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"You shall not covet your neighbor's house..." 

Exodus 20:17

So for the past few months I've been coming weekly to the University of Washington to meet with United Lifers who are students here. The place that was suggested to me (rightly) was Suzzallo Cafe, a large room with high ceilings and an espresso bar in the corner. And what the cafe lacks in ambiance (it could easily be mistaken for a high school cafeteria, except for the carpet and the stained glass windows), it makes up for in tables: lots and lots of tables. There are enough tables to seat at least 200 with their laptops and books with plenty of room to spare.

Yet the UW is a pretty big school, and Suzzallo Cafe gets busy enough so that it's pretty common to see strangers sitting together at these tables. This is all well and good if you came to study. But sitting next to a complete stranger makes talking with a brother or sister in Christ about life much harder, which in turn makes finding the right table harder as well. Throw in the fact that my laptop needs to be within 8 ft of an electrical outlet, and you can imagine how happy I feel when I actually do find a spot that meets all of these needs.


Usually, though, I don't find an ideal spot, at least not right away. So what I do is I camp out at another table, sometimes next to a stranger, pull out a few things to work on, and I keep watch.Yes, I become that guy. Every few seconds my head scans the cafe, especially honing in on the few tables located close enough to the electrical outlets. I watch carefully, looking for signs: standing up to put on a jacket, closing a book and putting it away, unplugging a laptop. As soon as I see something telltale I lock in, getting my own stuff ready so that I can quickly pounce when the timing is right. And, yes, I will race someone else to that spot. These are things you just have to do when real estate is scarce.

Yet all of this table hunting has taught me something. The truth is, no matter how perfect my spot might be (today, for example, I'm in a pretty good spot except for the study group whose table, for some unknown reason -there's enough space behind them to land a plane- is almost on top of my table), when 6 PM comes I'm packing my stuff, giving the table up to someone else, and starting all over again in a week. I can't take the spot with me, nor would I want to stay there forever (the cafe closes at 9 PM anyway, earlier on Fridays).

And isn't it the same with life? No matter how perfect a life we can build, whether it's the perfect house, the perfect job, the perfect car, isn't it true that one day all of these things will pass? We strive so hard for things that are, ultimately, temporary. This includes, by the way, legacy: how many Roman emperors can you name, and for the ones you can name, how many of them care that you know their names? Their legacy will always far outstrip yours, people have written books about them, people have made statues of them. And yet all that too shall pass.

What shall not pass? What is worth our striving? Peter says it well, "According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 
1 Peter 1:3-5


Amen!

The Doctor is In

"None is righteous, no, not one; 

no one understands; 

no one seeks for God.

All have turned aside; together they have soured;* 

 no one does good, 

not even one.

Their throat is an open grave;

they use their tongues to deceive.

The venom of asps is under their lips.

Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.

Their feet are swift to shed blood;

in their paths are ruin and misery, 

and the way of peace they have not known.

There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Romans 3:10-18

I still remember one summer when, as a college student in between my second and third year, I tried starting a Bible Study at a pre-college prep program I was working for at Columbia University. No A/C, a bunch of high school students living in Manhattan dorms in the middle of a humid summer, and me with a Bible and a guitar and the driving sense that this was something I should do. 

And I decided to start with this passage. 

Looking back, I may have scared some people. (for the record, I chose this passage because of a friend's testimony: he heard the good news of God's grace in Jesus Christ through this passage)

The truth is, though, that this passage is like an expert doctor's diagnosis to a suffering patient. Often preachers make the mistake of either sugar coating the truth about sin, thus negating the magnitude of our need as human beings, or focusing on sin in such a way as to negate the truth of God's grace for us in the life, execution, and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ. In fact, especially for those who trust in God's grace and know that they are unconditionally accepted because of Christ, this passage opens our eyes to some things that are really imprisoning us. 

This past Sunday we talked about how Paul uses this passage to help his people realize that though God's word has been given to them, they don't own it (i.e. it cannot be tamed). The indictments in it are just as much for them as for others. The same is true for those who follow Christ, and below I'd like to outline some ways this passage can speak to us as well. 

1. Throat, Tongue, Deceive, Venom, Lips, Mouths, Curses

Paul has chosen his Old Testament references wisely. Within the span of two verses there are seven words related to the mouth and, especially, speaking. Obviously for Paul unrighteousness/going against God has a lot to do with what comes out of your mouth, with what you choose to do with your voice. So, some useful questions for a follower of Christ: 

How often in the past 24 hours have you...: 

- encouraged someone or lifted them up? 

- thanked or adored God with your voice (and not just silently in your head)? 

- told someone you loved them (and meant it)? 

- brought someone down, talked about someone behind their back, or said something at another's expense? 

- complained or said something bitter? 

A word of caution: I don't think Paul is advocating "speech-police" or anything like that. He's just shining some light on a useful truth: the things that are wrong inside of us often show up in what we say, so we should pay attention to what comes out of our mouths and let it drive us back to the Cross in repentance and hope. 

2. Two Paths: Feet, Paths, Way

In the next three verses (vv. 15-17) Paul brings in travel related imagery. Specifically he references two paths: one the road on which the feet that are running to shed blood pound down, the other the way of peace. While shalom (Hebrew for "peace") is much more than the absence of violence, it is certainly not less than that (violence meaning the use of force to bend others to your will, to get your own way). Followers of Christ must seek the way and power of shalom, not power obtained through violence. This is the path of Christ. 

- how do you handle the world? do you try to bend it to your will, or do you submit your will to God and seek how you can serve him? 

- how do you handle people? do you manipulate them into doing what you want? do you play power games in order to accomplish your goals? 

- are you a pushover or are you willing to stand up for what is right, even if it means you lose the approval of others? 

- do you know what the "peace of Christ" is and do you have it in your life, or does it just sound like another Christian phrase?

3. Fear of God

Obviously the phrase "fear of God" is often misunderstood both inside and outside of the church. Far too often we react to it either by thinking that we should just ignore the phrase altogether, or by associating it with a mean-spirited God that is excited to one day pay everyone back big time. I disagree with both of these paths. To fear God in the biblical sense means to approach him as he is: both loving and just, both holy and incarnate, both eternal yet present and active in the world. God is both the Eternal King and Creator of the Universe, and yet also our most intimate and loving savior and friend. A being like that should send shivers (the good kind) down your spine. 

Yet those who lose this "fear" move comfortably into the path of bloodshed, ruin, and misery. They become their own gods, deciding the fates of others and themselves. Hollywood often makes such personas its heroes, and yet a world ruled by them would be a dark place indeed. Christ-followers know that God is God, and they are not. 

- how do you try to "play god" in your own life? do you regularly (once a day) say, "Thy will be done" and mean it, or do you live like God is just an accessory to your life? 

A final word: I am far from being able to answer these questions in a way that flatters myself. But by opening my eyes to these issues, God is actually freeing me from prisons that I didn't even know I was in. I encourage you to allow him to do the same work in you. 

*this is an adaptation I made to the original ESV rendering of "become worthless." According to one commentator, this phrase references the spoiling of food 

Things that got Left Out

"Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much, in every way." 

Romans 3:1-2a

This was one of those Sundays when, earlier in the week, I was totally convinced God wanted me to preach about one thing, but by the end of the week the sermon ended up being about something else.

Not entirely though.

So during the application portion of the sermon I spoke briefly about the challenge of putting your hope in a God who can seem so inefficient at times. But what I didn't mention was that the whole sermon almost ended up being titled "The Inefficient God." The beginning of Paul's diatribe during the first part of this chapter fascinated me that much. What indeed was God thinking when he first set apart the Jews as his people, called them to trust completely in him and obey his commandments, but then moved so quickly to call the Gentiles as well, not even requiring them to follow the most basic of his commandments in order to be his people? Leaders that switch directions like that can be hard to put your full trust in.

While Gentiles like me might be grateful that God isn't looking for us to bring him grain offerings in order to be accepted by him, a similarity nonetheless exists between us and those to whom Paul was speaking. Probably the easiest with which to draw a comparison is the modern church: though we certainly do our best to lead Christ's body in wise ways, leaders of the church often go one direction, then move in a new direction so quickly that much of the old progress seems wasted. Or we spend all of this time and energy trying to train and raise up leaders, and then end up using only a fraction of the training or the leaders. These are just two examples.

This inefficiency applies individually as well, and perhaps this is where it hits home the most for us. How often has progress in our own lives or in the lives of those close to us seemed a laughable concept? Especially for those who have left behind the artificial college advancement ladder or for whom the rush of career or entrepreneurial advancement has already gotten old, it's easy to feel like we're not going anywhere. And this applies to more than just our resumes: our friendships, our issues, perhaps especially our relationships with God all seem like they're stuck. One more retreat, one more conference doesn't seem like it's really going to make any lasting change in our lives. One more hour of prayer or reading the Bible doesn't seem like it's going to help you get out of that rut in which you've been.

But this is not so. I once heard a wise Christian say something along the lines of, "The most godly characteristic of the Korean people is that they don't waste anything." Just as God had a purpose for circumcision and the setting apart of his people, the Jews, so he has a purpose for everything in our lives too. When you put your hope in God, there is no such thing as a step backwards. Even when we move backwards spiritually, inside of us deep tensions are increased, cracks in our facades are widened, and breakthroughs are just moments away.

Even when we "look at the big picture" we have a pretty small view of what's really going on. The truth is what we might call God's inefficiency couldn't be more misnamed. No day, prayer, or tear is wasted with God, which is why we can -in fact, must (since this can be said about no one else)- put our hope in him.

The view of my office...

...on thursdays that is. That's the day I go to campus and meet w united life: college edition.

We are United Life

So I think our ministry passed a big milestone this month.

No, it wasn't our 30th anniversary (though it is for our motherchurch, United Presbyterian Church of Seattle!). Nor was it my own personal ministry anniversary (that happened back in August). Actually, what it was was the installation of our new leadership board for 2010, the first team of leaders to come onto the team after doing a full year of ministry together with me in 2009.

Far be it from me to say that doing ministry with the "yours truly" is any big privilege. Obviously I'm a very flawed and broken person with a lot of issues. On the other hand, something important happens when you do any extended time of ministry together with people, especially with a pastor. When you do ministry together, you start to get in tune not only with God, but with what God is doing among you. When you add into that mix someone who has been called to the role (but not status) of teacher, leader, and preacher, hopefully you start getting pointed towards directions and questions you might not have considered on your own.

Doing ministry together means something.

2009 was a year for me as a minister to reflect carefully on where God was calling United Life. As I was getting my feet wet in Seattle, I found myself as the weeks passed trying to describe for myself and others more concretely the purpose and identity of this ministry. Thus throughout the year much of what God was pointing us towards came out during sermons, membership classes, and missions preparation. That means that those who ministered together with me throughout 2009 have had the opportunity to observe this direction taking shape, and to see whether they were called to it as well. The 2010 Board is made up of such people.

And if we had to put into words the purpose and identity that God has given to United Life, it would look something like this:

Why does United Life exist? 
Because God loves the world, United Life exists to transform the lives, cultures, and structures of the Greater Seattle area for good by introducing all people to personal and communal relationships of trust with God made possible by Jesus Christ, and cultivating those relationships through His Word and Holy Spirit.

What "Ministry Promise" defines United Life?
Unexpected Love  (Everything we do must be flavored by and pointing people towards God's always surprising love. We know we're on the right track when the following four things are happening in our ministry):
1) We're Gospel Centered (the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the essential definition of God's love)
2) We love God and our neighbors as ourselves with Creativity and Compassion (Loving means serving God and one other creatively and compassionately)
3) We promote Critical yet Constructive Thinking (United Life will be characterized by thinking deeply and questioning thoroughly)
4) Our lives and our ministry is characterized by Transparency and Truth (Out of love and perhaps unexpectedly, we have nothing to hide as individuals or as a community)

Any thoughts? I'd love to hear your feedback!