Firefighter's Creed

I have no ambition in this world but one,

and that is to be a FIREFIGHTER.

The position may, in the eyes of some,

appear to be a lowly one,

but we know the work

which a firefighter has to do is to

believe that his is a noble calling.

There is an adage which says that:

"Nothing is destroyed, except by fire"

We strive to preserve from destruction,

the wealth of the world,

which is the product of the industry of men,

necessary for the comfort of both the rich & poor.

We are the defenders from fire,

of the art which has beautified the world,

the product of the genius of men

and the means of refinement of mankind.

 

But above all, our proudest endeavor is...

to save lives of men -

the work of God Himself.

Under the impulse of such thoughts,

the nobility of the occupation

thrills us and stimulates us to deeds of daring,

even at the supreme sacrifice.

Such consideration may not strike the average mind,

but they are sufficient to fill to the limit

our ambition in life and to make us

serve the general purpose of human society.

There He Goes, A Hero

Many spend their childhoods dreaming of behing heroes. With great imagination, curiosity, and innocence, we spent time dressing up as our favorite characters... some real, some imaginary. One of the most popular "hero" costumes of all times has to be the firefighter. Heck, I still dress as a firefighter on Halloween, but that's generally a combination of laziness and a lack of creativity. But who wouldn't want to save the day? Children have an innate desire to emulate heroes; they spend time dreaming about being the hero.

Sometimes I think back to when I first joined the local fire service. My buddies and I joined at the same time and honestly thought we were going to spend our time running through fire and saving people. I still spend some of my time in training in preparation for the times when a life does need to be saved. It's in every heartbeat of a firefighter: Save people. Be a hero. Save the day. Even though I am a little less "wet behind the ears" in fire service now and have a little less of a naive approach to the tasks I complete, I still like to study about notable rescues across fire service. When a notable rescue comes available in some report or news story, I jump at the opportunity to read it; I even catch myself sometimes imagining how I might have reacted in the same situation. Do I have the abilities to do what this hero did?

Too many people grow up and forget what it is like to dream of being the hero. Sometimes we still want to be the guy that saves the day, but we imagine ourselves in our own skin being the hero. Remember when we were children and, when we imagined being the hero, we literally imagined ourselves in the very suit of the hero? Sometimes the imagination carried us to a place where we wore the giant 'S' on our chest... some other times it was a fire helmet. Other times it was a set of handcuffs in a game of cops and robbers. One thing was always the same. We weren't just being ourselves dressed as some hero. We WERE that hero. We were literally emulating one specific human being or character. We WERE Superman... just ask us.

What is it like to be an adult and still imagine ourselves emulating a hero? I'd say that's the definition of a follower of Jesus. Take the following examples into account.
-Jesus gave us instructions to have the faith of a child. (Matthew 18)
-We are to be transformed into the very image of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3)
-We are to emulate Christ's very actions in this world. (No link to a verse on this one; just read the Gospels and you'll get the idea.)
-We are to be "Little Jesuses" (ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church)

Look, bottom line is we get to be heroes. Much like the comic books we combed through as a child, searching for clues as to how we could be a better Superman... we are given the blueprint of how to emulate the savior of the world... someone even Superman could look up to.

I still want to be a hero. The only difference is that now, when I picture a hero, he's not wearing bunker gear.

Let No Man's Ghost... (a call out to leaders of the Church)

I had the pleasure of assisting in the instruction at the Abilene Fire Control Conference just a few weeks ago. While in the registration room (which is a classroom), I saw an intriguing quote painted over the exit door.

"Let no man's ghost say his training failed him."

Firefighting is inherently dangerous. That is actually an official statement by the National Fire Protection Association. Yes, there is danger, but where danger meets inevitability is the many who fail to meet a minimum training standard. The phrase above is a constant reminder that fire fighters should constantly assess their training in the context of the challenge ahead of them. Perhaps the even greater reminder in that phrase is that of personal responsibility. It chants in the back of your head as a mantra prior to entering a life threatening situation... do I have the training? Do I have the experience? When the answer is no, time to get out there and be challenged in a new set of skills.

This past Tuesday, my fire department put a group of newer firefighters through a series of firefighter rescue drills. The training was intended to be above their level. It was meant to push them harder than we've ever pushed them. The goal was to force firefighters to overcome the mental challenges that await them in real life calls. It wasn't to beat them down, but to build them up... challenge them to see their own weaknesses and progress beyond them. As leaders of that fire department, we have a duty to train these fire fighters in skills that they will meet in real life. Then, when the time comes, we can wash our hands clean knowing that we have prepared those firefighters for what they are about to face.

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Recently, my wife and I were studying Acts 20. Toward the middle of the chapter was Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian elders. He said something that surprises me.

25"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

Paul is leaving the Ephesians for the last time, but he is leaving with a sense that he has taught them everything they need to know to carry on in his absence. How many leaders do we have in our Churches today who can say that, in their absence, their flock is capable? How many of our leaders feel like they have fulfilled their task of sharing with the flock the "whole will of God?"

Bottom line is, Church leaders can take a lot from the phrase above too. In a world where we can hardly differentiate the Christians from the unbelieving, where the Body tends to look, act, and speak JUST like every one else... Are we as leaders of the Body, training the flock, or leaving them to the wolves? I don't know about you, but I'm so tired of my Sundays looking like a fashion show and my Mondays-Saturdays looking like the rat race. When will we begin to train the Body to be in the world, but not of the world? When will we start following the way of the radical Jesus, the giver of life, rather than the way of the world, which is death?

I want to see the quote above plastered in church buildings across the world: "LET NO MAN'S GHOST SAY HIS TRAINING FAILED HIM." It is a new call, a new challenge to train each and every single follower of Jesus to be ready and able to take on the fight. Our congregations are so lacking in training of its members that we are being ripped to shreds in this world, but it is only at the hands of our own self service. When will we get up and look out the window to see the world we are meant to serve, then train to enter into it? Get out of the pews and into the world!

I dream of the day that I could speak with confidence, as Paul did, that I can wash my hands clean, knowing that I have lead my brothers and sisters and helped prepare them for service in this world. Until that day, the phrase continues...

Let no man's ghost say his training failed him...

Priorities

If you haven't noticed... I've been absent lately.

I have been so busy with life that I never seem to get to the part where I sit down and write it all down. A quick lesson I've learned that I wanted to share with everyone.

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Last week was the Abilene Fire Control Conference. I was asked to teach a class called Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). For those in fire service, here is a great resource for you to learn how to create a great RIT program in the context of your organization. Either way, I did a lot of research leading up to this class because it has been a long time since I've taken RIT and I wanted to be up to date on latest best practices and national standards. The class went okay, but one part of the class reminded me about life and how sometimes we never seem to get to the bottom of our to-do lists.

For those who are unaware of RIT, it is the national standard and practice which states you should always have firefighters outside on a dedicated firefighter rescue team if firefighters are in a dangerous environment (such as inside a house fire). Those firefighters are asked to do nothing except be prepared in case a MAYDAY is called out by firefighters inside.

During this class, I decided to give students a checklist for them to use on their own fire scenes. Those checklists were not intended to be an exact template, but something they could use to develop their own checklists for what to do in the case of a MAYDAY call and request of a RIT team activation. The purpose of this checklist was simply to show that there is a lot to be done if a RIT team is activated and that they should make sure everything is done "by the book" to prevent overlooking important, yet minute tasks in the heat of the moment.

When I think about my daily life, I realize that I sort of need a checklist to work from too. I have priorities within my fire department, my career, my family, my faith... all of which are varying degrees of importance, but all must be completed. I have gotten in the practice of writing a to-do list every day to make sure I live up to the requests of my customers, fellow firemen, family, and Lord. I try my hardest not to see it as some legalistic rule of law, but rather a guideline to help me remain organized and follow priorities.

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What do you do to keep organized?

What signs do you see that remind you that you're getting off target and losing sight of priorities?

Late Nights; Early Mornings

I am sitting in the passenger seat of a car that is Abilene-bound. We should arrive after 1am. I've spent only 3 nights out if the last 12 at home and the rest in hotels.  Some for business, some for pleasure.  Being so tired after weeks of traveling has me thinking about the many first responders going on very little sleep around the world.
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In many of my recent travels, I have been spending time with my firefighter customers and friends. The story is similar in most towns, large and small: big fires, technical rescues, and very little reprieve. Men and women who are in service to their community.
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As I think about the men and women who so often are overworked and underpaid, I think about our tasks as followers of Christ. We are called to work tirelessly spreading the Gospel in love. Again, men and women who are in service of their community.
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This particular weekend I am traveling back from visiting my sister, who had competed at NASA in an international space settlement design competition. I was very proud to spend time with her and see her hard work displayed on an international level. That's what a big brother is supposed to do, right? Yes, we are family... And family goes to great lengths to support each other. 
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As in the firefighters working tirelessly to support the needs of the community they serve... And the family members who desire to support each other in their endeavors, I question whether our Christian brethren have grasped what it means to work tirelessly for the needs of the community. Then, I am reminded of the people who seem to never sleep while they take care of others. Tish and I are blessed to have the example of a few such families... One family in particular, the Green family have been the most constant source of emotional and spiritual support over the last few years in our efforts for South Pacific Missions. 
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So, I'm tipping my hat tonight to my brothers and sisters-- firefighters and brothers in Christ-- who work tirelessly in service of others.

Personal Responsibility

I tend to listen to a lot of talk radio while I drive. I can't say that I relate to everything I hear on this medium of entertainment, but it definitely adds some interesting thoughts to a mundane drive through west Texas. Given that I spend up to 1200 miles a week staring at the open land, I need something other than local radio stations to keep me occupied. While listening to the Dave Ramsey Show (a personal finance program), I came to a series of understandings that all relate back to personal responsibility. In his instance, he was describing the amount of money paid to interest in car loans. He used the example of a $500 per month car payment, paid into investments over a lifetime, rather that car payments, equals more than 2 million dollars. Out of the 2 million dollars you could buy brand new cars in cash every 4-5 years and still have over a million dollars. His humorously sarcastic statement was "even if I'm half wrong, you're still a millionaire, so shut up."

In my fire department, we are in a significant growth period with the community around us. With the two first out fire engines nearing 30 years old, we realize their time for retirement will soon be here. But a new fire engine costs more than $300,000. Do we go into debt for a new truck? I think not... if the situation above is true for $30,000 vehicles, wouldn't it be more true for a $300,000 vehicle? In addition to new fire trucks, the department is also trying to build a new fire station, at the cost of $500,000. With only enough income to cover operation costs, it would be a perilous mission to attempt to take a loan out for this facility. Instead, we'll have to pay it out, in cash, with our blood, sweat, and tears. It may take us a little longer to get into the facility, but our community can be better served when we have a facility that has no debt over its head.

It is amazing to me that almost all of life is simply a matter of delaying gratification. Some people can't wait to run down and buy the latest and greatest vehicle, but at what cost? They see a $30,000 price tag, but don't see the opportunity cost of investing that money and buying a slightly worn car for a few years until they can afford said new car in cash only. There is even a way that buying used cards instead of new ends up in the investments paying 100% of all vehicles for the rest of your life.

The same happened in the recent housing boom. I am oversimplifying just a little bit, but there were stories of people in low paying labor jobs taking out loans for over half a million dollars on a new home. When those adjustable rates readjusted, people found out they could not afford it. Yet, while some people people were spending more than half their take-home pay on a mortgage, others realize that settling into a smaller, more affordable home will afford them more later in life.

Then, most importantly, I think about my faith. I believe Christ spoke so much about delaying gratification so that the end result would be so much sweeter. A large example is simply our lives... If we live our lives in search of the Kingdom now, our reward in Heaven is far greater than living to our own desires now. Doesn't this ring true for so much else we do in life? Many researchers have found that those having the most sexual fulfillment in life are married couples, not single individuals out seeking sexual encounters. Furthermore, there is research to suggest those who did not cohabitate prior to marrying are less likely to be divorced. What does all this mean? Simply delaying acting out desires with a partner will result in long term fulfillment.

The list could go on and on, but the ultimate result is that a life lived with discipline and delaying short term gratification in search of long term success will result in a life more like Christ.

Rhyme behind the reason...

A recent project I have been leading at our fire department is new probationary requirements. The previous requirements were simply out of context in the new way our fire department operates. Upon agreeing to this project, I sat down and listed a series of objectives I want every new probationary firefighter to learn and accomplish before being granted a position as a full member in the organization. While on probation, new firefighters respond to emergencies with other members, but are given a lot more restrictions on the tasks they are allowed to perform on scene. This is obviously for their own safety, as we don't want new firefighters trying to perform advanced tactics on scenes, though they can be useful performing menial tasks such as getting tools off the trucks and performing less advanced tasks.

While working on these new probationary procedures, I was struck with a serious challenge: How do I balance the need for a strong, thorough training regimen with the fears that too many rules will drive new members away because they simply can't measure up? The other issue at hand is that, by training them to a specific standard, I am not guaranteeing their safety nor am I guaranteeing that nothing will ever go wrong on a scene. What good is to to give them a list of "do this" and "don't do that" in life? What does that do to my credibility as their lieutenant over probation when something does go wrong? Why must they learn to drive in a controlled environment before emergencies? Why must they take a firefighter safety course? Why must they possess knowledge on all fireground equipment and apparatus? Why must they...? Why? Why? And the list goes on...

There has to be a rhyme behind the reason.

I came across a video that a friend posted on Facebook tonight. It describes the same scenario with the group many call "de-churched." This group of individuals were raised up going to church, but for one reason or another were driven away. The speaker of this video--Matt Chandler-- describes how the trap is set when we tell people that they must live by a set of rules but never give them the tools of being transformed by Christ. What good is it for us to live by a strict regimen if in the end we aren't armed to handle the struggles of real life: divorce, death, sickness, debt? What good is to "do this," or "don't do that" just because?



There has to be a rhyme behind the reason.

What are your thoughts?

How Hot Are You?

Those who spend any time at all on Facebook have seen the myriad of Quizzes pertaining to the level of "hotness" of self, friends, coworkers, etc. If you expect to take one of those, look somewhere else.

However, I have some new ideas (or maybe just new to me) on how to be hot in regards to your physical life, spiritual life, and more. 

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Steam conversion is often depicted as the ideal scenario in firefighting tactics for structure fires. The reason is simply a matter of science. Fire is extinguished when it is cooled faster than it can produce heat. One gallon of water, for each degree of temperature rise, will absorb 1 BTU (British Thermal Unit) of heat. Steam, on the other hand, will absorb 970 BTUs with each gallon of steam applied. Furthermore, water vapor, produced when water increases from boiling point to one degree above boiling, has 1700 times more volume (space taken by the vapor) than liquid water. In essence, the steam acts as both a cooling agent (absorbing BTUs) and as an asphyxiant (taking up too much space to let oxygen in). The result, my friends, is an extinguished fire.

While this might be a little advanced in fire tactics for those readers who are not involved in fire service, I promise I have a point in this explanation. Only 1 degree in increased effort can increase efficiency by more than 1000%. Just imagine what you can do in life if you just take up every challenge with just one degree more in effort! 

If you are wondering where this all comes from, I want to write for you an excerpt on the latest book I am reading. 

At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And with steam, you can power a train. Applying one extra degree of temperature to water means the difference between something that is simply very hot and something that generates enough force to power a machine - a beautifully uncomplicated metaphor that ideally should feed our every endeavor - consistently pushing us to make the extra effort in every task, action, and effort we undertake. Two-twelve serves as a forceful drill sergeant with its motivating and focused message while adhering to a scientific law - a natural law. It reminds us that seemingly small things can make tremendous differences. So simple is the analogy, that you can stop reading right now, walk away with the opening thought firmly planted in your mind and benefit from it for the rest of your life.

If there were to be one word that makes the difference between hot water and steam, it would be discipline. What if you got up 15 minutes earlier? [but I'm just so tired] What if you spent just 5 minutes more in prayer and scripture each day? [but I'm just so busy] What if you went just that additional degree for a customer in need of service? [Well, they weren't going to award me the sale anyway] What if you... Well, that list could go on forever. Ultimately, the answer is simply and excuse of why we don't. But what if we did? The extra discipline could make the difference in a saved marriage, a respectful son or daughter, or even another person won over for the Kingdom of God. 

Scriptures make a similar statement about people's faith level: 

Revelation 3:15-16 (New International Version)

¹⁵I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Naturally, this blog is always going to direct us in the context of a life of faith, but the lessons of this particular post are applicable across the board. 


What parts of you life could you go the extra degree? 


I have recently been putting links to Amazon on the books which I find most useful for my personal and spiritual growth. If you are interested in joining in these adventures with me, click the links and purchase a copy. Then, post your thoughts! Do you have additional books on a particular topic that would be beneficial for all of us, post them also in the comments section for all to see!

The Worship Tour

This is Part 4 of a series. If you want to catch up:
Part 1: Excuses and the way we've always done it
My personal Struggles with doing the same ol' thang.
Part 2: You've Got to Have a Plan
Laying out a Plan to view the Church in a different light.
Part 3: Turning over the Tables
A radical Christ that we often forget

Many refer to being a firefighter as being more than a job...many even say it's a lifestyle. Firefighters work together, bbq together, and spend much of their lives together. To most firefighters, the time spent on the job leads to a life-long relationship off the job. One interesting thing that I have noticed is that this theme carries throughout shift firefighters, on call firefighters, and volunteers. If a fireman simply attends a fire call then goes home without the connection to the men and women with whom he shares that experience, one can hardly call that a lifestyle. If, however, a firefighter knows the intimate details of his fellow responders' lives outside the fire station... then, it is a lifestyle.

What is worship like in our congregations? Is it a simple event, like the obligatory fire call, or is it a lifestyle, more similar to the bbqs and time outside of the fire station?

Before I attempt to answer that question, I would like to embark on an explanation of previous forms of worship. Some of those apply today... some, not so much. I'll call this our "Worship Tour."

Worship in the Old Testament
While I lack the space to fully detail what worship looked like in the Old Testament, I wanted to hit a few high points. Often, when someone worshiped in the Old Testament, it referred to prostrating oneself in honor of God. Worship was done in many other forms too. Sacrifices, First fruit giving, and songs of honor were all considered worship acts.

David's Worship
We have all read the Psalmist's amazing songs of worship to God. Many of these are attributed to David. In the context of his life, we see an interesting trend. David worshiped God in times of desperation. There are also vibrant songs of worship that may or may not have been written during the struggles of David's life. All in all, it is apparent that David worshiped God at the highest points and the lowest points of his life.

New Testament
Especially in Jerusalem, people in Jesus' time often attended worship at the temple. There are passing references that suggest reading scriptures and preaching/teaching were routine items on the agenda. Some references suggest that early Christians attended Jewish synagogues as well as meeting in homes for times of worship. Later in the new testament, it appears that Christians worshiped in song, teaching, service, etc. More references on the early church later...

Now
We have seen a whirlwind "Worship Tour" of some of the forms and types of worship that God's people have presented to Him in the past. Currently, there are those who live communally and call it worship. There are others who attend a Sunday gathering and call that "going to worship." There are even others who believe both work together in harmony. There is no doubt that God desires as much a diverse range of worship styles as the subjects he created to worship Him! I do, however, want to look not at the act of worship itself, but at how we view it.

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I firmly believe that we have mis-defined what worship IS, therefore argue about how worship is DONE. I often fill a section of my blog with multiple Scriptural references around a similar point, but today I think it is easy to point out our misunderstandings of worship with one verse: Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Just prior to the "Therefore" is the Doxology, which simply states our place in his order ("Who has been his counselor?") and then reminds us that "from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." In other words, if we ignore the man-defined chapters in this passage, we see that God is ought to be worshiped, therefore we worship him through our lives.

Whoa... if you are like me, your mind probably gets lost a little in some of the language of the scriptures. That is okay... we can take a point which seems complex and break it down. In fact, the passage above actually clarifies something we have been arguing about for centuries. Rather than argue about specific acts of a general group of actions that can all be described as worship, how about giving respect to the one who created  the diversity of the people from whom these worship acts pour out.

I am more and more convinced by the day that arguing about whether certain worship acts are more appropriate than others is just as ignorant as arguing whether a Schnauzer is more dog than a German Shepherd. 

Many use references from the Letters to describe very specific and contextual methods of worship then try to state that it must be copied verbatim even in our time. I don't say that in an attempt to denigrate the importance of the Scripture's references to early Church worship. No... rather the opposite. I see it as a great honor to have such a vast and encompassing description of the ups and downs of early Christians. That is one of the things that has great application for today's followers of Christ. 

So, is worship a simple event? Or is it a lifestyle?

How about... Both. There is an event which occurs every week across the world. Many call it worship. It is; however, if people mis-define it as being The Worship rather than a form of Worship, they are sadly missing some of the greatest worship experiences. Many events can be worship, though if an individual's--or a group's-- definition of worship is centered around an event of any sort, they are likely missing the boat. Worship is a lifestyle. Worship is serving others. Worship is singing. Worship is a Saturday afternoon bbq. Worship is the way you treat the clerk at Wal-Mart. Worship is life.

Turning Over the Tables

If you missed the first two posts in this series, I encourage you to catch up on them at the links below:
Part 1
Part 2

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Fire service, no doubt, has changed. If you have read anything I have posted, you know that change is a common theme. For many years, firemen literally fought fires. That is what they did. At some point in history, people figured out that firefighters would take on additional roles if the citizens desired. So, a whole new fire service was born. Firefighters now respond to high angle rescue, vehicle rescue, structural and urban rescue, medical services, hazardous materials incidents, and much more. Yet, while the world expects so much from these men and women, some fire departments are being tragically left behind; consequently, towns are left without adequate care according to national standards.

We could argue and never reach conclusion as to why this occurred, but the bottom line is that it just did. Honestly, the rapid change, for some, must be like a sonic boom, where a jet blows by at or above the speed of sound, leaves a deafening thunder-like clap, then leaves the crowd staring into the blue sky wondering what just happened. Sometime after a sonic boom, the crowd begins to disperse and few stop to think about what just transpired. In fire service, that deafening sonic boom is the sound of the entire world changing. The lull after the sonic boom is simply the sound of being left in the dust. I am believing more and more that, for so many fire departments, responders are simply lacking the perspective of how radical the change in fire service has been.

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Temple worship had become despicable in God's eyes. Many wondered if God would ever speak to them again as he had to the prophets of old. An upper echelon of rich men seemed to rule the faith communities like a class of religious "good ol boys." There were faint cries of a so-called Messiah, but many argued whether that was even the case. Then some crazy guy wearing fur and living in the desert starts stirring people up about a coming Savior. The tide had just turned. Then, a Savior was born and leaders began to take notice of a young boy, born in a stable in Bethlehem. Others ignored the signs.

Approximately 30 years go by... then, a man takes a group of misfits and outcasts and turns them into a group of leaders. Sonic... BOOM. For the next few years, this man named Jesus gained so much traction that Jewish leaders everywhere were plotting and devising methods by which they might kill this man.

Two thousand years later, we attend a Sunday morning event which pays homage to this man and his life, death, and consequent resurrection. Something has GOT to be missing. What did I skip in this story? What was so radical in that 30+ year period in time where we now worship Jesus in a building on Sunday instead of listening to the teachers of the law speak at the temple?

I believe, sadly, the truth is that we have failed to grasp how radical the story of Jesus is. Furthermore, I think we have failed to respond with the same radical movement. Here are a few examples.
Pre-Jesus: Those who believe in God gathered to worship in temples.
Now: We gather on Sundays at an event we call Worship.
Pre-Jesus: Jewish leaders intermingled with politicians and popular political movements.
Now: Christian leaders often are quoted attempting to beat others politically rather than win them over for the Kingdom of God.
Pre-Jesus: Status Quo.
Now: Same ol', Same ol'
Pre-Jesus: Rabbis and other men are the scholars and are respected as having greater value in the story of God.
Now: What do we say to the laymen when just a handful of "talented" men stand on a stage and talk at the crowds?
Pre-Jesus: Sick and homeless are left outside the temple.
Now: I pass homeless men on my way to Church wearing clean clothes in my clean car... stopping off for coffee on my way.
Pre-Jesus: Intelligent people sit around and argue about doctrine.
Now: Hmmm...

I get almost sick sometime when I try to pinpoint which character in the Jesus story best fits me. More often than not, especially if it relates to doctrine and methodology, I look more like the ones that Jesus called the "brood of vipers." Ouch.

We all know there is far too much church-bashing that happens among people of my generation.  I sincerely hope that this posting has a tone that is much removed from those who simply want church to look and feel their way. That's just simply ineffective and counterproductive. I simply desire to pose a question. What image of Jesus is most needed in this day and age? Is it the gentle sound of temple worshippers... or do we need a SONIC BOOM?

If you answered the latter, like me, then you might be wondering a few things:
Where is the Jesus that turned over tables in anger at the commercialization of God?
Where is the Jesus that screamed the seven woes in desperation at God's followers?
Where is the Jesus who broke all the rules if only to help one crippled woman? And a shriveled hand?
Where is the Jesus who knew that listening to the Words of the Father could cost him his life?


If you have been following with me the last few weeks, you know that I have been struggling with the Jesus I read about in Mark when compared to the Jesus I grew up knowing. Could these two men possibly be one in the same?

Brothers and sisters, the point is this: Before we must take on a fresh viewpoint on our Mission in this life, we must take a serious look at the man whom we are to imitate. That man was a radical. Are we radicals?

Much like the sonic boom described above, there is a crowd hearing the words of Jesus. That crowd is called the Church. The words and story of Jesus are a radical, immediate shift from the way things were to the way it shall be. Will you be the one staring in the wild blue yonder and get left in the dust? Or will you embrace the shift to a new radical lifestyle and take part in the Kingdom?

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Need further reading on this topic? I have been working through the book below. I encourage you to join in with me.

You've got to have a plan...

My fire department is on an ambitious path to build a new half million dollar fire station. It has become overwhelmingly apparent that we cannot serve the community of 8000 people with the same old tactics and same worn out facilities. With a call volume increase of over 300%, the department has filled the current fire station with apparatus and had to resort to parking some outside. A new facility is the only option. Nobody on the board of directors has ever undertaken such an enormous capital campaign. The process began with some unfocused fundraising--a mention in a mailout, a new web page focused to station updates, that sort of thing. When you're talking about a half a million dollars, the same old way of making money obviously isn't going to cut it. It became apparent that we all needed to sit down and retool. It was during this meeting that we all came to the same epitome. We need a plan.

If you saw my posting on February 20, then you know I am in a position in my Christian walk where I believe there HAS to be something more to the Christian community than what I see on Sunday mornings. It's not that I am disgruntled or frustrated... just that I feel I am missing something. Furthermore, when I seek out reasoning, the answer I often hear is "that's the way we have always done it." If you have not read that post, I encourage you to take a look at it (click here) before you read on.

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Well, if you are still reading, you must have gotten through my last post and somehow I have not scared you away. As I have been thinking for the past eight days since that post was written, I have been uncertain how to proceed on this quest to find what we are missing. I sat down for a few minutes the other day and I have come to an "aha" moment... the result is that I have realized that I need a plan.

Over the next couple of weeks, I want to outline a few things about Christian life and community with hopes that we can all walk away with a fresh perspective on the Christian life.

First, I want to undertake a criticism on our perspective of Christ, the man named Jesus. I believe we put him in a western culture sized box sometimes and fail to give him the worldwide context he deserves. Without an understanding of the perspective of Christ, we lack the ability to form a community in his image.

Secondly, I want to ask what worship is supposed to be like. Is it an event or is it a lifestyle? How did worship look in the first century, in the beginning of creation, and during the time of David; is that how we should do it now or do we need to reevaluate?

Next, I want to evaluate our day to day interaction as a community. How did Christ interact with people? How do we? Do those look alike or are we lacking a Christ-imaged interaction with others? This entails our interaction with each other and our interaction with people in the community.

With a new vision of community, I think it would be interesting to pursue how far we can logically extend ourselves. How many people can we have meaningful contact with and not lose a sense of community in those interactions.

So, that's my plan. Will the plan develop exactly as I have laid it out here? If I am listening to God and researching this with no personal agenda, I doubt it. But at least I have a loose guideline on the concepts I want to pursue.

After seeing how we should interact as individuals, I want to discuss something that I call The Body 2.0. It is sort of a new methodology of points of interaction during a week via face to face, social media, and traditional contact with an emphasis on interacting over geographical space and networking across the globe.

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If you didn't see my list of resources on the last blog, I have listed a few of them below.


I am reading through this book to get a fresh new perspective on Jesus who was the Christ. If you are interesting in going through this journey with me, I have linked to it here:



If you are also interested in hearing some prior reading I have done to get me to this point, I finished this book last year:



Finally, if you are questioning whether you even want to believe Jesus existed, I encourage you to read this detailed book:

Excuses and the way we've always done it...

One of the problems that has plagued fire service, especially volunteer fire service, is how hard it is to enact change, even when that change is for good purposes. Resistance occurs even when people simply want to change some tactics. For instance, there is no doubt that the ultimate goal of a fire department once on scene of a structure fire is to put out that fire. How firefighters attack that blaze is constantly evolving due to new advances in equipment, new scientific understanding of fire behavior, and new materials used in building construction. While the tactics change, the stated goal stays the same: put the fire out.
When approached as to why they wish to keep doing things as they have always done them, "old heads" often simply respond with an answer that "We've always done it that way." If a potential new tactic could save my life of the life of a resident, then I'm going to need more evidence than "we've always done it that way" to convince me that I should continue to do it the old way. Naturally, because there are so many opinions and schools of thought with every fire scenario, I don't jump on the bandwagon every time something new comes along either... but once in a while, something new comes along that makes me think: "they might just be on to something."

I heard the following today on the Dave Ramsey show: We've always done it that way" doesn't make it right or the best option. Remember "good" can sometimes be the enemy of "best".

ASIDE: Often, I see the "newest" idea and give it a shot. What I routinely find out is that it is really nothing new at all. Typically, it is only a contextual adaptation to something that has been done for a long time. The context may change, but this "new and better" idea is typically just building on something we know has worked for years.
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Do you ever get that way in church? Do you ever feel like church continues to look, feel, and sound the same simply because we've always done it that way? I must admit that about two years ago I began to feel like Sunday mornings were just repetitive and that there wasn't a point.

I'm about to tell you something that you probably will never hear from the pulpit. There isn't a point. Well, there isn't a point if the only experience you are having is the Sunday morning event. Before Jesus' sacrifice, there was already temple worship. If our entire task as Christians is just to live daily as we wish but attend a service on Sundays, then Jesus had no point in giving his life. He gave his life to change the fact that people needed a community and a life change.

Over the past two years, I have been experiencing some things that I wish to share with you. In fact, I think it is so important, that this will be a recurring theme in upcoming blog posts. I want you to know that if you are a follower of Jesus who sits in the seat on Sunday morning and struggle to see the relevance in how that pertains to Christ and his body, you are not alone. There are many followers of Jesus who no longer attend a "big church" on Sunday mornings but are still experiencing a time rich with worship, bible study, community, and all the things that some well-intended larger gatherings simply do not have. These smaller gatherings make it a focus to share time together throughout the week, much like we hear about in the Bible (particularly in Acts.) Again, just like the example of fireground tactics above, I am not restating the goal that Christ set before us. That is a forever goal... but maybe we need to rethink our tactics and how we reach that goal in the current environment. Maybe we don't. Only one way to find out...

How does this relate to my opening thought? I often hear the excuse from Christians that they don't want to try something other than a large Sunday morning gathering because that's the way they have always done it. What a tragedy. Don't you want to wake and be able to say something other than "because I always have" when someone asks why you follow Jesus? Don't you want more than simply a broken record in your relationship with God? The great thing about what I intend to share over the next few posts is that it's really nothing new... just an adaptation to our present day western culture.

Again, just like the example of fireground tactics above, I am not restating the goal that Christ set before us. That is a forever goal... but maybe we need to rethink our tactics and how we reach that goal in the current environment. Maybe we don't. Only one way to find out...

On the other hand, if you attend a larger gathering and you do see relevance to you life, do have genuine community rather than just weekly small talk, do have shared time throughout the week, and do have evangelism and contact with those who do not follow Jesus, then I applaud you! I suppose that I should begin this process with the disclaimer that I am not making a claim that I have found the "one true way" and that big churches are failing to live up to Christ's purpose. I know many larger gatherings are wonderful representations of the story and purpose of Christ. This posting is not about proving how I can do it better. If, however, you simply feel like there has GOT to be something more than your particular Sunday gathering, then I invite you to join with me in seeking to find. "Seek, and ye shall find" as the good book says.

For today, I would like to share some things I have found that have been beneficial. Those resources are below. I encourage you to share your responses to these ideas as we learn together.

What is the current context of Western Culture?

This book is simply a unique way of combining our task of sharing the Gospel with a strong understanding of the current culture.









Who was this Jesus guy, really?

As of this posting, I am beginning this book. Just a few chapters in, I can already see that this book plans to redefine who this Jesus guy was. We think of the smiling Jesus with children on his knee. While that is part of it, this book states that he is also a "loving, wildly passionate, dcangerous, radically merciful, and always surprising" savior. Sounds like just the kind of person I like to hang out with! I wanna get to know that guy!



How do I center my life in such as way that I can join in this journey?
Centereda Kindle Store e-book by Kent Smith.

Ongoing thoughts about what Church is and how to "do" Church:
Stories from the Revolution blog

What other resources do you know of that can help us take a fresh look at this whole "church thing?"

Sexy models, Probie firefighters, and Litmus Tests

Disclaimer: This post may not be suitable for all ages.

I had a long conversation with a friend of mine about pornography the other day.

But first, let me take you back about five years. I had been involved in the volunteer fire service for only months at the time. I had seen very little "real" fire at that time and was what many people refer to as "green." Now, when an individual joins a volunteer fire department, he almost undoubtedly has a romanticized view of what it means to be a fireman. Often, he or she has seen heroic rescues on the news and has seen the Hollywood cinematography trying to depict what it is really like "on the inside." I was no different. I had seen Ladder 49, Backdraft, and every other terribly inaccurate firefighter depiction and thought that I would be just like them. Then, I had my first fire. The house burned all the way to the ground. People lost their home. But I thought I was supposed to save the day! Instead, I was left with soot-covered bunker gear, a sore back, and fire hose to clean and roll. The owner of the home fared worse.
What went wrong in this story? Did I at any point in the previous paragraph state that I had been properly trained in the harsh realities of fire service? Did anyone make me aware that heroic days are far outnumbered by days of tragedy? As a probational firefighter, I had filled my mind full of heroic images and romanticized beliefs of what that first fire would be like, and I was let down. Hollywood had failed me by not preparing me for the truth that unfolded that day.

The truth is, a camera is of no use in a real fire and there is no way to make a movie interesting. Instead of running through an open room like the "John Wayne of fire", a fireman is usually forced to kneel down and crawl in tight, dark spaces. Fire is not some majestic showing of beast-like proportions. The fireman does not get to have a "slay the dragon" moment. The truth is, a firefighter often crawls inches from the ground with so much smoke it is tough to find direction. When the fire is found, it is often more of a glow through the darkness than a gorgeous flash of brilliant reds and oranges. But I don't really blame Hollywood for this ignorance. I blame the images I placed in front of myself. I blame the fact that, instead of filling myself full of training books and learning about what it is like to be a real firefighter, I took pictures in front of fire trucks and watched movies about firefighters. In short, I had designed a litmus test of what it is to be a firefighter, and the day I was called to serve, the experience didn't measure up.

Back to the present. During my conversation with my friend about pornography, I began to think about why that is such a disastrous addiction. I know that our society explains that pornography is normal. People outside of the Christian faith point to terrible statistics that instances of porn addiction in the churches is very similar to those not attending a faith community. I have even heard of Christians who say that they watch porn with their spouses. What makes me think it is dangerous, then?

Another digression. I have a friend who works with individuals in nursing homes. She is involved in speech therapy. She described to Tish and I one night about a man she takes care of that is suffering from lessened cognitive awareness. Apparently he is one of the nicest men, who speaks so kindly to others. As she described the joy of this man, her next statement stuck with me. She has a theory-- if you could even call it that-- that the things you fill your mind with when you are younger will reflect later on when you lack the mental capacity to keep your thoughts to yourself. In other words, she was saying that a man who keeps his thoughts pure when he is capable of hiding them will shine with purity later in life when his mind begins to diminish.

This brings me to two points. The first is somewhat abrasive. I believe my wife is a rock star. She is absolutely gorgeous to me and I am outrageously attracted to her in ways I care not describe. You might just want to read Song of Solomon and you might get the picture. However, I know there will be a time when she will turn gray, possibly gain weight, and wear thick glasses to help her see. Will I still be attracted to her in the same way? I believe that all depends on the litmus test I select at this stage in life. If I fall into the trap of a pornography addiction and am staring at 22 year old girls on a computer screen doing things that I cannot describe on this post, then I would suggest to you that I will have romanticized the concept of a healthy sexual relationship and hold my wife to an unfair standard. If, however, I choose to hold my wife on a pedestal and refuse to watch other women perform sexual acts, then that would mean I have a fair litmus test on which to rate my relationship with my wife. My litmus test would be a test of reality and life, rather than romanticized viewpoints and dramatizations.

My second point is this: I truly believe that the words I speak are a true character witness of who I am inside. I must freely admit that using choice words and inappropriate language has long been a weakness of mine. I certainly make strides to contain that language and those thoughts. If I keep sexual thoughts and words on the forefront of my conscience by watching online videos, then at a point in my life when my character is called into question, I firmly believe I will fail that test. Click here for a wonderful story about being of good character.

The reality check: Okay, so if I am not supposed to fill myself with those images, what is appropriate? Well, as I alluded to earlier, a healthy concept of sexuality is found in Song of Solomon. Moreover, examples of the destructive nature of sexual immorality are found throughout scripture. David and Bathsheba come to mind. I also figure that if it takes viewing sexual images outside my marriage to stir romantic feelings, then maybe it is time to rekindle some things in my own marriage. How about looking through a couple of photo albums, taking a picnic, or take a romantic vacation? No matter what it takes, the focus needs to be on the marriage relationship, not on outside distractions.

Other verses:
Matthew 12:35-37
35The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

2 Timothy 2:20-22
20In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Philippians 4:8
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.


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Questions:
Is there a thought process or addition in your life hidden that would be less than favorable to be heard? Naturally, this is more of a rhetorical question, but if you choose to reply to that question, feel free.
Do the thoughts we fill ourselves with early in life reflect our words later in life? Even if we don't suffer from lessened cognitive awareness and start speaking out of turn, is it healthy to allow these thoughts to pervade at any stage in our life?

I would be honored to hear your thoughts on how I am right, wrong, or otherwise.

Back to the Basics

In fire service, training tends to be cumulative, in that it simply builds one skill on top of others learned. For instance, once a firefighter learns hose handling and nozzle control, he might next learn some more intermediate fire attack principles based on those basic skills. Additionally, he might be soon expected to learn advanced tactics, up to and including live fire evolutions. Each new skill assumes he has learned the basis, or foundation, of the previous skill.

Once in a while, it becomes apparent that it is time to go back to basic skills and get some more practice. If a fire call points out that a few firefighters are falling short in the practical application of hose handling, the department might decide to use the next training session as a chance to "get back to the basics." Much to the chagrin of veteran firefighters, this is an absolute necessity to ensure that advanced tactics are not disrupted by responders who are a little rusty in basic skills.
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As I get deeper in these blog posts, I am attempting to keep the same principles in mind. I have decided to get back to the basics and share with each of you the reasons why I make these posts in the first place. Obviously, the blog name "Rescue Matt" is a play on of the fact that I am a volunteer firefighter and also a fire equipment salesman. The reason, though, goes much deeper. I personally believe myself to be rescued, as you will read in my very first blog post, which I have (gasp, he's not really going to REPOST is he???) reposted below for those of you who have joined with me after my initial post. I hope you can see grains and slivers of the post below in the spirit in which I post weekly for you. While the topics vary week to week, my goal is to keep on task with the following.
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It is a firefighter's nightmare... the day his brother falls in a fire and needs rescuing. Unfortunately, given the unavoidably dangerous atmosphere that firefighters are asked to endure, scenarios like this are inevitable. Firefighters train for this through drill after drill, but the moment it happens, I am quite certain all training goes out the window and it is simply a matter of a race against the clock. I have embedded this video as an explanation of what I mean (warning, not suitable for all viewers):


I personally feel very blessed that I have never had to experience anything like this, yet it reminds me of my own faith journey in so many ways. By now, you most likely know that I am a firefighter--a volunteer to be exact--and if you know anything about firefighters, we relate almost every aspect of our life to those experiences.

In my life, I was blessed to have been in a Christian since around the age of 6. However, during a time in high school, I feel away from that faith and struggled both behaviorally and spiritually. There was not one single moment in my life where I was rescued, yet a series of events led to me eventually reigniting my faith, "rescuing me from the dominion of darkness," as Colossians 1 states. So, as a Christian, I needed rescuing. And I received the rescue operation that I needed.

In addition to the thought of being rescued, I also think about the firefighters who are performing the rescue. You see, I believe that Christ gave specific commands to his followers that stated we are to be rescuers to others who are in danger of falling. But his command didn't go unfunded... with this mandate, he gave the resources with which to rescue his creation. First, he gave a community, which is much like the brotherhood of firefighters. This community is intended to be strengthened through their gatherings and in their commonality in Christ to the extent that they should have a desire to see others rescued as they have too been rescued. With this community comes the second resource, the Bible. The canon itself is filled with story after story of people being rescued from the dominion of darkness, yet Christians so often forget that this book is a blueprint to guide in these rescue efforts. Finally, he gave not only a community and not only a book, but himself. He is the martyred example of how to rescue people from the dominion of darkness. It is through him that rescue can even be made. If it was a cause that he believed was worth giving the ultimate sacrifice for, it is a cause that Christians should seek to model in their own lives. As Penn--yes, the athiest magician of Penn and Teller--stated, "how much do you have to hate someone, if you believe there is a God and a heaven and a hell, not to proselytize?" You see, this man Jesus, in whom I claim to believe, died for a cause in which I claim to believe. If I, a follower of Jesus, truly believe that this world is need of God's rescuing hand, and that I possess the necessary information with which to perform the rescue, and I fail to do so, then there is no rational explanation other than hate. So, we are given a community, a spoken word, and a martyred example with which to share a method of example. In my metaphor of fire and rescue services, the martyred example would be fallen heroes of the past, from whom we can learn to prevent future disaster.

So, where do we go from here? The simple answer is to go and perform the rescue for which we have been trained and equipped. As I close this post, I think about the firefighter in the video embedded above. If you watched it to about 1:20, then you saw the darkness come crashing around him. I have been there--not physically; not literally. I praise God that I have not been in such a scenario in real life... but spiritually, that is where I have been. Yet I was rescued. By God's hand, through my wife, through my family, through my friends, I have received the rescue I so desperately needed. So again, I say, as Penn already did, "How much do we have to hate--if we believe in God and Heaven and Hell-- to not share in the news which could rescue others from the Dominion of Darkness?

Commissioned

When I was fresh out of college, the ink on my Marketing diploma still fresh, I began looking for jobs. I simply could not imagine myself sitting in a cubicle in some corporate environment, so I sought out a job in fire equipment. I took the best job offer and planned a meeting with my new sales manager to see the tasked which I had received. My task was to take a brand new territory-- one which had never been covered by a full time sales rep-- and make it productive. The equipment we sell is of the highest quality in the world, so I was given much training to show the legitimacy of what we sell. While we rarely are the lowest bid, fire departments can typically justify the additional expense due to the overwhelming quality or feature benefits over the competitors. I have never believed in a going with the lowest bidder without justification-- my Toyota Tundra and iPhone prove it. I also don't believe in spending money that is NOT justified, as I believe wasteful spending is simply a form of greed.

All that being said, I took on my task with great excitement. I had a sales territory that had never seen some of the wonderful products we represent. In short, I had been commissioned, and the road in front of me was open and promising.

I was baptized when I was 12. Not much was shared with me at that point, but as I have grown in faith over the years-- the periods of my life with less faith are for another post-- I have realized that I have been given a task, just as I was given during my initial meeting with my boss. That task is lined out in Matthew 28, commonly referred to as the Great Commission.

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

It reads like a job description. As followers of the man named Jesus, we are to follow the words of this task. Let's break it down. First of all, he states his authority. Just as my boss shared with me in my opening paragraph that he is my boss and that he would be my resource for how I would conduct my work, Jesus shares that he is not only authorized to be my resource, but upon that designation, he is sharing a task for me. Moving forward, we should make disciples (followers of Jesus)of all nations by baptizing and teaching (leaving a few things out for brevity.) Finally, he closes with a promise that he will be with us always.

Why do I always come back to the Great Commission? The Great Commission has now appeared in quite a few of my posts. The truth is that I, like many, harbor a few issues with the state of our current brethren. As a missionary, I am unabashedly biased, and view much of the Christian life through that lens. While, I could share with you my viewpoint that all followers of Jesus are "missionaries," I think I will save that for another day. Today, I simply intend to share that I firmly believe the body of Christ is suffering in many contexts simply because they fail to get back to the basics and see the task for which we have been commissioned. In the context of this post, I would like to point out the landscape Christ was viewing when he tasked his followers with sharing his story.

Much like my sales territory of my job, the world didn't know the man Jesus. Some of the places I visit have seen the brands we represent in trade magazines and at various shows around the country. In the same way, many people in Christ's time were expecting him because of the words they had read in the Scriptures... they had a general knowledge of the Messiah, but they had no idea of the story about being part of the body of Christ. What Christ did was task his followers with sharing his story to people who did not "know" Him. The truth is, people in that time were excited about sharing this. They had been granted a task of sharing the greatest story of mankind, and the were anxious to tell the world. Many of them eventually gave their lives sharing this story.

Fast forwarding back to the current landscape: the Body of Christ is still tasked with sharing this story. I firmly believe we have lost that fervor, that excitement, in sharing the gospel. My friends and brothers, please realize that we may have heard this story for much of our lives, but there are people in this world who are yet to hear of the man named Jesus. If we lose our excitement in sharing this story, we fail to live up to the foundation of our task.

We have been commissioned, and the road in front of us is still open and promising.

Surely He is with us always, to the very end of the age.

Just listen

I recently found a forum posted by tech gurus about issues relating to fire truck siren usage. Their arguments against sirens related to noise pollution, new vehicle sound proofing, their personal desires to listen to loud music, and the fact that inattentive drivers probably won't see the lights and hear the sirens anyway.
Their solutions? Well, they ranged in everything from an FM signal which overtakes the audio in your vehicle to a GPS signal which tells vehicle drivers the exact location of approaching emergency vehicles.

The problem with these approaches? Both of these ideas (and everything in between that was also presented) rely entirely on the problem in the first place... the lack of attention drivers pay while on the road. That doesn't even take into account that these new tech concepts presented on the forum rely on every single vehicle on the road being purchased with or retrofitted with said devices.

The truth, my friends, is that we do not need new fancy gadgets and upgraded technologies to know that their is an approaching emergency vehicle. We need just look and listen.

I often think about how many gadgets I utilize in order to know God's desire in my life. When searching, I often listen to music, pray directly to God, or listen to the perspectives of my wife and friends. None of these are particularly bad, but I have begun to think that it may not be the easiest way to seek out God's desire in our lives. Maybe these words will shed some light on a new way to see and hear God in this very busy world.

1 Kings 19; The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" In other words, all Elijah had to do was listen.

1 Samuel 3; In a time when words from the Lord were rare, Samuel heard the Lord call his name. Three times he believed it was Eli calling to him. After being told that it may be the Lord calling, he lies down and waits for the voice again. Samuel heard the words of the Lord and listened. The story ends with these words: The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. In other words, Samuel heard the voice of the Lord because he was listening for him, even in a time when words from the Lord were rare.

So, in my own life, when I need to hear a word from the Lord, should I approach my friends and talk to them? Should I listen to the words of Christian music artists? Should I open the Bible and read? Perhaps all of the above. I am hearing more and more people talk about how hearing a word from the Lord is rare in this day and age. That has been the case in many ages past and probably will be in many ages in the future. But if you want to hear the Lord's voice, all you need to do is listen.

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What have you been hearing from the Lord lately?
What times in your life have you heard the word most clearly? What was the environment around you?
Does God even talk to us anymore like he did back then?


I just wanted to take a few moments to thank those of you who have recently told me you enjoy these blog posts. I enjoy writing them and figured I would post with or without others' promptings. However, if you are enjoying what you read, don't hesitate to subscribe to the postings! I look forward to hearing more of your comments here on the blog, on Facebook, on Twitter, or in person!

Paving the Good Intentions Rd.

I sat down the other day with my fire captain and had some conversations regarding training. We had just returned to the station from a vehicle accident where our conversation with a neighboring department led to explanations of training scenarios and training videos we had each seen. One specific training video mentioned was regarding vehicle placement on major highways and roadways in order to protect the patient and protect the responders (fire, ems, police) from inattentive drivers. It was almost immediately apparent that my fire captain and our neighboring department's fire officers had both seen the same video on separate occasions, in separate classes. What also became apparent was that so often in fire training, instructors search the internet and find video tidbits and clips to back up their talking points. The result is typically that the students hear these talking points as gospel and re-teach the same clips as additional documentation. After our return to the station, my captain and I began to talk about how often we go to training classes where the instructors "proof text" video clips to boost their training perspectives. What begins as an effort to bolster training with videos of real-life situations (good intention) leads to misunderstood scenarios and half-truths. The final result is often division among fire departments.

But does a difference in concepts HAVE to result in disfellowshipping other brothers? I mean, do some of these differences really amount to anything more than semantics in the real world?

After reflecting on that perspective in fire service, I thought about a seminar I had the pleasure of attending on Friday night. Some would view a short lecture on Restoration History as a sharp stick in the eye, but since I have a business degree and didn', t join in ministry/missions until after college, much of these concepts and stories of how the church of Christ began are completely foreign to me (what, the "Church of Christ" wasn't established in A.D. 33?) Furthermore, as someone who does not identify himself to a particular denomination (church of Christ, Baptist, Methodist, etc), I haven't spent a lot of time devoting myself to the research of my heritage in the church of Christ. The evening began with a rather painful approach. "Name the most negative thing you know about the church of Christ," Doug Foster said. Cultlike, Exclusivist, Legalist, the list began. But how did we get this way?

Doug Foster shared some history I did not know about the church of Christ. For instance, I have often heard fellow "CoC" brethren talk about being nondenominational, even though it is apparent that it is no less a denomination of the Christian faith than any other Christian group... Doug Foster shared that in the covenant documents of what eventually became the credo of church of Christ groups, it was the intention that unity, faith, scripture, etc be restored to followers of Jesus in order to avoid division. Yet, through a desire to seek knowledge of scripture and time in communion, a division was created that causes angst among many still today.

Well, what about how members of the church of Christ believe that their methodology in reading scripture and deducing truths is far above and beyond that of other Christians? From a covenant document of Alexander Campbell's 13 propositions: "That as it is not necessary that persons should have a particular knowledge or distinct apprehension of all Divinely-revealed truths in order to entitle them to a place in the Church... on the contrary, their having a due measure of Scriptural self-knowledge rspecting their lost and perishing condition by nature and practice, and of the way ofr salvation through Jesus Christ...with a profession of their faith in and obedience to him...is all that is absolutely necessary to qualify them for admission into his Church." What does all this 1800s English mean? Simply that to qualify as part of the body of Christ--not of a denomination, not of a particular Christian group... just simply to qualify for the salvation of Christ-- you need to realize that scripture states that we are all a lost people and have salvation in Christ and should act upon that. It is sad that a concept of explaining the beauty of salvation in Christ has led to many people trying to state that their knowledge and doctrine are superior. In short, it has created division among brothers.

Again, I ask, does a difference in concepts HAVE to result in disfellowshipping other brothers? I mean, do some of these differences really amount to anything more than semantics in the real world?

Just as in the case of the well-intended fire instructors above, we often take concepts that are pure in heart and let them get out of control. In the cases above, what began as an idea to restore unity among followers of Christ led to exclusive behavior by a few, which resulted in reduced credibility of a large majority.

We have heard the phrase "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." I want to take a little out of context and say "the road to division and half-truths is paved with good intentions." As a body of Christ, let's spend time this week trying to restore unity to the brethren, and redeem others back into relationship with their Creator.

Have a great week!

Unknown Location; Where to next?

Whether or not you are in emergency services, you have had to cope with a foggy road or blinding rain while trying to find an address. Whether it's visiting a friend in the country or trying to respond to an emergency down a county road, the feeling that you may be lost makes can be a very eerie feeling.

On a recent structure fire call, a storm had passed through, dropping the temperatures significantly. We were responding during the heaviest winds and rain of this particular thunderstorm. Upon arrival, a fog settled in, dampening efforts yet again, and forcing a smoke blanket from the house fire to drop on the personnel all over the fire scene.

Today, my fire department responded to what we call a "well intent" call. Basically, someone sees or smells smoke but cannot put their finger on its source. In those occasions, we get called to find the source. Again, when you are responding to an unknown location, it can be an eerie feeling not knowing what type of fire or situation lies ahead.

Those scenarios are the back drop for a prayer I had read to me this week by a good friend. If you feel at times like you have no idea where you are going in life, take joy in knowing that you are not alone in this struggle. The words below may shed some light.

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this,
You will lead me by the right road.
Though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me.
And you will never leave me to face my struggles alone.
– Thomas Merton

2 in, 2 out: Never go it alone

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a policy that is typically referred to as "two in, two out." Basically, the concept is that if an interior structural attack is instigated, there shall always be two people involved in that attack, and that those two individuals should be in direct contact with each other and with the outside personnel. In laymen terms: don't go it alone. (More Reading Here)

We have all seen the heroic firefighter movies (mostly cheesy, but entertaining) where a firefighter becomes a turnout gear-clad John Wayne of sorts and saves peoples' lives. This tactic certainly makes for a good movie, but the truth is that interior structural firefighting is unavoidably dangerous. If one makes the decision to go it alone, the result can be fatal.

How many of us has felt alone in this world? All have at some point. The beauty of our creation is that we were not intended to have to feel that way. While occasional loneliness is inevitable in this life, our God in all his wisdom has created a system through which we have individuals on whom we can rely... a buddy system, if you will. In fire service, this is two in, two out. In a Christ-community, it is two people, two disciplines (covered in the video below.)

I believe that when Christ sent out the 72 (rounded as seventy in some translations) in Luke 10, it was no coincidence that he did so in groupings of two. This intentional effort and giving partnerships of individuals on a common course can continue today.

This particular posting will be much shorter than my others, because I don't want to take any of your precious time when you could be reading an extremely beneficial resource below.

I have recently been reading a blog posting which ties into some similar concepts. You may have heard it referred to as "Church of Two" or CO2. Other simply refer to it as a method of keeping in contact with individuals. An easy example of why this is important:

I personally cannot keep in contact with the 1500 or so members of my congregation. Furthermore, if I did have contact with every one of those individuals, there is absolutely no chance that those contacts would really be anything more than superficial. However, if I have about three or four individuals with whom I have routine or even daily meaningful contacts, then those individuals have three or four of the same, soon all 1500 individuals in the congregation could have wonderful, meaningful relationships with other Christians... hence, a built-in buddy system.

If you feel like you might be struggling with the need for deep, meaningful relationships then I would encourage you to view this resource and consider trying some of these concepts.

For the root blog URL, view here.
For an understanding of CO2, watch the video below.

C02 Overview from TSP on Vimeo.

Final thoughts:
Have you had these experiences in the past and want to share how that worked for you?

What would your congregation look like if we really had everyone commit to having these deep meaningful relationships?