more Lent stuff

Winn Collier (frequent contributor for Relevant Magazine) is tracking his Lent journey on a blog here with weekly installments.
Good reads. You can see his first entry here, and his second entry here.

Lent stuff

NCC (a church in DC) has a great Lent prayer blog that is updated daily. It’s a great resource for any fellow “lent-ers”.

book review: Velvet Elvis

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Rob Bell. Rob Bell has become one of the most influential voices of the church, called heretic by some, and revolutionary by others. Notably he is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church and creator of Nooma (take a look….its worth it). One of the things I found most valuable was Bell’s understanding of Jewish culture (especially in the time of Jesus). It made me realize how much is in the gospel that I have just glanced over without truly grasping the cultural and historical significance that’s critical to its meaning and intent. Another example that we only truly begin to understand something when we define and study its context. Its completely changed how I look at parts of the Biblical story. I highly recommend.

Bible 2.0

Recently I have been using a new web-based application from Lifechurch.tv called YouVersion.
It’s an interactive online Bible. It’s a free resource that allows you to read the Bible on your computer in multiple translations, keep a on-line journal, and find supplemental resources (commentary, videos, etc) from others users. You can even create your own study group if you like. For me it’s been a great way to read the Bible in my downtime at work.
You can find out more here.

Straight out of Mr. Roger's neighborhood

Recently during the Poff Retreat, we went canoeing with the family. It wasn’t the canoe rental company’s best day. We had to wait about 2 hours after we paid before we finally hit the water. It was chaotic and none of the employees ever communicated to the customers what was going on. My brother-in-law (Jared) and I spent the time discussing different process management methods they could use to speed things up. At the same time there were a group of guys loading the boats on the racks. When we got there the same group of guys helped everyone into their boats. It wasn’t until a little later that I realized that they weren’t employees but part of a neighborhood group of families (about 40 of them) that came up together for some camping and a canoe trip.
It was then I realized a couple things:
1) I was blown away by their kindness and helpfulness for people they didn’t know. This wasn’t a church group, it was a neighborhood group. I then wandered if church groups would have acted the same way…probably not.
2) People crave for community. I wander if these people find the same kind of community at their church.
3) I was too busy criticizing to be part of the solution. While I was talking, these guys were helping. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how which had the most impact.

Shadow Mission

Earlier this month, I attended a couple sessions of the Willowcreek Leadership Summit. My favorite session was by John Ortberg. I have read some of his books (highly recommend by the way) but have never heard him speak. I wasn’t disappointed.
The crux of his session: Our greatest fear is that we fall away from our God-given mission and purpose and drift into what he called our “shadow mission”. A shadow mission is your own mission that is selfish and helps no one. Usually very closely related to your gifting. A mission that is hijacked by your ego and wounds and there is no Jesus in it.
He spoke mostly on the story of Ester. Her shadow mission was to just live comfortably as a queen, but her real mission was to save her people.
The take-away: What’s your shadow mission? Because in order to fulfill your God-given mission you must consciously be able to say no to your shadow mission.

For more info click here

Kat

One of our blogging buddies Kat who just had a baby has found a cancerous tumor in her leg. She goes in for surgery to have it removed next Friday. We, and I am sure her family, would appreciate you lending a prayer for her.

Blood and Gore

Russell Moore made this profound statement in a piece called “Blood, Gore and Global Warming”
“Let’s take care of the earth, protect the natural order. But let’s remember that the world is not ultimately rescued by politicians or musicians or filmmakers or scientists. The world is saved by blood (of Christ), not Gore”

Waste of Space?

For the last year or so, Janelle and I have been seeking to be more environmentally conscious. It started with our first blue recycling bin and it has spread like an infection and is dangerously close to becoming a soap box (made of recycled materials of course). For us, it really has nothing to do with global warming or the pending apocalypse. Frankly, it just comes down to the admission that I waste too much….and I simply can’t justify it any longer……especially when so much of the world is in need. It’s about taking responsibility for what I consume. On a deeper level my personal faith calls me to be a good steward with all my resources and that doesn’t happen naturally, it requires intentionality.
For more info and easy ways to be more eco-friendly go to liveearth.org

Practical Atheism

Craig Groeshel from Lifechurch.tv made some profound statements at a conference last week that I am going to echo as my own (and maybe you too can identify with):

I am a practical atheist. That is, I believe God exists but I sometimes live as though He doesn’t.

I rely more on my own efforts than in God’s power.

I am more afraid of what people would think than what God would think.

You can read more about that Craig’s session on Tim Stevens’ blog.

the 2nd greatest commandment

Francis Chan (from Simi Valley, CA) talked about the challenge of living out the 2nd great commandment and the journey he and his church are taking trying to wrestle with it.
Simply: Love your neighbor as yourself.
I am staggered by that statement if I try to really play that out in my life. What would that look like? How would that reshape my life, my priorities, my spending, and my time? Yet this isn’t a request.
Jesus sums up God’s plan for us in these few words: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
It demands my attention, and frankly it scares the hell out of me.
Chan’s church is taking a revolutionary approach to playing this out. Their stance is this: If we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, wouldn’t it make sense to spend as much money on their neighbor (community) as we did on ourselves. So they are implementing a 50/50 budget. Half is invested back in the church, and half is set aside to meet community and global needs. Despite that church budgets are by nature constrained, this church is committed to making whatever cuts needed to live this out. So instead of building a huge new complex as originally planned, they are skimming down and building an outdoor venue….so they can give more money away.
This haunts me…because I think most of us, if we were honest, would admit that we are inherently selfish. That most of our day, time, and resources are centered around our own petty (in the grand scheme of things) wants and desires.

What if we started taking the Bible literally?
What if we started loving our neighbors as ourselves?

the power of story

Donald Miller, a favorite author of mine (Blue like Jazz), shared about the power of story in our culture.
Essentially, a good story has three parts:
1) The protagonist has to want something. What is the goal, dreams, or ambition of the main character? In other words, if the protagonist dies, what dies with them?
It also has to be interesting. Someone saving up to buy a new Volvo isn’t a page-turner; however someone with a goal to build 1,000 wells in Africa is a bit more riveting (bloodwatermission.org).
2) There must be some kind of conflict or tension that puts what the protagonist wants in danger. Conflict is essential and always a part of a good story
3) Resolution – how does it end? Sometimes a good ending is when the good guy doesn’t win.

What if we applied the rules of a good story to our life? God invites us to live out a good story. Am I working toward an ambition/dream/goal that is worthy of a good story? Would the blurb of my life be an interesting story that I would want to read?
Secondly, what kind of story are we creating for our family? The issue is that we are all looking for a good story, so unless we consciously creating and living a good story, our kids, or even our spouses may look for a better story somewhere else.

So what is your story? Or maybe, what do you want your story to be?

interesting links

Here are a few links of some organizations that are making a difference, that I came across while at the Orange Conference

fermiproject.org
A group dedicated to repairing the disconnect between culture and the church. A movement that is pushing the church to be part of creating and engaging culture, not just duplicating or copying it in a vain attempt to be relevant.

tomsshoes.com
Blakely Mycoskie was an Amazing Race contestant that decided to go back to some of the countries that he had been in during the show. The poverty moved him into action, especially because he noticed that so many kids didn’t own a single pair of shoes.
So he decided to do something about it and created a company. For every pair of shoes someone buys, he gives away a pair of shoes to less fortunate children.
This year, he will be hand delivering 60,000 pairs to needy children and their families.

ladybugfoundation.ca
A foundation started by a 6 year old girl that wanted to do something about the homeless in her community. Makes me feel like a total waste of space

donaldmillerwords.com

belmontfoundation.org
An organization that Donald Miller is involved in to help meet the crisis of the fatherless children in America through mentors