Getting it Right

Recently I was in a setting where someone was talking about the Gospel (the message) of Jesus. They were explaining to people about what happens after they die and asking them to make a decision about their eternity (important stuff, right?).

Here's basically what the person said (I've condensed it greatly):
"Heaven will be so great, no crying, no tears. You'll get to see your loved ones. You'll walk on streets of gold. You want that don't you? Won't you give your life to Christ right now?"

All that is true enough, but there's a problem. It wasn't the real Gospel. It wasn't even what Jesus taught. It was a religious version of consumerism, i.e., "I don't want to suffer and Jesus is what I have to get to get no more suffering."

Now you need to know that I have zero concerns about the person making these comments, about their own trust in God, their own motives. They sincerely believed they were saying good words about God. But there was, ironically, no God in their Gospel. If I was listening correctly (and it's entirely possible that I wasn't), Heaven is a really nice place where apparently I won't be bothered by God.

John Piper, in his book, God is the Gospel, asks a question we all need to ask (emphasis added):

The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?

Above All Else

I want to teach my children to be generous in every way.

So leaving the store the other day just before Christmas, I pushed a bill into Hudson's hands and guided him toward the Salvation Army Ringer's kettle. I tried explaining what the kettle is for, but I'm not exactly sure my incisive commentary on compassion and poverty made it through his 4 year old filter.

He gets a bit shy around new people, so instead of walking up, he clung to my leg and asked me to put it in instead. I was a bit frustrated, thinking he wasn't "getting it" and so I must not be "doing it right."

But then ringer's comment reoriented me: "Oh, don't worry about it. He has a good heart."

That put it in perspective. A good heart. My mind went right to Proverbs in the Old Testament.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
Proverbs 4:23

In other words, there isn't anything more important than looking after who you are.

In the Bible, the heart isn't:

*warm emotion

*the Hallmark Cards section of your anatomy

*your ooey, gooey sentimental center

it is:
*who we are

*the place our will, emotion, intellect and psyche converge

*our decision making center

*the source of every choice, act and behavior

*the furnace of our desires

Get the heart wrong and you get everything else wrong. Get the heart right and it changes everything:
The quality of your relationships.
What you want.
The results you get out of life.
Your business deals.
How you enjoy (or don't enjoy) your work.
The quality of your marriage and family.
Everything.

And no one, I mean no one, can (or will) guard your heart for you. God alone can change and transform your heart, but you have to be the one to guard it.

And guard it doesn't mean "wall-it-off-so-no-one-can-touch-it." It means "nurture it, look after it, and care for it." In 2009, what will you be doing above all else?

Trading 1737 for 1764

We're leaving history for history.

Richmond, VA (our current home) was founded on the banks of the James River in 1737. It was nothing but a muddy flat to the early settlers. They sailed their ships up the James from the Atlantic, and when the ships couldn't make it past the rocks that now signify downtown Richmond they decided to go ahead and stop. Smart.

Among other things, it's the home of the Confederate White House (now literally surrounded by a hospital), the site of Patrick Henry's famous "give me liberty or give me death" speech and the home of multiple Fortune 500 companies.

It's been a great 6.5 years of learning, growing and stretching. We've loved it, made great friends and seen God do beautiful things in people's lives. And now, in the providence of God, we're moving to St Louis, MO.

St. Louis began in 1764 at a spot picked in part by a 13 year old (never say Middle Schoolers can't do important things). It was a fur trading post positioned at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers that grew into a thriving metropolis, eventually becoming one of the 10 largest cities in the country (now 18th).

I'm leaving my role at Southside Church in Chesterfield, VA as the Fellowship and Discipleship Pastor to take the Lead Pastor role at Trinity Church in Florissant, MO.

Pretty excited.

Trinity Church is a great group of people who want to reach their community...and I can't wait to lead them to do it. The trucks have been loaded and delivered and we've already battled a broken toilet in our temporary home until we can find a house to buy. Our welcome has been warm. Good days are ahead.

I'm looking forward to working for the peace of the city and being an agent of the Kingdom in it.

I'm not a car guy, but...

...when I was walking into the local Wally World, I saw the new Dodge Charger. I, and about every other guy walking in, stopped and drooled. It's like the General Lee and a Ferrari got married and had this as their baby. Wow.
And they say Detroit is going under.

Are We Doing This?

I drove past this the other day. I don't know about you, but I'm not really in the market to have my headlight lenses polished. Ever. And to my recollection I never have been, or ever will be.

In short, they are providing something they can do that no one really needs.

Is the church doing this?

A Classic that Doesn't Dissappoint

A good rule of thumb: If you are trying to grow as a follower Jesus, go for what's old and time-tested, not what someone just thought up and a publisher marketed to you to get you to buy.

One such resource: The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. A friend described him as a "klutz who broke everything." In an effort to make something of himself, he left the services of a French Lord and entered the monastery and there became the washer of pots and pans. His simple meditations from the 17th Century on what it means to pray have endured and spoken to many.

Here's what Henri Nouwen wrote in the foreword to a recent edition:

"Although we are busy we experience ourselves as the passive victims of great powers that control us and seem very hard to resist. Life seems like a long series of randomly scattered incidents and accidents over which we have no control."

I'm not sure I've heard a more concise summary of 21st Century life in America. And it's too this sense of fragementation that Brother Lawrence speaks.

I'll post reflections as I read my way through.

Where to order:
Online edition (free)
Amazon.com.

The Meaning of Christmas

It's easy to lose Christmas in Christmas.
This short video produced by a church in London is a thoughtful and well-produced reflection on the true meaning of Christmas. I hope you'll see Jesus in the middle of Christmas this year.

As a bonus, everyone in it has a British accent.
Smashing.
(ht: adrian warnock)


That's Christmas! from andy pearce on Vimeo.

How the Economy Reveals Our Souls

My good college friend, Lt. Commander Brian Weigelt, is currently serving as a Navy Chaplain, working as an agent of the Kingdom of God at sea. He's a great man (plus, he gets the great nickname "Chaps").

While he's at sea (in an undisclosed location) he sends out a daily email to the crew of the ships he serves. They are easily some of the best words I read each week. And yesterday's was particularly poignant, given the state of economy.

TODAY'S WAYPOINT--A Daily Reflection from Chaplain Weigelt
December 12, 2008

"Of the billionaires I have known, money just brings out the basic traits in them. If they were jerks before they had money, they are simply jerks with a billion dollars.” – Warren Buffett

Psalm 62:10 (New International Version): Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
Each day there seems to be yet another headline describing the desperate state of our economy. Economists in their ivory towers will note that this is simply a typical correction to the economy, readjusting expectations that weren’t based in reality. That explanation doesn’t necessarily make things easier for those who are suffering severely from the loss of jobs and reduced real estate value. Part of the problem many of us face is the fact that we have tied our identity too closely to our economic status, or to our material possessions. While this financial downturn may be a correction to our economy, maybe we should also consider a correction to our self-understanding. Our true identity, our true value does not have anything to do with the amount of money in our accounts. In fact, our account balances can insulate us from reality. Perhaps each time we read a headline about the economy, we should remind ourselves that the economy doesn’t define us.

Have I had too high of expectations for money?

Chocolate Destruction

Corban, my youngest, can do some damage to chocolate cake.

Cereal Night

A few weeks ago, the guys in my small group were waxing nostalgic for the cereals of our youth; those sugary creations of careless Cereal Executives that fueled our childhoods.

So, we decided to have cereal night at Small Group. Everyone brought their favorite. I loaded up on on Fruit Loops...then proceeded to lapse into a sugar-induced coma. Good for making memories, not so good for discussion.

These are good men that I love and admire.