Aliens become Citizens

I bet from the title you probably are wondering is "jw" going political on me!?  Is he about to share his views on immigration reform?  No.  

My wife is a Nebraska Husker fan.  When we first met she had a Harry the Husker sticker on her car.  I didn't hold it against her, but I was dead set on converting her to a Georgia Fan.  I mean the truth is, she could care less about Nebraska football.  I will tell her the Husker's score and she is like, "that's nice."  When we got our jeep I bought her a Georgia sticker for the back of the car, but she always missed the Nebraska one.  I finally realized that this was a part of her and something that would never leave.  It has nothing to do with Nebraska Football, but has everything to do with openly identifying with this state she grew up in.  She will always have a place in her heart for the Nebraska Huskers.  So I wised up and got her a Nebraska sticker for her car.  

I was studying 1 John this morning and had a thought.  1 John 2:15-17 talks about not loving the world.  As I did some studying on the passage I realized we aren't even talking about "LOOVVVEEE" here, just everyday, overused, noncaps "love."  Its an association type of love like, "I love who I work with, but don't invite them to birthday parties."  That kind of love.  Here's the kicker:  He goes on to say if this weaker, noncaps love is shared with the world, then the intense, passionate, "LOOVVVEEE" can't be shared with God.  So for a moment there one could think, "I can love the world, just as long as I reserve the good stuff for God," but here God is clearly saying, "its all or nothing with me."  I believe what God is asking of us is that while we engage with the world we are in, we don't take up residency.  We must always realize we were created for somewhere else.

Shepherding 101.2 Leave your watch and daytimer in the Car.

When shepherding numerous hurting people, CAUTION! they can all begin to look the same. Beware of coming off to hurting people like a routine appointment.  Remember this is the most important thing in their world even if it is not yours.  The last thing someone suffering a loss wants to feel from you is that it is your 4 loss of the day.  These routine visits often brush over some important things.  Know that eventually this will lead to the hurting person looking somewhere else to find help.  If their visitation with the church seemed unsuccessful, then they can sometimes feel their only other option are other things.  Some tips:  Take off your watch, turn off your phone, Clear your schedule.  To the hurting quick shepherding feels exactly how it sounds, quick.

Shepherding 101.1 Where Cotton.

Here's a tip on Shepherding: Where Cotton.  Why?  Because its comfortable.  It flexes if you are bending down low, like laying on the ground or kneeling.  Its durable for wrestling and pulling.  If you were to be in a situation that meant you staying in one place for a long time and not being able to have your normal routine of changing clothes, I suggest cotton.  It also soaks up tears quite well and is comfortable on the most sensitive of faces, and that's really all its about, providing a nice place of comfort where the tears are able to flow, but never pool.  

I suggest cotton.

Ramblings on Matthew 25

I just got back from New York. I attended a conference organized by the fermi project. This is a group who works very hard at bringing together a mixed bag of culture innovators and cultural misfits like myself for a conversation.  Most always the conversations hover around social justice issues and the church.  It is incredibly challenging stuff.    

This morning a spent some time studying Matthew 25.  I walked away from our conversations

 in New York thinking about these passages and felt compelled to take a closer look.  I won't fill the page with it, but its the passage about when I was hungry...you fed me, naked you clothed me...etc... familiar with it?  The end wraps it up in the statement, "whenever you did these things to even the least of these, you did them to me."  This passage clearly states that the kingdom of God is reserved for those who show the fruit of service to Christ, but not the auburn haired, bearded, gazing heavenward, aged fuzzy corned portrait Jesus.

  Not the 6 pound 7 ounce little infant baby Christmas Jesus either.  Its the homeless Jesus.  The murderous Jesus.  The alcoholic Jesus.  When I spent time thinking through this passage I spent most of my time thinking about who the least of these might be referring to.  It seems to me that the point of the passage is, Jesus is talking about people who might not 

even deserve our service.  They won't be grateful for it.  We might be putting ourselves in danger for even reaching out to them.  Some of them will require a one time deposit.  Others will need a seven year vigil.  This verse might direct your career path for you.  I met Matt in New York.  He is a youth pastor serving at a church and came across this verse.  He

thought it meant that he should use his gift designing t-shirts to help raise money for the issues, in our time, that this verse represents.  So he started a company that 

does just that.  My mind gravitates to my own problems.  The lack of time I think I have.

What color do I make THIS in iCal, if all the colors are taken, except pink. I have to work. I have deadlines.  I have no time, my boss won't allow it.  I make a list, thats what I'm good at.  

Things I spend most of my time doing and need to sit down for the sake of the

 Kingdom...

1. Work at the Church 
2. Build a Network of Deep Meaningful Relationships 
3. Watch TV/Movies
4. Better Your Life Situation

Could I really sit THESE down, for this?  This question feels all wrong.  It feels like I am

 debating whether being a Christian is worth it.  I work for a church, shouldn't THIS be my job?

 Can you build a healthy church by just following Matthew 25?  If my network of deep meaningful relationships don't value these things, how deep and meaningful are they?  What do I get out of TV?  What has it ever given me?  A laugh?  A cry, yeah right. The weather?  Ok that's one!  Is an investment in hardwood floors an investment in the kingdom?

  

A Bitter Sweet Day

How do you approach a day where your life was surely supposed to end, but didn't. The only reason you didn't die was because someone else rescued you and forfeited His own life in the process. I suppose you would wake up like I did this morning and breath in and remember that someone else died today so I could have that breath and that next one to.

We celebrate this Friday because we didn't die like we should have. So we enjoy breathing, walking, living with those we love. I would love to throw a party with all those who were close to Him who stood in my place and have a picture of Him on the bar. I guess I'm thinking of George Malley's party in the movie "Phenomenon." You seen it? You should. That is how I want my funeral to be. I want all my friends to meet at my favorite spot, put a picture of me on the bar, and tell stories that we shared together.

Our celebration is a little different because its Friday, but Sunday's coming. On Sunday our feelings of thankfulness and gratitude change to feelings of awe and wonder of how death held no power over him like it did Mr. Malley or me or you. He was greater than death and it wasn't political propaganda or a fairy tale. He hung around to make sure everyone knew he was up from the grave and eventually left in Godlike fashion.