Chaz, Carson, Playboy, and Dancing With the Stars

Who would have thought the show 'Dancing With the Stars' would stir such great controversy that it would make headlines? A few days ago I read an article from the BBC about a new call to boycott the program. Several groups who self-identify as Christians are doing what they can to create a stir because of two contestants who are on the show this season.

One contestant is Chaz Bono, the child of Sonny and Cher, who is transgender. The other is Carson Kressley, of 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy', who is gay. There are some who are outraged over this, going so far as to claim that the show is "completely unacceptable” and that Christians have no excuse as for watching the show. Others claim that this is just another example of the media pushing a “sexual agenda on American Families.”

I believe that everyone is entitled to have an opinion, and that they are entitled to share that opinion with anyone who will listen. Today, many are choosing to make that opinion known about Chaz, Carson, and 'Dancing With the Stars.'

Their opinion is that what this show is doing is ultimately a subtle undermining of the family and further destruction of family values. Therefore, to protest the show is something they consider important. This sort of behavior is nothing new. In the past many have reacted strongly toward the LGBTQ community for any number of reasons. So when Chaz Bono and Carson Kressley were selected for the show it is just another reason to go on the offensive.

What is fascinating to me, however, is that these groups have been silent about this game show until today. They state their concern is to protect family values, which is fine and good. However, in the last few seasons there have been two Playboy Playmates on this show and these groups have said nothing. In fact one group suggested that until now 'Dancing With the Stars' was something that could be a "family show."

I recognize that not everyone shares my viewpoint on pornography, but research has shown its negative effects on men, women, the family, and society. Philip Zimbardo speaks toward this in his talk “The Demise of Guys?” This should cause concern for those who have given their lives to protecting and defending the family. I say this because there are staggering numbers of people engaging in pornography, and if Zimbardo is right, we have a serious problem.

Which then leads me to ask the question, “Why were these groups silent when there were Playboy models on the show?” Was that not a “sexual agenda?” Does this not represent a threat to the family? Would this be “partially” acceptable and not “completely” unacceptable?

If they are truly concerned about the family, then it stands to reason they would attack anything that threatens it, especially something that has proven to be as toxic as porn. But they don’t, they only attack over certain issues. Unfortunately Chaz Bono and Carson Kressley have been forced to bear the brunt of unfair accusations, harsh criticism, and unloving attitudes from these groups. It may do well for these groups to be honest and admit that perhaps they have an agenda too.

The Psalms of Eminem

A few weeks ago I said to a friend, “I think that if Eminem lived in the days of King David he may have written a psalm or two that would have made it into the Bible.” He thought I was crazy, and perhaps he was right. However, I still stand by that statement.

Eminem hit the big time in 1999 and was met with wild acclaim. He drew a mainstream audience that had, until his arrival, largely remained distant from hip-hop music. Perhaps it is because Eminem is white, and (paraphrasing his words) people “connected with him too because he looked like them.” He has constantly garnered attention on the music scene and away from music.

He has had a long list of well-documented problems - drug addiction, a difficult upbringing, public lawsuits, and his tumultuous relationship with his ex-wife. Beyond this his lyrics have been considered by many to be vulgar, sexist, and violent. Over the years people have protested his concerts and tried to censor him.

To say that Eminem is controversial is a bit like saying Northern Alaska is a bit chilly in the midst of winter is, one might say, a colossal understatement. To suggest that he could actually have been someone whose words could have been recorded in the pages of Scripture is, one might say, a colossal overstatement. Yet, in the midst of a troubled life and raw lyrics there is a redemptive thread in his music.

The redemptive thread in the music of Eminem echoes the same that one finds in the collection of Psalms in the Hebrew Scriptures. Many often think and speak of the Psalms as a book filled with the praise and adoration of God. While there is a considerable amount of that in the book, almost half of the Psalms are laments.

The Psalms of lament are brutally honest lyrics that reflect the concrete realities of everyday life. Within the book of Psalms are confessions of dark secrets, desire for vengeance, violence, and deep expressions of doubt, confusion, and anger aimed squarely at God himself. The language in the laments portray deep trouble, torment, and anger in language that many Christians may want to censor if they were written today.

These laments charge before God with gut wrenching lyrics. Some are directed toward enemies such as, “Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks” (Psalm 137.9). There are lyrics of hopeless surrender like, “You have taken from me friend and neighbor - darkness is my closest friend” (Psalm 88.18). Psalms that question God over his neglect, “Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?” (Psalm 44.24).

Beyond the lyrics of the Psalms are the poets and musicians who wrote them. King Solomon penned a couple of songs that made it into the Book of Psalms. We know that he could not keep away from women, which led to him having almost 1,000 wives and concubines. It was his weakness with women that led him away from God. While his story is sultry, what about his dad’s?

Solomon was the son of Bathsheba, the woman who had a tryst with David, Solomon’s father. As the story goes, Bathsheba got pregnant from their encounter, and David wanted to cover it up. Which involved deception, betrayal, and eventually murder – none of which worked. David was so violent that God told him that because he was a man of blood he could not build the temple.

You may be thinking that while this is true, a man like David confessed his sins. Well, so does Eminem. On his latest solo album he has a fascinating line where, when struck by lightning, he calls out to God saying, “Alright then I quit, God I give up. Call it evil that men do, lord forgive me for what my pen do.” It sure does not measure up the sanitized confessional prayers we have all been taught to pray, but he is talking honestly to God in his all of his imperfection.

For Eminem there is a brutal honesty in his music that is admirable. He is willing to say the things that no one else is willing to say, even when it’s profane. He speaks of his anger, sorrow, hatred, fears, love, and rays of hope in a smashingly candid way. It is from this place that he cries out to God, who sometimes, as the Psalmists says, seems to be hiding his face.

You, like my friend, may think I am crazy. That's okay. However, I do not believe people or things have to be “Christian” to be sacred. In the same way people and things do not need to be “non-Christian” to be secular. There is always a bit of both in everything here on this earth. Perhaps we should not be so quick to throw something out that makes us uncomfortable. Maybe we should hold it and seek to learn from it. Perhaps we have more to learn than we realize from the Psalms of Eminem.

My CHurch Membership Card

The Pub on Pearl, is a neighborhood pub that is right behind our church building. Since I’ve been here, I have become friends with the owners, and often find myself in conversation with them. A few weeks ago I was speaking with Brent, one of the owners, and he said, “I was thinking about stopping by some Sunday to check out the church.” He paused for a second and then said, “I don’t need to have a card or anything to get in, do I?”

“No,” I said, “we are not Sam’s Club.” As he sees it, church is something that is distant and foreign. The church he has gotten to know are the people who are a part of Denver Community Church who grab a burger and beer at his establishment.

This conversation has been on my mind quite a bit lately amidst conversations that I have had, articles that I have read, and teachings that I have heard about “church membership.” Maybe Brent has heard something about this too, which is why he thinks he needs a member’s card.

I have nothing against church membership. However, I do think that it has fallen on hard times, and maybe for good reason. Many today question whether or not it is needed, if it matters, and ask why they have to be a member. To those legitimate questions and concerns there are many answers, but the answers don’t seem to be enough – or maybe it’s just the thing the answers overlook.

Some of the most common responses to those who question church membership begin with a few bible verses with historical examples from the Church squeezed in. This is confusing, because there is nowhere in the bible that advocates church membership. While some want to say "it's biblical" it really is not. If we are honest, it is a construct that has developed from culture.

This does not mean that it is right or that it is wrong, there are lots of things we do everyday that are fine and are not biblical. But when we quote verses and throw the biblical word in front of membership it sounds like we think we've got it nailed. For me, I still do not see membership anywhere in the Bible, at least not in the way that it’s been done in the contexts I’ve been a part of.

In the scattered places I’ve been, membership consists of, among other things, learning about the church’s history and theology, claiming to be a Christian, agreeing with the church’s polity and doctrine, agreeing to submit to church leadership (including discipline), and having to be interviewed by a church leader. After a person goes through this all the rights of membership or open to them. Typically this means they can vote for or against the budget, nominate and vote for elders, deacons, bishops, and pastors, and a few other "privileges."

It is quite like a mix of becoming a member of a private club, and becoming of age to vote in an election. When I hear people advocate this I always get a little uncomfortable, others however, do not.

Recently someone said to me, “Church membership is needed now more than ever, because it will teach the younger generations something about commitment.” They went on to talk about commitment issues that plague the emerging generations, and how signing their name as a member would be good for them. “They would learn about submission in this process,” he said as he finished his pro-church membership monologue.

And it’s this attitude that brings me back to the thing the answers overlook. That being, the heart. What matters most with regard to church membership is the heart of the member. While some believe that church membership is a safeguard for doctrine, a mode for discipline, and a way to foster commitment, let’s be honest. What does a signature mean anymore?

People sign for credit cards and loans everyday only to default a short time later. People sign marriage licenses everyday – till death do them part – and our divorce rate is at an all time high. There is a reason litigation lawyers make a lot of money. Signing your name, for many, is just ink and paper. More times that I can count I have seen a church try to discipline or restore one of her members only to have the member leave. What could they do? Remind them of their signature?

To say the signature matters is to stop far short of what really does, namely the heart. Perhaps we should lay off preaching church membership so much, bending verses to make them support it, and calling it biblical. Our time should be given to displaying what a shared, committed, authentic, communal life looks like. The truth is no one will engage, submit, commit, and share life because of a piece of paper, an interview, or mental ascent to church polity.

This can only happen through heart and life change, which is what the Bible continually addresses. If we more time looking at our own hearts, and truthfully sharing them with others we may have more committed members than we ever have had before. And those members can tell their friends, “No, you don’t need a card to belong.”

Please Do Not Tell it Like It Is

For as long as I can remember people have spoken of others who “talk straight” in an admiring way. Just yesterday I read an article praising a pastor who does not “candy-coat” his messages. A few weeks ago someone was telling me about a pastor they know who “doesn’t waste any time” because he just “tells it like it is.”

This kind of rhetoric has often seemed to me to be unloving, arrogant, and insensitive. It makes the assumption that a person can make authoritative, absolutist statements to others who willingly ingest them. This kind of communication smacks of power and not humility. Those who speak this way demand to be heard, rather than showing a willingness to earn a place in conversation.

Let me unpack this a little.

When someone says that a person “tells it like it is” that’s often not true. They tell it as they understand it to be. Every viewpoint is a view from a point (which would be a smashing name for a blog). Most people have an opinion, a perspective, a way of seeing things and those things should be heard. For it is with diverse perspectives that we gain greater understanding and clarity – not only about an issue but also about ourselves.

When a person shows up, speaking louder than the rest and says “Let me tell it like it is …” it diminishes the thoughts and insights of others. This is why this style of rhetoric carries an arrogant edge, for the one speaking is telling all who will listen that his message is what’s most important. It’s saying, “I am not interested in what you think.”

Those who routinely practice “straight talk” often lack the ability to listen, which in turn stunts their ability to learn, which in another turn (didn’t see that one coming did you?) is why they rarely have anything new to say. I think they know this, which is why, over time, they become increasingly louder and angrier. Maybe they feel stuck, and they don’t know what to do about it.

It’s this attitude that pursues “power over” and does not approach others in a posture of humility. Jesus was all about “power under.” In his teachings Jesus is calling on people’s imaginations. His communicated in stories, and always asked questions. Even when he was asked questions, he rarely answered it head on. It must have driven those “straight talkers” crazy!

By fostering conversation, telling stories, and asking questions Jesus forced his listeners to think and take a good hard look at their heart. He always did this with love and humility as he not only spoke with others but listened to them too. Jesus’ biggest concern was not “getting heard,” but for people to see their hearts. He knew that “telling it like it is” often doesn’t provide space for people to get there.

Some believe that "truth needs to be heard" at all costs, which makes "telling it like it is" okay. But let's not forget that if this happens in an unloving way, it's counts as nothing. Maybe this is why so many people have stopped listening to dogmatic pastors and angry politicians. If there is no love they are only a clanging pots and pans - people don't hear anything. Jesus told stories in humility - and yet his message has endured for 2,000 years.

Jesus spoke in the tradition of the prophets. The prophets spun rhymes, acted out messages in dramatic fashion, and wrote poems that were comforting and disturbing. A common hook for the prophets to hang their message on was, “They LORD has said.”

Frightening – not so much for the one’s hearing the message, but for the prophets. They were proposing to speak, not just for God, but the very words of God. Which means they had to listen well. For all that has been said about the prophet’s messages, I am more amazed by their ability to hear God. The prophets listened well.

My hope is that someday people may say of the people of God “they listened well” and that we don’t only have ears to hear ourselves. For it is through the act of listening that we learn to speak well. May our desire for brevity and insistence on the “bottom line” never lead us to “straight talk.” For while the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, let’s be honest, linear conversation is boring and rarely leads anywhere – especially the heart.

Resting for a Traithlon

When I first decided to do a triathlon the only thing I could think about was training. Swimming, biking and running – nonstop. So I did just that. In fact I over-trained and now have a hint of shin splints. Until now I had no idea that you could over-train for a triathlon. What I have learned is that rest is as much a part of training as working out is.

This caught me by surprise since I am quite an advocate of rest. If you know me well you know that I am always encouraging people to rest. In our world today we seem to, not only lack the ability to rest, but have no concept of what that actually means.

A few weeks ago my wife, kids, and I went on a vacation to Southern California. When I returned people asked, “Did you get my email?” or “I texted you and never heard back.” I then told them that I was “off the grid” and explained that I had turned my computer and phone off. One person said, “Wow, that must have been so hard!” I replied, “Actually it’s not. You just push the 'power' button on the computer and phone until it shuts off.”

We can’t forget that rest is something that God himself created. While he called all of his creation “good” it was only rest (or Sabbath) that he said was “holy.” It was entirely different. More than this, God created rest on the last day. It was, in some ways, the crowning achievement of his creative work. Rest was the goal.

Often we consider rest to be something we have to do so we can “get back at it in the morning.” Our goal is doing, working, moving, shaking, and we rest so we can do that. Which means that when we rest we are only thinking about work which isn’t rest – it’s mental work. For the Hebrew people, they knew, that rest was a gift and that we worked to rest, not rest to work.

This is why the writer of Hebrews speaks about the people of God entering a Sabbath rest in the world to come. It is this kind of life that will greet the people of God in the world to come. Rest is not a beginning it is an end. It reminds us that we are human beings, not human doings.

I was doing so much for the triathlon that I began to injure myself. In an attempt to be in great shape my body was getting into bad shape. So I began to rest. When I train I push myself hard – but when I rest I do the same. In that time my body recovers, builds back up, and is able to gather itself.

This is difficult for me, for I truly enjoy the workouts. But each day I remind myself that when I rest I will become better. Perhaps we should all consider this for life. We ought to remind ourselves that we need to stop, rest, and recover – after all that is where we are heading in the world to come.

Join The 1010 Project, The ERACE Poverty Team, and me in my rest to raise awareness and funding for the Global Entrepreneurial Academy. Click Here To Learn More.

Why We Don't Like The Prodigal Son Parable

The most popular of all Jesus’ parables is the one that has come to be known as “The Prodigal Son.” This story has inspired musicians to create music, poets to spin rhymes, and artists to render paintings and sculptures. It is the most marvelous picture of grace ever conceived, but we really don't like it.

In the opening line of the story Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons …” The story is not only about one son, but about two sons (I know, brilliant exegesis). Yet we seem to often ignore the other, older son. Some claim this is done in innocence, due to the extravagant love of the father showered upon the younger. It's so beautiful that it’s all one can see.

I contend there is another reason – perhaps subconscious – that we ignore the older son. It’s because most of us are more like the older son than we ever would want to admit. It’s because we don’t like the kind of people the dad is running toward. Since we don’t like the people who are being embraced and loved by the father we would just as soon not go into the party. We’ll sit outside complaining about our father’s other son.

Let’s be honest, in our world there are people that we just don’t like. It’s true for me. Maybe you’re the kind of person who just likes every person you meet - I bet I could introduce you to some people who would change that. Beyond our petty differences there are those who have wounded us deeply.

Recently I was with a fellow who told an agonizing story about such a person. His wounds were fresh and deep. Often, as he was telling the story, tears would brim to the edge of his eye and he would go silent to compose himself. The wounds he was dealt affected everything - his finances, his marriage, his career, and his family. As I listened to my friend and watched him fight back tears in my heart I knew that the father would run past us both and embrace the guy who had wounded him. It just does not make sense.

A few days ago, an article that was written by a pastor enraged my friend. She emailed it to me and asked me to read it. It was terrible, arrogant, and deepened an already impassable divide. I was furious. I wanted to send him an email and tell him how miserable he was for patching together such condescending prose while passing it off as a helpful article - how could he do such a thing? He had just made the list of people I do not like (did I mention I am judgmental toward judgmental people?).

Then I got to the bottom of the page. While the article had been written and circulated, the pastor had issued an apology and asked forgiveness for writing it.

I saw the father running right past me to this guy. The father reached him and you know what he did? He threw his arms around him and kissed him. I think I even heard the father say, “This son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found, let’s celebrate!”

Are you kidding? Dad, did you not see what he did - why would I ever go to that party? So I stood outside calling curses down on this guy for what he had just gotten away with. I heard the door of the house open and close which interrupted my curse-filled, inner monologue. I turned and saw the father coming to me. He put his arm around my shoulders and begged me to come inside the party to see my brother. Suddenly, I did not like where I was.

I am the older son.

It’s so much better to imagine ourselves in the position of the younger son. We are inside the party - music, drinks, friends, food, dancing – it’s the only part of the story Disney would ever adapt for the screen. It’s such a happy picture.

It’s when the people who have wounded us, the people we don’t like, the people from the other side of the aisle, or the people we call “them” are in the position of the younger son that we stop liking the story so much. It’s in this moment that we stand with the older son. Anytime we, through our words, thoughts, or actions, create a different picture of the father's response to the younger son we are guilty of creating God in our image.

We want to breeze through this story as we imagine the father running, hugging, and kissing us while we party with the people we like. It’s wonderful to be the younger son. However, we often find ourselves in the place of the older son don't we? It’s this twist that makes this story in all its simplicity very complex. That’s what makes this story so difficult and why I’m convinced so many of us just don’t like it very much.

What we must never forget is this. When we are in the place of the older son, as terrible as it feels, the story is not over. The father is still there with his arm around us, filled with love for us, begging us to come to the party. The question we are left with as we stand outside is this: “Will you come in and party with the brother you don’t like very much?”

Trying a Tri

Earlier this year I received a free, three-month membership to the Denver Recreation Centers, which meant that I had full access to all they offer - including their pools. I told a friend, who also has a membership, that I was in for free for the next few months. He said to me, “Good, start swimming I want to do a triathlon with you.”

You have to understand, my friend is a machine. He runs ultra-marathons (races from 50 miles to 100 miles in length). A few years ago we did a lot of cycling together, and I could barely keep up with him – and he was on a single speed. For him, doing a triathlon is like you or me running up a flight of stairs.

I wanted to say “no,” but he was insistent. He kept saying, “You can totally do this.” I reasoned, “How hard could it be?” After all I am usually in pretty good shape. I run often and spend a lot of time on my bike … add in a swim and this should be easy. Then I swam.

After 50 yards I swore I was going to drown.

For one minute I hated my friend for talking me into this, but I knew that I could not back out. I had committed to the triathlon, and promised him that I was going to do it. At this point I began to get my house in order, since I figured I would probably drown. Sure, I’d make the paper the day after the race, but for all the wrong reasons.

A few days after my first swim I looked the website for the triathlon, and saw that by doing the triathlon you could raise money for good causes. One organization that was an eligible recipient was The 1010 Project. Their name comes from John 10:10 where Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” They believe that they can be a part of helping people see this promise of Jesus realized.

The 1010 Project has “officed” out of our building for the last several years. In addition to becoming great friends, I have been amazed by the work they do. They partner with people through business and community development to end poverty in Kenya. In November I had the opportunity to travel to Nairobi and witness their work firsthand.

The 1010 Project plays an integral role in helping to lift people out of poverty. They come alongside struggling entrepreneurs and those who have received small loans and teach them the basics of business to ensure their financial success. The success of their students allows for them not only to eat every day, but also to make their communities better. In my time there I met and spent time with Josephine, Paul, Johannes, and Immaculate.

Immaculate founded the business “Mother’s Concern.” Through her business Immaculate offers care and support to those with no hope in the Kayole slum of Nairobi. Mother’s Concern assists orphans, in particular young girls who are often the primary caregivers for their entire family. In addition to assistance she also provides job training in the hopes of providing a better future for orphans and preventing the prostitution of young girls.

She does all of this and generates her own incomes by selling jewelry, tailoring, and producing juice. Today, Mother’s Concern has provided job training to over 100 young women, enabling them to make a safe and healthy living. Immaculate’s impact will be felt for generations to come. An impact that has been made greater because of The 1010 Project.

When I found out I could help, not just The 1010 Project, but people like my friends Josephine, Paul, Immaculate, and Johannes I was really down with doing the triathlon. The first thing I did was officially join The ERACE Poverty Triathlon Team. Then, I began to research about doing a triathlon. I put together a training schedule and decided to challenge and stretch myself, because I know how hard women like Immaculate work, and I didn’t want to take an easy route. On Saturday, September 3 I will be doing an Olympic Triathlon (1 Mile Swim, 25 Miles Bike, and 6 Mile Run). I am learning everyday about training. Over the last four days I have swam two miles (without drowning), run over 10 miles, and biked 41 miles. Anytime I feel tired I think about all the work The 1010 Project is doing.

When I swim, run, or bike I say to myself over and over, “Work as hard as Immaculate. Work as hard as Johannes. Work as hard as Josephine. Work as hard as Paul.” I think about the thousands of lives they are changing, and I push just a little harder. I am doing this triathlon not because waking up at 6:00 AM is fun, but because I can do something to bring awareness and resources to a great cause.

The good news is that you can join me. From a small donation of $1.00, $5.00 or the magic amount of $10.10 you can support people like Immaculate, and be a part of changing lives in Kenya. In addition to your gifts, my wife and I have decided to match the first $100 in giving.

If you would like to donate click here.

If you would like to get Twitter updates on my last six weeks of training, click here.

To learn more about The 1010 Project click here.

A Culture of Influence

All of us have questions we would love to ask Jesus. Here are a few I would ask if I was given the chance.

“Does God really know how many hairs I have on my head or is that a metaphor of how well he knows me?”

“How many stars are there in the universe?”

“How badly did Peter irritate you?”

“How excited were you when U2 cut their first album?”

“What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?”

There is one question though, that I really, really want to ask him. “How would you ‘create a culture’ of loving, forgiving, and caring Christians?”

I would want to ask him this because talk of culture has been a conversation that I have heard over and over within the context of the local church. Ideas abound as to how this is done.

People say things like, “We need to set the bar high” or “We need to call people to a Kingdom life” or “We need to cast a clear and compelling vision” or “We need to act and move with purpose.” All clever maxims to be sure, but maxims that reflect deeper philosophical underpinnings.

Ideas like these suggest that we need to create a culture that influences people. After all, it’s worked with the media. In our image-logo-slogan-laden society we have all been tricked by mass marketing to believe any number of things. Culture has influenced us.

In order to gain a share of this influence then, we must create a culture that will influence, right? I’m not so sure. Perhaps we should not try to create a culture that influences people, as much as we should cultivate people that influence culture.

Often I hear pastors, in positions like mine, always speaking of ways to influence people. The problem is their idea of what this looks like begins on a platform or from a pulpit. When this is the case they have forgotten something. Most people are not listening to pastors and politicians anymore … I said, “Most people are not listening to pastors and politicians anymore.”

Well, at least not when we are on a platform with a microphone strapped to us. Sure they’ll sit around for a while and listen, but communication research shows that people barely remember anything they hear during a speech, homily, or sermon.

In fact, I do not know many people who have experienced vast life change upon hearing a sermon. I know few whose life direction has radically shifted upon hearing an articulate presentation that casts a preferred picture of the future.

Perhaps we should think less about “creating a culture” and more about “cultivating people.” It’s hard work, slow going, painful, and much dirtier, but that’s real life isn’t it? Which causes me to wonder, "How much is “church” anything like real life?"

Many churches fashion themselves according to corporate culture. They create systems, structures, and plans that will achieve this or that. They create programs and tell people how they are going to journey toward God. This at times causes them to be guilty of commandeering some else’s spiritual formation. Some even contend we have to “strive for excellence.” In the end, much of our time and energy goes into plans, programs, and excellence.

All of this makes sense of course if we are trying to create a culture, but not if we want to live out a real, true, "everyday life." Everyday life is messy, confusing, unpredictable, and often less than excellent. We pretend that we have plans, but we don’t. We learn that plans change, shift, and fall apart. We go through life learning, sinning, growing, at times becoming bitter, and if we are fortunate enough stumbling into grace or maybe grace stumbles into us.

What I am learning is that few churches with all their slick programs, corporate strategies, and policies feel anything like real life. They feel more like a movie or a play showing that require us to suspend belief. They want to create a culture, and often fail to walk in the messy, confusing, unpredictable thing called life.

We should spend more of our time lovingly walking alongside whomever God brings along our daily path. Doing this, of course, in such a way that they will want to imitate that kind of love with whomever they bump into on their daily path. In this, they might learn something about the love, grace, and compassion of Jesus and we might learn something too.

This takes time. It is slow. It is never a straight line. It is agonizing.

Yet, as we allow the love of God in us to pour into someone else they may begin to see the intersection of life and faith in fresh ways. As we allow ourselves to be broken for others they may begin to learn about the God who suffered with us. As we show our scars and tell stories of our healing they may learn about the grace of God – the glue that puts us back together one piece at a time.

As we sojourn with others through the best of life and worst of life we all may begin to better learn how to imitate the Jesus, the human face of a loving, forgiving, suffering God. Perhaps then, we may see a people who, in their everyday lives, act as a healing agent and through that influence culture.