Isn’t it crazy that in a world where performance is highlighted above everything else–God is interested in the messy process of forming us to the image of Jesus?

Isn’t it amazing that He doesn’t care what we can do–but that He longs for us to “be?”

Isn’t it extraordinary that God is not in the business of answering our questions–but that He is in the business of being eternally present?

Don’t be conformed to the wisdom of this world–

Could it be that waiting is the most active thing that we can do?

Could it be that waiting cultivates a hunger and thirst for God inside of us?

Could it be that waiting pulls us into the present moment (the place God calls us to live)?

It seems like waiting must be accompanied by hope and expectation–by faith that God will show up.

I was at a retreat last weekend where 10 of us found ourselves in a cabin learning to listen to each other and to what the Spirit was up to.

He spoke through silence…
He spoke through prayer…
He spoke through meals…
He spoke through laughter…
He spoke through late night pipe smokes…
He spoke through Scripture…
He spoke through walks…
He spoke through stories…

He spoke, “Wait.”
We listened.

I invited a friend of mine to come and teach at the community that I am involved with that Sunday night. This friend happens to be a provocative prophet in my life and in the lives of many others. I get the impression that because of that, people don’t like him–especially church people. He speaks an “other” language.

The gist of his teaching was how our righteousness can potentially kill Christ. Using Matthew 1 as the guide, we examined how the “righteous” thing for Joseph to do when he found out that Mary was with child (not his) was to stone her. To stone her would have been to eliminate Jesus.

Is it possible that God cares less if we’re righteous than if we are obedient? Could it be that obedience sometimes involves that which is isn’t righteous?

He closed with Matthew 1:25: “But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” That is–Joseph didn’t have sex with Mary (his wife!) until Jesus was born.
God closed with these marching orders: “Don’t spread your seed on what I AM doing.”

I haven’t been able to get by that.

It seems that we don’t error on the side of waiting, but that we error on the side of “spreading our own seed.” Perhaps we need to quit masturbating on what God is doing. Masturbation–although an intense term here–takes that which is holy and sacred and intended for worship and defames it. Masturbation is all about instant gratification–self-gratification.

Maybe when we “spread our seed” this way–all we do is make a huge, gross mess!

I’m reading The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne right now. If you haven’t read this yet–get a copy, read it and then pass it along so others can too.

In chapter six he refers to a paradigm enlargening that needs to happen–from orthodoxy (right thinking, right believing) to orthopraxis (right living, right practices). So often we are caught up in telling people what we believe but lack any discussion about how we live based on those beliefs.

I wrote these words a couple of months ago with hopes that I would be able to finish it with the same line of thinking that I began it with. I’ll close similarily, but not quite in same rhythm…

Perhaps what we need is not a change from one thing to the other. I have a growing allergic reaction to the “reactionary” way in which young leaders so frequently choose to respond. It’s as though we go through cycle after cycle of generations where the younger generation flips off the older generation and the older generation pegs the younger one as arrogant and care-free.

I had a conversation with a friend the other day. We were discussing how perhaps what the world needs is not another “flavor” or “style” or “brand” of “worship” but for the younger generation to see itself as a Joshua/Caleb and the older generation to see itself as a Moses. It is unlikely that Joshua and Caleb flipped off Moses and told him that he was doing everything wrong. Furthermore, it is unlikely that Moses wrote Joshua and Caleb off as arrogant and care-free. Instead and most likely, Joshua and Caleb sought to learn from Moses and Moses sought to learn from Joshua and Caleb.

We have got to stop swining from one side of the pendulum to the other. To give up orthodoxy for orthopraxis would be destructive. To hold on to orthodoxy with no orthopraxis would be legalistic. To ignore those that have gone before us would be so unwise. For them to peg us as arrogant and care-free would be counter-productive.

To learn from each other–to greet each other with a kiss–to serve each other–to forgive each other–to submit to one another–to bear each other’s burdens–to listen to each other–to learn from each other–to love each other–to not react–but to really listen for the rhythm of Jesus. That may be the form that obedience takes right now.

This post is random….

I was talking to a friend today and we were discussing what it would be like if we took Jesus literally when He said things like, “Lose your life.” or “Sell everything.” or “Take care of the hurting (orphans and widows).”

Today I question if that is even possible in the American suburb.
(I mean today literally because on most days, I have more hope. Today has been difficult.)

When did the “American Dream” become a better dream than God’s? I italicized “better” because we live lives that make that question legitimate. We have chosen to let ourselves become deceived into believing that a way outside of the Father’s is better. This means that we don’t dream about people coming to know and follow Jesus at any price anymore, but instead dream of bigger homes, nicer cars, and if plastic surgery were an option–where we had have some work done. Instead of envisioning ourselves courageously and communally walking in obedience to the rhythm of Jesus, we dream of great vacations, the best clothes and the latest home theater systems. Instead of desiring to be a part of a community of people who care about what is happening in our world and being part of God’s solution, we dream of owning condos in the mountains and cabins next to freshwater lakes where we can create our “safe havens” away from it all.

I’ll admit, these are the frustrated musings of a man who has spent the last two weeks reading Scripture, the newspaper, and a great book occassionally interrupted by brief news updates on what is happening in our world (here and abroad). These are the frustrated musings of a man who spent part of his morning praying for God to intercede in Lebenon and talking with a community of friends about how we as the Church can respond to the violence and senseless death of countless people in Iraq, Palestine and Israel.

After that invigorating, life-giving, solution-based conversation where talk wasn’t of writing a check, but of taking Jesus’ words literally and living compassionately, with costly love, at any price for the sake of hurting–I went to a meeting where we talked about how we thought worship time went at a particular church.

Something doesn’t sit right with me if church is all about performance and production and how we thought “worship” went. We seem to spend a lot more time talking about cosmetic enhancement and the preservation of the “church people” than we do what is happening in the world around us and what God might have us do or be a part of to bring healing.

Doesn’t it seem ironic to you that the Church cries out for the U.N. to respond to those who are hurting?

I have a dream for the Church were we take Jesus’ words literally–where we respond first.

Huh–maybe this isn’t my dream–maybe it’s God’s….

This isn’t my style.

I believe in the power of relationships and how God designed us to be avenues through which his love and grace and forgiveness and freedom flow. I believe that relationships are the number one way in which people step into the rhythm of Jesus. I believe this because this is my experience.

Don’t you find that a bit limiting?

We sat at the two fountains in our city. These particluar fountains are strategically located in the most consumeristic districts. We sat down with a sign that said “Listening and Prayer Available” and waited and prayed and waited and prayed….

It was a two hour wrestling match between me and God.
“This is stupid!” I would say.
“Be still!” He would say.
“No one is going to come and share anything with me. This isn’t how You work!” I would say.
“So you know how I work?” He would say.
“People are looking at us and laughing!” I would say.
“Keep watching.” He would say.
“Watching what?” I would say.
“My people–my kids–me Beloved.” He would say.
“Yeah, but this isn’t going to change anything for them!” I would say.
“This isn’t about them!” He would say.
“Oh–” I said….

And then I was still–
And then I realized that I don’t have the foggiest idea how God chooses to work–
And then I watched–
And then I began to see His Beloved–
And then my heart began to change–