You also can find it on the Eastside Podcast at http://www.itunes.com/. Just do a search for Eastside Church, and our latest podcast is the audio from this message.
Did you get a chance to write your own version of Psalm 23?
2008 was a busy year for me for summiting local peaks! This is largely due to my connnection with the Thursday night group (TNAB). Here are the new peaks I was able to summit so far this year: Putrid Pete's/West Defiance, Bryant Peak, Pinnacle Peak, Plummer Peak, McClellon Butte, Trico Mountain, Kendall Peak, Humpback Mountain, Keyes Peak, Roan Mountain and Silver Peak. Most of these are smaller hike/scrambles along I-90. I have photos from all of these on my Flickr website.
With the election only days away, candidates are pulling out all the stops in their efforts to get elected. Mixed messages have saturated the airways making it difficult to know what is true.
News today probably contained the most blatant example of this, especially as it pertains to the faith of opposing candidates.
Tremendous appeals to voting for Christian candidates are being made, while others are having their faith questioned and attacked. Pastors are being accused of "not doing enough" to promote candidates, while others alienate half the population by politicizing the pulpit.
An easy question to overlook, but an important one for Christians to ask, is "What does the Bible actually say about how we are to respond to our appointed leaders?"
To be clear about this, and then to proactively respond to this, is imporant (but often lost in the emotion of our differences).
Take a look at these key passages of Scripture:
Titus 3:1-2 1Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
Romans 13:1-7 1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
1 Peter 2:13-17 13Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
1 Timothy 2:1-41I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
These were written during a time when horrible governmental injustices were taking place. It seems to me as though the New Testament Christians had their focus on another citizenship - one that transcended their current political situation.
Without going further in my commentary, I provide you with these Biblical references as points of reflection and consideration as you navigate your way through the current political turmoil. I believe it will help you be a better witness during these emotional days. I also encourage you to prayerfully, carefully and informatively vote!
Six of us set out early today for the PCT (Matt Deitz, Bob Horn, Dan Bachelor, Mike Jones, Brandon Brazee, and myself). Our plan was to scramble Kendall Peak and then to go to the Katwalk (how come I see it spelled Catwalk, or Katwalk?). I had hoped to go up the grassy side of Kendall, down the ridge, and then to return via the “shorter” Commonwealth Basin trail.
Well, things turned out a bit differently than I had planned. I was surprised to by the amount of snow remaining on the trail. We bypassed the direct route up Kendall and ended up starting our scramble by going up the ridge. This route has a couple of class three moments, and the snow made it a little more difficult then I had expected. After keeping the ridge for a long ways, we scrambled lower on the west side of the peak and made a safe hike up to the summit. We took the direct route down (instead of the ridge) and then made a leisurely visit to the catwalk.
The weather was spectacular and quite a few hikers were now in that vicinity. I met a couple of hikers (one in jeans) who said they were headed for Stevens Pass. They said they were planning to do it in three days, but it was around 1 p.m. and they had only gone 6 miles on their first day. They didn’t seem to be in a hurry so I was left wondering if they would “make it”. They were optimistic about the weather, but they’ll have to get moving (obviously I was a little worried about them) if they hope to finish their hike before it gets worse.
On the way back I kept looking for the Commonwealth Trail/Cascade Crest for the “shortcut” back. I bypassed one trail that said “Commonwealth Basin”, but it was more than half way back to the car, so I’m not sure about the alternate route. Our legs were pretty well spent once we were done. I think we did about 13 miles and ended the round trip in less than seven hours. Elevation gain was around 2800 feet.
I am going to be doing some "church shopping" during the coming months. No, I'm not looking to change churches. I'm also not "scouting out the competition." I am trying to get a broader perspective on the spiritual climate and landscape of churches in our area. Sundays are pretty busy for me, but with so many churches now offering Sunday night services, this gives me quite a few options.
My first visit was just two weeks ago. I slipped in late, sat in the back, and left early. It was a bit strange at first -- the church was singing the same exact same songs. The unwritten dress code was the same. They used video announcements in the same way that we do. They were expressing the same values regarding community outreach and missions. The preacher's style was the same.
So what was the difference?
Interestingly it provided me with a contrast that gave me a better look at who "Eastside" is.
We are unique - as is every church. We have values that are shared by other churches - as should be the case. But we have a unique "DNA" - a spiritual genetic code (figuratively speaking) that reflects our unique composition in terms of our membership and a unique calling in terms or our role within the body of Christ.
Eastside is not particularly "religious". We are highly authentic and try to be highly practical. We are REAL. These distinctives became all the more apparent to me following this experience. I have always felt that our unspoken slogan (reflecting our DNA) isReal God Real People. This experience reinforced this feeling for me. I left there with a deep peace and confidence regarding what God is doing at Eastside now, and what God wants to do through Eastside in the future.
One of our staff members, Tim Oas, is good friends with a couple of guys who are running a half marathon for the first time. I guess they are "gomers", but I don't know what that means. They have created a blog and podcast called "Two Gomers Run a Half Marathon". If any of you are runners, you might check it out and give them some advise. It also might be helpful if you are looking to run your first half marathon as well.
This week (Monday - Friday) I am helping my parents move from Coos Bay, Oregon, to Brainerd, Minnesota.
It is quite a change and it will be strange not having them in "my hometown". Today I flew ahead of them and spent the day with my brother (Mike) and my niece and nephew (Shea and Chase). We went fishing on the St. Croix. My parents roll into Brainerd tomorrow. They have been delayed by a day because of snow.
Thursday -- Their house is getting set up. For the past two days my brother and I have gone fishing on Gull Lake for walleye at 3 p.m. We have caught quite a few fish and enjoyed some good weather. Tomorrow will be further unpacking before heading home in the evening.
This past weekend I went to a pastors’ conference in Beaverton, Oregon, and in order to save money I stayed at a Hostel. When it comes to travel, I am pretty flexible - often stretching my dollars by camping, hosteling and staying with friends. You have to be flexible if you're going to do this - and on a few occasions I have mistakenly walked into a "hostile" hostel or a situation that didn't work out. The benefit (besides economics) includes the opportunity of meeting some very interesting people. Early in our marriage Heidi and I discovered these benefits and have stayed in hostels in Oregon, Washington, California, New York, Hawaii, and in several other countries.
This past Tuesday night I was having some free pizza and checking my email in the hostel kitchen surrounded by people of all ages and nationalities. A couple was jestingly discussing getting married in order to qualify for a housing opportunity (even though they didn’t know each other) when I jokingly made the mistake of mentioning I was a pastor (usually this is a good way to end all conversations). Instead, I was greeting with a shocked comment, "What are you doing in a place like this?!" I had failed to notice what was wrong with the place where I was and I went on to explain that I enjoyed it more than I would if I was sitting alone in a hotel room somewhere.
Where else can a pastor have several conversations with a mohawked, guitar playing, homeless, Iraq war vet, 20 year old drifter? Additionally I met people from Europe, Japan, a few Kiwis, a cyclist from Seattle, an art student from Alaska, a punk-rock former heroin addict and a hunch-backed 70 year old man. This group re-defined “eclectic”.
Pastors are sometimes stereotyped as being ethereal anomalies - isolated and disconnected from the culture. This is a stereotype that we just might deserve. It is temptingly comfortable to unconsciously surround ourselves with our peers and parishioners and thereby create a sub-culture that appears foreign to "real people". I enjoy forcing myself out of that comfortable box.
The experience at the hostel reminded me of a moment in Tijuana, Mexico this past summer. I was barreling down a highway at 75 miles/hour in a dilapidated truck with the windows down, feeling the 90 degree air rushing by. Sitting next to me was Sergio – former gang member and ex-felon, now pastor. Sergio is a good friend and has an amazing life-story. Next to him (driving the truck) was Marcus – a once abandoned street-kid who ended up in Mexican juvenile hall at the age of six where he became a Christian. He was adopted by a missionary and I have known him for twenty years. Riding in the back of the truck was a man these two had “rescued” who was living in the sewage infested riverbed that runs through Tijuana. Marcus had hired him to do some casual labor and the guy was in the process of getting free from alcoholism, dysentery and a “thrown away” life. He had stumbled into a church service sick and drunk and Marcus had taken him under his wing. And here I was – riding with my “Mexican friends”. I couldn’t have been happier. In that moment, I knew that God was present and that this was a great place for a “suburban, American, “mega church” pastor” to be. Do you know what I mean? Or am I just crazy?
