In 1965, Mick Jagger sang, “I can’t get no satisfaction..” The Rolling Stones in this recording were in many ways decrying commercialism and the lack of authenticity in society during that period.
Today, in 2008 we see the same phenomenon at work in our generation. People running to different things, whether dsyfunctional relationships, drugs and alcohol, materialism/fame, and other stuff. And in all their getting, they are not satisfied.
But the emptyiness of seekers in the new millenium is not the focus of this post. I am not writing to point fingers at those that are hurting and trying to find God the best they can. I am not going to get on my religious soapbox so I can illustrate how messed up ‘They’ are.
In this post, I mean to trouble those that are self proclaimed Christ followers (like me) who live in an almost perpetual state of satisfaction.
This morning while on the treadmill at the gym a disturbing thought came to my head:
My biggest problem isn’t my dissatifaction, but rather my satisfaction. Satisfaction with mediocrity, with personal lukewarmness, with being ‘just good enough’. Satisfied with my relationship with Jesus, with the level of His presence in my life , satisfied with my prayer life. Too satisfied with the depth of my worship of the Great King of Kings, too comfortable with my understanding of the scriptures. Satisfied with people all around me that don’t know God, while my heart barely moves (and sometimes doesn’t move at all). Satisfied to live safely and without risk.
Satisfaction.
Satisfaction.
Satisfaction.
With my life I have re-written Jagger’s lyric, ” I have got my Satisfaction…”
I really believe that God was speaking to me this morning. He was challenging me to be hungrier, to ’step my game up’, and not rest or be satisfied on how far I may have come. Make greater room to be in His presence. To press into God. To pursue Him with new passion, and not simply believe in it.
I am too satisfied. Too comfortable. Too set in my ways.
God does want us to have peace. Does want us to have moments and places of rest and blessing. But I think that in too many instances we allow our trappings, surroundings, and culture to deaden our desperation and reach toward God.
Lord forgive us for being distracted sons and daughters.
Hey Dreamers. If you haven’t subscibed to the podcast yet, click the red ‘Get Podcast’ on the left of the screen to get hooked up. Thanks for all of you that are already listening every week.
I am not an adventurous eater. In fact, I am a very awkward and sometimes unusual restaurant patron. I have a list of favorite restaurants and a list of favorite dishes at those restaurants. In most cases, I order the same thing almost every time. I like to stay in my ’safe zone’. I feel, (and this is going to sound weird) that I have established a relationship with the food. I trust it (see I told you!). It makes me feel relaxed and comfortable when I know what is coming. I hate taking food ‘risks’. I almost never get on the ‘wild-side’ and order something that is beyond my food ‘trust circle’.
Now as you read this, you are probably thinking, “What a wacko! I need to stop reading this blog!”. But before you hit the ‘back’ button on your web browser or click on another site, hold on a second.
Because you are just like me.
You have a list. Just like I do.
You have your comfort dishes, and your zones of safety. You despise risks and hate surprises. You want a predictable path of restaurant dining where you have a familiar relationship with what you put in your mouth.
And no I am not talking about where you go out to EAT, I am talking about how you live your LIFE.
You see, most of us live our lives exactly the way that I eat.
No risk.
No adventure.
No surprises.
But inevitably, the great Chef in the restaurant of life sends a steaming plate to our table with something on it that we don’t recognize.
It looks funny.
It smells funny.
And the waiter carrying the plate is dressed funny.
We ask for the dish to be sent back. We want something else. Then we find out that it is the Chef’s surprise, and the only item on the menu.
And if we are hungry, we’d better eat it.
If you haven’t guessed already, Jesus is the Chef. And more often than we would like, He sends us a dish that we wouldn’t choose. It is unexpected and a surprise. And though we are hungry, we’d rather send it back and try another.
But He won’t take it back.
He tells us to eat it. That it is good for us, even if we don’t understand it at the moment.
I have eaten many Chef’s ’surprises’ and they have turned out well. I have liked, and even loved food that I was so certain I would hate.
Sometimes I waited for it to get cold, or wished I could be excused from the table.
Other times I tried to stuff it in my pocket, so I could sneak and thow it away.
But it never worked.
Before I could leave the restaurant I had to eat.
And after I did, I discovered that I liked it (sometimes it was an acquired taste!)
But I never would have known that I liked it, or acquired a taste for it, if I didn’t steady myself and take that first bite.
I had a great time with my dad this weekend at the Green Valley Church Men’s Retreat. It was amazing. God moved in such a powerful way. One of the coolest things that happened, (and was a surprise to me) was the introduction my father gave me Friday Night before I spoke. He talked about the work that God has done in my heart and life over the years and how proud he was. It was incredible. Not a dry eye in the place.
I wish I had some pictures to show you of the guys and the event (I forgot to take any). We had some laughs, enjoyed ourselves and were challenged by the word of God.
I am speaking at a Men’s Retreat this weekend at the Koinonia Conference Camp. Please pray for me. My father is going with me so we can hang out too. I hope to have some cool pictures from the event to share. Stay tuned.
“Art is the language of the soul. The films you are about to see at this year’s Sundance Film Festival reflect our sense of hopelessness; and the human soul is expressing in any way it can, a way of dealing with the realities we are facing at this point in the human existence.”
-Robert Redford speaking at the start of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
I subscribe to a podcast called ‘The Kindlings Muse’. It is regular conversation and discussion about culture, theology, and the role of the Christ follower in it (Another site I am checking out on this topic is called ‘Hollywood Jesus’). The latest episode explored the theology of this year’s Academy Awards ‘Best Film’ catagory. Ed Staub (host of the podcast) quotes from a book entitled ‘God Talk in America‘ which says more theology is conveyed and retained in one hour of popular television than all the sermons given in all the churches, mosques, and synagogues combined.
If that is a true assessment (And I believe that it is), then we need to rediscover the art of storytelling, narrative, and imagination. Boredom and predictability should not be the calling cards of the church. We can’t dillute the message, but we can tell the story in a compelling way.
I don’t think the response to the convergence of art, media, and God can be to try to get people to ignore the art of their generation; but rather, how can we learn to listen to the cry of the human soul in their generation and answer their questions? How can we tell of God’s great epic of redemption and love in way that those that are crying out will understand?
What role does art play in the church and how can we mentor and develop artists in the kingdom of God that will act as cultural linguists translating God’s epic into the language of their generation? In what ways can we adjust our methodology to make room for something new that God is doing?
Because is we don’t, as Jesus said, ‘if they keep quiet, the rocks will cry out.’ (Luke 19:40).
We can’t go to the next level by doing the same stuff we did at the level we are leaving. We have to ‘take it up’ to (as the Jeffersons would say) ‘move on up’.
Your favorite 5th-6th grade basketball team finished their season 6-3 (no playoffs, unfortunately) with a 4 game winning streak. We grew in our teamwork, energy, and skill as the season went on. In fact, we are really ready to hoop now! Watch out WNBA, here we come! Here is a picture after our last game where we held off a late rally from our opponent to win 25-21. I am proud of our girls and Coach Tina, my assistant coach who kept everything together communication and administrative wise. We had a wonderful time, and I think all of us grew as a result of the experience.
“Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’. Then the devil left Him, and angels attended Him.”-Matthew 4:10-11
The Bible tells of an interesting account in the life of Jesus that we don’t discuss or contemplate often enough. It illustrates the struggles and sufferings of Jesus, a side of His journey here on earth that we commonly neglect. Almost immediately after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus is led into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. While in the wilderness, Jesus didn’t eat anything for 40 days. Near the end of this period of fasting, Satan Himself came to speak with Jesus. And contrary to how most of us would imagine the devil presenting himself, he arrived quoting the scriptures and offering relief.
The devil wanted to feed Jesus, affirm Jesus, and honor Jesus.
But Jesus, in the middle of His pain saw the gifts for the traps that they were. And though He was tired and hungry in His physical body, His spirit was as strong as ever. He refused the mirage and grabbed onto reality. Using the scriptures like a Jedi Master’s light saber, He cut the devil down and sent Him away.
Of this same story as told in the book of Luke, it says of Jesus following this encounter, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit..“(3:14). After the pain and the pressure, came power and purpose.
Many of us are in the middle of one of life’s deserts. We are fighting, pushing, and trying our best. But hunger, fatigue, and doubt are beginning to creep in. The enemy’s whisper is tickling our ears, offering shortcuts, side deals, food and rest. Like Santa in December or Darth Vader in Empire Strikes Back, he comes with a bag of brightly wrapped compromises designed to enslave and divert us to the Dark Side.
But if we can resist the devil, use God’s words to attack and defend, we will discover that behind every door of temptation is a new revelation of God. And along with new understanding of who God is, He gives us the real versions of the gifts the enemy was trying to counterfeit. He gives us joy, rest, hope, and peace (and more).
God has greatness for you and I. It may seem as though we are in a dark place, or far from what He has promised; but God is making a place for us.
There is a scripture that I love in Ephesians 2:10 that says,
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
God has greatness for us today. Let’s walk in it. Don’t back up, give up, or shrink back.
Your favorite neighborhood 5th-6th grade basketball girls team is now 5-3 with a 46-12 blowout tonight. We played a great game in every way. We defended, passed, and shot the ball well. We encouraged each other, jumping up and down with enthusiasm. On our team we have at least 5 that are just learning to play basketball (my daughter Diara is one of them). Tonight, our ‘rookies’ played extremely well and did everything we told them to do.
There was one thing that happenend that was unbelievably exciting. Diara scored her first basket of the season! Up until that point she was a little tentative to shoot even when she was open.
Tonight, after cleanly catching a pass from our point guard she turned on the baseline and hoisted a a rainbow jumper that rattled in. We all went crazy. I was so happy and proud of my girl that I had to stop myself from bursting out in tears. I truly almost started crying. I shocked myself with how affected I was by that moment. I was truly overcome with emotion.
I got myself togther, but struggled to wipe the huge smile off my face.
In fact, I am still smiling now.
It makes me think, how much does God’s heart jump when we do well in even small ways? As I think about how God sees all of us, I think I have learned more from being a father to my girls than anything else. The love that I have for my girls is total and complete. It is hard for me to believe that God could love any of us more, but He does.
In 1965, Mick Jagger sang, “I can’t get no satisfaction..” The Rolling Stones in this recording were in many ways decrying commercialism and the lack of authenticity in society during that period.
Today, in 2008 we see the same phenomenon at work in our generation. People running to different things, whether dsyfunctional relationships, drugs and alcohol, materialism/fame, and other stuff. And in all their getting, they are not satisfied.
But the emptyiness of seekers in the new millenium is not the focus of this post. I am not writing to point fingers at those that are hurting and trying to find God the best they can. I am not going to get on my religious soapbox so I can illustrate how messed up ‘They’ are.
In this post, I mean to trouble those that are self proclaimed Christ followers (like me) who live in an almost perpetual state of satisfaction.
This morning while on the treadmill at the gym a disturbing thought came to my head:
My biggest problem isn’t my dissatifaction, but rather my satisfaction. Satisfaction with mediocrity, with personal lukewarmness, with being ‘just good enough’. Satisfied with my relationship with Jesus, with the level of His presence in my life , satisfied with my prayer life. Too satisfied with the depth of my worship of the Great King of Kings, too comfortable with my understanding of the scriptures. Satisfied with people all around me that don’t know God, while my heart barely moves (and sometimes doesn’t move at all). Satisfied to live safely and without risk.
Satisfaction.
Satisfaction.
Satisfaction.
With my life I have re-written Jagger’s lyric, ” I have got my Satisfaction…”
I really believe that God was speaking to me this morning. He was challenging me to be hungrier, to ’step my game up’, and not rest or be satisfied on how far I may have come. Make greater room to be in His presence. To press into God. To pursue Him with new passion, and not simply believe in it.
I am too satisfied. Too comfortable. Too set in my ways.
God does want us to have peace. Does want us to have moments and places of rest and blessing. But I think that in too many instances we allow our trappings, surroundings, and culture to deaden our desperation and reach toward God.
Lord forgive us for being distracted sons and daughters.
Forgive us for being too satisfied.
Posted in Prayer, Leadership, Transformation | 1 Comment »
Hey Dreamers. If you haven’t subscibed to the podcast yet, click the red ‘Get Podcast’ on the left of the screen to get hooked up. Thanks for all of you that are already listening every week.
Posted in Dream Awake | No Comments »
I am not an adventurous eater. In fact, I am a very awkward and sometimes unusual restaurant patron. I have a list of favorite restaurants and a list of favorite dishes at those restaurants. In most cases, I order the same thing almost every time. I like to stay in my ’safe zone’. I feel, (and this is going to sound weird) that I have established a relationship with the food. I trust it (see I told you!). It makes me feel relaxed and comfortable when I know what is coming. I hate taking food ‘risks’. I almost never get on the ‘wild-side’ and order something that is beyond my food ‘trust circle’.
Now as you read this, you are probably thinking, “What a wacko! I need to stop reading this blog!”. But before you hit the ‘back’ button on your web browser or click on another site, hold on a second.
Because you are just like me.
You have a list. Just like I do.
You have your comfort dishes, and your zones of safety. You despise risks and hate surprises. You want a predictable path of restaurant dining where you have a familiar relationship with what you put in your mouth.
And no I am not talking about where you go out to EAT, I am talking about how you live your LIFE.
You see, most of us live our lives exactly the way that I eat.
No risk.
No adventure.
No surprises.
But inevitably, the great Chef in the restaurant of life sends a steaming plate to our table with something on it that we don’t recognize.
It looks funny.
It smells funny.
And the waiter carrying the plate is dressed funny.
We ask for the dish to be sent back. We want something else. Then we find out that it is the Chef’s surprise, and the only item on the menu.
And if we are hungry, we’d better eat it.
If you haven’t guessed already, Jesus is the Chef. And more often than we would like, He sends us a dish that we wouldn’t choose. It is unexpected and a surprise. And though we are hungry, we’d rather send it back and try another.
But He won’t take it back.
He tells us to eat it. That it is good for us, even if we don’t understand it at the moment.
I have eaten many Chef’s ’surprises’ and they have turned out well. I have liked, and even loved food that I was so certain I would hate.
Sometimes I waited for it to get cold, or wished I could be excused from the table.
Other times I tried to stuff it in my pocket, so I could sneak and thow it away.
But it never worked.
Before I could leave the restaurant I had to eat.
And after I did, I discovered that I liked it (sometimes it was an acquired taste!)
But I never would have known that I liked it, or acquired a taste for it, if I didn’t steady myself and take that first bite.
Question for you:
Is there a Chef’s surprise sitting on your plate?
And if there is,
are you eating it?
Posted in The Future, Leadership, Transformation | 1 Comment »
Hey Dreamers.
I had a great time with my dad this weekend at the Green Valley Church Men’s Retreat. It was amazing. God moved in such a powerful way. One of the coolest things that happened, (and was a surprise to me) was the introduction my father gave me Friday Night before I spoke. He talked about the work that God has done in my heart and life over the years and how proud he was. It was incredible. Not a dry eye in the place.
I wish I had some pictures to show you of the guys and the event (I forgot to take any). We had some laughs, enjoyed ourselves and were challenged by the word of God.
Posted in Relationships, The Church | No Comments »
I am speaking at a Men’s Retreat this weekend at the Koinonia Conference Camp. Please pray for me. My father is going with me so we can hang out too. I hope to have some cool pictures from the event to share. Stay tuned.
Posted in Relationships | 1 Comment »
“Art is the language of the soul. The films you are about to see at this year’s Sundance Film Festival reflect our sense of hopelessness; and the human soul is expressing in any way it can, a way of dealing with the realities we are facing at this point in the human existence.”
-Robert Redford speaking at the start of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
I subscribe to a podcast called ‘The Kindlings Muse’. It is regular conversation and discussion about culture, theology, and the role of the Christ follower in it (Another site I am checking out on this topic is called ‘Hollywood Jesus’). The latest episode explored the theology of this year’s Academy Awards ‘Best Film’ catagory. Ed Staub (host of the podcast) quotes from a book entitled ‘God Talk in America‘ which says more theology is conveyed and retained in one hour of popular television than all the sermons given in all the churches, mosques, and synagogues combined.
If that is a true assessment (And I believe that it is), then we need to rediscover the art of storytelling, narrative, and imagination. Boredom and predictability should not be the calling cards of the church. We can’t dillute the message, but we can tell the story in a compelling way.
I don’t think the response to the convergence of art, media, and God can be to try to get people to ignore the art of their generation; but rather, how can we learn to listen to the cry of the human soul in their generation and answer their questions? How can we tell of God’s great epic of redemption and love in way that those that are crying out will understand?
What role does art play in the church and how can we mentor and develop artists in the kingdom of God that will act as cultural linguists translating God’s epic into the language of their generation? In what ways can we adjust our methodology to make room for something new that God is doing?
Because is we don’t, as Jesus said, ‘if they keep quiet, the rocks will cry out.’ (Luke 19:40).
Posted in The Church, Media/Culture, Creativity/Innovation, Dream Awake | 1 Comment »
We can’t go to the next level by doing the same stuff we did at the level we are leaving. We have to ‘take it up’ to (as the Jeffersons would say) ‘move on up’.
Posted in Leadership | No Comments »
Your favorite 5th-6th grade basketball team finished their season 6-3 (no playoffs, unfortunately) with a 4 game winning streak. We grew in our teamwork, energy, and skill as the season went on. In fact, we are really ready to hoop now! Watch out WNBA, here we come! Here is a picture after our last game where we held off a late rally from our opponent to win 25-21. I am proud of our girls and Coach Tina, my assistant coach who kept everything together communication and administrative wise. We had a wonderful time, and I think all of us grew as a result of the experience.
Posted in Relationships, Family | No Comments »
“Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’. Then the devil left Him, and angels attended Him.”-Matthew 4:10-11
The Bible tells of an interesting account in the life of Jesus that we don’t discuss or contemplate often enough. It illustrates the struggles and sufferings of Jesus, a side of His journey here on earth that we commonly neglect. Almost immediately after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus is led into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. While in the wilderness, Jesus didn’t eat anything for 40 days. Near the end of this period of fasting, Satan Himself came to speak with Jesus. And contrary to how most of us would imagine the devil presenting himself, he arrived quoting the scriptures and offering relief.
The devil wanted to feed Jesus, affirm Jesus, and honor Jesus.
But Jesus, in the middle of His pain saw the gifts for the traps that they were. And though He was tired and hungry in His physical body, His spirit was as strong as ever. He refused the mirage and grabbed onto reality. Using the scriptures like a Jedi Master’s light saber, He cut the devil down and sent Him away.
Of this same story as told in the book of Luke, it says of Jesus following this encounter, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit..“(3:14). After the pain and the pressure, came power and purpose.
Many of us are in the middle of one of life’s deserts. We are fighting, pushing, and trying our best. But hunger, fatigue, and doubt are beginning to creep in. The enemy’s whisper is tickling our ears, offering shortcuts, side deals, food and rest. Like Santa in December or Darth Vader in Empire Strikes Back, he comes with a bag of brightly wrapped compromises designed to enslave and divert us to the Dark Side.
But if we can resist the devil, use God’s words to attack and defend, we will discover that behind every door of temptation is a new revelation of God. And along with new understanding of who God is, He gives us the real versions of the gifts the enemy was trying to counterfeit. He gives us joy, rest, hope, and peace (and more).
Grab your light saber.
Be a Jedi Master.
Posted in Prayer, Media/Culture, Leadership | No Comments »
God has greatness for you and I. It may seem as though we are in a dark place, or far from what He has promised; but God is making a place for us.
There is a scripture that I love in Ephesians 2:10 that says,
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
God has greatness for us today. Let’s walk in it. Don’t back up, give up, or shrink back.
Just keep walking.
Greatness in coming.
Posted in Leadership | No Comments »
Latest basketball update:
Your favorite neighborhood 5th-6th grade basketball girls team is now 5-3 with a 46-12 blowout tonight. We played a great game in every way. We defended, passed, and shot the ball well. We encouraged each other, jumping up and down with enthusiasm. On our team we have at least 5 that are just learning to play basketball (my daughter Diara is one of them). Tonight, our ‘rookies’ played extremely well and did everything we told them to do.
There was one thing that happenend that was unbelievably exciting. Diara scored her first basket of the season! Up until that point she was a little tentative to shoot even when she was open.
Tonight, after cleanly catching a pass from our point guard she turned on the baseline and hoisted a a rainbow jumper that rattled in. We all went crazy. I was so happy and proud of my girl that I had to stop myself from bursting out in tears. I truly almost started crying. I shocked myself with how affected I was by that moment. I was truly overcome with emotion.
I got myself togther, but struggled to wipe the huge smile off my face.
In fact, I am still smiling now.
It makes me think, how much does God’s heart jump when we do well in even small ways? As I think about how God sees all of us, I think I have learned more from being a father to my girls than anything else. The love that I have for my girls is total and complete. It is hard for me to believe that God could love any of us more, but He does.
Still smiling over that jump shot.
Wow.
Posted in Relationships, Family | 1 Comment »