Well folks,
Another mission trip in the books. Denver was an amazing experience of highs and lows. I felt the Spirit move, saw God at work in our youth and the people I encountered. I learned so much about who I am and who I am meant to be. Over the next few days I will process the events and blog their meaning.
Grace and peace,
Digger
Monday, July 31, 2006
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Grace not Law
We all need to find a faith based more off grace and forgiveness and less of law and legalism. Less DON'Ts and more DOs. Do love your neighbor. Do reach out to the poor. Do preach God's love. Do embrace everyone and lead them to Christ. Grace is awesome.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Family Fest Here We Come
So friends,
Perhaps our biggest gig to date is coming up tomorrow. Thrown plays Saturday July 22nd at 12:00 noon on the Rebel's Rock Stage at Family Fest at the Mid American Center in Council Bluffs, IA. I believe admission to the festival is free on Saturday. Please come and support us. It is a great opportunity for us to reach new fans and show case our brand of Christ-centered alternative rock and roll.
Grace and Peace,
Digger
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Shout Out
Hey folks,
I want to give a big shout out to my good friend Sue. She has always been a great friend and brought one of my favorite human beings into this world. But today she really helped me out of a tight spot. I am in your debt!
As always, you are in my prayers.
Powerful Living Lord, thank you for Sue. She is a good friend. Be with her and her family. Bless her and renew her with your grace. In Your name, AMEN!
I want to give a big shout out to my good friend Sue. She has always been a great friend and brought one of my favorite human beings into this world. But today she really helped me out of a tight spot. I am in your debt!
As always, you are in my prayers.
Powerful Living Lord, thank you for Sue. She is a good friend. Be with her and her family. Bless her and renew her with your grace. In Your name, AMEN!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
The Mustache Manifesto
I am not used to being the center of attention. So when this much scrutiny is placed on my personal choices it really puzzles me. Lately I have heard a lot of chatter about my choice of hairstyles… especially my facial hair. About a month ago I shaved my mustache but kept my goatee quite long.
It didn’t take long before I heard from third party people that this had caused quite a stir amongst some in my little community. Some were shocked, some looked for sinister motives, some questioned my sanity, while others were just appalled at my desire to look younger. “Why won’t he just grow up? He dresses like a kid and talks in slang and now he’s changed his hairstyle. Its just wrong!” one upset woman told my wife.
But never once has anyone came up to me and asked me why I shaved my mustache. No one has stopped to think that maybe, just maybe there is another explanation to this change of my outward appearance other than something sensational and juicy and vile. But here for my loyal blog readers I will share.
The longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got—all those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols.
So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. "It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously. When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, to the god nobody knows. I'm here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you're dealing with.
"The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don't make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well: 'We're the God-created.' Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn't make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?
"God overlooks it as long as you don't know any better—but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he's calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead."
At the phrase "raising him from the dead," the listeners split: Some laughed at him and walked off making jokes; others said, "Let's do this again. We want to hear more."
God wove an intricate web to bring Thrown together. We all feel called to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are blessed as God has afforded us more and more opportunities to share our mission and our message. Part of that is presenting the Gospel in a form that relates to our audience. Paul doesn’t come into the city of Athens and start yelling at the people about how their idols are dead and how they are going to Hell for their beliefs. No. He packages the message in a way they can understand. He uses their temple to an unknown god to present a real Gospel message. Some are turned away but a few are won over. This is how the Lord works.
We are called to work with youth of America. We are reaching out to the poor and disenfranchised. We reach out to the kids on the street and adults raised on alternative metal and hardcore living. White shirts and ties won’t cut it. Smiling faces and happy harmonies won’t do. We rock the Gospel. We dress the part. We look the part. In fact, we are living the part. The best part about Thrown is the community of Christ-followers that has sprung up. We bar-b-que. We play ultimate Frisbee. We prank each other. We roll in the Ark (the band van). We rock out. We have a blast. And we have Jesus in our hearts at the center.
Being a Christian isn’t about looking like everyone else. It’s not about conforming to a norm. It’s about being transformed by a Living Lord. It’s about teaching the message of love that Jesus brought to earth. It’s about reaching out to others. It’s about offering yourself up in service in His name. It’s not about the length of your hair or the number of tattoos you have or the things in your past. It is about whats in your heart.
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations (no)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am the soul that lives within
As for looking younger…. I wonder, how many of those older ladies who are so upset by my goatee dye their own hair to look about ten years younger… Touché!
It didn’t take long before I heard from third party people that this had caused quite a stir amongst some in my little community. Some were shocked, some looked for sinister motives, some questioned my sanity, while others were just appalled at my desire to look younger. “Why won’t he just grow up? He dresses like a kid and talks in slang and now he’s changed his hairstyle. Its just wrong!” one upset woman told my wife.
But never once has anyone came up to me and asked me why I shaved my mustache. No one has stopped to think that maybe, just maybe there is another explanation to this change of my outward appearance other than something sensational and juicy and vile. But here for my loyal blog readers I will share.
ACTS 17
The longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got—all those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols.
So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. "It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously. When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, to the god nobody knows. I'm here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you're dealing with.
"The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don't make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well: 'We're the God-created.' Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn't make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?
"God overlooks it as long as you don't know any better—but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he's calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead."
At the phrase "raising him from the dead," the listeners split: Some laughed at him and walked off making jokes; others said, "Let's do this again. We want to hear more."
God wove an intricate web to bring Thrown together. We all feel called to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are blessed as God has afforded us more and more opportunities to share our mission and our message. Part of that is presenting the Gospel in a form that relates to our audience. Paul doesn’t come into the city of Athens and start yelling at the people about how their idols are dead and how they are going to Hell for their beliefs. No. He packages the message in a way they can understand. He uses their temple to an unknown god to present a real Gospel message. Some are turned away but a few are won over. This is how the Lord works.
We are called to work with youth of America. We are reaching out to the poor and disenfranchised. We reach out to the kids on the street and adults raised on alternative metal and hardcore living. White shirts and ties won’t cut it. Smiling faces and happy harmonies won’t do. We rock the Gospel. We dress the part. We look the part. In fact, we are living the part. The best part about Thrown is the community of Christ-followers that has sprung up. We bar-b-que. We play ultimate Frisbee. We prank each other. We roll in the Ark (the band van). We rock out. We have a blast. And we have Jesus in our hearts at the center.
Being a Christian isn’t about looking like everyone else. It’s not about conforming to a norm. It’s about being transformed by a Living Lord. It’s about teaching the message of love that Jesus brought to earth. It’s about reaching out to others. It’s about offering yourself up in service in His name. It’s not about the length of your hair or the number of tattoos you have or the things in your past. It is about whats in your heart.
I'm Not My Hair
India Arie
I am not my hair I am not this skin
I am not your expectations (no)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am the soul that lives within
As for looking younger…. I wonder, how many of those older ladies who are so upset by my goatee dye their own hair to look about ten years younger… Touché!
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Five Finger Prayer
I got an email from a good friend. Thought I'd share it. This is beautiful - and it is surely worth making the 5 finger prayer a part of our lives.
1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."
2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach,instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers.
They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.
3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, andadministrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.
4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. Itshould remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.
5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkieshould remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.
Rebel Rebel
We played Rebel's last night. Its a former biker bar turned Christian mission. It looks like an early 80's punk music venue. I loved it. We were so in our element. This is what we are called to do. This is who we are called to minister to. Jesus Christ came and died for all. If you are hungry you may come. If you are thirsty His well is prepared to refresh you with Living Water. There is no dress code in heaven. There is no prereq for your hair length or your hair color. Christ died for bankers and bikers. He died for stock brokers and skaters. Someone must be called to reach the hurting and the hungry. Thrown wants to reach these people.
While playing at Rebels I was reminded that Jesus was a rebel. He wasn't easy. He wasn't a go-with-the-flow passive being. He wasn't safe. He wasn't mild. His message was radical. It challanged everything. It turned the world upside-down. It blow a whole right into the way things worked. It took the LAW and turned it around. No longer were we doomed. No longer were we trapped. There was an out, an antidote, an escape clause... a new way. A new and amazing radical way to go against the structure and gain life and liberty and freedom... an everlasting life and an everlasting freedom.
The status quoe didn't like this Rebel and His mission. They saw what a threat He was to what they stood for. They hated Him. They set out to kill Him. They threw all they had at Him to stop Him. They even nailed Him to a cross and killed Him. But death could not contain Him. His rebel movement was bigger than the grave. It was bigger than the Law. It was radical and transforming and the entire world would never be the same.
Jesus SAVES! He is the only answer to your problems. If you are trapped in a prison of sin, embrace the radical solution. Grab hold of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Seek the Rebel that beat sin and death and the devil and died so that we might live. He is the reason we do all that we do.
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Matthew 16:21
While playing at Rebels I was reminded that Jesus was a rebel. He wasn't easy. He wasn't a go-with-the-flow passive being. He wasn't safe. He wasn't mild. His message was radical. It challanged everything. It turned the world upside-down. It blow a whole right into the way things worked. It took the LAW and turned it around. No longer were we doomed. No longer were we trapped. There was an out, an antidote, an escape clause... a new way. A new and amazing radical way to go against the structure and gain life and liberty and freedom... an everlasting life and an everlasting freedom.
The status quoe didn't like this Rebel and His mission. They saw what a threat He was to what they stood for. They hated Him. They set out to kill Him. They threw all they had at Him to stop Him. They even nailed Him to a cross and killed Him. But death could not contain Him. His rebel movement was bigger than the grave. It was bigger than the Law. It was radical and transforming and the entire world would never be the same.
Jesus SAVES! He is the only answer to your problems. If you are trapped in a prison of sin, embrace the radical solution. Grab hold of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Seek the Rebel that beat sin and death and the devil and died so that we might live. He is the reason we do all that we do.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Denver Here I Come
Well, its hard to imagine that our summer mission trip is just a week away. That's right. Just one week from now I'll be headed down the highway with thrity of my youth group members and three other adult leaders for our summer mission trip. Seven days of service, praise and growing.
This year its back to the beginning for Elk Horn Luther League. We return to where all the magic started. At Denver amazing things happened. In the wake of the Columbine tragedy, Calla and Mike took a small group of kids off to discover the Living Lord, the meaning of grace and who they were. The Spirit made miracles happen in their hearts and their lives. The growth has moved through this group and continues to feed our mission.
As I pack and prepare, I focus on this: may I open my heart to His Spirit. May I be a vessel for Him to work through. This is what the trip is all about. More of Him and less of me.
Holy Fire, burn away,
my desire for anything
that is not of you and is of me.
I want more of you and less of me
Empty me, Empty me
Fill, won't you fill me with you,
with you, empty me now.
This year its back to the beginning for Elk Horn Luther League. We return to where all the magic started. At Denver amazing things happened. In the wake of the Columbine tragedy, Calla and Mike took a small group of kids off to discover the Living Lord, the meaning of grace and who they were. The Spirit made miracles happen in their hearts and their lives. The growth has moved through this group and continues to feed our mission.
As I pack and prepare, I focus on this: may I open my heart to His Spirit. May I be a vessel for Him to work through. This is what the trip is all about. More of Him and less of me.
Empty Me
Jermey Camp
Holy Fire, burn away,
my desire for anything
that is not of you and is of me.
I want more of you and less of me
Empty me, Empty me
Fill, won't you fill me with you,
with you, empty me now.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Long Tunnel God
"Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she'll call her friends and neighbors: 'Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!' Count on it—that's the kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God."
For a long time I thought that God was down a long tunnel. I felt prayer was like calling out into the darkness. Those echoes may reach the powerful Being in the distance, but they just as surely might be lost in the noise of the darkness in which I ran.
Some times I felt like I was running through that tunnel searching for Him. And sometimes still that God seemed like a light at the end of the tunnel. My life was a journey, alone in the darkness, heading ever towards that distant, ever allusive light.
God was there. He was real. But He wasn't close enough to reach me. He wasn't available to touch me. He wasn't personal enough to end my emptiness, to stop my running, for me to ever reach Him. He was the end of an endless tunnel.
For most of my life this was my God. But what I discovered was that I was running down an endless tunnel and God was in there too. He was in there running just behind me. He was running after me. He was chasing me. He was calling me. No matter where I went or how far I tried I tried to distance myself from the truth, God was ever chasing. God never gave up. He never slowed down. He was behind me the whole time.
The god in the distance turned out to be a god of my own invention. A god shoved into a box by people afraid of a powerful God that really cares and really lives everyday for you and I. It is packaged nicely and neatly and delivered in churches across the country every Sunday. This God is like a pill. Its a weekly dose of medicine and its easy to swallow and its easy to go about your daily routine with your god-pill and your simple answers and your distant god and your tunnel and your running. You run for the rules. You run for the safety. You run because its the boxed-in god that you've been handed your whole life. Its simple, its safe and its easy.
The hard thing is to quit running. To stop running down the tunnel of our own invention and stop. And take a slow look around and seek the true Living Lord. He is alive. He is accessible. He is powerful. He is real and He is waiting to not just bark orders down a long tunnel or receive a prayer-echo. He is there to embrace you, walk with you, light your world and make radical life change in your heart. God isn't just chasing you to hear a prayer or to give you a set a rules. He's doing all that running because He loves you, a real meaningful endless love. He wants to move into your life and build something amazing.
Stop running. Turn around. Embrace the Living Lord. It is time to get personal.
Luke 15:8-10 MSG
For a long time I thought that God was down a long tunnel. I felt prayer was like calling out into the darkness. Those echoes may reach the powerful Being in the distance, but they just as surely might be lost in the noise of the darkness in which I ran.
Some times I felt like I was running through that tunnel searching for Him. And sometimes still that God seemed like a light at the end of the tunnel. My life was a journey, alone in the darkness, heading ever towards that distant, ever allusive light.
God was there. He was real. But He wasn't close enough to reach me. He wasn't available to touch me. He wasn't personal enough to end my emptiness, to stop my running, for me to ever reach Him. He was the end of an endless tunnel.
For most of my life this was my God. But what I discovered was that I was running down an endless tunnel and God was in there too. He was in there running just behind me. He was running after me. He was chasing me. He was calling me. No matter where I went or how far I tried I tried to distance myself from the truth, God was ever chasing. God never gave up. He never slowed down. He was behind me the whole time.
The god in the distance turned out to be a god of my own invention. A god shoved into a box by people afraid of a powerful God that really cares and really lives everyday for you and I. It is packaged nicely and neatly and delivered in churches across the country every Sunday. This God is like a pill. Its a weekly dose of medicine and its easy to swallow and its easy to go about your daily routine with your god-pill and your simple answers and your distant god and your tunnel and your running. You run for the rules. You run for the safety. You run because its the boxed-in god that you've been handed your whole life. Its simple, its safe and its easy.
The hard thing is to quit running. To stop running down the tunnel of our own invention and stop. And take a slow look around and seek the true Living Lord. He is alive. He is accessible. He is powerful. He is real and He is waiting to not just bark orders down a long tunnel or receive a prayer-echo. He is there to embrace you, walk with you, light your world and make radical life change in your heart. God isn't just chasing you to hear a prayer or to give you a set a rules. He's doing all that running because He loves you, a real meaningful endless love. He wants to move into your life and build something amazing.
Stop running. Turn around. Embrace the Living Lord. It is time to get personal.
You'll take me back... always
Even when my fight is over now
You'll take me back
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Thank you to Thrown and the Thrown-ups
Keep me safe, O God, I've run for dear life to you.
I say to GOD, " "You are my Lord; without you I have nothing good.
You have placed strong Christians in my life- what marvelous friends they make!
My choice is you, GOD, first and only. And now I find I'm your choice!
I say to GOD, " "You are my Lord; without you I have nothing good.
You have placed strong Christians in my life- what marvelous friends they make!
My choice is you, GOD, first and only. And now I find I'm your choice!
Psalm 16:1-3,5
Thank God for good friends. Friends are the glue that hold our fragmented lives together. So often in these past months, when things have gotten rough, this band of believers, this small clutch of friends has reached to each other.
When Cody had problems with his living arrangements and the stress of life was weighing him down, where did he turn? We hugged him up and lifted him up and moved him to a place where he could start over again. We became more than a band. We are a family.
As my family has gone through changes, where do I look for support? Not to my real life brother and sisters. I turn to my band family. They love me and support me. They are my rock and my shield in times of troubles.
During the forth of July I was down. I was really down. I truly needed something, a miracle drug to get me out of the pit that I had found myself in. I remember praying to God for a pick-me-up. And oh boy did he deliver. After our gig in Audubon, the band took an epic journey in the Arch, the band van, to watch the Exira fireworks display. Rarely have I laughed harder or smiled wider as we watched the rockets explode across the black sky, strummed our guitars, played with T-bone, burned each other, jumped up and down like fools and belched Dr. Pepper belches in the dark of night. Many people don’t get what Thrown is all about. They see our hair, or the way we dress, or our tattoos or see us goofing around and they question what we are up to. But these people need to smile and know that life is a gift from God. We can live and laugh as a celebration of God and his wonderful world. Life can be praise.
Last night one of our own was having troubles and she called upon her band brother and sister for advise. And no matter what Toodles decides, we will love her and support her. We are more than a group of musicians. We are more than a group of Christians. We are brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ and we will do anything for each other.
When Cody had problems with his living arrangements and the stress of life was weighing him down, where did he turn? We hugged him up and lifted him up and moved him to a place where he could start over again. We became more than a band. We are a family.
As my family has gone through changes, where do I look for support? Not to my real life brother and sisters. I turn to my band family. They love me and support me. They are my rock and my shield in times of troubles.
During the forth of July I was down. I was really down. I truly needed something, a miracle drug to get me out of the pit that I had found myself in. I remember praying to God for a pick-me-up. And oh boy did he deliver. After our gig in Audubon, the band took an epic journey in the Arch, the band van, to watch the Exira fireworks display. Rarely have I laughed harder or smiled wider as we watched the rockets explode across the black sky, strummed our guitars, played with T-bone, burned each other, jumped up and down like fools and belched Dr. Pepper belches in the dark of night. Many people don’t get what Thrown is all about. They see our hair, or the way we dress, or our tattoos or see us goofing around and they question what we are up to. But these people need to smile and know that life is a gift from God. We can live and laugh as a celebration of God and his wonderful world. Life can be praise.
Last night one of our own was having troubles and she called upon her band brother and sister for advise. And no matter what Toodles decides, we will love her and support her. We are more than a group of musicians. We are more than a group of Christians. We are brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ and we will do anything for each other.
Thank you God for my good Christian friends. May others find ones as good as mine.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Evil
I went to church tonight in Des Moines. The pastor talked about three kinds of evil, personal evil, corporate evil and spiritual evil. It gave me a lot of food for thought. What is evil? Where do we see it in our community? What are we doing about it?
I see evil at work. I see people more interested in things that don't matter than helping the really desperate and hurting. I see people spreading dirty laundry instead of reaching out to others. I see gossip and back biting taking center stage while people need food, shelter and love.
Reach out and spread love. Love is the antedote to evil.
I see evil at work. I see people more interested in things that don't matter than helping the really desperate and hurting. I see people spreading dirty laundry instead of reaching out to others. I see gossip and back biting taking center stage while people need food, shelter and love.
Reach out and spread love. Love is the antedote to evil.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Monday, July 03, 2006
Know your Jesus
How do you know your Jesus? Is he close? Is he far away?
I spend nine months out of the year being a teacher. There is an amazing social breeding ground called high school cafeteria. There you can be a modern anthropologist. Just sit back and look at the teens as they interact. Everyone at my school knows each other on some level. We are a small rural Iowa school. But there are a variety of levels of familiarity. I have narrowed them down to three types.
Acquaintance: An acquaintance is someone that you know my name. You aren't necessarily friendly or unfriendly. You are just there. You see each other in the halls. You eat at different tables. You hang in different circles. You live different, separate lives. You only know that person on a superficial level. You are acquaintances.
Casual Friend: A casual friend you know much better than an acquaintance. You see them all the time. You know who they are and what they are all about. They sit at your table at lunch. You aren't afraid to call on them if you need a favor (like copying their math homework). You are proud to call them your friend.
Best Friend: If you are lucky you may have one or two people that are so much more than just a friend. They are a part of you. You tell them everything and its like your hearts beat together. You finish each other’s sentences and truly love each other. You don't just call on them for help; you would gladly give up your life for them. They are your soul mate, your bosom buddy, you partner, your companion. You life wouldn't be the same without the love and daily support of this kind of close friend.
So my question is this: How do you know Jesus? What kind of relationship do you have? Are you just an acquaintance? Do you just know him by name? Are you just passing by him on your daily routine life and never pausing to get to know who he is and what he is about?
Or maybe Jesus is your friend. Maybe you've grown up in the church, you've done everything you are supposed to. You know the creed and the Ten Commandments. You know the rhyme and meter of your church liturgy. But you are no closer than that. You only go to him when you need something, a personal favor. Is that your level of communion with the Living Lord?
I purpose friends, that there is a much deeper kind of relationship. Jesus Christ is calling you to be so much more. He wants to share your life with you. He wants to be there for your highs and lows. He wants into your heart. This transforming process only happens when we stop following the box-in gods of man and seek him like you would a friend. This isn’t about ritual or religion. This is about a relationship with a Living Lord.
It’s easy to start seeking him personally. Go to him in prayer. Pick up his book and start reading. I recommend the Gospel of John starting at the first chapter. Seek him and learn who he really is… not what others are telling you he must be… but seek him on a one to one basis. Don’t delay. The Master is calling.
I spend nine months out of the year being a teacher. There is an amazing social breeding ground called high school cafeteria. There you can be a modern anthropologist. Just sit back and look at the teens as they interact. Everyone at my school knows each other on some level. We are a small rural Iowa school. But there are a variety of levels of familiarity. I have narrowed them down to three types.
Acquaintance: An acquaintance is someone that you know my name. You aren't necessarily friendly or unfriendly. You are just there. You see each other in the halls. You eat at different tables. You hang in different circles. You live different, separate lives. You only know that person on a superficial level. You are acquaintances.
Casual Friend: A casual friend you know much better than an acquaintance. You see them all the time. You know who they are and what they are all about. They sit at your table at lunch. You aren't afraid to call on them if you need a favor (like copying their math homework). You are proud to call them your friend.
Best Friend: If you are lucky you may have one or two people that are so much more than just a friend. They are a part of you. You tell them everything and its like your hearts beat together. You finish each other’s sentences and truly love each other. You don't just call on them for help; you would gladly give up your life for them. They are your soul mate, your bosom buddy, you partner, your companion. You life wouldn't be the same without the love and daily support of this kind of close friend.
So my question is this: How do you know Jesus? What kind of relationship do you have? Are you just an acquaintance? Do you just know him by name? Are you just passing by him on your daily routine life and never pausing to get to know who he is and what he is about?
Or maybe Jesus is your friend. Maybe you've grown up in the church, you've done everything you are supposed to. You know the creed and the Ten Commandments. You know the rhyme and meter of your church liturgy. But you are no closer than that. You only go to him when you need something, a personal favor. Is that your level of communion with the Living Lord?
I purpose friends, that there is a much deeper kind of relationship. Jesus Christ is calling you to be so much more. He wants to share your life with you. He wants to be there for your highs and lows. He wants into your heart. This transforming process only happens when we stop following the box-in gods of man and seek him like you would a friend. This isn’t about ritual or religion. This is about a relationship with a Living Lord.
It’s easy to start seeking him personally. Go to him in prayer. Pick up his book and start reading. I recommend the Gospel of John starting at the first chapter. Seek him and learn who he really is… not what others are telling you he must be… but seek him on a one to one basis. Don’t delay. The Master is calling.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Tumble Weed
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:15-17
My blogging has been a bit irregular due to limited access to a computer. I have even contemplated stopping altogether. I started this site to discuss my experiences with my band, my youth group and my search for a closer communion with Jesus Christ. It seems a large group of readers use it as spiritual inspiration. A small group of people are mining the pages of this blog to dig up dirt for gossip. This hurts, deep and to the core. Do I not focus on Jesus Christ? Do I not point ever to his saving grace and his sacrifice on the cross?
But last night I came to a decision. I must keep blogging for those that read it and get inspired. I must continue. If but one person grows closer to Christ through my work then it is all worth it. I am like any other follower of Jesus Christ. I fall short of the glory of God. I fall way short. But that's what makes his grace so amazing. It's a gift without merit. Its not based on my singing ability or my writing or my charity or my bravery or my strength. He loved me so much that He died on a cross for me. So in return I follow Him.
Amazing Love Christ Tomlin
Amazing love, How can it be? That You, my King would die
for me? Amazing love, I know it’s true. It’s my joy to
honour You,In all I do, I honour You.
Here is my offer, friends. Stay with me as I journal my experiences. Read on and learn about one person's close encounters with the Living Lord. Learn about a group of guys that are living a Christ-centered life and preaching to those on the edge. Our band is reaching out to the sick, the broken, the desperate. Come join us as we serve those in need in Christ's name. That is what this site is about.
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