How many of you text? I would also include myself in this group of textors, although I am a light-weight. Last week I read an article
about a girl who sent 14,528 texts ( http://www.nypost.com/seven/01112009/news/nationalnews/this_kids_a_text_maniac_149614.htm) . Now I know what you are thinking; “That is nothing. I send more than that in a year.” Ah, but this
wasn’t in a year, this was in one month! This works out to 484 texts a day or about one text message every two minutes (according to the
NY Post). Now I feel rather hypocritical saying this, because I also text and feel that there are a lot of advantages to this technology,
Marta (my wife) disagrees. But this is a little extreme. What is happening with our society? Are we becoming to detached from real
interaction?
In the book of Acts it talks about the acts of the early church, hence the title Acts (did you know that one?) This book is a book about
community, togetherness, interaction and people. This book is not about texting and the internet. It is not about anonymity but instead it
is about being known. There is a rather odd story found in Acts 5 about two people, Ananias and Sapphira. This married couple wanted
to follow what others were doing, and sell some land to give the money to the community. This was a time where people were caring for
each other, they were together and interacted as one. Many people were selling their personal possessions for the better good of their
friends and their community. No longer did they seek privacy and being unconnected, but instead sold what they had in order to connect
better.
So, this couple, Ananias and Sapphira, sold land but withheld some of the money, even though they claimed to be giving the full amount.
They talked about being united, yet they stayed anonymous. Unfortunately the story goes that they both were struck dead for their lies,
but that is not the main point. They tried to stay apart from people. They tried to care in words but not in deeds. They tried to live a lie
and they ended up getting pushed further away from the community.
Texting can be the same way. Are you avoiding someone when you text? Are you trying to stay secluded? Who can you interact with
today? Who can you be “God with skin on” to?
1/23/09
6/3/08
Pete's Summer Reading List
School is out... the pool is open and the Rockies are losing. All signs of summer approaching.
Here are a list of books I suggest giving a read this summer:
Blue Like Jazz - by Donald Miller - A great book that will make you rethink how you think.
Through Painted Deserts - by Donald Miller
Searching for God Knows What - by Donald Miller - The sequel to Blue Like Jazz
To Own A Dragon - by Donald Miller - A must read for all males!
The Irresistible Revolution - by Shane Claiborne - Only read this book if you want to change.
Velvet Elvis - Rob Bell - WOW, that is all I can say!
The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis - one of my all-time favorite books
The Screwtape Letters - by C.S. Lewis - Opened my eyes to Spiritual Warfare
Mere Christianity - by C.S. Lewis - a deep/in-depth look at Christianity
The Narnia Series - by C.S. Lewis - give them another read, they really speak of God's love
UnChristian - by Kinnamon and Lyons - a book about Christian stereotypes and what we can do to over come them.
The Practice of the Presence of God - by Brother Lawrence - wow, this dude was cool
Books I want to read this summer:
Jesus for President - by Shane Claiborne - just seems appropriate with the election soon approaching.
The Science of God - by Schroeder
New Seeds of Contemplation - by Thomas Merton
A Grief Observed - by C.S. Lewis - gotta read some Lewis this summer
Orthodoxy - by G.K. Chesterton
Enjoy this summer and pick up a book! If you need to borrow, let me know!
Here are a list of books I suggest giving a read this summer:
Blue Like Jazz - by Donald Miller - A great book that will make you rethink how you think.
Through Painted Deserts - by Donald Miller
Searching for God Knows What - by Donald Miller - The sequel to Blue Like Jazz
To Own A Dragon - by Donald Miller - A must read for all males!
The Irresistible Revolution - by Shane Claiborne - Only read this book if you want to change.
Velvet Elvis - Rob Bell - WOW, that is all I can say!
The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis - one of my all-time favorite books
The Screwtape Letters - by C.S. Lewis - Opened my eyes to Spiritual Warfare
Mere Christianity - by C.S. Lewis - a deep/in-depth look at Christianity
The Narnia Series - by C.S. Lewis - give them another read, they really speak of God's love
UnChristian - by Kinnamon and Lyons - a book about Christian stereotypes and what we can do to over come them.
The Practice of the Presence of God - by Brother Lawrence - wow, this dude was cool
Books I want to read this summer:
Jesus for President - by Shane Claiborne - just seems appropriate with the election soon approaching.
The Science of God - by Schroeder
New Seeds of Contemplation - by Thomas Merton
A Grief Observed - by C.S. Lewis - gotta read some Lewis this summer
Orthodoxy - by G.K. Chesterton
Enjoy this summer and pick up a book! If you need to borrow, let me know!
5/29/08
Connection
I was listening to an album that I haven't listened to for a while, Switchfoot's Nothing is Sound. This song made me start to think about our society and what we spend our money on.
If you have watched tv in the past 5 years, I am sure that you have noticed a trend of using lust to sell products. Why do we do this? Why do we use something that God has created as beautiful and "in His image" (Gen. 1:6)?
Why? I think that it is because people are lonely. Jon Foreman, the lead singer of Switchfoot, puts it best in the song with; "Everyone's been scared to death of dying here alone."
We are striving to connect to whatever we can. The internet, cell phones, reality television; whatever medium you use. The main goal is to connect with someone else.
We are starving for community. We are hungry for connectedness. And to try and feel connected, we sometimes seek it out in the wrong places.
Where are you connecting? Are you feeling connected at church? Are you feeling connected with your family? How can I help you connect to the right things?
If you have watched tv in the past 5 years, I am sure that you have noticed a trend of using lust to sell products. Why do we do this? Why do we use something that God has created as beautiful and "in His image" (Gen. 1:6)?
Why? I think that it is because people are lonely. Jon Foreman, the lead singer of Switchfoot, puts it best in the song with; "Everyone's been scared to death of dying here alone."
We are striving to connect to whatever we can. The internet, cell phones, reality television; whatever medium you use. The main goal is to connect with someone else.
We are starving for community. We are hungry for connectedness. And to try and feel connected, we sometimes seek it out in the wrong places.
Where are you connecting? Are you feeling connected at church? Are you feeling connected with your family? How can I help you connect to the right things?
5/21/08
Faith without Works is Dead
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Matthew 25:34-36
This parable, as told by Jesus, is one that has been speaking to me more and more the last couple of years. For the longest time I thought that my faith was something that was personal to me, but it is more than just my faith that is important. It goes beyond my singular existence. It goes on to how I treat others on a daily basis.
As I said, over the past couple of years I have been learning that my faith is not really about me. It is about God and others. In Matthew 25, Jesus was telling a story about people's saving faith and what it looks like. And the crux of it is in the above 3 verses. It looks like service to God and others. Not service to yourself.
That is why I am so excited for this summer. We are going to be starting on some new service options on a weekly or monthly basis. It is our way to reach out to people for God's glory and I hope that you are with me to do this.
We will be heading to Urban Peak, www.urbanpeak.org , to help serve lunch to homeless teens. We will also be going to Food Bank of the Rockies, www.foodbankoftherockies.org , to help sort food for non-profits around Denver. And we will be heading back to Elmshaven Nursing Home to help with Bingo on Wednesdays.
Keep an eye on the calendar and let's start working on making our faiths more than just about us.
This parable, as told by Jesus, is one that has been speaking to me more and more the last couple of years. For the longest time I thought that my faith was something that was personal to me, but it is more than just my faith that is important. It goes beyond my singular existence. It goes on to how I treat others on a daily basis.
As I said, over the past couple of years I have been learning that my faith is not really about me. It is about God and others. In Matthew 25, Jesus was telling a story about people's saving faith and what it looks like. And the crux of it is in the above 3 verses. It looks like service to God and others. Not service to yourself.
That is why I am so excited for this summer. We are going to be starting on some new service options on a weekly or monthly basis. It is our way to reach out to people for God's glory and I hope that you are with me to do this.
We will be heading to Urban Peak, www.urbanpeak.org , to help serve lunch to homeless teens. We will also be going to Food Bank of the Rockies, www.foodbankoftherockies.org , to help sort food for non-profits around Denver. And we will be heading back to Elmshaven Nursing Home to help with Bingo on Wednesdays.
Keep an eye on the calendar and let's start working on making our faiths more than just about us.
5/15/08
Our Neighbor
When I was a little guy, I loved Mr. Rogers. I loved him so much that I even wanted a "Mr Rogers Haircut" when I went to get a trim. I was obsessed.
One of his favorite phrases was "Hello, neighbor". He was seeking all of us to feel connected, like neighbors. Revolutionary thought. Or was it?
After hearing of the horrible things that have happened in Myanmar (the cyclone) and China (severe earthquake) I think of what it means to be neighbors.
A friend of mine pointed out today that we are called to look at what we consider our neighbors and expand that out. These hurting people in Myanmar and China are our neighbors just like the family living next door to me is my neighbor.
Sometimes it is so easy to desensitize ourselves from the world because it doesn't affect our lives, but try thinking about a neighbor as being someone more than the person next door.
In Matthew 19:19, Jesus reminds us that we are to "love our neighbor as ourselves". This is a big commandment. Are you following it?
Last weekend was Marta's and my first anniversary and we spent it in Colorado Springs. At one point we were walking to a coffee shop to play some Cribbage when we were asked for some money for food from someone sitting on the street. Instead of giving money, we invited Joan to come and join us at the coffee shop.
She came and we talked for an hour. I would like to say that we blessed her life, but she truly blessed us more than we blessed her. It was one of the many highlights of our 1st Anniversary trip.
Who can you bless? What neighbor can you treat as you would treat yourself?
Try it out today!
One of his favorite phrases was "Hello, neighbor". He was seeking all of us to feel connected, like neighbors. Revolutionary thought. Or was it?
After hearing of the horrible things that have happened in Myanmar (the cyclone) and China (severe earthquake) I think of what it means to be neighbors.
A friend of mine pointed out today that we are called to look at what we consider our neighbors and expand that out. These hurting people in Myanmar and China are our neighbors just like the family living next door to me is my neighbor.
Sometimes it is so easy to desensitize ourselves from the world because it doesn't affect our lives, but try thinking about a neighbor as being someone more than the person next door.
In Matthew 19:19, Jesus reminds us that we are to "love our neighbor as ourselves". This is a big commandment. Are you following it?
Last weekend was Marta's and my first anniversary and we spent it in Colorado Springs. At one point we were walking to a coffee shop to play some Cribbage when we were asked for some money for food from someone sitting on the street. Instead of giving money, we invited Joan to come and join us at the coffee shop.
She came and we talked for an hour. I would like to say that we blessed her life, but she truly blessed us more than we blessed her. It was one of the many highlights of our 1st Anniversary trip.
Who can you bless? What neighbor can you treat as you would treat yourself?
Try it out today!
4/17/08
Going Green... Not New Technology
There is a new trend of "Going Green". Companies are making millions of dollars on this new idea and technology of "green". I think that this is great, but I also think that this is not some new fad, but something that we, as Christians, have been called to do since creation.
We are currently looking at the topics of Heaven and Hell in youth group and amongst my studies/research, I have seen how God loves the earth. And that in Genesis we too are called to show God's love of the earth to the earth.
I know this sounds a little cheesy, but seriously in Genesis 1 we see the Creation Story and get to watch as God creates. What is the point of the story? If you remember, after each day, God sat back and looked at it and said that it was "good".
Well the very last verse of chapter 1 in Genesis is a little different than the other days, it says; "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good..." (Gen. 1:31a).
Very Good! God cares for his creation, do you? We are called to live a life that is caring for the creation that God made and saw as Very Good. This may mean life changes toward the environment or towards other people.
Try and live today with the attitude that God saw His creation as Very Good. Post your experience here on the blog so that we can see how God is working through you.
We are currently looking at the topics of Heaven and Hell in youth group and amongst my studies/research, I have seen how God loves the earth. And that in Genesis we too are called to show God's love of the earth to the earth.
I know this sounds a little cheesy, but seriously in Genesis 1 we see the Creation Story and get to watch as God creates. What is the point of the story? If you remember, after each day, God sat back and looked at it and said that it was "good".
Well the very last verse of chapter 1 in Genesis is a little different than the other days, it says; "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good..." (Gen. 1:31a).
Very Good! God cares for his creation, do you? We are called to live a life that is caring for the creation that God made and saw as Very Good. This may mean life changes toward the environment or towards other people.
Try and live today with the attitude that God saw His creation as Very Good. Post your experience here on the blog so that we can see how God is working through you.
4/2/08
Living Sacrifice
Baseball season is in full swing, pun very much intended, and I am so very excited. Growing up and being from Iowa I was a fan of the Chicago Cubs (even though I feel a bit of nostalgia towards the Cubbies still) but now I am a die-hard Rockies fan. Now I know what you are thinking, but I was a fan 2 years ago when I moved out here, not just 6 months ago when Rocktober hit. I just can't wait to get out to a few games and cheer on the Rockies to victory.
One thing in baseball that I really think applies to the Bible as well is the sacrifice fly. Now in this situation, you have a man in scoring position with none or one out. The next person up to bat's goal is to pop one up to the deep outfield in order to let the person in scoring position safely make it to home plate. In doing so, the batter is most likely going to sacrfice himself in the meantime (and by sacrifice himself I mean give himself up for an out).
What a cool thought. For the betterment of the team, someone is willing to intentionally give himself up. This is exactly what Christ did for us and we celebrated this past Easter.
A sacrifice during Jesus' time did not deal with pop flys and baseball, but instead with animals and grains. You see, anytime that someone broke a law of Moses (10 Commandments and beyond), they were required to offer a sacrifice to God as a way of atonement (making up for). When they would offer this sacrifice, it wasn't just their moldy grain or old sheep, but they were required to give the best of what they had. Why? Because this way you will know the severity of what you have done.
In Mark 12:28-34 we encounter Jesus being asked about what the greatest commandment is and he replies that it is to 1) Love God with all of your heart, soul and mind and 2) Love your neighbor as yourself. After the guy who asked Jesus about this heard what Jesus said, he proclaimed that these two things are more important than any sacrifice that you can give... why?
Paul, in Romans 12:1 talks a little more about this. He says that we are to offer our bodies as "living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God" as our "spiritual act of worship". So we are called to follow these two important commandments as a sacrifice to God. WOW!
This is a hard task, it means that we are called to love others, even if we don't like them or want to love them. We are called to treat others with respect, which means not to talk badly about them behind their back and to look out for their general good interest. And we are called to love God more than anything. More than your cell phone, more than your car, more than the new shoes you got, or whatever else you have that you really like. God is to be #1.
Are you offering yourself as a "Living Sacrifice"? If not, what can you do to start?
One thing in baseball that I really think applies to the Bible as well is the sacrifice fly. Now in this situation, you have a man in scoring position with none or one out. The next person up to bat's goal is to pop one up to the deep outfield in order to let the person in scoring position safely make it to home plate. In doing so, the batter is most likely going to sacrfice himself in the meantime (and by sacrifice himself I mean give himself up for an out).
What a cool thought. For the betterment of the team, someone is willing to intentionally give himself up. This is exactly what Christ did for us and we celebrated this past Easter.
A sacrifice during Jesus' time did not deal with pop flys and baseball, but instead with animals and grains. You see, anytime that someone broke a law of Moses (10 Commandments and beyond), they were required to offer a sacrifice to God as a way of atonement (making up for). When they would offer this sacrifice, it wasn't just their moldy grain or old sheep, but they were required to give the best of what they had. Why? Because this way you will know the severity of what you have done.
In Mark 12:28-34 we encounter Jesus being asked about what the greatest commandment is and he replies that it is to 1) Love God with all of your heart, soul and mind and 2) Love your neighbor as yourself. After the guy who asked Jesus about this heard what Jesus said, he proclaimed that these two things are more important than any sacrifice that you can give... why?
Paul, in Romans 12:1 talks a little more about this. He says that we are to offer our bodies as "living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God" as our "spiritual act of worship". So we are called to follow these two important commandments as a sacrifice to God. WOW!
This is a hard task, it means that we are called to love others, even if we don't like them or want to love them. We are called to treat others with respect, which means not to talk badly about them behind their back and to look out for their general good interest. And we are called to love God more than anything. More than your cell phone, more than your car, more than the new shoes you got, or whatever else you have that you really like. God is to be #1.
Are you offering yourself as a "Living Sacrifice"? If not, what can you do to start?
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