Remodel Posse

I haven't blogged in a while because I have been hard at work with a remodel of our 1933 farm house.  My dad, who is on the brink of turning 70, is still kicking my tail when it comes to swinging a hammer.  He's quite the ox!  He's the only guy I know who has a PhD and can nail in a beam with either his right or left hand. He's been a God send in many seasons of my life.  On my right (the guy with the sledge hammer shot gun) is my on-call buddy Andy. He's also an ox and a great friend.  Most people probably don't know how much of a servant he is and how much he loves helping people.  He came over and helped lift the central beam of the house on Saturday. You can also see he has become a fellow white man afro advocate and on many occasions people ask us if we are brothers...even twins!  It's great to know that I have people in my life that are there when help is needed.  I have a feeling that if I were ever cornered in a dark alley somewhere, they wouldn't hesitate to throw down for me either.  I can tell you one thing...even though my dad is 70 and a faithful man of God, I wouldn't want to get in his face while he's holding his roofing hatchet.  What happens when you get in Dick Blue's grill...bad things man...bad things!  Kidding aside, he really loves people and is one of the most generous people I know.  He's one of my heroes.  

The house has made great progress the past three weeks and we had the final inspection two weeks ago.  We are done with the city and just have minor projects to finish from here on out. It's been great to see how God has already used the new space to facilitate relationship and community.  It's amazing to see people being the church in your own home...that's what it's all about.

Anyone reading is invited to our house warming party when everything gets finished up. However, that might be another year or so...don't tell Heather.

Dear Woman, Here is Your Son (Part 2)

Good Friday Continued...

May we follow in our Savior’s example.

1) Jesus shows us the value of today.

With this statement, we see how he values the here and now. He isn’t so focused on tomorrow that he forgets today. May we not be so focused on eternity that we pass up the divine moments that face us each day. As one preacher said it, “we mustn't be too heavenly minded that we are no earthly good.”

May we follow in our Savior’s example.

2) Even in death, Christ honored his mother.

What an example Christ is to all children. He is our example in honoring those dear to us...even in life’s weakest moments. Our families are precious gifts from God, and we should care for them under all circumstances. Neither Christian work nor the key responsibilities of life excuse us from caring for our families.

Listen to how one Commentary puts it...

“There is something infinitely moving in the fact that Jesus in the agony of the Cross, when the salvation of the world hung in the balance, thought of the loneliness of his mother in the days ahead. He never forgot the duties that lay to his hand. He was Mary's eldest son, and even in the moment of his cosmic battle, he did not forget the simple things that lay near home. To the end of the day, even on the Cross, Jesus was thinking more of the sorrows of others than of his own.”

May we follow in our Savior’s example

3) Christ shows us the value of relationship

In our evangelical world, we typically place a heavy value on relationship. Especially the relationship that we call faith. I have grown up hearing and saying that, “THIS IS NOT RELIGION, it’s relationship!” I think we see the distinction very well in our tradition. But Christ again show us the value of today. He models being intentional about his relationship with others. Yes our relationship with God is priority, but as we build authentic relationship and love one another, we, in fact, strengthen our connection to the Father. Jesus didn’t separate the heavenly from the earthly in his last moments. He saw the divine IN ALL and valued relationship to the very end.

May we do the same as we follow in our Savior’s example.

Dear Woman, Here is Your Son (Part 1)

Today is Good Friday. It's the day when we remember Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Cedar Park had a service today in remembrance of Christ's death and I had the privilege of speaking with the rest of the pastoral staff. We spoke on the Seven Last Words of Christ...I had "Dear woman, here is your son." The following is what I spoke on:

The third saying of Christ is “Dear woman, here is your son.” We find this account in the book of John…in the 19th chapter. In verse 25 we read:

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

We know that the disciple John, or John the Beloved, is the disciple described here…the disciple whom Jesus loved. He also happens to be the writer of this book.

As I read the account in John, I picture Christ scanning the crowd as he hangs in agony on Calvary. He is only moments from his death and stands on the doorstep of absorbing the Father’s wrath and personally taking on our sin. As he takes in some of his final mental images, his eyes stop at a group of mourners and one figure arrests his attention...he takes in the sight of his mother. In her late forties or early fifties, she still posses much of the beauty of her youth. And yet she finds herself at the foot of the cross that belongs to her son. Parents aren’t supposed to outlive their children.

I imagine his heart is filled with compassion and love and yet perhaps even sorrow for his mother. Sorrow because he knows he will be leaving this wonderful woman soon. What an amazing woman she is. What a saint. It’s hard to think of a human figure that plays a greater role in the story of Christ other than Christ himself. It was a mere thirty four years earlier that she uttered the words, “I am the Lord’s servant…May it be to me as you have said,” in response to the angel that visited her when she was a teen. It was her faith and obedience that changed the entire course of history. As a close follower of her son’s ministry, she was witness to the many miracles and and divine teachings of her son. In fact, it was Mary that encouraged her son to start his ministry at the wedding in Cana. She was one of his most faithful followers. And now with with Jesus’ last breath knocking on the door and with Joseph already dead, she will soon be alone.

In that moment, Jesus shows compassion on his mother and entrusts her into the care of his follower and friend, John. The relationship of Jesus and John was stronger than any of the other disciples, so John could fulfill the duties of a son more faithfully than anyone else. As they are there together at his feet, he tells both of them them that “here is your family.” The King James uses to word “behold” to tell of the account. “Woman, behold thy son!” And to John, “behold thy mother. It’s as if he is saying, behold, take in, realize and embrace your family, your future and my provision for your lives in this moment.

What a beautiful picture.

Jesus, fills the void of his death by giving Mary a new son, securing a home for her future care and even consoles her grief by putting her in the hands of the most loved of all his disciples.

May we follow in our Savior’s example

Lincoln Brewster in Grants Pass?

Lincoln Brewster was in none other than Grants Pass, Oregon. So, I connected up with Mike Johns his drummer. For those of you who know Kip John, Mike is Kip's son. Mike and I met in Colorado Springs a little over a year ago and we have sort of kept in touch since then. He was able to get Heather and me free tickets to the concert. It was amazing as usual. It was the first time I saw Norm Stockton with Linc. Norm is a monster bass player! He's a great addition to Linc's team and an absolute genuine worshiper of God. It was great getting to talk to Mike after the show as he told me about being Lincoln's full time drummer now and is also a full time intern at Bayside Church where Lincoln is the worship leader. As you can see, I was also able to talk to Lincoln for a little bit and got him a copy of Everlasting King. He has an amazing memory, and recalled our time together at worship camp and all about the church, studio and the Canvas team. He's a pretty unique and genuine person. I greatly respect him as a fellow leader of the local church and greater worship community. I encourage anyone to support his ministry by getting as much of his music as possible. Not only because he is honestly one of the greatest musicians in the industry, but because he believes in the local church and desires to see the truth of Christ reach every heart and soul. He's most definitely an inspiration to this generation and to the generations to come.

Life on The Ranch

This week Heather, Ethan, Sadie and I packed up the car and went to Southern Oregon. We spent the week at "The Ranch" in Grants Pass. My parents live in a beautiful home that my dad built (of course) on the Rogue River in the wonderful Rogue Valley. It's absolutely beautiful. It's also one of the most relaxing vacations we take as a family. Mostly because my family just likes to hang most of the time and because there's nothing to do in Grants Pass. It was a great! Ethan was able to spend the week with his giant cousins as they rolled around the miles of carpet in their grandparent's home. Jackson and Tyler worked on getting "the buddy" crawling and he's pretty much nailed down the official army crawl. He loved his time with his Uncle Paul, Aunt Margaret, Grandma and Papa as well. I was so happy to spend time with that side of the family. We were unable to get together for the holidays, so this made up for the absence at Christmas. Looking back on the week, Grants Pass treated us pretty well. From tractor rides, to the local traveling circus and going to "Horton Hears a Who" on opening day, the week was packed pretty full of fun experiences. Ethan can't wait to join the big boys on scavenger hunts and tractor rides soon. With his blonde hair and blue eyes, he'll fit right in as the Blue Boy Posse goes bounding off on the many adventures of The Ranch!

I Want to Rock

Now this is what I call creating a greater culture of worship. When my son shows up to the CD release concert ready to worship with a shirt that says "I want to rock," I get pumped! I actually have to be careful when I see him when I lead worship because I almost lose it every time. He inspires me. It's great being a dad. It's also great knowing that his generation is going to accomplish more than we all can fathom. My buddy, Ethan, is going to "be the culture!"

Everlasting King

Last night was a great moment for Canvas as we released our new album Everlasting King amidst a crowd of worshippers. It was a great time of celebration and praise as we thanked God for what he has done here in Bothell. Pastor Joe said it was a picture of God-given dreams becoming reality, as four different worship teams took the stage in the evening. Our dream has been that God would raise up worship leadership to lead all generations into the presence of God. Last night we had not only four different bands leading worship, we had four different generations joined together to honor the God of creation. I'd say that sounds like a culture of worship to me. Being able to stand back and see students lead our church and to view a sea of children and great grandparents enter into the presence of God together, was a great feeling. God has been so faithful to accomplish his dreams through his people. Our prayer is that God would use this new album to impact the local church. There are seven different song writers and 9 original songs on the project. We hope that churches across the nation and even across the globe would be singing songs that were written right here in Bothell. That's what we mean when we tell worship leaders and musicians to "Be the Culture."

To God be all the glory and honor forever and ever...He truly is our Everlasting King!

Yet Another Road Trip

Canvas packed up the circus for another road trip today.  We arrived in Yakima for Youth Leaders Summit around 5pm.  Aaron and I were asked to teach at the event and we decided to bring the whole Canvas team along for the ride.  I always think life is better with as many people along for the ride as possible.  It may be more pungent at times but in the end the memories out weigh the stench.  

Yakima isn't the exactly a destination location but somehow we seem to end up here quite often.  The "Welcome to Yakima" sign says it's the Palm Springs of Washington.  I guess that's true since they're both in the middle of nowhere.  Other than that, I don't see people booking trips to the Yak Valley in the dead of winter to escape the Seattle depression.  Oh Yakima, someday I'll write a song about you.  It will probably be as much of a hit as your eating establishments.  i guess that's a bit unfair.  I will give you one thing...Miner Burgers.  I hope to partake of your one saving grace for lunch tomorrow.

What Do I Have to Complain About (Part 2)

I went on a "prayer drive" today.  I got in my mid-nineties, teal Silverado and started to drive around town.  I spent an hour and a half just listening to God and dreaming about the future.  I stopped to take an occasional picture of random activities going on around me and then it jumped out at me.  A challenge that made me ask the same haunting question as last night.  The billboard says, "Rainy days a year: 150 - Not everyone in the world is so lucky."

UNICEF estimates that some 16 million people face immediate risk due to the current drought in Eastern Africa. In the country of Ethiopia alone, about 8 million people are in danger. Of those, about 1.4 million are children under age five.

When it rains in Seattle, I don't ever look to heaven and thank the God of creation.  On most rainy days, I cover my head and complain. There are children all over the world that are dying because of a lack of clean drinking water and I drag my feet at the first sign of a little drizzle. What on earth do I have to complain about? Absolutely nothing. 

Dear God, please don't stop talking to me.  Sometimes it stings and my ego takes a necessary beating. However, I would rather hear your voice than continue to be the wretch you captured years ago.  It comforts me to know that you even choose to speak to people in teal automobiles on random "prayer drives."

What Do I Have to Complain About

I have been giving some thought to something I witnessed on Sunday night. I was given a glimpse into the the country of Iran. We had a combined worship service with our Iranian Branch Church, Nejat, and had a catered Iranian dinner. It was a pretty eye-opening night. Having both cultures together was a great picture of how beautiful and powerful the Cedar Park Cathedral Model can be.

An hour into the night, emotions washed over me when a video was played telling of the faith of the underground church in Iran.  It told of people who risk their lives to gather together in unity to worship their newly found Messiah.  Most of them risk imprisonment and even physical harm since the act converting from Islam is illegal in Iran.  Many Iranian Christians have even given the ultimate sacrifice of dying for the sake of the gospel.  Later in the evening, I even found out that some of the leadership of Nejat have to keep their identity secret because their family could face persecution if their conversion was brought into the light.

Some days I complain because I have to work too many hours at the church.  Other days I consider quitting because other people don't like my music.  Thoughts of self-pity fill my mind when there are days I don't feel like I'm used to my full potential.  Then I talk to Christians with family members that actually put their lives on the line for the gospel.  In those moments all of my problems seem very petty.  What do I have to complain about?  I live in a country where I am free to worship any way I please and I can tell anyone about my faith without any serious consequences.  Yet, I sit in my office whining to God about my imperfect ministry life and neglect to tell my neighbor of the God that have a personal relationship with.  Something doesn't add up here.  Most days I need a very healthy reality check because I have nothing to complain about.

A Small Glimpse

I'm not the most spontaneous person on the planet. And sometimes when I get long distance calls, I don't want to answer them because it might cut into my day. On Thursday afternoon I received one of those calls. It was a call from a student of ours from our youth group in Los Angeles. Turns out he was standing at the main entrance of Cedar Park.

Kody Stewart just showed up unannounced with another one of our students, Huey Hulbert. For those of you who don't know Kody, this is definitely his M.O. in life. I think he's the fulfillment of the phrase, "flying by the seat of your pants." Kody is a professional mountain boarder and was making a gear run for a mountain board company based in Denver, where he currently lives. On his way "out of town" he shows up (unannounced of course) at Huey's house in Colorado Springs. "The Springs" is over an hour away in the opposite direction of Seattle...I love this kid! There is something inspiring about a free spirit like Kody that can just run until the tank of life is empty and somehow just keeps cruising on fumes for a miraculous amount of time.

Heather and I had the boys, now young men, over for dinner and they spent the entire meal telling us of near death experiences, life in Colorado, the updates of So Cal and all the memories we had at our little church in California. We talked about the time I broke Kody's wrist, the time he almost broke my tail bone on a mountain board, the time Huey won Fear Factor at snow camp, and about all the friends and stories we have from that little church. It was an evening full of laughter and reflection.

As the guys got into their truck with their sights set on another stop in Portland, I had a blessed feeling in my spirit. I felt a bit like a father...a spiritual dad of sorts. I hugged them and told them to go to church. I then told them if they didn't I would stick my foot somewhere unpleasant (just speaking the language of the people). It was one of those times where God shows you a small glimpse of heaven. I think sometimes He likes to show you the "payoff." He gives you a snapshot of what He has actually done in people's lives through your efforts, and it's like you can almost hear him say, "well done."

I know I'm not the most spontaneous person on the planet, but I really look forward to the next phone call from Kody.