Crazy Disciple

Everything matters

This is something that God has been pounding into my head for a long time. I have come so close to writing about it, but it seems something always gets in the way.

Every interaction matters.

This means that every single person I encounter, (the lady behind the counter at Taco Bell, my teacher, my boss, my pastor, my Dad, my Mom, my friend, my enemy, the guy who just hit my car, the lady who just cut in line, the rude obnoxious guy in my French class) each of those people matter to God.

Pastor Mark says it like this. "You will never meet a person whom Christ has not died for." Ok, now frame that up. stick it in your head and think about how that impacts every single word we say, every tip we leave, every smile (or frown) we extend, every glance, every handshake, every deal, every minute of every day. The bottom line is that everything we do matters. it matters so much more than probably any of us can ever realize!
 
There is more to this thought, and so much more to this belief. heck I am just writing about interactions with other people here. Think about the ways that we treat ourselves!! Oh man, don't get me started.

What am I missing? What ELSE matters?

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.  - G.K. Chesterson

Get Real Friday

I think that may be the new title of my Friday posts...  there is something so refreshing about getting real.   So anyway, my "Get Real" post this week has to do with a moral and ethical conundrum that I have found myself in.   I wish I could say that this isn't even a challenge for me, but it is...    Ok, here's the skinny...   My iPhone took a swim last night.   Yes, you read that right... a swim.   And contrary to popular myth, iPhone's are NOT waterproof.   I'd love to show you a picture, but I don't have my camera here, and well the iPhone is dead dead dead. 

  

So, as I sat in my French pronunciations class last night, and slowly watched my iPhone screen change all sorts of colors, I found myself coming up with  a plan to have it repaired.

I wont even go into all the clever scenarios that I came up with that would somehow *not* void my warrantee, and would result in a free replacement phone.   But I can assure you that they were ALL clever, and had some pretty decent chances of working.  But after sleeping on it, and praying about it, I came to a realization that I just hate.   My fear of being honest about the destruction of my iPhone is reflective of my lack of trust in God's grace.  It is somehow indicative of my belief that God's mercy and blessings are limited and there simply wont be enough happiness or peace available to me, unless I lie about dunking, and consequently killing my iPhone.  Somehow, in the midst of this miniscule tragedy I found myself BELIEVING that I am operating in a world of scarcity and I just cannot imagine my happiness without that piece of technology...   It's really disgusting.

So I wasn't even at church last night, but I know what Pastor Mark was going to preach on...   Romans 8:28: God works through ALL THINGS for the GOOD of those who love him and work according to His purpose.   

It is going to be neat to see how he turns this event for good...   maybe he already has.   I have more faith in THAT than in this stupid phone.  Maybe it is just time to deal without for a while...   

Easter 2008, "Fix You"

WOW.   What an amazing weekend.   It was amazing to see the culmination of so much work, by so many people, and have it be so welcomed by countless others.   I really do believe that a new standard has been set at Destiny Church as to how we can take on any service, but especially special holiday services.   My hat goes off to everyone that gave their hearts, minds and efforts to this cause...   It was amazing.   Pastor Mark was kind enought to rip some of the video from the weekend, and put it up on youtube...   so, check these out!   

For those that didnt get to attend, the concept was to watch the story of a character, Jessica, as she encountered many struggles in her life and ultimately finds peace in Jesus.   The order for the service was "Amazing Grace", "Savior King", video: "Fix You", sermon from Pastor Mike, Lifehouse Drama, "At the Cross", and finally "My Future Decided." As we get more of the service ripped and put up on the web I will be sharing links, but in the meantime, these are some of the performances.   

Amazing Grace

LifeHouse Drama

At The Cross

My Future Decided

Calling - Part 1

It seems one of the most popular themes of my walk (so far) has been “calling” and what calling God has on each of our lives.   When I went to my first boot camp in the mountains of Colorado, I went with the intentions of getting my “marching orders” and uncovering my calling…  All of the teaching I had received in my four months (lol) of Christianity to that point has said that there would be this magical thing in my life known as my “Calling.”   So, I decided that I wanted to know what it was…   On our first fateful night of a covenant of silence, I asked God, “So what is it that you want me to do Lord, what is it that I am supposed to do?”  I did not hear anything at that time, but over the remaining two days, the answer revealed itself.   My calling, or my marching orders for where I was on that very day of my life and walk, was to know God more.   

I came back to Tulsa after that weekend, a little perplexed…   could this really be all that God wants me to do?  It makes sense now, in retrospect; but at the time, it felt anti-climactic. Little did I know that I really did have a lot of learning to do about God, about walking with God, and about life in general.   I needed to learn enough so that I could really realize that I knew very little…   Kind of like the old saying, “In wisdom comes the recognition of ignorance”

So I put my hand to the till, I dug in and decided to chase God, and chase encounters with God, and chase the presence of God.  I chose to do exactly what was asked of me, know God more… and in the meantime learn more about myself too. 

Truly a gift from God

Last night, after church I went to have dinner with two of the finest friends a man could ever hope for, Tony and Alisha Chavez.    We sat in a mostly abandoned ‘Abuelo’s’ and I was able to share with them, in a very uninhibited way, all the things that I feel God talking to me about right now.   This is a particularly helpful place to be in with friends, as I don’t just share my complete heart with most people.   I am often quite reserved to talk about what I feel God is doing in my life, not because I am lacking in boldness, but moreover that I am wanting to make sure that my ‘notion’ is built more on fact than simply feeling.   With them however, that pre-qualifier wasn’t necessary…   Man, I needed that. 

It is amazing to me how much the two of them have become pillars of strength within my life.  It wasn’t but a few years ago that I went to dinner with them at Cheddars after church one night, and talked about this new thing that I was discovering called ‘faith.’  The things I said on that day were probably pretty stupid and had little foundation in the word of God, but there was an innocence to the ignorance that the Chavez’s apparently appreciated.   They corrected me at that time, but with a gentleness and passion that left a memorable impression.   Little did I know that they would become so important in my life.

I left dinner last night feeling truly encouraged to step into the plans that God has for me.   I felt so loved, and so ‘lifted up.’  I simply could not ask for better friends, I am just so blessed.   

Story

Last night, I re-visited a teaching that once really stirred my heart, it was Donald Miller, speaking at Mars Hill.  Donald Miller wrote the book “Blue Like Jazz,” and he seems to embody a lot of the angst and hunger of the “emergent church” while still sticking to the guns of scripture.   That really makes for interesting reading.   I have to confess that I feel I really identify with the Donald’s mindset most of the time, even if it could be construed as ‘liberal.’

So anyway, this teaching was about story, and the story that God is writing in our lives.   This is a common theme of so much of the teaching I have been exposed to, and I really identify with it.   Donald points out that we are the protagonist in our own stories, we are the central character, and every decision we make, every chance we take, and every misstep will have an effect on the stories of the people around us, as well as our own.    We must constantly be evaluating those pieces of our lives and deciding if this is something that we want to have contained within our story.

Now think of this…   If you were to live every day of your life, as if someone were telling ‘Your Story’ how would you behave differently?  How many MORE chances might you take, how many more risks?   How much more would you seek the voice of God on the decisions in your life?   These are pressing questions because that is exactly what is happening, God is writing this amazing story through each of us.  It’s like one of those really technical and memorable movies like ‘Crash’ or ‘Grand Canyon’ in which all of these powerful and amazing plot lines intersect at various points and all create this larger, deeply touching story.   

The problem is, we keep screwing up the rhythm.   And God, (because he just rolls like that) keeps seeing us make these bad decisions, and continues to write anyway.  It’s almost like He starts writing the new version of our story from that very point.   You just have to know that he is sitting up there saying, “No, Scott…   There is a much BETTER adventure and story THIS direction…  I promise you WONT regret it…  just go this way!”  Nevertheless, I don’t go that way, I make a *different* decision, and he keeps on writing, and writing and writing, and the story continues.

Pastor Mike once told me that my life would be restored to the place it would have been if I had followed God my whole life.   I take this to mean that the Story God is writing through me, will eventually prevail.  I think I have finally figured out however, that the story God is trying to write through me far exceeds any story I could have ever written for myself.   Now if Can just let go of the stinking pen!    

Decision time

There is some really exciting stuff going on in my world right now, perhaps a little too exciting.   Have you ever felt like a world of opportunity falls at your feet, and all it would take is a simple “yes” to find some things you have been searching for all of your life?   I am somewhat in that position today; I was approached yesterday with some ideas and opportunities that have the potential to be life changing and huge.   The opportunities themselves aren’t important, what was interesting was my reaction.  It seemed that the “old” me, the un-redeemed me was being spoken to, being served in this concept.   Man, talk about temptation…

The long and the short of it is something like this…   “How would you like to partner with the community that used to hold your heart, and throw huge events in the interest of raising money for a destitute part of the world?”  “Use old connections to form new ones, with people whom you used to idolize all in the name of a ‘relief organization.’”  UMM, WOW?  What’s the catch?   No mention of the gospel, it’s not a religious or spiritual organization, it is only run by Christians.  (I must confess the situation wasn’t laid out this clearly, it took several hours of talking to the founders of the organization, and then discussing what I heard with friends to come up with this clear paragraph.)

This is one of those times that the council of strong believers is absolutely critical.   I expect these friends of mine, brothers in fact, to help me see the parts or pieces of this puzzle that I am not seeing.   They came through.   

As I sat in a small room with two of my nearest and closest friends, the truth of the matter unfolded right before my very eyes.   As much as I wanted this “opportunity” to be about God, calling, and spreading the Gospel, it just wasn’t.   The question was posed to me, “If you actually have a ton of success, and bring lots of money and maybe even remove all of the evil from this part of the world, but still have not shared the gift of eternal life, then what have you really done?   Whatever is of this world is temporal, and whatever is of God is eternal, so which is the better gift?”

I honestly didn’t want to hear this clarification, but the simple truth is that it is right.   I’m not ready, or willing to go underground with my faith.   I like what God has done in me, and I want *that* to be the reason that I am talking to people.   

So, my decision today is to pass on this opportunity, and instead cultivate a relationship with the organization’s founder, and who knows…   maybe I will be the person that brings Christ back into this mission, or maybe I will be left all together.   I do believe however, that if this is what God wants me to do, there will be many MANY more opportunities to get involved.   I trust that he will honor my decision to pass, that is based on a true desire to find His path, and out of that comes insurance that the RIGHT decision will be found.   

The benefits of following Jesus

Check out what Eric Bryant wrote this morning about the benefits of following Christ.  It's a super short post, but really hit the nail on the head for me this morning.   I love how even the shortest and most simple of things can really stoke the fire in my heart.   Thanks Eric.

Whenever two or more are gathered...

Driving to work this morning, “How Great is Our God” by Chris Tomlin came on the radio.   I was driving in the stop-and-go traffic remembering our version at church from this past weekend.  Now of course I was singing along, it’s one of those songs you just have to sing with.   

So, I am sitting at a red light with the lane to my left slowly filling up, and a gentleman drives by *obviously* singing with great passion… “How Great… is our God” and I had to giggle.  How cool, I thought, we are all jamming to some worship!  Then in the middle of that thought, another car drives by with a dad in the front seat and two kids in their back, all singing, “How great… is our God” and bobbing their heads in unison to the beat.   I had to laugh out loud…  then the thought occurred to me…   “Whenever two or more are gathered in my name” well, we aren’t really gathered in God’s name, but we are all worshiping…    I wonder if that counts?