A LETTER TO THE DENVER COMMUNITY CHURCH FAMILY

Brothers and Sisters,

Here we are in 2015. It’s a time to reflect on the past year and look ahead toward the New Year. For us at Denver Community Church it meant the start of new teaching focused on sexuality.

On Sunday, January 4 we began a new season of teaching based on Song of Songs - a book of ancient love poetry. We spoke of how this book was groundbreaking in its day, and how we believe it can be groundbreaking in our day as well.

And we need something groundbreaking when it comes to how we think about sexuality. I say this because the way the Church has thought and communicated about sex and sexuality over the years is failing us today. We need a new sexual ethic. (You can listen to the sermon from Sunday, January 4 in its entirety by clicking here).

That first sermon (and those that followed) has stirred conversation among many. Questions. Opinions. Assumptions. Debates. All swirling around the subject of sexuality.

Of course, this is exactly what we want our sermons to accomplish. However, we learned this is not exactly what many of you want. Several asked us to be more directive in our teaching. Asking questions like: “Why are we not outlining what is right and wrong?” “What is permissible?” “How far is too far?” “What are proper boundaries?”

Naturally, this leads us to Google.

If you don’t know something, just wait two seconds and you will. Why? Because we can “Google” it. We can search for anything and find millions of search results in under a second. For example I just Googled “Big Clown Ingests a Toy Pony.” My search yielded about 32,900,000 results in just 0.48 seconds. (How many of you Googled that to see if it’s true?) We have access to information in a way the world has never seen.

I bring this up to point out that dispensing and absorbing information no longer holds the power it once did. Information is free and available everywhere. We need to know how to assess and interact with information now more than ever. We need to learn how to think critically.

Which brings us back to our sermons.

We believe the best sermons are far more than a platform for dispensing information to affirm accepted, collective thinking. Sermons should stoke doubt, raise questions and disorient us. Not only that; sermons should strengthen our faith, offer direction in navigating questions and help reorient us.

Sermons like this give us a choice, but not a choice about making a choice. If someone leaves and is not forced to interact with what they just heard then we have failed. The end of a sermon should always be the beginning of conversation.

Which brings us back to conversations.

We must be thoughtful and careful as we enter these conversations. It’s tempting for us to take part of one sermon, run ahead with one idea, dwell on one thought or use one quote in an attempt to develop further thoughts. But that’s like trying to construct a house with one tool. It won’t work.

Few sermons are able stand on their own saying all that needs to be said. Any one sermon is one part of a larger body of work. As we teach through Song of Songs there will be seven sermons. Each sermon will connect and overlap with another – all of them raising different questions and furthering conversation.

Does this mean we will answer every question about sexuality in seven sermons? Not a chance. What it does mean is we will be better equipped to think critically about the complex realities regarding sex and sexuality. This allows us to then address questions that were not asked with a full compliment of tools and insights we may not have if we tried to give an answer to every question.

Will we share rules, boundaries and guidelines so we can clearly know what is permissible? No. But we will share insights, offer direction and elevate our view of humanity so we can see the beautiful and sacred nature of sex and sexuality. Rather than state what is permissible, we want to ask, “What is God’s best for all of us?” We want to cultivate a clear understanding about what is God’s best, and have a fresh vision about what it means to live as whole men and women who bear the image of God.

What we do know is this: we conclude our teaching on Song of Songs in four weeks. We could not be more thrilled about this. Because our hope is that when we finish the final sermon that will be the start of fresh conversation that will empower all of us to think together in a fresh way about sexuality.

Grace + Peace to you all,

Michael

JESUS AND THE RELIGIOUS

It is no secret Jesus often upset several within the religious community of his day. As a matter of fact, to say he “upset” them is to put it mildly. John, in his gospel tells us, “Again his opponents picked up stones to stone him …” (John 10:31, ©NIV) This was not the first time people tried to kill Jesus. They were not just upset; they wanted him dead and we should not be surprised.I say this because there are few things I can say I know with unwavering, absolute certainty. One of them is this: “If you often communicate in a public setting you will upset someone.” Jesus was no exception. However, rather than cheer Jesus on as someone who stuck it to the narrow-minded religious folks; we should consider what there is to learn from Jesus’ inability to keep himself out of trouble.Remember, Jesus did not dislike those who wanted him dead. In fact, when he approached Jerusalem the week of his death he wept over the city and those who hated him the most. Even when he was in agony on the cross and was mocked by his fervent opponents – Jesus prayed for their forgiveness.It is this attitude of Jesus that has much to teach us. One of the things I find fascinating about Jesus is for as much as he upset the religious that was never his main goal. Jesus said of himself he was sent to “proclaim good news to the poor … to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18,19 ©NIV). It was this message that was seen as a threat and heresy by many religious leaders.Yet, while those with a lot of skin in the religious game could not tolerate Jesus or his message there were others – on the margins of religion and society – who could not get enough of it. They were the hookers, the militant rebels, the “sinners” and the tax collectors (think powerful, corrupt, white-collar worker).And no matter how upset the ultra religious became with regard to Jesus’ message he refused to stop proclaiming it. Which teaches us that when we care more about the prevailing religious attitudes, biases and preferences than communicating hope to those on the margins, chances are good we have stepped away from the heart of Jesus’ message.It’s not that Jesus did not care for and love the religious who hated him – he did. But he did not care how angry they were about his message. His focus was proclaiming the good news for all people. Jesus knew that any gospel that is not good news for everyone is not the good news of God. And this drove the ultra-religious absolutely bonkers.It did then and it does now.In our world today there is no shortage of angry religious people picking up rocks to kill others. Of course, they are not literal rocks and the angry religious people are not going to actually murder anyone. But, who are we kidding?If we are angry with our sister or brother and slander them (For example: we resort to name calling, character assassination and posting slanderous blogs and articles about them as a way of dismissing them) we are in “danger of the fires of hell.” Jesus said that. Today we pick up words rather than rocks and seek to diminish souls rather than take a life.This teaches us that while ultra-religious people have been around for thousands of years – they have changed very little. They care more about their group, their set of beliefs, their political persuasion and their worldview than the heart of Jesus.This is why Jesus faced such dangerous opposition in his day. He was sent to proclaim freedom and liberation. And the ultra-religious are deeply suspicious of anyone who talks about such things. And Jesus talked about these things non-stop - never to anger the religious, but to “set the oppressed free.”Hedid this because he knew there were millions in his day that needed to hear it (including the ultra-religious) and billions and billions of people who would one day walk the earth long after he was gone that needed to hear it too.This should be a challenge for us. I say this, because, if I am honest it’s fun to upset the ultra-religious. As a matter of fact, if I am more honest, there have been times when I purposely set out to offend, shock and upset others. Few things are more stupid or irresponsible. In those immature times I deserve every bit of backlash I get. Anytime we set out to antagonize another we have ceased to proclaim the good news of Jesus.If we are to imitate Jesus and proclaim his good news it will be for everyone – religious and non-religious. It is not up to us who gets angry and who does not. We must commit to speak with the same love, mercy, compassion and grace Jesus did. With the full understanding some will be angry. And that’s when another challenge arises.When stones are picked up and the damming stares are cast our way, even then, we are to love those who want us dead with the same love Jesus did.And even then … May we never blink in the face of angry men and women who pick up stones to kill us. May our greatest concern never be pleasing the powers-that-be or toeing the “party line.” But may we be ruthless in our determination to proclaim the good news of Jesus that is for all people.

TOP FIVE (+1) BOOKS I READ IN 2014

At the head of the New Year, I thought I would share my five (plus one) favorite books I read in 2014. Please know not all these books were released in 2014 – in fact only two of them were – which means I need to read more so I can cut down the length of my reading list. The rest of these books were released earlier. It just took me until 2014 to finally get to read them … and of course a three-month sabbatical afforded me the time to read a bit more than normal.

1. The Bible Tells Me So by Peter Enns

This book will make you laugh, and I mean really laugh. Which is good, because I suspect this book also has the potential to upset us. The brilliance of this book however is how Enns approaches the Bible on its terms – in all of its ancient, primitive, Eastern roots. The reason I point this out is too often we approach the Bible on our terms – in all of its modern, sophisticated, Western foundation. Enns paints and endearing and challenging picture of Scripture that will cause anyone committed to Scripture to dive deeper.

2. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

If Enns had not written The Bible Tells Me So this would have easily been my number one book for 2014. Tolle writes in a compelling way, as though he is in conversation with the reader. And somehow he anticipates every question, comment and curiosity the reader has. His main point suggests all we are ever guaranteed in life is this present moment - what he calls the now. The tragedy is, few of us ever live in the present moment. We are stuck the to past and riddled with anxiety about our future. This book moves between theory and practice in an incredible way, which is probably why it has been enormously popular.

3. David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell is an author most people love to read. However, this book, far more than his others, churned out so many life lessons that challenged me to consider and reconsider many attitudes I possess. Through strong story telling, research and insights about our everyday world Gladwell causes the reader to see our world – in all of its opportunities and tragedies in a new light. I cannot think of a single person who would not benefit from reading this wonderful book.

4. The Language of God by Francis S. Collins

A friend of mine who is a pediatric neurologist gave me this book, which immediately made me think I would not understand anything in its pages. I was wrong. Collins explores our fine tuned world, and explains how his study of science – specifically the human body – led him to an understanding and belief in God. Part biography, part research and filled with stirring thoughts Collins creates a book well worth reading.

5. Learning to Walk In the Dark Barbara Brown Taylor

So often we tend to stay away from the dark. We run from it and are scared of it – especially in the Church. In her book, Taylor does just the opposite. Beyond her amazing skill and ability to write (she possesses and great economy of words) her observations about the dark are something all people should consider. Taylor does not offer up trite answers, but explores in great depth (and humor) the fact that nearly half of our lives are lived in the dark, and that fact alone has much to teach us.

6. 13 Things That Don’t Make Sense by Michael Brooks

I add this one … because I could not do just five. This book is fun to read. Brooks explores all the things about our world even the brightest minds cannot contemplate. It is fun and entertaining reading that makes your head hurt in a good way.

What were your favorites from 2014? Feel free to share in the comments below ... I am always looking for more recommendations!

HOW PASTORS RAISE EXPECTATIONS

It often seems when a member of the clergy makes the news it is not for good reasons. The most recent national headline came out of Maryland about Bishop Heather Elizabeth Cook who struck and killed a cyclist. She fled the scene before returning.

Michelle Boorstein from the Washington Post wrote of how this accident has set off “passionate debate about our expectations of religious leaders …” (See Boornstein’s article here). Let me be clear: I am not here to criticize Cook, the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland or any single member of clergy.

However, as a member of the clergy we must acknowledge our role in how high we have raised the level of expectations. There are a few reasons why I say this.

The first reason is the religious infatuation with celebrity pastors.

Much has been written to date about this phenomenon in American culture. Pastors have become famous public figures and icons. While members of the clergy may want to blame the masses for this, we would do better to look at ourselves. Far too often we tend to believe our own press.

There is a subtle motivation for pastors to gain a wider platform and get noticed. I do not believe any pastor is beyond being tempted by the allure of fame (and yes, if you are wondering, this includes me). While there is little we can do to change the opinions or attitudes of men and women in our congregations; we can stop pursuing being noticed and praised.

The more we pursue being celebrities and create celebrity culture the more we set ourselves up for a horrible downfall. Why? Because celebrities are not real – they are the men and women who look perfect, wear the latest and best clothing and live in zip codes God couldn’t afford.

When we create this kind of image around ourselves we invite our congregations to believe we have a near perfect and enviable life. Worse yet, celebrity pastors nearly always center their church on themselves – so if they fall so does the entire church.

The second reason is the consumer culture in our churches.

Many of today’s largest churches are machines fueled by the insane amounts of money given to keep it running. From the guitarist on the platform to those who maintain the massive buildings throughout the week – most everyone is paid.

All of this is done so the weekend events called worship services can be a show that rivals the best Broadway has to offer. This communicates to the masses showing up each weekend, “You sit there while we do everything you’ve paid for and come to expect.” In other words: Let the professionals do the heavy lifting.

We’ve even created a culture where sharing our faith is no longer necessary. All one has to do is invite his or her friend to attend church where a well-spoken person on the platform will tell them about Jesus. The unintended consequence within this rather popular church culture in America is the belief that those on the platform are somehow more in tune with God than those in the chairs. It’s little more than a religious brand of feudalism.

The third reason is we are consumed with doing and not with being.

It’s no secret the demands placed on members of the clergy are enormous. It seems nearly everyone has an opinion on … well, everything. From how we should dress, to what should be or should not be preached, to wanting us to give more time, and the list goes on. And, if you’ve been a member of the clergy for more than a week, you know when expectations are not met, people can get nasty.

The temptation is to try and please people. But let’s not forget – this will never happen. Ever.

I speak with so many pastors who burn out trying to do all that people want them to do. It is impossible. The best thing we can do for our congregation is not give them everything they expect, want or think they need. The best gift we can give them is to ruthlessly pursue spiritual, emotional and physical health.

Sure there will be some who complain. Sure we will get some mean emails. Sure there will be a few families who may even leave our churches because we are not meeting their needs.

But here is the good news.

Even if all that should happen – we will be more whole than ever. And being healthy and whole is the best thing we can give to our congregations. To do this we must begin with vulnerability – which is a great enemy to celebrity, consumerism and attempting to please.

In being vulnerable we invite those closest to us to speak into our lives, call us out when we are wrong and challenge us to better living. We must have men and women with whom we confess our insecurities, sins and struggles. With proper disclosure, we must do this with our congregations too. We must give them the gift of seeing us as nothing other than men and women who are on the same journey toward wholeness and healing as everyone else.

While the debates about expectations swirls, as members of the clergy we must be willing to take responsibility for how we have contributed to unreasonably high expectations.

When we pursue celebrity we invite people to believe something that is not real. If we entertain and add to the consumer culture in our world we tell people we have something they have to pay for. If we strive to please we will be left gutted with nothing to offer.

It’s possible if we are able to recognize these things, overcome the temptation that each brings and move beyond them we may adjust expectations to a reasonable place.

Should the expectations on members of clergy be high? I’d say yes – high but not unrealistic. And I believe how realistic the expectations on us actually are is more up to us than we may care to admit.

JUSTICE IS EXPENSIVE

Justice.

A word that has been on the tip of thousands of tongue’s in the last several weeks. From tweets, to news reports, to protests – hundreds of thousands of are crying out for justice. In all of this there may be a question well worth asking, “What does the word ‘justice’ even mean?” This is more than semantics or clever thinking.

It is important to consider, for we are bombarded with both overt and subtle messages about justice. Chances are we may be operating with different understandings, which could hinder our ability to work together toward a more just society.

In my experience most (if not all) people know our world is broken and in need of repair. Things are not as they should be and we long for them to made right. This longing within us for things to be put right is one of the great human goals and dreams. Faithful men and women know this because all men and women have heard, deep within themselves, the echo of a voice which calls us to live like that (paraphrased from N.T. Wright, Simply Christian, page 15).

This longing for things to be made right is our heart’s cry for justice. And this is what we ought to consider. Too often we understand justice only as punishment, as retribution, and fail to see it as something bigger.

We believe if you hit someone you deserve to be hit back with equal force. If you commit a crime you deserve to be punished. We want to the bad guys to lose and live to get even with those who wronged us. On it goes. This punitive idea however, is only one kind of justice, and one we are well practiced at distributing.

This is where our limited understanding of justice as retribution often breaks down. Why? Because when someone strikes us we do not return an equal blow. Rather, we deliver a blow with greater force. And then what happens? The person who struck first now believes he or she is entitled to retaliate and administer punishment – all in the name of justice. This spiral downward does not stop.

Jesus seemed to know a thing or two about this. This is why he told his followers to move beyond the ancient “eye for an eye; tooth for a tooth” idea of justice that we have yet to learn. Beyond this, justice as punishment is incomplete. This is why men and women throughout history can be punished over and over while going through little change in their heart and life.

Thankfully, there is much more to justice …

“… restorative justice, whose chief purpose is not punitive but restorative, healing. It holds as central the essential humanity of the perpetrator of even the most gruesome atrocity, never giving up on anyone, believing in the essential goodness of all as created in the image of God, and believing that even the worst of us still remains a child of God with the potential to become better, someone to be salvaged to be rehabilitated, not to be ostracized, but ultimately to be reintegrated into the community” (Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu, God is Not a Christian, page 155 – 156).

Tutu touches on God’s greatest desire, which is not to see punishment served, but to see his healing and shalom flow into this world. Even a casual reading of the Bible leads one to see God’s bent toward restoration over and above punishment. God is the one who makes all things new. The question then is why don’t we see more desire and cries for restorative justice in our world today?

Good question – allow me to attempt an answer.

We know punitive justice. Let’s be honest, it’s easy and it feels good. When someone wrongs us, few things feel better than to stand by and watch them pay. Really pay. There is a primal, visceral enjoyment in watching someone who has caused you pain experience pain. The same cannot be so easily said of healing and restoration.

These call for us to place love, care, concern for the one who wronged us before our desire for them to be punished. It calls for us to want something better for those who caused pain, did wrong or committed a crime.

This goes against everything inside us, but let’s not forget God’s heart in this. Walter Brueggeman suggests God possessed a willingness to turn the grief, wrath, anger and punishment on himself rather than to rage against his creation. “God bears the vengeance of God in order that his creation can have compassion.” What we see in God is his willingness to give everything – even his Son – so we are freed to pursue restorative justice in this world of ours.

The challenge that lies within restorative justice is one that calls us to act in a selfless way reminiscent of Jesus’ act on the cross. It asks us to kneel alongside him in the garden and pray, “Not what I want God, but what you want.” This teaches us justice is expensive. Maybe this is why so many prefer not to make the payment, and settle for an incomplete, punitive idea of justice that will never lead to the restoration we so desperately need.

But what if as we continue to cry out for justice we chose differently? What would happen if we purposed to work toward renewal? What could our neighborhoods, cities, country and world look like if we moved beyond punishment and took the long road that leads to restoration?

I suspect our cries would make the long turn from cries of longing toward shouts of celebration. And to that end may we all work.

PRACTICING THANKFULNESS

Today is Thanksgiving here in America. While this is a day dedicated toward thankfulness and gratitude we must not forget giving thanks ought to be a way of life for the people of God.I point this out because it’s possible we struggle to live the kind of life defined by gratitude. Perhaps this is one reason Thanksgiving is overlooked in the mad rush toward Christmas. Christmas, for many, is about getting more. Thanksgiving is about saying “thank you” for what we have already been given.We need to practice the art of thankfulness each and everyday of our lives. If we were to do this chances are we would find ourselves more content, more generous and wanting less. It seems however, many of us struggle to live each day in humble gratitude.A few weeks ago I was sitting with a few people and asked, “What are you grateful for?” There was stunned silence. No one in that group could answer quickly. I then asked why they had a hard time responding. One of them said, “I just don’t think about thankfulness very much.”And here we are today, Thanksgiving. A time when we can think about it. But let’s not just think about being grateful. There are a few things we can observe and practice that will cause us to be more grateful in the days and weeks ahead.So, what are these things we ought to observe and practice ? Awareness, Memory and Grace.AwarenessAwareness has fallen on hard times. One’s ability to be present is waning. There are millions of things grabbing at our attention in our world today. Thanks to technology we can take in more things than ever.We do all we can to ensure we don’t miss anything, and in doing so we miss everything. We have distanced ourselves from what is right in front of us, and this is to our detriment. We live in the midst of the miraculous and miss much of it.When was the last time you sat and watched a sunset? When was the last time you looked deeply into the eyes of your partner? When was the last time you listened to a friend as he or she spoke to you? When was the last time you truly paid attention?Chances are responding to that question is not an easy one. If we are honest about our struggle with awareness it can lead us to learn an important lesson. When most of our attention is stripped from us it becomes increasingly difficult to see the things for which we should be thankful, because, well, we don’t see them. As we practice being thankful, perhaps the first thing we can do is practice presence.I suspect if you do this you will find yourself saying “thank you” in an almost involuntary way. Because when we are aware we are able to behold the miraculous.MemoryMany of us speak of struggling to remember to say “thank you.” But our struggle to remember runs deeper than that. The most common command found in the first five books of the Bible is to “remember.” Why? Because humans have proven we are skilled at forgetting.We quickly forget all the good that exists when pain or suffering enters into our lives. We forget the years of good, healthy relationship when a friend hurts us. Likewise, we forget all we have been given when we identify something we want. It’s not so much we forget to say “thank you”, but forget God’s faithfulness to us each and everyday. As we practice being thankful we need to learn how to remember.Over the next several days let’s put our phones to good use. Take a picture of all the things for which we are grateful. At the end of the day scroll through the photos as a way of reminding ourselves of the things we experienced that day.Pause on each photo, remind yourself of why you took the photo and offer the simple prayer, “Thank you.” This will be a first step in remembering, and will help us to remember every good gift comes from above.GraceGrace says good things are given to us no matter who we are or what we have done. This is why grace is so scandalous. We live in a world that teaches us we have to earn things or do work hard to get what we want.On top of this many in our world have settled into an attitude of entitlement, which is the opposite of thankfulness. Entitlement believes good things are owed to us. Entitlement leaves little room for grace.But grace invites us to understand this: everything is a gift.All we have has been given to us regardless of what we have done to make ourselves or others think we deserve it. And this is something that should keep us in a place of saying “thank you” every moment for the rest of our lives.This week take some time to do an inventory of all the good things in your life – relationships, possessions, health, employment, education, etc. Pick one for which you are particularly grateful and then work your way back toward how that came to be in your life.Did you earn it? Then ask, “Who gave me the ability or skills to earn it?” Is it a relationship that has made you better? Then ask, “How much has this person selflessly given for my benefit?”The further back we go the more we will discover that grace stands silently behind all we have gently reminding us life itself is a gift.So may you, during this Thanksgiving day, be aware of the good in your life, remember all you have been given, and have the eyes to see that everything is a gift. And may this awareness, memory and grace lead you to pray these simple yet profound words: “Thank You.”

GIFTS IN THE MESS

It’s been some time since I’ve written a blog or written much of anything. On May 5 I began a three-month sabbatical. It was unbelievably renewing and lent clarity to me, my life, my family and my work like I have never had.

Over the next few weeks I plan to share a few of the things I learned during sabbatical. Beginning with the need to sort through the mess of our lives.

As I began my sabbatical things felt foggy, I felt a bit stuck and things were messy. Mind you, this is an exciting place to be. As Michael Brooks says, “… being completely and utterly stuck can be a good thing; it often means a revolution is coming.”

What I am learning is the revolution will only come if we are willing to walk further into the fog, and jump deeper into the mess.

This is important because not all messes are bad messes. Consider the last time you hosted a party at your house and the mess left after. Of course, there are the bad messes after a party, but there are also good messes.

This summer my wife and I celebrated our daughter’s fourth birthday and invited several of her 4-year-old friends to our home for a party. In no time our backyard was humming with activity as kids ran through our sprinklers and devoured cake. The energy really exploded when it was time for presents. My daughter shredded every piece of wrapping paper and every gift bag to find what was inside. As soon as  as the flurry of gift giving had started it was over.

My daughter grabbed her favorite gifts and ran into our house with her friends to play, and our patio was buried beneath 6 inches of wrapping paper, gift bags and tissue paper. I began clean up, gathered a huge amount of paper and gift-wrap and wedged it into our recycle bin – and that’s when I noticed a pink tail of a pony sticking out between the wrapping paper.

Scattered through the mess on my patio were gifts my daughter had been given. Which meant I had to sort through the mess so I could find the gifts. This is the good kind of mess.

Because even in the times we feel stuck, when the landscape of life is covered in fog and there is mess we’d rather not sort through – in those very places there are gifts to be uncovered. Which means we have a choice to make. Stubbornly ignore the mess or dive into it.

As I considered whether or not I wanted to dive into the good mess of my life, I watched an interview with the incomparable Frederick Buechner. He was asked, if someone said they were looking for God, “What would you tell them?”He paused for a moment and said, “Pay attention,” he paused as if reflecting on what he just said before he said it again with more passion, “Pay attention!”

And with that, I knew I had to stop and pay attention to the mess so I could find the gifts amidst the litter of the last seven years. And what I learned is what Eugene Peterson observes … messiness is the precondition of creativity. Sometimes the places and spaces and messes we’d rather ignore are the very places that offer the greatest gifts. And this is where I began. In the mess - a good mess - and I found it to be glorious because in it were a countless number of gifts I would have missed otherwise. And let's not forget, "every good and perfect gift is from above."

Which leads me to ask, what are the messes you’ve ignored? It’s possible, at first glance, it looks like a bad mess. But even there, in the midst of chaos, God is one who can and will give us gifts. Perhaps it’s time to dive in … and should you choose to do that you have to first stop and pay attention. If we can do that, there is a good chance we'll find more than a gift - we'll find a God who has been there the whole time.

BE QUIET NOW AND REST

On Monday, May 5 I began a three-month sabbatical. It is a time for me to cease normal work, slow my life down to a crawl, be still, spend extended time in silence, and listen to the still small voice that too often is difficult to hear in the constant drone of everyday life.

Many asked how I felt as the sabbatical approached. My response has been twofold, “Tired and full.”

“Tired” in the best sense of the word. It’s a good, satisfying kind of tired. The kind you have after a long run. All you want to do is sit and rest, and you feel okay doing so because you know you ran hard.

“Full” because of the people of Denver Community Church who constantly display the heart of Jesus. The best part of being a part of this tribe is I get a front row seat to all the healing, love, grace, mercy and restoration happening in and through my brothers and sisters.

And now, after seven years, it is time to be quiet and rest. I will do no regular work. When it comes to an online presence, it’s safe to say I will be a bit of recluse. From time to time I will send an update to my brothers and sisters at Denver Community Church.

Other than that, I will spend my waking hours de-cluttering my soul and creating space in my head and heart. Over the next three months I will spend many days in solitude and silence. I will attend a few guided retreats and a three-day leadership intensive. As I process all this, I will meet regularly with a small group of friends, to help me think through all I will learn and hear.

My family and I will get away for an extended vacation, and simply enjoy each other away from the confines of home.

In addition to this, I will spend a lot of time reading books from several authors from Malcolm Gladwell to Eckhart Tolle to Kurt Vonnegut to Eugene Peterson. However, my biggest priority in reading is to read through the entire Bible during my time away.

And don’t forget about golf, hiking, camping and many evenings spent relaxing on my patio – which happens to be my favorite place in Denver.

My only request for all of you is that you would commit to pray for me during this time. I would ask that you would pray for centeredness, clarity, true rest, a supernatural ability to listen and, of course, laughter for my family and me during these months.

And now, I sign off – Peace be with you, my brothers and sisters.