Happy New Year ( הג רוש השנה )

Today is the first day of the Jewish New Year which is called Rosh HaShanah (The Head/First of the Year). It is a part of a two day celebration that includes prayer and reflection as they usher in the new year. The point of this two day celebration of New Year is multi-faceted.

1. It is to remind everyone that God is sovereign and He is the creator of everything. The morning prayers and the liturgy throughout the day reinforce this idea of hamelech (המלך ) "the sovereign".

2. God is the judge. These two days are set aside with the idea that on this day God will judge the nations and the individuals. The point here is that we live in God's world which operates by God's rules. This is when the focus is on the hope that one day the whole world will acknowledge God's Kingdom.

3. The celebration of life. One Rabbi of the Masoroti Movement says, " 'Inscribe us in the book of life' is a constantly recurring motif of the Rosh Hashana liturgy. Life is valued above death. We celebrate being alive and express our appreciation of the gift of life and hope to be worthy of it."

I love the progression of first recognizing where life comes from, who is in control, and finally our response of thankfulness for life. Our markets will rise and fall, people will know will struggle through difficult issues, we will lose friends and loved ones, and we will not always feel like celebrating the gift of life. But the truth is, the goods and bads and the highs and lows are all a part of this thing and we don't really have the "right" or the need to go through life without every hurting or struggling. What we do want to do is stop periodically to recognize where we stand with God and begin a fresh new chapter.

Best Friend in the Whole World

Earlier this year we posted a story about our 6 year old's best friend who was diagnosed with a rare heart disease that requires a heart transplant. I cannot even begin to imagine how this must be for the family but they have been handling things well.

This past Saturday they got a call in the afternoon telling them they found a match for their 5 year old son (Kyle) so they packed up and headed for UCLA medical center for what must have been the most horrifying series of events of their lives.

By 11:30 PM that night the surgery was complete and little Kyle had a new heart that was beating on its own. Before the surgery we told our boys and we took some time to pray for Kyle and the doctors and during the prayer our middle son prayed, "Dear God, please help Kyle be okay with his new heart. He is my best friend in the whole wide world". It was a great prayer and I am happy to say that so far all is progressing for Kyle and he is on the road to recovery.

We are grateful that Kyle is doing well and we are happy for our son and his best friend in the whole world. We are also thankful that all three of our boys appear to be healthy and strong with great minds and kind hearts. We are thankful to our God for families, our friends, and His love and grace.

Was Jesus an Idiot?

I have often quoted the book, "The Idiot" by Fydor Dostoyevsky as he uses the main character, Prince Myshkin, as a Christ figure. The problem with this character is that he sees the best in people and even when he knows they will take advantage of him, he offers his love, forgiveness, and grace. He was called the "Idiot" because he refused to play by the rules of the world and he continued to stick to his own convictions of kindness and love.

The parallels to the life of Christ are obvious but I do not think many of us really understand how counter culture this kind of living is even to this day. It doesn't make sense for people to allow others to abuse our trust and take advantage of our kindness towards them. We probably should not assume the best of others and offer grace when they need justice. It is probably more wise to approach people being skeptical and wary of their motives but is this the example Jesus left?

I personally have my share of imperfections (just ask my wife). I am a "dumbist", I am impatient, and I enjoy being negative as much as the next guy. But the one thing that ends up hurting me more than I would hope is that I genuinely think highly of people and expect the best from them. In my mind I assume that others are also gracious and kind and I get hurt when I realize that is not always the case.

Just this week I received an email from someone that really bothered me. Since returning to the area to begin a new church I have come with the foolish idea that our church is just one of many in the area and there is no need to feel a sense of competition against others. Because of this I have begun the process of contacting various pastors in the area to network and just to get to know them. To this point the response was positive and encouraging as other pastors welcomed me back to the area.

But this week I received a response from one who not only didn't want to meet but said some presumptuous and flat out hurtful things to me. He went on to say that I should never talk to him again. Since I never met this person I was shocked by the response and spent an hour fuming and telling myself that my worth is not found in this person (which it is not).

I realized that what bothered me the most is that I assumed the best of this person and I was enough of an idiot to believe that my offering a friendship is not a threat but rather it is a common courtesy to extend to another person. I completely cannot fathom why this pastor who does not know me would ever say the things he said to me and why anyone (especially someone who is supposed to model Jesus' life) would ever talk to another person the way he did. Needless to say, my first response was not to offer grace or forgiveness to this person and my god complex reared its head as I wanted to help this person see the cruelty of his response.

Then I realized that the way of Jesus is to not be altered by the ways of mankind and no amount of misdirected emotion against me is worth causing me to see this person as less of a bearer of the image of God. The ways of Jesus are to forgive even when He knows we will take advantage of the forgiveness. I am certainly not comparing myself with Jesus and I am not saying that I am completely okay with the response I received. I am simply saying that I want to be an idiot like Jesus who takes these things and lets them go. I want to follow my Savior and remain committed to my own ideals rather than be affected and influenced by the ideals of others. It is not easy, it doesn't feel natural, but I know that I would rather be an idiot than follow the patterns of the world. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:25, "God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength". Pray that I have the strength to be an idiot like Jesus.

The Beautiful You

I have a growing list of books that I will never write that cover a whole array of subjects. I have one on leadership, one about hidden treasures in the Bible, one that is a historical fiction, one memoirs that is completely exaggerated, a travel journal, and a self help book (hey if Rick Warren and Joel Olstein can do it, why can't I?).
My self help book that I will never write is called, "The Beautiful You" (You should always begin with a good title and catchy cover design) and it is actually mostly parody about how we will try anything to measure up in the eyes of others. In the end, my conclusion is that God created us in His image and according to Genesis 9:6, because we are in the image of God we have value.
In our new adventure of beginning a new kind of church in Orange County we feel that this concept is essential. We want to have a place where we truly seek to be like Jesus and let the gospel affect all areas of how we live, but we must begin by recognizing the reality that we all come imperfect and broken. We all fall short in our own ideas of how we should be but that is where the true beauty of Church can shine.
We want to be a place where our brokenness and imperfections are not something to hide from because we think the others in the group will think less of us, but rather they are things to display because they actually give hope to the group that God is the God who makes all things new and that nothing is out of His reach of redemption. I think that often in Christian leadership and churches we only put our "best" faces forward (best only in the eyes of the world) and we forget that the real beauty is in the fact that God our Father leads, directs, redeems, and blesses even in our times of weakness.
In Church leadership we talk about finding "strategic" people who are strong leaders and who compel others to follow a vision. It is not bad to have these people around, but I wonder if this strategy by churches and youth groups only causes the "non-strategic people" to feel that they don't measure up and therefore even fewer are empowered to join in the vision.

In our new gathering I am so excited to see a strange mix of people and many of whom are already coming with their imperfections on display. I am excited because I truly believe that this group who are joining in the call to live on "mission" to their community for the purpose of displaying the love and grace of Christ and not for the purpose of creating a bigger church are the people who will help others find hope and who will allow others to see the beauty in being created in the image of God.

So to our college students who love Jesus but struggle avoiding the "college life", to our moms of elementary aged kids who sometimes think they will not make it through the day, to our families who struggle to make ends meet, to our twenty-somethings who still don't know what they want to do with their lives, to our empty nesters who enjoy sleeping in on Sundays, to our children who have more energy than I have ever seen, to our singles who sometimes feel lonely, to our leaders who feel inadequate, to our theologians who still scratch their heads in confusion, to our couples who do not always act lovingly, and to all of us who desperately need the love and grace of Jesus... here's to the "Beautiful You", I am glad to have you with us.

The Pastor in a Green Apron

Four or five days a week, my alarm sounds at 4:00 AM, I roll out of bed, and slip into my khaki pants and black button up shirt. I brush my teeth, step over our dog (who has no interest in waking up at 4:00 AM), hop on my bike, and ride to the Starbucks around the corner of the the house. Over the next 8 hours I spend my time making coffee drinks, heating up breakfast pastries, and blending frapuccinos for the High Schoolers on their way to the school located next door. In this time I interact with hundreds of people from my community everyday. I hear about their families, their jobs, and sometimes even their struggles. Sometimes I just listen, other times I offer encouragement or even advice. It may be the coffee that keeps everyone coming back day after day or maybe it is something more.
In Genesis 1 the Bible says that mankind is created in the image of God. Although the Hebrew for this phrase is a bit difficult to fully understand, it is relatively clear that this is referring to the Spiritual side of God more than the physical. This means that just as God is relational, we too are relational. This is why just one chapter later God says, "it is not good for man to be alone". As humans we have a need to be heard, to be understood, and to be connected to one another. Christians often find this need for connection fulfilled in their many church events through the week and most of the time these create healthy and fulfilling friendships.
Let us now return to Starbucks... every day hundreds of people go through those doors and most of them have no other community where they are accepted and encouraged. It is only when they walk through the doors of their local coffee shop when they are greeted by name and offered their usual drink. It is in those moments that those people experience their "church". It is these places where the local barista serves as their pastor.
One of the convictions of our new Church is that we want to be people who intentionally serve our communities and not just the Christians who come to our sacred meeting times, small groups, youth events, etc. We want to be the ones offering encouragement and hope to the people in our community who do not find that encouragement in one of the many Christian gatherings in our town. So the truth is when people ask me how many people do I serve as a pastor at Soma Church, my answer is, "hundreds", they just aren't people who come to any of our gatherings.
This is actually very encouraging to me. It helps each morning at 4:00 AM when I ride through the dark on empty streets still filled with the cold ocean air that settles during our Orange County evenings. When I put on my "priestly robe" that looks a lot like a green apron I know that my day as a pastor has begun and that I am a bit closer to living the ways of Jesus in my community.

Shaping of the Church: Steeple Envy

A difficult thing in leading churches or ministries is dealing with the internal desire for large numbers of people in the gatherings. Some pastors say that we should be concerned with numbers because Jesus tells us to go and make disciples and therefore if we are doing our job, more people will come. Other pastors flat out reject the measure of numbers by saying they want quality, not quantity. No matter what the personal conviction, it is difficult to allow God to have his way and not allow numbers to affect you.

The thing that we must fight against is comparing one gathering's size to another. Don Golden uses the phrase, "How big is your steeple" when he or anyone on his staff feels the need to brag about the numbers of attendees or the need to ask how many are attending somewhere else. I think this is very telling in that it shows that these questions are about pride and about power. Somehow we think that churches with "bigger steeples" are better or more effective when it just might be that God made them to have big steeples. It might also be as one pastor of a large church says, "the skill of the pastors directly affects the size of the church". I agree with this on a purely human level but do we really just think that only churches with large numbers of people have skilled pastors or that a large size really means it is a clearer picture of the Church that Jesus dreams about?

I know that it is easy for me to say all of this at this point because we are a part of a new church and therefore have a small number of people attending. At our new church we want to be effective in reaching people and giving people a place to connect, but we don't want the steeple size to define us. So how do you think churches can effectively deal with this issue of steeple envy?.... and no viagra jokes!

A Cool Touch from the Throne

I begin this post with an apology for the deceptive nature of the title. Due to my current life circumstances one could assume that a "cool touch from the throne" is a comforting metaphor for the blessings that God brings when we need them most. Although I believe that God works in those ways and always appreciate His kind interactions and love poured out on me, the nature of this post is a bit more mundane and I am sorry to say, crude. With that said, I know that all of us from countries with modern plumbing can relate so I feel compelled to let you in on my journey.

Last night I had one of those great nights when whatever food I ate the proceeding day decided to sit and stir within me for a while. In fact, it was one of those nights where the food seemed to have no interest in succumbing to the whole digestion process and it preferred to sit in the pool just at the end of my throat. After plenty of trips outside of the country and many bouts with various parasites I have grown to accept these occasions and have even learned a few methods to cope. Even with the ability to cope, when my body seems set on a process of "upheaval" it never comes soon enough. What else (at least for males) can make the option of lying on a bathroom floor at all hours of the night more comforting than lying in a bed away from the bathroom? What else can cause one to tell God to "take me now and end my misery"? In these moments awaiting the whole upheaval process I find myself trying all kinds of techniques to speed the process and clear the holding tank of whatever is causing discomfort. But sometimes, the dry mouth and out of sync breathing must come in its own timing so my best efforts to speed the process are all in vain.

So I wait, I turn, I try to sleep, I feel my body grow warm, then cold, then sweat, and I just want to get this deed done. I reach over to the "porcelain throne" and press my head against its cheek seeking comfort in the coolness of its touch. Has it been cleaned recently? I hope so but at the moment that doesn't even matter. It is as Bill Cosby said, "At that moment the toilet bowl is the only one who understands". He will patiently wait for you and grant comfort in its perpetually cool sides.

Some nights when this happens, it all happens quickly and then everything is better, other times it takes several rounds before your body is finally satisfied. Then other times, like last night for me, your body is so conflicted over what to do that it simply stirs and causes discomfort until you drift off to sleep without ever purging of the offending foods. In these cases, I wake up the next morning hoping that I feel hunger so that I know that all systems are back on track. Today I was hungry so I cautiously ate some yogurt (I always eat something sweet if I think it will not stay down... it makes the whole experience much better) and I am happy to say that I seem back on track.

I stopped by the bathroom and whispered a little thanks to my faithful friend who understood my needs and offered comfort when I needed it. I hope I don't need his help again anytime soon but if I do, I know I can always count on his cool touch.

Applying For Jobs

Part of this church plant experience includes a need for me to find income outside of our young church. Because of this need, I have decided to seek employment at a large coffee chain that I seldom ever visit but that I know offers benefits for the family and therefore it is a place I would like to work.
What this means is that I have to humble myself, ask for an application and turn it in to a person 10 years younger than me in hopes that my 1 1/2 Master’s Degrees and 12 years of working with people, organizing events, managing crises, and public speaking is all enough to convince him/her that I have what it takes to make a cup of coffee.
Today as I sat in one of this organization’s thousands of stores (and not one scheduled to close) waiting to speak with a manager (who happens to be a former student of mine) I had to laugh at the whole experience. As I sat there I noticed a kid who was probably around 16 years old filling out his application and I felt a sense of competition. Would my post-graduate and pre-doctoral work stand out against his excellence during his junior year of high school? Will my years of hiring, training, and managing employees be a positive if it is set alongside his 7 months of serving as a school mascot? Does that fact that this is probably his first job make him a promising candidate with lots of potential? Could that work against an old guy who quit a well paying job to move to the Middle East and then who returned to America to begin a new church? Am I overcommitted, overqualified, or over-the-hilled?
Am I even answering these questions in a manner that they are hoping for?... “Why do you like coffee?” Should I say it is because it creates a positive emotion in me that allows me to be more focused in reading and more progressive in my studies? Should I say that it is a wonderful subject around which meaningful conversations are allowed to flow? Or like the 16 year old, should I say, “Because it tastes good with lots of sugar and milk”. I am lost over what I should do. Next question, “Where have you visited one of our stores in the past and what was your experience”. 16 year old says, “I went to one with my mom once and now I am in this one”. Should I say, “I have actually been in your stores all across the world and find that even though it is not the best coffee and you do not offer free wi-fi, I always know what I will get and the service is consistent and courteous everywhere.”
I guess I will just fill this in the best I can and in the end I know that it is probably my 4 years of working as a food server that will ultimately qualify me for this job (and the fact that I want to work the 4 AM shift). I will keep you posted as to my progress in this endeavor and know that if 16 year old gets this job and I don’t, I will be in desperate need of some counseling for my low self-esteem.

Hello Old Friends

Hello old friends
There's really nothing new to say
But the old, old story bears repeating
And the plain old truth grows dearer every day
When you find something worth believing
Well, that's a joy that nothin' could take away

And so we meet again
After all these many years
Did we sow the seeds we're reaping
Now that the harvest calls us here
It seems that love blooms out of season
And much joy can blossom from many tears

So old friends you must forget what you had to forgive
And let love be stronger than the feelings
That rage and run beneath the bridge
Knowin' morning follows evening
Makes each new day come as a gift

-Rich Mullins

Next Week

This is my last week in Washington before I return to California for a new chapter in my life that is sure to hold as many unexpected twists and turns as the past few years. It is amazing how quickly time has gone by since returning to America. As I mentioned before, I have been picking up odd jobs everywhere I can find them and I was unable to find time for much else. It has been a good month of hard work, of family time, of a few rounds of golf, of some study time, and a little relaxation.

On Saturday of this week, I will be back in California (along with our new dog) and I will begin a frantic 4 day house preparation for the rest of the family that will fly in on Wednesday. Hopefully at that point I will be able to enter into a normal schedule that will allow me to post some thoughts and share our new journey with all who read.

Ode to Physical Labor

My family is back in America and currently staying with family for the month before we return to California and re-enter life there. Because we are not in any type of routine here it has been difficult to find time to post, check emails, or finish my last paper for Hebrew University.

The other thing that is making things difficult is the fact that I did not want to spend this month sitting around without any income so I decided to try to get work doing anything I could think of. So far I have been hired for yard work, a bathroom remodel, and cutting down and hauling away a tree. I enjoy the work and it is definitely nice to do work that can be completed and that has an end to it. After working with people that past 11 years, I have definitely seen a lot of progress in people's lives ( mine included) but it is nothing that can be measured or that ever is completed. So for the next week I will pressure wash a house, build a garden planter, install a bathroom floor, and pull weeds and then I will know the job is completed. Maybe I will even have time somewhere in there to post something more meaningful.

You Should See the View

In my wife's last post from Jerusalem she recounted her final reflections in Jerusalem intermixed with a worship song by David Crowder called, "Only You". She mentioned a line from the song that I never noticed before that completely grabbed a hold of me. The line is at the end of the song and it says, "I will worship you Lord, Only You Lord... Its only you and me here now... You should see the view, when its only me and you".
The line, "You should see the view, when its only me and you" is such a great reminder to take time to get away from all of the "to do" lists, the wants, the stresses, and even your favorite past-times to sit and "see the view" of God in all of His majesty. This doesn't mean to go hide in the mountains for a few days or to travel to the beach at sunset to see the view, it simply means to take a moment to sit back and notice how a God that is so big and powerful can actually love you in all of your "humanness". He sees our selfishness, our doubts, our rage, our envy, and our arrogance and he takes it all with patience and extends love and grace. When we step outside of ourselves for a moment and gaze upon anyone who takes all of our worst and does not give us what we deserve it is truly an amazing site.
Now that my family is back in America we are faced with more unknowns that we ever had in Israel. We are heading into an adventure we never thought we would head into and one that only God knows how it will all turn out. In the midst of this time we feel small, faithless, insecure, unqualified, and unworthy. Maybe this is how Peter felt after he denied knowing Christ before his crucifixion, or how Paul felt when he realized the gravity of his hateful acts directed against followers of Jesus before his conversion, or even how Abraham must have felt when God told him to gaze upon the stars and know that God will be faithful to all that he promised. I imagine the view at that point must have been amazing when each of these people recognized that their God's love never ends, His mercy never tires, and His promises never fail.
Last week my heart dropped when Israel, along with this chapter in our lives, faded in the distance out of the window of our plane. On the horizon was a world of unknowns that will test our faith, our loyalty, and our certainty of all of God's promises. But also on the horizon is the most amazing view and that is of the Risen Messiah who restores when I doubt, who repairs when I fail, and who leads into the future when I am stuck in the past.
In the moments when I take the time to open my eyes and gaze upon this God, I am amazed at what I see.

Finishing

My wife said that I cheated on my last post by just posting a link. That may be true but this is our last week in Israel and I am trying to finish papers, see some last minute sites, and pack up the house for the journey back to America. Okay, no more excuses, maybe in a day or two I will have something meaningful to say.... assuming I ever have something meaningful to say.

My Wife the Writer

You have to read my wife's thoughts on our final week here...

CLICK HERE

Confessions of a Church Pirate

As many of our friends know, my wife and I have decided to enter the crazy world of church leadership in the form of a new church that will hopefully begin sometime in the fall of this year. (Read the previous post for the official announcement). In doing this, the one thing that is the most difficult for us, and especially for my wife, is the scrutiny and the criticisms that could possibly come our way.

One of the comments on the previous post was simply an anonymous link to a 7 minute video of a pastor criticizing people who plant churches in the area of their former church. In this video, he classifies these church planters as "Church Pirates". Although we have not determined where this new church will meet nor have we even done the things criticized in the video, I assume this link was designed to be a criticism of me and therefore I guess, to some, I am a Pirate.

My first response was to defend myself and fight back but I was reminded by my wife that this gets us nowhere and even takes us away from the important fights so instead allow me to share some other perspectives.

I used to criticize people who moved to Orange County to plant churches. I believed that we had enough churches and these people just wanted to live where the weather was nicer. I even worked at a church that saw a significant amount of people leave with one of the pastors to begin a new church in the area and my initial response was to be critical of this new gathering. About 3 years ago I had to recognize this judgmental attitude in myself and I needed to repent and become a supporter of these endeavors. Like the Rabbi Gamaliel says in Acts 5:38-39, "if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." Instead of questioning what very well could be genuine calls from God, I had to become a friend and an ally with those working for the same cause.

The second thing that happened after I realized how selfish I can be sometimes was I realized that there was no way Orange County could ever have too many churches. I did the math in my hometown one day and realized that if every person in our town wanted to go to church on the same day, each church would average over 1000 people. The fact that over 25 million people live in Southern California means that more people live in this region than in any other state in the country and it is more people than the 19 least populated states combined. In other words, the fact that this is the most populated and perhaps the most diverse part of the country means that we need many different churches to work together to bring the Good News of Jesus to our community.

I don't like that I had to "eat my words" and become the very person I used to criticize but it is a reminder that the measure we use to judge will be used against us. I may have learned my lesson this time but I know that to some I will always be a Church Pirate. (For added interest, read what I wrote about pirates two years ago Click Here ).

Father's Day

When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. ~ Mark Twain

My childhood should have taught me lessons for my own fatherhood, but it didn't because parenting can only be learned by people who have no children.
Bill Cosby

No matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking about the kids. Their behavior is always normal.
Bill Cosby

Parents are not interested in justice, they are interested in peace and quiet. - Bill Cosby

Nothing I've ever done has given me more joys and rewards than being a father to my children. - Bill Cosby

Shaping of the Church (The New Edition )

When we decided to move to Israel many people wondered what was wrong with us. Why leave a perfectly stable life and plunge into the great unknown. The truth is that when I first proposed the idea to my wife I thought she would say that I was crazy and not to even think about it but she actually said that this sounded good. (Not because she actually thought the lack of stability and that unknown is good, just that she thought it would be a worth while experience.) As we have been working out details for our return to America, it was our desire to find a place to live and work where we could be excited about the vision and where we would feel that we were being faithful with our own giftedness.
To make the story short, in the end we decided to do something that would only extend our season of "unknown" and instability. No, we are not going to sell our house and invest everything in "silent velcro". We have decided to do something we never thought we would do and something that will require even more faith than moving the family to the Middle East. We have decided to join with a group of people in beginning a new church in Southern California.
I have spent many years of my life cynical of "church plants" because so many of them appeared to be people simply wanting to duplicate what was already being done. In some cases that criticism was correct, in others I am sure that I was very wrong. Now, I get to be one of those who will stand under scrutiny and criticism for planting a church.
What has fueled this whole process is my own personal struggle with consumer Christianity and my own belief that the Bride of Christ (the Church) should be a place where everyone can find love and grace. It is motivated by my conviction that Christians need to live in mission to everyone all the time and not to see mission as "bringing your friends to church". These, along with countless other similar convictions ultimately led us to this decision.
I would be lying to you if I said that we had no reservations or fears as it relates to this decision but I would be lying to myself if I did not recognize the fact that I am a dreamer who believes that things can be better. When I say things can be better I am referring to people like me who have lost touch with Church as we know it. I believe there are many great churches doing good things but they tend to connect with certain types of people and a growing numbers of others are longing for something different. So because my family is filled with adrenaline junkies (especially my wife), this next year will be filled with many of the same unknowns and adventures as this year... we will just have Cipotle Burritos and Target Stores to ease the occasional pains.

A Good Fight

A few days ago I was siting on an Arab bus on my way to the Palestinian capital of Ramallah when something occurred to me. As I sat there as the only "white" person and presumably the only Christian on the way to a city that is listed as a "Don't be a fool and go there" city on the State Department web-site, I realized that I felt more comfortable in that setting than most bus rides on the other side of the security fence.
It is not because the Jewish Israelis are out to get me or ever have even given me a threatening look, but I think on that bus there is a sense of camaraderie between those of us who are the "underdogs" in Israel. I began thinking about this and realized that I have always wanted to fight against the "bullies" in the world. I guess I struggle with those who have power and who have an incessant need to wield that power. When encountering those who dominate or hurt others because they can, something rises up inside me that makes me want to fight, or at the very least it makes me want to stand alongside those who bear the brunt of that misdirected power.
Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures and the entire New Testament, we see how clearly God also stands with those without power. Do you realize that there are more verses in the Bible about taking care of the orphans and widows (a metaphor for the weak) and those without a voice than about any other subject? Take the examples from Jesus' life, he fought with those in power when it had to do with neglecting the needs of hurting people. (Healing on the Sabbath, eating with "drunkards and sinners", and challenging people to work on justice more than religious appearance were the points of conflict with religious leaders of His day). Unfortunately today, our political leaders, many of our church leaders, our employers, and even "average Joes" consistently find ways to dominate others out of a need for control and power.
Before I sound "holier than thou" I confess that my desire to stand for the weak really is just a gut reaction and unfortunately does not always come from a desire to be like Jesus. But I do think that this is at the heart of God and this attitude is the foundation for pure religion (James 1:26) and one that followers of the Messiah Jesus should embrace whole-heartily.
Rob Bell once said that "people go looking for fights because they are not already in one". What he meant by that is people who want to fight about trivial things or who cause problems with others by misusing their power, do so because they are not already fighting for something more valuable. As for me, I like a good fight so I hope and pray that I can keep the names and faces of those who need someone standing by them in my mind and if I ever become a bully to someone, please remind me of bus 18 to Ramallah.

I've Been Banned

I was just informed that this web-site has recently been restricted by the University of Wisconsin filters because it says it contains language of "hate". I'm sure it is an automated filter and just caught some word it does not like because I can't find the "hate" language but I think it is pretty cool to be banned. Other than 5th grade music class and Shelly D.'s house in 7th grade, I don't think I have ever been banned from somewhere.

The Clarity of Scripture

I don't have much to say today so I thought I would invite you to join me in a research project I am working on. If anyone can offer any intelligent remarks based on the following passage of scripture, I might even cite you in an upcoming paper.

The passage is Joshua 5:13-15. For those who do not feel like looking it up on their own I have included it here:

ויהי בהיות יהושע ביריחו

וישא עיניו וירא והנה־איש עמד לנגדו

וחרבו שלופה בידו 

וילך יהושע אליו ויאמר לו׃

             הלנו אתה אם־לצרינו

ויאמר׃ לא כי אני שר־צבא־יהוה

עתה באתי

ויפל יהושע אל־פניו ארצה 

וישתחו ויאמר לו׃

מה אדני מדבר אל־עברו

ויאמר שר־צבא יהוה אל־יהושע׃

של נעלך מעל רגלך

כי המקום אשר אתה עמד עליו קדש הוא

ויעש יהושע כן׃

Pretty clear huh?

Why Soccer is not American

Last night I stayed up to watch the European League "Football" Championship game which is essentially the Superbowl of European soccer. I was happy to watch it and enjoyed the game but was reminded why "football" will never be popular in America.
1. Football is already the most popular sport. Just the fact that we call football, "soccer" and we call American Football, "football" shows that Americans are unwilling to accept the alternative. For the sake of this post I will now call soccer, soccer so that we are not confused.

2. Soccer players are whimps. Granted they are in better shape than the rest of the people on earth and their talents are absolutely amazing. But, if they get bumped, they fall to the ground, cover their face, and wince in hopes of getting a foul called. Americans want to see real violence and hits that are hard enough to actually knock a person out. You can compare the "hard" fouls of the NBA vs the "soft" fouls of International Basketball. Last night there were a few fouls that drew blood and one fight so that is a positive for soccer.

3. There is not enough scoring in soccer. It may not be right, but Americans would rather see a 10-9 soccer game than a 1-0 match. Of course the fact that last night's game was decided after 6 penalty kicks was exciting.. it just took 120 minutes of game time to get there. Some may argue that Baseball is also boring but I will offer the international alternative of "Cricket" as the counter-argument to that. They have matches that last 3-4 days and the fans eagerly await the outcome which would never be acceptable in the USA.

4. Mullets are still acceptable in soccer. Nothing to say here.

5. The fans are willing to sing, fight, and stand for the entire game. This is actually a criticism of Americans. We don't have enough fun watching our sports games (except for college sports in which the crowds are greatly aided through the work of "mixer-man". Soccer fans sing for the entire game, they fight fans of the opposite team, and they stand in the rain and snow without a break (of course they too are influenced by "mixer-man"). Some exceptions exist such as Red Sox -Yankees games, Game 7 of NBA finals, and during the commercials of the NFL Superbowl.

I am glad that MLS is surviving in the USA and that many children play the sport but please do not think we will ever embrace this sport like the rest of the world. When the World Cup comes around in 2010 I plan on staying awake along with Scott C to watch the games but it will never capture my heart.

Shaping of the Church

"Over a two-thousand-year period, but especially in the last two hundred years, we have jerked and tugged the Christian faith out of its original soil, its life-giving source, which is an honest relationship with God through Jesus the Christ. After uprooting the faith, we have entombed it in a declaration of adherence to a set of beliefs. The shift has left us with casual doctrinal assent that exists independent of a changed life. We have made the Cross into a crossword puzzle, spending our time diagramming byzantine theories of atonement. How did the beauty of Jesus’ atoning work get isolated from the wonder of restoring an authentic relationship between God and humanity?"

Western Christianity is largely belief based and church focused. It is concerned with landing on the right theology and doctrine and making sure everyone else toes the line. The Jesus trimtab, in contrast, is relationship based and world focused. It is concerned not so much with what you believe as with whom you are following. It is less invested in maintaining and growing an institution and more invested in Jesus’ passion for saving the world. - Leonard Sweet

So what do you think about this quote? Is this a dangerous position or a good position that pushes Christianity forward?

btw- I do not know what trimtab is but it is in the quote so I left it there.

Independence or Catastrophe?

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the day Israel officially became a nation. For the Israeli's they celebrate their independence but for the Palestinians living here they call this day "Catastrophe Day" when they remember the 750,000 Palestinians that were displaced 60 years ago.
Obviously this situation is quite complex and not easily solved but I can tell you that living here and being friends with people on both sides of the situation only makes matters worse. I know many Christians interpret certain scriptures that talk of Israel possessing land to be pre-requisites to the Messiah's return. This week I even heard one say that we (Christians) will stand behind Israel and help them possess their land so that we can help usher in the Messiah.
Putting all interpretation aside, I want to question anyone who feels that he or she can help usher in the Messiah. Do I support Israel's right to exist as a nation and believe that they have a role in God's plan? Yes. Do I support Palestinians and their right to fair treatment? Yes. All I want to question at this point is the mindset that says God needs us to politically maneuver in order to help His plans come to fruition. He is God and He will have his way so our job is to live our lives modeling the life and values of Jesus with everyone.

40 Days

This is a somewhat random post that will only make sense to a few but it is certainly open for all to know.
Almost 40 days ago some people to pray with us regarding future decisions. The time is up on May 19th so hopefully in the next couple of weeks we can clarify some thoughts as to what will happen with our family next year. What is almost certain is that we will not be living in Jerusalem or Arkansas.

Mother's Day

Here are a few quotes in honor of Mother's Day.

My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.

- Mark Twain

An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.
-GK Chesterton

One of life's greatest mysteries is how the boy who wasn't good enough to marry your daughter can be the father of the smartest grandchild in the world.
-Jewish proverb

מבהן אמצע

A long time ago I said I would ocassionally post some of my school work but lets be honest, who really wants to read college papers? But since my modern Hebrew has crossed a plateau from saying "I like cake" to basic conversations, I thought I would post my mid term essay from class. If you read Hebrew you will quickly find that this is well done for an 11 year old which is somewhere around the level of my written Hebrew.

אני הושב חשוב שללמוד באוניברסיטה ולטייל בעולם. חשוּב ללמוד באוּניברסיטה כי אי אפשר לעבוד בעבודה טובה בלי תואר. אבל אני הושב שאפשר ללמוד כשמטיילים. כשאני מטייל אני לומד גאוגרפיה ואני רואה את המקומות החשובים בהיסטוריה. כשאני מטייל אני גם לומד תרבויות אחרות. בעבר, טיילתי בהרבה מקומות ופגשתי אנשים מעניינים שאף פעם לא למדתי עליהם באוּניברסיטה. הבעיה שבלי כסף, אי אפשר לטייל ובלי עבודה אין כסף. אני הושב שאנשים צריכים ללמוד באוניברסיטה, לעבוד, ואז לטייל כשיש להם כסף. אז אפשר ללמוד הרבה דברים

What We Love

Tonight my family hosted 4 college aged students for a little Cinco De Mayo (Jerusalem Style) dinner. 2 students live here in Israel and understand the ups and downs of Jerusalem and the other 2 recently graduated from college and have been living and working in Uganda. They appreciated familiar food and a comfortable home. As always my boys were happy to entertain the guests, my wife was happy to host and make them feel comfortable, and I simply enjoyed the conversation and the opportunity to give these 4 people a break from the norms of their lives.
It is nights like these when we are reminded of our joy in serving people and helping them to rest and rejuvenate. I may be scrubbing toilets to earn money to support the family next year but I know that I will also have to be involved in teaching and encouraging other people in their personal journeys of faith. We can't wait to see what that will look like.

Shaping of the Church: Comfort & Convenience

In his book, "Forgotten Ways", Alan Hirsch writes about life in suburbs as being all about having life comfortable, convenient, and safe. He goes on to say that the suburban churches cater to this mentality and must offer the same for the people or they will go somewhere else.
I forget where it is in the Bible that calls for a comfortable, convenient, and safe faith. The Bible I read talks about followers being imprisoned, beaten, and killed for their faith. We read about people called to go into dangerous lands, to live with integrity even if it effects the income, to fast, pray, give, love, forgive, and to serve the least, the worst, and the most difficult. We hear stories of passion that can't be quenched, of faith that can't be shaken, and of a God that will be praised.

As I think about these things I wonder how the suburban church can create this environment. The truth is that life in the suburbs is good in the sense that we can be safe and comfortable and it is convenient to do almost anything (and frankly I like this life). The problem is that this can easily create complacency but since we can't move out of the "burbs", what can the church practically do to get followers of Jesus to reclaim the dangerous (or forgotten) ways of Jesus and the first Christians?

Home SWEET Home

Taking a week off to visit Greece was a nice break from life here in Jerusalem but returning home brought a certain level of comfort. It was nice to be in Greece where every meal consisted of various combinations of meat and dairy which we do not have in Israel. It was nice to wake up each morning and not have to check the news to see if "anything happened" the night before. It was nice to see churches everywhere and to not worry about how I would be treated if people knew where I was from or what I believed. My wife would say that it was nice to be able to wear shirts that "showed her shoulders" and shorts. Of course it was also nice to be in Greece for all of the other tourist type reasons but that is for another time.

With all of the great things about Greece, something strange happened when we went to the airport to check into our El Al flight back to Israel. We were greeted in Hebrew and were whisked through the extra screening process that this airline does on all of their flights. As we sat on the flight we spoke Hebrew and ate Kosher food. Upon arriving in Tel Aviv the passport control did not ask one question, they simply gave us a stamp and let us in (they undoubtably have our names cleared in their computers by now).

We then saw an Orthodox man handing out Matzah bread for Pesach (Passover) and when my wife went to receive his gift he turned away and shunned her. The next morning I woke up and checked the news to see "if anything happened" and found out that their was a fist fight between Armenian Priests and Greek Orthodox Priests at the tomb of Jesus (they consistently dispute who has the rights over certain parts of the church where the tomb is located). Next I read about a Yeshiva student who walked naked through a supermarket in protest of a recent ruling that allows stores to sell leavened products during the week of Pesach. Later in the day I was in the park with my boys and began talking with an 11 year old here who told me that "Christians are crazy... they kill Jews and mix their blood with Matzah". I then told him that I was a Christian and was hoping to mix his blood when he left the park. Maybe I didn't say that but I did inform him that I was a Christian and he changed his whole tune and was actually a nice kid (with the exception of his racism).

The rest of the week there are two protests planned by Orthodox Jewish groups against the "leaven laws", there are several restaurants that are choosing to sell leavened bread that are bracing for violence and arson attacks. Meanwhile all Palestinians who live in the West Bank are restricted from crossing the border for the entire week and some are talking about responding next week.

This week in our house we are back to using our meat dishes for meat and dairy dishes for dairy, we are sneaking leavened bread with each meal, we bought some groceries in East Jerusalem on Shabbat, we had dinner with our Palestinian friends in a non-kosher restaurant last night, we are struggling with our kids through home-school, and we are glad to be settling right back into life here. Ahhhh Jerusalem, our home sweet home.

Spring Break 2008- No Regrets

Since I am once again a college student this year Spring Break actually has significance for me once again. So for the next two weeks (I know 2 weeks is long but remember that we have no Christmas Break) I have no classes! My family will once again take a little adventure to explore the lands of the Bible. This time we will be in parts of Greece so I will be away for a few days. Enjoy.

The Fifth Gospel

Some say that living in Jerusalem is the "Fifth Gospel" of Jesus. In other words, the Gospels as we have them in the New Testament scriptures tell us about the life of Christ in His context and give us incredibly challenging examples of how to respond in everyday life but the "Fifth Gospel" forces us to see the deeper truths of these gospels and how they work today.

For example, I read about "the Good Samaritan" and often wonder why this story seems to exaggerate a culture that is so prejudice against each other that they cannot offer the slightest glimmer of grace. Then I see in the "Fifth Gospel" that this level of hatred and cultural arrogance is possible and even normal for many today. I have heard Jews refer to Arabs as "thieves, scum, and peasants". I have heard Arabs refer to Jews as "Neo-Nazis, Occupiers, and terrorists". I have heard others referring to Christians as "Soul Stealers and infidels". I have heard Armeanean Christians call Greek Christians insane, I have heard Modern Orthodox Jews refer to Ultra Orthodox Jews as "Draft Dodgers" and "leeches". I could go on because the fact is everyone here is labeled as something and who you are comes with assumptions. But then I see true Christ followers put aside all of these labels and work to love all. I see Christians threatened as they offer aid to people in Gaza. I see Jesus followers risk their "visa" status by going to Iraq to get medical help for Iraqi children. I see Christian organizations offering help to Jewish orphans that the country of Israel doesn't even help. In other words, the most needy are helped by the one group that is the "lowest" in this culture- the Jesus followers.

Fifth Gospel Chapter 2: I read about "turning the other cheek" in an Eastern culture that believes in the "Golden Rule" of "eye for eye, tooth for tooth". Rabbis and Sheiks teach their communities that it is acceptable and even necessary to respond to violence with violence. It is actually amusing to watch Western leaders try to negotiate peace when they have no concept of the value of family/tribes and the deeply ingrained value of justice in this culture. The very culture of this place requires an ongoing cycle of violence that can only end if one side is willing to accept the disgrace of not avenging a wrong that has been done. The Fifth Gospel shows a follower of Jesus who forgives the group who disguised a bomb in the form of a present that forever changed the life of his 15 year old son. My natural response is to find the people who did this and let my Middle-Eastern Side show, but Jesus says turn the other cheek because he knows that the cycle can only end through lovers of peace and forgiveness.

The Fifth Gospel also helps us wrestle with the questions about the "Promised Land" or "Chosen People". The Fifth Gospel shows us what it means to "consider the cost" or how narrow the road really is. The Fifth Gospel teaches us that following Christ still might cost us everything and that the Word becoming Flesh really is a big deal. In the Fifth Gospel we see that Jesus' example really is the only hope for the world and that followers of Jesus really do have the capacity to make life better for everyone. The Fifth Gospel also gives me compassion for the disciples and causes me to not think they were so dumb after all because it is not always easy to see how this faith works. Like those disciples, I now have things that I once thought I understood about scripture cause me to scratch me head in confusion.

In the Fifth gospel I understand what it means when God says, "You honor me with your lips but your hearts are far from me", I begin to see the value in obedience over sacrifice, and I see just how big some mountains are to move. I recognize just how many "houses are built on sand" and how I often relate more to the rich man who struggled to give up everything than to the widow who gave all she owned. I see why God rejoices over one sheep that is found and why he wept when he saw Jerusalem from the top of Mount of Olives. In the Fifth Gospel I know why it was a big deal for the disciples to stay awake with their Lord and why it is upon people that the Church is built and that the world is changed.

The bottom line is that not everyone will ever have the opportunity of "living the Fifth Gospel" and I am grateful for the opportunity that I have had. I now just hope that I am able to inspire a group of people to put the reality of all of the Gospels into practical form in the context of the USA. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Reality Check

On this blog and our other blog we told you about the Jewish tradition of celebrating the events of the book of Esther during the holiday of Purim. One of the customs of this event is to give gift baskets to friends and to families in need. This year one family that is associated with our church here in Jerusalem received a Purim basket from someone. The problem is when their 15 year old son opened this basket it exploded and destroyed their house and critically injured the son.
The miracle is that the son is still alive but the tragedy is that people here are justifying this act of terror as an "act of self defense". The father of the son (who has been threatened because he leads a Bible Study with Messianic Jews) is calling for the grace and mercy of Jesus while many (but certainly not all) in the Jewish community say the attack was justified. One Rabbi said that the whole building would have been blown up if Jews weren't living there. On the local news, they said, "Wherever there are missionaries, there will be anti-missionaries" and they acted as if this is okay.
This weekend we took an offering to help this family repair their home and tonight Sara and I received an email calling on all across the globe to pray for Ami Ortiz (the boy seriously injured). Also this week we heard of another person from our church who is friends with "our dear Martyr Romi" who was kidnapped in Gaza for declaring his faith in Christ.
Let this serve as a reminder to all of us who are comfortable in our Western cities and our Christian nations. Living for Christ comes at a cost that we must be willing to pay. Let us join together to pray and let us not become so complacent that our faith is routine and safe.

Shaping of the Church

Now that Easter has passed and churches work this week on "follow up" directed to all of the visitors from this year's celebrations, I thought this would work as a good time to introduce a "Shaping of the Church" topic. It has been a while since I have done this so hopefully you are ready to offer some opinions and as always, hopefully some of you will have different opinions which will lead to a fight. (Okay maybe not a fight, but some real thinking).

My question is this: How should the Church utilize days like Easter and Christmas when people come who do not usually come to church? Does making these days into large productions intended to entertain or creatively proclaim the message of the day actually take away from true celebration and worship? Should churches even change their usually style of worship for these days?

Hag Samaech (Happy Holiday)

Yesterday we celebrated Easter here in Jerusalem and had a great time thinking about the message that Jesus brought to this very city so many years ago. Once again it was a joy to celebrate a meaningful holiday here while the rest of the city struggles to live up to its name "The City of Peace". You can read more about our experiences with Easter at The Jerusalem Letters .

One of the strangest things for me this year was celebrating Easter while the Jewish community celebrated Purim (Commemorating the events of the Book of Esther). Interesting traditions have formed around this holiday such as dressing in costumes, eating pastries called "Haman's Ears", and the requirement for all males to get so drunk that their judgment is severely impaired.

After our time in the park with family and friends as we celebrated Easter, one friend and I took a late night walk through the Old City of Jerusalem to "people watch". It was one of those warm summer evenings where it felt good to just be outside. As we walked through the city we noticed a large presence of Israeli Military working to maintain order and we noticed hundreds of Ultra Orthodox Jews celebrating the liberation that came in the Book of Esther. Unfortunately the drunkenness that overwhelmed the city took away from the true joy they could have in remembering the events.

We walked by a Yeshiva school where young men spend their entire days studying the Torah and we saw one future Rabbi sitting outside in a Mexican sombrero while his friend vomited in the bushes next to them. We passed hundreds of people so drunk that they slurred their speech and had trouble walking. They were so drunk that they actually thought I spoke Hebrew clearly. As we wandered through the streets, we made our way to the Western Wall which is a place of prayer and important Jewish events such as Bar Mitzvahs. The wall was packed with people which is not so unusual because the Ultra Orthodox Jews seem to spend a lot of time outside late at night. (It is not uncommon to see whole families with small children walking the streets at 1:00 AM). When we arrived at the wall we were amused at a group of young men signing a dancing together. Most of them were clearly fulfilling their requirement to be drunk.

You can see what we saw here:


This morning as I made my way to class I noticed how everyone seemed very tired and how they didn't look so good. People were sleeping on the buses and the campus was virtually empty due to the hangovers. I love the expressiveness of the Jewish culture and have no problem with loud celebrations (I think Christians should celebrate more joyfully like they did here on Palm and Easter Sundays) but I just can't figure out how excessive drinking and impaired judgment helps remember God's goodness and deliverance. All I could do is shake my head and wish everyone a Happy Holiday (even though I was referring to a different Holiday of Liberation).

Happy Easter

We are away for a couple days due to the "Purim" Holiday here in Israel. This is basically the holiday that remembers the events of the book of Esther. It has become a holiday that basically allows people to go a bit crazy here. There is actually a Rabiinical law that has been passed (not national law) that says that you must get so drunk that you cannot tell the righteousness of Mordecai from the wickedness of Haman. As a result, the country has a day or two of complete drunkeness, loud music/ partying, and most people dressed in costumes. As I write this quick update I see a man wearing a short skirt and high heals all in honor of the Jews lives being spared thousands of years ago.
I will tell you more about it later and hopefully even have some photos of ultra-orthodox Rabbis cross-dressing!

In the meantime, my family decided that we did not want the craziness of Purim to interfere with the joy of Easter so we left Jerusalem where the partying is at its worse and decided to spend a few days on the Red Sea.
Perhaps this year as the Jews celebrate their lives being spared, Christians should do the same because that is what Jesus made possible through his death and resurrection. So I will give a real post next week so until then celebrate the life that is possible to you through Jesus.

Blessed is He Who Comes

Yesterday I posted some thoughts about Palm Sunday on
The Jerusalem Letters
and I told how our family celebrated with thousands others on the streets of Old Jerusalem. Today I wanted to continue the theme and add a few more thoughts.

The first church I worked at (Lake City Community Church) had a Palm Sunday tradition when they gave all of the young kids palm branches, they put them in front of the church, and sang songs like "Hosana in the Highest". Out of all of the children in the church, each year we watched about 20% of them actually sing along with the music, 10% just stood there staring into space, 30% waved continuously at their parents (or random strangers), 10% danced to the music, 5% picked their noses, 5% walked off the stage, 5% would sit down and dissapear in the crowd, 5% cried, and the remaining 10% would happily beat each other with the palm branches. (I am confident that my kids would fall into this last category if given the chance). The point is not what the children were doing as much as the point being that there is something pure about kids worshipping the Messiah. They don't bother with conspiracy theories, political debates over the role of the Messiah, or source critical approaches to the prophetic texts. They simply worship.

This year I had the complete joy of not only participating in this celebration including believers in the Risen Messiah from all over the world, but I had the added joy of watching my family join in as well. At one point we were at the intersection of St Stephen Street which leads into the Old City from Mount of Olives and a Hispanic group was playing guitars and banging drums while singing "catchy" worship songs. I looked over at my 5 year old and saw him standing on a pillar, clapping, and joining in the singing. His smile was priceless and his Savior must have been pleased.

Earlier in the day we were at home and read the account of Jesus' entry into the city and we talked about it as a family. My 8 year old wanted to know how to write the Hebrew wording from Ps 118:26 (which is quoted in Matthew). I wrote it for him and he proceeded to give a fairly good attempt at writing the transliteration (how it sounds in English) underneath the words. I firmly believe that knowing Hebrew assists in appreciating the scriptures but I am not one who thinks it is somehow more "spiritual" but hearing my son say the words in their original language had a special meaning.

Our Messiah has come and He saves! As they worshipped nearly 2000 years ago, may we worship and say, "Blessed is who comes in the Name of the Lord!"
Baruch ha-ba ha shem Adonai!
Psalm 118:26
ברוך הבא השם יהוה, ברכנוכם מבית יהוה׃

The Daily Grind

In the past several years leading up to this year in Israel, I had a weekly routine of meeting at our local "It's a Grind" coffee shop with a friend (Derek) to discuss issues of life, God, theology, and ceramics. Later in the week I would have a similar conversation with college students at the same coffee shop. As the years went by, this place became like "Cheers" for me. I knew all of the employees and at least knew all of the regular patrons by face and the made up name I gave to each of them. There was homeless Tom ( who I don't think was actually homeless), Andy my friend the Barista and Math nerd. There was Randy the owner and Handsome Rob who always had a Perrier and esspresso before working. Raymond (again, not his real name) was there all of the time watching "Everyone Loves Raymond" on his laptop. Some days there was a tall, bearded Asian sitting in the corner designing web-sites, and often I would see a business man from our church who worked from home and therefore used this place as a office.

This place is one of the things I miss the most about my old home. It's not that the coffee was great, except for the Aztec Mochas! It was that, like Cheers, it was a place where I knew an unusually wide mix of people and where we were comfortable together. Today on my beloved #30 bus that takes me from my neighborhood to school, I realized that this has some of those same dynamics for me here in Israel.
I know most of the bus drivers now and actually really enjoy seeing some of them. On the bus, I see many familiar faces and even have some sort of unspoken bond with many of them that I see on the bus each day. Today I sat by Crazy Moshe because no one will ever sit by him. I'm not sure if he is actually crazy, but he is an Orthodox Jew with the suit, hat, and long- thick-grey tendrils coming out from his brown (not black) hat. His beard is dark black contrasting with his gray hair, his clothes are dirty, he talks to himself (at least I don't think he is talking to me), and he always wears gloves. In front of us was Paul (named after a friend I have in California who looks just like him). He is a student at the University and rides the bus from the same stop as me. Then there was Dreadlock (guess why he has that name) and a girl from Ethiopia who works as a Security Guard at the University. Next to me on the other side was a drunk Jewish man and in front of us were two Arab students heading across town.
By the time we neared the campus, I looked at all of the people in the bus and marveled at the diversity and thought that this is one thing from here that I will miss. Although we don't really know each other, if we saw each other anywhere other than the bus the moment of recognition would bear testimony to the silent bonds that form while sitting in Jerusalem traffic. This isn't as deep or thought provoking as my time in "Grind", but it is equally satisfying on many levels.

By the way, I am a regular at one of the campus coffee shops and will miss Romi, the Barista who knows what I want before I ask. The Latte he makes really sucks, but it is the best Israel can offer.

The Problem With Dog Poop

Today it was about 75 degrees here in Jerusalem and tomorrow they expect the temperature to reach 80! After 3 fairly cold months this feels great but there is a problem with it.
As many of you know (or should know) trouble is brewing once again in the Gaza Strip. Hamas (a designated terrorist group) took over the strip last summer and since that time Israel has kept that small piece of land under siege. Everyday from behind the walls, people have been launching rockets at towns in Israel. Since last summer , around 2000 rockets and mortars have been sent into Israeli towns. This week the Israeli military raided Gaza Strip in an effort to stop the rockets. Now, the leadership here says that they will launch a full scale attack against Hamas when the weather gets nicer. (I guess problems in Israel are like dog poop. In the winter the poop freezes and you kinda forget about it for a while. Then when the weather gets warmer, that poop warms up and begins to stink).
Already this week the security is tighter and some protests have occurred throughout the West Bank and here in Jerusalem. It seems that everyone knows that there will soon be a war in Gaza but no one knows what this will do to the rest of the country. I have already been a bit more cautious on buses and I have been much quicker when visiting crowded public markets just to reduce the chance of being caught between retaliatory attacks.
My wife and I were in the World Trade Towers on September 10th, 2001 and we remember how strange it felt to wake up the next day and see what happened. But after that time, I never worried about entering a building or getting on a bus or train in America. Now we know that Springtime is here, the dog poop is thawing, and soon Hamas and Israel will collide. Our hope is that innocent people are spared.

A New Semester

We have begun a new semester here in Jerusalem and I am actually excited for it. All of my papers are in from the last semester so now is time to turn the focus. Because I am also beginning plans on returning to America and working as a teaching pastor somewhere, I wanted to keep my schedule light.
I have Hebrew 10 hours a week so I can improve on my sentence, "I like cake". Then I have one class specifically studying the life of Abraham and another examining Theophanies (appearances of God) in the Old Testament. One class is taught by a professor from Finland... yes I will try to play my "I am Finnish" card to get a better grade. The other class is taught by a Jewish man who resembles the appearance of Albert Einstein. He has a full head of messy gray hair that protrudes out from under his Kippa.

Both classes read only in Hebrew and both require extensive preparation of the text each week. Because my classes last semester had more to do with the background of the Bible and not the text, I am excited to spend the time diving into these books. I will likely combine my preparations for preaching next year with some of the texts we will be examining. So, for the next 3 months I will work to become an expert on OT texts and hopefully will have some fresh insight to share. If not, I will try to impress you by speaking Hebrew.

Check in later this week for the next "Shaping of a Church".

(Almost) Everything that's on my mind

The following are random thoughts in no specific order...

We were in Egypt last week so I have been absent from the blog world for a few days.

My 8th month old baby has already been to 4 different continents and has "seen" the Redwood Forest, Windsor Castle, the Pyramids of Giza, ancient Petra, and old Jerusalem. What will his checklist look like by the time he is 30?

My older boys (8 and 5) know the difference between Jews, Muslims, and Christians and actually have real conversations about the relationship between these religions. Don't worry, they still think words like burp, fart, and toilet are funny.

An Egyptian man offered me 5 camels for my wife and kids but he wouldn't throw in the "Pyramids" keychain so we were unable to reach a deal.

I am ready to live in America again but probably need to find a job.

I realized that I have the best 3 boys and wife that money, or camels, can't buy.

Like a normal college student I am counting the time until Spring Break and then the end of the semester. The difference is that I do not care about the degree, I just want to learn. I have become one of those annoying old people that do all of the reading and that come with new questions and proposals for the class.

"Bucket Lists" cause people to quit jobs and live in the Middle East... or the Bahamas.

More than one month of winter weather is too much. Thank God for California.

If I was a billionaire I would be doing the same thing that I am today but I would be doing it from a nicer home, a newer computer, and my butler would be washing my empty glass of fresh squeezed Pomegranite juice... and I would probably have a car.

I have read about 7 good books and 3 bad ones in the past 4 months.

I set aside 1 minute every day so that at the end of the year I have a few hours to myself.

I have Dave Crowder, Bone Thugs, Norah Jones, Jars of Clay, and Poison playing in the background while I study. And that is the secret to great grades.

I miss the students I used to work with but honestly hope they connect with their new leader.

I don't know why it seems like the time here in Jerusalem goes by fast but it seems to take forever to do so. Figure that out.

I may actually be the leader of a church next year and I listen to TuPac, I have read all the Harry Potter books, I read the books and listen to the messages by the Presidential candidates before I vote, I am imperfect, I will probably walk or take the bus to work, I think Chris Rock is funny, and I have only read a few chapters of "Purpose Driven Life".

This year I have learned how much I don't know.

Retirement is fun, but coming out of retirement is not going to be easy. Since I want my boys to eat I guess I better suck it up and make sure they have all they need.

Having less food, no car, a small house, and a few suitcases worth of possessions is actually an okay way to live.

Traveling is great and seeing people and places all over the world seems necessary to understand and lead people, but I look forward to returning to my home and being in a place I know. (At least a place where I know the language fairly well).

זאו

Ode to Church as we Know it

This is this week's addition of "the Shaping of the Church" that is intended to create some dialog regarding the focus and potential direction of churches in an American context.

I have been talking a lot about the need for change in churches and my personal desires to be a part of something that feels different from the same old story. In fact, it is not difficult to find people roughly my age and background saying the same things and longing for something new.

Before I mislead you into thinking that everything to do with the "Western Church" as we know it is bad and that everything new is good, please allow me to say that I am grateful for the Western Church. Throughout the history of the "Western Church", we have seen some terrible things happen but we have also seen some amazing things happen.

Lets face it, how many millions of people have received food, shelter, clothing, medicine, and love throughout the entire world as a result of Western Churches. When our federal government was locked in bureaucracy after Hurricane Katrina, it was the Church there meeting needs. When racial hatred continued in the south, it was the churches (not all I admit) that joined in the cry for justice and civil rights. How many people have felt completely hopeless and ready to give up on life until followers of the risen Jesus (from the Church) meet them and love with the unconditional love of God.

Turning to less practical matters, it is the Western Church that encouraged the dialogue between science and theology. It is this same church driven by "baby boomers" that pushed the limits on acceptable worship and paved the way for a new generation of new churches. The Church has forced mainstream culture to wrestle with how to expand the message of tolerance even to those with religious convictions. It is the Church that has delivered messages of hope and practical advice for daily living.

The Church that people like me want to resist and reform is not all bad and still offers hope and guidance to millions of followers today. I do believe that millions more exist who are hungry for meaning in life who have not been able to find that meaning in or traditional churches and who are more likely to in a new church, but let us not be so naive as to believe that everyone will like a new approach.

This new style of church that I talk about often appeals to people because it comes with the promise of really accepting people no matter where they are at in their own spiritual journeys. But that acceptance must also include accepting those who lead and who attend the "Traditional Western Churches" that we are challenging. The truth is that we all have different tastes and styles, and as long as Churches (old and new) live the message of Jesus and seek the priorities of God, I don't care what style is used. As Paul said in his letter to the Philippians, the good news being spread is what matters to me. So thank you traditional western churches for your years of pursuing the truth of the scriptures. May we stand side by side in our efforts to show the world the love of God and to actually be a part of blessing the world through our lives... but you can keep the Starbucks cafe in your lobby, I don't really want it.

Time for Lent Again

The season of Lent has begun and it is the time of year when believers all over give up a vice or a pleasure for the period of 40 days leading to Easter. Because I live in a country that does not acknowledge Easter, and the majority of the people who do celebrate Easter here belong to the Eastern Churches who follow the Jewish calendar and not the Roman calendar used in the West, I did not even realize we are already in this Saeson. (This year the Eastern churches celebrate Easter 3 weeks later than the Western churches). In other words, I have a few more days to decide what to give up so here are some of my preliminary ideas:

What to give up this year for Lent:
I will give up:
1) eating Pepperoni Pizza, Bacon Cheeseburgers, and Ham.
2) eating all shellfish and animals with split hooves and who chew the cud.
3) I will not work.
4) I will do no chores on the Sabbath.
5) I will not drive my car.
6) I will reject all temptations to drink mochas and American Beer.
7) I will not spend any money at Chipotle or Baja Fresh.
8) I will not watch ESPN or the Food Network.
9) I will only eat sandwiches on Pita bread.
10) I will read the Bible in Hebrew.

Remember that this list is just a preliminary list so please do not feel too impressed with my obvious commitment to self-sacrifice and unwavering pursuit of perfection for the Lord. I will keep you posted on the progress.

On a serious note, it is hard to believe that it was a year ago when the group I used to lead took the season of lent to "give up negative" and focus on doing something positive. As a result of the group's desire to do something positive, they raised around $8000 to build wells in Africa through Lifewater. I recommend that you use this season to focus on something positive. It is amazing what you can accomplish is such a short time.

Rhetoric and Philosophy

The other day my wife and I were talking about the gift of rhetoric and the example given by (Socrates?) about the ability for a philosopher skilled in rhetoric to convince a less informed crowd about his/her superior knowledge. The example given was a philosopher convincing an uninformed crowd about some medical procedure he knew nothing about and a knowledgeable doctor without the gift of rhetoric being unable to convince the same crowd of the truth.

I could take this example and show how it plays itself out daily in poilitics, education, and religion, but for the sake of this post I have a confession to make. I am currently living in Jerusalem and studying Hebrew (and other subjects) at Hebrew University. This is a University that prides itself in its level of education but it is one that holds dearly to a "German-Style" evaluation and grading proceedure. In other words, comprehensive exams without any subjectivity are preferred. This means that one cannot B.S. his/her way through the exams. For a person like me, this is troubling. Because I have spent most of my education in Humanities where I have the luxury of waxing-eloquently through the course material, my style of limited studying for exams is having its limits tested.

In addition to my exam-preparation techniques, I have the added workload of being a good father, husband, and tourist. All this to say, I feel like I am learning at a break-neck pace but my grades in some classes (especially Hebrew) are not ones to write home about. The fact that I am learning the language will be helpful when I return to America and use "rhetoric" to show my knowledge of the subject but it simply does not help the ego here and now that you know the truth, please do be impressed there.

I am a firm believer in aquiring knowledge in all areas (remember my quest to get rid of uneducated Christians), and I enjoy the process of learning new things. But I am also a believer in the adage "knowledge puffs up" and I have a pet peeve against those who live to show others how smart they are. So I guess I am saying that for all those (like me) who like to use rhetoric to show off their knowledge, just keep in mind that you are not as smart as you think you are. in fact, I reccommend that you spend time with people who make you feel dumb to help keep the ego in check and to remind you that pride comes before the fall. So here's to all of us that feel "dumb" sometimes. Don't give up the pursuit of knowledge and truth but please do not ever feel like you have arrived.... because you probably haven't. ! מזל תוֹב

Super Tuesday (Shaping of the Church)

Today is a decisive day in American politics and I have fortune and misfortune of being away from the country so I miss all of the hype of the presidential primary season. As I look at the candidates I am excited to see that at least this election will come with some new choices for American voters. We will have either an African American (Obama) or a woman (Clinton) on one side and we will have a republican who is willing to admit that his ideas change in time (McCain) or a Billionare (Romney)... okay so the billionare thing has been done before. Either way we look at it, we will see some type of change in the country, for better or for worse.
Without making an official endorsement for anyone or responding to any of his specific ideas, I did want to mention something that Barack Obama said that caught my attention,

" Today, you can join nearly half the nation in saying that we are tired of business-as-usual in Washington, we are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again."

I know that this is a typical rhetoric among politicians but allow me to take these words and move them to the church. From this point on I will post an idea every week or two called "The Shaping of the Church" and it is intended to involve all of you in a conversation that will hopefully lead to the formation of some healthy ideas. For now, I want to begin with Obama's words for the nation, "Today, you can join nearly half the nation in saying that we are tired of business-as-usual in Washington, we are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again."
As for me, I am tired of business as usual in American churches, I am hungry for change, and I am ready to believe again". I'm tired of basing the success of the church by the number of attendees or the money that comes in. I am tired of pastors giving simple sermons that they have been giving for years seemingly out of obligation and not an excitement for new discoveries of truth. I am tired of churches saying they "accept everyone" but get incredibly uncomfortable when "everyone" walks through their doors.
I have seen enough "church models" mimicked in communities all over the country in hopes that "mega-churches" will be duplicated. I have witnessed too many pastors and other leaders sacrifice their families, friends, and their own personalities, "in the service of the Lord". I am disgusted when the church works to follow the corporate model of leadership and labors to keep "the shareholders" pleased (I will address the "shareholders" at another time). I am done with the endless desire to build bigger buildings and bigger programs (buildings and programs are not necessarily bad, but how many needless buildings are built for image?)
I lose hope in this system when I hear endless stories of people feeling "burned" or rejected by their church and the leadership. I am angered when church leaders and/or volunteers hurt innocent kids and ignore the needs of the under-privileged or the justice of the oppressed. I grow weary with each story from those who are not followers of Jesus who say they don't want anything to do with the God of "those Christians" because Christians are not kind or pleasant.
I believe that the Church (the Bride of Christ) is a good thing and it is necessary for joining with God in His redemptive work on earth. Rob Bell, the teaching pastor at Mars Hill Church in Michigan, refers to the Bride of Christ as a beautiful thing. He goes so far as naming their church's conference the "Isn't she beautiful" conference. The problem is that for many, the bride is not beautiful, she is ugly.
As my family considers plans to return to the country and lead a church, we are wrestling with the desire to make the Church better in the process. It is time for me to believe again and to be a part of a movement that helps others believe again. I do believe that a gathering of followers (and people searching for truth) of the Risen Messiah can live in a way that causes others to believe again. I do believe that we can be a part of a movement that revolutionizes the Bride of Christ. Maybe I'm crazy but I guess I just have the "audacity to hope".

So here is an assignment. Read Isaiah 1 (which is about Jerusalem around 700 BC) and let us look for the heart of God. Let us take this passage out of context slightly and apply it to churches you know. If we were part of a renewed movement, what are some things it should (or should not) look like?

Jesus is Difficult

In my 13 years of working with people in church settings, it is amazing how many times I had to help people struggle with the fact that following Christ is not easy. I believe there is a tendency within churches to over-simplify difficult things in life by saying helpful things like, “just trust in God and everything will work out”, or “ if you just have a little more faith you can overcome this struggle”, or “you need to be praying and reading your bible more and then things will go better for you”. Although these are good things to do, the problem is that when they do not work as a magical formula for a better life or and easy life, people lose hope.

Christians tend to give easy memorized answers in difficult times but I have found that these are not words that often comfort someone in a major crisis or that motivate a person who is making poor choices in his/her life. In these cases sometimes all we can say is, “Life is difficult and living like Jesus is even more difficult… sorry”.

The truth is that following Jesus will not always make you feel great but I do believe that you will never find someone at the end of his/her days regretting any effort to embrace the ways of Jesus. How many times have you heard a person reach the end of his/her life and say things like, "I wish I would have cheated on my taxes more because then I would have had more money", or "I wish I would have spent less time with orphans and spent more time on myself", or even "I wish I would have just given in to every sinful desire instead pursuing a life lived for God". We all know that living for ourselves would be easier but is it better?

For example, Jesus says “blessed are the peacemakers” but I think it is more fun and exciting to fight.
Jesus says, “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (right relationships with God and others)”, but I think it is easier to hunger and thirst for what I want.
Jesus says, “I do not condemn you, now go and sin no more” but I only like the first part of that saying.
Jesus models a life of service of others, of compassion and forgiveness, of extreme devotion to God the Father, of purity, in positive relationships with others around him (even the Pharisees if you care to study those passages properly). He gave us an example of God’s character and told us to do the same so that the world could have hope in something better.

The problem is that the way of Jesus is unattainable for us so it is just easier to fall on the grace of God and give up. The problem is that this doesn’t actually make our lives or the lives of others around us any better. Most thinking people would agree that decisions to live for ourselves hurt more people than it helps but for some reason that truth doesn't seem to be enough to motivate many of us to avoid selfish living. Perhaps the fact that churches have tried to simplify the answers and to fit everything into a formula has actually hurt. Maybe when the simple forumlas do not work is when followers lose hope and actually allow themselves to fall further away. I think it is time for churches to quit hiding behind quick fixes and simple formulas that can be attained in a 30 minute message and help followers of Jesus come to the realization that this is not an easy road, but it really is a good road. Jesus actually never gave a message titled, “How to have an amazing life”, or “10 ways to be a better person”, but he did say that he comes to give "life to its fullest".

I don't believe that Jesus gives us a list of "do's and don'ts", but he did leave an example of how to live in a way the refreshes, renews, and joins in the revolution of reclaiming the earth that God created. I’m calling on followers of the risen Jesus to choose the hard road. To give up the pleasure of gossip, to give up the fighting over trivial points in theology (because I believe we are all wrong on some things), to give up our pursuit of personal pleasures that only hurt others, and to give up our arrogance and disdain for those not following Jesus. I’m calling on all followers to smile more, to laugh more, to encourage more, and to put others first. Let us recognize that we have chosen a “narrow” road but it is a road that brings hope to the entire world.
I will end with the words of a songwriter that I often quote (not Eminem, the other songwriter).
“The world says follow your heart, but my heart just led me into my chest. They say follow your nose but the direction changed every time I went and turned my head. They say follow your dreams, but my dreams are only misty notions. But the father of hearts, the maker of noses, the giver of dreams is the One I have chosen and I will follow Him”…. and that is difficult but it is good.