Layers

I had the honor of speaking at a camp out in Iowa earlier this summer. On the first night of the camp, a drama team performed a powerful skit where they painted a picture of Jesus on the cross. They left it displayed on a music stand next to the stage.

Being somewhat of a jerk, it took me all of 4 seconds to realize that I needed that music stand for my Bible and notes. So, I had a friend move the painting. Notice I didn’t actually move it myself. I’m not that much of a jerk. In my defense, I did ask him to keep it displayed in a prominent place. He gently placed it in the center of the platform, which was decorated with various road signs (ah, classic youth camp), where it stayed all week. It wasn’t until the very last night that I noticed he had set the painting right next to a sign that read ‘one way.’

Layers. While I was preaching my heart out all week long, another sermon was quietly telling a story behind me. I believe there are layers to our worship design that most people will never notice…including us. But they are there. Telling the story. Scripted by the Spirit, unseen but unmistakable.

Evoking Spirits

Okay I know that I am treading on shaky ground here but I have always wondered something. The churchs language when discussing the holy ghost can be straight terrifying to some. Here are some examples that can be easily confused or make someone uneasy.

"I was possessed by the holy spirit"
"The holy spirit moved through me"
"God send us your spirit to this place"
In church service..."Cant you just feel the power of the holy spirit moving in this place"
"I need to be sensitive to the spirits urging in my life.


While I know what this means it makes me wonder a couple of things.

Why does the church as whole ignore the influence of demons (the bad side) but evoke and call into being holy spirits (the good side) does it seem like we are playing a one sided all good game?

Also...So many, probably protestants, deny the existence of ghosts and spirits. How can we do that if many of us assert that a spirit has moved through us and caused us or helped us do things?

Any thoughts

Room to grow...

The first few weeks here at Mt. Zion Wesleyan Church have been really amazing! One of the key goals for the summer is simply growing in my relationship with the Lord. One of the first things my mentor said has stuck with me… in fact, I read these words every morning before I start my day.

“Until the burden for others is greater than the burden for yourself, you will never fully know the Power of Christ.”

These words just resonate in my heart and remind me that there is always room growth! Is Holiness what you long for? I’ve recently read that Holiness is like a bird… It must have two wings to fly… One wing is personal holiness, the other is social holiness. Without one or the other the bird is grounded.

Is your pursuit of Holiness soaring or grounded?

How are you seeing growth in your life?

Philippians 3:10-11 ¹⁰ I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Heart Strangely Warmed

Today is May 24,

and marks the birth of a movement.

On this day in 1738, John Wesley had his famous 'Aldersgate Experience.'

He was never the same.

And neither was the world.

the golden sessions

My brother Josh is graduating from Asbury this week. Over the last three years, we have had the honor and pleasure of sharing this seminary experience with each other. Who gets to do that? Who gets to walk through seminary with his brother? I am humbled by the privilege.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about friendship and brotherhood. I have been blessed in my life, with brothers that are my best friends, and friends that are like brothers. They are sure signs and symbols of God’s grace in my life. And I am deeply thankful. CS Lewis said it right (imagine that) in his rich work, The Four Loves:

“…each member of the circle feels, in his secret heart, humbled before all the rest. Sometimes he wonders what he is doing there among his betters. He is lucky beyond desert to be in such company. Especially when the whole group is together, each bringing out all that is best, wisest, or funniest in all the others. Those are the golden sessions; when four or five of us after a hard day’s walking have come to our inn; our feet spread out towards the blaze and our drinks at our elbows; when the whole world, and something beyond the world, opens itself to our minds as we talk. Life- natural life- has no better gift to give. Who could have deserved it?”

Embrace Souix Falls

As graduation nears, there is another group of men and women stepping out to serve the Lord as teachers, preachers and evangelists. We just want to give a little shout out to one of our friends, Adam Weber. He and his wife are leaving this month for Sioux Falls, SD where they will be planting a new church called EMBRACE. Check out their website - www.embracesiouxfalls.com

What makes a Christian???

While thinking the other day about life, death, and how to avoid hitting that stupid little dog with my mower. I got to thinking...What makes a Christian today? It seems that at one time a Christian could be defined, but in this world of relativism and psychobabble is it as clear cut? There are scriptures that refer to works...scriptures that refer to relationship...some justice...some mercy. Is it really as simply as rote praying a prayer from a 30 page book when your 8 and then living as if it never happened? Or, is it possible that if you love mercy and justice yet have never "accepted" Jesus that you are not a Christian?

also...

What happened to Hell?

Growing up in a charismatic AG church I heard the, "what happened if you died today" sermon every Sunday...do you know, know, know that you would not go to Hell? I am not trying to affirm or deny the validity of this type of sermon, but I must ask the question. What happened to preaching/teaching that there is a Hell?

I cannot remember the last preacher that mentioned that the road to Heaven is narrow and the road to Hell is wide and that we are not all going to go to Heaven.

and just for fun...

Who wants to join my Osteenist denomination?

No, seriously...I would like to hear what y'all think about the next 500 years. If you consider the last 500 years of Theologians there are many that come to mind. Are there any theologians, preachers, philosophers that are alive today that will be referenced at Seminaries in 2507?