Information Vs. Transformation

About a month or two ago I was rocked with a statement that stunned me into a deep thought process in which I fully examined my current method of operation against that statement.  After a couple months of reflection, discussion, and adaptation, I think that I have begun the process of being aware of the statement.  The statement was as follows.

"We as followers of Jesus should value transformation over information."  I'm not sure if that was the word for word quotation, but it came from Chuck Mingo in a sermon series at Crossroads studying the book of James.  Also at the same time of that series I happened to be reading through "Present Perfect" by Greg Boyd with my small group.  A part of that book pretty much highlights that whole idea from James about intentional application of information leading to or translated to transformation.

I was stunned for several reasons.  One being that as of late, I have turned into an information junkie.  I have been  soaking up information from so many sources.  I've read 15 books since January, I've been reading through the Old Testament on a year reading plan, Music, TV, Movies, you name it, I've been sort of obsessed with gaining information.  I've even been known to spend hours on Wikipedia just reading and clicking relatable links in an endless forward progression of gaining information.  Too bad I didn't have this passion when I was in school.

My big realization was that I was inputting all kinds on information, but not much was being outputted. I was learning and gaining information, but there was no action.  In a spiritual sense I was understanding more things, but not obeying.  I really took this realization to heart in my faith.  A previous realization for me was being congruent in my life by living and being the same in all facets of life.  Now I realized that I had read the book of James what felt like a million times, yet I wasn't doing anything.  If faith equals belief plus action, I was only at a 50% on faith.  I realize that I can be hard on myself, and that I'm sure that I was doing things in response to my faith, but I just realized that it may have been a little too much auto pilot instead of being fully aware and present.

The response has been varied.  I am now more selective at what information I am inputting.  This does not mean that I only read the Bible and listen to Christian music and do not watch TV or movies.  I think that inspiration comes from all things around me, and can be turned into action.  I have just started paying closer attention.  For example:  Earlier in the year I read a biography on Jim Brown (Football Player).  He had a great athletic career, had some off field issues, and struggles, but what I most pulled out from the book was his dedication to making his community better.  I in turn was inspired to make my own community better, but not having a clue how to do so.  In short, I started with availability.  Now I'm drifting, but that was an example of taking information and turning it into transformation with the value of importance being on the transformation in lieu of the information.

I find myself taking more notes, making more plans, and most impact full has been discussing the information with others.  Talking to people both one on one or in groups about what we are reading, watching, or listening to has become a passion of mine.  Finding out what is inspiring others, and sharing what is inspiring me, and what the plan of action based on this inspiration (information) can look like together or individually ultimately leading to transformation and growth.

Bottom Line - What you put into your mind and body, usually comes out through your actions and personality.

Knowing is half the battle

My medium sized group is reading the book "The Prodigal God" and it is pretty much messing everything up. Pretty much everything I thought I knew was wrong, and pretty much everything I thought I wasn't I was and am. It revealed that one way is wrong and the other way is wrong and all pretty much all ways are wrong. Sounds like a good book right? There is one right way, and before that way can be understood, the wrong ways have to be broken down and dealt with or something like that.

It all comes down to the motive of the heart. Makes me think of the GI Joe cartoons where at the end they would do a public service announcement type thing on safety subjects. They would end it with the line. "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle." Action is the other half of the battle which is a lot harder than knowing. The next problem is that you really don't know, or that you keep knowing more and more and will never know everything.

Wouldn't it be great to be able to go back into time and replay life, now that you know more than you knew back then? I have regrets as everyone does, but I don't think that I would want to erase and replay anything in my life, but it would be fun to go back.

Bottom Line - Just when you think you know, you find out that you really know nothing at all.

The Doors are open

I have always been fascinated with a quote that comes from The Doors song "Roadhouse Blues". I look at the context of the individual line instead of how it is conveyed in the song. It can be labeled as pessimistic, or in my eyes could be labeled as opportunistic.



The line is "The future is uncertain and the end is always near". This line always challenges me and makes me think of various situations in my life. Whenever I come across this song, or think of the quote, I find myself drifting off into deep thoughts and what ifs. It seems that the way Morrison used the line was to say "Oh well, it doesn't matter, it will be over soon, so why not". I think of it as "Wow, you never know what might happen, and it could be over soon, so I'd better cherish the things I have, and get moving to use my remaining time efficiently.

Bottom Line - If it all ended today, would you be ready, or would you have unfinished business?

Christ is Risen

He is risen





Bottom Line - He is risen indeed.

Easter Cantata

Saturday night I continued a tradition that has been running four years. My friend Jim, with whom I grew up next door to acting out scenes from Star Wars daily, goes to Friendship Baptist Church in Colerain. My other friend Joe, of which I went to high school with also goes to FBC. They both are involved in the church's annual Easter Cantata. They have co-written the scripts in the past, but I think this year Joe wrote it. I have gone to see it four years in a row now. This particular blog is about this year's Cantata. I wrote about last year's here.

My wife and I went on Saturday night. We were actually a little late, but luckily found a seat right before it started. It was jam packed as always. The Cantata started with a video of a man having a heart attack and going to the hospital and nearly losing his life. The video scene was to the piano slow mo dramatic music from the TV show LOST. Bonus points. The live action then started with the dying man praying for "One More Day" to have one last opportunity to talk to his son about Jesus. The dialogue was great between the father and the son going back and forth questioning religion, love, miracles, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The basis of the story is always about the suffering and death by crucifixion, then rising of Jesus the Christ. Joe masterfully wrote the modern day story which proceeded to tell the story of Jesus through flashbacks similar to LOST. More bonus points.

This year was highly emotional The whole show was about 2 hours long, but felt like 5 minutes. It was never dull, boring, or cheesy as some church productions tend to be, and the cross scene was intense as always. Joe who plays Jesus every year insists that the actors whip and hit him hard so the audience gets just a tiny glimpse of the reality of the events of that day done for us. As always it was a great show full of depth, emotion, and love, and most of all displaying Jesus the Christ arising from the dead at the end with a highly inspiring dramatic musical climax finish.

Bottom Line - Jesus didn't just die on the cross. He rose from the dead.

Prom 2008

This is one of the many things that I love about my church.




Bottom Line - God is on the move

Weekend Worship

In case you missed it click here to see my bro Zak and McDude (seen above last summer at SOS) leading worship this past weekend at VCC. The first two songs are original songs that they wrote together. It was amazing worship.

Bottom Line - "Everything" is the feel good hit of Spring 2008.

He has risen

He has risen indeed

Cantata

Tonight I went to an Easter Cantata at my friend's church. My friend Jim co-wrote the Cantata, which was a walk through the life of Jesus from the Bible's perspective. It was powerful with a modern day actions of a guy finding Christ and then exploring the story of Jesus in the Bible with flashbacks to the stories of Jesus acted out on stage. The crucifixion scene is always intense, because Jim told me that Joe, who plays Jesus, insistes that they actually whip him and push him around so that he can feel just a glimpse of what it was like Jesus as he acts it out on stage.

The best part of the night was at the end when the pastor came up and gave the invitation for people to give their lives to Christ. To think that all the effort that Jim and Joe and everyone put into writing and setting up and performing that play, all of it was for the glory of God, and God was glorified because some people made the decision to publicly give their lives to Christ after seeing the cantata. It was amazing.

Bottom Line - He has risen, He has risen indeed.