Be the Change

I've been contemplating writing this post for quite sometime.  In some ways, this is an easy post to write.  In others, it's very complicated.  I know that this post is hard.  I prefer to be uplifting.  This post might offend some people, but just know I wouldn't write it if I didn't absolutely believe what I'm sharing.

When I look at the state of this world and at our country I have never been more convinced that we are on the road of destruction.

I don't have to tell you.  You know it too.

You see the lost hope in people's eyes.
You're experiencing the pinch in the purse.
You face fear walking down the street.
You're scared that your children will be taken advantage of with nothing you can do.
You listen to the political rhetoric of both sides and know that's not the answer.

You walk down the same streets I do.

I have something to tell you.  The solution is not in the government.  The solution is not to just find a job or just pay off a credit card or just get the kids into private school.  The solution is not in a religious leader or even in a church.

The solution is Christ.

Yes, the country is in a bad place...
Yes, things are tight...
Yes, there is violence in the world...
Yes, all hope seems to be lost...

But not in Christ.

All hope is not lost in Christ.

We as individuals and as a nation have to turn back to Christ.  We have to remember His love for us.  We have to respond to others with the same compassion that He has for us.  We have to be moved, as individuals, to do the right thing to see justice restored.

The truth is to do that is a messy undertaking.

Journey with me there for a moment...
      A world where we help out our neighbor who just lost their job...
      A world where we start a fundraiser to raise money for the teacher who just found out she has                                            
             cancer...
      A world where we plant the garden and weed it and water it...
      A world where we take personal responsibility for our mistakes...

      A world where we do the work...
          We help others
          We reach out
          We do something about it.

Even if we did all these things there is still this element of lostness in our world.  It can't be fixed by any movement by humanity of it's own.  It can only be fixed by returning to a foundation of the Word of God and the pursuit of God's presence.

Recently, I was contemplating this truth when I realized that Christian culture has isolated these two principles when in reality they go hand in hand.  As a whole, we've isolated discipleship or the pursuit of the knowledge of God's Word, but neglected the power of God's presence.   But at the same time, we drop everything running to the feel-good, bless-me-Jesus, emotional overload of fast, loud, and long music but often neglect the study of God's Word.

Please understand me.  In real life I'm a worship pastor.  This is what I do for a living and love it, I might add.  What I hate about music and this kind of 'worship' is that it only lasts for those 20-25 minutes on Sunday morning.  You get your four to five songs that are perfectly performed, but they lack the power of God in them.

We've forgotten that worship is a lifestyle.  Worship is the marriage of our emotions, our thoughts, and our actions into one intently--a life, sold out for Christ, sacrificing all for the advancement of the kingdom of God.

I am entirely aware that this is long.  Bare with me just a bit longer.

One of my favorite books of the Bible is James.  I think I love James so much because he had a unique understand of Christ and He's teachings.  James is rumored to be written by James the Just, a half-brother of Christ.  Growing up with Jesus would have brought a different understand to the nature of Christ Himself.  He would have walked with Jesus through many of life hard times like the death of James' father and Jesus' step father.  They would have together worked in the family business.  They would have learned in the synagogue together.

Early in James's life we know that he wasn't so keen of Jesus's deity.  In fact, he didn't believe at all.  But somewhere in his life, he had an encounter with the presence of God revealing the truth of Christ's identity.   Maybe it was after the resurrection, but whenever it was, James believed.  So when we read the book of James, we are getting this an incredible perspective into who Christ is and what He's about.

In James 1:27 he writes this, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."  Through the book, James continues to urge the church to not just stay in the four walls of the church building, but to live a life of worship everywhere they went.

We have that same mandiate too.  Is it hard?  Well, it's not easy.  Living for Christ is not easy.  Here's why...

But, it's worth it.

It's so worth it.
I promise.

It's worth it.

It's possible to change the world.
It's possible to make the world a brighter place.
It's possible that our world can be healed,
     that the economic devastating can be reversed,
     that our world can be better

But...

But, it's only when we get to it...

When we choose to change it.

Start a revolution.  Be the Change.

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What I'm Listening To...It's a Journey

Tonight I finished the first episode of season five of Fringe.  If you're not familiar with this Fox series I'll give you some brief highlights.

Fringe is a sci-fi thriller.  After years of being locked away in an asylum  Dr. Walter Bishop is released to the care of his estranged genius son, Peter.  He is release for the sole purpose of ascertaining the reasons for several strange and unexplained world events.  Just as an example, entire buildings and towns disappear.  Why?  No one knows.

Now we're in the fifth season.  You can only imagine the craziness that's happening now.  J.J. Abrams is a genius, but that's really a different topic entirely.

The scene that brought this whole post to my mind occurred when Walter, the doctor, is being tortured by a mind reader, or observer,  for information.  In the background music the viewer hears classical music playing.  The Observer says, "You're trying to think of music?  You miss music....we tolerate it.  But it's merely tones, rhythms, and harmonic vibrations.  I don't understand."

Walter replies to the stall inquisitive Observer, "Mostly [music] amazes me.  Music helps you to shift perspective.  To see things differently if you need to."

"To see things like...hope?"

"Yeah, very much like that."

So...that was a long story, but I loved this scene.  You should watch the show.  It's available on through this link on Hulu.com.

Now, on to what I'm listening to now...the music or audio that gives me hope.

The Daily Audio Bible

website

I listen to this podcast everyday and I love it.  I can listen to it in the car or when I'm putting my makeup on.  It really helps me to listen or read more of God's Word.  It's available for free download on iTunes.

Josh Garrels

website

How can I sing Josh's praise...well, kinda.  A new friend of mine recommended this project to me.  I listen to the first note and instantly knew I was in love.  With the music, of course.

Bon Iver

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Do you need explanation needed?

Emerging Voices

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This project just takes me to the presence of God.  I'm thankful that I work out late at night because I'm sure it'd disturb my neighbors if they saw me running around the block beating the air or tears just running my face.  Maybe they'd be ok with it.  Maybe.

Well, that's pretty much it with the exception of Christmas music and Choral music by Eric Whitecare.  Oh no!...I love him too!  And Fun.'s Some Nights (the clean version).  And then my favorite song ever --Journey's Don't Stop Believing.  What is wrong with me?!?

Music--all kinds of music--just has this way of connecting the emotional dots for me.  Music gives me...hope.

What about you?  What are you listening to?

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an Age of Innocence

Have you ever wondered why kids seems to be so much tougher these days?  I work with many students every week and there are a few qualities that most of them have in common.

Most are extremely intelligent.

Most are extremely strong willed.
Most are emotionally stressed.

Most are disconnected from reality.

Most are under motivated.
Most are easily impassioned. 

These characteristics all seem to fall on the post 9/11 generation.

True, this is not your normal memory post spilling over the events of where I was or how I felt or what went through my mind as I watched the second plane fly straight into the second tower.  The only thing that I will say about that day is I was young enough and naive enough to believe that this tragedy had to be some kind a queer error.  No one would openly attack the United States of America.  It was an accident.  A mistake.

I grew up quick that year.

I may have grown up that year, but it seems as if this generation just behind me was born "grown up."

They were born with their innocence lost.  They were born in the midst of two wars.  They were born into a society that fought against itself.  They were born in the age of a cover up. (No, I'm not a truther.)  They were born to see and to question and to doubt.

As the helplessness and godlessness of our culture continues to saturate our society, they are, literally attacked by adults and other students who want nothing more than to destroy their lives.  In my mind I have this mental image of little monsters and big monsters chasing these students around the halls of their campuses and into our homes and just sucking the life and soul out of them.

They have to be strong...or maybe emotionally distant is a better description.  They are under attack.

And that is just...well,...sad.

To think that they will never believe that a humanity has an immense capability to love and to do good.  To think that they will never know what true peace on earth could look like.  They will always question and always doubt.  They will always analyze and look for the cracks in the truth.  They will relate the present heavenly Father's love with the "love" of their absent earthly father.  They will justify their mother's lack of affirmation with the belief that they are worth nothing.

But in spite of these negiative possibilities we must remember this: they are only possibilities.  Maybe God put these characteristics in this generation knowing the challenges of the age they would live in.  Maybe He gave them the strength to stand up against the injustice.  Maybe He gave them the wisdom to ask the tough questions and demand answers that make sense and work.  Maybe He chose this generation to be the greatest of all.

I don't have the privilege of being a parent just yet, but that is a blessing that I often pray for.  When I do have children entrusted to my care, I hope that God grants me the wisdom to see the possibilities of their lives...to see that they are a generation destined for greatness and not calamity.  

May I challenge you with this thought?  When your children are driving you to the brink of insanity with their questions and their strong willed spirit think how God could use that for His glory.  How He could literally change the course of history with one person who is sold out and dedicated to the purpose of restoring justice to the world. 

The events of 9/11 may have robbed be of my innocence, but it will never rob me of my hope--a hope for a brighter peaceful future.  A hope for a world full of life, love, and children.

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standing on the edge

I think we've all been there before.

You know that place...looking out on the edge of eternity.

On the verge of greatness...

On the brink of a miracle...

And then devastation hits and all hope,
all dreams,
all plans seem lost.

Here's the good news.  They're not lost--not by a long shot.

Over the course of this summer, Oklahoma has been lost to drought.  The economic and environmental challenges this drought brought have seemed devastating.  Farmer's are paying as much as $100 for a bail of hay that would have cost $20.

This is not good.  Not good at all.

And then a few weeks ago we were rocked with wildfires that threatened entire towns.  Actually, there were a few towns that were destroyed.  Many homes were lost.  Many business were lost.

But this tragedy did bring some good.  For one, it proved as a source of unity.  Family and friends fought the fires together.  And when the fires were over, the communities came together to provide aid to people who'd lost everything they owned except each other.

But that's not all.  Next year, it is very likely that the crops will be more productive because of the nitrates restored to the ground from the ash.  In fact, my friends' yard is already greener than it's been in years.  The trees are bare, but the grass...it's green and lush and good.

One thing is for certain, God never says that life will be easy.  In fact, He says life will be difficult.  It's going to be hard.  We will have hurt and pain.  Life won't be easy.  But life's outcome, hardship and famine, does not negate God's goodness and faithfulness.

In Romans 8:28 we find a much quoted scripture that I'm afraid is often used incorrectly.  "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."  Looking at the context, Paul flatly tells the church of Rome that they will experience trouble, but ultimately God's perfect love will keep them.

Here's what's remarkable: God's perfect love will keep you too.

If you and your spouse are on the brink of divorce, God's love will keep you.

If you've lost your job and don't see any hope in the market, God's love will keep you.

If you've been rejected by the only person you've really loved, God's perfect love will keep you.

If you feel lonely and sad and cold there's warmth and happiness and joy.  God's perfect love will keep you.

When all hope seems to be lost, never to be recovered, God's perfect love will keep you.

In the meantime, submit to His plan and allow Him to be supreme Lord over your life.  Another difficult step, true, but one that will be most worth it all.

Recently I've come to understand this.  I hate hurt whether that be emotional or physical or even spiritual. But there is beauty in the pain.  There is life in the pain.  Pain helps me to feel real and alive.  And it makes the times that are full of joy and happiness that much sweeter.

Find love today and be inspired to give love today.  There's hope in pain.

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