Called Out

Praying for Haiti

2010-01-14T10:34:00.003-06:00

There are some times in life when happenings around the globe grip us at a core level. For some reason, the recent earthquake in Haiti has gripped me in that way. I find myself thinking about Haiti, a place I've never been. Crying and praying for people I've never met.

Yesterday, I recorded a couple of my thoughts and a prayer with the help of my good friend, Fred.

The two best things we can do for our friends in Haiti are to pray and give.

Pray for:

Physical Needs (like food, water, shelter, medical treatment)
The Removal of any obstacles that would prevent help from reaching the need
Peace
Strength
Courage

And don't forget to give. Here is how we're responding at Indian Creek Community Church:

100% of personal or corporate contributions to Indian Creek’s Live Out Haiti Relief Fund will be forwarded directly to the relief effort. Give online and designate the funds where it says “Other” and write Haiti Relief in the “comments” section. We will also take a special offering this Sunday.
· In the coming days, we will partner with others such as Heart to Heart International's Global Distribution Center work in KCK. As we have news about the volunteer mobilization, we will pass it on. If we hear of opportunities to provide on-the-ground assistance, we will pass them on, but with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army taking on major roles, civilian opportunities to serve may be limited.
· We will gather supplies for Care Kits containing a specific list of practical hygiene items as soon as an Indian Creek leader steps in to lead it. We have all the instructions to accomplish this as a church! If you want to lead this effort contact Dave Geenens at Dave@inhancedleaderhip.com
We have a partnering relationship with The Church of God in Haiti, The Church of God (Anderson), has a significant presence in the country, with 233 congregations and 32,000 constituents. You can make an immediate donation to the Disaster Relief Fund by clicking here.
We are friends with Troy and Janet McMahon who lead Restore Community Church in Kansas City, MO. They partner with C3 Missions- the Global Orphan Project, http://theglobalorphanproject.org/, to build orphanages and clinics for children living in extreme poverty.

We continue to look for the best ways to help the most people. After all, that's what it means to follow Christ. We are his hands and feet of love, compassion, mercy, and provision.

The Tribe of the Transplatned

2009-12-10T13:00:00.008-06:00

Today, I came across a blog post from Mark Batterson that is a week old. I read it then, loved it. Read it today, loved it again. This time, I have to share. It's an excerpt from his new book, Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity:

Chapter 2: The Tribe of the Transplanted

Several years ago I had the privilege of attending
the National Prayer Breakfast held annually at the Washington Hilton Hotel. The breakfast is a bipartisan gathering of leaders from all branches of government and both houses of Congress as well as delegations of leaders from foreign countries. The speaker that year was Bill Frist. Prior to his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Dr. Frist performed more than 150 heart transplants as a thoracic surgeon. During his remarks, he talked in reverent tones about the moment when a heart has been grafted into a new body and all the surgical team can do is wait in hopes that it will begin to beat. At that point he stopped speaking in medical terms and starting speaking in spiritual terms. He almost seemed at a loss for words as he described that miraculous moment when a heart beats in a new body for the first time. He called it a mystery.

Heart transplants are a marvel of modern medicine, but it goes way beyond what medicine can explain or understand. The heart is more than a physical pump. It doesn’t just circulate five thousand quarts of blood through sixty thousand miles of blood vessels day in and day out. The heart has a mind of its own. Studies suggest that the heart secretes its own brainlike hormones and has cellular memory. So a heart transplant isn’t just physical; it’s metaphysical. Heart transplant recipients don’t just receive a new organ; they receive cellular memories.

In his book A Man After His Own Heart, Charles Siebert shares a scientific yet poetic depiction of a heart transplant he observed at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Not long after, Siebert attended an annual banquet for transplant recipients and he was deeply moved by their profound appreciation for life. They spoke in reverent tones about the second chance at life they had been given. They humbly acknowledged their responsibility to honor the donor. And many of them talked about new desires that accompanied their new hearts.

Siebert concluded—and his research is backed up by numerous medical studies—that transplant recipients don’t just receive a new heart. Along with that new heart, they receive whole new sensory responses, cravings, and habits.

Siebert called this group of heart recipients “the tribe of the transplanted.”

When you give your heart to Christ, Christ gives His heart to you. And you become a part of the tribe of the transplanted. That new heart gives you a new appreciation for life. You humbly acknowledge your responsibility to honor the donor. And the cellular memories that come with that transplanted heart give you whole sensory responses, cravings, and habits. You literally feel different. Why? Because you feel what Christ feels. And chief among those sanctified emotions is compassion. Your heart begins to break for the things that break the heart of God. You become part of the this coup de compassion that started at Calvary. And that is the heart of what it means to love God with all of your heart.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

I am a member of the tribe of the transplanted. God has replaced my heart of apathy, judgement, and pride with a heart that often cares deeply and loves freely. That is a work that only God can do!

How about you? What tribe do you belong to?

Someday

2009-11-16T10:11:00.005-06:00

You know, there are times when I come across a song and it inspires me in an unnatural way. These days, that song is "Someday" by Rob Thomas. Besides the fact that I simply love his voice and the way that this song is arranged, the lyrics inspire something deep within me.

Maybe it's the idea of hope. Or, maybe it's the contrast of emotions represented. Maybe it's the charge to make a difference. Whatever it is, this song inspires me, and makes me think. Take a look:

Rob Thomas "Someday" from Snap Films on Vimeo.

Personally, I'm tired of the "complain mentality" that's so prevalent in our culture. You know, all is not hopeless, all is not loss. There is redemption for it all. I love the chorus:

And maybe someday we’ll figure all this out
Try to put an end to all our doubt
Try to find a way to make things better now that
Maybe someday we’ll live our lives out loud
We’ll be better off somehow, someday

I believe that "someday" is today. And Jesus is the one who's paved the way for it to be a reality. Jesus didn't just come to secure the presence of a few people in heaven, Jesus came to repair that which had been broken. Jesus came to redeem that which had been lost. Jesus came to restore that which had been damaged.

Namely: you.

Me.

Us.

Humanity.

Creation.

All of it.

Truth is: you ARE someone. Just as you are.

Now, go LIVE like it.

Just curious, what does this song inspire with you?

Two Word Tuesday

2009-09-15T16:11:00.003-05:00

So, my friend Judy Sturman has a blog, and she does something she calls "Three Word Thursday". I'm totally stealing her idea. Except, I'm going with Two Word Tuesday. After all, less is more, right?

So, for my first installment of Two Word Tuesday, it's been running through my mind all day:

Holy, Holy

Don't Give Up

2009-09-14T17:50:00.003-05:00

As a part of the 10-4-10 Challenge at Indian Creek Community Church, I'm re-entering the world of the blog (hopefully to stay). I'm going to share what it is that God is teaching me and how He's stretching me.

This past weekend I shared how God has a life of spiritual adventure for each of us. I spent quite a bit of time unpacking the adventure filled life of Joseph found in Genesis 37-45. I told the story and then made a couple of observations.

The first observation that I made was: Joseph Never Gave Up.

Honestly, I'm pretty astounded by this. By all rights, Joseph should have given up. Seriously, the dude couldn't catch a break! First, his brothers hated him. Then, they beat him and sold him into slavery. Then, Potiphar's wife fabricated a story against him resulted in an extended stay in jail. And just when it seemed as though a trip out of jail was in order, the cupbearer completely forgot about the guy who had his back.

Have you ever met someone that just couldn't catch a break? That was Joseph.

But, Joseph didn't throw up his hands and quit at the first sign of adversity. (Or the second. Or the third, for that matter.) He TOTALLY could have, but he didn't. He could have quit. He could have turned to God and said, "Forget you! I'm taking matters into my own hands! Following you has NOT gotten me what I wanted!"

But, I got to thinking, in the end, things turned out just like God had promised him. The dream that Joseph had as a kid came to be, just not like he thought it would be.

What if the only path to the dream that God has for you is one filled with challenges and trials to go along with the thrills and celebrations?

I think we have a tendency to want to give up when things get hard. We dream of a life where things only succeed, where it all goes up and to the right. But, that's not really how it goes is it?

Sometimes, we have tremendous dreams about what could be. And sometimes those dreams are about things that would give honor and glory to God. And sometimes, those dreams don't turn out like we thought they would.

You know, just because it hasn't gone like you thought it would go, does NOT mean that you are a failure!

Once upon a time, God gave you a dream. It may not be going like you planned for it to go . . . don't give up.

Don't lose hope! Don't settle for a lesser dream! Don't jump overboard when things get rough.

Sometimes, the only way to that peak is through the valley.

Can I be honest for a moment?

Those words aren't just for you, they're also for me.

In April, we launched the Gardner Campus of Indian Creek Community Church. And within me was a dream. A dream to see a movement of grace and compassion explode in front of us. A dream to see hundreds of people find their way back to God. I believe God gave me the dream.

Here we sit, a couple of months later, and it hasn't happend like that . . . yet.

But, the dream . . . the dream is still alive. I believe as much today as I have ever believed that the passionate desire of God is to unleash a movement of grace and compassion. I believe with all of my heart that He is working in silent and mysterious ways. I believe countless seeds of love are being sown deep within the heart.

When I prepared those words to share this past weekend, God simply reached down and tapped me on the shoulder.

Ben, those words are for you. Don't give up. I am still very much at work here.

This morning, I heard those comforting words again as I spent some time in the book of Romans. Take a look at the words of Romans 8:31-39

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us
right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have
trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say,
“For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”)
37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, what about you? How is God speaking to you? What is He saying?

Ringing In My Head

2009-09-13T21:56:00.008-05:00

Thoroughly enjoyed my time at Indian Creek Community Church this morning. Personally, I felt the presence and encouragment of the Holy Spirit. That being said, all day long I've had two songs running through my head nearly non-stop. The first, Fire Fall Down, is a song that our worship team taught us today. The second, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, has been a personal favorite of mine for quite some time.

Never heard the songs? Take a quick listen:

Fire Fall Down - Hillsong United

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus - Hillsong

Specifically, there is a portion from each song that I just can't escape. First, from Fire Fall Down:

I'll never be the same.
No, I'll never be the same.

Because I know that You're Alive
You came to fix my broken life
And I'll sing to glorify
Your Holy Name
Jesus Christ

In so many ways, those first four lines describe my life. I am forever grateful for the way that Jesus has absolutely changed my life. You know, I'm not exactly sure where I'd be if it weren't for Jesus. He's given me hope. He's given me comfort. He's shown me what true love looks like. I'll never be the same.

Which leads me to that second song. I think I have found more comfort through the encouraging words of that song than nearly any other.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

You know, I've discovered those words to be so true. All of my problems don't instantly disappear. Everything doesn't magically work out the way I want it to. However, as I fix my eyes on Jesus, as I press into His heart, I regularly experience that the things that I wrestle with become much dimmer. It's strange, really. They were so bright, so domineering of my perspective. But, compared with the light of the grace and glory of Jesus, they seem dim by comparison.

I'm just reveling in those words tonight.

This fall at Indian Creek, we're pressing into the heart of God. We're placing our trust and hope in Him alone.

God, what adventure do you want to take us on?

What bold risks do you want us to take?

What dream have you written on our heart?

My Life: Updated

2009-06-04T17:00:00.002-05:00

As some of you know, this has been an eventful and sad week for Sarah and I. But, I wanted to make a quick post to catch everyone up on what has taken place.

I started out the week feeling very sick. After coming home from church on Sunday, I crashed. Stayed home from work on Monday (which I never do) and took 4 naps. Woke up Tuesday, didn't feel much better. Decided to stay home again.

Meanwhile, Sarah began to experience some bleeding.

What few people knew was that she was 9 weeks pregnant at the time. For various reasons, we hadn't shared our exciting news with many people, but had been celebrating for several weeks in our household. We were very excited to see our family expand at the end of 2009.

On Tuesday morning, Sarah quickly made an appointment to see our doctor who then sent her to get an ultrasound. The news wasn't good, and the outlook for a our little one looked bleak.

By Tuesday night, we were having a miscarriage. Ultimately, this adventure required a late-night ER visit, a middle of the night procedure, and a morning at the hospital.

In the end, we lost an already much-loved baby.

As a family, we are doing well. Obviously, we're sad and shaken by the loss, but we feel like God is providing for us all along the way. I am focusing much of my attention on taking care of my family. We have felt your prayers and support. Your love and encouragement has meant more to us than I can possibly capture in words. You are a treasure to us, more precious than all of the "stuff" that any one person can acquire.

Through it all, I can honestly say that our love and faith in Christ has not wavered. In fact, quite the contrary. It has been the loving, sustaining embrace of God that has carried us through each of the twists and turns. We feel blessed.

I know this is a short post, I just wanted to try to give everyone a quick update of where we're at. I hope to post some reflections later.

Grace and Peace,

Ben

Selective Hearting

2009-03-13T08:16:00.003-05:00

I don't read Steven Furtick's blog often, but I stumbled across this post, Ignoring What They Said, from him today:

Ignoring What They Said

Jesus is in the middle of performing a miracle in Mark 5:36, and some doubters start to voice their cynicism.
To describe Jesus’ reaction, Mark uses a phrase that ministered to me deeply last week:
“Ignoring what they said…”
Then, of course, Jesus goes on to heal the little girl, in spite of the surrounding doubt, teaching us a valuable lesson:
In order to witness the miraculous, sometimes you’ll have to ignore what they said.

Maybe some people are perpetually misjudging your motives, and nothing you say seems to sway their verdict.
Ignore what they said.

Perhaps someone in your past filled your head with insecurity about who you could never be, and what you could never do. (Several people told me adamantly I’d fail as a church planter.)
Ignore what they said.

Sometimes the voice of doubt is internal-and we struggle to tune out the static of condemnation, faithlessness, and worst case scenarios.
Ignore what they said.

If any voice is raising itself in contradiction to the will and Word of God concerning you, be like Jesus.
Practice selective hearing.
Ignore what they said.

That resonates with me and my life. I don't want to be ignorant, but, sometimes, I just need to ignore what they said. Instead, I want to listen to what God says. After all, it's His opinion that really matters . . .

Free to be . . .

2009-03-11T07:06:00.004-05:00

I love music. It's really that simple. I'm by a computer most of the day and more times than not you'll find Pandora opened up in one of my Firefox windows. Not familiar with Pandora? You need to become familiar with Pandora. Free, customizable, internet-based radio. It's like having your own personal DJ that brings you your favorites and few welcome surprises as well. LOVE it. Just saying . . .

A couple of nights ago, we had K-Love on at our house. (My son loves to listen and dance to music, and K-Love is the one station that we don't have to worry about him picking up unfortunate additions to his vocabulary. Not to mention, they play pretty good music.)

I was just playing along having a good time with my little man, and the song "Free To Be Me" by Francesca Battistelli came on. Ever heard it?

Here's a link where you can hear the song and see the lyrics: Free To Be Me

You can also listen to the song via the video below (it's really just audio with a picture, so click play and move on):

As some of you know, I've been on a bit of a journey over the past couple of months. In a sentence, God has been showering these Grace-filled words over my heart: Ben, you are enough. Just be you.

Francesca's song speaks to that.

If you've known me for long, you know that I love people. I love to be around people. I love to be with people. I love to invest in people. But, there's a dark-side to that too. I love to be liked by people. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with having friends. But, I'm a recovering "approval addict". I had years of my life that were dominated by the felt-necessity for all people to like and love me. And so, I would chameleon myself to fit into whatever situation I was in.

I didn't tell extravagant lies or go do things that were way outside of my character. But, I would change simple things: the stories I told, the music I liked, the words I used, the clothes I wore . . . all in an effort to be liked. If I was already liked, I wanted to be liked more. I would even go so far as to compare how much people liked me with how much they liked others. I wanted to be the "most" liked.

It's sick . . . I know.

But, I've been in recovery on that issue for a few years now. For several years, I've been striving to be real, genuine, authentic. I began to speak my piece and move on.

But, if I'm honest, I didn't believe deep-down within me that being me was enough. I had to be more.

Here's what I feel like God is teaching me.

1) God made me.
2) God doesn't make junk.

Therefore, I'm not junk. I am, in fact, God's masterpiece. His fine work of art.

So are you.

The Bible even supports it. Check out the words of Ephesians 2:10 (from the Amplified Bible)

For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

We are God's handiwork. In other words, God made you. God made me. And when He was done, He stepped back and said, "Dang, I'm good." Then, He called over an angel or two just to show off. After a round of high-fives and chest-bumps in celebration of creating me, he created you and the celebration happened again.

No matter where you've been. No matter what you've done. God loves you . . . as . . . you . . . are.

It's just that simple.

I'm resting in that these days. The powerful, life-altering reality of Grace.

I'm free to be . . . me.

AND, you're free to be . . . you.

Uprising

2009-03-03T10:58:00.004-06:00

I'm struck by these words from Karl Barth today:

To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an
uprising against the disorder of the world.

This week, I am committing to spend an hour every day in the Prayer Room at Indian Creek as a time of personal dedication, consecration, and worship. I truly believe with all of my heart that prayer is the the single most under-valued tool in the arsenal of a Christ follower.

It is our way to connect with Father. It is one of the main ways that God brings our heart into alignment with His.

One of the things that I know about my life is this: no matter how much I pray, more is always a good thing. I don't say this in a legalistic or shame-based way, it's just that I'm not sure that I could pray too much in my life.

The beautiful thing is that I can pray at any time, in any place. Stopped at a red light . . . pray. Walking away from a conversation . . . pray. Heading into a meeting . . . pray.

I don't think God is concerned with whether our prayers fit a certain template or pattern. Ultimately, God simply wants to have a personal relationship with you and I. And prayer is a key component of that.

If you're in the area, I highly recommend checking out the Follow Me 24/7 Prayer Journey at Indian Creek. Reserve an hour for yourself. I think it'll be time well spent.

30 Days from Supernatural Provision

2009-03-03T10:53:00.002-06:00

Gary Kendall, Lead Pastor at Indian Creek Community Church, just put up a new post on his blog about where we are as a church. Really good stuff. I highly recommend you check it out!

Read about 30 Days from Supernatural Provision.

Where are you at?

I Surrender

2009-02-24T11:36:00.003-06:00

Against insurmountable obstacles and without a clue as to the outcome, the trusting heart says, 'Abba, I surrender my will and my life to you without reservation and with boundless confidence, for you are my loving father.'
-- Brennen Manning --

Where are you at in trusting God these days?

This has been a huge area of growth for me over the past few months and weeks. I am at a place in my life where I long to put my full trust in the Creator of the Universe. I believe that in His hands is the best place for my life to be. I want to hold nothing back, keep nothing in reserve.

God has given me a dream and a passion to help people find their way back to Him. Honestly, the dream is much too big for me to be able to accomplish or attain on my own. After all, only God can redeem and restore that which is broken. That being said, I believe He wants to use people like you and I in the process. If . . . we are willing to surrender our lives, place them in His loving hands, and trust Him.

As I pray about what God is doing at Indian Creek Community Church as we become one church that meets in multiple locations, I believe that God is calling each of us into this type of trust and surrender in Him. Gary wrote a bit about this on his blog while in China a few days back.

At Indian Creek, we are firmly in the Cycle of Faith. Where are you in the process? Have you caught a fresh vision? Have you bumped up against reality? Have you consecrated yourself? Are you living in provision?

Where are you?

Two Thoughts

2009-02-20T06:58:00.002-06:00

So, last Sunday night we had our first Preview Service for the Gardner Campus of Indian Creek Community Church. By all accounts, it was a great night! Lindsey Phillips, our Worship Arts Pastor, did an amazing job of leading us in a time of worship, I shared a few words that God put on my heart to share, and an AMAZING team of people were there early and stayed late to make it all happen.

This week, I've received two emails that I want to anonymously share.

From one of the Gardner team members:

Ben,

Last night was perfect!! Great music, great message and great
people!! I know I’m right where I should be and so excited for it!! Looking
forward to great things!!

From one of our partners at Wheatridge Middle School:

....glad to be able to work with you all...your group is great for
Gardner....I should know I was born here.....have a great day....

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. God is up to something B-I-G in Gardner. I'm not sure what it's all going to look like, but I am as convinced of that today as I have been at any point in this journey. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is what God wants me to pour my life into: to help people in Gardner find their way back to God. To me, that's a vision worth giving it all for.

How about you? What does God want you to pour your life into?

A Lost Generation

2009-02-20T06:51:00.002-06:00

I don't want to get in the habit of simply re-posting what Gary Kendall posts on his blog, but our good friend Tim Stout sent us a link to a great video this week. I wanted to share it with all of you.

Besides the fact that the creators executed a sweet video, I am inspired by the message.

There is hope.

I believe that with all of my being.

There is hope.

Preview Service This Weekend!

2009-02-13T17:06:00.004-06:00

As this week as clicked along, I have gotten more and more excited for what is coming Sunday night.

This Sunday night at Wheatridge Middle School at 6:30pm, the Gardner Campus of Indian Creek Community Church will be hosting it's first Preview Service. Need directions? Click here.

Basically, this will be our first chance to gather together as a congregation for a time of worship, prayer, community, and vision. I think it's going to be an AMAZING night. I can hardly wait. God has definitely put some things on my heart to share. But, more than that, I'm looking forward to simply being with the people that ARE the Gardner Campus.

Seriously, these are amazing people. If you don't know them, you should definitely come to the Preview Service this weekend and begin to meet them. Their stories of faith inspire me.

With every day I become more and more convinced that God is up to something B-I-G in Gardner. And I don't think that's limited to what is happening in Indian Creek Community Church. We are just a part of the team.

I can't wait to move there!

Proud

2009-02-04T16:06:00.005-06:00

I consider the Mumford family a family of personal friends. I just read an article that's in the KC Star. I'm proud of Mary. I'm proud of everyone else that's mentioned in the article. I'm proud to be a part of a church (and planting a new campus in Gardner) that thinks things like this are what it looks like to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Take a look at the article: http://www.kansascity.com/news/neighborhood/olathe/story/1015374.html

I know there are a lot of differing thoughts out there about the war that these men and women are fighting. Regardless of your political position, I hope you can appreciate the beauty of their selfless love.

Love Wins

2009-02-03T21:06:00.004-06:00

Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.
--Barbara De Angelis--

I am convinced that love wins. It is never wasted.

When hate and love meet . . . love wins.

When apathy and love meet . . . love wins.

When anger and love meet . . . love wins.

When prejudice and love meet . . . love wins.

When pride and love meet . . . love wins.

When despair and love meet . . . love wins.

When fear and love meet . . . love wins.

After all, love comes from God for God IS Love.

What do you think? Is there any scenario where love doesn't win?

What do I say?

2009-01-26T10:00:00.001-06:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that there have been times in the last 8 years that I have struggled with the concept of evangelism. I think primarily because I saw a lot of sleezy, bait-and-switch stuff happening in the world. For some reason, it just didn't seem like Christians could simply be real and honest with people. Instead, they had to manipulate . . . or so it seemed to me.

In the past couple of years, God has refreshed a spirit of evangelism in me. And these days, I find myself daily praying that people I know and love would find their way back to God. Often in my prayers, I offer myself to God as a messenger of His love and hope.

With that in mind, I have a 5-minute video from Penn (of Penn & Teller fame) on this topic. (Courtesy of Ed Stetzer's blog) Obviously, Penn and I aren't on same page spiritually, but I think he has a great thought that we need to hear:

Penn says:

I don't respect people who don't proselytize. If you believe that there's a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, and you think, 'Well, it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward'... How much do you have to hate somebody not to proselytize?

Ever thought about it that way before?

The Risk of Doing Nothing

2009-01-25T21:56:00.004-06:00

I know, I know . . . my blog hiatus has been waaaaaaaay too long. I'm going to try to improve on that.

Had a great time at Indian Creek today as we talked about doing Greater Things Than We Can Imagine. The more I reflect on it, the more convinced I am that many people miss out on the life that God has for them by a mere 11 inches, the distance between the head and the heart.

I've spent a majority of my life learning more and more about Jesus Christ, and what it meant to be a follower of His. I've learned more and more about what the lifestyle of a Christ-follower looks like. As I've attempted to translate that head knowledge to from-the-heart living, I've noticed a pattern: following in the footsteps of Christ is risky.

The way of Jesus is not the safe road. It's not the path of least resistance. It's not the road of comfort. To truly follow Christ requires trust, a risk.

For instance, what if we really trusted God with our finances? Would we change the way we spend, give, invest, or save?

What if we really trusted God with our relationships? Would that change the way we listen, share, and interact?

What if we really trusted God with our hopes and dreams? Would that change the way we structure our days?

To trust is a heart-level thing. It's where knowledge meets life. And trust is risky.

But, what about the risk of living life the same way that we always have? What if we do nothing different?

Often times, we fail to calculate the risk of staying the same. Staying the same seems safe. It seems comfortable. After all, it's familiar, and it hasn't completely ruined us yet.

Think about it.

You know the risk that it would be to follow God in what He is calling you to trust Him with. What are you risking if you say "no"?

A Call to Prayer

2008-12-17T11:03:00.002-06:00

I try to start every day with some alone time in my living room with my Bible, my journal, a pen, and an open heart to God. It's simply my way of trying to dedicate each and every day to the Savior of the World, the Creator of the Universe.

Honestly, some days are AMAZING. Other days, it seems pretty ordinary. I know that's not what I (or God, for that matter) desire, but it's the way it is.

Today was one of those amazing days, a day that calls me to action.

After doing my normal reading, I had this thought pop up that I should read Isaiah 42 & 43. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't figure that mattered. All that mattered was that I go read and listen for anything that would stand out to me. And then I came across this . . .

"Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the desert
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,

the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise."

As I read these words, I had this strong impression that I needed to receive them as a message for God regarding the Gardner campus and Indian Creek Community Church as a whole.

God is doing a new thing at Indian Creek. It's a new chapter. A new work of His grace in and through us. In the desert and wasteland of our society (a place where hope is being lost and where what used to placate our need for true life is failing), God is launching a stream of living water for His people. A stream of living water that will lead to everlasting life. I believe the Gardner campus is a part of the fresh work that God wants to do in Gardner. I also believe that God wants to see His streams of living water flowing from the other churches already in the Gardner community. The campus we are launching is one part of the whole, the Church of God, the People of God.

I know this can sound like convenient reading of the Bible, picking out something that simply makes us feel good. But, I don't think that is what's going on here. Because the verse that caused me to go back and read the text above was this one:

"Yet you have not called upon me, O Jacob,
you have not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel."

I believe God is calling me, and the Gardner campus, to a place of reliant prayer. Here is what I wrote in my journal:

You are making a new way for people who are far from You in Gardner. That
they may experience Your streams of life. You are doing
the work! But, You desire to use us, Your people. However, we must become humble
before Your throne. Lay open before You. You are asking for total submission, no
holding back. This is not a call to one person or family, but to a
community.

I will be in the Prayer Room at Indian Creek Community Church tonight from 6:30 - 7:30pm on my knees before God. I would love for you to join me there.

Living Out in Gardner

2008-12-16T10:05:00.006-06:00

Sunday night several of us who are praying for the beginning of the Gardner campus participated in our first organized Live Out Event in the community. Braving the cold, we handed out free hot chocolate and coffee to everyone that came out to Gardner's Santa's Workshop at Cornerstone Park. Here are a few pictures, courtesy of Melissa Elliott.

The Legacy of W

2008-12-16T09:40:00.002-06:00

I read an interesting article today about the legacy of our nation's 43rd President. It's written by a guy who attended the Civil Forum on Global Health held in Washington, D.C. on World Aids Day. Rick Warren conducted an interview with President Bush that centered around PEPFAR and it's impact in Africa over the past few years.

I thought it was a great read. You'll need to set aside a few minutes to read it, but I highly recommend that you do so. I'm guessing this is a side of American politics that you don't think about too often. I know I don't. Read it here.

I don't want to editorialize too much here, but I have to say that reading this encourages me. I am a member of the ONE Campaign, and I'm proud that our country is doing something to help those in need of help across our globe. I know there can be a TON of disagreement about many things when it comes to our current Presidential administration, but I hope that this encourages you in the same way it encourages me. Every tax penny that I've given that has gone to this type of work is totally worth it.

It's a Gardner Christmas!

2008-12-11T15:55:00.003-06:00

Official activity regarding the Gardner Campus kicks off this week! I'm pumped! I'm praying every single day (often multiple times a day) for this effort. It's exciting to see some of the first things beginning to take shape.

Here's a run-down of what's going on:

Free Hot Chocolate and Coffee - Several folks who are a part of the Gardner campus will be handing out free hot chocolate and coffee to anyone who attends Santa's Workshop, an event hosted by the Gardner Parks and Recreation Department. It's going to be a great time of celebrating Christmas with our community from 5-6:30pm. Come join the fun!
Neighborhood Christmas Desserts - In the next week two Gardner families will be inviting their friends and neighbors over to their house for a relaxed time of sharing life and tasty desserts. What a perfect way to share the love of Christ with your neighbors! Way to go! Want to host one at your house? Go for it! Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you out.
Gardner Hour of Power - I'd like to invite anyone who's willing to join me in prayer for the Gardner campus to show up next Wednesday from 6:30-7:30pm. We'll meet in the Prayer Room for a time of seeking God and listening to His heart.

There are a TON of other things coming, and I'll post more on that later. I just wanted to throw this out there now. This is going to be a GREAT WEEK!

What exciting is going on in your life these days?

Things are Happening!

2008-12-02T16:29:00.003-06:00

As most of you that read this know, we are heading towards planting a campus of Indian Creek Community Church in Gardner, KS. A few things have been decided, and many more things are in the works.

We have come to final decision that the campus will begin meeting in April 2009. Hopefully, we will have a meeting location determined in the next week or two. Some very encouraging conversations are taking place.

Do you want to hear the latest about what's going on with the Gardner Campus? Drop me an email, and I'll add you to our update list (the first edition of which will come out this week).

Please keep praying! Exciting things are under way!

Something is messed up . . .

2008-11-29T16:15:00.003-06:00

I don't know that I even know what to say . . .

Two headlines in our news today:

Wal-Mart worker trampled; two shot at toy store

Indian official: Terrorists wanted to kill 5,000

I know we, in America, like our "stuff", but seriously!!! I don't know where to begin. My heart has been wrecked by this stuff that's happening in India. But, somehow the perspective on life still doesn't seem to hit home with the bulk of our society.

There are travesties and injustices all over the world, and we can't stop our self-indulgent consumption long enough to make sure the guy we're (literally) stepping on/over is alright.

This disturbs me.

It also motivates me. As the stories pour in from Black Friday in the midst of the worst economic crisis we've seen in decades (say some experts), it is overwhelming to me the reality that our world needs Jesus more than ever.

He has a better way to live. It doesn't have to be like this. He came to redeem it all, and has invited us to take part in the work.

That's what I want to give my life to. I have no desire to perpetuate this system of doing things.

God, may Your Kingdom come, may Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven . . .

Senior Adult Choir Hip Hop

2008-11-20T14:00:00.001-06:00

Seriously, what else do I need to say?

What's unique about Indian Creek Gardner?

2008-11-18T21:29:00.006-06:00

Here's the question that I've been asked a lot lately: what's different about Indian Creek - Gardner?

I think that question is coming from two different angles:

1) How will it be different from Indian Creek - Olathe?
2) How will it be different from other churches in the Gardner area?

I'm going to tackle question #1 today, and #2 later this week.

Let's just be blatantly clear for a moment. We are planting another campus of Indian Creek Community Church. That means we're one church in two locations. Maybe another way to think about it is this: this fall, we added a Sunday night service at 5:00pm in Olathe. In 2009, we'll be adding services in Gardner.

Our vision and mission won't be changing. In fact, it's the whole reason we're expanding to a new location. We are completely committed to helping people find their way back to God. That's what we're about down the tips of our toes. It's our driving vision.

When we talk about how we're going to do that, we simplify it down to six words: Love God, Love People, Live Out. That's our mission, our way of life.

As we plant locations all across the KC Metro, these things aren't going to change.

However, at every location, we will have a series of objectives, strategies, and tactics that may vary, as we see fit. After all, every community has its own unique needs, opportunities, and challenges.

As I dream about Gardner, I get excited about a helping build a community of people who genuinely and authentically love their neighbors and long to see them know Christ. I get excited about being at the forefront of a movement of justice and generosity throughout the community. A movement sparked by a community of people who intentionally, generously, and sacrificially serve their city. A community that meets the needs it sees, combats the inequities that it faces, and warmly welcomes anyone as a part of the growing family.

What about you? What do you see in Gardner?

It's Official

2008-11-18T21:18:00.003-06:00

Sarah and I met with Wayne Janner tonight to fill out all of the paperwork to put our house on the market. If all goes as planned, the house is officially for sale this Friday. We're praying that God does what only He can do, and everything moves quickly from here.

It's almost surreal to be in our home these days. We've made so many improvements and changes over the past couple of months, that it almost doesn't seem like our house. On top of that, we've moved furniture around, hidden stuff that is normally out for easy access, and packed things away in boxes. It's almost like we're living in someone else's home.

We've never sold a house before, so this is new for us. But, in all of the strange thoughts, there is definitely an underlying sense and feeling that this is the right thing to do.

Please pray for us. We are definitely excited about everything that's around the corner in our lives. We're praying for God's guidance and discernment in all decisions.

We feel privileged to be on the ride of our lives!

We are Sent

2008-11-15T15:32:00.003-06:00

Been loving the thinking of Ed Stetzer lately, here's an excerpt from one of his blog posts:

We can put ourselves in a position to talk about the gospel through an understanding of culture. Paul didn't ask the people to come to him; he went where they were. He listened. He examined. He learned. Then he spoke. We can do the same thing.
It's called cultural engagement. But not in the surface-level, doing-what's-hip-so-people-will-like-us variety that we sometimes see played out. It's being relevant in the look-at-what's-happening-at-the-core-of-who-people-are-variety. It's loving people as they are but then showing them a better way.

In Athens the culture of the day was one of debate. That may not necessarily be the best mode of conversation in your circles. But maybe a helpful approach is to look deeper at the themes of films as a way of entering into talks about what seems to be driving or motivating humanity today--and then having conversations about a new way of life. Maybe it's time to read books of substance so that you might have conversations of substance. Maybe you need to go to the places where real people live real (and sometimes messy) lives and have honest conversations. Regardless of the method, it's about meeting people where they are and then giving them the choice to go further.

Wander through your own Athens. Look at the cultural idols. Let this burden your mind and spark your imagination. Let godly passion drive you to say "Give me Athens or I die." Then confidently share the gospel with those who may see its uncluttered message, trust its validity, and receive its Savior--Jesus Christ. You don't have to make the gospel, God, or the Bible relevant. They're already relevant. But we need to find relevant means to communicate that eternal truth.

As we look toward planting a campus of Indian Creek in Gardner, this ideology is at the core. How do we meet people where they are? How do we share the timeless truth of the love and hope of Jesus Christ in a way that directly intersects with the needs of those around us?

There's really only one way: be with people. Know them. Become invested in their lives. Hear their joys, struggles, triumphs, and pains. Celebrate the good, grieve the loss. As God's messengers to the world, He's asking us to get up-close and personal with people. But, how?

Want a simple idea?

Have your neighbors over to your house. Keep it simple. Invite a few families over for a low-key Christmas dessert reception, a simple time of getting to know one another at a personal level. Invite one family over for dinner.

It doesn't have to be fancy. It just has to be real.

That's what we're longing to be able to do in Gardner. Meet people where they're at, and share the transforming love of Christ with them in how we live our lives.

Would you join us on the journey to reach Gardner?

Seizing Our Moments

2008-11-15T15:30:00.000-06:00

"...the security that we often seek is not necessary to living life to the fullest. Sometimes it can actually become the greatest deterrent to seizing our divine moments."
-- Erwin McManus, Seizing Your Divine Moment

We're addicted to safety aren't we? For some reason, our default setting, as people, is to gravitate toward the predictable, the risk-free, and the secure. But, why?

What do we have to lose? Money? Status? Power?

I think the missing consideration for most of us is what are we putting at risk by choosing the safe path?

Is it possible that the most exciting, most fulfilling, most meaningful moments in our lives will only happen if we actually risk the things that we so often strive to protect?

These days, I'm seeking to seize the moments that God puts in front of me. I want to be available for the divine to unfold from what appears to be mundane. However, to do that, I have to be available. I have to be ready to take a chance. If I hold everything back, if I keep things risk-free, it is unlikely that I will ever experience the full life that God has for you and me.

So, here I go again. Hands and heart open, ready to seize the moments that cross my paths.

Will you join me in the adventure?

I NEED You

2008-11-10T07:10:00.009-06:00

One of my critical shortcomings as a person is my tendency towards independence. All of my life, I have been a "do it yourself" type of guy.

Back in the school days, when a group project came about, I did a majority of the work, allowing many people to ride my coattails, so that I could get the grade I wanted. I didn't want to place any of the determining of my success on the shoulders of others.

As I transitioned into adulthood, the tendency remained. There weren't many goals that I set in life that I didn't figure out a way to achieve. The culture around me encouraged this behavior. (George Barna reports that 92% of Americans claim to be independent.) Earn it yourself. Achieve it yourself. Figure it out yourself. If you could do that, you're considered an "achiever" or "entrepreneur" or "go-getter". It becomes a slippery slope. Noble independence can easily become prideful, arrogant, and egotistical living.

The problem is, when you head down this path, there is a lot about life that is merely a charade. Truth be told, I don't know all that I need to know about almost any situation. There is always more wisdom and insight to gain. I don't have all of the skills I need to navigate life's twists and turns. There is still a lot of room in my toolbox for more life tools. I don't have all of the resources (time, talent, treasure) to address the obstacles in my path.

And I think God wants it to be this way.

I spent some time in the book of 1 Corinthians 12 this morning. Go ahead, read what it says.

I like the way that Craig Groeschel put it in his book It:

You can't experience it alone. God wants you to share it. And yet for so many, the goal is to be independent. These well-intentioned people fail to realize that to be independent is to be distinctly non-Christian.

The fact of the matter is this: I NEED You! It's true, I do. In every way, shape, and form my life will be at it's max when I am in an interdependent relationship with you and a dependent relationship with God. The same is true for you. You NEED Me. That's how God made us.

So, I'm opening my life up to more and more people. I'm being as real and honest as I know how to be. I'm trying to love others in a genuine and compassionate way. I'm putting myself out there, believing it's a better way to live. I know that will lead to some pain in my life. But, I think it will be worth it.

So, how about you? You living life independently? What if you could engage in real, authentic relationships with others? How would that change things?

No Free Lunch

2008-11-06T07:18:00.003-06:00

We all love a freebie, don't we? I do. I love when I get something that I didn't have to "work" for. It's a nice treat.

On Election Day, I stood in line with 30 of my closest friends (translate that as: "people I've never met before") to get a free 12-oz. cup of coffee from Starbucks because I was wearing an "I Voted" sticker. My wife went by Chick-fil-A to get a free sandwich from her sticker, but passed it up because the line was nearly as long as the day that the restaurant first opened. Yesterday, I heard several people bragging of their free sandwich, donut, scoop of ice cream, etc.

We all love a freebie. Check that, we all want a freebie.

Millions of people play the lottery each week or shove money into casino slot machines. What are they looking for? A freebie. Millions of dollars that didn't have to do a thing to earn.

Whether it's sandwiches or money or success or fame, we see how it is that our culture seems to want things . . . as a freebie.

I think we do the same thing spiritually. We go to church, turn on the radio, open up our Podcasts, or meet with our pastor looking for a free dose of the Word of God. After all, isn't it more efficient to get my plate full of Jesus at the drive through window than to actually mix it up in the kitchen of life and get engaged in the process?

I'm challenged by the words of the Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, this morning:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

I'll be honest. I'm that guy that sometimes simply looks for a freebie from someone else rather than put in the effort on my own.

But, I want to be a man of discipline. I want to be a man who is consistently approaching the Throne of God. I want to be a man who is personally asking, seeking, and knocking longing to hear from God's heart. I want to put in the work that is required. I don't want to survive on freebies alone.

You know, freebies are nice. I love reading and hearing what other people are learning. There is a TON that I can learn from other sojourners who are following God. There is nothing inherently wrong with subscribing to blogs, listening to podcasts, or reading books. There's nothing wrong with having a TON of spiritual conversations with pastors, mentors, and friends. However, if that is the total of our spiritual lives, I think we'll end up feeling disappointed and empty.

We must spend time reading the Bible ourselves. We must spend time in personal prayer. We must engage in individual reflection and evaluation. And, like an athlete, we all need to find the "training rhythms" that work best for us. For me, it's first thing in the morning. For you, it might be something different. It's not about simply plugging into a formula. It's about engaging in an intentional relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

If that's something you struggle with, I'm right there with you. Spiritual discipline and personal ownership is an area that I'm growing in these days.

What works for you? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

The Election is Over . . . Now What?

2008-11-05T22:39:00.006-06:00

Nearly 24 hours ago, I watched with millions of others around the country and around the globe as Obama was crowned President Elect. New media stations took us from location to location around the country showing parties in the streets, people weeping with joy, and others showing us their Obama-love.

I will say this, many of the tears of joy I celebrate in too. I'm proud that we will finally have an African-American President. It's a shame that it took us this long to get to this point. Race is still a HUGE issue in the U.S., and I pray that this will take us one step closer to the dreams that Dr. King so eloquently shared in years gone by.

But, as I watched last night, I was struck with an odd, nagging feeling that pulled down my spirits. I couldn't fully identify it. But, I was tired, so I went to sleep.

When I woke up this morning to spend some time praying and reading from the Scriptures, that same nagging feeling was still there. So, I took it to prayer. And, here's the realization I had:

Barack Obama is just a man.

As I read the articles, listen to the interviews, and see the recaps of the celebrations, I've come to see that many people (maybe millions) are putting their hope and trust in Barack Obama. They are desperate for something better. A bad economy, volatile real estate market, unaffordable health care system, and an uncertain future has sapped them of their hope, confidence, joy, and peace in life. They've listened to this brilliant man's words, and they've placed their hope in him. In many ways, they've made him their . . . savior.

That makes me sad.

Not because they chose to put their hope in Obama, but because they have chosen to put their hope in a man and a man-made governmental system.

Consider the words of Psalm 146:

Praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD, O my soul.

I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortal men, who cannot save.

When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,

the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free,

the LORD gives sight to the blind,
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
the LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the alien
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The LORD reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD.

At the core of my being, I believe that only God can save us from what ails us. Only God can be counted on to provide lasting hope and help. This is the message that the Church has been given to bring to the world!

We have the message of hope!

We have the message of security!

We have the message of peace!

We have the message of purpose!

We have THE message. We have been chosen by God to be His messengers.

Church, please be salt and light to this world that is searching and longing for hope and help. Please be the hands and feet of the body of Christ to those who need a hug and to those that need a ride on your shoulders. This is OUR job, not the government's.

I want to be a part of a community of faith that boldly proclaims the message of Christ through our actions and attitudes in the world. I want to be a part of a community of faith that loves without exceptions. I want to be a part of a community of faith that diligently prays for our governmental leaders, that regularly begs for the wisdom of God to fall upon them. I want to be a part of a community of faith that will reach beyond its walls to those who aren't like them (racially, socially, economically, politically).

I want to be the Church!

How about you? What do you want to be?

Living In Faith

2008-11-03T06:48:00.004-06:00

Well, yesterday I finally got to publicly share an announcement that has been burning in my heart for a couple of months. It was good to share it then, and I want to share it here as well.

Sarah and I are going to plant a church in Gardner, KS.

This will be the second campus of Indian Creek Community Church, and we've never been more excited for what lies ahead for us. We believe God is up to something BIG. We can hardly wait to move there. We're looking forward to investing in the lives of people that we haven't even met yet.

And here's the deal, there's a TON of uncertainty in this. There are so many questions, so many unknowns, so many variables that could go this way or that way, and yet in the midst of that we feel confident.

Confident in the grace of God. He is sufficient for all our needs. We are confident that He'll provide what we need. From strength to courage to peace to joy. From a home buyer to a home to purchase to a generous supporters who will help us have a salary to live on.

In many ways, we are living in faith.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
-- Hebrews 11:1 --

I've read and heard that verse hundreds of times, but these days, it comforts me a great deal.

I think there's something vitally healthy in living in a state of dependence on God. It sharpens you. It invigorates. I think I had become comfortable, and I don't want to be there again.

I've also been encouraged by this song by Sanctus Real. Take a look at the video:

Asking Big

2008-10-29T10:44:00.005-05:00

Today I am captured by a thought:

Why don't I ask God for bigger things?

Is it possible for me to outdream God? Is it possible for me to dream of impossible scenarios for Him?

What if God is waiting for me to ask before He provides?

As a dad of a 2 year old, I can wrap my brain around this pretty well. There are times when Jonathan wants something; for the sake of simple reading, let's call it a drink. I know Jonathan wants the drink. I want to give him the drink. In fact, I know that he probably needs the drink. But, as a dad, sometimes I make him ask for it. There are a TON of reasons that I might do this. I may want him to learn to say "please" or to work on his language skills. I might want him to experience his dad as one who provides for him when he asks or needs something. Maybe I just want him to slowly begin the process of humility, learning to ask for help.

Do you think our Heavenly Father would ever take that kind of approach with us?

It occurs to me today, that he might. So, I flipped open my Bible and found a couple of familiar passages that are inspiring me all over again.

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. -Jesus, Matt. 7:7-11
You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. - James 4:2-3

So, I'm going to start asking for big things. Obviously, my motivation and heart needs to be pure. But, I'm going to ask all the same, and ask God to refine what is not made of pure gold.

God, this is me asking again. I believe you are ABLE! Amen, so be it.

Random Hits drive it home - Day 12

2008-10-17T07:02:00.003-05:00

A few selected verses that stood out to me in John 12 (all quoted from the Amplified Bible). . . .

v. 17 - The group that had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from among the dead kept telling it [bearing witness] to others.

v. 24 - I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest.

v. 32 - And I, if and when I am lifted up from the earth [on the cross], will draw and attract all men [Gentiles as well as Jews] to Myself.

v. 42-43 - And yet [in spite of all this] many even of the leading men (the authorities and the nobles) believed and trusted in Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that [if they should acknowledge Him] they would be expelled from the synagogue; for they loved the approval and the praise and the glory that come from men [instead of and] more than the glory that comes from God. [They valued their credit with men more than their credit with God.]

And here's the nagging thought for me today, that I want to wrestle with some more . . .

When Christ is lifted up (praised, magnified, glorified) HE draws people to His marvelous light. Furthermore, I have seen "death to life" transformations in myself and in those around me. I can think of people I know who are truly living today because of the work God did in them that helped them leave behind the dead of their past. So, why do I not continually spread His Good News? Truth is, sometimes I love the approval of men more than the glory of God.

Ouch. That hurts.

I think I'm going to find someone to share the Good News with today. Not in a "shove it down someone's throat" sort of way, but in a "this is my incredible story" sort of way.

How about you? Are you living for the glory of man or the glory of God?

No Fear - Day 11

2008-10-16T07:12:00.003-05:00

So, I'm beginning to wonder if only the verses that I normally have read over are going to stand out to me. I suppose it makes sense that they would. I've read the book of John many times, but for whatever reason I feel like I have a different set of lenses this time.

Two related sections of John 11 stood out to me.

Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?" -John 11:7-8

Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." -John 11:16

In the midst of all the turmoil, of His life, Jesus has upset enough folks by threatening the status of power over people that they have tried to sieze him and have nearly stoned him to death. As this interaction is taking place, Jesus and his disciples are out of the immediate line of fire.

And here's Jesus, ready to head back into the center of the chaos.

That doesn't surprise me so much, I guess. After all, he's Jesus. I've come to expect bold, brave, and daring things from him.

But, the words of Thomas . . . those mess with me.

Thomas (and we don't see that any of the 12 argued with him) was willing to die, if that's what it meant to follow Jesus. For Thomas, it wasn't about safety or comfort. It was about obediently following his Master, the Messiah.

And I have to wonder, am I willing to follow Jesus to my own death? In my self-assured moments, I am apt to claim that this is the road that I'm willing to go down. But, I have to admit, I think it's a road that I secretly hope that I don't have to go down.

And I guess that makes sense, we are talking about living after all. But, I think death is as much of a metaphor as it is a reality. For instance, am I willing to follow Jesus in such a way that:

my financial security is at the risk of death?
my popularity and social status is at the risk of death?
my self-centered dreams and ambitions are at the risk of death?
my pride and carefully constructed public facade is at the risk of death?

I want to be a man that holds nothing back from Jesus . . . even if it means walking toward some type of death. I have a feeling I know which thing in my life He's leading me to place at the risk of death. (Which I will share some other day.)

What about you? What thing in your life might Jesus be leading you to place at the risk of death?

The Shepherd - John 10

2008-10-15T07:23:00.003-05:00

I'm beginning to get this feeling that God is leading me toward some sort of breakthrough that will happen in the remainder of these 21 Days. As I read today, many thoughts popped out, but one had lasting power:

"his sheep follow him because they know his voice"

Today, that's my prayer. "God will you reveal your voice to me."

What has been your prayer lately?

Told Again - Day 9

2008-10-14T18:21:00.002-05:00

I love the strong emphasis on spiritual sight in John 9, but the phrase that really stuck out to me to day was this one in verse 27:

I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again?

Confession time: I'm not the best listener. I want to be, but sometimes I'm just not. (Go ask my wife, she'll verify this reality.) I've worked really hard to be a better listener of people. And I desire deeply to hear from God. But, I have to admit, I think I've heard God say to me what the healed blind man said to the Jewish leaders.

Ben, I've told you already, and you didn't listen. Why do you want to hear it again?

Truth is, sometimes I've needed to hear things a second time. But, I want to be a man who moves at the impulse of God's words to me.

So, I'm going to continue to try to eliminate the distracting noises that make it difficult for me to hear God.

What about you? Do you hear the first time?

The Light of Life - John 8

2008-10-13T16:11:00.003-05:00

Well, I apologize for my blogging absence over the weekend. We're working on painting our house and . . . well, you don't care.

Suffice it to say that I didn't make the time to post anything. However, I have been continuing to walk in step with the 21 Day challenge, taking some time in John 8 today.

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. - John 8:12

I told you that you would die in your sings; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins. - John 8:24

I don't know how to express the fullness of what swirling in my heart as I re-type these words. I know what Jesus had to say in verse 24 isn't popular. But, I believe it. I really do.

Without the grace of Christ, we are all dead in our sin. Without hope. Without purpose. Without life.

But, the Great News trumps the path of death. If we follow after Christ. If we cling to Him. If we rely on Him. If we trust in Him. If we believe in Him, we will have the light of life.

Today, my heart is grieving over those who don't see this light. My heart is broken for those who don't know.

And then, I remember these thoughts (to quote my wife and Mary):

How many people know what it feels like to be satisfied? To be truly full
and have eaten their fill, enough so that the feeling of hunger is completely
gone? In the same sense, how many people know what it means to feel full
spiritually? To never hunger or thirst for answers or for His loving
arms?

Oh God, may I never lose sight of your love for those who don't know you.

What about you? What are you learning?

John 5

2008-10-10T07:40:00.002-05:00

Continuing on in the journey. I know this sounds silly, but giving up soda, sweets, dessert, and the like has been a bit harder than I thought it would be. But, it's good. I'm glad for it. Let's just say I'm reminded often of God's presence and good work in my life.

I have to tell you, the more days I use the Amplified Bible for my personal study, the more I like it. For the longest time, I only read it as a reference or study source. But, I am very much enjoying the new ways that I am seeing the Scriptures as I read from it. If you want to know more about the Amplifed Bible, you can go here or here.

As I was reading John 5 this morning in the Amplified Bible (I have been reading multiple translations each day), verses 38-39 really stood out to me:

And you have not His word (His thought) living in your hearts, because you do not believe and adhere to and trust in and rely on Him Whom He has sent. [That is why you do not keep His message living in you, because you do not believe in the Messenger Whom He has sent.]
You search and investigate and pore over the Scriptures diligently, because you suppose and trust that you have eternal life through them. And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me!

I think there are a lot of us (myself included) who miss out on the life-giving nature of our Heavenly Father because we are too caught up in the intellectual pursuit of knowledge. I really like to learn new things. Consequently, I tend to esteem people and situations that teach me new things. And this, in and of itself, isn't bad. But, if I ever depend on the words (even the words of the Bible) instead of God (who gave them to us), I am missing out on present day manifestation of eternal life in me.

Instead, God wants me to live a life of belief, trust, reliance, and obedience to Him. And when I do that, those words become words of life!

What do you think? Am I off base on this one?

I would love to hear what you have to say.

Day 4 - Continuing in John

2008-10-09T10:01:00.004-05:00

I hope you're being challenged and stretched as much in this journey as I am. Before I share my thoughts on John 4. I have to point you to my friend, Mary's post on what she's going to be trying as a part of this 21 Day journey. Click here to read about it. She inspires me.

Anyone else want to try her challenge? I'm considering it.

On to John 4 . . .

I had one clear thought stand out today, and it came from verses 13-19.

Jesus offers living water, water that will mean that she will never thirst again. And, strangely enough, he goes straight to her greatest thirst in life.

This woman comes to the well at noon, a time when nobody comes to the well likely due to the heat of the midday sun. Fetching water from the well and taking it home is tough work. But, she likely does this avoid the mumbled comments, sideways glances, and disapproval of others. If she went at a time when nobody else was there, she wouldn't have to be rejected . . . like she has been so many times before.

But, there's Jesus. And he asks her for a drink. Something that you wouldn't do unless you actually found that person valuable in some way. How long has it been since someone found her valuable?

Jesus then offers her living water, in other words: life.

When she asks how to get life, how does Jesus respond? He goes to her greatest place of shame. Go ahead, read it for yourself. How do YOU think she felt?

Here's my revelation this morning: God wants to give me life. And the path to that abundant, overflowing, never-ending life goes through my greatest shame.

The path to life travels directly through my lingering sense of insufficiency. The path to life travels directly through my lame attempts to be the husband and father that my wife and son deserve. The path to life travels directly through my dark, inner secrets.

What about you? Where is the path of life going to travel in your life?

I'm convinced that I will never experience the reality of the "no regrets" life that God has for me until I am willing to allow him to shine His light into the darkest corners of my life and expose the lies for what they are.

What do you think? Share your thoughts . . .

John 3: A New Set of Lenses

2008-10-08T10:58:00.003-05:00

So, the 21 Day journey continues . . .

One of the pieces of this journey is to fast from something, and I wanted to let you know what I've chosen: sweets. No candy, dessert, or soda for three weeks.

Normally this wouldn't be a big deal for me. I'm more of a salty guy than a sweet guy. But, over the past 4-6 weeks, I've noticed that I've been consistently craving sweet snacks. So, I thought this might be the perfect thing for me to give up to be consistently reminded of the presence of God in my life, and His desire to give me a life of "no regrets".

I'm only a couple of days into this, I don't know that I've seen more tempting or delicious desserts than I have over the past couple of days. My house has open bags of Halloween candy, and the lunch I was at yesterday was offering delicious looking desserts for FREE!!! (Those of you that know me know how much I love free stuff!) But, I'm committed to this deal, and I'm looking forward to all that God has to show me.

Now for my thoughts on John 3 . . .

Above all else there is one portion that stood out to me today: verse 3. "No one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again."

I don't know about you, but I am constantly asking God to show me what He is up to in this world. I want to see.

I constantly ask questions like:

God, what are you up to?
God, who do you want me to talk to?
God, what do you want me to do?
God, will you show me your way?

I want to see.

How about you? Are you consistently asking to see?

I believe with all of my heart that God sees the world at a deeper and more meaningful level than I could ever hope to attain. So, I regularly beg Him to show me what I don't see.

This morning, God reminded me that the only way I will see the Kingdom (His work and ways in the world) is for me to continue to live life with a new set of lenses.

The truth is that we all see the world through a set of lenses. And these lenses are colored and tinted by a ton of different factors: self-image, successes, failures, pain, shame, etc.

My lens is often tinted by a sense of insufficiency and inadequacy. Consequently, I work harder. I promise bigger. I hide more.

But the truth is this: I am the child of God.

Where I am weak, He is strong. In fact, in 1 Cor. 12:9, God's Word says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

The new lens that allows me to see His Kingdom is a lens of grace. After all, Jesus didn't come to condemn me, but to save me from the broken lenses through which I see the world.

How about you? What lenses do you see the world through?

John 2

2008-10-07T13:50:00.006-05:00

Day 2 of the 21 Day journey is here. As promised, I spent some time in John 2 this morning, and I wanted to share some of my thoughts. As always, I'd love to hear some of your thoughts as well. If you want to find out more about the 21 Day journey, go here, here, or here.

Before I begin, I just have to make a couple of observations:

Does the interaction between Jesus and his mother (v.1-5) make anyone else smile?
Here's Jesus, enjoying the wedding, and his mom comes along and gets him involved. He lovingly tells her that it's not his time yet. So, in classic motherly fashion, she turns to the servant and says, "Do whatever he tells you."

There wasn't even a discussion!!! She knew that her son would just do what she said. Love it.
After Jesus turns the water into wine (which apparently was very good wine), how many wedding invitations do you think he received? I mean . . . come on. That's a pretty handy dude to have on hand for the reception when your beverage options are likely either water or wine.

Alright, on to more "serious" reflections . . .

As I read today, there is one word that stood out to me: believe.

We're only two chapters in, and already we've seen that concept mentioned on 5 different occasions. I think John is trying to help us clue in on something.

The concept and thought process behind this word is more than just intellectual assent. It's more than just acknowledging with our minds that this or that is true. The idea of believe when we read it in the book of John is that of "adhering to, trusting in, relying on" Jesus. So, when it says in v.11 that his disciples believed in Jesus, it's saying that they trusted in Jesus. They adhered to His teaching. They were relying on Him.

The word shows up again in v. 23, but this time the context is believing in His name. Here's what I wrote in my journal this morning as I reflected on that statement:

"belived in His name"
That phrase still stands out to me, Lord. Your name captures the sum of who you are. Love. Truth. Almighty God. Wonderful Counselor. Prince of Peace. Lord of Lords. King of Kings. Everlasting God. Waymaker. Guide. Provider. Protector. Healer. Immanuel. Savior. Rock.
There are so many more names for You that describe who you are. In what ways do I fail to believe?
The reality that truly believing means to "adhere to, trust in, and rely on" is not lost on me. We have made believing such an intellectual exercise. When in reality believing is a matter of where we put our trust and confidence. What am I willing to stake my life on?
As for me and my house, we will serve, follow, and trust in teh Lord of Hosts. For His Kingdom never ends. His Kingdom will reign forever. His Kingdom will bring light to the world. Some may trust in horses, some may trust in chariots, but we will trust in the name of the Lord.
God, where do I lack trust? Where am I holding out?

How about you? Where are you holding out trust in God?

John 1

2008-10-06T18:08:00.005-05:00

The alarm clock rang, I pulled myself out of bed in the dark, flipped on the light, and opened my Bible to John 1. Here's what was awaiting me there this morning . . .

A few verses really stood out to me. Especially v. 12-13, v. 14, v. 17, and v. 46. Great stuff there!

But again, the theme that stood out to me is that of identity.

Who am I? Who are you?

According to v. 12-13, anyone who receives and welcomes Christ, anyone who believes in His name, is the child of God. In other words, if we put our trust in Jesus, if we rely on Him in our lives, if we adhere to His ways, God has given us the right (the privilege, the authority, the power) to be called a child of God.

So, who are you?

I think I too often lose sight of this identity in my own life. I am the son of God, the carrier of the family name and family traits.

I know that may not mean a whole lot in our culture, but we don't have to go back far into our history to find a time when ancestry meant a TON to people. In fact, your ancestry often defined who you were. And even today, we often carry our family names (aka - last names) with us our whole lives. And, as a carrier of the family name, you also carry the family reputation and way of life.

Do you think there are expectations if you're a Kennedy or a Bush? How about a Hilton (ask Paris) or a Simpson (ask Ashley)? Do you think Michael Jordan's kids had abnormal pressure as athletes? (You bet.)

Our family, our heritage, often helps to define who we are. So, here John writes these profound, yet simple, words: "he gave the right to become children of God".

Phenomenal.

Whose are you?

That's a question I need to wrestle with every day. And every day, I need to be reminded that I am the son of God.

Emphasize the "am".

It's not that some day you will be or could be or might reach the level of the son of God. It's who you are today. Plain and simple.

I get distracted by thinking about what others might say or think or do. I get distracted by my own messed up ideas of what I need to do or accomplish to be successful, loved, and accepted. I get distracted by my own pride and sense of self-sufficiency.

Bottom line: I get distracted. But, even in all of that, I am the son of God.

What distracts you from believing that you're the child of God?

21 Days

2008-10-06T17:53:00.004-05:00

So, I'm two days behind in my postings, but there are two thoughts I want to share. I'll handle one this post, and another in the next.

For the next 21 Days, Indian Creek Community Church is going on a journey together. The basic idea is pretty simple: what would happen in your life if you cleared the calendar of some of life's stuff, and intentionally sought God out for 21 Days?

If we were all to do that, I think an amazing work of the Holy Spirit would take place. So, here's the 21 Day Challenge:

Read the book of John. For the next 21 days, read one chapter of John per day. Starting with chapter 1 on October 6th, and finishing with chapter 21 on October 26th. It's just that simple. Read one chapter every day. Study it. Examine it.
Journal your thoughts. One of the most beneficial personal practices you can engage in is journaling. By having the discipline to write down your thoughts and prayers, it brings clarity and focus to our spiritual journeys. I want to especially encourage you to write out your prayers. You'll be amazed at the clarity that it brings to your prayer life. It's not magical, but it is significant.
Fast from something. One of the most ancient of spiritual practices is to fast, to basically go without something in your life that is a privilege. Some will fast a particular meal each day. Others will fast from something specific like pop or candy or Starbucks. The point of fasting is simple: each time you crave that thing you are fasting from, it is a reminder to shift your focus to God. To pray. To express gratitude.
Pray that God will speak to you. My prayer is that every person would hear from God every day. One of my daily prayers is "God, speak to me today. Open my eyes that I can see you. Open my ears that I may hear your voice. Open my mind that I may understand your wisdom. Open my heart that I may feel as you do. Open my mouth to speak your truth."

I'm going to take the challenge. I'll be sharing my story here. You can follow the stories of others (and tell your own) at 21days.indiancreek.org.

What would happen if you took time every day to seek God in an intentional way? Better yet, what would happen if you did that every day for 21 Days. Better yet, what would if we, as a community, did that together?

I believe we'd see a movement of God.

So, will you join me for a 21 Day adventure? What excites you about the possibilities?

Powerful Prayer

2008-10-03T07:42:00.004-05:00

This morning I found myself praying a familiar prayer. I'm going to try to meditate and reflect on this one today. It was penned by a man known as St. Francis of Assisi. I truly believe that if we were to pray this prayer with genuine desire, amazing things would happen in our lives.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love
Where there is injury . . . pardon
Where there is doubt . . . faith
Where there is despair . . . hope
Where there is darkness . . . light
Where there is sadness . . . joy
O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled . . . as to console
To be understood . . . as to understand,
To be loved . . . as to love
For it is in giving . . . that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.

Amen - so be it.

Planting Churches in an Uncertain Economy

2008-10-01T14:31:00.007-05:00

So, I got to thinking this morning whether or not it is wise to be planting churches in an "uncertain" financial climate. After all, when the financial picture is uncertain, how could you possibly dream of trying to raise extra funds to support this type of effort?

But, as I thought more and more, I began to think that perhaps this is a perfect time to be planting churches. We are in the midst of the "Great American Dream" being exposed as a lie. In our times of financial prosperity (even if it was built upon perceived equity instead of stable assets), we (as a society) began to buy into the lie that we could have it all, do it all, be it all: right now.

Of course, if we were to step back and analyze that ideal, we would quickly realize that the "Great American Lie" (as I like to call it) is simply not true. Unfortunately, for many people, the fallout of this massive unveiling of the lie is a sense of despair, hopelessness, pain, worry, and doubt.

Isn't this the very essence of the human condition that Jesus came to bring healing and redemption to? Consider the words of Psalm 121:

I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!
He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.
The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.
The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.

The church is God's chosen instrument of grace and reconciliation in the world. Isn't this the perfect time for us to be looking to our neighbors, and offering them a relationship with the One who can bring hope, purpose, confidence, and peace?

Perhaps this is the perfect time to plant a church. Perhaps this is the perfect time to plant a whole network of churches.

What do you think?

The Freedom in Being You

2008-09-30T23:58:00.009-05:00

So God has been drilling a lesson into my life over the past week. But, to grasp it, I probably need to back up a bit.

Last week, I had the privilege of attending, Velocity, a conference put on by CMA that was held at Indian Creek Community Church. Two of the presenters, Robin Wood and Gary Kendall, shared powerfully about being who you are, faults and all, even when you're leading.

As a recovering people pleaser, these are challenging words for me to hear. After all, how can anyone possibly love and respect me if they really knew me, right? I know that's a lie, straight from the mouth of the enemy, but it often feels so true. In the two sessions of the conference, I decided that this was a journey that I was not only going to go on, but fully engage in. I decided that I would find ways and times to share my broken story, not to manipulate any situation, but just because that's who I am: a broken, desperate person daily in need of the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father. Though I don't live every day in a desperate place, I fully acknowledge that my life would be a mess without Christ.

In the days that followed, I read posts by Luke Kendall and Carlos Whittaker that continued to add fuel to the fire of what God was speaking to my heart. They both challenged and inspired me.

Then, I spent some time with God yesterday morning, and He absolutely pounded it home. I was spending my normal time in the Word, and today took me to 1 Corinthians. In 1 Cor. 2:3, I stumbled across these words from Paul, "I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling."

I don't think I've ever noticed these words before. So, I popped open my journal (as I normally do), and I penned these words. They're not refined, but they are the expression of my heart. And, I felt compelled to share.

As I read your word today, Lord, it has become obvious to me that the current, on-going theme for my life is "authenticity". Which is appropriate. So often in my life I have projected an image that was a distortion of my true self. I have acted weaker, more humble, and less perceptive and intelligent than I am. On teh same hand, I have hidden my true weaknesses, faults, hypocricies, and failures. Your message (through Your Spirit) is loud and clear: just be me. After all, when the Lord comes again "he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts." (1 Cor. 4:5) Father, find me clean. Purify me. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Bring to light in me the secret things that are hidden. Expose and disclose them in ways that lead to wholeness and life. Help me to delight in my weakness, for Your power can be made perfect in that. I want to delight only in You and Your ways, Your wisdom, Your power, and Your providence.

I celebrate Paul's words in 1 Cor. 3:9:

"For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God's garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God's building."

I am a work in progress . . . forever in this lifetime. There is no end. As a vineyard/garden, there is always more work to be done in me. And some times, when I am a mess, I'm exactly where the Gardener wants me to be. Shape me, mold me, teach me, prune me. I want to bear much fruit for you. But, there's the beauty of this verse, even as I am a work in progress, You have invited me in to be a joint laborer, a fellow workman, a co-creator. I dont' have to be perfect, or know it all, to be useful in Your Kingdom. Just faithful, available, and teachable. Give me the courage to follow in the footsteps of Paul. In 1 Cor. 2:3, Paul writes, "I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling."

This is PAUL!!!

As I move forward in my life, this is my calling card. I come with weakness, fear (in 1 Cor. 2:3 this could be translated as "dread"), and great trembling. But, I come all the same, because You have called me. And I come in boldness because I truly believe that You are responsible for the miraculous work of life change. I can plant seeds. I can cultivate soil. I can water. But, as 1 Cor. 3:7 says so well, "So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God who makes it grow and become greater."

Father, only you can transform lives. Start with mine. Help me to lift you up, that all might be drawn to you.

Back in the US!

2008-07-22T11:37:00.001-05:00

After an early start and an uneventful morning, we are back on American soil. Off to Fort Worth!

Update from Croc, Mexico

2008-07-19T20:24:00.002-05:00

Hello from Croc!

Sorry it has taken me so long to get a post out here for you guys to read. I thought my cell phone would work in Monterrey/Croc, but it doesn't . . . at all. So, it's been absolutely impossible for me to get a post on here.

However, I finally snuck away from the group tonight to make a quick post.

Things are going INCREDIBLY well! For all of you parents out there, you should be proud of your kiddos. They have inspired me every day with their serving spirits. Whenever we're looking for volunteers to do something, there are almost always more hands than we need. (Even for doing dishes!)

On top of that, they have been simply amazing with the local kids. No matter how hard we work during the day, they always have time and energy to play with the little ones. Whether it be jump rope, tag, soccer, or some random game, they have been engaging incredibly well.

Last night, we had the opportunity to split into several different groups and have a conversation with a local family. From the reports that came in, that was one of the highlights of the week! Our groups shared life with the locals, and even had the opportunity to share about the God we love. One of the families that we're serving this week doesn't know Christ yet. We're hoping that could change before we leave. We're going to spend the night eating and hanging out with them tomorrow.

It's hard to believe that our time here is quickly drawing to a close. Tomorrow (Sunday) is a day of rest. So, we'll be going to church, traveling to a nearby swimming pool, and then celebrating the dedication of work completed with some local families.

One final story . . . this week, we've been serving in an area of Croc known as Parcellas. Just five or six years ago, we didn't take students to that part of town. You see, even in a community that battles poverty, there are still those who "have" and those who "have not". Parcellas had not. On a couple of occasions I joined other missions leaders in a prayer walk of the Parcellas area, and it was obvious from their glances as we walked by that we weren't welcome.

Now, fast forward to 2008. We are serving 3 different families in the Parcellas community. And it's going GREAT!!! Not only are they willing to interact with us, they are opening their lives to us. Only God can do that! That is the transforming power of the Gospel right here in Croc!

Every time I come here, I am excited for what God is doing in this community. It feels like such a privilege to be a part of it.

Please know that even with as great of a time as we are having, you are greatly missed. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Much love from Croc!

~Ben

Arrived Safely - Update by Matt Saunders

2008-07-16T11:48:00.001-05:00

Sorry that the last update left everybody hanging...Ben tried to send an update when they arrived, but it appears that his cell phone is not operational in Croc.

I was able to get in contact with Ben through a Croc team member. The team arrived safely at 1:30 this morning. The van is operational. It sounds like everybody is having a great time.

Ben will try to find a way to update the blog a few more times while the team is away if an opportunity arises, but it will not be through the use of his cell phone. Be assured that "no news is great news" and that if any issue comes up that families need to know about, I can guarantee Ben will make every effort to contact families personally.

2008-07-15T22:03:00.000-05:00

On our way again. Please keep praying.

2008-07-15T19:34:00.000-05:00

Please pray for us once again. Moments after crossing the border, our van died again. We are currently evaluating our options.

To Mexico!!!

2008-07-15T13:29:00.001-05:00

Due to our late night yesterday, our schedule got pushed back. Hopefully we'll be sweating to the Mexican beat by 9 tonight!

Please be praying for us around 5 or 6pm as we cross the border. Specifically, pray for a smooth acquisition of vehicle permits and visas, and a uninterrupted crossing at the checkpoint.

I will try to send a really quick post when we arrive.

-Ben

Bedtime

2008-07-15T01:59:00.001-05:00

Hey, at least we made it...

Our HERO!!!!

2008-07-14T22:08:00.001-05:00

If Mark Martin had any question as to why he came on this trip, they have been answered. His mechanic skills saved us countless hours and hundreds of dollars.

Yea God!!!!

A few van troubles...

2008-07-14T18:38:00.001-05:00

No worries, everyone is safe. However, we could use your prayers for us here in Texas.

If only we could drive that fast...

2008-07-14T17:03:00.001-05:00

Ahhh...Texas Motor Speedway. If we traveled at Nascar speed, we'd only have an hour left...but, we're not. We hope to be in Austin in 3 hours.

What is there to do in the big OK?

2008-07-14T15:32:00.001-05:00

Yeah, that just about says it right there.

Are we there yet?

Ohhhhhhhhhhklahoma!

2008-07-14T13:27:00.001-05:00

Bye-bye Kansas, Hello Oklahoma!

Sorry for the blurry pics...what else can you ask for with a cell phone camera?

Nothing like a little Brahms & Mickey D's action to get the love flowing amongst the group!

Bring it on Texas, you're next!

2008-07-13T20:40:00.001-05:00

Final trial. If this works, I think we're good to go! Off to Mexico we go!

2008-07-13T20:36:00.000-05:00

Now I want to try to post via text message from my phone.

Did it work?

This is a test...

2008-07-13T20:32:00.002-05:00

This is my official test to see if I can update my blog by just sending it an email.

Did it work?

Yay for Productivity!!!

2006-11-18T14:09:00.000-06:00

You know, being productive is kind of fun. I know, I run this risk of sounding completely old here, but I've absolutely mowed through things on my "To Do" list today. Feels great!

The World of Blogs

2006-11-17T15:21:00.000-06:00

So, I've discovered that I really suck at the world of blogs. I just do. It takes a concerted effort to post on a regular basis.

All that being said, I think I'm going to try to get back into this thing. After all, it's a place for me to jot my thoughts. If someone else wants to take a look, sweet. If not, no worries on my part.

I'm Baaaaaaackkkkk!!!!

2006-03-04T16:05:00.000-06:00

Well, not technically.

I'm sitting on the floor of the Atlanta airport right now waiting out the rest of my lay-over here before I move on to KC.

It's Saturday, 4pm KC time right now. I woke up at 8:30pm KC time on Friday to begin my travels. When it's all said and done, I'll have been going for more than 24 hours. At this point, I'm pretty beat. Ready for a comfy bed! 8^)

All in all, the trip went really well. I don't have the cognizance to write much right now, but everything went great. The teaching went very well. God allowed me to have a number of divine appointments. And I definitely grew in the process.

Here's your warning: if you ask me about my trip, I'm going to tell you. 8^)

Looking forward to seeing everyone again soon (after I get some sleep).

-Ben

Khatyn

2006-02-28T14:23:00.000-06:00

I had an amazing privilege yesterday. I visited a post-WWII memorial (here WWII is called "The Great Patriotic War"). It's at the site of a former village called Khatyn (ha'-teen).

You can see the whole story of Khatyn by visiting this website: http://www.khatyn.by/en/

To make a long story short, the Nazi Army invaded Khatyn after a popular German soldier was shot not to far away. As far as anyone knows, the inhabitants of Khatyn had nothing to do with the attack. But, someone had to pay for what had happened. So, the army invaded the small village and herded everyone into a shed. They then set fire to the shed and burned nearly all of the towns inhabitants alive. If anyone tried to escape the fires, the German armies shot them. A horrifying scene to be sure. Yet, Khatyn is only one of many of these such stories throughout the Belarusian country-side.

It's really pretty incredible. In WWII, 2.23 million Belarusian people died. That's roughly 25% of the population at that time. (Which follows a roughly 7% population loss in WWI.)

The pictures above are just a few of the memorable images. The upper right image simply gives the facts of all that happened. The image of the statue follows the following story:

The only adult witness to the Khatyn massacre, a 56-year-old village smith
Joseph Kaminsky, also wounded and burnt, recovered consciousness late at night
when the fascists were already gone. He had to suffer a hard blow, though. He
found his injured son among the corpses of the fellow - villagers. The boy was
fatally wounded in the abdomen and totally burnt. He died later in the arms of
his father.

The final picture, of the eternal flame, is another symbolic area. The three trees represent the 3 out of 4 that lived after the war giving honor to the one who died in the battles.

To put what I experienced there into words is nearly impossible. So, I don't think I'm going to bother to try. But, I definitely wanted to share a few images with all of you back home.

Things dealing with the class I'm teaching are going quite well. I am having an increasing level of substantive conversations outside of class as well. To even begin to write here about them all, would take more time than I have to spare.

Please continue to pray as my time here closes. Your prayers are making a tremendous difference. I know that you're willingness to send me here is making a Kingdom impact!

-Ben

Down the home stretch . . .

2006-02-26T15:24:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm going to head to bed in a moment, but I thought I'd make a quick update.

First, the pics below are of a tragic memorial near by. Apparently in 1999, the had a thunderstorm here which is a really rare thing. Thunder. Lightning the whole deal. This little memorial is at the top of the steps that lead down to the Metro (subway). What happened is that there was this concert-type of deal in the park (thousands in attendance), and then the thunderstorm came in an unexpected way. It totally freaked people out. They ran every which way. If I have my info right, 50 people were trampled to death in the subway tunnels. Incredible story, really. The first picture is of the little memorial they have set up. The second picture is harder to understand, sorry. Right next to the memorial are a few steps they've built, and those are large metal roses that are laying on the steps. It's really pretty cool in person. Thought I would share.

I'm into the home stretch when it comes to my time here. I spoke at two churches today, and both went well. It was great to be able to share that time with each of those churches. I also finished writing the final exam for the class I'm teaching, so that's good as well. I had to have it finished by tomorrow morning so it could be interpreted.

I'm thoroughly enjoying my time here, but I am definitely looking forward to coming home. Three weeks is a long time to be gone. I miss you all!

I'll post more as the week goes along.

Your prayers are lifting and supporting me. Endless thanks to all of you!

-Ben

The Monument

2006-02-25T08:02:00.000-06:00

Here's another picture of the monument that I mentioned below.

Beauty

2006-02-25T07:50:00.000-06:00

Well, I promised I'd eventually get to post some pictures. So, here are a couple of some things that I see pretty regularly.

In the upper left is a building that right now is serving as a simple store. I don't know if it was ever anything other than that, but that's what it is now. But, the art work above the door is pretty impressive. It's all carved out. Definitely a soviet influenced image. The church is a Russian Orthodox church down the street from my hotel. Very pretty. Most of Minsk was destroyed in the bombings that took place during WWII. The lower right is a picture of a couple of buildings that have been restored to their pre-war state. They are a couple of but just a few in the whole city that have architectural influence that pre-dates WWII. Most of the other ones are religious in nature. The lower left is a picture of the "Hero City" monument that is also just down the street from my hotel. I see it every day. Minsk was one of a handful of cities that Stalin labeled as a hero city following the war. This monument is a tribute to that. You can also see a political billboard in the corner. An election is coming soon here. You pretty much only see advertisements for the president and his party. That is one of their billboards.

Alright, I’m going to try to give a little update about how things are going. But, I must warn you, I also have some thoughts that are heavy on my mind. I also want to write about those. The update may be short, but the thoughts most likely will not be.

Things are going extremely well. I’m enjoying the class more and more, and I think the students are as well. We’ve begun to have some passionate discussions and dialogues. It’s beautiful to sit back and watch extremely sharp young men and women discuss, debate, and process practical things when it comes to youth ministry. I am impressed with the beauty of the heart as it moves the principles of Scripture into the realities of life. It’s really a beautiful process. One that I think brings great honor and delight to our Father.

I’m gaining an increased appreciation for the work of the church. Is there anything more honoring than followers of Christ racking their brains, stretching their thinking, and moving themselves into uncomfortable places all in the hopes that the redeeming love of Christ would bring about undeniable change in their culture?

I’m grateful that I have the privilege of being a part of a community that values this work. It’s really matters. The sore knees from praying, the dog-eared pages of the Bible from reading, the stretching conversations where we engage in passionate discussion . . . they’re all worth it. It’s beautiful, and I think the name of God is honored by the process.

I had the privilege of attending a concert-like event last night called the “haroshki”. I’m not sure that’s how you would spell it, but that’s how it sounds. So, it’s probably the correct transliterated form. To write it in Russian would require letters and symbols that I still can’t understand. Learning the language has been even more difficult than I could have imagined.

The haroshki is a Belarusian folk music and dance performance. I know, I know. For many of you, that sounds about as exciting as watching Olympic Curling (which I’m sad to admit that I have now done. I’m embarrassed to admit that I think I actually understand it. It’s still Olympic shuffle board if you ask me.). But, it was really, really good. I’ve posted a picture, but pictures just can’t capture the excitement of the dance, the beauty of the music, and the detail of the costumes. I honestly think it was as entertaining and as exciting as going to a Hawaiian luau. The energy of the music was extremely high. It’s folk music and dance, so fun and humor are a key element. What struck me is that the representation of the 16th Century is more upbeat and exciting than the reality of today. We oftentimes think about in the reverse in America.

I think God is honored by beauty. He created it, after all. And I’m stunned by how often we stifle the beauty of His creation. I’m not just talking about nature. We all know that, as people, we’ve handled our world in such a way that doesn’t always honor the beauty of the created. But, I think of other types of visual beauty, and I’m astounded by that as well. The costumes that were worn at the haroshki were truly beautiful. Ornate and detailed. I know there weren’t necessarily made to honor God, but when I saw them, I thought, “God, thanks for making the colors of our world so beautiful. Thank you that you’ve made us in such a way that we can enjoy what you have created.” However, there is so much more than physical beauty in the world. The music last night was fantastic. I was stunned by the ability of the musicians. But, that’s another beauty that we are very familiar with. I’m learning to love and appreciate inner beauty, that which cannot be seen with the eyes and automatically identified with the harmonics of the ears.

I had a conversation with a young women yesterday. I don’t have the time to tell her whole story, but she’s from South Africa and now is living here in Minsk. She doesn’t really know why she’s here. She doesn’t really know where she’s going in life. And, we began to talk about that. She’s thinking about a lot of really “practical” options for her life. As she shared her thoughts with me, I couldn’t help but notice a lack of beauty in her words. There was no passion, no excitement, no love dripping from her words. Everything she said made so much “sense” in one way, but lacked resonance in another. So, I asked the only question I knew to ask, “what do you love?” And then, a smile drew across her face and beauty began to emanate from her lips. “Art.” She’s an artist. She loves to paint with oils. And as I sat there and listened to her, I was stunned by the beauty of her heart as it poured into words.

“Why don’t you become an artist?”

“There’s no money, no future in that.”

And the beauty left. The smile was gone. The heart silenced. And, I it seemed like the worship of the Father that had been taking place grew dim.

We talked for a bit, about creation. I really think God likes what He created. After all, He said it was “good”. I don’t think He’s crazy about what’s happened to all that He created, but that’s a different matter.

“What if God created your love for art? Your words drip with worship as you speak about the beauty of it.”

“I don’t know.”

“What if God created you with passions and strengths and abilities? Would His desire be for those to be lost to the world of the ‘practical’?”

“Probably not.”

“Think about the sense of taste. It doesn’t have a terribly practical function. There are things that are extremely healthy for me, that I can’t stand the taste of. Likewise, there are things that I love the taste of, but they aren’t really that healthy for me. Taste isn’t that practical. It seems like it’s mostly for our enjoyment. To celebrate the beauty of the creation of God. Perhaps, your love for art is appropriate worship for the creation and beauty of God.”

“I hadn’t ever thought about that.”

“I was taught something earlier this year that I can’t seem to forget. Wasted strengths are like sundials in the shade.”

Isn’t worship in many ways the celebration of the beauty and magnificence of God? These days, I’m seeing His beauty all around me. Certainly in the snow-tipped pine trees. Certainly in a sun-rise. Certainly in a well made meal. But, also in the conversations we hold in pursuit of God. Also, in the gifts, talents, and abilities in others. Also, in the words we say and write.

Beauty.

It’s all around us, really.

The scriptures would say,

The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.

Mmm, Mmm, Good . . .

2006-02-21T14:55:00.000-06:00

I’ve discovered a new piece of heaven here on earth. It’s kind of like a liquid chocolate, except it seems even better. My Russian isn’t real sharp, but I think the label roughly translates to: “God’s Chocolate Sauce: Improving Coffee and Manna since Mt. Sinai”. It’s scary how good this stuff is in coffee and tea. I’m going to have to see if I can find a can in a market some where before I head home.

Teaching is going fairly well. To make use of the extra time that I’ve been given, I have chosen to elongate most of my sessions and include a few group projects. I had so much material that I had wanted to cover in 5 days, it’s kind of a blessing that I now have 10 days to teach it in.

I do wish it were easier to communicate back and forth. Though I believe that our time together is beneficial, I love to facilitate discussion amongst the group. The need for a translator I think some times prevents me from catching the nuances of what is taking place in the room. But, I knew about this challenge when I signed up for this adventure.

My schedule is quickly filling up. I counted while in the shower this morning. In the course of my time here (nearly 3 weeks total), I will teach a minimum of 43 times. That’s assuming I’m not urged to speak anywhere else. The astounding part is that all of those teaching sessions come within a span of 14 days! Churches and ministries here are eager to have me come and teach in one of their gatherings. I’m really not sure what’s up with that. Apparently, they don’t know what they’re getting themselves into. 8^) But, it keeps me busy. It ensures that I don’t have enough idle time to get myself in trouble.

Went to the hotel restaurant on my own last night. It was my first foray to get something to eat (McDonald’s doesn’t count. Saying Big Mac is not a cultural experience.) With my English/Russian dictionary in hand, I managed to order for myself some chicken, rice, steamed veggies, bread, and a Coke. It wasn’t pretty, but I wasn’t hungry when I finished. I guess that would qualify it as a successful trip.

I got to see some ministry that is happening on a college campus today. Totally underground. Totally illegal. Totally inspiring. We did some contact evangelism, which just isn't "allowed" here. We really didn't try to hide it or anything. I took a pic with the group, but I'm not going to post that for the public to see. I got to hear a 18-year old girl say about the threat of punishment for sharing her faith, "I'm not afraid." Man, I'm so pumped about ministry like that!

When I was travelling back to the hotel, I began to think about the history of the church. You know, it's done quite well when it's been persecuted in the past . . .

Could some of our issues in the American church be that we've gotten to lazy without any "resistance"? I don't know if I believe that or not. It's just a thought.

Hush, little baby . . .

2006-02-18T11:08:00.000-06:00

Have you ever thought you were doing alright, and then find out that you were much more in need that you thought you were?

Just last night I had the privilege of being invited for dinner to the home of an American missionary. They actually invited another missionary couple who lives in the same building as them to join us. Five of us in all. Dinner was fantastic. She made ham with pineapple, fried rice, green beans, fresh slice veggies, and bread. Almost like being at home, so that was a nice little change up. She also made these bars for dessert that are made with honey and something else. Mmmmmmm.

Anyways, they asked how I was adjusting to the time change. And, I said that I was doing well. Wasn't really feeling any sort of ill effects. Sleeping fine. Waking up fine. I felt like I was doing great.

The night moved on, and I returned to my hotel around 9 p.m. or so. I proceeded to watch some Olympics that I can't understand (this is becoming a bit of a normal thing for me. I got to watch that American gal wipe out live. That was pretty sweet.), and then I played some games on my laptop. I entered into some sort of solitaire induced haze, and before I knew it the clock had rolled around to 1 a.m. So, I finished what I was doing, and got ready for bed.

I didn't need to set any sort of alarm, because breakfast is open until 10 a.m., and I never sleep that long . . . famous last words.

I awoke to world ready for some breakfast only to realize that I missed out. Not by a little bit, mind you. But to an extent that is quite uncommon for me. It was after 1 p.m., and I was still tired. I'm not sure, but I think I may have slipped into a liver induced coma. Fortunately, I've found, the body has defenses for such things, and it is only temporary. The scary part is that I could have gone back to sleep right away. I didn't for fear I would die.

I got to try Lebanese food tonight. I'm not entirely sure what I ate. I thought it was going to be chicken, but it came out in little tubes, like sausage. Not sure what I think about that. While eating it, I chose to believe it was some other meat than chicken because that seemed like a better option. Chicken shouldn't come in tubes. In any case, the taste was pretty good (a nice little spice to it), and it came with french fries (always a safe choice). There was also a cole slaw type salad (basically, cabbage with mayo) and pickles. The pickles I particularly enjoyed. They were kind of a cross between a dill pickle and a sweet pickle. Strange, I know, but quite tasty.

That's all the more exciting it got for me today. Due to my propensity to slumber, I didn't get a chance to take pics. I'm going to see a couple of friends of mine tomorrow who are missionaries here tomorrow. Perhaps a photo or two will come then.

Thanks for praying! They're giving me a lot of rest! 8^)

-Ben

Questions

2006-02-17T09:34:00.000-06:00

I want to thank you for your prayers. I know they are making a difference.

After completing my second (of ten) days of teaching, I feel like I'm beginning to build a rapport with the students. I'm told this is no small feat. The male students in particular have a history of being rather critical of their instructors. I can totally understand where they would come from on that front. After all, who am I to come as an instructor? (I have to admit, I've shared that thought more than once when thinking about my presence here.)

One of the benefits of not knowing the language is that I can pay attention to the non-verbal aspects of their questions and statements while waiting for the translation. I've been noticing that their questions are turning from a tone of testing of me toward genuine questions.

I also have enjoyed opening teaching and dialogue on worship today with the students. We have engaged in some great conversation!

Tomorrow is going to be a huge day of curriculum preparation for me. Your prayers are still coveted!

I love to read the posts that you're leaving. They are very encouraging to me. Perhaps this weekend I'll be able to get out and take some interesting pictures. I would love to share with you what I am seeing.

Blessings to you all!

BTW - the liver returned at lunch today. More or less the same, except with potatoes. I have to admit, I'm not entirely sure that it's liver any more. The texture doesn't match what I've been told in the past. If I don't watch out, I may get used to eating whatever it is. 8^)

Today’s word is: Inspired

2006-02-16T13:43:00.000-06:00

Have you ever encountered something in real life that only existed in books or dreams? Have you ever had your eyes opened to the realities of the world we live in?

That was me today.

Today was the first day of teaching, and I’ll give you a quick update about that before I move into the really striking portion of my day. Since the Belarusian culture is slightly less demonstrative and expressive than what I am used to experiencing back home, it’s hard for me to know how things are going so far. I know now what some of our African-American brothers and sisters must feel like when they come to preach at a church like ours. :^P

A couple of the teachers that were supposed to be here backed out in the last month or so. So, I found out today that my teaching requirements will be a little more extensive. I thought I was teaching a one-week course, two times. I found out today, that I will be teaching the same students for the whole time. (Half were supposed to be taught something else this week.) So, I have only half of the material I need to be fully prepared with. I definitely could use your prayers on that front.

I think my favorite interaction came toward the end of my final session of the day. I had spent some time talking about Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs. I pretty much just laid out the theory. When I finished teaching the theory, I asked, “What does that have to do with youth ministry?” The very first response: “I was wondering the same thing.” When I laughed to the response, it relieved some tension in the room. We went on to talk about how having an understanding of people is tantamount to being able to minister, etc. A great dialogue really, but a humorous exchange.

I also tried liver for the first time. I didn’t want to. Unfortunately, I have more dignity and self-awareness than your average 5 year old. (At least I did today.) No tantrum or scene ensued. So, I ate it. All of it. It was cut into small pieces and was in some sort of gravy like sauce served over rice. Turns out it wasn’t too bad. I’m not asking for the recipe, but I’ll eat it again if it’s served. Which it probably will be.

On to the inspiration portion of our show. I’m going to warn you right now, this may be long. I was just so struck.

I mentioned yesterday the living history here. I had the privilege to go on a driving tour of Minsk with Sergei, the Bible College director. He’s lived in Belarus his whole life, was a graduate of the Bible College, and then planted 2 churches before returning to run the college. As we traversed the city, seeing building after building bearing the fingerprint of Stalin and the Soviet regime, we talked about life about ministry and about the realities of the culture here. In some ways similar to ours, in other ways so different. Over the weekend, I’m hoping to be able to take some pictures of the large monuments that have been set up since WWII. I’ll post them here if I can. Very interesting.

We got to talking about the church, and a vague reference to illegality was mentioned. So, I jumped at the opportunity to ask a direct question. “What is it illegal for Christianity to do here?” To make a long story short, it is illegal to witness in public. No preaching. No handing out spiritual tracts. No overt evangelism of any kind. First offense: fine. Second offense: a week in jail. I didn’t ask what happens from offense three and on, I assumed punishment escalated. A church meeting with less than 20 people isn’t legal. I don’t know that I fully get this one. But, a church plant with 10 or 15 people isn’t legal in ANY case. Once a church has 20 or more, they can apply to be registered with the government. The government may or may not grant them their registration. Punishment for offense? Similar. Fines and then jail time. And then he said it. A phrase that will echo in my ears for a long time. With his awesome accent, “Eh, what are we going to do, stop ministry?!?”

Perhaps those words will ring a bit if I give you some background. His wife’s father spent 19 years in prison because he was an open Christian. Age 20 to age 39. Gone. Not that nothing positive happened in the prison, but he paid a high price for his faith. No offense kept him imprisoned other than his faith.

Now I think about these students I’m getting to know. Being here, I’m out of my comfort zone for sure. Who wouldn’t be? But, am I really that courageous? That’s a word that should be reserved for these young men and women. There is a passion that drives them in the face of adversity that is absolutely beautiful.

-Ben

Livin' it up at the Hotel Yubileiny

2006-02-15T04:45:00.000-06:00

Well friends, I have safely and successfully arrived in Minsk, Belarus with very few incidents.

I'm staying at a nice hotel, the Hotel Yubileiny, that seems to be situated in a neat spot in the city. I have yet to go exploring, but it appears that there are a few things to see nearby.

I am already struck by the living history here. It is estimated that anywhere from 25-35% of the people in Belarus were killed during WWII, as most of this territory fell under Nazi terroristic control. In fact, a great deal of the buildings here in Minsk were built in the 1950's or later due to the absolute destruction and devastation that took place.

I am obviously a tourist to all who see me, yet I've had nothing but pleasant interactions with people. They have been very patient with me!

You know, I'm tempted to write about how comfortable I feel here in the middle of this culmination of a nearly 2-year process. But, I would be less than honest if I wrote that.

As I boarded the plane in KC on Monday, I was experiencing a mixture of fear, doubt, worry, sadness, eager anticipation, excitement, courage, and intrigue. A feeling not like any I've ever had before. I think perhaps those first few steps onto the plane were the most difficult of this whole process. Maybe I'm just wierd, but that's the way it was. I nestled into my plane seat next to young business man, and we started a simple conversation. After a few moments of silence, I heard an ominous phrase . . . "I've never been nauseous on a plane before." Though my brain raced with a thousand different things that could possibly go wrong over the next 2 hours, my thoughtful preparation was fortunately in vain. The pronouncement was all the more exciting it got. Some quality time spent with an iPod and my favorite music served me well in calming my nerves and refocusing my purpose.

I found the Atlanta and Paris airports to be relatively easy to navigate, even though I needed to change terminals and had to re-check my bags in Paris. The flight into Minsk was uneventful, particularly for me, as I slept roughly 90% of the time. And I found proceeding through customs to be a breeze. I think the customs agent was amused with me. I really didn't know what needed to be declared, and there really wasn't anyone there who could help me . . . so, I declared almost everything, right down to my Sports Illustrated. Perhaps that was a bit much, but better to be thorough than lacking. We had a nice little laugh.

Once arriving, I enjoyed my first authentic Belarussian meal. I think they call it a "Big Mac". It seems they have a local chain of restaurants here named "McDonalds". I know, I know, big adventure. I then settled in for a brief night of reading, playing a couple of games on my laptop, and trying to watch the olympics on local TV. Needless to say, the latter of the pursuits produced the least fruit.

Today is a travel recovery day. Reading. Preparing to teach. Sleeping to adjust my body to the proper time clock. I will spend some time today with the academy director and the national director. That should be fun.

I hope to be able to post here often. It seems like I will have the chance. This has probably been too much detail, but it's your fault for reading this far. 8^)

Be praying for the things I will teach. Pray that I might be a blessing.

Much love,

Ben

Time

2006-02-08T14:21:00.000-06:00

I have to admit, it seems like my time has just been flying by lately. So, I apologize for not getting on this blog deal like I want to. Hopefully, that will change soon.

As many of you know, I fly out on Monday, February 13th for Minsk, Belarus. I will spend the next couple of weeks teaching young Belarussian pastors about ministry.

It's really a daunting task for me. It's such a huge responsibility. I will share some things I have learned from God and from experience in the hopes that I can inspire, encourage, equip, and empower some Belarussian pastors as they reach and love their country for Christ.

I'm also quite excited about all that I will experience while I am away. Fair warning here, I probably will be talking about all of this a fair amount when I get back. So, if you don't want to hear about my trip, avoid me at all costs. 8^)

While I am away, this is going to serve as my hub for information. I'm supposed to be able to access the internet from the academy there, so I'll try to keep those who want to be kept in the loop, in the loop. I'm taking a dig cam with me, so hopefully I'll be able to drop some pics on here as well.

As always, I covet and appreciate your prayers for me and for Sarah while I am away. Pray for peace. Pray for protection. Pray for God to work in a mighty and powerful way.

-Ben

What . . .

2006-01-19T15:13:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking lately about the public image of the church in America. My guess is that the church is known more for what it is against than what it is for. The primary issues on the landscape are things like Human Genome research, prayer in schools or other public places, the everlasting evolution/creation debate, gay marriage, and of course abortion.

So, I'm curious about something. Gay marriage has been such a big deal in our society as of late. The church has come about pretty strong in the corner of marriage being a union between a man and a woman.

If it were up to you, what public position would the church take on this issue?

I have some thoughts, but I want to hear your's first.

Glory

2006-01-19T14:19:00.000-06:00

Alee, you bring out a thread of thought that has been around for a little while. In fact, the Westminster Catechism (developed in 1647) addresses this idea. There are two versions of the catechism, a shorter version and a larger version. The shorter version is by far the more read. The Westminster Catechism deals with 107 different questions of a "doctrinal" nature. You can read it by clicking here. This particular site also has links so that you can see the passages of scripture the group who wrote the Westminster Catechism believed supported their vantage point. It should be noted that this is one of the more influential writings in Christendom, but there are still many out there that disagree with many parts of what is written.

The first question asked in the catechism is, "What is the chief end of man?" The simple answer given is that "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever."

John Piper wrote a book Desiring God that deals with this idea head on and actually begins to expound upon it a touch. He asserts that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. In other words, God created us in such a loving way that we can find joy and peace in life. When we engage fully in those pleasures, we bring the ultimate glory to God. It's really quite an interesting read. I don't know that I track with all of it, but I think he has some really great things to say. The one additional thought that I'll throw out here to try to clarify the book a bit is that Piper is really referring to full pleasure. His contention (and he actually quotes C.S. Lewis here) is that the problem we have as people is not that we pursue pleasure, it's that we are too easily satisfied. For instance, our problem is not that we are seeking love, but that we are willing to settle for lust and sex instead.

I think this viewpoint is one that we have to look at with a careful lens. On one hand, it's easy to distort the message of Jesus into something that is entirely selfish and about us alone. On the other hand, we can overlook the intimate love of God that is clearly displayed in several areas of scripture (see numerous parables of Jesus for examples).

The Body

2006-01-05T02:03:00.000-06:00

Several of you referenced the friction/traction thought from the first post, and I want to come back to that another day when I have my McManus book nearby to pull some quotes from. I think it's an interesting concept and idea, that really lends me inspiration and hope in some of the toughest spots in life. One quick thing about friction/traction: from my experience it's right about the time that the friction begins to become truly painful that traction begins to take place. How does that play out in different scenarios in life? That's for another day. I want to toss out something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately.

The church I'm a part of has been under taking some major strategic thinking with regards to our future as a community of faith. We're evaluating everything, and holding none of our "traditional" practices as sacred. It's been a challenging process of questions, dialogue, prayer, vision, dreams, and discovery. In the midst of this process, I've been thinking about the concept of "The Body". You probably know what I'm talking about.

In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul lays out this concept of the Body of Christ that is pretty compelling. (You can read the passage here.) Paul writes about how each of us are unique in our creation, and he begins to list various "gifts" that we've received as people. The gift list is diverse, and it doesn't take long to see that Paul is placing value in the uniqueness of creation. You and I are unique. There's no other person on earth that is just like you or me, and that's a beautiful good thing. God made it that way. The very notion that we should all conform to look like one thing is really quite absurd. God would have nothing of the sort. (Granted, scripture does present the idea of spiritual formation being the process of becoming more and more like Jesus. On the surface, these seem to be paradoxical, but I think it's actually quite a tame statement. Perhaps I'll write on that later.)

So, in the end, Paul celebrates the diversity of the community of faith. There are several excerpts that I really like:

the body is not made up of one part but of many
If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

As I read through this passage and meditated on the process that we were going through as a church, I had a realization.

I've grown up in the church all of my life. It's always been a part of what I did. I've heard people talk about the "Body of Christ" more times than I can remember or count. However, as I reflect, my experience is that the vast majority of the references to "the Body" that I've heard are referring to a specific local congregation. In fact, I know I've heard people refer to different churches as different "bodies of Christ". And for a long time, that didn't really strike any sort of sour note with me.

But then it struck me, the Scriptures don't paint that sort of picture at all! In fact, the Bible paints the picture that every single church, pastor, board member, and congregation member from every geographic region of the planet are all a part of one body. Further, Scripture paints the idea that when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer, and one part is honored, we all rejoice with it.

Has that been your experience of the church?

Do you experience one congregation celebrating the success of another just down the street? When we hear about tremendous things happening in other parts of the globe, do we feel a sense of connectedness to that? When we read a story of a martyr or of oppression in Uganda or China, do we hurt?

Now, I've never been a part of a local congregation that wished ill on another. But, how often do we go out of our way to support them?

Here's my wondering . . . We readily say that individual people have a purpose in life. A function. A job. Or if we're churchy, a calling. And your calling can be completely different than mine, and that's just fine. Neither of us are wrong. Just different. Neither of us is better, just different.

What if the same can be said of a local congregation?

After all, there's only ONE body . . . right? Yet, I think we often operate like we're a bunch of little mini-bodies running all over the place. We live in such a way that says each local congregation has to have 10 toes, 10 fingers, 2 arms, etc. But, is that the picture that the Bible even feigns to present?!?

In my opinion . . . No.

Each local congregation is a part of ONE body . . . everybody.

The little house church meeting underground in Iraq because there's still gunfire flying overhead. A part of everybody.

The Pentecostal church down the street that is more "charismatic" than I'm honestly comfortable with. A part of everybody.

The ultra-Conservative rural church that hasn't changed a thing it does in over 30 years. A part of everybody.

The suburban mega-church that produces sermon outlines, small group studies, teaching materials, and everything else we could possibly want. A part of everybody.

Every Christ following congregation is a part of the same body. Could it be that some of our arguments and disagreements, some of our tensions and quarrels, are not because one side is wrong and the other is right but because the disagreeing congregations are actually called to different things?!?

If each local congregation is not a body unto itself, than it is only natural that we would need to have congregations performing different functions of the body. And when one congregation does something well, we don't have to go out and copy them, hoping to mimic their success. Instead, could we celebrate them???

If we know of a local congregation other than your own who is doing something phenomenal, what if we praise it and talk about it with others in a glowingly positive way, rather than grumble that our congregation didn't get to it first or isn't doing it as well or at all.

Embrace uniqueness! It's the way of Christ!

One body. Many parts. Each called to perform it's function.

Perhaps Paul said it best:

If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

It Begins . . .

2005-12-31T12:08:00.000-06:00

For quite some time, I've been fascinated by the world of Blogs, and have thought about creating one of my own. I don't really know what took me so long, but here I go. As a typically early adopter to new ideas, this space is long overdue.

My intentions are pretty simple. As a pastor, I've often thought that I should only teach about or speak on my polished theological ideas and constructs. However, as an outward thinker and processor, I think this self-imposed policy has often put unnecessary constraints on my own personal growth and development. So, I decided to create a blog where I can write about some of my thoughts, and hopefully engage in meaningful dialogue with others who both share some of my thoughts/opinions and also strongly disagree with what I have to say.

One of my favorite authors is Erwin McManus (definitely check out his books). He introduced the idea of friction/traction to me in his book An Unstoppable Force. Basically the idea is this: friction is the very thing that allows us to have traction. Most of us spend a great deal of our lives trying to avoid the friction of life. After all, friction many times brings with it a certain level of pain or discomfort. Unfortuntately, in doing so, we also avoid most of the prime opportunities we are afforded for traction. Just think about it: how often do you really grow as a person when everything is "just fine". That's not the way it tends to work. Friction is what allows us to have traction. Traction is in its simplest form an application of friction for positive purposes.

That's what I want this spot to be. A place where friction is embraced for the purpose of traction. Whether or not anyone reads this posting or not, it certainly will be that for me.

So, this is my disclaimer: if you want to read spiritual thoughts that are the same as you've always heard, this is not the place for you. If you want to have your complacency encouraged and supported, this is not the place for you. If you want to read opinions and thoughts that are completely processed and won't change as dialogue unfolds, this is not the place for you.

This is a place where processing supercedes teaching . . . a place where questions are as valued as answers . . . a place where authentic spiritual seeking is valued.

This is a new thing for me. I don't know how it's going to shape up or pan out. All I know is that it seems like a natural next step for me in my journey of life. Feel free to come along for the adventure. Tell me what you think. Share with me your opinion. Let's process life together.