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imagine

November 21, 2008 in ministry with 0 Comments

On Wednesday, we finished a two-part series with the students called, Do Hard Things. I got my idea for the series from a book by the same name.

In the first week, I shared from 1 Timothy 4:12. We talked about how society puts low expectations on teens and they often live up to those standards (i.e. goof-off, do enough to just get by, etc.). We challenged them to not only break through those low expectations, but as Paul says to Timothy, “set an example for others.”

This week I dealt with Ephesians 3:20-21. Paul tells the believers at Ephesus that God is able to do beyond what they can imagine. The problem is, however, that something happens to us as we grow up: our dreams die. There are several ways this can occur:

  • Our dreams are forgotten
  • Our dreams are rationalized
  • Our dreams are stolen

To avoid this, we need to keep our imaginations alive. We need to dream big. Andrew Lincoln, in the Word Biblical Commentary on Ephesians says the following about this passage:

Something of the force of the writer’s rhetoric can be captured by showing the build-up of the thought reflected by his language. God is said to be able to do what believers ask in prayer; he is able to do what they might fail to ask but what they can think; he is able to do all (panta) they ask or think; he is able to do above all (huper panta) they ask or think; he is able to do abundantly above all (perissou huper panta) they ask or think; he is able to do more abundantly above all (ekperissou huper panta) they ask or think; he is able to do infinitely more abundantly above all (uperekperissou huper panta) they ask or think. And what is more, says the writer, this inexpressible power is at work within us!

What can you imagine? God can do even greater things.

But what about this power? According to Paul it’s already at work within us! In fact, Paul has already referred to “power” in this letter.

  • Chapter 1:18-23 – Power to raise Christ over everything.
  • Chapter 2:1-6 – Power to raise us up with Christ.
  • Chapter 2:7-9 – Power to show us grace.
  • Chapter 2:10 – Power to give us purpose.

The power Paul refers to is the power to bring us into right relationship with Him. It’s the power to show us mercy and extend his grace to us. It’s the power to give us meaning and direction in life.

This power is alive and at work within each of us. Our responsibility is to break out of low expectations. Recognize and allow that power to work within us.

Dream big.
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new ways of doing church

March 30, 2008 in ministry with 3 Comments

Yesterday I read an article that Doug gave to me from fermiproject.com. It’s called “Postmodern Wells: Creating a Third Place”, by Mark Batterson. The article mainly discusses their church’s philosophy and ministry regarding the coffee house that they built and operate. The article has stayed with me and has caused me to contemplate the implication these ideas have on my life and ministry. There’s some great perspective on the church and it’s role in culture.

When I was a junior in Bible college, I had the privilege of doing my internship with Mark at his church in Washington, DC. I remember Mark looking at this old, run-down building on the corner and saying something about a coffee house. Now, several years later, it’s the largest coffee house in the metro DC area. Pretty impressive.

Anyway, I won’t go into the whole article, but two items stuck out to me.

  1. At one point in the article Mark mentions one of their core values: “Do it right and do it big.” Later, he says, “good isn’t good enough”. I’ve had to stop and ask myself if I’m settling for what’s acceptable or am I truly reaching for excellence? It’s just way too easy to take a shortcut or leave things at “good enough.” Even before I read the article, I’ve been realizing the need to raise my standards and not let myself become excellent at mediocrity.
  2. In the last paragraph of the article Mark says, “there are ways of doing church that no one has thought of yet.” (Of course, this is coming from a pastor who’s church meets in movie theaters throughout the DC area.) But I can’t help but be bothered by this. And I mean that in a good way. I just keep asking myself, “What new way of doing church do you have for me to discover, God?” As the Church has increasingly lost it’s voice and place in culture, it’s becoming more apparent that our current methods aren’t effectively reaching people. So how do we change? What do we change? What will resonate with people who desperately need God, but often don’t recognize it?

Anyway, I don’t mean to offer answers to these questions. I’m not sure I have any good answers to them. But these are just a few of the thoughts I’ve been wrestling with the last day or so.

general council

August 9, 2007 in ministry with 0 Comments

I went to a meeting today to vote on a leader for our denomination. It was my first time at General Council, though I’ve been there during Fine Arts. I have to admit, it’s quite funny to walk through the hallways and see thousands of students acting out their dramas and human videos. At one point, an overly-focused Jr. High girl was jumping around acting something out and almost crashed into me as Doug and I hurried through the hall. What part of “Let’s practice in the middle of a busy hallway” ever sounds like a good idea?

Anyway, I’ve been reminded that meetings are boring, but friends can make the time pass quickly. I unexpectedly ran into Brad Keller, a great friend who I worked with during college. We were able to catch up over lunch and throughout the day. I’m grateful for friends like Brad because even though we haven’t spoken in years, we can catch up where we left off.

It was a good day and I’m glad I had the chance to let my voice (vote) be heard. I think our movement has a lot of challenges ahead of it and I’m excited to see where God leads and directs us.

my kind of town

July 30, 2007 in ministry with 3 Comments

Today I took the youth group to Chicago for a day to hang out and see the city. Though I couldn’t (and wouldn’t) live there, I can’t help but love visiting.

We rode the train, which is quite the experience. If you ever want to see a cross section of the population, and be entertained at the same time, take the Metra. I think an Einstein look-a-like even sat below me for a while. We walked to Water Tower Mall, had lunch at the overpriced cafeteria, shopped a little and made our way to Millennium Park. Of course we took pictures by the Bean and then some of the students cooled off in the Crown Fountain (or the face/tower/water thing).

For me, visiting the city is an opportunity to be reminded that the world is bigger than the small bubble that I live in. I’m reminded that there are people less fortunate than I am. I’m reminded that some people are more fortunate (much more fortunate) than I am. I’m reminded that there are a LOT of people in the world. I’m reminded that I don’t walk a lot everyday. I’m reminded that some people have fashion sense and some don’t (i.e. the teenage girl wearing the dress and Uggs). I’m reminded that I work with incredibly funny, engaging students who only occassionly act before they think ([unnamed junior higher] please do NOT walk on the ledge next to the 40ft drop!). I guess I’m reminded of how small I am. Which is humbling, yet causes me to wonder at the interest God would have in someone like me.

Anyway, because Chicago rocks so much I thought I’d end with one of Carl Sandburg’s poems about the city. It reminds me that there is Hope in a desperate and seemingly hopeless world.

“HALSTED STREET CAR”

COME you, cartoonists,
Hang on a strap with me here
At seven o’clock in the morning
On a Halsted street car.

Take your pencils
And draw these faces.

Try with your pencils for these crooked faces,
That pig-sticker in one corner–his mouth–
That overall factory girl–her loose cheeks.

Find for your pencils
A way to mark your memory
Of tired empty faces.

After their night’s sleep,
In the moist dawn
And cool daybreak,
Faces Tired of wishes,
Empty of dreams.

stress

April 23, 2007 in ministry, spiritual with 1 Comment

Things at work have been stressful the past several days. I love working with youth, but the extra responsibility of coordinating children’s ministry adds enormous pressure and time commitment to my already busy schedule. Needless to say, I’ve recently found myself realizing that my gifts, abilities and time, often fall short and leave me stressed out.

In my devotions the other day, I read about a stressful situation in 1 Samuel 30. David is returning from the battlefield with his men. Upon arriving home, they find their town burned to the ground and their wives and children missing. David’s men bitterly place the blame on him. In fact, verse 6 says that they thought about stoning him. Things are quickly going from bad to worse for David.

In the midst of all these emotions, frustrations and fears, David does something amazing. The end of verse 6 says, “But David found strength in the Lord his God.”

He found strength in a situation where he was powerless and outnumbered. It’s not something that he mustered up on his own. He realized his circumstances and offered them to God. I’m glad that He doesn’t leave us “high and dry” when we look to Him for strength. Instead, God somehow transfers His strength to us. We don’t have to let the stresses of this life get the best of us. Our Creator offers us life to the full, not life full of stress.

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