Exchanged Living

Obedience and Creativity

Sam Kamelson once said, "The most creative thing you will ever do is obey God."

On the surface, obedience doesn't seem creative at all; it seems like doing what you're told to do. Where's the creativity in that? It requires no out-of-the-box thinking or brainstorming or imagineering or any other trendy term thrown around in creative coaching circles. It just requires a yes and Spirit-filled follow-through.

Unless you believe that God is bringing His Kingdom to the earth through His people. Then obedience becomes possibly the most (re)creative force in this world.

This creating-obedience is both outward and inward. Obedience places us in a place where we see what we are capable of and what we are not capable of; it demands a humility and a dependence on the Spirit to do what it being asked. But it also opens our eyes to see that this world is not what it should be, and that we have been given a Divine opportunity to participate in changing that.  Obedience always leads us out of ourselves and into the world that God wants to reconcile to Himself. And through obedience, both we and our world can be transformed into a clearer picture of what we were made to be.

Creative-obedience is also both individualistic and communal. It involves us as individuals, but its never just about our actions; God calls His Church to a collective creative obedience that transforms the place they are into a microcosm of Kingdom. Faith, hope and love are released into this world, into our relationships and interactions, into more people who are welcomed to join this creative movement.

So as we seek the Lord in our next obedient step, we must remember: simply following Jesus helps create the world we long for as we look to the return of Christ. Let your yes be the door for the re-creative power of God to transform you and your world.

Lent Resourse: 2 Stories

If you're looking for a daily devotional reading for the Lent season, I highly recommend the 2 Stories Reader here. Great thoughts on the two driving stories of Scripture: Adam's and Jesus'. Some really thought provoking stuff there. Check it out...

Lent: Preparing to Embrace the Cross

As you may or may not know, the Lent season of the Christian Calendar begins on Feb 17th with Ash Wednesday.  You may be familiar with the traditions of Lent; if so, I hope you're anticipating the season like I am. However, I didn't grow up in a church that practiced Lent, so I had to learn about the season from those who do. This season at Hope, we're encouraging everyone in our community to participate in Lent, and in doing so felt that we should explain a bit about what Lent is and why the Church practices it. 

In the most basic sense, Lent is a 40 day observance (plus 6 Sundays) that prepares us and points us towards the Observance of Easter. The 40 days symbolize the days of testing and fasting Jesus experienced in the desert before beginning his public ministry (Luke 4:1-14), which ultimately was the path to the cross. From very early in church history, people preparing for baptism and a life of following Christ would practice Lent to prepare themselves for a life of faith. Christ told his disciples that those who would come after him would have to take up the cross and follow him (Mark 8:34), and the practice of Lent puts the sacrifice and cost of following Christ into view.

Lent, then, is a season of testing and preparation. To practice Lent usually involves four dimensions of discipline that we embrace as part of the season:

1. Prayer: We pray that God refines and tests us to prepare us for ministry and a life of faith, no matter the cost. We recognize a need for a death in us that leads to greater life in God.
2. Repentance: We take the call to repent seriously, inviting the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts and lead us out of the sin Christ died to free us from.
3. Giving: We sacrifice of ourselves for the sake of those around us. This is usually an offering that exceeds our usual gifts and is aimed specifically at those in need in our communities.
4. Fasting: We willingly give up something in our lives as part of our commitment to depend more and more on "every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (Matthew 4:4).

During the Lent season, we would call everyone in our church to join us in these four practices. These practices natural expose weaknesses in us: it's difficult, and that's intentional, because the cross of Christ was indeed a difficult undertaking (as is a life of faith).

Be careful to not make Lent about "what I'm giving up". This season is about the joy and struggle of making Christ our very life, and must become about more than a sacrifice. If you find yourself fasting from something simply because it's what we do in Lent, take a moment to re-evaluate the reasoning behind the season above. Sacrifice something you'll notice, and replace what you give up with intentional practices that call you back to the reason for the season: repentance, prayer, and refinement.

On Sundays during Lent, we break our fast together for days of feasting and celebration. Jesus is alive, and even as we fast and prepare for Easter, we know that Christ has died, He is risen and will come again, and we celebrate that together. So if you give up chocolate, you can get your fix on the days we anticipate the feast of eternity together.

Questions? Comments? Let me know. We're praying that this season can be a transforming season for all of us as we seek to be more like Christ for the sake of the world, to the glory of God.

Running the Race- Week 1 and 2

A number of my friends from Hope have decided to train for a mini marathon in September. Being the glutton for punishment that I am, I agreed to train with them and signed up to do some running. Having never done any kind of training for long-distance running before, I was a bit nervous about the concept of running for that length of time. After training the first week, I'm even more nervous.

There is nothing like doing something that requires discipline to expose how very little of it you have. My first day out, my mind was in complete rebellion to the whole idea. All I could think about was stopping.  My breathing was horribly out of control (due to being out of shape), my pace had no rhythm- I was quite the sight. When I finished the first run day, all I could think about was how foolish I was to sign up for such a task and how I'd never get that $60 back.

Day two was better, though. My breathing was not as gasp-y and irregular, and I started to see some of the areas where I could easily start focusing and improving. By the end of the week, I ran 3 miles w only a few walking sections and felt great, or at least better than I did on the first day...

I've been thinking about Paul's running comparison in 1 Corinthians:

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!  All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.  So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.  I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. (9:24-27, NLT)

Disciplined running is something I've never done before...and I'm hard-pressed to say I'm doing now, though I'm definitely learning. There are aspects of running that were completely off my radar until I first tried to run; discovering my ineptness at running was the first step in seeing my need for a different kind of training. With a goal in view, though, I now can see what I'm going to need to do to get there.

I love Paul's statement here: "So I run with purpose in every step." What is the purpose or aim behind our drive to live by faith? How does it change the way we train? What do you think?

A Quote from the Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus (150 AD)

(taken from my current ethics class notes)

For the Christians are not distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe.  For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity.  … They dwell in their own country, but simply as sojourners.  As citizens, they share in all things  with others, and yet endure all things as foreigners.  Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers …They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives.  They love all men, and are persecuted by all.(V)

To sum up all in one word – what the soul is to the body, that are Christians in the world.  The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world…. The soul loves the flesh that hates it… (VI)

LOST in 8:15

For all those who are preparing for season 6 with great anticipation like I am, here's a great summary video to get you refreshed (unless you're watching all 5 seasons to prepare. I wish I had time for that.)

A New Series At Hope

This week, Jeff, Jon, Steve and I have been developing our game plan for the first portion of 2010. We're designing a series called "Simply Following". One of the big ideas we strive to live by at Hope is that the gospel isn't complex; it's not easy, but it's simple.  As we move into the year, we're hoping to spend a number of weeks looking at the simplicity of the gospel and how it is meant to transform our lives. We'll be using a blank white board as a visual teaching point throughout the series, with each week containing a phrase that will help us connect with the simplicity of what it means to follow Christ. 

So a question for you: if you had to write a simple phrase on a board like this, something that summarizes what it means to you to follow Christ, what would you write?

Lyrics: Poverty by Jason Upton

Today in chapel at Asbury, I sang a song that I ended up getting a lot of inquiries about. I did not write it; it came from the pen and person of Jason Upton. I figured I'd post the lyrics for those interested in reading/having them. If you enjoyed the song, please support Jason and download his music (legally...haha).

Poverty

There's a power in poverty that breaks principalities
And brings the authorities down to their knees
There's a brewing frustration and ageless temptation
To fight for control by some manipulation

But the God of the Kingdoms and the God of the Nations
The God of creation sends this revelation
Through the homeless and penniless Jesus the son
The poor will inherit the Kingdom to come

Where will we turn when our world falls apart,
And all of the treasures we've stored in our barns
Can't buy the Kingdom of God?
Who will we praise when we've praised all our lives
Men who build Kingdoms and men who build fame
But heaven does not know their names?
What will we fear when all that remains
Is God on His throne, with a child in his arms, and love in his eyes
And the sound of his heart cries?

An Advent Responsive Reading for Hope, 2009

(This is a reading I've worked on for Advent this year. I'd love your thoughts, feedback, etc...Also, feel free to use it if you need to; let me know though. I'm curious. Also, with the top section, each of the ideas of Hope, Joy, Peace and Love correspond to different days of Advent- on the day we look at Hope, we'd only read the Hope line, etc...)

Leader:

      Hope: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
        whose hope is in the LORD his God

      Joy: Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice!

      Peace: Grace to you, and peace from God our Father

      Love: Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
        even as we hope in you.


Congregation: For the Word became flesh and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Leader: Yes: Jesus Christ, Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the light of the World, has come. This light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Congregation: The Lord is my light and my salvation; of whom should I be afraid? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; whom then should I fear?

Leader: For the LORD your God is living among you.
         He is a mighty savior.
     He will take delight in you with gladness.
         With his love, he will calm all your fears.
         He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

    So wait on the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage, and wait on the Lord. Jesus is coming soon!

Congregation: Amen! Jesus, come quickly!

scurries

The creatures of the night outside
my window, playing, dancing wild
and carelessly to music light
and strangely new, they set afire

my fear-filled notions of the dark
and all its mysteries. The paws
and scurries over leaves impart
a sense of living, instincts brought

afloat, a jitterbug of hope
and melodies of Eden, fall,
and cleansing love, with blood as soap
that resurrects a man’s resolve:

the dark will not restrict my feet;
awaken worlds with life in beat.