Jeff Noble's Blog, page 19

The advent of snarky

Are you jaded? Skeptical? Fed up? Don’t know who or what to believe?

We live in a time and culture that has erased optimism. The result is that we question everything and infected with doubt. It’s a new day. Our communication is sarcastic, brash, harsh and lacking civility. It’s the advent of snarky.

When the reporters become salesmen

[image error]Few of us know what true investigative journalism looks like these days. The fabled names of Woodward and Bernstein are forgotten (and Bernstein himself these days is more a salesmen for a particular view than a reporter). Who do you listen to when the purveyors of information (that we all used to assume was just a simple communication of facts) are themselves jaded? No longer does it seem favorable to report information. These days it must be spun. In the communication wars between the MSM and President Trump, no one knows who is accurately telling any story. One fumes, the other tweets.

I recently ordered and am looking forward to reading Reforming Journalism which promises to:

“(1) lay out foundational principles of journalism, explaining why and how journalism ought to be done, (2) address practical, nuts-and-bolts issues such as interviewing subjects, structuring news stories, and responding to complaints, and (3) close with a historical overview of journalism in the United States. Throughout the book, Olasky points to the example of Christian journalists in China, who courageously continue a nearly three-thousand year history of news reporting in the face of government pressures. You will learn how to be a more discerning reader of news as well as a competent citizen-reporter in your own community.”

The death of argument

We can’t even argue anymore because someone will pull out a smartphone and look up the facts to what you’re arguing about. In the “old days,” we could argue about stuff, and the best arguer or most emphatic or articulate would carry the day – right or wrong. I guess it’s good that Google can tell you who won the Super Bowl in 2011 and not rely on our faulty memory. The fact-checkers have drunk the Kool-Aid of spin as much as anyone, however. No one is tolerant of dialogue and true debate. The antidote to a differing, well-reasoned, logical argument these days has become name-calling, noise and belittlement. It doesn’t matter that an opposing viewpoint makes good points. We can make their cogency irrelevant by our noise.

Societal amnesia

Rationality is dead because the noise we make today – or the well-reasoned position – is all forgotten tomorrow. We are cynical because it doesn’t seem we can remember what happened in the past – whether distant or earlier this year. 2019 saw horrendous abuse from the mainstream media, and yet at the close of the year, it’s drifted away from our collective memory. The saying goes, “Those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it.” I think that’s where our collective what-aboutism comes from these days. Opposing sides condemn one another quickly, only to be reminded, “Oh yeah, what about when you did the same thing?”

You’re cynical

We are cynical. You are cynical. Admit it. Confess it. But don’t stay there. In another blog called Are you cynical? I wrote, “When you think that the content that comes from you and your circle of friends is better than the content that comes from other sources, you are in danger of cynicism.”

Cynicism is dangerous about significant truth

This is especially sobering when you consider that some communication is deeply significant. Consider spiritual truths. If there is a God… if He has a will… if sin is real… THEN it’s vitally important to have right communication. We cannot afford to skeptically dismiss religious communication. We do so at our own eternal peril.

What is about us that we view communication from steams outside our own circle of trust as untrustworthy? Is it because of a track record of less-than-honest reporting, less-than-authentic preaching, less-than-reliable dependability?

Several years ago the United Methodists adopted a phrase: Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors. I wasn’t a fan of the phrase because I felt then that it would be used to jettison scriptural truth while justifying human foible. However, I’m most definitely not a fan of close-mindedness. As a follower of Jesus, I love how He asked questions in response to questions. I love how He exposed hidden sin – going beyond mere actions to the motives of the heart. “You’ve heard it said, but I say to you…” And I am thankful for the admonition of scripture that encourages us to “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19)

An open mind and an open heart does not preclude using discernment and judgment on information/messages. In the realm of spiritual truth, we are urged throughout the scriptures to test and judge what we hear and measure it by truth and not by how it makes us feel. (Acts 17:11, 2 Corinthians 13:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, 1 Timothy 6:3-4, 1 John 4:1). We are urged to pray for openness – to truth:

“Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction.”

(Psalms 119:18)

Perhaps that’s the ultimate litmus of whether we embrace or reject messages in contemporary culture – by how they make us (or others) feel. If it makes us feel good, it must be right. If it makes us feel bad, it must be wrong. Feelings can’t be an adequate measure of truthfulness, however. We know that from other arenas of life. We don’t resist surgery because it makes us feel bad. A level of invasive cutting is needed for ultimate health, right?

Get positive

Ask yourself: is it fun to be cynical? Is it energizing to be critical? Is it wonderful to shut other people down? To be intolerant of other views?

It’s not. Trust me. (But you probably can’t, because you’re cynical)

I want to encourage you.. get positive. As you progress toward and through a new year, please do some attitude surgery in your own life. Open your heart. Open your eyes. Pray for the well-being of those who think, talk and act differently than you. Consider that there just may be… truth.. out there. It’s not just an old mantra from the X-Files.

Be willing to adjust, think differently and deeply. Be respectful of those who disagree. Use kind discernment and wise discretion. When you must argue, do it with bold compassion and fearlessness. The truth is worth fighting for, after all. Not much else is.

Consider the kind of qualities that Jesus infuses into a person who follows him: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Name one of those things that turns you off. If you can, well, hello, cynic.

Cynicism will shrink your soul. It will cause your hope to atrophy (if you even remember how wonderful “hope” is). Cynicism will hinder relationships and generally make you a not-very-fun person.

Let’s all be less snarky, ok? Or… nah, that’s not possible. Nothing’s gonna change…

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Christmas “Sections”

Every year I attempt to slow down Christmas. It’s my unrealistic goal to fully enjoy every. single. moment. of. every. day. leading. up. to. Christmas. day. Putting periods after each of those does nothing to prevent you from reading it in a normal pace. And all my attempts at punctuating my life in December doesn’t halt the hasty onrush of Christmas day.

As a kid, Christmas approached with such maddening slowness. As an adult, it enters my awareness through Christmas displays set out too soon in stores. I choose to ignore them, but then it screams past like a Ferrari. In all the shopping stress of finding the right gifts, attending parties, preaching and meeting, and also being aware of so many for whom the Christmas season evokes deep grief, I’ve found it’s impossible to slow down Christmas.

Christmas comes inexorably.

Thank goodness. Thank goodness I can’t slow down Christmas nor prevent its coming. The first Christmas came at a time that had been foretold and yet none of God’s people were ready. They weren’t attempting to slow it down. They simply weren’t expecting it. The only people expecting it was the extended family of Mary and Joseph. Mary was really expecting.

And yet Christmas came. It came so quickly that there was no room for Jesus “inn” it. Christmas came so quickly that shepherds were given a heart attack at an angelic pronouncement that boomed from the skies. It came so quickly and abruptly that Herod wanted to extinguish it.

Intersecting

God intersected human history with redemption and forgiveness at Christmas. This was His plan from eternity past! Though foretold by prophets and promised by God since Adam, no one saw the intersection.

“..a plan for the right time — to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.” (Ephesians 1:10)

“..when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

Bisecting

The coming of Christmas divided humanity. It divided us between the hungry and the rich. Young Mary proclaimed in her song in Luke 1, “He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.” V53) Christmas was Immanuel – God with us – and His tender drawing near those who shy away from His holy perfections, feeling unworthy. He bids them come and assures them in mercy that all who are poor in heart will be blessed. It’s a bisection because the rich and self-satisfied are repulsed by the humility of a Savior. They have no need of Him and rather like their own lives (Herod). Christmas comes and leaves them empty – not because the offer of salvation is not available, but because they refuse it.

Dissecting

Christmas is also God dissecting. The coming of the Messiah goes deeper than what we could be prepared for. Christ’s coming cuts. The Advent pulls back and exposes our hearts – not to wound but to heal. Christmas is like heaven’s biopsy. It is a gift to be told there is a cancer within when a cure is offered simultaneously. The Christmas cure is simple faith in Jesus.

Who could have never dreamed that God’s path to conquering sin and death lay through such a vulnerable method as a baby born to an ordinary couple? And creation would wait for 30 years after His birth for the angelic pronouncement of peace on earth to be savagely fulfilled through a bloody cross.

Christmas has come and is coming

Christmas is both a past reality and a future hope. Jesus has come to save us. He will return to reward and make all things new. How we receive Jesus into the depths of our lives can impact not only us but those around us. He can transform your grief. He can refresh your heart. He can revive your strength. He can give hope in despair. These are all promises and responsibilities of the Messiah. Will you welcome Him?

This passage in Isaiah was selected and read by Jesus in the synagogue at Capernaum. With it, He announced his ministry, confirmed His identity and inaugurated Christmas. Notice the audience: poor, brokenhearted, captives, prisoners, mourners. Notice the gifts: good news, healing, liberty/freedom, favor, vengeance (justice), comfort, provision, beauty, joy and celebration.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives

and freedom to the prisoners;

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,

and the day of our God’s vengeance;

to comfort all who mourn,

to provide for those who mourn in Zion;

to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

festive oil instead of mourning,

and splendid clothes instead of despair.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

May Jesus find you hungry for Him in all the intersections, bisections, and dissections of Christmas. And let’s keep trying to slow down in order to notice, be fed and rejoice.

Related Posts:

“I know him!” 
Slow down, Christmas

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Ye olde traditional Thanksgiving post

Over the years, I’ve written Thanksgiving blogs. It’s a day of family, eating, fun, naps, games, sometimes shopping, fireplaces and reflection. This year is no different, and yet it is so different from last year’s Thanksgiving. Last year, our family was on the verge of a long, dark night as Carolyn was in the process of recovering from a surgery that we would later find out revealed cancer. We’d embark on a health journey that took us through May of this year.

This Thanksgiving, the kids are at home +1. Sam’s fiancé, Sidney Sims, has graced us with her presence, and she has yet to declare who her favorite family member is. Adelyn’s significant other will visit us tomorrow. This also adds personnel to the Annual Noble Family Yard Raking Celebration. This annual event is deeply anticipated and beloved by family members and their guests.

What I’m thankful for

Over the years, I’ve been thankful for big and small things. Sometimes it’s the small things that we need to be thankful for, like:

Gold Bond lotion and WoodWick candles
Socks
Juanita’s Peanut Brittle from Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Diet Cream Soda
Donald Duck
Emojis 

Tall tables and routine reflections

It’s a cold, rainy Saturday.

From my vantage point here in Barnes & Noble, I’m watching cars slowly stream by, barely slowing over the one speed bump in front of the store. A Hokie bird statue out in the flower bed stares hopefully through the drizzle at entering shoppers.

My Friday-Saturday morning routine has been adjusted today. I’m not sitting where I normally sit. There are two tall chairs next to the window. One of them belongs to me. I wrestled with shock when I discovered that someone had the gall to sit there. I get here right at opening for that purpose. Two women occupy both tables today. One has a “Bernie 2016” proudly displayed on her PC laptop. It makes it triply worse.

This isn’t my first coffee shop today. When I wake on these days, I initially head to Next Door Bake Shop or one of the scattered Starbucks across Blacksburg. I use my pre-B&N moments for reading, reflection and journaling. I time my departure from the coffee shop to be at the tall table upon the opening of B&N at 10:00. That may explain why I’m sitting here resisting the urge to glare at Bernie-lady. The fact that I come here to prep for my sermon reminds me of bigger issues than tall table theft.

What we do when our lives are disrupted says a lot about us. If we are stable and dependable during the routines we’ve carefully created (and protect) but crack in crisis, we are confronted with the uncomfortable possibility that we worship the predictable rather than the Creator.

Routines.

There are things I do without thought, that come easily for me. Once upon a time, I did these things for the first time, and then because they worked or felt “good,” I did them again and again. They work for me, and they help me to focus.

What routines have you implemented?

I run every other day, and work out in the evenings on the days I don’t run. I take Sundays off. I’m a creature of routine and habit.

I read. Often. Everywhere. My focused reading time is usually after supper – a book that feeds me – whether spiritual or leadership. I read again just before I go to bed – a fun, brain candy sort of book – fiction or biography.

In moments of waiting or needed distraction, I read the news, blogs and saved articles – mostly that I’ve collected from the web in my Pocket account.

My week is punctuated with a lot of regular meetings. Meetings with staff. Meetings with other church leaders. Get-to-know-you meetings with people I’ve met. Meetings with teams. Meetings with guys I’m discipling. I’ve found joy in all these, but I also have learned how to step out of meetings for needed planning or down time. I get “peopled out.” I call myself a learned extrovert. I enjoy people and crowds – to a point. Then I need to refuel.

Movies are a primary mental escape for me. The advent of MoviePass last year was like winning a lottery for me. Its demise was mourned. When Regal introduced its own version, I was back in my seat at least once a week, sometimes with a movie buddy but often alone.

How we refuel during times of stress, exhaustion and disappointment says a lot about what has kept us fueled during life’s routines. If I turn to spending, vacation, books, exercise or entertainment alone to refuel, I discover my soul shrinks.

Prayer

My brain never stops spinning. I am grateful for prayer as a primary way to slow my thoughts down and experience focus and submission through scripture and journaling.

One of my life verses is 1 Peter 5:7 – “..casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” The Psalmist captured this in the Old Testament as well:

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” (Psalms 55:22)

Prayer is not an exercise. It’s not a solution. “Prayer” describes my conversation, submission, complaining, receiving, listening, and enjoying God. Prayer is not just a phone call. Prayer is … joyful intimacy and simply dwelling with and in Jesus. You can say you are intimate with another when you thoroughly enjoy them.

“Prayer” in and of itself is not a solution, a preventative, or answer to anything. God is. I must not think I have “prayed” if I have not loved God and been completely me before Him. (That makes complete sense to me, but it may sound a touch mystical to you.) All I know is that.. I am invited near to God, and I draw near through prayer, informed by my knowledge and confidence in God through scripture.

What I do after I pray reveals if I’ve really prayed. If I am frenetic, worried, angry or shift into hasty problem-solving mode after prayer, it’s a good indication to me that I have not “cast” away my cares in prayer.

Barnes & Noble

When I was serving a church in Garland, Texas, I had a friend whose last name was Barnes. We always talked about strolling into a Dallas-area B&N, showing our IDs and claiming we are Mr. Barnes and Mr. Noble there for an inspection.

The line for coffee is six-deep now. Activity here has picked up, and Bernie-lady (and her friend) are still there at the tall tables.

It’s time to pack up and head out. I’m thankful for chilly, rainy Saturdays and for being bumped out of my routine a bit.

While you may not blog the next time you experience a life shift, I hope it will encourage you to reflect, examine, and ultimately to be reminded of a God who loves you and is Lord over life and routines. May that lead you to enjoyable, intimate prayer.

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Discipleship Story: Viktor Orekhov

[image error]Viktor Orekhov was one of the first people I met when we moved to Blacksburg. He showed up as a graduate student to help us move into our rental home. I was a Mac user, and he was (and sadly remains) an avid PC user. He is also one of the smartest people I know, which when combined with his wit and love for Jesus makes him near and dear. We’ve done a lot  together – from filming “The Office” knockoff episodes, ministry, riding segues, to drinking gallons of coffee. I’m grateful for his reflections on discipleship.

What are you afraid of?

It was a simple question, nothing profound. But at that point in the conversation, it cut through all the confusion to get to the point. Jeff has a way of asking good questions like that. This conversation in particular was a one-off visit a couple months ago, but it reminded me of the many discipleship conversations I’ve had with Jeff over the years.

But I didn’t always “get” it. After our first meeting, I literally walk back to my car thinking “is that it?” Jeff had invited me to join a discipleship group with two other guys to go through a book together. The book was…well, forgettable. I had come expecting a deep theological debate or at least 1-2 wise quotes I could write down in my notebook.

But no.

Week after week, we would simply use the book as a prompt to discuss scripture and what was going on in our lives. Over time though, these simple gatherings turned into a sweet friendship. The kind of friendship where, years later, I can reach out for advice and he knows me well enough to ask the right questions. And I think that’s kind of the point. What I’ve learned from Jeff over the years is that discipleship isn’t about going through a checklist or having all the right answers. Study materials and methods can help, but all it really requires is caring enough to ask simple questions, having the patience to actually listen, and then consistently pointing them to Christ.

That’s something all of us can do… What are you afraid of?

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25

Also in Discipleship Stories


Introduction: Discipleship Stories


Discipleship Story: Phillip Slaughter


Discipleship Story: Kyle Pfeifer


Discipleship Story: Jeremy Woodall


Discipleship Story: Ben Coulter


Discipleship Story: Tucker King


Discipleship Story: Greg Crosthwait


Discipleship Story: David Smethurst


Discipleship Story: Ben Messina


Discipleship Story: Viktor Orekhov

View the entire series

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What are you reading?

I love learning what people are reading. It’s a back pocket question that I usually ask people – what are you reading? I usually have a few books going at once. Two of the five I’m reading right now are:

[image error]The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan

I will be blogging a review of this wonderful gem of a book later, but for now I have slowed down while reading it. It is just too good to rush through. And that’s appropriate since it’s all about Sabbath and rest and renewing wonder.

This book was recommended to me, and it’s truly one to savor. Not just because of its message but also because of Buchanan’s ability to weave words. I appreciate creative, insightful and playful writing. The author achieves all of these and as a result, the book is enjoyable to simply read. His points both delight and require digestion.

I just finished the chapter on Play: Stopping Just to Waste Time. I grew up in a Christian home and attended Baptist churches all my life. Unfortunately, in my young Christian days, I did not view Sabbath as something to be enjoyed but as something to be observed.

In addition to rest of the book, the chapter on play was such a boon. I have habits/routines of exercise, rest, play and solitude. There are times when I’m doing any of these that I fight the guilt monster that whispers, “You should be doing _____.” It could be returning emails, prepping sermons, scheduling a meeting, etc. It doesn’t matter. Something. The author’s point is that don’t do things that are useful on Sabbath. Step away from the altar of utility that you’ve built and simply taste life. Enjoy. Play. We are more familiar with the idea of Sabbath as don’t do anything. Especially if you enjoy it (because God just wants you to “rest”). But the rest God desires is a rest from work – what we do to be useful.

[image error] John Adams by David McCullough

I love history. You can never go wrong reading it. When you read about historical characters, you always see things in their lives and thoughts that can direct your own.

I knew John Adams was a “founding father,” and that’s it. I’m a little over halfway in, and he just became the fledgling United States’ first Vice President, serving the nation’s first President, George Washington. He spent 18 years overseas, living in France and then England, advancing the establishment of the nation by helping Benjamin Franklin create a treaty with France that tipped the American Revolution in favor of the colonies.

He was an intense thinker but a man of deep integrity. Almost all hail him as single handedly being the architect of the American form of democracy and governmental structure. He endured ridicule and being taken for granted and through sheer persistence, he won for the U.S. international respect.

I’ve tried to make a commitment to read a good biography every year.

What are YOU reading?

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I know many of you are readers. I’d love to hear what you’re reading. Leave a comment! If you’re not my “friend” on Goodreads, let’s link up.

Related posts:

Finding time to read (1/8/2015)

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Nuff Said: Tulsi Gabbard’s takedown of HRC, the ideal length of every social media post, the danger of expectations, the myth of dying Christianity, and Bad Lip Reading by Joe Biden

Nuff said is a collection of posts/articles from around the web that has drawn my attention in the following ways:

Made me think
Made me wonder
Made me feel

Here’s what I’ve noticed lately:

Tulsi Gabbard goes nuclear on HRC

This week, Democratic Presidential candidate had enough of Hillary Clinton’s untruths. She responded in force on Twitter when HRC claimed on a  podcast interview that Gabbard was a Russian asset being used to divide the Democratic Party:

Great! Thank you @HillaryClinton. You, the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long, have finally come out from behind the curtain. From the day I announced my candidacy, there has been a … concerted campaign to destroy my reputation. We wondered who was behind it and why. Now we know — it was always you, through your proxies and powerful allies in the corporate media and war machine, afraid of the threat I pose.

It’s now clear that this primary is between you and me. Don’t cowardly hide behind your proxies. Join the race directly.

Whew. Clinton is a fan of blaming others/anyone for everything. Whether it’s calling people “deplorables” for wanting a more conservative approach to government, economy, and our legal system, she has been at this a long time. I use Pocket to save articles I’ve read and then resurface them here. I am still working through articles from 2016. Consider this gem from the American Thinker in 2016. Still freshly stung by another political defeat (and not being able to conceive that the problem may lie with her own candidacy and integrity), she uttered this wild and still unfounded whopper about Russia:

“Vladimir Putin himself directed the covert cyber-attacks against our electoral system, against our democracy, apparently because he has a personal beef against me. Putin publicly blamed me for the outpouring of outrage by his own people.”

HRC reminds me of Jan on the Brady Bunch and how she was so jealous of older sister Marcia’s successes. “It’s always Marcia, Marcia, Marcia.”

She can’t seem to not make it about her when someone else is experiencing success in areas. Watch out, Tulsi.

What’s the ideal length for social media posts and headlines?

In a comprehensive (though bit dated article – help me find the latest!), this post/infographic is helpful for those who engage with others on social – especially for organizations and businesses:

[image error]

For the state of social media in 2019, check out this research.

7 Things You Should Stop Expecting from Others

Marc Chernoff has a helpful entry here about how misplaced expectations inevitably create disappointment and cause relational stress. I’ve learned in the past few years to embrace the principle of assuming the best. However, Chernoff recommends tempering that optimism with “Hope for the best, but expect less.” If you can guard against pessimism, I think his caveat is wise. Here are his seven points, but I’d encourage you to read the explanation behind each:

Stop expecting them to agree with you.
Stop expecting them to respect you more than you respect yourself.
Stop expecting (and needing) them to like you.
Stop expecting them to fit your idea of who they are.
Stop expecting them to know what you’re thinking.
Stop expecting them to suddenly change.
Stop expecting them to be “OK.”

Expectations. It’s always helpful to evaluate what you expect from others. You may be surprised to learn that some people in your life always exceed them. They are those folks that you thoroughly enjoy being around. Others may be inexplicable drains on you, and upon reflection you may realize that they are the ones that consistently let you down. Don’t avoid them; graciously communicate your observations and help them grow.

Is American Christianity on Its Last Legs? The Data Say Otherwise.

[image error]This article at Christianity Today reviews two new books that offer a much different narrative than the one foisted on the public through media and even easily believed by Jesus’ followers in America.

In The Myth of the Dying Church: How Christianity is Actually Thriving in America and the World, author Glenn Stanton offers a different perspective. “Stanton’s portrait of resilience is one more strike against the widely held narrative of evangelical failure. This failure narrative is surprisingly resilient. It spreads in the minds of Christians like dandelions. After reading Stanton’s analysis, it’s clear that Christianity is not on its last legs.”

The other reviewed book in the CT article is You Found Me: New Research on How Unchurched Nones, Millennials, and Irreligious are Surprisingly Open to Christian Faith by Rick Richardson. “Richardson finds that many unchurched Americans think well of Christians and are open to engaging matters of faith. For example, 42 percent of the unchurched think that Christianity is good for society, 33 percent admire their Christians friends’ faith, and up to 67 percent would be willing to attend a church event (depending on the type of event). Richardson concludes that the unchurched include “a massive number of people who are open to being invited, persuaded, and connected to a local congregation.”

The overall tone from both books is similar to the message communicated by sociologist Bradly Wright in his 2010 book Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites… and Other Lies You’ve Been Told.

Bad Lip Reading: Joe Biden

“Nathanael. Nathanael. Nathanael.”

Pastor Church Staff Appreciation Month

Was it Hallmark or KLUV that created Pastor Appreciation Month? Or was it an unappreciated pastor that somehow sneakily launched this national campaign?

I received an anonymous letter of gratitude in the mail yesterday. It was typewritten and not signed, and yet it was encouraging. Usually when I get those, their tone is the opposite. October rings in pumpkin spice latte, the first cool breezes of fall and over the last few years a month to express gratitude to pastors. I’ve written about Pastor Appreciation month before here and here. One year I was blessed when Kiera Cass (just your friendly neighborhood New York Times best-selling author) made a video for our church for Pastor Appreciation Month.

As a pastor, of course, I’m grateful for the nudge and highlight. I am extremely thankful for my church family who are wonderful about expressing appreciation in a variety of ways throughout the year. It doesn’t come naturally to most churches, unfortunately.

Early in my time at Northstar, I led a re-purposing of what some would consider a “Personnel Committee” to become the “Staff Support Team.” They take up the functions of HR when needed, but mainly their described role is to ensure that our staff is loved, encouraged and supported.

[image error] Our May staff retreat. We set the timer on an iPhone, and I was racing to get in picture, slipped and fell down the hill and just barely managed to get in this picture. This somewhat explains the poses. But otherwise, it’s a good capture of our staff. Love them!

I am uncomfortable with the idea of the pastor being singled out for appreciation. I serve alongside of an amazing team of leaders on our church staff, and so I have always encouraged our church to love on and allow “Pastor Appreciation Month” to really be “Staff Appreciation Month.”

It makes me sad to hear of pastors and leaders who are not EVER recognized or actively appreciated in their churches. I know of several. So many ministers (myself and our church staff included) are just never able to “leave their jobs.” Our calling follows us home, into the weekends, into our phones through texts and calls. We are not free to take Sundays off and go away for weekends. While our church members decreasingly consider “regular attendance” to be weekly and now consider regularity to be twice a month, church staff must graciously accept that gathering as believers is not the priority it used to be for most.

As I think about ways that I and others would like to be appreciated, here are some radical thoughts for churches to consider:

Prayer. Your church staff deserves your lavish outpouring of prayer. Divide up your church staff and send them a note, committing to pray for them daily every day of October and then committing to pray for them weekly throughout the year.
Pay off. You may not realize it, but the vast majority of church staff are underpaid. Few have full benefits (if any). Pay off their homes, cars, medical or credit card debt. Most struggle to get by, and not having a house payment would be such a deep, lasting ministry to them (and to your church) as it frees them up from worry and enables them to serve without financial stress. I’m obviously not counseling you to enable a financially irresponsible minister, and I wouldn’t recommend paying off Stephen Furtick’s house.
Days off. Find out when your staff takes their days off and make sure that is public to the church family in some way so that they are not responding to texts/emails (or as much as can be helped, getting them) on their days off. Make sure they take a “day off.” Remember, Sunday is a full day for them.
Write. Write them notes, emails, cards, and texts. Put into words how they encourage you, challenge you and reflect Jesus to you.
Read. Read about Pastor Appreciation month and find out what other churches are doing. Seek to understand your church staff’s roles and responsibilities and the spiritual, social, financial, and physical weight such a calling entails. One helpful article is entitled What Your Pastor Won’t Tell You (But Wishes You Knew) About Pastor Appreciation Month.
Talk about your staff behind their backs.

Discipleship Story: Ben Messina

Ben Messina is a rare young leader. While in our church, he served faithfully in children’s ministry while at the same time he was on staff with Cru at Virginia Tech. He also helped lead a small group. He was a team player, a source of deeply wise insight (you’ll see that in the article below), and he was also a great laugher. You can usually judge a person’s maturity by their sense of humor, and Ben tells great stories that will make you belly laugh. Ben recently moved from Blacksburg to begin seminary. I’m grateful and excited for him. Ben’s entry in this series is not a story of his own discipleship but his deep reflections on discipleship in general. It’s been adapted for this post.

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Going AND making disciples

One of the most common passages in all the Bible, Matthew 28:18-20, is often emphasized in a way that we can lose track of the command Jesus is giving. Often, the emphasis in this passage is placed on the “going.” And don’t get me wrong, the going is absolutely necessary and characteristic of Christianity. We “go” to the world to share the gospel with the lost. But sometimes we can get so focused on the “going” aspect, we can lose sight of the “making disciples” aspect.

This command to make disciples should not simply be understood as preaching the gospel so that we have more converts. Jesus clarifies what these disciples look like based on the way He qualifies how we should make disciples.

Questions to ask

What kind of disciples are we to make? Ones that follow Christ and observe all that Jesus commanded. How do we know what Jesus has commanded? We search the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments. Why do we search the scriptures? It is how God has given us revelatory knowledge so that we, the finite, may know the infinite God

Discipleship is about helping people know God – not in a relationship of condemnation that all humanity is born into. I’m talking about a relationship founded upon the grace of God in which our sin has been dealt with by Christ’s perfect sacrifice. His righteousness is given to us so that we may be adopted as children of God. We cannot worship the God of the universe if we don’t know Him as He has revealed himself in scripture. If how we’re approaching Him in our prayers, singing to Him in our worship, and viewing Him in how we live is being shaped only by how we wish to view God and not by the scriptures, we are just as guilty as the Mormon, the Atheist, the Muslim, or Jehovah’s Witness in worshipping a false God; a god that is made in our own image.

The importance of real discipleship

This is why discipleship is such an important aspect of the Christian life. It’s purpose is so that we, and those we interact with, may know God – the authoritative, infinite, ruler of all creation – through Jesus Christ whom He has sent, by the means of the Holy Spirit’s regenerating and sanctifying work on our hearts, for the end goal of worshipping God for all eternity. And what greater an endeavor can there be for the children of God than knowing Him so that we can worship him rightly and can bring others along with us? Discipleship cannot be comprehensively experienced by a program, system, or by an abundance of coffee dates. It is a lifelong state of the Christian life, empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit – a continual dying to self and growing in the grace and knowledge of God, so that He may be made known to all of creation.

As incredible and high of an endeavor as this is, I want to warn you. Discipleship is not easy – it is sufferingly costly. All I need to do is mention the name of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who was executed in Nazi Germany for refusing to bend a knee to the apostate, false Christianity of German nationalism, to make that point understood. We cannot look at discipleship through a rosy-eyed lens that depicts it as a first-class ticket on our way to holiness. To do so would not only be dishonest, but potentially damning. Discipleship is a matter of life and death. This isn’t simply something you can add on to your life as though you were putting avocado on top of your toast (apparently millennials, such as myself, do that). We are talking, very literally, about the state of eternal destinies. Are we in Christ or in darkness? A slave to our sin or set free from it? Under grace or under the just wrath of God for our sin? How we understand being a disciple of Christ has eternal significance.

In Luke 9:23, Jesus laid the path of real discipleship:

 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” 

Jesus is bidding those who want to follow him to come and die. This is crucial to understanding what it means to be a disciple of Christ. It is also why many people find Christianity and the message of the gospel to be exclusive, foolish, and at times unloving toward those who want to tolerate sin. There is no room to simply add Jesus onto your life. Our highest love must be Christ. It’s all or nothing.  We are to die to self, die to our desires, and confess Christ. The gospel message is not shared with the language of, “Give Jesus a try”. The gospel message is proclaimed with the understanding of, “Come and die”.  Death to self, so that we may be alive in Christ. Death to sinful desires so that our desires become His desires. Death to appetites that attempt to gratify our pleasures so that Christ is the fountain of living water our thirst is quenched with, given free of charge because of the great love with which God loved us. We no longer can live how we choose. Our desires must be left behind. The way we live must now be forever changed.

Knowing God

The ultimate goal of all of discipleship is to both know God and make Him known to others. Paul describes his own passion in these words:

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord . For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him , not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith – that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings becoming like him in his death , that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” ( Philippians 3:8-11)

“..that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.. that I may know Him..” is the heartbeat of a disciple maker. Yes, Paul went. He traveled thousands of miles for the sake of the gospel. But Paul made disciples wherever he went. It was his focus, and Jesus was his

[image error] Book Recommendations:

Knowing God – J.I Packer
Knowledge of the Holy – A.W Tozer
Radical – David Platt 

The following are written by old dead guys and can be difficult to read, but are worth investing in!

A Bruised Reed – Richard Sibbes (I would suggest reading first.)
Mortification of Sin – John Owen


Also in Discipleship Stories


Introduction: Discipleship Stories


Discipleship Story: Phillip Slaughter


Discipleship Story: Kyle Pfeifer


Discipleship Story: Jeremy Woodall


Discipleship Story: Ben Coulter


Discipleship Story: Tucker King


Discipleship Story: Greg Crosthwait


Discipleship Story: David Smethurst


Discipleship Story: Ben Messina

View the entire series

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MacAddict magazine

[image error]Folks, you know I am a nerd. I’m sorry about that. But I was cleaning out the attic today, and I have every issue of MacAddict magazine from its #1 launch issue (October 1996) to September 2002. Looking at the cover of these magazines is like taking a tour through Apple history. So fun.

MacAddict was the perfect magazine for Apple users during the late 90s. Fun, irreverent, and just plain snarky. From 1996 to mid-2002, there were four rating icons, which depicted Max, the mascot. There was “Blech” (the lowest), “Yeah, Whatever” (a mediocre product), “Spiffy” (a solid yet not perfect product), and “Freakin’ Awesome” (the highest). Section titles of the magazine were taken from well-known Mac commands.

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MacAddict gave us a place to see that we weren’t the only Apple user in the neighborhood. Little did we know (though we knew that Apple was the greatest computer ever) that Apple would win the Mac vs PC wars and every coffee shop would be full of MacBook users, ears would be full of AirPods and we’d all be talking to each other on iPhones.

In 2002, MacAddict rebranded as Mac|Life to become a more “serious” magazine. That was when I stopped subscribing.