Open sharing

Last weekend (Easter) at MVPC, we asked for questions from anyone who attended and they submitted questions before they left. The questions could be able anything regarding faith and life.

This morning, the topic for the sermon was "Being Real and Embracing Doubt." We featured a panel of the head pastor and two other pastors on staff instead of a regular sermon. Our outreach director asked the questions and the format was wide open. He asked some of the questions that were submitted but he also added additional questions based on text messages during the discussion and questions he felt led to ask.

I thought that I was going to be uneasy about the format but I truly enjoyed responding to the questions and discussing the points with the others on the panel. In many ways, I felt free to be a witness to Christ through the format. I didn't give the "right" answers and I know that I would respond differently to some of the questions if I could go back in time and do it again. However, the beauty of the panel format was I was able to speak freely and be open without trying to be perfect or overly calculated in my responses.

The primary topics were dinosaurs, evolution/creation, the Bible as literal? and homosexuality...

MVPC tried something new this morning and I was honored to be part of the experience.

God's Guiding Hand

Years ago, I noticed a pattern that many of my mentors and friends were moving from the New York City area to Seattle. I thought to myself, "I wonder if I will ever follow in their steps." The list is a solid list:
- interim pastor of my home church in New Providence, NJ
- youth group intern (from PTS) during my senior year in high school
- Young Life area director from high school
- numerous friends who currently live in/near Seattle or others who lived here at one time

Two months ago, I found my former Young Life Director on Facebook and we set up a coffee meeting. We had not seen each other in 13 years. We talked about life, family, faith and Seattle. He mentioned that a Leadership Development Network met every month in north Seattle and he invited me to join them in March. He mentioned that the group was composed of leaders from his church (Sanctuary) and church planters in the Seattle area. Despite feeling exhausted, I drove in the pouring rain to Seattle last Friday to attend my first meeting. I arrived and felt right at home with numerous other leaders in their 20s and 30s.

The speaker was Ron Carucci of Mars Hill Graduate School (not to be confused with Mars Hill Church). He spoke on "The Inner War of a Revolutionary" and his words and the discussion awakened me to some of my greatest dreams and biggest fears. He described the forces that are at work in a leader - agency and ambivalence. He said that unfettered agency leaders to recklessness while unfettered ambivalence leads to paralysis. He shared that leaders often go back and forth between the two and that the struggle composes the "inner war" that leaders face. He made it clear that this battle will never end because leaders must constantly push forward and they will often encounter disappointment when plans and movements do not turn out like they envision.

He shared numerous other insightful thoughts such as most leaders are "Idea ATMs" that spit out ideas like money from an ATM. The primary challenge for these types of leaders is that they have to come to grips that a majority of their ideas will not come to full fruition and that they have to discover an outlet to record the ideas. He then stated that leaders must learn to mourn the reality that many of their ideas will not be implemented and move on. Otherwise, he said, resentment will set in.

I can go on and on with the wisdom that Ron shared with the group but I will have to let it come out in my life and leadership going forward.

Why did I share all of this? I found myself last Friday sitting in the presence of greatness (both the speaker and the group) and I realized that it all went back to a high school friend who invited me to a Young Life club in the Fall of 1990. I met Jim Caldwell, the area director, and 17 1/2 years later I reconnected with him and experienced what I experienced at the Leadership Development Network meeting.

Life is great!

I remember thinking 10 1/2 years ago at Gas Works Park that there was a special opening between heaven and earth in Seattle and I am not seeing anything to refute that hypothesis.

Seriously...

Reading in a rhythm

Full-time church ministry doesn't often lead to long stretches of time to read unless the person carves out that time. I have read numerous books during my time at MVPC but most of the time I read in short, concentrated time periods. I have struggled to finish books (the classic challenge) and I have found myself jumping from book to book based on my energy level.

Currently, I am reading The Jesus Way by Eugene Peterson as part of my reading list for my upcoming continuing education trip. I decided to not pick up any other book until I finished this book. I have had many opportunities but I have refused. I call it the discipline of rejecting "double dipping" in terms of books.

In light of this decision, I have experienced a rhythm of reading that I haven't experienced since seminary. I can only describe the rhythm in terms of a sense of familiarity with the style, vocabulary and approach of the author. In many ways, I feel like I have had the privilege of sitting down with Eugene Peterson for a few days to talk about life, faith and The Jesus Way.

I have 50 pages to go and I do not plan on picking up another book until I finish this one.

I am looking for a fresh book list going forward and I have hit a wall in terms of ideas. If you are reading this, then I'd like to know 1-2 books that you would recommend that I read before I die. Ideas?

Practicing What I Preach (Literally)

This morning, I preached on the basic truth that God responds to simple prayers of desperation. The sermon focused on the second half of the Lord's Prayer. I would provide the manuscript for you but I never wrote one.

Last month, I felt constrained by my manuscript in a sermon and I struggled with presenting the material. The largest contributor to my struggle was my feeling that I had to stay with my manuscript or at least the ideas on it. I received numerous feedback that I appeared tense and concerned about my points as I shared them. I realized that I had written over 75 papers in seminary but I had only written 5-6 sermons. I have had more practice writing papers than writing/delivering sermons and it was showing in my preaching. I consulted with my head of staff and he suggested that I should ditch the manuscript and try preaching from an outline.

This week, I decided to go one step further and ditch all of my notes. I was able to spend more time in prayer and reading about my topic as opposed to typing up a 12-15 page sermon manuscript. My prayers ended up matching the controlling theme of my sermon - that God would respond to a simple prayer of desperation or dependence. I needed God's help in sharing. I didn't share from a typed manuscript or even from a set of notes. Instead, I shared from what God had already truly taught me and I was able to communicate with Maple Valley Presbyterian as opposed to talking at them.

I honestly have not felt that comfortable with sharing in public since I shared at an InterVarsity event years ago. During that event, I shared from a 4 point outline that simply listed my main point, a few story references and a concluding Scripture verse.

I don't know if I will be able to consistently preach in this way but I would like to try it again. My preaching today required more dependence on God than any other time and I felt like I practiced what I preached - letting God respond to simple prayers of desperation (dependence).

Hosanna

This blog is turning into a health report instead of a place for theological and cultural reflections. I put out a "SOS" in my last post and things have turned for the worse since then. Avery added another (4th) vomit to the mix later that evening and yesterday I was struck down with the flu. Thank God (literally) that the girls were in a deep sleep when the flu hit me. I felt like a truck knocked me over (even though I think that I would rather have that happen).

There is some good news though. Today, I called some friends who have servant hearts and asked them to take the girls for the afternoon. The girls went to their friends house and they were able to have fun without hanging around their wasted Daddy. They also were able to go to a birthday party that they otherwise would not have been able to attend with my fever and flu.

I slept for the entire 6 hours when they were gone. I feel a little better but I also feel the sickness creeping back. This battle is almost over but I am fighting away.

In light of all this, I have received new insights into the Hebrew expression "Hosanna" which means "please save" or "save now". I am not going to venture into the different interpretations of the term in the Gospels right now. It is amazing how being dead sick and feeling desperate takes away the complexities of life and boils it down to one word, "HELP!".

Today, the Lord provided help to me from some friends and some much-needed rest. My prayers of "deliver me from this!" and "please save" or "Hosanna" were heard. Praise God.

Take a listen to this song that has encouraged me for weeks now - http://vidsearch.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=8476067

Anyone Out There?

Laurie is out of town in Florida visiting her friends from our time in Princeton. In the past, I have relished the opportunity to step up in order to take care of my two daughters. I was in that same position until something went terribly wrong this morning.

Avery climbed into my bed and was talking my ear off at 5:45 AM or so. She then vomited all over the place before I realized what was happening. Hours later, we were running an errand when she decided to provide a follow-up vomit explosion. Once again (10 minutes ago), she brought her very best again all over my couch.

The odd thing is that she seems to feel completely normal besides the random spouts (literally) of sickness.

I am doing well in spite of the insanity but I am realizing once again just how much Laurie takes on every day as a full-time parent.

I would have written something more theologically sophisticated if I had some brain power remaining but I am definitely in survival mode right now.

I am blogging on my church's new website (http://www.mvpc.net) so that is competing for posts at this point.

Now I know...

During my years at Princeton, I could never figure out why everyone from Seattle wore fleeces (and drove Subarus). I now completely understand the benefits of wearing a fleece.

Today was supposedly one of the coldest days ever in the Seattle area (low near 25 degrees). I have learned quickly that big snow jackets are a rarity, if not an embarrassment out here. I probably would have worn on my big East Coast jackets today if it didn't make me look like the type of person that I am - an East Coast person.

I received a fleece as a Christmas gift and I have been wearing it every day. Today, I wore it up to the mountains and I didn't feel cold at all. In fact, I could barely tell that it was below 20 degrees.

This may seem like a boring observation to a majority of the fleece-wearing world but I am in total awe of the fleece.

There is nothing deep to this posting except perhaps the basic truth that I should never judge anyone too quickly because I always find out that my initial judgment is wrong and that I end up often discovering the truth behind another person's perspective. In this case, I judged my Seattle friends for wearing a fleece every day...

If I had a fleece back in the Princeton Seminary days, then I would be wearing one too...

GTW

Years ago, my friends and I would talk about the "GTW" mindset where GTW stood for "Guaranteed To Win." In short, it became a life philosophy that was marked by an expectation for success in any and all situations.

Years later, I thought about the same three letters but this time they led me to "Get To Work." I am in that mindset right now. I have been observing great things at Maple Valley Presbyterian for the first 5 months of my time on staff. I have a lot of work to accomplish. I spent this morning in prayer over my areas of care and responsibility and I experienced a fresh vision of what I need to be doing.

Today, our staff took a day to be together in the mountains. We went snowshoeing for the afternoon in the pouring rain and I had the chance to grow closer to some special teammates at my church. There are many good challenges ahead and I am ready to bring the GTW philosophy and work ethic back to the table.

GTW

A Different Kingdom

Bill Gates gave his final keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Newsweek provided this quote about Gates,

Now, of course, after 11 appearances—eight on the eve of the show's formal opening—the Bill Gates keynote is a fixture here. Someone was quoted last week as saying that he's like the pope of the industry—which would make his regular Sunday-night presentation the benediction that blesses the orgy of commerce to follow. But this year's appearance marks an ending. Gates is leaving his full-time work at Microsoft this summer, and 2008 will be the last time he kicks off CES.

The pope reference reminded me of what I thought the moment that I met Bill Gates in the summer of 1997. I was software test engineer intern with the Microsoft Exchange Server product group and I had the opportunity to meet Gates at his home on Lake Washington. I clearly remember him walking down a path toward us (the interns) and talking for 15 minutes about technology, the future of Microsoft and the future of the personal computer industry. I was in awe.

I couldn't help but think then that I was in the presence of greatness. In an odd way, I could somehow identify with the disciples who listened to Jesus by the Sea of Galilee as he talked with authority about the kingdom of God - a new in-breaking reality that would change everything.

Gates' teaching by Lake Washington had a parallel feel even though he was sharing about a completely different kind of kingdom.

What are the marks of a leader who can speak with authority on subjects that can truly change everything?

Who am I...?

I had the humbling privilege of leading Maple Valley Presbyterian Church in the Lord's Supper today during our worship services. I describe the experience as "humbling" because I was truly overwhelmed by the reality that I had the opportunity to announce the good news of Jesus Christ through the sacrament. Who am I to lead the people of God in such a holy moment?

This was only the second time that I led this sacrament. I was going to post some thoughts after my first experience in December but I failed to get my thoughts onto this blog. My experiences today were very similar to last month's.

I can't even begin to capture what I felt as I guided the congregation through the sacrament. I truly believe that the Lord Jesus encounters his people through the Lord's Supper beyond an intellectual remembering by the those who participate. I believe that just as the Holy Spirit works in and through the spoken words of sermon, the Holy Spirit works in and through the sacrament. A sermon is not merely a group of words that happen to have a meaning. Instead, the Holy Spirit reminds us what of what Jesus taught and forms us disciples for witness through the preached word. In a similar manner, I believe the Lord's Supper is not merely a ritual that helps us remember what Christ accomplished for us on the cross but that the actions, by the working of the Holy Spirit, shape Christ's disciples.

One of my mentor's demonstrated to me during my years in New Jersey how to lead the Lord's Supper with conviction. His conviction was rooted in Scripture, the gospel message, and reality that Christ was present in a significant way in that moment. My prayer was that I could follow that example and I sensed that God strengthened me to do that today.

Who am I to play that role? Thousands and thousands of leaders have led God's people in what I did today and I felt the weight of that privilege today. Thank God (literally) that he carried me along as I led others today.

In God's Presence

I meditated on Psalm 24 this morning. I have come back to this Psalm over and over through the Company of New Pastors daily readings that include a Psalm.

Psalm 24:3-4

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift his soul to an idol.

I have reflected on this passage many times. Who may come into the presence of the Lord Almighty? Only those who have a pure heart. Who is responsible for the pure heart? God or the person? This is a classic question.

David, in Psalm 51, asks God to create in him a pure heart. God creates the pure heart. David asks for the pure heart.

I have experienced chapters of my life when I have felt close to God. I have experienced joy and freedom. I have been creative for him. I have been open to his leading.

In those moments, I could see - both physically and spiritually. In particular, the colors of the leaves seemed more green, red, orange, yellow, whatever. The individuals with whom God put me in contact seemed more real, more alive, more like who they truly are - God's creation who he loves more than I can imagine, no matter what they've done.

The song "Everything Glorious" by David Crowder is playing in the background. These reflections from Psalm 24 and that song lead me 2 Corinthians 3:17-18. "Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is, freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, and are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

That's my desire, my prayer, my true need - to have a pure heart, to have freedom, to be transformed into God's likeness with ever-increasing glory...

God Almighty, Heavenly Father, I praise you for your holiness that requires purity in your presence. I praise you for your Son who made the way for me to come into your presence with freedom, confidence, and boldness. Create in me a pure heart, only you can do it. I want to know you. I want to live in freedom. I want to be transformed for your purposes. I want to experience the joy of being known by you and knowing you. I love you. For your name's sake. Amen.

2008 - Closing the Gap

I talked with a close friend yesterday about the good, the bad, and the ugly of 2007. We then turned our attention toward 2008 in light of what happened in 2007. One common theme was our desire to increase what I call "closing the gap."

The "gap" is the difference between what I need and want to do every day, week, month, year, forever and what I actually do. I always envision what I should be doing but actually following through on those ideas is a discipline that needs my attention and energy. The key word is energy.

Like all New Year's days, I set goals for the upcoming year. In 2008, I want to intentionally work on taking action in energy-creating activities as opposed to energy-draining activities so that I can have more energy to close the gap in all of the different aspects of my life.

Let's see what happens...

Two songs... Two overlapping worlds...

Yesterday, I was finishing a run when I heard two songs back-to-back on my iPod. The first song is one that has always resonated in my imagination - "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day. This song has always captured my attention. Here are the lyrics:

I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
and I'm the only one and I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk alone

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone

Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah,
Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah

I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line
Of the edge and where I walk alone

Read between the lines
What's f*%@ed up and everything's alright
Check my vital signs
To know I'm still alive and I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk alone

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone

Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah
Ah-ah, Ah-ah

I walk alone
I walk a...

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone...

The next song that came on is one of my recent favorites by the David Crowder Band -"Everything Glorious." Here are the lyrics:

The day is brighter here with You
The night is lighter than its hue
Would lead me to believe
Which leads me to believe

(chorus)
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours
What does that make me?

My eyes are small but they have seen
the beauty of enormous things
Which leads me to believe
there's light enough to see that

(chorus)
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours

From glory to glory
You are glorious You are glorious
From glory to glory
You are glorious. You are glorious
Which leads me to believe
why I can believe that


You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours

From glory to glory From glory to glory
You are glorious. You are glorious.
You are glorious. You are glorious.

Two songs... Two different worlds. In many ways, I feel the pull between the two. Sometimes I feel like I am walking in this world alone (even though I am surrounded by close family, friends and a wonderful church family) and other times I feel like God is making everything glorious in and through me (especially in those same relationships).

The apostle Paul often uses the image of taking off the old and putting on the new for the Christian life. The reality in this life is that followers of Christ will never completely feel like they have taken off the old and put on the new but they do get a foretaste of that fully changed life. The old and new worlds overlap.

One of my prayers for 2008 is that it will be a year that includes a movement toward living a life worthy of the calling God has made on my life and that I will identify more with Crowder's song as opposed to Green Day's song (though I still love both of them).

What songs capture your imagination as you look back on 2007 and look toward 2008???

Flow of Criticism?

At various points in my life, I have realized that I am a very critical person. I am constantly assessing situations, systems, organizations, leadership, etc. and then forming my opinion.

Recently, I have recognized a clear pattern in my criticism. The specific aspects that I criticize are often my exact weaknesses. I have realized that the things that bother me the most about other people are the things that bother me the most about myself.

What should I do with this realization? One response is to use this pattern to help me identify areas that I need to turn over to the Lord in prayer and to ask my closest friends for help in identifying when I continue these patterns. I can choose to ignore this pattern of criticism equaling self-criticism or embrace the opportunity for change.

In 2008, one of my goals is to move toward guarding my tongue regarding criticism for others and instead point the finger on myself.

My Timing (but not yours)

I am increasingly becoming aware of a pattern of communication and yesterday I was the one who was responsible for it. More and more, I am seeing how cell phone calls are made mostly when the caller is en route and has a few minutes (or more) to make the call. The receiving person may or may not be available at that time.

Yesterday, I called a friend on the way home from the church. My "commute" is a mere 5-10 minutes depending on the number of green lights. I wanted to check in briefly with my friend but I didn't want to open a long conversation because I knew that my family was waiting for me at home.

Do you see the issue here? I mentioned "me" or "I" in that description of the call. I didn't let my friend know ahead of time that I was calling. I was calling him on my own terms. In fact, the conversation probably left him frustrated because I basically asked him a few quick questions and then gave him an update on life and then cut him off because I had arrived home.

I have been on both ends of this type of conversation.

How many of your recent cell phone conversations have ended with, "I've gotta go because I just arrived at my destination"?

My guess is that a lot of them have... Is there something wrong with this picture?

Picture of the Church?

I was driving around a few nights ago with my family looking at Christmas lights. We saw a well-decorated community and we turned onto the street leading toward the lights. As we turned, I noticed right away that the community was a gated community and I was locked out!

I was baffled...

Why would a gated community with 9-10 homes (that is all that were in the community!) decorate their homes to the extent that they did? Do they really believe that they are providing "holiday cheer" just for themselves? My thoughts wandered to the types of conversations they must be having inside their community...

"Hey, great lights John, I really enjoy them. I put my lights so that you and our street could enjoy them. I'm glad that we are not like other communities that have tons of cars coming through to look at our lights. We get to look at each other's lights and reindeer and santa claus figures and enjoy them. Maybe later this week, we can sing Christmas carols to ourselves and walk down the street. Isn't that going to be a blast?"

In many ways, I've witnessed some churches follow the same patterns in a different arena. We put on our best "show" and "lights" but oftentimes only think about ourselves and who is inside our 'community'.

My prayer and goal is that I would be part of a church that doesn't exist like that gated community that I saw the other night.

I wonder how many people visit a worship service or drive by churches and feel baffled like I did the other night?

Worth reading...

This book brings together many of the themes and specific ideas that I didn't "get" in seminary. I found myself thinking, "Why didn't we cover this?" over and over and over.

Fee and Stuart demonstrate the necessity of both exegesis and hermeneutics in bringing the Bible to bear on life today. They provide numerous reminders of why every Bible reader/interpreter needs to ask what the text says first, then what the text means (in its original setting) and then and only then what the text means for us today.

If you feel confused (as many do) about what to do when you open up your Bible, then read this book and you will be better equipped to let God speak to you (and your church) through the Bible.

More specifically, Gordan and Fee engage each part of Scripture and provide a framework and examples of exegesis and hermeneutics for each. Once again, I found myself thinking, "Why didn't my seminary professors find it important to talk plainly about these tools for interpretation?"

In many ways, my seminary Biblical studies classes focused on either of two extremes. 1. The very detailed Greek or Hebrew text critical issues and the scholarship behind the decisions and decision-making process.
2. The very high level social issues that surround the controversial passages.

The day-to-day reading and interpreting of Scripture for the life of the church and the followers of Christ who happen to be reading the Bible were not covered...

SO, this book is worth reading...

Building confidence

I finally put together our foosball table after months of having it sit (in pieces) in my garage. Laurie's parents gave us their foosball table and I have been lazy.

Cambria loves playing foosball and she wants to play 3049830489083509 times per day. The game can be dangerous for her because the handles of the table are at her head level. Every time I move the players, I have to make sure that I do not hit her face.

In spite of that challenge, I am enjoying playing with her more every time because I am seeing her confidence grow. She is learning how to hit the ball and stop the ball so that she can control the game. She is far from being a real player but I can see how each small action builds her confidence in playing.

I am avid foosball player. I have many many many memories of playing at church during middle school and high school and at camps throughout that time. I am looking forward to the day that Cambria can provide some real competition and we start keeping a family scoreboard!

Until then, anyone want to come over to play some foosball?

Just when you thought...

Maybe it is because I am reading Karl Barth again...
Maybe it is because it is the Christmas season...
Maybe it is because Jesus is getting my attention...

but I am remembering what it means to be 'Christocentric' in my understanding of God and the world. Christocentric meaning Christ-centered, meaning Christ is the beginning and the end (and everything in between) for knowing God and the knowing my role in the world that God created and rules.

I was asked today by a small group leader for a recommendation for a study on the life and teachings of the apostle Paul. I was reading through Galatians and I landed on v. 3:13 - Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

I remembered the background on this verse and God revealed a new insight to me that I had never considered. The background is Deuteronomy 21:23 and the assertion in the law of Israel that "anyone hung on a tree is under God's curse."

Saul (before Paul) lived his whole life with this assumption in mind. This assumption was apart from the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Apart from Christ, his worldview was shaped by the assumption that anyone who was hung on a tree was under God's curse. The idea of God's anointed one (Messiah) fitting that description was a scandal!

BUT, just when he thought that he had God's ways all figured out, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ changed this specific assumption upside down and then turned Saul's world upside down based on God's revelation of himself in Jesus Christ.

Apart from Christ (and his turning this curse upside down), Saul would have had no reason to question his understanding of God. Saul could have kept his interpretation of Deuteronomy 21:23 but he changed his view of God in light (revelation) of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

This meditation challenges me to consider the conceptions of God that I have that stand apart from Jesus Christ and need to be reworked in light of Christ.

What "just when you thought..." assumptions do I have that need to be changed (repent = change of the mind)?

In his discussion of the doctrine of election, Barth reminded me to avoid relying on human experience or abstract conceptions as my starting point for knowing God when he says on p. 35 of II/2

It is only natural that in spite of all the accompanying good intentions and moments of truth, such statements and decisions are endangered by their doubtful and possibly erroneous starting-point. It is only natural that they can themselves become a danger, perhaps inevitably so. We must at this point recall the basic rule of all Church dogmatics: that no single item of Christian doctrine is legitimately grounded, or rightly developed or expounded, unless it can of itself be understood and explained as a part of the responsibility laid upon the hearing and teaching Church towards the self-revelation of God attested in Holy Scripture."

I'm looking forward to some more "just when you thought..." moments.

Upside Down

Everything is upside down from a few months ago. I lived on the East Coast a few months ago, now I live on the West Coast. I cheered for a team that I thought was heading to the playoffs (the Mets) a few months ago, now I still do not know how they failed to make it. I was an "everyday" person in the church without any expectations a few months ago, now I feel the need to be "on" all the time.

One other area is upside down - my reading life. In seminary, I found myself tired after a long day of theological reading and I drifted toward "practical" books in the evening - leadership, small group ministry, world movements, culture. Now, I swim in real life situations all day as a small groups pastor and I drift toward deep theological reading in the evening.

In the past few days, I returned to a theologian who challenged me during my time at Princeton - Karl Barth. I do not agree with all of Barth's theological starting points but I definitely agree with how he starts (and stays) with Jesus Christ in all of his theological reflections. I am reminded over and over (over and over and over) of God's fulfilled promises in Christ through reading Barth.

I am verbose and I oftentimes use more words than necessary to explain a concept or my feelings. Barth definitely fits that description and I actually enjoy reading his long long long descriptions and insights.

One of my closest friends at seminary challenged me to do an independent study on Barth in order for us to learn how to read him and be able to return to him in future chapters of life. I am in a new chapter of life and I feel like I am still able to read and understand Barth.

Everything is upside down but that is not such a bad thing...