My first 5k and other ideas...

So I just ran my first 5k today. It was quite the spectacle. So many people showed up that the parking down by Monument Valley park could have been sold to the highest bidder.

This run was to help out some friends of ours. Holly Aldridge lost her husband on Dec 21, 2012 as he was jogging to work. This man who was a lover of Jesus and friend to everyone he met was simply promoted from this world to the next in a blink of an eye, doing what he loved to do.

He left a wife and 3 kids. He left a workplace that loved him. He left a whole cadre of friends that, quite frankly, are pissed that he's gone.

But I digress. Today we participated in this 5k in his honor, all proceeds going to Holly for her support. I heard that they raised over $10k to help with costs of living etc. and I could not be more pleased. I think Dave would be happy, too.

As I was walking/running with my son, I realized again how precious and short this life is. Sometimes it passes by far too quickly. Other times it drags along at a snails pace. But whether or not we have a short time on this chosen planet or a full and long life, I've concluded that with Jesus is the only true fulfillment once can receive.

Piles of money will not make you happy. A grande house will not make you happy. A bottomless checking account won't either. But time with Jesus and his love is a new thing. In Him is fullness of joy and peace. In him is the hope that only he provides.

And that is something my friend lived for. I hope to do the same!

Follow the Master

So there I was last night, sitting down after a particularly grueling day. Keeping in mind there are souls at work for the kingdom right now that would chuckle at that description of office work, I was still bushed from the work I've been doing at the office.

It was just before bedtime and I was talking with my bride. I say talking, but it was more of a complaining session.

She asked a very compelling question. Do I think God's next step for me was to change the work I was doing where I am or to send me to a new place to do something completely new? I pondered my response and stared blankly when I clearly heard this phrase in my soul, "Follow the Master."

Simple, right?

There was a time, early in my walk with Jesus, when I wanted to follow Him everywhere. My life was full of direction and, dare I say, adventure. The tasks I took on were simple, full of meaning and purpose. Not because the tasks were so great but because the Master infused every element of the task.

Then I grew old. Not only physically, but in my faith. I put my ship on autopilot and began to coast. The vigor began to dry up and the work became tedious and more complicated.

Fast forward to my conversation with my bride last evening. Once she had spoken and I had sensed the voice of the Master in my heart, I felt young again. I recalled the early days of a simple faith, those times of adventure and of fear--of not knowing the exact outcome. To borrow from the vernacular of chess, every move had been planned and endgame was reached.

So this morning I was reading in Matthew and came across this passage:

""Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace." click to read 

And I thought deeply about my response. If my life is not my own and I am truly to follow the master, the purest and best method is to be tuned into Jesus, simply allowing Hime to visit His grace on me.

Let's see where this leads...

I'm hungry

So I've recently been reading a couple of blog posts, pondering a few deep thoughts, following some very gifted thinkers in the ever expanding twitterverse and I'm beginning to see a pattern. I'm hungry.

Yeah, I know--but this is not just another post about about my daily caloric intake. It's occurred to me that I am genuinely hungry for the things of God. Golden clouds, dreams, or visions not withstanding, I am mostly seeking a deep and abiding experience with God Most High. These things I'm reading, following, or discussing are reminding me of something far too important to miss.

I recall times when I have feasted on the Lord...really focused intentionally on the Wine of the Word and drinking to the last dregs the truth of He who is the Word. I would scrape every last crumb of the Bread of Life off of the table and then, like Oliver Twist, ask for more.

My days consisted of sweet communion with the Lord and waking and spending much time with Jesus. I would go out with a song in my heart from that place of mystical union and dwell with Him the whole day long. Each moment was filled with the potential of knowing Him and His character in my life. I was full.

Then something happened. I became sleek. I think the old English word means to grow fat. I no longer sought Him as I once did. Other things began to take my attention off of Jesus--the real food and drink--and I began to consume things that were not good for me.

It has been a slow drift, and I'm keenly aware of my smallness in all this.

I compromised on the “best foods” and began to fill myself with junk. Though beautiful to see and sweet to to eat, this food holds no nutritional value. And yet, I consume so much of this I've seemingly forgotten what real food truly is.

And I've become lazy--unwilling to change my diet or do anything that would put me back on the track for spiritual health. Slowly, I've lost my appetite for things of the Spirit.

How have I so quickly moved away from that which provides such great benefits? Why have I moved so rapidly from that which promises wholeness and health? How deceived and prideful must I be before I realize the “weight” I carry around is not required?

So for the last week or so, I've consciously been “eating in.” I'm doing what I must so I can be what He desires. I'm trying to not fill my shopping cart with junk but I am genuinely soaking in the truth He has placed in His word, that He has displayed in His creation, and shared in amazing conversations with friends and colleagues.

Sometimes I begin to believe that eating-in is boring...sometimes I sneak a sweet treat and feel sick after. But always the Feast is prepared before me in the presence of my enemies.

I Guess I still have a ways to go. But I'm not discouraged. Wanna know why?

I think I'm getting hungry again.

Learning about holiness from a necklace chain

Have you ever started working on a seemingly insignificant project and had God speak to your heart about something completely different? Yeah, me too.

And so it began...

This morning I was endeavoring to untangle my daughter's necklace chain. Something simple, right? After all, how difficult can it be to undo what has happened by mere happenstance?

Plenty, if you have giant digits compared to a chain that was created by workers endowed with magical, elf-like spindles for fingers.

large fingers...small chain

So I began to think about it and recalled an ancient secret purported to have been developed by hobbits (notorious for having larger than normal fingers and toes) wherein they would gather toothpicks left by rather rude underground dwellers to use as de-tangling tools. 

OK, I actually heard it from others who have had a similar circumstance...so I took heed and gathered some toothpicks.

The tangle taunts me yet a second time.

Now I was ready to undo the damage. I began to wrestle with this tiny chain, attempting to un-knit the tangles that had been so serendipitously constructed. With each attempt, the tangle only seemed to tighten.

The knots closed in on each other with a vengeance. And my patience began to wear thin. Even with these "tools" it was challenging. I was thinking about giving up, but something pushed me forward. Then this word came into my mind. PERSEVERANCE.

The work continues

Perseverance. Interesting. But there was more and more to do so I quickly pushed that word aside and continued on my quest. I would open one section, and another would tangle. As another opened, two more knots would form. I would lift the entire mess from the table and allow gravity to help. But additional knots tightened. I could not catch a break. 

The work dragged on as I began to consider of the delicacy of the chain and the work I was attempting. I could have easily thrown in the towel and purchased a new chain, but that pesky word would not allow it. My thoughts again drifted to something above this seemingly futile exercise.

This chain didn't tangle itself, though it most certainly had been tangled. And since the tangle, it had become unusable. 

Then came this concept...SIN IS A TANGLE THAT RENDERS ME UNUSABLE. No matter how much I would like it to be otherwise,  my own "self" renders me exempt from my original purpose. The more I would loose myself, the tighter the knots become. Each attempt to free myself results in tighter bondage. And I am unable to free myself from that which renders me unusable. 

Sheesh. So now what? I've got a tangle here, people. Not a philosophical tangle, but a very real tangle!

Getting close now...

Well, I kept on going. I was not to be stopped by this chain. I kept considering these thoughts while I fiddled...God's perseverance,  His pursuit of me, the sin in my life that kept me from the purposes He had intended...

As I continued to work this chain, there would be times I gently pulled and other times it was necessary to be more "sincere" with the effort...pressing the knot and pulling harder. In this context of sin, I recall God's gentle grace for certain parts of this walk toward holiness and other times He stood in the path forcing me to face Him and the consequence of my poor behavior and choices. Both of these were for a single purpose...to get out the knot!

Success!

Now the chain was ready. I took the bead that Audrey has been wearing on this chain and returned it to its place. I fastend the clasp and held up the completed work. The project was completed. There it was, doing that for which it was created. And God had snuck up on me.

And I considered this point...the work of God in my life is ongoing. Rescued from the trash heap, untangled and restored, forgiven was the first step. The journey toward holiness is the second and longer part. All of these are set for one ultimate purpose...GOD'S GLORY.

It's His work for His purpose motivated out of His love. It's all about Jesus!

It's for Him!

Somewhere...

Here I sit, bowl of cereal and cup of coffee before me. Our family is preparing for the day as we typically do. Kids have/are eating breakfast and my wife is gathering the last few items for our trip to Seattle, and everything is good.

But somewhere there is a father greeting the day with a less than optimistic outlook. There is no cereal and coffee. The kids are quietly suffering hunger for another day. The wife is sweeping the dirt floor dreaming of the chance to travel...

I'm struck by this thought, much like cold water thrown in my face. I've been having more thoughts like this lately. And I'm being stirred. For what? That is yet to be known.

But for now, my breakfast doesn't sit well.

Reordering Worship

In chapter 2 of his book The Dangerous Act of Worship Mark Labberton writes,

“As we allow worship to do it's transformative work in our lives, we can stay where we are and yet move into the places where the heart of God dwells...We urgently need to recover a comprehensive vision of worship that recontextualizes our entire life and leads us to live out the worship God intends and desires.”

What is the worship God intends and desires? What is this illusive act that brings a smile to the heart of our creator? Scripture appears to be quite clear on this matter...

“Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don't have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless.” (Isaiah 1:17 MSG)

All of these are actionable items. No superpowers are required*. It's simply choosing to move to the next step. Learn, work, help, stand up, go to bat may just be a journey of worship-a psalm of ascents if you will.

All 5 points (taken as a unit) seem vast and overwhelming...even unattainable. But when you take each point individually it becomes manageable. Let me explain.

The Order of Worship

As I look at this list I see a sequence or order. Being a good Presbyterian, I propose this could be considered an Order of Worship...perhaps a stretch but stay with me.

The simplest action is first—LEARN. Either a hands on experience or academic pursuit, the posture is that of being a learner. Becoming aware and allowing God to show you things is the key to this worship journey. In my own life this has happened through speakers, books I have read, and other channels.

Next is WORK. Injustice will not be brought to light without people working to show it for what it is. I sometimes think the opposite of work is apathy, and so it is indeed work to address the issue.

Following close behind is HELP. Take what you have learned and begin to apply it. Look for a local context and then act. Soup kitchen, shelter, kids ministry at church, helping friends who are facing great loss...allow space to make mistakes, trust God for the rest. Make yourself available to help with whatever you see.

Next, STAND UP. Don't be afraid to be seen as you talk about what you have learned and help others to take those first steps. Share some of those work experiences and what you have gleaned from the learning. Invite others to help. Make some noise about the issue to draw attention to God's heart for the marginalized. This is worship.

Finally, GO TO BAT. This is where all sense of self is potentially lost in the worship of God through carrying out justice. His character shines through. God's heart beats in your chest and all you can do is march to that beat. You are consumed in your love for Jesus and nothing that breaks His heart escapes your notice.

I know of a man who heard of a little girl who was sold to a brothel for grocery money. His heart was broken and after much prayer, he and his wife sold their business and moved to Cambodia to try to stop the trafficking of young girls into the sex trade.

Not only did he build a home to rescue at-risk girls and prevent the exploitation of children in the sex trade industry throughout the world, he found this little girl and started a ministry called Remember Nhu after he ransomed her from the brothel where she had been kept. By the way, Nhu was 13 when she was sold those many years ago, and I had the privilege of meeting her last year. Read the story of her rescue.

So what of it?

So now what? Could I possibly be so arrogant to think I have this figured out? I'm realizing this entire post appears to proclaim that I have arrived, ready to STAND UP.

Not so. In many ways I feel like I am still in the place to LEARN. I've been reading, attending seminars,  and following people on twitter and other social media channels. My heart is being broken for the people of the world and my awareness is expanding for those marginalized in my community.

But something in me is awakening to this concept of justice driven worship. God's character and how it is represented is at stake.

*I also realize that it appears I think this is a pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps idea. Not so. It is God's grace to me that I am even aware of the problem. He has begun this good work in me and will bring it through to completion for His glory alone.

One last thing. I realize that it is possible to be in different parts of the journey at the same time. It's not a formula...it's steps toward a lifestyle.

So I'm kind of mapping out what the path might be, but this I know. This journey will not take me anywhere except to where God intends me to be.

And the good news is He is already there.

Wrecked

So I'm reading The Dangerous Act of Worship by Mark Labberton and I come across this.

“The world is meant to see and know something about God through the lives and actions of faithful worshippers. As we live out, carry forth, and demonstrate in character and action the life of the One we worship, they see God.”

What does it mean to “live out, carry forth, and demonstrate the life of the one we worship?”

Earlier in the book Labberton cites a passage in Isaiah where God is decrying the worship of His people. He denounces the new moon festivals and Sabbath observations. These very holy days He required according to the Law, and the people of Israel followed through. But there was an element they left out.

“‘Quit your worship charades. I can't stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings— meetings, meetings, meetings—I can't stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You've worn me out! I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer-performance, I'll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I'll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you've been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don't have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless.” (Isaiah 1:13-17 MSG)

And there it is. YHWH himself has told them to leave their worship, go home, and clean up. It appears that part of that washing includes doing justice.

Justice is a broadly defined term these days, but for me, today, as I'm reading this book, it means caring for the poor and marginalized, the orphan and widow in distress.

How much of my Sunday morning spills over to the rest of the week through doing justice? What does that even mean in this day and age? What must I do to show forth His ways and put aside my own?

Big broad ideals that are nothing more than mere platitudes unless I actually do something about it.

In all of this, the challenge to my heart is simple...unless I am also showing forth the character of my Heavenly Father I dare not call my Sunday experience worship.

Running and other issues of faith

"Therefore," is one of the greatest words to ever begin a sentence in the Bible. It creates a transition in a story and can either be positive or negative. And thank God this usage sets up a most amazing reason to persevere in the midst of trial.

"since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses," shows the concept of community in a way that connects heaven and earth--eternity and time. 

I recently had a friend die. Aged 39, it felt like he was taken from us. It feels so unfair. But I found this odd comfort carrying me even as I stood beside his casket. 

He is there, with Jesus, in this great cloud of witnesses. Right now. Cheering us on. Watching as if a great football game was playing out, sometimes loud, sometimes hushed, but watching nonetheless. 

So let us live our lives not only for ourselves but with an eye toward the stands where a great crowd of witnesses have already taken their place--lead by the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus!

"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." There is nothing as annoying when I'm out running than a loose shoestring. All I can think about is that string, how it has the potential to trip me up or cause me to stumble. 

And then it hits me, this tiny thing is taking my mind off the race. So it is with sin. These little "toys" that I hold aside for personal moments keep me from the best race possible and could even put an end to my race should I fall, unable or unwilling to get back up. Tie up those loose ends. Confess them to the coach. Keep on running. 

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1, 2 NIV84) And now the finish line, the prize, the reason I began this race to begin with. 

Whenever I'm running, I have found the one thing that will always keep me through to the end is thinking of the end. And here is the most excellent of all prizes waiting to welcome me...cheering the loudest over the whole crowd for me to keep going, it's almost over, finish well...Jesus himself standing there waiting to lift me up into his arms. 

Whenever I watch the Ironman triathlon held in Hawaii, this is the thought that quite literally brings me to tears every time. Some finish first and some finish slow. Some make it within the timelines and others not so much. 

But what they show on the program brings me back to this point every-time. The runners are met by someone who loves them and has been waiting. However long it takes, they are there, arms wide open, ready to greet them at the finish of this grueling race. 

Cue the tears, because it throws me to my own future, whether near or far, when the ultimate champion, Jesus himself, welcomes me to the end of my race with cheers and welcome. 

He knows this race. He understands it all--the grueling pace and exertion. How? He knows this race because of one simple truth--he ran it himself.

We've got Trouble

Consider this, my friends. Jesus himself faced it. Abandonment, accusation, trial, murder,prison, injustice, and much more. He faced it all...this little thing we call TROUBLE. 

But we also have this. "Jesus answered them...In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world." 

So what does that mean? Today, it means that in spite of the immensity of the burdens for family and friends I feel like I'm carrying, there is truth that this world is not all there is. This world has been overcome by my savior and friend. 

He wins, and He is taking me with Him. But not only me...whosoever will. Whosoever will take up their cross and follow Him. So there is always this...the joy and anticipation of leaving this "overcome world" in which we live contrasted with the knowledge that Jesus wants to send me back in to let others know about His love and possibly help bring some out. 

Yeah...we've got trouble. But glory is right around the corner.