The Narrow Road (fb)

from Wimber tonight - he is dropping bombs...


"The economy of the Kingdom of God is quite simple.  Every new step into the Kingdom costs us everything we have gained to date.  Every time we cross a new threshold, it costs us everything we now have.  Every new step may cost us the reputation and security we have accumulated up to that point.  It costs us our life...If there is anything that characterizes Christian maturity it is a willingness to become a beginner again for Jesus Christ."  


May I say again I do love Him with all my heart - resolved that the best days in Jesus are always in the future not in the past- and accepting that the journey to intimacy is the continual embrace of becoming a child again.  He is the treasure worth buying the farm for.

Systemic Racism (fb)

Drug sentencing laws have long been one of the most blatant examples of systemic or institutional racism.  This chart in a recent article in the WSJ (Crack Sentences Still Tough, 12.22.10, Gary Fields) clearly reveals that we've got a long way to go.


Alexis de Tocqueville, commenting on the American experiment in 1835, said "I do not imagine that the white and black race will ever live in any country upon an equal footing.  But I believe the difficulty to be still greater in the United States than elsewhere.  An isolated individual may surmount the prejudices of religion, of his country, or of his race, and if this individual is a king he may effect surprising changes in society; but a whole people cannot rise, as it were, above itself.  A despot who should subject the americans and their former slaves to the same yoke, might perhaps succeed in commingling their races; but as long as the american democracy remains at the head of affairs no one will undertake so difficult a task; and it may be foreseen that the freer the white population of the United States becomes, the more isolated it will remain." (Democracy in America)  But our hope doesn't lie in our system of government, our hope is in a group of people called Church who live differently because they reserve their highest loyalty for their King- a king who has already surmounted all prejudice.


According to a 2000 study by Michael Emmerson and Christian Smith (Divided by Faith) only 4% of white Protestant Christians believe that racism is among the top issues Christians should be concerned with.  Contrast that with 25% of African-American Protestants who believe that it is the number one issue that Christians should be concerned with.  


Systemic racism is perpetuated when we deny that it exists.  We don't have to look for hints and whispers, there are shouts all around if we'll pay attention.  Change begins with awareness - the Bible calls that "bringing the darkness into the light."   It can change in one generation but it will require the Church really being the Church at her most radiant - astonishing at her unity through diversity and tenacious heart for the justice of the true King and his Kingdom.

He noticed me (fb)

"He noticed me."  That phrase has haunted me in the most wonderful way for weeks now.  It comes into my mind when I'm driving to work, at random times during the day and when I lie down at night.  The words were spoken by a teenage girl in a song that she wrote during an incredibly intense time in her life.  Intense, exciting, scary, uncertain, supernatural.  I wish I could tell you more about her I really do.  Was she outgoing or shy?  Popular or unknown?  Beautiful or challenged?  Easily embarrassed or life of the party?   The answers to those and a gagillion other questions we don't know, we aren't supposed to know.  I'll tell you what we do know. She was a teenager- with all the fear, insecurity, confusion, hope, and longings that teenage girls have.  She was from a smallish town that was kind of a "not such a big deal" place.  She had a fiance.'  She had never had sex- which I think is the thing we're most supposed to know.

Suddenly in the midst of a life probably not unlike the lives of her friends and their moms before them- another world breaks through with an excitement almost uncontainable.  It began with an angel, glowing from exposure to 180-proof glory- enough to make any teenage girl or warrior fall on their face- standing in her room talking to her.  The angel told her God knew her, wanted to bless her, that she would become pregnant, name the child Jesus, and watch as the child became King over a kingdom that would never end.  Overwhelming, outrageous, too much to process, happening so fast - what must she have thought?

She became pregnant and soon went to visit a relative, a woman named Elizabeth.  Elizabeth was older, a woman who loved God, who had recently had some supernatural events breakthrough into her world as well.  Did Mary go to see Elizabeth for perspective?  Wisdom?  Some time away to process?  The answers to those and a gagillion other questions we don't know, we aren't supposed to know.  I'll tell you what we do know.  Elizabeth practically fell at Mary's feet when Mary walked in the door, declaring her to be the most "blessed of all women."  Elizabeth reacted as human beings who have longed for God's presence for a lifetime respond when He enters their world.  What must Mary have felt?  Like teenage girls before and after she wrote a poem, a song, a journal entry- she had to get it down- what she was thinking and feeling.  And knowing now what we do know now- we can claim her song as our own.  An expression of a heart that has been made new by the life and death and life of Jesus.

She begins... "My heart praises God, He makes my soul happy because He noticed me"

May I tell me and may I remind you that what was true of her is true of us?  When the human heart experiences the reality that He noticed me the religion goes out the door and the relationship becomes consuming in a way that would turn anyone into a lovesick singer-songwriter.  "He noticed me...He knows my name...He's real and close not far away...He pursued me...He knows EVERYTHING and He still wants to be my friend...His mercy is compelling...the reality of God intervening in my life has changed its trajectory forever and I am finally discovering what life is and who I am - I'm starting to Live!"

For 2000 years the Church has called Mary's song the Magnificat - but you can call it He Noticed Me- may it haunt you in the most wonderful way.

Unity is and is not (fc)

As Jesus sent his disciples out to do his works he didn’t say, “now be nice to each other and you’ll see the sick healed and demons flee and hearts transformed.”  He said “Don’t go alone; be careful!  I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves, expect to be imprisoned, expect persecution, expect to stand before politicians and princes, expect to be rejected by brothers and fathers, expect strife, but stand firm to the end because my Father will give you everything you need- in fact- it makes Him happy to give you his entire Kingdom!”

Paul, Peter, James – all of them say expect it to be hard- you’ll be tempted to blame each other but remember, you’re fighting demons not each other (Eph 6).

If we want unity it won’t feel like unity most of the time-  it will feel like we’re barely hanging on to each other.  Real unity, REAL community comes at a great price- we surrender our rights for the sake of Christ and one another.  We together go on a journey of dying to ourselves and living to Christ and it’s hard.

If it’s going well it will drive you into 2 places: 

1.     To your knees in desperate prayer

2.     Into hard conversations 

Preparing our kids for life on Mars (fc)

About three years ago Stacy and I had a conversation on the beach at Isle of Palms, South Carolina.  We were talking about globalization and a changing world and skills that kids will need in the future.  I came home and started a list I never finished.  A list that really is unfinishable - but here's the start of an interesting conversation- feel free to add to it.

Skills my kids need in order to thrive in their generation that they won’t learn in school:

Fluency in at least one, preferably two languages other than English

How to lead a cross-disciplinary team confronted with a specific challenge or project.

How to quickly garner as much empathy as possible for a new person or people group.  In other words, how do you “walk in someone else’s moccasins” intentionally, as quickly as possible?

The ability to thrive in cross-cultural situations.

The ability to assimilate and synthesize large quantities of information quickly.  How to get to the most relevant facts.

Travel savvy- especially in navigating internationally and in mega-cities

Mega-city savvy- generally- especially transportation and communication

The appreciation of culinary diversity- an adventurous palate. 

An astonishing work ethic

The ability to speak the language of working people and of intellectual elites for the purpose of gaining respect at first impression.

A genuine excitement about learning and applying new technology

The ability to cultivate food- basic horticulture and animal husbandry

A working understanding of financial instruments and markets including barter and insurance.

An appreciation of the arts and their importance in culture and community building

"You're a prophet and a dreamer" (fb)

"You're a prophet and a dreamer" - translated, "There is a label that explains your behavior- that makes sense of why you'd want to leave our club- that frees us from examining the system we continue to prop up"


Here is an interview with someone who gets it and holds it with grace and humility.  The contrast is striking.



What's Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris from Ben Peays on Vimeo.

A little Thursday am Wimber (fb)

I was recently asked to list my "heroes, from the past or today, who you most admire and desire to emulate."  The late John Wimber made the short list.  I never met him but I love him - love how he loved the Church - how he made people feel empowered and encouraged- all the people.  I love how his humble and obedient heart freed others to take risks.  He was a rock n roller turned Jesus freak.  A revivalist who was the catalytic figure in worldwide revival in the late 80's and early 90's - most Americans have never heard of him, most Brits have and consider him a spiritual father of their movement.  He made life with Jesus simple, fun and full of power.


A few zingers from the intro of Everyone Gets to Play - the second compilation of John Wimber writings.  Just started this morning- the type of book best read devotionally - sipped not gulped- so I look forward to some pearls over the next few weeks.


"I can either get a tent and have a huge revival where I can do this by myself, or I can release it to the people, and equip them to play." - Wimber


"I had good teaching, but John Wimber and company had good fruit" - Bill Johnson


"John came with his ministry and left it with us" - David Pytches


"I realized that sometimes there is no way to explain obedience and sacrifice to God to those who do not see the Pearl." - Wimber