California - Here We Are!

Tonight we arrived in Barstow! We're finally to California, much to Emma's delight.
The boys needed to blow off some steam once we got to the hotel, so they pretended to be monkeys in a cage. They are very good at that...almost too good...

The night before last, we arrived in late evening to Ruby's Inn for dinner. On the way we drove through Red Rock Canyon - which we stopped at the next day on our way out to get some stamps.
Emma enjoyed driving through what she called "donut holes".


This morning we left Ruby's Inn to drive through Bryce Canyon; we stopped by about five points to take in the amazing view.



Of course what is stop at a national park without the purchase of a souvenier or walk through the museum with Grandam Rozer!

Next was Zion National Park - absolutely stunning. We didn't know much about the park, but once in it we were immediatly blown away by the amazing stonework.



Once through Zion (which was very hot and dry, and included a wonderful and extensive visitor's center and recreation area which we all remarked we would like to return to someday) we started searching for a DQ. It was about 110 in the sun, a tad less hot in he shade - but we felt better having downed lots of ice cream.



Once we drove through, we made the long, long, long trek through Utah, Nevada, Arizona and California. Amazing landscapes and lots of wind.

Now we're bedded down. Yes, it's late again. Last night it was too late and I was too tired. After driving through Arches National Park and Canyonlands, and then on through most of Utah, we were wiped out. But the sights were amazing.

The kids have been doing great, Eli travels well as long as he gets human interaction during our pit stops. We've learned not to give ELI crackers because they make a huge mess; nothing worse than a messy van on a long, long trip. I don't like messy vans.

We sing songs to pass the time away; Emma and I do a variation on the Happy Birthday song. She sings the song, and then at the part where you insert a name, I'm supposed to say some nonsense word like "river" or "dog" or "pen". Then Emma will exclaim, "a river doesn't have a birthday party!", then she'll giggle and finish the song. And then we'll do it all over again. And again. And again.

Levi sits in the middle, so he gets to play with Emma and Isaac; with Emma he follows her lead; which means she comes up with the game, and he must do what she says. Isaac is on the opposite side of the van, so he is outside of the "Emma Zone"; he and Levi will tug on each others blankets, swipe stuff from each other, and in general tease each other - it is delightful to watch, most of the time.

The other day I turned around and Emma had Levi's toes in her mouth. I asked what she was doing, "I'm eating Levi's toes." "Emma, don't eat your brother's toes." "Can I eat his fingers?" "NO! Stop eating your brother." "Well, can I eat myself then?" "Yes Emma, if you want, you can eat your arm." At that point Tara got in the van and looked back to see Emma "eating" her arm, and Levi "eating" his arm. Tara gave me an odd look; I tried to explain the situation to her...

Tomorrow is a long drive to Fresno, Sequoia National Park and King's Canyon. Then Monterrey!!!!

*****

Here's some pics of Arches and Canyonlands


A tradition at each National Park is to get our NPPassport stamped. Tara and I started it in the summer of 1998 when we went to Mammoth Caves for vacation. Since then we've gotten alot of stamps. Now our children can start collecting stamps too! Levi and Tara love stamping!


Here's Aunt Shirley, Emma and Levi standing in front of the famous Windows Arch. I insisted that the kids be given a chance to climb up to it, so off they went with Papa Ger leading the way. I had Eli duty, so he and I tried taking the trail in a double stroller...we did about forty stairsteps and then turned around... I didn't want to break the stroller, even though Eli liked it.



After Arches we travelled to Canyonlands National Park. While there we stopped to picnic. There was this large bush just next to our table. It sat there, quite innocently. We paid no attention to it, and it did not bother us the whole time we ate. Then, after we ate and cleaned everybody up, we heard this wailing. Levi and Isaac had gone exploring into the bush - which had very very prickly stickers. They had them on their sandals, on their feet, their knees, their shorts, shirts and arms. Poor guys. We kept yelping as we pulled the stickers out of their clothes, they were prickly. Once we deprickled the kids, we took a picture next to the perpretrator and admonished it to never do that again.



This is stark, rugged, dry, captivating Canyonlands.

Movin' on to Moab

We finally arrived in Utah, it's late at night in Moab, just outside Arches National Park. We're all tired - it was a long drive across the Rockies, but OH! what a drive it was...I ran out of words to describe the beauty and majesty and wonder of the mountains and all its terrain and vegetation.




Before hitting the road for Moab, we ventured up to Pikes Peak; at the six mile mark is a resevoir with a small trail, a gift shop and great photo ops. After a bit of strolling we wound our way down that mount.

Don't Levi and Isaac look cool in their sunglasses and new souvenir hats?



So tomorrow it will be an early morning, we'll visit Arches, then Canyonlands. We'll end up at Bryce Canyon, in time to get some rest and then visit that famous place.

More stuff happened today, but we'll save it for later. I'm tired.

Okay, it is now several days later (6.29) and I'm updating this post:

Breakfast is a necessity for our boys, and Isaac has figured out how to butter his own bread...he really likes butter, and he really likes to butter toast. It was a great way to start the day as we headed out of Colorado.

After breakfast we ventured over to the Koi pond to throw in some coins. Tara told Emma not to stand on the rocks, but Nooooo, Emma wouldn't listen...and so she fell in. Poor Emma. We could tell it was going to be a good day of travelling.

Another one of the interesting parts of the day was our lunch break just west of Denver. We pulled into a little plaza looking for a place to eat, and we found this quaint German-Amercan Diner. Hannah the hostess met us with a thick German accent and led us to a table. The menu had great authentic German food: I ordered a Reuben, which I often order when I visit a restaurant - and this was the tastiest, juiciest, most flavorable one I'd ever had. As we munched, we noticed another couple order some dessert - it looked like the Apple Streudel that was being advertised on the chalk board. We ordered three of them to be split amongst the ten of us. They were loaded with lots of whip cream, a scoop of yummy vanilla ice cream, and lots of apples. So when we pushed back from the table, we had to have a picture with our hostess Hannah. But when we got the bill...lets just say that Tara plopped down sixty bucks on her way to take Emma to the girls room, and had to plop down another twenty when we got back because Aunt Faye ran out of cash!

We laughed as we left the restaurant! How could the meal have cost that much! It was good, but shelling out more than $140 for our lunch was an eye-popper! We may never go back to Genesee, but boy did she serve up a good Reuben.

Colorado, Here We Are!

Night number two has descended upon us in Colorado Springs. It's been fun, the kids have done great. After a hours of travelling through a flat, dry and ascending Kansas farmland, we finally crossed into beautiful Colorado. There was something magical about crossing the stateline; the sky changed, the landscape changed, and the speed limit changed!

Did I mention missing an exit? Tara and I were busy working on her laptop and listening to my iPod, and we - the lead car, were the only ones to miss our exit off of I70 onto SR24 to Colorado Springs. So we doubled back for a break at McD's. Everybody got a milkshake. I greedily sucked down my strawberry one, and yearned for another one. So I was delighted when Levi and Isaac only finished off half of their chocolate ones. But then after downing theirs, I wasn't feeling so guilty anymore...but I couldn'te help myself, and after we arrived at our hotel, I found Emma's chocolate shake and finished it off...uggh. Stupid milkshakes.

Anyway, SR24 into Colorado Springs was stunning, big rolling hills leading us right towards the towering Rockies. It was hard driving so fast up and down the hills while trying to take in on all the panorama. Tara got some neat pics.


After getting settled in, we went for a quick dip in the pool to wake up and play for a bit; then off to the Flying W Ranch.

We should've gotten there an hour earlier, for there was much to see - old cabins, schoolhouses, shops, horse barns, all sorts of neat stuff from the old West. We had just enough time to pick up some souveniers and then off to a tasty meal with potent beans and a hand-clapping good concert of old style country gospel under the open mountain sky.
It was a late, late night for the kids getting to bed, but then we didn't have to travel the next day, so sleeping in was at the top of the to-do list.

This morning Tara and the kids, along with Mum and Dad, S&F went to the HQ of Focus on the Family while I stayed behind to read my James Michener novel, Centennial. It was a beautiful morning, the Rockies in the background, a fresh breeze. After frolicing at Focus on the Family, the family swung by and picked me up for lunch at McD's and their playground. And surprise of surprises, there was a Starbucks right next door!!!!! So after another milkshake (one of the green swamp ones) and another round of playing we packed the kids up and headed off to Manitou Springs (after, of course, Tara rounded up some tasty Starbucks coffee for me and an orange creme drink for everyone else). Sadly, on the way, Emma threw up her drink - we pulled off the highway, Tara got her cleaned up, and then we got back on the road (she took a little snooze and then felt a bit better). This is Emma with a new t-shirt and a beautiful smile, snuggled into Eli's carseat...what a silly girl!

We took a nostalgic drive through historic Manitou Springs - I attended a camp there in the summers following my tenth and twelfth grade year.
The first trip there was a great family vacation - all six of us, along with my best friend Donnie Gentry - and took the long route to Colorado. So it was fun to see the the camp hotel again, drive the winding, steep streets. Then we headed off to Garden of the Gods - we had to get a new t-shirt for Emma, as well as see some gorgeous rocks. We met up with Jerm, Maria, Eva and Lydia - they were getting ready to head to Denver for a ballgame. We said goodbye to them, and then we headed off to a nice walking area with double strollers, camera and a fresh breeze to our back.



After another romp in the pool - this time with floaty tubes and little Eli joining the fray - we ordered room service following baths. While the kids wound down, Tara and I cleaned up the van; then tucked the kids into bed - and now we relax.

California, We're Still Coming: Next Stop - Colorado

We're starting Day Three, we're up early and getting ready to round up all the kids and get travelling to Colorado Springs. Isaac knows how to travel in comfort.

We spent last night in Salina, Kansas - a quaint town with an enormous grain and corn mill. Yesterday was Maria's birthday (Happy Birthday Maria!) We told her to pick a place to chow, so she found Tuscons, a fantastic steak place. Tara ordered very tasty and moist baby back ribs, and I got a Kansas City Strip - mmmmmmmmmmmmh good; I'd been looking forward to sampling some Kansas beef. I was not disappointed.

The travelling cross-country was mostly uneventful. We got a late start from St. Charles - mostly we had a late night and we didn't want to get up early. Once on our way, we had a late lunch at a spacious rest stop; we ate PBJ's, yogurts and fruit, then let the kids (and some parents) run around. Tara did a fine job driving, I was tickled to finally get reading my novel, Michner's Centennial; after three chapters I'm definitely hooked - only a thousand more page to go!

We stopped for gas the west side of Topeka, and I took over driving. What a drive; sure Kansas has it's flat spots, but this stretch of I70 was breathtaking. Overhead us was a billowing Kansas sky, crackling with forked lightening, occasional downpours, and stunning green grass carpeting the rolling, jagged chunks of hills that guarded the highway. The landscape has flattened out into wheatfields and prarie grass, alot more flat, dry and stark. Really, once we got south of Indy, the scenery has been beautiful; southern Indiana, Illinois and Missouri have curvacious slopes, hundreds of acres of trees, and thick rivers. The vacation scenery has been a refreshing part of the vacation.

After the tasty steak dinner last night, the kids rode a mechanical pony while Jerm and I checked out the blown fuse in the van. We had blown the fuse earlier while watching a movie as Tara worked on her laptop; apparently both appliances plugged into the van were too much. So instead of watching a movie (which we used at strategic times to pass the time away) Emma had me retell my version of the Wizard of Oz as we trekked across Kansas! Once we replaced the fuse, we headed back to the hotel for a quick dip in the pool - then late to bed.
Now it's off to breakfast, to pack, and hit the highlands.

California, Here We Come! First Stop: St. Louis...

Ah, we finally made it to the pool. We were all looking forward to a wet dip, to stretch our legs, to play and relax. The trip so far has been fine. No problems...yet. We met up with Jerm, Maria, Eva and Lydia just outside of Warren; our caravan of three has been cruising right along. We left about an hour later than we planned. It just took us awhile to get all the little stuff packed just right in the van; especially after S&F had to repack their whole car to get Dad & Mum's stuff to fit.

After our family photo and group prayer, we hit the road.

One of the highlights was driving along I70 into St. Louis; we could see the Arch for miles. Tara snapped a dozen of cool pics, this one made the cut. If only we had gotten out of the house on time, we might have been able to squeeze in a quick walk around the famous Gateway to the West. Oh well, next time.

Tara and I are finally getting ready for bed. Levi is sleeping on the floor in his Califoria bed, much to his excitement; and Isaac gets to share a bed with Daddy - he's still grinning from ear to ear at midnight! Emma is conked in Mommy's bed...let's hope they don't steal each other's blankets. And then there is Eli, all wrapped up in his own bed, raised up off the floor, all peaceful and poofy haired.

After sleeping in tomorrow, we'll get a tasty breakfast and then hit the road. Next stop: Kansas!

So You Want to Become a Christian?

There is an interesting blogpost at Out of Ur about the consequences of our Gospel presentation upon the life of our church in our culture. Scot McKnight, theologian, blogger (Jesus Creed), and writer, has thought deeply about what is written in the Scriptures about becoming a Christian and living Christianly. In the blogpost he contrasts two forms of "Gospel Presentation"; what people "sign up for" when they become Christians often profoundly shapes what the rest of their Christian life is like. Thus, if you want a robust Christian life, one needs to consider what kind of Gospel is initially offered to them.

Below is an extended quote from the Out of Ur blogpost concerning this issue:

"Scot McKnight summarized the “Standard Gospel Presentation” this way:
God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
Your problem is that you are sinful; God can’t admit sinners into his presence.
Jesus died for you to deal with your “sin-problem.”
If you trust in Christ, you can be admitted into God’s presence.

"He went on to say that the problems with this popular evangelical gospel include:
1. No one in the New Testament really preaches this gospel.
2. This gospel is about one thing: humans gaining access to God’s presence.
3. This gospel creates an individualist Christian life.
4. This gospel sets the tone for the entire evangelical movement.
5. This gospel leads to spiritual formation being entirely about “me and God.”
6. The evangelical gospel has created a need for evangelical monasteries.
7. The evangelical gospels turns the local church into a volunteer society that is unnecessary.
8. The evangelical gospel is rooted in Theism or Deism, but not the Trinity.

"In contrast to this anemic gospel, McKnight believes a more accurate and “robust” gospel presentation would include the following features:
1. A robust gospel cannot be “tractified” (meaning, reduced to a formula).
2. God made you as an eikon (Greek for “image”) to relate in love to God, to self, to others, and to the world.
3. The “fall” cracked the eikon in all directions.
4. Bible readers cannot skip from Genesis 3 to Romans 3.
5. Genesis 4-11 reveals the “problem” of sin: the climax is a society of eikons trying to build their way to God.
6. Genesis 12 begins to restore the eikon by a covenantal commitment and forming the family of faith. The rest of the Bible is about this elected family of faith.
7. The “problem” is finally resolved in “four atoning moments”: the life of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
8. The “locus” of resolution is the family of faith: three big words in the Bible that describe this family of faith are Israel, the Kingdom, and the Church.

As I reflected on this article, I was particularly struck by Problem #7 "The evangelical gospel turns the local church into a volunteer society that is unecessary." Lately I've been wondering about the point of the church gathering on Sundays, of recruiting volunteers to serve during these and other church gatherings...does it matter if people do this stuff? What about all the other people who have gifts and desires to serve Jesus - but who aren't a good fit for Sunday School, ushers, greeters, music stuff, mowing, and general event volunteer opportunities. Even if people do all of that stuff, does it really matter? Does it matter why people do that stuff, or just that they do it? Does it matter how they do it, or just that it gets done? I think of our regular Sunday gatherings and often despair: not that our gathering is a painful experience, but rather that something significant is not embraced by most of those gathered. There is little sense of how gathering together is essential to the ongoing following of Jesus Christ in everyday life. Some get it, but even then it is amongst a distraction of duties on Sunday morning.

The line in the nineties used to be "unchurched"; if you were unchurched, the goal was to get you churched. Thus we redesigned the purpose and activities of churches to get the unchurched involved in events, tasks, programs and experiences. But becoming churched did not necessarily mean becoming a Christ-follower. It could, but not in most cases. From my perspective, I'm not that impressed with churches as an institution; I know they have a role in the kingdom of God and in our culture. But when it comes to Jesus-followers gathering together as part of their following of Jesus, I'm just not convinced that what we do on Sunday morning contributes to that sense.

I'm striving to find words for what I sense; I'm striving to understand what I'm being led towards. The New Testament word for church is ekklesia; of which the common translation was often "assembly" or "gathering". For obvious reasons, the ekklesia of God has become primarily understood as an institution; but at its heart, the ekklesia of God in Jesus is about people devoted to the apostles teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer; to providing awesome miracles and meeting the needs of all. Obviously if people organize themselves to better live out this kind of life, their is an institutional determinism that results.

But rather than focus on the virtues or vices of institutionalism, I think it is more fruitful to focus on the Scriptures Gospel Presentation: what is Jesus proclaiming to us, and how do we proclaim it for our culture? Institutions that get God's Gospel right are powerful; local gatherings of Jesus-followers who get God's Gospel are potent. I want Anchor, our ekklesia, to get God's Gospel.

Let the Redeemed of the LORD Tell Their Story...

Psalm 107 begins the last Book of the Psalms, Book IV. It opens with this memorable and mighty line:
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story -
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south."

The redeemed of the LORD the world over - from the desert plains of Arabia to the tropical forests of Argentina; from the frozen tundra of Russia to the waterfalls of Nigeria, there is no place where God is not at work purchasing men, women and children from the enslaving power of sin and evil.

The LORD is redeeming people from all over our neighborhood - writing a new chapter in their story, re-editing the direction of the plot, transforming the characters of the narrative.

For those that wander, for those imprisoned, for those who hunger, for those who are scared, for those who are humbled; for those who rebel, who suffere affliction because of their iniquities, for those whose courage has melted away, for those who are wicked: When we cry out to the LORD in our trouble, he will save us from our distress.

And so our story will include this line: Give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing and patient love and his wonderful deeds for humanity the world over. Your story is part of a bigger story...tell your story; let God rework the direction of your story; thank God for his story.

Hanging Out with Hannah and Alia

Cousins Alia and Hannah spent the afternoon and evening with us on a Sunday night while their folks, Jamil and Amy, went out on a date. We had fun, we hope they did too!

We feasted on Pizza Hut Cheese Pizza, and then polished off a tasty DQ Dilly Bar. Alia really likes her Dilly Bars, she slowly savors them...slowly and messily. Too cute!






Uncle Tim fed Hannah while the other kids finished up their ice cream and got their bath. After bathtime was popcorn/movie night - a thrilling adventure with Barney! Hannah didn't care much for the snack and the show, so she took a snooze. Then it was story time and snuggle time for Hannah and Emma.

Chesterton on Democracy, Tradition, and His Explanation for Why the World Works

G.K. Chesteron has become a beloved author. I finally started reading some of his works after reading so many other gifted authors who continually quoted him, referenced him, and exuded deep admiration for him. So a couple years ago I picked up two of his books - Heretics and Orthodoxy. Brilliant, funny, decisive, compelling. He doesn't get everything right, but what he does say right is good for my soul. Here are some quotes from his chapter from Orthodoxy, called The Ethics of Elfland.

"These are my ultimate attitudes towards life, the soils for the seeds of doctrine. These in some dark way I though before I could write, and felt before I could think. I felt in my bones; first, that the world does not explain itself. It may be a miracle with a supernatural explanation; it may be a conjuring trick, with a nautral explanation. But the explanation of the conjuring trick, if it is to satisfy me, will have to be better than the natural explanations I have heard. The thing is magic, true or false.

Second, I came to feel as if magic must have a meaning, and meaning must have some one to mean it. There was something personal in teh world, as in a work of art; whatever it meant it meant violently.

Third, I thought this purpose beautiful in its old design, in spite of its defect, such as dragons.

Fourth, that the proper form of thanks to it is some form of humility and restraint; we should thank God for beer and Burgundy by not drinking too much of them.

We owed, also, an obedience to whatever made us.

And last, and strangest, there had come into my mind a vague and vast impression taht in some way all good was a remnant to be stored and held sacred out of som primordial ruin. Man had saved his good as Crusoe saved his goods; he had saved them from a wreck.

All this I felt and the age gave me no encouragement to feel it. And all this time I had not even thought of Christian theology." (222)

"The principle of democracy stated in two propositions. The first is this: that the things common to all men are more important than the things peculiar to any men. Ordinary things are more valuable than extraordinary things; nay, they are more extraordinary. The essential things in men are the things they hold in common, not hte things they hold separately.

The second principle is merely this: that the political instinct or desire is one of these things that they hold in common. In short, the democratic faith is this: that the most terribly important things must be left to ordinary men themselves - the mating of the sexes, the rearing of the young, the laws of the state." (206)

"Those who urge against tradition that men in the past were igorant may go and urge it at the Carlton Club, along with the statement that voters in the slums are ignorant. It will not do for us. If we attach great importance to the opinion of ordinary men in great unanimity when we are dealing with daily matters, there is no reason why we should disregard it when we are dealing with history and fable.

Tradition may be defined as an extension of the franchise. Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about.

I have first to say, therefore, that if I have had a bias, it was always a bias in favor of democracy, and therefore of tradition. I have always been more inclined to believe the ruck of hard-working people than to believe that special and troublesome literary class to which I belong." (207)

Those Ornery and Contentious Corinthians...

1Corinthians 7-12

The churches in the Greek port city of Corinth had written a letter to their founding pastor and father in the faith: Paul. They had some sticky ethical questions, some practical family life questions, and some ornery authority questions. I suppose that you could say about these city-folks: Corinthians will do what Corinthians want to do; nobody tells them what to do.

For example, one of their questions, which comes to Paul as a statement: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." It is an odd line of thinking, and Paul jumps all over it. His thought: the described situation is not good in and of itself, it depends on the circumstances. The Corinthians tried to come across looking pious and pure, but they ended up being exposed as frauds.
Paul gives them an honest assessment of their culture: you live in a sex-obsessed city, don't lose control of your body. If you are a man or woman who really wants and needs sex, do what it takes to be worthy of marriage and find a mate and stick to them, become one with them, honor God in how you love them. If you are a man or woman who doesn't really want or need sex, then don't get married and don't worry about it. But don't make sex a bigger deal than it really is; keep God the bigger deal.

On the food issue, the contentious Corinthians wrote: "We all possess knowledge." Paul deftly answers the food questions with some wisdom and God-commands. But then he gets to the real heart of the issue: these church-goers don't want Paul, or anybody, telling them what to do; telling them that they are in the wrong about food and sex. So they assert their equality, even superiority to Paul - they know stuff too, so back off. Paul doesn't back off, he knows that love and truth is on his side - he responds brilliantly: "Knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God." Absolutley brilliant.

Paul goes on to stress the freedom that the gospel brings, a freedom to love and not a freedom to use your knowledge to make something of yourself. They say: "I have the right to do anything." Paul affirms the truth of that statement, but brilliantly follows it up with: "But not everything is beneficial or constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others."

Those ornery and contentious Corinthians were seeking their own good...which is why they were Christians. Paul is calling you and I to a radical life: seek the good of others. Think about your everyday life centered around seeking the good of others within your neighborhood, amongst your gathered fellow believers...

Ornery and Contentious Christians seek their own good. Stop it!!!!!!

C.S. Lewis - A Slip of the Tongue

The Weight of Glory is the title to a famous sermon Lewis wrote, it is also the title of a book including that sermon along with a collection of others. A Slip of the Tongue is the last one included in the book; below are some quotes from that sermon. It was a Spirit-prompting by which I read this sermon, and I'm glad I followed Him to this sermon - the words were both refreshing and reprimanding. They were like a blast of cold air which awakens and startles. Good stuff I needed to ponder.

********

When a layman has to preach a sermon, I think he is most likely to be useful, or even interesting if he starts exactly from where he is himself, not so much presuming to instruct as comparing notes. (pg 184)

Have we ever risen from our knees in haste for fear God's will should become too unmistakable if we prayed longer? (186)

Our temptation is too look eagerly for the minimum that will be accepted. (188)

For it is not so much of our time and so much of our attention that God demands; it is not even all our time and all our attention; it is ourselves. (189)

For he claims all, because he is love, and must bless, he cannot bless us unless he has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore, in love, he claims all. There's no bargaining with him. (190)

What God does for us, God does in us. (191-2)

Failures will be forgiven, it is acquiescence that is fatal. (192)

Unless You Repent, You Too Will All Perish

Luke 13

People perish. Everyday. People sin. Everyday. People perish because of the sins of others; people perish because of their own sins. People don't perish because their own sins are worse than another's; comparing your sins to another doesn't lessen the fate of perishing.

Jesus puts all sinners on the same level: you all will perish - from the "least" sinner to the "greatest" sinner - unless you repent. How can Jesus, in one sentence, highly offend the "righteous" people and offer hope to the "unright" people? Jesus is patient with big sinners and little sinners; but if sinners don't repent, they perish like a fruit tree that is barren.

To repent of one's sins - little ones and big ones (if you must insist on grading your foibles...) - is to let Jesus set you free from your infirmity, your iniquity. To insist that one is without sin, or one's sins are not really sins, or just little sins, or not that big of a sin compared to that other person...is to be crippled, to be proud, to be unfree.

When one does repent of one's sins - which is an act worthy of great celebration since it happens so rarely and is a beautiful work of God - it is as if one's life opens up into a mighty tree by which others find refuge and shade. It is like the elements that make for savory bread which fuel a new kind of life.

Jesus is teaching this "good news" and someone asks him: "Are only a few people going to be saved/forgiven/healed?" Of course this fellow is a pious, righteous law-abider; he is anticipating a pat on the head and a knowing nod of approval. But Jesus sticks to his point - whoever repents will be saved - not just the genetic-connected children of Abraham, but children from all over the world will be saved. Many will not be saved - evildoers who refused to repent, they don't want to be saved; they want to be told something else. But children from the north - Russia, Syria, Germany; children from the east - Iran, China, India; children from the south - Egypt, Ethiopia, Algeria; children from the west - Brazil, Mexico, Canada...all those who will repent of their sin will be forgiven.

But if you don't want to be forgiven, God won't force it on you. But if you do want freed from the bad effects of your life in this world...God will throw a feast for you to celebrate your homecoming.

Repent of your sins. Be set free from your sins. Join our Generous and Patient and Delightful God in a New Way of Living.

Sunday Sermon Notes - 6.10.07

Ephesians 3v14-21

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

We used to pray this verse alot at Anchor in the early days. The sky was the limit, the dreams were big, the anticipation exciting, the new work invigorating. And overwhelming from the get go. So we focused on this prayer of Paul's, reciting it too each other with a knowing smile - we knew that God was at work in and through us...we just didn't know what it was all going to look like. Would our church grow fast? Would there be throngs of converts? Would we have a flood of baptisms? Would there be rededications and callings to ministry. Would we be able to add staff to keep up with our ministries? Oh the dreams we had.

It's been along time since I prayed this verse...too long.

There has been no quick and ongoing increase in attendance. There were no throngs or floods of new believers, baptisms, or rededications. No long lines of people being called to full-time ministry. The staff we've had in the past have all had their positions ended due to inadequate finances.

Now when I utter this prayer, it is without the glib enthusiasm or dreamy anticipations of God's miraculous work. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm feeling when I pray it...amidst a very messy ministry, where God is mysteriously at work; gains seem elusive and losses are crushing. It's been hard to say goodbye to so many good friends who were part of Anchor, and now are not: Slagers, Kuntzs, Jeff & Jenna Johnson, John and Melissa Konkey, and so many others. It's been beautiful to welcome so many new neighbors into our congregation: Brandi Moran and her family, Lee and Jesse, Darrell and Liz, Jesse and Khara and others. For whatever reason, I'm so much more aware of the pain so many people carry around with them; the pains that come from growing older, from raising a family, having a job, going to school; but also from being betrayed, being neglected, being abused, being marginalized, being rejected, being alive. Everybody has some kind of pain - whether self-inflicted or from another...and so many of my friends and neighbors at Anchor seem inundated with it. The prayer about God doing "immeasurably more" now seems to center around rescue, redemption, reconciliation, restoration within the hurting and wounded lives of Anchorites. I still want to see conversions and baptisms, disciples making disciples, believers being called to a ministry vocation, etc. And it is happening. But not with the rapid growth that impresses or brings renown. It seems messy, mysterious, elusive.

Whereas before I prayed this verse out of a eager anticipation, now it is prayed existentially: out of my existence within Anchor, and the sharing of my life with our friends and neighbors and carrying their burdens and in praying with/for them...oh that God would come through for us..."how long Oh LORD, how LONG?????" until you do the immeasurably more?

So like Paul, I get down on my knees, I cry out from behind my steering wheel, I recite underneath the nightsky stars:
I pray that out of God's glorious abundance he may strengthen my fellow Anchorites with power through His Spirit within our souls; so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through trust/faith.
I pray that we - being rooted like a mighty oak alongside the clear stream, being established as a solid cornerstone in the massive refugee-home for those rescued from the Way of Evil...I pray that we may be rooted and established in love...
I pray that we may have power - God's ability within us - together with all those who are part of the Kingdom of God, to grasp with our minds and heart and soul how wide and long and high and deep is the mercy/compassion/grace/patience/forgiveness of Christ...and to know this generous love that surpassess all knowledge - that we may all be filled to the brim of all the fullness of God - Creator of all the universes and galaxies and solar systems and our Earth and all that is within it.

Now...to a God like that be glory from our frail and forgiven and Spirit-formed church...A God who can do more than we can grasp or know is possible...a God who can do more in and through us than we could hope for...

Amen.

He Defended the Cause of the Poor and Needy...Is that Not What It Means to Know Me?

Jeremiah 13-22 includes a series of judgments against the nation of Israel, and particularly against the tribe of Judah - the House of David and the People of the Covenant. They have been unfaithful to the LORD for generations and generations, and now the Day of Reckoning has come.

In the last chapter of this section, the LORD speaks directly to King Shallum, and asks him hard questions about what it means to be a king: "Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. He Defended the Cause of the Poor and Needy...Is that Not What It Means to Know Me? declares the LORD. But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion."

Upon reading this text, I thought of James' sermon, and his exhortation to his people.

What does it mean for me?

How do I defend the cause of the poor and the needy?

Have You Noticed?

1Kings 12-22 completes this book, a violent and idolatrous story.

One vile man that the story centers on is Ahab. He gets about six chapters of attention, and several prophets come and go out of his life: Elijah, Micaiah, and a nameless one. Ahab is a scoundral, an openly contemptous man towards God and what is good, selfish and sulky. An unjust deed of his, the "stealing" of Naboth's vineward provoked a harsh judgment from God, through Elijah: "I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel - slave or free. And also concerning (your wife) Jezebel the LORD says, Dogs will devour Jezebel by teh wall of Jezreel. Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country."

Ugh.

And then there is this very fascinating account given: "When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly."

When I read this, I snickered: just like Ahab to get sulky over his punishment. In my TNIV Bible, this last quoted text ends the right hand page. Turning the page, I was taken aback by what I read at the top left: "Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah...Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."

Why is God doing this? Ahab doesn't deserve that kind of mercy...Ahab is a sulky king who has wreaked havoc on God's people, why is God acknowledging the penitent heart? Isn't it just a sign of a pouty old man?

And then I feel convicted; I was quick to judge, quick to condemn, quick to relish in the coming judgement upon Ahab - he had it coming and I was going to be glad for his doom. But God didn't react the way I did...God noticed the humbling of the heart, even in Ahab.

Oh how quickly I judge people...how I harden my heart against them...God, help me notice the humbled hearts that you notice.

Time for a Makeover...Part Deux

Well, we're home...again. Tara, Eli and I travelled up to Sawmill Creek Resort on Thursday for our UB National Conference. Then we travelled to Berne, IN on Friday afternoon for the beautiful wedding of Rick and Jamie Schwartz. Following the fun reception, we drove back home and went to bed late. We slept in on Saturday, and then packed up the whole family (including Grandma Rozer) and we went all the way back to the resort. I really wanted to get up there so we could jump in the pool. But we didn't get up there till after 3pm, and once we got there we realized we had no sunscreen or swimmerdiapers for the guys. So Grandma went looking for a Wal-mart. About ninetyminutes later we were finally getting into the indoor pool; which worked out fine because a huge rainstorm came up on us real quick. We played with Donnie Gentry and his lovely girls, splashed and laughed. I think it was the first time that our three oldest had been in a pool like that before...Emma and Isaac jumped right in, floating around and enjoying it; tentative Levi just dangled his legs in the water and sat with Grandma for a long time. Alot of driving in a long weekend, but it was worth it.

The speakers for the conference were right on target.

Brad Powell from Northsomething Church outside of Detroit spoke Thursday and Friday night; his prophetic Thursday night message boldly reminded us of what we already know: God has given us a purpose for the church, and the promises, and the power, and the potential. He has revealed all of that to us, and our job is to be relevant to our culture with it...and not to fear, God will reveal how to do that as well. Without being overly pious, Powell communicated a strong reliance on God-direction in every facet of ministry. It was clear that it is hard work to get God-direction and follow the instructions, it takes all the energy of your heart, soul, mind and body. But it is crucial that every Christ-follower listen long and hard to what God has already said (and believe it) and what he is saying (and do it).

Ken Quick from a seminary somehwere, directed our attention to the Church of Ephesus, as referenced in Revelation 2. The church as a whole had done some things right, and wrong. But they had not acknowledged what was wrong, had stayed ignorant of it, had neglected confession and repentance, and avoided reconciliation and returning to their first true love. He challenged pastors to learn the history of your church and its members; and where their is hurt in your history, work hard to get it healed up. Anchor has a lot of people with alot of hurts; I had not thought about how those hurts create for a collective hurt...

Ron Ramsey wrapped up the weekend with a potent message Sunday morning. Know your position in Christ. Know your potential, accept the power, accept the promises, accept the position he gives you. Stop whining about what you don't have, and ask God for what you want; if he doesn't give it right away, keep asking - and if he still won't give it, then make do with out it. Don't wait for perfect circumstances to get started on ministry; do ministry where you are with what you have and who you are. Preach to change lives. Minister to transform lives. Serve to redeem lives.

The makeover of the denomination has begun...we'll see how extreme it is as the years pass by. I'm planning on it beginning at Anchor, and working to make it happen now...by going the way of Jesus.

Time for a Makeover...

Today starts a four day event called Xtreme Makeover, Church Edition. Our national churches are gathering for a fun and relaxing, yet focused and intense long weekend. Tara and I are looking forward to the event, to hanging out with our friends, enjoying the worship services, and joining with other like-minded Jesus followers to keep moving our churches forward in mission.

There are plenty of great churches that share our heritage, I think it will be great for all of us to get together and remind ourselves of why we exist and who we want to keep growing up into. It'll be fun. I hope it is transforming for us as a gathering of churches.

Kierkegaard on Suffering and Obedience

Kierkegaard cites this Scripture, Hebrews 5:8 "Jesus learned obedience from what he suffered."

He then makes this observation: "Now, if obedience directly followed suffering, it would be easy to learn. But learning obedience is not that easy. Humanly viewed, suffering is dangerous. But even more terrible is failing to learn obedience! Yes suffering is a dangerous schooling, but only if you do not learn obedience - ah, then it is terrible, just as when the most powerful medicine has the wrong reaction. In this danger a person needs God's help; otherwise he does not learn obedience. And if he does not learn this, then he may learn what is most corrupting: to learn craven despondency, learn to quench the spirit, learn to deaden any noble fervor in it, learn defiance and despair."
- pg 162, Provocations

The past few months have included many conversations with couples that are struggling to stay together, some are on the brink of dissolution, others are trying to stop the pain, and a few are just trying to figure out how to be happy together. What they all have in common is suffering, and they also include heavy doses of disobedience. There is this tenuous and beautiful moment available to each couple: in the suffering they have inflicted upon themselves and each other, they can gain wise insight into their own life and surrender their situation to Jesus. To obey is to love God more than the other or even themself, and to obey is to love the other like Christ loves the church, and to submit to one another like the church submits to Christ. To obey is to love with unending patience, generous kindness, avoidance of arrogance and boasting, death to envy and jealousy. To obey is to yield your will to the desires and wants of God.

The suffering that these couples are enduring could produce in them an obedient, yielded spirit to Jesus - which could bring about an end to that kind of suffering and make possible a kind of joy with each other that is both mature, wise, and lasting. But every couple needs to take stock of their contribution to the ongoing suffering they experience in their marriage, and consider who their disobedience is fueling the pain, and how the suffering could be used by God to bring about obedience and joy and redemption.

Kierkegaard goes on to write: " Without suffering you cannot really learn obedience. In the school of suffering...we learn the difficult lesson that it is indeed God who still rules, despite the suffering. This is the key to finding rest in your suffering. There is only one way in which rest is to be found: to let God rule in everything. Whatever else you might come to learn only pertains to how God has willed to rule. But as soon as unrest begins, the cause for it is due to your unwillingness to obey, your unwillingness to surrender yourselrf to God."
- pg 164, Provocations

Are you suffering? Be rigorous in your self-examination of how your disobedience has contributed to your pain. And then surrender to God's will.

I Have Sinned Greatly

2Samuel 24 is the final chapter in this two book account of the rise and decline of David's kingship over the twelve tribes of Israel and the surrounding nations. It includes one final sin of David that results in the death of innocent people; David is a man with much blood on his hands, that of his enemies, that of his friends, that of trusting soldiers, of wayward family members, and unsuspecting citizens. But not only did David sin greatly, he also would be conscience-striken, he would cry out to God for forgiveness: "Now, LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."

It's refreshing to hear about a man who knows when he sins, is willing to admit it, and cry out for forgiveness and reconciliation. But just because David cries out for forgiveness, it doesn't mean that God is going to avert the consequences. David received pardon from God, but David had a miserable life as a husband, father, and leader. He wasn't that good of a king, but he was a great warrior; he wasn't that great of a man, but he was passionate about God. The Scriptures honest account of David's success' and failures serves us as a warning and encouragement: be warned that your sins have consequences that have to be lived/worked through; be encouraged that repentance and forgiveness are gladly given by God to those that desire it.

Whether you have sinned greatly or just a little lately, don't shirk from the consequences; let the resulting pain be both a source of character building and an incentive to resist the sin stronger next time. We can't stop sinning, but we can stop refusing to repent and request forgiveness and reconciliation. If you feel like your sins are keeping you from God, a wise step would be to confess your sins to God and take the humiliating step of requesting forgiveness, and then strength to work through the consequences within the community of believers you belong.

Sunday Sermon Notes - 5.27.07

Matthew 5:3-11

Sunday is Baptism Day, as well as Pentecost - also known as Whitsunday, since on that day traditional candidates for Baptism wear white robes.

We'll be at Stillwater Retreat Center, a beautiful wooded campus on the south end of Allen County. The Stopenhagens are part of a great ministry in that sacred outdoor space. We are glad to support them, and enjoy the land God has given them to use for his kingdomwork.

The Beatitudes are our text for this Sunday, our third lesson in our series of the Anchor Mission. We want to answer the question: who is Anchor for?

Our first text: Hebrews 6:19a, our theme verse, "...we have this anchor for the soul..."
Our second text: James 1:27, a key verse, "...religion God our father finds faultless is this: too look after widows and orphans in their distress..."
Our third text is a series of verses that serve as a summary of Jesus' major sermon. If one were to simplify this sermon, one could say: God blesses messes.

If you are a mess, you can still get blessed.

If you've made a mess of your life, if some one has messed you up, if you're in a mess, if you are messy - God can still bless you...with Himself. If you want Him.

The Beatitudes aren't so much a description of charater traits, so much as descriptions of the kinds of places people find themselves in...often very messy places. The Beatitudes battle against the belief that material blessings are a sign that God is pleased with you; against the belief that only people who have it all together are most pleasing to God.

Jesus preached in a land where only 2% of the people held power over the other 98%. Almost everybody was in a mess, destitute for enough material blessings, and quite unable to keep the Torah perfectly. And the 2% kep promoting the lie that they were the most blessed by God, that they deserved their power and prestige and wealth, for they had worked hard to be perfect in God's eyes.

But Jesus counters their assertions: blessed are the poor in spirit, not the rich in possessions; blessed are those who mourn, not the ones who feast; blessed are the humbled ones, not the powerful ones; blessed are the justice-stared, not the rulers and judges.

It's not that there is anything inherently wrong with abundance of possessions, feasting, power and ruling/judging; it's just that when one uses them as measurement tools for one's standing with God, one distorts and undermines God's work. God's kingdom has come to set people free from exile, to restore the land and its people to be full of His glory, shalom, and love. And all people are invited to come into this new kingdom, not just the ones who have it all together.

Have you made a mess of your life? God can bless your mess and bring good out of you and it, if you will go His Way.

God has come to bless us, to make us a blessing, and to bless all nations through us...if we go His Way, if we listen to his instructions, if we assent to his directions, if we trust his commands. The Beatitudes remind us that no matter how much we have not listened, not assented, not trusted...we can always start doing so today...today is the day of blessing. Today you could let God begin undoing your mess, if you will Go His Way.

Anchor is for messy people. Anchor can be a messy place. Because we believe that messed up people have a special place in God's heart and kingdom. We believe that God wants to bless messy people, and make them into a blessing, and through them bless the nations. At Anchor, you're blessed when you're messed, for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Those Sex-Crazed Corinthians

1Corinthians 1-6 introduces us to a contentious congregation, founded by Paul, but now out of control. It's a fascinating letter, full of personal issues, raw power-struggles, gossipy sins, tender love.

These first six chapters deal with two basic issues: authority and sex. Funny how these are such modern themes for our churches. Which is what makes these letters so enduring and helpful.

With the issue of authority, Paul addresses a major quarrell that has developed amongst the house-churches in this major Greek port city: some follow the teachings of Paul - the founding pastor; some follow the teachings of Apollos, a brilliant itinerant lawyer and preacher; some follow the teachings of Peter, the brawny and folksy follower of Jesus. The Jews that have converted to Christianity assert their man as superior based on the signs produced alongside the teachings (think Paul and Peter); the Greeks that have converted to Christianity assert their mas as superior based on the wisdom and philosophy imbedded in the teachings (think Paul and Apollos). Paul, in a humble yet aggressive manner, takes on this ridiculous situation. "Is Christ divided?" he asks?

Look, he says, "What, after all, Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to beleive - as the Lord has assinged each task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow." Isn't that beautiful? Paul puts everybody on a level playing field - with God we are his co-workers, so don't look around you and smirk at the people who aren't as good as you.

When there is arrogance - whether it be moral, intellectual, or authority - there tends to be some kind of sexual immorality that also infects the community. The two seem to go hand in hand. Paul opens up chapter four with this salvo: "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind tha teven pagans do not tolerate: a man has his father's wife. And you are proud!"

Paul recognizes that the authority issues, the power struggles have daze the conscience of these Corinthian Christians, they are doing crazy things to each other: suing each other, applauding egregious abuses of "freedom", and judging those outside of the church. So the sex-stuff is just one more crazy sin of which they are guilty. A famous Corinthian saying: "I have the right to do anything" (sounds like a Burger King commercial...), but Paul says, "...but not everything is beneficial." Paul wraps up his admonition to these sex-crazed Corinthians: flee sexual immorality. Corinth was a sex-crazed city employing thousands of prostitutes for its temples. The sex-sins had infected the imperfect church, in this case in a brazen and gross manner.

Paul's plea to them, and to us: be One with Jesus; go His Way. To be one with another out of sexual immorality, or to associate with another in an attempt to increase your power, or to spout the teachings of another to make yourself look smarter...that is not what it looks like to be One with Jesus, that is not how we go His Way. That is what we used to do, but we are leaving that Way behind. Leave it behind.