Church or Self Help Organization?

For years now I have been struggling with understanding the balance between spirituality and practical value of ministry.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find much to sort out the matter so I am bring my thoughts to you asking for what you think.

Social Media as a tool in Ministry - Facebook "pages"

So the concept of using a social media platform to distribute information to people is not a new concept. However people are discovering new and better ways to use the tools that are currently available. 

Most Recently I have personally started what Facebook calls a "public figure" page. The effort is to maximize utility of Facebook as a communication tool, specifically for me in ministry. Not many church workers are doing this yet but I think it is something that we all should do. So I want to discuss the reasons behind using Social Media as a tool and how that can impact both good and bad in our lives and ministry.

Why a "public figure" page?

quite simply here because there is not specification for Church Worker, Pastor, or any other religiously affiliated title that is specific. Other professionals get to use pages specifically titled for their line of work like "politician" "teacher" "artist" "writer" and many others, the title that most appropriately fits a person in local church ministry is "public figure." We have chosen to live our lives as an example to others and therefore become a figure for the public to look to, we should hide nothing of ourselves it is our witness. If we are afraid for others to see an aspect of our lives then we should rethink our position or involvement in those activities.

The next question that comes naturally is:

If you say you should hide nothing of yourself then why should you have a separate "public figure" page instead of doing all your communication through your personal profile?

Here the reasoning gets a little more logistical. The algorithms that Facebook uses to decide who sees what posts are very specific, they have to do with the number of "friends" you have, how many of them are online, who have you "recently" interacted with via Facebook. Is is a picture? is it a link? or is it just words? Is it a poll question? if so who has responded to it? The developers at Facebook know that we all get online to see something, however if they showed us everything then we would see less of what we "like" so their algorithm factors all these things in with all your friends and then decides when and where it should show up on people's news feed. So consequently the time of day that you post something could be the difference between it being seen by 3 people or 300 people. (if you have enough friends that it could be seen by 3,000 people then Facebook has likely already talked to you about changing your page format because posts are rarely seen by more than 2/3rds of your friends and there is a 5,000 friend limit)  When you use Facebook as a ministry tool, you should make sure you are maximizing its utility. A "page" that someone has to actively click like for the item to show up in their news feed, is more likely to be content that the algorithm will push to the people connected to your page. Additionally, it allows you to view insights into who sees which posts. Allowing you even further to make the most out of the ministry tool, in this case a Facebook "public figure" page.

The point is not to hide posts from people, and it is not to hijack people's news-feed but instead to get messages of value to the people who find value in what you have to say. 

Who decides what message is valuable, significant, or relevant, to the people on Facebook? 

In a personal profile, you do. In a "page" they do. They have to click the like button on the page to even begin seeing posts from it in their news feed. Where as through the personal profile algorithm it factors in interactions that you have made and your posts could start showing up on the news-feed of someone whose photos you browsed but otherwise have little or no interaction aside from sitting next to each other in the 6th grade and not wanting to hurt the other persons feelings when a friend request showed up in your inbox.

What this does not mean is that you should show less about your faith or make less ministry related posts on a personal page because we are not hiding ourselves from people in our past nor should we be. However, we should be paying attention to see if someone has clicked a link to an important article we posted. When we have a word we hope will inspire a specific group of people we should be intentional enough to let them hear it.

We should make the most out of the Social Media Tools that we have before us doing everything we can to communicate with people whose lives our touched by our ministry.

As Always thanks for your time and giving this a read. If you enjoyed it share it with friends, you can do so easily with one of the buttons below. I pray that you will embrace life in the Love and Grace offered to you through Jesus Christ, and that you will always remember Jeremiah 29:11.  – For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to Proper You and not for harm, Plans with Hope for the Future.

Pardon the crass expression but it is true.

Do you feel like young people are just impossible to connect with these days? Maybe you are a parent or a teacher who just feels like teenagers wont listen to you. Maybe you are involved with young people in another way and it seems like the generation that was born after AOL became popular is the most disrespectful people you have ever met. Maybe you are great at connecting with young people and think they are fantastic. Maybe This generation gives you hope for a better world in the future. I have no idea where in the spectrum you may find yourself. But I can offer a bit of wisdom on the subject. Hopefully you will find it useful in understanding your interactions with people under 20. Most importantly I hope it helps you evaluate yourself in a way that leads to personal growth.

To me what I am about to share is what I consider to be a leading factor in why young people are moving away from previously well established places like church.

Here it is.

Young people have been increasingly exposed to modern technology that exposes them to exponentially growing communication and information. Because sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and whatever other communication or social network you can think of expose us to so many people, it is now a matter of social survival to notice pattern in order to discern between what is authentic and what is fake or sarcastic.

Basically what I'm saying is - Young people are getting better and better at smelling b.s.

Pardon the crass expression but it is true.

In a world where Facebook notifies you of each of your "friends" birthdays what significance is it when you write happy birthday on their wall? Often the only time a person communicates directly with us in a given year through Facebook is when we see this reminder. Is there really a connection through that? Most young people will acknowledge that they appreciate the gesture, but it caries little weight in knowing how that person does or doesn't value them.

Someone with the pattern of being rude, selfish, and full of pride, who has only said hello to you in the hallway at school or shared a third grade classroom with you might shoot you a message or "like" a post, or "favorite" a tweet. In that moment young people wonder what is the motive, is it to be seen as the nice person who wishes you a happy birthday? is the motive to make you think about them? is the motive selfish, or selfless. Is it an authentic connection or is it fake?

Even more confusing is the person who we know even less about or are less connected to sends us a message asking how things are going.

So when it comes to connecting with young people (especially those who cant remember the world before AOL instant messenger or cant even remember that far back) there is a constant evaluation of authenticity. There is a constant guard against the fake, phony, sarcastic, and selfish pride.

It is not until you can show them a level of consistency in who you are, and that you value who they are and not just what they can bring to you, that you will be able to connect with them on a level that serves to  impact their lives.

When you as a parent or teacher or youth worker try to have a serious conversation about God, morality, or simply respect and responsibility think first about what you have invested in connecting with them. They already have and will at best invest in what your telling them to the degree that they perceive you have invested in them.

With regard to why I think this contributes to young people leaving established churches, denominations, or religion is because there is often a disconnect between what we believe and how we live. This is inconsistency is the main red flag of something that is fake. So they begin to trust less of what/who they hear and then loose respect before disconnecting completely.

Are we ever going to be able to live 100% consistent lives probably not but I hope that this article would help to move you on toward perfection. Let us seek to live authentically and genuinely value the lives of the people we interact with if not all people. Hopefully the ever increasing ability to distinguish authenticity and depth from that which is shallow and fake will serve to move the world in a positive direction forcing us to love our neighbors just that much more.

As Always thanks for your time and giving this a read. If you enjoyed it share it with friends, you can do so easily with one of the buttons below. I pray that you will embrace life in the Love and Grace offered to you through Jesus Christ, and that you will always remember Jeremiah 29:11.  – For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to Proper You and not for harm, Plans with Hope for the Future.

Top 10 Things High School Graduates Need to Know

Top 10 Things High School Graduates Need To know

10. Get connected with a local Church in your College Town

    -This not only will help with extra free meals and people who will let you do laundry at their place it will help keep you connected in Christian community to help you survive and thrive.

9.   Do not make important decisions after 1AM or before 9AM

     -If you notice it or not your level of fatigue affects your ability to think clearly and rationally.

8.   Don’t Think Life will be Easy Majoring in something that won’t get you a Job and Graduating with 50k+ in Debt

7.   You are only as independent as the bills you can afford to pay yourself

    -Keep this in mind any time you and the parents can’t seem to agree on things

6.    Accept Life isn’t fair. People Cheat. People Lie. Some people in Authority positions are Corrupt Get over it and Take the High Road

5.    Understand the Difference between Want and Need

    -“I WANT the new Macbook Pro, or the new droid”

    -“I need scan-trons and food”

 4.    Learn to Say No, Even to Good things

     -Time is your most precious commodity think about how your using it and prioritize

3.    How smart you are is less important Than How Diligently you work and how knowledge and skills are applied in your daily life

2.   Freshman Year of College Can be both the Most Exciting and also the Hardest Year of Your Life

     -Change is hard and you will be going through a lot of it in a very short period of time

1.   You can’t go back to the way things were before; you can only go forward to what is possible.

As Always thanks for your time and giving this a read. If you enjoyed it share it with friends, you can do so easily with one of the buttons below. I pray that you will embrace life in the Love and Grace offered to you through Jesus Christ, and that you will always remember Jeremiah 29:11.  – For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to Proper You and not for harm, Plans with Hope for the Future.

Epiphany sermon

Since this message was delivered on New Years morning I have had a lot of requests for it, here ya go.
I think this is the only way I am able to host the Audio file of my epiphany sermon for free. If you know of a better way please let me know via the comment section. If you enjoyed this message and live in the Dallas area I would like to invite you to join Preston Hollow United Methodist for worship on Sunday mornings at 10 AM. www.prestonhollowumc.org for more information. If you would be interested in having me speak at your church your camp or any event I would be glad to. Email me at jacobw.fields@gmail.com

As Always thanks for your time and giving this a read. If you enjoyed it share it with friends, you can do so easily with one of the buttons below. I pray that you will embrace life in the Love and Grace offered to you through Jesus Christ, and that you will always remember Jeremiah 29:11.  – For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to Proper You and not for harm, Plans with Hope for the Future.

We are on the road to Houston then straight to Moscow!!!

Peace That Passes Understanding

The peace that passes understanding, have you ever heard anyone use this phrase?

Maybe you have, maybe you have even experienced it. It is almost like a blissful state of euphoria where everything in the world is just okay even though they aren't. Of course, I realize that my attempt to illustrate this concept is hopeless because by definition it is beyond understanding. When I hear this phrase I am sometimes confused. I wish I could figure out how in a world with so much conflict, so much turmoil, and so much pain, that someone could be at "peace" with themselves or the world or God or whatever it is they are at peace with. It is mind-boggling to contemplate the things that cannot be understood, especially for me. Then it occurred to me, what must happen before this can be achieved. It is really quite a simple concept so I hope that I can figure out how to grasp it and maybe you can too.

To experience the peace that passes understanding you must first accept that there are some things in this world in which you will never be able to understand no matter how hard you try.

God help me accept the limits of my mind.

**added 5/23/17 **

A little more than 6 years after first publishing this post, I have learned a great deal. Unfortunately, our world has only become more chaotic, with seemingly more conflict and turmoil. My own life has seen some significant ups and downs. Yet, I have experienced this peace more and more over time. 

The thought actually originates in Scripture, it comes from Philippians 4:7 which says:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus - NIV

As it turns out, attaining the peace that passes understanding has less to do with accepting our own limitations and more to do with trusting in God.

There are a number of things I could talk about here, and perhaps I will continue to add to this post on another day, but for me, the priority for growing in our trust of God is growing in our understanding and practice of Sabbath.

When people tell me they are struggling in their faith, feeling anxious, or overwhelmed, a question I often ask is: when was the last time you took an entire 24 hours of rest/not working (school or paid)?

The answers I usually get are some sort of dodging the question because the person can't answer it. They don't remember the last time they took a day off. This causes a LOT of problems for our physical, mental, and spiritual health. After all, taking a sabbath (day of rest) is not just a suggestion in the bible "It's a Divine Command!!" So how do we do it? how can we get better at trusting God? 

Well, I have a great book to recommend on the topic:


Order yourself a copy, read it, and let me know what you think. 

As Always thanks for your time and giving this a read. If you enjoyed it share it with friends, you can do so easily with one of the buttons below. I pray that you will embrace life in the Love and Grace offered to you through Jesus Christ and that you will always remember Jeremiah 29:11.  – For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to Proper You and not for harm, Plans with Hope for the Future.

Holy Week - Easter

Today I will be sharing with you one of my favorite parts of the Easter Story. Of course, I very much love and appreciate all the significance of the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross and I especially love that they found the tomb empty on that morning. My writing today, however, does not come from the last chapter of Hamilton's book  24 Hours that Changed the World Instead today's reflection on the Risen Christ comes from what I think is one of the coolest scripture references about how great and mighty God is.

Matthew 28:2-4 says "for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men."

So one of the ways in which the chief priests argued for Christ to be Crucified was that they said he was trying to lead a rebellion against Caesar, against Rome. Of course, Pilate himself did not quite see their perspective but to please the crowd still had Jesus crucified. The priests also convinced Pilate to have the centurions guard the tomb to keep anyone from stealing the body. Pilate provided a "Guard" of them to watch over the tomb.

Now it has been suggested to me by a wonderful historian that there would have been at least 6 Centurions in a "guard" and as many as 300 depending on the perceived threat of the situation. Given Pilate's hesitations with crucifying Christ and that the Jews posed a very little physical threat to the Romans it was likely on the lower end of this number. Let me point out that of all the fighting men in all the history of the world, Roman Centurions were the toughest fiercest meanest killing machines that existed. The average Centurion had a kill ratio of 13:1 so if a Centurion were by himself he could face 12 armed fighters without blinking. So when you do the math you have at least 6 men with a kill ratio of 13:1 meaning together they could face and defeat easily 60 fighting men. However there is something else that you might want to know about the Roman Centurions, they were also the most skilled and disciplined strategic fighters and the reason for the minimum number of men in the "guard" was so they if needed could perform a defensive maneuver called the "Tortoise."  In this defensive position if these Centurions were to come under attack they would come together and use their shields to form a protective shell around them opening holes between shields just enough to see the enemy and kill them with a sword sticking out of the shell. Within this "Tortoise" maneuver they would have been able to survive against a much larger fighting force. It was likely that these men wouldn't even call for backup if faced by hundreds of lightly armed Jews that might come to Jesus tomb. They also had a strict no Surrender policy in which they were always committed to fighting to the death.(if I have mistaken any of this information I hope you would correct me in the comments below)

Now that we have that context, those passing verses have a different significance. To think that this "guard" of Centurions saw the Angel of the Lord and were so scared that they fell as if they were dead!!? What must they have seen? What is it about God that could scare them so much? Every biblical example of the Angel of the Lord appearing the Angel has to say "do not be afraid." It is hard for me to picture fearing God in this way. I understand God to be Love and I trust in his mercy and grace as the Bible instructs. But to think of seeing something so powerful to strike fear into the strongest men our minds could imagine, to think of that only makes me curious. I wonder what it would have been like to be there that morning. I wonder what the Angel of Lord might have looked like. I wonder what it would have felt like on a nice spring morning filled with sorrow, in a time of mourning the death of not only a friend but the Messiah to see the stone rolled back, to see the tomb empty. What would it have been like? Have you experienced the Risen Christ?

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Holy Week - Saturday

This week is a very special week. It is the most important week on the entire Christian calendar and within this week we remember the events that changed our world forever. I always try to do something extra special this week of the year, and this year I have chosen to journey with you, through a book by Adam Hamilton. 24 Hours that Changed the World is a great book with only 7 chapters. So Each Day - Monday to Easter Sunday - I review a chapter from the book. I very much recommend that you click the link here and overnight yourself a copy so that you can join in the discussions of each chapter in the comments below.

Chapter 6 - The Crucifixion

Today, if we follow the footsteps of the disciples through the week, must have been the worst, how fitting it is that we examine the actual crucifixion today.

Hamilton points to two things about the method used and points to two common historical misconceptions about how Jesus may have suffered to the point of death. The first is to me less significant when it comes to exploring the emotions of the events that took place and that is the suggestion that Christ's feet were not one atop the other nailed to the cross but instead nailed separately on either side of the cross. This to me makes more logistical sense anyways considering the goal of crucifixion was a slow agonizing death and the nails in the feet were expected to be weight bearing so that the criminals could lift themselves to breathe and to ease the strain on their arms. So in a sense, the Romans would have wanted it to be easier for them to lift themselves up so the suffering would last longer (they kind of enjoyed that stuff).

The thing Hamilton points out that I want you to concentrate on is that there is a reason to believe that the cross was not nearly as tall as most imagery and movie scenes would seem to suggest. He says that it is likely that the vertical beam of the cross stood no more than 10 feet high with room above the criminal's head for the sign depicting the nature of his crime. This, for me, completely changes the emotions of the last 6 hours of Jesus' life. Hamilton begs us to imagine standing on a chair looking at our friends, from this vantage point it is still possible to look people in the eye. It is close enough to feel the emotion of your mother crying. It is close enough

to hear the voices of those mumbling statements of doubt. It is close enough to realize exactly what is going on as the soldiers are fighting over your clothes. As I mentioned this day, this Saturday after Good Friday and before Easter had to have been the worst day in the entire life of the disciples. Can you imagine being close enough to feel the struggle for life your Messiah went through as he prayed for those crucifying him? Can you imagine the sense of duty John must have felt when his teacher and his friend asks him to care for mother Mary? Can you imagine the sense of emptiness and defeat after Jesus Cried his last and they pierced his side? Can you imagine carrying Jesus Body into the tomb and laying down the dead corpse of the one you had believed would save the world? I am thankful that I did not have to suffer that day without the knowledge or understanding of what they would see come Sunday morning. I am thankful that I have never known a world that didn't know the best part of the story. Because in the moments of my life where I cannot see what God's plan could possibly be, in the moments of lowest hope in my life, it has to be nothing compared to laying Christ in a tomb and not knowing of the resurrection.

May you live a life that takes joy in knowing what they found the next day. May you live a life with the hope they did not know of on that Saturday long ago, and may you experience the reality of Christ resurrected.

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Holy Week - Good Friday

This week is a very special week. It is the most important week on the entire Christian calendar and within this week we remember the events that changed our world forever. I always try to do something extra special this week of the year, and this year I have chosen to journey with you through a book by Adam Hamilton. 24 Hours that Changed the World is a great book with only 7 chapters. So Each Day - Monday to Easter Sunday - I will review a chapter from the book. I very much recommend that you click the link here and overnight yourself a copy so that you can join in the discussions of each chapter in the comments below.

Chapter 5 - The Torture and Humiliation of the King

This is a difficult subject for me: flogging, beating, taunting. Of all the people in the entire world in all of history, it would be the easiest for us to point the finger at those people in that instant and say that is a sin: hitting Jesus with a whip, tearing his flesh over and over again. I am reminded of the movie Passion of Christ the scene from the movie that disturbed me the most was the flogging, it just kept going. When you got to the point of thinking that is enough it just kept going. Jesus never asked them to stop, he remained silent. In the moments of my sin is Christ there? is he standing silently waiting for me to realize how much he loves me? Does Jesus require or even ask us to stop or is his priority that we understand the lengths that he would go to show how much he loves us even in that moment. You see when I sin and realize that what I am doing is a sin and I continue in selfishness anyways, I am the one holding the whip. When it gets to the point where my actions have done so much damage the truth is that more often than not even I keep going. Jesus asks those who have received healing to "go and sin no more" yet to those who are still entrenched in their sin, like Zacheus the tax collector and like all those who inflict pain on him in the last hours of his life he never calls them to repent. Zacheus brought Jesus home with him and was compelled so much by Christ’s love that he changed his life without being asked. The Soldiers responsible for the task of torturing were surely included in those whom Jesus prayed for on the Cross "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do" and surely they are included among the witnesses of the thunder and ground shaking and the dead being raised to life that it describes happened that afternoon. Surely their lives were changed. So what is it about God's love that without condemning us for what we are doing leads us to change?

For me, this reinforces that me changing for the better is only in response to God's love for me and not that I have to change before God will love me. This is true for all of us. Maybe you have understood a different way from people of the church, insisting that you must change your ways for God to accept you; that my friend is not the case. God loves you exactly the way you are, but thankfully he loves us so much that he will never leave us unchanged after we truly experience His love. So my question for you today is: In what ways have you experienced the Love of God? And how has that changed your life?

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Holy Week - Thursday

This week is a very special week. It is the most important week on the entire Christian calendar and within this week we remember the events that changed our world forever. I always try to do something extra special this week of the year, and this year I have chosen to journey with you through a book by Adam Hamilton. 24 Hours that Changed the World is a great book with only 7 chapters. So Each Day - Monday to Easter Sunday - I will review a chapter from the book. I very much recommend that you click the link here and overnight yourself a copy so that you can join in the discussions of each chapter in the comments below.

Chapter 4 - Jesus, Barabbas, and Pilate

Today's Chapter challenges me in many ways. It discusses the events of Pilate. At first, we have the accusations. There is something that happens even here that we as Christians should learn from. When hurtful and accusatory words were spoken about/ to Jesus, He did not become defensive. He did not himself become accusatory. He remained silent. This is so different from normal that a man, who had no historical problem with killing Jews, was hesitant. Something about Jesus stood out to Pilate so much that he "washed his hands" of Jesus Blood. So what is it about being calm and not defending yourself is so compelling that it would lead to this? It is just so unusual. The first thing I do, and many people I know, is to answer harsh words with harsh words. When someone speaks negatively to or about me without even thinking I react defensively often in a way that is just as petty as what is being said. In fact, this concept is so pervasive in human interactions that one of the best books on how to relate to people is almost exclusively about this subject, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. If we are to be like Christ this is a very significant lesson.

In this chapter Hamilton also clearly communicates the idea of Substitution. Substitution is the belief that Christ who was sinless took the place of the sinners on the cross that we may be saved from sin and death and brought back into relationship with God. This belief means that the death Jesus Died was intended for me, and for you. The way that this is highlighted almost makes me jealous of Barabbas on that day. He was the first to experience the realization that Christ took his place on the cross when Pilate released him to the crowd while shouting to Crucify Jesus. Can you imagine a beaten and bloody Christ, standing silent across from you about to be lead to and nailed on a cross to die and you who have been guilty of murder (all sin is equal in the eyes of God) are being set free? Can you imagine looking into his eyes knowing that you should be in his place?

Can you imagine the reassuring look he might give back saying "don't feel guilty I choose to take this that you might live to know a God who LOVES YOU."

If we can put ourselves in Barabbas' place in that instance how would our lives change?

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Holy Week - Wednesday

This week is a very special week. It is the most important week on the entire Christian calendar and within this week we remember the events that changed our world forever. I always try to do something extra special this week of the year, and this year I have chosen to journey with you through a book by  Adam Hamilton. 24 Hours that Changed the World is a great book with only 7 chapters. So Each Day - Monday to Easter Sunday - I will review a chapter from the book. I very much recommend that you click the link here and overnight yourself a copy so that you can join in the discussions of each chapter in the comments below.

Chapter 3 - Condemned by the Righteous

Today we are reminded of several things that are present in the world today that cause pain. When looking at the story of Jesus' so called trial at the Sanhedrin we are reminded of the damage we can cause from love of power, authority, and respect of peers or fear of loosing such things. Surely of the 71 members of the Sanhedrin or those simply observing the spectacle someone knew that what was happening was not right. Spitting, Taunting, Beating, and lying are not things looked favorably on by the Torah and would not be model behavior that the so called righteous would normally display. In the secrecy of those early morning hours without the accountability of the public, the moral examples in Jerusalem became bullies. And even though it is likely that not everyone participated in the belittling of Jesus, it is clear that not one spoke up for what was right.

How often do we fall victim to defaming another around us? When we speak with negativity about people we seek to justify ourselves by claiming as truth the most negative examples we can think of to describe a person. How does that make us any different or any better? When we do this to people we know are we not doing it also then to Christ whose image humankind was made in? When we do this are we not belittling God's Creation? Or what about when we simply fail to speak up? What about when we simply fail to do what

is right? I know you are thinking well if that is what is required then we might as well give up because we can't live to that expectation every time. That is exactly the point! You and I will continue to mess up every hour of every day we will fail to live in perfect community failing to lover our neighbor and failing to hear the cry of the needy. This is why Christ has died for us: so that we would never give up. He took our punishment; he took our death so that we might live better tomorrow than we did today never being ashamed of the times we have failed but instead using those instances as examples to drive ourselves and those around us to a better future.

It is no coincidence that Peter's Denial is also a part of this story. As Adam Hamilton points out the story of Peter's denial is present in all of the gospels so many people would have had to have heard the story for this to happen. Yet the only one who was there to pass on the story was Peter himself. This example challenges us to use the deepest and darkest embarrassments and failures of our life in a way not only to challenge others to move beyond our flaws but as a way of highlighting God's love and Mercy and how if he can forgive even that, then surely there is hope for us all.

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Holy Week - Tuesday

This week is a very special week. It is the most important week on the entire Christian calendar and within this week we remember the events that changed our world forever. I always try to do something extra special this week of the year, and this year I have chosen to journey with you through a book by Adam Hamilton. 24 Hours that Changed the World is a great book with only 7 chapters. So Each Day - Yesterday to Easter Sunday - I will review a chapter from the book. I very much recommend that you click the link here and overnight yourself a copy so that you can join in the discussions of each chapter in the comments below.

Chapter 2 - The Garden of Gethsemane

We start off by being reminded that there was quite a walk from the meal to the place of prayer that night.

So for today's devotion, I want to encourage you to find a place outdoors, possibly in a park or even a church prayer garden to reflect on some of the things that Hamilton brings up in this chapter.

The garden is pointed out to be a bit of a parallel in the gospel of John to remind us of another thing that happened in the garden as Adam and Eve choose not to be obedient to God when they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Christ is clearly sad about the things that he knows are going to happen. Through all the events that take place in that 24-hour window this is where he shows the most emotion. He takes the time to be alone, keeping his friends nearby and throws himself on the ground crying out to God even to the point of sweat like blood. I want you to think about the things that we know looking back that he knew looking forward. I want you to think about how he told God what he wanted, but in the end, he submits himself by saying "not my will but your's God." I want you to know that it is okay to cry to God in times of pain or even anger, God surely is big enough to handle you being upset with him. I encourage you also then to move forward from your feelings in obedience to God.

I want you to put yourself in the place of the disciples that fell asleep, trying so hard and knowing that you keep letting him down. (Yet remember he still loved them enough to bear the cross and rise again)

I want you to put yourself in the place of Jesus, knowing that everyone whom you trust will let you down at one point or another yet we should still choose to love and serve them.

Stay for a while in whatever place you have chosen to pray and as you leave that place pray "just as the disciples left you there alone in the hands of your accusers, I too am leaving this place for my own selfishness. Forgive me, and never leave me" Then trust that He will and He Won't! (He will forgive you, he will never leave you)

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Ev@ngel*$m has become a bad word

Evangelism, The E-Word. Aside from very few traditions, this word is run from rather than embraced. How can a word that simply means “good news” cause such a negative reaction?
Whose stomach doesn't turn when they see a sign like this one?
Explore with me what has happened with this word, and how maybe we can see this concept in a different light.

Throughout the history of the Church, Christians have often approached their views on God as an, I’m right and your wrong, this is what you should believe, the way of impacting others and increasing the number of those who participate in their religion. There are words used to define such views as a right view (Orthodoxy) and a wrong view (Heresy). This language and this mindset have led to creating a very insider-outsider worldview that leads to hostility and not love. Not only has it done this with our views of Christians and Non-Christians, this hostility has translated itself into Catholic Vs. Protestant, Christain Vs. Jew, Methodist Vs. Baptist, Evangelical Vs. Social Justice, Conservative Vs. Liberal. Yet we wonder why and continue to condemn the actions of others when hostel language infiltrates media and politics?

There are many who are a part of any one of those groups that would disagree with what I am saying and many in those same groups that see a contradiction.

I am not here to say that one is right and one is wrong, I am not here to say I am right or that I know more than you about it. I am simply writing about what I have seen and heard in my experiences with various peoples and you are welcome to not only disagree but also to tell me about it and share your opinion.

I have grown up in the Methodist tradition, and with that, I have experienced people from other traditions telling me that my relationship with God is not valid because I do not participate in their tradition. I have been guilty of assuming the same of others at one point or another.

You see when others have told me that I am wrong and that I should believe as they believe, it only serves to detract from both our faiths and not to build up either one. I take it as an attack on what I believe and in turn attack another. We are all guilty of this no matter if you are post-modern or fundamental.

The Jesus I know was not like this. The Jesus I know lived in the midst of contradiction and embraced it instead of distancing himself and demonizing the oppressors (specifically speaking of the Romans). The Jesus I know taught a different way, a way that I still have trouble comprehending. The Jesus I know said I should love those who hate me and to hate no one. The Jesus I know was concerned with truths and un-truths not “I’m right”s and “your wrong”s. The Jesus I know was not sent to condemn but to redeem. The Jesus I know followed the Law and the Spirit. The Jesus I know lived deeply and spoke simply(parables).

So When Gandhi says “I like your Christ, but not your Christians” I can’t simply agree. I have to realize that I contribute to that.

In a world where Christian Media has become so mainstream that people identify Christians more with what we hate than what we love, then Evangelism has become a bad word.
In a world where we get more upset with a teenage girl having an abortion than we do about all those children that are born without a positive influence and support system, then Evangelism has become a bad word.
In a world where we blame our neighbors for their problems as an excuse not to help instead of meeting their needs and guiding them through troubled times, then Evangelism has become a bad word.
We see injustices, and out of fear of offending, or not being heard, or contributing to the “I’m Right! You’re Wrong!” mentality. Out of Fear we too often remain Silent! Because Evangelism Has Become A Bad Word.

You see the God I know is Big enough.

You see the God I know loves You and there is nothing you can do to change that!

The God I know is a good God

The God I know Plans to prosper and not to harm

The God I know will never leave us

You see the God I know created ALL Things

You see the God I know knows ALL Things

The God I know is Big Enough

So when I share with you these things I share with you, my faith. I may not have it all figured out but I have seen things and I have experienced things. I have witnessed Love and I have witnessed hate. All around me I hear people talking about things as if they were true and although I cannot say you are wrong, I can say that I know something else to be true.

I know that people look for fulfillment and/or escape by drowning their sorrows in alcohol. I have seen how that simply leads to further destruction and even more pain.

I know that people seek sex and the approval of others to validate their lives and to give them a feeling of importance. I have seen how that leads to confusion about who they are and only causes them to feel even more insignificant.

I know of many other situations like these where people are looking for truth in places I have never seen it found. I have seen myself too often stay silent about the value and the truth that God has been for me.
Isn’t that really all we can do anyways?

All I can offer you is what I have seen and what I have experienced. I cannot Convert you, nor should that be my goal.

What I can do is I can share my faith

I can tell you about my life and what God has been and done for me

I can only provide you information

It is for others to decide what to do with the information.

You see Evangelism has become a bad word….
…… and when I keep my mouth shut, I only contribute to the problem.

Share your faith with anyone you can in every way you can as often as you can. Live your life as an example for others, but don’t forget the challenge that Saint Francis gave us “Preach the Gospel at all times when necessary use words.”

If we only remember the first part and fail to use words when the situation calls for it, when our life experience can benefit our neighbor, then we continue to make Evangelism a bad word.

What are you doing to spread the good news?

What are you doing to share your faith?

What are you doing to show others about the God you know?

As Always thanks for your time and giving this a read. If you enjoyed it share it with friends, you can do so easily with one of the buttons below. I pray that you will embrace life in the Love and Grace offered to you through Jesus Christ and that you will always remember Jeremiah 29:11.  – For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to Proper You and not for harm, Plans with Hope for the Future.