The Prayer Trail is Up and Running (or maybe walking)

I walked our new prayer trail before the first service on Sunday. It was a beautiful morning to get alone with God. The view from the ridge is great...surprising how far you can see.

Jayne Rechtzigel gets a lesson
 from Dave Johnson

But it got me thinking about the genesis of the idea for a trail. Some people might wonder what all the interest is about in a prayer trail. You might wonder what a prayer trail even is. So let me back up and explain...

Way back before Cedarbrook was even an official church we had a small group of about eight people. We studied a book that covered seven ways that people make a connection with God. I can't remember what all the ways were...I think one was through service. One was more intellectual, like by reading. But I know that one was in creation. In fact, of the eight people in the group I think six of us said that was the primary way we connect with God.

Remy teaches himself how to  drive a bobcat
by trial and error.

I can remember saying...if that is the primary way of connecting to God for such a majority of people it's funny that churches don't capitalize on this more. And then I said...if we ever are able to buy land and build wouldn't it be nice to have a trail that people could walk to connect with God?

Everyone agreed but I'm sure it seemed like a pipe dream at the time since we hadn't even started holding services.  Fast forward ten years. We not only have a church but  we have  a building and our own brand spanking new prayer trail!  I love seeing dreams become reality!  You never know what can  happen when you Dream BIG!

This trail isn't just for Cedarbrookers. It's our gift to the community. Invite your friends. We will only allow Cedarbrookers to offer memorials (simply due to the limitation of space) but anyone can use the trail; and they don't have to pray either!  But my guess is that by the time they walk the half mile and read the signs that they will have offered a prayer after all.

Yet to come are three large crosses on the hill, seven stations signs with a scripture (for example; comfort, guidance, healing, restoration, hope, etc.), and more  landscape.  We are still working on how to manage memorials. But the idea is that Cedarbrookers can purchase a plant or tree (from our list of preapproved plants) and have it planted with a sign noting a loved one. We will publish information on this as the details are worked out.

Also, we are working on a brochure to help guide people through the prayer stations and suggest  how they might use the trail to pray.

Now...get out there and enjoy it and tell a friend!

An Open Mind is a Wonderful Thing

Note; this post is a repost from my personal blog at readingremy.com. I called it "Delete, Discredit or Diaglogue: What do you do? After posting it I thought it was a good refection of the kind of culture that I have worked at creating at Cedarbrook. I want us to be dialoguers!

I got an interesting reply back from a Facebook Page that I posted on. It was for a site that promotes mental health. It was the post about the missing piece to the shame puzzle. They strongly disagreed with my take saying that my insistence on God being at the heart of self-worth was harsh.

I wrote back and explained myself a little more but thanked them for their feedback. I told them that they could have just hit “delete” but they chose to respectfully reply with their concern. Imagine that!

I just don’t see a lot of that these days.  It seems that people are quick to delete or discredit someone. But few will engage in dialogue. That’s too bad.  I gain so much when people push back on what I say.  Ideas come quickly to me and I often become quite passionate about them. I NEED people  to  push back to take off the rough edges to what I say and bring the perspective that  I often lack.

When you read or hear a new idea it’s easy to  ”hit” DELETE, isn’t it?  You don’t like it. It doesn’t fit with your world view. Boom. It’s gone.  That might be a good idea. Deleting is a reality in our informationally overloaded world.  You just don’t have time to entertain every idea. And some ideas are just bad! It’s not worth spending any time with it.

But sometimes we should pause, listen/ read and consider a new thought.  We can get stuck in ruts. We can assume that we know all there is to know.  Maybe this new idea is God’s gift to open you to  new thinking…something that will broaden your perspective and enrich you…bring you greater perspective and balance.

Some people aren’t satisfied with hitting delete. They have to  DISCREDIT.  When they read a blog it’s like they are out for target practice. They don’t care what they shoot. They just want to shoot at something. They don’t take into consideration what the person  is really saying. They jump to conclusions and start firing. They seem to find joy in tearing others down and positioning themselves as the expert. You see this a lot in politics and religion. When I hear, see or read a tone of disrespect I turn it off.  I can’t watch shows where people are ripping into each other or read blog comments that do the same. It’s offensive. (read a Brene Brown post on people attacking her).

But DIALOGUE is a good thing. You don’t have to agree with me. In fact, I don’t want everyone agreeing with me. How boring. I only see a fraction of the truth. I bet you have something that you can add to what I’ve got to make it better.  I don’t have to be all wrong for you to be right. We can both see parts of the big picture.  Our two ideas might seem to contradict each other but not necessarily. Let’s not jump to judge. Let’s just explore each others perspective.

You don’t have to be like me, think like me, look like me, believe like me, etc. to have something valuable to share. Some of the best insights come from people totally opposite from me. Your input doesn’t offend me. It challenges me. It makes me a better person.

This post is a simple invitation to dialogue…not just with me…with everyone. Start a conversation and explore an idea without the need to label the other person’s idea as wrong. Talk until you think you’ve exhausted the idea. And then look for someone else to include in the conversation. I bet they’ll have ideas the two of you never thought about.

The Bible says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one  person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). Indeed.

We Did It! - One Million Dollars!

If you missed Sunday's announcement we raised  

$1,029,930

for our Free to Reach More Campaign with 161 households pledging. We added about 50 households the past few weeks and that really makes me happy...30 more than our first campaign.  

This means so much to me. It means that the majority of people that attend Cedarbrook understand and embrace our vision...with passion!  We are not content to sit back and do "church as usual". We want to take our experience to a new level by making an impact on the lives of people in our church, our community and in our world.

Thanks so much for not being afraid to talk about money for six weeks and allow me to challenge you to sacrifice again for the sake of bringing God's kingdom from heaven to earth. It's such a privilege to lead a community that wants to make a difference.

Raising this much enables us to...

• not cut staff or ministry
• build the prayer trail, amphitheater and playground
• save hundreds of dollars on interest
• focus on ministry and not on a mortgage

Thanks so much to all the volunteers who stepped up to organize this campaign. Our staff could have NEVER done it alone. You all made it happen and I think you will agree that it was inspiring and even fun!

Remy

Meeting God By Serving Others

I really enjoyed this mornings service. I interviewed Joe Draxler and the team that went to Haiti, Pastor Kyle via Skype down in New Orleans, and my daughter Becca, via Skype from Bangkok, Thailand.  Pretty amazing to think that we have people covering the globe.

I started the service with a reading from Henri Nouwen. He talked about how we encounter God in service because God is a servant by nature. He revealed himself as a servant of the world. So when we follow him into service we encounter God in a special way.

As Tevis closed us off with the Steven Curtis song (Yours) about ministering around the world I was struck by how we are actually doing that. Because of technology and generous giving and willing hearts, we are ministering hope around the world. The song said that the world is God's and, by association, that means that the world is ours. Because we are God's children we have the responsibility of caring for the world he created.

In the next few weeks we are sending people to Honduras, The Czech Republic, Nicarauga and working on a relief trip for tornado victims in Indiana. So...what is happening here?  These trips are not coming out of any strategic initiative by staff or LEAD team. They are happening because people are seizing an opportunity and going. This is a God thing. I LOVE it!

Keep it up!

A New Paradigm for Church

I'm convinced that we are in the midst of a second church reformation. In  ten years churches won't look at all what they look like now.  They will cease to be weekly meetings that merely perform religious rituals and they will become 24/7 ministry centers. Sunday morning will simply be times of celebration for what went on the other six days of the week.

Seth Godin sees the same thing happening in the business world. We've seen institutions crumble and be wholly replaced. This is what Seth has to say...

The definition of a revolution: it destroys the perfect and enables the impossible.

The music business was perfect. Radio, record chains, Rolling Stone magazine, the senior prom, limited access to recording studios, the replaceable nature of the LP, the baby boomers... it all added up to a business that seemed perfect, one that could run for ever and ever.

The digital revolution destroyed this perfect business while enabling the seemingly impossible: easy access to the market by new musicians, a cosmic jukebox of just about every song ever recorded, music as a social connector...

If you are love with the perfect, prepare to see it swept away. If you are able to dream of the impossible, it just might happen.

Prepare to see "church as usual" swept away. Now let's dream the impossible.

Read Seth's blog here.

Grow in the Grace of Giving

We continue in our capital campaign. Last night we announced that $404,000 has already been pledged by 15 people. That's great news. But many others are still praying and asking God what to do. Our 20 Day devotional is meant to help us with the decision. This is an excerpt from today's message...

"Now as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in the love we inspired in you - see that you abound in this gracious work of giving also. I am not speaking this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love." (2 Corinthians 8:7-8)

...giving is a test of the heart in action, a test of the genuineness of love. 

Giving is where what we believe gets real.

Now is the time to ask another question: "OK Lord, what have You equipped me and blessed me to do?" What resources do I have to give? How can I think creatively about giving - beyond the narrow box of my income and expenses - in order to give of myself fully? Are there assets beyond my monthly income that I can give? Can I create new resources to give with my talents, gifts, and time? Does my faith commitment lead me to change other priorities in my life, reducing spending and thus freeing resources for giving?

Read the full devotional here.

Doing God's Good Will...

Excerpt from Day 11 of the 20 Day Devotional - 


We are asking God to show us how he can use us to help support his vision through Cedarbrook. 


The devotional says...


A stewardship decision is a prayerful commitment. A stewardship decision invites God to the dialogue and involves God in the discussion. A stewardship decision becomes much more than just my sense of goodwill... it means discovering and acting within a sense of God's goodwill.


Pray...Lord, I want to honor Your name. Speak to me! Let Your will be done ... in me and through me. Let Your kingdom come ... here in my life. 


Read the full devotion here.

A Meaningful Sacrifice

From Day 7 of the 20 Day Devotional...


Jesus watched people giving their financial gifts at the temple. Many men dropped in large gifts. But one woman dropped in only two coins. Jesus said that the largest gift was from the woman because she gave everything she had. The devotional conncludes...


Commitments are not about equal gifts, but about an equal sense of sacrifice. Not everyone has the ability (the resources) to make a multi-million dollar gift; but every person does have the ability and the opportunity to meaningfully invest themselves in what God is doing in their church. In terms of the commitment, rather than the amount,...ask yourself this question... would God be honored if every person in this church made a sacrifice equal to my own?


Read the full devotional here.

Blessing the Small Gift

From Friday's devotional...


Every miracle begins with a person - with a person making a gift of the best they can offer and asking Jesus to bless and to use that gift.  Expect a miracle.  The need may seem overwhelming.  Your gift may appear to be inadequate to cover all of the need.  But all Jesus asks is the best that you can offer.  When you give the best that you can to Jesus, then expect a miracle. 


There is no gift too small in God's eyes. God blesses every gift for his glory. We may not be able to give equal amounts but in God's kingdom the small gift receives the same blessing as the big gift if they are both motivated by love and sacrifice. God dignifies the poor in this way. 


Don't dismiss your opportunity to give just because it doesn't seem like much. That's a human view. From God's perspective he sees your heart and he will bless you for giving. You are like God when you give sacrificially. The amount doesn't matter. Giving isn't just for the rich. God is an equal opportunity blesser!

Free to Reach More

Cedarbrook launched a six week adventure last Sunday. We are asking God to raise up a million dollars to pay off our debt. We want to be free of our debt so we can reach more people with new kinds of ministry. We also want to build three outdoor projects; a playground/picnic area, an amphitheater and a prayer trail.  If possible, we'd like to hire another staff person (to learn more go to freetoreachmore.org).


We are starting the campaign with a 20 day devotional. I've been briefly commenting on our facebook page each day and decided to post here as well. You can sign up for the email devotionals here.


From Thursday's devotional entry...
...recognizing God's claim over your life,...wake up and listen for God's own voice.  There is a word from the Lord for you in this campaign.  There is a God-given vision for your church in this campaign.  "Speak to me Lord.  I am your servant.  I am listening to hear from You."


I'm convinced that this campaign is not so much about raising money as it is about hearing from God a fresh call about a new kind of paradigm for ministry. I'm committed to listen. Are you? 

Sabbath Means to Stop

On Sunday I started a new series on The Sabbath. It's not a topic we hear a lot about. But I believe the message of Sabbath is needed now more than ever. Sabbath is God's antidote to stress.

I quoted Dr. Richard Swenson's assessment of stress. He said that stress comes because progress always leads to profusion. Progress leads to a profusion of options and most of us aren't very good at saying "no" so we try to do it all. But God calls us in Sabbath to cease. To stop. And to redirect ourselves to what really matters.

I came across an article in the Harvard Business Review that touches on a few tips to help us free up time. You can  click the link below to read the full article but here are the five things it suggest to stop doing...

Five Things to You Should Stop in 2012

1. Checking your email all the time. Set up timeframes in the day rather than continully stopping to check it.

2. Mindless Traditions. Don't keep doing traditions (Christmas cards?) if you are doing them merely out of obligation.

3. Reading annoying things. Just because someone sent you an email or a newsletter or magazine comes your way it's not something you have to read. Hit delete or toss it in the garbage without guilt.

4. Work that's not worth it. It's okay to turn down jobs that have no return or simply drain  you.

5. Making things more complicated than they should be. Sometimes people want to experiment on you. Rather than take the time to perfect and idea they let you be the guinea pig. Don't fall for it. Tell them to come back when the bugs are worked out.

The point is...we live in a busy culture. If you don't control the flow of input into your life it will control you. If you have any hope of finding Sabbath you need to start saying "no" and saying it regularly. Read article here.

Top Ten Reasons to Put Jesus First

I had SO MUCH more to share yesterday at Cedarbrook. If you were there you saw that I only covered two points on a list of ten.  My topic was The Top Ten Reasons You Should Put Jesus First. Download it now...especially if you've ever been caught by a rushing river. (You'll understand if you listen to it).

Paul made reference to a "dominion of darkness" in Colossians one. That's not something we know a lot about. The Bible never goes in depth about it...only makes passing references here and there so we have to piece things together. I wanted to say more but had to cut the following...

In chapter two (Colossians) Paul makes another reference to evil powers and he uses an interesting military metaphor that requires a little explaining. Speaking of Jesus’ death he said....

 

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:15

 

Paul is  describing a military victory parade. You know what teams do after they win the Super Bowl? They have a big parade through town.  Green Bay is probably going to have another one of these this year.  In ancient times when an army came home they had a parade but they made the captives trail behind making a public show of them.  Humiliating the enemy was part of the celebration.  Imagine the Packers having a parade and then at the end of the parade was the  losing team with their heads dropped in shame. That’s the idea.

 

Paul says that’s what Jesus did in the spirit world.  After he died on the cross and rose from the dead there was a parade through heaven with all the evil powers.  I don’t know if this literally happened or if Paul is just using the metaphor to make his point but the point is that Jesus saved us from a dark world that is out to take us down and we should be thankful. We should put him first in our lives because everything that once had control over us has been defeated!

I hope this week is a time of reflecting on all that Jesus has done for you and thanking him for it.

Advent...time to put Jesus first

Yesterday I continued my study of Colossians, chapter one. My goal is to help us Worship Fully this Advent season. And to do that, we need to put Jesus where he belongs...at the top of every list we have...at the center of everything we do.

I don't know about you but Jesus often slips out of place. I'm embarrassed to say that...after all, I'm a pastor!  You'd think I would be meditating on Jesus all day!  But I drift. I get focused on my work. I get focused on my play. I get focused on people. And before you know it, I'm not as in touch with the presence of Jesus in my life as I know I can be.

This study has  already challenged me to carve out more time every day to simply sit in Jesus' presence to be quiet...reflect on his words...and listen. Let's develop the habit (again) in December and carry it throughout the year.

Download the message here. By the way...the print version has a few more scripture references and notes if that matters to you.

Why not use the Going Deeper questions (text version) to help you reflect more on Jesus this Advent season?

Remy

Christians Look Like Idiots When....

Steve Furtick is a young fireball of a pastor in North Carolina. His blog today touched on something I believe and pass it onto you here. This is just an excerpt. Click at the bottom for the full post...

I wonder how many “rivalries” we’ve set up within Christian culture that make us look completely aloof and disconnected to a watching world?

We’re busy drawing battle lines within our bubble:
“Are you Calvinist or Arminian?”
“Are you missional or attractional?”
“Are you a Cessationist or a Continuationist?”
“Are you seeker sensitive or (insert opposite of seeker sensitive)”
“Are you blah blah blah or yada yada yada?”

Meanwhile, most hurting people in the world have no idea what we’re talking about. (A lot of the time, neither do we, if you press us.)

What’s worse, they don’t care.
If the average non-Christian heard some of the debates that dominate many of our “Christian” conversations, they’d be sickly amused, completely confused, totally disgusted, or all of the above.

Bad things happen when we become obsessed with things that most people couldn’t care less about—and become distracted by passions that aren’t the highest priority in the heart of God.

We look like idiots when we launch full-scale wars over battles that Jesus didn’t die to fight.

Read it all here.

The Goal of Spiritual Growth... MUCH Fruit

In some ways, I think my message on Sunday was one of the most important messages I've ever preached. Why? Because it set our faith in context of who God calls us to be.  

I find that many believers don't understand their purpose. Over the years they chase different spiritual things that they perceive to be "growth". It might be Bible knowledge. It might be spiritual gifts or charismatic experiences. It might be spiritual disciplines like fasting or prayer or silence.  All of these things are good and even helpful. But none of them are ends in themselves. Download "Much Fruit" here.

Jesus said that we are called to produce "much fruit".

Using an apple tree as my model I defined much fruit as involving three things:

1. Bringing kingdom character and behavior into your life situations

2. Helping people in need

3. Reproducing your life in the life of someone else

This is our calling. This is God's will for us. Imagine a community of people all pursuing these goals together. God has a word for that: church.

I hope you'll read/listen to the message and see what God might say to your heart.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Remy

I Believe in Hell

I'm often amused (and grateful) at how people misquote me for the good.  They will tell me how a sermon changed their life but when they tell me what I said I know I never said that!  But I'm glad their life was changed!  That's sweet. Or people will read a book from some spiritual giant and then forget where the idea came from but assign it to me by mistake. Excellent. Bonus points for me!

But the downside to being a public speaker or leader in general is that  you get misquoted in bad ways and often misunderstood. That can be very discouraging because there is often nothing you can do to recover. You feel defenseless in the face of gossip and much good is undermined because people assumed something to be true that wasn't.

I've appreciated being able to post written and audio versions of my messages online so people can see/hear what I really said. It would be nice if people would go to the source to get the real story but unfortunately that doesn't always happen.

I mention all this because I spoke a message on hell this summer and it seems that some people misheard me.  That happens. So let me briefly clarify my view on hell just to help those who are interested.

I believe that...

1. hell exists because the Bible talks about it in  many places.
2. hell is a logical result of a judgment that must come at some point from a just God.
3. the Bible often speaks figuratively, using metaphor, so we need to  be careful  in assuming we know exactly what hell is and who will go there.
4. put simply, hell is a place where God is not.
5. God loves us so much he sent Jesus to save us from hell.
6. Jesus is an expert Savior and therefore will save many more people than will be lost to hell.
7. anyone who believes in  hell and speaks of it should speak with great humility and compassion.
8. we are called to judge each other's moral behavior but not our eternal destiny. That's God's job.
9. thinking Christians shouldn't be afraid to question and struggle with the concept of hell because the rest of the world does and they would appreciate hearing that we do too. But wrestling with the concept doesn't mean you disbelieve it.
10. Christians can  hold different views on hell than me without being labeled a heretic. ( I can even learn from people that hold different views from me.)

I hope this helps to clarify any confusion that people have about my views on hell. Pass the word!

Change or Die!

In yesterday's message I quoted the book "Change or Die". I mentioned that the book gives three important ingredients for change but only mentioned one yesterday.  Here are all three:

1. Relate - this is what I talked about. You need to learn from someone you like; a counselor, coach, pastor, etc. if you want to change. When you don't like your teacher you are less motivated to change.

2. Rehearse - you need to learn new information and keep repeating it until it becomes a part of you. This is why reading the Bible is so important. You don't do it once and quit. You keep reading it until it's a part of your thought process.

3. Reframe - Once you grasp the new information you use it to reframe how you view life.  For example, when you fail at something you don't beat yourself up as a failure...you reframe your thoughts and view yourself as forgiven by God and having the presence of God's spirit to live a new life.

If you missed my message, download "What's Your Plan?" here.

Where is the Lord's Prayer?

I'm often  asked why we don't say the Lord's Prayer at Cedarbrook. My answer is that we don't have anything  against saying it. I just don't like to  do or say things in a ritualistic way that robs true meaning from the experience.   

I prefer to preach the Lord's Prayer...especially the line...Your kingdom come,  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  I do that often. I did it again yesterday. Download Growth: What are we shooting for? Our mission as followers of Jesus is to  bring heaven  to earth every day in tangible ways...most often in  our relationships...how we treat people. This is the greatest testament to a living God.

Seeking the kingdom by living the kingdom was the main thing Jesus wanted to see from his disciples. In his Sermon on the Mount Jesus said...

...do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6

If you read the verses before and after this passage the context helps us to understand what "seeking the kingdom" means. It means helping others out financially. That's why he tells us not to worry about food or drink or clothes. He's saying...if  you worry about helping others I'll worry about helping you. That's what my kingdom is all about.

What a challenge. What a redefinition of how we  should live our daily lives. Most of us seek first our kingdom...our security, and beyond that, our luxury. But Jesus framed our life experience in a totally opposite way.

I think this is bigger than any one of us. We need each other  to lead such a radical life. I invite you to join Cedarbrookers in this calling.

Has Your Faith Flatlined?

I launched a new series yesterday. I hope you'll download it  to hear a story I told about my new hobby of biking and how I related it to what causes our faith to grow. Download Growth: Three Obstacles to Growth here. 

I talked about the parable of the sower and the seed. So often people beat themselves up for not being the kind of seed that produces a good crop.  But if you look at the story closely...we aren't the seed. God's word is the seed.  We are the soil.  And in another parable Jesus tells us something about his seed.  Listen...

26 He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." Mark 4

It says here that the seed grows ALL BY ITSELF.  The man has no idea how it grows. It just does.  In other words...we don't have to worry about growth.  It happens naturally.  All we have to do is supply God with obstacle free soil.  I talked about those three obstacles yesterday in my message. 

So spiritual growth is much more possible than you imagined!

Join me Sunday for part two.

Remy

Creating Relational Boundaries

On Sunday I took a look at what it takes to raise and release wise children into the world.  I said it involves two things: offering choices and consequences. Download Parenthood: Hitting the Target here. We raise wise children by helping them to take responsibility and make good decisions.

But for you non-parents I hope you see the application to other relationships.  Choices and consequences are what we should all be using to establish boundaries in our personal relationships. Too often people feel the need to take responsibility for the problems that other people create. We get guilted into solving their problems just like children often guilt their parents into solving theirs.

For example, a wife asked me once if I could find her husband a job.  Now, I don't mind helping people out...passing along tips to find jobs or whatever. But behind her question I sensed a weak boundary.  What she was really saying was..."my husband is lazy. He won't look for work so now I have to do it for him."  And what she didn't realize was that she was now trying to pass that responsibility onto me.  I told her that I'd be happy to keep my ears open but if he didn't want to look for a job that that was the real issue.  She shouldn't try to solve HIS problem. (And neither should I). She should consider giving him choices and consequences for his decisions. 

For some of you. this probably opens a number of follow up questions for your particular situation. It's complicated, I know. Maybe come in and see me. We can talk through a solution to your particular scenario. But don't solve other peoples problems for them (unless that's your job and you get paid for it!). Life is too short and you have enough of your own problems to solve!

Remy