life keeps moving…
Happy Birthday to my dad today (April 28th) who turns 73! We’ll be heading up to celebrate with him this evening, which we’re so excited about! I’ll be catching back up the middle of next week as I welcome in “the early-30’s!” Whew! Life keeps moving…
Speaking of which, it’s amazing to watch kids grow up, isn’t it? Too bad we can’t slow things down a bit more. A few weeks ago, Julia began sitting up on her own - which has led to several other new things, like reaching for toys and foods and getting into things we’re learning as her parents to keep out of reach. It like there’s something new every single day now!
Here’s one of her most recent pictures, which I can’t help but to show off as a proud father. Heck, just last wee I had two dads of young boys make dating-proposals to us - to which I responded, “Not until she’s at least 30.” (That may sound ridiculous and unrealistic, but as I learned recently from one of my friends, when I lower that requirement to 16 or 18, she’ll think I’m doing her a favor!)
Also, last week our friend, Vickie, noticed while watching Julia that her first tooth had come through. I have to admit as her parents we felt a little embarrassed that we hadn’t noticed it sooner. I guess another difficult thing for us about Vickie noticing it first is that she’s a ‘yankee;’ so of course we had to tease her and lead her on for a while that it was actually some abnormal growth on Julia’s gum rather than an actual tooth. (Way to go, Vickie…that totally explains all the fussiness we had to deal with last week!)
“struggle”
Struggle. I learned this past year in Fantasy Football that a “struggle” refers to a time when most of your best players just aren’t getting the big stats you’d expect them to. I came back across this word recently (in a different fashion) in my Scripture readings, a word I feel all-to-well sums up many of my days in life (as a husband, a dad, a family-member, a friend) and in ministry.
This is why we work hard and continue to struggle (or ’suffer’), for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers (Who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth). _1 Timothy 4:10, 2:4
It seems to me that the word “struggle” is often seen more negatively than positively, serving as some type of indication you’re in the wrong place in life or that you’re possibly wasting your time in some way. Now, I’m a huge proponent of seeing people discover their strengths and giftedness, and I personally long to find myself living in my “sweet spot” on a daily basis and seeing others do so as well. (Recently, we had several people at Awaken participate in StrengthsFinder Assessments, and I’ve be absolutely blown away to see folks learn more about their uniqueness, as well as our community affirm one another in those strengths) But when we bring up words like “struggle” and “suffering,” it can often seem to be contradiction to a life lived to the full, to someone truly living in their “sweet spot.”
Now, I’ll be honest here (and this may raise some big questions for some of you reading this blog or cause some concerns in your confidence in me as a pastor) - I’m still not really sure if I’m truly in my sweet spot in life. What has caused me to think this over the last several months has had to do with the daily struggles I’ve encountered personally as a church-planter and in attempting to guide and shepherd a new church as a lead-pastor for the very first time in my life. Some may see it as courageous, but most days I’ve seen it as no more than a struggle.
I think that raises a great question for all of us here: If we’re finding ourselves struggling in some area of life, is that some kind of indication I’m not in my “sweet spot?” We’re all familiar with what it’s like to compare ourselves with others who seem to be “living the dream,” who seem to be right in the middle of their own sweet spots…and oh, how we long to find ourselves there too. However, I believe we often overlook the fact that nearly everyone around us has their own struggles…some just cover them up better than others…
I’ve been learning recently more about what it means to find yourself “struggling,” and yet at the same time in a “sweet spot.” We’re all aware that there are good struggles in life. That’s the difference in asking yourself, “Why must I continue to struggle like this?” verses “What’s the purpose of my struggle? Why do I choose to put myself through this?” But when it comes to a life of following Christ, we often forget that “struggling” is part of the journey. Check out these words penned by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:29…
For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ, but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together.
I want to know today that my struggling has a purpose. I want to know that I’m not alone in this struggle. And as I’ve been brining before the Lord in prayer, I want find myself fully alive in what I do, no matter how much of a struggle it may be, no matter how exhausting it may be at times or how much suffering may be involved.
I love something Rob Bell pointed out recently about the word “suffer” in Philippians 1:29. It comes from the Greek word pascho, which describes a ‘redemptive suffering.’ A suffering, or a struggle, that has a purpose.
My encouragement today (which I hope will be yours) is that although I may continue to struggle and even question whether or not I’m really in my ’sweet spot,’ I know that at least for today there’s a glorious and redemptive purpose to it all. I know I have the privilege of both trusting in Christ for my future and struggling alongside others to see His life formed in the people around me.
That’s why I choose to struggle…knowing that we’re standing side-by-side, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. (Phil. 1:27b)
Out of the loop…
I started to write this overly-spiritual explanation as to why I’ve been absent from blogging the last few weeks, but I thought it’d be a waste of words and time. Which raises a great thought I might have to write about soon: why do we sometimes feel we have to spiritualize everything that goes on in our lives? Why can’t we just be and live and enjoy, rather than try to analyze the meaning in everything? So, the short and skinny of it is that with April 15th looming last week, I needed focus on completing my 2007 tax-return online…which I did myself this year - what a huge accomplishment and relief!
So, now that I’m out from under the pile of 1040’s, W2’s, Schedule SE’s, 2140’s and so forth, I’m excited to get back on the blogging bandwagon.
Over the last couple of weeks I was able to be part of helping my friend, Ken Chester, finally get his blog up and going. I encourage you to check it out at ingodsgrip.org. Ken shares insightful thoughts daily (Monday-Friday) centered living whole and complete lives in Christ and refreshing reminders of who we are in Him. You can subscribe to his blog by clicking here.
Thanks for checking in and not giving up on me…
I hate shots…
I remember when I was growing up and those infamous visits to the pediatrician’s office. I remember my doctor’s name - Dr. Amos, whose office was located near Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro - and I remember that the only cool thing about going to his office were the “Highlights” magazines and all the germ-infested toys you’d get to play with before you get called back. Other than that, I don’t have fond memories of those experiences…probably because most the time I could barely breathe due to my asthma and there were always those inevitable shots. Remember?
Yesterday, Molly and I took Julia to her pediatrician, Dr. Van Winkle, for her 6-month check-up - who, along with the cool name is also a really great guy; oh yeah, and his first name is ‘Chris,’ and his wife’s name is ‘Molly,’ further affirming for us that he was the right choice as far as pediatricians were concerned. (Thanks Matt and Whitney for putting the bug in our ear about the other Chris & Molly in Greensboro!) Now, something I’ve actually grown to hate about these visits are the shots, which I do actually believe hurt me worse than they do Julia. She gets the first shot, and by the time she realizes how bad it hurts, we’re already on the third. Her face inevitably turns beet-red and I always start getting a little worried after she hasn’t breathed for a few seconds. It’s excruciating for us and for her. Goes to show that pediatrician’s offices don’t get much better.
I was reading through Hebrews 12 the other day and was reminded of something that yesterday’s experience once again brought into light. It’s a difficult thing for a parent to allow their children to go through any kind of suffering or pain - and most of the time, we’ll keep them from it at all costs. However, there are those times when it becomes absolutely necessary for the well-being of the child and it can become a detrimental thing for them in the long run to avoid it. Like shots. Now, I won’t go into a parenting “how-to” here, mostly due to my inexperience as a parent, but consider the discipline of a child. Whether you’re a proponent of spanking or time-out, it could probably be agreed upon easily that no discipline can ultimately be destructive. And if this is the case, we could probably agree that there is some pain and suffering that is absolutely necessary for out good.
Now, think of all the ways in life we tend to avoid pain and suffering, as if it’s something totally opposite to the Christian journey. In fact, Jesus totally makes clear that pain and suffering and discipline are all a part of the Way. But in the end, there’s the hope of our transformation, redemption, restoration…
No discipline (pain and suffering) is enjoyable while it is happening - it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. _Hebrews 12:11
So as we were walking out of the office yesterday and I told Julia, “one day you’ll probably come to despise this place.” And she probably will. But I also know the peace I have in standing there as her dad and watching her go through this pain is because of it’s necessity for her. It’s for her good. What a great reminder that when I’m going through difficult times of my own (whether of my own choosing or not) that my Father is standing right there, not because He loves shots or with some kind of twisted desire for my pain and suffering, but with what will come out of it for me…
Thanks, BT, for our conversation about this a few months ago. Thanks to you, I’ve been able to open my eyes while Julia gets her shots now.
Speaking of dreaming…
(referring to thoughts from my recent post, resolutely…)
Last week, Molly, Julia and I visited Chicago for a few days with our friends, Ryan, Caroline and Amelia Shuping. In all, we had a blast. One of the highlights (besides spending the whole week with my girls) was finally getting a chance to see Michael Jordan - well, not the real MJ, but the infamous statue of him outside the United Center. Now, I have to say this wasn’t equivalent to the Hebrews worshiping a golden calf…although I’m not sure how to really explain how it wasn’t…but it was a great experience nonetheless seeing a tribute to who I believe is the greatest basketball player there ever was and ever will be (feel free to offer your opinion…I’ll stick to mine)!
Feel free to click on the picture to see more photos from out trip. And hooray Skybus and Travelzoo for making the trip affordable!
resolutely…
Recently, I taught what turned out being a 2-part series (and should have been a 3-part series) titled, When Jesus Comes to Town based on the account of the Triumphal Entry in Luke 19 and the events leading up to it. Over the past few weeks/months, I’ve been absolutely captured by this thought (which begins in Luke 9:51) concerning Jesus resolutely setting out for Jerusalem. It’s almost as if I can see Jesus’ face, taking Him to Jerusalem, to His death, to our redemption. That’s what Jesus was resolutely set out to do. As John Eldredge puts it, there is no more dangerous man than the one who has reckoned with his own death.
To get a picture of what this looks like, I believe it’s helpful to go back to Isaiah 50:7, and the prophecy of what God’s Messiah would come to do: Because the Sovereign Lord helps me…I have set my face like a stone (or ‘flint’ as most versions put it), determined to do His will -NLT. Something I find fascinating about this language here is the word flint, which translates to the root word in Hebrew, halam which also means to dream. In other words, we might find this passage saying I have set my face like a dream or toward a dream.
Which raises a great question here for all of us: What is God’s dream, His vision for our lives? Do we know what it is? Is that what my face is resolutely set toward?
If you were to try to picture Jesus setting his face resolutely toward Jerusalem, what if you could envision Jesus - face like flint - set out toward a dream of what you and I could truly become? What if this became personal? I believe this is exactly what Jesus came to do, liberating us from our limitations and freeing us to become the person that only God has dreamed of us becoming. We know all too well how people around us try to shape us into the vision and dreams they have for us, which can be so limited. We also know how the world around us can try to conform us into what it believes we should become. We know this because we, in some way, do it every single day…and we can feel when God’s dream is being taken away, whether we realize it for what it truly is or not.
One of the things I’ve been doing the last month or so to help me have my face resolutely set like Jesus has been to ask God to continue to clarify His dream and vision for my life. In fact, I’ve been asking Him to do that for a couple of years now. I’m not sure if you’ve ever asked God for this in your own life, but if you have, perhaps you’ve gained some real clarity on what that is. For others (like myself), maybe you’ve struggled to hear anything specifically at all.
It can be frustrating to get up in the morning (sometimes every morning) and not know what your face is resolutely set out toward in life. I desperately want my face and the faces of those around me to resolutely be set out toward God’s dream and vision for our lives. But I believe the better question is not simply asking what God’s vision is for my life. Rather, I believe the better question we have to wake up to every day is this: God, what is your vision, your dream for the people and the world around me, and how can I give my life to that? How can I set my face resolutely to that kind of dream?
Perhaps there’s some kind of explanation here as to why we have so much trouble figuring out what God’s dream is for us. Maybe we’re asking the right question the wrong way.
Since Julia was born over 6-months ago, I’ve been asking God to show me His vision for her life. My hope is that as her parents, Molly and I will resolutely love her into God’s future, His dream for her. What if we loved people like that? Could that be God’s primary dream for your life and mine, that we help move people around us toward His dream for their lives?
What is your face resolutely set toward? What is God dreaming?
The Living among the Dead…
This morning (Easter Sunday) our community celebrated the Resurrection together, with a chilly, early start - 7am, just before sunrise - at Bicentennial Park in Greensboro…followed by an epic-sized breakfast and worship at Jam’s. The music and the fellowship of the believers was sweet, all topped off with a benediction around a Cross decorated with fresh flowers. (see pics from Resurrection Sunday at Awaken)
I can’t begin to explain how majestic the setting was this morning this morning just before 7am,
sitting in the parking lot before the sunrise, listening to the birds announce the first light of the day and imagining what it must have been like a couple of thousand years ago when Jesus shows up alive in a garden (nonetheless), ready to put things back to the way things were originally supposed to be in us and in the world around us…
Imagine the Resurrection…
This weekend, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking on the words spoken by the angel to those who were first on the scene to witness the empty tomb: Why do you look for the living among the dead? (Luke 24:5) I had an opportunity to share some of these thoughts this morning, but a couple of things stand out to me here and wanted to share…
First, a question: How am I guilty of this same thing? Where am I, too, searching for the living among the dead? To think of all the times in life when I’ve witnessed and experienced the power of the Resurrected Christ, only to find myself back at the tombs wondering, “How did I get back here?” I love how the angel reminds them of the obvious; Remember how He (Jesus) told you while He was still with you…’The Son of Man must be…crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ Then they remembered… For me, the refreshing thing about Resurrection Sunday is that it’s a day to be reminded (and boy, do I need to be…), to remember that Christ has been raised, and with Him, us as well. Reminded that the same resurrection power that raised Christ from the grave has been made available and is at work in me. Do you need to be reminded of this, too? Remember what He told you…
Secondly, go back to the question, Why do you look for the living among the dead?…and consider, “Are people around me seeing proof of the Resurrection?” Historically, the centerpiece of Christianity hasn’t been a cross, but rather, an empty tomb. Many people have been crucified, but we believe that only One has the power to be raised back to life. So, if our greatest claim to the person and power of Christ is an empty tomb, there must be some proof we must offer. That’s why Jesus’ desire is to see His life lived on through us. Yet, I would argue that one of the central reasons as to why people don’t believe in not only the Resurrection of Christ but in the person and identity of Christ is because they see little if any proof in our lives of His Resurrection Life in us.
Which brings us to a huge question here…What will it take, what has to happen in me for people around me to believe the Resurrection?
The truth is, only when people encounter Christ personally will they believe. The disciples on the road to Emmaus encountered Christ personally, but didn’t recognize Him until He blessed and broke the bread in front of them. So, perhaps the most practical way for the world to encounter Christ personally through us, to witness the living among the dead is for us to be the broken bread.
Christians who are alive and giving life to others…is there any greater proof of the Resurrection in us?
Celebrate the Resurrection with us!
This weekend, we’d like to invite you to celebrate with us the Resurrection of Christ and the events leading up to the empty tomb! Easter and the arrival of Spring are such refreshing reminders for me personally of what Jesus has come to do in our hearts and in this world…Look, I am making everything new! (Rev.21v5) Join us as we celebrate life and freedom for our 2nd ever Easter Celebration at Awaken, beginning this Friday…
Good Friday Dinner & Reflection
Friday, March 21st
7pm-until @ the Shelton’s | Map
Dinner will be provided. Join us for an evening of reflection on the Cross of Christ as we prepare for Resurrection Sunday. RSVP by email
Resurrection Celebration
Sunday, Mar. 23rd
Begins 7am @ Bicentennial Gardens
*Breakfast 8am @ Jam’s
Worship Celebration, 9-10am at Jam’s
Get an early start with us as we celebrate the empty tomb and the resurrected life of Christ together. A special musical worship celebration will follow our sunrise and breakfast times.
*Please bring…a breakfast dish/item for our breakfast meal together (Eggs and meats provided).
If you’ve got any questions, feel free to contact me or email us at mail@awakenchurch.net. We hope to see you this weekend!
loving for beauty…
A few days ago, I had the privilege of attending and conference called The Strengths Summit in Asheboro, NC, presented by the Gallup Research Group.. It was a two-day conference centered around helping people discover their natural strengths, talents and abilities and ways the church can serve as a catalyst for helping people live more self-aware and more comfortable in their own skin as they grow to see their true uniqueness.
While there, we were asked to personally look at our top strengths (according to the StrengthsFinder assessment) and underline in the descriptions the things about those strengths we actually believed were true.
It’s easier to focus on what’s not true, isn’t it? As I continue to learn more about this, it’s been interesting to see how certain strengths I have are much more easily identified and affirmed by others than they would be with me.
Which brings me to a huge point in this thought…that you can learn things about yourself that if you don’t have people in your life to affirm those things and literally love those things into you, it will eventually make no difference. Chew on that.
This has caused me to think of it this way: Have you ever given someone a compliment, but it’s almost like they refuse to believe it? Is it difficult for you to accept compliments?
Earlier in our marriage, I remember Molly and I having a conversation while we were driving about our identities, things we were learning about ourselves and some of the things that had served to shape us for good and for worse. I remember being frustrated around that time - all the way back to when we were first dating - when every time I’d tell Molly how beautiful I thought she was, it was almost like she didn’t want to hear it. (By the way, I did get permission from her to share this) I also know there have been many times when Molly has tried to affirm something in me that I’ve refused to accept. Things like: you’re a great man, to which my response would be, yeah, right.
This brings me to this thought: What does it mean for someone to love you into your future, to love you into your true self? Theologians have called this escatalogical realism, a term meaning to be loved into your future. It’s the idea of having someone in your life who isn’t simply loving you based on the person you are presently, but instead, based on the person you’ve yet to become. Simply put, it’s a way of loving that makes someone better. It’s a way of loving that sees the potential in the other person and chooses to love them into the person they’ve yet to become or only dreamed of becoming. It’s not loving with a selfish agenda, making the other person into what you want them to be (that’s what some people would call tough love; a way of coercing someone to become what you want them to become) ; it’s a love that recognizes the uniqueness of God in the other and chooses to love in such a way that it’s drawn out. It’s selfless. It takes time, energy and focus to see. That’s escatalogical realism. And if you know anything about God’s love (agape - a Greek term for God’s unconditional, unmerited love), there’s quite a similarity.
Something I’m coming to love even more about Easter is that it’s such a tremendous reminder of what this kind of loving truly looks like. It’s a picture of Jesus seeing our future and the person we’ve yet to become, setting His face resolutely toward Jerusalem and a Cross, laying down His life - all out of a love that desires to make us beautiful. It’s Jesus’ willingness to take the filth of our sin upon Himself, leading to an offer for us to exchange our filth for beauty - all out of an extravagant love that simply wants to make us better than from where it first found us.
To borrow something I heard again this week, we are all people who live out of our identities; the problem is, most of us have yet to accept who we truly are. The truth is, no matter how you see yourself, the Cross is God’s way of loving us into who we were truly meant to become.
This way of loving has caused me to change how I pray for my family, friends and the people around me daily. Every week, I ask the Originator of this way of loving to help me love Molly and Julia in such a way that I make them beautiful. I ask the Father to help me love the people around me in such a way that I’m making them better.
I’m simply trying to learn what it means to love someone into their future…
Just a side-note: 8 out of 10 Americans are focused more on improving their weaknesses than improving their strengths. Contrary to popular belief, we have more growth potential in our strengths than our weaknesses. What that means it that you’re much better off learning to love the person you are than trying to become someone else. In addition, most people go to their graves having no real clue as to who they are. There’s a difference between humility (having a healthy, balanced understanding of who you are) and false humility (ie: “I’m nothing special”). If you want to learn more, I encourage you to catch our next Core/Partnership Meeting at Awaken, Sunday April 6th following worship. A huge part of the vision, not only for Awaken Church, but also for me personally is to see people come fully alive spiritually as they discover the true value in themselves…one that God sees, causing Him to love us in such a way that it’s drawn out.
Uncomfortable Christianity
A couple of weeks ago I picked up a book for my friend BT for his birthday (who, by the way, turned 5 this year thanks to February 29th) titled The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. Since BT is always reading books of mine, I thought I’d get him a book I’d like to borrow from him sometime soon. (Yeah, hurry up and finish reading it, why don’t ya…?) Anyway, there was a sentence on the back cover from one of the endorsers of the book that got my attention…something I’ve heard before, but seemed to recapture me at that moment.
This book will comfort the disturbed, disturb the comfortable and invite believers to change the world with Christ’s radical love.
Comfort the disturbed. Disturb the comfortable.
This weekend, my friend Ryan Shuping courageously shared some of his thoughts on the Church, it’s history and some of our current practices in how we understand and make sense of what we’re doing when it comes to the idea of church. Ryan’s journey over the last few years have uniquely shaped and refined his views of the Church and how he views and lives out his faith. (I won’t share all the details, so if you want to know more, you’ll have to ask him yourself.) After meeting him over a year ago, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed hearing his heart and his thoughts on what he’s been learning and his honestly on thoughts and questions he still has about what it means to be the church. About a month ago, I asked Ryan if he’s consider sharing some of his thoughts at our worship gathering, which he agreed to. And I have to say, it was thought-provoking to say the least. After confessing to Ryan, I had to admit that some of the things he shared Sunday caused me to feel a bit uncomfortable. Uncomfortable concerning things I do and simply don’t think about. Uncomfortable concerning whether or not I completely agree with what’s being said. Ever experienced this? Uncomfortable thoughts and questions like, Much of the way church (not all, but most) operates today is inherited, not ordained; and Most weeks our gatherings are only encouraging people to do the same thing - to spectate, and Is our approach to preaching each week establishing that ‘my voice matters and yours doesn’t?’ and If a church’s success depends on its numbers and big gatherings, is that where the majority of its resources should really start moving to? Obviously, I don’t have the space in this blog to lay out the context and depth behind all these thoughts, but these are some I wrote down and have been chewing on this week. And before you start yelling, heresy, keep reading…
Do these questions/thoughts make you feel uncomfortable in any way? Whether we agree or disagree, for now, that’s not the point here. Let’s go back to this phrase of comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable. When you consider the life and ministry of Jesus, isn’t that what He did? Aren’t these some of the primary attributes that caused Him to became famous during His day? So then, the point becomes this: where am I so comfortable in my faith that I need to be disturbed, and where in my faith am I disturbed that I need be comforted? This is what Jesus comes to do.
I’ve been reading through Luke’s account of the life of Jesus this past month. On His way into Jerusalem - riding a donkey - Jesus was given a parade fit for a King (21:36ff). The people even proclaimed Him as the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Matthew’s account records that the people shouted Hosanna, referring to Jesus as One who has come to save.
And what was the response of the religious leaders standing by? Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that! Do you think they were uncomfortable? Disturbing the comfortable. Jesus responded, If they keep quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!
I do think it’s important to consider much of what we personally say and hear today when it comes to the teaching of the Scriptures and how reflects what Paul warned Timothy about in 2 Timothy 4:3: For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. For many of us, we’ve grown accustomed to only listening to people with whom we agree with, or demanding and encouraging them (if that’s what you want to call it) to say what we want them to say, what we want them to hear. For many of us, we have yet to truly wrestle with some of the deep issues and questions of our faith we’re afraid of or too lazy to confront. So instead of coming to Jesus directly about it first, we sometimes take our frustrations out on the voices whom he’s speaking through to disturb us where we’ve grown comfortable.
This probably opens up a big ole’ can of worms, and I could keep going here, but the question I want to raise is this: Do we, have the courage to ask God to disturb us where we’ve grown too comfortable? And if so, what could that cost us?
In a few weeks, I’m looking forward to having some of Ryan’s thoughts available to read through or listen to. Stay tuned.
Chris Shelton resides in Greensboro with his wife, Molly, their daughter, Julia, and Baby #2 due in March...
