Maybe I’ll start a show where a bunch of people sit around in a fake newsroom and talk about all the latest celebrity pastor gossip. We’d mingle fascination and admiration with disdain and gotcha headlines.

Segments would include:

• Grudge Match: Mars Hill vs. Mars Hill
• Camping Out: Doomsday Predictions
• What’s Happening on the Roof of Ed Young Jr.’s Church?
• Steven Furtick’s Hair
• Atop Jan and Paul’s Throne
• Helluva Problem: Bell vs. Chan
• Driscoll Daily
• Osteen’s Dentist

That list was way too easy to make. The weird thing is, that show would probably work. There’s a huge market for it!

It’s good that we honor our leaders. But there’s a brand of celebrity that comes with pastoring a large church, or leading an influential ministry that’s starting to feel a bit funny. There have always been famous Christian leaders, but from my vantage point the trend is rising sharply.

In the great majority of cases I have no reason to suspect that these people aspire to stardom (which gives me great comfort).

What do you think?

• Is this cause for concern?
• Should pastors deflect the attention, or leverage it?

• Deut. 6:16, Do not put the LORD your God to the test…
• Mal 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

In summary:

“Test me.” -God
“Don’t test me.” -God

So which is it?
I think there are two kinds of test.

1. Testing God with our obedience.
2. Testing God with our disobedience.

Deut 6:16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.

This is what happened at Massah:

Ex 17:7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

They were fighting like children. They were accusing God, calling him a liar. That’s testing by being disobedient.

But testing God with obedience is a different game altogether. God’s word to the prophet Malachi (Mal 3:10) was,

“be obedient, and watch me be faithful. Give generously as I’ve commanded you to give, and then test me on whether or not you’ll be blessed for that obedience.”

That’s testing by being obedient.

But this isn’t about tithing (rain check). This is about everything.

So, maybe…

1. You’re afraid to share your testimony. Test him on it
2. You doubt that being honest at work will be worth the backlash. Test him on it.
3. You think being honest with a Christian friend will be more awkward than helpful. Test him on it.
4. You suspect that asking for prayer won’t do anything. Test him on it.
5. You don’t think you’re ready to do something bigger than yourself. Test him on it.

Or don’t. That’s testing him, too.

Leave a comment: Have you ever tested the Lord by being obedient? What happened?

At ESPN we are aware of three offensive and inappropriate comments made on ESPN outlets during our coverage of Jeremy Lin.Saturday we apologized for two references. We have since learned of a similar reference Friday on ESPN Radio New York. The incidents were separate and different. We have engaged in a thorough review of all three and have taken the following action:

• The ESPN employee responsible for our Mobile headline has been dismissed.
• The ESPNEWS anchor has been suspended for 30 days.
• The radio commentator is not an ESPN employee.

We again apologize, especially to Mr. Lin. His accomplishments are a source of great pride to the Asian-American community, including the Asian-American employees at ESPN. Through self-examination, improved editorial practices and controls, and response to constructive criticism, we will be better in the future.

Media outlets issue statements regularly. As you can see from the above, they’ve got it down to an art. This caught my eye yesterday because it’s becoming more and more apparent to me that everybody has to issue statements in which they:

1. Own the mistake/sin
2. Acknowledge the damage done
3. Seek forgiveness

Unlike ESPN, our statements are generally private and not public. They’re not so well-worded. They’re often not in writing. And hopefully our goal is reconciliation, not just damage control. I’ve done this twice already this week (that’s a lot, even for me).

So it begs the question: Do you need to issue any statements? ESPN didn’t have a choice. Their mistakes were very public and they were going to cost them a fortune. But the truth is, you don’t really have a choice either.

Matthew 5:23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

The confines of marriage.

con·fine
v. con·fined, con·fin·ing, con·fines

1. To keep within bounds; restrict: See Synonyms at limit.
2. To shut or keep in, especially to imprison.
3. To restrict in movement.

*via freedictionary.com

Is this the best terminology we’ve got?

I’m not saying that it’s the wrong way to put it…but maybe it’s not the best way to put it. If we say that marriage has boundaries then that’s a good thing. If we imply that it’s an imprisonment, a restriction, or a limitation then we’ve not represented reality very well.

Marital Confinement

I’m not trying to be a spin doctor, and I’m not sucking up to my wife (not even sure she’s a reader), but I just don’t feel marital confinement. She’s not the ‘ole ball and chain. She’s my mate. I’m thankful for my wife. I’m blessed that God has entrusted us to care for one another.

Words matter. Every word has a message, and just beneath that a connotation. We should get some new vernacular for this. Any suggestions?

 The Basics

• The word ‘Lent’ means springtime.
• The practice dates back to the 4th century (at least).
• It’s a 40 day period of fasting and reflection that leads up to Easter (actually 46 days, more on that later).
• It begins on Ash Wednesday (more on that later, too), and ends on Easter Sunday.

Ash Wednesday

• This is the kick-off to Lent, and there’s usually a worship service to go with it.
• During the service ashes are put on the forehead of the worshipers (this is where most of us protestants start getting weirded out).
• The ashes are supposed to be from the remains of burning the palm branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday services. This is a varsity move that’s not always practiced.
• In the Bible ashes are symbolic of mourning, mortality and repentance. This sets the tone for the season. Lent is all about remembering the sacrifice of our Suffering Saviour, and lining ourselves up with it in some small way.
• Also, his is where other traditions like Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras have their roots (best I can tell our Catholic friends didn’t plan that part).

Fasting

• The 40 days of fasting corresponds to the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness before he began his ministry.
• Lent starts 46 days before Easter, though. Why? Because you don’t fast on Sundays. For a Christian every Sunday is a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. So, during Lent there’s no fasting on the Sabbath, just feasting!
• If you’re curious about how Catholics fast during Lent, this seems like a good place to look.

So, is there a place for Lent for protestant types like me? Absolutely!
Lent isn’t just a Catholic thing (a ton of Protestant traditions participate), it’s a Christian thing.

The practice is rich in more than just history and symbolism. It’s a truly meaningful way to prepare ourselves for the biggest celebration of the year, and to remind us of the sacrifices Jesus made for us.

What should I fast?

Protestants and Catholics alike are encouraged to fill in their own blanks here. My recommendation is to set something aside that will consistently remind you of the sufferings of Jesus. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Follow the expert’s lead, and take the Catholic approach
2. Do a Daniel fast
3. Cut out a modern convenience that you use regularly (limit cell phone use, give your microwave a break, etc.)
4. Cut out sweets (tough to define that one!)
5. Stop drinking coffee, or other stimulants (tea, The Dew, Red Bull, etc)
6. Don’t eat out for 40 days (bonus: will save  you cash!)
7. Do this!
8. I read about some guys who ate only hunger relief rations for Lent. What a great idea!
9. Consider unplugging from social media (gasp!)
10. What about shutting off that blasted TV? Or maybe just a show you watch daily (“Please, dear God, not Sportscenter!”).

Do one of those things. Do something else. Skip it if you want to…but please don’t be legalistic about it! Let me know how it goes.

• Have you ever practiced Lent? How’d it go?
• Any other suggestions of things to give up for Lent?

Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

If you think this will be helpful to your friends, hit one of the share options below and spread the word.

Here’s proof:

I got that in one take. She does it every time.

She’d still have a lot of fun and get a bit of exercise if I weren’t in the room. But it won’t happen. In her mind, if nobody’s watching there’s no point in doing it. She’s not like that with most things. She likes to play on her own and there are far too many things that she insists on doing all by herself! But this is different.

It’s different because when she’s jumping on that trampoline she’s not playing or exercising, she’s performing. And it’s just not a performance without somebody watching.

People stop doing things all of the time because there’s no audience:

• they stop blogging because nobody’s reading
• they stop preaching because nobody’s listening
• they stop helping because nobody’s noticing
• they stop running because nobody’s watching the race
• etc…

And maybe they should stop.
I agree with Bree: Performing without an audience is dumb. If you’re performing and nobody’s paying attention, you’re probably wasting your time.

Unless it’s not a performance.

If it’s not a performance, then you don’t need a crowd. And if you stop because you don’t have a crowd, let there be no doubt: you’re performing.

It’s OK to be a performer. People are are inspired and changed by great performances. However, some things aren’t meant to be a performance. The trick is knowing the difference.

What do you think? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Here are a couple of similar posts you may find helpful:

• You’re not aging well
• The last think I want you to think about me

My kids watch Thomas the Train. It’s a show about life. It’s not about trains.

In many episodes there’s drama over which lucky engine will get to deliver the ‘special.’ Delivering a ‘special’ means you were chosen to transport a VIP passenger or deliver a particularly important piece of cargo. Thomas gets most of them.

In the Christian world many people think that pastors (or other vocational ministers) get to deliver all of the ‘specials.’ I don’t buy it. John Wimber often said that “everybody gets to play.” He insisted that pastor-types and clergy-types weren’t the only ones who could do the ‘spiritual heavy-lifting.’ I buy that.

I work for God

I’m a pastor, and it’s true that I work for God. But that’s just as true for you as it is for me. If I do my job well, my star doesn’t shine any more brightly than yours does when you do your job well.

If God’s called you to do vocational ministry, then stop making excuses and get after it. If he hasn’t, then don’t buy the gibberish that I’m doing God’s work, and you’re not.

Maybe you make widgets at a factory. If you see that as a means to an end (whether the end be widgets, or a paycheck) then you’ll be miserable in your work. However, if you see your work as end in itself you have an opportunity to thrive in your work, and glorify God in the process.

The above statement requires much more explanation.

Your best bet, in my opinion, is to get some stuff from Tim Keller. He’s a brilliant guy who’s taught with great depth on the subject of work. You typically have to fork over some cash to get the messages, though. A vastly inferior second option is to click the play button below to get a free message from the Maryville Vineyard on the subject.

sermon: “Wonder of Work”

• Do you ever feel like there are things you can’t do because you’re not a pastor-type?
• How do you glorify God in your work?
• Do you ever feel like your work is unimportant? Why?

Don’t be shy! Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

It seems like pastors play the sympathy card too much. We talk a lot about how busy we are, how difficult our job is and how we’re always on call. A lot statistics about burnout and stress levels get tossed around. I guess it’s all legit.

But how about a little perspective:

• Your job’s tough, too. It probably comes with a lot of stress.
• Of course I’m busy. So are you.
• I have good weeks and bad. So do you.
• Some weeks I work ridiculous hours. Most weeks I don’t.

Just like you, people often ask to spend time with me. More often than not it goes something like this:

I’m so sorry to ask…I know you’re a pastor, and the church is growing, and you must be so busy all of the time…but do you think we could talk at some point?”

Dear Vineyard Family: Please don’t feel the need to apologize. My job’s pretty incredible, actually! I largely set my own schedule and my own priorities. It has it’s ups and downs, but I’m doing what I love. The truth is, it’s probably a lot easier for me make that meeting work than it is for you.

 A Badge of Honor

Busyness is a badge of honor in our culture. I used to feel proud of myself when my schedule got crazy. It made me feel important, like I was in high demand. Now I’m embarrassed by it. Extreme busyness most often indicates misaligned priorities, poor time management, and an inflated sense of self-importance (If you’re always out of time, this may help).

Maybe it shouldn’t be a badge of honor. Maybe we’d be better off making people think that we do have time for them. Because we do. If we’re following the example of Jesus, we do.

• Have you ever felt the need to apologize when asking for someone’s time?
• Do you think the job of pastor gets put in a different category? Should it?
• Do you think busyness is a badge of honor in our culture? Should it be?

Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

I love to play basketball. Suppose you and I were teammates in a local pick up game. It’s a tight game, pretty intense for the park. You’re bringing the ball up the court and I run your way. You assume I’m setting you a pick. You’re awesome, so it makes sense that I’d be working to get you an open shot. But that’s not why I’ve come your way at all. As it turns out I’ve come to ask you a few questions about my game.

“What do you think about the form on my jump shot? I’ve been trying to get a quicker release. I respect your opinion, so don’t hold back.”

Wouldn’t that be strange of me? We don’t talk about basketball when we’re playing…we just play.

If marriage is a game, it’s always game-time.

In marriage there is no “half-time” no “end of regulation.” And because there’s no break in the action, it often seems strange to stop right in the middle of it and talk strategy. In a game that never ends there’s no natural break to debrief, look at the stats, and maybe review some film.

It’s troubling to me that many people are married and are constantly ‘doing marriage,’ but never talking about it.

So, maybe it’s awkward, and maybe it’s hard to find the right moment in the middle of things: but if you’re married, don’t settle for ‘doing marriage.’ Force the issue a bit and make time to talk strategy. Dont talk about the kids, or the calendar, or the to-do list. Talk about your marriage. Review the stats, make sure you both agree on the game-plan. Debrief.

One more thing:

Don’t be ashamed if you need a coach. I can’t think of a single team sport that doesn’t need a coach.

A couple of resources:

• Once Upon a Marriage
• The Couple Check-Up
• Prepare & Enrich (Vineyardites, this one comes with a coach!)

“They’re awesome! I’m so glad that they’re here! If they weren’t white I’d be even happier.”

Is that bad? Don’t answer that…I know it’s bad.

We’re slowly becoming more diverse (I’d love to hear any ideas about how to speed that up!). With that said, there’s a different kind of diversity at our church that I think is incredible.

Theological diversity

It’s common for church’s to have a “company line” on virtually all theological quandaries.

“If you’re one of us, then here’s exactly where you stand on all of the hot-button issues.”

I understand the approach, but I think that more is lost than gained. Another thing that I love about the Vineyard is the approach to those pesky gray areas.

 Typical church approach:

• If it’s black, it’s black.
• If it’s white, it’s white.
• If it’s gray, then pick either black or white and dig in your heels!

Vineyard approach:

• If it’s black, it’s black.
• If it’s white, it’s white.
• If it’s gray, its gray…and let’s not pretend that it isn’t.

When there’s not an absolute “company line” on every issue it paves the way for one of the most beautiful and rare forms of diversity. Theological diversity.

1. I truly don’t know if there are more Calvinists or Arminians in our church. I know that there’s a lot of honest, humble and edifying discussion about it, though.
2. We recently offered a class on the four primary interpretative views of Revelation. I have no idea which idea is best represented in our church…but I know that there are a bunch in each group.
3. Yesterday I taught about why we support women in all levels of Christian leadership. Most agree with me on that one…but certainly not all.
4. A couple of weeks ago I taught about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. There are crowds to both my left and my right on that continuum.

…and I could go on and on.

I talk a LOT about the inerrancy of the Bible, so liberal Christians typically don’t stick around for very long. However, within the spectrum of conservative Christianity, you can just about find it all at the Maryville Vineyard.

Some think that’s weak.
Some think it’s wishy-washy.
I think it’s awesome!

And if you don’t completely agree with me about that then you stink! <–that was a joke!