PARADIGM 153

Pure Joy...Everyday ?!

2010-01-22T12:02:00.007-05:00

I was recently faced with something, albeit a minor issue, that I was making into a larger one for myself. As I tried to figure out the best way for me to have a healthy perspective towards it, and then from there how to actually handle it, I realized I should look at my dilemma from two realistic viewpoints. First, God was using the situation to test me, my character, and my integrity. Secondly, Satan wanted to utilize it as an opportunity to get me to do something that would compromise who I am and who Jesus wants me to be.

And then I came upon this from the Bible:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
- James 1:2-3

What day do I ever go through without one or more trials of various kinds? - I call that life. But now I can look at each of these challenges as opportunities for personal growth in the form of becoming an endurer, a fighter, someone who sticks and stands firm for those things worth doing so. AND I can get over myself and look at this growth process with not just joy, but mega-joy.

Sort of makes facing tough things come easier and with a bit of appreciation. I can dig that.

"Be Still" Tuesday

2009-11-30T09:11:00.003-05:00

Three days ago, Black Friday. As I read my recent emails, today is Cyber Monday, the online retailers version of Black Friday. Nothing like a bit of instigated and unnecessary chaos to remove our focus from life's real priorities.

"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." - Psalm 46:10

How about we make tomorrow "Be Still" Tuesday?

I Would Have Enjoyed Hanging With TR

2009-11-24T10:51:00.006-05:00

With the few things I know about Theodore Roosevelt, he seemed to have been a fascinating man with a "larger than life" presence about him. Someone who realized that many facets of life are indeed part of a battle, which one has to take a stand and make a difference.

I certainly agree. I believe that we are all involved, whether or not we choose to be, in a grand battle of good versus evil. I am an ardent opponent of apathy and mediocrity.

When giving a speech in Paris in 1910, TR remarked:

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory or defeat."

Bravo and well said, Mr. President.

Incarnation version 1.0

2009-11-04T18:21:00.007-05:00

In the last few years or so, the end of October has now sadly inaugurated in the "Holiday Season", officially kicked off by Thanksgiving, it's centerpiece of Christmas, and the grand finale being the New Year celebration. The shopping ads pop up on TV while kids are still bloated from recent costumed candy acquisitions.

It's a nice time of year for most, even those not so concerned with things of a spiritual nature, because they get to engage in enjoyable giving. Indeed, for many, it may be the only significant giving event of their year. If not their only, then their most serious time to flex that giving muscle. Exercising one's giving muscle can be a very good thing - life changing even. Just as easily as a person can condition and utilize any muscle, one can do so in an ineffective or even damaging way.

People are making mass pilgrimages to overflowing parking lots and overstocked and overcrowded stores to add to overloaded credit card accounts to flex that muscle. Many will be on a journey to find the perfect gift for someone, racing to actually get a hand on an item before someone else in close pursuit, perhaps getting in an altercation of some sort, or maybe even butting into a checkout line with a death wish, in order to continue on to the next goal of acquiring the next perfect gift for another loved one.

Pheew! I get tired and a little sad just thinking about it.

The gift is presented and another's receiving muscle is exercised a bit (that other side of the previously mentioned process and a fun muscle to use) and sometimes soon after, that perfect gift gets used a little less often, or in some cases little at all, making it's way to a shelf or closet, later to be appearing at a thrift store near you.

This description certainly does not apply to many well intentioned, kind, and gracious Christmas gift givers, and I don't mean to offend them at all. But unfortunately, it does fit quite a number, and many folks just plain falling somewhere in the middle of Christmas giving muscle flexers. While pursuing the perfect gift, they've not succumbed to the pursuit by the Perfect Gift.

The Reason for CHRISTmas totally blows me away. What can I say about it - how can I or anyone else find adequate words to express the miracle and majesty of it? The truth is we can't; but we can try, and praise God in the process. I love the Christmas season and celebrate it in my heart all the year long because of what it truly means.

Let's back up in time quite a bit. God is in total delight creating stuff. Really cool stuff like pomegranates, dolphins, pelicans, and elephants (who doesn't dig elephants, especially baby ones with those cute little trunks and tails). He really loves what he's doing and is certainly in a groove, but he takes it to a whole different level. He makes man. Then he pulls out all the stops and makes woman. The man and woman are actually spiritual beings, made in God's very own image, unlike any of the previous and marvelous things he's brought into being. But the man and woman totally mess it all up, destroying the phenomenal relationship they enjoyed and shared with God.

Now go with me to Roman occupied and oppressed Palestine 2,000 years ago. Inside a cave the aroma of livestock fills the air as is typical of stables. A young woman and man are smiling at each other as a precious little newborn squirms in his mother's arms. They have been through so very much, but now the little one has arrived. The King of kings, Lord of all creation, lays there totally innocent and dependent on his parents for his care and comfort. Does that not just almost knock you down...take your breath away? The Father giving his Son. The Son willingly becoming a baby, to live among us, grow up to manhood among us, relate to us, teach us, heal us, cry over us. And then to be brutally tortured and killed for us.

This is what we refer to as Jesus' incarnation. He became man. The God-Man. 100% God. 100% man. He didn't give up any part of being God. But he willing allowed himself to experience the reality of humanity. He laughed, enjoyed friendships over good meals, made useful things with his hands. He felt thirst, was tempted, and experienced great anguish. He felt excruciating pain as whips and nails sliced through his very human flesh, muscles, nerves, and more. And then, like no other man, the God-Man, who from eternity past had enjoyed endless joy in perfect relationship with the Father, experienced separation from him as he was sacrificed for each and every sin of each and every individual, past, present, and future. That's you and that's me. But he conquered death and evil. He was restored to fellowship with the Father and is with him again. He has sent us the Spirit to help us.

That, my friends, is a gift. The Gift. No gift gets any more perfect than that. And that is CHRISTmas. May you and those you love and care about experience the greatest Christmas ever.

"Houston...we have a problem."

2009-10-23T00:38:00.012-04:00

PARADIGM 153: Houston, this is P153.

Control: Yes P153, this is Control. We've got you loud and clear. Everything OK? Over.

P153: Houston...we have a problem...

Control: Roger that, P. What's the dealio?

P153: Uh. Houston...repeat. I say, repeat, over.

Control: Copy that, P. I said what's up, Buttercup? Over.

P153: Uh. Houston? Is that you?

Control: If you mean Blogoshere Control, yeppers. But we're not in Houston. You're thinking of those NASA dudes. We're in... well never mind that. What seems to be the prob, Bob?

PARADIGM 153: My name's not Bob. And what's with all the pseudo hip talk?

Control: We're tech types so we're not so good when we try to flingo the lingo. Capeesh? Now what's the problem, or we'll have to disconnect. Haven't you been blog cruisin' lately? There are countless blogs that are in deep self-inflicted trouble!

P153: Yeah, yeah. No kidding. OK, OK. Well, I had announced a little while ago after not blogging awhile that I was back and going to blog regularly. I love to write, and I'm committed to having a quality blog worth people's time and effort, but I've not been blogging like I said I would.

Control: Oh come on! I thought it was something really serious. Hmmm, let's see how we can fix this...Oh, how about this? GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND BLOG!!!

P153: Uh, gee. Thanks. (Pure genius).

Control: Hey, lazy boy, I can hear your parentheses, thank you very much! Don't make me come out there from Monkey's Eyebrow and...!

P153: Where?

Control: Never mind! Just get blogging again and keep blogging! Control, over and out!

P153: Sheesh!

Intsy Wintsy, but Phenomenal

2009-09-18T17:31:00.002-04:00

I was driving to an appointment yesterday, when I noticed up in the left-hand corner of my windshield, an extremely tiny spider. It was about the size of a small tick and a kind of light tan neutral color. This little guy was staying on my windshield with seemingly little effort at all. I thought that was rather cool.

Not intending to hurt my tiny ride hitcher, but to satisfy my curiosity, I juiced my car a bit, and then a bit more, and... This amazing little creature was able to stay on a glass surface going over 70! And when I slowed and came to a stop, he merely walked off onto the top of my car.

What a simple pleasure. To be entertained by this minuscule (in physical size, mind you) miracle. To be able to glorify his Creator for his phenomenal design and creativity manifested in the little and so overlooked examples, such as my 8 legged passenger. I hope he made it back home and is still enjoying my car. Thanks God.

Learning from Julia

2009-08-11T14:07:00.010-04:00

I just recently went to see the new movie Julie & Julia, so get ready for a bit of passionate writing. Why? For one thing, it's hard for me not to most of the time. And in the case of this entry I've got a few reasons. One, I'm a food lover, used to work as a chef, and a big Julia Child fan, so that's a lot of fuel on the passion fire from the get-go. Two, I'm always fired up about leadership and people who contribute uniqueness to the world. Three, I'm just plain all-out passionate about passion, and this lady had it in spades.

Julia Child had so much to do with how we enjoy food today; she was an ambassador for not only leading many on their premiere culinary journeys from canned and bland processed food to fresh, but for those who got what she was about, which you can see in this film, she grabbed life by the tail and hug on for the ride, laughing and bringing others along with her.

She was a pioneer in communicating to those living outside the culinary Eden which is France, not only what to experience but how to make it happen in their own American kitchens. Pots that had only held grim and bland pot roasts were now giving birth to wonderful cassoulets (is it an accident that "soul" is in that word) with aroma and flavor that would peel the wallpaper right off of those abused and underutilized kitchens. And she did it with humble style, fun, effectiveness, and without taking herself too seriously. It wasn't about her, it was about fanning the flame of her passion as a genuine gift to others. She was infectious. Look beside the dictionary entry for "fun, vibrant, visionary, mold-breaking, disarming ambassador" and you'll find Julia Child's picture.

So why all the fuss? Are you kidding me? Not many achieve what this woman did nor in the way she did it. Isn't it so very easy to see the example this woman sets for us, or is it just me? All the things we attempt to achieve in ministry - effective leadership, vision casting, contagious passion, persevering against the accepted norm, humility, enjoying God's gifts...Julia seemed to get. Without any expert or consultant. She lead her way. And was loved dearly by millions.

When the film credits began to roll, the theater began to applaud. I happily joined them. Only God knows the heart, but to my knowledge Julia did not profess to know Christ. If that is true, and I won't know until I go to my heavenly home and look for her, the thought breaks my heart. What a life well lived. What fullness. She "got" so many things that so many "Christians" don't get. She made so many people happy to be around her. Just imagine what God might have done through her had she been a follower. I can just picture her slicing some fresh, aromatic mushrooms on her TV show and thanking Jesus in that unique smile invoking voice for his tasty gift from the ground, not a care at all of what her viewers might think. We can all learn more than a thing or two from Julia Child.

We all know Jesus loves food, and the dynamic of fellowship that surrounds a meal. We all know that he wants us to have a voracious appetite for the life he offers each of us and to others through us. There's really only one thing left to say at this point. Imagine it though with a certain unique pitch, tone, and a smile. Bon Appetit!

Thoughts On Turning 25x2

2009-08-06T11:29:00.002-04:00

Yeah, yeah, OK. Of course I knew it was coming. Intellectually. I still don't think I've actually absorbed it. Me, 50? A half a full dang century? No way. Yes...way. And then within a few days, two pop-icons die. Michael Jackson and Billy Mays, the Oxy Clean guy. Their age? Guess. Of course that hasn't a thing to do with turning 50; people all over are dieing at 50, 40, 30, and 20. But two celebrity dude passings in the news while I'm trying to transition into the next half century...sheeesh.

In many ways I feel better about turning 50 than I did 40. The big exception is that at 40, I wasn't 10 years away from 60. Ouch! Math always did hurt a little. But those last 10 have been chock full of adventure, accomplishment, and great experiences. Even the difficult things and the mistakes, God used for good.

I Googled "50 is the new..." waiting expectantly to see how Mr. Google would finish the statement. He offered its both the new 40 and the new 30. Yes! Thank you, Mr.G! Very cool. That kind of reflects how I feel. Even though the mirror insists on telling me differently, in my soul, I'm still more the 25 year old Steve than not. I'm basically that guy plus 25 years. And so many of the things I've experienced in the last 25 have enriched my life. So, I'll just be 25 Times 2 or Double 25, instead of 50. Thank you very much!

And huge thanks to King Jesus, because if it wasn't for him, I certainly wouldn't even be here writing this blog entry at the wise age of 25x2.

“Mission Control…Steve is Reintering the Blogosphere.”

2009-07-20T17:41:00.002-04:00

Wow. It's been so long since I've blogged that I'm kind of embarrassed. But hey, what good does any "shoulda, woulda, coulda" serve? Absolutely none. So, It's Nike time..."Just Do It." Besides, I love to blog. Hey; welcome back to me!

the freshness of renewal

2009-04-15T22:28:00.008-04:00

Spring is great. Really great. I dig it bigtime. It’s visually stunning. The aroma is wonderful. She’s the beautiful woman of all the seasons. The pretty girl among the different times of the year. Perhaps that’s why there’s “Spring Fever” and not “Winter Zeal”.

Life is full of seasons. My cohort and partner in crime that I pastor with has excellently applied it to our church life, as we partner with the Holy Spirit of God to grow our baby church hour-by-hour, day-by-day, soul-by-soul. Sometimes you feel the warmth of the sunshine on your face; sometimes the sleet pelts that same face with what feels like a thousand freezing bee stings.

Spring reminds me that God is reminding me that I get “do-overs”. “Watch, precious child of mine, and don’t fret. Yes, you’ve messed up things once again. But, that which is dark and cold in your life can become bright, warm, and sweet smelling again. My dear Steve, that’s why I walked out of that tomb on that spring day 2,000 years ago.”

I don't deserve even a single "do-over" or a fifth or sixth chance in anything. Remarkable, that phenomenon we call God's grace. I don’t think it’s any accident that Jesus busted forth from the cold shackles of death on not a winter, but a spring day. The most important spring day or any other day in all of history.

a stab @ on the spot poetry

2009-04-04T20:48:00.003-04:00

I belong to a Life Group in our church that discusses and seeks to learn and relate to art, our innate desire to create, and it's connection to our worship of God. Last week, we were asked to create something on the spot, having to do with that night's subject matter. Without anything in hand, I asked to borrow a pen and piece of paper. Although easier than asking to borrow paints, pallet, canvas, and easel, I am no more poet than I am painter. The following is what I wrote:

a prayer for this particular monday night

sometimes it's just so easy
to get drawn into the details
but in a sterile way
a rather dry fashion

and in the path of knowing you
and projecting you for others
become a mere technician

please don't let this happen, my King
let me love you
as you me
commune with you
as you me

not as a brash tactician
but instead
with ever so much soul

Stars

2009-02-04T20:46:00.013-05:00

I’ve been going to the Outer Banks of North Carolina since I was a little boy, and this gem of the Atlantic coast is an integral part of my personal history and much cherished in my heart. I went down there in 1996 to work for the better part of that year and I remember one night out on the deck, staring up into the sky and seeing a clustered band of stars across the sky, so thick that it appeared to be a “star dust” trail. I guess I was looking at the Milky Way.

I had never seen this before and was captivated. My location was remote enough and far enough away from the ambient light of any urban area, that the darkness allowed me to see stars that had been previously unnoticeable to me. I have heard that out at sea, you can see the sky as never before.

When Paul was writing to the church at Philippi, he entreated these followers of Christ to live without grumbling and bickering so they would shine like stars, blazing bright among a generation of corrupt and immoral people. Of course, we recall Jesus imploring us to be salt and light to the world, but this analogy from Paul’s letter from a prison cell may be unknown to some or not as easily remembered by others. Perhaps this may no longer be the case for those of you reading now.

We who put our very lives into the scarred hands of Jesus today should also shine as stars. We can do so at a time in history that at periods seems very dark. As the world becomes darker under the smothering cloak of sin, we in contrast appear even brighter. As sin continues to take its toll on the world around us, we who follow the very One who called the universe into existence are luminous to those who hunger for the Way. Just like that band of stars that covered the coastal North Carolina sky, we can blaze out to the people in the darkness around us and beyond as we “hold out the word of life” for them to ponder and pursue.

So take heart when the world is dark, because out of the darkness, God’s Spirit blazes forth from us, offering hope to a broken world. Shine on, brothers and sisters.

Targets Part 2

2009-01-14T21:47:00.003-05:00

Whether or not you share my yearning for hitting things with a round projectile, you have an aspect of target hitting in your own life as well. Everyone does. “What?!”, you say. “I’ve never even held a squirt gun.” Well maybe not. But the most important part of your life is directly connected to your aiming ability.

The Hebrew word hattat and the Greek word hamartia both mean “to miss the mark” and are translated in our English Bibles as the word sin. So in God’s eyes, to sin is to miss the mark in something we do or think; to be a sinner is to miss the standard he holds for righteousness. Scripture tells us that we have and will always miss the bulls eye, as we live out our lives before a perfect God who is the personification of absolutely scoring the bulls eye in all he is and does, from eternity past to eternity future.

The Bible also informs us that unless our target looks like God’s, we can’t actually be in right relationship with him now on earth, or be in his presence after we physically die. And we’re also told that there’s no way – it’s impossible – for us to ever hit the mark. To ever attain that perfect score. Our aim, by nature, is always off, falling short.

Here’s the fantastic news. When God looks at you, he doesn’t have to see your target. He can look at you and see Jesus’ perfect target instead. You can ‘trade’ targets with the only One who could make it possible for you to possess a perfect score. You see, along with the Perfect One, you’re dismal target was nailed to his cross so you could claim by faith his target for yours. You can be clothed in his perfection so that when God looks at you, he sees the sinlessness of Jesus. The total on-the-mark hitting of your Savior. Absolute bulls eye dieing in the place of pathetic fringe peripheral scoring.

And it’s not just a perception thing; not a pulling-the-wool-over God’s eyes. You can actually have Jesus’ sinlessness. That’s why he went through the agony of the cross. To die the death that’s required for the missing the mark of every single sin of every single person ever – including you. So that you can live victorious and free with his target instead of the one you were born with and make even worse as time goes by. That’s why they call it amazing grace. Completely undeserved. Partaken of by your faith – so totally free. Except for Jesus; it cost him his very life. But that tomb was empty and he was raised to life so that you can have life with him – now – and forever.

Targets Part 1

2009-01-07T00:20:00.008-05:00

Hey, I’m just a kid at heart. If you know me, that comes as no surprise. If you don’t believe me, just ask my wife. Boys like to shoot things. Sorry, but we just do. I don’t think it’s genetic or hormonal. Perhaps cultural; maybe societal. But sheesh, I wasn’t intending on doing this major exploration into why. It just is. Some girls like to shoot things too and the guys that like to shoot things think the girls that do are cool. Just a note if you’re single and like to shoot things (hey, I’m just trying to help).

You can ask my brother. When we were little (I’m 7 years older than he is) I had the coolest BB gun around. Needing something challenging and entertaining to shoot, naturally I looked to him. I don’t think I really wanted to kill a bird, squirrel, or rabbit. They were so cool and fascinating. They never drove me crazy; my brother did. Only made sense.

We would be out in the yard (we lived in a very rural setting) and I would tell him to run and that I was going to shoot him. Being his usual pain-in-the-neck self, he’d protest, so to propel him along his way out into a fair target zone, I threatened to shoot him point blank if he didn’t get a move on. Me being the excellent brother that I was, I further requested that he not look back at me, so I wouldn’t shoot him in the face (very hard to hide from my parents and also having more repercussions than a leg shot). I might score a couple of good shots, maybe with the reward of a good scalp bump. Excuse me a sec while I stop laughing...

Ok. Ok. So now I want to shoot stuff again. I don’t want to hunt. And making people holler ouch is much more fun. Remember, I speak from experience. I’ve wanted to try paintball, but I don’t want to be a paintball geek. I want to make my friends scream OUCH !, not stain their clothes. I can do that with a bottle of catsup. So I’ve heard about this thing called airsoft. The guns shoot little plastic BBs and you can feel it, depending on the circumstances. So I want to get a group together to do this. I think it might be fun. Teams. Nothing really serious. No face paint or camo. Well maybe later. Just some welts, bruises, and some good laughs. Running through the woods to get to a flag first, that buddy on the other team that frustrated me last week getting a few rounds of BBs on his backside as I make him head for the hills. You get the picture. More in the next post.

Happy first day of the rest of your life!

2009-01-01T23:12:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to you! Today’s a fresh new day of a fresh new year. Cool huh? People reflecting on the last 365 days and looking forward with hopes and dreams for the next 365. Some regret the last 365 and scheme about the next 365. Others do a little of both.

The calendar. Many exist and their contexts determine their format. We currently use the Gregorian calendar (pretty cool because my last name is Gregory) which numerically centers on the incarnation of Jesus (fantastically cool because he’s my Lord). Our calendar is tied to the astronomical movement of our solar system and mathematical science (sorry, but once again cool because God created the universe, all the laws of physics, and enabled man to develop mathematical systems).

Although an infinite person, God created time. Yet he is outside of the demands and controls of time, he himself controlling it. What a seeming paradox. But God does not contradict himself. Allow yourself to think about how God thinks about time. He says in 2 Peter 3:8 “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

It’s interesting to read the context in which this particular verse is written. Peter has just discussed “scoffers” expounding their doubts of God in the last days. These scoffers don’t have the benefit of being able to understand God, his ways, and his Scriptures because they are blinded by the enemy of their souls and the Holy Spirit isn’t present in their lives to enable them to “be transformed by the renewing of their mind” by God’s truth (Romans 12:2).

In contrast to that blindness, Peter goes on to refer to God’s control of events, changing the atmosphere to one of eternal perspective, and reminds his readers, his “friends”, that our God does not view time in the same way of those ridiculers. Continuing on, he exhorts us to live lives of holiness and peace with God and to crave our future heavenly home.

In this amazing section of Scripture, we see the viewpoint of those in critical opposition to God in contrast to the works of God in the past, present, and future. Christ-followers are reminded that God’s patience allows more time for people to be reconciled to him through the cross. There’s a warning to beware of those that take God’s truth and twist and distort it and an urging to grow via the grace and knowledge of our King.

Remember that somewhat corny saying, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”? Perhaps it’s gotten a bad rap. After all, isn’t it true? We are eternal beings and will live forever. Some with God and some not.

2 Peter 3 is a cool passage to spotlight on this first day of 2009. I came to it via verse 3:18 and one thing lead to another. What great truths to turn in our heads and hearts as we begin a new unit of time in which to serve our timeless God, who gives us eternity with him through the blood of Jesus. Have a great day and have a great rest of your life by way of the Way.

Ultimate Love

2008-12-25T14:12:00.000-05:00

Christmas Day. The day chosen to celebrate the ultimate gift. The Creator of all things coming to earth to reside among us. Immanuel. God with us. The King of kings born among livestock, an innocent baby. The mission of that dear infant to die an executioner’s death, spilling his precious blood and dying between two criminals more than three decades later. For us. The perfectly innocent dying so that you and I, the completely guilty, may live. The ultimate gift, the ultimate mission, propelled by ultimate love.

Thanks and praise to our King Jesus!

One of my very favorite quotes

2008-12-16T01:58:00.000-05:00

I love a good quote. I hold a great quote in even higher esteem. Truth is truth, and sometimes it’s amazing what unique individual God will use to pen the reality of something on another’s soul.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a French pilot and writer who only lived to the young age of forty-four, vanishing and allegedly perishing in his P-38 Lightning in 1944 while on a mission to gather intelligence about German troop movements in occupied France.

He was also a writer, and wrote and illustrated a children’s book, The Little Prince, in 1943. It has since gone on to become one of modern literature’s best selling books, translated in over 180 languages and selling more than 80 million copies.

Saint-Exupéry’s gift to me is this wonderful gem:

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea."

Bumper Sticker Uneasiness

2008-12-09T01:32:00.000-05:00

I saw a bumper sticker not too long ago. It read “Obama” with the date of the inauguration and the word “Believe”. That was a tad unsettling. Another image fairly fresh in my memory is seeing people during the campaign emotional to the point of tears in the fervor of the promises of their candidates. That was a bit disconcerting. And then there’s the church message series banner we hung out on a major thoroughfare in Annapolis which had the picture of Barack, Jesus, and John on it and the question, “The face of Hope? You Decide”. Someone later came along and made the effort to vandalize the sign. No, not spraying it with graffiti or putting mustaches on the faces. Nor pulling it down to be left silently on the ground. They choose rather to leave the sign hanging just fine, with the picture of Jesus cut completely out and removed. Some might find that alarming.

What I’m referring to here has nothing to do with a candidate. Although I didn’t vote for him, I think Barack Obama is definitely well intentioned and has the country’s best interests at heart. I’d like to attend his inauguration to be a part of an important moment in American history, but I won’t because I don’t think I’ll get anywhere near the action (if you’ve got a free ticket, let me know). I think having our first African American president is a milestone that breaks down barriers that are more than overdue and may even help toward the healing of racism in our country. And any man or woman who’s my president will get my support and prayers as the leader of our nation.

What I’m referring has everything to do with the followers. About the object of their trust and the rationale behind their fervent tears and shouts from their bumper to believe. Don’t they realize that these are only just people? Granted, very talented people, but nevertheless, people just like them. Don’t they realize that one human being, no matter how powerful the office they hold, can’t solve all the problems that face our country and the world? Don’t they understand that there are just things the government can’t work out? That there are issues that are beyond the resolution of human effort?

Can't they consider that perhaps the answer is in a supernatural solution? That the object of their believing should be in a supernatural Person. And just perhaps the intervention of that Person in the lives of their candidates, the life of our new president, and in their own is what can make the difference. Bring about some needed changes. I believe in leadership, most certainly. And I do believe that one person can make a significant difference. But not without the divine. Not without the guy cut out of the banner.

Say Merry Christmas...to the Bottom of My Shoe

2008-12-03T23:43:00.000-05:00

Ah...Christmas is in the air...the words of the prophet Isaiah whirling in our minds...thoughts of our Savior laying peacefully in his mother’s arms... the smell of a freshly cut spruce...children creating their wish lists...people stressing about the upcoming balance on their credit cards...the heated breath of the person next to you as you’re bunched together in a swarm at 4 am in the morning awaiting the opening of a retailer’s door while the Thanksgiving turkey you recently consumed is still digesting in your body....pheeeew!

Yeehaw, buckaroos! The doors open like a rodeo gate as a throng of “Holiday Shoppers” enthusiastically burst their way towards that one, two, or fifteen absolutely needed items that will make their Christmas giving faultless. Shopping carts whiz by like cars at an Indy 500 race start. A person falls to the ground and still they trudge on and over as the person beneath their feet takes their last pre-Christmas breath.

Absolutely amazing. That a mob in a “civilized” country can overrun a store employee to the point of death in the name of Christmas gift giving. What's going on? Instead of giving, the crowd has taken a life. And that’s just one horrible report. Although no one else died that Friday that I know of in shopping related incidences, I can easily guess that things got nasty and heated at some retailers across the nation. Two men shot each other dead in a gunfight at a Toys R Us in California after the women accompanying them got into an argument. But we still don't know if the dispute was related to their shopping.

Now for those of you that I personally know that went out on infamous “Black Friday”, don’t be offended. I did it myself a few years back for one item for my wife and I. I never got the item. Some people were coming from the back of the store with two of them in their cart. They were out when I finally made it back there. And don’t call me a hypocrite either. I’m not talking about people calmly and politely utilizing the opportunity to save some money or secure some special gifts for their young ones or some other significant people in their life. And besides, I said I would never do it again (never say never) and still think it’s a form of self-torture if you do. But I’m sure that for every nasty-spirited crowd, there’s scores of more peaceful ones, as many have told me.

But what about those others? Shopping around with a scowl on their face. “Hey you, the line’s back here!” “I had my bumper pointed at that parking space first!” I think we should be celebrating (many of us do) the real meaning of Christ-mas all year long. How did we get so far away from the true meaning of Christ-mas? How do people forget that the very giving they’re doing for Christ-mas is a celebration of the Ultimate Gift to all of us? I know we live in a society that spends beyond its means like it’s Christmas all year long (don’t worry; maybe Congress will bail them out). You think some folks would think about that around this time of year, be thankful, and experience a mind change and thus a behavioral change. Perhaps contemplate a spiritual change. But I guess it makes sense that it would perpetuate more of the same. Kinda sad.

Oh, and now I’m told that the Monday after Thanksgiving is now known as “Cyber Monday”. What’s next? A bunch of web bandits hacking into the myriad of online transactions performed that day and by sheer volume of new cyber-vandal opportunity, illegally score thousands of items, access credit card accounts, and drain bank accounts? Ho, ho, how-in-the-world...???

Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness…sometimes.

2008-11-24T22:05:00.000-05:00

Every once and awhile I get a good idea in the shower. Think about it. It's a wonderfully creative atmosphere. There’s plenty of water for thoughts to grow. A nice warm and humid environment like that of a greenhouse. Why shouldn’t it be a place where ideas can push through the soil of the mind and sprout?

It’s practically replaced the bath of centuries past, where I’m sure many great thoughts came to birth and fruition. Like practically all guys, and most people, I don’t take baths. Perhaps that’s why everyone’s so hyper-stressed these days. More time needed in hot water to melt those anxious thoughts away and foster the percolation of worthwhile ones. But the shower still provides some level of relaxation and besides, it’s also a fairly quiet place to think, unless you’re a crooner.

Not too long ago I was in the shower and God gave me this little gem. Remember, it's not mine but his (and no, I’m not claiming divine revelation, so relax and go take a bath). But he's loaned it to me so I feel OK quoting myself - "The discovery of truth is not a point of one’s own genius, but the dispensing of the grace of God."

Part 2 of Many Ways from Point A to Point B

2008-11-22T21:05:00.000-05:00

In a culture and country filled with mediocrity and so many individuals devoting their entire lives to absolutely nothing of actual substance and value, the Christian is commissioned to be the ministerial mouth, hands, and feet of Jesus. If our relationship with our Lord is healthy and we are growing through the Holy Spirit, we certainly realize that we’re to live in an attitude of one that’s 180 degrees from indifference and run-of-the-mill living, and bring the message of the Gospel to others. We are to be salt. Salt brings a dish alive, as passion does a person. We are to be light. Light blazes and energizes, as passion does a community.

Spiritual passion ignites and drives a disciple to do the work of Jesus. But passion is always rooted in something or someone. Food. Money. Success. Servanthood. Power. A lover. A leader. God. Our passion isn’t intangibly or vaguely based. It’s found in its connection to the Object of our faith.

Would our Lord have us go about our work for him with anything but a passion fueled by the Spirit? But a cook doesn’t always feel passion when spending a night behind a line of stoves where you look down at your pocket thermometer and it reads 120 degrees in your jacket pocket. It’s not always about feeling great. It’s about the big picture that drives one ahead in good times as well as the difficult. The same for the disciple.

But we’re not to forge ahead as a disciple of Jesus in a state of confusion. If one chooses to stand at the stove and attempt a dish with absolutely no clue as to how to do so, she can’t successfully proceed one moment further. Trying to wield a razor sharp chef’s knife without knowledge in how to do so is a great way to lose a finger or two, or worse. It’s no different for a follower of Christ.

I think it’s so very cool that as Paul lists all the spiritual armor for the disciple, the only piece that is used in an offensive capacity is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. In your mind’s eye add to the example of the untrained cook a Roman untrained in sword warfare. Imagine him swinging that thing wildly, only to unintentionally plunge it into his own flesh, or some innocent bystander. So the minister of God must not only know the Word, but know how to use it. And one must start somewhere; I think that’s to be a foundational knowledge of that which God took the loving time and effort to reveal to us – his written Word.

I have more respect for an atheist who can vehemently tell me why he is one than a Christian who has no idea why he believes what he does nor can share that why with someone else.

And so I’m referring to not only that foundational Biblical knowledge of who God is, who we are in Christ and so on, but the ability to passionately share that revelation from God with others, who whether they know it or not, are starving for it. And unlike the cook, we have the Holy Spirit, God himself, to guide us in our understanding of what he has to say to us in Scripture. And he doesn’t stop there, but makes himself available to equip us to incorporate that very Word into our own lives and make it available to others as they see it lived out in our life application.

So I hope my comparison of a cook’s world and that of a minister of Christ is one you can relate to. There are so many other ways to express these ideas; you can plug in so many different occupations to make the same case. But as a chef who taught others how to cook, I was fervent about expressing the need to the novice in acquiring the cooking knowledge and understanding base and then go and express himself. The sky was the limit in what you could prepare and you’d save time, wasted effort and food, and frustration along the way. You could cook safely for you and for those you fed. The work of a ministering disciple is more practical, even more possible, and infinitely amazing. Bon appetite!

Many Ways from Point A to Point B

2008-11-07T00:51:00.000-05:00

Part 1 of a philosophical comparison in two areas of endeavor...

I used to work as a professional chef. I later sold food and cooking equipment, and taught people about cooking. I mention these things to merely point out that as I share a philosophy and comparison of mine, you may consider me qualified to do so. If not, perhaps read on further and contemplate anyway.

One role and responsibility of a chef, the most important, is that of a cook. You see, a chef is a managerial, leadership role. A cook, not necessarily so. A cook must know how to do exactly that - cook - and execute his station with passion and proficiency. If the second violin doesn’t come in on cue and in tune, the entire orchestra (kitchen) suffers. It’s the makings for an ear wrenching symphony.

You can go to school to learn to be a professional cook. It’s certainly possible to excel as one without formal training. So one cook trains at a great school, works her way up the ladder in many restaurants, becomes a superb cook. Another works his way through a few great books on cooking, labors on his own at the stove, and has a better way around the kitchen then the average cooking school grad. He may arrive at the same level as the schooled cook in a fraction of the time. Perhaps a “foodie” has a natural knack for the knife, whisk, and stove and is able to jump right into the fray of a commercial kitchen after much less experience than most. Whoever the person passionate for food, and whatever the culinary path they walk, a few things are certain.

The cook’s desire has to be fueled by passion. First, you must have the longing to take quality raw food ingredients and create a dish pleasing to both eye and palate. But to bring that desire to fruition, you must have a strong, solid foundational knowledge of foods, cooking techniques, and what happens when you combine the two. This foundation is not only built in the mind, but by hands-on experience - tasting, smelling, touching as a one progresses. What happens when sugars are exposed to certain degrees of heat? Why can fish dry out, even though totally submerged in a poaching liquid? So, the knowledge is honed through experience and executed with excellence.

And is it any different for someone who ministers? I’m not only referring to those who do so as their occupation, but to everyone who is a believer in Jesus Christ, freed from the penalty of sin by faith in his death in their place. Because the Bible teaches that every member of the body of Christ is called to ministry. I’ll continue in Part 2.

a Thank You to My Bride on Our Day

2008-10-03T16:43:00.000-04:00

Sixteen years ago today, the most incredible woman in the world pledged her love and life to me and I to her. It has been a fantastic and fascinating journey every day since. I can honestly say that my Nancy is the finest person that I know. Over the last decade and a half plus of our years united in marriage, and for those preceding that, she has demonstrated to me time and time again the love of Jesus.

Baby, thank you for making me such a happy man. Thank you for showing me everyday in so many ways what it is to love someone more than you love yourself by the things you do and the way you do them. Thank you for taking this adventure with me. How in the world did a guy like me manage to get to have a girl like you? God is so very good. Happy Anniversary, Nance. I love you.

Soul Surfing

2008-09-25T22:28:00.000-04:00

I'm proud to call myself a surfer. No, not the web kind. The wet kind. I've been a fan of the wave since I was too little to really handle them. I'm not very pumped to say that I'm not a very good surfer, but that will come in time.

A long time back when I used to subscribe to Surfer magazine, I would often read about friction between two distinct camps - the "pro surfer" and the "soul surfer". You could be a member of both at one time, but that wasn’t likely, plus it could create internal and external conflict.

The pro surfer was a "shredder" who traveled the world on the pro tour circuit, making a living doing what he or she loved; sometimes making more than a decent amount of clams. He had all the right moves. A technically fine-tuned riding machine. But he also had to deal with the pressure to get and keep those telephoto shots in the magazines, and the clothing, flip-flop, and board sponsorships. The beauty of the pristine barrel would gradually disappear in the blur of bucks.

And then there was the soul surfer. Maybe he could rip, maybe not. Maybe he was an older guy on a duct tape patched longboard, riding the nose at a nice waist-high break, the sun setting warmly on his shoulders. He knew he just belonged out their in the lineup, waiting for the next set. Or paddling out with just a buddy or two, enjoying a secret spot that only they and the dolphins knew about. He’d take the time to teach somebody the art of wave riding. It didn’t matter that the world didn’t see him ride. He was on cloud nine even though standing on fiberglass. He was made to be out there.

Sometime the pro would yurn for the sponsor-free days of soul, recalling riding for the sheer delight of it. Maybe he'd drop off the tour scene and reconnect with a lost love. Sometimes a talented soul guy would get tired of missing a good day of waves shackled to the desk or counter, and would go on the search for wave fortune and fame.

I’m honored to call myself a pastor. I don’t mean that in an egotistical way; I consider it a privilege to be engaged in the work of Jesus in this capacity. I think there are soul pastors and pro pastors. Let me make a couple of things very clear before I continue. I think it is Biblical for a pastor to be financially compensated for his work and every church needs to make sure they are on the same page as God when it comes to this area of stewardship. But I’m not talking about that. I’m referring to the individual pastor’s heart and mind. His motivation. And the character behind that motivation.

I don’t believe Jesus ever intended the pastoral call to look like some of the ways we see it played out in the everyday “workday” of “professional clergy”. I’m not saying that it’s wrong for a pastor to have an office, a schedule, an assistant, and the many other things that are borrowed from the corporate structure of the western business world. But many pastors have disappeared into the CEO hole and have dropped their staff (the shepherd kind). Taken their eyes off the sheep. Lost their pastoral soul. They’re walking a career path, not a sheep path. Where’s the next opportunity for advancement? How are my numbers in the pews and with the budget? Do I have enough quality sermon material for a book?

Let me make another disclaimer here, at the risk of breaking my stride. I don’t want to be misunderstood. There are many who have answered God’s pastoral call and sacrifice daily in ways you can’t imagine. I’m not talking about them. I’m just letting you know I know they exist.

For the surfer, in my opinion, if you ain’t got soul, you ain’t the real deal. Whether you pay the bills that way or not - doesn’t matter. You've missed it, lost it, or never had it. Same for the pastor.

I’ve been playing in the water of the Outer Banks of NC since I was 11 years old. I remember a few years later, as a young man, wanting to be out on one of those surfboards being ridden by those guys. Remember, surfing wasn’t nearly as popular out East as it is now. They would just do such cool things. Rip it up. Get some air. Ride the lip.

And then there was Delbert. An old guy (shoot, he was probably only in his early 30’s tops). He had a very well maintained beer belly. His board was long when that wasn’t the rage. And he just rode in with a classic pose. Maybe walking up on the nose. Didn’t wear the latest fashionable board shorts. I can still see him in my mind’s eye. Delbert was just authentically cool. There was a sense that he had forgotten more about surfing than most of the guys around him knew. At least he was in-tuned to the important stuff. He had soul.

I never met Delbert, but I saw him out there many times over a few years. I really regret not ever talking to him. My guess is that if God had called him to be a pastor, he’d have made God smile alot.

The "Nines" and Bumper Wisdom

2008-09-03T17:51:00.000-04:00

I'm a bonehead. Yeah, that's me. A bonehead for Jesus. Being a bonehead can sometimes be an endearing thing; sometimes I'm just a pain in the neck. Just ask my wife. There are days I need to walk around with a sign around my neck that says "I'm sorry; I'm just a bonehead saved by grace." And then there are those days when life has just kicked me around like a soccer ball.

On those days, whether I'm the culprit or the victim, or perhaps a tad of both, I can always count on one thing. When I arrive home and open my front door, two delighted pairs of eyes, accompanied by happy wet noses and smiling tails of high wag velocity are there to greet me and remind me that to them, I'm the greatest thing since rawhide.

The "Nines" ( short for canines) as I affectionately refer to them, greet me with doggy shouts of "Gee dude, we missed you!" , "Don't ever go away again, we can't do without you around one second.", and "Nobody - not anybody, has the job of loving you like us; sit down and let us show you." That's, of course, if you understand caninese, which I and a few others are privy to. Oh yeah, I forgot one of my favorites from Jake & Sophie: "We could care a less about what you've done wrong, lick, slurp!" Ah...unconditional terrier love - with a bit of fuzziness to boot.

You know how every once in awhile, you're treated to spotting a fantastic bumper sticker? I recently caught one, after a long great bumper sticker dry spell. It read: "Lord help me to be the person my dog thinks I am." Enough said.

"O brothers, here art thou!"

2008-08-23T20:32:00.000-04:00

Last week I had the extreme pleasure of attending the Innovate Church Conference at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, with my two fellow pastors, Donnie and Ryan. What a phenomenal time! Absolutely incredible. Before I even continue, my thanks once again to Donnie, who was kind enough to take us there.

Two incredible areas of blessing come to mind as I reflect back on last week. One, this was the first get-away for the three of us since God has joined us together as a pastoral team. It was an intimate and fun time for us to get to know each other better, to grow and learn together, and to just plain laugh at and with each other, which we did quite alot of. Some of the main events took place in the worship hall and more than once I made the comment, amidst much laughter mind you, that we were probably going to get bounced out of there. We didn't. God loves a good laugh. I will always treasure those personal times with two great guys. I trust it's only the first of many.

Secondly, this conference was so full of events, speakers, workshops that it was almost impossible to not be blessed. I was in wonderful ways. There were times of great worship. To hear from the likes of prominent church leaders such as Rick Warren, Chuck Colson, and Jim Cymbala were incredible. Some of the guys in the workshops were inspiring to hear from too. Two major areas were reinforced to me through these men of God.

One, the work that God has called me to, no matter what the size of the tasks at hand, begins and depends of the health of my own soul before God. It starts at virtual home central, in my heart. The health of my ministry and leadership is directly proportional to my very own spiritual health. So, Stevie-boy, stay very close to Jesus. Thirst after the things of God. Always be a man after God's own heart.

The second area of significance was of being entrusted with God's truth. Of guarding it. Of effectively, unswervingly communicating it to a world that doesn't recognize truth anymore. A society that no longer places significant value on truth. A culture that believes that there is no absolute truth; that has ripped its definition out of the dictionary and thrown it away in the garbage bin. To many people, perhaps most, in our western post-modern culture, all truth is relative and not even up for grabs, it matters so little or not at all.

In contrast, here we are, the church of Jesus, the body of Christ, entrusted with the Holy Scriptures of the Most High, ambassadors to that very world that rejects the Absolute Truth. We need to ask God daily to write his Word on our hearts, transform us by the renewing of our minds, and share it with a community, a country, a culture, a world drowning in a sea of lies. What a privilege for us. What a daunting task. Only by the grace of Jesus. Pheeew! Thank you, Lord. And thanks for the great time with my brothers last week.

The Name Explained

2008-08-20T17:22:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, perhaps most of the time, we think we have a lock on the best way to do things. Being a disciple of Jesus doesn’t make me exempt from this; it actually opens me up to outside attacks from the enemy to take things into my own hands, rather than to depend on the loving instruction of my Master, the Author of all truth.

Peter was a fisherman and it’s more than fair to assume that this guy knew how to fish. He and his cohorts were doing nothing wrong in the way they were fishing. Did it actually make more sense to merely cast the net over the other side of their boat? I’m thinking not. Any fish at all, merely a hull’s distance away from the net’s current placement? But that distance might have well as been a thousand miles away, for it was the expanse between their finite understanding and the infinite knowledge and perfect will of the Creator of themselves, the wood their boat was made of, the water they were afloat upon, and the very fish they purposed to catch. That very Creator who stood a short distance away onshore.

Many times over the lifetime of one who follows Jesus, he is going to ask us to by faith, to rely on his grace and truth to accomplish what he wills for us. Sometimes those tasks will be the ones we need to do in order to serve him in humble obedience. Other times, it will be to relinquish our own “expert” understanding of something we are most familiar with, in order that he may simply provide for us in ways that will simply amaze us. I’m not merely referring to the material requirements of life, but of the spiritual requirements as well. If we open up our fists, clenched around our own efforts, and instead embrace the grace of God, he will never cease to provide our every need and to amaze us in doing so.

Peter, in all likelihood, was a tough dude. Being a fisherman is not an easy task. He was at times stubborn and unfaithful, but it’s easy for me to imagine him as a big guy, sometimes making big mistakes, with a big heart. Personally, I can’t wait to hang out with him in heaven. I love the fact that as soon as he discovered that it was his Lord on the shore, he couldn't restrain his urge to get to Jesus. He jumped in and headed for the Master. Peter simply had a heart that lovingly thrilled to the person of Jesus. I want to thrill to Jesus like that. I want that jump in the water and swim a football field to get to the feet of Jesus kind of passion every moment of my life.

Peter was pumped. After the boat arrived, he pulled the net to shore; this is the same net so full they collectively couldn’t pull into the boat, due to its abundant catch. I’m guessing it’s easier to pull the net through the water than up into a boat, but it was still no easy task. And the net didn’t even tear. It probably should have, most likely under normal conditions would have. But not then. We are told that the net was full of large fish, not puny, dinky ones. Not the throw ‘em back kind. So take note, OK? But John’s account also says that there were 153 of them.

Now I just dig this 153 thing! No, I don’t think it has any special, mysterious, spiritual meaning. And for me, therein lies the coolness. For me, it’s tremendous that in the recording of this miraculous event, God decided to mention the exact number of fish there were. Amazing! Our God is a God of details; he knows the exact number of hairs on our heads. He’s concerned for the tiniest little sparrow. He doesn’t miss one single solitary thing.

When Peter had arrived onshore, Jesus already had fish cooking and bread to accompany it. After the others arrived, the Lord invited them to breakfast and fed them. Our King is all about relationships. He sat down and visited with them. What better way to hang out than a feast on a beach. He was even inclusive about the blessing they had just received by his grace in asking Peter to bring some of the catch over.

The world has its own whirlwind of patterns, belief systems, models, values, and assumptions. They are not of God. They do not honor his truth. Sometimes, but rarely, they may very dimly reflect a small bit of the truth they have so greatly distanced themselves from over millennium. They each have their own idols they bow down to. And their end result is loss and death.

The paradigm of the God-Man Jesus is in direct contradiction to these. For those of us who partake of the grace and truth of the Lord Jesus, he offers delights beyond our own feeble ways and understanding. He provides all of our every needs. The blessings are huge, mind boggling, and life changing. He can make our hearts leap with joy and amazement. The Holy Spirit empowers us with the tools for a dynamic life with him, and those tools, unlike ours, don’t tear. He wants to sit with each of us, individually, and collectively, and feed us. He wants to delight with us in the excitement of his blessings. He is concerned with every last detail of our very lives which he has designed for his own glory. The Jesus paradigm. The only one of truth and love. The only one that answers the questions of life. The only one that offers exciting, abundant, eternal living. That is what this miraculous account reminds me of. And so therefore the name of this blog.

What's In A Name? Sometimes Alot.

2008-08-16T13:18:00.000-04:00

OK. I know exactly what you’re thinking. Really. I do. What in the world does the name of this blog mean? Thanks. Because that’s one of the reasons behind the name. Actually, the name is very dear to me, having been in my heart and mind for sometime. It was once the name I had come up with quite awhile ago for a ministry I wanted to start. Some years have passed and God has recently given me a wonderful home at Centerpoint Church. And in that context, this name finally finds itself attached to a ministry, my personal Centerpoint blog. So I am most thrilled.

So. Paradigm 153. Why? Well, let’s first take a look at what the word paradigm means. The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as “a set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them,” Another definition from Webster’s is “an example; a model; a pattern.” We now have to go and have a look at the events recorded in the 21st chapter of John’s gospel in the New Testament. It’s a very cool account as John closes out this wonderful book of the Bible.

Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples and some of his friends decide to go fishing. But they come up empty handed after that night’s efforts. Not fun. The next morning, the risen Jesus stands on the shore and calls out to them, asking if they’ve had any success. Not realizing it’s the very Man they’ve been following for years, they reply no. Jesus tells them to cast their net on the other side of the boat and they’ll find some. They do. The net becomes so full of fish these guys can’t even haul the net into the boat.

When Peter realizes it’s the Lord who has given them this instruction he's so thrilled he can’t even consider waiting to bring the boat in to see Him. He throws himself into the water with what I imagine to be extreme delight and swims the length of a football field to get to Jesus on the shore, who already has a fire burning and breakfast prepared. At Jesus’ request Peter gets some of the fish from their catch. John records that there are 153 large fish contained in an untorn net, implying that such a catch would normally have broken a fishing net as theirs. They all proceed to have breakfast with the King of kings at his invitation.

That’s where I’m going to leave this for now. If you like, I’d suggest reading the account for yourself, and while doing so, you might as well just finish the remaining part of the chapter. If you don’t have a Bible handy, go to BibleGateway.com and use their online Bible.

In my next post, I’ll explain why the blog name comes from this passage and what it means. In the meantime, turn your own ideas around in your head.