New Year's Surrendolutions

Stories of triumph by means of human determination fascinate us. We never seem to tire of hearing stories of men and women persevering through jungles of challenges and the slimmest of odds, willing themselves to great accomplishments. The stories inspire us, encourage us, and restore hope in the power of human effort.

Theologically, however, we also recognize that even the greatest of human accomplishments are like filthy rags when compared to the perfection in God's character (Isa 64:6). This does not rob these accomplishments of their greatness, but it serves to show how awesome God is - so much greater than the best of our best that even these feats are like tattered rags. Therefore, we are left unable, even with our greatest human accomplishments, to elevate ourselves to God's level and thereby merit salvation.

How, then, should we view the traditional New Years' Resolutions? Should we take up the challenge of human endeavor to will ourselves into better habits, self-improvement, and narrower jeans? Or should we hold to the vanity and impotence of human effort alone, and declare that these resolutions are self-deluding?

I suggest a different approach.

The arrival of the new year is a fantastic time to take stock, evaluate your year, your priorities, your stewardship of time, talent, and treasure, and to look forward to making the next year better than the previous. We often have extra time off of work and other responsibilities, so we have a ripe environment for self-evaluation. If you are going to set personal goals, this is perhaps the best time of year to do so.

Resolutions can be encouraging or defeating. Rather than "goals," we call the "resolutions," which means I resolve myself to do something, such as losing 20 pounds or reading the Bible through. If I meet these resolutions, I feel pretty good about myself.

However, if I make it as far as March, but then drop my diet and my exercise, I am not merely failing to meet a goal - I am failing at something I resolved to do. By making a resolution, I put my character behind this. I put the integrity of my name on it. And now, my failure is a failure in my character, not just my waistline. This is why not meeting a resolution is more deflating than merely missing a goal.

Rather than resolving ourselves to try harder, I suggest listing ways you believe the Lord wants you to surrender to Him in 2014. This involves spending some time in prayer, at the ready with Bible, pen, and paper, asking the Lord what areas of your life need to be surrendered to Him. As He illumines you, write down those things. Be specific. Don't make the list impossibly long, but don't make it unchallenging, either.

Then, in prayer, begin your first surrender by surrendering the list back to Him. Surrender yourself to the process of surrendering these things in 2014. Then keep that list where you will review it at least once a week for 52 weeks.

Rather than resolving to lose 20 pounds, surrender to the Lord to be a steward of the body He gave you. Spend the year focusing on that surrender, which will naturally result in better diet and more exercise. Rather than resolving to read the Bible through, spend the year learning how to surrender yourself to the study of and obedience to His Word. Rather than resolve to learning the Mongolian language or taking a night class or reading 50 books, spend the year surrendering your mind to the Lord, for its renewal (Rom 12:1-2). Rather than setting a goal, begin a process of surrendering more of your life to God.

It's still very much like a resolution, and it still takes effort and perseverance, but rather than the mere grit of human determination alone, it becomes a very spiritual exercise of relinquishing yourself to Christ for His purposes. Then by the end of the year, if there is any success at all, you'll have a compelling, encouraging story to share with others. And all the motivation in the world to surrender even more in 2015.

DD v. A&E - and the winner is....

Maybe you've heard a little bit about THE-MOST-IMPORTANT-STORY-IN-THE-UNIVERSE!!! Duck Dynasty and the A&E Network's little tiff about what a reality-based show actor said in an interview with GQ Magazine. And then maybe you're worried I'm going to barge into an overcrowded space of commentary. Only partly.

I'm going to reserve my comments on what Phil Robertson should or shouldn't have said, what rights he does or does not have to say them, how accurately or inaccurately he represents the Christian worldview, or what A&E should or should not have done in response. That's already a very tired conversation. (I couldn't believe how long ... and vitriolic ... the comment section was on an op-ed piece in a business newspaper.)

My concern is about what's coming. People on both sides of this issue want to win! And that's what concerns me.

What would "winning" look like to you? Do you want to see "the other side" beat down, for them to cave, for them to "lose"? Do you have bitterness toward them? Do you want them shamed? Are you letting the difference of opinion become a reason to not love your neighbor as yourself? Will you accept them only if they agree with you?

What arrangement would be truly victorious? One side gets what they want and the other has to wallow in defeat? Either the show continues in production because A&E has been financially pressured into it against their will, or the Robertson family severs ties against their will with A&E and perhaps looks for another producer. Yay. Victory.

Let's face it - a true reconciliation is unlikely, here. A business deal, maybe, but I doubt A&E execs will be sharing moon pies and Dr. Peppers with the Robertsons anytime soon. So, what is "victory"?

Victory to me looks more like this: I don't hate you, even when we disagree. I don't want your ruin. I won't tell you what you ought to do, because I don't know everything about the situation, but I'm free to tell you my preference. I'd rather talk to you in person than shout about you to the media. We don't have to agree. I have more important things to talk to you about, and I don't want to ruin that by griping over this. I really don't have a need for you to understand me on this.

To their credit, the Robertsons and A&E are not being publicly rancorous about this. It's everyone else. It's us. And no matter the outcome, I won't count it any kind of victory if we end up personally embittered against each other.

Why I Don't Play the Lottery

$120 million after taxes. That's what one Georgia woman gained this week in the Mega Millions lottery. That makes you dream and wonder what you'd do with it - not just the indulgent things, but also the noble things. People you could take care of, debts you could pay, education you could enable, non-profit projects you could underwrite, all kinds of things.

Gambling, per se, isn't directly forbidden in Scripture. Buying a lotto ticket doesn't necessarily have to come from clearly forbidden motives - greed, addiction, or lack of wisdom with finances. What's a buck or two, especially if it's just for fun?

And yet, I still don't play the lottery. I am not saying that everyone who does so is wrong. I'm not telling you what you should do. We can discuss our reasons for our choices without judging the choices of another. I offer here my reasons for not playing for you to consider, ignore, disagree with, or critique.

I know me too well. I know that if I start playing the lottery, no matter how noble or recreational my intention, I will inevitably start having greedier and greedier wants. I will start wanting more stuff "when I win the lottery," and even without winning anything, would become a greedier person. I can't prevent myself from doing this. And then I would be buying just a little bit more into the lie that more stuff will make me more happy. Plus I also know that I would obsess, even just a little, on getting the results. I don't like what would happen inside of me if I played.

I know math too well. The statistical "expected value" of the lottery is negative. Yes, there are winners. But if you multiply the chances of the cost (100%) by the cost (negative $1 / ticket, for example) and then compare that to the chances of winning (mega-mega-tiny) multiplied by the benefit (jackpot), you get the "expected value," and the expected value for the lottery is negative. Why would I get caught up in something that has a negative expected value?

I know others too well. I would likely lose money. But if I did win money, I would win money by others losing money. I would much rather make money through win-win scenarios, or just even-trade scenarios. But gaining money through the lottery is necessitated by others losing money. That's not a game I want to play.

Furthermore, the excuse of "just think how much I could give to the church" does not impress me - that's almost always a self-delusion to excuse greed.

I'm not saying that there isn't a way to play the lottery in an acceptable manner. But I know that I can't play the lottery in an acceptable manner. So I don't play at all.

Three Step Bible Study

This is not the "one ring to rule them all." There are plenty of great ways to study the Bible (and even more really bad ways), so I'm not about to present the one best way that all must follow or be relegated to coach class in heaven. It is one good way. A lot of folks struggle to have a regular Bible study time because they don't have a particular approach they use, so I offer this way as one of many to help us get into a regular habit. When we see success happen, then we no longer have to find motivation - it's already there!

If you've studied Bible study methods, you'll recognize many elements below, perhaps even using different labels and terms.

This approach is simple enough - just three steps. But the order is important. Your rate of success will be orders of magnitude better if you exercise just enough discipline to work on these steps in order. (If a thought jumps at you that is out of order, quickly note it and then come back to the step you were on. You'll come back to that point soon enough and be able to develop it.)

I recommend having your Bible, a notebook, and a pen (or computer) so that you keep all of your notes together. And I do recommend writing (or typing) - there's something about the physical act that helps you ponder your thoughts more thoroughly.

The three steps are Understand, Interpret, and Cultivate. Pick a passage, large or small, read it at least three times, and then begin taking notes.

1. Understand. In this step, you are concerned only with what the text says, not what it means. You're not yet concerned about how it affects you or what to do about it. The only task here is to get a grasp of what the text claims. What do the key words mean? What happened? Who did what? Can I summarize what the passage says in one sentence? What are the main ideas or events? How did people respond? You can't ask all of these questions for every passage, but these are the types of questions to ask. You know you've done a pretty good job if you can succinctly state what the author intended to say (and the author intended to say one thing!).
2. Interpret. Now we talk about meaning (but not how it applies to our lives, yet). For example, what the author said could be "God's right arm" - that's the Understand section. That's what the author said. Now for Interpret, what does this mean? Does it refer to a literal arm? In this case, no - it refers to God's power (which brings victory). Is the author being literal or figurative? Is he being sarcastic? What is the main point? Is he telling us what did happen or is he giving us an example to follow? The parable was about three guys who got some money from their boss and did different stuff with it (Understand), but what is the parable teaching us (Interpret)? You know you've interpreted well when you can succinctly state what the author meant by what he said (and the author meant one thing!).
3. Cultivate. Finally, we talk about how this text affects our lives. How is this text intended to cultivate us into a stronger followers of Jesus? We often talk about application - how the text applies to our lives, but we want to go further than application. How do I learn to obey what this passage says? What does God want me to do or say or think? How does my following Jesus deepen in response to this passage? How can I cultivate this truth into someone else's life? How is this passage like nourishment for growth? You know you've cultivated well when your life actually changes to be more like what the text teaches. I would venture that we don't truly understand a passage until our lives reflect it.

Note that the author's context must be considered to Interpret, and our context must be considered to Cultivate. We should not, for example, take an Old Testament passage about the covenant with Israel and just assume we're supposed to do the exact same thing - like sacrifice a goat!

When I study a passage for my own devotional life, I use this pattern in my notes, whether the passage is large or small. I often try to study a paragraph or a distinct unit, such as a full parable, instead of just a couple of verses or an really long section. It's perfectly OK just to list questions without answers, by the way!

My notes often look something like this brief example:

Passage: John 3:16 (NET)

For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Understand

• Who is speaking? Is this a continuation of Jesus' dialog from vv. 10-15, or is this now John giving us his understanding as the author?
• "this is the way" - Some translations have "For God so loved...", but that sounds like quantity, not manner. This phrase is referring to the manner in which God loves us.
• "world" - Who is the "world"? Every person? The rebellious "world" that we're not supposed to love (1 John 2:15)?
• "perish" - What kind of perishing is included here?
• ... and so on ...

Interpret

• Note that God expresses His great love by an act of giving, and that this giving is complete. He did not withhold anything in this gift - He gave us Christ completely, as evidenced by His death on the cross.
• He gave us His Son for a specific outcome - belief that results in eternal life.
• Is this believing a pure act of will or is it the inevitable action for the elect (how Calvinistic is this passage)?
• When does this eternal life begin?
• ... and so on ...

Cultivate

• How can I love as God loves? How can I love by giving Christ to others as the Father gave us Christ?
• How can I demonstrate that love this week?!? (It's best to actually list something specific here!)
• Who do I know that will perish because they do not believe? Who of these people will I see today? This week?
• ... and so on ...

Devotional books and study guides are often very helpful, but I much prefer that we interact with the text directly on a regular basis. (It can be helpful to refer to these other materials after interacting with the text on your own.) A simple tool such as this one can be used by beginners as well as lifelong students.

Smells Like Victory

But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place. -- 2 Corinthians 2:14

This sounds great! First, we are led in a triumphal procession. We're in a victory parade, and Jesus is the Grand Marshall. So, that's pretty cool. But wait ... there's more! Second, we are the means by which Christ offers the wonderful "aroma" of knowing Him. That's pretty cool, too! We march in a victory parade, and our knowledge of Christ produces a great aroma for others.

But wait ... there's still more!

The imagery that Paul is painting here in 2 Corinthians 2 is that of the parade that celebrated a great military victory. The warrior who led the victory is the center of attention, and the parade is in his honor. The entire city knows his name and his deeds, and everyone turns out to shower him with praise. Jesus is clearly who Paul casts as this victorious warrior, with all the praise given to Him for His victory over sin and death, and over the enemy. So far, so good.

This passage says that Christ always leads us in triumphal procession. This is where we need to understand triumphal processions. Who was led in triumphal processions? Not fellow warriors. Not those who reported to the victorious general. In these ancient parades, the ones who were led in the parade by the victor were the vanquished captives. Those from the opposing army who were captured in battle were paraded around as part of the spoils of battle. They were, in essence, the POWs displayed as trophies to the honor of the general.

So we, in Jesus' victory parade, are vanquished captives, POWs. We were once on the other side of the battle, living for self, and therefore participating in the rebellion against God. But when someone comes to faith in Christ, he is "captured," becoming the spoils to the honor of the conquering warrior, in a victory parade to His praise.

We are not honoring Him because we are fellow warriors, but because we have surrendered to Him in battle. It is our complete surrender, not our heroic accomplishments, that bring the greatest honor to the conquering King. And knowing Him is the incense that always accompanied the victory parades.

You Can't Fake Thanksgiving

Fourth Thursday of November ... time to be thankful for a while. Maybe an extra long prayer to say thanks while the mashed potatoes are getting cold. And certainly thankful when kickoff finally happens.

Does anyone else feel a little awkward trying to "turn on" an attitude of thanksgiving because of the calendar? To their credit, many folks have taken to "no whining" November, posting things online they are thankful for every day of the month. That, or not shaving. November is funny that way. But still, I have a little personal problem with "it's now time to be thankful."

The guilt trip ready to happen is, "Well, you should be thankful every day." True enough, but that still doesn't stir feelings of thanksgiving deep in my bones. Now I'm thankless and guilty.

Or, "count your many blessings." That's OK, too, and can help us focus more on blessing than on things - health, family, love, safety, purpose, and so on. But if I do this too often, I begin to think that it's all about me. Worse, that if my blessings are less than I think they should be, or heaven forbid, less than my neighbor's, then thankfulness is precisely what does not occur.

By no means am I transforming into Thanksgiving's version of Ebenezer Scrooge. I'm not sour to the holiday, and I do enjoy turning responsibilities aside and spending time with friends and family - especially family members who are particularly good at making pie.

But what about this attitude of thanksgiving thing? It's important enough that Scripture twice gives us the imperative "be thankful":

Col 3:15 And the peace of Christ must rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.  

Heb 12:27 Now the phrase “yet once more” indicates the removal of what is shaken, namely, things that have been created, in order that the things that are not shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be thankful, through which let us serve God acceptably, with awe and reverence. 

Followers of Christ are commanded to be thankful! But if following Christ is so awesome, do we really need to told to be thankful? Shouldn't we just be so overwhelmed with God's goodness that we're just thankful all the time?

In fact, we do need to be told to be thankful ... because the gravity of fallen humanity draws us away from that attitude. Being thankful is an uphill climb, not because we don't have anything to be thankful for, but because of the tendency of the flesh to wallow in self-absorbed complaining about what we covet but don't have.

How do I obey this command to be thankful, then? It won't happen by weighing the good stuff against the bad stuff. We won't be consistently thankful if we focus on ourselves and what we have.

An attitude of thanksgiving comes from knowing the goodness of God, and that He shares His goodness with us. Not just in material things, but also in His attributes. He is a loving God, and we get to participate in this good thing called "love." He is a relational God, and we get to be in relationship with Him through Christ. He is a forgiving God, and we get to give and receive forgiveness with one another. He is a just God, and we get to participate in bringing justice in this world. And so on. We have a share in the goodness of God, and that actually does keep me thankful.

Be thankful. Not just because you have stuff that poor people in Madeupistan don't have, but because God is perfectly good and allows, even invites, us to share in His good attributes. It would truly be a thankless world if we were not allowed to do so.

The Facebook Gospel

We have the "Good News" (which is what the word "Gospel" literally means). We believe that it is Good News not only for some, but for all. We believe that it is the only Good News. We believe that the only way to a relationship with God is through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who took upon Himself all the justice that our sin requires, and that all who believe in Him for this will have their sin forgiven, will be given new life starting now, and that this new life will endure into eternity in the presence of God.

We believe that this Good News is so Good that others should know about it. We believe that Jesus instructs His followers to share this Good News around the world. But we seem to be having a tougher and tougher time connecting with those who don't believe the Good News is really Good News. We aren't always sure how to find a way to have an authentic, engaging conversation on things that matter. We don't get them, and they don't get us ... and then we start saying words like "them" and "us."

Now add in the noise of social media (Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, SnapChat, etc.). Now our relationships are spread a mile wide and an inch deep. We have hundreds of friends, but we have no friends. We talk more and say less. When we get too snarky, we get unfriended - clean, cold, and final.

Maybe our solution is found within the problem.

Think about what people say via social media. They are normally commenting on things that matter to them! Things they care about. It doesn't matter if we agree with what they say! What they are telling us, in essence, is what "Good News" would look like to them. This is perhaps the most important truth about all of social media - people are telling us every day what the "Good News" would be to them.

If someone is posting (or tweeting) about something that makes them happy, then it's pretty clear what they consider to be "Good News." If they are whining about something, then it's usually not too hard to reverse engineer to find what they would consider to be "Good News." If they are just telling the world that they just brushed their teeth, then it may be hard to discern, but somewhere in this, there's a reason why they posted that - they want something, and they expect that something to bring them a little happiness. Good News.

Please don't misunderstand - the true Good News is not whatever we think might bring us happiness. It is not defined by what we consider or don't consider it to be. God defines the Good News, and it is the Good News whether we regard it or not. We can't redefine it. But daily through social media, people are giving us clue after clue after clue of what they would consider to be Good News.

And that gives us a connection point into the core of who that person is.

We can use social media to help solve the problem, rather than blame it as being part of the problem. When one of your thousand closest friends posts something, consider doing the following:

• Pray. People are telling us what they think the Good News would be for them. Pray for the person to find what they are seeking in the authentic Good News. Pray to discern well the core, God-given need that they are trying to satisfy through other means. Pray for their souls to be restless until they find their rest in God (to borrow from Augustine).
• Listen. You've been given a way to find out about someone. Ask questions. Explore. And listen - really listen. Don't judge, don't argue, don't disapprove. Just love. There will be a time for truth, but now is the time for grace. The only way to be a genuine listener is to genuinely listen (a brilliant tautology, if I say so myself).
• Identify. If you could somehow peel away the layers of what this person is talking about, more than likely you'll even find that you and he want the same thing. Peace, joy, security, love, relationship, a sense of belonging, being attached to something bigger than yourself, something. You probably have a lot in common when you get past the externals, and it's stuff that matters.
• Speak. When they know you really hear them and really care about them unconditionally, then they may be willing to listen to you, especially about this core issue. You already know they care about the core issue - it's something you agree on, and the other person obviously finds the issue to be meaningful. He told us it was of some importance when he posted about it amid the noise of social media.
• Love. First, middle, last, and more than anything else.

3mm v. 180 lbs

A 3mm stone was pitted against a 180-lb man ... and the stone won. Most of you know that I was recently knocked out of the game for most of a week due to a kidney stone. Those who've had them know - those who haven't can only guess about the intense pain stones can cause. The first day that I tried to make it back into the office, our Admin (Christina) texted the chairman of the Elders (her husband, Dan) suggesting that he call me to tell me to go back home. Apparently, I didn't look so good. (I called it quits before Dan had a chance to call, because I didn't feel so good, either.)

Many of you expressed sympathy, offered prayers, and were eager to help out in any way possible. There was nothing really that you could have done (unless you could have somehow had the stone instead of me - any takers?), but the consistent, heartfelt offers were therapeutic in themselves. It made recovery far easier to tolerate. So, thanks to all of you - you did in fact make me feel better, which is what I needed most.

What impressed me about this whole episode was just how quickly I was taken out of commission. I was feeling a little off for about a week, but that Saturday morning, strong pain came on quickly, and then strong pain became intense pain in just minutes, and then I was useless for days. I was taken out of making progress on my house todo list, I was taken out of being able to ride my bike, I was taken out of going to the store, and after the pain meds, I was taken out of being able to sustain connected thoughts.

But I was most struck by how quickly I was taken out of ministry. In a matter of minutes, there were very few of the things I normally do in ministry that I could continue doing. Even praying was hard to sustain. Just like that - I could do basically none of it.

That didn't strike at my identity (which can happen when a man is unable to do his job), but it was a fresh reminder of what a privilege vocational ministry is. Even considering all the hard, stressful, heartbreaking, frustrating, thankless, fruitless, burdensome moments that inevitably occur, I realized anew what an amazing privilege you allow me to have. Even just the thought of not being able to do this ever again makes me profoundly sad. If the Lord takes me out of it, we'd adjust, of course, but it would mean a tremendous time of mourning for me.

Thanks for the prayers and offers of help. Thanks for the privilege of serving you.

Sidebar: Thanks, Jimmy, for being called off the bench late in the 9th inning and still being able to bring in the winning run. Great job pinch hitting.

Looking at Halloween differently

So let me just start dancing in a minefield and talk about Halloween.

I don't intend to tell you how you should view Halloween. If your best judgment is to avoid any association with it, then do so in good conscience. If your best judgment is to be a part of the activities that do not intentionally engage evil, then do so in good conscience. (Engaging in evil cannot be your best judgment, so I'll leave that one be.)

I do invite you, however, to consider the missional possibilities. 

Jesus loved His neighbor. He considered loving our neighbor to be the second greatest commandment out of the entire Old Testament. While never engaging in or celebrating evil, He was often found participating in the gatherings of others, especially those whom the religious despised. "He eats and drinks with sinners" was a continual criticism. He valued spending time with those who didn't believe.

We've talked about ways to genuinely love our neighbor in the way Jesus does. No bait-and-switch. No strings attached. No manipulation in order to force our agenda on anyone. But love them, pray for them, and be authentic with them - enough to where matters of faith might be discussed with the "gentleness and respect" of 1 Peter 3:15, but never as a condition for our love.

Halloween brings our neighbors to our doorstep, and us to theirs - people that we may struggle to find ways to connect with. Rather than just exchange cavities with one another, how can we be missional with this cultural phenomenon? Again, no manipulation, no bait-and-switch, no strings attached - but ways to cultivate authentic relationships with our neighbors, to love them as ourselves (you wouldn't bait-and-switch yourself, would you?).

Here are some ideas of how you might be missional with Halloween in your neighborhood, if you choose to:

• Be at home, answer the door, and give out candy. That's not hard.
• Don't just give out candy, give out the good stuff. It costs more. If our purpose is to spend as little as possible, then give out the cheap stuff. If our purpose is to bless our neighbor, give out the good stuff.
• Don't just give out good candy and shut the door, talk to the parents and the kids. They don't want a long conversation right then (they are on mission, too!), but if you don't know their names, for example, exchange names. Wish them to be safe and have fun. Connect, if even a little.
• Would it be more welcoming to actually be outside, welcoming people as they come, creating more chances for dialog? 
• If you take your kids, stay in your neighborhood, even if the candy is better in the next neighborhood. Introduce yourselves, mention where you live, find out names, or just say 'hi.' Don't be so far away that they can't see you (but not so close that your kids roll their eyes).
• As you go from house to house, pray for your neighbors! As kids leave your doorstep, pray for them and their families.
• Consider having a little block party afterwards - invite people to come back later. Again, no bait-and-switch - that's dishonest and very un-Gospel.
• Be creative! No formula, no program - just a chance to take a cultural opportunity to be missional.
• It's almost certainly not very missional to drop religious material into their sacks - there's no relationship in that.

Again, if your choice is to not be a part of this at all, that may be the right decision for you. But if nothing else, this exercise might spark in us other ways to think about familiar things in unfamiliar ways.

For more ideas, please see the following two articles, where I got several of these ideas:

Five Ideas

Three Ways

The Missio Burb

I was so eager to hear Michael Frost speak. He's an Australian speaker in the missional movement who had a breakout session at a recent conference in KC, and he was scheduled to talk about a missional lifestyle in our neighborhoods. This has been a nebulous goal for us - we're smack dab in the suburbs with a desire to have a positive impact, but have been struggling to know what that might look like.

It's easy to see in the inner city and the urban core how to have impact. The needs are obvious - there's economic poverty, physical homelessness, substance abuse, and broken lives. Even in rural settings, the needs are visible, even if you have to dig a little bit. But in the 'burbs, people have hardly any visible needs. Plus we have our automatic garage doors, air-conditioning, and 6-foot fences, all which minimize natural opportunities to get to know our neighbors. So, Frost's session promised to be enlightening.

The first words out of his mouth were something like, "You Americans. I don't know how to be missional in the suburbs. Now, let's talk about the neighborhood...," as he proceeded to talk about locales where people naturally do life together, go to the same market, eat and drink at the same pub, and don't move away often. In other words, all the things we don't do in the 'burbs. His talk was rich and wonderful, but even he has no clue how to be missional in the 'burbs. But the 'burbs are where we are. We have the missio burb.

The session that followed Frost's was specifically about the 'burbs, and also extremely helpful, led by a couple living in the 'burbs north of Dallas. They introduced some creative, helpful ideas. I also picked up some good nuggets from the plenary sessions that helped me get a better grasp of living life on mission in the 'burbs.

In the 'burbs, we see very little economic poverty. But what we do see is relational poverty. There are many in the 'burbs who do not enough deep, authentic relationships. We are more isolated, we spend more time alone, we immerse ourselves in electronics and social media, and we are hidden behind our 6-foot fences wallowing in relational poverty. We have friends, but we're not rich in authentic friendships.

In the 'burbs, we see very little physical homelessness. But what we do is social homelessness. People in the 'burbs have less sense of "neighborhood," of community, of a sense of "home." We often live hundreds of miles away from family and where we grew up. We have to travel for the holidays. We are like those without a home ... we have a nice shelter over our heads instead of cardboard, but we still feel displaced.

I think there's a powerful effect in using the words poverty and homelessness. They paint wordpictures to describe what many in the 'burbs feel. City dwellers who mock the 'burbs often brag about the sense of community they enjoy. These two words also provoke compassion that we automatically have for their physical counterparts. Our hearts hurt for the poor and homeless, but we have a tougher time feeling that for our neighbors in the 'burbs. And yet there are plenty of "poor" and "homeless" living on our own blocks!

We actually can add value to the 'burbs. Just because our neighbors don't have many visible needs, there are plenty of ways that we can offer relational wealth and a social neighborhood.

Think about your rhythms of life as family. Then think about ways to include your neighbors in some of those rhythms. Add value to your neighborhood. Fight against poverty and homelessness.

The Evolution of "Gravity"

SPOILER ALERT: What follows is an interpretation and worldview critique of the recently released movie Gravity by Alfonso Cuarón starring Sandra Bullock. I will give away the ending, so save the link to this article for later if you want to see the movie first.

All geeks love space movies, so I've been eager to see Gravity. Based on the reviews by pros and amateurs, I anticipated a great movie, but I did not expect to wake up early the next morning figuring out the social commentary it made. I will spend exactly one sentence on what everyone else is writing great reviews about: the visual effects are stunning, the story tension makes you use body language in your seat trying to help out the characters, and the acting is strong. That's about as wordy as I can get as a movie critic. "Good movie; go see."

What started my attempt to unravel the subtext of the movie was the last scene. Bullock's character (Dr. Ryan Stone) flops out of the water onto the beach, struggles a bit (because she's been in zero gravity for many days), then makes it to her feet, and stumbles away. Cuarón focused in on that first step with such emphasis, it was clear he was trying to say something. It's almost certainly a microcosm scene of the "Evolution of Man" taking his first step. But I realized early the next morning, Cuarón was actually talking about the "Evolution of Woman."

The movie begins with Stone and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) in a peaceful, idealic coexistence - "Adam and Eve," tending to the "garden" (the Hubble Space Telescope) in innocence and beauty. He the strong, experienced one, flying independently with a jetpack, charming and sincere, but interpreting all events to be about himself; she the inexperienced, weak (even nauseous), but brilliant one who is dependent on the space shuttle's arm. He was there long before she arrived (the only thing missing was a rib comment). Then tragedy intrudes suddenly, with a massive onslaught of space debris from a chain reaction accident of satellites. The Fall. Eden is ripped apart into chaos, and Adam and Eve are expelled. A third astronaut (Abel? the serpent? innocence?) is killed, and death has come.

Stone is thrust into space alone, completely unable to help herself, spinning out of control. But low and behold - the Man, the rescuer, saves her. He must tether her to himself, so that she is now utterly dependent on him for life and safety (this scene includes the only face-to-face close up with the characters, suggesting the sexual politics that woman are "tethered" to men also in this way). Where he goes, she goes, like the cave man dragging his woman around by the hair.

Eventually, the tether is cut, and the man floats away, forever out of her life. She is free, independent, and needing to be self-reliant for the first time. She makes her way into the abandoned International Space Station, and immediately curls up into the fetal position asleep, with the camera angle showing her gestating in the "womb," ready for birth. Via the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, she makes her way to the Chinese space station, also abandoned.

At this point, she does not need man. Kowalski is gone, she can't get Houston the radio, the Russians are gone, the Chinese are gone. She is untethered, independent, alone, no men to rescue her. Perhaps Cuarón gave her a strong man's name (not just "Ryan," but "Ryan Stone") to show she has effectively replaced men. After a strange howling scene (primal?) where a disembodied male voice sings her a lullaby, she nearly gives up, until an aberration of Kowalski sparks a brilliant idea from her independent, brilliant mind, and she is reawakened. From fetal to strong. I wonder if her opening scene nausea was just her being weak or if it was a form of "morning sickness" for her own rebirth.

More drama and tragedy and tensions carry the story through to Stone's fiery entrance into earth's atmosphere, eventually splash landing in the ocean in a capsule. The door pops open, and the capsule quickly fills with water and sinks. Underwater, she is "birthed" from this "womb," and as frog swims by (you know, the lab animals we studied in school to learn about evolution), she must shed her skin (spacesuit) in order to survive. She breaks the surface of the water and breathes air into her lungs.

She then evolves onto the beach, unable to walk. Earlier, she said she never prayed to God; here on the beach, she utters a simple "thank you." A few attempts, and she's finally bipedal, but shaky. Alone and female on a desolate land. No man. No other humans in sight. No one to rescue her. (A snarky little part of me was hoping she'd run into Tom Hanks with a Wilson volleyball.) Roll credits.

The tethered scene, it appears, pictures the hierarchical view of men and women. Men with the power, women dragged behind with no control for a very unpleasant ride, going wherever the man decides to go. By the end of the movie, the fully evolved woman is not just equal to man, but completely without need of him. Her only companion here is the "missing link" frog. It is like Irina Dunn's statement made famous by Gloria Steinem, "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." Was her "thank you" for being alive, or for no longer needing a man? (Noticeably, her daughter is mentioned in the movie a few times, but never the girl's father.)

But both views of gender are unbiblical. Perhaps Cuarón believes the Bible teaches the hierarchical view, but he clearly eschews that model (as do I). But neither view properly displays the biblical concept of "one flesh." The hierarchical view is more like "one flesh - with an appendage." The manless view is "one flesh - hers." Rather, the concept of one flesh is male and female, equal in their standing before God and importance, but with some roles that are gender-specific based on the marriage covenant. Truly equal, but complementary. It is the only way to be "one flesh."

Of course, I may be reading too much into Cuarón. Some people online think the tether represents an umbilical cord, for example. However, starting from the ending scene and working backwards, give this view a shot. Good movie; go see.

"Doing" Justice

We are making the grave mistake of oversimplifying when we say that the Old Testament is about a bunch of rules (often with the equally oversimplifying comment that the New Testament introduces grace). Reading carefully, we see plenty of instances where empty, faithless, ritualistic fidelity to the Rules is strongly critiqued. One such instance is Micah 6:8. After lambasting the people for empty, but "faithful" (i.e., going through the motions accurately) ritual, the prophet says:

He has told you, O man, what is good,

and what the Lord really wants from you: 

He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful,

and to live obediently before  your God.

Let's focus on the word "justice," even though all parts of this verse are rich. What does it mean to promote (or "do") justice?

We often think of "justice" in terms of the law of the land. Someone commits a crime, so what is justice? Prison. A homeowner has been bilked by the utility company, so what is justice? Restitution and a fine for the company. A youth vandalizes a public building, and what is justice? Repair the damage and community service. We think of "justice" in terms of law and order or having the rulebreakers pay up. In a passage that faults empty rulekeeping, certainly "justice" can't mean only this.

There is also a common view of "justice" that basically means that it's unfair that anyone has less. "Justice" in this case is the cause of the poor and oppressed. The bad guys are the "system" and there is no justice as long as there's poverty or underresourcing. This, too, is partly correct to the context. Where there is oppression, there is no justice.

However, it would be insufficient to say that "justice" is just one of these. And it's not even accurate to say that "justice" is the both of these together.

The word "justice" in this passage means "to make right." It is related to the word "righteousness." It is not a legal term and it is not a social term. It is not restricted to punishment or poverty. The word means to set wrong things right. This of course can include law and order as well as fighting forms of oppression. On the other hand, just punishing lawbreakers or extracting people out of poverty does not constitute "doing justice." It includes any situation where things aren't "right."

Micah tells the people that empty religion is displeasing to the Lord. If you perform all the rituals but are not "making things right" in your society, you are not offering the Lord anything He really wants.

What does it mean to "make things right" with lawbreakers and rulebreakers? Only punishment? What does it mean to "make things right" with the poor, when Jesus says we will always have the poor with us? What does it mean to "make things right" when we see any form of oppression? What does it mean to "make things right" when someone needs eternal hope but doesn't know where to find it?

I'm not asking you to leave your comfort zone

"Leaving your comfort zone" is a social virtue. Regardless of context (at home, at work, in your community of faith, in a social or hobby club), kudos abound for those who leave their comfort zone. Leaders often ask their groups to step out of their comfort zones in order to try something new and, perhaps, enjoy some kind of new benefit. When we do, then we high five each other and give attaboys. And then we return to our comfort zones.

A "comfort zone" is commonly described as that sphere that surrounds you - within that sphere is comfort, and outside that sphere is some level of discomfort, whether slight or severe or something in between. We, being creatures who gravitate toward comfort, spend a lot of time inside that sphere or "zone," and the common wisdom is that it's a good thing to leave that comfort zone on occasion. And then return.

I have been bugged by the concept of "comfort zone" on the simple basis that comfort should not be our primary ethic. Comfort should not be that controlling value by which most decisions are made. With this mindset, leaving our comfort zone can become something "heroic" in our own eyes because we dared to challenge this primary ethic. I tried sushi - how daring and brave!

So, I began to talk in terms of "expanding your comfort zone" instead of leaving it (and then returning). Wouldn't it be better if we just expanded that sphere so that we were more comfortable with more things (without compromising morals)? Going to a foreign country to help in an orphanage then is not the brave "leaving your comfort zone" but the humble "expanding your comfort zone." Rather than enduring uncomfortable things more often, we are more comfortable with more things. We actually grow - increasing the number of things we're comfortable doing and encountering is a kind of growth.

But that still didn't answer the issue in a satisfactory way for me.

Lately, I've been toying with the idea that it's not really a "comfort zone" at all. It's a "control zone." It's the sphere inside which I feel like I have enough control, and outside which I feel like I don't have enough control. The sense of "comfort," then, is a byproduct of how much control I feel. If this is the right view, then my primary ethic is not my arbitrary level of comfort, but a question of who's in charge.

If God is truly God, He is then truly sovereign, perfectly loving, and completely purposeful. Everything is within His "control zone." And if I am truly His child, then the sphere of my control is entirely subsumed by His. Now, leaving my control zone is to enter His. It is not this brave, temporary venture beyond my level of comfort, but a matter of trust. If I do not trust God to know what He's doing, I will not leave my control zone. If I do trust that His sovereign involvement is actual and not just theoretical, I can leave my control zone and enter into His.

As we talk about living more missional lives, I'm not asking you to leave your comfort zone. I'm asking you to leave your control zone. And to enter His.

I've Seen Scared Men

I've seen a man scared to die. I've looked in his eyes as they darted from my eyes to the ground to the ceiling, and then to some faraway, unreachable thought. I've heard the tremor in his voice as he used manly words to describe weakness and fear. He doesn't believe the rationalizations he speaks as he grasps for phantom answers. The clock didn't move any faster or slower for him - it marched steadily toward the moment that death may actually arrive.

I've seen a man scared to live. He slumped on the floor, a living pile of inertia. He wept, he swore, he hated me and was so glad I was there, he cursed those closest to him. He did everything but move. Or hope. He weighed the price it would cost to continue breathing as he would silver coins at the market, and wasn't convinced of the bargain. He would not be moved until he chose to, and I wasn't sure he would.

I've seen a man scared to fail. Frozen by unending "what ifs?", he dared not choose A or B. A could be ruinous, but B could be disastrous. C was certain chaos and so was never even discussed. People might be harmed, he might be fired, the company might make a mint - or spend one. He consumed more time trying to find who could make the decision for him than finding the solution. Anything to escape what he feared. At least the status quo was undisastrous.

I've seen a man scared to succeed. The accolades first brought pride, then satisfaction, and then fear. A little success is good, but now they might expect more. "If I do more, what if I succeed more? Can I handle it?" All he wanted to do is go places, and now it looks like he's going places, but he's not sure he still likes the destination. That place gets lot of attention (scrutiny); that place has a lot of responsibility (blame); that place elevates (a higher perch to fall from).

I know a Man scared of nothing. He was not scared to die, which then gave me life. He was not scared to live, and so He bore my sorrows and knew my temptations. He was not scared to fail, because He knew that He was on an infallible mission. He was not scared to succeed, even though everyone around Him thought it was a failure. I have looked in the eyes of those who fear, and I have seen life through fearful eyes. I can go forward not because I have enough courage, but because I know the Man scared of nothing.

Evangelism Introverted

I'm an introvert. Actually, I'm extremely introverted according to the Myers-Briggs personality assessment. Don't let the number of words I say fool you - I'm a turtle put up on a platform. That means that I process internally and that I recharge by being alone. I love people, but being around a lot of them gives energy to extroverts and wears out us introverts. When I was a software manager, we would work these two-day job fairs 3 or 4 times a year, interviewing dozens of people each day. By the end of each day, we introverts were exhausted and the extroverted HR folks were so revved up they wanted to go out clubbing. I just wanted to go home and say nuttin' to nobody for a week.

Extroverts don't understand introverts. They might intellectually understand what introversion means, but they don't really get us. No amount of explaining will make them see ... and besides, no introvert wants to do that much explaining!

And yet as believers, we are told we're supposed to be involved in this thing called evangelism. For extroverts, "Yahoo!!! Something else I get to talk about!" For introverts, "Please, God, no. Take it back. Tell me to come in before everyone else and set up the chairs or something, but not that."

As we've been talking over these weeks about discipleship and reaching out to others, perhaps my fellow introverts have been nodding in agreement in principle, but secretly determining that most of this stuff is for them. You know them - they're the ones talking to six people at once after the Sunday morning gathering. Apparently, sitting quietly and taking notes isn't good enough for some people. (What's wrong with them, anyway?)

One of the notes we've had in our planning documents from the very beginning is "Don't forget the introverts." That's pretty easy, since both Jimmy and I are introverted.

Rather than write a long article on this (and repeat some really good articles on the topic), I want to stick with just one point. The word evangelize is not Greek for "Talk a lot to a lot of people, and especially those you don't know." It is Greek for "To bring Good News." There's nothing in this definition that requires extroversion. The only thing that requires extroversion is how the church has typically taught evangelism (taught by extroverts who don't get how introverts can be truly introverted).

So, my fellow introverts, have you ever given good news to anyone about anything? News about sports, politics, technology, or even the right answer on an exam (truth is a form of good news)? Ever? Did you do this in writing? One-on-one? In response to someone else who started the conversation? (Did you die in the process?) Sharing the Good News of Christ doesn't have to be any different than other ways you've already introvertedly shared good news about other things.

Evangelize as an introvert if you're an introvert. Trying to evangelize as someone you're not is way too hard. Trust me - I do that every week.

By the way, introverts don't understand extroverts, either. So ... just stop trying to explain it to me. Seriously - just chill.

Grace and Human Effort

Point: Jesus says that apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:1-11). The consistent Christian message is that we cannot accomplish anything significant by our own effort: salvation, sanctification, holiness, converting others, and so on. A significant portion of the narratio Dei (the narrative of God) is demonstrating that man cannot repair the damage inflicted upon himself by his sin or reach the presence of God by his own devices.

Counterpoint: Diana Nyad, 64, swims from Cuba to Florida in 53 hours. Felix Baumgartner reaches Mach 1.25 jumping from a balloon at nearly 128,000 feet and lands safely. Men and women gather their collective abilities to launch rovers to land on Mars then explore and send back mountains of data. An international team collaborates to determine how to decode DNA. Man can do amazing things with or without calling upon God for any help.

Two of the many questions these observations bring to the surface are:

1. How can both be true?
2. Should I or should I not try hard with the activities of the Kingdom?

How can both be true? Do we have conflicting observations, or are they complementary? Can we or can we not do something significant on our own? There's no denying the amazing feats accomplished by believers and unbelievers alike - physical achievements, mental achievements, and even overcoming challenges to personal fortitude.

For both to be true, there must be one other observation: Making ourselves eternally significant is a feat more difficult than even the most amazing human accomplishment. Rather than downplay or deny the significance of what humans have accomplished "on their own," the magnitude of what we can do only shows just how impossibly difficult it is for us to even approach "good enough" by God's holy standard. In other words, Observation 2 (the greatness of man's accomplishments) demonstrates by comparison the height of Observation 1 (the greatness of God's accomplishment in us).

The greatest things we've done are still less than what Jesus accomplishes by meeting God's standard. And then, by grace through faith, He gives to us as a gift that kind of perfection! Not our own, but His accomplishment cloaked around us, crediting it to us as if we had accomplished it ourselves.

Should I or should I not try hard with the activities of the Kingdom? If even the greatest acts of the most amazing men and women cannot advance the Kingdom, then what good are all the acts of us less amazing people? If the strongest man can't push a rock into heaven, why should the rest of us push at boulders? And yet God effectively commands us to push at boulders ("make disciples," "exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees," "love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength").

In order for our Kingdom-minded actions to mean anything, there must be one other observation: God's commands are not for what we produce, but rather for what He produces in us. He commands us to push at boulders not because He wants us to move boulders without Him, but that He wants us to be the kind of people who push boulders. By putting our every effort into pushing boulders, God changes us into the kind of people He wants us to be. He wants us to be fully committed boulder-pushers, the kind of people who pour every ounce of sweat into His business, even though we can't push boulders into heaven.

He'll take care of moving the boulders. But He wants us to be fully engaged in His work, rather than a bunch of boulder-watchers who are disengaged from His work. He wants us to resemble Him by being as involved in His work as it takes to swim from Cuba to Florida.

Man's greatest feats and God's Word are not at odds - the weakness of our "greatness" demonstrates how necessary the Cross is, just like the magnitude of the universe only demonstrates how much more vast God must be.

Definer Questions

There have been a few people in my life who have asked me "definer questions." That's my made-up term for questions that cut through all the complexities of an issue and lay the real issue bare in clear, simple terms. Some of these definer questions have lead to successful major life decisions.

There are presently two related definer questions that I am mulling over these days, targeted specifically to the research that we've been doing on discipleship (in large part from Jimmy's efforts).

The first definer question comes out of a study I did with a couple of students over the last year. I figured two young men at the beginning of their lives as adults would benefit greatly from Paul's words to Timothy, who was also facing a world as "the young guy." For each passage of the text, we discussed structure and meaning, but then I always brought it around to the same question each week: What does this mean for being a fully committed follower of Jesus?

Invariably, there would be an awkward silence. We just finished talking about the passage and thought we had a handle on it. But then after this question popped out, all of us realized that we hadn't really mined the depths of the passage. We would look at the passage again and again, and begin to appreciate the layers of the text. Eventually, we'd begin to offer answers to the question - answers that made us uncomfortable because of the cost necessitated by discipleship. But what rich discomfort it was!

The second definer question is more focused on how to evaluate and improve our ministries here at Grace. There are many good things we can do in church ministry - far too many to do all of them. There are things that we've always done - many of which we should continue doing, but others perhaps not. (For example, we didn't do a carnival this summer because it was not the best use of our energy this year.) That question is: Is this the best way to cultivate complete followers of Jesus?

This question helps us keep our focus on our priorities and not put our effort into any number of good things that keep us from the great things. There are a lot of good ways to disciple others, but we want to do the best things we can to cultivate complete followers.

We just had a discussion among some of the leaders about a particular opportunity. So I posed this second question. What transpired was great dialog with quite a spread of opinions, but the differences don't scare me. The dialog was the kind of authentic discussion that we must have for us to keep on mission, with everyone contributing truly pertinent thoughts specific to our church's highest priorities. We may have missed some important ideas if we didn't have a definer question. A definer question gave us a means to navigate a tough issue and to make some decisions now as well as fuel further discussions later. It gave us clarity for the process of evaluating this and other issues.

What are one or two "definer questions" for your life's mission?

My habits are so habitual

We've been studying and teaching about discipleship and a missional mindset over these last several weeks, with the goal of getting our minds right on these ideas before even attempting to do anything specific about it. It is our expectation that right actions will come from right thinking, and right habits will come from right actions.

This great theory, however, doesn't prevent me from my wrong habits that come from wrong actions that come from wrong thinking.

While moving Lynne's folks this week, my brother-in-law (Steve) and I did a McDonald's run for breakfast, since the kitchen had already been completely packed. (Although I consider fast food a bad habit in its own right, that's not where my story is going.) I had a very simple order - one eggwhite muffin combo, one #1 combo, and three #2 combos, all with coffee. To her credit, the gal working the counter was extremely creative in finding ways to fulfill the order by all methods except the correct one.

I confirmed three separate times that they were all combos with coffee. And yet, I had to stop her from filling sodas and to pour coffee instead, then from 3 coffees to 5, then from 3 hash browns to 5. The floor manager noted she had rung up the order incorrectly, which she shrugged off wordlessly. After all of that, I still never got my #1 combo. If I had wanted two eggwhite combos, I'm quite sure I would have said something other than "one eggwhite combo and one #1 combo." Never did she acknowledge an error, apologize, smile, or even try to change her original, determined plan.

Here's where my wrong thinking led to my habitually wrong action: My concern for this person, who God loves and who bears His image, was fleeting at best. In my habit, she existed only to feed me quickly, pleasantly, and without error. When she failed to exist in that manner, my main concern was getting the greasy, high-caloric, high-fat, oversalted breakfast (and coffee!!) that I was on a "mission" to get.

But my real mission is supposed to be to cultivate complete followers of Jesus (Matt 28:16-20). My real mission never really came to mind because of my habits, which came from my actions, which came from my thinking.

I want a new set of habits so that my first thought for people I encounter is to wonder how I can cultivate, even a little. How can I "loosen the lid"? By habit, I'm still more of a consumer than a cultivator. But ... my thinking is beginning to change (aided by a little indigestion, which reminded me of right priorities - bleh).

Why these limits?

I wish I had more hours in the day.

If I won the lottery, I'd give half to the church. Think of the things we could do with that!

I'll sleep later ... there's work to do!

I wish God had made me better at this! It would be good for His purposes - why didn't He give me more talent?

We bump up against these kinds of limits every day. We are limited to the number of years we have on this earth. We are limited in the amount of money we have, even money for worthy, sacrificial causes. We are limited every day by our need to sleep and by the amount of energy we have. We are limited in our capacities and talents. We live lives of limitations.

If I was running the show, I don't think I would have done it that way. If I have purposes for my universe, why would I want to limit the capacity of my little subjects to carry out my purposes? That seems counterproductive. Why limit them from the very things I want to happen in my universe? There's so much work to be done!!!

These are merely theoretical questions, but we face real, tough questions in real, tough situations. We could send more food to an overseas orphanage if we had more money - the nutrition of little kids is on the line! A pastor could serve more needs, do more counseling, prepare better sermons if he didn't have to sleep at night. More people could hear about the claims of Christ if I had better skills at talking with and engaging people - but as it is, they're hearing a substandard rendition of the Gospel. There are real consequences to these limits.

And these limits are put there by God Himself. He designed us to require sleep, He does not permit us to have infinite wealth, He did not give everyone every gift ... or any gift in full measure. He does not permit us to live beyond the century mark, on average. Yes, our our sin and our own lack of diligence contribute to these limits, but there are hard limits put on us by the very hand of God.

Why? We could do so much more of the stuff He likes!

First, we need to reconsider what God wants to accomplish in the universe. We Westerners tend to be task-oriented, and so we foist onto God a task-orientation and assume His goal for the universe is for more of His favorite tasks to be accomplished. It is true that He wants some tasks done. But His greater goal is to develop us into a particular kind of people. And He accomplishes that purpose better with limits than without. What God wants to do in our character, He does more effectively by putting these limits in our lives.

He wants us to be sacrificial (which you don't have to do much if you have no limits). He wants us to offer to Him our prayer-saturated, wisdom-influenced decisions as an act of worship (you don't need to be wise if you have infinite resource). He wants us to choose the best over the good. He wants us to be humble. He wants us to rely on Him. He wants us to have a particular character, and He carves that character with the blade of limitations.

Second, we remember the mind-boggling truth that when Jesus came to earth, He took on Himself a life of limitations. He has existed eternally with all the attributes of God, which means the only real limitations He had were that He could not do anything less than perfect and He could not do anything contrary to His nature. Other than that, He really didn't have any limits. Now, with a full human nature, even a sinless one, He lived within limitations of time, strength and stamina, resources, and the demands of sleep.

Jesus' ministry on earth was performed not only in spite of, but because of those limitations. He died. That's a limitation God had never experienced before. Without that limitation, we are lost in our sin.

Limitations annoy us, frustrate us, and can even draw us into depression. However, limitations are also God's gift to us in order to accomplish His greater purpose. He glorifies Himself through us because we face limitations. It's not a question of having limitations, but what we do with them.

What if we weren't afraid of death?

I'm meeting weekly with a student who's just about to ship off to college under the illusion that I have all kinds of things to teach him. What happens frequently, though, is that during our discussions, one of us will trip over a question that makes us both look up the ceiling and try to figure out just how significant the question is. This happened yet again this week - two guys inspecting the ceiling as if the answer was written there.

The background of the question is that there are many forms of death. There is physical death (heart stops beating, lungs stop breathing), emotional death (no will to be in relationship or to live life), spiritual death (the state we're born in, plus the eternal fire thing), social death (shame, loss of status, friendless), intellectual death (learning nothing, thinking about nothing meaningful), death of security (in danger, no sense of protection), and even economic death (financial ruin). All forms of death, and we could list still others. Death in these terms is not only the opposite of life, but also separation. We are separated from our friends, from God, from security, and so on.

In Scripture, death is punishment for rebellion against God. He brought all forms of death as punishment in varying degrees. Adam and Eve suffered immediate separation after the Fall, Israel suffered waves of death of all kinds to urge them back to the covenant, on the Cross our Lord suffered death and separation on our behalf, and eternal death will be the ultimate punishment in the eternal state.

In Christ, however, death has been defeated. Not just physical death, but all forms of death have been defeated by the finished work of Jesus on the Cross and His resurrection. "Whoever believes, even he dies, yet he will live." (John 11:25)

Yet, fear of death in all its forms cripples us from loving fully, obeying entirely, taking risks for the Kingdom, sharing our faith, giving generously, and on and on. Fear of death prevents us from fully following Christ.

So, our question was, "What if we weren't afraid of death?" Not just physical death, but all forms of death. What would life be like we we had no fear of these things, because all forms of death have been defeated? If we die, yet we shall live - in every form of life. Can I therefore live life with virtually no fear at all of any form of death?

Imagine what your life would be like...

The story of Mary

There are too many stories to tell from our trip to Kenya, but there's one I must tell. It is the story of "Mary" (not her real name).

We were invited to visit the home of Mary by her family. Mary was just recovering from malaria, and we were asked to pray for her complete recovery. That sounded simple enough. It was not simple.

The home was modest - not as sparse as many homes we saw, but still humble. The living room was tightly cramped with 10 or so people conversing over lunch, but they did well enough financially to afford a television. Women flitted in and out of the room to bring the handwashing basin, and then the waves of food - rice, ugali, goat stew, chicken, and fish. It was hard to keep track of who was a wife, who was a sister, and who was an in-law. But plenty of smiles and hospitality.

Mary looked to be in her teens, but she's actually in her 20s. She was soft spoken, sometimes too soft to understand. She exuded a sweet spirit (although we later learned that she could have fits of anger). Mary also had some form of speech impediment, which appeared to be related to a slight deformity with her mouth. (I found out in my class later that week that it is common for people in that area to hide those children with deformities. Indeed, people who attended that church for years didn't even know Mary exists.) We were told that she was challenged emotionally and mentally, but it wasn't clear that perhaps her medicines fogged her acuity. The end effect for us was an immediate empathy for a sweet, troubled girl. I was keenly grateful that Janette was sitting nearest to Mary, who directed almost all of her answers toward Janette no matter who asked them.

Pastor Benard, who knew some backstory that we learned only later, proceeded to ask Mary a surprising sequence of questions. Very quickly, he changed from normal questions about her health and recovery to questions about dreams, fears, and how she was treated. Mary was plagued by all three - horrible dreams, persistent fears, and domestic abuse. Those she said were hitting her were present in the room, but it seemed the awkwardness of this was felt only by our team.

In this part of Kenya, there's no place for Mary to go. There are no safe shelters to provide refuge. It would be nearly impossible for her to find reputable work to support herself. It's hard to find a husband in her circumstance, let alone with the dowry and negotiation system for most marriages there. This seemingly sweet girl with extra challenges in life is locked in an abusive situation with no option but to stay.

The Lord gave several of us pertinent passages of Scripture and deep-felt prayer to share with her, and to no little effect. But we were helpless to extract her. We pray for Pastor Benard as he follows up to have wisdom and creative ideas. We pray for her abusers to repent. We pray for her healing. But with only our own devices, we are helpless to "fix" her situation.

Mary is forgotten by the world, except but a handful of people. And now us. And now you.

The Bible consistently teaches (especially in Exodus, Leviticus, Isaiah, and Luke) that God's people advocate for the vulnerable. We too often politicize questions about who should and should not receive help, but the Bible seems to focus on the vulnerable. When the Bible was written, the vulnerable were the likes of the widow, the orphan, the sick, the foreigner, and the desperately poor - those susceptible to oppression and exploitation. It is the task of God's people to lend strength and aid to the vulnerable.

Without much physical ability to help the vulnerable Mary, we turn our efforts to helping Pastor Benard to help Mary. If there is anything he tells us we can do, we will share that with you. For now, we render aid by praying for God to provide that aid and to halt the actions of those who oppress her.

Ten Things Kenyan Orphans Don't Know

1. What it's like to fly across the ocean. Not only is the experience of international flight highly unlikely for them, but the concept that a team of people traveled over 24 hours stepping foot in 5 different airports in three nations in order to see them has little context for them. They know that different-looking people just show up sometimes, act and talk a bit funny, talk a lot about God, give lots of hugs, and then leave after a week or two, until the next batch shows up a few months or a year later.
2. That there are sponsors. We don't explain the whole sponsorship idea to them. At the orphanage, we don't have sponsors for every child, so having a label of "sponsored" or "unsponsored" would be very damaging. We tell each of them that they have friends in the US, adults and children, who love them and pray for them and write them letters. We don't mention the money or the status of being sponsored.
3. A mortgage. This is more than just the family never having a mortgage. How buildings are paid for is completely different. Most Luo people in this area will never finance a building. Rather, they piecemeal everything. Save enough money to build a wall, then you build the wall. Then you wait to save more money for the next part. That's also how you put gas in the tank or get minutes on your cell phone. You don't fill up the tank or get a monthly plan. You put in a little bit of gas frequently, because that's what cash you have. You put just a few minutes on the phone because that's what cash you have. Piecemeal.
4. Identity theft. No digital footprint at all. Perhaps no birth certificate. No identity card or even identity number. And therefore, completely immune to identity theft. But also prone to falling through the cracks.
5. Having the air conditioning go out. Sounds obvious. But with this also means no griping and moaning when it goes out. No expensive repairs. No tendency to "hole up" indoors and become more isolated from your neighbors. No monthly bill big enough to buy a couple of weeks' worth of groceries in order to be more comfortable. But also no way to cool a malaria-induced fever.
6. A bad waitress. No restaurants, no waitresses, no bad service. There are restaurants around, but most of our kids won't eat in one until they are much older, if at all. Rather, food preparation is an event, a social interaction, a training time from older to younger, a daily rhythm, a responsibility even for the kids. No Happy Meals with toys that become boring after an hour, no playscapes, no mess left under the table that someone else has to clean up for minimum wage. Food is not fast - food is fellowship.
7. The assumption of medical care. If one of the kids here gets hurt, you just go to the hospital. You don't worry about how much money is in your wallet, or even if your insurance will cover it. You just go. Or better, you just call and they come and get you. In the village we go to, if an orphan gets hurt, there is no hospital nearby. Furthermore, there is no assumption of just going. If you don't have the cash on you, you might not get care, so you count your money to decide whether or not to go. And so sometimes you decide not to go. Instead of the assumption of medical care, your assumption is that the child will just make it without care.
8. Fame. Fame and popularity are amazingly low priorities. Not just "American Idol" fame, but BMOC fame at an orphanage in a village. The group ethic is so much stronger - success is more often group success than individual success. Not a Socialist removal of success to level the playing field, but true success as a group. Fewer Lone Rangers. "Luo Idol" fame, if you will. (The more modern the area in Kenya, the more individualism, it seems.)
9. An unwelcome guest. Yes, there are bad characters roaming around, and they are unwelcome. But other than that, if you show up unannounced, they are actually glad to see you! More than that, they are eager to invite you in. We've seen people show up unannounced, and not only stay for dinner, but stay for the week!
10. Escape. This hits me every time I depart. We heroically "rough it" for two weeks, then leave. Within hours we are in air conditioned, multi-storied buildings, and after an elongated day, back in our own beds. They are still there, where we "roughed it." Our two weeks is their 24X7. What we "put up with," they live. Chances are, it is what they will live their entire lives. Our ministry to them gives them a far better chance to live it well, and perhaps bring change to themselves and their neighbors. But few will know escape. (It’s not a horrible place that needs to be escaped, but there are hardships that do.)

Reread this article and realize how many things that Kenyan orphans know that we don’t. Please pray for these infinitely valuable bearers of God's image who know so much.