Hey all. No, I'm not dead. No, I'm not ignoring blogging. In fact, for about 2 weeks every time I get online and go to my dashboard to read up on all the blogs I follow, I stare at that little button that says "new post" and try and muster up the words to speak. The problem is it's been a rough couple of weeks. Let me explain why this is such an issue.
God has blessed me with a very passionate personality. I am passionate about a lot of things. I am passionate about my sports teams. I am passionate about my family. I am passionate about my ministry. And above all I am passionate about my God. It's part of what makes me able to do what I do. I'm all about vision and desire and purpose. I can't talk about things that I'm not passionate about. I am driven by that passion. The flip side is that I have issues with doing things I'm not passionate about. I am not passionate about my part time jobs. I understand that they are important, and I devote energy to them. But I'm not passionate about them. When visitors come to our town and it's my job to direct them to businesses to help drive up the economy I struggle. I struggle to help them spend money on things that are probably not needed (or could be found cheaper elsewhere) when there are so many people in our nation and around the world who have nothing. I struggle when I hear people talk about trying to find the right piece of furniture when all I can think is I wonder if they've found a relationship with the God of the universe, and that that's the only thing that matters anyway. I struggle because that issue is number one in my mind. All other issues aren't even in the top 100 comparatively. This thought consumes me. That is my passion driving me.
But here is where my passion gets me in trouble. When something is bothering me it also can consume me. When the thing that is bothering me involves ministry, it's near impossible to hide. Recently there have been some things said that have been quite hurtful and honestly misguided. I'm not angry at anyone, I am hurt by it, but I'm certainly not going to air such things in such a public forum, that's just not bright.
But that's why I've not been writing. When I sit still, when I lay down at night, when I'm driving, any time I have a moment to think, this recent issue is what consumes me. I'm constantly talking to God trying to work it out. (and before it sounds like it's a one way issue, I know I make mistakes and one of the things I'm trying to work through is the reaction my flesh wants to take... it's getting better by the grace of God.) So I say all that to say if I ever disappear for awhile and it's not due to a trip somewhere. It simply means an event has transpired and due to my passionate nature, it's consumed me. Be patient, I will always come back.
I pray you are all well and God bless.
- The impulsive passionate one
Yep, That is the World Series trophy.
I know... you're jealous. It's ok. Just repent of your sin and become a Cardinal fan.
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Showing posts with label ministry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ministry. Show all posts
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Dusting off the ol' soap box
Good day all, I hope you've had a pleasant summer so far and an enjoyable Fourth of July celebration. I fear this will turn into a rather lengthy post so I'll just jump right in.
A few weeks ago one of the blogs I frequent regularly had an installment touching upon the idea of different generations in ministry and trying to connect them and ease the transition in leadership. On this particular post a comment was posted. Now, before I go into anything I need to make a few things clear. I am NOT attacking the person who posted the comment (I'm not linking to it for this reason). I don't know this person, I don't know their background, I don't know anything about them. Perhaps what was said was not worded as this person meant it to be, all I can go off of is what was written, so bear in mind I am responding to the ideas put forth, NOT the person. Also, I am not angry or resentful or anything like that. I am passionate about what I'm about to blog upon, but I am not mad or anything. If you do decide to read the entire post and feel I am mistaken in my comments, please feel free to let me know. Thanks.
In this commentary on this unnamed blog a lot of questions were put forth about any apparent disconnect between the older and younger generations in the church. I won't speak to them all, but there were ideas that I wanted to comment on. (and I'll take them in order) Also, my comment should be taken in the context of speaking from and to people within the christian church.
1.) First of all, in each of the questions there was an apparant younger vs older vibe, with a lot of the blame being placed at the feet of the older generation. I guess I should clarify one point, while I no longer consider myself the "younger generation" the writer of the comment is 30, so we are of the same age. I hear a lot of comments about this generation or that generation messing up. A lot of times, it's the younger crowd groaning about the ignorance of the older crowd. The funny thing is I hear a lot of complaining and little suggestions on what to do. I hear even less people talking about the mistakes they themselves have made in relation to the issue, or what they are doing themselves to help. When I used to work in the Boys and Girls Club, we worked with a lot of what would be categorized as underpriveleged kids. And the one thing I tried to teach them was, while life may be unfair at times the only thing you can control is your reaction to the situation. You can't make anyone else think or act in any particular way. All you can do is control your own thoughts and actions to the situation. The same goes here. If we as the younger generation feel as though the older generation doesn't understand us, what are we doing to help it? Are we trying to understand them? Are we taking the time to find out why they believe/think/react the way they do all the while bemoaning the fact they aren't taking the time to find out about us? Are we even giving them the opportunity? Which leads me to topic number 2...
2.) The question was raised about the difference in willingness to invest in relationships, with the younger generation being shown with an intense willingness to invest in relationships. Myspace and Facebook being used as examples of that willingness. I disagree with this reasoning on this premise... Myspace and Facebook connections are not relationships, they are acquaintances. They can certainly be used as tools within a relationship, but in and of themselves they cannot be relationships. A relationship is messy, time-consuming, even inconvenient at times. A relationship takes investment, it takes opening yourself up to being abused and rejected. While the internet is great and obviously I use it, it is not effective for true relationship. This is especially true in christian discipling. You are reading my words right now, but you have no idea what my body language is like as I convey these thoughts. You don't know if I'm weary or energized, mellow or agitated, you don't even know if I'm a guy or a girl. (Obviously, I say I'm a guy and have pics of myself on my myspace and facebook... but unless you've met me personally, you don't REALLY know if I'm being truthful.) It's too easy to hide who we are online. If you email me and it's something I just don't want to deal with, I can either lie or ignore it until a later time. For all you know, I just haven't checked my email. It's a little harder to duck the issue if you ask me in person. This is relationship. Studies are starting to prove that while people in the 20's and 30's age group have more connections to people via the web they are lonelier than ever. Why? I believe it's because we have traded relationships for acquaintances. We want everything quick and easy, and relationships are just too messy for our instant gratification society. Which now leads me to the third point...
3.) The question of whether the disconnect is because of the shorter attention span in the younger generation. The statement being made that the younger gen. has about a 7 second attention. Ok. I have to admit, this one REALLY gets me going. I am soooooooo sick of hearing that my generation has no attention span and that it gets worse the younger you go. It REALLY gets me fired up when we bring it into the church. I do have to make a few clarifications. I am NOT talking about people with attention disorders and the like. I am also not talking about how the church approaches reaching the lost, but about interactions within the Body of Christ. Society says we have no attention span, I would expect the lost to act that way, they are under the chains of the world we live in. Why should I expect anything different from them? But the ones who are free... why should we act as though we are still in bondage??? I read scripture and I don't see a 7 second God. I don't see any of the heroes of the Bible who had a 7 second relationship with God. I see effort and work and perseverance and determination. What do I see when I see a 7 second approach? I see laziness. Yup, I said it. I see the attitude that God is no more important than that food commercial. I've heard many complain about the length of service and messages on Sunday morning. More than an hour is just too much for me. Why? Do we not have the discipline to invest time seeking what God has to say to us? I don't care if it's an expository on Deuteronomy, isn't all of scripture useful for teaching and preaching? It pains me when I hear someone come out of any type of meeting where scripture was read and say "there was nothing there for me". If scripture was read, isn't there always something? Whether it be new or a reminder or whatever, the word of God does not come back void... or are we too advanced for that old document now? Relationship takes investment, effort and intentionality. It is no different with God. A 7 second attention span is simply an excuse. Those of us who are married, do we approach our spouses the same way? If so, how's that workin out for ya? That line of reasoning is the world rationalizing laziness and self-centeredness, why do we allow it to infect our lives as believers?
Finally, I think that there is one common thread with all three of these issues and I've already mentioned it. Self-centeredness. It's all about me. I don't like the generation gap, how are you gonna fix it? This is how I do things, are you gonna get with it? I want it quick and easy to fit in with my schedule and if not, then I'm out. I'm not excusing any generation for any mistakes, neither the older ones or the younger ones. What I am trying to say is that we have to get away from a me-first, society driven approach. Instead we have to say, alright "x" needs to be different, the only thing I can control is how I react. How is that going to be? How will you react? How will I?
If you actually read all of that, then kudos to you. As always if you have any comments/questions/disagreements feel free to let me know. God bless and if you think of it pray for me and my fam. Jennifer, my parents, and my brother and his wife are all going to India for 9 days. That leaves just me and Kaylee. Yeah, I'm scared too. :D
A few weeks ago one of the blogs I frequent regularly had an installment touching upon the idea of different generations in ministry and trying to connect them and ease the transition in leadership. On this particular post a comment was posted. Now, before I go into anything I need to make a few things clear. I am NOT attacking the person who posted the comment (I'm not linking to it for this reason). I don't know this person, I don't know their background, I don't know anything about them. Perhaps what was said was not worded as this person meant it to be, all I can go off of is what was written, so bear in mind I am responding to the ideas put forth, NOT the person. Also, I am not angry or resentful or anything like that. I am passionate about what I'm about to blog upon, but I am not mad or anything. If you do decide to read the entire post and feel I am mistaken in my comments, please feel free to let me know. Thanks.
In this commentary on this unnamed blog a lot of questions were put forth about any apparent disconnect between the older and younger generations in the church. I won't speak to them all, but there were ideas that I wanted to comment on. (and I'll take them in order) Also, my comment should be taken in the context of speaking from and to people within the christian church.
1.) First of all, in each of the questions there was an apparant younger vs older vibe, with a lot of the blame being placed at the feet of the older generation. I guess I should clarify one point, while I no longer consider myself the "younger generation" the writer of the comment is 30, so we are of the same age. I hear a lot of comments about this generation or that generation messing up. A lot of times, it's the younger crowd groaning about the ignorance of the older crowd. The funny thing is I hear a lot of complaining and little suggestions on what to do. I hear even less people talking about the mistakes they themselves have made in relation to the issue, or what they are doing themselves to help. When I used to work in the Boys and Girls Club, we worked with a lot of what would be categorized as underpriveleged kids. And the one thing I tried to teach them was, while life may be unfair at times the only thing you can control is your reaction to the situation. You can't make anyone else think or act in any particular way. All you can do is control your own thoughts and actions to the situation. The same goes here. If we as the younger generation feel as though the older generation doesn't understand us, what are we doing to help it? Are we trying to understand them? Are we taking the time to find out why they believe/think/react the way they do all the while bemoaning the fact they aren't taking the time to find out about us? Are we even giving them the opportunity? Which leads me to topic number 2...
2.) The question was raised about the difference in willingness to invest in relationships, with the younger generation being shown with an intense willingness to invest in relationships. Myspace and Facebook being used as examples of that willingness. I disagree with this reasoning on this premise... Myspace and Facebook connections are not relationships, they are acquaintances. They can certainly be used as tools within a relationship, but in and of themselves they cannot be relationships. A relationship is messy, time-consuming, even inconvenient at times. A relationship takes investment, it takes opening yourself up to being abused and rejected. While the internet is great and obviously I use it, it is not effective for true relationship. This is especially true in christian discipling. You are reading my words right now, but you have no idea what my body language is like as I convey these thoughts. You don't know if I'm weary or energized, mellow or agitated, you don't even know if I'm a guy or a girl. (Obviously, I say I'm a guy and have pics of myself on my myspace and facebook... but unless you've met me personally, you don't REALLY know if I'm being truthful.) It's too easy to hide who we are online. If you email me and it's something I just don't want to deal with, I can either lie or ignore it until a later time. For all you know, I just haven't checked my email. It's a little harder to duck the issue if you ask me in person. This is relationship. Studies are starting to prove that while people in the 20's and 30's age group have more connections to people via the web they are lonelier than ever. Why? I believe it's because we have traded relationships for acquaintances. We want everything quick and easy, and relationships are just too messy for our instant gratification society. Which now leads me to the third point...
3.) The question of whether the disconnect is because of the shorter attention span in the younger generation. The statement being made that the younger gen. has about a 7 second attention. Ok. I have to admit, this one REALLY gets me going. I am soooooooo sick of hearing that my generation has no attention span and that it gets worse the younger you go. It REALLY gets me fired up when we bring it into the church. I do have to make a few clarifications. I am NOT talking about people with attention disorders and the like. I am also not talking about how the church approaches reaching the lost, but about interactions within the Body of Christ. Society says we have no attention span, I would expect the lost to act that way, they are under the chains of the world we live in. Why should I expect anything different from them? But the ones who are free... why should we act as though we are still in bondage??? I read scripture and I don't see a 7 second God. I don't see any of the heroes of the Bible who had a 7 second relationship with God. I see effort and work and perseverance and determination. What do I see when I see a 7 second approach? I see laziness. Yup, I said it. I see the attitude that God is no more important than that food commercial. I've heard many complain about the length of service and messages on Sunday morning. More than an hour is just too much for me. Why? Do we not have the discipline to invest time seeking what God has to say to us? I don't care if it's an expository on Deuteronomy, isn't all of scripture useful for teaching and preaching? It pains me when I hear someone come out of any type of meeting where scripture was read and say "there was nothing there for me". If scripture was read, isn't there always something? Whether it be new or a reminder or whatever, the word of God does not come back void... or are we too advanced for that old document now? Relationship takes investment, effort and intentionality. It is no different with God. A 7 second attention span is simply an excuse. Those of us who are married, do we approach our spouses the same way? If so, how's that workin out for ya? That line of reasoning is the world rationalizing laziness and self-centeredness, why do we allow it to infect our lives as believers?
Finally, I think that there is one common thread with all three of these issues and I've already mentioned it. Self-centeredness. It's all about me. I don't like the generation gap, how are you gonna fix it? This is how I do things, are you gonna get with it? I want it quick and easy to fit in with my schedule and if not, then I'm out. I'm not excusing any generation for any mistakes, neither the older ones or the younger ones. What I am trying to say is that we have to get away from a me-first, society driven approach. Instead we have to say, alright "x" needs to be different, the only thing I can control is how I react. How is that going to be? How will you react? How will I?
If you actually read all of that, then kudos to you. As always if you have any comments/questions/disagreements feel free to let me know. God bless and if you think of it pray for me and my fam. Jennifer, my parents, and my brother and his wife are all going to India for 9 days. That leaves just me and Kaylee. Yeah, I'm scared too. :D
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Drumroll please...
Recently in messaging back and forth with a certain gentleman who shall be named later on in this blog, I've described him as someone on my "I am who I am in ministry because of" list. Well, I made up that phrase on the spur of the moment, but it's kinda stuck with me for a few days. Just sitting there in the back of my mind on simmer, every once in a while making itself known, but always at the edge of my conscious thought. And then while randomly searching the net for blogs, I've come across a couple that actually had the same prodding from the Spirit and posted a list of such people. So I've decided to follow suit. But as I put more thought into it I've decided to change the phrase from "I am who I am in ministry because of" to "I am who I am as a man of God because of". It's a subtle change, but it really resonated with me. I know that I am called of God to minister in very specific ways, but I also know that my wife and child (and any future children) are swept into that calling as well. *I don't want to get into the "I'm called" and "my wife is called" and "we are called together" dynamic, but yes, I know it is a part of it too* But this is a list of people who have greatly shaped who I am in ministry, family life, and life in general. So here is my non-exhaustive list of "changers of destiny" for me, haha.
Now if you know me personally, you know I'm not one of those icky-sweet, spouting platitude, super spirituals and I do not like cliches, but in every cliche there is truth or else it wouldn't be a cliche ... so before I get to my earthly list I want to say Jesus has GREATLY shaped my ministry and relationship with my wife. I don't just mean the usual "Jesus saved me" type of influence. I mean how He ministered on earth. How He interacted with the religious circles and the "heathens" In the last 2 or 3 years it's radically altered my view of daily ministry. And He loves His church as His bride. Do I love my wife like Jesus loves me? I'll admit it's not easy, but I"m trying. So when I say Jesus has influenced who I am I mean that in a very practical way. Now on to the redeemed humans on this list. :D (and these are in order of appearance in my life, not necessarily ranking of influence)
My Dad
I know it's not a big surprise for someone to claim a parent greatly shaped them, but this is the truth. I grew up a PK (preacher's kid if you didn't know what that stood for, lol) My entire life my dad was a minister. That doesn't mean he was always a preacher in a pulpit. But life was ministry for him. I've seen him change and grow in my almost 30 years. I've seen him have highs and lows. I've seen him have huge successes and never get conceited. I've seen him have huge failures and not get bitter and blame others. I've seen him make mistakes, sometimes totally innocently and always apologize. But not just apologize with an "I'm sorry" but with an "I was wrong" also, which is one of the things I learned. I saw him balance ministry and family time without compromising his zeal for God or the importance it plays in his life. He was steadfast in being a godly man of integrity when attacked even when the natural response was to attack back. My dad modeled compassion, integrity, honesty, perseverance and love every day. I grew up seeing ministry on all sides and sometimes the things I saw in others left me jaded. But in the end I knew that God was real and what true ministry was because I saw my dad live it daily. For that I am truly thankful and hope that someday I can be even a fraction as good a dad and man of God as he is.
Bill Allison
When I really started thinking about why I have these men on this list, thinking of Bill was one of the reasons I changed the title of the list. I've only had the opportunity to sit under Bill's teachings a few times and while I have been greatly affected by them and cherish those times, I think his greatest influence in my life has been in the times we just chat and seeing him interact with his family. If you don't know, Bill has 6 amazing children. They are polite, well educated, their own individuals and love God immensely. And to see the relationship he has with his kids, the amazing team he and Stacy make, and his genuine endless enthusiasm for God is just a blessing. I pray to be in love with God, my wife and my kids as much as Bill. I pray that for a lot of people.
Matt Marquez
I met Matt when I worked at the Boys and Girls club in Springfield, MO. To be honest, if I hadn't had to work around him I don't know that I would have really met him. Matt is his own person. Trying to describe him is like trying to describe a color without having an example in front of you. He's a crazy, hispanic, beatnik, hippie with mad hops. :D and when I started there I was still the white boy from the cornfields of Illinois. Matt showed me how to love God and still be relevant in the lives of kids from rough backgrounds. We worked with kids from low income single parent homes, gang bangers, druggies, all kinds man, but Matt loved em all and wasn't afraid to let em know God loved em too. Matt helped me understand that you come to God as you are, which includes how you talk. When he prayed he often told God that He was a "groovy God" and it wasn't pretentious or contrived, but truly the type of connection Matt had with Him. With Matt, "groovy" was a HIGH compliment. Matt was a pristine example of being real. He doesn't put on a good face just cause he's a "christian". He doesn't underestimate God or cast his faith aside, but he isn't afraid to be honest about how things are going either. I learned that it's ok to be real with people and let them see you for you. He also has 3 very independant daughters and a strong wife. Everyday he modeled how to be a godly loving father and wife. Even though we now live about a thousand miles away, I often think of him as I move forward on this life's path. For that I will always be grateful. (I also refer to Jennifer as "my girl" because of Matt calling his wife "My girl" and she calling him "My boy")
That's my list. I very easily could have included their wives with them. The way Patty (my mom), Stacy (Bill's wife) and Suzi (Matt's wife) respond to their respective husbands is just as much an indication of who these men are. And with each one I see pure love and support both ways. But I chose to stick with one gender for now. I encourage anyone reading this to think about who helped mold you into who you are and who you are trying to be. I also encourage you to let them know if you haven't. I'm emailing each man the part of this post that pertain to him. If you've made it this far, thanks for reading and God bless.
Now if you know me personally, you know I'm not one of those icky-sweet, spouting platitude, super spirituals and I do not like cliches, but in every cliche there is truth or else it wouldn't be a cliche ... so before I get to my earthly list I want to say Jesus has GREATLY shaped my ministry and relationship with my wife. I don't just mean the usual "Jesus saved me" type of influence. I mean how He ministered on earth. How He interacted with the religious circles and the "heathens" In the last 2 or 3 years it's radically altered my view of daily ministry. And He loves His church as His bride. Do I love my wife like Jesus loves me? I'll admit it's not easy, but I"m trying. So when I say Jesus has influenced who I am I mean that in a very practical way. Now on to the redeemed humans on this list. :D (and these are in order of appearance in my life, not necessarily ranking of influence)
My Dad
I know it's not a big surprise for someone to claim a parent greatly shaped them, but this is the truth. I grew up a PK (preacher's kid if you didn't know what that stood for, lol) My entire life my dad was a minister. That doesn't mean he was always a preacher in a pulpit. But life was ministry for him. I've seen him change and grow in my almost 30 years. I've seen him have highs and lows. I've seen him have huge successes and never get conceited. I've seen him have huge failures and not get bitter and blame others. I've seen him make mistakes, sometimes totally innocently and always apologize. But not just apologize with an "I'm sorry" but with an "I was wrong" also, which is one of the things I learned. I saw him balance ministry and family time without compromising his zeal for God or the importance it plays in his life. He was steadfast in being a godly man of integrity when attacked even when the natural response was to attack back. My dad modeled compassion, integrity, honesty, perseverance and love every day. I grew up seeing ministry on all sides and sometimes the things I saw in others left me jaded. But in the end I knew that God was real and what true ministry was because I saw my dad live it daily. For that I am truly thankful and hope that someday I can be even a fraction as good a dad and man of God as he is.
Bill Allison
When I really started thinking about why I have these men on this list, thinking of Bill was one of the reasons I changed the title of the list. I've only had the opportunity to sit under Bill's teachings a few times and while I have been greatly affected by them and cherish those times, I think his greatest influence in my life has been in the times we just chat and seeing him interact with his family. If you don't know, Bill has 6 amazing children. They are polite, well educated, their own individuals and love God immensely. And to see the relationship he has with his kids, the amazing team he and Stacy make, and his genuine endless enthusiasm for God is just a blessing. I pray to be in love with God, my wife and my kids as much as Bill. I pray that for a lot of people.
Matt Marquez
I met Matt when I worked at the Boys and Girls club in Springfield, MO. To be honest, if I hadn't had to work around him I don't know that I would have really met him. Matt is his own person. Trying to describe him is like trying to describe a color without having an example in front of you. He's a crazy, hispanic, beatnik, hippie with mad hops. :D and when I started there I was still the white boy from the cornfields of Illinois. Matt showed me how to love God and still be relevant in the lives of kids from rough backgrounds. We worked with kids from low income single parent homes, gang bangers, druggies, all kinds man, but Matt loved em all and wasn't afraid to let em know God loved em too. Matt helped me understand that you come to God as you are, which includes how you talk. When he prayed he often told God that He was a "groovy God" and it wasn't pretentious or contrived, but truly the type of connection Matt had with Him. With Matt, "groovy" was a HIGH compliment. Matt was a pristine example of being real. He doesn't put on a good face just cause he's a "christian". He doesn't underestimate God or cast his faith aside, but he isn't afraid to be honest about how things are going either. I learned that it's ok to be real with people and let them see you for you. He also has 3 very independant daughters and a strong wife. Everyday he modeled how to be a godly loving father and wife. Even though we now live about a thousand miles away, I often think of him as I move forward on this life's path. For that I will always be grateful. (I also refer to Jennifer as "my girl" because of Matt calling his wife "My girl" and she calling him "My boy")
That's my list. I very easily could have included their wives with them. The way Patty (my mom), Stacy (Bill's wife) and Suzi (Matt's wife) respond to their respective husbands is just as much an indication of who these men are. And with each one I see pure love and support both ways. But I chose to stick with one gender for now. I encourage anyone reading this to think about who helped mold you into who you are and who you are trying to be. I also encourage you to let them know if you haven't. I'm emailing each man the part of this post that pertain to him. If you've made it this far, thanks for reading and God bless.
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