Do you feel like God is distant?

On several occasions throughout my faith journey, I have felt like God is distant. I have found myself asking, "God, where are you?" Especially during difficult life circumstances.

During a conference earlier this week, I was reminded of how near and close to us God actually is.

In the Old Testament the hebrew word for breath is the word 'ruwach'. Ruwach actually has several different meanings and therefore can also mean spirit. Breath and spirit are the same word. This is also true in the New Testament. The greek word 'pneuma' means both breath and spirit.

When God creates people, in Genesis 2, God breathes the breath of life into the man and he became a living create. Maybe it could be said this way, God breathes the spirit of life into the man.

When a baby is born, it has to take it's first breath. Maybe when we are born we are breathing in the spirit of God. When you and I die, we take our last breath. Maybe when we die we are breathing out the spirit of God. Signifying that our time in our present body is done and we await God to restore our bodies and creation to how He originally intended them to be.

The next time when you feel that God is distant, take a deep breath and remember that God is as close to us as our breathing!

My dog taught me an important lesson

My two dogs never cease to amaze me. Especially the youngest, Bennigan. This morning I was eating oatmeal and after finishing my oatmeal I set the bowl on the arm of the couch. Well, Benni has this thought that whenever you have finished eating, he is entitled to clean the bowl. I honestly don't know how or when he developed this mindset as we have never actually allowed him access to our empty bowls, on purpose anyway.

As soon as he noticed the empty bowl, he began to deploy several different tactics to get a taste of the remnants of my dish. The first move was bold. He jumped onto my lap and did a nose dive for the bowl. I caught him, just as his tongue was headed for my bowl, and set him back on the floor. After wondering around the living room for a few minutes, he settled onto the arm of the couch next to me, overlooking my cereal bowl. He proceeded to stare at me, eye to eye for a short period of time. I don't know if he was trying to intimidate me but it wasn't working. He quickly jumped down only to then resort to desperate measures. When Benni becomes desperate, he will take his paw and gently scratch at your face. It is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. I think he might be part cat. So, he jumped back on the couch and onto my lap and sat there for a few second, while giving me the sad puppy dog eyes he lifted his paw and attempted to scratch at my face. I laughed and then picked him up and again placed him on the floor. Instead of waiting to see his next pathetic attempt to convince me that he needed what was in my bowl, I decided to place my dish in the dishwasher and save him the pain of more rejection.

What fascinates me about my dogs is that they are so driven by their desires that they don't see the potential outcome of their actions. Benni has no idea that eating 'people food' is simply not healthy for him and, depending on the food, could possibly kill him. He only knows that it looks and smells appetizing and wants a taste.

This morning, God reminded me that I often live my life the same way. I often live chasing after my desires without realizing the potential outcome of my actions. One of my biggest temptations is technology. I can't tell you how bad I want an iphone. On several occasions I have been tempted to 'just do it' and purchase an iphone. Thank God, up to this point, I have been able to step back and see the big picture. It is important that we ask ourselves honest questions about the outcomes of our actions. Can I afford to spend over $70.00 a month on a cell phone bill? What about the extra costs, music and apps? What will this do to the time I spend with my wife? Will I pay more attention to the phone than her? How will this effect my friendships? Will it cause others to be jealous? Where is the phone made? Does it negatively impact the environment? Will it really help me to be happy?

What would it look like to apply this way of thinking to every area of our lives? What if we examined the outcome before we said that, or before we purchased those clothes, or before we went to that movie, or before we began a casual friendship with that person of the opposite sex, or before we had one to many of those to drink...

The way of Jesus is a holistic way of living. It's not just about belief. It's about letting God impact every area of our life. It's about centering my life around that which will bring more shalom (peace) to earth. It's about diving into and embracing my desires and not allowing my desires to dictate my actions. It's about being fully present and fully human. Living a life of anything less is living a life short of how you were created to live.

What thoughts/images/ideas come to mind when you hear the word 'sermon'?

This week I am attending a conference hosted by Rob Bell called "Prophets, Poets, and Preachers" which deals with the need to reclaim the art of the sermon. Last night, Rob asked an interesting question. He said, "when you think of the word sermon, what thoughts come to mind? What if you were to ask your friends who don't attend church? What would their reaction be?"

So let me ask, when you hear/see the word sermon, what thoughts, images, ideas come to mind?

I will be completely honest. When I hear the word sermon, I think of a young preacher just out of seminary or an older established pastor yelling from the pulpit instructions on how to get to heaven. Rarely does the sermon have implications for how I live on a day to day basis. For me, it has always been something to endure. For some reason those are the images that immediately pop into my mind.

Your turn!

Are you on the path that will get you to where you want to be?

Your direction determines your destination. Not your hopes, dreams, intent, prayers. -Andy Stanley

You can plan to go to Lake Michigan. You can put your swim towels in the car, pack a lunch, get the beach ball ready to go, but if you hop on I-96 heading East, you will never end up at Lake Michigan. It is a simple, yet profound reality.

The same is true with our lives. You can not experience financial freedom by going further in debt and spending beyond your means. You can not grow closer to God without spending time in community with other Christians or by refusing to serve and forgive others. You can not have an intimate relationship with your spouse by looking at pornography or lusting over other women.

This is simply reality. It's the way the world works. Yet, so many of us think that this principle doesn't apply to us. We think we are somehow different. That somehow we are special and that our intent will lead us to where we want to be.

I'll be honest, for much of my life I have been this type of person. I always thought that my intent/dreams would land me where I wanted to be. In high school, and even before, I dreamed of playing pro baseball. I had always been good at baseball and excelled through high school. The problem was, I never worked very hard at it. Baseball was always something that came easy to me. My lack of hard work eventually caught up with me and I only ended up playing junior college baseball. Intent/dreams/talent can only take you so far.

Is the path you are currently on taking you to where you want to be?

My dad and I are actually going to speak about this idea at TVC @ Caledonia this Sunday. We have some great stories to share about our own experiences on the 'path'. If you are in the Caledonia area come to Emmons Lake Elementary School located at 8950 Kraft, next to the High School at 10:00am!

What would it look like?

What would it look like for you to do life with a group of friends?

What would it look like to get together on a consistent basis and center your life around these gatherings and not let these get-togethers be dictated by life's busyness?

What would it look like to pool your resources with each other and make sure that everyone had their needs met? What would it look like to exchange an oil change for a leaky faucet fix? Or food for a drywall patch?

What would it look like to share your abundance with friends in need...and do so without expecting anything in return? Or sharing your resources with those around you who don't have enough? What if you came together to support a single mom and her three kids?

What would it look like to gather around a meal and read the Bible together and share stories of how God is moving in your midst?

Maybe it would look like the Church described in the New Testament...

God, where did we go wrong? How did we allow the church to become what it is today?

Consumerism and Church Buildings

Agree?

Disagree?

It happened again...

Last night I watched Jon and Kate plus 8. I was deeply saddened by the announcement of their separation. Honestly, my heart aches for their kids. I pray that their time away from the show will bring healing.

However, there seems to be a disturbing trend in reality television world. Many couples who agree to star in a reality tv show end up getting a divorce. Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson. Terry "Hulk" Hogan and his wife. Travis Barker (Blink 182 drummer) and his wife. Dave Navarro and Carmen Electra. 

I am curious what you think. Are these consequences of the fame and fortune that come with the show? Is there a private side of marriage that must be kept away from the cameras? Or were these marriages already destined for divorce?