An Attitude of Servitude

I am a proud dog owner!  I “rescued” a pup from the pound a couple weeks ago and since then, my social life has increased dramatically as I transitioned away from talking to myself and talking to Charlie, my massive puppy of a mutt.  It seems that Charlie was abused as a younger fellow (he is only 1) so it has been difficult building trust with him, but he is coming around and warming up to his bear of a new Dad… Me!  This is Charlie.  He is a beast.

Now that I have said I am a proud dog owner, I want to challenge the idea of ownership in this relationship.  Let’s be real, in no way do I own Charlie.  In fact, it is the exact opposite, he owns me.  I walk him on a daily basis, I feed him, I pet him, I PICK UP HIS POOP and I talk to him.  I asked myself the other day, “What does Charlie do for me?”  When you think about it, being a pet owner is entirely an act of servitude.

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So my question now, is why we see our relationships with pets as self-fulfilling?  Maybe it is because it is in our nature to serve.  Maybe it’s because Christ called us to care.  I have been challenged by this.  The world tells us that it is in our nature to be selfish, but we are created in the image of God which means it is in our nature to love others and to serve.  Having a pet is a subconscious act of servitude because we NEED to serve.  The desire is within us and it needs an outlet.  

So why pets?  I think it is because it is much easier to serve something that can’t speak.  We are relieved from casting judgment against animals because “they don’t know any better”.  It may also be because they are stinking adorable.  There is nothing like a satisfied puppy curling up on your lap for a back rub.  When animals poop, we congratulate them for doing it in the proper place and when they pee in the house, we pop them on the nose only to apologize a hundred times for hitting them. 

What about our fellow man?  We see someone in need of rescue and think “I wonder what he did to get himself into that situation”.  We make up excuses as to why we can’t serve the homeless, or the poor, or the diseased, but we have time to walk our dogs because they have been “cooped up all day”.  We invite stray animals into our house before a man or woman without a home. 

It is time to stop believing that we are inherently selfish and learn that we are called to serve.  If we find joy in serving dogs and cats, think about how much greater our joy would be in serving Gods people.  Like I said, I have been challenged by Charlie.  I encourage all of you to take time out of your day to think about the silly things we do and re-evaluate our reasoning for them.  God may just show you some cool stuff!  Now that I've preached it, I gotta go live it.  God Bless!    

Christopher

This Sunday night, our church was hosting a farewell dinner for one of our faculty members.  It was requested by the congregation that the youth serve the dinner for those that were attending.  It was amazing to see my students so excited and energetic to serve.  We had a great time and smiles filled the room of about 150.  I was touched by how thankful the congregation was with the student’s simple act of servitude, but meeting my new friend Christopher was definitely the highlight. 

Christopher is a young man of 18 with Down syndrome. I have no idea who his parents are or where he came from but he ended up sitting by the door where dinner was to be served from.  As no one bothered to introduce the two of us, I took initiative and introduced myself.  He was very kind and seemed excited to meet me as well.  After a brief intro, we began talking about the night and I asked if he was going to help us serve dinner.  He replied with a yes (after I told him Free Pizza was involved).  I then gave him a pair of gloves and he was off to the races.  I noticed Christopher as he went from table to table with a pitcher of water excited to be able to provide someone with a nice cold drink to wash down their food.  He continued on this way for some time, but most of those who were dining had an ample water supply.  Whereas most would have given up, Christopher pressed on until he spotted it…  He found what he was looking for...  A place to put the water.  He bee-lined towards the only empty table (which had no water) in the entire sanctuary and set his pitcher down.  As he smiled, I felt his accomplishment from across the room.  He then saw that I was watching him and came over to me, gave me a high five and said, “Took care of it boss”.   This absolutely amazed me.  It didn’t amaze me because of the irony of the action, but it brought to light a wishful understanding.

Christopher finds joy in the little things.  He showed me how needs can be met simply and with great satisfaction.  He did not seek praise or congratulations, he simply found joy in service.  I can’t attest to his reasoning behind it nor can I assume that any of this was intentional.  But Christopher did not quit. He knew that water was needed somewhere.  When he found it, he did not hesitate to provide.  Whether that water would be consumed or not, it was there, available to anyone who was called to it by the thirst of their lips.  Christopher “took care of it.”

To be honest I haven’t really thought about Christopher or this story until tonight when I was working on a new blog entry.  I was trying so hard to explain why Christ is about surrender, not acceptance. My mind was fumbling words and misplacing meaning and near the end of it, I am not sure if I even believed let alone understood what I had written.  I became so focused on being right that I lost understanding.  The Christian faith is as argumentative as politics and as disconnected as land is by water.  My disconnect comes from an attempt to place value on my thoughts and beliefs when in reality I am just thirsty.  Christ is the water and his truth is satisfaction.  All I need to do is find it, and drink.  

This story is less about Christopher placing the water at an empty table and more about the understanding of thirst.   Maybe Christopher had it figured out.  Maybe he knew that when people get thirsty, they will look for water.  And what happens when people look for things???                                       

They find it

The Start of a new Standard

This is a little look into the direction of the youth program here at Grace Presbyterian in Temecula California.

There is yet again another energy crisis in California.  The crisis I speak of has nothing to do with electrical surges, power outages or home energy conservation, but the lack of reflective and transformational learning within the youth of this generation.  It is evident that young people’s lives are being consumed by routine, expectations and pressures put on them by our culture to be the best.  Competition takes over their hearts as approval is sought after from friends, parents, coaches and teachers.  Evaluation is becoming a constant in the lives of our students, and in their attempts to please everyone else, it is easy to forget who they are.  Students are beginning to define themselves by their grades, rank, positions, appearance and friend groups.  This is a scary thought.

             Our youth program “Outlet” is taking a break from society and redefining who we are, and who we are meant to be in the image of God.  It is our goal to take away the evaluative nature of our culture and instead of “do” we will just “be”.  We are working hard to create an atmosphere where students can gather and simply be themselves without societal pressures to be what is expected.  Christ tells us again and again that He is enough and He wants us just as we are.  It is our duty as the bridegroom of Christ to establish a strength and confidence in our youth and in ourselves so that we may be the salt of the earth. 

            This month, we are working towards taking our Jr. High students to a weekend retreat February 24^th-26^th so that we may amp up our desire to discover who God is and what that means for us.  We are also looking into a similar event for the Sr. High in March where they can escape and take time to grow their own relationships with Christ through practicing solitude, prayer, and group discussion.  Please be praying for our youth as we are continuing to pray for the congregation as a whole.  

Does Jesus Hate Religion? Kinda, Sorta, Not Really – Kevin DeYoung

Does Jesus Hate Religion? Kinda, Sorta, Not Really – Kevin DeYoung:

'via Blog this'


Hello.  I read this article after watching the video and can't stop thinking about how far people can take such little things about our faith.  I wrote what will follow in response to what some folks said about the church and religion being against Christ.  It was hard to hear being that I work in a church and feel i practice religion because of my love for Jesus.  This is no doubt an excellent article, worth the time to read even if you don't care much for my response.  Much Love Peeps of the world!



I really enjoyed this article. I believe it was a well thought out and a very appropriate response. I was incredibly disheartened by the response. It seems that Kevin merely responded with biblical insight to a poem. Being inherently human, people saw it as a personal attack or an attempt at justification (of which, none is needed). There were many truths about this poem and it undoubtedly has effected those who have heard it. But to say that Jesus HATES religion is irresponsible, unless your definition of religion is established. In my mind, religion is not hated by Jesus, but religion is how we act out our love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on this Earth. Everything that is in existence, is actively living out in response to the cross for it is by grace alone that we are in a position of salvation. While reading the responses, I noticed a lot of judgement and outcry against the church and religion because of Jesus’ words and actions towards the pharisees. Was it their religion that he hated? Or was is in fact their lack of understanding of who He was. If you want to sit here and tell me that Christ loves you but hated the pharisees, then you are one with them as I am now one with you. Christ loves you through your sin as he loves me through mine, and the pharisees through theirs. In my mind, religion is not something you HAVE to practice, it is something you WANT to practice because you want to know Jesus more intimately. I am discouraged at the negative response towards rules and the idea of being a slave. Was it not Christ who practiced obedience in all circumstances? Was is not Christ who was a slave to righteousness and refused to do wrong? Was it not Christ who through prayer, Gods word and discipline, drew from the the Heavenly Father in order to do what was necessary for our salvation? In no way am I saying I need to be a certain way or have earned my salvation, because none of us have, but I want to be a light for Jesus in the world and that goes hand in hand with the way I live out my relationship with Christ. To those who think your relationship with Christ is between you and Him, refer to the Greatest “commandment” that CHRIST gives us which is to “Love the lord your God with all your heart, your soul and your strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.” As far as the rejection of the church, open your eyes. Can’t you see that it isn’t the church, or its mission, or its foundation that is faulty; but the corruption of man within it that is broken. I used to be against the idea of church, thinking that spiritual survival outside the body was achievable. I along with many others have had poor church experiences where faith was put in the leadership rather than in Christ. I am now a youth pastor and I urge you to remember who created the Church and why is was created. The church was created to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19) I also challenge you to provide me with an answer as to why the church still stands after 2,000 years if religion and Church are terrible by nature? You can say what you want about mega churches and the money that flows through them, but I tell you this, there is more money flowing out of them in attempts to feed the poor, provide fresh water wells for those without, schooling, sex and hygiene education, and providing sanctuary for the hungry, sick and needy in their community than almost any other organization. In the church I serve in now, our goal isn’t to bring people into the church, but as a body of believers, bring Jesus to people! In the end, we are all just speculating on a complexity that none of us will fully understand until the day we receive our judgment. But when writing responses, posting videos or articles, remember that this walk is not an easy one and be thoughtful in your declarations because Jesus tells us that it is better for one to have never existed than to lead any of Gods children astray.

ELE -- Everybody Love Everybody

For some reason I couldn’t sleep last night.  I decided to take a piping hot shower and while I was doing so, a crazy idea popped into my head as I reflected on my new situation away from my family and my friends and really all that I know and am familiar with.  For some reason, I felt as if I have no idea what it means to Love others.  I love you is a common phrase I use with my friends and family, but are they more than words?  As this realization weighed on my heart I became upset with what my idea of love has become.  It has become an emotion driven by satisfaction in my situations, contentment in my relationships and the acceptance of those around me.  I am missing the point so I decided to look at the one who taught us to Love and this is what I found.

First, I discovered that it is unfair to limit the word love.  It should not be defined by an emotion or feeling one has.  Love should be defined through action, because action is love in motion.  What is easier…? To say you love Christ, or to show that you love Christ?  When we look at the biblical application of love, we see that it is defined through action.  John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  God acts on his love for us in the sacrifice of his only Son Jesus.  He does not lie in wait.  Christ tells us in Matthew 16:24 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”  In that verse alone there are 4 calls to action; the act of perusal, the act of denying oneself, the act of taking up your cross, and the act of following.  Christ says again that “If you love me, you will obey my commands.”  It is apparent that love should imply action.  We can say we love, but that love will not be true until our words are met hand in hand with action.    “Love requires action”

My second revelation comes from the understanding that God loved us first and will continue to love us no matter what we do to not deserve it!  I call this conviction.  A devoted promise full of persistence and tenacity in the way God loves us.  God loves us so much that He meets each one of us exactly where we are.  More often than not I exercise my love for God when things are good.  For example, I am much more prone to love and glorify God in my current situation because it is a circumstance that is desirable to me.  In the same way we are much more appreciative of blessings when we feel that we need them the most.  Something good always seems better when it happens in the midst of bad.  All I have to say to myself is “Weak dude… So weak!”  There is no conviction in this love I practice.  Shouldn’t a blessing be a blessing all the same regardless of the situation?  I want the conviction to love God and love others through the best and the worst of circumstances.  It’s funny that we think we have the power to determine when we need God.  The simple reality is that we need God the most ALL THE TIME.  There is no stopping this love of conviction for one another.  “Love is driven by conviction”

The last renovation in the way I understand love requires us to disconnect from our human understanding of desire.  Speaking from self experience, desire is a need or a want that can be met and fulfilled…satisfied.  Our innate human condition is to have a need and meet it to acquire satisfaction.  Our lives have turned into a constant need for satisfaction.  As an athlete the word that comes to mind is perseverance.  As I think about this need to find satisfaction, I relate it to having the perseverance to love even when there is no satisfaction.  God loves us with perseverance greater than any passion or desire we can possibly imagine for ourselves.  Persevering love implies a reckless pursuit of intimacy with our Lord with the understanding that satisfaction will never be achieved.  It is impossible to be completely satisfied with God.  Some of you may be shouting “BLASHPHEMY” right now, but think about what our earthly lives are like.  If any of you have ever met with God and walked away from the intimacy of that relationship, you would know what I am talking about.  There is no way to walk away from God not wanting more.  God loves us knowing that some of us will never love Him back.  He weeps for us, He delights in us.  I’m not talking about a pat on the back or a moment of disappointment; I’m talking about weeping on both ends.  Joy so extravagant all one can do is cry and a pain so deep, words can’t physically be spoken.  That is the way God loves each and every one of us.  I am a fool for convincing myself I can be content in this life. Every relationship, every moment with God should be spent with this untamable desire for more.  I chose perseverance because this way to love is painful and hard, but in the moment after the hardship and the pain, it is the most rewarding.  Christ tells us the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength.”  We are called to love in such a way that it physically, emotionally and spiritually drains us to the point where there is no other way to be revived than to love some more!  I think of David and how he pleads with God to show him more and give him more.  David asks God to make him like a willow planted by a creek constantly being filled up.  To love God and love others knowing you will never be content because it is so good is perseverance.  “Love is to persevere”

I am fully aware how obnoxiously hard it is to try and love others the way God loves them, but God loves with perfection.  I think He would appreciate it if we just tried.  He acted on his love for us so we have the opportunity to do so.  His conviction to love us should be reassuring  in the act of failure because He will be there waiting to love us through the bad and the good.  His perseverance should give us a notion of what true love is and motivate us to never be satisfied.  Want more out of this life.  Want more out of God.

God Bless  

The Calling

This process is hard for me to understand.  Why should I be able to lead a group of youth in the name of Christ?  I can't begin to comprehend the influence that I will have on the students in my congregation simply based on my title "Youth Director".  I am automatically associated with definitive terms such as fun, wise, religious, energetic, holy, awesome, cool, rad... Well, you get the point.  All I am saying is that it is a lot to live up to.  Think about a mentor that has played a big part in your life.  You would probably use a lot of the terms to describe them as I just used.  It seems as if it would be hard to live up to all of those expectations along with completing the mission at hand, which in my case is to help kids grow closer to Jesus Christ.  This blog is about hearing God calling you out into the world and responding to that call.  I intend to work through a lot of uncertainty, doubts and challenges along with trying to recognize why God decided to use me in the lives of these young believers.

The first question I ask myself today, "Why me?".  It's a simple question with a relatively simple answer, because He can.  The common phrase "why not" comes to mind when I think about the way God works.  We answer questions with that phrase every day regarding self indulgence, spending time with friends, taking a nap, playing video games.  We make these decisions with the pretense that saying yes or no would have no influence on our current situation.  I think that God in a sense feels the same way.  When He makes a decision to use or not use someone, it doesn't change who He is.  He is still God, the omnipresent creator and benevolent master of heaven and earth.  I often day dream of God sitting on his thrown in heaven calling the angels over to his side and saying to them "Check out what I am about to do".  I think of Paul who was the self proclaimed greatest sinner who God chose to use.  God chose Paul because his power is limitless.  God showed us that no sin, not even killing Christians was unforgivable or too far removed from complete and utter transformation.  There is no one that he can't use on this earth.  So when we choose to respond to Gods call in our lives, we should do so with confidence that it is not because of something we did right or who we are, but its because God loves us.  This is so encouraging to me as I embark on this crazy scary journey.

The second question I ask myself today is why am I still afraid if God chose me?  My biggest fear is that I will fail.  I fear that God would just forget about me and leave me in the ruins of my destruction.  It is funny that so many of us fear failure because in reality we fail all the time.  It's just another part of life, comparable to the achy bones and wrinkled skin that come with age.  It is something that we can not prevent from happening.  We fear failure so much because it goes hand in hand with disappointment.  We feel as if we let someone down when all we want is to be viewed as successful, able, and fearless individuals.  As a leader, failure is very real, but as a leader who believes in Christ, we should view it differently.  Failure induces humility.  The more I fail, the more I should depend on God.  When the time comes that failure is turned into growth and strength, my mind will be right in knowing that I am still fully dependent on God even in my success.  Philippians 4:13 "I can do anything through Christ who gives me strength."  Failure means that we are human.  It reminds us of how weak we are when we fall, and how powerful God is when he picks us up and gives us the power to overcome.

My question for you today, "where have you felt Gods calling in your life?"  How did you respond?  Feel free to post any comments/suggestions/disagreements on my blog!  I hope that my writing will relate to others in their walks along with helping me grow with the input of others.

John 15:16
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit -- fruit that will last.  Then the Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name."