent person with a high IQ and he was probably past due for something like this. He is still very young (25 or 26) and has never (until recently) had his rebellious phase or a single time of questioning the doctrine and theology that has been handed down to him as a third generation pastor.
I'm actually very excited for him because he is still very much seeking truth and if I know Jason and if I know (even a very little bit) about God, I know that the faith that he will come out of this with will be something real, transformative, sustainable and reproducible....something he hasn't had in the past.
I ran across this quote and found it somewhat appropriate:
Man can certainly flee from God... but he cannot escape him. He can certainly hate God and be hateful to God, but he cannot change into its opposite the eternal love of God which triumphs even in his hate.
Karl Barth
When we first met it was 2003 and we were both in our first year of being Personal Bankers for BofA. I was just kinda going sideways (probably not possible) in my Christian life and he was "on fire for for God". He was preaching and teaching and I remember him coming in one Monday and telling me a story of a lady who was miraculously healed during their Sunday morning service that weekend. I remember being happy for him and the feelings that had created for him and privately knowing that God didn't do that type of thing...especially for those wacko charismatics. Jason was the picture of holiness and righteousness.....never drank, smoked, cursed, went to rated R movies, looked at women the wrong way, etc...
Fast forward 5 years and Jason is now a professed Atheist. I don't have enough room to go through the journey that got him to this point but I do want to tell you that it wasn't anything bad. No cheating wife, no bad stuff with church or church members, no fall out with his mom or dad.....nothing to "blame" for what has happened.
I also want to let you know that I'm not worried about him at all. I believe in a really big God and I also believe that God has big plans for Jason. As I told one of our mutual friends today, Jason is a very intelligent person with a high IQ and he was probably past due for something like this. He is still very young (25 or 26) and has never (until recently) had his rebellious phase or a single time of questioning the doctrine and theology that has been handed down to him as a third generation pastor.
I'm actually very excited for him because he is still very much seeking truth and if I know Jason and if I know (even a very little bit) about God, I know that the faith that he will come out of this with will be something real, transformative, sustainable and reproducible....something he hasn't had in the past.
I ran across this quote and found it somewhat appropriate:
Man can certainly flee from God... but he cannot escape him. He can certainly hate God and be hateful to God, but he cannot change into its opposite the eternal love of God which triumphs even in his hate.
Karl Barth
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
a place to belong
After being involved with the same church for a little over 6 years, the Baird's may have found a new community. We actually "visited" this group about two years ago and due to where we were on our theological journey we ran back to safer ground. I am feeling so blessed that our return felt to be "God's timing". It was our first time to meet the pastor. Last time we visited, he was in India with a team delivering some kind of harvesting devices/tools that were designed to help the locals harvest their crops faster to make sure they didn't miss their very short window. He is a great guy that I actually went to college with...we didn't really know each other but recognized each other's names and faces. Our wives know each other pretty well.
From what I can tell they are truly living out the gospel in their neighborhood. The pastor and his wife have moved into an urban area that is in the beginning stages of a revitalization....the very beginning stages. It is still an area that is a perfect example of a once vibrant area full of restaurants, bars, and grocery stores that has devolved into an area of urban blight. They took a run down part of a strip that is trying to make a come back and are in the process of turning it into something very special. Check it out HERE. Art, music, a free clothing store once per month...good stuff for sure. The pastor has a "real job" as a free lance graphic designer (how freaking awesome is that Kathy?)
Our number one concern was our kiddos. They have become extremely spoiled living the good life (pun intended) at lifechurch.tv where they have moon bounces, customized video Bible lessons each week, hi energy leaders, etc... The first question my daughter asked was, "Are we going to one of those churches where they open a book and sing that opera stuff?" Which is funny because they have probably been in worship settings like that less than 10 times in their whole lives. Our kids had an absolute blast and are begging to go back! Further confirmation that we may have/probably found a home.
We are going to miss this weekend due to some travel stuff but I'm going to lunch with the pastor on Monday. Looking forward to playing the theology game in finding out who and what he is reading:) We were both trained at the fundamentalist Southern Baptist school Oklahoma Baptist University so it should be interesting.
We are kinda bummed to be leaving life but unbelievably excited about the future and joining in where God is already working. It will be a challenge for sure. Now it is time to put our words/talk into action. No more excuses for us!
From what I can tell they are truly living out the gospel in their neighborhood. The pastor and his wife have moved into an urban area that is in the beginning stages of a revitalization....the very beginning stages. It is still an area that is a perfect example of a once vibrant area full of restaurants, bars, and grocery stores that has devolved into an area of urban blight. They took a run down part of a strip that is trying to make a come back and are in the process of turning it into something very special. Check it out HERE. Art, music, a free clothing store once per month...good stuff for sure. The pastor has a "real job" as a free lance graphic designer (how freaking awesome is that Kathy?)
Our number one concern was our kiddos. They have become extremely spoiled living the good life (pun intended) at lifechurch.tv where they have moon bounces, customized video Bible lessons each week, hi energy leaders, etc... The first question my daughter asked was, "Are we going to one of those churches where they open a book and sing that opera stuff?" Which is funny because they have probably been in worship settings like that less than 10 times in their whole lives. Our kids had an absolute blast and are begging to go back! Further confirmation that we may have/probably found a home.
We are going to miss this weekend due to some travel stuff but I'm going to lunch with the pastor on Monday. Looking forward to playing the theology game in finding out who and what he is reading:) We were both trained at the fundamentalist Southern Baptist school Oklahoma Baptist University so it should be interesting.
We are kinda bummed to be leaving life but unbelievably excited about the future and joining in where God is already working. It will be a challenge for sure. Now it is time to put our words/talk into action. No more excuses for us!
Monday, April 14, 2008
update / quote
It was recently brought (or brung if you are from Oklahoma) to my attention that my blog hadn't been updated in some time and that I left all 2 of you that see this hanging. My apologies.
Mom is doing really well...clean and sober as far as I know. Thank you for your prayers.
I just saw this quoted on another blog and I can't remember which but it is a great quote from Paul Tillich.
“The Church is the Community of the New Being. Again and again, people say, ‘I do not like organized religion.’ The Church is not organized religion. It is not hierarchical authority. It is not a social organization. It is all of this, of course, but it is primarily a group of people who express a new reality by which by which they have been grasped. Only this is what the Church really means. It is the place where the power of the New Reality which is Christ, and which was prepared in all history and especially in Old Testament history, moves into us and is continued by us.”
Great stuff. Have a great day!
Mom is doing really well...clean and sober as far as I know. Thank you for your prayers.
I just saw this quoted on another blog and I can't remember which but it is a great quote from Paul Tillich.
“The Church is the Community of the New Being. Again and again, people say, ‘I do not like organized religion.’ The Church is not organized religion. It is not hierarchical authority. It is not a social organization. It is all of this, of course, but it is primarily a group of people who express a new reality by which by which they have been grasped. Only this is what the Church really means. It is the place where the power of the New Reality which is Christ, and which was prepared in all history and especially in Old Testament history, moves into us and is continued by us.”
Great stuff. Have a great day!
Monday, February 18, 2008
All I can say is Wow.
It has been a trying week...let's see, where to begin....
Last Monday night I got a call from my aunt who had just spoken to my mom and she informed that my mom was down to her last few days of (highly addictive narcotic) pain pills and that since her primary care physician wasn't going to give her any more, she was thinking about ending it all. I called and she promised me she wouldn't do anything stupid and I promised her I would come get her the next day and bring her up here to get some help. Thankfully one of her lifelong friends showed up that night and stayed with her until after midnight to make sure she was going to be okay. I picked her up on Tuesday and with the help of a few friends/family, made phone calls to 3 different pain management specialist to see if we could get in on short notice....all we needed was a 5 minute consultation whereby they would refer mom into a rehab to get her cleaned up. No takers....ever...still waiting on call backs from them.
Wednesday night I came down with the flu....good times.
On Thursday, not having heard from anyone and mom running out of pills, my lovely bride loaded mom up and took her to the ER at St. Anthony's and after 4 hours of fun, they left with a prescription for a few more days of pills and hope that if we kept calling in every morning at 9, they would eventually have a room for her at the St. Anthony's START program. It was a tense few days but by the grace of God, we got her in Saturday and she is well on her way to recovery.
Thank you to all that prayed for us and we would ask that you continue to pray. Mom's name is Nancy LeJeune.
Last Monday night I got a call from my aunt who had just spoken to my mom and she informed that my mom was down to her last few days of (highly addictive narcotic) pain pills and that since her primary care physician wasn't going to give her any more, she was thinking about ending it all. I called and she promised me she wouldn't do anything stupid and I promised her I would come get her the next day and bring her up here to get some help. Thankfully one of her lifelong friends showed up that night and stayed with her until after midnight to make sure she was going to be okay. I picked her up on Tuesday and with the help of a few friends/family, made phone calls to 3 different pain management specialist to see if we could get in on short notice....all we needed was a 5 minute consultation whereby they would refer mom into a rehab to get her cleaned up. No takers....ever...still waiting on call backs from them.
Wednesday night I came down with the flu....good times.
On Thursday, not having heard from anyone and mom running out of pills, my lovely bride loaded mom up and took her to the ER at St. Anthony's and after 4 hours of fun, they left with a prescription for a few more days of pills and hope that if we kept calling in every morning at 9, they would eventually have a room for her at the St. Anthony's START program. It was a tense few days but by the grace of God, we got her in Saturday and she is well on her way to recovery.
Thank you to all that prayed for us and we would ask that you continue to pray. Mom's name is Nancy LeJeune.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
The Gameplan
The family watched The Gameplan tonight starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a pro football player (not a huge stretch considering he was a great player at Miami). The movie was pretty good and at the end as the credits rolled my 6 year old son looked at me and said, "I knew they would win the Championship. If they didn't, it wouldn't be a good story."
Almost all of us are suckers for happy endings. That is one of the great things about being a Christ follower. We have an opportunity to walk with Christ here on earth and write a new page to our story every day. God sent his son to bring redemption. His story is still being written and we have a part in that story. I truly believe this is a story with a happy ending.
What is the story that you are writing with your life? The decisions you make every day are telling a story. Will it be one of self or selflessness? Does it point people to Christ? Are you living out the Shalom that Christ came to bring?
In the words of my good friend Samurai Jack, "Get out of the seat and into the story".
Almost all of us are suckers for happy endings. That is one of the great things about being a Christ follower. We have an opportunity to walk with Christ here on earth and write a new page to our story every day. God sent his son to bring redemption. His story is still being written and we have a part in that story. I truly believe this is a story with a happy ending.
What is the story that you are writing with your life? The decisions you make every day are telling a story. Will it be one of self or selflessness? Does it point people to Christ? Are you living out the Shalom that Christ came to bring?
In the words of my good friend Samurai Jack, "Get out of the seat and into the story".
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Why men don't go to church???
I ran across this post and although it quotes Mark Driscoll, who is one of the biggest theological flip floppers of all time, who has an interesting idea on why more men aren't going to church. Your thoughts?
http://theresurgence.com/the_right_hand_of_fellowship
http://theresurgence.com/the_right_hand_of_fellowship
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Preparing for something big!
It's a catchy title for sure. Once upon a time it would have been followed by some story of grand visions of revival or tons of salvations. The longer I'm alive, the more I realize that God has big plans for us that usually include a lot of small (seemingly insignificant) actions. I'm reminded of a quote by Shane Claiborne who said, “Get ready, friends…God is preparing us for something really, really-small.” There is something (evil) in all of us that tells us that if we aren't over achieving and leading the pack, we are worthless. We have to have big buildings and tons of conversions. It seems like many are looking for this "revival" or "awakening" where God sweeps in and saves a bunch of people. I wonder why? Could it be that we are not wanting to go through the inconvenience of having to truly live out a sacrificial life committed to the Kingdom of God? We want God to do it for us. God forbid we actually have to get out there and take responsibility for our part in God's story.
I think all of it comes from a distorted view of Christ and His gospel. If we truly believe that we were created for a life in relationship with God and others, we will see the calling to follow Christ as more than punching a ticket to Heaven. We will see that Christ died so that, as John 10:10 tells us, "...you might have life and life more abundantly". We are called/claimed/saved for far more than a ticket to Heaven. A historical look at this "good news" of the gospel shows us that Jesus had much more than salvation in mind for us. He was calling them to realign their allegiance from following the king of the times and his plans to a new and different life of sacrifice, grace, justice and compassion.
Prepare for something big. Just don't be surprised if your something big is a conversation with someone that is hurting and needs an encouraging word. God might just give you an opportunity to feed or cloth someone who needs it. Keep your eyes open for something big! Many times it will look like "the least of these" and be something so seemingly insignificant that you might be tempted to fly right past it for something bigger.
Do something small for the Kingdom.
I think all of it comes from a distorted view of Christ and His gospel. If we truly believe that we were created for a life in relationship with God and others, we will see the calling to follow Christ as more than punching a ticket to Heaven. We will see that Christ died so that, as John 10:10 tells us, "...you might have life and life more abundantly". We are called/claimed/saved for far more than a ticket to Heaven. A historical look at this "good news" of the gospel shows us that Jesus had much more than salvation in mind for us. He was calling them to realign their allegiance from following the king of the times and his plans to a new and different life of sacrifice, grace, justice and compassion.
Prepare for something big. Just don't be surprised if your something big is a conversation with someone that is hurting and needs an encouraging word. God might just give you an opportunity to feed or cloth someone who needs it. Keep your eyes open for something big! Many times it will look like "the least of these" and be something so seemingly insignificant that you might be tempted to fly right past it for something bigger.
Do something small for the Kingdom.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)