R-E-S-P-E-C-T

by The RevNo Comments
Aretha sang, “Find out what respect means to me”. Respect is a simple word. It is one which causes people to get into fights, feel good, or get loud. Respect is something that is intangible and yet is required.Today I interacted on a blog where some people were critiquing a friend’s book.They had not read the book.Yet, they trashed the book. They trashed him. They challenged his character. It was a personal attack.They claim to be Christians.Over the last couple of weeks I have been teaching a group of people about how to engage with those who don’t follow Jesus. We began with “respect.” Why? Because this is the place that Jesus starts. This is the place that Paul starts. They were respecters of people.Consider Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman in John 4.He respected her. He did not pull any punches but he dealt with her in love and did not demean her.Respect is a powerful form of love...
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Community and Christmas

by The RevNo Comments
What is the meaning of Christmas? That was the question that NBC’s Community asked last week in an incredibly creative stop motion animation episode that left me laughing. The episode was full of hat tips to great Christmas specials of the past and a few nice shots at the Christian faith.Shots at Christianity in a Christmas special? Yes.Are you offended?The shots that they took weren’t the kinds that you might expect. The most crushing one came from Shirley, whose character is an outspoken Christian. She said, “I am a modern day Christian, I have learned sensitivity and so I say Happy Holidays not wanting anyone else’s religion to feel inferior to mine.”I laughed. Then, I cried.Not really. But, I have been thinking about this for the last few days.Christmas has lost something in the post-modern malaise of mutual worldview affirmations.Then I remembered last Friday, my son sang in a “Holiday Concert” at his school. They sang Happy Hannukah, Mud Slide,...
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What are you thankful for?

by The RevNo Comments
What are you thankful for? This is the question that was posed by the boys at Professional One a “boutique of awesome” or also known as one of the best real estate firms in the country run by Mike and Todd.Ever since the question was asked I have been thinking about it.This is a question we ask around our kitchen table as opposed to the generic “God is good, God is great…”How can you answer such a question with any kind of authenticity and keep the post relatively brief?When I think about what I am thankful for I am amazed at all that I really ought to be thankful for, but I’m not. I am not thankful, at least not usually. I want to be one of those people that are constantly overwhelmed by gratitude.I really do. But, I’m not.Life is more complicated, it seems.What am I thankful for?I am thankful that there are people who are asking the question...
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The Paradox

by The RevNo Comments
When you find out that most if not all of your preconceptions are misconceptions it leaves you reeling. The first time I woke up in Israel I struggled to believe all that I was seeing. I felt as though I had stepped foot out of the Matrix and into “The Real”. There was nothing that was what I expected. Not a single thing.We boarded our bus and met Yaniv, our guide and soon to be our good friend. He took us to Caesarea by the Sea. It was a confusing time as we left Tel Aviv and arrived at a place that was over 2,000 years old. This is the kind of confusion that leaves you scratching your head and unsure of what you are seeing.It turns out that Israel is a place of paradox. You never can quite get your mind around it. It is a living and breathing postmodern experience. What is new is old and what is...
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Preconceptions, Land Mines, and Explosions

by The RevNo Comments
Any time you visit a new country there are always preconceived ideas that you have coming in. When I left for Israel I had a picture in mind of sand, mountains, and camels. Of course I also had the thought of one or two surface to air missiles and maybe a suicide bomber. I could tell that these were the same thoughts that some of my family had in mind too. I think that is part of the reason why I didn’t really get too excited about the trip, why it “slipped” my mind and why I did not talk about it much with those closest to me. My preconceived ideas had laid a foundation of fear.Then I arrived in Israel.I saw it.There was no filter, there were no reporters or editors choosing what to show me.I saw it with my own eyes.What did I see, you ask?I saw Tel Aviv and modern bustling city filled with people. There were...
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Figuring It Out…

by The RevNo Comments
For the last few years I have been on a journey. It’s a journey that has cost me friendships. It’s a journey that has caused me to look pretty deep and it has caused me to evaluate my understanding of “church”. This week I had an epiphany. It’s both/and and not either/or.You’re thinking ,“That’s pretty cryptic.”You’re right. Let me clarify.The journey that I have been on has been the journey from thinking of church as primarily a “come and see” to that of “go and tell.” As per usual I have taken the pendulum of my life and swung it from one end of the spectrum to the other.I didn’t even notice.Passion does that.This week I met with a group of pastors from the area for a planning time. We were meeting to plan what our churches would do together as we participate in “E.A.C.H.”, a city-wide movement of churches that are seeking to give “everyone a chance to hear” during...
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Why Weren’t They There?

by The RevNo Comments
“You keep saying you’ve got something for me.something you call love, but confess.You’ve been messin’ where you shouldn’t have been a messin’and now someone else is gettin’ all your best.These boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll doone of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.”In the 1920s the Christians walked away from education. In the 1930s and 40s we walked away from science and academia. In the 1960s we walked away from culture. In 2010 it appears we have, by and large, we are in danger walking away from our communities.Today I spent the day at a local hospital which was hosting an international taste festival and a world impact expo. The organizer sought to provide opportunity for ten congregations or organizations from each of the world’s three dominant faiths: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam to highlight their mission efforts around the world. Only four Christian churches committed to participating. One backed out and...
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