Going Tiger

The early morning news shows and the Internet were ablaze this morning with the news of the escape and attack of a Siberian tiger at the San Francisco Zoo on Christmas evening. The tiger, in a manner yet to be determined, escaped from its habitat and attacked three young men from San Jose. Two of the victims are in stable condition, while the other died at the scene.

The attack reminded me of the Sigfried and Roy incident from not too long ago. Following that unfortunate event, there was great public outrage that the tiger might attack. Chris Rock, the well-known comedian, finally stated the obvious: "That tiger didn't go crazy. It went tiger."

The truth is that tigers, like many other animals, were not designed to be put on display. They were designed as predators in the wild. While we may put them in cute cages, and even occasionally dress them up in cutesy outfits (like at the circus), they still remain wild beasts whose natural instinct is to attack.

All of these thoughts made me wonder about the purpose of man. Surely we were made for more than punching a clock, surfing the web, or daydreaming. We were made for a purpose as well and until we find ourselves living within that purpose, we are going to feel as out-of-place as a tiger with a tutu, standing on its hind legs as kids scream for cotton candy.

In the coming year, may you find your reason for existence. May you encounter the purpose for which you were created. May you experience life at its fullest.

Merry Christmas

Hope you and your loved ones have a great Christmas. May these holidays bring you more in love with your family, friends, and the God who would wrap Himself in skin to know you.

In the Presence of Greatness

I'm finishing my preparation for my part of the Christmas Eve service at Olivet right now. I'm excited about the service tonight because we are combining with two other churches, Westminster (Evansville) and New Hope (Chandler). I'm always excited when the church breaks down artificial walls and begins to demonstrate what heaven will be like, when the Church is united.

In preparation for tonight, I've been thinking about the impact of the truly great have on what they do. For example, James Naismith created basketball in 1891. For nearly a century the game was played with some truly excellent players in that period. However, when Michael Jordan began playing for the Chicago Bulls, he showed us what the game could truly be like. He changed how the game is played forever.

Others that I can think of with a similar impact include: Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, William Shakespeare, and Chick-Fil-A. What about you? Who do you think has completely reshaped how something is done?

Chanukah Ham

There is nothing like a nice kosher Chanukah celebration. Imagine sitting at the table with your family waiting for the "boneless, smoked ham." Oh wait...that wouldn't be kosher. What was I thinking?

ht: In the Agora

Lovin' my wife

I was reading one of the many blogs that I cruise through on a daily basis when one line jumped out at me. Craig Groeschel has been writing a list of 40 things that he wished someone had told him when he was 20. I really appreciated number 36 (just wondering why it took until 36 to get to it). It said:

"36. Love your wife more than you love the church. The church is Jesus' bride, not yours."

The temptation in ministry is to spend so much time loving and serving others that you forget about the one that you committed to loving and serving "until death do you part." What a regular temptation for me. It is so easy to eat lunch with an elder/youth worker/another pastor and never invite your wife (and those beautiful girls) to lunch.

Kitten...if you are reading this...first, I'm impressed you found the time in the midst of raising two amazing girls at home where there is no internet connection. Second, you've heard me say on numerous occasions that I married out of my league. No doubt there are many times that you agree. Thank you. Thank you for loving me when I am imperfect. Thank you for doing a great job with two awesome girls. Thank you for being so supportive of me and our calling to the church. Thank you for making sacrifices so that others can know that God loves them. Today, know that you are loved beyond measure and I appreciate you.

What does God really desire from us?

This morning I was reading Isaiah 1 when some thoughts jumped out at me. As I read Isaiah 1:11-14 the question formed in the back of my brain and moved forward, smacking me between the eyes. What does God really desire from us? Does He want us to routinely go through the motions of worship or would He rather sincere love and appreciation? Does God really need our worships songs? Does He need our recitation of "The Lord's Prayer"? For that matter, does He even need our tithes and offerings? No. What He really wants is us. He delights in those aforementioned acts only as they are a authentic response to who we are and our love for Him.

What God desires are worshippers who "worship in Spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24). What He wants is for all those Jesus-followers to "act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly" with Him (Micah 6:8). He desires for us to "seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow" (Isaiah 1:17).

Legal Steps Begin

Today was a very exciting day in the life of Discovery. We submitted our Articles of Incorporation to the Secretary of State for Indiana. They were approved nearly instantaneously. We then filed for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) with the Internal Revenue Service and were quickly granted that as well. In the coming week, we will be setting up our own checking account and be ready to receive funds (like donations).