God

Are We Too Touchy on Touch?

Laurie Russell — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:55:54 -0800

It was the worst day in my life. Our daughter Anastasia was two-years-old. We were living in Germany in a townhome, three-stories high with winding, marble stairs. Anastasia, like most two-year-olds, was my shadow and followed me continually up and down the stairs.

I worked busily that morning, getting ready for an overnight guest. The drain to the shower was clogged so I used a spoon to pour with some Draino crystals directly into the pipes. A small amount of the crystals mixed with some water and stuck to the spoon.

At the hospital she was put in the pediatric intensive care ward. We were blessed that the majority of the burns were in her mouth but her saliva had carried some of the chemicals down her esophagus and the doctors needed to see the extent of the damage.

They performed an endoscopy on her, placing a tube with a light and camera down her throat to allow them to see if her burns would require surgery. Mark and I waited and prayed.

After a while a nurse hurried to get me. Anastasia was in recovery but was having a reaction to the anesthesia. The tubes attached to her body scared her and she was flailing and screaming. The nurses feared her cries would further damage her burns and cause permanent scarring.

Immediately I went to her side and tried to calm her down. But she couldn’t hear me - she was in a panic zone. I looked at the cords around her and wasn’t sure if I could move her. I asked the nurses if I could try holding her. They worked to loosen and remove cords to help me.

I scooped her up and she nuzzled into me. She recognized my touch and then was able to hear my voice. She knew her mommy was with her.

Pete Wilson tells us that God’s most frequently stated promise in the Bible is, “I Am with you.” Knowing I’m not alone brings me peace but sometimes it’s hard to believe when you can't feel the touch of an invisible God.

When you compare our culture to the rest of the world, Americans are some of the touchiest about touch. I understand we need to be careful and teach our kids about inappropriate touch. It’s wise to be cautious at times in order to avoid a false accusation or putting yourself in a bad situation. Unfortunately, I’m too aware of the damage inappropriate touch can do and I’m very sympathetic to it.

At the same time, part of me wonders if God would like to use our arms to help others hear His voice?

My cuddles didn’t remove Anastasia’s pain or take her out of the hospital – she still had to endure her situation. But my touch calmed her enough so she was able to hear my voice and see that I was with her, the same way God is with us during our hardships.

Now I’m not saying to go and hug the next person you run into or to pat the lonely sole in the locker room on the back (and please don’t quote me in court if you do), but listen to the nudges God gives you.

It was awkward for me to ask the nurses to help remove the cords so I could hold Anastasia but that was the direction I felt and it worked. It may not always feel natural but it’s amazing what God can do through our touch.

What are your thoughts on how our culture handles touch?

Has God ever touched you with His power through the loving arms of another?

Why Does God Interrupt My Goals?

Laurie Russell — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:06:42 -0800

Do you ever feel your life is full of many “almost made it” opportunities? The interruptions of life continually prevent you from accomplishing your goal and living out your dream. You almost got the promotion, almost got married, almost won the competition, almost got into that college, almost bought the house, almost had a baby, almost beat cancer…

They can happen to us or even our loved ones, either way they put a sharp curve in the road, taking us in another direction, to a destination we have no desire to visit.

Some times these are self-invoked and happen because we (or another around us) turned the steering wheel in the wrong direction due to a bad decision – texting while driving, cheating on our taxes, shaving our legs with a dull razor. (Uh…TMI on that last one?)

Other times we’re driving innocently down our path when God, for some unknown reason, sticks a “detour” sign in the middle of the road. Instead of our intended direct route, He sends us on the scenic one and it feels as if we’re wasting, or losing, time in the process.

Many (many) years ago I was a dancer, a hip-hop dancer (Yep, makes me laugh too, but I was not bad for a white girl, ha). I was getting hired in small jobs around Atlanta and working my name into the business. I was a new Christian and figured I could use music and dance as a ministry to reach the younger generation. It would meet a need.

However, right as my dancing began to take off, God called me into missions. I fought it hard initially but the calling into missions never went away. In fact it grew the more I opened my mind to it.

While in Russia I met a guy who was also a missionary. He became my best friend and remained a friend until four years later, when we began dating and soon married. We continued in missions and traveled all over the world and now have two wonderful kids and have begun our own publishing company.

I don’t share this to brag on me but instead on God and the adventure He gave me via a “detour” sign. You see, if I had of ignored the “detour” sign in the road, I would have never met Mark. I’m sure God would have still blessed my hip-hop dancing ministry, but it would have been without Mark.

I’ve recently begun Priscilla Shirer’s bible study, Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted. She teaches that life’s interruptions are often God’s divine interventions.

I joke now about my dancing but at the time it was a very, very hard dream to let go. I didn’t understand why God would give me the gift and desire to dance, only to take it away. In a way, I still don’t. But, I do know is that I would do it all again.

When you follow God’s scenic route, it may take longer. The road may not be as smooth. The curves may even make you carsick. BUT…it will be a great adventure and so worth any discomfort and extra time it takes.

How do you handle God’s divine interventions?

Do you have an advice to offer anyone who may be facing a curve in their road?

BTW – if you are looking for a good study to do - check out Priscilla Shirer’s Jonah study. I LOVE her stuff!

The Wonders of His Love

Stan Jantz — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 09:47:24 -0800

There is a reason we call this the most wonderful day of the year: Christmas is truly filled with wonder. Or at least it should be. Somehow over the course of 2,000 years our wonder has become somewhat diluted, if not downright negative.

We consider the miracle of the incarnation--God taking on human form--and we pose a question we might ask of an illusionist: "I wonder how he did that?" Or worse, our wonder is more like doubt, mainly because we buy into the notion--on a practical level, at least--that Jesus was a wise teacher and a social justice advocate, but hardly the supernatural being Scripture makes Him out to be.

Neither of these senses of wonder--speculation or doubt--is anywhere near the wonder that Jesus should incite in us. We should be ashamed when we settle for a pedestrian kind of wonder. Our wonder at Jesus and the day He was born should rise far above our normal human emotions to the place where we are literally frightened at the very idea that the most holy God has identified with us in such a personal, self-sacrificial way.

Whenever the word wonder, or wonders, or wonderful is used in Scripture, it refers to the supernatural. "And His name shall be called wonderful" is no sweet prophecy. Isaiah was foretelling a miracle far beyond human comprehension. When David wrote, "Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done," he was pointing to things too high for the human mind to conceive.

When youi look at wonder in this way, it changes the meaning of the phrases we so flippantly use, especialy today, on Christmas. When we sing of "the wonders of His love," we should think, not of ordinary love, but of a love so incomprehensible so inconceivable, so earth-shattering and humanity-invading, that our knees should buckle at the thought.

I'm afraid in our desire to fit God into our busy lives, to work Him into our story rather than joining the miraculous adventure of His story, we have forgotten the wonder of our God and Savior, who loved us so much that He gave us His only Son, so that our relationship with Him could be restored...forever.

Now that's a wonderful thought!

Does the Bible bore you?

Christianity 101 — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:04:58 -0800

The Bible is the most remarkable book ever written, read by more people than any other book by a mile, and yet if you're completely honest, you'd have to admit that at times the Bible bores you. We'll admit it. There are times when we read the Bible out of obligation rather than from a heart of expectation. Why is that? Why do we sometimes get bored when we read the Bible?

We've thought about this and have a theory. See what you think. Our theory starts with the fact that we humans are a self-centered bunch. We're always looking for our own best interests, doing things that make us feel better, and basically orienting everything we do around us, including the Bible. Even as followers of Christ, we live as if we're the center of the universe, and so the Bible becomes just one more thing to add to our lives, like a self-help book.

But God is the center of the universe, not us, and the Bible is His personal message to us. By reading it, we can find out what God has said throughout history and what He is saying to us right now so we can orient our lives--our habits, behaviors, morality, and our beliefs--around the Bible.

Approaching the Bible this way does have a downside. It puts you in direct conflict with the story of the world. You see, the story of the Bible features an immortal, immaterial, eternal, and perfectly just and holy God who has reached out to a fallen humanity through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

By contrast, the story of the world is self-focused and human centered. Meaning and fulfillment is found in individal effort and achievement. Salvation isn't needed because we aren't that bad off. The meaning of life hinges on the meaning you bringto it through your own deeds.

Because this way of thinking has so permeated the mindset of humanity, including many Christians, our default setting is to bring all of our interests, passions, and skills to our relationship with God and our reading of the Bible. We are so caught up in what we want to achieve and become that we hope God will bless what we are doing. But again, this is backward. Mike Erre explains the right way of approaching our relationship with God:

We exist to discover how to get on board with God's program, not the other way around. your life will never be a success if you spend all of your time and energy trying to figure out how Christianity can help you (Why the Bible Matters, 133).

If you have found the Bible to be boring and irrelevant to your life, it's likely that you have been trying to fit the grand story of the Bible into your own world. Don't get us wrong. Your world is meaningful and important, and it's important to God. But rather than wondering why God doesn't pay more attention to you, try taking on the attitude of King David, who had every reason to brag about his accomplishments, but instead saw himself correctly in comparison to the great creator God.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is humankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? (Psalm 8:3-4).

Just as the universe is not about you, the Bible is not about you. The Bible is about God. But it was written by God for you, that you may understand who God is, believe that He wants to have a relationship with you, and trust Him with your life--both now and forever.

There's nothing boring about that. Just the opposite. When you fit your story into God's story, the Bible can become the most interesting, fascinating, utterly fulfilling book you can ever read. Ever.

Grabbing for God

Laurie Russell — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:37:55 -0700

I love the Bible story of the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She’s one of my heroes. Jesus was leaving the area and walked by her. She was about to miss her opportunity but in desperation she reached out and touched the hem of His cloak, thinking to herself, “If I can just touch his clothes, I will get well.”

She didn’t whine, “I guess I wasn’t one of the chosen ones,” and give up on her chance to meet with God.

Nope. She reached out and grabbed Him before He left her. She seized her opportunity.

It gets better. He stops and turns around and then looks at her, “Do not to worry! You are well now because of your faith.”

There are times it feels as if I’m drowning in life and that God is passing me by, as if He’s moving on to more important things. However, this story models to me the importance of reaching out and grabbing for God – even if it requires being drastic. When we do – He stops and we are healed.

A few months ago I was in one of those spiritual ruts when I read of an opportunity to be a blogger for the 2011 Women of Faith – Over the Top conference. My heart was moved and felt led to grab for it. I wanted a chunk of time to reconnect with God.

When I received the email accepting me as a blogger, it felt as if God had stopped and acknowledged my desire to be refreshed spiritually – as if He were looking at me.

Okay – it may seem silly to compare a miraculous healing to a chance to go to a conference but I do need a form of healing. I need one in my heart and, for me, conferences like Women of Faith provide an opportunity for us to be touched and encouraged by God in our own personal way.

1. Step out of the chaos. I’m the first to admit that I’m easily distracted. Leaving my area puts me in a mindset where I can forget the “to do” list and focus on God, myself and the person(s) that I’m with. Long weekend trips also allow me to hit the “refresh” button and the chaos seems calmer when I return.

2. God hangs where there is praise. Okay Mandisa…Selah!!! The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. I want to drink in His presence because I’m dying of thirst at the moment. Praising Him with thousands of others, led by such beautiful voices – my soul longs for this opportunity.

3. Laugh and learn. Lisa Whelchel, Patsy Clairmont, Margaret Feinberg…are some of the ladies who will be sharing their wisdom during the weekend. When your life and work revolve around ministry, there’s usually little time to be fed – laughing at their stories and learning from them.

4. Bonding. My sister-in-law and I have been trying to do a “gals weekend” for over a year now. When we learned of the conference we immediately booked flights and hotel. A weekend to share meals, quality and quantity time bonds and I’m excited to have this time with her.

I look forward to sharing more about it after we attend the Seattle conference at the end of October!

How do you find God in the midst of life’s dry times?

What are ways you reach out to grab Him?

God Is Not Mad At You

Adam Stadtmiller — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:55:29 -0700

God is not mad at you. If you are a believer, it is actually impossible for God to be mad at you. For God to hold anger towards you would mean that you are still under wrath. Simply put, if God could be mad or hold any form of condemnation towards believers, covered by the blood of Jesus, then Jesus failed on the cross.

When I tell Christians this, they often balk. Few believers know how to live their lives in the freedom of Christ-completed work. Instead these believers live lives in a three-step dance of sin, guilt and confession; the second step being unnecessary as guilt is a useless commodity for believers in the kingdom of God.

This process of sin, guilt and confession is what causes some Christians to hate sin for the wrong reason. Think about it. Why do you hate sin? If you are like me in the past, you've hated sin more for the way it made you feel or the results of your sin then hating sin itself. Yes, we need to hate the consequences of sin, but the primary reason for hating sin is because sin is everything God is not and when we sin we break God’s heart. For God, lack of condemnation towards you and a broken heart can co-exist.

Thus, the amount you hate sin is tied into how much you experience love for and from God. When you love God, you no longer avoid sin because of the law or fear. Instead, you avoid sin, because you want to bring pleasure to the Father. Your righteousness becomes a love language. This is why freedom from sin is found in the place you least expect it. Freedom from sin comes from focusing on your love relationship with God rather then creating a fail-safe program for sin management.

Since the Devil knows this, he will continue to convince Christians that God is mad at them. Why? The reason is that we tend to avoid people who are angry with us. When we avoid God, we are also avoiding his love and acceptance.

Here’s the truth, God’s not mad at you. Go in peace.

Rom. 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

Rom. 8:1 ¶ Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Adam is the author of the parental-discipleship book Give Your Kids The Keys www.giveyourkidsthekeys.com

Paralyzing Fear

Laurie Russell — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 10:13:14 -0700

Do your fears ever overtake you - paralyzing you, either momentarily or long-term, to the point where you sit out on life?

Fear is a strong force that God may use to protect and guide us but it’s also a tool the enemy will use to keep us in stalemate preventing us from experiencing and trusting God.

A few weeks ago our daughter had her end-of-the-season soccer party at a new gym in our area. It’s in an old warehouse and high above our party was the ropes course with six platforms and in-between each is a variety of ropes and obstacles.

It looked awesome and the girls immediately asked about it.The manager offered us a deal if each child had an adult to accompany them. We couldn’t pass it up so we did the mini-training, strapped in and waited our turn to climb the rope ladder.

I was with my son, Noah, who quickly climbed the ladder as I belayed him. He made it look easy and I was eager to join him at top. However, as I began my climb the narrow ladder, it began to twist and sway. I quickly realized it was going to be trickier than it appeared.

I felt uncoordinated as I climbed. When it came time for me to reach from the ladder and step onto the platform, a fear of heights took over me that I had never experienced before. I stood on the platform, grasping the pole and afraid to move. I wanted to go down - immediately.

I didn’t want to let Noah down so I tried to gather my nerves. He waited for me to clip him in to his first course while I mentally tried to think of a way to get out of it and without disappointing him. Maybe he’ll hate it and “need” me to go down with him.

No such luck – he loved it.

It was my turn to lean out, grab the rope and step off the firm platform onto a swinging rope. It was unnerving and I hated it at first but I didn’t fall and even ended the day with an adrenaline high.

Here are a few life lessons it taught me.

1. Straight paths are not always easy. In Proverbs 3 we’re encouraged to trust in God and not our own understanding. But just because God directs us to a path, it doesn’t mean it’ll necessarily be easy. My fears (understanding) told me to quit. However, if I had listened, I would have missed out on a great bonding time with my son. It was worth the struggle.

2. Taking the 1^st step is not always the hardest part. For me, taking the 2^nd and 3^rd step was harder. Each one took me further from the platform and my safety blanket. It was even scarier at the end when I had to take one hand off of the rope to climb onto the next platform. It required me letting go and reaching out to another for help. Every step of our path we are dependent upon God and others – and this is a good thing.

3. “Healthy”pride won’t lead to a fall. Healthy pride keeps us from sitting out on life. I was with my son and his opportunity to continue on the ropes course was dependent on me staying with him. I didn’t want him to see me as a mom who quits on him. So I struggled on. My pride didn’t want to disappoint him so it spurred me on.

There have been times in life where fear kept me from trying. I didn’t send a query letter because I feared the rejection. I didn’t talk to a person because I feared looking foolish. I didn’t apply for a position because I feared I wouldn’t be able to handle the position.

God broke through that day. He reminded me that He enables us and He clears the right path for us. It may not be smooth sailing the whole way but the bonding and joy He gives us are more than worth it.

Do you have fears that prevent you from stepping out?

What has God taught you as you tackled your fears?

How Can We Say Jesus Is the Only Way?

Sean McDowell — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:56:11 -0700

I’m asked the question all the time: How can Jesus be the only way? It’s a universal question that comes from Christians and non-Christians alike.

And it’s a question for which we have to have a clear answer—shared with the right motive—because the answer is the foundation of our faith.

New Twists on an Old Question

Pluralism and competing religious ideas have been a problem for the Christian church since its inception. People wouldn’t have had a problem with Christianity if early Christians had just said, “We follow Jesus, one god among many.” But Christians were persecuted and killed because they took seriously the Scriptures and the words of Jesus that He is the only truth and the only way to get to heaven.

Although it’s not a new question, the state of our culture and technology today inject new nuances into it. With travel increasing in the 21^st century and the growth of the Internet in the last decade, every person has access to every religion and worldview imaginable. And immigration brings radically different people groups and religions to our own neighborhoods.

In our multicultural society that emphasizes political correctness, the prevailing opinion is that telling other people what they should believe is wrong. It strikes non-Christians and some believers as arrogant to claim there is only one way to God. Just because people don’t believe as we do, we’re condemning them to hell? The idea of seemingly nice, kind, good people with different belief systems being separated from God strikes people as profoundly unfair.

Truth Matters

Nevertheless, the belief in the uniqueness of Jesus is important. As James Emery White says in Christ Among the Dragons, this is the core of Christianity. Jesus claimed to be the universal truth and the only way to get to God. We cannot have a Christian faith without sticking to the core of Jesus’ identity. If we don’t know what it means that Jesus claimed to be the only way, the only truth and the only life, we could be giving up what Christianity itself really stands for.

If I view Jesus as just one way to get to God, why am I going to stand up when I’m persecuted? Why am I going to try to share my faith with other people? Why am I going to try to live boldly for my faith, if Jesus is just my way that works for me, as opposed to being the objectively true way that applies to everybody whether they accept it or not? This is not merely a theoretical or philosophical exercise. The Sept. 27, 2010 issue of Newsweek cited the statistic that 80 percent of Americans believe people of other religions can get to heaven. But at least 100 verses in the New Testament either directly or indirectly state that Jesus is the only way.

How do we respond?

Two Mistakes and a Better Way

People tend to make two mistakes in their reactions to this issue. One is to adapt to culture and capitulate to the opinion that Jesus is true for us, but we don’t want to judge anybody else. The other way is to withdraw from culture and become isolated in a Christian subculture so separated from the world that we cease to be salt and light. By improving our understanding in three areas, we can find a better way.

The Need for Theology. Christians become more accepting of the ways of the world as we become less astute theologically. I’ve found in dealing with Christians that questions about the perceived unfairness of people of other religions not getting to heaven tend to wane when people really understand the truths of Christianity—how corrupt human nature is apart from Jesus, why we need Him, why Jesus died upon the cross and what He actually accomplished on the cross.

The Nature of Truth. In our secular culture, we tend to think of science, math and maybe history as objective, fact-based categories, but religion and morality as subjective categories. That’s why people say, “Christianity may be true for you, but I have a different truth.” That thinking infiltrates our churches. We have to clarify that when it comes to Christianity, we’re dealing with objective truths about the world that either Jesus was God or He wasn’t. Either the Bible is true or it isn’t.

The Necessity to Engage. The local church also needs to simply get out there and engage people of other religions. People in our neighborhoods. People in the work place. Sometimes that may be a specific evangelism effort. Most often it’s simply building relationships with people, listening to them, trying to understand them. In doing so, we earn the right to be heard, and what we say is more specifically tailored to their needs.

The Question I Ask Myself

We have an opportunity as Christians to dig deep and really ask ourselves, “What motivates us?” The only way to counter the prevalent impression that Christians are arrogant and bigoted is to be truly motivated by love. Of course, we can’t change how everyone thinks. But we can change us. And that’s the opportunity for the church in the midst of pluralism. It’s the opportunity to bring us back to how Jesus really treated people, the way He listened to people, the way He loved them for who they were with a self-sacrificing love—living and sharing His truth in the process. Imagine the impact if we did the same!

This article first appeared in the May/June, 2011 issue of Outreach Magazine, pp. 60-61.

God and the F-Word: Mumford & Sons Make Me Wonder

Christian Buckley — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:30:44 -0700

God and the F-Word: Mumford & Sons Make Me Wonder

On Good Friday I went to a really good concert. The Railroad Revival Tour featuring Old Crow Medicine Show, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and most expectantly Mumford & Sons.

"This April, Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and Old Crow Medicine Show will embark on a tour unlike any in recent memory. Traveling exclusively in vintage rail cars, the three bands will journey across the American Southwest over the course of a week. The aptly titled Railroad Revival Tour will feature the three bands playing concerts at six unique outdoor locations along the route, beginning April 21st in Oakland, California."

My concert review is pretty simple – my wife got it right. She has been on Mumford before Mumford became the music darlings they are now. She knew the other two bands and had a pretty good inkling that the show would be worth the drive from San Diego to San Pedro. It was.

Old Crow opened and was pure. Harmonious vocals heightened by superb fiddle, banjo, and old time blues-like acoustic rhythm guitar. I didn’t know any of their songs but could have taken another hour. Great start.

Edward Sharpe followed with what I can only describe as a set that probably could have been played 50 or so years ago in San Francisco. Love and rainbows mixed with meandering well sorted melody hooks and about, call it 15 people on stage. Unexpected and for what ever reason engaging. Front man Edward Sharpe (not his real name by the way) might be the most present lead singer I have seen in a long time. The band unfolded the set as if was happening for the first time which is a rare and very difficult skill indeed.

Mumford closed and closed they did. Finely honed harmony, melody, and drive. Marcus, a drummer by trade, plays rhythm - like drum rhythm – on his guitar – poor animal that it is and while the other players highlight a few notes of melody – the songs are carried by voice. The four-part harmony is pure – but not cheesy in a Glee kind of way. There is enough minor dissonance in the flavor that it gnaws on your ears while infecting your body. And most importantly Mumford pours out a wall of energy and sound that is pretty astounding for what is essentially an acoustic show. I kept thinking that they had the power, melody, and presence to open for U2 – which frankly says it all.

All three bands were great, but what was best about the concert was that all three bands intermingled during their sets and truly impacted in a positive way the music of the others. The result was live creativity giving way to joy and finally sure pleasure. Standing 20 or so feet from the stage with 7,500 fans behind me I couldn’t help wishing I could be up there, for the joy of it.

But this post is not really a concert review (sure it is). It is a question of morals and how we very rarely like see two worlds collide.

Mumford’s parents are leaders in the Vineyard Church in London and England at large. He grew up with that faith and you can’t listen to his lyrics and miss the point. As he sang “roll away the stone” on Good Friday and chased it with the refrains “you were made to meet your maker” and “lovers of the light” I couldn’t miss his clear perspective on the world. God exists, he is deeply interested in us, and working that out is both a grueling and beguiling undertaking.

The problem is that Mumford’s biggest hit is Little Lion Man with a non-radio ready chorus that includes the line “I really f_ _ _’d it up this time.” You can read elsewhere how his Christian mother came to terms with the line and now even defends its artistic value. The reality is that in one record, one band, we have one word that Christians place in the bad bucket and most others that we would place in the good. What to do?

I have never been one to care one way or the other about swear words. I find them useful at times (see other posts) and confusing at others. Used too often they make you sound stupid. But the real point is that I can’t help thinking that “Christians” might be quicker to rush to the Mumford alter if he just hadn’t used that word. Like when U2 was going to be the great Christian evangelist of the late 80’s until Bono seemed to drink a little much and talk about coexisting with the world at large.

We don’t like uncomfortable marriages. God and the F-Word don’t seem to fit together in our thinking. But is that really so? Isn’t God bigger than the F-Word or any other word for that matter and isn’t the essence of the man more important that his grammatical choices?

What I witnessed on Good Friday was the power of creative energy (a God thing) married to the power of deeply contemplative lyrics pouring out the basic human condition before an almighty – yet often mysterious creator. I couldn’t have asked for a better reminder that He is Risen – He is Risen Indeed. I also would feel very bad for anyone that missed it – or chose to miss it – because of that darned f-word.

And PS – All three bands closed their Easter show with Amazing Grace. Chew on that or better yet take a listen.

Best on the Worst or Worst on the Best?

Laurie Russell — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:07:14 -0700

I volunteered in Noah’s 3^rd grade class the other day. As our time came to a close, ten minutes remained in the school day. It wasn’t enough to begin a big project so the teacher gathered the kids in a circle in front of her and pulled out a stack of cards that had random questions on them. She read this question to the kids…

Would you rather be the best player on the worst team or the worst player on the best team?

The kids took turns going around the circle, answering the question and randomly she’d ask a kid to give a brief reason why.

“I wanna be the best player on the worst team because I want to have the most home runs!”

“I’d be the best player on the worst team because I want people to cheer for me.”

Nothing surprising but as they continued around the circle I noticed almost every kid said they wanted to be the best player on the worst team. My ears perked up when she came to our son.

“I’d want to be the worst player on the best team.”

I wasn’t expecting that. He’s always in a dream world - hitting the game winning home run or destroying the enemy single-handed.

On our way home I asked him about his answer. “I want to be on a team that wins.”

Now, maybe I’m over-analyzing the thought process of a 9-year-old but I was impressed with his willingness to lay down self-glory in order to win with others.

So often as individuals we strive to be #1 - top salesman, N.Y.Times bestseller, funkiest on the dance squad (ahem - maybe that was just me in high school). It’s fun and it does give us goals to work towards. But would we accomplish more if we focused more on become the top team instead of being the best on the team?

Jesus immediately formed team at the start of his ministry. Okay - He was the best on a team full of losers but His focus was not showing off His healing skills. Instead He gave up his rights in order to make His followers a winning team.

It took a little time for the disciples to catch on. There were times when they were more concerned about being the favorite disciple, the one to sit at Jesus’ right hand, or the first to speak up, etc.

However, post-resurrection – they got their act together. It’s cool to be the worst on the team because you then learn from the best. It catapults you to becoming your greatest. When you act and think as a team you have more strength in body, mind and heart. You’re victories are larger and in your times of failure you have others to pick you back up.

Jesus prayed that we would be one – a unified, member of the winning team. When a team works together and allows it’s members to shine in their gifting – it’s amazing what can be accomplished and what they can become.

How would you answer the question?

Why?