Theology and Experience

The conference emcee said, "You won't want to miss tonight's session with Judah Smith, cuz' that boy can preeeeeach." He could not have been more accurate. I had never heard of Judah Smith, but since that day I have since subscribed to the podcast, and I cannot get enough of this hipster glasses and skinny jean-clad fellow who preaches with the passion, wit, and impact of a black preacher in the south (though he is a skinny white kid from Seattle). Best preaching I've heard in a LONG time.

A large premise not only for his talk that night, but for his life as of late was:

"My theology will not be dictated by my experience."

After having lost his father, his hero, to a long battle with cancer this past year, Judah was and is still able to make this faith statement.

How often have we, or those around us, been caught up in life's broken circumstances and began to wonder if God and his promises are really true. We go through different situations and we begin to doubt all the foundational things we have built our lives on.

The truth is we all have a sick heart, and we are all faced with situations when the things we think were supposed to happen do not materialize, and we have to learn to take our failed promises back to God and say, "I still trust you."

------- * Judah's church in Seattle and The Podcast

*Catalyst Debrief

Faith Budget: oxymoron

It was a classic case of, "Oh yeah, I've heard of that book, but who is [author's name]." I had heard plenty about Radical. Several friend have read and raved about it, but I had never heard the name David Platt until my time at Catalyst. Putting the book with its author's name was only the beginning. David is an example of James 3:17. His wisdom is considerate, full of mercy, impartial, and sincere, but it is incredibly bold and blunt (as it should be).

I am king of honing in on statements probably meant to be 'filler' or flippant, because the statement David said that struck me most was:

"Budget season is where we come face to face with how little we trust God's word."

I have always said that if your creativity is based on your budget, then you aren't creative at all. But this statement cuts a bit deeper.

I remember the first time I heard the term "faith budget". It was a term I was never taught in all my ministry classes. Once I learned how a faith works, I got used to determining what I would seek to accomplish in ministry based on how much my budget offered me to do.

This quote was not easy to hear or apply. Truth often has this effect.

When budget season comes around, it inevitably comes with stress. Why is that? It is because we are worried. We are worried whether or not we will have the money to continue the things we are doing in ministry. We are worried whether or not we will have the money to accomplish the dreams we had for ministry this coming year. We are worried whether we will have the money to accomplish all the evangelistic methods we have acquired. (What a shame Jesus didn't have the advanced evangelistic methods we have today.)

But the starker reality is that we are worried that God's grace and the gospel of Jesus is not really sufficient. We are worried that Christ and him crucified might not be enough.

I'd say the Holy Spirit is accomplishing great things without the resources and budgets that we have here in the American Church, but we have come up with so much stuff to get us and others excited about Jesus...as he needed those things to prove how incredible he is.

I need to change some things...

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* David Platt's Church and David Platt's Book

*Catalyst Debrief

No Miracles without Risk

I had never even heard of Christine Caine. She was due to speak at Catalyst West Coast, and after her Aussie accent, he passion is the first thing to strike you. Several notes from her talk inked my journal, but one has nearly haunted me.  "We spend our life praying for miracles and live life avoiding circumstances where miracles can happen."

Our lives lurch forward in search for the next miracle to happen. Some of us are so dependent upon miracles that we avoid the responsibility of obedient living. But there are others of us who ask and hope for miracles, but we refuse to live in the space where miracles happen: risk.

Throughout scripture, the instances where miracles took place most often regarded a step out on to nothing in order to land on the hope of a miraculous something. Faith is necessary for miracles. Trust in a God capable of miracles is necessary for miracles.

Most of us are too worried to live lives of faith, and the risk that faith necessitates. If you have not had to take a risk, then you have not trusted. If you have worried and worried and worried without risking and trusting, you have missed out on the miracles God may have been doing all along.

"Who needs the devil sometimes when you have so many worrying Christians around you?"

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* More about the A21 Campaign or Equip and Empower Ministries that Christine is a proponent for

*Catalyst Debrief

Finally...Imagine a World Like This...

A few weeks ago, I was able to attend the Catalyst West Coast conference primarily for ministry leaders and pastors. Conferences are incredibly refreshing for me; even if that refreshment means cramming my mind and heart with information I will never remember in its entirety.

That is why every time I go to a conference,  take crazy notes and then follow it all up with a couple key steps. 1. Go back to each talk and highlight my top 4-5 points. 2. Go back to those points at a later time to highlight the 4-5 things I want to be SURE to remember and apply.

This week, I'll be reflecting on and sharing with you those highlights.

I will begin the week with a quote by Scot McKnight.

"'Imagine a world like this...' could begin every parable Jesus told."

I loved this thought. It was such a flippant and passing part of all the things he had to say in that talk, but isn't it amazing how those tiny things can stick out to someone in a way the speaker had never intended?

I have begun to take a look at the stories Jesus told with new eyes and mindset. Jesus dealt in story and dreams, and we would do well to remember that when it comes to our reading of scripture.

The kingdom comes alive when you begin to imagine a world like this...

5 Reasons Your Introverted Pastor Does NOT Hate You

Allow me to introduce myself: My name is PC Walker, and I am an introverted pastor. Conversations frequently come my way with students (my congregants) who feel the tension of a wall, which seems to be up between us. The impression is that I am withdrawn, gruff, insensitive, or even rude in some instances.

As it turns out, many pastors, speakers, and leaders are introverted. Your pastor may very well be such.

Does your pastor seem to: - think more than talk - have no backbone regarding conflict - avoid you - only share personal information with a select few - prefer writing over talking - dislike or even hate you

Allow me to be preemptively forthright: Your pastor does not dislike or hate you.

Here are 5 things which may help you understand your introverted pastor and trust that he does not hate you.

1. IT'S NOT YOU, ITS HIM. This is a part of his personality. The disconnection is not because of you. This is not an excuse; it is a simple statement of reality. The quiet reservedness is part of the way he is wired. It is not a reflection of how he thinks of you.

2. HE IS NOT A BOUNCER (prone to DEPTH; not frequency) Your introverted pastor is not going to be the type to bounce around from conversation to conversation on a Sunday (or whenever your main gathering is). Outgoing introverts have to work at it in large groups, but the depth of a face-to-face conversation with an introvert may be one of the deepest and most intentional conversations you've had.

3. THERE IS ALWAYS A "WHY" (processes) An introvert, especially an introverted leader, is ALWAYS internally processing things. When an introverted leader enacts a change, which makes no sense to you, you can be assured that he has been over and over and over that decision in his mind for days, weeks, or months.  Introverted pastors make no flippant changes. Ask for the "why", and he will likely have a well-thought out answer for you.

4. HE IS AWARE OF MORE THAN YOU THINK (he observes and reads people...constantly) Never assume your pastor knows nothing about you. A part of the internal processing mentioned above also applies to people watching. Your introverted pastor observes and reads people...constantly. Introverts have an uncanny ability to read people below the surface. He may not expose what he perceives verbally, but rest assured he knows you exist and...

5. HE LOVES YOU DEARLY...BUT HE IS DRAINED BY YOU Introverted ≠ shy. Extroverted ≠ outgoing. The two words are references to how the person is energized. Extroverted people are energized by people, and are bored to tears when alone for too long. Introverted people are energized by time alone and are drained by extended exposure to large groups of people. Your introverted pastor is likely an outgoing introvert, but 'outgoing' is a mode he has to put himself into. It drains his energy level. It is NOT a reflection of you...it is the way he is wired.

[BONUS]: He IS aware of the disconnection...and he hates it The downside of the internal processing is that your introverted pastor internalizes EVERYTHING, which includes the negative things. He very much desires to be connected to everyone at the appropriate depths a pastor SHOULD, but the very personality that makes him who he is makes it difficult to attain and sustain frequent connection.

He constantly thinks about the disconnection you feel, but he takes every bit of it personally. What seems like an oddity to an extrovert is a thorn in the flesh of an introvert.

Be mindful of these things next time you feel your introverted pastor dislikes you or intentionally distances himself from you.

Renewed to Steadfast [again]

Entering a week spiritually and emotionally exhausted changes your prayer. When the wind in your sails carries you nowhere, your prayer changes. In prayer, my heart remembered and prayed Psalm 51:10.

Create in me a pure heart, O God. Renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I prayed with focus on my need for a renewed spirit, but I got stuck on the phrase just after praying it. I had prayed that prayer many times. I have sung that verse several times. I had never realized what I did in prayer yesterday.

How interesting that something STEADFAST would need RENEWED!

It would seem, by definition, something that is steadfast would eliminate a need for renewal. You should not need to renew something that is steadfast.

But you cannot overlook the prayer. It is in scripture for a reason. It seems God is fully aware that our spirit and soul need renewal. It seems God renews our spirit, and he restores it to a steadfast state.

God renews our spirit to places where renewal is no longer necessary.

He never answers our request for renewal with, "But your spirit was supposed to be STEADFAST!"

Grace floods my prayer!

If You Could Bring One Fictional Character to Life...

If "bringing to life" is bringing to MY life, I choose Dr. Huxtable. You could have had the best parents possible, and you would still want Dr. Huxtable to be your dad. Even now, as I am beginning the long journey that is parenthood, I already think to myself, "Who needs parenting books when there are so many episodes of the Cosby Show on television and DVD?"
Today I watch reruns of that show and wish I had a pen and paper to write ideas and pointers on how to handle things in half an hour.
If I could bring one fictional character to life, it would certainly be Dr. Huxtable.
HONORABLE MENTION: - President Palmer (you just have to think this country would get FIXED) - Mary Poppins (how many times have you just wanted to snap your fingers)
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If YOU could bring one fictional character to life, who would it be and why?

Don't Love God Today

If God were still asking us today, "Do you love me?" (John 21:15-17), I am not certain of my answer...today.

I know the right answer. I know the answer I'd hope to give. I am not certain of my honest answer...today.

When I read in the word what it means to love God, I have to wonder in honesty if I really do love God...today.

If loving God is obeying all of His commands, I am not sure...today.

If loving God means taking up my cross to follow Him, I am not certain I love God...today.

If loving God means giving up my desire to be relevant, impactful, and known, I am not sure I love God...today.

If loving God means being in constant (or at least frequent) connection with Him, I am not certain I love Him...today.

WHAT I DO KNOW...

is that my heart longs to love my God. I do know that I have a desire to be a disciple and to hear from my Father as closely as possible.

I do know that my heart grieves the moments I am apart from my Father, and I crave connection when I am distant.

I know I love God, but my actions prove that untrue.

My God, please help me learn to match desire to love you well and truthfully with action.

Your Magical Tree

You have a magic tree; what does it grow?

Assuming I cannot answer, "more magic trees" I will say my magic tree grows money.

Boring, right? Perhaps! I sat here trying to be more creative, but realize all the things I want to do in this world take faith and trust in God, but practically, it takes money to make things in the world to move.

Imagine the good you could do! Imagine the world-change you could enact with limitless money! Imagine there being 'no poor person among us'.

I imagine if your magic tree grew money, the value would be something the world would attempt to steal. Like every good thing in history, a broken world would find a way to steal and destroy it.

Now I am wondering what I do with the value of hope in Jesus Christ that is neither magic nor fictional, but presently abundant.

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You have a magic tree; what does it grow? (be fun and creative with it...you don't have to take it down a Jesus Juke route like I unintentionally did.)