Innovation Lab Bound...

I'm really excited about an invitation to be a part of this experience with Greg, Doug, and Jared - the Suncrest Crew. January 19-20 - Dallas Texas. What an opportunity! I have a feeling Rachel and I are taking some huge steps toward the ride of our lives.

It begins with an on-site 24 hour lab experience designed to take your team from where you are to where you need to go. Your team will look honestly at what’s not working and why, explore roadblocks and develop both radical and incremental process plans to move your team to success.

From our physical meeting space to our facilitation methods, you’ll be taken out of the ordinary workshop experience to an unexpected discovery based approach. Be prepared to move and create, stretch and explore. You’ll release your creativity by manipulating objects and transitioning to different discovery and learning stations. Using the latest in innovative thinking processes and the most talented facilitators, we’ll transport you from sitting and soaking to moving and doing.

Additionally, your team will participate in two online lab days in your own offices spaced six and twelve months out from the initial gathering. Our expert facilitator will connect you via live video with other teams, using a state of the art video conferencing platform, where you’ll have the chance to share team updates, celebrate success and identify your sticking points and areas for improvement. The final online lab day will focus on implementation updates and unique exercises in sustaining forward movement, innovation and assessment.

Movement...

Interesting. The term 'Christian' is used 3 times in the Bible. 'Disciple' is used 250+ times! In the four gospels the greek word translated 'to follow' is used 61 times. I'm convinced that I'm not alone in that I'd rather be known as a Christ-follower than as an adherant and follower of the Christian religion. I'm even more convinced that the whole 'Jesus deal' is not meant to be about an institution of Religion, rather a movement. Jesus began a revolution - by movement. I wonder what went wrong? Why do we measure our lives by what we have instead of where we are going? I want to 'move' in the direction of Jesus. I want my life's rhythm to be a movement of following Jesus. So what is our measuring stick? I have been thinking a lot about that. I think it's about my story. I think it's about what Jesus is doing in me right now. I think it's about what Jesus is doing around me right now. And then the often times difficult part, because of my stinking flesh, is to actually go where He's at...so that I might move where He's going.
I also wonder about the idea of 'making disciples.' Maybe a better way to think of it is 'forming disciples.' For me, that is a beautiful picture. Of God, in His strong and weathered hands forming me...in spite of my malfunctions and impurities...He somehow has the grace, mercy, and power to make all things new.
If we want to get literal, we'd see that when God said for us to 'make disciples' he literally said...'as you are going (movement) make disciples. All this to say that our lives are transformed and we ultimately transform others...as we are moving and following Jesus.
I land on this truth. If I am going to follow Jesus, I will be shocked at where I may end up going. I am learning more than ever that God's movement is often unpredictable, radical, and crazy. It requires a lot of trust. And that is exactly where movements happen. I'm all in. And yes, I know I too am crazy. So is my wife for dreaming and trusting with me. So are my kids. We are unpredictable. I don't even know the big picture. But we see Jesus 'moving' and we are following. Here we go.

Adding Layers.

Spiritual practices are about the momently life. They are the ways I actively become the person who has "eyes to see and ears to hear." This life is about experiential living with increased resiliency and consistency. It is the difference between living in 'survival mode' and 'thriving mode.' The momently life of Christ living in me is in essence staying awake to God. Many become awake to God, but the art of momenlty living is in abiding awakeness.
It's easier to say than to live. But, the rhythm of engaging with Christ momently is the life worth pursuing. The great discovery that I didn't assume I'd find is that routines, normalcy, ordinariness, and habits are essential in this way of life. It seems contradictory...as though following Jesus closely would rid us of any of these ways. It was when I paralleled them to God's perfect created design of breathing, eating, sleeping, drinking...that I realized a certain structure is healthy to the spiritual life.
I confess that I have begun (it's a poor rendition I'll admit) yoga. Don't laugh. Because of my back pains I've had to come to grips with reality. I am about as stiff as an old board. Maybe stretching to the physical body is like my need for disciplines for my spiritual soul.
So what does all this mean? When Jesus came he ushered in a 'new' Kingdom of God...which means a 'new' way of life...new priorities, commitments, vision, and peace.
I'll unpack my thoughts on this further in my next post. I still wrestle how to understand it myself.

A Grey Story

The Kingdom of God. I am a part of it. So are you. It's not a place. It's here and it's now and every breath, every heart rhythm I'm living in an awareness of God in me and the world around me. And yet even in that beautiful and glorious filled movement - I still have the capacity to act selfishly.
So my story? It seems that with every chapter of tragedy there emerges the opportunity for a chapter of significance. Or maybe they are in the same chapter. Maybe my chapters are really the summation of every part of my life - elements I choose and the ones chosen for me. The particles I can see and remember along with the ones that are unseen or forgotten. I guess that's the beauty of my life. It really is about what God is doing in me, alongside me.
I weave my story with some more elements of Donald Miller's thoughts...
*Every conflict, no matter how hard, comes back to bless the protagonist if he will face his fate with courage. There is no conflict a man will endure that will not produce a blessing.
*When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are...when you stop expecting God to end all your troubles, you'd be surprised how much you like spending time with God.
*It wasn't necessary to win for the story to be great, it was only necessary to sacrifice everything.
*Great stories go to those who don't give in to fear.

This all takes me back to Rachel and I's sessions in Colorado with dear friend John Walker. A story is not scripted for us. And I believe he was right when we suggested life is more grey than black and white. That scares a lot of good Christian people. It kind of sounds like heresy. Oh well. It's not heresy. So I will concur that it is better for people to embrace and live in Christ in this grey Kingdom of God. All I know is that I am completely in love with my indescribable God, my beautiful Rachel, my amazing kids, my family, my friends, and pretty much in love with the strangers around me...and by God's grace I even usually love (at least some of the time) those who don't like me. Then there's ultimately the love and grace of God - and being adopted as his children. That's black and white. But everything in between is pretty grey. The way all that love unravels through me is where the black fades and the white darkens.
I think when it comes to story, we try to take everything happening in and around us...including the thoughts and actions of others...and try to judge them all in a nice package of black and white. I have to confess that God's thoughts aren't my thoughts and His ways not my ways. It doesn't work. It can't work.
I think God finds beauty in the grey.
It's all about our story...and how it collides with His...uniquely ours.

Donald Miller - Creating our story

In the chaos of life it's rare that I pick up a book and get so engrossed in it that I roll through it in mere few hours. But I did today. Ironically, one of the only other times was by this same author; Donald Miller. Two weeks ago I had the chance to hear him in person in Chicago as he reflected on his pursuit of 'life as a story.' His latest life story is called "A Million Miles in A Thousand Years." Our life really is a story. I don't want my story to be written for me. I don't want to get to the end of my life and realize I wrote a rather dull and dry story for my life. But tragically, as I sit here on my 34th birthday, I realize not all of my life has been leveraged for the sake of others - or a sense of fully living. How do I know that? Well, it's amazing how many random events add up to fill the memories I have of my life.
Anyway, here are some highlights that Don initiates - and concepts God has stirred emotionally in me when I read them. I'd recommend if you have a pulse and you care about your destiny...that you read this journey.
*Nobody remembers easy stories. Characters have to face their greatest fears with courage. That's what makes a story good. If you think about the stories you like, there's probably lots of conflict. There is probably death at stake, inner death or actual death...These polar charges, these happy and sad things in life, are like colors God uses to draw the world.
*Most of our greatest fears are relational. It's all that stuff about forgiveness and risking rejection and learning to love.
*The great stories go to those who don't give in to fear. Fear isn't only a guide to keep us safe; it's also a manipulative emotion that can trick us into living a boring life.
*(I wonder) if the reasons our lives seem so muddled is because we keep walking into scenes in which we, along with the people around us, have no clear idea what we want.
*Every creative person faces resistance when trying to create something good. Resistance, a kind of feeling that comes when you point toward a distant horizon, is a sure sighn that you are supposed to do the thing in the first place. The harder the resistance, the more important the task must be.
*People love to have lived a great story, but few people like the work it takes to make it happen. But joy costs pain.
*(God speaking through the beauty of his natural creation) Enjoy your place in my story. The beauty of it means you matter, and you can create within it even as I have created you.

Glory in our mess.

The weekly worship experience...sometimes we leave informed. Other times we leave inspired. Maybe there are times we leave with a plan for change. On Sunday I left with a mixture of each of these ingredients. The reality is that as Doug verbalized scripture and concepts, the Holy Spirit was breathing strength and encouragement in me. The question I have to ask myself is; “Do you really trust God Andy? I mean really trust him? Or do you give your energy over to ‘helping’ God out?

It’s a great question. Am I in control of my own destiny? Because if I am, I’ve made a pretty pathetic run at it. I mean if my life’s worth is fueled with the ‘good’ I’ve done, I’m not sure it provides any good content for someone to say at my funeral. The heartbeat, or to put it the Suncrest way – Big Idea, is that God is involved in us. The battle is His. And the good news is that our ‘limp’ or ‘handicap’ (that we pray for God to take away) is the very thing that keeps us attached to a dependence on God. It is the thing that allows us to keep Christ at the center, and the thing that gives people the ability to understand, empathize, and relate to. The thing that should most disqualify us from making an impact on humanity is the thing that God uses to bring good. Another example of the upside down Kingdom of God.

Doug used a powerful video illustration to drive this point to the center our souls. Lonely, lost, hurting, desperate, desolate, malnourished, decrepit people who pray for ‘healing’ in some capacity…and yet God remains silent. God is not distant, he just seemingly resists that prayer. As the story unfolds we begin to see the light switched on inside them…and they worship knowing that God has a purpose to our weakness and frailty.

Doug used the story of a guy with a funny, long, and hard to spell name. So why Jehoshaphat? Here’s a brief summary; He’s a King commissioned by God to engage the battle God’s way – not his own way. God’s way always sounds insane. His confession; “For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you (God)." His response; "Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever.” (Doug even sang this for us…you would have had to been there!)God’s victory; “And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another. (Kaser’s paraphrase – the victors worshipped and put their trust in God and they did not use one of their manmade weapons to defeat the enemy…the enemy destroyed itself. God has a knack for using the low to humble the strong).

So what’s this all mean for us? It’s not about us. It’s about God. And what is impossible with man is possible with God.

“God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.”

And that is a promise that makes me dance with gratitude and peace.

Growing Smaller? Exponential Movement.

I had one of these gadgets. The Little Professor was introduced in 1976. I wonder if 'churches' have for too long only concerned themselves with growth by addition. I wonder if it's possible God meant for the 'Church' to live 'Bigger' through multiplication. I think it's funny. Or maybe it's more sad? Maybe it's both. Big churches probably struggle with a superiority complex. But worse yet are small churches that despise 'big' churches. I'd call it jealousy. There's a hint of ungodliness as smaller churches degrade the large church down the street all the while putting their entire energy on the goal of 'getting big' themself. Ironic? I'll let you answer that. But can you imagine a church prayerfully considering a capital campaign for the purpose of multiplying campuses? Can you imagine a growing church deciding not to build a bigger building on their large parcels of land? Can you imagine a decision not to add more spaces so there can be more programs going on? I can. And I'm living in the DNA of one. I love it. And I love them for going against the flow and following the Spirit of God's movement. A group of people abandoning attraction and absorption and pursuing a movement. Abandoning the notion of 'my church' for the Jesus way of 'His Kingdom.' We can wait and hope they come or we can move in and live amoung them and with them. I'd say 'big' isn't God's measure of success, but certainly growth is. Health is. Churches can track worship attendance, but maybe we really need to figure out how to track how many marriages are healthier and growing in our community. We can track how many programs people come to, but maybe we need to figure out a way to track how well we are serving our neighbor. Maybe we need to track how much time we spend in community events compared to church events?
I guess I'm just saying I'm honored and blessed to walk with people who 'get it.' God himself designed us to birth new 'living' beings...they grow and mature...and eventually reproduce. The goal of an organism is not to get big and fat, but to stay healthy, lean, and full of life and movement. To live in such a way that we give ourselves away to others for the purpose of revealing the glory of Christ.
Reproduction makes sense in every arena of life. So shall it be with the church.
Exponential multiplication...it's a movement I want to be a part of. I sense it's where God is taking His Church (people). Lord let Your 'Kingdom' come.

Watching. Walking. Worshipping.

The momently life. I'm officially a little over a year into this pilgrimage and it really is amazing. I've come so far, and yet there is still so much landscape yet to cover. It is becoming more rhythmic. One of the greatest affirmations I've recieved happened a few weeks ago when Greg Lee - a dear brother, friend, and mentor - said; "you seem to pursue a constant awareness of God." He's right. That's where I'm at. I'm constantly looking for Him. Watching Him. Listening for Him. I don't always hear, or see, or feel Him. But these seasons leave me being quite raw with God - crying, inwardly yelling, confessing, and even a little bit of begging. All this to say I'm leaning forward. I don't know where I'll land or when, but I know God is with my family. And I trust that He's purposeful in our 'waiting.' Learning to see God and hear his voice is the real purpose of my prayer life. I genuinely am trying not to plead that God gives me my purposes. Instead, I'm striving to give Him my attention to what He is doing around me and in me. I'm just asking God to show me what He sees and what He's doing. He seems to running our life's dreams parallel with Suncrest's dreams and that is some exciting and humbling stuff. So we walk. We pray. And I'm not sure what your definition of a miracle is, but it's my hope and prayer that I align myself with obedience and perseverance...and I'm praying for a miracle. This dream will require God to interupt the normal rhythm of not only our life, but the lives of others who may walk in oneness with us. Miracles? I believe in them. And I'm praying for one. So now I walk. I pray. I watch. I worship. I seek to momently live Colossians 4:2.
So the Suncrest team is always leaning in 'next steps'. Mine this week is to carve out three 30 minute sections of time to sit and listen. My prayer? To see what God sees. I have a hunch I will see people differently. And I have a hunch I'll have an urgency and greater capacity to ask God to take me where He's going.

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."

Multi Site...I'm leaning In.

A few months ago I went with some Suncrest staff to exponentialconference.org in Orlando Florida. This was a pre-conference dinner session with Alan Hirsch and Ed Stetzer. Great stuff on the multi-site movement and what truly matters. Good stuff!

Tremors.

You know that feeling of anticipation when you know the sunrise is about to crest the horizon? Or how about when your child is born and you get to hold them for the first time?
I feel kind of like that right now. Just getting home from engaging with 6 other men I could sense genuinely care about me and who lean in on Jesus every day of their life. I don't know how our paths will cross in the future, but for that hour and a half I sincerely feel like Christ's presence saturated us.
Anyway, here I am. As I drove home I was overcome with emotion. It was like I was a treasure hunter who had been searching for 6 years for a treasure he was convinced was hidden beneath him. Every day digging, picking, and scraping away the soil to discover the lost treasure. Most days finding nothing at all. A handful of days finding such little pieces that most would consider non proving points, but to me they were enough to keep me searching. And then after so many years you yourself are ready to take your last shovel, convinced yourself that maybe there really is no treasure after all. Maybe you misread the map? Perhaps this was just some morbid game of the mind after all. All that it is in you drives you to keep hope alive. It is like 'willing' yourself to hope. It is that unexplainable burn inside us that beckons we continue. That conviction and whisper inside our soul that keeps us waking up and pursuing the prize.
The past couple of days I have sensed God unearthing some things before me. Things I had long forgotten I had once prayed for or pursued so specifically. I started to see cracks in some past opportunities that I passed up but have since regretting I had. It's like I look back and see that God was with me. In me. Around me. They have been hard to see clearly...like cloud formations that our imagination creates shapes out of. To others its insanity, but not to me...I see it! There has been some intense times of praying and fasting. Thousands of miles of conversation between Rachel and God on my behalf. Some overtime searching. Some raw conversations with Jon, Doug, and Greg. And for some reason an enhanced hope and belief that the treasure still remains beneath me.
Tonight as I drove my mind started replaying some of the prayers. Some of the shovels. Some of the fragments unearthed in days past that kept me digging even though they were hardly evidence of any treasure or purpose.
I am getting excited. God is moving. I am convinced that as I have surrendered to the truth that it's all about Jesus - and have sought Him as the only treasure, that I know have eyes able to see the 'other things added unto me.'
I know now that treasure of great price has been found. In fact He found me. It's a cruel game of hide and seek. I sought to be found.
But there's more. It's beginning to shake. I don't know what is emerging beneath me for my family and I. But I do know that God is the source of the quake. And I am liking what I am seeing. It's bigger than anything I could 'ever ask or imagine' (Eph. 3:20). Ironically that is our family verse for 2009. He's not finished with me yet. And I can feel the birthing pains of something God is forming within me. I sense it is going to be a journey that will capture my heart for the rest of my days. So now I pray for rhythm. I'm going to need it in my pursuit of Jesus and my family. I sense God is shoring up the relationships that will emerge for His movement within all of us.
I lift my heart in praise to the maker of heaven and earth. I adore Him. And see with each new shovel that He whispers 'I am with you.' And that's all I need to hear to keep shoveling...one scoop at a time. For such a time as this.

Childlike Faith...

I was privileged to ride my bike alongside Rachel this morning as she ran. Out the door at 5:30 am...darker than the ace of spades...and dodging vehicles in the night. All I can really explain is that God was there. He is here. He consumed that exercise session with conversation between my heart and my brides. In the darkness and heavy fog the stillness and silence was almost deafening. I don't even remember pedaling to be honest. I do remember as we approached our home that I said; 'I wish this experience was not ending'. It was as though her heart was feeding mine...like they were beating as one with no distractions, space, or time between us. She is so wise. So discerning. I think I understand now the significance of her run. She spends it with Jesus. Verbal conversations of the echos of her heart and I got to listen in today.
At one point she was telling me of a conversation she had with Grace the other day. Grace told her they were asked in Sunday school 'if you could ask Jesus one thing, what would it be?' I'd bet there were sunday school questions that would make the theologians proud. Questions like; 'Why is there suffering?', 'Why do some people not believe in God?', or 'Where is Peter?' But Grace said she asked a question and the others looked at her with a sense of 'that is such a dumb question.' Rachel and I loved her question. I think it gets at the heart of the relationship we should have with Jesus. What was the question? 'Jesus, what's your favorite food?' She told Rachel she felt bad because everyone was saying 'God doesn't care about meaningless things like food and besides we don't eat in heaven anyway.' Hmmm. Guess I missed that part in the Bible. But at the very least, Jesus walked on planet earth for 33 years. I bet he had a favorite food. Perhaps this all sounds 'ramblish', but for me it says that her heart is concerned about the simple and sincere relationship with can have with Jesus. He is our King. Yes. He is our Savior. Yes. And He's also our friend. I wonder if Jesus is more excited when we ask Him what His favorite food is more than he is about (as Rachel pointed out) 'what did you write in the sand in front of the woman caught in adultry?'
All I know is I'm proud of her. I think it was a great question. I think it's a question you ask someone you love and talk to often. I'm proud of her. And I want her childlike faith and sincere desire to be in Jesus' presence every moment. May Jesus find my heart curious for Him.

More Wrestling...and Worshipping.

The premise of the book I wrote about yesterday is that rabbits reproduce faster than elephants. How's that for some sex education! Rabbits are simple. Elephants complex. In church talk, it takes more resources, time, energy, you name it - to reproduce a 'big' model. A mega-church is visible and takes a huge amount of money and resources to reproduce. Not with simple churches. "A plague of rabbit churches could transform a nation." It's at the very least something worth considering. Maybe I'm missing the author's intention, but I'm sensing that the above picture is their premise; Rabbits in the hand of the Creator.

Interesting. I don't have cable so you can imgagine my excitement that the Bears were to be on 'regular' t.v. tonight. I only get about 5 stations, and NBC is always the full signal station. Not tonight. This is the first time I have not gotten the station. All this to say, I guess God wanted me to have conversation with Him with Rachel and to continue my journey through The Rabbit and the Elephant. This is good stuff! It's good tonight because Tony has me wrestling with God through Luke 10. It's increasing my hunger for God and for His passion for lost people. Most of you know Rachel and my prayer and that our journey is passionate about what Greg Lee terms 'the New'. "God is always in the new." I am challenged by the sub-heading 'Trust God to provide the strategy and the workers.' Here is the reality. Rachel and I just prayed about this very thing exactly about 30 minutes ago! God's Spirit in me is whispering to my spirit in this moment...'Kaser. All I need is a yes from you. You say yes, and I promise you I will provide the rest. You can trust me. You put your energy on the 'yes, Lord, we will' and you will begin immediately to see what I have been at work doing in You and in others. So what will it be Andy? Do you trust me?' There He goes again...answering my questions with questions!
Tony puts in this line...and it's a promise that aligns with the character of God; "If Jesus sends you somewhere, you can have confidence that He will accompany you." God will provide the resources. He will lead us to the hurting because He is most concerned about their need. The sick. That's where God's pursuing. I want to join Him.
So here's the deal God. I'm in. The answer is yes. Rachel and I are in. Our kids are in. I'll end with that tonight. As soon as the words exit my mind as a yes, surely the enemy seeks to grab it, add fear, throw some pinches of inadaquacy in, and push that yes right back inside me. So Lord, in your strength help me say yes...momently. To seek you momently. To worship you momently. So as that song says, Lord I will worship while I'm waiting.
If you are a reader of this blog, please join me in prayerfully reading and re-reading Luke 10. Surely this reality of 'harvest' is deeply in the heart of Christ. What if God asks you what He's asking me? All I know for us is 'yes.' But that is a hard three letter word to say. There's a lot in that little word. It's hard to say. It's even harder to keep.
Yes.
And I will worship while I'm waiting.

The Rabbit and the Elephant.

I was fumbling through this new book that Doug Gamble had on his desk, hoping he'd get the hint to offer it to me for borrowing. And He did! It has taken until last night to get to some content that excited me. I do not normally give a book past the first two chapters, but some reason I did, and God has really pulled out some things and challenged my thinking. I wrestled last night heavily using my evernote account. Here are some of the books reflections and my thoughts. Ultimately I am hungry for Christ and seeking to be more intentional in seeing God's movement and the Holy Spirit's promptings. I'm a year into this path and I'm just blown away by how much more God I see and hear in my every day life. I'm in love with Jesus and this momently life with Him. So with this foundation, I can't help but keep dreaming of community. It's like I can picture the scene in my mind.
"Imagine a people with their hearts on fire and a church that consistently seeks God's face, learns his will, and then obeys it.
We cannot expect a movement of God to come easily. We need people to 'pray' the price."
'Andy'; I can hear Him say...'Why wouldn't God call you to pray more? To talk to him more? Why not 3 hours a day in prayer. Is that a waste of time? Why not pray with your team for 3 hours a day? Too unproductive? Why not spend one day per week in fasting and prayer? Why not ask your team to do the same with you? Why not become a fluid team who trusts in the movement of God and His promise to draw people to Himself and initiate transformation?'
A.T. Pierson; "From the day of pentecost, there has been not one great spiritual awakening in any land which has not begun in a union of prayer, though only among two or three. And no such outward, upward movement has continued after such prayer meetings have declined."
So am I willing to pay the price for an ongoing and sustained move of God?
"Our time is never boring or insignificant when it's led by the Holy Spirit.
Non-religious Christianity. It's the kind of spirituality that cannot be contained in a box or placed on an agenda. It cannot be programmed or reduced to a curriculum. Wolfgang Simson; "Programs are what the church resorts to when the H.Spirit leaves."
There really is a lot self reflection here. Maybe the challenge for those of us who have been following for a long time is being able to peel off all the layers of religion that have wrapped themselves so tightly around our hearts. "There should never be enough structure that the church can survive without the presence of God." I'm scared. I'm scared that we have put fences around our ability of 'experiencing God'. I think we need to make space for God's Spirit to move in us. Again I sense God asking me; "Andy, what if?"
God's answers most commonly come to me in the form of a question.
I love God. I love how He loves me. And I love how He invites me to consider 'what if?'

Greatness.

"Lets not confuse what it means to be great with what it means to be famous. i think to be famous is what you do for yourself and greatness is what you do for others." Erwin McManus

Rachel and I have had some great conversations this week. With each other. With Greg Lee and Doug Gamble. With Josh and Amy Walker. Family. Friends. And with God. It seems that God is creating a monumental chapter in our lives...one of those early chapters that ultimately determines the conclusion of a life story. This week some amazing thoughts came from some people we have tremendous love and respect for. I know prayer is not a magic button, but for us it's a matter of exercising a discipline of obedience. It's trusting that God longs for us to include Him, invite Him, and beckon Him. He is the sovereign One. There is power in our prayers - our words and groans rush the heart of God and there is evidence that persistence really does go noticed and appreciated by God. The other obvious thing - obvious now that I've actually journaled and am watchful of it - is that when you pray specifics it's easier to see God's answers. They become more clear instead of giving us the chance to wonder if it was Him or chance. When we pray specifically for wisdom, clarity, and discernment - and He answers us, it's not a coincidence. Ever. It's God's kindess.
The truth is, we pray so that we can draw near to Christ. We pray so that we can hear what God is wanting to speak into our souls. We pray so that we can see humanity through God's eyes. Our prayers are really for one purpose - to know Christ. If my prayers are for anything other than knowing Him more intimately - it's about me instead of about Him.
I love the above quote. And it is with great pleasure that Rachel and I pray our family would be about greatness. That's where our hearts beat. How can we most effect the lives that interact and engage around us? How could God best use us to reflect the loving, graceful, powerful, and eternal Jesus?
I know that whatever the answer is, it begins with Christ IN me. The 'whatever Christ does through me' is the overflow of what Christ does IN me.
May my life sacrifice all things for the sake of others.
So let it be.

Overflowing Living Water

It's all about Him. I say that a lot, but it is so true. Everything good comes from Him. He pours Himself out. His sacrifice alone creates life. Rachel and I continue to pray as one that He unveils Himself continually in our steps. I praise Him for who He is and what He's done - and His promise for what is yet to come.
My desire is to be so filled with Him that I'm like Jeremiah - I cannot hold Him in. I love what it says in John 20 after the resurrection – “Jesus breathed on them.”
"Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."
That is my prayer in this moment. I want to breathe the very breath of Christ. There is nothing more satisfying than absorbing Him with every sense possible. Few times in life can I sense His closeness as I do right now. I know He's always positioned in me, but there are times when you cannot see, hear, or feel His presence and movement in and around you. I'm grateful that He lifts us up just when He knows we truly need to be confirmed in Him.
Oh God I want more and more of You. Take my heart and form it to your likeness. Take my mind and transform it to want what you want. May my eyes see as you see. May my heart beat for what your heart beats for. May your living water overflow from my cup. Give me wisdom. Give me discernment. Give me peace. Fill me with your Spirit.
Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Isaiah 26:9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
in the morning my spirit longs for you.
Psalm 42 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

So let it be.

I'm seriously blessed to be a part of this...

This is the video that was created by Suncrest to give a glimpse at their heart for (as Greg Lee put it) 'the new.' He painted a convincing picture of how God’s bias is toward the NEW…from new life to new churches.
I just think it's cool how they are sold out for the NEW. Many of churches have become sunken iron ships because they sailed around and gathered resources for themselves...hoarding them unto their sinking. God calls us to give to His work...His new work. I have never yet heard of a story where someone or some church proclaimed that they gave too much away to others and God didn't return in 10 fold in blessings. Truth is, I never will hear that story. I'm just blessed to be alongside their journey...our journey. And I'm also thankful that my children are in an environment to see that God is so much bigger than us...and our little morsel of planet earth we call home.

Earnestly with Anticipation.

Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

In some ways, I feel like I've been in a desert the past 6 years. From failure to victory, to wandering and home, to confusion and clarity, to good days and bad days, to praising Him and sinning against Him, to questioning Him and listening to Him, to hope and hopelessness...I've pretty much experienced every emotion and reality of my soul. This month has already been unprecedented in hope and affection for my perfect Heavenly Father. He really is the sovereign One. He's above all and yet invades every ounce of my being - every fragment of my soul. He pursues me with passionate infused grace. He lifts my chin when my weakness has left me unable to lift my eyes to Him.
This Psalm echos my heart. And the climax is that profound word 'earnestly.' It is in direct opposition to 'sometimes' and 'haphazardly' and 'non-chalant' and 'when convenient.' It has that 'all in' verbage.
Lately I've been earnestly seeking my Father in prayer. I know it sounds cliche. But I'm serious. I mean I've re-organized my life and schedule around this idea of 'seeking Him with a whole heart and contrite spirit.' I've had to make a concious effort to break out of the mundane and get back to the sacred heart of my first love. Some of the most significant times in this journey involve praying with Rachel. It's been 11 nights in a row. I know it sounds sad...only 11. But I'm happy beyond measure.
Today was an amazing day. God showed up when to be honest, I didn't really see it coming. Rachel says that's evidence it was God. I couldn't have shaped some amazing conversation to come along any better...at a better time. I feel like the son who's dad tells him he's proud of him. I think that paints the most accurate picture of what I'm feeling right now. Believed in. Wanted. Significant. Loved.
God showed up through the words of my dear friend Doug Gamble at Suncrest today. Earnestly I seek God. And today God affirmed that He too earnestly seeks us.
And that is amazing. Early will I seek Him. Earnestly will I seek Him. Momently will I seek Him.
And yet before I ever considered seeking Him, He seeks me. It's momently. It's relentless. It's unconditional. It's eternal.

Chocolate Fast.

I don't want the chains of my bed and sleep to keep me from seeking my Father. I want to long for my Father as Christ did. I want to hunger for God like David. I pray that the Spirit in me helps me to have a desire that burns within me. I want this holy fire to stir my soul and burn the chains that bind me from entering into that sacred and intimate one on one experience. It needs to happen early before my day becomes filled with self-indulgence. "No man gets God who does not follow hard after Him, and no soul follows hard after Him who is not after Him early." I guess there is no other way of slicing it other than laziness. At the very least it's an issue of priority.
So what else must I do in this August pursuit? Today Rachel and I had a wonderful bike ride together. It was a perfectly created day for us to devour. As we went through the trails the sun would dance through the trees. In the midst of that ride I discussed how addicting some things must be to people. The conversation started with the inability of someone, who is a young man with young children, unable to quit smoking even after having two heart-attacks. It migrated from that to a personal level - what things have a hold on me? What in this August month would be a challenge for me to give up? What could I fast from that would lead to increased prayer? So my wife went there. She thought of the ultimate pleasure in my life. Chocolate. Yep, you heard it right, c-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e. One month, no chocolate -nada, zilch, zero. I once went 3 years without this sacred taste of pleasure, but for the past 10 years I pretty much have needed a fix of it daily...sometimes hourly. So the deal is, starting at midnight tonight I am fasting from my lover. When I have the urge, it will prompt me to pray. If I obey, this will lead me into more prayer than I've ever spoken. It is not some self-righteous thing, it's just a simple opportunity to laugh and then to thank God and pursue Him in that moment. Rachel's doing it with me. She rocks. I tried to talk her out of the idea because it's a gift from God to help me function, but it didn't phase her. I'm not sure she eats one billionth the chocolate that I eat, but we are one - even in our chocolate rejection. I've fasted for 24 hour periods numerous times, but I think this is going to be a far greater challenge. My plans are to stay up until 11:59 pm and swallow my last molecule of cocoa for a month.
So the next quest is in motion. Get up early. Fast from chocolate. And most importantly speak and listen momently with Father concerning His plans for me, my family, and our ministry. I love August. And I love that God is in us, in this, and in me. Here we go! Amen.

The August Journey.

"The principle cause of my leanness or unfruitfulness is owing to an unaccountable backwardness to pray"(Newton). That is a significant statement laced with deep truth. Everything about my life - inner and outer - is in relation to my life of 'prayer' - intimacy with God. Luther said; "If I fail to spend two hours a day in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day." Wow! Seriously, I don't want to admit it or make prayer sound like some regimented stoic act (stupid), but when sincere and wholehearted (wise) prayer is blessing waiting to happen. I'm currently trying to understand the significance of Jesus' praying early in the morning. He n ever came right out and said 'pray early in the morning', yet that is what He did. There has to be some rhyme and reason to it. I never have found where Jesus withdrew around a noon and prayed. Not that He wasn't momently with His Father, but even in that life he still 'withdrew' to lonely places to be intimate with the Father. With the random chaos of my days...work and no work, kids up early, Rachel getting up at 4 am, etc. it is not going to be any easy next step for me. But, unfortunately, God is calling me to it. I've even considered asking God if 12:01 am would count because that is more me than the 5 am time slot, but still no 'yes' yet from Him. I don't really think the time is the issue, but timing is. It must happen daily. It must happen in rhythm. It must be the 'pre' anything of my day. I have to express to God and committ myself to a posture that I sincerely want God and I am willing to do anything, anytime, anywhere, to meet Him.
I'm struggling how to phrase what I am feeling. I guess more than anything I want Christ to me the center of my affection. I want Him to be my first. I want Him to be my all. I want Him to be my center of attraction...and the greatest way of modeling Jesus to do that, is via the amazing gift of interaction (prayer) with God.
Tonight before my children's bed time, our family knelt around our floor and held hands and we prayerd. We haven't done that in a while. We shared our 2009 family verse; "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" (Eph. 3:20-21). I believe God is doing a great work IN us. In our family. In me. And although I'm not momently convinced (my flesh) I truly am opening my hands, posturing myself in trust that He is indeed working and has bigger dreams for us than I do. His ways far greater than my wildest imagination.
So tonight begins the August journey for Rachel and I. I know she connect with the Father daily. And I look forward to joining her on this path. Eyes wide open to see Him. Ears wide open to hear Him.
Speak to us Lord, for your children are here - waiting on You. Unveil my eyes. My ears. And especially my Heart that I might know you more. Amen.

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

Grateful.

Momently conversation with the Father - empowered and enhanced by the Holy Spirit and given freely through Christ. It's not only the unleashed power in our lives, it's the joy of our salvation today! It's the soil of peace. I am learning and have looked through the stories that compose my life and I proclaim that when there is intimate connection with God (conversation and communication) obedience, joy, peace, compassion, and blessing arise. When I'm not exercising my soul with constant communication (prayer) there are little chapters of tragedy.
"The character of our lives will be determined by the character of our prayer."
I don't just nod my head and say this is a true statement by E.M. Bounds, I've lived it, felt it, seen it. It's true. My life changes daily. It will either be for the better of the worse...for me and for those I love around me. I again go back to this breakthrough nearly a year ago of this whole life change I've surrendered to. With all that is within me I believe in the momently life - unceasing conversation and observation with God. Without it my life is fragmented. It's weak. It's bleak. It's blemished. It's awkward. It's fearful. It's selfish. Whenever my eyes shift attention, the Spirit of God brings my sight back to Him. Sometimes that takes a minute, sometimes a day, but the love of God in me 'compels me'. He is why I do what I do. It's all about Him IN me. What is true for the tending of my own soul is true about my relationship with my wife and children. It's also true in my interaction with humanity and my ability to be a vessel for the flowing life blood of Christ to the lost. Bounds says it this way; "Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still."
Surely in and of myself I really am insignificant. But IN Christ - in momently communion with Him (prayer) I can see, touch, taste, and hear my fellow hurting humanity with the very DNA of Christ. That is amazing.
With the Father I need to talk more. Listen always. Trust now. I need to deny my 'self', lift my eyes, and engage with Him...momently.
This is a confession of my lack of committment to see through the complexity and uncertainty of my life. It's a confession that I have not arrived. It's a confession that I still question. I still struggle. I still wonder. I still cry. But tonight is a good night. Today was a good day. God's favor is new EVERY morning. With gut wrenching worship and cry out MY GOD HOW GREAT THOU ART! Your greatness captures all of me in this sacred moment with you - and my heart is wholely grateful. I give thanks to you - for YOU are good and your love and mercy endure forever! One moment at a time. Unceasing.
I'm grateful. And I love you.

It begins...

God and Andrew. It's time for me to forget about where I'm headed or where I've been and even what I'm doing. It sounds so wrong when I type it. But, it's time to praise and give my devotion to Who I'm with. God has been breathing into my lungs His Spirit and with each breath over my nostrils I am given new life. How quickly my passion and devotion and self-worth can focus on good things, all the while missing the Great One! Today was a great day. Re-embracing Jon in a heart to heart conversation about God in us. We consider where we've been and where we are at. He's walked with me in the woods. He has guided me, mentored me, loved me, and much like a Father puts his daughters hand in the hand of the groom, he has put my hand more firmly back into Rachel's and my Savior's. I love him dearly. And we continue to sharpen one another in the depths of our faith. We sat on rocking chairs on his cabin porch in the wilderness overlooking the pond. The simple things captured me. The sacred things. Wildflowers and hummingbirds. Fish rippling the water. Pond lillies opening with the warmth of the sun. And seeing God in all of it. Hearing God in Jon's voice. Seeing and experiencing the simplicity of conversation in Jesus.
Tonight has been a good night. Re-kindling the momently love with my wife. She's amazing. In this conversation and reflection I sensed God leading me to descend the stairs to my office. On the shelves are hundreds of novels and books, some new and some worn and weary. I prayed God to lead me back into Him - and to give me direction on where to begin. So here is the short list; The Bible, Power Through Prayer (E.M. Bounds - pictured), Experiencing the Trinity; The Pursuit of God (A.W. Tozer), and The Cost of Discipleship (Bonhoeffer). These are more than meals in my journey. They are the holiday feasts. They have been sacred moments for my soul, where God met me intimately and powerfully. I've got my books in my hands - praying the Spirit of God lead me more deeply into His presence. I come with one prayer - that I may know you more Lord. I want You more. Amen.

God's Word Lives

I love this picture. It reminds me that I have to keep jumping in. It's fresh repetition. I've been just meditating on God lately. I shouldn't be saying 'lately'...I should be saying 'since I gave my life to Him.' But reality settles in. All I know is that I have been searching for His heart with increased intensity...and there are days my hope seems to be dry and withered. But then I remember passages of old - and this is just what the Spirit spoke to my heart tonight. Perhaps it could add some significance to your position in life as well. I'm going to just lay back and let this settle in. Fill me with Your Spirit of hope O' Lord. Amen.

Romans 8:25-28
25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

The 'Royal Excursion' Treatment

Nine of our t-ballers and their fams enjoyed a day out at the ball park last week. Shannon Kaser (what a great last name) let me take the stretch Hummer to the big city of North Liberty and pick everyone up for a Silver Hawks game. The looks on their faces was priceless. He also hooked us up for a 'field of dreams' experience. Each kid was given a baseball and allowed to go out on the field. The players autographed their baseball and when it was time for the anthem, each kid had his name announced as he ran out with one of the players to their position! What a Riot! I always talk about 'capturing' the moments of our lives - and all of us definitely had a memory captured for the rest of our lives. Thanks Royal Excursion and Shannon Kaser for blessing us! Any time we can spend with our kids and capture moments together is an amazing day that God has given us! Aside from the $3 bottled water - what a grandious day indeed!

Hummer's Wed.

Saturday I had the privilege of standing before Rick and Tabitha as they took an oath to be followers of Jesus as Husband and Wife. There is nothing like an outside wedding - the canvas of the the heavens overhead as we prayed God's best on them and in them. Maybe you know them, maybe you don't. But right now...please pause and pray for their new life and their next steps. Pray for wisdom, for direction, and ultimatley for the Holy Spirit to consume them and guide their hearts IN Christ. He's my cousin...and we welcome Tabitha into the family too - she's crazy for joining our ranks! May your joy be complete IN Him...as you love each other with all you have within you. To best worship God, we give our best to our marriage! Blessings cousins. I love ya.

Check Out Suncrest East Blog

We are blessed in this season of our lives to be welcomed by the family at Suncrest Christian Church. I'm thankful for relationships...and for the heart beat of reproducing churches. It's an honor to walk alongside. Observe. Serve. Worship.
http://suncresteast.org/

My Response Is To Worship...

Focus.

Dave Rahn's words often come out of no where, often not even directed at me, and yet they penetrate with lazer accuracy on where God currently has my attention. "Where there is no vision, people perish" (Proverbs 29:18). 'This truism really pertains to how important prophetic vision is for a life ordered around divine guidance and boundaries. We pretty casually apply the quotable KJV to what we know about leading others. It's got a proven shelf life in our collective experience.
Leaders articulate a vision that is compelling to others. In fact, they often embody the very essence of what they ask others to do or become. This clarity of direction instills hope in people amidst the toil and hardships of their journeys.
Most leaders could increase their effectiveness by improving their skills as vision-casters. And during tough times--where disciplined extra-hard work may be warranted--very few routines may be as life-giving as the act of reflecting on the vision that the Lord has given us for why we do what we do.' Many times he has looked me in the eye with conviction and said; 'Reposition yourself to reach the young people of the community, stick around for the long haul, and you can see that community transformed.' I can't shake this. Many would say coincidence. Most wouldn't even catch it. But when I'm so tuned in and relentlessly seeking Him with uceasing conversation and observation, I must acknowledge it is from God. Mystical? Supernatural? Let's just call it God's answer to my literal cries for Him. I don't often see God in grandeous ways. I don't often see Him in those big cloud shapes in the sky moments. Which honestly makes me mad sometimes. He can do those things for sure, but for some reason He seems to make me sweat tears and turn up stones...usually multiple times...and often with long periods of silence. It can be quite frustrating. But most of the time I trust Him. I wish I could say all the time. Or at least find the joy in waiting. That is the tough part for me. You ever been there? I've recently began to be more specific with my Father. I'm trying to get away from my former way of prayer (beating around the bush that even probably confuses God and certainly leaves little opportunity for me to know if he even answered it). I just have to grow up and tell Him what I'm thinking. I have to have faith that I'm not going to offend Him. I told Him last Friday night that certain things suck right now. That was weird telling God that. But it felt good to just get it out. He pretty much just said, yeah Andy, I knew that (I forget that He already knows my thoughts). Some decisions need to be made. Some next steps mapped out. But there's good news.
Next week Rachel and I head out to CPAC (an assessment process for church planting). They poke and prod you psychologically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. They also examine our personality traits and professional experience - you name it! That makes me a bit anxious. But I'm also excited. I've been praying for a long time for some clearer direction and I put this in His hands. That's not always easy, but I'm trying. I'm excited to hear about what God is doing IN us. I'm excited about hearing men and women give some direction to focus on and areas to improve and clarify. I'm committed to hearing what God in them leads them to say. It really is a monumental week for us. God is with us. He's in us. And we humbly ask you to pray for us. Your prayers have led us and continue to sustain us.
So let it be.

Go Deep.

Rachel left me a note on my keyboard this morning - attached to a torn out page to some devotional book she has. The verse that it wraps around is Luke 5:4; "He said to Peter, launch out into the DEEP, and let down your nets." This had to be a hard pill to swallow for a group of professional fishermen. Jesus was a carpenter for 'Pete's' sake (no pun intended). They were tired. They had fished all night and caught zero, nada, zippo, fish. They had just cleaned up the nets and were soon to be headed home to catch some z's. That's when Jesus enters the scene and tells Peter what to do.
I've taught this text before concerning the radical call to follow Jesus. This was the first 'awestruck' moment for Peter. In fact it kind of freaked him out. He told Jesus to get away from him; 'a sinful man.' The story ends with a powerful command and promise. 'Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.' Peter had no clue what in the world Jesus was talking about, but he didn't care. He was all in. The text ends with jaw dropping facts. They pulled their boats in (full of a lot of money's worth of fish) and "they left everything" (fish, boats, nets, lunch, everything)... "and followed Jesus."
The question Jesus asks me is; Andy. Are you willing to follow me? Are there any boats, fish, or gear that you are unwilling to leave behind?
The author of the devotion says it this way; 'Sometimes god calls us to leave our comfort zones and to "launch out into the deep." He does not say how deep. That depends upon how ready we are to give up the shore. The fish are are in the deep, not in the shallow waters. Our needs are met in the deep things of God. We must be in the depth of His will and purpose until our whole being is yielded in obedience to Him.'
Tonight I continued in John 6. Jesus again withdraws 'to a lonely place.' Then he comes down off the mountain and 'walks on the water.' The disciples were freaked out again. And His command echos the same thing from the devo this morning (I'm thinking God is trying to tell my scared self something). "It is I (Jesus); do not be afraid." Will there be storms? Yep. Am I freaked out? Yep. But I need to let the water cover my feet - and step in faith, trusting God with my life. He is faithful. Always.
I pray Lord that as you live IN me, You give the strength to go deep. I want to go to the marginalized people. And I know they linger in the deep. Search my heart O' God. Help me to be willing to 'leave everything' to follow you.

Lonely Places.

"Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples" (Jn 6:3).
I know it seems random, but I have to just stop on this verse. Large crowd following Jesus because he is a great healer of the sick. He's a popular guy. And yet he always purposed sacred moments to spend with his 'inner sanctum.' This seriously paints a picture for me that makes me posture myself as I look in the eyes of the One who gave and gave...and still gives and gives...to me. I think that we don't reflect enough on how God has positioned us. This simple verse is one that I would have concluded was not a weighty verse worth memorizing. It would one of those random filler verses. But I'm really liking it. It just caught me as I read it. Without being wordy, I just think that the Christ is prompting me to 'purposefully position' myself to sit on the mountain with Him. It reminds me of another of my favorite sayings in Scripture, even though I confess I hear it better than live it. It says that "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places". I don't know about you, but it's easy to live in the crowds (often called technology). It's not easy to live...even for moments...in the lonely places. All I know is, I need to seek Him. And it is going to be in a place without all the noise. I trust Him. He says that when we seek, we find. Pray for me. This is a momently enhancement. I think Jesus is asking me, and perhaps you, to join him on the mountain. I can't think of a better place to be. Here I go.