thoughts

- The cleanse is over and I really enjoyed. Now, I was expecting more of an explosive reaction (like Yosemite Sam’s exploding cigar), but the gentle over time method of detoxifying your body is a better choice. I especially recommend you do it with a group of youth pastors. Talking (or bragging) about bowel movements is always a spiritual bonding experience. Go here to get your colon blo on…

- R.E.M. (Athens, GA represent!) has a new album coming out and it sounds good. I mean really good. 

- During my jury duty lunch break I went to a Presbyterian Church that has a contemplative labyrinth set up and I had a spiritualichous time. Slowing down and connecting with the Lord was just what I needed today. Brian (RTYM) blogged on doing this with youth a while back. You should try it.

-We’re taking a spring break trip to In & Out Burger with some youth. It’s a 11 hour (each way) fast food run to have some amazing burger. I’ve never been, but heard it’s amazing. Any recommendations on what I should order?

- Spring is here and the Chacos are out in force. Just thought you should know.

Those are my random thoughts for the day. Any randomness from you?

[painting by Arne Sørlie]

It seems to me we can never give up longing and wishing while we are alive. There are certain things we feel to be beautiful and good, and we must hunger for them.

- George Eliot

[This is a ramble continued from here...]

Are we, as Christians, connecting people with Christ?

Some of us can become worshipers of the Word (i.e. the Bible) and suck the life right out of it. I believe the Bible is the divine inspired word of God. But I also believe that without God the pursuit and reading of the Bible is boiled down to mere words on paper. Many may argue this, but it isn’t as if they words put in a correct order that make up the book create a mystical union of spirituality. God illuminates scripture, God breathes life into it. Think about the Trinity. Is the Bible part of the Trinity? It’s not the Father, Son and Holy Bible.

There are those who are unwilling to leave the safety of the church and walk amongst the sinners. They would rather pour over the Bible, but never live it. What have you gained if you know the words, but are unwilling to walk it out? If your love of the Bible and fear of “sinners” keeps you hidden away from the world, you’ve missed the point of why Christ came in the first place. You’ve forgotten that he didn’t just die for you.

Evangelism isn’t about being right when others are wrong. It’s not about proving a point. It’s about investment and a relationship. It’s about us showing the love of Christ to an unbelieving world. It isn’t easy, but it’s what we are called to do.

If we don’t mirror Christ, nothing we preach will matter.

As I’ve said before, I’m not fan of politics. There’s no one running on either side that I particularly like. And you’ll never see this blog endorse anyone. It just won’t happen. That being said, a friend of mine sent me an article about Mike Huckabee, a Republican running for President. He’s a former Southern Baptist pastor and has a unique perspective of seeing both sides of government and church. I love this quote from him. I think in this instance, he’s spot on. There’s so much truth to this statement.

“Government knows it does not have the answer, but it’s arrogant and acts as though it does. Church does have the answer but will cowardly deny that it does and wonder when the world will be changed.”

My loathing for politics comes from this idea: why change the world through political force, when it can be done with prayer and following the Lord. I just see two diverging paths. One is consumed with gaining power (politics) and the other is all about giving it up (following Jesus). Policy will not change hearts. It will only make rules and enforce them. Yet we still try to make this happy marriage of Jesus and politics. If Jesus is going to save America is through the brokenness and humility of the churches seeking the Lord and reaching out in compassion to the hurt, broken and poor. The whole point of Huckabee’s quote is that we as believers can change things, but won’t. So we turn to politics to vote someone to do it.

So what do you think? Am I wrong? How can both Jesus and politics coincide?

I’m not really into following the herd (if you haven’t noticed already) so I don’t really do well with commercial holidays. But I’ll look past that because there’s always good reason to pause and meditate on how blessed and thankful we are.

I’m thankful for:

- a big and merciful God

- a loving and supportive wife

- brilliant and amazing kids

- steadfast and encouraging friends

God has really blessed me by surrounding me with such amazing people. I love the fact that get to follow Him (and share His love with others) as my career.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.  For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. Psalm 95:2-3

So today is a good day.
What are you thankful for? 

I had a random thought today: “Does the way we live out a day (24 hours) represent how we’re living out our lives.”

If we procrastinate today over the long haul are we procrastinators? We simply live either in the past or the future, but rarely the present. I know I’m guilty of this. I have my eyes set on the horizon, but often fail to watch where my feet are stepping. And the sad fact is, God is here in the present to walk with us. If we’re living in the past or the future we’re missing out on Him here and now.  I know I miss out on God too much.

I think that if we’re really followers of Christ, we should be a restless bunch. Searchers. Seekers. Explorers. We should always be striving to follow after the wildness of Christ. Are we meant to be stable or stagnant? Hardly. It’s a journey that we’ll never fully arrive on, but one in which we must keep moving. We have to keep moving. Our soul depends on it.

I was working today and listening to the radio (www.pandora.com) and heard an old song by U2 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. It really spoke to those restless places in my heart. So how many of you are searchers and seekers? How many are burdened by the feeling that ‘there’s more.’ I love the fact that the Gospel is too big to live in our hearts and constantly forcing us to search and seek and live bigger. Let us not settle. Let us keep exploring.

I have climbed highest mountains
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you
I have run
I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you

But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for

I have kissed honey lips
Felt the healing fingertips
It burned like a fire
This burning desire

I have spoke with the eternal angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone

But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for

I believe in the Kingdom Come
When all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
Well, yes I’m still running

You broke the bonds
And you loosened the chains
Carried the cross
Of all my shame
all my shame
You know I believe it

But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for