The Need for Other Voices

Today I watched part of a training video from a large,  successful and well-known church. Because I respect the church and the training material they produced, I will not name them in this post. Before watching the video, I'd read a book written by the same author and mostly respected the book. When I saw the video, I was shocked.

Now, before I tell you what shocked me, you need a little background. I'm white. But I've been in an Asian-American sub-culture my entire adult life. So, I'm sure I'm about to offend some people. In fact, if I heard another white person say this, I'd be offended. But here it is: I'm Asian. Well, Asian-American: in my thinking, at least.

So, here's what shocked me about the video:

It was a group of middle aged white men. They were American. They included pastors, authors, etc. They were trying to act casual in the video, while still teaching.

The one overwhelming feeling I had, was a sense of "other". They seemed so very foreign. Remember, I was also watching this in Korea, in a room filled with Koreans, Westernized Koreans, and Westerners living in Korea. In other words, a very Asian setting. Furthermore, we were mostly young / single.

I looked at these white men and I thought, "What can they know of us?" Most of what they taught was solid and truly applicable to any group. But a few "americanisms" slipped in - cultural assumptions, attitudes, and suggestions that betrayed how very much they are entrenched in white culture. I could just imagine them with a beer in their hands discussing sports instead of church matters, which made it terribly difficult to focus on the good, true things they did say.

Suddenly, I experienced what I'd only heard of - the need for minority leaders / voices / etc. I was recently reading some Asian-American reactions to TV actors, and the repeated lament of not connecting to them or of being mis-represented. Since I have never been much for pop culture, I didn't understand the complaint. But today I did - I couldn't listen to the message because of the messengers.

So... we need great Asian-American leaders in the Church. And great female leaders. And great Latino, African-American, and NON-American! Until we see people in leadership and authority who look like us, sound like us, and think like us, we'll have a hard time really supporting them and following them, mainly because it's hard to believe they understand us or really know how to speak to us.

My prayer, then, is for God to raise up a new generation of leaders in the Church. A generation of cultural and racial diversity which can speak to the whole Body.

The Guilty Dog

Coming home after a dinner out, my dog met me at the door cowering. She had her tail tucked between her legs, her head low to the ground, and a quiver ran through her. I knew she'd done something wrong even though I couldn't see it.

I walked in and found she'd jumped up on the counter to tear into a loaf of bread. That's it. Yes, it's wrong. It happened once before and she got into a lot of trouble. I even thought I had made it impossible by taking the chair away that she jumped up on.

I picked up the loaf, held it towards her and said, "No. That's bad. No." I didn't yell. Honestly, I was a little exasperated that my fresh loaf of high quality bread was destroyed, but I wasn't angry. If anything, I was just thinking about how I could train her. I don't want to just lock it up - I want her to be properly trained to not steal food. I want to be able to trust her.

She felt so guilty. She cowered under a chair. I didn't yell or spank, I just cleaned up the mess. Then I pulled out the computer. Twenty minutes later I realized she was still cowering. I called out "Come!" and she was so very happy.  Then, I knew.

I knew that this was so like us with God. We know we're wrong. We do it anyway. God tells us we're wrong and picks up after us. He chooses how to teach us. He wants to be able to trust us to obey. We cower in fear, hiding ourselves or our sins, until he calls out to forgive us and reassure us. When he does, we're ecstatic.

This is daily theology: seeing the truths of the Bible manifest in normal daily events.

Memorable sermons

If you go to church, you end up hearing a lot of sermons over the years. And, the truth is, they pretty much are forgotten Monday morning. That doesn't mean they're bad, although I have heard a lot of bad preaching over the years. Let's face it, you just can't hear 52 memorable sermons a year - you wouldn't remember them all!

But there are a few... a few that stay with you. A few that have a core idea that gnaws at you, or a phrase that haunts you, or a beauty that transforms you.  These are the memorable ones, the ones that you can quote years later.

For me, one of the key elements of a memorable sermons is the maxim or epigram that encompasses the main idea. Now, when I was taught homilectics (preaching), I was told that the phrase ought to be from scripture. I suppose that's a good rule of thumb, but the phrases I recall most are not from scripture. I believe that's because scripture is so familiar, that using a phrase from it doesn't stand out in my memory long term.

One of my most memorable sermons was entitled, "First, you pray." And that was the point. The speaker, whose name I unfortunately forget, had raised the dead. People would ask him how he resurrected someone. His answer, "First, you pray." When people ask what you do next, his answer was, "First, you pray." The point of the sermon was that (a) you do nothing without prayer and (b) whatever God tells you to do in that prayer, you obey. So, first you pray. That's the only answer to anything.

And you know what? To this day, almost 10 yrs later, I remember it. In preparation for starting up a small group, I sat down to thinking through what I needed to do. I have one week to choose my material, time, location, plan the meeting, etc. One week in which I'm already very busy. So, I sat to write. Suddenly, the words "first you pray" came to my mind. I said, "Yes, of course! First I need to pray for the group members. That's most important." I wrote that down at the top of my to-do list. Then I wrote the number 2 and waited. I was reminded, "First you pray". Yeah, thanks God, I got that already. "No. . . you didn't. You're not praying. First, you pray!"

Right. "First you pray" doesn't mean listing prayer on a to-do list. It means praying. So, I put the list away and prayed instead. The list never did come out again, although it might later. After I pray.

The point is, a memorable sermon does precisely that. It actually changes our actions long term. It's transformative. It's a seed that grows. It'll only grow if its true, if it's perceptive/witty, and if its broadly applicable. How do you write /  prepare a memorable sermon? First, you pray.

To the person with whom I had lunch yesterday...

You have incredible vision. I may not always say it, but I deeply respect that. You see the hand of God in everything. You overflow with joy at the work of the Spirit. You attribute to God all good things, praising him with your words. Your gratitude is a greater testimony than you know. Your enthusiasm inflames embers in my own heart.

I don't know where God's going to take you, or how, or to what extent. I don't know if you'll transform the shape of the church, serve long term missions abroad, or simply live the faithful life. I do know that you'll walk paths unexpected and follow roads undesired. I know you'll be disappointed, hurt, and gloriously surprise.

So here, then, is my prayer for you:

May you walk with the Lord all the days of your life. May your faith and understanding grow ever deeper, even as you experience the out-flung reaches of the Kingdom. May you impact lives, whether through the church or personal interaction. Encourage, sustain, but also be encouraged and sustained. Learn to sense both your limits and strengths, to embrace them, and know that God's power and glory are revealed in them.

Finally, I pray that you can take all that God has shown and given you, take all your passions and desires, and synthesize one succinct calling for your life. I pray that you do this sooner, rather than later. That God reveal to you the one mission to which you can give your life, knowing that all these things play into that one principle. You're looking for your calling; I pray you find it. Many people miss it completely or stumble into it. But for you, I pray that God reveals it in the next month. Seek it, pray for it, and I know you will walk away from this experience with firm certainty. You're going to need that where you're going.

An unanswered prayer

Today, my pastor's daughter was buried. She died of heart failure following 10 surgeries. She was on 24-hr dialysis for months. Many of her organs were shutting down. She was only 3 months old.

People around the world have been praying for her during her entire life. And when I say around the world... my pastor has served at churches in the US, Canada, Australia, and now here in Korea. Literally thousands of people. They prayed for her healing, her life...

Now, what happens to their faith? I sat in a crowd of 500 people as we poured out prayers for her. As her father poured out his heart before us. You could feel it: she might live! She must live! She will live! We knew it, we prayed it, we felt it, we believed it.

But now, she's buried. She didn't live.

This doesn't make me doubt my own faith. And honestly, I suspect my pastor's faith will be worked out with God, in time. But what happens to the new Christian who sat in the church, feeling that she must live? The person who saw it all, but was not a part of it? The person who just sees one more unanswered prayer?

I'm not sure. I'm not sure why God answers some prayer and not others. I'm not sure why he didn't give us a miracle. I'm not sure why he didn't proclaim his glory in a way that we can easily understand. It seems that God missed the chance to make his glory known.

I am sure of this: "Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him." (Jn 12:37)

So all I can know is, that God is still God. He's God even though a baby died. He's God even though we doubt him. He's God even in the midst of parents' pain. He's God even to the uncertain faith. He is still God.

So God, take this child into your arms and thank you that she is free of pain. Now give those of us left behind the grace to mourn, to question, and to live.

Tonight's prayer: John Donne's Cry

Holy Sonnet 14

By John Donne

Batter my heart, three-personed God, for you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurped town, to another due,
Labour to admit you, but Oh, to no end.
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captived, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,
But am betrothed unto your enemy:
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

Spontaneous decisions

Tonight I announced a decision, which I only decided as I was speaking it. I've made a commitment that I wasn't expecting. I'd thought about it, then intentionally decided not to make that commitment for a while. Then I proceeded to commit to it.

I'd love to say that the Spirit moved me. Maybe he did, but I sure wasn't aware of it. In fact, I opened my mouth to say one thing and another came out. I guess that means it was the Spirit... or a terrible mistake.

So now, the only thing left, is to pray it was the right thing. To pray for guidance as I follow through on it. To pray for God's blessing, wisdom, and work through it all. To pray for strength to accomplish it. And to sit back and see what God's got in store.

So, I guess I'll be leading a small group for my church now.

Movie: Avatar

Saw Avatar spontaneously tonight. Kept wondering what I'd write about it...

Sure, it was full of pantheism or panentheism, with the whole planet connected via a "network". And there was a definite underlying dualism (the idea that the conscious can be transferred from one body to another). Actually, the dualism bothered me more - because it has become such an accepted fact that our "spirit" or "soul" is completely disconnected from our bodies. The main character wants to dispose of his original, "broken" body and take over a second, healthy one.

But the thing I found most disturbing... was the cultural question. We've got "natives" who are referred to as savages, whose culture is completely disregarded. Then this guy Jake comes along, falls in love, learns a little of the culture. So far, I'm with it. Not a fan, but okay.

So why does this Jake need to be the one who leads them in war? How is it he figures out how to do what only 5 Na'vi before have ever done, tame a toruk? On the one hand, I applaud his attempt to gain their respect in a way acceptable to their culture. But seriously? He tames an animal and suddenly they'll all follow him to war and death?

Why is it some other race needs one of us to ride in to the rescue? White man to the rescue...

Let me put this in another tone: Yes, I applaud the attempt to appreciate and value diverse cultures. However, ultimately, it's still a white-American-male perspective, dripping of condescension and ethnocentricism.

On another note - I thoroughly enjoyed it. Plot was a bit predictable, but the story-telling & special effects were great. Definitely worth seeing in the theater.

A little advice from the outside

"Data crowds out faith . . . Relying too much on proof distracts you from the real mission--which is emotional connection."

I'm currently reading a book for small group leaders (which I'll be reviewing shortly). One of the most important things I want to tell small group leaders is precisely that: data crowds out faith. People don't need more history  or diverse interpretations.

But this quote doesn't come from a small group leader's guide. It comes from Seth Godin.

Seth Godin is a marketer. As far as I know, he's not a Christian. He sells things, but he does it by knowing what people really want. And he's usually right. People don't want evidence, proof, or data. They want connection, grace, acceptance, and truth.

So the question is, who's going to give them that emotional connection? Seth Godin? or the Church?

The Value of Time

I have a pet peeve: small groups & other church meetings that regularly go over schedule. I can be flexible; if there's a good discussion / prayer going on, by all means, let's finish it. But EVERY week? I don't think so. Here's why:

Who's responsible? That's easy: the leader. I'm sorry leaders, but yes, it's all you. You may think people don't want to end, but I promise - they do. If they really don't, they can stay after and keep going. People are being polite by not walking out. The prayer meeting was scheduled to end at 9 pm. By 9:15, everyone's feeling it. No one will be upset with you for ending on time.

Why don't leaders end? Well, a few reasons come to mind.

1. They don't know how. I think this is the most common reason. They aren't able to steer the conversation / prayer to a close.


2. They don't have the courage to do so. They may be aware that its time to end, but timid to actually do so. This may include fears that the group wants to keep going, or that they will be seen as "bossy".


3. They are completely unaware of the time themselves. Some people simply don't notice the time. They may need a "timekeeper" in the group - someone to send a pre-arrange signal, including just saying point-blank that there's only ten minutes left.


4. They have an unrealistic agenda. No, you're not going to worship, pray, read scripture, and discuss 10 people's weeks in 1 hour. Don't try.


5. They may be talking too much (or allowing others to do so). If they're teaching/preaching, they may need to reduce what they're presenting. If they're guiding a discussion, they may be doing too much teaching (This is a problem I often notice in the Asian / Asian-American setting. With Asian culture saying "listen to an expert" and church culture saying "discuss", the result is a lecture diluted into a discussion.)


6. Here's the big one: They don't want to seem "unspiritual". This actually goes for members too - as a reason they don't leave / insist on ending. See, it's a church meeting, so we're on "God's time". Therefore, anyone stingy enough to leave / end is really just being "selfish". I've seen meetings run hours over schedule for this reason.

So why does this bother me so much? Mainly, it's a matter of respect. People come voluntarily. They are giving up their time to meet, to pray, to study, to worship. Yes, they want to be there. But it's still their time. They're giving it to God (yes, theologically we could argue that all their time comes from God. But if so, I'd point out that they are stewards of their time). The more often the meetings run over time, the more the member knows their time isn't respected, and the more likely that the member will just take to being late to compensate.

Example: It's a lot like a tithe. A person may decide to give the full 10% of their income, just like they decided to give 2 hrs to the prayer meeting. No one would dream of adding digits on their offering check to make it 15%, and yet we rarely hesitate to make a 2 hr meeting run for an extra 30 minutes. Since the person knows the meeting will always run late, they may as well show up late too.

It's a matter of faithfulness. The leader has been unfaithful to the promise they gave. Conversely, it's also a matter of trust. If the church bulletin said we'd finish by 11:30 am, but we're not done at noon, how can the member trust that bulletin? Or worse, the leader responsible? As the schedule is not followed, how can the member know that other things said by the leader / church are reliable?

I'm definitely not picking on anyone in particular - I've seen this at every church I've been to. As I said at the beginning, I'm most concerned with the regularity with which it happens. Please, please, leaders, end meetings on time!

The Value of Bad Theology

A few days ago, I was talking to a friend about his experience starting seminary this year. He's been a worship leader for quite a while now, and commented on how seminary is changing his perception of worship songs.

I knew precisely what he was talking about. Seminary teaches you to think more critically about your faith, the church, Scripture, God, and especially what we teach about God and our relationship to him. It's a good thing - it's precisely the way church leaders need to start thinking about things.

Then, if you start looking at the songs we see in church, there seems to be a lot lacking. Some songs focus too much on the individual worshiper, while others seem to imply that God needs us / we're helping him. My friend noted one thing that bothered him that a worship leader said:

"Alright, everyone! Let's worship! You know, God said that where two or three are gathered, there he is with us. Here we are, we're gathered, so God is here with us!"

Why would this bother my friend? Simple, the verse is talking about discipline within the church, not worship or prayer as is often mis-quoted. If you want to understand this better, check out an old blog I found. I don't know the writer, but I know he's dead on with this post about Matt. 18:20.

As my friend and I lamented the proliferation of bad theology, we suddenly commented simultaneous: But we've done it in the past. We've been the people who say those things and, honestly, we'll probably do it again. And again.

In the end, we're never going to get it completely right. And even those things we know, we'll sometimes get those wrong too. So we need to have grace for others, while not lessening the value of seeking the truth.

Finally, my professor, Dr. Marianne Meye Thompson, who has an amazing way of encapsulating the truth, reminded us, "People are saved by bad theology every day." She also reminded us we were all heretics, but I'll save that for another day.

We all pray to an idol...

. . . unless God accept our misguided prayers.

Footnote to All Prayers

By C.S. Lewis

He whom I bow to only knows to whom I bow
When I attempt the ineffable Name, murmuring Thou,
And dream of Pheidian fancies and embrace in heart
Symbols (I know) which cannot be the thing Thou art.
Thus always, taken at their word, all prayers blaspheme
Worshipping with frail images a folk-lore dream,
And all men in their praying, self-deceived, address
The coinage of their own unquiet thoughts, unless
Thou in magnetic mercy to Thyself divert
Our arrows, aimed unskilfully, beyond desert;
And all men are idolators, crying unheard
To a deaf idol, if Thou take them at their word.

Take not, O Lord, our literal sense.  Lord, in thy great
Unbroken speech our limping metaphor translate.

I want to wash the dishes!

Getting busy lately, I hear certain words pounding in my head: "I should". I should wash the dishes. I should walk the dog. I should study Korean. I should get some sleep. I don't know where this voice is coming from, but it's loud and clear. It's the voice trying to rule my life that I don't want to listen to. I've determined one thing: it's not God!

How do I know this? Simple - it makes me feel guilty, ashamed, lazy, and most especially - it makes me not want to do the very thing it's suggesting!

That "should" is really all about obligation. I have to do something, I'm supposed to, I must... for someone else or simply for the abstract "right thing to do". There's a teeter-totter in my head. As soon as that weighty word "should" jumps in on one side, interest and desire, which weren't very heavy in the first place, go flying off the other.

So what's a busy person to do? Ask for strength to do all the shoulds? Not do them and feel guilty?

I've learned a better solution. It's all a matter of vocabulary! Change "should" to "want to". As soon as I think I "should" do something, before all the weariness kicks in, I rephrase it in my mind to I "want to" do it. I want to wash the dishes. I want to walk the dog. I want to study Korean.

See, because the truth is, ultimately I really do want these things. I don't "feel" like getting started, but I definitely want them done. Washing the dishes is often a great time for some quiet thoughts and when it's time to cook, I'll be glad for the clean kitchen. Walking the dog gets me out of the house and into the fresh air. Studying Korean helps me deal with daily life.

Amazingly, just changing that word will often motivate me. It reminds me of the reasons I "should", reminds me that these are ultimately my free choice. So, next time you think you "should" do something and try to drag yourself toward it, just re-phrase that thought to "I want to!"

Praying before you act

I made a mistake recently. It wasn't really a big deal in one sense; it was simply a misunderstanding. But in another sense, I hurt someone who's already in pain, someone I don't know well but do respect greatly.

I can't help wondering why I didn't stop to pray about it. Just a moment, that's all it would have taken, to slow down and pray abut my actions. I should have asked God if it was alright, asked him whether I ought to, and then, if I decided to do it, asked him to bless it and make me a source of help and encouragement to others.

But I didn't do that. I heard an idea, I asked a friend if it was really a good idea, and then I easily accepted his response. So I did it. And I've been regretting it every moment since.

The next day, feeling mortified at what I finally realized I shouldn't have done, I decided to write a letter of apology. I was ready to send it off. But I didn't. This time I paused and prayed whether I should or not. On the one hand, I do feel I need to apologize. On the other, I don't know the person well and I don't want to add to their current pain by making a big deal out of something.

The result is: I'm still holding on to the letter, waiting for the right time to send it. I have a feeling it might be a bit of a wait. Yes, I need to apologize. But more than that, I need to be sensitive to their pain and God's timing. He'll know when they'll best need it.

So the question I keep turning over is this: what happens if we pray before we act? Human wisdom and sensitivity can only go so far - only God knows when that other person needs to / wants to talk with you. A good example is evangelism. I think sometimes we get so excited about telling people about Christ, that we forget to pray and ask God how much they're ready to hear. If we started praying before we act, I think we'd find God often restraining our intentions, and just as often motivating us to do what we never intended.

Manifest Presence

At a prayer meeting tonight, the preacher told everyone to ask for God's "manifest presence". He defined this as charismatic outpourings, basically, and cited David, Daniel, and Acts for evidence. He then told us to pray for it to happen then and there.

Now, I have no real problem with his theology. I tend to have a more quiet approach, but can sit quietly in my own intimate space with God while others are yelling, speaking in tongues, or falling down around me. Occasionally I'll join in, but even then, with more reservation than most.

However, at the end of the night, my friend said she has often prayed to experience God in real, physical ways, but that he mostly speaks to her through others. She seemed saddened, like she was missing out on some grand Christian experience. Now, there are those that would agree with her, but I'm not one.

The fact is, real faith runs deeper than crying when you pray. Really experiencing God has more to do with obedience, action, and daily choices than it does with emotions or supernatural manifestations. I'm not saying there's no place for these things, just that when we speak too highly or too frequently of them, we lose our perspective. My concerns are twofold:

First, people (often pastors) telling people to ask for it, to seek it, to desire it, and to intercede for it. It's not that that's wrong; in some cases that's exactly what's needed. What concerns me is how often I hear people like my friend, talking about wanting to "experience" God, feeling left out of the "in crowd". Which leads me to my second point.

Second, it's too rare that we teach these things. We tell people to want them, to look for them, but not what they need to do. Of course, it all comes from God (when it's real). But I suspect one reason people don't hear an audible voice is because they don't know what it sounds like. They ask to hear a voice, but when there's no earth-shaking deep voice speaking a word of profound wisdom, they give up.

Sure, God can and will do anything. I've seen it. I've experienced it. But mostly, those manifestations of God's presence have nothing to do with daily life or with someone's spiritual condition. In fact, I rather suspect that having those experiences too often are a sign of immaturity. God tends to pour out those manifestations as evidence of power, tests of trust, etc.

By all means, pray for them. If you really feel the need, search out someone who can teach you more deeply about them. But remember, all these things will pass away.

Discovering George MacDonald

A friend recently suggested I read George MacDonald. Now, since this is a friend I deeply respect and readily listen to, I picked up a used copy of one of his books. Apparently, C.S.Lewis, the modern St. Paul to Evangelicals, said of MacDonald, "I never wrote a book in which I did not quote George MacDonald." That's pretty high praise for a well-established professor and writer.

So, I read. Take Middle Earth and plop it down amidst the common setting of Scotland. Read of rough fishermen with coarse language rather than elves swift or Narnian fauns. See the broad sweep of history condensed to one moment in a simple life. See the divine in the mundane.

Everything that makes a story great weaves through his novels with the ease of a practiced hand.

This reminds me that I owe a bright new thread in my literary pursuits to the recommendation of a friend. Indeed, she has never steered me wrong in her recommendations, giving generally better suggestions than most people I know. Of course, that's true not only of books, but of life.

The people that know what books we would enjoy also know how to speak to our souls in other ways.

Elusive Prayer Time

I intend to pray. I've even got a "prayer rug" since there are no comfortable seats in my apartment. I've got a list of things to prayer for: people, places, events, and organizations. I've even got a list of my own things to pray for: life, work, church, relationships. And there's the books. I've got a slew of books telling me to pray, how to pray, why I should pray, how other people have prayed....

I'm ready to pray. And yet... the dog needs to be fed. And walked. The dishes are calling out for a little soap and water, while a distinctive odor suggests I should take out the trash. Then there's groceries to buy, phone calls to make, and, well, it's bed time now. So, I'll pray in the morning. At least, that's the plan until I oversleep and get to work late.

Don't we all have times like that? It sure happens to me far more often that I care to admit. I find the days passing without really praying. Oh, there's the occasional whisper in God's direction, but mostly I'm just living life moment to moment.

Then there's that one sweet hour, where the snow falls or the sun shines and all of life just seems to pause. God's presence is so palpable that you're forced to pause in prayer. Those are the moments that remind me why I pray and what I'm missing.

The snow fell here in Seoul, the biggest snowfall in 103 yrs. For me, it was pure prayer walking to and from work each day. I trudge through slush, praying I don't fall. Then I look up and have to pause. Suddenly, all the gratitude and praise rise to my lips.

The challenge, for me, is to go home that night and say those words to God aloud. To thank and praise him. To tell him what a beautiful world it is and how very much I enjoy it. Then, somehow, prayer isn't a burden, but an overflowing of a fulfilled heart.

Verse for the Week

1 John 3:2

"Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed..."

Today, while in prayer, I asked God for a verse. I was looking for direction on a choice I need to make, and this is what he gave me.

First, it's a clear that God's not ready to give me a clear answer.

Second, (actually, this should be first, but I noticed it second). Second, it's a reminder that I am simply God's child in whom he delights and nothing I do (or choose) changes that.

Point is - I am God's child. And it's not time for an answer to my question just yet. That's good enough for me.

Working the System

I read this article on people racking up frequent flyer miles for free. Basically, they used their credit cards to purchase $1 coins from the US mint, which ships them for free. They then deposit the coins in the bank and use the money to pay the credit card bill. People were buying more than $10k at a time. Result: Just for the effort of placing the order & depositing the coins in the bank, they were getting thousands of free mileage points.

Aren't we all looking for ways to work the system? And I'm sure many of us would say it was wrong. It's just following the letter of the law, not the spirit of it. Or, well, it feels wrong...but then again, don't we try to find our own advantages?

I think the question shouldn't be whether it's "right" or "wrong", because these terms are entirely subjective constructs. One person may say white lies are right, but another, wrong. That's all about how we're trained and how we view the world. So, perhaps a better question is "How is it impacting others? Who's benefiting? Who's losing out?" I certainly don't mean this in relation to legality. If it's illegal, that's pretty much it. But what if it's not illegal? It might be out of the scope of laws, or a loophole, such as these people found. That's the point I'd say we should look at the impact of our actions.

So then, what impact did this have on others? Well, mainly, they were getting points they could use for things like free flights and upgrades. Who's that impacting? Definitely the airlines. Sure, we think that a big corporation could probably afford that one or two free flights. But then again, couldn't stores afford to lose those one or two items that weren't paid for?

I've realized that in our age of big business, it gets hard to see how our actions are affecting others. No longer does stealing some candy from the corner store feel like robbing our uncle. It's not even the same as stealing a few apples from the richest man's yard. It's just taking some intangible number, called points, from a faceless mob of a corporation.

Claiming Prophecy Fulfillment can be Dangerous

Actually, this post should be entitled "The Dangers of Claiming a Prophecy Fulfilled". . .

At a friend's suggestion, I began reading Goll's The Prophetic Intercessor. Immediately, I sensed he and I would disagree theologically. But that's hardly a reason not to read his book. I tried to keep an open mind and found his analysis of prayer and prophetic gifting to be fairly accurate.

Then I came to one chapter that described, in-depth, what he thought to be the major prophetic fulfillment in our age. I was curious, what would he use as his primary example of prophetic fulfillment? As he looked around today, what would he claim as God's powerful work, released through the prayers of centuries of saints?

Modern Israel. He claimed that the creation and sustained presence of Israel signified God's work.

I never claim to be well versed in politics or history. But this is one area I cannot support. Now, I'm not saying God has nothing to do with it. In fact, I'm not even going to say it wasn't prophesied in scripture. But I am certain that there are elements of the current situation in Israel that break God's heart.

So, the moment I began that chapter, I knew I couldn't finish it. I read a few pages, but ultimately gave up. I even put down the book and expected not to pick it up again.

However, I reflected on what he'd said before that. I reflected on the fact that he definitely had some accurate and insightful things to say. So I picked the book up and continued, skipping the chapter. I'm definitely glad I did, for I found much to respect between those pages.

My warning for all of us here:  The moment you claim something fulfills scripture, you risk alienating many of the people you speak to. Does that mean you never do it? No, I don't think it does. It just means you take care. Remember that not everyone agrees with you and be certain its worth the risk. Then, when you're sure you know what you're doing, then you can publish / announce it.

I think that goes for much of what we say and do in life. If you're a huge fan of the Dodgers, don't assume that everyone who lives in LA is also. Perhaps that new co-worker just moved to LA and they have always been avid supporters of the SF Giants. Whether it's a baseball game or a prophecy, we alienate people by assuming they agree with us.

On the other hand, I think we all need to be a little less sensitive. So someone assumed something about you, correct them. Tell them what you really think and let it go.

Preaching by the Spirit

A recent Sunday was an unusual day at my church. The head pastor was not planning on preaching, which alone was rare. However, Sunday morning the head pastor walked onto the stage trembling.

He said he didn't want to be there. He said he had a message and he was certain it was God's word to us, but he didn't want to preach it. The message prepared by the assistant pastor was put on hold, and the head pastor spoke. He didn't look up the entire time, stating, "I'm afraid to look at you. I'll cry and not be able to continue."

The message was filled with tenderness and conviction. I heard many say afterwards that it was powerful, that it was moving. Most cried.

I could write a lengthy analysis of the words he spoke. Or I could give a theological discourse on the need to balance preparation and flexibility. I could exhort us all to be so sensitive and obedient to the Spirit.

Instead, I simply say, "Amen!" (And maybe I'd throw in a "Preach it, Brother!")

Garfield without Garfield?

Growing up, my grandmother loved the Garfield comics. She even collected the dolls. I remember being thrilled when we moved to "Garfield St", which I assumed to be a tribute to the cat (not the US president). I was 6. Needless to say, Garfield is the only comic in my mind.

But today, I learned about Garfield-minus-Garfield. Dan Walsh started taking Garfield out of his own comics, leaving Jon wandering around talking to himself. He calls it "revealing the existential angst of Jon Arbuckle."

Jon, as far as the comic strip is concerned, is defined by his interactions with his cat. Without Garfield, most of the comic frames are empty backdrops. When Jon does appear, he ends up talking to himself. The comic takes on a completely different tone, with Jon appearing as a depressed shadow of his cat-owning persona.

Imagine if we wrote Garfield-replaced-by-God. Wonder what Jon's life would look like then? Those empty frames would be filled with God, Garfield's witty comebacks turned to compassionate responses. I imagine the conversations would delve a little deeper than lasagna and sleep. Somehow, I think we'd see an emboldened, confident Jon.

So, what's my Garfield, the one thing that I interact with that defines me? Question is, what happens if that's God? What does it look like for God to be that defining center for me?

Side note - The best part is, when Jim Davis found out, he didn't sue Walsh. Instead, they teamed up to write a book. There must be a lesson in Jim Davis's reaction, a great example for us to follow...

Who are we talking to?

Prayer is a humbling experience. My pastors' daughter was born 2 months early. The whole church is being called upon to pray for her. Her life hangs in the balance...

Sometimes, I hear about a situation like this and I put it on my "Thing to Pray For" List. I send a quick prayer as I hear of the need and might even get around to it with more intensity later on. I imagine many people feel like that - moved with compassion, sending small prayers up to heaven.

But this time, I feel moved to pray fervently. I've always found it difficult to pray earnestly when I don't know the people, or the details of the situation. It's like I have no foot hold to begin my prayers. Still, this time I feel called to pray deeply and passionately for her.

So I did. I prayed deeply and passionately for her one evening for about 10 minutes. I felt pretty good about it. I had some real passion and conviction going for a few minutes.

The next night, I felt moved to pray again. So I did again. I think I even made it to 30 minutes and some tears this time. In fact, I think I almost expected a Facebook update saying she was recovering and ready to go home.

Needless to say, there was no Facebook update. A premature baby with serious complications isn't being sent home today.

But she is alive. Still breathing. Still struggling. Healing from her ninth surgery this week. She's alive. And that's all the miracle for the moment.

So if she lives, who can claim the victory? If she takes her first step or graduates from college, who's responsible? The doctors, with their surgeries? The Church, seeing a miracle? Little Emma for being a fighter? Or the prayer warriors? The ones fasting and crying out for this tiny child's precious life?

No. The responsibility and honor is all God's.

Getting Started

Manuals always start with a section entitled "Getting Started". It's just after "What's in the Box" and just before the real information. It's also the section most of us skip. Sure, we check to make sure we got "What's in the Box" and we occasionally refer to the sections later on, but "Getting Started" is about the dullest section. It tends to tell you information like "First, plug in the computer/camera/TV/greatest-newest-gadaget." Thanks, but I think I got it.

The first post of a blog feels a lot like the "Getting Started" section. Trying to find the voice, tone, theme, all in one brief, brilliant introduction. But it ends up sounding a lot like "Look, I'm starting a blog! I promise to write every day!" Well, I am starting this blog, but I'm not promising that. What I am promising is this:

I'm on a journey, and I'd like to invite you along. We're in this together. That means, you're voice counts as much as mine. It means your comments and opinions matter to me, but I'm not looking to argue for the sake of argument. There's a conversation going on; it started long years before we were born and will continue after we're dust. I'd like to listen in on it and see if we can learn a few things. Maybe we'll even add a few words of our own.

In case you haven't figured it out, we're going to be talking about God. No idea what form that's going to take or which direction we're headed. So, things may seem a bit scattered at first. Pardon the dust, just trying to get our bearings. Joining the middle of a conversation is always a bit disorienting.

Well, let's "get started"!

Getting Started

Manuals always start with a section entitled "Getting Started". It's just after "What's in the Box" and just before the real information. It's also the section most of us skip. Sure, we check to make sure we got "What's in the Box" and we occasionally refer to the sections later on, but "Getting Started" is about the dullest section. It tends to tell you information like "First, plug in the computer/camera/TV/greatest-newest-gadaget." Thanks, but I think I got it.

The first post of a blog feels a lot like the "Getting Started" section.  Trying to find the voice, tone, theme,  all in one brief, brilliant introduction. But it ends up sounding a lot like "Look, I'm starting a blog! I promise to write every day!" Well, I am starting this blog, but I'm not promising that. What I am promising is this:

I'm on a journey, and I'd like to invite you along. We're in this together. That means, you're voice counts as much as mine.  It means your comments and opinions matter to me, but I'm not looking to argue for the sake of argument. There's a conversation going on; it started long years before we were born and will continue after we're dust. I'd like to listen in on it and see if we can learn a few things. Maybe we'll even add a few words of our own.

In case you haven't figured it out, we're going to be talking about God. No idea what form that's going to take or which direction we're headed. So, things may seem a bit scattered at first. Pardon the dust, just trying to get our bearings. Joining the middle of a conversation is always a bit disorienting.

Well, let's "get started"!