The Power of Forgiveness for a Daughter Named Mckenzie and a Dad Named Brock
So as many of you know, we became parents to a 16 year old girl named Mckenzie this past year. She is so amazing and we have seen her life transformed, her mind renewed, and her head lifted. But I think the real story is how we have been changed. She has brought me to Jesus in such a huge way. It began with Kelsey and I feeling just flat out desperate for God to do a work in Mckenzie's life. There have been days where the burden for her was a constant ache in my bones. It's like, we weren't getting anywhere with her and so all we could do is pray - on our own we were seeing no progress or healing in her life. But what has been so cool has been the little breakthroughs in her life since this past January. Little successes, little movements, little steps - all moving her closer and closer to who she really is. Seeing this has changed my life.
A couple of weeks ago she came up to me and said that she had forgiven her step father, Louis (the man who has basically raised her). Now I have been praying for this forever! See, Mckenzie hasn't been able to move forward very easily because of the crap that she's been carrying over her past. I've been praying that God would just free her, that he would take all of her burdens so that she could run into her future without the junk dragging her down and slowing her pace.
So, she was at houseboats camp and the worship band was leading them in the song, How He Loves. And she just began to cry over how much Jesus loves her - then she felt God speaking to her and the conversation went like this:
Jesus: Do you know how much I love you?
Mckenzie: I'm beginning to.
Jesus: I love you so much!
Mckenzie: I know!
Jesus: Do you know that I love Louis just as much as I love you?
Mckenzie: What?
Jesus: Yes, I love Louis so much, just as much as I love you. And I have forgiven him just like I have forgiven you.
Mckenzie: Lord, help me to forgive him.
She said that immediately she felt love for Louis. Did you get that? She felt love towards the man who has hurt her over and over again. I just have to say this, God is amazing and maybe he loves to forgive us because it frees him to love us. My prayer is that I would, and you would - that we would be set free to love. That we would follow Jesus' lead and forgive and then love.
Just a Thought...
"The opposite of faith isn't doubt, the opposite of faith is certainty."
-Anne Lamott
“The Biblical vision is not so much concerned with life after death but about life after life after death.”
“Wherever St. Paul went, there was a riot. Wherever I go, they serve tea.”
“The word ‘gospel,’ in Paul’s world, meant the accession of Caesar. And when Tiberius or Nero came to power, the imperial heralds did not go around saying, ‘There is this new experience you might like to try on for size, namely, you might like to give allegiance to Caesar if that suits you and if that’s where you are right now in your own personal journey.’ No, they said, ‘Tiberius is emperor! Get down on your knees!’”
“God is not very concerned with the method by which rulers come to power; He is passionately and compassionately concerned with what they do once they attain power.”
(In response to those who tell him, “I don’t believe in God”) “Really? Which god is it that you don’t believe in?”
“My proposal is not that we understand what the word ‘god’ means and manage somehow to fit Jesus into that. Instead, I suggest that we think historically about a young Jew, possessed of a desperately risky, indeed apparently crazy, vocation, riding into Jerusalem in tears, denouncing the Temple, and dying on a Roman cross--and that we take our courage in both hands and allow our meaning for the word ‘god’ to be recentered around that point.”
“Jesus did not ‘know he was God’ in the same way one knows one is male or female, hungry or thirsty, or that one ate an orange an hour ago. His ‘knowledge’ was of a more risky, but perhaps more significant, sort: like knowing one is loved. One cannot ‘prove’ it except by living it.”
(About being bald) “When you get to be my age, you only have so many hormones left, and if you want to use yours to grow hair on the top of your head, that’s fine.”
“Almighty Father, maker of Heaven and Earth, set up your Kingdom in our midst. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us sinners. Holy Spirit, Breath of the Living God, renew us and all the world.”
N.T. Wright
Over ten years ago a friend of mine introduced me to an amazing historian/theologian by the name of N.T. Wright. Since then I have read everything I can get my hands on by him. So many of my friends and many around the world have been so influenced by him and what I love best is that he doesn't fit into any system or theological paradigm. He thinks out of the Christian boxes that constrict and keep us from seeing Scripture for what it is really saying. Anyways, here are some of my favorite quotes by Wright. Enjoy!
N.T. WRIGHT QUOTES, SAYINGS, AND A PRAYER
“The Biblical vision is not so much concerned with life after death but about life after life after death.”
“Wherever St. Paul went, there was a riot. Wherever I go, they serve tea.”
“The word ‘gospel,’ in Paul’s world, meant the accession of Caesar. And when Tiberius or Nero came to power, the imperial heralds did not go around saying, ‘There is this new experience you might like to try on for size, namely, you might like to give allegiance to Caesar if that suits you and if that’s where you are right now in your own personal journey.’ No, they said, ‘Tiberius is emperor! Get down on your knees!’”
“God is not very concerned with the method by which rulers come to power; He is passionately and compassionately concerned with what they do once they attain power.”
(In response to those who tell him, “I don’t believe in God”) “Really? Which god is it that you don’t believe in?”
“My proposal is not that we understand what the word ‘god’ means and manage somehow to fit Jesus into that. Instead, I suggest that we think historically about a young Jew, possessed of a desperately risky, indeed apparently crazy, vocation, riding into Jerusalem in tears, denouncing the Temple, and dying on a Roman cross--and that we take our courage in both hands and allow our meaning for the word ‘god’ to be recentered around that point.”
“Jesus did not ‘know he was God’ in the same way one knows one is male or female, hungry or thirsty, or that one ate an orange an hour ago. His ‘knowledge’ was of a more risky, but perhaps more significant, sort: like knowing one is loved. One cannot ‘prove’ it except by living it.”
(About being bald) “When you get to be my age, you only have so many hormones left, and if you want to use yours to grow hair on the top of your head, that’s fine.”
“Almighty Father, maker of Heaven and Earth, set up your Kingdom in our midst. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us sinners. Holy Spirit, Breath of the Living God, renew us and all the world.”
Bit Part Player
So I am excited to be writing my first post. I have avoided blogging for a couple of years now but feel like it it's now time to begin. My simple prayer is this: to challenge and encourage whoever happens to stumble into this little site. So here's a thought:
I was thinking today, and I truly believe this, that together as the church, we can bring God's Kingdom to earth, here and now. By our very presence, and the work we do, we can bring God's light to some pretty dark places. It's funny but I have a longing to get earth ready for the return of Jesus. When He shows up, I want to be found busy at work.
I remember one day my dad and I decided to clean the house while my mom was out. I must have been about 9 years old at the time. Now I decided to start cleaning before my dad was ready to - I wanted to see how much I could get done before he showed up to do his part. So I worked my tail off all by myself. I remember how amazed he was when he saw how much I had accomplished while he was working in the garage.
I would love for Christ to return, to make everything right in the world only to find that we, as the church, made his job just a little bit easier. Maybe it's naivete or maybe it's just what Jesus is hoping for. But I do know this: together we can make a difference in this messy world. Even if its not much - I want to do my part. May you remember today that you can play a part (a bit part, but a part) in this amazing unfolding story of God.
Tears in the back
On Saturday I woke up at the horrific hour of 2am to get ready and drive down to Lake Shasta. We were heading there to pick up students from houseboat's camp and bring 'em home. On the road back home I moved around the bus listening to stories of the week - the fun, the adventure, and the overwhelming God moments. I laughed so hard at the stories and cried (in a very manly way) as kids told me what God had done in their lives. I was amazed.
Sunday morning the students ran the entire service at the church. I got the slide show ready and took my seat in the back of the auditorium. I sat and watched students worshipping, praying, and sharing about what God had done. Honestly, I think Youth Sunday should be every Sunday!
But, towards the end of the service my 2 daughters got up and shared. My oldest talked about God healing her from sickness and how this was seriously miraculous. She, with such confidence and faith, spoke of a loving God who cared so deeply for her and how the prayers of students and leaders were heard. Then my 13 year old daughter Dancin got up to the mic. I watched her begin to cry before she even spoke a word. And I, sitting there in the back, was in awe as I watched her share her heart with the congregation. All I could do is quietly watch and allow the tears to run down my face.
She spoke about how God had given her a verse. She was having her quiet time and felt like God was asking her to give something up. That she was to make a sacrifice. And then God whispered a verse in her ear. She just felt compelled to open her Bible to Ephesians 5:1 -Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
She was blown away by how the verse was about Jesus given himself up and God had just told her to give something up. What was that something? For her, it was fear.
She has been afraid to move. I have been without a pay check since October - it's been really tough, but we've just kept ministering as best we can. But I have had to go and look for work. We will be moving July 26th and heading to Greenwich, CT - just outside New York City. But the whole idea of moving has been very hard on Dancin.
My daughter, she stood up there crying and sharing her heart - and I, sat there in the back and wept. I started crying and I couldn't stop. My daughter had chosen to go ahead and give up her fear and to just trust in the Lord. And so I write this to tell you... me to. I choose to trust. I choose to say yes to Jesus anytime he asks me to say something, to go somewhere, whatever - I say yes!
Does God Need Us?
http://asbojesus.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/20b.jpg
Bono’s Subliminal Eccelsiology
A friend of mine wrote this some time ago... thought I'd post it - its good stuff! Thanks Brian...
We all know Bono from the megaband U2, my favorite band btw, has always walked on the fringe of Christianity. I love him because he can’t be pigeonholed into any particular denominational or theological bent, and he always seems to piss mainstream conservative Christians off. I know I shouldn’t like that, but I do find it amusing.
Anyways, if you have not listened closely to the words on their latest album, No Line on the Horizon, you’re really missing out on some incredible lyrics. This album is so overtly “Christian” that I don’t know how U2 gets away with it. If you doubt me, then I’ll just throw out a little portion of the song Magnificent:
Justified till we die
You and I will magnify
Oh, the magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent
You and I will magnify
Oh, the magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent
I hate when I ramble so I need to get to the point. The first single released from the new album was a catchy pop tune called “Get on Your Boots”. On a long drive from Florida back to Dallas I decided to listen to each song off this album over and over again. I’m so glad I did this. Get on Your Boots is a song about the Church’s role in our present time with a typical battle cry from Bono for us to get on our Boots – a metaphor for living out our faith with action. He has long believed in Christians being active in their communities and the world. His social commentary has always resonated with me and my dislike for the “country club” mentality of evangelical churches who spend millions of dollars on new church buildings, programs, and pretty much anything but the poor, vulnerable, and voiceless people throughout the world. And, this song is no exception. You will really need to listen to the whole song to get what I’m saying here, but I don’t want to copy the whole song so check out this little snippet:
Hey, sexy boots
Get on your boots, yeah
Get on your boots, yeah
Here’s where we gotta be
Love and community
Laughter is eternity
If joy is real
Love and community
Laughter is eternity
If joy is real
You don’t know how beautiful
You don’t know how beautiful you are
You don’t know and you don’t get it, do you
No, you don’t know how beautiful
You don’t know
You don’t know how beautiful you are
You don’t know how beautiful you are
You don’t know and you don’t get it, do you
No, you don’t know how beautiful
You don’t know
You don’t know how beautiful you are
To me, these are words that every church should chew on. It’s long overdue for our churches to step up and get our boots on. We’ll need boots because it’s gonna be messy work – providing clean water, feeding the poor, ending poverty, stopping AIDS, saving marriages, changing lives, etc, etc… But, we also have to realize, as churches, just how beautiful we are. We are the Bride of Christ and we have the only message that will truly make a difference in the world. We are the physical existence of Christ on the earth today. Do you ever think about how beautiful that is? How beautiful you are?
Now you might think that I’m stretching this stuff a bit – you know, seeing what I want to see in the lyrics. Well, we all do it. But, recently I’ve been loving this book called “The Hole in our Gospel” by Richard Stearns. And out of the blue there’s this quote from Bono in it. Unrelated to the album or any song he’s written he says, “The Jubilee Movement wasn’t a bless-me club; it wasn’t a holy huddle. These religious guys were willing to get on the streets, get their boots dirty, wave the placards and follow their convictions with actions. Making it very hard for people like me to keep their distance. It was amazing. I almost started to like these church people.”
So there you have it. I knew I was on to something when I listened to the song, but then I read this quote. I believe Bono sees the modern evangelical church as an insecure teenager. In reality we are as beautiful as we could be, but we’re so worried about our looks, our programs, and our budget that we miss the opportunity to be a strategic part of God’s reconciliation mission – bringing the Kingdom.
You are beautiful, you are Jesus on this earth, empowered with the Holy Spirit. So, go get on your boots and start being Jesus to this world! Thanks Bono for the reminder!
