January 5, 2012

25 years ago I imagined…

By twoznek

…Doing what I’m doing today. 25 years ago I knew I needed Jesus. That is the essential element to Christianity. Jesus did what we could not do, and He gave us what we did not deserve. That’s grace. That’s mercy.

When I accepted Jesus I knew I wanted to teach the Bible. Fitting that this coming Sunday I’ll be talking about the Gospel, what it is and what it isn’t. People struggle with the simplicity of the Gospel. That its free, that it’s by faith. To often we want to add hoops, dress codes, music limits, etc. That’s not Gospel. I’m enjoying the study of Galatians. It develops a picture of a mask vs grace, a prison vs freedom.

When we add rules, regulations, “standards” to the Gospel what we have is a masquerade, not freedom. Jesus came to set us free, not to put us into another prison. For 25 years I’ve had the joy of walking with Jesus. No regrets, definitely some bruises and tons of joy. This last year what stood out the most to me is the need to keep the Gospel first and the Gospel central.

So, I’m in my home office studying for my first sermon in Galatians. I imagined 25 years ago teaching the Bible and loving it. By God’s grace, that’s what I’m doing. It’s a God thing more than anything, but I’m grateful He let me imagine that 25 years ago. It makes today all that more special.

Psalm 100 ESV
1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

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December 28, 2011

2011 Why not Wednesday? Top post

By twoznek

Why Not Wednesday was a creativity theme for the blog. This year’s top post was about an album by Lutes & Liars. I had the privilege of enjoying this album when traveling across the country to my new home in Michigan. You can read about the album here:

http://twoznek.com/2011/06/22/why-not-wednesday-by-land-or-by-sea/

And, you can get the album here: http://lutesandliars.bandcamp.com/

Leave a comment | posted in Why Not Wednesday?

December 27, 2011

2011 Issue of the year… Civility…

By twoznek

I spent much time talking about civility and public discourse in 2011. Offline discussions with friends frequented that topic as well. Here in chronological order are posts about the topic of civility and public discourse. It’s interesting that when I started blogging on this topic that soon aft wards it entered into the public lime line with the shooting of a congresswoman.

http://twoznek.com/2011/01/06/a-return-to-civility/

http://twoznek.com/2011/01/11/civility-civility-where-art-thou/

http://twoznek.com/2011/02/24/book-review-decisions-points-by-george-w-bush/

http://twoznek.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=795&action=edit

http://twoznek.com/2011/09/06/civility-is-a-marathon-and-we’re-out-of-breath/

http://twoznek.com/2011/10/19/occupy-whatever-the-problem-of-protests-morality/

Leave a comment | posted in Life & Learning

December 26, 2011

2011 Look Back… Top posts…

By twoznek

It’s fun to look back at all the blog posts for 2011. The last half of the year was sporadic given a transition into a new leadership position. One of the biggest posts is:
http://twoznek.com/2011/06/21/a-new-chapter/

Most viewed posts of this year was:
Book review on Think Orange. Hardly a week doesn’t go by without this being viewed:
http://twoznek.com/2010/04/05/book-review-think-orange-by-reggie-joiner/

Top post for 2011 was on civil discourse and social media:
http://twoznek.com/2011/03/01/civil-discourse-conflict-and-social-media/

Ironically, the second most viewed post dealt with conflict and social media:
http://twoznek.com/2011/07/12/man-up-why-i-agree-with-mark-driscoll/

Civility, or the lack there of, was a major issue in 2011. In various events it seems America could use a lesson on how to interact appropriately with each other. For sure, over reactions or mis-understanding fueled tirades filled most of the year. Hopefully that won’t be the case coming into an election year…

Leave a comment | posted in Life & Learning

December 15, 2011

The next thing…

By twoznek

Fresh paint makes the old stand out. Once its done you see the next thing that needs to get done. Once that’s done you see the next. Cleaning up a house or building is like growing in Christ. Everything can’t get done at once. But, once you finish one thing, the next thing stands out. Here are a couple things to think through as you head into the new year…

Plan
Set up a growth plan. Keep it simple, doable, and big enough to stretch you. People often get scared or short-circuit with words like “review” or “evaluate.” Developing a growth plan serves the same function but has an added bonus: A growth plan focuses on where you’re going and can do, not where you’ve been and fall short. This is why Disney focuses on growth plans instead of annual reviews.

Focus
Complete a step that will push you to the next step. It’s like dominos. Focus on what’s going to propel you to the next thing when you’re done. Watching dominos fall is sweet when things are place and well executed. The big secret to focus is saying no. The power of no is a stronger yes.

Celebrate
Rest and enjoy your work. God made us to work and He made us to enjoy life as well. People who are driven would accomplish more by trying to do less. For example, many people who are big into physical fitness overwork themselves. This prevents them from achieving the goals. They’re over working. A trainer of mine said most people who are into working out would become stronger if they did less.

Do something
If you’re clueless where to start, just start. The advantage of planning is that its easier to change with a plan than without one. The big thing about just starting is humility. Ask for help. Sometimes you need someone to just say, good plan, go for it. To quote photographers, the best camera is the one in your hand. Just get started.

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December 13, 2011

We’re starting back up….

By twoznek

Back in September I began the process of deciding where to take my blog. I haven’t written much since then because to post to just post something doesn’t make sense to me. While consistency is king for blogging, posting to just post doesn’t make sense. I invested time in reading about blogging and other pastors who blog or tweet. Here are some conclusions.

Blogging is legitimate
I listen carefully to older saints, and they make a strong point on younger people in ministry writing about ministry. Some go as far as to say younger people shouldn’t. I obviously disagree with that. Here is why, we need one another. I think a wise person is able to weigh what a person says. Sometimes I find older people forget the rawness and energy of starting out jus as younger forget to look and listen from the mistakes of older saints. I view blogging as a community exercise. We need many voices.

Blogging needs to avoid hot issues
One peace of advice given is to not blog about hot topics if you’re working through them in your church. This is a big issue I looked at as to blog or not blog. I like to blog about what I am passionate about. I also recognize there is a church audience that can read this blog. This is amplified by my liking to discuss new ideas. Obviously there are things I need to avoid and the question is can I blog and avoid them. To quote my son: I think I can. (For the grammar police, peace was chosen specifically.)

Blogging is writing
I like to write. I enjoy it. Pretty much that is why I started blogging. I’m not so concerned with building an audience as I am in enjoying the writing and refining ideas. There is much to right about, such as developing ideas I had to cut from a sermon, book reviews, or things God is teaching me.

The bottom line:
I’ll try to blog about 2-3 times a week. It will continue on the line of life and ministry.

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October 19, 2011

Occupy whatever… The problem of protests & morality

By twoznek

News and discussions about the Occupy Wall Street abound. It brings up larger issues in my mind. I’m a bit fearful of political leaning posts as they tend to be polarizing, so as in all things I ask that we listen. My point is simply this: Protests rarely if ever lead to reconciliation and forcing morality rarely leads to real change.

He who whispers speaks loudest
The biggest problem with protests is they’re not heard. That’s right, not heard. “A soft answer turns away wrath.” Very few people, especially strong leaders, respond favorably to in your face, vehement approaches. We ignore those who nag or shout at us. Protesting is both of these things. It lacks civility. While I’m glad I live in a country that we can protest I do not think we should.

We’re all hypocrites
Occupy Wall Street is protesting itself. The protesters are just as broken as those they are protesting. We’re all broken and we’re all guilty. Wall Street and our government. It seems the greater injustice is how many of us have remained naive at how our society works. We elected officials based on rhetoric then truth. The way we made our lives complex propelled the consumerism and greed. It seems one side greeds for money the other for things. While one side decries income disparity, it seems the other can decry coveting. It’s the same sin.

Legislating morality
Legislating morality often doesn’t work. People choose what moral issue they wish to legislate. Why is legislating how one uses money more important than protecting life? Yes, bringing abortion into this is bringing in another polarizing issue. But, one of the criticisms of the pro-life movement is you shouldn’t legislate morality. Dealing with life, those who are anti-death penalty argue that the death penalty isn’t a deterrent. That’s not the issue, justice is. Why is justice more important with money than with life? Why is it ok to legislate morality of money?

We the people…
The problem isn’t the 99% vs 1%, its the 100%. The role of government is to maintain a just and peaceful society. It is a key reason why Paul instructs us to pray for our leaders in 1 Timothy 2. A key aspect and provision in our society is innocent until proven guilty. Are we affording that protected right in our country to Wall Street? The real question shouldn’t be aimed at Wall Street but the role and effectiveness of our government.

Pawns & being played…
When people are shouting they are not listening. When no one listens you have chaos and not reconciliation. As Christians our aim should be reconciliation. Chaos creates a large avenue for more injustice. When we read on totalitarian movements siding with the Occupy Wall Street movement, and the bigoted statements that are coming from the movement it gives me great pause. Getting even is a lousy motivator and leads to injustice. Often it brings out the “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Life isn’t fair & income mobility
There is evil in the world, and not everyone is dealt the ideal hand in life. The freedom we have in our country can allow a poor orphan to become one of the greatest CEO’s. While one may say that is an acceptation, I disagree. The Bible says if one does not work one does not eat. Hard work, making wise decisions and not giving up plays a big role. We have a choice to be a victim or to embrace obstacles as challenges. We have a choice to blame someone else, or to take responsibility for our own lives.

The bottom line
Seek to whisper and be heard. Seek to live a quiet and simple life. The problem is really us. When everyone is shouting no one is listening. When everyone is seeking their own rights, the path to reconciliation is blocked.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in The Gospel, Theo...

October 17, 2011

Manic Monday: Out of time?

By twoznek

We are all given 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to accomplish God’s will. I often find that people who get burned out in ministry often do so because of time management. There are times when people have taken on too many ministry assignments, but I’ve found that to be the exception rather then the rule. I find ministry burnout is often a result of an over busy life. Here is a prescription for ministry burnout:

Redeem the time Ephesians 5:15ff
A key aspect to spiritual maturity is how one uses their! To be godly is to be wise and to be wise is to be godly. God gives us each the same amount of time. It takes discernment to utilize our time. It takes wisdom to live a simple life.

Learn to rest Psalm 46
A key aspect to utilizing our time is to wait upon God. We too often think that business is a mark or spirituality. Sometimes the most spiritual thing to do is rest. Remember, God is God and we’re not! The danger of not taking the time to rest and just plain ‘ol stop is we forget God. Busyness is the vaccine against relational intimacy!

Learn who you are Psalm 139
Let me be frank, you cannot do anything you want. God wired and artistically designed you as a unique creation that brings Him glory. He’s given you a combination of gifts, passions, abilities and experience unlike any other. Pursuing and understanding how God designed you is key to utilizing your time. Take time to name your purpose and values in life. They help guide in saying yes or no to things.

Start walking Ephesians 2:10
God has a plan for you life. The only way to discover it is to pick a direction and to start following it! You can’t steer a still ship. Trust in the fact that God has a plan and pursue something. God has a way of showing up and guiding you in the adventure called life. Remember, salvation is secured on the cross. Sometimes we think in making decisions about our time we may make the wrong one. Relax, make a decision and pursue it. Even our mistakes God uses to shape us into the image of His son.

Helpful resources:
Here are a couple of resources I found very helpful in navigating how to redeem the time. I’m sure there are others and what works for me may not work for you, but it’s a start.

http://www.thinktq.com/
http://www.franklincovey.com/tc/resources
http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/Home/home.htm

Leave a comment | posted in Life, Manic Mondays

October 6, 2011

iMac, iShuffle, iPhone, iMourn

By twoznek

I remember getting yelled for handing in a dotmatrix printed school report. I was told I MUST write in cursive because that is what I’d use in a job. I replied I hope to one day not have to write by hand because iStink at it.

One of my few memorable shopping experiences as a kid was with my dad visiting the store that sold Apples. My first was an Apple IIc. (For those of younger generations, it ran by putting in 5 1/2” floppy disks.) I remember the advent of the mouse and the creative fun that could result. I developed my love of writing & stories, and of design. In school they had the next best thing Apple produced, the Mac.

In high school I had the privilege of being on the technology committee, was the first to use CAD in design & architecture class via a Mac that had a whopping 2mb memory. My home Mac was a performa, while slower and less robust outperformed my PC beasts needed due to college. Lesson plans, study guides, school reports, and of course writing stories all done on a Mac. My college years with a PC, not scottish. Out of college, I went back to the Mac.

I remember the days when people said the Mac was dead. I also remember the days before the iPod and the iPhone. I loved watching keynotes because they were just awesome. They got me thinking about what I loved most, ministry.

Men love their tools, and my tool of choice is the Mac. It reminds me of the importance of substance & design, of creativity & usefulness. God designed us to create and to work. God designed within us an appreciation for design. Just gaze at sunsets and you’ll see what I mean.

I don’t always get God’s plan. Great minds are rare and each generation is lucky to have one or two. We appreciate the image of God in them, accept their flaws, and pray their soul matches their greatness. The thing about death, it points us to the hope of all things being new.

I appreciate Steve’s story. I appreciate the work he did that makes my job easier and more enjoyable. I thank God who gives us people unique abilities which keep life interesting.

Ok, iCal is telling me its time to get back to sermon prep….

Leave a comment | posted in Life & Learning

September 29, 2011

The Devil is in the tech -or- why you need books & original Languages…

By twoznek

Today is one of those days!

Both of my computer programs are not working and websites I use are not working as well. Even on other devices/confusers! Yep, weird. Sermon preparation is part of spiritual warfare just as preaching the Word is. Here’s the thing…

Books don’t crash… Minds do…

I’ve always used original languages as much as possible in my teaching preparation. As I stepped into a lead pastoral role, the urgency to keep my mind sharp on Greek increased. Before I relied on technology. Take your mentor’s words of wisdom and use technology as a back up or resource, not as a main stay! Some, like myself, are not adept at language. Still push yourself and don’t quit. God called us to be ourselves, but there is no replacement for original languages. When technology fails, you’ll be thankful.

Build a solid library of books as well. Granted that technology will increase in our lives. But, the Devil is in tech and while skeptics may say coincidence, coincidence happens A LOT during sermon prep. (Also true of church copiers on Sunday mornings!)

The bottom line: Build a solid library. Keep your mind sharp. I’m glad I have other resources to prepare when other things fail.

Oh, one more thing… Be grateful to those mentors who push you to excel! It’s for days like mine when things just don’t come together but you’re still confident in preparing to preach the Word. Training for ministry is a sacred trust. Be a good steward of that trust and be thankful when a professor pushes you hard. I had a great team of mentors. I’m glad they pushed hard.

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