Category Archives: Happy Tensions

Ending all this March Madness (watching with my kids, in April).

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March Madness is my favorite sports season. It’s quick, exciting, and provides good conversation with friends near and far, because one doesn’t have to follow the teams all season long to have an opinion. It’s an easy on-ramp to accessible sports to end the winter and bring on spring. Plus, there appears to be a genuine “love of the game” displayed out there on the court. Of course, the genius of March Madness is the filthy amounts of money in it. TV ads sell at a premium for all the broadcasts of the field of 64 (or now, 68). There’s a different love of the game at play for those wearing suits instead of jerseys.

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For the last two weeks you’ve probably heard about the big business of college sports. Bloggers calling for accountability with the NCAA, the governing body lining its pockets with gold and sweat from the players’ brows. Beat writers giving the behind-the-scenes interviews with disaffected student-athletes dishing on being special recipients of cash, pleasure or good grades. Even a new awareness of why the term “student-athlete” is the preferred lingo across the land. (If they are students and athletes, and not employees, there’s no responsibility to provide workers compensation—both in insurance, and renumeration). Kevin Ware’s horrific broken-leg injury on Easter Sunday brought more of these issues to the limelight. Will he ever play again? Will a scholarship be waiting for him next year? Will he resurrect his playing career? (I won’t link to a photo of the injury; almost threw up when I saw it happen live in front of the Louisville Cardinal bench.)

These are calls for justice, even in the arena of sport.

(Maybe you’ve heard it. I listen to a bit of what I jokingly call “conservative sports talk radio.” It’s the only radio programming I can stand, because the personalities on political talk radio seem to dumb it down too much and talk at us like we’re all idiots. Well, maybe we are, but that’s a topic for another day.)

Back to justice in sports …

People get really amped up when their beloved past-time (read: way of checking out and coping) suddenly feels rigged. We like things to be “pure,” and somehow act surprised when things aren’t as they should or appear to be. From the public outrage over Beyonce lip-syncing at the Presidential Inauguration, to wardrobe malfunctions during the Super Bowl halftime show, to the time you suggested an old favorite movie to watch with friends or your kids and realized, “Oh no, this isn’t as ‘clean’ as I remember it was!” (News flash: the storyline and innuendo in the nice feel-good romantic movie “Dirty Dancing” is appropriately disclosed in the title. It’s not so much a movie about “dancing.”) I’m the same way. It takes stepping back and recognizing the good-and-bad mixed together, especially when it comes to entertainment.

Tonight I will probably watch the National Championship basketball game, the climactic end of this run of March Madness. (My bracket is in shambles, as I somehow thought Gonzaga would shine brightly in their moment of recognition and make it through the gauntlet as a #1 seed.) I say “probably” watch because I first need to check with the boss on that.

If we watch, our kids and I will sit in the home office on the big chair and snuggle and spill popcorn. During the commercials we’ll do some pretty important things together: go feed their new goldfish, get ready for bed, pick up the loft, brush our teeth, and so forth. Not without protest.

Bedtime means the end of the day of fun. Yet the protest could have other special reasons tonight. The timing of our breaks may lead to some disagreement. There’s something subconscious that happens during the breaks in the game action. See, my son’s favorite part of television is the commercials. If we had it on much he would wish to only see the commercials, not the shows, and would spend the rest of his days reciting the mantras of his favorite ads. One time at bedtime he remarked that Disneyland is the happiest place on earth because … well … “it’s where magic happens!” (I’m sure he learned that at his grandparents. 😉

When bedtime comes around—likely before the game is over and the nets are cut down—we’ll snuggle and laugh and talk about the highlights and lowlights of our day. It’s a drawn-out process, as much as the kids have a say. The stories of adventure, questions of what fun things happened today (and tonight, probably about the television ads) fill the dimly lit room.

It’s during those times I long to be a good father. Of course, part of telling these stories is to buy more time before having to fall asleep. And part of it, the cute part, the part I will never miss as a father, is the way in which their curiosity and learning is seeping out of them. It’s always my favorite time of the day, the least “productive” yet most rewarding. Even when tired, it’s the most wonderful time of the day.

20130408-045607.jpgAs for the game: apparently there is a method to all this madness. The NCAA recognizes the money to be made in advertising, and while they sell the product promote the student-athletes on the court, many suitors have shown up on their porch (at the door of CBS, TBS, TruTV, and the online streaming broadcasts of the games) to promote their wares in ad space. They are buying time. A basketball game is actually a pretty short contest. There’s a reason for all the stoppage of play, timeouts, and long breaks. Ben Cohen reveals the numbers on the sports blog for the Wall Street Journal:

“In fact, basketball accounts for just 29.4% of a basketball broadcast. The rest is devoted to stoppages like media timeouts, which are extended in the NCAA tournament and take up 20.5%, and halftime, which is more than 22 minutes on average. The stoppages starting with the last media timeout, at the first whistle after the four-minute mark of the second half, averaged over 17 minutes. The total time of rest after whistles is more than 12 minutes. And the wait during free throws accounts for 13.2% of NCAA tournament broadcasts, or almost 18 minutes. In fact, the median break for free throws in these three games lasted 50 seconds—enough time to think of everything else you could be doing with your time.”

My question for you: what will you do with all that extra time? If the game lasts three hours, and about 30% (54 minutes) of it was actual game action, how will you fill the remaining two hours and six minutes?

I’ll be there, remote it hand, to mute or turn off the TV, asking our kids questions about their thoughts and feelings. The real action will be thousands of miles from the game in Atlanta. It will be right in the room, with plenty of time to make sense of the madness.

Who’s playing again?

 

Men: today is International Women’s Day.

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I woke up today without a voice. Everyone at home is straining to hear me. This reminds me of so many in the world who practically lack a voice, to fight oppression, injustice, abuse, and neglect. Today we celebrate the “better half.” Let’s give them a voice.

As my wonderful wife Kari opens on her blog, today we have reason to celebrate:

Today is International Women’s Day, which means that for this one day we get to shout YEEHAW! to the world about all things woman. Raise a chocolate bar in the air, swing your hips, turn your face to heaven and give your biggest smile to thank God for making you a woman. You are beautiful, you are cherished, you are celebrated, you are the crown of his creation. (Or, if you’re a man, thank God for making women and consider how you can bless one today!)

Seriously, men, let’s pause and thank about that. Today we celebrate women by pursuing their best.

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Kari continues:

Yesterday afternoon my Bus Stop 32 friend Julie and I sat in my kitchen over steaming bowls of lentil soup. I watched her face light up as I sliced up an avocado and sprinkled it with salt. “My favorite!” She smiled, and as I looked across the kitchen at her, I couldn’t help but stop, struck by this one thought:

She’s so beautiful.

So incredibly beautiful. Yes, broken. Yes, addicted. Yes, in desperate need. But so am I and when I look at her I see her beauty and it’s a beauty that’s worth fighting for.

A beauty we must fight for.

Because every woman displays the beauty of God.

Yes, women show the world the beauty of God.

Yet not in the way we typically assume.

(By the way, later in the evening while Kari was at a meeting celebrating a dear friend, and while I had my attention on creating a model volcano with the kids, the re-heating of that lentil soup went awry, and I burned it. Didn’t offer it to the kids, but I ate some. Later, when Kari arrived home she asked, “What’s the smell? Is something burning?” I should have responded: “It’s the smell of me needing you. Thanks for being awesome.”)

Again, all women are beautiful in a deeper-than-skin way. Kari continues:

No, I don’t mean the beauty of a size 0 figure or flawless skin. The beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. The beauty of bravery and courage. The beauty of faith-filled trust. The beauty of sacrificial love. The beauty of vulnerability. And yes, even a woman’s physical appearance–in all sizes and shapes and ages–reflects the beauty of our God.

It’s a beauty that the evil one wants to destroy. Julie had told me last week that in her job search she’d found an 80-year old man who said she could clean his house for $15. So she did. Then yesterday when I asked her about it, she got quiet.
“Yeah, that’s probably not going to work out. I cleaned his house Monday night but then he wanted me to do other stuff. Take off my clothes and stuff.”
She looked up at me. “I can’t do that. So I guess that job is probably gone.”

Man aside: I kinda want to punch that dirtbag in the face. (I won’t, but angry rises in my heart over situations like this.)

There is no doubt in my mind that Satan has a special hatred for women. We need look no further than the pages of history to see this focused assault. Stasi Eldredge says it like this.

“The assault on femininity — its long history, its utter viciousness — cannot be understood apart from the spiritual forces of evil we are warned against in the Scriptures. That is not to say that men (and women, for they, too, assault women) have no accountability in their treatment of women. Not at all. It is simply to say that no explanation for the assault upon Eve and her daughters is sufficient unless it opens our eyes to the Prince of Darkness and his special hatred of femininity.” (Captivating, 84)

But instead of sitting around and wringing our hands about the state of our world, we can take the LIGHT of Jesus Christ into the darkness and illuminate God’s women and lift them up so they too can be beacons of his beauty, love, grace.

International Women's DayWhenever we bring light into the darkness, we discover more and more of His beauty that we never even knew existed.

So today, for International Women’s Day, here are 4 ways you can shine light on the beauty of God’s women in our world:

0. Encourage a Godly Man.

(I added this after realizing I tend to rant about terrible dirtbags, yet often neglect speaking words of encouragement to inspire more courage in the godly men who are already giving their time, talents, and treasure to causes greater than themselves. They are the unsung heroes who rebel against the low expectations we’ve normalized for “boys” in society today.)

This morning I sent personal text messages and emails to many of the godly men in my life who daily represent The Man Jesus by serving, loving, cherishing, protecting, and promoting the women in their lives and those who do not have godly men in their lives. They are faithful husbands, loving fathers, courageous leaders, wise teachers and coaches, generous volunteers, and hard workers. May their tribe increase, and may more women be served by more men in their image.

1. Sponsor a Woman Missionary.

For only $30/month (cutting out one restaurant meal a month could free up this much cash) can sponsor a woman missionary  through Gospel for Asia.  Consider: Over 50,000 female children are aborted every month in South Asia. Females are often the last to eat and the most likely to be illiterate. They’re the first to work as child laborers and sometimes even sold to become one of 1.2 million child prostitutes. As they grow they gain little respect. They live in the most unreached parts of the world—places that have yet to hear the Gospel. And many women cannot be approached by men due to cultural customs, making their slim chance of hearing the Gospel even slimmer. Gospel for Asia has a burden to reach them. We believe that uplifting the lives of these women is one of the most significant things that can come about to transform families and communities for Christ.

Today, if you will sponsor a woman missionary through GFA, we’ll send you a FREE copy of Half The Sky. Just email me your receipt (jeff at Godrenews dot us) and I’ll send you the book.

2. Watch the GIRL RISING trailer and request a screening in your city.

girl rising

WORLD VISION hosted Seattle’s red carpet premiere of this documentary last night, and Kari and I have requested to have a screening come in April to the Hilltop 9 theater in Oregon City. Go HERE to request a screening in your city (direct link here to pre-purchase a ticket; still need 100 people to “tip” it at the theatre near us) after watching the trailer:

3. Read Half The Sky.

half the sky No, it’s not a light read. No, you won’t fall asleep with warm, happy feelings in your heart. But I believe you will have a better understanding of this focused assault on women, and be encouraged and inspired to do whatever you can to share the love of Christ with women in the margins worldwide. From the far reaches of Cambodia to the neighbor woman right down your street. ALL women are worth of God’s love and special care.  It’s about $10 for the paperback on Amazon, with Kindle version about $12 and DVD about $15. Not a reader? Get the DVD and watch with the women in your life. Bring a tissue.

Or, better yet » hop back up to #1, sponsor a missionary and we’ll send you the book for free!

“We love because HE first loved us.”

—1 John 4:19 (about Jesus The Man)

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My beautiful wife ends this with a word of thanks:

Thank you to all you beautiful woman (and fabulous men!) for spreading the light of Jesus Christ to the dark corners of the world. Let’s pray this International Women’s Day finds a few more girls rising in the light of His love … Thanks for reading.

Men, if you read it to the end, you’re awesome. Thank you.

 

Guys can be wise & generous with their money too. (Free ebook today.)

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Anticipating a few calls, talks and emails about my wife’s new book, Faithfully Frugal. I’m convinced it’s her best one yet, and yet it might cause a stir in your home. Maybe in your wallet.

Kari has the audacity to write about a taboo subject: money. Especially our relationship with money. It might cause some people to squirm. And … then … if they stick with it … to find happiness. Especially if a husband and wife team can get on the same page in their finances.

Faithfully Frugal

There are dozens of great resources out there on finding financial freedom and becoming savvy with your money. Take a course, buy an audiobook, create a budget, stick with it.

Yet, we see a gap between the “how to” of saving money and the “why” of being generous. Most courses and books seem to promise “more money for you,” as if keeping more of your money will ultimately make you happier. (And make God happier and proud of you.) Fear and pride go a long way to changing behavior, though they won’t producing lasting change, which must take root in the heart.

This isn’t a guilt trip. This isn’t a call to sell all you have and give all the proceeds to the poor (though Jesus told one guy to do just that). 1 You cannot save your soul by giving away all your stuff. At the same time, while you can’t buy happiness, I’m convinced you can give it away. That’s what Jesus did.

We intentionally went FREE with the releases of Plenty and Let in Light because we think the words carry weight. It seemed like both books were meant for the ladies (I guess Plenty clearly was, as the subtitle suggests: “31 Sips of Joy for Moms Everywhere.”) Even still, Faithfully Frugal, though foo-foo sounding, isn’t just for frugal moms everywhere.

Men, I implore you to read this book. At the very least, download it free today. (Works on Kindle AND any other computer or device.) If your wife brings up the subject, put on your work boots, pour a cup of black coffee, and listen to her. There’s something happening in the garden of her heart, and she wants a husband (literally, “gardener”) to tend it and help her grow.

I hope many men read this book.

In fact, it’s so short — though lacking pictures, sorry — you could read it in under a half hour. Great words packed into this tiny book. Like how they should “show DIY-manuals with pictures of people crying or punching holes in walls.” You might even laugh in that half hour. Yet the effect I hope it has on you will last far longer.

Maybe the retro cover is too feminine for you? 2

Men, if , try this man version…

Faithfully Frugal for Men

Think of the Capital One vikings running across it plundering and hollering, “What’s in your wallet?”

Better yet, “What’s in your heart?”

(It’s an e-book, so there’s no cover to hide in real life.)

Faithfully Frugal isn’t about penny-pinching. Not trying to be “penny wise” yet “pound foolish.” I promise there are no tips in there on hoarding coupons, though you could make your own laundry detergent (maybe), and certainly eat at home for less. Plus, invite others over and make a hospitable night of it.

The subtitle gives away the three big ideas: Spend Less, Give More, Live More.

The point is: when we intentionally look at our money as actually being God’s resources, and we move ourselves from greed toward generosity, we will find more freedom and joy than you ever imagined. Happiness cannot be bought, though it can be given.

Jesus, The Man, gave all He had. Let’s do the same, men.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
—2nd Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)

  1. I’m convinced if Jesus said those words to a woman she would have done it right away, all the way, and with a happy heart. And then asked what else she could do as she left all to follow the Master. In the real scene, the man walked away dejected. ↩
  2. (Thank you, Pepper, for creating the real retro cover.) ↩
 

WHOs before DOs: when you really need to know who you are.

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Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
—Galatians 5:25

How many times have we been asked to do this exercise? Especially at the new year:

  • List out your priorities as you want them to be. 

Of course we’re supposed to put God first, then family second, or wait, maybe we’re supposed to put ourselves first, but then what about our spouse, and then work is a must so where does that fit in?

Here’s what I’ve noticed:

  • No matter how many times I’ve listed out my priorities it’s never revolutionized my life.

Here’s what’s revolutionized my life:

  • Understanding that it’s not knowing my primary priority that matters but knowing my primary identity.

Continue reading →

 

God with us: the end of fear.

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Willamette lights by Jordan Chesbrough

Have you ever felt afraid? Even in the happiest of times, fear can haunt our hearts, nagging, keeping us from experiencing true joy and peace.

What if I lose my job? Did I get the present I hoped for? Why was my friend acting mean to me? Why wasn’t I invited to the party? Will I make the team? Will I get accepted? Will he always love me? Will we have enough? Will I be healed?

As you read the Christmas story in Luke 1 and 2, you’ll find angels appearing three times, messengers from God sent from heaven to give the world wonderful news about the Savior Jesus Christ. The angels appeared to a man named Zechariah, a girl named Mary, and a group of shepherds in Bethlehem. Each was occasion for celebration, for the angels brought the greatest news the world would ever hear. But do you know what happened each time the good news came?

Those who heard were afraid.

Zechariah was afraid (1:12). Mary was afraid (1:19). The shepherds were afraid (2:9).

And all three times the angels spoke these words:

“Do not be afraid.”

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That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” —Luke 2:8-12 (NLT)

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These heavenly messengers were the first to declare the Message of Christmas — that God so loved us that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will never die but will have eternal life.

Christ is the end of fear for all who believe. Why? Because Christ conquered the source of fear. He triumphed over sin and death, trampling Satan once and for all, delivering us from evil and delivering us into the God’s glorious Kingdom. But sometimes—just like Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds—we can actually be afraid of the message of Christ. We can be afraid of really trusting Him. What will He make me do? we wonder. But Christianity isn’t primarily about what God asks us to do but what God has already done.

What has God done? He has loved us.

“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him…. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear…” —1 John 4:9, 18 (NIV)

As you welcome Christ in your hearts and home this Christmas His perfect love will cast out all fear. (You know who wasn’t afraid in the story? The angels. Perfect love does cast our fear.)

Look to Him and hear His words, “Do not fear, only believe.” No need to fear; God is with us.

Merry Christmas.

For a Child is born to us, a Son is given to us.
The government will rest on His shoulders.
And He will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!
—Isaiah 9:6-7 (NLT)

Reflection questions for discussion:

  • When were you afraid this year? How did you respond when overcome with fear?
  • What are you afraid of today?
  • Is there any aspect of that coming year that makes you feel afraid?
  • How does Christ’s presence remove that fear?
 

Speeding ahead, finding confidence, being protected.

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Last week Kari and I finished writing a letter to send to friends and family, including a little bit of an update on church planting with RENEW. Re-reading it yesterday caused me to pause and thank God, while considering the rapid change in our lives. This is a season of dynamic change, while other seasons are more like plodding or trudging through the mud. (Which season are you in? Are things moving fast, or really slow?)

I sat there and thought: “Who is up for this challenge? How can we not lose heart? We’re clearly not doing everything ‘right.’ No wonder most church plants ‘fail’ (on a human level). How can we gain the wisdom, generosity, courage we need for this journey?”

That’s a moment of searching for confidence.

Then this morning this Scripture leapt of the page:

“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord [the Gospel] may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”
—2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 (ESV)

All those verbs Paul uses jump off the page (or screen): pray … speed ahead … delivered … establish you … guard you …

It’s remarkable how a passage meant to encourage it’s first readers can also encourage us, while not really being about them or us. It’s centered on Jesus, the Hero. We gain our significance from being minor characters in His big Story.

Will you pray that for us, as we pray the same for you?

20121129-061852.jpg If you are curious about RENEW, there are three main ways to support this pioneering church plant, described briefly here. One way is to give financially at the close of this year. We’ve simplified the process, adding online giving to snail mail to the PO Box. You can also sign up to receive not-more-than-monthly updates.

Most of all we ask for your prayers personally, that the Gospel would race ahead of us, and this would clearly be God’s work and not merely ours.

 

Self-giving beyond ourselves.

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What hope do we have of becoming generous people?

The same hope we have at death is the hope we cling to in this life.

Watch (or click through to see video):

From question 1 in the New City Catechism:

Q1: What is our only hope in life and death?

That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ.

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Greatness: keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn.

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You were cold as the blood through your bones
And the light which led us from our chosen homes
Well, I was lost

And now I sleep
Sleep the hours that I can’t weep
When all I knew was steeped in blackened holes
I was lost

Keep the earth below my feet
For all my sweat, my blood runs weak
Let me learn from where I have been
Keep my eyes to serve and hands to learn
Keep my eyes to serve and hands to learn

And I was still
But I was under your spell
When I was told by Jesus all was well
For all must be well
—Mumford & Sons, “Below My Feet” from Babel

Here Mumford & Sons perform “Below My Feet” on Saturday Night Live:

Mumford & Sons at Hyde Park (July 2nd, 2011)

While Mumford & Sons is not an overtly “Christian” band, their appeal with the “youths” cannot be underestimated. (The video above is from their recent show on Saturday Night Live.) They sing of the angst of maturing, of pain and joy, pleasure and loss. Their lyrics are honest. Which is probably why I resonate most with this West London band that seemed to come out of nowhere. In a brief trip to their hometown last year Kari and I ventured into Hyde Park to listen from afar to their concert. When the rains set in we headed out, but not before witnessing thousands (tens of thousands?) of twenties congregating to see Mumford and an opening act by Arcade Fire.

The last few years have been a journey for my feet, and my heart. Both feet have chronic plantar fasciitis, yet running has become the best thing for my ailing back. It’s a tight rope of stretching, running, resting, enduring. Grateful for an understanding wife who gets it when the weather turns and I’m hobbling around like an eighty-year-old man. It’s a wonder how inexplicably linked one’s spiritual vitality is connected to physical health.

Mumford & Sons’ first album Sigh No More became a heart-grabbing soundtrack for most of my runs, long and short. As my feet (and back) rehabilitated to becoming a runner again, songs like “The Cave” and “Little Lion Man” (warning on language) helped pushed me up the hills time and time again. Finishing a half-marathon — without injury — became a running goal, alongside renewing my heart to be a man after God’s heart. It’s fitting that disciplining one’s body goes alongside finding joy and freedom before the Father (1 Cor. 9:27). Come to think of it, on that half-marathon a few days ago I didn’t listen to a single Mumford tune. Not enough steep hills I guess. They trained me well to not rely on them too much, for I have “learned from where I’ve been.” Continue reading →

 

Dependurance: Hood to Coast.

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Hood to Coast is the largest relay in the world, spanning 199 miles from Mount Hood to the Oregon coast. It’s nicknamed “the mother of all relays.” Have you run it before?

A few weeks ago, while up early to go for a run, a new word popped in my head … dependurance. While I’m pretty sure it’s not a word, it does describe the season we’re in: depending upon God’s strength and love as we press on through.

Hood to Coast

As Kari notes, we have a few plans this weekend:

  1. Run a 200-mile relay
  2. Don’t sleep
  3. Attend 4 church services
  4. Attend a baptism
  5. Say goodbye to 1,500 people
  6. Host 40 people for a BBQ at our house

Kidding about the not sleeping part. (Kinda.) It’s ambitious, though it certainly isn’t sustainable. It’s the confluence of various plans, coming together over one big weekend. Glad we don’t have to do it all alone.

The idea of dependurance speaks to a larger theme in a life lived with God: He will take us through challenges insurmountable by ourselves. During those times especially we need running partners to spur on and to be spurred on by them. (The need is mutual.) Whether we’re running from a mount to the ocean, and more importantly when we’re aggressively confessing sin and repenting as we cling onto Christ and His promises, we must do life as a team.

Hood to Coast team 886Today Kari and I join ten others on a team simply hoping to finish; if you see us out there, we’re team #886, the “Gals ‘n’ Guys with Achin’ Thighs.”

Fourteen years ago I ran the “mother of all relays” with college friends, and this weekend get to revisit it with newer friends, all of us now married, most of us with kids. Looking forward to cheering on my wife and the rest of the team.

We’ve in Van 2. My legs are 9-21-33; Kari’s are 12-24-36. She’ll finish the race for our team, all of us (parking-and-logistics-permitting) hope to join her to cross the finish line together. Looking forward dependuring together.

(By some quick calculations my running pace will be 2-3 minutes slower per mile than back when I ran it with college fraternity brothers.)

#dependurance #htcrelay

 

Courage: providing for us what we cannot.

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We often think of giving and provision as an element of generosity. Giving says something about the recipient (“you’re valued”), and when this giving costs us something it also says something about the giver (“I trust God”). When one gives up what they need in order to provide for others, that person demonstrates their faith (really courage) that God will then provide in the future, satisfying all needs.

Consider the ultimate sacrifice, where love motivated the deepest kindness, most costly generosity, embodied by the most courageous One:

“God takes action in Christ against sin, death, and the devil. The doctrine of justification is not about the workings of impersonal law in the universe, or about manipulating its outcomes, but it is about God. The moral law is simply the reflection of the character of God, and when God acts to address the outcomes of the broken moral law, he addresses these himself, himself taking the burden of his own wrath, himself absorbing in the person of Christ the judgment his righteous character cannot but demand, himself providing what no sinner can give, himself absorbing the punishment no sinner can bear and live.”1

How does God provide for us? Through His relentless courage.

Why does God provide for us? Because He loves us.

Why are we moved to provide for others? Because we love them and trust God. Generosity and courage are relational. They’re easy to show in any language.

  1. David F. Wells, The Courage to Be Protestant (Grand Rapids, Mi.: Eerdmans, 2008), 201. ↩
 

Spiritual experience.

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Do you know anyone who lives in their head? As if every emotion is secondary to just ‘figuring it all out’? How about someone who seems to respond emotionally but not logically to trouble and personal challenges.

I love thinking about the connect of head and heart, and how Christ refuses to let our faith reside in either/or (it’s both/and). Why does He do that? Because we’re whole people, though many lack wholeness — okay, we all lack wholeness — in our fallen human condition. So the connection of our beliefs (head) and emotions (heart) is closer than we realize. And the disconnect is more real than we imagined.

We see this when a friend is depressed. And when we have no words to describe how we feel; we just have to return to the Gospel and sing it back into our souls. And connect our deepest passions to God’s good gifts. This is where we begin to truly experience the Spirit.

So what makes for true spiritual experience?

“Spiritual experience that does not arise from God’s word is not Christian experience. Other religions offer spiritual experiences. Concerts and therapy sessions can affect our emotions. Not all that passes for Christian experience is genuine. An authentic experience of the Spirit is an experience in response to the gospel. Through the Spirit the truth touches our hearts, and that truth moves our emotions and affects our wills.
This also means that Bible study and theology that do not lead to love for God and a desire to do His will—to worship, tears, laughter, excitement, or sorrow—have gone terribly wrong. True theology leads to love, mission, and doxology (1 Timothy 1:5, 7, 17). We should not expect an adrenaline rush every time we study God’s word. We all express our emotions in different ways. But when we study God’s word we should pray that the spirit of God will not only inform our hearts but also inspire our hearts.”
—Tim Chester & Steve Timmis, Total Church: A Radical Reshaping around Gospel and Community, 31.

Do you agree? How does engaging God in His Word really change you?

 

Take it off-line.

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In many ways, email is still inferior to pen and paper. One reason is we’re constantly responding to email, while with a pen and paper we get to create, charting the course of our words.

From a post on Lifehacker, warning of email’s cunning little ways. The end:

Many of us wage a constant battle against distraction. Rather fewer of us, I suspect, make very careful, conscious choices about when to be online and when not to be. This is a shame, because it doesn’t take much introspection to realize that some things are simply much easier to do when online, while other things are much easier to do when offline. That difference calls for a deliberate exercise of choice; most of us allow circumstances to make the choice for us.
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