Children are like arrows Pt 1

Psalm 127:4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. As I have been holding Kaydon in my arms this verse has become real for me.

Children are like arrows in many ways:

They are shaped and crafted with excellence for a specific purpose. You have to be skilled and precise when creating an arrow. A wrong mistake and it's not going anywhere. They are made with one express purpose-to shoot at the enemy.

They are valuable. It would take alot of time and attention to detail to make arrows and they were hard to come by in the ancient world. An arrow was a very precious thing and something you would not want to waste. The archers were often times the deciding factor in victory or defeat.

Knowing this children should be treated like arrows:

Aimed at a specific target-The glory of God

Backed up by sufficient power-The Holy Spirit and the power of prayer

Released at the right time-You have to know when to let go

To be continued......

Kaydon is finally here!

I am so grateful to God for our newborn son Kaydon. There is so much that I want to say but having him in my life is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I had to spell it out. So Yvette went into labor two weeks early. It was a day after we spent all day out with church, my birthday celebration at Bubba Gump's (Did u know they make u shake your booty for ice cream on your birthday?), and some errands/chores that we needed to do to get ready for Kaydon. Monday was alot of housework and Tuesday morning it was showtime! Yvette was in labor for 23 hrs and 37 min. It was something that none of us will never forget (except maybe Kaydon since his faculty for memory is still being developed.

Nas is going up against Fox News racist smears with a petition. Can anybody say "If I ruled the world"? A big shout to Nas for standing on the side of justice and a big shout to fellow Fuller student C. Wess Daniels at Gathering in Light for getting the word out first. For more of the story you can check out the hilarious and downright sarcastic Stephen Colbert Reports If you wnat to be involved you can sign the petition here

Lakeland Revival, Todd Bentley, and either/or thinking

So I have been watching this whole Lakeland Revival thing from afar. It seems to me that every couple of years or so there is some new "prophet" or "move of God" that captures our attention and I wonder is it just the result of our American consumerism and desire for more? Is it the natural outcome of a warped spirituality that always needs hype and glam to satisfy it's perverted longings. One thing that I have noticed is critics or proponents of these moves of God usually are at one extreme of the spectrum or another. I mean either Todd Bentley is an angel from heaven or satan's number one agent in the church. What if God was doing something? Personally I don't agree with the doctrine and teaching but is correct doctrine a requirement for God to move through physical healing or miracles? Isn't that what a teacher is for? If someone is off in the non essentials of Christian doctrine does this hinder the Spirit of God from moving? I mean after all there are discoveries of past doctrinal errors from many great heroes of the faith. Does that discredit the rest of their teaching? Certainly not. All that aside what do you think about the Lakeland Revival? Counterfeit or God's authentic move in America?

Some heavy light reading

I used to avoid reading novels and other sorts of fiction. I felt like if I'm going to read a book then it has to further my success in life-a very pragmatic approach. The one thing that I have learned is that through fiction we are immersed in reality. We get to taste the sins, mistakes, joys, and triumphs of ourselves and others. This has been really helpful as a pastor. Reading through the Cider House Rules or any one of Tolkien's works has brought me to a greater understanding of myself and those around me.

What are your favorite pieces of fiction? If you don't have any here is a list from Off the Agenda a blog about building church leaders. Some very good selections although there are alot of them that directly reference God or Christianity. Not that it's a bad thing but I think it's the more subtle themes in the non christian world that really illuminate the human existence.

The similarity btw moving in and a flight to Ethiopia

It can be summed up in one word: waiting

I hate plane flights in general not because I'm scared or there are terrorists on the loose out there but because you are cooped up in that box in the sky. You can't get off. So you wait. I have problems with transition and being on a plane is just a big transition. You have left your place of residence but you have not arrived at the destination. That is how I feel about moving into Fuller Housing and not starting class. There is plenty to do: new job, unpacking, closing up ministry commitments but it is not what I want to do. Just like on a plane you can watch a movie, read a book, walk around, talk to somebody (if u really like that sort of thing :) but what you really want to do; the reason why you are on the plane is because you wanted to get somewhere; a specific somewhere. So I am waiting to get to my specific somewhere: classes at Fuller. Oh Lord let September come-wait a minute-Let your kingdom come;
Let your will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven

Amen

Ok so i forgot i could blog from my cellphone. If this works then i will send pics of the baptism

Moving and baptism

Ok so I haven't blogged for a minute and I am trying to keep a steady consistent pace with it so I can keep people updated on this next season of life while me and yvette are at Fuller. Well we have been moving and it was the best move ever!!! It all got taken down to Pasadena in one day without a U-Haul or professional movers.
So we r in Fuller housing! I am starting a new job in the Fuller Library! I am memorizing the greek alphabet to pass the time (I know a bit nerdy and out there but it will pay off in the long run)!

So now we are still waiting on baby Kaydon to be born; transitioning from my role at Vineyard Xtreme, and waiting for classes to start. I say we are in a good position for the summer.

Oh yeah and while we were moving we stopped to attend the baptism of japanese members of our church. It was awesome but more on that later....

The Future of Hip Hop

So if you haven't heard of Wale you need to...I haven't been excited about hip hop for a while. Most of it sounds the same..it's the same old topics. Killing, stealing, stripping, jewelry. I think we have been blessed with some great albums in recent years from Nas, Kanye, Common, Jay Z, The Roots but these guys have been outstanding among garbage. Now with Wale we have great rhymes and a new sound. He fuses hip hop with go-go music. If you don't know what that is it doesn't matter I gurantee you will like it. Anyway download his mixtape for free The MixTape about Nothing

This one is inspired by Seinfeld and Julia Louis Dreyfuss is on it. Enjoy!!!

The good side of Eckhart Tolle

Ok so just in case some may think I am a narrow minded fundamentalist basher of other religous views here is my upside to Eckhart Tolle's book. I think the church can take some lessons from his overall approach in presenting his brand of spirituality. Eckhart Tolle's New Earth has become popular and has drawn people in for several reasons and I think he has a beat on the spiritual terrain of our society.

1. Newness vs Old dogma

In the book he presents spirituality as an evolution and this is the next new step in that evolution. We are fascinated by the new, We have thrived off of an economy of new and improved and upgrades and yet we still want to connect with the old and so the book repackages the teachings of different religions into something new that everyone can benefit from.

2. Secret/Esoteric vs. Open Accessibility

He presents this new spirituality as a secret that has emerged in many faith traditions and we just need to tap into it. This spirituality is not as simple as Four spiritual laws or five simple steps. There is a sense of mystery to it and an appeal to those who want to be part of the group that is "in on the secret".

3. Rest vs. Activity

The main point of the book is letting go of the ego and not striving or complaining. This is what America is longing for. We are suffering from overload on all fronts. Whether it is work overload, school overload, information overload or even church overload we are screaming to get off this rollercoaster of activity and so The New Earth is giving the option of at least having peace and rest in an inner sense.

4. Holistic vs. Individualistic

The New Earth is the title and I think it is apropo because it is not just focused on just you as an individual getting better or being at peace. The book proposes that if everyone lived this way we would all be at peace. There would be an alleviation of hunger and war and rampant suffering. So it looks at spirituality holistically as something that affects not only you but the world you live in. It is a far cry from what the modern evangelical church is focused on. Most of what you hear is about pie in the sky, a good marriage, great finances and guess what? It's all for you!!!

So those are my thoughts on it. I wonder how we can incorporate these approaches in evangelism or disicpleship or preaching? Hmmmmmm....

The Holy Spirit is in the building!

That is one thing that I have seen in the black church. I believe this is where the Vineyard genetic code and the black church meet. Growing up pentecostal I have seen some kooky stuff! People all of a sudden believing they could play the piano without any training. Then they get up in the middle of the church service and try and it sounds like a cat walking across the keys! I have seen holy laughter..I mean real from the belly laughter....the kind you would expect at a Chris Rock show.

I have also seen demonic manifestations and excorcism firsthand. I also saw my pastor pray for someone and they got up out of their wheelchair and walked. So no doubt the Holy Spirit was in effect. I think what the Vineyard brings to this equation is putting a cap on the weirdness (Naturally supernatural) and making sure that all of the gifts are in operation (Everybody gets to play!!!)

News on the Ethiopian front

If you didn't already know I am highly connected to Ethiopia and the Vineyard church planting movement that is going on there. What a wonderful place full of wonderful people! I am missing the injera and tibbs as I speak.

Here is a report from Jim Pool on his recent trip there on behalf of our Vineyard Missions Partnership. Check it out here

How Jesus finds his way into Oprah's book club?

I just finished reading Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth and I am peeved. What am I upset about? Well it is definitely not his take on spirituality. I am not upset about his thoughts on peace and not having a war mind set. I am not upset about ending suffering in the world or even the very humanistic purposes of the book i.e. a better way of life, personal happiness. What I am upset about is this: Twisting Jesus words and the the words of the Bible and misrepresenting and employing scriptures to his own advantage. It is one thing to have a thought or idea but this book is in Oprah’s book club and I am upset that mainstream America thinks this is cool. That’s where I have to write and let out the fire “shut up in my bones” and I’m not talking about last night’s veggie burrito :)

So here are the specifics that stood out to me:

On page 9 he says sin is to miss the point of human existence. Sin is not about missing the point of human existence. It is missing the mark of God’s righteousness

On page 13 he says goodness lies within us. We do not have any goodness innate within ourselves. It lies only in God and what goodness he brings to our lives

On page 16 He supports Gnosticism as a valid form of Christianity when for the first two centuries after Christ Gnosticism was one of the opponents of Christianity because it denied Jesus physical incarnation and resurrection

He says on page 56 that the peace of God that passes all understanding is a letting go of the ego and realizing that you are I am. The peace of God that passes all understanding comes when we pray and give our requests to the I am

On page 71 he says that Jesus was saying that everybody is truth by stating I am the way, the truth and the life in John 14:6. Jesus was not talking about everybody or he would have said everybody. He was speaking of himself

On page 234 He says Jesus in Luke 17:21 was speaking of people searching for inner space. The context says he was speaking on the Pharisees expectation of a messianic king to restore Israel.

On page 303 He says when Jesus claims he can do nothing of himself he is speaking of enthusiasm. Jesus is not talking about enthusiasm he is saying he depends on God the Father.

I think this upsets me because this book is being read and devoured by mainstream America-church and unchurched. Do we burn the book? No. Do we string up the author? No. I think my concern is more on educating people in churches to be more discerning and more biblically literate. Is anybody else with me on this one?

Prince Caspian,Telemarines origin, and the English Spirit

Ok so telemarines..tele=distant+marine=sea....

They spoke with spanish accents. They were a threat to the kingdom of Narnia....

So much of a threat that they could not be beaten except for a supernatural incident involving water.....

I could be reading into things here but it sounds like the bad guys in Narnia and the way they were defeated bears a striking resemblance to the English war with Spain in the 1500's under Elizabeth. I haven't read the book but was this an attempt of CS Lewis to inspire his fellow English patriots during wartime. I haven't read the book but if you don't know the whole story on the war with Spain check out the movie Elizabeth.

I think this may be something in the english collective memory. Just like Exodus is implanted in the Israelite or Hebrew collective memory. Let me know what you think.

Chaos and creation

We are about to move in to our housing at Fuller! D day is in two weeks and then we wait for Yvette to bring Kaydon into the world. This is going to be a crazy year but that is what God does when he does a new thing. He set a precedent in the beginning. It says the earth was without form and darkness covered the face of the deep. There was chaos and then there was creation. That's the perspective I have in the midst of all of the transition. The bills, the calls to make, the things to pack, the goodbyes, the hellos are all material for the Spirit of God to hover over as we anticipate God speaking and brining light.

To all of you who are friends and loved one we will keep you posted throughout the move and our new transition into Fuller Seminary. Also pray for me to get a new laptop. I'm going mac now. It's time for a new creation even on the technology front!

Tim Duncan at Aunt Kizzy's

Me and Yvette wanted to celebrate yesterday and we decided to go to this sol food place called Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch. It has been frequented by tons of black celebrities and they have left pictures on the walls. We went on an off night (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). So we didn't expect to see a celebrity but right there in the corner grubbin down on some chicken and collard greens or something was you guessed it NBA All Star and MVP San Antonio's own .Tim Duncan. He is playing the Lakers this week and I don't know if collard greens and rice and gravy is going to help him against Kobe and the gang.

Oh yeah forget what I said about the Soul Food kitchen. Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch tops them in quality and celebrity appearances. Although Kanye did visit the Soul Food kitchen.

Worship and the black soul

The next important value to the Vineyard is contemporary worship in the freedom of the Holy Spirit. I think this really starts getting prickly on both the black and non black sides. Black culture is a culture of expression that goes all the way back to the soil of Africa. One of the things that is repulsive about the Vineyard to many African americans is the worship. One of the reasons is because African Americans relate to God differently than white americans. The appeal of Vineyard worship is intimacy and that smacks against the appeal of most African American worship which is celebration. I think the black soul wants to have the freedom to express not only intimate love to a friend but honor to a King much like the tribes in Africa gave honor to a warrior after returning to battle.

That being said I also believe that the black soul is in need of learning what it means to be intimate with God and to hear from him and to be in connection with the tender side. There is a sensationalism and a hype around God and there is a false expectation for a miracle from the King every day of the week instead of the loving reality of walking with a friend through the mundane details of life.

I think with artists such as Martha Munizzi and Israel Houghton the way is being paved for a new style of music that takes the good from both styles and perspectives

The real jeremiah wright and black theology

When will the world learn that a spade is a spade is a spade? This whole Jeremiah Wright thing has been taken out of context in the name of worshipping the idol of America and patriotism. God is not for one nation and when one nation is responsible for bloodshed and crimes against humanity then that one nation will get what is coming to it. The whole 9/11 tragedy was the harvest of seeds of greed and exploitation planted on foreign soil. Innocent people were attacked and we pray for the families who are still experiencing the sadness and loss. Why Because America's chickens have come home to roost.

This is what black people and other oppressed ethnicities have been feeling for years. This is a great country but it is not greater than the justice of God. Jeremiah Wright did an interview with Bill Moyers. Unless you are just wrapped up in America so much that you can't distinguish oppression and hatred from baseball and apple pie then your eyes will be opened to the truth. Check it out here

Clear and accurate biblical teaching

Well when it comes to this aspect of the genetic code I would have to say that there is a great need in the African American community for clear and accurate biblical teaching. I grew up in the pentecostal church and I have seen it all :) Doomsday prophets predicting that Reagan, Bush, and now Oprah are the antichrist. They skipped Bill Clinton...I wonder why? I have seen people claiming that Jesus was rich and had an entourage larger than Lil Wayne's. It is just out of hand! I think this younger generation is in need of clear accurate biblical teaching. I don't think that means bland and dry teaching. When you speak to black people you gotta come with expression and passion but with that passion we are in desperate need of the truth.

Fuller cost

We are planning to attend Fuller Theological Seminary in the fall and we are going in on a wing and a prayer. It cost so much money and they do not give scholarships to first year students. There is some other money but compared to what Fuller costs it doesn't really make a dent. At least not with our financial situation. If anybody knows of any money for school that's out there let me know.