this will make some folks mad...

“If you’ll go after the fish, the money is in the fish’s mouth”, said the TV preacher. Somehow I just can’t bring myself to believe that’s what Jesus meant when he called his follower’s to be ‘fishers of men’. In fact, I just read that passage again (Matt. 4:19-20) and nowhere does Jesus say, "as long as the fish has plenty o' cash in it's mouth". In reality quite the antithesis is happening, the fishermen laid down their nets and walked away from their boats to follow Jesus. In essence, they were walking away from their livelihood, their income, with no promise of 'riches' or 'greatness' or 'fish with money in their mouths'. They left everything to follow the Master! Here’s another classic (and, I think, one of the more quotable) prosperity gospel quips: “Alignment comes before assignment; I don’t align myself with wimpy givers”. Really?! I mean, seriously?! Don’t get me wrong, it rolls nicely off the tongue and all, but I’d like to ask Elijah and the widow woman, (1Kings 17), who had the smallest of gifts to offer about that one. What if Elijah had said, “forget it old woman, you don’t have enough to give – so I’m not aligning myself with you!”

Now, before you go and get really angry with me – some of you, I’m sure, already are – let me be clear that I completely believe in giving to The Church. Just so we’re clear, I’m a “tithe-er” and often give over and above the tithe. Some of you probably think I just lost my ‘blessing’ for saying that but, whatever, my point is: this isn’t coming from somebody who’s not a giver or who gets angry anytime money is mentioned in relation to church. I believe in it 100% and believe that it’s a command from God for all believers.

That being said, I get hung up when it’s implied (or even overtly stated, as I’ve heard MANY times in the past) that the amount being given is tied to how God treats, rewards, blesses, promotes, uses, fill-in-the-blank, the giver. The call of The Gospel of Christ is to minister to those who can’t do anything in return for me. "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." James 1:27 I can’t in good conscience read those words and say, “Sorry James, can’t align myself with the orphans, the widows, or the homeless (MSG translation mentions the homeless) they’re wimpy givers… In fact, they can’t give anything so that’s not my assignment, and certainly not my alignment!” One time the disciples were trying to turn away children from coming to Jesus. It says in Mark 10 that Jesus got angry (indignant), telling the disciples that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Now I’m no expert on biblical history, but I’d be willing to bet that children 2000+ years ago were much like children today in that they were probably “wimpy givers” – just ask any children’s director on staff at any church!

I’m not telling you not to give into the Kingdom of God – or even to your local church; in fact, please do! Churches depend on that for day-to-day operation. But don’t, for even one second, entertain the thought that God’s love for you and toward you is somehow tied to how much you give. If you're somehow trying to 'purchase' God's favor, or grace, or "blessing", STOP. The Cross provided all the grace you and I will ever need. Giving should flow out of a heart that’s grateful for what the Father has done, not out of guilt or coercion. I’ve seen people run themselves into the ground financially because they thought that they’re “blessing” (whatever the heck that means) was tied to the amount they were putting in the offering bucket. On the flip side, there are those who are quite capable of giving far more than they do but don't for fear that they need to hoard it all for themselves; but that's another blog for another day...

I’ll close with this lyric I recently came across in a Matt Maher song "Love Comes Down". These words are an excellent picture of the Kingdom of God: “I’m searching for a king and kingdom here among the beggars and the weak, the broken and redeemed. I’m finding grace beyond all measure, in flesh and blood He hides his majesty inside of you and me.”

Grace and peace.

P.S. Feel free to disagree with me. I love a good, spirited, (respectful) dialogue!

When We Were Younger And The World Was Innocent

Those were the days… when we were younger and the world was innocent. When venturing off the front porch felt risky. When fish sticks were something you looked forward to and it didn’t matter that there were 650 calories and 52 grams of saturated fat in a bag of M&Ms. When high fructose corn syrup was one of the major food groups.

Those were the days… when people said what they meant and meant what they said. When folks kept their promise – even when it hurt. When it didn’t matter what it cost because it was the right thing to do. When it was easier to trust.

Those were the days… when it was fun to create simply for the joy of creating. When there wasn’t a price tag on simply expressing what God had put inside of you. Just being the person the God of the Universe breathed into your skin while you were still in your mother’s womb. He spoke time and space and light, galaxies and oceans into existence… and with the very same voice, beauty into you and me.

I’m not going to preach a sermon here but, we have been created in the image and likeness of God (read Genesis 1) and if that’s true, then the following is true: God is Creator so we are supposed to create, God is just so we are to act justly, God is love so we are supposed to love, God is truth so we are supposed to speak the truth (in love).

I guess what I’m getting at is that part of me wishes we could recapture the simple innocence of living as the beings God designed us to be [childlike 'faith', hence the metaphors earlier in this writing] unhindered by all the trappings of pursuing “success”. But the cynical (and dare I say, realistic) side of me realizes that that will never happen this side of eternity. I’ve seen far too many people sell their souls in pursuit of the American dream all while wearing the name of “Christian”, because apparently that’s what you’re supposed to do if you want to “make it”. Count me out.

The deep places of my heart are longing for those 'days' when the living, breathing Kingdom of God breaks in and is in operation here in this world. Where justice is the rule of the day, and speaking the truth isn’t something we have to pause and think about as we weigh the ramifications of what it might cost us to be honest. Where Christians act like Christ. Where we create simply for the sake of creating because that’s what the Creator designed us to do. Where trusting someone (especially a fellow “brother” or “sister” in Christ) isn’t a dangerous and scary prospect. Where "Christian" isn't a dirty word to those outside the community of believers. Where it’s okay to be me because that’s how the Creator wired me and it’s okay that His design doesn’t fit neatly into some Fortune 500 company’s personality profile of success.

As I’ve been reflecting once again on the resurrection of Christ my heart burns for His Kingdom and will to come and be done in my world. The Kingdom is here, and at the same time is yet to come; the now and the not yet. My soul is longing for that glorious day.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

The Gospel of Comfort

I don’t want to hear it, not another single word

I'm sick of your “gospel” of comfort, dressed up in your opinions

You know all the words to make me feel alright

Tell me if I give you more money, I’ll have a better life

But you just walk away when the truth is in your face

‘Cause you won’t pay the price if it means a different life

Give me my gospel of comfort

You open up your book and turn another page

First Opinions 3:10, “you’re gonna earn a better wage”

All the while the poor man cries, right outside your door

If he just had more faith - like you - he wouldn’t be there anymore

But you just walk away when the truth is in your face

‘Cause you won’t pay the price if it means a different life

You hang your dreams on faiths that are built on need

Why should you pay the price when it means a simpler life?

Give me my gospel of comfort

So I’ll pay my ten percent, but not one penny more

Stand in line at the machine, put my quarters in, press “A4”

Then I’ll sit and wait for my goodies, to drop down from the sky:

A better car, a bigger house, and maybe even a younger wife

But then I’ll shake my fist when it doesn’t go my way

After all, you said it’d be mine… all I had to do was pay

Give me my gospel of comfort

Amore? Agape? Eros? Or none of the above?

Welcome to the bloggage! I’ve never done the blogging thing before so this will be a new and interesting experience for us both (me as the writer, and you the reader). Sometimes I’ll just be writing my thoughts as quickly as I can get them from my heart and my head into a .doc file and at other times I may wax poetic - I have no idea what that means, but I heard somebody say it once and it sounded cool….

When things start rolling around in my head I don’t know what else to do but write about them. Sometimes it’s in rhyme and verse, but other times things tumble out so quickly that there’s no hope (or really even point) to putting them into song form; plus it’s hard to rhyme words like “innumerable”. So here goes. I have a tendency to vent opinions that aren’t real popular, and have the spiritual gift of pissing off church people (see, you were offended that I said pissed, weren’t you?). :0) So, if you wear your faith feelings on your sleeve you might want to stay away - consider yourself forewarned.

I’m looking around at all of the things The Church has become and I can’t help but think, “This is no where near what Jesus had in mind.” We (The Church) have made proverbial mountains out of innumerable molehills. Now before you go and get pissed at me (there’s that word again) because you think I’m talking about your church, let me make it clear that I’ve been on paid staff at a handful of churches and have played music, led worship – whatever you want to call it – in literally hundreds of churches throughout the U.S. and some abroad. So when I say “The Church” I’m not talking about yours, of course, I’m talking about the guys down the street or, better yet, The Church as a whole and more specifically: the American Church.

There was a guy named Paul that wrote a bunch of letters a couple thousand years or so ago that ended up in a thing called The New Testament. One of his most famous (and oft quoted) passages is in a letter to the people at Corinth (not Corinth, TX. Corinth, Middle East). Paul says, “if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” I’ve met plenty of clanging cymbals in my day. And, to be fair, I’m sure there have been plenty of times I’ve been a resounding gong myself. So, in relation to the church (not yours, of course, but The Church or better yet, the American Church) let me borrow a phrase from the great poets The Blackeyed Peas and ask “where is the love”?!

Or maybe Paul’s words don’t carry enough weight for you – after all, he was a former Christian killer so why would a “righteous” and “just” God use someone like that to tell His people how they ought to live? So here’s something Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Wait, a command?! As in “not an option”?! You mean, I have to love people the way You loved?! As in laying down my life?! I don’t know, that seems like a lot to ask….

I’m sure by now you’re either thoroughly pissed off (and have stopped reading, so why am I even bothering to address you right now?) or you’re wondering the same thing as me and the Peas (I asked Will if I could call them that and he said it was cool). By no means am I saying I have the whole laying-my-life-down-for-others thing worked out; but I think The Church (and this time I am talking about yours and mine) would be a good place to start working that out.

That’s all for now.