The seasons are finally, sort-of, changing from winter to spring! Clearly the change is a welcomed event. Who could pass up on spring?
But I think we need to be careful about being held captive by the seasons. The last thing I want is for any of us to get caught up in any season, and thus a period of our lives, where we spend more time wishing and hoping for another time than we do appreciating and enjoying the present time.
In order to avoid this, for me, when it snows, I love it. I have to. When it's cold enough to freeze the hairs in my nose when I breathe, it has to be a beautiful and delightful thing. Likewise, when it's 109 and sweaty at 9, it's great; just as the dust clouds of dying leaves and bleak-becoming grass is something not to be missed!
But let's be honest: spring is such a good thing. Sarah and I bought and planted flowers on Saturday, ate lunch in the grass, and went jogging together. This morning I was able to read scripture in the morning sun again, and we had cereal in the same place later. I can't help but think that this is one of the best times of the year!
BUT, before I get caught up in the season too much and cling so tightly that I might be ruined when it comes to a close, I return to my previous stance: it is good to be in this season. God blesses us with opportunities in this time that come at no other time.
So, let us all be thankful for this season and live into it to the fullest. But let's also not get so caught up in it that we are held captive by it. Let us also look forward to the hot and sweaty days, the days of swimming pools, camp outs, fireworks, the perpetual smell of sunscreen and BBQs, and the excitement of Kingdom Rocks VBS! We can't get there unless we finally let go of spring at some point!
Jesus clearly teaches us the same: live in the season, love it, grow from it, and be prepared to move into the next. After all, the church would've never come into being had the season for the Body of Christ to cover the face of the earth not come!
Here's to spring!! (and to summer, fall, and our glorious Nebraska winters!)
More to come!
Jason <><
Monday, April 29, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Only in Dreams
Most of us have dreams at night that speak to what our subconscious minds are processing while we rest. Some of us have dreams that are visions spoken by the Holy Spirit to our hearts while we restore our nearness to God. Many of us dream while we're awake as a way of setting our hearts and souls on the things that we see could be rather than simply living in the world that already is. I've been dreaming quite a bit lately, and my dreams have been teaching me much. So I share.
Recently, I've been dreaming about being in churches I've never visited, praying at weddings, swimming in deep pools I can't get out of, and of hunting for worms with my dad before a fishing trip. Those of you who have already begun to analyze my psyche, good luck!
But I've also been having other dreams about the realities that could be, and many have begin to share their dreams of the same nature with me. It's breathtaking to see what God continues to lay on our hearts. The truth is that the future is only what we are willing to lay boldly and faithfully before God so as to bring him honor. But, in the midst of this, for anyone who wishes, chooses, or feels forced into a life of pragmatism, dreaming can feel daunting; forecasting the nonexistent future can be a staggering task. I sometimes fall into that category.
But here's what I know: when I am out in the community and I see the results of others' dreams, I have to stop myself from concluding that it is a fluke that something like that came into being and that things like that simply don't happen like they used to. The truth is that when we combine our dreams of God's glory with the hope of Jesus' promise, we will find an unstoppable force that often succeeds, regardless of the climate surrounding the dream. Anything is possible with God.
And so, as we dream, I am reminded that the only way we can see our dreams to honor God become reality is if we already begin to live our lives and model our faith behaviors on the belief that the dream has already come true.
I believe that God asks us of this when we are encouraged to ask Jesus anything in his name: dream to honor God, dream big, and live as though those dreams are already reality.
More to come!
Jason <><
Recently, I've been dreaming about being in churches I've never visited, praying at weddings, swimming in deep pools I can't get out of, and of hunting for worms with my dad before a fishing trip. Those of you who have already begun to analyze my psyche, good luck!
But I've also been having other dreams about the realities that could be, and many have begin to share their dreams of the same nature with me. It's breathtaking to see what God continues to lay on our hearts. The truth is that the future is only what we are willing to lay boldly and faithfully before God so as to bring him honor. But, in the midst of this, for anyone who wishes, chooses, or feels forced into a life of pragmatism, dreaming can feel daunting; forecasting the nonexistent future can be a staggering task. I sometimes fall into that category.
But here's what I know: when I am out in the community and I see the results of others' dreams, I have to stop myself from concluding that it is a fluke that something like that came into being and that things like that simply don't happen like they used to. The truth is that when we combine our dreams of God's glory with the hope of Jesus' promise, we will find an unstoppable force that often succeeds, regardless of the climate surrounding the dream. Anything is possible with God.
And so, as we dream, I am reminded that the only way we can see our dreams to honor God become reality is if we already begin to live our lives and model our faith behaviors on the belief that the dream has already come true.
I believe that God asks us of this when we are encouraged to ask Jesus anything in his name: dream to honor God, dream big, and live as though those dreams are already reality.
More to come!
Jason <><
Monday, April 15, 2013
Fun at the Auction
What does one take home from an action fundraiser? Just this last Sunday (the 14th) Camp Oasis, a local church camp managed by Horizons' Susan Samuelson, hosted an annual dinner and auction to raise funds for campers fees and summer programming.
The evening is all about changing lives. Mine was changed as well last night!
To start with, the only other fundraiser auction I've ever been to was last year's Concert on the Hill where we auctioned items to support Jim Unger and his family. That one seemed to go pretty well for a newbie like me. I got what I wanted, had a little competition, and paid a price I was comfortable with. With that one experience under my belt, I confidently marched into last night's bidding with a stride of assurance. Let the fun begin! I said to myself.
There were a couple differences in last night's auction that changed the results of my second auction experience that I didn't pick up on until later. The first was that our bids were marked by numbers rather than by name. No one would dare outbid the pastor. But outbid someone else's number? Of course! The second was that I was surrounded by a much different crowd, most of whom I didn't know and who didn't know me. That meant I didn't know what was "hot" and what was "not."
Ultimately, I went to the tables and found two items I thought were surely high-desire items: a specialized therapy pillow with a revolutionary water bladder inside of it for firmness control, and a 30 day boot camp certificate with a high dollar value. As I placed my bids, I thought surely these items will be fun to bid on. We'll see how high they get driven up. I was pretty sure, depending on the bidding appetite of the crowd, that I'd either walk away empty-handed, or perhaps with one of my items, if I was lucky.
Apparently, my lucky number 24 was more like the shepherd's staff in Moses' hand than it was the rancher's hand of oats to a group of horses. The moment my number went down on the bidding sheets, the seas parted, and NOT ONE other bid went down on either of my items. I should have bid on the grill and the 20 fillet mignons! I thought, as the host announced that all table bids were final.
I then texted my wife, who was unable to join me, to announce proudly that I had just spent 3 times our pre-agreed amount at the auction. Gulp...
But here's how it turned out: Sarah laughed and reminded me that all of this is to promote Jesus' name to children and bless a local camp. I immediately felt better and held my head rather high as I went to retrieve my new pillow and boot camp certificate. Praise God! Let Jesus' name reign.
And so, with 4 liters now tucked inside of my new pillow, I had the best sleep I've had in a while, with much less neck pain. I have no idea what the boot camp will be like, or whether I'm really qualified to attend, but I'm sure I could use some greater exercise disciplines, and perhaps I'll be able to share about my faith and church while I'm there!
So here's to God's anointing of my hand and my lucky number 24, and here's to God's miracles and the unhindered passion that flows through Camp Oasis and it's staff!
More to come!!
Jason <><
The evening is all about changing lives. Mine was changed as well last night!
To start with, the only other fundraiser auction I've ever been to was last year's Concert on the Hill where we auctioned items to support Jim Unger and his family. That one seemed to go pretty well for a newbie like me. I got what I wanted, had a little competition, and paid a price I was comfortable with. With that one experience under my belt, I confidently marched into last night's bidding with a stride of assurance. Let the fun begin! I said to myself.
There were a couple differences in last night's auction that changed the results of my second auction experience that I didn't pick up on until later. The first was that our bids were marked by numbers rather than by name. No one would dare outbid the pastor. But outbid someone else's number? Of course! The second was that I was surrounded by a much different crowd, most of whom I didn't know and who didn't know me. That meant I didn't know what was "hot" and what was "not."
Ultimately, I went to the tables and found two items I thought were surely high-desire items: a specialized therapy pillow with a revolutionary water bladder inside of it for firmness control, and a 30 day boot camp certificate with a high dollar value. As I placed my bids, I thought surely these items will be fun to bid on. We'll see how high they get driven up. I was pretty sure, depending on the bidding appetite of the crowd, that I'd either walk away empty-handed, or perhaps with one of my items, if I was lucky.
Apparently, my lucky number 24 was more like the shepherd's staff in Moses' hand than it was the rancher's hand of oats to a group of horses. The moment my number went down on the bidding sheets, the seas parted, and NOT ONE other bid went down on either of my items. I should have bid on the grill and the 20 fillet mignons! I thought, as the host announced that all table bids were final.
I then texted my wife, who was unable to join me, to announce proudly that I had just spent 3 times our pre-agreed amount at the auction. Gulp...
But here's how it turned out: Sarah laughed and reminded me that all of this is to promote Jesus' name to children and bless a local camp. I immediately felt better and held my head rather high as I went to retrieve my new pillow and boot camp certificate. Praise God! Let Jesus' name reign.
And so, with 4 liters now tucked inside of my new pillow, I had the best sleep I've had in a while, with much less neck pain. I have no idea what the boot camp will be like, or whether I'm really qualified to attend, but I'm sure I could use some greater exercise disciplines, and perhaps I'll be able to share about my faith and church while I'm there!
So here's to God's anointing of my hand and my lucky number 24, and here's to God's miracles and the unhindered passion that flows through Camp Oasis and it's staff!
More to come!!
Jason <><
Monday, April 8, 2013
No Thank You? Top 5!
Easter has come and is in the air, right along with spring, new life, and beautiful weather. But to be sure, it's not November, and it's not the season of Thanksgiving. It seems only right that we take this time to reel in the energy and new life of spring. We can save giving thanks for another season, once so many good things have come and are coming to a close that we are finally called to reflect and be thankful.
But we are told "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess 5:16-18).
Let's not wait until Thanksgiving! Instead, let us look around now, and see what God has done. Spring IS full of new life, but it's also full of new projects, new teams, new leagues, new practice schedules, new celebrations and commencements, and new landscape and vacation plans.
All this newness, if we're not careful, will eat up our lives completely, and there will be few chances for gratitude in the midst of it.
So today, in the midst of new life and new energy and looking forward, I invite you to stop and be thankful with me, just as if it were Thanksgiving! Make a list. Write it down. Share it with someone. Lift it up to God!
Here's my list:
But we are told "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess 5:16-18).
Let's not wait until Thanksgiving! Instead, let us look around now, and see what God has done. Spring IS full of new life, but it's also full of new projects, new teams, new leagues, new practice schedules, new celebrations and commencements, and new landscape and vacation plans.
All this newness, if we're not careful, will eat up our lives completely, and there will be few chances for gratitude in the midst of it.
So today, in the midst of new life and new energy and looking forward, I invite you to stop and be thankful with me, just as if it were Thanksgiving! Make a list. Write it down. Share it with someone. Lift it up to God!
Here's my list:
- It has rained! The ground is slowly being restored.
- The Fusion retreat looked pretty awesome this weekend, and it is a beautiful thing to see young lives be touched by a living savior!
- Many couples at Horizons have shared prayers of thanks for healing in their relationships after going to the Weekend to Remember or the Art of Marriage class.
- I made the deadline for tax season, although my records were pretty scrambled in the midst of moving, changing churches, getting married, and transitioning a house into a rental.
- My best friend was married this weekend, and even though his father passed away just 8 months ago, there was much grace and love in the midst of this celebration.
Thank you God! More to come!!
Jason <><
Monday, April 1, 2013
The Beauty of Doubt
Easter was just yesterday, and there was little doubt in the air that the resurrection is true and real for our lives! It was beautiful. But the irony is in how most of us arrive at this assurance.
If we have strong faith, and our relational life with Jesus is healthy, then, over time, it is true that doubt begins to fade and take a back seat to other more primary foundations of our faith. We eventually DO begin to live more in a life of assurance concerning the unknown and "undiscernable." This is a beautiful place for us to be!
Yet, on our way to this place in our faith, we must find a way to let doubt and uncertainty in our lives be an oar that steers and propels us rather than an anchor and an unwanted current. Doubt can be a beautiful and helpful thing.
Yesterday, as a pastor and a person of faith, I had one of the most powerful resurrection and Easter Sundays. As we joined together and celebrated something that we've been celebrating for thousands of years now, I was sure that we were also celebrating things that were being witnessed and revealed just as of NOW. There was no doubt in my mind about the resurrection or the promise that Jesus' death and new life have the capacity and the promise to change the world and release us from our captivity.
This is partially because of what God has put in my heart. When our hearts are open, longing, and yearning for truths that are beyond our own selves, and when we finally find that place of full humility, God's Spirit finally has the chance to enter into us and breathe those truths into us.
But this assurance also comes from careful and close watching for God's movement. I've been at Horizons less than 10 months still, but in this short time, I've seen God, through Jesus, bring new life and resolution into so many situations that I can hardly conceive of what is going on! It's easy to say to someone that even though God is ALL good, ALL loving, and ALL powerful, we may not see God bring redemption into our situations. It IS true, and it is a sign of spiritual maturity when we can say this freely, not as an excuse or disclaimer, but instead of a profession of God's powerful mystery.
BUT, beyond this, we also need to find a place in our lives and faith where we can tell another story as well. That story, often an addition to the first, is that I also know that God is faithful and is FULLY CAPABLE of redeeming us and our situations, that before I resolve to take it into my own hands, I instinctively believe and trust that God WILL work and move in this situation.
Ultimately, it's dance of two rhythms: knowing that God often works in ways that we cannot conceive, but also knowing that God works much more clearly and visibly when we are fully surrendering to the fact that regardless of what that work and movement looks like, God can and will be present.
And so we strive for this. But how do we get there? Luckily, the answer does not have to be 3 years in seminary and 5 in formal ministry. Instead, I find that much of the road that leads to this is paved with patches of helpful doubt. Not necessarily rejecting doubt, but doubt that reveals the heart that acknowledges its spiritual infancy and tenderness. This is that kind of doubt that draws us closer to our redeemer: God, I'm wrestling with this, and most of the fibers of my heart tell me this can't or won't change or come true. God takes that kind of doubt and embraces it. Thank you, now let's go from there, and I'll gradually show you that you CAN trust in what I have for you, for your life, for my glory.
So here's to doubt! Breathe it in, give it to God, and see how it begins to transform you.
More to come!
Jason <><
If we have strong faith, and our relational life with Jesus is healthy, then, over time, it is true that doubt begins to fade and take a back seat to other more primary foundations of our faith. We eventually DO begin to live more in a life of assurance concerning the unknown and "undiscernable." This is a beautiful place for us to be!
Yet, on our way to this place in our faith, we must find a way to let doubt and uncertainty in our lives be an oar that steers and propels us rather than an anchor and an unwanted current. Doubt can be a beautiful and helpful thing.
Yesterday, as a pastor and a person of faith, I had one of the most powerful resurrection and Easter Sundays. As we joined together and celebrated something that we've been celebrating for thousands of years now, I was sure that we were also celebrating things that were being witnessed and revealed just as of NOW. There was no doubt in my mind about the resurrection or the promise that Jesus' death and new life have the capacity and the promise to change the world and release us from our captivity.
This is partially because of what God has put in my heart. When our hearts are open, longing, and yearning for truths that are beyond our own selves, and when we finally find that place of full humility, God's Spirit finally has the chance to enter into us and breathe those truths into us.
But this assurance also comes from careful and close watching for God's movement. I've been at Horizons less than 10 months still, but in this short time, I've seen God, through Jesus, bring new life and resolution into so many situations that I can hardly conceive of what is going on! It's easy to say to someone that even though God is ALL good, ALL loving, and ALL powerful, we may not see God bring redemption into our situations. It IS true, and it is a sign of spiritual maturity when we can say this freely, not as an excuse or disclaimer, but instead of a profession of God's powerful mystery.
BUT, beyond this, we also need to find a place in our lives and faith where we can tell another story as well. That story, often an addition to the first, is that I also know that God is faithful and is FULLY CAPABLE of redeeming us and our situations, that before I resolve to take it into my own hands, I instinctively believe and trust that God WILL work and move in this situation.
Ultimately, it's dance of two rhythms: knowing that God often works in ways that we cannot conceive, but also knowing that God works much more clearly and visibly when we are fully surrendering to the fact that regardless of what that work and movement looks like, God can and will be present.
And so we strive for this. But how do we get there? Luckily, the answer does not have to be 3 years in seminary and 5 in formal ministry. Instead, I find that much of the road that leads to this is paved with patches of helpful doubt. Not necessarily rejecting doubt, but doubt that reveals the heart that acknowledges its spiritual infancy and tenderness. This is that kind of doubt that draws us closer to our redeemer: God, I'm wrestling with this, and most of the fibers of my heart tell me this can't or won't change or come true. God takes that kind of doubt and embraces it. Thank you, now let's go from there, and I'll gradually show you that you CAN trust in what I have for you, for your life, for my glory.
So here's to doubt! Breathe it in, give it to God, and see how it begins to transform you.
More to come!
Jason <><
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)