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Identity Control and other thoughts on who I am

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The truth is that when I am in control of my own life, I end up being very destructive to myself and others. This is why it is very important for my life to be directed and controlled by God. But the problem is that I give control over to other things and people when I allow other things and people to determine WHO I AM! I realize in my head that these things cannot make me who I am intended to be, but I still find myself living differently. These things may change who I am on the outside, but they have nothing to do with who I really am. What I do comes out of who I am. How much do I realize God's love for me? God loves me and cares about me. He has a plan and purpose for my life; all the other things I use to determine who I am are false. All the other things I have attached "my self" to are "idols". I have attached my identity, "who I am", to other things than God and have, in so doing, created idols.

My true identity, who I really am, is God's beloved. I have to claim my identity solely with that realization. IF I were able to do that perfectly, I would have given God complete control of my life...

...IF...

Sandcastles

What do I build my life on? I have read the story about the wise man and the foolish man. I realize that the wise man will build his life on God, the Rock. I have to realize, then, that the foolish man builds his life on the sand. The question is: "What is the sand?" I mean we know the Rock is God, but what is the sand upon which we should NOT build our life? Upon some reflection, the answer is simple. Anything that is not God! Everything that is not God! The sand is anything, anyone that is not God. This means even good things are sand. That means even good people are sand. If I am not building my life on THE Rock, I am building it on the sand. That means everything other than God will wash away.

Does that mean to stay away from everything and everyone? No! The question is what do you BUILD YOUR LIFE ON? The question is what is your foundation? The practical way of looking at this is: "What or who do I attach myself to?"

To heal, recover, and move forward in my life, I have to replace everything and everyone with GOD as my primary attachment. When I attach myself to anything or anyone other than God, I give them power and control...they control me...I attach...I build a foundation. I...we choose people, places, and things that will not interfere with, but will likely SUPPORT our addictive personalities and behaviors and defense mechanisms.

I have to quit attaching myself to these things and people and re-attach myself to God...to, as Ozzie Chambers would say, "be THRILLED WITH GOD", to be defined by my relationship with God. Once I do that, I can make sandcastles with all the rest instead of building myself...my foundation with them.

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4 Hopes Students Have for the Church

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I read an article this week interviewing college students about their hopes for the future of the Church. As one who spends his life not only trying to reach this generation of the church but also listening to them, I thought it important to share some of these hopes.

It is important because it is a bit overzealous to jump to the conclusion that college students are leaving their faith all together when many of them are simply leaving your churches. It is important to reveal their HOPES in the shadow the ASSUMPTIONS we commonly have about them. If we were really concerned with why they were leaving, we would listen to THEM.

4 Hopes Students Have for the Church:

Community and relationships become vital Relationship, relationship, relationship. This generation is far more focused on getting to know people's stories before being concerned with converting them. They hope for a church that is driven by being a community and serving its community. This is a church that is outrageously generous and hospitable. This is a church that does not compartmentalize the rest of their lives, but understands church is how we live not part of me I engage on Sundays. 

Unity over separation This generation vehemently resists the separation mentality, and they will not participate in a Church which maintains that mentality. They resist the separation people 'different' from one another. They not only resist, but are simply baffled by the separation of church from church. Believe it or not, they resist separation of old and young.

There is hope in this generation for a church where the younger are engaged by and with the older, but there is a very important realization here that most of your churches are drastically missing. This means much more than just wanting to be discipled by someone older. This means this generation wants to be and needs to be engaged in the direction and vision of the church. This means, practically, your elders should want to hear from them. They should be a part of the church, not simply have Church dictated to them...which comes a large deal out of the next hope...

Lighten up a bit They hope to see a Church not so worked up over a rigid structure. They hope for Church to provide space for questions and ways to help translate theology into practical and understandable methodology. Listen, this generation IS excited about the gospel and truth, but they want to really think, pray, and study instead of simply being told what gospel and truth is...so yes, this generation DOES have a huge hope for...

Outreach and Evangelism They are excited about the gospel and seeing the gospel realized in this world. Understand that they look at scripture and they see beyond redemption to restoration. They desire to see restoration of what is broken with each of us and within this world. This generation hopes for a focus not only on "the decision" but also past the decision to follow Jesus. Again, relationships become vital here. They are more concerned with relationships than converts, because as you come to really know someone, they can speek the true restoration of the gospel into people's true stories and lives.

Overall, it is important to realize that I am not speaking here about 'the church of tomorrow'. I hate that phrase nearly more than any other. No body has future parts; neither does the body of Christ. This generation realizes this and is tired of being treated like future parts.

On the arts of following Jesus and shaving

Reed Markham said "Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good you shaved today, you have to do it again tomorrow." While I sat letting that sink in to my heart of a father for my daughter, I realized how this applies to other arenas of my life. Particularly, I realized how much it applies to being a follower of Jesus.

After we decided to follow Jesus, many of us quit deciding to follow Jesus.

At the heart of this quote and its challenge is 'intentionality'. No matter how great my faith seems to be today, I still have to decide to follow Jesus tomorrow. Following Jesus is not a one time decision.

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Top 5 Ragamuffinpc Posts of 2011

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My Tops of 2011

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Here are a few random lists of my favorites, my tops, and most enjoyed of 2011. They are all in random order except the first of each; that will be my overall favorite of the year.

Books - The Pastor by Eugene Peterson - Next Christians by Gabe Lyons - All is Grace by Brennan Manning - Heart of the Story by Randy Frazee - The Feather Room by Anis Mojgani

Albums - Ghosts Upon the Earth by Gungor - Aftermath by Hillsong United - Odd Soul by Mutemath - Bon Iver by Bon Iver - Barton Hollow by Civil Wars - Simple Math by Manchester Orchestra - Metal & Wood by Tyrone Wells - Young Love by Mat Kearney - Inclusions by Ben Sollee

TV (other than SNL) - Parenthood - Up All Night - Modern Family - Work of Art: next greatest artist

Poets - Listener - Propoganda - Buddy Wakefield - The Robin and the Lady Poet

Blogs (I discovered in the last year) - Life to Her Years - Barefooton45th - Malisa Price - Faith on Campus

God waits

"Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you...He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you." -Isaiah 30:18-19 God waits for us! It is nice to know and yet, at the same time, unnerving to know that God waits to be gracious to us. We are inclined to wonder, "What is he waiting for?" I mean, come on God; go ahead and be gracious to me.

John Wesley reflected on this "waiting" by saying that God "patiently expects your repentance." God sits and waits for our repentance. He waits for us to repent, but he waits to be gracious. He is already prepared for his response to our repentance. He waits to be gracious. He already knows he will "rise up to show us compassion and mercy." God waits!

God patiently waits...for us. he is prepared to be gracious and merciful to us. That is his plan...when we repent. He "will surely be gracious to us AT THE SOUND OF OUR CRY." The outcome is already determined; grace and mercy. The only thing missing is the action; our repentance.. We are promised that God will hear our repentance and answer us with grace, compassion, and mercy.

God waits!

Most important question

I am more and more convinced the very most important question everyone and anyone has ever been asked and needs to answer is "Who do YOU say [Jesus] is?" We have to make account for what we do with Jesus. It does not matter what other people do with Him. It does not matter what other people say of Jesus. What matters with a weight I cannot possibly measure is what do I do with Jesus Christ.

Who do I say Jesus is? Is he Christ, Messiah, Savior, and Lord? Not just the words, but who I, in my heart of hearts, know Jesus to be? 

At the heart of my answer lies salvation and peace, but also conflict and opposition to others. Before you answer that question, it is important to know regardless of your answer you will directly oppose someone. You either oppose people and the norm or you oppose the Son of God.

There are consequences to both oppositions. You oppose men and you will face ridicule, persecution, and possibly death. Oppose the Son of God, and you will face death (crazy, we ALL face this one), or the pain of Jesus being ashamed of and separate from you (Mark 8:38).

Suddenly one consequence seems far less horrible than the other.

Mustard and Mountains

When you talk about having faith, you will often bring up the concept of having faith as small as a mustard seed. Mustard seeds are some of the smallest seeds, and if we could muster even a small amount of faith we could move mountains. Figurative or not; move mountains??? I began to think about this mustard seed thing. I mean, should I be embarrassed that I cannot move mountains? All I need is a little bit of faith for crying out loud. Can I not even muster enough faith to equal one of the smallest seeds? What is God's exchange ratio on faith required to size of an actual mustard seed?

I began to realize something though. ALL seeds need to be cared for. All seeds need to be planted and taken care of...maintained...nourished...watered...fed.

I am not sure that faith as small as a mustard seed means just a little faith here and there will give you the ability to just move mountains. That faith, which begins as small as a mustard seed, if fed, nourished, and watered well has the potential to grow into something phenomenal. Perhaps eventually, if taken good care of, that faith can one day move a mountain.

My church had an organ

I grew up in a church with an organ. That is an old piano looking instrument that one person could play with their hands and feet. This was also a time when you went to church on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. The church I grew up in had an amazing organ player (would that be an "organizer"). His name was John; he was arguably the best organ player in the state of Indiana, if not the world, as far as I knew.

Every once in a while on a Sunday night, there would be no sermon. The worship leader would just stand up behind the pulpit while John was at the helm behind the organ. The congregation would have hymnals in hand and shout out a number. John, in all his splendor, would immediately begin playing the requested hymn. The worship pastor would wave his hands in direction. That would be the service for the evening. We'd sing hymns for the evening in awe of God and John as well.

The last few days I have been stricken by two different hymns I am pretty sure I'd request if I were back at that church with Organ John nights.

I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

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I STAND AMAZED IN THE PRESENCE

These two hymns have been ravishing my heart the last few days. I am amazed by the words written by people who have obviously experienced Jesus and gone forward to flesh out that experience on paper. These hymns have resonated within my heart as well. Call the hymns stale if you wish, but in many of them there is eternal refreshing experiences of Abba.