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Changing Your Name

October 25, 2010 in Personal thoughts with 0 Comments

The meanings of names have always been interesting to me. When you stop and think about it naming something is an art that most people get to participate in at some point in their lives. If you invent a product you get to name it. If you write a short story for school you get to name it. My wife says that her dream job would be to name OPI nail polish. I have to admit, in a manly sort of way, they are pretty creative.

If you have children you get to name them. They have absolutely no say in the matter, and that name that you imparted (sometimes inflicted) upon your child is how they will be known for the rest of their lives. There have been some pretty amazing examples of this. We’ve all heard the jokes, or met people whose parents must have had an out of body experience when their little one was born.

In the scriptures the meaning of a name can play a direct role in a story. Never is it more obvious than in the story of Jacob. The name Jacob means ‘heel catcher’. He was hanging on to his twin brother Esau when he came out of the womb. Some have even said it means ‘trickster’ or ‘deceiver’. I’m sure Isaac and Rebekah had some idea of especially the former meaning when they named him. Imagine, ‘This is our beloved son. The original ankle biter.’ Something this guy did before he could even see light and color identified him for a long time.

I know there are lots of people like this. Something you did in your past continues to identify you, maybe even haunt you. When people see you coming you get the impression that they know you as: adulterer, cheater, liar, or just an out and out failure. It’s like you are wearing a name tag. I believe in a God that can change all that.

Later on in his story Jacob wrestled all night with God. At the end of the match, after his hip had been dislodged, Jacob stubbornly held on to his opponent. In Genesis 32, “The man (the form of God that Jacob was wrestling with) asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” The name Israel is said to literally mean, ‘God will prevail’. One of my favorite meanings given for the name Israel is ‘Prince with God’. Those meanings had to have changed Israel’s countenance and posture right away. Imagine being known like that.

God still changes names. All of those willing to get in with all that they have, and hang on to the truths about the love, mercy, and grace that God has made available to everyone, get to be known by different names. God wipes away the mistakes and hurts of the past and makes new names available like; Conqueror, Forgiven, Friend, Saint, Son or Daughter. You’ll still remember the things behind you, but they just become more evidence of how amazing grace really is. Your actions going forward with God can define you in a whole new way.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

The Evolution Of Aerobics

October 5, 2010 in Personal thoughts with 0 Comments

I’m a dude. I’m not supposed to do aerobics, but there was a brief time in my life where I frequented a gym for a circuit class. Something about the word circuit felt more manly. However, I was the only DUDE in the room. This period of my life is known as the college years. I was an unattached male, (Recently dumped by the woman who since has become my wife of 13 years), and there were unattached females in the room scantily clad and perspiring. For a college guy who went about a buck thirty-five at the time that was worth every bit of $30 a month.

For me the evolution of aerobics begins with Jane Fonda. The target audience appears to be people who want the opportunity to dance around in spandex, privately, in the comfort of their own home. Fast forward to Richard Simmons who never actually looked like he did aerobics personally, yet his enthusiasm for life would at least make you stop and think, “You know, he and I should both get in shape.” From Denise Austin to Jilian Michaels to my personal favorite, Billy Blanks, aerobics dvd’s line the shelves with the uniqueness and variety of Little Debbie Snack Cakes.

When you picture an aerobics class what do you think of? Do you feel sorry for those people? Wish you could be in the shape that they are in? Let’s talk honestly about what this is. At the end of the day it’s a bunch of people of varying genetics and body types jumping around in spandex, sweating for an hour, who can’t wait to get back out into the real world and get something to eat. The class is important, but what you do outside of class is where the lycra really meets the road.

You can do aerobics every day and still not be healthy. You can ignore your diet, not get enough sleep, you can actually overtrain and break your body down. The class is important, but everything you do outside of class plays an important role as well.

Reminds me of the evolution of worship in the church. We used to sing along to pianos and organs and sit on hard wooden benches. Over the years we have shed blood, sweat, and tears to bring in guitars, drums, denim, and comfortable seating. We have replaced pulpits with stools, and hymnals with projectors. However, you can go to church every Sunday and still not be spiritually healthy. Gathering together for worship every week is a necessary component, but so is everything that happens outside of that environment. Every day we should be connecting with God personally and relationally. Every day we should interact with others in a way that models the character of Christ. We should take care to serve others, and to help those in need. These are necessary components for spiritual health. If Christians take care as much for what happens outside of Sunday it would cause people to not just stop and stare, but to join us in being a part of what God is doing every day of the week.

Sunday is important, but so is giving it away. I’m hungry.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

More Than Falafel

July 26, 2010 in Community Makeover, Community Outreach, Engage Atlanta, Personal thoughts with 0 Comments

Acts 2 tells us that the early church broke bread from house to house. That means there was lots of coffee, brownies, and perhaps an occasional Falafel being served. At least that is how we’ve come to interpret it in our churches. As small groups and house churches meet there can often be as much emphasis on the snacks being served as the prayer and worship.

Oddly enough, I believe these verses are about more than falafel. I believe they are about an invitation to be involved in each others lives, to share needs and hopes, and prayers. I believe they teach us to study scripture in community, and to not be afraid to ask the hard questions. I believe they teach church leaders to create environments where there can be no hiding, and no one gets lost in the crowd.

But I think there’s one more step to this. These verses always comes to my mind when I think of how the church should reach out to those around them. I happen to think there should be an element of our Outreach that goes house to house. I love street corner and open market give aways that we do to try and draw people into church. Those are great ways to create a presence in a community. However, when you go house to house you feel the tension and potential for a stronger relational connection to happen.

Now, I’m not a big fan of people showing up unannounced. Hospitality is not high on my gift mix. I wouldn’t necessarily suggest that you go cold calling and knocking on doors. What I would suggest is what a bunch of churches in Atlanta just did. They served their neighbors house to house.

We just finished hundreds of projects as part of Engage Atlanta‘s Community Makeover weekend. People ask, ‘Where do the projects come from?’ They come from neighbors who know about the needs around them, and just ask, ‘Can we help with the yard?’ ‘I heard you had an issue inside, can we have a look?’ ‘Do your kids need help getting back to school?’ All in all, it’s about not ignoring or just always driving by the houses on your street. It’s about stopping along the way long enough to see the needs, and then loving your neighbor as yourself.

If you live in Atlanta and you are feeling hungry, check out the Falafel King in Druid Hills.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Make Me Nobody

May 3, 2010 in Personal thoughts with 0 Comments

Today I return from a time of sabbatical given to me by the Leaders and Elders at West Ridge Church. I am extraordinarily thankful to work at a church that values the wholeness of the Pastor. These times of rest are given to us proactively. No one walked into my office and said, ‘You look tired. Why don’t you leave for a few weeks?’ Instead, this is a built-in benefit.

Personally, I had let my life get a bit unbalanced and out of rhythm. I may talk more about that later. I took care of a couple of ‘work-related’ items while I was out. Even those few things helped me restore some healthy patterns.

When I really have a chance to sit and reflect there are some core values for my life that God reminds me of and restores. One is from an odd little parable at the beginning of Luke 17.

7“Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ “

That last verse has become a mantra for me. Whether I am being a husband, a dad, a friend, or working as part of a church staff (or any vocation)….at the end of the day I’m just a servant of Jesus. Whatever he puts in front of me to do, I’ll do. Where he tells me to go, I’ll go. Having my name in some small realm of recognition would be nothing compared to being a servant of Jesus.

When you put the whole of Jesus teachings together there is a lot more to being a Christ-follower. This Master treats His servants like the apple of his eye. He treats us like Princes and Kings. He loves us more deeply  than a handful of verses can describe. There are moments when I respond differently to his love, but let there be a time every day when I say, “Make me nobody. I’m an unworthy servant. I’m only doing my duty.”

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

It Needs To Look Different

April 12, 2010 in Community Makeover, Community Outreach, Engage Atlanta, Personal thoughts with 0 Comments

So back to the blog. I’ve been storing up some things I want to share so brace yourself over the next few days. Both of you!

Recently, I have had something brought to my attention in whole new ways. I knew this instinctively, but it’s being confirmed all over again. Many people that don’t know church vocabulary, don’t know the point of Christianity, haven’t been to church since that VBS when they were seven and grandma took them, are wondering the same thing. They would be called ‘Outsiders’, ‘Unchurched’, or ‘Seekers’; aka the people your church should try to reach out to.

Many of them are wondering, “Why so many churches?”

I live in the most ‘churched’ county in the State of GA. In other words, more churches per capita than any other. So everyone here follows the way of Jesus, right? 88% of the people in the county don’t go to church. At one point (and I think still is) the most ‘churched’ country in the world was Jamaica. So everyone there follows Jesus, right? Have you ever left the resort in Jamaica? You can get buzzed off the ‘second-hand weed’ down there. You don’t find more Christ-followers just because there are more churches.

I need to say I believe Church Planting is the best way to reach a community. In other words, adding more churches. I have tons of opinions on the issue as I’ve worn different hats on a church staff. Sounds like a contradiction, but it’s not. There are lots of reasons for Church Planting that I won’t go into today, but we need to realize something. All of the different buildings and banners, dress codes, and nuances are hard for people to wrap their minds around. All of these different styles look like competition to someone outside of ‘church-world’. We look like franchises from different companies instead of all being from the same headquarters. It seems to be confusing a lot of people in the churches too. That might mean Pastors are competing against each other, which I’m sure is not the case. :)

There are ways to look like we are on the same page, and still enjoy all the wonderful differences found in the Body of Christ.

We need to work harder to work together. I have seen that when churches show unity to the community that they are in, it brings down walls both inside and especially outside the church. Elected officials don’t feel like they have to tip-toe around other Pastors. Schools feel a freedom to call and make their needs known. I have begun to encounter more people who have said to me that they now attend a church that was involved in a unifying serving event. We call our attempt to show them something different, ‘Community Makeover‘(you can click on that for a little more info).

The NW Atlanta Community has literally approached us with more than 2,000 projects for CMO 2010. I seriously doubt we get them all done. In this down economy they are coming to a group of churches that have a reputation for working together, and asking for volunteer labor. Community Leaders are spoon-feeding us opportunities to engage people outside of the church. That is what happens when it looks different.

Tomorrow, I’m going to do something that I shouldn’t. I’m going to answer some critics. I’ve been getting slammed by all new people. Me getting criticized is not that big a deal. I’m nobody. I just need to share my heart on something.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Yes, We’re Open

October 1, 2009 in Community Outreach, Personal thoughts with 0 Comments

A couple of days ago a community leader called to ask me  if I would help out with some of the flood relief. I said, “Sure”, and asked what that would mean. He asked if I would be willing to work with some government agencies that were trying to serve Northwest Atlanta in the area of flood relief. “Yep.” He asked if I would be willing to work with people of other faiths. “Yep.” Looking back on that conversation there were several things that were asked that have made me think, “At one point did churches start saying no?”

A volunteer from FEMA approached me yesterday and asked me if ours was the kind of church he could send people to. Seriously! This question is not born in the halls of ‘anti-religion government leaders’. It was not created by pagans or atheist. At some point, the church got the reputation for only being open to a certain type of person or a certain part of the population.

This is part of the reason old churches are dying and church plants are successful. A new church has this built-in message that screams, “Yes, We’re Open”. Maybe it’s because the new church staff will starve if people don’t come, but it is also born out of a major desire to be a part of seeing communities transformed by the love and message of Jesus Christ. That means no one gets left out.

To the hurting, to the addicted, to the Republican, to the Democrat, to the black and the brown and the white, to the lonely, we’re hanging the sign and flipping the switch to turn on the neon lights, “Yes, We’re Open.”

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Walk Inside

September 4, 2009 in Community Makeover, Community Outreach, Global Outreach, Personal thoughts, Uncategorized, West Ridge Church with 0 Comments

Earlier this week I went out for lunch fully intending to go through the Drive-thru and get back to the office. Upon seeing the line of cars I changed my mind and went inside. I actually do this quite a bit. Going out to lunch and moving from sitting at my desk to sitting in the car is not exactly rejuvenating, so I will get out of the car for a walk. I was reminded of a little lesson I thought I’d share.

I was inside for approximately 8 minutes. In that time I was approached about an opportunity for our church to reach out to a group of folks in an area we don’t have great exposure, was invited by a local high school to partner with them on a couple of items, thanked for helping out on the Community Makeover, and given the chance to invite someone to West Ridge who doesn’t attend church anywhere. One morning this week I didn’t ‘Pay at the pump’ for the gas in my car. As I continue to build relationships with the local gas station employees I was given another opportunity to talk church and life with someone who is clearly not a follower of Jesus.

Ok, I don’t do this all the time, but I will continue to try to do it more than not. If I always stay in my car then these conversations never happen. Outreach or Sharing Christ is not a program, it’s a lifestyle that stretches us as disciples of Jesus.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Trust In You

September 3, 2009 in Personal thoughts, Prayer, Psalm 86 with 0 Comments

One of the things that happens as I pray scripture is that God uses his word to transform me.

Psalm 86:2 says this,

“Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God;”

As David pens the words, “Guard my life” he does so with great boldness. When I sit down to pray the words, “I am faithful to you”, or “I trust you” I have this check inside of my spirit that seems to say, “Really?” It becomes a time of evaluation. Am I really faithful to the God who has been more than faithful to me? Do I really trust him with everything? Would other people look at me and describe me as being faithful and trusting to God?

As I pray I ask God to increase my faith and increase my level of trust. As that happens, I am transformed.

Let me hold nothing back, “You are my God.”

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Tuesday Prize

September 1, 2009 in My wife, Personal thoughts, Tuesday Prize with 0 Comments

One of the things I am constantly trying to get better at is being a better husband to my wife. She is truly a God send in my life. Her energy and her personality are great compliments to me. God knew exactly what I needed when he brought us together. Her personal blog is read by hundreds of women, and recently she has been writing for other internet and print pieces as well. Her natural ‘voice’ as a writer creates laughter and encouragement with ease.

I am one of those guys that really needs  specific things I can do to show her I love her and to romance her. She could give me suggestions, but that is not as romantic. In the rhythm of our week there is an intentional marker that allows me to demonstrate my affection using her ‘love language’. It is called the ‘Tuesday Prize’.

Angela’s love language is gifts. Not big, expensive gifts (thank you Lord), but thoughtful ones. Just something that demonstrates that I was thinking of her. Something that shows I was willing to stop the busyness and go a little bit out of my way for her. It might just be a card, or a pack of her favorite candy. It’s a way to say ‘I love you’, and it’s a way to make Tuesday special. The third day, the only day God blessed twice, whatever you want to call it, typically doesn’t have that much special going on.

So – I write about this sappy Richardson practice to encourage you to know the love language of the person God has given to you, and maybe you give it extra emphasis on Tuesday. Maybe it’s giving that person extra time, or words of encouragement, or whatever it is. It’s an effort to make every day count, and to grow in love for each other every day.

Enjoy your Tuesday.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Holy Naivete

June 15, 2009 in Personal thoughts, Uncategorized with 0 Comments

I just returned from some sabbatical time that I was granted by West Ridge Church. It’s given to our Pastor/Director Team members every five years. The focus of these four weeks was family and renewal. I have been asking God to restore me to some healthy life rhythms. I had let things get pretty unbalanced recently, and I think it was starting to show.
One of the things I did to renew my spirit was listen to my favorite worship tunes. One of my favorite worship CD’s is from Mars Hill Bible Church. They sing a song called, ‘Enchanted’. Unfortunately, Disney has monopolized the word and turned it into a princess movie, but that is beside the point.
Two words stick out from that song every time I hear it. You guessed ‘em, ‘Holy Naivete’. The word naïve and most of the synonyms are generally used as negative descriptions, but it has some positive meanings. One is this, “Admirably straightforward and uncomplicated, or refreshingly innocent and unaffected.” Another definition is “To have an excessively simple and trusting view of the world.”
For me I want this phrase to be a description of my personal faith. Even when we are trusting God for the ‘big’ things in our life, faith should be relatively simple. Faith that there is a God that can do whatever he wants. Faith that says this same Creator God has plans to prosper and not to harm me, and a hope and a future. Faith that knows even when the Father is silent, He is not absent.
I want to commit to not allowing life’s practicalities and busyness to crowd out my faith.

God give me the gift of Holy Naivete.

http://www.musicatmars.com/worship/lyrics/Enchanted.pdf

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