I know that you are probably baffled by the title of this post. What could possibly be good about paying more for gas? And, why? Well, I think there are several reasons. Let me frame my thoughts by saying that America has become a completely individualist, commuter society. Everyone has their own car, and everyone drives everywhere even when they don’t need to. I think this has had an unnoticed, negative, effect on our culture, and therefore I think we might all be better off by driving far less. Here are some of the reasons that high gas prices might be a good thing:

Environmental:

I realize that you might not buy into this whole “global warming” thing, but, true or not, there can be little doubt that our massive consumption of oil will have some sort of negative effect on the environment. From the smog that effects people’s health to oil spills to carbon emissions, I just can’t help but think that there is some negative environmental impact. So, if gas prices rise, consumption drops (as it already has), and the environment is better off.

Community:

Because we live in such a commuter culture we experience less and less community. When we go out to eat we get in a car and drive 5 miles to a restaurant we like. When we go to work we hop on in and commute for 20 to 50 minutes. When we go to church we even tend to commute between 5 and 20 miles (estimate) instead of going to the church down the street. So, everything that we do is entirely decentralized meaning that we pretty much never see, or connect with the people living 3 or 4 doors down from us.

If gas prices continue to rise, my hope is that people will start to center their lives closer to home rather than 5 to 20 miles away. I would like to see people walking places, to eat, to shop, to go to church, etc. My hope is that people might actually decide to stay home for a change and spend time on their street meeting neighbors and connecting with other people.

Family:

Families seem to be spending less and less time together. Again, its that individualist culture we have created, and I think in many cases it gets to extreme that even people within a family tend to be very individualistic. So, I have to wonder, what would happen if families couldn’t afford to drive as much? My hope is that families would begin to stay home, and that by doing that they would start to spend more quality time together and build deeper relationships.

Spiritually:

This goes hand in hand with community. Our spiritual walk is a walk best taken together. As the experience of community improves and as people begin to really rely on one another, then our spiritual walks intertwine as well and we grow together. Its life the old African proverb, “if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.” Our spiritual walk is not about speed, but longevity.

Please Note:

I realize the strain that gas prices are putting on families, in fact, my family is strained as well, but I’m trying to share the bright side here. In many ways, this could be good for all of us.

Any thoughts?

Also,  check  out this post by my buddy Britt. He’s a smart dude.

Ok, lately this blog has been all about deep (if you consider it deep) spiritual insight. Well, today I’m going to take a new turn with askingY. I will still be writing about that stuff, but I will also start writing more about what is going on with me personally and my jouney into launching our Church.

We are T-minus 38 days from our public launch and I don’t think its possible to have more on my plate. This process is amazing and God is continuing to bless our efforts, but a lot of days I’m just plain tired.

This week I’m working on revamping the church website to make it less of an online prospectus and more of a church website for the people of Decatur. I am also completing the website for our first community service initiative called Debt Free Decatur. The idea of this is simple, we want to find out what happens when a group of people that love the city adopt the people of that city and commit to helping them dump debt and build wealth. With around 70% of American’s living in a financially unhealthy state (my estimate), this is one of the most critically overlooked ways that we can serve our community. I’ll be talking more about this later and sharing the website with you.

I’m also trying to get everything ordered for our startup on a shoestring budget. Money is tight, but God is taking care of us. This week one of our core team members got almost all of the childrens equipment that we need donated to us by a daycare that is closing down. Time and time again things have gotten tight and God has come through in His own, unusual, way.

Stay tuned, there are great things to come!

Of all the things that the Bible teaches, one of the subjects that I would think unnecessary is the reminder to remember God. But, the little heading over Dueteronomy Chapter 8 in my Bible reads “Remember the Lord Your God”. Verses two – six say:

And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.

Even though I shouldn’t have to be reminded to remember God, I can tell you that I need the it. Too often I live my life as though it is actually my life rather than His. I have the unique (common) ability to read God’s word in the morning, set it down, and completely forget about it until the next day. I also have the ability (bad habit) of praying once or twice a day but totally missing the idea of continually praying throughout the day. These are bad habits.

Instead I want to really learn to live out the Shema that I wrote about recently. I want to talk about the scripture and meditate on it when I am lying down, and when I rise, and when I am walking by the way, basically in all things that I do at all times of the day. I think really living this out helps us to continually remember God and continually seek deeper relationship with Him.

Continual, unbroken community with God is the goal. Attaining it is an unending process, but a beautifully mess one.

Several months ago the pastor of our Mother Church, Brian Bloye, talked a lot about something that Bill Hybels taught at his last conference; pastors must deal with process. The thing is, us A personality types, you know the “lions” or whatever, are the type of people that want something done yesterday. We don’t want to walk through a process because obviously processes are for slow sissies (not). We tend to like Bible stories like Moses taking God’s people through the Red Sea. Not much process there; insert staff into water, water parts (a short process when you think about it), the people walk through the coolest aquarium exhibit in history, and they are safe. Simple, quick, effective, I like it.

In this same mentality us “cholerics” (type A) don’t really like those stories about long processes, like the Hebrews wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and Joseph’s rise from the pit to Pharaoh’s right hand man. But, the truth of the Bible and of our experience tells us that following God is often a very long and difficult process. This is my life at the moment, running as hard as I can for as long as I can every day just trying to keep up with everything. I’m in a season of hard process,  but ultimately it will be a season of great progress for myself and for our church.

I was really reminded about all of this when I read Deuteronomy 2:30-31 the other day,

But Sihon the king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day. And the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, that you may occupy his land.’ -(ESV)

The words that struck me were “begun” and “begin”. God (in this case) didn’t just hand over the land instantly, but with a process. God began to give them the land and they had to faithfully begin to take it. This resonates with me because we are beginning a church that God has begun to build. Its a tough process right now, but I know it will blossom into something beautiful.

So, I guess understanding it is a process is a huge step for a guy like me. The next step is having the faithful patience to see it through. God does the beginning on our behalf, but we have to have the faithful obedience to step into it, and the faithful patience to see it through. This isn’t easy. In fact, for me, it’s the hardest thing I have ever done. But, following God in this way, through this process, has been glorious and will do nothing but bring more honor and glory to Him. And that is a beautiful thing.

I am finding more than ever that following where Jesus leads is not a task for the faint of heart. I am convinced that when we are really ready to follow Him, He will lead us into uncomfortable and even scary places, but ultimately they are good places.

That is where I find myself these days, knee deep in planting Decatur Gathering Church and struggling to find the time to get it all done. So far this week I’m working 12 to 15 hour days that last until around 3am and I am prone to complain. But then, the other day, I read a passage in Job that really spoke to where I am at. God told Job,

Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.
-Job 38:3

Or in ‘the Adam Walker translation” I read it as, “Put on your big boy pants and get going.”

A lot of times this is something I need to hear. Really the bottom line is that sometimes God calls us to do some tough stuff. He asks us to sacrifice big things in our lives that have become idols. He calls us into difficult places, cultures and situations. And then, we get to deal with difficult people on top of that.

And, in those moments when it seems like too much I think His message is often simple and strait forward. He says, “I am God, I have called you to this, now put on our big boy pants and do it. Have faith.” This is similar to what God said to Moses when Moses objected to doing what God was calling him to do. In Exodus 4:11-12 God says, “Then the LORD said to him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.’”

My spiritual journey is often a tough one. I’m guessing yours is too. I thank God for moments like this when he reignights the flame under my spirit. If Moses needs some encouragement to move forward, I certainly do as well.

I have been studying Philippians 1 for about 3 hours now, and I just can’t seem to get past the first verse. Somehow Paul’s description of Timothy and himself as servants has really gripped my heart. The word for servant that Paul uses is doulos. Thayer Defines the word as:

1) a slave, bondman, man of servile condition

1a) a slave

1b) metaphorically, one who gives himself up to another’s will (emphasis added) those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men

1c) devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests (emphasis added)

2) a servant, attendant

“One who gives himself up to another’s will” somehow doesn’t sound like the generation that I am a part of. In fact, I would argue that it is completely against our nature and the general direction of Generation Y. Take cars for example. “Young Professionals” in their 20s have a tendency to drive cars as nice, or nicer than those that their parents drive. In an article on MSNBC.com puts it this way:

While fresh-out-of-school professionals, burdened with student loans and first-job salaries, might be expected to buy entry-level cars like Honda Civics or Toyota Corollas, instead many are choosing rides that fit the image they have of themselves as wealthy and successful, even though they haven’t yet achieved that status.

Notice, they buy a car to suit a status that they have yet to achieve, does that seem totally screwed up to anyone else? But, this is what I see every time I’m on the road.

Ultimately we are a generation with a frightening sense of entitlement and frankly we don’t deserve most of what we have. So my question is, can this generation, as self absorbed as we tend to be, really become a servant that “gives himself up to another’s will”, that is the will of Christ?

This might be the single, most important, spiritual question posed to this generation. I have answered this in my heart, for my life, and for my family. How have you answered?

For a few more thoughts about the Entitlement Generation, check this out.

On Saturday we moved to Decatur. Man, it is great! Everything is amazingly close to our house, the neighborhood is great, and all of the people that we have met are cool. Then mentality of the people here is very different and so far (for the last 4 days) our lifestyle has changed.

We have walked to the park several times and every time we go the place is packed with young families that we can connect with. Today, after dinner, we decided we wanted some ice cream, so we popped the kids in the stoller and walked downtown to Jake’s Ice Cream for some home made ice cream goodness. The walk took about 15 minutes at an easy pace.

Now more than ever I am realizing how important it is to live among the people that we want to connect with. We have to get out of our Christian bubbles, outside of our Christian circle of friends, and away from our comfortable routines and comfort zones.

We must really live among the people, not just go into culture like gospel commandos on some search and rescue mission.