• Hold the reigns tightly

    Photo by MyEyeSees via Flickr (Creative Commons)

    I’ll never forget the first time I rode a horse. 

    Growing up in the city meant that horses just weren’t part of my life. I remember seeing horses as a kid at parades. At the county fair in the horse barns. Or occasionally at big football game when the police brought in horses for crowd control.

    And I wasn’t one of those city slickers who dreamed of the open range wrangling up some cows.

    I was 19 years old the first time I rode a horse. And I rode a horse because I had to for a college class.

    It was an intimidating experience. This animal was 10 times bigger than me. It was taller than me. And it was infinitely stronger than me. Somehow I was supposed to sit on it and “control” it with a tiny piece of leather and some kicks?

    Yeah, right.

    The horse I rode could have cared less that I existed. It was an old camp trail horse who had seen a million riders over a million years and barely even acknowledged my existence. It was one of those horses that you could tell used to be big, strong, and attractive in its youth but now its best description would be, “tired.”

    Before I put my foot in the stirrups I tried to get to know him and pat him on the head. He just took a leak and looked away.

    I wish I could describe the experience as enjoyable. It wasn’t. It was uncomfortable and bumpy and I felt completely stupid on the horse. It didn’t seem to matter what I “told” the horse to do as it just walked the trail. When it got behind it trotted up ahead to catch up with its friends. Whenever it wanted to– it stopped to eat grass. And when it was done with me it used trees and branches to try to knock me off its back.

    To make matter worse everyone else seemed to be having a great time. All I felt like was kicked in the gonads 200 times. I tried to make the best of it but it just wasn’t fun and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

    Standing in the barn after the trail ride I asked the person who ran the trail rides why I hated it so much. She just kind of laughed. “Probably because you fought the horse the whole time. And probably because you were scared. It would have been fun if you’d just held on tight and relaxed.”

    That’s a lot like my relationship with God

    When it’s unpleasant, when I’m scared, when I’m intimidated, and when I’m trying to be in control… walking with God is like getting kicked in the gonads 200 times.

    Often times God just wants us to hold onto the reigns real tight and relax.

     “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 
       neither are your ways my ways,” 
                declares the LORD. 
    “As the heavens are higher than the earth, 
       so are my ways higher than your ways 
       and my thoughts than your thoughts. 
    As the rain and the snow 
       come down from heaven, 
    and do not return to it 
       without watering the earth 
    and making it bud and flourish, 
       so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 
    so is my word that goes out from my mouth: 
       It will not return to me empty, 
    but will accomplish what I desire 
       and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 

    Isaiah 55:8-11

  • The Fall of Individualism in our Biblical Understanding of Walking with Jesus

    One of the truly fascinating things about the Bible is that our interpretation of it morphs so much over time. When we say the Bible is living and active… it’s actually living and active.

    For example: 40 years ago most people would agree that Christians should avoid the casual consumption of alcohol. This vantage point was supported, enthusiastically, from the Bible. Today? Those same arguments could be taken apart by anyone. It’s that culture has shifted on the issue and we are looking at the topic through a different hermeneutical lens.

    Just As I Am is becoming Just As We Are

    Over the past five years, in my observation, individualism has begun to fade. Messages that are about “us” are connecting a lot stronger than messages aimed at “me.” The tone has been subtle but the resonance has been noticeable.

    The rise of the neo-reformed movement has lead to a general acceptance that the Good News of Jesus Christ isn’t just meant to make my personal life better, it’s an understanding that Christians in culture should be living the Good News in their neighborhood. As Jesus renews our hearts we help renew our community.

    But this isn’t limited to the neo-reformed movement. It’s everywhere you turn. Out with the individual and in with community. And that, my friend, is changing how we read the Bible.

    A Tribal Understanding of Response to Jesus

    From an individual perspective, Acts 10 is hard to comprehend. I remember teaching through Acts several years ago and struggling through chapter 10 because I had a need to call students to accept Christ individually. But I couldn’t do that with any integrity… through the lens of my hermeneutic it was clear– Cornelius’ family came to Jesus as a tribe of people and not really as individuals. It was a corporate response. Do a word study on this passage and you’ll see the parallels between “I” statements and “we” statements.

    Through the strict lens of “You come to Jesus individually” this passage is difficult. But through the lens of “sometimes we act as a tribe in making decisions” it makes total sense. Each individual decided to follow Jesus because it was good for all.

    From I Speak to We Speak

    In our high school ministry we are careful to have a plurality of voices. We’re finding that today’s students distrust the talking head. 24 hours per day for their entire life they have been able to compare and contrast vantage points on TV news, sports, and everything in between. “That’s what CNN is reporting about that… but I read ___ on Huffington Post.” Or “ESPN is saying this about that player but they wrote ____ on Twitter.” Students need to know that what we have to say stands up to scrutiny because they have ready access to scrutiny.

    If our high school pastor were to stand up every Sunday and present God’s Word as “I’m the person the church has put in authority so you should trust me” than that would actually foster a sense of distrust. Howver, one reason we are seeing the response we are seeing from the students is because we use a plurality of voices. We don’t just talk at students… we invite them to speak and think for themselves. Why? Because that’s how you encounter truth in a pluralistic society! If Brian just talked students would walk away with Brian’s perspective on things. But if we open it up and allow them to participate, the truth of the Gospel isn’t just Brian’s perspective it’s our perspective.

    For discussion:

    “A Gospel message about me is no Gospel at all. Let’s kill individualism and embrace community.” Agree or disagree? And why?

     

  • Uncommon Ideals

    Maybe it’s because I have a deep connection to the cold, dark sea and waves crashing on the shore? But I was totally infatuated with the filmmakers vision for this piece. My only wish is that there had been more surfing shots!

  • Every idea is a network

    Ideas as networks

    You have ideas. We all have ideas. Some of them are brilliant and some of them aren’t. But every idea (pursued) is a network.

    As you explore your idea you bump into people. Some are new people to you and some are old friends. Each of those connections makes connections with other people based on the concept of your idea. And you might bump into people who have a very similar idea, something the 18th century philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder called zeitgeist.

    The result of your idea– something you conceived of while sitting on the toilet or in a dream or while you were bored in a staff meeting– can create a vast network of interconnected people whose primary connection is your idea.

    A good idea generates energy and momentum. Sometimes even a dead end generates new connections which further energize the idea. Can you help my idea? Can you collaborate on it? Can you make the idea successful? Can you help me think about the idea? 

    Here’s the deal: Whether you have an idea that will make your neighborhood a better place to live or an idea that will make you a bagillionaire… you need to give your idea the freedom to breath, to live, and to take on a life of it’s own.

    The difference between an idea that changes things and an idea you have on the toilet? The network you allow that idea to ignite.

  • It’s time to deliver

    Yesterday was gut check time. 

    I woke up anxious. At 5:00 am I got up to start re-working my WordCamp talk– scheduled for 4:00 pm. I added all new slides, completely reworked the content, and I seriously considered calling the organizer and telling him I was sick. Like all fears it was completely illogical.

    Why was I nervous? I was nervous because I knew that this was a big moment for my fledgling business, McLane Creative. The last thing I wanted was for the Southern California WordPress community to think I was lame or didn’t know what the heck I was talking about.

    It was a risk. And the closer my time got the more it felt like a stupid risk to take. I’d never even been to a WordCamp… much less spoke at one. What the heck was I thinking?

    After lunch I went to my car and went through the talk 2 times all the way through. After the first time I actually started the car to drive home. I had sat in on a couple other sessions and I knew my talk was drastically different from the style of everyone else’s. This compounded the risk. And it felt like a dumb risk to take. My instinct was saying, BAIL, BAIL, BAIL!!! But my integrity would never allow that. That’s not the Adam McLane I want to be.

    4:00 pm arrived. Feeling completely unconfident I stood there and realized that it was time to fake it. My last thought before my talk began was, “Just shut up and deliver.”

    And it went great. The audience was engaged. They asked great questions. And I think that for a few people, those who I was targeting with the talk, were really equipped.

    Last week I talked about jumping out and starting my own thing. And how glorious and scary it was at the same time. Yesterday I felt the amazing joy of free fall! And it was beautiful.

    I walked off that stage proud of myself. I looked a scary moment in the face. Risked it all. And it paid off.

    3 Tips for fellow jumpers

    1. Being afraid – There’s no shame in having fear. Fear is natural. But if you allow fear to drive your decision making you’ll live a life of regret. Learn to look at fear, recognize it for what it is, and push through it.
    2. Being myself– There were elements of my talk that referenced being a youth pastor and even the defining question of my blogging life. I was open about the role of my faith in Christ in my life, the positives and the negatives, and the audience was appreciative of that. (And not shy about affirming my decision to go there.)
    3. Being welcomed- As someone who “is known” within my niche` it was very scary to walk onto a stage as a complete unknown. The organizers knew that and welcomed me into their tribe, my fellow speakers were very gracious, and the audience was amazing in making me feel welcome on their stage.
    “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1:9

  • Teaching Principles vs. Trends

    Today finds me at WordCampLA. WCLA is a one-day conference for WordPress users, developers, and fans.

    Last night I had a great time getting to know some of the speakers and sponsors of the event. If anything, it was a reminder of just how far WordPress/blogging/small business development has gone in the past 5 years. When I first did some meet-ups with WordPress users in the Detroit area it was dominated by amateur bloggers and novice developers (more like modders) who would gather to talk about very basic stuff. Last night, I sat at a dinner table with serious developers, designers, and highly honed entrepreneurs.

    Over and over again I was asked what my talk is about. (Since I’m new to the WordCamp circuit.) My talk is called, “” Typically, when I bring up this topic people will say things like, “Oh, so you tell people what’s hot and what the trends are?” No, actually I teach the opposite of that. Fads fade. Trends change. Tools age. Instead of teaching trendy things that come and go I try to give people a philosophical framework of principles to build and sustain a presence. That way, when something trendy like Google+ or Klout or the next SEM/Affiliate marketing scheme pops up, you know how to frame the trend instead of the trend framing you.

    If you want to be a part of this workshop, I am presenting it next at NYWC.

    Which is more important in your communication? Principles or trends? 

  • San Diego blackout live blog

    4:00ish – they power went out, first we thought it was just a breaker. Ten a neighbor banged on our door.

    4:05 – saw on twitter lots of activity. Hearing it’s out all over San Diego. Crazy!

    4:08 – trolleys are down, people are leaving work. Beer thirty came early! Thankful I didn’t go back downtown after my meeting at Journey.

    4:21 – kids got bored, playing dominos. (lofi fun!)

    4:32 – kids bored again. Goodbye dominos.

    4:44 – hearing sirens on El Cajon Blvd. Eerily quiet out there.

    4:47 – taking bets on when the power comes back on. Paul says dinner, Megan says tomorrow. When do you think? Also seeing on Twitter that parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Baja are out

    4:55 – filled up a couple jugs with water, just in case.

    4:59 – cell service is completely slammed. I’m not getting anything through now.

    5:04 – just heard that SDGE is reporting power will be out into the night, maybe as late a tomorrow.

    5:09 – off to find ice

    5:15 – Vons is closed, strike 1.

    20110908-051439.jpg

    5:21 – you can always trust a liquor store to be open. Unfortunately, my favorite one is sold out of ice. (avoided buying booze, tempting)

    5:29 – Paul (age 8) is telling me he thinks this was caused by a solar flare.

    5:37 – everywhere is either closed or out of ice. The upside is that everyone is calm and courteous on the roads. There will be a massive party tonight, you can feel that coming.

    5:46 – good news, no problems with water (yet) watering the garden. It’s cooling off rapidly out there.

    5:52 – looks like the gas is out, too. Thankful that our roast was already done for dinner. Weird that the gas is out.

    20110908-055418.jpg

    6:04 – lots of sirens in the distance, no bueno.

    6:10 – bad news on the roast, we have to eat it all.

    6:21 – Filling up more stuff, the water pressure is noticeably lower. We are also sitting in the back yard now. Going to be a night of community!

    6:33 – sitting outside and playing, “I survived the blackout and all I needed was an Apple, baboon, cotton candy, deer, ear plugs…

    6:39 – the world may end… We have no cell service.

    20110908-064502.jpg

    6:55 – going to take a walk, might as well be neighborly

    7:15 – rolando community BBQ tonight, awesome. Everyone is out walking and talking. Best night ever!

    7:38 – back from our walk, digging out candles. SDGE is saying maybe no power back until tomorrow. Some area have a water emergency, so far not ours. Have I mentioned how quiet it is? No planes or anything.

    7:48 – darkness is arriving, the kids are pacing in a dark house. They have no idea what to do. How many hours until the sun rises?

    7:56 – with darkness settling in, all I hear is chatter of neighbors, crickets, and a helicopter over City Heights. I hope the helicopter pilot got epic shots of a dark city. Crazy.

    8:01 – on our walk a gas meter looking thing was running, sounded like a generator. Anyone know what that is?

    8:10 – saw on twitter that school was already cancelled for tomorrow. Summer vacations revenge! Thankful our area not under water restrictions yet. Am I obsessing about water or is it just hot?

    8:25 – brought the kids outside to look at the stars. The moon is almost obnoxiously bright.

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    8:29 – forced the children to eat all of the ice cream, also informed them that school closed tomorrow. Best day ever!

    8:48 – listening to am 600. Heard they are restoring power to OC, Tijuana.

    8:58 – KPBS is reporting that the power is back on at SDSU. I guess the giant toga party is ending…

    9:09 – spoke to an AP reporter covering the blackout.

    10:25 – we see lights on far out to the east on the hills. We secretly hate those people.

    10:34 – power is on in La Mesa, just like 2 miles from here. Now I’m just wanting this over.

    10:35 – if the power isn’t on by morning, filet mignon and eggs for breakfast.

    10:48 – power on at SDSU & La Mesa, but Rolando? Nothing. I’m calling Jesse Jackson in the morning.

  • The Community – Individual Continuum

    Theologically, we all know that you can’t experience the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus without community. Jesus invites us not to merely partake in communion but to live in communion with one another. (A throwback to the Garden of Eden)

    Sociologically, we live in society built around the individual. We live in single family dwellings. We have our own rooms and our own stuff. We drive cars instead of taking the bus. We eat in individual pods of friends or by ourselves. (This individualism knows no boundaries and is the opposite of Jesus’ life in community.)

    The way we experience church in our society is intimately and inseparably syncretized to our culture, even in direct opposition to the model given to us in Acts. (See Pate’s Communities of the Last Days & Jones’ Teaching of the Twelve for a scholarly look at the practical implications of life in community for the early church.)

    Plotting my walk with Jesus on the Community – Individual Continuum

    In the last 24 hours I’ve been wrapped up in this simple drawing above. In fairness, it’s just a device to explore some assumptions I have vs. realities I live. So if you stretch it too far it falls apart. At the same time I can’t get away from the teachings of Jesus. Jesus’ very life is an invitation to walk away from Satan’s desire to separate us from communion with God. To walk with Jesus is to walk in communion with his people AND with God.

    Some examples:

    • Daily Bible reading (Mostly individual, though I often share what I’m reading with friends or here on the blog.)
    • Prayer  (90% of the time prayer is individual)
    • Small groups (A few hours per week, and we haven’t met since winter, so I suck at this one)
    • Attending church (I’ll generously put this near the middle. It’s communal, even though there’s almost no interaction with others.)
    • My home (We’ve had people live with us, stay with us, etc. But if I’m honest it’s way more about our family than community living. Nothing like in Acts)
    • My work (This is getting better and worse at the same time. Thus, the life of a freelancer)
    • My service (I do a lot of stuff, but it’s all “what I do” and not “what we do.”)
    • My kids education (I’d love for this to be a community effort, but it’s not. It’s all individualistic.)

    My challenge to you would be to take 30 minutes and plot out your day-to-day life along this continuum for the sake of discovery. If you want to get really dangerous, after you do that read the first 5-6 chapters of the book of Acts.

    I don’t know where this is going. But I do see the need to reject the individualism of my society and further enter into communion both with Jesus & his people.

    What about you? What are practical ways you are living in communion?

  • The Joy of Jumping

    As someone who has just jumped from the known to the great unknown allow me to tell you: It’s exhilarating. 

    Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

    Philippians 3:13-14

    Here’s how I visualize this passage.

    • Yes, it’s scary.
    • Yes, I’ve heard rumors of a recession.
    • Yes, I know I have a family to support.
    • Yes, I know I could get hurt. (The parachute might not deploy)
    • Yes, I know you aren’t supposed to jump out of a perfectly safe thing for an unsafe thing.
    • Yes, I know all of the “buts” and “whatifs” about jumping.

    The flip side? Jumping is way cool. It’s crazy fun. And I’ve learned that the safe way will almost never get you to where you want to go in life.

    In my eyes– there are many more dangers in playing it safe than taking a big risk every once in a while.

    • Playing it safe is… as good for your heart as eating McDonald’s french fries every day.
    • Playing it safe is… like rust on your soul.
    • Playing it safe is… so 2000.
    • Playing it safe is… a pathway to regret.
    • Playing it safe is… cementing a future you might not want.

    For discussion: Tell me about a time you jumped. 

    photo credit: kait jarbeau via Flickr (Creative Commons)

  • @mclanea vs. @dougfields