The "Unknowns of Life"

More than a decade ago I learned this valuable insight: "You grow the most in the unknowns of life."
       My experience of God is mostly that he seems to mumble a lot to me. I do not often hear Him very clearly. In this instance I heard Him crystal clear:
YOU GROW THE MOST IN THE UNKNOWNS OF LIFE.
       The scene in my life back in 2001 was that I was a first-time senior pastor of a larger church, and the start to my tenure was not good at all. Our congregation experienced multiple, sudden deaths, and I was looked to for leadership and comfort. It was incredibly unknown territory to me.
       These days I am walking alongside a congregation that is experiencing the unknowns of life as a community. There are painfully few answers to the many questions they are asking. Some of them are wounded due to abusive leadership over a number of years. Some of the wounds are raw and open, far from becoming scars.
       And then I am reminded of the lesson I learned a decade ago - the best opportunities to grow and mature are when we are in uncharted territory. The Unknown is the place where I learned to trust God the most, it is the place where I questioned my priorities and what is truly important in my life, and it is when the past and the future mattered very little and I was challenged to live fully in the present.
       I am comforted by King David in Psalm 27 as he wrestled with his own unknowns:

Hear my voice when I call, Lord;

    be merciful to me and answer me.

⁸ 

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

    Your face, Lord, I will seek.

⁹ 

Do not hide your face from me,

    do not turn your servant away in anger;

    you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

    God my Savior.

~ Psalm 27:7-9

Some Words from Pope Francis

I am taken by Pope Francis! There, I said it. I am an Evangelical and love the vision, passion, and purpose the new Pope has given to the Catholic Church.
       This is an excerpt from a speak he gave to Catholic bishops in Brazil two weeks ago. In a word, it is CAPTIVATING.
       “We are impatient, anxious to see the whole picture, but God lets us see things slowly, quietly.
       "Today, we need a Church capable of walking at people’s side, of doing more than simply listening to them; a Church which accompanies them on their journey; a Church able to make sense of the “night” contained in the flight of so many of our brothers and sisters from Jerusalem; a Church which realizes that the reasons why people leave also contain reasons why they can eventually return. But we need to know how to interpret, with courage, the larger picture.
       "Nothing is more lofty than the abasement of the Cross, since there we truly approach the height of love!
       "Do we know anything more powerful than the strength hidden within the weakness of love, goodness, truth and people today are attracted by things that are faster and faster: rapid Internet connections, speedy cars and planes, instant relationships.
       "But at the same time we see a desperate need for calmness, I would even say slowness. Is the Church still able to move slowly: to take the time to listen, to have the patience to mend and reassemble?
       "Or is the Church herself caught up in the frantic pursuit of efficiency?
       "Without mercy we have little chance nowadays of becoming part of a world of 'wounded' persons in need of understanding, forgiveness, love.”

Reflections on a 'Gathering' - Gettysburg

Gettysburg is one of the most profound, sacred places on earth. Abraham Lincoln called it "hallowed ground." More than 50,000 people died in three days on that great and terrible field of battle.
       As part of The Gathering with LCI we visited Gettysburg (only about 45 minutes' drive from York). We had a driving tour and then visited the recently-opened Gettysburg Museum on the grounds of the battlefield (an amazing museum, by the way).
       There were so many heroic leaders at Gettysburg - on both the Union and Confederate lines of battle. This was not only tactical leadership (such as Chamberlain's Maine 20th holding Little Round Top), but rather moral leadership. Robert E. Lee is the prototype for this leadership, holding in great tension his faith in God and God's mysterious providence in matters of a civil war.
       I found myself grieved by the comparison of war in the 19th century and war in the 21st century. Gettysburg was deeply personal, it was brother against brother fighting for causes that many believed in firmly. Warfare today is impersonal, it is drone strikes and inter-continental missiles. It is no less gruesome than 1863 at Gettysburg, it is simply more removed from our personal realities. I find that quite grievous.
       Joshua Chamberlain said this of Gettysburg at the 25th anniversary of the battle: "In great deeds something abides. On great fields something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear, but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision - place of souls."

~ Colonel Joshua Chamberlain

Speaking at the dedication of the monument to the 20th Maine

October 3, 1889, Gettysburg, PA

_______________________________
PS - We ate lunch at General Pickett's Buffets the afternoon of our visit. I love this picture of our fearless leader, Brian Rice, but what I love even more is that Gordon Carpenter is in the background (grey shirt) smirking over the scene!

Reflections on a 'Gathering' - The Amazing Byron Borger

If you are wandering around semi-rural southeastern Pennsylvania and find Dallastown, be sure to stop at a quaint bookshop called Hearts and Minds. It is owned by the incomparable Byron Borger, lover of books galore and encyclopedic in regards to the printed word.

       Byron gave a talk to the LCI Gathering participants one evening about his passion for leaders to be readers. It was both riveting and compelling.

       The evening we were at Hearts and Minds I told Byron that I am spending the summer reading various memoirs, something I have not done very much in the past.

       Byron brought me over to the Memoirs and Biographies section and began scanning the titles. He must have mentioned 8 or 10 books in a span  of 2 minutes, one better than the previous mentioned. He gave me very brief synopses and left me to ponder how in the world I could ever read so many amazing books!

       I chose one, "North of Hope," somewhat randomly after realizing that every book that Byron had recommended is an incredible resource and story.

       So this is a special Thank You to Byron Borger and Hearts and Minds bookstore in little Dallastown, PA. You have inspired me anew to read broadly.

       

Reflections on a 'Gathering' - Lifelong Learning

I spent a wonderful time last week in York, PA with the community of Leadership Connextions International. (check out their brand new website) A decade ago my close friend and colleague Brian Rice and I birthed LCI with a vague notion/vision of journeying with leaders in their growth and development.
       After a couple of years I moved on from LCI and Brian continued to develop it, with a great group of people in York. Last week was a culmination of a vision to bring partners of LCI together for a week of spiritual nourishment, community, and catching up. I simply LOVED IT! Being with life-giving people who are intentional learners was beautiful. I cannot wait until we can be together again.
       I have a few specific reflections at The Gathering, which I will post today, tomorrow, and the next day. The first one is this: LIFELONG LEARNING IS AT THE CORE OF LCI AND WHAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT.

       I was struck by the breadth and depth of understanding and learning by this group of 20 plus people. Many of us did short talks on subjects of interest and passion to us. For example, Barry spoke on the importance of beauty and was so insightful and challenging. The diversity of topics was such a blessing to us.
       It was also humbling for me to be around people who are so wired for a certain type of learning. Their Strength Finders profiles include: Input, Learner, Intellection, Belief. They are avid readers and consume books, articles, journals, etc. like a vacuum cleaner sucks up dust from the floor!
       I have to "raise my game" in the area of input, even though that is not one of my "strengths." No excuse - just have to continue to learn and grow. That was a great challenge and encouragement to me.

The Problem with Narcissists

A number of very dysfunctional people (all male, by the way) are in the news these days. I know several other leaders who are equally dysfunctional, but they are not in the spotlight.

       What do these unhealthy people have in common, and why does this narcissism seem so rampant? There are several common factors:
      ** They believe they are above the law. Alex Rodriguez has said he will fight any suspension from baseball, as if the rules do not apply to his actions. Why would Major League Baseball make an exception for him if they did not for Ryan Braun? People such as A-Rod have a delusional sense that the rules do not apply to them.
     ** They have women in their lives who enable their dysfunction. I feel sad for Huma Abedin, the wife of Anthony Weiner. But I wonder why she stays with him and even defends

him at some points? Over and over again I see grossly narcissistic men in positions of power who manipulate and use the women who are closest to them.
     ** They have natural abilities and talents that are extraordinary. Nobody doubts that A-Rod is one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. Anthony Weiner did not get to be a US congressman unless he had vision and the ability to communicate that vision very well. It seems that their great abilities become one of the great stumbling blocks of their lives.
     ** The best opportunity for them to change is for them to be caught, which likely means being found guilty of a crime. I vividly remember watching on TV when Jim Bakker was arrested, handcuffed, and escorted from his church by state troopers. He melted in despair as his world came crashing in on him. It was incredibly sad, and yet I believe that a glimmer of hope was birthed in that moment because Bakker could no longer manipulate people and situations.
       It feels terrible to wish for the demise of a person's career or ministry. Sometimes, however, it takes a great fall in order for a person to change at his core.

The Bald Head of George HW Bush

Former President George HW Bush shaved his head this week in solidarity with a two-year-old boy who is battling leukemia. Mr. Bush's 12-person Secret Service security detail did the same.
       No big deal, right? WRONG. It's a very big deal.
       There are so few leaders today who do things for the pure act of sacrifice, kindness, and charity. Most leaders have ulterior motives. Not Mr. Bush. George HW Bush is in the twilight of his life and has nothing to prove to anyone.
       He is living as a truly FREE man, at peace with himself and with his world.
       In an interview with NBC News tonight, Barbara Bush said of her husband, "I think of you [as] a great, gentle man and we certainly can use clean gentle men these days." I could not agree more.

Defined by What Embraces Us

"While I fear that we're drawn to what abandons us, and to what seems most likely to abandon us, in the end I believe we're defined by what embraces us." - J.R. Moehringer, The Tender Bar
       I spend more time than I would like interacting with people who have been abandoned - by parents, by children, by friends, and most recently, by clergy/pastors. The latter is especially painful for so many people.
       Currently I am reading J.R. Moehringer's beautiful memoir, The Tender Bar about an Irish Catholic guy about my age who grew up on the north shore of Long Island. His upbringing parallels mine in many ways. Just switch out Jewish for Irish.
       The book opens with the perplexing idea that we are drawn to the people and situations which will betray and abandon us, but we are defined by what embraces us.
       I hope this is true, because if we are also defined by what abandons us then a lot of people who have been hurt and used by religious leaders are in a heap of trouble!
       But I am more hopeful than that, only because I believe God's embrace is far greater than a person's abandonment of another.
       I am reminded of a friend who comes from a Muslim background and is now a follower of Jesus. It is a rare Muslim who will make such a radical change in life. My friend - call him Yayer - has been terribly betrayed and abandoned by his family and almost all of his Muslims friends. His life is in danger because of his new-found beliefs. But he lives in the reality of God's embrace in and through Jesus. He lives in the tension between human abandonment and divine embrace.
       So I am left with the somewhat nagging question of myself: Am I living in light of what has abandoned me or by what embraces me?

A Time to Speak ... Again

I have not been blogging for a couple of months. There were a number of reasons, and much of them have been sorted out (not all though). It is time to find my voice again.

"You Had Me at Shalom"

The reference is to the climactic scene in the film, "Jerry Maquire" in which Tom Cruise woos back Renee Zellweger and she says, "You had me at hello." I admit it - I LOVE that scene!
       It is full of hope, and possible redemption, and pathos! Even though it's a Hollywood fantasy.
       I love the phrase, "You had me at shalom" a million times more. Shalom is utterly impossible apart from God, and more specifically apart from the person of Jesus Christ.
       I don't know a person who does not want to live SHALOM - an inner experience of contentment, fulfillment, settledness which overflows into a "peaceful" external life.
       This week Egypt experienced its second "revolution" in which President Morsi was removed by the military. Is Egypt any closer to shalom today than a week ago? I doubt it. We would do well to have a muted, respectful, and prayerful response to a people suffering greatly at the moment.
       Shalom is a word that is larger than life. You know it when you experience it, but you can never manufacture it. Shalom came on a few of us two weeks ago when I was with my friends Ashraf (a Jordanian) and Ali (a Tunisian) at a training week. We celebrated the Lord's Supper together and I was privileged and humbled to lead the Commmunion time. In the midst of 100 people, Ashraf and Ali came forward to receive the body and blood Christ given for them - and given for the Jewish guy who was serving them.
       That is shalom.

Something's Coming!

I love the song, "Something's Coming" from West Side Story. Check out the video:



       Tony anticipated something GREAT. He was about to meet the love of his life (which in the end turned tragic).
         I wonder if we anticipate and HOPE enough. Recently I have been depressed - at times VERY depressed. What I have anticipated has been full of dread rather than full of hope.
         Today I am anticipating the good, I am hopeful that God prevails in the even darkest moments:
* The church that has imploded because of an unrepentant pastor who has crashed morally;
* The Jew and Arab who wish only ill of one another;
* The out-of-work HVAC worker who umpires baseball to put food on the table.
Like Tony says in West Side Story:
Could be!
Who knows?
There's something due any day;
I will know right away,
Soon as it shows.
It may come cannonballing down through the sky,
Gleam in its eye,
Bright as a rose!

Dallas Willard Quotes - #1

“[Jesus] matters because of what he brought and what he still brings to ordinary human beings, living their ordinary lives and coping daily with their surroundings. He promises wholeness for their lives. In sharing our weaknesses he gives us strength and imparts through his companionship a life that has the quality of eternity.”
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God

Blog Break

Hi everyone. I am taking a break from blogging for a bit. I will let you know when I am back.
Shalom.

Brian

Are You Successful? ... Please Send Money

I pastored a "successful" church in Amsterdam. A thousand people. Lots of different ministries. Our Sunday services were in the round - WOW!
       Someone once told me that I was fortunate that the church was growing and was a significant size. Why? Because I could get a pay increase the following year.
       When I heard this I thought to myself, "Someone please stop the Merry-Go-Round - I want to get off!!!"
       The first year I was pastor the church received the "Helix Award" from the Evangelical Alliance of the Netherlands as the most effective church in the country. We were given a little trophy.
       I never exactly figured out what to do with that trophy. 

       The "Success Syndrome" permeates so much of the Church in the West. It is disheartening to me, in an increasing way. Success is measured by several factors:

  * Size of congregation

  * Size of church budget

  * Senior pastor - presence, preaching, stature

  * Number of ministries offered to congregants

  * Quality of worship music

       When I pastored in Amsterdam we did a nine-week preaching series called, "Sex and the City." It was based on the Song of Solomon. It was a powerful time in some ways. God used it in people's lives.

       Leadership Journal even asked me to write up a brief article about it, seeing that the church is in Amsterdam of all places. Wow ... right?

       Here's the honest truth about my own heart in that series - I felt hollow, lonely, and without energy throughout that time. Sometimes I felt like we were putting on a show of sorts, and people from Amsterdam came week after week to see the show.

       Was it "wrong" for us to do that series? Of course not.

- But not because we wanted to "wow" people.

- Not because we wanted to get people to "come to our church."

- Not because I wanted to be successful.

- And not because I want people to drop 10 dollars or 10 euro in an offering plate.

       These days I do not pastor, and I do not have a "successful" platform in some senses. I seek to help Christians reach out to Jews and Muslims with the love of Christ. It's not the most "successful" endeavor in the world, but hopefully one that has some Kingdom impact in a small way.

       I hope I have gotten off the "merry-go-round" that often happens in Evangelical circles - the merry-go-round of "bigger is better," and "if you build it they will come." I believe wholeheartedly in the mission of God - to be God's primary instrument to introduce people to Jesus and to help them become disciples of him. Anything that distracts from this calling is not worth our time.

It's Worth Being Unsuccessful

I am reading a compilation of Mother Teresa's letters in a book titled, "Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light." These are some of the private writings of Teresa.

       They are both beautiful and gut-wrenching. The darkness and loneliness she lived with for so many years is simply astounding.

       More than 10 years after she founded the Sisters of Charity in Calcutta, she wrote this to her Archbishop:

     "Your Grace,

I want to say to you something - but I do not know how to express it. I am longing - with a painful longing to be all for God - to be holy in such a way that Jesus can live His life to the full in me. The more I want Him - the less I am wanted. I want to love Him as He has not been loved - and yet there is that separation - that terrible emptiness, that feeling of absence of God....

     "I am not complaining - I only want to go all the way with Christ. I am not writing to you as to His Grace - but to the father of my soul - for to you and from you I have not kept hidden anything."

       When I read this for the first time I had to exhale strongly afterward. Wow, what an incredible struggle and hope that Mother Teresa experienced. She knew Christ intimately, and yet she also recognized that she only saw through a glass dimly. Her driving passion and motivation was GOD ... not success, not notoriety, not power, not position, not title.
       The Church does not have nearly enough of these type of leaders - those who shun popularity, who do not seek the spotlight, who do not try to prove themselves. If only we could be content with Christ, and not so much with success.

25 Years ... What a Journey!

Twenty-five years ago I had the great fortune of marrying Susy Scott - this cute, gracious girl from southern California. We met in Geneva, Switzerland and I was quickly smitten by her quiet strength and gracious living.
       We have traveled the world together - living in Geneva, Budapest, Amsterdam, California, and Colorado. Sometimes I have dragged her places, other times she has gone willingly!
       I have not always been the best partner to journey with, but Susy has hung in there and we have forged a relationship which I cherish. There have been priceless times (seeing Carly being born and that little squirt clasping Susy's fingers and Susy crying comes to mind) and times of sorrow and pain.
       We have been privileged to raise two kids and are quite proud of the young adults they have become. Each of us has parented differently and brought our unique personalities to Carly and Steven. They seem to be fairly well-adjusted people(!) and I hope that's some indication of our marriage and family being grounded in God and in commitment to each other.
       I have been in numerous leadership roles over the years, and with that comes a lot of stress - including stress on a marriage. I cannot imagine a better partner than Susy with whom to weather the storms and to walk through these leadership challenges. Susy has been the behind-the-scenes partner I have relied on all along the way.
       A couple of weeks ago we traveled to Israel together - took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, walked the streets of Jerusalem, even crossed the checkpoint together between Palestinian Bethlehem and Israel. It was the latest in a rich and wonderful journey that God has had us on together.
       So here's to 25 years together with Susy Scott of Malibu! I'm a very fortunate guy!

SIgns of Hope in a Broken Land?

“Whatever the reasons, when forgiveness happens it is always a miracle of grace. The obstacles in its way are immense." ~ Miroslav Volf
       Very close to the Israeli-Syrian border on the Golan Heights is a directional sign which shows the distances to some high-profile locations. Most of them have seen tremendous strife and bloodshed over many years. The sign was sobering and saddening to me.
       Forgiveness, understanding, an "attentive heart and mind" is rare to find in the Middle East. Animosity between people is typical and rampant.
       But there are a handful (do I dare call them a "remnant?") of followers of Jesus who are seeking forgiveness and even reconciliation. They are Jewish believers and Arab believers - people such as Salim Munayer of Musalaha (Reconciliation). I will write about my meeting with Salim in another post.
       I am more convinced now than I was previously that the Christian voice is so critical in the midst of the intractable conflict between Jews and Arabs/Palestinians. The gospel turns the arguments on their head. We are called to serve, love, even forgive because Jesus first served, loved, and forgave (see I John 5 and elsewhere).
       Perhaps I will not see this change in the Middle East in my lifetime. But it is like planting an Olive Tree, which will not bear fruit for a number of years and then can live for centuries!
       People don't plant olive trees for themselves; they plant them for generations to come. We would do well to have such an attitude about learning to forgive the "other" as we represent Jesus to a broken world.

The Full Serenity Prayer

I always thought the "Serenity Prayer" was only three lines. Today my spiritual director/counselor gave me a copy of the FULL prayer, which I had never seen.
     After days like I had yesterday, this expanded version makes perfect sense to me.

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

courage to change the thing I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

enjoying one moment at a time;

accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.

Taking as Jesus did this sinful world as it is,

not as I would have it;

trusting that he will make all things right

if I surrender to his will;

that I may be reasonably happy in the life and

supremely happy with him forever in the next.

Amen.

For Jodi - A Truly "Crazy" One

Our friend Jodi died a year ago. This is what I wrote at that time. Many people continue to miss Jodi; and we rejoice that all that life and exuberance which overflowed from her is now overflowing in the presence of Jesus! 

My memory of Jodi is one of exuberance, a smile and laugh which was contagious. She served as an elder when I pastored in Amsterdam; she always helped me laugh at myself even in the midst of an intense conversation.

       The other memory I have is from a photo which was taken my last day at Crossroads Church. It's a picture of Jodi with our friend and colleague Geertruyt. I have joked with her that they look WAY too happy on the day of my departure!
       But then I catch myself and remember that Jodi ALWAYS looked this way!
       Our friend Jodi died yesterday after battling cancer for a number of years. I was so privileged to have spent some hours with she and Stefan last month in their home in Holland. It was a precious time over American pancakes and good coffee.
       Jodi was so fully alive, even as she battled disease. She was full of faith, full of love for her husband and children, full of hope for life and for eventually being with Jesus.
       On the day in July, 2005 that Susy and I and our kids were sent off from Crossroads Jodi was one of the elders on stage with us. She cried, which caused us to cry. Tears of joy and tears of sadness. She blessed us and sent us as only Jodi could - with joy, hope, and that contagious smile and laugh!
       I will miss Jodi, as will so many other people.
       So here is to Jodi - one of God's truly "crazy" ones in the very best sense of the word!

So, What DO I say about the Middle East?

I spoke to two groups of students the other day while in Jerusalem. I was nervous, wondering if I could say anything that would make sense in the midst of enormous complexity between Jews and Palestinians.
       Quite honestly, I feel the intensity of a variety of people watching and listening to my perspective after this trip to Israel.
  * There are the people from my "tribe," those Jewish friends and family who represent my roots as a Jewish New Yorker;
  * There are the people I work with every day - those dedicated to sharing the hope of Christ with Muslims in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. I work closely with a Lebanese Arab and have people on our staff from Jordan, Tunisia, and Afghanistan;
  * There are the people associated with the messianic movement in Israel, Los Angeles, New York, and elsewhere;
  * There are Arab Palestinian Christians who are friends and colleagues;
  * And last but certainly not least, there are people closest to me such as my daughter who has spent the past 4 months in the midst of the conflict of the Middle East.
       Here is what I shared in a devotional to 50+ students as we were overlooking southern Jerusalem:
       Micah 6:8 tells us that God requires three things of true followers of Him: to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. These three qualities are foundational to the Christian life, and most especially crucial in the midst of a conflict such as between Jews and Arabs. For me these attitudes are non-negotiable.
       I related the Micah passage to Paul's words in Romans 3:19-24, reminding us that ALL fall short of God's glory - Jew and Arab, male and female, young and old alike. We are fallen, sinful people - that's not exactly what anyone wants to hear. Nonetheless, it actually helps me process the enormity of the conflict in this land.
       Lest I "cast the first stone" at anyone, I need to check my own heart and see the darkness in it. I find myself much slower to blame and point fingers at those who would otherwise be my enemy.

       
       

Complexity, Paradox, Contradiction in a Holy Land

The Middle East is anything but easy and simple. In a moment it can be tranquil and God-filled and in the next instant full of angst and heartbreak. This is my story from the past two days.

     I snapped this photo early this morning as we were getting on a boat on the Sea of Galilee. We were heading from the west side near Tiberias to the east side of the Decapolis.
     In a word, it was a pregnant moment of SHALOM. If a picture paints a thousand words normally this one painted a million for me today.
     A day earlier we traveled to the far north of Israel, to the Golan Heights and looked eastward into Syria - a land ravaged by civil war for the past two years. Our Israeli guide told us the history of the Golan Heights and how Israel captured the land in 1967 and then re-captured it in the 6-day war of 1973.
     Just as we were standing at the outpost/bunker of Israel gazing into Syria (at 10am on Monday, April 8) there was a countrywide (in Israel) 2-minute silence to commemorate the Holocaust. So there I was, a New York Jew with my new Israeli friend, bowing our heads together and vowing to:
ALWAYS remember...
NEVER be complacent when such crimes occur...
ALWAYS stand up for those who are being persecuted.
     It is our calling as Jews to do these things, because of our history of being persecuted! Except that my Israeli friend seemed a bit complacent that a mere 30 miles from where we were standing a Syrian father, or mother, or child was killed yesterday. Perhaps it was a government soldier, or a "freedom fighter," or a civilian. PEOPLE were killed yesterday across that border, just as my people were exterminated 70 years ago.
     Today was a new day in Israel for me. Perhaps Jesus wanted me to have that snapshot on the Sea of Galilee to remind me (and others) that the military outpost on the Golan Heights and the civil war in Syria ARE NOT THE FINAL WORD!
     Jesus is the Final Word - and He is our Peace!

Israel, Day 4: The Dead Sea and Us

Israel, Day 3: Desert

Israel, Day 2

We spent the day in the Shephelah, which is the hills west and north of Jerusalem and east of the Coastal Plain. Many battles were fought here over the years, most notably in the Valley of Elan and David defeating Goliath.
       I am admittedly a novice to the land of Israel, and I know that it is a very charged topic among Christians, Jews, and Muslims. But as we looked over this valley and read from I Samuel 17 it was pointed out that the message of the story is not that David defeated Goliath, nor that the Israelites regained their rightful place in the land.
       The point of the story is that "the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel." (I Samuel 17:46). In other words, this is a valley (and land) of MISSION... that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would be known to the whole world regardless of ethnicity, skin color, or religious background.
       It is sadly ironic that today this land is so fragmented and divided. Clearly that is not God's purpose and plan for Israel (i.e. the people of God).
       Tonight we drove to the Dead Sea and will spend the next two days here - tomorrow into the Negev (Judean Desert) and the following day visiting sites along the western shore of the Dead Sea.

24 hours later

We are driving on a bus from Ben
Gurion airport to our hotel. The 13-hour flight from LA to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines was LONG, but it's a great airline.
My only disappointment is that they did not serve Turkish coffee on Turkish Airlines!
Time to sleep for a few hours before our first day of the expedition!

On a Jet Plane!

We are at Los Angeles International airport just about to board Turkish Airlines to Istanbul and onto Tel Aviv.
We are with a great group from Joshua Wilderness Institute from Hume Lake. We've had nice introductions to the staff so far.
Now for a 13-hour flight and getting into Israel Wednesday evening. A long trek!

Remembering Edith Schaeffer (1914-2013)

Edith Schaeffer, the co-founder of L'Abri with her husband Francis Schaeffer, died in Gryon, Switzerland last week. She was 99 years old.
       I met Edith for the first time in early 1986 in a cafe in Vevey, Switzerland. We sat at a table in the quaint, turn-of-the-century tea room. Edith insisted that we sit on the same side of the table, with no other guests with us!
       Edith and I were introduced by her son-in-law Udo Middelmann, with whom I worked at Food for the Hungry in Geneva. She was intrigued by all things Jewish, and even more so by any Jewish person who would call himself a Christian.
       I remember Edith asking if I had read her book "Christianity is Jewish," and I was embarrassed to say that I had not. She made sure that Udo would give me a copy at the office the next week.
       Our acquaintance was brief - we visited only a handful of times over a couple of years, then she moved back to America. What impressed me so much about Edith was her zest for life and her hope for the future.
       While she was clearly still grieving the loss of her husband, Francis, she never seemed to allow it to overwhelm her. There was too much good to do for the cause of Christ in the world. There were too many relationships to invest in, and too many projects to launch. There was no time to wallow in the past.
       Edith Schaeffer "slipped into the presence of the Lord" last week, just before Easter. Her resurrection day came a few days before ours.
       I am deeply grateful that God in His unique way had my path intersect with Edith Schaeffer's path. I will always cherish that winter afternoon in Vevey when Edith Schaeffer and I sat side-by-side and shared a slice of life together.

The Pope and Washing a Muslim Woman's Feet

My first impressions of Pope Francis I are quite positive, especially his attitude of humility and moving the spotlight off himself and onto Christ.
       Last week on Maundy Thursday the pope washed the feet of 12 people in a prison. One of those people was a Muslim woman.
       Catholic traditionalists argue that this annual rite should be reserved to men only, because Jesus' 12 disciple were all male. I am less interested in the gender debate and more intrigued by the Pope washing the feet of a Muslim.
       There are two possible concerns that Christians could have with the Pope's actions. First, we may wonder if he is endorsing Islam by his act of contrition. Second, he potentially violated Islamic custom by touching the woman.
       I find the Pope's action both courageous and incredibly humble. I cannot infer that he is "endorsing" Islam or any of its tenets simply by the act of washing a woman's feet. He was showing compassion to a human being who happens to be a Muslim. He was not saying anything (necessarily) about Islam.
       Certainly Pope Francis might have broken Islamic tradition by touching the woman. It seems to me that he has a good example - Jesus himself, who healed on the sabbath and touched a number of otherwise "unclean" people.
       I wonder what the world would be like if more Christians took Pope Francis' example and humbled ourselves to serve the world - even in some radical ways. We might just taste a bit of Shalom.

Bailey's Pups - 1 Year Ago Today!

Our Lab Bailey gave birth to 9 yellow puppies a year ago today. Here's a fun video that Susy put together right after they went to their new homes after 8 weeks. We have great memories of raising these puppies.

Bailey and Her Pupppies from Susy Newman on Vimeo.

Jesus' Kind of Extremism

Rembrandt's, "Christ Drives Money Changers"

Holy Week for Jesus started with a statement of extremism - his unique kind of extremism. Jesus enters Jerusalem, goes to the temple, and trashes the money changers who are positioned in the temple courts.
       Jesus' extremism strikes at the heart of idolatry, in this case the idol of money and material things.
       Much of the Church in the West skims over this first act of defiance by Jesus as he begins the most difficult, arduous week of his life.
       The Western Church (i.e. many Christians) picks and chooses which "moral high ground" we will take - sexuality and the right to bear arms are two of them (an odd pair if you ask me). Other idolatry, such as greed and materialism, is much more taboo for many of us.
       Jesus seems quite comfortable addressing these taboo issues - perhaps that is why the gospel writers recount Holy Week beginning with him overturning the tables of the money changers.

Bridging the Gun Control Gap?

I am writing this post primarily to my politically conservative friends who are strong proponents of the Second Amendment. I am fortunate to have well-informed and articulate friends with whom I spar on political and social issues! It is great conversation around the fire pit!
       This post is a "shout out" to them.

NRA Executive Wayne LaPierre

       There are many issues regarding the Second Amendment and gun control that I disagree with the NRA and Wayne LaPierre. My conservative buds are right that I am a bit of a "bleeding heart liberal" when it comes to these issues. I have never shot a gun in my 50 years on earth, a fact that utterly mystifies my gun-toting friends!
       I listened to Mr. LaPierre on Meet the Press today and agreed with two points that he made:
1) The news media should report on the enforcement (or lack thereof) of current federal laws. LaPierre pointed out that Chicago ranks dead last in enforcement and that city has one of the highest murder rates by handgun;
2) We as a country (and local municipalities) must address the serious issues around mental health which ties directly into shootings such as Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Newtown.
       Thank you, Mr. LaPierre, for articulating these critical issues.
       And now to my conservative friends, I urge you to stand up for other common sense issues that Mr. LaPierre disagrees with and which the NRA puts money to fund. It will take you conservatives to influence lawmakers and the NRA on a few issues which just makes sense:
1) Universal background checks - 85% of NRA members are supportive of this. I cannot understand why Mr. LaPierre cannot or will not endorse it;
2) Banning certain assault weapons - It will take people like you gun owners and enthusiasts to speak into what weapons can and should be banned;
3) High capacity magazines - I know this is a real "hot potato" issue and, once again, it will take more conservative, pro Second Amendment people to speak intelligently into this issue. I would defer to my conservative friends on this, if you are open to working on a solution.
       Every time I write about gun control and second amendment rights on my blog I have to moderate/filter the comments people want to put in the comments. I have been derided, received threats, and told I might burn in hell for my views. This saddens me deeply, and I am grateful for a bunch of more conservative friends here in Colorado who I respect and who treat me with respect as well.

Are We Any Different?

Yesterday I umpired a baseball game in which one coach led his team to humiliate the other team. The first team won the game 14 to 0 and the winning coach told his players to steal bases and hit the ball as hard as they could, even when the score was 10 to zero.

       I was incredulous toward this coach, as parents of the losing team were as well. When my son Steven, who was umpiring behind home plate, called a fairly wild pitch from the losing team a strike the coach of the victorious team asked if that was a "mercy call." Odd expression really!

       I wonder if that winning coach has ever experienced genuine MERCY. I sort of doubt it.

      Sports such as baseball are a reflection of life in general. "Art imitates life," as they say. So do sports. The game of life is often about "to the victor the spoils."

       For example, the 100-person little church continues to lose people because a huge "gorilla" church just opened a video campus location just up the street.

       Leaders of a ministry I know have to keep "ahead of the competition" in creating new outreach tools and training seminars. The competition? Other Christian ministries.

       Thankfully there are churches and ministries that are thoroughly self-sacrificial, caring for the poor and powerless, and frequently asking, "how can we serve others" rather than looking out for themselves.

       Nonetheless, watching the winning coach at the third base line telling his runners to steal third base and score more runs was a vague reflection of some people of faith.

We would do well to employ the "mercy rule" a lot more liberally.

More Light!

We changed the clocks in America last Saturday. It was the "Spring ahead" time of year, and that marks a number of things for me. It also refocuses and motivates me.
       The clock change reminds me that I need to stand in front of a mirror and practice my "strike out" call for umpiring baseball. We were supposed to work our first tournament last weekend, but we got snowed out! Next weekend it is suppose to be 60 degrees though. Play Ball!
       Spring reminds me that God creates and re-creates His creation. God is doing something great in our time. The writer of Lamentations tells us that God's compassions never fail, "they are new every morning." (Lamentations 3:22-23) In the Springtime it feels like those compassions area even newer!
       The additional light brings me to two staggering things that Jesus said about light.
First, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Second, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden." (Matthew 5:13)
       The change of time on the clock points me to the source of the light. When the sun sets later this evening, and I am able to sit in my backyard and watch it go down, I remember that Jesus is THE light, and in his odd economy he calls his followers to also be the light of world.
       I take this calling seriously. "Let your light shine" is not only an encouragement by Jesus but a command. May it be so this Springtime.
       Enjoy the longer days and the sunlight. Remember the source of the light too.

Ah, My "Little" Girl in the Middle East!

Carly, our 21-year-old university senior, is spending the semester in Jordan, Israel, and Egypt on a 4-month study abroad.

       I just saw this picture of Car with a a woman somewhere on her travels. I love this photo - it captures so much of who Carly is and how God has wired her.
       Carly lives among cultures so well, and looks so ALIVE with this woman. (by the way, this lady must be quite small, because Carly is not exactly a giant!)
      Next month Susy and I will be in Israel for a couple of weeks. We are so looking forward to spending a bit of time with Carly and the 25 other students she is with this semester.

Brokenness, Sadness, Transition, and Hope

I woke early this morning, having tossed and turned much of the night. Yesterday evening I finished writing a memo to church elders of a congregation I am beginning to help walk through major transition. It probably would have been wiser to write the memo in the morning rather than late at night! 
       This current church situation brings back painful memories of other church transitions I have observed, been a leader in, and been a consultant. I rarely feel as sad as I do in these contexts.
       This morning I was encouraged by a video slide show that my wife Susy put together a few years ago depicting the process of making pit-fired pottery. More than any other image or video, this captures SO MUCH of the realities the church I am consulting with is going through.

The Potter and "Beautiful Things" from Susy Newman on Vimeo.

30 Years Ago Today ...

It was 30 years ago today - March 6, 1983 - that I said these words, "What the hell, I'm going to become a Christian."
       And so began the adventure of my lifetime, as unpolished a beginning as it was!
       I was a 20-year-old kid from Long Island, a third-year university student at Cortland State in upstate New York.
       At the time I knew very, very little about Jesus, about the gospel, about what it meant to be a Christian. It did not really register either that I was Jewish and choosing to following Jesus.
       I was just desperate - I needed a Savior and I knew that Jesus was him.
       Never in my wildest imagination could I have anticipated the wild journey God has had for me these three decades! The phrase that comes to mind is, ALL IS GRACE.
       Today I am grateful for so many things -
   for my brother, Randy, who patiently and steadfastly shared his new faith with me;
   for two college friends, Dave and Bill, who shared their faith with me after I first believed;
   for Tom Fraser, who first discipled me;
   for Glenn Gunderson and the people of Homer Baptist Church, who were the first community of faith I knew.
   And to many others who were part of my early days of faith back in 1983.
Here's to the coming days and years, and all that God has for me.