Scoreboard

I recently began reading "The Real Win" by Colt McCoy and Matt Carter. Matt Carter is the founding pastor of Austin Stone Community Church, and Colt McCoy is an NFL quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.  McCoy was actually born in Hobbs, New Mexico but he grew up in Texas and played football at the University of Texas in Austin. I was there to witness one of his most unforgettable games, albeit for different reasons for the Longhorns. In the book he mentions two of his dreams were to win the national championship and to win the Heisman trophy. He was well on his way to doing both of those things when his team faced Texas Tech in Lubbock on November 1, 2008. Tech led most of the game, but with 89 seconds left to go Texas pulled ahead 33-32. Tech drove the ball down the field quickly, but the game would have been over in one play had Longhorn Blake Gideon not dropped an interception. It's difficult to capture the excitement of what happened next so instead here is what it looked like.

The agony inside of Jones AT&T Stadium turned to ecstasy in one fell swoop. That moment remains the biggest and perhaps the best in Texas Tech football history.  And while thousands of Red Raiders celebrated wildly, one young man stood on the sidelines in disbelief and disappointment. I honestly had never thought about McCoy's reaction much since then until I read this book, but it reminded me that sometimes the most exciting moment for one person can simultaneously be the most devastating for another.  Now don't get me wrong, at the end of the day I am still a Red Raider and I still love that moment, particularly because it was the Longhorns and wins are hard to come by against them. It was the coolest sporting event that I have ever witnessed hands down. One of the ways many people have commemorated this win is with a picture of the scoreboard from that night. 

Up until there was one second left, Tech was on the short end of that scoreboard and it felt as though victory had once again eluded us despite our best efforts. 

I have to be honest, sometimes following Christ feels the same way. There are days when it feels like we are losing. I am pretty sure the scoreboard isn't reading in our favor at this moment in history. There are times when I pray and wonder if God was even paying attention, and who could blame Him if He wasn't because I am a selfish jerk who often refuses to acknowledge Him. I have felt deflated and defeated, and many times that is because of fellow believers in Christ. I think "friendly fire" hurts worse than evil enemy attacks. I believe there are many who feel that church is boring, irrelevant, unnecessary, and a waste of time. Those people make me feel like my job is worthless as well. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:18 that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to those who are being saved it is the power of God. Following Christ means that you have to be willing to lose for a while. You may not be welcomed with open arms by your friends, family, or coworkers. You may be seen as weak, foolish, or pathetic. You may be a thought of as a boring person. People may treat you different - they may treat you like you are a loser. After all, the scoreboard says so right?

Last year I preached on a verse that keeps coming up in my life. In John 16:33 Jesus says: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." In other words, the scoreboard will change. Victory will come, and while it may seem like it happens with one second left, we can rest in its certainty because Christ is the one who will deliver it. I will continue to embrace our underdog role as followers of Christ. Are you willing to lose, so that you can win? 

Things you can and cannot do in a Satellite Church

Next weekend several of our staff and a few church members will attend a simulcast of the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit. It is always an interesting experience for me. The conference itself is always great, but the simulcast environment is intriguing to me. The church that hosts it does an incredible job, but there are some things that feel a bit awkward when you are not part of the live audience. For instance, over the past few years that have been times where several of the people in the simulcast audience gave the speaker a standing ovation. Of course I gave in to peer pressure and stood up alongside them in those moments. After all, I did not want anyone to judge me for my apparent lack of holiness. I did wonder though, why in the world we were standing up applauding a giant screen. This got me thinking about satellite church campuses. Before you think I'm bashing multi-site churches and satellite locations just slow your holy roll. I prefer to poke fun at any and all churches, including my own so sit back, relax, and see if you can relate to any of these thoughts.

There are some things you can do in a satellite location that you would never consider doing if you were at the main campus where the pastor is live. For example, you can make funny faces at the preacher and he will never know. You don't have to go into stealth mode when checking your facebook app or making your next move in Words with Friends. If you walk in late who cares, the pastor did not see you and you still get credit for being there right? Need to sneeze or let one go? No problem, the pastor will preach on without missing a beat. Worried about missing the big game? Bring along your iPad or better yet just set up another screen with a video feed of the football game. This way you kill two birds with one stone - three if your team happens to be playing the Ravens, Falcons, Cardinals, Eagles, or Seahawks.

There are also some things that you can't do if you are via satellite. If you want to talk to the preacher after the service is over, you cannot just walk down front or catch him on the way out the door. If you enjoy shouting "Amen" during the sermon - go for it, just don't expect to get a response. Need the pastor to announce that potluck your small group is having - forget about it. When the pastor asks you to raise your hand he is lying if he says he can see your hands raised. And when he refers to "this place" does he mean "this place" or is he talking about this place? If the techie forgets the wireless password or there is an equipment malfunction you better hope the rapture doesn't happen today. And perhaps the worst, if you are lucky enough to have a pastor who gives away free stuff from the stage I don't care how good his arm is he will never be able to reach your seat.

What are some other pros and cons to attending a church or a conference via satellite feed as opposed to being in the live audience.

Boomerang

In 1982, one of the coolest toys ever made hit store shelves. I'm talking of course about the Nerf Boomerang.

The one we had was green, but it was oh soooo magnificent. I wish I still had it because they no longer make them and the ones you can find online are pricey. Anyway, we played with ours for years and I have many fond memories of climbing on the roof to fetch this thing when one of us threw it too hard or a gust of wind sent it sailing. Our front yard was perfect for the game we called Boomerang Football. The last 15 feet of our yard sloped slightly toward the street so we would stand at the flat edge of the yard and throw the boomerang toward the street and then the game was on. It was a free for all at this point - anyone could catch the boomerang and the object was to get back across the flat edge of the lawn without being tagged. The Nerf Boomerang was perfect because the majority of the time it came back and would float down nicely like a helicopter coming in for a landing. It sounds really simple but this was one of the most epic games known to man in the 1980s.

One of my favorite stories in the bible is the Parable of the Lost (or Prodigal) Son found in the book of Luke. As a parent, I've often wondered why the father willingly gave his son his share of the inheritance while he was still alive and in seemingly good health. Why would the father respond to his son's selfish and arrogant request by granting it? I know the simple answer is that the father in this story represents our Father in heaven who is much more loving and much wiser than I'll ever be. But I think what let him let his son go was the boomerang effect. The father knew that the son had tasted and seen life at home. The father also knew that the life that awaited his son outside of his home could not compare to the life he had been given. The father knew his son would come home once he came to the same realization. By handing a young man a decent chunk of change, the father was throwing a boomerang. Unlike our games in the front yard though, he knew it would come back to him.

The son's return was not graceful. If he were my son, it would not be easy for me to catch him. He was coming in hot. He was out of control and broken. That's exactly how God finds us. We chase after a "better" life and He lets us. It's not that the Father encourages or condones our choice to flee, it's that He loves us so much He wants us to choose Him. He wants us to choose home. When we come to the realization that no is no place like home with our Father, we too come flying back like a boomerang. Thank God that He is there to catch us.

How traditional is your church? A helpful checklist.

The church by nature is traditional. Anything that has been around for over 2,000 years will establish some customs that are not easily removed. But as new church plants are popping up all over the country, many of them are anything but conventional. Churches are meeting in schools, movie theaters, storefronts, and wherever they can find space. As the church transitions into the 21st century, some refuse to let go of the previous 20. Wondering if your church fits that category? Good, here is a checklist to help you find just how traditional is your church.

Sunday School teachers still use flannelgraph in their weekly lessons  +1

You have a deacon of the week pray during the worship service +1

That deacon prays in King James English +4

Churchmembers bring their own seat cushions to save their spot on the pew +2

You can throw a stone and hit the pastor's house +1

Church members have actually proven this point +2

The pastor has a tattoo -3

Your worship leader refers to anything written after 1990 as contemporary +1

There are still hymnals in the back of your pews +2

One of your churchmembers refers to your contemporary service as "Six Flags Over Jesus" +2

Your pastor preaches shoeless -2

Your pastor preaches using an iPad -2

There is a choir modesty rail  on the stage +1

You have "that guy" who shouts "Amen Brother" at least 3x during the sermon +1

You call your pastor "Brother" +1

Your pastor actually is your brother +1

The choir members wear robes +1

The robes don't match +2

The worship band includes an organ +1

Any event that includes food is referred to as "fellowship" +1

Your church has a coffee shop -1

The coffee shop is named "Holy Grounds or Hebrews" -2

Your pastor wears jeans and it is considered "casual Sunday" +1

Your pastor wears skinny jeans on any Sunday  -5

The church business meeting is more violent than a bar room brawl +1

There are more people on the handbell choir than on Twitter +3

25 and above Thou art traditional. Do not, I repeat do not show up in anything less than a collared shirt, and if you're rocking anything less than the New King James you better get your New King Rear End a new bible. 

18-24 Still holding on. You're open to new ideas, as long as those ideas don't include drums or anything that requires the internet.

11-18 Modern, but don't dare call us post modern.  You've removed the pews and installed padded chairs in your worship center, I mean sanctuary. 

0-11 You're up to date. The pastor has more plaid than the local fabric shop and there is a Minister of Pyrotechnics on staff. 

There you go. How did your church do? What are some other signs your church might be on the traditional side? 

Start

One week ago, myself and a couple of thousand others joined NY Best Selling Author and blogger Jon Acuff on a journey called the Start Experiment. Each person is paired with another person to pray for, push, and encourage one another throughout the process. Each pair is also grouped into a group of 24 people, and for 24 days Jon sends an email with a new challenge. Some of the challenges are simple and others require a little more time and effort, but each one is aimed at helping you start something new.

One of things we were asked to do before it all began is to share something we were willing to risk for the next 24 days.  This was difficult for me, because I will not often risk something unless there is a reward involved and the reward better be greater than what I am risking.  That's almost never the way it happens in scripture though.

One of my favorite stories in the bible is found in Nehemiah. He was an incredible visionary and leader who was able to motivate ordinary people to do something extraordinary in rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. In doing so, Nehemiah took a huge risk. He risked his position to pursue his passion. He went from taking drinks from the King's cup to taking threats on his life from a powerful ruler. And what was the payoff? What was the reward? The wall around Jerusalem would be rebuilt and the people would enjoy protection and the opportunity to thrive. Nehemiah didn't get paid for this job and it definitely wasn't a promotion, but he took the risk, and it paid off - maybe not as much as what we think it should have but indeed it paid off.

So I find myself asking these questions: "Is risk my response? Am I willing to do this, even if I don't receive a reward? What if I fail?" The fear of failure tends to make risk look it has been hitting the weight room to me.  But you can avoid failure if you never attempt to do anything great. Mediocrity is fueled by fear. I don't want to be mediocre. We weren't made to be average. I want to be a risk taker.  Failure may not be an option, but it is a possibility. I want to be able to take that step anyway, trusting that there is value in my response.  I want to Start, and starting requires facing your fears and taking risks, regardless of the outcome.

That won't preach

I recently posted a status on facebook that said "that won't preach" is one of the most underused phrases in the church today. We've all probably heard someone share an idea or something that communicates a biblical truth and then heard the phrase "that'll preach!" I thought it would be funny to talk about some of the things that won't preach, and since then it has become an ongoing joke between some friends and I about what will and what won't preach. 

Here are some examples of what I mean:

"Wives submit to your husbands......so get in the kitchen and make him a sandwich." That won't preach.  

"If God brought you to it, He will bring you through it......unless it's constipation, bankruptcy, or a felony charge those are all probably your fault."  That won't preach.

"Where two are more are gathered in the bathroom, there I am also." That won't preach. 

Some of these can obviously be humorous and are ideas you'd never have to worry about hearing in a church. But I think there are also things that we don't want to hear the preacher say - things that may or may not happen but are not necessarily promised in scripture. We often live our live our lives in a "best case scenario" vacuum and don't want to believe God may not bless us with all we feel like we deserve. 

"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to give you hope and a future where you will not make six figures." That won't preach. 

"I can do all things through Christ.......including losing the biggest game of my career, getting laid off from work, or making minimum wage. That won't preach.

"Therefore go into all the nations and make disciples, take lots of pictures and tell everyone about all the great things that happened, and continue to ignore your neighbor who needs to hear of your hope." That won't preach.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, unless of course you think they're worthless then don't worry about it." 

What is it that you hope the pastor won't preach? 

Seeds are slow

I love the place where we now live. I love the mountains, the cool fall evenings, and most importantly my church and the people. One of the things I do not like is the fact that where we live just happens to be in the desert - maybe not officially but the landscape and lack of rain would suggest otherwise. This is frustrating if you are trying to have a lawn where your kids can play in the grass. Last year I tilled in topsoil, manure, and compost and laid some fresh sod on top of it. It looked beautiful, green, and plush. As the temperatures and our water bill rose, some of the sod began to die off. I tried desperately to save it but nothing seemed to help. Long story short, the majority of it failed to grow back this spring so our already small yard was mostly dirt with a few surviving patches of grass. I was quite frustrated and purchased a bag of seed just to see if it would fare any better. Sure enough the small amount of seed I planted in ground that I turned over has sprouted and is thriving even better than the remaining sod.

I'm sure there is a horticultural explanation for this, and I'm also sure if I wanted to fork over a few hundred bucks a month for water I could have had better results. The truth is I don't have a green thumb and we don't have a lot of extra green to throw at the problem.  Over the last few months I've felt God challenging me to do more. To become a better leader. To dig deeper and reach higher. For me, it's easy to become energized the moment I first believe God is stirring within me. I feel refreshed and focused and ready for something new. But honestly, after a few months if I don't see any major accomplishments or changes taking place I begin to stall out.

I realize that all too often in my life, God wants me to be more like a seed and less like sod. I didn't plant, water, or grow the sod - I drove to the home improvement store and loaded it into the back of my pickup and then laid it in my backyard. The seeds I planted are different. They weren't even green when they fell to the ground, they were blue. It took over a week for them to even break the surface, and even then they looked small and fragile. I don't want to appear weak or fragile. I don't want God to change me for the sake of growth. I resist that process. Seeds are slow, I want fast. We live in a world that thrives on the instant, and the appearance of success - regardless of who earned it - is so important. At the end of the day though, I am much prouder and more concerned about the growth of those seeds that I have planted than the sod I purchased. Don't buy someone else's success and try to sell it as your own. I believe God wants to plant something within me that may take a while to grow, but in the end will be so much more valuable to me. This isn't an easy process, and it's definitely not a speedy one. Seeds are slow. Seeds have to die to live. In John 12:24 Jesus says: " Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." Choose to be a seed over someone else's sod.