"Always in the Process of Staying Together..."

The difference between good leaders and great leaders is found in one word: PERSPECTIVE.
       I learned this lesson in the mid-1990s when I was first part of Crossroads Church of Amsterdam. It was a very rough time in the life of the church. The senior pastor had resigned, the church was in a weird interim place without much direction, people were hurt and stunned.
       I was quite sure that after only 8 years of existence Crossroads Church was imploding and would be no more. One day a former elder who had moved abroad was visiting the church. I said to him (these are my exact words), "That's it. Crossroads is falling apart. It's over."
       He responded, "You have it all wrong Brian. Crossroads is not falling apart, it's in the process of staying together!"
       At first I thought he had lost his marbles, that the elevator was one floor short of the top! But then I realized that I did not have good perspective, I was too close to the mess to see the good and great things God continued to do at Crossroads.
       My friend was right and I was wrong. Thankfully! Crossroads was and is in the process of staying together. It is now almost 18 years since that conversation - Crossroads is still there, still touching people's lives. God is always faithful, even when we are not quite so much!

A Word About My Lovely Wife

My wife Susy is a fairly private person; she is quite content being behind the scenes and quietly and gracefully going about touching people's lives.
       She is one of the most subtle people I know.
       And she does not necessarily like being the subject of my blog! But it's Valentine's Day and I want to write about Susy - she will just have to live with it this one time.

       This is my newest favorite photograph of Susy. I know, that's a little strange. This is Susy doing what she really loves to do - throwing a pot, shaping a blob into something beautiful.
       That's a great description of Susy's life (maybe even calling) - she helps shape blobs into beautiful things!
       She is a counselor/therapist who journeys with people week after week in their pain and brokenness as they become whole again. She patiently helps people take their next baby step.
       She creates amazing pottery - goblets, angels, mugs, platters, vases, candle holders, and other items - each one is a unique expression of her creativity. Her work is more and more mesmerizing to me, and to others.
       And she has helped shape this blob (me!) for 25 years of marriage this year. Yes, I know, I MARRIED UP! A lot of guys marry up - some know it and some don't. People who spend time with Susy and me in a friendship are certainly very glad Susy is in the picture, and they know I have married up! I have strengths, but CHARM is not one of them.
       Susy is, in a word, charming.
       And so today on this Valentine's Day (which in general stresses me out with unrealistic romantic overtones), I am simply grateful for my wife Susy.

Abraham Heschel on ... Religion

"A religious man is a person who holds God and man in one thought at one time, at all times, who suffers harm done to others, whose greatest passion is compassion, whose greatest strength is love and defiance of despair."

Abraham Heschel on ... the Self

"The focus of prayer is not the self ... It is the momentary disregard of our personal concerns, the absence of self-centered thoughts, which constitute the art of prayer ... Thus, in beseeching Him for bread, there is one instant, at least, in which our mind is directed neither to our hunger nor to food, but to His mercy. This instant is prayer.
       "We start with a personal concern and live to feel the utmost."

It is Finished!

I just sent the second edition of the Passover Seder Haggadah to the printer. It is a totally new lay out and design, with some added pages.
       If you are interested in a copy I will have them available and for sale beginning February 25th. Passover this year is Monday, March 25th. Plan ahead for a great Seder!

Abraham Heschel on ...Lifting the Veil

Lifting the Veil

"God is not always silent, and man is not always blind. In every man's life there are moments when there is a lifting of the veil at the horizon of the known, opening a sight of the eternal. Each of us has at least once in his life experienced the momentous reality of God. Each of us has once caught a glimpse of the beauty, peace, and power that flow through the souls of those who are devoted to Him."

Abraham Heschel on ... Awe

"Awe is an intuition for the dignity of all things, a realization that things not only are what they are but also stand, however remotely, for something supreme.

       "Awe is a sense for transcendence, for the reference everywhere to mystery beyond all things. It enables us to perceive in the world intimations of the divine, ... to sense the ultimate in the common and the simple; to feel in the rush of the passing the stillness of the eternal. What we cannot comprehend by analysis, we become aware of in awe."

Rabbi Abraham Heschel Quotes

I will post a series of statements made by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. His perspectives on religion, peace, sabbath, land, God, grace and a host of other themes are nothing less than brilliant and life-giving.

       Rabbi Heschel died in 1972. Ten days before his death he gave an interview with NBC TV. Heschel was asked if he had a special comment for young people. "Remember that there is meaning beyond absurdity. Know that every deed counts, that every word is power ...Above all, remember that you must build your life as if it were a work of art."

I am CHRISTIAN ... there, I said it.

It is not fashionable in some circles to label yourself a "Christian," due to the presumed baggage that comes along with the word in today's society.
       I am a Christian, and I would prefer to live with the misconceptions (real and imagined) rather than run away from the word. Why? For good reason:
* "Christian" is a biblical word. In Acts 11 we are told that the believers were first called Christians in Antioch. There is no commentary or indication that this was a bad thing; it is simply stated as a fact.
* "Christian" comes from the Greek "en christus," which means to be "in Christ." It is a favorite expression of the Apostle Paul - he uses it more than 80 times in his letters. "In Christ" is not just an occasional phrase, it is central to the Gospel in the New Testament. If the word Christian is derived from being "in Christ," why would we stay away from the word?
       But language is a tricky and messy thing. A word which was meant so positively can become corrupted. Words such as Christian, and Muslim, and Jew have ALL been corrupted in a variety of ways by a wide swath of people. I don't hear anyone telling Muslims to stop calling themselves "Muslim!" Certainly there are examples of the word Muslim having negative connotations. But, please, let's not pick a fight with a Jew to stop saying he or she is a Jew! Same for a Muslim. Same for a Christian.

       I want to advocate taking back the word "Christian," in the way that it is used of the main character in Bunyon's Pilgrim's Progress. Young Christian is full of burdens and is wandering in many ways. He attempts to obey and live by the letter of the law, but the burden is too great.
       It is only when Christian comes to the end of himself and finds God's grace that he is set free - free from sin and brokenness and from the burdens he has carried. I want to be associated with the word "Christian" if that is what it looks like.

I Really DON'T Want to Comment on This!

The cover of Christianity Today caught my eye in December. There was a series of articles about "Worshipping Jesus in the Mosque." This is a tremendously thorny issue in some circles of Christianity, and I have struggled whether or not to have a voice in this debate.
       I have decided to make a few preliminary points now, and then to possibly go into more depth in a future post.
       First and foremost, we have to decide if God loves Muslims or not! A small number of Christians might argue that Muslims are "damned" for all eternity. Most of this narrow thinking is due to fear more than anything else. I believe that God loves Muslims. I don't think He loves Islam though.
       Second, some very well-meaning folks want to discard the word "Christian" because there is too much baggage associated with it. But that is just silly. I don't hear anyone advocating to drop the word "Muslim," even though it also is associated with bad things. I believe we need to embrace being "Christian," which after all simply means "in Christ."
       Third, I am concerned at the very public nature of these articles, in a magazine that is circulated around the world. There certainly are secret believers in Christ who have been Muslims. I have meant a few of them. The last thing they need is publicity. We should pray for them, not write about them so much.
       Perhaps in the days ahead I will dive into the content of these articles and give my perspective. For now I think I will leave it with these preliminary comments.

The Haunting, Hopeful Words of Fantine

Anne Hathaway re-captured the heart and soul of the character of Fantine in the most recent musical version of Les Miserables.
       But it is the essence of the character herself that has awakened me on a number of nights wondering, how many of us live lives of similar tragedy and hopelessness?
       I have listened to the song over again and am haunted by the true-life drama that it portrays for so many people.
       Fantine reminds us that the world was created fundamentally GOOD -
"There was a time when men were kind,
when their voices were soft
And their words inviting."
"...the word was a song and the song was excited."
      And then it went all WRONG, and lives became broken and undone just as Fantine recounts in the closing lines of the song:
"But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living."
      Perhaps Fantine and her song are so haunting because she tasted GRACE but could not fully receive it. Perhaps on some level we all have a bit of Fantine in us. I know I do.
      A friend and colleague quotes John 10:10 frequently: "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full."
      But elsewhere Jesus also says, "whoever wants to save his life will lose it,but whoever loses their life for me will find it." (Matthew 16:25) Perhaps the character Fantine lives and dies in the midst of these giant words of Jesus. I hope I do.

The Great Does Not Happen by Impulse...

This quote is from Vincent van Gogh in the recent exhibit, "Becoming van Gogh" at the Denver Art Museum.
       It has stuck with me for a number of reasons, but primarily because of the work I do seeking to influence Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
       I believe that God is up to something great and marvelous in and through the three monotheistic faiths. I believe the Jewish people - as few as they are - have a unique calling as a light to the nations. I believe that Muslims - as numerous and widespread as they are - will become a force for God's Kingdom. And I believe Christians are to build bridges for the gospel to both Jews and Muslims.
       Over many years people have prophesied, guessed, surmised, and dreamed about how God is going to work out His plan for His creation. Systematic theologies have been created, books have been written, some have had "air tight" arguments about the end of the world. All of them have been wrong thus far.
       In God's timing and plan, He does great things a little bit at a time and brings the pieces together. Just like an artist who works at his craft for hours and days and months. Van Gogh was right - greatness happens as a succession of little things brought together."
       This is my hope as I seek to do little things - with Christians, Jews, and Muslims - so that the peace of Christ might be in people's hearts. One step at a time.

Older Still ... with Perks!

I turned 50 years old in October. Among other things, it meant that I could get my AARP card (American Association of Retired People). I have no idea why one can be classified with "retired people" at age 50, but I nonetheless jumped at the opportunity to be an AARP member.
       Why? you may ask? DISCOUNTS!

       I know, some of you are rolling your eyes wondering why I would spend $16 per year for am membership to label myself "old," or on the downslope of life, or over the hill.
       That's a good question. Here's why.
The AARP reminds me that I am mortal. In the infamous words of Robin Williams in "Dead Poet's Society," some day I will be fertilizing daffodils! It is a good thing to remember that our days on earth are numbered (see Psalm 90 for Moses' words on this). Consequently we must "carpe diem," as Williams exhorted his students. We must SEIZE THE DAY!
       Back to the discounts for a moment. I proudly used my AARP card for the first time the other day at the movie theater. I got a popcorn and soda for $6.50 instead of $11.75! That is quite the savings. Now I go into stores and quickly ask if there is an AARP discount - a practice that will surely embarrass the people I am with at the time!

Learning Restraint from Mark Driscoll

I want to thank Pastor Mark Driscoll for his comment regarding President Obama on Inauguration Day. Mark tweeted:

"Praying for our President, who today will place his hand on a Bible he does not believe in to take an oath to a God he likely does not know."

       I thank Mark Driscoll for a number of reasons:

       First, he demonstrates arrogance and haughtiness so that other Christians know how not to respond to people of other belief systems or opinions. Thank you, Mark.

       Second, he shows the working out of Matthew 7:1-2, where Jesus said, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." For a very good comment on Pastor Driscoll and judging, read Michael Hidalgo's blog HERE.

     Third, Mark has taught the rest of us in ministry (pastors and other leaders) the power of restraint, learning to remain quiet and reflective in moments of intense emotion, pressure and turmoil. Thank you, Mark, for your example of the opposite of this.

     I am curious what feedback is given to Mark Driscoll from some of his mentors - Tim Keller, Donald Carson, and John Piper to name a few. I wonder what their input they would have.

Like Attracts Like ... and Repels the "Other"

It's an age-old reality: Like attracts like. We are most comfortable with people who believe similar to us, talk similar, wear similar clothes (Yea Kohls!), have the same pastimes.
     * Gun-toters with gun-toters...
     * Pro-gay with pro-gay...
     * Calvinists with Calvinists...
     * White with white, black with black...
     * Democrat with Democrat...
This gives us: A) a false sense that we are "right" and that we possess the "truth;" B) identifiable adversaries and enemies, those who are allegedly WRONG.
       I submit that while "like attracts like" it also repels the "other." And thus we see an increasing breakdown of civility in Western culture. And this saddens me deeply.
       In my little corner of the world, however, I have recently had wonderful discussions and debates with some of my more conservative friends about issues around guns. We have actually listened to each other (!), challenged each other at places, asked pointed questions, and mostly wanted to understand the "other" perspective.
       We are not alike in many ways - Ray, Roger, others own a bunch of guns and have strong convictions about the Second Amendment in ways very different from me. But, we have chosen to be in COMMUNITY.
       That is, comm - unity. We have something in COMMON which brings us into UNITY (that something is faith in Jesus). We are united but we are not uniform. We believe very differently about some things. We debate, argue, struggle to understand the other. And it is in and through this struggle that we must choose to continue in comm - unity.
       Oddly enough, these "others" enrich my life, broaden my perspective, force me out of my single story into other stories. They stretch me, challenge me to know why I believe as I do, and humble me with the realization that my views and understanding of the world is limited.
       To my comm - unity who believes differently than I do, THANK YOU.