Going to get Matthew

On Monday morning I sat down at my desk and received an email letting me know that we can finally bring Matthew home from Ethiopia. The first date to get him was only 2 days away, so we chose the second which is for next week. Naturally we are all very excited, but we are also a bit frantic trying to make preparations for his arrival. This week we bought his new bed at Wal-Mart, continued working on our home addition (thanks to my friend Jeremy) and are trying to dry out the basement which flooded (thanks to my friend Irene). My wife has already placed Matthew’s picture around our home so that he will immediately feel a part of the family when he arrives. We want him to feel like he has always been here.

In all of our preparations, I could not help thinking that as God’s adopted children he is making preparations for us.

When Jesus is telling his disciples that he is going to be leaving them, they are very sad about it. Here is what he tells them to bring them some comfort (John 14:1-3 NLT):

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

So we should take heart. In this world filled with many trials and troubling things, God is preparing for your arrival as His adopted child. He has an incredible home for you, one where you get to be in the presence of Jesus. One of the rooms has your name on the door. He has your picture on his wall. He thinks about you every single day. He has wonderful things for you, and he doesn’t shop at Wal-Mart.

Have you thought about it this way?

Joy: the neglected fruit

As a Christ-follower, we struggle to follow God’s commands. We are sinful people who tend to go our own direction at times. And yet, by the Holy Spirit’s power, we are able to prevail and produce “fruit” in our lives. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience…and so on. We rightfully place much importance on Love, thanks to the teachings of Jesus and Paul. But what about #2 on the list? What about joy?

The Bible actually commands us to have joy. 1 Thess. 5:16 (NLT) says: “Always be joyful.” Wow! Really!?? Always be joyful? Joy does not come naturally to me. But according to this passage it doesn’t matter, since joy is a command of God.

But it’s Monday. I’m tired. I didn’t have any coffee. I just don’t want to be joyful. So how do I even start?

Even in the English language, the link between the words Joy, joyful and rejoicing is obvious. Joy starts with worship. If you want to be joyful, you have to remind yourself each day of the object of your joy, namely God himself. Worshiping God is a way of turning our inward perspective outward. It is a way of realizing the many good things we have in this life. It is a way of casting our cares on Him and forgetting our many stressors. Worship begins to break down our sadness, fears and doubts. In their place comes a deep-seated contentment centered around the person of Christ.

So how will you approach this Monday? Will it be rejoicing? Since joy is a decision, it will take some work, but it is possible! Choose this better way of living, and you will be amazed at the difference.

(Check my fiend Jess's blog who writes on the topic of joy.)

Do the ends justify the means?

My wife and I like to watch shows that everyone else already watched. It’s easy to get them on blu-ray and enjoy them after the kids go to bed. Plus if they leave you with a cliffhanger, you just go and watch the next episode. We started watching 24 a few weeks ago, and are still deciding whether we will keep going with it. It’s fun and all, but my ability to suspend reality just isn’t that high. (I mean, how many times is that guy going to die?)

The show is a case study on a particular philosophical argument. It is the age old question of: Do the ends justify the means. For instance, if it is in the interest of national security, or saving the President, or avoiding a nuclear bomb going off in L.A., isn’t it plausible that you would do anything to stop it? You could even murder someone in cold blood (which Jack Bauer does) in order to save hundreds of thousands of people. That would be permissible, right?

Then Tim Challies, in his blog this week, was talking about pragmatism, which is the philosophy behind this idea. He was talking about how pragmatism effects churches. Sometimes I think I buy into the myth that the spiritual ends justify the means. As long as God “blesses” an event, and everything turns out good in the end, it doesn’t matter how I got there, right?

Wrong. God really cares about the process. It’s because he really cares about our hearts. Our heart posture toward God is more important to him than our results. It’s kind of like his slogan in the Old testament: to obey is better than sacrifice.

How are you doing with pragmatism? Do you subtly believe that the ends justify the means? Are the results more important, or how you got there?

Lambert the Sheepish Lion

Last year I got into an argument with my kids about a Disney short from years ago that they did not believe existed.  I told them the story of Lambert (you know, the sheepish lion).  They said it sounded made-up (of course it was made up, just not by me).  I won the argument thanks to YouTube, which seems to have every video ever made, including this rare gem. 

I clipped out a 2 minute segment that I think is an apt visual of the way many of us Christians live. Lambert is a lion who thinks he is a sheep.  At the end of the clip, when the wolf comes to eat his mother, he finally finds his voice.  He realizes that he is a lion and he had better start acting like it. Check it out!

Untitled from Rob Tucker on Vimeo.

How are you doing with your new identity in Christ?  Have you tapped into the full resources of his power? 

Why we pray "in Jesus name"

One of the side effects of being a pastor is that people look at you as a professional at prayer. You get paid to pray, so that makes you a pro. Last night I was playing ultimate Frisbee with a bunch of awesome young adults, and as we gathered around at the end, sure enough, they asked me to pray.

I always pray “in Jesus name,” as the Bible says we should come to the Father through the Son. But sometimes, if I’m completely honest, I say those words in a rote way. I tack them on the end of a prayer the way a political commercial tacks on the endorsement message. “This message is brought to you by the people (who for some reason) supported Ross Perot.”

But in a way, we don’t really even have to say the words if we mean them in our hearts. Coming in the name of someone simply implies the source of your authority. If I come in the name of the President of the United States, you know who sent me and what kind of authority I have. The name I come in also tells you my motivation. If I come in the name of peace, you know I mean you no harm. If I tell you to “Stop…in the name of love,” you know that I am just about to “break your heart.”

So as we come before the Father, the name that we invoke—first in our hearts and then on our lips, is Jesus. He is the one that gives us access to the throne. He is the one that motivates us to pray. He is the one who bought us at a high price. And through him we are guaranteed an audience with the one who made us.

So the next time you pray, try mixing it up. Try beginning your prayer in Jesus name. Use different wordings so that it doesn’t become a ritual. But most of all, let the words permeate your prayer in a way that has God sit up and take notice. Because he most certainly will.

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Magic Jesus

Today's guest post is from Rob Shepherd.  You will love the insight and wit at his blog.  Check it out!

I wish Jesus was like magic. Magic is quick and easy. You present a problem and then before your very eyes the problem is solved. All it takes is a few magic words. Oh and a wand. Oh and a cape. Oh and a top hat. All it takes is a few supplies and voila magic happens. Okay, it's not quite that easy. I once had to pay $59.99 in order to figure out how a magic trick worked. I saw a card float and then the magician said for just $59.99 you could learn how to make a card float. I'm a sucker. I said I'd use it become a great magician. I never became a magician. Maybe it's because I don't own the wand, cape, or top hat?


Magic is so great we name things after it. Magic Bullet. Magic Eraser. Magic Johnson. Magic is great...except for the fact that it's fake. Magic is an illusion. A slight of hand. It's entertaining, but it's not real. It would be nice if Jesus would just wave his hand over our problems and POOF they'd be gone. But that's not the way that Jesus works. In fact the Bible paints a very different picture of what a relationship with God is like.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 

The Bible compares a relationship with Jesus to running a race. I hate running. Before this year I would often say that the only reason anyone should ever run is if someone is chasing them, and the only reason that anyone should train to run is if they know in advance that someone is going to chase them. Running is hard. Running hurts. Running leaves scars. I started running this past year for exercise and I got really bad blisters. I know, I know buy the right socks. Who knew that they had jogging socks? So now running costs me something. I bought running shoes, socks, and one jogging shirt that says "Running Sucks."

A relationship with God is amazing, but it's like running. It takes discipline. It's not easy. And it comes with a cost, Jesus' life. Sometimes people think that when we run with God it causes God to love us more. They get upset when they do something good for God and they don't get a blessing in return. But running with God doesn't change God's perspective of us, it changes our perspective of Him. Running is the perfect analogy of a relationship with God because it's not easy. Being a Christ Follower doesn't guarantee that you won't struggle. It doesn't mean that life will be perfect. It doesn't mean that you won't hurt. It means that you have someone along side of you who has been there. Running with God changes your perspective of God because you see Him so much more clearly than when you don't run with Him. Like I said, running doesn't change God's perspective of you, it changes your perspective of Him.

Do you love or hate running?

What every Christian needs to know

Sometimes I think that God needs my help. But he doesn’t.

Sometimes I think he needs my words. Maybe if I give a great message at church, God will be more glorified than he already is. Or maybe lives will be changed if I work on that message a little bit more. Or maybe one of these days I will write a meaningful blog post. It will be so meaningful that the Kingdom of God will advance just a little bit further than it already has. Or maybe if I am a bit more like Jesus, people will see him through me, and want to be like him. Each of these thoughts have a little bit of Christian truth in them. God does want to be glorified through us.

But he doesn’t really need our help.

I read this the other day in Psalm 19:1-4:

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth…

I am often so worried that my small contribution will make a difference, that I forgot to look up and see the glory of God written across the skies. “Their message has gone throughout the earth”! God loves our service to him, but he doesn’t need it. The heavens already declare his glory to all people. The Bible says if we are quiet, even rocks will cry out to worship him. Trees will give him a standing ovation. This world may be broken, but it still knows who’s Boss.

If you’re like me, and you get a bit neurotic about this, allow this truth to release you. It does not mean that your work is unimportant. It means that the pressure’s off. You are not solely responsible for the outcome of this grand story. God is. And he has already set everything in motion toward a great finale.

When Tony Campolo jumped the shark

One recent commenter reminded me of the mother of all Tony Campolo quotes:

"I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a s@#t. What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said s@#t than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night."

At first glance, this intentionally shocking statement gets you in the gut and makes you really think about your priorities. However there is a fundamental problem with the theology. It supposes that you have to choose between inward purity and outward actions. You can either be mad about swearing, or about poverty. You can either be morally correct, or missionally correct. But you can’t be both.

You could argue that this is one of the problems with postmodernism. It is sometimes a reactionary pendulum swing that leaves some of classic Christian teachings behind.

But listen to the biblical definition of true religion:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

I love how God says it’s both. He wants us to be justice minded and active in our faith, and he wants us to be pure in our inward selves. He wants us to look after orphans, and he wants us to be distinct from the world around us.

But why?

Jesus said that “out of the heart the mouth speaks.” He said that it is not what goes into a person that defiles him, but what comes out (Mt. 15:11). The idea here is that even our best actions are tainted if they don’t come from a pure heart. In God’s economy, the ends don't justify the means. He wants both the ends and the means to be done his way.

Of course neither outward actions nor inward purity is possible without the Holy Spirit’s help. But that’s the good news! We don’t have to do it on our own! God will transform our hearts and allow our good deeds to come flowing out!

What are you trying to say?

The other day I was meeting with a community outreach organizer for York city. We decided to meet at Starbucks, which is unfortunate, since I gave up caffeinated coffee a while back (read about this silly idea). He ordered a frappe, I ordered a decaf (*cough* LOSER!). The barista asked what size he wanted. He said medium.

When he said medium, I swear I heard tires screeching and dishes crashing. (Actually I didn’t swear because of this post.) The barista looked up at him with a confused look, as if to ask him what hole he crawled out of.

I whispered grande,
and immediately the wheels of Starbucks started back into motion again.

He’s not alone either. I go to Starbucks fairly regularly, and I can never remember that a small is really a tall. It just doesn’t seem right.

A friend of mine was telling me the other day about a service she went to where the minister might as well have been speaking in another language. It was like he wanted to impress people with the theological nuance he had acquired with years of study and education. People in the audience simply had no clue what he was trying to say. I can’t help wonder why this is still true in many (most?) churches. Every fiber of my being aches to make God’s truth known to people in clear and accessible ways.

Should we really need a decoder ring at church?

Should only people in the “in crowd” of Christ-followers be the ones that get it? Like some kind of inside joke?

And are these the same questions people asked about the Pharisees?

Is swearing really a big deal?

My wife was telling me that as a substitute teacher, times have changed. She said that she is not allowed to discipline if she hears a student drop the “f-bomb.” (The “F” is for fun!) She can only say something if they say the word to her directly.

When I was looking at some of the responses to Donald Miller’s gender posts last week, I noticed a bit of a trend. The person responding would list why Don's thoughts were not biblical, and then would throw in a few expletives to let you know just how unbiblical they really were.

Or, if a Christian wants to swear but doesn’t want to seem, well, un-Christian, they can simply use the many new letter codes that make up "Christian" obscenities. I will reserve listing them all here. (Jon Acuff says that I shouldn't know them anyway.)

There’s a growing number of Believers who argue that swearing is no big deal. A swear word is just a word. The context dictates whether or not it is used in a harmful way. No one should be judged by the word, only how the word is used.

But is this true? Here are some reasons that it isn't:

#1 Words are important.
The more we treat language loosely, the weaker our language becomes. The weaker the language, the wearker the society.  Words have meaning, and if we care about truth, we need to choose them carefully.

#2 Swearing shows a lack of discipline
It takes discipline to hold back from a choice word. It’s easy to swear. Finding a better word, one that builds up, rather than tears down, takes work.

#3 Swearing is still offensive to most people.
If I the next time I gave a message at church, I let loose a 4-letter word, what would the response be? *Gasp*  If it's offensive at church, shouldn't it be offensive in your home, or at work?

#4 God wants us to have wholesome language
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Despite what some argue, it is impossible to build someone up with obscenities.

What do you think?

One secret to a great marriage

I found out recently that a young married couple that I am friends with have a secret. It’s a deep dark secret that they don’t just share with anyone. But they let me in on it, and now I am going to tell you:

They use secret hand signals.

Oh yeah. Hand signals. All I could think of was, in 18 years of marriage why had I not thought of this?

For instance, when they are talking socially in a group, and one of them needs to break away from an awkward conversation, they have a signal for that. If it’s late, and it’s time to go home but they don’t want to be rude, they have a signal for that.

Now that I have broken into their little code, of course, they can no longer use these signals on me. I can go on being as awkward as I want to be, and I will remain…inescapable.

But I digress.

I wondered what hand signals I could begin to implement in my marriage? I could certainly use one for talking about stuff around my 3 children. Spelling words out no longer works when all of your kids can read. “Hey honey, do you think we should go to H-e-r-s-h-e-y Park this weekend?” I mean, even my 6 year figured that one out.

Or maybe I could use a secret hand signal at church? Like if the sermon is going too long, or if someone is telling me about their foot problem. This could be very useful. I would signal for my wife, and she would come rescue me from being perceived as rude.

And then there is the matter of what these secret signs should look like. I, for one, would like to use big swooping gestures. Like flapping my arms like a bird or jumping up and down on one leg. Probably I would like to add sound effects as well.

Subtle, I know.

What do you think? What would be the most useful time to have a secret hand signal?

Donald Miller’s controversial posts on gender and relationships

The more I looked at Donald Miller’s recent posts on gender and relationships (part 1 and part 2) the more my mouth dropped open. I am a big Don Miller fan, I have been for some time. I have read all of his books, followed his blog, and his To Own a Dragon is my all-time favorite book. And that’s really saying something.

So I was very interested what he would say about relationships, gender roles, and how to “write a good love story.” Wow, was he blunt! This did not seem like the bohemian Donald Miller that we are all accustomed to.

But I liked his bluntness. It seemed refreshing. Candid. Authentic. And those are also words that I equate with Donald Miller.

He took a lot of heat though. If you scan down through the hundreds of comments, you can see all kinds of criticism for his views. Some were upset about his word choices being demeaning to women (e.g., "slutty"). Some disagreed with the sentiment that men should step up and be the authors of the love story (which implies that women take a more passive role).

Working with young adults, I thought more of the women would be thrilled with what he wrote. It’s the kind of stuff twenty-something females complain about all the time. They consistently say they wish young men would step it up. Lead. Be more courteous. Have more spiritual backbone. Be less immature. Stop hanging out with loser friends. I was surprised that so many negative comments were from women.

All of this points to one conclusion. Our culture is very divided on the issue of gender. I think we want to have our cake and we want to eat our cake. That is, we want men and women to play the same roles, AND we want them to play the traditional roles that we admire in our grandparents. We want a woman to be Carrie Bradshaw, and we want her to be Ruth Graham. We want a man to be Ashton Kutcher, AND we want him to be John Eldredge.

But I’m not sure we can be both.

What did you think about Donald Miller’s post? What’s your thoughts on this hot-button issue?

Baptism...How embarassing!

My two oldest (10, 13) are getting baptized in a couple of weeks. It’s pretty exciting. My youngest isn’t ready yet. I knew that because the other day she asked what a baptism was, and I explained it. After a lengthy adult discourse and definition of baptism, she looked at me and said she was sure she could do it. I said, “how do you know?” She said, it was easy, “I can hold my breath for 10 seconds under water.”

If you are a Christ follower, but have not yet responded in obedience to being baptized, you should! It’s not only a way to obey God’s command, but it is a huge encouragement to those who participate to see what God has done in your life! Plus, I believe there are huge spiritual benefits for taking this step of obedience. One of the problems for people who have been Christians a while is that it can be embarrassing to get baptized later in life. It shouldn’t be, but it is. Consequently, a person may put it off even longer.

It’s kind of like my stinking wisdom teeth that just now my dentist is telling me he wants to take out. I kind of feel silly for not having them out earlier, but it’s too late.

It’s also how Peter must have felt when Jesus said he was going to wash his feet. “You’re not going to wash my feet Lord!” Peter barked. It was embarrassing. But really, this kind of embarrassment is just misguided pride. Peter was too prideful to allow Jesus to wash his feet. Because if Jesus had humbled himself before Peter, then Peter would have had to humble himself below others he saw himself above. But fortunately Peter did allow it. It was because Jesus said, “unless you let me wash your feet, you will have no part in me.” Ouch. And baptism is similar according to the Scriptures. It is something that we need to allow God to do for us in order for us to better serve others.

I’m so glad my kids have decided they want to get baptized. How about you?

What's wrong with the sinner's prayer?

I first heard of the so-called “sinner’s prayer” when I was just a kid. Someone said I needed to ask Jesus into my heart, and so I did. I meant every word, and it stuck. However, countless amounts of people through the years have been told the same thing…but it doesn’t seem to always…stick.

You know what I mean.

The prayer formula goes something like this: “Dear Lord, I confess that I am a sinner. I ask forgiveness for all of my sins. I ask that Jesus would come into my heart and take those sins away. Fill me with your Holy Spirit…Amen.”

There are many varieties, but that is the gist of it.

The problem with the prayer is that it is not always from the heart. Since it is often repeated or said in a group, the person repeating it doesn’t have to mean it. They may be feeling no different than the way Jack felt when he acquired a handful of magic beans.

But there is a bigger problem still. People who have prayed this prayer have often been told that they are eternally saved—that they need not fear because “once saved always saved,” and “anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” Now while I believe these sentiments, I do not like how they are applied to the magic prayer. Why? Because I know too many people holding onto this prayer as if it is a kind of “get-out-of-jail-free” card. They feel that since they prayed the prayer, they no longer have to worry. The problem is, their lives remain unaffected. The Spirit of God has not entered in. Nothing has changed. There is no fruit which would reveal a transformed heart.

There’s nothing wrong with helping people pray to Jesus and even giving them the words to say. But if you are in a position of spiritual power, please think twice before you sell magic beans with the promise to take people into heaven…the Kingdom of God is so much more than that!

Another post on prayer...

Why God loves to use the weak

If you do not always feel strong, powerful, put-together, popular, gorgeous, perfect, or generally worthy—you’re in good shape!

God would love to use you for his purposes.

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong (1 Cor. 1:27).

I was watching Captain America yesterday and was intrigued with the reason Steve Rogers was chosen to become a super-soldier. It was not because of his strength. It was because he was, well, wimpy. But even though he was physically weak, he had a strong inner self. The scientist chose him because since he had been bullied, he would never become a bully himself.

I was never a clear candidate to be a leader for anything. I was never the fastest, strongest, tallest, best looking, or most in command. In 8th grade, I was the shortest boy in a large class. This fact was made more humiliating in that we had an 8th grade graduation and marched according to height. Oh yes we did. And yet, God has continued to increase my responsibility, and has repeatedly allowed me to lead in various capacities. Why does God revel in using the weak to do his work? Here’s a few possible reasons:

#1 God uses the weak because they embrace compassion.
A strong person may never know what it means to be at the bottom. When I was about 10 years old, I was standing in a soup kitchen line to get dinner with my mother. I was the kid who got “free lunch” at school, and wore ratty clothes. Even though I was only poor for a brief period of my life, I will never forget what it felt like.

#2 God uses the weak because of the seduction of power.
Those who have known an absence of power in their lives, are keenly aware of how it can be abused. They may have been victims of the abuse of power. There is a sensitivity to how power is used, and that it is used for good. Of course in time, anyone can be seduced by power in a way that uses it in harmful ways.

#3 God uses the weak because he gets all the credit.
People really take notice when God uses small people in big ways. Notice the reaction in Acts 4:13: When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. The credit goes where it belongs—to Jesus!

#4 God uses the weak because of the upside-down nature of the kingdom
Jesus teaches that the first will be last, the last will be first. He teaches that those who want to be strong, should become weak. He shows us what a true hero looks like—one who sacrifices his life for others. Using “weak” people makes perfect sense in the kingdom of God.

So if you have a weakness, take heart! God loves to use us weak people. He will use you!

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