Typical

If you haven't heard of Mute Math try this on for size...



--Brimas

Repeat After Me

Repeat after me...

I am an instrument of redemption.
I am God's creation.
I am capable of helping others.
I can make a difference.
I can honestly make a difference.
I have an opportunity to love.
I look up to someone.
I am someone's role model.
I have a choice.
I choose myself first.
I fall short.
I do things I shouldn't.
I am unconditionally loved regardless.
I make mistakes.
I am forgiven.
I make mistakes.
I am forgiven.
I make mistakes.
I am forgiven.
I am trusted with God's Kingdom.
I am the manifestation of God's love.
I am the very face of Jesus Christ.
I get my feelings hurt.
I hurt people's feelings.
I have felt alone.
I have felt important.
I leave things unsaid.
I speak my mind.
I get too busy.
I will not be silent.
I will not be quiet anymore.
I have a redeemer in Christ.
I am an instrument of redemption.

--Brimas

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

I loved the show “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood” growing up. Everyday, Mr. Rogers would stroll into his little townhome, put on a pea green sweater, change into a pair comfortable shoes, and cheerfully ask, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” I remember thinking, “This guy looks nice enough. He’s got a nice crib, a stocked fridge, and a stoplight in his living room. Yeah…I can be this guy’s neighbor.”

The reason I mention this is that I lived nowhere near Fred Rogers back in the day. His “townhome” was a probably a soundstage in Los Angeles. The point is Christ never mentions that our neighbors are simply the folks that live within a few blocks of us. In fact, many of our neighbors don’t even have homes. Our true neighbors live beyond street names and bus routes. We might not know their last name or where they were born. And, frankly, we may speak to them once and never again. But we have a chance…a choice…a command to love them. Listen to the words of Christ…

“Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me…As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:34-36, 40 RSV)

Who are our neighbors? Our neighbor is the guy that eats lunch by himself. Our neighbor is the new kid at school. Our neighbor is a man named Cliff from Tucson. Our neighbor lives down the street. Our neighbor lives on the street.

“You may go out into the street and have nothing to say, but maybe there is a man standing there on the corner and you go to him. Maybe he resents you, but you are there, and that presence is there. You must radiate that presence that is within you, in the way you address that man with love and respect. Why? Because you believe that is Jesus.” –Mother Teresa

Who is your neighbor?

--Brimas

Miquell's Meal

Our God is a God of second chances...and third...and fourth...I think you get the idea. My point is that we have opportunities to engage God at times and in places we least expect it regardless of our past. Whether our past years, months, days, or even hours have been some that we are not particularly proud of, God invites us to share in the glory of His redemption.

I met a guy the other night who was down on his luck. His name was Miquell and he was looking for a bite to eat. We got some food and I was speaking with him and he mentioned how thankful he was for the food and then he recited a couple of verses from the Gospel of Matthew. He said, "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink...Whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Think about it. Christ is essentially saying that our actions towards others are our actions towards Him. When we embrace others...we embrace Him. When we reject others...we reject Him. When we love others...we love Him.

I don't know if Miquell's meal will change his life in any dramatic fashion. But for those 30 minutes...I met Jesus face to face.

--Brimas

To Know and To Love

To truly know someone and to love them anyway...this is agape love. It's our life's mission.

"The first and most usual misunderstanding of agape is to confuse it with a feeling. Our feelings are precious, but agape is more precious. Feelings come to us, passively; agape comes from us, actively, by our free choice. We are not responsible for our feelings — we can't help how we feel — but we are responsible for our agape or lack of it, eternally responsible, for agape comes from us; feelings come from wind, weather, and digestion. “Luv” comes from spring breezes; real love comes from the center of the soul, which Scripture calls the heart (another word we have sentimentalized and reduced to feeling). Liking is a feeling. But love (agape) is more than strong liking. Only a fool would command someone to feel a certain way. God commands us to love, and God is no fool." -- Peter Kreeft

I have a bit of a problem with the famous adage "Love means never having to say I'm sorry." I think it presupposes some sort of thoughtless reactionary forgiveness or perhaps a mutual understanding of flawed behavior (i.e. You mess up and I do too. Therefore, things are ok). What it doesn't account for is the beauty of grace. Grace is without question the fullest expression of love. Grace is a foreign idea to us because it makes very little sense in our world of "required" reciprocity. Grace costs us our pride, costs us our desire to be "right", and costs us ourselves. Love does not mean never having to say I'm sorry. Love means never having to hear it.

--Brimas

A Pray-er's Prayer

My history as a pray-er (a person that prays) has been rather odd. I have spent time praying in overwhelming heat, in bitter cold, on my knees, off my feet, center pew, in the shower, outside, inside, on a mountain, in the desert, with a hat on and without. Prayer is union with our God...a communique.

In so many cultures, communities, homes...even churches, "prayers" are said...not prayed. Understand that I am by no means an authority on prayer, its true importance, or its power. I am simply a man who has experienced powerful movement of the Holy Spirit through union with God. Prayer is powerful.

There is a fundamental difference between "saying our prayers" and truly creating space for the Spirit of God to move. Understand that I am not insinuating separation from God. Rather, being so in tune with His Spirit that we abandon ourselves to Him.

Miracles are not the barometer for "successful" prayers. I feel that we often pigeon-hole our prayer lives into asking and waiting...asking and waiting...leaving very little room for contemplative silence. Silence and solitude. These things are imperative (not simply "important"). Our time with the Lord cannot be spent solely in song and deed.

A story: A great friend of mine once stopped to fill his car with gas and met a kind man that seemed down on his luck. Typical of my friend's kind spirit, he graciously engaged the man in conversation and spoke with him about his life and his struggles. After a few minutes, the familiar "click" of the fuel pump indicated that time had come for the men to part ways. But, before he got into his car, my friend assured the man that he would be prayed for. At that point, the disheveled man kindly reached for both of my friends wrists and said, "Ok then...please go ahead." So my friend prayed for the man in a Shell parking lot.
Though it might sound overly enthusiastic, my reaction to that story is amazement. Isn't this the nature of Jesus? For a moment, my friend was the very face Christ to that man. I don't know about you...but in my experience with telling people that I will pray for them, they typically respond with a simple, "Thank you" and continue on their way.

My hope is that we will pray earnestly and honestly. Oh, and actually listen for a change.

--Brimas

Youth and the Exploration of Biblical Truth

The exploration of Biblical truth (and its implications on youth ministry) remains a consistent theme in my Christian journey. Life as a Christian brings with it far more purpose than vocational achievement. My own journey has transformed from an acceptance of the “status quo du jour” to a legitimate search for Truth. Questioning my faith, my obedience, and even (gasp!) my God continually leads me towards a greater understanding of the story of Christ.

Understandably, youth have a tendency to simply accept things that regularly permeate their environment. Issues in politics, education, popular culture, entertainment, and religion are prime examples of how ideas disseminate from youths’ parents and peers into their core of beliefs. The question I keep arriving at is, “Are we challenging our youth to actually believe what they are hearing?” Take a look at the disciples. They most certainly did not simply “accept” Jesus’ call to follow Him. A man does not literally drop what he is doing to follow a stranger under mere acceptance. The evidence for true belief is the way a person lives. Thus, our responsibility is to educate, motivate, and activate our youth in accordance with the truth of the Gospel.

Furthermore, an assumption that each youth participating in a particular ministry fully trusts in a measurable core of homogeneous beliefs is likely off base. The reality is, thirty different youth will almost certainly believe thirty different things. We must encourage our youth to truly explore the depths of their faith. Perhaps they are so preconditioned to agree with what’s being presented in school, at home, and in ministries that, as participants, we have fallen victim to a cyclical process in which ideas are presented and received with little opposition. Of course, we are heartened by the relative ease with which our ideas and programs are accepted. But, we should be diving headfirst into unclear issues of faith right alongside our youth.

Perhaps our mistake has been to underestimate the desire of our youth to truly explore the truth of the Gospel. If nothing else, our youth want to know the truth. We have tried so many ways to protect them from the Truth of the Gospel of Christ and I believe that they have fallen victim to this ministerial grey area. Have we tried to keep the story interesting enough to ensure that they continue to participate but light hearted enough to keep from driving them away? If so, how much longer can we continue this disservice? Certainly, we are not called to force belief upon anyone (nor should we want to for that matter). But, we have an obligation to give our youth the whole story…not simply enough to accept. Therefore, we must not merely speak the Gospel. We must live it.

--Brimas

The Clarity of Complication

As my journey towards Christ continues, I find that as one idea or struggle in my life slowly migrates towards clarification, it is inevitable that another is welcomed by complication. To be honest, my involvement in youth ministry has polarized the chasm between the clear and the confusing even further. However, while I am certainly not immune to spiritual pride and laziness, my circumstances render complacency impossible. In all honesty, if I woke up one morning to the silence of complete clarity, I would assume that I had arrived in heaven. The dichotomy between spiritual clarity and opacity continually challenges my thoughts and considerations as a Christian.

For example, participating in youth ministry has clarified my responsibilities as a disciple of Christ. However, it has complicated the cost involved therein. John MacArthur writes, “The call that Jesus gave was a call to follow Him, a call to submission, a call to obedience. It was never a plea to make some kind of momentary decision to acquire forgiveness and peace and heaven and then go on living anyway you wanted. The invitations of Jesus to the lost were always direct calls to a costly commitment.” Thus far, my experience with youth reveals the seemingly intangible cost of relational investment. Earning their trust far beyond the social atmosphere requires time spent in fellowship and conversation. Complication lies in living a truly counter-cultural lifestyle of selfless dedication to Christ. The subtle, yet significant difference between “counter-cultural” and “anti-cultural” resides in the difficulty between engaging culture and embracing it.

My involvement in youth ministry has also guided me towards the recognition of a true ministerial paradigm shift (more specifically within my own community) but has convoluted my thoughts on how to properly respond to the emerging changes in youth culture. We have an obligation to do far more than merely entertain our youth and present a culturally appealing Gospel. Our youth are more perceptive than that. What were once effective methods of reaching youth and sharing the Gospel have become somewhat outdated. I believe that simplicity should be the driving force behind embracing the shift. Yet, the simplicity of the Gospel lies beyond the complexity of the struggle to live it. Therein lies complication. Recognition of God’s call is no doubt a blessing. But, it is merely the beginning of a tremendous journey towards obedience and discipleship.

I am fortunate enough to spend time with amazing youth every day. And every day I am confidently reminded that my call was specific and clear. However, complete clarity remains a fleeting aspiration while complication seems to arrive on time and unannounced. Our hope lies in the notion that both will be temporary and neither will be absolute.

-- Brimas

Lost in Translation

"Solitude is often maligned in our culture. It is taken as a sign of weakness, and confused with loneliness. Yet those who accept solitude as an opportunity for spiritual growth and inner healing experience it as a great blessing. Why do we run from solitude? Why do we hate to be alone with ourselves? Because in solitude, our fears, insecurities, brokenness, hatred, and inner violence easily reveal themselves. Solitude can be terrifying at first. It reminds us of the deep loneliness we carry. But if we want real peace, we have to face our inner demons and transform our loneliness into love. Solitude is essential for this inner transformation. As we learn to sit in solitude and silence and turn down the noise of our mind, we create a sacred space for God to move within us. Paradoxically, if we seek out that lonely place within, as Jesus advises, we realize that we are not alone." -- John Dear

I've read these beautiful words seven or eight times now and simply cannot escape the frightening realization that the discipline of contemplative solitude has been all but lost in our Ameri-Christian culture.

I am constantly doing...stuff. Why? Because I have a unhealthy desire to avoid the possibility of waking up one morning and discovering the fact that I am lonely. I am afraid of truly facing my deepest fears (I guess you call that "fearophobia"?). Fears of rejection, fears of inadequacy, fears of abandonment. By remaining occupied, I feel more useful...more worthwhile. I run myself completely dry in pursuit of fleeting fulfillment and incomplete joy. What is it about the human condition that makes it so awkward, so difficult, so incongruous to be alone? The continual occupation of our minds with mundane activity cripples our ability to explore thoughtful introspection. Yet, when I consistently engage God in active prayer taking time to explore the caverns of my heart and letting God explore the depths of my soul, I emerge refreshed, cleansed, and thankful for God's mercy and grace.

"When we enter into solitude to be with God alone, we quickly discover how dependent we are. Without the many distractions of our daily lives, we feel anxious and tense. When nobody speaks to us, calls on us, or needs our help, we start feeling like nobodies. Then we begin wondering whether we are useful, valuable, and significant. Our tendency is to leave this fearful solitude quickly and get busy again to reassure ourselves that we are 'somebodies.' But that is a temptation, because what makes us somebodies is not other people's responses to us but God's eternal love for us." -- Henri Nouwen

To claim the truth of ourselves we have to cling to our God in solitude as to the One who makes us who we are.

--Brimas

The Kingdom of God

This last year I experienced a paradigm shift in terms of my faith and worldview. It all has to do with the Kingdom of God as the message and purpose of Jesus. I have never been exposed to an idea that has had more of an impact on my faith than the Kingdom. To steal from Brian McLaren, I have become 'a new kind of Christian'. OK, that was cheesy but its true.

Speaking of Brian McLaren, this is from his blog:

...I'm hard at work on my next book - "The Secret Message of Jesus" - which will explore the idea of the Kingdom of God. I feel that my own thinking is growing clearer and deeper through the writing process. My admiration and love for Jesus and his message have never been greater; writing this book feels like an experience of devotion and worship for me.

So Brian is beginning to write about the Kingdom of God. Brian's audience is HUGE and if this idea begins to trickle down into mainstream Christianity I think that it could literally change the world. After all, that is the message of the Kingdom--transformation of the world.

I was at the 2005 Willow Creek Leadership Summit this weekend at a megachurch here in the DC area and I have a lot of thoughts on what I heard there and what it means for the Church in America. I have never been a big supporter of Rick Warren bascially because I am a judgemental person. I pretty much figured that he was selling 'Self Help' Christianity and making people feel good about themselves. I was completely wrong. I won't go into it here (maybe I will post another time on my thoughts from the conference) but Rick was speaking to a bunch of ultramodern, middle-aged, megachurch-aspiring pastors and he was speaking Kingdom language! He was preaching the Kingdom of God to a bunch of people who are still preaching 'personal Jesus' and 'Save your soul' Christianity. No one--NO ONE--has a bigger audience than Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Life is the best selling non-fiction book...ever) and no one has more influence. His words were this: "We are going to experience a 2nd Reformation. The first one was about creeds, this one will be about deeds. The first was about belief, this one is about behavior. We know what we believe! Let's live it out!" That is the Kingdom of God, friends, and that is exciting to hear.

I was going to post this on my blog but I decided that I would put it here. I want to open up discussion on this idea because I think 'ideas have legs' and wrestling with these things together is how we were designed to work. If we're serious about being followers of Jesus I hope it is our goal to at the very least understand exactly what he was doing. If we can begin to come to grips with what the Kingdom might mean for us as a community of believers I think we are on the right track.

Read/Listen if you want to learn more about the Kingdom of God so we can discuss:

Audio - NT Wright: Jesus and the Kingdom
Audio - NT Wright: Jesus and the Cross
Audio - NT Wright: Jesus and God
Audio - NT Wright: Jesus and the World's True Light
Creation Regained
Engaging God's World
Gospel of the Kingdom
Bible Study: Introduction to a Kingdom Perspective

peace
kc

In Job I Trust

Recently, I have found myself overwhelmed with the unpleasant combination of feeling pressure to make the "right" decisions concerning my future and an unavoidable longing to live multiple lives. No, not multiple lives like a Russian spy (see: Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie "True Lies"). I mean literally living six or seven entirely separate and unique lifetimes. You see, I cannot decide whether I should be a youth pastor, a musician, a marketing executive, an entrepreneur, a day-laborer, a consultant, or a shepherd. Ok, I'm not really considering becoming a shepherd...but you get the idea. The question, then is "Does it really even matter?" I mean, mustn't we believe that God will meet us wherever we are? There is so much banter in the Christian world about "following God's will" and "choosing the path that God has lined up for us".

First of all...God will most certainly take care of His business with or without me. And second, why am I so concerned with "helping" God rather than serving Him. That's like having an ant "help" a team of oxen pull a wagon. Am I living my life with the audacity that each avenue of interest that I explore would best be served by...well, me? I felt the same way in school. I would consistently do entire group projects more or less by myself because I was afraid of other people either:

A. Doing a poor job (that I would have to correct later) or...
B. Doing things (gasp!) their own way

Both of these awkward disturbances that I had in my ability to trust others stem solely from incredible selfishness. It seems that the same lack of trust I had in my fellow students has translated into a distrust of my God. Of that, I am ashamed.

Of course, God uses His people to fulfill His work. But, let us not delude ourselves into thinking that our help is required. It is by God's grace that we are blessed to be active participants in His workmanship. I am more focused on trying to please the Lord (and of course, fulfilling my own dreams) with my choice of career rather than engaging in relationship with Him.

There exists a distinct (yet too often subtle) difference between a person's job and his vocation. Shouldn't we be "vocational" Christians? No, that does NOT mean that each and every Christ-follower should drop what they are doing and go to seminary. What does that mean? Well, much of our culture (Ameri-Christian pop-culture) has mistakenly left "ministry" to ordained church employees. Sure, people do volunteer work, assist troubled motorists, and attend church regularly. But, where along the line did we up and abandon Christ's call to engage culture and move towards the consummation of Christ's marriage to the Church (body of Christ...not a denomination or a building)?

Love God. Love neighbor. This is our mission. Let us examine who/what/where in our lives is in need of Christ's love...and let us go there.

-- Brimas

Risky Business

Where does our assessment of life's risk meet the necessity of a trusting faith? Far be it from me to assert that every important decision I have made was with the utmost divine clarity. On the contrary. The truth is, we make decisions that require faith in something. Faith in income, faith in relational loyalty, faith in ourselves...you name it. How often has that "faith" rested in reliance upon something other than the Lord? So many times my perception of risk in making a certain decision was far greater than its actuality. Frankly, I have always ensured that I had a contingency plan in case things got really difficult. These contingencies often revolved around my ability to bail myself out of a difficult situation in one way or another.

Of course, reckless behavior (whether in faith or action) is almost equally as dangerous. Understand that I am not insinuating that we, in essence, board the Titanic without life boats, cross our fingers, and hope that it won't sink. Rather, I am encouraging us towards a faithful trust that reflects a willingness to abandon the world's view of risk in favor of God's promises. Extending beyond our zones of comfort (whether financially, relationally, spiritually...whatever) allows us to engage in true relationship with God.

Now, I assure you that I am not the most staunch John Piper supporter in the world. I have odds with a lot of what he says. Here, though, I think he is right on...

There is a great biblical legacy of loving risk-takers. Joab, facing the Syrians on one side and the Ammonites on the other, said to his brother Abishai, "Let us be courageous for our people . . . and may the LORD do what seems good to him" (2 Samuel 10:12). Esther broke the royal law to save her people and said, "If I perish, I perish" (Esther 4:16). Shadrach and his comrades refused to bow down to the king's idol and said, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us . . . But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods" (Daniel 3:16-18). And when the Holy Spirit told Paul that in every city imprisonment and afflictions await him, he said, "I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course" (Acts 20:24).

There is something to be said for embracing an atmosphere in which self-reliance is nearly impossible.

-- Brimas

Rocky Mountain's Majesty

I have just returned from a soulful journey to Southeastern Colorado (specifically Pagosa Springs). The thrust of God's magnificent creation unfolded before my very eyes as I spent time away from highways, construction, and strip malls. Towering peaks and endless valleys served as the backdrop for crisp (yet animated) rivers and curious (yet contemplative) wildlife. Far more than a "battery recharge" or vacation, it was an opportunity to return to the roots of true faith. Prayer, solitude, engaging conversation...each of these was an integral component of the journey. The simple pleasures of waking up to a rising sun, gazing in awe for hours on end at the majestic starry skies, and exploring the heights of a cascading waterfall were magnified ten-fold by the blessing of being able to share the moments with people I love. Why has embracing nature's simple beauty been shoved aside as a periodic opportunity for visual refreshment rather than remaining a daily exploration into the heart of God? How long ago did commerce overshadow contemplation as the driving force behind our decisions? Wendell Berry is correct when he says, "The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope."

-- Brimas

Our Multitude of Thoughts

Suffice it to say that each day we entertain a multitude of thoughts as diverse as the very people that think them. Our faith, ideas, concerns, frustrations, and observations weave a fabric of thought bound by circumstance, perpsective, ideology, and expereince.

This blog is an open door to thoughts of all kinds. Share whatever is on your heart or mind. The only requirement is that you share honestly. If you share a fact, be prepared to prove it with truth; and if you share an opinion, be prepared to defend it with grace.

Welcome.

-- Brimas