A lot is currently being said about marriage these days due to the recent publication of two books on marriage by two famous (and/or infamous) pastors. I won’t link to one of them because I just don’t think it would be helpful, but I will link to the other one because (while I haven’t read it) I imagine it’s probably helpful in some ways because I really respect the author. But, over the years I have developed a some thoughts that I (and others it seems) have found helpful when it comes to the vocation of marriage. Now, I don’t fancy myself an complete expert when it comes to being married, just ask my wife. But, in the midst of our struggles the following thoughts...Read More →
Category: Missional Living
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January 5, 2012
The (Missional) Vocation of Marriage
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May 24, 2010
What’s for Breakfast?? (Thoughts on Selfishness)
It seems to me that the world trains us to be pretty selfish, individualized people. Thomas Merton writes about this as he describes the problem of pride, “The self must be treated as if, not merely in feeling but in actual fact, the whole universe revolved around it…If I am the center of the universe, than everything belongs to me. I can claim, as my due, all the good things of the earth. I can rob and cheat and bully other people. I can help myself to anything I like, no one can resist me.” Now, this is a rather harsh assessment of our demeanor. I personally do not like to think of my perspective on my self as thinking that I am the center...Read More →
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April 27, 2010
Hola! Send Us to Guatemala!
This summer we (both Melanie and I) will be heading to Guatemala City with ten other people from our church. From June 20-26 we will be serving some of the poorest people in the world in Central America’s largest slum called La Limonada. We need to raise approximately $600 total for this trip and we would be honored if you helped make this trip a reality through a financial gift. As you may know, our middle son Mason Carlos is adopted from Guatemala. When we visited his birth country to bring him home two years ago, we left part of our hearts there. We have been longing to go back and serve there since we left two years ago. We are excited about this trip...Read More →
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May 29, 2009
Barna Describes Casual Christians
George Barna, in a recent interview sent to me from your friend and mine JR Briggs, says the following when talking about the group he calls “casual Christians”… Casual Christianity is faith in moderation. It allows them to feel religious without having to prioritize their faith. Christianity is a low-risk, predictable proposition for this tribe, providing a faith perspective that is not demanding. A Casual Christian can be all the things that they esteem: a nice human being, a family person, religious, an exemplary citizen, a reliable employee – and never have to publicly defend or represent difficult moral or social positions or even lose much sleep over their private choices as long as they mean well and generally do their best. From their perspective,...Read More →
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January 26, 2009
The Mob.
Who do you get when you take a poor person in a slum in Ndola Zambia and give them… a house, a fenced in back yard, a two car garage, cable television with a DVR, two cars for that garage, and a job that pays me well but makes me work 50+ hours a week? You get a person who has just lost all they had going for them: Community and relationships. Sure. They had nothing. But you’ve just replaced nothing with nothing. That’s not much of an improvement if you ask me. Mobs do things that individuals would never do on their own. Individuals in mobs do things that that don’t make much rational sense. Individuals in mobs climb live electric poles and flip...Read More →
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December 8, 2008
Talking About Money in the Church (Part 3)
Over the last few weeks I’ve been writing a bit on how I have been talking through 2 Corinthians 8 with our community during our offering time. (You can read the others posts here) The last two time we covered verse 1 and verse 2. This week we get to verse three. Here they are (vs. 1-3) 1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability… Verse three made me reflect a bit on how we...Read More →
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November 8, 2008
Live Blogging: Financial Freedom / Budgeting Seminar with David Briggs
Notes…. The average households under 35 are saving -16% of their income. Financial freedom has nothing to do with our income. The law of guaranteed wealth: Spend less than you make for a long period of time. Man, these powerpoint slides are from around 1980 or something. Someone needs to read Presentation Zen! :) Comparison to others destroys your contentment. You will always be able to find somebody else that has something better than you. In the comparison game we will never be content. “Most people are motivated to success by the envy of our neighbors” – Ecclesiastes What happens if we buy into the philosophy of the culture? Distorted view of what brings happiness As “stuff” increases… Happiness decreases Money and possessions quickly take control of...Read More →
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October 27, 2008
Super Christians? Nope, Just Normally Obedient.
We’ve spent the last couple days hanging out with Tim and Jenn Fidanzo who are from Portland, OR. We met them on Sunday morning when they showed up at our church. About four months ago, Tim and Jenn felt that God was calling them to give up to very well paying jobs, sell their belongings, buy a mobile home that runs on recycled Veggie oil (their last fill up came from Burger King) and travel around the country doing their best to love and care for the poor and homeless. They showed up at The Well because they saw that we have a weekly homeless ministry on our website. So, tonight, after plugging into our building since last night and today, they are heading down to...Read More →
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October 22, 2008
Does God Close Doors? Or Are We Scared of Difficulty?
You may have heard the saying, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Well a simple search of the internet tubes you’ll find that there are many other versions of this. For example, when the going gets tough… the tough get knitting!” (my wife would be included in this) slime molds start synthesizing” (bet you didnt know that. I didn’t.) the tough find alternatives to slashing prices to entice home buyers in slowing markets.” the tough outsource” (why not when you can get labor for half the cost!) the tough revive 90210” (oh yeah! there’s a sure fire winner!) Despite these amazing examples, I’ve come the wonder if Christians need a new slogan. Perhaps this one: When the going gets rough, the Godly...Read More →
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October 9, 2008
The Connection Between Debt and Mission.
I’m becoming convinced that in suburban America one of the things that hinders our ability to respond to God’s call on our lives is money (and the mishandling of it). Too many followers of Jesus are so busy trying to keep their heads above water financially that they don’t have the freedom to live as generously as they really want to. We’re enslaved to our debt. This causes us to be over-worked and under generous and pretty even cranky. Living debt free is more than just the prudent, wise thing to do (though, it is that!). But living debt free is directly connected to our ability to more freely give our lives to God and to others. I know for certain that there are...Read More →
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October 8, 2008
Light Bulbs and Really Big Rooms
Sometimes I feel like we start life sitting in a dark room that is full of unlit light bulbs, except for one. This lone bulb gives off just enough light to see your immediate surroundings. With this light we see a small, fairly simple world. Not too much is complex. Not too much is complicated. Not too much is painful on the grand scale of things. Of course, since we can’t see the “grand scale” anyway, it is all we know. In this small world the very simple things can bring very great joy. Life’s traumatic moments consist of things like scraping your knee on the concrete while playing soccer and perhaps even something as tragic as someone taking away your Tonka truck. ...Read More →
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October 7, 2008
Bowling for Mediocrity
I have never really liked bowling. Well, I guess I have only kind of liked it. It’s always been one of those things that constantly makes me want quit. I can’t tell you how many times I leave one or two pins standing – no matter how hard I hit them, no matter how crazy they fly around down there after my ball violently strikes them. I just can’t figure the secret of this game out. I guess in some way that is okay because I figure, like most guys, that if you can’t hit them all down, you may as well hit them really hard. (I am sure it’s some kind of macho-man, dude thing). If you ever turn on ESPN while there is...Read More →
