Consider this remarkable assessment: “Other more accomplished scholars in these areas will have to examine and evaluate these possibilities in greater depth. But we can say here that we have come with some confidence to believe that a significant part of Christianity in the United States is actually [only] tenuously Christian in any sense that is seriously connected to the actual historical Christian tradition, but is rather substantially morphed into Christianity’s misbegotten step-cousin, Christian Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.”

~Derek Brown

Last week I was flipping channels and ran into this movie. It was about half-way over but what I saw was intriguing and interesting. Because I enjoy a good story I was caught up in this one.

What caught me though, wasn’t that this was a ‘real life’ drama or anything, cause it’s not.

What got my attention is that this story happens and it’s happening. Now.

Remove some of the backstory about professional marketers hired to play a part and live together.

Add everyday average folks like you and me and we could easily fit right in, playing the parts all to easily, and eerily, not even paid to. 

Actually, I would argue, we already do…

(Disclaimer: This isn’t a movie that everyone should watch. It is rated R and has some pretty intense happenings. I’m not necessarily endorsing the movie, but I am saying it is scary how true to life it is.)

So, I’ve had several conversations with several friends lately asking me what’s going or why haven’t you been blogging or several of your twitter posts seem to indicate this or that.

I’d like to give you an update by telling you whats going on.

IT is. All of it.

There is no such thing as uneventfulness, if you will.

I don’t know what the word uneventful even means.

There are some huge shifts happening all around me, and I have never been more excited. Though we have had many challenges I believe we/I are getting ready to see some cool things happen over the next few weeks.

The Grove - beautiful shifts happening for the better. Family - God orchestrating amazing opportunities for growth and love. Groundfloor Coffee - let’s just say, IT’S ON LIKE DONKEY KONG! (Can I say that here?)

And that’s the point, IT’S ON!

So, while I’ve still been writing and doing much less posting, it’s on.

While I’ve been doing more praying & listening, let me tell you, IT’S ON!

What’s God been doing in your life? Is it on?

Art… After a really long day, I came home tonight to find this little piece of art work strategically placed where I stand sometimes in the kitchen. One of the MANY reasons I love my girls. So thoughtful…

I love my wife. Actually, if I’m honest. It goes deeper than just ‘love,’ well at least in the sense of the way that the word love gets flippantly tossed around in our culture.

Truth is, I’m crazy about my wife. I love her for so much of who she is and just that she is “her.” Because I care so much for her I am always thinking long and hard about our relationship and what that looks like. 

I also think about what that looks like in relation to our ministry. I believe that ministry can take (and has at points in our lives taken) a HUGE toll on her and our relationship. When we started The Grove, we were very conscious of this and have been almost mean about protecting it. Though we have failed at times, I still think we make it a priority as much as we can. 

This brings me to an article I read this morning. There are some areas here where I see that my wife has needs that are not being met and other areas where I feel we’re doing well. I appreciated the honesty of the article as well. It certainly points out quite a bit to be considered for those whose jobs are in ministry. 

What do you think?

Last week at The Grove we finished up our series, “Life As We Know it” and one of the things we dug into was that words create worlds. That every word we use has influence in either a positive or negative direction and as a follower of Jesus we have to own that.

Of course in the last week I’ve seen words flying. People making statements beyond their knowledge and assumptions that were simply unhelpful about a particular book that is being released soon and more particularly it’s author. 

I’m not (un) necessarily jumping in to the frey, if you will. But I do want say something about some things I recently read, which I think has continued to fuel the fire.

Kevin DeYoung, who I have never met and do not know personally though I’m sure is well intentioned wrote these words in a blog post:

 ”I am eager to read the book, not to pick a fight (though sometimes we need to fight, and this is one of those times), but because a book like this from a prominent pastor like this needs a response, many responses. We should be thankful for the clarity, but saddened by the content.” 

After I saw this blog post put on a friends Facebook page, I was frustrated and responded this way:

“This makes no sense…If we say we want to read the book but not to pick a fight yet, we’re ultimately saying we need to pick a fight. And our plan is to pick a fight though we’re still not 100 percent sure what the fight will be about?

And then we say the content saddens us?

How do we know the content saddens us, if we have yet to read said book? Ridiculous. I’m glad that common sense and grace rule our minds rather than participating in a modern day witch hunt.

I’m sure Jesus is impressed.”

I’m not going to add a whole lot of thoughts except to say this.

Seriously?

That’s what you’re adding to the discussion?

Now, to be fair the article does go on to talk about a particular doctrinal issue, that whether I agree with agree or not was strong enough to stand on its own without ever saying anything about the author of said book.

So, why? Why bring this person whose book you haven’t read yet into the discussion. Because this is about that doctrinal issue? Not good enough.

Because he is in error on this matter? Still not good enough, because you don’t know that since you haven’t read the book. 

I know, because you disagreed with the way he handled a particular topic in the past? Got it. Still not good enough.

This is heart breaking. Our words create worlds, the world created by these words I want absolutely no part in.

I post a ton of status updates and pictures of MJ. She’s three & amazing. But for all of the tomfoolery that MJ involves herself in due to her age and hilariously spunky personality, she is usually on the receiving end of kindness, beauty and love. The kind that goes unmatched even by her mom & I. That love is given to her by her sweet sister, Hayden. Case in point, MJ has been sick for the last couple of days, and Hayden with no prompting decides, the least she can do is share a sweet sentiment. This picture is tough to see but here is what it says, “Get Will Soon Mary Jane.” (We haven’t figured out that whole spelling thing yet, but it’s the thought that counts.) Hayden is ALWAYS thinking of ways to show love to her mom, to me and to most of all her sweet but spicy little sister. I love my girls; the ways they’re alike and different & the ways they challenge me to be a better Dad. I never knew that having three girls in my life could be such a blessing.

This has been an intense week.

I’ve talked so much with our church about living in the tension over the last few months. I think living in the tension between God’s direction and my desires is extremely important and healthy. I think it leads us to that place of wholeness, in a sense an already/not yet place of experiencing the best of who God is and who He is revealing Himself to be to us as we grow to know and understand more.

This very week, while living in the tension, I have felt myself being pushed and pulled more than ever before. Words that have never entered my mind fully like persecution, fear and misunderstanding have found new meaning in my world. Though, I haven’t fully grasped them, they are closer to me than they’ve ever been. 

Yet because of these ideas, I find within myself a deeper desire to push, fight and blaze a trail. And now, I’m living in the tension of the why…

Why…is the desire stronger?

Why…am I more ready to fight?

Why…am I so committed?

Though I don’t know if I know the whole answer, I know that the result ends with Jesus. And if for just five minutes my name could be mentioned there; someone who wasn’t necessarily appreciated by a few men, but was counted as someone who, regardless of opinion, was always walking with Jesus…

Then I’d say the tension was beyond worth it. 

Just read this in my twitter feed posted by Alan Hirsch: “We need to reorient people to not come to church as a restaurant, but church as a culinary school. Time for us to teach people to feed themselves.” ~Lance Ford

This speaks volumes to some of our churches biggest issues. We have to begin to help people see that as a church we don’t do mission, we are a mission. We don’t do outreach, we are an outreach. We don’t do ministry, we are each ministers. This contrasts starkly with the idea that we come to church to get our weekly fill up. What do you think?

So many people I know are struggling.

Job loss.

House loss.

Income loss.

Family loss.

Friend loss.

And the list goes on. This article is extremely timely for all of us. Read it and be encouraged.