A Spiritual Travelogue (Intro)

Question for you: What do 37 people in line for an approximately 2.5 square foot bathroom, watching movie after movie until your eyes start twitching uncontrollably, a strange interpretation of breakfast, and a high concentration of talkative Australians have in common? Actually, now that I think about it, the answer could legitimately be “any youth hostel in Western Europe”, but the answer I was looking for was “LA to Brisbane, via Qantas Airlines.” I would also accept “the longest 13.5 hours of your life.” Actually, since I really like flying, it wasn’t too bad, but I suspect that assessment wasn’t shared by any non-Aussie on that flight. Aussies, of course, have an innate ability to enjoy themselves no matter what the situation. This may be due to Australia having the highest concentration of lethal animals, insects, and reptiles on the planet - When you could croak at any moment, you might as well appreciate the present...Of course, it could also be that God just decided to put a whole bunch of friendly, good-humored people all together in one country, just to prove to France that it’s possible.
 
In mid-April, I took off with a team of three other people for the Solomon Islands, which explains the trip Down Under. You can’t get to the Solomons quickly or easily...If you live in Charlotte, NC, like I do, it’s like trying to head east on I-485 through the Pineville area at about 5pm, but not quite as frustrating. I flew from Charlotte to Cincinnati, then Cincy to LA, then LA to Brisbane, then Brisbane to Honiara in the Solomons, deep in the South Pacific ocean. Almost 30 hours of just flight time, but with layovers (and crossing the date line), three days of travel, airports, and the inexpressible joy of customs officers...In other words, you’ve really got to want to go there. And I did...
 
I was invited by my brother-in-law, Mike Anthony (the founder of an organization called Godfactor) to partner with him and a few others to head down there for a few weeks and invest some time in teaching and partnering with the South Seas Evangelical Church. I’d been there before, in 2004, and fell in love with the Islands and the people, so I was pretty excited to go back. I felt like God had a bunch of great things in store for this trip - For the Islanders, the churches in their villages, for our team, and for me and the church I’m blessed to pastor in Charlotte (Element). And it turns out that what I was anticipating didn’t even really scratch the surface of what actually happened. It’s rare in life, I think, that the reality of a given situation meets or exceeds the  level of anticipation we take with us, but in this case, that was certainly true. And I’m still trying, almost two weeks after returning, to figure out how to put some of it into words. To say that God worked in my life would be a good candidate for understatement of the year. I would say that I’ve never experienced the movement of God in my thought process to that extent really ever. It was truly amazing, and I’m still stunned and grateful that I got to be a part of it. Time will tell how God shifts and moves in me in the aftermath, but I feel like two things have become clear to me: 1. I feel like I know God much more intimately than ever before, and 2. I feel like I know how to explain Him less than ever before. Risky thing to admit as a pastor, maybe, that I can’t encapsulate God in easy human terms, but it’s true. And particularly for someone like me, who usually feels pretty confident about my ability to get an idea across effectively.
 
And so I thought I might work some of this stuff out via this blog...Rather than mercilessly bend the Element community’s collective ear with endless stories, I think I’ll take the next few weeks and write a lot of it down. My hope and prayer is that God will bring much of what He showed me to life even more...That the Element community would be strengthened, challenged and encouraged...And that anyone else reading along would find some value in this journey as well. I’d love to hear your thoughts as we go, either here in the comments section, or privately if you’d rather. To me, there are few things in life better than learning from and being sharpened by each other, and I’d love to see that happen here. Please forgive my limitations as we go - I don’t claim to have any special insight or extraordinary ability, but as the pastor of a community, and as someone who takes the responsibility seriously of helping to be a catalyst for spiritual growth, I think it might lead to some valuable discussion. Feel free to point others toward this blog as well, and I’m looking forward to it! Look for part 1 to post in a day or two...God bless you all!
Peace,
Brian

The truth about being good at things...

Over the last few days, I’ve come face to face with a strange phenomenon. No, not the curious success of Jersey Shore, although that just might possibly be a sign of the impending Apocalypse. You thought Paris Hilton was a little lacking in the cognitive development area? The cast of Jersey Shore has the collective IQ of a fruit bat, and worse hair. No, this is one I’ve encountered before, many times, but it really just hit me what was going on this time. See, I got sick a few days ago. I rarely get sick. I don’t get those 24 hour things that most normal people get, or wake up with a headache, take it a little easier than normal, and by morning I’m right as rain. No, though I rarely get sick, when I do, it’s for real. It’s not going a couple of rounds with the Common Cold and calling it good. It’s getting smacked in the face by some unpronounceable name that may or may not involve wearing a gown for a while that doesn’t fully close in the back, but almost certainly involves several doctors conferring, and usually a variation of the following question. “Mr. Doell, have you spent any time in Sub-Saharan Africa recently? And/Or eaten large quantities of lead?” I had a spinal issue misdiagnosed by no fewer than 4 doctors in a row several ago...I contracted a flesh-eating bacteria in Belgium that took all the skin off my feet...Two summers ago, I became possibly the first person in recorded history to get Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in my own front yard (which is, strangely, not within a thousand miles of the the Rocky Mountains).

But the phenomenon is not the incredibly good luck I’ve had with strange diseases. Rather, it’s the fact that at the precise moment I’m too sick to do a certain thing, that thing is all I want do. Currently, my throat is inflamed to the extent that the act of swallowing a simple cup of tea looks suspiciously like I’m having a seizure...Needless to say, talking’s not a breeze right now. Yet, curiously, I am enjoying a burning desire to sing the likes of which I’ve never experienced, and cannot in any way act on.  I never have a burning desire to sing. I sing just well enough to sometimes successfully convey the intended melody to other sentient beings. But now that I can’t do it at all, it’s all I want to do. Strangely, this is combined with a near-constant desire to be working out. Fat chance of that, since I’m out of breath after typing a two-syllable word right now, but wouldn’t you know it - in this moment where I can’t do anything physically productive, all I can think about is lifting heavy things.

The bottom line is that the desires just aren’t matching up with the ability, and it happens to me every time I get sick. But it’s a phenomenon not limited to me, and certainly not restricted to sickness. I find myself around people all the time that really, really want to do certain things, but aren’t necessarily (to put it as politely as I can) gifted with a commensurate amount of ability, or even potential. I’ve certainly been there myself. And this is a tough topic, believe me. Because, so the thinking goes, who are we to judge whether or not someone can do something or not? And I guess that’s true in one sense.  If you love to sing, but you know you can’t carry a tune in a bucket, then warble away, sister. To thine own self be true. Apologize to no one, and let the shower be your adoring audience. And, as a quick aside, I’m not talking about worship services here...You’re not singing for the person next to you, so who cares if you’re pleasing to his ear? You’re pleasing to God’s ear, and that’s what matters. The problem comes when this manifests itself in what we spend our time and energy pursuing; in how we view ourselves, which translates into the roles we try to play in the greater community. I KNOW how much you want to act, but the director has every right not to cast you if you’re, objectively speaking, not good at conveying different kinds of emotion, or can’t remember your lines. Similarly, playing quarterback for your favorite team is a great dream, but there are objective measures for fulfilling that dream. Can you throw the ball better than the average guy or not? It’s nothing personal, it’s just the truth.

And though most of us would agree up to this point, interestingly, one of the places this can sometimes all fall apart is the Church. For some reason, we’ve allowed an idea to creep into the community of Christ that says this - If I want to do something, you have to let me, even if I show no gifting for it. Because to not let me is to stifle the Holy Spirit in me, and you don’t want to do that. The problem with that is that it’s not Scriptural at all. There are several places in the Bible that list different spiritual gifts, and it’s made pretty clear that not everybody’s getting all the same gifts. We know this instinctively, anyway. We just know when someone without the requisite ability to do X tries to hang their hat on doing X. The American Idol audition episodes have  been a great example of that...And it’s not mean-spirited, short-sighted, or harsh for us to acknowledge that, though some people would have you believe otherwise. God has created us all very uniquely, with very distinct combinations of gifts, and has great plans for you in the use of those gifts! And each of those gifts is undeniably important to God’s plan for you and to be the kind of person he’s asking you to be to the people around you. Don’t get caught in the trap that says your gifts aren’t as good and necessary as the next person’s!

But neither should we buy into the misguided notion that says that nobody can, or should speak into your life and the effective use of your gifts...We are, by nature, people who have difficulty objectively assessing ourselves. Part of the Church’s function is to help lend gracious perspective to each of us where we have difficulty seeing things well. The Church flourishes when we all operate the way God created us to (and by flourishes, I mean that people are loved and supported and taught and led and served, and it all comes together in a truly beautiful expression of humble community). Because nobody knows what He created you for better than God Himself, the potential for what can  happen when you’re thriving and coming alongside others who are gifted in different ways is absolutely monumental. But we have to get rid of this absurd notion that says that the loving thing to do is to exercise no discernment and let anyone do anything they want to, at everyone’s expense. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is gently help someone redirect their energies into the areas God made them good at. And sometimes, to simply affirm that it’s a great thing to be good at what you’re good at! Think of the amazing possibilities within the Church community if we could stop wishing we were someone we’re not, and revel in being the person God created us to be...

A New Year, A Book, and a Different Life...

So here we are on the brink of 2011, and that always causes people to think. Unfortunately, for some people, this is about the only time they take to think throughout the year, but that's a topic for another day ;) For most of us, though, it usually causes some evaluation of the previous year, and some degree of wonder about the upcoming one...What's going to happen? How will things play out? When I look back on 2011, will I like what took place in my life, or will I not? Looking back at 2010, you can no doubt see where you went wrong, whether in thought or action. You can also see where things were good, and hopefully you have a bunch of those moments to celebrate!

I wanted to take a moment here to champion something that I think could make a major difference in life this year. One of our major focal points in the Element community this year is a deeper understanding of the Bible...Makes sense for a church to say that, I know, but here's the deal. As people who consider our journeys with God to be critically important parts of our lives, our interactions with the Bible itself can sometimes be pretty limited. What I mean by that is this: There are a great many people whose knowledge of what the Bible says is gained almost exclusively by what other people tell them. In other words, there's little personal study of the Bible going on, and for a number of reasons. Some people find it just too difficult to figure out what it means, some people find it pretty tough to find the time, and still others have never really considered themselves a reader at all, let alone a reader of an ancient text!

There's something else I mean by "limited", as well, and this one applies even to people who consider themselves to be avid readers of the Bible, maybe even students of the Bible. In this case, our understanding of the Bible can be  limited to interpreting things in light of how we feel  about a given topic. We all have a way of seeing the world and a set of beliefs that we bring with us when we read the Bible, and it's very common to come to conclusions that simply support what we want the Bible to say. We would never say that we do that, of course, but the truth is that we do. 

Here's why I bring this up...As the written word of God, we have been given no greater tool than this for more fully and deeply understanding God and his plan for our lives! This certainly doesn't minimize the importance of prayer and community, but the reality is that we are not usually people who passionately pursue Bible study as much as we pursue other avenues of getting close to God. 

With that in mind, I want to challenge you to make this a year in which you embrace the Bible like you never have before. I know that sounds about as fun as a root canal to some of you, but I believe wholeheartedly that it'll change your life! That goes for those of you who already read it regularly, as well. And you don't have to be brilliant or have some sort of special gift, either. If you have trouble knowing where to start, or how to start, let me know. I'd love to help you! If you have trouble figuring out what certain things mean or how they apply, I'd love to help you with that, as well. In recent years, I've recommended and made good use of some great resources to help with the journey, and  I want to pass one in particular along to you. It doesn't matter what your level of familiarity is with the Bible, this book will help with just about any issue you might have in personally studying it. I know it can be tempting for some to say that you don't need rudimentary help like this...Let me put this as kindly as I can: That's garbage :-) I know seminary professors who still learn from resources like this. 

This particular one is called "How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth", by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart. I recommend it so highly because it helps to turn the average reader, of average intelligence and average motivation (in other words, me ;), into someone with a very solid understanding of hermeneutics (which simply means how we interpret things the way we do) and exegesis (which simply means breaking things down to what they mean). In other words, turning the Bible from a daunting task into something of great value in your life, and it does it in layperson's terms, and in very relevant language. I'd love to get your feedback on other resources you find helpful as well! Just don't buy what some people will tell you, which is that you're somehow doing something wrong if you look at other resources, both people and books, to help you understand the Bible better. No solid Bible scholar ever has embraced that attitude - Don't buy into it. As Isaiah 55 says: "Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life..." In other words, be humble and teachable, making use of all of the resources God has given you, including the Bible, and you will find the life God intends for you. 

I'm looking forward to the conversations about what you're reading, and about what God teaches you! I pray that we can humbly share in the journey together, learn with and from each other, and in the end, be sharpened by each other. God bless you in the New Year - I'll be praying for you, and I'd love for you to pray for me! Let's do this...

Are you a Legend?

I thought I'd pass along a post from a guy I read periodically named Karl Verkade, who's a guitarist and worship leader, who manages the difficult task of being both funny and meaningful at the same time. I forgive him for his U2 obsession. This post is about that weird moment at family gatherings where people try to one-up each other in the "I'm so important" game. It's worth it just for the last couple of lines. Enjoy...

Peace,

Brian

http://www.guitarforworship.com/?p=3049

Thoughts on Inception, part 1...

Ever heard of this movie that came out a while ago about dreams? Inception, I think it was called...Apparently it did rather well at the box office. I think this Leonardo fellow might have a future in the moving pictures industry...If you didn’t see it, congratulations - You’re one of 9 people worldwide that held out...I myself saw it twice. Good to know that I can be led around by the nose by whatever Hollywood thinks I should watch. But I really dug the movie, and actually mostly for some of the messages that found their way in... Not usually what I find redeeming about the Hollywood oeuvre, but this one had some interesting ideas that rattled around in my head for a while afterwards. In particular, the following lines: “What’s the most resilient parasite? An idea.” “A single idea from the human mind can build cities.” “An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules.” Actually, all of those lines can be found in the trailer, so if you want to pare down the two hours it takes to watch the whole thing, there you have it.


I love this idea, that an idea is a resilient parasite. Typically, of course, a parasite is an organism that has a symbiotic relationship with a host. In other words, it feeds off the host (the host sustains it), and in return, it influences the host. Sometimes for good, and more often, in a negative sense. I think the screenwriters are onto something with this notion...See, the actions we take in life are born in our thought process. Thoughts lead to decisions, which lead to taking action.  But just like in a parasitic relationship, much of our thought process is a reaction to circumstance; that is, something happens to us, and we process it, and react. And for more of us than would care to admit (and more of the time), we’re reacting to ideas implanted by people and cultures that aren’t particularly healthy, yet we accept them as reality, and make our decisions based on those ideas. And once those ideas get a foothold in our everyday thought process, it’s pretty darn hard to kick them out. Very resilient, in other words.


All of this got us thinking that it might be really beneficial to do a series at Element about this very thing. What happens when the ideas we allow to take root in our minds are God-birthed ideas, ideas that don’t simply mirror what society says are the norm? Revolutionary ideas...What are the ideas that we’re allowing to shape the actions we take? The bible is replete with dramatically counter-culture ways of living that, if we let them become foundational,  permeate our whole lives and introduce a new hope and a new way of life to others. And so we’ve been immersed in this series for the past few weeks and having some incredibly challenging discussions...Specifically about what it  means to fully embrace these ideas, and how to identify the first step I need to take, from a practical standpoint, to start down the right road? Even if I already identify myself as a follower of Jesus, what are the areas in which I’m content to stay where I am, or justify going down a road that doesn’t please God? What are the first steps towards changing that?


Week one began with a challenge from the book of James, which is an incredibly practical book on living out God ideas...And the way the whole book starts is fascinating to me. Of all the things he could kick off with in a quest for holy living, he starts with the following verses:

James 1:1-4
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.


According to James, we need to understand that we  A) Are in need of growing, every one of us. B) Have been given the opportunity to grow by God Himself, and C) Can’t make it happen without a whole new way of thinking. In effect, the journey starts with a revolution of the mind. We can take all the steps we want to, in an attempt to see our relationship with God grow and the things in our lives look like how God intends, but that doesn’t happen until we embrace God’s standard, rather than our own. And that’s really a 180 degree reversal from where the human thought process defaults.



It all boils down to this: When everything gets difficult around me, I ACTIVELY choose to view it as an opportunity to make a God-centered decision. When everyone else around is running, hiding, and otherwise reacting badly to tough situations in life, we have an opportunity to take a simple, but bold, and literally life-changing step. Consciously choose to treat trouble in life as an opportunity for growth. This is no Dr. Phil idea, this is  straight from the Word of God. What are you facing right now that seems difficult? What are you going through in life that you wish you weren’t? What are the ideas that you’re letting shape how you react to those situations? Try James 1:1-4 on for size. Realize that, though it seems completely counter-intuitive, it’s God’s plan for you. It’s quite literally a revolution in the face of the business-as-usual thought process of the world. Let’s make it happen...

Something to wrestle with...

"He who begins by loving Christianity more than Truth, will proceed by loving his sect or church better than Christianity, and end in loving himself better than all." - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

I can't lie here...This is a disturbing quote. Partly because of how true it is, and partly because of the reaction it provokes. On the one hand, it tends to make some people defensive, as though Coleridge is belittling Christianity (which he isn't at all). On the other hand, it makes people nod their heads and say "See? That's what I've been saying for years!" Both reactions, and the varying degrees thereof, are inherently dangerous. In the first instance, elevating any movement of God, even Christianity itself, above the One who gives birth and meaning to it can, and usually does, foster legalism and misguided zeal. The second school of thought typically results in a dismissal of the Church altogether, or at the very least, a refusal to admit that the community of God is a great and necessary thing. 

I think Coleridge makes a fantastic point here - that the end result is self-love above the love for God Himself. Admitting this is important...Being humble enough to admit that our reactions to statements like this are in need of dramatic retooling is just as important. I've been seeing this play out in a lot of conversations lately, and I'm not thrilled to have to admit that. As followers of Christ, understanding that the Church is a God-breathed entity and indispensable to our spiritual journeys is critical, but let us never elevate the zeal for God working in ways we like above our zeal for God's will to be done. The two things can often be very different. And on the other side of the fence, to claim be a follower of Christ and wallow in cynicism about the Church is counter-productive at best, and at worst, crippling to our own lives and to the lives of those we influence. 

I think there's a Church revolution-in-waiting right now...But it's caught between those who love the comfort of religion too much and those who are waiting for the revolution to happen to get involved. The first results in spiritual stagnation. So does the second. Let us do, and be, the change the Church needs. Let us love the Truth (Jesus) more than religion. But let us never become people who expect that it's other people's task to do that for us. Out of a passion for God flows a passion for His people and his Church...You can't love God and dismiss his Church and His people. Let's not fool ourselves, friends...This is a critical truth to embrace...Let's embrace it together.

Listen to me...I'm an expert!

There’s an epidemic sweeping the nation, people. And no, I’m not talking about Justin Bieber (but as a friend of mine once said “You can make fun of Justin all you want, but dang, that girl can sing.” :) I’m talking about becoming more and more a culture of “experts”. You see it all the time on TV, of course. Watching two of the major news stories of the past year (the Oil Spill in the Gulf and the trapped Chilean miners) illustrated this so well. In situations like those, there's always someone invited to share their perspective as an expert on the matter, so we saw experts on marine wildlife, fishing, disaster cleanup, geology, and anything else that might possibly pertain to the situation. And I learn a great deal by watching things like that...First of all, that someone can actually qualify as an expert in “subterranean captive extraction.” But mostly, I learn how much I don’t know. And it’s good to know that there are people all over the place who have spent years studying, debating, and learning about their particular areas of passion, so that when when push comes to shove, someone’s already done a bunch of the mental legwork. I’m not your guy when it comes to disaster cleanup... Turn to me in an oil spill, and all I can think about is the price of shrimp going up. But thank God there are people who have actually applied themselves to disaster management, so that nobody ever needs to rely on people like me. In that sense, experts are great, and necessary.


It’s not the legitimate culture of expertise that I’m addressing here, though. It’s our human tendency to become “instant experts” on things without putting the work in. We see this all the time during election season, for example. People have strong opinions about candidates, topics, and bills, but in a great many cases, don’t have the necessary foundation to conclude the things they do. What usually ends up being the case is this: People start with a gut feeling about what they like or don’t like (usually developed over years of their own personal experience), and end up drawn to candidates and positions that reflect that perspective. Is it wrong to do this? Not at all! It’s human, and unavoidable. The problem comes when we begin to play the game (and often don’t know we’re playing it) of considering ourselves experts in that topic. We may not verbally claim to be, but we often act as though our decisions are based on objective study and empirical evidence, when in fact that’s not usually the case at all. We think nothing of making sweeping claims that a certain economist or political scientist is flat-out wrong. I’m hugely guilty of this in my own life, though my actual schooling as it pertains to economics and political science is rudimentary at best. What I do have is an opinion and a stubborn streak. So I tend to be dismissive when I hear things that contradict my comfort zone, though the expert I’m dismissing has devoted their adult life to understanding that topic, and may well have some things to say that I would do well to consider.


Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that a degree in a given field is a golden ticket to being right no matter what you say. I am saying that we live in a culture that’s often far too easily dismissive of actually doing the work of knowledge acquisition, processing that knowledge in a environment that challenges the conclusions drawn, and above all, of learning from others in humility, whether we think they have something to offer us or not (and generally, of course, people have more to offer us than we give them credit for. Disagreeing with someone’s stance on a given topic is not the same thing as not having anything to learn from them.)
Sadly, I see this all too often in the Christian community (disclaimer: I’m talking about the Church as a whole. This isn’t a veiled way of talking about my own church community, although of course, we’re not immune). I’d like to be able to say that I see a dramatically higher percentage of people that interact with each other in humility,  eager to learn from each other. I can’t say that with a straight face, though. There are people who do reflect that humility, and I’m truly blessed to know a bunch of people that challenge me on this regularly. But I also see a big portion of the population that are  “instant experts” on the nature of the Church, theology, and everything related. Rather than being people who are committed to meeting together, learning from each other, and moving forward together, we often degenerate into people who are committed to pointing out why we shouldn’t be meeting with this group or that, why I can’t learn from this person or that, and breeding disorder instead of unity. And to be honest, and possibly a little too blunt, those who always know best what should done in the Church, or always “know for sure” on a given doctrinal issue, are usually the ones who don’t display productive behavior in the Christian community. They’d rather lament the way things are, than actually be the change they wish they could see. And usually they talk a great game, and are never short of breath when it comes to defending why and how they think what they do. The irony is that they’re usually quite dismissive of the person rolling up their sleeves and pitching in to do the gut-level work of God, because they’d rather be a color commentator than get on the field themselves. And by the way, there are many people who will read this and nod sagely, thinking that they’re the ones pitching in and it’s others that need to learn this. If you just thought that, or got offended in any way, chances are pretty good you need to step back and re-evaluate.


I have to confess that I’m not immune. I have observed situations for about a tenth of a second before I knew that I knew that x was wrong, and should be addressed in this particular way. I have held a position, theologically speaking, for years, because my favorite professor came from that background, and I never challenged that assertion like I should have. I have not always been a humble learner. I have been an instant expert. And the great irony for me is, now that I’ve been deeply immersed in the study of Scripture, Christian community, and the Church for the better part of my adult life, having had the incredible privilege of some of the wisest, best teachers on the planet, the biggest thing I've learned is how much I have to learn. And that’s no false humility...That’s the facts. I am convinced of this: That the Church (which is a God-breathed and designed community, not a construct of man) is at its most effective in reaching a broken world with the hope of Jesus when humility and teachability are its foundation. You don’t know it all. Neither do I. But let’s never forget that God has gifted some with teaching abilities, some with uncommon wisdom, some with greater discernment...And reading a few articles that back up what we already thought or having a strong desire for something to be a certain way will never replace a lifetime of learning humbly from the community that God has placed us in. Embrace that community...Embrace the opportunities that God gives you to learn from others. There’s absolutely nothing like it. What an amazing thought - That we could become experts in listening, being shaped, and humbly allowing God to mold us. Let’s do this...