Passion

Growing up in the sixties one of my television heroes was Mr. Spock, of Star Trek Fame. Spock rocked my world – a world filled with cowboy shoot-em-up shows (Rawhide, Gunsmoke, etc…) and war shows (Combat! 12 O’clock High, etc…). The Vulcan’s rational detachment and lack of ego seemed to usher in a new era and gave me something different to think about. Of course on the show Spock’s passionless behavior was always juxtaposed against the fiery demeanor and “shoot first, ask questions later” ways of Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy's considerate ways. Spock was dispassionate, Kirk was passionate, and Dr. McCoy rounded out the trinity by being compassionate.

These three are engaging examples of that somewhat mysterious word, ‘passion.’ Passion has multiple meanings and is defined as: a) strong feelings or emotions; b) something that is desired intensely as in, "His passion for fame destroyed him;" c) mania: an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action as in, “It was a crime of passion;” d) feelings of strong sexual desire; and e) the suffering of Jesus at the Crucifixion. Wow, talk about a wide variety of meaning!

Our English word ‘passion’ comes from the Greek word pathos, which, like the English word, has more than one meaning. It can mean something that happens to you that is either good or bad, but it usually means something bad; something that happens to make you suffer. It can also be something that you suffer for, such as a passionate desire. Pathos is where our English word pathology comes from, which is the study of disease; what went wrong. It’s also where we get our word pathetic, which means pitiful. Pathos in literature and art is what arouses feelings of pity or sorrow. Any way you turn it, the word is associated with feelings.

The question remains though; is passion a good thing, or a bad thing? Passion causes us to do stupid things, but it also beckons us onward and upward to our greatest achievements. Perhaps that’s why passion has remained “front and center” in matters of faith. In Christianity there was the Passion of Christ, which was a good thing, then along came the monastic fathers, who urged believers to check their passions, then came the religious awakening in the 18th century where Christians once again proved that passion has its place in Christianity. In Buddhism passion is what leads you astray and is a problem to be overcome through renunciation.

Personally, I believe passion has its place in Christianity and is almost always a good thing. Yes, we need to logically think through our doctrine and beliefs, but eventually a leap of faith is called for – a passionate leap to breathe life into our stale dogmas. Something that causes the heart to beat faster, tears to flow, and a lump to form in the throat. Something you can feel.

To return to my opening words about the Star Trek trinity; perhaps what we need most today is an amalgam of the three: The cool calculating Spock, the heat-bringing zest of Kirk, and the kind and caring doctor, McCoy. Each needs the other to be whole; each is less without the other. So are we; the same could be said for our faith.

I’ve always felt it takes a combination all three of these to make a good sermon too. Hopefully you’ll experience that this week when I preach. If not – if my ears get a little pointy, or if my finger itches to pull the trigger, or if I get too mushy, give me a sign, will you? Meanwhile, live long and prosper.

Windows 7 Released Today

Today is a big day in the computing world as the latest operating system from Windows, Windows 7, is being released. This event will cause nary a ripple in the life of 99% of the world’s population (including, for instance, my wife Donna’s world), but here I am sitting at my laptop typing using the “old” Vista operating system and suddenly I feel totally outdated. Why is that? I wasn’t outdated yesterday. Why do I feel that way today? What kind of hold do technology vendors like software companies, television makers (HD, 3D, 780p, 1080i, etc….) and telephone makers (Iphone I, II, III, etc..) have on me? What kind of power do they have over my mind that they can suddenly make me feel old fashioned with the release of the latest, greatest device or program that will instantly change my life?

The truth is, it’s impossible to stay updated with technology unless you are Warren Buffett, and he doesn’t appear to care about technology. And so I sit and wonder; should I spring for the $119 upgrade to Windows 7? Should I trade in my old-fashioned Blackberry for a sleek new Iphone?

Naah…the best things are the oldest. Give me a good old book – the paper and ink kind, not a Kindle. Give me a telephone that makes calls and doesn’t do everything else in the world. Give me Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Most of all, give me Jesus. He alone can satisfy that emptiness that makes me think I need to update my PC or buy a new television.

It does occur to me that the church has something to learn here however. Imagine if we could create the kind of thirst for God and the things of God that technology companies do for their products. Imagine driving up to your church on Sunday morning and seeing the line to get in going around the block like you see whenever the latest Iphone is released? Wouldn’t that be awesome? What can we learn from them? Food for thought….

And the Winner Is....

This past weekend was one of those rare weekends when all the “good guys” won. On Friday night all four of our county high school teams won their games, Georgia and Georgia Tech won on Saturday, and the Falcons won a thriller on Sunday night to finish the hat trick. That’s pretty amazing; in fact I don’t remember a time when it has ever happened before.

Let’s face it, winning feels good, doesn’t it? For some reason, when “our team” wins, we feel better about life; everyone loves a winner. We especially love those improbable wins; those times when the underdog wins over a highly favored opponent. Thinking about that this weekend it occurred to me that we have a God who specializes in just that kind of victory. We have a “David over Goliath” kind of God; a God who took a weak and defenseless group of slaves and liberated them from Egypt – the most powerful nation in the world at the time. A God who told Gideon to leave all but 300 of his 22,000 soldiers behind before going into battle to defeat a highly favored enemy. Clearly God’s choice is to pick those whom the world sees as “losers” to win. Our God is a God who “chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise,” and the “lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are” (1 Cor. 1:27).

I am convinced that our desire to associate with winners is, at least in part, the reason many people are so enamored with mega-churches. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve got nothing against mega-churches, but I honestly believe that the reason some people attend them is to associate with a “winner.” That says a couple of things to me. First, it indicates that there is definitely something to be said for at least having the appearance of a winner; people are attracted and the message gets out, which is a good thing. But second, it speaks to our need (in the church) to make sure the world’s definition of success hasn’t become our definition. Our definition of success is not the same as the world’s definition. Full pews, overflowing parking lots, and tons of programs do not necessarily indicate a healthy, successful church. Nor do full bank accounts or even the absence of conflict within a church.

If you turn to Scripture you find a different indicator of success. Success in the church equals one thing: disciples of Jesus Christ are being made. Success is not just great worship or evangelism or social action. All of these are wonderful, but they are not the main thing. The main thing is to help people grow into fully committed Jesus-followers who, in turn, win and disciple others. Everything the church does should point people to Jesus and help them grow in their relationship with him. According to the Bible, a church doing that is successful - it is a winner – in God’s eyes. Doing anything less is not worthy of Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us.

That said; ask yourself this: “Is my church successful? Is my church a “winner?” I hope you can answer that question in the affirmative.

A New Bible

I have a confession to make. I am obsessed with Bibles. I love Bibles; all kinds of Bibles – big ones, little ones, leather ones, paperback ones, old ones, new ones, - all different versions and translations – you name it, I’d like to have it, I love Bibles. I probably own over fifty Bibles; I’ve never actually counted but I’m sure it would be close to that.

Truth be told, I love books in general. I am what the dictionary calls a bibliophile. In Greek, “biblio” means book and “philo” means love, so a bibliophile is a book-lover; someone one who loves to read, admire and collect books. Bibliophilia is not to be confused with bibliomania, which is an obsessive-compulsive disorder involving the collecting of books to the point where one’s social relations or health is endangered. I remember loving books even when I was a child. I loved it in elementary school when you got that handout from the Scholastic Book Club and you got to order a few new books. They were cheap paperback versions of books, often abridged classics, but I can still remember the difficulty I had selecting which titles to order and the smell of the ink on the pages when the books finally arrived in the classroom in a big box and the teacher handed them out. I Googled this memory and discovered times have certainly changed. Now you place your Scholastic Book Club orders online through your teacher’s web portal: that makes me feel really old and outdated. But I am digressing badly here – back to Bibles.

My story is I bought another Bible this week. I have decided I want a smaller Bible to use when I am preaching, but it can’t be too small because then I can’t see the print to read it. I needed just the right one. I checked with Barnes & Noble and Amazon, to no avail. Then I went to a couple of Christian bookstore websites (CBD and Cokesbury). Finally on Thursday I made a quick run down to my local Lifeway store (Northpoint Mall) and there, right inside the door to the store was a display with the exact Bible I wanted. Best of all, it was on sale for only ten bucks! It is a Zondervan Compact Thinline Bible. The photo above is the Bible. It has a “simulated leather” cover with an embossed cross on the front. It’s really nice. It is a “trim, go-anywhere pocket Bible that contains the entire Old and New Testaments plus many features usually found only in full-size Bibles” according to the advert for the Bible (read more here).

At any rate, I’m excited to try it out on Sunday. Meanwhile, I don’t understand the obsession I have with Bibles. Maybe it’s because I love Scripture so much. Or maybe it’s because I’m hoping someday I will find the perfect Bible; one where I hear God speaking to me every time I crack it open. I don’t know, we’ll see. Meanwhile, I’ve got my eye on a nice, used, leather-bound Living Bible I saw at Goodwill today… maybe next week!

Influences

Donna recently told me the story of meeting a teacher at her new school. In an attempt to see if they had any friends in common Donna mentioned a good friend of hers who teaches the same subject. When she mentioned the name, the other teacher exclaimed, “She is why I went into teaching! She inspired me to become a teacher.” This young teacher went on to explain that from the time she had this teacher back in middle school she knew she wanted to be a teacher.

That story got me thinking about influence; especially about those who have influenced me the most. Think for a moment; who has influenced your life the most? Who are the top five most influential people in your life right now?

Many of us would list our parents, grandparents, siblings, spouse, or other family members. Others might include a teacher from their school days, a sports coach, college roommate, or perhaps a mentor from their vocation in their top five. Some might include a pastor or best friend.

The people who influenced me most, especially in my early years, were my parents. They gave me a solid foundation and a great start to life. I can also still feel the imprint of high school teachers and coaches, seminary professors, and colleagues in ministry. Many of my influences lived hundreds of years ago, because I have been influenced by their writings. Some of my influences are still alive but I’ve never met them, again because I have read their stories, heard them speak, and read their books. The greatest influence in my life today is my wife; if I could be more like any person – living or dead – it would be her.

Who are your top influences? As you think about this, keep in mind that not all those who influence us do so positively; some people influence us in ways that are to our detriment. With some people we say, “I’d like to be just like him/her.” With others we say, “I hope I am never like that.” Some people draw us higher with their influence; others bring us down.

Now that you are thinking about this; you may want to take it a step further. Ask yourself why that person has been such an influence on your life. Ask yourself if you have lived up to the expectation they set in your life. You might even want to ask yourself if their influence on your life was even warranted.

Finally, if one of your “top five” is still around, you might want to take the time to express your appreciation to them. Call them, write them, email them, or go see them. They may not even know they have been an inspiration to you in your life. Every influencer deserves that.

Catalyst 2009

Last Week I attended the 2009 version of the Catalyst Conference along with some of our staff and Elders. Catalyst is an outstanding Christian leadership conference and this was their tenth anniversary. I have attended three or four of the ten. This year's edition had some great speakers including Andy Stanley, Rob Bell, Chuck Swindol, Malcolm Gladwell, Tony Dungy, Matt Chandler, Priscilla Shirer, Dave Ramsey, Louie Giglio, Francis Chan, and others.

A few people have asked me what my biggest "takeaway" from the conference was. That's tough to say because there were so many excellent speakers and I learned so much. I guess if I had to narrow it all down it would that I heard a clear word to return to my first love: Jesus Christ. At last year's conference it seemed like I heard more about things in our church that need fixing. This year's conference seemed to be more about things in me that need fixing.

We all have things going on in our churches. Some of them are good; and some are bad. In the end, however, we all have the same goal: to stand before Jesus and hear him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

It was Louie Giglio who pointed out that many of us are standing on our marks, ready to run the race, but we need to ask ourselves where are we headed. We need to settle the destination of our journey. Why is that so important? Because of the ways in which our destination impacts the journey along the way. Giglio shared a quote from Thomas Merton who once said, "Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire."

I left Catalyst wondering, what is it I desire? What is the destination of my journey? How does that destination shape my day-to-day life and ministry? As Giglio pointed out as he concluded his talk, "When the world says, 'I found God on your face,' that is leadership." That's what it is all about.

What am I going to do about this? Simple: In order to reflect Jesus' face I'm going to need to spend a lot more face time with Him myself. That's my biggest takeaway. Lord, help me to do just that... Amen.

Words to Live On

Today's New Testament passage in my dail Bible reading spoke to me in a powerful way. Great words for us all from the Apostle Paul from First Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 12-22.


Words to honor your pastor and other spiritual leaders (v. 12-13):
"Now we ask you brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest respect in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

Words to those who are pastors and spiritual leaders (v. 14-15):
And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody repays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kinds to each other and to everyone else.

Words to us all (v. 16-22):
Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

Lost in Cyberspace

I just had a weird experience with email. One of my accounts is with AT&T (formerly BellSouth) and apparently AT&T is currently migrating all their mail to Yahoo. Somehow in the process 458 of my emails got temporarily "lost." At least I would call them lost - lost in cyberspace. But AT&T claims they never were really lost; my overly polite and courteous customer service agent told me tonight that AT&T knew where my emails were all the time. They just didn't get them to me.

Long story short...I was sitting at my laptop with Outlook open when suddenly emails started flying into my inbox, one right after another. I knew something was going on. I called and spoke with AT&T and they apologized, but still, I've got a mess to clean up.

It turns out that of the 458 emails only about 20 of them were anything even remotely approaching what you would call "important." Not a single one reached the "crucial" level. Still, it's scary to think people emailed me three weeks ago about something and I didn't get their email until tonight (I have already apologized to everyone who did). I suppose I rely too much on email; the failure to receive one, or worse, to respond to one can cause a lot of unnecessary grief and pain. Who wants a pastor who you can email, but who is apparently choosing to ignore you?

I am sure there is some deep philosophical, theological, or homiletical gem in this snafu somewhere, but for the life of me, I can't think of it tonight. Maybe I should just turn off my laptop and turn in. Yes...that's exactly what I'll do. Good night.

PS - if you ever email me and don't hear back within three weeks, please call.

FORTY DAYS OF LOVE
The time period of forty days appears to be important in Scripture. Over and over again this particular period of time is mentioned. Here are a few examples:

It rained for 40 days and 40 nights when God wanted to cleanse the world and start over (Gen 7:12) and then Noah waited another 40 days after it rained before he opened a window in the Ark (Gen 8:6). Moses was on the mountain with God for 40 days – twice (Exodus 24:18, 34:28-29 and Deut. 10:10). It took the spies 40 days to search out the Promised Land (Num. 13:25). For 40 days, twice a day, morning and evening, Goliath the Philistine giant strutted in front of the Israelite army and taunted them before he was finally killed by David (1 Sam 17:16). Elijah strengthened by one angelic meal was on the lamb for 40 days ending up on Mount Horeb where the Lord passed by and he heard the still, small voice of God (1 Kings 19:8). Righteous Ezekiel was punished for Judah’s sin for 40 days (Ezek. 4:6). Jonah warned the City of Nineveh they had 40 days until God would overthrow the city. The people repented in those 40 days and God spared the city (Jonah 3:4, 10). Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness (Mat 3:17) and was seen on the earth 40 days after His crucifixion (Acts 1:3).

Obviously, 40 days is a symbolic time. We believe 40 days are significant at NewSong as well. A few years ago we observed a 40 day season as we went through the Purpose Driven Life book as a congregation, focusing on personal renewal. We believe only changed people can change the world; renewal must start there. The foundation for everything in life begins with getting to know and love God and then to begin growing in him and serving. But we were never meant to live our lives in isolation. We need others, and they need us. There is a second kind of renewal needed – relational renewal. That’s what the 40 day season we are about to begin is all about. We must not only learn to love God with all our heart (personal renewal); we must also learn to love our neighbor as ourselves (relational renewal).

Relational renewal is so important we are going to spend 40 days – six weeks - learning how to add depth and health to our marriages, families, and friendships. We will be studying love and practicing love as we explore and implement the relationship principles the Bible teaches. Our goal in the end is to be more loving and to be better equipped with insights and a practical path for fulfilling God’s intention for all our relationships – even the difficult ones.

What does this mean for you? You have several options depending on how deep you’d like to go. You can come to worship for the next six weeks and listen as I preach on love and how to build stronger relationships (you can also listen to, or read, the sermons online, or request a CD or DVD of each message). A second option would be to hear the sermons and enroll in a small group to meet with others to go deeper. To go even deeper you can listen to the sermons, join a small group and then use the book the series is based on, The Relationship Principles of Jesus by Tom Holladay as your daily devotional guide for the 40 Days. This book is available at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon.com and at most other bookstores.

I’m very excited to see what God is going to do through this campaign as we learn how to build healthier relationships in all aspects of our lives. It will be great to all be all doing this together as well.