A night with the Seattle Sounders.

Last night, I was blessed with a pair of tickets to the Sounders game. They were the all inclusive tickets which meant that my wife and I got a break from the kids, and enjoyed an evening full of hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels, nachos, and other stuff that’s not good to eat on a regular basis. We had a great time, and got to learn some stuff along the way.


Imagine yourself standing amongst a large group of people. They have assembled on a Sunday evening for a great celebration. In unison, they stand and begin to sing songs together. They sing at the top of their lungs, sustaining a volume that will leave them hoarse by the end of the night. They stand together. They put their hands in the air and wave them. They stand in lines to receive a little something to eat and drink. They embrace one another. For a moment, people who had never before met, enjoy a few moments together as though they were long time friends.

Now, where are you? Where does this scene happen? Or perhaps its better to ask what is happening in the moment I just described. The scene I painted came from the Sounder’s game I attended last night. But it could have just as easily been a description of a Church service. Both are places where people gather. Both are times where people stand together to sing and lift their hands. Both are places where strangers become family. Both have people standing in lines to receive something. That’s because both are places where people gather for the purpose of worship.

People who are not yet Christians see Christian worship as odd. But the reality is that all people gather to worship. We all sing to our hero’s. We all stand to honor those we love and admire. In fact, we all want to wear somebody else’s Jersey. (Isaiah 61:10, Zechariah 3:1-4) We all identify ourselves with the success or failures of another person. Everybody worships.


To be continued…

Blown Baseball Calls, and America’s Favorite Idol.

Unless you live in a cave, you are well aware of the national crisis that unfolded last week. Yes, I am talking about the blown call delivered by James Joyce. Tiger’s pitcher Armando Galarraga was one out from being the 21st pitcher in MLB history to throw a perfect game. That all came to an end when Joyce called a batter safe, who after viewing the replay, was clearly out. What followed was unbelievable.

The media went crazy. ESPN had more updates on the situation than Ashton Kutcher has updates on Twitter. Additionally Joyce’s wikipedia page was hacked and vandalized and a new website (firejimjoyce.com) was launched only moments after the historic botch. To make things worse, Bud Selig refused to award Galarraga his perfect game. This only seemed to pour more fuel on the raging fire of fan frenzy.

Here’s the deal. I could care less about baseball. Personally, I think it’s lame. Guys stand around for a few hours watching the pitcher and catcher play ball just waiting to be invited to actually do something. It’s pretty boring if you ask me. But that’s not my point here.

We Westerners absolutely hate authority. Umpires are idiots. They are not allowed to call it how they see it. Their calls are only authoritative if we agree with them. If not, there is hell to pay. This is true in nearly every element of American culture.

Have you ever tried to clean up a massive oil spill? Probably not. But somehow, we have all become experts on the issue this past month. BP is incompetent. The Government is incompetent. The President is incompetent. Leaders are dumb and don’t know what they are doing. This is how we feel about everything. It reveals one of our favorite idols in the West, autonomy.

Nobody will tell us what to do. We are our own authority. Umpires only exist to make the calls that we think they should make. They have no authority over the game. The fan, who is probably over weight, never played a single inning of baseball in their life, and is halfway to inebriation nation with overpriced light beer, holds that sacred position. We only listen to them when they agree with us. We are the final authority thank you very much. The point isn’t whether or not Joyce made the right call. The point is who gets to make that call.


What say you?

Time To Pretend. Thoughts on the song by MGMT.

MGMT. Ever heard of them? I don’t know how to describe their music, but I do dig it. I was introduced to “Kids” while listening to Pandora at the Gym. There is something about their electronica sound that just grabs my soul. Next, I heard “Time To Pretend”. As I paid more attention to the lyrics I began to be captivated by what they were saying, not just how they were saying it.

The following are some of the lyrics from “Time To Pretend”:

I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw, I'm in the prime of my life.
Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives.
I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and %#(* with the stars.
You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars.

This is our decision, to live fast and die young.
We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.
Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do.
Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute.



As I focused in on the lyrics, I noticed what was happening. They had carried a common and widely held worldview to its logical conclusion. If all that life amounts to is getting up early only to commute to a desk job so that we can return home and do it again, then what’s the point? What if John Lennon was right and there is no heaven or hell, then there is only earth, a morning commute, a less than satisfying job, taxes and a repeat button. What would be the point?

MGMT proposes another way to live. If it’s all pointless, then why not move to Paris, shoot some heroin, get some super model wives, divorce them after they have kids and loose their super-model look, drive elegant cars, and snort a bit of coke along the way. If the choice is early morning commute and desk job vs. heroin and super models, I think I know which one I would choose.

But even that decision doesn’t help the need for our souls to know why they exist. If we move to Paris, shoot the heroin, get the super model wife and upgrade her first chance we get, we will still, in the words of MGMT, “choke on our vomit and that will be the end”. If we pursue pleasure with all that we have and we end up in the ground because there is no heaven or hell, then even our pleasure was meaningless. When we are dead, we will no longer remember what we enjoyed in life and all of it will be meaningless. I guess in either case, all we can do is pretend, like MGMT suggests.

There is another option.

Love your enemies...

In high school, I was introduced to a band named “Rage Against The Machine”. They blew my mind. Guitar solos that sounded like DJ’s on acid, guitar riffs as big as the Rockies, and a skinny guy named Zack de la Rocha who screamed like a demon at a Southern Baptist tent revival meeting. Unbelievable. One of their songs that captured my heart was titled: Know your enemy. Great riff for those of you who think Marshall full stacks are cool. (I’m one of you!) Very angry. Very UFC. Very cool.

I’m pretty sure Jesus likes Marshall full stacks and super star guitar riffs, but his message was quite different from that of “Zack of the Rock”. If he had written that song, it may have been titled, Know your enemy…so that you may love them well. I spent sometime mulling over his words recorded in Luke 6.

Luke 6:27-36

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”



I have to admit. What Jesus is saying is pretty clear to understand. Love your enemies. Got it. But! Yeah…you see. I want to qualify that whole “enemies” word. I got into it with a guy just a week ago. He was talking about hating politicians. I quoted him Luke 6:27. His response was that Jesus’ imperative was irrelevant in his situation because the people he was hating were doing harm to others and Jesus wasn’t instructing us to love people who do harm to others.

I immediately thought to myself, if we aren’t supposed to love enemies who do harm, what sort of enemies is Jesus referring to? Is he talking about the enemies that do good to others? Is he talking about the enemies who agree with us and treat us with respect? Part of me wishes this were the case, because it would be much easier for me to accept that sort of an imperative. But I don’t think Jesus is talking about those sorts of enemies. In fact, I hope he wasn't because if he was and that is the sort of love he has, then I'm in big trouble!

Luke 6:35-36

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

I’m sure glad that God loves his enemies. I know that I’m on that list. I pray for strength to do likewise. God help me.

Love In Action.

Last Sunday, we talked about the imperative to love. We ought to love others because Jesus has loved us. He doesn’t love us because we are lovely. He loves us because He loves us. We are to likewise love others. Simple enough.

Every Wednesday night, we gather to provide meals, clothing, and other essential supplies for those in need. Many people come from the woods where they live near our building. Well last week, I met a couple that ended up inviting me to their camp. As I got a better idea of what home looked like for them, I wondered how we could help.

I shared their story this past Sunday. In fact, one of the ladies who lives in the woods had joined us and was weeping while I told part of her story. What happened in response was beautiful.

I was immediately approached by a lady who wanted to provide some badly needed supplies. Yesterday (Monday) I picked up a load of brand new supplies including: sleeping bags, a propane cook top, propane bottles, a new pillow, cooking utensils, a tent, and some other helpful items.

I was also approached by another guy who had a ton of new camping gear that a former roommate had given to him. He wanted to know those items would be useful. They will be given away this Wednesday and will be put to good use immediately.

I also caught wind of a couple that helped serve dinners last Wednesday. They noticed that many of the people who had gathering to enjoy a hot meal could not enjoy drinks or desserts because they are diabetic. She is working on getting drinks and desserts that are made with Splenda instead of sugar so that all might enjoy the evening meal together.

Another gal noticed many of the women who come for meals are in desperate need of hygiene products. She is going to work on getting the needed supplies together so that that very practical need can be met.

Love is taking action. We ought to lay down our lives for others because Jesus laid down his life for us. You know what? It’s happening! Come be part of the mission at Coram Deo.

Dumb Signs: Philosophy in gift shops at the Zoo.

I took a day off this past Sunday to rest with my family. We started by getting loaded up on empty carbohydrates at Starbucks to prepare us for our day. During our breakfast, (which consisted of donuts, pastries, and multiple cavity causing chocolate drinks), my daughter wanted to know why we weren’t going to church that day. I told her that God commands us to rest. I explained that God made everything in six days and on the seventh day, he stopped, looked at everything He made and called it good. That’s exactly what we were going to do. We were going to go take a look at everything God made and call it good…at the Zoo.

We had a wonderful time, though we did experience our fair share of “are-we-there-yets?” Upon arrival, we walked to the gate, flashed our membership card, and started our adventure. We started with the fish and then moved on to my son Calvin’s favorite: the monkeys. He was hoping to witness some poo-flinging, but thankfully the monkeys were too tired for any physical activity. We also got to see a napping tiger and a snake that was longer than our Ford Expedition. (For the record, I am not a fan of snakes, and I’m especially not into snakes that weight more than me.)

The last animals we looked at were my personal favorite: the Walruses. These animals are amazing. They are fat, they have whiskers, and they swim right up against the glass, which is really freaky if you hold your face right up against it. Our next stop was a lunch on the grass. A tortoise named Pivot decided to join us, which was quite entertaining. His shell actually folded so that birds would not eat its hind legs. I’m sure glad I’m not a tortoise!

As we were leaving the park, I noticed an overpriced sign on display in the gift shop window. It read: “Enjoy the serenity of nature.” Needless to say, it was colored with various shades of soft colors and looked like it was created by someone who either had the munchies or had spent too many hours staring at the rocks waiting for them to grow or speak. Either way, the sign was dumb.

Before I go off here, I think it’s important to state that words have meaning. When we use words, we are trying to communicate an idea or a thought. But not all words are used in a helpful way. In fact, some words, (maybe most?), are used without giving much consideration to their meaning. Or in other words, some words are employed in ways that communicate ideas that simply are not in line with the way things are. This sign was a great example.

The word serene means peace, tranquility, and calm. The word nature means the physical world including plants and animals. The overpriced gift shop sign used the words “serene” and “nature” together in such a way that the word serene was used to qualify the quality of nature. Again, this sign is dumb.

I had just spent hours looking at nature from behind thick glass, steel cages, and giant cables. I was kept from coming into direct contact with nature at each and every site in the zoo. Why? Is it because nature is serene? No! It was because nature wants to eat me. The snake would have loved to curl up around my body and I’m quite sure he wouldn’t quit even if I tapped out. The tiger would play with me like a dog plays with a chew toy. The walruses would crush me into the sides of their aquariums if they didn’t tear me limb from limb first. I’m not sure what the poo-flinging monkeys would have done, but I’m sure it wouldn’t have been nice. What’s the point?

Words have meaning. Words are placed together like Lego pieces to construct something bigger than themselves: a thought or an idea; a sentence or a paragraph. What we say with our words makes a difference, even if it doesn’t make sense. I’m not sure who made that sign in the gift shop. I’m also not sure what they were trying to say. But I do know this, nature is not serene; at least not now. If it were, we wouldn’t need cages, steal cables, and large glass windows at the zoo to protect us from it. Zoos are good with animals, but not with philosophy…at least their gift shops aren’t.

Greater things for Tammy and Karl.

Last week, while enjoying some beers and pizza with my friends at the Toad House, I was approached by a lady who clearly did not have a home. Her name is Tammy. She stopped at the window to make silly faces at us. After a few moments, she decided to come in side and sit down beside us.

She quickly began to share that somebody had taken all of her supplies and that she was hungry. She also pointed out that the sole on her shoe had fallen off and that her shoes were soaking up water making her feet cold and uncomfortable. A few of the guys at our table began to take out their wallets to give her whatever cash they had on hand. We all realized though, that the cash was not going to take care of her wet feet.

As our conversation progressed, it became clear to me that God wanted me to get Tammy some new shoes so that her feet could be dry and comfortable. We made arrangements to meet the next day at noon at the trailhead leading into the woods in the Safeway parking lot. It was a date.

The next day, I went shopping for shoes with my wife. We found Tammy some pretty sweet leather waterproof hiking shoes. We also picked Tammy up a dozen pair of socks. I headed off to meet Tammy at the trailhead hoping she would remember our conversation from the night before.

As I approached the trailhead, I saw a head pop out from behind the bushes. It was Tammy. Her face lit up when she saw me with my large bag. She was so happy that I had kept my word. She immediately invited me into the woods to meet some of her friends. To be honest, I was a little apprehensive, but knew that loving her would mean more than helping from a distance.

I followed Tammy into the woods and met her boyfriend, Karl. They have been a couple for years and were now living in the woods together. Karl seemed pretty excited to see me and I was pretty happy to meet him too.

I suggested that we go sit on a bench in front of Safeway so that Tammy could put on her new shoes. We walked over, and Tammy sat down to try out her new duds. She took off her old shoes and socks and threw them away. She put the new socks on and then looked at me as if to say “are you going to put those new shoes on my feet?” Well, I did just that. She laced up her shoes and immediately began dancing with a wide grin on her face.

I then asked if she and Karl were hungry. I took them inside and we got some hot food and drinks. We sat together outside of Safeway, while they shared their life story. They met in Los Angeles when Karl was in the Army. Somehow, drug and alcohol addiction had overtaken their lives. That was literally decades ago. Now, they live in the woods as alcoholics.

When we were done, we walked slowly back to the trailhead. Karl had shared that he prayed every night that God would forgive him if he should happen to die. I explained the cross to Karl, but could tell that I was up against a great amount of religious guilt. He couldn’t quite understand that because Jesus had been punished, we no longer need to be worried about judgment if believe in Jesus.

Somehow, the topic of Easter came up and I asked Karl if he knew what Easter was all about. He confessed that he did not and I asked if it would be ok to talk about it. He agreed but reminded me that he was more religious than Tammy.

I began to talk about what the resurrection means. Colossians 1:18 says that Jesus is the first-born from among the dead. That means that what God has done in His Son Jesus, resurrection, He will do to the whole world someday. The resurrection of Jesus is a sneak peak if you will, of the New Creation that Christ purchased with his blood and resurrection.

I began to talk about what that New Creation will be like. I shared that there will be no pain, no sorrow, no sin, and no death. Jesus will make the whole world new again. I wanted Tammy and Karl to know that the shoes, socks, and food were all small, very small, tokens of that new world. It was small way of saying that Jesus is making everything new. There will be world with no hunger someday, so let me give you some food now. There will be a world free from sin and shame, so let me treat you as people of worth and dignity now that you may taste and see the goodness of King Jesus.

We ended our time in prayer. I put my hands on both of them and prayed for their protection, provision, and ultimately for their redemption. I told Karl that Jesus was more powerful than his addiction to alcohol. I asked him if would be interested in doing a Bible study sometime. He agreed. He then looked at me and cried. Tammy also began to break down. And I wept too as I stood there watching them wander back into the woods which for so many years, has been their home.

I drove away from Safeway feeling so blessed to have been able to serve them, even if only in a very small way. I knew in my heart, that there was something very right about what had just happened. God had provided me with the means to be a blessing to a people that most of us don’t see, or rather, don’t notice. The Kingdom of Jesus is good news to Tammy and Karl. And you know what? The good news that I was preparing to celebrate that weekend became even more real to me.

The resurrection means greater things are yet to come!

"

The Blind Sides...Blind Side.

Ok, I confess. I watched the Blind Side with my wife on her birthday. Even though it’s a “chic flick” I figured it’s still about football so it’s ok right? Well, either way, we ended up watching the film that topped the charts and captured the hearts and imaginations of so many people.

For those of you who have no idea what the Blind Side is all about, it’s a movie that tells the story of a family, who under the influence of the mother, takes in a young man, Michael Oher who becomes a professional football player. Oher was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2009 and currently plays for them.

The title, “The Blind Side” comes from the position that Oher plays. A left offensive tackle’s primary job is to protect the quarterback’s back or his “blind side”. When executing a pass, the quarterback’s attention is down field with receivers, not at his back which is where outside linebackers and defensive ends come head hunting for him. This is such an important position to fill that left offensive tackles tend to be, next to the quarterback they protect, the highest paid players on a team. (think Walter Jones) They are a sort of an insurance policy if you will.

While I actually enjoyed the movie, (don’t tell anyone) I found myself being frustrated by the obvious blind side of the “Blind Side.” Michael Oher was functionally homeless in the movie before he meets the family that takes him in. Through the course of the movie, you learn that his birth mother has a drug addiction, which causes her to chronically be in and out of relationships, and low-income housing. She has upwards of 10 children, most of whom come from different fathers.

On the other hand, the woman who takes Oher in is a stark contrast in character. She provides him with food, clothing, an education, and love. She is the catalyst behind his transformation. While one woman abandons him, the other truly “mothers” him. And that is something to be celebrated. But do you see the blind side?

As much as the story celebrates the redemptive work of one woman, it leaves a gaping void of masculinity. We know that Oher’s mother was an addict, but where was his dad? Where were all of the men who were in his mother’s life? They manipulated her, abused her, and treated her like a piece of meat. It’s not simply Oher’s biological mother who is to blame for the situation. Ultimately, it is his father’s!

But it doesn’t stop there. The new family that Oher finds himself a part of is one with almost no male leadership. I remember a scene in particular, which left me frustrated. It takes place at a dinner table. Instead of the husband loving and serving his family by praying over them, he hands this responsibility off to his wife. I am certainly not against women praying. That’s not the issue. The issue is men serving and loving their families by providing a covering of prayer when they come together to enjoy the meal that God’s grace has provided. Throughout the entire movie, the husband is passive and disengaged with the most important aspects of family life. The story is as much about the triumph of a wonderful and loving mother as it is about the cultural trend of men who fail to lovingly lead and serve their families.

I was going to write about this last week but for whatever reason, felt like it needed to wait. I now think I know why it had to wait. God wanted me to see and also share what’s right, not just what’s wrong.

On Easter Sunday, four people were baptized at Coram Deo Church. Her father baptized a daughter and two women were baptized by their husbands. One of those husbands was also baptized on Easter. He then in turn, baptized his wife. Could anything be more beautiful? Could anything be more powerful? Men, that had loving lead their families were now getting to enjoy the great blessing and honor of baptizing the women that God created them to care for.

To be honest, these are the sweetest times in my life and ministry. When a man baptizes his son, his daughter, or especially his own wife, it is a sign that a culture is being transformed. The gates of hell are being beaten to a bloody pulp. The curse is being overthrown. The blind side of our culture is being protected by men who will sacrifice themselves to make sure that neither sin, death, nor satan will have access to the ones God has entrusted to them. Praise God for our men who protected the blind side on Easter!

Check out pics and video of Easter baptisms on my Facebook profile page.

One Righteous Man...

All we like sheep, have gone our own way
And distanced ourselves from our only help
One Righteous man, God's perfect plan
To pay for our guilt, tear down what we've built
Seeing His face, nothing would catch you at all
The world that He loved, despised him, this man of sorrows

First He's betrayed, then taken away
His friends turn their backs and hang by their necks
Silent He goes, as one who knows
Despite any plea, the verdict will be:
'Guilty as charged! Now beat him till no on can tell...
Who He once was, then hang up His body with nails!'

Surely up there, our sorrow He bears
See how He shakes, life slowly escapes
The King is crushed, collapsing His lungs
Showering the...nations in boood
Yet this is the way, His Father has chosen to pay
One righteous Man, has many more righteous men made.

(words and music by Red Letter)

"

The Gosple according to Eddie Vedder.

Ok...I must confess. I'm a Pearl Jam fanatic. Have been since I heard the opening riff from alive as a 9th grader. I have just about every live and import cd available as well as some excellent book leg recordings of local shows. Don't hate!

I picked up their latest album, Backspacer, a while back and have been enjoying it ever since. As I was tuning into Vedder's lyrics I was captured by the undeniable echo's of the Gospel that are present. One song in particular, The Fixer, immediately caught my attention with it's articulation of a savior figure who fixes what's wrong. Here are some of the lyrics...

When somethings dark, let me shed a little light on it
When somethings cold, let me put a little fire on it
If somethings old, I wanna put a bit of shine on it
When somethings gone, I wanna fight to get it back again

When somethings broke, I wanna put a bit of fixin on it
When somethings bored, I wanna put a little exciting on it
If somethings low, I wanna put a little high on it
When somethings lost, I wanna fight to get it back again

When signals cross, I wanna put a little straight on it
If theres no love, I wanna try to love again

I’ll say your prayers, I’ll take your side
I'll find us a way to make light


These lyrics clearly represent somebody who sees what's wrong in the world and wants to make it better. The story of redemption is written on our hearts and we can not escape it's attraction. I don't think Vedder wrote these words about Jesus. But he did write them about somebody who wants to put things back the way they ought to be. That's certainly Jesus' gig.

Everytime I listen to this song, I am reminded of the words written down in Revelation 21:4-5
"He (Jesus) will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

Jesus, the great fixer. That's what Easter is all about. Jesus is fixing the world, killing death, and saving what has been lost.

LINK to video for The Fixer. Enjoy!