Lessons from the Sea

Tony Moore at Topsail Island 2013

Every year, while at our beach retreat, I think I should write about things I think as I walk the beautiful miles of white sand. And I have never done it.

This year, I came up with a strategy. I'm going to call it my Word of the Day. Each day, I was struck with a different aspect of nature which led me to compare it to its Creator, asking, "How is God reflected in this element of creation?"

So, I have some words with simple thoughts. I would love to hear your thoughts and other words you would use. Here are mine:

VAST - We arrived at Surf City after dark on Sunday evening. I can't be at the beach and just go to bed. I have to go to the water. As I stood in the warm water, I saw a near full moon high in the sky. It was the brightest night I've ever experienced. I looked out on the water - it looked like it went on forever. I looked into the sky. The stars were brilliant. Immediately, I thought, How vast is this universe! And how vast is God's love. Ephesians 3:17-19 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

MOVEMENT - It was cloudy on Monday, but still warm enough to enjoy the day outside. I noticed that nothing living is always perfectly still. Movement has been built into all of creation. The tides, the wind, running sandpipers, soaring seagulls, diving pelicans, and migrating geese, butterflies, and sharks, the sun racing across the sky while the grass reaches for the sunlight, clouds billowing and dissipating, the blood coursing through my body. That same movement of resurrection life is in followers of Christ. Acts 17:28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

COLOR - The sun was out in full force the rest of the week. No more gray skies and water. The colors were radiant. They were all there, not one hue missing, though I noticed that it's apparent that God and I both favor blues. Throughout the Penteteuch and again in John's Revelation, colors are significant and prominent. God isn't boring. Look around, there's no such thing as white people and black people, we're all shades in between. Wouldn't it be boring if every blade of grass were the same shade of green? 1 Peter 4:10 God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts.

What did you come up with? I'll have more next fall.

 

Christianity is...

I'm quite sure that if you asked people to complete the phrase, "Christianity is..." no two answers would be the same. We have taken Jesus' original organic idea and created something more corporate and political than life-giving. Something worldly rather than other-worldly.

We have made it about behaviors and issues, while screaming that it's about a relationship. No, dude, we've made it about anything but relationships. We've picked our favorite topics and decided that if you disagree with us regarding those topics you aren't a Christian. We've taken those topics and created seminars, books, websites, songs, and even specific "ministries" around them - at least, around our idea of a Christian response to them. 

 

I'm not sure if this is just an American phenomenon or a modern manifestation, but I suspect it has been around longer than that and is more widespread. I have hopes that times are changing, divisions are reuniting, cliques are disappearing, arguments are lessened, and that the Bride of Christ is starting to look like a bride. However, it's obvious we aren't there yet.

 

Can you imagine attending a wedding where the bride wore labels on her gown? This is the train - I wish it were a little longer. This is the veil which I didn't really want to wear, but it's making my mother happy. This is the bodice, I hope I'm covered. This is the skirt, does it make my butt look big? This is the ribbon - I wish it were more like the lace hem, but I'll put up with it. No bride would ever do that. Imperfections are unnoticed on the wedding day.

 

Yet, we throw labels all over Jesus' bride. This one's immature, do we have to keep him? This one can't seem to find the truth, can we kick her out? This one smokes like a chimney. *cough cough* Isn't the smoking section reserved for the train to hell? This one is gay. Do we have to let him in? We've already forgiven this one twice. Three times will be my limit!"

Have you ever stopped to ask why? Why are we focused on issues? Jesus commissioned us to preach the gospel, not to solve the problems of a society or to create a group of clones. What if we focused on that commission? We might look and sound less buffoonish and be more effective at increasing the real church. I'm overfed with how-to books. It's not like Jesus made it too complicated for us. He gave clear instructions to his disciples with phrases like go, make disicples, preach the gospel, be my witnesses.

 

Since Christianity is supposed to be based on a relationship, let's create that kind of church - the kind that builds relationships with our neighbors so they can build a relationship with God. The church Jesus died to create was the kind that accepted and included those who were mislabeled by society, those who were homeless and friendless, the ones who wouldn't have turned a head on the street. They all have the full attention of Heaven, but often in church they are treated the same as on the street. Let's be the real church, you know, the place full of disciples that the rest of society might reject.

I Was Lost

We moved a couple of weeks ago, and I don't mind telling you that I have never been so glad to be finished with a task. It wasn't easy losing 700 square feet, and to do so we had the even harder task of separating everything into piles labeled keep, trash, donate, and sell.

We had been in the other house almost 14 years and had accumulated a lot of stuff. Over the past couple of weeks, I've let go of items that I considered treasures until I realized I no longer had room for them.

After a day or two, my "carer" stopped working. I didn't care what was thrown out as long as it got me closer to being finished with deciding what to keep. It was grueling. People who are less sentimental - or those who have no heart - probably won't understand the agony associated with letting go. They will just label me a pack rat and laugh it off. I get it.

In the end, I am so glad we moved. For the past 14 years, I've been lost in my own home. It's probably a disorder for which psychology has a name, but I truly felt lost everytime I drove into the old neighborhood. 

I have a great sense of direction. I don't remember ever being lost. I've even driven through Los Angeles with no map or GPS -Orange County to Santa Ana and back - and felt confident of my direction. For some reason, however, in our former neighborhood I could never even figure out simple east from west. I think it had to do with the circular street layout. It was a feeling that I hated. 

Now that we've moved, our house faces east, and I feel like I've been freed from a maze. It's a strange phenomenon that I probably should research. The lost feeling was sickening and depressing. Now, looking out my front door at a sunrise every morning is refreshing and freeing. 

Two life lessons here:

1) I suspect that each of us is tightly clutching something that we could live without.

2) If you can't shake that sick depression, maybe it's time to leave the maze. 

I once was lost, but now I'm found, 

Was blind but now I see. 

Love God Love People

Some churches teach that all you need is a relationship with Jesus. We've even sung "He's all I need."

That is true regarding my salvation. Jesus, and Jesus alone, is my source of salvation. Jesus, however, said there are TWO great commandments. It would be difficult to call yourself a follower of Christ unless you live by both.

The first one is a bit easier than the second. We can't see God. He's easy to love from a distance. But, people? Now, that's a different story. We actually have to deal with their quirks (and our own) when we engage in relationships.

So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”
Luke 10:27

Can you say that you love God?

What about his people? Do you love them?

You Are Not Alone

It's easy to feel alone when you are taking a walk of faith, but I don't believe God ever gives you a mission just for you. There will always be others who will help you, encourage you, follow you, or need what you offer. Many times, the reason for the mission is so that several, or many others can follow your lead.

You may have read this scripture. Then the Lord answered me and said, "Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets so that the one who reads it may run with it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:2, 3 NASB)

Habakkuk was encouraged to grasp the vision God was giving him and to pass it on with such clarity that someone else could actually carry out the mission God was giving Habakkuk! See, the mission isn't about you. Don't be a vision-hog. Look for someone that will sign on and commit to be your supporter. 

 

But, what about those other people who will be discouragers and will say you will never accomplish anything? Jon Acuff addressed that today as a guest writer for Michael Hyatt. You can read the entire blog here. In his post, he wrote,

The truth is, you should never waste time trying to turn someone who hates you into someone who likes you. Instead focus on turning people who like your dream into people who love your dream.

So how do you know who a hater is? Simple, someone who hates on something without a solution to make it better is a hater. If they don’t have a fix, an idea, a spark of improvement, they’re just there to hate. That’s one of the main differences between hate and feedback.

Don't be discouraged. God has a helper - maybe many helpers - for you. It's biblical to leave the haters in the dust, see Matthew 10:14. Let the haters hate, but let those who hear the voice of God and catch a glimpse of his heart run to spread his love to those who need it most.

That's My Church!

Dear Transformers and friends of Transformation House,

Last night, we had the first of two classes for some of our leaders - those who are seen up front each Sunday. The class is called Being Upfront about being Up Front. I led this class, but I want to share a bit of what I got from the class.

I first asked for an evaluation of the service this past Sunday. Those who were up front during the service were Kristen, Tim, Derek, Lisa, Zach, Elena, Anna, Darnell, Amber, Tony, and Chris. I wondered, "To those who were first-time guests, who appeared to be in charge of the service?" The answer was "none of the above." Because everyone knows their role and fills it well, the Holy Spirit, who is truly in charge, can move us in any direction. When He is in charge, not one of us needs to take credit, there is a comfortable flow in the service, and everyone has an encounter with a loving God.

Another question that everyone answered was about their first impression of Transformation House. I asked if their first impression was correct or if they've adjusted what they believe about the church since their first visit.

One person answered, My first impression was that I was getting attention because that's what church folk do. They pay attention to first-timers, then it wears off over time. What I found was that the love they showed me on the first Sunday is the same love they show me now, almost two years later.

Another person said, My first impression was that this was different from any other church I had visited. I saw black, white, gay, straight, old, young, and all were accepted and have a place to belong and serve.

Another answer was, In my previous church, relationships were fake. Here, I feel like I fit in. Rather than just being talked to, I am heard.

I won't go on and on, so the final one I'll share was, When I came, I felt the Holy Spirit in this place - during worship and in interacting with others.

What gets me so pumped about these answers is that these all came from people that I had never met two years ago. At the time we were planning to start Transformation House, we prayed for God to send us to those who felt disenfranchised by the church. We prayed that in this place everyone could feel welcome and experience the presence of God. Every time someone spoke last night, I thought, "That's what we prayed for. That's exactly why we started this church!"

If you're not a part of a church that allows you to serve freely, I'm sorry. I've said it before, so I'll say it again, "If your church won't change, change churches."