The other day a sobering statistic was brought to my attention. I’m sure at some point I had heard or read it before. Still, when I found out that 40 percent of the world did not have this privilege I was taken aback. My reaction was primarily based on the ease with which I can access this luxury yet the frequency with which I take it for granted.

I’m talking about access to the written word of God in one’s native language. Forty percent of the world does not have this privilege. Of the remaining 60 percent, not all have access to the complete Scriptures. And then there is me.

I have an entire shelf full of bibles in all different sizes and translations. I have multiple software packages on my computer that contain almost every English translation available. I have audio versions of the bible and I can access a bible anytime I have an internet connection as well. Even my iPod touch has the bible.

Somehow in the midst of this gluttony of biblical texts, it is easy for me to miss the privilege that I have. Not only can I freely study and discuss Scripture, I have almost instant access to it no matter where I am. Unfortunately, my situation mirrors that of many American Christians.

May God help us to remember what a privilege we have to read and study his word!

This is the audio from a speaking opportunity I recently had with a group of men at our church. Because of the setting, this is not a “sermon” as much as it is teaching.  The quality of the recording is not the best but you should be able to hear it well enough.

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Seminary is great. I love going to class and learning Theology, Greek, Hebrew, etc. My education is preparing me to study the Bible and (hopefully) interpret it in an accurate way. And while all of this education comes with a hefty price tag, it’s certainly worth it. The education is invaluable to my future ministry.

But it’s not enough. As important as sitting in the classroom for 2.5 years has been, it hasn’t come close to preparing me for actual ministry.

Seminary can teach you how to diagram Greek sentences, but it can’t teach you how to effectively lead with a team of volunteers. Seminary can show you how to use the appropriate tools in your studies, but it can’t teach you how to motivate people to action. Seminary can teach you the historical beliefs of Christianity that have stood for 2,000 years, but it can’t teach you how to explain them in terms that the unchurched person in a specific cultural setting will understand. Seminary can better prepare you to answer questions regarding the faith, but it can’t prepare you for all the different personalites of your co-workers. Seminary can significantly increase how much you ‘know’ in regards to the Bible and ministry, but it can never show you all the things you don’t know.

A good seminary education is important but it’s only half of the puzzle.

Last night at approximately midnight, my fifth semester of seminary came to an end. I attached my Word file to an e-mail and clicked “send” on the final assignment of 2009. I wish I could say that it was one of my stronger finishes to a semester but it wasn’t. For a myriad of reasons, (including but not limited to: the due date of assignments, poor time management, and some general laziness), I found myself staggering instead of sprinting toward the finish line. In many ways, I was disappointed with myself. This is the kind of thing that happened to me  in college. I thought I had gotten it out of my system for graduate school but alas, it reared its ugly head. It’s a good thing too.

I needed a reminder that no matter how good I think I may have gotten at something (like time management), I still have a long ways to go. Sounds like the Christian life too. No matter how much we think we’ve “arrived” at a given point, we haven’t. Maturity is a continual process that can never be completed in this life. Even when we haven’t dealt with something for a long time, we are still susceptible to falling back into old habits and patterns of behavior (including sin!). Hopefully this semester will serve as a lesson (re)learned.

Mark chapter 6 tells several remarkable stories concerning Jesus. One of them is the feeding of 5,000 men – women and children not included! Following this Jesus takes a night time walk on the lake and calms the storm which threatens the disciples’ boat. At this point, the text tells us that the disciples “were utterly amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.” (Mark 6:51-52).

At first glance, it seems baffling how the disciples could witness such incredible displays of provision and power and yet not understand who Jesus was. How could they not see God at work? And while I find myself asking this question about the disciples, I could just as easily ask it of myself.

How many times have I failed to see God at work in the circumstances of my life? How could I miss the provision and power he has demonstrated? Why does his past faithfulness not give me more assurance of his future faithfulness?

While there are many ways these question could be answered, perhaps that is not what’s most important. Instead of looking at myself, perhaps I should look to God. I should thank him and praise him for the displays of his provision and power in my life. I should actively look for evidence of his faithfulness in my present circumstances.

The disciples missed what Jesus did because their hearts were hardened. Lord, help my heart not to be hardened too!

The reason there hasn’t been much content on this blog recently can be attributed to the whiteboard you see below.

This is how I stay somewhat sane with an insane amount of work. If I don’t put the list up where I can constantly see it, I tend to lose focus and wait too long to get assignments started (sometimes it happens anyway).

I wish I had more time to blog but since I like to put at least some thought into what I’m writing, posts are few and far between.

Too many people take on too many obligations without thinking through how much they have taken on and how much time it will take to do it.

I realize that not everyone is a “list” oriented person. But having no system at all for keeping track of what needs to be done is a surefire way to crash and burn.

Are you religious but don’t like church? Are you intrigued by Jesus but not his followers? Do you think church is boring and irrelevant? Were you burned by a church and vowed never to go back? Do you wish there was a church where you could actually understand what the preacher is saying? Are you convinced that your past disqualifies you from attending church? Are you agnostic? Are you an atheist?  Are you… (insert your own unique excuse for disliking church)?

If you answered yes, I’ve get exciting news for you.

Starting August 16th you can gather with thousands of others – many of whom share your dissatisfaction with church – for a different kind of church.

And the best part is, you don’t have to leave your house!

That’s right, it’s church streaming live into your home (or wherever you are) via the internet. That means no getting dressed up, no uncomfortable or awkward moments, no strange people approaching you, no one asking you questions you don’t want to answer. It’s just you, the dog, and anyone else you want to invite.

North Point Church in Atlanta is a church that exists for people who don’t go to church. At 6pm EST on August 16th they will begin streaming one of their weekly services live on the internet.

The service is designed specifically for you – the person who doesn’t like church!

And in case you’re wondering, I get absolutely nothing out of this – but I promise that you will.

(Click the banner below for more information.)

Although the majority of my television viewing revolves around the world of sports, I try to catch some cable news every few days. I have a confession to make though. Recently, watching the news has become a problem for me as I find myself getting worked up over the lack of leadership in the American government and it’s inability to find meaningful solutions to the issues we face. Read the rest of this entry »