I took this picture while getting in some family time at Ober Gatlinburg recently:

Just because you lace up and get out there doesn’t mean you know what you’re doing. The skilled ones glide across the ice with speed, grace and ease. The ones who don’t (this is my camp, by the way) just look ridiculous.

I’m so thankful that being a Christian isn’t like that! Following Jesus has nothing to do with skill. It’s more about recognizing your lack of it. There are no JV Christians. I sometimes refer to myself as a professional Christian (because I work at a church). That joke is funny because it’s ridiculous.

I love watching brand new Christians lace up and get out there. They don’t “lean on their own understanding” (not that they know that verse). Instead, they lean on their story about what God did for them…and they glide across the ice with speed, grace and ease!

so,

1. If you’re counting on your own mad Jesus skills, cut it out! You look ridiculous out there!
2. If you’re waiting to lace up and get out there because you don’t think you’ve had enough lessons, then stop waiting! Read John 4 and look at what God did through a really confused lady who knew NOTHING except that Jesus was legit.

Have you ever felt like a JV Christian (even if you knew in your head that it wasn’t true)?
Have you ever felt unqualified to do something for the Lord?
What’s a good way to encourage a new Christian to lace up and get out there?

Leave a comment and share your thoughts!

But apparently, in terms of DNA, every bee in the colony is identical. They all start out the same: jobless, genderless, larvae.

And when the time comes for a new queen a larva is chosen (again, no different than the ones around it). This larva is given a larger honeycomb cell in which to grow, and slathered in something called ‘royal jelly’. (yes, royal jelly!).

Soon, that ‘royal jelly’ triggers, inexplicably, the development of a hyper-fertile queen bee. She was just like all the rest, but then, because she was given room to grow and more of that mysterious ‘royal jelly’ than she could ever eat, she becomes queen!

I watched Blake Griffin dunk a basketball last night…it was one of the most incredible physical feats I’ve ever seen.

He can do what I could never do, no matter how hard I tried. In terms of raw talent, he’s just vastly superior. And he will be praised, literally, for the rest of his life for that dunk. Superior genetics goes a long way (not to discount, in any way, his determination and hard work).

And it’s true in virtually every field. The cream rises to the top.

But that’s not how God works. He doesn’t need superior genes or heightened skills to make greatness…he’s got ‘royal jelly.’

I’ve been studying for a teaching series about some jacked up heroes. God seems to like taking regular folks, or even especially jacked up folks, and doing great things through them. He puts them in situations where greatness is required (a larger honeycomb), and then he slathers them in ‘royal jelly’ – something that only he can give and that no one can earn.

He creates heroes out of under-performing rejects.

1. Ehud
2. Deborah
3. Gideon
4. Jephthah
5. Samson

Here are a few of the reasons I’m so excited about it
(in no particular order)

• Gratuitous violence. Some people talk about finding their inner-child; I’m busy trying to keep mine at bay. The middle schooler in me gets a kick out of the violent, the bizarre, and the flat out disgusting stuff that’s found throughout the book of Judges.
• Old Testament narrative. In 7+ years of pastoring, I’ve never taught through one of the Old Testament’s historical books. It’s a new genre and a new challenge. I’m a bit nervous about it, but really excited!
• The artwork. There’s a curiously talented artist in our church named Larry May. He’s creating original artwork for the series, and for the each week in the series. It’s gritty and jarring and truthful and better than what I was hoping for.
• Jacked up heroes. Despite all the blood and guts, Judges is a collection of stories about restoration. It’s about the boundless mercy of God to not only continue redeeming Israel, but to do it through some of the most profoundly flawed individuals you could imagine.
• The long wait. I’ve been scheming about this sermon series for three years, but only now feel right about pulling the trigger. I’m not sure what God’s going to do, but I think the timing is right.

Which of the Judges intrigue you the most?
What book of the Bible would you like to us cover next?

Vineyard Labs is my way of crowd-sourcing. I want to hear your thoughts on stuff we're considering doing at the Maryville Vineyard Church. Please feel free to weigh in.

We’re always kicking ideas around at the Maryville Vineyard. At the moment, we’re working on how to create more and better digital giving options.

We have online giving available via PayPal. People are using it more and more, which is cool. Some folks give from their paychecks with an automatic withdrawal that comes to us in the mail. This is becoming more and more common.

We don’t have direct deposit available at the moment, but I think that’s coming soon.

People are using these options more and more because carrying cash and writing checks have gone the way of the red-back hymnal. There are lots of folks in our church who don’t own a checkbook and don’t carry cash. Some only write checks to the church, and for every other form of payment they’ve switched to a more convenient and often automated option (my family is in this group).

E-GIVING, E-HERESY?

For a group of early-adopters like us, we are uncharacteristically behind the times on this one.

Here are a few reasons why: 

1. We’re really carefully, and even a bit paranoid, about the church looking ‘greasy’ as it pertains to money. It’s about worship, not about tactics or bottom-lines. We know the church at large has a crappy reputation and we want desperately to be a part of the solution, not the problem.
2. Automated options (which would undoubtedly increase the consistency and ultimately the amount of giving) may effect the physical act of worship and obedience that faithful giving should be.
3. It’s not free. And we LOVE free!
4. What if people use credit cards irresponsibly and we contribute to the debt problem? We want to help people get out of debt, not help them into it!
5. Where? We’ve got space problems at our church. If we set up some kind of giving kiosks, where would we do that?
6. The stubborn pastor has been ‘praying about it’ for five years now.

Some of my more recent thoughts about those things:

1. We’re really carefully, and even a bit paranoid, about the church looking ‘greasy’ as it pertains to money. It’s about worship, not about tactics or bottom-lines. We know the church at large has a crappy reputation and we want desperately to be a part of the solution, and not the problem.
• I need to get over it. The church also has a crappy reputation for being behind the times and out of touch, and now we’re adding to THAT problem. It’s not ‘greasy’ it’s thoughtful and convenient.
2. Automated options (which would undoubtedly increase the consistency and ultimately the amount of giving) seem to effect the physical act of worship and obedience that faithful giving should be.
• This is a dumb concern, and I’ve been legalistic about it. The worship is found in the generosity and in the sacrifice that comes with living on less money in order to support the Lord’s church. 
3. It’s not free. And we LOVE free!
• This part still stinks. But it’s cheaper than ever (about 2.5%), and studies show that giving generally increases much more than that when these options are made available.
4. What if people use credit cards irresponsibly and we contribute to the debt problem? We want to help people get out of debt, not help them into it!
• This is fear-based, pharisaical and comes from a refusal to give godly people the benefit of the doubt. I’m a bit embarrassed that I was hung up on this one for so long.
5. Where? We’ve got space problems at our church. If we set up some kind of giving kiosks, where would we do that?
• The cafe moving upstairs (soon!) will help this a lot. I’ve got a few ideas about under used spaces, too. You got any ideas?
6. The stubborn pastor has been ‘praying about it’ for five years now.
• I’m over it now.

Now here are a bunch of questions for you:

I’m really hoping you’ll leave a comment and help us answer them (whether you’re a vineyardite or not!):

1. What’s your opinion? Is this a good idea?
2. If we set up direct deposit, would you use it?
3. If we had a giving kiosk that took debit/credit cards would you prefer that option?
4. Does your employer offer automatic withdrawal, and do you think that’s a good way to give faithfully?
5. Will you forgive me for not trusting you enough to let you use your own credit card?

Picture I took of the Holy Ghost. It didn't develop, though. Go figure.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is certainly one of the most polarizing issues in Christianity (I feel dirty calling it an ‘issue’). There’s tons of confusion, a fair amount of accusation, and not nearly enough open and thoughtful dialogue.

As with any polarizing ‘issue’ people tend to run to one side or another…and then just keep running to one extreme or another (so as to make sure that there’s no question about which side they’re on).

Please keep reading, even though I’m about to use a rather crude illustration.

Let’s say that two people felt very differently and very strongly about the act of kissing. 

One person insists that it’s an unnecessary risk.

• They point out studies that detail more than 500 diseases that can be transmitted by a single smooch (syphilis, herpes, bacterial meningitis, certain forms of hepatitis, mononucleosis, the common cold and many others).
•  They then reduce the benefits of kissing to something merely emotional and ultimately unnecessary.

The other person will insist that kissing is essential to human thriving, and that one simply cannot be great without it.

• As such, it becomes crucial that we determine who’s a kisser, and who isn’t.
• To eliminate any confusion they issue a statement defining it carefully, and in sheer physical terms:

“Two people press their moist, creased facial orifices together, cinch tight the sphincter muscles to draw the flesh around the orifice into a bulbous mound, creating a vacuum, and exchange saliva and breath.” 

In so doing our passionate and well-intentioned friends have taken something as mysterious and beautiful as a kiss, and turned it into something that’s either terrifying and dangerous, or disgusting and creepy.

This is what much of the church has done to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. One side insists that the measurable risks far outweigh the immeasurable benefits, and therefore it’s not to be pursued. The other side has embraced it’s value. However, in an attempt to defend it they’ve given it definitions, standards, and tests that are not only unmerited biblically, but make the whole thing creepy and divisive.

In so doing our passionate and well-intentioned friends have taken something mysterious and beautiful, and turned it into something that’s either terrifying and dangerous, or disgusting and creepy.

I’m convinced that the truth is in the middle, far away with from either extreme, and beautifully simple. That simple, beautiful middle ground is what I’m teaching about at the Maryville Vineyard this Sunday. I hope you’ll join us!

• Any suggestions for the sermon?
• Questions you want me to address?
• Or thoughts about the above?

Leave a comment below!

But what constitutes a fringe?

Look at the circle below. What portion of it would consider to be the fringe?

I know, it’s not very scientific…but come on, play along.
I picture something about like this:

Close to what you pictured?
But here’s the deal, in terms of area the larger circle is actually 50% bigger than the smaller. 50%! If there are 150 people in that circle, I just called 50 of them fringe. If there are 3,000 people in that circle I just slapped that label on a thousand of them.

The world we live in is more diverse, more pluralistic, and more varied than it’s ever been. The fringe is growing. It could be time to target the fringe.

Do you buy that logic?
Any ideas about how to target the fringe? Leave a comment.

Here’s what stood out:

People were engaged.

I typically sit on the front row, eyes forward. I’m always a bit anxious about my sermon, and it takes every ounce of focus to just worship God and stop making it about me. I stay pretty oblivious up there. Today I roamed around the back wall and just observed. Nobody’s watching anybody else (except me!). I’ve noticed the exuberant worshipers before (who always make me happy). But what I noticed this week was the quiet intensity of so many people. They seemed to be filled with satisfaction in the Lord.

Matt Farrand…

is a ridiculously good worship leader. He just gets it.

People are kind.

Cory Trube was ‘the preacher guy’ for the first time today (he did a great job!). In most crowds you expect defenses to go up and skepticism to skyrocket when a new and unexpected face lays claim to everybody’s next half hour. Not so. Smiles, encouragement, and support was all I saw. Don’t get me wrong, Cory would have won them over…but what’s wonderful is that he didn’t have to.

Man, I love that place!

Leave a comment and tell me what you like best about your church (whether it’s the Maryville Vineyard or not!).

So, here are a few of the more obvious scenarios:

1. For a thousand dollars you could get a hi-def TV, an AppleTV, and an iPad. Then use iBooks Author (free), to create amazing, interactive, media-rich, engaging, age-appropriate curriculum. The teacher controls it all from the iPad…or maybe even the kids do? It would beat the crap out of a flannelboard!  Then, since it’s awesome, you could share it with other churches. Because, after all, distribution is all kinds of easy, and all kinds of free.
2. What about small groups curriculum? If it’s sermon based you could include transcripts, graphics, audio, video clips, all with content that’s already being created. And any small group leader or Sunday school teacher could download it for free.
3. Old, forgotten sermon series could be reborn as class or group curriculum. And, once again, shared with anyone who wants it. And, once again, for free.

Here’s my tendency: I want to tell you all of the amazing stuff Matt can do.  He’s a phenom.  He’s a savant without the idiocy. He’s a jack of all trades AND a master of all trades.  He’s a freak.  I have never seen anything like it.  But every time I start to write the post where I amaze you with Matt’s jaw-dropping list of skills it starts to look like a resume.

Two problems with that:

(1) After a while it looks cartoonish, and you’ll either begin to suspect that I’m exaggerating…or you will believe me, and you’ll start to feel terribly unskilled in comparison (that was my reaction).

(2) Matt’s jaw-dropping skill set, while impressive, isn’t really what makes Matt great.

I don’t love working with Matt because he’s skilled.  I didn’t hire Matt because he had a kickin’ resume (I’ve never even seen his resume).  I hired Matt because he loves the Church. I love working with Matt, because he loves you.

I’ll never forget Matt’s ordination ceremony. I was trying to be all reverent and ceremonial (not natural for me), but I just wanted to shout for joy the whole time. It was just so right! His calling was/is so obvious, that without even a hint of doubt, I could affirm him as a lifelong servant of the church. He’s not his own. He belongs to the church. That’s what ordination is about.

I’ll never have a problem trusting Matt, because he doesn’t work for me.  He’s an ordained by God servant of the church.  He doesn’t do his work with excellence because he’s a perfectionist.  He does his work with excellence because it’s done for the Lord and in service to the church.

From his first day in the office, Matt has had an incredible impact. We do things smarter, more efficiently, more strategically, with greater excellence, with clearer purpose.  But Matt’s not a consultant. He’s not an expert who comes in, makes suggestions and then moves on.  Matt’s family. He’s in.

From his first day in the office, I invited Matt to make an impact…because I trusted him.

Sharon and I dreamed of planting a church one day. We schemed and planned and prayed and hoped. But we didn’t just dream it up, it was something that God put in us.  For that reason, I’ve always assumed that no one else could own the vision like we do.  I was wrong about that.  God put it in Matt. It’s as much his as it is mine.

Last night the warm peace of Jesus came over me and held me tight…I KNOW HE is with me and will heal Kyle in His time. That is hard for me to accept, but GOD IS IN CONTROL!

She’s incredible.

The Mules family are dear friends to us, and dear friends to our church.  We’ve wept, we’ve ached…we’ve prayed until we just ran out of words.  Like everyone else who knows Kyle or hears about his condition, we’re longing to help.

We’re collecting money and gift cards to help out the family through a need-meeting ministry of our church called The Box. Kelly is unable to work right now, since she’s spending all of her time with Kyle.

If you want to give, click here to visit The Box Update. Thanks for being generous!

FYI: We’re sharing updates on our facebook page just as soon as we get them.