Jonathan Wiles

Best Of 2011

2012-01-11T00:54:00.001-05:00

Best of 2011 by Adam King. The Civil Wars, Ryan Adams, Old 97's and me? Crazy best of 2011 track listing. Happy to be included.

Ocean / Hallelujah

2011-11-14T08:38:00.001-05:00

Lyrics
If I took you to the bottom of the ocean would you swim with me
Or would you want to walk on water
If I took you to the highest point of heaven would you play and sing
Or would you be afraid of falling

I am not the most courageous man
I am not the one who's never fallen
But I will sing hallelujah in the morning
Hallelujah in the night

If I took you to the desert would you be afraid of drought
If I took you to the jungle would you be afraid of
All the creatures who can rip your heart right out

---
Sometimes (often) we want something other than what we have. This, I guess, is the beginning of the classic "grass is always greener" perspective. Comparison, jealousy, envy, disappointment, blame... they all get rooted in this mire of dissatisfaction. And it sucks the joy right out of us.

The verses represent God speaking to me, asking me questions. In verse 1, He's asking me what I want. What drives me? What motivates me? Being with Him? Proving my faith to the world? Proving my ability? Proving myself righteous through Him? Which motivation is He more interested and pleased with? What did he want from Adam in the garden? What was he looking for "in the cool of the day"?

In verse 2 He's asking me how much I can trust. If He takes me into the desert am I more concerned with my needs or am I more concerned with what He wants to reveal to me there in the desert place? If He takes me to the jungle will I see a place thriving with life and mystery or will I be afraid of the things there that can harm me? Will I trust in Him as protector? Am I willing to make myself vulnerable to Him?

Will I trust Him to show me something beautiful no matter how barren or harmful the terrain?

The chorus, starting with "I am not the most courageous man..." is my reply back to His questions. That I will praise Him. When words fall short and praise is not on my lips may I always start again in my heart with a quiet "hallelujah". For it is there, in the place of thankfulness and praise that our hearts begin turning back to Him. Where we learn to trust again. Where our eyes are opened up to the beauty and the life that is springing up all around us.

This song is not about a public showing of worship or faith or adoration. It's not evangelical. It's simply about getting back to that place where our heart is in unity with His heart. As you listen to the song imagine a whole world where it's just you and Him. Just you (the created) with Him (the Creator). Just you. Just Him. And feel his gaze rest upon you. Let Him show you.

And so, in the morning when all is new and the world is waking up. And at night when the day has run its course and the future is hidden from us in the darkness.

Hallelujah.

---
To listen to the song visit www.reverbnation.com/jonathanwiles

Mother Father

2011-11-11T09:08:00.001-05:00

Lyrics:
Mother now that I've left home
I've got a rock in my shoe and I don't know what to do
Daddy though you've trained me well
I think I've fallen down and I could use some help

Oh I, I

Sister can I protect you
Or will this cruel world sink its teeth into you
Brother can I lift you up
Or will this ship go down with the two of us

And I can't seem to figure
Why everything that glitters
Crumbles into dust into my hand
And I don't know why this time
Would be any different
But I think it is
But I think I am

---
Mother Father is a coming of age song. A song about dependency and caring. Verse 1 is about the dependency-shift. There comes a time in all of our lives when dependency begins to morph into self-reliance; when parents are no longer our primary care-takers. Verse 1 is pin-pointing that time in life when a child is old enough to take care of himself (growing out of parental dependency and into self-reliance) but yet still longing for mom and dad to take care of the situation (no matter how small). I (like most) came into this stage of life (more fully) during college. But this feeling still surfaces: When Paloma was born, when I feel like a bad parent, when my bank account is depleted, when I'm overwhelmed. When I can't get perspective I always crave a word of wisdom from my parent. You get the idea. It's at these moments when I want my parents to help me like they did when I was a kid. When they helped me tie my shoes, relieved my discomfort, when I could look to them for all the answers. What starts as physical dependency (diapers and food and first-aid) turns into developmental dependency (education and discipline and destiny). And yet, and yet... I'm now 30 years old with four kids of my own. The cycle.

Verse 2 is about my belief that all of us share in these feelings to be dependent on someone. I think we have an extraordinary common bond with our siblings. On a personal level, my older sister is someone that I've always looked up to. I have a natural tendency (as her brother) to protect her and yet I cannot. Not from everything. Not from things like car accidents and cancer. Not from disappointment. Not from fear or longing or desperation. We crave to protect the ones that we care about. Verse 2 is about that place where we care deeply about each other but lack the resources or ability to protect each other from the harm. And what then?

The last part about glitter is about my own let-downs. Those times where my hope (my own hope) was built up only to be let down profoundly. The places where I questioned God. Where I questioned family. And most importantly (and relevant to this song) where I questions myself. My own ability as a dad, a husband, a friend. Those places where my biggest ambitions equaled my biggest failures. This song is about the cycle of life and dependency, parents, children, dependency, fear, hope, life.

So then. Will we choose hope? Hope for our children? Hope for our destiny despite our current situation? Hope for our loved ones? Hope for the Kingdom on earth? Hope for healing, restoration, redemption?

---
To listen to the song visit www.reverbnation.com/jonathanwiles

[Demos]

2011-11-10T23:54:00.001-05:00

I've written a few songs over the past year or so and I've (obviously) done a pretty good job at keeping them under wraps aka 'hidden'. But lately I've been feeling an urge here and there to post them for people to hear. Take a listen. I'll be posting lyrics and background stories over the next few days.

These were recorded by Jordan Medas, a good friend (who I don't see nearly as often as I'd like). He's a real-deal pro musician. Jordan played 99% of what you'll hear on these songs.

Stay tuned. These are songs-in-process and I can't wait to watch them take shape. In the meantime, look for the song-history behind Mother Father sometime this weekend. Don't be afraid to chime in with feedback.

Oh yeah, here's the link: http://www.reverbnation.com/jonathanwiles

..

2011-11-08T00:17:00.001-05:00

Yes. We're still alive and breathing. Whew. Thank God.

The Canvas Blog

2011-07-13T13:32:00.007-04:00

I haven't posted anything here recently. I've been putting a lot of time into a new teaching series on God's goodness that we're teaching at The Canvas. Here are the first two blogs, re-posted from The Canvas Blog. I'll be sure to re-post here as well unless, of course, you want to bookmark The Canvas and read it over there. Either way... here are the two most recent blog posts from our current teaching on God's Goodness. Please read them in their respective order. More to come :)

1. Punishment
A few sundays ago we announced a series on God's goodness. The first part, titled 'Punishment', asked a couple of questions such as "when something bad happens to you do you feel like God is punishing you?", "when something bad happens to other people do you feel like God is punishing them?", etc. We looked at several scriptures but it was more or less a discussion among friends and family. How does God's wrath and punishment work with His goodness and Love? Age old question. Can of worms. Call it what you will. If we don't have a better grasp of our own perception of God's punishment we won't ever grasp the full severity of His goodness and lovingkindness. As people, we all suffer and... read more

2. Sovereignty
Sovereignty. Supreme power. Freedom from external control. Controlling influence.
God's sovereignty, as we often understand and relate to it, often leads us into conflict. If he is good, and has good intentions and plans for us, then how is it we are often prone to suffering, prone to loss, prone to injustice? Shouldn't He, in all his sovereignty be able to step in on our behalf and prevent these sufferings? Before we begin to answer these questions I think it's important to look at mankind and the blessing, mandate, and... read more

You can leave your own comments and insights here or there or (for all you local folks) join us Sundays at 10:30am to discuss. Thanks!

The Love of God

2011-05-23T08:24:00.005-04:00

I heard these lyrics this morning. They're from an old hymn written by Frederick M. Lehman. The song is based on a Jewish poem. The third verse, below, was found penciled on the wall of a patient's room in an insane asylum after he had been carried to his grave. Mr. Lehman borrowed them to complete the hymn.

---
Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky
---

Listen to the hymn, as recorded by Ascend The Hill. It will wreck you.

Part 3 | Logic and Personal Experience

2011-04-14T13:35:00.012-04:00

"Our physical vision is a far more useful response to light than that of the cruder organisms which have only a photo-sensitive spot. But neither this improvement nor any possible improvements we can suppose could bring it an inch nearer to being a knowledge of light... It is not men with especially good eyes who know about light, but men who have studied the relevant sciences." - C.S. Lewis

Our answers, no matter how accurate or false, do not change what actually is. The grass is green regardless of our answers as to what makes it green. God is a certain way despite what we believe about Him. Our answers, our interpretations, our logic and our feelings about Him do not change who HE IS. Our thoughts and conclusions, no matter how logical or heart felt, about things like salvation, redemption, heaven, hell and love do not transform the actual reality of those things. We, however, are required to change, both in heart and mind, as we come into the reality of Christ.

With that in mind, let's continue.

Perspective plays a key role in developing an appropriate and accurate answer. If you observe an iceberg from above it appears one way; if you observe it from underneath, it appears another. If you observe a mountain from high above it may look like a small hill on a vast outlay of land. But, if you stand at the bottom looking up, the same mountain looks giant, powerful, unclimbable, immovable, and insurmountable.

If you've only ever seen the mountain from high above, your perspective will never lead you to the revelation (the reality) of the mountain's impressive size. If you've only ever seen the mountain from the bottom looking up, your perspective will never lead you to the revelation (the reality) of the beauty and elegance of the mountain in it's geographic setting. The mountain, like the iceberg, has not changed. Only your perspective. Only the way we've experienced it.

Logic says that you can experience the mountain and the iceberg in any variety of ways but that all of those experiences and perspectives can be pieced together and interpreted in order to conclude an accurate reality. The mountain is large in relation to our human stature. But the mountain is small in relation to the sprawling landscape of earth. Logic is a tool that we use to make sense of and interpret the experience and the observation.

Logic and personal experience should be good friends, especially as they relate to knowing God and building our faith. They are, in fact, inseparable. They should never be pitted one against the other. A moment of logical conclusion is, in it's own right, a wonderful experience (hence the term "Eureka!"). You cannot separate the two.

Indeed, attempting to separate them from each other will lead to disastrous results and incorrect conclusions. You can experience the top of the iceberg and I can experience the bottom of the iceberg and we can argue all day long. Or we could conclude that the earth is flat and full of sea monsters. Or that light is a wave, not a substance. Or that scriptures should be translated to Latin so that only the church can interpret them. Or that slavery is good for the economy. Or that Jesus is certainly coming back next week. In these instances, whether ignorant or malicious, man's agenda and fallen nature can be convincingly inserted into the process (in the name of logic) against the irrefutable reality of God.

On their own, logic and experience are prone to man's agenda (good or bad). Regardless of their usefulness as tools to uncover truth, both logic and experience are weak and failing outside of the reality and power of Jesus. Instead, it is His reality, His logic, and His experience that should transform our logic and give interpretation to our experience.

Part 2 | Questions Demand Answers

2011-04-13T16:09:00.005-04:00

How do you answer a question? The answer is easy (whew): Data.

For example:

Question: "What is the weather like this morning?"
Data: Walk outside
Answer: "Warm and overcast."

(No argument)

Now a little harder...

Question: "What is the weather like this morning in Mongolia?"
Data: Google search weather in Mongolia
Answer: "Warm and overcast."

Notice that the gathering of data between the two scenarios progressed from observation to trust. Your answer regarding the weather in Mongolia has more room for error than your answer regarding the weather in your front yard. You must trust that your Google search is accurate. And with each measure of trust comes additional room for error; a higher possibility that you may be wrong.

Question: "What is the weather like this morning on Neptune?"
Data: NASA satellite, distance from sun, orbital spin, atmospheric planetary theory
Answer: "Most likely around 55 Kelvin (?)"

Prove it. Prove it. Prove it.

Can you prove such an answer? You certainly can't walk to Neptune and give a report. And you're probably not smart enough to correctly convey and defend the weather theory put forth by NASA research. You, the average citizen sitting in your lawn chair looking into the sky must simply choose to trust that the experts know what they're talking about.

It's not that we shouldn't care about the weather in our backyard, in Mongolia or on Neptune. The point is that we cannot gather the data in the same manner. Personal Observation (our backyard) is easy to gather. Sending a satellite 4 billion kilometers into space is difficult and wrought with error.

Questions about God are no different. We hope to find answers based on data. But where do we gather this data? Which data can we trust? Which data is accurate? Let's turn to scripture...

Question: "What is God's heart towards us?"
Data: "Scripture"
Answer:

1. "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it." Isaiah 13:9

2. "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." 1John 4:16

3. "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten..." Revelation 3:19

Hmmm... Not quite as easy as walking outside to check the weather. Not exactly "easy as 1,2,3". Perhaps some of these verses are out of context but you can not argue that the three verses can be quantified as scriptural data relating to the question. Perhaps they do not answer the question as they(as raw data) certainly seem to conflict with each other. We must use additional tools to piece them together into a reliable (and truthful) answer.

What other data regarding God's heart towards us is available (and valid)?
What other data can we look to and what other tools can we turn to?

Up next.... Part 3 | Logic and Personal Experience

Questions Are Powerful Creatures

2011-04-11T22:47:00.009-04:00

There is an art to asking a question.

All of the great philosophers have touched on this. All of the great teachers have given this thought. Most great artists have been inspired by it. Logic. Reasoning. Observation. Science. Faith. Hypothesis. Theory. Idea. Creative. Deductive. Inductive. Conclusive. Evidence.

Questions are powerful. We ask questions to find truth. In its simplest form, a question is birthed when we are deficient (and interested) in gaining knowledge regarding a particular subject. In its more complicated form, a questions arises when we doubt something (an answer) but lack a sufficient answer to offer on the contrary.

Simple questions usually begin with the word "what". Harder questions begin with the word "why". Hang out with a few small children and you will quickly understand this reality. "What" is often answerable with one or two words of fact. "Why" is often more complicated. With both children and adults, the question of "why" has a tendency to breed more questions; it is an insatiable can of worms. "Why" forces us to employ reasoning, motive, hypothesis and theory.

What is a rainbow?
Why is it in the sky?
Why is it called a rainbow?
Why does it have so many colors?
Why does light reacting with atmospheric water molecules produce color?
Why would God create such a thing?

You get the point.

The truth of what a rainbow is will not change based our theory of what it might be; but our theories on light and color affect the way we perceive the truth about rainbows. The same can be said about God.

Questions help to refine such theories. But questions, like answers, can be swayed and biased. Questions, like answers can be loaded. A question asked out of disbelief and bitterness will yield a different answer than the same question asked out of a place of wonder and delight. (Note: neither answer will change the truth of the matter). A hypothesis formed out of an agenda (outside of the original question) will bring forth a different theory than a hypothesis formed without such an agenda. Same question; different purpose. Same question; different conclusion.

Not even science (and especially not religion) is safe from this hazard.

Personal experience and pre-existing beliefs will positively and negatively affect what we do or do not consider to be logical. They will also affect what sort of questions we ask and what sort of answers we will accept. They are both extraordinary, God-given, valuable tools that should be pursued wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, apart from the One who created them and gifted them to us, they are both subject to perversion, agenda and error.

So, you see, questions are fussy. They are not cut and dry. They are never appeased. They are always demanding (even if in the back of our minds). They are loud. They are destructive. They are not free from agenda. They bring forth emotion. They make us think. They breed more questions. They set up a favorable answer. They tear down an unfavorable one. They are unavoidable. Some of them are not answerable. They lead to doubt. They build our faith. They can condemn. They can set free. They separate. They unify. Children have them. Adults have them. Philosophers have them. Artists have them. Engineers have them. Scientist have them.

Questions are powerful creatures. Consider them.

More to come...

Questions Explained

2011-04-05T22:52:00.005-04:00

Rob Bell wrote a book entitled Love Wins. I read the book and committed to blog the questions that came to mind during the reading. Some of the questions were new to me, others I've been considering for a long time. I did not post all the questions, just the over-arching ones. I believe they are legitimate questions that most of us have either had ourselves or have been asked by others.

Controversial? Yes.
New? No.
Answerable? Questionable?
Considerable? Certainly.

Here's my re-cap.

Regarding The Book.
The book was a let down. I'm all about Love Winning but the author didn't make a convincing case. Maybe he wasn't trying to? The book begins with a series of questions that do a great job at exposing our human inability to nail down the mechanics and definitions of heaven, hell and salvation. I actually really appreciate this approach but questioning should only be the first half of seeking and growing.

The book went something like this:
How does salvation look? Hmmm... too many scriptural examples to pin down
Is there a heaven? Yes certainly but isn't God interested in what's going on 'down here' too?
Is there a hell? Of course but maybe we've defined it incorrectly
Does God Get His Way? Would a good God condemn a teenager to eternal suffering?
What's the take-a-way? Love Wins!

So while I appreciate the approach to include us in the thought-process, to shake our possibly incorrect presumptions of God and Eternity, to value Love, to value our time on earth... I felt like the book, as a whole, lacked a strong conclusion or a strong process from start to end. Maybe that's the point? Not sure. But the case for whatever it is he is trying to say could have been stronger. As it stands, the concluding thought that Love Wins! was too vague to satisfy my curiosity.

What I do know is that, regardless of my thoughts on the book, I love Rob Bell as a teacher and I value his gifting. It pained me to see people to dismiss him as a false teacher. I would never get behind that attitude. The book implicitly states that salvation has only come to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is perhaps the clearest point of the book.

The Questions (Not In Order of Appearance)

1. Would you be upset if everyone made it to heaven?

This was a heart question, not an "is it possible" question. This is a provoking question that points to universalism. I realized that what I was really asking myself is "Would I be unhappy if I was forced to share my rightful kingdom inheritance with those not deserving of the reward?"

I wonder if that is why we dislike the idea of universalism. It's easy to hide behind the fact that it is a false teaching but it's hard to admit that our real dislike for the idea might come from our inability to share the blessing with those 'less deserving'. We, after all, EARNED it with our confession and belief and righteousness. Right? Right. But, not so.... grace...

I needed to be sure that I was not approaching the redemption reality of the Gospel through the eyes of the Prodigal Son's older brother (Luke 15:11-32). The prodigal son was given the inheritance and wasted it, much like humanity has done with Christ's redeeming sacrifice. But when he came back desolate and depraved, the father accepted him (much to the disdain and open contempt from the older brother). And bitterness ensued. No! I want to shirk bitterness and hope that my brother comes home safely and I want to throw him a party when he gets there, not cast judgment or shout "I told you so! you wasted your inheritance!".

So you see, it was not a question of theological debate. It was a heart issue needing to be corrected. Please take a short break and consider your heart attitude to all the prodigals around you. Start planning some parties for their return. Pray that God's grace covers them and understand that none of us are more or less deserving of the Father's love and blessing.

2. If God did not indeed "fail" in the garden and Jesus did not "fail" in his ministry to save (redeem) creation then a logical conclusion is that the resulting outcomes (suffering and hell) are part of God's sovereign will for humanity. And that doesn't really jive with a Good God Persona.

Tough question. Maybe the toughest question of the bunch. We need to consider how we define certain concepts like 'goodness', 'sovereignty' and 'redemption'.

God, in His sovereignty, has allowed us to choose to Him.
And that can get really, really messy.

We all too often equate Sovereignty to Control. That is not a biblical concept and it is a perverted concept of God's Heart. He has no desire to control us. He does, on the other hand, have an intense desire to love us and to be loved by us. As such, He's really not interested in controlling us. Control is a cheap impersonator of Love.

Putting the tree in the Garden illustrates the fact that He was willing to give up control over us and let us choose to love Him. At that point, He could not prevent us from choosing rebellion. And although it opened the door to all sorts of suffering He took it on Himself to redeem and reconcile everything that was lost back unto Himself and then gave us the choice, once again, to return His love or to reject His love. Any other kind of love would be imperfect, would it not?

The question now becomes - what of all this suffering? Is it not up to us humans to keep this world? Was that not the first command to humanity? Didn't God entrust us with that responsibility? And He didn't take that away from us when Adam was kicked out of the Garden. In fact, even a man (a SON OF MAN) had to redeem what was lost, to bring order to the chaos.

Consider it.

3. Was Jesus talking to Nicodemus about things to come or was he talking to Nicodemus about his ability to see the Messiah sitting right in front of him? Both?

John 3 is an often quoted chapter in regards to salvation. It is where we get our term "born again". It is also where Jesus states that He was not sent into the world to "condemn the world but to save it." Rob Bell alludes to the idea that life on earth really matters. That maybe, just maybe, Jesus was interested in imparting Life on the earth. Maybe we've made the Gospel more about getting to heaven then we have about praying "thy will be done on earth..." I couldn't agree more.

We have made the Gospel message more about eternity and less about our time here on earth. It's easier to talk about heaven and hell to "sell" the Gospel and, in effect, short-change the full-redemption message of Christ. To, instead, place an indirect emphasis on the escapist mentality that seems to be prevalent (i.e. "someday day we will be rid of the sufferings of this world, etc").

I'm not bitter about this or trying to detract from the truth of our heavenly home but I do believe that we need to stop and consider the earthly benefits of falling into the arms of a redeemer that loves us right now. I think our message could be SO MUCH MORE POWERFUL if we would just spend some time on this. I also personally believe that this is what Jesus was getting at with Nicodemus. That he would see the kingdom, right here, right now, not at some future, after-death, point-in-time.

4. What is the point/importance/value/result of repentance?

I'm personally interested in what salvation on earth (right now in front of me) looks like. We've placed such an importance on 'the spiritual / future heavenly aspect' of the Gospel that we've neglected to see the redemption effects on 'the physical / present aspect'. Repentance is bigger than we think. The act of repentance unlocks more Life than we think.

If there was no eternity with God, just time here on earth with God, would repentance still be important to us and our message? Would it still be worth it? Is it that valuable to us? Again, hinting at seeing the kingdom right here, right now.

5. How to interpret challenging, seemingly conflicting scripture?

Of all the messages that I could convey, my personal calling is to proclaim God's Goodness. As such, I'm drawn to verses that seem to call His goodness into question. See 2 Thessalonians 1:6-12.

It's right for God to punish everyone who's causing you trouble? What?! That sounds kind of self serving. But, it's black and white. How else can we decipher such a verse? How does this measure up with all the verses about God's lovingkindess? How does it fit in with the "kindness that leads to repentance"?

Sometimes we find it easier to hide behind "mystery" and "sovereignty" and "faith" because we simply refuse to ask God to expose the Truths found by asking hard questions. As messengers of God's goodness these are the questions that we will be asked from those who are having a hard time understanding, believing or trusting His goodness. I'm very serious about meditating on these verses for personal revelation. Get acquainted with the challenging verses and seek God for understanding. God's nature and character can not be in conflict with itself but how do we explain that to others if we refuse to consider the conflict for ourselves.

6. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, did their punishment from God include eternity in hell?

I'll end with this one. I asked this one a couple different ways. This is one that I've been carrying around for a while. The fall of man. The origin of sin-nature. The introduction to our hellish fate. This question seems like a no-brainer. Classic Sunday school question. Easy answer.... except there is no reference to eternal condemnation in any part of the curse related to Adam. Only earthly suffering and death (dust to dust).

Gen 3:16 To the woman he said, I will greatly multiply your pain and thy conception; in pain you will bring forth children; and your desire will be to your husband, and he will rule over you.
Gen 3:17 And to Adam he said, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, you should not eat of it: cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil will you eat of it all the days of you life;
Gen 3:18 thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you; and you will eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 in the sweat of your face will you eat bread, till you return to the ground; for out of it you were taken: for dust you are, and to dust you will return.

This should not be a threatening question. But it is. The lack of scriptural evidence implies that we may have this part of the Gospel wrong. Sin and Death entered through Adam; Life through Christ (read Romans). That seams certain. What is not certain (without some fancy philosophical footwork) is that all of humanity became subject to eternal hell when Adam disobeyed. I was hoping to point out that we often claim to interpret scripture literally and logically yet we are often forced to resort to abstract theological theory to get us from point A to point B.

I believe that not having a clear answer on the origin of mankind's condemnation to hell is a hindrance. To me, it is an annoying hole in the redemption story (as we often tell it) and demands some investigation. Look for future blogs on this subject.

Regardless, sin did enter through Adam and THAT is a very real, very CERTAIN problem; a problem that Jesus conquered through death and resurrection. And so, to those who would believe, we move out of Death and into Life, covered by his blood and victory.

Continuing Forward
I have a lot of unanswered questions. That's ok. They do not extend out of a place of unbelief but, rather, the desire to know God more fully.

I'm still excited about the future revelations.
Still curious.
Still seeking after the Heart of God on this and so much more.

Tomorrow: The Wrap Up

2011-04-05T17:12:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow I will be posting the wrap-up to my thoughts on the book as well as some of my personal answers and insights to the questions that have been posted over the past couple of weeks. Stay tuned.

On Sovereignty: To Seek and Save

2011-04-05T08:30:00.006-04:00

For the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was (those who were) lost.
- Luke 19:10

In the Universalist message (where all souls find eternal heaven) Jesus seems to have accomplished what he set out to do - save that which was lost. He redeemed all creation through his death and resurrection.

In our Gospel message it would appear that Jesus failed at his mission because Hell remains open for all those who are not saved. And if you go back a little bit further to the Garden, God appears to have failed at His quest for intimacy with his creation (mankind) when He was forced to kick them out and place mortal restrictions on humanity (lest they eat from the tree of life and live forever).

If God did not indeed "fail" in the garden and Jesus did not "fail" in his ministry to save (redeem) creation then a logical conclusion is that the resulting outcomes (suffering and hell) are part of God's sovereign will for humanity. And that doesn't really jive with a Good God Persona.

Is it possible that God's 'sovereign will' could be different than (or even in opposition to) His heart for people? How does our Gospel message combat or encourage this line of thinking?

Do we need to re-consider of 'sovereignty' and/or 'goodness'?

On God's Judgement

2011-03-31T22:45:00.004-04:00

How about a statement...

I never like playing the "would God really do this or that" game. Would a good God send people to hell? Would a good God inflict punishment? Etc, etc. This game implies that God's definition should line up with ours and that is about as backwards as it gets. Unfortunately these questions ARE valid because they rise up in us after learning certain bits of information or having certain questions. And they make us feel a certain way (good or bad, confused or confirmed, etc).

For example. How about this one from 2 Thessalonians:

2Th 1:6 It is only right for God to punish everyone who is causing you trouble,
2Th 1:7 but he will give you relief from your troubles. He will do the same for us, when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven with his powerful angels
2Th 1:8 and with a flaming fire. Our Lord Jesus will punish anyone who doesn't know God and won't obey his message.
2Th 1:9 Their punishment will be eternal destruction, and they will be kept far from the presence of our Lord and his glorious strength.
2Th 1:10 This will happen on that day when the Lord returns to be praised and honored by all who have faith in him and belong to him. This includes you, because you believed what we said.
2Th 1:11 God chose you, and we keep praying that God will make you worthy of being his people. We pray for God's power to help you do all the good things that you hope to do and that your faith makes you want to do.
2Th 1:12 Then, because God and our Lord Jesus Christ are so kind, you will bring honor to the name of our Lord Jesus, and he will bring honor to you.

Now should we:

A) Allow our initial interpretation of this verse to paint the picture of God's goodness
B) Allow what we believe about God's goodness to transform the way we understand this verse
C) Skirt the issues and chalk it up to God's Sovereignty
D) Go rent the Omega Code?

A Clarification

2011-03-31T16:47:00.003-04:00

There have been several comments on the post Hell and The Fall Of Man. I'm finding it necessary to clarify why I posted the question and what it is I'm looking for. I'm not trying to validate my belief in hell through this question. Rather, I'm asking where in scripture the curse on Adam (the fall of man) put us in danger of hell. The theology we are familiar with is that Adam sinned and we were thus doomed to hell because of his disobedience. I'm trying to find that thought in scripture. Scripture does say that if Adam ate from the tree that they "will surely die" which they most surely did. Interesting note: they were also kicked out of the Garden in order to prevent them from "eating of the tree of life". In Romans Paul says that, through Adam "death entered". But, eternal suffering when we die? I might be missing something. Again, I'm not asking if hell is real or not. That's not what this question is about. I'm specifically asking about where the concept of mankind being condemned eternally to hell originated in scripture and if that has anything to do with Adam's disobedience.

Fourth Question

2011-03-31T10:45:00.002-04:00

What is the point/importance/value/result of repentance?

Hell and The Fall of Man

2011-03-30T11:09:00.006-04:00

I can't find anything in scripture that mentions Hell as part of the curse. It's a pretty big part of my belief system regarding sin-nature, fall of man, redemption, etc so I'm obviously a little bit disturbed by it.

Believe me! I'm searching it out. Does anyone have any scripture references or insights into this topic. Please Note - I'm only referring to Hell (not death) in relation to the Curse that was put on Adam and Eve after the fall.

This is not a question of whether or not hell exists, whether we are in danger of hell, or whether or not we need to be saved. This is in specific regard to Hell being a result of the fall of man.

What I have found is that hell is place "prepared for the devil and his demons", not man. (Matthew 25:41). Although Revelation 20 seems to imply otherwise :)

Any insights into this?

Jesus Seems Like a Real...

2011-03-30T09:07:00.004-04:00

Jesus seems like a real Kingdom Now kind of guy.

I'm not sure I could completely piece together his theology on the matter but he certainly seemed to believe that the Kingdom was presently very real. Just look through some "kingdom" and "heaven" and "my Father" references and you'll see what I mean.

With that in mind, Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John chapter 3 gets really interesting. Nicodemus was a pharisee, his calling, his job (if you will) was to recognize the coming messiah. Jesus, (who claimed that "the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand") told Nicodemus that if he really wanted to see the Kingdom of God or enter the Kingdom of God (according to some translations) he would have to be born again.

THIRD QUESTION
Was Jesus talking to Nicodemus about things to come or was he talking to Nicodemus about his ability to see the messiah sitting right in front of him? Both?

For all those "context" folks out there, which way should we be reading this? Any advice?

Second Question(s) Revised

2011-03-29T20:06:00.005-04:00

I think I asked too many questions the first go round so I'm going to just throw ONE out there (unless of course you want to answer the other ones as well). That being said, the second question that popped into my head (drum-roll please) was this:

When Adam and Eve at the fruit, did their punishment from God include eternity in hell?

Now that we've simplified, please share your thoughts.

Second Question(s)

2011-03-29T08:45:00.006-04:00

When Adam and Eve sinned, when they chose to disobey, did their condemnation / punishment from God include eternity in hell? How did they get back in good standing with their creator? Were they able to avoid hell? How does this pertain to us living in the new covenant? How has this affected the way we go about the great commission?

First Question

2011-03-28T13:04:00.003-04:00

Would you be upset if everyone made it to heaven?

Heaven? Hell? Hello? Is this thing on?

2011-03-26T23:28:00.005-04:00

I just finished the last chapter of the book.

Reading for the Wrong Reason
I realized about 3/4 of the way in that my interest/motivation in reading the book was a mixed bag. On one hand, the subject matter is very important and relevant to me (see my previous post regarding salvation and the redemption of all that was lost). On the other hand (and this is hard to admit) I realized that I was probably WAY too interested in finding out what Rob Bell really believed about heaven, hell and salvation. I realized that Rob Bell was on trial even in my own mind. Reading a book from a place of pre-conceived judgment or affirmation towards the author, instead of the message of the book, will always give way to bad fruit and religious cliques.

Gimme Answers!
Most Christian books start with a strong statement and then spend the rest of the book proving and affirming that statement. Love Wins takes an entirely different approach and sets up a series of difficult questions (not statements) and spends the rest of the book shaping and defining those questions.

Because of this writing method, I often found myself in a state of utter dissatisfaction over his constant ability to arrive at vague non-conclusions regarding the "fate of every person who ever lived". The publicity, the tag-lines, the 'mojo' of the book was hinged upon the anticipation of finding out what happens when we die. Instead, I was left with another handful of difficult questions and a frustrating anecdote that "Love Wins". Wins what?! How does it win?! To what extent does it win?! Etc, etc, etc

It's hard to say that I agree with the author because, truthfully, I still don't know exactly what he believes. I hate that and I love it too. While he gives room for the reader to gather their own conclusions I sometimes felt like he was using this interpretive freedom as a hiding place from just coming and saying what he was trying to say. How post-modern/emergent of him. I wanted to really sink my teeth into something but was never really able to do so.

Take-A-Ways
Here are some take-a-ways from the book:

God loves his creation. Jesus (ONLY Jesus, the only messiah, the only savior, the only one capable of doing so) redeemed everything once and for all. The gospel is much, much bigger than we've given it credit for. Our choices on earth really do matter. God has always had intentions to be with us.

These conclusion propel me towards faith and intimacy with Jesus. That's a good, good thing. The book has propelled me into scripture and prayer.

The Let Down
Anyone (who is anything like me) will be let down in some measure. You will find no 3-point sermons in these pages. You will find no yes and no answers here. He says there is heaven and hell but that we may have defined them incorrectly. But then he does not really re-define them for the reader. Not in the way I wanted him too.

My questions were not sufficiently answered but hey, isn't that the way? Jesus often answered questions with harder, sometimes cryptic counter-questions. I'm not opposed to this method but it certainly can be frustrating.

Lastly
The book affirmed and solidified in me that the scope of the Gospel and the work of Jesus deserves more credit than we're often willing to give. It also affirms the goodness of God. It's also full of scriptures that affirm the attitude of God towards mankind, and scripture that deals with the intentions of God for mankind after this time on earth has come to a close.

I'll be sure to post a couple of specific points/passages from the book that I'm having trouble with as well as the ones that made my spirit leap with joy and affirmation. I'm looking forward to discussing this with anybody who's read the book.

Rob Bell - Love Wins (The Before)

2011-03-24T17:41:00.005-04:00

This afternoon I received my copy of Rob Bell's newest book, Love Wins. Yes, I'm familiar with the hoop-la surrounding this book. I saw the famous "Good-bye Rob Bell" twitter post from John Piper. I've seen numerous facebook fallouts over the book and I've viewed the controversial promotional video numerous times.

So Mr. Bell, is there heaven and is there hell?

I think that's missing the point. Despite accusations that Rob Bell is now a card-carrying universalist, he has been very transparent and open that he has a very orthodox Christian doctrine. I've watched the interviews. There have been LOTS of them.

I'll be open: I enjoy Rob Bell. I think he is a gifted teacher. He has a unique way of bringing thought-provoking philosophical concept into perspective-changing reality. That being said, I'm really looking forward to this book.

My Thoughts Before The Reading
Of all the fundamental "cornerstones" of Christian doctrine I would have to admit that salvation is the one that I consider the most. Not only do all religions differ on the method of salvation, but every Christian has their own belief. If not in entirety, certainly in doctrinal method.

i.e. Is baptism important before or after the salvation? Is submersion better than sprinkling? Do you lose salvation with every sin thereafter? Is salvation a permanent transformation? Is there any scriptural argument for "age of accountability"? This one is really important to me as I have a beautiful daughter with Down Syndrome who may or may not be able to understand the concept of "sin-nature" and "salvation".

Or how about these? Can you backslide? Can you doubt someone else's salvation? Can you judge someone else's salvation based on their moral activity, their philosophical beliefs or their religious upbringing? Does a child's salvation depend on the salvation of their parents?

And so on, and so forth. The questions continue and every religion and sub-set doctrine is on a quest to answer these questions. To say that you are entirely sure about how the salvation process should look / does look would be to say that you've figured all this out. And that would be a nonsense statement. Pat yourself on the back - you've beat C.S. Lewis, John Calvin, John Wesley and every other great theologian and man of God to the punch. Good job!

The Purpose of Salvation
Here is where I am on my personal journal to understand salvation:

Jesus did not come to save us from hell or save us to heaven. He came to bring us back into relationship with our creator. To seek and save all that was lost. This, in my opinion and study, includes the entire physical universe and everything that was "lost" (past/present/future) in the garden.

This view of salvation is somewhat outside of mainstream Christian implication that teaches that God is ready to throw us into hell (and rightfully so) unless we profess belief in his Son Jesus. "No man comes to the Father except through Me" said Jesus. But was he talking about His ministry of resurrected life extending to all creation or was he only extending the grace to those who would believe his message in it's entirety (and does our man-made theology dictate and prove said belief?) PS - this is where the Universalists and mainstream Christian doctrine would part ways.

Regardless, I believe that Jesus is interested in the present tense - bringing heaven to earth NOW. It was actually one of his main messages. Salvation, according to Jesus, does not simply retain us and save us into a glory-filled eternity, it brings us into intimacy with our creator here on earth. Back to the Garden where there was no inhibition between mankind and creator.

Heaven
It's interesting to me that God physically came to commune with Adam in the garden. He physically came to commune with Abraham to bring forth the blessing. He physically came to Moses to deliver the law. He physically came to earth as a man, and he will (according to Revelation) physically come BACK to earth to establish his holy (and physical) city. Our mainstream gospel teaches a different message - one where we will die and GO to heaven. One where our physical nature (although redeemed) is still fallen and sinful. One where we desire to escape this world and find our true spiritual selves. Like it or not, that is the current message.

Ok Ok.
Alright so that's where I am on the thought of salvation and heaven. I'm interested in this book because I think it will help with perspective. I think it will help us to understand the Heart of God for his children, His creation.

If I'm wrong I'll say so. I plan on blogging my thoughts as I read the book. Where I'm challenged, where I shout "hooray" etc.

If you're interested, stay tuned.

New Instruments!

2011-02-13T15:00:00.003-05:00

Today we met in our living room to worship. We've been meeting to worship this way for a few weeks now but today was different - today we had instruments! Up until this point, the only instrument was my guitar. This morning we added a bunch of stuff to the mix:

1 child's xylophone
2 tambourines
1 jingle-bell thing
1 castanet
1 pink wooden block
1 child's guitar
1 wooden recorder
1 small djembe / bongo / drum

The kids added so much to the music. With the help of Chris, Lindsay and Carol, they actually kept a pretty good beat. Kudos to Kash on the jingle-bell tambourine thing. Molly also added to the joyful noise with the wooden recorder. Paloma strummed with heart on her very out of tune guitar, but it was awesome.

Few themes that came out during worship:
- Holiness made manifest in the man called Jesus
- Emmanuel "God WITH us" not "God far from us"
- Enjoying His presence is a good thing
- Restoring us to work to bring His Kingdom to earth
- The good stuff is not just for heaven but rather, on earth as it is in heaven
- We have been made holy; we can't escape it

Awesome morning.

The Promise. The Reality.

2011-01-05T23:16:00.007-05:00

Sometimes we find ourselves living in the promise of God long before our present-seeming-realities have come into line with the fullness of the promise.

This is found all throughout scripture and history. For me, the most striking reference of this condition is found when David is anointed king by God while Saul is still on the throne. The promise, or rather, the reality that David was named King by God Himself lead to a great deal of struggle, conflict and suffering. It was in this turmoil that David cried out to the Lord.

I believe that God still likes to operate in this fashion; revealing and calling us into His realities long before our present-realities have a chance to fully comprehend. I believe this is where faith grows, where it's cultivated. This is the place where we strengthen ourselves in the Lord. This is the place where we must worship. This is where we lean in, often waiting for the strength to rise.

It's also in these times of kingdom reality vs earthly perspective where we have to CHOOSE to be thankful. It is where we learn to trust. It is where we learn how to pray honestly. It's where we take our shoes off and worship the Lord. It is where we must proclaim his GOODNESS and LOVE in spite of emotion, hurt or confusion.

And when we feel most tempted to hate our opposition we must press in to find the Heart of God for our enemies. Where we choose redemption and reconciliation over hate, vindication and sometimes even justice.

Tonight I find myself in this place. The struggle is weighing on me. I really lost perspective today and the guilt of doubting the promise is shameful to me. I feel like David who felt compelled to run out of the cave shouting "I will not put my hand against the Lord's anointed one".

Ah, the promise of the Gospel found deep inside each promise given to us. For this is how the Lord reveals His ways to His children.

Faith - Prayer for the Mathis Family

2010-12-08T09:20:00.003-05:00

Please say a prayer for the Mathis family today - their baby, Sparrow, is having heart surgery this morning. Here is a a blog post from Jessie Mathis about her thoughts / feelings. The part about God The Father allowing his only son to be born in such terrible conditions really spoke to me. Pray for them.

Here's the link
http://mathismiraclebaby.posterous.com/

New Poem

2010-10-28T09:09:00.001-04:00

A new poem about my recent flight. Read it here.

The Perfect Will of God

2010-10-11T13:05:00.004-04:00

Some really good thoughts regarding the perfect will of God

The Eldest Star

2010-10-06T08:45:00.004-04:00

I light up the heavenlies like a burning jewel
The galaxies bow their heads beneath me like the old and elderly
My brightness, My beauty. I speak with the Songs of Eternity
I remain alone-unapproached, unwanting, un-needing

Time is my brother, space is my sister, we were birthed together before the others
I hold the suns in submission, the planets and their moons are mine to spin

The light from my gaze is blinding. To come near me is to be possessed by me.
My song is heard far beyond the star-scape, louder than the others and far greater
The sun is my great-great grandchild, small in stature and weak in fire
He cannot lift his head beneath my weight, I speak to him in curses and death-hate

No! I am the Mighty One! Fury blazing beautiful fires!
Power of writhing light, star-bursts of beauty against the black-empty

Fire rising high-high into the outermost spaces
Millions of miles into the cold-beauty of the black-scape around me
Who can comprehend my power, my fury, my age!
I have birthed galaxies and seen them come to their frightful-end

You there! Looking at me with your haughty eyes like you can own me, like you can wish upon me! You a tiny speck on a tiny speck with your tiny-father-sun

Watch me blaze, my greens and reds and blues will astound your feeble being
Feel the fires burst from my belly, scorching the night sky far above your crumbling cities
I am the Isolation, none come near me whom I do not pull
The light of my youth will scorch your flesh-faces and melt your works of iron and gold

Flesh will not withstand me. You and your philosophies, grasping at what you do not know
It burns hate inside me to see you worship and I will descend upon, falling with a death-blow

I want to singe your lying tongues and prettied hair
I want to burn your trespassing feet
I want to blind your stupid eyes and melt your stubborn ears
You who do not notice my power - I will descend upon your children

My fires will claim them, they will crush under the weight of my fire-light
My gravity will pull them up, crack their ribs and mangle their bony child-frames

My falling will destroy you. This is the new epoch. When I descend the others will mourn
Their star-songs will be silenced by the movement of the Mighty One. I will devour you in my blazing Mouth. I will devour you with my burning teeth and churn you in my brimstone-belly
I will spit you forth in bursts of flame and sulfur, glory to Myself as I tumble-down wrath

but Starlight, growing-tower of flame and color, expanding ever to the outer-heavens,
succumbed to the always-fate of those created, giving glory to the One-Not-Created

You too will burn out you haughty Star, worship the King and bring forth your beauty

----
More poetry and sporadic thought at Among Other Things Love.

Yeeouch.

2010-09-14T15:19:00.005-04:00

I haven't written anything in over a month. I made it a point to pray about this last week. I got really honest and asked what's going on with my creative life; why it seems to be drying up. I almost immediately realized that I haven't written anything because I'm afraid it won't be profound enough. That realization hurt a little... but there's a lot of freedom in it.

Time to write what's on my heart, what I'm experiencing and what God is showing me. If something profound happens then it will be a bonus.

Ok, that's all for now.

The Good King

2010-07-30T14:59:00.002-04:00

I originally posted this on the Among Other Things Love blog. I felt like re-posting it here. It's all about fallen creation and redemption.

-----
THE GOOD KING
War is coming and with it the sound of battle-blood hungry wolves
A pack of leather, iron and wounds
They scream towards their goal. fangs and weapons
Scratch and claw, onward brutal reckoning

Creation! Fallen-creation! It is their war cry.
Earth is dark. Sea is lost. Sky is a black heart with a stone for a sun
Moon is an axe to carve their thirsty path
To take what's rightfully theirs. The princes and kings and children have sinned.

A warrior prince stands ready to embrace their fury
A death trance coming like a wave to meet him
Bronze skin breathes in the dirt and dust of the onslaught
Storm is coming. boats on shore. banging the war drums.

He is alone against them. They will overtake him and devour him along with all the rest
Their footprints bring wrath, their swords, dull and heavy, will bring bruises before blood
It is theirs, he is abandoned to them, left alone to feel their teeth and torment

He makes a move towards His judgment, towards their fists and whips
His footprints are pools of light on the dark dirt
Around His feet young-springtime blossoms echos of the beginning
The first blow spills warm blood from his princely veins

Blood like oceans, muddying the lifeless dust around his beaten body
The earth opens its blackened mouth and claims him
The First Judgment gathers around to spit and stomp and jeer.
The King has fallen, judged according to the fallen ones
The sins of the people speared upon the head of their King.

The black-judgment, the Iron Army, the snarled teeth and black moons
They too have been abandoned to the demon-prince
The earth has claimed the King and the ever-darkness shows no kindness
Not even unto its own. for death is death is death

But spring blossoms endured even as the King lay bloodied-dead in the belly of the earth
Their tender green tendrils lifting Him off the death slab stone
His body pushed up through the earth like a tree in a dream
A great light of Being and Knowing shining forth through the cracked ground

So great His light that it scorches their skin, leaves them begging for water
So bright is the light that their eyes burn like coals, their shrieks are unending
They are judged not by their sins but by the great-glory of the King resurrected

In kindness His arms unfolding as branches, bigger than all that ever was, all that ever will be
Hair growing like leaves to shade and protect those underneath, to silence the shrieks
Fruit, the sweetest ever tasted, ever known, brought forth by the warrior prince King
Offering shade and abundance to the wolves that once devoured Him

From His side pours forth oil forever, anointing them with always-redemption

Following Jesus into the Grain Field

2010-07-28T08:16:00.008-04:00

"So far as I can see, there was just one thing that the Master's religion was all about: he wanted to bring men into more abundant life... More than any other one thing this objective brought the master into conflict with the popular religion of his day. Popular religion had hardened into stiff and established forms. Conventionalities had become set and rigid. Then Jesus appeared. He disregarded the formalities of popular religion. When they grew intractable and obstinate he vehemently assailed them and made himself intolerable to them. Surely the motive behind that is to be found in the fact that Jesus did not think first of usages, institutions, traditions: primarily he thought about people who were missing an abundant life." - Henry Fosdick from The Modern Use of the Bible

Being Led Into the Grain Field
Last night my brother-in-law spoke a powerful message from Matthew 12 about Jesus leading the disciples through a grain field (or corn field). As they went through the field they began to pluck and eat the grain. The pharisees accused them of breaking sabbath. But Jesus said to them,

"Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him; how he entered into the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat nor those with him, but only for the priests?"

Isn't it interesting that Jesus was leading them into a grain field, leading them to do something considered unlawful? Jesus was leading them... Jesus was leading them, knowing what sort of accusation it might bring to his ministry, knowing what traditions, rules and regulations they would be opposing. Knowing he would be accused, along with those with him, of breaking sabbath. Knowing that the pharisees judged righteousness on appearance and not on the heart. Knowing the reality that a man's need is more important than religious tradition, even the ones that were deemed righteous and holy by the religious.

The Abundant Life, A Life of Purity
Recently Lindsay and I have been talking a lot about how our lifestyle encourages or inhibits revival in our lives. We've had a very specific revelation that revival starts in our hearts and that our environment (our habits, the way we live, the way we approach life, what we eat, what we say, how we act, what we do, our state of being, etc) is really important. We have to get our "house" in order. Purity of heart. Purity of heart. Along with this revelation came some simple direction: get rid of anything that isn't bearing good fruit. To be specific, anything that is distracting us from God's plan, vision and destiny for our lives. Anything that prohibits us from pursuing Jesus.

Sounds simple enough. Right? Right.
Not exactly. How do we live purely without leaning on legalistic rules, regulations and traditions. How do we measure whether or not something is "lawful" or "unlawful". How do we negotiate the murky waters of freedom, grace and cleanliness (all things are clean, says Paul) without first employing restriction, morality, and so-called absolutes?

I think the answer is in the message of the disciples and the grain field. The pharisees, with all their religion and knowledge concerning scripture would never had allowed themselves to follow Jesus into the grain field. In fact, their whole purpose in being was to search the scriptures and train the people of Israel to recognize the coming messiah. They not only failed in their application of the word of God, they failed to notice the Messiah standing in their presence. They held the pursuit of righteous religion over the pursuit of righteousness itself. They promoted a religion that prohibited the very Life that Jesus came to bring. And therein was a major conflict.

And so, as Lindsay and I move towards a life of purity, a life of revival; as we long to become a house that seeks the heart of God, pursues after Jesus, and invites the Holy Spirit my prayer is that we move in a spirit of freedom and abundance, not a spirit of prohibition and tradition.

Anybody want to join us?

Every.... Numbered

2010-06-30T11:58:00.004-04:00

I like to think that God has every every tentacle numbered. Just like he has every head on our head numbered. It's all His creation. Not sure if that's sound doctrine but I think it speaks to his sovereignty, his creative power and his goodness.

More pictures at Flickr.

New Banner (to make up for my lack of blogging)

2010-03-11T16:51:00.003-05:00

So much going on. I'm starting to wonder if I have the discipline to keep up a blog :) I created a new banner just to make myself feel better about my lack.

On Oceans We Tread

2010-03-02T08:39:00.006-05:00

Before you read the poem I want to share a little background.
According to the Sustainability of Ground Water Resources less than 1% of the earth's freshwater is stored in lakes, rivers and streams. The rest is stored in polar ice, glaciers and groundwater.

Groundwater operates unseen. A massive, unseen force that we rarely perceive. It is moving underneath us. It is cycling up through the river beds, providing life. It is where rainfall finds a temporary resting place before seeping through the surface once again - the water cycle.

I'm struck by the idea that the largest realities are often hard to perceive and even harder to understand - sometimes even harder to believe. And once we answer the "what" we often get lost in the "whys" and the "hows".

On a separate note, I find it ironic that we tread upon these oceans underneath. They are underneath our feet. We call them "resources" (as though we have dominated them) while they are actually "necessities" that sustain us. And while water is free-flowing and available to us here in the States there are those less fortunate.

A great need that lies deep under the surface, under the feet of the thirsty in other countries. Elusive. Waiting to be tapped. The power of water; the unseen power and movement of something that is vaguely perceived yet quenches our thirst... our very, very real thirst.

And whoever gives a drink to one of these little ones, even a cup of cold water, in the name of a disciple, I say to you he shall in no way loose his reward (Matthew 10:42)

But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst; but the water I give him will become in a him a well of water springing up unto eternal life (John 4:14)

---
ON OCEANS WE TREAD

That black unseen in the underneath deep into the heart of the earth

Through blackjack and loam, now clay far above
Flowing and gathering now far-far below

That for which the roots thirst. Oh! how they long for it, dream of it, reach for it
That which comes sweetly quenching from downside up, unlike the rain that pounds down upon us

Like a mighty lion it slumbers unkept, wildly
Like a giant of the deep it is feared and unknown, no light can find its way unto it

But underfoot... put your ear to the sand, put your ear to the grass
Put your ear to the snow, put your ear to the mountainside

If ears could hear... Oh! the gurgle and the rush!
If hands could obtain and bodies could bathe... but too deep... too, too, too deep

We tread upon these black oceans, deep-deep below our steps. The grass shares a tale
The trees whisper of the unseen pools far-far down

The ocean knows the Truth. The lakes and streams speak of its Goodness
Water dwellers give their thanks while feet and hands swing unknowingly-gracious

Into the earth-heart where river beds are forgotten, shorelines are frivolous, romance is dainty
Below the worms, the diggers, the quarries and diamonds... a watery expanse unseen unknown

An enormity of soaking, gurgling, rushing, hibernating...
Itself dreaming ever of Spring... all of the energy of waiting and hoping itself will bring

So many arms that rise up to greet us... some soaking ever softly loving
Some rushing ever madly forth. Some in violence bursting and others in unseen transfer...
Into the roots, up through the springs, into the cold current of the rivers waiting

Life giving, life abiding, from the darkness it comes, into the light up into the sky
Where the clouds reclaim it to dwell in atmospheric sunlight rhapsody until the once-again descent,
Dropped from the heavenlies onto shining faces and raised hands, touching thirsty tongues

Filtered back through... down into the under-earth

The deepest springs still untouched by the thirstiest of the thirsty ones. Into abyss.
We do not yet rule these waters.

---
More poetry at Among Other Things, Love.

Down Syndrome Gets Complicated

2010-02-14T08:10:00.005-05:00

Lindsay's little sister has Down Syndrome. She'll be 15 in April. Last night she announced that she does not like Down Syndrome. We've never heard her talk about her condition. Her voice was calm. Her words were deliberate and clear. She repeated the sentence.

Our first daughter, Paloma, was also born with Down Syndrome. She just turned seven last week. We often wonder if she's realized yet that she is different. If she does, it doesn't show - she joins in with the group, faces challenges like any kid would and gets discouraged when she can't do something. But she has never spoken about her differences. I've always wondered if the day would come - maybe when she notices boys, maybe when she wants to get a driver's license, maybe when some other kid tells her outright that something is wrong with her. Who knows. But it's inevitable that the day will come when she'll look in the mirror and realize "I'm different".

There we sat, at full attention, witnessing the scenario before our eyes, being played out by Lindsay's 14-year old little sister. Lindsay's dad was the first to respond.

"What is it you don't like Anne?"
"I just don't like it", she responded.
"What don't you like", asked Scott.

"I don't like how I look" said Anne finally. She didn't seem sad. It was a factual statement. There were no hints of any sort of internal emotional struggle. I don't think she worked up the courage to make the statement. I don't think she has obsessed over the reality of her condition but how can I ever know. She is, after all, a 14 year old teenage girl isn't she?

We've always done everything we can to let our girls know they are beautiful; that they were designed for a specific purpose, that they are daughters of the King and should never be ashamed of God's design. Some people might think that we say these things to curb our own emotional feelings about having kids with Downs. Not so. We've all had a realization that God does have plans for them, just like He has plans for all of our other, non-Downs, kids.

But the conversation with Anne... my goodness...
I could see myself seven years into the future having this conversation with Paloma. I'll tell her she's beautiful. That she's been born with purpose. That she is loved. That she should not be ashamed. That she should be proud. That she has my eyes and complexion. That she has Lindsay's goodness, boldness and courage. That she will perservere under the banner of God's Love and Goodness. That Jesus has won the victory over all the suffering, all the shame, all the confusion, all the questions, all the "condition".

We told Anne she was beautiful.
"I know that" she said, in perfect Anne fashion, with a grin on her face.

The Saturday Shuffle 01.30.10

2010-01-30T11:30:00.003-05:00

Every Saturday I shuffle my iPod and document the first ten songs. It's not exactly "useful" but it sure is fun. I hope it inspires somebody to listen to a favorite band / song they haven't listened to in a while. Revisiting is good.

01. Dive Bomber / The Lassie Foundation
02. Something To Do (live) / Depeche Mode
03. Beautiful /Jason Upton
04. SMA / Chevelle
05. Cherry Lane / Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
06. Wood and Wire / Thrice
07. The Apollo Programme was a Hoax / Refused
08. Sweetness / Jimmy Eat World
09. Speak To Me Gently / Future of Forestry
10. As Children / Jeremy Riddle

Photos for Sale

2010-01-18T09:23:00.007-05:00

This morning I noticed that over 10,000 people have viewed my photostream on Flickr. I can't believe that many people have checked it out!

I have a few of these photos on sale in a local shop here in VA but I've been considering printing a few others and selling them online. I have a few personal favorites but would really love your feedback. Check out the PHOTOSTREAM here

Please, please comment with a description of your favorite photos (or just hit "favorite" if you're a flickr user). It would be a big help! Thanks.

The Saturday Shuffle 1.16.10

2010-01-16T08:29:00.002-05:00

01. My Beloved / Cory Asbury
02. Gene by Gene / Blur
03. Bad Bad You, Bad Bad Me / Stephen Fretwell
04. Wires / Athlete
05. Tales of Endurance (parts 4,5 & 6) / Supergrass
06. No Be Nah / John Reuben
07. Biological / Air
08. Chloroform / The Evan Anthem
09. Spooky / Starflyer 59
10. Your New Twin Sized Bed / Death Cab for Cutie

Preview the Poetry...

2010-01-12T12:21:00.003-05:00

I decided this morning that I'm going to post one poem from the book each week. You can read them here on the Among Other Thing, Love blog. I've been kind of hesitant to post the poems because, well, I'm trying to sell the book.

With that said....... I'm trying to sell the book :)

What better way to sell something than with a preview. Besides, it's not only the poetry that I'm excited about, it's the idea that this book is more than a collection of poems - it's a great way to share love with someone. The second half is blank for you to fill out.

A few of our friends have committed to filling out their half of the book and sharing their ideas with everyone. Can't wait to see the creative ideas / new poetry / etc that will come from this little experiment. Let me know ff you're interested in sharing your ideas / what you you did your blank pages.

In the meantime, be sure to check the blog weekly for new poems from the book. I'm also working on including the story behind each poem - the story is what matters right?

Sabbath in Transition - Everyday Fellowship

2010-01-10T07:07:00.007-05:00

So many people get disgruntled by church politics, church expectation, etc - this is a sad truth, but I think it's safe to say that we've all seen it. Lindsay and I have been so BLESSED to have a church family that encourages each other, desires God and is willing to obey the move of the Holy Spirit. I'm not exactly sure why we've been called into another season - it's hard to leave a place where you feel loved. What I've encountered this week is a real temptation to get involved in a new church for all the wrong reasons. We just want to be where God wants us, when He wants us there. One of our pastors has been really encouraging in this area of temptation - not falling into the trap of "this church vs that church" or the trap of giving God a list of what we're looking for in a church.

Here are a couple of things I've been thinking about in this context:

How did a day designed for rest become a day designated for fellowship?
Since we no longer have a "church home" (per se) I've thought an awfully lot about what Sabbath is, what "Sunday" really means, and how to reconcile the difference. I'm interested in seeing how our culture's view on "day of worship" has developed from the cultures before. Certainly the Jews had their customs. Certainly Jesus had a regiment - a cultural method of worshiping (in the temple, as a rabbi, etc). I'm very interested in how scripture defines "church".

Forsaking the Fellowship
For anyone who's grown up in church, there is a common thought that going to church is the number one way to ensure that we do not "forsake the fellowship or gathering of the brethren". I don't think our "version" of church had yet been conceived when that verse was written and I have to wonder if it has been taken out of context. Not to say that it's not important in the context of church family... but maybe our cart is before our horse...

Desiring God
The point, I think, is to get in a group of people who are hungry for God's heart, hungry for Jesus, hungry to see God move in their lives, in the community, in their culture. We are, after all, the bride of Christ. 1 John 1:7 is one of my favorite verses. So many people forgo church out of rebellion against what they think God is, what they think will be expected of them and they miss the point that fellowship is actually a bi-product of knowing God.

Anyway, your encouragements are welcomed.
Three cheers for the journey!

From Cummings to Collins

2010-01-07T00:23:00.002-05:00

Just posted a couple thoughts on modern poetry on the new blog for "Among Other Things, Love". For any of you poets out there, I'd love your thoughts. Read it here.

Highlights From 2009 (Why not, everybody's doing it)

2010-01-01T11:41:00.003-05:00

Looking back at 2009 is a lot of fun. Here are a few fun things about last year.

Founded Harvest Farms with Lindsay's family.
Built a fully functional greenhouse
Planted two giant vegetable gardens
Started a CSA (garden co-op) - quickly realized we need more vegetables (and possibly less carrots)
Tagged about 100 of the finest cattle in Central Virginia
Made about 40 jars of fresh basil pesto, tasted so good that Yoder's is going to sell it in Spring 2010
Learned how to drive a tractor
Trenched about 2500 feet of plumbing for the farm
Spent just about every afternoon playing in the dirt or chasing cows
Picked blackberries in the summer, repaired fences in the winter
Check out our farm blog HERE or on Facebook HERE

Started Taking Lots of Pictures!
What started as hobby has turned into a little income (that's a good thing!)
Framed photos are for sale in a local shop in Greene county as well as photo postcards
My personal favorites can be seen HERE
Look for select items on Etsy.com soon, soon, soon.

Started Blogging
Jonathan Wiles Blog
Harvest Farms
Among Other Things Love

Published a Book
Actually it's a collection of poetry that I've written for Lindsay over the past couple of years. I compiled it into a book and decided that it would be fun to leave the last half blank for the reader to do with what they may - you can read all about it HERE. It's more like a journal, a love note, and a poetry book all in one.
You can purchase the book on Lulu.com by clicking HERE
Follow on Twitter by clicking HERE or
become a fan on Facebook by clicking HERE

Lived a Life Abundant
Leading worship at Calvary Chapel of Greene
Recorded two original songs with an awesome friend named Jordan (who used to be in a band called Carbon Leaf).
Celebrated lots of birthdays (Paloma turned 6, Thomas 5, Sarah 3 and Elijah 2)
Involved in Emmanuel Khayalethu, a very special home for children in Swaziland, Africa. Click HERE for more information on EMK.
Enjoyed and benefited greatly from our weekly Tuesday fellowship with Lindsay's family and several of our close friends. You, of course, are invited to these sweet times of breaking bread.
Saw God's provision around every corner
Celebrated Christmas in Franklin, TN - it was so good to catch up with old friends and see my sister and brother-in-law (thanks for letting us crash your house for a whole week!)
Fell in love with my wife all the more
Enjoyed seeing my kids grow up (almost all of them are out of diapers - come on Elijah!)
Experienced all four of Virginia's beautiful seasons
Encountered God in all of it.

Of course there's more. There's also probably some challenges and struggles but those don't usually find a home on a year end best of list. So long 2009. Hello 2010.

Among Other Things, Love

2009-12-14T21:36:00.004-05:00

Well... after several years of talking about it, I finally published a book (well, self published a book). It's a short book, a series of love poems that I've written for Lindsay over the past couple of years.

It came about much differently then I anticipated: I always envisioned myself barricaded in a small attic room for hours on end, writing furiously, mad scientist hair, cardigan sweater, no air conditioning, unshaved face, coming down the stairs only after I had fully immersed myself in the written word, you know, completed a real work of art - something meaningful, something groundbreaking, something revolutionary in some measure. And then (and only then) would I be a successful writer of any sort.

But that is not the life I live. I'm a husband, a father of four, a worship leader, a farmer, a part-time worker - I don't have any vacant (or focused) hours to spend writing furiously. My life is normal, not artsy. I get up, get the kids ready, go to work, come home, head out for the usual, weekly re-occurring nightly event, come home and time for bed! How would I ever write anything meaningful? Anything important?!

A couple of years ago I had a life-changing revelation that God can be found in every moment, in every breath - not just the mountaintop, not just the valley, but in every season. The act of driving to work holds potential of encountering God. Preparing dinner, getting the kids to bed, weeding the garden, mowing the lawn, paying the bills, etc - these moments hold as much miraculous, life-giving potential to commune with God as the most powerful church service, the most moving song, the highest worship, the most anointed message or the most powerful prophecy. For God is not restrained.

I am convinced that there is no more mundane, no more ordinary, not when God's presence is available and shining forth - how can the will of God, His intentions, His ways... how could they ever be mundane or ordinary? And yet we designate Him to reside in the lofty, spiritual, religious things of life, hoping to leave Him out of the "day-in-day-out" parts of our life. We say "why would He be interested in the boring parts"? The truth is, the more I scour the scriptures, the more I encounter Him daily, the more I praise Him, the more I realize that there are no "boring parts". Perhaps this is why my parents always told me that being bored was a spiritual problem - God is not boring, He is a creator, He is everything that is Life - how could any moment be quantified as boring?

And so... I've been writing these poems for Lindsay over the past few years. Some were written on the way home, some out on the farm, some in the shower, some in the morning, some at night, some with screaming kids in the background and some in the midst of a quiet house at sleep. They were written during the usual parts of life - no fantasized attic room, no mad scientist hair (well, ok, maybe a little), no great epiphany or groundbreaking revolution in writing. Just my thoughts on the everyday miraculous events of love and companionship.

I challenge you to search for God in the "mundane". Search for the highest Love in the day-to-day. Don't wait for the mountain top to experience God - long for Him right now, right this moment, no matter where you may be.

----
For a preview of the book click here

To check it out on facebook click here

Little Tree / e.e. Cummings

2009-12-07T20:26:00.004-05:00

Just discovered this poem by e.e. Cummings. Surprisingly (to anyone who's ever read e.e. Cummings), this poem actually makes sense:

---
little tree
little silent Christmas tree
you are so little
you are more like a flower

who found you in the green forest
and were you very sorry to come away?
see i will comfort you
because you smell so sweetly

i will kiss your cool bark
and hug you safe and tight
just as your mother would,
only don't be afraid

look the spangles
that sleep all the year in a dark box
dreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine,
the balls the chains red and gold the fluffy threads,

put up your little arms
and i'll give them all to you to hold
every finger shall have its ring
and there won't be a single place dark or unhappy

then when you're quite dressed
you'll stand in the window for everyone to see
and how they'll stare!
oh but you'll be very proud

and my little sister and i will take hands
and looking up at our beautiful tree
we'll dance and sing
"Noel Noel"

"Religious" Experience

2009-11-20T18:55:00.004-05:00

"In my earlier years the "religious" was for me the exception. There were hours that were taken out of the course of things. From somewhere or other the firm crust of everyday was pierced. Then the reliable permanence of appearances broke down; the attack which took place burst its law asunder. "Religious experience" was the experience of an otherness which did not fit into the context of life. It could begin with something customary, with consideration of some familiar object... the "religious" lifted you out. Over there now lay the accustomed existence with its affairs, but here illumination and ecstasy and rapture held, without time or sequence. Thus your own being encompassed a life here and a life beyond, and there was no bond but the actual moment of transition. The illegitimacy of such a division of the temporal life which is streaming to death and eternity and which only in fulfilling its temporality can be fulfilled in face of these, was brought home to me by an everyday event, an event of judgment, judging with that sentence from closed lips and an unmoved glance such as the ongoing course of things loves to pronounce."

- Martin Buber / Between Man & Man

I honestly take a very long time to read through his writings. He is above my head. But, over the years I've personally grown to seek God in the everyday things. I have a much harder time drawing a line between the secular and the sacred because I look for God to move moment by moment in every means necessary for His redemption to be fully revealed in all areas. In this respect (like Buber's "earlier years of "religious") I seek God apart from the religious division that divides the moments.

The Tree / Seed Reality

2009-11-18T15:37:00.004-05:00

I recently received a comment about the two differing creation accounts found in Genesis chapter one and Genesis chapter two. I’ve wrestled and contemplated the two accounts and their seemingly conflicting reports as well, most noticeably Genesis 1:11-13:

“And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and morning, a third day.”

Compared to Genesis 2:3-5:

“And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Jehovah God made earth and heaven. And no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Jehovah God had not caused it to rain upon the earth: and there was not a man to till the ground; "

The second chapter seems to be saying that, even after the seventh day, the plants and trees and human beings had not yet appeared although the first chapter explicitly says that they were brought forth on the third and sixth days and God “saw that it was good”. Some commentaries speculate that the account in Genesis 2 simply goes back and fills in specific details left out of the first chapter. Others suppose that the account in Genesis chapter two is specifically pertaining to the creation of the Garden of Eden and not necessarily that of the whole creation. Personally, both of these explanations or their many similar derivatives leave me wanting more.

Here’s a small thought: God is not bound by our definitions of time and space. He has always been and will always be. Also, He is sovereign over all. With those two realities to stand on, it could be said that the things God intends are as good as complete. For example, if God intended trees and created their being, then, in HIS reality, they exist in their full potential even if they have not so much as sprouted from the ground. Therefore, a seed in our reality could very well be a fully matured redwood in God’s reality.

This pattern is seen throughout scripture especially as it relates to the promises of God.

Hebrews 11:13:

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Or in the words of Jesus, “a time is coming and is already here!”

This certainly relates to the promises He's given us. It's good to know that His words, even those of His intentions are actually promises that are as good as complete no matter how we perceive them within our perspective of time.

Just a quick thought. Your thoughts?

My Heart Behind the Last Post

2009-11-04T23:39:00.003-05:00

Firstly, thank you to everyone who contributed in helping me grow in understanding and wisdom on this topic. I didn't mean to imply that scripture is not God-breathed. I didn't mean to imply that it should not be cherished, respected or revered. I actually intended on communicating quite the opposite. I was attempting to communicate my heart but, instead, opened a can of worms. Obviously I'm not a very good communicator. Here's how I conveyed my heart to Lindsay regarding the post:

Sometimes I imagine God to be a master painter who has created for us a perfect self portrait of Himself. The portrait displays His likeness, His character, His nuances, His heart. It's not Him but it's something we can hold onto and somewhat comprehend for He knows that we can never fully grasp Him. The portrait is certainly an act of mercy from a loving God-creator. Not a single stroke or color is anything other than what He intended. But we've taken that portrait and used it to create our man-agendas instead of using it fearfully to understand His heart and intentions. And we no longer use the portrait to know Him, to hunger after His presence, to hunger after His return; we only use it to prove that our man-thoughts about Him are more right than the other guy's. I woke up with a dreadful thought that there are many people who may very well love the portrait but may not recognize the Artist when He is fully revealed. Isn't that what happened to Jesus - the very people who were looking for Him to come as the Messiah failed to recognize Him and eventually crucified Him for not representing the messianic concepts they had fallen in love with?

And I find myself in that boat sometimes and have to question what I'm love with and what I fear most: my right ideas and concepts about God or my desire to know HIM. If I build up a concept of God but never hunger to actually know the real-live-living-breathing-all-powerful God then I'm in a sinking-ship filled with a heart of ugly religion, the very thing that scripture and Jesus Himself warn us against. And, if we're honest, we all have some degree of this nasty stuff in our hearts. May we pray to God that He removes it!

And that's what I mean when I say that our view of the Bible is dangerous. We use often use it primarily for "proving" (which it obviously does) instead of receiving, loving and worshiping our creator and Lord. We often primarily use it to build philosophy, precept and concept of God instead of using it to fall in Love with Him through His mercifully God-breathed words to us, His creation and children. We primarily approach it as something to be dissected as literature and history (which it certainly is) instead of approaching it as living, present reality and promise. And my biggest fear is our tendency to use the Bible as a tool of caution lest we be lead astray (which is certainly a proper use) but neglect to use it to propel us into experiencing fresh (or renewed) revelation (both general and special) from a Father-God who is always speaking and revealing more of Himself to His children in any number of ways.

I was simply afraid that I was forcing Jesus to live up to my standard of Biblical interpretation instead of allowing Him to transform my mind to HIS truths. And I was afraid that most of us as Christians are taught to perceive God (who's ways are higher than ours) through our man-designed interpretations and doctrines instead of allowing our thoughts to be changed and renewed by His ever-present revelation. My dad, who many of you know as a man of tremendous knowledge and concise wisdom, put it this way: " ...even though there is much we can understand we can never understand it all. We can know God truly but we can never know Him fully."

So... there you go. Again thank you to everyone with the patience to read through my long winded thought processes. You've been a big help to me.

"The Word"

2009-11-02T20:32:00.002-05:00

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.

- John 1:1-3

And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

- Revelation 19:13

Why do we refer to the Bible as the Word of God when scripture itself is explicit that Jesus Christ Himself is the Word of God? I haven’t been able to shake the thought. Is it culture? Is it normal? Is it a form of reverence? Or is it true?

Why do we believe that a handful of men were divinely inspired to write down letters, thoughts and prophecies in absolute accordance with God’s heart and that certain other men were divinely inspired to compile these documents into one book? And then what? It just stops? Divine inspiration just stops? Did it really stop?

I think our view of the Bible is dangerous. It implies that everything we need to know, everything we can know about God, everything we should know about God has been recorded in a book and the buck stops there.

Scripture itself tells us otherwise. Why do we call it "The Word"? Why not call the mountains, the light, the sun, the moon, the salvation in our hearts… why not call those things The Word? Blasphemy right?

I love scripture. I love what God has shared with us but I’m sick of treating it like a 4^th part of the God-head. Somebody help me with this.

Thoughts on Worship

2009-10-26T09:41:00.003-04:00

I recently read a short but very interesting post from a local pastor concerning worship. As a worship leader I couldn't help but put in my two cents... (well, ok... four cents). To see his original post click here

My thoughts:
I struggle with how systematic we’ve become with our worship – how we’ve refined and defined in down to 4 or 5 “songs” with the express intent of “preparing our hearts”. More often than not, the worship is just part of the ceremony – for that matter, the teaching / preaching / message is too – just part of the ceremonial order.

With all the time allotments, order of service and conveniences, it’s really hard to make room to actually pour out our hearts to God. It’s even harder to encounter Him and receive any measure of revelation as He encounters us. I guess it’s just easier and less messy to continually fill our heads with knowledge (that will fade away) and to fortify our precept driven belief system.

The “worship” and the “teaching” should flow as one, one into the other, confirming each other. In our modern church, the time between the “worship” and the “teaching” feels like a guillotine in the spirit. Whatever the Holy Spirit was leading or doing – however He was ministering, whatever He is teaching, is suddenly interrupted and abruptly cut short.

Not sure about the solution but I think you’re onto something (see your previous post about getting out and serving). So what about church??? As church leaders, I think it’s time to stop playing church and re-consider what we’re doing.

Glenn Beck & Revival

2009-10-20T11:51:00.003-04:00

I’ve received a lot of emails lately concerning the fallen state of America – all the problems, all the concerns, all the fears, where we’re heading as a country, etc. Most of them end with a call to action to get on our knees and pray.

I also hear a lot about Glenn Beck. I’ve watched his show. He has ambitiously set out to uncover the corruption in Washington which he openly claims is rampant among both parties (democrat and republican alike). Seems like a pretty good agenda. Nice ideals. He’s been really successful in “rallying the troops”. There is a fervor that surrounds his campaign. The tea parties, the email lists. People that like Glenn Beck really like Glenn Beck.

Here’s my concern with Glenn Beck: he is hoping to change this nation with a call to action that is something other than revival. And I see followers of Christ relishing every word of it, excited about seeing this country become a powerhouse of high moral standards and Christian ethic. But isn’t proving that there is corruption in Washington much like setting out to prove that the sky is blue and the grass is green? So why all the emotion? Why all the call for uprising? Is he changing anybody’s mind? Is he changing anybody’s heart? Is he helping people look more like Jesus?

There are two approaches to seeing change in this country (you, the reader, can define change any way you’d like to – it all comes down to these two methods):

1) Make your voices heard – be as loud (or stealthy) as possible, stand up to the corruption, organize the rally, expose the evil for what it is, return to Christian morals and ideals, make a call for patriotism.

2) Revival – turning the hearts of man back to the Father.

Have you ever thought about Daniel or Joseph; two godly men who served humbly in ungodly, corrupt governments? We hold both of these men in high esteem but have trouble seeing their situations with any relation to these present times. Could you take a paycheck from an evil king? Could you serve graciously under a Pharaoh that claimed he was a god? Certainly they prayed. What eventually changed their governments? Were they throwing tea parties? Were they rallying the troops? Were they putting together slick campaigns and mailing lists?

There were others – assassins and generals who were commanded by God to overthrow ungodly nations. There were still others - Esther, Mordecai, Samson – and what about David and Saul. David was anointed king while Saul still on the throne. How did David handle both realities?

Then, of course, there was Jesus, stuck in the crossfire of three corrupt governments (Rome, Herod and the Jewish religious leaders). What did he teach concerning these things? What was his approach? What did His rally look like?

We have taken our eye off the ball. Our commission from Jesus is to preach the gospel and the signs that follow. (Mark 16). We are at the wrong rally.

What is God’s heart for his children? Is it the tea party (stand up for our rights! Expose the corruption!), or is it a passion to see repentant hearts turning back to their Father?

Doctrines of Man... how else to be approved?

2009-09-04T13:36:00.005-04:00

I'll be teaching on praise & worship this coming Wednesday. This is my first time to actually teach anything so I'm a little overwhelmed at the subject matter vs. the time alloted. I guess the hardest requirement is to teach without turning anything into "the doctrine of man". There were some pretty strong warnings from Jesus on this issue (see Matthew 15). Some translations might also word it as "traditions of the elders". Either way, it's an easy trap to fall into.

I also can't help but think about "trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding". In a western world of academics and reason it's really hard to "study to show yourself approved" without "leaning on your own understanding.

The Wade Pool

2009-08-18T22:40:00.007-04:00

Last week we took a family vacation to Hilton Head island, South Carolina. On our first expedition to the beach the kids thoroughly enjoyed playing in the wade pool that the low tides had left behind on the shore. The following morning we packed up the kids, chairs, the towels, the toys, the bikes, the drinks, the snacks, the sunscreen, the tent, the umbrella, the buckets, the shovels, the hats, the swim diapers, the floaties, the rafts, the body boards, the magazines, the cameras and the kitchen sink and headed down for a brilliant morning on the bright sunny beaches of South Carolina.

The tide was up this time and the beach looked very different from the day before. Thomas immediately asked where the wade pool was. I told him it was still there, underneath the waves. He looked at the ocean. He looked at me. He looked confused. I sat down with him and explained the tides. He looked more confused. He wanted to trust me but he simply could reconcile what his eyes were seeing with what his ears were hearing.

I was immediately struck with this beautiful illustration on perspective. Without a clear understanding of reality (in this case the comings and goings of the ocean tide), Thomas found himself in a place of unbelief. His mind was torn in two ways: firstly, he trusted me and knew that I was not lying to him but, on the other hand, his beloved wade pool was simply nowhere to be seen.

This scenario plays out on a daily basis among God’s children. He’s given us a promise, an inheritance and a firm foundation and yet, when we cannot perceive the reality of the promise, we find ourselves battling unbelief. We question His goodness. We question His reality. We question His purposes. We try our best to trust Him and we certainly love Him but we battle with our limited perception (even when we know that it is indeed limited). Sometimes we lose hope. Sometimes we become bitter towards Him. Sometimes we deny. But other times we choose to believe Him and our faith, the evidence of things of unseen, is increased. (Hebrews 11)

Next time I rush to the beach expecting to play in the wade pool and, instead, find a high tide of crashing waves, I pray I’ll be content to sit and watch the beauty of it all - trusting in His reality; trusting in His goodness, provision and faithfulness.

Flickr Upgrade

2009-05-17T15:59:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it but I actually hit my upload limit on the free account so I just upgraded to a pro account. For anyone interested, here is a pictoral account of what we Wiles' are up to these days. It's a lot of fun! Check it out here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathanwiles/

How to spell Jesus in Chinese

2009-05-16T07:40:00.000-04:00

We're hosting a very special event this afternoon for a wonderful lady named Xinan Zhu. You are invited to come out and hear her inspiring testimony of how her life was radically changed by her discovery of Jesus Christ within ancient Chinese texts.

Amazing that God has made a way for every nation, every tribe and every tongue. Sounds intriguing; I'm really looking forward to this!

The Ruined Life

2009-05-14T07:40:00.000-04:00

"The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly... My God you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world?"
- Soren Kierkegaard

Read this quote this morning in The Irrisistable Revolution, a fresh and challenging book I would recommend to anyone. Let's all get on with it! Let's get ruined!

Proud vs. Prideful

2009-05-13T10:42:00.001-04:00

Paloma came home with two 3rd places and three "I did it" ribbons. You should've seen her running down that track, clapping her hands and laughing into the sky. It was amazing.

The Farmer's Tan

2009-05-12T00:38:00.000-04:00

For all those who knew me as a pale white guy... now I'm a pale white guy with tan forearms... and a red face...

Explaining Away The Experience

2009-05-10T13:49:00.001-04:00

Today at church someone shared a testimony of how their child (a 2 year old little girl named Faith) was completely healed of a non-operable heart defect. I was taken back to a time in my life when physical healings were confusing or even upsetting to me. Hard to believe but it's true. It was easy to believe that God could heal our souls but it was challenging to believe that He's ever interested in healing our bodies.

This is really an emotional topic within mainstream churches. There are several implications and conclusions to formulate if someone is supernaturally healed from a chronic disease or sickness. Was it because they had faith or because the minister had faith or both? Was it because their actions had pleased God? Was it their pre-destined time for healing? Did God heal them because they were destined to become the next great missionary to a lost and dying world? The focus is immediately taken off of the experience and placed onto the best possible reason for having such an experience.

The same process goes for good things and bad things. And, because this is our human tendency, we have a tendency to feel like it might be “safer” to focus on biblical application and knowledge then to give any credit whatsoever to our everyday experiences. But, I propose, that the problem is not found in the experience but in the resulting onslaught of reasoning that ensues. Indeed, it is a dangerous game we’re playing once we start drawing conclusions without consulting the holy spirit, consulting the word of God and seeking wisdom in the Lord. But why throw the baby out with the bathwater. We’ve taken any credibility out of our experiences. Have you ever seen someone get healed from a disease? Relay that experience to a close religious friend and watch their brain start turning. They will be overtaken by a desire to come to some sort of explanation for the healing – or, worse yet, some kind of reasoning that might help to explain away what “might have actually happened”.

Let's praise God for the experience and then let's praise Him for all of His purposes, all of His designs, all of His ways which are so much higher than ours!

Thoughts on Paloma...

2009-05-09T00:19:00.000-04:00

My oldest daughter, Paloma, has down's syndrome. She's 6. She's in full day kindergarten at Madison Primary School, wears glasses, likes chocolate milk and laughs from her belly.

Lindsay and I were just kids (22 and 23) when Paloma was born. It was a complete shock. Our doctor shed tears as he sat us down to explain. His name was Travis (I can't remember his last name) and we were the first time he ever had to share any news of this sort, himself being a first year pediatrician.

I don’t think we can ever be comforted with a good explanation, even if that explanation is full of good conceptual truth. When Paloma was born and we received news that she had down’s syndrome, there was no amount of explanation that could ever heal our hearts in that moment. Reasoning is not a solution to heart issues. Knowing that we live in a fallen world does not comfort us from the consequences we face while living in this fallen world. Knowing what sin is does not deliver us from the bondage of sin. Explanation can only ever give temporary relief but it is not permanent. It does not and can not repair the heart. Only the revelation that we are children of a loving Father, only the compassionate outpouring and comfort of the Holy Spirit…

And who can understand it? Either a) God is good or b) God is not good. How could David say that only goodness and mercy would follow him all of the days of his life when Saul was trying to kill him, his country was in turmoil and he was living in the wilderness without any idea of what the next day held for him? How did Paul praise God in the midst of the prison? How did Shadrack worship the Lord going into the furnace? How did Jesus worship when he knew what his immediate future held? How did Daniel hold it together and even forgive the king that threw him to the lions? Why did Abraham take Isaac up the mountain for a human sacrifice when it must have directly contradicted the covenant that God had given him? Was it about Faith? Was it about obedience? Was it about Love? When Daniel was informed that he was going to be thrown into the lion’s den he went to God to be comforted. When David lost his son as a result of sin he went to God to be comforted.

And so, 6 years ago, we decided to believe that God is good; we went to God to be comforted... now we all laugh from our belly.

Mending Fences / The Purchase

2009-05-05T06:35:00.000-04:00

Today I'll be mending some fences in preparation of our first cattle purchase. Hopefully the good doctor won't have any problems with allowing us some room in a small field in return for all the work we're doing on the farm.

I've always thought of the term "mending fences" in terms of reconciling relationships or engaging in peaceful negotiations with a neighbor or friend to correct a past offense. I've never thought of it in practical terms of protecting or housing something valuable. A good fence will keep the cows from getting out and getting lost or hurt. A good fence creates a healthy boundary. A good fence will protect them.

Bad fences create all sorts of problems on the farm and so, they must be mended. A bad fence offers no protection, no order, no boundary. So today we will mend them, one at a time until a safe pasture has been created.

This will be fence mending at it's best.