Bay Pointe Church

Moving My Blog to "Tumblr"

2009-12-02T12:56:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody,

I am moving my blog from Blogger.com to a new blog that will allow me to sync up twitter, facebook and my blog. It will be a while before the new blog is synced up with the Bay Pointe website so for now if you want to check out my new and future blog with posts, pics, videos, etc. Be sure to check it out.

Life Verse - Part 8

2009-11-23T06:52:00.000-08:00

SCRIPTURE: "Search my heart, O God. Test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." Psalm 139:23-24

OBSERVATION: Who writes stuff like this? "Search me?" "Point out my faults?" When was the last time I came home from work and said to my wife, "Hey honey, could you do me a favor and spend some time reviewing my day with me and give me the straight-up truth about my behaviors and motives? Don't hold back...just bring it on..."? Let's see, the last time I did that was...NEVER!

My tendency is to either minimize or deny my faults. I suspect I'm not alone in that. So why would King David invite God to shine the light on his heart and root out anything in his life that is displeasing to God? Perhaps it is because David had learned that facing the truth--even the hard truth about ourselves--leads to exactly what Jesus said it would: freedom ("You will know the truth and the truth will set you free" - John 8:32). One of the clearest signs of spiritual and emotional health is our willingness to keep our lives anchored in reality--dealing with "what is." And long before he had ever heard the phrase, David wanted to "keep it real."

It seems to me that it takes a strong person--someone confident in the fundamental goodness and graciousness of God--to invite that level of inspection.

APPLICATION: For me to lead well and to live my life well I need God's wisdom in the inner crevices of my soul--to reveal my blind spots, to heal my brokenness, and to keep me humble and honest in my relationships with others. If I am unaware of the world inside me it will eventually mess up the world around me.

PRAYER: Thank you God that you care enough about me that you want to bring truth into my life so that I can live well and honor you. This is a bold and somewhat daunting prayer but here it goes: "Search MY heart, O God. Test me and know MY thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." Amen.

Life Verse - Part 7

2009-10-14T05:27:00.000-07:00

"...everyone did what was right in their own eyes." Judges 17:6

I come from a fairly large family--mom, dad, eight children and Boozer (the family St. Bernard). Nice name for a dog, right?! Boozer died from liver damage (just kidding).

With a family of ten life can get pretty hectic. If there isn't some cooperation--some "pulling together" a family can get pulled apart. If everybody is intent on doing their own thing it won't take long for chaos to ensue.

To keep any cohesion in a group of people--whether it is a family, a business, a church, etc--requires a common mission with some common values. Without that people start splintering off in all directions.

Take my marriage, for example. If I have a totally different objective or goal for my marriage and a totally different set of values from my wife, chances are the marriage won't last. Thankfully Rose and I have been on the same page--although she still fails to see the redemptive impact of ESPN (still working on her). But when marriages, families, churches, businesses--even nations--start pulling apart, there are real and predictable consequences.

Go ahead and read through the book of Judges. You will find a recurring theme with a recurring statement: "everyone did what was right in their own eyes." Why? Because they took their eyes off God. Once they bailed on God's agenda--his purposes and priorities--it became a free-for-all. And the free-for-all always produced negative consequences. Israel, quite predictably, moved from apostasy (unfaithfulness to God) to moral decline to oppression from foreign nations (the book of Judges views this as divine chastening) to urgent appeals to God to deliverance through a judge/ruler.

And it didn't happen once, or even twice. It happened over and over and over. Each subsequent generation seemed to have to learn the hard lessons of the previous generation for themselves.

While there is a part of me that wants to say, "What a bunch of dummies!" there is another part of me that says, "I'm not so different." If there is a generation in American history that bailed on God in record numbers it would be the baby-boomers because, after all, we had it all figured out--sex, drugs, rock and roll and down with "the man." Now we boomers have raised Gen X and Y who, in huge numbers, have no spiritual roots or moral compass whatsoever.

The thing Israel had going for them is that when they were in trouble they were at least smart enough (or humble enough) to call out to God for help. I pray we will do the same. If we don't--if everyone does what is right in their own eyes; if we reject absolute truth (by the way, truth by its very nature is absolute) and mock any sense of a binding moral code we will get exactly what we ask for--everyone doing their own thing.

And the results, as the book of Judges attests, are quite predictable.

So what do you say? We who call ourselves followers of Jesus, let's submit ourselves to our leader, call out to him for divine wisdom and guidance, and DWJD (do what Jesus did).

Life Verses - Part 6

2009-09-28T07:28:00.001-07:00

Joshua 24:15 "But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord."

The statement above comes with some time... some experience... some perspective. It may sound like a Christian (or Jewish) cliche, but Joshua--who originally spoke them--spoke out of years of being battle-tested.

Is serving God (vs. serving self) really the best way to live? I've walked both sides of that road and watched thousands of others walk it too. I can't speak for anyone else but serving me has never worked very well. The problem with me is...me. When I focus on me I'm like this insatiable beast whose hunger is never satisfied. I tend to grouse and grumble about how things aren't going my way. I fuss and fume when the world doesn't align itself with my plans and priorities. What's wrong with everyone...can't they see they are messing up my life?

I'm sure none of you reading this (assuming anyone is actually reading it) ever struggle with that.

On the other hand, serving God by serving others has always led me down a road toward humility and gratitude. Somehow in God's strange economy it turns out that Jesus knew what he was talking about when he said, "He who loses his life for others will find it."

One night my wife Rose and our daughter Krissie served together at Safe Harbor (a ministry to the homeless in our community. It turned out to be a magic night of love, laughter and caring for others that filled our own souls. Serving others sets me free from me. But at the same time a more noble and joy-filled me surfaces.

So decide for yourself. If you sit back passively and go with the flow you will ultimately make the choice of making life about you. Sorry...it's just part of our messed up spiritual DNA. Serving God's purposes in the world--sharing love and compassion? That's a decision. But it's a good decision.

I hope you make that decision--today. And do it again tomorrow. If you string enough days of you and your family serving God together, you'll get what you really want: a life of significance.

PS. The photo above is a shot from a helicopter of the Grand Traverse region. It reminds me of Joshua--at the end of his life--looking over the land that God had given to Israel. It was a good land flowing with milk and honey. So is ours--flowing with almost unimaginable natural (supernatural) resources. Steward well the gifts God has given you. In the end it ALL belongs to Him.

Life Verse - Part 5

2009-08-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

Deuteronomy 6:1-6

Okay, I skipped all the way from Exodus 20 (The Ten Commandments) to Deuteronomy--skipping the entire books of Leviticus (check out chapters 16-17) and Numbers (check out 6:24-26--very famous benediction/blessing). The book of Deuteronomy is a big summary of what happened in the previous four books. It recaps major events and reminds the nation of Israel--one more time before entering the Promised land--who God is and who they are as God's people.

While Deuteronomy 5 also contains the Ten Commandments, chapter 6 is one of the most formative passages in the Jewish religion: "Hear O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength..." (v. 5)

Every Hebrew child memorized this verse and the larger passage. And later in the New Testament, when asked to name the greatest of all the commandments, Jesus referred back to this command: Love God with your entire being--heart, soul, mind and strength. Jesus added a second command that flowed out of the first: love your neighbor as yourself (see. Matthew 22:37-39).

Why is this a key life verse? Because loving God is the key to a life well lived. People who don't love God, or deny God, or marginalize/trivialize God end up living for themselves. That makes perfect sense. If there is not God that puts me at the center of my universe.

The problem with that is that my self-centered, self-absorbed life never leads me in the direction I desire--a life of peace, joy, meaning and significance. When life is all about me, me is not a very happy camper. But when the focus of my life becomes God--to love and honor him above all else--everything else falls into place.

Jesus put it this way: "Seek FIRST the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And everything else you need (for daily living) will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)

Make loving God and serving people the number one aim of your life. Start today. Do it again tomorrow. If you string enough of those days together you will end up with a legacy beyond your wildest imagination. And you will end up wildly fulfilled.

Would Jesus Go to the Micro-Brewery Fest?

2009-08-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

I confess...I went to the "beer-fest" in Traverse City Saturday night. I went back and forth on it but finally decided to go with a couple friends--mostly to listen to the music of Levi Britton and Mike Moran (who, it turns out, were not playing during the time I was there).

When I entered I paid my money and they gave me an 8 oz. cup with 8 tokens for the various specialty beers. Mind you, I'm not a big drinker. They were small glasses, but eight of them add up. So I did a bit of "beer-math." 8 oz. X 8 cups = 64 oz. That's a half-gallon of beer! On Saturday night! The eve of worship!!!

You'll be glad to know that I did not use all of my tokens. I gave my leftovers to another Bay Pointer! Rest assured, I behaved myself. I didn't do anything illegal, unethical, ungodly, etc.

What I did do was have fun. It's true. I had fun at the beer-fest. I had fun meeting new people, talking to old friends and listening to music in the rain. I even engaged in numerous significant faith-related conversations. All in all it was a fun night, and I was back home at the outrageous time of 7:30 p.m.

But would Jesus have gone to the beer festival? I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know if he liked beer--although he seemed to have an affinity for really good wine (see John 2). The fact that Jesus turned between 120-180 gallons of water into wine and hung out with some shady people earned him the reputation of being a glutton, a drunkard and a "friend of sinners."

I'm not a drunkard. As for gluttony, I try to behave myself but truth be told I've crossed that line a time or two (as in my wife's lasagna tonight at dinner). But if someone hung the label "friend of sinners" on me? I would accept that as a high compliment.

PS. I even debated whether or not I should post this. Kelly Ellis made me. It's Kelly's fault :)

Life Verse - Part 4

2009-08-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

THE BIG TEN

Among the "must read/must know/must do" passages in the Bible, let's not forget about what lies at the center of the book of Exodus. Exodus includes lots of amazing stories--God speaking to Moses through a burning bush, sticks turning into snakes, rivers turning into blood, invasions of gnats and frogs and other sordid plagues, the exodus itself, the parting of the Red Sea--you know...very cool stuff.

But when all is said and done what lies at the center of the second book of the Bible is the "Big Ten"--God's commandments of how we relate to him (first four) and how we are to related to each other (last six).

Read them; think about them; apply them. You will be amazed at how well life works when, for example, we choose to honor God first rather than trying to pretend that we are God. You will discover that lying, cheating, committing adultery, etc never really benefits anyone--least of all the one doing the lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, etc.

I know they are old, but so are some of the finest wines and instruments in the world. Age has nothing to do with it. Truth does. Call me "old school" if you want but I happen to believe that truth matters...and all truth (by definition) is absolute.

What I love about the Ten Commandments is that they are timelessness. They are "trans-generational" in that they apply to all people of all times. I also love the clarity. They are not fuzzy or ambiguous. They simply state it: Do or don't. Then we decide.

It's not always crystal clear as to why God says what he says. He doesn't lay everything out there for us: "Don't do this...because if you do..." I suppose that's where faith comes in. Do you believe that the God who created you and redeemed you would create commands and principles that would guide your life into anything other than a blessed life?

Think that one through...and then build your life with God and others on the unshakable foundation of these ancient truths.

Life Verse - Part 3

2009-08-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

Genesis 50:20

Okay...I am skipping from the beginning of the book of Genesis to the end. Obviously there is tons of important stuff in between--Cain kills Abel, Noah builds an ark, Abraham and Sarah leave home to start a new destiny, etc.

But I want to point to an amazing statement made by Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Israel, after he had been sold into slavery by his brothers. Joseph keeps doing the right thing and gets shafted over and over. But eventually he comes out on top--2nd in command over Egypt. When his brothers come to him--starving and in need of food--and discover that the brother they sold was the one in charge of the food bank, they were freaking out.

So here is the verse--Genesis 50:20. "As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil."

I think it took Joseph a while to come to that conclusion. I suspect that during those times he was sitting in jail--wrongly accused--he wasn't thinking such gracious thoughts. I suspect you have to live a while to come to the conclusion Joseph eventually arrive.

In the midst of life's injustices, struggles, disappointments, illnesses, etc. all we can see is loss. But over time it is amazing how God can take what others intend for evil and redeem it into something good.

How do I know this? I need look no further than my own story. I recently wrote a book called "Wrecked" that chronicles a defining moment in my life when a really bad decision I made was redeemed by my dad in a way that later led to my conversion.

When you are neck deep in a swamp filled with alligators, remember the story of Joseph. And remember that God has an amazing track record of turning life's lemons into lemon-aid.

Life Verse - Part 2

2009-08-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

The Blame Game

“It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” (Genesis 3:12)

The second significant verse all Christ-followers should know is found in the story we simply call "The Fall." The fall, by the way, wasn't a trip. It wasn't simply a matter of losing one's balance. It is more like a crash and burn.

Directly disobeying God, Adam ate the forbidden fruit. Granted, Eve was the first to eat it--and she actually initiated the blame game--"It was the serpent who tempted me--it was his fault!" But Adam quickly joined in on the game.

It appears the blame game has been around a looooooong time. The trouble with playing that game, however, is that it never solves or resolves anything. When was the last time you pointed an accusing finger at someone else and said, "It was his/her fault!" and things turned out well? I rest my case.

We won't make any significant progress with our lives until we stare down the truth by staring ourselves in the mirror and saying, "It was me. I did it. I messed up. I'm the rebel."

I know--it's scary to admit that. We think we will be rejected by all those perfect people who've never mess up. But eventually we figure out that those perfect people who never mess up don't exist.

So the next time you find things going wrong, push the pause button and ask yourself this question: "Any chance this has anything to do with me any part of me?" Getting in touch with your "inner flawed-ness" is the first step to finding freedom.

Life Verses Part 1

2009-07-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

I mentioned during worship last Sunday (July 26, 2009) that I would be spending time reflecting on some of the key verses in the Bible that are foundational to our life and faith as followers of Jesus--verses or passages we need to know, understand, and act upon.

Here's the first: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1). Granted, that's pretty basic. But it's also a pretty important place to start.

Why? Because if God is not the source of everything then the rest of what the Bible teaches doesn't matter a lick. Without God we are reduced to some sort of "cosmic hiccup"--an accident of evolution. In other words, we (the human race) are on our own.

For some people this feels like freedom--we are masters of our own destiny. For me it feels like utter foolishness (how did all of this "happen?" And how do you account for such order and beauty?).

There are a lot of arguments and debates about exactly how God created everything. For instance, was it a "big bang?" Maybe. I suppose if God spoke and entire galaxies were formed by the sheer power of the words that flew out of his mouth a "big bang" seems reasonable. The real issue behind the big-bang, or any other theory regarding the origins of life is "Who caused it?" Who or what is the uncaused cause?

The atheist says no one caused it--it just happened. I've examined the statistical probability of the five elements needed to form a dead molecule--one in 10 to the 17th power. That's a lot of zeroes.

The agnostic says, "I don't know and I don't know if you can know." It's okay to not know. It's not okay to shrug your shoulders and say, "Who cares?" One second after you die you will care...a lot.

The Christian says, "God, in his goodness, created the world."

You'll have to decide for yourself but I believe all the evidence points toward the latter. And that leads us to other issues, such as "What is this Creator God like?"

More later...

Unclogging the heart

2009-07-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

Wow...I saw a vivid picture of what happens when you're living with a clogged heart physically. What isn't always so "diagnos-able" is the effects of a clogged-heart spiritually and emotionally.

My mom just had five stents put in her heart. She had 85-95% blockage in seven areas. She could barely walk 10 feet before collapsing from exhaustion. Now that the blockage has been removed she looks ten years younger. What a difference it makes to get obstructions out of the way.

The parallel between physical blockage and our spiritual, emotional and relational lives is clear. For instance, unforgiveness, bitterness, greed, gossip, etc. all clogs up our relational world--with God and others.

The apostle Paul calls us to "forgive, as God in Christ has forgiven us." Great advice for unclogging the invisible arteries of the soul.

Getting Older

2009-07-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

My mom had a heart attack last week--a couple weeks after her 80th birthday. The doctors told her all her major arteries were completely blocked. They are shocked she's still alive. Open heart surgery looms later this week, provided her lungs are healthy enough to handle the surgery (years of smoking hasn't helped the situation).

Getting older, getting sick, facing our mortality...it's such a drag. We were made for life and when death comes knocking on our door--or at least waves from a distance--it feels like such an interruption.

That's because it is. Death is the unwanted, unwelcome intruder to life. But it's here. It is coming...for all of us. Sooner or later, today or tomorrow or fifty years from now, death is coming. It doesn't matter how many vitamins we take or how many plastic surgeries we have to try to retain that youthful look. Death is coming. Deal with it.

But most don't. Most of us stick our head in the sand. Or we buy into the idea that "good people" go to heaven, and since we all consider ourselves good (or at least better than average), we assume we will be okay. Meanwhile, we wonder..."How good am I, really? And who determines how good you have to be?" (see Andy Stanley's excellent little book, "How Good is Good Enough?")

But when you get to where my mom is--with the imminent threat of death--all of our wishful thinking goes out the window. We want answers. We want truth. And most of all we want assurance.

Jesus said, "Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he/she live."

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life (huge, huge, HUGE claims). No one comes to the Father except through me." They killed Jesus for saying things like this.

The apostle John wrote, "God has given us eternal life (note that eternal life is a gift--not something we earn or deserve--see Ephesians 2:8-9), and this life is in his son (Jesus). So whoever has God's Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life...I have written these things so that you may know (i.e. be assured) that you have eternal life." They banished John to a prison island for writing such things.

When you get right down to the end of life people who know and love Jesus--and I mean that at the deepest, most intimate level--face their death with an amazing peace and even a sense of anticipation.

I hope that is true for you. If you've not wrestled with those big issues before--as in your own mortality and appointment with death--what are you waiting for?

The Power of the words "I LOVE YOU"

2009-07-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

Nick Vujicic spoke at and to our church Sunday. He also threw out the first pitch at the Traverse City Beach Bums game (see photo)--no small feat for a guy with no arms.

What struck me most about this event was not the over 3,200 people who showed up for the three services (although I was shocked how many came at 8 am), nor the 400 or so people who gave their lives to Christ or rededicated their lives to God. That was amazing, inspiring and very moving.

But what really "got me" was the power of the words "I love you." Nick said it over and over--at the church; at the ball park--over and over he said, "I love you" or "God loves you." And it felt so good to hear.

Don't get me wrong...I know that God loves me. Most times I haven't a clue as to why but I know he loves me. But it still felt so good to hear it. Those words--rightly spoken--have immense power. And then I thought of all the people who attended our services who rarely, if ever, hear those three life-giving words. We live in a world filled with "I HATE you!" or "You make me sick" or "Who do you think you are?!?" But the "I love you's" are too often far and few between.

So here's a shout out to my friend Nick V. Thanks for telling us what we all need to hear, feel and know at the core of our being--that we are loved and lovable--with or without arms and legs. Thanks for reminding us that Jesus loves us so much that he willingly gave his life for us...and that he would do it all over again if he had to. Thanks for saying those three words that can sweep away despair and fill us with hope and purpose.

By the way, I love you too.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES - A Matter of Perspective

2009-06-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

It is fascinating to me how differently people respond to the same circumstances. For one person they see an opportunity that excites and motivates. For another person they see a challenge that feels overwhelming.

Same circumstances but very different reactions. What's the difference? Some of it may be background or experience. Bill Hybels (founding pastor of Willow Creek Community Church) was a teenager when his dad sent him across Lake Michigan on a sail boat and around the world on a plane--both times alone. Those sorts of leadership challenges tend to build confidence as challenges come our way.

Other people who were not given those opportunities--or pushed to pursue them--may respond to life's circumstances with far greater caution.

Other factors come into play, such as our basic emotional DNA. Some of us are risk-takers and have a higher threshold for the unknown. Others of us applaud the risk-takers as we honker down in our chairs and the remote--safe in the comfort of the safe and predictable.

I suspect I've been a bit of both in my life. Sometimes opportunities feel like unwelcome challenges and other times challenges feel like huge, God-sized opportunities. Same circumstance--different reaction.

So what's the difference? Perspective. If my eyes are on me (i.e. my abilities, resources, etc) then life's circumstances take on the feel of an overwhelming challenge. On the other hand, if my eyes are on God--the God who is infinitely good and infinitely wise and infinitely loving and infinitely resourceful, then the same set of circumstances produces in me a sense of excitement--an opportunity for God to do something extraordinary in and through me--an ordinary person.

Read 1 Samuel 17. It is the familiar story of David and his battle with Goliath. While the armies of Israel shook in their sandals, saying "He's too big!" David looked at the same guy, the same threat, the same circumstances and said, "He's so big...I can't miss!!!"

What was the difference? PERSPECTIVE. When I am feeling overwhelmed perhaps the problem is not that the giants in my life are too big but that my vision of God is too small.

"With God ALL things are possible." (Jesus, Matthew 19:26)

VEGAS TRIP

2009-06-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

I don't get Vegas. I've been there twice--once to recruit a current staff member (who couldn't get to us in Traverse City fast enough so I traveled to meet him) and most recently to accompany my daughter to a buying show for our family business that she and my wife run.

While there we were in and out of casinos more times than I care to remember (you can't get anywhere without going through a casino). As you'll notice in the photo, we didn't exactly stay at the Bellagio! But I digress...

Every time I see a commercial for casinos people are amazingly happy--it's a party atmosphere. But every time I went into a real casino I rarely saw happiness. I saw numbness. I saw "zombiness." I saw despair. But laughter, happiness--even joy? They were in short supply.

However, my daughter Krissie and I shared a few moments of hilarity. I spent $40 to connect to wireless internet in our hotel room. For all the aggravation we put up with trying to connect they should have paid us. When I walked in to see Krissie holding my laptop up to the window, rotating it counter-clockwise in hopes of "catching the connection" (here it comes...there it goes)--well, we laughed ourselves sick as she struggled to get an online order placed.

Somewhere in this there is probably a profound spiritual lesson. I will let you know when I find it. For now, I treasure those moments of laughter and love--even in a crazy place like Vegas. It was so good to see our son and daughter=in-law, who recently moved to Salt Lake City. And it was good to see our daughter do her thing as a buyer for our family business.

I love my kids. I love my wife. I enjoyed our family business trip, but it's really family that I treasure. I'm so glad to be home.

Hell of a message

2009-05-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

I preached a message on hell yesterday. Real nice Memorial Day weekend topic. Just what our many guests from downstate were hoping to hear...a message on hell!

It seemed odd to me for several reasons. First, it could not have been a more beautiful day outside. An arid, scorching wind out of the south--with some lightning and thunder and dark clouds would have been more fitting.

The other odd thing is that hell is such an odd topic in our culture. How do you communicate the horror of eternity apart from God (which is the essence of hell) to a culture that has lost even the most basic concept of sin, or the holiness of God, or the depravity of our own hearts? When you consider that the majority of those who call themselves followers of Jesus have rejected the concept of hell, teaching on this is a daunting challenge to say the least.

I am not afraid to teach on this subject, mind you. I don't relish taking on controversial subjects but I don't shy away from them either. My main interest is communicating truth that sticks--where people "get it and get on with it."

So I sit here wondering, "God, did that make any sense to anyone...really?" Because if it did--if we took Jesus' teaching on hell seriously it seems to me it would result in a massive surge of spiritual boldness among his followers. If we stop and think about what Jesus actually rescued us from, there should be a surge of compassion for family and friends facing an eternity without Jesus.

Following the service a fine young man named Corey came up and thanked me. He told me the message "checked him into the boards" (a hockey term for you non-hockey fans). Truth be told, it checked me into the boards too.

If you missed the message or the series, "Taking Doubt Seriously," you can catch the podcast on www.bponline.org.

Betwixt and Between

2009-04-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

Luke 23:50-54
50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, 51 but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he had been waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. 52 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 53 Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. 54 This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation for the Sabbath. NLT

Jesus died on Friday. Joseph, a dissenting voice among those responsible for Jesus' death, stuck his neck out once again and provided a burial place for Jesus. Then they laid Jesus to rest.

Saturday. Today is Saturday. I'm looking outside and there isn't a cloud in the sky. It's beautiful. Cars are driving by doing whatever people do on Saturday's--probably running to the store for spring clean up projects.

In the larger Easter story Saturday is the "between day"--the day between execution and resurrection. It's the day people walked around in a daze. "What just happened?! We thought He was the 'One'..." Saturday represents moving from shock (Friday) to utter bewilderment.

I find myself bewildered about a lot of things these days. I see people bailing on marriages in record numbers--people who proclaim Jesus as Lord. I see our government stepping in to "save the day" by spending trillions of dollars that don't exist (maybe Jesus can multiply our taxes like he did the loaves and fishes). I am often bewildered by my own wayward heart--an odd mixture of faith and faithlessness. Turns out my greatest bewilderment isn't the world around me as much as it is the world within me.

It's Saturday. What in the world is going on?

The sun will set soon enough on Saturday. Let's see what Sunday has in store...

Video Journal

2009-04-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

Greetings Friends. I've had people say to me (for months), "Are you ever going to share any pics or video clips from your two month sabbatical in 2008?

I just realized I can add pics and videos to this blog (okay, I'm a little slow). The first pic is my dear friends Jamie and Dana Logan and Dave and Jill Hall in NZ Notice the thousands of birds in the background. I think this is in Napier, NZ. Can't remember the name of the birds but they are huge and they use this cliff above the ocean as their nesting place. I have to say...it was a bit Alfred Hitchcockian. I was a bit concerned of some rogue birds pecking my eyes out, but we got out of there in fine shape.

The clip below is of our entrance into Sydney Harbor with the world famous Sydney Opera House right there. I was blown away! The weather wasn't great in Sydney but we had an incredible dinner with the Logan's and Hall's on the water and I was able to worship at Hillsongs Church in Sydney--a real highlight.

ARE GAY PEOPLE WELCOME IN OUR CHURCH?

2009-01-24T14:36:00.000-08:00

Within 48 hours I received two separate emails from two different persons who had visited our church. Their question was identical: are gay people welcome in our church. I suspect they may have been asking the question with a particular person(s) in mind and wondered how their gay friend would be treated...and that's a fair question and legit concern.

Below is my answer to one of the inquiries, which the person appreciated and asked me to post. Here it is...
_________________________________

Thanks for your question, _________. As for the church's view, or "attitude" on the subject it's pretty simple--we love people. Period.

Now, that doesn't mean we approve of that which God speaks against. And God has lots to say about a lot of lifestyle choices. Some are good and some are bad, but whenever God says, "Thou shalt..." or "Thou shalt not..." it's always motivated by his love...for us and for the world.

So what does the Bible teach about the gay issue? As far as I can tell it condemns the act, not the inclination. I have lots of "inclinations" that God says no too. Truth be told, if I followed many of my sinful inclinations or impulses my life would be a total disaster. So I'm very grateful for God's gracious "no's."

It's a tough issue. We welcome gay people and the struggles they have (and we all have our struggles and weaknesses). But when we are asked to bless and affirm that which God does not that's where we have to lovingly disagree.

My experience in dealing with lots of gay people is that they, for the most part, respect our position even if they don't agree with it because of the way we articulate it. We try to engage in conversations like this like Jesus would--with tons of grace bathed in truth. I learned long ago that truth without love is "brutal honesty"--a totally unbiblical notion. On the other hand, love where truth gets sacrificed is reduced to sentimental mush.

John 1:14 says Jesus was full of grace and truth. I hope that's the balance we walk.

________________________________________

Note: I did not attempt to answer all the big theological, moral or practical questions relating to gay people or an actively gay lifestyle. This is simply a brief attempt to respond to how we, as a church, would respond to a gay person who visited our church. Asking the church to give its blessing to an openly gay lifestyle, however, is a whole different conversation--one that is serious enough that it deserves greater detail than a brief blog allows.

Nick

Laughing in the face of death

2009-01-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

Death is no laughing matter. It's a serious and unwelcome intrusion on life. But having just finished leading an amazing memorial service a couple hours ago, we were able to laugh in the face of death.

Sue Wise, a great lady who loved God, loved her family and loved people with all her heart, died suddenly on Dec. 29 at the age of 54. She was diagnosed two weeks ago with cancer. Two weeks later she's gone. We're still shocked.

That being said, the memorial service was precious. It was all about LIFE, LOVE AND LAUGHTER. Don't get me wrong...we weren't up front telling "knock-knock" jokes. But amidst the tears and genuine grief, there was hope and humor and flat-out laughter. Sue's husband, Chuck, knocked our socks off with some humorous insights from their marriage that was at the very same time profoundly touching.

Not everyone faces death that way. In fact, most don't. But Sue knew who she was and whose she was. She knew that death does not have the final word--Jesus does. And years ago Sue had received God's full and final pardon for her sin. And so she died as she had lived--with a sense of graciousness, peace and confidence in the God who had redeemed her.

So during the service and immediately after we wept some and laughed some and hugged alot and told stories and ate food and loved each other through it. Isn't that the way it's supposed to be? For all the times followers of Jesus mess up, I think we got that one right.

Seasons

2008-10-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

Summer is gone, fall is here (incredibly beautiful in Traverse City right now), and winter is coming. Seasons...they keep coming. Just when you're saying, "Finally it's summer!" the chill of impending winter slaps you in the face.

Turning 50 a couple months ago reminds me of the seasons of life. I'm an empty nester now. I can't tell you how bizarre it feels to write that. I have a son who recently married a lovely woman, so now I have a daughter-in-law. What happened to me being the young husband/father with two young children? Grandkids can't be too far off (my wife and I both hope).

Seasons of life...ready or not they just keep coming. It's what you do with each season that determines how your life works out. You can kick and scream and wish things were different, or you can embrace each season as an amazing adventure waiting to be lived--your choice.

As for me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord and enjoy each season as it comes--even the tough ones. While I'm not a winter lover, I'm going to use this winter to throw a log on the spiritual fire and go deeper in my relationship with God. I'm also going to draw closer in community with people I love. I hope you'll do the same.