Thoughts on Life and Leading

Well, today marks the beginning of a 31 day journey through the New Testament. The people of Maranatha Church (and a few others) are accepting the challenge placed on us by God to know more about His Word. Be forewarned: QUEST will be a significant undertaking. If you decide to read the scriptures, not only will you have to discipline yourself to stay up with the reading, but you will need to continue to humble yourself “under” the Word. This simply means to read with the intent to actually do what the Word is saying. This is one of the reasons that I am so excited about this journey. I am convinced that those who make it to the end will recognize real spiritual movement in their lives. I think the same will be true of our church. When March is over and the Quest is completed, we will be enjoying a new season of renewal and growth. While I can’t wait to see what is on the other side, I do plan to enjoy every step of the journey.

Today’s reading: Matthew 1-9.
I laugh, thinking about all the people who are, with great enthusiasm, beginning their read through the New Testament…and come out of the gate with Matthew 1. Genealogy! – how riveting! But really, the early chapters of the New Testament are very important to understanding the life and ministry of Christ. The birth of Jesus, His early life, His baptism and the inauguration of His ministry are all chronicled. The Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5-7 is especially significant. This time through, I got new insight on the giving to poor ideas taught in chapter 6, probably because this is where God has me right now.

Thanks for committing to read with us.
Set aside time tomorrow to stay current with the reading. God bless you while you absorb His Word.

Before we start our 31 day Quest, I wanted to post on something not so spiritual. Letha and I enjoyed a Cardinals Spring Training game this afternoon at Roger Dean Stadium. It was nice sitting out in the sun and relaxing for a while. The Cardinals beat the Washington Nationals 9-0. Way to go Cards!

Enjoy a couple of picture I took with my new camera:

1: The beautiful Roger Dean Cardinals clubhouse and Old Glory
2. Chris Carpenter pitching
3. Catcher, Yadier Molina hitting
4. Molina and Pujols after scoring a couple of runs
5. Pujols holding a Washington runner on base
6. A close up of All Star Albert Pujols batting
7. Final score: Cardinals 9, Washington 0

Something very cool is about to begin. Starting on March 1, the people of our church will be reading through the New Testament. Get this: we will read through the entire New Testament in one month! I will be preaching a five part series called “Quest: 31 Days Through the New Testament“, and the idea is to get as many as possible into the Word of God. I really feel directed by God that we need to know and understand His truth. So in order to do this, I am challenging anyone who is brave enough to try it, to read all 27 books in 31 days.

I am making a commitment to not only do the reading but also to post a few thoughts on the daily read. I figure that this is one way that I will be motivated to stay on top of the reading. Maybe something I say will encourage you in what God is saying to you.

So be watching, beginning on Sunday, for 31 straight days of Matthew through Revelation. It’s gonna be great.

Join us for Quest. Show up at one of our services. If you want to follow along, on the Internet, check out our web site: click on maranathachurch.org. We have reading guides that will help keep you on track.

Take the journey with me.

“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten.” So says Winnie the Pooh. While this used to be true, I do not believe it to be true anymore. Keep doing what worked in the past and you will get nothing now. In fact, you will find yourself going backwards. Many old, outdated methods are now counter-productive. There is no such thing as coasting forward.

Today’s leader has to stay on the cutting edge of effectiveness. This is not to say that because a method is old, it does not work. Some things are timeless. But to keep doing something simply because it has always been done that way is a great way to stop progress.

So, with all due respect, Winnie is wrong. A more accurate statement may be, “if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you will get left in the dust.”

I want to post some pictures of the beautiful kids of Guatemala. The following photos were taken at Casa Shalom orphanage and at the Rio Bravo feeding center and school. Pray for the kids of Guatemala and around the world.

It’s an awesome thing when you can see that your kid is better at doing their job than you are at doing yours. If you don’t like to hear people brag on their kids, you may want to find another blog to read today.

We just returned from a quick trip to Guatemala where our daughter Jessica and her husband Josh serve as missionaries. We spent a few days with them at Casa Shalom orphanage and also made a trip to Rio Bravo. It was an incredible thing to watch them in action as they ministered on various levels. They did an excellent job leading.

I will be posting specifics about our trip and will include some new pictures. I just wanted to give a shout-out to the Hansons in Guatemala. Check out their website! Thanks Jess and Josh for your dedication and sacrifice. God bless you and the people you are serving in Guatemala!

Recently, I was involved in an awesome prayer event. There were lots of people participating and it was very exciting. We had a great prayer, thanking God for His blessings, asking Him to help us as individuals and to bless our respective areas of ministry.

The farther we got into the prayer, the more I realized how confused God must get. We were asking Him for different things, actually competing things. I was also glad to remember that God has a will and that, no matter what we do or say, He usually gets His way.

It is funny how we assume that God agrees with us. If I want something bad enough or if we think it is spiritual sounding enough, God obviously also wants it! After the prayer event, I realized that I did not hear one person – out of a solid hour of prayer – ask for or submit our prayers to the will of God. And neither did I.

I think the next time we gather for prayer, I am going to suggest we pray one thing: “Not my will, but yours be done…” (Luke 22:42) Of course, that prayer got Jesus crucified.

Enjoy this video from the CompassionArt project, music by Andy Park.

I spend way too much of my time talking about how we should do something to help the needy. Sometimes I feel like my job is to talk about doing ministry, trying to motivate people to get involved. For four days this week, I actually get to do some ministry. Letha and I are headed to Rio Bravo, Suchitepequez, Guatemala. There is a very poor town there where people need help. We are part of a team that is taking in some much-needed supplies. By “much-needed”, I don’t mean luxury items that the people want. I mean basic food staples, without which there will be malnutrition.

It is a humbling opportunity. We are very excited about it. Upon our return, I will try to post some pix and videos detailing the work. Thanks for praying for the people there.

I Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. (NIV)

In the February 19 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, there is an interesting article written by David Kushner entitled “When Man and Machine Merge”. It is about the life and work of Ray Kurzweil, a man who Kushner says is a “prophet of the techno rapture”. Kurzweil is best noted for inventing the modern synthesizer but is gaining notoriety for his views about how computers will soon be running the world. He says that that by the year 2045, computers will surpass us in intelligence, the universe will itself become conscious and humans will live forever. According to RS, Kurzweil says that “molecular robots will spread throughout the tiniest recesses of all matter, turning rocks and trees into living computers.”

I am not sure about all of this. I don’t even pretend to understand it. But one quote from Kurzweil leaped off the page at me. “We won’t experience 100 years of progress in the 21st Century – it will be more like 20,000 years of progress.” With the rate of technological and scientific advancements increasing as they are, I have no doubt that, should the world be around for another 100 years, we will see change like no other time in history. I suppose the real question is: “will it be progress or just change?” There is a difference.

The farther you read into the article, the more you realize that Kurzweil is quite the eccentric. Possibly even crazy. According to the article, his most ambitious plan is his most personal: He plans to bring his dead father back to life. “Nanobots can extract some DNA from his grave site. Then they’ll get memories from my brain and put it all together.”

OK. The jury is back.

But I do think he is on to something when it comes to the exponential change we are about to experience. My advice is: Hang on for dear life!

Someone recommended a great resource for those who have a hope to make a difference in their world by addressing social justice. Everybody Wants to Change the World: Practical Ideas for Social Justice was put together by Tony Campolo, and Gordon Aeschliman.

The Product Description on Christianbooks.com reads:
All over the world—and in your community—people are lonely, hungry, sick, struggling to make ends meet, bitter, imprisoned, dying. Do you feel powerless to make a difference? You don’t have to be helpless! From the simplest acts of kindness to more complex works of mercy, you’ll find more than 100 practical ideas for compassionately responding to the needs of others. It’s all here, from suggestions about working with the poor to honoring and assisting the elderly; helping immigrants assimilate and supporting the sick; respecting and serving the disabled, showing compassion to those in prison, and caring for the environment. You’ll discover practical ways to begin making a difference in your community today, and helping others catch a vision for changing the world! A leader’s guide makes this adaptable for group study, as well as individual reading. Jesus calls us to creatively and courageously share the good news by loving our neighbor. It’s time to begin!

You can read the Table of Contents and chapter one on this link.

Order it, read it, implement it. Change the world.

“This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (NIV) 1 John 2:5-6. This chapter in the Bible is all about loving God and keeping His commandments and being obedient to Him. The straightforward truth presented clears us any misconceptions about what it means to live for and love God. It’s not a matter of talk. It is a matter of being like Jesus.

Walk as Jesus walked. Talk as Jesus talked. Live in Him.

It is important to know what you believe and to stick with it. I embrace a fairly strong set of convictions. We should be concerned when we go with the flow and are influenced by the latest and greatest, especially when it comes to issues of morality and ethics.

That being said, the older I get, I believe the more mellow I become, at least in areas of: “I have an opinion on that!”. Don’t be mistaken, I still have plenty of things that I am willing to fight and die for. But some of the things I would argue over a few years ago – they just aren’t quite so important now. In fact, I am looking back at some of the issues I debated and defended not too long ago and I am embarrassed. I am embarrassed, not because I held to a conviction, or because I had a wrong opinion, but because I willingly allowed some of my convictions to drive me to harshness and what probably appeared to be cold-heartedness. I have been right in some debates and won some arguments, but I have lost in the long run.

Here’s what I think I was doing wrong:
I was (working on making this past tense) more stubborn that I should have been.
I was a pretty good arguer.
When I got angry, I used really harsh words, cutting remarks, and came across as very aggressive.
I had to win at any cost.

What was the source of all of this?
I was insecure. If I felt threatened, or as though I was not being respected, I was ready to fight.
I had to be right in order to secure my place of authority.

I have worked on this a lot and through trial and error, I have improved.
As far as I am concerned, this is now rearview mirror stuff in my life.
Hopefully, there are no U turns allowed.

I have no plans of becoming wishy-washy or jelly-backboned. And please don’t push me in areas that are part of my moral makeup. But if you are looking for a fight, it will take more than what it took five years ago. There are still hills worth dying on, but just not as many of them.

The old man is mellowing with age. Isn’t that what happens to fine wine?

Katie Perry, who will in all probability win the Grammy for her song, I Kissed a Girl, has a Pentecostal background. Her interview by Katie Couric tonight on CBS revealed that her parents were Spirit-filled followers of Christ. The interview (below) left me wrestling with lots of questions.

CBSnews.com says: Katy Perry may be known for her wild stage outfits and bi-curious ode to sexual experimentation, but it’s her parents, she explains to Katie Couric, who may be the real wild ones.

“My parents have stories. They probably have better stories than I do,” she says in an interview on Katie Couric’s “All Access” Grammy Special, to be broadcast Wednesday, Feb. 4 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS.

The daughter of travelling ministers, Perry reveals that despite their devout Evangelical beliefs, her parents have a past that’s more rock star than religious – her mother dated rock legend Jimi Hendrix and her father hung around with 60’s counterculture icon, Timothy Leary.

“He was part of the Strawberry Fields Forever,” Perry says about her father. “[But] they found God, you know? They needed to find God. Not that they needed to find God, God found them, really.”

Perry visits a New York City church with Couric, where she explains her religious upbringing, which included the Pentecostal practice of speaking in tongues. “You know, there was a movie or a documentary called ‘Jesus Camp,’” Perry tells Couric, “and I watched it and I was like, ‘Oh my Gosh, I didn’t know they had behind-the-scenes footage of my childhood!’”

Now the girl who grew up listening to the soundtracks of films such as “Sister Act” – 1 and 2 – and “The Preacher’s Wife,” is nominated for Best Pop Vocalist for her controversial chart-topper, “I Kissed a Girl.” And her parents couldn’t be prouder.

“They may not be singing along with everything,” she says, “but they are very happy.”

http://www.cbs.com/thunder/swf30can10cbsnews/rcpHolderCbs-3-4×3.swf
Watch CBS Videos Online

I laugh when I am asked by so many people, “so what do you do on your day off?” It seems that lots of people want to know what a pastor does for a hobby. For years I have awkwardly tried to answer the question.

In the past, I have spent a lot of time outdoors. While in Minnesota, we fished a lot, simply because it was convenient and relaxing. We left Minnesota and the 10,000lakes. I have spent a lot of time running. For years I ran trails and long distance races, some competitively. I had some back issues and had to quit running.

Now, we have picked up a strange hobby. It doesn’t sound very masculine but Letha and I buy clothes for the kids in Guatemala. Most Fridays (our day off) we run around and look for bargains on clothes that we can take to the orphanage on our next trip. That’s why I laugh when people ask me what I do for a hobby. It usually takes too long to explain. And my male friends would make fun of me for shopping for a hobby.

Oh well, it beats knitting!

Bruce Springsteen, (aka The Boss) is providing halftime entertainment at tomorrow’s Superbowl. Apparently, he will be singing his new song: Working on a Dream. I heard the song the first time a few months ago but it is really starting to explode with popularity. Check out the lyrics below and the youtube version.

I am not sure what Bruce is dreaming of but I can really identify with the concept of working on or developing a dream. Most of my adult life has been spent pursuing something that God put in my heart a long time ago. It takes an incredible amount of work and tenacity to make dreams become reality. Sometimes they never materialize. Sometimes you just sort of fall into them.

I get inspiration from Springsteen’s song. It motivates me to keep dreaming and keep working. I really like how the song leaves the topic unresolved. He doesn’t get to see his dream fulfilled yet. He simply says, “And how it will be mine someday…”.

Working on a Dream
Out here the nights are long, the days are lonely
I think of you and I’m working on a dream
I’m working on a dream

Now the cards I’ve drawn’s a rough hand, darlin’
I straighten my back and I’m working on a dream
I’m working on a dream

I’m working on a dream
Though sometimes it feels so far away
I’m working on a dream
And how it will be mine someday

Rain pourin’ down, I swing my hammer
My hands are rough from working on a dream
From working on a dream

I’m working on a dream
Though trouble can feel like it’s here to stay
I’m working on a dream
Our love will chase the trouble away

[whistling interlude]

I’m working on a dream
Though it can feel so far away
I’m working on a dream
And our love will make it real someday

Sunrise come, I climb the ladder
The new day breaks and I’m working on a dream
I’m working on a dream
I’m working on a dream
I’m working on a dream

I’m working on a dream
Though it can feel so far away
I’m working on a dream
And our love will make it real someday
I’m working on a dream
Though it can feel so far away
I’m working on a dream
And our love will make it real someday

I am referring to Ted Haggard, famous fallen pastor. Ted is on HBO tonight discussing his homosexual and drug activity while he was pastor of a mega-church in Colorado. Now before you get too excited, I have problems with neither. But I do share something with Ted.

When one of us falls publicly, we all fall to a certain extent. While Letha and I were watching the news tonight, Haggard was being interviewed, and was being asked about his sexuality. I realized that most of the members of our church who were watching the story probably wondered if I could ever be guilty of such things. While I hope that they all dismissed the idea immediately, we have to know that for some, we are guilty by association. Without doubt, some people are saying, “they are all the same!”, “all pastors are fakes”.

So in a sense, Ted’s struggle becomes my struggle and your struggle. We all pay the price.

I come out of this with a few observations:
• We have met the enemy and he is the devil. He wants to destroy us, plain and simple.
• Don’t get overconfident. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” (I Corinthians 10:12 NKJV)
• Pray for leaders. The more visible you are, the higher the price on your head.
• Trust takes a lifetime to earn and one second to lose.
• What you do is somebody else’s business. Stay thoroughly accountable.

“The measure of a man is not how much it takes to make him happy, but how little.” Purposely avoiding philosophy, I like the sound of it. In principle, we are to be content with whatever we have (Philippians 4:12, I Timothy 6:8). In practice, this is not often the case. We will probably all figure out one day that stuff does not make us happy. I am making a conscious effort to reduce the amount of what I consume and to give away more. I have to admit: there is a small part of me, or a large part, that really hopes that all of this “laying up your treasures in heaven” idea works. If not, I will be in trouble some day, when I get too old to work. But maybe I will be measured as a good man.

This week marked the return of our daughter, Jessica, to Guatemala. She and her husband Josh serve at Casa Shalom orphanage in Guatemala City and had been in the States for about a month on a break. Jessica remained a week longer to be with her family while we honored the life of her grandmother.

As I dropped Jess off at Miami International Airport on Monday, I was again struck by how quickly time flies. A large billboard outside of the airport advertises a bank. Showing a picture of dollar bills, it says, “Watch your little ones grow”. I think I said out loud (I was by myself) “I heard that, brother!”.

I was also reminded of how proud we are of who she has become. The whole time she was growing up, I pushed her really hard to see her potential. Sometimes, I was too demanding and overbearing, not always very sensitive to her feelings. I fought hard to get her to overcome her tendency to take the easy route (gets it from me). I felt like there was a danger of her missing out on the awesome things that God had planned for her.

We are not sure if my pressure helped or hurt, but she has turned out pretty good. She has a call on her life to help people and she is fulfilling it. She is sensitive and compassionate (gets it from her Mom). We are thankful for her spirit. While we were together last week, I told her that I am proud of who she is, not just of what she does.

On a more humorous note, I took Jess with me to a pastor’s conference last week, while Letha was away in St. Louis. Many of the guys at the meeting were my friends but did not know Jessica. You should have seen the heads spin as I walked into the room with a young blonde by my side! I threatened to make her wear a t-shirt that said, “I’m his daughter!”.

If you have yet to do so, check out Jessica and Josh’s blog at thehansonsinguatemala.blogspot.com. Be aware that they have Internet infrequently so their posts have not been very regular recently.

More importantly, pray for them and the kids at Casa Shalom. God is doing a great thing there. We are proud to be a part of it.

James 1:19-20 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. (NLT)

I need to listen more,
talk less,
and control my temper.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. “