Public apology to a flight attendant

So, to our flight attendant Larraine, I just want to say, "I'm sorry." No, I didn't yell and scream at her, as I'm sure some have done. I didn't insult her or act like a child or do anything to make her job more difficult. In fact, she probably doesn't even realize I feel like I owe her an apology.

Let me tell this story. On the flight from Houston to Brownsville Monday, Larraine was working her wings off to get pretzels and drinks to about 60 passengers crammed into a flying sardine can far from home. The flight is only 47 minutes, so she already had her work cut out for her when we started. Then, she experienced a beverage cart malfunction. Specifically, the cart's brakes failed and whenever she would park at a row to take drink orders, the cart would begin migrating toward the back of the aircraft like it had to use the john. Fortunately, she got to my row and served me before this happened. Then, she realized that holding the cart with one hand while pouring drinks with the other wasn't working. The obviously flustered attendant then had to come over the PA System, announce what had happened, apologize to the whole of the cabin, and turn into a waitress, taking drink orders on a notepad.

This is where the thought entered my mind- "Get up and help her." Really, how hard can it be? If you read this occasionally, you know I sometimes pray, "God, if it pleases you, send me someone to serve today." Well, this was my chance. He delivered unto me, not just a young flight attendant to serve, but the back half of an angry airplane. But all of a sudden, my water got tastier, my book got more interesting, the seat belt sign gleamed more brightly, and my rear stayed glued to my seat. I tried not to look up so I'd have to witness the obvious torment this experience was putting her through. Of course, she eventually had to give up and apologize to the last five rows of the plane or so, and all because I was too stubborn/proud/embarassed to serve.

So, for that, I'm sorry, Larraine. Though, maybe she's not the one to whom I should be apologizing.

We're all from the same clay

Look, you and I both belong to God.
I, too, was formed from clay.- Job 33:6

I write this from a hotel room in Brownsville, Texas. I had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time on the south side of the border today, and this thought- this verse- kept coming to me. As I watched young mothers, walk their young kids to school, some of them not long out of school themselves. As I saw disfigured and disabled men selling hats on the bridge over the Rio Grande. As I saw busloads of production workers shuttled in and out of the industrial parks, I thought about how similar we all are. But our life circumstances aren't the same. And this got me thinking.

I'm quick to admit that some people are dealt a bad lot in life. In Job's case, he was really a good man, a man who pursued after God. Yet, a lot of bad happened in a short period of time. It would be hard for anyone to say he didn't have a bad break. In the same way, many of the people in Mexico (far from the poorest country in the world) won't have nearly the opportunity that my kids will. But, as easy as it is for us to admit some people are born in a worse situation than we are, it's very hard to admit that we just might have gotten a good break. Just the parents we have or the home into which we were born or even our country- that maybe good fortune played a role in how far we've come in life.

Seeing the people in Mexico, I'm always amazed by their sheer joy. I love seeing their smiles in the face of worse circumstances than I'd want to face. And, more than anything, I recently realize we're all made from the same clay. Really, what is it about their lives that make them less valuable than mine? Why should I save to have a secure retirement and a nice house when others who are just as hardworking, just as faithful, just as God-breathed, have so little?

I feel very fortunate to have been born when I was and where I was. It was not an accident. God put me in the situation I'm in so I can make a difference. I just need to think about how.

What kind of church do you want?

Are you frustrated that everyone in your church doesn't believe the same things you do? Do you ever think that it would be much better, easier, or less icky if we all just agreed on some things? Take a look at this perspective from Tim Stevens, Executive Pastor at Granger Community Church.

You can read the whole post if you want, but I'll give you the highlights:
- 57% of those who attend Granger don't believe the authority of the bible
- 56% don't believe Jesus is the only way to eternal life
- 47% don't believe in salvation by grace
- Stevens kind of likes these stats

Find out why here.

What should we pray?

From time to time, I have an opportunity to get together with friends and pray. Recently, it struck me that maybe we're not spending this time in the most effective way.

As I was thinking about the things we were praying for, I noticed a serious lack of substance- good weather for a particular event, that suitcases wouldn't get lost during travel, for a missionary to find a good deal on a car. Really? We're praying for cars and suitcases now?

Don't get me wrong- I know God wants to hear the desires of our hearts. I know that what's important to us is important to him. But most of us don't spend the entire day in prayer, even if we should. Shouldn't we be using this time for a greater purpose? What about praying for people who are far from God - our hearts should break for them. What about people who are hopelessly lost in addictions or abuse? What about praying for the poor and marginalized, and seeking wisdom on how to help them? Have we really gotten so self-absorbed that we're praying for suitcases?

Somebody help me.

What is your king?

Some time later King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite over all the other nobles, making him the most powerful official in the empire. All the king’s officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect....When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes. - Esther 3:1-2,5-6

Mordecai became hated because he refused to bow to Haman. As a result, his entire race was endangered. Mordecai had decided before this moment ONLY to bow to his God. It would have been so much easier for him just to bow to Haman, but his principles wouldn't allow it.

In America, we bow to a lot of things. We bow to celebrities, whether they're on the big screen, small screen, or playing field. We bow to the clothes they wear and the cars they drive and the houses they (and we) live in. We bow to booze and to sex and some of us to drugs, and anything that makes it easier or less painful to get through the day. We have a lot of kings.

But those things, no matter how innocuous they seem, get in the way of our relationship with God. I know it's hard to connect how watching the Olympics interferes with our relationship with God, but it can. I was watching beach volleyball last night with my bible in front of me, and I frequently stopped reading the Word to watch Misty May destroy the Brazilians. So, who was my king in that moment?

It's the same with all of us. I don't know what your thing is, and it doesn't really matter to me. If you bow to it, if you allow yourself to be consumed by it, then your thing is really your king. You are hostage to it.

But God sent His son to set the hostages free. Bow to Him and you will be free.

The beauty of God's word

The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight for living.
Reverence for the Lord is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them.- Psalm 19:7-11

This may be my favorite passage about the beauty and glory and usefulness of God's word. Sometimes, reading through the word can be a chore, sometimes it can be a bore. Then, there are times like last night where I just wanted to be immersed in it. I opened up the Psalms and prayed and read and found verse after verse that I could USE RIGHT NOW. While reading, I happened across the 23rd Psalm and prayed through that.

The times in my life when I feel closest to God are when I'm spending the most time praying and meditating on His word. The times when I feel the farthest are when I'm not reading it for what it is- perfect, trustworth, like the finest gold or the sweetest honey.

Just when you thought you knew China

I'll start by saying that I'm watching the olympics every day. I am enjoying the sport and competition, I loved watching the US thrash the French in the mens 4x100 freestyle relay. Then, this story out of Beijing about how all that is red is not rosy:

Here was the most interesting / disturbing part to me:

"In addition, the tiny, pigtailed 9-year-old girl in the red dress who sang 'Ode to the Motherland' was lip-synching. The real voice belonged to a 7-year-old girl who was replaced because she was deemed not cute enough by a member of China's Politburo"



See, and you were worried that the Chinese were too different from Americans.

Meet Samura

This weekend, Esperandiu Pierre from Nehemiah Vision Ministries visited Genesis Church to talk about the work his ministry is doing in Haiti. As a result, our family decided to sponsor a new child, Samura. Here she is.



Samura is four years old and lives in the Nehemiah Children's Home in Chambrun, Haiti. We are so excited to play a small part in Samura's life. I'm not posting this because I want you to know how great I am. I am doing it because God might be calling you to spend a little money to make a huge difference in the life of a child.

I am reading the story of Nehemiah in the bible right now. One of the great, encouraging things about the story is that everyone had a part to play. Nehemiah organized people by family by skills. There was a place for the builders, laborers, warriors, cooks, even the singers. Everyone had a part to play, and no one part was more important than any other.

If you want to know more about child sponsorships from NVM, go here.

Make a difference.

How much do you trust?

Hezekiah rallied the people, saying, "Be strong! Take courage! Don't be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops—there are more on our side than on their side. He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!"
Morale surged. Hezekiah's words put steel in their spines. -2 Chronicles 32:6-8 (The Message)

God is on our side. They have only men. Would these words give you courage? Would this idea be enough to give you "steel in your spine" as Eugene Peterson translates it?

I always know I should trust God, and I really do believe that His purpose is greater than all others - that His will will be done above all. Still, I often want to take things in my own hands. Make sure I'm prepared enough. Make sure I've studied the issue enough. It's as if I sometimes think that God doesn't know what I need to make it through and issue, and when someone says "God is on our side" I still wonder if that's enough.

The interesting part about this passage, and most others, is the theme that we are to "take courage." I will often pray for courage from God, but scripture is consistent in calling us to have courage. In other words, it seems courage is not something God gives us in response to prayer, but something we are to offer to show our trust in God. If I believe God is who He says He is, and I follow Him and believe I am in the center of His will, then I should have courage. I need to be still and KNOW that HE is GOD.

And that, my friends, puts steel in my spine.

What do I know?

"We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions—but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all." -1 Corinthians 8:2-3

How many times do we pretend to know or interpret things that are really unknowable? How many things that we argue about in church- how many things that divide the church- really are known only by God and by those on the other side?

The truth is this - we can argue all day about submersion vs. sprinkling; wine vs. grape juice; KJV vs. NIV; democrat vs. republican; or any other denominational split hair, but there are some things we will not know until we're in heaven, and by then it won't matter. So, that being the case, why is it so hard for churches to work together and support each other, rather than being at odds over silly stuff that just doesn't matter?

I love what Paul writes later in 1 Corinthians:
"I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said."- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

That, truly, is what is most important.

John Piper and the prosperity gospel

I'm not quite sure what to think about this video. I agree with the message, but is it over the top? Let me know what you think.

Amazing things on Day 4 of Bigstuf

Well, we're back. I've spent most of the day working on my sermon for tomorrow, reflecting on what happened the last day of camp, and sleeping off my Bigstuf hangover.

Some really amazing things happened on day 4, some of which you already read about. Many of them actually spilled into day 5, though, so I'll tell you about them now, and hopefully post pictures later.

First, we had at least four of our students that decided to adopt a child through Compassion International. This is an amazing way to make a huge difference in the life of a child for about a dollar a day. These kids were compelled by Matthew 25 where Jesus says, "Whatever you do for the least of these, you do to me." But, I thought teens were just caught up in themselves, and what they should wear, and how they should look, and what songs and games and electronic devices they have. Not all of them.

Next, in the evening session, Jared Herd went through the entire story of God, from Adam and Eve, to the tower of Babel to the birth of Jesus, to the cross and resurrection. An amazing story still. When he finished, he asked if anyone wanted to enter a relationship with Jesus for the first time, and two of our students stood up and made that commitment. Then, after a long and meaningful discussion, I mentioned if either of the students that made that commitment wanted to be baptized, we could go do that in the Atlantic Ocean. We all got dressed and ran (quietly) out to the beach. We ended up baptizing SEVEN students in the Atlantic- some were first times, and some were re-committing. So, at 1:30 AM on Friday, we were standing in the Atlantic Ocean watching teen after teen publicly proclaim their lives for Christ. God is amazing!

(Note to parents: yes, I considered what you might say about your child being baptized at a time and place where you couldn't see it. I was worried about what you might say. Then I considered what Jesus might say when I die if I didn't do it, and all my concerns disappeared. I'm sorry if you're upset, but I'm not sorry we did it. We do have pictures I'll post when I get them...)

Parents and Genesis Church folks: thanks so much for those of you who kept up with our trip here. I invite you to come back... I usually post 3-4 times per week, and right now I am gathering my thoughts as I read through the bible this year. Several of my posts here have/will turn into sermons in the future, so you can have a head start!

Peace! Steve