• Mid-September Harvest

    Our little garden is not in a very productive mode right now. (Makes us thankful for our CSA all the more) Nonetheless we are enjoying what is growing!

    Our summer squash plant has regenerated itself, as big as ever. Unfortunately, the blossoms come in all the time but they fail to develop into squash. So I guess that means it is time to pull that plant out.

    Last week I planted green onions and lettuce. No signs of life there, yet.

  • Today’s harvest



    Today’s harvest, originally uploaded by mclanea.

    Here in San Diego, gardening season doesn’t really end. It just kind of reloads. Our summer garden stuff is starting to give way to fall plantings. Lettuce, onions, bok-choy, broccoli, cauliflower, and a wide variety of other things are just a few weeks away!

  • Giving and Receiving at Church

    Photo by Vintage Collective via Flickr (Creative Commons)

    Confession: There are times when I am frustrated with my church.

    • To the point of not wanting to go.
    • To the point of wanting to give up on organized church.
    • To the point where I think the action of attending church may actually be hindering my ability to live out the Gospel in my life.
    • To the point of wanting to withhold myself, my money, my children, my thoughts, and even my prayers.

    This causes me to search myself, my motivations for the action of going to a church, and even what Scripture does or does not say about what goes on at church.

    Lately, at the bottom of that barrel I am left with this thought:

    Going to church is about giving and receiving simultaneously like the heart pumping blood in both directions. When I’m dissatisfied I am either unwilling to give of myself or I’m unwilling to receive ministry created for me (as part of the congregation). Conversely, I will be most satisfied with the corporate worship experience when I go with my heart pumping a desire to both give an receive.

    In other words, I think too much and I must be more simplistic in this exchange with the church. I need to discipline myself to give what I can (in its various forms, not exclusive to money) and receive what I can. (in its various forms, not exclusive to teaching)

    It’s a two-fold relationship. When I go more needy to receive I don’t go with a heart to give of myself. When I go needy to give of myself I don’t go with a heart to receive.

    Questions for Reflection

    I’m not accusing anyone of ever being dissatisfied with their church. I’m only confessing that sometimes I am. But if you find yourself discontent, here are some questions for reflection that have helped me.

    • What is the thing that drives you nuts, that has become a block between you “truly coming to worship God?“
    • What category would you place that thing in? Personal preference? Desire for excellence? Biblical accuracy? Effectiveness? Something else?
    • Is that really a big deal or do you just have an attitude problem?
    • Could you chose contentedness with that issue if it never changes?
    • Where areas are you contributing to your church?
    • If a leader thinks about you, would they label you as someone who contributes significantly to the vision and mission of the church? (Not just money, but your actions and heart for the congregation.)
    • Are  you comparing what you want with what you’ve seen at another church? Is that a fair comparison?
    • Is the root of your dissatisfaction a personal sin issue that is manifesting itself as dissatisfaction with something at church?
    • Are you seeking out relationships with people in your congregation or are you waiting for those relationships to pursue you?
    • Are you just being a jerk?

    This is what I know

    I know that Jesus expects us to live inter-dependently with a community of other believers. As I read the New Testament I never read about the early church being a place of comfort, cushy chairs, mono-cultural, or without tension. Instead, I see a church which gave of itself fully, which recognized that some people were mature while others were immature, was as functional and dysfunctional as a family, and was all about giving and receiving fully of themselves.

  • The Journey

    Sometimes we get hung up trying to be perfect.

    It’s not about achieving perfection.

    It’s about the journey of pursuing righteousness while already having been declared righteous.

  • Notre Dame vs. Michigan

    Today is a big game for two coaches going in opposite directions. A win here cements the quick turnaround by Brian Kelly for Notre Dame. (But the loss for Kelly is kind of neutral.) A loss for  Michigan and Rich Rodriguez is firmly on the hot seat and would have to beat Ohio State to keep his job.

    For both Notre Dame and Michigan the annual game is clearly one which you circle on the calendar. They each have other rivalry games each year, but this rivalry game is always the early on the calendar and defines the season.

    For me, it’s the one week a year where I cheer against Michigan.

    The keys to the game seem to be:

    1. Can Notre Dame’s defense contain Denard Robinson? He looked phenomenal against UConn. But there’s definitely a quality difference between Notre Dame’s defense and UConn’s. If they force him to throw, that’ll be key.
    2. Can Notre Dame’s offense take advantage of Michigan’s weak secondary? They’ve had injuries and transfers. And Notre Dame’s Kyle Rudolph and Michael Floyd are legitimately top quality receivers in college football.

    My prediction: Notre Dame 41 Michigan 33

  • Youth Workers: Don’t Punk Out

    Youth Workers: Don’t Punk Out

    Youth ministry seems to be facing asymmetrical challenges right now.

    Two of them on the forefront of my mind are longevity and transference of wisdom.

    With a tough job market and a climate of deconstruction/re-thinking/shifting in the profession… it really pains me to see a lot of very gifted youth workers move on.

    Some of them are my friends. And I put on a happy face to try to be happy for you when you send me an email telling me of your bright new idea. But I’m really sad when I see our dreams for one another give way to something else. For a myriad of reasons our sophmoric desire to be in youth ministry for a lifetime has given way to leaving ministry altogether or becoming a church planter or taking a “higher” staff position at a church as executive/lead/teaching pastor.

    If I read those reasons right, most of them seem to imply– more stable, more money, more powerful positions.

    Let our 20-year old self talk to our 34-year old self for a second… “ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!??!!”

    Those are all things we swore we wouldn’t give our dreams to. But, if I can use passive/politically correct language for a minute, life seems to be forcing some of us to sell out.

    I just want to toss this out there. Maybe there are others who are sitting on the fence and looking at greener pastures.

    • Don’t punk out.
    • Working with teenagers is as important now as ever.
    • Fight the temptation to take an easier way out of your problems.
    • You’ve always said youth ministry wasn’t a stepping stone.
    • The grass won’t be greener as a church planter or a lead pastor, you know it and I know it.

    We know this to be true: As cultural spins faster and faster the brightest minds and the greatest innovations are now will continue to flow from youth workers just trying to figure out how to best minister to kids in their neighborhoods. The best ministry innovations are not now nor have ever flowed from the top down. It’s always the other way around. The best innovators typically don’t have the biggest platforms nor do they typically have agents.

    Why?

    Intrinsic hunger forces innovation. The best ideas come when you have no other choice but to innovate.

    Sure– I know someone is going to light me up for saying it. After all, who am I to question decisions that aren’t mine? And all the other voices in my friends heads telling them they need to go plant a church, be a teaching pastor, or chase another vocation must be right and I must be wrong.

    But I’m allowing myself to be sad. And I’m allowing myself to put it in writing that you don’t have to punk out. Adversity, frustration, questioning, tension, getting fired, having to adapt, making less money, and being discouraged aren’t now and never have been “God closing doors.”

    Sometimes those things are merely a testing of calling and God rewards you for passing the test.

    Sure, the world needs more senior pastors. Sure the world needs more church planters. Sure the world needs more whatever-it-is-that-is-taking-you-from-youth-ministry.

    But those kids. (The kid that was you. That kid was me.) That kid will always need a youth worker there at just the right moment to say just the right thing.

  • Go to Haiti this December

    As the video says, I’m looking to gauge the interest of a trip to Haiti this December 27th or 28th, 2010 – January 1st or 2nd, 2011. I’m specifically interested in leading a team of church/youth/college leaders who are exploring the possibility of a trip in 2011 or 2012. (Yes, this would be my 3rd trip in 2010… I know, crazy.)

    Also, if your church is considering a church partnership with a Haitian church, this would be a great way to see how the partnership works and meet some pastors who are in the program already.

    So, we’ll do ministry and meet practical needs with an eye on seeking the Lord’s desire for us to bring a team at a later time. The trip would be run by Adventures in Missions, obviously I don’t work for them but you’ll have the chance to see how they work, ask questions, and really figure out if the trip is the right fit for your ministry. (I love being the connector– that’s all I get out of it!)

    If you are interested, please let me know soon. For the trip to work I need 10-15 people to commit in September. Feel free to use the contact page, send me a Facebook message, Twitter direct message, or email me with questions.

    I have a lot more information for those interested. And looking for more information is absolutely not committing you to anything.

    UPDATE: The trip dates changed by a couple of days. But the intent and everything else is exactly the same. Let me know ASAP if you are interested.

  • The Great Soft Drink Map

    Soft Drink Map by County
    Click to see full resolution

    The YS offices have a mix of California and non-California people. On top of that, we often host guests from all over North America. So it’s pretty common to here a debate that sounds like this.

    “It’s not pop, its soda. Unless we’re in the south– then it’s coke. Everything is coke in the south. Unless its sweet tea.”

    As it turns out there is a person who cared about this so much that he conducted research county-by-county in our great nation. Apparently, this is a big deal in East Central Oklahoma, where a university conducted this study and hosts the website The Pop vs. Soda Page. If nothing else it is certainly an interesting research question.

    That’s your government money hard at work, people!

    I grew up in Indiana, went to college in Chicago. So when I’m home its pop. But, right now living in Southern California, it is vehemently soda.

    Question: The green sections are “other.” What are other names for soft drinks?

  • The God of Discomfort

    God doesn’t call us to a life of comfort.

    As an overweight, gainfully employed, hyper-educated American Christian– that phrase convicts.

    Recently, when I spend time in God’s Word, the Holy Spirit has illuminated in me this truth in a brand new way. God doesn’t call us to live a comfortable life. He calls us to a radically life of discomfort.

    I tend to read my culture and my experience into the Bible so much… my life is pretty cushy. I tend to think that since I’m typically comfortable in life, the people God lifted up to me as examples must have lived equally comfortable lives, right?

    Wrong.

    On and on, the Bible is full of stories of people called to live uncomfortable lives. There are endless examples!

    When I hear people talk about what they like or dislike about their church it bothers me to hear so much talk of comfort.

    • We want music we are comfortable with.
    • We want to be around people like us, people who make us feel comfortable.
    • We want the preaching to challenge us, but never to make us uncomfortable.
    • We want a church with a great kids ministry so we can feel comfortable about leaving our children there.
    • We want comfortable seating.
    • We want to serve the church in ways that are convenient and comfortable for us.

    When I hear Christians (myself included) talk about the life we want to live, we all desire comfort!

    • We want jobs we are comfortable with.
    • We never want to be sick, that’d be uncomfortable.
    • We want comfortable shoes.
    • We want a comfortable bed.
    • We want a big, cushy Lazy-e-boy recliner to watch football.
    • We want to marry someone who is comfortable to be around, and our friends are comfortable with.
    • We want friends we are comfortable with.
    • When we think of vacation, we want things to be über comfortable!

    As I stare at my Bible this morning and ponder this, I’m left with this question:

    What if God is calling me to live a life of radical discomfort?

    What if following Jesus makes those around me uncomfortable?

    What if the church I’m called to be a part of never feels comfortable?

    What if steps of faithfulness lead me to great and greater steps of discomfort?

    What if my desire to be comfortable is leading me further away from Jesus instead of closer to Him?

  • 10 Ways Your Church Can Be Good News to Public Schools

    I have a fervent belief that if we want to reach a post-Christian society, we have to be Good News before someone will listen to Good News.

    I asked some teachers, “How could a local church be Good News to your public school?” Here are 10 of their ideas.

    1. Create a team that participates at every school board meeting. Your presence at meetings, without bringing forward issues, will communicate to the decision makers that your church cares.
    2. Sponsor a community-wide clean-up day during the Fall and Spring semester. If you lead the charge, other churches and community organizations will join forces.
    3. Ask teachers to post individual classroom needs on Donors Choose, and then ask church members to help fund things that will go directly to the classroom.
    4. Set-up a tutoring program that meets in your building after school. (Example) You don’t have to be a certified teacher to help kids with math, science, and reading homework.
    5. Ask your congregation to strategically send their children to public schools. Resist the temptation to home school or send children to a private school. Instead, ask the congregation to invest that time and money into their children’s individual classrooms.
    6. Schools are often lacking volunteers for events. Meet with the principal early in the Fall and find out which events need help.
    7. Have the church cover any expenses for background checks or medical tests related to volunteering in schools. Sometimes the smallest obstacle becomes the biggest excuse!
    8. Once a month, provide treats to the school staff. Every school has a teachers lounge and every employee of the school will appreciate if you provide a bagels or a healthy lunch snack. (Don’t just bless the teachers, bring enough for everyone!) Trust me, this will make even the most hardcore staff smile.
    9. Many districts have cut spending on arts and music. Have your worship leader work with local administrators to set-up workshops, after school, or any opportunity for children to get exposure to art and music.
    10. Find out what projects are important at a school and help provide the supplies. If they have a garden, make sure they have tools. If they are allowing children to paint murals, make sure they have the paint they want.

    Want to get started? Pick one and let me know how it goes!

    These are my ideas. What are yours?

    Many of these ideas came from classroom teachers. Special thanks to Erin, Annie, and Paul for speaking into this post.