Benediction

End of the Year Musings

I turned 50 this year. That means a treadmill test, which I passed, and other tests, which I passed but won't describe here.

My wife turned 50 this year too, and she's proud of that. We spent some great time together this year: hiking Half Dome (twice: once wet, once dry), beaching in Hawaii (and flying an ultralight), and driving the coast of California. Donna has been the love of my life for 30 years, and it's still getting better.

One daughter moved from Folsom to Sacramento, then to LA. The other daughter moved to Riverside, then back to Folsom. Our son visited when he could, and just arrived back from his final tour on the USS Ohio. My nest expands and contracts with ever-greater ease and rapidity.

Lakeside Church, my vocation and avocation, continues to grow and change. We suffered some staff losses this year--those are painful even when they are good transitions, which they were. We celebrated some staff additions this year--those are risky even when they are good transitions, which they were. Our staff is enjoying a time of peace and growth together. This buoys me.

We experienced our biggest Christmas outreach ever. Over 5000 people joined us for Christmas Eve and Eve Eve. I believe the stage is set for the church to grow stronger and healthier this next year.

My ministry outside Lakeside grew as well. I never know exactly what the Lord wants to do through me, and through Lakeside, as I have opportunity to represent the church in a broader context. I was asked to coach church leaders in Canada with Bill Hybels this year. That was a ministry highlight for me--and I hope for those church leaders. I have been mentoring a church in southern California, and I got to speak at a couple of men's retreats, one for Lakeside and one for Bridges Church in Fremont.

And finally, I was invited to serve as the Transitional Director for Next Gen Churches. For the next season of my life, I will seek to lead the churches of our association forward on mission.

For all of you who read this blog, I am grateful. You encourage my life. For all of you who are growing as passionate and productive followers of Jesus, I am grateful. For all the Lord has graciously done for me, especially in this last year, I am grateful.

See you next year. Grace.

Joseph

My wife, Donna, asked me today what I will be talking about at church this week at Lakeside's Christmas celebrations.

I said, "I'm telling the Christmas story." (Never one to divulge too much information too quickly.)

She asked, "Which part?"

"The part about Joseph," I said.

She cheered, "Oh, that's my favorite part. I identify most with Joseph in the story of Christmas."

That seemed odd to me. As a woman, I thought she would identify with Mary, this young girl who carried and delivered the Messiah, and who carried the hopes and fears of all the world. But Donna connected more with Joseph.

"Hmmm," I commented profoundly.

She explained, "It's because Joseph had to express a lot more faith than Mary did. Mary got to approve what was coming to her--"May it be to me as you have said"--but Joseph just had to believe. How did he know Mary was telling the truth about the conception of this baby? How did he know his dream about the angel was not just a psychologically hopeful response to her story? How was he going to explain this to the guys who worked at the quarry?

Some don't believe the whole story of Christmas. I know why; it's pretty hard to believe. But if it is true, it is indeed good news of great joy for all people. I believe it! It has changed the course of my life. Pretty much like Joseph.

***

On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, Lakeside Church will host nine Christmas worship gatherings. On Wednesday, the celebrations begin at 3:00, 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. On Thursday, we start at 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 p.m. Somewhere in there I hope you can find a time to join us. I don't believe the Christmas story has ever sounded as good. It's the perfect time to help your friends and family hear the good news of great joy about God invading our world.

Tales of the Human Spirit

I'm a sucker for a good story about the "Human Spirit." I just read a story about two Americans who competed in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. Marin Morrison and Nick Scandone were featured this week in Sports Illustrated. Marin was a swimmer with brain cancer; Scandone a sailor with Lou Gehrig's Disease. Marin came in last in the 100 meter freestyle, but was cheered like a conquering hero. Scandone won the gold. They never met, except on the pages of a sports magazine. They died on the same day, three months after competing in the games.

When I read stories of courage, perseverance and grace, I am moved. It moves me when a stadium full of Chinese strangers cheers wildly for a young girl they don't know, who struggles to stay afloat, much less win a race. I am in awe of a man who defies his atrophied muscles and wills his 90-pound body to victory in boat race. 

And I wonder how God fits into these stories? It seems God has built something into us that is inspired by the underdog, the overcomer, the loser who wins. Is that because it is Jesus' story? Jesus, the child whose life began outside a cheap hotel in a poor exurb of Jerusalem? Jesus, the kid who confounded rabbis though he had little formal education? Jesus, the one who turned the other cheek, and so practiced what he preached? Jesus, who died on a cross, but rose from the grave?

And I wonder if our spirits are moved by these stories of the "human spirit" because the stories are really shadows of the stories of the Holy Spirit. I wonder if this kind of grace and courage and determination is a breakthrough of the life that God intended us to live from the beginning, where we cheer one another on through impossible odds, where we believe in one another, where we hold up the hands of one another while the battle unfolds.

And I wonder how God responds when he hears these stories?

Are You Crazy?

When we launched Lakeside Church in 1987, I was coached and encouraged by a group of northern California pastors in a network called Next Generation Churches. Some of the best men I have known have been pastors in this group. When I was younger, they prayed for me, encouraged me, took me to lunch. (The lunches were helpful because I was broke and hungry.) They have been my friends and colleagues for nearly 25 years.

Over the years I have sought to return the favor that these leaders gave me. I have become the encourager, the hope-giver, the lunch-buyer to a new generation of pastors. I love the people who are leading churches along with me in our network. Many are making great progress in advancing the kingdom of Jesus in our region. I do whatever I can to serve them.

In August the Director of Next Gen Churches retired. Several pastors from the network asked me if I would be interested in serving as the next Director. I prayed about it for a minute, then said No. (I know, pretty spiritual response, huh?) I have a high calling from God to lead and serve Lakeside Church.

Then the leader of our national association called. He asked me to consider taking the role of Transitional Director of the network.

And then the convergence began.

I was sitting in a meeting with the group charged with leading the association forward in this transition period. As we talked about the mission of Next Gen Churches, it struck me that what they were talking about is exactly what I wrote my doctoral thesis on: Healthy Churches Coaching Other Churches. Hmmm.

Then I talked to my wife about the possibility of serving Lakeside and Next Gen Churches for a season. I told her about the doctoral "coincidence." She already knew I loved these pastors. But I was certain she would say, "What, are you crazy!?" Instead she said, "I think you should do it." (I think I said, "What, are you crazy?")

Then I told the Elder Team of Lakeside about the invitation to serve. I knew they would say No. One of their roles is to protect Lakeside. They would not want me serving in two places. They'd say No. But no, they said, "We think you should do it."

Meanwhile, this could never happen unless the staff at Lakeside was healthy and at peace. It is. Hmmm.

I asked God if he was certain. He said, "What, are you crazy?" OK, God is always certain.

When I was certain I had heard all this correctly, I called the national director. "I'll do it," I heard myself say. "What, am I crazy?"

That's how I became the Transitional Executive Director of a network of 140 churches scattered across northern California and Nevada. (It's also how I became the driver of a 2000 Buick company car. I hope you don't see me in it. It's sort of like a pastor's car.)

So when you are praying, please pray for me. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm not crazy, but I am seeking to follow the Lord's lead. The state of California needs healthy, vibrant churches to touch the neighborhoods and communities we live in. I know the Lord has had is hand of blessing on Lakeside. I am praying that he will do the same for Next Generation Churches. We could use your prayers.

Public Confession

At the risk of voyeurism, I've been thinking about Tiger Woods. I have no public opinion about his alleged affairs or his private life. Even my private opinion is fairly pointless: I possess no personal knowledge of this famous golfer. I am not his judge nor his friend.

But I've learned some things by watching the events of the last couple of weeks. After Tiger crashed his car into a tree and a fire hydrant, he pleaded with the world for privacy. Why should his private sins require a public confession and apology? Why couldn't he simply deal with it within his family, he wanted to know? I don't blame him for this desire. Who wouldn't feel this way?

Here's how it seems to me: If Tiger Woods were simply a golfer, if he had earned his income solely through playing golf, I think he could reasonably deserve privacy. But once he became an endorser of products--of golf balls, razor blades, sports drinks and automobiles--his reasonable expectation of privacy disappeared. Why? Because when someone endorses a product, he's not telling others, "I think you'd like Gatorade." He is telling us, "I think you'd enjoy my life. If you drive this car, you'll be like me. If you drive this golf ball, you might play like me. If you use the products I use, perhaps you'll have my life." And poof goes the right to privacy. To people who want to be like you, you have given them an invitation. You endorsed their right to know you. And now they want to know if your life is real. No one wants to buy a mirage. They are buying your life and lifestyle. And if you turn out to be different from what the commercials have suggested, people feel betrayed. After all, they've been buying your products in order to be like you. (Example: Remember when Gatorade sold sports drink with the jingle, "I want to be like Mike," as in Michael Jordan?)

OK, none of this matters to me in relation to Tiger Woods. I admire his golf game, but I don't aspire to be like him. Otherwise I would practice golf a lot more often.

But it matters to me a lot when it comes to my life as an endorser of Jesus. That's essentially what a Christian is, an endorser of Jesus, his lifestyle and his offer of eternal life. Every Christ-follower is saying to the world, "I want you to follow Jesus. I want you to embrace his life." And because we endorse Jesus, the world starts watching to see if we will live up to what we've been promoting, endorsing. And if (or when) we fall short of the commercials, they feel it is their right to judge us. 

Which is probably why public confession matters Christians. None of us is perfect. None of us perfectly lives like Jesus. In fact, Jesus died for us because we were not perfect. And he offered us forgiveness, not perfection. 

Perhaps the reason James 5:16 tells us to confess our sins to one another is that public confession is good for the soul and good for our endorsement of Christ. It reminds us that we are not offering our neighbors a Pharisaical better-than-others life. We are offering them forgiveness. And when they see us confess our sins, our failures and shortcomings, they learn the sweetness, not of perfection, but of forgiveness. When we turn to Jesus, that is the gift we are endorsing.