Authentically Passionate - Organic Faith

Maybe this is one of my biggest concerns and passions in life...

I think when people find Jesus they find the greatest Treasure of all time. I think they ought to be radically overjoyed and overcome with awe, thankfulness and much more that can't even be put into words. I think that this genuine thrill of knowing and loving and serving Jesus ought to be so great that it spills out of them in life wherever they are. Not 24/7 necessarily because they still struggle and mess up and have hard times etc., but as a general rule of their lives, the people who know them should say they are amazingly grateful and overjoyed about Jesus.

Now if they genuinely have experienced the joy of knowing and being known by Jesus then they will want to obey his call to spread that 'good news' and joy around. They will desperately want their friends, family, co-workers and the whole world to know this Treasure that they have come to know.

I think this is what exploded 2000 years ago as the church. A group of people like I just described were so contagious that they grew and grew and grew. Not without it's problems or troubles but still and organic, authentically passionate thing called the church that was multiplying and spreading joy all over the place. "Filling the city (and the world) with their teachings."

Early Christianity spread so fast that it really impacted the whole known world at that time. So much so that as Christianity grew it, of necessity, became institutionalized, organized, programmed and slowly and imperceptibly, it lost it's organic nature, it became a machine instead of a plant. Sadly, this allowed it to become a religion made up of beliefs and practices instead of being a satisfying relationship with Jesus.

Of course, this isn't as clear as saying that organizing and programming bring death and we should work to destroy all organization. In fact, the places that I have seen that thrive, full of organic life and passion (including the church in the book of Acts) have plenty of organization and programming. But they don't allow it to become their reason for existence or to overshadow the true, real, authentic, relational side of things.

I long for church to be like what I see in the book of Acts in the early church. A church that is filled to overflowing because it's people are filled to overflowing with a genuine love for Jesus. A church that organizes and programs in order to facilitate more of this wonderful relationship with Jesus for us and for others.

James

A couple weeks ago my interest in reading God's Word for life and joy was renewed. This morning I came across a few verses which seemed very rich spiritual food.

Here they are:
"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Jam. 1:21,22

There is a society-saturating voice, filled with all kinds of garbage that I am not supposed to listen to. For me, this includes music, TV, news, and more that is simply full of evil. Instead of letting that voice flood into my soul, I am to invite the voice of God, through His word. Get it in me, accept it humbly, and do it. That simple...that complicated.

"But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard but doing it - He will be blessed in what he does." James 1:25

When I live according to the advice and voice of the world, my life tends to fall apart. My inner world tends to be filled with anxiety and not peace, with discouragement and not joy. My outer world bears the regret of sowing and reaping poor choices. But when I choose to fill my life with God's truth and live according to it continually, my life tends to reflect the blessing of God. My inner world tends more to life and peace and joy. My outer world reveals the blessing of good choices and God's hand.

Reminds me of Psalm 1

One of the Most Significant Experiences of My Life

I thought I would blog about a handful of experiences that seem significant to me over the 34 years of my life.

The first one I remember is a bit depressing. I remember very distinctly one day realizing that life had gotten very confusing lately. I was around 12 years old. I felt lonely, dark, empty and lost. I noticed an inner ache that would not go away. I found myself searching for acceptance from my friends as I had always done but now there was something more at stake. Something within me was clearly broken.

Over the next couple years I found myself searching in everything I could think of to ease the 'ache' I felt. I pursued all the things that promised fun. They were fun in the moment I experimented with them; in fact, they seemed to work; the 'ache' would go away for a while. But then it would come back, usually stronger than ever. The things I was trying were only masking the 'ache'; they were taking the edge off the pain but not dealing with the symptom.

Somewhere along this time I become fascinated with the book of Ecclesiastes. It describes a man who looks for meaning in everything he can think of. He is a man who has access to every pleasure and adventure a person possibly could in his day. He comes to the conclusion that everything is meaningless. That nothing in this life satisfies. That it is all "chasing after the wind", pointless effort. Money, romance, adventure, work (like a great big project)...all leave him empty.

Here I was, 13 years old and empty. Believing that life was meaningless. Numbing out my inner pain with the "fun stuff" of life. At this time many of my friends were also struggling to find happiness. I had many deep conversations with them and I discovered another shocking thing. My friends all wanted something...more money, more popularity, a certain girl to like them or a perfect romance, a better family (parents not divorced or a brother that didn't beat them up, etc.). They seemed to believe that if they gained this thing they were searching for then they would be happy. Their pursuit of "more" became their life ambition.

My problem? I had it all. I was popular, had girlfriends, had money, had a great family and had discovered that all that this world has to offer doesn't satisfy. My conclusion? If nothing could fill the 'ache' in my soul and I would have to spend the rest of my life going from one "high" to the next to numb out the pain, then life was not worth living. I became very suicidal. Badly wanting to end my life and relieve myself of a life of misery. I became consumed with either dying or numbing out the pain. I would stay up as late as I could, being as busy as I could because at night in my bed, before I went to sleep, the 'ache' seemed the worst.

This is my memory of Junior High. Not very pleasant but filled with laughter, games, craziness. On the outside, anyone would have pegged me as one of the happiest kids around.

Then somehow, a Teen Missions flyer ended up in my hands. I don't know if my parents (who are Christians) found it and got it to me, if I got it at my church or if it came in the mail.

A Lot More Life Ahead

I recently read a book about elderly people who have chosen to live out their senior years with purpose and passion. I was struck with the incredible amount of accomplishment can take place after the age of 65. Many of these folks are teaching, leading, managing, mentoring, writing, creating and so much more. They have chosen the path of continual renewal. I guess what amazed me was that I normally only think a few years ahead. What if I live another 40 years? That's a long time to be useful at something. What should I be learning now, doing now and practicing now so that I will be most fruitful then?
It makes me want to learn another language, take another degree, study and memorize the Bible more and discipline myself more rigorously. I know my life might be very short but I want to live it as though it will be very long...just in case.

What Should Moose Javians Do Today?

This morning I am preparing for our church services.
I am thrilled about what God might do today in people’s hearts and homes.

I can’t imagine another event that is more important than engaging in authentic worship of God, receiving the joy of being part of a bigger family and applying truth of God’s Word to my daily life.

How has the church become irrelevant to so many people’s lives when it is so easily available and so potentially powerful? One of the greatest tragedies of modern culture is the relegating of the church to useless.

I blame church missional drift. We have slowly left our primary purposes. We have left our first love. We have cooled off one degree at a time. Let's renew our vision for why we are here, let's grab hold of it like we are desperate and let's pray and fight and work like crazy until the church is what the church is meant to be.

I long for the day when the most important hour of the average Moose Javian’s week is centered on God’s worship and God’s word. Our lives would be far richer!

May everyone who goes to church this morning be thinking to themselves afterwards, "I wouldn't miss THAT for the world!"