God's Plan for Us in Chicago and How You Can Help

About six months ago my wife and I informed our church that we were planning on church planting in Chicago. This was not really anything new for us (we've been talking about this since we were dating), but I think that was the first time some people in our church heard that was our plan. I say our plan, but the truth is that this is God's plan. More on that later.

Since informing our church, we have had several conversations with people who want to give us advice on what to do. This ranges from people who think we should not go to Chicago (at least not at first) to people who have a very specific way that they think we should church plant. I think most of these people are well intentioned. They are trying to help. They are not helping.

Netflix and Jesus

No, our second installment of Everyday Theology is not some weird slang for bible dating. There has been a lot of news around these two topics recently. Though I plan to give a little background on two recent additions to Netflix’s lineup, the point is not to give a review in the typical sense. The point of this series is to apply the truth of the gospel to our everyday life. Since much of the media is not Christian, I think it is important for us to consider how our response to movies and television displays Christ.

One note before we get into the topic. By the time you read this I will have already had the first installment of Everyday Theology Q & A. Yet, at the time of writing this we are still a week out. That’s the time travel of print media. I say this because I want to remind you that we will be doing another Q & A livestream on February 20th at 8pm EST. If you want more information on how to get involved or you want to get questions in ahead of time you can visit the Facebook page for my blog. That page will always have the most up to date information.

The Captive Mindset

We started a series at my church called Out of the Wilderness. We are looking at wilderness narratives to help us understand where God is leading us in the future. This past week the senior pastor gave a sermon on Numbers 13 and 14. This is the story of spying out the promised land and how the people rebelled against God. You might know the song about it. It involves twelve men who spy on Cannon. Ten were... scared and two were not.

Well anyway, I have been thinking a lot about this sermon. It's really good. You can watch it here. My thoughts have been focused on this idea of a captivity mindset. This is something that is touched on in the sermon, but I have been thinking about it through the lens of trauma.

How to Have a Productive Conversation

Yesterday I posted a rant to my Facebook page. Usually I reserve these for Twitter, that seems a more apt place for rants. They are more likely to get lost in the general attitude of contempt there. This particular rant was a little long for Twitter. At one point I thought that I might make it into a blog, but I like my blogs to be more thought out than a rant. So it went on Facebook.

What's ironic (and a little bit sad) is that my rant involved me criticizing people for not wanting to have a conversation. But this is the pull that social media has on us. Sometimes it feels like we have lost the art of good conversations. We are quick to judge, quick to anger, and slow to listen. We don't really care about what the other person has to say. All we really want is to prove to the world that we are right.

The Gospel According to Kanye

I have a confession. Prior to the last week or so I hadn't really put much thought into Kanye. Sure there was his visit to the white house, his outburst at the 2009 VMAs, and his hit song Gold Digger. So I want to say upfront that I am not an expert on Kanye. I don't have 15 years of background to compare to. I am not a 'Ye fan. At least I wasn't two weeks ago.

The past week I have been listening to JESUS IS KING on repeat. I have seen his Airpool Karaoke video with James Corden. I have listened to Jesus Walks off his debut album. I have even watched his two hour interview with Zane Lowe in its entirety.

I've spent time thinking and praying. I've read article after article about the album. Yet there is one single fact I keep coming back to. What Kanye is now preaching IS the gospel. Everything on that album is the gospel -- from the emphasis on freedom for slaves to the counter-cultural statement that Jesus (and none other, not even an orange president) is king.

Teardrops on the Floor

Elevators are sacred spaces. For the last nine months I have been volunteering as a chaplain at a hospital in Philadelphia. Part of being a chaplain is recognizing sacred spaces when you walk into them. Its not always easy, and often I have to rely on the leading of the Holly Spirit, but sometimes you can just tell. As I stepped onto the elevator today, I again noticed a clear sign of a sacred space. There were teardrops on the floor.

When Doubt Grips You

Are you struggling to have faith today? Maybe you are reading this and in the back of your head you have doubts. Maybe you feel God calling you to something, but you are scared because you don't know the details. Maybe you are faced with crippling anxiety and doubt even though God just provided for you.

Usually, when I write these blogs I am writing from the other side. I have just learned something or have just gone through something. I write from a place of knowing. I write from a place of complete understanding. That is not the case today. Today I write from the unknown. I write not knowing how everything will play out.