A Hard Lesson in Survival

If you've ever whispered a prayer in an airplane during a storm you'll feel the fear that gripped the group of oil riggers who were flying in a snowstorm during some of the early moments of the movie, The Grey.

Some critics called it formulaic but issues men rarely talk about with each other came out in the conversations of the group of men who were simply trying to hold on to survive as they tried desperately to get back to civilization and the rest of their lives with their families after a terrible plane crash.

I couldn't help but remember the real life story of the lead actor, Liam Neeson.  His wife, Natasha Richardson, died tragically on March 18, 2009 after sustaining a head trauma on a ski slope at Mount Tremblant Resort in Quebec.  The distant, troubled look in his eyes (in the pic above) reminded me of the search for meaning we all live with as we face the ups and downs of living.

This was not the triumphant story of the folks who survived the plane crash in a movie of my childhood called, Alive.  The brutal Alaskan wilderness would not let go of these men as though their fate had been decided from the moment they stepped onto the plane itself.

Some critics called it too long and too slow. But I find in my life and ministry that there are too many platitudes we use when we're talking about the meaning of life.  I love God deeply and believe that my destiny is caught up in what God would have me do, achieve and experience.  I accept that some suffering in this life is God ordained and must come my way to make me stronger, wiser and more courageous myself.

But watching the men in this movie struggle with memories, hopes, heartaches and finding courage got my spirit wrestling.  Can you keep going when folks around you doubt you?  Can you forge ahead when the finish line is so far away that you lose sight of it or your vision of it?  When someone is depending on you to get something right are you ready to complete that task or all of those tasks well?

The fight and the journey is worth pursuing!  Whatever you're going through...search your heart and know that your trust in the Divine and in yourself is worth it regardless of the outcome.  I'd love to get the feedback from others, particularly men who have taken the time to see the movie.  Share your thoughts!

Reactivating Vision Power

What if Steve Jobs was right when he admitted a key thing about his vision for Apple Computers?  He admitted, "We started out to get a computer in the hands of everyday people, and we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams." Could one of America's great visionary corporate leaders have had a vision that didn't match with the outcome?

He said it happened.  I have been blessed to attend the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection's Leadership Insititute on four occasions now.  And their visionary pastor, Rev. Adam Hamilton said he, "never imagined he'd be the pastor of a congregation of thousands of members."  And yet, there he is in Kansas City, Kansas with one of the most vibrant churches in the post modern age.

Nehemiah is always cited as a biblical example of an extraordinary, visionary leader.  And, as a pastor, I have felt the pressure to produce just like Nehemiah did.  But a great truth was revealed to me recently by  Michael Fletcher, author of Overcoming Barriers to Church Growth.  He noted, "Visioning may be the hardest but most important job of the senior pastor-finding God's vision for the local church he (she) leads."  And if we start visioning, somehow, with a particular hope, dream or end in mind its probably because that would represent good planning, right?

I remember hearing about the comedian, Dave Chappele.  Success hit for the brother!  He went from stand up in clubs, on the road, to a hilarious Comedy Central Show where he was the principal star, writer and producer.  It seemed he had everything he wanted.  The cash was flowing and he was firmly planted in one place where his televsion project was doing well.  And one day he flipped out.  He just left.  He moved to Africa (or so the rumor said) and took a break from his responsibilities on Comedy Central.

Was his vision power somehow too puny to see the success that he experienced?

How do we activate or reactivate the power of BIG visioning that turns impossible situations into miracles from on high?  I know it can't happen without prayer.  Strong leaders must emerge in churches who can stomach the threat of failure remembering Tavis Smiley's encouragement to "fail-up."  There are other hints, other clues and other answers to this question that I really would like your feedback on.  Would you help in this process?  I'd love to hear your suggestions.        



Be Careful of Your Next Adjustment

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired me with his stand for peace, his witness for justice and his commitment to non-violence.  I must admit that one of my favorite quotes of his was this one,

Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.

We live in need of constant adjustments.  Our eyes adjust from darkness to light.  Our feet adjust to different surfaces as our bodies encounter them.  We adjust what we wear according to the weather.

For me as a Christian this is the time of year when we really focus in on salvation.  The celebration of Christmas is all about God's creative act in sending Jesus to earth to live, to minister and to die. 

But an urgent call I got recently reminded me that the work of salvation is undone until everyone is free to live fully.  A counselor called from one of our locally run groups for the developmentally disabled.  She called to see if there was anything some of the developmentally disabled adults could volunteer to work on in my church.

Before I could answer her she said she had called more than twenty churches asking whether or not there was something in those churches the volunteers she works with could do.  She encountered one, "no" after another. 

It seems that even in this special time of the year there are still some hearts that are frozen cold.  Have we done what we could to reach out the those who are physically or mentally less abled?

Have we sought salvation not just for ourselves but also for those who are still discrimated against, even today?  Dr. King's word rings out in my mind again.  We are called to be 'creatively maladjusted.'

Let's not adjust to injustice, to malice and meanness, to hurt and heartache.  Let's make this a season where we creatively reach out to the ones in our midst who deserve our attention, our care and our involvement.

Get a Life....a Prayer Life!

I've got one more post about this Tiger Woods fiasco.  I promise that after this I'm going to take my own advice and 'leave Tiger Woods alone!'   He just opened a door so widely in one of his public statements that I cannot let it go.

Tiger said, "Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions."  I like this statement very much.  Yet, at the same time I'm reminded of that powerful scene from the movie, The Godfather Part III where Michael Corleone confesses his many sins before the preist after almost going into a diabetic coma.  It was as though his confessions helped him deal with his many sins so that his inner turmoil would not eat him alive.

Press releases and public confessions aren't really necessary, it's true Mr. Woods.  But here is one of the chief reasons why an active prayer life between us and God is necessary, helpful and something to treasure.

God forgives. I also hope that forgiveness flows through families. I hope that ongoing grudges and claims made by one family member to another that they will 'never forgive' in this situation or that situation will not be the chief end of any issue.

One of the great truths of folks of faith and good will is that we all know that one day we all will stand in need of forgiveness for something. An active prayer life is an outstanding place to converse with God about our personal sins, our shortcomings and the times we miss the mark.

On the internet there is a place where you can get some answers to questions you might have about prayer.  Its:  www.allaboutprayer.org   Visit the site for answers to questions you might have about daily personal prayer, family prayer and gaining greater intimacy with God.  I'd love to know if you've started or re-started your prayer life recently.  Leave me a comment and may your active prayer life bless you!

Moving in Mellow Thanks for Mighty Mothers

Once a year has never been enough to show our appreciation to the mighty, loving and committed mothers that move us to action in our lives. As I thought about that first miracle repored by St. John in the 2nd chapter of John, verses 1-5 (NRSV Bible), I couldn't help but think about the ways my own mother and so many other mothers have moved us to action going all the way back to Jesus' mother Mary. Hard times were due to define the marvelous wedding feast in a little village called, Cana, in Galilee. But Mary, mother of Jesus, would not have it! She stood her ground and did three things that marvelous, mighty mothers have continued doing well over the ages. The first thing she did was she anointed and appointed her son Jesus to get started with His earthly mission. Yes, Jesus was sent to do God's work here on earth but I'm sure Jesus would have preferred to get started AFTER he gathered his whole 12 disciples. Mary saw the wine was running out at the wedding and knew what her son Jesus could do. Mary blessed Jesus to get to work. Have you ever felt the gentle nudge of your mother pushing you to get to work? I have. The second thing mother Mary did was she let Jesus know that sometimes miracle making is not just about supernatural things, only. Sometimes letting the supernatural things serve practical purposes is really what matters most. Didn't your Mama ever insist that you think practically? Mine did. Thirdly and finally, mother Mary did something that Mamas over the ages have been known for! She made sure it was her child, her adult child here with Jesus, was going to come, reach out and help. Mother Mary knew that we can't have a faith or a gift that we don't use. You don't have to be the greatest theologian on earth to recognize that there is wisdom in using ALL THE GIFTS GOD GAVE YOU! And that earthly axiom is true about using your faith and your gifts. If you don't use them, you'll lose them. I hope everyone who reads this blog found a special mother or two to celebrate for Mother's Day, 2009. But more importantly I hope we will take all the good feelings we feel for mothers into the rest of our moments, days, weeks and years ahead. Keep moving in your mellow thanks for mighty mothers TODAY!