Dreaming about Neverland

Reading through the book of John, I have been realizing how devoted to escapism I am. I pray to get results, I serve to build something, I work for a reward, I love hoping it is reciprocated. Yet, when I look at Jesus I realize his reward was being forgotten by the crowds, deserted by his friends, and allowing his own life to be consumed for the sake of obedience.

Whether we call it obedience, or worship laying our life down is so central and yet such an easy thing to overlook, to ignore. This makes Jesus such a great hero and huge challenge to me. It has gotten me thinking about my expectations of friends and community. Having grown up in a deliberate 'community', I am fully aware of the idealism we have associated with that word as Christians:

• i want to be with friends, I deserve friends, God wants me to have friends
• i need to love people I dislike because Jesus tells me to and it is good for me
• i need a mentor and if i don't have one something must be broken in my church

This is neverland. Always wanting to be kids, never adults. Always wanting play, never work. Always needing the thing I don't have. This is fantasy and unfortunately so consumes us because we are human and at some level don't believe that God can look after us in the midst of a broken and selfish world. I am so stoked about the sermon series that we are working on at Cambridge. We are taking Bonhoeffer's book life together to discuss REAL community, not what we fantasize about.

"You can love the dream, more than the community and therefore ignore and kill it."

Bonhoeffer, Life Together

Lent

Every year i lent (doing lent sounds so conquering) . anyways I came across some great resources I thought I would share.

http://jonnybaker.blogs.com/jonnybaker/lent/index.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10438551@N00/sets/72157594508507299/

http://blog.beliefnet.com/thedivinehoursoflent/

http://relevantmagazine.com/releblog/deeperwalk/lent-and-the-frogs-will-sing-again/

http://www.proost.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=35&category_id=4&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=26&vmcchk=1&Itemid=26

Heroes

Heroes, sure I got heroes. People who have influenced me, who have said, done and been things that made my jaw drop, my herometer soar. If there were real hero cards I would hunt for these guys and brag about them on the school yard. Trade them.....very unlikely.

who are they, well typically regular joes like you and me. living amongst us, doing ordinary things....for the most part.

why am i reminded of them? why do i write this blog now? Well because one just died, another is undergoing chemo treatment. These people have enriched me, fed my dreams, changed me without even realizing it. Let me give you a glimpse at some of them.

David Brett- an evangelist, a new zealander, the guy who bought a castle because God said so, the guy who shows up unannounced here and there, the guy who taught me to clean windows to make money for missions, and to sell a car to buy plane tickets, the guy who let's light shine in China- who travels there still today even though he is undergoing cancer treatment. If ever you have a friend that met jesus on a plane...ask if they met David.

John Hutchison- who recently passed away. The first Brit I ever met and the first minister I ever knew who loved to see people healed, a mentor of Benny Hinn, and as i remember one of the best, deepest laughs of any who've I have had dinner with.

Telma Cajas- a courageous woman who leads the underpriveleged women of Guatemala, by loving them, helping them, hugging them one person at a time. Her words linger with me forever, ' without Jesus, there is no development.'

I have some new heroes too......

They are friends who take crazy risks for Jesus and sometimes succeed and sometimes don't.

Check out Todd Cantelon- a risk taker, producer, film maker, a fantastic preacher and he a makes a mean breakfast

Check out Rick Bergen- an amazon loving, church planting fanatic who is the real! DEAL! Currently he is developing a new church, mission, and ministry just upriver somewhere from where he was.

When in Zambia listen for Barry and Frida Ilunga- the most sincere, humble, church planters I ever met. Where will you find them? on some bus, on the back of a truck or walking through some village planting a church, usually with one of their 10 kids.

Is it idol worship to participate in such praise of men? No, this is simply sharing the news of God's greatness. Like it says in the bible 'i have heard of your fame.' Great things are worth talking about. Men are just men, but their pursuit of God inspires me, fuels me, causes my mere mortality to shake for fear and my dreams to become large--Large enough to even suppose and even believe that God could use EVEN little ol' me.