renewal summit 09

Today, I am looking forward to the Renewal Summit 09 being hosted at Pantego Bible Church. This ministry conference, hosted by Tarrant Net, is sure to be a refreshment to local ministry leaders through the teaching of Dr. Tony Evans, Pastor Jim Cymbala and Dr. Alec Rowland. The focus will be on prayer as a means of renewal in our churches, cities and world. The sessions are open to the public from 7-9:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday evenings [$10 suggested donation].

strange sights

We're home, safe and sound. My time in Hong Kong was over-the-top incredible. What an honor it was for me to be at Island ECC and I'm grateful for the opportunity to minister in a cross-cultural setting. By the end of the week, I had spoken 7 times, slept very little (jet lag was brutal) and made a handful of unusual connections.

Here are a few unusual facts/observations I learned in Hong Kong:

1. Portions of the island were expanded by "filling in" the ocean. This construction process of making "artificial islands" added 1% to Hong Kong's overall size when the present international airport was built in 1998. To think, we were landing on water.

2. There are only 2 funeral homes on the island to serve the needs of more than 7 million people. One was several blocks from our hotel. Flowers everywhere. Non-stop memorial services. Professional mourners grieve and wail.

3. Spread citizens out in the United States and we end up with about 80 people per square mile. There are more than 14,000 per square mile in Hong Kong. Thick.

4. The island is a melting pot. The church itself represents more than 20 nationalities. English is a staple of a very educated people [the kind of education where a student doesn't get extra credit for not using their bathroom pass for 6 weeks].

5. It's a small world after all. I met students from my former college ministry, people who had just moved from DFW (who knew mutual friends), and a young man who knew someone who knew someone who knew someone. It was like 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. I'm amazed at how we can still be known in a world of strangers.

Hong Kong bound

On Monday, Pearson and I head across the ocean for a privileged trip to Hong Kong. Tobin Miller, college friend, missionary and pastor at the Island Church, invited me to speak at the Iron Men Conference on Saturday, March 21. I will also speak at a couple's banquet on Thursday evening and preach at the church on Sunday morning and evening. Please pray for our safety and ministry effectiveness during this time! May all the nations hear the name of Jesus!

God doesn't need us

Harsh thought. I was sitting with a group of men this morning, reflecting on Acts 17:25:

"[God] is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else."

Theologians refer to this as God's aseity or self-sufficiency. It means that God is not dependent on anything else. Quite the contrary, we are dependent of God for everything. We need Him to give us "life and breath and everything else."

This independence raised the question among the Starbucks-drinking group, "But, surely God needs our love. That's why He created us. Because, if God doesn't need our love, then we're potentially one mistake away from being dumped by Him."

SIDEBAR: This led to a great dialogue about truth vs. our emotions. As humans, we default to feeling over fact. We tend to formulate what we believe to be true by what we feel in our hearts. However, feelings and experience cannot be the locomotive of life (to use an old Campus Crusade for Christ analogy). The unwavering truth of Scripture must inform, shape and translate my experiences...not the other way around.

Now let's get back to the self-sufficiency of God. If God doesn't need me, does that make His love less extraordinary? After our study, the image of a foster family came to mind. A little girl is placed in foster care and the family later chooses to adopt her. The parents don't need the child, yet they choose to love her. Now, which is a more extraordinary love: Parents loving the girl because they need to be loved by her...or parents who do not need her love but choose to adopt her and love her as their own? Suddenly, I begin to see the bigger picture. And, this truth of God's independence leads me to an even greater view of my heavenly Father and a more humble appreciation of just how much I am loved!

the next best thing

Last week, Ron Hall and Denver Moore, co-authors of Same Kind of Different As Me, were guests at Pantego Bible Church. Not surprisingly, their reflection on the journey that God placed both of them on was an incredible inspiration to everyone who heard them.

One comment that stuck with me was the charge not to simply "tell people about God, but show them God!" Without minimizing Gospel proclamation, the speakers reminded me that the greatest Gospel is the one with flesh on it. The message of Jesus wasn't just words, but life.

This week, preaching from Micah 6:6-8, we will conclude our "Down & Out" series with several practical tips to reach beyond to our neighbors in need. The most important principle is "Do the next best thing." I mentioned this several weeks ago. It's a motto that sums up my limited research and experiences among the poor during the last several months. I've learned that there are very few rules, no sure-fire fixes, no tidy protocols, very little that any of us can count on. Each person and problem is unique. Therefore, my response can never be prepackaged or pat. To be a true blessing, I must discern the best thing, relying on the wisdom of God who sees all. I must not attempt to see to the end (how can I fix the problem) but just look to how I can help in the "next" thing. Then, I just "do it."

I am moved by the words of Gary Haugen, president and CEO of the International Justice Mission. In his book, Just Courage, he writes, “It seems that we cannot rid ourselves of this primal, unquenchable yearning to make our lives matter. By divine hard wiring, we desperately want our lives to count—really, significantly count— for God’s rescuing work in the world." He continues later, "I believe many Christians are yearning to walk in a pathway to courage. They yearn for liberation from small and trivial things and to experience the passion and power of God on the more jagged edges of faith, where true glory lies.”

I have a yearning, an aching to make a difference. I don't want to leave a tiny legacy of insignificant things. So, I am trusting God to give me courageous faith to go beyond. To not just preach Jesus but proclaim Jesus with my life. I don't know where this leads. But, I look forward to doing "the next best thing."

justice for all

In my study of "justice" and trying to better understand Jesus' charge of meeting the needs of the poor, I have wrestled with the concept "distributive justice" [see a good, but technical article in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]. The phrase means, basically, "fair distribution among all people." Distributive justice explores the social welfare topic of what equality means, who should be equal, how equality is expressed and what the measurement of equality is. More simply, distributive justice seeks to address questions such as, "How much should I help the homeless man on the street?" and "Should I feel bad about my higher standard of living. I did, after all, work hard to get here" and "What basic services should everyone be entitled to?"

If we're not careful, we can swing the social pendulum too far in either direction. Extremely far to the right and we conclude that, as free people, living in a capitalist state, every person has equal chance to provide for themselves and succeed. The only limiting factor is human will and determination. After all, you can be President if you just put your mind to it! So, society/government shouldn't step in to interfere with the progress of free individuals. Of course, this extreme position doesn't account for the uncontrollable factors that can limit an person's ability to reach their dreams [download "The Downward Spiral of Poverty"].

Swung too far to the left, socialism comes to light. Equality is ensured through government intervention in health care, income, housing, etc. This neutralizing force destroys the entrepreneurial spirit and rewards those who self-limit themselves through bad decisions.

I appreciate the insight of Ronald Nash in his research, Social Justice and the Christian Church. Nash explores both sides of the issue and concludes that distributive justice means "equal opportunity, not necessarily equal outcome." It is equal means, not equal results. This is a significant reflection. Because it it shows me where I fit into alleviating the problem of poverty. Justice means that I practice and promote equality among people--the kind of justice that meets the basic needs of freedom, food, shelter, clothing and dignity. My job isn't to raise all people up to a particular standard of living. I can't be responsible for the outcomes of my assistance. All I can do, in the Spirit of Jesus, is seek to level the playing field of the poor around me by helping them enjoy the basic opportunities I enjoy. Beyond that, I trust God to be in charge for the outcome.

the shadow of spring

On February 2, Punxsutawney Phil comes out of his burrow on Gobbler's Knob--in front of thousands of followers from all over the world--to predict the weather for the rest of winter. According to legend, if Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.

This notable event reminds me of Peter's ministry in ancient Jerusalem. The writer notes, “people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by” [Acts 2:15]. The word for “shadow” here is also used by the writer in Luke 1:35 when the Holy Spirit "overshadowed" Mary so that she could miraculously conceive the Messiah and Luke 9:34 when a "cloud overshadowed" the disciples at Jesus transfiguration. So, the "shadow" of Peter was nothing less that the power and presence of God working through Peter to heal the sick and set people free.

As I think about the ministry of compassion, I am reminded from this text: The church is the shadow of God’s presence and power in the world. As we are changed by God's Spirit, He sends us into our neighborhoods and unto the nations so that we might overshadow others with the glorious life-changing majesty of our great God. Then others might enjoy the newness of Spring. Then God might be worshipped by more and more.

Happy Groundhog Day.

putting faith to work

This morning, Pantego Bible Church elders and their families arrived at Oakcrest Family Church (a supported Compassion agency of our church) and got busy. We worked alongside Oakcrest faithful folks pulling up carpet throughout their building, painting the exterior and organizing children's ministry classrooms. At noon, we threw burgers on the grill and shared lunch together. The hours drew us closer in deeper relationships and gave us an up-close look at this vital east Fort Worth ministry to the down and out. I am personally grateful for Fred Breese, PBC Elder Chairman, who has been leading the charge in this neck of the woods for many years. It's just another expression of how, in community, people are putting their faith to work!

the homeless count #2

Last night, Grant and I joined Stephanie Gillespie, Arlington police officer and Pantego Bible Church attendee, for the 2009 Tarrant County Homeless Coalition "Homeless Count." In one evening [all over the country], a team of volunteers canvasses their city looking for the truly homeless staying in temporary encampments, under bridges, behind buildings and near vacant homes.

First, we met a beautiful women, on the road to recovery, who has recently adopted a young boy (from another mother who is an addict) and is re-starting a new life. Susie was a picture of hope and a reminder that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can dramatically rescue a person from sinking sand.

Next, we travelled to the pay-by-the-day motels in east Arlington. Tenants, living under the shadow of a multi-billion dollar stadium are packed into 300 square foot rooms--sometimes 7 or 8 in a unit. From there, two teenage boys led us back into the dark woods to a little settlement of a tent, blankets, rain tarp and folding metal lawn chairs. Nobody home.

At a nearby park, we interviewed "Bob" who claimed to be a former white collar worker, now on the street because of unemployment. We talked to "Jimmy" about how accustomed he's become with jumping around the social services that keep him making it day to day. Through a toothless smile, he spoke of a dream of having a steady income one day. We passed by pimps and their call girls, street corner drug dealers, a couple living out of the trunk of their car and grade school kids too young and innocent to be playing outside at 10 o'clock when the temperature was below freezing.

As we approached the end of our night, we spotted a pile of blankets on the back dock of a warehouse. As we pulled closer, a head poked out from beneath the mounded cocoon. A fifty-something man, unshaven and a wild mane of hair, was clearly put out by the disturbance. I wrote "unresponsive Caucasian male" on my survey and we left him alone.

The unshakable truth from our evening ride is that people are ever-moving toward something. The motel misfits are "moving" each day just trying to make it to the next. Kids caught in the cycle of poverty are "moving" through life, perhaps looking across their classroom [the only structure to their life] and dreaming that they might have a home and vacations and cool back packs like the other kids...one day. The "Bobs" and the "Jimmys" of the streets are "moving" from place to place. Home is where they lay their head. They have the keep "moving" because movement is survival.

And Susie---the adoptive parent that started our adventure---proved that God can "move" anyone to new places. When His Spirit is on the move, He can move hearts and move obstacles and move the hopeless to higher ground. With this in mind, I am once again reminded that people matter. All people. The mentally incompetent who picks up trash in his shopping basket, the deceptive drug pusher, the child with lice and a shirt she has worn for a week, the prostitute who waves and winks, the man who sits on the sidewalk and tells us mostly half-truths. The homeless do count. They count to a God who numbers the hairs on their heads, the fears they posess and the days of their lives.

May God move me more and more to make the poor count in my heart too.

lunch with Jesus

Though officially closed to pay homage to our "ice day," I decided to come into the office today. An hour later, I ventured out for lunch and exited Wendy's with a couple of chicken sandwiches. To make the loop back to the church, I had to pull through several parking lots and there I encountered Charlie.

As I passed him, my conscience kicked into overdrive. I circled down the hill and into the parking lot of a liquor store hoping that all my congregants were snugly at home and wouldn't see me idling there. Charlie made his way cautiously down the ice-covered sidewalk and stepped over the guard rail to make his way under the bridge. I hollered across the creek bed, "Hey, have you had lunch?" Like a cat hearing the can opener, Charlie came the half-block toward me and we introduced ourselves.

"I thought you were Gary," I said, referring to another fellow I met a month ago.

"Gary?" he said. "You mean 'Big Green'?" We laughed as he described the monstrous post-six-foot friend that also lived in his secluded encampment.

"Have you had lunch today?" I asked.

"No," Charlie answered, still unsure where this connection was heading.

I said, "Well, it's either Panda or Jack-in-the-Box. You choose."

Charlie's eyes lit up. "Panda of course!" Why would anyone settle on a burger when the opportunity for a 3-entree meal was offered? As he tossed his backpack on the front floorboard of my SUV, he added, "It's nice to know that there are still good people in the world."

Good? My mind raced quickly to Mark 10:18: “Why do you call me good?“ Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone." Funny thing is, Jesus, as God, could have easily claimed that virtue for Himself. But me? I occasionally stumble over good things. But I have such a long way to go to be "good."

Lunch was chow mien noodles, shrimp, orange chicken, ragoons, shrimp crispers, chicken egg rolls and Gatorade. If Charlie pointed to it, we packed it up for him. Then, I ordered my modest "Panda Bowl"---a meal portion foreshadowing the fact that I would have another opportunity to eat in 5 hours. It's something I never even have to think about.

Charlie has been on the streets, off and on, for 10 years. He was remarkably cogent and shared his story: growing up in Savannah, Georgia (I spent 3 years in Lithonia); joining the Marines at age 19; building tractor trailers at 23; plucking chickens at a Butterball factory for several months; married twice; two 20-something children. I laughed when he told me about "plotting" the coordinates for air attacks when he was in the Marines. "And, I was no good at math in school!" he said. "The thing about math is that you just can't know the answer. You gotta know how to get the answer. It's the formula that matters!"

Wisdom. Pure wisdom. As a Christian, I know that Jesus is the "answer." Getting people to Jesus is equally important. It's seeing people like Jesus did, perceiving their need, loving the unlovely (aren't we all!?) and being Christ with flesh and bone to the world around us.

I invited Charlie to have dinner at our home tonight. The offer clearly made him uncomfortable. "I'd hate to put you out," he mumbled. His eyes shifting down to the restaurant floor.

"Charlie, I would be our highest privilege to have you as our guest. Think about it. At 5 o'clock, I'm going to come back to the parking lot and honk a couple of times..."

"I don't want to be rude, but I don't think I'll come. I'll be alright..."

"Charlie, please think it over," I insisted. "Five o'clock. If you're there, great. If not, we'll catch up with each other later."

Before I left, I gave him the two Wendy's chicken sandwiches still bagged in the back seat of my car. At least he'll have dinner tonight. And, I got to have lunch with Jesus today [Matthew 25:31-46].

out of bounds

As I continue to learn about the Down & Out of our community, I am coming across a variety of resources that put flesh onto the bone of poverty. You might consider checking some of these out:

An incredible, 1987 Life magazine photo essay on homelessness [NOTE: some strong language]

Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger resource that gives one perspective of the global issue

Fort Worth and Arlington Plans to End Chronic Homelessness

A timely collection of music from known artists to support compassion

the homeless count

I have continued to be personally challenged by all that I am reading and studying regarding the poor and marginalized in our world. Truth is, the more I read, the bigger the issue becomes. What I thought was a social topic actually proves to be economic, political, global and spiritual. I have been grateful for those who have accommodated interviews for me to learn more about showing compassion to those in need.

All of this is in preparation for a sermon series starting next Sunday, February 1, titled "Down & Out: Reaching Beyond to Our Neighbors in Need." I am so hopeful about each message and initiative that we will take on as a church to make a difference in our community.

To gain a bigger picture, I am excited to ride out with Stephanie Gillespie, PBC attendee and officer with the Arlington Police. This Thursday evening, Grant and I will join her for the Tarrant County Homeless Count. We will venture into wooded areas, under bridges and among vacant buildings to count and connect with those who won't be sitting on their sofa watching a sitcom this evening.

Please be in prayer for this series and all of our hearts and we learn more about what it means to "go BEYOND".

you are here

I hope you caught each installment of George Lynch's explanation of his triptych "You Are Here"--a 3-painting series designed specially for Pantego Bible Church. Each 4' x 6' canvas is designed to illustrate a piece of our spiritual life pathway. We come out of darkness into the place where we BELONG. As we discover what it means to belong to Christ, His church and community, we move into the current of life-change. This is the place where we BECOME more like Jesus Christ. Through this life-transformation, we overflow into the world BEYOND. This is the place of personal mission.

You can catch George explaining each canvas under the "You Are Here" series archive at the Pantego Bible Church sermon site.

You can enjoy more of George's art at http://www.glynch.com/.

Explore more about the spiritual pathway for your own life at http://www.inagodplace.com/.

the habit of enjoying the disagreeable

As I continue to reflect on my previous post--leanring to resolve and reconcile conflict in relationships--I am reminded of a profound devotion by Oswald Chambers on May 14. You can read more from the late Chambers at www.myutmost.org.

May 14th
THE HABIT OF ENJOYING THE DISAGREEABLE
"That life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." 2 Corinthians 4:10

We have to form habits to express what God's grace has done in us. It is not a question of being saved from hell, but of being saved in order to manifest the life of the Son of God in our mortal flesh, and it is the disagreeable things which make us exhibit whether or not we are manifesting His life. Do I manifest the essential sweetness of the Son of God, or the essential irritation of "myself" apart from Him? The only thing that will enable me to enjoy the disagreeable is the keen enthusiasm of letting the life of the Son of God manifest itself in me. No matter how disagreeable a thing may be, say - "Lord, I am delighted to obey Thee in this matter," and instantly the Son of God will press to the front, and there will be manifested in my human life that which glorifies Jesus.

There must be no debate. The moment you obey the light, the Son of God presses through you in that particular; but if you debate you grieve the Spirit of God. You must keep yourself fit to let the life of the Son of God be manifested, and you cannot keep yourself fit if you give way to self-pity. Our circumstances are the means of manifesting how wonderfully perfect and extraordinarily pure the Son of God is. The thing that ought to make the heart beat is a new way of manifesting the Son of God. It is one thing to choose the disagreeable, and another thing to go into the disagreeable by God's engineering. If God puts you there, He is amply sufficient.

Keep your soul fit to manifest the life of the Son of God. Never live on memories; let the word of God be always living and active in you.

falling forward

Our Home Group is still reading Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas--a fresh and insightful book that challenges ideas we all have about relationships. Last night, our chapter 9 discussion focused on the intentionality of marriage and the inevitability of conflict along the way. The more I thought about those two ideas, the more I see their connection: My intentionality in my relationship with Tiffany will often stave off conflict. However, when conflict does arise, it's that same intentionality that carries us through to reconciliation.

Thomas calls this "falling forward." He uses the image of once jumping a wide creek bed. His friend warned him to remember to fall forward. In other words, if you miss the mark, be sure to fall toward safe ground, not backwards into the water. Similarly, couples must choose to fall forward as they attempt to jump the choppy waters of their relationship. The question isn't if we will occasionally fall short, but which direction will we choose to land.

for the new year

In the post below, I mentioned that Tiffany was going to start memorizing a verse from a different book of the Bible each week in 2009. She has started a blog, WordAWeek, to invite others to join her and encourage them along the way. I'm going for it and I'd challenge you in this spiritual discipline.

new year's resolution

I was walking with Tiffany last week and she mentioned her new year's resolution: Memorize Scripture. That's a great spiritual discipline [see 1 Timothy 4:7-8]. We began to talk about which verses would be the best to commit to memory. I suggest that she and her friends memorize 1 verse from each book of the Bible. Fifty-two weeks...66 books...merge a few prophets...skip a couple of books....you could end up with quite a catalogue of spiritual truth at the end of the year.

It wasn't long before I began to reflect on the verses that I would propose:

Genesis 50:20
Exodus 34:6-7a
Numbers 23:19
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (add vv. 6-9 if you can!)
Joshua 1:8
Judges 21:25 (theme of the book of Judges)

OK. If you dare, that gets you started. I'll continue to work on the rest of the list.

Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
[Psalm 1:1-3]

the challenge of Christmas

Christmas morning was incredible in the Daniels' living room. Not surprisingly, the kids required no second call to get out of bed. I flipped gingerbread pancakes [from one of my favorite restaurants in Austin, Kerby Lane Cafe] and we gathered around our Duraflame log to read the Christmas story. To keep our conversation lively, I posed several questions from Luke 1-2:

1. How many angelic appearances are listed?
2. How many "songs" are sung?
3. What was the significance of Zechariah's occupation?
4. What was Zechariah made mute?

Then, we proceeded to open our gifts to one another. Tiffany and I both came from backgrounds (me especially) where Christmas was the "grand haul." Kids could expect 10-15 presents on Christmas morning. Parents could make up for any failure of the year at Christmastime. All was forgiven with stacks of presents that took multiple trips to carry to our bedroom. So, for years, we showered our kids with similar extravagance.

Then, not long ago, we made a family decision. We explained that we would purchase 3 gifts: a "large," meaningful, very personal gift; a medium gift; and a small gift. We've made it three years, but it hasn't been easy, I promise you. While, I know that volumes of gifts don't make Christmas any more "christmassy" and I'm sure that my kids don't estimate our love for them by whether they have 3 gifts vs. 12 gifts under the tree, it's still strangely difficult. There's a cultural battle that Tiffany and I fight each Christmas. It's a war against expectations [truly loving parents don't put a price tag on gift giving, do they?] and against comparisons [the kid across the street also got an XBox, but it was gold-plated...and plugged into the rear seat headrest of his new BMW]. More than that, it's really a war against security: Do we really trust that our kids [and other kids] know how much we treasure them apart from any gift we give?

As I wrestle with this, I conclude that greater confidence will come from the way we lead our children and love them throughout the year. And then, whatever gifts we give them along the way won't become substitutes, but symbols of our affection for our kids.

OK...if this doesn't make sense to you, it may be because it is still trying to make sense to me. Post your comment and let's encourage one another.

old thoughts for the new year

I just finished Ron Sider's The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience and was quite stirred by his insight of the dilemma facing American Christianity. His subtitle poses the indicting question: "Why are Christians living just like the rest of the world?"

For such a brief read, Sider does a great job of highlighting the moral apathy of Christians [especially in the areas of divorce, compassion, fidelity, racism and physical abuse] and puts forth a call to counter-cultural living that rejects individualism and isolation and embraces community and accountability in order to model Jesus' intention for the church. Though published in 2005, Sider's reflections resonate with the church today.

You can read Sider's book in a day or two. But, his challenge will stick with you for a long time. I'd highly recommend this book.

i'm still here

OK....I haven't posted for 2 weeks. Most of you probably have given up on me. But, I've been busy. To give you a peek into my top 12 activities during the 12 Days of Christmas:

1. Raked leaves.

2. Wrote and delivered 4 sermons.

3. Hosted Christmas parties for friends and teenagers (not the same group....).

4. Started reading Religiously Transmitted Diseases. Lost interest. Started and almost finished The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience by Ron Sider. About to start reading Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger by the same author.

5. Met with Faith Nibbs to talk about social justice and gather my Christmas reading list for research and study.

6. Worked on a new set of ministry brochures for Pantego Bible Church.

7. Walked with my wife.

8. Went bowling with my boys.

9. Watched Elf and The Grinch with my girls. Snuggled with my daughter for a late-night movie: Prince Caspian. Great film!

10. Enjoyed great evenings at the Mission Arlington Christmas Store and Oakcrest Church. Marveled at the generosity of folks at our church!

11. Wrangled with car repairs. Thanked God for my friend, Carl Deaton, who has come to my auto rescue on more than one occasion.

12. Put my Home Group community in danger with a Christmas gift exchange battle. Hysterical!