The Living Room

I’m sitting in a cabin at the Estes Park Center of the YMCA of the Rockies. Jen is getting ready for bed, the kids are hanging out with some new friends. I’m struck by the satisfaction I feel in the stillness of this moment. Far away is the frenetic pace of the city life we have chosen for ourselves. I am surrounded by the calming sound of…nothing.

As we strolled along the Riverwalk downtown yesterday (the one here in Estes Park, not back at home in San Antonio), we came across a storefront called “Riverplace: a Community Living Room.” My curiosity did not allow me to just walk by. When we walked inside, it was indeed a living room. Harvey greeted me and when I asked what Riverplace was all about, he said it is a place where people can come, have a cup of coffee, read a book, have a conversation…whatever they want. Riverplace isn’t selling anything and they don’t ask anything of its visitors. I was intrigued. Nestled right in the middle of the business district of this quiet little mountainside town is a place where people come to just hang out.

Harvey, like the rest of the sixty or so people who serve at Riverplace, volunteers his time to sit inside the living room. I asked him why he did that. I found out that four years ago, Harvey almost died. He had contracted the same virus that killed Jim Henson. He told me he should not be sitting across from me telling me how he survived his virus. But, since God had blessed him, he felt the least he could do was give some time each week to listen to what a passing stranger might want to talk about.

Harvey was gracious enough to let me capture some of our conversation. I posted it on facebook here. If you haven’t seen it yet, take a few minutes to check it out.

I also found out that Riverplace is connected to Rocky Mountain Church. Everything from the furniture to the freshly baked goods was donated to the facility. They have a great relationship with the business owners that surround them. They are simply a quiet presence, a beacon of radical acceptance, authentic love and insane generosity in the middle of downtown Estes Park.

It occurs to me that so many times we want more of a Chuck Norris, kickin’ butt and takin’ names kind of God. I’m not sure why we do that. When Jesus came on the scene, a lot of people had those kinds of expectations of a Messiah. Jesus sort of took those assumptions and turned them on their head. His strength and influence came not in the force of His personality, but in the power of His presence.

Maybe we need more people like Harvey who are content to be a simple, quiet presence in the Movement. It may not be Chuck Norris, but I have a feeling the impact is just as significant. Maybe even greater.

Wax On, Wax Off

Quite often I’m struck by an item in pop culture that illuminates Truth and teaches me a profound lesson. I firmly believe that God uses mainstream TV shows, movies, music and books to educate, inspire and ultimately draw us closer to Him… if we view them with the right perspective. This is one of those items.

The Karate Kid has long been one of my favorite films. I loved it as a child and appreciate it even more as an adult, even though my reasons for enjoyment differ in these respective stages. However, my childhood self and my adult self would agree on one thing: Mr. Miyagi was, and will always be, awesome. Easily the most quoted scene from the film is the disguised training montage where Miyagi uses an unorthodox method to teach the unknowing Daniel-san karate:

Paradidomi: Philippians 1:12-26

Welcome back to the Paradidomi blog for the summer series through Philippians.  Let me suggest that you take 15 minutes to read through the entire book again or for the first time if you didn’t do that last week.

Also, let’s briefly review the backstory to the book of Philippians.  Paul started the church there with a group of ladies (see Acts 16 for details).  He was run out of town because of the social changes the Gospel brought.  From time to time the Philippian church sent Paul financial gifts to support the movement.  Ephaphroditus has brought him a gift while he was in prison in Rome.  He is writing back to the church to let them know how he is getting along (this week’s topic) and to correct some problems that have crept into the church.

We are looking at the whole book of Philippians through the lens of the paradidomi life: giving your life away.  In this week’s verses, Paul is using himself as an example of someone who is living the paradidomi life.  He is giving his life away for the sake of the Gospel and this has led to his imprisonment.

If you and I decide to live the paradidomi life, there are two things we can count on happening.

1. The Paradidomi life inspires others to take their place in the Movement. (12-18) Loving others and giving our lives away for the benefit of others is going to attract attention and it is going to inspire and catalyze others to do the same. Usually we might think that to inspire others we have to do something big and great.  But Paul used a little Greek word in v. 12, the word “ta” which is translated “everything” to describe what he was doing to inspire others. In fact, it is the little things we do that make a big difference.  In the talk this weekend, I encouraged you to make a paradidomi list of the little things you do on a regular basis.  This list includes the places you regularly go, the people you normally see, and the things you typically do.  As you think through the normal patterns of your life, look for opportunities to give your life away. Questions: Do you think of yourself as having the capacity to inspire others?  Are there people that you regularly come into contact with that you could give your life to?  In what way could you serve them?  As you go through your day are you normally so preoccupied with what you have to do that you don’t see the opportunities around you to give your life away to others?  When you live the paradidomi life, it will inspire others to do the same, and you will be a catalyst of spiritual and social change.
2. The Paradidomi life attracts attention to Christ. (19-26) Paul wasn’t absolutely certain if he was going to be released from prison or if he might die in prison. Amazingly, he doesn’t seem to care!  His primary concern was that Jesus Christ be magnified/honored in his life or his death. The word translated “bring honor” is the Greek word “megaluno.”  It means to enlarge.  When something is enlarged it naturally attracts attention.  When you see a very tall person, or a super truck, it usually gets your attention.  Paul wanted his life to attract attention to Christ.  He really didn’t care if he lived or died in prison, just so long as through his life or death, people were attracted to Christ.  Questions: When people look at you what are they impressed with?  Are they impressed with how strong you are, how beautiful you are, how smart you are, how chic you are, how wealthy you are?  Do you want people to be impressed with you, or would you like them to be impressed with Christ?  When we give our lives away others can’t help but wonder why because it is so counter culture to do so.

This week we asked you to let us know of any stories with which you are familiar that demonstrate the paradidomi life.  You can do this by video recording your story on your phone, and then uploading it to Facebook and tag “city church sa.”  Or you can also twitter your video by using #giveyourlifeaway.

I was having lunch today with a friend in our church who told me of a paradidomi moment that I want to pass on to you.  He was having coffee as he normally does at Starbuck on Broadway.  He normally sits there and does his God-time as he reads Proverbs and reads through the whole bible.  Yesterday as he did his normal routine, a homeless girl came up to him.  He wasn’t sure why she chose him, but she asked him straight up for $40 to get a room for that night so she’d have a place to stay.  He felt prompted to give her the money.  So he got his wallet out and gave her a $20 bill.  She left immediately.  Then he noticed that he had a second $20 in his wallet that he had not seen.  Instantly, he wished he could give her that other money.  Soon she came back and he gave her the other money.  She sat down beside him and asked him if he were a pastor.  He said he was just an ordinary guy.  But by doing that little thing he had the chance to show her the love of Christ who was honored in this young woman’s eyes because of his paradidomi act.

It’s a simple as that!  May his story do the same to inspire you to give your life away.

What Defines Music as Christian or Secular?

The post below is a great reflection on the reasoning for the use of secular music in the church and I highly recommend giving it a good read. But what really caught my attention was the exploration of the idea of how we define “secular” and “Christian.”

First of all, we should clarify terms. There is a big debate in church circles today about what “secular” even means in relation to music. What makes a song secular or Christian? Is it the type? The lyrics? The person singing it? Madeleine L’Engle had an interesting statement in her book, Walking on Water.

She wrote: “To look at a work of art and then to make a judgment as to … whether or not it is Christian is presumptuous. It is something we cannot know in any conclusive way. We can know only if it speaks within our own hearts and leads us to living more deeply with Christ in God.”

via Does secular music have any place in the church? –  Ministry Toolbox – Pastors.

I firmly believe in the idea of eliminating the distinction between “secular” and “Christian” art. In fact, as my friend Rey Lopez pointed out that “the only things that can can be truly Christian are people.” Why construct a false boundary around creativity? What really speaks to me is L’Engle’s point about determining whether a work of art speaks to your heart and is edifying. As the Bible demonstrates time and time again, God can use anyone or anything to deepen our relationship with Him at anytime… even if that wasn’t the person or object’s original intent. If anything, this quote finally helps me understand why the Karate Kid can stir something deep within me that the latest from Michael W. Smith cannot.

How do you define secular and Christian art? Do you agree with L’Engle?

Paradidomi: Philippians 1:1-11

I hope you chose to read through the whole book of Philippians.  If you skipped that step, you might want to do it right now.

It is helpful to have the backstory to the book before we begin studying it.

• Paul started the church in Philippi with a group of women who regularly met for prayer at the river. You can read the story in Acts 16.  This was not Paul’s normal way.  He usually began at the local synagogue. The fact that there was no synagogue in Philippi shows us that there were less than 10 Jewish men living in this Roman colony.
• After Paul got kicked out of Philippi, the church there often sent financial help to him to support his missionary ministry.  They had done this again now that he was a prisoner in Rome.  Epaphroditus had carried the gift to him on behalf of the church.
• Naturally Paul asked Epaphroditus how things were going with the church and Epaphroditus “spilled the beans,” revealing that there were some problems going on.  Some of the women were arguing about who was most important in the church.  Christian Jewish teachers were trying to persuade the Phillippians that they needed to follow the Old Testament Religion in order to become fully acceptable to God.  Others were living like Christian Athiests who although they believed in God, lived as if he didn’t exist.

With this background, Paul wrote to encourage the Philippians to live the paradidiomi life: giving their lives away.  He used himself, Jesus, Timothy, and Epaphroditus as examples of the paradidomi life in chapters 1-2.  Then in chapters 3-4 he dealt with the problem people that were causing divisions among the Philippians.

With this background, let’s dig a little deeper into 1:1-11.  This is called the prologue to the letter.  In it Paul is thanking the Philippians for their gift , and he is praying for their growth.  There are five main things I want to show you about the paradidomi life in these verses.

1. The Paradidomi life requires leadership. (1-3)  The paradidomi life is not easy to live.  It really grates against everything that is normal.  Most of us are takers, but the paradidomi life means giving our lives away.  In order to make a reversal in our lifestyle from taking to giving, we are going to need spiritual leaders who set the example and hold us accountable.  This is why Paul specifically mentions the elders and deacons in his letter.   Thought Questions: Who are the spiritual leaders in your life?  Do they exemplify the paradidomi life? Do you submit to their leadership and respect what they teach you to do?
2. The Paradidomi life includes our money. (4-6)  Verse 6 is one of the more famous verses in the New Testament.  Most people think of it as a spiritual work that God does in us.  But in fact this whole section refers to financial giving.  The words that Paul uses in these verses he also uses in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 which is all about giving.  The paradidomi life is based on God as a giving God.  There is no way we can follow Christ fully and not be faithful in our giving.  People have various discussions about how much they should give.  At BRCC we teach that we should tithe, give a tenth of our income, because that is what it takes to undergird the ministry of the church.  Thought Questions:  Is your life characterized by giving or taking?  Have you struggled to give a tithe, thinking you just didn’t have enough money, when in fact the problem was that you found it hard to trust God?  Do you believe in the ministry of BRCC?  If you do are you expressing it through partnering financially?
3. The Paradidomi life builds deep relationships. (7-8)  Look at how deep and loving the relationship is between Paul and the Philippians.  When we live the paradidomi life one of the benefits is that it builds super strong relationships with people.  Thought Questions:  When people who know you pretty well think of you, do they have these kinds of warm feelings toward you?  Do others have stories to tell about your generosity toward them?  Do you think of others as opportunities to get from them or to give to them?
4. The Paradidomi life distinguishes what really matters. (9-10a)  When we live the paradidomi life, it changes the way we think about our values.  Paul prayed that the Philippians love would overflow even more so that they would know what really matters.  The phrase “what really matters” translates the Greek word “dokimazo.”  This word means “to approve after testing.”  In Paul’s day most cooking was done on clay pots.  A pot was formed, then fired.  But sometimes in the firing process, a pot would sustain hairline fractures.  How could a prospective buyer know if the pot was any good?  They had quality control in Paul’s day as well.  They would take each pot, and hold it up to the sun’s intense light.  The light would reveal any fractures.  If it had fractures in it, they would throw it away.  If it passed the test, they would stamp it with “dokimazo” on the bottom.  The paradidomi life is a lens for us to look through to evaluate the things that are really important in our lives.  When we look at life through the lens of giving our lives away, it changes how we think about what is most important.  Thought Questions:  What is the most important thing to you?  What does the way you use your time, spend your money, and even the things you get upset about  reveal about what your values?  Are your values consistent with the paradidomi life?
5. The Paradidomi life prepares us for the future. (10a-11)  If we live the paradiomi life we will be pure and blameless Paul says, until the day of Christ’s return.  We know that after Christ returns for those who believe in him, the next event for us will be standing before the judgment seat of Christ, where our works will be judged, and we will be rewarded (2 Corinthians 5:10).  The paradidomi life, giving our lives away, which is really the life Christ lived, prepares us fully for that day.  When we live that way, we become like Christ in our character and in the fruit that our life produces.  This brings praise to God.  Thought Questions:  Do you ever think about the future and how you will do when God requires you to give an account of your life and the way you used it?  Giving your life away now can seem like a great loss, but Jesus said in Matthew 16:25 that if we give away our lives now we will gain them back in the future.  Do you agree with Jesus?

Philippians: Dig Deeper in the Paradidomi life

Thanks for visiting the Philippians blog.  The purpose of this blog is to help you dig a little deeper and look more intentionally at what it means to live the “paradidomi life” (give your life away).

Each week Rey Lopez and I will be taking you through the passage in Philippians that was used for the previous weekend talk.  For example, this week we are taking you through Philippians 1:1-11.

The first thing we want you to do each week is read the entire book of Philippians at one setting if possible.  I read it today, and it took me 15 minutes.  Some of you may take longer, but that’s okay.  If you’ve never read through an entire book of the Bible in one sitting, give it a try for the next nine weeks.

The second thing we want to do is to look at the passage through the lens of the “paradidomi life” (give your life away).  In that section, I’ll help you see the implications or teachings about the paradidomi life, along with any helpful background and word studies.

The third thing we want to do is to help you think through some application questions for your own life.  Rey will lead you through some thoughtful questions that will help you get to the meaning of the “paradidomi life” (give your life away) at a personal level.

So let’s get started by reading the book of Philippians!

Part of the reason why…

This is an email I recently received from Victor,  a friend of mine serving the myriad of folks in southern Russia and Georgia who have been displaced by the unrest in the region. Victor is one of the pastors and leaders in Central Asia that we (BRCC) serve each year by coaching and assisting in leadership development. His situation is also a part of the reason why we are so intent on serving well.  Even though I’ve left it in Victor’s broken English, read on.

But beware – you might feel something…

Hi,

I would like to thank you for your prayer and support in this trip, as well as share exiting news in Tshinval church plant. We had to cover 800 miles, mostly mountain road, including several tonnels, one of them 4 kilometers long!

The South Ossetia is totally dependent on Russia’s resourses, such as food, constraction materials, military.
All borders with Georgia closed. Alot of older people georgian nationalities are have to stay in Tshinval area with almost no funds.
Church we plant in Tshinval welcomes all nations. There is russians, ossetians and georgians.

Our trip purpose was to encourage pastor-missionary Tariel, to do 3 day seminar and just see the work God is doing there.

For a last 9 months church did grow up from 10-12 people to about 20 believers! Work goes slowly but firmly.

Ossetians aknowledgу them self as christians, but they really pagans. They still worship warriers of ancient ages, as theyir helpers in war.

Tariel have alot of patiance with his people… He is trying to explane them the customs of ossetians with christian meaning.

Three days gone very quickly, though sometimes we was keep discussing till 4:30AM!

Tariel risently got news, that his 2 years old granddaughter Anna was diagnosed with cancer of coccyx (bottom part of spine) and need costly treatment in Moscow.

Parents of Anna is unbelievers, but respect faith of Tariel, and was in the church several times.

Luda and I did help little Anna. If you have desire to impact hir life as well as life of Tariel and his son and daughter-in-law, please pray for healing of Anna.  Regarding Tshinval church plant, please pray for following:

1. Leadership development
2. Growth of Tariel as leader
3. Protection from government

I’ll keep you updated!

Victor N. Semukhin

TrueDat, Victor…..

Oops…..my mouth got in my eyes.

I came across a story that I have probably read dozens of times. Yet, today I was thinking about it in the context of leadership – and that perspective allowed it to glow with new light.

Youʼve heard it.

Itʼs just after communion in the upper room with Jesus and his disciples. Following what could only be classified as an indescribably awkward moment (Jesus, amid normal dinner conversation letting the team know that one of them would betray him), they all headed out to the Mount of Olives, and the Garden of Jesusʼ arrest. On the way, Jesus reminded them, (my translation!) “You know, youʼre all going to desert me when this starts to get dicey. But after Iʼm raised from the dead, Iʼll meet you guys in Galilee.” Peter, in his rush to defend himself and paint himself as much more reliable and devoted than the other disciples blurts out, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will!” (a statement which Jesus, of course, immediately confronts!)

What struck me most in this episode was how Peterʼs self-absorption caused him to miss Jesus earth-shattering statement: “After I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” [Mark 14:28]

Wow, Peter really let his mouth get in his eyes…

As a leader, it is almost involuntarily easy for me to have a much different picture of myself than those I lead may see. That, in turn contaminates my opinion of others, and forces me to see them and their actions in (likely) the worst light possible. Nothing good can come from this.

A great read on this subject is The Arbinger Instituteʼs, Leadership and Self-Deception - getting out of the box. Itʼs an international bestseller, and an engaging treatment of the malady that plagues most human beings.

Donʼt let your mouth get in your eyes.

Confessions of an Irreverent Reverend

A couple of years ago I attended an ordination ceremony.  Two of the staff members at the church I now serve were being formally recognized as pastors.  As I sat and listened to my pastor challenge the two soon-to-be ministers, I was reminded of a story told by Mike Yaconelli.

Mike co-founded Youth Specialties, an organization dedicated to resourcing, training and affirming those called to youth ministry. He had a profound impact on how I view my own calling as a pastor. So much of what I think about what I do can be traced directly back to something he either wrote or spoke.

To say he was a friend is probably overstating my relationship with him. But, we stayed in touch through the years. When I was going through a difficult season of ministry after being fired, I emailed him to tell him of my desire to get out of the game. He emailed me back to tell me to hang in there. I’ll never forget having breakfast with him just weeks before he died in an auto accident. He challenged me to “bloom where I was planted.”

For the fifteen years leading up to his death, Mike pastored what he called the “slowest growing church in America” in Yreka, CA.  He often said he was embarassed to even be called a pastor, because he had never attended seminary and was kicked out of two Bible colleges.  He was a self-described “hokey” pastor of an unaffiliated church for people that don’t like to go to church.

He once told a group of youthworkers about an invitation he received to a friend’s ordination into the Presbyterian Church.  At one point, his friend was kneeling and the other ministers in the audience were invited to come forward to lay their hands on the candidate.  Several ordained ministers walked up and at this point, Mike began to tear up.  He did not see himself as a “real” minister.

As he watched the ceremony, he made eye contact with his friend and his friend gave him a wink and cocked his head, motioning to him to come up and join the other ministers.  Yaconelli stated that in that moment, his friend was Jesus to him.

Mike Yaconelli was an irreverent reverend, a child in the body of an adult and a champion for the messy and marginalized.  He was my hero and almost eight years since his passing I still mourn his loss.

I left my job in 1994 to attend seminary, was ordained by the church I attended while in Dallas and served churches for several years as a pastor.  Like Mike Yaconelli, I am rough around the edges, messy, marginalized…an irreverent reverend. From a distance, Mike found a way to champion me like no other. His passion to cheer on the underdog and see people beyond the surface is his legacy. I hope that will be mine as well.

Truth is, we all need champions. People need those who will believe in them not because of their obvious potential, but because of what God can do with what can’t be seen on the surface. Jesus started a movement with twelve men that would hardly have been seen as the best and the brightest of the day – at least not by their contemporaries. But, they eventually turned the world upside down.

Mike Yaconelli once said:

“The power of the Church is not a parade of flawless people, but of a flawless Christ who embraces our flaws. The Church is not made up of the whole people, rather of the broken people who find wholeness in a Christ who was broken for us.”

Think about that.

Homer, Solomon….and me

Huge prosperity and success had been the name of the game.

The Israelites, led by Joseph and the other descendants of Jacob had enjoyed living well in Egypt for several generations. They had land, livestock, produce, large families, and the favor of Pharaoh. Joseph eventually dies a rich old man of 110.

Then comes Exodus 1:8.

“Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done.”

I wonder if many times we read scripture with a “too-macro” view… Today, we see this as the beginning of Godʼs plan to eventually rescue His people, and produce the Messiah. However, what if you had just been born during the time of Exodus 1:8? After a successful season, but right at the beginning of a time of horrible brutality? Your life wouldʼve been lived entirely within the time period of captivity…and your perspective wouldʼve likely been very different than that of a modern day reader. Much darker. Much less “strategic”…

These days Iʼm wondering if Homer (“The journey is itʼs own reward”), Solomon (“Everything is vanity”), and others are not profoundly accurate. Wisdom, planning and insight are essential…but, maybe, in the context of a much more immediate window of time.

My aim is to live every moment to itʼs fullest, enjoy Godʼs provision, revel in the wonder of His creation, love family and friends deeply, launch and guide my children well, serve the common good of all people, love God intimately, and go to be with Jesus.

Legacy will take care of itself…