Blogging the Journey

Follow Mii

sness@stjohnsgc.org — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:45:00 GMT

My 5 year old loves to play the Wii. And he recently discovered the joys of the Mii channel. With this “game” you can create your own character—customizing the look, shape, hair, eyes—you name it. Then you get to use the character you created to play many of the games. It is a pretty cool customization aspect of the Wii. As I said, Ethan has just discovered how to do this. So we quickly created avatars for him and the rest of our family. But Ethan took it further. Ethan always takes it further…

With 4 children under 6 and a husband who leaves the house for worship while it is still dark, Sunday mornings are anything but restful for my wife. Getting to worship is hard, and often times impossible. But, thanks to some wonderful friends, Ethan gets picked up in time for Sunday School and heads home with me after worship. This means that he is sometimes “parentless” at church because daddy is busy. It is a blessing to watch as the congregation has adopted him in and filled the roll of parent during that worship hour on Sunday. Ethan has a long list of people he can sit with—and nothing makes my heart sing more. But, if Ethan has the choice, he sits with Jamie! Jamie is a high schooler who connected with Ethan at summer camp this summer. Ethan is a little bit Jamie crazy—and it is fun to watch for both Ethan and Jamie. They are a good influence on each other.

So, back to the Wii. The first Mii that Ethan created, outside of our family, was Jamie. We have an E-Man, a Daddy, one for Momma and the girls too. But, given the chance, Ethan will always play as Jamie. Follow Mii.

Leonard Sweet’s most recent book, “I am a Follower,” challenges us in stretching ways to rethink leadership as followership. We are not called to lead. We are called to follow. “Follow Me” is the invitation of the Lord. And now, as a follower of Jesus I’ll invite others to follow me as I follow Him. What would it look like if you changed your goal for this year from raising attendance to creating such an impact on someone’s life that they created a Mii on their Wii and named it after you? Would that make a difference? Are you willing to impact a child, a youth, a college student, a parent, a grandparent in such a way that they become a little “you crazy” so that you can follow Jesus together? Could that have made a difference in TJ Lane’s life? Could you be the person that connects with a troubled soul that prevents the next school shooting?

Follow Me! And be such a follower of Jesus that people will want to Follow Mii

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The Bride

sness@stjohnsgc.org — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:56:00 GMT

Just over a year ago my brother in law, Ryan, died. To say it was sudden isn’t strong enough. He left behind 2 precious little girls. 2 weeks ago those girls came to live with us. And we have been blessed. We certainly have been running a little ragged. I now have 6 kids under the age of 7 that lay their heads on pillows in my house every night. My wife is the most amazing woman I know!

I share this twist in our lives for a couple of reasons. First is to challenge you. There is no earthly way possible for us to care for these 6 children the way that they need to be cared for. Thankfully, there is a heavenly way this is possible. And, I would argue, there is a heavenly way possible for you to pour your life into someone that is in your circle of influence. I think there is a world of difference between spending your time and investing your time. My challenge for you is who will you invest time in today?

Because the second piece of the puzzle for us is the manifold ways that I have been blessed by bringing my two nieces in to live with us. Lest I paint too rosy of a picture, there are certainly added challenges and heightened frustrations, but it is also amazing how much your heart grows when you let others inside. I’ve become a better parent, a better husband, and a better follower of Jesus in these last 2 weeks. I’ll let you ask some of those I serve to see if I’m a better pastor—but I think I’m a more real pastor now too. There are not many things better than watching the faith of a child bloom before your eyes. To hear the prayers of a child who is just learning how to pray. To hear the questions of a child who is hearing the stories of scripture for the very first time. To see the glimmer in the eyes as a child is starting to see the power of God at work in their lives. Yes, these precious children are blessing me abundantly.

Finally, I want to share how much I’ve been blessed by others because of this leap of faith my wife and I took. In 1998 I went to the movies with this cute girl from college. And, in order to maintain my “man-card” you must know that she chose the movie we were going to see—Titanic. We went, we held hands, and we fell in love. Just recently that cute girl from college had some of the moms from our church come over and shared our storied beginning. They all asked if we were going to go see the movie again now that it is back in the theatres in 3D. My wife laughed and said, “we’ve got 6 kids.” The following week, 5 folks from that group came over on a Saturday afternoon with a gift card in hand and pushed us out the door to go re-live our first movie. (Spoiler Alert: they didn’t change the ending).

I could probably write a book over my experiences these last two weeks. Of this I’m convinced, the Bride of Christ has done a lot of bone-headed things in her storied history. But when she gets it, there is nothing more beautiful. Be the Bride of Christ today. Invest in others, be a blessing to others, and find a way to surprise people with unmerited love. It will change you and be an example of what following Jesus is all about.

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Beauty

sness@stjohnsgc.org — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:40:00 GMT

There is a lot of ugliness in this world. It isn’t hard to miss. Turn on the news or turn on your computer and you are bombarded with images of ugliness: people being ugly to people; events and catastrophes that distort beauty and demean our Father’s creation; stories of oppression, aggression, and depression. Our consumption culture thrives on ugliness. We want to know the next celebrity sleaze story. Our political spheres throw dirt at the other side more than they define their side. Parents yell at children. Children rebel against parents. Husbands and wives treat one another worse than they would their enemies. Ugliness has become a way of life for us.

I pray that we give it up for Lent. Give up ugliness. Find the beauty again!

Truth be told, I’ve never been much of a fan of Lent. The weight of this season has always rested heavy on my shoulders. Some would say (myself included) that this is kind of the point. Lent isn’t supposed to be cheery. It is a time of preparation, of sacrifice, and of reflection as a means to draw closer to Christ. And it does do this when we are intentional. But it is also a heavy season. Dare I say that there is ugliness to Lent? It matches our weather: cold, damp, and grey. So here is my challenge to us for this year. Give up the ugly! Find the beautiful!

As we trudge through Lent, look past the ugly and search for the beautiful. Find the beauty in creation again. Take a picture a week of something that is beautiful—something that catches your eye. It might be tough at first—but look for it. There is beauty all around you. Are you stuck in an ugly job? Find something beautiful about it. Spend some time thinking, praying on, and searching out beauty in your daily monotony—It’s there. I promise. Fall in love again with your children. How are they beautiful? What does their beauty open you up to seeing in your world? Seek out the beauty in your parents? Do something beautiful together! Add to the beauty around you so that others might see it too. Seek the beauty in your spouse? Why did you fall in love all those years ago? Uncover that beauty again—search for ways it has changed, grown, and become even more beautiful. Share with one another—for 15 minutes a day—how each other’s beauty enhanced your day.

Have you ever noticed how much more you are aware of a particular car model on the road after you sign the lease? Once you notice it (because you are driving it) your eyes are opened to see the same model everywhere. May it be the same with beauty. As your eyes are opened to see God’s beauty, you will be surprised how prevalent it truly is. Find the beautiful!

“And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight…” Genesis 2:8-9a

You are surrounded by beauty—and that beauty is most visible as we walk in union with the Holy Gardener. Walk with Jesus this Lent. See the beauty that He sees. Tend and keep the beauty of His garden.

Join the conversation: Go to the St. John's Facebook Group (join the group if you haven't already) and we will share the things of beauty--pictures and stories--that helps us connect with our Beautiful Savior.

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Churches that Don't Pray

sness@stjohnsgc.org — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:42:00 GMT

What would you say about a church that never read scripture together? Or how about never prayed together? Can a congregation be a congregation if they outsource all of the “spiritual stuff” of life to some outside group? It is a crazy notion, isn’t it? A congregation that doesn’t pray, doesn’t chew on the Scriptures, doesn’t engage in intentional faith talk together isn’t a congregation at all. It’s a social club and it is not what we are called to as the body of Christ.

And yet, this is where so many of us find ourselves. Let me explain. As Lutherans we have, at least, a cursory understanding of “the canon within the canon.” We hold fast to the powerful teaching of Jesus that “Where two or more are gathered, I am there.” We witness the growth of the early church was about whole households being baptized together and coming to faith. Is the family a church—a church within a church? And not just the nuclear family—the family that you live with—in whatever size, shape, or stripe it happens to be. Is your family a church?

Systems theory proclaims that you are only as healthy as your smallest cells. How is the health in the families of your congregation? Do they pray together? Do they open the scriptures together? Are they aware of what is happening in each other’s lives? We would not stand for a congregation that never reads and prays—why in the world do we stand for families that don’t?

To those pastors that are reading this—let’s stop worrying about attendance and giving. Instead, lets begin to measure what really matters. Is the work of the church producing healthy marriages? Are parents being equipped to spend time with their children and teaching them the stories of faith? My oldest is in Kindergarten this year. Each week I have to fill out a reading chart—how much time I spent with him reading. What would it look like if the church had parents fill out prayer charts? How much time did you spend praying with your children? With you spouse? How many bible stories did you learn/ read/act out together this week. And here is the reason why. I love to read with my son. But sometimes it is easy to push it aside and say a quick prayer and kiss him goodnight. But then, in the back of my mind I know that Mrs. Taylor is going to want to see that chart next Monday… Out comes the book and so begins the high of my day—quality time with my son as I read him stories. Measure what matters, because this is what gets done.

If you are a parent—put down the computer, silence the cell phone, turn off the TV. Make a TV show yourselves and record your kids as they act out the story of David and Goliath, or Jesus feeding 5,000 (I’d stay away from Cane and Able with siblings J). Make it fun. Use their imagination and your heart will be stirred. Measure what matters—after all, all those folks living under that roof over your heads is the church. Get to worship!

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Making a Memory

sness@stjohnsgc.org — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:01:00 GMT

The importance of memory in life and in the story of Holy Communion

The Faith 5

sness@stjohnsgc.org — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:31:00 GMT

I have a son who brought three bibles to camp for the weekend because he loves the Word of God. He uses a play sword he got from a pirates of the caribbean hotel at disney world as a book mark. It struck me today of the depth of that. A sword to mark our place as we read the Sword (Ephesians 6:17).

I have a daughter who screams at me, she literally screams at me, before I leave the room at bedtime. "Pray!" she screams. She screams unless she prays with me before bedtime. She isn't yet two years old. How many of us scream if we don't pray before we go to sleep.

I have anther daughter who has always struggled to go to bed. She fights sleep with the best of them and I would put her lungs up against any opera singer out there. Here high pitched scream breaks ear drums. On more than one occasion she has fought through the drama of the moment to give me her blessing. Each night we say, "Jesus loves you and so do I." Between breathes and through tears she reaches up to my forehead and offers a holy touch as she cries, "So do I." She turned two last March.

I am blessed. We share, we read, we talk, we pray, and we bless. Not all five happen every night, but we try. Not every night is it a profound moment of growth, pregnant with possibility. But, every night and at every turn, it feels right. It feels--I can sense it in my soul--that we are doing something that matters. This time with my family is something that really matters. It has a kingdom impact and it has a family impact.

I know I'm a pastor. I've been to school and studied theology. I've got some experience and am blessed to be responding to God's call in ministry. But, believe me when I say, this isn't about being a pastor. It isn't about how much you know or what credentials you have. I think that is one of the glorious parts of the Faith 5. You can not know a thing, and with just a little help you can get started and begin having an important impact tonight. Click here for that little bit of help...

We just finished our annual trip to Adventure Camp. We learned all weekend that "God is Wild about us!" It is so true. God is wild about you--and He is wild about your kids too. Start using the Faith 5 today to let your children know of their God who is so crazy, over the top, wild about them (and you). And, while you're at it--let your kids know that you are pretty wild about them too!

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Papa, Emery, and Oscar De La Hoya

sness@stjohnsgc.org — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:20:00 GMT

Yesterday was the first swim of the summer—unless, of course, you count walking through the swamp that has become my backyard. We swam for good reason—the family was together to celebrate my Dad’s 70^th birthday. To celebrate, my sweet Emery (22 months) kept whacking her head. By the end of the night she looked like she went a round with Oscar De La Hoya.

She was walking along the pool deck—and as typically happens, her eyes saw something she liked and she bolted for it. Again, as typically happens, her mind and her legs didn’t march at the same pace. Emery likes to lead with her head. She did again last night… right into the patio pavers. The tears that flowed were justified if the size of the abrasion on her forehead is any indication of the pain.

How often do you wipe out in life?

The birthday boy came to Emery’s rescue, scooped her up in his arms, and comforted his sweet granddaughter. The two together, Papa and Emmy, made their way back to the water. Yet, no one put out the “caution slippery when wet” sign. Papa stepped into the pool and his foot slid out from under them both. Down went Papa. Down went Emery. Together they made a splash in the water—a grandfather’s love turning and protecting to ensure that the additional tears were from surprise and not pain.

Isn’t this the Christian Community? Someone slips up, trips up, falls down, or gets beat up by the world. It has happened to us all—and will continue to happen to us all. Life is messy and we all have days where we would rather have gone a round with Oscar De La Hoya. But in those moments, a friend, a fellow disciple, and agent of The Big Papa comes and scoops us up, brushes us off, wipes our tears, and sets us back on track. By their hands we are escorted back to the life giving waters. Sometimes we are carried. Sometimes we walk back hand in hand.

And sometimes our rescuer slips. Sometimes the one who helps needs a hand themselves.

That is the joy of the Christian community. We all fall down. We all slip. Too often we land on each other. But we are called to be there together, to support and encourage one another. And to lead each other back… back to the waters that remind us who and whose we are.

And isn’t that the point? To show off our ineptitudes so that Christ might be glorified. His power is revealed in our weakness. His mysterious ways displayed by choosing you and me to be His hands and feet. Think about it. What business do any of us have, in our feeble minds, to offer God’s direction to other sojourners? To think that, in the midst of my slip-ups and break downs, I could offer any direction to others in their stumbling moments is foolish. But, by the grace of God, our foolishness is God’s mysterious way. And by it His power and majesty come to light!

Thanks Papa, for bringing Emery back to the water and for reminding me what the family of faith is all about. Happy Birthday!

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Fruit Trees

sness@stjohnsgc.org — Wed, 11 May 2011 18:18:00 GMT

My brother in law, Ryan was a gifted gardner. Prior to his sudden death he planted 8 fruit trees in the side yard of the house. As followers of Christ we await the day when we will fully enjoy the fruits of Christ and His tree, the cross. I guess I'll have to enjoy Ryan's fruit until then...

The Divine Spark...

sness@stjohnsgc.org — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:56:00 GMT

Are you living to the fullest? Christ Jesus calls us into life-abundant but too often we find ourselves, at best, only half full of life. How do we unleash the divine calling that God has placed within you to lead an abundant life of purpose and meaning?

Faith in the Line

sness@stjohnsgc.org — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:55:00 GMT

Where do you focus when an oncoming car forgot to click off their brights? Driving is all about focus--and so is life. What is your focus?