Don't laugh or judge me, but I got hooked on Celebrity Apprentice a couple weeks ago. I even DVR it (I can't believe I just said that). This past week Dennis Rodman was the project manager. A lot of you are turned off by Dennis Rodman because of his radical look and take on life ( I am not a fan either). I have to admit, he is different, but he is still a person, a child of God.
I know a lot of the reality shows are edited to get the story they are looking for and I know they did the same with this episode, but it got really intense in the board room. Jesse James, confronted Dennis Rodman about his drinking problem.
The show took a turn, it became less about the show and more about a person who has a serious problem. It became as Joan Rivers said an intervention. The women's team agreed with everything that was said about Rodman.
His defense turned to the fact that he was a great athlete and had won five championships. Herschel Walker said that is the past, what matters is today. Who are you today is all that matters.
The point of me blogging about this today is that some times we have to look past our initial judgements of a person to love them. We have to see people where theymay be struggling and have the courageous love to tell them the truth about themselves.
Sometimes we have to realize that what we are doing at the moment, needs to be redirected in order to love people (looking past the show, to a person who has a problem).
I am going to embed the last 9 minutes of the episode. I hesitated doing so because there is some language that may offend some. I am asking you to look past it to learn a valuable lesson on loving people. Then let me know what you think.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
What a great time of Year!
It's started! The NCAA Mens basketball Tournament! I love it!
My Final Four: Lousiville, UConn, Carolina and Duke.
Finals: Carolina over Louisville in one of the best finals of all time!
What's your picks?
My Final Four: Lousiville, UConn, Carolina and Duke.
Finals: Carolina over Louisville in one of the best finals of all time!
What's your picks?
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Biggest Enemy
I am reading a book right now called "Righteous: Dispatches from the Evangelical Youth Movement." It is written by a Jewish atheist who travels around the country spending time with various Christian Movements. As a secularist, the author, Lauren Sandler tries to expose a movement, made up of many movements, that is threat to the secularist movement.
I think she tries to reveal what is wrong with Christianity, pointing to some pretty messed up versions of Christianity. There are times I have cringed while reading her descriptions of some Christian movements. Then there are times, she has been really moved by the authenticity of some of the people she has met. Like Sandler, the thing I am finding out is that authenticity makes the difference when living as a representative of Jesus.
One of the groups she spends time with is a Christian Hip Hop band named Goodside. One of the guys involved with Goodside is Gaudscent. He told Sandler this, "The biggest enemy to Christianity is the misrepresentation of Christianity."
Think about that statement for a while and ask yourself this question, "How do I misrepresent Jesus as a follower and what are the consequneces of that misrepresentation?"
I think she tries to reveal what is wrong with Christianity, pointing to some pretty messed up versions of Christianity. There are times I have cringed while reading her descriptions of some Christian movements. Then there are times, she has been really moved by the authenticity of some of the people she has met. Like Sandler, the thing I am finding out is that authenticity makes the difference when living as a representative of Jesus.
One of the groups she spends time with is a Christian Hip Hop band named Goodside. One of the guys involved with Goodside is Gaudscent. He told Sandler this, "The biggest enemy to Christianity is the misrepresentation of Christianity."
Think about that statement for a while and ask yourself this question, "How do I misrepresent Jesus as a follower and what are the consequneces of that misrepresentation?"
Friday, March 6, 2009
Wandering Sheep
Staying with the idea of the lost sheep of Israel, I want look at Matthew 18. Everyone tries to position themselves to be in a place of power and influence. We see it in our government, we see it in our families and we see it in the church. So it is not unusual to see it among Jesus' disciples.
Jesus' disciples ask him this question, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" I am not sure what answer they were really looking for, but I think they were surprised by the eventual answer. Maybe they looked at the religious system with all its prestige and thought that was normal. Those closes to Jesus would be considered the greatest. Maybe they were jockeying for position amongst themselves.
Regardless of what they were looking for Jesus called to a child and had him stand among the disciples. Jesus then said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
I don't believe this story is about children.
Place yourself in that childs position. The child comes and stands among thirteen adult men. It would be a pretty intimidating position. Mature men standing over a small child. And Jesus then says, you need to be like this child. You need to put yourself in a place of humility, not thinking to highly of yourself.
When a child is standing in a crowd of adults, it is easy to get lost in the shuffle. When I take Seth, my soon to be nine year old to a Cavs game, it has to be intimidating walking through the crowd. He can not see over everybody, people can not see him very well and it is hard for him to discern where we are headed. When we are at that game, Seth, Cole or Eli get the greatest attention in my kingdom.
In the church, we sometimes carry an attitude about us. We see ourselves as spiritually mature, having this great knowledge. When a person who is not as mature as us, physically and spiritually, we often times stand over them like the twelve who stood over this child. We get caught up in our mature conversations, talking about the business of the church. As we talk, we show our biblical knowledge, posturing for the highest position, because that is what it is all about. Sometimes this posturing has to do with the longevity of being a member of this particular institution.
I mean, that's what it is all about isn't it?
Jesus' disciples ask him this question, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" I am not sure what answer they were really looking for, but I think they were surprised by the eventual answer. Maybe they looked at the religious system with all its prestige and thought that was normal. Those closes to Jesus would be considered the greatest. Maybe they were jockeying for position amongst themselves.
Regardless of what they were looking for Jesus called to a child and had him stand among the disciples. Jesus then said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
I don't believe this story is about children.
Place yourself in that childs position. The child comes and stands among thirteen adult men. It would be a pretty intimidating position. Mature men standing over a small child. And Jesus then says, you need to be like this child. You need to put yourself in a place of humility, not thinking to highly of yourself.
When a child is standing in a crowd of adults, it is easy to get lost in the shuffle. When I take Seth, my soon to be nine year old to a Cavs game, it has to be intimidating walking through the crowd. He can not see over everybody, people can not see him very well and it is hard for him to discern where we are headed. When we are at that game, Seth, Cole or Eli get the greatest attention in my kingdom.
In the church, we sometimes carry an attitude about us. We see ourselves as spiritually mature, having this great knowledge. When a person who is not as mature as us, physically and spiritually, we often times stand over them like the twelve who stood over this child. We get caught up in our mature conversations, talking about the business of the church. As we talk, we show our biblical knowledge, posturing for the highest position, because that is what it is all about. Sometimes this posturing has to do with the longevity of being a member of this particular institution.
I mean, that's what it is all about isn't it?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Church Planting: Zimbabwe Style
Last summer our family invested $100 in a new bike. The bike has been delivered to Zimbabwe! I am so pumped to see this picture! This bike will be used to start a new church in the Chiremwaremwa (I can't pronounce it either) area of Zimbabwe. An initial investment $100 will go a long way in this part of the world. There are people who long for the gospel and the story of Jesus. In such a hopeless part of the world, this bike will bring hope to people who desperately need hope.
This is a picture of Solomon who is the lead planter. He will use it to travel to the Chiremwaremwa area teaching people about Jesus. People who have been asking to know more about Jesus. As Derek (my friend from Zimbabwe) said in an email, "As you can see he is overjoyed." He is not overjoyed because he has a new bike, he is overjoyed because now he gets to experience the joy of seeing people know Jesus. Please pray for Solomon and the Chiremwaremwa area. You know the enemy will do all he can to discourage this servant of God.
If you want to know how you can get involved in supporting this church plant in Zimbabwe let me know in a comment. It will take about $60-80 a month to support Solomon and his mission to tell people about Jesus.
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