Every Person you Meet is...

   Babies want to look around and see the world, as they develop, but especially want to find other eyeballs with which to connect. It happened to me twice last week. First, standing in the entrance of a large auditorium in the middle of a worship service on Thursday, I spent a few minutes exchanging glances with an infant child, being bounced by his mother, as she swayed back and forth in that soothing pattern every parent holding a child knows so well. Later in the week, standing in line at Kroger, I realized the eyes of a child, no older than 6 months, were fixed upon me from one row over. Each moment prompted me to smiled and marvel at the miracle of life before me. I also appreciated the care-free life of children, that the world too quickly takes away.

   I believe the simple ritual of looking a person in the eyes is a part of the larger spiritual practice of seeing a person as the Beloved of God. How can we claim to love someone if we do not know them? How can we claim to know someone if we do not look at them? 

   A word of wisdom, shared with me in my first year of ministry, over 17 years ago, continues to return with truth and goodness. It is a word that helps me to see those I encounter in a deep, spiritual way, that even my eyes cannot see. The word is:

Be aware, every person you meet is fighting a great battle.

This piece of wisdom might not apply to those infants, being gently held and rocked as the world moved around them, but it is surely true for everyone else. I find that seeing others in this way changes my approach to them.
   Despair, debt, fear, fatigue, finances, marriage, childlessness, injustice, hopelessness - these are but a short list of the battles any of us are facing this day. Can we see into the eyes of those we greet and offer the kindness of Christ in the midst of the battles others are waging? Can we point them to a place of surrender, knowing that not every battle is even ours to fight?
   Grace and peace, Scott

Too Much Defense is Exhausting (Football & Life)

   The outcome of Sunday's Super Bowl was devastating to Falcons fans. The Patriots won, mounting an historic comeback, as the world watched the Falcons fail to stop them on three consecutive drives down the field to end the game. Of course, Tom Brady is great, but I think something else helps explain the final score. Consider this...

The final statistics show that the Patriots' offense was on the field for 93 plays, 

while the Falcons' offense only had 46 plays from scrimmage. 

   The Falcons, early on, were scoring quickly and often. Was it too often? The Falcon's defense was on the field for all 93 of those Patriots' plays. Watching from home, the defensive players were exhausted. They had nothing 'in the tank.' And no wonder, because their teammates on offense left them playing defense, too long.

   We were talking as a staff about how exhaustion is true off the field, too. Karen Clay offered this beautiful analogy from the Old Testament: Job was similarly exhausted from playing defense because of his friends. It would up getting him severely scolded by the Almighty.
   What kind of friend are we? Offering advice, even criticism on occasion, is sometimes needed. But, do we leave people on defense too long? Are we ever encouraging? Do we help people out? Are we willing to carry a burden for them, generous with our time and our praise?
   Let us seek out companions who build us up. The Apostle Paul was right to say, "Don't be deceived, bad company corrupts good character (1 Corinthians 15:33)." For, we too want to one day receive the trophy held for those found faithful. Grace and peace, Scott

The Greatest Gift we can give to One Another...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

- Proverbs 3:5-6

   I try and find the time, everyday, to listen to a daily podcast by JD Walt. He started this New Year reading and commenting through the 31 chapters of the Book of Proverbs to match the 31 days of January. Day 3 stopped me in my tracks when he took this passage and pointed out the importance of the word all, used twice. He said, "The Christian faith of the Bible is all or nothing.... If you push back on my emphatic “all or nothing” assertion, it’s because you lack the courage to choose. Settling for the easy out of, “At least I’m doing something,” is not biblical faith. It’s nominal Christianity. The enemy of our age is not doing nothing. It’s the mentality that says  something is enough." He went on to propose that must happen to be all-in for God requires, "trust and submission, or surrendered-ness. This must be resolved at the subterranean level of one’s will—far beneath the ephemeral nature of emotion."
   He then closed with a line that made me pull over the car in order to capture correctly!

The greatest gift we can give to one another is to become graciously,

yet brutally, honest with ourselves.

- JD Walt

   Grace and peace, Scott

The Next (Huge) Thing You Are Going to Do

   What is it? Think about it: the giant goal, the amazing project, asking him out or asking her to marry you, the next purchase, starting that degree, or transitioning into that career field. What is the next, big thing you think about when you find a little quite time apart from the demands of the right now? Let me come back to that...
   We are all thinking ahead, at least some of the time. The difference between the "get-things-done" folks and the the others who stop at dreaming is that the first group is able to convert their dreams into actionable next steps. Planning for a great future is about taking something too large for today and turning it into small, achievable tasks that move you forward.
   Worship is like this. My goal, every week, is that we would hear from God, we would adjust ourselves back in the right direction, and that we would commit to the Holy Spirit's next steps for us.
   Christmas is like this. Christmas is more than a single day. Christmas is about the amazing truth that God came to earth to save us. It is so big we must approach it in small parts. This is the very reason that the church spends four weeks preparing for Christmas.
   It all starts this weekend, in worship. Christmas is still four weeks away, but we begin the journey now. 

   So, about that next, giant thing from earlier. Have you prayed about it? Have you asked God for feedback? Have you starting making a list? Have you make the napkin-sketch plan for how to get from here to there? Have you shared it with your best friend and asked them to hold you accountable? 
   Grace and peace, to us all, as we look to the future.

The Myth of Control and the Truth of the Present

It’s strange how the mind works. The mind would rather fret about the future or pine over the past so the mind can cling to its own illusion of control. But the current moment? It cannot be controlled. And what a mind can’t control, it tends to discount. Brush past … over. It’s the battle plan of the enemy of the soul to keep us blind to this current moment, the one we can’t control, to keep us blind to Him, the One who controls everything. 

- Ann Voskamp, from One Thousand Gifts Devotional

   One of the greatest drains on our time is the persistent worry that pushes into our thoughts. Of course, Jesus spoke to this when he said in Matthew 6, "do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."

   I appreciate the stark way that Ann Voskamp addresses one of the reasons that so many of us turn to worry: we want to believe we are in control. Instead, the limits of our control stop at the edge of our minds, our hearts, our words, and our actions. Regardless of how close or how influential we think we are to others or to a situation, we are not in control of much.
   God's call on our lives is to let go. I think this is what Reinhold Niebuhr was getting at when he penned the Serenity Prayer a century ago. He wrote: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

   Instead of letting go of the myth of our power in the moment, we cling to moments that are not present. This is precisely the work of the one who is working against our lives. Jesus came that we might have abundant life, but there are forces working directly against us. One of the best things that hell ever accomplished was to trick us into picturing a silly, red-costumed little person with horns and pitchfork when anyone mentions the devil. This way of thinking reduces our concern and prompts us to let down our defenses. Instead, we must remain vigilant in our watch for the real faces of evil that would lead us to destruction: worry, laziness, anger, arrogance, greed, or an unforgiving heart.
   God loves you and loves me. Could it be that we are at our best loving God back when we let go of trying to control others or let go of the past or future and instead live fully in the present? There is a word for this kind of living: faith.
   Grace and Peace, Scott

Home Depot (and the World) Leave us Exposed

   The good people at the Home Depot headquarters in Atlanta confirmed on Monday that its computer systems were hacked into and that everyone who made purchases in stores since April of this year possibly had their card number and information stolen. This includes me and probably many of you. While it is not yet known how many consumers were affected by the breach, this story follows others just like it from Neiman Marcus, P.F. Chang’s, and Target. The Target crime affected some 70 million customers and has so far cost the company $146 million, according to the Washington Post.
   Clark Howard is an Atlanta celebrity and expert in the world of finance and common-sense living. He writes extensively on things you should know and do when it comes to protecting your accounts and your credit. Here are summaries of five of those things:

1. Expect news of more breaches for the next 2 years - It will take at least that long for US banks to make the switch, which they could have done decades ago, to a safer process for cards. The retailers (Target, Home Depot, or anybody else) are not at fault here. The blame lies with the banks.
2. Know the difference between debit vs. credit cards - Debit cards don't have the normal protections under federal law offered by a credit card. With a breached debit card, you have only 2 days after you notice that money is gone from your account, or else your liability rises to $500 or beyond.
3. Watch your bank statements carefully - Go through your credit card and debit card statements this month and next month with a fine tooth comb. Identify any false charges and dispute them immediately with your bank or credit card company.
4. Be on the lookout for email or phone scams - Be wary of anyone calling or emailing you trying to impersonate a breached retailer or your bank. When in doubt, hang up the phone or close out the email. Then call your bank or visit the merchant website to verify the legitimacy of the request.
5. Limit the risks from debit cards by setting up a separate account - Customers who use debit cards are hit hardest by any breach. If you wish to continue using debit in the future, be sure you tie it into a separate account that's only used for debit transactions. You can read more of all of this on his website, clarkhoward.com.

I especially like what Howard says first; expect that breaches will continue to happen. The truth is, the moment we choose to engage in the world we put ourselves at risk. This risk goes far beyond swiping our cards. We risk our bodies, our feelings, our hopes, our spirits, our closest relationships, and the list goes on. Jesus finishes a parable in Luke 19 with this line, "'The person that uses what he has will get more. But the person that does not use what he has will have everything taken away from him." Risk is necessary.  People who are overly concerned about security and consistency are likely to miss amazing opportunities that present themselves in our path. To be a disciple of Jesus is to take risks - but when it comes to your bank account, take some protections, too.

   Grace and Peace, Scott

Prayer for GOD's People

O GOD, our Father, we know our own weakness. 
Our minds are darkened, and by ourselves we cannot find a know the truth.
Our wills are weak, and by ourselves we cannot resist temptation, or bring to its completion that which we resolve to do.
Our hearts are fickle, and by ourselves we cannot give you the loyalty which is your due.
Our steps are faltering, and by ourselves we cannot walk in your straight way.
So this day we ask you,
To enlighten us;
To strengthen us;
To guide us, that we may know you, and love you, and follow you all the days of our life.
Give to your Church your blessing and your protection. 
Guide her in her thinking, that she may be saved from the heresies, which destroy the faith. 
Strengthen her in her witness, that she may bring no discredit on the name she bears. 
Inspire her in her fellowship, that those who enter her may find within her your friendship and the friendship of their fellows on this journey.

- From Prayers for the Christian Year by William Barclay

Everyone Should Try It For 21 days

Experience is the greatest teacher.

Thomas Taylor in the year 1617, 

quoting an ancient Latin saying

   We know this to be true. We learn best by doing.  We can grasp the nuances, and get a hold of the concepts better when we are a part of the action.  Books are amazing tools, and conversations with wise persons are priceless gifts - but there is something unparalleled about the lessons learned from actually experiencing something.
   Earlier this week, I listed to a friend share with me their opinions on the 'state of the world', and heard their take on how things had changed in the past two decades.  My friend is more than a generation my elder, but we saw things almost exactly the same way.  Society is changing, and every fabric of our lives is affected.  Work, family, travel, communication, entertainment, values...and friendship.  Some of it for the good - some not so good. But the change is undeniable.
   As we start the new year, we'll be listening in to ancient ideas and truths, found in our Holy Scriptures, about friendship and relationships.  But in order for us to get the nuances of how friendship looks in 2011, I am proposing everyone try something together for three weeks: Facebook.

   I want everyone to join Facebook. It costs nothing, requires basically that you have an email address, and takes just minutes to get started.  Then for those who start this coming week, or for those who are already on Facebook, I want everyone to log on once a day for 21 days.  Why you ask?  Because Facebook is the single most influential force on relationships in the world today, and every person, of every generation, could stand to learn some things about how Facebook is shaping our children, our neighbors, our coworkers, and even our parents!  You can easily deactivate your account when you are done, but for now I'd like everyone who reads this to join the other 500 Million people who are 'connecting'. or so they say, on Facebook.  Simply go to www.facebook.com to get started.
   I believe if we are going to convince the world that Jesus' way of living is the best possible way to live - if we stand by our claim that our lives are radically better because of the truths we believe - then we also have to speak and know the language of the world.  More and more that language is spoken on Facebook.
   See you on Sunday, Scott