What does living out the reality of Jesus look like in your world?

Been asking this question a lot. Of myself, the staff, and the church. I started with the circles that I walk in for the city of Topeka – volunteer Chaplain with the Topeka Fire Department, Freedom Now, and part of a larger community of faith leaders that love this city. It was through these circles that I first met Pastor T.D. Hicks of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.

A deep friendship developed during the course of all the meetings we ran into each other at. Unbeknownst to either of us, we both grew up in Aurora, Colorado. He ended up going to a rival high school of mine. We both love soul food, BBQ, and the Denver Broncos. He serves Topeka as a police chaplain, I serve as a fire chaplain.

Of course, serving in these places has exposed us to the deep and perplexing issues that are pressing in on our city. Issues like food-insecure children, human trafficking, and racism.

Over many meals, TD and I have wrestled with how the Church could engage in these issues in a redemptive way with city leaders. What is our role as pastors and leaders of local congregations? How can we bring life and hope and healing to these places? What is the church’s role in these places? How can the community of Jesus-followers engage in a redemptive way in these places? Particularly on the issue of racism, which is the ‘third rail’ of conversation topics.

Just in case you haven’t quite picked up on this particular detail yet, T.D. is black. I am white. After a lot of different ideas on the subject of racism in the city, the reality that he and I were faced with was this… The Church is SUPPOSED to be the place of hope for our world, because we are the people of Jesus. But the people of Jesus are still the most segregated people in the world on Sunday mornings. It’s kind of hard to expect something from the community that the church isn’t modeling.

So this Sunday, November 18th, Pastor T.D. Hicks is coming to preach at Western Hills Church. And he’s NOT coming to preach on racism or poverty or human-trafficking. He’s not coming to address how we can solve any problem at all. He’s coming to preach on James 5:7-12.

Why that passage? Because that’s where we are in our series on James.

I do not know what all it will take to heal the wounds of racism in our city. But I do know that one of the things that must happen is that we have to stop seeing T.D. Hicks as a black pastor for the black church and start seeing him as a gifted teacher of the Scriptures, a man of God, who just so happens to be black.

I’m really looking forward to Sunday so that you can meet my friend, T.D. See ya there.

November 13th
November 18th

November 13th
The suicide rate for teens has gone up 70% since in the last 15 years.  In Shawnee County alone, the numbers are shocking.  There have been 17 confirmed suicides by teens in the last 4 years.  That number does not include accidental deaths or drug/alcohol related deaths by teens.  Just in the past 6 months, Shawnee County has had 3 more teen suicides.

We are fortunate to live in a community that is trying to do something about this situation.  On Tuesday, November 13th at 7:00 PM at Topeka Performing Arts Center, Kevin Hines will be addressing the topic of suicide. Kevin Hines survived his own suicide attempt of jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. He will also be making visits to each of the Shawnee County high schools.

November 18th
Pastor T.D. Hicks from Antioch Missionary Baptist Church will be teaching during both of our services at Western Hills Church. I’ve known Pastor Hicks for many years. In fact, we both grew up in Aurora, Colorado, went to rival high schools, and are both die-hard Broncos fans. (Sorry. I had to find a way to get more Bronco coverage in our congregation, given the direction this season is going.)

We both have a heart for our city. He serves as chaplain for the Topeka Police Department. I serve for the Topeka Fire Department. We both serve on the Freedom Now Task Force which is focused on stopping human trafficking in Shawnee County. In these roles, we have both seen how our city and county appear to be under attack from all angles. We also both believe that only Jesus has the words of LIFE and HOPE.

I wanted our congregation to hear from Pastor Hicks, not on the topic of racism or as a civil rights activist. I wanted our congregation to hear from him as a pastor, a shepherd, a fellow Christ-follower who is also trying to figure out how to flesh out his faith and lead another congregation to do the same. I want to do this because I believe that it will be the Church that brings real LIFE and HOPE to our city. Because we are the people of Jesus.

What does it look like for a local church to live out the reality of Jesus?
I will not be so bold to say that I have the answer to this question completely figured out. I think it starts with us being a voice of HOPE for our city.  I think it starts with engaging our city in redemptive ways.  These two dates represent exactly that.

UPDATE: I was just about to hit publish when Twitter went crazy. Apparently after 24 hours of chaos, University of Maryland President Wallace Loh ended up firing head coach DJ Durkin. What remains to be seen is if that came with a green light from the Board of Regents or if after a night’s sleep (or insomnia) he decided to take matters into his own hands. Much of what I wrote below still applies.

Back in June of this year, Jordan McNair collapsed of heat stroke during football practice at the University of Maryland. He would die of that incident due to the lack of professional care given to him by the training staff at the university and the culture in which the head coach DJ Durkin had created at the school.

During the follow-up investigation, the football culture at Maryland was discovered to be Lord of the Flies on steroids. Coaches and trainers had created a culture full of hazing, bullying, fat-shaming, and insults. They would show inappropriate videos to students in order to ‘motivate’ them to be more ‘manly.’ You can read the report for yourself, but I warn you it is not for the faint of heart.

After 4 months of deliberation, the Board of Regents released their findings yesterday in a disastrous press conference led by Board chair James Brady. Not only did the Regents tell President Wallace Loh to retain both the head coach and the athletic director, they told him that if he fired them, he would be replaced. Chair James Brady furthermore showed his cluelessness with inappropriate humor, one-liners, and the comment of “there will be no THIRD chances” during the rest of his press conference.

It was infuriating and unfortunately just another example of disastrous athletic programs running wild. The fact that they are all happening in the Big Ten should not be lost in all of this. In fact, the Big Ten may seriously want to consider realignment. Just put Penn State, Rutgers, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Maryland in the “We Harm Students” division.

The bigger issue here is the lack of courage and basic morality in the whole system that is on display for all to see. The Board of Regents can only hire and fire the President of the University, not the staff. So they lean on the President to keep the coach and AD. The president announces he will retire at end of school year. So nobody is held accountable. Nobody stands up with courage and does the right thing.

What we should have heard from Maryland University President Wallace Loh was, “There are times when leaders do the right thing no matter what it costs. As a president of a university, I’m entrusted to create a safe environment for all students. That can’t happen as long as these two men are employed by this University. And if this costs me my job, I will be able to sleep at night knowing I did the right thing.”

Instead we get, “I’m going to keep my job until June.”

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing. Edward Burke

I do not know the faith status of any of these men in this drama. I don’t think this particular situation requires someone to have a faith in order to do the right thing.

But I do know that living out our faith as Christ-followers may just put us in exactly these kinds of situations. Do the right thing or get fired. It’s not new. In the Old Testament book of Daniel, we discover three Jewish boys who found themselves in one heck of a situation. Kneel down to worship an idol of gold or be thrown in a furnace.

They knew their faith was going to cost them something – from being on the King’s staff to being thrown in a furnace. And when you read the story (Daniel 3), you’ll notice something about their faith. They don’t presume God is going to rescue them just because they are standing for Him.

But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. Daniel 3:18

I think given our current culture, Christ-followers will find themselves more and more in this kind of situation. There will always be people in positions of authority who make decisions with no moral compass, with no sense of right and wrong. Because of this, I believe God has sprinkled His people into some of these circumstances to be courageous agents of change, to be the voice of right and wrong, to protect the vulnerable.

But as Christ-followers, we must know that this will come at a cost to us. It will require the kind of strength it took to look into the eyes of a furnace and say – “I’m with God. Bring it on.”

I think our culture is dying for this kind of leadership right now. Our Savior died to give it to them.

I attended our two-state denomination convention this week. It’s a great time for me to catch up with other pastors and leaders. I get to hear some pretty incredible God-stories as well as some incredible teaching from leaders across Kansas and Nebraska. I enjoy it… for the most part.

Every now and then…and this year was one of those times…I find myself having the most unhealthy conversations with myself.

That guy is an incredible communicator. How can I be more like him?
Why isn’t my church growing as fast as that guy’s church?
Do I still have what it takes to do this?

Insecurity.

Real insecurity, not the fake stuff.

Fake insecurity disguises itself as false humility and encourages laziness. The guy (or gal) that goes on and on about their weaknesses and shortcomings while never doing anything about them is both self-absorbed and lazy. People who travel in these waters aren’t really dealing with insecurity. They are dealing with arrogance.

Real insecurity happens to those of us who are always looking to improve, to change, to get better. Those that want to be more effective in walking in their faith. We are constantly looking for things to tweak and change and improve. I know how frustrating I can be to work with because I’m wired this way.

Those kind of people deal with real insecurity. It’s silent. It’s stealthy. It drives us to at times do some really bizarre things…like think that we all should be gifted the same way and do ministry the same way.

Then one of the speakers told us to turn to Joshua 1. Moses is dead. Joshua is the next man up. God tells him to be bold and courageous. Because he was insecure? Maybe. But I was reminded that Joshua was always kinda bold and courageous. He was one of the spies who said to take the land when the majority said no. He walked with Moses up Mt. Sinai. He was with Moses in the Tabernacle.

It could have been as simple as God saying to him – “I’ve already put this boldness and courage in you. Let’s you and me walk it out together.” A subtle way of saying – ‘You don’t have to do this like Moses did.’

That’s the real crime of insecurity. It steals who we are supposed to be. We put on the mask and task of someone else and in so doing we put down what God has already created for us.

What a great reminder these last two days.

In Matthew 3, Jesus does something very unexpected. He approaches a prophet and asks to be baptized.

Jesus. 30 years old. A lifetime of good living, going to the Temple and the synagogue. He’d been already been circumcised and ‘baptized’ as an infant. Good Jewish lad. The Messiah. The Son. The Lamb of God.

John the Baptist – the guy Jesus asked to baptize Him – was not having it. “Uhhhh… no. I need to be baptized by you.” John knew who Jesus was and what His mission was going to be. John knew that every message he ever preached pointed to this man standing in front of him asking to be baptized, and it didn’t make sense to him.

Baptism wasn’t a new thing. It had been used by other religions to symbolize a new start, a new belief system. Jews in general were resistant to the practice for various reasons – the main one being they believed the practices of their parents, when they were infants, were enough to solidify their standing as God’s chosen people. But John the Baptist was pushing for baptism for a new reason: repent and get ready for the Kingdom to arrive. So when “The Kingdom” asked to be baptized, it was baffling to say the least.

But Jesus was insistent. “This is necessary.”

Necessary? Would Jesus quit being the Son of God if He wasn’t baptized? Would the entire mission and message of Jesus have been compromised if He had not been baptized?

I don’t think it was necessary for any of those reasons. I CAN think of some others, though.

It visibly showed His obedience to the Father.

It signified the start of His public ministry.

It served as an example for future believers.

It showed the entire scope of what Jesus brings to humanity.
Jesus chooses to enter the water. Jesus chose to go to the cross.
Jesus is lowered into the water, symbolizing death. Jesus chose to accept death.
Jesus is raised out of the water. Jesus rose from the grave.
Jesus walks out of the water. Jesus lives eternally and gives us a new life to walk in.

It’s all there. And when we participate in baptism, we too are a part of this larger story that Jesus is telling.

If you have a personal relationship with Jesus and have never been baptized, I really think you ought to consider baptism. Whether you are new to this relationship or you’ve been following Jesus for a long time but never got around to being baptized – it’s a significant marker in the life of a believer. No, it’s not necessary for salvation. No, it’s not going to make you a ‘super-Christian.’

But it is an act of obedience to our Lord. It is a symbol that carries enormous meaning and weight. It’s a significant marker for those who have done it, a time and place where they can say, “from that day forward…” It’s also a time for the rest of God’s family to celebrate with you.

If you have been considering baptism, let me know TODAY! I’d love for you to be a part of our August 26th Baptism Celebration. It’s one of my favorite traditions at Western Hills Church, and it’s a huge spiritual marker in the life of Christ-followers everywhere.

Prayer. It’s the one spiritual practice that I get asked most about. And what I’ve observed is that folks make two huge mistakes where prayer is concerned.

What are the mistakes? Making it more complicated than what it really is, and praying only safe prayers.

More Complicated
Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 get right to the point. Call Him Daddy. Keep it simple. Get to the point. Don’t use big words. Brennan Manning in The Ragamuffin Gospel puts it this way:

A little child cannot do a bad coloring; nor can a child of God do bad prayer. A father is delighted when his little one, leaving off her toys and friends, runs to him and climbs into his arms. As he holds his little one close to him, he cares little whether the child is looking around, her attention flitting from one thing to another, or just settling down to sleep. Essentially the child is choosing to be with her father, confident of the love, the care, the security that is hers in those arms. Our prayer is very much like that.

It may be hard for some of us to understand the picture that Brennan is painting – that of a good father with a lap we can climb up into and just sit for a while. Growing up, I didn’t have the greatest of relationships with either my biological dad or my stepdad. Praise God both of those relationships were redeemed and are healthy today, but growing up, my grandfather was that relationship for me. His rough exterior was never too rough for a hug or an opportunity to go to the flea market or Krispy Kreme or the river with him. I just loved being around him, and it didn’t matter what we were doing. I think he felt the same way about me.

How much more so is it with our Heavenly Father. At its core, prayer is simply seeking out the Father, and it delights Him when we do this.

Safe Prayers
Here’s the second mistake – safe prayers. I remember climbing up in my grandfather’s lap and asking for fishing poles, knives, BB guns, if he’d let me drive his truck, can I drive the boat…

Do you see where I’m going with this? I didn’t make safe requests of my grandfather. He let me do stuff my mom and my grandmother would NEVER let me do, and I loved him for that. I trusted him. Even when he let me do things that didn’t work out like I thought they would – he was there. He let me do dangerous things because he believed that’s what growing up to be a man should be about. Plus I think it was just as much as a thrill for him as it was for me when I experienced new (semi-)dangerous things.

Guess what? We were created to do dangerous things for and with God. But often times we miss them, because our prayers are too safe. We pray predictable prayers for safety, the food, sickness, travel mercies, easy things, and the list grows. In the process, we miss out on miracles and God-sized things because…well, we were too scared to pray.

This next series is about dangerous prayers we NEED to start praying. We need a cultural revolution. We need bolder Christ-followers. We need advocates for Christ in our world. We need bold kids, bold dads, bold moms that are living out the Gospel, AND that is only going to happen AFTER prayer. Not safe, predictable prayers – but dangerous ones.

We are going to be challenged in the coming weeks by 4 dangerous prayers. Each one is going to bring a punch to our prayer life. The good news? They aren’t difficult, complicated prayers. In fact, they are pretty simple in their construction and very easy to understand. More than that – each prayer is only two words long.

You read that right – 2 words.

Search Me.
Break Me.
Mold Me.
Send Me.

Come be challenged this series and take your prayer life to a completely different place.

And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. Genesis 2:2-3

Back in the day, I led a youth worship team. I played guitar, sang and we had a bass player and vocalists. We even had a keyboard player and a violinist (is that a word?). And while I love all of those instruments, you know which one was probably the most important?

The drums.

It’s not because I was trying to relive my childhood dream of fronting an 80’s hair-band. It’s because music is about rhythm, and that’s what the drums provide – a rhythm that every other instrument and singer can follow.

That rhythm has to have rests in it – spaces inside the music where others can fill in. The rests give the music clarity, and it distinguishes it from being just noise. Without a constant rhythm, complete with rests inside it – it is chaotic noise.

This to me is the clearest way to understand Sabbath. It’s a purposed rest to create space and clarity. It can be short or long, but it’s purpose is to create space.

A few years ago, our church leaders made it a priority for our full-time pastors to have a time of purposed “Sabbath” every 5 years of ministry, for 5 weeks. It’s a time to create space for learning and clarity and rejuvenation.

I had my first one two years ago, and it was during that time that I can see the beginning of our refocus on living out the reality of Jesus for those far from the Gospel. It was huge for me to get around other leaders to improve my leadership, but most important it was time for me to listen to God in a way that I had never experienced before in my life. It still fuels me.

Believe it or not, Parker Dane has been a part of Western Hills for 5 years, and now it is his turn for that kind of time. The timing is perfect. This year, we’ve watched Parker’s leadership grow, moving from the Student Ministry into our Discipleship Pastor. The task is larger than the title would imply. Not only has Parker given valuable leadership to our adult Connect Groups but also our Children’s Ministry, and he continues to have a huge influence in our Student Ministry, along with many other areas of responsibility, such as building and hospitality.

So starting July 15th, Parker will take his sabbatical. He’s got a couple of conferences planned as well as some time alone to think, dream, play, and listen. Western Hills, you were so thoughtful and respectful of my time. I know you’re going to do the same for Parker. If something does come up, the rest of us are here to help in any way possible. Call/text/email any one of the other staff members – me included – and we will do the best we can.

Would you pray with me for Parker during this time? Here’s what I’m asking:

That God would refresh him.
That God would speak clearer than He ever has in his life.
That Parker would learn something new.
That this time would be full of laughter and wonder.
That Parker’s time in the Word would be deep and challenging.

Nationally, there are more pastors walking away from ministry than there are coming into it. While there are a lot of reasons for this, one huge reason is the lack of Sabbath. Pastors tend to be the worst at creating space and time to listen to God. I’m so thankful we serve in a church that values this.

Amy and I got a chance to see Solo: A Star Wars Story a few weeks ago. I’ll post a longer review on my personal website sometime, but something struck me while watching the film.

There are all these nuanced one-liners and scenes that refer back to the Original Trilogy. They are packed throughout the movie, and for the most part they work. I really enjoyed them, but I’m also a huge Star Wars fan which brings up two huge questions.

Does the average fan catch all the inside jokes? Probably not. Maybe. Who knows? But this leads to the 2nd question…

Where’s the larger story that Solo is supposed to connect to? This is the biggest problem with the movie. There’s no larger story that ties it all together. It’s a heist/action/buddy film that uses the Star Wars universe for context. So all the one-liners and nods to the larger Star Wars universe is, for the most part, lost.

The bigger point is, if you don’t have a grander story, all this other stuff is…pointless.

In a way, all of this reminds me of the series we are currently in – The Kingdom. If you don’t understand the grander story Jesus was talking about, the parables are kind of cool stories, but…what’s the point?

The point of the parables was not to make moral people or good leaders. The point of the parables was for the hearers to choose to engage and be a part of a new reality. A reality where Jesus gets the last word and He then begins to make things on earth as it is in Heaven, starting first and foremost with our own hearts.

The Kingdom is about seeing the reality of Jesus in our own lives first. Then He uses the transformed Christ-follower to continue to make things on earth as they are in Heaven. His Kingdom come.