Blah Guy

The scriptures say that Jesus “was moved with compassion” at a number of different points.

My problem is not that I don’t have compassion, it just doesn’t move me.

I am so absolutely tired of talking about helping homeless people, and poor people, and Africa, when in reality that is all I really do. So do most of us. Compassion is nothing until it moves me.

This week, I saw some poor little ducks in a little canal that were literally trapped in some garbage bags. I walked on and thought about how sad that was. I told all my friends how poorly we take care of the world, how a poor little duck can’t even live.

Then…

I realized I didn’t do a darn thing about. So I sprung into action. I grabbed 8 of my other friends in a class I teach at our church, and we skipped church to pick up garbage at that canal. I felt like it was more church than anything I have ever done.

God is teaching me that REAL church begins as soon as our church SERVICES end. It is then that we get to be the church…but everything up to that…is just talk.

For years, I have heard Christians talk about “hearing from God” in the shower. “I was in the shower and…”, or “there was shampoo in my hair and God…”. I has frustrated and annoyed me to a certain extent because I think anyone spends a significant time in the shower, of course they are going to make up voices. There is nothing better to do than look at yourself and put soap on your body.

Then last week happened.

I got my tax return back. It was a little money, and I was excited. I went home already planning what I was going to do with it and decided to take a shower. And I have never had this happen before. God spoke to me in the shower. He said, “It’s not your money and you didn’t even ask how you are to spend it. You went off dreaming up warm tropical vacations when really I want you to use it to…” And he spoke to me.

I felt ashamed.

I have a theory!

Two things happen in the shower that make it one of the most likely candidates for a place of God-revelation.

1) We are naked…nothing else opens us up before God than vulnerability. This is that to the nth degree. Taken back the Garden we are every day in our solemn religion of cleaning our own bodies. And when we are naked, we are literally returning to our origin. Nakedness.

2) We are un-distracted…for most of us, this is the most solitude we get all day. And if God isn’t given much time, he will do the best with the little he is given. The rest of the day is filled with appointments, deadlines, and meetings. This is unhindered time, and God will use it. Usueally when we shut up, the Spirit speaks up.

I don’t know…maybe I will shower now and expect revelation. Who knows, “Church in the Suds”, we can plant a new church.

Linked are the last two messages from our Friday night Bible Study on Purpose and Trembling.

Click here.

I have for years been fearful of the educated.

There is a general fear as well among Christians at the University of Oregon where I serve that a PhD stands for “Personally hate deity”. A recent study by Harvard attempted to show the higher the level of atheism the higher one moves in academia, in particular the realm of Psychology and Biology. This is not surprising.

Yes, 23.4% of professors profess no definite faith, but that means that 76.6% of professors do. Regardless of the content of their faith, it blows my mind that so many educated folks find faith a reasonable and viable option particularly in the realm of the academic institution.

It is very dangerous to equate education with athiesm. It does not appear that anyone is trying to do that in this study, but the statistics speak loudly. The dangerous thing to me isn’t that academia appears to be somewhat un-Christian, it worries me that most Christians don’t go to those specific institutions, but opt for a “Christian” education. It makes education Christian and not, so bifurcated and, unfortunately, keeps brilliant Christians out of secular Universities, and likewise brilliant athiests are kept out of Christian Universities. They could teach us a ton.

I came across an awesome idea about Preach-Texting. Read this article to see what I am talking about. During a sermon, the pastor invited folks to text him questions about prayer (which the sermon was about).

This is interesting to me for two reasons. First, it is becoming more and more clear to me that preaching, and church services in general, must be more dialogical than monological. The church seems to be returning to its roots of “interactive”. Early chapters of Acts portrays a church that, yes is full of sinners, but appears to feed off of each other in dialogue and connection.

Secondly, there appears to be an evolving world of “church services” which I would argue is a must. The set song, prayer, announcements, word formula appears to be losing its novelty. How it must change and what it will be come is unclear, but one things is sure, Christianity and its services must change to reach a different set of people.

Read this article in the LA Times about Christian musics rise not only sales but also in theievery. We steal for the sake of Jesus. Interesting.

Today, one thing stood out. Throughout the day, interruptions jumped out at me like popcorn in hot oil. They didn’t stop period. I started getting mad.

It shouldn’t be like that. I work in a church. THINGS IN CHURCH ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CALM, PATIENT, AND KIND. Unfortunately the image we have of what church should be is always higher than it will ever be. I got tired of these holy interruptions.

But…

Jesus is teaching me something. When I get interrupted, I don’t need to be unkind or mean. I don’t need to consider people annoying. I don’t need to get all mad and tell someone off. Jesus is not only the creator of the Universe, he is also the creator of distractions. And if distractions and interruptions are from God, I can treat them as such.

Jesus taught me to find meaning in every person who jumps in my life even when I don’t want to talk. He taught me that my time is not more valuable than his, and the two are more and more crossing into each other. Jesus is the Lord of Interruptions. I worship in them.