Near and Far Faith

I'm loving Perry Noble's new leadership podcast. He's been doing it since the spring and it really gives you insight into more of who he is. I take a lot from his leadership and it's cool to know him better. We're friends now. He also had a great post on pastoral burnout today.

Looking forward to the Stress In The Ministry Conference in a few weeks. A friend of mine turned me onto it. You apply and if you pass the gulling tests... of name and church phone number... they fly you down to Houston for a week of group counseling and teaching. The common reaction I've been getting from people is "Is the ministry stressful?" Ummm... YES! And it says nothing about your church, only you. Pastoring is not a job but a calling and those of us who grasp that pour every drop of creativity and prayer and energy and resources and love into it. It leaves us empty so God can use us. But never think that you can survive alone. We should take every chance to bolster our marriages, our senses of humor, and our love of humanity.

Derek Webb had a cool post the other day. It echoes my heart to a T.

Oh and I started following Jon Foreman on Twitter. you should too. He's the lead singer of Switchfoot who also has some amazing solo acoustic stuff.

That's all.

So it's not too often that I get to preach the same message more than once anymore. A few weeks ago I taught on John 12 at Ignite - we've been walking through John a chapter a week since April (check out the Beard Challenge). It ran long. I preached for almost an hour. I hate when speakers do that... unless of course no one notices. That's when you know you're speaking truth and not ego. So Mark Culton (Ebenezer bible Fellowship Church) asked me to teach for him while he was away and last night I got to spend time with their high schoolers. I felt pressed over the last few weeks to do the same message again on the story in John 12. It went for an hour last night. But it felt good - confirmed. I speak so little lately, compared to a year ago, that I forgot how much passion comes when the Spirit truly moves in you.

I was convicted as I taught though and it bares repeating. Not because I dreamed up this concept and I'm amazing (true... but not the point of discussion). But because saying it out loud to all of you (6) who read this brings accountability. It was a simple concept of Kingship. This is what came alive to me last night: A king of old times owned it all. If he wanted your house, it was his. Your bride? His. Your money? Taxed. We loose this concept of Jesus being our King because as Americans we are bred to be independent with a vote in everything. The idea of dominance is frowned on. But that's exactly the concept scripture was utilizing in verses like Zech 9:9, quoted as fulfilled prophecy in John 12:15. Not just a physical King though. And this is no enlightening moment for many of us. However, what would life look like if Jesus was my king? Where would fear fit? Shame and guilt? Purpose?

At the end of the passage in John 12 He says that we have the chance to be children of light - and he is the light. So here it is: do I live the reality that God is my Father-king? And how do you know? I don't have strong faith. I question God and his logistics. I don't believe an un-questioning heart is called for. But I do believe there must be a ruling concept of dominance splattered on our lives.