4 Years and Incarnation

This past week marks the four year mark of my family's move to Olympia to become the pastor at Reality Church. In some ways our life in Vancouver feels like a lifetime ago, while in other ways the past four years seem to have passed like the blink of an eye.

Recently I came across some thoughts I had penned within the first two months of our move.

I’ve lived most of my life in the NW, growing up in the Portland/Vancouver metro area. But there’s just something… how do I put it… special… about this city.
 I love the water- Capitol Lake, Budd Inlet, Percival Landing, the bubbling fountain.  I love it all.  Especially on those spectacular summer days when the sun sparkles and the sky beams blue, everything is just so bright.  Can you tell that I haven’t lived here during the dreary drip called fall-winter-spring?
 I love the bumperstickers.  Pro-choice, pro-life, republi-demo-indie-crat?  Some weird ones, some funny ones, and some that are down-right bizarre.  But, you know what?  I am never bored sitting at a red light anymore.
 I love the environmental spirit.  Whether it is the undercurrent to support local businesses, the local Co-op, or the plethora of walkers, bikers, hikers that I see, something deep within me resonates with a heart to care for our world. 
 I think the list could go on and on- great sandwich shops, a top notch Farmer’s Market, and who can beat the view of the Capitol building lit up at night overlooking the city?  She’s definitely a knockout.  While I’ve only had an Olympia address for two months, I hope that my family and I will put down roots here for a long time.  Each passing year will bring more new discoveries and short cuts to find the fastest way to the Westside, but there’s nothing like the first few weeks and the fresh eyes it brings to see a city for the first time.  And, from where I’m standing, I like what I see.  I like it a lot.

As I read those thoughts this past week, something struck me about the nature of my initial impression and my expressed affection for the city. Amidst all my words and the things that I loved, I found one glaring omission: people. Sure, I still love the buildings, the spirit, and landscape of Olympia. But now, after four years, it's amazing how many names and faces have been woven into my story. The greatest part about Olympia is not a destination but a growing circle of personal relationships both inside my church community and out. I've now lived here long enough to become friends with my neighbors and get to know the amazing staff at my children's school. I have been here long enough to know trials, to get hurt, to face problems, to laugh at dozens of weddings, to dedicate numerous babies, and even weep through a handful of funerals. And now, like never before, the gospel drives me to love my city.

Like many pastors before me, my words four years ago were, "I love my city" and "I have a heart for Olympia." But now, the more I understand the gospel, the object of my love actually has a last name. After all, I have come to discover that this is the nature of the incarnation. Jesus didn't just love the temple, the Jordan River, or the Sea of Galilee. Jesus came loving people. Or as Eugene Peterson so beautifully puts it in the Message, "The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood" (John 1:14).

After four years, I'm glad I moved in too.

A Response to Westboro Coming to Olympia

The following quote is a joint statement from several Thurston County pastors in response to the upcoming arrival of Westboro "Baptist Church" to our area this week. I'm saddened that we as pastors even have to make declarations like this, but I am thrilled with the unity that has developed among our local church community that allows us to speak with a common voice.

June 4, 2012

We the undersigned pastors from Thurston County are saddened to learn of the intentions of a group from Westboro “Baptist Church” to visit Olympia this month. People from Westboro, representing themselves as Christians, have carried out a misguided mission all across the nation picketing public venues and disrupting the funerals of servicemen with messages such as “God hates fags,” “thank God for IEDs,” and other equally deplorable statements. We the undersigned regret that Westboro has selected Olympia as its next target. Wherever the Westboro group goes, confusion and hurt seem to follow. Our desire as followers of Jesus Christ is to bring clarity and healing.

The fact is that the people of Westboro are wrong in their characterization of God. They do not reflect the heart and mind of Christ as revealed in the Bible; nor are they an accurate reflection of how the Bible describes a follower of Christ. While the Westboro group claims to have a Biblical basis for their rhetoric, their message is clearly adverse to many passages from the Bible like the following:

John 3:16–17: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

1 Tim. 2:3–6: “God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men…”

2 Peter 3:9: “He [God] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

The message of the Westboro church is a distorted view of the Scripture. Jesus instructs His followers to “love our neighbors” and even to “love our enemies”. He goes so far as to say that it would be our love that would demonstrate that we are His disciples. (John 13:34-35) Thus, we reaffirm the clear calling given us by God to be a part of His loving and redemptive plan for the world. Jesus did not come to condemn the world (John 3:17), nor did He send His followers to condemn the world. We call on all Christians to follow the example of Jesus who demonstrated both grace and truth in everything He did, and to respond to the commissioning of God to love and serve all the people of our community.

We recognize that the church has not always used her voice in the appropriate way in times like these. It is partly because of this that we choose not to be silent in this instance. To all who may be hurt as the result of the unbiblical words and actions of these few from Westboro; we extend a hand of mercy to you. We are sorry if you have been subjected to this hurtful rhetoric. They do not speak for us. We want you to know that God loves you so much that He came to die for you. We are here if you want to learn more about this God — the true God of the Bible.

Peacefully,

Signed… (Updated list of names can be found on the Living Water website)

Crowded House - A Peak at the Church Gathered and Scatted

Sometimes a video helps bring clarity to the terms we discuss and banter about... gospel communities, missional living, etc. If you have ever read Total Church by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester, this is a short look into the life of their church family in England. I absolutely love the clarity that is paired with simplicity.



Life in The Crowded House from TCH Sheffield on Vimeo.

Bonhoeffer: On Life and Death

Here are some more thoughts along the theme of "Life and Death" that struck me during my Bonhoeffer reading of the past week.

Understanding Christ means taking Christ seriously. Understanding this claim means taking seriously his absolute claim on our commitment. And it is now of importance for us to clarify the seriousness of this matter and to extricate Christ from the secularization process in which he has been incorporated since the Enlightenment (83).

There is no way to peace along the way of safety. For peace must be dared, it is itself the great venture and can never be safe. Peace is the opposite of security. To demand guarantees is to want to protect oneself. Peace means giving oneself completely to God's commandment, wanting no security, but in faith and obedience laying the destiny of the nations in the hand of Almighty God, not trying to direct it for selfish purposes. Battles are won, not with weapons, but with God. They are won when the way leads to the cross (241).

In a world where success is the measure and justification of all things the figure of him who was sentenced and crucified remains a stranger and is at best the object of pity. The world will allow itself to be seduced only by success.... The figure of the Crucified invalidates all thought which takes success for it standard (361).

Death reveals that the world is not as it should be but that is stands in need of redemption. Christ alone is the conquering of death.... Only in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ has death been drawn into God's power, and it must now serve God's own aims (384).

Time belongs to death, or, still more so, to the devil. We must buy it from him and return it to God, to whom it must really belong (411).

And then, after a lifetime of intense devotion and focused faith, it is no wonder that Bonhoeffer's life ended with these words. When informed that it was his time to go to the scaffold, he replied, "This is the end. For me, the beginning of life."

Bonhoeffer: On Scripture

A few days of vacation in the Palm Springs sun has afforded me the luxury of powering through a book I have wanted to read for a while- Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. While it is a pretty thick read, this book has really hit me at several different levels all at the same time: as a follower of Christ, as a lover of history, as a pastor, and as a husband.

Over the next few days, I want to share some of the quotes that captured me the most. Here are a few thoughts on the Bible that rekindled a passion to pursue Christ through His Word with deeper devotion.

First of all I will confess quite simply- I believe that the Bible alone is the answer to all our questions, and that we need only to ask repeatedly and a little humbly, in order to receive this answer. One cannot simply read the Bible, like other books. One must be prepared really to enquire of it. Only thus will it reveal itself. ... Only if we will venture to enter into the words of the Bible, as though in them this God were speaking to us who loves us and does to will to leave us with our questions, only so shall we learn to rejoice in the Bible (136).

The Psalter filled the life of early Christianity. But more important than all of this is that Jesus died on the cross with words from the Psalms on his lips. Whenever the Psalter is abandoned, an incomparable treasure is lost to the Christian church. With its recovery will come unexpected power (368-369).

It always seems to me that we are trying anxiously in this way to reserve some space for God; I should like to speak of God not on the boundaries but at the centre, not in weakness but in strength, and therefore not in death and guilt but in man's life and goodness.... The church stands not at the boundaries where human powers give out, but in the middle of the village. That is how it is in the Old Testament, and in this sense we still read the New Testament far too little in the light of the Old (467-468).

All throughout his life, Bonhoeffer daily saturated himself in the Word of God and it produced in him a heart that was submissive to the will of God. I admire his devotion to Scripture as the actual Word of God. I admire his discipline to find room for the Bible in his daily schedule. And I admire his obedience to live it out with fierce determination in the midst of a chaotic world of evil. May we all come to know God's Word in this way.

Spring Artswalk at REALITY

This past week we finalized our church's plans for spring Artswalk happening Friday, April 27th. For those who don't know what Artswalk is, it is a 2 day celebration of art where the businesses of downtown Olympia open up their spaces to host art and artists of various kind- music, photography, painting, crafters, etc.

In addition to having some local art on display in our building, we are excited to host another Latte Art Throwdown before enjoying the music of Amanda Sue Winterhalter and Beth Whitney. If you are local, I hope you can come join us as we hang out with our downtown neighbors.

You can check out some of Amanda's work here.

And here's a video of Beth Whitney and her husband rocking the upright bass.

EP.2 Beth Whitney - LIVE at Columbia City Theater from Voortex Productions on Vimeo.

A Snapshot of Missional Community

Among all the popular discussions about being "missional," it is easy to get lost in the formulas and strategies and lose sight of the big picture. Mission is about real people joining God in real life to make disciples of Jesus. I love how this video captures this heartbeat among our friends up north in Tacoma.

Soma Communities - Missional Community Profile - Tacoma, WA from Soma Communities on Vimeo.

The Best Part of My Day

One of my most cherished childhood memories is actually not confined to one particular moment in time. It's not a purchased present, a lavish vacation, or an occasion of personal achievement. Rather, it is the regular pattern that was tied to our nightly bedtime routine. While there were times when a busy night overran the normal schedule, most nights were capped off by my parents coming to tuck my brother and me into the bunk beds of our shared bedroom. Then, with a meaningful prayer, a hug, and a kiss, also came the words from my dad who often laid down next to me on my bed... "Ah, the best part of my day." While it may not seem like much, I can't emphasize enough how those priceless words instilled the sense of value, worth, and significance that children crave.

Now, almost two decades later and with three kids of my own, it's my own deep desire to pass on this legacy and make the most of our bedtime routine. I know that not everyone had the luxury of a father who modeled this kind of spiritual leadership, but I would encourage every parent to start simple. It's the little things that make a big difference.

1. Pray: Each and every night, I pray individually for all three of my children. Before I leave their room at night, I lay my hands on their little bodies and lift them up to their Father in heaven. I pray for their health- physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. I pray for their sleep- that they would be filled with the peace of God and rest in His finished work. I pray for their protection- that Jesus would keep them from evil. I pray for their dreams- that their minds would be filled with things that are lovely and good. And while I pray for their present, I also pray for their future. I pray for their future spouses, their future education, and their future purity- that they would be men and women whose hearts are changed from the inside out. And last but not least, I pray that they would know of their need for a Savior and that they would come to know of His love at an early age. It's never too soon to pray for the people they are becoming.

2. Touch: Children need to know they are loved and there is power in loving touch. My kids love it when I climb up on their beds and spend some extended snuggle time. Hug, kiss, rub a back and help them actually feel your presence. And when you pray, know that there is something spiritual and powerful in the laying on of hands.

3. Bless: Both in your prayers and in your common conversations, never underestimate the power of your words. Affirm God's work in their life: they are made in the image of God, they are "fearfully and wonderfully made," they have unique gifts and personalities, and they are a heavenly gift. Tell them what you are proud of, encourage them in their successes and their failures, and find ways to connect their life to the One who has richly blessed us.

4. Listen: I must admit that my wife is much better at this one than I am, and you would be amazed how often her quick bedtime routine turns into an hour long talk-fest with the girls. One simple question often turns into 2,000 words and many tears (because some times little girls just need to cry). I am always amazed at what just how much my kids are dying to be heard.

Sometimes it takes 5 minutes and other times it goes much longer, but it's the best part of my day. And I know its a legacy worth passing on.

Rhythms of Grace

A helpful thought from Eugene Peterson in Working the Angles:

The Hebrew evening/morning sequence conditions us to the rhythms of grace. We go to sleep, and God begins his work. As we sleep he develops his covenant. We wake and are called out to participate in God’s creative action. We respond in faith, in work. But always grace is previous. Grace is primary. We wake into a world we didn’t make, into a salvation we didn’t earn. Evening: God begins, without our help, his creative day. Morning: God calls us to enjoy and share and develop the work he initiated.

A Great Read on Marriage

Over the past 12 years of marriage, Callie and I have occasionally selected a book to read out loud together to help foster deeper learning, discussion, and connection in our marriage. And while the book itself often isn't the most important element (because anything that sparks good dialogue in marriage is a win), in this case, we landed on a real treasure.

We are only a couple chapters into Tim Keller's latest book, The Meaning of Marriage, but we've found it to be both helpful and inspiring. Here's his premise at a quick glance:

"Through marriage, 'the mystery of the gospel is unveiled.' Marriage is a major vehicle for the gospel's remaking of your heart from the inside out and your life from the ground up. The reason that marriage is so painful and yet so wonderful is because it is a reflection of the gospel, which is painful and wonderful at once. The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. This is the only kind of relationship that will really transform us. Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it. God's saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us.... The hard times of marriage drive us to experience more of this transforming love of God. But a good marriage will also be a place where we experience more of this kind of transforming love at a human level.... Through the gospel, we get both the power and the pattern for the journey of marriage."

If you single or married, this could be a great discussion in your home. Check it out.

Advent

As November drifts into December, it's time once again to prepare our hearts for Christmas through the Advent season. During our corporate gatherings at Reality, this means wreaths, candles, colors, readings, symbols, and other means to dive into the rich stories and symbols of Christ's birth. However, in an attempt to connect the meaning of Advent to our life as servants and missionaries in everyday life, here is a great resource worth trying.

25 Days of Giving - Reality LA

Creepy Hand

Ever since REALITY moved into our new location almost 3 years ago (and our sign became a bit more prominent in downtown Olympia), I have heard a variety of people's reaction to it. Generally speaking, it is never good.

I have had many kind souls offer me a educational seminar on the historical facts of the crucifixion- that the Romans nailed people to the cross through the wrist and not the hand. I have had people call it the "creepy hand" and blog about the mysterious church in the Carnegie Building. And I have even had one woman yell at me that I should be ashamed of myself for displaying a "violent, graphic, and offensive" image. She suggested that we should go after a much more loving image than someone being brutally killed. I tried to explain to her that the crucifixion marks in the hand of Jesus is actually the most loving image I know. She didn't like that so much. So, you can only imagine why I typically brace myself for some heated conversation whenever the topic gets brought up.

I tell you all that because of this...

Last Thursday, a woman came to the church building during the middle of the day asking to talk to a pastor. She had recently moved to the area, was in the process of securing work, and had a number of significant challenges facing her and her almost teenage son. After letting her talk and hearing her story for quite a while, I finally asked the question, "If you just moved here, how did you come to find us? Do you know someone that is part of our church family?" Then she replied, "Well, you are never going to believe this" And with that she started to search through her pockets to show me something.

Initially, I wasn't sure what she was going to pull out. Being downtown has prepared me to expect just about anything. But, after checking a few pockets, she pulled out her cell phone and she showed me a picture she had taken. She said, "Back in March, when I used to live in Arizona, I took this picture and felt as though there was something very special about it." Then, as she turned the phone to show me, I saw that it was a picture of a hand with a shadow of light directly in the middle of the palm. She then went on to say, "I was walking downtown one day and I came across your sign. As soon as I saw your logo, I knew that I had to come check it out and that it would be a good place."

As I heard that, I chuckled and thought, "Score one for the 'creepy hand.'"

4 Questions

As we have been re-visioning the direction of REALITY over the past few years, we have come to find these four identities to be central to who are as a church: Family, Servants, Disciples, and Missionaries/Ambassadors. Instead of tethering our people to core values (which are usually only spoken of and rarely lived) or a catchy mission statement (which may change and people tend to forget), we are calling our church body to live out the identities that Jesus has secured for us on the cross. These are not just ideals that we strive to attain- these are realities that Jesus has already accomplished on the cross. By His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, we ARE His children (family), we ARE His servants, we ARE learners who follow in His way, and we ARE a sent people to declare and demonstrate Him in the world. (Thanks to Soma Communities for helping bring us back to Scripture on that).

The only problem is that we fail to live out the fullness of who Christ has made us to be. What I have found in my own missional community and in the those of our church, there is a need for constant course correction in these as we tend to excel in 1 or 2 of these identities while neglecting the others that are most uncomfortable for us.

Here are some questions to help you see where there might be a need for some gospel correction in your life and community:

1. To Whom Do You Belong? Who knows you? Who has a right to call you out in your sin? With whom do you practice the "one another's" of the Bible? Who knows it is their job to remind you of our Father's love, grace, and affection? To whom are you accountable?

2. With Whom Do You Learn? Who do you process the truth of Scripture with? Who can you safely ask questions to and find solid answers from? Are there people in your life to make sure that you are a "doer of the Word" and not just someone who has made learning an end in itself? Are there people who are helping you be a disciple who makes disciples?

3. For Whom Do You Live? Who is on the receiving end of your time, talent, and treasure? Is the majority of your life built around yourself or specific people that you can bless? What do your conversations, calendar, and checkbook reveal?

4. To Whom Are You Sent? Are there people who do not know Jesus who are a regular part of your life? Who is the Spirit leading you to intentionally engage with the truth of the gospel both in word and action? Who are you making disciples of right now? Will they be able to make disciples of others?

If you can't name specific people, chances are you missing out on a dimension of healthy spiritual living that God has created you for.

The Goal of a Sermon

Recently, I have been reading through a book that I picked up a while ago but haven't gotten the chance to make much headway in it- Preaching & Preachers by D. Martyn Lloyd Jones. Here's a thought that I am continuing to work out into practice.

Any true definition of preaching must say that that man is there to deliver the message of God, a message from God to those people.... In other words he is not there merely to talk to them, he is not there to entertain them. He is there- and I want to emphasize this- to do something to those people; he is there to produce results of various kinds, he is there to influence people. He is not merely to influence a part of them; he is not only to influence their minds, or only their emotions, or merely to bring pressure to bear upon their wills and to induce them to some kind of activity. He is there to deal with the whole person; and his preaching is meant to affect the whole person at the very centre of life. Preaching should make such a difference to a man who is listening that he is never the same again.... It does something for the soul of man, for the whole of the person, the entire man; it deals with him in a vital and radical manner.

This is the kind of approach that Tim Keller describes as "Preaching to the Heart." And, if I am honest about the evolution of my own preaching, it is something that I have been mindful of for only the past 3 years or so. When I go back and listen to some of my old sermons (which is torturous for any pastor), I find that I often relied upon moralistic imperatives that sought to induce change by leaning hard on the will (3 reasons why sin is bad and you need to stop sinning).

Now, if this becomes the goal of preaching- preaching to affect the whole person at the very centre of life- then my points, my stories, my alliterations lose significance for they have no inherent power to change people in the heart. Often I hear pastors lament that their people don't remember their points a week after they are preached. If I am honest, I don't remember them either, and I am the one writing/saying them. But, if in the preaching event, the truth of the gospel is brought to bear and people are changed on the spot by the power of Jesus, then the exact phrasing a week later is really insignificant.

In fact, I agree with Keller when he says that he knows the Spirt is really working in his sermons when people put down their pens and stop from their note-taking. It is a good sign that the person has just moved from the transmission of information to a moment with God.

Next time you listen to a sermon, I hope it results in transformation that leaves your soul changed.

Back From the Dead

As of late last night, I am officially trying to do the impossible: bring this blog back from the dead. For the longest time, I have been locked out of this site because I had forgotten my password and had set up the account with an e-mail that I no longer have access to. But, after exhausting a long list of possible username/password possibilities, I cracked the code and regained access.

So... here's to a little "resurrection" of Resurrection Living.

6 Months

It's been way too long since I have done anything on this blog.  We'll see if a new year means more communication with others.

In the past few weeks, we have passed the six month mark of our official move to Olympia.  Part of it may be this milestone and part of it may be the change of a calendar year, but I have found myself looking back a lot recently.  In some ways I can't believe that is has gone this fast... and in some ways it feels like we have been in Olympia forever.

Regardless, I am a thankful man.  I am thankful that God made our housing transition as painless as possible.  We love our new house, our neighborhood, and this city that God has placed us in.  We love that we can walk Kayla to school and that so many of her classmates are also our neighbors- living within walking distance around us.  And last but not least, we love our church.  We know that God matched us up for a reason and this year should prove to be a ton of fun.  I am learning a lot- there will be some future posts for sure on that topic.

I am currently teaching through the book of Acts for our Sunday morning and evening services and we are working through the Psalms of Ascent on Thursday nights (Psalm 120-134).  Feel free to listen along off our website - www.realityolympia.com

One of the biggest church issues we are working through right now is related to our building.  Our current space is beautiful and has been a blessing to our church for the past years, but our lease is up at the end of March.  We are outgrowing the space for adults and kids and have been in discussion with the owners of the old Carnegie Library (just 3 blocks east of our current space) for months now.  Things have moved along tremendously well and we might be signing a 5 year lease for the new building as soon as next week.  That will make for a busy next 2 months of painting, renovating, and cleaning but it should be fun.  Keep us in your prayers!

Backpacks for the Kingdom

Over the past few months of getting settled into a new church and new city, I have been praying for our church to find meaningful ways to live the gospel in Olympia.  Shortly into my time here, I started getting to know an organization called the YC (Youth Connection) which is only a few blocks east of our location.

They are a "non-religious, non-profit" organization which serves the teenage/high school students of Olympia by providing community center care- food, tutoring, and a safe environment to hang out (pool tables, wi-fi, and lots of video games).  Oh, and it just so happens that everyone that works there is a Christian...

A few weeks ago, one of the staff who comes to Reality often, shared their desire to provide school supplies and backpacks to the growing number of homeless teens they work with.  They want to do whatever they can to help encourage these young men and women in the pursuit of school and education.  So- hoping the best- I jumped on board and committed to 15-20 backpacks by the end of September.

This past Sunday marked the last church service of the month and the pile has now grown!  I'm so thrilled with the response that we have had and look forward to bringing our 43 backpacks jammed with school supplies over to the YC.  I pray that this is just one of the first steps Reality can have toward working with and loving those students... and the first step of many more to live the gospel in our city.

Home, Sweet, Home

Finally, finally, finally - after 2 1/2 months, 6 houses, and a thorough tour of the Olympia area, we moved in to our new house this past Friday night.  We had plenty of help from Reality people and knocked out the storage unit in a few hours.  We have spent a lot of the weekend unpacking all the boxes and there still is plenty more to go- but... it's home.

It's amazing how a few months of not having a permanent residence makes you appreciate the simple things of life- knowing what cupboard/drawer the silverware and plates are in, having your clothes without wrinkles and hanging up, and best of all- really being able to exhale when getting home at the end of the day.

Thanks to all who help house or find housing for us.

For those of you "out of towners" - here's our new address:

 

1714 Pear St. NE Olympia, WA 98506

We are keeping just our cell phones without a home phone.

Oh- and did I mention that there's a spare bedroom open and waiting for whoever wants to come and visit!

Bumper Cars... Enough Said

Vacation Fun in Seaside

Our much-anticipated Jones family beach trip is now upon us.  Talk about a recipe for success... 12 young cousins under the age of 8, the 3 original Jones kids (with spouses), Grandma and Grandpa, and one huge beach house overlooking the Pacific.  What a great way to beat the heat and find some rest in the middle of our Olympia transition.  Here are some fun pics of day one.