A non-commital resignation from blogging.

I am going to follow the lead of several of my compadres. I'm shutting the blog down for a while. I might come back and then again I might not. I guess that is all anyone can truly expect from a mediocre mind like mine. I have a lot more I'd like to say, but I am just not sure I want it to be on the internet, at least not for now. I'll leave it here and it might reappear later with a new name or in an anonymous form. To all who have been readers thanks, that is if you are still reading. To quote my favorite Winnie the Pooh Character --- TTFN "Ta ta for now"

This is just depressing to me.

I am officially disappointed. I guess I should wait until the second test comes back, but either way it ain't looking good for professional cycling. You see, I don't watch or play sports really. I am like the anti-guy when it comes to sports. I do have other "guy" things like being mechanically inclined. But the one sport that I truly enjoy is cycling.

If they do bust Floyd will that give anyone more confidence about Lance's seven victories since there was never a hint of doping going on in any of his tests?

Tommorow its the big 3-0

I am listening to this song tonight. It is the one time that it will specifically apply to me. It's another one by DW. I am a little introspective at this time of my life. I have to wonder is it really "all down hill from here".



Say good-bye to your twenties

Tomorrow is the "Big 3-0"

For my birthday present

I've got a place where we can go

It's a lesson in motion

To ride the wildest ride

We're gonna climb to the top of the roller coaster

And look down the other side



So let me ride in the front car

And you ride right behind

And I'll click my snapshot camera

At exactly the right time

Shoot back over my shoulder

Catch the fear no one can hide

When we tip the top of the roller coaster

And look down the other side

Over the hill



So when the prints come back

We can look at that unmistakable birthday fear

Like your younger days are over now

And its all down hill from here



It was a happy birthday

You surprised us all

So take a look at this glossy picture

I framed it for your wall

It's the moment of truth

It's the top of your youth

The camera don't lie

You might be screaming

But there's a meaning

In the laughter in your eyes

It seems to be saying

"Of course there will be fear"

But this is why we stand in line

Spend that time

Make that climb

To finally feel the other side

And it's all down hill from here



We're gonna climb to the top of the roller coaster

And look down the other side

David Wilcox

Naked Baby Pictures

Okay hopefully these are not the kind of pictures that are terribly embarrasing later on in life for our child, maybe just the last one. Today was the "gender" ultrasound. That is the last picture in the group. See if you can guess.

The Journey Into the Heart of God #2

In the interest of not plagarizing, I got the main points of the next few sermon posts in this series from a brief study by Louie Giglio.

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In the Iditarod race, dog mushers from around the world annually compete for the prestige of first place in a grueling test of endurance. The famous Iditarod trail begins in Anchorage and concludes 1,100 miles later in Nome. It winds through Alaska's treacherous passes, over the frozen Yukon River, and along the windswept Bering Sea. In any given year it takes the first-place musher between eight and twenty days to complete the course.

One thing is unique about this race though. Although it is not mandatory, mushers greet mushers at the end of the 1,000-mile trail as a way of celebrating each person's achievement. Having already completed their own race, they cheer on those who are about to reach their goal.

The scene of mushers cheering mushers is a beautiful picture of Christians who have completed the race of faith who wait in heaven for those still completing their journey. (Source: Preachingtoday.com)

Won’t that be a beautiful scene in Heaven when we see all those who have gone on before and completed the journey? More important to me however is this journey not to arrive in heaven, but to travel together with God on my way there. I want to live a life that draws me daily deeper into the heart of my creator. I know that to be able to enjoy that kind of walk with God one of the most important issues is the issue of faithfulness to God.

The journey to intimacy with God is a Journey of faith

To begin knowing God we must believe that He IS – that is, not just that He exists. It is easy enough to have faith in evidence. There is plenty of evidence. Plenty of people believe that He is in the sense that He exists.

A 2005 Poll taken by Newsweek and Beliefnet had these results—Do you believe that God created the universe?"

Created by God—80 percent
Not created by God—10 percent
Don't believe in God—1 percent
Don't know—9 percent

80 percent of those surveyed believed that He is. Only one percent went as far as to say that they did not believe He exists. But does the 80 percent really know God?

Here is where I think the rub is. Most of Americans believe in some concept of God – that varies widely. Hopefully all that wear the name of Christ believe in God. But even then there is a level of breakdown. Many Christians believe in God, but their belief is really not that different from people who do not claim to be Christians. To them God is simply a concept, an idea. They may think of God as an unseen force, an aloof uninterested creator, or the universe itself.

For us to know God we must believe and know that he is truly present in our reality, or rather we are present in His ultimate reality. He is a real being– Not just some vague “notion” of God but a real being with a real personhood.

Remember how God addresses Moses in the Old Testament. – Moses walks up on this giant bush that is on fire. He notices right away that it is not being consumed by the fire. “I’ve gotta check this out” He says. Then he hears his name. “Moses.” … “wha”… “Moses”…. “Who said that?” “Take off your shoes Moses” – “This is Holy Ground” – “I know about my people. I know about the oppression that they have endured.” -- “Moses I wan’t you to lead my people out of bondage.” “Who me?” “You’re Kidding right” “I…I…I, can’t do that”

Then the rest of the story…Exodus 3:10-16 "Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain." Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you ' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. "Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt.

– Don’t you see how present and real Jehovah God is. He is not I was, or I might be, He is I AM! He is definite and He is infinite.

We must believe that He CAN be and wants to Be KNOWN –

While I was in college I wrote a book review for one of my classes. The book was one that attacked historical Christian beliefs. It was called “Why Christianity Must Change or Die”. John Shelby Spong wrote it. Spong was also part of The Jesus Seminar, which was a group of so-called scholars who went verse by verse through the New Testament and decided by majority vote what really happened and what didn’t. Being the self-important college student that I was I tried to contact him for an interview for my book review. After searching for hours to try to find some way to contact him. I got a lady on the phone who told me in no uncertain terms – “You will not be able to contact him”. And I thought that they would just let me right through. I suppose I could have kept trying and maybe eventually I would have been able to speak to him. But here’s the deal, he did not want to be contacted – He didn’t want to be known.

On the other hand God has throughout history revealed Himself to man. He has shown over and over that He can be known. Sure we can’t FULLY grasp Him and understand Him, I don’t know that we will ever even in eternity – FULLY know him. That is part of the depth of the mystery of God that will draw us deeper and deeper into Him throughout eternity.

Not only CAN he be known, but He desires for us to know Him. He has made Himself available. He made Himself available in the person of Jesus. John 14: 7-9

Not only that but He has never been more available than He is right now. John 16: 5-15

We must believe that HE is Worth knowing Well – Have you ever known a person that was worth knowing? I have known a few people that were not worth knowing, at least not in the sense that being with them was… indeed a blessing. I know some people that I wish I had never met.

But have you ever known someone really worth knowing? In other words you were blessed by simply being acquainted with them. Your relationship with them had value. You benefited from something they taught you. – Maybe a mentor, a close friend from your childhood, maybe a grandpa, maybe your Dad, or your Mom. Either way you know that your life would not be the same if you had never known them.

In the passage we looked at last week Paul said that the one thing that was of surpassing value was knowing Christ Jesus. To Paul, Christ was someone like that person we just described. He was worth knowing and knowing well.

Some Christians give off the impression that being a Christian and knowing God are not worth bothering with. It is easy to tell the people who couldn’t care less about knowing God well. You can see it in their expression. It looks like this: (this is by no means a commentary on President Bush or his faith, just his facial expression.)

“Oh, but I’m faithful.” They might say. “I haven’t missed a church assembly in thirty years. I’ve had a frown on my face the whole time, but I’m here, so I am faithful to God.”

“I don’t buy all that personal relationship nonsense.” “I just try to follow the pattern as I see it and tear down everyone who doesn’t see it the way I do. So I’m faithful”

“I know that I am not perfect and can’t ever be, and therefore can’t earn my salvation BUT if I want to go to heaven I have to live like I am trying to be perfect even if it makes this ‘abundant life’ that Jesus promised into a miserable system of rules and regulations. By doing that I’ll be faithful.”

-Do you see how atrocious that theology is? That is a SOUL-Killing Gospel. The Gospel that somehow by just coming to church and getting the doctrine right and doing all the “have-to’s” but never really knowing God I can get to heaven. Well,... Maybe, but is that at all really what God desires for you and I?

Lest you think that I am talking about some “straw man” let me tell you that I have heard more than a few people say things similar to these. While they may not have actually admitted the negativity that I wrote into the above statements, it was evident by their tone and actions, and by the way that they lived their lives. Passionless, missionless, and motionless, they were satisfied with a gospel of “God appeasement”.

Not long before his death, Henri Nouwen wrote a book called Sabbatical Journeys. He writes about some friends of his who were trapeze artists, called the Flying Roudellas.

They told Nouwen there's a special relationship between flyer and catcher on the trapeze. The flyer is the one that lets go, and the catcher is the one that catches. As the flyer swings high above the crowd on the trapeze, the moment comes when he must let go. He arcs out into the air. His job is to remain as still as possible and wait for the strong hands of the catcher to pluck him from the air.

One of the Flying Roudellas told Nouwen, "The flyer must never try to catch the catcher." The flyer must wait in absolute trust. The catcher will catch him, but he must wait.

I think that it relates to the way that we must learn to trust God. The more we try to appease God and try to MAKE ourselves appealing to Him, the further we are from knowing Him. But when I learn to trust Him with exactly who I am exactly as I am it is then that I begin to know Him and it is then that HE begins to change me into what HE wants me to be. That leads to a life that is nothing like that soul-killing gospel of “God Appeasement”.

It leads to a life of true abundance and real relationship. That is where true intimacy with God lies.

Say what...who's blessed?

I've been working through the beatitudes, and I have to agree with Dallas Willard. They are definetly not a "how to" list, but instead a realization of our present condition and an acknowledgement that we can do nothing about it. Kingdom living is about me being a subject of the King more than it is about my "rights" as a citizen. I will get back to posting my series soon. For now here's a song that has been resonating with me of late. It is kind of where I am on my journey. I am realizing my own spiritual poverty, and the need for me to now more than ever cling to Jesus.

Its an oldie by Simon and Garfunkel. I am not sure why, but I think that they get the beatitudes better than most of us professing Christians have gotten them. The last line to me is the most striking. "I have tended my own garden much too long."

Blessed -- Simon and Garfunkel.

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit.
Blessed is the lamb whose blood flows.
Blessed are the sat upon, spat upon, ratted on,
O lord, why have you forsaken me?
I got no place to go,
Ive walked around soho for the last night or so.
Ah, but it doesnt matter, no.

Blessed is the land and the kingdom.
Blessed is the man whose soul belongs to.
Blessed are the meth drinkers, pot sellers, illusion dwellers.
O lord, why have you forsaken me?
My words trickle down, like a wound
That I have no intention to heal.

Blessed are the stained glass, window pane glass.
Blessed is the church service makes me nervous
Blessed are the penny rookers, cheap hookers, groovy lookers.
O lord, why have you forsaken me?
I have tended my own garden
Much too long.

The Journey Into the Heart of God. #1

(A couple of weeks ago I climbed to the pulpit wearing a full trail ready backpack and a walking stick. I told them that we were going to go on a journey together. This journey is something that has been brewing in my life for a while and I greatly desire to share it with others. Below is the full text of my sermon for that week with some minor changes. I added a couple of things that I might not have been able to say from the pulpit, simply because they might be innappropriate in that context. Read on and find out more about our journey.)

When I was a boy scout we took quite a few backpacking trips to the Appalachian Trail. One of the funniest memories I have of those trips is when one young scout showed up ready to go with two brown paper grocery bags full of canned food and other necessities. The Boy Scout motto is “be prepared” – well that young man wasn’t to say the least. Someone needed to tap lightly on that boy's cranium and say : "Hello!!... McFly!!... did you not get the memo this is a BACKPACKING trip!! Not a Papersacking trip. Now make like a tree and go away"

Preparing for the Journey.

Philippians 3: 7-21 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

A couple of questions: What is the prize that Paul wants to lay hold of? Notice Vs 8 – The thing that is of surpassing value is “Knowing Christ” – Not just his salvation, not just the blessings I get from him, not just the benefits for me of my relationship with him, but Knowing HIM, knowing him deeply, knowing him well. Knowing Him is the first thing above all other things. In fact, Paul says that to him that in comparison with Knowing Christ everything else was rubbish or even more literally in the greek -- Bull****.

You see what Paul says is what we already should know. The most important thing in the world is Knowing God, loving God. What is the first and greatest commandment. “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.” MT 22:37

I wonder how realistic that is. I am not trying to make anyone feel guilty, because I can honestly say to you that hearing that commandment is sometimes overwhelming to me, sometimes discouraging. I want to love God with all my heart, with all my soul, and all my mind, but admittedly I don’t think I am there yet. Do we love God as the first thing in our lives? I dare say that we all want to, we need to, but I also believe we aren’t sure how to approach that kind of relationship with God. How do we know and love and enjoy the creator of the universe?

This is why I am relating this series in the metaphor of a journey. Because coming to know God and love God deeply is a process, it is a journey. I want to invite you to go on that journey with me. I want to invite you as an individual. I want to invite us to together begin to deepen our journey toward knowing God well.

Some things for us to consider before we begin our journey.

Evaluate where you are.

In several of his books Larry Crabb talks about finding your “Red Dot”. This is where we learn to evaluate where we are. So what does he mean by Red Dot? – You know when you go the mall. When you come in the entrance there is usually a big map there. The first thing you do when you look at that map is look for the red dot that says “YOU ARE HERE”. That is where the RED DOT idea comes from.

This may seem like a silly question to ask, but I am being serious. Is knowing Christ something that you regard as having surpassing value? -- How important is it to you? I mean are you sure that you really do want to Know God that well. – I want to encourage you to look again at Paul’s words – VS 8-10 – This journey that we are considering will be costly. There will be suffering involved. It is not going to be a cake walk. Are you okay with that?

It will require humility and honesty for us to truly evaluate where we are.

James 1:22-24 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

We forget far too easily where we stand. We are sinners saved by God's grace. Let us humbly approach knowing our God, rather than demanding that he reveal himself to us.

Envision where you want to be.

I have recently been reading Dr Crabb's book called "The Papa Prayer" – in it he asks a question that stopped me in my tracks – “Do you know God well enough to enjoy His company, the same way you enjoy being with a family member or close friend?” -- I say that that question stopped me in my tracks because I don’t think that I know God that well. I want to. I’d love to, but I don’t think that I do. At least not yet.

See I think Paul knew where he wanted to go. He had envisioned where he wanted to be in his relationship with God. VS 12-14 – This phrase has always stood out to me in that passage. “I want to lay hold of that, for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

If Jesus Christ has laid hold of me, I have to wonder have I ever truly really laid hold of Him?

Where do you want to be in your relationship with God. Do you want to know and desire Him more than ANY other thing in the world. Do you really want Him to be the First Thing in your life. Are you willing to settle for anything less than God’s best for you? You have to decide where you want to go. You need to seek a vision of where GOD wants you to be “Where there is no vision the people perish” Prov 29:18

Embark on your journey into the heart of God.

An old Chinese proverb says that The Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, I still like Murphy’s version better – The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a leaky tire. – To be certain the road of getting to know God well may be long and difficult. We may experience some broken fan belts and leaky tires maybe even a busted radiator or two, which will without a doubt lead us into frustration with this journey toward God. We may want to get to know Him right NOW!!! but we can truly only take it one step at a time.

I can’t stand here and tell you that I know exactly how to live deep within the heart of God. I can only tell that I desire to. More than anything else I want to know God. More than anything else GOD wants me to know Him.

My favorite part of the Prodigal Son story in Luke 15 is when the young spendthrift heir was on his way home and the scripture says these puzzling words “While he was still a long way off…” While he was still a long way off...a long way off...a long way off, the Father ran out to meet him. He hugged him. He kissed him. He fell on his neck. He loved him. He loved that boy with the smell of pig feces on his clothes. He loved that boy with the dirty face and the tired, cut up, and shoeless feet. He loved that boy who was so worn out from the journey that he collapses in his father's arms weeping uncontrollably. His sobs are only interupted by the fathers words; "I love you son, I love you son, I love you son, I love you son. His face wet with not only his tears but the tears of his father as his dad embraces him so tightly that it seems he'll never let go.

You know what. That is just a glimpse into the heart of the Father. Just a touch of what God's love is like. I want to experience that. I really really do.

One of my favorite songs is Graham Kendrick's it does a good job of explaining what a peek into the heart of God might look like.

KNOWING YOU

All I once held dear, built my life upon,

All this world reveres and wars to own;

All I once thought gain I have counted loss,

Spent and worthless now compared to this.

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You

There is no greater thing.

You’re my all, You’re the best,

You’re my joy, my righteousness,

And I love you Lord.

Now my heart’s desire is to know You more,

To be found in You and known as Yours

To possess by faith what I could not earn

All surpassing gift of righteousness

Oh to know the power of Your risen life,

And to know You in Your sufferings;

To become like You in Your death, my Lord,

So with You to live and never die.

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You

There is no greater thing.

You’re my all, You’re the best,

You’re my joy, my righteousness,

And I love you Lord.

Will you join me on this journey to a place where we can truly say "Knowing you Jesus, Knowing you

THERE IS

NO GREATER THING!!!!