Thanksgiving thoughts

Just a few things I am thankful for. (in no particular order)

* Healthy and loving (most of the time) immediate family - wife - three kids.
* Healthy and loving ( most of the time) extended family that generally gets along really well
* Very good friends - you all know who you are.
* A God who does not condemn me when I am bad (often) and who loves me unconditionally.
* All the people who make up The Point...and those who someday will.
* The blessings we all have - at least those who are blessed to live in this country. no complaining today...we are blessed.
* The fact that I have never participated in the Black Friday mania.

Hope everyone has a great one.

Coming off the Mountain

So I have spent the last two weeks in the mountains of Oregon chasing the elusive Wapiti. Found one named Ed who liked a good cigar so he joined us and contributed to the camp.

Now, while being in the mountains is always a good time for me as it allows me get away from everything, it is ultimately only a reprieve, an escape if you will. Life in the valley doesn't go away. It remains...whether you want it to or not.

So life in the valley - once again - is the life I must face. A church struggling to find its footing in a difficult town. A economy that is requiring me to find a job to help pay the bills...but even though I have a Masters degree, most employers would say that I am not a good fit because they can't see past their preconceived notions.

Hmm...maybe I need to find a job in the mountains!

Been a while - so basic random and non-random thoughts

For a lot of reasons I have not blogged for a while. So...to get some things off my chest:

* Gotta love the DUCKS!
* OK - got that out of the way. Now on to other things...

* Now...while I love the Ducks...can't say that I always feel that way about God's creation - human beings. Especially those who claim to follow the way of Jesus. Many times in Jesus' life he had opportunities to judge people...yet he never did. Instead he said "I have not come to judge...but to save." AND YET people who claim to follow the way of Jesus have mastered the art of judging others.

* Jesus always thought the best of people and forgave people unconditionally... people who claim to follow the way of Jesus? Uhm...not so much.

* Jesus took the high road against people who attacked him and defamed his character. Followers of Jesus? Not so much...though to be fully honest, I am really trying to hold on and stay on the high road when every part of my natural being wants to rip away.

* What is it about "christians" that allows them to point out others "perceived" sins and yet COMPLETELY ignore their own sins and issues. In fact, Jesus says something along the lines of don't call out the speck in someone else's eye, while completely ignoring the FOREST (log) in your own eye. This would be a really good thing for "christians" to think about.

So - no wonder most of the unchurched world tends to want to avoid churches and Christians like the plague. They find unconditional love, forgiveness, and grace outside of the church while seeing the exact opposite inside the church. It's also no wonder why so many pastors leave the ministry.

So...why do I write this? Because its my blog and its about venting for me so that I don't vent on people. Because I want to try to be like Jesus...not just act like him.

Fried Pastors

So…taught two weeks ago on fighting and conflict within churches. Chatted with some people I met that day, one of them a former pastor, and it got me thinking. If being a pastor is about taking care of people and guiding people…and it is supposed to be such a noble thing, then why do so many pastors ultimately burn out and drop out of ministry? Why do so many suffer from pain, and from loneliness, and from heartache, and from feelings of failure. If the church is ALL THAT…then it ought to be a joy to work as a pastor within the church. While it is for some, for many (if not most), it is anything but a joy.

So...in my opinion, something is inherently wrong with what the church has become (at least in America) when its leaders become joyless and loveless and lifeless because of having to deal with all the stuff that goes on - the fighting and the conflicts and the selfish agendas and all that other crap.

As one who has done it for 20 years - it annoys the heck out of me that it has become this way. Why is it this way? I can think of a number of reasons:

• having to deal with crap from people who are supposed to be like Jesus (cause they call themselves "Christians") but who are really nothing like Jesus.
• Having church "leaders" tell them what to do, how to do it, what to think, what to teach...when these so-called leaders basically have a Sunday School education in the Scriptures and in dealing with people.
• Having people who only have the aforementioned Sunday School education in the Scriptures, tell them how wrong they are in their interpretation of the Bible. "So...I know you can read the Greek and the Hebrew languages and that you have devoted your life to studying the backgrounds and the world of the Scriptures; and I know that you have enough schooling in theology to choke a horse...but the book I read by Tim Lahaye says differently so YOU NEED TO CHANGE!" (whatever)
• not being able to have friendships within their faith community because they are afraid of the possibility of offending someone.

So...perhaps here is the million dollar question: What has to change in order to make being a pastor something that can be a joy rather than a curse?

double-barreled salutes

Not really a vent...just a funny happening from the other day:

So, Jos and I are driving near our home yesterday in my truck. In front of us is this older Accord. in front of them, an SUV of some sort. We were all in the turn lane.

The SUV begins to go and turn right, but immediately brakes because he/she notices that traffic is coming and he/she would cause an accident. Car #2 (the accord) must have been to full of coffee cause they were raring to go...so they had to slam on their brakes which was immediately followed by their slamming their hand on this thing called "the horn." Now, mind you, a little horn tap goes a long way in driving. I don't mind it at all.

Said driver of car #2 - here-after referred to as DWEEB (Dude With Emotionally Eratic Buttheadedness) didn't just tap the horn...he laid his hand upon it like the Ducks laid their hands on the Beavers this year...SMACK!!!! SMACK!!!! and then a constant - unending SSSSMMMMAAAACCKKK!!! DWEEB wouldn't quit the honking.

This, as you can imagine, caused the passenger in the SUV to let him know that he was "number 1" in their heart. Jos and I kind of chuckled, but also talked about what a DWEEB the DWEEB was being. Patience is a virtue after all.

So...the SUV turns, DWEEB turns, we turn. SUV then proceeds to go about 15 miles an hour in a 30 mile an hour zone. DWEEB drives right behind him...and because we feel like we are being left out of the fun - we tailgate the DWEEB with my truck so all he saw was a grill.

Eventually Mr. SUV turns into a parking lot, with the female passenger giving the DWEEB a double-barrel salute and DWEEB goes on...ultimately turning into our subdivision - where i get a nice view of who the DWEEB is...and honestly - he looks like one of our many Meth heads here in Eugene. Maybe an unfair characterization...but having lived here for 5 years, I am beginning to get a good eye for these kinds of things.

So...any funny stories out there???

a little about works versus faith

Study through James and one comes upon this writing:

Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?" (James 2:14-15)

Now - it is pretty obvious to anyone who reads the New Testament once in a while that anyone who claims to follow Jesus is supposed to be involved in serving others. This is the way of Jesus and one cannot be a follower of his without living as he did. Seems straight forward enough.

Here's the problem (ie...my vent): It seems like very few Christians (at least in American Christianity) actually follow through on this need to serve others...which may explain why American Christianity is struggling in the faith department because James seems to be saying (imo) that it is these acts of service and love that will energize our faith.

Think about it. How different might the world be if followers of Jesus put as much effort into serving others as they do into their Sunday morning attendance, or their Bible studies, or their accountability groups. Don't get me wrong, those are important...but why do we focus on those so much and exclude a focus on caring for others.

Indeed, one of the things that ancient Romans historians noted was that even though they found the followers of Jesus strange in some things; they noted how they were known for loving and caring for others.

So...how different might the world, our cities, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, and our churches be if faith communities all over began to take seriously the need to "do good works."

What would it take for this to happen? What would the cost be?

Just something to think about.

In grace and understanding - John

A continued vent from facebook

Okay - so on fb I posted this and would like to continue the discussion:

Thinking about the paradigms within the church world...I want to consider this question: If making disciples is the primary mission of the church, then why do we use the paradigm that we do on Sunday mornings? Is it an effective means to meeting the goal or is it just an old ineffective paradigm? And if it is ineffective, what are other options/paradigms that might be more effective?

What do I mean? Well, simply put, most every church does the same thing on Sunday's. Generally it looks like this:

• Opening song
• Greeting/Welcome
• Music we sing to (anywhere from 3-7 songs)
• Message (anywhere from 20-60 minutes depending on the ego...err...uhm...wordiness of the pastor/teacher)
• go home

There is some variations like those who do communion every week, or special music (btw - what makes one song more "special" than the other?), or videos...but this is essentially the layout of most church worship services.

So - the question to consider is: Is this the best use of 1-2 hours every week in an effort to fulfill the said goal of making disciples? And if not, why do we do it this way? Is it biblical - therefore - we must? Is it cultural - therefore we do?

And if changes were to occur - what would they look like? What would take its place?

Let's get creative!

An Initial Vent: Why is there no opportunity, within the church, to vent?

Venting, or expressing one's displeasure and desire for change or alterations is often seen as a negative. While it is true that venting just for the sake of venting, can be psychologically and emotionally (even spiritually) beneficial, it ultimately changes nothing; except of course for letting off steam.

Thus this blog. At times I may just vent and anyone reading (or just the air if no one reads) may just need to say, "feel better John?" However, the goal of this blog is to use our venting expressions as a means of bringing creative change, if not to the church at large, then to this local Eugene, Oregon expression.

A couple rules:

1. no foul language. (I will try hard to obey this one too.) Foul language simply isn't creative enough to belong on this blog.
2. no putdowns of others opinions. (Again - be creative. saying one's idea is stupid isn't creative, its juvenile. Use creative reasoning to debate and discuss)
3. no holding onto past traditions just for the sake of...well...holding onto past traditions.
4. no other rules.

So...let's vent away...creatively.