ACU Summit 2012

In just under a week, I will be a theme lecturer at Abilene Christian University's Summit (previously known as the ACU Lectureship). I'm grateful to Brady Bryce for the invitation to speak. It is one of the greatest honors I have received.

ACU is a special place for me. Just 10 years ago, I wandered into Moody Coliseum as a freshman. So many things have changed in the last decade. I am a better man as a result of my time at ACU. I received my calling to ministry there. But most importantly, I married Holly after our sophomore year. ACU is a place full of memories for my family (I'm a 4th generation student) and our marriage. Some of our best friends are people we met in Abilene.

I spent 6 years at ACU working on my undergraduate and Master of Divinity degrees in Abilene. Coming from big cities, Holly and I were certainly ready to move on after those 6 years, but those were special years. And the week-long trek to Abilene each fall is a spiritual retreat that I depend on.

This year's theme is "Intimacy: Return to God" from the book of Hosea. My theme lecture is Monday morning at 11AM (CST) in Moody Coliseum. I'm honored to share the stage this year with Mitch Wilburn, Chris Goldman, Jeff Christian, Jerry Taylor, Don McLaughlin, and Walter Brueggemann. I am preaching from Hosea 2, a graphic text about the relationship between God and Israel. The word "whore" will be said more times during my sermon than it has probably been said in the over 100 years that ACU has been in existence, but it's what the text demands.

This morning I've just typed the last words to the sermon. This sermon has been gestating for 6 months The Spirit has spoken and I pray God will bless all who listen in Moody and around the world on the internet. If you're at Summit, I'd love to meet you if you. But if you're not able to make it this year, listen in live at www.acu.edu/summit or acapellaradio.net.

World Convention in Brazil

A couple of weeks ago, Holly and I got the incredible opportunity to go to the World Convention in Goiania, Brazil. The World Convention is a quadrennial gathering of Christians who have a common heritage in the Stone-Campbell movement, which includes Churches of Christ, Christian Churches, and the Disciples of Christ.

This year's Convention was the first ever in the Global South. There were nearly 4,000 Christians from around the world who met together to praise God, listen to speakers, and meet brothers and sisters in Christ we would never meet otherwise on this side of heaven. Every event was translated in English and Portuguese.

Holly and I had a fantastic time meeting all kinds of new people, seeing a few old friends, and getting to see parts of the world we had never seen before.

And let me assure, no matter the feelings you might have about the American church, God is certainly at work in the Global South. The church in Brazil is a vibrant, young, growing body of believers. My faith was restored in a great way by seeing what God is up to in other parts of the world.

It was also amazing to see how the church has transitioned from American missionary leadership to Brazilian leadership. One young, powerful preacher I was impressed with was a man named David Levistone. David told his story of being a 3rd generation Christian because of the work of American missionaries decades ago. He challenged the Brazilian church to a powerful work over the coming years.

Over the next four years, Brazil will host the World Cup and the Summer Olympics. He said, "Brazil stands at a unique place on the world stage. While we are called to go into all of the world, we are blessed over the next four years to have the world come to us. We must not miss this opportunity to speak the good news during such a time as this!"

Holly and I returned home rested, blessed, and more hopeful. God is at work in the world. Just because Christianity in the West is on the decline doesn't mean God isn't at work.

It's time for the American church to be humble enough to learn from missionaries that will be coming our way.

Blame the Refs!

Over the past couple of months, my Twitter feed has been full of talk about the NBA playoffs. And the overwhelming majority of the chatter has focused on the ineptitude of the referees. I can understand an occasional bit of criticism toward the “Zebras,” but I’m starting to think the complaints mark a cultural transition that we ought to pay attention to.

Postmodernity might have something to do with it. For those who aren’t familiar, postmodernity is what comes after modernity (might not mean much to those who aren’t familiar with modernity).

In the modern era (1500-1960s), science and rationality ruled the world. Progress was inevitable. We conceived of a day when we might be able to create a utopia through invention, medicine, and industry.

But the bloodiest century in history, the 20^th century, put those dreams to rest. World War I & II weren’t necessarily indicators of a world nearing progress and utopia. Add the scientific discoveries of relativity, quantum physics, and an AIDS epidemic that took the world by storm and you begin to understand postmodernity.

So, what does this all have to do with the NBA? Well, postmodernity included a strong pessimism about authority. You can’t trust world superpowers that go to war for resources. You can’t trust preachers who build growing empires while embroiled in sexual and financial scandals. And as the divorce rate grew steadily, you can’t even trust your parents will remain together.

And you certainly can’t trust the refs.

We have more information at our fingertips than ever before. And that information leads to our doubts as well.

-Instant replay makes us the instant arbitrators of truth.

-I remember reading a stat I couldn’t believe anyone could know. During the Mavericks playoff run in 2011, I heard a stat that the Mavericks were 2-18 when Joey Crawford was officiating.

-Tim Donaghy resigned as an NBA referee after allegations surfaced that he had bet on games that he had officiated over.

Who can you trust?

Certainly not doctors! Admit it, 90% of the time you have already pre-diagnosed yourself on WebMD before you ever step foot in the Doctor’s office. What could a doctor know that WebMD doesn’t?

Certainly not teachers! Years ago, parents waited at home with a spanking waiting when the teacher sent a note home about their student’s bad behavior. Today, kids have parents in the palm of their hand and the teachers have little support from parents.

Certainly not Little League coaches! Have you been to Little League baseball game lately? There’s always the annoying dad who watched Fred McGriff’s training video circa 1994 who is coaching up the kids opposite the advice of the coach on the field.

Certainly not preachers! Preachers: Just try disagreeing with the NIV Study Bible one morning and you can be sure Monday night’s elder meeting will include a “heresy trial.”

Certainly not politicians! Wait, I’m not going to try to defend this one.

We’ve lost our ability to let specialists specialize in anything. After one 30-minute Google search, all of a sudden we know more than a doctor who spent a decade training to give us informed care.

I get it. Refs blow some calls. Some of those calls go against your team. And you found an article that emphasized a certain stat that proves Crawford hates your team.

But all of this questioning of authority cheapens the game. It’s not just the “floppers” who are ruining the game. It’s the fans who “cry foul” on every replay they’re given. And it doesn’t just cheapen the other team’s championship. It will cheapen your team’s title next year.

So, lay off the refs. And the doctors. And the preachers. And the judges.

Hey, did you see that call?!?

Great Resource for Raising Discipled Kids

In case you're still wondering, faith isn't something that will be passed on accidentally from generation to generation. It's never been that way, and the trend isn't reversing.

If you're looking for resources that will help you, as the parent, intentionally develop faith in your children, take a look at www.impartfaith.com.

I came into contact with Joel Singleton and Matt Dabbs through the blogosphere and the Pepperdine Bible Lectures. Both of them work at the Northwest Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, Florida. Pay attention to that church and these young men. They are sincere disciples who are trying to take intentional steps to helping churches and families pass on faith to children and unbelievers.

Many of you who read this blog, remember our intentional life experiment at the beginning of the year. On Fridays, Holly and I spent our Sabbath engaging our kids in intentional lessons about God in our weekly adventures around the city of Denver. We shared our results at Pepperdine this year, and since then, Joel has asked us to contribute to the Imparting Faith blog each Monday this summer.

If you're interested in reading more about the specifics of our intentional life experiment or just intentional ways to teach your kids the way of Jesus, check out the blog at www.impartfaith.com/blog. Each Monday for ten weeks, we will share one practice we did with our kids and what we learned along the way. The first post is already up.

Watching The Fray "Make" It

Have you ever been present at the moment when someone "made" it? I'm talking about that moment when the lifelong dream someone had planned and practiced for finally became a reality.

Friday night, Holly and I went to see the Fray at Red Rocks. The Fray is one of our favorite bands.

But that's not the cool part. You see, the members of the band grew up in Denver. I can't imagine how many times they saw shows at Red Rocks dreaming of the day they might sell out a show there. Red Rocks is the ultimate venue in the Rockies. Every band you can imagine has had a headline show at this mile-high amphitheater cut out of the rocks.

The concert was incredible. They played many of their new tracks from "Scars and Stories" that released early this year. They also played an acoustic set with the well-known melodies that the crowd sang along with.

But the coolest part of the night was seeing The Fray soak up a night they grew up dreaming of.

While they've been famous for a few years, on Friday, May 11 they "made" it. They were headlining Red Rocks. And they were grateful.

In the crowd were early record producers, fans that had been with them since Day 1, and newer fans from their more popular days. It was the culmination of a dream fulfilled. And it was beautiful. It was touching. It was powerful.

Rarely do you get to experience something like that. We live in a world of broken dreams, failed relationships, and experiences that do not live up to the hype.

But it was obvious, that The Fray was soaking it all in on Friday night.

I don't care who it is or what event you're talking about. Every chance I get, I want to be there when people "make" it.

Because when people "make" it, you realize that your dreams are within reach. You realize that the impossible really is possible. You realize that your dream isn't as far away as you might imagine.

And that's worth much more than the price of admission.

Pepperdine Bible Lectures

Well, I've got the whole family here in Malibu, CA for the annual Pepperdine Bible Lectures. It is a week filled with beautiful views, powerful lectures and classes, and reconnecting with friends and family.

The theme this year is "Living Between the Times" from Romans 5-8. After 30 years of directing the lectures, Jerry Rushford is passing the baton of leadership off to Mike Cope. It will be an incredible experience. I can't wait to hear Jerry's last message!

On Wednesday at 2 PM, Holly and I are teaching a class on our "Intentional Life" Experiment with our kids. If you're a Children's Minister, Youth Minister, parent, grandparent, or any other human, you should come and listen in. We'll be talking about how to intentionally form your kids spiritually. Hope to see you there!

Winterfest Spiritual Discipline Videos

Over a decade ago, I remember attending my first Winterfest youth rally.

Growing up in San Diego, I was in a youth group of about 10 students. But when we moved to Dallas, my family started attending the Highland Oaks Church of Christ. And there were over a hundred kids that  were a part of my youth group. It was quite a shift.

But my paradigm was blown open the first time I attended Winterfest in Arlington, TX (they also have a larger gathering in Gatlinburg, TN). There were thousands of teens who showed up to listen to speakers and worship their hearts out. It gave me a vision of the kingdom larger than the tiny circles I usually found myself in.

Just this past year, things came full circle as Dudley Chancey, the Director of Winterfest, invited me to film a few videos on the spiritual disciplines that would be sent to youth leaders and teens as they sought to follow God after going home from the conference.

Here are those 3 videos.

Click here to check out the rest of the spiritual discipline videos put together by Winterfest.

Two of My Least Favorite Scriptures

I'm a contrarian. I'm blessed with friends who display grace after grace. I'm blessed to have a wife who puts up with more than she deserves.

Don't ask me to the movies and expect me just to have a good time. And if you do, don't ask me what I thought about the movie. I'm always critiquing culture in light of the story it's telling and the movie theater is one of my favorite places to do cultural exegesis. 

I know, I know. I should learn to have fun. Our family is having a blast on our Intentional Fridays...because I've set aside a time to have fun. I'm a tortured soul.

And my criticism often moves into the world of Christian bookstore trinkets. I don't know who creates these items, but they don't usually have a stake in understanding the context of the verses they put on their wares.

Two of my least favorite passages are Philippians 4:13 and Jeremiah 29:11.

It's not that these verses are any less inspired. In fact, these are two of the most important verses in all of Scripture. 

But taken out of context, these verses lose their incredible impact. These aren't verses meant to go on the graduation announcements of upper-middle class students hoping for a bright future. These verses are written at a time of trouble. These verses are written for people who find themselves in times of trouble. 

These verses are meant to comfort the afflicted rather than to promise success to the successful. They won't guarantee you the Mega Millions prize.

The apostle Paul writes Philippians 4:13 while in prison. Paul isn't writing successful business tips from a corner office. Paul is writing to encourage those who are down on their luck to find contentment outside of their external surroundings. It's about finding a joy and contentment rooted more deeply than one's circumstances. Paul has learned to do all things, including finding contentment in prison, through Christ who strengthens him.

That's a powerful word for those who are in trouble.

It's not a word for the star of the high school football team who hopes to score a touchdown on Friday night. It's a word for the kid who didn't make the team and can't imagine ever finding life on Friday night.

It's not a word about overcoming First World Problems. It's a word about having joy as a third world, HIV-infected, orphan girl in Nairobi, Kenya.

The context of Jeremiah 29:11 isn't any more hopeful. 

Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles in Babylon promising them that God knows the plans he has for them in exile. He wants to prosper them rather than harming them as they might suspect.

But the news can't be all that comforting to its original hearers in exile. It's not exactly a promise of health and wealth. It's not even a promise for the readers of the letter. God's promising a future beyond circumstance. Most of the readers of the Jeremiah's letter, if not all of them, will die in exile. They won't see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

God's going to save them...IN SEVENTY YEARS!!! Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next month. Not even next decade. After they are long gone and buried, God's going to do a new thing. It's not exactly the most inspiring message to put on your bathroom mirror from the lovely people at Family Christian Bookstores.

Context is everything. Yet, while these verses are two of my least favorite verses today,  there will be a day when dwelling on these verses might just be the glimmer of hope that is needed.

So, if you see me venturing into Mardel for a religious trinket, don't ask me how my day is going. I can assure you, it won't be the best day of my life.

Story Time With Maddox

Holly and I have always led a devotional time at night with the kids. We usually read a story out of the Bible, sing a song, and/or say a prayer together.

But over the past week, I've been telling Maddox stories from Scripture from memory. And it has been one of the most helpful practices for my preaching of anything I've done in the past few years.

We preachers don't get it. There are a few church members out there who love appreciate learning Greek words, random facts about ancient Babylon, and savvy homiletical moves.

But those few pale in comparison to the number of people we preach to who need a good word in the midst of tragedy, trouble, or just the monotony of life.

One of the best things we can do to improve our preaching is to simplify it.

Story time with Maddox has been a great challenge and success this past week. I've retold stories about Adam & Eve, Noah, Joseph, Moses, Elijah, David, Jonah, and Jesus. Each story includes a noise or an action that he can remember vividly. And each night, we go over other stories I've already told so he doesn't forget them. It's so much fun!

Remember, it's always more difficult to prepare a 3-minute sermon than it is a 30-minute sermon. And three minutes is pushing it with Maddox.

He might not be able to understand what the kingdom of God is yet, but he's learning to love the story. And he's teaching me to love it again as well!

The 16th Hole at TPC Scottsdale

The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale.

It's just 162 yards. Just a small, harmless par 3.

But it's so much more than that.

The 16th has become more than just a hole. Every Super Bowl week, over 20,000 people crowd into the coliseum that surrounds this tiny hole. It's known as the most exciting hole in golf.

The hole changed forever when Tiger Woods stepped to the tee in 1997. After his hole-in-one at the 16th, the fans roared and tossed their beer glasses onto the tee box as he fist-pumped his way to the green. Golf had never seen anything like it. That day, the "golf clap" was traded in for a new era of celebration from fans and golfers. That day, the 16th became the stage for the "most exciting hole in golf."

You can see the transformation in the pictures above. I've played the hole twice. Without the grandstands, it's just a hole. But come tournament time, the coliseum comes alive.

My question in all of this is: How does one par-3 measuring 162 yards transform the image of a sport overnight? What is it about the 16th that allows the image of golf fans to change from conservative old men with cardigans tied around their neck to rowdy college students who "boo" golf shots that don't come closer than 15 feet from the pin?

Several things converged to make this hole what it was:

1) New leaders who change the boundaries - Golf was a sport for wealthy white men. But Tiger Woods and crop of new young, bold golfers changed the sport. These young leaders pushed the limits of a previous culture with bolder wardrobes, extreme workout regimens, and a swagger that said they could do anything with a golf ball. They stepped over presumed cultural norms and found a way to appeal to a new audience.

2) The Cultural Setting - With Arizona State University and a young city nearby, they appealed to a group of spectators that wouldn't have been caught dead at a golf tournament just years before.

3) Capitalizing on the right moment - Tiger's hole-in-one became the catalytic moment that transformed a golf hole into an unbelievable cultural event.

4) Expectation - People come with the expectation of having a good time. We've all been in settings where everyone expects to have a good time. Usually, the expectation is fulfilled. So, much of life is about expectation. Comedians' jobs are easier because people come to the comedy club expecting to laugh. When people want to laugh, it's easier to get them to laugh.

Other golf holes have tried to create similar atmospheres, but most of them fail miserably because all of the elements needed for such a huge cultural change just don't quite work together as well in other places.

And I got to thinking, there are some serious parallels between the 16th hole and our churches.

Churches don't usually change overnight. And over the years, it's easy for a church to turn inward, circle the wagons, and die a long slow death.

But it doesn't have to be this way!

And if you'll excuse the image, we need a 16th hole at Scottsdale type revival in our day.

On second thought, don't excuse the image. In Acts 2, on the Day of Pentecost, the synagogue was transformed into a scene much like the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale. And do you remember the charge the onlookers made about the spectators in the house that day? The naysayers were afraid the Spirit-filled people from across the globe had imbibed a bit too much wine the night before.

I can't remember the last time I worshiped at a church where we were mistaken as a bunch of drunk hooligans.

We need a fresh wind of the Spirit. We need new leaders who will change the expectation in our worship experiences. We're insane to think that doing the same things over and over will bring new results.

But more than anything, we need to expect that God will show up and revive our churches.

Do you know why our kids love worship at church camp? Because they have an expectation and anticipation that God will show up. And he does!

Do you know why worship experiences in the Fieldhouse at Pepperdine are so powerful? Because we have an expectation that God will show up. And he does!

The 16th hole at Scottsdale used to be just a hole. And without the grandstands, it's just a hole. But come tournament time, it's more than a hole. It's an experience unlike any other. It's a party!

When you attend church this Sunday, the resources of revival are present. God and the Holy Spirit are ready for a party.

The question is: Are we ready?

So, take off your cardigan. Give up your "golf-clap." God wants to reach more than your standard golf fans. He's ready for a new day. Are you?

The Ancestor We Try To Forget

Last Saturday, I found myself at Littleton Cemetery for a graveside service. And while I was there, I decided to visit the grave of a long-lost relative for the first time. I've lived in Littleton for three and a half years, but hadn't made it to the grave yet.

It was an interesting experience.

Usually a family grave visit is a place mourning. Not this time.

Alfred Packer isn't the relative you mourn over. He's the relative you accidentally leave out of the genealogy. He's the relative whose blood line you hope you missed.

I'm not the only one with "that" relative. We all have them in our family line. He's the relative that would cause an entire family to alter their last name so as not to be associated with him. Which makes me think, I  haven't met anyone with the last name Hitler in my entire life. Interesting!

Alfred was convicted of manslaughter. But that's not his most dubious act. He's also known as the "Colorado Cannibal," which wasn't just a cute name given to him by his frat brothers. 

Stories diverge about the circumstances surrounding his mountain expedition and those he traveled with. Even Alfred's stories conflicted as he shared his story of survival with police detectives. Eventually he was sentenced to forty years in prison for manslaughter.

I've done the genealogical work. Apparently, I am truly related to Alfred. He is my fourth cousin, four times removed, which means I'm close enough of a relative to get his name, but far enough away in the bloodline that I would have still been born had he chosen not to eat his friends and die beside them in the Rockies.

You've never really lived until you've pulled up to a Wendy's drive-thru window only to hand the guy your credit card and have him jokingly ask if you'd like some chicken "fingers" (emphasis on the fingers). 

Life would have been easier if I'd been a minister in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Everyone would have flocked to Pastor Packer's church on Packer game days without a second thought about my ancestor Alfred. But God calls us where he calls us for a reason.

I'll share more flattering stories about other ancestors in the future. But this visit was worth a blog. 

So, you tell me...who is your most infamous relative?

The Intentional Life

Holly and I are teaching a class at the Pepperdine Bible Lectures this year. It's one of our favorite places and events to attend all year. 2012 is Jerry Rushford's last year to direct the lectureship before Mike Cope takes his place next year. This year's theme is "Living Between the Times," as we focus on Romans 5-8.

When Jerry asked us, we racked our brains over what to teach. We thought about several books of the Bible or topics we could teach. Finally, we settled on a different kind of class.

Each Friday is my day off and a day that we, as a family, commit to Sabbath rest. We did well early in my ministry, but last year we found ourselves hanging out at home more often than not. We wanted to 2012 to be a year to reengage our Sabbath discipline in a renewed way.

We know we're not the only family who struggles to live intentional lives of faith. Time often hurts any commitment. Holly and I have noticed that time is flying by with our young kids and we don't want to miss opportunities to raise them in intentional ways.

So, we've titled our Pepperdine class "The Intentional Life (How To Keep the Monotony of Life From Swallowing Our Families)." In our class, we are going to report on an experiment we're trying out during the first quarter of 2012.

Each Friday, we've chosen 13 activities to engage in with our kids that are tied to some kind of spiritual lesson. Each week we will teach our kids a biblical lesson that fits with our fun activity.

For instance, today we began by going to the Children's Museum of Denver. We had a great time. Not only did we get off the couch and have fun as a family. We also spent time in the car talking about how God has given us the gift of our imaginations for the sake of his kingdom.

Living in the kingdom requires imagination. But something happens between childhood and adulthood to kill our imaginations. One thing we want our kids to have is a vivid imagination to participate with God in bringing the kingdom of God to earth as he imagines it. We want our kids to have Sunday eyes for the world. We want them to see how the resurrection of Jesus has changed everything!

We had a great day and we look forward to many more great Fridays in the next few months!

New Website for "The Good Life" Challenge

My lovely wife, Holly, has created a new blog for Littleton's journey through the Sermon on the Mount. At Littleton, we are spending the year journeying through Matthew 5-7. We're calling the year-long series "The Good Life."

If you're interested in growing in your relationship with God in 2012, Please check out www.thegoodlifeatlcoc.blogspot.com. I've posted this week's Scripture reading, comments on the passage, and some questions to consider as we prepare for starting into the sermon on the 15th.

Please comment with any conversation with anything God inspires you to write that will be a blessing to others on this journey.

Again, the blog is a place of conversation for our members, but it is also a place for conversation with any follower or seeker of Jesus in the blogosphere.

The Good Life

What is your plan for spiritual growth in 2012?

Let that question settle for a moment. I'm guessing there are some readers that have a plan. Some of you have worked a plan for years and you have seen incredible fruit from careful planning and committed action.

But I'm guessing there are others out there that don't know where to start. You want to grow. You've wanted to grow for years, but it seems that every year you look back and feel like you are starving for a closer relationship with God.

If you're looking for a spiritual challenge, I want to invite you on a journey with the Littleton Church of Christ in 2012.

I know what you're thinking. How can I journey with Littleton when I go to another congregation? When I live in another state? In another country?

Let me start by telling you about the journey our church (Littleton Church of Christ) is taking in 2012. (By the way, let's keep this secret between you and me until Sunday because our church doesn't even know about this yet!)

In 2012, Littleton is going to pursue "The Good Life" that Jesus pronounces in the Sermon on the Mount. That's right, I'm spending an entire year preaching through the Sermon on the Mount. More than just studying Matthew 5-7 for the sake of knowledge, we're going to seek to put "The Good Life" that Jesus preaches into action for the sake of the world. We believe God's word doesn't just need to be heard. We believe it needs to be seen.

Some of you have spent year after year trying to complete yearly reading plans. That works for some people. But let's be honest, how many of you have ended your year-long plan in the book of Leviticus (the graveyard of year-long reading plans)?

Maybe you're asking, "How could I focus on only three chapter for an entire year?" I'd challenge you to try it. Here's why:

The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus' clearest declaration of what the kingdom of God is all about. Jesus prays for his Father's "will to be done on earth as it is in heaven" in Matthew 6:10. It's the role of the church to display his will by being "salt" and "light" in the world. We demonstrate the kingdom of God as an announcement to the world that Satan's reign is on life support. We exhibit the "Good Life" of the kingdom in order to point people to God's future that is already on its way.

So, how can you journey with us? I'm glad you asked.

Each week there will be planned readings and a conversation on my blog about the upcoming week's sermon text. These weekly blogs will provide a place of conversation for members of the Littleton Church of Christ. But my hope is that many others spread across the country and the world will choose to join as online partners in this conversation. Add whatever commentary seems beneficial. I'd also encourage you to download Littleton's free sermon podcasts and listen to the weekly sermons through the iTunes Music Store.

The call this year is to action.

You do remember how the sermon ends, don't you? You remember the song..."The wise man built his house upon the rock...the foolish man built his house upon the sand."Do you remember the difference between the two? Unfortunately, that part missed the final cut of our children's songs.

The wise one is the person who hears Jesus' words and puts them into practice. The foolish one is the person who hears Jesus' words and does not put them into practice.

The purpose of this challenge is not just add to our faith knowledge, but to add to our knowledge action. Spiritual formation occurs when the fruit of our lives announces "The Good Life" of the kingdom of God to the world.

I also challenge each participant to commit to memorizing the entire Sermon on the Mount in 2012.

As you make your New Year's resolutions, consider how you will mature spiritually in 2012.

Are you up for the challenge? Let me know if you're willing to join in.

Why People Should Despise Tim Tebow

Living in Denver, it's impossible to hide from the media's coverage of Tim Tebow. Yet, I'm beginning to realize Denverites are not alone. It seems to be THE prevailing national sports conversation.

Let me start by saying, "I root for Tim Tebow." I certainly rooted for him in the 2008 National Championship when they beat the Oklahoma Sooners, but that had more to do with their opponent than anything else. I appreciate a guy who won't compartmentalize his faith. We need more Christians who will not divide the sacred from the secular.

But...

I was shocked by a Yahoo! Sports article this week in which a pastor, who claimed to be Tim's pastor, was quoted as saying, "It's not luck. Luck isn't winning six games in a row. It's favor. It's God's favor." According to the article, his pastor also said the Broncos wouldn't be winning games if God hadn't decided to reward Tebow's religious beliefs.

Which led my critical brain to quite the stream of consciousness...
-Does that mean Aaron Rodgers is being rewarded more than Tebow since he is the only quarterback to defeat Tebow and his team is undefeated? Is he even a Christian? That's worth a google search.
-Is God so preoccupied with helping NFL quarterbacks win games that he forgets to prevent natural disasters and the poor and marginalized of the world?

I don't think Tebow is the problem. He has never said God manipulates the outcome of sporting events. I think he's authentic as a disciple of Jesus.

My concern arises from the conversations I hear among conservative Christians. I continue to hear Christians who are upset about the media's uproar against Tebow. Christians feel slighted and even persecuted by what they perceive as a liberal media bias. Some wonder why Michael Vick's redemption story is more palatable than Tim Tebow's distinctively Christian story.

And underneath all of those concerns is a worldview. Lee Camp, professor of ethics at Lipscomb University, has called it a "Constantinian Cataract." Since Christianity's political emergence in the 4th century, Christianity has been at the center of culture. The church wielded power and influence. In many Western countries since then, Christianity has been the predominant religion.

But things are rapidly changing. The church is no longer the center of culture. The 21st century is more like the 1st century than any century since. We are in a post-Christian culture.

The response I've heard from Christians lamenting the media's bias assumes a worldview. Many of us still assume we are the majority.

But listen to Paul's words from 1 Corinthians 1: "He [God] chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things..."

Christians are called to be peculiar. We're called to be maladjusted. Tim Tebow is maladjusted.

Question: Why are we so upset about the way Tim Tebow is being portrayed.

Answer: Our frustration reveals our desire to be accepted and glorified by the culture. That's a radical misinterpretation of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Better Question: Why don't WE stand out as much as Tim Tebow?

Wrong Answer: Tim has a larger stage than we do.

Right Answer: Most of us are too adjusted to the world. We lack peculiarity.

It's time for us to stop hoping for the world to look more like Jesus. Sometimes that's a diversion from the harder work of becoming like Jesus ourselves.

It's OK to be an underdog. It's OK to be reviled. It's OK to be despised. Because when you are despised you join a long line of saints who have followed Jesus down that same path.

We follow a Savior who was despised. Perhaps we should be less surprised when an authentic follower of Jesus is despised as well.

Thoughts?

From Suffering to Hope

I had an experience with Scripture this week that shouldn't shock me, but it did.

I'm sure there are many professions that cause the worker to cease his/her amazement over time. For instance, I'm sure there are brain surgeons who get so accustomed to doing dangerous procedures that the amazement of his/her first successful brain surgery wears off over time. In fact, if I ever need brain surgery, I hope I get a doctor whose hands don't tremble and jaw doesn't drop when she slices open my skull. The sign of a good brain surgeon is that she forgets the incredible/daunting nature of her task.

I'm sure most people who do their day job over time lose their initial excitement to some degree. I can't imagine a PGA Tour golfer or professional surfer wanting to change professions, but it happens. I'm sure marine biologists long for a day when they can work above water and astronauts wish they could spend more time on planet earth.

Familiarity breeds contempt.

Confession: It can happen to preachers too! It is possible to forget the incredible blessing of bringing the word of God to the people of God.

I know it's shocking. But I'm guessing your preacher goes through the motions from time to time as well. Even searching the Scriptures can become a bland weekly task.

But there are moments (you preachers know what I'm talking about), incredible moments, God-breathed moments, when a text you have read a thousand times cuts through you like, well, a double-edged sword. Usually those moments occur when we stop reading to find a sermon for others and start reading for a change God wants to make in us.

I think these moments happen when our lived experience in a particular moment meets with Scripture's power that is ever-present. I had one of those moments this week.

I heard these words from Paul at a Men's Breakfast:
"We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:3-5


How had I not seen it before? I've read these words a thousand times.

But if I'm reading that right, suffering leads to hope. What? That woke me up.

Now, I haven't endured much suffering in my short life. I'm in the 1% when it comes to the level of suffering I've endured in my life. But the past few months have been a time of trial.

Through this time of "suffering," I've lacked a few things. But most of all, I've lacked hope. And my loss of hope has affected many around me.

But in a moment of God-breathed inspiration, ancient words from a guy from Tarsus answered my dilemma. Hope is not found in the absence of suffering. Hope is found through suffering. Counterintuitive much?

I'm not sure how suffering might be branding your life as you read these words. I'm sure your suffering is greater than mine. I'm also sure you belittle your suffering because you can think of hundreds of people who have been through more.

But what if on the other side of suffering, if you live with perseverance and character, is hope. That's a game changer!

May this word of hope comfort you in your affliction!

Happy Birthday Holly!

I want to wish a special birthday to my wife, Holly. She is my high-school sweetheart. We started dating our junior year of high school. Holly has been the clearest picture I've ever had into the heart of God.

She's the blog genius of the family. She has many more followers and she designs and updates the look of my blog. She has the gift of creativity that reflects the God she serves.

As the blog expert, she finds my blogs too lengthy and theologically dense (take that as you wish). She thinks people want more personal details and stories. So, in honor of her critique, I offer to the world the 15 things I am most grateful for in my wife.

Here it goes:

1) Loyalty - You're the most loyal person I've ever known.
2) Beauty - I only wish people who stopped to notice your physical beauty could see the incredible beauty that shines from your life.
3) Mother - You are so natural with Maddox and Addison. Daddy isn't so natural.
4) Incredible Knack for Giving Gifts - Giving gifts is your love language. I've never known anyone who had more fun figuring out what to give other people.
5) Knowledge of Sports - I'm continually shocked by how much you know about sports. It shows you love me because you care about what I care about.
6) Grace - I know what grace is through you. (Only you know how much grace you have given to me)
7) Love For Children - Children from Honduras and Africa have received your prayers and care.
8) Love For God - Your commitment to God is obvious to everyone you encounter.
9) Craftiness - You've got a knack for making crafts, blogging, and scrapbooking. You chronicle our lives.
10) Our Marriage - In a world of so much uncertainty, I have nothing but certainty about our marriage.
11) Biblical Knowledge - You took 3 semesters of Greek. What more needs to be said?
12) Cooking - You've never cooked a meal I haven't enjoyed. Don't argue with me on this one. Compare my waistline today with my measurements on our wedding day.
13) Your Family - I love my in-laws. Not everyone can say that, but I can.
14) Carefree Disposition - You've never demanded your way in over 7 years of marriage. I wish I could claim the same thing for myself.
15) Love - I didn't know agape love until I experienced it with you.

The last decade has been the greatest blessing in my life! You are amazing! I couldn't ask for more out of a wife than God gave me in you. You are my Proverbs 31 woman. I love you Holly Packer!

Distracted

So, I saw this picture on a friend's Facebook page. (Shout out to Vanessa and Nic Mount, missionaries friends of ours who are spreading the kingdom in Hawaii...Don't laugh...this is legit mission work)

And I got to thinking: How would our small group react to this idea? How would our church react if we had a bin  in the back of the room that everyone placed their cell phone in before entering worship? My guess is...not too well.

But I think this move might be one of the most countercultural commitments a church could make to stand out in our culture. Are we willing to believe our worship of God and conversation with the people around us is more important than a phone call or text we might receive?

I know, I know. I sound like an 83-year old man: "Back in my day, I had to carry around coins to insert in a pay phone to call my mom to pick me up from the golf course. You can live without a cell phone." But hear me out.

Have you been to a playground recently? Back in my day, my mom would talk with other moms or interact with us at the public park. I dare you to go to a local park today and start a conversation with another parent. I guarantee the Facebook app on their phone would be a tough competitor to a conversation with you, as a human being. Or try to start a conversation at an airport or a restaurant waiting area.

I read a study recently that mentioned the problem of nursing mothers giving their attention to their cell phones and iPads instead of their nursing babies. The special bond made between nursing mothers and babies is being affected by our addiction to technology.

I'm tired of it. I'm tired of my lunches being interrupted by a cell phone call. I'm tired of diverted attention to a Twitter reply when I'm in the middle of an important conversation. I'm tired of hearing, "Oh, I'm sorry. I've got an important phone call I must take."

I'm tired of my child interrupting me when I'm reading a blog or checking my Facebook notifications. Oops! It's not just those people. It's me.

Jon Acuff, author of the popular blog called "Stuff Christians Like," confessed a similar struggle recently. His poignant story recounted his daughter asking him to take a picture with her that he wouldn't post immediately to his myriad of of social networking sites. It seems documenting the fun times with our families has become more important than having fun times, which is a shame really.

The ministry of presence (being physically, mentally, and spiritually present with the person in front of you) has never been more needed, more powerful, or more countercultural. I'm rarely with a person who gives me more attention than someone they are communicating with outside of the room.

And as families, we're going to have to find new ways to do this with so many technological distractions.

I'm already noticing a problem with my 2-year old. He prefers the iPad to human interaction.

I'm just really struggling to find out where he learned that.
--------------------
Thoughts?

Agnosticism as a Spiritual Practice

Humility and theology don't tend to go together, but I'm not sure one can do good theology without an extra measure of humility.

I've spent much of my life in a religious tribe with many people who lacked humility as they shared their beliefs. And in any movement that lacks humility, you can expect to experience never-ending fractures and divisions.

So, as I thought about ministry as a career, I went to Abilene Christian University to get the answers to all of the right questions. But what I found there didn't meet my expectations. I didn't get the answers.

It's not that my professors weren't brilliant. Many of them received degrees from seminaries of great esteem,  but they didn't make me memorize information that coincided with the answers they had received from their Ph.D. program. They taught me to think, which is perhaps the greatest gift one can receive.

I've said it before. Today I'm less certain about many things, but more certain about the few things that really matter. I'm committed to being a Jesus-centered person who points people to the kingdom through my words and actions. I believe whole-heartedly that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I'm trying to center my life on his teachings.

At times, I wonder if my lack of certainty on my beliefs about about peripheral matters is a concern to people in my church. Do people need their spiritual leader to feign certainty when he/she struggles with doubt?

And with all of these questions, this question keeps coming to mind: Is agnosticism such a bad thing when it comes to our theology? Is it ok to be an agnostic when it comes to my understanding about the end of the world? Is it ok to be an agnostic when it comes to my opinions about the best practices in corporate worship? I think so.

Hear me closely: I'm not advocating agnosticism when it comes to the essential core of our faith (basically Jesus).

Maybe it's my postmodernism speaking, but agnosticism might just be a path toward greater unity.

Let's face it: We all think we're right about everything. If we didn't believe we were right, we'd change our beliefs.

But there are elements of our faith that are not worth dividing over. Unity is not the same as uniformity. There is room for a diversity of practice at the table of the Lord.

In the words of Ian Cron, "Five words that could change the world - 'but I might be wrong...'" I don't know for certain, but he might just be right.

Worship Minister Search

The leadership at the Littleton Church of Christ just announced a search for a Worship Minister. But the job is aimed at so much more than improving the quality of our worship on Sunday mornings.

What we want to hire is a new set of eyes who can make our "front-door" as hospitable to newcomers and guests as we can possibly make it.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of viewing churches through the eyes of guests. Because every time a new person walks through our doors, they are interviewing. And few churches have the vision to think through their vision from a guest's perspective.

Recently, I went to a couple gatherings at a mosque in town. It was part of an inter-faith dialogue I was involved in this summer. And let me tell you: You don't know what it is to feel like an outsider until you're a Christian standing outside of a mosque unsure about etiquette and wanting to make sure you don't offend anyone in the process.

Few Christians know what it feels like to be an outsider in church. We know the language, the rituals, and the idiosyncrasies well. We know how to get connected at a church. We know which children leave during worship and where Children's Worship meets. We know when to stand up and sit down during service. We know what to wear so we won't stand out.

But guests don't know that. Churches have to do a better job of creating hospitable and welcoming worship gatherings. We need to make it easier for newcomers to easily become an included member of the family. If anything, as insiders, we need to accept discomfort knowing that our role is to make the outsider comfortable and included. I think Scripture has something to say about that!

So, if you're interested in the worship ministry position at Littleton, get in touch with me. But we're looking for a worship minister who also wants to be our "Front-Door" Minister. Someone who has a heart for outsiders and including them in the life of the church. Someone who will walk beside guests from their first step in the door until they are fully integrated into the church.

More than anything, our churches need to be a place where "life" can be found. Our gatherings need to be places where people are filled up and sent out again into the world with new eyes to see the world and their vocations.

If you or someone you know is interested, e-mail me at collin.packer@littletonchurch.org.