…for the rest of us

Reading the comments section of the Journal-World article was pretty fun.   We haven’t even had one service yet and already strong opinions are forming.  I’ve also already had a handful of e-mails that had some good questions, but one in particular made me a little sad - not because it was surprising, but because it was real.

This person basically sent me a checklist to run through to see what we “stand against” - as if being known for that checklist is what being part of a church boils down to.

Man, if following Jesus was about just being against stuff, count me out.

When your identity is wrapped up in what  you’re against, it fosters inactive, unapproachable character simplifying your personality to merely negative vocal opinions and maybe a picket sign here and there.

Luckily, following Jesus is about what He is for.

When we have an active identity in being for loving God and for loving people, our priorities change.  For instance, say, meeting new people are no longer about snap judgments and comparisons, but rather the hope to establish a meaningful moment to learn about the other person and maybe find opportunity to show love for them, which can mean a wide variety of things according to their needs.

Is Michael Jordan known for “being against” stepping out of bounds on the basketball court?  Have you ever seen the Jayhawk football team on the street by the stadium picketing “against” illegal blocks in the back?  Of course not.  They’re known for playing the game.  It seems ludicrous to focus so much attention on what NOT to do.  Jordan and the Jayhawks are exciting and contagious because of what they do.

At EastLake, we want to be known for what we are for.  We want to be known for playing the game, not getting enamored with shouting the rulebook at the top of our lungs.

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/jul/25/new-interface-game-designer-returning-home-lawrenc/

Real faith isn’t a feeling.

So many times we, Christian or not, get bombarded with this idea that faith, in any measure, is just some feeling or mental ascent to some, let’s say, spiritual or mental opinion.  If that’s all it takes to show faith, then it’s completely impersonal and pretty useless.

In high school, some motivational speaker told us that it’s not about what you have faith in, it’s just that you have faith.  Honestly, it was the most misguiding and most dismal things I’ve heard in my life.  Try telling someone who invests in the stock market that “it’s not what stock you invest in, but just that you ‘invest.’”  You’d get laughed off the face of Wall St.  Yet, we’re all guilty at times thinking that to truly believe in something all we have to do is have a strong opinion about it.

Real faith is shown in action.

I know you believe that food satisfies your hunger.  Why?  I see you eat stuff.

When someone says they believe that Death Cab for Cutie is one of the greatest modern bands, I know they believe not because they merely say so, but they try to get me to listen to more, go to their shows and buy their records.  They’re actively investing in their love for the band.

I have the privilege of partnering with some amazing people from Seattle who are literally acting on the faith that God is doing something significant in Lawrence.  They believe it so much that they are walking away from their Seattle lives, knowing not a soul in Lawrence, and are about to invest at least a year building EastLake!  These guys are an inspiration to me.  And I hope that this active and going type faith can be contagious and we can be effective in loving and reaching out to our community in Lawrence!

Guys, I absolutely can’t wait to get back and start building EastLake with you.  We have an amazing opportunity to be a part of what God is doing in Lawrence.  We have an amazing opportunity to build a culture where people who hate church can come, feel relaxed and check out Christianity without having to learn some weird Christianese lingo or wear a certain type of clothing or vote for a certain type of politician.  EastLake will be a place where even if someone doesn’t yet believe, they can belong to a community of great people.

I am thrilled we have 25+ people already on board to launch it and am looking forward to seeing everyone again on August 15…along with more new faces!