Etiquette for the Car Rider Lane at School

I thought the other day that we could use some practices of etiquette in the car rider lane at school. What is the car rider lane at school? It’s the lane where a parent or guardian either drops off or picks up a child at school. I’ve thought about some simple reminders that could enhance the motoring experience. This might seem crazy, but I think it just might help in the morning routine. So here’s to making the drive to school that much more enjoyable!

1. Driver, please remind passengers to exit the vehicle swiftly and with care. 
2. Driver, remind your passengers to have all bags and belongings packed and ready for exit prior the loading and unloading zone. 
3. Driver, please refrain from texting, calling, or emailing while in line. Your complete attention in operating the vehicle will make you more aware of your surroundings and the traffic flow. 
4. Driver, please inform your passengers to primp, put on makeup, floss, shave, or brush their teeth prior to the loading and unloading zone. Personal grooming practices and the gathering of personal items in the loading and unloading zone create unnecessary delays in the zone. 
5. Driver, if your passenger is delivering a large project requiring unusual loading and unloading assistance, please pull to a convenient parking space and assist the student with the delivery of the project from a parked vehicle. Handling projects in the loading and unloading zone create unnecessary delays for other vehicles. 
6. Driver, please refrain from aggressive driving tactics both prior and following the unloading or loading of a vehicle. Unsafe practices create hazards for other vehicles. 
7. Driver, please pay attention to the vehicle in front of you and pull up accordingly. 
8. Driver, please sign and disburse all necessary forms, checks, papers, permission slips, and reports prior to the loading and unloading zone. Planning ahead for these basic necessities can enhance your morning commute.
9. Driver, please refrain from any over the top socialization such as rolling down the window to catch up on the last ten years of life with your neighbor while waiting in line. Make an appointment to catch up at Starbucks. There’s one at VCC and one at Parham. 
10. Driver, please practice courtesy by allowing another vehicle to merge into the traffic lane when exiting. Cutting off a couple of cars to make the exit isn’t really going to save that much time. Put a smile on someone’s face by practicing courtesy. We’re all in this together! 
11. Last but not least, always remember that your child could have taken the bus!

IT Really Does Make a Difference

You either have IT or you don’t. All I can say, IT is amazing. Though I know IT, I’m not sure I can adequately describe IT.  If you’ve been around IT, you know IT. This stuff isn’t manufactured. I can’t recreate IT and neither can you. IT is either there or IT isn’t. But, this I know, IT makes all the difference. Not every church has IT. Some do while others don’t. What is IT like? IT is a dynamic spiritual momentum. IT is captivating, exciting, and magnetic. Maybe you’d refer to it as God’s presence, the Spirit’s moving, an anointing, or a blessing. IT is real, tangible, and authentic - God’s hand upon a local congregation in a singular geographical setting. IT is not determined by outside human influences, but IT is something God does in a specific place. When you are in a place that has IT, you don’t want to go any where else. When you have IT, you don’t want to lose IT.

Have you read Craig Groeschel’s IT book? He knows about IT. He describes IT well revealing meaningful insights about IT. There are some common identifiers in churches with IT. Want an Biblical example of a church with IT? Antioch is a good one. Remember Barnabas in Acts 11. He traveled to Antioch to confirm the reports. When he arrived, he saw (witnessed) the grace of God. He was glad and encouraged the church. The Gospel was both shared and lived while people were added to the church on a regular basis. Barnabas knew IT was in Antioch. He traveled to Tarsus to find Saul and bring him back to Antioch. For an entire year they both met with and taught in the church. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch - a living example of little Christs.

When a church has IT, humility pervades the church culture. Faith is real - people actually get Jesus, grace, mercy, and the whole relationship piece. Being a part of something bigger and making a difference is at the heart of a church with IT. Relationships, connection, and linking both with God and with others are obvious. Big vision communicated, understood, and passionately pursued is typical in a church with IT. The willingness to take risks and to trust God’s leadership in the process is the norm. Servanthood permeates the relational context. The needs of others trump personal preference in a church with IT. Generosity is the standard. While there are numerous identifiers in a church with IT, you can’t discount or ignore that God is ultimately responsible for IT. If you are in a church with IT, thank God for what He’s doing in your congregation. Don’t lose sight of the value, blessing, and presence of IT. IT really makes all the difference.

It's Really NOT all about You!

It’s really isn’t. We try to do life on our own way too often. You were never created to do it all by yourself. When I find myself at the end of my rope with little to grasp or literally losing my grip, it is then and only then that I’m reminded in my own misconceptions and self illusions. I don’t have to do it on my own or even in my own strength. I don’t have to pull up my own boot straps. I have no strength; my strength really is in Christ. Take Philippians 4:13 to heart, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” Life is hard. Why keep doing it on your own especially when you can live out of His strength. Let Matthew West remind you with Strong Enough.

Don’t let Hamza Kashgari Disappear from the Headlines!

Hamza Kashgari is a young journalist who fled Saudi Arabia after his tweets about Muhammads’s birthday created an outcry. His Twitter posts claimed equality with Muhammad along with other seemingly derogatory observations. Kashgari has since issued an apology. The story doesn’t stop. Malaysia deported the young Journalist returning him into the hands of Saudi Arabian officials. He was denied access to his attorney and family during this ordeal. Now back in Saudi jurisdiction, Kashgari faces charges of blasphemy as an apostate – a crime punishable by death.

This is but another example of a long list of Islamic atrocities. Where is western Islam? Why is the American Muslim so quiet? Why has this action not been publically condemned? It is because this is mainstream Islam. These are actions taken by modern governments – Muslims and Muslim sympathizers. Once again you see very clearly the absence of human rights and the lack of value placed upon human life by Islam. Islam does not foster human rights. Islam does not value human life. These tenets have no voice in Islamic culture or tradition.

To even consider taking a man’s life because of a few tweets – really? This is realism – true life in an Islamic dominated society. Why do you think Hamza Kashgari was running? He was running for his life!

Why Belong?

Why should someone “belong” to a local church? It’s definitely a question work asking. While there’s sufficient Biblical support for church membership, there’s also significant psychological, social, and cultural support for belonging to a local gathering. Here are just a couple of thoughts on the topic.

1. Belonging is an expression of identity. Christ followers identify with Christ as our identity is found in Him. Belonging to a church demonstrates our identity and our choice to link to others who identify with the One we’ve indentified with. There’s something about camaraderie in identification.

2. Belonging allows one to experience authentic community. Look at Acts 2:42-47. There you find a community exampled well. Community is found in gathering, doing life together, serving, giving, loving, caring, and praising. The identification is important, but living a life of faith together in engaged relationship is priceless. In happiness research, personal happiness is experienced in connection. People are “happier” in connected relationship with others.

3. Belonging promotes exposure to systematic Biblical teaching. Belong to a church that unapologetically teaches Scripture. Consistent Biblical discourse provides the opportunity for member(s) to sit under systematic teaching. When people jump or skip from church to church following the latest series or the over absorption of a particular ear-tickling subject, it doesn’t feed the “whole” soul. Belonging to a single congregation, doing life/faith together, and sitting under the teaching ministry of a single congregation allows for a well-balanced approach to Scripture. What did the early church do? They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. (See Acts 2:42)

4. Belonging allows for the opportunity to discover unique personal purpose. God uniquely created, wired, and gifted you. We discover our uniqueness in community. God imparts giftedness and assembles the body for specific work and ministry. If you’re absent from the body, the body is missing an important piece of its structure - you. (See 1 Corinthians 12:12-19,27)

5. Belonging provides an occasion to live life to its fullest. Happiness research indicates that people are most “happy” and complete operating out of their sweet spot. That means that when living life through your passion, interests, and giftedness – you’re going to be at your best or happiest. You live life to it’s fullest when you’re living out your God called purpose and mission in life.

6. Belonging gives you the option to be a part of something bigger. Belonging to something bigger allows you to be a part of movements rather than solo acts. I can only accomplish so much, but when working in partnership and cooperation with others I’m able to accomplish so much more. Together we can accomplish much. Living in the accomplishment of the team is an exciting place. Do you want a visual of this principle? Do you remember when hundreds of people at Cool Spring came together on a Wednesday night and packed 40,000 meals in under an hour to help stop hunger? You can’t imagine the excitement in the room unless you were there to experience it! Talk about momentum! How long do you think it would have taken one person to pack 40,000 meals?

7. Belonging brings an appreciation for meaningful and accountable relationship. The priesthood of the believer is often claimed in the of demonstration one’s personal responsibility to God. The often less talked about believers’ priesthood is of equal importance. Responsible living is demonstrated in meaningful and accountable relationship. We’re not lone rangers, we bear significant responsibility one to another. This is lived out in community – a believers’ community. (See Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Considering “belonging” to a local church? Be encouraged to identify with a local congregation – get plugged into what’s happening and live a more fulfilled life. God has so much for you to experience in community!

My Recent Trip to a Local Mosque

I recently (several weeks ago) took a small-guided tour to visit major Islamic sites in Richmond. The local Muslim population is growing as it is across the nation. The excursion took me to the Islamic Center of Virginia (ICVA) in time for a Friday service. Here's a brief glimpse from my perspective of the experience.

Turning onto the ICVA property, you quickly notice several uniformed officers. You wonder, but soon realize their presence is primarily for traffic control. The parking lot is nearly full as we are directed by the aid of a uniformed officer to a grassy space. After parking the vehicle, our party of three made our way to a building entrance where we saw people entering and exiting. Before entering the service, I sat down to remove my shoes and place them in an available space among hundreds of shoes shelved and placed on the floor. I entered the service. The room was packed with hundreds of men sitting on the floor. The women were located in another part of the facility. Men and women worship separately. A few chairs line the wall in the back – primarily for non-Muslims. I made my way toward the back to sit. People are still pouring into the full room.

Monzer Taleb was the guest speaker. He was in town for a “motivational” speaking event that evening. He was articulate, well spoken, and convincing. His message focused on the need to help orphans. Muslims for Humanity was his cause and their effort to care for orphans in Africa. He identified well with his audience using current illustrations and teaching from the Qur'an. I had hoped to both see and listen to the Imam. He is very much the American face of Islam in the region. The audience in the service was attentive and participatory when appropriate. The ethnic composition of the room was interesting. I was one of less than six white faces. The bulk of others present would identify with either Middle Eastern or North African heritage. If this is a typical composite of Islam in Richmond, Islam’s local growth would be primarily migrant rather than convert or proselytized growth. My only “awkward” moment was the prayer time or Muslim’s worship. During the reciting of prayers, I thought to myself, "What should I pray?" The god is Islam is clearly not the God of Christianity. So how do you pray as everyone in the room is praying to something else? Is this how the prophets of old felt as the masses entreated the gods of other nations? This is definitely a topic for another post.

At the conclusion of the service, I made my way toward the exit - slowly moving with the crowd. I wasn't in any particular hurry to leave, but found it interesting that I was never engaged in conversation. While I didn't try to initiate a conversation nor did I give off the appearance of being anti-social. People were obviously talking to one another. I was definitely the odd man out.

The story takes an interesting twist after returning home. Interested in learning more about the speaker, I did a simple search for Monzer Taleb including several spelling variations. My first reaction, I didn’t necessarily like what I found – definitely put me ill at ease. Monzer Taleb is an Islamic scholar and motivational speaker. He is also a panel discussion participant on topics such as Sharia law. Over the past couple of years, I’ve made connections with Muslims – both practicing and former. For clarification, I contacted a number of sources (including ICVA) and an indirect contact to Monzer Taleb in an attempt to verify his story and past. My question, “Is this the Monzer Taleb with ties to Hamas?” Hamas is an organization with proven ties to terrorism and a distinct hatred for Israel. To date, my inquiries have basically gone ignored. A simple question continues to go unanswered. Choosing to ignore an inquiry of this sort only creates greater suspicion. If this man is one and the same, I have some grave concerns that a voice of hatred, annihilation, and terrorism moves in and out of our community unnoticed. Additionally, it creates a cloud of suspicion regarding Muslim activity in the Richmond area. I certainly hope this is not the case.

The Consequence of Attitude

Attitude is contagious! Want a great (an humorous) illustration? Try this recent DirectTV commercial. Now don’t get offended. I’m not poking fun at cultural differences or preferences. I just think this is a good example of how attitude is caught by those around us and ultimately influences personal choice. While extreme in example, you’ll get the picture. Since we’ve been talking about attitude on Sundays, I think this is right in line with the discussion.

If God is For Us...

You have to love the song, “Our God.” Composed by Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, and Jonas Myrin, the lyrics are based in part on Romans 8:31 and serve as an awesome reminder and testimony to our incredible God. If God is for us, who can be against us?

An Old Wound

I am fortunate and blessed. I’ve both known and live in God’s peculiar protection. While difficult to understand, this protection is amazing. I’m incredibly grateful for this care. God kept me from things and delivered me out of things. I continue to this day residing in this powerful protection. Recently, I was engaged in a couple of conversations which opened up an old forgotten but familiar wound. As a leader, I have pretty thick skin - a prerequisite for ministry. But in this particular situation, I was frequently and intentionally injured by another. I never understood why, just accepted it. I attempted to let it roll off my back, tried to dismissed it, and just chose not to think about it. Most never even knew about the incidents as I intentionally didn’t talk about the events. As I look back, I’m not entirely sure that was healthy, but none the less it’s how I dealt with it.

In the couple of recent conversations, the sense the anguish, pain, and frustration that I once knew began to resurface. I didn’t expect that at all! While I thought the effects were long gone, this old wound bled again. It’s real, it hurts, and personally I don’t like it - the past or resurfaced pain. I had some decisions to make.

1. I chose forgiveness even though no one ever apologized. My ability to forgive is not apology dependent. I chose to forgive, remember (yes), and release the offender from the liability of their actions and words. I’m not sure this person will ever really understand the depth or implication of their actions. I choose not to hold the individual accountable. It’s not about forgetting, just forgiving. I don’t keep a score.

2. I chose care. I asked God for the ability to see the other person through eyes of compassion. Instead of wishing less than good, I choose to see them through eyes of care and concern. I see the insecurities, hurts, and needs of the offender. I chose compassion. This person is a victim in as much as they’ve learned somewhere along the way that injurious behavior is acceptable and appropriate.

3. I chose surrender. I chose to surrender the pain, the past, and the person to God. I can’t change the past, but I can give Him the future. I choose to surrender a future I’m unable to create, influence, and control. It’s God’s future and I’ll trust Him in it. I reside myself to God’s leadership and intervention.

4. I chose freedom. I chose not to be held captive or controlled by past events. The past binds; I choose to live a future in freedom. I choose not to go there again. I choose not to allow another person’s actions or words to control my feelings or thoughts - other than Christ.

Why do I share this? Because we all get injured in life. This is real faith and real life. Life and faith will intersect in your neighborhood. You may have been injured and will never hear an apology. You must do something with the thoughts and feelings. Even if you’ve forgotten them, they’ll resurface from time to time. The apology isn’t essential for the injured in order to grow and heal. Are you having a difficult time forgiving? Thought you already forgave? Do you need to remind yourself of the forgiveness you previously extended? Challenged by an old wound resurfacing? Something yet to be dealt with? Choose to forgive (again in some cases), care, surrender, and take hold of freedom. It all begins with a decision.

For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. Matthew 6:14-15

This Election Stuff Has to Change

Politics - Presidential Elections - Campaigns - It’s all out of whack. I stumbled upon the USA Today article reporting the DNC and Obama campaign have amassed a $240 million dollar stockpile to fuel his re-election campaign. Did you catch that - $240 million dollars! Really?!? We live in a nation with a damaged credit score because of too much debt. Today our elected leaders are preparing to raise the debt ceiling again - another example of financial malfeasance. In our nation of opportunity, one-in-four children will go to bed hungry tonight. Families will sleep in a space unpowered by electricity or without oil to fuel the furnace. Lenders repossessed over 65,000 properties alone in October 2011. Unemployment rates and jobless benefit claims are staggering. Approximately 50,000 people annually are trafficked into or transited through America as slaves (sex, domestics, garment, and agricultural). As many as 2.8 million children live on the streets in America. While your reading this post, homeless shelters are turning away clients for a bed tonight - too many needs and not enough space. I can go on and on regarding the social injustice and societal ills facing our nation.

I’m ashamed we can gather stockpiles of cash to play politics - making mockery of real America - and we can’t learn to control our spending or even begin the process of investing in people. Has the power hunger elitist elected lost all sense of sanity and morality? Will someone please check the magnet on this country’s moral compass? If I were packing meals for the hungry with that money, I could feed nearly a billion people. We could shelter thousands and thousands. We could create private sector jobs initiatives to put America back to work. We could truly make America a better place to live by making a difference. But instead, others play politics as this nation slithers ever so close to the brink of collapse - both morally and financially.

To be fair, I don’t know what the GOP or its candidates have raised. I can only assume its total dollar figure is similarly offensive. In the last presidential election, between the front runner candidates more than a billion dollars was raised and spent. In all actuality, the DNC and Obama campaign out raised and spent the GOP and McCain camp more than two-to-one. Something is definitely wrong here - fundamentally, ethically, and morally. We need a return to sanity, to civility, to social consciousness, and to social responsibility. It’s irresponsible for our candidates to frivolously exhaust enormous resources while the nation’s needs go unaddressed and unmet. Will we ever have election and financing reform? Will we ever have a candidate who’ll cry foul and awaken a true moral consciousness in our nation? I can only hope!

Here’s my suggestion: I say in the future let’s give every qualified candidate $1000, a Flip camcorder, an iPhone with unlimited data and texting, a YouTube account, Facebook account, free blog space, and a Twitter account. Now, may the best man or woman win! Just a thought!

3 Questions for Every Leader

Leaders ask questions. Every leader should ask three questions on a regular basis. What are these three questions?

1. When am I dreaming? Effective leaders spend time dreaming, creatively thinking, and visioning. Schedule it! If you don’t, you won’t dream. Get away from familiarity - walk out of the office into a space where you can think and dream. Talk to God, but most of all listen. Find a space, place, and time where you can see, hear, and dream God’s vision. Dare to think, dream, and believe bigger things. Make sure it is bigger than you. Are you dreaming a dream?

2. How am I communicating? If you want people to follow with you, you have to share the destination. Visions, dreams, and creative ideas aren’t understood through osmosis. You have to share it - speak it, write about it, and paint great pictures. Every leader has a dream, but it’ll never become reality unless it is shared and acted upon. Allow time for others to process, formulate, and collaborate the details of the dream. Create moments for buy in and ownership. Are you communicating a vision?

3. What am I learning? Leaders are life long learners. Every effective leader I know is a student. They read, listen, observe, memorize, and study. Learning should never cease for the leader. Stale leaders teach a passionless truth. What are you reading? What are you studying? Who are you listening to or following? Keep learning!

Ask yourself these questions on a regular basis. Keep on the leader track. Leaders are dreamers. Leaders are communicators. Leaders are learners.

Christianity: Peddling or Promoting

Sometimes I struggle with Christianity’s commercialism. We’re slick, self-promoted, and marketed. So what’s the difference between peddling the message and promoting the message? Do we package faith for a profit? I understand marketing. I’m a published author with a book on Amazon and bookstore shelves. I’ve got a dog in the fight and yet it’s a real struggle. I watch and I wonder at the difference between promoting and peddling. The message needs to get out, but not at the price of bogo offers or a free gift with any donation (tax deductible gift). Send us money and we’ll share this wisdom. I realize people have to make a living - bills have to be paid. But, the gospel is free - isn’t it? It’s a gift. We need to know the difference between promoting it or peddling it. Peddlers are a definite turnoff. Are we prophets or profits?

Here’s the case. I was driving down the road in my wife’s Jeep and tuned to a couple of Christian stations. Rarely do I ever listen to the radio, but tonight I listened to some programming. I think it’s a control thing as I like to choose what I listen to rather than have someone else randomly decide for me. I listened to a little bit of music and then switched to another station. I caught the tail end of a teaching ministry’s program - sales and gimmicks. The message was fairly typical. Keep this program on the air tomorrow by giving today. If we receive your gift today, we’ll send you an autograph copy of the latest book. It’s yours today for a donation of any size. Really? I missed the teaching, but caught the timeshare sales pitch on the infomercial. I thought to myself, there’s got to be a better way. I was unsettled; this was peddling and not promoting in my opinion. Where do you draw the line? What's the difference?

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! A new year is a fresh opportunity. It's a chance to start again. It's like a round of golf with friends - you're grateful for the mulligan. A New Year is an opportunity to act on the do-over. Where will you begin? What is your first step?

When Comedy Loses Its Laugh... on Bill Maher and Tim Tebow

Here is another example of our culture’s warped sense of political correctness: be a respecter of all others except those of the Christian faith. Bill Maher’s sent his offensive tweet last weekend after Denver’s dismal performance, “Wow, Jesus just f---- #TimTebow bad! And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere in hell Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler, “Hey, Buffalo’s killing them.” As a Christian, I’m repulsed - beyond offended by the tweet. I’m further disenchanted with Fox News’ Andy Levy who dismissed the remark as Maher’s job, “He’s a comedian, who cares!” That’s a ridiculous pass!

Remember Rick Sanchez? CNN fired him because he referred to Jon Stewart as a bigot and referenced Comedy Central among other networks as run by Jews. Remember Juan Williams? He was fired from NPR after commenting about people wearing Muslim apparel on airplanes made him nervous or worried. Isn’t is amazing how others lost their employment for lesser offensive remarks. It’s one thing to utter an opinion that’s unpopular, it’s a whole other thing to intentionally degrade, injure, or make incredibly offensive statements with the purpose to inflict harm.

While I certainly don’t dismiss Bill Maher’s actions, I’m not sure he has the capacity to understand the repulsive nature of his statement. As an irreligious commentator, Maher displays contempt for Christians (and the Christian faith) which is evidenced by numerous previous remarks and spots. Here’s the sting Bill - to reference my Lord in a degrading, foul, and demeaning fashion is injurious, blasphemous, and ought not happen. I don’t advocate unemployment for Maher, but he should be censored and the network should yank his chain. I believe Maher should make a sincere public apology to both Tim Tebow and other Christ followers both on Twitter and before a camera. There should be consequences for bad behavior especially for purposefully offensive, repulsive, demeaning, and injurious remarks. Just because you’re a pseudo comedian doesn’t give you permission. Comedy is supposedly funny. This incident is far from humorous - it’s sad.

So What's the Real Reason for a Southern Baptist Convention Name Change?

Sometime after February we should have more concrete information pertaining to a proposed name change for the Southern Baptist Convention. I’m a Southern Baptist by identification and choice - even a pastor of a Southern Baptist Church. I really don’t have a preference (at this point) one way or another either for keeping or for changing the name. There’s value in both positions. New name supporters say they want to remove any “barriers” in reaching people for Christ. I’d really like to learn of the barriers they’ve identified and hope committee members will be forthcoming with both rationale and reasons. Is it a question of relevance? Is it that we’ve behaved badly (at times) over the decades? Is it because of a less than stellar reputation with outsiders? There’s a lot of stuff you can’t sweep under the carpet with just a new name - we really need heart change. You don’t change organizational culture, direction, or perception (bigger than reality) without implementing intentional and strategic shift. What’s at the core? What’s at the heart? Whitewashing an exterior does little for a deteriorating interior. If there is to be genuine change it must begin with significant heart change. I just want to make sure we’re as concerned about being the church as we are about the tag/label on the stationary and building. Just a thought.