We all want our lives to matter.

Most of us are not content with living a “normal” life.

We all aspire to do great things and to serve God with everything we’ve got.

We all know God is stirring something inside of us and our hearts to bring to bear in our world.

We all long to hear the words “well done, good and faithful servant.”

But for whatever reason, some of us get stuck.

We stop believing.

We lose heart.

We put our dreams on the shelf.

We choose to believe that God couldn’t use someone like us.

We disqualify ourselves.

Well, I’m here today to lovingly remind you that God can use anyone.

It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from.

He doesn’t judge your past, He redeems it.

He doesn’t see your failures, He sees your potential.

In the places of your weakness, He will give you strength.

You don’t have to be qualified, you just have to be called.

You don’t need to be educated or certified. [I never graced a college classroom once!]

You don’t have to have it all together.

You don’t need to be a personality, you need to rest in your personhood.

You don’t need to fit the mold, you need to be who God uniquely created you to be.

You don’t need to be perfect, you need to let God perfect His work in you.

You don’t need to believe what the world tells you, you need to be obedient to the voice of the Spirit.

You know what makes you come alive.

You know what sparks your passion and ignites your soul.

You what things keep you up all night and cause you to wake up in the morning with purpose.

Chances are those are the things that God wants to use.

He didn’t put those passions in you for them to remain dormant.

You have unique gifts, talents, and abilities. Use them for His glory.

You have work that only you can do. Do the work.

You have but a short life here on earth. Live every day with purpose.

You are here, right now, for such a time as this.  God has a plan for you.

God can use anyone.

The pages of our Bible and human history tell us that.

God can use anyone to do extraordinary things.

That means He can use you.

So the question is, are you willing?

It’s pretty self-explanatory and I don’t want to belabor the point, but in the spirit of Thanksgiving I thought I’d take a minute to quickly encourage all of you who currently serve in ministry on a church staff to take a minute to pause and be thankful.

Ministry is tough work. After serving on church teams for over 10 years, I know that being in ministry is some of the most fulfilling and draining work at the same time. Serving on a church leadership team is both an incredible opportunity and sometimes a burden. You can witness all sides of church life: good, bad, and ugly. You can see the influence of “church politics” and wince at how leaders can be swayed by people’s opinions. And, at the same time, you can rejoice over life transformation. You can see the work of God, despite yourself and the behind-the-scenes things that go in church office life. You can see marriages and lives restored, can see hope instilled into hopeless situations and see the redeeming work of Christ at work in people’s lives.

Ministry is a roller-coaster and isn’t for the faint of heart.

I want to encourage you that wherever you may find yourself today… whether riding the highs and experiencing joy where you are serving, or if you are in a hard, low place…. to pause be thankful for the work you are doing. You get the incredible opportunity to be used by God to impact and shape the ministry that happens in your church. You, directly or indirectly, get to touch and impact people’s lives through the work you do. You get to partner with God in His work.  What you are doing is an honor, a privilege, and something we all need to be reminded to be thankful for.

Although I’m no longer on a church staff team, I can say without reservation that the 10 years I was on staff at a church were some of the most fulfilling and wonderful seasons of my life. I’m thankful for the opportunity I continue to have to serve churches through my work with Church Solutions Group and the Center for Church Communication, and I’m thankful for the individuals and churches I have been able to serve this last year as I’ve transitioned into parachurch work.

So, to those who are still in the trenches, be encouraged. What you are doing matters. God has you where you are right now doing the work that you are doing for a reason. You are placed where God has you for a divine purpose. Whether you are thriving or barely making it, know that God has placed you where you.

God has great things He wants to do in and through you.

What you do matters.

Where you are matters.

Be thankful for the opportunity you have to be serving the church that you do.

Be thankful for the community of people that God has entrusted to your care.

Be thankful for what you’ve been given… for what you have [and for what you don't have].

Be thankful for the chance to spend your life in service to others and in service to God.

Be thankful for the grace God has afforded you to serve and do what you do… despite yourself, your brokenness and your past.

Be thankful that you can be a part of God’s redeeming work in the life of your community.

Be thankful and know that we are all so thankful for the work you do.

Only a few pages deep into the book, Isaacson shares about Steve’s views on Christianity. His parents raised him going to a Lutheran church but after asking pastor why God would knowingly allow suffering to happen he decided to never return to church.

He told Issacson that he believed religion was at its best when it was emphasized in spiritual experiences rather than received dogma. Steve went on to say…

“The juice goes out of Christianity when it becomes too based on faith rather than on living like Jesus or seeing the world as Jesus saw it.”  

What are your thoughts on that statement?

It echoes the words of Gandhi, “I like your Jesus but not your Christians.”

Yes, as believers, we would say faith and works go hand-in-hand, but unfortunately, Steve only saw the faith side of things.

Just something to think about… what if we actually acted Christian? What if our lives and how we lived in this world spoke louder than our words?

Actions speak louder to the world around us.

What is your life speaking?

We’ve got some work to do.

His words carry even more meaning tonight:

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

- Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Speech, June 2005

How has Steve Jobs impacted you? What are your thoughts on his passing? How did he challenge or inspire you?

For me, I appreciate the fact that Steve encouraged us to be weird… to think differently.

You have permission to try new things.

You have permission to explore new ideas.

You have permission to stretch your thinking.

You have permission to make mistakes.

You have permission to fail.

You have permission to do what others said wasn’t possible, or to at least to try and prove them wrong.

You have permission to push the boundaries.

You have permission to think outside of the box. Heck, blow up the box.

You have permission to color outside of the lines.

You have permission to not settle for second best.

Why?

Because God has gifted you.

Because God has qualified you.

Because God has already given you everything you already need.

Because God has called you.

Because God has chosen you.

Because if you don’t no one else will.

Because the world desperately needs what God has put inside of you.

Because the world won’t be the same without the unique contributions you have to offer.

Because if you don’t try and fail you’ll never learn.

Because if you don’t learn you won’t grow.

Because you don’t need to wait for permission to live out what God has called you to do.

You have permission to start that project.

You have permission to write that blog post.

You have permission to create that video.

You have permission to paint on that canvas.

You have permission to create something awe-inspiring.

You have permission to be honest and let people see your scars because they will point to your Healer.

You have permission to help the world catch a glimpse of God’s wonder.

You have permission to take your brokenness and let God make something beautiful from it.

You have permission to do the impossible because with God all things are possible.

If it’s something worth doing why haven’t you started yet?

You have permission.

For some reason I’m overly-optimistic in nearly any situation. I definitely have a glass-is-half-full kind of outlook. I can usually find the positive in a negative situation and almost always find the silver lining in the midst of chaos and confusion.

I was recently in my counselor’s chair [I'm a HUGE fan of counseling... best investment you can make in yourself!] and he asked me point blank why I’m so optimistic and positive.

I had to stop and think for a minute… was it just because I’m happy-go-lucky or was there indeed a deeper reason or source of my confidence? Was I just flippantly happy and positive or was there something that truly gave me that confidence?

As I thought about it the first words that came to mind were, “God knows…”

God knows.

In any circumstance or situation we face… God knows. In the face of adversity, pain, uncertainty, worry, doubt, anxiety or fear… God knows. When I don’t know… God knows. When the world and its wisdom can’t find the answer or the solution… God knows.

As believers we should all have that same confidence and joy in knowing that we serve a God who knows.

We serve a God who knows the beginning from the end, who has written the story of our lives on the pages of eternity and who cares so much about us that His thoughts about us are as innumerable as the grains of sand on the shore. He even knows the number of hairs we have [or don't have on our heads]. God knows… and He cares.

And when the future looks uncertain we can take faith in knowing He knows what’s ahead.

In the last few weeks I’ve had to face some challenging situations and life, as it does, threw me some curve balls… some unexpected setbacks, tough questions to answer, and challenging situations.  And again, despite the circumstances and unknowns, I can have faith, take courage, and have joy in knowing that even though I don’t know… God knows.

Whatever situations you may be facing right now… whatever doubts you may have… whatever circumstances you may be facing with uncertainty… just take a deep breath, open your hearts and know that in the midst of it all that God knows… He loves you… and He cares. Whatever happens in our life doesn’t take God by surprise… He knows!

His solution and His will may not always be clear. The answers may or may not come. But I can tell you that looking back in my life I see a trail of God’s faithfulness following behind me and I know that while I may not understand what’s going on that God does. His plan and His will for our lives is perfect and by simply walking forward in obedience, being open to His Spirit’s leading, and committing every step of our journey to Him, we won’t stray from the path He’s chosen for us to follow.

So, as much as these are words of encouragement to myself right now, let me encourage you, too…

He cares.

He’s with us.

He’s for us.

He’s in us.

He’ll never leave us.

He has a future for us.

He has a plan for our situation and circumstance.

Take courage.

Let hope rise.

And step forward in faith.

God is with us.

He knows.

It was an odd thing for me to consider… this was my first Easter in 10 that I wasn’t on staff at a church.

And let me tell you, I saw a lot in those 10 years.

Half of them were spent working with a, shall I say, more charismatic church where Easter meant a HUGE production which included live animals, dancers with banners and flags [yes, THOSE kinds of dancers], and some really well-intentioned but terrible dramas. There were many funny moments… like the time a light placed too close to the paper-machet tomb set the whole tomb on fire and brought Jesus and the angels running out of the tomb with billows of smoke behind them. Or there was the time when we were ascending the man playing Jesus at the conclusion of the production and the harness he was wearing slipped, went around his neck, and began choking him. He was OK, he just passed out for a minute. Then, in more recent years, we created a Ferngully-esque indoor park for children which included live birds… a few of which escaped and went flying throughout the church building.

All joking aside, though, some of the most incredible and fulfilling moments of ministry for me came from the transformational work God did in people’s lives on those Easter weekends. Seeing people come to Christ or re-engage with their faith made all of the toil, hard work, long nights, rehearsals, time spent designing and re-designing and everything else that goes into making Easter weekend completely worth it all. Knowing people’s lives were being changed, that hearts were being open to the Gospel and that eyes were seeing the beauty of cross was all that mattered.

Today would normally be the longest day of my life.

Good Friday in the church world means Easter services are just kicking off for the weekend or that you are in panic-mode, going crazy and prepping for Sunday.

Wherever you find yourself today… in last-minute meetings, putting final touches on the services set to launch later tonight, or working on the meticulous details for the weekend… just know it’s Friday, but Sunday is coming.

The sad thing is that for most church staff members the joy of Sunday isn’t the hope of the resurrection, the joy of knowing we have new life because we serve a Risen Savior… the joy is the relief that it’s all finally over.

I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

Yes, we should give our all to create moments for people to experience the hope of the Gospel, to celebrate the life we have in Christ, to see that out of darkness God has brought His glorious light… but that should never be at the expense of your own time of reflection and wonder at all Easter means and represents to us as followers of Christ.

The work you do matters. The moments you create matter. The time spent is worth it. The things you’ve created… images, words, videos, songs, dramas matter. The people who will come to your services, some for the first time, matter. But don’t forget in the process that you and your relationship with Christ matter, too.

The Lenten season and Easter remind us all of the painful price of our sins and the hope and joy we have as God freely gave us His love and forgiveness through the sacrifice, death, and resurrection of His Son. We have hope. We have life. We have victory.

In the middle of all you’re doing and all that’s ahead this weekend take a moment… even if you don’t think you can… and reflect. Remember what your life was like before Christ. Relive that moment when His grace and love captured your heart. Reflect on what Easter means for you. Recommit yourself and your life to the One who gave His life for you.

Don’t stress… remember God will work in spite of whatever may happen. Trust the details to Him. Give all you’ve got, but don’t try to do God’s work for Him. Remember that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. Let His Spirit lead and guide your actions. Commit your labor and your efforts to God and let Him do the rest.

Let the joy of Sunday be the hope we have and the stories of the work God has done in the lives of people who will attend your services.

I’m excited to attend Good Friday and Easter services as a normal church attender. Does it seem weird? Kind of. It’s definitely a different experience and part of me misses the work and craziness that is Easter. The other side of me is thankful to have a break!

If you find yourself stressed and in the middle of all that is Easter week, be thankful. Be thankful for the role you get to play, not just this weekend, but in every moment in the life of your church. What you do matters both for life now here on earth and for eternity.

Keep your chin up… it may be Friday but Sunday is coming.

I can’t wait to see and hear about all of the incredible things does through all of your churches this weekend! I’m expectant and prayerful with all of you for God to do great things as you labor to tell people of the immense love of God who sent His only Son to be our Savior. Love wins because Jesus is alive.

Happy Easter.

Just think…

… of all the times in history to be alive, God chose us to be here now. The world is changing rapidly, we’re seeing and hearing about things we’ve never witnessed before and yet we have faith in knowing our God knew the end from the beginning.

… God uniquely created each one of us with gifts, talents, thoughts and ideas to bring His image to bear in our world. Whatever you do, whatever God has placed in your hand is meant to fulfill what God has placed in your heart.

… our world is chaotic, filled with despair hopelessness and yet we have peace in knowing our God is greater than all circumstances, troubles or fears. We’ve been called to bring light into darkness and to care for those who are in need.

… the hope the world offers can’t compare to the joy in knowing the Hope of the World. How can you not want to share that with others?

… Jesus prayed “let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” While we toil and we labor on earth, waiting with expectant hope for what’s to come, our job is to bring what’s up there down here.

… everyday matters and every moment counts. The work we all do, whether its inside of a church or out in the world, matters. What you do is important. What you bring to the world is significant. God is in you and is seen in all that you do.

… every person matters. You’re not as important as you think you are. None of us are. In God’s eyes we are all equal, we’re all His sons and daughters, equally loved and equally valued. Remember Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

… God is always doing something new. Honor the past and what God has done but have an open heart to His Spirit’s leading.

… life’s too short. Don’t spend idle time chasing what’s fleeting or trying to keep up with others, focus on what God is asking you to do and relentlessly go for it with all you’ve got.

… when it all is said and done, there’s only one that that truly matters. Did we give our best for Him?

… our life is but a vapor. Make yours count. Do work that matters. Follow the passion God placed in your heart. He’s given everything you need to do what He’s asked you to do. Be generous. Love extravagantly. Live passionately. Give everything you’ve got.

Just think… and ask yourself, “What is God asking me to do today?” GO FOR IT. There’s nothing holding you back but yourself. If God is for you, who can be against you?

This past weekend Chicago, along with many other US cities, celebrated Gay Pride with a parade. As a part of the weekend, Nathan and a group of over 30 Christians from various Chicago churches went to demonstrate at the Gay Pride Parade with the Marin Foundation.

Their demonstration was much different, though.

While the most vocal “Christian” presence at the parade was in the form of protesters with “God Hates Fags” signs, Nathan and a team from the Marin Foundation took a different approach… they chose to apologize.

The volunteers wore black t-shirts with the phrase “I’m Sorry” on the front and held signs with messages of apology, on behalf of all Christians, for the way the church has treated the gay community.

While the ultimate message Jesus came to preach was one of love, grace and compassion, we’ve sadly misrepresented Him and alienated sons and daughters from their Father’s embrace… and I’m so excited to see how Nathan and his team took a different, humble approach and in the end, did something far more powerful than preaching or shouting… they showed love.

Nathan posted a story from the Pride Parade outreach on his blog that absolutely needs to be heard…Here’s some excerpts…

What I loved most about the day is when people “got it.” I loved watching people’s faces as they saw our shirts, read the signs, and looked back at us. Responses were incredible. Some people blew us kisses, some hugged us, some screamed thank you. A couple ladies walked up and said we were the best thing they had seen all day.

Watching people recognize our apology brought me to tears many times. It was reconciliation personified.

My favorite though was a gentleman who was dancing on a float. He was dressed solely in white underwear and had a pack of abs like no one else. As he was dancing on the float, he noticed us and jokingly yelled, “What are you sorry for? It’s pride!” I pointed to our signs and watched him read them.

Then it clicked.

Then he got it.

He stopped dancing. He looked at all of us standing there. A look of utter seriousness came across his face. And as the float passed us he jumped off of it and ran towards us. He hugged me and whispered, “thank you.”

I think a lot of people would stop at the whole “man in his underwear dancing” part. That seems to be the most controversial. It’s what makes the evening news. It’s the stereotype most people have in their minds about Pride.

Sadly, most Christians want to run from such a sight rather than engage it. Most Christian won’t even learn if that person dancing in his underwear has a name. Well, he does. His name is Tristan.

However, I think Jesus would have hugged him too. It’s exactly what I read throughout scripture: Jesus hanging out with people that religious people would flee from. Correlation between then and now? I think so.

Acceptance is one thing. Reconciliation is another. Sure at Pride, everyone is accepted (except perhaps the protestors). There are churches that say they accept all. There are business that say the accept everyone. But acceptance isn’t enough. Reconciliation is.

Reconciliation forces one to remember the wrongs committed and relive constant pain. Yet it’s more powerful and transformational because two parties that should not be together and have every right to hate one another come together for the good of one another, for forgiveness, reconciliation, unity.

What I saw and experienced at Pride 2010 was the beginning of reconciliation. It was in the shocked faces of gay men and women who did not ever think Christians would apologize to them.

I hugged a man in his underwear. I hugged him tightly. And I am proud.

What’s so cool about this story is that when Nathan posted the picture it lit up on Facebook and someone recognized Tristan and Tristan got in touch with Nathan yesterday afternoon. He said that all he could talk about from his experience at the Pride Parade was meeting Nathan and all of the Christians who were there to say they were sorry.

He was moved and he and Nathan are going to meet up later this week for coffee.

That’s what it’s all about. Who knows what will happen or what will come of this, but one life was impacted and countless seeds were planted in the hearts of many.

Pray for Tristan and Nathan’s conversation and pray that this will be the beginning of a movement of reconciliation between the Church and the gay community. UPDATE 07/06/10: Nathan posted an interview with Tristan on his blog!

Huge props to Nathan, Kevin, Andrew, everyone at the Marin Foundation, and those who courageously joined them this weekend in taking Christ’s love to a place most Christians would run away from. Thanks for being an example and setting a high bar for the rest of us to follow.

How is your church communicating to the gay community? Maybe we need to start with a humble apology.

–

UPDATE: Many people have responded wanting to do something similar in their cities, so the Marin Foundation is making the “I’m Sorry” t-shirts available. Details here.

You know how God has to sometimes put something in front of us a few times before we notice it?

Well, for me, it’s been the simple phrase: God with us.

I’ve been thinking and pondering the significance of that simple statement… and was sort of oblivious to the fact that it was also the theme of Willow Creek’s Christmas service, which I attended this weekend.

When the angel appeared to Mary in the ever-familiar Christmas story, it was proclaimed Jesus’ would be Immanuel, meaning… God with us.

What does it mean to be “with someone”?

It means to be in close proximity, not just physically, but emotionally. It’s an intimate togetherness.

God wants to be with us… it’s wrapped up in the very character and nature of who He is. He designed us for relationship with Him.

I think we don’t think of God and us like that.

I think too often we think God AGAINST us… God SILENT towards us… God is DISTANT from us… God HATES us… but through Jesus, we know God is WITH us.

I’ll be honest, this year has been full of amazing opportunity, new friendships and great moments, but it’s also been wrought with some hard moments, tough decisions, and disappointments.

In moments like those it’s easy to think that God is far away, but I guess the thing I’ve discovered sometimes when you look around and don’t see Him it’s because He’s right beside you or in places you may not expect.

So, moving into a new year [and a new decade!] it’s my prayer that we can live knowing God is WITH us. As we obediently follow Him and His leading, He is with us and promises to give us the strength we need to live out the life He’s calling us to live and give us everything we need to accomplish what He’s asking us to do.

One of the beautiful truths that Bill Hybels shared in his message during the Willow Creek service was…

“one of the best ways to see ‘God with us’ is in the faces and stories of people around us… “

As various people from Willow Creek began to share their stories and how God intervened and was “with them” I realized that  one of the most vital ways we make it through life is through community. Through the people around us who speak life into ours and who do life with us. People who laugh and cry with us; people who listen and give advice.

In one of the final moments of the service as we were singing a song about “God with us” people all around the auditorium stood up with signs… some said “all shall be well…” others said “God with us.”

It was a beautiful reminder and profoundly moving… HUGE props to the entire team at Willow.

I pray this Christmas season, no matter what you may be trusting God for in the New Year that you will know… all shall be well… God is with us… and He is with YOU.

Merry Christmas!