Our new favorite game is Blokus.  We have started buying it as a gift for birthdays and graduations .   At first we thought the game  was pronounced blow-kiss and embarrassingly enough called it that for a while.  One day it dawned on us  that the whole point of the game is to block the opponent from being able to lay his or her block piece, thus the pronunciation  block us not blow-kiss.  Funny how obvious it was yet we missed the point completely.  The game is simple lay one piece at a time and every piece you lay has to connect a  corner of the last piece you played.  You have to strategize and watch out because your opponent is always on the look out for ways to block you from your next move.  The goal in the end is to lay every block combination you have been given.  Whoever has the least amount of block pieces left in the end, is the winner. 

In the beginning, I would always end up with my larger combination blocks leftover .  Being the student and competitive gamer that I am, I was not going to settle for less than my best.  After playing a few rounds ending with the same results, I realized I better ditch the bigger combination pieces early on because later when things got more difficult it was nearly impossible to play these pieces.  

This game is a great metaphor for life.  Starting with the name….block us or blow-kiss.  Looking back it is so obvious, duh block us.   Isn’t it funny how sometimes all life requires is a glance back to gain a little perspective?  If I did this than the result would be that. Hindsight, right?   It was all there in the name of the game.  The mission statement, the directions, the course of action, yet why was I blinded to it?  I relied on my own common sense or lack of and proceeded forward without a thought for the details.  Details that could have been easily found in the rules and with a little practice and application.

What I really love about this game is that once you start to figure it out, you start to dream of where the pieces can go and the different combinations of plays that will get you to the goal.  All the while, keeping in mind that you are facing an opponent with exactly the same goal.  You have to adjust and sometimes have multiply plans going at the same time.   

So here is my spiritual link-  God’s will.  As Christians we devote our entire lives to knowing and living in God’s perfect will.  Yet to be honest we struggle to be confident in his perfect will because we don’t even recognize the name of the game.  And in the game we really have many options, but it is up to us what we do with the pieces given to us.  Our strategic plan or application is simple.  Remember the big pieces first.  If not you can’t play them later in the game.  It is called priorities.  Mine go something like this God, Marriage, Family and then the rest of the world….. When I don’t “play” the big pieces first, I have to readjust.   Sometimes I have to scrap all the pieces and start over.  I have never completed the game of Blokus, meaning using all of my block pieces.  I usually end up with 6 or 7 blocks left over.  Yet I am improving and that keeps me returning to the game.

So Moses is floating down the river to a life unknown.  How did he get there?  What circumstances led him to this defining moment?  Who could imagine that the life of this baby would eventually serve as the great liberator of his people?  The Bible devotes 1/8th of its pages to the story of Moses’ time.  Yet as I read of these powerful pages, I want to dissect each chapter.  The story is painful yet provides hope.

The details are vivid.   Mother and daughter assembling  a humble papyrus basket  coated with tar and pitch.  What conversations transpired during this?  How many other people were a part of it?   The depression, the grief, the fear the faith, all  the various emotions that encompassed this time were held in silence because they were in hiding.  The journey of grief and loss does not come with a timetable.  One never knows what will trigger it yet, they had no choice they had to move forward. They had to trust that God had a plan.  Without fan-fare they released what they held dear and waited for God’s supernatural intervention. 

What are you holding on to?  Do you have a dream that you have recently experienced slip away?  Maybe you have a child whom you are hoping will turn his heart back toward the Lord?  What is it that you feel so compelled to hold on to that you are paralyzed with fear to let go of? 

Releasing what one holds dear is agonizing yet provides freedom.  Loving with open hands as my friend Cindy likes to remind me.  If one is releasing something physically, the posture of the hand must remain open?   This mother when she released her child extended to him a life of opportunity and position.  She couldn’t have known that at the time, yet she walked in obedience and God honored her faithfulness.  When she released him into the open water, she had to push him out into the reeds.  Then she had to let go.  She pushed him into the river of unknown and she released him with open hands.

I have been reading about the life of Moses.  Starting prior to his birth.  It is surreal to me that even before he was born, his destiny was in the hands of God and those who feared Him. The hope of restoration and reconciliation rested in the birth of an unwanted child.  The Hebrew  people endured the threat of death and destruction everyday.  The bondage of slavery was real.    They were not in control of anything  including the well being of their own children.  Children born into a life of turmoil if they were given life at all.  The fate of the male children rested in the hands of the midwives.  The king had commanded that all Hebrew male children were to be put to death upon delivery.  Exodus 1:17- But the midwives  feared  God and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.  When questioned by the King, the midwives responded that Hebrew women are not like Egyptian woman, for they are vigorous , and they give birth before the midwife can get to them.  So God was good to the midwives and the people multiplied, and became very mighty.  And it came about because the midwives feared God, that He established households for them.

 It wasn’t like the threat of death and destruction ended there.  Good job midwives, here are families of your own to care for, now you are blessed.  No the adversity just intensified.  They were still being asked to do kill and destroy innocent lives. Yet they held strong to their faith and fear of God above all else.    What quiet and intense strength  they must have had.   It seems like God had  abandoned his people and left them to die a slow and painful existence yet you see his provincial hand upon these lives. How do you see beyond the years of slavery?  These midwives had faith to believe that God would not abandon them.  They had an inner drive that enabled them to think beyond themselves to future generations.  The face of adversity brought strength in numbers. 

This sets the stage for the birth of Moses.   A man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi.  The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months.  Jochebed, the birth Mother of Moses is a hero.  To become pregnant with the understanding that if this child is a male, he will die unless she does something.  I love that it says when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for 3 months.  3 excruciating months.   I honestly question where my sanity would be. 

A few years ago I  watched a Mother give up a child whom she brought into this world.  It was a painful and difficult journey but she came to the place where she wanted to give this child something more.  She knew that because of her own circumstances she could not parent this little one, yet she still brought her into this world.  She will always be this child’s mother and forever this child will remember her.  Life had been so hard on this young Mom, she was scarred both physically and emotionally.  She just wanted someone to love her and be proud of her.  She gave the ultimate gift, she gave someone else an opportunity to love and parent her child. 

When I read the story of Moses I see a woman who bravely gave away a child so that He could have life. One that she hid for 3 months before releasing him into a basket to a new home and a new future.  My dear friends are awaiting adopting a beautiful little girl from China.  They are eagerly anticipating her arrival.  They long to give her a home where she can have a different life.  I am contending in prayer with them for her arrival, yet my heart can’t help but grieve for this mother who brought this beautiful little girl into the world.  No less significant or important in this little ones life.  One could not happen without the other.

Adopting a child is on my list of things to do before I turn fifty.  I am 35 so I have a few years yet but I have recently had an awakening in my heart regarding adding to our family again.  I have no desire to give birth to another child and Joseph is thankful.  Pregnancy was extremely hard on our entire family.  And the farther removed we become from changing diapers the more I think this is a crazy idea.  A few friends  have recently adopted or are awaiting  clearance for a child to become on paper legally theirs.  The waiting process is taxing on ones mind and spirit.  You feel as if your heart will be ripped in two.   Some of my friends  desperately want to be a parent but the struggles of infertility have stopped them from giving birth to a child.  My heart is sad  for them.   The Bible is filled with relationship heart aches.  Stories of infertility, children born out of infidelity, abandonment and adoption.  My hope is that as I focus  my thoughts  I will be renewed in my passion to wait when things are difficult and contend for answers during those  moments that seem as if time is standing still.

The past two years I have seen families torn apart by difficult choices.  I have seen addictions take the upper hand and cloud the priorities of those held captive by them.  I have watched a mother grieve as she recognized that she could not parent the child she brought into the world.   I have seen children whose innocence has been robbed and the cycle continues.   Sometimes I am left with more questions than answers.  Why God, would one couple long for a baby for years and another cast aside the one she has because she is consumed with her own needs? 

Two summers ago I set up a tent in my backyard. I pitched my tent out of sheer frustration and faith.  The Old Testament is filled with testimonies of those waiting for an answer.  An altar was built and the wait began, literally.   A prayer of deliverance was lifted up and the wait continued. I was waiting for our foster parent licensing to become official.  I had dotted all the I’s and crossed all the T’s.  I sent in more paperwork than necessary and yet the process was not without bumps.  Please resubmit this form.  We are sorry to inform you that we need you to fill this out again, we have temporarily miss-placed it.  I filled out the same background check five times.  I angered a lot of office workers  in the process because I would call everyday to check on the progress.  I got in touch with someone working for the State Legislature and for a few days things were really moving.  I knew that action would bring about results.  It did not.  All it brought was more time to wait.   I was emotional.   It took nearly 6 months for our license to become complete.  When I look back on that, it really was not all that long, yet when I was going through it, time seemed to stand still. 

The past two years have brought a whole new set of questions spurred on by the lives of 8 foster children and the biological families and multiple others whom I have become  connected with thanks to the world of foster care.  I have watched children weep as a parent made a choice that in turn affected them.  I have watched parents battle with addictions that kept them teetering back in forth.  One step forward, two steps back.  I have watched the disappointment when things did not go the way all had hoped .  I have also experienced broken families reunited.  Making a new story for themselves as they forge ahead, one day at a time.  Waiting….for how some of the stories will turn outh as caused some serious anxiety on my part.  It has also kept me in a perpetual state of dependency on God.  I can’t fix each of the families but I can pray for deliverance and strength for each of them and for myself.   

Waiting allows us time to pray and believe for things beyond ourselves.  A prayer of deliverance, a prayer of expectation, a prayer of peace, a prayer of faith, a prayer of reconciliation, a prayer of hope.  As much as I hate the waiting, I can’t live without it.  I pitched my tent and God revealed himself to me in ways I could not explain or expect.  The questions keep coming…and I get upset when I don’t have the answers but the leading and longing are always the same.  Go pitch a tent, and see what God  will do.

Steering Through Chaos: Mapping a Clear Direction for Your Church in the Midst of Transition and Change

One premise making this read unique from other change-management books is that the author recommends you, as the leader, be the initiator of, not the reactor to, change. While it may seem counterintuitive, the author provides some practical advice on how to create change yourself when your church is doing well—not when it starts to decline—so that your congregation may experience even greater growth.

Another area that makes this read different than other business or management books on change theory is the Pentecostal/theological perspective of the author. He offers practical advice, but does not sidestep the spiritual endeavors that need to take place when dealing with change and chaos. He balances the two very well.

The book includes another nice touch—10 vignettes from other pastors and leaders highlight the topic and give another vantage point for readers. The author also provides helpful questions and group discussion topics at the end of each chapter, which will assist pastors in analyzing and implementing the book’s principles in their own settings.

Scott Wilson does not negate the pain that occurs when a church goes through change. But he does give the reader hope, a plan, and numerous practical and spiritual nuggets to navigate through the stress. I, for one, have already implemented a couple of his concepts into my ministry.

(orginally posted at http://foursquare.org/articles/1242,1.html)

Easter is easy. Christmas is a snap. The Forth of July is also a no brainer when it comes to a greetings. But Good Friday, that is a hard one.

For starters why is it good? A guy dies in a not so ordinary way, what is good about that? A sleepless night of guys whipping and berating him…not good. He found himself carrying a heavy piece of timber through a mocking crowd and up a hill…not pleasant at all. Professional executors were called in to make sure his crucifixion was done properly as he was hung out for all to see…really not good. After he breathed his last breath a sword pierced his side as blood and water spilled out…that is just gross. Crown of thorns, punches to the face, spitting crowds, and three huge nails piercing his body…basically an all around bad day.

I asked Father Olson (the priest of the Catholic congregation by our church) this morning at Starbucks, “what do you say as a greeting for Good Friday?” “Holy Good Friday“, was his response. Ok that is an awkward way of saying hello to someone but it works.

We went on to talk about why it is good and what that means for our salvation. Even though this day was not very nice in the physical realm, it was really glorious in the spiritual realm. It is because of the cross and death of Christ that are debt of sin was paid. The other good thing about his death was that he had to die before He could be resurrected from the dead. (small detail…but some believe that Jesus never died). And is it because of His resurrection that we can have life. His empty grave equals us having a full life.

So I guess in a round about way this is a Holy Good Friday. Or is it ‘Wholly Good Friday’? Oh well back to square one.

See you Sunday.

.

They are let out and told to now share this ‘message of life’ back at the temple. This message of life is a message of freedom. A message of once being bound by chains and now you are set free. A message that you were once stuck in a stinky, damp, rodent filled, dark prison and now you are in the light.

Christ said He came to release the captives and set free those that were oppressed. (Luke 4:18) Christ comes just like that angel did and opens the prison gates and unlocks the chains. Now we are called as free people to share this message of life with others. The problem is (as I see it) that we might be outside of the prison but we still hold onto the chains.
Chains of anger
Chains of abuse
Chains of bad relationships
Chains of legalism
Chains of addiction

When Christ sets us free we need to leave the chains back in the prison. I know we are familiar with those chains and we don’t think we can do life without them.  But chains don’t look appealing to those that we are trying to share a message of life with. So many times Christ opens the door of freedom for us and just stay in our filthy prison embracing our chains. 

Those that are in Christ are free. I pray we not only leave the prison of sin and death but we drop the chains on the way out.

Wow this story about Ananias and Sapphira is a serious buzz killer.  Dr. Luke just got done telling us the stories of miraculous healings, rescues, sacrificial giving and how the church is at an all time spiritual high. Then like a slap to the face two well meaning nice followers that gave lots of money are dead. What is up with this?

Then I realized this wasn’t some simple misunderstanding of a couple.  This was a calculated effort of two people to experience the spiritual realm through natural means. They would have just encountered the great joy of Barnabas when he gave all the proceeds of the sale of his property. I would speculate that they wanted what he had and they thought they had the financial resources to make that happen.

But the fact is you can’t manufacturer the spiritual realm through natural means.  No matter how hard you work up a sweat or how hard you study or how much you give you can’t push God’s hand in your favor through your own efforts. This story didn’t have much to do with money or telling a lie and everything to do with how the spiritual world is real and is not a game to be played through human means. 

The foundation of our faith is happening here in chapter five.  Just like a cancer to the body this idea that you could buy spiritual rewards through human efforts needed to be removed.  If you try to have spiritual results by natural means you get problems… hopefully it isn’t death. (oh by the way it never says God killed them. I wonder what did?)

Acts 4:32 says “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had”  and later on in verse 37 we find that, “Barnabas sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.

This is a great story of sacrificial giving and the body of Christ coming together to help those in need. There was of course no mandate from the leaders for everyone to sell there stuff and bring the proceeds to the church. From time to time some were prompted by the Spirit to give of what they had. This was a very spiritual undertaking.

The thought that was most intriguing to me was that Barnabas just gave the money to the apostles. We would think that he would give it to those that were in direct need of his assistance.  This made me think, ‘you haven’t really given until you have given up the control’. So many times in our American culture we give with strings attached. But is it giving if we tell the recipient what we want them to do with the money?

Some times people have given me $100 and said, “Now go have some fun with this, don’t spend it on your bills”. I received something, but has that person truly given it away? Maybe the most fun thing would be to have my bills paid! Or if you give your kids an allowance and then proceed to tell them all the things they need to spend that money on.

This is why special offerings or when specific disaster strikes we awaken and start giving generously, because we want to know specifially where those funds are going. General giving is not as glamorous to us.

How about we just give and give liberally to organizations or people that have proven themselves to be good stewards of resources and then step away.  Don’t tell them what you want them to do with it. Don’t have strings attached to your giving. 

Because, have you really given if you still want to have control?

The essence of the story as you remember is that you have a super hero, ‘Mr. Incredible’, who has been asked along with the rest of the ‘Supers’ to integrate back into society and not do there superhero work anymore. So we find Bob Parr (aka Mr. Incredible) relinquished to the cubicle world of an insurance agency. He dreamed of being back out on the street helping people and was hating his new job and living in a cookie cutter neighborhood. Why would someone not care for a stable family, job and house in the middle of the suburbs?

Because he had been ruined for the ordinary. He used to be a crime fighter, lifesaver, and front page news. Once you have experienced something really great you do not want to go back to just everyday living.

Ever had really good sushi? You have no desire to buy that party platter at Costco ever again.
Have you have ever been to a really great water park? The kiddy pool seems so anti-climatic after that.
Been to Powell’s bookstore? There doesn’t even seem to be a need for a Borders anymore.
Have you swam the water in Hawaii or the Caribbean? Nothing else compares.

You get ruined for the ordinary once you have experience some the of the finer things of life.

This reminded me of the story in Acts chapter 4 and 5. Peter and John just healed a guy that had been paralyzed for several decades. Because of that, they get in a bit of a pickle with the religious establishment. They are imprisoned and told not talk about Jesus or heal anymore. They are told to just be normal, like the rest of the loyal citizens. They were faced with being excommunicated from the church, being imprisoned and possible being put to death.

But on their day of freedom they prayed for more boldness, more healings, more miracles. They pray for the same things that got them in trouble. (or better said) They pray for the finer things of life. They had been ruined for the ordinary way of going about their day to day life. They just saw a man get healed and you can not go back once you have seen that. They had been ruined for the ordinary.

As I was watching Bob Parr transform back into Mr. Incredible I wondered why he would want to put the work in to getting in shape. Why would he forfeit making an actual salary? Why would he want to put his life and families life back into danger? Oh that is right, he was ruined for the ordinary.

What things have you experienced that make you not want to go back to the ordinary?