Sometimes a verse just jumps off the page.  Had this happen to me this morning.  Check this out from Micah 6.3-5:

“O my people, what have I done to you?
      What have I done to make you tired of me?
      Answer me!
For I brought you out of Egypt
      and redeemed you from slavery.
      I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.
 Don’t you remember, my people,
      how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed
      and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead?
   And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal,
      when I, the Lord, did everything I could
      to teach you about my faithfulness.”

When I think about my own journey and I reflect on years of conversations with people about their frustrations with God, this verse spoke to me so deeply.  We can be so quick to complain, and so slow to recognize how good God is.

For me, the faithfulness of God is not just demonstrated by what He did or didn't do "for me" last week, but by His steady hand over all of time.  That I can put my trust in.

How about for you? How does this passage speak to you?

My last blog post was the result of a conversation I had last week with a staff member in our weekly one on one meeting.  I was asking her for feedback, and she said she'd love to see me step out with more creativity in the messages on the weekend.  She felt God uses me most when I am most creative.

I loved that conversation.  I think I needed the prod.  It made me reflect not only on my preaching, but on my leadership in general over the last year…that after taking some real risks in leaving a denomination,  building a new leadership team, and being involved in launching Connexus, I wonder if I slipped into 'status quo' mode a little too easily in late 08. 

I spent late last week and the weekend thinking about what it might take in 2009 to push the envelope further than it has been pushed before around here, because that's the kind of leadership the church has always required when the church has been at its strongest.

Here's my encouragement as we plow into a new week:  the reason I got thinking about this stuff is because someone spoke some encouraging truth into my life.  It might have been easier to say "I think everything's great", but I'm richer for her not having said that.

This week, you and I are going to have dozens of significant conversations.  What might God be encouraging you to speak into others' lives?  You and I are positioned to speak truth and love in multiple directions this week. 

So if you feel a prompting, I'm just encouraging you –  say it.

Last night I was on a groups tour (we're visiting our community groups just to connect with folks and talk about life at Connexus). The tour's been great!

At one of the groups I was at last night, I caught a comment in passing that I loved.  One guy was telling me he was talking to friends about being a part of Connexus, and his friend said to him – "Connexus – you guys go to Connexus? Man, Connexus is crazy!"

To me, that's one of the highest compliments anyone can pay our ministry.

Our culture needs more out of the box, crazy, over the top people willing to risk something for the Kingdom.  Current Christianity is so sanitized that if any biblical figure jumped out of the scripture into most churches, we'd run them out of town.  The Bible is less Christian book store figurine and more like a crazy man who needs a shower.

One of the things I've been thinking about as 2009 rolls in is that we need to do more crazy things for the Kingdom – take risks no one else is taking so we can reach people no one else is reaching. We've got one idea rolling around right now to engage the unchurched that's bound to draw a ton of criticism from people if we actually pull the trigger. I say bring it on. (Stay tuned for details).

Is crazy a part of your spiritual journey?  Are you taking enough risks in your leadership for people to call you crazy?  Truthfully, not sure I am right now, but in 09 I definitely want to change that.

It is now legal to apologize in the Province of Ontario. 

It's not that it was illegal to apologize before, it's just that most people didn't when the matter was serious for fear of their apology being used against them in a law suit. 

So the government actually passed allow saying you can apologize and it can't be held against you in court. It's a fascinating study in human nature.  To read about the bill, click here and download the Bill 108 apology.  (Sorry it's a PDF…there aren't great online summaries of this. But at least I can apologize for the PDF without fear of a lawsuit.)

The principle in our lives is the same – often we don't want to apologize because of fear. Which is weird for Christ-followers in light of the cross and in light of how forgiven we really are.

Anyone you feel you need to apologize to today?  Just wanted to let you know, because it's now more than legal. :0)

Discussed a great question last night at our group that grabbed me: what surprised you most about the Christian faith?  What aspect of your faith did you have no idea was coming down the pipe?

Here are some things that still catch me off guard:

• Had no idea that following Jesus would be a battle of sorts.  I thought things would more easily resolve and that staying true to God would be easier than it is. 

• Really still discovering the upside down nature of the Gospel – that when you try to keep your life you lose it, that power and influence are not given for your benefit but the benefit of others.

• I'm surprised that God loves us enough to humbly suffer the way He suffered in Christ.  There are days I wonder whether we (humanity) is actually worth that, given our response to God so far (and my personal response to that kind of devotion). 

• I'm surprised at how unredeemed parts of my character still feel. This following Jesus thing is a life-time process of constant work by God.

• I'm surprised that God can love such a wide variety of people, including the weird ones that I don't love.  Of course, I realize I am one of the weird ones to others….

How about you – what surprises or surprised you about Christianity?  Or, if you haven't decided to follow Jesus, what keeps you from it?

I think there's a lot of gold in the answer to this question.  Post away. 

I like to make this blog about positive things, but once in a while I'll divert.  I think today is one of those days.  Revolutionary Love is stirring something in me.  I am so amazed to see hundreds of people give away so self-lessly.  Love that!

There is a growing distaste…dislike…revulsion (yeah) inside me toward consumer Christianity. I think it's there because God is still beating the remains of consumer Christianity out of me.  It's easy to build a church on being cool or by promising what you can do for your members.  It's hard to build a church based on what you can give away and how you can sacrifice.  But it's so much more rewarding.

I'm convinced that the Christian sub-culture many followers of Jesus are caught up in is a form of Christianity but not the real deal. Why? Much of what passes as North American Christianity is basically self-directed.  Our unstated-but-very-apparent goal after conversion is to feed ourselves, protect our families, live in a bubble and get to heaven (and maybe self-righteouslly tell others why they are not going to heaven).

One of the most basic (and hardest to live out) tenets of being a Christ follower is to die to self.  That's what baptism symbolizes.  That's at the heart of Jesus' teaching.  Die to yourself.  Live for others.  Consumer culture teaches the opposite: live to myself and live for myself. Somehow a lot of us still drink that Kool-aid. 

I'm increasingly convinced that church shopping kills disciples.  Pick a church.  Join that mission. Stick with it. Forget what it can do for your family.  Give yourself away. In that, you will find life.

Stop asking what your church can do for you and start asking what you can do for your neighbours and friends and people far from Christ.

Although I really like Connexus, where I serve, I hope Connexus becomes a church where I don't like the music and don't even fully "get" the ministry, but I've thrown myself into it because it's connecting the next generation with Christ.  I would rather sweep floors in a church I don't like that's being effective, than spend a thousand days in some place where only the already-convinced feel gratitfied.

So I'm ranting today.  Reaction?  Any one else cheesed?

Ted Rogers died this morning.  Don't know whether you know who Ted Rogers is, but he was a major Canadian business and media mogul – dominating wireless communications, cable, sports (owned the Blue Jays), broadcasting, and so much more in Canada. 

His legacy is a mixed one for sure, but I am intrigued by guys like Ted Rogers.  Why? 

Tenacity. Determination. Resolve. Purposefulness. Endurance. Stamina. Doggedness.

As this short bio points out, Rogers was never one to call it quits.  He was making risky business moves when he was well into his 50s, 60s and even 70s. Many people kept saying he was going to fail, and he came close many times.  But that never stopped him.  He just kept going, defying the critics, and – many would say – proved them wrong.

When you look at how much skill, determination and raw energy he poured into business, it makes me wonder where that kind of drive is in the Kingdom of God.

I know we're a people of grace.  A people who believe in God's power…but where are the tenacious, grace-reliant, odds defying spiritual entrepreneurs of this day?  Why aren't there more? 

When I read passages like this from Paul, Jesus or this from Daniel, I realize that the the scripture is filled with that raw combination of God's grace and people's radical devotion to building a different reality.

What can we learn from guys like Paul, Daniel and even a guy like Ted Rogers?  What are we missing?

Okay, this will just be fun for a Friday.  It's pretty much officially Christmas season.

What's your favourite Christmas music? I'd love everyone to weigh in one:

• Your favourite current Christmas CD

• Your all time favourite Christmas CD

• Your favourite Christmas song to sing on Christmas Eve

Here's mine:

• Current: Relient K – Let it Snow Baby, Let It Reindeer
• All Time:  Charlie Brown's Christmas (love Vince Guiraldi)
• Church: O Come All Ye Faithful (O Come Let Us Adore Him) – Passion (as in Louie Giglio) version

There we go.  Can't wait to hear yours.

It's early this Wednesday, but you and I are already writing our story line for the day.  Your story line is that narrative that you and I bring to every day we live.

I was tempted to complain about the snow today.

In my view, it's about three weeks too early. It snowed a bunch last night, just like the night before.  I had to fire up my snowblower. The snow from yesterday was still inside the chute and intake system (what's that thing that scoops up the snow called?) and it froze up, so I had to hand dig all that frozen icy snow out of my snowblower.  Then after five minutes of snowblowing the snowblower ran out of gas.  The cars were frozen over too, so I had to chisel them out….

My guess is that reading the paragraph above didn't energize you, it drained you.  That's the point.

Complaining belongs in the circular file – cross shredded and even burned. 

Complaining is something I want to banish from my personality.  So I'm writing this post to remind myself that it's just not helpful in any way.  It's not.  Stop.  Cease.  Desist.

The trees were gorgeous this morning, did you see that?  Ice and snow.  Kind of looks like Christmas.  I love that.  Bet I could get the car cleared off for Toni if I went out there now….

Much better story line.  Besides, the people who see the opportunity and the possibility often are the ones who seize the opportunity and the possiblity. 

What's your story line today?

For the last six months, I've been asking myself this question: What can I do to add value to the lives of the people I'll be in contact with this week?"  I've actually been praying about this quite regularly for a few months.  I want to leave a positive impact, mainly because I think that's mostly what God does when He interacts with us. 

But that idea can get lost in the hyper-spiritual.  What does 'adding value' look like with skin on?

I've especially asked the question on Mondays as a way of focusing myself before the week hits me and eats me for dinner, which kind of happens if I'm not careful.  And it's a live question because if I don't fight the drift in my life, I can easily become absorbed in what I'm thinking about or preoccupied with and not make anyone's world even somewhat better.

I realize that unless you lock yourself away in a room, all of us are going come into contact with dozens or evens hundreds or thousands of people this week. 

Here are some thoughts:

Adding value to interaction with strangers:

• Smile
• Hold the door open for them
• Strike up casual conversations with people who work in stores

In a closer relationship (and at work and home):

• Listen to people
• Encourage people.  Catch them doing something right.
• When faced with a problem, ask a question rather than make a statement. It avoids judgment and keeps everyone engaged in the solution.
• Assume the best.  Most people are trying to do the right thing, even if it doesn't seem that way.
• Learn something new and use that learning to help equips and empowers others.
• Forgive quickly.  Judge slowly.

That's just a short list of things I've been thinking about.  What do you think about that?  Helpful question?  What would you add or subtract from that list?