silence please!

To pray is to listen attentively to the One who addresses us here and now. To pray is to listen to God's voice of love. Why am I so hard of hearing? I am so restless. Where is the quietude? I can't wait to be busy again.


God, what am I that you are mindful of me, and the Son of Man, that he came to visit me?

Move my heart toward Yours. Teach me Your ways, O Lord so I can walk in your truth. Give me an undivided heart so I can fear your name!

My heart bounces from one thing to the next. Activity covers up my shallow knowledge and weak relationship with You.

Follow the Cotton Trail

Several years ago we moved to southwest Georgia. This was the first time for me to see a cotton field ready for harvest. It was a breathtaking sight, acre after acre of snow white fields.

Over the next few weeks I started seeing small pieces of cotton littering the sides of the road throughout our county. Soon, cotton bolls seemed to be everywhere-in stark contrast to the dark fall foliage.

The snow white fields and the alabaster bolls serve as a great reminded of a principle found in the Scriptures. "The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden" (I Timothy 5:24-25).

Who we are and the seeds we sow will be displayed sooner or later and time will clearly display our motives and agendas. I wonder if we'll be surprised?

Bema Seat * Petra
Words and music by Bob Hartman

When our labor all retire
There will be a trial by fire
Will your treasure pass the test
Or will it burn up with the rest
You may build upon a sure foundation
With your building in dilapidation
When it all comes down to rubble
Will it be wood, hay, or stubble
Or precious stones, gold and silver-
Are you really sure?
(Chorus)
And we all will stand at the Bema Seat
All will be revealed - it will be complete
Will there be reward in the fiery heat
When we see our lives at the Bema Seat
Every talent will be sure counted
Every word will have to be accounted
Not a story will be left untold
We will stand watch the truth unfold
Every score - will be evened - nothing to defend
Every building will be shaken
Every motive will be tried
He'll give reward to the faithful
Will you receive or be denied?

Collision of Comfort and Christ

This school year I was asked to teach high school Economics. Broadly defined, Economics is the social science that deals with how society allocates resources among its unlimited wants and needs.

Another way of stating it would be to say that Economics is the study of how people try to satisfy what appears to be seemingly unlimited and competing wants through the careful use of relatively scarce resources.

A few weeks prior to teaching this course, I read and taught 8 lessons using the paradigm-shaking book Crazy Love. This book is a loving "wake-up" call to the Church to break out of a system built around personal comfort and safety.

I feel quite a tension between modern economics and Jesus' life and teachings. We live in a world where economic success is measured by the number resources extracted from the environment and turned into non-durable (temporary) goods that are bought, used, and then thrown away into a landfill." The better this cycle works, the more "successful" a countries' economy.

To be a good consumer in this cycle we must believe the delusion that we constantly need more and more stuff. Jesus would not be a good consumer in today's marketplace.

Here is Jesus' take on consumerism and stuff: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21 Then he goes on to say, "For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them (food, clothing). But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

I've been sprinting with the pagans and today I collided into the piercing words of Christ. Ouch! Doesn't feel too good.

Kingdom of Comfort by Delirious

Save me save me
From the kingdom of comfort where I am king
From my unhealthy lust of material things
I built myself a happy home In my palace on my own

My castle falling in the sand
Pull me out, please grab my hand I just forgot where I came from

Save me save me
From the kingdom of comfort where I am king
From my unhealthy lust of material things I rob myself of innocence
With the poison of indifference I buy my stuff at any cost
A couple of clicks and I pay the price

Coz what I gain is someone else's loss
Save me save me
From the kingdom of comfort where I am king
From my unhealthy lust of material things

Save me save me
From the kingdom of comfort where I am king
To this kingdom of heaven where you are king

Don't get tired of doing good!

Having now worked in churches as the Minister to Students for over thirteen years, I've ministered to many middle and high school students. It didn't take long to recognize that students this age are motivated to come to church for multiple reasons, and seeking hard after God isn't one of the top reasons for most.

It can be tough work! Pouring your heart and life out for students only to see them lack spiritual maturity or a desire to take up their crosses and follow Christ. Far too many graduate from high school and turn away from their faith, choosing to follow their own pleasure rather than losing their lives to gain a far greater one for eternity.

But last week I received an encouraging phone call from a former student, Evan, a 21 year old college senior. He informed me that he desired to be baptized, publicly announcing his faith in Jesus! Last Sunday he was baptized.

This was an awesome reminder of why I continue in student ministry, long after many of my peers pay their dues, opting instead to become "real pastors."

Here is Evan in his own words. Thanks Evan!

Small, but not Insignificant

Too many of us fail to see the importance of doing the small things. Often times, the things that seem insignificant make such a big difference. A thoughtful word, a smile, patience, respect, understanding-these things behaviors don't often happen naturally, but they must be significant to God.

A few days ago we were at the beach, staying in a high-rise condo. I was in the elevator, on my way down to the parking garage to take some items to the car. On the way down, the elevator stopped and an employee of the condo, who looked Nigerian entered. He was pushing a large container of trash. He looked very tired, head down, no eye contact. In a kind and sincere manner, I said, "Hey, how you doing?" His expression changed. His face lit up and he nodded.

A few floors later he exited. On his way out smiled and said, "Have a nice day!" Our exchange didn't change his life, but it did change the moment. It also reminded me that respect and kindness toward others is valuable. Each day we have so many opportunities to sow seeds of love and compassion. And not only are these valuable to our fellow man, they are important to God.

May I look for the presence of Jesus in every person I meet and serve today!

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 26

Getting off the Sick Carousel of Guilt

A friend of mine said last night that he never feels like he can do enough for God. He said when he has these thoughts, they make him so discouraged that he feels like a failure. As a result, he finds himself in depression, unable to do anything at all.

At times, I find myself in a similar sick cycle. When I get to the place where I'm not feeling guilty about doing more, I start feeling guilty about not feeling guilty. Crazy! To steal a song title from Lifehouse, it's a sick cycle carousel!

Thoughts, such as, "Why am I so content and complacent when there is a world out there dying without Christ? Thousands are physically dying each day from the lack of access to clean water and I'm feeling content, sitting in the coffee shop with a $4 cup of coffee in hand.

I'm reminded of the words of Jesus. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Eugene Peterson says, "He (Jesus) doesn't tell us to go out into the world and conquer it; he calls us into a yoked companionship with himself. He doesn't ask us to do anything that he doesn't promise to do with us. We are not so much sent out as invited along." (Praying With Jesus)

Jesus, give me your eyes today to see what you are seeing. I know that if we are yoked together today we won't be caught on this sick cycle carousel but will be moving to the rhythm of the Father's will. Amen

"Keep spinning around I know that it won't stop, Till I step down from this for good."

Abba, Be Near

Guilt, obligation, selfishness, duty, fear. To be totally honest, I must mention these words when I think about my relationship with God. I have fluctuated from one motive to another during my life, but my relationship with my Heavenly Father has consistently been tainted with one of these motivators.

I desire pure love for God, the type of love I see from my three year old when I return home from a trip. Upon opening the garage door, he comes running to meet me, yelling, "Daddy!"

I desire that type of love, love that is free and uninhabited. Love free of anxiety and fear, motivate by a deep personal connection.

What stops me from having that type of love for God? Loving God is hard. Faith is arduous. My connection with God often feels like a "Long-distance" relationships, lacking both physical affection and proximity.

I don't think I'm alone in this struggle. Many "religious" people use the idea of God for their own agendas. Many have landed here by default, growing up in the church in America, accepting a theology which requires no real shift in the direction of life, while seeing God as a way to escape eternal punishment and ease their conscience.

So we play the religious game, even talking a good religious talk, but rarely talking to God! Few of us are honest enough to admit that God feels just beyond our reach so we are content with pseudo spirituality that lacks authentic love encounters with God.

15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children...26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. Romans 8

Your fullness is mine
Revelation divine
But oh to taste,
to know much more than a page
To feel your embrace...

Be near oh God Be near oh God of us
You're nearness is to us our good.

What is God doing?

Friday is the 15th anniversary of the death of my brother, Mark. He was killed in an airplane crash in China. He was in China teaching English and doing missions work. This week was a bittersweet time for my parents, as the high school we attended dedicated the yearbook in his honor during a special ceremony.

The story of the loss of my brother is not unusual. Everyone has stories of personal tragedy, often loved ones like Mark, who are taken before "their time."

One of the greatest questions we try to answer when something like this happens are “Why do tragedies happen?” “Where is God when bad things happen?”


In John chapter 9, Jesus helps us get God's perspective on tragedies. In this passage we find a man whose life has been a tragedy since birth.

1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 6 Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7 "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. 8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man." 10 "How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded. 11He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see." The blind man sat that every day, probably for many years. The scum of the earth, a “sinner” begging for mercy from those coming in and out of the Temple so he could he and live for one more day.

The religious of the day thought that the reason one suffered more than another was because of an offense against God. Having been born blind, he was thought to have sinned against God in his mother’s womb! I can’t think of what could be worse than being blind and then having to stumble through life believing it was a result of something I did before I was even born. But Jesus removed this blind man’s darkness and revealed his marvelous light through his healing.

You especially learn to appreciate sight when your eyes stop working properly. I remember the day when I could go to the eye doctor and read the eye chart all the way down to the copyright notice on the bottom of the page! But after an eye injury playing basketball in high school, I've slowly lost much of my vision in my left eye. It's very frustrating not having good vision.

I think all my children, around the age of 2, learned the value of eyesight. I can recall each of them putting a blanket over their head and trying to navigate through the house. I would warn them, “You’re going to run into something.” But they wouldn’t get it until you heard a loud thump, followed by an even louded cry. This usually put an end to the blanket over eyes routine.
Spiritual Vision

But in the same way that we can have physical problems with our eyesight, it is much more of a tragedy having spiritual vision problems.

I think if I were the blind man, the physical burden of being blind would not have been as bad as the burden of believing that God was against me and my entire life has been one long punishment for something I couldn't even remember doing.

The Pharisees

The guys who thought they had God figured out during Christ's time was the Pharisees. They thought they could clearly see spiritual things and understand how God thought. They had high moral standards. They knew the Scriptures. Yet they were blind because they could not see that Jesus was who he claimed to be-the Messiah, sent by the very God they worshiped.

At the end of Chapter nine, after the blind man's sight had been restored, he went before the Pharisees and gave Jesus credit. Because of their spiritual blindness could not acknowledge what had happen.

33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

34 To this they (Pharisees) replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out.

In John chapters 7-8, we find an intriguing narrative describing Jesus' trip to Jerusalem and earlier conflicts with the Pharisees, all setting the stage for the healing of a blind man. Many Jews had migrated into Jerusalem for the Feast of the Tabernacles. Jesus, knowing that it was not time for the Father to send him to the cross, kept a low profile and traveled to Jerusalem in secret. But while he was there he went to the Temple and began to teach (7:14), stirring up even more controversy. The Pharisees had had enough. They were so irate with Jesus that they sent Temple guards to have Jesus arrested. The Temple guards returned empty handed because they were so blown away by Jesus and his powerful teaching. At this point Nicodemus, a member of the Pharisees, comes to Jesus' defense and delayed the inevitable.

During the Feast of the Tabernacles, the mood was festive around the Temple. The lighting ceremony, where four enormous golden candlesticks were lit in the and the religious men, members of the Sanhedrin, and heads of different religious schools would dance well into the night holding bright torches and singing psalms of praise to God" was probably the backdrop for the spiritual analogy Jesus would use.

Jesus tells the Pharisees, "I AM the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (8:12)

Jesus was light, and he would show it both physically and spiritually in the poor, spiritually rejected blind man. Jesus saw this man's dilemma, not as some type of punishment for a crime committed against God's law, but instead as an opportunity to show God's light through a weak, worthless outcast of society!

"But this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." (John 9:3)

Jesus did not deny the connection between sin and suffering. Although sin may be a cause of suffering, clearly seen in Scripture, it is not always the case, as with the blind man. When tragedy strikes, I think it’s scriptural and appropriate to ask ourselves, “Is there any unconfessed sin I are holding onto in my life, areas I am unwilling to submit to God?

But in this narrative, this healing was not only a sample of Jesus' ability to restore sight to a man who had been blind since birth, but it also represented, figuratively, and for the blind man, experientially, the light Jesus brings into the world.

But within the amazing illustration, Jesus also brought new light to the disciples on one of the mysteries of God that puzzled them-"whose sin resulted in this man's blindness?"

This makes us rethink the whole idea of God’s will. We make God's will about us rather than about Him. I know this is difficult to comprehend, but the blind man suffered for years and years, but it was all part of God's plan to display the light of Jesus and bring glory of God.

Have you ever been to the eye doctor and had one of those Refraction tests. Looking into that big device, the doc keeps asking, "Which is better, this one or this one?" After going through that drill what seems like about a hundred times, the extent of your vision difficulty can be determined and the doctor can provide you with the correct prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses.

When we deal with difficult circumstances, God, in his wisdom and plan, uses these things to prompt us to make adjustments in the direction or focus of our life so we can be more in line with His will and purpose. Our spiritual vision will be enlarged to see that life is about Him.

We must choose to turn on our spiritual vision and ask the Holy Spirit for help in understanding what God is doing through these testings.

In fact, James says it's a gift when we're tested.

James 1:2-4 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

We need our spiritual vision adjusted if...

1. We are unable to see that what God allows, he allows for a reason.

We must bank on the truth that “All things work together for the good of those who love God and have been called according to his purpose. Difficult times and trials can sharpen your awareness of how thoroughly God has already and always been at work in every detail of our life.
We are 100% certain to suffer, and Christ is 100% certain to meet us, to come for us, comfort us, and restore our joy.

2. We spend too much time focused on cures, fixes, and ways out of the situation and not enough time casting our cares on God.

It is not wrong to be informed and use the brain God has given to us. But human efforts to escape the situation at the expense of knowing God in greater ways could be symptomatic of a lack of faith. In fact, remember what James said-be patient, let it have time to do it's work.

Jesus desires that His light shine through us, especially during dark times of life. So where is God when bad things happen? He is still God, and He is the artist painting on this canvas was call life. The painting doesn't reveal the artist's full intentions until it is complete.

Prayer:

"Do whatever you need to do in me today to display Your glory and accomplish Your work!"

Why I follow Jesus

This past Easter Sunday morning I found myself awake and restless several hours before I needed to get out of bed. I began to think about Jesus and his resurrection and the influence he has had on me. What was is so special about a man who walked this earth nearly 2000 years ago and died at the early age of thirty-three? Why do I put all of my trust and hope in him?

I decided that morning that I needed to put these things into a list. Some of the reasons I came up with were experiential while others were more logical. While any one of these reasons in itself is not that impressive, the total weight of the list gives me confidence to passionately pursue Christ, train my children to follow him, and devote my life to making him known others.

Prior to reading my list, see if you can come up with 10 reasons why you follow Jesus and his teachings and trust in him as the only path to eternal life. If you are not following Jesus, list some reasons why you can't or don't put all your confidence and trust in him.

1. I grew up in the faith.
2. My faith gives hope, purpose and meaning to life.
3. It seems natural and logical to believe that there is a God. I just can't accept the idea that we are here by chance. The universe is to vast and amazing to believe it evolved independently of a Intelligent Designer.
4. The teachings of Jesus are remarkable. They are so profound and yet so simple.
5. Jesus altered history and is unique in history by claiming to be God and validating those claims through supernatural demonstrations of power witnessed my many.
6. Jesus commissioned his message (of his coming Kingdom) to the disciples (Matthew 16:19), who in turn carried it out by building the church and writing the Scriptures. Writers of Scripture have Jesus' authority because he personally authorized its writers.
7. I have experienced joy and satisfaction through a relationship with Jesus, especially during difficult times in life.
8. The narrative of Scripture does better to explain the biggest questions of life and existence. There are other philosophies, theories and religions which attempt to answer these questions, but to me they fall well short of Scripture.
9. Believing in a God allows me to arrive at the conclusion that He would want to make a way for us to understand and know him. That is why Jesus is so important!
10. The resurrection! To me, the empty tomb cannot be explained away. Many people saw and touched Jesus after he arose from the grave!

Jesus, Interrupted

A guy named Burt Ehrman has just released a book by the title Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible. I ran across Ehrman first time a few days ago as he was highlighted in the main news feed on CNN.com.

What attracted my attention to Ehrman was what separates him from the millions of other critics and skeptics of Christianity. He began his education in very conservative evangelical schools (Moody Bible and Wheaton College). But over time he became an skeptic, writing books challenging the core beliefs of the Christian faith.

Ehrman has an unique vantage point as he communicates his views. He can speak the "insider" language of the Christian community, knowing that average Christians are unfamiliar with the arguments he presents and the "contradictions" he alleges are found in Scripture through critical comparisons of the gospel narratives. While Ehrman's suggestions and assertions are in no way original, the manner in which it is presented is unique.

Ehrman attempts to "enlighten" the masses by what he says Biblical scholars have known a long time. He asserts that pastors and ministers aren't telling their churches what the "real" story is for fear that they can't handle the truth. His target is primary directed at casting doubts on the historical reliability of Scripture and the resurrection of Jesus.

While we are unable to historically or scientifically prove if the resurrection occurred, readers of Ehrman's works need to realize that there are convincing arguments on both sides of this issues. Some would like you to think that being a Christ-follower and believing in the resurrection of Jesus is only for the intellectually blind and illogical who refuses to examine the facts. But the truth is, clever arguments and philosophical reasoning can be used to support both sides of the argument. (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjOSNj97_gk)

Although a debate by two really smart guys does not prove a thing, it does show that people of faith have historical and logical reasons for believing Jesus is God. But ultimately, it comes down to a matter of faith because we cannot empirically prove matters of faith (or any historical event.)

I think it is helpful for believer or non-believers to look into the claims of critics. People must take ownership of their faith. We need not be scared of Ehrman or others who attempt to cast doubts on our beliefs, but instead be diligent in seeking out other voices who have researched and studied the matters and arrived at a different conclusion. This is a healthy process.

Although I put these doubts to rest over 10 years ago, I find it helpful to revisit the reasons for my faith. Most recently it was very early this past Easter Sunday morning I awoke and found myself unable to fall back to sleep. I was thinking about the reasons why I am a Christi follower, why is every aspect of my life is influenced by a man who walked this earth nearly 2000 years ago? Some of my reasons were experiential and others were more logical. While one of these ten reasons in itself is not that impressive, the total weight of these reasons gives me confidence to passionately pursue God and train my children and our church to follow Jesus Christ.

Prior to reading my list, see if you can come up with 10 reasons you follow Jesus.

1. I grew up in the faith.
2. Faith gives hope, purpose and meaning to life.
3. It seems natural and logical to believe that there is a God. I just can't accept that we are here by chance. The universe is to vast and amazing to believe it just evolved.
4. The teachings of Jesus are so profound and yet so simple.
5. Jesus altered history and is unique in history by claiming to be God and validating those claims through supernatural demonstrations of power.
6. Jesus commissioned his message (of his coming Kingdom) to the disciples (Matthew 16:19), who in turn carried it out by building the church and writing the Scriptures.
7. I have experienced joy and satisfaction through a relationship with Jesus.
8. The narrative of Scripture does better to explain the biggest questions of life and existence. There are other attempts to answer these questions, but to me they fall way short.
9. Since I believe there is a God then it only makes sense to arrive at the conclusion that He would make a way for us to understand and know him.
10. The resurrection! To me, the empty tomb cannot be explained away. Many people saw and touched Jesus after he arose from the grave!

Secrets of the Kingdom-Final Shack Post

"But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." Jesus in Matthew 13:16-17

The parables of Jesus are fascinating! Simple yet profound. Open but secret. Plain yet puzzling. Apparent but obscure. Transparent yet hazy.

How could the religiously educated, the scholars and teachers of the day, miss it?

Humility. They lacked humility!

The weak, the poor, the simple, the outcasts, the sinners--they knew they needed what Jesus had to offer. The world's systems had no place for them. In fact, in the eyes of the pious they deserved their condition--they or their father's had sinned against God and they were reaping the windfall of their transgressions. The humble desired to participate in the message and the Kingdom Jesus had to offer. The parable served as a simple door for which they could enter.

The religious desired to debate, discuss, and denounce Jesus and His teachings. And they were unable to open the door of the Kingdom.

I finally finished The Shack. As with any human illustration, there are times when it breaks down and fails to coordinate with every aspect of truth. If you would like a critical evaluation, see http://www.normangeisler.net/theshack.html.

I was able to recognize The Shack as a wounded man's attempt to discover God's beauty. How does one gain a greater understanding of a God who is Spirit, omnipotent, all-knowing, immutable, and a perfect mixture of love and justice? We can make a theologically resume for God with all His qualities listed nice and tidy, but can we really know Him through a list?

The Shack seems to be an honest struggle to understand more God's nature and character. I did not feel manipulated. I felt no hidden agenda with this book. I laughed, I cried, became angry, and celebrated. Like a parable in Jesus' day, for those who want to have conversations about God, the story is opaque. For those who will look and listen and pray, the story becomes a means for participation in the life of faith (Eugene Peterson thoughts on parables). For me, The Shack was just that.

Young (the author) opened up his heart to us through this book and allowed us to journey with him through the redemption process of dealing with his own hurts and frustrations inflicted upon him by life. Does this book have flaws-sure. Is it humble-definitely. I don't know William P. Young, but from reading this book and hearing about his story he appears to be a serious seeker of the Truth.

I trust God enough to rise above our frail attempts to understanding Him and allow His glorious, beauty and power to draw all people to Jesus Christ!

I want eyes to see and ears to hear the mysteries of God and His Kingdom.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Running without The Shack

Last Sunday morning I was up extra early. I was excited about getting a good, long run in while listening to The Shack. I quietly slipped out into the garage, grabbed my running shoes, and made my way out to my car. I opened the console to discover my personal items were in disarray. "No" I thought to myself, remembering that my two year old had been playing in my car the day before. Did he get hold of my iPod shuffle?

You may recall that this 8 hour and 49 minute audiobook has no section breaks-just one long piece of audio. I put one of the ear buds in my ear and pressed the play button. I quickly recognized that I was back toward the beginning of the audiobook. No Shack this morning-just a very long, quiet run. My only companion this morning would be my thoughts.

Running with The Shack, Part III

Well, a very long run last Sunday afforded me much time to listen to Mac's dialog with the unusual Trinity. For those just joining the conversation, scroll down and read parts I & II.

I must admit, by the second half of my run, my focus on this audiobook was fading, as most of my thoughts swirled around taking my next step and taking in that next breath.

In the dialog between Mac and "God" many profound theological truths were discussed and I found myself thinking often, "I need to listen to that again." But I know from experience, messing with the controls of an Ipod shuffle with a 9 hour book downloaded on it (with no section breaks-what were they thinking?) would be disastrous. So I'll do the best to recall key thoughts and some of reactions.

First, the book reinforces my opinion that it is very difficult to separate our thoughts of God from the unique angle by which we each approach Him. The presuppositions we have, our gender, life experiences, religious upbringing, etc., sculpt our view of God. Mac is able to accept the "Jesus" figure rather easily but struggles with "God" because of his abusive, hypocritical father and strict religious upbringing.

Some might point to this as a reason to focus solely upon Scripture to understand God's character and nature. But this is difficult. I think there are 4 "God is..." statements found in Scripture: God is love; God is light; God is Spirit; and God is a consuming fire. These illustrate how diverse and difficult an analysis of God's character is from Scripture. While I feel that the Scriptures must be our primary means of learning about God and His nature, we must not limit God's ability to speak and reveal Himself in whatever why He chooses. "We can't put God in a box" seems to be a central theme.

It's important to remember the "The Shack" is a work of fiction and we shouldn't suspect every large, black woman of being God. But it is interesting to remember that Hebrews tells us, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." And Jacob wrestled with God (and won!). These examples sure throw a curve at our theological comfort zone.

This brings me to my second issue. The idea of God speaking to individuals does seem reckless, risky and messy, especially when it seems to violate Scripture (or our interpretation of Scripture). I fear that someone will tell me God said this or that and we should all follow it-like a Jim Jones or David Koresh figure. But God anticipates these issues and addresses them.

I John 4 tells us we should "test the spirits" to see if they are from God. John gives two tests-1. A person must recognize and communicate that Jesus is God manifested in human flesh (verse 2) and 2. We must accept the apostle's teachings (verse 6). Anyone who claims to hear from God must not communicate "revelation" which goes against the teachings of the apostles.

I was meeting with an engaged couple for a series of premarital counseling sessions. I did not know the couple prior to these meetings, but they wanted to use our church for their wedding and ask one of the pastors on staff at our church to preform the ceremony. During the course of one of our meetings I told them that it was God's plan to wait until marriage to have sex. It was still about a month out from the wedding and I told them that it would be healthy for their marriage if they abstained until the wedding. The guy got a funny look on his face, informed me that they were already living together and told me that "God led them this way and it was okay for them to be sexually active." Will God speak and lead contrary to His revealed Word? Clearly "God" didn't communicate that.

But to go to the other extreme because of fear is just as damaging to our ability to know God, enjoy Him, and love others. We can fall into the trap of living by the book without ever really communicating with the author.

In his book, "Surprised by the Voice of God" Jack Deere writes, " When we make the goal of our lives to know the Bible, we exalt knowledge over experience. When we think the key to life is how much of the Bible we know, it becomes more important to us to know than to experience. The truths of Scripture can only be fully know through experience." He continues, " Our biblical interpretations don't give us power. Only a Person can do that. But the Person requires us to put our confidence in him, not in our knowledge, before he give us power. This explains why sometimes there is such a gulf between what we preach and the reality of our daily experience. Why is it that on Sunday morning we confidently proclaim that 'the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus' (Phil. 4:7), but on Monday we fill the psychiatrists' offices and stand in line for Prozac like the rest of the world?
(Jack Deere, Surprised by the Voice of God, page 153-154).

Wow! That stings. During that long, cold run last Sunday, The Shack prompted me to remember that God does still speak-maybe even in ways which I never expect. I need to know Him, hear Him, and respond to Him!

Running with The Shack, Part II.

I was reading book reviews of The Shack on Amazon and one guy who wrote in was so distraught. Not because of his reaction to the theological suggestions made in the book but because he was expecting a book about the life of NBA star Shaquille O'Neal. So for those of you who stumble upon this blog because you think I spend my mornings running with Shaq, sorry to disappoint you.

Well, this morning during a quick five mile run and also ran into some of the issues which have apparently stirred-up controversy with this book. Mack, allured by the note, is unable to resist the urge to return to the shack where his daughter was apparently murdered. After an emotional screaming, cursing, and yelling session with God and brief thoughts of suicide, Mack begins to walk away from the shack and away from any hope of an encounter with God. He is suddenly drawn back, as the shack is transformed into a blissful, radiant home, alive with activity. Inside the house, he finds "God" portrayed as an affectionate African-American woman, referred to as "Papa," Jesus, as a laborer of Jewish descent, and the Holy Spirit as an ethereal woman-like person with Asian features.

My run with The Shack ended at this point. I'm looking forward to wrestling with these portrayals and the dialog between Mack and William P. Young's trinity. Maybe my next run will take me through Penuel?

Running with The Shack

It's very early on a Sunday morning-5:45 am. The neighborhood streets of my small, south Georgia town are deserted, but for the erratic, abstracted driver delivering the Sunday newspaper. There is a dense fog that hangs in the air, limiting visibility to 20 or so feet. I carefully watch the small car erratically move from mailbox to mailbox, hoping my reflective clothing will catch his attention. A dog barks as my feet land on the damp pavement with a constant rhythm, beneath the mossy oak trees that line the neighborhood.

As if this morning isn't eerie enough, I have a heightened sense of anxiety and anticipation because of what is playing on my iPod. It's an audiobook, chosen at random from the "most popular" selection of iTunes, titled The Shack.

The Shack is about a man, Mackenzie Philips, who feels extremely blessed with his life until his youngest daughter, Missy, is abducted during a family vacation and evidence suggests that she was brutally murdered in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, Mack receives a suspicious note, signed by "God" inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Since my Sunday morning run I've read that there is controversy surrounding this book, that it slams "legalistic" religions, denominations and doctrines. There is nothing like a little Theological controversy to get the juices moving for those early morning runs.

Last Sunday morning's run afforded me two hours of listening pleasure. With nearly seven hours of this intriguing novel left (or about 50 miles) I look forward to the journey!