So what did I learn?

It’s the last Saturday of my sabbatical and I’m sitting in my camper watching the OSU/Texas football game.  Yes, I realize sitting in a camper and watching TV surrounded by the beauty of creation is like playing Gameboy in the middle of the Grand Canyon (thank you SCC for that phrase) but sometimes a guy just needs to watch some football.  I’ve been here a couple of days reading, thinking, praying, and resting.  Frankly, I’m tired of reading.  I’ve never been what you would call an avid reader so to spend the better part of the past two days and part of this day with my nose stuck in a book … well, I’m ready to watch some football.

I've taken a break from reading Bonhoeffer to re-read Sidetracked in the Wilderness by Michael Wells.  It’s one of those books that one would probably benefit from reading about once a year.  Last week I was thinking about the book and some of the things I had learned from hearing Mike speak a couple of different times in the past.  On my last “camping trip of solitude” I started thinking about the principle of abiding.  Mike’s book and ministry, Abiding Life Ministries, is all about … well, abiding.  So I decided it was time for a re-read.

I was reminded that the answer to frustration, weariness, lack of vision, fretting, etc, isn’t found in another self-help book, church growth conference, or the latest and greatest program … it’s found in abiding.  As I said before, abiding is resting … but it’s more than just resting.  That rest has to be accompanied by faith.  I can sit back and not give a crap and be at rest because I don’t care … but that’s not abiding.  Abiding is when I am at rest no matter the situation because my faith is in Christ and not my own abilities … whether amazing or lackluster.

I don’t know about you, but I get so busy being a husband, father, pastor, counselor, firefighter, civic volunteer, ministry cheerleader, and so on that I forget to abide.  Please understand that I’m not saying that I’m way busier than you are … I’m just saying that in my busyness I have forgotten to abide … and I suspect that you do too sometimes.

Mike says that abiding isn’t a day-to-day thing, an hour-by-hour thing, or even a minute-by-minute thing … it’s moment-by-moment.  I think he’s right.  I can be abiding (faithfully trusting Christ) one moment and totally freaking out about something the next.  Abiding is a choice.  You and I have to choose each moment whether to trust Christ or ourselves.  Given my track record I’d do best to trust Him.

So it's time to choose. As I get back to my regular schedule next week, if I want to overcome frustration, stress, defeat, the blues, losing my mojo ... I must choose to abide moment-by-moment.  We have a saying around our church ... "don't sweat the creamer".  I don't have time to explain that right now, just suffice it to say that I got a little stressed out over creamer one time ... okay, a lot stressed out ... over. creamer.  It was stupid.  Anyway, that's abiding ... choosing to not stress over the creamer.  It's choosing to remember that Jesus is way more important.  It's choosing to remember that living in such a way that others see Him through me is way more important.

Abiding means I'm not worried about the little stuff or the big stuff or any stuff ... it means it's all about Jesus.


P.S. -- As I was thinking about this whole abiding thing and about re-reading Sidetracked this past week, I learned that Mike Wells is now eternally abiding with the Father.  His ministry has had a profound impact on me.  As I think back over the things I learned from Mike's ministry and as I re-read his book, I realize that much of what Mike taught has become part of me.  It seeps out in my own teaching.  My wife says it's because we got it from the same place.  True, we've read the same Book, but sometimes, some people just have a way of making it jump off the page and into your life.  Mike would take no glory in that ... he would rightfully deflect it to Christ for that was his source of life and ministry.  But I'm thankful that he learned how to abide and was willing to pass it on to others.  And as he would say ... "well, amen".

What a weekend ...

Sabbatical means rest ... sabbatical means rest ... sabbatical means rest ...

And I have been, but this past weekend ... whew! ... it was a whirlwind tour.  Lemme splain.

(After 'splaining for about an hour and still not finished, I decided I would spare you the details.  So, here's the abbreviated version.)

Friday 
1:30p - Leave PV and head to Tulsa via OKC to pick up Sherrie.
4:30p - Arrive in Tulsa and scout things out
4:45p - Joe Momma's Pizza
5:45p - The Marquee for load in
5:46p - waiting for the show to start
8:00p - Dylan takes the stage (see pic)
11:30p - Try to find a way out of downtown Tulsa
12:00a - Wendy's chicken nuggets (never again)
2:00a - Arrival at our home away from home in far, far NW Edmond

Saturday
10:30a - Headed to Shawnee for a barrel racing competition.  (Spectating, not participating)
2:30p - Headed to Midwest City to join up with my folks for the OU game
3:45p - Arrive in Norman and take in the sights and sounds of game day
9:30p - Headed back to MWC to pick up my car
11:30 - Arrival at our home away from home in far, far NW Edmond

Sunday
9:30 - Headed to south Edmond to join Luke at Vintage Church
12:00p - Headed to downtown OKC to help Vintage Church serve the homeless
1:30p - Headed back to south Edmond so Dylan and Luke can hang for a while
3:15p - Arrival at our home away from home in far, far NW Edmond
4:45p - Headed back to south Edmond to pick up Dylan
5:20p - Headed to church with my sister at Divine Life Church
8:00p - Finally dinner time ... Qdoba!
9:30p - PV bound
10:40p - Home sweet home

It was an incredibly busy weekend, but Dylan and I agreed that it was fun ... I wouldn't want to do it every week, though.  Sadly, Sherrie had to work Monday and Tuesday so we parted ways at Qdoba and she headed back to our home away from home in far, far NW Edmond.

BTW, I added it up and I figure I logged a little under 650 miles for the weekend.  I think I'll go take a nap now.

Some lite reading

I’ve been reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas  about the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer one of the greatest theological minds of the 20th century.  It’s an interesting read … part story, part history, part theology.

I determined that during this sabbatical I was going to do some non-study reading … what some might call “pleasure reading”.  So I downloaded this book on my Kindle and have been reading for over a week now.   I didn’t realize how big this book was since the Kindle doesn’t show page numbers (if it does, I don’t know how to turn that on).  Anyway, the author referenced something on page 125 and when I got to that page the little progress bar at the bottom said I was 25% through the book.  A little math and …. holy cow … that’s 500 pages!  I may have to take another week off.

Aaaanyway, I was struck at one point where this incredible theological mind that understood doctrine and dogma and historicity and blah, blah, blah, asked his students a simple question … “But do you love Jesus?”

I actually found it convicting.  It’s easy to focus (ah, there’s that word) on the stuff we know instead of the One we know.  It’s like knowing the law but missing the purpose or principle behind the law.  Going to church, ministry, knowledge, ___________ (fill in the blank) is meaningless if you don’t love Jesus.  That’s what gives all that stuff purpose.  It’s so simple, yet so elusive.  The line often gets blurred since there is an element of “what we do demonstrates our love”.  I think it has to go back to the whole abiding thing.  When I’m doing and abiding … I’m loving.  When I’m doing and not abiding … well, I’m just doing.

Are you abiding or doing?

Don't focus on Jesus ... abide.

I was reading 1John 2 and was reminded how John saw things … we need to know Jesus and then we need to stick to what we know (v.24).  I then started thinking about how that applies to the whole “People come and go, but I don’t” thing.  See if you can follow my logic … it makes sense to me.

When things change it’s not about the circumstances, it’s about Jesus.  When life get wonky, it’s not about the crap, it’s about Jesus.  When people come and go, it’s not about the transition, it’s about Jesus.  

Too often I see everything but Jesus.  I look at how to fix the junk instead of just looking at Jesus.  The easy answer is … “Just focus on Jesus more.”  (FWIW, I think focus is becoming one of those Christian-ese words … “You just need to focus on Jesus.”  True, but do we even know what that means?  Think really hard about him?  Stare up into space? Read another book about him?)  You see, I don’t think it’s about focus.  It’s about abiding.  John used it in chapter 15 of his gospel story and he uses it again in chapter 2 of his first letter … eleven times to be exact … and then another thirteen times across chapters 4 and 5.

I know what abiding means … I’ve taught on it numerous times.  Some interpret it as remain.  Which is not incorrect … I just think it’s incomplete … it doesn’t tell the whole story.  When I am abiding then I am at rest.  When I am abiding I can easily trust.  When I am abiding there’s no need to worry.

But I forget to apply it … which is ironic since abiding is all about application.  When I say I know Jesus and stick to what I know, then I’m abiding.  When I say I know Jesus but don’t stick to what I know then I’m a hypocrite at best.

So people come and go … so what?  Jesus doesn’t … and I need to abide in that.

I hope that made sense to you.

Never assume ...

Since starting my sabbatical I’ve been trying to listen more … to be aware that the Lord may want to tell me something instead of me assuming what I’m supposed to say.  I know I don’t listen enough.  I assume.  I assume I know the answer.  My dad taught me a long time ago to never assume after I assumed his van had oil in it … it didn’t.  Yet I still do it … I assume.

Anyway, I’ve been trying to be attentive and listen and I heard this, “People come and go, but I don’t.”  I needed to hear that.  I’ve been rolling it around since then trying to fully understand it and how it applies to me and where I’m at right now.  I think I’ll let it roll around some more before I write much about it.  But here’s what I’m thinking today … it goes back to the simple, central truth … it’s all about Jesus.

Alone time

As I mentioned last time, I am on sabbatical … rest.  And so far it has been mostly restful … except for that pesky triathlon I did on Sunday, but that was by choice.  To start week 2 I decided to hook up the camper and head out by myself for a few days.

Honestly, I’m a little nervous about it.  I’m really not an alone kind of guy.  I enjoy hanging out with friends, engaging in meaningful conversation, bouncing ideas, trying to make my wife laugh, etc.  I like a certain amount of noise … I don’t do quiet well.  Jesus went off by himself to rest and pray so I guess it can’t be too bad.

I’ve been told that solitude is a good thing when it’s by choice and not forced confinement.

I'll let you know how it goes.

A Time to Rest

Sabbatical - any extended period of leave from one's customary work, especially for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc.

I've decided that I've been spending too much time writing this blog so I'm taking an extended period of leave.  Just kidding.  But after 10 years of being the pastor of the same church I decided it was time for a break.  Not a long one ... 4 weeks ... but a break nonetheless.  I need some time to rest, to reflect, to recharge, to refocus.  (See how much I need a break ... I alliterated a sentence in my blog).

I woke up this morning ... Day 4 ... with a short sense of panic ... I haven't started my sermon for Sunday.  Then I remembered that's not my job for the next four weeks ... so I rolled over and went back to sleep.  It was grand.

I spent days 1 through 3 camping with my wife and friends at Roman Nose State Park.  It was a nice get away.  I even learned a new skill (see definition above) ... I learned how to change the water module on the toilet in my camper.

I'm not sure what all I will learn and do and get away with and put off during this break but I'm looking forward to it.  I plan to spend a couple of days alone each week to pray, read, think, and meditate and then a few days to investigate interests and ideas.

As it relates to the church, I think this will be a good time for the people to see what they can accomplish without me and for me I think this will a be a good time to see what they can accomplish without me.  We both need that.

And now for few pics from our camping trip ... just because I can.

 The view from my chair

My chair from the ridge across the lake

(My chair is the little red speck just to the right of center) 

The love of my life and me at Inspiration Point

in Roman Nose State Park.

I'm looking forward to these four weeks.