The atttitude of Jesus

I've asked my students to write a short essay on living with Jesus' attitude, so I thought I'd post an example of what I'm looking for (this is on the short side of what's assigned, but it's enough to get the idea):

"What does it mean for me to live with the attitude of Jesus?" I suppose it means that as much as possible, my thoughts, feelings, reactions, etc. are His. It means that my perspective on life is seen through His eyes. I can tend to get a little cynical sometimes, my outlook a little bleak. Sometimes I see situations that are obviously messed up and doubt that there's anything I or anyone else can do to make them better. A lot of people don't really want to 'get well'. That can be very discouraging for me.

But when I have the attitude of Jesus, my perspective changes. Flickers of hope begin to melt away my cynicism. I come to understand that my job isn't to make things better, but to "awaken possibilities" within others - to take a spark of life near enough to them that they will be driven to seek out the Source of that Life.

This means that people are not seeking out me. It's not relationship with me that they need. They're looking beyond me, through me, to see the One whose attitude I reflect. And that's ok. Having Jesus' attitude means I don't want their attention to get stuck on me. I want to direct their attention to God, our Father. If that means being ignored and taken for granted, I can live with that. Jesus' attitude says, "Life is not about me."

Jesus set aside everything for the sake of others. He humbly laid down His right and privilege in order to serve humanity. If I'm going to have His attitude, I will be willing to do the same.

Summarize...

I got a link to this video in an e-mail from Joe, our children's pastor. This is a great idea, but more than that - it's a great statement of what God's doing in the lives of the church where this was filmed. How would you summarize your self/life in just a few words??? What would be your "cardboard testimony"?

Being Known

I've not posted much of anything lately. And the little bit that I have written here recently has been way on the 'lighter' side of content ~ I mean, "greener" bombs??? Come on...

It's not that I haven't had anything to say. I've actually had quite a few things that I wanted to write about lately (working with a summer intern, fixing my race car, visiting the art gallery, reading Dostoyevsky, new music, moments with students...). But whenever I begin to actually put the words together, I find myself insanely filtering what I want to say. Then I decide this distilled, nuetralized (or is neutered?) version of what's on my mind isn't really worth saying anyway. So I delete it and move on to something else.

(I'm fighting with myself right now even ~ finish the post or filter it then scrap it? I'll keep going and see what happens...)

I think this may just be a part of my tendency to question everything - especially myself. In that case, I'll just keep digging for answers, writing and deleting my way along. But it also may be some fear of something outside of me, looking into the part of me I put on display, and deciding they don't like what they see. When I started this blog, I was feeling pretty secure. I knew if anyone had a problem with what they found here, we could deal with it together. I had a confidence in what I had to say, even when difficult issues led me to say things I knew people didn't want to hear. I was known. I knew myself and felt like I was on firm enough footing to defend if I needed to.

I feel like all of that is missing now. I'm not known. I don't want to say what people who don't know me don't want to hear. (We're not very nice to people we don't know when they say things we don't want to hear, are we?) I feel like Jeremiah maybe, with a message to deliver that I don't really want to. But he couldn't keep it in, and I'm sure I can't either...

Not that I'm trying to stifle the message of God for the sake of my own security. Or maybe that's exactly what it is. Maybe I know deep inside that the masses of consumer christians don't want to hear the call to create and produce something in keeping with the faith they claim. Maybe I know within my soul that the herds will always value conformity above true beauty. Maybe I've just been listenning to too much Coldplay...

Strange Headline

Scientists Design More Environmentally Friendly Bombs

It's nice to know we can take care of our planet without giving up our ability to cause massive chaos, destruction, and loss of life.

"I Was Just Testing You"

Sitting on the couch with my son Josiah the other day, we had the following conversation:

Me: "I think you're about the funniest kid I know."
Siah: "So you won't ever throw me away?"
Me: "No, I would never throw you away!"
Siah: "What about Kota?"
Me: "Nope, I'd never throw him away either."
Siah: "Emmy?"
Me: "No."
Siah: "Lizzy?"
Me: "Nope."
Siah: "Mommy?"
Me: "No way."

Siah, after a long pause: "I was just testing you, dad."

Then he gave me a big 4-year-old hug - I guess I passed.

A Thought Provoking Quote

Eugene Peterson talks about Jonah going into Nineveh and becoming

"a pastor in this place - not to improve their religion and not to serve their religious needs but to subvert their religion, insinuate doubts into its validity, and then help them to deal in faith with a living God. 'Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.' He didn't accuse them of being evil. He didn't denounce their sin and wickedness. He called into question their future. He introduced eschatology into their now-oriented religion, their security-obsessed present."

• Meeting religious need
• Improving religious experience
• Identifying evil
• Denouncing sin and wickedness

At first glance, this list doesn't seem all that insidious. Most pastors I know would affirm the validity of all of these practices in their own ministries. But a shallow, fickle flock is their end. There are veins we must explore that run deeper in the pastoral role than these. Tasks that sound much less 'pastoral' to today's churches. In youth ministry, they sound flat out scary:

• Subverting religion
• Insinuating doubts
• Questioning the future
• Re-orienting without an emphasis on 'now'
• Embracing a dangerous way into the future

The first set of phrases is the most commonly embraced, but can lead to a brand of religious consumerism that is strangling many churches today... "We shouldn't sing this or that song." "Just keep faithful(ly doing the same thing we've been doing the last twenty years)." "What needs can we meet with our ministries (to each other)?"

The second set of phrases seems pretty shaky, but forces us to really think about what we believe and why we do the things we do. I want to develop a band of believers that isn't afraid to be questioned, who see beyond today's issues and struggles and will walk the difficult path into a better tomorrow. A people who are not merely coloring between the lines set before us, but who are creatively molding the colors and shapes into dynamic portrayals of God's faith, hope, and love for the world around us.

If you're a pastor, don't pander to the spirit of religious consumerism and job security. If you know me, help me keep out of that mentality, too. May we clearly see the face of the God we seek, and undeniably display Him wherever we are.

Will it Matter?

I really couldn't care less who is revealed soon as the next American Idol winner. I haven't ever really gotten into the show, but apparently it's come down to a couple guys named David. Every time I turn on the radio in my truck, they're talking about it. Every commercial break on whatever station the show is on includes a plug. It seems that somehow, the outcome of the contest is important to our nation - maybe even to the world. But I doubt that it is important at all and really don't care who wins.

What I want to know is, who actually votes? What kind of people actually don't have anything better to do than vote for another pop star? Thousands of people spend their time and money to cast their electronic ballot in this meaningless election. I heard one lady lamenting the fact that she just couldn't decide which David to vote for, so she split her votes between them equally, so that she'd helped to choose the winner! By that logic, I guess I contributed as much to tipping the scales one way or another as she did.

I don't know. Maybe I just don't get the hype. Maybe I'm hopelessly out of touch with all that is pop. It just seems a great waste to me.

Why do we spend so much time and money on things that don't matter?

I Got a Birdie!

I'm not much of a golfer. I consider it a moral victory if I find more golf balls than I lose. Yesterday, I went golfing for the first time in about a year - not expecting great results. My scores were well above par (mostly above double-bogey), but I didn't lose a single ball in the water. I didn't lose a single ball in the weeds, or one in the trees. I did, however, lose one in a goose!

I teed up - picked out a lofty 4 wood to make sure to go high up and over the pond between me and the green. Stepped up to the ball. Drove said ball right into a herd of geese standing at the edge of the tee box. Feathers flew. Geese squawked (that is an oddly spelled word, isn't it!) and scurried (I don't know if geese actually scurry as much as they kind of flounder about in aimless confusion, but whatever...). And one little goose traded his entrails for my Titlist.

A moment of silence for the recently departed member of our feather gallery...

BiteBack Benefit

Our talent show to raise money for Compassion's BiteBack program went pretty well last night. We raised just over $600. I was a little disappointed that we didn't have more of an audience, but this is the first time we've done anything like this. Maybe word will get out about how good it was and next time, we'll have more interest. The students did a really good job.

We had everything from pole vaulting to "A Whole New World" to a "Popular" song/skit to dance to train building (which was a favorite of the kids in the crowd) to video editing & several piano solos... We even had a McDonald's drive through for a few minutes! The two students who had the most stage time ended up leading the "vote count" with Teresa (dance, rap, piano, & vocals) just edging out Sam (piano, jokes, & MC). Thanks to every student who shared a talent and to those in the audience who generously "voted".

I was stressed with a number of last minute switches and glitches on the computer, but in the end, over 60 kids will soon be protected from malaria, so it was well worth it. We made a difference. And that was the point.
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On a personal level, if you'd like to make even more of a difference to one child in particular, check out the link in my sidebar to sponsor a child through Compassion's child sponsorship.

Don't Forget @ WestWay

Spring Up the Bluff

I hurt myself yesterday & I'm still in pain.
Not coerced.
Not an accident.
I willfully, intentionally, and voluntarily engaged in a painful endeavor.

Here in Scottsbluff is a wonderful little place we like to call Scotts Bluff National Monument. It's a nice place. A large bluff that overlooks the valley - great views. On a clear day you can even see Laramie Peak in WY.

Yesterday was not a clear day. Or maybe it was fairly clear, but I didn't notice because I wasn't there for the view. I was there for the annual Spring Up the Bluff relay run up to the top. (In a joke that's surely been made way too many times, we decided we should come back in October when they have the Fall Down the Bluff.) It's a pretty simple concept. You get 5 of your gullible buddies to agree to one leg (only about a quarter mile each) and the six of you pass the baton up the bluff.

We had about three problems, the first being gravity. It's not easy to run up a hill. The second was wind. It was windy in town yesterday. It was insanely windy on the bluff! Parts of the run were made uphill against the wind. The third problem was an insufficient number of runners on our team. 6 legs divided by 4 runners meant that two of us ran two legs in a row. Jon and Greg ran the first two legs, then after Scott made his way through the tunnel sections (which had to be the toughest) I did the last 2 legs.

The biggest problem I had though was my own inability to accept the imposed limits of my insufficiently conditioned physical mechanism. I took off at a full bore as soon as the baton was in my hand (I kept hearing the line from Hidalgo about the beginning of the race is just for show). Quickly realizing I had a long way to go, I told myself to ease up a bit. Unfortunately, my self did not listen to me and I kept running... hard.

As I neared the next handoff point, I became acutely aware of how ridiculous I was going to look running through without handing off. (Or maybe heroic if they thought I'd run the whole thing.) But the motor kept turning. I kept telling myself to slow down. Things became hazy around the edges. My self still didn't listen to me. My head pounded. I could feel my pulse in my cheek (which is kind of an odd sensation). And I kept running.

When I do this to myself, my lungs get pretty ticked off. They're the part of my body that kept saying "Slow down, moron!" It's not nice of my lungs to call me names like that, but I'll give them a little leeway since they've been so neglected and abused. So now, I'll spend a couple days sounding like I've been smoking for about 92 years. (If you see me hacking this week, don't worry - it's not contagious!)

The best part of the whole day was some good discussion with Scott on the walk back down. (I'm not sure what possessed us to pass up the shuttle?) I'm sore today, and sounding like I just puffed out my fourth pack since lunch, but I'm sure I'll do it again. I seem to find ways to do this to myself...

Anyone want to go running???

Compassion Blog

Compassion has a new blog. Various writers associated with Compassion talk about child sponsorship, poverty, and issues related to what's going on at Compassion.

LuAnn and I have sponsored kids through Compassion for a long time. It's really a good organization that's making a difference in the world for the sake of Christ. Check out their site and blog. Also, I've added a widget to my sidebar that you can use to sign up to sponsor a child. If you're not already doing this, maybe you should use it...

Amazing Visual

This is just pretty much amazing!



You can see more about Stephen Wiltshire at his site, including a gallery of his other work.

Stuff

I'm usually pretty hesitant to put up recommendations of websites, but here comes one. A while back, Stuff Christians Like was launched. At first, I thought it was just going to be another cheap Christian knock off of another, similarly named popular site. I was wrong.

It's hilarious. You probably should go check it out if you haven't already read it. The site pokes fun at some of the silliness that we Christians enjoy, but also brings up some thought provoking issues. Take some time, look around the various posts. Make sure you're not somewhere you have to be quiet because you will laugh out loud...

NOTE: If you belong to the Holy Church of those who are Perpetually Unable to Laugh at Themselves you will not enjoy Stuff Christians Like. Stay away from there and return to your pickle juice immediately.

What are we saying?

Sometimes in the church we get so familiar with our language that we stop actually thinking about what it means. I try to be really careful not to catch myself talking to students about things like "full life" that Jesus came to bring (or a number of other 'churchy' phrases) without making sure they understand what that is. I often wonder what other people really mean when they are talking about justification, or being saved, or getting saved, or living in the Spirit... Do they even know what they're saying?

One of the phrases that gets thrown around a lot is "making disciples". Most churches would, in some form or another, say that their mission/purpose/job/commission/vision (or a major part of it) is to make disciples. A church that would not say this (in some way) is ignoring Jesus, so probably is more of a club than a church anyway; and in a club you don't have to know what you're saying, just say it at the appropriate moment.

But for the actual church that is about making disciples, do we really know what we're talking about when we tell each other to make disciples? Just how do you make a disciple?

Eugene Peterson's Message paraphrases the Great Commission (Jesus' command to go make disciples) like this: "Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."

The question to answer then is what way of life are we supposed to train people to live in? How is it possible in the 21st Century to live the way of life that Jesus taught His disciples to live in the 1st Century? What does this 'way of life' look like in our context?

White Trash Scavenger?

I like to keep things, you know... just in case. There I admitted it. I still have papers I wrote in High School! Mrs. Waschenfelder may be proud, but my wife is not so amused. My boxes of school items are a burning, festering sore in her housekeeping psyche. But, I keep things. Not just old school stuff. My garage is like an oasis of white trash scavenging bliss, hidden among the neighborhood homes. Filled with things like old license plates that could be bent into shape to make... something. Slabs of cardboard to put under the car so I don't get my back dirty under there - at least not until I actually pull the oil pan plug and dump oil all over my front! Parts and pieces of my Colt that I could (could!) sell on ebay if I can't find some other way to use them.

But this week I've learned two great lessons:

1. Free Day (or week) at the landfill is a good thing.
2. WINDY Free Day at the landfill - not so much.

As I was throwing various stripped parts from my race car, the Men in Big Machines felt it necessary to continually drive around kicking up the dust which then blew everywhere. And by everywhere I mean into my 4Runner. I know it's just dirt, but landfill dirt... ick!

The good news is in my 2 trips this week and last week I've gotten rid of a lot of those miscellaneous pieces of car that have been sitting around in my already-too-tiny garage, plus a headliner, door panels, seats, an old non-functional dishwasher, a broken screen door, a rotting old kitchen table, and two tires (i thought it odd that after all the tire changing I did last season I only had 2 tires to ditch - where did they all go?) .

It's a little belated, but Happy Earth Day!

...To make sure this would be my white trashiest entry ever, I also gave away the toilet and tub that have been sitting on my back patio since we took them out last fall! LuAnn is happy. But I'm still keeping my sophomore English papers!