sweet photo courtesy of JR Woodward

A friend once asked me, “Are you a spiritual teacher?” I replied, ”no”. He continued, “A philosopher?” I said, “no”. He asked, “A thought leader?” I replied, “no”. Then he asked, “An empowerment guru?” I said, ”no”. Exasperated, he demanded, “Then what are you?” Smiling, I answered, “I, am awake.”

-Herman J. Najoli

The most dangerous man on earth is the man who has reckoned with his own death. All men die; few men ever really live. Sure, you can create a safe life for yourself . . . and end your days in a rest home babbling on about some forgotten misfortune. I’d rather go down swinging. Besides, the less we are trying to “save ourselves,” the more effective a warrior we will be. Listen to G. K. Chesterton on courage:

Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die. “He that will lose his life, the same shall save it” is not a piece of mysticism for saints and heroes. It is a piece of everyday advice for sailors or mountaineers. It might be printed in an Alpine guide or a drill book. The paradox is the whole principle of courage; even of quite earthly or quite brutal courage. A man cut off by the sea may save his life if he will risk it on the precipice. He can only get away from death by continually stepping within an inch of it. A soldier surrounded by enemies, if he is to cut his way out, needs to combine a strong desire for living with a strange carelessness about dying. He must not merely cling to life, for then he will be a coward, and will not escape. He must not merely wait for death, for then he will be a suicide, and will not escape. He must seek his life in a spirit of furious indifference to it; he must desire life like water and yet drink death like wine.

-John Eldredge

I know it may have been a long week. I know it may have been a long year already. But take a moment to stretch. I mean really stretch. We can become so lethargic behind our computers, at our desks. How does it feel? Did you feel it? You know that tingly feeling you get after you stretch your muscles? It means you’re still here. You’re not dead. The work week can make us feel so lifeless, like zombies walking from one day to the next. Let this day be a different one. Let it be new.

Get up. Walk outside. The air aways seems fresher outdoors. Inside, it chokes us, leaving us complacent. Let the sun make you squint because of it’s brightness unlike the fluorescent bulbs that rot you in your offices. As you breathe, as you squint, try to remember who you are. As yourself, “Am I awake? Alive? Am I living?”

If your answer is, “no.” What are you going to do about it? Will you let the moment pass and go back in front of your computer to die quietly? Or will you become something dangerous. Something living. Something you were created to be, not told to become. Remember what Saint Irenaeus said… “The glory of God is a man fully alive.”

What will it take for you to come alive?

Use these next couple of days to ponder that. Take your question to the Lord. He’ll answer you and I’m sure what he says may surprise you. I’m taking my own challenge, and will post what I find out.

So are you up for the challenge? Ponder. Pray. Then post it. Let’s inspire each other by what the Lord is doing in our lives.

Psalms 27:13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.

There are so many chances in the course of the day to lose heart. I feel them constantly, I’m sure you do too. It’s when we give in to them - to the routines that wash us grey with the day then we begin to forget who we are and what we know to be true.

So stand up, shake off the day, and do not be passively washed over in mediocrity. Remember who you are and what you believe to be true.

[NOTE: this post is best experienced if you listen to "From Yesterday" by 30 Seconds to Mars while reading]

A couple of days back one of my posts (or rants) brought forth the question:

“How do we change the Church? Or is it worth changing?”

(from youthminister66 )

And I’ll go ahead and accuse myself of being critical and often times offering no answers. SO let me embark upon these questions. It will bring us into territory that is bigger than me, so your input into the journey is paramount. I need all of you to take apart in this.

So let me answer the easiest part first: is the church worth saving?

The answer is a resounding YES. It must. The bride/church is meant to exists until He returns.

Then that leads us to the first question: how do we change the church?

Walk with me for a bit as I meander around the question. Christ cleared the church with a whip because the people had forgotten its intended purposed. So clear your mind about any church clutter you may have entertained thus far in the conversation. Step into the clearing with me.

Picture this. You are apart of a Kingdom. A mighty Kingdom. Now picture this Kingdom established deep within enemy territory. You serve a mighty King. To live you must obey what is governed by your King. To survive you must protect yourself from the enemy that surrounds you. You live in a walled city. Men stay watch over its walls at all times. As you leave those walls, you gird yourself with heavy armor; protection against what may come your way. You serve a cause greater than yourself. This Kingdom is your hope and life. You live to provide for your family and serve your King with honor. You would die for your King and your family.

Now apply this to your lives now. What if we as Christians lived like we had a King? Like we lived with a kingdom? Like we had an enemy outside the walls. If that was reality, how would it shape our lives today?

What if prayer, like the men in the watchtower, were necessary by someone within the body of the church at all times? If the post is left, the city is vulnerable.

If we began to take on this Kingdom view, how would it change our churches (little “c” churches, not THE CHURCH - His people)? We have forgotten that this battle we are in is LIFE and DEATH. Part spiritual, part physical. The events of 9/11 changed our views on safety and patriotism, but they quickly faded away. What if life was like 9/11 every day? How would you live differently?

We have an enemy (some flesh, some spirit) that seeks to “steal, kill, and destroy”. Do we act like it? I get angry because the church has turned into psychiatry and steps to good living. We have lost our edge, our drive to be apart of his Kingdom. We have left our city unguarded and taken up residence with the enemy. The dream has been forgotten and we’ve moved on with our lives.

What if we began to see the church as our lifeblood? Not the walls or steeple. But the people and community we have there. What if it wasn’t simply once a week? What if we sought out to live this Kingdom lifestyle?

This whole vision is all a dream you wake up from. It makes sense, at the time, but it doesn’t within the context of the world of your awakend state. You know it’s real, but can’t completely define it. We’re just waiting for it to take physical form. So wake up dreamers. Wipe the sleep from your eyes. Until now, we’ve lived alone and dreamless within the dark forest. We’ve scrimped and scratched by to live. Step out of the forest and into the clearing… your Kingdom awaits.

[tomorrow: a second side to add contradiction to the first]

That’s right, I said it. With the religion that we’re embedding ourselves in today, we may be better suited to just take up pornography. At least then, we wouldn’t be fooling ourselves. Porn = engaging in the act of watching an act of simulated sex. Religion = engaging in the act of watching an act of simulated church.

We have learned to pervert and idolize Christianity as a thing. It’s been exploited and raped from it’s intended origins. We’re just watching religious acts play out for us in churches, but never really doing much more than watching! And when we do something, it’s part of a program that teaches us to follow steps, not seek the living God.

Christ came and died for us to have life! Not religion. Not ritual. Not simulated, self gratifying worship.

Porn steals the intended power of sex from the union of marriage. Religion steals the intended power of God from our union with Him.  

We must begin our days with a renewed focus of “what today Lord?”. Unless we’re following him wholeheartedly, we’re just fooling ourselves. Am I saying we must be perfect? No.

Is this the 12 steps towards christian living? Nope. The Lord doesn’t work that way. It’s the one step to a prayerful journey. Let us ask God to engage our days, our lives. Let us live with expectancy that he will in fact show up. Let us remember who we are.

Let’s quit being religious jerk offs and start living! 

Let us be open, honest, and authentic people. Let’s be a humble, struggling, and seeking people.