Texas vs Alabama

The big game is tonight! By the time you read this...it will be a done deal. Either Texas or Alabama will be declared the 2010 National Champions of college football. The number one and number two teams will meet to do battle. It should be a great game. But football fans know that these "should be a great game" events sometimes fall flat. The outcome could be less than spectacular.

I don't have any particular connection to either team. I have friends in Texas. Many of them would not be Longhorn fans. They proudly fly the A&M colors and participate in all of the ritual that goes along with being an Aggie.

I also have friends in Alabama. However, most of them would not be caught dead wearing a "roll tide" t-shirt. They are football fans to the extreme and I can hear their "War Eagle" cry all the way across the country.

Bottom line, the national championship is interesting. It will be fun. It's not the Super Bowl, but it will be fun. In the end, when it comes down to eternity (or even next year) will it really matter? Some one will be able to fly the banner and be authorized to point back to the "year when we had it all" so they can recruit a new crop of players.

For me the real National Championship (excuse me...the World Championship - Kingdom Championship!) happened in Luke chapter four. That's located just on the edge of Pasadena about one atmosphere above the Rose Bowl.

It was hand-to-hand and heart-to-heart combat. One-on-one and face-to-face between Jesus and the author of evil. This is the place where it is all on the line. It really matters. It is winner take all. No golden trophy for the case with this one. It is all or nothing. It makes eternal difference!

Guess who wins!

New Year thoughts

I've been thinking. My family would say 'that is dangerous' but I know that is only true if the thoughts were original or dealt with a new theory of relativity. Mine seldom are..and I promise I won't.

By the way, if you haven't seen the book Introducing the Missional Church by Alan Roxburgh and Scott Boren...you need to get your hands on it. Enough said.

*****

I started a fire in the fireplace for a New Year celebration. It actually was because I was really cold but let's say it was to recognize, celebrate, and invite 2010.

The fire caught hold, began to burn nicely...but it really wasn't nearly big enough (a guy thing). So I went outside grabbed a very large handful of pine needles from the ground and jammed them under the grate. They caught fire rapidly and the flame began to crackle and spread with a brilliant yellow orange. Soon the flame was very large and the pine needles were being quickly consumed. But the unburned wood on the top just gave off a bit of smoke and brushed aside the pine flame. It was almost as if the wood knew the pine needles didn't have a long enough life span to really make a difference. So the wood just smiled and said 'no thank you' to the urgent flame. Within seconds, the pine needles were just glowing embers that maintained their shape but did no damage.

Before long, the fire place finally became a place of warmth. I could stand in the front and feel the heat on the back of my jeans. It was good. But how 'good' is good. So I stoked the fire with the biggest chunk of split pine I had at my disposal. It was twice the diameter of the previous logs and a good ten inches longer than the iron grate that now held the coals of history.

The longer log just sat there. In fact, it actually started to snuff out the fire. This is not good. The beautiful yellow - red - blue flame was changing to gray smoke. Thank God the chimney was doing it's thing!

I got the handy poker (the kind that shows up in dime-store murder mysteries) and stirred the fire to fight back the growing cloud of smoke. Then (as if on cue from Clint Eastwood as the director of this drama) the log burst into flame on one end. It was glorious!

But the flame was only on one end. The other end just stuck out beyond the grate, hung out into space, and dangled over some long forgotten coals. It just sat there.

That is, it sat there until the forgotten coals did their thing. They did what they were created to do. They gave off heat...lots of it. Until the bare end of the large log began to send off little swirling puffs of smoke. Little by little the smoke started to grow. First in little singular swirls with lines that could be traced against the darkened bricks of the fire box. And them with potent puffs that would bring a hopeful gleam to the eye of any good Boy Scout.

It happened right before my eyes! The dry, extended, unburnt, end of the log was finally captured by flame. First in a small way through the cracks and misshaped angles of the edge. Then the whole split edge was aflame and sending tongues of fire to the upper limits of the log.

Will it go? Suddenly, Yes! It burst into flame and became the most beautiful part of the whole experience. It was wonderful. All because a little pile of red embers remained faithful to their task. There was nothing but constant, faithful, committed heat that created the possibility for the fullness of flame.

Is there a moral to the story. Of course. I hope you already see it clearly and that you are warmed by the possibilities for your own life. Here's how I see it for my journey...

The church (faithful believers) must remain faithful to the task. Stay hot, stay alive, hold on to the call of Christ....always seeking the purpose for which you originally caught fire. The purpose is to allow the flame of the Holy Spirit to burn brightly through your life and to fill the air with the radiant gold-yellow-orange-blue flame that will ultimately burn white hot. Not like the pine needles that are quickly consumed and have little effect. But like the coals that glow and search for fulfillment.

It is the refiners fire the purifies everything within it's reach. It is the flame of Pentecost that expands the mystery and motivates new ministries. It is the gift we have been given and the task that is always at hand...burn strong! But above all...burn!

As always, I am looking forward to sharing the warmth of the flame in 2010 and beyond!

A Season of Angels

Do you believe in Angels? Some folks do not. Many prefer to look at the world as though the things we can see, hear, smell, taste and touch are the totality of reality. Still others (many of my best friends) look beyond the physical aspects of the "real world" to incorporate what the Apostle Paul talks about in Romans 8:37-39.

Paul (and the general witness of the New Testament) seems to think that there are supernatural elements of life that we can not touch with our hands or see with our eyes. One of those realities is the presence of angels.

Father Damien Thompson (former Abbott of Our Lady of Gethsemani) even believes in personal angels. Much like the concept of a "guardian angel" that is somehow assigned to look after a certain individual. His angel is named Marco. I have not discovered a personal angel but I do not set it aside as impossible.

In fact, the when the angel Gabriel appeared to a young woman named Mary ... Gabriel proclaimed that "nothing is impossible with God" ... I think Gabriel is correct. If God is God, then nothing is impossible. Even the presence of individually assigned angels that come complete with clever names.

It seems that this is the season for angels to make the headlines once again. We read the Christmas story and discover personal messages of Gabriel, we hear the choir of angels at the manger scene, and we sing of them with a word of "Hark!" What other time of year would you sing Hark? There must be something in the air.

For me, at this moment, I am aware that I do not have a full-fledged well-developed theology of angels. I just know this...When the angel appeared to Mary he said "do not be afraid." When the angel appeared to Joseph he said "do not be afraid." When the angel appeared to Zechariah he said "do not be afraid." And when the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the field they heard "do not be afraid...I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people."

That's good enough for me. I won't be afraid because "perfect love drives out fear..." (I John 4:18). Not that my ability to love is perfect, but because God's nature is best described as perfect love. Therefore, I won't be afraid of angels or their message. In fact, I will seek them out. Maybe I will discover something new this Christmas season. I am looking forward to the possiblites.

Meanwhile, I will listen closely to some of my favorite angels...You met them in photo form at the open of this post!

How Fast Are You?

I shouldn't tell you that I just ate a couple delicious chocolate chip cookies that just came out of the oven. Yep, there is nothing like a warm toll house cookie. Better yet, there is nothing like a cookie that is created by the hand and heart of your wife. It is enough to convince an Amish man to bet on a spotted horse.

Actually, this thought is not related to cookies at all...well, in way... but I am really thinking about the Tuesday 6:30 AM team. We had a discussion today about what it means to fast.

It is a strange word, fast. It can mean moving really quickly, loose moral behavior, or holding something very tight. But in this context it describes a spiritual discipline of intentionally abstaining from some or all food (or some other behavior or desire) for a period of time.

The question is, why? The answer is , why not?

Richard Foster (Celebration of Discipline fame) talks about fasting as an inner and personal discipline. It is not like public worship where we gather to be filled. It is not like service that touches the lives of the poor. It is interior, quiet, and often unknown to everyone but the person who counts the most.

But, why?

Well, why do we pray? Why do we give? Why do we study the Bible? Why do we... Do we do it so someone (maybe God) will notice and we will earn an "A" in Spiritual Discipline 101? Or do we do it so no one (but God) will know...do we do it so we will know God better?

Jesus did it. He didn't command it...he just said "when you fast..." as though it was a common activity not a forced march. He fasted in the wilderness and came out victorious. He knew the Father better, deeper, more completely, and he was now prepared to enter into the fullness of ministry that would lead him to Calvary. Ultimately the answer to the 'why' question is "because" ... Because we want to know God better, deeper and more completely. Our willingness to set something aside helps us focus our attention on God and on the call that rests on each of our lives.

Start small but take the first step. Make an intentional decision to discipline your life around a brief fast. Don't tell anyone. Just do it. Use the time to pray. Allow each reminder of inner hunger to remind you of God and the task that stands before us all. It is a task to love...love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength (add stomach!) and your neighbor as yourself.

Why do you pray? Because we believe God listens. Why do we worship? Because be want to offer ourselves to God. Why do we fast? Because we want to offer ourselves to the world.

No more toll house for today!

A Colorado Contrast

6:45 AM and I am driving West on Rockrimmon toward the church. The sky is beautiful blue with just a hint of pink arriving from the rising sun. Pikes Peak stands majestic in my windshield. It has a light cover of lingering snow that has been brightened white with an overnight dusting. It to begins to reflect the red orange of the early morning sun. It is a beautiful Colorado Springs day!

Just across the street from Eagle View Middle School ... another majestic sight. A huge multi-point buck is walking leisurely up the sidewalk like an early morning exercise guru. His neck is engorged and his body is marvelously muscular in the freshness of the day. His antlers look like something from a National Geographic photo. His presence (along with a multitude of his friends) is a reminder that we live in a unique and environment.

Thirty seconds later I arrive at Vindicator and Centennial. I am one intersection from Flying W Ranch Road where the church waits patiently. Just then, something catches my eye. Two military attack helicopters are flying across the front face of the Peak. They are in formation flying North toward the Academy.

The contrast struck me as a message about the world we live in today. At the core, it is filled with the beauty of God's creation. Life is good. But (very near the surface) is the real need to maintain a watchful and vigilant spirit of readiness. Even the beauty of the moment will not allow us to lay down our guard. It is the world today. It is another Colorado contrast.

In a spirit of Thanksgiving, I pause to pray for those who maintain the watch - here and around the globe.

The road to Gethsemani

This has been a really good week. It has been a week filled with blessings. I had a chance to be present for the worship service that officially established Dr. Timothy Tennent as the eighth president of Asbury Theological Seminary. It was a beautiful and spirit filled event!

I also had a chance to make a quick (really quick) trip to the Abbey of Gethsemani. I have been to the Abbey many times for personal prayer and significant retreats. This time the Abbey and the monks took a back seat to the road leading to the monastery.

As I drove through the early morning haze I was captured by the faith of the people along the road. I didn't see any of them in the front yard kneeling in prayer...but I did see consistent evidence of their faith. Look close and you will see a small statue of St Frances under the oak tree. A quick glance reveals a grotto with Mary standing watch. Just a few yards away is a limestone outcropping that protects a small cross covered with a cluster of flowers. Evidence of faith fills the road and points the traveler toward belief in the Christian faith.

For many of my protestant friends...this particular expression of faithfulness may seem a bit out of place or too Catholic for your liking.. Others would be concerned about idols made of wood, gold and plaster. With concern for those issues, it was a wonderful reminder of me about how our image of God is reflected in the images that hold significance for our lives.

My friend Gabriel Tate is writing a dissertation on the images that became central to the Christian community in Liberia prior to, during, and after a very bloody civil war. Faith images make a difference. They give us hope. They help us remember that God is active. They remind us of the grace that is best demonstrated in the life - death -and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Let me ask you...what images of God are important to you? Do you see faith, hope and love as you read the Word? Do you have a place that creates sacred connections? Are you searching for an image? Let me suggest a simple cross. The cross says it all.

Holy Spirit prayer

Holy Spirit come
Open the walls of life

Holy Spirit come
Relive us of daily strife

Holy Spirit come
That we might learn

Holy Spirit come
That our hears may burn

Holy Spirit come
Allow your people praise

Holy Spirit come
Being us into your gaze

Holy Spirit come
Look deep in my heart

Holy Spirit come
May my life never part

Holy Spirit come...come.

Looking Forward!

I call this blog "looking forward" because it reminds me that our task is to be horizon people. We look to the future and think about possibilities. At the same time we depend on tomorrow to bring a fresh day and a brighter future. [I pray for those who look to tomorrow with a knowledge that the next day will likely be more difficult than this day.] I pray because the horizon is a significant point for our vision focus.

Each time we drive a stake to identify the future, we begin to make our way to reality. When we arrive, the horizon shifts...it never moves back...it always moves forward. For good or for bad, it moves us forward. Otherwise we are captured by the present and immediately locked into the past. The future is the only place that brings us hope because the future is filled with the reality of Jesus Christ.

God dwells in the present...in this very moment...so we can know that God is real and walking with us at each moment. But God is also firmly planted in the future. Each step forward gives us a clearer image of God and his will for our lives.

Walk in faith, know that God is good, understand the Jesus inhabits the praise of his people, and depend on the power of the Holy Spirit for the core elements of your life.

Worship in your favorite church this week...Walk with God...perhaps you will encounter him like the disciples on the Road to Emmaus!

Reading List

I had a warm conversation yesterday with a young UM pastor from the Dakotas. We shared a bit about the places where we serve (some of the joy, and some of the challenge) and then shifted into personal "how are you doing" conversation. In the process he asked me what I have been reading lately.

The book that is on our coffee table or that sits beside the bed is always a good indicator of our mind set, our personal interests, and a statement about how we are growing in our faith and personal relationships. It can also speak volumes about how have fun.

Lately (in the last two weeks) I have been reading a bunch of Thomas Merton stuff. I visited Gethsemani Abbey two weeks ago so he is fresh on my mind. Merton lived within the walls of Gethsemani for 27 years before his death on December 10, 1968. His writings continue to impact many people who are searching for the inner realities of spiritual growth and discovering how to live "in the world but not of the world."

Once again (I am embarrassed to tell you how many times this has happened) I read Michael Mott's very complete biography of Merton. In addition I read Merton: A Biography by Monica Furlong. I also enjoyed a Merton biography by Jim Forest called Living With Wisdom. Both the Forest book and the Furlong biography have been updated and revised in recent years. The three books together provide a comprehensive picture Merton's life, thought, teaching, and struggle.

Here's a nutshell of what I gleaned from my Merton reading: Spiritual life is an up and down process! There is no constant experience that continues to move upward from left to right. In fact the growth curve (or sprirtual life chart) often looks a lot like a graph of the contemporary stock market. It has upward spikes, downward trends, and a roller coaster appearance. But like the stock market (which I understand always eventually -we pray- goes up) our spiritual lives that are focused fully on God will move through the cycle with an over all upward reality.

It is the Romans 8:28 principle in action! God (who is always good) will use our dedicated desire, our willingness to live by faith, and our committed discipline for ultimate good. It will be good for us and it will be a blessing to others. Our personal growth is always directed to the lives of others. It is never for our sake alone. We benefit, but our growing faith is really for the needs of the world and for people who do not yet know the joy of personal faith in Jesus Christ.

Bottom line...your personal journey may be on an upswing or you may feel like you are about to touch bottom...either way there is good news. God is faithful and wants to use this day to bring good into your life. Stay faithful, move forward, seek God...it may not be easy but the journey is good.

Honk if you like Merton!

Welcome Back...

Well, here we go again. I originally launched this blog to provide transitional connections during our move from Wilmore, Kentucky to Colorado Springs, Colorado. That transition is still unfolding but it is essentially complete. Therefore, it is time to get back into action.

I want to celebrate the Wilson United Methodist Church. Located in the north-west corner of Colorado Springs, it is near the Air Force Academy, ten minutes (or less) from the Garden of the Gods, and right in the heart of Flying W Ranch country. In short, we are blessed with a beautiful location.

But congregations are not really about location...they are about people. Some of the people are already a part of the church body while many others still need to connect to the Good News of Jesus Christ. Loud speakers will never do the trick! We can't blast our way into the lives of people. God doesn't work that way. We can only love our way into their journey and invite them to respond. Fortunately, God does most of the work. We just establish the relationship, God's prevenient Grace has already been working, ultimately transformation and joy are the result.

That is the world-wide task of the church and the Wilson community is geared up to get it done!

Blessed are those who serve the world by putting their faith in action.
Blessed are those who put their hearts on the line for the sake of others.
Blessed are those who consider the needs of others before seeking their own pleasure.
Blessed are those who seek God and respond to the faithfulness of God's Word.

Bottom line...we could sum up the Wilson community with one word...servant!