This has been an interesting week folks (or folk - whoever's reading this) - started out in Phoenix with Life Teen and their annual June Convention. It's just like hanging with family - we've all been in ministry together for so long. This year, we invited Walt Mueller, a well known non denomin and Marc Ostreicher from Youth Specialties ( http://www.ysmarko.com ) - he gave a talk Tuesday night that was amazing - and is the main subject of a new book coming out soon, that you're gonna wanna get if you're in Youth Ministry.
Since yesterday, I've been hanging out in Kentucky - home of horse racing, mint juleps, Thomas Merton, and amongst other things, great people in Lexington and Wilmore. Bishop Gaynor in Lexington is a wonderful man with a great vision of community - not only for Catholics in Lex, but for all believers - the relationship here between denominations has been so encouraging....it's been wonderful to see and be a part of. I was first brought here by a good friend, John David Walt. John David is the dean of chapel at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY, and a great lyricist and poet. He has wonderful insights about the nature of who we are as believers and how does that get expressed in our lives. He has a great blog you can find at http://farmstrong.blogspot.com
- yesterday we were part of a brainstorming session with folks from different organizations and denominations to talk about how Asbury Seminary could help emerging church leaders; we drove around on a tour bus - good times. We ended yesterday with watching Brenton Brown lead worship at Ichthus (Christian Festival). Brenton has written so many wonderful songs for the church (everlasting God, Lord Reign in Me, Hosanna, and Halleluiah (Your Love Is Amazing) to name a few. He has a new CD coming out soon. We'll give you more details as they come.
- Today is a good day of chilling out. But it is sad - because it is raining in wilmore, and the folks at Ichthus had to cancel the night. Robbie Seay and his band are in town - but they aren't playing. Neither is Toby Mac, or Kutless, or Stellar Kart. Sadness. But we did have a great meal courtesy of the Walts with my band and Robbie's band. Great meal and conversation. good times :)
- more reports from the Icthus festival to come (oh yeah - that's why we're here - we're playing tomorrow night at .
p.s - Brenton Brown has a new CD coming out soon with some great new songs for the church.
p.p.s - go buy Robbie Seay Band's album, "Give Yourself Away"
p.p.p.s - pray for no rain tomorrow at ichthus.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Saturday, June 07, 2008
songwriting, the state of iowa, and corn.
It was a good week - I started out in Houma, Lousiana with a few days off to pray and recharge; then to Nashville for two days of songwriting with some great people. Good times.
Tonight i got back to Phoenix; watched a documentary about the corn industry in america. It's called "King Corn", and it is a somewhat slow at first, and then mildly shocking. If you care about agriculture in America (and in particular, the biggest crop in America), you should watch it.
(fyi- there's a couple of times that some mildly "colorful" language is used, so be aware."
http://www.kingcorn.net/
Tonight i got back to Phoenix; watched a documentary about the corn industry in america. It's called "King Corn", and it is a somewhat slow at first, and then mildly shocking. If you care about agriculture in America (and in particular, the biggest crop in America), you should watch it.
(fyi- there's a couple of times that some mildly "colorful" language is used, so be aware."
http://www.kingcorn.net/
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
"been a long time since i rocked and rolled"
one year later
im not sure im wiser
some things are better
like the sky seems to go higher
So i'll periodically take a look upward and inward and give a report of sorts of what i find (on the outside and the in)
pax
im not sure im wiser
some things are better
like the sky seems to go higher
So i'll periodically take a look upward and inward and give a report of sorts of what i find (on the outside and the in)
pax
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Encountering the Risen Christ....
in the Gospel this Sabbath, we have a post resurrection encounter with Jesus. Of course, after trying to wait and decide what to do, Peter decides to go back fishing. He's tried this ministry thing, but he didn't get the results he wanted. He got stuck. So, standing on the shores of the Sea of Tiberius, he states, "I am going fishing". Maybe they were all there reminiscing. Maybe they were throwing rocks along the shores, wasting time. Maybe they were thinking about "the good ole days"; maybe they were feeling nostalgic. So there, in the middle of the night, they go fishing. At dawn, they still hadn't caught anything. A voice is heard along the shores. They can't make out who it is, since they're a football field away. He says, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?".
That's funny. He called them children. A bunch of grown men. His followers. He called them children.
They didn't get the hint.
He tries something else: "Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something". This, of course, is a reference to the first time Jesus told Peter where to throw his net.
They still don't get the hint.
So they throw the net over, and when the boat almost capsizes, then John, the beloved says, "It is the LORD!!"
Then Peter runs to meet him. Wait, he's in a boat. Doesn't matter. He runs in the water. He's not walking on the water, mind you. But he's still moving towards Jesus. Even when he's sinking; now, he's running. Like a child.
He gets it again. He sees the Lord again.
"Facebook" is a wonderful and strange thing. Wonderful to see so many people i lived and worked and played with for many years. Strange, for you stumble upon them all by accident. It's crazy. Facebook is addictive enough...lol..... Then throw in a perpetual high school reunion. It's a new kind of nostalgia. :) There's a real temptation in myself to think about the past so much that im not present to, well, uh, the present :)
Here is where the lesson is :)
Peter and his friends went and reminisced. They wanted to "go back" to the way things used to be. Thinking about the past was a nice distraction from the now. From the space of their heart and soul in the present. They were tired. They were lonely. They were doubting where they were in life. Memories came flooding back. Good times. Bad times. Joy. Heartache. Betrayal. The inner monologue that questions, "am i where i should be? What would have happened if....?"; "I wonder how they are doing..." ....and instead of being present, they were stuck in the past.
But they had encountered the living God; and His notion of remembering is different. To God, there is no past, and there is no future. There is only NOW. They had communed with Him. Walked with Him. Lived with Him. Witnessed much; and transformed from the inside out. So when they tried to "go back", He was already there waiting for them. We can take some real meaning for our lives, in God, from this story:
- Time itself is evidence of mercy. God doesn't need it; but we do, because we turn away from Him, and in our state of frailty, we need an opportunity to turn back. Even though the rift is repaired in God's eyes, we can't see it.
- God has always been pursuing us, calling us back to Him. If you find yourself thinking about the past, maybe He is using the same ways He first called you. That seems like the most obvious, and yet, we're oblivious. He wants you to remember everything, including how he first called you.
- In our remembering, we need to ask for the grace He is offering to respond to Him like a child, like Peter; uncomplicating it all.
- In His embrace, we have freedom to "remember" our past with a heart of gratefulness; even in the tough memories
- God desires for us to be "present" at all times. That is, to be who we are now, in Him, as we consider our past, and surrender our speculation about the future.
"Peter, do you love me?"
"Yes Lord"
"Feed my lambs"
He said this 3 times, to repair what Peter had done in His denial of Christ, in his denial of Love. May Christ encounter you
in your heart as you "remember", and as you remember, may you continue to respond to God in the present, and "feed His lambs"
That's funny. He called them children. A bunch of grown men. His followers. He called them children.
They didn't get the hint.
He tries something else: "Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something". This, of course, is a reference to the first time Jesus told Peter where to throw his net.
They still don't get the hint.
So they throw the net over, and when the boat almost capsizes, then John, the beloved says, "It is the LORD!!"
Then Peter runs to meet him. Wait, he's in a boat. Doesn't matter. He runs in the water. He's not walking on the water, mind you. But he's still moving towards Jesus. Even when he's sinking; now, he's running. Like a child.
He gets it again. He sees the Lord again.
"Facebook" is a wonderful and strange thing. Wonderful to see so many people i lived and worked and played with for many years. Strange, for you stumble upon them all by accident. It's crazy. Facebook is addictive enough...lol..... Then throw in a perpetual high school reunion. It's a new kind of nostalgia. :) There's a real temptation in myself to think about the past so much that im not present to, well, uh, the present :)
Here is where the lesson is :)
Peter and his friends went and reminisced. They wanted to "go back" to the way things used to be. Thinking about the past was a nice distraction from the now. From the space of their heart and soul in the present. They were tired. They were lonely. They were doubting where they were in life. Memories came flooding back. Good times. Bad times. Joy. Heartache. Betrayal. The inner monologue that questions, "am i where i should be? What would have happened if....?"; "I wonder how they are doing..." ....and instead of being present, they were stuck in the past.
But they had encountered the living God; and His notion of remembering is different. To God, there is no past, and there is no future. There is only NOW. They had communed with Him. Walked with Him. Lived with Him. Witnessed much; and transformed from the inside out. So when they tried to "go back", He was already there waiting for them. We can take some real meaning for our lives, in God, from this story:
- Time itself is evidence of mercy. God doesn't need it; but we do, because we turn away from Him, and in our state of frailty, we need an opportunity to turn back. Even though the rift is repaired in God's eyes, we can't see it.
- God has always been pursuing us, calling us back to Him. If you find yourself thinking about the past, maybe He is using the same ways He first called you. That seems like the most obvious, and yet, we're oblivious. He wants you to remember everything, including how he first called you.
- In our remembering, we need to ask for the grace He is offering to respond to Him like a child, like Peter; uncomplicating it all.
- In His embrace, we have freedom to "remember" our past with a heart of gratefulness; even in the tough memories
- God desires for us to be "present" at all times. That is, to be who we are now, in Him, as we consider our past, and surrender our speculation about the future.
"Peter, do you love me?"
"Yes Lord"
"Feed my lambs"
He said this 3 times, to repair what Peter had done in His denial of Christ, in his denial of Love. May Christ encounter you
in your heart as you "remember", and as you remember, may you continue to respond to God in the present, and "feed His lambs"
Monday, April 09, 2007
on the 4th day....
Monday morning. Interesting that the day after Jesus rose from the dead was a Monday morning. So how are you after Easter? sometimes there’s two kinds of people you run into on “post easter - Monday mornings”:
1.) You went to vigil on Saturday night, or Sunday morning mass/service; you got all dressed up; the songs were happier, the church was more full than it has been all spring. The homily/sermon had a new story or a new joke. But even if it’s bad, people all smile and chuckle, because hey - it’s EASTER! WOO-HOO!!!! You hung out with friends or family, talked about the scriptures and reminisced about years gone past of former struggles and thought, “He HAS risen today. I’m a new person. God is transforming me from the inside out!!” AMEN.
2)you woke up on Sunday and it was just another day. you lamented about how it shouldn’t be snowing in April, or how you’re still alone, or how holidays just make you remember how messed up your family is. You went to church, and no one said hello. You wanted to sing, but the lady next to you who sounds like she swallowed a pager is belting out “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” so loud that your old brain cells are excited about making room for new ones. You can’t remember the sermon or the readings; in fact, in your memory, they all loosely resemble the lovely trombone-esque “wwwoooooAAAH woooAAAHHH WOOOOAAAAAAH” of charlie brown’s teachers. You went out to eat with some friends, but they all cancelled on you. Same thing with your family. Or your family did go out to eat; and you argued the whole time. You can’t remember the last time you had a conversation with anyone who didn’t pick up their cell phone during, or txt msg someone back. Your only thought about your faith or your relationship with God was “what faith? what relationship?” you went to bed feeling the same way you woke up.
Here it comes. Here comes the good news. you ready?
Today’s the fourth day.
Today we all woke up all in the same place again. Sinners. In need of saving. In need of a rescue.
Today when the Sun arose in the east, it echoed words from the prophet Isaiah; “See, i am doing something new. Do you not perceive it?”
Yesterday was special; yesterday was about remembering that humanity has been fundamentally changed on EVERY level by the resurrection of Jesus. So regardless of what kind of day you had yesterday, today is a new day. On the fourth day, Jesus still rose from the dead. On the fifth day, he still rose from the dead. On the 395,724th day - guess what? yep. there’ a pattern developing here….
so be encouraged, wherever you are; and know He’s leading you into deeper waters….
matt
1.) You went to vigil on Saturday night, or Sunday morning mass/service; you got all dressed up; the songs were happier, the church was more full than it has been all spring. The homily/sermon had a new story or a new joke. But even if it’s bad, people all smile and chuckle, because hey - it’s EASTER! WOO-HOO!!!! You hung out with friends or family, talked about the scriptures and reminisced about years gone past of former struggles and thought, “He HAS risen today. I’m a new person. God is transforming me from the inside out!!” AMEN.
2)you woke up on Sunday and it was just another day. you lamented about how it shouldn’t be snowing in April, or how you’re still alone, or how holidays just make you remember how messed up your family is. You went to church, and no one said hello. You wanted to sing, but the lady next to you who sounds like she swallowed a pager is belting out “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” so loud that your old brain cells are excited about making room for new ones. You can’t remember the sermon or the readings; in fact, in your memory, they all loosely resemble the lovely trombone-esque “wwwoooooAAAH woooAAAHHH WOOOOAAAAAAH” of charlie brown’s teachers. You went out to eat with some friends, but they all cancelled on you. Same thing with your family. Or your family did go out to eat; and you argued the whole time. You can’t remember the last time you had a conversation with anyone who didn’t pick up their cell phone during, or txt msg someone back. Your only thought about your faith or your relationship with God was “what faith? what relationship?” you went to bed feeling the same way you woke up.
Here it comes. Here comes the good news. you ready?
Today’s the fourth day.
Today we all woke up all in the same place again. Sinners. In need of saving. In need of a rescue.
Today when the Sun arose in the east, it echoed words from the prophet Isaiah; “See, i am doing something new. Do you not perceive it?”
Yesterday was special; yesterday was about remembering that humanity has been fundamentally changed on EVERY level by the resurrection of Jesus. So regardless of what kind of day you had yesterday, today is a new day. On the fourth day, Jesus still rose from the dead. On the fifth day, he still rose from the dead. On the 395,724th day - guess what? yep. there’ a pattern developing here….
so be encouraged, wherever you are; and know He’s leading you into deeper waters….
matt
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
a lententime reflection.
walking
fasting
feasting
remembering
immersing
transforming
everything is dying
everyone is hiding
in His wounds
in His wounds
in His wounds
everything is rising
everyone is flying
out of the tomb
soon and very soon.......
fasting
feasting
remembering
immersing
transforming
everything is dying
everyone is hiding
in His wounds
in His wounds
in His wounds
everything is rising
everyone is flying
out of the tomb
soon and very soon.......
Sunday, December 11, 2005
aloneness vs. loneliness.
- i struggle with loneliness. I'm an artist, which makes me one half heart, a quarter brain and a quarter melancholy ;)
God made us with a heart that longs for Him. I am coming to see that loneliness is the living proof for that. Loneliness is "deep crying out to deep" - it is our souls longing for intimacy with God - and the fullfillment of that is aloneness - the ability to be alone with God. Jesus was fully man. He experienced loneliness - but He chose to be in union with the Father, He was in constant union with the Father - but He still chose it.
- So if you're lonely, especially as Christmas draws near, it is because your soul is restless for God - so take a deep breath, and breathe in His presence. Let it permeate every part of You - let it into the loneliness - it was made for Him. You and i were made for Him. Then be alone with Him - as we buy more "stuff", let's let the Spirit strip away what needs to - don't run from it - don't hide from it - don't be fooled with the notion that friends or things or more myspace friends can fill it - it's been reserved for Jesus the day you were made.
- and then, our deepest inadequecies will become our greatest strengths :) and that is more evidence of God's existence - in our lives.
amen.
God made us with a heart that longs for Him. I am coming to see that loneliness is the living proof for that. Loneliness is "deep crying out to deep" - it is our souls longing for intimacy with God - and the fullfillment of that is aloneness - the ability to be alone with God. Jesus was fully man. He experienced loneliness - but He chose to be in union with the Father, He was in constant union with the Father - but He still chose it.
- So if you're lonely, especially as Christmas draws near, it is because your soul is restless for God - so take a deep breath, and breathe in His presence. Let it permeate every part of You - let it into the loneliness - it was made for Him. You and i were made for Him. Then be alone with Him - as we buy more "stuff", let's let the Spirit strip away what needs to - don't run from it - don't hide from it - don't be fooled with the notion that friends or things or more myspace friends can fill it - it's been reserved for Jesus the day you were made.
- and then, our deepest inadequecies will become our greatest strengths :) and that is more evidence of God's existence - in our lives.
amen.
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