Category "Life With God"

kahal from iran

Lent Day 16… Meeting Kahal From Iran In MacArthur Park Was Perhaps What Churchy People Call A Divine Appointment

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! —Hebrews. 13.2

Yesterday our team went with the L.A. Dream Center to MacArthur Park to hand out bags of food. I’ve been to this park before…

In fact, I wrote a little something about my experience there back in 2011—in a post entitled “Get Over Yourself. And Cooties.” Haha. Funny title. Here’s what it said:

I’ve had a number of experiences that helped push me to get over myself…

Like serving hot meals to people living on Skid Row in Los Angeles.

Like holding AIDS babies in a government hospital in Swaziland.

Like praying for a couple of prostitutes in drug-infested MacArthur Park—immediately after saying “amen,” one of the prostitutes put her arms around me and gave me a big hug.

In circumstances like these, I had to decide what’s more important—my comfort or real compassion.

To be honest, my brain offers me some less-than-compassionate thoughts like… Read More

the other side post

Lent Day 15… I Never Thought I’d Be On The Other Side

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

One of the things we’ve been doing each day with the L.A. Dream Center is what they call “Food Truck Ministry.” You might be thinking of food trucks – like those delicious distributors of various types of food in busy downtown street corners during lunch time… but this is a little different.

The food is fresh produce, rice, beans, bottled juice, and maybe even a snack item or two. We load the food into the trucks, then head out to a poor district in town to distribute the food.

People depend on this food. Most of the folks who come and stand in line to receive the food are moms and grandmothers. They are the ones doing whatever they can to put food on the table, good food in the bellies of their children.

The other day we were in South Central L.A. distributing food. I was standing next to Roberta – one of the members of our team – when she leaned over and whispered to me… Read More

heaven through the world post

Lent Day 13… The Road To Heaven Does Not Run From The World

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The road to Heaven does not run from the world, but through it.

—Robert Farrar Capon

Yesterday we spent our afternoon on Skid Row. We’re here in Los Angeles for a week with a team from NWLife to serve at the Dream Center.

This is my 12th or 13th trip to the Dream Center. I started coming with teams of students in the late ’90′s because I wanted to expose my people to ministry that goes beyond having church services on Sundays and Wednesdays. I wanted to be influenced by a ministry that didn’t tuck itself away from the world, but rather went right through the world—as the hands of Jesus bringing love, compassion, service, food, and whatever is needed.

“Find a need and meet it, find a hurt and heal it” is the famous mantra of Tommy Barnett – the grandfather of this kind of ministry in America.

So yesterday we were in Skid Row handing out bags filled with hotdogs and chips. After the food was all given away, we… Read More

a summons to a different way of life

Lent Day 12… A Summons To A Different Way Of Life

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

From Walter Brueggemann (Devotions For Lent: A Way Other Than Our Own):

One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see. —John 9.25

The confrontation between the authorities and the man who can now see is a dramatic one. It is a contrast between old established truth that keeps everything under control and assures certain entitlements, and on the other hand new inexplicable possibility by Jesus and eventually his people.

So imagine us as participants in this great drama. Standing before Jesus is the one with new life who worships him and the defenders of old truth who refuse him. They each and all must decide about Jesus. It turns out that seeing is to accept Jesus and blindness is to refuse him.

And now we stand before the new chance of gospel possibility and old managed truth. Old managed truth, like the rule on the Sabbath, takes… Read More

first sadness then gladness post

Lent Day 11… First Sadness, Then Gladness

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

Today’s Lent post is from Walter Brueggemann’s devotional book, A Way Other Than Our Own.

Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.

—Luke 6.21b, 25b

In his “woe,” Jesus reviews the “laugh now” party. The “laugh now” party consists of those who celebrate the way things are, who benefit from the way things are. The “laugh now” party is filled with buoyancy and confidence, looks extremely well fed, speaks only positively, and sleeps unhindered at night.

Jesus says of the “laugh now” sect: “You will mourn and weep.” You will have your laughter silenced. You will plunge into grief when the bubble bursts, as it surely will. You will face loss, because… Jewish control will not last and because the Empire of Rome, like every empire, will pass away soon. And you will be left bereft.

Mourning and grieving and weeping have to do with… Read More

I have one thing he'll never have post

Lent Day 10… Who Is Truly Wealthy: The One Who Has Enough or The One Who Always Wants More?

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

There’s a story about the author Joseph Heller, who finds himself at a party with a bunch of Wall Street hedge-fund managers. A man comes up to him and points to a young guy in his 20′s. The man says, “See that guy over there? He made more money last year than you will make in a lifetime of writing your books.”

Heller turns to the man and says, “I have one thing that he will never have.”

The man laughs and says, “What?”

Heller replies… Read More

this sensibility that divides us post

Lent Day 9… Acquiring This Sensibility That Divides Us

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All cultures identify with children in a similar way. 10-year-old boys from different cultures have more in common than 30-year-olds. As we grow up, we acquire this sensibility that divides us. —Rowan Atkinson

As we grow up, we acquire this sensibility that divides us. 

There is an irony to that statement. Perhaps it is ironic because in dividing ourselves from one another, we must… Read More

like a coke machine in a monastery

Lent Day 8… Like A Coke Machine In A Monastery

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

Derek Sivers, the founder of CD Baby, once wrote about why he refused to sell advertising on his website. Here’s what he had to say:

I got a call from an advertising salesman, saying he’d like to run banner ads at the top and bottom of cdbaby.com.

I said, “No way. Out of the question. That would be like putting a coke machine in a monastery. I’m not doing this to make money.”

He asked, “But you’re a business. What do you mean you’re not trying to make money?”

I said, “I’m just trying to… Read More

belonging post

Lent Day 7… Have We Fallen Out Of Belonging?

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

 Although we are many, we are one in Christ—and we belong to one another. —Romans 12.5

Sebastian Junger, in his fascinating book TRIBE: On Homecoming and Belonging, says:

“Modern society has perfected the art of making people not feel necessary. It’s time for that to end.

To say it bluntly, modern society seems to emphasize extrinsic values over intrinsic ones, and as a result, mental health issues refuse to decline with growing wealth. The alienating effects of wealth and modernity on the human experience start virtually at birth and never let up.”

The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis but rather the feeling of not belonging. —Mother Teresa

John O’Donohue said, “While our culture is all gloss and pace on the outside, within it is… Read More

sails up the wind is blowing post

Lent Day 6… the wind (Spirit) will only rattle you if you’re hoping to stay right where you are

- - Life With God, Uncategorized, Video

Today’s Lent post is a video. It’s from a series I did last summer—13 weeks of preaching on the wild and untamed ways of the Holy Spirit. This particular message is titled, “Sails Up, The Wind Is Blowing.”

I hope you’ll take the time to watch it. The opening sequence (a prayer) is absolutely beautiful. And I think the message is timely, challenging.

Nobody in the audience says “Amen” during this sermon. In fact, everyone is quiet throughout the message (with the exception of a baby or two). The quietness might be the result of the opening lines of my sermon…

We pastors crave, we want “Amens.” Sometimes we joke about it and ask for them. Sometimes we just straight up plead with the people to give us “Amens.”

There is something encouraging and affirming about it. It’s nice to know people are with you—listening, and affirming what you’re saying…

And there’s also something about it… like, when I’m listening (to a sermon) and I say “Amen,” it’s quick. I mean ya gotta get that out there quickly right after the thing was said—and basically, what it means is, “I already knew that, I already believe that.” That’s something I recognize and it registers right away in my brain, “Yeah, that’s true.”

So, that’s what amen is saying. Like, “Yes, that’s true. Amen. Let that be.” It’s a very fast reaction that essentially means you didn’t learn anything new… because if you’re hearing something you’ve never heard before and you’re processing something that strikes you like, “What???” you’re not gonna shout out “Amen!” because you’re not really sure if you believe that thing yet.

And so part of my desire in this series is to have a few less “Amens,” and a few more, “Whaaaaattt???? What the heck?” I actually want that to be some of our reaction.

I wonder if we can we be open? Is it possible? And will we be?

Is there anything new we can learn? Or do we already… Read More