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Dan's R.S.Rocket Surgery
Right after I graduated from high school I took a trip to Great 9/11September 11, 2011 Where Was God? I remember. I remember I had a meeting that morning ten years ago and was just walking into the office at the church I was serving at in Tennessee and everyone was gathered around a small TV. "What's going on?" I'll never forget my friend Joan turning to face me with a horrified look and explaining what was happening. Moments later we watched as the 2nd airplane slammed into the twin towers. My first reaction was tears. I thought of all the people who were dying and all the children who would be without Moms and Dads. Then I was angry. I wasn't the only one. I remember everything on Earth stopping and people coming to our church simply to pray. People who had never been to church before. But one of the things I remember most was my anger. At first I was angry at the Enemy...and by Enemy I mean the Father of evil. But then that anger was replaced by another, even more intense anger. You see, it didn't take long for so called "Christian leaders" to begin to say that the people of New York brought God's judgment down on them. That, because of their "Godless" lifestyles, God was punishing them. Similar remarks were made after hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. It drives me bonkers when people misrepresent God. Not so much those who don't know any better but those who should. I expect people who don't know Him to think of Him as a far off, judging dude with a white beard who can't wait to zap sinners with lightening. What I don't expect is nationally known spiritual leaders to cast God as a mean kid with a firecracker waiting to torture the cat. For the record, God didn't kill anyone that day. He received many into His care that day but He didn't steer any planes. Evil did that. This year’s seniors were in second grade on 9/11/01 (remember President Bush was reading to 2nd graders when he received word of the attack.) Today’s high school freshman were in preschool on 9/11/01. So although many of you know of 9/11 you don't have a real point of reference for something so horrific. There's a lot to remember here. Those who died. The injustice. That hate leads to death. Many things. But one thing I hope you will never forget is that God wasn't to blame. And although we were mourning, it was nothing compared to His pain at seeing His sons and daughters embrace hate. Love,
Dan
Mosaic
April 7, 2011 God and the Arts Even a causal look out the window at God’s creation will teach us that He is all about beauty. Creation is, the Bible tells us, God’s self-revelation. He places flowers on hills where no human will ever see them. He oversees the life cycle of billions of stunningly beautiful insects, unobserved by any human eye. He has placed millions of galaxies far beyond the limit of human eyesight, beyond even the range of the Hubble Telescope. A look at the Bird of Paradise flower or at the peacock should suggest to us that God is extravagant in his creation of beauty and wonder. The Bible also tells us that God Himself delights in beauty. Some Christians would probably prefer that the Bible be a clear, start to finish guide on how to live like a Christian but the Bible isn’t like that at all. Instead, we find a great number of stories, which modern literary critics acknowledge are marvelous models of literary creation. There is song and poetry and…art. This is very unpractical. Couldn’t God have just been plain…clear? Think about it for a moment…imagine you are God and you have these people that you love dearly and you want to write something down for them so that they will know who you are better and how to live. Would you have done it the way he did? Would you have even bothered putting in the book of Psalms (which is a book of songs)? No. Maybe He is trying to tell us that it isn’t about instructions or guidelines. Maybe it’s about a journey and beauty. This is the transforming power of art of which Dorothy Sayers wrote: Why does God delight so much in placing his artwork in Creation and in the Scriptures? I can think of several reasons. Firstly, God delights in making things that are good and beautiful. Beauty is an integral part of his created order. Secondly, God does not need our help. Just as man is gratuitous in his activity, so is God gratuitous in all his activity. He makes flowers bloom on a thousand hills not because he needs to but because he wants to. He surely made the peacock with a smile on his face. One can sense this delight on God’s part as he brought the animals to Adam to name. God does not need us: he was perfectly fulfilled within the Trinity but freely chose to bring mankind into being. He does not need to save us, but freely chooses to do so. He does not even need us for the work of mission and evangelism. The world is full of needs, the sum total of which is beyond the capacity of humans to meet. If we are driven by a sense of need, we will burn ourselves out, for this is not the way God has designed. No, God does not need us…but He wants us. He wants to share beauty with us. God even uses artistic imagery in describing our participation in his work. We are to be a fragrant aroma of the Lord Jesus Christ wherever we go, mediating his beauty to all around us. We have the perfect model in the Lord Jesus Christ. He drew people’s attention to his Father’s artistic beauty in creation, reminding them of the lilies of the field and of the sparrow. God is an artist who delights to make things for sheer pleasure not the least of which is you. We all have gifts…some more pronounced than others, but we all have them. Some of you have gifts that won’t be shown tonight! Organization is a gift…math…is a gift. But…those are kind of hard to display in this format so what you will see tonight are some that we can display here. A Mosaic is a work of art made up of broken pieces. Isn’t that what we are? Broken pieces in God’s work of art? Whether it’s dance, art, poetry, juggling, story or music…if we have a gift we should offer it to God. But it only fits together if we each…lift our gift.
Make WarFebruary 23, 2011 I'm all about love. In fact, my prayer everyday is that if I did one thing right and messed up the rest, that one thing would be that I loved well. But make no mistake...we are at war! On Tuesday nights I lead a Bible study for 18-28 year old singles and for the past few weeks we have been discussing the "fear of the Lord." It's a difficult concept. We talk a lot about the God of love...and He is, in fact, the personification of love, but the Bible tells us over and over again to fear God. You may have heard before that this doesn't really mean fear...it's more of a reverent respect. And while I believe that to be true, I look in the Bible and see people truly afraid of God. I mean...these people were so scared they lost control of themselves. Scripture says that fearing God is the beginning of wisdom. Really? You're saying I can't make wise choices until I learn to fear God? And then there's this whopper:
How do we put our hope in the unfailing love of a God who delights when we are afraid of Him? Then this morning during my quiet time I ran across this one: Psalm 144:1 "Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle." God trains my hands for war? So I start looking into this whole idea of God and war. Doesn't the Bible tell me to love others as I love myself...to turn the other cheek and all that gooey stuff? And then I found this beastly verse: "The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” God is a warrior who saves? So here's where I landed and I think it's important for all of us to get this. While I'm still struggling with these ideas I think the God who created the thermonuclear hell that is our Sun and millions like it by simply speaking them into being is so powerful that anyone with two neurons to rub together would probably wet themselves if they were in His presence. Just sayin'. And this same God, the Mighty Warrior who saves, is for me...not against me. He "trains my hands for battle." Why? Because we are at war! Every single day we fight against sin and darkness...against evil and perhaps one of the enemies' most lethal weapons...comfort. I think my problem, and possibly yours, is that we don't treat life like a battle...but it is. I'm not talking about other people. We must be careful to remember that we are not at war with others...but with ourselves and our enemy. Ephesians 6:12 Most of you know that my Son Elias has joined the Army to become a Medic. And while I am proud of his choice and more than a little afraid for his safety, I think his choice of job is a great picture of our God . . . A warrior who saves. This all came together for me this morning when I was working out in my basement using a heavy bag (it's an 80 lb. bag that you hit...alot) and I wondered if it was OK for a Pastor to hit stuff. And then my music switched to an old song that I had forgotten about. Check it out...and remember, never let your guard down. We are at war. Love, Dan
The Best Job EverNovember 18, 2010 Let's play a game! Oh, come on...it won’t be that bad. I'll describe what I do and you guess what it is. I love what I do. I know that happens because I’ve met a few others, but it seems kind of rare to me. Most people, it turns out, don’t really like their chosen profession. I get that. I really do. It wasn’t always this way for me. There was a time when work was a way to make money so that I could later, on weekends and holidays, live. Now don’t get me wrong, I work harder now than I ever have. I don’t mean physically, I just mean in sheer hours and preoccupation. I live and breathe it. What I do is so much a part of who I am that I’m never really off work. Even when I get home there are messages, emails and phone calls. Some of which come at all hours of the night. It’s always something. Let me illustrate. I spend many nights in pieces. Sometimes sleeping and sometimes thinking about stuff. Many times it seems I’m in the in-between of those two. Know what I mean? That little happy place where you are kind of aware that you aren’t really asleep but you are. I’m usually thinking about what I can do to help the people in my care figure out some stuff. Or I’m worried about someone who figured out some stuff too late. Or...I’m thinking about planning some kind of event that will lead to others who need help figuring some stuff out coming under my care. Generally speaking, my job is to walk beside people. That’s it really. I give advice, cry with them and laugh with them. My goal is to love them in to discovering who they really are. Not to change them or make them into something they are not, but to teach them, through words and actions, through acceptance and love, that they are not a mistake. I believe in them whether they do or not. It’s a little weird because I’m imperfect and therefore anything I offer, I offer with a disclaimer that I too am just trying to find my way. I do a lot of random stuff...computer stuff, making copies, etc. but my life is people. Specifically, teenagers. So I eat too much pizza and go to plays where I don’t have any biological children. I spend tons of time listening. I also read a lot. Because I’m always thinking that if I can become better at living then maybe I could do a better job of helping them. I’m a sort of teacher too because once a week, for some reason that is beyond my comprehension, they all stagger into a big room and I talk to them about living. Some of them are hurting so bad inside it’s all they can do to make themselves come. Others, are doing OK. A few, are doing pretty good. In the summer, I load a bunch of them on a bus and take them to places where they can learn more about living free. Sometimes, part of my job is just to be around them. No specific purpose, just hang out. Ready to guess? I’m what some people call a “Student Pastor.” Really, I’m more like the tour guide. I spend most of my time pointing out junk one ought not step in and trying to help the ones who stepped anyway. I spend a lot of time teaching people about the Bible. Everything people need is right there but for some reason, people have an aversion to the Bible. I guess because some well-meaning and some not-so-well-meaning people have thrown it around like a club with which to bash others into submission for so long, that it’s kind of like the O.J. Simpson jury selection. It’s tough to find someone who doesn’t already have an opinion. So I invest myself in people, study a lot, go to camps, and listen a ton and desperately hope that God changes their hearts and lives. Not gonna lie, it's probably the best job ever. Love, Dan
After CampAugust 3, 2010 Well here we are. The Monday after camp and about a month away from the start of the school year and the kick off of Edge/Core. I can’t begin to tell you how amazing last week was at Bair Lake. Not only was it a total win for God as He showed up and transformed our hearts and minds but I am more excited now about what God is leading our student ministry toward this year than I was before! Which, I thought, was not possible! We have the great privilege to be a part of what God wants to do in teenagers lives in this community and…as a bonus…it’s going to be fun! Imagine coming to Edge or Core and loving being a part of it so much that you invite that guy that eats at your lunch table. He’s like “Church? Naw man…that’s not my thing.” But you can’t stand it…you want for him the freedom you have found so you just keep investing in that friendship and he finally agrees to come check it out. He comes…once. Then, a few weeks later, he talks to you about some trouble he is having at home and you remember that Dan said that we are going to be doing a 3 week series on the home and he comes back. You start praying for him and one day he tells you that he is thinking a lot about what he has been learning at Life Church. The next week at Edge/Core, he gives his life to Christ! You are right there with him and you thank God that you got to be a part of that. But that’s when it really starts. Over the next 2 years you watch him grow in Christ to the point where he starts coming on Sundays to “big church.” One Sunday, he walks in with his mom and dad who decided to “check out” this church their son has been coming to. They tell Dan that they have noticed a huge change in their son over the past couple of years. A month later, both parents give their lives to Christ and, during that time reveal that they were on the brink of divorce but now have a hope for the future. The entire family's eternity has been redeemed and you got to be a part of it! This may never happen for you, but I’ve seen it happen dozens of times. And it all started when a student decided to be a part of something bigger than themselves. When we get past the idea that our youth group is for us and our entertainment and understand that it’s really about loving God and loving others He will use us for His glory. Look guys, I know Life hired me to be the youth pastor here, but the truth is that I’m just one guy…and I’m really not that fabulous! I will lead as best I can but it’s up to each of us to do it together. Want to be a part of something bigger than you? This is your time. Let’s do this! Romans 12 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Love, Dan
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