Death to self

Been reading a devotional from Dallas Willard's book, Renovation of the Heart. Here are some of the highlights from my reading today:

“A shift toward self-denial is needed to reorder the six dimensions of the human self in subordination to God. Christian spiritual formation rests on this indispensable foundation of death to self and cannot proceed except insofar as the foundation is being firmly laid and sustained.”

“Our survival cannot be the ultimate point of reference in our world. We must not treat ourselves as God. This selfless life enable us to do for the first time what we want to do: be truthful, transparent, helpful, and sacrificially loving, with joy.”

“At the beginning of my day, I commit my day to the Lord’s care while meditatively praying through the Lord’s Prayer and possibly the 23rd Psalm. Then I meet everything that happens as sent, or at least permitted, by God. I meet it resting in the hand of his care. I no longer have to manage the weather, airplanes, and people.”

what are the essential beliefs? Are there any?

A 17th century Moravian named Rupertus Meldenius said, "in essential beliefs we have unity and non-essential we have liberty." I have seen many Methodist churches quote this when talking about their beliefs or doctrines. What is interesting is that John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church never shared exactly what he believed those essential beliefs were.

In the first chapter of Rob Bell's book, Velvet Elvis, Bell writes about a similar topic. He writes about trampoline springs and blocks. Bell says this about the springs,

"when we jump, we begin to see the need for springs. The springs help make sense of these deeper realities that drive how we live every day. The springs aren't God. The springs aren't Jesus. The springs are statements and beliefs about our faith that help give words to the depth that we are experiencing in our jumping. I would call these the doctrines of the Christian faith. They aren't the point. They help us understand the point, but they are a means and not an end."

Bell contrasts springs with bricks.
"Somebody recently gave me a videotape of a lecture given by a man who travels around speaking about the creations of the world. At one point in his lecture, he said if you deny that God created the world in six literal 24 hour days, then you are denying that Jesus ever died on the cross. It's a bizarre leap of logic to make, i would say. But he was serious. It hit me while i was watching that for him faith isn't a trampoline; it's a wall of bricks. Each of the core doctrines for him is like an individual brick that stacks on top of the others. If you pull one out, the whole wall starts to crumble. It appears quite string and rigid, but if you begin to rethink or discuss even one brick, the whole thing is in danger. Like he said, no six-day creation equals no cross. Remove one, and the whole wall wobbles."

I think i agree with Bell but i not only have springs but i also have bricks. One spring for me is the creation story. I believe Adam and Eve were real people but if it was proved as many people believe that they are fictional characters being used to point to spiritual truth it would not change my faith or cause my faith to crumble. The creation story is a spring that helps me gain a greater understanding of who God is.

A brick in my belief system is the physical resurrection of Jesus. To me, without the resurrection, you don't have anything. If it was proven that Jesus did not resurrect that would cause my faith to crumble.

Below are 2 slides from Dan Kimbell's blog from a few weeks ago that touches on the same topic that i agree with for the most part.

What are your essentials and non-essentials?

Put down the bottled water and pick up the tap water

This month's fast company has an article about the $50 billion bottled water business. Here are some of the highlights (low lights) and quotes.
-24% of bottled water we buy is tap water repackaged by Coke and Pepsi
-Fiji Water produces more than a million bottles a day, while more than half the people in Fiji do not have reliable drinking water.
-We pitch into landfills 38 billion water bottles a year--in excess of $1 billion worth of plastic.
-Worldwide, 1 billion people have no reliable source of drinking water; 3000 children a day die from diseases caught from tainted water.
"Bottled water isn't healthier, or safer, than tap water. Indeed, while the United States is the single biggest consumer in the world's $50 billion bottled water market, it is the only one of the top four- the others are Brazil, China, and Mexico--that has universally reliable tap water. Tap water in this country, with rare exceptions, is impressively safe. It is monitored constantly, and the test results made public."

The article closes, "once you understand the resources mustered to deliver the bottle of water, it's reasonable to ask as you reach for the next bottle, not just 'does the value to me equal the 99 cents I'm about to spend?' but 'does the value equal the impact I'm about to leave behind?' Simply asking the question takes the carelessness out of the transaction. And once you understand where the water comes from, and how it got here, it's hard to look at that bottle in the same way again."

I figure 50 Billion dollars could solve the world's water problems. What do you think?

2 home runs in one night

The first home run came at our worship committee meeting as we agreed to move forward with a 3rd worship gathering! This worship gathering (service) will be alternative, contemporary, postmodern, nonorgan, type of thing. I'm pumped as i have waited 2 years to do this! This service will be at 9:45 and will start in September. Will keep you posted.
After the meeting i rushed to our church softball game, (i missed the first one because of the meeting). First at bat i doubled, second at bat with the bases loaded i flied out but it was a sacrifice fly. Last at bat i go yard with the bases empty. As i stepped on home plate, the question start coming, "why didn't you do that with the bases loaded?" They started calling me A Rod. I quickly pointed out that ARod would not homer in a 1 run game like i did but only in a game that was already decided. Where is the love? It's sad when the church softball team doesn't give you any grace. We won by 3.

Good News for Insomniacs!

My sermons are now available online. Well they have been for a while, I've just been waiting for a good one and I've realized that's not going to happen. Also you can get them on itunes.
Also we have created a church blog during lent was a daily devotion type of thing that matches up with the sermon. Let me know what you think.

Northern Virginia and khakis

Dan Kimbell's has a great post about observations he made this week while being in Northern Virginia. Everywhere he looked he saw guys wearing khakis, a blue blazer, an oxford shirt, and a tie.

"I felt like there is some supernatural unspoken dress code, or that we were in some school district uniforms were required. But we weren't. "

I must confess, this is my ideal choose of clothing and do consider northern VA home. If i had my way i would never wear a tie. Unfortuantely no body asked me and i our church is not there yet. So when i have to dress up i try to dress down as much as possible which is why i often wear khakis, a blue blazer. I still dream of the day where i won't have to wear a tie at St. Matthew's.

Hope for the United Methodist Church

Bishop Scott Jones of the Kansas East and West conference believes the United Methodist future is bright. Thank you Andrew for the reference.

Bill Hybels (or Hebels as i like to call him) Rocks

This is a post from the Jesus Creed today. It's about Bill Hybels pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. I subscribe to Willow's podcast and it was on my computer this morning. I've searched their website and itunes and can't find it. If i do i will let you know.

Anniversary Trip to Myrtle Beach

Leigh Ann and I finally celebrated our anniversary last week. We went to Myrtle Beach for 3 nights and had a blast. Did i mention, the kids stayed home! We stayed at the Marriott's Ocean Watch Villas.
Several months ago we received a phone call from Marriott offering us one of these 3 nights for $200 type of deals. The catch is you have to go to an hour presentation where they try to sell you a time share. Our room, or apartment (3 beds, and a sofa bed, kitchen and washer dryer )was normally $300 a night out of season and $600 in. Our guy took "no" pretty well and did not pester us. If you get a chance to do this, do it.

Here are a few pictures, one from our room, (we were on the 6th floor to the far left of the center building) and the other from the beach.

Don't Try This At Home

While playing with the girls on Sunday i took one of their bath toys and stuck it to my head. It was very funny until i looked in the mirror later in the day and again this morning. I now have hickeys on my head. Did i mention i have a funeral on Wednesday? Enjoy the photos, one is a reenactment and the other is the result. The good news is i am sure i can use this in a sermon at some point.

Resurrected

Jesus was not the only resurrection I celebrated on Sunday, though Jesus' resurrection was the most important. My pants, my wrinkle free Dockers have been resurrected!! Only $6 and you can't even tell that they were ripped.
My pants have risen, they have risen indeed!

Happy 5th Anniversary to us!

Today Leigh Ann and i celebrate 5 years of marital bliss. It just keeps getting better. I'm a blessed man. Check out some of our statistics,
5- years of Marriage
3- children
4- moves and homes
0- moves in the next 40 years
2 years and 3 months- time Leigh Ann being pregnant
11- months we had no diapers to change
200- approximate sermons Leigh Ann has had to suffer through
22- months until we bought a mini van

Good News for the Child Rescue Center!

Thanks to all of you that give a donation for the war orphans in Sierra Leone. We made the top 10 which gets us a $10,000 grant! That is huge. We ended up #6 with 1041 donations for a total of $19,699 plus the $10,000 from Kevin Bacon for a grand total of $29,699. Thanks again.

Last week to help War Orphans

We are very close to getting a $10,000 matching grant from my good friend Kevin Bacon for war orphans in Sierra Leone. Look what $10,000 can do.

$10,000 could support for a year 25 new foster care children (kids who don't have a home); or it could feed 60+ resident children for 1/4 of the year; or provide 75% of the annual education costs for the resident children; or cover 100% of the Child Support Program children (100 kids) in 2007! Please don't ever underestimate the impact you each have with your prayers, your time, your resources and your support of the CRC. If the CRC charity badge is successful in remaining in the top six charity badges by the end of the contest, it will certainly generate even more publicity.

Thank you so much if you have already donated.

The CRC charity badge is currently in fifth place and over $9,000 has been raised for the children at the Child Rescue Centre! Woo hoo! The contest ends March 31st. Even though we are in fifth place as far as the number of different donations, there has been lots of activity around us, and one charity badge that was not even on the radar since the beginning of the contest, rocketed into 7th place yesterday out of no where.

If you want to check out the progress this last week of the competition, go to http://www.sixdegrees.org/ and click on "Top Ten Badges" and look for the picture of Sallay ( beautiful little girl with orange print cloth on her head). Click on that picture and it will tell you what to do. The minimum donation is $10. If you haven't had a chance to donate, now is your chance. Many of you may have meant to donate, but forgot about it, or deleted the information before you had the time to make a donation.

Thanks for your help.
Gordon

Holes in My Pants

Two weeks ago after church i was playing with my girls and i ripped my wrinkle free dockers right up the crotch. I was bummed as this was my favorite pair of pants, i mean how can you not love pants you don't have to iron. Today after church when we got back to the house my wife noticed i was was wearing those pants! My wife had washed my holy pants and hung them back in the closet. To make matters worse, today was "bring a friend" Sunday and we had over 300 people in church, and i was preaching with a big hole in my crotch. Unbelievable!

Jordan's 4th Birthday!

It is hard to beleive but on Sunday Jordan celebrated her 4th birthday! We had a little party for her, it was a great day. Here are a few pictures.

1st Round NCAA Picks, My Wife is like butter...

..she is on a roll! My wife got 28 out of 32 games in the first round. That is one of the best rounds i have ever heard of. The good news is i did pretty good as well, 26 out of 32.

Missional Leader, chapter 1

My friend Dwight said to read the Mission Leader first and then read the Missional Church. So i will do as i am told. (see previouse post about the Missional Church).
Chapter 1 of the Missional Church, "Six Critical Issues for Missional Leadership"
"This book was written out of the conviction that we need a new approach to leadership for missional communities," and the authors have identified six key issues.

issue 1- Missional leadership is the key, but how do you do it? There has been a lot of buzz about the idea of the missional church and people have come to love missional theology but not much has been written about how to lead in this way.

issue 2- Most Models Repackage Old Paradigms. -Many books about Church leadership and Church are just repackaging the old paradigms from outside the story of God's people. We borrow from business models, medical models, teaching models, psychology models, but not from the narratives found in scripture.

"when the church borrows and applies such models to the community of God's people it misses an opportunity to shape leadership around the biblical sense, in which leadership is about cultivation an environment that innovates and releases the missional imagination present among a community of God's people."

Many churches that i am aware of have used the business model and i believe have been very successful and have impacted me and motivated me in positive ways. Are these not missional?

issue 3- Discontinuous Change Is the New Norm- Continuous change is expected and can be prepared for, like you know your child is going to grow up and there is going to be continuous change in how you relate with them. Discontinuous change is disruptive and unanticipated and challenges our assumptions. I totally agree with this. I know a pastor who in many ways had great success at a previous church, he came to his new church and figured he could do the same things and have the same results. Well its not happening and he is trying to repackage (issue 2) things other have done and are doing, but the truth is he is not prepared because he is experiencing discontinuous change. What do we do when this happens?

issue 4-Congregations Still Matter - This convicted me and this is the quote that was like a dagger to my heart,

"Through the Incarnation, we discover that God's future is at work not where we tend to look but among the people we write off as dead or powerless to make things different."

I am sad to say i write off a lot of people and say "they are not going to change." But they are the people of God and they matter to God and can be used by God.

issue 5-Leaders Need New Capacities and Frameworks- the role of the pastoral leader needs to change. Because in a situation of rapid discontinuous change, leaders must understand and develop skills and competencies to lead congregations and denominational systems in a context that is missional rather than pastoral. Say amen if you can.

issue 6- A Congregation Is a Unique Organization- "A congregation is not a business enterprise and cannot be treated as one." Guilty. There is a sentence about how a congregation should not be strategic planning around some big plan, (part of my study break was to begin this process, i guess i better skip to that chapter now) but we are called to be formed into a unique social community whose life together is the sign, witness, and foretaste of what God is doing in and for all creation.
Good chapter, a lot of information and i am sure the next chapters will unpack this.

Bacon from Bacon for war orphans in Sierra Leone

Actor and good friend Kevin Bacon recently created a new organization called SixDegrees.org. He refers to it as "a social networking site with a social conscience." The idea is that we're all connected in some way, that what happens to one of us affects all of us in one way or another. SixDegrees.org is holding an exciting contest right now… The six Charity Badges that get the most number of donations by March 31st will receive a matching grant from Kevin Bacon for up to $10,000! The Child Rescue Centre has registered with SixDegrees.org and now has its own Charity Badge under the Helping Children Worldwide name

I've been blessed to be a part of Helping Children Worldwide since it was started five years ago and have been to Sierra Leone and strongly believe in the work that is being done there and need to continue it. Check out the web site below. Thanks.

§ Go to the Top Ten website: http://www.sixdegrees.org/Top.aspx

§ Click on the Helping Children Worldwide Charity Badge for the Child Rescue Centre.

§ Click on “Donate”, and donate as you wish.

§ The minimum donation is $10, and the entire process takes less than 5 minutes.

§ Increase your power to make a difference for the CRC - Each household can donate once for each person.

§ Remember all donations must be received by March 31st, so act now!

§ God is doing amazing things in Sierra Leone! Thank you for supporting such an important, life-changing cause!

Donuts with Dads Day!

Today was donuts with Dads day at Jordan's preschool. You gotta love it. I got to eat donuts (2 of them Jordan does not like them much), drink orange juice, color a dinosaur, play with blocks, get a wonderful work of art and a coffee mug. If only they had nap time. It was a great morning!