A prayer for strength and courage

A Prayer to the Holy Spirit  

- William Browning

O Holy Spirit,
give me stillness of soul in you.
Calm the turmoil within,
with the gentleness of your peace.
Quiet the anxiety within,
with a deep trust in you.
Heal the wounds of sin within,
with the joy of your forgiveness.
Strengthen the faith within,
with the awareness of your presence.
Confirm the hope within,
with the knowledge of your strength.
Give fullness to the love within,
with an outpouring of your love.

O Holy Spirit,
be to me a source of light, strength and courage
so that I may hear your call ever more clearly
and follow you more generously.

Found this over the weekend during a time I really needed it.
Maybe you need it today.

Praying for 26 families

Whether or not today is a day of worship for you, please remember to pray for the families and friends of these 26 victims from Friday's shooting. They are still in deep, intense mourning and need our prayers.

Tears for Newtown

Of all He has given us there is nothing
more powerful than choice.
It is a hammer, full of potential and danger,
able to destroy or to build. 
Yesterday someone used it to shatter.

Anger and grief are predominate 
and in my solidarity with the parents 
I think I can safely say that we don't want 
to see adolescence interviewed about their 
experiences and we don't want to hear 
why you think you still need your gun.

Apologize for my anger?
I don't think so. I hope not. 
He trashed a temple because evil men
took advantage of innocence 
so my feelings right now seem to resonate.
Trashing a temple today would be worthless
but putting a hole in drywall 
would probably feel pretty good.

Brokenhearted implies there are pieces
that can be taped together or cracks
that can be sewn up for mending.
When the moments we dread come to be
our hearts become dust
so typical sympathetic band-aids
become worthless and slightly insulting. 

So I grieve for the parents in Newtown.
In their beyond understanding pain 
I beg God to bring His beyond understanding peace.
Though with much smaller tears, we weep with them.

Now is the time for tears

I went to pick up Baylee a little earlier than normal from school today. Rushed a little faster from the car to get to the door. Squeezed a little harder than normal when she ran to me. Because my heart shatters right now for the parents who lost their little ones in Connecticut today.

Words are pretty much unnecessary at this point. Tears speak everything.

So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf

You have been King of my glory

Won't You be my Prince of Peace

- Rich Mullins

Hurricane Sandy as seen from Google Earth

Screenshot of Hurricane Sandy as seen via Google Earth:

Praying for my family and friends out there and for all those along her path.

Why 9/12 is as important as 9/11

Yesterday was a post about 9/11. 

But today is September 12th. 

Everyone goes back to the grind, back to the busyness and hectic pace. There will possibly be a few mentions of 9/11 throughout the day:

"Did you see any of the memorials on TV?"

"Did your church do anything special?"

 

Conversation will be sincere, but probably brief. But it's 9/12. We've moved on. 

9/11: Already Starting to Fade

World War I. is incredibly interesting. The stories of what soldiers went through are phenomenal. They are meaningful because of my related history as a citizen of our country. But not experiencing WWI firsthand I don't have an emotional connection to it. I don't feel it.

But 9/11 I experienced and 9/11 I felt. Not as a New Yorker would have. Not as one of the victim's family and friends would have. But in my own way as a Chicagoan, as a husband, as a youth pastor, and just as a guy looking at a screen with complete disbelief.

And now it is 2012, eleven years later. I found this cartoon yesterday that pretty much sums it up:

Stop comparing grass colors

Stop looking at other yards!!!

If yours needs weeding, then take care of it!

If yours needs mowing, then take care of it!

If yours needs watering, then take care of it! 

But the energy you spend comparing grass colors is a waste. There's as many weeds and dog piles and beetles in the other place as where you're standing now. You just can't see them from afar. 

Your marriage. Your friendships. Your church. 

Stop comparing yards! Take ownership of where you're at and make it amazing!

Take off your socks and shoes and squish your toes in the grass under your feet.

Stop checking out the neighbor's yard and dance where you're at.

"It's tough being the one there holding a father and mother when they just lost their son"

That's what my friend Matt DeMatteo shared yesterday with our pastoral team after Johnny Vargas passed away. Around 1am I received this string of texts from Matt:

 

Johnny's death came from a gang related shooting (Tribune link). He was only 19 years old.

There was a day when it snowed REALLY hard.

We haven't gotten a lot of snow in Chicago this winter. Really barely any. But that wasn't the case in February of 2011. Last year we had one of the worst snow storms ever. Last year was when Snowmaggedon hit!

It was a year ago February the snow storm of the century headed toward Chicago. Now in saying that, this century is only 12 years old. Regardless, the winters over the last 12 years have for the most part been pretty lame. But what we saw crawling across the weather radars toward us last year did indeed look like a huge blue monster. The way that people talked about getting extra water, extra food, fuel for generators, blankets and the such, it was like they were getting ready for Y2K all over again.

The hour came. The monster crawled across Chicago. It was indeed the storm of this young century.

Snowmageddon. 

Would it even be worth it if you could go back and change the past?

This past weekend I finished reading Stephen King's newest novel, 11/22/63. From his website, this is the book's premise:

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed forever.

If you had the chance to change the course of history, would you? Would the consequences be worth it?

Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life—a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.

Explore the Possibilities...

Stephen King is an amazing story teller. Though I've enjoyed all of his last few novels this is by far one of his best ever. It has a great pace that demands you don't put it down. As the description explains, the theme throughout is dealing with the past. Not just JFK's assassination, but the moment a little girl becomes paralyzed, the moment a boy's family is shattered, the moment a relationship is changed forever. This great book got me thinking.

The pain of miscarriage and the goodness of God

Devastating. 

When talking of miscarriage, I'm not sure if there is a better word that can be used to describe what you're going through. Every person I've ever met who has gone through the experience uses this word when telling their story. 

Good.

When talking of God, this is one of many words we can use when describing Him.  Goodness is part of His defining character. It's who He is...all the time.

How these two words can come together in one story is hard to fathom. Yet, I'm incredibly thankful for my friends Tiffany & Daniel Schaaff. Last week Tiffany shared their story on her blog and beautifully brought these two words together. 

I'd really encourage you to take a minute and read her entry: God is Good...So Good!

Immanuel of Everything

As part of the message Sunday during our Christmas service, our amazing New Life Lincoln Park worship team did this song by Coldplay, "Christmas Lights":

The theme of this song rings true: Christmas is an amazing time of year, but it doesn't always feel amazing.

Along with all of the fun, celebrating, and connecting with others, for some this season was nothing but the opposite.  It was a stressful season: Who all do I buy for? What do I get them? When am I going to have the time? That woman took the last pair, could I take her out before she gets to the register? It was a time that raised old hurts: remembering loss, broken dreams, loneliness, no presents under the tree. And these could create feelings of doubt: What’s the point? Anyone care? Is anyone out there?

When was the last time you went to church?

Just because the last message was incredibly boring doesn't mean today's will be.

Just because no one said HI before doesn't mean no one will smile and say welcome today.

Just because fakes were at the last place doesn't mean they aren't genuine at the new place.

Just because you were hurt at the last church doesn't mean you can't find healing at the next one.

Just because the last pastor was a prideful jerk doesn't mean the next can't be a humble servant.

Don't condemn all Christians as guilty because a few act like complete idiots.

Don't attempt to hold Jesus hostage because of how His children behave sometimes.

Don't allow a few worse case scenarios to blind you to all of the best ones.

When was the last time you went to church?

Don't miss an opportunity today.

White Ribbon Day: Remembering 9/11 [VIDEO]

The day after the attacks, my friend Dave Trout came to me with 8-10 hours of 9/11 news footage recorded on one VHS and an idea for a video. The plan was to create for church a montage video, set to the song, White Ribbon Day. After two all nighters, about two hours before services started, the memorial video was finished. 

Here it is:

Where were you the morning of 9/11?

It was a Tuesday. But you probably already knew that.

That morning I had breakfast with Dane Mentzer, a friend who at the time was a student in my youth group. We ate at the McDonalds on LeGrange Ave in Frankfort, right across from Lincoln Way East. Once done eating, we continued our conversation in the car while I took him across the street to the school's front door. After he got out, I headed back across the street to hit Starbucks before going to my office. 

Since Dane and I were talking, I hadn't turned on the radio yet. But once alone, I tuned to Eric & Kathy on 101.9. They weren't their normal joking selves and it was obvious something had happened. 

"Again, for those just tuning in, we've had reports that there was a terrorist attack in New York just moments ago." 

Maybe you're the one who needed to read this today

This morning I needed to read this.  Maybe you need to as well:

Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 

My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; 

his mercies never come to an end; 

they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 

"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." 

Lamentations 3:19-24

Yesterday you failed...today is new.
Yesterday you wanted to punch a wall...today is new.
Yesterday you were a jerk...today is new.
Yesterday you were lazy...today is new.
Yesterday you were ready to resign...today is new.
Yesterday you exploded...today is new.
Yesterday you procrastinated...today is new.
Yesterday you doubted...today is new.
Yesterday you were going through hell...today is new.
Yesterday is over...today is new.

Today is new.

His love for you and me...it never ceases.
His mercy for you and me...it never ceases.
It's forever and ever new.

Think about your junk and with it in your mind go back up and read that scripture again. (Read all of Lamentations 3 - it's amazing!)

And let it remind you...yesterday is over.

Today is new.

Peace from pieces

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.  

- Romans 8:26-27

Grilled Cheesus

OK, confession to make.

I'm a little weirded out to be saying this. Really never thought I would utter it.  Little shocked that it is going to be coming out of my mouth.  Here goes:

Rich

The first time I saw Rich Mullins was in the summer before my freshman year of high school.  Our youth group went to a conference at Taylor University, where he was the recording artists for the weekend.  My friends and I had front row center for this guy I had never heard of, but by the end of the night would never forget.