What I learned from Making a Picnic Table

Not given to wood working of any kind last winter I got this idea in my head that I would commense to make my family a picnic table. Never mind that I have not taken one minute of shop class in my life, but I figured that I've been in the ministry for over 14 years - what can be so hard about a picnic table? I got these plans free online, so I ran them off. Next thing you know I'm at Lowes buying lumber, screws, nuts, and washers!

Well, Saturday came and away I went. Getting the first "A frame" going was not so easy, but I quickly got my head in the ball game after that and it was all down hill from there. This week I put the primer and white paint on and well...it looks great if I say so myself. A lot better than maybe even I had given myself credit for. I'm hoping to put that little white beauty out in the back yard once the pin oak tree starts leafing up a bit more. I can't wait for my kids to eat their popscicles on it, have my neighbors over for cookouts, have my family out and just have an all around good time around that table.

What I learned about building the table.
You can learn new techniques and skills in your mid 30's. 2) you can dream of doing something and even do it even if you've never done it before, 3) I should have taken a little shop in high school but at least I have good buddies at Westlake that don't laugh at me when I ask basic questions, 4) I kept envisioning my family and neighbors around that table. I think my hope was that some day many would even be involved in a discussion of faith around that table. I'm pretty sure that was a huge motivating factor to start and complete this table. 5) If I can build a table - who knows what I could make or build next! Yikes, that sound scarry! Well, maybe if you're reading this you could bring the dogs and patties - I'll provide the table. No you won't break it!

M7 thoughts

We had this thing in Kanasas City a couple of weeks ago called M7. That stands for Mission 2007 and is part of what the Church of the Nazarene considers to be a missionally minded conference for pastors, church leaders and laity. I did a workshop at the conference called "Reaching Families and Children in Your Community." I suppose there were about 62 in the room for that hour. It was a neat experience since I have really not had such a privilege to do such a thing before.

My key thoughts included some thoughts from Don Miller on 13 paradigm shifts when reaching a pagan culture and some simple yet effective ways to impact families and children in your neighborhood. Athough it doesn't seem to 'emergent' or 'postmodern' my feeling is that 1) listening still works in building friendships, 2) no hint of judgement should exude from conversations, 3) when in doubt - go with grace, 4) a plate of cookies still works, 5) keep it real.

While at the conference all I could think about were my neighbors and how much I want them to discover a personal relationship with Jesus as I have. IN all the fanfare, what the conference boiled down to for me was how could I continue a healthy dialog with my neighbors so they might someday know the Christ. We don't the churches permission or blessing to reach our world for Christ. A greater commission has already been given. So, that is about how I feel on reaching a world for Jesus and M7.

Also, I have begun a new company that I'll tell you more about later. I'm excited at the potential though. Stay tuned...and remember...Jesus called us to make disciples not clones.

Forgiveness

The greatest power on all the earth is not embodied in fundamental Islam, nor is it found in American capitalism, it is not found in the warhead of an Iranian or North Korean missile - the greatest power known to man can be found in each man who chooses to forgive as Jesus forgave us. The meekness and forgiveness of Pennsylvanian Amish is power, the woman I met this week who is mothering her child who was birthed from a rape incident embodies power in her forgiving spirit, the wife I live with who bears with me in daily living emodies power in forgiveness, and the child I love but sometimes punish for misbehavior, who still calls me daddy, embodies power in her forgiving and understanding voice.

I had an incident in my own life not so long ago that has left me on a journey to forgive. I am quite sure that this world more readily accepts Christ than they would a Christian. Could it be that in Christ we receive a forgveness in the measure that we would like to be forgiven by our fellow man and to forgive our fellow man? I was driving down the road from work Friday and finally sensed from the Father that I need to fully forgive and press forward. Two and one-half years later. Amazing isn't it? It has taken me two years and it did not even take Him two seconds! Thanks God for forgiving us with the full measure of your love. Help us as your kids to embody this forgiving quality. Amen.

The Letter

Do you ever get into a situation with your kids where you know you've pretty much blown it? (That's retorical) Well, today I got into a jam and learned a valuable life and spiritual lesson with my girls. See, my girls have two cats (not my idea) and the deal was that with two cats my girls would have to be in charge of feeding the cats and changing the litter. Well, I went down to our laundry area to iron my shirt this morning and what do I feel under my feet? Nothing but litter sand! This is a huge pet peeve! (pun intended)

So, being the kindhearted dad I am (sarcasm) I write a note to the girls with the effect that they need to get down and clean up the cat mess, because I just cannot stand litter on my bare feet.

Act 2: I go to work and my wife calls with the news that the girls were so happy I'd left a note only to find out it was a note from an unhappy dad. I have to admit this was pretty out of character for me. I got to thinking about what would happen if my father had done that to me early in the morning. Then I got to thinking how uncharacteristic a note like that would be from my Father. He left this huge love note for me to read every morning and how would I feel if it was just full of stuff that said 'do this and do that, love Dad!?' Well, I probably would not read those notes anymore and I probably would second guess my Father's love for me.

Needless to say, we've all blown it big time with our kids somewhere along the way, or at least we've felt like we did. I must say that I learned a huge lesson and had to give a huge apology to my girls because the letter I left could have been my last - and I don't want to be remembered as the dad who barked out the orders on a piece of scratch paper, but as the dad with the awesome love notes that started his girls' day off right. From now on, no more to do lists early in the morning, I'll be content to share my love first and concerns later.

This lesson learned is just like Jesus. He leaves this love letter to remind us of His great love. It's not this huge to do list that makes us feel inadequate from the early morning hours to late at night. His is a letter of encouragement and blessing to go out and have a great day. Man, I have a long way to go......

Zip it! And Live it!

One aspect of Christian living I am finding a deeper appreciation for in these days are the people who intersect my life who have simply chosen to zip and live it! You can call them authentic disciples, emergent, the real deal, whatever...the point is that as my life intersects these lives I am more prone in my own life to just zip it and live it! Now I know there are two things that need clarification here. One thing is the definition of "it." When I mean "it" I mean the life of Christian faith that authentically mirrors that of Jesus. A life of humility and power, a life of love and hope, a life of healing and friendship, a life of sacrifice and grace. These attributes are those most notable and identifiable to people in this world as the core tenants of who Jesus was and is. That's what I mean by "it." Not playing Christian games and calling people ungodly Christian names.

The second thing I've come to enjoy about the fresh movement of Christian faith - emergent - is that these folks are the real zip it and live it crowd. It's not so much that talking cool about Christianity is the thing to do, I think just living authentic Christianity is the thing in this crowd. And so, I'm all for emergent Christian faith if it means that by example I am shown that it's just about time we Christians just zip it and live it! That's all I gotta say.

Walk with me...

A People of God...

This last week it was unfortunate that I took a bit of a detour from my Gutsy Faith reading because I had the privilege to "hit the road" and be at the Nazarene Black Ministries Conference in Dallas. I had a terrific time and learned to love the broader scope of my Nazarene family in a greater way than ever before. I walked away refreshed by people who are favored and highly blessed and challenged to see myself as such also. The preaching was out of this world as the afro-homiletic always inspires me to evaluate who I am in Christ, who I am in my community, and who I am in the Kingdom of God.

In some unique way this wonderful group of Nazarenes exemplify the gutsy faith ideal. Trusting God in the storms of life, trusting God for his 'yes', trusting God in His silence, trusting God in the struggles of home, community, and socio-economic challenges. Truly I can say I loved every minute of this conference and the people I met, hugged, prayed with and laughed with were a true delight and example of authentic faith and optimism that love, hope, and joy in Christ wins the day and the battle!

Thanks be to God!

This Prayer Thing...

I'm in this book Gutsy Faith and reading about prayer and wow am I taking a good hard look at how much I pray and how I pray. The quantity factor is vital because Jesus modeled daily prayer with the Father and the quality factor is vital also because you gotta know what questions to ask and the motive by which to ask.

Well, along with Gutsy I chose to pick up Living the Lord's Prayer because of something Jeff said on page 77. The context is "did Jesus really mean mean it when He said that anything that is asked for in His name will be granted?"..."I believe Jesus meant exactly that...The issue at hand is knowing what exactly it means to ask for something in Jesus' name."

Now enter Living the Lord's Prayer.

Coming back to this foundational prayer is helping me see where Jeff is going with all this. Think about it..."Our Father...." That's saying #1 that He's in control right off the bat!

Well, invoking His name and His sovereign name is primary to the thought pattern of asking anything in His name. It also coincides with waht Jeff is saying on 77 that when we pray in a person's name we are really praying for the will of that person to be done not just trying to drop a name so we can get something. For instance if I say I need Royals tickets (yeah right!) in a luxury box or something then I would maybe drop a name of a person in the front office that might help me get what I want. What biblical perspective provides is the fact that this would never work in those days. A servant would never say the name of His master to procure something unless "the deal" was already done. SEE?

We pray in Jesus name only in a way that's in keeping with the nature and will of what Jesus desires. Not our desire.

Gutsy Faith may just be another book in the legions of books out there on what it means to understand the mysteries of God's ways, but then again it may be one of the few that helps it's readers truly evaluate in this "me" centered, self-centered quasi-Christian world what it means to truly pray in the Name of Jesus.

My question for you today is this...have you assessed your prayer life lately? Are you praying in ways that truly reflect how Jesus taught us or has your prayer life become stale and mundane and utilitarian?