Author: twoznek

Husband...Father...Pastor...

Why not Wednesday: A not so perfect start

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A professor of mine wrote a quote on the whiteboard that shattered all thinking in the room:

“It something is truly worth doing, its worth doing poorly.”

Yeah, but…
Even now I bet you are thinking “yeah, but…” The classroom filled with those kinds of statements. The prof, as is normal for teachers, sat back and smiled at the ensuing discussion. We are, after all, trained to think: If you can’t do with excellence, don’t do it at all.” We are, after all, taught that doing something poorly might result in not being able to try it again.

Some, after the prof’s enduring silence, took the statement to mean: “You have to start at some point.” The ‘yeah, but…’ statements kept flowing, though. These transitioned into the statement being an excuse for pool quality. We were left at a loss because the statement was still on the board.

A poor start
Remember the early days of Toyota, Honda, or Hyundai? They were known for poor quality. They rose to the top. Recently, Hyundai is starting to edge out Toyota and Honda. They started poorly, but all three came around. Here is the meaning:

They key words are “truly” and “doing.” Some things are not truly worth doing- like crime. Some things are truly worth doing- like saving a life. Doing gets things done. An idea or potential is just that, an idea or potential. They mean nothing until you act, that’s doing. Helping meet transportation needs has true worth. Toyota, Honda and Hyundai started to act. They made cars, and the did it poorly at first.

So what, do it!
What ministry adventure would you like to do? Is it truly worthwhile to take that step? Then do it! Because you start poor does not mean you have to stay poor. You can grow, you can learn, you can overcome- if it is truly worth doing. I am not saying this will be easy- it may be very painful.

This week as we’re looking at how ‘Not Perfect is a Holy Thing,’ the theme is how God used people who had epic failures. Practically speaking, it is better to act now, even though you may not be ready or may even make significant mistakes. Why? Because if something is truly worth doing, its worth doing poorly. Pursing God is worth doing, and though you may not have it all figured out or even know what you’re doing, what may start as poor can turn into something incredible down the road.

The bottom line:
So, start now, and don’t be afraid of making mistakes! Greatness or excellence is not the absence of failure or mistakes.

Not Perfect is a Holy Thing: Abraham

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Person: Abraham
Epic Fail: Took maters into his own hands
God’s View: A man of faith

If you’re the type that needs things figured out before pursuing something: STOP! God calls people to do things even when the person has no clue what to do. Abraham is such a person. God told him to rise up and go to a land that He’d show him. Pack up, move, I’ll tell you later. Abraham as a holy man.

God’s Choice Man
Abraham and his descendants succeed for one reason: God chose Abraham. The story starts in Genesis 12 and following. God promises Abraham land, descendants as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and blessing. Abraham and his wife had one son, Isaac. The path of his descendants would not be easy, rising up out of a land that was no their own.

Anyone who blesses Abraham’s family would be blessed, anyone who cursed it would be cursed. Abraham is the father of two great nation groups: Israel- sons of Isaac, and Arabs- sons of Ishmael. Wondering in the wilderness, God protected and prospered his family. Being the patriarchal head of Israel, Abraham is a hero.

Abraham’s Failure
Desperate for God’s promise, Abraham took maters into his own hands. Abraham was promised an heir, but at 100 years old He did not see it happening. Earlier Sarah talked Abraham into sleeping with her concubine Hagar to produce an heir, called Ishmael. The descendants of Isaac and Ishmael do not get along, as evident in the Middle East today.

God’s final view
God does not call Abraham a failure. Hebrews 11 describes Abraham and his descendants men of faith. They were not perfect men, but they were faithful men. To this day we deal with the consequences of Abraham taking maters into his own hands. God does not call Abraham a failure. Romans 4:18ff describes God’s view of Abraham:

In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Abraham was holy not because he never sinned, but because he pursued God.

Not Perfect is a Holy Thing: You and I

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Person: You and I
Epic Fail: Pick any sin
God’s View: Holy

If you think God cannot use you because you’re not perfect: STOP! God uses imperfect people. Heroes of the Bible are viewed as heroes because of God’s grace and a heart of repentance. While some will be rewarded more than others based on the quality of our work, God will make us perfect and sinless one day. This week we will look at how ‘Not Perfect is a Holy Thing.’ People who had epic failures, and yet they pleased God. People like you and I.

Think process not product
The focus on holiness should be on the process of being who God wants us to be. The New Testament often speaks of of growth. Jesus used the analogy of the vine. Paul uses the concept of a body or a building. Maturity is not described as an event, but more the process of repentance. The Bible describes our walk with Christ in organic terms, and not as a college course. On this side of eternity holiness is about becoming like Christ. It is a process, not a product.

Holiness is being set apart. Think of it this way: If I do not sin am I being holy? I am being the person God wants me to be? Am I pursuing what He wants? The people listed in Hebrews 11’s were imperfect throughout their lifetimes and had epic failures. God’s final mention is one of admiration and pleasure because of their faith. Their success occurred from God choosing them for His service. These imperfects were set apart. God made them holy. God used imperfect people.

Epic fail: pursing perfection
We want our heroes and ourselves to be perfect. Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin on our behalf. This is the perfect picture of grace. Grace is the measure of a biblical hero. Grace focuses on on what God did. The heroes in the Bible were not perfect. People in life and in scripture succeeded and became highly esteemed because of His grace. Heroes in the Bible failed in epic measure, but that is not God’s final verdict! Pursing perfection is pursing self; pursing holiness is pursing God’s grace.

The Apostle John states: ‘If we say we have no sin then we lie.’ He goes further and states that the truth is not in us. Being sinless misses the mark. There is more to holiness than perfection. I would go as far to say that holiness does not equal perfection, though that is not a license to go sin. Holiness has more to do with purpose then perfection, pursuit instead of destination. All sin is covered by the cross. Real failure is the lack of repentance.

God’s final view is done and will be done
Our position in Christ matters a great deal! Once we are in Christ we are declared holy. God views us as holy. When we see Christ face to face we will be holy and lacking of all  sin. All of this is based on what Christ did, not what we did or didn’t do. God’s final verdict on you and I who are in Christ is one of sinless perfection. This position is eternally secured by Christ and sealed by the Spirit. It is done.

Here is God’s verdict on you and I: “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil 1:6” It will be done!

Why Not Wednesday: God speaking

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God speaking through a burning bush sounds good right now. Whispers from God are nice. The Balaam route? I’d say sounds crass.

God speaking through angels is scary, uhmin and thumin weird. Jonah’s route, i’d like to pass.

So the Bible I sit and read-giving not my wants but what I need. Though it’s powerful and yet so meek-God tells me to praise Him this week.

So we crave things for a look- instead God gave us a book. Not epic things to grab attention-but powerful words for retention.

Oft I fold my hands to pray, now reminded of His way. God speaks to me from His Word and it tells me my prayer is heard.

Why Kids Ministry: Part 2 (And most vital)

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The wonder of children

What’s that, Daddy?
~ Jadon

How often have you heard someone wish to be a kid again? Kids are the gateway to being a kid again. They are live novels in process. We get to be an editor, a writer, and a reader.  There is an infectious nature of kids ministry that the church needs, fresh eyes! The wonder of life is new to children. With the loss of newness we often lose the wonder. Serving kids brings back wonder.

What?
What is the question of discovery. It tries to figure out the uniqueness of an object.  Curious adventures of children take on names. Names answer what. It is more than a name. Kids delight as they can now say what so captivates their attention. Take sky, for example. It is the name of a massive canvas of wonder and adventure, from color, to birds, to planes, to cotton balls suspended in bliss, to the falling of snow on your tongue. Just because we know the name doesn’t mean we should stop asking what.

Why?
If a name were not enough, children remind us of the importance of philosophy, history and theology. They do not use such grandiose words, but those are the fields of study for a child. Simplicity is not the removal of complexity, just try to answer a child’s question of why. Why, a most simple question leading to the most intriguing conversations, amusing anecdotes, and cunning epiphanies. Answering why drives us to the most important aspect of learning, the inevitable ‘I don’t know.’ Just because we’re busy and grown up doesn’t mean we should stop asking why.

Jump up!
You know you want to! Now you’re feeling self-conscious, it’ll pass. Children don’t read into things too much. Yes, this is a result of being naïve, but not always. Children love delight, they love fun. The curse of sin made life hard. Children remind us of what life is to be and one day will be for sure: delightful, fun, engaging. So, jump up! Children do not take themselves seriously because play is serious work. Play is exploring possibilities, seeing what can be done, and just having fun. Play is not entertainment, that gets boring. Just because we’re self conscious and mature doesn’t mean we should stop jumping. (On a bed or couch is most fun!)

Hugs…
Kids understand what is most important. They understand that people matter most. Just because we’re adults with various responsibilities doesn’t mean we should stop looking for ways to bless others.

The bottom line:
Why kids ministry? Because we are forgetful. The crime of lacking a vibrant kids ministry isn’t the loss of a new generation. The crime is we have lost our own. Ask what. Ask why. Jump. Hug. And, if you forgot how, then ask a kid because that is what they do best. It is how kids disciple you and I. We cannot afford losing the wonder of life and the God who made it.

Why Kids Ministry: Part 1

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The Value of Children

A Child is a person who is going to carry on what you have started. They are going to sit where you are sitting and when you are gone, attend to those things which you think are important. You may adopt all the policies you please; but how they are carried out depends on them. They will assume control of your cities, states and nations. They are going to move in and take over your churches, schools, universities and corporations. All your books are going to be judged, praised or condemned by them. The fate of humanity is in their hands.
~Abraham Lincoln

I highly doubt a church will come right out and claim that children are not important to God. The adage is true, however, actions speak louder than words. It alarms me that only one out of four churches lists reaching children as a priority. The church, like the society it dwells in, does not value children. Note Barna’s transformation in his chapter entitles I mist the Ocean:

Yet somehow the wisdom and necessity of seeing children as the primary focus of ministry never occurred to me. In that regard, perhaps I’ve simply been a product of my environment. Like most adults, I have been aware of children, fond of them and willing to invest some resources in them; but I have not really been fully devoted to their development. In my mind, they were people en route to significance—i.e., adulthood—but were not yet deserving of the choice resources.

An audiotape of Barna’s workshop describes the reality of this problem. Barna was surprised at how many pastors called and asked if the workshop on children could be moved to a more “skippable” spot because their time was so valuable. Barna purposely placed the session on children in an inconvenient place for people to skip it, thus it confirming his findings.

The problem  will continue to grow
Given advances in medicine and the standard of living, the adult population is continuing to grow. 1993 marked the first year where there were more senior citizens than teens. This trend can be partially attributed to the millions of humans who have been aborted. As the adult population grows, the propensity to gear church ministries primarily to adults will grow. What can children contribute to church finances or church growth? The results of this attitude leave children largely on their own. The mere lack of role models for children points to this issue. Marva Dawn’s states:

What makes the battle so intense in the present world is that so much of life is becoming ambiguous, chaotic, fearsome, unmoored. Consequently, people cling more desperately to whatever idolatries seem to them capable of freeing them from pain, confusion, weariness, or meaninglessness. The powers function to twist such things as efficiency, money, or fame into the gods of our lives, and thus God’s designs for good are distorted, corrupted, and deflected into contrary purposes. Our neighbors in the world (and we, in spite of knowing better) wind up with the ultimate concerns that are trite, violent, enslaving or flimsy. These goals will never ultimately satisfy or repress our deepest longing; they will never alleviate our aching bone-weariness, satiate our galling thirst, or pierce our bitter darkness.

A generation that did not know
What happens when a society does not reach its young ones is disaster. Judges 2:10 states that “another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works He had done for Israel.” This is a very easy thing to do if one does not know God nor the things that He has done. With biblical literacy low, many 20-year-olds leaving the church, and church statistics are as dismal as the world. It is becoming safer to say that a new generation grew up that did not know God nor the things of God.

The bottom line
To have a lasting impact on the world one must reach people when they are young, when they are children. Jesus’ words carry more urgency today than ever. Not showing children the way to Christ is another way of hindering them. Mediocrity in the pew comes from lack of diligence in to the cradle. If the “kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these,” the church needs to give serious attention to reaching and equipping the emerging generation.  Millenials search for spirituality and significance may be grasping for the God they know to be there whom they were not clearly told about.

Dad Power: Prayer

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I love praying with my boyz just before saying goodnight.  Dads must pray for and teach their boyz to pray. We end our prayers with an excited AMEN! We joyfully talk to God, as we know He delights in children. There are three key things I always pray for them: they would grow into strong men of God, to be protected from all harm, and to be kept from the evil one.

Strong men of God
Asking God that He would save my boyz is not enough. I do not want fire insurance for them, my heart wants firemen! I disagree with the adage ‘boys will be boys.’ It is wrong. Boys will be men! What kind of men will they grow up to be? My boyz need to be the men God designed them to be. Regardless of their career, they can still be godly, but godly is not enough. I want them to be strong men of God. I desire that they can fully say God is my God, and not just my dad’s God. I pray that they would pursue God and the challenges He puts before them with all eagerness.

Protected from all harm
Sometimes I slip and say keep, but what is the act of God keeping or protecting? As a parent I don’t want to see my kids go through difficult challenges, but I know they will. I ask God to protected them because I don’t want to seem them defeated. My desire is my boyz will go head long into challenges and grow from them, not be harmed from them. My boyz will go through painful and challenging times. I pray they grow as a result, and not be destroyed or disheartened.

The evil one
Being a dad means I am in a fight against satan. He and his cronies gun for kids. It is no cliché when Jesus taught people to pray ‘and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ God led people into temptation, though He does not tempt. The Holy Spirit lead Jesus to be tempted by Satan. God did something similar with Job. Well, I like Jesus’ instruction. I ask God that He would not do that with my boyz. Their depravity is enough to get them into trouble!

The bottom line
A praying dad is essential. Life is hard. The only way to get through life is a strong relationship with God, not just for us as dads, but also passing that down to the future generation of men.

Are you special?

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I soaked in two ‘articles’ about being a specialist. In the first article, the end of 60 Minutes raised the question about the lack of family doctors compared with specialists. In the second article, D.A. Carson wrote on the trials of biblical studies. He raised the issue of theological scholars being too specialized and neglecting their study of other fields. The problem is not specializing but the loss of understanding the whole.

Look beyond
Often the ideas and solutions needed for your field are not found in your field. My dad made sure that I did not get ‘stuck’ in one thing. He wanted me to have a very broad and vast array of experiences to pull and learn from. This developed into a strong desire for learning and the ability to look at a problem from a variety of vantage points.

Read elsewhere
When interviewing various leaders in children’s ministry I asked what books on children’s ministry they recommend. They had recommendations, but without fail they all said the best ideas and books were not children’s ministry books. Read widely and read broadly. One conference a speaker suggested not reading everything in your field. Few books pass the test of time. Read those kinds of books.

Life is complex
The problem is not people specializing. Our culture and the vast sharing of information pushes that to happen. There are advantages to being a specialist. But, with every advantage there is often a disadvantage. The culture turned into multiple fragments. Life is a complex whole. Just think of all the news stories about unintended consequences from a solution implemented. Are we lost in the details as a culture?

Jack of all trades
We need Jack! We need people who have a broad understanding across multiple fields. They may be masters of none, but they have an understanding of the bigger picture. In thinking through the two articles and other past experiences, I agree we need more generalists, more “family doctors.” They may not be the best at fixing a particular part, but they help us avoid negative and unintended consequences from being too focused. They help us appreciate the forest and the broader work of art known as life.

Why not Wednesday? Play

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A professor told me clearly: “Play is a child’s job.” Well, really, its ours too. Think of it this way, how much did you learn while playing?  Take some time and answer these questions while thinking about how you can bring ‘play’ in your life:

1) What games did I enjoy playing the most in life and why?

2) What was my favorite toy? What adventures did I have with it?

3) What aspect of your job now relates the most to what you played as a kid?

4) Ok, what toy did you not get as a kid that you wished you had? (did you get it?)

5) When you played, did you ever think about the social, political, scientific, and job related skills you were developing? (hmmm…)

6) How many “problems” did you solve in your imaginary or gamed adventures?

Pursuing Learning And Yearning

To be godly or not to be, that is the wrong question…

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God or Godly Character? Is it a matter of balance? How do we address the fact of God changing the inside verses outward appearance and conformity? In discipleship and teaching there is a tension between these two.

Where we are at
Within the North American Church there seems to be a dichotomy between theology and practice. Such a focus tends to make church man centered rather than God centered as people focus on what is seemingly practical and ‘skip’ the foundation that sustains the practical. The high value we see for practical, application, “easy to do” gives evidence to this dichotomy. At the same time, I’ve seen dead orthodoxy where the Bible and theology are taught, but frankly it is dull and seemingly not applicable to one’s life, just tons of data. Theology is not a data dump.

Where the Bible points
The pattern we often see in Scripture is that as people encounter God (theology), their lives change (application). In Joshua chapter 1, God explicitly tells Joshua to know the law cold (theology) so he may be careful obey it and have success by following it (application). Paul instructs Timothy to be watchful of his teaching (theology) and his ministry (application). Theology at its core, its very essence, is encountering God. Encountering God demands that we change as we realize who He is. To separate theology from application is to create a dichotomy that does not exist in Scripture.

Bottom line
We act (application) based on what we believe (theology).

Perhaps if our eyes become more attuned to God and our relationship with Him, that correct behavior will follow. That is the pattern we see in Scripture. Your faith has healed you, go and sin no more.