Strategies for going polar

About a week ago, I had someone come in to look at this problematic leak that was coming from my upstairs bathroom into my kitchen and creating a mess.  I had finally gotten tired of trying to figure it out and brought in someone who knew what they were doing.  Good news:  we (ahem - he) identified the leak and got it stop-gapped.  Bad News:  In order to really fix the leak and get everything in the house back to normal, the water had to be shut off.  My unit shares it's water with about 7 others, which means that it really could not be an impromptu thing, unless fixing the leak was an emergency.  So, trying to be a good neighbor, we stop gapped the problem and set up a time a week from tomorrow to get everything done.  That's good news.  The bad news?  The leak was with my hot water valve on my tub, so to get everything to "not leak," now I have no use of the hot water in my shower.  Good times, huh?  


So - two weeks without hot water.  I can handle it, I'm tough.  I also work out in the morning so I can just use the gym shower.


While this is all true.  This is some cold water we're talking about.  The first cold shower I took from it was slowly after my appointment.  November in Atlanta?  There ain't no lukewarm stuff coming out of that spickett... it's cold.  Really cold.   I also hate to be dirty and sometimes showering at home is the only real option I have (especially with my brother staying with me from Houston for the next day and a half), so I've had to come up with some mental (and physical) strategies for making it through the freeze.  So, I've come up with a few (some with the help of Chuck my brother who has had to endure this unfortunate turn of events with me), and thought I'd share.  Because you know, whether it is a house repair, a wilderness camp, or "that guy" in your ski condo that used up all of the hot water, all of us may need some strategies for the polar expedition:


Mental Strategies

• The "This is going to be short" mental strategy:  By convincing myself that I don't need to have a luxurious, spa-like experience in the shower and that the "basic purpose" of going in here is to clean the bod, I can set my expectations that I can really just "get in and get out" and be fine. 
• The "God made polar bears" mental strategy:  Polar bears and seals jump into this ridiculously cold water way up north all of the time and they don't die of hypothermia.  In fact, they not only jump into this ice bath but they LIKE it.  So if it's good enough for them, then it's gotta be good enough for me.  Granted, I don't have nearly the massive BMI of a polar bear, but that's a minor detail that I will block out if I have to jump into 60 degree water.  
• The "Estonians jump into snow after sauna" mental strategy:  Having been to Estonia and having friends in that part of the world, I am aware that during the winter during sauna, people will jump out of a 102 degree C sauna and will run with whatever clothes they had on in that sauna and jump into a pile of SNOW to cool themselves and then run right back into the sauna.  Snow is much colder than Atlanta's cold water.  That, and not wanting to be seen as weak knowing that this is a common practice in certain parts of the world (and among crazy people in outdoor hot tubs during ski season), that a cold shower is nowhere near the magnitude of frozen snow.
• The "this is going to wake me up" mental strategy.  It's the only one that's really rational too... but cold showers are much better than even Starbucks coffee for waking someone up.  

Physical Strategies

• If you have access to hot water, wet your sponge in it before going in.  Chuck told me he did this and I thought it was genius so I did it.  If you don't have to lather with cold water, don't.  
• Keep it short and sweet.  Your body won't know what hit it, and you will wake up.  Go with a quick burst of freeze to get wet and then another quick burst to rinse.  
• Wash your head last.  More heat escapes through the head than any other part of the body (which is why it is recommended to wear hats in really cold weather), so it's not as bad if your head is still dry while taking care of the rest of the bod.
• Laugh at it.  Laughter actually impacts your physical body, so it's not just good for your soul but will also help the bod get through the 2 minute drill as well.  

There you have it.  Wisdom from youth camps, being last in the shower rotation, and having the hot water cut off.  If you have any interesting strategies that you use (especially those of you in student ministry that deal with this regularly), I'm all ears :-)

What do you want to be known for?

Tales from a wine country tour bus:

I had a great retreat-ish vacation day yesterday touring the Napa valley in California, touring a couple of wineries and getting to enjoy some breathtaking scenery.  Included on our stop was a lunch stop and town tour of this "rustic" (for California) hot springs town called Calistoga.  It was a good place to retreat... some boutique wineries, great restaurants and coffee shops, and (for the ladies, especially) a number of spas fed by natural hot springs.

But what kind of name is "Calistoga" anyways?  Sounds really goofy.

The story of the town's founding is that the guy, Sam Brannan, that bought up all of this land made his fortune supplying the gold rush and went into retirement, buying up this land that included these fantastic natural hot springs in the late 1880's.  He had heard about the new resort of Saratoga, NY which was fed by hot springs and wanted, in his entrepenurial mind, to make this new place the "Saratoga of California."  So he got everything ready and was going to announce to the settlers his vision.

Well, Sam really liked to drink, apparently, and got really lit up before taking the stage to make this announcement.  So, instead of announcing that he was giving them the "Saratoga of California" he in his drunken state said "Here I give you the Calistoga of Sarafornia!"  And hence the town is now Calistoga.

It's interesting how one decision or critical, visible, moment can forever brand a guy, huh?  Accomplished men, who made a single move toward indiscretion, had their reputations permanently marred by a single instance that they could had probably easily avoided.  It's all over history:  Benedict Arnold is a traitor, Ken Lay is a thief, Wilt Chamberlin is a womanizer... not because of what they WANT to have been recognized for but eventually the scandalous took over and branded them.

And apparently, for all of his great business accomplishments and vision, Sam Brannan is now known as a lush.

What do you want to be known for?

Equal Standing

I've still got this on the brain.  


I like having this on the brain.


A couple of days ago, I was listening to Francis Chan's talk:  "You have everything you need" (the newest one on the Cornerstone podcast), discussing 2 Peter 1:1-4 (2 Peter 1:3-4 are my life verses, so I was really into this talk as you can imagine).  This statement has been what I have been musing on...


"Do you, really, believe this?"


Before asking this question, Francis started out with 2 Peter 1:1 which states in the English Standard Version:


Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:  (emphasis mine)


The version I read this verse in before was either the NASV or the NIV, which each states:


Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: (NASV)


Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: (NIV)


Hear what Peter... THE Peter.... Yeah, THAT Peter is saying... he says that my relationship with Jesus Christ is the same kind as, as precious as, and on equal standing with that of him and the apostles.  To paraphrase something that I have heard many times, there is level ground at the foot of the cross.  In the same way, God's power and grace in our lives is just as powerful, freeing, and life-changing in our (my) lives today as it was when the church was started.  


Again, Francis's question is ringing:  "Do you believe that?"  


I think that most missionaries and pastors would disagree with our belief that they are somehow "more spiritual than" or "have this special thing with God that other people can't attain" - yet this belief is pervasive.  Guess what... it's not true.  God loves you and me just as much as He loved Peter, Paul, and Mary (not the band, the people that hung with him), and He wants to work in our lives  as well to display His greatness through us.  


Do you really believe that?  


If so, let's live it out and show our friends how awesome our God is :-)

What a stud!

Had to share...  read this part of his last speech to his peeps in Ephesus before sailing to Jerusalem.

"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." - Acts 20:22-24


Seriously. Compared to Paul's determination to finish out the race God set before him, I feel like such a slacker :-).  Bummed knees a week before a race (which has been the physical reminder God has given me this week about "finishing the race" - in this case a literal race) are nothing compared to being stoned, beaten, or put in prison for the gospel.  I will say that it motivates me to look past some of my own puny obstacles and see the gospel and grace as huge, powerful, and worthy as they truly are.  If only we could put ourselves in Paul's shoes (not that many of us would probably want to though ;) )

Alexander or Gamaliel?

I was reading the story in Acts about Paul's trip to Ephesus, a story I've read many times before.  This morning, a thought popped in my head that I want to think over.

When Alexander the silversmith was discussing with his business partners the economic threat that the Way presented to them, he made this statement:  "There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of our great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshipped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty." (Acts 19:27).  In a sense, he urged them that if the gospel was allowed to continue to permeate Ephesus and the region of Asia, then their goddess would be stripped of her fame and reduced to nothing.  And as a result, they took action to make sure that didn't happen.  They started a riot.

The thought that popped in my head was this:  it is very likely that when God is at work in a city, a nation, or even (and especially in) our lives, that eventually the sacred shrines that we have set up will become threatened.  What was unsaid in the story of Ephesus that is true about all of these shrines is that they really have no power aside from what we give them.  When this happens, do we fight to maintain the stature of whatever competing thought, belief, thing that is threatened or do we realize it for what it is, deny its power that we gave it, and surrender it to Christ?  Obviously the Ephesian idol makers fought to preserve their sacred shrine, and it caused chaos as a result.

However, in an earlier story in Jerusalem, a wise Pharisee recognized this dichotomy and urged his colleagues to be cautious.  This guy, Gamaliel (who was the pre-conversion mentor to Saul who became the Apostle Paul), said this when the apostles were up for trial:

"But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.  After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt.  He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.  Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." - Acts 5:34-39

Gamaliel realized that if their efforts are competing with God's agenda that they will be futile and in fact against what they believed they were accomplishing.  Summing it up:  do you really want to be fighting against God?  Alexander found himself on this side, and ultimately we know where the worship of Artemis went (into a history book and into fable).  When we allow our shrines, when God wants to take them down, to be removed and become a blip in our story rather than a driving force in our lives, it can be something that God uses for incredible good.  If we hang on, it can rather bring the chaos that can ensue (and did in Ephesus's case) when we attempt to infuse power into something that has none except for the bondage we allow it to have on our own lives.

No room for rivalry

"I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."


Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." - 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 ....

"So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." - 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 - The Apostle Paul

I was listening this morning to a podcast from a preacher that I highly respect (I've talked very highly about him, but for the purposes of this blog I'll refrain from naming him), and he started to talk about how some folks would come into his church from other churches and talk poorly about their former pastors and how this grieved him.  Some of these times it could have been because of poor doctrine and sometimes about a disagreement they had with that persons' style, but the result was the same... to talk down this person who God put into a place of leadership to minister the gospel to people.

Apparently the same thing happened as early as Century #1... the Corinthian peeps chose sides and rallied around their leader of choice.  I'm not sure if these leaders really asked for it or wanted to be put into the pedestal they were put on, but they were put on it nonetheless.  It didn't bolster the body of Christ... in fact it fractured it.  That's what divisions do.

And Paul hated it.  He (inspired by the Holy Spirit) called it out for what it is.  He didn't mess around.

And somehow today in the church in America we still deal with the same thing.  Especially those of us that go to megachurches with highly influential leaders.  Since I go to NorthPoint in Atlanta I'll pick on my own:  Is your spiritual life centered around Andy Stanley or is it centered around your own walk with Christ in community with your fellow Atlanta believers?  Also, when you talk about other church leaders around town (such as his dad:  Dr. Charles Stanley), is that speech constructive and uplifting around all that God is doing around this city through these great men that He has put in place to lead His Ekklesia in this city - or does it ring of competitiveness and rivalry?

If you think about it... you know the answer to this question.  I can't claim innocence either.  I too need to repent.  Paul in many ways could say the same thing he said to the Corinthians to us today.

Seriously, as great of communicators of the gospel as these guys are:  neither Andy Stanley, nor Charles Stanley, nor Ed Young, nor Francis Chan,nor Rick Warren, nor Bill Hybels, nor Louie Giglio, nor even John Piper went through the trouble of sending their son to die on a Roman cross to pay for the sins we deserved punishment for.  This was accomplished once and for all by Jesus Christ himself.  In addition, neither of these men live inside our heart and empower us to live the life God intended us to live.  This alone is through His spirit living in us if we know Him by grace.

This we all have in common, despite who speaks in our pulpits on Sunday morning.  And Paul says that this life in Christ should unite us all, despite which parking lot we lodge our cars in on Sunday morning.

There is no room for rivalry.  We really are on the same team.

And guess what... these men are going to fail us.  They are all human and have the same weakness that all of us humans have.  At the very least, they're bound to deliver a bad talk every now and then (yes, even Andy :) ).  If we trust in them, we are potentially setting ourselves up for a crisis of faith because we are not putting our faith truly in the one who can never fail us, and no human being or human organization can truly 100% give us what our hearts desperately need.

In the early days of the church, there were no buildings or programs or Sunday School/Small Group curriculum.  There was simply a bunch of people that met in homes and met around the temple to worship; that lived in community with one another and learned from men who had been with Jesus in the flesh.  The constant was that they "were together and had everything in common" (Acts 2:44).  In our modern world of megachurches, relevant programming, and influential church leaders... how are we doing in this regard?  How do we love one another.... not just the guys in our own small group but the guys at work that go to the other church around town (even the one where you don't completely agree with everything their pastor says or does)?  Do you see him/her as a brother in Christ to invest in or as a person that "goes to that other church?"  Jesus said that the world would know that we are His disciples by the love we have one for another, and He didn't caveat that with a building or denomination or leader.

There is no room for rivalry.  Absolutely none.

The gospel is bigger than that.  Our God is bigger than that.

It's time we as a Christian community became bigger than that too.

Love

Last Sunday before I headed to my church to sing at UpStreet, I spent a little bit of time just meditating over life and hanging out in 1 Corinthians 13 for a while.  I found myself there again this morning, because God really spoke to me in that time and I wanted to keep my mind on those thoughts and really let Him work on me more.

I started out because, honestly, I can actually from time to time act in ways that are not very loving.  I know that's probably a shock to some of you (okay, not really :) ) but it's true.  So, where better to go and meditate than a passage devoted to defining love.

The one verse that really caught my attention had these phrases....

(Love)

Always protects

Always trusts

Always hopes

Always perseveres

(I'm reading this from my note card right now).

I know that this passage is often read at weddings, but the context in which this letter was written was anything but matromonious.  This Corinthian church was rife with problems... massive sexual sin within the church, people dividing forming divisions and alliances around favorite teachers, the abuse of communion... you get it - not the pretty portrait we usually paint around it.  This love is for the body of Christ... his imperfect church redeemed and made perfect by the work of Jesus on the cross.  In other words, there is no condition in which I can say that I'm not obliged to love a fellow believer.

Thinking about love always protecting, always trusting, always hoping, and always persevering... it threw two thoughts into my head.  The first is that this love flows from the love of Christ which is all of these things perfectly.  If God has called you out of darkness and into His glorious light, then He will always protect, always believes the best about you, always has hope for you for the future, and will persevere with you to the end.  This is huge for me that someone as big and strong as God is behind me and loves me like this.

The second is (and is related to the first)... this love is devoid of "self defense."  Self defense being that we hold back on being authentic because we are afraid to get hurt or feel or experience rejection.  I guess it's understandable when we are dealing with other people to wear a mask because we're dealing with imperfect people like me that need grace every day, but what's crazy is when we approach God the same way.  I mean, who are we helping when we don't get real with God when He knows what's going on anyways, and what's even crazier is that we're holding back access to sometimes the very area He wants to heal when we withhold access to those areas we are defending.

I feel thought that Paul is urging us that if we are truly to live a life of love and live plugged into Christ's love that we have to be authentic with each other as well and live out of faith rather than self defense.  If we are not realistically real (unwise "realness" is not recommended... that'd be another blog... I'm talking about trusted relationships with friends and with God) with one another, then we are denying ourselves the intimacy in the Ecclesia that God desires when He prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one.

Because we can't...
Always protect,
Always trust,
Always hope,
Always persevere

... with another if we are so busy building up hedges around ourselves.  From my experience, all that does is wall me up and really impedes any opportunity for me to give, or receive the protection, trust, hope, and perseverence that authentic agape love in community provides.  It also (like I said, we do this out of a lack of faith) assumes that I in my power must provide for myself what God wants to provide for me through His grace... and since I can't perfectly love myself those attempts always fall short.

In my expereince, if I surrender my desire to protect myself and surrender my wounds to the love of my Heavenly Father, he will come and heal these through His love... He is the source and author of love.  The love that.

Always protects
Always trusts
Always hopes
Always perseveres

And when I let this love cover me and complete me, then I am free to authentically go out and do the same to others without any pretense.  This has been my prayer for a couple of years now, and it's been pretty cool to see how God has really changed my heart in this process as I allow myself, covered in True Love, to live this out in my circles and with the friends that I love.  I am often reminded that I am a man in process, but I can truly say that I'm very grateful that I'm not the only one involved in the process.