Goin' Out

I'm going out tonight.

I've heard it said that leadership is simply influence.

If it's true that the difference between sin and evangelism is influence.

I believe that the only way we can reach those who don't know Christ is to engage them on their terms and, most of the time, on their turf. This being true, how do you be involved without being influenced? Lead without looking down? Buy in without selling out?

The New Normal

I've begun refering to a number of things I encounter as "The New Normal." Whether I like them or not, whether they fit my morals or my ideas of how things should be, there are more and more things in this world that I just have to accept as part of everyday life.

The new normal:

-More and more kids graduate high school only to stay at home for years to come. For me this is unimaginable. Getting out on my own was a key part of figuring out who I am and how I will serve God with my life. But for the average teenager, life doesn't really change at 18, or 20, or 24.
-The average age of marriage is now 26. The necessity of an undergraduate degree as well as access to jobs, not to mention, contraceptives, have pushed off our need for marriage. That means we have 10-15 years of sexual potency that is not being released within marriage. That's a long time to wait.
-Internet Dating. I'll admit it. I gave it a try. Wasn't all bad. It still has an air of desperation, but it's increasingly accepted.
-Choosing Churches based on their stance on homosexuality. New Barna research shows how changes in attitudes are shaping peoples view on the church. Although it's been something that the mainline churches have wrestled with, this will push it into serious conversation in the Evangelical realm.
-Co-Habitation. Part of the reason the average age of marriage is so high is because of the acceptance of cohabitation. Meeting a married young couple outside of church is pretty rare for me these days. Many of the girls I meet, even at church, have lived with a guy for a period of time. I realize God is a God of grace, but I sometimes feel a little disappointed when I look at my options.
-Bike Riding. Two of my co-workers bike to the office 3-4 times a week due to $4 gas. I live across the street. So I haven't gotten that far yet.
-Christian Democrats. I really was hoping that my generation would shed their predecessor's love for aligning with a political party and we would have more of what Shane Claibourne calls "political misfits." Unfortunately, rockstar Barack Obama seems to be drawing them in. Not ready to call him the new Falwell, but we'll see.

Wonkavision

We had a good time tonight at the Journey Fellowship Drive In Movie. Willy Wonka is a singularly unique movie. I don't really know anything else like it. In some ways it's a morality play. It's a musical with some of the most memorable melodies. It's incredibly sentimental, yet somehow never becomes cheesy.

Maybe the key is Gene Wilder's genius presentation of Wonka, which is as crazy as his Frankenstein, yet simultaneously much more scary and lovable. On his own he would seem obsessive and spiteful. But surrounded by the likes of Veronica Salt, he's positively a humanitarian.

The structure of the movie is also fascinating. The introduction takes about 45 minutes, and Wilder doesn't appear in person till the second half of the movie. Once he does, things moves so fast, and you don't know the way the river's flowing.

Life should be more like Willy Wonka, sentimental, unpredictable, scary, and loving.

Silohuette

Art is God's silohuette.

Artists are constantly seeking after a way of expressing something just out of our reach. Paintings, sculptures, songs and stories are show glimpses of what we know is there, but just can't nail down. Art can express hope or hatred, faith or doubt. Art revisits the same themes century after century.

What are is trying to do is understand the transcendant.

I occassionally will hear a song that is prophetic, or see a relationship in a movie that expresses a love more profound than many of us experience in our own life. Sometimes I will hear Christians say "Is that about God?"

This shouldn't suprise us. Our art shows our longing for the transcendant. Christians believe that God is the truly transcendant. Art can be a beautiful silohuettes, hinting at the shape of our God.

Missed it by that much.

I remember Get Smart from the days when my parents wouldn't buy us Cable, and we could only catch it on free preview weekends. Nick at Nite was amazing when it was a delicacy.

I have low expectations when it comes to rehash, and I generally try to avoid it. So I was pleasantly surprised by the update of Mel Brook's classic spy spoof. Carrell is wise to not try to channel Don Adams, and his funniest moments are so deadpan and awkward that it seems more like the big screen version of The Office. Ann Hathaway is skinny, which is nice, but adds little else to the film.

Altogether, a pleasant way to spend the weekend, but don't be sad if you have to wait for a free preview cable weekend to see it.

Burgers build community

I live in an apartment complex that is lucky enough to have a Cares Team. A few times a month, they put on social events like tonight's cookout and pool party. It's a win-win for everyone. The apartment complex can cut down on turnover by creating community, and Christians have a practical way to impact their neighbors. About 80-100 people came and went. I floated around doing my social butterfly thing.

It takes awhile, building community. It's hard, and for the most part, people would rather marinate in their loneliness than go out on a limb and make a new friend. But when it happens, and you share in the lives of those in your proximity, it changes how you live. When you know the names and faces of the person next door, you begin to know what Jesus meant when he taught us to love our neighbor.

Salt and Light

You can hear my sermon from yesterday on Jesus' call for us to be salt and light here and on iTunes (search "Journey Fellowship"). Also, read my post here and leave a comment about what it would look like to be salt and light in your world.

Good things happening

Today is a good day.

Got to do stuff I really like. Read books for three hours. Ate out. Felt a lot of appreciation from Journey people. Had over a dozen friends drive across town to support me.

There is some stuff that did happen today which disappoints me. But despite my disappointment, I recognize that it's a good thing.

The possibilities for tomorrow are looking pretty good too.

Time for some deep breathing

Occassionally I get so busy, that even my social engagements are tightly scheduled. In order to really enjoy being with others, I have to build in time to unwind and prepare for the next thing. Lately, I've had weekends that should have been fun, but just wore me out. Which reminds that my most important relationship, spending time with and hearing from God, can actually get cheated by a life otherwise full of good things.

Tomorrow, I am going to just take a few deep breaths.

Rapture mail?

This blows my mind.

Early Morning

I got up early today.

Now, I'm kind of embarrassed to say what that means, but suffice it to say, I'm writing this a full hour before I usually go to the office. That is seldom possible.

I did "what I was supposed to" this morning: read my Bible, prayed, ate a healthy breakfast. It feels really good.

My problem is that I really want to fight against structure. Which is unfortunate. I think we all function a little better when we have structure and boundaries in our lives. I don't know how long I'll make it at this, but it was nice this morning.

More Thoughts on Gratitude

So I’m doing this gratitude experiment. It occurs to me yesterday how often I miss an opportunity to be grateful. Last night I received some of the worst service I’ve ever had at a restaurant. We sat at the Blue Star Brewery for over an hour before the waiter took our order. The entire night went that way.

Now, I could have taken the opportunity to be grateful. After all, I had an opportunity to sit on porch on a nice summer night, catching up with good friends. There was no rush, decent music, and even misters to keep the heat in check. Instead, I automatically chose to complain about how long it took to get a refill on my chips and salsa.

I should be more grateful.

Gratitude

I'm doing an experiment.

I heard a news story about a study that shows that people who spend time daily reflecting on what they are grateful for are more happy. It's nothing more than "counting our blessings" and something we Christians

Here's what I'm doing: Five minutes, every night before I go to bed, I'm spending a few minutes journaling on a few things I'm grateful for. Trying to be specific as possible "health" is okay, but "my friend who gave me five dollars" is better.

I'll keep you updated.