Blogged before on the issue of change and have to admit that my life in many respects has become about managing change (personally and helping others manage change). It was Erwin McManus who once said, “we serve the changeless God of change.” God doesn’t change – He’s the same yesterday, today and forever. He’s the Rock, the Fortress, the Strongtower. However everything around Him changes. He changes lives, culture changes, the seasons change, the world has changed, take a quick look at church history and you’ll recognize that He’s constantly changing His church.
Changing something, changes perspective. And I think its perspective that often fuels our resistance (passive or active) to change. Our perspective, mindset, or disposition toward something doesn’t change on it’s own. Something in our surroundings, our circumstances changes, it creates conflict (oftentimes internal that spills out) and the result is growth. We’re stretch not just to see the new thing, but why the new thing was put in place – the bigger issue.
A great example might be a church that changes how it’s weekend services work. Perhaps its been done a certain way for a long time, and never because that’s just the way it’s always been done. When it was first instituted years ago it was for a reason – to build disciples, to teach people to pray more, to go to deeper depth or higher heights in worship. All good reasons. But perhaps over time a leadership recognizes that church isn’t just for church people, but for everyone including those who are faraway from God. That team realizes that Jesus came to seek and save those who where faraway from God and His church should do the same. They begin to change how a weekend experience works, maybe it’s lights, media, songs and style of worship (the values remain the same, but the methodology changes). While those are symptoms of change that oftentimes produces conflict, the real change started at the point of recognizing that church isn’t for the believer only, but for those outside of faith – that in relevant, faith-filled environments they might embark on the same journey. While that’s where the change began, it ends with a perspective at an the individual level that allows people to engage… it’s growth. It’s change.
It’s been a tough and amazing season all at once, but one thing is for sure, the sense of God’s amazing love and grace is overwhelming. The truth of Philippians 4 has become a living, breathing reality for me recently…
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Verse 13 is probably one of the most misquoted verses in Scripture, so often taken completely out of context. I can’t go out an bench press 325lbs this morning because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. But I can learn to live in a way that is independent of my circumstances, I can learn to not be controlled by the situations and challenges that I might face, but rather live in a place of absolute dependence up the One who is in control. In this passage Paul is borrowing language from the Stoic Philosophers of the day to show us how Christ uses the circumstances and situations we face each and every day to initiate us into this path and life of complete dependence upon Him. I can only face life, and do the things that are in front of me, through His strength, by drawing upon Him, my source of strength. It’s a life of dependence, not divorced from circumstances, but recognizing that those circumstance are being used by God as an opportunity to engage with His way of viewing and walking through life. It’s why Paul said this in Philippians 3:
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 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.
So back to God’s love… that’s where we started. Read this from Prodigal John last week and I think it sums it up well. “God doesn’t need me. He loves me.” You see He is God. He is complete. He doesn’t need my additions. Because of His passionate love for each one of us He welcomes us into this partnership, better said a relationship, of dependence upon Him.
So click on the video below, close your eyes and make a commitment today to allow yourself to depend upon Him. It’s His love.
It was one incredible weekend… God did some amazing things and an increasing number of people are seeking God at Cornerstone. Today has been a day of quiet reflection… life is complex and the soul desperately needs Him. Been contemplating these verses from Lamentations 3 and Psalm 37:
“My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”
“Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
The wicked borrow and never repay,
but the godly are generous givers.
Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
but those he curses will die.
The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.”
You need to download and allow to wash over your soul… We’re in perhaps an unprecedented time in our history. Fear and confusion are running rampant on a personal, cooperate, national and even global level. These seven worship songs have engaged my faith and spirit and reminded me who’s really in control. Over the past week I’ve had the opportunity to reconnect with my true north. Go ahead and take a listen.
1. Breathe On Me (Todd Fields – Louder Than Creation)
2. Psalm 62 (Aaron Keyes – Not Guilty Anymore)
3. God of this City (Chris Tomlin – Passion: God of this City or Hello)
4. All Because of Jesus (Steve Fee – We Shine)
5. We Shine (Steve Fee – We Shine)
6. Everlasting God (Todd Fields – North Point Live)
7. Help Me To Find You (Todd Fields – North Point Live)
Just arrived in Atlanta and picked up a live blog from perry nobles session. Most notable quote so far… “We can’t expect the Spirit to lead us professionally if we’re not yielded to Him privately.”
There’s no doubt that one of the things that separates Disney from every other theme park in the country is the fact that they haven’t just “themed” the rides and sections of their parks they’ve told a story. Everywhere you turn there’s a story unfolding. Some of them we know well (especially the princess stories in our house), but regardless of whether it’s ToonTown, Big Thunder Mountain or Toy Story Mania there’s as much effort into developing the story that unfolds getting to the ride as there is in the actual ride. Once again a trip up the road to Great Escape and you’ll find a runaway mine roller coaster – metal track that curves and weaves, a few “props” to look at as you whiz around, metal railings as you wait in line. I get that it’s supposed to be a runaway mine car… but it’s minimal. Disney on the other hand immerses you in a story, and you’re a part of that story. As you wait to get on the runaway mine car roller coaster you walk deeper into the mine, the wooden railings are worn and aged, the train tracks are buried into a mountain, as you ascend into the mountain, the rocks shudder and the lanterns sway because of the earthquake… they developed a story and you feel it! You experience it. It’s not just a ride that get’s your heart pumping… they’ve not just gone the extra mile they invited you to be a part of a story.
I’m sure if you’re a Christ follower you’ve probably heard a lot of preachers preach… I’ve had the privilege listening to and meeting some great speakers and one of the ingredients they all seem to have in common is this incredible ability to involve their listeners in a story that unfolds as they speak. You get involved in the experience. The story of scripture comes alive and you see yourself in that story… Stories are not just a tool to illustrate a point. The story and seeing yourself in the story is the point. Disney understands the power of involving you in a story. It’s part of the Disney magic.
I was going to write an article about Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers opening performance on Monday Night Football (btw I think the Packers are going to do alright, they’re in good hands with Rodgers) but over the past two evenings I’ve spent a couple of hours on the phone with two of my best friends.
Life is filled with challenges, it’s not a straight road without highs or lows. It twists and turns, it rises and falls, sometimes its a five lane highway (with toll booths) and other times is a single lane dirt road with potholes that even New York couldn’t compete with. As I’ve traveled through this life over the past 35 years, and in particular over the past five I’ve been so honored to have people in my life that help me see more clearly and graciously and lovingly challenge me, challenge my perspective and help me to get out of bed and face another day. They rejoice with me when we’re winning, and they throw the proverbial arm around me when we’re not (most often kicking my butt to tell me to get up and go after it one more time).
I’m humbled that I have a 30 something friend who will talk with me into the wee hours of the morning or the middle of a busy day. We think alike and wrestle with many of the same issues, but his wisdom and ability to see clearly and ask me questions helps me see with a clearer perspective. I have a 50 something brother (and that’s what it feels like) who will listen to me and will 100% of the time reply with, “let’s pray together.” And will then have this conversation with God as if we were sitting having coffee with God. I have a (age not being mentioned to protect the innocent) sister who sees me online and breaks into my day through Google Talk to tell me that she’s praying for Jennie and I and she loves us. She does it because she loves us and thinks of us, she probably doesn’t realize how often I stop what I’m doing and put my head in my hands and thank God for her and the fact that she’s such a valuable part of my life.
I can’t tell you what an incredible joy it is to go through life with people who love one another, serve one another and give themselves for one another. I can’t imagine it any other way and fear grips my heart at even the thought of losing these kinds of relationships. The most amazing thing about it is that these are relationships that are thousands of miles away in terms of the proximity, but right next to me in terms of our connection. May everyone of us be blessed with people that we can trust and walk through life with. The challenge to me and to all of us is will we be those kinds of people to someone else?
I serve as the campus pastor at Cornerstone in Albany, NY. While I'm the campus pastor, I'm not immune to an occasional "oops should I have said that?". Cornerstone doesn't pay for or approve this message. My thoughts are my thoughts, but don't let that scare you.
